I've been busy!

I've been busy, but I've been blogging on my Motorcycle Blog...  I've been embroidering Sweatshirts, Baseball Caps (new), Patches, Jacket, Vest... Pretty much doing a lot of embroidery.  Fitting in DH stuff in there also! :)  Well, my new motorcycle has been taking up a lot of my time, I'm enjoying it so much!  So blessed.

Cheers!

JDol

Blue J Custom Seat

Well I made my first mod to my Bike.  Her name is now "Blue J" and I made a custom seat.  I will merely link to the post I made on another blog, see what you think!

Custom Seat Post

I have since made a tank bib, but I haven't made a post yet, and plus it needs a mod to it.  I modified my fork bag to match/complement my seat.  Let me know what you think.

Cheers!

JDol

Small Chop

Well, Well,   I went and did it!  Had my 2001 Shadow Aero 1100 for about 7 years, and as mentioned she was a 2001, - it became time for a new bike.

Well the adventure started last year when I really wanted a Trike.  I like the Honda VTX1300 Trikes.  So... last year, wasn't the right timing, so I looked around for another used bike, couldn't settle on anything.... pondered and searched high and low, but nothing quite fit. So I made adjustments to my bike and it felt like a new (ish) bike so I settled in for another season... save the trike for next season.  Well that was this season.  Come to find out ---I was actually almost ready to purchase one from Delaware, and it hit me: We hadn't thought out the plan thoroughly of how this baby was going to fit a) into the garage and b) up and down the driveway past the vehicles!  The sad realization hit that this (again) would not be the best time for a trike!  YIKES!...

THEN my bike had to be put up because the stator needed replacing. I lost a bunch of the season (albeit the Hot steamy part) and set off to look again for a new bike.  searched Harley's, Kawi's, Yamaha, all looking for something unique, never found it.  All the while solidifying in my mind that I wanted to stay with HONDA. SO lo and behold was I interested when I came across this:

Honda Fury:

This is one beautiful Chopper.  I knew right then that this would be my bike.  It had everything I was looking for; not one thing was missing.

It's a 1312 v-Twin, runs 6 ft from axle to axle.

Shopped around found this GORGEOUS color, and rode her home.  I can't tell you how pleased I am with this bike - it is so awesome! not only is it a great looker, it rides so nice, love the open-sleek ness of it.  Great feel.  this is a whole different experience than my last bike, (look, feel, ride) I am so pleased.

As of this post I don't even have 300 miles on it, still breaking in the engine.

I am usually not able to (nor wanted to) ride when it's cold out which is below 50F, but I have ordered some heated gear, so I can "extend my riding season" well into fall and early winter. for those Awesome days when it's 40-50 in the morning but a gorgeous 65-70 in the afternoon bright sun crisp fall air.  I used to feel shorted, because I couldn't ride in in the mornings to work... this will be different with the gear.  (hubby is thrilled to see me order the gear - he rides all winter even down into the 20's - i won't go THAT low!)

Here are a few other pix...

Keep the rubber on the road and the shiny side up!

Cheers!

JDol

Red Motorcycle Outfit

Well, I took some photos last week of my SWAP motorcycle outfits modeled with my motorcycle.  Liked the Faux leather a lot, but while I love that wine denim outfit so much, just didn't like how it coordinated with my bike.  My bike is Deep Red and Silver or Maroon/Gray.  Looking at the photos, I pictured how nice it would be to have a red denim outfit with a gray shirt, that would match the bike.  Grabbed a swatch of the 10 oz red bull demin from JA and checked it out with the bike paint - looked nice to me, so let's go for it.  For the Gray/Silver shirt I used Shiny silver spandex - like the dance wear fabric.  Oooooh so comfy.

Used Patterns:
McCalls Palmer Pletsch M5894 Bootcut Jeans,
Butterick B5402 Connie Crawford Denim Jacket  I used cut off sleeves....
and for the shirt - Kwik Sew/Kwik Serge 2900 view A.

Mostly snapped photos of the vest.  just concentrated on sewing the jeans, and then just whipped up the shirt.

Chose to embroider the vest. Wanted to go with the Native American theme of my bike, so chose a Dream Catcher for the back and feathers for the front pockets.

Started as I always do - cut the pieces, iron the pattern pieces, cut the fabric.  Sometimes I am unable to do that all at once, depending how many pieces, and what not.  I am still a floor cutter, I do not have a cutting table.

 

It took quite a while and the span over two days to decide on the embroidery designs  First decision was the Dream Catcher for the back of the vest.

 

Next was deciding whether I wanted anything on the front, and if so, what?  Another day and found a design of feathers that would work for each pocket.  I would need to make a second copy in reverse of the design so there would be one for the right and left pockets.

 

 

Embroidering away..........

 

Front right and left ready to move on...

 

Collar installed...

 

Along with facings

 

Add the Buttonholes... Do you ever get nervous here?  I do not have a huge amount of button holes under my belt, and still get nervous because by the time you get them the project is all together, so one false move and..... let's not go there.......  So I use my sensor setting...

 

 

Place the button in the back of the foot and Ms Jamome automatically sews the right size...

 

Here is a trick I picked up form a Utube video some time ago I wish I could state the source, but it was so long ago, and such a random find... anyway, it was to put a pin in the beginning and end as a stopper, so there were no accidents as I cut the button hole.  It has worked famously every time.

 

Jeans I took 3 photos..  #1...

 

 

#2...

 

#3,,,

 

The shirt is a loose fitting Mock neck, LS shirt in Silver spandex - took no snaps of that construction. Whipped that one up in between lunch a movie.

 

The final results exceeded my expectations. yielding an outfit that matches my bike.  I like that idea.  Bike is a 2001 Honda Shadow Aero 1100.

 

 

 

Cheers!

 

JDol

 

 

 

 

SWAP Faux Leather Vest/Top

My Matching Top

So part of my Motorcycle Gear Collection of my SWAP is the Matching Faux Leather Top to go with my Fringe Pants that are already completed.  So I had to start with a design concept.  About the only thing I was sure of was that I wanted the laces in the front.  I would not be lacing this each time I wear it, and there also would be a modesty panel behind it so there would be no "Peek-a-boo", so I had to figure out how I was going to be able to get this on and off... Okay... Install a zipper on the side... Sounds good.  Here is my Draft:

 

We didn't end up quite like this, but my new matching top is beautiful to me.  I hope you like it too.  So when it came time to actually get to this I had to draw up the pattern pieces, and make the final design.  I've been learning new styles of  how tops go together, so I decided to incorporate some of those techniques into my top.  So I drafter the design and pattern pieces:

 

 

Front design...  

 

Cut out the pieces for the whole top....

 

 

Ready to cut the fabric....

 

 

Beginning the sewing...

 

Cutting front fringe...

 

Front Right and Left...

 

Front and Back pieces top stitched...

 

Top stitching detail...

 

 

The shortest Zip is an 18 inch-er..

 

So, I'll sew the "stop" at the top of each side.

 

All installed...

 

Now the front panels are in and the zip installed...

 

 

Now measuring out where the eyelets will go... We'll go 1 1/2 inches apart.

 

Now punching the holes - we are going through the double thickness for added support.

 

Eyelets Installed now...

 

Lace cut from the material itself installed.

 

 

I had to install two Studs because I had to take a tuck in the top at the neckline so it would lay flat... another concept to learn about in pattern drafting - the woman's chest.. anyway, took the tuck, and glued it, then studded it to keep it secure.  It fits though, no?  :-)

 

 

 

I've done the trying on and the vest falls a little shorter than I wanted.

 

 

 

I don't care for that little Gap in between the top of the pants and the bottom of the top.  I do however really like how this top has turned out! love the look with the fringe.  Now my final thought is to add fringe to the bottom to cover that gap that I dislike... What do you think?

 

Well let's cut a pattern piece for it by tracing the bottoms and measuring a 4" length.

 

 

Oddly enough I didn't take any snaps of the install of the bottom fringe but being leather I had to turn under by gluing, hold with clips while it dried a bit, and then glue it onto the top, let it set enough to stitch, then top stitch it.

 

Now we have a finished look and I like it... a matching outfit.  I can wear long sleeve tee under it on the cooler days, and halter in warm days.  I haven't lined this yet, when I do it will be glued in...  I will learn how to do these more intricate things properly as my skills get stronger, but no one has to know what is on the inside of my garment :-)

 

How do you like?

 

 

Here is it with the pants

 

 

All Done! And with a stamp of approval from DH!  What can be better than that!

 

Ciao!