Oxymoron High Heel-Boot, or is it a Contranym

I have to show you this boot because to describe it would just create more confusion. My daughter brought a shoe box over for the cat, but the picture on the box was of the high heel boot pictured above. It looks like a cold weather work boot, but it has the extreme high heal of a dress shoe. While cute and amusing, the whole shoe just does not fit into any catagory. I guess just leave it to this generation to figure out how to wear weather boots without having to take a second pair of shoes to change into once you arrive at your destination. I hope it keeps her foot warm without her breaking an ankle.

I would have to wear a boot more like the one picutred below and change into a flat shoe after I reached my destination, but I probably would have loved to have a pair of high heels like this before cankles and wisdom set in. 

And Through the Woods

through the woods

I hope everyone is enjoying a Happy Thanksgiving Weekend. I just got back from visiting my parents. It was actually across the Colorado high plains, through the Kansas wheat, soybean, sunflower and winter wheat fields into Missouri, then over the river and through the woods. I got to meet a new great niece, see nephews, nieces, cousins, sibilings and parents. It was great to see everyone who made it and the company was wonderful. I wish I could see everyone more often and that everyone had been able to be there. I am leary about making the trip during the late fall and winter months, but this year the weather was very plesant. We did not encounter any of those famed western Kansas blizzards.

Now, back to work on a fleece project. It is something I am working on for a contest so I will write more about it later.

Dot inspecting my next project choice

Back Burner Project Moving Ahead

My helper Dot in the muslin 

I have not been sewing for myself much recently, mostly because I have not been happy with the fit. It is hard to get accurate measurements by yourself. I figured that a dress form would make things easier, but when I purchased one on sale I found out it did not even have a way to adjust some measurements - like bustline and waistline heights. So I returned it within just a few hours.

In May I went dress shopping at a favorite store only to discover that they had lost their lease and were closing the store. They had already sold almost everything out to the bare walls and only had just a few items and the store fixtures left. After I left the shop I remebered that I had seen a lot of half maniquins lined up along the walls. They had been turned to face the wall so their backs were all you could see. It occurred to me that I could probably pad this form to match me easier than I could get a custom dressmaker form so I went back to the store and inquired about the store fixtures. Twenty bucks, even if it did not work I had not lost much on the purchase and it almost perfectly matches my daughter as is.

Not long afterwards I found in the July 2012 issue of Threads the article, "Fit for Everyone" by Kenneth D. King. Mr. King described how to make and pad two layers so that the first layer fit the dress form and the second layer fit another person. Here it was, spelled out step by step how to do what I was thinking about doing anyway. Just one problem. I still did not have a way to make accurate measurements. So the project has sat while I worked on other things.

Threads Cover.
I purchased it for this stripes article, the dress form article was a  bonus.

A couple of weeks ago I was wearing a favorite dress; you know the one, that dress in your closet that fits perfectly and makes you look great. It hides figure flaws, and even though it is not the newest item in the closet you get complements everytime you wear it. Yes, that one. Well a co-worker said, "I just love that dress." and of course I said thank you but thought "I wish I had a dozen just like it." and the light finally went on in my head. "Why don't I copy it?" then I could have a dozen or two.

I really don't know why it took me so long to figure this out. I know it fits, I know it is flattering, I know how to knock off a pattern. I won't need measurements. It will be easier to just alter a couple of seams, and it will help me solve several problems.

I will have an accurate set of blocks also known as a sloper. Once I get the alterations completed, I will be able to make a dozen or two of this dress in all the colors that look good on me and the muslin will become the second layer for my customized dress form. I will have a tried and true pattern that I like and a dress form to help accurately fit other patterns.

Original garmet pinned to the tissue paper for tracing.

I copied and cut the pieces this week.  Now to sew the muslin.

Organized Sewing Items

Finished Socks - Yarn Strip is built into yarn, no color changes necessary.

My sock project is finished.  I may have enought yarn left to make some fingerless gloves, but that would be another project. Here are the socks, and I have put the points protectors, measuring strip and knitting needles in their home. Right after I put them away, I read Sewaholic's post about organizing sewing trims and notions and it reminded me of how lots of my notions and trims were once stowed too.

Two Plastic knitting needle storage units and a tin box for smaller knitting notions

Before I sold my home. I had a whole basement I could use for sewing, with lots of overstuffed boxes to hold thread, notions, and all kinds of sewing items. Everything was contained in one area and I had enough space that things did not have to be in an exact spot. Now, in a small appartment every inch of space is important.

About a year ago I went through all of the sewing items, sorted out buttons, threads, cutting tools, marking tools, measuring devices, elastic, bias tape, scissors, knitting needls, and every thing you can imagine that relates to sewing or knitting. I found out I had lots of buttons, zippers, and trims from projects that had been re-purposed, and multiples of things like snap crimpers, measuring tapes, seam rippers, and thimbles.

Some of my storage bins and boxes, see below for content photos

When I was ready to start organizing the mess, I found craft boxes that looked like decorated shoe boxes on clearance at one of the local hobby shops and started sorting like items into the boxes. Now with the boxes labeled and easy to reach I don't waste any time looking for things. More importantly I do not re-buy tape measures or other items that I already own because they have not been returned to the right place.

While I was at it I looked for smaller, see through storage boxes for things like machine needles, presser-foot storage and other small like items that I use while sewing.  I found small plastic boxes that looked like minature versions of larger tubs at the office supply store. This keeps the small pieces together and secure.

All of these presser-feet fit in this little box

Another little box holds machine needles

In a slightly larger set of see thru containers I have screwdrivers, other machine accessories and marking/turning items.

Thread is still jumbled in a box, but it is in its own box, bobbins stay neat in rubber circles.

With everything contained, labeled and stored on shelves it is easy to find things which saves time. I don't end up re-purchasing things, like tape measures, which saves money.  The organized notions, tirms and tools take up much less area so it saves space.

Storage Boxes on Shelf

Storage shelves with boxes , notions etc.