bellevett

the trip formerly known as beeryarnhikingfoodpalooza-part 2

the handknits.

i lived in handknits.  what is nicer than going on a camping trip and staying warm as a result of your own two hands.  really.

winner of most worn handknit:

the february lady sweater. 

any sweater that looks and fits equally well when pregnant, 5 days postpartum, and a back to normal body deserves an award.  this sweater is a true fav. 

 

2nd place:

 the rhubarb and custard sweater/vest. 

this is by far one of my favorite projects.  it was quick and easy.  super cute on.  snuggly warm. etc. etc.

i sewed up the sides a bit, making it a bit more fitted.  true love.

 

third place:

the unfinished levenwick.

i hastily sewed some buttons on this and threw it in my bag unblocked.  it is so warm and comfy that i knew i needed to bring it.  i just ordered some vintage glass buttons to go on this baby, and i will be extra extra pleased.  i am going to move the buttons over a bit to make it a bit more fitted and help the collar stand up a bit better. 

ravelry links:

february lady

first february lady

rhubarb and custard

levenwick

i obviously trust my handknits.  did you know that i most definitely did not bring a single jacket to wear?  i was supremely warm by way of my merino wool long sleeve undershirts, worn over my dress, and under a wool handknit.

 

 

weekending.

 

weekending:

this weekend we picked our daily doses of raspberries from our little patch at the end of our driveway

next year i would like to plant bushes all along the road at the end of our driveway. these are eaten long before they are brought into the house.

i wore my new school house tunic, which i modified to a schools out sleeveless tunic.

i meant for this to be a dress, but it ended up a tunic, i must make a longer version.

i added darts, i dont see anyway around them.........

please buy this pattern for yourself if you are a sewer.  you owe it to yourself to make yourself feel good about your sewing skills.  this pattern will do it.

while the boy was napping on saturday, we did some real work in our garden beds, adding compost, tearing out dying plants, and planing a fall crop of deliciousness. there is nothing that gets me out of the poor me my garden hates me mood like planting fresh seeds in fresh compost equaling a fresh outlook.

after the small boy in our house spent friday and saturday recovering from a fever, i spent saturday night in bed with the sleeping boy knitting and watching mansfield park, on my laptop.  that was pretty much the best decision i had made all week. 

 

oh, and after watching mansfield park, i have decided i need this shawl... now. and it cant wait one minute longer.

 

strawberries

1. strawberries took over my life this past weekend.  thats positive, whats not to love about strawberries.
2. i am usually more in love with blueberries.  (i pick blueberries every summer at a u pick farm.)  but strawberries are so much easier to pick.  why do i love blueberries more?
3. i have diagnosed my self with food  hoarding.  

I went to pick strawberries this weekend.  

the person in the very back just so happens to be a cool person that i know that has this blog.   yeah, we frequent the same crops.  

every year i do this with the u-pick farms.  I see these rows of food and i.must.have.more.  

i jammed, froze, and dehydrated.  

dehydrated:

 

I use these for granola and oatmeal.  if you want some delicious oatmeal, try this:

strawberries and cream oatmeal:

perfect for backpacking, taking to work, storage, etc.

this recipe can be doubled,tripled, quadrupled.

2 cups oatmeal  (i use whatever is on sale in bulk at the co-op, so any kind will work.)

1/2 cup dried milk.  (organic valley is the best and the only powdered milk i would use.)  

you can also use dried soy milk mix.  I like the light ones the best.

1/2 cup dried strawberries

1/2 teaspoon of stevia. 

mix together very well!  to use, put 3/4 scoop into bowl and pour in boiling water.  

 
now, for a note on my mom, she is the sweetest person alive.  if you meet her, you should instantly give her a hug.   

i have several sewing projects going on.  paper bag waist shorts and this little diddy:

dear adorable frock, meet my anna marie horner voile.

obsessed.

obsessed.

obsessed.

  

  
  

tank dress

another terrible turned fabulous story......  remember my favorite t-shirt dilemma with the epic coffee stains?

well, clumsita strikes again.

 I had the lime green tank top that had some serious bleach spills at the very bottom. ... Pretty much unwearable.  but it was my favorite!  

so i found some knit fabric from the stash and cut about 5 inches off the bottom of the tank. 

Then I cut a large skirt from the stash fabric (probably 10 inches added to my normal waist measurement), gathered the panels at the top with a basting stitch and pulled the threads to make the gather, sewed the sides together, and then attached the skirt to the tank.  

voila:

 I like it with a belt.  and a cardigan.

its so comfy.  like  sweatpants without the sweat.  or the pants.  just the comfy.

 

another summer outfit added to the wardrobe = mornings that do not involve the phrase, "why do i always feel i have nothing wear?" 

t-shirt tutorial and laughter provoking conversations

so. i had an incident with my favorite t-shirt.  a coffee related incident. it was bad.

 

see, i told you it was bad. it must have been that crazy insane all in one coffee maker makin that crazy strong coffee.

anyways, i am happy to report  two things: 

1. that i am no longer drinking that crazy coffee as i have now kicked the caffeine habit, for the time being. 
2. i have figured out a way to clone the favorite t shirt that you cant find anymore.

yipee!

MY FAVORITE T-SHIRT TUTORIAL  

supplies: 

your favorite t-shirt, scissors, seam ripper, big paper, sharpie, sewing machine that does a zig zag stitch or a serger (if you use a sewing machine, make sure to use a ball point needle), pins, ruler, and a knit fabric that you really like and feels like your favorite t-shirt. you also need basic sewing skills and using a pattern.

first step: using your seam ripper, take off one sleeve.

next step: turn sleeve inside out.  make the fold on the outside edge of the sleeve. the one that is not at your armpit. you might want to use the iron. okay.  now, place the fold on the edge of your big paper.  make sure there are no folds or wrinkles and then trace.

 

use your ruler to straighten up the seam edge.
 

next fold the body of the shirt in half.  with the front neckline being in the center.   place the fold on the edge of the paper.

 

then place the shirt side by side with your tracing to determine where the neckline starts on the front. make a mark.
 

use an s-ruler or your eyeball and make the neckline.  i used an s. ruler. then fold your paper and cut two of the shirt halfs.  the one that has the front neckline traced onto it will be your front. go ahead and cut the excess off the front pattern.
 

label all of your patterns.  

    

with the right side of the fabric together.......

sew together at the shoulders first.  

then sew the sleeves on.

then sew up the sides and continue up the sleeves.

the neckline that appears to be uneven is a result of the faulty dress form that i purchased from china town. note to self.  bad purchase.

fold up the bottom, sleeves, and neck hem and sew using a zig zag stitch.

 just incase you thought i had another spill on the collar, it was the water from the iron...  ok, i will replace that picture with a better, drip free one... when we eventually have sunshine again.

recent laughter provoking conversation:

me: i need to buy some more thank you cards today,will you remind me?

cody: yeah........ (silence ) i decided to do telepathic ones this year. which reminds me. did you get mine? 

this is why my husband makes me laugh all the days of my life.

wardrobe refashion and other resolutions

i took a pledge.

this pledge.

i am now signed up to not buy a single item of "new" manufactured items of clothing for the time period of 6 months. that is right folks. 6 whole months.

and while i was taking this pledge, (shown at the bottom of this post), Cody mentioned to me that he thought this would be easy for me.

in his exact words, he said, "you make a lot of your clothes already and the main place that you spend money is at the thrift store. wait a second...is this real or are you just making this up for yourself so that you can win?  you never buy new clothes."

the thing is......... sometimes i might go to target for say....... toilet paper, or lets say contact solution..... and i might, just might, pick up a few items from the clothing department.  and lets just say that its possible that the receipt just gets marked as a household expenditure.  i mean, lets just say that might happen.  

so, i am just saying, this will be a slight challenge.

so, starting the first week of 2010, i will begin posting, as per my pledge, to the wardrobe refashion blog. and you will be able to see my lovely refashioned outfits.  hmmmmm.  this should be very interesting.

what better time than the present to get this party started........

my first refashion outfit

self drafted top and a-line skirt. 

courderoy fabric for skirt: estate sale. .50 cents for 12 yards.

polkadot silk fabric for shirt: estate sale. .50 cents for 3 yards.

magically it fits!

so, whew.  first post. over.  

oh yeah, and here is the pledge.

I __________________ pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 / 4 / 6 months. I pledge that i shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoted, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings! Signed__________________.