Other things I do...

I started knitting when I was in my late 20's.  Sweaters; sweaters with lace.  The only thing I remember was Vogue Knitting magazine.  They're known for rather challenging knitting.  LOL.  I didn't know I should start with a scarf, etc. when learning to knit.  I just jumped into the deep end with cables, lace and mohair yarn.  So I made sweaters (from the same pattern) for everyone around me. Then I took a loooong break.  LOL.  About 20 years.  I started with scarfs! Lately I've really been wanting to up my game when it comes to what I knit.  I joined Ravelry and found some great free patterns and I'm taking lessons from Michele at one of our local knitting shops.  We have 3 really good ones. We only have one independent fabric store but we THREE independent yarn shops!

Michele has really helped me obtain a good working gauge.  Apparently I'm a very loose knitter, so I went down 2 sizes in needles to obtain the proper gauge to make this little number.  I also learned how to read a chart!  They have always intimidated me in the past. 

This free pattern came from the Cascade Yarns website and is called Go To Topper DK156, if you're interested in trying it. 

I used an Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in emerald green.  It's more a teal not emerald but so be it.  LOL.  I love the sweater.  It's so light weight, it just about floats.  This the first sweater I've made for myself.  Everything I made before was for someone else.  I just need to find 3 matching buttons and weave in a few yarn ends.  The shirt you see underneath is a knit fabric I just have draped to see how it looks.  Pretty nice, eh?  I like it.  LOL.  I'll be looking through my pattern for a cowl neck pattern, so you'll be seeing this soon.

Ta ta for now!

Not only Done, but done, done. LOL

I really like this tunic.  I'm not much for them but I do love this one.  It's really comfortable and cool.  I wore to my OK in Stitches group and got the nod of approval.  LOL.  Most of them said they would not have made it just from the patterns photos.  And they've now changed their minds from seeing my version. 

As you can see, I did a little embroidery with some candlewicking designs I had laying around.  They're very light, airy and don't change the hand of the fabric.

I did make a couple of minor changes.  I put in a shirt-tail hem and took a couple inches of length off the bottom.  I narrowed or straightened out the sleeve.  Bell sleeves and I don't get along.  LOL.

The only thing I want to mention is the collar.  There are two; one lies flat and the other is a stand up collar.  I choose the one to lie flat.  Well it tries.  My collar lies flat all the way around until you get to the center front.  Then it pooches out.  I tried everything I could think of at the time.  The only way to really correct it is to change the shape of the collar.  And frankly, I had the lining already in place.  NOT going to happen.  LOL.

Other than the collar, it's pretty straight forward to sew.  I probably won't make another though, since it's pretty distinct.

Later!

Summer Tunic...

I've started Vogue 1345 a nice lightweight summer tunic that should be a fun sew.  It's a Sandra Betzina pattern and the description says loose fitting, pullover shirt has collar, front and back pleated into lined yokes with sleeve variations and a narrow hem. 

I'm going to make a high-bred of view A & B.  I'll start off with view B; I won't do the organza overlays but I'll use piping (probably baby piping since I like the look) and I'll use the view B sleeve but slimmed down a bit.  I don't care for bell sleeves.  And I may just take an inch or so out of the length too.  We'll see.  The finished length for my size is 31.5 inches.  I typically like things around 27-29 inches for my height so I'll probably be lopping off a few inches.

This tunic is pretty long.  I'm betting you could add a few inches (well okay maybe 12 or so) and get a nice looking dress too. LOL.  I usually don't have to take length away.

My fabric is a blue & white jacquard stripe; it's probably polyester and is from Hancock's.

Right now I'm thinking of lime green or a darker red piping to set it off but that could change.  I'll see how it looks with a mock up.




That's all I have for today!

Have you ever done this?

I was thinking about this Kwik Sew pattern as I working on it and it seemed somehow familiar.  And when I finished it and tried it on and it was just Meh.  I've made a McCalls pattern, I think, several years ago and probably before I started blogging, that was very similar to this one.  I didn't really care for it then either.  I do have to say this about it.  I was a fun make; I'd never inserted gussets before and all I have to say about is mark accurately.  It goes together very easily.  Something else; I don't like the 1/4 inch seam allowances.  There's no suggestions for finishing seams.  I used my serger on most of them.  And boy was that fun around those gussets.  LOL.  It really looks like a nice tunic but its not something I'll wear.  Soooo, my good sewing buddy Carol is now the recipient of a new top.  SHE loves it.  LOL.

Here's a couple pictures:

That's all I have for today. I'm going to see what other kind of trouble I can get into.  LOL.

Kwik Sew 3377

My next project is this Kwik Sew tunic with interesting lines. With the short spring we have here in Oklahoma, its time to start thinking about light weight, comfy items for the long summer.

It looks fun to make and has an cute little underarm gusset.  You can just make it out in the pictures.

It says its designed for lightweight woven fabrics like cotton, cotton types (what?), handkerchief linen, georgette, crepe, gauze, challis, silk.  I'm using a linen-tencel blend I've had in my stash forever to test out this pattern. 

That's all for now.

Out of the Ashes...

Don't you love that title.  Well I do.  LOL

So if you remember, I've already had my first dud of the year.  I decided to save the fabric and use it on another pattern I've had for some time just waiting for the right fabric to come along.  I'm using an old Marcy Tilton tee pattern Vogue 8497.  I've been wanting to color block this tee and finally had a fabric combination I really liked.  The black is a nice ponte knit from Sawyer Brook.  Actually I've had this tee done for over 2 weeks but didn't blog on it because some of my students read my blog and I wanted it to be a surprise.  Yes, you know who you are!  LOL.

Warning:  This particular post is quite picture heavy!

My first issue was, of course, the length.  I had to add 3 inches and the easiest way was to do it was just add it on the bottom following the pattern of the zig zags. 

You need to make the pieces match up.

I have the pieces cut out and glue sticked together, pressed the glue with an iron, and finally pinned for added insurance.

I turned the piece over and added strips of very thin tissue paper to support the stitches I was preparing to add.

Here I've dropped the feed dogs on my machine and just did a bit of free-motion sewing/quilting whatever you want to call it all along the zig-zag.  It was fun!

All 4 pieces of the front and back are put together here.  And looking pretty good.  This pattern runs true to the sizing I've come to expect.  I choose my normal 16 down to the bust out to a 20 at the hips.

I've got the neckline done here.  Its a raw edge application, but in my case, I've folded the neck band in half because I didn't like how wide the strip was.  Very easy and a nice look.

This side view shows the longer length of the back.

Close-up of the neckline.  I really like the Tee and I'll probably make view B next. 


Later!

First dud of the new year

I suppose they all can't be the great garments we envision when we purchase a pattern, so I now have my first dud of the new year out of the way.  LOL.  The top fits me just fine but there are two real problems.  First and to me the most serious is with the structure of the shoulder and collar.  If you take a look at the line drawings of the top, it has a forward shoulder - by 2.5 inches.  That combined with the partial collar makes it hang back on your neck.  The few minutes I had it on, I was constantly pulling it forward.  Gah!  The second issue is the depth of the cowl is too low.  If the shoulder/collar thing had not been an issue, I would have lived with this version and used a decorative pin or something to take care of the low cowl.  But as it stands, for me, this is not a viable top.  It's too bad really, its an easy sew.  I did finish it and I like the way it looks just not the way it feels.  LOL.

Here are the pics:

It looks nice doesn't it?  It's just too bad its not very wearable.  I still have over a yard of this left so I'll probably use this top to make another.  Oh well I'm going to check out what I'd like to make next. 

As superman would say "Up, up and away!"  LOL.