ernie k designs: May 2018

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Rose Jam Hat Time

So I found this great rose ribbon, about 4" wide, wired on the edges. Couldn't think of what to do with it but hat.

Pulled the wire, used my handy dandy hat template/pattern/recipe.

The green velveteen is leftover from Auntie Jeanette's crazy quilt backing.

The red lining is just always here.

Hat from the stash, sort of.

The great search for a rose that will provide hips didn't end so well, but the petals for rose petal jam have been stunning.

Got them before the second crop of aphids did.

Anne M Bray has a deeply simple and very effective recipe on her blog, reprinted with her permission.

http://gluttonamb.blogspot.com/2013/04/recipe-rose-petal-jam.html

I crib it from her every year, and I'm posting this link here so I don't forget it.

A blog is a handy thing if you move from job site to site, and need information you just don't want to put in your phone, or it's too big.

I'm not talking the dimensions of my furnace filters, or the exact file number for that really comfy stretch fabric from Joann's

I genuinely wish I could order fabric from Joanns by its greige good information.

But stuff like this jam. I planted about a billion different varieties of rose over the years, trying to find this one for this job for a jar of this stuff. Cause

(flavor explosion)

I don't know that I slowly added anything, but it turned out fabulous again this year.
And it's delicious with pancakes

Blogger, give me back my email notifications for comments

Part of my blogging is to keep up the information and the links on this blog and make them as current as I can, given that I am one human with a shrinking brain.

Google Blogger is taking away OpenID, which is annoying, and (most annoying) discontinuing comment notifications by email. Which means I won't see that you commented right away. More to the point, if you have a correction or a comment on an older post, I might not see it at all and continue to be wrongheaded when you tried to set me right.

https://blogger.googleblog.com/2018/05/its-spring-cleaning-time-for-blogger.html

I will make sure Anonymous is available. If you wouldn't mind putting your moniker in the comment, that would be more friendly like.

So if you're posting a comment, I may not see it. I set that moderation wall for comments on older posts, we'll see if that catches things.

I promise to check it regularly.

Meanwhile.....

I have prom photos to paw through, and a couple more photos to take.

I said I didn't have any prom work this year.

Never say never.

Friday, May 18, 2018

McCalls Vintage 7155 You can go home again

I am so sorry I don't have the original I used to own. I don't even have a photo of me in it.

One of the many times I have bought a vintage dress that was homemade, and then fallen on the pattern like a viper. Not exactly out of character for me, either.

This was the bombity bomb. The 'toss it on and run to work' dress. The "hey, cute vintage dress!" at I forget how many jobs.

Mine was dark brown corded over black in a very narrow textured stripe. Altered to put the zipper in the back seam (splitting the collar was fun!) Wore like iron. Wore it out. Busted out the elbows. Twenty plus years on an old homemade dress.

So I miss it. I need a new one. Had to trace and size up this size 10 (my hip is 44 going on more). Also my head is larger.

Once again, Roisin (aka That Dolly Clackett human) is to blame for my reckless purchase of the latest in the Alexander Henry Sewing series; Sewing Woes. AKA Sewing Sorrows.

There are two scales of this, and I bought them by accident. Oh, no, Hart's you cannot have them back. Just be warned and call if you're confused and it matters.

Who cannot identify with this?

Prewash and never worry....

Survived the drier!

Also measure twice, cut once.

My big butt needs more in the hip. Maybe I want to put that center seam back in.....

Ooh. That's going to be 22". My head is 23", if I take my glasses off when I get dressed. Sometimes I forget.

I have Paint. Let's play a game...

There's the print. Let's make a sketchy overlay.

Which one do I like better?

We're not even discussing 'is this the right dress for this print'? Maybe not.

Previous editions have ignored the trial and worked fine:

It could use a belt. It's another vintage McCalls pattern from the 50s.

I know, I do own an iron, but just imagine this without wrinkles.

I really slammed this out a couple of summers ago, during a heat wave; it's all cramming pieces onto fabric to get the punchline about 'home sewing is easy' front and center, while avoiding the selvage and finishing it with bias tape.

Jim is a Rat Patch pocket really does iron out flat.

It wears well, and the overall grid design doesn't work against the dress silhouette. It's just a big print with a 20" vertical repeat.

And it's a gas to wear.

And hey, Gap, not cool

https://youtu.be/2E53d5-EvHc

Go see the original

https://vimeo.com/13079214

https://youtu.be/xF5MhpvKzuw

Sunday, May 13, 2018

Mothers Day 2018

This is my mom, somewhere in the 70s. She taught me how to sew.

https://www.pinterest.com/erniekdesigns/mom-made-one/

She watched monster movies with me. She preferred the Beast from 20,000 Fathoms to Godzilla, but was very happy with Frankenstein.

She died way too soon, in 1980, and I miss her.

I'm going to see a movie this afternoon in her honor.

All you moms, keep on rockin'.

All you kids, you know the drill.

Love you.

Sunday, May 6, 2018

MeMadeMay 2018 the UFO challenge

I hate selfies. I don't have a good mirror with a view I want you to see. I don't like taking a photo of what I wore every day. It's just not my nature.

Sad tiny woman tries to take photo in bathroom of Seattle Opera house. Doesn't try again. All of you with bathroom selfie skills, have pity. No floor length mirrors for me

I do sew every day in May. I have the time, I get to and the UFO pile grew again.

My sister's skirt needs pockets.

Sad teen found sweater that has so many beetle holes, it might as well get wacky mending. Son has approved black dots. Kinda a wool polka dot thing.

The cocoon coat is hovering and waiting

This needs pockets

This needs duplicating and a fabric choice. It does have swatches coming from Spoonflower.

This needs to be made wearable, either a shirt or a jacket

This jacket toile has all the fittings for a final version. Several.

This is a backpack. You can't see it?

This t will need to get all shrunk and twisted in the wash before I alter it. It's a poly blend so it won't shrink. That ruler is on the grain. The back has the same misgrain. It's not going to end well. Well, the star will get transplanted to a hoodie. Because I will always love Cap for July 1974, ish#175

Beautiful sweater from Elhoffer Designs.

Needs a gusset for me chub arms

I'm surrounded. This is only a fraction.

We're starting with the raincoat. It needs the placket, the zipper, cuffs and a visor on the hood. And some reflective bling.

The zipper took longer, it got handbasted and wondertaped. I swear! Clearly, I have learned nothing about putting in a zipper and not getting the front all shrinky looking. I'm also just tired of sewing it and I want to wear it at least once in this very brief spring season.

Enough!