Sweet Summer its here! : )

Summer has finally gotten here and, HOW SWEET IT IS, as Jackie Gleeson used to say.  Here is a pic of the top I've been working on.  It just doesn't feel good to crop your own head off of a picture but having a bad hair day (bed head) and bad lighting made it necessary, HA.  Getting pics of oneself isn't the easiest thing to do so I ordered a body double that is close to my body measurements for future photo shoots.  Also, pairing this top with camo shorts probably isn't that sylish, but hey it was a get the pic while ya can moment.
 So now that its sewn up, I really like how it came out.  It still needs some tweeking. As far as tweeking I'd make the waist hem a little longer with slits at each side and the collar about a half an inch less tall.  The collar is about 1 1/2 inches tall and has a bit of a wave to it so top stitching may help that but I thought it would be easier to make it shorter than bigger at the time.   Basically I'm happy with the pattern itself.  It fits well and this basic pattern can be used as a base pattern for other garments.  My goal is to use this as the base and then make other garments from it as I progress along on my sewing journey.  This basic pattern was made using the book, Design-It-Yourself Clothes pattern making simplified by Cal Patch and by following her pattern making class on www.creativebug.com .  The book is geared towards women but you can make a simple basic pattern and then man it up for the fellas or yourself.  Cal Patch also has a class for sewing your own leggings. Not that I want leggings.  But I've since been trying to get back into my yoga/fitness routine and thought I could make some of my own yoga clothes.  The legging pattern could be addapted to making the yoga pants I've seen people wearing in class.  Hence this big bundle of sturdy knit fabric I found at the thrift will be the basis for experimenting with yoga wear.

The colour of this fabric isn't really thrilling me but its a sturdy cotton type of double knit.  It would be perfect for yoga pants.  It's a purl type knit on one side and a chevron pattern that I think is called houndstooth on the other.

Here are some red roses from the garden showing their happy faces and a new plant from the nursery.  Not sure what it is but its a trailer and has these little yellow flowers on it.  Planning on using it in one of those little gardens that looks like you can camp out in it.  How does your garden grow?  Happy Summer  :  )