Tuesday, November 14, 2017

June 2017 in Review


Onyx and Heather Gray Mini Virginia Leggings 

Ages ago, I decided to use some of my knit fabric scraps to make some leggings for my daughter. I used the Mini Virginia Leggings pattern by Megan Nielsen, which I had received when I tested a different pattern for her. My favorite thing about the pattern is that it's only one pattern piece, so it's super quick to cut out. With my new serger, the seams were sewn in a flash. Sadly, it took a while for me to convince my daughter to try them on so I could cut the elastic to the correct length and hem them.  

For the first pair, I used the Heather Gray ponte knit leftover from my Mabel Skirt, and followed the directions exactly. The instructions call for sewing the elastic to the leggings with a zigzag stitch, and then folding it over to close it. Maybe I shouldn't have used ponte, but it seemed that the elastic stayed stretch out, and didn't spring back like I was used to. Even though I had chosen the size based on my daughter's measurements, and cut the elastic based on her feedback when she tried them on, she declared that they were too big and refused to wear them. (She likes a lot of negative ease in her leggings.) Hopefully they will fit correctly next summer. 

For the second pair, I used Onyx Laguna Jersey leftover from who knows which project. These leggings started out full-length, but when my daughter tried them on, she said they were too long, so I shortened them to capri length. Instead of sewing the elastic to the waistband, I sewed a casing for it, which seemed to work much better. Even so, my daughter turned up her nose at them and they have been languishing in her drawer. After sewing rejected two garments, I decided to hold off on making clothes for her for a while. Oh well. More time to sew things for me!  

Green Stripe Bento Bags   

For Father's Day, I needed a fabric gift bag. Two yards of bright green striped fabric were hanging out in my stash, begging to be used. I managed to cut out three rectangles, enough for two large bento bags and one medium one. I finished two of the bags in June and added the other one to my WIP pile.  

Marled Magic Mystery KAL shawl  

Oh, how I love West Knits Mystery Knitalongs! It's so much fun to get a new piece of the pattern every week, and the community on Ravelry is so vibrant. Since each clue usually comes with its own YouTube video, the "hard" parts become easy and I learn a ton. The Marled Magic Mystery KAL is the second one I participated in and is my favorite so far. The yarn used is sock yarn held double, which is the equivalent of DK yarn. I enjoyed using bigger needles because it felt so much faster, even if it still took me three months to finish. I also loved the pattern itself: the modular structure meant there were no super long rows to slog through, and the variety of stitches was super fun. Now that I've made a modular shawl, I feel prepared to make a Vertices Unite Shawl, which I've wanted to do for ages. The marled fading was delightful as well, and the end result is super snuggly.  

Thursday, August 10, 2017

May 2017 in Review

May has always been my favorite month of the year. It's my birth month, as well as the first month that fully feels like Spring in the Pacific Northwest. These days, I also have Mother's Day to look forward to, as well as Me-Made-May. It has turned into a very busy month, and I'm always a little bit sad when it's over. Here's what I finished in May. 



Moonlit Gems Gretta Tank 

Years ago, I bought several yards of Cotton + Steel Moonlit Gems lawn online. I thought it would be gray, but it's actually more of a taupe, which isn't really my style. I dug it out the other day to make a wearable muslin of the new Gretta tank pattern from Seamwork. The fabric sewed up well, and is soft and cool to the touch. I'd definitely buy Cotton + Steel lawn again. For my first Gretta tank, I did my normal grading between sizes, omitted the shoulder ties, left off the pocket, and used bias strips to finish the neckline and armholes, instead of a facing. It was super simple and quick to sew, so I took the extra time to flat fell all the seams, which made it nice and neat inside. While I still don't love the color taupe, I'm satisfied with this make and have added the Gretta tank to my list of patterns I'd make again.  

Pearl Bracelet Mini Colfax Dress 

During my preparations for Me-Made-May, I pulled out my Pearl Bracelet Bettine dress to mend. My daughter saw it on my sewing table, and asked for a matching dress. How could I say no? My plan was to make both a Colfax dress and Mini Colfax dress from Lizzy House's Mini Pearl Bracelet double gauze in time to wear for Mother's Day. Sadly, I ran out of time and was only able to finish the Mini Colfax dress before the big day. My daughter and I still matched, just not exactly. The construction of this dress was interesting, with visible binding, a slit facing, and an unexpected way of closing the bottom of the pockets. One of these days, I'll get around to making the Colfax dress in my size. 

Heather Gray Mabel Skirt 

While I really enjoy my Seamwork subscription, not all of the patterns speak to me. Since I've subscribed from the very beginning, I have a nice chunk of credits saved up. I used a few of them to purchase the Colette Mabel skirt pattern. I sewed Version 1 out of Robert Kaufman Arietta Ponte De Roma Heather in Graphite, lengthening it by seven inches. I was super happy with how the resulting skirt looks and feels. It only lacks pockets to make it the perfect skirt. Still mulling over the best way to add pockets to the next one. 

Bento Bag 

I used some stash fabric to whip up a quick Bento Bag to wrap a gift. I'm still loving this pattern. It's fast, easy and versatile

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

April 2017 in Review

The last few months have been pretty hectic. While I still managed to make several things, photographing them and blogging about them quickly fell to the wayside. Here is my first post as I attempt to catch up. 



Space Thistle Akita Blouse and Striped Akita Blouse 

April was an incredibly busy month at work, but I really wanted to make a couple new garments before Me-Made-May started. I pulled out my trusty Seamwork Akita blouse pattern, as well as all the double gauze I had in my stash, some Space Thistle by Cotton + Steel, and a subtle blue and white stripe by Lecien. I'm so glad I made the time to whip these two shirts up. The double gauze is so nice for the warmer months, and I've worn these Akita blouses constantly. 

Thursday, April 27, 2017

January, February and March 2017 in Review

What a year it has been so far! My free time has been limited, but I have still managed to finish a few things. Attending the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild retreat in March resulted in one finished quilt and two finished tops. For April, I've switched gears to garment sewing, as Me-Made-May is just around the corner! 

January 2017 Finishes
  

Jewelry Organzier Pouch 
Cotton + Steel gift bag 
Blue Rail Fence Baby quilt  

February 2017 Finishes
  

Butterfly Box Lined Drawstring Bag 
Cuzco Lined Drawstring Bag  

March 2017 Finish


Cyan Chaos quilt