S is for seamstress.

“I base my fashion taste on what doesn’t itch.” – Gilda Radner

Last July, I learned the basics of knitting socks. Long story short, I went from knitting scarves to knitting socks. And I’m talking about knitting scarves, just plain-ole knitting. No fancy patterns, no fancy stitches. Not even purl stitches! And I’m hooked. I can’t stop knitting socks. 

And here is my latest pair: knee socks to wear with my hiking boots. I’m using the toe-up two-at-a-time technique on all my socks, which is great because it avoids the “sock syndrome” of getting one done and the other one getting forgotten about. (The bits of yarn on the left side of the photo is all that is left over!)

So, sewing has taken a back seat. But, I’ve lost a lot of weight because of carcinoid tumors, which I wrote about in my joy and unconventional posts. My clothes don’t fit. So what to do, what to do? Dig into my overflowing (oops!) stash of patterns and fabric and make some stuff!

Never one to work a single project at a time, here’s what is “up my sleeve” for a spring sewing frenzy.

The blouse will be color-blocked from leftover pieces of multicolored fabric leftovers from another outfit. The leggings will be the solid fabric. Both are cut out and ready to sew, but they are gonna be a “bugger” as three of the fabrics are lightweight and very slippery and the solid is crinkled. Yikes!

The pattern front says "the 3-hour tunic." Ha! It took me about that time to choose the fabrics!

Can I call batiks “chintzy”? Well, these are! I think they came from the dollar table at Cloth World about a hundred and ten years ago. They are finally making their way into this African-inspired outfit. Again, this blouse and pants are cut out and ready to sew.

This Marcy Tilton design is a fun blouse that I’ve made a couple of times before. Marcy is a fabulous think-outside-the-box designer who does workshops around the country with another FTOTB designer Diane Ericson. The pants will be the mottled batik and the top, the multicolored batik.

These three pinks will become this shirt and reversible pants. Another great design from Diane Ericson and her mom, Lois. Lois died in January 2012, and Threads magazine wrote a nice tribute about her. Reading the tribute, I was especially touched by this:

Marcy Tilton tells us:

If you want to honor Lois, follow her lead.

Go into your studio and create.

Make. Invent. Teach.

Make. Invent. Teach. I say hallelujah to that, sister!

Early on, my mom taught me to make things (I inherited her 1958 Singer 401A sewing machine, and I use it all the time), and junior and senior high home ec classes helped my budding skills. Now, Threads and Belle Armoire magazines are my go-to sources for discovery and inspiration.

Being (a skinny) seamstress is awesome!

Talking about wearables…I just have to throw this one in: Did you know that only 2% of the clothes sold in the U.S. are made here?

Having time to sew means taking shortcuts elsewhere. Here’s one of many “dump dishes” I’ve concocted so I don’t have to feel so guilty when I sequester myself in the studio. Just dump a bunch of stuff in the crock pot and let ‘em simmer!

Chicken and cheap vino

chicken parts, skinned

small red potatoes, left whole and with skins intact

dried tarragon (start with a small amount—it’s pungent!)

small, cheap bottle of sweet, fruity wine

1 large can of cling peaches (packed in water)

In a crock pot, place chicken in the bottom, spuds on top, sprinkle in some tarragon, and cover with the wine. Set the crock pot on low or medium heat, and let mixture cook all day. A half hour or so before serving, drain the peaches and add them to the crock pot.

Serve with one of those prepackaged salads and a good loaf of deli bread, and you’ll be back to sewing (or knitting, gardening, scrap-booking, whatever your passion—you fill in the blank) pronto!

Long post. Sorry. I try to keep them under 500 words, but this one has 680.