Medley of knit tops

For months and months I had a Burda PDF pattern hanging on the wall of my sewing room. I bought and downloaded the pattern on a whim ages ago. I even taped it together and added the seam allowances, then set it aside. A while ago I was trying to figure out how to deal with PDF pattern pieces, particularly these that consist of taped together paper. Folding them up is just not a good option since they take up so much space and get all crumpled. The best storage for me is to hang them up somewhere so I generally punch a hole through the stack, tie a ribbon there and then just stick them on a hanger. One day I was looking at the big sliding closet doors and thought "usable space" so I stitched up a big fabric rectangle, mounted it on those 3M removable hooks and now I have a great space to keep PDF patterns our of the way and still available, plus no wrinkles or curled paper. Its basically a big fabric bulletin board.

Thus this space is festooned with a constant rotation of patterns, yet this one t-shirt pattern sat there, unused and fading into the background. Then one day I was looking for something else and actually noticed it. Interesting! So here it is.  This fabric is dreamy... I got it at Stone Mountain this past summer. They might still have it and I had to restrain myself from getting all the color options.  

Here is the info from the Burda website. The pattern is Burda 02/2013 # 126, here's the link to this short sleeve version, I took the photo from the long sleeve version as the model is wearing a jacket which obscures the cute sleeve detail.  Super cute, huh?  I love a t-shirt that has some interesting detail.




And you have seen me wearing this one - on my New York trip back in October.  At Eately, the great Italian food market and restaurants. I was thinking of them today as I spent the morning baking Panettone, theirs smelled delicious and I almost bought one when I was there.



Actually before I made the blue stripe version I made a quick test version - as I had bought this fabric also at Stone Mountain. They now have all kinds of bargains upstairs so $ 3 per yard, I bought a bunch just for knit experimentation. Consequently I will have an array of this color in my upcoming wardrobe 😉.



More random knit tops, I had this fabric which I bought in SF at Fabric Outlet (which is the actual store which operates Cali Fabrics). It is almost a tissue weight knit. Maybe not really suitable for my usual stuff as it is really thin and I prefer a bit more heft in knits. But I wanted to try out this pattern in a knit fabric. Not sure it is successful but I will wear it around the house.  This is New Look 6374, my previous version was in silk.



And then I still had more of this fabric so I tried out the Presto Popover top from Naughty Bobbin patterns (formerly Savage Coco) which was gifted to me a while back when I had the pleasure of meeting her in person. This is a good layering piece and I like a top to be really snug around the back of my neck (short hair - always chilled there) so I stitched the center front up as high as I could with still being able to pull it over my head. So now it has a bit of a keyhole effect and is a good layering piece under a fleece jacket or a sweater. As designed the sleeves were a bit long for my extra short arms but I like the effect so I just left them that way. Also after I saw this picture I decided to shorted the top a bit and I can't remember if I lengthened it when I cut it out.



Onward to the next one, which is this color block top/dress pattern from Burda. I had the burgundy color sweater knit leftover from this top. I bought this Burda pattern thinking I can use it for refashioning some old cashmere sweaters.





The pattern envelope - it does have potential. You can see I used only two colors instead of 3 as they show. Also I put a t-shirt style binding on the neckline, in the pattern envelope they have it as a faced neckline. The grey fabric is a knit I bought at Joanns, surprisingly nice. I actually like the fit better of a different Burda raglan t-shirt pattern that I have, which I have made a number of times. (here and here.



Don't let that hazy sunshine fool you - we are having rain, YAY!  and it is such a treat.
I had a small piece of fabric remaining, so I made a scrunchy turtleneck accessory which I can wear with this top - very handy.



And just one more knit, this one is a pattern mashup. The same knit fabric as the first one in a different color way. I think there is a pink also - I might need that. Anyway - the body of this top is McCalls 7046 which is a surprisingly well fitting t-shirt, with or without the side gathers. But I included it because it is kind of interesting. Although I have realized that this type of shirt needs to be close fitting around the waist/hips or it just looks sloppy. And then the cowl neckline is a slightly reduced version of the Sewaholic Renfrew neck grafted onto this McCalls top.



I did make another version of this frankenpattern last year from a very cosy knit and I wear it a lot.
Here's the previous version of this top, sewn about 1 year ago.  I love to do the stripe matching on these t-shirts. Hey everyone needs a hobby!



Ok that's the latest on knit top sewing, next up I might sew up a shirt from one fabrics I bought in NY.

Last year at the very end of winter I finished this Burda shawl collar jacket and posted one quick look at me wearing it - well I wanted to say that I wear this jacket ALL the time. It is so cosy and warm.



Plus this jacket has one of my favorite features, in the seam buttonholes. Something about that always appeals to me. In fact - my current project has that very feature. Stay tuned :)

Up next - the project that is in the works, and a crack at some of those fabrics from NY. And a good amount of holiday baking. As mentioned above, today I made my first panettone. Which was surprisingly good. A few more practice rounds and I think it will be great. If I do say so myself!

Happy holiday sewing,
Beth

and in the garden, my latest obsession. Succulents. Which are perfect for our climate and super interesting once you start to dive into all the info available. More to come of these.

A skirt, a top, a dress, with a tropical theme

It is safe to say there are some tropical or novelty prints that I find irresistable. Particularly palm trees, or as demonstrated earlier this summer, pineapples. Also I really like Girl Charlee fabrics, they hit my sweet spot of colorful, not too pricey, lots of prints, stuff I don't see in local shops and all around cheerfulness in their array of fabrics. I do find their emails baffling, what is a Knit Fix? OK - please don't answer, I don't need to know. But I have adjusted my email preferences so that I don't get every one of their promos. I guess it is some type of sale where you get a big bundle of fabrics without choosing what is in it, and then people sell/trade for the ones they want.  I suppose it works well but I don't need to get any fabric suprises, the stuff I already have is enough of a suprise. Evidenced by me looking at my fabric closet and wondering when I ordered that and what the heck was I thinking of making?

To get to the point - I ordered a number of things from Girl Charlee over the summer and have sewn up about half. They are pretty much summer fabrics,(** see footnote) or at least not fabrics I would choose in winter. So the remainder is put away for next year and here are the results for the ones I did decide to cut into.



That photo appeared on my Instagram during the SewPhotoHop and got a lot of love. It is my beloved Vogue 1247 with a little modification to the hem because it seemed a little plain. As plain as a denim skirt covered with dancing pineapples could be.

This photo is a little bright and I did not wear my shirt tucked in but wanted to show the V1247 in all its  splendor, ha ha.




Here it is on is the dress form.  I did lengthen the pattern as I usually do, and then also made it with my "no waistband" modification. Just cut a facing using the top of the skirt. I like a clean finish at the top of a skirt with no waistband, also then it doesn't come up so high at the waist. Although in that photo above it does - I think because that top is kind of a bulky knit. another reason not to tuck in.
I have now made this pattern 4 times with no end in sight. Here is the link to my first "no waistband" version with all the details.  A key to that turning out well is stabilizing the waist, and I don't think a seam binding is enough, needs some interfacing.

As for the hem, bias binding was fine for that. To get the round edge I just played with drawing on paper until I had a curve that would look good. Cut out the skirt as normal. left the bottom of the side seam unsewn, chose where the hem would be and then trimmed the curve sections using my paper template. Easy peasy :)



By the way, I was out to dinner when in Hawaii and the hostess at a restaurant looked down at my skirt and squealed - OMG, your skirt is so cute - it has pineapples on it.  Yep it does :)

Second item in my summer of Girl Charlee is this tunic top I made for my mom. I saw these black and white palm tree prints all over this spring and summer in the fashion collections so I was really happy when I saw it on their website. This fabric is a rayon woven and I was pleasantly suprised at how nice it is. Sews beautifully. I did pre-shrink. Very light and floaty but not see-through.



The pattern is my trusty self-made pattern, which I started by copying an existing tunic top which is also my mom's. My first post was back in 2012 and then last summer I made one for myself, 
I also did a 2-part post on Craftsy which details exactly how to make a tunic top from a shirt pattern - which I think is good - if I do say so myself :)  So if you are interested in creating a tunic top pattern here are the links to part 1 and part 2.

I love a good black and white item but somehow needed the proverbial "pop of color" so I used bias tape to make the edging. And glad it did, it just needed an extra something. Also it was slightly too low cut so I added the horizontal piece in the center of the V, which we will call a design element!



Peek at inside because everyone likes to see that. I sew the sleeve edges on from the inside, flip to the right side and then topstitch down, which results in a nice clean finish on both sides. I think all that is described in the Craftsy posts.



Now last and perhaps least. I am not going to model this one - you will have to take my word that it fits and works well as a beach dress/swimsuit coverup. But maybe this fabric is just a little bit weird.  I'm showing you the side view because look how nicely I matched the stripes on this weird fabric.



and even thought it is a beach coverup I still made a neckline facing - using some recycled white t-shirt fabic. Because on a lot of knits using bias tape is too stiff and just gets misshappen. Plus facing is just as easy (easier to me).   and then lastly - a closeup shot. I looked at this fabric for quite a while before I cut it out and decided that it didn't have an up or down. THEN sitting on the beach watching the palm trees wave in the tradewinds I realized that yes - this fabric does have a vertical direction. and I got it wrong!


          

so now I feel like they look like spiders, not palm trees. Oh well............pass me another mai tai.

Mentioning Girl Charlee again, my previous dress was their fabric also. And thank you everyone who commented on that dress. I appreciate that you have my sewing satisfaction in your hearts. And will say that I don't feel as bad about the dress as I think was perceived. I do like it and I think it is one of those things that looks much better in person, the colors look better and the skirt moves nicely. The hem is a bit long and uneven but as I said, that will be dealt with come springtime. Quite a difference of opinion on the pockets - some said to get rid of them. Noooo! the pockets are maybe the best part, love a dress with interesting pockets.

** Footnote.  I called the stuff we sew Fabric. And always do a double take (auditorially) when I hear Tim Gunn say on Project Runway  "what are you planning to do with that Textile?"  Do they never say fabric in the academic side of the fashion world? It just sounds funny to me and I wondered if anyone else noticed it.

Speaking of TV - well I am speaking of it. I LOVE the British Baking Bee which is airing on PBS here now. I could have watched it on YouTube I suppose but it's just easier to watch weekly and then I can catch up with friends/family members who like to chat about it. NO spoilers please. and No idea which season it is. But WOW the stuff they have to make is so difficult, and in the time allotted. I am so nervous for them watching it. and hungry sometimes. anyway - a fun diversion.

Onward to new things grabbing my attention. I just taped together the pdf of a Burda jacket mentioned recently. And about to start on a dress for Heather using some of her Mood Fabrics. Using a Burda envelope pattern which I have never seen sewn up - for a wrap dress that has a difference and I can say Burda LOVE!   Highly recommend. Burda 6946.  Expect raves when I post. Great pattern.

Happy weekend sewing,  Beth

garden photo is from Hawaii.

T-shirt perfected: using Jalie 2805

A t-shirt perfected. Maybe not perfect - although it did come out nicely.  I guess I am thinking that in terms of fit and shape, I have perfected this type of t-shirt for me. Mostly due to a bit of redesign on the neckline.



and a small delight in the results of the binding on that v-neckline. Which I played around with a lot as I was cutting the pieces. To get that satisfying juxtaposition of stripe and color.  This is perhaps the embodiment of a perfect fabric to me. Graphic, angular, predominantly blue, aqua, white. with a touch of black to make it wearable with a lot of other separates. It might seem to bright for many but you know my love for vivid prints. PLUS it was on the half-off shelf at Stone Mountain recently so a nice quality rayon jersey knit top for about $ 10. Score!



Also satisfying, the way the print layout is kinda sorta centered and yet not. Perhaps balanced is the right word?  Or maybe I am reading too much into it. But really - I think that often the success of a final garment is due entirely to some serious thought, concentration and planning when cutting out. There are many times when it actually takes me longer to cut out than sew an item.  And cutting out is my least favorite part of sewing (probably also for most people). Grain - I am a bit of a fanatic. Completely flat - no wrinkles. Pattern placement if a print. For stripes and plaids, checking and double checking. Yeah, all this can be super tedious but pays off in the end.



Getting back to t-shirt perfected.  I highly recommend this pattern which is Jalie 2805. If you sew for yourself and other people - such as small people:) then the value in these Jalie patterns is incomparable. All sizes from small kids through women's size. 4 different necklines, including a turtleneck and the instructions for the V-neckline are so simple and yet result in a perfect binding.

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Also once you get the fit down you can riff on the pattern by changing all kinds of things, neckline width, color blocking, etc.
Which brings me to the changes made. I originally made this pattern back in 2012 (here is a link to that post). And while I really like the original version I wanted the neckline to be a bit more open.
I have this t-shirt which my sis gave me ages ago, from a little boutique in Kailua (Oahu) this is no longer there (sad tears, I bought so many cool things there, t-shirts, swimsuits, sandals and when it closed I was so bummed).  Anyway...the neckline on this v-neck t-shirt is just right for me, not too low but a little lower than the Jalie, a bit wider and slightly rounded.  (note I am not super crazy about the strangely abbreviated sleeves on this t-shirt - and I have another copy in turquoise where the sleeves are a bit more normal shaped). So I decided to copy the neckline of this shirt and apply it to the body of the Jalie top. Because why not? And the Jalie pattern actually facilitates this because the way they fit all the versions on their pattern pages is to separate the tops from the bottoms rather cleverly, so the top portions are interchangeable with the bottom pieces. If you have made a Jalie than you know what I am talking about.
One tiny note about fit: I found the sleeves on the Jalie pattern to be a bit skimpy and I am not particularly broad in the back or arms so to counter that on my chosen Jalie size which I think was U, I added 1/2" width on the back pattern piece at the underarm tapering that away by about 4 inches down. and then added 1/2" extra on the sleeve back to match which alleviated that tightness at the back/underarm area. Like any pattern it needs fitting but once you get it squared away it is a workhorse.



How to copy the neckline? Here is a picture I have that shows a quick and easy method. I think I used this photo on a Craftsy blog post. Wax paper is such a great tracing medium for things that are flat like a t-shirt and you cannot beat the see-through-ability of it.



So that's the scoop on V-neckline t-shirts. Also the neckline binding - I have to admit that I don't use any of the pattern pieces. I just decide on the finished width I want, cut the binding on the cross grain of the knit fabric, fold, press and then baste it on. Yes - I said baste. Machine baste. One of these days I will have to do a post in praise of basting.  Which I don't often see mentioned on sewing blogs but I baste a lot. How else can you check fit and adjust? Or maybe its just that no one mentions it. But I think the former - not done and you should try it :)
Back to the t-shirt neckline, I use the Threads Magazine video method. I have linked to this before and if they ever take down this video I will be bummed as it is the best explanation I have seen for this technique. Plus no pattern piece required!

Realizing I had no photo of me wearing this t-shirt I took this one using the timer feature on my iPhone. Which actually works pretty well. Even though this is kind of a dorky photo. And you can see my bookcase with that big fat copy of Wolf Hall with the red dust cover - probably the current number one "not read" book on many bookshelves. I bought that hardcover at the library $1 sale so low investment and I since I read stuff like that when traveling a gigantic hardcover book is never going to make it into my travel bag. What was I thinking? Oh well. Save it for a rainy day. (ha ha, rainy days are for sewing!)  And I am wearing my Vogue 1170 Rachel Comey skirt in green corduroy.  Which has turned out to be a better wardrobe mix-and-matcher than I would have predicted. (also the black dotted version - nice to wear with a solid top)



Summer sewing in full swing, I am just finishing a dress for Heather using her first Mood fabric (pattern is Vogue 8787, a really nice pattern that is for wovens but I have made the cowl version in knit twice and it is great,  blog post and pics to come with some fitting info).
And some summer and pre-vacation sewing for me. The usual collection of slightly ridiculous tropical prints...hey whatever makes you happy, sewing-wise, right?

Happy summer weekend, Beth

Today's SunnyGal garden photo, these are miniature roses and this plant receives no attention but like most of my roses keeps on blooming.

One More Time - a new series, starting with Vogue 1351 dress

Recently I noticed that my personal sewing queue for the next few months is going to be items using pattern repeats, mostly Vogue with one or two others for good measure. So here is the start of a series on pattern repeats I'm calling "One More Time" with some info on fabric choice and incorporating what I learned from the first versions.

Last week I made two dresses using Vogue 1351, a Donna Karan Designer pattern I first made last summer. This is one of the simplest and prettiest patterns to come out in the last few years. I am  surprised that it didn't get the praise in the blogosphere that was heaped upon its cousin Vogue 1250, a pattern with some similarities from the very same designer. I have made both and declare V1351 superior (are those fighting words? - I don't mean it that way).

The reason I made two of these dresses is because after I finished my first one I set about sewing up another with fabric from my stash and chose a color that just wasn't me. Probably why it was sitting in my stash unsewed. Anyway recently I brought it to my friend Michelle who is the same size as I am and sometimes the recipient of my sewing. (Click these links to see: Dress in brown polka dot, scroll down to see a Renfrew top and the best winter knit top ever, the marine blue one.) She loved it. Loved it. Next day she called and asked if I could make two more! Lucky girl, she and her family are setting out soon on a summer sabbatical in Europe, so knit dresses that can be smooshed in the suitcase are perfect for jaunting around various countries. (although she reads this blog and thus I will clarify that she is quite tidy and never smooshes anything in her suitcase, that person would be me!)

Now a little analysis. The floral dress on the left is an ITY jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics (fabric). It was a lot more stable than I expected, with only stretch on the crosswise grain. The black and white scroll print on the right is a rayon jersey with 2-way stretch, bought last year at Joann Fabrics just because I thought it looked like a good basic.

The previous versions I had sewn using this pattern all had been with jersey that stretched both ways. To my suprise I think the floral ITY with the crosswise-only stretch worked out the best. The rayon jerseys are very stretchy, and since this dress is cut on the bias they want to pull down even more. The slightly more stable fabric holds its shape better and due to the inner lining holds the wearer in a bit too. My impression is that these Donna Karan patterns are genius with their knit linings that create smooth lines underneath it all. The queen of those patterns has to be V1159 which I made a few years ago for another friend. That dress has a magic spanx-like knit lining that totally holds you in but is very comfortable and supports all the draping and pleating. 

Here is the first version I sewed from this pattern, blogged here. 

Above I mentioned that I like this pattern more than the V1250 which is also deceptively simple and works beautifully in knits. I prefer this one more because it has full length side seams (the V1250 has a wrap around skirt portion that makes it less easy to alter for fit.) Also this 1351 skirt is cut on the bias and slightly a-line so falls very nicely in most any fabric. It also can be made in a woven and would be gorgeous in a printed silk charmeuse. 

Here is the pattern envelope and a look at the inside lining which keeps the cowl neckline in perfect position.

The purple version was too big  - really too long in the bodice and I had to take it up at the shoulders a good amount, almost 3/4" front and back. For these versions I folded out 3/4" from the back bodice across the upper back, and figured the shoulder seam would settle wherever it needed to. I also raised the armholes about 1/2" on both front and back pattern pieces. When I sewed the dress I ended up using a 3/4" seam at the shoulder so all in all the changes worked very well. 

So that is my first pattern repeat of the spring/summer. Some others on my to-sew list are things you can  probably predict, but there are one or two that may come as complete suprises. I should never say never!

Last week it was almost 100 degrees F here, very unusual for May and a perhaps scary predictor of the summer to come. Although that does motivate me in the summer separates sewing category. Maybe even a swimsuit. 

Happy Sewing,  Beth

Today's SunnyGal garden photo, an orange old-fashioned rose that probably been here for 30+years? Precedes me by a long while. It puts out these simple roses mostly in early spring and loses a bit of steam when the summer heat comes round. I keep it because the color is yummy and ekes out just enough blooms to retain her spot. 

New Year, New Look 6150 wrap knit top

It has been great to read the "year in review" posts recently, the success and failures, the plans for 2013. I thought about doing a post like that, but I am not much for retrospection and 2012 is history. The weather is grey and gloomy here, just right for a bit of hibernation, lots of fabric browsing on the web and some serious weekend napping. I have kept to one of my resolutions of 2012 which was to make separates. Enter New Look 6150, a multi-version pattern with a T-shirt and wrap shirt style with sleeve variations. The relevant word here being variations as I have now made this top four times in the last few weeks.
First version is this one, not sure about the fabric, I think it is a bamboo knit I ordered ages ago from Fabric.com. True confession time  - I made a mistake on this one. The front of the armscye seemed to have too much fabric, and the shoulder sleeves tilted to the back which I thought was a problem with the pattern draft, but making it again showed that I had cut the wrong line in that area on the multi size pattern, so that section was a size 16 and all the rest was a 12. No wonder it was a bit wonky in that area!

Next version was a holiday present for my pal Michelle, who is very near my size and thus the recipient of a few of my creations. (I made the brown polka dot version of this dress for her last year). This is a sweater knit - maybe some kind of acrylic that I got from FashionFabricsClub.com. Sort of a strange fabric and it sat in my stash for a while but it made up as a very lounge-wear type of top and kind of cozy. I like the dusty teal blue and it makes me think this pattern works with slightly thicker knits instead of very thin ones. 

Next version is this grey stripe one for my friend and frequent photographer, Alice.  She bought this fabric more than a year ago when we went to Happy Stop fabrics in Oakland. (a strange little shop where the fabric finds are totally hit or miss). This one was a hit and I think this top feels best in this fabric. It has a bit of body and stretch, I think it is a remnant from a manufacturer of high-end activewear. Ok, I will say it - I am very proud of that stripe matching! front, back, sleeves, neckline.  Let me take a moment to admire my work......... enough, moving on.  This version is a bit longer as she is taller than I am and it is not finished, still need to hem.  I had my doubts when looking at the fabric, thought it would be too much, but once I started making it I decided I do like the stripes very much.



Last version, again for me, in a rayon knit from Stone Mountain fabrics. This one is actually quite thin and drapey with the front armhole sized correctly.

A couple of construction notes, here is a look at the inside. I don't see the need to finish that inside edge of the neckline. If it was folded and sewn then the thicker edge would show through the right side and I really dislike seeing lumps and bumps under fabric. Even if it is serged then on a thin knit it shadows through.  I don't think the sewing police will come and check to see if all my edges are finished.

One question I have is on pressing knits. I probably had the iron a bit too hot but check out the mark on the center back seam, I pressed it on the right side and got that. Consequently I did a lot of test ironing on fabric scraps with this fabric and most all of them got this shiny press mark. Even when pressing on the wrong side I got that mark sometimes, creating a shadow of the seam allowance. I don't like that!

I think these rayon or bamboo knits in solid colors are a bit fussy - my only previous experience was a printed knit that probably obscured any press marks.  

I made this turquoise top in early December and it has been my most worn item recently. Layers under sweaters, fits under a blazer, casual or dressy.  Sewing satisfaction!  Shown here with my Sewaholic Thurlow trousers. I made these pants as a test version from an old denim tablecloth that someone gave me. I wanted to retest the pattern as I had originally made a size 10 and decided that was not at all right. So I started with a size 6, much better. Now I am sorry I used this goofy thin non-stretch denim as I have a just about perfect pair of trouser jeans. I think I will experiment with this pair and try to make them into some straight leg ankle length pants for summer. By the way, I have just finished the Craftsy pants fitting class with Sandra Betzina and I highly recommend. Lots of good information and tips.

Here is a link to my Flickr set with all these wrap tops.  I think that is is for this wrap version for a while, but I did buy some fabric for the other version so that will be coming soon.

And now I think it is time for a little rainy day nap.   Happy sewing, Beth

Vacation wrap-up featuring Jalie 2805 T-shirt

Is summer really over?  The calendar says so but I think we can pretend for a few more weeks. Still sundress and shorts weather, at least in the daytime.  Recently I have been playing around with t-shirt variations and I made a couple of variations of the Jalie 2805 T-shirt.

There was about 3/4 yard remaining after I made the t-shirt so I made a basic pull-on skirt and turned this one into a beach outfit. I am here on a slightly overcast and very windy day at Kailua beach, very famous for kiteboarding, so windy is good! 

I actually made 2 versions, the one on the right is my first version made using an oddball fabric from my stash that seemed useless - but was perfect for a practice t-shirt and has been worn a lot. The first version (white print) has the neckline as designed on the Jalie pattern but it seemed a bit high in the back to me, at least for a summer tee, so I changed the neckline on the second version based on a RTW t-shirt I have and it feels better to wear. 

    

Here is the pattern envelope photo, and a look at the center front of the V.  The pattern purchase is worth it for the info on how to make this section of the garment, plus the fit of these Jalie knit tops is so good.  Yesterday I had a light-bulb moment and realized I could use my traced out Jalie pattern as the starting point to make a Pattern Magic top - so hopefully I will get to that soon.
Since I changed the neckline I ditched the neck band pattern piece and used the method detailed in this Threads video. It works fantastically and is so easy! For the V-neck it takes a little modification but worked just as well.

I see a knit t-shirt mania in my future. Yesterday I was in Nordstrom and thought "I could make that" "they want $ 90 for that?"  The curse of the sewing fanatic, a lot of RTW starts to seem ridiculous.

Now for a little vacation wrap-up and PR for the island of Oahu.  Many vacations plus over the years several family members have lived there so I have been lucky enough to spend a lot of time in the state. I have traveled to all the islands but my favorite is Oahu. Perhaps I am a bit defensive as most people who go to Oahu see only Waikiki beach which is beautiful in its way but a huge tourist destination with all that comes with that. The city of Honolulu is vibrant, interesting, crowded in parts, lush and quiet in parts, and has all the pluses and minuses of a large city, albeit one that is situated in one of the most beautiful places on earth. The island of Oahu has a huge variety of things to do, fantastic beaches all over the island, every kind of water sport you can think of, and the food is fantastic. (fun for a N. Calif. foodie like me!)

Here is picture I took during an early morning walk on Kailua Beach. Now I am convinced you can get a good photo with an Iphone. Same spot as the first photo in this post with a bit more sunshine. Windward Oahu, the east side of the island. Kailua and Lanakai beach are really all one long beach, and both have been #1 on the Dr. Beach list of best beaches (for beach maniacs like me this is important news!)


And a look in the other direction.  A beautiful beach in a quiet little town (and the place that President Obama vacations with his family when he is home in the islands).  Click here for look at the local support for our president.

Near the end of our vacation, we were on our way to one of our favorite restaurants (Town in Kaimuki) and I joked that we hadn't seen any of our favorite local celebs and that maybe we would see someone at this restaurant.  My family is/was obsessed with the TV show Lost - of course we were, it was entirely filmed on Oahu. I will never know why I started watching that show as I rarely watch continuing drama type shows but for some reason I saw the Lost pilot episode and stuck with it for the entire show. To this day I still think about it and the themes they convered. If you watched Lost then you will know what I am talking about.  Say it and they will come!  In the middle of dinner in walked Daniel Dae Kim, from Lost and now Hawaii 5-0.  He was seated at the table next to us but we maintained our cool.  More proof that Honolulu is a big city/small town.  (For you Lost fans, check out this link to my Flickr with some photos I took ages ago at a charity event.)  

In the background of my beach photos above you can see two small islands, the Mokulua Islands commonly referred to as "the Mokes".  You can reach them via kayak quite easily and I found this blog which has a fantastic photo essay on the Mokes as well as other locations on Oahu. If you are thinking about Oahu check it out and you will see there is more to the island than tourist shops and crowded beaches.  Warning - that blog is mesmerizing and I take no responsibility for loss of your time spent gazing at the incredibly beautiful images!   

Happy Sewing,  Beth

and I can't help myself, one more image I took a few years ago of this beautiful spot.