Some proper photos of my new Plantain shirt (and a homemade mug!). Thanks to the lovely Hannah for snapping these. So glad I was inside most of today– BRRRR!
Proper Pictures.
Tag: sewing
January things.
I caved and started another sweater. I couldn’t resist– I found the perfect pattern that fit my criteria: top-down, in the round, and larger-than-worsted weight. Finding the yarn was a bit of a fiasco, but I found the most luscious solution: Dream in Color’s Calm. It is actually a worsted weight, so I am sizing up in the pattern. I’ve already completed the oversized collar and on to the raglan increases. This yarn is truly calming to work with, I am loving it!
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| the neck! |
In other news, I made my first knit shirt! It’s Deer and Doe’s Plantain (FREE!!). It was surprisingly not that difficult, really fast to make, and I used my regular machine!!! I made a few errors with this first shirt, but it was a learning experience, and the fabric was $2/yard. I am planning on making another one tomorrow that’s longer, and without the elbow patches. If this one goes well I may look into buying a serger (Eeep!), because all summer I basically live in my alternative apparel slinky knit dress. If I could make ones similar… that would be awesome!
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| #crappy selfie |
Currently baking/enjoying: almond biscotti– its breathing life into my morning coffee!
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| i cant live without making lists! |
The Scoop.
Here’s what I’ve been up to, now that I have a moment to reflect (and all projects/gifts for the holidays have been distributed).
A hat for my friend Hannah:
A shawl for Jacob’s mom:
Fingerless glovies for my sister:
Ear warmers (to pull over a bike helmet) for Jacob:
And a hat for Chrissy (the LUCKY recipient of a work White Elephant):
Phew! Those are the gifts. now for the other stuff…
I wanted to make a fancy skirt for our annual Christmas party, so I went into my ever-growing fabric stash and used some (i think) silk from the Center for Creative Reuse. I used Gertie’s skirt tutorial, but made the waistband much wider, put the zipper in the center back of the skirt, lined it, added pockets, and added volume with a layer of tulle. Also, the blind hem is so lovely. Please excuse the awk selfies. The last pic is from my friend John (the one I’m kissing on the cheek!)
When I was at my parents this past weekend, I went to the PA Fabric Outlet. WOW. I will be going there again for sure. Leather hides, $2/yard table, buttons, zippers, tassles, ribbon… it just was a rando fabric heaven. I got a beautiful piece of buttery mauve leather, a bunch of zippers, some silk and some cotton knits. Here’s a pic:
and here’s some of what i bought:
So that’s about it! To put it simply, things have been really crafty around here!
je suis un abeille occupée!
i have been a busy bee– so busy that i haven’t had time to post. a lot of stuff is for gifts, so ill have to do a big recap after christmas. what a let down!
always keeping busy
I made the “placket dress” I hinted at previously. the buttons are little wooden guys from joanns. It was a good learning experience, but I did a sloppy job. At worst, its a suitable house dress. At best, I can wear it to work with a cardigan. I based it loosely on the Colette Patterns Sorbetto, but I removed the pleat in the pattern piece, and lengthened about 14". The major issue was the bias tape facing did not get along very well with the placket. The fabric is some poly silky material, and I used leftover cotton bias tape.. not the best mix. Here is a bad pic:
I also made a dress from the Japanese Stylish Dress Book. I LOVE it. Its shapeless with a ridiculous amount of ease in the back, but its my favorite thing I’ve made so far this year. I made the smallest size, even though the “size chart” advised me to make it two sizes bigger. If you want to buy this book, beware: you pretty much have to trace the pattern pieces (vs just cutting them out) because the 27 patterns are all on top of each other on 3 double sided giant pages. I suppose that is the “right way” to use patterns, but I usually take the lazy route and just cut out the pattern pieces straight from the pattern. I found it very time consuming to trace the pattern pieces with tracing paper, and then add seam allowances. Maybe thats how they do it in Japan. (Also, after I took this picture, i added a strip of the dark fabric at the bottom to lengthen the dress a bit– it was very short before).
I’ll try to get some better pics of all the stuff ive made recently soon… I feel a little silly having mini “photo shoots,” especially with my crappy iphone camera. On the other hand, I want to document everything because sometimes I forget all the stuff I’ve made.
Today some friends and I are having a go at dyeing fibers. We are using onion skins. I’ve been scouring every grocery store to find dyestuffs, which got me some weird looks from cashiers and other shoppers. To dye, I have some knit cotton/modal and some stripey-eyelety cotton, as well as two skeins of worsted lamb’s pride, which is mostly wool with a little mohair. I hope the yarn turns out, if it does it might turn into a Lonely Tree Shawl! We’ll see how it goes!!!!
and that’s why you always finish your seams.
i am a little ridiculous. i made two anna dresses so far. one midi length with a v neck, and one maxi length with a slash neck and thigh-high split. these two dresses have been my foray into synthetic drape-y fabric. i want to be comfortable with silk, but first i want to learn on cheaper material.
one crucial thing i did not do for the maxi dress is pink the skirt seams. i finished the dress, ecstatically, tried it on and was so happy with the result– it fits like a dream. i wore the dress to work and about an hour into the workday, i noticed the seams were getting really….. unravely. by the end of the day giant clumps had formed along each seam, and some spots had unraveled through my seam! i was so upset! the parts of the dress i had pinked were fine, but these raw edges just were not happy. my plan is to rip out all of the skirt seams, and take them in a little bit so i can finish the edges correctly.
what a stupid mistake. now i know, i suppose!
pajama update.
they are done! but the shorts are too tight!!!!!!! BOO!! haven’t had an epic fail in awhile i guess. (btw the shirt is a back view. i will definitely make this pattern again. super cute. just make the shorts in a bigger size). UPDATE: i gave the shorts to a lovely co worker! she said they fit!
weekend snapshots
went to loom this weekend and couldn’t help but get more fabric than i needed. will definitely be going back.
also had a go at continuous bias tape. its sorta tricky but so worth it.. a half yard of fabric has made so many yards.
here are the lakeside pajamas i am halfway through. still working on the shorts.
ps!! i finished my hawthorn dress! i still have to take some pictures though.
round up + what’s next.
i’ve made 3 tank tops from 3 different patterns so far:
1: (top left) Wiksten tank. Pattern cost = $8.50. I made this first, and it is the most simple. No darts (probably won’t make again because of it). I like the pocket.
2: (top right) Deer and Doe Datura blouse. Pattern cost = ~$20. The construction of this top is very professional and its fun to make. It includes variations for two types of collars. Will make again.
3: (bottom) Collette Patterns Sorbetto tank. Pattern cost = pattern is FREE. Has darts and a front pleat. Took me about 3 hours to make. I did an inverse box pleat and hid the bias tape. Will make again.
(I think its about time to move on to a new type of garment, and i think i am banning myself from any more florals…)
Next I am planning a sleeveless Hawthorn with some beautiful greenish bluish linen, and also I NEED TO FINISH my Folded sweater.
In other news, I’ve got some sticky bun dough rising in the kitchen…. mmmmmmm!
currently listening: sound of silver, lcd soundsystem (what else on the longest day of the year??)
A Datura!
i finished my Datura blouse!
it was a little rough to work through the directions, especially for the yoke; but after reading and re-reading (and re-reading), i did it! i found surprisingly few examples / tutorials / sew-a-longs about this pattern, so i felt pretty trailblazer-y while i was making it. i had to completely redo and remake the bias tape for the neck because i had sewing machine issues, but after i BOUGHT A NEW SEWING MACHINE, i whipped it out really quickly. it is shocking how bad the old machine was– it skipped stitches like crazy and the tension was so bad no matter what setting i had it on.
this project employed a LOT of new-to-me techniques.
bias tape / hand-sewn blind hem:
buttonholes (omg the machine is AMAZING for this):
fully lined yoke:
eeee!!!!!
here are some shots that Jacob took:
emilyWools 