Atelier Janet

I started out Thursday morning like a house on fire. I cut out a Laundry Day Tee from another chunk of rayon spandex (Walmart), a Harper Cardigan from some black waffle knit (Walmart), a Burda 6315 from some French terry (Joann Fabrics), and another Burda 6329 from a double-brushed poly (Joann Fabrics).

The French terry from Joanns has languished in my stash for far too long. Every time I took it out to make something with it, I would get frustrated by how badly it was off grain and I would put it back. The other day, I took it out, stretched the living daylights out of it, got the grainline mostly straight, then let it relax for a couple of hours before I cut a Burda 6315 from it.

My stripe matching is on point 🔥

I suspect this one will get a lot of wear.

Somewhere along the line, I lost the black cardigan I bought at Target last year, so I’ve been wearing an older black cardigan that is past its pull date and needs to be retired. I decided that a Harper Cardigan from the black waffle knit would be a good replacement. The black waffle knit is identical to a dark green waffle knit that I also got at Walmart. This stuff is so cozy. I made a Patterns for Pirates Cocoon Cardigan from the green waffle knit. Although I like that pattern and the cocoon cardigan turned out well, I think it looks funny on me because it needs to be about 3” longer. I spotted some of the black waffle knit on the remnant rack at our Walmart about a month ago but didn’t buy it. (I am trying to show some restraint.) When I went back to get it, it was gone. However, on my trip through Spokane a few weeks ago, I found another chunk of it on a remnant rack there and bought it.

I am not an impulse buyer, even of fabric. There has been a three-yard chunk of navy blue and white striped ponte on the remnant rack at our Walmart for several weeks now. (It’s very similar to the French terry, above.) Every time I saw it, I thought what a nice cardigan or jacket it would make. I was in Walmart yesterday and it was still on the remnant rack, so I gave in and bought it. I am thinking of using it for an Alina Design Company Fulton Sweater Blazer.

I am getting closer to my goal of having a curated closet of clothing that fits me well, coordinates nicely, and features colors I like. In the process, I am teaching myself fitting and pattern alteration. I know it seems like I am making more clothing than one person needs, but I don’t know how else to learn these principles except by doing. Eventually, I’ll cull the collection to the pieces I truly love and reach for over and over.

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Our Joann Fabrics now has a sign on the door now stating that they will be closed on Sundays beginning this month. Our store, at least—if not the entire corporation—is circling the drain. I did get the end of a bolt of a dark purple bengaline for making a full pair of Linda pants with my altered pattern. I got a smidge less than two yards for $4.

The body shop called yesterday afternoon and said the BMW was ready to go. The husband was home early, so he ran me in. Not only did the body shop fix the car, they detailed the inside of it, too. I feel like I am driving a brand-new vehicle. I do love that car. It’s been fun driving the Acura because it’s a stick shift, but I am glad to be back in the Diva. I noticed, when I got it home, that one of the wheels was missing its BMW badge. The husband said it was like that when I came back from Seattle. That seems to happen every time I go to the big city, so the husband keeps a box of replacement badges—available in bulk on Amazon—on hand.

The washing machine is fixed. I can do laundry again. I made the husband a couple of pumpkin pies from the pumpkin I canned on Tuesday. My goodness, those Galeux d’Elysine pumpkins are sweet! The next time I make a pie, I’ll cut down the amount of sugar. Pie from home-grown pumpkins is nothing like the pie made from canned Libby’s pumpkin. (That is not really pumpkin anyway, but a different squash variety.) It’s like the difference between eating vine-ripened heirloom tomatoes and the styrofoam ones they sell in the grocery store.

Today is chicken butchering day. It’s not our favorite day of the year, but it has to be done. If we don’t butcher chickens who are too old to lay, we’re just feeding pets. Feed is expensive. There is rain in the forecast for this afternoon, but we should be done by noon.

I put a couple of handfuls of scratch grains out on the platform feeder by the chicken coop yesterday afternoon, and within minutes, there were three Stellar jays arguing over who got the bounty. The bunny is about 2/3 white now. I’ll try to get a picture the next time it’s in the yard.