Stormy Promises

 When I got home yesterday, I had a new gift for myself waiting on the front porch.  I'd ordered the new Workbook from Merchant & MIlls, a packet of 6 patterns.  I took a nice cold beer and the packet outside on a beautiful spring day to check it out.  
  The designs are simple and stylish, with interesting details.  Check it out here:  http://merchantandmills.com
I had a long day yesterday, and didn't trust myself to start anything, so I put it away for the night, after reading the workbook cover to cover.

 Yesterday morning, I finished the orange huck lace shirt, minus the buttons and buttonholes.  I had to go get the buttons this morning, but with a huge storm coming up, I only felt brave enough to go to the small JoAnn's in my neighborhood. I got some buttons that will work, but they don't excite me.  I might pause a little while before I add them, in case I have time to find some sassier buttons.

 So, after a good night's sleep, I tackled the new patterns.  They have to be traced onto pattern fabric, because they're printed on both sides, and sometimes, they're printed in each other.  Many years ago, I bought an entire bolt of pattern fabric, so I was equipped.  It made me chuckle that the instructions say to use "tins of beans" to weight the cloth!  Well, I only had two tins of bins, and had to use tomatoes and tomato paste!  






They worked fine, and I got two tops' patterns cut out.  I don't know if you can tell that the bottom photo is of some pale green linen being cut into a cute wrap top.  I also have some yummy pale yellow linen that I want to cut out, but I want to make sure this top fits first.


A long time ago, I blogged about cutting out this embroidered stretch cotton top, a design by Claude Montana, a pattern that I bought in 1999 in Kalispell, Montana!  It's a long, slim tunic, with a zipper in the front instead of buttons.  The fabric is gorgeous, but I made the mistake of cutting out the back too close to the selvedge.  There was a blank space, about four inches wide.  I started working on this yesterday, saw the mistake and put it aside.  I slept on it overnight, and decided to cut a triangle to applique over the top of the naked spot, because the front has top stitched darts that echo the triangle.  I like it fine, and have moved on, putting the zipper in the front.  I got to the point today where I needed to top stitch the zipper, and it was beyond my afternoon mental capacity.  
  The storm never fulfilled its potential, and it's even clearing up.  I would love to go get some shrubs for the side yard, and will post about them next week!