It's Better Than Fig Leaves

Perhaps I lack a sense of fashion, but I have never felt drawn to animal print outfits or crocodile handbags. To my mind zebra stripe belongs only on zebras, snakeskin makes better snakes than boots, the leopard can keep his spots to himself and, giraffe print only ever looks right on someone with a 12 foot neck (so pretty much just giraffes and the guys from beyond alpha centauri).

The seeming public obsession with animal prints continues, circling round every few years with varying degrees of accuracy and imagination. Looking at craft and fabric store faux furs I have to wonder if there really are that many people seeking turquoise tiger stripes or, say, spandex-knit pant-weight skin of an animal I'm guessing it was half cheetah, half komodo dragon? I don't know.

But then, as I was pondering yet again the dubious wisdom that causes someone to put together an outfit consisting entirely of leopard print (in this case a swim suit and sarong edged in wooden beads no doubt meant to look tribal somehow) the answer came to me: It all goes back to the garden of Eden.

And the LORD God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. ~Genesis 3:21

Christmas Sweater Completed

Quick and chunky green yarn in a corrugated rib knit with purled cuffs and collar. 

Turned out pretty good for a pattern I invented myself. 

Peruvian Tweed

Alpaca yarn is a dream to knit with. So soft it slips smoothly through the fingers as my needles fly along.

Blending together different natural colors from the fluffy fiber animals this three-ply yarn called "Peruvian tweed" was selected by my sister for the sweater I was to knit her. Mind you I'd never knit a whole sweater before. Socks and baby things have been my deal.

The hood was the most difficult part for me -- figuring out what the instructions meant for me to do with binding off and casting on and shaping and joining. Bunny agreed to hood model so you can all see: I actually managed to get it looking like a real hooded sweater.

I am informed I will be making more of these.

Tada... The Dress

In Which I Take a Break from Quilting and Go to the Movies

I have been reading A Dress a Day off and on for a while now. Long enough to recognize the lines of a "Duro" aka one of the signature style dresses designed by Duro Olowu (picture of dress).

Additionally, the other evening we watched Music and Lyrics. My review of the movie is as follows:
loose morality (which really wasn't actually necessary to the plot IMO)
great wardrobe on Drew Barrymore
hysterical 1980's music video.

Why am I telling you all this?

In one of the scenes (where she first comes to water his plants) Drew's character wears an orange dress that I could swear was a Duro.

This prompted much discussion.

After the ensuing web search, pattern search, and raiding of the fabric stashes the result was Butterick 4849 in a slightly altered form. Okay, a radically altered form. I changed the neckline for modesty, deleted a couple seams for ease of construction, created a different back bodice to carry the neck band detail all the way around, added side panels for a design more like the one in the movie, and created on-seam pockets because who in their right mind never needs a pocket?

So, yeah, that took a while; but it's done now. I think it turned out pretty well; there are a few more changes I might make next time (construction shortcuts mostly) but overall I'm pleased with it and it's crazy comfortable to wear. I'll post a picture of it as soon as I can get one snapped and downloaded.