A Summer Top and the RAMBO Project!

Summer has come to San Francisco!

This means, in my neighborhood at least, chilling cold weather, and thick wet fog that causes what I call "fog rain". If you walk under trees in this fog, they drip on you. You stay drier if you avoid trees and shrubbery.

Just yesterday I was walking to the drug store and ran into a neighbor. We joked that it's obvious from our heavy wool coats and thick warm scarves that summer has finally arrived!

Despite that, some nice (and even hot) weather is coming to Mountain View, so I need more warm weather clothes. I bought some mesh fabric from Smuggler's Daughter called "Summer of Love Letters" and whipped up a top. I've made this top before (it is not available as a commercial pattern), in a winter version. I've enjoyed wearing it and plan to make a few more.

Of course, I will wear this one with a tank underneath, as it is sheer, but not too sheer.

The Rambo Project

I was tickled when Erin of Seamstress Erin, invited me to participate in the Rambo Project.

She was gifted with a box of turbans that were used in one of the Rambo movies. She sewed up a few of her own, then decided to share the wealth. She gifted 14 turbans to various bloggers and scheduled a blog tour, to see what we would come up with.

Before I cut into mine, I tried to actually wear it as a turban, which is not an easy feat—it is 3 yards long and about 18" wide, and stretchy as heck in the long direction. (It is one of the stretchiest wovens I have ever seen in the long direction, but perfectly stable in the short direction.)

I have never seen a Rambo film but, as I wound it on my head, I was channeling John Rys-Davies, as Sallah, in Raider's of the Lost Ark—a favorite film of mine.

Just like any wearable made from a rectangle of fabric (such as a sari or some ancient Greek garments), there is a real skill to wearing a turban.

I don't have that skill.

I was reluctant, at first, to cut into my turban. You see, I really liked to wear it as a scarf! But I forced myself to get over that and, cut it out I did. I even went to Britex for additional supplies. I have almost completed my project, and will post it on June 9th.

I invite you to follow the blog tour, starting from Erin's blog. Erin is inviting anyone who would like to join in, to make something inspired by the film. Those who are participating are using the following badge on their blog:

I am very curious to see how different bloggers used this fabric.

Also...

I want to thank you for your thoughtful comments on my Lekala post! The intent of that post was not to trash Lekala—they have some nice designs and the customization works very well for some. I may well buy more of them, but I would enter more "ideal" measurements and do my own alterations. If they ever improve the software to perform actual FBAs, I would definitely give them another try with actual measurements.

Finally...

Are you aware of the Modcloth shopping website? The other day, I was enjoying some of the shoes they currently have for sale. For example: