TheLazyMilliner

New Blog: MaryBethMakesHats

2011-01-14T10:24:00.000-06:00

Friends, please come follow me at my new blog. See you there for all things hatty and Appy!

Setting up a new Hat-related Blog

2010-09-07T10:56:00.000-05:00

It's been quiet I know...but I'm in the process of setting up a new blog one that has a more professional edge since I've got an app and a book to promote. I'm also writing some new knit hat pattern. For those who are all about couture millinery and wired brims, these are bound to be a treat. Stay tuned.

Talking about Smartphone apps tonight at Knit1, Chicago

2010-08-18T13:57:00.000-05:00

Bring your Droid, iPhone or blackberry, let's talk!

Sun Ray Ribbing Sweater from A Stitch in Time....Finally!

2010-07-22T13:53:00.000-05:00

Here's a close-up of "A Jumper with Sun-Ray Ribbing" from A Stitch In Time: Knitting & Crochet Patterns of the 20s, 30s & 40s. I used the vintage pattern in this book (page 132) for this sweater.

I'm swearing a pair of vintage (probably 1950s or 1960s) white gloves. While this pattern is from 1935, it could pass for early- to mid-1960s.

Yes, I'm gesturing at the foliage behind me. I loved doing the ribbing on this sweater, all 34 rows of it. I know it's a bit weird, but what can I say. I'm unusual in many ways.

I'm wearing this sweater with a favorite black poly skirt, which has a low waist. I temporarily pulled it up to my natural waist for this picture. In the future, I'll wear this sweater with a pair of high-waisted pants (jeans?) or skirt.

The final picture....a tad bit washed out. Thanks to Lynn Coe of Knit1 for taking these photos!

Okay. I'm going to take questions, mostly from the Stitch in Time crowd on Ravelry. Or at least what I would think they would ask if they could.

1. Wow. You worked with the original 1936 pattern. Wow. Why?
Well, I had the 1970s book and while it was tempting, I wasn't about to buy the new, updated edition, although it was tempting. And it still is. On the other hand, I took it as a challenge to knit directly from an old pattern. While I've crocheted from 1930s and 1940s pattern, I've never knit. It just looked too intimidating! But as an intermediate knitter (!!), I now know enough of the lingo and short hand of patterns to be able to follow it on my own. When I had questions, I just asked fellow knitters in the Stitch in Time group...I have to say having a knit-along made it much to ask questions in the middle of the night. We were all on the same page, so to speak. I have to say the layout of this pattern helped me a lot. It had a lot of white space, which unfortunately, isn't true of the other patterns in my 1970s Stitch in Time. God bless whoever did the typesetting for this pattern. He or she deserves to bypass Purgatory in my opinion.
2. Were there any errata?
There is one in the buttonhole band in the second to last sentence. It shouls read K11 (30 stitches). Overall, the pattern was very good, easy to follow. I would say this would be a great pattern for a novice to do...particularly somebody who's interested in vintage sweater but feels a bit overwhelmed. It helps that the pattern is strictly knits and purls. I highly recommend it.
4. You used vintage yarn too. What are you, a purist?
Not at all. I was ready to use new yarn, but I really wanted to use the Evermatch Sport and Sock yarn...which I actually used to make a pair of footies. My mother gave me a skein from her charity knitting bag (she knits hats and socks for newborns and the poor). When I asked for more...she didn't have any more of the leafy green color I'd been using...but she did have an entire bag of yellow Evermatch yarn! I took it....I think I used about 10 skeins for this sweater...and I swear I have another 22 skeins left. My batch, in terrific condition, is probably from the 1950s or 1960s. It's funny now that I think about it but yellow was popular in the 1930s in the middle of that recession, just as yellow is again trendy during our yucky economy. I'm thinking though I might tired of yellow. That said, I'm thinking of making matching ribbed skirt to go with the sweater. I have just the 1940s pattern....
5. How did your iPhone help with this pattern?
Gosh, I don't think I've been asked that question before, but it's a good one. But after I lost a print out of the pattern from the book on the bus, I simply sent myself an email with PDF scans of the pattern. I put those emails in a special folder in my email account, and I just referred to that. I tracked what row I was on my Knit Counter Lite version 1.2. What a great app! I could modify it track various parts of the sweater. Since my iPhone is practically part of my body, it was easy to track.
6. Would you make this sweater again?
I might...I like mastering a pattern. I do it often in sewing, so it was only natural to do it in knitting. If I slightly modify it, give a little time in between projects, and use a different yarn...it's like a whole new pattern. There's this new fingering weight yarn at Loopy Yarns here in Chicago that I want to try. I can't think of the name, but I know where to find it the store. I'm itching (pun intended) to make this in white wool.

Hat Photography Done Right: Angela Jolie in Parade Magazine*

2010-07-12T09:13:00.000-05:00

I like this Parade Magazine cover...the brim of the hat jut covers one eye. This is hat photography done right. At least once when I've worn a hat tilted just so...the photographer has told me to tilt it back to he can see my eyes! That was at my brother's wedding. The wide-brimmed hat looks like it's ready to fall off my head. I'm looking at the the picture now because it's on my desk. Even a silhouette artist told me to move my hat so she could see my eyelashes in profile.
What these two artists forget is that covering an eye creates a sense of mystery. Think about any time you've seen a man with a patch covering his eye. Instant intrigue. There's a singer in the John Burnett Orchestra here in Chicago. A big African-American guy, he wears a suit, sometimes a turtleneck sweater and a black patch over one eye. I have this idea he has this most fascinating past because he looks like an extra out of a James Bond movie. Consider too, any time you've seen a woman with a fan in her hand, coquettishly covering her eyes. She's flirting..... That's it, covering an eye, even partially, is flirtatious. It's bold, and definitely calling attention to yourself. In a sense, it's a wink frozen in time. A wink is done in total confidence. When people call me shy, they've never see me wink. And I love to wink, but I only do it when I feel completely poised.
So if you love hats and making them, here's a Burdastyle hat pattern for you. And the model's got it right in the main photo. Check it out here.
*I'm still working on my second Gone with the Wind hat. Great progress! I had to rewire it, but I'm almost done. Pictures to come.

Happy Fourth of July

2010-07-03T19:36:00.000-05:00

Got your sun umbrella? Check. Tote 1, 2, 3? Triple check. You're all set for the Fourth of July at the beach, fireworks included. These cute voile prints are on sale $1.99 a yard (!) at Vogue Fabrics in Evanston, Ill. I didn't buy today, but I still might....after the holiday. Over and out!

My Slip is Showing:: Violet Beauregard Crochet Skirt from Stitch N' Bitch Crochet: Happy Hooker

2010-06-22T16:03:00.000-05:00

The pattern: Violet Beauregard Crochet Skirt from Stitch 'N Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker. While I've labeled this as Violet 2 over at Ravelry, it's technically my third take on this great pattern. Number one fits dreamily, but I don't wear it all that much because I have this ultra-tight zip-up matching slip that's not very comfortable. No. 2, well, I didn't check the gauge until I was done, and it was too small. Much more appropriate for a 10-year-old girl but not a over-grown child like myself. That one I made in a taupe, brown and green colorway. It sits in my cedar closet, unused but not unloved. Back to the pattern: it's very simple. I love how the shell stitch gets larger as you approach the hemline. Now this is a great project to take to the beach, so if you lose the crochet hook a new one won't set you back too much. Or if water gets on the skirt, no worries. If you worked fast enough, you might even be able to finish the project at the beach. Only drawback; the sunburn. The more engrossed you get in your project, the more likely you are to burn. Anyhow, I think I used the suggested hook and I made the size suitable for 40-inch hips.

The yarn: Berocco Seduce in four colorways. I actually won the yarn in a raffle at Loopy Yarns. It was all color, a dark gray. I started knitting a Berocco pattern, got bored with it. Then I got this idea to swap out the yarns for other colors, which thankfully Vicki, the owner at Loopy allowed me to do. I embarked on the drawstring raglan from Interweave Knits, Summer 2008 (the Margery Winter design, fourth one down on the page). The exact same colorway. Anyway I was working on a set of wood circulars, it was getting frustrating 'cuz the needles weren't slippery enough, so I set it all aside for a long time. Then recently I picked up the whole shebang. I unraveled it and thought! My! I can use it for another Violet skirt! And I so did. I should tell you this yarn is great for crochet, although it seems to lose its luster the more you handle it. I would take special care to wash it in something extra mild. As finicky and expensive as this yarn is, I plan to use it again.

As an aside, I should tell you I'm a total sucker for nearly any garment that looks remotely like it was produced by the Missoni family in Italy. The drawstring raglan did, and so does the skirt too. My deep passion for Missoni motifs runs deep and you will find a great supply of zig-zaggy bargello knits in my closet, which I plan to use some day soon.

The Slip: It's a purple one I picked up at a vintage shop in Evanston, Ill. I love it. In another era, I wouldn't have dreamed of letting the lace trim show. But it's the 21st century and we do things like that now, don't we? I was going to make a slip with a square of stretch charmeuse from Vogue Fabrics and lace...but this skirt, ready-made, was a better deal. I've forgotten how much fun it is to wear a slip. I've been wearing this purple one with other outfits now. And I'm so ready to go on a vintage slip hunt at local thrift stores (probably picked over, I know, I'll just head further south and east to get what I need, I will).

The Drawstring: You can't see it here very well, but the drawstring is a purple Baby Phat ribbon. I'll post another pic soon, now that my 3G iPhone has been updated with an even better camera. I could have simply made a drawstring with a flower thing per the pattern, but I really liked the ribbon. So I bought it. Hah!

The Result: I love it. I'd make it again, but three's enough. For now. There are other yarn love affairs to conduct this summer, which you know technically started yesterday and I intend to make last until Nov. 1.

Please Welcome my First iPhone App: ✄ Fabric U ✄

2010-06-11T10:48:00.000-05:00

Yeah, this was the big secret project I was hinting about for a month. While I was talking it up amongst friends, I kept it on the down low online. It felt weird in that respect because I'm on Facebook nearly nonstop (thanks, iPhone). I just didn't want to jinx the project...which has been incubating in my head for a while.

I had no idea how challenging it would be to write an iPhone app. Really and truly, the hardest part is getting all those photos and I have nearly near 800 of 'em on my app. Most of those I took, the rest are from the Creative Commons section of Flickr. My task was much easier thanks to my partner, Sutro Media, which has an incredibly easy online interface for uploading images and text. It could not be simpler, really.

For all the years that I've been sewing and manhandling fabric (isn't that what you're doing when you're punching a hole repeatedly into fabric with a sewing machine?), I've learned so much more about fabrics, some of which I take for granted since I see them nearly weekly at Vogue Fabrics. Take Juliette Double knit. Who knew that Jean-Paul Gaultier uses this knit for pull-on pants? Since I'm an exercise nut, I'd like to try that. Or that mosquito netting is so versatile? Or that even cheese cloth, which can be bought by the bolt at Vogue, has a multitude of uses? I didn't and now I do.

What's so neat about doing this app is that there are so many more fabrics to list. Eventually I'd like to have 300 on there. By the time I'm done with that, there will be even more fabrics to add with all the new technology cranking out new textiles daily. It's a terrific gig for me because I never get tired of petting fabric. Never! I'm always thinking about new stuff to make, even if I haven't touched the sewing machine in a while. Yes, I'm thinking about sewing while I'm knitting. Crazy!

And the app world is full of possibilities. It's like a candy store, half full. I look up potential apps in the iTunes store...only to find that what I have in mind doesn't exist...yet. Yet is the operative word. These are exciting times, friends. Exciting!

I should add my app isn't strictly a list. You can sort by types. For example, you can sort by Eco-friendly to find everything in that category. Ditto designer. I think my favorite feature to date is the comment section...that'd be handy for say something like "______ is great for Butterick ____!" or "Emmaonesock has a great selection of _____ right now!" So keeping it as real-time as possible will make ✄ Fabric U ✄ useful for you.

Finally, I should note what my app is not. It's not a stash organizer or a sewing machine. It's not a talk-show host or a seam ripper. It's not even a pair of scissors, contrary to the dingbats ✄ you see in the name. My apologies. For those of you who have iPhones or iTouches, it's an on-the-go tool. Those of you who are using Loseit! or other apps know what I'm talking about. Others, well, you can listen in and learn.

Anyhow, if you've got one of the abovementioned devices, and you're dying to write a review, let me know and I can send a promo code so you can download ✄ Fabric U ✄ for free. I've got a limited number of freebies, so act fast. And pretty please with turbinado sugar on top let me know how I can improve ✄ Fabric U ✄. Last but not least, you're most welcome to join my ✄ Fabric U ✄ Facebook group (there's a link on the blog sidebar; that's the left side of the page). That's all, happy sewing, friends!

So Close, and So Far: The Gone with the Wind Hat

2010-06-01T16:26:00.000-05:00

My Memorial Day weekend was a crafty one, aye.
I didn't swim, I didn't even venture outside of my state, I didn't make it to any parades. However, I got to experience short lines, nearly vacant buses and lots of silence. Oh yeah, boredom. Whoever said boredom is a precursor to creativity didn't have a refrigerator nearby! Empty hands and idle minds....well, they just lead to frequent forays into the kitchen.
Seriously, I did get outside. The plan was to finish my Stitch in Time sweater and the Gone with the Wind hat. That was the plan. My hands never even got into the sweater, although I did take my hat over to Arcadia Knitting. I sat that there patiently stitching my hat to the milinery wire. Man, I forgot how unwieldy and wonky a wide brim can be on a hat. The wider the circumference, the more problems in getting the wire to behave. In this case, I wanted the hat to "scoop" downward...but the wire insisted on flipping out so that one part was curved up while the rest was down. I'd say the hat looked like a Kentucky Derby drunk walked into a wall wearing it. No matter, how much shaping I did with my hands....the wire just wouldn't behave. I was ready to ditch the hat despite all the hard work I did on it. Seriously. Pitch it into the closet where that 1940s crochet with a similar brim resides. That one sits under a pile of sheets, department store cloth bags and other stuff. It has learned its lesson.
Somehow, I got in my head to dig that one out of the closet after all the frustrations with the latest hat. I thought, "Well, I'll switch gears and finish that!" Like maybe the wire powers-that-be would sit back because they were causing me so many problems with the Gone with the Wind hat. Funny, how the mind magically works that way at times. I didn't act on that thought though. That was Saturday. That evening I attempted to make a t-shirt. That was a disaster. Drastically, the iron-on I used just left the faintest imprint on my jersey fabric. I also cut out a size too small. I finished the basic sewing, tried the t on. One look in the mirror at the too-small t-shirt made out of very sheer fabric and I just thought, "Oh, forget it!" No. 2 stalled project. Yesterday, I put on the Gone with Hat again, fiddled with the brim again for nearly an hour, but I didn't sew anything on it. Finally, I picked up a crochet skirt that needed its loose ends sewn and cut. I'm not finished with that part, but it's close enough to being done that I can perhaps say it's the one project that I actually finished this weekend.
For those of you who are experienced at making picture hats with wide brims, what's the secret to getting the brim wire to cooperate with you? In other words, how do you get it to curve downward all the way around? Post some words of wisdom, please! Before I do something drastic with the hat....

Craft Corps, page 105*

2010-05-27T16:01:00.000-05:00

Ok, it's here, I am there. Specifically, I'm talking about Craft Corps: Celebrating the Creative Community One Story at a Time. I just got it today, so I haven't had a chance to read it from cover to cover. Naturally, the book flipped to the story on me. Page 105! Right there. I was a little disappointed they didn't use the umpteen shots of me making hats. What can I say? I still clean up nicely.
*This isn't the big announcement. Still forthcoming!

Nearly Finished WIth Gone With the Wind Hat, version 2.0

2010-05-21T10:39:00.000-05:00

Wow. I'm inchworm-slow when it comes to knittng. Inchworm. Now it helped considerably that I made this hat once before. I had the memory of all the patterns etched into memory. It also helped HUGELY that I had the assistance of an ace knitter when I was doing the short-rows in the lace section. No knitter should be left behind when this kind of torture comes around. Now it was my choice to do the short-rows. Had I skipped that part I would have had a short, circular brim not the oval one I aspire to. So it's hard to believe...but I'm done with knitting this hat...at least a full week before my goal, Memorial Day! That's a first for me. I don't usually even set deadlines for my projects. This one I did, and by golly, I got it done earlier than I expected. I think I'll go get the millinery wire tomorrow and get started blocking! Fingers double-crossed (I can do that with my long nails), I'll be able to wear the hat Monday.

Hopefully, in another week I'll be able to announce the top-secret project I've been working on for the past month. Yeah, the undertaking of a lifetime that has kept me away from blogging, but not knitting! Isn't that funny how that works? However, I go everywhere on bus and trains, so it's only natural that I keep the hands busy even if it's not at the computer keyboard. So knitting still happens even when the blogging doesn't.

Now it feels odd not to have a project to haul around with me. It feels strange to have the big masterpiece completed. It feels even more weird to have two adventures completed, one big, the other small, done. I feel so...empty. Don't worry. I'll fix that. There's a bottle of St. Germain on the kitchen counter. And more yarn in the front closet.

I really need to think about what I'm going to do during the Memorial Day weekend besides eat and not clean. Plan projects. Anyhow, I'll write up a review on the second hat once it's all wired together....sounds like I'm making a lamp, doesn't it? Over and out for now. What millinery projects are you working on...or not?

More New Hats From Woodland Farms Antiques

2010-04-29T11:53:00.000-05:00

This new hat no. 1 from Woodland Farms Antiques. I'm not ordinarily a huge fan of 1920s cloches, but this I like. The texture combination is hugely appealing. You've got the rough straw and the soft velvet trim. Now the brown....that's a little hard to love, as is the size. It's small. Something in the 20 inch range. It seems most hats I encounter from the 1920s are small. They're either from teens who never wore their hats, and stuffed them in the back of their closets, untouched, for posterity. And all the large-head ladies wore their hats to death. So there's nothing left for the museum folks to archive. Nothing. I'm sort of convinced that teens are responsible for the dearth of decently-sized 1920s hats. It's their fault. I mean would you wear this hat if you were breaking out and you had major perspiration problems? This hat, sorry to say, is on the dowdy side. It's the color, really. The hat just sort says, "I'm depressed, I know it, dearie." It just wants to be worn with a matching thick-wool cardigan, a calf-length kick-pleat skirt and t-strap shoes.

This hat, on the other hand, is all flirtiness. I mean, it hides the eyes, which on third thought, could make it a little dangerous crossing a street. Now I'm surprised what good shape this hat is in. A lit cigarette didn't do any damage back in the day? Now, here's another hat that didn't see much use. It's just too much fun not to have a few dings in it, especially to the feathers. No feline saw fit to play with this hat? Unbelievable. My guess that this hat was a gift to a schoolmarm-type from her husband, who wanted his wife to dress up a litle more and go out on the town BADLY. But she didn't acquiese. This hat was not her thing. At all. So she politely accepted the gift, and promptly dumped it...guess where. The marriage survived, barely. But no more hats, although schoolmarm did continue to knit and darn socks for said hubby.

The perfect Sunday hat. This one's in amazing shape too. No apparent moth holes; the flowers are crisp and pretty, just like they might have been plumped with steam yesterday. Actually, that might have happened. How does a hat this cute remain so darling? I refuse to believe that the owner didn't wear it and didn't go to church. I think this hat was worn to teas and special fundraisers, which didn't happen enough for the owner. But she kept it all wonderfully wrapped up in tissue paper in a certain hatbox. When the 1950s hit, this particular style went out of style and the owner didn't wear it anymore, and the hat box fell into the back of the closet. Later, it was unearthed and moved to the attic, where it sat untouched until the 1990s, when the owner passed away, and her daughter was cleaning up the house getting it ready for sale.

Ok. This hat is very Rockette. It's not the kind of hat you wear to show, drinks and dinner. No, it's a bit too kicky for that. And that orange plume! So curly, and provocative. My guess is this is another gift from abovementioned lovelorn husband to prim-and-proper wife. But again, she didn't bite. She couldn't bring herself to wear this hat....which looked so very Vaudeville in her mind. Gaudy! Unwomanly! She was so horrified by the hat, that she couldn't even bring herself to talk about it with her friends. What would they think? Charlie was spending all this money....to hide something he was doing. Something terribly wrong. She didn't need her friends gossiping, they already yakked enough about the time Dobie Doberman destroyed the geranium bed. So the hat needed go quietly....and be with that other thing.

Gone With the Wind Hat, designed by Annie Modesitt, version 2.0

2010-04-28T14:58:00.000-05:00

So I have embarked on the second version of this hat even though the first hat was a hard project and it's too big on me. I'm feeling stubborn, like I want to master this pattern. Like I need to know if the hat is the right size, maybe I'll know it's not for me? That's an odd thing to say, but it's kind of like trying on clothes. If it fits and it's the wrong color, you know it's a combination that was meant to be? That's kind of how I feel about this hat at this moment. I'm going to give it another chance before I kick it to the curb. And I really don't want to kick it anywhere. Yarn is too expensive and time is even more so, so why go to all the trouble to make something and not love it? I know it happens. So anyhow, I'm planning on really loving this baby way more than no. 1. And wearing it too. It's amazing how much I wear the things that fit me than the stuff's that's too small or too big. I'm certain that will be the case with this new hat.

Anyhow, I've cast on my swatch and I've off to the races....and an odd analogy now that I think about it with the Kentucky Derby around the corner. And this hat would be perfect to wear the Derby. Perhaps the only knitted hat in sight. I'd love to be that odd duck. So I've set my 'due' date as May 25. I want to have this hat ready to wear before summer breaks out.

The yarn I'm swatching is actually my contrast yarn....the star of my show is a grey yarn, not shown. Grey and navy. I can see that with a pair of navy linen pants and a red, white and blue sweater knitted. Of course.

That's all for now. I'm back to my top-secret project. I'll announce it, probably in a few weeks. I'm quite excited about it and I think you will be 2.

Midwesterners Represent at Judith M Millinery Competition

2010-04-23T16:27:00.000-05:00

Between Judith M Millinery in Indiana and the growing crop of hat designers in Chicago, it appears the Midwest is gaining traction as a millinery mecca. It may, in part, have something to with the loss of Manny's Millinery in New York. There's nowhere on the East Coast to buy hat-making supplies. It's all online now with Judith M as a premiere resource. Anyhow, Judith M had a contest recently, which I understand drew entries worldwide. I'm just showing you the runner-ups because they're mostly Midwesterners like myself. My favorites would be those by Lisa Farrell (lower left) and Susan Freese (lower right). Freese's design makes me think of sheet music, Farrell's has the feeling of movement with the little feathers (?) in the back. What do you think? Which ones do you like?

Eugenia Kim Hats at Target beginning April 18

2010-04-15T11:33:00.000-05:00

Eugenia Kim will begin selling her hats at Target beginning on April 18. As much as I like to see milliners become as successful as possible, I sort of have mixed feelings about being able to buy her hats at stores nationwide. I bought my floppy Eugenia Kim sun hat at P45 a number of years ago. It's very unique, which I can't say about what will be sold at Target. Eugenia's written a book Saturday Night Hat: Quick, Easy Hatmaking for the Downtown Girl, so the hats at Target seems like a natural segue, perhaps part of a business plan to become a brand like Marc Jacobs or Kenneth Cole. What would you do if Target approached you to sell your products at their stores? Would you gleefully sign the contract or tell 'em to take a hike? For those of you who sew and have the greatest affinity for Liberty Fabrics, what do you think about the Liberty-related products at Target? Good, bad or just plain cheap?

Lost My Serger Mojo...Onto Buttons for the Sun-Ray Sweater from A Stitch in Time Book

2010-04-06T14:36:00.000-05:00

What can I say? I've lost my sewing mojo. Both my sewing machine and the serger sit unused. I last used the sewing machine for a set of silk scarfs at Christmas. The serger? I tested it out at Vogue Fabrics, *sort of* learned how to thread it....now it's back in the box. Untouched. Unused. **Unloved.** And I feel particularly guilty about the serger, considering how long it sat in lay-off, now to only sit in the box, virtually untouched. Of course, I forget the investment too. The payments I made regularly just to get that baby into my home. Now, sewing doesn't interest that much. Although, I still go to the sewing demos at Vogue Fabrics and scrupulously take notes on my iPhone.

Right now, knitting is all that interests me. I can't believe I'm saying that, considering how made I get at my needles and projects at times! Truly, knitting is the only hobby that takes the edge off any concerns I have at this moment. That's why I can happily slip in a pair of bamboo needles and knit away on the ribbing on the front half of my Sun Ray sweater. It fits so nice and neatly. What's more, I can usually finish a row before I get off even a short bus ride! It's nice that it fits into one purse compartment perfectly.

So anyhow, I like to think I'm getting to the tail end of my Sun Ray sweater. Like to! Even though I still have a major part to complete. So when yesterday's sewing demo was cancelled, I looked at buttons at Vogue Fabrics. I really like the buttons with the embossed flower and leaf print. Very suble. Pretty, even a bit retro. I think these buttons are a dollar a piece.

Let's say I didn't like those buttons. I could knit up a swatch, felt it, give the fabric to the ladies at Vogue Fabrics and I could have self-fabric buttons for a pittance (see the prices on the burgundy buttons above). So many people don't know that this is an option. They think this is only available online or in swanky places like New York City and Paris. But no! You can get this inexpensive couture touch right here in the Midwest. Just ask at the cash register in the notions department at Vogue! As for me, I think I just might go with those cute little yellow buttons.

Anyway, what do you do when your sewing mojo disappears for months on end? Induce labor? Ignore apathy and guilt? Find new hobbies?

My iPhone contribution to the Easter Parade: Annie Modesitt's Gone with the WInd Hat from Romantic Hand Knits

2010-04-04T19:05:00.000-05:00

I was the only woman wearing an Easter hat today at church. How about you? I didn't realize how red it was until I felt like it was too late to change. For some reason I was thinking it was burgundy when I was getting ready. Bu you know, red is too hard to match, so who cares? I was the only woman having at this church having too much fun getting ready. Isn't that half of the fun of Easter? Getting gussied up? The pretty dresses, spring shoes, flirty purse, perhaps even lacy gloves....you know it's not only renewal in a religious sense, but it's a rebirth of the wardrobe, the time of year you might start wearing more white, break out the cotton or the light silk dresses and skirt, just because you know on Easter you can. I enjoy the ritual Easter egg hunt (which I supervised later in the day)...but I just think the ritual of Easter morning, getting up leisurely, turning on the music on the laptop....wondering can I wear? That's just the best and certainly the most peaceful part of the day, especially when you have a lot of young nieces and nephews underfoot like I do in the afternoon.

Looking at these photos, I can see the hat needs to be made again and improved. I think I even see where I grafted a bit of hat wire to brim, there's a bit of crimp where I made the graft. I'm not happy about that. Between that designer touch and the fact that it's a tad LARGE, I'm not sure how much I'm going to wear this hat....but it's so pretty! (It's from Romantic Hand Knits: 26 Flirtatious Designs That Flatter Your Figure). Someone else make it please!

A round-up of Hat-related Links

2010-03-31T16:28:00.000-05:00

A round-up quick-o:

The above 1937 magazine is new at Vintage Martini this week. If you did all the patterns in it, it just might be worth the $28 price tag.
A Facebook book worth worth joining: HATalk.
A post at Craftzine.com on a milliner new to me and perhaps to you.
A millinery book to be published in September: Studio Secrets: Millinery
An Easter-related hat news story.

That's all. Ciao for now!

Finally, the Gone with the Wind Hat by Annie Modesitt for Romantic Hand-Knits

2010-03-28T19:54:00.000-05:00

Ta-da! The Gone with the Wind hat. It's been finished for a couple months, but I just really, really wanted to take a picture of it at the Lincoln Park conservatory. I had it in my mind that I would get great pictures in there, no harsh lighting. It turned out it was difficult to get a good snapshot, although it was better than outside, where I was getting shadows on my face because of the sun and the lacy brim. Any ideas on how to fix that in the future so that my face is adequately lit?

Photo issues aside, this is a great pattern (you'll find it on page 126 in Romantic Hand Knits: 26 Flirtatious Designs That Flatter Your Figure). However, one big caveat. You're going to have to be patient. There are mistakes in this pattern. If you're not an ace at making short rows while knitting lace, this will be challenging. I wish I could tell you the various mistakes to watch for, but would you believe it, I lost my marked-up pattern nearly moments after I finished this hat??? I kid you not. I finished the hat at Arcadia Knitting, boarded the bus home with all my supplies, purse, the hat, etc. I get off the bus, and I realized right away I was missing my supply bag (Short sock pins! a nice set of bambo circulars! Leftover yarn!). I called the bus garage every two hours for the next two days, but they never recovered it. Oh well. Onward, we go. Here are some particulars on the project itself.

The yarn: Classic Silk Color 6953 and 6906. Three skeins total. I love the cotton/silk yarn...I wish had more in different colors, particularly a tweedy brown and a Kelly green. I'm certain I could get more on the Internet, but I really need yarn that's available at Arcadia Knitting 'cuz this project is hard and I need Arcadia's help every step of the way. Any ideas on substitutes, fellow Arcadia regulars? The gauge is 5 sts and 7 rows 1 inch.

Additional supplies: 1 and 1/2 yards, millinery wire, Vogue Fabrics. I used to have this great lightweight hat wire, I think that was from the 1950s, but since that's long gone, I've turned to Vogue Fabric's hat wire. Good, but not great. It's a little unwieldy. All that shaping! And I had to graft a piece of wire for the outer brim, which I hope stays put, although I seem to feel a shift when I ever so slightly shape the brim with my hands even now. Not good.

Size: Medium (21 1/2 inch). Here's my biggest regret. I have a 22-inch head, but this hat is too big on me. It's really more suitable for someone with a 23-inch head. But it's such a beautiful hat! I could undo it, but I really can't! Too much work. I rather start anew, and try again, different yarns and definitely the smaller size. I'm not sure how much I'll wear this hat because I feel engulfed by it. I could wear it into traffic, stop it, and the result would not be good. There the hat would be on the pavement with no person underneath, kind of like that scene in the Wizard of Oz with the Wicked Witch's hat after she melts away. It's a shame. It's so pretty. I can't decide which I like better the High-Society Hat (also in this book) or this one. It's really a tie. They're both grand.

In looking at my picture and then at the one in the book, I made the same styling mistake they did! There's a seam where the two yarns shift on the crown. I put mine in the front, just like the stylist did on the model for Romantic Hand-Knits. And I wanted to avoid that mistake. Funny.

So once I'm finished with the Sun-Ray sweater, I'm ready to tackle a hat again. I never get tired of making them...even I don't always wear them. I think this is the fifth Annie Modesitt hat I've made, if I count the half-finished High Society No. 3 in the Gedifra Wellness yarn...which wants to be finished but I need more matching yarn!

Maybe I'll take some close up photos of the hat sometime soon. I had more photographs but they just weren't to my liking, so I deleted them. I just might wear this hat on Easter Sunday. What do you think? I don't know what to wear it with! It's hard to match. I know for summer, it would look fantastic with a sailor-style pair of oatmeal-colored wide-legged linen pants! And a white short sleeve top of some sort. Somehow, I can see this hat with a lacy top (Krista) from Joan McGowan's book Knitting Lingerie Style: More Than 30 Basic and Lingerie-Inspired Designs and the above-mentioned pants.

What's more, I think this hat demands a pair of matching gloves if I wear it to church on Sunday, don't you? Weigh in please.

Grand Re-Opening: Loreta Corsetti Millinery Couture

2010-03-23T20:34:00.008-05:00

And so I went. Hat and all. To the grand re-opening. What a space and an incredible location, kitty corner from Water Tower Place (that's American Girl Place for you moms) and the John Hancock Tower.

Just one of the many, dare I say, at least 100 hats on the premises. Loreta's output is most impressive.

Another hat with milliner Lilly Dache's book on display.
A close-up of Talking Through My Hats, which I've read. Have you?
More hats...of all the ones on display, I'd say the leopard print one, perched above, was my favorite.
A neat, hat-themed mirror.
A Loreta Corsetti customer trying on one of her hats.

A cupboard full of hatblocks. Now I've done my share of blocking hats. I forget the purpose of the aluminum foil. Someone refresh my memory!
A better view of those blocks....
A cloche call atop hat boxes....
Hat books. I'd love to sit and read these. I should have with a glass of the ever-flowing mimosa outside the door...
A cupboard of ribbons.
A closer view and you can see me reflected in the glass. Hah! Told you I was wearing a hat.
The milliner herself (left) wearing one of her creations, posing for a photo with a friend.
Same lady from early in the photos, trying on yet another hat. I think she looks pretty good. After I left I thought the atelier would be a great place for a tea or a book signing. Hmm. Now, everyone would have to wear hats. But such fun! Don't you think?

It must be Spring: Two Hat Events in Chicago

2010-03-15T13:53:00.003-05:00

Loreta Corsetti Millinery Atelier
located within URBAN STYLE EMPORIUM
200 E. Delaware Pl. Lower Level Chicago
(entrance on Mies Van der Rohe)
Grand Reopening Party
Friday, March 19, 6-9 p.m.
RSVP, 312-640-6004
or by email; loreta@loretacorsetti.com

Please join us to celebrate the opening of Urban Style Emporium and the new home of Loreta Corsetti Millinery. Evening festivities will include delectable bites of sweets and savories, wine, Champagne and live music.

Spring Reverie, a Hat Tea
Friday, March 26, from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m.
In the spectacular Lobby of The Peninsula Chicago.

Lisa Farrell’s collection features all things colorful and feminine. Veronica Chin has bedazzled her Burning Bush Millinery pieces with a plethora of baubles. Laura Hubka has rekindled her love affair with blocked straw. Carla Faso has dreamt up sculpted wonders as well as fedoras for the season. Laura Whitlock’s collection in linen and silk is at once tailored and romantic. And Loreta Corsetti describes her pieces for spring as simply, “Irresistible.”

Stop by just to browse the collections, or enjoy tea service, which includes a petite soufflé, scones, finger sandwiches and delightful desserts served with your choice
of marvelous tea for the cost of $38. Or enjoy tea with a glass of Henriot Souverain Brut champagne for $47.

The Peninsula is located at 108 East Superior Street, Chicago. Phone 312.573.6760 for reservations, which are recommended for tea.

in Sickness and In Health:The Sun-Ray Ribbing Sweater *from A Stitch in Time

2010-03-14T17:18:00.004-05:00

I've never attempted a vintage sweater before. Wait. Let me think. Oh yes, I did try a crochet sweater from a Stitch in Time about four years ago. Even went so far as to buy some vintage yarn on eBay. I had trouble getting gauge from the get-go and the yarn kept breaking. I eventually ditched the project, and tossed the yarn. Now there are two reasons why I decided to attempt another vintage sweater pattern. I figure it's time. Why let a project gone wrong keep me away? The crochet sweater that wasn't meant to be is from another lifetime already! Besides, the Sun-Ray ribbing sweater is a new-to-me sweater. Fairly uncomplicated. Not one yarn-over in the top. How hard can it be to screw up a sweater that's strictly knit and purl? Besides, I decided to participate in a knit-along on Ravelry. If I went astray or the yarn went awry, I could always log in, whine, rejoice, get back on track or carry on as necessary.

Okay, here's the other thing. I've become one of those people with an iPhone nearly permanently attached to my hand. And I'm all for free apps! So I wanted to try the Knitminder. Downloaded the thing...and it has probably become my most frequently used app, even if it does drain the battery when I forget to close it out when I'm not using it. Yelp and the Whole Foods apps don't compare. Here's what I like about the Knitminder...it doesn't compel you to spend money! All those other apps....they're just trying to get you the buy something! The Knitminder is focused on counting rows, that's it. There are no advertisements either. Okay, there are some iPhone games out there...but a lot of them have ads on them too. I don't need dancing jars of yogurts across my screen to distract me when I'm working hard on my sweater. It's bad enough to have email and the mobile Safari browser at my beck and call when I'm on the bus or squirreled away in my bed.

So the sweater.....I'm using vintage yarn. Again. Totally different stuff. I've actually used the Evermatch Sport yarn for a pair of slippers. It's fantastic stuff. I got a bag of 27 skeins (all yellow) from my mother who participates in a knitting for charity group. So I actually owe her some hanks. The Evermatch is wonderful for the most part. It doesn't break...although it splits, but not enough to cause major problems. I just wish I could find more Evermatch in different colors! My batch looks like it's from the 1960s at the earliest. I look on eBay...nothing there. I see a few skeins here and there on Ravelry, but no stash substantial enough for a sweater.

Now this is slow going...no surprise, in a sense, given that this sweater is like 7 stitches to the inch. And I'm not doing it in the round, which I kind of wish I were. It would go much faster. There'd be less stitching in the end. But no! I wanted to do the sweater as it was written. Forget that the next time around. Speed is of essence, otherwise, I might just give up! I've finished the back, frogged 34 rows of ribbing intended for the front, and started the ribbing for a sleeve. How's that for progress? Who cares. It's all an adventure. I'm not competing against any one. Best part, beyond my initial investment of knitting needles, this project isn't costing my anything. For weeks on end, this sweater will singlehandedly keep me from purchasing sale patterns at Hancock Fabrics, more yarn and remnants at Vogue Fabrics. Even sewing doesn't keep me from buying stuff for weeks on end. Amazing!

I'm aiming to finish both sleeves this week and do the front next week. Can I just say I really don't want to have sew this up? My mattress stitches aren't great...and I'd imagine my not-so-great technique would stand out in a bad way on this fine-gauge sweater. I'm sorely tempted to hire this part out....with all the money I saved!
*I've been knitting this for the past few days while nursing a cold. Somehow I can always find the energy to knit when I'm ill, but you couldn't pay me to do the same on the sewing machine. Too much work when I barely have energy to move!

Finally, Chicago's Fashion History: 1865-1945 (Images of America)

2010-03-09T11:24:00.005-06:00

Finally, my book, Chicago's Fashion History: 1865-1945, is available for pre-order! Knitters, take a close look at the cover. You're going to love it. In case you're wondering, yes, there is a second book in the works. Off to do the happy dance and call up a few fans with my news!

A round-up of Hat Links

2010-03-02T12:50:00.004-06:00

I love the Stranded Cats hat pattern - it's so playful and modern. On the more retro side, here's a knitted pillbox pattern. For something a little more complete, there's this cool 1940s raffia hat. I also adore books with hats on the covers. Why aren't there more of these? If you've got any links to books with great hats on the cover, link to them here!

What I didn't Buy: Midwest Vintage Clothing, Jewelry, Textile Show & Sale*

2010-03-01T10:01:00.008-06:00

Oh, my goodness. Saturday afternoon at this show felt like a day at the local shopping mall, only with much better people watching. You would have though the costume contest, which ended Friday night, was still in full swing. Two 20-something guys dressed head-to-toenail in authentic 70s clothes (yes, one polyester shirt included). Bunches of couples in rockabilly togs, ready to rumble. At least one guy in what looked like ultra-fitted or maybe too small button-front pants from the turn of the last century. Anyhow, this dealer (above) snagged her 40s cocktail hat Friday night. I love the button detail in the back. The best hats have some element of surprise...something you don't see at first glance, but catch later, perhaps as the wearer turns or walks away.
I think this collection was on the first floor of the show. On closer look, there's no one hat that pops out as something I'd really want...but the composition of all these accessories on stands and hatboxes is interesting.

Now, I loved this wedding veil...it's apparently from the 1970s. It's sort of ethereal, very floaty and simple. In fact, it looks like something you could easily make using inexpensive tulle from a store such as Vogue Fabrics and a stack of inexpensive cream appliques (at Vogue these are about $2 a piece). I wouldn't ordinarily go for a cream on a ivory background, but somehow it works.

Throw in some beads...and you've got a one of a kind heirloom veil. Now what kind of dress would you wear with it?
*Yeah, I didn't buy anything, but I snapped photos. I know, boring. But I did knit. I'll show what I'm working on shortly. Promise.

Crafstylish Beret, Elgin Vintage Fashion Show and more....

2010-02-26T12:07:00.002-06:00

Some quick hits for today:
1. The cutout beret was featured in a Craftstylish magazine late last year, I wanted to write about it at the time, but I couldn't find an online image and promptly forgot about it. Here it is again, with all the directions, etc. Instructions call for felt, but I'm tempted to use some faux suede in my stash.
2. The Midwest Vintage Clothing, Jewelry and Textile Show, now a once-a-year event, starts tonight in Elgin. I really had a tough time trying to decide to go tonight or tomorrow.

The advantage of tonight:
* express train to my destination from downtown Chicago
* shoppers dressed up in various vintage outfits, all competing fervently for a free pass for next year's show. Outfits are great conversation pieces. I remember one couple that used to come as a World War II boyfriend and girl each year. One year, it was army uniforms. The next, dress up for a night out. Yes, they did win at least once.
*cool stuff (somehow all the mint-condition red shoes and hats in large sizes seem to go in the first hour) that you won't see the next day (duh!)
*live music, dancing.

Downside:
* train rides add up to at $16 round-trip
* train ride home is all stops, plus I need to transfer to another train in another station within minutes or wait another hour
* it's cold, dark outside this time of year

Advantage of going Saturday:
* $5 all-day unlimited pass on Metra (our commuter rail system)
* cheaper ticket admission
* leisurely shopping
* Sunshine!
*Dealers more willing to negotiate

Saturday's downside:
* all-stop trains
* best stuff is sometimes gone
* almost library quiet in the show...ugh!

Anyhow, I've decided to go tomorrow. I'm looking for patterns and yarn! Yeah, the knitting vintage fever has gripped me. Over and out, friends, have a great weekend.

Just a Bad Foster Mother (to a dog)? Not Eloquent Post on A Stitch in Time Sweater

2010-02-22T15:24:00.004-06:00

Last night I was all set to write a post on being an iPhone knitter. It was to be a sweet little post about how wonderful it felt to sit on my bed, knitting a sweater, logging the rows on my StitchMinder app, checking email, reading different blogs while listening to my radiator clank and wet snow drip, dripping on the windowsill outside. Really romantic.

But now I just feel mad...at the dog (above) that I'm taking care of temporarily. Yes, I'm a foster mother to a beagle. I don't know if I should name her? She's just a canine...out of control. Ok, I requested cute little dog who doesn't bark (got that), low maintenance (not so sure about that part)...but did I know she would jump on me constantly (I hate that!)? Did I know that she basically has to go to bathroom moments after she eats? Did I even know she also leaks mere seconds after drinking water? No, no, and NO! This dog has had....four accidents in the last 48 hours. Four! I'm ready to...hurl. Yes, I'm ready to hurl. First accident was inside the crate No. 1. Accident number two, nameless pupster did number two on the kitchen tile. Number three? Combo of No. 1 and 2 in THE CRATE. Yeah, I had to wash her this morning. Yuck. Then nanoseconds after I cleaned her and inadvertently ignored the "I gotta, gotta go. Take me on a walk!" dance, she did no. 2 in the office.

For the moment, nameless puppy (she's two years old, still a toddler in her canine world) is in the crate and has been there all day. I'm not dying to let her out...only to let her jump on me. This is a roundabout way to say, maybe this dog isn't for me? Never mind I haven't had her chew anything significant in the last two days. Never mind she hasn't barfed as dogs sometimes do....I'm just ready to hit "Return to Sender." I can only cope with so many mishaps in a 24-hour cycle.
does that make me a bad foster mother?

Top 10 Sewing Jokes: Still A Hit Nearly Two Years Later

2010-02-18T15:11:00.002-06:00

I don't have anything relevant to say today. I'm knitting and not sewing, which means the serger is uh, getting dusty and I'm not practicing threading it. I know, I know! I'll regret it earlier. It was going to change my life in 2010. Well, it still can...once I lift it out of the box. If it snows...I'll practice. With a bottle of beer. I promise.
In the meantime, a reprise of my 10 top sewing jokes, an apparent hit according to my blog statistics tracker. Tell me if you agree.

What Does It Take to Learn How to Thread Viking HuskyLock 936?

2010-02-03T14:58:00.002-06:00

I'm afraid the answer is a drink. Or a couple of drinks. I feel intimidated by my Huskylock, which is incredibly funny considering I'm a proud owner of a well-used Viking sewing machine (736 series). Anyhow, this new Huskylock,* or at least new to me, has been sitting in my home for two months, virtually untouched. Ok, I did take it into Vogue Fabrics for a lesson recently. Have I practiced threading since? No, my excuse has been a cold, a long-lasting one. Even in the recovery stage, I've yet to break out the serger. I'm afraid of the creature. It's not the knife section. It's those lower loopers. I'm certain I could thread the upper loopers just I like I would a sewing machine...but the three lower loopers. Ay-Ay-Ay! Would a drink (preferably a Guinness, of course) loosen me up enough to give it another try? Or would I just get frustrated, have another Guinness and get depressed? If had enough beer, I'd be under the table getting cozy with the sewing machine and serger pedals!

Give me your thoughts. How did you learn to thread your serger? I'm thinking I should do what newbie knitters do...they have someone else cast on and off indefinitely until they are confident to do it on their own or they are FORCED to do it by themselves or be very, very bored!

And for the millinery-inclined among you: check out these cloche-brim hatblocks (MBC3, toward the bottom of the page). Nifty....

*Btw, did you know Husquvarna sewing machines are now made in China? Yes! As you can imagine, the quality has gone way down. My Huskylock was one of the last sergers made in Sweden. I'm so thrilled to have a quality machine. I'm sad that Viking, once a quality manufacturer, has gone downhill.....

From my other blog: Last Rites: Simplicity 9973

2010-01-28T13:50:00.005-06:00

The blog post for Simplicity 9973 is an oldie in the Internet world: June 2006. But someone left a comment there today. I swear there was another back when I originally wrote and posted the story, but it doesn't seem to be there now. Oh well. Anyhow, if you're sew inclined to read this fictional story, follow the link.

Books I'm Looking Forward to This Year: 1000 Hats by Annie Modesitt

2010-01-26T10:33:00.005-06:00

Annie's the ace of hats, particularly the wired brim variety. Also on my radar:
• Stitch 'N' Bitch Advanced: Take It To The Next Level by Debbie Stoller
• Embroidery Companion: Classic Designs for Modern Living by Alicia Paulson 
• Simple Gifts: 50 Little Luxuries to Craft, Sew, Cook & Knit by Jennifer Worick
• Brave New Knits: Dozens of Projects and Personalities from the Knitting Blogosphere by Julie Turjoman 

Am I missing any others?

Moving On To Something Vintage: Vintage 1935 Clark's O.N.T. Fashions

2010-01-21T16:10:00.002-06:00

I had to blog about something if only to shake off the lone Japanese spammer who continues to log in, fill out the word verification and make completely unrelated comments (mostly a series of ellipses linking back to his/her site). Several times this persistent person has commented and I've deleted his/her comment. So I'm thinking it's time for a new post, if only to get rid of this blogger off and his/her obsession with my post about Lady Gaga and her hair hat. I hope. Fingers crossed. So I'm linking to this Ebay listing, which actually appears to be an original pattern unlike so many of the PDF reprints I keep seeing when I type in the words "vintage hat pattern" on eBay. What's really nice is this booklet is a combination of crochet and knitting. So if I were to get frustrated with any of the knitting projects, I could unravel and start up something crochet. Like the cover. Doesn't the model look like a G-man's girlfriend? She's cute. Smart. Ready to go in her hat and gloves.

I'm not going to bid on this pattern. I'm busy with a crochet skirt (the third rendition of a project from the Happy Hooker book plus I'm about to dive in head first (no, I won't get injured, I'm talking figuratively) into the 1937 Sun-Ray ribbing sweater from A Stitch in Time Those two projects alone should keep me busy for at least two months. The skirt should be done within another week or two. The sweater? We'll see how complicated it is and whether I need to take Rogaine after I'm knee-deep for a week or two. However! I'm thinking optimistically. I'm counting on this sweater not to be terribly difficult. But easy. Yes, easy. That it will work up (and down) without pain. I've got 10 skeins of a vintage Fleishers Evermatch in a pale yellow and my 2.75 mm (U.S. 2) and 3.25 mm (U.S. 3) needles. Need to swatch and I'll be good to go VROOOM soon.

A True Case of Hat Hair: Lady Gaga and her tressy topper

2010-01-12T15:03:00.002-06:00

For those of you who complain of hat hair, particularly in the winter (I am one), we need to stop bemoaning and celebrating hair gone haywire. Look at Lady Gaga and her hair hat. Is she complaining? Does she look like it, even remotely? Granted not a lock is out of place on that brim, which is what we common folk complain about when remove hats from our heads. Lady Gaga looks respendently 1940s in this get-up with her padded black top and retro sunglasses. And she's throwing kisses, just like a movie star.

Now, how many of you would sport a hair hat? Why not? Lady Gaga got a job out of it. You could be next!

Because I'm a Sucker for Two-Tone Tops: 1932 Bear Brand Crochet Pattern

2010-01-07T09:17:00.003-06:00

Add a bow such as this pattern, and I'm a goner. This short-sleeve sweater is so adorable, and it looks so easy to make. It's just a bunch of crochet circles connected with ribbing. Kindergarten easy. Now I'm totally curious about the yarn. Two-ply? Three-ply? Something else. Because I want to make this sweater and I'm an ace at crochet in way that I'm not at knitting. Can I also I say this sweater would be most flattering to someone who doesn't have to make bust adjustments (I am speaking about myself) when you sew? The bow, the sleeve hems all hit at the bust line so anyone who doesn't want extra attention in that spot would be best to ignore this pattern. And if you leave off the bow, that just knocks extra points off its cuteness, and makes it look less retro.

Now, all that said, I'd probably wear these with a pair of jeans, and eschew the gloves, which I do like, but I don't make a habit of wearing. But a hat would definitely heighten the retro effect, although a short hairdo of any sort will work too. Gosh, put something like this on, and I half feel like doing the Charleston (which I sort of know how to do properly, thanks to Big City Swing). Or a couple of swing-outs since the lindy-hop was beginning to become popular right around the time this Bear Brand pattern was published.

I don't like to buy a pattern book unless there's at least three sweaters and/or accessories in it begging to be made. This beginning bid on this is $14.95, not bad compared some newer books on the same topic at the local bookstores. We'll see. I'm not sure. I'm watching it for now, and since it's a copy, there will be other opportunities to purchase it in the future if I don't nab it this moment (isn't that a more accurate description of the Buy It Now button?), I can always try again in the future.

Now about color choice. I do like baby blue and pink. That's quite girly. Chestnut brown and mustard yellow would be more retro. Black and fuschia would be striking, particularly for night. A little sparkle in the yarn would make it even more beautiful. What colors would you pick if you were making this top?

New Retro Hat to Love: Interweave Crochet Amelia Hat and Scarf

2009-12-31T08:20:00.004-06:00

Ok, I saw this last year in the latest Interweave Crochet Magazine. We're talking December 2009. It stuck in my mind to the point that I had to buy the issue, if only for this pattern. It's so retro. And since crochet seems to come naturally to me, whereas knitting always feels like an uphill climb on a mountain of glass shards, this just feels like the next project to do. Sometime after I finish the Gone with the Wind Hat. That would have been finished a long time ago, except it's too big, and consequently, I've just lost my mojo, since it's really only suitable for someone with big head. And I had all sorts of plans for the Gone with the Wind Hat. Tea parties. Flirtatious encounters with the matching glove kind. Heck, excursions to the next town over. Not very ambitious, but you get the idea. So the Amelia Hat and scarf seems like a nice diversion from what I'm not doing right now. Not finishing up the Gone with the Wind. I really like doing the Amelia because did you know that Amelia Earhart (and I didn't see the Hillary Swank movie, it seemed too dumb) had a line of clothes at Marshall Fields? Yes, she was one of the early celebrities with her own line. So that Chicago connection alone makes Amelia special to me. She walked the same streets I did. When I get around to making the Amelia, perhaps I'll link to some pictures of Amelia the aviator wearing her finest and prettiest. In the meantime, I'm just picturing myself in the abovementioned hat and scarf project, perhaps in brown and yellow, or how about brown and blue? That would be pretty too. Of course, the extra ambitious part of me says I need to sew a complementary leather jacket too. Just for the challenge. And to say I made the whole outfit. Dare me. Nudge me. Tell me I can do it!

Enough about me. What hats are you making now?

Get Your Vitamin D On: Anthropologie Daisy Patch Hat

2009-12-09T09:59:00.005-06:00

If you spend any significant amount of time outside during the winter, the question of what hat to wear becomes significant and the weather forecasts are particularly important. Is there sunshine in the works? Then it's a matter of something you can wear easily with a pair of sunglasses. Wind? A lid that stays on firmly no matter what is tantamount; a floppy brim that could temporarily blind you just isn't a good idea. Even an earflap hat with ribbon ties isn't terribly practical on a blustery day - the ribbons, unless firmly looped in a tight bow, could whip against your face. Snow on its way? A hat with a firm brim is a fine idea. Lined? Even better. Bright and colorful? Double-check. The above hat, from Anthropologie, is my idea of a hat that's just cheery and practical all around, especially since flowers at this time of year in my part of the world are about as rare as prairie dogs in downtown Chicago. They're extremely uncommon. Now, I've this daydream that I'm wearing this hat on a ski slope somewhere in Colorado. While the snow's plentiful and it's cold, it's not the bone-chilling variety that you find near Lake Michigan. It's bearable. Anyhow, ski poles in hand, matching ski jacket with yellow piping, this hat escorts me down the bunny hill. It makes me look great, especially as toddlers sans ski poles whip past me easily and fast. Of course, I'm certain on this ski slope, it's not only how well you ski, but how good you look on the descent. So it's not only a competition of skill, but the hats. Which one is the silliest? The perkiest? The brightest? And of course, the stupidest. The Anthro Daisy Patch hat is in a category all its own. If you're going to get hat hair, and you will with this thing, you might as well do it wearing a mini-garden of daisies on your noggin. This hat is just cute. Nothing more, nothing less. There are no dumb flaps and pointy ends to make you the butt of someone's joke. It's just summer, an early taste.

Anyhow, I'd like to make this hat, even if it means taking a plainer than Jane knit cap from a department store and embroidering the daisies on with leftover yarns with other knitting projects. You could possibly even do it on a sewing machine with invisible thread, and stabilizer underneath. I'm not sure how much faster it would be than to do it all by hand, but you at least you do have another option. Now, is just me, but I don't understand why there isn't a black version of this hat? Why? Why?
P.S. I'm working hard on at least one hat...my Annie Modesitt Gone with the Wind hat. It's beautiful, but too big for my 22.5-inch head. I'll post pictures once I'm done. I'm at the wiring the brim stage.

More Hats to Love*

2009-10-28T20:31:00.007-05:00

Quickly, with feeling. 52 Hats in as many weeks? Impressive. Check it out here on this blog. A pumpkin patch of hats for newborn babies (so it was last year. It's still a good idea!). From Anthropologie Addict, there's this sheer black hat with matching embellishments.
* The above hat was in the window yesterday at Dame Couture in Evanston. Guess how it was made? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

A Little Halloween Knitting: Emily Fitzroy in The Bat (1926), Origins for "Batman"*

2009-10-27T20:30:00.007-05:00

Vogue Knitting didn't exist in 1926. Nor did Knit1 or Interweave Knits. But if any one of these knitting publication had been around then, you know they would have made a beeline to interview Emily Fitzroy, who knits nearly non-stop in the Bat, the silent film that led to the Batman movies you see today. Here's they no doubt would have heard Ms. Fitzroy say (you can see her in action in the above clip.)
Reporter (R): Miss Fitzroy, you're quite the knitter. We were quite impressed that you didn't drop a stitch in any of the scenes for The Bat. How did you do it?
Fitzroy (F): How do you know I didn't drop any stitches, young lady? I know how to make my marks. I'll have you know I've been knitting nearly my entire life. I learned how to knit and purl when I was five.
R: That's quite young.
F: You mean you didn't learn how to knit at at that age? All my friends and relatives did. If our mothers and grandmothers didn't teach us, we learned in school. How will you ever get married if you can't knit?
R: I learned when I was eight. I was a late bloomer. All of my girlfriends made fun of me and poked me with their pins. Yes, I'll be an old maid already at 20, don't remind me!
F: That'll teach you. Learn to knit properly and you'll get married in no time.
R: Yes, ma'am. Tell me what pattern were you knitting? What yarn did you use?
F: A Minerva pattern for a man's golf sweater. Fingering weight yarn.
R: How did you remember the pattern? Especially in those tense scenes with the Bat!
F: Listen, young lady. I'm a professional actress. I know how to work under duress. This was nothing. I used to knit in the dark when I worked in vaudeville. I'd poke those players with my pins to get them out on the stage on time. More than half of the time they were so stone-drunk they didn't know what end was up. If the poke didn't work, I'd get a lit cigarette. That usually worked like a charm and cut through the alcohol.
R: My. I had no idea. That was before my time.
F: You can only imagine the motion-picture industry was a piece of German chocolate cake in comparison. I didn't have to rely on my knitting skills to make it through the night.
R: Did Roland West know that you knit?
F: Absolutely. He saw me working up a pair of socks on an earlier picture, and he thought knitting would be a great prop in The Bat. It became part of my character, Miss Cornelia Van Gorder. I was so good I was typecast as the knitting grandmother in nearly every role after. I hated Joan Crawford. She got all the best roles - before and after the talkies.
R: You captured your character's nervous energy and confidence. She didn't let The Bat shake her up.
F: Of course not. Miss Cornelia didn't believe in ghosts or spirits. She was ahead of her time in that respect.
R: You mean everyone else on the set was superstitious?
F: Wouldn't you be if you saw a bat, even a make-believe one, everywhere you walked? My co-stars were skittish to even open a door.
R: I see a mouse and I make for the hills. I love that last scene where you-
F: Don't say it! Don't spoil the plot for anyone who might want to see The Bat! Didn't you read what Mr. West said in the beginning of the picture? He said don't ruin it for the others, you silly reporter. Now you can quote me on that.
* I saw The Bat at the Portage Park Theater last week. Excellent! I give it four stars out of five.

What I Like Now When It Comes to Hats...

2009-10-14T13:08:00.005-05:00

I like this shot on The Sartorialist, this hat made from sock yarn, this 1930s vintage hat pattern (from this eBay listing), this Anthropologie knit hat embellished with a tartan tie, and this pricey but lovably warm fur hat pattern (in Kelly green, of course, for me).

Done: Interweave Knits Ribbed Tank, Spring 2007 issue*

2009-10-04T14:47:00.006-05:00

I think I started this top back in May, when springtime was a mere promise, and thoughts of frilly cotton tops, saucy skirts and particular pants filled the stale air inside my apartment. A new season with brand-new outfits that would have all the mannequins at Anthropologie swirling their little vintage heads like nobody's business. Not to mention their counterparts at Free People. They'd be even more jealous, to the point that their detachable limbs clatter to the ground, their feelings on display for all passerby to see.

I started tracking my progress in June on Ravelry, after more than a few false starts. The pattern looks so simple, deceptively so. For one thing, it's knit up in a dark brown so you can't see the details, which should have been a tip off to just how difficult this pattern would be. But I won't bother you with the details, just hit the major points, some of which can be be applied to other knitted wearable works of arts.

1. If the instructions warn you to be careful of twisting the chain, be aware that this is extremely easy to do, especially when the chain is long. I think I twisted the darn chain at least three times, and finally mastered the fibery beast with the help of one of the sales ladies at Loopy Yarns. In the future, I'll knit back and forth three rows, then get the circle of stitches going when I have something more substantial to hold onto that won't be so wiggly when it's time to get everybody (all the stitches) holding hands in a circle.

2. Be willing (yes!) to put the project aside temporarily if things aren't going well. This happened to me plenty of times. More times than I care to count stitches, which I think I did a lot of. Instead of starting other projects, I read books, magazines and newspapers. I couldn't bring myself to launch anything else, though on second thought, that's a good time to do something really easy - a pair of leggings with a basic repeat. Honestly, I feared buying some expensive yarn and starting something that would be equally difficult to finish.

3. Be creative when yarn runs out. I thought I had plenty of the Lion Brand Cotton-Ease. I didn't. It was the creative Kathy Kelly that came up with the brilliant idea of using the Ty-Dy cotton for the bodice, which is probably the best part of this top. The colors are just Dreamsicle cool. I just used one skein of the Ty-Dy for the bodice, which set me back about $15. Not bad for a great punch of color on a tank top that might have a little ho hum otherwise. On the flip side, I think a multi-color yarn looks best in a ribbing or stockinette, but it would lose its fantastic-ness in lace. I might try this combo (plain/multi) combo again - but in a much simpler pattern. It's also good way to work in a little luxury into your work if you're trying to save bucks. Think of it as the summer version of fur.

4. Don't be afraid to wear cotton in the fall. I thought this would be too hot to wear now that the temperatures have dropped, but I found this pleasantly warm, a great layer to wear over something else. I might actually wear this through the winter, even though we are not in that time of year yet. Nope, it's not here and I'm not going to think about it right now. It's still Indian summer right now.

5. Edit, edit, edit! Yes, I creatively cropped the pictures. You can't see the lace. There's a reason for that. I don't like how the fullness of this top - it makes me look like I'm expecting. I wish it were a little more fitted, and less roomy. That said, I will still probably wear it. All that time I spent working on it - ripping back, starting, ripping back yet again, but not tossing it into the corner of the living room. I didn't go to that extreme, not that there would be anything wrong with that. Some projects are meant to be pitched into dark places where dust mites cavort. I might eventually take some other pictures that show a close-up of the lace part, but it won't be anytime soon. If I do, I might do what the models do: clip the back so that the whole shebang gracefully skims the hips. Okay, I'm linking to Interweave Knits' version. Their version doesn't skirt the issue like mine does. Sigh. Time to go get a Guinness and forget.

6. Plan your next project while you're on the last lap of the Big One. It makes all the stitching and grafting go that much faster. Me? I've kind of decided that I've had it with knitting anything for the body. I need things that work up much quicker, say in a week or two, a month or so. So I'm thinking leg warmers, arm warmers, a hat, socks, anything else. Of course, these little projects are much lighter and easier to carry in a bag on my way to one adventure or another. Easier on the checkbook too. That said, there's a little part of me that wants to launch a February lady sweater or even a bolero jacket. These things can't be all that complicated, can they? Stop me!!! I have other things to do! Other molehills to climb!
* The ruby lacy top underneath? I sewed that, using the Santa Monica Tee pattern.

Style Stategy by Nina Garcia: A Book Review

2009-09-29T15:04:00.004-05:00

This is Mary Beth's assistant Ashley here. She just wanted me to say, "Hi!" No, really she wanted to say a whole more. Actually the assignment is to write a book review of The Style Strategy by Nina Garcia from the perspective of a hat lover. I said, "NO problem! I LOVE hats." And I really do talk in all caps sometimes, particularly when I'm texting my friends. It's a good way to get a point across.

Anyhow, Nina Garcia's book. From the viewpoint of someone who's really crazy about hats, I'd have to say this book was a disappointment. I mean I love Nina in "Project Runway" but I honestly think Ruben Toledo's illustrations were far more interesting than anything had to say about dressing up or down during these tough times. Besides, I'd like to see some photographs, so I found "Style Strategy" a little boring in the way. I thought it was interesting that Ruben had a lot of sketches with women wearing hats, but Nina said hardly a word about them. She does mention Prince's "Raspberry Beret" as a source of inspiration - "This song makes me want to wear one!" That's about all she says about hats then. You would think she would talk about them more. I mean, hats are fairly cheap, compared to a pair of nice jeans or cool boots. It's also easier to make a hat than to sew a pair of good jeans. Besides, hats are SO much fun to wear. Especially to a bar. If you want a guy to buy you a drink. If you are poor, wouldn't it be better just to wear a fedora and go window shopping, then sit inside and cry all day that you don't have a job? I think so. Your day would be much more interesting if you wore a hat. You might even get a job offer. Really, it could happen. It's more much likely to happen than if you're inside your bedroom bawling your eyes out. So I'd think a great hat, even if just one, would be the essential accessory during this bad economy. Every recessionista should have one, don't you think?

Ok, anyhow, Nina has lists of all these essential clothes you should have. Mary Beth said to come up with five must-have hats. That's easy.
1. A Black beret. You cannot go wrong with a black beret. It goes with everything, and it's pretty cheap. I can usually find one at the thrift store, but I bet you could find one at the Gap or Old Navy. I wear a beret when my hair's a mess or it's cold outside.
2. A red fedora. I know Mary Beth doesn't like Red Hats, it has something to do with the Red Hat Society. But it doesn't bother me. My mom and grandmother are in the Red Hat Society. It makes them happy, so who cares? They both come back kind of tipsy from those events, but they're smiling for the rest of the day. Anyhow, a red wool felt fedora would be so awesome. I could see Lady Gaga wearing one. I don't have one myself, but I think about making one in the next millinery class I take.
3. A leopard print hat, any style. I think the leopard print shirts and scarves are kind of old-ladyish, but I do like that kind of print in a hat. It's kind of naughty-looking, and nobody expects you to wear spots of any kind on your head! I'd like a cute little pillbox, maybe with some netting, perhaps with a hole cut out for a cigarette (JUST KIDDING!). A fedora would be foxy too. You know all the boys would like it.
4. A fur hat with ears or floppy sides. I love this kind of hat especially when it's freezing outside. It looks cute, keeps you warm and goes with just about everything, like a parka or one of those long coats.
5. A cloche. This is pretty, something you could wear to church, if you go or save for Christmas or any other important holiday. It looks very flapper girl, and goes with any kind of dress. It would be also very easy to crochet, knit or sew. I have one, I think, at the back of my closet. It's kind of dusty probably, which goes to show you how often I wear it. But I do think it's a great versatile hat.
That's all for now. I've got to go work on a Powerpoint presentation for class. Mary Beth will back in a few days. Ciao for now!

Mad Men Fans Take Heart : Crochet Today, Nov/December issue

2009-09-14T10:37:00.006-05:00

It's a little too early to think about my birthday month (November), but I adore this cover. It looks like some of the vintage Good Housekeeping or Lady's Home Journal magazines from the 1950s that you see on eBay. So green and white dresses with a bow are in! The 70s-looking Christmas tree skirt - hurrah! I'm not nearly thrilled with the content but the capelet/cardi is up to my speed. It would match my winter jacket, also white. I'll blend in with the snow, which we're expecting a lot of this year. Anyhow, this is just a slapdash intro to my other topic: hats. Here's a story from the SF Gate that gives me hope for the future...A local (for me anyway) story on a fun, hatty bash...One great 1932 crochet cap and tie pattern, and instructions for a funky 1960s interpretation of the tyrolean hat. Enjoy!

Hat by Eia in Aisle 5: Clandestino event TONIGHT

2009-09-11T06:32:00.005-05:00

Now Eia, my former millinery instructor, always did say you should wear your hat to go grocery shopping. Now she's taking her own advice and showing her own creations in a local grocer just for one night. Now, tell me, if you saw a woman with the above hat on while you were picking up a box of Cheerios, wouldn't that put a smile on your face? Even just for the moment? I'd be grinning ear to ear all the way out to the parking lot even the cashier was snotty and rude and the person in front of me in line appeared to be buying out the entire contents of aisle 2. Perhaps that's why Eia recommends wearing a hat when you're stocking up for the fridge. You need a little levity when you must traipse across a store that's longer than most football fields, these days anyways.

Back to tonight's event. In the true nature of Clandestino events, the web site only mentions vaguely where this trunk show will take place. It'll be at a Lincoln Park (that's in Chicago for you out-of-towners) grocery store. I'm hoping, guessing, that'll it be at the new Whole Foods store off of the main drag known as North Avenue. Lots of traffic, and potential for great publicity for Eia and her incredible (and apparently edible) hats. I can't make it, but maybe you have a window of time to go. Sounds like good eating, lots fo laughter and a great time. And who knows what could happen in Aisle 11? Only the Shadow knows!!! Here's the link to Fashion and Feast.

Speaky-Easy Fling

2009-09-03T13:58:00.006-05:00

My beau, we'll call him Jack because I don't want him to get in trouble with the laws because he likes to frequent certain places, rings me up on the phone at my folks' bungalow. I live upstairs in the in-law apartment with my own gas stove and sink. It's quite the life, I can come and go as I please...unfortunately mother and father know when I come home, so I've taken to slipping up the stairs in my stockings late at night, even then they just know. It doesn't matter that I'm an adult at the old age of 22 years. I know I should be married by now, but Jack's just taking his time, typical Irish bachelor, you know. So he rings me up on the party line:

"Honey, want to go out tonight?
"Sure thing, darling. Are we going to go see a picture? I really want to see Shanghai Express. "
"Naw, need to wait until payday to do that."
"So...what do you have in mind? Cutting the rug at Howie's?"
"Maybe....what do I say I pick you up in an hour?"
"Okeydokey, see you soon, Jack."

He's vague, only because he knows everyone can hear what he's saying. That busy-body old lady, Mrs. Waldover, down the street. Mr. Harvey, the Senn High School janitor, my mother, quite possibly that little Robert Hagendorf, who's always hanging in the maple tree overlooking over the white picket fence on our sideyard. A know-it-all if I ever saw one. I pretend to hang up to see if I can tell anyone else is on the line. To my disappointment, I don't hear the tell-tale click.

I hear the clink, clink, clink of gravel on my window at half-past eight. Not again. Daddy's going to be furious if he hears because he claims that Jack scratches the window when he does that, and he gets the window all dusty. Besides, daddy doesn't want to climb up the ladder again to wash windows yet again this year. Bad back and all.

I'm all ready to go, so I carry my Mary Janes and my hat down the stairs, hoping not to snag my stockings on any splinters on the stairs. I open the door. God Bless America! The door still creaks even though I greased the joints yesterday!

I open the door. Jack's smoking his corn-cob pipe as usual just like my daddy does. I have to say he reminds me of Pa in that regard. Otherwise, they're so different: Papa, short and squat, cautious behind the wheel, always has to plan everything in advance, complains about everything. "Roosevelt! He doesn't know what he's talking about!" and "Can't you see that I'm reading the newspaper? That means I'm resting." And" "Why don't you ask your mother? She always seems to have an answer!" Jack - he's so spontaneous, ready to go to the beach, a picture show, the diner, bowling, all at a moment's notice. I like that in a man! Now, if he would only ask me to marry him. I keep throwing around hints like a good girl, but he just doesn't budge. What is it with men these days? I've been meaning to ask Father Xavier about that sometime, but I just can't bring myself to think about that right now. Too depressing! It's bad enough that I have to save up my own money to buy a radio. I'm tired of listening on my parents'!

Jack, all six-feet and a wee bit more, leans down to kiss little ole five foot two me. He looks all dapper in his three-piece grey herringbone suit, holding his well-worn matching grey fedora by the crown. He does take my breath away even three years after we met at the St. Benedict's annual picnic. He's got those dark brown eye just like Buddy Rogers does and glossy dark hair like him too. And that smile! He's movie star handsome. I tell him we should move to Los Angeles so we can get married and make millions of dollars just like Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. But he likes Chicago, don't know why. I want to live where it's warm and there are palm trees everywhere.

"So where we going, Mister?"

He looks about furtively. Probably looking to see who's peeking out the windows nearby.
"Oh, just a little place down the ways."

I know what that means. A speak-easy. He's been telling me that he has a pharmacist friend who knows how to make some "happy" drinks. I don't know what they means, but I think I can add two plus two. I feel a little scared and excited too. I don't want to get in trouble with the coppers.
I come from a good family, you know, and I want to keep it that way.

I slip on my hat (a restyled cloche from Montgomery Wards. I bought some new feathers to update it just like McCall's suggested), button up my wool coat, slip my arm into Jack's. We head toward the Chicago Avenue streetcar. We might not live in California with the movie stars, but we're going out to have some fun.
*When I heard that the Violet Hour was styled like an old speak-easy, my mind went into 1932 Prohibition era overdrive, thinking about what I'd do if I were really going to one of these forbidden places back in the day. Here's what I came up with.

Need a Lift? More Hat Stories,* Judith M Millinery and More

2009-09-01T10:56:00.008-05:00

Here are some more: A Reuters piece, some criticism on Mad Men hatwear, a list of upcoming workshops at Judith M Millinery and a story on vintage hats. What interesting hat-related stories have you read lately? Please post.

* The pattern above? A favorite already in my collection (I particularly like Belle- Buoy in the lower right corner). It's up for auction here. Bid, bid, bid!

The Great Hat Comeback - A Round-up of Stories

2009-08-24T09:50:00.004-05:00

There's a hat revival going on, if you haven't noticed. In particular, you see many people (men and women) wearing fedoras. The newspapers have noticed, so I give you a round-up of stories on the topic. First up: the one year Hat-a-Day Project, a Wall Street Journal article, one woman's fantastic inheritance, another on how to wear a fedora from the San Francisco Chronicle, the resurgence of interest in the cocktail hat and the return of the pillbox (!!) in Australia. What hats are you wearing now?

Hat Love: the Crocheted Tyrolean, circa 1939

2009-08-09T14:36:00.003-05:00

I'm just going to say I have this pattern in my bedroom drawer. The original, pre-War II version. Yellowing, loosened staples and all. I was reminded of whereabouts when I spotted the instructions for this loony-balloony hat on eBay. Oh yeah, I thought, I have that already along with some pretty nifty pretty nifty 1930s hat projects that I've yet to see online.

Anyhow, back to the tyrolean you see above. Just about as easy to make as it is to peel a banana, especially one that's really ripe and must be used for banana and not impromptu eating. I'd have to read the fine typeface, but I'm betting this pattern calls for the cordet, which was popular for handbags and hats in the 1930s and 1940s. I have a full box of the original unused stuff in my front closet, bought expressly for retr0 millinery, but I haven't gotten around to using it, although I did try my hand at a popcorn-stitch handbag that I promptly unraveled. I should have just finished it as it was because I haven't touched the cordet since. That I bought on eBay.

So the tyrolean. It would be fantastic to wear on a day such as this, although it could blow away it's so windy out there. However, it would be cool (as in comfortable to wear). Now the model above is wearing hers with a wool jacket, this hat isn't strictly for fall. Actually, it's fairly all-purpose, although I have a sneaking suspicion that it will not protect the ears when the sun's further away from the planet, and the digits begin to freeze. It's just an idea I have, nothing I've confirmed and actually experienced, especially since I haven't made this hat.

But if I did make this hat, it would go quickly; like it would be done in a weekend. Maybe not the wiring the brim, and decorating the crown with a petersham ribbon and feather. That part might take another full week to address, but the hardest labor would be done. It's all done in a circle, for those of who've made caps. You increase here and there, at some point begin the (I was going to say the Beguine, but that's not correct) the brim. Before you know it (yes, I watched a Carol Burnett retrospective last week, and I can't help recall her signature comedy show sign-off), you're done. Tie off the knot, and contemplate your workmanship, become addicted to making more of these hats.

Now that I'm writing about this hat, perhaps it's about time to start it. I've procrastinated long enough. It's been years. Children have been born, elders have died, it's high, high time to break out the crochet hook and just make a loop already. I can convince myself it's the perfect purse project. It's not heavy like the cotton tank I'm about to finish sometime soon. It'd be lightweight in a sock sort of way. I'd almost wouldn't even feel it. My phone and the handbag hardware would be heavier. Significantly.

What do you tell yourself when you see a hat that's seriously cute, but are hemming and hawing to start? What little tips push you off the iceberg and into the freezing water that we'll call "Craft Purgatory"?

Central Street, Evanston: Dame Couture, Jess Audey

2009-08-02T19:18:00.005-05:00

It's a tad unfortunate that Dame Couture, a tiny dress shop on Central Street in Evanston, is closed on Sunday. The storefront alone is oh...my...! Peering inside, the store has this 1950s vibe, the only items are missing are rows upon rows of tulle crinolines fighting for space, stilettos, rose perfume and mid-century interpretations of the cloche. But what little I could I liked: the bright black-and-cream dresses in the window - two knee-length - one boat-neck, the other strappy. The latter is for latter-day Bette Davises strolling down the sidewalk, hatboxes and shopping bags in tow. The long version I could see on Lena Horne, a black iris clipped onto her hair, a strand of pearls around her neck. All these dresses are by Chicago Fashion Incubator Jess Audey, who's having a trunk show on the premises, Friday, August 14, 4-7 p.m., according to a sign propped on the sill.

The capelets next to the door just reinforced the retro-esque vibe: fitted little lacy boleros trimmed in matching satin, two in white, the other in black. I think they're intended for brides, but I think they'd be perfect to wear in an air-conditioned office, easy to slip off once you're headed back out into the heat and humidity (true finally here in Chicago, and oh-so true in unusually hot Seattle).

What are the best of the black and white dresses you've seen to date? Sweaters for inside the office?

How To Get from Here To There: Annie Modesitt's High Society Hat

2009-07-29T17:18:00.004-05:00

This is a hat I started and stopped last year, all because I need another skein of Gedifra Wellness. A very particular skein (2115) with a specific dye lot (9100). Since I launched this project long after I bought the original bunch of yarn for a halter top, I've had a really hard time finding a matching skein so I can finish this chapeau. I've searched all over Ravelry, send messages to members, pleaded for help on various forums. I've turned up nothing.

Yet as you can see the hat is cute even if there's no top and the brim is all curly. It has potential in a way an undecorated cake has promise. See I'm like a mother to my hats in progress: "YOU can be great if you want to be. But you MUST try. MUST!" Some frosting is all this little hat needs. However, unlike a cake, my frosting needs to match... or does it? I'm wondering if I'm just making life much more complicated than it needs to be by focusing on blending the new yarn with the old.

Can I tell you what I don't want? I don't want a bucket hat. As you can see from this picture, this hat is supposed to be stylin' in a very 1930s sort of a way. The brim is wired, which you can't see in the photograph, but it is because I've done this in previous renditions. So no bucket hat suitable for camping or baking on the beach. I want something breathtaking, something divine, pretty enough to wear with a ruffle-front plaid blouse and a pair of white summer gloves, suitable for a tea or a wedding.

So what could I do to revive this hat-in-progress? What can I possibly do to take this knitting project from the resting-on-the-couch stage to active, live on a set of circular needles? I'd really appreciate your thoughts. Since this is cotton, it would be nice to wear this finished hat sometime soon before the cold weather blows through and demands wool attire and accessories.

Here are some sober thoughts on what I could do:

select another skein of Gedifra Wellness yarn in a brighter hue, finish the hat and use what's leftover to wrap around the brim.

Actually, I can't think of another option. I don't want to use a completely different color, for example, brown. I just can't see it looking graceful, just kind of clunky and dumb. Pink? Same thing. Yellow? Orange? Nothing else.

Or should I just let this marinate for another year, fading ever so much more on the top of my couch? Toss it in the garbage (sob!), give away at my next fabric swap? Start a prayer vigil for the skein of my dreams?

Plaid Caps on My Mind: Vogue 8528, a Patricia Underwood Design

2009-07-26T18:18:00.005-05:00

I've got plaid on my mind. It must be some of the caps I've been seeing while I'm out and about in Chicago. Lots of guys wearing 'em. There's also one in the display window at Hats Plus (see top and bottom pictures). And whaddaya know....milliner Patricia Underwood has one in the latest Vogue Patterns catalog (Vogue 8528). So I want to make one...a cotton one for now until the heat disappears sometime in late September, and then I want a bunch of cute wool ones to keep my head warm from Octoberfest and on. I'm not sure if a bunch of fat quarters in a 1930s vintage fabric would work. I'd probably get a pattern piece or two, and I'd have to piece together the hat band. I already have some buckram for the visor and I actually already have a similar pattern in my pile. Somewhere.

Here are some variations on my scheme:

paisley print embellished with an iron-on felt letter and bedazzled with some rhinestones
brint orange denim print with complementary vintage striped ticking fabric for the hatband
white denim with a striped ribbon stitched down off-center on the main part
your suggestion here!

As for the going-away party/fabric swap last week for Erin McKean, it was a small affair. Just me, Erin, and Calico Sarah. I ditched some sad bad craft felt, and acquired a yard or two of teeny tiny plaid red/black plaid, two small cones of stretchy serger (sunshine yellow) thread and an old paint kit with fresh squishable tubes of paint, and lots of cookies from the Swedish Bakery. Cookies were naturally devoured nearly immediately, the new acquisitions? They're separated for now - thread, paints and fabric just don't get along, until they're forced to by me.
*By the way, read what Underwood has to say about wearing hats here. What do you think? Leave your comments here.

Last Call Before Fall: A Fabric Swap and Going Away Party*

2009-07-23T09:31:00.004-05:00

It's a last call for fabric, yarn, fat quarters, notions, etc. Plus we're doing a going-away party TONIGHT for Erin, who's leaving town. Read her blog for details on what's she bringing.

Time: 6-8:30 p.m.

Date: Thursday, July 23

Location: Rogers Park Public Library
6907 N. Clark St
Chicago, IL 60626
2nd floor, south room

What?: Fabric Swap

What's a Fabric Swap?: We'll be exchanging fabric, notions, yarn, patterns and bagged remnants. Fat quarters are welcome this time around. Quilters take note!

Anything Else I should Know?: Since this is a swap, no money/check can be exchanged on the premises. This is important. As I mentioned previously, anybody caught paying real U.S. dollars for items in the swap will be lashed with a tape measure or forced to count pattern pieces.

What can I bring?: See above. Wear a dress too (if you're sew inclined). Perhaps one you've sewn would love to show off to Erin before she boards her airplane west.

How can I help?: Thanks for asking. In addition to bringing fabric, please bring food or a drink. Paper plates, napkins and cups too. We all sort fabrics on tables. Afterwards, we'll need a driver with enough room in the car to cart leftover unwanted fabric to local Salvation Army.

Where can I park if I drive? What about public transportation?: There's a parking lot behind the library. Call for details. You can easily get to the Rogers Park Public Library on the no. 22 bus. It's also two blocks west of the Morse Red line stop, a block east of the Rogers Park stop on the Union Pacific North Metra line.

Ok, what next?: Email marybeth.klatt @@@gmail DOT com with Fabric Swap in the subject line, let me know you're coming and how you'd like to help OR leave a comment underneath this blog post. I'll be checking it regularly.

I have a few more questions!: Email marybeth.klatt @@@ gmail dot com OR leave a comment on my blog.

* Gratuitous fabric shot at Vogue Fabrics in Evanston. These bandana prints are on sale. I want some, which reminds me the store is having its Pirate Days sale this week. Additional discounts on fabric already marked down. I'm going to go!

Anthropologie Look on a Walmart Budget**

2009-07-21T15:42:00.009-05:00

It's too bad this blog (sorry I can't find URL now) isn't updated regularly, 'cause the topic of the Anthropologie look for less seems to be a popular one, if the crafty DIY sites are any indication. The A-word comes up a lot on Ravelry, a knitting social-networking site. Ditto Patternreview. What is it about this chain store that causes a grown woman's eyes to glaze over and say, "I totally can make that for less" and proceed robot-like outside the store without buying one thing, then nearly collide with oncoming cars as she forgets the stop light is turned RED and she should stop walking and dreaming of Clothes She Could Make Better than Anthropologie until she's safely on the other side of street? I'll admit I'm one of those females from time to time, which is why if I am going to get into the Anthropologie Altered State of Mind (no doubt caused by sniffing those super-expensive canned candles in the store), I might as well drink first, and see what creative ideas I could come up. In fact, certain alcoholic beverages might actually affect different parts of the brain, with varying results. Here's where my experiment might start sometime (all drinks will be on special, of course, since we're after the inexpensive Walmart way.). The beverage, followed by the brain effect:

Guinness: One will get you looking at all brown attire in the store. You will home in anything that looks like it could be worn in Ireland. Anything 100 percent wool will be especially alluring under the influence of this stout. Cables will be especially appealing. You will likely leave the store seeking out a local yarn shop so you can start a long sleeved sweater you will never finish.*

Pomegranate Mojito: The antioxidants in the pomegranate will get you thinking that you have forever and two days to recreate all dresses in stock. All. You will become certain that even 90 years old you will be able to whip up the bias-cut plaid dress in the image resting on your hard drive now. The mint sprigs will prompt you to sniff and touch all green items in the store. It's possible a store employee might call security when you start overdoing this particular action.

Skinny-Tini(TM): This Bethanny Frankel concoction may mislead you to think you can fit into all the small sizes leftover in the backroom or the non-stretch jeans on the rack closer to the display case. The jumpsuit, which should have plenty of wiggle room, might be the best thing right now...besides it's just what Frankel, a New Yorker, might wear for her new reality show. Do her one up and sew this baby. Find a vintage Butterick pattern on eBay. I dare you.

Miller Lite: Even at one, you're in no shape to even window shop at Anthropologie. You must down a classy drink to do the tipsy browse and tell at this store. Go on. Return to the Cubby Bear where you belong until you're ready for some serious I-phone photography in the fitting rooms. Or drive directly to Walmart. Scratch that. Hire a taxi driver and do the same.

Cabernet Sauvignon: Okay, you're teeth are stained now, that's okay. Don't smile. The grapes will force you to look at all the trendy ombre ruched skirts, dresses and cardigans. Naturally, you'll speculate about how you can recreate this all at home in your back yard in a plastic tub for twice the fun and the money. And the pictures for Facebook, of course!

Prosecco: Pricey, yes. The bubbles in this Italian specialty will compel you to look longingly at the hundred dollars plus leather mules and wedgies, all imported from Spain, and wonder how you can get the same for less. A lot less. Can't be done (Budget Fashionista disagrees). Save your pennies for the real.

Drinks aside, what Anthropologie goods have your DIY side working overtime? Link and tell.

* This is my favorite beverage, just so you know...
** Display windows are at the Anthropologie on Southport in Chicago.

Double Deal: Going Away Party for Erin McKean/Fabric Swap

2009-07-15T13:50:00.005-05:00

Yes, it's a double-header, which is a rare bear especially as it relates to the Chicago Cubs. This past Saturday, they played two games at Wrigley Field with a couple hours to separate the events.

We're going to do the fabric version of a Windy City double-header: a party for fabric collector and blogger Erin McKean, who is deserting "flat is fine" Chicago (!!!) for the hills of San Francisco, and taking a considerable part of Vogue Fabrics' fine selection with her. (She tells me she has seven plastic tubs of fabrics that are going with her and her family to the West Coast. She could use those textiles to insulate her new home, but from what I understand and have experienced, California simply isn't that cold.)

Anyhow, Vogue Fabrics' lost is Britex's gain. I've been to San Francisco twice, and never set foot in that place. Not once. Not even to pet the fabric and see if it feels any different than the Illinois variety. I think I thought at the time, "Too expensive! Why bother?" So I didn't. Next time, I'll go, just to say I did, then go find a pub, of course, for a pint of Guinness to see if that tastes any differently there.

This is all makes for a long, long winded way of saying we're having a Special Edition Fabric Swap to help Erin get rid of fabric that's she not toting with her on her next adventure. Her loss is your gain. She's got tons of remnants, perfect for that next dress, skirt, playsuit or coverlet! So swing by the Rogers Park Public Library next Thursday, July 23 at 6 p.m.

Here are some of the details:

Time: 6-8:30 p.m.

Date: Thursday, July 23

Location: Rogers Park Public Library
6907 N. Clark St
Chicago, IL 60626
2nd floor, south room

What?: Fabric Swap

What's a Fabric Swap?: We'll be exchanging fabric, notions, yarn, patterns and bagged remnants. Fat quarters are welcome this time around. Quilters take note!

Anything Else I should Know?: Since this is a swap, no money/check can be exchanged on the premises. This is important. As I mentioned previously, anybody caught paying real U.S. dollars for items in the swap will be lashed with a tape measure or forced to count pattern pieces.

What can I bring?: See above. Wear a dress too (if you're sew inclined). Perhaps one you've sewn would love to show off to Erin before she boards her airplane west.

How can I help?: Thanks for asking. In addition to bringing fabric, please bring food or a drink. Paper plates, napkins and cups too. We're having a party! We all sort fabrics on tables. Afterwards, we'll need a driver with enough room in the car to cart leftover unwanted fabric to local Salvation Army.

Where can I park if I drive? What about public transportation?: There's a parking lot behind the library. Call for details. You can easily get to the Rogers Park Public Library on the no. 22 bus. It's also two blocks west of the Morse Red line stop, a block east of the Rogers Park stop on the Union Pacific North Metra line.

Ok, what next?: Email marybeth.klatt @@@gmail DOT com with Fabric Swap in the subject line, let me know you're coming and how you'd like to help OR leave a comment underneath this blog post. I'll be checking it regularly.

I have a few more questions!: Email marybeth.klatt @@@ gmail dot com OR leave a comment on my blog.

For those of you who can't join us, perhaps you could leave a link in your comments showing you in your favorite dress. A virtual show and tell, if you will.

Favorite Excuses to Wear A Hat?*

2009-07-10T11:16:00.004-05:00

Here's my running list of excuses to wear a hat:

1. I'm in a bad mood and I need compliments, car honks and whistles to get me out of it.
2. I relish the idea of wearing my fedora and posing next to any "Public Enemies" poster I can find with the behatted Johnny Depp. Getting harder as newer posters get slapped on top of older ones.
3. I long for a waitress/waiter to treat me extra nice when I sit down to eat in their workplace.
4. I'm feeling vaguely like the brooding guy in a coat, hat in the famous painting Nighthawks painting by Edward Hopper.
5. I need to keep warm but I don't want to carry a jacket, but hope a hat and a lightweight scarf will do the trick.
6. I want the train engineer to toot his horn when I wave to him.
7. I don't want to be bothered, cancelling out #1.
8. I'm eager to hide my messy, unruly locks which really need to be washed.
9. I can pretend it's the 1940s just for a minute or two, although I'm truly happy to be alive now.
10. I must match the bottom half of my body with the upper part. A black hat usually does the trick.
11. I duck outside and I know it's going to rain. A hat, even the straw variety, will protect me even if it self-destructs during the process.
12. The link for the Ginger Spam salad recipe on the top of my Gmail account page doesn't seem remotely appealing, but wearing a hat does.
13. The dust bunny population is exploding in my closet, which requires me to open up and clean off the covers of a few hat boxes. Some hats of the vintage variety clamber out onto my head. Creepy.
14. I seek to impress my various nieces and nephews with my eccentric aunt image. A cat or two would round out that perception.
15. Feeling bloated, a hat takes my mind off of how crummy I think I look. Amazing how the head doesn't gain pounds? I'm not talking about the neck.
16. I don't want to wear a necklace, but a hat feels....just right.
17. I can focus better since a hat, particularly one with a brim, limits my peripheral vision.
18. Putting on a hat makes me think of the various sewn and knitted hats that are waiting to be completed and I feel really guilty.
19. I can flag down the bus driver to stop on a dented dime and pick me up even if I'm not standing at an authorized stop.
20. I need a story to tell at the end of the day. A hat worn somewhere, somehow guarantees it, don't you think?

What are your favorite reasons to wear a hat?
* Picture taken at the intersection of Lawrence and Clark Streets in Chicago yesterday.

Summer of the Fedora, 2009*

2009-07-06T08:23:00.009-05:00

Here in Chicago it feels like the summer of the Fedora, a style that pops up on locals regularly at this time of year. As predictable as crowds spilling out into Clark Street after a Cubs game, dandelion dozens after a sudden storm and the crush of CTA buses bunched together during a routine rush hour. However, what makes this year different is how many women are wearing this hat. They wear it with t-shirts, jean cut-offs or a maxi dress, flip flops. Super casual. Nothing slick, nothing high style. Something to wear 'em to the beach and back home. It takes care of the bad hair, cool weather, "I don't feel talking" mood all in a fell swoop. Well, that's at least what a hat, particularly one as sleek as a fedora, does for me. Lately I've been wearing my black straw H&M hat, purchased for $7, and I'll be breaking out the same hat, white straw trimmed with a sky-blue grosgrain, just as soon as I feel like I have something remotely matching on the bottom three-quarters of my body.

Browsing around on online, here's what I like of the fedoras I've seen to date: this menswear striped one from Target and this collection at Villagehatshop. Honestly, the more I think about it, you couldn't go wrong shopping at these two Chicago stores: Hats Plus and Optimo Hats (they made all the fantastic hats in Public Enemies). Hats Plus is more affordable with ready-to-wear hats, and their selection of Kangol toppers is phenomenal. Phenomenal! Optimo is all about the pricey custom-made hat you want to store in a special box, wrapped up in tissue paper. Here's a link to a Los Angeles Times story on hot hats on the runway.
* A series of goofy photos I took with the "Public Enemies" poster at the South Boulevard stop on the Purple Line in Evanston. The Johnny Depp posters are disappearing even though the movie just opened. Boo hoo!

No Pattern Left Behind: the Second Fabric Swap*

2009-07-01T09:01:00.006-05:00

It wasn't quite the sunny, hot pre-Fourth of July weather I pictured. And to be honest, I wasn't quite in the mood to spearhead another swap, even though I had organized it. I just wanted to nurse a pomegranate martini and swing dance at Martini Park. However, I'm a responsible community organizer, so I follow through on what I'm say I'm going to do. So off I trotted to the Rogers Park Public Library with my box of sewing dollars, a loop of lottery tickets, and vintage Carson Pirie Scott yarns (one box Kelly green, the other black).

Even though I advertised the FREE event on Craig's List, I still only had about eight fabric collectors show up, a little more than the first event. I'm not sure if it was the cool climate, a weeknight or Americans were still mourning the death of Michael Jackson. Who knows?

In any event, I found myself enjoying myself once I unconsciously put myself into Zone. It's just so much fun to meet other sewing and knitting aficionados. In no particular order, I enjoyed meeting:

* Leslie, in her sweet black and white check homesewn halter dress, was waiting in the room next door with her box of patterns and fabric when I arrived with my supplies.
* Mary, who I actually know through her work at Big City Swing. (She's a dance instructor, particularly skilled at the Charleston.) I would never have guessed that she's a quilter although with her great 1930s retro dress style, it makes perfect sense. She left with a few tote/bag patterns, and fabric, of course.
* Calicosarah, who actually convinced me to bring back the box of black wool/poly yarn that I contributed. A consummate knitter, she had all sorts of knitterly knowledge that I'm only beginning to understand three years into the hobby. I admired Sarah's sunny yellow dropped-stitch scarf that she made from a skein of Lorna's Laces.

There were others that I didn't get a chance to chat with quite as much: Lee, Jess, and two other moms whose names escape me. I'm grateful that all came, and we such a good time, and came away with some new goodies. I personally got a fuschia knit and pretty trims from Calicosarah's collection, another swishy pink and blue sky knit print, and a watercolor woven. Sheesh! I'm all set until the next fabric swap.

I don't want to omit Ruth, my regular Vogue Fabrics free sewing demo partner. She was at the swap last time with her daughters. This time her oldest didn't want anything to do with the sewing dollars, which we incidentally didn't use. Not enough shoppers! Erin McKean was also there dumping an unfinished knitted sweater in addition to fabric.

Anyhow, some of you may know Erin is leaving Chicago next month for the lovely city of San Francisco for a new job. In Fabricspeak, she's leaving Vogue Fabrics to shop at Britex. I knew you'd get that. Anyhow, she's been very emphatic about wanting another swap before she departs. It has something to do with de-stashing. Does anyone fully understand that concept?
So I promised to organize another exchange to help her out. Next time I promise to make the event more inviting to knitters and quilters. You'll be able to bring knitting needles, YARN, and bags of fat quarters. How exciting can that be? Stay super-tuned while I return to the library to set a date.
* The picture above has nothing to do with the swap. It's completely gratuitous. These are two of perhaps a dozen smocked, unfinished dress panels now at Vogue Fabrics, in Evanston.. These two are in the remnants section, near the cash register. There are more hanging on the wall in the silk room. They're each $23.99, a little pricey in my sewing book. All you had to do to complete 'em would be finish the bodice edge and edges and stitch up the back. Done!

Quick and Dirty: Free Fabric Swap, TODAY

2009-06-30T09:29:00.003-05:00

No pics at the moment. If you want to unload fabric, notions, zippers, patterns, (but no remnants or pets), please feel free to come to the Rogers Park Public Library, second floor at 6 p.m. See previous entries for details.

Listen Ladies: New Free Fabric Swap, Tuesday, June 30

2009-06-23T14:05:00.003-05:00

It's the same deal as last time. For those of you not there during the debut, read below for the lowdown. Feel free to spread the word wide and far on the Internet, Twitter from the moutains, telegraph from the local Western Union. You get the idea. I'll do a Craigslist post.

Time: 6-8:30 p.m.

Date: Tuesday, June 30

Location: Rogers Park Public Library
6907 N. Clark St
Chicago, IL 60626
2nd floor, south room

What?: Fabric Swap

What's a Fabric Swap?: We'll be exchanging fabric, notions, patterns using play money, probably Monopoly dollars. During the set-up, we'll have a little show and tell. Wear your favorite sew garment for prizes.

Anything Else I should Know?: Since this is a swap, no money/check can be exchanged on the premises. This is important. Anybody caught paying real U.S. dollars for items in the swap will be lashed with a tape measure or forced to count pattern pieces.

What can I bring?: Any type of fabric that's at least 1 yard long, 45 inches wide (I don't want to deal with remnants), notions, patterns are acceptable.

How can I help?: Thanks for asking. Here are some specific jobs we need:

1. Several cashiers' to help establish a 'value' to the fabric and pass out Monopoly money to 'sellers'
2. Several organizers to put fabric on various tables tagged according to fabric type (silk, cotton, polyester, knits, etc.).
3. A barker to call out lottery numbers so 'shoppers' can orderly browse items in the swap.
4. Someone to organize show and tell part of the swap.
5. Foodie to round up snacks for hungry shoppers. "Shoppers" are encouraged to bring chips, beverages, paper plates, and napkins.
5. A driver with enough room in the car to cart leftover unwanted fabric to local Salvation Army.

Where can I park if I drive? What about public transportation?: There's a parking lot behind the library. Call for details. You can easily get to the Rogers Park Public Library on the no. 22 bus. It's also two blocks west of the Morse Red line stop, a block east of the Rogers Park stop on the Union Pacific North Metra line. For those of you with horses, there is no place to park your animal. Sorry.

Can We Just Skip The Drop Spindle and Get to the Spinning Wheel Already?

2009-06-21T12:19:00.016-05:00

Yes, I'm completely willing to skip the drop spindle and just get to the spinning wheel now. The drop spindle is just too slow for my taste. Why ride rickshaw when you can really pick up the pace in a sportscar? When I see people making yarn this way, I just see wanna-be spinners dropping a spinning top on the floor over and over. Makes me think of novices with yo-yos, and how they continually let the discs graze the ground. Over and over. Dropping anything to floor repetitively gets on my nerves. My brothers used to dribble a basketball in the house hardwood floors while we were growing up. I'd just say, "Can you please stop????" And they'd continue on annoying me until I grabbed away the ball away.

Anyhow, let me back up. I'm taking a beginning weaving class at the Chicago Park District. I'd don't really care about the looms, I just want to learn how to make my own yarn. I mentioned my quest to a friend, she suggested I take an $18 10-week class, which started this past Saturday. The teacher would probably let me spin to my heart's contentment, she said.

So I signed up last minute with my wad of cash. Hustled my bustle to get to the 9:30 a.m. class. Perspired profusely on the way wearing my not so comfortable Born sandals. Breathlessly made it up the stairs to the classroom, which was locked. Not a soul in sight, unless you count the bodies in a nearby room stretching their limbs in a yoga class overlooking Lake Michigan.

Happily, a Park District staffer unlocked the room. I entered what looks like the Adult Woman's playroom. Loom after loom after loom, all 20 or so covered with cotton sheets, they all looked like player pianos covered in white. The sheets, you know means "Hands Off!" in adultspeak.

And there was this device, which I think is a carding machine. Crank crank crank! Now I did some carding as a kid at Pioneer Day at Crow Island school. By hand, it gets old fast. But to build muscle tone pumping the wheel on this thing? Could be fun. Could be addictive. Could call for some Guinness beforehand, off-site at a local lounge.

I'm not precisely sure what this textile in progress is, but it wasn't covered up with a sheet, but it looks like a bargello print in progress. The Missoni people in Italy, who are obsessed with zig-zag motifs, would love this, and I do too. Must find out more.

The roving reserves, a splendid system to store raw fiber. Old oatmeal containers, stacked. How do they stay shoulder to shoulder? I'm completely curious.

Here's a close-up of the roving stored, in case you're curious.
Here are I am waiting Teach (name's apparently Linda), who never arrived. For about 10 minutes, I was ready to storm the Park District Office and demand my money back. Instead, I waited for a half hour. I figured if I had my knitting and I could be patient, impatiently working my hands, which must be busy anytime I'm awake. Boy, was it hot up there, I didn't turn on the fan, but I could have. I was afraid of dust flying everywhere, and sneezes by the truckload. So I sweated it out in more ways than one. Finally, another student, Lori, arrived. She apparently took a parked bicycled near the door as a sign that Teach was here. So well-hidden among the looms, that was the one contraption I didn't see. Finally, I go downstairs to the office desk to find out Linda won't be in today. At least, the class is still on for next week.
Class over early, I headed over to Vogue Fabrics in Evanston where a big annual Custer's Last Stand festival. Here are I am testing out the latest Viking Designer sewing machine. The free project of the day was making an Ugly Doll with felt. Gosh, this machine knows when you're going to turn. It would make itty-bitty adjustments if you even thought about lurching left or running right. Talk about Big Brother at the presser foot. I just looked for an overhead camera watching my every move. There was none. Spooky.
Here I am posing with my Ugly Doll, with a girl who made her Ugly doll in a plush purple. so pretty. I think my Ugly Doll will going with tonight to Vogue for free sewing demo tonight.
Anyhow, I'm ready for next week's spinning adventure. Wish me luck in talking Linda into letting me skip the drop spindle.

Appealing Appliques ($2 each!) and Simplicity 2584

2009-06-17T13:22:00.009-05:00

I finally got back on track with my knitting project which is excellent because I feel another long bus trip coming on. Yes, my joints are telling that we are going somewhere soon somehow with a project too. I frequently tell myself I need the intellectual break of reading, but my creative side won't hear of it. Not even listen for a mere moment! Even though there are three library books at my disposal. Three!

I wish I were sewing though, which is a weird whim especially since I have a sewing machine within arm's length. I just need to turn it on. No, I want to be among people, purchases, and plum piping (yes, there's cording right outside the classroom door at Vogue Fabrics in Evanston.).

Anyhow, next time my fingers, the pedal and presser foot and I meet, I'd like to consider the above pattern. The pattern illustration had me on the fence, but this rendition has me thinking, "Yowza. I must make this!" and cast my thoughts back to the above applique at Vogue Fabrics (Evanston), snipped carefully in the middle. Same silhouette at the neckline facing in the pattern, by far easier to stitch, I'd imagine. I'd do mine on linen just as CostumeDivasDirtyLaundry did in her version. I'd make mine graze the knees so I wear to other places besides the beach....What do you think?

Dear. C, Another Letter

2009-06-15T09:28:00.003-05:00

Dear C. -

Yesterday was just the worst. Here I was attempting to solve problems between us, and I had to deal with terrible traffic nearly everywhere. Cars, cars, cars, trying to go Andersonville Midsommarfest, Ribfest, Bluesfest and the Cubs Game. We have a terrific transit system here and it seemed like not enough locals were using it if the back-ups on the Kennedy were any indication.

I just cannot tell you how frustrated I am with you. It's not you personally, in a sense. Maybe it's just the relationship. I'm trying to figure out where I fit in. Each time I try a new approach, I'm stymied big-time. Each time I cry, "Time out!," I find myself obsessing, revisiting the issues, replaying conversations and advice over and over like a broken piece of vinyl.

This is what I've concluded: I just don't trust you. That's why I haven't accepted your Facebook friend request. I'm suspicious. I wonder: will you twist on me again when I'm not looking? Really. I haven't had this problem in crochet, and I'm nearly an expert with not one but two shell-stitch crochet skirts under my macrame belt (one doesn't fit remotely, but I digress). I don't have trouble with twisted stitches in sewing either, but with that hobby I'm not in the least bit concerned with making and connecting a circle of stitches.

So, you've twisted on me twice, yes twice. I'm beginning to wonder: is my Ribs lace tank top meant to be? This time around, I didn't let the twist ramble for two-three inches like I did the first time. Yesterday I got to the fifth row and said: "Aunt! (not Uncle)!"

I really tried hard not to let your bad behavior get to me. I went to Arcadia Knitting at noon yesterday. Instead of completely ripping back tank top attempt no. 1, I did a cable cast-on for all 220 stitches on the other end of the skein (smart!). Now here was where I let you take advantage of me: I casted on, knit row no. 1, and then I hitched my stitches to get onto the no. 22 bus to the Little Brothers of the Elderly shindig.

Major mistake. I should have stuck around the yarn shop little longer, at least until row no. 5, or at least I could safely say twisting isn't likely to happen now. But my stomaching was growling, and so I took off...to merrily knit and purl when the bus dodged last winter's potholes.

C., I only discovered your deception late last night, while I was working on the first lace section in what has to be the worst pre-sleep activity: a complicated knit row, fraught with peril with every yarn-over. I mean I should have been preoccupied with counting sheep, not stitching and sliding on row markers. This kind of nocturnal neurosis only leads to tossing and turning at 2 a.m.

However, I am happy to report I slept well and I got my full eight hours' of shut-eye (that goes with telling you to shut up). You didn't haunt my dreams. Just before turning out the light, I did wonder whether I should I go to Vogue Fabrics' free sewing demo tonight (it's all about neat ways to use stabilizer) or go to Loopy Yarns sweater night to work on this project yet again? I just don't know. I'm so frustrated.

You know how we solve this kind of problem in the sewing world? (C. - listen closely). We snip! the offending fabric. Flip the fabric so it's facing the proper direction. Make a Solvy sandwich, with the cut fabric serving as the proverbial slice of ham. We do free-motion stitching on top of the sandwich. Wash away the stabilizer. Voila! Problem solved. No more flipping.

I'm not ready to take my scissors (which are actually being sharpened at Vogue Fabrics) to my knitted fabric. I can't quite sever the relationship yet. I need to get still more advice. God help me.

Gotta go -

Mary Beth

That's It. We're Done.

2009-06-14T06:33:00.007-05:00

Dear. C-

I've been in denial for the past three weeks. We're not a good match. We never were. I'm sorry. I just don't know how else to break it to you.

Sure, we had some good times. You were always good for long bus rides, hopping on the Metra train at short notice. I loved, loved how you were, time and time again, up for a Dunkin Donuts iced coffee, even though you don't like fast-food coffee joints. I'll always remember the time we were on the El - headed downtown to Martini Park for a little dancing. You didn't flinch an eye when we went around the curve near the Sheridan Road stop, and ditto at Sedgewick. You're such a good sport, and you hate heights, although we were just a several Michael Jordans off the ground, not a full-fledged John Hancock building or even the skyscraper formerly known as the Sears Tower.

Like I said, I've been in denial for the past three weeks. Something wasn't right from the get-go. Something was twisted. I kept overlooking this, telling myself, "No, everything's fine. You're working in the round. That's why the fabric won't lay flat. You're knitting on circular needles."

So I kept going. Determined, as always. Valiant even. I'd unflip - or at least I thought - the oh so pretty lace every time I came to the beginning. Everything would fix itself once I cast off the last stitch I tried to convince myself. Yes, my ribbed tank top would look just divine and dandy.

However, last night I realized that all was not right. This relationship, albeit a circular one, wasn't going to make it through the summer. There would be no more rides on the CTA buses, no more laughs on the ride downtown to Martini Park, not even late nights of "Just One More Row Before I Go" to bed. No more of that. None!

While it appeared that I was nearly at the end of the my knitted Crest Waves, the bottom of my tank top, I thought....I think I'm going to have start over. For one last time, I tried to flatten the fabric, and as usual, it kept twisting. I thought, "I'm going to have accept it that I'm making a lace MOEBIUS STRIP." Yes, what I was making would be perfectly lovely in Cat Bordhi's book (She of the intentional knitted Moebius strip fame).

So unless I wanted something pretty and twisty around my neck, I've decided I'm going to have to frog this work in progress, the second such project in two months. I'm not going to complete any knitting this summer at the rate I'm going. I'm going to have a perpetual Groundhog Dog on the same darn thing. Back and forth on the Red Line, I'll be working on my bamboo needles, the same yarn getting more frayed by the minute. Babies will grow up and go to college before I tie this one off. Budget problems will be solved in Congress. New presidents will be elected. Couples will marry, procreate, move to Saudi Arabia for a job and then back...and all the while I'll be working on the same skein of Lion Brand Cotton-Ease (C.). Yes, I'm a thrifty girl, I am.

Okay, I'm finished venting, C. Like I said, we're finished. I don't want to see you again. I'll take a picture of you, C., just for the memories. I'm defriending you on Facebook...at least for a few hours. You can send me a new friend request later today. I promise I won't ignore or delete it. In the meantime, I'll be back at Arcadia Knitting at 12 noon sharp, to see if I can't salvage this project. Hopefully I won't have to cast on all 220 stitches yet again....just merely make sure I don't twist my work at the beginning. Yes, I'm really stubborn. I want to make this relationship work. Can you really forgive a girl for trying?

Love and kisses (at least for now),
Mary Beth

So Easy You Can Do It Too: The Minimalist Dress Panel

2009-06-09T15:17:00.004-05:00

I took 20 photos, and this headless shot turned out the best. But this sleeveless, shirred bodice dress, along with its burgundy twin, has become my spring/summer staple. It's amusing, to me at least, how these two dresses which I made last year, spent the better part of the fall and winter slumped over a wicker folding screen. I didn't even bother to hang them, which says oodles about how I actually felt about the dresses. Don't you find that the tops, pants, etc. that you are so proud of sewing or knitting get the scooped off the floor pronto? I mean, they rest there for maybe a nano-second, and then Bam! they're back on a shelf more neatly folded than a chemise at Victoria's Secret? I know that's the case for me. I think my sub-conscious mind sees that all the labor, cost of supplies, adds it up and tells the conscious part: "No way, Jose, is that top I spent half the day Sunday sewing going to get dirty....Wait, this is so pretty. I love how nice and neat the twin-needle stitching is on the neckline. Gosh, that looks so good." I admire my work, smile, fold, stick item on top of other sewn goodies I love to wear, trip over dirty ankle socks on the way out of the bedroom, still more pleased than Wasabi nuts (I'd say peas, but that's so cliche).

Maybe I don't hang these dresses because they're strapless. I need to store them like they're skirts (which they can be if I so desire.) But I'm a procrastinator...so back on top of the screen they go when I'm finished wearing them for the day.

Anyhow, if you're so inclined to wear dresses like this now, you're in luck in more ways than one. I see similar ones on the rack at Marshall's. If you want to sew, here are a couple of supremely sewable dress panels: a baby blue version and a pink one. You could finish these off in an hour or so on a sewing machine. Here's what I did to mine:

1. Flip over bodiced edge. Stitched down.
2. Use over-cast stitch on a Viking Husquarna (not sure if it's mine or the one at Vogue Fabrics' classroom in Evanston). to enclose back seam.
3. Attach rolled-hem foot to sew and prettify the hem. If you don't have a rolled hem foot, you could simply stitch on matching lace for a different look.

Wear. Again and again. They travel well - any wrinkles incurred while smooshed inside look like they're supposed to be there. With the right shoes, this is so stylish. Here I am wearing same dress last year. What super-easy one afternoon dresses are on your sewing agenda now?

Done Deal: Sewing Swap Set: Tuesday, June 30*

2009-06-04T10:09:00.005-05:00

I did it. I ventured out in the winter cold yesterday to the Rogers Park Library even though there's nary a book on hold under my name. Signed all the paperwork, flashed my driver's license, all to secure a meeting room for the purpose of exchanging fabric, patterns and notions with fellow sewers on the evening of Tuesday, June 30. That's a heads up for all you locals to get your stuff organized - the fabric into boxes, the unused zippers into bags, the buttons in baggies. You've got more than three Tuesdays in a row to get your stuff in order. This will also give you time to shop at Vogue Fabrics' sale beginning Sunday. Acquire some new jerseys and eyelets that you will give you the guts to ditch the fabric you bought at last year's summer sale that's still sitting in the bottom of your mesh bin in the closet. In with the new and out boldly with the old!

Better yet, best to start a pile for the swap now while you're doing your everyday cleaning. If there's a pattern coated with a fine powder, into the Trader Joe's bag it goes. Ditto the zippers you bought at last year's garage sale but never used. Same deal for the swaths of the stretch lace you swear you were going to make into a top in January, but never did. Be sure to tag that with my name. I want it. I'll stitch it up in no time flat, cats.

I trust it will be a lot warmer on the 30th, probably blazing hot, making the library a pleasant retreat from the humid haziness outside. Count on more goodies and swappers than last time because I intend to advertise a lot more widely. Not quite to the corners of the earth. But almost. I'll post on Craig's list, double up on the Facebook status updates, Twitter ten times ten. For those of you with blogs, I'd appreciate a link.

My contribution so far? A box of unused yarn from Ireland. Still in a Carson Pirie Scott box, I'm guessing back from the days when department stores sold yarn. There's also a carton of emerald-green wool skeins, and then another smaller one, same manufacturer, black fiber. I know it's not exactly the stuff of a sewer's dream, but a knitter might find it wonderful. So I'll bring that as my lone donation at the moment. No doubt I'll add other things to the collection soon. Isn't that the fun of getting ready for a party weeks in advance? It's not quite the same as dressing up on the big day, but anticipation, no matter how you slice this watermelon, is still delicious. Besides, it's the Tuesday before the Fourth of July, a festive week in my book. Start the fireworks early by coming to the swap. One more time: it's Tuesday, June 30, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Rogers Park Library, 6907 N, Clark St, Chicago, second floor, the south room. Again, that's Tuesday, June 30, 5:30-8:30 p.m., Rogers Park Library, 6907 N, Clark St, Chicago, second floor, the south room. I feel like a radio announcer. Email me for details or leave a note in the comments.
* The fabric above? I'm not sure about the price, but I'm sure it's bound to go on sale Sunday. I think this cotton would be terrific made up into a 1950s shirtwaist dress with a Peter Pan collar.

Planning Another Fabric Swap

2009-06-03T09:23:00.004-05:00

Weeks after the first successful fabric swap, I'm still getting emails. They're of the "Oh darn, I missed this one. When will you do it again?" and "Let me know when you do this next time!" variety. I've dutifully responded to them all, although one response bounced back to me even though I swear the email address was correct down to the last letter.

For those of you who want to see a swift repeat, you're in luck. I'm off to the Rogers Park Public Library to book another evening of fabric fun in a twinkle. I'll do it just as soon as it gets a few degrees warmer here. Right now, we've got March madness (cold weather, lots of bone-chilling humidity) even though it's June. I know the library is a few blocks from my home and walking there would probably be enough for me to break into a sweet sweat, but I'm not budging just yet. I need to soak up the sun as I head to the library. Oh yes, it wouldn't hurt if some of the books I've put on hold are available as soon as possible. That might actually draw me out boldly into the cold: the prospect of new books to read while I'm on the bus and the train.

For those of you who didn't participate in the last go-around, here's what you need to know. We don't deal in scraps or remnants at our swap. That might sound a little elitist, but it's simply practical. It's hard enough to sort sumptuous swaths of polyester, wool or even suede, but little pieces of the same are enough to drove a sewing community organizer insane. It's bad enough to walk out of a library covered head to toe with different colors of thread and not one book in my hands, but try sorting these itsy-bitsy pieces one day and you'll see what I mean quickly.

What else? Be prepared to leave the library with lots of stuff. So bring those Whole Foods and Trader Joe bags. Park a get-away vehicle with an empty trunk in the back, but if I see you tear out of the lot with wheels screeching, I'm going to be mighty suspicious that you're off to sell your goods in the blackmarket. For those you don't deal in histrionic he-man driving, a grocery cart would be handy.

Be prepared, too, to make new friends. Of the crafty, "I grow mung bean sprouts, how about you?" genus. Have business cards and flyers on your person (or at least in the aforementioned grocery cart). These friendly folk will be beyond helpful in your quest to find a particular out-of-print pattern, fabric or yarn. (Which brings me to another point. I'm looking for one skein of Gedifra Wellness 2115, lot 9100. Anyone out there got what I need?)

I can't say for sure the swap will abate any itch for brand-new fabric. I've yet to see a survey or a poll on that topic, although it seems like a timely one for the likes of Crafstylish. I mean I acquired a nearly new nice knit at the last exchange, and I was still looking longing at the new scallop-edge cotton at Vogue Fabrics on Monday (see above photo). I even took some photos of it because that was free compared to buying, which would actually mean taking some money out of my checking account. Pictures aren't the same, but they don't take up as nearly as much space as actual textiles. Photographs of fabric, especially of the digital kind, don't attract dustmites, and don't fight for space in the closet with clothes.

Back to the swap. Encourage me to step outside, break free from my comfort zone and just get over to the library now. Or at least at lunchtime. Stimulate my feet with the thought of a slice of pizza bought along the way. Tell me that it's on my way to Arcadia Knitting. Or even to Hopleaf. Spur me by telling me that a little exercise would help me drop a few pounds. Just tell me to get away from the MacBook for a few minutes. Won't kill me, or even injure me. Nudge me. Book the fabric swap. It's just another to-do on the Big List of Things to Do Today. Not tomorrow. Not this weekend. Today.

Teaching and Learning: The Santa Monica T

2009-05-25T10:47:00.008-05:00

Maybe I should just stick to teaching hats. Think about it. Hats more or less fit, minus or plus an inch or so. A beginner can make a cap from start to finish and feel a sense of accomplishment, plus have something that FITS and is cute to wear.

But clothes? Is it possible to make students happy? Can they walk out of the classroom more pleased than peas about what they made? That it doesn't have the homesewn look? That it looks better than something bought at Marshalls, Target or Kohl's? I think this is nearly mission impossible even with a beginner pattern and basic instructions.

The reason I say all this is I had a workshop on the Santa Monica T yesterday. Fantastic pattern in my book. Easy. Four pieces. Hardest part is the dart in the shoulder. All three of my students finish constructing the top, but I'm not sure even one really likes the final product. Two found the top a little too snug. The third walked out mad when I ruined (I wasn't trying to really) the neckline in the last ten minutes before the store closed. The tee was really looking good up until that point. Nice ease, great fit. I offered to do twin-needle top stitching on the neckline. This is an advance technique, something I wouldn't even expect most sewers to know. So I got down to business, whipped out the Wash-Away Solvy. Cut it into strips to use under the stitches. Oh boy, this neckline was going to look great. This tee, out of them all, was going to be the best. The star of the show! So in true "Project Runway: ("You have 10 minutes left!") fashion I worked on that neckline. Got nervous when a needle broke over some bulk. Luckily I had an exact replacement ready. Yippee! Threaded up the needles, and finished it in the nick-o-time!

I held it up. The neck opening looked massive. Like a crater crashed into the pattern. Uh oh. More boat neck than crew-neck. More Marcel Marceau and less Marilyn Monroe. My student looked at it. She was not happy. "I can't wear that," she said. I suggested we could put some stretch lace on to close up the neckline. That didn't go over well. "This was a $100 day, " she complained. "I spent $45 on the class, another $12 on the pattern, another .... on the fabric, and $5 for someone to watch over the dog. I always take classes and come away with something that looks homemade."

She gathered up her stuff, and walked out the door. I felt terrible. I followed her. I apologized and told her the next class would be free if she wanted to take it again. That seem to please her.

In retrospect, we should have staystitched the neckline. But I'm going to blame the instructions here rather than myself. There was nothing about that in there. What do you expect with a cotton jersey? That stuff grows!

So can I say I'm having second thoughts on teaching how to make t-shirts? I'm set to teach the Santa Monica T more than a few times this summer. Maybe teaching something as personal as a top was a bad idea. You know leggings - that's hard to ruin. I think. Underwear? That seems pretty straightforward too. But a t-shirt? What was I thinking?

One of my students modeling her version of the Santa Monica T in a stretch lace knit. $3.99 a yard at Vogue!

Probably the best part of my day was getting on this train. I was able to board within about five minutes of leaving the store. It was freezing and I wasn't dressed properly, but within another seven minutes or so I was inside my apartment.
Yeah, when I really wanted a Guinness to sooth my wounded ego, instead I had a ride on Metra. Sewing teachers, how do make the most of a day that doesn't go quite the way you want? I do have ideas on what I'll do differently next time, but it's Memorial Day today. I don't want to work the brain too hard now.

A Seam-Ripping Success: the Rogers Park Fabric Swap

2009-05-20T13:28:00.010-05:00

Our swap wasn't big. It wasn't tall. It wasn't stout or thin. It was nice and manageable. No shoppers pawing through the fabric, dumping what they didn't like on the floor. No one ate any buttons. No one screamed "Bloody Murder!" and ran off with the one and only Lauren Hutton 70s-era sewing pattern. Nobody. We were nine strong (with two pre-K sewers-in-training). We came, organized, distributed money, redistributed that, ate (or nibbled), gossiped, walked away with some new acquisitions and made new friends. Somewhat in that order. But we cares really? We had fun. And made no money (that's for any Rogers Park librarians who might be snooping and reading, not shushing but checking to see that we're not causing any trouble). Zilch.

First round of props goes to Lisa Mitchell Utter (above). She helped me get this swap off the ground, gamely launching a Facebook group, sending out 800+ invites. And she brought food for the hungry shoppers! A tray of fresh fruit (yum). Another with veggies, cheese, and dip as well as some fresh chocolate chip cookies from Dominicks'. Now can you tell me shopping at Target is this fun? Or even Marshall's? If you snack there, especially from the goods on the rack, you might end up in the manager's office talking to the security officer. Not here at the Rogers Park Public Library meeting room. We don't operate that way. We're benevolent vendors - we feed (and extremely well at that) our customers. And we don't expect you to pay. In fact, we insist you don't (library rules). It's okay. Instead we had sewing dollars (who doesn't have a new currency these days? Whole neighborhoods have their own during this recession. It's time that sewers got on the stick and stimulated the economy with their self-made cash.)

That said, we share our currency. It's not illegal to print it out. Just don't to try to pass it off as the real deal, okay? Here's one file, which you can turn into a PDF file on your computer and print and reprint. Here's another Chicagoan, who would like to remain anonymous, organizing the patterns, which sorely needed work. We had a lot of 1970s, a good assortment of 1980s and a smattering of some representing the 21st century. As you can see, she is smiling here, probably because she already knows which patterns she wants. It's just a guess, but this table was popular. We all spent a fair amount of time hovering over these gems. Our nameless swapper was our mint - she printed out the money, and we adore her for that generosity. And her creativity! My favorite was the $20 bill with the pin cushion.

Carolyn Angelopoulos, also grinning. Most likely because she's glad to get rid of her polyester (pictured above). Finally. Not sure who grabbed it or if it went to the SalvationArmy. It was so great to see Carolyn, who braved the treacherous and sloooow roadway known as Devon Avenue to get this part of Chicago. We thank her kindly for her valor and good cheer and carting leftovers in her Subaru Forester to the local Salvation Army.

Not pictured: Ruth Zajiceck, fellow sewer and neighbor. She brought her two daughters. Newborn Eleanor slept through nearly the entire event, only to wake up for a mommy snack. I took daughter no. 1 around shopping. She held the money, and generally helped herself to any change she needed from the un-manned bank. I figured I was just training her for future Monopoly games. It's never to early to start this kind of training, IMO.

Also not pictured: Stefanie (last name not available), who I actually met a while back at the Jo-Ann Superstore in the pattern section. I admired her Central Park hoodie, which she knitted. I learned she's made a third hoodie, same pattern. Golly, I wish I was that fast with my needles. Not surprisingly, she's also an ace seamstress!

Finally, Ann Marie McManus, who took the no. 147 bus from downtown to Chicago, walked in 70 degrees hot weather, with bagsful of wool to the library. Trooper, indeedy! I'm not sure what all she took on her bus ride hometown, but the last I saw of her she was inside an elevator with the abovementioned ladies, laughing as the doors closed. She was happy, which is all that matters really.

Oh, I was there. I enjoyed organizing the swap and I'd be thrilled to do it again, perhaps in a month. Next time I plan to post on Craiglist (duh!). That will surely bring shoppers galore, but more importantly, kindred spirits - fellow knitters and sewers, helping each other out. I didn't bring anything to swap, next time I will. I swear. I need to part with at least some of my stash. I'm not going to sew it all. Pry it out of my hands. Come on.

Thanks again to Erin and Tina for donating prizes!

Fabric Swap Today!

2009-05-19T09:33:00.004-05:00

For those of you who are coming to the Rogers Park Public Library this evening, you are in for a special evening with prizes galore! We have:

gift certificates from on-line stores.
Dress-A-Day tape measures (especially handy for entertaining babies and toddlers) from Erin McKean.
Patterns (including Advance 5155, Simplicity 2884, Advance 2920. (also from Erin)

I'm hoping at least 10 people show up; even with that number, I'm sure there will be plenty of fabric, patterns and notions to go around. If you come, we'll be up on the second floor...just listen for the room with the loudest laughter. No one will 'shushing' us if we can help it. 6 p.m....be there or be a T-square.

From North to South Side: Vogue Fabrics, Roosevelt Road

2009-05-15T10:42:00.008-05:00

When you live on the North side of Chicago, it takes considerable effort to get downtown. Considerable. As in "It's going to take me at least an hour to get downtown," said with a sigh and a vision of a Starbucks coffee in your hand while you're mired in highway traffic. Of course, then you have to go to the bathroom badly, and you're lucky if you can get off the Kennedy quick enough to answer nature's call.

So that's why it's so fantastic, so wonderful that I have a Metra train stop a block away. I'm always bragging, "I can get downtown in 20 minutes flat!" Naturally when I needed to visit Vogue Fabrics' Chicago store, I turned to Metra. I mean there's no way I'm going to sit through all 20 stops (an exaggeration) on the Red line to get my destination. No way. None! So here's what I did, clever me. I took the Metra into Ogilvy Transportation Center. From there I boarded a westbound Madison No. 20 bus, which took me to Halsted St.

Here I boarded the no. 8 Halsted bus, which took me and my body to Roosevelt Road, the outer limits of the University of Illinois Chicago campus. From there I walked east to Vogue Fabrics, crossing the on ramp for the Dan Ryan expressway (a little scary with all those cars).

After making it across the intersection intact, this is what I found. I've lived in Chicago a long time, but this is my first visit to Vogue's southern outpost! First. What struck me about the store's appearance? How locked into the 1950s it looks. The black awnings with Vogue Fabrics written in white cursive struck me as quaint, the backlit signs in an Art Deco slate blue font, a throwback to another time when women wore dresses, high heels, carried black leather purses to shop.

I did go inside to explore, recognizing a lot of fabric from the Evanston store, but everything I know and call familiar is in a different spot, so I did feel a bit discombobulated. Isn't this normal for a sewers among textiles? I'm still digesting and weighing in my mind what I like about this store vs. the other near my 'hood. It's kind of the Cubs vs. White Sox, North Side vs. South Siders argument (and there is friendly rivalry. People really do identify themselves as North Siders or South Siders. Bizarre but true. It's like we live in two countries in the same city). I'll write more about Vogue Fabrics south tomorrow. Before I go...I'll leave you with a picture of Manny's (most famous for a certain President-Elect's visit in November). Across the street from Vogue Fabrics. (you people used to crossing a two-lane Main Street in Evanston with well-mannered drivers - try doing the same across Roosevelt Road with the wacko motorists intent on getting on the highway.) Anyhow, to reward yourself from your roadway bravery, here's the Manny's menu. Now, I don't care for a corned beef sandwich. It's not my thing. Wait, wait, wait! I don't see any juicy hamburgers. Never mind. I'll find something I like. Now tell me wouldn't eating at this deli be a great way to unwind after teaching women how to sew underwear for 3.5 hours (which is what I'll be doing this summer)? I'll need to chase my fries with a Guinness, for sure. What do you like to eat after shopping for fabric?

Fabric Swap Update: Free Prizes!*

2009-05-13T09:29:00.006-05:00

It's absolutely amazing how people have been so supportive of the fabric swap I'm organizing. I've had at least 5 readers who want to drive leftover fabric to the local Salvation Army, another two who are donating stuff (a $25 gift certificate from Tina Sutherland at What-I-Found.com and snackies from Miss Helene's.) More than a few have emailed me off the list and to tell me they really really wish they could come but a myriad reasons hold them back. To those who aren't able to make it: just get the word out about this exchange to make it super-successful and you can bet your buttons there'll be another swap soon enough. Oh yes, Erin, over at dressaday.com won't be able to participate in person, but I'll be bringing some of her stash to the library. Oh yes, Miss Helene has been an extremely helpful promoter: she's set up a Facebook fan page for the event. Isn't that nice? So if you're on FB, become a friend. Look up Chicago area fabric swap.

For those of who want to help but don't know what to do, there are plenty of jobs. We need cashiers, we need Fake Money, fabric organizers, a "barker" (someone to call out lottery numbers to prevent mass rioting over fabric) and a show-and-tell coordinator. If any of those jobs sound remotely appealing, please email me ASAP. The big day is rapidly approaching in a sort of a "the Wedding is When?" way. Yikes, this means I have to exhume my closet. Crud. I don't like that part, at all. I have to commune with the dust-mites. It's all for a good cause, I know. Sneezing for something great is minor compared to the big picture: smaller stashes (Wait: what I am talking about? We're exchanging fabric, not selling. Stash size will likely remain the same, it'll just be different stuff. Duh.) Just think: you could also get new zippers and buttons (Miss Helene is parting ways with some of her collection) for your next project. Think of the 'new' patterns you could pick up for free. You could create a brand-new summer wardrobe from what you acquire at the swap. All that's required now are some sewing machines, interfacing, and a few irons. That has me thinking: I wonder if this library room could be used for sewing? We'll have to see how many outlets there are. There are plenty of tables, I mean enough, you could get several classes of students eating lunch in there, so it would be fantastic for cutting out fabric. Anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. I must stay focused on the swap. Must. Back on task: Anyone got a spare set of Monopoly money? Email me off the list.
* Image is from a pattern for sale on What-I-Found.com. Imagine it could be yours if you buy now or win the gift certificate.

Chicago Fabric Swap, Tuesday, May 19

2009-05-08T11:10:00.005-05:00

Time: 6-8:30 p.m.

Date: Tuesday, May 19

Location: Rogers Park Public Library
6907 N. Clark St
Chicago, IL 60626
2nd floor, south room

What?: Fabric Swap

What's a Fabric Swap?: We'll be exchanging fabric, notions, patterns using play money, probably Monopoly dollars. During the set-up, we'll have a little show and tell. Wear your favorite sew garment for prizes.

Anything Else I should Know?: Since this is a swap, no money/check can be exchanged on the premises. This is important. Anybody caught paying real U.S. dollars for items in the swap will be lashed with a tape measure or forced to count pattern pieces.

What can I bring?: Any type of fabric that's at least 1 yard long, 45 inches wide (I don't want to deal with remnants), notions, patterns are acceptable.

How can I help?: Thanks for asking. Here are some specific jobs we need:

1. Several cashiers' to help establish a 'value' to the fabric and pass out Monopoly money to 'sellers'
2. Several organizers to put fabric on various tables tagged according to fabric type (silk, cotton, polyester, knits, etc.).
3. A barker to call out lottery numbers so 'shoppers' can orderly browse items in the swap.
4. Someone to organize show and tell part of the swap.
5. Foodie to round up snacks for hungry shoppers. "Shoppers" are encouraged to bring chips, beverages, paper plates, and napkins.
5. A driver with enough room in the car to cart leftover unwanted fabric to local Salvation Army.

Where can I park if I drive? What about public transportation?: There's a parking lot behind the library. Call for details. You can easily get to the Rogers Park Public Library on the no. 22 bus. It's also two blocks west of the Morse Red line stop, a block east of the Rogers Park stop on the Union Pacific North Metra line. For those of you with horses, there is no place to park your animal. Sorry.

Ok, what next?: Email marybeth.klatt @@@gmail DOT com with Fabric Swap in the subject line, let me know you're coming and how you'd like to help OR leave a comment underneath this blog post. I'll be checking it regularly.

I have a few more questions!: Email marybeth.klatt @@@ gmail dot com OR leave a comment on my blog.

Busing It To Vogue Fabrics

2009-05-08T08:43:00.007-05:00

I'm so lucky that I have about four different ways I can travel on public transportation to Vogue Fabrics. The most immediate, and quickest, is the Metra commuter (diesel) locomotive on the Union Pacific North line. The depot's one block away from home, I hop on, three minutes later, I jump off at the Main Street stop. Scoot down the stairs, cross the street west, half-block later I'm inside Vogue Fabrics. The other, more leisurely and more affordable way is to pick up the No. 22 (here I picked it on Clark near the Rogers Park Public Library).

I take the No. 22 to the end of the line at Howard Street, where I pick up the no. 205 CTA bus, which actually runs parallel to the electric rail on Clark Street (which becomes Chicago Avenue in Evanston). It's actually faster than the El train. It drops me off at the corner of Chicago and Main, across from the legendary new stand of the same name. I walk beneath the bridges for the El and the Metra trains to...

get to Vogue Fabrics, where I just looked at the fabrics, but didn't buy. I saw a new supersoft brown and tan flower print jersey in the $3.99 yard pile in the main room. It looks like it's going fast judging from what's left on the cardboard spool. Oh well. If there's some left next week after my next visit, I'll buy a bit. If not, it wasn't meant to be.
I took the Purple line (the electric train) to head back into the city. I actually prefer to take the aforementioned bus, but it wasn't in sight, besides, I was late in meeting a friend at the new Hop Haus restaurant. Two rides on two bus, fabric shopping (even though I didn't add to my stash), a burger bought with a $5 off coupon, great company, twasn't a bad Thursday night, even if it did rain a little. How many different ways can you get to your favorite fabric store using public transportation?

Local Kentucky Derby celebrations?*

2009-04-29T14:53:00.009-05:00

Is it just me but are there a surfeit of Kentucky Derby celebrations going on this weekend? I got two emails from local pubs with parties tomorrow. If you buy a drink at one, you can eat all you want at the buffet. That's terribly tempting. A Guinness doesn't sound like a drink appropriate for the festivities, but a mint julep would.

It does sound like the real deal will be a tad more subdued this year. Women continue to buy pricey but not extravagant hats. Another newspaper article online talks about how
attendees are restyling hats or making their own. If you're going, what are you wearing? Are you making your own cheapau (intentional misspelling)?
* The above hat Image is Windswept, Karen Henrikson, 'Mistral' Panama Cap.

Spring/Summer 09 Vogue Knitting Cover vs. Arden B version

2009-04-26T21:24:00.007-05:00

When I saw the latest issue of Vogue Knitting, I did a triple-take. Could it be? No way, it couldn't! Well, maybe...? Sure enough, a little comparison between the two shows that the Arden B vest does indeed strongly resemble the one on the latest Vogue Knitting cover. The major difference is that the ready-made pattern appears longer. I do like them both. (I saw the Arden B in a white on a Vogue Fabrics customer; she looked fantastic!). What's not like about the chain-store's price? And the color choices? Still, I relish the idea of making mine and getting all the bragging rights of saying, "I made this!" Now, I haven't read the vitals on the couture one, but the AB vest is all acrylic. Ick or not, friends? To make or not?

All Board: Next Stop, Vogue Fabrics

2009-04-25T12:54:00.008-05:00

I've often talked about how I hop onto the train to go to Vogue Fabrics. My stop is super-close: a block away. If I time it right, I can get up to the platform in five minutes from the time I lock my door. Really. Then I board the train. I barely sit down in a seat before I get off on the next stop: Main Street, that's a half a block from Vogue Fabrics. It couldn't be more convenient. Really.

It's funny because when I originally moved into my current home I wasn't a sewing fanatic so I really didn't visit Vogue Fabrics. In fact, I'm not sure what got my rear end in gear to start going there (which I've visited as a kid with my mom). Perhaps it was the store flyer with the all the descriptions of the free sewing demos? That must have been it, because before I knew it, I was boarding the 6:52 p.m. northbound for the 7 p.m. demonstration in the sewing machine department. That has been at least 100 fabric acquisitions ago (according to my calculations, approximately 5 years ago). When I moved into my neighborhood, I was psyched about the possibility of getting downtown in 20 minutes, now I'm more jazzed about the chance to be in Evanston in mere minutes.

I try not to take my easy access for granted. There are few places in the U.S. that have the network of commuter rail lines that the metro Chicago area does (New York has a comparable set-up). In fact, you can take commuter trains (not Amtrak) from the heart of the Windy City to Wisconsin and Indiana. Absolutely amazing. Even better, on the weekends you can buy a $5 unlimited weekend pass (good for all Metra lines, except the South Shore) that you can use to your aorta's content all day Saturday and Sunday.

Another cool thing is that the El tracks runs parralel to the Metra rail lines. They're so close that sometimes I wave to passengers in the El cars when I'm on Metra. So far no one has waved back. I'm ever hopeful, however. I often think about how few places in the country even have two completely separate train lines, one diesel (Metra), the other electric (the El) running next to each other. Little kids on the trains with their parents get a kick out of this and smush their little noses on the windows, watching the other train go by.

So, often I'm like those children, waving to the train engineer, trying to get him to toot his horn (he usually does). There's one key difference. I'm carrying bags of fabric from Vogue, they're not. Smart kids!

How easy is for you to visit your local fabric shops on a train or a bus?

Leggings, the $5 version

2009-04-21T09:38:00.005-05:00

So I finished up my first leggings class for teens this past Sunday. Talk about multi-tasking! This makes me think of the times I've been in the kitchen making lentil soup, pesto sauce and filling up the ice tray all at the same time. If you can handle cooking multiple dishes at once, you most certainly help four students who all need your help now. That was certainly the way I felt during my leggings class on Sunday. I had to go the bathroom, but I didn't leave the classroom once during the 3-hour workshop. And I'd just had an iced coffee to boot! Somehow, I just got in the Zone of super-concentration for the afternoon. I focused on my students, what they needed and getting out on time, more or less.

So I moved from the cutting table, to the machines, asked a student to assist another, and did some magic with the seam rippers. Four pairs of leggings of varying quality emerged completed by a little after the end of class. I even managed to sew on some stretch lace by request from my youngest student, a 9-year-old (who incidentally seemed to have the least fear of the advanced Viking sewing machines. She put down a whole of straight stitching on her fussy fuschia knit while I was with one of her peers. It wasn't perfect, but she did it!)

I didn't end up doing the twin-needle stitching on the hems after all. It's just too complex to set up individually. In a future seminar, I might set up a machine or two with these needles in black and white threads. Then, we could just pick the thread that best matches the chosen fabric and get it done and over with. Or I could suggest in my materials hand-out a fabric that has some white or black in it. I'd also make my class slightly longer. It's so difficult to complete any project in 180 minutes, let alone a pair of leggings. So all workshops - hats, underwear, t-shirts - are going to be 3.5 hours at least. It makes my life easier and less stressful. Everyone's more likely to walk out with a completed project. There's nothing less like leaving a one-time class with a project that's not done and you don't have a clue on how to finish it. None!

But I loved how my students were just so enthusiastic: they all had previous experience on the Vikings. The entire class had learned how to make pajama pants, one had even made a simple dress. I think it also helps that they're used to computers, so a sewing machine with a glowing display and up and down buttons are kid-friendly.

Even if they never touch McCall M5512 again, I hope they wear their leggings. To me, that's primo! If you don't wear what you make, you're less likely to sew. No one's going to see the crooked stitched, the less than perfect waistband, so why not just wear it. Besides, you spent money on it, you might as well as get some wear out of it. For example, I've got a short sleeve top on today underneath a Sandra Betzina tunic. The short sleeve top is a little big, the neckline wonky, but the fabric is so soft and comfortable. It's suitable as the extra layer that I need during this damp, cold day.

Back to Sunday. I was able to finish my leggings after the students left. I'm wearing them now beneath my black yoga pant.

I've since ordered this pattern, because I prefer my leggings long ankle-length. This accessory is so inexpensive, you can easily make it for less than $5, which makes it much cheaper than the basic black one I got for about $15 at Marshalls recently. I'm incredibly thrilled with this easy-to-make accessory, that I just want to share my knowledge with other women. How likely would you be to sign up for a how-to-make leggings workshop? You can not only make pairs for yourself, but children too. It's practical!

Oilcloth: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow

2009-04-16T15:38:00.010-05:00

This is an image I found in a Google search on oilcloth. Who wouldn't want some of those retro prints you see on the wall? I want to be an oilcloth rep dressed in a black dress with a white collar.
This is a picture I took recently at Vogue Fabrics, no lady in a dress in sight. A lot of fruit and gingham prints, not quite the way cool stuff you see above, but it's still great stuff that would be great for totes, table covers, lunch bags tomorrow. Take a look at this collapsible pet bowl. Very cute. The strawberry print oilcloth is $7.50 a yard, and you wouldn't even need a yard for this project.

There's Still Hope for Hatless Chicago

2009-04-14T09:27:00.005-05:00

I want to thank PhantomMinuet for her kind words in regards to my Easter bonnet rant. There's still hope to get women at my church to wear hats on Easter. I had this fantasy that I could round up a gaggle of ladies in hats for next year. Bribe 'em with free Starbucks coffees afterwards. We'd be the talk of the town! Little children in the pews would stare at us and remember us forever. That would be cool by me. Of course, it's still better in my book for my hatty self to bring a handsome man in a suit. That would set more tongues wagging, don't you think?

Wearing hats might not be Chicago's strong suit, but making them is. The Windy City is one of the few places in the world where you can study millinery, namely at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Advanced headwear artists from that program are exhibiting their work at the Flatfile Galleries, beginning April 22. This is the same place where Eia exhibited a few years ago. If the closing reception is half as much fun as Eia's party on the premises, I'd go (but I will be out of town this year, sadly). Let's hope for an online gallery. I plan to visit one day next week.

White Women Don't Wear Hats to Church On Easter: My Annual Rant*

2009-04-13T07:37:00.012-05:00

Can I say I'm disappointed once again in my fellow sisters, especially the white ones who attend my church? Yes, you. Once again, you've broken my hearts. You didn't wear hats to Mass. Why not? I thought for sure this year you would. You know, I concluded that with the economic crisis/economic downturn/depression/recession/whatever you want to call it now, that you wear something on your head besides your hair. I pictured all of you reaching back into your closets, past the mom jeans, the silky black work blouses, the 1980s pleated pants and into the dusty hat boxes, pulling out broad-brimmed hats from your Princess Diana period, or maybe a 1950s cocktail hat from your Aunt Helene that you just can't bear to let go for a song on eBay. I had this idea that you wanted to forget, just for a little while, that you're having trouble paying your mortgage or that you're getting bored eating oatmeal prepared exactly the same way every morning. I thought maybe you were thinking about the good old days when you and mom would don matching hats and coats to Mass on the big day that allows Easter Bunny to criminally trespass the premises.

But I was wrong. Way wrong, once again. White women don't care about hats, tradition. They just want to wear a nice coat, dress, and pretty shoes. That's it. Wait. Lady who looked like she had purple roving on top of her head? I know I stared at you while I was in line for Communion. I just wanted to get a closer look at your headwear. At first I thought you had dyed part of your locks a royal hue, but on closer inspection, I realized that couldn't be the case. Your hair was lilac in only two spots, atop what looked like two clear plastic eggs. That was different, unique. I bet I wasn't the only ogling your head while on the way up to the altar. Sorry.

Next year, ladies? I'm not wearing an Easter hat. No way. I'm not going to that much effort again. Ok, I'll do it if a special man in my life begs me. Begs me! Or I go to a church that has a reputation for festive hats on Easter. Otherwise, I'm just blending into the masses. That's right. Ripped jeans, flip flots, a blouse that's open to there, no deodorant or make up. You won't be able to find me afterwards. I'll just slip out. Bye!

Anyway, here are some Easter hat related stories. One, two. Yeah, if I sound sore, I am. Give 12-hours and a Guinness, I'll perk up, I promise.
* These pictures were taken late in the day with my nieces and nephews. I'm wearing a strawberry-shaped cocktail hat I sewed - all by hand. True couture!

Teaching Teens Twin-Needle Stitching? Easy McCall's M5512*

2009-04-09T10:25:00.007-05:00

I'm quite proud of these leggings. They look so ready-to-wear. Actually much better than anything you would find in the Bloomingdale's legwear department, which really is the best place real-time to find something for the part of your body that enables to walk. Can I just say how pleased I am with these? My main objection is that they're a bit high-waisted for my low-rider taste. My fear is that my teen-age students will say the same thing. But I've no clue about how to convert them into low-rise leggings. Absolutely none. Hey, maybe my pupils won't care. High-waisted jeans and skirts are back. Why not leggings? I'm not sure even Hilary Duff, whose name is on this pattern, would dare to wear belly-button hiding accessories. I understand that bare midriffs are out of style unless you are Britney Spears up on the stage singing "Womanizer." I understand, sympathize and have no interest in showing off my naval to the masses. Even teens who don't want to wear cropped teess might have a problem. I mean, these might feel like a girdle to them! They don't wear full-coverage underwear, why would on the planet would they opt leggings cut the same way?

So I'm nervous about this. The complaints, the groans, the sighs, the shrugs! But I'm not about to alter the pattern, at least in a three-hour timeslot. We need to start and finish on the dot, which can be done because I did this past weekend. If you stick with the pattern. Ignore the instructions though. McCall's would have you make a casing and slide the elastic through with a safety-pin! That's just plain dumb. I cut a length of elastic, which I stretched out to fit my post-high school hips. Stitched that into a loop. Marked the elastic and the leggings waistband into quarters with blue chalk. Matched up those on the sewing machine, using the three-step zig zag. I'm not going to tell you how I finished it, because I think it looks bad. Here's what I'd do next time. With the sewn elastic flipped to the wrong side, I'd anchor all that down with a straight stitch (tension 4) on the outside, getting as close to the raised edge of the elastic as possible.

Here's another thing I'd do differently. I'd use the twin-needle straight stitching at the bottom (right now Steam-a-Seam is holding the hem together). Now I know how to use a twin-needle, but it took me a long time to figure it out. I had to get over my fear of breaking the dang things. I still get nervous about that even now. Anyhow, I know how to set up a twin-needle stitch, but I'm thinking this would be difficult for a teen to do in what's being pegged as a beginner's class. What do you think? Should I just tell 'em to use a zig-zag instead or are they going to get all cranky on me about it looking homemade? Please advise now, before I head off to a local pub for a pint of Guinness Stout.

Perhaps you're wondering about the flocked appliques. Those are iron-ons! Two of them set me back 50 cents. Such a bargain. I only wish there were more of them left at Vogue Fabrics, but last time I looked there were about three hanging on a wall hook near the business office. I'm heartbroken because I can envision these appliques on a gazillion other things - blouses, jean pockets, more leggings even a wool felt hat.

One more complaint about the leggings. I prefer mine longer, closer to the ankles. I could lengthen them (I think) by simply splitting the pattern at the calves, adding some inches with extra paper and them taping the whole shebang back together, right? For those of you who like to wear leggings, what style do you prefer? Fabrics? Embellishments? I'm toying with the idea of offering this workshop for adults in the fall. What say you?
* I made these leggings using a 1 yard remnant of supersoft jersey. Set me back all of $1.99!

Yes, We Have No Bandanas: McCall 6185

2009-04-02T21:03:00.005-05:00

About four years ago I deserted my collection of vintage sewing patterns and old cotton fabrics for the exciting world of new patterns and modern jerseys. I made the switch after I bought my Viking Husqvarna. This machine changed my life. Finally, I had a machine that would tell me how to set the tension, what kind of needle to use, all the stuff I found hard to do on my own. What's even better, my new acquisition wouldn't eat my fabric. I cannot tell you how frustrating it was to pull (really, yank) my sewing project out of the bobbin case again and again. This happened enough that it killed my love for sewing. If my Singer was going to single-handedly destroy my work, why bother? I only reconsidered when I got the new machine. It was like I was going on an adventure to someplace I hadn't visited before. Somehow, sewing became a 'new' skill to learn, and once I got beyond the fear of fabric being swallowed up by my machine, I jumped into the abyss, and the (home-sewn) parachute followed, lifting me aloft. I discovered knits. Pre-Viking, my collection was mostly old cottons acquired on eBay. Now? It's mostly jerseys, with the cottons still unsewn.

Anyhow, I've donated more than a few patterns since I started collecting to the Columbia College Study Collection. I still have a few, and I studied them recently after I decided to enter the PatternReview.com vintage contest. It was refreshing to look at them again after sewing so much with modern fabrics, instructions, accessories, etc. What was previously viewed as "hard" doesn't look so intimidating after all the projects completed in the past few years. Now what's looks difficult...is merely complicated. For example, I've one 1930s bolero jacket that has all this embroidery on it. That's the 'hard' part. The construction? Doable. Ditto the princess-style housecoat. The fit, not so hard, just time-consuming. And the zipper (new at that time) would make the dress easy to complete.

Even so, for competition purposes I opted for something cute, fairly easy to finish on short notice, but still challenging. Hence McCall 6185, which was intended for a teenager, which boggles my mind in a way. I don't know a 16-year-old who could tackle this pattern. I mean, even mature adults might struggle with the lapped zipper. But I've learned how to insert a zipper on a blouse, I thought this might be a good project to work that skill. Since this pattern actually suggests using two big scarves, I kept thinking about the bandana prints you see above. There are actually marks on this print to show where you would cut if you want to make a kerchief. I don't, so I'd leave them alone and consider them as part of what makes my blouse-to-be charming and cute.

Now, the next few weeks are busy. Easter, next week. A leggings class, the following, a quick trip to New York City for a conference, the last...all of which brings me to the end of April and this contest. So. I.Must.Get.To.Work. Wish me well.

So Nice I Had to Sew It Twice: McCall 3895

2009-03-31T21:18:00.011-05:00

I signed up for Patternreview.com's sewn hat contest as soon it as was permissible. I mean, the moment the URL went live? I was there, hitting the keystrokes faster than I run to catch a bus. Really. I sometimes have knee issues, but fingers on the keyboard? Nearly never. Anyhow, I wanted to make Vogue 8405, view D. It's just got this retro vibe, besides the brim has this neat curve in the front that very Myrna Loy. I can see her wearing it, along with a matching crocheted dickey and gloves. Besides, I was going to be teaching how to make this hat, for crying out not too loud, at Vogue Fabrics.

But things happen, and a certain pragmatism (so unlike me, really) intervened. I got it in my head to use this damaged white and black print that I bought at Metro Textiles. Mind you, it wasn't ruined when I bought it, but it did become that way after I attempted to pre-shrink it. Anyhow, I thought I'd use it....consequently, View D was no longer suitable. I need to really showcase the large florals on my fabric, so I switched over to View A. Fair enough, I started cutting away, sewing while my students worked on View D in my workshop.

I didn't finish that day. I thought for sure I'd get to it the following Sunday during a scheduled sewing salon. Wouldn't you know it the day before I manage to lose my favored winter hat on the bus? I was having a very, very serious conversation on the cell phone, my stop was suddenly there, I hopped off with my bags and cell phone...but didn't notice my hat was not with me. I was practically ready to dash after the bus, but it was cold and raining. Besides, what good does it do to run after moving vehicles? Especiallly one that's probably a block or two ahead or me? Absolutely none.

I consider this hat a second love, it's been everywhere with me this winter. The Y, the post office, the grocery store, library, the bars and swing dance studio. Everywhere. Even the scratchy knits and the cute fuschia suede cap don't get this kind of attention. Why? The green suede bucket-shaped hat goes with my multi-green scarf and Forever 21 shawl and Kelly green handbag. No other headgear in my collection is green, cute and soft and works as a portable umbrella for the noggin. (I hate carrying umbrellas. I travel light, and umbrellas, even those little ones, just add to weight to whatever I'm carrying.)

The funny thing is the hat I lost is the second version of the original. I keep making the darn thing in the same exact fabric.

So I was on my way to this bar, for an event promoting Cuervo. Guess what I wore on the way home? A green, red, and white scarf from the promotion organizers. It looked garish, but it kept me warm and somewhat dry.

So Sunday rolls around like a dice, and I'm thinking, the hat contest is over on Tuesday and I need to make a hat. A practical hat that keeps me warm and coordinates with my other accessories became the priority. I found some scraps for the last project go-around, put all my stuff in my Vogue Fabrics sewing bag, and off I went to sew without any hat on my head. I was motivated to walk out of the store with a new matching hat, just like the old one.

I get there, plop my stuff in the classroom, pay for the room use, and get the fabric. I only needed $6 dollar worth of material. I got busy quickly because I wanted to go to visit a friend in the hospital and then go to Mass.

So in a matter of three hours, I made two hats, exactly the same. Here are some details from the 2005 version, plus some new details from Sunday's sewing session.

I think I'm almond nuts crazy to make the same exact hat four times. Has there ever been a hat you lost, and just never could stop obsessing about? What extremes have you gone to recover a lost or stolen hat or recreate it? By the way, I called the bus garage on the off chance they found McCall 3895, version 2. Sorry to say no, that hat probably went the same way as my bag of new yarn did almost two years ago. In the garbage! I do not cry over this stuff, it's just pointless.
* The details of the above photo. Jacket from Nordstrom, cowl I knitted using Noro yarn, multi-green scarf, Vogue Fabrics, shawl, Forever 21.

Great Gatsby Revival - A Cloche Call?

2009-03-27T14:42:00.004-05:00

I feel a Great Gasby revival coming on. First, I got an email from a prospective student about the hat that Mia Farrow's wearing in the above photo from the movie based on Scott Fitzgerald's novel. Then I get an email from a newcomer who has moved to Chicago from New Orleans. She digs the flapper look. Then I see a woman reading a "Great Gasby" paperback on the subway. Today, this way cool cloche. What's going on? Are we going to see dropped-waist dresses and bobs next? Possibly, but not here in Chicago, we're just not a retro city the way San Francisco or even the Washington, DC metro area is. What do you think?

Anyhow, back to the cloche in the above photo. Arielle wants to recreate it. However, she tells me emphatically, " I don't need it to be just like that. I just need the shape and the fact that it covers all of the hair."

So if you have any ideas, I'm all ears. It looks like the hat has glass beads on it, doesn't it? Imagine how that would look doing the Charleston on the dance floor! Swinging!

On Grain, Off Track: Vogue 8405

2009-03-25T09:09:00.004-05:00

Oops. I just realized that I completely forgot the best hat award for my millinery workshop on Sunday. I said in my class write-up that whoever wore the best hat to class would get a prize. I remembered to bring my box of candies and even my camera, but no goodies for the student with the coolest, most memorable chapeau. Actually, only one student wore at hat. That was Bernadette (Bernie) in the above photo. She blocked the hat she's wearing in another class. I was so impressed. I love the embellishment too - it reminds me of the Jessica McClintock Venice appliques that are all over Vogue Fabrics.

Anyhow, Bernie and the other student, whose name I forget, were all keen on making the fedora style hat (view D) from Vogue 8405. I, on the other hand, decided to use up this damaged fabric - black flowers bleeding blue on a white background, so I opted for view A with its large brim. We all set down to work well before the clock came close to striking 1 p.m., and didn't even come close to finishing our projects by the time the workshop ended at 4 p.m. This is what happens when you make a lined hat on a fabric with a grain. (In my previous class, one woman walked out with a finished unlined felt hat, minus the petersham sweatband. Impressive! She arrived early and didn't rest for a minute during the 3-hour class.)

Here's what we learned this past Sunday:

The lay-out for view D is completely wrong. Nothing is on grain, according to the Vogue Patterns instructions. Not one part! So follow your gut instincts. Align the pieces with the selvedge edge as you would with a skirt, a shirt, or any other garment.

Pre-treat your fabric to banish fold lines. My nameless student couldn't get rid of the fold lines in her fabric despite pressing, pressing and pressing. She ended up buying more fabric just so she could get started on her project.

Hair canvas* is not an embellishment, it's an essential part of the hat. It gives the brim and crown structure. Next time I write up the class description I'll make it crystal clear we're sewing a hat from start to finish, not gussying up a storebought version.

Finish the hat first, and then trim it. Otherwise, you might buy feathers, buttons and ribbons that just don't work on your completed hat, which truly might look just fine and dandy sans stuff. You'll save yourself money, time and grief.

Have fun. It's just a hat, not wedding dress.

* The link is for $24 a yard of pricey hair canvas. Rest assured, it also can be found for about $7 a yard, on sale, at Vogue Fabrics.

Hello Again, It's Been A While: Vogue 8405*

2009-03-20T15:44:00.006-05:00

So I pick up the phone to call Vogue Fabrics. Just to check in on my hat-making class on Sunday. Last I heard there was no one in the class. So I'm fully expecting to cancel the class. You know, just double-checking, checking it off my Friday list of things to do. I punch the Vogue Fabrics number, which I don't know really by aorta. Really, what's in the sense of memorizing numbers that are programmed into my cell phone but not my landline?
"Vogue Fabrics."
"Is this the business office?"
"It is."
"Oh, is this Evelyn? Hi."
She responds likewise. Nice lady.
"I'm just checking in on my hat-making class. How many sign-ups do I have?"
"Three."
I'm just stunned, like I'm just been told I've won Lotto when I didn't buy a ticket.Blindsided! A week or so ago, last time I caught up with Evelyn, there was no one was in my hat class, but there were two in my leggings workshop. People have their priorities in order these days: learn how to make something that covers the legs, who cares about the head?
"Three people are in my class on Sunday?"
I didn't know this. In fact, if I hadn't called for a status report, where would I have been on Sunday afternoon? Yes! Vogue Fabrics, minus my hat and supplies, working on yet another pair of panties. It takes a moment or two to digest this information. I realize I'm not prepared just yet to teach millinery. Yes, I have the pattern, but I haven't made the hat. I thank Evelyn, hang up the phone. Sheesh, now I'm going to have to spend the better part of tomorrow getting ready to get my hat on Sunday. Yipes.
This means I will need to buy hair canvas, a first in my short life. I will have to cut pattern and fabric....and sew on my machine. At home. All by lonesome, not with a throng of women perusing the pattern books at Vogue outside my classroom door. Can I say I love my Viking Husqvarna, just not sewing at home in my dusty office? Really, can I say that to you women who love nothing more than to sew in silence away from your children, spouses, and various pets? You probably lock your door just to keep the various live creatures at bay. Me? I invite the dust mites inside, and I happily sneeze as they come right on in. Aaachoo, aachoo, aachoo, bless you for stopping on by! For those of you thinking, "Why don't you just bring your machine to Vogue?" Honestly, I'm not about to truck my personal machine to Vogue either, because they have the same exact product there. It's beyond dumb to schlepp my slightly outdated sewing machine, when they've got the latest models there already plugged into the wall. Another thing: I can't just drop into the classroom any old time...sometimes another teacher is there. Can't interrupt, you know.

I did say I'm a deadline sewer in a previous post, so I guess this means I must live up to my word, but it's all good. Really! This last-minute news gives solid purpose to my Saturday. No leisurely browsing on the Internet at 7 a.m.. No dawdling, no drawing, no dandering, no no no! Hair canvas, lining and petersham, oh my! And sewing, which I swear I'm only going to do with a Guinness at my side tomorrow (look: ace seamstress Mac Berg fully supports drinking while sewing, so if she says it's all right, it's A-OK. ) Besides, a four-pack of Guinness is on sale at Dominick's. Now, they're not cold brewskis, so I'm going to have to get some in the morning, get 'em in the fridge, so they're ready when the Viking shivers awake sometime tomorrow afternoon before I go dancing at the Battle of the Bands. I will limit my drinking while sewing to one, maybe two pints, but I'm not driving to the big Swing-dancing event, so I will not be endangering anyone except my long fingernails (which I've known to accidentally snip while I'm cutting fabric. Better that than my actual digits, you know?).

And if I don't finish the hat, that's ok. My students just need to be able to see some of the construction. Look, all hats are basically alike when it comes to making 'em. Some things never change, and millinery is one of them. That said (and you're fully entitled to say, "So what's the point of taking your class then, lady?"), there are some finer points that are difficult to learn outside of hands-on instruction. Like sewing the petersham on so it's looks like an elf did it. Or assimilating the difference between grosgrain and petersham ribbon, and why you even want the stuff inside your hat (basically it acts as a sweatband).

Back to my newfound dilemma: As long as I read and understand the Vogue 8405 instructions and have something tangible to show my students (and offering them fresh cookies never hurts), my workshop will be go well. Oh yeah, I need to wear a hat, and take pictures of the finest hat on the Vogue Fabrics premises. I'll pack up the goods Sunday morning, dress appropriately and I'll be ready to play teacher in the afternoon. I promise I will not be hung-over, the swing-dance crowd drinks water, not alcohol on Saturday nights. Yeah, we're kind of weird that way.

* This is an out-take from a photo session yesterday, outside in the cold. Read the fine print on the instructions from the folks editing the Craft Corps book that they don't want head-shot photos taken with a colorful background. So instead of pitchin', here it is.

Sunshine Day: Vogue 1020

2009-03-19T15:04:00.003-05:00

Can I just say this is my fourth rendition of Vogue 1020 and I really don't have anything new to say except this fabric is supremely sunny and soft? It is. I got it on special at Vogue Fabrics.

Slightly Guinness Induced Rant: Irish Dancing Dresses

2009-03-14T15:02:00.015-05:00

Niece No. 1 (Vanessa): Snubbed me royally when I tried to get her to pose for a picture. Usually, I'm not used to this kind of treatment. I mean, I'm a cool aunt. I can do things that her parents can't or won't. For example, I let Vanessa watch "Dancing with the Stars" back when Julianne Hough and her partner, pony-tailed Olympian Apolo Anton Ohno, were fodder for gossip. She instantly had a crush on the guy, and all that glitter, faux tan, spandex made such a huge impact on her that she still talks about that one episode two years later. I wonder if the dress she's wearing above isn't a little boring for her taste? If so, in a few years she can graduate to the neon-hued dresses the older girls wear. Wait til the end of this post for a rant on these expensive dresses. I need to finish my Guinness and wipe off my foam mustache, ok?

No. 2 (Lucia) (middle two photos): She too snubbed me! I barely recognized in her wig, which I swear dwarfed her. She looked like she was drowning in dark brown ringlets. But she was a natural out on the dance floor, otherwise known as Tommy Nevin's Pub in Evanston. This is a girl so flexible she walks around with her toes curled under. Naturally, she has calluses in unusual places on her feet.

No. 3 (Elena): Younger than Vanesssa, older than Lucia, Elena also acted like she didn't know me! What is it? Do I smell or is it...I'm an adult just like all those parents in the room? That must be it. When it's just the two of us and the rest of the world, she will acknowledge me, beg me to swing her around until she's so dizzy she can barely stand, play games on my cell phone, dig around in my purse for make-up.

They all looked so cute in their dresses, which I know cost a small fortune (perhaps not Lucia's..hers appears simple). What is the appeal to having these garments made in Ireland? I know this dance, the costumes are all about tradition, but I studied these dresses...I saw laces and wovens that I know aren't from the Emerald Isle, but more likely the country shaped like a boot. So you have the bragging rights of having a dress made in Ireland...but it's really expensive (hundreds of dollars). The exact dress could probably made for less here in the U.S. with the identical materials. No one would know (unless you got 'em drunk on Beamish) that it was made in North America and not on the other side of the ocean. No one! Those crochet collars could be handmade by a granny or found in a thrift shop and stitched on with a sewing machine. All that embroidery? It's all done by machine, why not just hoop up the fabric and do the magic locally a Viking embroidery machine even if you had to rent it? Maybe when it's all said and done, adding up the labor and the lux fabrics, it comes still adds up to be an expensive dress. I just don't get sending hard-earned dollars overseas when the same thing could be stitched up within five miles of your own home. Loca-vores are all about eating vegetables grown practically in their backyards, why not do the same with expensive, custom clothes? If I had a little girl who wanted to get into this pricey hobby, I'd be firing up the sewing machine and scouring the remnants at Vogue Fabrics' bridal section faster than you can dial 847-864-9601. Tell me: Would a dancer be scorned if she wear a dress that her mom made not some sewer in Ireland?

Hats Not So Haughty: A Round-Up

2009-03-13T16:06:00.005-05:00

Is it just me but doesn't now seem like the right time to wear a hat? Maybe more people are...and I'm not just talking about your everyday black knit topper, just something bright and colorful. There were so many bright straw pictures at the opener for Nordstrom's trend show on Saturday in downtown Chicago, I thought daylight savings time had kicked in early times and I was at church on Easter Sunday. Which brings me to that day, discussion-wise. In years past, I haven't seen too many woman wearing hats (I'm not going to say bonnet because we're not talking babies, but full-fledged adults) on Easter, but this time, I'm hoping it'll be different. You know it will be a like secret meeting of the Yellow Hat Society. Serious. We'll all converge into the aisle at communion, give each other furtive winks, a cue to break out and start dancing, of course, all the crying toddlers already running amuck will just join up in the fun.

If you're looking at the hats above, I don't have plans to make a yellow fedora yet. I'm not looking to be the female version of Dick Tracy. Now I could see a daffodil cocktail hat with matching Russian veiling. That would be pretty and feminine. Pair it with a neutral trenchcoat, and it would be a darling way to end Lent. But I'm certain that there will be at least one or two women walking around on Easter in their Aretha Franklin knock-offs. That won't be me though, I'm too much of a rebel. Hah! (As an aside, I'm sure you've seen all the altered photos of men wearing Aretha's hats).

I actually need to make Vogue 8405 because I'm teaching it March 22 at a Vogue Fabrics store near you. However, I'm a lazy one, I sew best on a deadline. Consequently, when I hear my class is almost full, that's when I buy the hair canvas, the lining fabric, and raid the stash, and get sewing. Otherwise, I feel like why bother? Although, truly, it's an adorable pattern. My favorite is the one in the lower right corner with the brown plaid ribbon. I was going to focus on teaching that version alone in my workshop, but since the hat with assymetrical brim is featured on the Vogue Fabrics' web site, I figure I'll teach 'em all.

Wait, there's more! If you're a fan of Judith M Millinery no matter where you live on this great planet Earth, you'll be happy to hear she's starting an online forum on her site. So you can ask questions there until the black cows come home, (then you have to make me a Black Cow, ok?).

Finally, back to the pattern above. Which hat would you make if you had the opportunity?

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Flappiness, Part 2

2009-03-08T09:34:00.007-05:00

Primotoide futile's comment about the flapper dress I intend to sew eventually got me thinking. There are lots of current patterns out there that could be given a flapper vibe. I picked out just three from Vogue Patterns that could get you kicking up your heels doing the Charleston. Vogue 7762, above, isn't promoted as a 1920s style dress but the pose, the model, the backdrop just screams 1920s. It's in the catalog now! It calls for lightweight for Wool Crepe, Soft Faille, Silk Like Crepe, Matte Jersey and Lt.wt. Double Knit. I'd probably switch the back zipper to the side. Or I could put in a zipper on top in the back to make it a little more contemporary. With a pair of Mary Janes, you're good to go for a Great Gasby party.

This pattern is clearly directed toward the 'mature' woman, but I don't see why it wouldn't turn out for anyone. So don't let the labeling on Vogue 8487 deter you, but that dropped waist? So clearly Louise Brooks! It would be so comfortably made up in charmeuse, which is one of the recommended fabrics. There's no zipper either, making this project an easy-afternoon one.

Here's another waistless gem (Vogue 8229), with so many possibilities. I actually own a Anne Klein black linen burn out that would be perfect for this... paired with a fuschia or Kelly green batiste underneath the ruffle. I don't know why I keep putting off making dress. It's really great if you've got small shoulders and a nice neck that you want to play up. I could also see this in different types of white eyelet, all the same weight, of course. Only the linen's recommended, but I don't see an eyelet wouldn't work. With a big lightweight summer hat or cloche, you'd be the life of the soiree. What other patterns do you see online that might work for a 1920s look?

Fit to Be Tied: Vogue 8048

2009-03-05T16:14:00.007-06:00

When I told my mother that I might have to cancel my retro tie-making class due to a lack of interest, she was all: "No one wants to make a tie? Ties are fun. I like making ties." That's my mother who sewed seven wool plaid ties one year for Christmas for all my brothers. There are still a few of the ties floating around and at the holidays the men (now including some of the in-laws) sling 'em on over their hoodies (which just seems like a heresy, you know, ties are meant to be worn with shirts tucked into a pair of dress pants). All to please and amuse the matriarch on Dec. 25.

Have no fear or tears but I think I will try again with the tie class (we're not talking tie-dying, which is entirely a different craft) in the fall. When it's chillier, when men reach out for their cardigans. Right now, everyone here in Chicago is thinking about spring and summer, and trying their utmost to forget that we're still squarely stuck in winter even though the thermometer (or in Dashboard on my MacBook) says it's Spring.

I just think I'm ahead of the trends. Futurist Faith Popcorn should hire me, if she has the funds. In fact, I got an email this morning that confirms what I've been. This one was hawking $15 ties using the same fabrics and hues from Fashion Week. So...my class at $45? You could easily make some really trendy ties (and bow-ties too!) for a lot less than $15. Anyhow, back to the press release that landed in my inbox. Here is the tie color forecast, courtesy of Greg Shugar, CEO and designer of the Tie Bar. "We expect Fall 2009 to start showing more and more florals, ranging from traditional florals and brocades to modern botanicals and organics,” says Shugar. “The top color trend which men have seemed to warm up to is chocolate brown, a classic color that translates into all season and personal styles. We expect to see a lot more of it show in the Fall."

Did someone say chocolate? Oh, fabric. There's plenty of silk in that colorway at Vogue Fabrics. I personally gravitate to something a little more lively, especially now. I was actually studying the tie worn by the server at McDonald's today while I was ordering my hash-browns. That was cute, something along this adorable car-themed tie at the Purl Bee. See? Tie-making is on the upswing, it's starting with swing-set crowd first. Which of three ties above do you like? The middle one's my favorite.