Another one...but not for me

It's my turn to shine my halo, I think, after a rash of sewing and knitting for others.

First up is another Crafty Mama's Lovely Layers Top. This time, it's not for me, but a birthday gift for my mum. It's in the size L and made from a gorgeously soft Metallicus knit picked up from The Fabric Store in Brisbane.

 

 

 

I just added a simple neckband, same as I have for all the other tunics, and turned and stitched the armhole hem with my coverstitch machine. You can't see it very well in these photos, but I did a rolled hem for the bottom.

Next, encouraged by my cousin to put more effort in to a fancy dress party that my daughter was attending, I sewed her a skirt. Now that might not seem like much, but this was a box-pleated, LINED skirt, complete with a waistband and invisible zip. The only reason I acquiesed to her request was that it looked like a fairly good wardrobe staple that she would wear more than once.

It was an Alice in Wonderland party and she went as the White Rabbit.

I used an Ottobre pattern (6-2012-32: "Jenkka") and made some modifications. Firstly, it's meant to be a loosely pleated skirt, but Miss10 wanted sharper pleats. That was no drama, I just topstitched down the first bit of each pleat and pressed a sharp crease. The only other change was to shorten it (dramatically from this apparently old-fashioned mother's point of view) by about 4 inches. I used a size 146, drifting out to a 150 at the hips. I tried to do a blind hem on the sewing machine, thinking that I'd be really clever, but it didn't work out so well. However, using the galloping horse test, it was good enough and the experience has motivated me to learn how to do it properly.

The skirt is a little twisted in this photo, the pleats are appropriately centred.

We even found a tail!

Finally, a friend of mine is getting married, and she's an incredibly generous person and a lover of handmade things. I've been working on a knitted lap blanket to give her for a wedding gift. It won't be ready in time, I severely underestimated how long it was going to take me to knit this monster...but I know she won't mind. I'm using Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic Wool in 12 ply in the colour Raffia. I like the colour. I don't mind the yarn, but it's unravelling a bit as I knit with it. I'm not sure whether that's just my knitting style, or a characteristic of the yarn or ply...but it looks fine in the finished product. I just have to be really careful not to split stitches.

I'm still working on a dress that I am sewing for my mother-in-law, then I'll be free to focus on some sewing for ME!

With that in mind, I started getting out my summer weight fabrics and putting them in my expedit shelves in my sewing room. I like to have the appropriate seasonal fabrics out on display (they don't get any direct sunlight). Mainly it's for inspiration, but it's also a means of keeping the stash somewhat under control. This time, I thought I'd try something a bit different. Typically, I organise by fabric type. This time, I'm going with colours. This pile of green fabric contains knits, cottons, linens, stretch sateen, georgette, you name it! I'm really keen to sew my way through this pile as green is my absolute favourite colour. I do have to be a bit sensible and balance it with a hefty dose of neutrals or I could end up looking a bit like Kermit!

I think I need an intervention

It's not that this is the third version of the Crafty Mama's Lovely Layers tunic that I've made in the past few months, but that I've still got plans for many more!

 

Quite simply, I'm loving the ease of it all - the sewing AND the wearing.

This time I made the elbow length sleeves. Seeing as though I have fairly full arms, I added an inch to each side of the sleeve. It turns out that I didn't really need to add quite that much. While the loose sleeves ARE very comfortable, I will remove some of that ease for my next version. Oh yes, there will be a next version!

In fact, after looking at the photos, I'm tempted to even go down a size over all for future tops/tunics. It's a very forgiving garment. I have a bust measurement of 121cm, which puts me right in the middle of the largest size. I loathe clingy garments, but I do think I could go down a size and still be comfortable in this tunic.

I used a beautifully soft jersey knit which I purchased from East Coast Fabrics at Springwood - fairly recently, too, so I can't even feel justified about using up old stash. But this fabric is to die for - I'm glad I bought several metres because I'm just about to cut out a t-shirt from the remains. Black isn't supposed to be 'my' colour, but I've decided lately that I don't really care. I like it, and that's what really matters, isn't it?

I made the leggings I'm wearing, too. They are made from an Ottobre pattern, 02-2008-16, graded up to my size (52). I know there's a pattern for leggings in a later edition, which comes in size 52, but I'd already established this pattern as a TNT and it didn't seem to be worth the effort to change. The fabric is a cute, soft royal blue and black animal print from The Fabric Store in Brisbane, also purchased fairly recently.

After finishing the tunic, my only problem was finding appropriate accessories to wear with the outfit. As luck would have it, TS14+ were having a 50% off sale on their necklaces, so I snapped up a few, as well as a gorgeous blue scarf (which I'm wearing in the picture below). I quite liked more, but thought I should show some signs of restraint. There'll always be another sale, right?

Yarny Crafting

Lately, I've been working on a few yarny projects:

A simple ribbed hat to keep my head warm in the snow! I plan to make a matching cowl with the leftover yarn.

 

A Slouchy Bubbles hat made for a friend who's going through chemotherapy.



 

Another Tiny Tea Leaves cardigan. This one is not quite complete. I still have to add buttons and weave in the ends. I originally made this for my daughter, but it's a bit small, so it's going to my lovely niece.

 



My favourite project of the moment! A Windward shawl in lovely Noro yarn. It's quite a simple pattern (hasn't stopped me from making mistakes, though) but I LOVE seeing how the colours change. I'm about halfway through this one.

My latest cast-on...another Bendigo Woollen Mills yarn, this time a 12 ply Classic (100% wool) yarn. I'm making a Cable Blanket for a friend for her wedding in September. I've not used a 12 ply yarn for a while and can't quite believe how quickly this is knitting up. I think I may even stand a chance of getting this project finished on time!

As you can see, I have a few projects that are still in progress. I just can't commit to one project at a time. I get too bored! ;)

Clearly I'm not a bag lady...

I've wanted to make a project bag for my knitting for some time now. Being the queen of procrastination, it was quite possible that I would never have got around to it. But I was given a push when my friend, Sue, posted about sewing one of these bags:

So, I dutifully chose some fabrics from my stash and proceeded to put the bag together with much moaning over a couple of days. You see, not being a bag maker, I overestimated the thickness of interfacing I would need. I didn't want the thing to be flimsy, so in a complete overreaction, I used the thickest interfacing I had, effectively turning this cute little bag into a cardboard box. As I'm sure you can imagine, sewing cardboard doesn't equal easy OR fun. Oh well, lesson learned for next time.

This bag certainly does NOT represent the best sewing I've ever done, but at least it's finished. I'm not happy enough to use it as a knitting project bag, but it has been put to good use storing (secret) things in the bathroom cupboard.

 

I'm already planning my next version (using MUCH lighter interfacing) which I plan to use for my knitting. As well, I think these little lunch/project bags would make great teacher presents at the end of the year, and seeing as though I already have all the materials necessary to make them, they'd be virtually free!

Thank you!

I just wanted to do a quick post to thank you all for the fabulous comments on my Lovely Layers tunic. I really appreciate you all taking the time to visit and leave a comment.

I also wanted to let Barb know (I couldn't find an email address, Barb) that unfortunately, the fabric was not a recent purchase. I've really been trying hard to sew from stash for a while now, and so this one would have been purchased over a year ago. I have my fingers crossed for you that they still have some in stock.

Lovely Layers Tunic

After trying on a stack of TS tunics a few weeks ago, and just about passing out at the price tag, I decided that I could probably make one for myself. I settled on the Lovely Layers Top/Tunic from Crafty Mamas. I'd seen a few around the web, and thought they looked quite lovely indeed.

Typically, I wear a size 20 in RTW, but my measurements corresponded to the XXXL, so that's the size I chose. It worked. The tunic fit well without any alterations. The only issue I had was that the width of the longer tunic in the largest size did not fit on a standard 150cm wide knit. I chose to piece the front and back, knowing that you'd never be able to tell in the crazy print I'd selected for my test tunic. And I was right!

Not the sharpest photo I've ever taken, but it'll do for now. It was a wet and dismal old day here today.

It's a breeze to wear - which is a big plus in my books. I'm thinking I'm going to have to add another layer to go outside, though. It's a bit chilly here today.

Details:
Fabric: An ITY knit from East Coast Fabric

Construction Details:

2 hours tops! And I'm not a fast seamstress. This is one easy top to make. Yay!

It was almost exclusively stitched on the overlocker. The only time I used the sewing machine was to baste on the neckband, and to baste the second shoulder seam. I find I have real trouble getting a professional finish if I apply the neckband/binding to a shirt NOT in a circle if I don't baste that last shoulder seam before I stitch it properly. It ALWAYS shifts on me and makes this really messy looking join at the neck edge where it's really noticeable.

I did a rolled edge to hem the bottom, and a simple turn-and-coverstitch for the edge of the armhole.

For Future Versions (and there will be future versions!):

• Redraft the armhole for sleeveless versions. I just like it a bit higher and a bit narrower at the shoulder when I'm layering it over other tops.
• Adjust the side seam so that it fits on 150cm wide fabric.

Variations I'd Like to Try:

So, I've got lots of ideas for different kinds colour-blocked variations that I'd like to try. The motivation to try this pattern came from a bit of window shopping in the TS department at my local Myer store, so I thought I'd start there. Here are some of their styles that use colour-blocking. I apologise in advance for the visual overload, but I couldn't narrow it down any further. I can see a goodly pile of these tunics in my wardrobe this year. Now, I'd tweak most of these designs a little, but aren't there some great ideas for modifying this pattern?

All photos are linked to the relevant TS garment (as at 21 June 2013)...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, a finished project!

Now, this is the not the garment previously discussed in the last post...BUT I'm taking it as a win anyway. Apparently yesterday, the gods were smiling, because not only was I showered, with make-up AND decent hair, I was also wearing a new, handmade dress AND I remembered to take a photo. Truly, a blessed day. Anyway, moving on...

Last month I needed a new dress for work, so I dug around in my stash and came up with this number. I used View C from Butterick 5794 - a fairly straight forward knit dress with a cowl neck, 3/4 sleeves and a slightly hi-low hemline. I used a polyester based knit from East Coast Fabrics. I like the colours, but wouldn't have been devastated if it hadn't worked out.

Seeing as though I don't have the same figure shape as the model, I did have to do a bit of modification to get it to fit me, and to move that waist seamline, but nothing too major. It was a very quick and easy garment to sew.

And here I submit proof that I actually can, and do, sew instead of just planning... :)

Details:
Size:

• Bust 46.75", Waist 42.5" and Hips 49" - size selected 24W

Modifications/Alterations:

• Added extra width through the waist area - subsequently removed. This dress runs a little large.
• Raised waist seam (to more of an empire line) by ~ 2"
• Narrowed sleeve towards the bottom so it would stay up when I pushed the sleeves up.

Construction:

• Used serger mostly, although gathering done on sewing machine, coverstitch used on hems
• Used seam tape on shoulder seams and a tiny spot of Fray Check on coverstitched hems as I've been having a little trouble lately with the hems coming undone.

Results:

• Dress was a bit big overall, but that was easily rectified.
• Neck/collar is a bit floppy for my liking.

For Future Versions:

• Remove waist seam
• Check notches on sleeves, I think they're twisting in the armhole (either I missed the notches or they weren't there. Not prepared to commit at this stage.)
• Either use lightweight knit interfacing on collar to give it some body or reshape the pattern piece.
• Raise front neckline by 1" (for work modesty).