What a lovely day before the cold sets in again!

Well I going to try this again! I am having a really hard time adjusting to the day shift. I don't understand why it is so difficult this time. I'm sure it would help if I went to bed at a decent hour! lol I spent alot of time on facebook this morning and on the phone. And now it's 10:55 AM, and here i am on the phone again ( on hold ) with the mortgage company. You would think that they would have our info in front of them since they called me!!! Geez, sometimes you just get tired of going with the flow when it's the same headache for 18 months!!! Time to move on.



We have gotten so spoiled this past week with weather so nice you almost want to plant the garden! Not so fast though....this is Michigan and that would really be a waste of energy! We have not gotten our last snow and ice storm yet!

This was from time gone by! You never know what your gonna get like a box of chocolate! Isn't that kewl how the bud got caught in the ice?



So I was watching The View this morning, cuz now it's 12:51PM, and they were going to show a sneak peek of a clip from Grey's Anatomy. So they cut to it and WHAM....my screen freezes up!!! Damn! That's AT&T u-Verse. It only does that when you really want to see something!

It appears as if this day wants to fight me, doesn't it? I'm NOT going to let it though. It's the last beautiful day for a little while and I don't want to fight with or about anything.



I called the Red Cross to volunteer as a babysitter instructor and was going to meet the woman yesterday but she had a family emergency and had to leave. I hope her grandpa is doing better.



Here is a beautiful Chiffon Pop-Art Handkerchief Top pattern:

Design by Paula Smith-Danell





Quick Tip



Pattern Option: For a quick variation, cut or tear fabric to 51 x 50 inches. Stitch a 1/2-inch hem on all sides and omit instructions for the contrast trim.







Sew this poncho-style cover-up top from a rectangle of chiffon fabric. Paula has included some useful tips for sewing with silky fabrics along with her wonderful pattern.





Estimated Time

2 1/2 hours



Finished size

One size fits most



Materials



45-inch-wide silk chiffon fabric:

1 3/4 yards for body*

1 1/2 yards for contrast

Silk pins

French curve

View-through ruler

Basic sewing supplies and equipment

*1/3 yard will be used for squaring edges and testing fabric.



Preparation

Test fabric's ability to tear along the grain line by making a clip in the selvage edge 1 1/2 inches from the cut edge and at least 1 inch deep. Grasp both edges securely. Pull gently and see if the fabric will tear along the cross grain. Limited puckering can be pressed out using an iron set on medium heat with steam. If fabric will not tear or there is excessive puckering or pulled threads, then square-cut the edge of the fabric by pulling a weft (cross-grain) thread.



Cutting

Tear or square-cut fabric as explained in Preparation.



From silk chiffon for body:





Measure 50 inches along selvage edge and tear or square-cut so fabric measures 50 x 45 inches.



From contrasting silk chiffon:





Tear or square-cut two 50 x 6-inch strips along the straight of grain (selvages).

Fold remaining fabric on the bias. Pin and press fold. Use a view-through ruler to mark a 1 x 28-inch strip along the fold (Figure 1). Cut along marked line for bias binding.

Assembly Note: Refer to Assembly Diagram (below) throughout.





Turn under and stitch a 1/2-inch hem on cut edges of body.





With wrong sides together, fold body piece in half, matching hemmed edges. Pin fold and press lightly for shoulder fold. Unfold, then fold again, matching selvage edges. Pin this fold and press lightly near center for center front/back fold.





Using air- or water-soluble marking pen, mark center front fold 2 inches from pressed shoulder fold; mark center back fold 1/2 inch from shoulder fold (Figure 2).

Mark shoulder fold 4 1/2 inches from center front/back fold. Using a French curve, draw the neck curve for the front, connecting marks at center front and shoulder (Figure 3).

Using a French curve, mark a line connecting the mark at the center back fold to the shoulder fold mark (Figure 4).



Cut out neck opening and mark center back fold line at the neck edge. Beginning at center back, with right sides together and raw edges even, pin bias binding around neck edge, leaving an extra 1 inch beyond center back mark at beginning and end for center back seam allowance.



With right sides together, stitch center back seam in binding (Figure 5). Trim excess. Press. Sew binding to neck edge using a 3/8-inch seam allowance. Clip seam allowance 1/8 inch deep at shoulder curves to ease binding into these areas.

Press seam allowance toward binding. Carefully trim excess allowance. Edge-stitch binding 1/8 inch from seam line, catching seam allowance. Turn binding inside neckline. Pin in place and press lightly from wrong side. Beginning at center back, with binding on top, top stitch 3/8 inch from neckline edge. Press.





Pin right side of each contrast strip to wrong side of body along one selvage edge, with edges even, allowing contrast strip to extend at least 1/2 inch on each end of body (Figure 6). Sew, using a 1/2-inch seam allowance. Press seam allowance toward body.

Press under 1/2 inch on remaining long edge of contrast strip. Fold strip with right sides together and stitch across ends so stitching lines are even with body hems (Figure 7).

Turn and press. Pin contrast fabric over body seam allowance so edges of contrast fabric are even. Edge-stitch 1/8 inch from edge of fold (Figure 8).



Fold body with wrong sides together along shoulder seam. Measure 13 1/2 inches from each end. Mark 13 1/2-inch lines parallel with ends of garment. Stitch along line, securing beginning and ending of stitching. Remove basting threads.

And here is your finished project!

Well life is just happening as it should cuz it is! And all is well at this minute in time.



Everyone remember to enjoy every second of your day!