SEWmuchKNITting

Butterick 5246

2012-01-23T09:12:00.000-05:00

My favorite outfit to wear to work is a knit dress with tights or leggings and flats or boots. Having made Butterick 5246 a couple of years ago unsuccessfully, I thought I would give it another go. I loved the boat necked cowl, and the empire waist. I purchased this beefy knit from Haberman Fabrics last fall, and I was excited to make it into a dress. I had notes about what went wrong with the fit last time, and now that the FBA and swayback adjustments are ones I know how to do, I was excited to move forward.

Looks cute, huh?

I like this boat neck cowl!

This time I made about a 1/2" swayback adjustment, and the back fits better.

Well, there are issues. I wish I would have looked a little closer at the armhole draft on the pattern! I thought the tightness in the bodice was from the lack of an FBA, but I think the armhole draft contributes too. I compared the armhole for this dress, B5246 on the left, with the armhole on the knit top I had just made, V8731 on the right. Then the light went on for me......that L-shaped armhole just doesn't fit. Evidently I need the more 'open' curve as on the V8731. After ripping out to get more 'room' in the armcyce and the side seam, I was able to make it fit good enough, but this dress won't be one of my favorites to wear since it is still a little uncomfortable. Too bad, I L.O.V.E this fabric.

I think I will remedy the situation by reworking what I have. Although I like the cowl, this fabric is white on the wrong side, and I had to remove the necklace since it kept pulling the cowl down and exposing the wrong side. The armhole area just isn't going to work either. I'll remove the cowl and make a scoop neck, and remove the sleeves to make it a sleeveless jumper that I'll wear with a T-shirt or turtleneck. If that doesn't make me happy, there is plenty of fabric there to refashion it into a skirt. Lessons learned :-)

Simplicity 2700

2012-01-20T08:31:00.001-05:00

One thing I wanted to do last year, and didn't, was to fit a pants pattern for dress slacks for work. Years ago (many, many years ago!) when I could sew a pattern right out of the envelope without any fitting alterations, I had a TNT pattern that I used to make all of my slacks (narrow waistband, side zipper). I was feeling a little daunted by what I thought would be a big project, so I have been sewing dresses and skirts....but no fitted pants. Well, I am happy to say hurray for Simplicity 2700!! The pants below were the first attempt, and I used a stash fabric so old that I have no idea where or when I purchased it. I truly thought that these would be a practice pair, and maybe my wearable muslin if all went well. It did!

This pattern by Simplicity is from their Amazing Fit line, designed with fitting options and instructions in mind. This style of pant is exactly what I like, and mimic my favorite pants made by Liz Claiborne. This pattern has a 4-piece curved yoke for the waistband, side pockets and fly front. The alterations that I needed to make included scooping out the crotch depth by 1/4" and narrowing the leg width below the hip using my favorite Claiborne pants as a guide.

I don't know why the left side looks so pointy?! Must be the way the shirt is tucked in,....

Shown on my dress form....you'll just have to take my word for it that the back lays flat like this on me too!

Can't remember the last time I sewed a fly-front zipper, but this was easy,
thanks to the clearly written directions.

Look at that pocket: flat and no gaping!

Nice to have this goal met, now I plan to use another Amazing Fit pattern to make a skinny, cigarette pant. With me luck!

Vogue 8731

2012-01-18T16:02:00.000-05:00

Looking for a quick and easy project for some sewing success, I turned to Vogue 8731. This pattern lived up to the positive comments I have seen bloggers post about this cute top. I used a 'snakeskin' ITY knit from Fabric.com since I knew that it would look best in a more drapey fabric. It was a quick and easy project indeed: no darts and no zipper, with an added bonus that no fitting alterations were needed. This is cute at dress length, which is how I initially cut it out, but I really wanted a tunic to wear with leggings and boots, so I shortened the length to just above mid-thigh.

I chose to raise the neckline by 1/2" or so, and sewed on a self-fabric binding at the neckline. Although those front pin-tucks were a little tricky with this knit, I really like the design element and it really works in place of more traditional darts.

Nice project to start off the New Year!

GO BLUE! and Happy New Year

2012-01-10T12:23:00.000-05:00

I'm proud to be a Michigan Wolverine!

New Year - New Goals: 8 for 2012

2012-01-01T23:05:00.001-05:00

I don't usually "do" New Year's resolutions, but I think setting down some attainable goals at the start of a new year might be interesting. It will be fun to check back throughout the year to see how much I've thought about those goals and worked toward meeting them.

Since I hit my mid-50's with my last birthday, a more healthy lifestyle all the way around is at the forefront of my thoughts these days. And not just including a more healthy diet and more frequent exercise, but more thought and consideration to the choices I make each day: what TV shows I watch/don't watch, books I read, words I choose to say/write, people and activities I choose to spend my time with.

With that in mind, here are my 8 goals for 2012, in no particular order:

Meal planning with an eye toward keeping it more nutritious. Looking at the week ahead instead of cooking meals by the seat of my pants.
Consistent exercise is a battle for me, and I'll continue to strive for at least 30 min 4X/week.
Less TV watching, more book reading. 'Nuff said.
On the garment sewing front, I hope to sew down my stash by making more and more of my wardrobe and purchasing less. 1-2 garments a month should be easy enough to accomplish, and still leave room for sewing for family members and home dec too.
Keep pushing myself to become more proficient with my knitting/crochet. I'm proud of the pieces I've made over the last year, but I know that there is always more to learn.
Clean closets and purge the extra. I like to hang on to 'stuff' way too much, and I'm feeling the need to downsize and release some of the clutter.
Journal more.
Plant and maintain a vegetable garden this spring and summer. I love our local farmers' market, but I want to grow more of my own.

I'm sure that this list could grow from the 8 goals listed, but I think it's a good start. These are the things that are always on my mind, and I hope by writing them down and coming back occasionally to reassess how I am doing will help bring an peaceful order to my days.

So, on to the New Year and all the ups and downs ahead!

2011 in review

2012-01-01T10:28:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year: 2012 is here!

I always enjoy reading my fellow bloggers' posts when they summarize their sewing/quilting/knitting/crochet projects for the year. I've always wanted to document my projects too, so here we go!

In 2011 I completed:

-14 garments

-1 bag

-5 quilts

-15 knitted/crocheted items

Simplicity 2212 McCalls 5893

Butterick 5491
Simplicity 9825

Indygo Junction Midtown Trench

Simplicity 2224 Butterick 5244

New Look 6969 Simplicity 2205

Simplicity 2584 New Look 6802

KwikSew 3240 Vogue 1182

Simplicity 2896 Ottobre Woman 05-2010

Kauai Shores wallhanging

Baby quilt for Conor March wallhanging of the month
February wallhanging of the month

Crochet scarf for Special Olympics 2010 BOM Afghan w/ Sweet Pea's Yarn Shop

(1 of 2 scarves for Special Olympics)

Rusted Root w/ Lion Brand Cotton Ease Scarf knit with Sparkle yarn

Crochet: Gap-inspired Infinity scarf Total of 4 Infinity Scarves

Traveling Woman Shawl Vanilla socks w/ Regia sock yarn

ChicKnits Mondo Cabled Cardi Lion Brand Mesh Tank CAL

Manly Mitts (pictured one of 2 sets)

3 X 1 Ribbed socks w/ Patons wool

So, what's on deck for 2012? I plan to make many of the bags from this book that I received for Christmas:

I've cast on for a baby sweater, I plan to knit a skirt for myself and finish the knit hoodie that I started awhile back. I am also knitting another afghan with my LYS, but need to seam up the blocks made in the 2011 BOM. I know there will be more scarves, mitts and socks as requested by my family....I'm so lucky that they love and appreciate my handknits.

Here's to another year of wishes for good health, happiness, and lots of time to do the things we love!

Baby quilt

2011-12-21T09:21:00.000-05:00

I'm back from a extended hiatus from blogging.....seems everything I am working on is a Christmas gift for a family member, and I'm happy to say they all read my blog :-) But, my daughter saved the day by sending along a picture of the baby quilt I made for her boyfriend's (holding up the quilt for all to see!) new nephew and godson Conor.

I'll be posting some updated pics of Christmas knitting after the holiday, when gifts have been opened and hopefully enjoyed!

Scarf for Mom using Sparkle yarn

2011-11-22T12:49:00.000-05:00

I know my Mom doesn't use a computer so there is no chance she will see this picture of the scarf I am knitting for her birthday in December. This is the novelty yarn from KnittingFever called Sparkle, and it's right up her alley: purple with bling!

I've told my knitting buddies to remind me next time I consider knitting with novelty yarn how much I HATE it! Give me natural fibers any day: wool, alpaca, even cotton! I find the novelty yarns tedious to work with, and I don't care for the fabric that they make, although this scarf is not at all scratchy or stiff, even with the sparkle fiber. But saying all that, my Mom will love this scarf , I'm sure, and I guess that's what it's all about.

After the windstorm

2011-11-10T13:33:00.000-05:00

Mother Nature got a little stirred up last night, and one of our two Cleveland Pear trees got a natural pruning:

They are always so lovely this time of year, and are the last trees to lose their leaves. This one lost a little more than just a few leaves this year!

Healthy Holidays

2011-11-08T12:01:00.000-05:00

The holidays are fast approaching, along with all the yummy goodies that go along with them. Frankly, Thanksgiving dinner is my favorite dinner of the year: turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes (with marshmallows and brown sugar-of course!), and pie, pie, pie! Follow that up with the Christmas sweets and ..... whew!

So, I've decided to head into the 'madness' with a clear head and a plan to enjoy all the delicious foods but to do so in moderation.

Starting with this:

Juicing up some fresh and delicious fruits and vegetables: kale, carrot, cucumber, beet with the apple and pear thrown in for their natural sweetness.

Sweet nectar....God's food!

MQN Quilt Retreat

2011-10-30T14:20:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago my quilting buddy Margaret asked me to join her in attending the Michigan Quilt Network's first quilt retreat getaway. It was held at a State Of Michigan Dept of Natural Resources facility on North Higgins Lake. The weather was cooperative, and we were treated to a picture-perfect Michigan autumn weekend!

Taking advantage of the lovely weather, I stepped away from my sewing machine for a bit on Saturday afternoon to talk a walk with my camera down by the lake. So peaceful.

Since our sewing time was limited to just Saturday, I decided to participate in the mystery quilt project. I used Christmas fabrics, in a fresh red, lime green and pink color palette.

I finished piecing the top this morning, but I think it needs one more border. I'm not sure whether I will choose to quilt it for this Christmas or not. All in all, it was an enjoyable and productive weekend!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-19T07:35:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T07:56:00.000-04:00

Rusted Root-finished!

2011-08-08T12:13:00.000-04:00

Pattern: Rusted Root by Zephyr Style

Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease, colorway: Seaspray

Needles: US size 6

Simplicity 2224 - Linen Pants

2011-08-02T14:41:00.000-04:00

I'm wrapping up the last few pieces of summer sewing for this year, although the weather continues to flirt with 90 degrees F and heavy humidity. I've been curious about the 'slouchy' linen pants that I've been seeing everywhere this summer, so I thought I'd sew up a pair from some very soft linen (a blend, perhaps?) that I've had in my stash for awhile now. I have sewn the skirt from Simplicity 2224 before, and although I don't think it is the most flattering skirt I own, it is so comfortable! When I cut out the skirt, I went ahead and cut the pants too. I was worried that the pants might be as full as the skirt, but that wasn't true. The fullness is just enough to allow for a narrow elasticized waist, the fit is relaxed but smooth through the hip and falls from there with just the amount of 'slouchiness' that I was looking for :-) I feared looking like I was wearing my PJ pants, but I was pleasantly surprised that I don't. It helps that there are seams running down the center fronts and backs of each leg stabilizing the drape, I think. As you can see, I left off the pockets.

I haven't sewn a pair of pants for myself in probably 15 years or more.....not sure why, but I really like to sew dresses I guess! I deem this first pair of slacks after a long hiatus a success!!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-27T08:32:00.000-04:00

Simplicity 2212

2011-07-14T16:12:00.000-04:00

My daughter picked out Simplicity 2212, for Mom to make a short, strapless dress for the Chicago summers. She had purchased fabric at Mood on our trip last year to NYC, which worked out perfectly! This is a butter-soft cotton, which was a joy to work with.

This was the first time that I've worked with boning.....and I can't believe that, actually. I think of all those prom dresses I made that probably would have benefited from more structure :-) But now I am a more knowledgeable sewist since I read so many sewing blogs!

Back view:

Note the invisible zipper placed in the side seam: I was happy to see how the bodice seams matched up. What a nice surprise!

I made a little fabric rosette from fabric left over from this. I liked the subtle combination of the plaid with the floral. I hot-glued it to a pin-back so she can remove it if she likes.

I sent this along to her via Priority Mail, and she has assured me that pics of her wearing it are forthcoming :-)

Knitting on the set

2011-07-12T16:27:00.001-04:00

I knew there was a reason why I love Tom Hanks!:

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T07:41:00.000-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

2011-07-04T08:44:00.000-04:00

Kids are home for a nice, long weekend and we are having a blast on our stay-cation! I'm trying out some new recipes:

Perfect weather to be pool-side, with a cool drink after some competitive family pool-volleyball:

spending some time at the ballpark:
(yes, the sky was really that color: gray to green to orange! We waited out the almost 3-hour rain delay to watch the Detroit Tigers lose to the San Francisco Giants, but we still had fun!

Life is good!

Simplicity 2205

2011-06-20T16:48:00.000-04:00

This cute little summer clutch purse was made using Simplicity 2205. Pattern directions call for using fusible interfacing, and also fusible fleece. I did use both, but I'm not thrilled with the fusible fleece. I usually use the fusible interfacing and then sew in canvas-weight fabric for added stability.

There is one interior pocket, perfect for a cell phone or camera:

A band wraps around the clutch, and uses a magnetic snap for closure:

This bag meets my personal size requirements for a clutch, and it was an easy and quick project!

I just might make one or two more :-)!

(Linked to the Sew Darn Crafty Party at

http://sewmanyways.blogspot.com/2011/06/sew-darn-crafty-partyweek-19.html

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-15T06:35:00.000-04:00

Simplicity 2224

2011-06-12T10:18:00.000-04:00

My project for Week #3 SONP (Summer of no Pants) was this light and breezy skirt from Simplicity 2224.

I used a very lightweight cotton seersucker due to the many gathers at the waist/hip. This is such a cute pattern in theory, but does absolutely nothing for me.....so no pics of my wearing it :-) It's not a complete wadder tho, it will be light and airy to wear in the hot months ahead in the privacy of my own home.

I love those cute oversized pockets, but they do droop open more than I'd like. We'll see....I may add a button to the pocket band. This skirt has an elastic waist, and the cotton twill tie at the center front is decorative only.

I have already cut out the pants from this pattern in a very drapey linen blend. I may leave off the pockets, not sure.

Simplicity 2896

2011-06-07T12:05:00.000-04:00

My next project for the Summer of No Pants challenge was Simplicity 2896, a easy little sheath dress using a stretch pique cotton/Lycra. A facing sewn in one piece finished off the neckline and armholes very nicely. Cute little gathers on the front yoke took the place of any front darts. A simple lapped zipper at the center back, along with 2 narrow back darts made the back easy to fit. I plan to wear this dress on the weekend to my niece's grad party, paired with some cute white/gold sandals (or maybe I should be looking for white GoGo boots?!! :-) I'm loving this style for the summer, and I can see more dresses made with this pattern in my future!

Kwik Sew 3240

2011-05-31T12:35:00.002-04:00

I signed up to participate in the Summer of No Pants Challenge to make a skirt or dress a week for 4 weeks. Once in a while I find these challenges fun and motivating, and I thought my schedule for the month of June would accommodate some sewing! Well, that was before it rained the whole month of May here in Michigan which has resulted in a LOT of yard work to catch up on! I think I can still meet the Challenge, and below you will see the skirt I sewed up for Week One, Kwik Sew 3240:

I've had this embroidered cotton in my stash for quite some time, and while I was searching last week for something else I got reacquainted with this fabric. I thought that it would make a cute BoHo-type skirt for the summer, and I knew I wouldn't need any extra "fluff" thru the hip area, so I chose the Kwik Sew pattern. I rarely tuck my tops in, so the elastic waistband worked out great too. I also lined this skirt with Bemberg, since the cotton was a little sheer. (If I look closely, I think my dressform is wearing this skirt with the side seam in front.....LOL!)

I think a cute little summer dress will be on the schedule for Week Two, after I finish up Simplicity 2212 for my daughter, using fabric that we bought last year at Mood in NYC.

Vogue 1182

2011-05-24T13:01:00.000-04:00

I was able to finish sewing up Vogue 1182 to wear to my nephew's wedding last weekend, even though I was sewing the hem on the morning of the big event! The fit came out just about perfect....I could have improved on that a bit with a small swayback adjustment, but all in all I was very pleased. Thanks to those who have already made this dress and posted a review on PatternReview, I knew to take my time with all 44(!) steps in the pattern directions. Everything went together just fine, and I love the finished product!

Dress front:

Family shot outside the church (my oldest son is missing, he was a groomsman):

Vogue 1182 in action, dancing with the groom:

V1182: muslin

2011-05-17T11:54:00.002-04:00

I don't why I always do this do myself, but here I am again with a deadline fast approaching! My nephew's wedding is this Saturday, and I have been planning to make this dress for at least 4 months. Yes, I know it is red, just like the pattern photo, but I am trying to sew up my stash and this fabric, a stretch sateen, was a great candidate for Vogue 1182.

I am making a muslin of this one first, though I must admit I don't usually take the time to do this. But I have read a lot of reviews of this pattern online via PatternReview, and I think I'd better work out any fitting issues in the muslin stage first. The main reasons I enjoy garment sewing are 1.) I like to choose my own pattern and fabric and not see myself coming and going in the same retail pieces others are wearing, 2.) fit, and 3.) I just like sewing together all the pieces, going from flat fabric to a 3D garment. Of the last 3 weddings I've attended, twice there was another gal wearing my same dress :-( And the third dress was a lovely, champagne-colored number, with a beaded bodice that just didn't fit right which made me uncomfortable all evening.

Bodice front: still need the side fronts and collar, then a fitting evaluation:

Back: although my dressform is a little smaller than I am, I think the extra couple of inches I added at the back side seams already appear to be too much. So glad I am making this alterations at the muslin stage and not with the fashion fabric!

Knitting: BOM

2011-05-14T21:34:00.000-04:00

The Block of the Month group at Sweet Pea's Yarn Shop has been meeting on Saturdays, once a month since January. I posted here about the beautiful hand-dyed yarn we are using, and my project is moving along nicely. We receive enough yarn each week for that month's block, along with an additional pattern for a wrap that is added to each month using the stitch learned. I decided not to make the wrap, but to make 3 extra blocks, one per row, to add to the overall length of the afghan. This is a fun project to knit, but more than that, it is a fun way to spend a Saturday morning...with a great group of knitters.

New Look 6969

2011-05-09T08:45:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, before the winter 'thaw' and the advent of truly spring-like Michigan weather, I had the urge to sew up something fresh and cute. Using view D below, with some stretch cotton sateen from my stash, I stitched up the little number below using NewLook 6969:

Since this skirt is unlined, it took me no time at all. And, although it doesn't look like it in the photo, the hem IS even.....must be that 'model pose'! I actually prefer to wear dresses and skirts, especially in the warmer months, so I signed on for the "No Pants Challenge" over at Hideous!Dreadful!Stinky! to make four pieces over the 4 weeks before summer officially starts: May 23 - June 17, 2011. Trust me when I say I have the patterns and the stash fabric to make this happen :-)!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T11:11:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-04T00:01:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-04-27T09:10:00.000-04:00

Startitis! : Rusted Root and Weekend Shawl

2011-04-14T17:38:00.000-04:00

Spring is trying to find it's way to Michigan! For that reason, I am not too interested in knitting with wool right now. So what's a girl to do but cast on not 1 but 2 new projects in nice, summer-weight yarns! First up is Rusted Root by Zephyr Style in Lion Brand Cotton Ease in the colorway Seaspray. I have almost knit my way to the point where I can separate the sleeves, and then I'm sure the body will just fly off the needles.

Next is a shawl, this time for summer, the Weekend Shawl, in Araucania Ruca, colorway Banana. One of my knitting buddies showed me this pattern a couple of weeks ago, and of course I wanted to knit along with her! Good thing for bamboo needles, this yarn is a little slippery. But I love the way the fabric looks as I knit it up, and I think this shawl will be perfect for carrying in my bag for chilly nights and frosty air-conditioning.

Traveling Woman shawl-finished!

2011-04-07T19:46:00.000-04:00

Finished my Traveling Woman shawl, knit in Dream in Color Starry in the colorway Cinnamon Girl, purchased at Ewe-nique Knits . After blocking, the size is appox. 56" wide from tip to tip, which is the size I like for wearing as a scarf more than a shawl. I couldn't capture the glimmer of the silver fibers that make up 2% of the sock-weight yarn, but it is pretty and soft.

New Look 6802 again

2011-03-29T11:28:00.000-04:00

I found this graphic black and white knit on the JoAnn's clearance table a few weeks ago, and thought it would look great using New Look 6802:

I've made this one before for me, but this time I made it up for my daughter. It should make a great addition to her work wardrobe :-)

Difficult to see the front twist with this busy fabric.

I elected to make a gathered short sleeve instead of the pleats.

Cute!

Hope she likes it!

Indygo Junction Midtown Trench

2011-03-24T13:06:00.002-04:00

Last September when I attended the American Stitches Sewing Expo in Novi, MI, I picked up this pattern, The Midtown Trench by Indygo Junction.

I also purchased this bold gray and purple print at the Expo from my favorite vendor, Vogue Fabrics. The fabric is actually a somewhat drapey, cotton/rayon blend I think. But it did sew up nicely for this application.

I am loving these wide collars and big buttons lately, with a retro feel to them:

Of course, the swing pleats in the back are really cute, and the two-piece sleeve adds interest. Side seam pockets are handy too.

Since we are still having WINTER weather here in Michigan, I wanted to wear this to work at least once this season and grab some pics. Now I am on to summer sewing!

(title for this photo: Red means STOP)

Spring??

2011-03-23T20:14:00.000-04:00

They call this SPRING??!!

Friday Night Sew-in

2011-03-19T17:10:00.000-04:00

Got a chance last night to sit down at my sewing machine and finish up my Walhanging-of-the-Month for March (fused, machine appliqued and machine quilted). The patterns for my WOM projects are from the book "Kim Schaefer's Book of Calendar Quilts". They are very cute and whimsical, and I thought making them would be a great way to bust down some of the quilting fabric stash :-)

I started this project in February with this cute little heart number:

I'll catch up with January somewhere along the way, no worries!

March Madness!

2011-03-18T10:23:00.000-04:00

No. 8 seed Michigan vs. No. 9 seed Tennessee - NCAA Second Round
Date: Friday, March 18 | Time: 12:40 p.m. | Venue: Time Warner Cable Arena | Location: Charlotte, N.C.

I love this time of year! And best of all, my alma mater made it to the Big Dance!

I couldn't be more excited.....

GO BLUE!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-09T19:55:00.000-05:00

McCall's 5893

2011-03-01T11:49:00.000-05:00

I have a chance to leave snowy, cold Michigan for a visit to Sanibel Island, Florida, and so I thought I would sew up a casual dress/swim suit cover-up. The fabric is a thin T-shirt knit from Fabric.com, a recent addition to my garment fabric stash! Maybe I am turning over a new leaf by sewing fabric as it comes in the house, rather than stockpiling it for future use :-)

McCall's 5893 is advertised as a 1-hour pattern, but it took me longer than that! I like to take my time, since I've decided that I'm a process sewer.....tho I almost always appreciate the finished product.

I did make a couple of changes to the pattern. The directions called for the neckline and armholes edges to just be turned to the inside and stitched down to finish the raw edges.....not a look that I like for the neckline. I cut some "almost" bias strips out of the dress fabric and finished the neckline that way. Looks much better, in my opinion. I also made a full-bust adjustment, and lengthened the bodice, and as usual when sewing with knits I used stabilizer at the shoulder seams and hem.

I hope I like the longer length....I'll know more when I wear it! If not, I'll just lop it off for a shorter sundress.

Simplicity 9825

2011-02-24T08:10:00.000-05:00

I had this piece of stretch poplin in my stash, and I thought I should jump on the animal print bandwagon before it left town :-) I have made Simplicity 9825 a couple of times before, so this was a quick project:

Since I was in the mood for immediate sewing gratification, I didn't line it. This was an enjoyable afternoon spent at my sewing machine :-)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-02-23T09:27:00.000-05:00

Gap-inspired Infinity scarves

2011-02-17T14:14:00.000-05:00

Although the weather today here in Michigan is a 'balmy' 49 degrees F, that wasn't the case a couple of weeks ago. And I think the entire nation is aware of the nasty weather that Chicago experienced, where my two daughters live. These infinity scarves crocheted out of 2 skeins of Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick and Quick were just the thing for the sub-zero temperatures:

These are so quick to make, that I ended up making four total. Two of them found their way to Chicago, I gave one to my son's girlfriend and I even kept one for myself! Free pattern can be found here.

Ottobre 05-2010 Knit Dress

2011-02-07T11:25:00.000-05:00

I hate to admit it, but I've been subscribing to the Ottobre Woman pattern magazine for quite some time now, but have never sewn anything up! I think tracing the pattern off was a little daunting, but I had this cute, beefy cotton knit from Fabric.com that was calling out to me to be a comfy knit dress, and the May 2010 issue had the perfect little dress (pattern #10):

It fit right out of the box...the extra 1/4" I added at each side seam "just in case" wasn't needed, and I may take a little more in, we'll see. I used fusible stabilizing tape (LOVE that stuff!) around the neckline and at the hem. What you *won't* see close-up is the rather sloppy job I did with the pintucks at the front neckline. I should have place some stabilizer behind where the tucks were sewn, since it was hard to sew them straight with this knit. I made this up as a wearable muslin, so I left them in as is...didn't want to rip out that knit fabric which I think would have made it all look worse :-)

I'm wearing this at work today with tights and my ballet flats.....so comfortable! It would look really cute with boots too :-) I plan to make this one again.

Knitted BOM from Sweet Pea's Yarn Shop

2011-02-03T11:22:00.001-05:00

The picture below (before blocking) is of my finished 2010 Block-of-the-Month afghan sponsored by my local yarn shop, Sweet Pea's.

We did not choose the yarn colors, but did get to choose either pastels or jewel tones. Both were pretty, but I liked the pastels best. We knit 3 panels in blocks of four and then joined the rows together. I used a knit-on edging to finish my afghan, something I had not done before. The yarn used was a heavy wool worsted (#5) from Brown Sheep called Shepherds Shades, and it is very soft and squishy! It was fun to meet once/month to visit with the other ladies in the class, and to see what's new in the yarn shop.

I signed up again for the 2011 BOM, this time knit in one color using a hand-dyed wool and mohair blend yarn from Red Barn Yarns. I chose a lovely light blue called Pacific Rim, as seen here. Included with the patterns for the BOM are directions to make a lovely wrap, since there 'should' be enough yarn left each month. Some of the knitters in the class say that it will be close, so we'll see how that all works out! I've yet to finish the block for January, but plan to work on that this weekend :-)

Butterick 5244 for Kristen

2011-01-24T10:03:00.001-05:00

My favorite dress for 2010 was this Butterick 5244:

and I find I wear it alot since it is so comfortable. My daughter Kristen said she liked the style too, and picked out some lovely knit from my stash when she was home for the Christmas holidays. I bumped this project for her up to the top of my list, since she was such a sweetheart to do THIS for me while she was home:

Can you believe it? It took her several days to organize my large inventory of sewing patterns, and now that they are listed in a spreadsheet and filed with the pattern envelopes neatly in 3-ring binders I can find things so much easier! Having the bulky pattern pieces filed separately in manila envelopes sure helps.

I have so many garments that I can't wait to make up now that I can see what patterns I have. Next I'll need to organize my fabric .....just don't hold your breath for that. Kristen has left that chore up to me!!

Below are pics of B5244 on my dress form, since Kristen lives in another state. I'll try to post a photo of her wearing it at a later date :-)

I love how this knit looks like a woven wool fabric:

A Little Crochet and Some Quilting too

2011-01-16T19:53:00.000-05:00

Time for a little projects update! I have been busy, seldom without a hook, some needles or fabric in my hands when I'm not at my day job :-)

First up is a shawl I crocheted which will be a donation to the Knit Michigan silent auction, in memory of my knitting/quilting buddy Debbie,

who left this world way too young after a brave battle with lung cancer. I used a worsted weight wool from the Queensland Collection called Rustic Tweed.

Next is another crochet project, a red/teal scarf which are the colors requested by the Michigan Special Olympics Scarf Project for 2011. Shown below is one of the two I made to donate to this cause.

And now for a little quilting! My husband picked this picture out as one of his favorites from our family trip last year to Hawaii:

I loved playing with the idea of framing the picture with traditional blocks, blending the colors out from the photo. It's hanging on the design wall for quilting design inspiration.

Just a quick update as I clear up my workspace and get ready for some garment sewing. I have that cute jacket (hem, buttonholes!) to finish up, and then a dress for my daughter Kristen. She deserves it!

15 min of play Intuition Challenge

2011-01-11T14:37:00.001-05:00

I am participating in V's Intuition Challenge on the 15 minutes of play blog, and I'm starting with this bin of scraps of various sizes and shapes:

I grabbed the teal floral on the left as a starting point, and found myself gravitating toward the pinks and greens. Below is the result of my 15 min of play:

I can see some great potential here, but in true intuitive style I am not planning ahead, but just rolling with it to see where it takes me! I like the size of this block, and may make several blocks this size as I move forward. Fun!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-05T08:33:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-12-15T07:40:00.000-05:00

Flower Fireworks

2010-12-01T09:19:00.000-05:00

Since my finished projects have been few and far between lately, I thought I would post about one I completed in November. My local quilt guild, The Loose Threads, has a yearly challenge to finish a UFO, and I chose this

project since I really wanted to work with these bright colors! Fabric and design came from a kit I purchased at Guildcrafters quilt shop 2 maybe 3? years ago, on an impulse buy since I liked it so much :-) I'm glad I did since I had lots of fun putting it together, and it looks great hanging on the wall in the reception area of my husband's dental office (IMHO!).

   Flower Fireworks 11/2010
   63" X 77"
   Machine pieced & machine quilted on
   my Bernina 1260

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-17T09:15:00.000-05:00

The Sophisticate, a visit to Chicago

2010-11-15T20:19:00.000-05:00

The Sophisticate sweater knit for baby Simon is on it's way.....I love this pattern! I think this will be one of my favorites to knit up for little boys, tho I will need to size it up a bit next time. Gotta love those little 'leather' buttons too :-)

My husband and I made a trip out to Chicago to visit our daughters a couple of weeks ago, and had a blast as usual. My daughter and I ran in the Hot Chocolate 5K put on by the Illinois Bone and Joint Institute, and it was a lot of fun. The race was held downtown out of Grant Park, around Soldier Field, and back up behind the museum district. It was a beautiful day, and of course there was Ghiaradelli hot chocolate AND chocolate fondue at the end to motivate us!

We also went out to dinner for Ethiopian food one evening,at Demera Ethiopian Restaurant, a first for me! The aromas when we opened the door to the restaurant were amazing! Dinner (we ordered the chef's special) was served on a large platter without utensils, and the food is picked up using the flat bread called injera. Delicious!

Friday evening we went to the Steppenwolf Theater to see their production of To Kill a Mockingbird. We were all curious just how this book would translate to the stage, and I have to say not one of us was disappointed.

The weather warmed up quite a bit on Sunday, and before we left for the airport we got a chance to spend some time outside at North Pond. Hard to believe this is big city life!

Baby Sophisticate

2010-11-02T15:22:00.001-04:00

I know it's been awhile since my last post, but I have been knitting and quilting away.....not much sewing tho. My daughter's co-worker has a new baby son named Simon, and I wanted to knit the very cute little Baby Sophisticate sweater for him. Tho it has been said that this pattern 'runs small', baby Simon is a very little guy and I think this sweater will be perfect for him this winter:

Yarn: Jasper by Berocco, colorway: 3844-Mochica Blue

Needles: size 8 both circular and DPNs

size: 0-3 months

Colorful Friday: Orange-ness

2010-10-22T09:12:00.000-04:00

Robyn is hosting Colorful Fridays on her blog: Daisy Quilts, and so I thought I would play along!

Toby wearing his orange outfit:

Love to use that pop of orange in my quilts:

Color on the bookshelves:

Color in the workplace:

Love the orange mums this time of year:

Orange and blue, one of my favorite combinations:

This slice of orange showed up yesterday at dusk!:

I think I'll be seeing orange the rest of the day!

The quilting is coming along nicely

2010-10-19T13:15:00.000-04:00

I have been working diligently on this quilt that I have been calling "Spring Fireworks". I have committed to having this quilt completed by Nov. 8th, which is the next meeting for my local quilt guild, Loose Threads. It should be noted that I agreed to have this completed a year ago(!) when we all signed up for the "Complete a UFO Challenge". I am not having any problem quilting this on my domestic sewing machine, a Bernina 1260. Since I have several quilts to be quilted over the next few months, I went ahead and added two tools to my sewing arsenal: Machingers quilting gloves, and the Supreme Slider Free Motion Machine Quilting Mat. So far, so good!

ugh

2010-10-09T21:12:00.000-04:00

The game goes to the MSU Spartans.....
and the U-M Wolverines go back to the drawing board to get ready for Iowa. d.a.r.n.

Tomorrow....!!!

2010-10-08T07:10:00.001-04:00

http://www.michigandaily.com/content/cartoon-little-brother

...........GO BLUE!

2 MORE DAYS!

2010-10-07T09:53:00.000-04:00

Weekend sewing and chicken dinner!

2010-10-04T09:49:00.000-04:00

Got a chance on Friday afternoon to meet up with my son Kenny and his girlfriend Cassie for dinner in Frankenmuth, MI. Zehnder's restaurant is famous for it's family-style chicken dinners, and we all enjoyed it immensely! Love the old-school sign:

Then it rained pretty much all day on Saturday, and there was no televised coverage of Univ. of Mich. vs. Indiana football (huh??!!) Listening to the game on the radio gave me several hours of uninterrupted machine applique time! I am really motivated to finish this project that I started last November:

So motivated that I spent another 3 hours or so on Sunday evening, before I stopped to catch the latest Mad Men :-)

American Sewing Expo

2010-09-27T15:12:00.000-04:00

I have been attending the American Sewing Expo for more years than I can remember, and this year was no exception. My sewing and knitting buddy Karen and I arrived at the Expo on Sat afternoon around 12:30 pm. We browsed the vendors on the show floor, drooling over some lovely wools and silks at some of our favorites: Vogue Fabrics (Chicago), Haberman Fabrics (Royal Oak), and Fabric Gallery (Williamston). Then we took a seat for a bit and saw the fashion show put on by PatternReview. After a couple of purchases, Karen left for home and I stayed on to see the Passion for Fashion competition runway show. This time I was in full agreement with the judges re the winning look!
Sunday morning found me back in Novi for an 8:30am start to my full-day class: Leather 101 with Kenneth King. I had taken classes with Kenneth last year, and I knew that I would get a wealth of information and some funny stories along the way :-) I now feel totally comfortable to approach sewing the leather skirt that I've been wanting for a long time!

It was a nice way to spend the weekend, tho 2 days may be overkill. In my plans to sew down my stash of fashion fabric, I was really discriminating with my purchases. One pattern by Indygo Junction and the fabric (from Vogue) to make it, and the introductory snap kit from Snap Source were all that came home with me!

Next year I will plan for one day....although that will depend on who may be offering classes and what they might cover!

Project Runway winner

2010-09-17T17:38:00.000-04:00

I l.o.v.e. that purple jumbo herringbone fabric....sigh.......

In the words of the designer of this look, Mondo: "Yeah, those bolts of fabric have voices, and they say 'come over and pick me up' and I usually do".

I can so relate.

September is National Sewing Month!

2010-09-16T10:01:00.001-04:00

Since September is National Sewing Month, I think it would be a great idea for me to spend some time cleaning my sewing space and organizing my garment sewing projects. I'm taking the cue from Myrna's blog, and the Yarn Harlot too. Last night I purchased some large resealable bags, and plan to set up 12 projects with all that's needed to get started: pattern, fabric, notions, etc. Then I can pull one out at a time (one per month??) and be ready to go!
I feel that my sewing has stalled out a bit lately, and I'm sure some of that has to do with the fact that I feel overwhelmed when I think about sitting down to sew.
Wish me luck!

(nice and neat after last cleaning session!!)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-09-15T08:51:00.000-04:00

Labor Day weekend sewing

2010-09-08T09:37:00.000-04:00

Not having any plans for the Labor Day holiday weekend, I was looking forward to spending some time at my much-neglected sewing machine. First on the list, and the *only* sewing project I worked on, was this 'improvisational' quilt that I had started last month. Using the intuitive piecing style a la Gwen Marston, I had put together the above center medallion, and then added the right-hand strips and bordered it in the dark gray. So far, so good......but I wanted to take the idea further. This quilt project is inspired by some great July views on my favorite golf course in northern Michigan.
I used the color palate of the cobalt blue sky, green trees (from chartreuse to forest green), the grays of the birch tree trunks, and the orange and black of the monarch butterflies flitting across the fairways. I also chose to limit myself to use only solid fabrics. I did not sketch an idea, but rather just pieced my way along at will. Boy, do I enjoy this unstructured way of sewing for a change! Of course, I have Gwen Marston to thank for forging the way: no templates, little measuring.......very intuitive!
Using Gwen's instructions in her Liberated Quiltmaking II book, I then went forward with the modified blunt end sawtooth border:

Some close-ups of my little log-cabin blocks:

And the little 'niblets' that I love to place in the borders :

Working in this way without a 'map', it's hard to know when to stop. But I really think the quilt has a way of saying 'enough'!

Machine quilting will be the next step, and I really look forward to that. It's when I believe the quilt really begins to get some personality!

Empty nesters

2010-08-30T10:24:00.002-04:00

08-22-2010: We moved our 'baby' off to college.....hard to believe!

GO BLUE!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-18T07:10:00.000-04:00

McCall's 5591-skirt

2010-08-09T07:22:00.000-04:00

I have sewn the McCall's 5591 skirt pattern before for my daughter, and really liked the way it turned out. Looking to add some simple skirts for this H-O-T summer to my wardrobe, I thought I would try it again.

Using some pretty jazzy quilting cotton, I made this up a couple of weeks ago. Cute and fast, and a pattern that I would heartily recommend! In fact, I plan to make it again. Here are a few pictures on our way to Mass:

Love the pockets!

If you look closely you can see a seam at the center front, where I had to do a little fudging. Tho no seam is called for in the pattern, I found a flaw at the fold line of my fabric AFTER I had the skirt cut out :-(

It was easy to fix by sewing in a small seam there, and adjusting the pleats to fit the yoked waistband, which I love just as much as the pockets! I would add more length next time to allow for a deeper hem if using another lightweight cotton.

Broken Rib Tank

2010-08-05T10:16:00.000-04:00

I was finally able to grab some pictures of the Broken Rib Tank that I finished in June! I used Berroco Weekend yarn, which is a cotton/acrylic blend and a pleasure to work with. The waist shaping and bust dart increases were very effective so the fit was perfect!

I just love the broken rib yoke detail, and that is what sold me on knitting this for myself. Nice to have finished a knitting project for a change!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-04T11:02:00.000-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-28T16:50:00.000-04:00

Messenger bag

2010-07-23T23:10:00.000-04:00

My son's girlfriend needed a new messenger bag to carry her books, etc while at college, and of course my son thought: "Mom could make that"! I had fun putting this together for Cassie's birthday. First, I took a look at the book I have by Lexi Barnes, Sew What Bags, and made up a prototype of one I thought would work. I found this book to be a great resource, the diagrams and suggestions for sewing a messenger bag were very helpful, but my first attempt turned out too big and wasn't the style that I was looking for. I then looked around the web, searching for dimensions for bags that are sold retail that I knew she would like, and came up with what I think is a great-looking bag that is trendy and functional.

I purchased the quilting cotton at my local JoAnn Fabrics, and quilted it with a craft fleece in a simple diagonal quilt pattern. I think that this step took the most time!

I stabilized the bag some more with cotton duck cloth, and also used a fusible stabilizer on the pockets so that they wouldn't collapse with use. D-rings along with a canvas-type web were used for the handles, with additional stabilizer sewn in. I always add a lanyard for keys that drops into one of the interior pockets, and in this case I used a grosgrain ribbon.

Additonal pockets were sewn onto the exterior, at the side and under the flap for security. I love the look of the narrow binding edging the pockets and flap!

I really enjoyed working through the process of making this bag. Cassie likes it a lot and tells me that she uses it often, and that many of her friends think that was made by a popular commercial bag company, initials: V.B. :-)

Multnomah-finished!

2010-07-20T11:20:00.000-04:00

I have had my Multnomah shawl completed for a few months now, but now that the temperatures in Michigan are hovering around 90 degrees, it is too hot to wear a wool shawl!

Love the finished product! These pics are before blocking:

I finally got to use the blocking wires I purchased a couple of years ago:

Detail shot of the feather and fan border:

I love this colorway and the way the self-striping yarn worked with this pattern.

The purples are lovely, and the shot of chartreuse really pops.

Yarn: Noro Kureoyon sock

Needles: US size 4

Finished size: 60" X 20"

Wordless Wednesday

2010-07-14T07:28:00.002-04:00

One day at a time...

2010-07-10T20:26:00.002-04:00

It's been a month or better since my last post, but I do have projects to share, trust me!

My dear Dad passed away on June 21, so I have been taking some time to work with my grief and everything that comes with that.

So look for a finished project or two to be posted over the next few days. :-)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-09T20:43:00.005-04:00

McCall's 5423

2010-05-25T14:19:00.012-04:00

I absolutely love wearing these simple, knit dresses....especially in the summer! I've been on the look-out for a great pattern to use this brown, black, orange and white border print fabric that I picked up last summer at Vogue Fabrics in Evanston, Illinois, and I think I found it in McCall's 5423!

Tho difficult to see, there is a sewn-on small dolman-like sleeve, and a narrow empire waist elastic casing. The pattern shows a wide sash, but I didn't feel it was necessary for my dress. And look at that border....it reminds me of slices of kiwi!

Although this deep V opening is figure-flattering, I will need to wear a cami with this dress!

I like the cute little V-neck opening at the back, and LOVE that there isn't a zipper!

This dress is definitely going into the suitcase for my trip to NYC!

Scrap Salad

2010-05-18T13:04:00.002-04:00

Does this look yummy to you???? Funny, but it sure does to me :-) I traded scraps from my studio with another quilter, and we have been challenged to make something by June 1st. This fun bit of madness was set up by Victoria at BumbleBeans, and it will be really fun to see what the swappers in this small group comes up with. My thanks to Linda for sending me her goodies, and I can't wait to get started!

Mother's Day part 2: Simplicity 3867

2010-05-11T08:40:00.009-04:00

Since our Michigan weather was cold and rainy for most of the weekend, making it difficult to get out and work in my flower beds, I spent some time in my sewing studio making a new dress for myself for Mother's Day. The cheerful colors of the stylized flowers on this pretty stretch cotton sateen made me smile, and the pattern went together like a dream! I have no clue where I purchased this fabric that I found in my stash, maybe from Gorgeous Fabrics? I sure wish I would have sewn this dress up last Dec before our trip to Hawaii, it would have been perfect. Oh well :-)

I'm not sure it was even 40 degrees out yet, but Ken managed to snap a quick pic on our way to church:

I love the way this dress turned out, and it is the first piece completed on my list of garments to sew for my trip to New York City in a few weeks!

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T08:05:00.004-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-28T09:13:00.001-04:00

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-21T08:57:00.001-04:00

Just a Quilt?

2010-04-20T13:27:00.004-04:00

The members of the Metro Detroit Quilt Guild have a wonderful and ongoing community service project which they call the Storybook Quilt Collection. Children's books that have quilts somewhere in the storyline are chosen, and then individual quilt guild members make up small quilts that relate to the books. The collection is then made available on loan to libraries, teachers, and other civic groups to display and share with adults and kids alike. The collection is made up of several mini-collections, and the guild is always on the look-out for new books and quilts to make. I picked up the Just a Quilt? book at the guild's Nov. meeting, and put together this simple but bright quilt to add to the collection:

Size: 27" X 37"

String-pieced on muslin squares(6" finished) with strips from my scrap pile, polyester batting, and machine quilted on my Bernina 1260.

Workshop with Gwen Marston: quilt finished!

2010-04-16T10:30:00.009-04:00

Size: 26.5" X 28"

Cotton fabrics, Warm and Natural batting

Machine quilted on my domestic Bernina 1260.

Inspired by Gwen's book: Ideas and Inspirations: Abstract Quilts in Solids

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-14T07:34:00.001-04:00

Winter Scarf

2010-04-11T12:18:00.007-04:00

I knitted this hat a few months back for my son, who wanted a "light gray hat with dark gray stripes". Then he also requested a nice, long scarf that he could wrap around his neck to keep him warm as he walks across campus. Using what was left from the hat, I made this scarf with just enough of a diagonal pattern to keep things interesting:

This pattern, the ScWiNoNa (Ravelry link) scarf on Ravelry fit the bill perfectly. Knit with Berrocco UltraAlpaca and Berrocco Blackstone Tweed, the finished size blocked to be just short of 8 feet long, which is perfect for my son's 6'5" frame :-) I was able to give it to him when he was home for Easter, and when the temperature here in Michigan was in the 70's! But I'm not worried, we've had some colder days since, and there is always next year :-)

Wordless Wednesday

2010-04-07T07:49:00.006-04:00

Easter Dress: Butterick 5211

2010-03-30T15:34:00.006-04:00

I was looking for a quick and easy dress to make for Easter this year, so I thought I'd give Butterick 5211 a go. The pattern description says that this is a "1 hour dress", which is the construction time after cutting out the pattern, but it took me 3 hours. Maybe I just work slow! This fabric is a fuchsia poly double knit from Fabric.com, and sewed up like a dream! I liked the sleeve detail, and since the puffiness falls off of the shoulder I thought it would be okay and not look too young and fussy.

You be the judge:

It helps that I have this fabulous necklace to wear with it:

I'm not sure yet if I'll wear this belt, or a purchased one, but without the belt this more stable knit makes the dress just hang. Maybe a more drapey fabric would work without the belt.

No zipper means easy-peasy! The thread chain wrapping the button was made with embroidery floss:

It's been years since I've made myself a new dress for Easter. This one is cute and comfortable, and I think I'll wear it a lot over the next few months!

Ugly Duckling: New Look 6570

2010-03-30T15:29:00.012-04:00

Although I may not have been posting on this blog over the last few weeks, I have been busy both at my sewing machine and with my knitting needles! I'll save the knitting post for a later date, but first off you can see the jacket I made from New Look 6570. I'm calling it the Ugly Duckling because in my opinion this is pretty ugly fabric. This is an online fabric purchase of unknown date, but I think it may have come from Denver Fabrics by the sticker still on it, and I'm sure the 99 cents/yard promo pulled me in. Trying to sew up my stash, I decided to make this jacket as a 'wearable muslin' while I look for a simple jacket pattern to use as a TNT. Lined, with simple design lines with seaming and darts for fitting are what I'm looking for. This is a nice pattern, but it's not the one.

I believe I am actually using the 'wrong' side of the fabric as the public side, since the fabric description is for a beige fabric and I used the gray side. I wanted to make the fabric flowers that are so popular right now and embellish around the neckline, but that wasn't going to work with this jacket. Pinning back the neckline with these large buttons opened it up and seemed to work better.

After taking a class with Kenneth King a year or so ago, I've been wanting to try the technique of sewing in a very narrow bias strip between the facing and the lining on a jacket. This was fun and easy and I plan to do this more often, but I know now I need to be more exact on my seam allowance to make this effective:

I thought the Ugly Duckling could use some sprucing up, and the addition of this new scarf I picked up at Tar-jay worked just fine:

I am not sure just how long I'll keep this one in my closet, but I did wear it to work this week. Still needs some fine-tuning on the fit, but I don't plan to use this jacket pattern again so I didn't spend the time altering it.

Next up: pics of my Easter dress!

Men's Basic Knitted Hat

2010-03-04T09:18:00.005-05:00

My college-age son Kenny requested "a light gray hat with dark gray stripes" to get him through the cold Michigan winter, so I decided to use Ellen's Basic Hat pattern which is about as straight-forward a hat pattern as you can get! Berrocco's Ultra Alpaca worsted has become my go-to yarn when I need a basic wool worsted. Knit on size 8 needles, I think the fit will be perfect, but I'll know more when he comes home this weekend for spring break!

I'm planning on casting on this afternoon for a scarf to go with this hat, using the ScWiNoWa(Ravelry link) pattern, since I think I have enough yarn left over to use up.

Knitting Olympics 2010: Tie One On

2010-03-01T09:42:00.004-05:00

Whew!! After lots and lots of knitting this weekend, I was able to finish my 2010 Knitting Olympics challenge by the end of closing ceremonies! I was helped a lot by the modifications that I had to make due to a shortage of yarn to complete this wrap. Since this yarn was rather expensive, I really did not want to purchase any additional ( I used 2 skeins of ArtYarns Mohair Splash, 246S), so I left off the last pattern repeat and had to make the ties shorter than indicated by the pattern. I'm fine with the size of this wrap, but I do wish the ties were longer. But that's okay, I can still make it work as long as I have a pin/brooch to secure the front. Knitting with this yarn was easier than I expected, for some reason I thought that the sequins would be an issue. I really like the random placement of the bling! All in all, I am pleased with my first Olympic knitting project, and now I have this lovely wrap to show for it!

Butterick 5244

2010-02-28T11:38:00.009-05:00

Butterick 5244 was next on the list of projects using stash fabric more than 6 months old. I know this piece of herringbone poly knit is much older than that, but as usual I can't remember where I purchased it, maybe Fabric.com? It is a pretty stable knit with moderate stretch, just what this pattern called for. I loved the swingy, A-line shape and the sort of 'retro 60's' vibe. One of my sewing goals this year (along with cataloguing my fabric purchases detailing where, when, yardage and cost for starters!) is to energize my wardrobe with a few more trendy pieces.

Love this collar, so easy with the yoke and facings pieces, and love the covered buttons!
I think, after sewing for over 40 (!) years, that these are my first welt pockets?! Well, don't look too close, I need a little more practice :-) But I love having pockets in my garments.

So that makes 4 projects in a row that I have been really pleased with, so I must be on a roll! Now to finish my Tie One On wrap for the Knitting Olympics.....closing ceremonies are this evening!!!

Crafty sewing

2010-02-26T09:14:00.010-05:00

I've been wanting a cover for my IPod Touch for some time now, and spent some time searching all the patterns on Ravelry for a pattern to knit one. I didn't quite find what I wanted, since I had a very definite idea in mind of what it would look like and how it would function for me. First off, it had to have a pocket for my earbuds, and be 'cushy' to protect the IPod somewhat. I had this felted sweater in my craft closet, left over from Christmas when I used one of the sleeves to make a wine bag (wish I would have snapped a pic B4 I gave it away). So, in less time than I spent cruising Ravelry I made up this little number, and it is exactly what I wanted:

Then, since my little Brother entry-level embroidery machine (PE 150) was back from the repair shop, I decided to put it to work monogramming the pillowcases to my new sheet set:

This little machine cost next to nothing several years ago when my husband bought it for me, and has only had the one problem that was easily repaired. It is a little workhorse. I have used it for many projects, although it is limited by the 4" X 4" field. I plan to upgrade in a few years, but not yet. I don't use it enough to justify the expense right now. I do have fun playing with this one, tho!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-02-24T22:02:00.002-05:00

New Look 6802

2010-02-23T14:55:00.010-05:00

Another finished project, entered in the Stash contest on PatternReview . And that's the problem with my stash.....there is alot of it, and half the time I can't remember where or when I purchased it! I know I bought this fabric a year or 2 ago, maybe from Gorgeous Fabrics?? I don't usually wear much red, tho this is more an orangey-red with brown accents. Funny thing about this fabric, it is actually the focus fabric on the pattern envelope: pure coincidence! I didn't need to make too many alterations to this pattern, and now I see why it is such a popular dress pattern. I did raise the v-neck by 1 inch tho. I plan on sewing this one again, that's for sure :-)

Shown with the required cardi for a Michigan winter:

This front twist is actually a separate bodice piece, easy-peasy:

Mossy Jacket for Baby

2010-02-21T14:49:00.005-05:00

The Mossy Jacket is finished and delivered to my daughter, who is gifting this to a work colleague for his new baby girl. I love the orange and blue combination, and since when I cast on for this project I didn't know if it was for a boy or girl I thought this would work either way :-)

This sweater worked up quickly and easily in the Magic Garden Buttons yarn, size 12 months, and I can't wait to see a picture of it on the baby!

Knitting Olympics 2010

2010-02-17T08:00:00.003-05:00

I seem to making slow progress on my Tie One On shawl. It's and easy and fun knit so far, but I find myself putting it in my lap to watch the athletes in action too much! One thing I do despise is the abundance of commercial breaks on NBC.....seems I have heard somewhere that the Olympic committee is considering a dedicated channel to cover the Olympics. I can only hope it is commercial-free! But using the DVR helps zip through the commercials, that's for sure. One of my favorite things about the Olympics is the televising of the award ceremonies. Although I love to see athletes from the USA on the podium, the sheer joy that most of the winners exhibit is touching. Hannah Kearney, and Alexandre Bilodeau are two athletes, kids really, whose medal award ceremony brought a little tear to my eye! Then there is Shaun White, that kid is a riot! There is so much coverage, and so much action, that I really only get to see a small snippet each night (Univ of Michigan basketball was on last night too!!!), but I am enjoying what little I get to watch.

Hot Patterns 1092 Pyramid Bag

2010-02-14T19:18:00.010-05:00

The Hot Patterns Pyramid Bag is finished! I love the size, and the groovy zebra print!, which is actually brown and cream, not black and white like it looks in the photo. This is one BIG bag, but I think it will be perfect to use as a carry-on when I travel. Lots of pockets both inside and out.

As you can see, I used a pretty pink quilting cotton from my stash for the lining.

A separating zipper allows access to both sides of this large bag. I also added a self-fabric 'lanyard' for my keys, and they will drop right into the pocket and be easy to find.

Zipper close-up:

I think I'll get a lot of use out of this bag, which is big enough to hold all the essentials for travel. When not traveling, I think it will make a great knitting bag for large projects.

Knitting Olympics 2010

2010-02-13T09:43:00.004-05:00

Since I am an avid reader of the Yarn Harlots knitting blog, I thought that this time I would participate in the Knitting Olympics. Yes, I KNOW I have lots of knitting UFOs right now, but

I love knowing that I am knitting along with many others who are committing to one project while watching the amazing athletic competitions that are the Olympics. So, I cast on during the Opening Ceremonies last night for the Tie One On wrap, using ArtYarns Mohair Splash.