Time to think about underwear + A Ditch in Time...

Readers, it's nearly October, which means it's almost time for the MPB Men's Boxers Sew-Along to begin!  Our start date is this coming Monday, October 3rd.  Where did the time go? 

You don't need a lot of supplies to make boxers, just some fabric, thread, elastic, and a sewing machine.  Hopefully you already have these.  If not, there's still time to get them!

I'm going to be working primarily from two men's boxers patterns, both vintage: McCall's 3438, and Simplicity 1960 (the standard boxers, not the yoked French style).  You can use any men's boxers pattern -- or even pajama bottoms pattern -- you choose.





The only difference between a vintage boxers pattern and a contemporary one is generally the rise.  Men used to wear their pants at their true waist, and their underwear too.  We'll be lowering the rise together -- an easy adjustment to make.

The fabric I'm using is basic cotton shirting.  I recommend using 100% cotton fabric that's soft.  Here are my choices.  I've used the two on the left for other projects; the two on the right are new.  If you're not sure how much fabric to purchase, check the back of your pattern envelope.  For more information about men's shirting, check here.



Yesterday I picked up two different kinds of elastic, both 1 1/4" wide.  The standard elastic will go in a casing; the softer, more pillowy elastic will be stitched directly onto my fashion fabric and therefore come in contact with my skin.  I bought one yard of each, which will be plenty.





And that -- as they say -- is that!  As in the past, I have created a Flickr group for participants to join.  You can join here (if you're already a member of Flickr) or by emailing me at peterlappinnyc at gmail dot com.

And now, The Daily Ditch©.

Anyone who grew up in the Seventies remembers these Russ Berrie figurines, which, if I recall correctly, you'd buy in stationery stores.  (Does anyone still buy stationery?)  Much like Troll dolls, they're either adorable or grotesque, depending on your taste.  I used to have more than a dozen; today I will own none. 



I'm ambivalent about parting with my Magic 8 Ball -- it doesn't take up that much space after all.



Should I ditch it?



Finally, after more than two years of being able to use only half my closet, since the doohicky supporting the clothing rod snapped off and the left side of the rod couldn't support the weight of my clothes, I finally replaced it. Ta da!





Not only that: with the drill out and ready, I decided to finally hang this kitschy Sixties bulletin board I bought at the flea market many years ago and never used.



Is it me, or is there a resemblance?  What better place for it than my sewing machine corner?

Friends, that's it for today.  My next challenge is to weed through my old sewing projects and decide what stays and what goes.  I mean, groovy cotton-poly sheet shirts -- who wears those things?

Do you ever ditch things you've sewn?  Is it harder than dumping ready-to-wear?  Any advice is appreciated.

Happy Thursday, everybody!

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"Out with the Old, In with the New" + CONTEST!

Readers, I'm not a fan of dogmatic people, and I would hate to come across as one.  My Daily Ditch© method of personal transformation does create miracles, but it's important to allow a few things into your life, too -- otherwise, you'll have nothing left to ditch.  Think about it.

I'd been very curious about Claire Schaeffer's book, Couture Sewing Techniques, and finally decided to treat myself -- not only to a copy, but also to the latest edition, something I normally wouldn't spring for.  It's so nice to read a sewing book that isn't full of Eighties fashion, do you know what I mean?  I'm not going to discuss the book today, but it's a beaut.

On Monday, I received a mystery box in the mail.  Fortunately, it wasn't ticking.



Readers, as you know, I sometimes link to other blogs or wax enthusiastic about something, but it's never to benefit myself -- at least not consciously.

Imagine my surprise when I opened the box to discover this fabulous tomato pincushion -- a gift from Sunni at A Fabulous Stitch for....I'm not sure what; I must have mentioned her here at MPB, hopefully not in a disparaging way.



Folks, if MGM's Gilbert Adrian designed a pincushion this would be it -- am I right?

I must say that while I'm more accustomed to your standard hothouse tomato pincushion, Sunni's is a full-fledged beefsteak.  Seriously though, this vegetable -- or is it a fruit -- is so charming, I'm loath to stick pins in it! 





But that's not all!  Thoughtful Sunni also sent me this beautiful adjustable dog collar!







Actually, don't tell Sunni, but I think I'm going to use this as a wrist pincushion.





Now it wouldn't really look right if now I said, Go buy one of Sunni's pincushions, which you can purchase here or here, so I'm just going to thank Sunni and leave it at that.

And now onto The Daily Ditch©.

Today's theme is Name That Jetsam!

Friends, I can't remember why I ever bought an RF Modulator, but it had something to do with hooking up an old DVD player (which I no longer own), to an even older TV (which I no longer own).  Today I will no longer own this RF Modulator.



Why, oh why, did I have this sitting around?  Hopefully it was a gift. 



Or this.  Don't their songs all sound the same?



I found this black plastic wand sitting in a cabinet and had no idea what it was. 



But I figured it out -- behold!  Why do I own two cheap tripods?  Later today I will own just one.



And now for our contest:  Readers, please identify one of the following items:





The winner will receive...nothing!  You wouldn't want to go against the spirit of The Daily Ditch© would you?  Actually, you will enjoy the pleasure of being right, which is all most of us really long for anyway.

In closing, friends, wherever you may be sticking your pins, I hope this day will be an enjoyable one for you.

Seriously, what is that pale jade plastic thing -- do you know?  I do!

POST-WINNER UPDATE:  (SPOILER ALERT!)

Click photo to play movie in Picasa.

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Leah Models the BurdaStyle Halter Dress!

At long last, readers, my BurdaStyle sew-along halter dress photo shoot!  If it seems to you like I've been working on this dress for, like, forever, imagine what if feels like to me. 

This shoot, my first without my cousin Cathy, is bound to invite comparisons between her and Leah.  Please remember that Leah is not a professional model like Cathy, though I think she acquits herself quite nicely. 

Of course, while Cathy requires the merest dusting of powder to look picture-perfect, we had to literally spackle poor Leah with heavy cream foundation to get the results you'll see here.  (It's so important to take care of your skin, readers, and that means never going to sleep in your pancake.  Learn from Leah's errors.)



I don't think Leah knew what she was getting herself into when she agreed to participate in this project: the endless fittings, the drama of disaster averted, or being forced to parade around town in opera-length gloves carrying heavy, actually packed vintage luggage (I wanted her to feel the role, so I used bricks).  Modeling is not for the timid.



Without further delay, the photo shoot.

As always, to see these photos full-size, please click on any image and then, in Picasa, choose "View All" in the upper left hand corner, and "Slideshow."   



Seriously, how adorable is Leah -- and how about that dress on her?

Enjoy!

PS - You can read my final sew-along post over at BurdaStyle here.

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Happiness is a Clean Sewing Table

This may not look like anything to brag about to you, neat readers, but for me this is as good as it gets.  I can actually see the table under my sewing machines!

At the table pictured above I mainly do things like make buttonholes, sew on zippers, wind bobbins -- tasks like that.  My primary sewing goes on in the living room at one of my machine tables, even if it's at a machine that sits atop the table as opposed to in the table.  Good enough.





It's always hard to say goodbye to old friends, but I am so glad I sold my Pfaff 139 and Singer 99 this past weekend, and proud I found good homes for them.  I won't lie: I spent about twenty minutes last night looking at vintage sewing machines on eBay, but I think it was just a reflex and not anything to worry about.  Would a Viking 6440 really enhance my life?  

I think I'm ready to consider new projects.  Of course, I must spend some time preparing for the Men's Boxers Sew-Along that begins in just one week.  I really should stitch myself a practice pair.

Like Old Man River, the Daily Ditch just keeps rolling along.

This bucket hat, which I bought on some sunny vacation where I found myself hatless,  photographs nicely, and would be great if it were made from some light, water-repellent fabric like microfiber.  This Made in China cotton version is so heavy that it makes my head sweat just putting it on.  I know it will work for somebody, however, because as soon as I put it out with the recycling, it was gone.



Remember the post-lp-and-cassette tape/pre-iPod days, when you listened to music on CDs?  Or when you backed up your computer files on a CD instead of an external disc drive?  Might as well talk horse and buggies, right?

I used to burn CDs all the time and would buy plastic CD jewel cases by the dozen.  Well, I haven't burned a CD in years, but I still had a huge stack of cases just in case (as it were).  Not anymore!



I'm finding old technology and technology-related items the hardest to part with.  They're usually still functional in some way -- like those portable TV sets -- but ultimately worthless.  I still have a few old videotapes but own no VCR or TV to play them on, and I'm holding on to an old (well, not that old) mini DV movie camera just so I can play old mini DV vacation tapes.  (If I want to make a movie today, I use my regular Canon digital camera.)  I'm sure I'm not the only one.  Thankfully, I never owned a slide projector!

Have you ever had footwear so comfortable that you literally wore it out?  That's what happened to these Gurkee sandals, which I've owned for about five years.  They are made of polypropelene rope and are incredibly comfortable.  You wouldn't believe how often people comment on them, and they say good things!  I wore this pair for the last time yesterday, and my left heel was literally scraping pavement -- that's how much I loved them.

Off to the dump they go to decompose, which shouldn't take more than 15,000 years.



I think that's enough for one day, don't you?  I have some tough choices ahead regarding old stereo components (receiver, turntable, etc).   Dump?  Without them I can't play my records, but truth is, I don't play my records (not to mention I don't own speakers -- a way-earlier dump).  What to do?

I'll have more to say about ditching dilemmas in the days ahead.  Some items can be hard to part with even if they've sat unused for a long, long time.  We have to trust that letting them go is to our benefit and opens up new space in our lives, literally and metaphorically.  I'll leave it at that.

Do you still own a record player?

Have a great day, everybody!

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Two sewing machines GONE + Street Fair Madness!

Readers, after a solid week of Daily Ditches, yesterday I was ready to put my willpower to the ultimate test: the fantastic London Terrace Street Fair that takes place every September just down the block from my apartment.  Could I go there and come back with nothing?  The short answer is no.  But while I didn't pass the test with flying colors, I think I earned a solid B+.  First let's back up a bit.

There were a few things on my ditch list I wasn't willing to just give away for free, namely a few of my vintage sewing machines.  (Are you sitting down?)  Remember that Singer 99 I picked up last Spring, the one I bought primarily so that Rain couldn't get his greedy mitts on it first?



Well, nice as that machine is, I never used it, especially since I already had a Singer 15-91, a Singer Featherweight, a Singer 66 treadle, and now a Singer 201, plus my Pfaff 30, of course, whose plug I still need to replace -- all excellent straight stitch machines.  So I posted it on Craigslist.  And here's the truth: I actually offered it to Rain for free and he turned it down -- an obvious slap in the face.  Just see if I offer him any more free sewing machines! 

Readers, there's more.  Remember my beautiful Pfaff 139, the 35 lb mid-Fifties zigzagger I purchased the summer I started sewing?  (It's the one that came with the pin cushion we talked about last weekend.)



I made many garments on that machine; it's incredibly smooth to sew with and has excellent piercing power.  But after I purchased a beat up Viking on eBay a few months later, I found that I was doing all the zigzagging I needed to do on that machine, plus winding all my bobbins, attaching buttons, and inserting invisible zippers.

It's weird about the Viking -- it truly looks like it survived an earthquake and is even missing the door that covers the bobbin case, though this doesn't affect the stitching at all.  I use it only for specific jobs but it does them perfectly.  It's always out and ready to sew.



I think one of the things I didn't like about the Pfaff -- and this is going to sound really dumb -- was that it came in a huge, grimy, beige plastic carrying case, so when I used the machine I had to find a place for the top of the case.  I despise carrying cases, and where am I going carry a 35 lb sewing machine?

Anyway, long story short, I listed my Singer 99 and Pfaff 139 on Craigslist on Friday, and within a two-hour span on Saturday, sold both.  And to men!

This leaves me down to the bare bones: seven sewing machines and only two of them zigzaggers.  Plus my serger, of course.  It feels a little scary but it's so wonderful to have the space back.  And both buyers were totally stoked about their respective purchases.

I've found that the quickest way to move stuff on Craigslist is to price things to move.  Especially in a lousy economy.



But back to the fabulous street fair, or should I say fairs, because later that day, on an afternoon stroll with Michael, we happened upon another great street fair in the West Village, on West 10th Street. What are the odds?

I have a weakness for vintage sunglasses, and I picked up two pair of vintage celluloid glasses -- I'm guessing from the Thirties or Forties -- for just $20 at the London Terrace Street Fair.  Cute, no?







At the second street fair, I found this sweet pattern for just 50 cents.  It's one those flouncy party dresses, this one from 1961, and how Natalie Wood is that gal in yellow?  It's missing the skirt pattern piece, but it's just a dirndl skirt, so it's a big rectangle.  If I give it away on the blog, I'll trace the dirndl skirt from another party dress pattern I have, so it feels more complete.

The ruffled capelet -- the best or worst part of the pattern depending on you feel about ruffled capelets -- is intact.



And that's it!  Two of the best street fairs ever and all I spent was $20.50.  That's some kind of record, right?

Today it's more ditching, obviously.  I'm on a roll!

Any good ditches in your neck of the woods?  Vintage sewing machine purges?  Take it from me, you don't need more than seven.  (Anybody have more than that?  Hope not.)

Happy Sunday, everybody!

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Saturday Ditch-a-Palooza + Advice, please!

Readers, how many times have you removed the pillowcases from your pillows and been utterly disgusted by what you beheld?

I no longer use this down pillow, purchased many years ago from The Company Store (Do down pillows have a life span?).  I don't know what turned it this particular shade of mashed potato, but it has been through the laundry, though you'd never know it.   I don't use any hair products on my head for obvious reasons, so I'm not sure what happened.  Anyway, this one is headed to the landfill, and please don't tell me the dozens of clever ways you'd recycle the stuffing.



Moving right along...

This lovely ceramic vase would be perfect for a dried flower arrangement; unfortunately, I have not seen a dried flower arrangement since 1978.  Plus the handle once broke off and though I successfully glued it back on, you can't really pick it up by the handle anymore. 



Anyway, this is another objet d'art that has been collecting dust at the back of my closet for too many years, and it's fragile to boot.   You are the weakest link.  Good-bye!

If you're like me, you're probably wondering how you ended up with a karaoke mixer.  It's a long story and has very little to do with karaoke.



As Dolly Levi says, So Long, Dearie!

Do you ever wonder why you own so many tote bags -- especially those promotional kind you're embarrassed to be seen carrying?

With less stuff, there's also much less stuff to carry around in bags.  Out you go!





Friends, I think that's enough for today.

I realized yesterday -- in a funny way I'll tell you about later -- that I made a highly visible error on my BurdaStyle halter dress.  The instructions were so hard to follow that I abandoned them early on, and I couldn't figure out what was going on with the bodice trim.  I attached it the way I assumed it ought to be attached -- stitching it over the top of the bodice edge as one would a waistband (or double folded bias tape) after the lining was attached, and it looked fine to me.





Yesterday I realized it was supposed to look like this, which would be attached along the front edge before the lining was attached, and hang down over the top of the bodice.

I'm not sure how many people are actually sewing along with me on BurdaStyle, but anyone who followed my directions would have made a mistake.  I think my way looks fine, but it's not the way the pattern was designed.  Whoops!

Now as I take another look at their version, I see my error, but it wasn't obvious to me last week.



I'm wondering how you would handle this.  The dress is done, Leah loves it, and the photo shoot is completed.  I think I need to write an addendum to my last post, explaining my error.   But I don't need to commit hari-kari or anything, right?

I guess that's why you should read your directions carefully before you start sewing a project.  But I also think it's important that directions be written clearly to begin with.  I hope I don't sound petulant.

In closing, readers, do you ever replace your bed pillows, and if so, how often?

If you think the pillow looks bad, you should see the mattress!

Have a great day, everybody!

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