Almost done - stuck on button choice

I'm almost done the blouse. The collar is on and I've tested some buttonholes on both machines to get the hang of them. The instructions did not call for interfacing the button placket and 3 layers of slippery fabric made the buttonholes really difficult. I tested a couple then added some wash away stabilizer to the back and they seem fine.


THEN while reading my Reader's Digest book on buttonholes, I thought the shirt buttons I'd picked were too small. I dug out my FabricMart buttons and tried to find another button to fit.



Below are 2 choices.

I decided on the dark ones to blend in. My dad thought the ligher ones since they stood out.

So, knowing I have a hard time picking things to match or complement, I'm looking for opinions.

There's a poll on the sidebar til Saturday morning. I'll make a decision by then. In the meantime, I'm going to let myself start on a PR Wardrobe piece even though this isn't done yet.

Please feel free to weigh in with your thoughts.

PR Wardrobe - Storyboard

A quick update to add a picture of the completed baby afghan - this is baby-sized, much smaller than I usually make. I like to make them big enough to move onto their beds once the babies have outgrown the crib.


I flitted around 6 or 7 different things on the 'to-do' list this weekend and didn't manage to finish the blouse yet - working on the collar now.

I did finish a baby afghan for a friend - which also takes a UFO off my list :-), or it will once I weave in the two ends and take the picture to post.


LOL - only as I was editing the picture to post, did I realize Alex snuck into the bottom of the picture :-)

Today was spent on my storyboard for the PR Wardrobe Contest. The fabrics were decided last weekend. This morning I dragged out all of my patterns and my BWOFs and started juggling them around.

Here is the result**



Three weeks ago, I started a new job in my company. It's temporary and I'll go back to my own desk in about 18 months but, hey, it's a good excuse for a new wardrobe !

** all subject to change of course :-)

FO's ! and a plan

I didn't (and won't) finish my 3 objectives this weekend, but I did get some things done and already know I'm going to ramble on - this is either going to be very long or I'll split it into multiple posts. (update - it's really long)

Let's go...

1) Update on J's sundresses

J loved her sundresses and it finally got warm enough for her to wear them sometime in August ! Mommy sent me some pics mid-month.

She's a sweetie pie - I'm glad she liked them :-)



2) Socks - objective 1, complete

Wendy Johnson's, Toe Up Socks with a Difference - Blue Bamboo

The 'difference' is the gusset is on the bottom of the foot rather than up each side. The stockinette stitch was too plain so when I started these for the 2nd time, I added a k2p2 pattern.

These were finished before we went on vacation at the beginning of August but the first one I cast off was way too tight. They were put aside until I could figure out how to do a stretchy-enough bind off.

Last week, I was on the bus and plugged into the 'ole IPod ! Lo and behold the most current Lets Knit 2gether podcast that I hadn't yet listened to (I'm way behind) was about binding off toe up socks - how freaky is that ?

So, my credit for finishing these socks is two-fold - 1) for Cat for the podcast and 2) for Peggy of socknitters.com for her stretchy bind off for toe up socks tutorial which was the one I used.

Now they fit and the bamboo is so soft, I can't wait to wear them !





3) Socks (SFTTU) - objective 2, complete

I bought a copy of Wendy Johnson's, Socks from the Toe Up (from now on SFTTU) -
this is a good link with a blurb of the contents of the book. This isn't where I bought it, but I thought it'd be better to post a link rather than copy/paste anything from the book

There are 23 patterns in this book, which include 3 'plain vanilla' patterns you can use to get started or change the toe/gusset/heel to your own preference or just to use if your yarn is too busy for a pattern.

I couldn't decide which one to start with. I like ALL of them. So, the decision was to start at the beginning and make them all, one at a time (yeah, then I started seeing commercials for 'Julie & Julia' LOL )

I cast on the first pair (Dead Simple Lace Socks) in the car about 15 minutes after we left on vacation, Aug 2 - I finished them today - never said I was quick. My swatch was fine but the end socks seem to be just a tad snug. They feel ok but the pattern is stretched more on me than on the picture in the book. S'ok, I'll wear them, but maybe size up the needle for the next pair.





4) May Mini Wardrobe - BWOF 02-2009-125 - objective 3, not completed :-(

This blouse is still not done. Progress has been made since my last update about it. The fronts, back & sleeves have been sewn together, the cuffs are on the sleeves, it's hemmed.

The front placket is pressed, needs to be stitched down and buttonholes added.
The collar needs to be done.

Not much, but could take forever ! I'm working on it.
The problem is, when I bought the fabric I saw the blue in it and really likd it. Now, all I see is the black and don't like it as well as I thought I would. Maybe once it's done, it'll grow on me.

Here it is as it sits waiting for me to get back to it.



I MUST get this shirt done, because................

5) PR Wardrobe Contest - I really want to do this, but I have to get the shirt finished or I never will.

The requirement for the contest are:
- 5 tops
- 4 bottoms
- 1 topper

Rules - one fabric must be a print, all tops must go with all bottoms, topper must go with everything

Timeline - Sep 1 to Nov 30

This afternoon I went through the collection, pulled a bunch out and took them out to the deck to match up. (I'm going to miss the deck once it gets too cold to do this, the natural light makes this part soooo much easier)

After a bit of rearranging, adding and taking away pieces that didn't 'fit' and mumbling to myself, this is what I've got so far (ignore the stickies, I had to mark them so I could put the ones I won't use back in their storage space) :



Technically, although there are the right number of fabrics, there is one missing and one extra :-)
There is no fabric yet for the topper. Probably going to have to be black.
The extra is either the blue or green knit on the top right.

The bottoms, from top to bottom -
- black tone on tone stripe - Fabricville
- black tone on tone check - Fabricmart, mystery bundle
- grey/olive stretch denim - Fabricmart stretch bundle (doesn't look olive to me, and it goes with all the others, so...)
- black/grey textured wool - Bouclair (I wrote boucle on my excel sheet, but don't know how to tell for sure - it wasn't labelled)



Tops, clockwise from the green -
- green cotton rib knit - fabric.com
- sky blue cotton rib knit - fabric.com
- burgandy interlock - Wazoodle
- red/grey poly knit - Fabricville
- red broadcloth - Fabricville
- black/blue print cotton jersey - World Sewing Center (Toronto)



Now, I need to do 3 things,
- decide on the patterns
- decide on a fabric for the topper
- decide between the green & the sky blue knit (I think they both go with the bottom pieces, but I REALLY like the green better even though it seems really out of place with the other colors) - opinions anyone ?