Double Duty - S1615 & B5924

Hey...I know its been awhile but blogging just hasn't been on the agenda lately.  Just too much going on.  But, I do have a couple of tops to report on. 

Simplicity 1615, a cute loose fitting, uncomplicated summer top.  It was very easy to make and I'll probably make it again next year.  I chose view B, the one pictured in a purple print, and made lace collars on my embroidery machine.

Here they're drying on a towel after first having the excess stabilizer soaked out.  It's been quite a while since I've made any lace.  Pretty.

And here is the finished top.  Totally easy, with the easiest raglan sleeves you'll ever install.  I think if I hadn't piddled around, I could have finished it in one short afternoon.  It's very comfy and the fabric I used was a really light weight cotton I found at Hancock's.

Now for Butterick 5924.  This is a close fitting top.  I choose to make it a size larger than normal so I would get the looser fit I prefer. 

I made my version out of two colors of linen.  The solid blue I had leftover from a past project and it just happened to go perfectly with the striped linen I found at Joann's. 

As you can see, I choose to embroider mine to keep it from being so plain.  These designs are called Sepia Petals and I purchased them from OESD.  I really think they set it off.

A side shot of the gently curving shirt tail hem I prefer.

And finally the back showing the bottom pieces turned on the bias.  I'm not sure I like the way it hangs but there it is.

I nice shirt.  Not really sure whether I'll make it again but it was fun to put together.



That's all I have for now.

Later!

Tee Shirt Weekend

I know this might be a bit boring but there is a lesson here.  LOL.  Have I said lately how I love KS3801 view B?  How many of you have a couple of patterns you make over and over again?  I've made this particular pattern 10 times now in slightly different versions.  I haven't blogged about all of them, just the more notable.  I've got several long sleeve versions in a heavier cotton knit for winter.  A couple with 3/4 sleeves, and several made just as shown on the pattern.  I've made a long sleeved one with Pam's cowl neck tutorial.  I've even copied the pattern and created diagonal color blocking.  That's how versatile this pattern is.  This weekend I decided I needed some simple short sleeved tees for summer wear.  I made 3.  LOL.  Seriously, this tee takes me 2 hours from cutting out to the last touch up press to make it up.  It's very similar to some I used to purchase at Chico's.   Those tee's cost upwards of $90; especially if it had a really great graphic print.  That's a lot of green that I could have used to buy FABRIC!  I use less than 2 yards ( 1 1/2 yds if you seam the back) and at most pay $20-25 a yard for a pretty print.  Everywhere I go, people ask where I got the tee I'm wearing.  They're so disappointed when I say I made it myself.  LOL. 

They are so simple but I love them!  I just used my serger and coverstitch machines. 

You know...I used to be so afraid to sew with these slinky, thin knits, but I actually find them easier to sew with than slinky, slippery wovens.  Ain't that a hoot?  LOL.

This is a lovely ITY knit from The Cloth Merchants and I think was $12 a yard.

The fabric from this tee was from Fabric Mart and cost me all of $1.99 a yard on one of their sales.

And yes, if you look closely, the lady on the front of this tee has a martini glass in her hand.  LOL.

Two of these, the top tee in teal, and this bottom one go very nicely with the knitted sweater I shared in my last post.

This fabric was also from The Cloth Merchants and I think it was only $14 a yard.

I've purchased some really cool graphic prints from Sawyer Brook.  A little more expensive but the fabrics are usually from France and are really beautiful prints.




Onward and Upwards!  I'm tissue fitting the next pattern and hopefully will have something to share in a few days.

Later!

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.