Saturday, May 21, 2016

Back after a Slight Delay

All my sewing came to a halt when I had cataract surgery earlier this year.

Even before that, I got a little bit of sewing done.

For example, I stitched two lengths of fleece together to make a king-sized blanket.  This was done of necessity because all the blankets that we saw in the stores were just plain ugly.  I found five yards of this fleece at about the same price as an average blanket at W-M:

I also got caught up in pattern testing for an independent pattern company.

The fact that Stitch Upon a Time needed pattern testers for something my husband was needing - a T-shirt, specifically with long sleeves - was not lost on me.  I joined the pattern-testing world so hubby could have a couple new T-shirts.

The link to the men's Huntsman T-shirt pattern is here.

I sewed for him two long-sleeved shirts and one short-sleeved shirt.

Here is his second shirt, after we finessed the fit:

With inspiration - and scraps - from the top I made my friend, I cut one out for me, too.  Here is my friend's top:

Inspired by the cold weather at the time - mid-February - I cut out two long skirts using McCall's pattern 6654, a basic knit skirt with straight or flare options.  I cut a thinner, but denser, knit with a straight line.  I cut a more open knit as an overlay with a hi-low hem and a slight flare.

Right about this time, I had my first cataract surgery.  Here's a "before" picture. I'd had thick glasses for years:

After two months of not sewing - and, unfortunately, not exercising, also - I went from "can't see far" to "can't see near."  Because of the surgery, I can see colors more clearly now.  Cataracts had changed my perception of colors, and it was a shock to "rediscover" white and colors!

I have a small collection of "readers," which are those eyeglasses you see in drug stores and dollar stores.  I have ordered two pairs of prescription glasses which correct my vision to 20/20, something I'd not had for years.

So, I finally got back into sewing.  I finished my top to match my friend's top.  We went out today as "twins."  Here's my top:

The skirt is still in process.  It was going to be two skirts, but now I think I will make it as one.

Google has this year changed how pictures work, so I had to update the links to my photo albums for my Patterns for Sale page (above).