Knitting Break

I knit something!  Gasp.  I haven’t had a knitting project in years.  I stopped knitting during the fall of 2009 and only finished outstanding projects and made a single neck wrap for my sister in law.  My friend Alli had a few questions about a project she had started in 2010.  The pattern can be found here.  Well, in 2012 it came to my attention that she had neglected to finish it as projects sometimes go and I asked if I could.  I frogged the start and used the yarn she had purchased, which was absolutely lovely.  I have no idea what it is except it is a soft lovely wool.  It may even be the suggested yarn from The Fibre Co, Canopy Worsted.  It knit up slower than I anticipated with all the lacey work and made me really want a new addi lace needle set (again, long standing wish list item).  I used a 32” circular addi turbo needle in a size 6 to make gauge.  I cast on the beginning of the month and blocked it yesterday.  I mixed up my pattern while knitting watching a kid play soccer and had to put it down for a week before I had the heart to frog back several inches and fix it.  I think the length, though it is measuring spot on to the pattern scarf, is a little long.  Perhaps I’ll get a picture of it sometime on it’s intended owner.  

I have been working through Easter dress plans and while I had originally thought I would do something quick and less dressy than usual.  But now I'm a few weeks into the brainstorming process and I’m acquiring silk shantung, batiste, silk embroidery, shell buttons and lots of piping.  I’m planning on making an out of print pattern from Vogue with the smocking, short sleeves, and embroidered aprons.  Oh, and I’ll have to size it up for Bird since it doesn’t come in her size exactly.  It will serious time extensive so we’ll see how things go.  I think Easter is looming close. 

I have a shirt in process now. The material is this lovely silk/cottton blend by Marc Jacobs.  I bought mine at Yellow Bird but noticed they have it at Farmhouse Fabrics too.  I love it.  The shirt is simple and should be finished today sometime. 
 

My Girls & I

We recently had some family pictures taken, on a bit of a whim, while we were in Las Vegas.  My girls and I are all wearing pretty recent items.  

Simplicity 2181

I’ve been wanting to make this pattern for some time but I’m not great with knits and I had a lot of other holiday sewing so it was easy to put off.  The pattern is Simplicity 2181.
 
It went together well.  I missed a couple of markings while cutting out (probably because I was trying to cut out in the few minutes before I needed to go get my kids from school).  As it turned out, those markings would have been helpful.  I think the instructions are well written and easy to follow.  I don’t really understand why the v neck is open so low in the center front seam but with all center gathering you don’t notice at all so I’m trying not to think about something that needn’t be pondered about.

It is tricky to get a real sense for the sizing until you slip the band through the front piece at the end.I cut out a size 10—my typical size.  It is a little tight in the bust seam.  I’m not sure design-wise if that seam is hitting my chest in the proper place either but once again, I’m trying not to analyze it further.  Especially since there isn’t an allowance in the pattern for adjusting the length above that seam.  I found the hem line to be wonky.  It had a significant dip in the front which caused it to look more maternity than I would like (aiming for no maternity factor).  You can see it in the first two pictures more because I picked out my hem and brought the hem straighter for the last picture. 

My material is a end of bolt remnant from Yellow Bird Fabrics.  Its a rayon single jersey.  I’m not sure about the color.  I’m pretty sure from a distance I’ll look like I’m naked because it seems awfully close the the same color as me.  It was $7.50 for the 1.5 yards though and because I don’t have confidence in my knit skills yet, I figured I likely wouldn’t be wearing it anyway.  It’s a bonus that I mostly like my shirt.

Overall fun sew.  I’m proud of my recent knit projects.  Even though I feel much more comfortable with knit, I am reminded that I’m quite amateur.  I think this sew could be under a couple hours for a lot of people.  It took me well over double that.  I do love the sleeves and neckband.  I’d like to try this in a print and add a band to the bottom hem to clean it up and add some weight.

 

Now I would like to sew this new McCalls (6703) pattern soon.  Feels similar.

Merry Christmas

Here is an update on what I’ve been sewing lately. 

A lot of bird ornaments.  I had plans for a few dozen.  Made a single dozen. 

Gold dress.  Size one.  My dear friend named her darling baby Goldie.  She must have known a little gold dress was coming at some point.  The goldenrod silk dupioni was stashed from a wedding party I worked on a decade ago. 

Snow White.  Lu wears either Belle or Cinderella most days.  I wash Belle at least every other day.  We added Snow White into the rotation.  (Hoping to make a mini Rapunzel during January or February.)  Lu got her for Christmas.  She was thrilled, put it on right away, and didn’t take it off again. 

Two of these smocked ornaments.  Really, these are so fun and the options are endless.  I love that if you sew contrasting fabrics you get the diamonds alternating.  They are just so much dang work to get the quality I expect and like.  I have three more ready for beading that I’m going to try to do for next winter.   

Yes, I’m taking pictures from the dirty laundry.  Here is that velour skirt I mentioned a few posts back.  Bird wears it with cute striped leggings I made to coordinate some t-shirts I bought.

  

This is another skirt I made for Bird to go with a RTW t-shirt and leggings or tights. She has worn it once and the ruffles are already snagged in places (center front).  I don’t think it will last long but I got the ruffles on sale for a really good price and they are so easy to sew I don’t mind a short life.

And last, I made myself a Christmas outfit.  I made the skirt Saturday night before Christmas because I found the ruffles on sale for a good price.  At 10:30 I realized I liked my skirt but didn’t really have a proper shirt to go with it so I make up some stashed fabric in one of the blouse patterns I made recently.  My mom gifted the stashed fabric to me a couple of years ago.  She bought it while she was in Vietnam.  I think it is likely a silk/cotton blend.  The biggest problem was that she bought it from a street vendor and the sun had faded portions of it.  I ended up cutting around a lot of faded parts but made it work. 

Christmas Finery

Today was the first time the kids put on their Christmas Finery.  The girls dresses are both a bit big in the bodices.  They are narrow little people.  I’m not sure I’m going to alter them though because the silk won’t be forgiving to take out stitching later.  They’ll be able to wear them for a while.  Maybe even a little next Christmas.  Brother wasn’t thrilled with his bowtie last night but after wearing it today declared it is fun and cool to wear a bowtie.  Phew.  I think I’ll clean/repaint my door this week.