Sock Crazy

Aviatrix Baby Hat

2011-10-31T11:39:00.002-04:00

Pattern: Aviatrix Baby Hat

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes - leftovers from my stash

Needles: 3.5 mm and 3.75 mm

Just finished up two hats for Alex. I love this pattern. The first one (grey) was a little big so I made the second one (brown) a little smaller. For the brown one, I also didn’t use a button. Just made both earflaps a little longer and used a 3-needle bind-off to join them under the chin.

One

2011-10-20T10:18:00.007-04:00

I can't believe in one short year, we've gone from this:

To this:

To this:

And here we are at one!

Words can not describe how amazing this year has been for us. Best year ever!

Multnomah

2011-08-14T13:26:00.000-04:00

Pattern: Multnomah by Kate Elsa

Yarn: Socks that Rock (lightweight), Alina colourway

Needles: 3.25 mm

I ran out of yarn so I didn't get to do as much of the feather and fan border as I would have liked to but this shawl is still large enough to warp around your neck so it's a-okay with me.

Simply Lovely Lace Socks

2011-08-08T13:09:00.000-04:00

Pattern: Simply Lovely Lace Socks by Karen Baumer in Interweave Knits Spring 2006

Yarn: Gems Opal, Ginger colourway

Needles: 3.25

I've had two skeins of Gems Opal in my stash forever and I was randomly flipping though old Interweaves the other day and stumbled across this pattern. And these socks just flew off the needles in 2 days. I should knit socks using 3.25 needles more.

They would be perfect if I had 3 skeins because they are a little short in the leg for me but they are still pretty and I will definitely still wear them.

Ah, stashbusting. If I keep up at this rate, I will finally be able to buy some new yarn soon!

Simple Yet Effective Shawl

2011-07-28T13:03:00.000-04:00

Or a better way to use Noro Kureyon Sock than to actually make socks out of it...

Pattern: Simple Yet Effective Shawl by Laura Chau

Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock, colourway S180

Needles: 3.75 mm

The perfect pattern for this yarn. It shows off the colour changes wonderfully and it's a mindless pattern to knit if you aren't looking for anything complicated. I didn't follow the pattern exactly because I forgot to pack it when I went camping (and yes, camping with 9.5 month old and with friends who have a 2.5 year old was both fun and exhausting) so I kind of made a few things up but followed the spirit of the pattern with the alternating garter and stockinette stitch sections.

This shawl made me like Noro again and now I want one in a more subtle colourway...maybe greys/whites. Cause this one is definitely BRIGHT! But I still love it!

Big Butt Baby Pants

2011-07-24T12:58:00.003-04:00

Are pretty much all Alex is wearing these days...

Pattern: Big Butt Baby Pants from Made by Rae

Fabrics: various cotton prints. I've got four pairs made, another pair cut out, and a few more fabrics waiting in the wings if I decide to make more pairs.

Size: a combo of the 12 month (length) and the 18 month (width)

I loved this pattern. Finding pants that fit over Alex's cloth-diapered butt has been a bit challenging and I like to keep his legs out of the sun so these cotton pants are perfect. And we get compliments on them all the time when we are out and about!

Park Quilt

2011-06-11T11:42:00.000-04:00

Ever since finishing Alex's first quilt, I've been itching to try making another one. I thought another nice small one would be great to leave in the stroller for our trips to the park.

Pattern: Patchwork Crib / Playtime Quilt from Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones

Fabric: different cottons that I've had sitting around in my stash for a long time! I did pick up some Kona cotton for the backing though.

Things I learned: I was surprised that this quilt uses 1/2 inch seam allowances. Had I read ahead like a smart crafter, I would have realized this and paid more attention when cutting the fishy fabric. Some of my fishes are lost in the seam allowance! But lesson learned!

I had fun making this and now I'm seriously contemplating a quilt for my queen size bed but I have no idea when I'll actually get the time to work on something that large!

New Knitting Project

2011-06-05T11:54:00.005-04:00

Alex and I spent an afternoon at the local park recently and of course, I brought along my new knitting project to work on...and Alex decided that it was more interesting than any toy I packed for him.

I managed to get 3 rows done!

Another pair of boring socks...

2011-06-02T21:05:00.002-04:00

Yarn: Opal Hagebutte / Rosehip

Colour: Rosehip

Needles: US 1

Notes: Nothing really exciting here...standard sock with a ribbed cuff. I've had this yarn in my stash forever so I decided to use it up!

Adamas Shawl

2011-05-27T08:33:00.001-04:00

In an effort to use up my sock yarn that doesn't have nylon in it for projects other than socks, I've been knitting lace again.

Pattern: Adamas Shawl

Yarn: Jitterbug, 1 skein in magenta

Needles: 4.5 mm

Notes: Since I only had one skein, I did 7 repeats of Chart 2 and I only managed to get to Row 9 of Chart 3 before binding off…and I still ran out of yarn with 20ish stitches left to bind off. Whoops. And I bound off in another colour of jitterbug and decided note to worry about it.

And the finished project managed to entertain both Sunny and Alex!

Random

2011-05-22T11:17:00.006-04:00

I know it's been forever since I've posted...and I've been finishing up lot's of projects and not taking photos. So here is a random catch-up post!

1. I turned 30 and celebrated the day by sleeping in, making two new pairs of pj's, and eating indian food with my entire family. And I finally remembered to use some twill tape to mark the back!

2. New mittens and a hat for Rob (no pictures!)

3. 3 new t-shirts - 2 were successful and 1 was not. And of course, I can't remember the pattern numbers right now.

4. Alex is 7.5 months and giggling like crazy. He also LOVES yarn.

Boring Socks

2011-04-18T08:31:00.004-04:00

I recently packed up my socks until next winter and spent a bit of time darning three pairs that had small holes but there was just no way I could save this pair of Noro socks. Which really annoys me since I hated knitting them and they took me forever to finish. I won't be using Noro again!

As I was packing everything up, I realized that I could actually use some more socks for me!

Yarn: Elann Sock it to me Colori, colourway #10 (oldest sock yarn in my stash!)

Needles: US 1 / 2.25mm

Pattern: 72 stitches and just made up the rest

Another thing I realized as I looked over all of my socks, those that are wool/nylon have lasted so much better than those that are just wool. I think from now on, I'm going to have a rule that I only use sock yarn with some nylon content.

Rob's 2010 Christmas Sweater

2011-02-02T11:34:00.000-05:00

Pattern: Seamless Saddle Shoulder Pullover by Elizabeth Zimmermann from Knitting Without Tears

Yarn: Elann Peruvian Highland Donegal, 16 skeins

Needles: 4mm

I started this sweater right after Alex was born and definitely made a few errors due to lack of sleep! I really meant to make the Seamless Hybrid Sweater from Knitting Without Tears but I just wasn't paying attention and ended up following the instructions for the Seamless Saddle Shoulder Pullover. I'm still happy with the sweater though.

The yarn is a bit of a different story. The Highland Donegal is nice and soft and the colour is great but it is a single ply. And I'm pretty sure it is going to fuzz up like crazy. Rob has already worn the sweater for an entire weekend and I'm seeing a lot of fuzzies showing up in the underarm area. I really don't think this sweater is going to age well and I should really have picked a studier yarn since I know Rob is hard on his sweaters.

And it is a titch too small. The sleeves really could be 1/2 inch longer and the body could use a little extra length too. Except Rob won't give me the sweater back to fix it!

Autumn Leaves

2011-01-28T14:22:00.003-05:00

Pattern: Autumn Leaves by Nikki Van De Car

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in Purple

Needles: 3.75 mm

I made this super cute little sweater for Andrew and Janice's baby Olivia. Girl baby knits are so cute!

Sewing

2011-01-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

I've been itching to get back at my sewing machine and finish up the project I started while I was sitting around the house waiting for Alex to be born. On Sunday, I took advantage of Alex's new found love for Captain Calamari and the fact that Rob was home.

Sleeves are now attached to my coat but I won't be able to get anymore done until I buy some lining fabric!

I miss sewing!

Uptown Cowl x 2

2011-01-10T10:43:00.006-05:00

Pattern: Uptown Cowl in Canadian Living, Feb. 2011 by Glenna C

Yarn: Cascade Heritage? (of course I've misplaced the ball bands for both skeins)

Needles: 6mm

The light blue cowl is for me and the dark blue is for my mom. She ripped the pattern out and purchased the yarn and intended to knit them herself...but somehow I ended up knitting them over the holidays.

Easy t.v. knitting and very enjoyable!

Radio Silence

2010-12-17T14:25:00.004-05:00

It's busy being the mom of a now 10 week old. Awesome but busy!

I spend my days hanging out with Alex and I've just managed to finish up one pair of socks for a Christmas gift. And there is no way Rob's Christmas sweater will be ready in time!

Pattern: My standard top down sock (64 stitches)

Needles: US 1

Yarn: Koigu KPM, colour P301

Bassinet Sheets

2010-11-17T09:08:00.001-05:00

Totally not exciting but I managed to make new bassinet sheets in the week before Alex was born. I just copied the existing sheet I had on hand and used up some cotton scraps from my stash that have been sitting around forever.

I feel like this is the last sewing project I'll be blogging about in a long time...I have been knitting but sewing just isn't happening around here right now. Which is a shame because I had a nice fall coat 60% done and I now have no idea when it will be finished!

Hey - I'm finally wearing a mom-made sweater!

2010-11-01T14:21:00.005-04:00

I made this Baby Surprise Jacket ages ago from some Koigu I had sitting around!

Granted, Alex wasn't to happy until we put him in the stroller for a walk but I still had to try and get a pic!

p.s. thanks for all of the nice comments on Alex's arrival!

Baby's Here!

2010-10-21T15:16:00.001-04:00

Alex was born on October 8th at 3:02 am weighing 8 lbs.

We are all healthy and happy and just trying to get used to having a baby!

Baby Booties

2010-10-06T09:01:00.001-04:00

Seriously - how cute are these? Super awesome in my personal opinion.

Pattern: Stay-on Baby Booties by Knitgirl in Norway

Yarn: random Koigu scraps in two different colourways

And yep, I don't have a baby to put them on yet. I'm still at home working on random projects and waiting for something to happen!

New PJ's

2010-09-30T08:41:00.001-04:00

Pattern: Simplicity 9329

Fabric: 2 cotton prints that I've had in my stash forever.

The brown/gold pair are full-length but the blue/green pair are 3/4 length since I didn't have quite enough fabric. I've been meaning to make a few new pairs of pj's forever and just finally got around to it. And obviously, I don't iron my pjs!

p.s. thank you for the nice comments about my quilt!

Hop, Skip, & A Jump Crib Quilt

2010-09-28T08:46:00.001-04:00

Pattern: Hop, Skip, & A Jump crib quilt from Denyse Schmidt Quilts

Fabrics: all cottons from The Workroom

My mom and I finished the top in early July and then she offered to take it home and actually quilt it for me. All I had to do when it returned was hand sew the binding on.

I am so pleased with how this project turned out and it was such a fun project to work on with my mom!

NL6729

2010-09-23T14:14:00.001-04:00

This is seriously the final version - and the very last top I made while sewing maternity clothes!

Pattern: NL 6729

Fabric: bamboo rayon jersey (that is already looking pretty crappy/pilly)

And I finally managed to get a haircut!

NL6106

2010-09-15T16:15:00.001-04:00

Pattern: NL 6106

Fabric: ITY jersey

Modifications: I've made this pattern before and this time, I used the same size for the back but added a large wedge and some length for the front piece. It's a pretty plain pattern and one of the very few shirts I have left that is both work appropriate and long enough! Luckily, I only have 2 days left of work so I don't need to worry about my work wardrobe for much longer!

And yes, I am standing my office. My co-worker was nice enough to take some photos of me today so I'd finally have something to post on the blog. Knitting content is hard to come by these days due to a bit of carpal tunnel in my right hand. BOO!

Baby Room Part II

2010-09-01T11:07:00.001-04:00

And to continue with our tour of the baby room...

This is what we put up over the crib:

And when you take a step back, this is what the whole corner looks like:

And that's it for decorating. We still have a few minor things to do (and organize) but for the most part, the baby's room is ready. What I should have done was take a picture of the other side of the room...cause that 1/2 is still my living room with a couch and bookcases. It's a little cramped but I think it will work out okay for the first little bit.

Baby Room Part I

2010-08-26T21:05:00.009-04:00

I haven't been sewing too much lately because my maternity leave from work starts in 3 weeks (EEK!) and I'm kind of hoping that what I've made so far will last me until I'm off work!

Which means I have been spending time finally getting the baby's room together. With tons of help from my mom and Rob. And a little bit of help from IKEA. And a crib from a former co-worker's sister.

Rob and I've spent the last couple of nights putting up vinyl wall art that I picked up from Janey Mac on Etsy. Since we rent, I didn't really want to paint the room or use wall paper so vinyl wall art seemed like a perfect solution.

Here is what we've done above the change table (which is really a modified IKEA entertainment unit that I've now owned for over 10 years!).

The first line took us forever...cause we were afraid of messing up...

but then I just wanted to get it done so I could go to bed...

and this is what we ended up with...

We also did some decorating around the crib which I'll post photos of next week. Oh, and I guess I should mention that we are having a boy. I don't think I've blogged that yet. Whoops!

Simplicity 4036 and Jalie 2804

2010-08-20T14:16:00.000-04:00

Patterns: Simplicity 4036 for the skirt and Jalie 2804 for the top

Fabric: white cotton twill with a little bit of stretch and brown cotton interlock

Modifications: just adding a stretchy panel to the skirt and some additional width/length to the top. And I should have added more. I can't keep up with the belly growth anymore. It's out of control. Everything is starting to seem too short.

Ignore the wrinkles - these photos were taken after a long day at work!

While Rob and I were out taking these photos, both of my next door neighbours walked by and started laughing at us. Which is why none of the photos turned out very well! I was totally distracted.

Anyways, I've wanted a white skirt in my summer work wardrobe for a long time but I always thought it would be too impractical and I would get food all over it. I'm happy to report that I've worn this skirt twice and haven't managed to stain it yet! VICTORY!

M6070

2010-08-19T16:13:00.000-04:00

Project FAIL!

I'm not even going to show you a picture of me wearing this top (and yes, it was supposed to be a dress but I shortened it to top-length). It made me look like a giant pregnant cupcake so I threw it out without even hemming it. There really was just not hope for it!

Pattern: McCalls 6070

Fabric: Bamboo jersey

I think this pattern was the final straw for me and gathers. Gathers around my waistline just don't work for me at all. Ever. I really need to learn that lesson and stop attempting patterns with gathers. I don't even own any RTW clothes with gathers so I don't know what I keep trying to sew them!

Garter Yoke Baby Cardigan

2010-08-16T09:10:00.001-04:00

Pattern: Garter Yoke Baby Cardigan by Jennifer Hoel

Yarn: Dalegarn Sisik, 2 leftover balls that have been in my stash forever!

Needles: 3.25 mm

Modifications: None really. This was a very easy project! And I really like the garter stitch yoke and hems.

Hurry Up FALL!

2010-08-06T09:49:00.000-04:00

I'm so tired of only sewing stretchy stuff and I just want to make things out of wool right now! Recently, I've made two woven tunics...but they make me look like a gigantic pregnant woman and I just feel more comfortable in stretchy t-shirt type tops. Only 8ish weeks to go!

Fall sweaters that I'm currently loving:

1. Metro by Connie Chang Chinchio published in Twist Collective Fall 2010

2. Leitmotif Cardigan by Carol Feller published in IK Fall 2010

And sweaters that I actually already have yarn for...

Emerald by Amy Swenson

I only have yarn for one sweater in my stash right now....my stash busting of 2009/2010 has been very successful and I'm down to two smallish bins of yarn. I might even get to buy new yarn sometime soon. Very exciting!

Baby Shrug

2010-08-05T08:39:00.000-04:00

Pattern: Baby Shrug by Debbie Bliss. Available for free here.

Yarn: Cascade 220 superwash, purple, one skein

Needles: 4.5 mm

Modifications: none!

This is for a co-worker of mine who will be having a girl in October. So cute!

Rob's Boring Socks

2010-08-02T08:37:00.002-04:00

Not much to see here...just another pair of plain socks for Rob!

Pattern: my own (72 stitches, ribbed cuff)

Needles: US 0's

Yarn: Elann Essential 4 ply in red, 2 balls

Baby Hats

2010-07-23T10:15:00.000-04:00

Please excuse the terrible photos...I went on a baby hat making binge a few weeks ago and just haven't bothered to take decent photos!

Pattern: Norwegian Sweet Baby Cap

Yarn: leftover Fleece Artist Merino Sock (forest colourway...I think)

No modifications to the pattern. This was a really fun knit and I might make a few more since I have an extensive stash of leftover sock yarn.

Pattern:
Sweet and Simple Baby Hat

Yarn: all Cascade 220 leftovers (brown, purple, white). The brown and purple hats are the smallest size and the white is the middle size.

Once again, no modifications.

Crazy Dot Dress

2010-07-19T09:06:00.001-04:00

Yep, it's V1027 AGAIN. It fits and it is easy to sew and I caved and made a 3rd version. I just couldn't help it.

Beige Pencil Skirt

2010-07-12T10:23:00.000-04:00

Pattern: Pattern: Burda 7/2007, #27

Fabric: RPL (Rayon/Polyester/Lycra) from Gorgeous Fabrics. This fabric was a dream to sew with and I'm a bit sad that I didn't buy more at the time to make a normal pencil skirt in the future.

Modifications: This is the exact same skirt I made and posted about last time so really nothing exciting to talk about!

And the top is Jalie 2804 again in a purple cotton interlock. I quite like this top and I think I'll probably make one in brown soon. Next time, I'll adjust the pattern a little bit to deal with the gaping at the armholes.

NL6106

2010-07-08T11:12:00.001-04:00

Last night I thought I'd whip up a new shirt to wear this weekend on my trip to Winnipeg...and of course, the project didn't quite go as planned.

Looks decently cute from the front right? I mean, it's hiding my bra and the cowl drapes nicely.

Pattern: New Look 6106 which I've made before but a different view (also, I'm wearing the same skirt in both photos...only now it has the waistband ripped off and a stretchy panel added)

Fabric: Rayon/Bamboo blend (I think....)

But of course, there is a problem....look at the HUGE ARMPITS!

Huge armpits were not a problem I was anticipating and a problem that didn't occur when I made a different version of this pattern. I think a combination of things happened here.

1. I didn't add enough width in the bust so my bust is pulling the fabric forward

2. I didn't measure the arm hole depth of the pattern piece first or else I would have know it was going to be a too long and could have adjusted the pattern before cutting my fabric

So, you can chalk this one up to operator error. Which is happening to me a lot lately. I still haven't blogged about a failed BWOF jersey dress and a failed Simplicity linen dress. All three times, I've been eager to sew but not so interested in doing the prep work and have managed to create non-fixable problems each time. And to be honest, I've been totally underestimating my recent increase in size!

Quilt Top

2010-07-07T10:14:00.001-04:00

My mom and I managed to finish the top for the Hop, Skip, & A Jump crib quilt from Denyse Schmidt quilts but we didn't managed to finish the whole thing!

My mom offered to take the project home and finish it up herself so hopefully the next time you see photos of the quilt, it will actually be complete. If it was left at my house, I probably wouldn't end up finishing it up until next year. I have a bad track record with quilting-type projects....

And of course, Sunny helped with the lay-out! Her paw is nudging my favourite fabric in the quilt. I love the blue and green mini-trees. So cute. But I have no idea why a pair of Rob's sockss are in the photo....

And a maternity tent dress

2010-07-05T09:42:00.001-04:00

I've had Vogue 2975 (which is now OOP) forever and while the skirt was a disaster of epic proportions, I hung onto the pattern because I really did like the pleated dress and top. And I thought it might make a nice maternity dress since it clearly has plenty of room in the tummy area.

Fabric: Linen blend (60% Rayon 40% Linen) in mocha

Modifications: While the resulting dress isn't a huge disaster like the skirt, I've finally decided to throw this pattern in the trash. Some of the mistakes were mine...I ran out of fabric to cut the front of the dress. I just wasn't really paying attention and made a bonehead move. So I rectified that by adding a panel all the way around the bottom of the dress. We'll call that a design feature. I also cut the size 16 thinking that hmmm, I'm pregnant, my measurements are larger than they used to be so a 16 should work. And of course, it was huge across the back, shoulders and gaped across the chest.

So when I originally finished this dress up, I was pretty sure it was destined to only be worn around the house but I took a little snack break, went back, took in 1.5 inches out of the upper back, narrowed in two of the pleats on the front to narrow the chest/shoulders, and stitched the front pleats down a further two inches to combat the tent aspect and now I think it's pretty cute.

I also didn't put a zipper in the back. I mean, this dress really doesn't need a zipper, it's pretty easy to throw it on over your head.

Don't get me wrong, it's still huge tent of a dress but I wore it out to brunch on Sunday when the temp hit like 30 degrees and I was nice and cool!

Upcoming Quilt Project

2010-06-30T07:23:00.006-04:00

My mom is headed into town for the July 1 holiday and we are planning on making the Hop, Skip, & A Jump crib quilt from Denyse Schmidt quilts.

I spent a lovely Friday afternoon picking up supplies at the Workroom and I can't wait to see how our project turns out!

For the record, I have never made a quilt myself but my mom has made a few in the past so I'll be relying on her skills!

Final Version of NL6729

2010-06-23T10:20:00.000-04:00

I promise!

Pattern: NL6729 again...

Fabric: Cotton Interlock in Watermelon from Wazoodle (again from May 2007!)

Modifications: No sleeves. Other than that, this is the exact same as the blue version I made a few weeks ago.

I promise this is the last time that I plan on making this pattern. It's just so easy to make and I can easily throw it together in an evening and have something new to wear the next day. At least the three versions I've made are all slightly different!

And in case you were wondering what I look like from the side at 26 weeks...

New Napkins

2010-06-14T09:55:00.001-04:00

Totally not exciting but really needed.

Sometimes the downside of sewing your own stuff is that you really don't have an excuse not to do some household sewing....like hemming curtains or sewing napkins.

After we moved in February, I somehow lost all of our cloth napkins (I have a sneaking suspicion they are still packed in one of the five boxes that I haven't unpacked and have shoved into the closet...) so I decided it was time I made some new ones.

Fabric: cotton from my stash. And it's been in my stash for so long, I have no idea where it was from or what pattern it is. I could probably dig back through the blog to figure it out but umm, it doesn't really matter. And I managed to make 10 from what I had on hand.

And they look nice with my white dishes!

Pattern: I vaguely followed the instructions in Lotta Jansdotter's Simple Sewing but my napkins are 18 x 18. I think the ones in the book are much larger.

Jalie Twist Top

2010-06-10T10:23:00.000-04:00

Pattern: Jalie #2788

Fabric: Jersey Knit

Modifications: I made one size larger than I normally would and the fit is pretty good except for some gaping about the armholes. When I make this again, I'll tweak the fit a little bit but I'm still very happy with this top. Super easy to make and Jalie has very easy-to-understand instructions so I didn't even struggle figuring out how to make the twist.

Coffee Bean Cardigan

2010-06-06T10:23:00.001-04:00

Pattern: Coffee Bean Cardigan by Elizabeth Smith

Yarn: Araucania Nature Wool Solids (partial skeins of white and blue that I had left over from other projects)

Needles: 4mm

No pattern modifications - I love this little cute sweater and I was just trying to use up some yarn I had laying around the house.

Maternity Pencil Skirt and NL 6729

2010-05-31T09:55:00.002-04:00

Pattern: Burda 7/2007, #27

Fabric: some kind of random heavyweight cotton with stretch for the actual skirt and an old black t-shirt for the stretchy panel.

Notes: since I've made this skirt 3 previous times and I remembered that it is very high-waisted, I figured it would be easy to add in a stretchy panel at the top.

I just traced off another copy, graded it a bit larger in the hips, tried on my older versions and decided where the stretchy panel should start at and then cut the front pattern piece into 2 and added seam allowances. The back is the same as the non-maternity versions with a zipper and 2 darts.

And when I sewed the side seams, it was huge so I had to take in a little of the width but it fits quite well now. I plan on making a few more of these to wear to work for the spring and summer since they hardly take any time to make (especially if I don't hand stitch an invisible hem!)

And I made my top too. It's NL 6729 again but this time using a thinner knit from Gorgeous Fabrics so I went ahead and made the version with the wrap-around tie and I love it!

And yes, I am making a crazy face in the first photo but none of the other photos looked any better! Trust me!

Random Socks

2010-05-27T06:55:00.000-04:00

Yarn: Zwerger Garn Batik (I think...I lost the ball band a long long long time ago)

Pattern: made up

Needles: 2.25 mm

I meant to make these knee socks to use up this yarn which has been sitting my stash since at least 2005 but I didn't quite succeed and managed to only use up about 1/2 the skein!

New Look 6729

2010-05-25T09:49:00.000-04:00

Fabric: Cotton Interlock in Marine from Wazoodle (from May 2007)

Notes: I cut a 14 at the top and a 16 below the bust and it seems to have enough room for now! I really like this pattern and it is an exact copy of a Banana Republic shirt that I've been wearing for the last 3 years so I plan to make future versions of this pattern. I might make the version with the ties next but since this fabric was a bit heavier, I thought the ties would be too bulky.

Cuba/Montreal Socks

2010-05-19T15:34:00.005-04:00

Pattern: my own. I started these socks while on a trip to Cuba in April and forgot to pack a pattern so I just made it up. And I finished them on a road trip to Montreal last weekend.

Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug, 1 skein of Vincent's Apron. Which clearly wasn't enough...

Needles: 2.75 mm

I ran out of yarn and had to stripe the toes with some Fleece Artist Merino Sock yarn left in my stash from a pair of socks I finished in 2007 that just developed some huge holes! Whoops!

V1027

2010-05-18T09:04:00.001-04:00

Pattern: V1027

Fabric: jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics

Notes: since I've made V1027 before (and it's one of my favourite dresses to wear) and I'm still wearing my previous version and the fit is fine, I decided to stitch up a another version. This time, I made the ties longer so that I can wrap them around the back and tie them in front and I left the hem a bit longer in the front to accommodate the bump.

I can't say enough good things about this pattern, it's super easy to make and the fit is great. But pattern pieces for the skirt are so large! I always forgot how much fabric the skirt takes up!

And both my brother and Rob think this fabric is a bit crazy but I super love it. You can't wear plain jersery dresses all of time!

Jalie 2804

2010-05-14T10:54:00.001-04:00

Pattern: Jalie 2804

Fabric: Cotton Interlock in Cornflower Blue from Wazoodle (from May 2007)

Notes: I followed some of the modifications from Assorted Notions and I consider this t-shirt a first attempt. I made one size larger than I normally would and it fits well in the shoulder/bust/upper back and the next one I make, I'll probably add some width to the front to accommodate the growing bump.

I'll also use a fabric with a bit more stretch next time. This cotton interlock is quite thick and I think has only about 20% stretch so it worked well for this version but I think it would be a little too warm for the summer since there are two layers in the front.

And I messed up on the neck band as well. Since my fabric didn't have quite enough stretch, my band was too short and if I stretched it to fit, it would have gathered the front edges but I cut the second band too long and didn't stretch it at all so it gapes a little bit.

But overall, I really liked this pattern. I had no problem setting in the sleeves, they fit perfectly and everything went together really well. I can definitely see more Jalie patterns in my future. And more of this shirt for sure!

Simplicity 3874

2010-05-12T20:33:00.001-04:00

Thanks everyone for your lovely comments on our news!

Pattern: Simplicity 3874

Fabric: Embroidered Cotton from Fabricland, 2 yards

Notes: Hmmm, this is definitely going to be a house dress for me. And that's okay. This fabric is pretty crappy. The gold thread is pulling loose in quite a few sections and I consider this version to be a muslin for future versions.

I followed Lower Your Presser Foot's example and added some width to the front.

Next time, I think I will make the skirt a bit more a-line and I will make the top a bit smaller. It's a little too wide for my shoulders. I also might change the elastic and band combo the pattern uses for the waist section and just make one long band instead of futzing around with elastic. We'll see what happens.

I plan to make the next version in black linen to try and copy a friend's dress that I really like. Her version has a v-neck and a very similar shape to this and always looks very cool and comfortable in the summer yet still very professional which is what I need for work.

Baby Surprise Jacket

2010-05-05T21:28:00.000-04:00

Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman

I love this pattern and this is my third time making it. But it always annoyed me how unfinished the neck is. I was thinking adding some i-cord but then I decided to be super lazy and just do a single crochet around the neckline. Much better in my opinion!

Yarn: Socks that Rock (lightweight) in Stormy Weather that my mom gave me for my birthday in April 2007!

Needles: 3.75 mm

For: The big surprise is that this baby sweater is actually for me! I'm happy to report that we are expecting our own arrival in early Oct.

So I might as well warn you now, that it's all maternity sewing from here on in...cause I have nothing to wear!

Crafting

2010-04-21T18:43:00.001-04:00

I've been crafting - I just haven't been blogging! I've got 3 knitted projects almost complete and 3 finished sewing projects! Soon. I promise I'll be posting more soon!

Ribbed Baby Jacket

2010-03-27T12:20:00.003-04:00

Pattern: Ribbed Baby Jacket by Debbie Bliss (available for free here)

While I love Debbie Bliss' baby patterns (and have a few of the books), I hate how most of her baby stuff is knit in pieces. When I'm making something this small, I really do prefer to knit something in one piece...and this pattern is super easy and knit as one piece. Very mindless tv knitting!

Yarn: Cascade Superwash 220 in purple, about 1.75 skeins

Needles: 4 mm

For: Ivy's 1st birthday! I can't believe Ivy is 1 already! And I just saw her wearing her Helena in a 6 month size from last year!

Finally!

2010-03-15T10:16:00.003-04:00

I managed to spend some time sewing on Sunday...partly because of the terribly rainy weather and partly because I bribed Rob with a roast chicken dinner if he would go grocery shopping without me!

And while I'm sad to report that I spent most of my time hemming curtains for our new apartment (which needed to be done....) I did cut out Simplicity 3874 and sew the bodice. While I should have made a muslin, I instead used some cotton fabric that has been sitting in my stash forever and that I like just okay. If the dress turns out to be wearable, it will be a bonus. If it doesn't, well, I'll know what changes I need to make to the next version!

TNT Patterns

2010-03-04T10:00:00.002-05:00

Lately, every time I sit down to sew, I find myself struggling to chose a pattern. Some of it is because I'm still new enough to sewing that I can't always figure out what fabric works best for a specific pattern. And the other is that I think pattern choice can really make or break a project which makes me constantly question my choices. But this means that I don't get a lot done because I'm always making sewing plans and then changing my mind.

I've decided that if I narrowed down some TNT patterns for when I wanted to sew basics, then I could spend less time searching through my pattern stash and more time sewing.

My personal TNTs:

Pencil Skirts:
High waisted - BWOF 2007-7 #27
With back vent details - M5523
Double vent back - M5817
With a waistband - BWOF 09-2007-128 B

A-line Skirt:
S4036

Knit Dresses:
V1027
Wrap dress with sleeves/pleats - Vogue 8379
Wrap dress with sleeves/darts - KS3489

Woven Dresses:
- still working on this

Blouses:
- still working on this. I'm happy with NL 6407 but I think I can do better.

PJ Pants:
Simplicity 9329 for me...for some reason, I never blog photos of my own p.j. pants!
A random Vogue pattern for Rob's...and I haven't blogged Rob's Christmas p.j's yet either!

For more discussion on TNT (tried and trusted) patterns, check out Diary of a Sewing Fanatic.

EEK!

2010-02-17T10:17:00.002-05:00

I can't believe I haven't blogged since the beginning of Feb. Actually, I can believe it. We moved and it was a bit of a hassle because our new apartment wasn't ready so we had to live with some ongoing renovations for a little bit. I still haven't unpacked my sewing or knitting supplies yet so I just don't have much crafting going on. And I'm going to Mexico for the last week of Feb. so I need to start thinking about some travel knitting projects.

Hopefully I'll have more to say in March!

Forestry Cardigan

2010-02-01T11:00:00.001-05:00

Pattern: Forestry Cardigan by Veronik Avery (Vogue Knitting Fall 2008)

Yarn: Needful Yarns London Tweed, 14 skeins

Needles: 4 mm

Modifications: other then following the errata available from Vogue, I didn't change anything. I also haven't put in snaps or buttons yet.

And this sweater was gifted to my mom! I quite liked it but I have another sweater that is very close in colour in my closet so I felt like having two green sweaters might be a bit overkill. It fits my mom very well and she is quite happy with it!

And just in case you would like to see what the sweater actually looks like on me...here is a 'make-up free on my way to yoga' picture!

V8379

2010-01-27T10:36:00.004-05:00

And another version of one of my favourite wrap dresses...

Pattern: V8379

Fabric: jersey

Modifications - since making and wearing my first version of this dress, I decided the pattern needed a few tweaks. I narrowed the upper back by 1 inch, shortened bodice by 1 inch, and narrowed the front a little bit and I'm much happier with the fit on this version.

The crazy pattern on the fabric gave me a bit of a challenge in terms of layout but I think it worked out okay. I did have to cut out the front right bodice twice but luckily I had a bit of extra fabric so it was all good.

And the benefit of already making this once was that it really only took me a couple of hours to sew. Love that! I'm planning to wear this to a brunch reception next Sunday so hopefully I'll get a few pictures then to post. Our apartment is just not seeing a lot of sunlight these days!

Mom's Bday Socks or Stash Busting Project #4

2010-01-21T15:19:00.000-05:00

Pattern: my own

Yarn: Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino (KPPPM), colouway
P515

Needles: 2 mm

Standard top down socks with a ribbed cuff for my Mom's birthday!

Coffee Bean Cardigan

2010-01-18T10:22:00.001-05:00

Pattern: Little Coffee Bean Cardigan by Elizabeth Smith

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash, brown and white

Needles: 4mm

Seeing as I've already knit this project once, I don't really have much to add. It's a very cute and easy to make baby sweater and this time, I made the sleeves longer.

I hope Andi and Neil's baby likes it!

Stuck

2010-01-13T09:58:00.003-05:00

Before moving onto new knitting projects, I've decided that I need to finish up the rest of the stash-busting projects I talked about here. I'm happy to report that Projects #3 and 4 are complete and just need photos and Project #5 is just not going happen...because I ran out of yarn which is always a risk with stash busting projects.

And before I start any new sweaters, I'm still trying to finish my Forestry Cardigan and my Honeycomb vest (both of which I've never blogged about). The cardigan just needs me to finish the collar and the vest is about 1/2 way done. So boring but I just can't move on to new stuff until I get some of the older stuff complete since I hate having too many projects on the go!

In terms of sewing, well, I've packed up most of my sewing supplies because Rob and I are moving to a new apartment on Feb. 1 and I wanted to get a head start on my packing. I did leave two pieces of jersey out for 2 dresses and I'm hoping to get those made up before we move but they both have crazy prints and I can't quite decide what pattern to use. Hopefully this weekend, I'll have a chance to make some decisions and get sewing!

Blue Silk Top

2010-01-07T18:57:00.000-05:00

While I'd love to say that this is my first FO of 2010, I would be lying. I actually finished this in Oct. but didn't get around to wearing it until today! And ignore the wrinkles....I took the photos after wearing it all day at work.

Pattern: Kwik Sew 3610

Fabric: blue silk charmeuse

Modifications: as always, I shortened this top. And if I ever make this again, I would also change up the armholes. I have to tie the neck up pretty tight to keep the armholes up high enough. I think this top would be a little more flattering if you could see a little more collar bone.

I've never really looked at a lot of Kwik Sew patterns before but I really liked the instructions for this (granted, it was a pretty simple top). Now that I've spent a little more time on the Kwik Sew website, I'm definitely finding a lot more patterns that I might pick up.

And I think this project is an excellent example of a great colour/fabric making a pretty plain top a little more exciting. I received a number of compliments today at work on this...and to be honest, it's not super flattering. It's all about the colour. A guy in the food court even asked if I was married and told me I was a pretty lady! Very awkward/funny!

2009 Wrap Up

2009-12-31T08:37:00.000-05:00

FO's in 2009:

Knitting:

Socks - 3 (2 pairs were for Rob)
Sweaters - 3
Hats - 2 (1 for Rob)
Mittens - 1
Cowl - 1
Shawl - 2
Scarves - 1 (gift)
Baby Sweaters - 3 (gifts)

And I still have three projects on the needles. My Forestry Cardigan, honeycomb vest, and a pair of stash-busting koigu socks.

Perhaps my favourite project of this year was my Ariosa Wrap Cardigan. And this super cute baby sweater!

Sewing:
Skirts - 6
Top - 7
Dresses - 9
Adult p.j. pants - 3 (1 gift for Rob)
Bags - 2 (gift)

Clearly this year I was all about knit dresses which is awesome cause my goal this year was to learn how to sew knits! My favourite project was easily Vogue 1027. I wore this dress so much and definitely plan on making it again this summer. A close second would be the other two wrap dresses I made.

Happy New Year!

B5079

2009-12-23T14:35:00.000-05:00

And my last project of the year turns out to be a flop!

Pattern: Butterick 5079

Fabric: Matte Jersey

Modifications: I purchased this pattern before I realized that I needed to buy a smaller size for knit patterns so I used the pieces from V1027 to make some adjustments before I cut out the fabric.

And this dress fits very well....except it's really droopy in the front. I can't quite figure out why it is unflattering, but it definitely is. It makes me look short and wide! I tried raising the bodice up in the shoulder seams but that doesn't even help it so it's headed for the trash. Which is a shame because I do love the colour.

And I hate to end the year with a failed project!

The Work Appropriate Black Dress

2009-12-15T08:54:00.000-05:00

Pattern: B5147 view C

Fabric: some very crappy black poly suiting with a bit of lycra

Modifications: I did have to shorten this dress quite a bit and take in some of the width in the upper back. And it's still a little too wide in the back but since I plan on wearing it with a cardigan, it's not really a problem. It's not perfect though, the front neckline gapes a little bit.

I quite enjoyed making this dress. It was very easy (only two pattern pieces) and really only took one afternoon if you don't include the muslin I made. And dresses make it really easy to get ready for work in the morning!

Stash Busting Project #3

2009-12-10T20:30:00.000-05:00

Pattern: Coffee Strip Jacket

Yarn: Rowan Pure Wool, 3 colours

Needles: 3.75 mm

Definitely a very cute baby project! Very easy to knit and a good way to use up some yarn left over from other projects.

The White Blouse

2009-11-26T09:12:00.001-05:00

Do you even notice that when fashion magazines do a list of classic clothing items, a white blouse is always listed?

I happen to own 3 okay fitting RTW white blouses but I am always frustrated when trying to buy new blouses. If the bust fits, the back is too big, if the back fits, the bust doesn't. And everything is always too long. But I was always too intimidated to try and sew a blouse.

While on vacation for a few days, I had one goal. To sew a classic white blouse. And I accomplished it!

Pattern: New Look 6407

Fabric: cotton sateen

Modifications: After making two muslins, I had removed 1 inch of the length, changed the darts a bit, and removed two inches of width out of the back. Next time, I would also shorten the sleeves a titch. They are a bit on the long side of 3/4 length for me. And I totally attached the cuffs incorrectly but even I didn't realize that until today when I was looking at the pattern photo again! Whoops.

This is also the first time I've set in woven sleeves and made a collar and only the second time I've used my sewing machine's buttonhole function.

And this blouse fits better than any of my RTW options. There is no gaping at the button band and the length is good. The back fit is still a little off but I'm very happy with my first attempt at a classic white blouse. And I was so excited to take photos that I forgot to iron it. I promise I'll actaully iron it before I wear it!

Elise

2009-11-23T12:20:00.000-05:00

Pattern: Elise by Kim Hargreaves in Vintage Knits

Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed, 7 1/2 skeins

Needles: 3.75 mm

Modifications: The feature that I originally loved about this pattern was the ruffled neck and then as I started knitting the ruffle, I just really didn't like how it looked so I decided to leave the neck in the plain garter stitch. In the end, I kind of regret not knitting the ruffle since that's the detail that really sets this cardigan apart but I'm still happy with it. I also didn't knit the cuffs and than attach them because the sleeves are long enough without them.

And here is where I feel like a rookie knitting my first sweater, I had the hardest time understanding Rowan's decreasing instructions for the sleeve cap. I have no idea what my problem was but I ended up rewriting them using instructions for the Handy Book of Sweaters by Ann Budd.

And the reason that I don't have any pictures of it on me yet is because I'm not sure what I am going to use as a closure. In the book, they used a brooch. I used a kilt pin when I wore this to work on Friday but it wasn't really working so I need to think of a better solution.

Stash Busting Project #2

2009-11-16T14:58:00.000-05:00

A big lumpy cowl.

Pattern: no pattern. I just cast on a random number of stitches on a 5 mm circular and alternated knit and purl rounds whenever I felt like it until I ran out of yarn.

Yarn: Elann Peruvian Highland Chunky. Odds and ends left over from my Ariosa Wrap Cardi. I have to remember to not wear the cowl and the sweater at the same time.

I officially do not have a single scrap of highland chunky in this colour left in my stash!

Stash Busting Project #1

2009-11-14T11:53:00.001-05:00

A new toque for Rob! It turns out that I still have three toques from last winter that are still in good shape but Rob only has one....so he definitely needed another one.

Pattern: made up

Yarn: Berroco Peruvia. I hated this yarn when I tried to make a vest with it but it worked well for this toque. I have enough left to probably make mittens as well.

Needles: 5mm

Quick and easy project!

Crafty...where did my craftiness go!

2009-11-10T14:37:00.003-05:00

Since I haven't posted since Oct. 20th, I think it's pretty obvious that I'm having a bit of a crafting drought. I've finished a few things but have yet to photograph them and I'm pretty stalled on what to make next. Even my stash is failing to inspire me.

On the upside, I only have 1 sweater's worth of yarn in the stash! Somehow this year, I have seriously managed to stash bust. My current problem is I'm no longer crazy about the yarn I do have on hand to make a sweater.

But I do have piles of odds and ends so last night, I combed through the stash and made up 5 baggies each containing one little project to use up some scraps. So expect to see hats, mittens, baby sweaters, and socks for the next little bit until I can decide what sweater to knit next and purchase some new yarn. Which I'm a little excited about since I haven't had new yarn in over a year (except for one incident with a bright pink skein of sock yarn)!

Usually when I hit a knitting wall, I end up focusing on sewing for a bit (and vice versa) except I'm also at a bit of a loss for what to sew next. I switched my closet over from summer to fall/winter clothes...and I have a lot of clothes. I definitely don't need any more skirts for a little bit after my skirt making binge of fall 2008/winter 2009 but I'm just not sure what I do need. I think I'll focus on making dresses for a bit. Might be time to comb through my BWOF and pattern stash and find some new patterns.

Anyways, here's hoping that I get my crafty mojo back soon!

Dead Socks

2009-10-20T12:22:00.002-04:00

I finished these socks in March 2006 and noticed that they've developed a very large hole in the bottom. Most likely from getting snagged on a nail in my hardwood floor at home. That floor can be deadly!

Reading my blog post from when I originally finished these socks reminded me of how much I hated knitting them at the time but I've actually worn them quite a bit and the St. Ives yarn did hold up very well.

At the rate that I destroy knitted socks (I maybe ruin one pair a year), I seriously still have enough socks to last me the next 15 years. This is probably why I don't knit nearly as many pairs as I used to and most of the pairs I knit now are gifts. I can't even tell you the last time I purchased sock yarn and I still have some real gems in the stash.

M5817

2009-10-19T10:29:00.001-04:00

Pattern: M5817

Fabric: Navy wool

Modifications: absolutely none. I really like the double vent at the back of this skirt and I used a closed lining following instructions for an older copy of Vogue Patterns. And I'm so glad that I didn't shorten this skirt, it would have been too short if I had!

Here is the line drawing so you can see the detail of the back vent since it doesn't show up very well in navy:

Blue Wrap Top

2009-10-09T08:32:00.000-04:00

Pattern: New Look

Fabric: matte jersey

Modifications: none but I should have made some!

In theory, this top is a good idea. In practice not too much. It's too short (and I didn't even shorten it), the waist is too low (something I should have fixed), the sleeves are too baggy/long (also something I should have fixed) and it just would not stay put. I felt self-conscious in it all day because I had to keep adjusting it.

It might grow on me so I'm going to put it away with my spring/summer clothes and see if I like it better next year!

M5890 View B

2009-10-07T13:00:00.001-04:00

Pattern: M5890 View B

Fabric: tan matte jersey (94% polyester/6% spandex)

Modifications: shortened the fronts/backs/sleeves by 1 inch.

I read a review of this top on pattern review that pointed out that the wrong side of the fabric would show with the shawl collar and that the hem would also show. So I actually split the front pattern piece in two along the centre line and then sewed those two pieces together so that the wrong side of the fabric wouldn't show. I also didn't hem the fronts or bottom. Instead I just top stitched all the way around 3/8" in. Leaving it completely unhemmed just felt wrong but something just top stitching felt okay since it doesn't effect the drape of the fabric and I didn't have to struggle with hemming the front bottom edge.

This is a very easy cardigan to just throw on and a nice alternative to all of my more structured/fitted cardigans.

Kwik Sew 3489

2009-10-05T12:41:00.000-04:00

Pattern: Kwik Sew 3489

Fabric: navy matte jersey, 2 yards

Modifications: after reading reviews on Pattern Review about the ties in View B being too narrow, I used the tie pattern piece from V8379 instead. I also modified the sleeve to have 3/4 length sleeves. And I did my typical length alterations; 2 inches out of the skirt (I'd go with 3 the next time)and 1 inch out of the bodice.

Overall, I'm happy with this dress. When I wore it to work this week, I had four very nice positive comments. 3 from people who don't know that I sew...for some reason this matters to me...it's like they mistake it for RTW and I'm happy that my handmade clothes look like something from a store. It's odd, I'm proud when I make something I really like but yet I don't necessarily want everyone to know I made it. I've been thinking about this a lot recently and I think it comes down to confidence. I'm a very confident knitter and I will happily tell anyone that I've made my own sweater but my confidence level with sewing just isn't quite there yet.

Anyways, the fit in the bodice is a bit off. The bust dart seems a bit low and I would raise it next time. There is also some excess fabric so the front looks a bit like it has pleats when it doesn't. If I make this again, I would play around with altering the bodice pieces a bit more than just the length.

Hmmmm

2009-10-04T18:05:00.002-04:00

So where have I been in the last two weeks...well I've been sewing but I haven't been blogging. And now I've got four finished projects that I still haven't photographed! And I started seaming up a sweater, finished 4 pieces of another, and swatched for a vest.

I guess after such a busy summer and September, I've just kind of been hibernating (and cooking a lot) in my p.j.'s at home when I'm not at work but I will get around to taking some photos and posting some finished projects this week.

One other thing I have been doing is organizing my extensive collection of Cooking Light recipes. They were taking up way too much space in our apartment so I finally went through 3 years worth, picked out my favourites, and put together a binder. Kind of boring but it needed to be done.

See you soon!

Purple Party Dress

2009-09-16T18:58:00.000-04:00

Just ignore the wrinkles and the crazy smile...I just unpacked this dress after a weekend away!

Inspiration: purple Versace dress with a low v-back that I totally can't find a picture of anymore!

Pattern: B5028 for the top and B4957 for the bottom. Yep. It's a franken-dress. I really liked the top of B5028 but I was wary about the gathered skirt after my V8469 flop. I've made B4657 before and I realized that the skirt would be perfect for what I wanted so I did a few adjustments on the paper pattern pieces and it worked out just fine.

Fabric: poly satin, silk organza for the skirt underlining, black lining fabric

Good things: I love the colour of this dress and the low back.

Bad things: umm, the zipper is on the wrong side...and bubbles a little bit. Also, I did make two muslins of the bodice but the fit could definitely be a bit better. The darts are a bit high.

New techniques - I used Els' Zipper Tutorial which was awesome. This is seriously the best invisible zipper I have ever inserted. And it was painless. I would have never thought to iron the zipper without reading this tutorial.

I also put in lingerie guards following the instructions in High-Fashion Sewing Secrets by Claire Shaeffer on page 131. With the low-back, I wanted to make sure my bra stayed in place and I didn't want to be fiddling with my bra straps!

All in all, I'm calling this a success and it will be my outfit for the last three weddings I have this year!

Yum

2009-09-16T10:43:00.002-04:00

These Cheesecake-Swirled Brownies are awesome.

Yep, that's all I've got to say so far this week!

Elise

2009-09-08T09:41:00.000-04:00

I realized that I haven't blogged about knitting in forever but I actually have two sweater projects on the go right now. One is at work and I don't have any photos of it but it is nearly done, and the second one is Elise in Rowan Felted Tweed. I totally love this yarn!

Saturday Afternoon

2009-09-06T10:17:00.006-04:00

My view:

And yes, I am trying to put bra strap holdy things in a dress that I need to have on by 5 pm for a wedding at 6. I clearly will never learn my lesson about finishing things up at the last minute. At least I actually hemmed the dress on Friday night! And once this is done, it's all about fall sewing around here!

S3893 view D

2009-09-02T20:56:00.002-04:00

Pattern: S3893 view D

Fabric: poly charmeuse

Modifications: none other than shortening this top by 1 inch

I've made this pattern before in view C and I've modified it into a dress (which I hopefully will have photos of soon...except I wore it out on Sat. and it's totally wrinkled right now). I have to say I prefer view C but I thought I'd try view D out this time. I think this might be the last time I make this top. You can only wear so many maternity looking outfits at work without giving people the wrong idea!

Can I finish a dress in one night?

2009-08-28T12:29:00.004-04:00

Is an excellent question...

I'm thinking of modifying S3893 view C into a dress. I've already made it as a top once and I have some navy blue poly charmeuse at home that I think would make a decent dress. And I need something dressy to wear out on Sat. night for a party.

The end goal would be something like this Banana Republic dress from last year but in solid colour.

I think I can do it. I've made the pattern before, it's only four pieces, doesn't need a lining and doesn't require a zipper.

Wish me luck!

Excuses

2009-08-18T15:52:00.001-04:00

I have finished projects but no photos...because I have pink eye. Yep. I kind of feel like a 4 year old kid right about now.

Hopefully, I'll get some photos done when I'm back to normal.

Vogue 8379

2009-08-11T19:50:00.002-04:00

Pattern: Vogue 8379

Fabric: black matte jersey

Modifications: I shortened the skirt by three inches. Next time I'll shorten the bodice and the sleeves as well. Overall, I'm very happy with this wrap dress and I definitely plan on making it again. I'll also pay more attention when inserting the sleeves next time...I'm pretty sure I have them in backwards but you can't really tell!

Whoops

2009-08-07T11:34:00.001-04:00

Is pretty much all I have to say about this!

Pattern: Vogue 8469

Fabric: poly satin, silk organza underlining, and a random lining fabric

The bad: the fabric was just too heavy for this dress and the gathers became a bit too crazy. I did a muslin and did a small FBA which looked great in my muslin but it just didn't work out with the satin. I didn't alter the length of the midriff piece, and I really should have. That would have made the dress look a million times better.

The good: since this was my first experience sewing satin, it wasn't a huge disaster. My seams didn't pucker and I really didn't find it challenging.

Overall: the combo of the light blue satin, the gathers, the poor fit, and the wonky midriff made this dress look a little like a bad prom dress. Not the look I was going for. Well, sewing is a huge learning experience for me and I definitely learned a few things here. I really need to stop sewing things that just don't work for my shape. I guess they can't all be winners!

Rob's new socks

2009-08-04T11:46:00.002-04:00

Pattern: Gentleman's Sock in Railway Stitch by Nancy Bush

Yarn: Essential 4-Ply, Elann, 2 skeins

Needles: 2.0 mm

Modifications: I only made the leg 8 inches instead of 11 because I was afraid of running out of yarn. Other than that, I followed the pattern.

Not too much to say about these socks...they fit and Rob loves the colour. Of course he is only modeling one sock because his injured ankle/foot is still out of commission but you get the picture!

Dani's Prize

2009-07-31T07:36:00.003-04:00

Last week, I won a little prize from Dani in honour of her blogiversary and it arrived yesterday!

The yarn is Hand Maiden Flaxen (65% Silk, 35% Linen) in an awesome colourway and Dani included a beautiful handmade.

Thanks Dani!

Interweave Knits Fall 2009

2009-07-24T09:33:00.002-04:00

The preview is up!

And I'm actually digging quite a few things...I haven't really been into an Interweave Issue in the last little bit so I'm glad to see some things that I might knit in there.

Now the trick is to find suitable yarn in my stash and avoid buying too much yarn...

Date Night!

2009-07-23T10:21:00.003-04:00

With Rob on crutches, our date nights are limited to places we can get to easily. Luckily for us, we live in a 'hood with lots of things to do!

Last night was all about the fish sandwich at the Fish Store and a movie at the Royal Theatre...and the movie happened to be Valentino: the Last Emperor. Which was awesome. Rob and I both loved it. Especially the pugs...I seriously think I should get a gang of 6 pugs to hang out with me all day!

Bad News/Good News

2009-07-21T09:59:00.003-04:00

So my sewing mojo seems to have disappeared right now...I've just spent the past week working on a dress to wear on Saturday and it's totally not going to work out. It fits and I think it's some of my best work but the fabric is wrong and it just looks odd on me! I'll post some pics once I've got it hemmed. I'll likely end up wearing this dress from last year.

The good news is that I won a prize from Dani in honour of her fifth blogiversary! Sweet!

New Look 6106

2009-07-13T19:02:00.001-04:00

Pattern: New Look 6106

Fabric: Matte jersey

Modifications - none, I meant to make the version with the cowl neck but didn't have enough fabric. I clearly didn't cut this quite on grain and the sleeves are a bit wonky but I'm still wearing it and liking it! And I think it's the first clothing project I've ever finished in under 2 hours. Sweet.

Vogue 2975 D

2009-07-08T09:59:00.000-04:00

Pattern: Vogue 2975, view D

Fabric - linen rayon blend

EEK is all I can say about this skirt. It will not be making it's way into my closet and it looks terrible on me. I have a habit of picking patterns that I like even when I have a sneaking suspicion that they won't look great on me. This skirt is a prime example of that. I liked the pleats and the fullness, but on me, this skirt makes my bottom half look huge. So this is definitely not a winner. You can also see in the photo that the pleats don't hang nicely either. It just doesn't look good!

I really should have made M4783 out of this fabric. And I need to remember that if I do want pleats on my lower half, they need to be more like B4686.

The other thing that bothered me was the centre front and back seams. They are not shown in the line drawing but are marked on both the pattern pieces and are in the instructions. I really think this would have looked a bit better without those centre seams.

And in true Sunny fashion, here she is 'helping' by sitting on stuff that I'm using!

BWOF 11-2007-132A

2009-07-06T08:53:00.000-04:00

And because you can't see the details on me, here is the line drawing:

Pattern: BWOF 11-2007-132

Fabric: lightweight wool gabardine

Modifications: none. Which is a surprise! I have to admit that I didn't do a great job of tracing/cutting this because my front darts don't line up with the seams in the waistband in the front but it still looks okay.

Dinner

2009-06-18T10:41:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I need a break from cooking all of our dinners from Cooking Light. I guess I shouldn't say all, but like 80% of our dinners come from Cooking Light. That's where Smitten Kitchen comes in. I love this blog and I want to make everything she posts. Seriously.

Lately, to mix things up, I've made the following:

Chicken and Dumplings - awesomely good. I will definitely make this again

Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Lemon Pasta - good and super easy

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with feta and slaw - ummm, we like this so much, we ate it for dinner for three nights...it's also super easy and quick

Raspberry Buttermilk Cake - fantastic. This is going to be my 'go to' dessert this summer when I need something quick and easy

And I plan on making Cinnamon Swirl Buns on Sunday when I have guests over for brunch. I actually just checked my bloglines and I've got like 25 saved posts from Smitten Kitchen. I guess I better get cooking!

New Look 6729

2009-06-17T09:00:00.001-04:00

Thanks for all of your comments about the wedding and the photos! And now that the wedding is over, I can start getting back to other crafty activities. I desperately need shirts to wear to work so I made an emergency trip to the mall last week. Of course, I didn't find anything that I liked so I decided it was time to make a few things.

Pattern: New Look 6729 view A

Fabric: matte jersey

Modifications: None. I made a size 14 which was okay but the fronts are a little wonky and I should have modified the pattern a bit. While I don't love this top, it's good enough and matches 3 skirts in my work wardrobe so I'm calling it a keeper. I'm definitely interested in sewing up a few of the other versions so I'll probably make a few adjustments then.

It feels so good to be back at the sewing machine. So far this week, I've shortened a dress for a friend and finished another top. And I've got grand plans for more stuff. We'll see what happens!

I'm married!

2009-06-09T10:51:00.003-04:00

Here are a few photos to prove it!

The first photo is mine, the rest are from my photographer Tami.

And you may notice in the photos that Rob appears to be on crutches. Why yes, he did fall off a ladder 9 days before the wedding and had to have surgery. And we still managed to do everything we wanted to do and we didn't have to change anything about the wedding or the honeymoon. It was a little bit stressful though! I'll probably post a few more pics when Tami is done with them so you can actually see my entire dress but these will have to do for now.

We had a great wedding - and I couldn't be happier right now!

Final Wedding DIY

2009-05-29T12:34:00.002-04:00

The card box!

Yup, it's just a random box covered in black silk dupioni with a purple ribbon spray-glued around it. But the glue seeped through the ribbon on two sides so I have to make sure the card box is placed a certain way so the crappy sides don't show. Whoops. And the pins will be coming out once the ribbon is dry.

This will likely be my last post until after my honeymoon! Have a good week!

Braided Pullover

2009-05-26T15:04:00.003-04:00

Pattern: Braided Pullover by Alina Khasanova, IK Fall 2008

Yarn: Elann Peruvian Highland (garnet), 11 balls

Needles: 4 mm

Modifications: I omitted the rolled edges on the sleeves and body and I had to change the decreases/increases in the front because my row gauge was quite a bit different. And I should have shortened the sleeves more because they are too long.

Overall, I like this sweater but it's not my favourite. It was a fun knit and it is cozy but I'm just not a huge fan of reverse stockinette sweaters. And it's a little big - it blocked out a little larger than I expected so I'm not very pleased with the fit through the back and shoulders.

After completing this sweater, I only have 3 more sweaters to knit before my sweater yarn stash is completely depleted! Knitting from the stash this year has really been working.