A Cool Medal and Warrior Pants

May 25, 2020 SewtropolisLeave a comment

It’s Memorial Day weekend – and I had no plans for camping or gathering with friends… so I sewed (for the most part). Saturday I participated in a Social Distance Run … except I walked because I haven’t exactly trained for anything these past few (8) weeks. I walked early while it was still cool and not a lot of people were out. I actually enjoyed the walk (urban hike) – plus I got a pretty cool medal for playing along.

I also spent time in my yard pulling weeds, studying and of course sewing! I’ve paused my summer sewing while I work on my lingerie/loungewear sewing. Now that I’m also going to school my time is very limited and I like working on smaller/shorter projects so that I still feel like I’m accomplishing something. I’ll share what I’ve made in the coming weeks, in the meantime I still have pieces I want to share from my summer wardrobe including these Warrior pants from GreenStyle Creations!

Can I just say I love these pants! I REALLY want the weather to warm up so I can add them to my summer rotation! (I’m still wearing jackets). I’ve had the fabric for a while so I can’t say where I got it with 100% certainty. It’s not quite the right fabric for these pants – it’s a little on the thin side, and not quite stretchy enough, but it works for my first try at these.

These pants are definitely not a beginner project mainly because of the the way the pockets are put in. I can’t even describe how it’s done…. just that I’m thankful there was a video tutorial I could watch to help me figure it out. I had to add about 2″ to the length (which I do on almost all my pant patterns), and it took some concentration to get the stripes to line up – both with the front/back… but also matching the legs themselves. it’s not perfect, but I’m happy with the outcome. I’ll definitely be making these again as soon as I have more time on my hands!

Stay Safe My Friends!

In the Garden · Projects · sewing

Stay Home or Not

May 17, 2020 SewtropolisLeave a comment

That’s right… the Stay Home/Stay Safe order has been ‘relaxed’ a bit here in Washington. There are still some things you can’t do… such as gather in groups or get a hair cut. But we have started on the path to reopening and I guess that’s a good thing. Personally, my life has not changed too much: I’m still working from home, getting my groceries delivered, and staying mostly isolated. For Mother’s Day I did treat myself to trip to one of the local plant nurseries (with a mask and practicing social distancing). I went for a hanging basket …. and found an Olive tree!

I was thrilled when I found it since Olive trees have special meaning to me as my Grandfather was from Kalamata, Greece… where they grow … you guessed it… (the best) Kalamata olives (in the world). Olive trees are also known as the “Tree of Life” probably because they can live hundreds of years (approx 500) – with the oldest one believed to be over 2,000 years old. (located on the Greek island of Crete) And now I have my own, which makes my heart smile every time I look at her. (of course I named her “Olive”)

As for sewing – I’ve been doing plenty of that. If you follow me on Instagram you’ll know that I’ve been sewing some undergarments (bras), which have turned out so pretty!

However, this week I want to show off this double layered skirt from Seamwork. This is the Everly skirt made with a crepe fabric that I picked up from JoAnns. Actually, I picked the fabric up to make a the first Almada robe for my trip to Greece last year. I had more than enough fabric left over so I made this skirt to match!

Putting this together was difficult for me… mainly because I don’t always read directions. When I realized I screwed up it was promptly tossed in the “I’ll finish it later” pile. Nine months later I pulled it out and mustered the patience needed to finish it. Actually, it turned out better than I anticipated and I’ll be adding it to my skirt rotation this summer!

Stay Safe!

In the Kitchen · sewing

Quarantine and Me: Week 8

May 3, 2020 Sewtropolis1 Comment

Hello and welcome to week 8 of the quarantine! Last week the Governor of Washington extended the Stay Home/Stay Safe order till the end of May. I have mixed emotions about it. I want people to be safe and for us to get to the other side of this pandemic with minimal casualties, but I’m also aware of the real consequences of people being out of work and unable to provide for their families. My hope is that once we are on the other side that things will change and the playing field will level out a little more (healthcare for all, living wages etc., etc.)

The highlight of my week was when I picked up my CSA box – the farmers had brought in extra boxes of apples, pears, asparagus and flowers – all for the taking! I grabbed a few extra apples and pears, and my CSA had a bunch of rhubarb, so I spent three days making Apple Butter, Rhubarb/Blueberry/Lemon jam, and Ginger/Pear jam.

Making jam is probably one of my favorite things to do – and having good jam on my toast can set the tone for the whole day!! This was the first time I tried my hand at these recipes, and I’m happy to report that they all turned out great! Especially the Ginger Pear Jam – I couldn’t get it too ‘jell’ up, but it got close enough. I’ve been eating toast with goat cheese and ginger pear jam for breakfast all week!

Onto sewing news: I made this Kimono style robe for my Florida trip. I set out to sew a curated wardrobe for that trip and this piece was part of it. I had the fabric in my stash for at least a year and decided to use it instead of buying more in my aqua/orange/gray theme for my curated pieces.

The pattern is the “Almada” robe from Seamworks Patterns. I made a similar one when I went to Greece last year and it was perfect for a swimsuit cover, or over a t-shirt when going to dinner – it was a very versatile piece for traveling. My sister really liked it and I ended up giving it to her when our trip was over. You can read more about the pants here.

As always – stay safe my friends.