Your Mother Isn't Always Right. Day 58.

A number of months back a fellow that I knew tried to explain that the day that you took an action that you knew your mother would want you to do, but you did it for you, not her, was the day that you became an adult. Really, only then? And how come your mother was never "right" before? Well, I have been listening to my mom for years, decades even, and for one simple reason. Why learn from your own mistakes, when you can just do the right thing, instead? Mom is always right. We all know this. This truth has never been proven wrong, and will never foreseeably be wrong, so what happened? How could I so daringly and blatantly state that your mom isn't always right????

One word:

Sequins.

"As soon as you cut it, put it through the serger. Depending on how the sequins are sewing the the fabric, they may just come flying off."

Well, the only things that went flying off were the two tips of my serger needles upon plunging twice into my beautiful sequin fabric.



I guess I should back-up some. First off, I finished my Halloween costume in one day, as promised. In-fact, it only took half a day, but I still have the head-piece and shoes to go, so in the end it will equal one day. Started and finished that on Sunday. Then, I decided that since I have my fancy-new block pattern that I should get the sequins off my wall, and onto, well, me! This piece is so simple, yet so complicated. I had to distill the block down into a one-piece front bodice and skirt with no darts, and a super low cowl neck back/skirt piece, and sleeves. That is a lot of moving around of critical shaping elements. A few yards of muslin later, I felt pretty satisfied, but it wasn't until the trip to the grocery store to pick-up ice-cream for my mom that I had a construction epiphany. I finished the pattern and lining last night, leaving the sequins for today. A good day. My mom was here, of-course, until I started sewing.

The cutting went well, I extended the seam-allowances from my pattern 1/8" for additional room while serging. Well, I serged, and that ended quickly. I started thinking that I was really regretting getting the sequins.

Before she left, I gave my mom a tour of the new Bernina. "Wow, this is a real, adult sewing machine. I have been sewing forever, but I have never had an adult sewing machine." Upon experiencing needle-bits from my serger flying around the room—I think I need protective eye-wear—she encouraged me to try sewing it on my trusted and true Bernina. Starting slowly, hand turning the needle for the first few inches, I found that her advice the second time around was spot on. Maybe I just needed to listen for the construction alternative instead of just accepting the first route. See, she was right!

Beautifully maneuvered over and threw sequins, my solid Bernina got the job done, and just at the moment I was ready to give-up on the entire project, especially as it isn't even a McQueen project, even though it is a McQueen Bumster tribute. Fancier that I was originally imagining, I need to find somewhere fabulous to wear this dress. All done but the hem. Oh, how I love the finishing. Next time I get the d200 and tripod set-up to take hallway pictures, I'll take some of this dress on me, too, as it looks better on then on my lumpy, crappy, old dress-form.





Now, my sewing room looks like an ice-skating competition exploded in it. All that aside, I never thought I'd learn so much through sewing sequins, but with the pattern being a delightful, and welcome challenge, and the fabric itself pushing me into new spaces, I had a great time with this quick project, but I think it may be time to give the Roomba a new, dedicated home.




Last week, while I was being bad, busy, and not updating, I finished the back-side of my sweater dress, and I am now almost half way through the front side, just getting to the waist shaping.



Additionally I am making tremendous progress on my first ever crochet project (or as Ramon calls it a "crotch-ette" project), which is appropriately a monkey, for so many reasons.



I made my cheapest ever trip to JoAnns today—yes, even cheaper than getting one invisible zipper—I bought felt, for the face, and googlie-eyes. My mom forced me to get them, sighting that they are far better, and easier to use than making them out of felt or what-have-you, though also indicating that she *still* has the same jar of them laying around from my sister and my Brownie days in Girl Scouts.

Though, as I know she is right, she always is, I got the googlie-eyes, and I know they won't let me down. Perhaps they'll help me keep my eyes, and ears open for the right answer the next time around.

Now I just need to find new serger needles. Mom, care to chime in?

More Snake-Print Success. Day 26.

The afternoon at the sewing lab was a total bust. Every single machine had a sewer, so, sadly, I turned around and went home for the afternoon. I decided to spend some time getting to knew my serger a little better. I am bad. I only use it to finish edges that I have already stitched with the Bernina. Why? Because I always wind up making mistakes and having to rip out seams. Not so easy to rip out seams on knits though.

Putting down my knitting, I picked up the black stretch knit that I picked up in San Francisco on wool journey on Tuesday. I drafted a pattern for leggings, as for this look I need to make a brown pair:



The black pair that I made required a few adjustments in the pattern. Then I made the brown pair (as in the picture above).

Then I made these:



Now, I haven't done the hems, because I need to acquire a blind hemmer foot for the serger, and I have no idea how to do it. So my brown and snake-print leggings aren't quite done, but close. And, so far they have been 100% successful! Granted, knit is stretchy, and the snake-print isn't as stretchy as it needed to be, so my ass-crack may show when I sit in those leggings, but 1. They're leggings so the top/waist will often be covered with something and 2. They're snake-print, so isn't ass-crack more rocker? Ok, maybe not, so we'll just go with #1.

Do you know what this means??? This is the FIRST project where I haven't had to rip out a seam!!! Yes, it is an extremely simple project, but you have to start somewhere, right?

I'd also like to note that this time, for all you whiners out there, I smiled in the hallway picture. I would also like to apologize for recycling a pair of shoes in a hallway picture so early. The brass-square-toe McQueens just absolutely amazing shoes. I'll spice it up with something new next time.