tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51405155909368813342024-03-19T04:48:11.943-04:00The Sewing LawyerKayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.comBlogger458125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-17351729817462934572024-03-18T20:00:00.006-04:002024-03-18T20:04:12.944-04:00It's curtains!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VXSveFabFuJjrjB3xPsRbMfs0N2UqP6xPYGYXMqNqR0FAbr27CEhx9sHWjxu_faWItFb1ZMhAWrWxe4BhZHedkJyJQq7rCD9bH9Hrhm9p8TSuXDsnSjGfI9T3k_d6bPjV0E8wxQG_OMw8ODqSrtAeMb8nRDVDSfL5VKcqpOIih2B1P0Js3A0guLblwQ/s3088/20240318_143940363_iOS.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2VXSveFabFuJjrjB3xPsRbMfs0N2UqP6xPYGYXMqNqR0FAbr27CEhx9sHWjxu_faWItFb1ZMhAWrWxe4BhZHedkJyJQq7rCD9bH9Hrhm9p8TSuXDsnSjGfI9T3k_d6bPjV0E8wxQG_OMw8ODqSrtAeMb8nRDVDSfL5VKcqpOIih2B1P0Js3A0guLblwQ/w300-h400/20240318_143940363_iOS.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>These colourful PJs are a much nicer product, IMHO, than the extremely badly sewn curtain panels the crazy print used to be. The cotton fabric is courtesy of my husband, the expert thrifter. He texted me a photo and I responded "buy immediately!"<br /><p></p><p>The striped fabric was also originally intended for home dec, but it was unused yardage, also sourced at a thrift store. I loved the combination, which I think works because of the black and white stripes bounding the squares in the print. </p><p>If not, it works because ... they're pajamas! Mostly I'll be wearing them in the dark and under the covers. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewIM29xq7bx5w_4FxmqVK1Z2H0oRPWQz81-wmFnFwueNLO95v33IOAlahFULGn6LGFb9qgYJYfuyPsMMdRWmJOuwgetaAJd9s7Ct3mb0YdB-2Jtqavf9vK26GdPt7g6QxbQpZGjVPysMPIVRovvmqAeCBF4sQipstE-IUtUxSVUv5z_ykv5022ipITzM/s3088/20240318_143653466_iOS.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewIM29xq7bx5w_4FxmqVK1Z2H0oRPWQz81-wmFnFwueNLO95v33IOAlahFULGn6LGFb9qgYJYfuyPsMMdRWmJOuwgetaAJd9s7Ct3mb0YdB-2Jtqavf9vK26GdPt7g6QxbQpZGjVPysMPIVRovvmqAeCBF4sQipstE-IUtUxSVUv5z_ykv5022ipITzM/w300-h400/20240318_143653466_iOS.jpg" width="300" /></a>This is the relatively new release <a href="https://closetcorepatterns.com/products/fran-pajama-sewing-pattern?_pos=1&_sid=3b2f945f3&_ss=r&variant=40346264699014" target="_blank">Closet Core Fran</a> pattern. I've really liked many of their stand alone patterns and am amassing quite a collection. </p><p>Which reminds me - I still intend to make more <a href="https://closetcorepatterns.com/collections/sewing-patterns-all/products/pietra-pants-shorts-pattern?variant=39419178483846" target="_blank">Pietra pants</a>. Must shop the stash... </p><p>Anyway, back to Fran. </p><p>This is designed as a pajama pattern, but it would make a perfectly lovely shirt and pants combo for day wear. I think it's very versatile, style-wise. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKQ-4ibFjgHWMe9Ds6cXfp5RxqBNGxTvLtpcHL-QPWFGNcg03VQ46ldkWp0FTcuxhpOQsbr3PHVtrjeZJeng6Az3yOk_6Er9J5LGev3j6vlx4ObHF9kmiTWwTMDvOpHa-BGMMK-yzbQhg4QSI2c6z9xbjS_rWfa-NP5AwMZcgFaRniuclCPRqm0MKf0s/s2086/20240318_144116438_iOS.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2086" data-original-width="1890" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKQ-4ibFjgHWMe9Ds6cXfp5RxqBNGxTvLtpcHL-QPWFGNcg03VQ46ldkWp0FTcuxhpOQsbr3PHVtrjeZJeng6Az3yOk_6Er9J5LGev3j6vlx4ObHF9kmiTWwTMDvOpHa-BGMMK-yzbQhg4QSI2c6z9xbjS_rWfa-NP5AwMZcgFaRniuclCPRqm0MKf0s/s320/20240318_144116438_iOS.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>The pieces are quite boxy by comparison with the other pajamas from Closet Core, the <a href="https://kaythesewinglawyer.blogspot.com/search/label/Closet%20Core%20Carolyn%20PJs" target="_blank">Carolyn</a> pattern. Carolyn has a shapely top with curved collar, lapels and shirt tail. The pants are low rise, as designed (not as made by me, however) and have front pockets. Fran has a convertible collar, a back yoke and generous box pleat in the shirt, and wide, elastic-waisted, straight legged pants with pockets in the side seams (as designed). It has deep cuffs and hems, and a faced slit at the side seams. As you will know from this blog, I didn't love the Carolyn's collar shape and I drafted a simpler convertible collar for it. The Fran is more to my liking straight out of the envelope. <p></p><p>Fran comes in "alpha" sizing (XXS, XS, S, M, L etc, up to 4X) rather than numbered sizes. Comparing the size charts, XXS combines sizes 0 and 2, XS combines 4 and 6, S combines 8 and 10 (mostly), etc. I made the top in XS, based on my bust measurement. There's a very generous 21.5 cm (8.5") amount of ease built into the sizing. XXS would have been totally fine.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMH7jjkdmtCOpELoxR62jrP1VTtY9dw3Dc0cl6Gs8Seg6InQxxRW7XglMx60u63jWsHk3vSQUwGYJgYHpH8HBPTizl4ore8wlwyo2a_-ytPSo6d3CgoOO2AuVTBebSW6EVzcpT509nOUUnTyDePVsOXDX7hMOlUCft4KFmpQHjEZTnY7LYzSWgaolZSs/s3088/20240318_143902203_iOS.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYMH7jjkdmtCOpELoxR62jrP1VTtY9dw3Dc0cl6Gs8Seg6InQxxRW7XglMx60u63jWsHk3vSQUwGYJgYHpH8HBPTizl4ore8wlwyo2a_-ytPSo6d3CgoOO2AuVTBebSW6EVzcpT509nOUUnTyDePVsOXDX7hMOlUCft4KFmpQHjEZTnY7LYzSWgaolZSs/s320/20240318_143902203_iOS.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>These pants have a high elastic waist that I think looks really nice due to the topstitching above and below the elastic.<div><br /></div><div>I initially cut the M pants because I'm at the upper end of the hip range for size S, but in construction I decided that they would be WAY too big, so I cut them down. This sacrificed the side seam pockets, but it's not a big hardship because who uses pockets in pajamas anyway. There is a patch pocket in the rear of the pants and another in the shirt if I ever (heaven forfend!) turn into the kind of person who always needs to have a kleenex ready to hand. <p></p><p>In the result, I am sure I could have cut XS pants and been perfectly happy. In fact, I would cut XXS top and XS bottoms if using this pattern for anything other than PJs. It is a distinct possibility that I'll do just that. </p><p><br /></p><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><br /></div>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-49437910536423368592024-02-29T15:32:00.000-05:002024-02-29T15:32:13.518-05:00Washable wool - repurposing stash fabric<p>Now that the Sewing Lawyer is retired, there are vanishingly few occasions for the wearing of anything resembling a suit, but (surprise!) the stash is full of wool that was bought over the years to match dreams of future office finery. But it's too nice not to use. So I've come around to the idea of more casual wool clothing that won't demand to be dry cleaned. </p><p>My first foray in this field was making a shirt for my son for Christmas. He has recently taken to wearing wool shirts as a work alternative to a jacket and didn't reject the idea of a mom-made version.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsrwjDyC86klq6KnncN5AGBGxWt2GL5nAxg-hBtOCtCObaCy9oPsKsegvNFG4ssXGc233aXmF4PuMoV7FmL1eT6hpSG3DlbnBbsEieRlOy_7j4ygfIJebvx8UYvPeUlf_qOHrsIuh75RQl583-Nm5aboB8eRPtcLuEiH7zzkMt1AO_6G62T16txk5VnCo" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1209" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsrwjDyC86klq6KnncN5AGBGxWt2GL5nAxg-hBtOCtCObaCy9oPsKsegvNFG4ssXGc233aXmF4PuMoV7FmL1eT6hpSG3DlbnBbsEieRlOy_7j4ygfIJebvx8UYvPeUlf_qOHrsIuh75RQl583-Nm5aboB8eRPtcLuEiH7zzkMt1AO_6G62T16txk5VnCo" width="181" /></a></div>I considered using this McCall's unisex shirt pattern from 2003 that I had in my collection but had never used. <p></p><p>On taking a close look at its shape, I decided to look further. This shirt is seriously boxy, has back pleats and very wide shoulders. </p><p>I spent some quality time with Google, looking for a suitable pattern with a more modern silhouette. I came across mention of the <a href="https://wardrobebyme.com/en-ca/collections/mens-sewing-patterns/products/overshirt-sewing-pattern" target="_blank">Wardrobe by Me Overshirt</a> pattern. </p><p>While it doesn't have a stand collar, its other features seemed just right. It's a clean silhouette with no back pleats, has a sleeve placket opening in a seam in the sleeve, and the hem is pleasantly curved with side slits. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjL9Tt2G8iJHThCsEuyfr5OndqUgySPvzJ8KzdTBnT7p-JPN1z5fXPdqdtv7sJOOlCbo03GZK_55RtM9TT42tSiZHAVjLCLBfwSAaGzFLbx5TDtUgzuHJVlsGTBTbXz1bXdQPgRDbMvqrrKr24tJFUSfsHqpjZHjMJxYmMWDCCbuF0Pi9YWOHGWI7K9Kug" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1667" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjL9Tt2G8iJHThCsEuyfr5OndqUgySPvzJ8KzdTBnT7p-JPN1z5fXPdqdtv7sJOOlCbo03GZK_55RtM9TT42tSiZHAVjLCLBfwSAaGzFLbx5TDtUgzuHJVlsGTBTbXz1bXdQPgRDbMvqrrKr24tJFUSfsHqpjZHjMJxYmMWDCCbuF0Pi9YWOHGWI7K9Kug" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>I showed my husband two lengths of wool suiting acquired from the stash of a retiring tailor. He thought my son would like the neutral windowpane check better than a length of dark blue that I would have chosen. </p><p>I threw the yardage into the machine for a cold water wash on a regular cycle. It came out slightly fulled. Not only was the fabric slightly thicker, even after a really good steam pressing, but the windowpane lines were pleasantly blurry. It shrank more in the length than the width, so the windowpanes were shorter rectangles than previously. </p><p>Then I was back in the world of matching plaid. Sewing this shirt was straightforward except for the placket opening instructions, which I think I fudged slightly. As usual, the stash came through for everything, except my button collection let me down. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1oIsIVvtInvPryKgSxbIy8VhP13DMhX8JfluTcchXr0X0PLeErjfUQnsO6mIkz8Of4VuRELHmQnJ3gzygYGWibRXBg8_ar-MU0zJ3cEJG8QADfZP2wDL32MIuD0XPmnbCN-TqBZ6lfnTh7f4vXhu2PESYE8XYaQEY9G-5puX3RzpQfk_gN1hS-uXP14/s4032/20231126_192258289_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1oIsIVvtInvPryKgSxbIy8VhP13DMhX8JfluTcchXr0X0PLeErjfUQnsO6mIkz8Of4VuRELHmQnJ3gzygYGWibRXBg8_ar-MU0zJ3cEJG8QADfZP2wDL32MIuD0XPmnbCN-TqBZ6lfnTh7f4vXhu2PESYE8XYaQEY9G-5puX3RzpQfk_gN1hS-uXP14/s320/20231126_192258289_iOS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The shirt fits and he even likes it.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwPDGdPgUWe3ElrBFdRIDoFC8m2p7iPX3VbrnL_M3uOzWb-nkjYodXbPdiX7woas5paoVKRB0M5a20fCAGdzVmSppmqOlSZ1rh4vT5P8b26r-AvYnxRQ9_CJt883drCClUF7ot3AvCMDgw60xwgYRDNW1LxBlPaYEiWCa409sfyWqeXf_W8wno2uwC8o/s2305/20231225_200504317_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2305" data-original-width="1958" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwPDGdPgUWe3ElrBFdRIDoFC8m2p7iPX3VbrnL_M3uOzWb-nkjYodXbPdiX7woas5paoVKRB0M5a20fCAGdzVmSppmqOlSZ1rh4vT5P8b26r-AvYnxRQ9_CJt883drCClUF7ot3AvCMDgw60xwgYRDNW1LxBlPaYEiWCa409sfyWqeXf_W8wno2uwC8o/s320/20231225_200504317_iOS.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My next project with washed wool is a pair of pants for myself. I had this subtly colourful but very scratchy wool tweed in deep stash. It hardly transformed at all after being washed, to my surprise. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">These pants are the <a href="https://openstudiopatterns.com/patterns/p/shop-pant" target="_blank">Open Studio Shop Pant</a>. I learned of this indie pattern from reading posts on Instagram about the Top Down Center Out pant fitting technique. I liked the high waist, roomy leg and barrel shaped leg. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKv21Hv0RHvJXmSK2Ib2F4TTMLe7MI7573MSUvn9rYI4LhEuWgSOR9NIfGn8A2JIdaR56NTLfNkdPoLiYOLEmDK4SqBoSlgA_jJOBZ_-nUhPeVq5jxWjDEc0pgPcd0bXQcKvQyTpkasnsd1M-3qQ_mYpilyj4uoI4PmYDJ2q-VuV-YKGV3iuqJJqsOHo/s2949/20240228_231721767_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2949" data-original-width="1561" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDKv21Hv0RHvJXmSK2Ib2F4TTMLe7MI7573MSUvn9rYI4LhEuWgSOR9NIfGn8A2JIdaR56NTLfNkdPoLiYOLEmDK4SqBoSlgA_jJOBZ_-nUhPeVq5jxWjDEc0pgPcd0bXQcKvQyTpkasnsd1M-3qQ_mYpilyj4uoI4PmYDJ2q-VuV-YKGV3iuqJJqsOHo/w339-h640/20240228_231721767_iOS.jpg" width="339" /></a></div>I did all the fitting before Christmas and can barely remember the details, but from comparing the printed pattern with my adjusted tracing, I lowered the back waist and raised the front to fit my tilted pelvis, scooped the back crotch curve a smidge, and graded from size 2 (hip 37.5-39") at hip to size 0 (!!) at the waist. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also added 3 cm to the lower leg because I didn't want exposed ankles in these winter pants. They are still shorter than I'm used to.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the inside, I used a cotton twill for the front pocket bags and fly shield and to face the waistband, which is straight except for a curved bit in the CB and fits surprisingly well. Part way through construction I decided the wool was too scratchy and loosely woven not to be lined, so I added a warm lining (kasha flannel backed satin from stash) to the lower leg seam. I threw this fabric into the washing machine too and can report that it survived the ordeal nicely. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The resulting pants are very warm and comfy in this cold snap we are having today. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4rNmOKEBppXL_c4lh2YGuWVxVGim-aL1iMQpbuRib45Gd5j_5BgZGlAoMFV3Q_tJQGZ1oORC4P5ltK5a9Jm-qfQdFRQoncfbRaZI1akyHc0ct0kdJbQogYnUX6MyMi9oJbp-YDF42-rnzXmjph2BC95TYKYuUUVQxO8nzrly73ZGiLyoCMwzdMxyQXM/s2409/20240228_231837746_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2409" data-original-width="1762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih4rNmOKEBppXL_c4lh2YGuWVxVGim-aL1iMQpbuRib45Gd5j_5BgZGlAoMFV3Q_tJQGZ1oORC4P5ltK5a9Jm-qfQdFRQoncfbRaZI1akyHc0ct0kdJbQogYnUX6MyMi9oJbp-YDF42-rnzXmjph2BC95TYKYuUUVQxO8nzrly73ZGiLyoCMwzdMxyQXM/s320/20240228_231837746_iOS.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>I think the fit is pretty good. Backside photo as evidence.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br />KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-76738188478919786282023-10-23T11:53:00.000-04:002023-10-23T11:53:11.291-04:00Mission accomplished - Dawn jeans<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0A8xSEuT710jlYPbyxA_XJPoYKz_m8bsKfe4Y7rDAjZgnhP9O4HMRhZ7O8VHHD6IMf2rq_I8eS2WvUSf5la1eIyyFNGdC_W9MAy_JoSTIQDPC_gByb7XAcg0MzZj2smhlPNXgozbFvxWTirQApsRLxa6NF31skzQI6XTl-E-VtRU2SCZpR-4y-s41-Q/s3088/20231023_153728990_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga0A8xSEuT710jlYPbyxA_XJPoYKz_m8bsKfe4Y7rDAjZgnhP9O4HMRhZ7O8VHHD6IMf2rq_I8eS2WvUSf5la1eIyyFNGdC_W9MAy_JoSTIQDPC_gByb7XAcg0MzZj2smhlPNXgozbFvxWTirQApsRLxa6NF31skzQI6XTl-E-VtRU2SCZpR-4y-s41-Q/w480-h640/20231023_153728990_iOS.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here I am enjoying my new Dawn jeans on a wonderfully sunny, if quite chilly day. Winter is definitely coming, but there are still plenty of leaves on the trees. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What to say about these?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">They are very comfortable. Time and wearing will tell me if I should have made them snugger through the hip. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I did slightly overreact on the waist seam adjustment as informed by my TDCO fitting experiment. I took something less than 1cm out of the front length and brought the back up by about 1.5cm at the very CB - these are sewn with a 4mm seam allowance at that point in compensation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQANUFuKfxJuNd1MF0KFLMT7rFWqNcnhuJgJHGN4IgwUo0PeDYbvETY4Bnq5m1Xg7eE1bylFfKUjgrc9f8ibh8R3zt83eOfaO1u0FvHusgYtku0GgocKoaVvNRx15GivbeVJ21sQYxIMqB4yBICHc6CLWLEz1wk7ww12Pzee_5mzIPKq1CDg1bo-Sfi0/s2988/20231023_142828386_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2988" data-original-width="2042" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQANUFuKfxJuNd1MF0KFLMT7rFWqNcnhuJgJHGN4IgwUo0PeDYbvETY4Bnq5m1Xg7eE1bylFfKUjgrc9f8ibh8R3zt83eOfaO1u0FvHusgYtku0GgocKoaVvNRx15GivbeVJ21sQYxIMqB4yBICHc6CLWLEz1wk7ww12Pzee_5mzIPKq1CDg1bo-Sfi0/w438-h640/20231023_142828386_iOS.jpg" width="438" /></a></div>The back waist band could stand to be a bit more curved as it is standing away from my body very slightly at that point. Not enough to fret about. Indeed, I predict I will forget about it shortly. Otherwise, I'm super happy with the fit in the back. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGd8klFcR75PpxZxcaZ-gbQMAnXaeDbldopiPhoF8955X3xhiA0hFQPGgZ5G9BYjeXEjnS6TkKaUlTm_b53Q53d6GCIW7CTiiiN9xe8o59cDFO2uJNLdLGuNmT5rkQpxh-hFKBQPvKuEu6cORkCzIyyrzaMz40RjZs3x9iRZxHCc1SgqrzQcxln8L8x4/s4032/20231023_130945613_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGd8klFcR75PpxZxcaZ-gbQMAnXaeDbldopiPhoF8955X3xhiA0hFQPGgZ5G9BYjeXEjnS6TkKaUlTm_b53Q53d6GCIW7CTiiiN9xe8o59cDFO2uJNLdLGuNmT5rkQpxh-hFKBQPvKuEu6cORkCzIyyrzaMz40RjZs3x9iRZxHCc1SgqrzQcxln8L8x4/s320/20231023_130945613_iOS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I used a fun print for the pockets and waistband lining. For the buttonhole, I resorted to my trusty Singer Featherweight with the buttonholer. <br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_7jS8LF5dfysbz4j2NBQC4KmjwoD-sbKq0wEZ6YLPPGMqwL8pjS6Va6dIOXUdCAtdcLSIQTILgrJTBuU11pEYtyOkIBJTF89VQa1lbBkvgqtWkpaG0nL_cTGhJ9A048VVYgHYdKc3gCdrD0hYYcotnq-SeNge9W2anUm7JBBij4IVpO1YChMPxlRlY0/s3088/20231023_142636075_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="1842" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_7jS8LF5dfysbz4j2NBQC4KmjwoD-sbKq0wEZ6YLPPGMqwL8pjS6Va6dIOXUdCAtdcLSIQTILgrJTBuU11pEYtyOkIBJTF89VQa1lbBkvgqtWkpaG0nL_cTGhJ9A048VVYgHYdKc3gCdrD0hYYcotnq-SeNge9W2anUm7JBBij4IVpO1YChMPxlRlY0/w382-h640/20231023_142636075_iOS.jpg" width="382" /></a></div>Do they make my legs look longer? I hope so!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br />KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-5361439443747025732023-10-18T19:27:00.001-04:002023-10-18T19:27:14.601-04:001970s? Your jeans are calling<p>I lusted after jeans with long, wide legs in the 1970s. I have a specific memory of an ad that featured an impossibly leggy young woman wearing such a pair. If she had feet, it wasn't apparent; the hem of her jeans skimmed the floor around her (no doubt) very high platform shoes.</p><p>I thought this photo might pop up on the internet but sadly it did not. Instead, I found a bunch of snaps that will show you the general vibe, capturing my wish for my current sewing project. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoebt0mLhDWpKV0zgjhMIuKyTrxaKNTL-6yq_XRTU9hCEiOoI0aUb7Rex6SYhVh8JuUafotBx9AIhD3IlwCMBriC1DVhHfZQXksFhuD0A45eWgfAZCR0CIzN3GSoUG1oTLWEylzejgqel476wMlc-WW5-qI7YE7c-ua8iJRwWT5Yx3ulHgWbKxPGAIGac" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="677" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoebt0mLhDWpKV0zgjhMIuKyTrxaKNTL-6yq_XRTU9hCEiOoI0aUb7Rex6SYhVh8JuUafotBx9AIhD3IlwCMBriC1DVhHfZQXksFhuD0A45eWgfAZCR0CIzN3GSoUG1oTLWEylzejgqel476wMlc-WW5-qI7YE7c-ua8iJRwWT5Yx3ulHgWbKxPGAIGac=w400-h386" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The essential features:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The waistband sits at the actual waist.</li><li>The hips are snug but not skin tight.</li><li>The legs are wide and flared from the hip. </li></ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I remember the lore of tight jeans. New blue jeans were dark, dark blue. The indigo would always migrate to your skin. The denim was thick. It had zero stretch, except for whatever relaxation you could hope for, over time, from the twill weave and 100% cotton fibre. The pants were so stiff you expected them to stand up and walk around by themselves. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ease was not desirable. To put them on you squirmed and held your breath. You inched the zipper up as you tucked yourself into them. Then you tried to wear them for normal activities. I heard that some people would sit in a tub full of water wearing their brand new jeans and then wear them while they dried, in an effort to get them to stretch and mold to the body. Eventually, the jeans might relax and become comfortable.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Now I'm not saying I had a pair that tight or resorted to these shenanigans. I wasn't a cool kid. Nor do I want to reenact any part of the must-wear-too-tight-rigid-denim-jeans-victim-of-fashion scenario. I just want comfortable high waist jeans that evoke my longed-for 1970s silhouette. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Somewhere I came across mention of the <a href="https://megannielsen.com/products/dawn-jeans-4-in-1-sewing-pattern" target="_blank">Dawn Jeans</a> from Megan Neilsen. With the exception of the (IMO) too-tight crotch and bizarrely fashionable cropped length, they looked promising. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also had heard of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@thecrookedhem/videos" target="_blank">top-down-centre-out fitting method</a> and thought I'd give it a whirl.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I noted that the Dawn Jeans are meant for "rigid denim" and that for my hip size, which put me in size 8, they were allowing a miserly 1 cm of ease. Sorry no - see above re too-tight victim-of-fashion. The young woman in the pink jeans on the website does NOT look comfortable. So I immediately went for size 10 as my base. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'll spare you photos of the TDCO fitting process but it was interesting. I found that to make the crotch a comfortable length and to get the leg to fall straight, I had to add about 2cm to the length at the front waist and reduce the back length by even more than that amount. So the front rise needs to be longer and the back quite a bit shorter than the original pattern in order to have a level waist. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I haven't done that to other jeans patterns, but now that I look at the 5 year old pair I'm wearing (<a href="https://kaythesewinglawyer.blogspot.com/search?q=morgan+jeans" target="_blank">Morgan jeans</a>) I note that the back waist sits a lot higher on me than the front - from the side the waistband is very tilted. The only reason this works OK is that they are lower rise. With pants that are supposed to sit at my waist, there would be no place for all that extra back length to go. Imagine an incredibly baggy butt and all kinds of unattractive back leg wrinkling. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Despite the TDCO expectation that you can get well-fitting pants without having to adjust the crotch curve or insteam, I noted that the front crotch on my one-legged muslin was pulling sideways and once I added a smidge of extra fabric there, I really wanted to add a cm of fabric at the inseam, to both front and back, to make the crotch curve less narrow front to back. Also, the extreme straightness of the upper inseam on these jeans, as drafted, just looks wrong to me. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My TDCO muslin told me to take out so much back waist length that I didn't believe it. So I made a two-legged muslin with the pattern adjusted for slightly less of a reduction. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyvgVbxXGCYkULf1zvpVjEiB3f4R7W9VQ9zxbDsvKaW-iCxtqWMSYVg19z1zR1Sv2zNBiwUTDBcnzTSguAzPSGtgrlBVY5AX8h6PYuryib15Ja2JPGcW4cTY-Xp3K0laRcPwZ1E0BCf9AeLXVhpg-v0h-ubNvW7On4b6yqLeW0KLYpmrMHDlbchUctO9k" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="735" data-original-width="719" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyvgVbxXGCYkULf1zvpVjEiB3f4R7W9VQ9zxbDsvKaW-iCxtqWMSYVg19z1zR1Sv2zNBiwUTDBcnzTSguAzPSGtgrlBVY5AX8h6PYuryib15Ja2JPGcW4cTY-Xp3K0laRcPwZ1E0BCf9AeLXVhpg-v0h-ubNvW7On4b6yqLeW0KLYpmrMHDlbchUctO9k=w313-h320" width="313" /></a></div>And ... found that I did in fact need to pinch out exactly as much as I had added back and that the waistband was also too big. Proof at left. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This gave me the confidence to adjust the actual pattern and cut it out in some denim I have lying around. In fact, it's the same very low stretch black denim I made the Morgan jeans out of in 2018. Now, as then, I feel like there's nothing wrong in having a little extra ease. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To be continued. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><br /></div><p></p>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-91420368092926256072023-10-17T10:21:00.001-04:002023-10-17T10:21:10.079-04:00Finishing so I can start something else<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkANWCdAx27nW1LCm64VPBpfh9NlGUzttmPWPFTevNcAbuQqvHSjDcSrBWX3ID2nbGVs4GU9U61bLSwCvUWsFpMHQAuLTySZtM6D5p7kBEXdH6OKMbrF5Pyz6e0KEsfCISw2ypzSXSMPo5RxpPlmgXO1aG_0NG-szKbaK7O2mRpW0q9_ODr550TEJPynA/s4032/20231016_184356643_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkANWCdAx27nW1LCm64VPBpfh9NlGUzttmPWPFTevNcAbuQqvHSjDcSrBWX3ID2nbGVs4GU9U61bLSwCvUWsFpMHQAuLTySZtM6D5p7kBEXdH6OKMbrF5Pyz6e0KEsfCISw2ypzSXSMPo5RxpPlmgXO1aG_0NG-szKbaK7O2mRpW0q9_ODr550TEJPynA/w480-h640/20231016_184356643_iOS.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>I made another pair of shortie <a href="https://closetcorepatterns.com/products/carolyn-pajama-sewing-pattern?_pos=1&_psq=car&_ss=e&_v=1.0&variant=39419144306822" target="_blank">Carolyn PJ</a>s for myself. But this time I changed the collar to be a more straightforward sew. <p></p><p>I don't love the fabric, which is a strangely flimsy cotton with this extremely large repeat. </p>I obviously wouldn't wear it tucked in but I think the shorts are hilarious (random pattern "matching") and they would be covered up if I had laid them out differently. <div><br /></div><div>I redrafted the front to have a straight folded CF edge and copied the shape of a collar from a mens' shirt pattern I have been using for my husband's PJs, shortening it at CB so it fit into the adjusted neckline. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHs1IyDAW_AaYHxKUbFIzHp9qahyphenhyphenxOko9Pxzs-Zc6X3wKPy-JK4V4t_IRi1XgeW8wLYDNMyGsYrIEO557oEbboTCEQo7IISV8rbaAXgC8d-Kpz-e20rttVVADixv2SIcBBpyggKIS-2YNNz5w2Ybhm6VF0Yvh06AY1hs2-V45aKZMY8TBOlqLpE4M432M/s615/Collar%20Instructions%202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="288" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHs1IyDAW_AaYHxKUbFIzHp9qahyphenhyphenxOko9Pxzs-Zc6X3wKPy-JK4V4t_IRi1XgeW8wLYDNMyGsYrIEO557oEbboTCEQo7IISV8rbaAXgC8d-Kpz-e20rttVVADixv2SIcBBpyggKIS-2YNNz5w2Ybhm6VF0Yvh06AY1hs2-V45aKZMY8TBOlqLpE4M432M/w188-h400/Collar%20Instructions%202.JPG" width="188" /></a></div>The round collar and lapels of the Carolyn pattern, as drafted, were my least favourite part of this pattern. </div><div><br /></div>They were more complicated to sew than the shirt collar I now have, which works perfectly. <br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTnMDEe2H3MbXq2Wr9lGYMVE7jRoJGCgtuJUcfPIXXN7_euMWRP4OFB68V2wvGxPLA86DN8M6oQIpuhYVxSubctx3_l0rrOV3SMK65gVgqOU90hpHu105V1jdRJo09MS58BUqTNVn-I5AL9v3CPBhoNk2tiiGRLrxBTV1FMqHQcRbhfx3Hii7bqba9FQ/s4032/20231016_184919674_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidTnMDEe2H3MbXq2Wr9lGYMVE7jRoJGCgtuJUcfPIXXN7_euMWRP4OFB68V2wvGxPLA86DN8M6oQIpuhYVxSubctx3_l0rrOV3SMK65gVgqOU90hpHu105V1jdRJo09MS58BUqTNVn-I5AL9v3CPBhoNk2tiiGRLrxBTV1FMqHQcRbhfx3Hii7bqba9FQ/s320/20231016_184919674_iOS.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div>Even though this is more or less a test sew, I used piping everywhere, including at the pocket edge in the shorts. </div><div><br /></div><div>Phew! With that out of the way (new summer PJs that I can't wear for months), I can turn to my next project.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm making the <a href="https://megannielsen.com/products/dawn-jeans-4-in-1-sewing-pattern" target="_blank">Dawn Jeans</a> and I actually made a muslin to check fit! Haven't done that for years. </div><div><br /></div><div>Stay tuned. </div><div><p><br /></p></div>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-12839188987918375852023-10-06T14:31:00.010-04:002023-10-06T19:59:03.827-04:00Lumb Bank cardigan<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKjZ7TfpAwMb-tXWVMjmsqQhXKdKvegx4_fLCcPDdLfLXwmPvcXC8U7MA8-0dtR7EwCA1QTVPURMcWJvk21rsE0C0EJ7QoZJlhCEXl8ZqYiJnAdj_9sjBfLisoJYopnk0fVENO2luIBGx0XuQMD9n_KJNX6aKrJFbkgVFGaPvWxqaDE2diJs0uJ29kmb4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2878" data-original-width="2279" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKjZ7TfpAwMb-tXWVMjmsqQhXKdKvegx4_fLCcPDdLfLXwmPvcXC8U7MA8-0dtR7EwCA1QTVPURMcWJvk21rsE0C0EJ7QoZJlhCEXl8ZqYiJnAdj_9sjBfLisoJYopnk0fVENO2luIBGx0XuQMD9n_KJNX6aKrJFbkgVFGaPvWxqaDE2diJs0uJ29kmb4=w507-h640" width="507" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We (the retreaters) have revealed our finished and mostly-finished cardigans to each other and to Nic Corrigan and are cleared to show them to whomever we please. So here is the cardigan I mostly made while in Yorkshire, but finished here at home. There, I used the assigned machine, which was a Silver Reed punchcard (a Zippy plus, which is older than a SR 360 I think). Here, I used my Brother KH965i. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>The Lumb Bank Slipover pattern is named after the location of the retreat (the steep hill) and Nic designed it with or without sleeves and with 3 different stitch patterns that evoke different aspects of the location - a leafy canopy, library bookshelves and mullioned windows. These designs can be used in whichever locations the maker wants - the entire sweater, panels, single motifs or otherwise. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Even though all of us were working with a limited colour palette and the same pattern, every cardigan was totally different. This is a pattern that allows you to really make it your own. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I chose to place the leaf pattern on the centre fronts and at the lower edge of the side fronts and back. One punch card repeat perfectly aligned with the pocket opening and continues around the back. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I didn't know (or possibly had failed to notice or forgotten) that stranded knitting is always longer than the equivalent number of rows in plain stockinette. I found I had to unravel about 10 rows of my centre fronts and re-cast off by hand to even them up with the side fronts.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_7504mufzu3VqdP5-3L30cArTAUFManakTU7LWQDt9VTYLsh5ARlITJaFxseoMAF-pM4IlopyP1yVLbH1CZJ93rptIc4YHYsDewLwruKlkOSSxCSeVdLXy5s7iP0TLp1Pu-bsHx4zrVbVKGOrDIHWSXJQ4lPLAm9-WeW7yGsmlqPUSzc9BHEIUT9KRqE" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1781" data-original-width="1549" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_7504mufzu3VqdP5-3L30cArTAUFManakTU7LWQDt9VTYLsh5ARlITJaFxseoMAF-pM4IlopyP1yVLbH1CZJ93rptIc4YHYsDewLwruKlkOSSxCSeVdLXy5s7iP0TLp1Pu-bsHx4zrVbVKGOrDIHWSXJQ4lPLAm9-WeW7yGsmlqPUSzc9BHEIUT9KRqE=w348-h400" width="348" /></a></div>As you can see, this is a boxy design with relatively narrow 1x1 ribbed sleeves. There is virtually no shaping in the body - no back neck drop, no armscye shaping. The shoulders are shaped with short rows. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were able to examine and try on some samples at the retreat, and based on my assessment I made some changes so it would fit me better. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is a V neck at front, which is fully fashioned. As designed, it is quite a bit lower than the front of my cardigan. I knit extra rows to raise it up by about 10cm. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also decreased the width of the back by approximately 4cm (there is a centre back seam) because my back is narrow. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Finally, I lengthened the back overall and added a back neck drop. This helps the cardigan sit correctly on my shoulders. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I did a couple of things differently in the construction as well. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The samples had seams sewn with wrong sides together. I made mine the conventional way. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The instructions asked for all body pieces to be taken off the machine on waste yarn rather than cast off, and then seamed using a linker. I wanted the stability of a cast off edge at the shoulder and back neck. Also, I was taking the pieces home in my luggage and wanted the stitches to be extra secure. So I cast off around the gate pegs on all but the sleeves. I left the sleeve stitches live but cast off the waste yarn for security.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisTiyXUDPfCYXKhorpBV7ZniIxQ5qwUslfi5P8cwwgV-7EjiL_VlsKSoVm9e2QuMMBTvQJg4aSdQBFnVzWBHlXol9-UTtf32xG-ntl49-g2G8qEi96sxQVplViO0XHp6eVzIIr-W5QOZYE6KAVoEyCvmg1aJGu2MtWAz5ix8qQF0nzSwva_f8XyMCw8Io" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisTiyXUDPfCYXKhorpBV7ZniIxQ5qwUslfi5P8cwwgV-7EjiL_VlsKSoVm9e2QuMMBTvQJg4aSdQBFnVzWBHlXol9-UTtf32xG-ntl49-g2G8qEi96sxQVplViO0XHp6eVzIIr-W5QOZYE6KAVoEyCvmg1aJGu2MtWAz5ix8qQF0nzSwva_f8XyMCw8Io" width="180" /></a>I totally recalculated the neck band so that it had a seam at CB rather than (as designed) two seams above the V crossing of the front neck. The structure of the band is many stitches cast on in full needle rib, and then every 2nd stitch transferred on the ribber bed. It looks like 1x1 ribbing on the ribber side, which is the public side once attached, and like FNR on the main bed side. It's OK but not my favourite ever neck band technique. My thought was that it needed to be stretched much more than the pattern indicated - i.e. that the pattern instructions would produce a neck band that is overall too long for the opening. I am glad I shortened it and think I could have been even more aggressive as it is not sitting quite flat at the side neck. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKUh5dP9eWMbkpeB85e7APZ5gp-PuKYs0APK0d_GnvGIjz_-NGNpGcATKCx2I4Kv6mnQnknPZNuoTLM4JciurWtyinwB9JK7bI6vVvKN5P1bvjJTxaRfF5sS12bxjmL_vUf6TESdBZTHPLGSwbYbw18L6HIYyjKK0mA43EaiXw-hVjnGNJ35Sa08soxeM" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3526" data-original-width="2644" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKUh5dP9eWMbkpeB85e7APZ5gp-PuKYs0APK0d_GnvGIjz_-NGNpGcATKCx2I4Kv6mnQnknPZNuoTLM4JciurWtyinwB9JK7bI6vVvKN5P1bvjJTxaRfF5sS12bxjmL_vUf6TESdBZTHPLGSwbYbw18L6HIYyjKK0mA43EaiXw-hVjnGNJ35Sa08soxeM=w240-h320" width="240" /></a></div>I made the pockets exactly <br />as the pattern instructed. They are just an extra length of knitting within the side fronts (knitted with the few stitches to either side in hold). I made them in the contrasting colour. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3DY4peIp9hcx2LbUqMrF-cT507JePBpcm0yRKMBM1JHK402u15Gqec014HUigAlWjGTHYtm5xS4ZBMjd-cSE7Si_dkd1LFWqy-J55EhbtHH50Ig05DgvUqLJA1ll_1zK2CXXXXQGe_iHGBxDU3zucXOg1Th3hOZ3W0mjw0ytoNv4ipE6qNhazVIOPSjA" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi3DY4peIp9hcx2LbUqMrF-cT507JePBpcm0yRKMBM1JHK402u15Gqec014HUigAlWjGTHYtm5xS4ZBMjd-cSE7Si_dkd1LFWqy-J55EhbtHH50Ig05DgvUqLJA1ll_1zK2CXXXXQGe_iHGBxDU3zucXOg1Th3hOZ3W0mjw0ytoNv4ipE6qNhazVIOPSjA" width="180" /></a></div>I attached the lower corners to the seams so they don't flip up (copying what I saw in Nic's samples).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I assembled the cardigan mostly on my linker but had to attach the band by hand due to technical issues too tedious to describe. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">New features/experiences associated with this project:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgB1Za38qpNT6oP0MUyboAksUAZKovzsnmOkglHFj1l9BOoubhGlHB8mvdrrXTFicePai4QKThHooBe-mY3HCJ8oDJWmlPDz0TCwejuSPgsrS_bPF9TnXOK6DQyN1k11PhrVD66v4X0rHhytIgfkUgxIayVNfcvRatSngvytFUuDOKu03aH76TNdS_OpTE" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgB1Za38qpNT6oP0MUyboAksUAZKovzsnmOkglHFj1l9BOoubhGlHB8mvdrrXTFicePai4QKThHooBe-mY3HCJ8oDJWmlPDz0TCwejuSPgsrS_bPF9TnXOK6DQyN1k11PhrVD66v4X0rHhytIgfkUgxIayVNfcvRatSngvytFUuDOKu03aH76TNdS_OpTE" width="180" /></a></div>Intensive knitting experience - no time to ruminate, had to make quick decisions, jump in and just knit. That was surprisingly tiring!</li><li>Properly fully fashioned ribbing (behold at right the underarm seam). <br /></li><li>Put almost the whole thing together using my linker, which hasn't been my favourite piece of kit. </li></ul><br />BTW the actual colour of this cardigan is somewhere between how it appears in the inside and outside-in-the-sun photos. The yarn is very heathery. It's Gardiner Yarns SS11 Shetland, 100% wool. I'm not convinced I got all of the spinning oil out of it when I washed it and may attempt to rough it up some more to make it a bit softer. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once I finished it I realized I didn't have a lot of tops that would look good with this. I'll have to make something!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p></div>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-17043775203701388722023-10-01T15:36:00.004-04:002023-10-01T15:51:06.793-04:00First ever MKC retreat<p>Last month, I went to a machine knitting retreat. It was AMAZING! </p><p>Five days in a beautiful house perched halfway down a steep hill (Lumb Bank) outside a quaint, tiny village (Heptonstall) outside a quaint small town (Hebden Bridge) in the Calderdale district of Yorkshire, England, with 15 like-minded knitters, 3 wonderful hosts and 2 expert instructors. </p><p>I'm still processing it. </p><p>For now, enjoy these photos.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCqyijZz37KusxoFbnf7Gsx6-3OoCse8rGRAIsre-1-HZoVfaj0mi-H2Kr5Gn7z2mEZZa_YsP4igCzvHhNBrWKaeiy5xoI6R74Fx1O2iNUY5fX5_bPKPy5ULFFP3uFUAdfw1rbxQKOT61O7TqLE04KWHbBhXCnVq5GnSSLSu837u99Z4C7nbYB4BQOoI/s4032/20230901_142719683_iOS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCqyijZz37KusxoFbnf7Gsx6-3OoCse8rGRAIsre-1-HZoVfaj0mi-H2Kr5Gn7z2mEZZa_YsP4igCzvHhNBrWKaeiy5xoI6R74Fx1O2iNUY5fX5_bPKPy5ULFFP3uFUAdfw1rbxQKOT61O7TqLE04KWHbBhXCnVq5GnSSLSu837u99Z4C7nbYB4BQOoI/w480-h640/20230901_142719683_iOS.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is the house. It's the <a href="https://www.arvon.org/centres/lumb-bank/">Ted Hughes Arvon Centre</a> at Lumb Bank. I took this photo from across the very steep valley. The house is an 18th century millowner's house that once belonged to Ted Hughes, who was for a time the poet laureat of England and the husband of Sylvia Plath. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Another view of it from the "road" that leads to it. It's really not more than a track. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoICzPzDEzk8kAkRGt9YbSM8PLTyNx4GCrrt6aJmWrRhNjX5gzkhFfkiesvWtqRJHIz77xDOTLAZONTbL41PQdEfC30nbaf1LfZ9SkDTQavWDk5OkhbY_6zvtC1yKAzrSHAL4M3fSMo05I83Tfz21E2eoytZL891oHEGdzOb5jwAmcwipBBl9iGOZ6deY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoICzPzDEzk8kAkRGt9YbSM8PLTyNx4GCrrt6aJmWrRhNjX5gzkhFfkiesvWtqRJHIz77xDOTLAZONTbL41PQdEfC30nbaf1LfZ9SkDTQavWDk5OkhbY_6zvtC1yKAzrSHAL4M3fSMo05I83Tfz21E2eoytZL891oHEGdzOb5jwAmcwipBBl9iGOZ6deY=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbQMfQ8Z-s819t9Gh6J-dr8EQPLs__vcMV9II2y9BQX02aVLQU-D2a_jCjQBj61gfs2scRY3QkXrPWxbFNts2ZzMPZX8MzlrGiKYUh5Og1dRPkUc6tUoQuOU5AlJsYPPy9-l33jURTjFlXBCoHIFJwQWX2SxWZAYVtBUV5Pyw0-3pqGdvMZ9WMMRW7fPc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpooUErH5wLLH7eOmXEh8JVgdRLgBboMUOwxDdZONYx1Dvdthz55Q0Ju5ixSwdsNIFPeP8IVcHQDxPz-GcD1Eg-mr1PnSIFIlGzeoNlaQa39ZqusLp8F7mkb8J4O2-VnevrE0Do6pg0VHTBFQ8lIpTjGrlF0Xx91VgFnuuxYonIrsURUHDrv3IkpAfVy8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjpooUErH5wLLH7eOmXEh8JVgdRLgBboMUOwxDdZONYx1Dvdthz55Q0Ju5ixSwdsNIFPeP8IVcHQDxPz-GcD1Eg-mr1PnSIFIlGzeoNlaQa39ZqusLp8F7mkb8J4O2-VnevrE0Do6pg0VHTBFQ8lIpTjGrlF0Xx91VgFnuuxYonIrsURUHDrv3IkpAfVy8=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is the view from the front lawn of the house, looking out more or less in the direction from which I took the first photo. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And here is the cat, Ted Hughes, who is not allowed in the house at all.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_8EAFW3wwFsrTQgs21HSln4sR1S8_orYyaeSFzsw4iLvmx_3ZolPwcrv903f_i-DHAy--AgEn43PguL9pu1_SbxZ8nZMbfyzFyQ4WNNvSKDtY3zMYjJtPj8ZsQuVYE6U1X_nlgVqtmBNQ0eFjX7yKo5SZ_haPyKA17AjLxMEGPCVOJqjkUxemjgqGrMQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_8EAFW3wwFsrTQgs21HSln4sR1S8_orYyaeSFzsw4iLvmx_3ZolPwcrv903f_i-DHAy--AgEn43PguL9pu1_SbxZ8nZMbfyzFyQ4WNNvSKDtY3zMYjJtPj8ZsQuVYE6U1X_nlgVqtmBNQ0eFjX7yKo5SZ_haPyKA17AjLxMEGPCVOJqjkUxemjgqGrMQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our knitting room was in "the barn". </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXgwMqAm6lxUxJluaOJw3LpOclhObXVRllrAzc7V5w3CS_cAaMoA-XUpvfoZcB619zUELTrSPko03k_kmcv_SykX6FY3SIpdSDecUobkJL9Bwm7aXp0CyWq0NMC1tURXqK3BAu_oPdtA7TqQwRtN7JzhHBGBDo027gqNgPU7f_u57r1A5qGocC8SQ8d4Y" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXgwMqAm6lxUxJluaOJw3LpOclhObXVRllrAzc7V5w3CS_cAaMoA-XUpvfoZcB619zUELTrSPko03k_kmcv_SykX6FY3SIpdSDecUobkJL9Bwm7aXp0CyWq0NMC1tURXqK3BAu_oPdtA7TqQwRtN7JzhHBGBDo027gqNgPU7f_u57r1A5qGocC8SQ8d4Y=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>This was before we started, which explains why it is so neat.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On day 1, we were introduced to a forthcoming pattern (holding a retreat seems an elaborate way of finding pattern testers LOL) and got to choose our yarn.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwVVCg-rpXLuwrZRsPN_rqePcdyi4Y_zNo-NrumzXC7WOugQJQHRDT4M4KQ1ivmukpBxmrgXj5KFY7uh1qtV2cO7-xfeJy1-i3jjEmEVUWFCfhnRkBXmmyj3-Z5eJyZdrjsfuw0Wv1mHZe6Gz0vX3Xcb1OPMM3EUTl52Ueirb9kfuFz0XP1SbjTwb41zo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwVVCg-rpXLuwrZRsPN_rqePcdyi4Y_zNo-NrumzXC7WOugQJQHRDT4M4KQ1ivmukpBxmrgXj5KFY7uh1qtV2cO7-xfeJy1-i3jjEmEVUWFCfhnRkBXmmyj3-Z5eJyZdrjsfuw0Wv1mHZe6Gz0vX3Xcb1OPMM3EUTl52Ueirb9kfuFz0XP1SbjTwb41zo=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />My knitting throne. I lucked out!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg94Mbo-pmx-DLQZct8nave6aJwFkUKiyU3BNxicRLpElau8RjXmWmCj25QeH6ilxxsVoy_2B34gVz8LhslWy5LxMVPTQIZv8M8dh0FcEUkkDpLf4bjmlenG7dgTSRiH42rlmES563i_RKHfCqLutRypDuwDbWq92A9t3vIXUraHdNCPg6rNKXouoDwOZw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg94Mbo-pmx-DLQZct8nave6aJwFkUKiyU3BNxicRLpElau8RjXmWmCj25QeH6ilxxsVoy_2B34gVz8LhslWy5LxMVPTQIZv8M8dh0FcEUkkDpLf4bjmlenG7dgTSRiH42rlmES563i_RKHfCqLutRypDuwDbWq92A9t3vIXUraHdNCPg6rNKXouoDwOZw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br />Proof that I sat there and worked. I was concentrating!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwrHb-zcSVH9lV0rLA2tozMimJcrw6fZnelzyUX6MyII8Kh03R3YoZz-W1PQJtB_XRl8sLRhv8Lwuw0z6aT8nLkaqp9cj2b_AtiMshTCg6O2gz4BLrOeo72QfqQxs3VYIcYjQvuOvrBE4qlWcaewivB9jTYUvau-AWKH7Ue9KIuM3HaQBtJ0wVTQ2OeqU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwrHb-zcSVH9lV0rLA2tozMimJcrw6fZnelzyUX6MyII8Kh03R3YoZz-W1PQJtB_XRl8sLRhv8Lwuw0z6aT8nLkaqp9cj2b_AtiMshTCg6O2gz4BLrOeo72QfqQxs3VYIcYjQvuOvrBE4qlWcaewivB9jTYUvau-AWKH7Ue9KIuM3HaQBtJ0wVTQ2OeqU=w640-h426" width="640" /></a></div><br />In four very intense days I knitted all of the pieces of my (secret project). It is now finished and this coming week, we retreaters are meeting up by Zoom to unveil our finished items to each other. Afterwards, Nic (Corrigan, founder of the <a href="https://www.machineknit.community/" target="_blank">Machine Knit Community</a>) will release the pattern to the world. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-9547276701656918802023-09-28T13:25:00.001-04:002023-09-28T13:25:19.161-04:00Momentous development<p>Should I edit the title of my blog? </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5MRwLtAVXfZo6qSmNJZFmQS-QPwa5kbdrS-Ohxje1KCSobz00neFY0dHSquBz07tNME4iIGFJQqVUPYy-jfDjzJEYxbsvpikriHHPwkOWy5Ccn0EXDlEC-OkjaIgxWL7KCeKrS-6UBxpy1wRtEeSMn9J4SHml65jZW_iyye3GLjr9jumlzE5ox0UtAus" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="773" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5MRwLtAVXfZo6qSmNJZFmQS-QPwa5kbdrS-Ohxje1KCSobz00neFY0dHSquBz07tNME4iIGFJQqVUPYy-jfDjzJEYxbsvpikriHHPwkOWy5Ccn0EXDlEC-OkjaIgxWL7KCeKrS-6UBxpy1wRtEeSMn9J4SHml65jZW_iyye3GLjr9jumlzE5ox0UtAus" width="320" /></a></div><br />As of mid September, this is me. More time for doing my stuff. We shall see if it includes more sewing and knitting projects, and if I make time to blog about it. <p></p><p>Stay tuned!</p>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-66399546855252337812023-07-23T08:20:00.001-04:002023-07-23T08:20:15.159-04:00My onesie is not a onesie<p>Once again, I fell for a new Closet Core pattern. This time it is the<a href="https://closetcorepatterns.com/collections/dresses/products/jo-dress-pattern-jumpsuit-pattern?_pos=1&_fid=1a7e0694b&_ss=c&variant=40165633622150" target="_blank"> Jo Dress & Jumpsuit</a>. The dress immediately appealed to me, but as I'm about to retire (no more office clothes!) I decided maybe I shouldn't be sewing a structured dress that I would have very few occasions to wear. So then, the pants... </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwDWpLIDZg0nyOtlfO8f_Hzjd4wGibKPrya5vrWmZstzjgwy9xLB6IQkbVAUaRFgrG37gLTQ0ZFU75t1bS2kdHv9Yy9WLFWp9LWAB9zbsPJ_DtMTG7NSxWtaWxpSbReMusPkctRKbwtBENKMaXUc7AujwuHENczoqjle8ZAqKQidIoiaI1wxI8Hcvybo/s2575/20230722_182130589_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2575" data-original-width="1717" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwDWpLIDZg0nyOtlfO8f_Hzjd4wGibKPrya5vrWmZstzjgwy9xLB6IQkbVAUaRFgrG37gLTQ0ZFU75t1bS2kdHv9Yy9WLFWp9LWAB9zbsPJ_DtMTG7NSxWtaWxpSbReMusPkctRKbwtBENKMaXUc7AujwuHENczoqjle8ZAqKQidIoiaI1wxI8Hcvybo/w426-h640/20230722_182130589_iOS.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><p>But an actual jumpsuit????? No way. </p><p>I think jumpsuits and I passed each other on fashion street when I was in my 20s or 30s (?). I cannot actually remember but I know that I didn't want to wear them then either. Their immense impracticality is a deal breaker. </p><p>But then I thought - I could make a top using the Jo pattern and some matching pants! Two pieces would be so much more versatile. </p><p>So that is what I did. I had this linen print in stash and there was enough of it to make my outfit. </p><p>Let's talk about the top first. It is, almost straight-up, the Jo bodice. </p><p>In the olden days (long pre- pandemic) I would obsessively test every pattern before cutting it out in my "good" fabric. Somehow I've lost the desire for that, and have become more willing to live dangerously and prepared to adjust on the fly.</p><p>This was not a fantastic strategy for the top of the Jo pattern. Based on my measurements I cut a size 6 but I could easily have gone down to 4 or maybe even 2. </p><p>There are two main pattern pieces - a front and a back. The sleeves are cut on. Because of this, you cannot really alter the size once cut. </p><p>The top is interesting because of the way these pieces are connected at the top of the shoulders and centre front. The pattern describes the joining seams as "slot seams" but in my opinion they are not. A <a href="https://www.doinaalexei.com/sewing-a-slot-seam.html" target="_blank">typical slot seam</a> is structurally similar to a centred (non-invisible) zipper but instead of a zipper that's hidden, it's a contrasting strip of fabric. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghym1INfI0vTQ3y9-shwzLpB399OQTYfs8iFEgPeP-hRQKap1FBPeuWbrxevT2neVzqvQDtE2ThcvgnfOS0hk4e1Mj9EZ7BmL2-LjwRL5VVo7pWsiTNvRDp4BAZSSvGW0QpcOw9QumxRMEsAuTdzLymjH80zcAeerobwQVZnMWKAwkyedKavdkgpzMz_g/s2293/20230722_182544519_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2293" data-original-width="2256" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghym1INfI0vTQ3y9-shwzLpB399OQTYfs8iFEgPeP-hRQKap1FBPeuWbrxevT2neVzqvQDtE2ThcvgnfOS0hk4e1Mj9EZ7BmL2-LjwRL5VVo7pWsiTNvRDp4BAZSSvGW0QpcOw9QumxRMEsAuTdzLymjH80zcAeerobwQVZnMWKAwkyedKavdkgpzMz_g/s320/20230722_182544519_iOS.jpg" width="315" /></a></div>The seams of the Jo top do have a separate strip of fabric that connects the main pattern pieces, but the overlap, which is formed by bias binding, is very firmly stitched down to the strip underneath, rendering it all but invisible.<p></p><p>In the photo at right, you can see that the bias binding continues above the sleeve seam and finishes the front and back neck. At centre front, it curves again into another "slot seam" that continues down to the waist of the dress or jumpsuit (and to the hem of my top). <br /></p><p>You can't really try this on before it is all constructed, mostly because the centre back seam (a zipper if you are actually making the Jo pattern as designed) is the very last step. I wasn't sure I would need any kind of back opening to get this on as a top, and I was hedging my bets on this up until the end, i.e. until it was essentially fully constructed.</p><p>Oh who am I kidding? I could have slammed it together enough to try it on before I did all the bias binding. But what I could not have done was any serious adjustment at that point. Because, of course, the size and shape is pre-ordained once you have cut out the main pieces without alteration. So I continued on a wing and a prayer.</p><p>Only to find out that the neckline was HUGE. Too low and too wide, especially at the back. </p><p>In order to make this wearable, I added the little orange linen triangles you can see in the photo above. These not only bring the deep V of the front neck up, and the wide Vs of the shoulder points in, they also stabilize those joins and keep them from spreading out. Since I had cut orange joining strips in the faint hope that a bit of orange would shine through my "slot seams", I am very happy with the aesthetics of these little triangles as well as with their functionality. </p><p>I did not need a zip at the back. The pattern has a zipper there, and a ruler-straight centre back seam. I took a good 4-5cm out of the CB at the neck edge, tapering out to the original seam by mid back. This helped with the falling-off-my-shoulders feature of the bodice as designed. It's easy to pull the top on over my head. </p><p>What else? I obviously lengthened the pattern pieces to top length and I ignored the darts in the front of the Jo pattern. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKzPNo-cFu547cdcD-yZCg03Ss2xPLcEo4Me3AbPlB1DI9H-vUmBIxem3JoMVzj2ZWGVI0_wueFvDFNtYlV0McGljZae-bneR3QvXJBvyVNAkrdHXF7ali4niplxQ5lB89IJ4y7utla-9Mx8QNeJiowNqaiIHweXjA5pySOgc8Qu6p6m5QAxHTCsGyzI/s2642/20230722_182410809_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2642" data-original-width="2016" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKzPNo-cFu547cdcD-yZCg03Ss2xPLcEo4Me3AbPlB1DI9H-vUmBIxem3JoMVzj2ZWGVI0_wueFvDFNtYlV0McGljZae-bneR3QvXJBvyVNAkrdHXF7ali4niplxQ5lB89IJ4y7utla-9Mx8QNeJiowNqaiIHweXjA5pySOgc8Qu6p6m5QAxHTCsGyzI/s320/20230722_182410809_iOS.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>I made the bigger sleeves (go big or go home?). The bias strip construction gives them lots of structure. <p></p><p>The sleeve hem was far too wide for my frame. I sewed the underarm sleeve seam in by at least 5cm at the hem, tapering back to the original seam at the point where it pivots to become the side seam. </p><p>If making this again (assuming I need more than one top shaped like this, maybe questionable) I would start with a smaller size, fold out some length in the upper bodice/sleeve at front, and shorten the sleeves by a couple of cm. As made, it tends to fall back at the shoulder. I think the upper front is too long. </p><p>If I had thought about my experience over decades of sewing for myself, I ought to have predicted all of this. </p><p>Onward to the pants.</p><p>The bottom of the Jo jumpsuit is a cropped pant with a flat front and elasticated back waist. The crotch depth is ... baggy (jumpsuit, another reason not to like them). I wanted pants with a similar look but that would actually fit me. <a href="https://closetcorepatterns.com/products/pietra-pants-shorts-pattern?_pos=1&_sid=0f5654618&_ss=r&variant=39419178483846" target="_blank">Pietra</a> to the rescue. I picked View B (the slim legged, cropped pants). </p><p></p><p>I do not like clothes that are too tight, and it's a tiny bit possible that I think I am bigger than I am. So my tendency is to err on the large side, and then I have to adjust in the sewing once I can see how things are going to fit. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGr8QmcuWlgL3b6P7YWKRuE-mmCxmz9ElJD_M-8wXSaWx4V60yR1y1qWPsLoqYywgWAaiKqBxaHAZN2Nu6rb_CKF4Y0F4ALBSy1Jssg3B9ns2T76Q8WP-4YscgRCk6k917tNYXqdEWF79-g3a7Ll3c_eIPzDngvwkcrtQMviUhm90NaHc28FxEuIuqxj8/s2758/20230722_182446572_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2758" data-original-width="1910" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGr8QmcuWlgL3b6P7YWKRuE-mmCxmz9ElJD_M-8wXSaWx4V60yR1y1qWPsLoqYywgWAaiKqBxaHAZN2Nu6rb_CKF4Y0F4ALBSy1Jssg3B9ns2T76Q8WP-4YscgRCk6k917tNYXqdEWF79-g3a7Ll3c_eIPzDngvwkcrtQMviUhm90NaHc28FxEuIuqxj8/w278-h400/20230722_182446572_iOS.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>My hip measurement these days is exactly in the middle between size 8 (94cm) and 10 (98cm) on the Closet Core chart. According to the pattern, the garment hip would measure 98.4cm, only 2.4cm of ease. Not enough for my liking, I thought. So I graded out to a size 10 at the inner and outer leg, and to size 12 at the hip (105.4cm finished). Which is what I got, and it was very baggy especially in the back. <p></p><p>I retrofitted them by taking them in at the hip by about 4cm. Back to a teeny bit bigger than size 8. Now they fit OK, although I think they would have benefited from darts in the back, and to have the elastic a bit snugger at the waist. <br /></p><p>No mind, they are comfortable. I can definitely see myself making this pattern again.</p><p>It remains to be seen if I will wear this outfit more than I would have worn the dress...</p><p><br /></p>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-31714710829092088622023-06-11T14:20:00.000-04:002023-06-11T14:20:37.769-04:00Everybody needs new PJs, right?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0hLkPb2_XyDy0zQ0VhfEIc9VwJENUEd0eDei89qYsZzbdFwv5VP970Cf_04Rq7C0VgG2i4gYmJQULWVNJxawp4WXnmbVl-lGOQukWYfv-osVsoB7a2yFiOOMRCYHRLfdC0hjlhunFwnL19_p_L1Si2auul1Df5JkvP4NyUy8TtaIHNV-1KJz8u_K/s4032/20230610_190756279_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0hLkPb2_XyDy0zQ0VhfEIc9VwJENUEd0eDei89qYsZzbdFwv5VP970Cf_04Rq7C0VgG2i4gYmJQULWVNJxawp4WXnmbVl-lGOQukWYfv-osVsoB7a2yFiOOMRCYHRLfdC0hjlhunFwnL19_p_L1Si2auul1Df5JkvP4NyUy8TtaIHNV-1KJz8u_K/w300-h400/20230610_190756279_iOS.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>I usually make my husband a pair of tailored PJs at Christmas, but for some reason I was sleeping in disintegrating non-me-made flannelette PJs (winter) or t-shirts and shorts (summer). I have a couple of trips coming up this summer and needed to up my game. <p></p><p>I decided to make the <a href="https://closetcorepatterns.com/collections/sewing-patterns-all/products/carolyn-pajama-sewing-pattern?_pos=8&_fid=45ef23773&_ss=c&variant=39419144306822" target="_blank">Carolyn Pajamas</a> pattern from Closet Core. Enter this Egyptian themed and weirdly badly printed fabric, pure cotton, that I bought years ago at the Fabric Flea Market. I had always earmarked it for PJs because ... well, that print! It's so strange!</p><p>Now behold, my new shortie PJ set.</p><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8Sf5YmkSZPaLlhUsNtFXQlNWTUqovUH52WglkT3sTl1VggbKZK1v8STijhKUSf3_f_2Y57VYDPYr5EedJtisNkPfraZw3sNetO1Jt7zIjAExMnizTii3ZQDzlKRricFHofJQy8VVhNnMlM8RWmB6RVj5H1VOZw070kzrgKA55YEf7q4hIGdZGpHG/s3642/20230603_222817132_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3642" data-original-width="2732" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8Sf5YmkSZPaLlhUsNtFXQlNWTUqovUH52WglkT3sTl1VggbKZK1v8STijhKUSf3_f_2Y57VYDPYr5EedJtisNkPfraZw3sNetO1Jt7zIjAExMnizTii3ZQDzlKRricFHofJQy8VVhNnMlM8RWmB6RVj5H1VOZw070kzrgKA55YEf7q4hIGdZGpHG/s320/20230603_222817132_iOS.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>When I make tailored PJs, I do it right with contrast piping (striped shirting from stash) and matching prints, even where the print is pretty ridiculous. <div><br /></div><div>The shirt pocket (totally redundant and also almost completely impossible to find) is at left. This set also has piping up the front edges, around the collar, and on the cuffs of both the sleeves and the shorts. </div><div><br /></div><div>I made the Carolyns once before but didn't use the pants pattern. This time I printed off the shorts pattern. It's interesting that there is a separate set of pages for the shorts, they are not just a "cut here" line on the long pants. </div><div><br /></div><div>Looking at the dimensions of the pattern, I decided to size up. Who needs snug and low-rise PJ pants? Not I!</div><div><br /></div><div>My hips put me in a size 10 so I cut a 12 for width and went up to the size 20 line at the waist. </div><div><br /></div><div>It is kind of silly to have pockets in PJ pants, but these do. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6A14S3dwIZsDdnDRLDXmDyeyQ2n9u8Mli3_AVqF3ze18gmXbl-W_IzBtfRwVmQ1VapRti3eL5CHwR9Lklg4tqFv-CWkixf6NpM3KNBl74iCpCMZAM6r7gWE6PpFJjNsTgtFfVTzCllwlH7zpw_NpZH2jQc8tylVSDm_g39dJaLKimonr8Mek5viD/s4032/20230610_190827107_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6A14S3dwIZsDdnDRLDXmDyeyQ2n9u8Mli3_AVqF3ze18gmXbl-W_IzBtfRwVmQ1VapRti3eL5CHwR9Lklg4tqFv-CWkixf6NpM3KNBl74iCpCMZAM6r7gWE6PpFJjNsTgtFfVTzCllwlH7zpw_NpZH2jQc8tylVSDm_g39dJaLKimonr8Mek5viD/s320/20230610_190827107_iOS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I can't see them in this photo. Take it on faith.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAs4ON8Ax38v1jeKjGQPIRyFlbnxOVJf2ujmg5SAeHtkbK8Jk87KxVNP_PVdMXdlF2WDwVC8m_zEzR7HAVhMDtUrqpMb8JqfMadtVli4-UHrdQsCQxvpL9aNwD8S-F6XYvGjpYoFXei5cClYmfnFcq0zXZf0lpiHMgcvd4t_llE-tdWBCXt5RtVNgH/s2676/20190103_020921174_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2676" data-original-width="1891" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAs4ON8Ax38v1jeKjGQPIRyFlbnxOVJf2ujmg5SAeHtkbK8Jk87KxVNP_PVdMXdlF2WDwVC8m_zEzR7HAVhMDtUrqpMb8JqfMadtVli4-UHrdQsCQxvpL9aNwD8S-F6XYvGjpYoFXei5cClYmfnFcq0zXZf0lpiHMgcvd4t_llE-tdWBCXt5RtVNgH/s320/20190103_020921174_iOS.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><div>One thing that bugged me about my previous Carolyns (pictured at left) is that the collar and facings don't behave unless you iron your PJs. Who irons PJs? Not me!</div><div><br /></div>They were made from light weight flannelette with the contrast piping and facings in quilting cotton. I interfaced everything (as per pattern) with an extra layer of the cotton. </div><div><br /></div><div><div>For this pair, because this cotton fabric is quite firm, I decided not to interface anything. The piping ensures the edges won't collapse. And I stitched the facings to the fronts, through all layers, so they will never flip up or fold back. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8-8NcN8tds_bCfaCVdotBtQQeXvV4n10jsGx-HBvNH2-YOxYunqfrIgPl8CeQ7V3VVsmeHlSlMGIfPKMTiG-g90f8w5_EB9oI-yNuImR8QT8EDkfxZrgVUQ0b7vgpTHxDMSEgKay0pQMHWJKjFKIjVIYiNEaph9DsRhTmbW0vZgG5fI35EU36Y70/s4032/20230610_191012831_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8-8NcN8tds_bCfaCVdotBtQQeXvV4n10jsGx-HBvNH2-YOxYunqfrIgPl8CeQ7V3VVsmeHlSlMGIfPKMTiG-g90f8w5_EB9oI-yNuImR8QT8EDkfxZrgVUQ0b7vgpTHxDMSEgKay0pQMHWJKjFKIjVIYiNEaph9DsRhTmbW0vZgG5fI35EU36Y70/s320/20230610_191012831_iOS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNzMVjadTDTt06gUwgxONdSNlw4GEhjyjRnX0lF7gSvi2m6HgWh_ocx4FJoktP7WNEERbLvYKrcyZU64E6l4BIxTV_D9ZlYUxprILNb75OycBvwxzdlbyWuFrkWi3LGmDfYTIn4RbWympFv9jMwP7dDzuabRppjzYaOLKVsyMl439-URvrFEowT3UJ/s4032/20230610_190844688_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNzMVjadTDTt06gUwgxONdSNlw4GEhjyjRnX0lF7gSvi2m6HgWh_ocx4FJoktP7WNEERbLvYKrcyZU64E6l4BIxTV_D9ZlYUxprILNb75OycBvwxzdlbyWuFrkWi3LGmDfYTIn4RbWympFv9jMwP7dDzuabRppjzYaOLKVsyMl439-URvrFEowT3UJ/w320-h240/20230610_190844688_iOS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>As in my other pair, I added a deep back neck facing to encase the neckline seam. </div><div><br /></div><div>I wasted a bit of time treating this print seriously and trying to figure out which Egyptian personages are featured. No luck. Maybe one of them is the god of sleep... </div><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-44355192120717465582023-05-28T17:22:00.004-04:002023-05-28T17:22:59.017-04:00This shirt is HUUUUGE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEDpVgO1SjtCg0HUwDa3sEfRXbPsURYHBI2IdBCdgYKlfwvZOBeO-_uM3PHy0e31xnIjXyFKSeIqTm8zkm1yb0vYoPGOOStminINIk1pF4d3QlK2NkvDumAoy0utRIRdeTsP36KQprd2Yyc2R8hpzXPaF8v_uNl4IY54XmdWr62IBGKwrBAeoV-la/s2621/20230527_194643419_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2621" data-original-width="2087" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOEDpVgO1SjtCg0HUwDa3sEfRXbPsURYHBI2IdBCdgYKlfwvZOBeO-_uM3PHy0e31xnIjXyFKSeIqTm8zkm1yb0vYoPGOOStminINIk1pF4d3QlK2NkvDumAoy0utRIRdeTsP36KQprd2Yyc2R8hpzXPaF8v_uNl4IY54XmdWr62IBGKwrBAeoV-la/w510-h640/20230527_194643419_iOS.jpg" width="510" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">I recently bought the pattern for the </span><a href="https://www.patternfantastique.com/collections/top-sewing-patterns/products/phen-shirt-pdf-pattern?variant=42700820512931" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Phen Shirt</a><span style="text-align: left;">, after seeing versions I loved on </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/phenshirt/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">Instagram</a><span style="text-align: left;">. </span></div><p>Behold:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTDkGs5Zx1SnyHBD4yU922D2cCbvQxI8pHI8_WYA8i86Ulst0ZWqpRQMnRBjpp4Y82CMKTArBLzPIz-d-mYiFgFDt1lYFdZdmOJuNX3qSGuUMZ0dzEjGLnJxRsD_zkvaWbYedNiz5lea9ksEaHQOEFL_qR0IkvLFUZyrumt1IDgadtrQNvZ-A9KQR/s1100/Phen%20Back.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1100" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTDkGs5Zx1SnyHBD4yU922D2cCbvQxI8pHI8_WYA8i86Ulst0ZWqpRQMnRBjpp4Y82CMKTArBLzPIz-d-mYiFgFDt1lYFdZdmOJuNX3qSGuUMZ0dzEjGLnJxRsD_zkvaWbYedNiz5lea9ksEaHQOEFL_qR0IkvLFUZyrumt1IDgadtrQNvZ-A9KQR/s320/Phen%20Back.webp" width="320" /></a></div></blockquote><p>How could I resist this crazy silhouette? The beautiful deep back yoke? The stitched down box pleat? The big, fat hanging loop? So fun!</p><p>The shirt is basically a big flat circle. The side seams slant from way out, below the extremely low armscye, and end up forming part of a big continuous curve to the hem. </p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZhL2HVBnL_tUeSduvny8VwuGp1Nvi37ljfIjdubErp0UXiZbmU2DyFPGvAPbxxEbwAu_bRfvyT8GqjSWvHOXwVbOqik-T8_g-FkL4U0VCuoaB_Ah1bJcIE3hWKZ2JRA35yzfS3Sk8I4iW_gEjNudtsdjnhAx0veDv0nJ0P3ZVoreF3GGJ3qoY9jIF/s343/Line%20drawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="343" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZhL2HVBnL_tUeSduvny8VwuGp1Nvi37ljfIjdubErp0UXiZbmU2DyFPGvAPbxxEbwAu_bRfvyT8GqjSWvHOXwVbOqik-T8_g-FkL4U0VCuoaB_Ah1bJcIE3hWKZ2JRA35yzfS3Sk8I4iW_gEjNudtsdjnhAx0veDv0nJ0P3ZVoreF3GGJ3qoY9jIF/w235-h160/Line%20drawing.jpg" width="235" /></a></p><div><br /></div><div>This means you have a big amount of shirt up top and a little amount below. If you tuck it in to create that fun back view, there is relatively little bulk to deal with. This seems clever. </div><div><br /></div><div>The sleeves are ridiculous too, starting way down on the arm and going from extremely wide to a quite narrow, curved cuff. They are (in theory) the perfect length for me, and the cuff is the perfect width for me. Which should be a warning to you, because I have short arms and am very small boned.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQrH8FJzvLfAXyoiW2_YAZRueEeHynWMWhEC8xiNdwPKhIYwpSfTnzkZSk0TbZ2bL9qBnhrqnhbGwiHfM9QpbntnXCbcQNhFM4XSWsnnsMyG93imoX-ol9S_5oTq5S_iYnBLqPK4yVNoB_H-l2si8Onlz_wPDU_keFSTm40EbUPFrb3QssyjanJ2c/s3088/20230527_194316628_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQrH8FJzvLfAXyoiW2_YAZRueEeHynWMWhEC8xiNdwPKhIYwpSfTnzkZSk0TbZ2bL9qBnhrqnhbGwiHfM9QpbntnXCbcQNhFM4XSWsnnsMyG93imoX-ol9S_5oTq5S_iYnBLqPK4yVNoB_H-l2si8Onlz_wPDU_keFSTm40EbUPFrb3QssyjanJ2c/s320/20230527_194316628_iOS.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div>However, in the wearing, the Phen Shirt is not so beautiful.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here it is tucked in, from the front.</div><div><br /></div>That is a lot of fabric falling off my shoulders. The big pockets are sagging. And I made the smallest size (6) when my measurements put me in size 8. <div><br /></div><div>Maybe my fabric is a tiny bit heavier than the pattern can bear. It was a mystery fabric from stash which a burn test tells me is 100% cotton, but it's got a slightly sanded soft hand, and is the weight of silk noile. Handkerchief linen might have been a better choice.</div><div><br /></div><div>But meh.</div><div><br /></div><div>The back view is slightly better, but still more saggy than I would have liked.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr1fT1GjlYx9f1Di2zaAeKFMLgULmXtiMRdCyQTTE_M8FGGShorvEHVXjL9yHxqxTL2kcJk1XtBXx7CEUCTn1oJ4ZnarY5-S88ACEcld1-MX6WDz_Yzut_DPeWOwQiFsPf2dRRrPLfJ5mo26hJGbIuwnvjX7K4R5n4870Vk2_2ZQQR60JQutQpTT/s2237/20230527_194210074_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2237" data-original-width="1960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHr1fT1GjlYx9f1Di2zaAeKFMLgULmXtiMRdCyQTTE_M8FGGShorvEHVXjL9yHxqxTL2kcJk1XtBXx7CEUCTn1oJ4ZnarY5-S88ACEcld1-MX6WDz_Yzut_DPeWOwQiFsPf2dRRrPLfJ5mo26hJGbIuwnvjX7K4R5n4870Vk2_2ZQQR60JQutQpTT/s320/20230527_194210074_iOS.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>All the photos I liked on Instagram (including the one up above) showed wearers with their arms out, but not too out.<div><br /></div><div>So the shirt doesn't sag too much, but the shirt's other limitations are not evident either. <br /><div><br /></div><div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pTKVJ03pz57umvo2gATX_XrGo_eqNj4L6bbpbiiKsKd94M49oTuJve1nGnBC_n5cLplQFjihLSIfBAfF8EYZb_RilQSnPWMAdjDamIYcRQ2TRijLSnGXE-7DF0RH1wFu3KS4GxGK6IL4552K1m9Jc-INxwlwggUZ22p4lZvBDK9y-bB2CPUScHJC/s2316/20230527_194416778_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2264" data-original-width="2316" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pTKVJ03pz57umvo2gATX_XrGo_eqNj4L6bbpbiiKsKd94M49oTuJve1nGnBC_n5cLplQFjihLSIfBAfF8EYZb_RilQSnPWMAdjDamIYcRQ2TRijLSnGXE-7DF0RH1wFu3KS4GxGK6IL4552K1m9Jc-INxwlwggUZ22p4lZvBDK9y-bB2CPUScHJC/w320-h314/20230527_194416778_iOS.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Are there full length arms <br />in there somewhere?</td></tr></tbody></table>See what happens when you really put your arms out in this shirt?</div><br /><div>For all that ease, there's not a ton of room to actually move in this.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, can I talk about the collar?</div><div><br /></div><div>There are 3 views - collarless (stand only), tie collar and the more standard shirt collar I made.</div><div><br /></div><div>The stand is extremely curved, so much so that it actually doesn't stand up. It would lie quite flat around the neck, if left to its own devices. <br /><div><br /><div>But it isn't left to its own devices if you want to make the little shirt collar.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79eSHakTglzJ0YE_q292VQQIEChzZ3zqWmxePG1TZOEHOVEcT5LzbvDvoLabP4-QkIg4pzV3MPi3XHVFiXgLWCtp2J-3ib4S45M-0xWARg_BlDDoOPUy0CypaSeHTxA2FI6JmVfxDMc_phCpLipeO6NlPUq_bSBCAxbnydtnhQP0fT2HMH3ulkG9E/s3814/20230522_213840385_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2860" data-original-width="3814" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79eSHakTglzJ0YE_q292VQQIEChzZ3zqWmxePG1TZOEHOVEcT5LzbvDvoLabP4-QkIg4pzV3MPi3XHVFiXgLWCtp2J-3ib4S45M-0xWARg_BlDDoOPUy0CypaSeHTxA2FI6JmVfxDMc_phCpLipeO6NlPUq_bSBCAxbnydtnhQP0fT2HMH3ulkG9E/s320/20230522_213840385_iOS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Have a look at how curved the stand is, by comparison with the collar. <br /><div><br /></div></div></div><div>The lower edge of the collar piece in this photo attaches to the upper edge of the stand. </div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhli2jkYYYkUlaKsrq2CfaExmZiIAtcXBgquAW5ng6XDgMGCBntXq4EtrfrtfDkryBtkP7fkdkKW9R0WImITdGyHX-wUHc0--H87F5ed0jfYGnbPUf9QVvxglUpMChYmoxgBZqX_LXdY-_Ye60UcfQwLZ3xF-4LH5qtwUc0KdIRyMOJZgYsjiyEIMak/s4032/20230522_213615143_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhli2jkYYYkUlaKsrq2CfaExmZiIAtcXBgquAW5ng6XDgMGCBntXq4EtrfrtfDkryBtkP7fkdkKW9R0WImITdGyHX-wUHc0--H87F5ed0jfYGnbPUf9QVvxglUpMChYmoxgBZqX_LXdY-_Ye60UcfQwLZ3xF-4LH5qtwUc0KdIRyMOJZgYsjiyEIMak/s320/20230522_213615143_iOS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div></div><div>While the two pieces fit together, in the sense that the edges are the same length, the combination of curves makes for a collar that really does not ever want to be buttoned up. <br /><div><br /></div><div>As you can see, the collar piece is straining. It is too short around the lower edge and too flat. But I'm never going to wear this shirt buttoned up anyway, so it doesn't matter.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>This is a big shirt that can only be worn open, with the cuffs rolled up (if you want to be able to move in it). </div><div><br /></div><div>That's OK, but I'm saving my linen blend jacquard fabric for another pattern. </div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qzUTnGo-pNBozJQfBCnWfeufqmL9OuQ2jMmhkwVpffTm582I38-Gqdyf1vSRu3MkjRthisE_ud65ooBNs4UOsc5Blf84eyM_xeaGLBnOCeGz6uui52LyBWzys7GaajhHTk7NFczeU1kRBFuz343r_MI2ne795g0KIKL1uDeq9pidufVzKr4Mr0bZ/s2414/20230527_194701727_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2414" data-original-width="1760" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qzUTnGo-pNBozJQfBCnWfeufqmL9OuQ2jMmhkwVpffTm582I38-Gqdyf1vSRu3MkjRthisE_ud65ooBNs4UOsc5Blf84eyM_xeaGLBnOCeGz6uui52LyBWzys7GaajhHTk7NFczeU1kRBFuz343r_MI2ne795g0KIKL1uDeq9pidufVzKr4Mr0bZ/w291-h400/20230527_194701727_iOS.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It looks fine as an open over-shirt<br />That's the way I will always wear it!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></blockquote><div><br /></div></div>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-40949130362745091102022-06-17T17:13:00.002-04:002022-06-17T17:13:46.406-04:00Cielo - finally!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9BUCNFf1BEM230CKIYNhM7JFKYilYtx8nWi4ukEXPng-j2_Y7CfQzAKs-of9kjVWK7SP8ZFMV55jB3Dbo56Bs4esESj1o7xs22C3GNEJPlRZ1TgVJ7tkYv9aq76n3qkSqAtGy_sCXBN1FMPPX0oF2ZspyEbYPsNA7GZ7Q-tbYTqQCQVO3Lxn93cA/s3088/20220617_154701105_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ9BUCNFf1BEM230CKIYNhM7JFKYilYtx8nWi4ukEXPng-j2_Y7CfQzAKs-of9kjVWK7SP8ZFMV55jB3Dbo56Bs4esESj1o7xs22C3GNEJPlRZ1TgVJ7tkYv9aq76n3qkSqAtGy_sCXBN1FMPPX0oF2ZspyEbYPsNA7GZ7Q-tbYTqQCQVO3Lxn93cA/w480-h640/20220617_154701105_iOS.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>How many years ago did this pattern come out? At least a few. And I've owned it for a while. But this is the first time I've tackled it.<span> </span><p></p><p><span>This version is made from a mid-weight woven embroidered blend (maybe viscose and something) from stash. I had more than enough to cut the extravagant sleeves and the pockets.</span></p><p><span>I predict more.</span></p><p>Not that this pattern is perfect. I had to tweak it to get it to a state I was prepared to live with.</p><p>This dress has 2 bust darts but otherwise no shaping at all. The side seams are dead straight - no flare, no curve in at the waist. This makes it challenging for a person whose hips (10) are typically 2 sizes bigger than her bust (6) to pick a size. </p><p>I did some flat pattern measuring and decided I should just cut the size indicated for my measurements. 6 for the bodice, grading out to 10 at the hips. </p><p>Readers, it hung off me. The finished dress is more like a 6 overall and if doing it again I think I would go for 4 in the bodice and sleeves. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZBg6yEFnkElfzR0erhm5_SHux_zjNPw-EkBgxUM0Ro8IsmKmDOoqKj0E9nm_YeJiYwaYc44rRXu5D_XI3XN58BrsxFsH0f_1nIuH14wCjeKnyl1EnAUZLDyfdgVgTsILkmhasmaWk4mGey1tfvXHZWbTSpe0uQY2PThEVllrxbEUT3m4DLIp301q/s3088/20220617_154950873_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZBg6yEFnkElfzR0erhm5_SHux_zjNPw-EkBgxUM0Ro8IsmKmDOoqKj0E9nm_YeJiYwaYc44rRXu5D_XI3XN58BrsxFsH0f_1nIuH14wCjeKnyl1EnAUZLDyfdgVgTsILkmhasmaWk4mGey1tfvXHZWbTSpe0uQY2PThEVllrxbEUT3m4DLIp301q/s320/20220617_154950873_iOS.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Another few tweaks were needed for the sleeves. These are kind of big. I shortened the upper sleeve by a full 6 cm because they hung down to an unattractive point on my arm. I like this length a lot better on me. <br /><p></p><p>Unlike similar dresses from the 80s and 90s, this pattern doesn't call for shoulder pads to support the sleeves, but they needed support of some kind. </p><p>A roll of soft tulle to the rescue. I cut a strip approximately 11cm by 50cm, folded it lengthwise in 3 and gathered it. Then I inserted the gathered strip in the upper sleeve. </p><p>My sleeves went from sad to statement in a flash. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnyxYvTUBfJa1uzql7wys8ywdsl7mj2YkHhzBV-1ur-UtysX-u3O0h-xhJ7lmawy8znniBbGMKZi9gFUSGcuceOYiUqwdyOaTqbI7mWnb2aqBKdHxny8MuXZ4fbFaawMlT_odkr6Qc_lqcAls5ZN8zTR7XyKtCH2lUTfihao1wilb_eRU-xAYquMc/s4032/20220617_204355839_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTnyxYvTUBfJa1uzql7wys8ywdsl7mj2YkHhzBV-1ur-UtysX-u3O0h-xhJ7lmawy8znniBbGMKZi9gFUSGcuceOYiUqwdyOaTqbI7mWnb2aqBKdHxny8MuXZ4fbFaawMlT_odkr6Qc_lqcAls5ZN8zTR7XyKtCH2lUTfihao1wilb_eRU-xAYquMc/s320/20220617_204355839_iOS.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>What's the point of big puffed sleeves that don't actually puff?<p></p><p>Someone asked if I can feel the tulle - I can't. It's soft stuff that I acquired in stash from a wedding dress maker, if memory serves. You never know when things like that will come in handy. <br /></p><p>The other thing I changed while sewing this pattern is the order of construction. The instructions say to sew the dress at shoulder seams, finish the neck, then install the upper sleeves. The underarm seam is then sewn in one pass. After that, you add the lower sleeve. </p><p>I prefer sewing anything even slightly structured in the round, setting the sleeve into the armscye. Sewing the underarm/side seam in one pass flattens the seam joining the sleeve and body under the arm. Unless you're making a T-shirt, this risks distorting the garment. </p><p>(The same goes for the crotch seam in pants. Sew it last if humanly possible.)</p><p>I should have ignored the instructions from the start for this reason. I could have checked the fit of the dress before having to deal with the fit of the sleeves. Having attached sleeve 1 to the body before checking fit made it a lot harder to adjust things on the fly. </p><p>So it was a bit of a pain but in the end I have a dress that's quite wearable (at least if I don't need a sweater or coat...).</p><p></p>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-79848857491061487062022-05-04T13:49:00.000-04:002022-05-04T13:49:08.790-04:00This is not a sweater, or "that's so meta"<p> Rarely do I find fabric that I Must.Sew.Right.Now! This was one such piece. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYo1oNSPqYXIfhOdQ63aR_8RNOgjQN99bOUdgGojp_VD8cA3QaoNCMj9SRKrYLRJ95QUw5UYRTxkFef85P0AUxPNR66hmQtA_opezK7dXQ9o0YeW3iU3atWklJeH1DKE0Y_DlV0UgNQAk_UGvKt7kgeiMtKBOknhZx3LkNA855GBq7pzfifM3CFPP/s3088/20220504_173632188_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYo1oNSPqYXIfhOdQ63aR_8RNOgjQN99bOUdgGojp_VD8cA3QaoNCMj9SRKrYLRJ95QUw5UYRTxkFef85P0AUxPNR66hmQtA_opezK7dXQ9o0YeW3iU3atWklJeH1DKE0Y_DlV0UgNQAk_UGvKt7kgeiMtKBOknhZx3LkNA855GBq7pzfifM3CFPP/w480-h640/20220504_173632188_iOS.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p>Why? A print that looks like bulky stockinette!</p>The fabric is my nemesis; a soft rayon/lycra jersey. But who can resist an irresistible print? I had to have it even though it will stretch and become less lovely over time. <p></p><p>I bought it on Saturday, and a few days later, it has become a completed top. I had enough fabric to cut out a tank top too, but it's still unassembled.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfBZSXKQ_V1XdhHB5XjA8Fwrx8DxwQnXH4F_gdz1KrxLtaok8NaqKCiWOEJ--zSA82G2KgQ49sNRLL3XVXF-Tee7BbHRszLKTwYQYptq07PYJ9f7zDItQrGWkWGdxuNRV90IHo6VGSW9v4-pH2RscoFmRnhn7imb6TWZtwpjGIot9Z-mRnqGkMuSZ/s397/2449%20-%20pattern%20photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="310" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRfBZSXKQ_V1XdhHB5XjA8Fwrx8DxwQnXH4F_gdz1KrxLtaok8NaqKCiWOEJ--zSA82G2KgQ49sNRLL3XVXF-Tee7BbHRszLKTwYQYptq07PYJ9f7zDItQrGWkWGdxuNRV90IHo6VGSW9v4-pH2RscoFmRnhn7imb6TWZtwpjGIot9Z-mRnqGkMuSZ/s320/2449%20-%20pattern%20photo.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><p></p><p>The pattern is one I mentioned a few posts ago - Jalie 2449, but altered to be less figure hugging. It's still plenty fitted. <br /></p><p>It should be useful and comfy for a trip I'm taking this month. <br /></p>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-67584769106013386722022-05-02T13:56:00.000-04:002022-05-02T13:56:15.122-04:00Still on the theme of casual clothes<p> <a href="https://jalie.com/products/stretch-softshell-jacket-sewing-pattern?_pos=1&_sid=dcc9df779&_ss=r" target="_blank">Jalie 2679</a> has been around for a while - since before Jalie started giving name identifiers to its patterns. (I don't know about you, but I find "Stretch Softshell Jacket" a more useful moniker than ... say ... Monika.) It was in my pattern stash for years before I got around to making it.</p><p>Why did I wait? This is such a comfortable and useful jacket!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAMb26hsjPj0AYUMROLbURvYDYvsZddSL9jOu46FpvFl1v7o2tIYemrkBb9h5JLmdzP0pO8BzGzRucj5mD8gvsnuU4SEZWl3bDT0ltVVzo-_EzCvB07ZyML6Rpoa9l3paQIOiYoO1Uk3ksYyzpme3HI2FDXPUDitmuvH_PVr6QZnuqCXtmqVU3k8v/s3088/20220122_154502296_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvAMb26hsjPj0AYUMROLbURvYDYvsZddSL9jOu46FpvFl1v7o2tIYemrkBb9h5JLmdzP0pO8BzGzRucj5mD8gvsnuU4SEZWl3bDT0ltVVzo-_EzCvB07ZyML6Rpoa9l3paQIOiYoO1Uk3ksYyzpme3HI2FDXPUDitmuvH_PVr6QZnuqCXtmqVU3k8v/s320/20220122_154502296_iOS.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I made it up with zero adjustments, out of some inexpensive softshell purchased at the local Fabricland. The fabric is naturally water-resistant rather than waterproof, but it is serviceable both in wet snow conditions and in rain. <p></p><p>And in cold. I wore it cross-country skiing - a lot - this winter. </p><p>Here I am after a strenuous outing at -30 something C in January. I was toasty warm!</p>Yes I realize that you can't really see the jacket. <div><br /></div><div>For some reason I didn't take modeled photos. <br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfacZWqggQc1crVwNTQshPLjuUrzSh1lHsSQEVOtlFpBrhwVgIRr1k0JcQ-NbGEsLum6j9N8_hH8Z6iXu3dXGsF1xwUGBIHCwm6MiWZOBPqRyPE0J5mt_67jL-7vmvNGDuVk4Sz_uliNgJHF-fJvkMCwJNg8zYzwpBApwUfSwPaailjg2vgZZ61eo/s4032/20220410_155149476_iOS.heic" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfacZWqggQc1crVwNTQshPLjuUrzSh1lHsSQEVOtlFpBrhwVgIRr1k0JcQ-NbGEsLum6j9N8_hH8Z6iXu3dXGsF1xwUGBIHCwm6MiWZOBPqRyPE0J5mt_67jL-7vmvNGDuVk4Sz_uliNgJHF-fJvkMCwJNg8zYzwpBApwUfSwPaailjg2vgZZ61eo/w300-h400/20220410_155149476_iOS.heic" width="300" /></a></div>Here's another action shot - a photo taken on a hike in March, after most of the snow was gone. Again, this jacket performed like a champ in much less frigid conditions. <p></p><p>The zipped pockets are very big - the size of the entire front below the yoke and above the lower band. I used some miscellaneous mesh fabric from stash for the backing of the pockets. </p><p>The sleeves are nice and long so the jacket is great for biking. </p><p>The shape of the collar is perfect. I often find that stand collars jab me in the chin, but this one starts with a low enough scoop to be truly comfortable even when the jacket is zipped up to the top. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIj3gwUvf9TLFDt-0gjdVAJh9KWghO6WfQ3RsWAviqE_rfe6OfSvmaBXuBcCibFZHyuNGVtbwC7L97BxLLE2Jbp-YrR8r7QvGvgtzNnBx5xXhr2d3VZ41M43Mw7hQAItQVDShDYl__w7zVuapcSp6-qlfMYp1wP5xn7ir2uEqVNBYTEvAT2TSdo55v/s4032/20220103_212544115_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIj3gwUvf9TLFDt-0gjdVAJh9KWghO6WfQ3RsWAviqE_rfe6OfSvmaBXuBcCibFZHyuNGVtbwC7L97BxLLE2Jbp-YrR8r7QvGvgtzNnBx5xXhr2d3VZ41M43Mw7hQAItQVDShDYl__w7zVuapcSp6-qlfMYp1wP5xn7ir2uEqVNBYTEvAT2TSdo55v/s320/20220103_212544115_iOS.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>Almost as good as a modeled photo, no?</p><p>I'm going to try to figure out a good fabric combo for a windproof/water-resistant running jacket. <br /> </p></div>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-61098053615402018902022-05-01T21:29:00.004-04:002022-05-02T12:12:37.322-04:00More pandemic comfy clothes - workout edition<p> All my posts these last 2 years start by apologetically noticing how neglected my blog is. So I won't do that again. </p><p>I realized though that my blog is completely useful - to me at least. I bought some fun jersey yesterday and want to make a top I've made a few times before. The pattern is Jalie 2449, which is not in the catalogue any more (but is similar to <a href="https://jalie.com/products/faux-wrap-top-sewing-pattern" target="_blank">2910</a>). I looked at the traced pattern and the top I last made from this pattern (in <a href="https://kaythesewinglawyer.blogspot.com/2017/05/sewing-sorbet.html" target="_blank">2017</a>) and thought hmmm it looks like I adjusted it to be less fitted. Sure enough, my blog entry mentions this. Stupidly, I didn't adjust the pattern though. This time, I retraced it so I can faithfully reproduce it the next time (maybe 2028 or so) I make this versatile top. Thanks to former me for mentioning it, thanks to present me for thinking to look it up. </p><p>And for a report on recent (ish) projects...</p><p>My garment sewing has been sadly neglected except for a few tester patterns for Jalie. Stay tuned to Jalie's <a href="https://jalie.com/" target="_blank">web site</a> to see what the new patterns will look like. They should be released soon. </p><p>Sewing has not been happening much, largely because the opportunities for wearing nice clothes are still evaporated. My work wardrobe has hung in my closet for 2 years, sadly neglected. Mostly I wear jeans and sweaters (winter) and am about to graduate to jeans and knit tops for spring and maybe to loose cotton dresses for summer. </p><p>My recent makes are comfy clothes (several pairs of pants - see above mention of Jalie testing - which I cannot show you) and a sort of a hoodie dress (ditto). I also made an <a href="https://jalie.com/products/marie-claude-raglan-pullovers-sewing-pattern" target="_blank">Anne-Marie</a> top out of some wonderful fabric (merino wool with some kind of high tech wicking backing) I bought in Sydney, Australia in 2018. It's hot pink and I love it. I seem to have failed utterly to take any photos. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbcJ6y2UaTtT251wXQ62f8kepnUwDeiVd4TXofNfIeAx14Q4WKPz_AceKfbbWjGEo9u42lo_TAY-Diu9LQvaqOjfF2J0DTQxa2ZOvASNlqnuCnupmT4lkj-qvMCKonInZ8cN4W3IGIxUQMxaxTga-ucS2Ho_PLykMo5AP7c0_-1h-OV_89KgNeWjv/s4032/20211005_110129581_iOS.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbcJ6y2UaTtT251wXQ62f8kepnUwDeiVd4TXofNfIeAx14Q4WKPz_AceKfbbWjGEo9u42lo_TAY-Diu9LQvaqOjfF2J0DTQxa2ZOvASNlqnuCnupmT4lkj-qvMCKonInZ8cN4W3IGIxUQMxaxTga-ucS2Ho_PLykMo5AP7c0_-1h-OV_89KgNeWjv/s320/20211005_110129581_iOS.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p>Then there's workout wear. Who else is doing Zoom pilates? It keeps me sane.</p>I made two pairs of the GreenStyle <a href="https://greenstyle.com/collections/curvy-womens-bottoms/products/spark-tights-pdf-pattern-sizes-b-m?variant=40401638064281" target="_blank">Spark tights</a> - one pair for myself and one (fleecy winter running tights) for my son's partner. This is a great pattern for two reasons: pockets (at the side) and multiple waistband choices. I made myself the "ultra contoured" high waist because I love tights that feel secure at the actual waist, and these really do. My son's partner requested mid-rise. Reportedly they are very comfy and warm. <p></p><p>At left, my ultra high waist tights are modeled with the <a href="https://jalie.com/products/4128-audrey-cropped-workout-top-sewing-pattern?_pos=1&_sid=2c57249fb&_ss=r" target="_blank">Audrey crop top</a>, another Jalie pattern. </p><p>I love Jalie but Audrey is not my favourite pattern. I find it too small in the neck and a bit too cut-in at the arm in front, and cropped is not my favourite length. I tried to make this one longer but it is still a bit on the too-short side. </p><p>It is very secure once you wriggle into it though.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGou6aSbDTi9kpg5Rud42oM3shKV8EQ1n-8AZv6BYGm3MwQjf4sNzMePEdbqJXg4fxy0nJ8SYAtss9ku4-OCzimf4DCzSzQep1G6wlFDfmKXyoTh0MrQyMGbiFBCf4rw30EWPZDsEZqnPkD0VQm1G5hIzHW-n6cejwfOUH2JIS5y2lMkX_M987Yv5j/s3088/20211015_201702078_iOS.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGou6aSbDTi9kpg5Rud42oM3shKV8EQ1n-8AZv6BYGm3MwQjf4sNzMePEdbqJXg4fxy0nJ8SYAtss9ku4-OCzimf4DCzSzQep1G6wlFDfmKXyoTh0MrQyMGbiFBCf4rw30EWPZDsEZqnPkD0VQm1G5hIzHW-n6cejwfOUH2JIS5y2lMkX_M987Yv5j/s320/20211015_201702078_iOS.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>I have a sports bra (<a href="https://jalie.com/products/pika-sport-bra-and-layered-blouson-tank-sewing-pattern?_pos=1&_sid=238b150e3&_ss=r" target="_blank">Pika</a>) that matches the tights and a coordinating tank top (Jalie <a href="https://jalie.com/products/4135-beatrice-tanks-and-dresses-sewing-pattern?_pos=1&_sid=421219820&_ss=r" target="_blank">Béatrice</a>, but a racerback version that unfortunately did not make it into the final version of the pattern so I will be making this tester pattern forever). <p></p>The detail in these patterns is great - you can confidently make perfect looking binding that is just the right length to finish off a simple top so it looks perfect. <div><br /></div><div>I've actually just cut out another, because there was just enough fabric left from my 1.something metres of jersey print that I bought yesterday at the spring fabric flea market after I cut out the latest version of Jalie 2449. I only have to piece a bit of the binding. </div><div><br /></div><div>I promise to post about them once done. <br /><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><br /><p><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p></div>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-9234984445697409782021-10-15T17:46:00.001-04:002021-10-15T17:46:12.926-04:00Installment 3 - machine knitting from 2021<p>I believe I promised you information on how I hope to be free from laborious calculations for my machine knitting projects.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MhA_TRUE9PoEWmWDVn1yCkdCeOMIDpPjZWCAFKfOPhGw5whzW-w-r5If9NW7dFGlQT5rfPpvGn4losRAVcvReK9INvk6J2k0O1tABpXExTHSSvBqkOT_auLNv6798VFhGfpvjLfYJvc/s2048/20210802_181004621_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1394" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MhA_TRUE9PoEWmWDVn1yCkdCeOMIDpPjZWCAFKfOPhGw5whzW-w-r5If9NW7dFGlQT5rfPpvGn4losRAVcvReK9INvk6J2k0O1tABpXExTHSSvBqkOT_auLNv6798VFhGfpvjLfYJvc/s320/20210802_181004621_iOS.jpg" width="218" /></a></div><p></p><p>I bought software! Behold, at left, a top I made using it. (More details on the project below.)</p><p>Some machine knitters use a program called Design-A-Knit (DAK) but I couldn't warm to it. For one thing, the price is rumored to be many hundreds of US dollars (the <a href="http://www.knitcraft.com/knitcraft/index.php" target="_blank">website </a>for the US distributor is remarkably bad, it's impossible to even find purchase details like cost). Also, I had looked at the demo and it didn't make a lot of sense to me. Plus, maybe it's more than I need. </p><p>So instead, I purchased <a href="https://www.cochenille.com/garment-designer/" target="_blank">Garment Designer</a>, a program for creating patterns for sewing and knitting. Like DAK (currently on version 9), GD has been around for many years. I had heard of it way back in the day when I was working with <a href="https://kaythesewinglawyer.blogspot.com/search/label/PatternMaster%20Boutique" target="_blank">PatternMaster Boutique</a> (PMB). </p><p>My impression at the time was that GD was a less powerful program than PMB. I think I was right - while you can alter the basic shapes provided by GD to a point, it is not a full CAD type program. However, the positive side of that is that it does a lot of the hard work for you in providing those basic shapes. (As I recall, PMB was moving in that direction but I don't know how far it went down that road. You had to understand a lot about ease and pattern drafting to make it really work.)</p><p>Anyhow, I was seeing that some machine knitters (especially <a href="https://missceliespants.com/2021/03/01/princess-dianas-black-sheep-sweater/" target="_blank">Miss Celie's Pants</a>) were using GD with great success. So I forked out my $200 (US) and waited for the disk to arrive in the mail (I am convinced that people who sell pattern drafting software are still living in the 1990s.) </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIg4RNL07JE0CEfNgvqEUkyK7yYJgGccdD40K8Fejo7Kv0LufpFGXcdm2nNJgrMqDyJzpjzLL4f2Ub6HC0TbubGZXxBX8t6AsGtAcYnkrNbI5i2Xl6HUL9SoeadYyNgEMR07zLtut6-II/s791/GD+Screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="791" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIg4RNL07JE0CEfNgvqEUkyK7yYJgGccdD40K8Fejo7Kv0LufpFGXcdm2nNJgrMqDyJzpjzLL4f2Ub6HC0TbubGZXxBX8t6AsGtAcYnkrNbI5i2Xl6HUL9SoeadYyNgEMR07zLtut6-II/s320/GD+Screenshot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Right away, with no training, it was easy to adjust the pattern shapes to get the kind of fit I was looking for. I did what they always say you should - measure a garment you already have that fits you the way you want your new thing to fit. Once I did that I could tweak my pattern shapes in GD until I had exactly those dimensions.<p></p><p>At right is a screenshot of my pattern. GD allows you to input your knitting gauge and then it calculates how many stitches and rows you need, and where all your shaping needs to happen. You can print out the shaping instructions and follow them while knitting. OK, so it's not interactive knitting like DAK offers, but it is a step up from a hand-drawn graph and it has worked quite well for me so far. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBySYqtI8NnQmbszhhl97GOT_QEGlplRT0qdOlVu4lb_ntknGPzrvSWVyyOnAdtuXOYJu1qsQfYw7ngr8BfFBZdLju3-JgMRulk91eyN-RQ46wcuGlYBeOYDygh7hbajOwzpMv7QMaLQ/s2048/20210802_181331721_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1539" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBySYqtI8NnQmbszhhl97GOT_QEGlplRT0qdOlVu4lb_ntknGPzrvSWVyyOnAdtuXOYJu1qsQfYw7ngr8BfFBZdLju3-JgMRulk91eyN-RQ46wcuGlYBeOYDygh7hbajOwzpMv7QMaLQ/s320/20210802_181331721_iOS.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So this top. I adapted the pattern from a hand knitting pattern called <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sommerloch-2" target="_blank">Sommerloch</a>. The designer is one of my favourites, and the details on this top were instantly very appealing to me. I had this black silk yarn purchased from ColourMart and even though I had to use my garter bar on the standard gauge machine (a first) and make rows of garter stitch using black yarn that has 24 tiny strands in it, it was worth it. <p></p><p>The chain stitch attachment at the shoulder is gorgeous and was quite easy to do (compared to garter stitch on a standard bed knitting machine). </p><p>Then I made a matching cardigan, also using GD to develop the pattern. I adapted the stitch detail from Sommerloch so it coordinates in style as well as yarn (more garter bar in black 24/100 NM yarn). </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxZYR6U64GT7vEJ0gXX9jG0qLxA_0C2IETN-kfXMAuSr98cKLY_imyo5luqhHDN4t4-Z9BSCOhEP3GLr5PjjpFM-YTOpwA3aTfCFbEnoNtycPQiBfcK6IyHZBgQ2560ugnd9C5VeTtJ4/s804/Cardigan+GD+Screenshot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="804" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOxZYR6U64GT7vEJ0gXX9jG0qLxA_0C2IETN-kfXMAuSr98cKLY_imyo5luqhHDN4t4-Z9BSCOhEP3GLr5PjjpFM-YTOpwA3aTfCFbEnoNtycPQiBfcK6IyHZBgQ2560ugnd9C5VeTtJ4/w407-h306/Cardigan+GD+Screenshot.jpg" width="407" /></a></div>Here is the screen shot of the pattern pieces I created.<p></p><p>I nudged the neckline edges away from the original positions so I could attach a neck band which I didn't bother trying to draft using the program. </p><p>I also guessed at the cuffs, which are a bit looser than ideal, but very acceptable. I had to guess a bit at how deep they would be, and subtract that length from my overall sleeve piece.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBAENQvLf7JQdQ0f_Aes9DDROBNkpHSyrkkC8L6jSMM4AG0_Nt8ojQsOCX4PtKOReJc5wIT1lIloYCDm-qJQmn4DSoC7CkwWVzSHWM0Rctv3MlmNELYLw7CTXaI3VMlW7mqP6k28I_Lg/s2048/20210818_190359306_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1311" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBAENQvLf7JQdQ0f_Aes9DDROBNkpHSyrkkC8L6jSMM4AG0_Nt8ojQsOCX4PtKOReJc5wIT1lIloYCDm-qJQmn4DSoC7CkwWVzSHWM0Rctv3MlmNELYLw7CTXaI3VMlW7mqP6k28I_Lg/w303-h473/20210818_190359306_iOS.jpg" width="303" /></a></div><br /><p>Here I am wearing the pieces together. It's a very classic twinset, if I do say so myself. <br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-58372009544192372162021-09-24T16:33:00.003-04:002021-09-24T16:33:46.019-04:002021 Knitting, part 2<p>Wow, talk about fits and starts. Part 1 was published August 1 and here it is the end of September already! Well, there has been more machine knitting. Quite a lot, actually.</p><p>In April, I joined the <a href="https://www.machineknit.community/" target="_blank">Machine Knit Community</a> or MKC for short. It is a paid subscription, and it's open for new members only during 4 months of the year. Starting Oct. 1, it'll be accepting new members again for that month. </p><p>I had read somewhere that the site was a good boot in the rear for machine knitters and that it had really helped people keep knitting, and keep improving. </p><p>Having been on the site now for 6 months, I'd agree that this was a good move for me. The MKC is run by Nic Corrigan of <a href="https://www.whitehallstudio.co.uk/" target="_blank">Whitehall Studio</a> in Yorkshire. Pre-pandemic, she had a shop/studio in her town where she designed patterns, made stuff and sold it, and also taught MK classes in person. Like everyone, in early 2020 she had to quickly readjust - she gave up the space in town and moved her workshop into her house. Then she set up the MKC. It will be one year old in October. </p><p>Here's what you get if you join:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>As you would expect, you can participate in an online forum with like-minded people. I'm not sure how many members there are but it is very international. </li><li>Better yet, you can attend (live, online) regular hour-long seminars about machine knitting. Every month there is a theme, and the seminars typically relate to the theme. We did lace during the summer, now we're on to intarsia. We've talked about the design process. For me, one of the best themes was improving your knitting space. </li><li>The seminars feature people who are working in the field of knitting. We've had Bill King (at least 4 times since I joined), Elena Berenghean, Olgalyn Jolly, Juan Alcantar from Juan's knitting garage and many others. They don't just talk - typically they also demo the techniques they are talking about. If you can join live, you can ask them questions. It's a great way to pick up tips from the pros. </li><li>The seminars are recorded and you can watch them again (and again and again). You can also watch all the videos from seminars that were held before you joined. In January, I paid to take some classes at a virtual Vogue Knitting Live from Bill King and Olgalyn Jolly. They were fantastic, but once over, they were gone. It costs about as much to join the MKC as it did to sign up for 3 classes at VKL.</li><li>You can also sign up for specific classes, connected with a pattern that Nic or someone else designed. This costs extra but gives you access to help with the pattern and techniques, lots of video content, and weekly sessions with the designer. </li></ul><div>Every week, you're asked if you want to set a goal for the week. Just one thing. Some people find this really motivates them to get at the machine and knit. </div><div><br /></div><div>So what have I knitted?</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIVf9Mupg0of5pQXLAw6X02NBhlL9kJ4tKidAO83xcTMeHvluvIlqS7uTejM3-H46edS3M9dFXPyRFYBRSK1CE7CbZPmetf30pH-tR1z4lYU1RVTXYxJx2mnTa538YkDqH2gvMqw-y-I/s640/Full+front.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="488" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGIVf9Mupg0of5pQXLAw6X02NBhlL9kJ4tKidAO83xcTMeHvluvIlqS7uTejM3-H46edS3M9dFXPyRFYBRSK1CE7CbZPmetf30pH-tR1z4lYU1RVTXYxJx2mnTa538YkDqH2gvMqw-y-I/w305-h400/Full+front.jpeg" width="305" /></a></div>First up - this top from the Circle of Lace pattern. Following a MK pattern is mostly a departure for me but I loved the details on this top. The pattern is only available on Facebook (search for MallyKnits). It's made sideways and uses a lace pattern from Stitchworld but you can substitute any lace pattern that looks good sideways. </div><div><br /></div><div>I made this on my Brother 910/950 which has the Stitchworld patterns programmed into its original electronics. I had taken the AYAB board out (it stopped working, I reinstalled the original board, took it to Peter Smith in Toronto, it was blown fuses, cost $3 or so to fix) so just used the lace that the pattern called for. Easy peasy (once I got a new sponge bar and figured out the tricks of the 910/950 and its lace carriage). </div><div><br /></div><div>This top is made with lace weight yarn at a big stitch size so it is very light. I used some superwash wool from my stash. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpptvTksKMFuLJVO2PKKl2FYQclcr8IJVbpzOQRC5PDaktDOGD9q7qOiGB-6Ol6t0eigksWSe97fiZF-gybPB4IGzbXORQhLRXgtF78AK8_PHZ_QF3qrC1XlXO3_NGLPq8oSrpTJdmrjs/s640/Neck+detail.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpptvTksKMFuLJVO2PKKl2FYQclcr8IJVbpzOQRC5PDaktDOGD9q7qOiGB-6Ol6t0eigksWSe97fiZF-gybPB4IGzbXORQhLRXgtF78AK8_PHZ_QF3qrC1XlXO3_NGLPq8oSrpTJdmrjs/s320/Neck+detail.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>There's plenty of short rowing in this pattern (gives the flared shape) and while the pattern is all text, I didn't find it too hard to follow. I did adjust the rate of short rowing to make it slightly less flared and if making it again, would reduce the flare even more.</div><div><br /></div>I love the neck finish (though if making it again would ignore the instruction to double up the yarn for the final rows; it is a bit too heavy).<p></p><p>I also think the little row of purl bumps at the join with the sleeves is very attractive. The top is all seamed on the machine, and tells you how to get this effect.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxtF6j3eC3x_y7O3_lx2VwzbvhCO39dlx82MVn061AGPqKcI923cBx_CXntLwHKEGSveNP2KXadM-N_dt9vV0JEX8NIbcw5TQU_pO7IPlOH0stjHTwuIaFMHwKda2ylxPx7CS-UYjh2I/s2048/20210510_011813986_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1539" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxtF6j3eC3x_y7O3_lx2VwzbvhCO39dlx82MVn061AGPqKcI923cBx_CXntLwHKEGSveNP2KXadM-N_dt9vV0JEX8NIbcw5TQU_pO7IPlOH0stjHTwuIaFMHwKda2ylxPx7CS-UYjh2I/s320/20210510_011813986_iOS.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Finally, I think the side seams are beautiful. <div><br /></div><div>The details in this pattern are worth the price. <br /><div><br /></div><div>There is a lot more info on my <a href="https://ravel.me/Kayyy/qa6akc" target="_blank">project page on Ravelry</a>. <p></p></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhH5NC_s2EmowSNQFLuKprFema0iTdckTwaGOxfv5yVMbd0Td95Dy4KUbjOxjtw3TokrysW9Q3Plt6kzSJe3vfGs3BgbiwOzLTYke4nAcMslbg2W3OQCkz7U_VZir9m8oxAGGgmQSLA38/s2048/20210701_133615539_iOS+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1247" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhH5NC_s2EmowSNQFLuKprFema0iTdckTwaGOxfv5yVMbd0Td95Dy4KUbjOxjtw3TokrysW9Q3Plt6kzSJe3vfGs3BgbiwOzLTYke4nAcMslbg2W3OQCkz7U_VZir9m8oxAGGgmQSLA38/w244-h400/20210701_133615539_iOS+%25282%2529.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><div>Next I'll show you a cardigan I made from another MK pattern. This one is the <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gorple-cardigan" target="_blank">Gorple cardigan</a> by Nic Corrigan. I splashed out for the course as an extra on the MKC. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is also partly knit sideways - the sleeves extend to form a yoke at the back. The pattern calls for both sleeves to be knit in one piece from cuff to cuff.</div><div><br /></div><div>This project illustrated for me the value (and non-value) of MK patterns. </div><div><br /></div><div>I could not get the row gauge called for by this pattern although I was able to match the stitch gauge with no problem. Because the pieces are knitted both up and down and sideways, this meant that the numbers in the pattern would be completely wrong. I ended up drawing the pieces out on paper (per my <a href="https://kaythesewinglawyer.blogspot.com/2016/03/the-sewing-knitting-sewing-knitting.html" target="_blank">usual technique</a>) using the numbers and gauge in the pattern to get the shape and dimensions called for by the pattern, and then re-drawing at those dimensions, using my actual gauge. It was a complete pain! </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguw2-fFiOGVbIjOeA95QlR5IpATixBX9JZ7Q2YW3u1fjOfeVtftNWVK-XQF0VQhN47cMmuaNQwR8IPigbYGydLR1P2iE6JUxrjVVxa4V0qVDEI9g08Em9O5mA1j9ZOeP0nlnGioQ-aRY/s2048/20210701_133529045_iOS+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1235" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguw2-fFiOGVbIjOeA95QlR5IpATixBX9JZ7Q2YW3u1fjOfeVtftNWVK-XQF0VQhN47cMmuaNQwR8IPigbYGydLR1P2iE6JUxrjVVxa4V0qVDEI9g08Em9O5mA1j9ZOeP0nlnGioQ-aRY/s320/20210701_133529045_iOS+%25282%2529.jpg" width="193" /></a></div>I also made the cardigan longer than the pattern (which is quite cropped). If making it again, I would re-draft it to be narrower in both body and sleeve as well . The front is OK but when I look at the back view, I can see it is just too big for me!<br /><div><br /></div><div>Again I used pure wool yarn from deep stash and though I figured it would be a really boring cardigan, and it is, it is also strangely useful, and fall hasn't even really started yet. </div><div><br /></div><div>Again, there are more details on my <a href="https://ravel.me/Kayyy/wx0rdz" target="_blank">Ravelry project page</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also - warning, COVID hair! </div><div><br /></div><div>In my next post, I'll talk about my new way of largely avoiding the laborious task of drawing my pattern shapes on graph paper for machine knitting. </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Will I ever use another MK pattern? Stay tuned. </div>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-9057860530983508822021-08-01T16:45:00.005-04:002021-08-01T16:47:38.750-04:00And of course, there has been knitting (part 1)<p>This year I have zero hand knit projects and nine completed machine knit projects. Last year I had one hand knit project and eight machine knitted finished objects.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8s0FgxpbqqQ-6Ez-T6igaYRM8lef5Z-qJKWnKSRSzF69AzEfET5RhYj66KSDclWY4UYt-3e6-Fg3HRXbqQCOjTZtPxAFBX5V2nSNxnUQpxIftb8ZRVJUbYjjBA_brqAAapod5cwndU4/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8s0FgxpbqqQ-6Ez-T6igaYRM8lef5Z-qJKWnKSRSzF69AzEfET5RhYj66KSDclWY4UYt-3e6-Fg3HRXbqQCOjTZtPxAFBX5V2nSNxnUQpxIftb8ZRVJUbYjjBA_brqAAapod5cwndU4/w280-h373/20200724_141410678_iOS.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>I gave these socks to my son for his birthday. They were a tour de force of short-rowing and I am pretty sure I decided I had to make them only because I had the exact yarn and colourway that illustrated the pattern in my stash (and couldn't quite imagine wearing it myself).<p></p><p>These are <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/broken-jack" target="_blank">Broken Jack</a> (free pattern on Ravelry) done in Biscotte Yarns Felix self-striping yarn, colourway "Go Habs Go", a name that could be impossible to understand if you have no ties to Canada. </p><p><a href="https://www.nhl.com/news/montreal-canadiens-crazy-day-game-3-ot-win-vegas-golden-knights/c-325392200" target="_blank">Here's </a>a hint. I like these stripes broken up into short row diamonds better than the straight striping pattern, but didn't see the benefit of continuing the diamonds into the foot area - where they would be mostly hidden and possibly lumpy.</p><p>After that it was all machine knitting, all the time.</p><p>In two years, I made three baby blankets.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdnRDplpkkpme5i4JYSqgxh8Q5tASet7y8jFXvTEICA1HQAVQZ5ByFa8fYffCLKEBpyO-Mq9MRc3IsEZjnzBawvooHjjthf2skris_SxNtsYlXcv2sY89rRUOXV1Oc0oAszjP9Ib2ymy8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="417" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdnRDplpkkpme5i4JYSqgxh8Q5tASet7y8jFXvTEICA1HQAVQZ5ByFa8fYffCLKEBpyO-Mq9MRc3IsEZjnzBawvooHjjthf2skris_SxNtsYlXcv2sY89rRUOXV1Oc0oAszjP9Ib2ymy8/w313-h417/20201111_182213694_iOS.jpg" width="313" /></a></div>This is a Diana Sullivan pattern - <a href="https://dianaknits.square.site/product/seashell-child-s-blanket-digital-file/19?cs=true&cst=custom" target="_blank">Seashell Child's Blanket</a>.<p></p><p>It's knitted in a self-striping yarn on my mid-gauge and, like the socks, the shells are made by short-rowing which completely breaks up the repeating stripes and makes them look a lot more interesting. <br /><br />I made it for my nephew and his partner and apparently the baby really likes her blankie, which makes me happy. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7j4eWHQD3KZ9d4w-fhgg_6RpFucZ8YwGEP7KqecTkzdzcdG9cakw1a2uWntjzcX_qrFWofZi8eP9kvdKspfDVNl1OId7_GEWaLTMYRXJlQE0jR5LnbmxkK8O7Y3rydC-cnWpohIRUA_s/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7j4eWHQD3KZ9d4w-fhgg_6RpFucZ8YwGEP7KqecTkzdzcdG9cakw1a2uWntjzcX_qrFWofZi8eP9kvdKspfDVNl1OId7_GEWaLTMYRXJlQE0jR5LnbmxkK8O7Y3rydC-cnWpohIRUA_s/" width="180" /></a></div><p></p><p>I made the baby's big sister a matching poncho. <br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtTRXc-5gHZy1ZWWNDO0FMmcLkS_xGm4atOlU1o6I2y1PoeD6pSTSWtG6CCi-MxstVqw4nbRizMzwEyMbdMImy-UMw5eEF6wGReXqf5m41xhu36f80ux7AJBdo4H5rMlJXf3z7MNkqAM/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtTRXc-5gHZy1ZWWNDO0FMmcLkS_xGm4atOlU1o6I2y1PoeD6pSTSWtG6CCi-MxstVqw4nbRizMzwEyMbdMImy-UMw5eEF6wGReXqf5m41xhu36f80ux7AJBdo4H5rMlJXf3z7MNkqAM/" width="180" /></a></div>On the poncho, I did a wide i-cord edging - another Diana Sullivan technique. <p></p><p>At right is the front side showing 5 stitches ...</p><p>Below is the back side also showing 5 stitches. </p><p>This is knit on in one pass using the i-cord technique (knit in one direction, slip in the other) but over 8 needles. The slip pass makes a long float, which is then latched up for the missing 2 stitches. It's a neat technique.<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxl024nj2cGi_1fE3vPlh5Vm6vV8ESyVgpUo0Uw5H7G8KfYL277pv1sC9G9KaqmSWsBFquWUrK0dg0Re7tJy8J5l2206hnZiZJfvy14gchkgPlktjw99UeAWmihE1W4yaPJl2gFkZb06w/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxl024nj2cGi_1fE3vPlh5Vm6vV8ESyVgpUo0Uw5H7G8KfYL277pv1sC9G9KaqmSWsBFquWUrK0dg0Re7tJy8J5l2206hnZiZJfvy14gchkgPlktjw99UeAWmihE1W4yaPJl2gFkZb06w/w204-h273/20201205_223130544_iOS.jpg" width="204" /></a></div><p></p><p>I hate that Blogger now refuses to let me have two photos on the same line. Sorry for the spread-out read. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6vqgyYkhglkV2g3YUpVpMixYxsY4_uh23mMCmwxa2aC_h-yoc_Hqcb9SG0qWpZI0DJ31Rf5h1K4c63IgqPqMR2LseNZ_lmX4kkqrxs-PeGpq2vEPRwMsdbPO3UqJTAqoHKSN8qt9gAM/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1447" data-original-width="2048" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6vqgyYkhglkV2g3YUpVpMixYxsY4_uh23mMCmwxa2aC_h-yoc_Hqcb9SG0qWpZI0DJ31Rf5h1K4c63IgqPqMR2LseNZ_lmX4kkqrxs-PeGpq2vEPRwMsdbPO3UqJTAqoHKSN8qt9gAM/w419-h296/20201004_195511795_iOS.jpg" width="419" /></a></div>Then I made this crazy intarsia animal faces blanket for a friend's first grandchild. <p></p><p>It's an adaptation of a free hand-knitting pattern available on <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/villi-pohjola" target="_blank">Ravelry</a>. Warning: the pattern is written in Finnish. But what do you really need other than the charts and some good photos of the embellishments? </p><p>Knitted on my bulky KH-260 in surprisingly nice aran-weight acrylic from Michael's. </p><p>The finishing took fooooorevvvvver.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDokcpXmxfIo5cp-vB4J-72CRq1XfRqcyC_f76N_4Sd0-V-F9xShnSJpF9HgtblUYQOODE0qHEARlHbtrNw1XvB4EzNt-N0wDo8dbP5GFpRtPDh2pmKkvnEq3ZlpsQouV5L6fUovGa_M/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqDokcpXmxfIo5cp-vB4J-72CRq1XfRqcyC_f76N_4Sd0-V-F9xShnSJpF9HgtblUYQOODE0qHEARlHbtrNw1XvB4EzNt-N0wDo8dbP5GFpRtPDh2pmKkvnEq3ZlpsQouV5L6fUovGa_M/" width="320" /></a></div>The final blankie was my fourth Amazababy blanket. This soft (but bumpy!) blankie never fails to please. <br /><p></p><p>Knitted in Woolike, budget yarn but so soft and so nice on the machine! </p><p>I mixed up the colours by using dark navy and orange instead of black and red. You noticed right away, right?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Phew! That's enough blogging for today. Stay tuned for part 2 in which I will show you some other MK projects. </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-29451975129516231352021-07-31T20:56:00.003-04:002021-07-31T20:56:14.939-04:00What else have I made? Bras!If I was blogging more regularly it would provide me with an accurate account of what I've made in the past months. Oops, now I have to wrack my brains to try and remember.<div><br /></div><div>I went on a bit of a bra-making tear in about February, which is the time of year that tends to happen, if past years are any guide. I made two sports bras and three for everyday wear. </div><div><br /></div><div>The first sports bra was the <a href="https://jalie.com/products/coco-sport-bra-sewing-pattern" target="_blank">Jalie Coco</a>, which I made with a few amusing sort-of-coordinating stretch fabrics that I bought at Ann's Fabric in Hamilton when I was there last year. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLwtUOH6aNSIHU-N6o8jXCeU3edOw8zvMfcEFQr3DNd-Y26lonElXxYOjANnbGCu6HqR7FkvbLUW1eZ6hTRCwzCRJvP9NX4eJYNhkRbmkZLRZuesBMJm1e6flnIz9NxIFWN_9HmmDYp4/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1761" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLwtUOH6aNSIHU-N6o8jXCeU3edOw8zvMfcEFQr3DNd-Y26lonElXxYOjANnbGCu6HqR7FkvbLUW1eZ6hTRCwzCRJvP9NX4eJYNhkRbmkZLRZuesBMJm1e6flnIz9NxIFWN_9HmmDYp4/" width="206" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKO3ZZ_sYOQh5z3j3JATg3RNXKdGvlSoBD30EaO6_u0-0OB5rTcrWkaWIdj29xnKUDzUlg12Rqsyuk7f9u5NuhJlRhN20xe3BRYPMZAh667NYP3dgQ37dOjaT3FPtE2Gf3znNfjHEMHs/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1816" data-original-width="1721" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKO3ZZ_sYOQh5z3j3JATg3RNXKdGvlSoBD30EaO6_u0-0OB5rTcrWkaWIdj29xnKUDzUlg12Rqsyuk7f9u5NuhJlRhN20xe3BRYPMZAh667NYP3dgQ37dOjaT3FPtE2Gf3znNfjHEMHs/" width="227" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">I have a beef with over-the-head sports bras which is that they are hard to deal with when you've been sweating (which you probably will do while wearing a sports bra, right?). One of the things I thought I would be able to do with this pattern is to insert hooks at the CB of the band. The pattern isn't written that way, and so far I haven't had the energy to figure out how to modify it. But that would make it a lot easier to get on and off, I think. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Something I realized after wearing this a few times (which I should have realized a lot earlier, since I tend to be short through the armscye area) is that I should have shortened the straps. They look OK but I feel like the bra is sitting too far down on my body. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Coco bra has minimal if any shaping and relies on compression to hold everything together. It is fully lined. I used some power mesh from stash in the front and side, and the straps are self-lined. With this type of lining and the firm lower band, the bra is very supportive. The front lining is designed with the option of inserting bra cups between two lining layers, and as a result the front lining is a little complicated. I did not even consider making this option and dumbed the pattern down by combining the CF lining piece with the "cup" lining piece. In this way I got rid of two seams that had no shaping built into them and seemed to have the potential for show-through bumpiness.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsKnHdRepl1bz7zMDxMWqZLzuoWmv9j4R-xkR1haYlnP9uGVzhYous6YB37tp-dgE0gkQzEcL2BCaKoh9NI0kpTX05ryGPV-7MMl7zUvd1Gb9Pmmeoad2mNEnB_O0IEW3p8C5ykgM3NU/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1539" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgsKnHdRepl1bz7zMDxMWqZLzuoWmv9j4R-xkR1haYlnP9uGVzhYous6YB37tp-dgE0gkQzEcL2BCaKoh9NI0kpTX05ryGPV-7MMl7zUvd1Gb9Pmmeoad2mNEnB_O0IEW3p8C5ykgM3NU/" width="180" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">By contrast, the next sports bra that I made has fully shaped cups with plenty of seams. This is the <a href="https://greenstylecreations.com/products/endurance-sports-bra-in-band-sizes-28-to-33-and-cups-b-h" target="_blank">Greenstyle Endurance</a> sports bra. It has a front zipper for easy on-and-offing, no matter how sweaty you are. I went ahead and shortened the straps by about 2.5 cm based on my Coco experience, even though I had never made anything like it before. I love the fit and feel of this bra and the shortened straps are perfect for me. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The Endurance is sewn with a seamed bra foam inner layer in front, a lined back and all edges are encased in wide fold-over elastic. Surprise! I had bra foam and wide FOE in stash, along with a remnant of colourful nylon lycra and a shortish coil separating zipper. I even had a little scrap of scuba knit for the top and bottom zipper shield. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuRjrV6UpddiQNGd0AkEHk_tKC4Gs2lfwXgYmvebi_aaZOwiLb8NANL-1UJKmP2kY1FzcjX5cOZozB_5N1mBGxqIq_NDwdDItT9rNNsyDWc5thpEOWUQb9iK044NzbrRfyQWMcfx5w1M/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1580" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvuRjrV6UpddiQNGd0AkEHk_tKC4Gs2lfwXgYmvebi_aaZOwiLb8NANL-1UJKmP2kY1FzcjX5cOZozB_5N1mBGxqIq_NDwdDItT9rNNsyDWc5thpEOWUQb9iK044NzbrRfyQWMcfx5w1M/" width="185" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;">I found the bra foam super easy to sew. The edges are butted together and sewn with a 3 step zig-zag - no bulky seam allowances. It's very comfortable against the skin too. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I skipped the step of stitching down all the seam allowances in the outer fabric, which wasn't the smartest thing since quite predictably, once I washed the bra the seam allowances all did that little rolling thing that jersey knits always do. Luckily this is not noticeable in my busy print, and I can't feel it. Next time.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The bra has a nice racer back and the FOE finishing makes it look very snappy. It is easy to get on and off, although I sometimes find it hard to get the zipper connected at the lower edge when putting it on (negative ease). Maybe a molded plastic zipper would be easier. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOdjMitiH01HuIwrB54wig37bO7TR1Dlh-77ZukNdmakEBsHkjsuoWOSREzOk-Qcb6ILMQO20lNu8XCkxn4aQL7gkLV26BBKmNL6jCgwJor-yOhvNkZwxu59cWzYqhfPJiAktaWNLThE/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguOdjMitiH01HuIwrB54wig37bO7TR1Dlh-77ZukNdmakEBsHkjsuoWOSREzOk-Qcb6ILMQO20lNu8XCkxn4aQL7gkLV26BBKmNL6jCgwJor-yOhvNkZwxu59cWzYqhfPJiAktaWNLThE/" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you are still with me, the other new bra pattern I tried out is the <a href="https://afiatelier.com/2020/10/afi-exquisite-bra-pattern-now-available/" target="_blank">Atelier AFI Exquisite</a> bra. This is a very lovely "balconette" bra with seamed cups. The cups are supposed to be made from non-stretch fabric and decorated with lace. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I used a stretch fabric but lined it to reduce the stretch factor. And I made a slightly smaller size than recommended. I adjusted the bridge to be narrower than the pattern based on my earlier bra experiments. It turned out perfectly. I'm actually amazed at the fit, especially given that I had previously tried the free <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5140515590936881334/1306003372913797084" target="_blank">Maya pattern</a> and didn't care for it. <br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You'll just have to believe me when I say it fits me better than my plastic display form.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I also made 2 versions of my self-drafted bra pattern, including one that is a complete clone of <a href="https://kaythesewinglawyer.blogspot.com/2017/05/flower-power-bra-put-bow-on-it.html" target="_blank">this one</a> and I finally made up the full band version of the same pattern. I had previously made the pattern using the information in Beverly Johnson's <a href="https://www.braandcorsetsupplies.com/product/qb-100-bra-makers-manual-volume-1/" target="_blank">Bra Maker's Manual</a> (vol. 1). It worked out fine, although my elastic application left a bit to be desired. </div></div><br /></div><div><br /></div>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-14351851374061218132021-07-30T14:24:00.002-04:002021-07-30T14:24:36.570-04:00Another new dress<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNX12f4F0SHQKlHj772WyRn2bRXo9MIkVshBV44jDeqlnEEU3-fHapALndb1IyVLxQ7nZKlj6Gic9UaO04Heag0ikOJ5oYfg-D0apAknjiGMIhVS8B6VUH9NXKtCK33XFFFucpwuyXlU/s2048/Full%252C+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1449" height="545" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjNX12f4F0SHQKlHj772WyRn2bRXo9MIkVshBV44jDeqlnEEU3-fHapALndb1IyVLxQ7nZKlj6Gic9UaO04Heag0ikOJ5oYfg-D0apAknjiGMIhVS8B6VUH9NXKtCK33XFFFucpwuyXlU/w385-h545/Full%252C+cropped.jpg" width="385" /></a></div>I've had more wear from this dress which is a fantastic summer outfit that requires no fussing. Shaping? What shaping? Very cool on a hot day.<br /><p></p><p>It's the <a href="https://store.closetcorepatterns.com/products/kalle-shirt-shirtdress-pattern?variant=39419168653446" target="_blank">Kalle Dress</a> from Closet Core Patterns. </p><p>I am still sewing entirely from stash. The fabric is a batik print I got at the Fabric Flea Market a few years back. I wonder if there will be any FFMs in the post-pandemic future? That was a lot of people in a room.</p><p>It was a bit of a struggle to get all the pieces out of my fabric as the piece was only 2 metres and I was making view C (full length button band) which calls for 2.5 metres. If I had had more fabric I would also have lengthened the back. </p><p>I had to cut out the bias for the hem finish from some black shirting that was on hand. The buttons are vintage black glass, another past FFM find. I had two fewer than the pattern called for but you know what? I was never going to do up the one on the collar band, and a little judicious re-spacing of the rest was never going to be noticed. Problem solved. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgncW64XLxbmo1FJ20OnfZP28Ot9mfe5L3_INBufEokPW9Fs57nEtZxBl5pVr4KhCChhK5ShqZm5ge-3vlWtApIns2XwqgGxWrIEajfEjnrS6HaX9CXWO-aauGoQizXp8kf1yfXKTqw0E8/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="853" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgncW64XLxbmo1FJ20OnfZP28Ot9mfe5L3_INBufEokPW9Fs57nEtZxBl5pVr4KhCChhK5ShqZm5ge-3vlWtApIns2XwqgGxWrIEajfEjnrS6HaX9CXWO-aauGoQizXp8kf1yfXKTqw0E8/" width="160" /></a></div>I made the front longer and adjusted the curve of the shirttail hems to be a squarer sort of curve for more coverage, as they looked a little skimpy and I had noted comments to the same effect in reviews of this pattern. The side view copied from the CC website shows what needed to be fixed. <p></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBt4oLakrWw0HRt73pEwQ-OIBz2IIj65CrWJCkJe_s7n1dseVet5swN7kpoMiNYUAEcMS7_UUkJbkQXztYQ4KCBuaJiH-GQJ8p_fvIGc6PV33UHG-xE4d0wsY2F85BzjTpuGrmym4n66o/s2048/20210730_151046528_iOS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1243" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBt4oLakrWw0HRt73pEwQ-OIBz2IIj65CrWJCkJe_s7n1dseVet5swN7kpoMiNYUAEcMS7_UUkJbkQXztYQ4KCBuaJiH-GQJ8p_fvIGc6PV33UHG-xE4d0wsY2F85BzjTpuGrmym4n66o/w257-h424/20210730_151046528_iOS.jpg" width="257" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-60781386251600898112021-07-30T13:55:00.002-04:002021-07-30T13:57:03.493-04:00All dressed up and (still) nowhere to go <p>I posted a photo of the thrifted rayon print I used for this dress in 2015, so it has been marinating for a while in my stash. I had a lot of it - enough to cut out the massive lower skirt piece in this dress pattern on the fold and leave leftovers. It's the <a href="https://www.fibremood.com/en/patterns/566-carole-dress" target="_blank">Carole Dress</a> from Fibre Mood. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_dIrRclnZx3gQpovXsLF4LxPw5YktcMYWS7gbIdls1-ALBAh_Fg9xDyNezHB0KMElK0mRzoPIUTBjqntYtBUblXCqageSlomJIzgbuCylqXpE-TvJandiQbMOZA3LFICDHWmPB1Hd2g/s2048/Cropped+full+length.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1611" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6_dIrRclnZx3gQpovXsLF4LxPw5YktcMYWS7gbIdls1-ALBAh_Fg9xDyNezHB0KMElK0mRzoPIUTBjqntYtBUblXCqageSlomJIzgbuCylqXpE-TvJandiQbMOZA3LFICDHWmPB1Hd2g/w462-h586/Cropped+full+length.jpg" width="462" /></a></div>Why did I buy this pattern from a formerly unknown-to-me online outfit from Belgium? <div><br /></div><div>Because I looked at <a href="https://handmadebycarolyn.com.au/2020/03/mother-of-the-bride.html" target="_blank">Carolyn's blog</a> in early 2020 and she was waxing poetic about Fibre Mood patterns, and this dress in particular which she had made a couple of times. </div><div><br /></div><div>I was also inspired by her blog to buy their patterns for the <a href="https://handmadebycarolyn.com.au/2020/04/paper-bag-waist.html" target="_blank">paper bag pants</a> and the <a href="https://handmadebycarolyn.com.au/tag/fibre-mood/page/2" target="_blank">Faye dress</a>. Have I printed them yet? erm no.</div><div><br /></div><div>Carolyn blogged about this pattern twice. In her second post she sort of suggested that she had had to make some adjustments to the pattern for fit, but didn't describe them. As for me, I found I had to make some to get this dress to something I would be willing to wear. </div><div><br /></div><div>There were two major things wrong with this pattern, IMHO. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavXweChSr_JJ7uyj0wcck4pS2tfRMHFsTluGy6Rb3NYbt-oXk7gsc0XS9Yvx_OHKlbyW-A29DBNWtUi71eNNIIoUe294bpYOJsxSeSxp9rvyVo5kWhgfImFi4Ufzxjb1EL5xLlenJOoo/s720/Line+drawing.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="720" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhavXweChSr_JJ7uyj0wcck4pS2tfRMHFsTluGy6Rb3NYbt-oXk7gsc0XS9Yvx_OHKlbyW-A29DBNWtUi71eNNIIoUe294bpYOJsxSeSxp9rvyVo5kWhgfImFi4Ufzxjb1EL5xLlenJOoo/s320/Line+drawing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>First, as you can see in the line drawing, there were no darts or other shaping incorporated into the waist area and this left an enormous amount of excess fabric in the middle of my back. </div><div><br /></div><div>While I'm not averse to a dress that blouses attractively above a waist belt, this dress did not seem to me to call for it. The waist tie is extremely narrow (about 1cm) and I thought one of the nice features of the dress, as Carolyn had made it, was the semi-fitted back silhouette. By contrast, the line drawing shows a blobby unattractiveness at the waist. I was dubious about this as I progressed through the sewing steps, following the instructions faithfully. I figured I could whang some fisheye darts in there once I could see how bad it was going to be.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJytoXLbQj027Yqgnbkx8n4hiZ3_hvEG2vH2EmDVfxaBer7lwdhfaMjuOmJ3M7zrmAsp8kAX0kPWXZHXmQkr5_3VcbF7toBblZMXBFRc2k5N6O4nFguGHLZStxVGbpLO69mCRphHDdOY/s2048/20210730_150610810_iOS.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1348" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSJytoXLbQj027Yqgnbkx8n4hiZ3_hvEG2vH2EmDVfxaBer7lwdhfaMjuOmJ3M7zrmAsp8kAX0kPWXZHXmQkr5_3VcbF7toBblZMXBFRc2k5N6O4nFguGHLZStxVGbpLO69mCRphHDdOY/w211-h320/20210730_150610810_iOS.jpg" width="211" /></a></div></div><div>It was bad enough that the back darts are a good 3cm each at their widest point. I eyeballed what was necessary by pinning out as much fabric as was needed with the dress on my trusty dressform. </div><div><br /></div><div>Can you see the darts? I didn't think so. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihv611GGeBK7k0roB8nRDTyTxkSa2164eR6C8ut08ioEceRY_ZchyZyzrRXMRoahyphenhyphenyngo9vGXwyxSOH2g8N0wfyEz8T1Osm7IuuWoRDcT1-6F6qxP2UxHjt6CXEn_5Xhja7GpwJ_vytsM/s2048/20210730_150616816_iOS.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1539" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihv611GGeBK7k0roB8nRDTyTxkSa2164eR6C8ut08ioEceRY_ZchyZyzrRXMRoahyphenhyphenyngo9vGXwyxSOH2g8N0wfyEz8T1Osm7IuuWoRDcT1-6F6qxP2UxHjt6CXEn_5Xhja7GpwJ_vytsM/w240-h320/20210730_150616816_iOS.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><div>Second, once I got it attached, I realized that the skirt was waaaaaay too long in back for an ordinary human. I did not adjust the front for length but the back is at least 15cm shorter as a result of my adjustments and is still plenty long enough.</div><div><br /></div><div>The fix was to rip out the seam between the skirt yoke and lower skirt and take out a massive curved wedge, tapering to nothing somewhere in the front. I do not actually trust the accuracy of the line drawing but maybe the skirt seam was as curved down as it shows. It's much more horizontal in my finished dress, not that you can see it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Luckily the instructions had induced me to sew the seam that attaches the lower skirt to the upper skirt last so I didn't have to mess with changing the side seams. </div><div><br /></div><div>The enormity of figuring out how exactly I was going to increase the depth of the concave curve in the lower skirt while also decreasing the depth of the convex curve in the skirt yoke and the impossibility of imagining where or for what I would wear the dress during the early part of the pandemic meant that the partially completed dress sat on my form literally for most of a year. In the end, it wasn't that hard because rayon is incredibly shifty and therefore forgiving. And nobody can see that seam!</div><div><br /></div><div>I have worn this dress once (working from home, for a lark) but am hopeful I can actually wear it out in actual company when I attend a family event that is hopefully going to take place in early September. </div><div> </div>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-14422721755704366452021-02-10T20:03:00.001-05:002021-02-17T20:05:02.051-05:00Adventures in machine knitting, garter bar edition (part II)<p> I had heard tell you could use a garter bar to make lace but I could not for the life of me figure it out. The garter bar has no moving parts, every prong fits on a needle and seemingly can only receive one stitch. But Diana Sullivan demonstrated how to manipulate your stitches to only give the GB access to the stitches on selected needles. It leaves the others alone. You can shift the selected stitches right or left and deposit them on a next-door needle, leaving one that's empty. It then makes a hole (the equivalent of K2tog, YO in hand knitting). </p><p>I wouldn't need this technique for my standard gauge machines, which are Brothers (and have lace carriages that make transferring stitches sooooo much easier. However I got a new SK860 (a mid-gauge) and had some DK silk so....</p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xge4YdaU5qRP3Tq9nAlFd6LUW9tI7piIMtZDoVI8-T7t7RNXtkN8vHMJn7HbsUVFMCU7WrwTwFTrhXTKr2DsRS2UygBJlvrken7lI4GTaLaeHYyYx_Yzc_fKXk_F5-g6dwQF2DpViMc/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xge4YdaU5qRP3Tq9nAlFd6LUW9tI7piIMtZDoVI8-T7t7RNXtkN8vHMJn7HbsUVFMCU7WrwTwFTrhXTKr2DsRS2UygBJlvrken7lI4GTaLaeHYyYx_Yzc_fKXk_F5-g6dwQF2DpViMc/w213-h320/quince-co-cullum-isabell-kraemer-knitting-pattern-sparrow-1_medium2.webp" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cullum</td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cullum">Cullum </a>is a hand knit pattern with a very simple lace chart. I probably had to recalculate the gauge for my yarn. Honestly, the silk would have knitted fine on my standard gauge but I wanted to try (a) the machine and (b) the technique. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXYn66_UxtI_k-w7Mq4eH9kifTy6bRFS0gMt8BQ-Xl-gD0PgxY7ywfruEdMxtxRfQWIK0tQLyo5mkSCmiYOPTJ9DNbQb4p8mwGXEXs8rk4tkcd0xcAgZSYvtBTFflKN1wQkl6MAilr7s/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitXYn66_UxtI_k-w7Mq4eH9kifTy6bRFS0gMt8BQ-Xl-gD0PgxY7ywfruEdMxtxRfQWIK0tQLyo5mkSCmiYOPTJ9DNbQb4p8mwGXEXs8rk4tkcd0xcAgZSYvtBTFflKN1wQkl6MAilr7s/w400-h300/20200706_000322551_iOS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>It's also a very simple pattern, just 2 pieces (probably hand knit in the round).</p><p>I like how the 3 rows of eyelets bias. This is generated by always shifting the stitches in the same direction for each lace row. If you shifted them in alternate directions they would zig and zag a bit. <br /></p><p>You can see my yarn is as stretched as can be on this machine. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWEUODhD42-QR5g4l59UNmpDFED48LKe_UWBrbBynuuH2xeeWUUVFNPiSLv1QKpV1kfsTe-mmKcQg1kPQTg9589itMNXP5VPzzVnAOHbpnedDPSVCgDx9NckA9IC3oaElKJQOD-CoA3A/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWWEUODhD42-QR5g4l59UNmpDFED48LKe_UWBrbBynuuH2xeeWUUVFNPiSLv1QKpV1kfsTe-mmKcQg1kPQTg9589itMNXP5VPzzVnAOHbpnedDPSVCgDx9NckA9IC3oaElKJQOD-CoA3A/w200-h150/20200804_012950311_iOS.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>There was no way I could get the icord edging tight enough on the mid-gauge. I made it on a standard gauge machine. It makes a really nice, firm neckline.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_VUn405KkMI12DxxeUJQyxLzzmguBw7jXkvLHOh6xukQQhkGxj23jIN8kWWmIVaUm_jyRQgVC28LjTamPZJvB_CIqZkr_9M4lQ_BtOaSNbg02OiegfHrCuCvDRhYb9IIMOiEooBQ714/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1539" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_VUn405KkMI12DxxeUJQyxLzzmguBw7jXkvLHOh6xukQQhkGxj23jIN8kWWmIVaUm_jyRQgVC28LjTamPZJvB_CIqZkr_9M4lQ_BtOaSNbg02OiegfHrCuCvDRhYb9IIMOiEooBQ714/w300-h400/20200804_141433148_iOS.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>I like the finished top quite a lot but the sunny yellow is a hard one to match. <br /><br />(The Sewing Lawyer with mid-summer pandemic hair...)<p></p><p><br /><br /></p>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-80915990737447395612021-02-10T15:43:00.001-05:002021-02-10T20:30:55.200-05:00Adventures in machine knitting, garter bar edition (part I)<p> Last summer I took a course with Diana Sullivan, machine knitting guru from Austin Texas. Of course I wasn't in the same room as she was, nor with any other attendees (and there were dozens). She offered it on Facebook through a private group. It ran over 4 weekends and each Saturday there was a live 3 hour class on the group. You could easily ask questions through the chat function if you were watching along, and Diana would stop and answer as she demoed various techniques.</p><p>The videos were recorded and could be reviewed at your leisure while the group page continued to exist. Unfortunately, Diana took it down after a few months. She is now selling edited videos of the entire seminar on her <a href="https://dianaknits.square.site/">website</a>.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVP_AmVAelZIlclxRlGaHuzwAPaBNokfGy_7MSRhMmD3CQLmw5d64xq-73pntKKJr8ONPgQHh7XFy0qMInNQwNLDHqCgz22n4_KfYmpr0_DBovlw5zjyiVdgepOx2GZrR0QE99nNFWdIM/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVP_AmVAelZIlclxRlGaHuzwAPaBNokfGy_7MSRhMmD3CQLmw5d64xq-73pntKKJr8ONPgQHh7XFy0qMInNQwNLDHqCgz22n4_KfYmpr0_DBovlw5zjyiVdgepOx2GZrR0QE99nNFWdIM/w300-h400/04C7260B-E77B-4876-8F92-2F6EC5E7FF73_medium2.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My version of Le Mont Royal shrug</td></tr></tbody></table>For me, the garter bar "extra" class was worth the entire cost of this seminar (which was modest). I've had a standard (4.5mm) garter bar set for a long time but have (still) never used it. At some point I decided I ought to have a garter bar for all my machines so I bought the mid-gauge (6.5mm) and bulky (9mm) ones from <a href="https://www.kriskrafter.com/product-page/6-5mm-mid-gauge-garter-bar-set">KrisKrafter</a>. Like I used the one I had all the time so I was sure I'd use these too? (I'm not sure what gets into machine knitters but we have to have All.The.Things.)<p></p><p>Let me speak to you of garter stitch. It's the easiest stitch to knit by hand, and the most awkward on a machine. By hand, you turn your knitting, and every row is a knit row, knitted into the back of the knit row below it. By contrast, the machine holds the knitting with the same orientation all the time, knitting row after row back and forth. Stockinette is what results. You need to turn your knitting (or reform individual stitches) to get garter stitch. You use a garter bar to do this turning. </p><p>Here is a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khr9grP-Mx4">YouTube video</a> showing how it's done. I especially like her honesty when she says "you're going to swear at the machine a lot when you first start to try and use it" and also how, after turning the knitting over and hooking it back on the needles, she says that "with any luck" all the stitches will be on a needle.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuWzzHEJr9HZ2dlPanrAEiJlaXpBA1YPcUzTyumHH6wZZLDJhDBd8HHfKbnxmj9I1ujQ-dQ23iljaoNSe6JJDLXFvaOR8ndVE1Ut_GQk5Iufxl0PJRADbg0MOF_Spm3VPxNIkKJruQUTs/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuWzzHEJr9HZ2dlPanrAEiJlaXpBA1YPcUzTyumHH6wZZLDJhDBd8HHfKbnxmj9I1ujQ-dQ23iljaoNSe6JJDLXFvaOR8ndVE1Ut_GQk5Iufxl0PJRADbg0MOF_Spm3VPxNIkKJruQUTs/" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Le Mont Royal</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p>In a fit of inspiration (even before the Diana Sullivan class) I decided to make myself a simple thing on my bulky machine using a garter bar. A shrug, which is a rectangle of knitting with the ends closed to a tube (sleeves) and the middle left open (body). I used this free pattern - <a href="https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/le-mont-royal">Le Mont Royal</a> by Espace Tricot.</p><p>You'll notice that the sleeve ends are a good chunk of garter stitch rows, and that the edge of the shrug is also garter stitch. I used the garter bar to knit all of the edging rows, and reformed the edge stitches by hand, every second row, for the body of the shrug.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZkSwtBypR6IoY0c9IZ_R0_oxcVxutWJcS1ZfJG3tD7VZEle_K8DWXKCnC2Mn90FE3Cfj9KzBiT1jZtOA6RXwbcm7iaZlCom-o3EGRYLsS1Xxbv9cNmDVtnFwV4xQKGc_FL-yqQO59co/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZkSwtBypR6IoY0c9IZ_R0_oxcVxutWJcS1ZfJG3tD7VZEle_K8DWXKCnC2Mn90FE3Cfj9KzBiT1jZtOA6RXwbcm7iaZlCom-o3EGRYLsS1Xxbv9cNmDVtnFwV4xQKGc_FL-yqQO59co/" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Test swatch with garter bar</td></tr></tbody></table>I picked mohair yarn for this project, which conceals a multitude of mistakes, but is also "difficult" in that it has these hairy bits that like to get caught up in the gate pegs (knitting machines are spiky). <p></p><p>Also, the base yarn is very skinny, and it turns out it was hard to make sure I had all the stitches (as opposed to the hairy halo only) on a needle after turning the knitting. But this yarn is such a glorious colour combo - basic teal but with flashing red and green and blue hairs when the light catches it. I think I had 10 skeins in total which is what was at the thrift shop the day my husband found it. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZpUEXNB52zLAmOpNCHFIcMG5rzww2LjMSfw2x_qg-rO1YJGtEra5JzV4L-xc38RV7uJSMC4EV8bQkfTaAk9T8YFST8WMWY8BVACX8_glkL6uJuUv_m6X5gQbcyKrbSYKyccs1GhTIw0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZpUEXNB52zLAmOpNCHFIcMG5rzww2LjMSfw2x_qg-rO1YJGtEra5JzV4L-xc38RV7uJSMC4EV8bQkfTaAk9T8YFST8WMWY8BVACX8_glkL6uJuUv_m6X5gQbcyKrbSYKyccs1GhTIw0/" width="180" /></a></div><p>Considering that the shrug was 66 stitches wide (meaning I had to stick the two half-bed width garter bars together to turn it) and that it was my first outing with this ornery tool, it worked quite well. I resorted to life lines just in case, but also got very adept at using this nifty tool (photo at left) to latch up when I dropped a stitch. I made a fascinating <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDkdS7UWiPA">video of me knitting one row of this shrug</a>. Lucky for you, I had had lots of practice by that point so there were no tears or bad words, and I only dropped one stitch which I was able to repair.</p><p></p><p>The pattern is knit in one piece from one end to the other. I couldn't figure out at the time how to start the knitting with garter stitch (I could have used waste yarn and ravel cord of course) so I knitted from the middle out and seamed the two halves together instead. This at least means my two ends are identical. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlfnCOAt5Fd1BT19KmGYCi7NbijNJjdEzoIHsBB-g1eq1BljZk2h7rrH2_bzO-hgHfD7AByi4RDWcofJdtT1oBhuzPKpTITiC8YKAtLLqWoPqpWLHyx7PLFDVOWfXWGkS5zsXRR7MxVU/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1539" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlfnCOAt5Fd1BT19KmGYCi7NbijNJjdEzoIHsBB-g1eq1BljZk2h7rrH2_bzO-hgHfD7AByi4RDWcofJdtT1oBhuzPKpTITiC8YKAtLLqWoPqpWLHyx7PLFDVOWfXWGkS5zsXRR7MxVU/w300-h400/20200516_174017257_iOS.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>The shrug has 4 buttons on each "sleeve" which means you also have to make 4 buttonholes in the garter stitch. <p></p><p>It is designed to be worn as a shrug or unbuttoned like a shawl. </p><p>I didn't think this through and made my two halves mirror images so that the buttonholes would be on the top on both sides (symmetrical). This means that when I wear it like a shawl (which to be honest only happened for this photo) I have two buttonhole edges meeting rather than one buttonhole edge and one button edge. So I made a toggle out of two pieces of horn. </p><p>Mohair is toasty warm!</p><p>I have another garter bar project, inspired directly by the Diana Sullivan seminar, but it'll have its own post.</p><p> </p><p><br /></p>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-44985260706628149712021-02-09T21:57:00.000-05:002021-02-09T21:57:31.404-05:00Made any masks lately?<p>Oh I held out for a while. Non-sewers were all getting their ancient machines out from the back of the closet and firing them up. I was in denial.</p><p>Yeah, it didn't last. </p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrjHz1dXqOBmFx45l2VhqKe1kkvxG944P_AsWn4hB_V-cpBYJj0oEWLZBc5L_Y_2jLnDb6OmIWhKDFWSdgBBqsx1OKQU1DxMgvz7I7LAxBG_-W5CXBDyy6cY37IHX8HUxz6wKRSL68JA/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrjHz1dXqOBmFx45l2VhqKe1kkvxG944P_AsWn4hB_V-cpBYJj0oEWLZBc5L_Y_2jLnDb6OmIWhKDFWSdgBBqsx1OKQU1DxMgvz7I7LAxBG_-W5CXBDyy6cY37IHX8HUxz6wKRSL68JA/" width="238" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dhurata Davies Mask <br />(early in pandemic)<br />(yes I did cut my own bangs)</td></tr></tbody></table>It turns out I have a lot of stashed cotton bits left over from various projects. And old sheets. And now I have special ear elastic and silicone cord locks.</p><p>In the early days I was making <a href="https://dhuratadavies.com/blogs/things-i-make-and-do/free-face-mask-pattern-and-tutorial">this one</a> by Dhurata Davies (but with ear elastics instead of the long ties). </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmL69amPNYd5P3BT6_Blm4w3Q6jlHBx1NtKX6dQfOdErLpFoQGn5sEJ3ryyWa9malQGXpWP-oabSdsuaIyejwYB1vPxAzs-w1HYBqMRgPebtWJLlGpJTVnHm8PZ52Q5htqKC8w0P4B3w/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDmL69amPNYd5P3BT6_Blm4w3Q6jlHBx1NtKX6dQfOdErLpFoQGn5sEJ3ryyWa9malQGXpWP-oabSdsuaIyejwYB1vPxAzs-w1HYBqMRgPebtWJLlGpJTVnHm8PZ52Q5htqKC8w0P4B3w/" width="320" /></a></div>I made SO MANY of them! (See left). Gotta keep the family safe!<br /><br /><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Later I tested <a href="https://jalie.com/products/jalie-4026-flair-face-mask-and-accessories-sewing-pattern">Jalie's mask pattern</a>. Four styles with headband and bag for your spares!</p><p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_7TS6gypOQnoovtSO3jNdNkDiAxOlnBHO-DWpSKPJGjhMcveUDz9mSSq54u0MZQbUjxDdkwK3VMnxJRBfgyIRq26kubeWqkpHXL20ldVxPd1duLpFGez701Ikf-0zC2EsSUnEjA1zt4/" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1539" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI_7TS6gypOQnoovtSO3jNdNkDiAxOlnBHO-DWpSKPJGjhMcveUDz9mSSq54u0MZQbUjxDdkwK3VMnxJRBfgyIRq26kubeWqkpHXL20ldVxPd1duLpFGez701Ikf-0zC2EsSUnEjA1zt4/" width="180" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jalie View A<br />(later in pandemic) <br />(lots more hair)</td></tr></tbody></table>My favourite is view B which has a similar shape to the Dhurata Davies pattern but is a bit more sophisticated. 3 layers! <br /></p><p>So do I have a photo of me wearing view B? Of course not. Enjoy this pic of my most sober/serious mask. This one is view A. It is a bit more complicated in structure. (Whenever I have to go to an in-person meeting for work I gravitate towards this one instead of the crazy African prints. Almost everyone else wears boring black or a disposable one...)</p><p>I never thought I could get used to wearing a mask. But it turns out you can get used to a lot of weirdness. </p>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5140515590936881334.post-24097962399615010292021-02-09T21:29:00.003-05:002021-02-10T15:44:18.158-05:00I'm back ... but I didn't really go anywhere (like the rest of the world)<p>Yikes, what a year 2020 was.</p><p>My last few posts almost 12 months ago were written in a state of denial; recalling what had been normal. I reread how I expected to be working from home for a few weeks or months "at most" and chuckled ruefully. That <a href="https://kaythesewinglawyer.blogspot.com/2020/03/everything-is-discombobulated-and-silk.html">silk shirt</a>? Worn (maybe) once. Those <a href="https://kaythesewinglawyer.blogspot.com/2020/03/navy-trousers.html">wool trousers</a>? More often, but fewer than 10 times (they are very comfortable). In the fall, I went through the formality of moving my winter clothes out of the storage closet for ready access, but most of my jackets and dresses languish unworn. Even that nice <a href="https://kaythesewinglawyer.blogspot.com/search/label/Vogue%209022">wool knit dress</a> I made a year ago isn't getting much love, although I do love it. I'm now living in jeans and comfy stretchy clothes like everyone else, and wonder if I will be OK going back to my structured professional wardrobe. </p><p>I previously mentioned how my work exploded with COVID. It calmed down (somewhat) but I'm still working from my sewing room so the space is tainted by too much time spent there not sewing. Too much inactivity (still standing at my ironing board standing desk, though it is now augmented with a gas lift table top for better ergonomics). Too many screens. Too little time.</p><p>But I've been a bit more creative lately and was feeling bad about my neglected blog.</p><p>So here is a project I completed recently. I have a pair of MEC pants (lightweight nylon, 0 stretch, many pockets) and for a few years have been musing to myself that I should clone them. They are very comfortable (see above re comfy clothes). I found an article in (I think) Threads Magazine on how to make a pattern from an existing garment. Now that I'm looking for it again of course I can't find it. But here's the gist. </p><p>EDITED - I still can't find it but there is a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRLCHj2mDFE&t=0s">YouTube video by David Page Coffin</a> that more or less illustrates the method.</p><p>Use foam mats as a base (I have some that I use for blocking knits), cover with paper. Use pins to pierce the paper along the seam lines of the garment. Obviously you have to keep it as flat as possible. Once you have put enough holes in the paper to see the lines, use a pencil and ruler/curve to mark the seam lines. Repeat for all pieces. Check dimensions. Guesstimate grain lines. Sew a trial muslin to see if it worked.</p><p>It was ridiculously easy and surprisingly I got a quite accurate pattern on my first attempt. </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nt4huHJjticHf_ccKbA7sHs9RrTl-BIXNapY_LrlNAnJfRjCxvRsL4tvtnXVSF7E_dmYzC_-QITxe_zU9SxQe63wdrL7yAo88-r8TBTOYmFl7gjt3bESl_Obzo7MlAttnn-ACfCto3U/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1035" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nt4huHJjticHf_ccKbA7sHs9RrTl-BIXNapY_LrlNAnJfRjCxvRsL4tvtnXVSF7E_dmYzC_-QITxe_zU9SxQe63wdrL7yAo88-r8TBTOYmFl7gjt3bESl_Obzo7MlAttnn-ACfCto3U/w325-h640/20210123_201839938_iOS.jpg" width="325" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table>Here are my finished pants. The fabric is a woven cotton with no stretch, but it has more give than the original nylon. The pants are very much the shape of the original. I have already modified the front to be higher at the waist for my next version. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj850aLXjpL93U7S_ULkYqigs1ENj-6vDUTX03Enj6i29dq2ra13ztAFtDiTIp-lHBb_uggqtAo-V6lIr25uODC4LT0pm1Ch7YejBN9_1A5ortEE17A2EDB45M_p7JvezgUOSPK5sMb4e8/" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1227" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj850aLXjpL93U7S_ULkYqigs1ENj-6vDUTX03Enj6i29dq2ra13ztAFtDiTIp-lHBb_uggqtAo-V6lIr25uODC4LT0pm1Ch7YejBN9_1A5ortEE17A2EDB45M_p7JvezgUOSPK5sMb4e8/w192-h320/Back+Cropped.jpg" width="192" /></a><p></p><p>(Notice The Sewing Lawyer's longer hair "style"...)</p><p>The most interesting features of these pants are impossible to see in these photos. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj-5gsYrbn7T11MOFFiKpveJtXnDJMHvBu1xYgakF50EF3cNIB8kv-zfYUEdUyV1mKn5Uj_30n3flnAXHwfubvmcb-sJjW0b-1V9NHWfHgVQegqfVvydYAN_Neq_zvyoGYRqAiN0R9pI/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOj-5gsYrbn7T11MOFFiKpveJtXnDJMHvBu1xYgakF50EF3cNIB8kv-zfYUEdUyV1mKn5Uj_30n3flnAXHwfubvmcb-sJjW0b-1V9NHWfHgVQegqfVvydYAN_Neq_zvyoGYRqAiN0R9pI/w300-h400/20210201_180337428_iOS.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>They have a gigantic crotch gusset. It's completely invisible when the pants are being worn, however it is so deep that it's practically the entire lower part of the crotch curve. To the right is a photo showing the resulting shape. It reminds me of the talk about square crotch curves a few years ago and how they fit a flatter bottomed person very well. <div><p></p><p>The pants also have lots of pockets. The two hip pockets are standard construction, but very deep and anchored in the fly front. </p><p>The back pocket has a zipper that's inserted in a separate strip of fabric separating the lower pants back from the yoke. </p><p>A zippered side leg pocket is similarly inserted into a strip of fabric sewn in between the front and back side seams. </p><p>I go back and forth on whether to copy all these features in my next version (winter outdoor pants) but on balance think I will take the trouble, just because. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-UGgHr-bCFO-Y8_txDvhe1Up7QiOXTt7Lot_JbV1L8ycNC_IoqE6ftTw4_13eiaGIcv4_oHzzxDQMoYOy7EZ1mbW5Jg0YmeE0u_pk5cMeKu81keurMf0oGuTn4W3RdJBHFarfIHg__E/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx-UGgHr-bCFO-Y8_txDvhe1Up7QiOXTt7Lot_JbV1L8ycNC_IoqE6ftTw4_13eiaGIcv4_oHzzxDQMoYOy7EZ1mbW5Jg0YmeE0u_pk5cMeKu81keurMf0oGuTn4W3RdJBHFarfIHg__E/w400-h300/20210201_180536576_iOS.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Back zipper pocket, left.</div><div><br /></div><div>The waistband, very fortuitously, matches vertically at the front very well. It's curved as you can see. <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS054bSJTmoVR0odwNQAPTTVxLl8YpeS6GWeGn0bU6Nmy4p6xDW46Fu1-ztahNV2LeFbwMKJan5O28bq9Cb-f8nHYPfHQpWcNDoAjB278Ix_VIa2J92JcqbyQsedcumq8Y2WfJTHtVMuU/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS054bSJTmoVR0odwNQAPTTVxLl8YpeS6GWeGn0bU6Nmy4p6xDW46Fu1-ztahNV2LeFbwMKJan5O28bq9Cb-f8nHYPfHQpWcNDoAjB278Ix_VIa2J92JcqbyQsedcumq8Y2WfJTHtVMuU/w300-h400/20210201_180442158_iOS.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><p></p><p>The zipper tape fills in the width of the strip of fabric (approximately 1/2"). I just used cheap skirt zippers from Fabricland. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6__ow3s5TtKWjMLr5mUNmscjCoXPNHPIATHqod1p-9Ns4UM3zriMojk5wgA6x2Cf_vw9pI2YyaBDz52t2mMfuLvweRC7X_lwMClv3qJSjSw56Lpp9Dh7Hcqe6WeiO3ySKIOLrI-ElIY/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz6__ow3s5TtKWjMLr5mUNmscjCoXPNHPIATHqod1p-9Ns4UM3zriMojk5wgA6x2Cf_vw9pI2YyaBDz52t2mMfuLvweRC7X_lwMClv3qJSjSw56Lpp9Dh7Hcqe6WeiO3ySKIOLrI-ElIY/w300-h400/20210201_175917706_iOS.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>Here's an inside shot. I made the pocket bags from an athletic knit. Obviously, the colour is all wrong but it does make the detail easier to see in these photos. <p></p><p>The original pants had mesh knit pockets. <br /><br /><br /></p><p>I've been doing some machine knitting too, so stay tuned. <br /><br /><br /></p><p><br /><br /></p></div>KayYhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09965798068172494708noreply@blogger.com8