Friday, September 19, 2008

This Is All I Got



Yep. That's my most recent sewing. Pathetic, isn't it?

DS#2 is the Center for the high school football team. When he plays wearing the hot game day jersey, he gets sweaty hands. (When I watch from the stands, I have hot flashes but I think that's something different!) He had cut up a school towel to make what we've … er … affectionately dubbed "crotch towels." In other words, small towels he can stick down the front of his pants so a flap hangs out over his crotch and he can wipe his hands dry before he snaps the ball. That worked OK for Week 1. Until they went through the school laundry and, well, you know what happened to a bunch of rough-cut, unfinished towel pieces. I'm just glad it wasn't MY washer. Although in a way, as taxpayers, I guess it was.

So last night, he took himself up to Walmart and bought a pack of cheap white terry face cloths, 18 to the pack. Tonight I rotary cut them in half to make 36 "crotch towels," and then serge-finished the 36 raw edges. Voila. The extent of my sewing. You can't stand the excitement, can you? ;-) But at least it was useful sewing and it made DS happy.

In other sewing room news …

The Vogue Betzina jeans made it muslin #2 during the week. And that's as far as I'm taking them. This thinner leg View just is not cut for my shape, which I really knew before I started. But I wanted to try them just to try them, and I did that so I'm OK with them not working out. I've got other jeans patterns that are TNT and I'm not going to waste any more time on these. Instead, I'll morph the features of the pattern that I like onto a tracing of the TNT. But that won't be my next project.

Here's the modified pattern for those wanting a peek.



I slashed down the middle of each leg and across the upper thigh and spread the tissue very much like you'd do a full-bicep alteration. I did this because I just wanted to add thigh room without changing the pattern too much. But instead of moving the tissue evenly, I moved the inner halves toward the inseams, since I always need more fabric toward the inner thighs anyway. For the front piece, I slashed all the way up through the waist so I wouldn't have to skew the CF/fly area. For the back, I left a hinge at the waist, and I also added a wedge to the CB because (a) I needed more crotch length and (b) my rear isn't as flat as this pattern is drafted for so the increase in that angle would probably work.

In general, those alterations were OK. But the pattern still needs work. If I were to continue with it, I'd need to take in about 2 inches at CB waist and at least 1" per sideseam at hip level as a result of slashing/spreading the front piece all the way up and the sideseams beings too curvy for me. (I always think it's strange that I have to de-curve most pants patterns to fit my curvy self.) I'd also have to shorten the leg length about 3 inches.

Between working, football, and football tee shirts, I've been SO busy the last few weeks that I can barely breathe. I know that I owe some emails, and they're coming, but I haven't even called my own mother in 2 weeks so don't take it personally. It's great working from home but the one major drawback is you don't leave the office every day. I sit down to check on one thing and before I know it, 2 more hours have disappeared. That's 2 SEWING HOURS! I haven't really read PatternReview in weeks, and I'm falling so behind on blogs. Sigh. But I'm promising myself lots of sewing time this weekend. Even if I resort to fast tee shirts.

My boss is promising relief (and a raise!). We really need to hire another person but none of us has been able to slow down enough to be able to train that person. Typical Catch-22.

But I do have my priorities and *did* keep up with Project Runway Australia (thanks Belinda!) and while I'm happy with its outcome, I'm sad it's over. I really liked the Aussie version so much better than the whiners on the current US run. I'm about ready to toss Kenley and her obnoxious nasal tone out a window. Anyody want to help push? ;-)

17 comments:

  1. Welcome back to the world of blogging. Only a teenage boy could come up with the term "crotch towel." Well, at least it's something sewn. Too bad about the Betzina jeans. I agree, when you have a TNT, why spend hours fussing over a pattern that may not work anyway.

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  2. I also preferred the Australia version and liked how it turned out. The designers were so likable in that version and the challenges seemed fun and fresh. The US version kind of seems to be plodding along. And, I'm happy to help you push Kenley. I'll even serve on the committee that makes sure she doesn't get back up.

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  3. Don't fret, I'm so far behind on everything that I last watched PR Aus when it got down to 4 designers. Luckily I'm also so behind on blog/ Patternreview reading that I haven't stumbled across who won yet, lol.

    I have to say that you've raised my hopes about the Sandra Betzina jeans - usually I need the narrow leg so crossed fingers this pattern works for me. I totally understand moving on to a TNT. Personally I like the fit you've got on the Simplicity pants pattern - can't remember the number tho.

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  4. I'll help push and make sure she doesn't come back!

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  5. I'm happy to hear that I'm not the only one who cannot STAND Kenley. Make sure it's off a bridge over troubled waters :) All I've done this week is work work work too, so I feel your pain. Enjoy your weekend!

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  6. "Hi, Debbie! What did you do this weekend?"
    "Oh, I made 36 crotch towels."

    Anyone who thinks being a sports mom is all fun and games is crazy.

    Hang in there, girl. It's bound to get better.

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  7. I too watched PROZ and was happy with the win--it was a difficult decision, but the best one. I too dislike Kenley. My Husband loves PRunway also, and we thought at first that Kenley would be fun but she has turned out to possess an uneducated arogance with an unwillingness/inability to edit. She desparately needs speech therapy to rid herself of that terrible nasal tone in her speech, but most of all she needs to work on her character. She is perhaps the most MEAN SPIRITED we have seen in PR's history, openly laughing at other contestants while being judged in a manner that ridicules them. I do not like that at all.

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  8. Count me as one that will help with shoving Kenley out the door also. Initially I liked her too, but she has gotten so full of herself lately, and I really did not see what the judges did in her latest creation. I thought that lt. pink belt was hideous! And I agree with Patsijean, her nasally voice is really starting to grate. I haven't found anyone (personality wise or design wise) that I really like. PR OZ on the other hand, has much more interesting people , and I like them too!

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  9. Ah, the crotch towels of Fall. Hey, they're useful items and you sewed them. That totally counts.

    And people wonder why I don't make pants...

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  10. I'm so glad you explained what the towels were for - I didn't want to have to ask. :)

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  11. Leave it to a bunch of men to fail to understand that fabric with unfinished edges will fray in the washer! Well, you came to the rescue, and it had to feel good to get something, anything, done! I've been in a slump for weeks, too. It seems to happen in the fall, in my case because school gears up and business gears up for the 4th quarter. Good luck with the new jeans!

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  12. My sewing is about the same. I have only taken up a pair of jeans for DD since July! But I too have enjoyed PR Australia. Great finale and some gorgeous clothes! But of course, you do know that all Aussies are that sweet?

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  13. Completely understand! I haven't had any time for sewing the past two weeks because of school and/or community sports X 5 (4 kids but 5 teams), DD#1's job, back-to-school nights, etc.

    During times like this, I get my embroidery machine set up and let it do its job with some crafty kind of items. Makes me feel like I'm doing at least *something* sewing related.

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  14. Well, I miss you. I'm glad to see you blogging something. I have never seem Project Runway Australia. My DD and I will have to watch it. Count me in on pushing Kenley because she it so over the top.

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  15. Thanks for the thigh information. I believe I need this alteration too after finishing a muslin for my first pair of pants. I like the fit of the pant. However, when I move, the pants feels snug across my thighs.

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  16. The crotch towel sewing is the biggest laugh I've had in a long, L O N G time! thanks!

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Thank you for each and every comment. I appreciate them all, but I have to be honest and let you know that I'm usually bad about answering questions. I hope you understand that there just isn't enough time in the day to do everything I want to do.

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