Variations on a Theme Part II

Lots of sewing has been going on, mostly for  my unexpected trip to Austin to see Alex and spend her birthday together. My wonderful husband surprised me with tickets and I was there last week during prime wildflower viewing.  The bluebonnets were spectacular.  After she picked me up at the airport we went to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower center.  It's a must see if you are in Austin.  I've always wanted to see the blue bonnets in bloom and this year they've had some respite from the drought and the wild flowers were everywhere.  Here we are in a field of blue bonnets at the Center.  I've got on another version of my tnt t shirt in a coated gold knit.  It's not like the metallic knits that I've gotten from EOS where the yarns are metallic, but it seems to be a printed light metallic gold on a beige rayon knit.  Not as drapey but nice for a t shirt.  I'm wearing it with a new pair of black pants from my tnt pants pattern not that you can see them all that well here, but there's nothing different from the last 6 pairs. It's fast and easy to make garments from a tnt pattern and I choose to make a very simple fly front pant without details that add to my hips.  However, these are a cotton lycra and  cut them out with a pair in a cotton acetate brocade without lycra and the non stretch pair fit better, perfect in fact.  It just proves that you really do have to fit as you sew even if you've made the pattern a dozen times.  Every fabric sews up differently.  

I've been trying to sew from stash lately but this brocade was a new purchase from a recent FM sale.  Half off a selected group of brocades and this one caught my eye.  The black and white floral looked very current.  I am wearing it with a top from Tom and Linda Platt in matte jersey from a few years back and another version, this one in a scrumptious cashmere knit from Mood, of Pamela's Pattern drape front cardigan.  I got a lot of use out of this cardigan all week starting out with wearing it over my gold top and black pants from the first picture.  A cold front had come through and it was in the chilly most of the day.  Here I am in front of the bat sculpture next to the Congress Street bridge before we went down to see the bats fly out at dusk from their perches under the bridge.  Pretty cool sight. Austin has the largest urban colony of bats in the world.  


I made two pairs of pants, the gold t shirt and the cardigan for my trip.  They all fit very well in my wardrobe and I wore the cardigan here over pants and a couple of tops from last year.


I took some pictures before I left but never had a change to post.  They are more variations on a theme.  

My completed Missoni cardigan.  I am wearing it with my Hot Patterns dressy jeans in black corduroy.  I am not completely thrilled with these pants.  The front is great, the back I over fitted and it pulls down at the cb.  I am going to make another pair in denim and see if I can't tweek them a bit to fit better.  

You saw this twin set on my dress form.  I think it looks better on me.  Same jeans.

The last piece I made was this nightgown from my tnt t shirt and a beefy cotton knit from EOS.  This has been one of the best things I made this winter because I really needed it and it's wonderful to sleep in.  It is hard and expensive to find a simple, long sleeved nightgown and my dh had been nudging me to make one for months. 

I leave you with a picture of Alex and I out to dinner on her birthday and a close up of the Tom and Linda Platt top Vogue 00P. I don't know why I haven't made another one in a washable fabric because I love it. (this one is in rayon matte jersey).

It was a wonderful trip; a time to see Austin and spend 'girl' time with my daughter.