Another Auld Lang Syne

Now that all the packages have been delivered and opened I can share some of the Christmas sewing that I have been doing...

I had such fun making a little linen romper for my new great niece.  I made it a few sizes bigger than she is now because I remember that when my kids were babies I received lots of things that were newborn size up to about three months and then all of a sudden....nothing!  I also figured it would be easier to work in the bigger size!!!  Luckily she lives in L.A. so I didn't have to worry about which season of the year she will end up fitting into it.

I was careful to steer clear of pink and totally fell in love with a soft aqua linen.   It's a bit hard to see, but the selvedge of the linen has a single red thread and I wanted to incorporate it in the design.  I ran it along the lower edge of the bodice.   I am very pleased with the end result. I love the way the twill tape works for the straps and the hat was just too cute to resist!

Last year I made an oiled cotton canvas jacket for my "baby" and he was very excited about it.  Living in London, it is the perfect fabric for rainy, damp days.  I decided that since I knew the pattern  (Merchant and Mills Foreman) was the right size I would try another version for this Christmas.  I chose a bonded wool thinking I would not need to line it.  About half way through I realized that a lining would make it a much nicer finished garment so I ended up basically making two coats and fitting them together.  A bit of a puzzle, but OK in the end.

 

I used a nice heavy weight lining and it gives the jacket a nice hang.  So glad I added it.

The trim of the coat is a really, really soft supple leather that was the perfect match for the wool.  (Oh the things that come out of my stash closet!)  I tested a bunch of different buttonholes and settled on a leather bound version.  I think I spent more time on those buttonholes than the rest of the coat!

The pockets were fun to figure out.  I don't think patch pockets are the most comfortable pockets to actually put your hands into but they are useful for 'stuff.'  I added inseam pockets for hand warming.

The under collar is a wool jersey that really worked well to help shape the leather collar.  I'm going to remember that combo.

...AND, it fit just right!  Even when I am working with a pattern that I know has worked in the past I worry about the fit.  Different fabrics can change the fit, so when I got these pictures I breathed a sigh of relief.  Yeah!

We stopped in Captiva for Christmas with lots of my family before heading to Key West for the month of January.  I wanted to figure out something that I could make a bunch of, something that was 'gender neutral' and something that I could pack and would be easy for the recipients to pack as well. I ended up making a whole passel of little fabric 'buckets.'  I have one that I use for bread and chips.  It's just the right size and it folds up nicely into a drawer when it's not full.  Again my stash was full of great choices!  I really didn't plan that it would be a stash busting project...just worked out that way!

I didn't actually count how many I ended up making.   I kept pulling out fabrics that would work and thought, "Well, just one more!"  I think I ended up with about 2 dozen.  I still have some fabrics that I like, so I may make another batch when I get home in February!

It makes me feel old when I hear myself saying, "I can't believe another year is coming to an end!"  BUT, I can't believe another year is coming to an end!!!!!!   I already have some fun sewing adventures planned for 2020, so I am looking forward to the New Year.  Sending these little notes and stories out into the universe often feels a bit self absorbed.  I'm never sure if anyone will see them...so thank you for letting me share and commenting when something catches your fancy.  I love the virtual connections.  Thanks for coming along and wishing you your own sewing adventures in 2020.

A Little Bit of Fall Color

Like all of the seasons this year, Fall has been a bit different.  By this time in most years we would be enjoying blazing red maples and golden oaks in every direction.  But things are staying pretty green and I'm thinking we may just go from green to bare on the first blustery day.

I did get the chance to take in some fall color on our recent road trip around Lake Huron.  Our color timing was perfect  as we rounded the north end of the lake in Ontario.  Crisp mornings, sunny afternoons, a bit of rain just to remind us that winter is just around the corner.  It was just the break I needed and really got me in the mood for fall.  And fall sewing.

I'm never sure which is my favorite...'wool season' or 'linen season.'  I guess it depends which end of winter I am sitting at!  But right now I am all about the wool.  For several years now I have been saying that I need to make a new travel jacket.  I have a Michael Kors black wool knit jacket that I have worn for years when I travel.  It is just the right length, just the right weight, I can sleep in it on the plane and then wear it out to a fancy restaurant...it just works!  However, it is starting to show the years and the miles.  I realized that I will keep on wearing it unless there is something to take its place.  I'm heading out to Sonoma for Thanksgiving so I decided that now was the time to get 'er done!

It wasn't that hard to find a candidate in my stash.  I collect wool jerseys the way quilters collect fat quarters, so I had plenty of options.  I chose a bottle green wool jersey that is quite heavy.  I hoped that it would give me the tailored look that my old jacket has without having to add much structure.  I had made the Merchant and Mills Ottoline (read about it here) jacket earlier this year out of an Italian linen and really loved the style and fit.  With a few tweaks I knew I could make it work for the travel jacket I had in mind.  Because I had such a specific idea in my head I was a bit nervous about whether I would end up with what I wanted or end up disappointed and still wearing my old black jacket.  But I am happy to say that it turned out just great!  I am so pleased with it.

          

First Ottoline on the left...second Ottoline on the right.  There is a family resemblance!

I did start with the Ottoline, but made quite a few changes.  I put a zipper instead of buttons.  I didn't even consider trying to put button holes in the heavy jersey.  I covered the zipper tape and the collar seam with a narrow Petersham ribbon to finish the inside since the jacket is unlined.  I used snaps at the cuffs and vents, again to avoid button holes!  I lengthened the jacket to just cover my tushy, which is one of the things I like about my old jacket.  The pockets have a round corner and a square corner and I added little brass rivets for fun.  And there is a little baby 'pocket' on the back yoke.  I used a lighter weight wool to line the yoke so it wouldn't get too bulky.

          

I can't wait to try it out on my trip to California.  I think it will be just the ticket!

While I was in the travel mode I decided to try and make a version of my go to travel shirt.  I have a whole drawerful of Smartwool quarter zip shirts that have become the only shirts I pack anymore.  Again, perfect weight, go wherever I want to go and so easy to wash and dry on the road.

For my shirt I found an absolutely gorgeous cranberry colored jersey.  Again I was nervous that I wouldn't get what was in my head, but the sewing Gods were watching out for me and it is just what I I had in mind.  Two for two...it was a good couple of sewing days!

Most of my Smartwool shirts have exposed zippers, but the only zipper I had that matched was an invisible one, so that's what I used.  I had to put a seam in the center front to accommodate the zipper and I really like the finished look.

I'm pretty proud of the matching job I did at the center front collar seam and I didn't even get one of those annoying dimples at the bottom of my invisible zipper!

I had such great success with my two new travel pieces that I am working on a third...it's a dress that I think I can wear as a jumper with the shirt...we'll see if the sewing Gods hang in there!  They do say three's a charm!  Even if the dress crashes and burns, I am ready to roll with my Smartwool quarter zip and my wool jersey jacket.  Bring on the TSA!

Sewing Together: A Twofer for Week Two

When Rhonda posted a link to the Chanel runway show a few months back I was in the middle of a series of projects using Merchant and Mills patterns.  It occurred to me that they were on opposite ends of the spectrum...luxury on one end and simple working garments on the other.  It was interesting to have those two ideas in my head at the same time.  Chanel takes a very down to earth fabric...tweed, and elevates it to total luxury.  Merchant and Mills take basic working garments and brings them into today's fashion vernacular.   So what would it look like to merge those ideas?  That is what this month's challenge is all about.  Taking humble garments and humble fabrics and pushing  the envelop of how we usually think of them.

It's been on and off horrible here in Michigan as far as weather goes.  Ice, snow, cold, more snow, a little wind, more snow....and to top it off I have been dealing with an airport sinus something.  You know, the stuff you pick up while getting on and off airplanes in drastically different climates...yeah...that!!!  What that means in my sewing room is....there have been no trips to the fabric store!  Whatever happens has to come straight from my stash.  I hadn't thought of this sew together month as a stash busting month, but it's kind of turning out that way. 

I pulled out a tweedy wool jersey for a top for this week's installment, but after seeing Rhonda's trial of the Francine pattern as a dress I decided I wanted a dress version myself.

Hmmmmmm....I'm not sure what the original dimensions of the piece of fabric were, but after washing and drying it I was left with a 47" X 66" piece.  No problem for a top, but I wanted a dress.  (whiny stuffy headed noises!!!)  Now, if you have read my Threads article from last year about 'Reversible Garments' you know that I am a total sucker for double faced fabrics, and, you guessed it, my slightly shrunken (is that a word?) wool jersey is in fact, double faced.  It is a lovely grey on one side and a grey and tan herringbone tweed on the reverse side.  So not only do I want a dress, but I want it to be reversible as well!!!  (maybe I shouldn't sew when I have yucky sinus-y head stuff going on?!)

I knew if I could get it laid out on the fabric I could make it work...
My usual trick of skimping on the seam allowances wasn't an option.  I needed them for the flat felled seams that would make my dress reversible.  I also 'decided' that I would like 3/4 length sleeves...yeah, 3/4 length sleeves that's the ticket!  I spent a very long afternoon wiggling pattern pieces and fabric around, but in the end I got it all on!

         

The fabric was a total treat to work with.  (I wish I remembered where it came from?) The knit was very stable and incredibly straight, no twisting that usually comes with a wool jersey.  It was also very resilient and I could press it directly without a pressing cloth which made turning all the seams way easier!

I followed the Francine pattern pretty closely.  I did have to forgo the side seam pockets and I did shorten the sleeves.  I turned the facing out onto the grey side and made the collar grey.   I also turned the sleeve hems and the bottom hem to the tweed side creating contrasting grey bands to finish the dress. This meant that I have one all grey dress and a tweed dress with contrasting collar, cuffs and hem.  I tried out a pocket on the tweed side and thought about a snap tab instead of the button and loop that the pattern has, but in the end I liked the simple elegance of the plain dress.

          

I was also excited to realize that it was a great match for a sweater vest that I have been trying to find a partner for for a couple of years!   I actually like it with both the tweed and grey dresses.  Bonus!

 

So...week two is a actually two dresses...one grey and one tweedy!  Does that mean I can take next week off?! 😏

          

I will link up with Rhonda's blog as soon as she gets this week posted....stay tuned!

Coat Season

I am really excited to share my progress with the Merchant and Mills patterns and oiled canvas....BUT....it will have to wait!


Santa (nudge nudge wink wink) can't give away any secrets just yet!

Suffice it to say that I will not need to do much weight training while I am working on these coats!!!  It is heavy duty stuff.  I work up a sweat and I don't even have my iron on!  (no ironing on oiled fabric!)

I was rolling right along and ready to dive into coat number two over the weekend, but...I went through my entire supply of heavy duty jeans needles and had to stop!  However, my sewing mojo was still cranking away.  Not wanting to lose that momentum I pulled out another project that has been hanging around for awhile.

I figured since I was in coat mode...
I have been looking for a pattern/style to go with a heavy coat weight wool jersey.  It is fairly dense stuff and I wanted to do something that I wouldn't have to put a lining in because I like the heavy sweater feel of the fabric.  The Casey Coat from Style Arc looked like just the ticket.  It is an unlined, cocoon shaped coat, and has some nice style lines.

  

I knew the dropped shoulder seam would need some changing to make it work for my broad shoulders.  It took some head scratching to get it figured out, but I got something that I like.  

The front of the coat has a facing and separating zipper.  There was no way my heavy knit was going to work for facings.  I found a lighter wool jersey that looked great and had the right weight to hold up to the coat weight fabric, but not add so much bulk.

I also decided that a half lining in the back would make it easier to get the coat on and off, and would help stabilize the neckline and armholes.  (My simple unlined sweater coat was getting a bit more involved!)

Not having the coat totally lined meant the finish on the seams was going to show.  I started sampling...

A simple flat felled seam looked rather blah...so I decided to incorporate some of the lighter weight jersey to add a bit of pizazz to the seams....

Once I had a seam finish that I liked I had to rethink the whole in-seam pocket thing...

Soooo...this was supposed to be a quick diversion until I could get to the store for more jeans needles!  Oh well, good thing I'm retired!


The whole thing took me several days, but it turned out really well.  The fit is great.  My shoulder engineering was just what I needed.  The back lining was also just enough to ease the coat on and off without hanging up on my clothes, and it did provided a little break from my oiled canvas workouts!

Oh...and somewhere in the midst of it all, I did get to the fabric store and load up on heavy duty jeans needles!

       

Looking for My Mojo

My sewing mojo has been stubbornly elusive lately.  I think an author might call it 'writer's block.'  Maybe it's the gloomy late winter weather, or just busy with life...whatever it is I can't seem to find a sewing project that captures my attention.  

Usually around this time of year I get all wound up in a spring creation that always ends up 'too-cute-for-its-own-good.'  Think pastels, ruffles, matching hat....right down the rabbit hole!  There's still plenty of spring ahead so it might happen, but not today.

Today I decided to do something that didn't require too much decision making, and would be a gentle nudge in the direction of my sewing room.  A bit of instant sewing gratification.

I have an alpaca sweater that has been looking for an outfit for a couple of years.  It is a cropped style that fits close around the middle.  I thought I would like it with jeans and a long shirt tail, but not so much...and I have tried several versions with no joy.  I was just about to give up but just couldn't bring myself to put it in the Goodwill box, not yet.  I thought maybe I would try it with a dress of some sort. 

I thought a dress that fit fairly close with a high waist so it would't compete with the cropped length of the sweater.  Not wanting to mess around making my T-shirt into a straight dress (remember the 'no decision' rule!) I found a pattern in my stash that looked like it would work.  I hadn't used the pattern before so I did make a trial balloon to see how it would fit...and...pleasant surprise...the only change I made was to drop the bust dart!  

I had pulled a piece of wool jersey that I liked with the sweater a while ago so that decision was already made.  It is a lovely Smartwool mill end, one of my favorite fabrics.  And just because it was feeling almost too simple, I decided a scarf would be nice.  For that I found a scrap of sheer silk and a goldish crepe de chine  that looked awful with the wool and the sweater until they were layered together...then they worked quite nicely.

The whole thing took about an hour...so about as close to instant gratification as it gets.  

AND I actually like the dress and sweater combo...finally, so I guess the sweater will dodge the Goodwill box this time!  

Pinball Wizard!

I've had a bit of trouble getting back into my studio.  I thought the 'envelop' tutorial would ease me back, but, not so much....I have ventured into the room a few times but mostly I bounce around like a pinball and end up remembering some very important business, like unloading the dishwasher!!!!


What I realized is, this pinballing feeling is actually a familiar state for me.  It usually shows up around the time that the seasons are going to change.  I'm over whatever I was thinking and planning for the current season, but not quite prepared for the next one.  It feels a bit early in Michigan to be thinking about spring and summer, but the fashion industry is already talking about next fall so I guess it's not to early to start piling up my linen projects!

In the spirit of more intentional sewing, I decided to 'watch myself' as I make the shift from winter to spring this year.  I know there must be a process, because it happens every year, so what is it? I think the "pinball feeling" is the initial step!

My brain has been busy collecting for awhile.  Images, colors, fabrics, techniques, patterns, ideas....all of this collecting is spinning around and creating that bouncing behavior.  I pick up a pattern, but am not sure what fabric I want...I find a cool shirt on Pinterest, but need to figure out the pattern, I read about a great technique in my Threads Magazine (wink, wink) and go trolling about for the right project...I'm like a dragonfly stopping for a few seconds here and there and then off on another mission.  So today I decided to look at my collection and see if there was enough stuff to start making a plan.

I have been aware that I'm being drawn to a little different color palette.  Of course, it's still very much in the 'mud colors' range, but I have noticed a pinkish-brownish-grayish color wiggling into the picture.  It's as good a place as any to start...


This color, which I'll call pinkish-gray for lack of a better name, started making an appearance in my yarn choices.  In December I started working on an alpaca cardigan (center) that was leaning in the pinkish-gray direction.  I carted a pile of linen and cotton yarns to Florida and back (left) but ended up working on a yarn that I picked up while I was there (right).

I also went to an artisans' fair while I was in Key West and bought a really cool eco-dyed linen dress...and guess what?....Yep, it's pretty much pinkish-gray. (there are a few blotches of gold, which come from tumeric!)

OK...a new color...

I next went hunting around in my closet to see if there were other hints of this color.  Obviously, it is not a total departure from my go-to palette and sure enough I came up with a cotton cardigan that I love but haven't really worn in awhile.  Excellent!

Let's take a wander in the ol' stash...

...a nice gray (with a hint of pink) stretch denim...a double sided gray/print ponte knit...how about something to give a bit of contrast...like a nice dark washed denim to round out the group.

I left that pile to marinade and moved on to another challenge that has been sitting on my table this fall and winter.

I have a gorgeous alpaca cardigan that keeps looking for an outfit.  Let's see...

I know that it is not hiding in my closet, been there, so how about the stash?  I'm liking the brown wool jersey, it has a hint of green that really blends with the heather of the sweater.

AND it looks fab with the tweed sweater I knitted last fall!  How about a gray (greenish) stretch twill, a cool novelty knit with velvet stripes and maybe that dark washed denim from the first pile ...

Whew! That's starting to feel like a couple of piles of potential....how about some pattern ideas...I hauled out the clipping file.  This is a folder that collects pictures, little sketches, catalog pages, etc. that catch my eye.  I started looking for themes...it appears that I am wanting a denim style dress (maybe that's the reason the dark denim ended up in the fabric pile?)...

...and there is also a group of tops that are conspiring...hmmm?

...how about the yarn stash...any potential there...????

The pinball feeling is starting to dwindle...I'm feeling the stirrings of a real plan...on to the pattern stash...

I think the wool jersey and the double faced ponte would be great dresses, and the cardigan needs a short waisted style....where's my journal...?

So THAT'S how I do it!  From pinball to plan!  

The collecting is fun and necessary, but working the ideas into a plan helps me focus and actually get to making stuff.  Of course you will notice that I always work in pencil!  There will be significant edits, about faces, total deletions and curveballs before the end of the season.  But, for now, I can head into my studio and instead of bouncing I can start pouncing (sorry, I couldn't help it)...😝