Covid Tools and Maybe Some Food for Thought

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Noile

Covid, and the need to consider risk where risk once seemed much less significant, has touched nearly every aspect of our lives here at Chez Noile.

Two small changes affect the way I sew every time I sit down to my machine.

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Posted in 2020, Covid, Tools | Leave a comment

Tactile/Fidget Lap Quilts

Posted on December 22, 2020 by Noile

Tactile lap quilts can provide various types of stimulation for those who are in lower stimulation environments, or for others who are soothed, in care residences or not, by their weight and various textures. Or at least that’s the theory!

I made six for donation to a care home — they were a welcome donation, and not a bad antidote to all the depressing Nordic Noir I sometimes watched while making them!  They aren’t my finest work — I don’t have any experience in working with quilted goods — but I’m hoping “sturdy” matters more than “finesse”.

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Posted in 2020, Covid, Gifts | Leave a comment

Teddy Toaster

Posted on December 13, 2020 by Noile

My second  Sew House Seven Toaster I looks as if it had been made out of teddy bear fur — if Teddy were made of upholstery material.

I wasn’t sure how that would work, but it’s actually turned out, well, Teddy-rific!

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Posted in 2020, Covid, Tops | Leave a comment

Denim Work Apron

Posted on December 8, 2020 by Noile

Sometimes you just need a quick, satisfying project. And sometimes you need something practical that somehow you’ve never managed to acquire. Sometimes the stars align and pouf! Everything falls in place. So it was one day when I needed a denim apron. (And so it may be for you, if you need to make a fun quick-ish gift!)

To be fair, is there anything easier to draft than an apron? The shape is classic, easy to replicate, and you get to make it exactly the right size for you — or an intended recipient.

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Copy Caftan

Posted on November 29, 2020 by Noile

In a mis-guided attempt to lean into the leisure-at-home that characterizes this Covid year, I decided to make a caftan. I dreamt of gliding gracefully through the day — or at least an evening — wrapped in a flowing cloud.  Serene.  Relaxed.  In, as it were, another world.  A not-2020 world.

This did not entirely go to plan.

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Posted in 2020, Coats/Capes/Wraps, Covid | 2 Comments

Snaps for a Duvet Cover

Posted on November 24, 2020 by Noile

So sheltering-at-home is getting old, but a surprising benefit, around here, at least, is that old projects, long-procrastinated, are finally getting knocked off. This week duvets got addressed.

We got our duvets and covers quite a while ago because one of us was always too warm, and the other always too cool. Two wonderful over-sized twin duvets, with covers, one for each side of the bed, did the trick. One duvet is thin, and the other thicker; we each get to pick our own. Problem solved!

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Posted in 2020, Covid, Home | Leave a comment

Stretch Denim Joggers (Sort Of)

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Noile

Well, maybe less “jogger” than just “sloppy comfort wear”. Clothing for our [Covid] times! Like Vogue 8499, these, Vogue 8712, are wide-legged pants, but these taper in more at the ankle.

 

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Posted in 2020, Covid, Pants | 2 Comments

Retro-rific Craft Pouch

Posted on November 7, 2020 by Noile

So, while tooling around the Mennonite fabric stores of Lancaster County, PA back in the days when tooling around places was possible, we ran across this charming faux-retro fabric. I figured I’d use it for pocket linings, if nothing else.

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Posted in 2020, Bags, Covid | Leave a comment

Toaster Sweater 1

Posted on November 1, 2020 by Noile

Count me as one of those who looked at this pattern and who said “um, noooo, never”. Well, never has arrived . . . and it’s pretty cool. Or warm. Or cozy and just right . . .

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Dogbone Pillow

Posted on October 27, 2020 by Noile

So I’ve had to learn to sleep  on my back (ugh) . This has not been a nice process, and has involved a lot of more-or-less ineffectual trial-and-error experimentation. The latest iteration — and one that seems to be working! — involves this triangular pillow.

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Posted in 2020, Accessories, Covid, Gifts | Leave a comment