Aqua Shorts

I made these to go with a mushroom colored wool jersey tee I made a few years ago, and with my Little Birds tank. I used a pants pattern that I want to get fitted correctly, so I thought a few pairs of shorts would make the fitting a little easier before I make the peach corduroy pants. I just shortened the leg and widened the hem area a little bit. Since I'm doing the wardrobe planning, I'm trying to only make garments that go with at least three other items in my wardrobe. These can also be paired with my white short sleeved blouse and my taupe ruffled tank.

The alterations I made on this first wearable muslin... I simply took in the rear seam a bit to make the back side a little less round... my hips are narrow and my rear end could be classified as "flattish". For my second version of these shorts I'll make a small Flat Butt Adjustment (yes, that's really what it's called).

Here's a pic of me styling the shorts with my Little Birds tank.

Pattern: S1430

Cost: Nothing, this was made from an old curtain that had a hole in it.

Time: 4 hours

Note to Self: On the next pair, add a little more fabric to the hem allowance, so the hem doesn't pucker.

Little Birds

Tweet, tweet! This tank is a Sorbetto tank. You will see several of these in the coming few posts, since I need me some woven tanks in my wardrobe ASAP. So you might as well get used to it! This pattern is a good basic garment, though I've not perfected the fit yet... I made one already (will blog that later) and it was too short for my long torso, so I added two whole inches to its length. Now it doesn't bare my belly when I move around! Yay! The bust dart is too high... but I left it in place since I'm not sure how to move it exactly... I did add a second dart, though, because the armholes were doing this gaping thing (there's probably a better way to address this, but I don't know it! Maybe smaller size on top with a Large Bust Adjustment?) I made the tank from some organic quilting cotton I found at a local quilt shop. Since I bought it years ago and have forgotten how much I paid for it, I'm just gonna call it a bargain.

Here it is paired with my aqua cardigan from Lands End. I bought this sweater in an attempt to recreate an outfit worn by Zooey Deschanel I saw. I haven't yet completed the outfit, but I'm getting close to it. I just need some grey shorts... which are coming up in the sewing queue. I cannot post the original picture because I cannot find it, but I'll show you the recreation when it's finished.

Pattern: Sorbetto by Colette

Cost: Maybe $15, I can't remember how much it cost, to be honest.

Time: A few hours, mostly consisting of making and ironing bias binding

Note to Self: Wear with brown or grey, try to make a statement necklace to wear with it in brown!

Petal Easter Frock

Here's a finished project! The second version of this pretty dress, the Sorbet Dress,  that turned out so beautifully and successfully! So... you'd think the second dress would have been just as successful, if not more so. But no, I'm afraid not, my dear reader. This dress has a fatal flaw. It's very pretty, especially on it's lovely recipient:

It fits nicely in the bust and at the waist and it a twirly, whirly dream of a dress for a 12 year old. She needs to wear shorts under it just for that reason... she sure does love her some dress twirling.

The princess seams make it so easy to alter a dress, but make it hard to finish the seams with seam binding or by zigzagging. The dress is lined so I just left them unfinished (for those literary types, this comment is definitely foreshadowing).

What's the problem you say? Where's this fatal mistake? Here it is people:

At the waist, at every seam is this pulled fabric. The organza is a poly and delicate, apparently, because at the slightest provocation it has pulled from it's place and made a mess. I had no idea how this had occurred, because it was there before the little lady had even worn the dress. But my friend Teena (an accomplished and experienced seamstress and costumer that I'm so glad to have as a friend) enlightened me. She said that the clipping of the curved seam had weakened the fabric enough to cause it to pull out at the least bit of stress (it must have happened during the hemming process). She suggested that the next time I have to clip delicate fabric I run two rows of stitching to reinforce the fabric or, alternately, that I serge the edge. I think I can go back and resew the seams at the waist, and correct the problem, but this is a terrible thing to happen after all that work! I guess I need to pull out the old serger and make friends with it again. I haven't used it in years and years (like 10 to 12 years). I only ever used it on one occasion and that was to make some contoured diapers for the baby out of flannel. I made probably 15 diapers and I think dulled the cutting blade, so it probably needs servicing before I can put it into action. I'm actually not even sure where it is! It's gone through four moves since I used it!

Pattern: B5872 (It had some weird construction at the shoulders)

Project Cost: $56 with pattern, fabric, lining, zipper, and Hug Snug

Time: 8 hours

Note to self: Reinforce those seams for delicate fabrics and pull out your serger and make nice with it. You could benefit from some ready to wear techniques to round out your vintage sewing repertoire.

Spring Wardrobe Planning, Part II

Here is another color palette I'm working from which is kind of unrelated to the peach/pinks. I decided to work with what was already in my wardrobe, to expand what was there, rather than start from scratch. This seems a more economical idea, after all... I have an aqua cardigan I bought from Lands End (seen here). Another reason this is an idea that's easy on the wallet is that I'm shopping from my stash. This bird print I bought from a quilting shop in town a couple few years ago. It's a cute organic cotton... and I have a quarter of a yard of coordinating stripes, but what can I do with a quarter yard of anything, but maybe some facings for a pair of shorts or pants??? I plan to make Colette's Sorbetto tank (a freebie pattern) from the bird print... using self fabric for the bias bound edge.

The second fabric is actually a twill curtain that I bought, though I forget when and where... but it has a hole in it, making it unusable as a curtain. Perhaps I can squeeze a pair of shorts out of it? It's a good medium weight twill, perfect for shorts. The third fabric is NOT an economical one. It's silk crepe de chine I bought from Mood Fabrics online, hoping to make a Sorbetto tank that would go with my rust colored linen Legacy Skirt. I didn't bother getting swatches (why oh why not??) and it doesn't coordinate with the skirt at all. It's a good foil for the blue, though, and I can see this tank under my leopard print shrug, looking quite nice with my black beads necklace. Pics after I make some garments from these fabrics, of course!

Progress on the Girl

So, some progress... these socks are quickly coming along. They're some plain vanilla socks to let the variegated yarn shine. Though plain vanilla socks CAN be boring, they're good for knitting while you're doing something else like listening to a lecture, or reading out loud, or driving (just kidding!). But seriously, I CAN read aloud and knit if I have something to hold the book open for me. Also, I think the little silver fibers are so fun! 

Progress on Aidez

Blocking... can't wait to wear it. Maybe to Maryland Sheep and Wool? I sort of messed up the trellis on the back, but not many would notice, and I left it there. Feel free to look and see if you can spot the mistake... I dare ya!

Glamour Girl

What's that?! Why it's some Yarn Love with little silver fibers in it! Yay! It's called Glamor Girl and OHHHHHH, it's pretty. I've had it for a while now, sitting in my yarn bin, and I thought it was time to get it out and make something for MY glamour girls!

The pink is some Knit Picks Bare fingering that I used to exhaust the dye pot when I overdyed orange Shadow yarn to make the cinnabar colored yarn for my Cloisters wrap. I think it'll be a good contrast, if I need one. I'm not sure what else to do with it... it's not superwash so it's no good for socks.

An Easter Dress

Hello! I decided to post some pics of my project in progress... it's an Easter dress for one of my daughters. It's in a burnout poly/cotton print that I picked up at JoAnne's recently. It's semi transparent, so some of the "guts" of the dress will be visible from the outside. Read "this might be a disaster". It's the same pattern as The Sorbet Dress, so I've dealt with the difficulties already and should be prepared for them... hopefully!

Cutting out the pattern using the muslin... I fitted this dress to my daughter, and narrowed the waist by three inches. She's a stringbean. A cute one.

And finally, a pic of the hem of the dress, using Hug Snug, just like the Sorbet Dress.

Beach Glass Wool

Just a little teaser... I've been working on this for a couple of weeks now, and it is so fun! It's in chunky wool so it knits up really quickly, and I love the color. I hope it's very warm because it's turning cold and we keep the thermostat at a chilly 63 for thrift's sake.

Somewhere to Knit

I love to knit in beautiful places... 

This is a baby blanket I made for my dear sister's new baby... what a sweet baby he is.  He is worthy of every stitch. 

Something Wonderful

I've finished something astonishingly wonderful. The pride I feel in this sweater is akin, though less than, admittedly, to writing a book, or raising a child! It's a fair isle vest, knit in the round on size 3 needles in fingering weight yarn. It is gorgeous, no... absolutely breathtaking.

The hardest part was the waist shaping combined with the fair isle color work. A straight sided men's vest would have been much less difficult to execute. I DO have one of those in my queue, too. I also have another stranded vest on the needles, but it's a two color damask pattern and much more tedious to knit than this was.  As I said, I knit it in the round, using steeks to dilineate the decreases, and then I cut them with some scissors, picked up the neck and button bands, and knit 10 rows in two by two ribbing to finish it off... I just washed and blocked it yesterday and it's gonna sit on my model for quite a while, I think, till I NEED her for marking a hem or fall comes and I'm wearing it, whichever comes first.

Pattern: Corrie Fair Isle Vest, from Knit Picks

Cost: I can't exactly remember, because I bought this kit years ago, but I think it was in the $30 range... Palette yarn is only about $3.50 per ball, SUPER reasonable.

Time: Hours and hours of time, probably into the mid 40's for hours... but really it was a joy, every row was slightly different and the color changes were fascinating, the patterns wasn't nearly as difficult as it looks.

Note to self: Fair isle is fun, not hard, so do it more often!

Watermelon Blouse

I love watermelon. I love the whole bright, sweet, juicy, messy lot... Here is a blouse, made in lovely watermelon chiffon. It's a simple blouse that I made as a practice garment for chiffon, before I started the pindot blouse, with sweet little aqua buttons on the placket.

And here is is styled with my White Market skirt and a pretty pale aqua Land's End cardigan.

 I'm wearing it tomorrow night to dinner with my sister and her NEW fiancee!!

Pattern: Simplicity 2211

Cost: $6

Time: 6 hours

Note to Self: You need to make more CASUAL clothes, that's what you usually wear!

Experiment Dress

A cheetah print, teal and grey and cream, satin mumu? A slinky cocktail dress? It's for a vacation with my man in September, and I hope it looks good on me with heels!

It can also be worn up on the hips, maybe belted, as a mini dress... which is kinda risque, which means, only on Hub's arm, yes?

Pattern: Burda Style magazine June 2012, pattern

Cost: $6, this fabric was $3 a yard and I've got over half a yard left... what to do with it?

Time: 6 hours, 2 of which were patternmaking

Note to Self: Bargain fabric is fun to make unusual styles in, such a small outlay of money to experiment! I may never wear this dress, but it was fun to make!

Making in Blue

I've been working from a palette for a bit now... blues, greys, mushroom, salmon, and coral pink. This is an aqua heathered baby alpaca yarn, a whole skein, it's soft and warm and beautifully dyed...

I have a whole skein left after making this, and Japanese Butterflies Neckwarmer:

I made it in honor of the cherry blossom festival in DC, this year, celebrating the anniversary of Japan's gift of cherry trees to the US. See the butterfly motif?

Oh, and here it is on me, as well as a little preview of a project not yet blogged but finished today!

A baby gift from organic cotton, another blue project I'm working on:

Project: Japanese Butterflies Neckwarmer

Cost: Cascade Pure Alpaca, less than one skein, $16

Time: 10 hours

Note to Self: If only you looked good in cowls... this is a great color on you.

Coral Silk Cocktail Dress

I wore this dress the day I finished it... which was New Year's Eve 2011, styled like this.

It's a delicious red 4 ply silk, drapey and brilliantly dyed, in a gorgeous coral red.  I've worn it to the theater with my husband (there was a handmade trunk show... all the makers were able to spot a kindred spirit in me), to Smoke in NYC, and to the wedding... and each time I got tons of compliments, which is really super fun for ME!!  I think the collar has a sort of 1960 feel to it, which I love.

My first silk dress has been a success, and given me confidence to try more "difficult to work" with fabrics.

Pattern: M5972


Fabric: 4 Ply coral colored silk, tangerine rayon for lining


Cost: $65

Time: 18 hours, including cutting, which was challenging

Note to Self: Make sure to interface the collar next time you make this dress

Fitting a Grey Dress

A couple of pics of a dress I'm working on... And a shot of my iron and nails... Someone's favorite color just never gets old!!!

Finished Gift Skirt

Well, the skirt for my sister really wasn't all that difficult to make, but when she came to visit at Christmas, she changed her mind about the design!!! I followed this tutorial to make her a skirt with a more paper bag shape in the hips... and here it is! Modeled by my daughter... who is less than enthused, and also too small for the skirt...

She, like most 12 year old girls has a model's proportions... isn't it odd that in our culture we seek to emulate the proportions of a gangly preteen? Aaaaaanyway, the skirt tapers at the hem to produce a full hip which is good for the apple shape, like mine, and like my sister's! 

Blue Lace

Hello, lovelies! Here is something that was years in the making... and I'm SO proud of it... Ok, two things, as my daughter is modeling and she's been in progress for about 12 years now! This is a knitted lace wrap! It looks soooo complicated, but really it's not, it just takes FOREVER!!! The hardest part, honestly, was picking up the stitches for the edging, which would have been easier if I'd read other's notes on Ravelry, as several did the math and made it much easier for others. I LOVE Ravelry!!!

Pattern: Print o' the Wave Stole by Eunny Jang
Time: YEARS
Yarn: 3 skeins Knit Picks Shadow in Pacific and Blue Yonder
Cost: $15
Note to Self: YOU GO GIRL!!! Also... wear this as much as possible and show it OFF!

Warm Head, Warm Heart

Look, I look a wee bit like Rosie the Riveter!!

I'm remiss, I know... I lost my camera battery charger! So I took some pics with my computer which are... sub par. However, I did make something!! I've been happier lately, probably because of the Spring making itself felt... though the winds of February may just blow my house down. I was still coooooollllllddddddddd... so I made a head warmer to warm my head... and consequently the rest of me. 

It's warm and squishy and stylish, I think... let me know if you all think I'm deluding myself about that... I CAN refrain from wearing it in public!!

Look at these cutie orange buttons! I think it looks so good with my highlights... Speaking of highlights!! I found a stylist that will GIVE me highlights even though I henna... and guess what?!? NO SCARY side effects!!! 

Project Cost: $10


Project Time: Two days... So easy to knit


Pattern: Calorimetry

Yarn: Fibra Natura COBBLESTONE and Socks that Rock Lightweight, held double... the STR colorway is Crabby Mc HappyPants, my favorite colors EVER... stood in line at the Maryland Fiber Festival and met lots of fun yarnies!! I have to go again this year!!


Note to Self: Great for bad hair days and also keeping warm without dressing like an Eskimo... Use second skein of Cobblestone for fingerless gloves??

Plaid Dress

Hello all you readers... the two of you! I've finally got pictures of my new plaid dress!!! Even after a pattern change and fitting woes, it turned out to be a very successful print and has gotten tons of compliments already. I've worn it twice so far, out dancing with my hubs the day I finished it... with a white collared, button up blouse (with a little white embroidery on the collar, so ladylike!), with black fishnets and black boots... sort of a good girl gone bad look... And shopping yesterday! I got hubs to take some pics right before I left... I tried the dark tight, colored shoe look that's so in... I'm.... ambivalent about it. Should I have gone with black lace or fishnet or something???

Here you see the blue flower I knew would look so well, and I have to say I'm VERY satisfied with the fitting of the dress, especially through the bustline, though I didn't make a muslin first... the only thing I somethimes think I maybe should have done is either narrow the strap or widen the scoop?? I did alter the neckline by a good three inches, and I think it turned out wonderfully. I didn't quite get the plaid to line up on the back... I should have cut the back pieces out one at a time and made sure it matched perfectly... ah, well... it sure does take a lot of time and patience to get things just exactly how I want them!