A summer robe – S1946

My house is so destroyed with pre-move fix-ups that I have nowhere to model this robe.

Plus – OK, I’m distracted, busy, working with my fix-up helper.

In the middle of all this, I decided to make a new robe. My go-to terry robe is really irritating my neck. Can you believe it?! It’s the loops on the terry cloth.

Serendipity. I ordered a couple yards of this pretty double brushed poly spandex from Fabric Mart for a cardigan. And they sent me 3 yards, the end of bolt gift. Wow. All of a sudden, this fabric just had to be a robe.

Simplicity 1946 is the only robe pattern I use now. A couple reasons: It comes in sizes for the entire family, and it does not have an attached front band. The front is faced, which means it’s so easy to sew.

Of course I’m always challenging myself. The pattern is for woven fabrics, but I decided to use a knit.

Sewing notes:

• I used the size Small Adult. Fits great.
• I spent about an hour working with stitch lengths, tension, and so on, on both my sewing machine and my serger. I don’t just serge knit seams, I prefer to stitch and then serge to finish the seam allowances. Reason? Straight stitching adds both structure and weight to a knit seam. I like it.
• Tip on the hem finishing: you can clip the side seam allowance at the hem turn line,  spread it open, and avoid the bulk of turning a serged side seam!

• Those pockets: I staystich the sewing lines, press, and baste the pockets in place. For both knits and wovens. I love quilters basting needles! BTW – dbl brushed poly loves to be pressed, light steam, I use my silk setting and a calico pressing cloth.

• This is a pic of my favorite presser foot. It’s a quarter-inch foot, and it’s constructed to guide 1/8″ and 1/6″ stitching as well. I’ve tried to find it online, cannot, so I sleep with it under my pillow.

• Washi tape is so nice for making a topstitching guide, in this case 1 3/4″.

• Happiness – I didn’t run out of thread. I often order matching thread from Fabric Mart, they always select a great color. It’s much easier than running to JoAnn (which is not near me) with a swatch.

I love this robe! I Intend to wear it all the time while I get ready to move. It’s calm 🙂

Parting shot: the loft is ready to be painted. Barren. But the printer is online, and I’m printing the Paper Theory Zadie Jumpsuit right now!!

Ciao – Coco

Moving house…

I’m finally committed – I’m moving to Orlando to be close to family and friends. I’m so excited and, frankly, relieved to move forward with a change I’ve contemplated for years.

Yesterday morning, Khalid (my handyman, friend and helper) and I did a walkthrough, got organized. He had great recommendations and approaches, and he started right away in the front porch area. He doesn’t mess around! Removing the palms that lined the walkway took hours, chains, and X-men tools. I took refuge in the loft…

All the hardscape, porches, and garage have  been pressured cleaned, ready for a new finish. Meanwhile I have a porch carpet hanging in Ms. Guava, and my back garden has a new look with the porch plants and pots.

Porch furniture has been cleaned and is living in my music room for now.

The garage…it’s ready for a new finish and ceiling repairs (pre-roof replacement leaks did a stain number on part of it).

My house is a little weird with temporarily displaced items.

Just the beginning, but Khalid is a great motivator! I’m determined to take my meds and chill out for the long haul 🙂 Coco

Making headway…

 It happens that I just love this Wonder Woman pic! I should print and hang it in the Loft.

I’m almost feeling so spirited as well.

I checked in with my chronic care manager today, and I see my doctor tomorrow. I’ve been reassured that this season’s cold bug is nasty and lingering…

However. I think nothing gets one going so much as a little stretch. To wit, today I went to Home Depot, bought and planted a couple basket pothos replacements for the porch. My patio and porch are a mess, since I’m also in the midst of fertilizing and soil-topping my porch plants.  Yes, I collapsed afterward, and my mess is still out there.

Usually such a disorder outside would really bug me. But now I don’t care! It’s totally an inspiration to get up to speed.

The weekend should be awesome.

For now – Coco

McCall 7634 Sweatshirt in French terry

I’m so cold!! and have only a couple long sleeve tops. January and February are our chilly season, we went down to 43 degrees last night. Great excuse for a new top.

I started with M7634, followed with a few modifications, including the V-neck from Burda 06-2011-107B.

 

 

I love how this looks! the fabric is navy Telio Stewart French terry knit from Fabric.com, 38% cotton/32% polyester/30% rayon. It has about 25% mechanical stretch both ways, but no recovery at all.

Sewing notes:

• Sewed the size 12 in the McCall pattern.
• Used the short view with an additional 4.5″ in the length, and a 3″ (finished) bottom band. The unfinished band is about 7″ wide and a couple inches shorter than the bottom hem. Doubled and stretched it to fit.
• Recut the neckline using the Burda pattern. It has facings, which I used to stabilize the neckline, in cotton/poly broadcloth. Yes, there is fusible tape in side the shoulder seams to prevent stretch.

• Stiches and finishes: I sewed the top using a longish (3.0) straight stitch and serged the seam allowances together to finish.
• Finished the sleeve with a 1.5″ hem allowance plus a couple rows of topstitching.

It’s such a cozy and warm top, and I love the silhouette.

Parting shot: I was the woman out on the street in her robe last night, taking pictures of the lunar eclipse. Spectacular event! Moving clockwise from the top left photo:

Ciao! Coco

 

Installing Ring doorbell and other stuff!

 

Big project! My kids gifted me this year with an IPhone 8 Plus and a Ring Doorbell. So much to learn!

I’ve been working on my doorbell installation for about a week. The physical ‘how to’ install.

 

 

I want my new doorbell to be in the same location as my old one. It’s centered under my porch light and is perfect for motion detection and so on.

The journey:

• I explored mounting the phone bracket directly to the wall. However – it is more slim than the mounting gang for my doorbell, AND, my wall is metal. Ring doesn’t come with hardware for a mount to metal, and I’m not comfortable with drilling holes through the wall.

Off to Home Depot today, after a bunch of research on installation options for the Ring.

I decided to put a blank faceplate over my doorbell ‘hole’ and mount the bracket to the faceplate with tape. I watched a couple videos and read forums on the type of tape to use. What I chose:

And I found a faceplate to match the Ring. I found a ‘larger’ nylon faceplate in Home Depot that is the same length as the Ring. Below, my old doorbell plate and the new face plate I found ( ignore the dots, I didn’t use them for anything other than mounting references).

• So – a pic of the bracket taped to the new faceplate. This tape is strong! and even a touch secures it. I’m glad I had my readers on!

And the Ring mounted. Whew…I tested the motion detection and doorbell function, everything works!

It’s impossible to leave Home Depot with just tape and a faceplate. Other stuff without which I cannot be happy 🙂

Cherry tomato plant,

A new Silver Bullet 50″ garden hose (it’s flexible and wonderful to use, so lightweight),

And neat led bulbs on carabiners, great for hurricane season:

I hung one in my pantry as an example, but I really plan to save these for power outages during our Florida storms.

Bonus material – the gentleman at the checkout told me he loves my shoes. Be still my beating heart…

The woman is worn out from a full day of fun and so on. I’m retreating to the Loft!!

Ciao – Coco