Arctic Sky refers to the project, not the stratosphere in winter. I decided it was time to refer to its proper name, instead of Project 5. I have begun.
First, I spent most of the day, after all the housework was done, working through the Dreamweaver Manual. I finally feel like I’m grasping the basics of CSS, like I might even be able to actually execute this web site I designed. It is taking so long, the learning curve is huge. What’s more confusing is the variety of browsers and devices for viewing that exist, and no two read a site the same way. And older browsers may not even support CSS style sheets, which is the next generation of device for designing sites in an efficient way, so it makes sense to learn it, even if viewing technology hasn’t completely caught up with it. Rather be on the cutting edge than trailing far behind…
My daughter had a volleyball tournament this afternoon, so I was all ready to knit away, for a couple hours, I’m only a few rows from the neck of the second side, but alas, we spent more than an hour sitting in horrid traffic, the utility work on the major roadways due to the damage from the high winds was causing all kinds of traffic snarls, and most of her team and her coach ended up an hour or more late, and they missed the first match. Oh well, I just sat and knit… The games they did play, once everyone was assembled, were actually pretty exciting, I actually stopped knitting for awhile…
So I finally got to work on the Arctic Sky (Project 5) jacket after 10:30 at night. The first step was to double check my size, my body is changing daily, I’ve been off Tamoxifen for over a year now, and still seeing slow changes back to my old body, in shape and weight, which means that every sewing project has to be resized. I suppose there are worse things… Like not beating cancer… this is a minor hiccup…
I’m using a Burda pattern, since I subscribe to the Burda World of Fashion Magazine, which comes in once a month, I have to open out the huge mapped sheets that contain all the patterns for each issue, and first copy the directions, which are a scant couple of columns, and then determine what lines to trace, on what pattern sheet. Once everything is located, I grab my bolt of pattern paper, and here I digress.
The second blog I wrote, way back in December, talked about how my favorite pattern tracing medium seems to have been discontinued. I had always used HTCW’s Red Dot Tracer, which was sturdy, stable in all directions, and held onto a pencil mark really well. Alas, not being able to get it, I found out that Pellon had re-engineered their Tru-Grid pattern tracing product so it was now stable in all directions, which meant I could substitute this in a pinch (I never liked the old version, somehow using something that wasn’t stable made no sense for tracing patterns). I ordered a bolt from my distributor, and have been using it for the last couple of months. I really like the product, it is more cloth like than Red Dot, it’s great for trying on as an interim muslin, but it doesn’t hold the pencil markings, they rub off all over your hands, and by the time you’ve gotten half through the garment, they’ve faded considerably.
Imagine my gleeful surprise, when I got a call yesterday from my distributor telling me that the rumor is, Pellon is picking up the Red Dot Tracing product. I immediately ordered a bolt, praying it is the same stuff as the old one, or reasonably close, because I really want to use that for my class in California. And I have to ship it ahead in the next week. So I’m keeping my fingers crossed, and I’ll let you know if it is the real thing, and if so, it will be back on my website store for sale in two yard packages! And if Pellon is carrying the product, it will be way more easier to get in a regular fabric store, if there is such a thing anymore…
Back to the project…
So I take my bolt of Pellon’s Tru-Grid, cut off a chunk, and lay it out on the “RED LINES” on the G Sheet. It is important to note that there are no seam allowances or hem allowances on the pattern pieces, so I trace the lines with my colored pencil, using dotted lines, making sure all the pieces are at least 1 1/4″ away from each other to allow for the allowances. I add the seam allowances later. I copy all the marks and reference lines, checking the little direction sheet to make sure they are all accounted for.
Once I do that, I pack away the pattern sheet, refolding it is much easier than refolding a pattern, after 45 years of sewing, I still haven’t mastered that one. I’m too impatient if you can believe. Anyway, now I can add all the seam allowances and hem allowances, 5/8″ and 1 5/8″ respectively.
The next step will be to baste the pieces together to try on the pattern. But tomorrow morning, I’ll be heading off to a meeting of the American Sewing Guild. I’ve been a member for awhile, but only went to one meeting, well over a year ago. So I’ve decided to try another meeting, I’ll report in tomorrow afternoon.
I needed to ship a garment for a faculty exhibit at the Newark Museum for the spring season of workshops, so I decided on the very dramatic Peacock piece, which I did back in 2005, since they hadn’t seen it at the museum, and knowing the space, I thought it would be perfect. Plus garments like these don’t do any good hanging in my closet in cleaner bags. It isn’t like it is something I’m going to wear to the next social gathering. There are pieces I make that I really wear, and there are pieces I make that I do because I want to push the envelope a little bit, and make a spash in an exhibit or on the runway, and a conservative, very wearable little jacket like I’m about to make for Project 5, just doesn’t always fit the bill.
I teach a class on Inkle weaving, I love Inkle bands, first the loom is very portable, and second, the bands are so great on garments. I used a complex inkle band with double rows of a 7 thread pick-up in the garment photographed for the 
been working on, and created the 5 thread drafts for the designs, which took me most of the morning, updated the presentation, and created a PDF file as an addendum which can be accessed through my website . So if you bought the monograph and would like the added page, or are just curious, click on 
I moved the roll of fabric from what I originally described as 
So I poured through my back issues of Burda, and found the pattern I think ties this all together, shawl collar, lightweight jacket, princess seams, welt pockets, cuffs, and I like the little belt in the back. Oh, and it calls for three big buttons… 🙂
The hour trip home was tiring. I’m still not myself, and I didn’t eat lunch because it just didn’t appeal to me. And I got stuck in horrible traffic on Interstate 80, largely because it was the perfect day for road crews to be out there filling the crater size pot holes from the brutal winter. So by the time I got into the driveway, I was ready for a nap. But I didn’t bother to go inside the house. I’ve done this before, and it is such a cool thing to do, at least I think so anyway. (And you can’t do it in the summer!). I reclined the seat in my car, which was warm and cozy, and dozed, with the sun streaming in the car, for at least a half hour. It felt so wonderful. I slowly woke, and this was the view I saw out the window. (And I just figured out how to use the camera in my cellphone!) This beautiful blue sky, with black leafless tree branches, gently swaying in the breeze, the occasional ribbon of clouds lazily drifting by. I stared at it for maybe 20 minutes. It was so restful and restorative. Now I am ready to go to the HS, pick up my daughter from play rehearsal, and get her to her snow make up volleyball practice, (where I’ll continue on my