I sewed!
Sewing!
It took a lot, both in terms of re-organizing (the box with my main sewing machine conveniently wound up at the very bottom of the middle of the massive pile of stuff we have in storage right now) and personal patience. This having the sewing room in someone else’s house bites bigtime. Not least because every time I go over to try and tackle things, I feel like I’m being rude for heading down to work rather than upstairs to visit. Going to have to work on that.
There was the predictable myriad of small, unanticipated hiccoughs, from not having my good pins or my seam-ripper, to discovering that my mother-in-law, who is currently allowing me to occupy a corner of her basement with my sewing stuff, doesn’t have an ironing board. I had assumed everyone with a “real household” would have one. I mean, she has a rice steamer, people. She said, “I don’t iron.” I said, “I don’t bake. But I still have cookie sheets.” That may not have been my most diplomatic moment as a daughter-in-law. >_< So I also need to dig my ironing board and iron out of storage.
Former T-shirt
Anyway, I did eventually settle on the quickest of projects, a T-shirt refashion. Why didn’t I get a damn before picture? /headdesk. This black tee has been kicking around the bottom of my wardrobe for roughly a decade at this point, one of those shapeless “unisex” T-shirts that I can never actually bring myself to wear, courtesy of my student club days. The pattern is an old one, dating from one of my first knit projects, but is presumably roughly comparable to Zoe’s vest pattern. I used the same fold-over elastic that gave me such fits with Tyo’s tank top back in the spring, and I’m happy to say that with a good deal more care and attention to the stitches (and practice samples!), helped along by this more stable fabric, I was able to attach it more or less adequately. Because this particular fold-over elastic doesn’t fold on its own, I stitched it on in two passes, using a three-step zig-zag and being careful not to let my stitches reach the midline groove, where they basically shred the fabric of the elastic.
The T-shirt knit is not as stretchy as the last fabric I used this pattern for, so the top is quite snug, giving a bit of a flattening uniboob thing. But it’s comfy, and infinitely more wearable than it was before. And nice and long.
Strappy fun.
I decided to bring both straps to the centre back, partly because it looks cool, largely because it meant that I could just stitch them in place without worrying about where the straps should be positioned. They are a little long, but I didn’t have time to re-adjust before I had to round up children (my own and nieces) for home-made pizza at Uncle’s house. The pain of having family around, I tell you.
Oh, and for the really geeky among you, the logo says “Miocene Park” and the skeleton is that of an entelodont.
Is this the beginning of big things? I really don’t know. I have hopes (I have coats on the brain, frankly), but we’ll see. Also, I got eight (possibly nine) patterns at the local Mennonite thrift today. They’re usually 50¢ there, but the guy only charged me $2 for the bunch. Yay. I think I need to sew more, if only so I’ll buy fewer patterns…
Tanit-Isis Sews 
I’m glad that you found a way to sew, even if it is not an ideal set-up.
Your MIL sounds so cool in not ironing. That’s cool in the environmental sense as I explained here: http://badmomgoodmom.blogspot.com/2007/04/clothesline-again.html
Thanks!
I don’t think it has anything to do with environmentalism, not to dis my inlaws in the least. Someday when I have a yard of my very own I’ll have a clothesline…
Cute! I love the straps in the middle. You must be pretty motivated to sew in another location, I would get very little done like that. I hope you are enjoying having family nearby!
Well, we’ll see how much I get done, sigh. And thanks! 🙂
I think that, considering how much sewing you plan to do for family, you should not feel guilty. Best way to go about it is visit at the end of sewing, I’ve found, from using my Mom’s (insert bittersweet memory here) and MIL’s place prior to having mine own.
Yay you got some sewing time and a cute little tank too. Here’s to finding your sewing patter at your MILs and not doing any ironing while there other than for your sewing stuff!
Thanks! Yes, definitely only sewing ironing. 🙂
What a great release! It looks great, I couldn’t see a uniboob going on, maybe it’s less obvious face on. I particularly like the back meeting straps…nice detail.
Thanks! You can see the flattening a bit in the first picture, but I’ll just be happy that it didn’t jump out at you. 🙂 Yeah, I am liking the straps more and more… I might start doing all my straps that way ;).
Great vest.
I find it so hard to believe that anyone doesn’t own an iron… how strange!
Yeah, I know! Even if you just throw a towel on the table for your ironing board…
Your t-shirt refashion is adorable and is so you. Great planning with centering the back straps, I really like that look.
I have friends that go into convulsions of laughter when I say I am going to iron. I know more than one person who chooses their wardrobe by whether or not it will require ironing. I know several people who do not own irons or ironing boards. I don’t understand how they do it. I, on the other hand have 3 irons that I use on a regular basis and three ironing boards as well as a professional quality clothing steamer (I don’t like wrinkles).
Thank you!
I have heard great things about those steamers. I don’t iron much except for sewing, but every now and then there’s that *something* you need it for, right? I must admit there’s a few things I don’t wear nearly as much as I might if they didn’t require ironing…
Yay for sewing! I like the t-shirt, and it was probably the perfect project for realizing that some of your stuff was still locked up in storage–much less frustrating on a more laid back project like this than something more hardcore, like say, a coat. 🙂
I’m surprised that your MIL doesn’t have an iron/board, my stepmother doesn’t even know how to operate an iron and she still has both of those things.
Yeah, I must admit I was trying to patch some shorts of Tyo’s and realized I needed to iron the patch and then I couldn’t do it, so a change of projects was necessitated. This was a lot more fun, anyway.
I know—I didn’t expect her to actually use them, just to have them tucked away in a closet somewhere… 😉
Yay! Glad you are back at the sewing machine. As for any guilt, well, hosts sometimes need a break from guests, too. They’re probably just as happy that you can amuse yourself as you are amusing yourself…
Yeah, I hope I’ll figure it out and settle into a routine. I was over there a bit today and while I didn’t sew, I felt a bit less awkward dashing down to clean up after yesterday and play around with my patterns…
Glad to see you are back sewing! Hope you get some more time in soon.
I can’t imagine not owning an iron…I can’t imagine.
Yeah… me too. 🙂
So glad you’ve found a space to be creative, even if it’s not in your own space – YET! I really like the idea of sewing first and chatting later, and yes, don’t do other people’s ironing! Love your new T – ‘specially the straps.
No chance of doing other people’s ironing, don’t worry! 😉 Yeah, that seems like a good strategy… as long as I can manage my time properly! 😉
I don’t know how you are going to live without a small sewing space, a closet even. Can’t you, like, loan one of the kids out or something? Joking, joking. Good luck! I love the shirt.
AAAHH I love your shirt! I have a couple geo-geek shirts that I should refashion, just to get more use out of them. 😀 Especially since winter is almost here in the Yukon, and I need more base layering tops (without the bulk of oversized sleeves.
I didn’t know you were a UofS grad! I think it’s the UofS that the UofM geoclub has an ongoing rivalry with. In fact, at the WIUGC conference that we hosted a few years ago (2007, I think?), the UofS group awarded us with a trophy where a stuffed husky with a UofS cape on was humping a stuffed bison (the UofM mascot) after they kicked our butts in beer boat racing. 😀 It was hilarious, and from what I understand, still sitting on a shelf in geoclub to this day. 😀
And of course, I do mean the rivalry between geology departments. I already know there’s a big sports rivalry between the universities themselves.
Yeah, that sounds about right. As long as there’s plenty of beer involved… 😉
I’ve always thought an iron is just something that one has in the house, like mugs or towels…but good for her if she can get away with not ironing! I mean, it’s bad for sewists using her house, but hey, how often does that happen? 😉 Your tank top looks so cute and doesn’t look “refashiony” at all, if you know what I mean. I may have to try that strap idea. Hope the easing back into sewing continues to go well!
Yeah, like my turkey roaster. It’s not that I actually *use* it, but you have to have it just in case, right? LOL.
Thanks! Yeah, I was pretty worried about how it would turn out, given that my last attempt with that elastic was pretty traumatic, but it’s ok. And comfy, and I’ve already worn it more in the last three days than in the last ten years, so that’s a big win. 🙂
Pingback: Me-Made-May: Week One | Tanit-Isis Sews
Pingback: Little Black Shirt | Tanit-Isis Sews