The Hoodie How-To

I blogged a long, long time ago about the hoodie that I made over, a project that I had Sara repeat in the book. I promised pictures and instructions...

And let's face it. Follow-through is not my spiritual gift, and anything that involves pictures takes longer because's a multi-step process (I don't snap and share; it's not in my nature. There's always editing, even if it's just fixing the levels).

No more excuses - here's the hoodie in better detail:

1. I picked up the hoodie itself at Ross after looking about everywhere. Somehow, finding one with long enough sleeves became hard. It's BCBG; I got it for $30. Maybe even $20 - I don't remember anymore. I wasn't wild about the color, but the price was right, the fit was good, and it had a two-way zipper.

2. Went to 27th street fabrics for black chiffon. We played around a lot to find the right kind of look. I had a general idea of what I wanted to do, from a cardigan I'd seen on J.Crew.com. I was able to look closely enough to figure out the way they'd stitched theirs.

3. Was having a hard time figuring out what to do, was being swayed by black velvet ribbon, when the gal at the store ripped off a strip of chiffon for us to play with. The torn edge was perfect! I bought 1/4 yard, which was more than plenty.

4. I went to Harlequin Beads to figure out what I wanted for the center of the bow. I knew I wanted something a bit glitzy without being overdone (the concept was "an evening hoodie"). I settled on some slightly smoky-looking Swarovski crystals, as well as three Swarovski pearls to keep it toned down.

5. The hoodie had bright silver-toned accents. I colored over them with a black sharpie. Also pulled out the string in the hood. Played around with threading a narrower chiffon strip (actually, a couple tied/glued together, but liked it best without.

6. So. The stitching. I started off with fabric glue - total no go. Moved to black thread. Tacked and tied off every one or two places, generally about every 1-2 inches. The giant cluster in the picture is where I sewed the center and the beads.

7. I should also note that there was a BCGG label on the front, with the same little silver stud-things as the hood. I picked them off with my thumbnail and placed the bow over it so you couldn't see the residue.

8. On top of the bow, around the beads I did little mini flowers. Not that you can much tell, but they added texture. Basically, I just cut a couple small squares off of the strips, pinched them into a blossom shape, stuck a couple stitches through the base and sewed three or four onto the center of the bow.

9. I continued the motif around the back, not that you see it much with the hood down, but I liked how it connected to the ribbons on the other side. I kinda twisted the ribbons at the ends, so that it was less obvious when I joined new ones.

10. I tried to take a picture of me with it on, but it didn't go so well. Danny's now home - could probably try again, but I'm feeling kind of wired and wondering if the coffee I drank earlier wasn't decaf (I drink so little caffeine that Danny can tell if I've had half-caf four hours after the fact. Now

I avoid it altogether).

So there it is! Sara makes and wears this hoodie for a big event in the book. She pairs it with a green wool skirt I'd hoped to make. Maybe the skirt will happen after the book is done - just don't expect a timely blog about it!

Apologies

I'm sorry. This blog has been so neglected, it's starting to look like my basil plant (which is less neglected than it is in need of some sort of plant food. Anyone with insight into this matter, feel free to share your wisdom). I'm sorry because I have not:

1. Blogged about my big research weekend in Portland (remember that?), which kicked off with a salute to Studio 54 and involved women in go-go boots climbing over bathroom stalls. At the University Club.

2. Blogged about the fact that my website's not up yet. But it will be. Someday.

3. Blogged about the number of book-related meltdowns I've had in the last three weeks. Actually, not sorry about that. Consider yourself spared.

4. Blogged about the Superhero Symposium I'm attending next weekend.

5. Blogged about the SUPER COOL FINISHED HOODIE. I haven't even taken pictures - how lame is that? Does anyone say lame anymore? Is lame lame?

6. I'm sure there's something else, and I'm sorry for forgetting about it.

So I'll just start in, and write more in subsequent blogs. I'll probably apologize in those too.

1. The peach cobbler. Every last trace, all gone. This took a while. You would not have believed my kitchen. It looked like that kitchen, in the movies, when the kids cook and things get a bit out of control. The last step was scraping the dried cobbler dough (whether the first or second batch, hard to say) off of the stove and counter top. Seriously, forget duct tap. You want cobbler dough. Trust me.

2. Studio 54 night at the University Club. Oh, the deep delight. The young Portlanders, in their rented costumes and large hair. Their go-go boots and zippered orange backless miniskirt dress thing, which they admit would not be good for picking up the children in. The gay men in red leather pants. The slightly drunken conga line. Oh - and the aging boomers who lived through that era, are due-paying members of the club, and dancing with as much gusto to "Celebration" as the aforementioned party-goers.

The best part, though, was going into the lady's restroom and noticing a cocktail glass on the floor in one of the stalls. Empty. And two pairs of go-go boots. And one woman's voice, saying "I just can't believe he doesn't get it" and another assuring her in the tones one uses during inebriated relationship crises. (I just now thought a bit more about the whole cocktail glass thing. I mean, who brings that sort of thing into a restroom, anyway? Because there's no use in taking it in if it's empty to begin with, so that means that someone was drinking on the floor of the lady's room, and that's just a sad sad statement about...something.)

Anyway, enter orange-miniskirt-zippered-backless dress go-go woman, who enters the stall next to the drama stall, apparently recognizes voices, decides to first strike up a conversation before hoisting a leg to climb over the side.

In a orange-miniskirt-zippered-backless dress.

I'm retouching my lipstick while this is going on, and clearly I've got the best seat in the house. Then in walk some older ladies, clearly club members, who take the scene in impressive stride.

2. The next day, I got to go to the Powell's rare books room, where the very very nice man let me take pictures of whatever Godey's Lady's book my heart desired. Also bought Amy Karol's book, Bend the Rules with Fabric which is fabulous and the sort of thing Sara would be very interested in.

3. Website is not up yet, but it will be. My fearless designer has been working two jobs and going to school, and none of those involve the extra time spent in designing the site. However, one of her jobs involved the sighting of a man who looked very much like Lucius Malfoy, so she's forgiven.

4. Um...what else. The hoodie. No pictures yet, so there's something to look forward to.

5. Superhero Symposium, because I want to write a superhero book someday. No joke. Something between The Incredibles and Watchmen that takes the idea of the superhero and pushes it a bit further.

6. Getting tired, and with me getting up to go to the OCW fall conference tomorrow, that means it's very nearly bedtime. I'm looking forward to seeing all of the happy Oregon (and Southern Washington) writers. Eva Marie Everson is speaking, should be a very good day.

7. I'm doing Beth Moore's Esther study right now, which I'm enjoying very much. This is, however, my first Beth Moore, and I always find I spend much of the video time contemplating her hair. I spend an embarrassing amount of time fantasizing about sending different people to participate in TLC's What Not To Wear, and I can't help but think that if Nick Arrojo were to get his hands on it (and I know they have someone else doing hair on the show now, but I only ever get to watch the morning reruns), she'd be, like, two inches shorter. Also, were the wind to blow, the top would move. In her favor, Beth (or whoever shops for her) has impeccable taste in clothes. Sometimes I think that, if we were to move to Texas, I would be considered quiet to the point that medication would be considered.

8. I think that's it for now. Next week I may attempt to make a skirt, but I'll definitely be working on the book, and thinking positive thoughts about it.