SEWmuchKNITting

I'd like you to meet my granddaughter Emersyn, now 7 months old! Here she is wearing her  Wee Bean sweater by Taiga Hilliard Designs knit using Berroco Comfort yarn. (Yes, it did earn a 3rd place ribbon at last year's Armada Fair here in Michigan) I have to say Taiga Hilliard Designs are some of my favorite baby patterns to knit. I also have to say the Berroco Comfort is one of my favorite yarns to knit baby things with. My son and his wife are college sweethearts (they met while attending Central Michigan University) and  I thought it was appropriate that little Emersyn should have a sweater in the CMU colors! I think she wears it well :-) Fire up Chips!

Since I already make most of my own clothes, I do wear them a lot. What I have noticed is that my blog posts have become few and far between. My Me Made May pledge this year is not only to make and wear more of my made wardrobe, but to be more committed to blogging about it. I love the fact the journaling about my makes is like a personal diary of sorts, but it has also connected me to many others in the sewing community over the years. Looking forward to posting more over the next month!

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I finally jumped on the Blackwood Cardigan bandwagon....and I see why it is such a popular pattern! Great fit, with very clear pattern instructions make for an enjoyable project to sew. My fabric choice is a light ponte, from my stash, so I'm not sure when or where it was purchased. It sewed up like a dream, and is very comfortable to wear. I sewed an XL  right out of the envelope, no adjustments needed!  I also really like the color! Blackwood Cardigan from Helen's Closet pattern company Although I like the patch pockets, the next time I make this (which will be soon, I have the fabric ready for the next one!) I will try the pockets that span the front piece from band to side seam, as I've seen it done by some other makers. I think it looks great over my  Fen Dress from Fancy Tiger pattern company  blogged about here . This cardi will be a great transition piece moving into Spring,  This is my first finish from the #makeni...

I'm baack!! And with my first make of 2019.....the Fen dress by Fancy Tiger Crafts . The style of this dress has everything I love: 2 neckline options, boxy shape, cute hemline choices, and ... POCKETS! This was the perfect project to jump start my year of sewing, even though it wasn't in my #makenine2019  plan. It is a great pattern, easy enough for a beginner, but still very fun for a maker like me who has been sewing for many years (ahem!). Here I am at work yesterday: I wore my Fen all day and then later out to Knit Night with my knitting buddies. I used what I am calling a "Mystery" fabric from JoAnn Fabrics and Crafts....my receipt from J said this was a Rayon Spandex...but I don't think so. No stretch at all! And doesn't wrinkle a bit. So, I'm guessing it's a polyester of some sort, and has a black denim look to it. It served my purpose for this wearable muslin in that it functioned like a light woven, with the drapey ...

I think it was 10 years ago or so that I last went to Stitches Midwest , so I thought it was time for another trip! First stop was at  Honey Biscuit  in Mount Prospect, IL to fuel up for the fun day ahead. Yes, that is one delicious cinnamon roll pancake on the right.....heavenly!                                            After a couple of hours of shopping the vendors, and soaking in the colors and textures of so many beautiful yarns, it was time to take a break and sit in on Karla Overland of Cherrywood Fabrics  lecture on the color challenges for quilters that she has facilitated over the last few years.                                            The first time I went to Stitches, I was a bit overwhelmed at the offerings there.......

A  challenge was proposed by our ASG group leader to refashion a garment for our July meeting. It was suggested that we visit a local thrift store, such as a Salvation Army store, or even search in our own closet for a garment, men's or women's, that might benefit from some refashioning.  As an avid Pinterest pinner (LOTS of ideas for refashioning on Pinterest!), I had once considered remaking a men's shirt into an apron for myself, and had already purchased two shirts from Salvation Army for that purpose. But...that was a couple of years ago, and the shirts sat on my shelf, untouched.  So, I decided to use this blue oxford stripe shirt in a Men's XXL for my ASG Challenge. I knew I wanted a summer tunic top, and I knew that I didn't want to cut up the shirt to use as fabric with a commercial pattern. I wanted to challenge myself to use the basic structure of the shirt and work from there. First thing I did was cut off the sleeves and remove the ch...