Meet the Trample Herd!

Finally some cute knit stuffies for me!

Introducing Daffy and Mingo

Back when I commented that I wanted to knit myself a herd of elephants to trample my enemies you probably thought I was kidding.

trample trample trample

I wasn't. And now I've knit the first two of them into being.

I knit these elephants from the "page 18 elefante" pattern that is free on Susan B Anderson's blog. She really has cornered the market on adorable knit stuffies. These cuties were knit up in the leftover yarn from my giraffe. They're small, and perfect for using up remnants.

When they're not trampling, they're snuggling...

The only tricky part for me was the ears, which are crocheted. I don't crochet. So, my little herd had to wait - earless - for a month while I struggled with a crochet hook. I'm pretty sure I was not destined to be a great crocheter, but I learned just enough so that they could have ears. I would not show them off to a crocheter since I had to fudge them a bit and each one came out a little... um... unique.

...or hanging out with me...

I haven't really built up a yarn stash, since I'm not very good at seeing a yarn and knowing what I'd want to do with it and how much to buy. I've been buying as I go. But there is almost always a half a ball of yarn left at the end of a project.

...or playing in the Craft Lounge.

Two is company, but not much of a herd. So, I expect that the number of trample elephants will grow over time as I use up the leftover bits. But in the interim, Daffy and Mingo will be guarding my Craft Lounge.

Enemies beware...

Monday Morning Mini Project Reveal

It was a very exciting weekend in the Craft Lounge.  Did you hear me?  I said "in the Craft Lounge."

My sewing space is finally mine again after a two month extended family visit (renovations to their home - long story). Anyway, I am so very happy to be back in a dedicated sewing space. Don't get me wrong, it was nice to have a busy house, complete with another girl (my sis in law) for fashion opinions and a 3 year old assistant baker. But sewing at the dining room table and having to pack/unpack everything each session is a PITA!

Once things were mostly back in order in the Craft Lounge, I immediately needed a project. So, I made the easiest infinity scarf ever from a purple and green wool remnant that I bought at Mood LA last winter.

Today's outfit: I love green and purple together.

It was immensely cathartic. Sigh. I had to wear it today.

There are still a few random tools and notions that have gone missing during the Craft Lounge relocation, like a measuring tape that I was using just the other day. But on the upside, somehow 2 yards of hair canvas that went missing two years ago - at another time when family visitors were inhabiting the Craft Lounge - magically reappeared. I know it's the same hair canvas because the dated receipt was still in the bag.

Found hair canvas and muslin

Don't mistake me; I did not find the hair canvas as I tidied and organized. When I went into the Craft Lounge, there it was sitting out in the open on a shelf where it had not been before. The only explanation is magic. How bonkers is that?

Anyway, I also finished my DK ridonku-dress, which I plan to wear on a date with Phin this week. Post to follow. 

So, my question of the day for you is: when you finish sewing (or knitting) something do you wear it right away? Or do you wait until the right moment or occasion? I'm usually so giddy that I can't think of wearing anything else until it's been worn. So, I'll create an occasion if none exists or I'll just wear it for no occasion whatsoever. What about you?

When Bad Things Happen to Good Patterns...

Last weekend, as I labored over the Donna Karan dress that I blogged about yesterday, I decided to take a break to work on a quick and easy leggings project.

It was a disaster.

This easy legging project should have worked because:

• This pattern (M 6173) has been a success for many other sewists.
• I wear leggings all the time; the style seems to work on me.
• My marble knit fabric is fun and suits this project. 
• I've been having success with knits lately (here and here). 

So why are these leggings such a flop that my photographer refused to take photos "to protect the innocent"?

Well, let's just say some lessons need repeating before they are truly learnt. Shiny and clingy on my lower half is a no-go. And, somehow, the marble print not only emphasized every lump and bump but seemed to magically create the optical illusion of lumps and bumps were there were none.

On top of it, the pattern truly does run large. The fit got all wonky because of how much I tried to take these leggings in. Honestly, I need to go down 2 sizes, which means a different pattern envelope.

All's not lost on these. I'm still planning on giving them a go in my non-shiny faux leather once I grade down or suck it up and buy the smaller pattern envelope. And this fabric will be recut and used as a muslin.So, hopefully I will eek a win out of this experiment.

What else is there to say but you live, you learn? I hope you all have a great weekend! 

V1342: This Pattern is Bananas

This Donna Karan dress pattern (V1342) is ridonkulous.

Vogue 1342 - Donna Karan Collection

I mean that in a good way. Really! Let me explain.

 "Very close-fitting, lined dress has front, back and shoulder straps cut-in-one, no side seam, bias, gathered upper left front, pleated and gathered back, and stitched hem." - from Vogue website/envelope back

What you see of this dress consists of just 2 pattern pieces. There's one piece for the "gathered upper left front" and then one piece for the whole rest of the dress, which did not fit on a dining room table that comfortably seats eight (see below).

 
The pattern has 6 pleats, 5 gathered areas (some of which you have to break the basting and gather in two sections), 2 or 3 fold lines, several notches, at least 20 dots of all different sizes that need to be matched up and one square (I forget what the square denotes). And there is only one vertical(ish) seam that runs down the back. Oh, right, and the additional 2 lining pieces have 2 bust darts and two fish eye darts.

Wow, that really didn't sound like "but in a good way", did it?  Somehow I'm finding myself really really into this patten. When I figured how this bizarre amoeboid pattern piece would morph into a dress, it was one of those "eureka!" sewing moments. This is actually why I love Donna Karan patterns.

One thing I don't love, is the lack of alteration lines. I had to take a guess at how (and where) to add room thru the hips. I did a slash and spread on the right side of the main pattern piece (above) in order to preserve the pleat markings, and I simply graded out on the left. I altered the lining pieces the same amount and the fit was spot on. So, fingers crossed that my wildcat alterations will work. (Um, if you have a better idea, feel free to volunteer it for posterity. It's too late for me since the fabric is cut.)

Now, why on earth I thought I would be able to finish this dress in a weekend - even a three day one - is beyond me. I guess with just two main pieces it seemed, um, easy. LOL There is a reason this pattern is rated Advanced.

So, my question for you is: Do you like complicated sewing? By "complicated" I don't mean tailoring or labor intensive hand sewing. What I mean is complicated construction - the kind of sewing where you go into the project not really knowing how the pieces are all going to fit together in the end. I kind of love it. Or do you prefer straightforward patterns with simple lines where you create the drama by adding your own touches to it? Like mixing it up with cool fabric or trim?

In one of those bizarre twists of sewing fate, the rated Easy pattern that I was also working on as a break from the brain work of this dress was a total fail. Go figure. But more on that tomorrow... 

The Solution to the Giraffe Problem is a Bunny!

On Friday morning, our new niece arrived in the world, and everyone is doing great.

I've resigned myself to the truth that my the cute knit giraffe will be a "big sister gift"  for our three year old niece. So, my solution to this giraffe dilemma is a bunny!

Giraffe and Bunny

I know. You're thinking that solving the problem of having to give away one cute stuffie to the not-intended recipient by knitting another cute stuffie that will be just as hard to give away is madness. You would be correct. But I can't help it; nieces and nephews seem to have an occult power over me. It seemed like a good solution as I cast on. Oh, and I also knit a baby blanket.

Anyway, this is the floppy bunny from Itty-Bitty Toys by Susan B Anderson. After the giraffe, the bunny was quick and easy to knit up.

Here he/she is on the matching baby blanket that I knit during Sandy.  I love the too big feet, paws and ears. I think they give the bunny a baby-like look. I made a few style changes like making the ears perky instead of floppy and placing the arms and legs a little differently than the pattern. I think this gives the bunny a sillier look that I like.

Isn't he/she sweet?

Now that I've learned to knit pompoms, I'm putting them on everything.

I love the pompom tail

A few notes on the blanket.  It's a free Bernat pattern called the Wave Stitch Blanket. I knit it up in Cascade 128 Superwash Chunky yarn. It is super soft, machine washable and the pattern knit up quickly and easily. Overall, this was the perfect bang for the buck project for a gift.

And, giving credit where credit is due, Phin gave me the best Christmas gift for blocking knit projects.

Play room/nursery school floor mats

They link together in all different configurations, are waterproof and I can pin to them. They are also easy to stow away when not in use. Oh, and they were MUCH cheaper and larger than blocking mats. This blanket is 37" x 45".

Baby blanket being blocked.

Anyway, my three knit gifts have been wrapped so that I can't see them or have second thoughts about giving them away.  Phin is (reluctantly) dropping them at their new home today. I've promised to knit him a hippo or cow as compensation, although I have a feeling it may end up being both in the end.

SO hard to give these cuties away!

It seems like there is a mini baby boom happening among my friends and family. So, there are sure to be more baby items to follow. 

I hope you all had a crafty weekend, too! 

Layer Cake Winner and Final Grateful Thoughts

 

Before we get to the winner, I wanted to take a moment to say how touched I am by the many thoughtful comments on my Sew Grateful post. Thank you, odd ducks of the sewing blogosphere! It's nice to be flapping in V formation with you!

An unexpected side effect of that post, is this revelation: Sewists really like their sweets! I mean really, really! And not just chocolate and vanilla! Lemon, orange, poppy, caramel, red velvet, carrot, spice, zucchini, ice cream and cheesecakes that are drizzled, sprinkled, whip creamed, bedecked in buttercream and slathered in ganache were all mentioned. Plus, some of you went off the reservation to say you like fruit pies, mud pies, tarts, brownies, tiramisu and even a few un-frosted cakes. Variety is the spice of life! I myself am a brownie fiend.

Anyway, the winner of the giveaway...

We do things analog here, folks!

...who likes the seasonally appropriate red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting best...

... is Emma Morton!  Look for my email, Emma, and let me know where to send your slice of layer cake! 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Frosting Ingredients (aka Wholy Hot Sauce Fabric Binging, Batman!)

First, there are still a few hours to enter the Layer Cake Giveaway! 

As I understand it, when you start a diet, it's helpful to fill your pantry and fridge with the ingredients that will help you stick to the plan. This sounds like good sense to me. So, for my frosting diet, I decided to make some fabric stash "enhancements" (ie: go on a fabric binge). 

Best. Diet. Ever.

It started like this: I had a $100 groupon to Paron Fabrics that was going to expire last week. Since I had no specific fabric needs, I walked on in and said to one of the helpful employees, "I'm here to buy fabulous fabrics."

This is the aftermath...

Silk Brocade

This silk brocade is just 30" but is absolutely gorgeous! It will be a pencil skirt. Maybe a high-waisted pencil skirt. I've never been a big fan of black and pink, but this changed my mind. I had to have it.

Since I've got couture sewing on my mind these days, this silk leopard print organza seemed like just the ticket. Won't it be the most fun underlining ever?

Tie died silk habutai also found it's way into my hands.

But the piece de resistance from my Paron haul: white Magaschoni silk jacquard.
 

 
Why, yes! The jacquard IS the Tabasco hot sauce label. This will line a jacket. An utterly fabulous and stupendous jacket. Sigh. I love fabric!

2014: Year of the "hot sauce" diet??? Tempting.

Once I got going, I did spend more than the Groupon amount. But I recommend that you try this "show me something fabulous" strategy at least once. With no agenda, I ended up with four to-die-for fabrics that I will be thrilled to sew up.

Then a few days later I decided I needed some knits for an upcoming project or two. 

L to R: from Spandex World and Spandex House

On the right is a knit that looks like gray marble. Sewing knits is not-the-norm for me, but I've been having fun with them lately. And the left is... is... well... there is just no easy way to say this. Less than a year after basically swearing off - and swearing at - faux leather, I've proven myself to be a hypocrite. It's black faux leather backed in spandex from Spandex World. It's really quite good looking - their picture is better than mine. In my defense, I've been wearing leggings a lot this winter. Plain, boring leggings. And, I've secretly desired leather pants for as long as I can remember.  So... yeah.

At the moment, I literally have four sewing projects going on plus two more that I'm working on in my brain, if you know what I mean. So, it feels like I've been sewing a lot, but have nothing to show for it. I also have 4 knitting projects on the needles. (Distracted much?) 

Not that long ago, I was an avowed one-project-at-a-time sewist. I'm not sure what happened. What about you, are you a one-at-a-time sewist or do you multitask? 

Cheap and Peppy Frosting: Metallic Sweater Knit Tunic Reveal!

While the Northeast had it's own coating of frosting yesterday, I headed out with Phin for a little fun in the snow in my new shiny, slinky tunic. 

Scaling Everest Pose

 Not bad for a $2 top, eh?  See, you can find frosting in every price range!

My favorite hat!

This is a somewhat modified version of V1314, a Tracy Reese dress that is gathered down the sides. I sewed it up in the silver and black metallic mystery sweater knit that I picket up at the San Diego Swap Meet in early January for $2. It's shinier in person. Burn tests were inconclusive: it melted but had orange flames, it had ashes and beads, and it smelled like the ripstop I worked with last winter (read: a likely carcinogen). So clearly it is some sort of blend.

There isn't a whole lot of information about sewing this sort of sweater knit floating around the blogosphere. The fabric is loosely knit and basically see thru, but didn't seem too prone to raveling. Even so, I decided to take a kitchen sink approach to stabilization and raveling. Here's what I did (interspersed with winter fun pictures).

The world would be a better place if there were more pompoms.

Side, Shoulder and Sleeve Seams
This was pretty straight forward. After basting in the side seam gathers, I used 3/8" clear elastic and a 4 thread overcast stitch on my serger to sew these seams and finish the seam allowances in one swoop. I'm not wildly experienced with sergers; maybe not all are alike. But mine has some differential feed features and a stitch finger just for knits that keeps the feed and stretch in check - no fiddling and my knits don't seem to pucker or get wavy.

Overreaching model loses balance, falls off Everest pose.

Neckline, armscyes and hem
First, I used fusible tricot interfacing to stabilize these three areas.

The fusible tricot is perfect for knits since it has controlled stretch, and the one I like best fuses at a pretty low heat - a plus for mystery fabrics of uncertain origin.

For the sleeves, I basted the sleeves in, then sewed with a narrow zigzag stitch. After clipping the curves I pressed the seam allowance toward the bodice and top stitched with a twin needle with wooly nylon thread in the bobbin. Even though a twin needle gives the stitches some stretch and I used the tricot interfacing, I was worried about seams breaking when I pulled the garment over my head and shoulders. This top/dress has negative ease. Wooly nylon thread is very soft and stretchy, yet strong. It looks a bit more like yarn than thread. So, it was a good solution and definitely made the seams stretchier.  I plan to use it again on any lingerie projects that require stretch (ie panties or a stretch lace cami). 

Is there anything as awesome as a field of undisturbed snow?

For the neckline, a folded strip of self-fabric binding is applied and then turned to the inside and stitched in place. I used the twin needle to finish it as well.

And the hem was simply fused and then turned and finished with the twin needle.

I checked all the seams when I took the top off last night and am pleased to report that the kitchen sink approach seems to have worked out just fine. All seams were intact.

I am an airplane!

I made a bunch of changes to this pattern:

• I omitted the lining. I'm wearing a black cami and leggings underneath instead.
• I shortened it to tunic length, which is what I pictured, but also I didn't have enough fabric to make it full length
• I made the sleeves 3/4 length (lack of fabric, again)

I'm really pleased with how this fits, but it is not exactly "out of the envelope".  I added 1" of length above the waist and basically whipped out my measuring tape to figure out what size I wanted to trace where (12 bust, 10 waist, 14 hips). I basically cut to my measurements, without accounting for seam allowances, which is where the negative ease came from. A very new thing I decided to try in order to deal with the gaping I always get at the back of the neck is that I traced an 8 through the upper back. It worked beautifully. Lastly, I shaved about 1/2 inch from the sleeve cap after basting and trying on.

It was GREAT snowball snow.

One of the nice out of the envelope features is that this dress has a higher tighter armscye/sleeve than most patterns I've sewn. I think this is great since too much ease in the armscye looks sloppy to me and reduces range of motion. A higher tighter armscye is perfect for the sort of full shoulder rotation that gets some spin on a snowball...

Phin thought I was being cute...

...until he had to dodge snowballs and take pictures at the same time.

I'm really happy with this top. I may have to make a sleeveless dress version of this for the summer, or maybe another tunic if I stumble across a knit I really like. But for now, since I've got a few shiney slinky frostings in my wardrobe, it's on to other projects that have been percolating in my brain.

OK, final outtakes...

"I'm gonna make a snow angel!"

He he he

Clio-Angel

For those of you in winterland, I hope you had some snow day fun, too! And avoided being attacked by crazed sewists wielding icicles...

 

If I was attacked by the Abominable Snowman, I'd show him who's boss!

Sew Grateful: Reflections and Layer Cake Give Away

Somehow Sew Grateful Week snuck up on me. So, I've decided to do just one post, since it took me all week to decide what to say.  I'm not usually sentimental, so please bear with my lack of eloquence.

Thank you, Debi!

On Tuesday, I had dinner with Puu and Oona  after a seminar on working with leather that was lead by Kenneth D King at Mood Fabrics. (We'll circle back to the multilayered awesomeness of this statement in a minute). And we were talking about how - unlike some other on-line communities - we've all found the sewing blogosphere to be overwhelmingly accepting and supportive, with very few exceptions.

The first person to follow my blog who I didn't know in real life was about as different from me as another woman could be, separated by geography, age, race, religion, cultural context, preferred hair color ;-)... but I've always felt that there is a mutual sense of respect, encouragement and appreciation between us. I feel this across the wider sewing blogosphere: that we are all living the lives that we've either chosen or have been dealt, but that our shared experience - sewing - cuts across the differences and judgements that might otherwise separate us. There are people in my virtual life who I would never encounter IRL, but that I feel a kinship with. And I am immeasurably grateful for that.

Odd Duck

A few months ago a friend said to me about herself "I'm an odd duck. Not everyone likes my quack." I've often felt the same way. I quack too loud, say the wrong things, am prone to dropping/breaking/slamming/spilling/tangling, and I have two left feet. I'm prone to loneliness but have a hard time reaching out to others. I am terrified of heights and flight, but I brave both. Sometimes I can't decide what to wear and I don't know if that's because I'm feeling insecure or if I'm feeling insecure because I don't know what to wear. I have an alter ego. I crack myself up on a regular basis. I am not cool. The landscape of my imagination is populated with dragons and  monsters and zombies, purple haired super heroes with magical powers and a tiny herd of knit elephants that trumpet and trample and trip over their own trunks. Blogging and sewing have helped me explore and embrace all of these parts of myself, and that has spilled over in a tangible way into how I feel about myself in the real world. I like my odd quack. And I am grateful for this - that I've found this shared space that we've carved out on the internet where I can quack my quack with duckling glee.

I love that others of you also quack your own quacks on your blogs or in comments. Not only am I constantly inspired by what you sew, but I'm inspired by your journey and how you choose to share your creative life with me and others. I know what it's like to take a deep breath and click "publish", which is so much less safe than clicking "save". And I'm grateful for you - that you click "publish", too.

So, back to the awesomeness of my first statement. New York is an amazing place to be a sewist. Not only do we have classes with people like Kenneth King and Susan Khaljie, and stores like Mood and Paron Fabrics, but we seem to have a growing community. In the last year, I've had opportunities to meet other sewing bloggers in person, thanks both to living here and traveling as part of my work life. And so, in a very unexpected way the sewing blogosphere has changed my life. In a city of 8 million and a world of nearly 7 billion, I've found people - people who I really like - who understand what drives me to constantly make things. And since they seem to keep inviting me, I guess it's mutual. And I'm grateful for this.

Lastly - and here is the segue - I'm glad to be part of a generous community. It's a rare day when there isn't a giveaway, a tutorial or even a helpful comment floating around in the sewing blogosphere. This week I received a very generous gift of fabric, yarn and patterns from another blogger, simply because we were talking about it. It made my day. And I'm grateful.

Thank you, Peter!

So, my giveaway, as I continue on my frosting diet is what I'm calling the Layer Cake Giveaway - four "cake" patterns that could be mixed and matched for multiple wardrobe options. I will probably never sew them up myself. They are all Simplicity Amazing Fit patterns - a skirt, 2 dresses and a jacket.

The give away is open to all, regardless of where you live. Just shout "Pass the Cake!" in the comments by midnight (EST) on Wednesday (Feb 13) and make sure that I have an email where I can reach you. If you'd like, you can tell me what your favorite kind of cake (including frosting!) is to double your chances.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! We're expecting a blizzard in NY and my office is shutting early. So I will be hunkered down at my sewing machine.

Pimp My Pencil Skirt: The Squish Factor

The Craft Lounge is still being used as a guest bedroom (6 weeks and counting, folks). I didn't realize what a luxury it is to have a dedicated sewing space before now! But family is family, and so I'm trying to content myself with small or easy projects that I can do at the dining room table and then pack away in the evening.

But I'm definitely feeling the call of a "Big" project. So, even though I have a bunch of easy and fun projects in the works, I've begun drafting my pimped pencil skirt.

Step one was to get Phin to take some measurements.

A bit more "me" with purple hair colored in, don't you think?

Now, here's a few questions for you: How often do you measure yourself? What measurements to you take? Do your measurements fluctuate? If yes, do only some fluctuate and do you have an idea why?

I take a few basic measurements (full/high/underbust, waist, hips) almost every time I start a new project or buy fabric for a project. Given that 16 months ago I was training for a half marathon and then 8 months ago I had to take steroids for an injury, I'm used to a small amount of variation.

But that aside, I've also noticed that my measurements regularly fluctuate within about an inch depending on the time of the month (full bust), what I've eaten (waist) or how active I've been (hips/thighs). My high- and underbust seem to stay pretty static. It's the, um, squishy parts that change.

When Phin helped me take the above set of measurements, I noticed they were slightly larger than is normal for me. It was right after the holidays. "Too much egg nog," I said to myself and moved on. But a few days further removed from the holidays and travel I decided to confirm the measurements, and they were back to "normal" - about an inch smaller at the waist and half an inch elsewhere.

I'm wondering if you have a similar experience. Do you feel like there is a little bit of a Squish Factor at play? And do you/how do you account for it in your sewing? I tend to use the "smaller normal" numbers because I'd rather that my clothing be a bit snug a few days a month than too loose the rest of the time.

On another note, one of the things I'm most excited for is sewing along with Marina. In fact, I went to a Couture Hand Sewing meet up she organized about two weeks ago and learned how to fell stitch and hand overcast.

Sample stitches

So, I feel like an upping of my game is immanent, and that my pencil skirt is going to be a couture affair. Hopefully, I'll have my muslin in good working order by this time next week. 

Anyways, later this week I have another fun, shiny garment that is done done done to post, as long as I can get a few pictures.

Donna Karan + Shiny Fabric = Slinky Frosting Top

When I was done sewing this top, I fist bumped my sewing machine.

Vogue 1282 Donna Karan top

Let me explain: I had been having a sense of deja vu. The last time I had sewn a Vogue Donna Karan pattern that only had one seam - like this pattern does - I also chose a shiny fabric for it. It didn't end well (thighs of despair skirt).

The thing I love about Donna Karan patterns is that they have so few pieces and are entirely made by twisting and draping and a few strategic tacks. Cool, right? The thing I hate about Donna Karan patterns is that there are usually so few pieces that they are nearly impossible to alter. Or at least not in any kind of intuitive way. It's a conundrum.

This is my take-the-damn-picture-before-I freeze-to-death face.

This top (Vogue 1282) has just one pattern piece plus binding for the armscyes. So, the one yard remnant of fabric that I had from the Fashion Star tunic that I made for PR Weekend was exactly the right size for this pattern, provided that I didn't cut the top on the bias, as the pattern instructed.

Actually, this is something that I'm rather curious about. The pattern is for knit fabrics. Does anyone out there know why you would cut a knit on the bias? Is there any benefit? I can't imagine that it would significantly help the drape. Am I missing something?

I made this top without any alterations. But next time I would take it in some at the back of the neck and add some wiggle room at the hip. Somehow. Fortunately in a drapey top made of a very stretchy knit, I don't think my fitting concerns are too apparent. One thing I liked is that they have you put a small weight at the center front drape point. I used a dime.

My pose-like-the-pattern-model pose. I promptly fell over.

Anyway, I was totally psyched with how this top turned out. It's shiny, slinky, dramatically low cut, and ridiculously drapey. All things I love. And I felt confident enough in it to wear it out with this very well heeled crowd.

Smiling thru the pain of being so cold.

So, I think the theme of the week is redemption. DK, you are back "in" with me. In fact, I may have to turn the fabric from the skirt of despair into another of these tops. I also might try to figure out if I can make this out of a silk charmeuse. Wouldn't that be gorgeous?

Have a great weekend everyone!