McCalls 6203 Dolman Sleeve Tunic

I was going to take pics outside this morning before the rains came. I got the tripod all set up, took a couple shots to adjust the tracking, and then it happened. This guy came at me...

anopheles horribilis

Of course I swatted at him. And he flew straight down the front of my pretty new top. Oh yuck! Smashed between the girls.

I was back in the house in no time. I'm having way too many adventures this summer.




I think I've looked at 50 knit top patterns this summer, trying to find one I can do in a tunic length with various sleeve treatments. Something with simple lines, not fussy, not art to wear - just a nice basic with good bones.

Finally I found McCalls 6203 - easy peasy, a front, a back, a sleeve band, a neck band. 

My fabric is a hot pink and black zebra cotton jersey from Holly Lobby.  I thought for 2 seconds about saving it for Jungle January, but I just couldn't do it. I need this top now!

The dolman batwing sleeve is perfect.

Sewing notes: 

I sewed View C in size Medium, but drew the pattern out to a Large below the bust. Because I'm using this as a tunic, I didn't want it to be fitted through the hips - I was looking for a nice unbroken line below the sleeves to the hem.

A couple other changes: I added 1/2" to the length to ensure the hemline was below the crotch of my pants rather than across it. I also used a bias neckline binding rather than the raw-edged double band in the pattern. This makes the neckline a little lower, which I like better.

Here's another version with long sleeves, in Cielo poly/rayon/spandex jersey from Fabric.com. It's so light, I love wearing it, and I'm glad I have more of the white and a couple yards of black as well.

Great top!

Parting shot...I do love mother nature. Look who was in the guava tree when I got home from DD's house this week. A Cuban knight anole (anolis equestris). While not a native species, they're not considered invasive - the only native they eat is the palmetto bug, and we love them for it!

A big one at about 18" long! 

He's actually a bit of a jewel, since about 80% of the local anole population died in the 2010 freeze. 

He's behind the orchid, hard to see. Ciao! Coco

McCalls 6747 - Just can't get enough of this pattern!

Another version of McCalls 6747 long-sleeve maxi dress, this one in a tribal print knit from Girl Charlee. And tribal print is really appropriate - I'm almost in the jungle!

 I've been at my daughter's house for a week, kitty-sitting while she and DDC have been at the San Diego ComicCon. Their house backs onto a nature preserve - sometimes it seems like all of south Florida nature is 20' from their back porch!

I've seen a lynx on the edge of the preserve (what a rare treat), chased an 8' black snake from the edge of the porch, removed 10" worms from inside the porch, and lately, flicked 5" walking sticks in full ardor from the screen :-) I would not have disturbed them, except that the kitties wanted to climb up and observe...

So I  bravely hiked out to the edge today to take these pics. It was so wet that I had to toss my zoris aside and go barefoot. And so hot and sunny that the umbrella was a must. 

All those pretty white clouds will make up into thunderheads by early afternoon. 

The papaya plant is a gift from DD's neighbor. He started about 20 from seed last December and now has 7 or eight mature plants. What a nice present to take home. They grow so well in my backyard.

I just love this pattern. This makes 3 I've done! The others are here...

Did you know that the poppy flower version of this dress is a July Knit Pick on Girl Charlee Fabrics blog?! 

Ciao! Coco

Action hero drawstring backpack!

My daughter and her companion are heading out to San Diego for the big Comic-Con on the 16th - I just had to make something for the trip. How about matching drawstring backpacks using Marvel action hero fabric. Really neat!

The San Diego Comic-Con is in its 44th year and is the country’s longest continuously run comics and popular art convention. DD and DDC (my acronym for dear daughter's companion :-) go to comic-cons all over the country, are very immersed in the pop culture and collecting scene, and have wonderful friends everywhere. It has opened a whole new world for me as well, I love the art and fantasy.

The backpack - I started with a free pattern and tutorial by Debbie Colgrove on about.com. I liked Debbie's pattern because (1)  it has doubled reinforcement on both sides of the bottom corners, where the grommets are attached, and (2) the drawstring casing at the top of the backpack is constructed separately and attached to the bag. The result is a very sturdy backpack. Who knows what will jump in there!

Here's a look at a completed backpack before cording. The finished size is 17" wide x 18" long, which is a bit larger than the pattern - I wanted a roomy bag.

Sizing difference in cut materials                pattern                           mine

                              bag                                                  15" x 17"                         18" x 18"
                              casing                                               16" x 3"                          19" x 3"

I've never done big grommets before, only little eyelets. These really test your bravery...all that sewing and it comes down to putting a big hole through your work.

I had tools on hand for this project, since I attach gripper snaps to garments fairly often. The 3/8" grommets were easy to find. My tool kit includes a Costa Rican hardwood bread board and a meat tenderizer. The large, flat side of the latter is wonderful for setting snaps and, now, grommets!

Fun project - Ciao! Coco

Out, out, drat gnat!

Meet the villain of this short story - a pretty variegated chlorophytum that I brought home from my local DIY store (yes, the one with Home in front and Depot behind...). It was gorgeous and went straight to the art deco stand by the window in the music room. Perfect light. Lots of room for the shoots and tendrils. Happy day.

The plant stand with a pothos, last year...

Happy for about 24 hours. At which time I noticed a gnat flying in front of my face as I was reading. Swat. Hit my glasses of course. Then another one. Hmmm.

No let up. This was 2 weeks ago. The offending plant is now outside, as you see, but clearly it left a legacy in at least one of my other houseplants. I have gnats. Oh, nuts - gnats!

They are so aggravating!!

I've researched remedies online and have taken an aggressive stance (as much as possible - these little guys sip  insecticide as a power drink).

Apple cider vinegar and water in a dish. They are attracted to the scent, fall in, and drown. It works...and they also like cold coffee. My own remedy and I've applied for a patent.

Bright yellow poster paper covered with double-sided tape. Their color of choice, go figure. They land on it and, yes, expire. There is a lesson here - if you are on a picnic, don't wear bright yellow :-) My brass lizard is a willing ally but totally ineffective.

So much for the gnats that have hatched and are practicing take-off and landing. How to stop this madness? Orkin suggests tenting the house.

Or -

Sprinkling tobacco on the surface of my houseplants, which I did today. The nicotine 'should' kill the larvae in the soil. I can also allow the plants to dry out completely, which will also kill the larvae. And presumably the plants as well.

I'm giving the tobacco a couple days (or less), then the plants go to the curb.

Ciao! Coco

Update on July 29 - all the plants were kicked out a couple days after I wrote this post :-) My house seems to be free of gnats now, and yesterday I bought silk plants (I can hardly believe it...).

Burda Style 7195 Pleat Front Shorts

I stepped outside to do my photo shoot a little after 7 this morning - and you can see I was instantly laughing. The humidity was a whopping 93%! My carefully (kinda sorta) styled hair went bing bing into its naturally frizzy curly state immediately. And I felt like I was going to melt...

I had picked out several tops to style these cute shorts, but changed my mind really fast in favor of snapping shots quickly. Best news - no mosquitoes so far this year. I am really lucky, other parts of the county nearer the shore are having a terrible time.

I first saw this Burda Style pattern on Mimi G.'s blog. She's sewn the peplum front pants several times, they look great on her. When I looked on Pattern Review, I found Mimi's review and only one review of the shorts! And that's it - a web search came up with no other shorts versions. But what a nice pattern. I really like wide leg pants and shorts, so gave this a go.

Given the pattern dimensions, I decided to sew a size 12, instead of my usual 14. My original version was true to the pattern, with two exceptions:

• I left off the ties. They are just a bit too much for me. 
• And I also opted out of the cuffs. They never stay rolled! and I do not want to fuss with them. My shorts have an 18 1/2" outseam.

The front styling is so interesting. The side seam is a couple inches forward and has deep in-seam pockets. The inverted pleat on each side is echoed in the wide waistband.

The back waistband has 3 rows of 1/2" elastic that bracket the flat front. Even though this is a wide leg pant, the gathers at the waist are not outrageous and would look nice with a tucked-in shirt.

Overall, very good-looking. But I didn't care for the front waistband. For one thing, I'll be wearing all my tops out and over my shorts, and the band pleats are a bit pokey. And for another, without any gathers, darts, or ease in the front, the shorts seemed to pull up at the crotch. Out with the seam ripper, off with the waistband. I attached a simple 1 1/4" wide band with 1" elastic. Very comfy, perfect solution.

My fabric is a 100% corded cotton from Fashion Fabrics Club. It is so soft, I'm glad I have four more yards. Maybe I'll do long pants in this same fabric and pattern. My top is a self-drafted tee, using a cotton jersey tribal print from Girl Charlee. And what summer shorts outfit would be complete without drugstore zoris :-)

My hands in my pockets pulled the back view, the shorts actually fit nicely in back...

Love my newest shorts.

Ms. Squirrel came out for breakfast. The guava tree is full of fruit, she is so fat and happy.

Hope everyone has a nice weekend. Ciao! Coco

It all fit in one bag...

This was fun. I went over to JoAnn's around noon to pick up a couple things, and here is part of what came home with me :-) I didn't even know I needed all this! Especially the Spiderman thingies (you put them in water, and they make small towels. Of course. Spidey is my grandson's super super hero - he will have a blast with these).

The purple thread is for this pretty calico, destined for wide leg pants like the cocoa dots I sewed last summer.

Vogue 8584

I also wanted self-threading sewing needles. They actually come as a pack of 10 on this cute pink magnet. It is perfect for keeping my basting needle and a couple sewing needles at hand as well. I can't stand to have them on the pin cushion with my straight pins because I knock them off or they fall off into the carpet - and I have a horror of sliding one into my bare foot. 

Back to the self-threading needles - Dan R. ( Piece and Press) mentioned in a post reply at Male Pattern Boldness that he uses them when he is pulling through his thread ends, knotting and sinking them. Brilliant! I've been using a regular sewing needle, licking the thread ends together, hoping they both go through the eye. This needle makes the process so much easier and faster. Thanks, Dan!

Confession time. I did not make it out of the store without fabric. I tried, I really did. But I remembered that I needed to look at faux fur, feel it actually, because I'm planning a jacket this fall. I don't want anything that too static-y or sticky or stiff. Faux fur is tricky and expensive! Fortunately I had a coupon for 40% off...

So pretty - very soft, deep brown, a little swirly, about 5/8" long, 100% poly. The knit backing is very well done, and the selvages are even. I gave it the fluff test (it didn't give up any) and the static test (no shocks). I do plan to use a cotton lining, both for comfort and to minimize static potential. And I already have my pattern, Simplicity 2150. I'm pretty sure I'll leave off the collar and raise the neckline slightly to compensate.

Felt like Christmas. BTW, the Spiderman goodies are from the Dollar Store next to my JoAnn's. Where I also got this 2013 must-have windmill to go out in the garden... Ciao! Coco