SEWmuchKNITting

                                                             Christmas 2020: The Pandemic Year found me with lots of time on my                      hands over the holidays, as it was just my husband and I celebrating Christmas                      together. I was so saddened not to see my children and grandchildren, but thank goodness for the solace of my sewing space!  I took advantage of this extra time to  participate in #thelittlereddressproject   on Instagram, hosted by Renata at thetwilightstitcher .                                                               I had made McCall's 7381 before , loved wearing it, and thought I would revisit this pattern. For this challenge, I chose View B, and used a poly lycra knit purchased a few years ago from Fabric Mart Fabrics .                      There is very little stretch to this fabric, nonetheless I sized down for this make since with my first attempt the fit was a little big. I love the style of this dress, and it reminds me o

                                          Can I just say how much I love this sweater?!        TEGNA by Caitlin Hunter at  Boyland Knitworks  is such a fun project! It is knit bottom up, starting with the lovely lace at the hem. After that bit of concentration, it's on to the races with stockinette to the finish. When knitting sweaters, knitting up a preliminary gauge swatch is key, and after working that out I was able to get the most perfect fit of any sweater I have knit to date. The only modification I made was to add length to the body: the Tegna pattern is written as a more cropped sweater, but I wanted one that was more tunic length. That lace.......sigh...... Isn't this color so beautiful? It's  Studio June  heavy fingering weight yarn  in the colorway Eight Bells.  I used the helical knitting technique to alternate skeins of this hand dyed yarn to avoid an obvious change of color or pooling. ( In normal  knitting in the round  you work a single, complete  spiral  o

                                    Still sewing through my stash, I have been waiting for the perfect pattern to sew this lovely and colorful fabric. I initially thought I would make a dress, but it is a bit too thin. I've been wanting to add a "twisty" top to my closet for awhile now, and I've had the perfect pattern in my collection just waiting it's turn:   McCall's 7975                                                  I sewed View D for this project, which has the fun twist detail in the front, with a conventional T-shirt back.  I had purchased this fabric in 2015 from Emma One Sock : This is a lovely quality 4-way stretch rayon/lycra knit (40% in the width, and 30% in the length) .  The drapey hand made it perfect for this pattern! And of course, I love the print and these colors are some of those I plan to focus on sewing with for this Fall and Winter. Close-up of the twist detail, which was very easy to sew. It's a little hard to see with this ja

                       Our sweet little granddaughter Emersyn turned 2 this month, so I knit up the    Cogwheel Baby Cardigan  by Lisa Clarke for her birthday knit.             I love this slip stitch, patterned yoke.....so fun to knit!   Yarn used was Lion Brand Basic Stitch acrylic for ease of care and wearability. A crylic yarns have come a long way from those I  first started knitting 40+(!) years ago......this yarn was a joy to  work with and is very soft. In  my opinion, it is helpful to   use a yarn that can be machine washed when knitting for a busy toddler.        I was able to snap a couple of quick pics of Miss Emmy wearing her new hand knit, though they are a little blurry as she doesn't stay still for very long!                                                                                                                                

                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                  

                     Sewing up my gray, ivory and mustard module last winter/early Spring, I learned that a more organized approach to garment sewing was a good plan for me at the moment. So, for this summer I pulled mostly black and white fabrics from my stash and liked what I saw! Of course, we all know what a great combination black and white is, especially for summer.  I was lacking a basic white top, and when I saw this pattern:   New Look 6672  I was intrigued! There was a lot in this design that appealed to me: the faced v-neck, the cute released pleats in the front, and the high/low hem. The fabric I pulled is a linen/poly blend I believe, as it presses nicely and really doesn't wrinkle at all. (No clue when or where I bought it! LOL)                             I did make some alterations: FBA, lowered the bust darts and omitted the elasticated                                           gathering at the center back.                                  The sleeves are hemmed wi

                                           

Hello, hello! After a much needed break from posting to social media, and writing  blog posts, I am back  to post some of the garments I have made over the last few months.  Back in March (which seems like a lifetime ago!), I participated in the Great Module Sew Along (see my blog post HERE ). Today I am wearing two pieces from my module :  Kwik Sew 2948 (OOP): Tania Culottes by Megan Nielsen Patterns : I used a vintage poly double knit in a mustard color (a gift from a dear friend, now deceased)  for Kwik Sew 2948. This pattern has been in my stash FOREVER, and I'm so glad I kept it as I love this top! This was the first time I used this pattern, and I see that I could benefit from a small sway back adjustment. Other than that, it's just what I was looking for, both as a sleeveless top and a layering piece for cooler weather. The Tania culottes were a dream to sew as well, and the rayon twill I chose to use had been living i