Works in Progress...

In the last couple days, I've been sort of motivated to sew.  Of course, not on any projects that are already in progress.

Yesterday I started the fuzzy hat that I promised The Boy long ago when we first started dating.  Once upon a time, I purchased an electric blue silk dupioni pencil skirt that would in no way ever fit me.  I had always intended for it to be made into a hat for The Boy.  I have a Tried and True (TnT) six panel hat pattern that I love.  I cut out the silk, and flat lined them in some thick brown wool for extra warmth.  After assembling the panels, I dithered a bit about whether to embroider along the seams or to do something more complicated like a Norse animal or something.  I realized that the largest part of the panel would be folded up behind the fur band, and went ahead with a seam embellishment.  I used the last of my card of yellow silk from The Overly Ambitious Embroidery of Doom! to do a closed feather stitch.  It kind of looks like steel girders over each seam.

This afternoon I put together the lining.  I always line my hats in silver silk, because I like the little bit of amusement I get from having a silver lining.  The TnT pattern has a fold line on it where I trace out the lining that accommodates the band of fur.  I'm so proud of this fur.  I was determined to make a hat a few years ago, and to save myself some cash, I decided to purchase a fur coat at the thrift store.  I wanted black fur, but couldn't find anything I liked that didn't look cheap.  So I switched my desire to white fur.  I found a gorgeous coat for $25 that fit my needs.  It turned out to be more than I'd asked for.  The coat was Blue Fox fur, cut into thin strips, about a 1/4 inch wide.  These were separated by strips of soft leather about an inch wide.  I allow three strips of fur, and cut down the center of the leather strip to give myself a nice fur band.  The bands of fur around the head fold down for extra warmth.  This means that I'm making headway on Cold Weather gear for The Boy.

Eventually I'll get the lining attached to the shell, and I need to purchase more thread to make a tassel for the top.

Today, The Boy was working really late, so I decided to try out draping hose.  I love the way sewn hose look, and believe that I should have them, but I've never had much luck with the ankle part of the hose.  I've decided to just suck it up and try them in some crappy cotton broadcloth scraps I've had for years.  I pinned the seam, the pulled it off and did a quick running stitch down the seam to keep from stabbing myself with the pins.  I then futzed with the foot slit on either side.  I finally had to draw it on and hope.  I've got the patterns drawn out now on paper, and perhaps some day I'll actually make up the next mock up.