My favorite time of the year is coming to an end. From September 23 (our anniversary) to Halloween has all the things I love. The heat and humidity of summer are over. The girls have gotten into the swing of their new school year. The colors of the sky (October Blue Sky may be my favorite color after purple), the leaves, and all the late season flowers. Also in there (October 2nd) is my oldest daughter’s birthday. She turned 18 this year. I “wrote” a few posts about this landmark event in my head but never made it to the keyboard with any clarity to record them here.

Of course it all wraps up with my favorite holiday, Halloween. It might be the actress in me that loves the costumes and make believe of it all. Or maybe it is the latent Pagan that feels like this is really the dawn of the New Year. Whatever it is I love all of it. This year is no exception. I’ve been making costumes for myself and my friend for our annual party. Three guess who we are going as, and the first two don’t count. Unless of course you’ve never watched any old classic television. I’ll  have photos of us in our costumes after Sunday’s party. These were pretty simple to construct. I used McCalls 5052 for the tops, adding the dark grey cuffs. The skirts and aprons are just simple rectangles, elastic waists in the skirts. The chefs hats (hard to see in this photo) were the most fun, and impressive, parts to make. I just cut large circles, gathered and attached them to wide, interfaced bands with velcro in the back. I kind of wanted to make my husband dress as “Poppin’ Fresh” the Pillsbury Dough Boy just so I could make another one!

I also popped the embroidery module on my machine and stitched up these fun kitchen towels. The designs are from Urban Threads.  If you are looking for some unique and modern embroidery designs this is the place for you. Just check out this: The Clockwork Natura Gown – Embroidery & Handmade Fashion That just makes me want to lose 50# and run away to a Ren Faire.

Now I need to finish this up and get a few last minute things put together for the youngest daughter. She decided at the last minute that she needs a costume. She wants to be “Fiona from Adventure Time”. If you have never caught an episode of this crazy cartoon I suggest you make yourself a cocktail and enjoy the weirdness. The main characters are “Jake and Finn” but there is one episode where they are their female counterpoints, Fiona and Cake. It is really too weird to explain further. Just watch it.

Happy Sewing and Joyous Halloween.

Little Apples VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Little Apples by Aneela Hoey

Little apples is all about what happens in the fall, the kids are playing in the park with their scarves flapping in the wind and singing rhyming songs, round and round they go, just like the seasons. The little apples are falling off the trees and spied by a tortoise who has momentarily peeked out from under his shell and decided to take a stroll. The leaves are swirling around on the wind, providing a brilliantly coloured backdrop to all the goings on, the beauty of fall is definitely here!

Business has been pretty good at my little ol’ Etsy Shop recently which as enabled me to order some new fabric. I saw this new line featured on a few fabric blogs and knew it was the one I wanted to add. I’m really limiting my new fabric purchases to ones that I think will be hot sellers and judging by how “Sherbet Pips” flew off the virtual shelves all over the internet I’m hoping I have a winner here. It arrived today and I plan on getting it listed tomorrow or Wednesday. It will be listed by the yard in my shop but as usual, if you need larger cuts just send me a convo on etsy and I’ll set up a reserved listing just for you! (If you are local, shoot me off an email and we can arrange a personal drug deal fabric shopping day.)

I haven’t done any new sewing this week. I did get a little machine embroidery project done that I’ll post at a later time. It still needs a little tweaking. I also had a minor alteration project for Emma’s freshman Homecoming dress. Again, pictures will be posted soon. Her complete ensemble is ADORABLE!

I have been planning my next projects but of course a quick trip to Joann’s for last minute supplies for the alteration project led to unplanned purchases and new ideas. First off, the best time of year is coming; Halloween! My friend and I are going as a “couple” costume this year. I’m going to keep it a bit of a secret for now but I did pick up a bolt (yes, BOLT!) of cheap fabric for these costumes. I will have to get to these very soon.  On a trip down the clearance sale aisle I spotted a bolt of $5/yd. ITY knit that I had eyed on a previous trip. I wasn’t sure about the pattern/color but because it had caught my attention twice now I figured that it was definitely sending me a message. I took it to the cutting table and asked for 3 yds. After she measured and cut it she gave me the exciting news that it was actually $2.50/yard. WINNING! Add to that that the pink costume fabric was also $2.50/yard I was having a very good day.

This is the fabric. What do you think? Is it retro-funky cute or horribly old-fashioned and frumpy? The young girl at the cutting table (mid-20s is my guess at her age) thought it was retro-cute and I agree. I’m not completely sure about the color but at least it isn’t orange! I also picked up Butterick 5030 on the $.99 sale and thought I’d use this fabric as my muslin. Now I’m not so sure. I thought it was designed for knits and was a mock-wrap dress but it isn’t. I think I had it confused with another pattern I had looked at earlier. Do I really want to attempt yet another wrap dress? Not really. So far I’ve only been marginally happy with the ones I’ve made and I may just be over it now. I do think this fabric calls for something retro styled however. I’m visualizing DVF inspired dress with a collar. For now it goes up on the shelf and marinates for a while because I have other things to work on now.

The fabric on the left is what is on the table for today. (Dang! It’s already 2:00 and I haven’t gotten started!) This ITY knit is from work. Another of the fabulous apparel fabrics we got in recently. It is obviously a Missoni knock-off and with the recent Missoni collection at Target, very much on trend right now. I’m going to make the Kwik Sew 3658 dress out of it. I just made the top and liked the way it fit and it was fast and easy to construct. I also chose this pattern because of its simple styling. This busy pattern fabric needs to be in something simple. I’m thinking of adding a black belt to break it up a little but I’ll see after it is done and decide what looks best. I’m also hoping the busy-ness of the fabric will help camouflage my body issues. (That and the help of Spanxx of course.)

In the top picture you may also notice a red ITY and a purple knit (might be ponte, don’t remember, just know it is a bit heavier than ITY). Those two have been brought to the cutting table and then moved back to the shelf a couple times each over the past few months. The purple is definitely going to be Vogue 8593. I’ve seen reviewed on Pattern Review and a couple blogs and really like the dress. I think it will be a nice classy dress for fall and winter. But I have a few concerns. One is the constant fear that it will be too tight across my belly and be unflattering. The second is that it might be too dressy for my lifestyle. Not that I have no need for a dressy dress. But just not often. I could wear it to work but it might be too much. So for now, back on the shelf it goes. The red ITY was originally intended to become the Kwik Sew dress above and if I like the print one, it still might be. Or it might become another “Perfect Knit Dress.” I’m sure some Gallery stalking at Pattern Review will bring up other possibilities. I love the color, one of my favorites to wear, so it has to become something soon.

So that’s what I am, should be working on right now. If I stay focused and don’t jinx myself by mentioning that I’ve gotten really good at switching my serger back and forth from over-lock to cover-stitch I might be able to get a dress made before dinner tonight. Did I mention that one of my co-workers calls me the “Chinese Take-out Seamstress”? I’m fast, good and give some people a headache. (She didn’t say the headache part, she’s too nice!)  Also when I finish one garment, in an hour I’m ready to start another one.

Zai Jian (That’s good-bye in Chinese, I think, if not, blame YahooAnswers)