that's all for now

just wanted to post an update that i've decided to take a break from the blog for a while. i've had tons of fun doing it, sharing what i've learned, and hearing from everyone that reads it, but creating new and original content is a lot of work.

thanks to everyone that read this crazy thing and i  hope that you had fun (and maybe learned something from my mistakes) right along with me.  right now i'm just in my studio continuing to learn all i can about making clothes for myself, friends, and family.

i might start up again sometime in the future, but for now i'm taking a break.

if you want to see my process for making a space quilt click these links in order:


1. making the pattern part1
2. making the pattern part 2
3. pieces
4. it's cuttin' time
5. all cut out
6. 1st section done
7. 2nd section done
8. 3rd section done
9. v838 v2 top done
10. embroidery time
11. quilting time
12. work, work, work
13. edging
14. finished!

or

1. back in action
2. all cut out
3. 1st corner done
4. 2nd corner down
5. 3rd corner down
6. m1 top done
7. and the quilting begins
8. i did it!

or check out this video of the pieces getting sewn together: r136 in 30 doradus 3rd section

if you like pickles check out these posts, and if you like fun, quick projects (a batwing cape, dog bed, bike seat cover, re-usable bodega bag, make your own flag, fix a holy pair of jeans, etc) check these out!

again, thanks for reading!
jimmy

music monday: groove theory

on our way up to massachusetts for the holiday i caught the tale end of "tell me" on the radio and it instantly shot me back to high school and how much i loved this album.  as soon as we got back i had to download it and i've been listening to the whole thing ever since.

Groove Theory - Tell Me (Album Version) (Official Music Video). Watch more top selected videos about: Groove Theory

happy thanksgiving!

yellow pickled eggs!

epic studio day

the other day i had one of those epic studio days where i did a shit-ton of stuff, but ended up not having a lot to show for it.  it was super productive, and all stuff that needed to get done, but i really didn't walk away with a sense of accomplishment because i didn't really end up "making" anything.

after i figured out what was going on with my pants patterns i redrafted my slacks sloper.

once those were redrafted i went and drafted a new slacks pattern.  i knew i was going to have to redraft some parts (because the pattern i had was for shorts), but i didn't realize the extent to which i would be redrafting the slacks pattern, i.e. everything.

after the final fitting of my "lady friend's" sloper i made some adjustments and drew up a new front bodice and drafted a new sleeve sloper to reflect the changes.

after i had the slopers down, i drafted a tester shirt for her to try on.  finally, i'm getting to the final stages on this--i feel like i've been working on it forever.  the tester is to just make sure everything works; sleeve length (with cuff), neck circumference (with neck band), and ease amounts.

 finally, i wasn't happy with the tester shirt i had drafted and sewn together for my "guy friend".  i didn't really know what i was doing with the dart, and it turned out a little weird.  and after i had sewn it up i realized that i had just basically traced the sloper and turned it into a shirt without adding any ease.  so i fixed the dart problem and added some ease in the pattern.

all in all, it was a very productive, if not especially fulfilling day.  but, it makes for very productive and (hopefully) more fulfilling days ahead in the studio.

music monday: talking book

in honor of stevie wonder's "talking book" turning 40 this week i thought i'd celebrate with a music monday.  "big brother" is my favorite song on the album and, coincidentally, still timely given the election year.

 

that time of year again

it's fall time.. and time to cut down the garden.  it was looking a little scraggily lately anyway, so it's nice to make a clean break.  here's everything cut down and ready to be chopped up and put into the compost.  it's the circle of life!!

it's times like these i wish we had a wood chipper.

after seeing it so green and lush for so many months it's weird to see it all gone.

 one of the things we did this year that we've never done before is divided our hostas.  we have several hostas and through the years they've gotten pretty big, so we decided to try and divide them.  you do it in the fall and then hopefully (if we didn't kill them) they'll come bouncing right back in the spring.  finger's crossed.

pattern problem solving

i'm making a couple of new pairs of pants and i wanted to just double check my pants patterns before i dove in on them.  i traced my jeans pattern and my fancy shorts pattern onto paper, overlapping them, and without the seam allowances (essentially tracing the jeans and pants slopers) to see how they compared to each other.  i knew that i wanted to make both the jeans pattern and the slacks pattern a little looser, but i ended up finding a bunch of other interesting things.  among other little things (like certain points being off by an 1/8", or even 1/4"), the back rises were way off.  you can see in the image that the slacks (brown) center back point is a good 3/4" lower than the jeans (pencil) center back point.

hmmm... that got me thinking.

i wanted to see if this was actually true for how i wore them.  i made a mark on my back and tried on both pairs and they sat at exactly the same spot.

then i remembered the problem i was having with my shirt shorts and, after some pulling and adjusting, i made a realization.

if the back rise of the slacks were 3/4" of an inch higher i wouldn't be pulling them up as far.  if i pulled the back down 3/4" (to where they were drafted to be in the pattern) the pocket miraculously lays flat!!  i exaggerated the pulling and wrinkling to show it better, but you get the idea.

wow.  mind blown.  time to redraft the slacks pattern.