• Yarn:
  • Warp – Noro Silk garden (1 ball)
  • Weft – Noro Silk garden (little less than 1 ball)
• Length: about 72″ (not counting fringe)
• Width: 5″
• Loom: 16″ Ashford Rigid Heddle Knitter’s Loom
• Dents Per Inch: 7.5

So after my hectic week of travel, work, and team training, I finished the week off with an all day weaving class at the new and wonderful Yarn Lady.

The class started at 9:30am although the other three students were already there and setting up. I on the other hand had no loom of my own so I was the lucky recipient of the teacher’s attention as an example for the class and received a lot of personalized assistance due to my need to finish the scarf by the end of class.

Despite all the help it still took me every available minute of the class to finish my scarf. Phew!

Our teacher was one of the best I have ever had and she infused the class with a wonderful energy of excitement and creativity. I loved her samples that she brought in and the enthusiasm she had in creating yarn pairing throughout the class to keep us thinking.

The new store was wonderfully decorated in a more contemporary fiber arts direction which definitely appealed to me.  Their selection has also improved greatly.  It has been a long time since I have wanted to buy yarn but this store struck a cord with me.  Resistance may be futile!

Through all of this I came away with a new fiber love. I haven’t been this excited about a new hobby since I learned how to knit. I fought the urge to buy a loom but kept checking patterns and sites for potential deals. It was obviously kismet because I found a great deal on eBay for the loom and stand. It came on Tuesday, oct 26 th but it took me until Saturday to summon up the time and courage to get it warped.  The warping had some issues because I picked the wrong dent reed which kept catching the slubs on one of my warping yarns.  After I finally got going, with only 24″ left, one of my warp strings broke and I cannot wrap my head around fixing it.  Guess I will have to wait for this Fridays social weaving to get some info from the ladies.  Until then I leave you with a picture of my first warping.

Talk to you soon!

My obsession with Cathrineholm has finally been satisfied to a sufficient enough level for me to refocus my obsessive nature back to decorating. However, the amazing colors have now saturated all areas of my creative mind and are popping up all over.  One direct result of this infusion of color is my new peacock apron. This apron is a combination of the McCall’s Vintage Apron 3979 and the waistband directions from the apron in In Stitches.

The fabric was one I have had in my stash for some time.  I loved it and wanted to make it into a skirt, but with just a little over a yard I knew that I was never going to fly.  So I waited for inspiration which came via my CathrineHolm pots and their combination of blue, green, and orange.  Through them I finally decided that my future fancy kitchen would need a fancy apron to don while making my culinary masterpieces.

Now I have already shown you my green and yellow pots but these are my latest and potentially the last additions to my set.

The blue set was an ebay buy.  I was lusting after a yellow set, but that went by the wayside.  Fueled with ebay adrenaline I spotted these and bid.  I am so glad I won these even though they were not my first choice.  I love the depth of color and the fact that they are helping me to expand into other areas of color.

I found this fondue pot at the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market in NY.  I bought it for 5 bucks!! There was a yellow pot there too but it was pretty beat up.  This find was the highlight of my NYC shopping trip!  It has a chip on the other side but for 5 bucks I was not going to get all indignant about it

BTW…thank you all for your wonderful suggestions for NYC! I didn’t have much time so a lot of sights went unseen but I will give you the lowdown via a future post.

]]> http://peacockchic.wordpress.com/2009/10/23/peacock-apron-cathrineholm-pots/feed/ 19 peacockchic Peacock Apron & Cathrine Holm Pot Peacock Apron Peacock Apron & Cathrine Holm Pot Cathrine Holm Pots - Blue Three pot set Cathrine Holm Fondue Pot http://peacockchic.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/week-in-chic-109-2/ http://peacockchic.wordpress.com/2009/10/09/week-in-chic-109-2/#comments Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:43:03 +0000 peacockchic http://peacockchic.wordpress.com/?p=1509 ]]>

Heh, just realized I jumped into the future last week as it actually said 10/9 in the title before I changed it

Anticipating… A great time in New Jersey/New York due to all the wonderful ideas!!  Thank goodness for blogs too because I just found out that I am going to NY on the first Yarn Crawl of the City!  I hope to visit a few while I am there but neither my mom or my aunt are knitters so I don’t want to bore them.  Between Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market, Housing works thrift stores (various locations), Purl Soho, and Mood that is a pretty busy schedule for only 1.5 days of shopping in NY.  The rest will be quality time with the extended family.

Oh and I still need some help with can’t miss NJ/NY food choices too.

If you know of any good places to eat near any of the locations I stated above please do tell.  If you have an eatery suggestion that is not near any of these locations but is so good I need to make the journey, please share that too as the schedule is still pretty flexible.

Loving… My new Cathrineholm pot…soon to be POTS!! I got my first one and the quality of this pot is fantastic!! So the fact that it looks gorgeous is just icing on the cake.    These are not show piece pots though so I will be scoping some recipes that call for dutch ovens so I can giggle to myself now that I actually have one.

Savoring… the new Fall-ish weather.  I love it when it is chilly but not bitterly cold and that time is now.  I am dreaming of stews, crusty bread, and knitting.  LOVE the fall.

Knitting… The Heathered Hoodie Vest.  I know I said that before but now I have proof!!  The yarn is so yummy.  I am loving this knit.

Sewing… some quicky projects such as my new reversible sewing machine cover.  I used some Orla Kiely tea towels I found at GW Consignment for $1.99, some fusible fleece, and some leftover ribbon I had from a gift.  Process: I fused fleece to orange side, trimmed everything up, sewed the sides with ribbon in seam, turned inside out, sewed bottoms together.  A few hours later and I had a quick cover for my machine that lives in the cabinet.

(Click for larger view)

I plan on making another fully enclosed cover for my portable machine and serger.

I am also feeling another Weekender Bag.  I have this great upholstery weight fabric from JoAnn’s that is just screaming to be a Weekender.  Better get out my oyster shucking gloves to fend off all the pin pricks.

Dreaming… about work and my co-workers which is a sign that I am really stressed out.  Hope this vacation gets me back into restful sleep.

Planning… some wallpaper DIY projects.  I got some wallpaper samples from Hygge and West.  One will be to decorate the inside of my sewing cabinet.

Here is what it SHOULD look like…kinda.

Also I got this great bird print sample that fits perfectly on a future jewelry box project.

Alright so it is time to get packing I will talk to you all soon!! Have a great weekend

Spontaneously… Traveling to New York!! Yup, booked a ticket to leave next weekend for a 3-4 day jaunt in New York…well New Jersey mainly with a splash of New York.  Having only extended family to visit, that leaves me only one full day of shopping on Monday.  Any suggestions for fabric, knitting, and thrift store shopping for good deals in New York? Please note my newest hobby is being on the hunt for great deals or highly unique items so kona cotton or $25.00 a yard places aren’t really my thing

Shopping…at GW Consignment.  Have you ever been?  It is a great place where buried treasure is just waiting to be found.  Oh yeah, some people know it as Goodwill   My mom turned me on to that renaming when we went GW shopping.  She is not a shopper but she shopped me under the table there…LOL! 3 stores later I was pooped and she slept on the way home LOL!

Obsessing over… CathrineHolm cookware.  Damn that design*sponge and decor8!! I had to have some and so ebay came to my aid with a new CathrineHolm pot and also led me to a yellow Dansk Kobenstyle pot.  Both can be put in the oven which I love.

Collecting… hobbies but specializing in those associated with old ladies…LOL!  I now sew, knit, cook, thrift, and hope to be weaving come the 18th.  If any of you know any OL hobbies I am missing please do tell so I can get started on them

Knitting… The Heather Hoodie Vest from the latest Knitscene in Navy Berrocco Comfort Chunky.  I started this knit because my minisweater sleeves are pissing me off.  I keep getting too many stitches and this is the second time I have knit them.  I had to put it away for later.

Sewing… nothing right now.  I do plan on making Burda 10-2009-135 this weekend though.  This unfortunately was the ONLY pattern I really liked in this issue and I sold off my August and September issue because they had NOTHING I liked.  I am bummed because this time is normally my favorite Burda season.  Hope our style compatibility has not gone sour.

Alright, hope to have some crafting for you soon!

Update: Ooops forgot that I actually DO have crafting to share!! I should post it as soon as me, my camera, and the daylight coincide again.

It has been five years since I moved into my apartment and in those years it has been good to me.  But if you have spent any time with me over the past few months you would know that I am over it and itching, jonesing, OBSESSING about moving.  I feel like the white walls of my boxy apartment are closing in on me and I need a release.  That release will come, I hope, in February when I move into a 2 bedroom apartment in Long Beach.  Now I have quite a few months until this dream materializes so in the meantime I am playing interior decorator as I gather little tidbits from magazines and scour all the DIY decorating websites.   I figures I would preserve these ideas and inspirations as well as chronicle them for future reference here on this old blog.  Now I will try and credit everything so that you all know where to find things and no one thinks I am taking credit for their great taste.

This was seen in Real Simple Magazine.  I love the colored peg board for my future craft room.  You did know that was the impending future of the second bedroom, didn’t you?

This was an excerpt from a 2008 issue of Martha Stewart magazine.  I like the way the clipboards are both functional as organization and decoration.

I have been lusting after this gorgeous color scheme – green with teal.  This is the Veranda Coverlet in Verde.  The Teal Rug is a kira Rug…way out of my price range though.  I was also wondering about how dark furniture looks with lighter hardwood and I think it looks quite nice here.

I have been thinking about making myself a three way mirror when I move and potentially decorating the backs if they are the cheaper thinner mirrors.  Here are the Stave Mirrors from the latest Ikea Magazine displayed just the way I was thinking.

Other Links

Design Sponge – Everything, Just EVERYTHING about his house is perfect. I am also a little obsessed with the red and turquoise color scheme too.

Design Sponge – Love the rug and the black frame with fabric inside

Design Sponge – Pretty DIY with wallpaper.  This company sells by the yard so I might buy some to spruce up my sewing cabinet

Decor 8 – Just so pretty and clean!

Design Sponge – Love the red and turquoise used.  The aerial view is to die for! and enough room for TWO sofas?!

Threadbangers – This whole DIY series made me happy!!

Craft Gossip – How cool is this?!  Too bad I got rid of all my slides.

So after a month of no blogging I am sure you were expecting more than just a five minute instant gratification project blogged from an iPhone. Given I do have other things to show you but for now I am being lazy and subscribing to the “better than nothing” clause. Plus I get to try out iPhone blogging

Fabric is a tea towel from the Danica Studios Aviary collection. Loved the design but was being cheap while visiting SF so I only bought the towel. Now I look longingly online but dread the idea of paying shipping. Good thing I still have the majority of the towel left. Probably enough for a little bag…we’ll see

Appreciating.. all the wonderful compliments you all have given as of late.  Although I have not gotten back to all of you, I do really love your comments.  I have to say that your comments are a large portion of why I do the things I do.  So thank you thank you THANK.YOU!

Beaming… over my absolutely amazing find on my new obsession Craigslist.  I had to drive 1.5 hours each way to get this sewing table but it was worth it.

The Rocketeer has already moved in!!  I do need to have the insert cut to fit the new machine but other than that it its perfect.  It was especiallyworth the drive because the sellers were moving my brother in law got a smashing deal on some golf clubs.  $2,000 worth of almost new golf clubs for $60.00!!! I also got a set of 100% Wool Felt Fat Quarters from Joann’s that use to be $50.00 for $5.97!  Hope this bargain shopping luck holds out!

Sewing… the finishing touches on my version of the Vogue 1086.  I would like to get some patterns traced off this weekend but laziness is already setting in.

Knitting… the fronts on my betty minisweater.  This is actually coming out nicer than I thought.  If this one works out I might actually make another in wool for fall.

Eating… nothing good and that is the problem.  I did get some fruit finally this week so maybe I can get back on track to some healthy eating.

Planning… my budget.  I have been pretty lax as of late with my spending so that needs to be reigned in.   The crafty gadget and fabric buying is a bit out of control, so I am planning to sort out my stash and try to think up a plan so that I keep my eyes in my stash and my cash in my pocket.  We shall see how that goes…

Anyhoo, another week done. See ya soon.

Pattern: BWOF 02-2009-112

Pattern Description: This shaped jacket with contrasting print is as classy as a fitted jacket and as sporty as a trench coat. The sewing pattern comes in petite/half sizes because this style is particularly suitable for shorter women.

Pattern Sizing: Burda sizes 17-21.  Increased to a 23

Fabric Used: Canary Yellow Stretch Cotton Sateen from Downtown LA

Notions Used: Buttons!

Pattern Alterations: Increased to a 23. Eliminated the buttons and buttonholes for the neck area.  Did not add belt loops.

The Good:

• I really love the color.  I am afraid of it much like I am afraid of white but I love it …LOL   Can’t wait till it cools down some to wear it.

• I had just enough of the main fabric to finish this jacket.  I had to use lining fabric underneath the flaps but it worked out well as it would have been pretty bulky otherwise.
• I like that it came in petite sizing already as that is one less step in my pattern adjustment checkoff list.

• Love all the details!
• My sewing pals helping me discover the paper towel buttonhole technique.

• Leaving out the buttonholes at the top.  This was yet another sewing pals suggestion as I will probably never wear the jacket like that.  However, if for some reason I did want to rock that style the flaps pretty much stay in place when they are tucked in anyway so it was a win all around.

• My buttons were super inexpensive!! Normally for me buttons cost more than the whole damn project…LOL…but for this one I found them at Joann’s and they cost me all of $7.00 for the lot.  Love it!
• Finally posting this jackets after it has been finished for AGES!!! LOL!

The Bad:

• Holy Cow is there a lot of topstitching!  That is what kept me from getting this done quicker.  What made it worse is I am quite OCD about my topstitching so it is slow and tedious and will be ripped if it looks crappy.  Thank goodness for the adjustable blindhem foot.

• Although I made a muslin, I was focused more on the sewing technique and should have looked a bit closer at the overall fit (and this picture! especially since I look hunchbacked, short, and wide.  I am not hunchbacked.  The rest…well…LOL!).    Although I have finally come to terms with some of my major adjustments like petiting patterns, I need to now focus on other details like back width, swayback, etc.  The back has some extra fabric floating around that should have been remedied since there are back seams and I could have petited further.  I also think I need to adjust for the width of my back as the sleeves seem ample length but pull a little when I stick both of my arms out.  Or maybe that is just the way it should be since only zombies walk around with both arms straight out all the time.  mmmm…braaaaiiinnnssss
• I used a knit interfacing due to the stretch in the fabric but should have used more stable woven interfacing as this did not NEED the stretch in the areas that had interfacing.  I just wanted the interfacing to be lightweight and not too stiff.  Must find proper substitute for this in the future.

The Ugly:

• I am really upset at how the front facing and jacket meet in the front.  Per Burda’s instruction I snipped the fabric where requested but it is exactly at the breakline for the facing.  I should have snipped a little inside to give it some stability and maybe even added some interfacing to give it some structure there.  It peeves me to no end as this was one of the last steps before the jacket was complete, but I will get over it…I hope.
• What is with the super tiny pockets?!  I was gonna redraft them but I was afraid they would be too close to the bottom of the jacket and might hang too low.  I often think of just cutting them off and having them be mock pockets and sew them closed.  I do like the flaps so i wouldn’t get rid of those.

Conclusion: Although I have quite a bit in the bad and ugly categories, I really do like this jacket.  Now I just need to get a years supply of Scotch Guard

Pattern: BWOF 07-2009-118 Dress

Pattern Description:A shirred bust section, a wide hem flounce, a halter-neck strap plaited from cotton tape – this dress of lovely printed batiste is irresistable and you will be too when you wear it!

Pattern Sizing: Burda sizes 34-42.  Increased to a 46 and again in hips to a 50.

Fabric Used: Lightweight cotton and silk from Downtown LA

Notions Used: 1/2″ Bias Tape

Pattern Alterations: Increased to a 46 and again in hips to a 50. Eliminated the bottom hem flounce.  Added 7 more rows of shirring from 9 to 16.  Used elastic thread instead of zigzagging over elastic.

The Good:

• Loved the Fabric.  I found this fabric in Downtown LA at one of the shops I frequent (name escapes me).  I had seen this fabric last season and wanted it then, but resisted.  When I went earlier this season I had seen a woman buying it and decided that I had waiting long enough.  Luckily for me he have a little over 2.5 yards left.  PHEW!!  This is definitely one of those fabrics I would have regretted NOT buying.  It is lightweight and so soft…I wish we had feel-o-vision as I would love for all of you to touch it.  It also have a lovely sheen that makes all the vibrant colors pop just that much more.

• Easy to make.  I had never done shirring before with elastic in the bobbin but it was quite easy.  I even wound my bobbin using the machine…shhhh don’t tell.  Actually the key was to skip the tensioning disc and instead go from the spool, through the first step as if to thread the machine and then to the bobbin.  This will give just the slightest tension and the machine will do the rest.  This is hard to explain but I will show a picture if anyone needs it.   The hardest part was braiding the straps, which was not that hard,  but did make my OCD flare up.  I have not braided in years, even then I only braided hair, and now we know just one more reason why I wear my hair o’ natural…LOL!

• Strapless bra again.  I mentioned with my last dress the strapless bra phenomenon at Chez Chic.  This dress was actually my first foray outside sans bra straps.  It was totally fine but I would have never worn this style without the backup safety plan of the halter straps.  The shirring was tight enough, but not for my liking.  Given my liking would have probably produce suffocation so halter straps prevented such a fashion faux pas

• Shirring.  Once again, easy and quick with great results.  I have some other garments in mind in with shirring involved.  Especially because I bought two spools of elastic and barely scratched the surface on the first spool.

• Straps.  Despite the fact that this drove me a little batty and finally required me to have a “good enough” attitude, I love the straps.  They are made out of folded 1/2″ single fold bias tape that you then make into 1/4″ by folding.  At first I was kinda mad as I was thinking “why didn’t Burda just say buy 1/4″ double fold bias tape?  But then I thought about the uneven folding of the tape and recanted…a little.  If you are not as OCD maybe trying the 1/4″ double fold bias tape would not be so bad.  After braiding I gave it a good steam to flatten them a little.  They turned out very nice and sturdy

The Bad:

• Not having a size A bra cup required the addition of shirring lines.  The pattern only called for 9 lines but that barely made it to the middle of my bust.  In the end I ended up with 16 lines of shirring but could have probably gotten away with 12-14 lines.  Either way, make sure to compare the front AND back lengths of the shirring to make sure it fits your bust.  Mine was a little too long in the back with the shirring that is why I say 12-14 would have been optimal.

• One of the main reasons I liked this pattern was for the front panel detail.  It is a little panel of the unshirred fabric with a piece of the braided strapping tacked down at the top and bottom.  Afterwards I realized a few things… The inside of the flat panel edges are unfinished and the braid piece likes to shift.  To solve this dilemma I tacked down the strap to the fabric panel and then did a loose slip stitch to tack the flat panel to the shirred bodice.  I think Burda should have told you this, but then again they don’t tell you to finish your edges either so I guess they thought we would figure it out.

The Ugly:

• I had originally intended for this dress to be a maxi dress as well.  However, while cutting I didn’t quite measure the length right.  Given I made the pattern exactly the same length as the 116 without flounce but it would have been nice to have yet another maxi.  I love this fabric so much that I saved the cut off portion and will be using it to line a little purse I plan to make.  Waste not Want not.

Sorry for the mispellings, grammatical errors, or rushed thoughts as I am babysitting today.  To anyone who knows me is looking incredulously at the screen right now and wondering if I have gone insane, however, I am still and auntie of 10 neices and nephews so I can babysit when in a pinch.  However, my family knows they need to mark their calendars as this is a truly rare and special day…LOL 

Summer is here and I have been itching to make some summer dresses, especially a Maxi Dress.  Enter Burda with the July issue and I was off and running.  With fabric in stash, this pattern was cut and sewn almost immediately upon receipt of the issue.  Although some BWOF devotees did not find the July issue inspirational, I am in LOVE!

Pattern: BWOF 07-2009-116 Maxi Dress

Pattern Description:The perfect dress for your dream vacation. It‘s long, flowing, sun-backed and colorful. Contrasting straps trim the plunging V-neckline, creating a pretty décolléte.

Pattern Sizing: Burda petite/half sizes 17-21.  I made a 23.

Fabric Used: Knit fabric found at M&L in the discount section.

Notions Used: None

Pattern Alterations: I increased the size to a 23 and then again at my hips to a 25. Took in the top portion of the bodice by 1″ and took off 5″ of length at the bottom. Did not use the suggested zipper in the side seam

The Good:

• Burda patterns are made for me.  They only takes minor adjustments unlike the Big Four patterns.  Although I had to take in the top portion of the bust area by an inch and flaring back out to the size 46 at the skirt connection point and shorten the pattern by 5″, I still call this a winner.   Just wait until I actually get GOOD at making these adjustments.  Then there will be no stopping my rampage through my Burda magazine collection.
• I love the fabric although the colors have been hard to match jewelry wise.  I got this in at M&L fabric in the discount bin.  The colors did not sing to be at first because Black is not really a color I love, but the border print was fantastic.  I wish I would have done a better job cutting the pattern out with the print in mind, but originally this was supposed to be a muslin.
• Maxi stylings.  Ok, I know that some fashionistas do not like  Maxi’s and especially dislike them on petite women.  However, I absolutely love the style and had to have it.   It just feels so comfy to me.  Probably because it is only a step or two away from being a nightgown…LOL!  Anyhoo,  I am hoping the abundance of  skin up top balances out all the fabric on the bottom half.  I tried to get the suggested day wear ankle length for my maxi but after 3 adjustments with the hem, I gave up so it is not quite as short as they suggest.

• Strapless Bra.  Ok people.  I am 32 and this is my first time sporting a strapless…LOL!! I just have a major fear of wardrobe malfunctions and the girls, if let loose, are probably liable to hurt somebody…LOL! However, this dress called for it and it is one of my 101 in 1001 goals so here I am!  I actually wore another dress out already with strapless stylings (soon to be posted).  This dress is particularly good because essentially the bust area works as a second bra of sorts.  SCORE!

• Super comfy.  Did I say that already?  That is because it is so true!

The Bad:

• Excessive Length.  I have already told you about the 5″ that I cut off, but I reiterate because this is a petite sized pattern made for 5′3″ women.  I am 5′3″ and 1/4 inch and the original length was dragging the floor.  I was especially sad because I cut the pattern with some really cute details at the hemline that had to be hacked off in order to make the dress wearable.  Ah well, still cute

• A little maternity in the side view.  Yup, kinda looks like I am a stubby stick from the side.  I probably could have adjusted the bust more at the bottom to have it cinch in the front a bit more, but then I think I would have needed the zipper to get in and out of it.  Laziness won over fit this time.

• The strap thickness is thinner than what is shown in picture.  I actually thought I made a mistake and kept looking closer and closer at the picture.  The models straps just look much wider than mine.  Once again, still cute, but not what I expected.

The Ugly

• While making this dress I decided to google “sewing with twin needles” where I came across an excerpt from Power Sewing.  While perusing the advice my eyes fell on a passage regarding sewing knit fabric with the blue banded twin needle instead of the red to prevent skipped stitches.  WHAT?  There is a difference?  Why yes!  So I went out and bought one at my local sewing shop, as Joann’s did not have them and/or I have never seen them there, and it sewed like a dream.  All inspired by the ease of it all I decided to attach my straps with the same needle.  One spool located thread snarl later and SNAP!  No more twin needle
• I adjusted the gathering in the front to be a little more gathered in the middle.  The original design was just a little bit of gathering and evenly dispersed.  I ended up getting a little bit of a weird gathering where the middle black part starts.  Nothing big, just a little personal pet peeve.

All in all, highly recommended so you better get started so you don’t miss the summer heat