New Coat 2.0

Oh wow, I love this coat.



Pattern: Simplicity 2508 ("Inspired by Project Runway"). View C (I think), collar C
Outer Fabric: Cotton corduroy. It's a bit stiff but so soft & cozy at the same time. It will relax with wear and I'm sure I'll be wearing this a lot this winter.
Lining fabric: I made my own quilted lining with a polyester lining fabric and a wool batting from the quilting store. I thought this would add enough warmth that I can wear the coat in the winter without adding too much extra bulk. I'm quite happy with it but haven't tested it in the real cold yet.
Mods: None that I can remember. Oh, I moved the back tab thing (name?) down about 2-3 inches and added about 3 inches to the sleeve length. I may have overcompensated on the sleeves but they're definitely nice & long now.



I'm really glad I made the other version first because that really made this version go much smoother. I started cutting the pieces last Sunday and finished sewing Saturday afternoon.



I haven't ever had a coat that has the closure off to the side but I really like the look. It's very warm with a double layer in the front. I made the welt pockets on seam again for this version. I tend to walk with my hands in my pockets so this style is more practical for me.



(I think i was just standing funny. I don't think the coat bunches up like that normally)

The only real "d'oh" moment I had was when I went to sew together the first pieces, after cutting all the outer fabric. I was being so careful with the pattern pieces to make sure they were all situated on the corduroy the same way so i wouldn't have the nap going different directions. I was pretty impressed with my efforts until I realized I had placed (and cut) them all so the nap was upside down. It's not something anyone would notice unless they were petting my arm (or other area which we are NOT encouraging), but I notice and it's definitely a "d'oh".





Now back to Christmas Present knitting and Christmas baking. I'd love to hear what other people are making for the holidays. I haven't fully decided on my baking list and I have to come up with gifts for another couple of people.

Jacket

Another muslin that turned out wearable! And, oh boy did I ever learn a lot making this one.

I don't remember what put the idea in my head to make myself a winter coat but once it was there it wasn't budging. I searched online for coat patterns and came across Simplicity 2508 ("inspired by Project Runway"). I started to fixate on a mid-thigh length coat in corduroy, but I knew I'd be making a muslin first. I've never made anything this complicated before and there was no way I was going to risk ruining that much fabric.

The issues (or "interesting" complications) I had with this pattern were numerous and started from the moment I had the pattern envelope in my hand.

In order to make you feel like a "designer" the pattern envelope doesn't tell you how much fabric you need for each of the views. Instead it has the fabric requirement for each component of each view listed separately. Oh, and the pictures aren't labelled "A, B, C" etc but the parts listed under the fabric requirements are labelled this way, so there was a fair bit of "I think this is the right one..." going on. So, to my math-addled brain this was already a nightmare. For jacket with front "A" you need 1 7/8 yard. Then for collar A you need 3/8 yard. Then for the long sleeve you need 1 yard, the pockets are another 1/2 yard etc. Here, in the comfort of my home (with a calculator and spreadsheet) I can figure that out no problem. In the crowded fabric store when I was hungry it was like every horrible school nightmare you've ever had rolled into one.

In the end I just got what I thought was right and ignored the pattern envelope altogether. The fabric I used for the muslin was "unknown fiber" from the clearance section. There was only 3 1/2 meters left on the bolt so I was hoping I'd have enough for the jacket. After I laid everything out I ended up only needing about 2 1/2 meters.

The next issue was in the less than complete instructions. If I had ever made a tailored jacket before it wouldn't have been a problem at all, but there were a number of things I had to figure out for myself (thank you internet). One problem I had was especially stupid/hilarious and would have been avoided by a note in the instructions:

When I had everything cut out and was starting to sew the front & side front I was horrified to find that the front pieces were about an inch & a half shorter than the side front pieces! I have made this kind of weird mistake before when cutting out pieces but I had been so careful! I finished sewing the outer jacket and decided I needed to just cut the other pieces to match the mis-cut short front pieces.

(If you've ever made a coat before you're probably cringing)

It wasn't until I had the lining sewn into the coat that I realized that I hadn't made a mistake with cutting and the front pieces were supposed to be shorter to allow for the hem. Say it with me: "D'OH"

Okay, enough going on about it. On to the pictures!

Pattern: Simplicity 2508 ("Inspired by Project Runway")
Fabric: clearance section unknown fiber herringbone tweed
Mods: unintentionally shortened the length. Oops.



I forgot to add length to the sleeves so I won't be reaching for anything while wearing this jacket.





The fabric is a tweed herringbone but I'm not sure what the fiber content is. It's a bit thin so I wanted a warmer lining. I didn't want to spend too much (*cough* anything *cough*) on this beyond the $18 for the outer fabric (score!) so I made my own quilted lining using a sateen sheet & a flannel sheet. It worked out pretty well actually.



I think I should have moved this back tab (what is the name for this thing?) down about 2 inches at least. It lands in the middle of my back which is a bit odd.

In keeping with my cheap/thrifty/"I can just make that" ways I ended up making buttons using polymer clay. I really like how they turned out. I'm not completely sure the square buttons were the best choice though. They may end up getting swapped out if I get too frustrated with them.



All together I really am pleased with the jacket and I will be able to wear the muslin.

Tunic top

I'm finally understanding the benefit of making a muslin when trying a new pattern. It helps me figure out what size to make, what changes to make to the pattern. It helps me catch issues or learn new techniques before cutting into the "real" fabric. If the muslin turns out to be wearable, well that's just gravy, as they say.

This top was technically a muslin in that I wasn't too attached to the fabric and I wasn't sure if this top would really work for me. When I bought the fabric a few years ago (? not sure when I obtained it) I really liked it and must have had some project in mind for it. Whatever that plan was the fabric sat un-cut for a couple of years. I couldn't ever find something I wanted to do with it.


(probably could have ironed before taking the pictures)

Pattern: Simplicity 2365 view A
Fabric: cotton stripe (unknown manufacturer)
Mods: none, technically. Originally I cut & sewed the long tunic length but, to be blunt, it looked like an old-timey nightshirt on me. I think it was the stripes. So I cut it off to shirt length and hemmed it and now I really like the shirt. It fits just right and is very comfortable.



This was my first time sewing pin tucks. I really like the subtle shaping and texture they give to the fabric. I wasn't sure how they would look with the stripe but I do like it. I feel kind of conspicuous in any pattern so I am open to opinion on the stripes. I don't wear stripes (or any pattern really) that often but this is growing on me.

I really do like when my muslin turns out to be wearable and I'll definitely be making another one (or more) of this top.

New Jeans

I was on vacation this past week. It was kind of sudden so I decided to just do things I normally would be daydreaming about at work. I went to the Glenbow Museum (post for another day - the coolest exhibition of period costumes from movies!), had a massage, got my hair cut and visited fabric stores and yarn stores. It was a really nice break. I hardly touched my computer (a vacation in itself as my entire job is on the computer at work), watched TV, read and cleaned & organized things in my apartment.

The one thing I had planned to do but was dreading was going to the mall. I don't know if I'm missing some girly gene but I really don't like trying on clothes and I hate going to the mall if I really need to buy clothes. (Oddly I love people watching at the mall but only if I don't have to buy anything). So I put it off and ended up not going.

However... As I mentioned, I did go to the fabric store, where they sell fabric (you see where this is going, right?)(also the title of the post probably gives it away).



I used the pants pattern from Sew U with my alterations from the last pair I made. The original pattern is quite flared at the hem so I redrew the pattern to make more of a boot-cut. I forgot to make the changes to the waist area I had wanted to make after the last pair so they could fit a bit better in that area but I'm really happy with them.





I made inset pockets (not sure if that's the right term) and lined them with some blue plaid from stash. The original pattern only had patch pockets so I figured these out for the last pair I made. (not sure why they look black in the close ups but the denim is a really dark blue).



Much easier than trying on 20 pairs at the mall and finding nothing (or overpaying for something I don't really like that much)



The fabric is still a bit stiff and my hands were blue when I finished so I'll wash them another time before I wear them. The denim has 2% Spandex so they're very comfortable.

I bought some cotton canvas to make another pair of pants, but that can wait for another day. For now my knitting and the couch are calling my name. It's definitely fall now and I have a lot of wool to make my way through.

Hoodie!

Just as I was astonished that I was able to make pants (PANTS!!!) earlier this summer, I am astonished I was able to successfully make a hoodie. Not just that I made a hoodie but that I immediately started planning the next hoodie I would make when I snipped the last thread on the first.

 




I used the pattern in Sew U Home Stretch and some heavier weight cotton knit. I thought it would take a long time to sew but, after I had the pattern pieces prepped it only took about 2 hours! I don't know why I thought it would take longer than that...



(my camera blew out most of the shots and no amount of trying to fix it seemed to really help. oops) The dark navy is one of my favorite neutrals. I love the fabric, it's the perfect weight for fall/spring and for in my office where the temperatures swing between Arctic and Equatorial at least twice an hour.



I made the size Large and it fits perfectly. I didn't have ribbing that matches the main fabric so I extended the pattern pieces to make a deep hem and cuff. All edges are serged (whee!!!) and I managed to successfully use a twin needle for finishing.





My one major d'oh appeared when I went to sew in the zipper. I somehow made one pocket a good half inch taller than the other. Oops!


Now, if you just take the evidence of this often neglected blog, I haven't been doing much making this summer. On the contrary, I just haven't been finishing much this summer. Making and finishing this hoodie in one afternoon has really kicked my "must finish stuff" drive into gear. Either that or I just need to start documenting my WIPs. I'll try to get on one of those soon.

Swing Skirt

I'm a little late on the Alabama Stitch Book bandwagon. This skirt was making the blog rounds a couple of years ago (I think) and I loved it then but didn't get the book until this spring. I love the style of Alabama Chanin's designs and this skirt is no exception.



The skirt (if you are unfamiliar with the project having just been introduced to the internet or something) is made by stencilling the design and then using reverse applique, entirely by hand. I was nervous about it. All that stitching was relaxing and quite satisfying, but what if it didn't fit! It took weeks -- mostly because I would work on it for a bit and then leave it for a few days.

I'm happy to say it fits perfectly. Imagine here my enormous sigh of relief when I tried it on last night!



I used fabric from 2 different jersey sheet sets (my go-to for inexpensive t-shirt material) and acrylic paint mixed with a fabric medium for the stencil. I may have over-done it with how much I stencilled. I like how it looked but it took a long time to stitch. Next time (oh yes, I'm planning another) I'll do much less stencilling.

At first I wasn't sure how I'd feel about hand-stitching the skirt together. It didn't seem very sturdy before I tried it. I was thinking I would use the serger to construct the skirt but in the end decided to hand-stitch it after all. It seemed right to complete it by hand after putting in all that time. I'm really surprised and pleased with how sturdy it feels.



The pattern calls for using fold-over elastic (FOE) for the waistband but I couldn't find any and was to impatient to order it. I ended up using a strip of matching jersey to make a waistband. I think I should have made the waistband an inch smaller but it will be fine for now. If it stretches out I think I can put in some elastic.



I played around with different stitches to attach the waistband. The last thing I wanted, after spending all this time making the skirt, was to have the waistband stitches snap when I wore it! I ended up going with this herringbone stitch I found online (I can't remember where, sorry). It is really stretchy and was relatively easy to stitch. I stitched the waistband to the skirt and then did another round of herringbone to tack the seam to the waistband.



This is easily the most comfortable piece of clothing I've ever made and the most time-consuming. I love how it's casual and special at the same time - if I may pat myself on the back a bit!

PANTS!!!

I keep forgetting I have a new camera and consequently keep forgetting to post finished projects. D'oh. So, without further ado...

Oh, and, anyone visiting from a place where "pants" means something other than "trousers"... I'm referring to "trousers" here. Adjust your vocabulary accordingly for the duration. :)

PANTS!!! (the all-caps & triple exclamation mark is indicative of my excitement and disbelief over being able to make PANTS!!!)

First up:
I decided to be smart (*cough*for once*cough*) and made a muslin of the pattern before I cut into my "good" fabric. I had just enough of a light weight denim from a thrifted duvet cover to make a pair of pants from the Sew U book.



(I'm sure my neighbors wondered what I was doing standing in the shrub outside my apartment)

The original pattern had a quite wide flare at the bottom. I ended up taking them in 3 inches at the hem and angled up the leg. (my terminology here is noticeably lacking. What's the word for when you work the alteration into the original pattern line? brain empty)



I made the large size which fits me pretty much perfectly. The original pattern is a bit long from the waist to crotch but other than that they fit exactly how I wanted. I've worn these a few times and they haven't fallen apart nor have I felt like I was wearing "homemade" pants. (as opposed to "handmade" pants.)

On to the "good" fabric:


sorry for the wrinkly photo. I mean photo of wrinkly pants. This was after wearing them all day

Changes I made from my muslin:
-made the pants capri length because I stupidly cut the fronts a full inch shorter than the backs as a design choice. I gave them 2 1/2 inch cuffs which are tacked down at the seams.
-shortened the waist to crotch length by 1 inch
-changed the patch pockets to (again what's the word...?) inside pockets. These were an experiment as I didn't have a pattern for them. I'm happy with them but they aren't ideal. Lessons learned for next time



Overall I'm so excited about having made both of these pairs of PANTS!!! and I definitely will be making more. I really like this pattern but I'd be interested in any pattern suggestions if you have them.

Finally a success!

My camera died a few weeks ago which is my latest excuse for the lapse in blogging... Finally got a new camera so I'll try get caught up and post stuff I've been making in the camera blackout.

I've been experimenting with making t-shirts ever since I got my new baby (serger) with varying success. They've technically been shirts and have fit mostly but nothing that I really wanted to wear. This past weekend I decided to try a different pattern. I picked up New Look 6807 and, with the help of a really rainy Saturday, I finally ended up with a shirt I wanted to wear.

Having not had great success to date I made a muslin using jersey from a t-shirt sheet. The pattern was easy to follow and I loved how it turned out.



(about an hour after taking this picture I ended up splashing cooking oil (cold) on the shirt! d'oh. I need to try to get it out with dish soap or something)

The pattern has a split & tie at the top of the back but I didn't want that so I cut the back on the fold (removing 5/8" from the pattern piece for the seam allowance). I loved how it fit and decided to try with my "real" fabric.



(more about the pants later)(I made PANTS!!!)(need to get better pictures of the PANTS!!!)(I think of them in all caps with 3 exclamation marks because I can't believe I made PANTS!!! that I can wear. You understand)

Overall I love this shirt. My only quibble is that the neck is pretty wide and the tops of the sleeves slide down on my shoulders a bit. I think for my next attempt I'll gather the entire top of the back instead of just the 2 small spots where the pattern outlined.

Ribbed open cardigan

I'm so excited with how this turned out! It's the first item of clothing I've made with knits (ribbing actually) that I will wear.



(forgive the terrible quality of the photos. My camera has been on its last legs for a while.)

I altered the crew-neck t-shirt pattern from Sew U: The Home Stretch to copy a jersey cardigan I bought last winter.

It's not perfect, the sleeves are a bit too wide at the top and I'm not happy with my sewing in spots but BUT... it's a wearable garment. And it's almost exactly what I had pictured when I was working on it.



I serged the seams (love my new baby!) and sewed the hems with a double needle on my regular machine to mimic coverlock. (I think that's the right terminology) I found the ribbing harder to work with than I expected as it pulled out of shape in places when I was cutting but didn't realize until I went to sew it up. I managed to work it out but lesson learned there.


(the most accurate picture of the color)

I'm not a big fan of off white/white clothing for myself. I have a tendency to spill like a 2 year old with a plate of spaghetti. I am thinking about dyeing the cardigan but I'll see how I feel about it going forward. I have enough of this fabric left to make another one I think so maybe I'll dye the leftover instead.

Next up: the hoodie from Sew U and a pair of pants. I find it fascinating that the craft-center of my brain turns almost exclusively to sewing/fabric when spring comes around. Anyone else?

My new baby

I took the day off today. I haven't had many extra days off over the past year so I wanted to make it worthwhile. So I slept in (slightly. woke up at 7:30 for no particular reason), cleaned out the closet of doom, cleaned up my patio area, went to vote and then did what I was really really excited about.

I went to the sewing machine store where I ended up talking to a really great salesperson who explained the machines (and didn't talk down to me! Refreshing! It's kind of sad that I've gotten so used to bad service, lack of interest, or condescension from sales people that I almost expect it. Is that just me?) It was so nice to talk to someone who knew what she was talking about and helped me figure out what I needed that fit my budget. Yay!

Meet my new baby:



I brought her home, set her up (by which I mean I took her out of the box and plugged her in. She was pre-threaded!) and started to serge a big pile of scraps - so much fun!

After about a half hour of scrap-serging I started thinking that I would like to try making a t-shirt. I pulled out Wendy Mullin's Sew U Home Stretch and started flipping through it. I thought maybe I should wait a bit until I feel more comfortable with the machine, but then I realized: I feel more comfortable than I expected already and what better way to learn to do something than by just doing it? (well, other than brain surgery or something like that).

So I dug out a t-shirt sheet I had in my stash (I've bought a few sets of t-shirt sheets when I find them on sale. The fabric is probably not the finest quality but it's a LOT of yardage for not a lot of cash). An hour and a half later (with pauses to get supper started) I had a very simple roll-edged t-shirt.



I'm not going to model it for you, it's not super flattering. But it does fit and it was excellent practice. I think I'll dye it and probably end up just wearing it around home or maybe as a sleep shirt.



The seams are so fascinating to me. I just cant get over how well this machine works. I kept thinking "is this really how easy it is? Am I really almost done making this?" Next time I'm going to attempt a more complicated construction with a hem & neck band.

Thank you ALL for your advice on the machine. I wrote a list of features based on your comments and brought it with me to the store. It made me feel just a little bit more prepared and I think helped make this such a positive buying experience for me. I chose the Janome for several reasons, not the least of which was the fact that it was about half the price of the cheapest Babylock (which was my original first choice).

Now I need to find good sources for knits. I can see myself making a lot of t-shirts in the future. I wear them a lot (every day) and would love to fine-tune and tweak the pattern I used. I don't know if there are any places locally where I could find good knits for not a lot of cash. Fabricland has some stock but it's never very appealing. Anyone local have any ideas? Or online (preferably Canadian so I don't have to deal with customs fees)?

Classic Cardigan

This post should come with a warning: Do not operate heavy machinery while viewing this post. Do not attempt complex calculations while viewing this post.

I've been mentally referring to this cardigan as the World's Most Boring Knit for some time now. Miles and miles and miles and miles and miles of stocking stitch knit in fingering (sock) weight yarn on US 5 needles. Good for TV watching, bad for attention holding.

But, alas, I present to you my new favorite knit. It's cozy, it's plain, it will go with pretty much everything... Which are pretty much my only criteria for any clothing I own. High fashion folks, High Fashion.



yarn Mill ends mystery yarn. It is very similar to Patons Kroy Socks and I think that's probably what it is but it was sold by the pound in unmarked bags which sounds far more sketchy and intriguing than it was.
pattern Classic Lines Cardigan from Knit Picks
mods Substituted sock weight yarn for double stranded lace weight; added ribbed button bands; tacked down steeked edges to create a facing



As boring as all the knitting was (and by boring I mean: easy, no-thinking knitting) once it was off the needles it got interesting.

The yarn is wool but its sock yarn and non-felting. I ended up machine sewing my steeks out of fear that any crocheted steek wouldn't hold (it probably would have held but I was paranoid). I managed to sew the steeks without distorting the fabric which felt like a victory. I took several deep breaths, got out my sharp pointy scissors and cut the steek before I could chicken out. Now I was left with a ragged mess on the cut edges.



I picked up and knit 1x1 ribbed button bands (the pattern calls for a band that is knit in stocking stitch and folded back to form a facing. no buttons). I had planned to hand sew in a length of grosgrain ribbon to cover the cut edge. While I was trying to figure out the best way to do that I was frustrated that the cut edge kept rolling under and I couldn't get it to lay flat. Then I realized the rolled edge looked like a finished facing and... voila!



I tacked the steek to the cardigan to form a facing and it's perfect. It has a little bit of bulk but the knit fabric is fairly thin so it's not unwieldy. If the yarn was any heavier weight this likely wouldn't have worked. As it is, it provides stability at the button band edges.



After it was all knit and finished I started digging through my button jar. I put button holes fairly close down the front and ended up with 12 in total. I have in my possession approximately 7,000,000 buttons but I couldn't find 12 that fit the following criteria: match each other, match the sweater, right size. So, much to The Boy's amusement (he thinks the very existence of the button jar is ridiculous), I had to buy buttons for my cardigan.



The cardigan actually turned out a bit big in the arms and the neck band. It was liveable but I figured maybe a wash would help sort that out. The yarn also smelled REALLY strongly of wool and a slight chemical smell (even after 4+ months of knitting). I knew the yarn wouldn't felt so, gathering my bravery (and stupidity) I put the cardigan in a mesh laundry bag and (you may want to be sitting down for this) I threw it in the wash. Yes. In the washing MACHINE.

It came through the wash with no issues, the tacked down steeks held beautifully. It had grown in the wash so I (yes, you should stay sitting down for this) threw it in the dryer.

Sometimes bravery/stupidity pays off. The sweater shrunk just a touch in the right spots. The facings and hems puffed up a bit which was odd but a quick blast of steam from the iron put them all back into shape. I can't believe that worked and I can't believe I even tried it. I don't think I'll do that again soon!

Altered Cardigan

For a long time now I've been thinking about making a cardigan with crocheted button bands out of one (or more) of my long sleeved t-shirts that are a bit too tight (ehem). On the August long weekend I came across the stash of no-longer-optimal-fit t-shirts and decided to give it a try.



I used a v-neck shirt with 3/4 length sleeves that I really liked but was a bit too small (don't have ANY idea how that happened)(ehem). I measured and drew a line down the center of the shirt and cut. Then I folded over about 1/4 inch and stitched a line of straight stitches to tack the facing down. I stitched a line of blanket stitch down each edge to give me a foundation for the crochet bands. I used some crochet cotton I had (I lost the label) in a color that in some lights is an exact match for the shirt.



I worked 6 rows of single crochet and then a scalloped edge. The crochet curled on the corners so I did a line of single crochet across the tops & bottoms to help tame it a bit. I added a button (from the stash I found in my Mom's knitting bag) which fits perfectly in the space in the scallop edge.



I'm really happy with how it turned out. I have plans to do another one or two. I love that I am able to extend my wearable wardrobe by reusing items I thought were no longer wearable.



Predictably the day after I completed this cardigan, I saw a similar project on one of the craft blogs! Does that happen to other people or just me? I find it really interesting that so many people can come up with the same basic idea (or variations on the same idea) independent of each other.