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Current coping mechanism: brightly-colored fleece remnants.
While I spend the afternoon ignoring today’s sportsball event, I thought maybe I would drop in here and show you some pictures of what I’ve been sewing.
First, there’s this blouse, made for the Ridiculous Prints Sew-Along over in the Facebook Sew-Alongs & Sewing Contests group. Pattern is Butterick 6177.
Everything used to make this was from the stash, as I was snowed in at the time.
This is a cotton or cotton/poly shirting, bought many years ago.
The collar’s my favorite part of this.
This pattern is another little step outside my fashion comfort zone, but I really like how the blouse turned out. There’s just something about this shape that’s fun to wear. It fits well through the shoulders and bust, but then there’s the swirly stuff around the hips that’s just fun–it’s a little like wearing a circle skirt. Feels swishy and a little girly, but also tailored, which is a combination that really fits me. Drapey fabric, that nifty, crisp little collar, and lemons, too!
The only part of this blouse I’m not crazy about is this business here:
The outer blouse has this weird little boxy shape at the ends, which I’m not really sold on. I haven’t worn this out and about yet (I’m pretty much wearing nothing but fleece right now, as anything else isn’t warm enough), but after I road-test this, I might sew straight down to the point at the lower left and cut off the box. We’ll see.
I’ve also been working on the baby quilt I was commissioned to make, but it’s a bit boring, so I took a break to whip this up:
My new best friend.
Somebody in one of my Facebook sewing groups linked to this tutorial for a microwaveable shoulder wrap, and I knew immediately this was a thing I needed to have. You may recognize the fabric as part of the comforter cover I got at Goodwill last summer. It’s soft and colorful and I have a hell of a lot of it, so it was perfect for this. A bike wheel turned out to be just the right size for the pattern, and I used the base of a coffee carafe for the center.
My excuse for making it was to help ease the tension I tend to hold in my shoulders. I don’t know that it really helps with that, but it is lovely and warm. 🙂
And then there’s the owl fleece.
I had SWORN I was done with piecing fleece, but then I happened to find this remnant at Wal-Mart and couldn’t resist. (Yeah, I know, Wal-Mart, but I take my mother to get groceries every week, and Wal-Mart is the only store she’ll go to.) Then I took her again the next week, and there was a remnant–almost a full yard–of black fleece to go with it. So it’s fate, obviously, right?
I wanted to try a different style with this one, so I’m making the Named Patterns Saunio Cardigan, one of the free patterns I won recently. This cardigan is going to run me about four bucks. 🙂
Loving all my brightly-colored fabrics right now when things are all white and gray here. Partner and I were supposed to go to the Portland area this weekend for one of his bike rides, but getting there requires going through the Columbia Gorge, and the weather has been ugly down there. Next weekend, we’re planning to go to Seattle for the annual Bike Swap, but the weather outlook isn’t good for that, either. I’m feeling pretty whiny about things right now, but at least I have my lovely fabrics to cheer me up.
Off to finish that cardigan and dream of spring.
STH
Living in Color 
LOVE the blouse!! I said I’d embrace colour this year and wowed that’s inspiration. You know, owl are all over Italy as they are a symbol of luck. Enjoy!
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So they’re a symbol of luck, but are we sure it’s GOOD luck? 😉 I could use me a little bit of that (come to think of it, maybe I should give the owls credit for some fat quarters I won the other day). Definitely embrace the colors that make you feel good, whatever they may be!
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Yes, good luck! You know, I have a thing for red, but don’t wear it much as it is not “my colour.” Makes me very happy though.
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I love the blouse too! You’ve been busy and I can’t wait to see your finished owl project.
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Thank you! Hoping the light will improve over the next couple of days so I can get some pics (note to self: may be time to wash gray Pooh fluff off owls as well).
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You’ve certainly got some weather there! It cried out for fleece and shoulder warmers.
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Most definitely! My fleece is getting a LOT of use!
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That blouse looks so fresh and fun.
I buy fabric at Wal-mart now and then. It is one of only two places within 40 miles of me that has fabric. (The other is a small quilt shop.) I buy most of my fabric online but Wal-mart sometimes has some pretty decent stuff. I admit that I am usually a little embarrassed to admit that I shop there, especially for fabric but, honestly, politically correct shopping is just too emotionally exhausting for me. For some things, out here in “flyover country” there are only two choices: Walmart or Internet.
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Yeah, I hear you. I never judge anybody for shopping there, ’cause everybody’s got their own reasons. I personally would prefer to avoid it because of their labor practices, but these decisions aren’t really that simple. My mother tends to develop grudges, so she’ll probably decide she hates it in a few months, and we’ll be back at Fred Meyer.
Anyway, thanks for your comments on the blouse! I am crossing my fingers for some warmer weather soon so I can wear it. Much of our snow melted today, so maybe spring is on the way?
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