Weekender Sunshine Top and Buy This Book

This is the Hot Patterns Weekender Sunshine Top. I've never made it before, so I used a thin rayon/lycra jersey knit in Vanilla, which is a little bit see through. (Also, that was the thread color on my machines, all I had to do was change to stretch needles to start this project.)

I like how it came out and I want to make it again in some darker colors. I have teal, brown, and lime yardage, all of which I bought from fabric.com a couple of months ago.

I probably should have read some reviews of this. The instructions had you apply the bodice and back to the neckline all as one instead of to just the top layer. I knew I wouldn't like that, so I serged the edge of the inner neckline layer and topstitched it down. A little tricky to do with such a stretchy fabric.

The neckline is a little bit lower and more open that I would like, so I think I'll shorten the front neckline piece a bit the next time I make it.




Go over to amazon and buy this book. This is a compilation of projects designed by my brother and his firm. I think I want to move into the Cabo Beach House right away. Really, it's gorgeous. Check it out.

Doily

I was planning on taking another photo of this doily against a dark background, but then I realized that if I waited to get that done, I'd never get a post up at all.

I don't really like doilies, but I love to make them. I get so sad going into a thrift shop and seeing them for sale for 50 cents and thinking about how much work someone did on them.

The pattern for this one came from a Leisure Arts Booklet, A Year of Doilies Book 5, and it's the design for May. They show it in yellow, with a Mexican fiesta theme. The thread I used is Aunt Lydia's Bamboo Crochet Thread in Zen Green. I find complete irony in the fact that such an old fashioned product as Aunt Lydia's has to get with the times and make an eco-friendly thread. (Worlds are colliding here!) That said, the resulting doily is softer and fuzzier than regular cotton and I think I prefer regular cotton.

I have no idea what my next project will be. I've been working over my strawberry patch this weekend, but not getting much done because it wears me out. Hope to have it weeded and fertilized by the end of the week if I work a bit each day. Planting tomatoes next weekend.

I'm having my book club over tomorrow night, so I'm trying to clean and finish reading the book, and think about food to serve. I'm choosing the next read for us, so I need to put some thought into that as well.

About the new job, probably the less said the better. The commute is taking the wind out of my sails, so I'm hoping to transition to work from home ASAP. My stress levels might return to normal and I may be able to sleep again, I hope.

I Sewed (But I Hate It)!

This is a top from the Spring/Summer Ottobre Woman. I know this isn't a great style for me, so I used my least favorite cotton voile that I ordered recently from fabric.com. The scale of the print is bigger than I realized, the top has way too much volume to be flattering. I have a few poly sheer print peasant tops I've bought from Target and other RTW places and they don't use so much fabric, I think.

Oh well, the fabric was a dream to work with and I loved the actual construction of the top. It went together great. I had posted a photo of it without the belt tie, but it was SO BAD. A muu-muu. . .

I've been working for three weeks now, commuting in every day while the kids are at school. I took this week off for spring break, but I think when I go back I'm going to request the work from home option, beginning as soon as possible. I don't want to have to buy any more work clothes or pack any extra lunches. I feel like my day will be so much better without the 1 1/2 to 2 hours drive time. I am in awe of people who do this every day. . .