Miscellaneous Saturday Musings

I'm slowing getting back into the home groove after being away. My laundry is done. My suitcase and cosmetic bag are back in the attic, and I'm ready to pass the weekend in the sewing room.

My sister's birthday is on Monday, so I won't actually hit the date but I'm going to make her a top this weekend and she'll get it mid-week. Even though I'll be late, I think it's still nice to get a birthday gift after the actual date to keep the celebration going a little longer. At least that's what I'm telling myself. ;-) I haven't decided on the pattern yet, but I'll be using this turquoise ITY knit (which looks more blue than turq in this pic but it's not).

I'm thinking either a Sunshine Top or a Jalie waterfall top. Both of these are TNT for me, and I should be able to use either for my sister with minimal adjustment. I always thought she was wider in the shoulders than me, but I brought up two of my "cast-offs" for her and the one I saw her wearing fit perfectly in the shoulders so I won't make any adjustments there. I will need to add tummy room and keep the length longer than my own preference since she's 6 feet tall and all torso.

These are the tops I brought to her. First up, the Petite Plus Shapely Shirt that I made sleeveless a couple of years ago. As I was packing for my trip, I was also clearing out the closet and when I tried this on, it was HUGE, just completely swimming on me. I gave it to my sister last Saturday morning before we headed out for our day on the boat and she immediately put it on and wore it. It fits her perfectly and I think she'll wear it a lot this summer as it has her favorite color (turquoise) in it. Plus, she loved the matching buttons.

The other top I gave her was this new Sorbetto. I put it through the laundry and it did not shrink a bit. I decided it was just too loose for me to be comfortable and it would gather dust. I'm not sure if this one fits my sister — it might be too small on her, but at least it's out of my closet. I wish I had more of the fabric since it's so nice, but I don't. Can't cry over "spilt fabric."

This is what my sewing table looks like right now. At the left side are (RTW) 2 navy tees, 2 navy polos, and 1 turquoise tee. The purple is a rayon knit I was using to test an embroidery I put together yesterday. Embroidering the RTW shirts is my project for this morning.

My BIL bought a flat-bed tow truck last year and has been running a side business with it. My sister had set up a crappy DIY website and had begged me to re-do it, but I was always too busy. Then when I lost my job in April, I had some free time. I asked her for the login info and spent a couple of days redesigning it and updating the search elements. Since then, they have been getting LOTS of calls. So … I thought I'd thank my BIL for his help with Tyler's car by sending him a few shirts he can wear out on the tow jobs. I'm doing one in turquoise for my sister too, and will add some sparklie bling to it so it's more her style. This is the quickie "logo" I'm going to use. I think I'll design something nicer down the road and reacquaint myself with my digitizing software but I know they'll appreciate the quickies for now.

Then, if I get through my sister's new top and the embroidery and still have time left over, I will deal with this dress. I ended up not taking it on my trip because I didn't finish the sideseams or the hem and I'm still trying to decide if I want it short or long.

I didn't miss it though. I lived in the dresses I did bring, plus my refashioned white denim skirt. I actually got 3 wearings out of that before it hit the laundry. Pretty good for a white skirt, and for me not messing it up. I can see that it's going to get worn to death this summer. I already love that thing. I think I'll even shop for another pair of cheapie white Walmart capris to make a replacement skirt in a smaller size when this one gets too big. I brought 2 pairs of capris with me for the trip but didn't wear pants at all. Like I said last post, it was SO HOT and dresses and skirts were the way to go. Just as a point of reference, it was 96-98 degrees at my sister's. It pretty much never gets above 93-94 here in the summer and is usually closer to 91-92. Those few degrees seem to make a big difference in my comfort factor.

Parting Shot: A better shot of Tyler's "new" car, in its current home. He can't wait to lose that front license plate once his Florida plate arrives and he can ditch the Virginia temporaries. I'm sure you can see why this car appeals to him much more than a "boring" new Hyundai.