I envy people who get to take summer holidays!  I ache when I hear someone say that in France, things basically shut down in August because everyone is on vacation. 

I know I shouldn’t complain, and I’m not- not really.  I have a pretty amazing life- my home to work commute is 2 minutes, and I GET to work with my husband every day- but to be able to spend more than a day without having to work , or being able to spend a few lazy days canoeing or hiking, or -gasp- even sitting on the porch reading a book, would be so nice. 

It’s hard around here when MyMike is away.  So far I have invited the electrician, the feed system repair guy, the semen guy (don’t ask!) and the feed mill deliveryman over for a “visit” and it looks like the plumber is next.  Don’t worry- I’ve invited them over to fix things- not for a beer! 

To top it off, it is the middle of wheat harvest.  Actually it should be the end of wheat harvest, but with rain and breakdowns, we are still hard at it.  I only have a minute to type here, so I will leave you with  a bit of photo journalism of my days in the field.

Glorious wheat!   The variety is “soft red winter wheat” and is ground into things like cake and pastry flour. 

We sell the straw to a friend who uses it on his strawberry crops.

Lord, I look a mess!  See those shorts- the ONLY sewing I’ve done this week is to cut off the legs of those pants to make them into those shorts!

It’s fun to open your mailbox and find a surprise!!  Today I recieved a lovely package in the mail from my friend (and kindred spirit) Annette.  In it was a copy of a Marfy coat that she has made.  She wore it at the Philadelphia Pattern Review Weekend, and I loved it! 

I thought it would be fun, and a good excercise as well, to make the coat as a sew-along for myself.  I don’t often chronicle the step by step process of my sewing, but I thought it might be a good idea for this one. If it is easy, then maybe I can convince more of you to try Marfy’s.  If it is difficult- um – then you get to suffer right along with me!!

This is what a Marfy Pattern looks like when it arrives in your mailbox.

No photo.

No description.

No instructions.

Only one size.

So why the heck would anyone want to make one?  Well in my sometimes humble opinion they are very fashion forward.  Check out the website and see for yourself if you don’t believe me.  Count how many of them you absolutely crave…..see what I mean?! 

The pattern I will be using is Marfy 1974.  

It is a hip length swing jacket with an otional hood.  I will be using the size 46, which looks like it is between a  14 and a 16.

When you decide to make up a Marfy pattern, remember to-

• 1.  Print out the photo AND save it online somewhere.
  2.  Look for details that might catch you up- this one for instance has some interesting seaming and welt pockets.  And should it be lined?  How do I attach the hood?
  3.  Try to figure out construction order.
  4.  Double check your sizing.
  5.  Suitable fabrics- It will say that on the site, as long as your pattern is still available!  So save that information too.  Print it out and keep it with the pattern.

 Here  is what this pattern has to say on the Marfy site.   Mt. 3.20 alt. 1.40. – Available in sizes 42, 44, 46, 48.  This jacket has broad kimono sleeves, a shirt collar closed with three buttons, yoke cut at the back and deep, un-ironed pleat, Can also be made with hood. Suggested fabric: casentino cloth or rubberized fabric.
It also states that the markings are for a size 46, so I will be okay there.  I will be using a black raincoating fabric that I have kicking around for this one. Unless Fabricland just happens to have some grey metallic meterage…. 

This is what the darts, notches and interestingly translated pattern indicators look like.

Next time, I’ll show you how I cut it out and marked all the pieces. 

An important Public Service Announcement…

Remember that when you are serging something important- something that can’t be stopped in the middle of- to check your thread or you might end up with…

this….

Ahh! That caught your attention, didn’t it?! 

I have proof positive that sewing machines reproduce…

My larger antique Singer entered our household via Mme Erica.  She spied it at a garage sale, and like any dutiful daughter who knows her mom, she brought it home.  That was a couple of years ago.

And now we have a baby! 

I don’t know HOW they reproduce- but I know that they do!  Isn’t she sweet?  She is in perfect running order- she does a chain stitch, and came with a case, all the accessories and the manual! 

Mother and daughter are doing well!(The sewing table belonged to my grandmother!)

Now I need a name!  Any suggestions?

The amazing JoanneM from Miss Muslin tagged me, and like a good blogging friend, I will comply with her desire to know more about me!

Which pattern/vintage style have you been thinking about lately?   This is probably my favourite vintage pattern- and I have a lot of them! 

I have made it once- but not reviewed it..yet!   Here is the back.   I love the underbust gathering, and it has three nice darts at the elbow.  Really a well drafted pattern.  Which causes me to ponder.  Where are all those well drafted patterns in McButtVogue or SimLook?   It uses an interesting slash and gather method that I have never seen elsewhere.   I would like to use that drafting for a tee shirt, or excercise top, as I think it would be a neat feature!  For all of you techo geeks, here is the pattern layout!

What is the one place you want to visit you’ve never been before?  I’ve been lucky enough to do a fair bit of travelling.  When our girls were young, we would plan a trek every summer, either in Canada or the States.
One place that is is Very High on my to see list is California!  MyPR  friend Kathi has been “encouraging” me to visit, and sent me photo’s of great fabric stockpiling shoportunities.  We have a hiking trip planned for Peru with a bunch of friends for the winter first, then I can start California planning.

How do you relax?  Relax? What’s that?  For me, sewing is relaxing.  I think that is the way for most of the people who read this blog!  Other than that, I enjoy (in no particular order) golf, reading, skiing and geocaching.  Relaxing for me doesn’t involve sitting!  In fact I remember when the Fivemonsters whoops.. FiveBlondes were little, the only time I had the luxury to read was in the shower.  Yes I said the shower!   

What is your favorite holiday/vacation?  Truthfully, I’m  not much of a “holiday” person.  I always put way too much pressure on myself to make everything perfect, and end up stressing myself out.  It doesn’t help that our business is a 365 day a year job, so even on Easter and Christmas, we are in the barn.  I like the vacations that we sneak in – like going up for a day to Niagara on the Lake to cycle with friends, or taking a 1/2 day off to geocache with a friend.  Those are my favourites. 
If you were to change that phrase to ” what WAS your favourite vacation” – that is easy!  The time that I remember with the biggest smiles and laughs is the 2 weeks I spent with our five daughters (then aged 11-16) “vanning” our way through Europe, staying at hostels, and exploring.  We started in Prague, went across to Holland where we stayed in a convent, to Paris, sunbathed in Cannes, flew around scary curves in Nice,  gondeliered in Venice,  skiied in Austia, drank beer in Germany…I wish we could do that again!

What is/are your sewing skills you want to learn/try out? Can you knit? Crochet? Other crafting talents?   I can knit and I can crochet.  I don’t get as much enjoyment out of them as my daughters do.  I have tried my hand at pretty well every craft- I’m a pretty crafty person!  A good friend gifted me with a Cricut for my birthday!  I really want to master that this fall.

What garment/accessory do you wear most often?  I have a black/white  brocade coat that always gets complimented.  I didn’t make that.  I think though, that my leather croc purse that I made would top this list. 

How much time do you spend reading blogs(per day/week)?   Per Day- 10 minutes.  1/2 hour.  1 hour.  3 hours.  …Standing up.
“Hello my name is Connie and I am a blog addict”!!   I’mnottellingandyoucantmakeme!

Your Motto/Mantra?  ”On to the Next“  It comes from a book my husband and I both read years ago.  We can’t for the life of us remember the name!  In the book, the main character is a writer(?)or a student(I can’t even remember!)   HIs mentor, instead of praising him, when shown a piece of work  just says “…on to the next“.  Meaning, don’t dwell too long on your accomplishments, and what others think of them; instead strive to get to your next level of achievement. 

+++

There, that was fun!  Now it’s your turn…I tag any fellow blogger who was at the PR Weekends in either Philadelphia or Montreal to answer the same questions!  Come on- share time!  I’m not going to name names, cause you know who you are and I don’t want to leave anyone out “on accident” .  But link back to me when you do so that I know that you did it!

I was going to preface this post by saying,

“I don’t post many photos of PrincessH”

That was before I glanced at my last two blogs posts.  PrincessH is featured in both of them!  Tough luck readers.  Today you are getting not only a review of a baby outfit, but also a glance at why I think I am a pretty lucky Oma!

First off, the review.

Butterick 5439

Back view. See the gingham contrast?

 I am reviewing the jumper and the panties shorts.   I changed the panties to shorts…
The sizing is generous.  I am still getting used to sizing for infants!  (NB, S, M) and (L and XL)  For the Princess, I made a Medium which is supposed to fit 18 to 21 lbs.  She is, at 5 1/2 months, a touch over 17 pounds.  There is lots of room, and the shorts are pretty long.  It will certainly fit her for the rest of the summer!  Were I to make it again, I would size down one size.

Your fabric choice is, um, interesting!  Yup!  PrincessH is from a John Deere family, and I when I saw this fabric in Joann’s in May, I picked up a yard of two contrasting fabrics.  I haven’t seen this fabric anywhere in Canada.   The green gingham is leftovers from making curtains for the baby room.

Why this pattern?  I remember making this sort of dress for the girls when they were little.  They were cool on hot days, and looked so sweet.  So I had to have it! I am sure that I have the original from the 80’s around somewhere!

The front!

 How was the pattern?  Any issues? Easy and simple.  No closures.  No pleats, nothing to stump you! The trickiest part is putting it together so that the crossed parts are correct.  Just following the instructions and you won’t go wrong.   It calls for understitching which I changed to topstitching after pressing carefully so that it could be reversible.  I think it would be an easy outfit for an advanced beginner.  I also left out the rickrack as I didn’t have any on hand and wanted this done quickly.
The shorts were basic, if a little billowy.  I changed the hem from a casing and elastic  to a contrast binding and added a little tied pocket in the back for her credit card or cell phone (as if!!) I found the pocket pattern by googling “tied pocket” and scaled one that I found down a bit. 

The pocket and binding

Would you consider another version?   Yup.  This style would be cute in a toddler size for next year too! 

I also started out making this hat, but I decided in mid making that I wanted a different style so drafted my own.  ( see two posts ago) A tutorial is up for that this week.

PrincessH and I had a fashion shoot date while her mom and dad had a round of golf.  We both had a blast!  Being an Oma is so fun!  Play, pose for photos, nap, change diaper, and do it all over again! How hard is that?!
Her mom (my daughter Katelyn) and I are both shutter crazy and Hailey is very camera savy.  The middle photo is her “oh just give it to me and let me take a picture” pose!  Can  you tell that I can’t get enough of her adorable little feet..and face…and..

Clicking on the collage will enlarge it.

Once upon a time I had a pattern stash that was manageable.  They were kept in a box . Then I met online friends and read reviews of great outfits that I Had To Have. My pile grew and grew, fell over and magically reproduced, bearing multiple offspring.

From that was born a pattern stasher hoarder COLLECTOR. 

Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against any of you for tooo long!

For a long time I organized my collection like many of you do.  I took the insides out of the pattern envelope and filed the envelopes in a binder.  Okay, three binders- but who’s counting?!! The insides went into a freezer bag and were filed in numerical order in the real, authentic, five dollar auction sale pattern filing cabinet find.  (It used to be in a Polka Dot store) Do you Canadians remember Polka Dot?

It grew and grew.  I was organized enough to purchase patterns, but not organized enough to take them out of the envelope, and file them appropriately.  So, once again, piles grew in mysterious places. 
Like in the living room.  And on the high chair to be perused by PrincessH. 

And sometimes in the bathroom!

As well, I never knew what kind of patterns I had.  If I wanted a boatneck, vintage dress pattern, I had to leaf through the pattern books, the piles and the myriad of pattern magazines.  Then, OF COURSE  I would build new piles.  This boatneck dress, that boatneck top that could be a dress.   You get the picture.

I needed a new system, and here is what I have decided. 

1.  I want my patterns back in their envelope.  I hate not keeping them together.
2.  I am photographing the front (and some back) covers of the patterns
3.  File them numerically in the pattern cabinet
4.  Using Picasa (I may use Flickr but then I need a pro account) I created a Pattern file, and am adding all my patterns and tagging them.  For instance this dress would be tagged – women, dress, tunic, sleeveless, Butterick, 5485, empire, gathers, mockwrap.  That way I can search the pattern set for whatever parameters I choose.  I plan on printing the photos out – 4 to a page, and putting them in the binders for a visual as well. 

Are you thinking- Well I guess we’ll see her in January?!! Lord I hope it doesn’t take that long.  I am leaving most of my vintage patterns alone.  They in themselves take up one entire drawer. 

Right now I have the patterns  all back in envelopes, and photo’s taken of 75% of them.

“and they are all laying in piles on the sewing room floor!!”

I can hear my daughter saying. 

And I retort,

“Organized piles!  They are all in organized piles! See, the 3000’s are here, the 5000’s are here…where the heck did the 6-9000’s go??” 

Bhleh.  I’ll get there! 

I am loath to start tagging them in Picasa because I am afraid that there is Some Program Out Therethat will organize them better than Picasa.  I know that there is MySuff for Ipod, but I haven’t mastered it yet. And I am loath to just have them on my Ipod as I am likely to erase it on accident!  I thought that by having it online, I could access it  more easily.   I was trying to use Excel, then put it on googledocs, but wasn’t pleased with what I came up with. 

Are there any suggestions out there as to the best way to catalogue pattern collections?

Talk at you soon!
Connie

ps.  MissMuslin, the tagged post is almost done!

It’s hot today.  Hot for Ontario, heck hot for anytown!

Just a second, and I’ll tell you how hot it is.  Okay. The thermometer on the veranda says that it’s 32 degrees celcius in the shade.  Enviroment Canada says that it’s only 30.4.  That may not be hot to some of you, but for us and our animals, it’s stifling.  Our 130year old farmhouse does not have airconditioning, but there is a cross breeze and a yard full of mature trees, so it is almost bearable!  We got the major part of our workday done early this morning, so I had time to fool around with some fabric before lunch. 

Which brings me, in a verrrryyy round about way, to todays sewing update!
PrincessH is 5 months old now and is actually growing out of her sun hats.  There are some Very Cute hats for little people out there.  There are some Very Ugly ones too!

I drafted a quick pattern and in an hour came up with this. 

Front view with the brim turned up.  It is reversible!  Can you tell we are John Deere fans?!

Back view

No PrincessH, so this flower will have to do! 

Side view.  I made the back a bit narrower than the front.  It seemed the thing to do, for ease of wear for a baby!

I will have to try it on her to see if it fits!  Yes, I did do a quick little fit of a mockup a few days ago, so it WILL go around her head.  I’m not that much of an idiot!   If it fits, I will make another and post a tutorial, since there are few hat tutorials out there!   This would look so ridiculously cute in grey wool or denim for the fall! 

Oh- and the Holland/Uruguay match is on in 2 hours,  and I am going to get in a bit of waving my Ipod vuvuzela around to  further irritate hot people! 

HUP HOLLAND HUP!

And you know what that means!

Canada Day!  Funny how we don’t say “1st of July” , isn’t it?!  Aside from fireworks, beach parties, and (for some people- not me!- ) a vacaction day,……

It’s…..

Measure the Corn to see if it got to “Knee High Corn by the first of July” Day!

So we wandered into the field to check the growth of the corn that I was measuring last week…

Here is the first photo.  Remember the flag and the stake?

Then

The next day.(about 30 hours later)  See the stake?
Looks like about 5 inches growth in one day!

The next day we found the stake laying on the ground!  The concensus here is that the raccoons – stupid things- thought the pink flag just might have been an early cob of corn and pulled it down!  We put the stake back up, but thought day by day pics might have been too much like “watching corn grow” for you readers!

Here it is today. 5 days after that first photo!!   No stake to be seen.  Can you see MyMike? 

Wait, he’ll put his arms up for you!

That’s no knee high corn! 

For those of you who want the details, this corn was planted the week of April 26th with good ole hog manure as fertilizer! 

Consider that your agri-lesson for the day!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!!  EH!!!

When I last left you, Kay and I were unwinding and sipping wine in the 9th floor common room of Les Studios Hotel, a residence hotel at the University of Montreal.  I highly recommend it for inexpensive tourist accomodations by the way.  Clean, neat with optional breakfast included, the only downfalls would be shared bathrooms (I think the duo rooms have private) and the low wattage light bulbs.  It is close to the Metro and Mount Royal and BiXi’s are right beside it. 

At 8:30am on Saturday, we all congregated to board the big yellow school bus to explore St Hubert Street. Some thought that early am was an ungodly time to start shopping, but as they say- the early bird catches the worm.  I had been up since 6 anyways and got a short run in and triedto find a geocache, so I was more than ready for fabric.

Kay and I, after some discussion, decided that we would be twins for a day… It just made it easier for people to find us!…

Here is a collage that spans the day from Madelaine Soie et Laine, Kelly taking a photo of Deepika’s  rear end back of her skirt so that she could remember the pattern, various street and shop pics, the latest fashion in rain head wear on Lynelle,  crepes in the market, and a random dress that I had to take a photo of (after assuring subject that I would not include her head)

click to see larger image

One of the highlights for me was in Madelaine’s when the owner(?)  who had been snapping photo’s of us, left, then came back….with an accordion player to serenade us!  How cute is that?!  I was speaking with one of the other owners, and she said that it had always been a dream of hers to have a busload of women who loved fabric come in and shop.  Quite honestly I know why it is a favorite place for Anne -Marie.  The selection is amazing, the quality outstanding, the prices reasonable and the staff are personable.  What else could you ask for?  Except they need to be in London!

I could go on all day about the stores we visited and the laughs we had.  We were a true “amoeba ” group- everyone was comfortable with shopping with anyone.  You might start off with a few fellow shoppers and two stores later, be a part of another group.  True comaradarie that!
We ended up in front of Couture Elle to catch the bus back at 5:30pm!  Even I didn’t think we could fabric shop for that long, but we did!  It was nice for the people who got tired that the Metro was close by and (if you weren’t a country bumpkin) you could just scoot back early.

We scooted back for another whirlwind preparation for dinner.  Those of you who were in Philly and looked at the “Rocky” stairs and didn’t attempt them would have been amazed to see the women in Montreal walk up the equivalent of 7 storey’s worth of stairs laden down with fabric to show and fabric to share! 
After a night of pizza, wine, fabric show and tell, pattern and fabric exchanging, pin cushion making and talking, everyone collapsed into bed. 

Everyone of course except for some of us who, once again needed to talk some more in the common room!

And on the seventh day they rested.  Only we didn’t !  Anne-Marie thoughtfully arranged a visit to the McCord Museum where we were lucky enough to see a large assortment of vintage garments up close and personal, as well as a amazing Cirque de Soleil exhibit.  Unfortunately, my camera said “batteries exhausted” !  As were we all! 

Sad goodbye’s and promises to visit each other were exchanged- boy it felt like we just said hello!- and Ivana, Sue and I were on our way home. 

Whew. 

Hey- want to do it again next weekend??!!…….

Till later,

Connie

It all seems like a distant blur already!  A good, happy, friendly blur though! 

Friday morning saw us meeting in the lobby of the Studios , either for breakfast, or running through to walk to Cotes des Neiges to pick up “good coffee”!  Greeting old friends and meeting new friends time.  For the organizers, it was a quick bite so that we could head for the great building on campus that was to be our headquarters for the day.   By 9 am, the participants had mostly all made their way there, and were eagerly picking up name tags and packages.  I thought it would be cute to have little dress form name tags, 

and made little decorated pins in an oldfashioned needle case for everyone. 

The first speaker of the day was Kathryn Brenne of  The Academy of Fine Sewing and Design.  She pulled out amazing item after amazing item..all of them that she had made.  As she spoke, she made it seem as though it would be easy for any of us to make anything.  I was extremely interested to hear her talk about one of her workshops - recycled wool, as I just got my mothers circa 1970’s mink handed down to me to “do anything I want with”!  I may just have to take it in the fall.  I had lunch with Kathryn, and she is just as interesting one on one as she is when speaking to a group.  I really admired the Koos Van den Akker Vogue outfit she had on.

  So much so, that when fabric shopping the next day, I picked up fabric for a similar outfit.  Hopefully it won’t be a bit too artsy for downtown smalltown Ontario (pop 700!)

After lunch…

..and admiring the Bixi rental bikes (get it?  Taxi + Bike = Bixi!) , we got back to the building for the afternoon session.

Emilie and Jeanne from Jalie are just too cute for words.  I knew that they were mother and daughter, but when I was speaking with them before we started, I swore that they could have been sisters!  Their talk was fun, interesting and informative.  Jeanne would explain in French, with Emilie translating.  Oh yes, except when Jeanne was explaining how the wrap top could be made with a higher or lower front neckline.  They were both wearing the same top, only Emilie’s was a bit higher. 

“Sexy“  pointing to herself

“Not Sexy“  pointing to Emilie

The room expoded in laughter (not for the first or last time that day!)
The history of how the company was started is interesting.  Jeanne would make outfits for herself, and mini me’s for Emilie.  The request for patterns or copies was hot and heavy, and a company was born. (in a nutshell)

In the hour or so that their presentation lasted, Jeanne made  at least 5 tops and a pair of socks, proving that there is no excuse that we have no time to sew!  They also showed us  fast and Jalie methods of applying elastic and of binding .  I am not going to show you here.  It’s their trick, not mine!  If you like Jalie patterns- and if you haven’t tried them, shame on you!  There are new ones coming out soon that I would stand in line to purchase!  They made one up to give to Anne-Marie, and it is cute as the dickens!

The theatre style set up of the room made it possible for everyone to see what was going on.  The video and large screen was a great bonus.

This is from Kathryn's seminar

After the two speakers, there was a quick break for everyone to change into their cocktail attire.  For us organizers, the break was almost non-existent, as we needed to get everything from food, to tablecloths, to punch together!
The food was exquisite, the photo shoot sooo fun, the fashion show/contest out on the terrace a blast and the company was the best!  (can you tell I am running out of steam here?!)  I can hardly wait to see some of the photo’s the professional photographer took.  I am pretty sure that many of them will be used to illustrate future reviews! 

Photo "borrowed" from the Pattern Review Montreal Flickr group-thanks!

Me. Kay, Claire, and Our Fearless Leader Ann-Marie!

Kay and I were not too tired to sit in the common room at the end of the evening and chill with a glass of wine and some gab.  The great thing about the university residence was the common rooms.  One on every other floor, they made great gathering spots!

Whew!  That was only Friday!  Saturday is up next.  Some silly and fun shopping photos to show you all that we know how to have fun.  Wait for a particularly sweet “rain hat of PR weekend” pic….

Til later!