Mostly Sewing Natter

My idea for storing skirt hikes is successful. They were already on (essentially) very short belts in a bin in the front entry, so I scrounged up some not-for-climbing-carabiners (formerly for sale along with leather key fobs), and I’ve hung the belts up from the edge of the metal shelving in the front entry. Now it’s easy to grab the right one, and frees up space in the bin. 

I was home sick Thursday and Friday (and also Tuesday) last week, and cut out a bunch of Halloween doll clothes, from the recently purchased fabric and the stash of stuff I’d previously bought. I tinkered with my patterns (which exist only as numbers in a spreadsheet) so hopefully this batch will fit American Girl dolls better. A couple kosode have seams up the center back, to use some pieces of fabric that were sufficiently long, but not wide enough, except for veeeeerrrry thin dolls. 

I’d bought some black broadcloth for a project that probably won’t happen, and used that for a few things. I got the machine-sewing done, and started the hand-sewing, which involves folding and creasing and pinning. WTF was I thinking when I bought it??? (JoAnn’s Symphony Broadcloth, 65% polyester, 35% cotton)  Horrible horrible stuff. Really thin, my hair-clippy things won’t hold it at all, even three layers plus a layer of quilter’s cotton. Enthusiastically frays (although not as bad as brocades). Won’t hold a crease. BLEAH!  

Yes, I am a fiber snob. I despise most man-made fibers. So sue me.

I finished one kosode where I used the broadcloth for the collar, and am finishing another one where I machine-sewed on some more for trim, and have the collar of it.  But I’m going to toss the two under-kosode I cut out of the broadcloth, and send the rest, about 4 yards, away to a relative who might be able to use it. Last night I poked in the dining room and found some black-on-black floral cotton I knew I had, and at lunchtime I did some on-line shopping and ordered some solid black 100% “quilter’s cotton” and a print of grey swirlies on black, also 100% cotton. I picked them up on the way home, and can cut out new under-kosode from fabric that won’t make me crazy. Much better!

Progress Progressing Progressively

When I last posted, I had made pretty good progress on the dining/work room. It’s still pretty much at that point - there’s a floor, the floor is mostly clear, and I can roll things around.

I also could, and did, set up the 4’ diameter round table last weekend for cooling racks for the baking binge.

Quite a while back I used some Ikea Hejne utility shelving to make a plant rack for the succulents at the day-job. In order to allow expansion, I had some spare shelves at the office, and uprights at home. I haven’t needed to enlarge the succulent garden, so I brought the shelves home for possible use in the dining room or spare bedroom. 

Although, if I’d get a round tuit and drill drainage holes in the bowls I got to use as succulent pots, I probably could use additional space in the succulent garden. I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it, and the shelving bits are inexpensive if I end up needing more.

I did get hardware sorted, and all the belt hardware put away in Max, along with some wide belt tips that were already in Max.

Then I had to sort the stuff that was in the drawer in Max where I put the belt hardware. It’s packed in small tool drawer dividers in a couple bigger bins, in the dining room.

I took pictures and posted some of the belt hardware on Etsy.

I just realized that I forgot the belt tips (headdesk, headdesk).

I took pictures of a bunch of belt pouches. 

Then I dug out some more-or-less Halloween-y doll clothes, ironed them, and got pictures of them laid flat and on a doll, and listed on Etsy.

I also listed a couple Halloween-y books.

In other Ikea-for-the-win points, I’ve been using a tablecloth I grabbed on a whim for use as fabric as a photo backdrop, and on another trip I found an artist’s maquette to display doll clothes. 

Need to work on doll-size clothes hangars, since the first craft fair is only a couple months away. Instead of working on doll clothes, which I’ve been doing lately.

I stopped at JoAnn on Saturday for little safety pins and small spools of black, white, and navy thread to keep in my small (hand-sewing) box, instead of the biiiig spools I buy of those colors, and had a fail in the Halloween fabrics. I was saved by coupons that stacked on top of sale prices. Also the fact that doll clothes don’t take a lot of fabric.

The havana brown skirt hikes have been selling, so I made some more on Saturday. I also made some red ones. And I think I have come up with a slightly better way to store them.