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Category: Sewing

A Little Sewing

Just when I had made peace with the realization that I wasn’t going to do any sewing for myself this summer, what did I do with a couple of relatively free days? I made myself a top. It was a spur of the moment decision when I found myself with a touch of free time, but not enough to work on bigger projects.

A piece of red fabric that I was on the fence about was sitting on top of the “possibly donate” pile. It was a really pretty shade of red, but I was not enamored of the fabric content, nor its lack of drape. I had recently unearthed a pattern for a trapeze-style top and, unbidden, an idea clicked. The pattern is a tracing of a top that I had picked up a thrift shop, not because I wanted to wear it but because I wanted to trace it off. The original was a toasty camel color with armscye stains and damage at the hemline but the general shape and the details were fabulous.

I had just enough of the red fabric to eke out the main pattern pieces for what I fully anticipated would be a muslin. I eliminated facings, hem allowance, and as many seam allowances as I could (remember, muslin). In the end, however, I loved the shape of the top and thought it was really pretty in this red fabric. I regretted some of my shortcuts and set about to salvage the top. Through some creative arranging and rearranging of scraps, I managed to cut armscye and neck facings as well as a hem facing. Because I had no seam allowance, and wanted to avoid visible stitching on the face of the garment, I fused the facing to the hem, raw edges exposed, and ran a line of stitching 1/4 inch from the edge. The stitching was in place to both anchor and fabric together and avoid potential separation, but also as an aid in aligning some trim around the edge. I found this really pretty brown and red braid languishing in my trim drawer apparently waiting for this very project. The trim hid an error made when I was still in “muslin mode” and also finished the garment quite nicely.

I cut a lot of corners and I’m not usually a fan of fusing garments, but I am happy that I made this work. I think the fused hem facing and the weight of the trim, help hold the shape of the garment nicely even though I am not convinced this garment will hold up well over time. Luckily I don’t think it will see a lot of wear as it is rather distinctive. And the addition of the trim has given me some ideas of ways this garment may evolve if (when) problems do arise.

I took the new top with me to Santa Fe last week, and wore it on our final evening at the opera, to see The Marriage of Figaro.

August 12, 2025
Continuing On…

Hello Autumn! I welcome the arrival of fall, although the world feels oppressed with summer-like heat at the moment. Not summer. The days are shorter, the light different, the summer colors have long since begum to fade. I love the autumnal fade, the process of winding down and preparing for rest. An interesting dichotomy that, as the natural world winds down, the social world, the school world, the world of the arts seems to kick in high gear. It is autumn and winter I look forward to, but it is also autumn and winter in which I feel most pulled in multiple directions.

As usual in September I am behind in the garden, and ready to look inward to the studio. I am also behind in the studio as August and September seemed to toss a few minor hiccups my way. But that is of no import, and I am surprisingly sanguine about projects getting resolved in their own good time.

There are two unfinished projects on my sewing table right now, one almost finished, the one I'm not going to write about, the past being the past and all that. Don't you just love being teased and then dropped? And a second project, one that was cut out and then, completely unintentionally, set aside. That is my subject today, simply because the project may have been abandoned, but it was not forgotten, and I am about to pick it up and finish it.

In July I was working with the Simplicity pattern pictured above, Simplicity 9147, long discontinued. This is the pattern I used for the simple, straight-legged elastic waist pants I made earlier in the summer and have been wearing since. This time however, I was working on the vest pattern.

One of the reasons I started a sewing blog oh so many years ago is that I am terrible at keeping records, writing things down on random bits of paper or notebooks and then tossing them out in an organizational frenzy. Blogging helped me keep records. But here I am two months after starting this pattern trying to reconstruct what I did. There are some basic facts however, and I can start there.

The largest size on the pattern I have available is a size 14, which, according to the pattern information is for a 36-inch bust. Now my full bust is not 36 inches, but my high bust is 35 to 35 1/2 inches. For older Big 4 sewing patterns I have found that buying the pattern by my high bust measurement works best for me and I would get a far better fit through the upper chest and shoulders by starting with the 14 and then adding a full-bust adjustment. My full bust is 4 inches larger than my high bust, which means that I actually have to do a full bust adjustment on most patterns, unless it comes with cup-sizes. This still puzzles me to no end, because I had to do it when I was younger as well and I have never felt like I presented as particularly busty. But then again perhaps I've just never gotten over my mother's comment that I didn't need darts because I had a "dartless" figure. I now know that was clearly not true, and I've always had at least 3 inches between my high bust and full bust measurements, even when I was a skinny young thing. The problem was more likely that I just couldn't get bras with small enough bands at JC Penney in the 1970s.

But back to the pattern at hand. Even though I know I often need to cut patterns single layer, I cut the first muslin as designed, on the fold in back and with two identical front pieces. I did my full bust adjustment. In measuring the pattern it did not appear that I needed to add anything to the back of the pattern. Then because I also know that I have what is called a shallow chest (hollow in the upper chest), and a forward head, I made those adjustments. Both meant moving the neckline a little forward at the center which also means tilting the shoulder seam forward at the neck. Based on more recent experiments with a sloper and my knitting, I figured I needed to drop the center front about an inch, and because changing the neckline also affects the shoulder seams, adjust the shoulder seams accordingly. I did all that and made the first muslin.

The first muslin fit pretty well, surprisingly well in fact and I was excited because a year ago I just felt overwhelmed by all this stuff. I don't know why, I suppose I was just out of practice. It is only math after all. My initial adjustments were good. The bodice fit, the bust darts provided ample room and the bust point was in the right position without my having to move it up or down. In fact, this Simplicity pattern fit me pretty well, with only minor adjustments (since I always need to do the full bust adjustment) and the bust point was at the right point for me, unlike both the Love Notions Cadence dress and the Closet Core Cielo dresses, where the bust point was an inch too low.

The only minor quibbles were at the shoulders. My right shoulder rolls forward, and I needed to move the shoulder seam forward 7/8 of an inch at the outer shoulder edge, and there was also a wrinkle at the arm where I have a smaller shoulder joint on the right and a slightly narrower upper torso on that side, resulting from my flatter egg-shaped upper torso. All of this is related to my scoliosis. Further alterations were needed, which was not unexpected. But I was happy to have taken a two-stage approach because it made the process more clear. After moving the shoulder forward (both front and corresponding back pieces) , I still needed to remove extra fabric at the front edge of the armscye between the side seam and the shoulder without removing the needed extra volume at the center front. A minor adjustment when tackled incrementally as I did here, but it does substantially reshape the armscye and increase the size of the dart on that side.

Once I finished the pattern adjustments, I redrew my pattern pieces. As expected, I would have to cut this pattern single layer, as each piece is different. The differences are actually slight, but the implications for fit are significant. I cut the garment piece out of gray linen and put it aside, thinking I would sew it as soon as I returned from a quick trip to Texas.

It is still waiting, but I am planning on starting the project now. I am making this out of a light summer weight linen, perhaps too light for fall, but you wouldn't think so based on today's temperatures. I actually have doubts, wondering if perhaps the linen I chose is too light for the planned garment. But it is all a learning process anyway and I am going to go ahead. The worst thing that will happen is that I don't like the garment, but I have learned something from the process.

I will keep you informed.

September 23, 2024
Studio Update

I've been tired today, too tired perhaps to trust myself working in the studio. Instead it has been a slow knitting and reading day, but I do want to make a progress report, so let's see if I can string words together.

Most of my knitting time has been spent on the Summer Wine cardigan. The lace pattern consists of a fairly simple four-row repeat and it is easy enough knit, even on evenings I am very tired; it is also simple enough to unknit as needed. That has happened a couple of times as well. I took a break to recheck my math once I started the armhole shaping, in a mad panic, somehow thinking I had made an error. I hd not. The armscye shaping is now done. There is some slight variation between right and left, but now I just have to knit even for another 10 centimeters, when I will begin the left shoulder shaping.

This cardigan is fairly fitted through the shoulders and upper chest, and only slightly past waist length overall. The shoulder shaping will not be symmetrical, but I've been pretty consistently rewriting the fit on my knitted projects, based on the sloper I made, what two years ago now? 3? Some of the sizing has changed, and I've accommodated that, but the shoulder shaping has not. I've been very happy with my progress Improving the fit of my sweaters and the results are well worth the time involved. I will have to do some recaclulating when it comes to shaping the tops of the sleeves, especially as each sleeve will be slightly different, and I haven't really perfected a system for that. This might just be a fiddly bit of math that I have to do with every project. But smooth sailing now, just finishing this piece, the back, and then the two fronts before calculating the sleeves. I almost always end up redoing the math on sleeves anyway.

But I've also been sewing, and perhaps putting in more time in the sewing room than knitting.

I washed a stack of linen with plans to make some summer pants and tops. The pants take priority because I have summer dresses in my closet, plenty of tops, and three skorts, but not really any summer pants. Because it is summer, and it is hotter than usual here, I have been thinking "easy, casual, loose" and so the plan has been to make some fairly wide-legged, pull-on elastic-waisted pants.

Upon searching my pattern stash, I found I had four possible patterns.

Three of the patterns are by Simplicity, one by Hot Patterns. Although I have many pants patterns, these are the only ones that call for a woven fabric and have an elastic waist. I have a two one-seam pants patterns, which I intentionally did not wish to use for these pants. The ponte pants I made in the spring were also based on a Simplicity pattern, and I thought that might give Simplicity some advantage here, but nonetheless I looked at all four patterns before progressing.

All three of the simplicity patterns were meant to sit at the actual waist. They were pretty similar through the hips, with the same ease and basic lines. All had the same crotch curve, which was in fact the same curve as the pattern I used for the aforementioned ponte pants. This gave Simplicity an advantage. The differences were in the width and shape of the legs. The crotch curve on the Hot Patterns Marrakesh design was different from both the simplicity pattern, and the curve I had created for my own knit pants, giving it one negative strike at the outset. The Marrakesh pants pattern also has a grown on waist, and I specifically wanted a separate waist band, strike two for Hot Patterns.

I decided to start with Simplicity 9147 (above) using the straight leg version (View C) as it was closest to what I had in mind. However all of the Simplicity patterns only went up to a size 14, so the first thing I needed to do was grade the pants up. First I graded the pants to a size 18. The pattern calls for 4 inches of ease through the hips, and I knew this would not be enough ease in the back pattern pieces; possibly not in the front either. I also altered the back crotch curve to match the crotch curve that I had created on the ponte pants, which basically meant creating a deeper curve with a longer extension. I basically just copied this from the curve of the knit pattern, then added extra wide seam allowances and sewed my first draft.

You don't get any in-progress pictures. There were a couple of iterations, but I learned a lot from the process. I've always had trouble with pants, but my goals were basic. Straight of grain perpendicular to the floor, straight side seams, no skewing. Sounds easy, but it never is with me. I've been in all kinds of fitting classes where we've done all kinds of odd things and it remains a struggle. Now it feels like I am finally beginning to understand.

Basically, all I needed to do was add width at the high hip in the back, and alter the crotch curve and center seams. In the end, I ended up using the front crotch curve from the size 14 pattern, with the deeper longer curve on the back pieces. These then had to be graded to work together. I also needed to shorten the center front seam by 2 inches and lengthen the pattern at the center back by 2 inches. This ended up being exactly the correction I had needed to make on the pattern for the knit pants, although I actually understood it better this time around. It is for this basic reason that both my first woven and knit pants were for basically straight leg pants with a waistband that sits at the waist. These patterns make a good jumping off point for future work on pants.

Here you can see half of a muslin, side by side front and back pieces, with the center back at the bottom and the center front at top. This shows the basic progression although some additional fiddling was necessary before everything was transferred to a new paper pattern. But it was this view, this photo that sparked an "AHA!" moment that really helped clarify my thinking.

After a couple of days. working on muslins, the first pair of pants, out of a medium-heavy weight linen double jacquard, were pretty easy.

I cut the elastic for the waistband a little large, and the pants slip down about an inch with wear. You can see that in the photo. It is something I will have to fix, but not yet. The temperature is in the mid 90's and humid, and I am perfectly happy not having a fitted waist band at the moment

I've since cut two more pairs of pants, one in a fine, tightly woven black linen, and one in this pretty Japanese cotton. The black pants have been sewn except for the waistband and the hems. I didn't finish them today because I am tired enough that I think I should stay away from sergers with cutting blades.

I also have a pale gray linen with a bit of a lilac undertone that I intend to use for both pants and the layered vest shown in the pattern photo above. Vests are in right now, but not necessarily this kind of vest. I'm not sure if the currently trendy version fits into my very casual lifestyle at this point anyway, but the point is moot until I progress further with pant fitting.

June 26, 2024
Another Catch-Up Post

Still April.

And another blog post. I should celebrate successes as they materialize. I am working on a book post, but it is coming slowly. This is primarily because I am still struggling with being over-tired, with doing too much, and learning to accept that normal, even at the still-tender age of almost 66 is not what normal was even a few years ago.

That said, even though I feel overwhelmed, and like I have been frittering my time away, this is not exactly true.

There has been sewing, mostly simple.

Two cross covers, one in lenten purple, one in holy week red, for my church. These were additions to the set of each made last year, to accommodate a new processional cross.

And one simple garment for me, this a chiffon cardigan to wear to an event. The dress was already in my closet. The cardigan is red silk chiffon and is a fairly simple garment to make. I did use a pattern for this, Marfy 3303 which is one of the "free" patterns included with the purchase of the Marfy 2014/2015 annual catalog. The pattern picture is shown below:

There are two pattern pieces, two front pieces and two back pieces which are seamed at the center. You would think they are rectangles, but they are not, part of the genius of the pattern. Tucks are made at each shoulder, and there is a side seam, but it is in the interior of the cardigan, allowing the edges to float and flutter freely, as if the cardigan were simply a shawl. The clever cutting and seaming allows this to fit and flow on the body nicely, and also to stay in place when one is dancing. Always an advantage in my book.

I also made six baptismal towels, four in March, for Easter Sunday.

And two more two weeks later. Each towel is made by hand from ecclesiastical weight linen, with hand embroidery and hand hemmed. The entire process takes me somewhere between 8 to 13 hours, the variation depending mostly on the baby's name. the shortest of these took me 8 1/2 hours, and the longest slightly over 12, or somewhat over 70 hours total for the six towels, but less than 80 hours. I love doing this, and I am sure I could find a faster way, but at the moment this is still a labor of love.

There has been some knitting progress, but nothing has been completed. I am still working on the ribbon cardigan. As much as I love both knitting and ironing, I find that this project tests my patience. I may like to iron but ironing yards upon yards of rayon ribbon flat is tedious at best. I have just finished ironing the third 100-yard skein of ribbon. I need to wind it on a spindle, after which I can knit another section of the sweater. The knitting itself is also slow, fun, but slow. There have been evenings in the past month where one row of the twisted basketweave stitch is all I can accomplish of an evening. Of course, the body of this cardigan is being knit in one piece, so the rows are not short. Sometimes self-justification is all that keeps us going. I know that I will love this cardigan. I love the fabric that I am creating. But it will be a long time before I take on another ribbon sweater. I will be happy if I have finished this by fall, which is, realistically, as soon as I would wear this sweater anyway.

Greater progress has been made with "Murder of Crows". I finished the body of the sweater and have picked up the first sleeve. This too will be a fall sweater, although there are still early mornings in the garden which would be cool enough to wear this sweater, were it finished. I really like the way this sweater is turning out and knitting it has reminded me that, as much as I love complicated texture and color work, patterns that require thought, it is also very good to have a simple mindless project on the needles. Pardon the dark photo — an unblocked sweater on a dark background, taken on a deeply cloudy day.

April 24, 2024
Blog Break and Project Updates

This will be my last post for February, which has been a quiet month anyway, at least in terms of finishing things.

I don't need to finish objects, there are more than enough things in my life as it is. Nonetheless there are quite a few piles here and there, and various ideas floating about that may or may not be beginning to shape themselves into tangible form. The creative fog is itself refreshing, and not limited to any particular medium at this point. I am dreaming of gardens and food, embroidery, sewing, knitting, color, texture form. It will all sort itself out in its own time.

I have managed to finish one thing, a simple scarf sewn up from a navy/blue/black sweater knit. This piece had been languishing in a stack for a long while. I had a sweater made from this fabric when I still lived in Hyde Park, but it has long since been worn to threads. I don't remember my original intentions for the remaining piece, but lately I keep looking at it, thinking "That will make a nice scarf someday" and then putting it aside. Well someday arrived. I honestly don't know why I had been putting this off, perhaps thinking I might have a more interesting idea. But interesting is sometimes overrated. And a scarf in hand is always good.

On the knitting front I've gone from working on one project (Ausma) to having three projects on the needles.

One is a rayon ribbon cardigan, that I love but which is proving to be a slow project. I had started this once before but had trouble keeping the yarn from twisting. I felt like I was spending more time untwisting the yarn than I was knitting. I ripped and began again after pressing all the twisted ribbon I had already knitted back into smooth silky shape.

I figured out that a ball, even a carefully hand wound ball, didn't work for me. Somehow, while knitting, I would twist the yarn even more. I came up with the idea of winding the yarn on a spindle of sort, using an embroidery frame as the spindle. This is tedious and time consuming, and each skein must be wound on the spindle painstakingly. That means the interruptions between knitting each skein becomes tedious. More tedious in fact, because the skeins themselves are twisted and tangled. Each new skein has to be slowly unwound, ironed, and slowly wrapped onto the spindle.

I do not believe the tangling is the manufacturer's fault. This yarn has been packed and unpacked multiple times, and treated non-too-kindly I fear. I take full responsibility even as I mutter under my breath while standing (not) patiently at the ironing table. Although I love the actual knitting, and the pattern is both simple and entertaining, the pressing and winding is far less exciting. It will be some time before this sweater is done, and most of that time will not be knitting time.

The ribbon project is not portable, so I needed something I could tote around with me. Enter socks. I'm not far along yet, but far enough that the sock is stable enough for traveling about. The yarn is a self striping yarn from Urth Yarns called Uneek Sock and I am knitting them on size 1 needles. The skein pictured is enough for one sock.

Feeling in need of more mindless knitting time to balance both the annoyances of ribbon flattening, and the fog of creative dreaming, I also started another fairly straightforward project, an assigned-pooling sweater using BFL fingering yarn from Barker Wool. The pattern is from Barker Wool as well and is called A Murder of Crows. I've just started this as well, so I don't have much to report. I am having fun with it so far. I really need a loose comfy sweater to just throw on all the time around the house and studio and I am hoping this will be the one.

Anyway, I hope the remainder of February is kind, and I will see you in March.

February 17, 2024
No Orphans
Despite my intention of making no resolutions or posting goals for 2024, a theme has evolved. How it plays out is yet to be determined, but I am fine with themes. Last year's theme was nesting, and the process of nesting yielded many discoveries and a growing sense of comfort within the always evolving themes of where I am in this particular stage of my life.

These year's theme seems to be revolving around the idea of "no orphans". It started as an impromptu idea that I simply didn't want to make things that had no place in my wardrobe, that were orphans. That means no sweaters that don't really go with anything or have a place in my wardrobe, no clothes I would never wear. it also apparently means that I need to assess the items I currently own, locate garments that have fallen out of favor, and perhaps find new partners for them.

This is all started with those black pants that I posted about a little over a week ago now. As I hemmed those pants, and later, the first time I wore them, I reflected on where they fit in my closet and from there to what I things I needed in my closet anyway.

Before making the black pants my winter basics included a couple of skirts for dressing up, two pairs of jeans, and a variety of cardigans and jackets that went with none of the above. In short the black pants were well needed.

I have a small collection of black tops to wear with them, black tops that give me a basic column to wear under sweaters and jackets of various colors. What you see in the picture, from left to right, are two black tees, one black turtleneck, a silky black tank/shell, and a silk blouse with ruffled collar. Between them I am probably set for most of my needs. I could perhaps use a long sleeve black tee or sweater, preferably in a merino wool or cashmere, but I am not likely to knit that, and it will not get as much wear as the other, so it can wait until the perfect something turns up.

The second tee, a. Uniqlo crewneck, is a couple of years old and obviously faded. it needs to be replaced. I don't have appropriate black fabric in my stash for a lightweight tee and I like the first tee very much, as it is lightweight, cool in the summer and works as a base layer under winter sweaters. At roughly $14 from Amazon, it makes more sense just to buy a another copy of that tee.

The silky tank was my mom's, purchased at a time when she had dropped some weight, and later passed to me. It fits, and fills a hole, but it is polyester, which means it is hot in the summer and cold in the winter. I need to replace it with silk, something I can do, and would prefer to do. I do miss the little silk tees and tanks I used to knock out by the dozen.

I could probably use a black skirt. I used to have one, and it was endlessly useful, so that gets added to the list.

What I do not have are any black third layers: a jacket or a cardigan, and these might also be worthwhile additions to my wardrobe. Black is still not my best color, but psychologically I have never been able to wean myself away. There are times I just feel comfortable in black. A black jacket would allow me to wear colored tees, tops, or sweaters under a jacket, still creating a unified column. I will likely not knit a fine gauge black cardigan , so that is something else to be on the lookout for. And since I think a black jacket would be useful, but I am not as interested in putting time into making a beautifully tailored jacket in black, or investing in a beautifully made specimen, I would look for something simpler, and perhaps more causal. I could make something like either of the patterns show below out of black ponte, of which I currently have a good supply in stash as I bought it on sale for pattern testing.

I made the CJ patterns jacket years ago (decades?) out of cotton/lycra and wore it out. It was a great travel jacket that saw heavy wear.

I recently purchased the second jacket pattern, Metra Jacket from Love Notions, forgetting I had the CJ patterns jacket, thinking it would be a good project to make with my ponte, and would be a great wardrobe basic to upgrade a casual "at home" outfit to something more polished for running errands etc.

Whatever I decide, the black pants are already proving useful, useful enough that I am going to make a second pair. This will give me one "core basic set" that I can fall back on while I work my way through my closet and making other garments. Although I might be tempted by other things, I need to focus on basics for a bit before branching out to the fun stuff.

In the meantime however, in the spirit of no orphans, let me show you how the black core is already working with this year's theme. Here I am wearing the black pants with the black turtleneck and an alpaca shrug I knitted in 2007 and have kept. I actually haven't worn the shrug in a few years as the garments that worked with it previously are no longer in my closet. I find that, to be comfortable, I need a belt at the waist to balance the shrug. These high waisted pants give me the opportunity of belting, something I have not had for a few years, and which I miss. A simple dress with a belt or waist detail would also work. The shrug doesn't get a lot of wear, but there are days each winter where it is appropriate. I expect to be wearing it more.

Another "oldie but goodie" that has popped out of the closet is this thick cabled sweater knit in 2001 from a Debbie Bliss pattern using Noro Kureyon. I've kept the sweater even though there are some winters in Knoxville where it hasn't been worn. Mostly I've worn it with jeans, but this winter I don't like the look of this sweater with the cut of my current jeans. The black pants however, work and the combination makes me happy. This past week, when Knoxville has been covered in snow and beset with freezing weather, I have felt very cozy and warm in this sweater. Below is a not very good picture of me in the sweater, unmade bed and all. Mastering the art of the self may not be high on my goal list.

So where does that leave me now?

Basic black pants and black tops are ready to wear with a variety of sweaters and jackets .

Two previously orphaned sweaters have found new companions.

Needs:
- 1 new short sleeve tee: 32 degrees cool, ordered from Amazon
- Another pair of black ponte pants, cut high in the waist.
- A black ponte skirt
- A black ponte jacket, particular style still to be determined.
- Replace black polyester tank with silk tank and/or silk tee for warmer weather.
- A black winter-weight cardigan, possibly cashmere, probably to be purchased, but this might change.
- A black summer-weight linen cardigan. Again probably not hand knit but you never know. I long ago learned never to say never. I do have a black and brown marled wool and linen cardigan in my closet that might serve here. To be determined.
- If I stick with the idea of a black core, a black summer skirt, and summer pants would also be useful.
- A black summer dress has long been on the list for the inevitable summer funerals.
It looks like a plan.

This is not the only plan. I am also currently planning and working on an evening capsule. More on that later.
January 23, 2024
2023 Projects in Review (picture heavy post)

I am happy with my sewing and knitting progress throughout 2023. I finished 11 knitted garments, I embroidered quite a few baptismal towels although I don't remember the exact count. Perhaps I should keep track of that. And I sewed three garments that I have kept and wear, one garment that I wore a few times and donated, and a few things I just trashed. I don't regret that. In retrospect I realize that my heart wasn't really in it at the time. Chalk failures up to learning experiences and move on.

Many of these garments were posted to the blog, but not all of them. Besides, I like having them all combined in one place.

In January I finished a wrap dress that was supposed to be finished in December. I wore it three times but never felt quite like myself in it.

I was happy with the construction of the dress, especially the way I had matched the small print at the back of the neckband, perfectly centered and then curving away symmetrically, a detail no one would ever notice but me. I was less happy with the fit in that the front bodice was slightly shorter than I was actually comfortable wearing. This had been a design decision, deciding that raising the waist was a more flattering silhouette, but in terms of comfort, we raised it too high. I had enough fabric remaining to recut the bodice, and I considering doing just that, but a wise friend reminded me that although recutting the bodice would fix the fit, it would not affect the style disconnect I felt wearing the dress. The dress was donated.

Aside from a couple of baptismal towels, there was a bit of a lull, in terms of completions, until the daily temperature blanket I had been knitting for 2023 was finally completed on March 1. I almost immediately started a baby blanket for my first great-grand-neice even though I was pretty darn close to being "blanketed out" by that point. But still, babies….

April brought more baptismal towels, and several works in progress,

Aside from the baby blanket, above, three other, fairly quick, projects were finished in May. Two were accessories. The socks were knit from yarn I received as a Christmas gift, and the brioche headband was a beginner brioche project begun at a knitting retreat.

I also finished the first of several tees or tops. This one, Anise, was knit from a cotton/rayon/silk blend yarn from Noro.

At this point I started another long project, a simple but large rectangular shawl in a lace weight silk. That was finished in early July.

Faster projects followed;

Another Noro tee was finished in August.

The tee was followed by an airy little linen cardigan in early September,

and another tee by the end of the month.

Another tee was finished in October. This yarn came from deep stash, purchased at a store that has long since closed. The colors make this suitable for wear throughout the fall, and into spring.

October saw me reentering the sewing room for more than baptismal towels (although I did make three of those in October and early November.) I finished this skirt, out of a stretch faux suede, which I have since worn several times and somehow always failed to take a picture. The pattern is by VikiSews.

And by the very end of November, I finished my last knitted object of 2023, another cotton shell/vest. This was a Rowan Pattern and I assembled it, and wore it the first time while traveling in Texas over Thanksgiving weekend. The photo above was taken on Christmas Eve.

In early December I finished a dress I had started in November, before my travels, and finished later. (Posted to the blog in December as well.). I also made a simple scarf/shawl, made from putting two pieces of chiffon together, one a peach that was somewhat too orange, and the other a pink that leaned a little to close to bubble-gum in hue. I like the combination of the two colors and together they make something wearable for me. Besides, pink and orange has always been one of my favorite color combinations.

January 16, 2024
Here a tweak, there a tweak

I've been sewing.

I need clothes. I can buy clothes. But somehow last year I didn't want to buy clothes. Yet I've been more successful in making summer clothes and remiss about winter clothes. I also have a fair number of dressy casual to dressy specialty pieces, and am short on basics. Something had to change.

I realized that in terms of every day wear that could be dressed up or down, I was wearing one of two pairs of jeans, or a pair dark gray ponte pants that are probably at least 6 or 7 years old. I like the lines of the pants and they mostly work if I wear a long top over them, as seen here. The fitting issues are mostly above the legs. They bag a bit in the seat, the front crotch is too long, and too deep; the back crotch seam is too short. They pants are meant to be just below the waist and they are faced, without a waistband. I do not like the way the facing is sewn in, and the pants do skew as I wear them (torso portion only) but that is not unusual for me in pants. You would not know any of this to look at me.

The plan was to make one or two pairs of black pants, then to take these pants apart and add length to the center back, using the facing piece then applying a new facing using the black ponte. The pants originally had a side zipper, but that was removed when the pants were cut down in size two years ago. I never used the zipper anyway as the pants are stretchy enough to pull on and off, and I do not like really tight clothes.

First up: Pattern. I have patterns for darted faced pants much like these, but they are all cut for non-stretch woven fabrics, with wider legs. I have a muslin I fitted with friends 4 years ago (?) which is now too big but is a good starting point. That was traced from a pair of Nick and Zoe pants I loved, but which had the same issue with being cut too long in front and too short in back. And I found these two patterns in my stash, both of which are similar cuts to the Nick and Zoe pants (which I no longer own).

Style Arc Beth, which I purchased not that long ago because I had forgotten that I had also purchased Style Arc Sage (below). Looking at both patterns now, I think that Beth may be a better option for me because of the waistband. But I may experiment with both patterns as I move into making spring pants simply because I like pattern play.

I pulled out both patterns and compared them to my fitted muslin, ultimately deciding to put them aside for now as I really wanted something simpler with straight lines, a high waist and a waist band. Enter this pattern from Simplicity, which I bought on a whim a couple of years ago while I was flipping through patter catalogs at Joann while my mom shopped. I thought it would make a perfect, simple wardrobe for working at home and dog walking but nice enough to go out. I still think that.

I next compared my fitted muslin (from a few years ago, but which I knew fit through the crotch curve) to the tracing of the gray ponte pants and the simplicity pattern. They gray ponte pants were very close to the simplicity pattern, the main difference being that the legs were straighter and hence slightly wider at the hem than the gray pants. I decided to go with the simplicity pattern.

I traced the simplicity/gray ponte pattern on to paper (green) and then traced the pant muslin pattern from a couple of years ago over the top of it to compare (pink). This is one of the back pieces. On the fitted muslin, the right and left pieces are different. The simplicity is symmetrical and I simply flipped the pattern.

From all this, I cut a new pattern. Is it sewing yet? Well, yes, it is part of the process, and I've learned I love the math and the pattern process as much as the actual construction.

At this point everything went together well and I tried on my first pair of pants. They fit mostly well through the hips, but the legs biased. This is not unusual. I rarely get much visible bias on new RTW pants, meaning the legs hang straight, but the torso part of the pant strains and biases around my body. It has always been this way, and I admit that when I was young I didn't know any better. I do miss loosely cut wide pleated pants from the 80s and 90s because they hung from the waistband, and there was often enough fabric that the biasing effect was not as evident. There is a lesson for me in that.

I marked, very roughly with chalk, where the side seams on the legs "should" have been. Not an easy task while wearing the pants, and then cut those pieces off, moved the seams to the appropriate locations and cut a new pair of pants. This is not quite as straightforward as it sounds because the basic geometry of pants still applies. The waistband has to be parallel to the floor. The hems as well, and the side seams running perpendicular to the floor, visually. But the legs of the pants are now skewed in relationship to the torso, or is it the other way around. This was more noticeable on the front pattern pieces than the back, which is not surprising from what I know of my own scoliosis and body torsion. This meant that I needed to redraw the grainlines, and I took my time with this to be sure I did it correctly. This also explains why I almost always need more fabric to cut pants than is recommended in the pattern guidelines.

Success! The next pair of pants worked. Center front, back and side seams were all in their proper places. The pants hung straight without skewing. I was really tired the next day (Thursday) however and did not finish the pants.

Yesterday I was determined to attach the waistband, hem the pants and cut and sew a second pair. I didn't. But I don't consider that a failure. Once I put the waistband on the pants, I noticed a few small fitting glitches that I thought could be tweaked for better fit. Once accomplished, those changes could be transferred to the pattern for the next pair of pants. But it was dinner time, and I know that I do not need to be cutting, sewing, or serging in the evening, especially working in tight spaces of partially constructed garments. I decided I would finish the pants this morning, and did so.

I still have to hem the pants, but I am very happy with them. They are not perfect, but I don't need perfect. They are better than what I have been wearing. I also learned a lot about fit and geometry and comfort.

I think I will cut the next pair narrower through the leg, more like the cut on the gray pants. The second pair will be much faster to construct because most of the pattern work is done, but there may still be small tweaks simply because I am using different fabric.

Pant sewing is not likely to happen today (except for those hems). I have a baptismal towel to embroider and hem. But I think I gained far more than just a pair of pants in this process. I'm sure there will be ups and downs over the course of the year and I hope to share them all with you. Mostly, today, I am just happy and excited for future projects.

January 13, 2024
Slowly, slowly

I mentioned in my last post that I had intended to write about sewing but my thoughts wandered. I haven't forgotten that post. I still wish to write it, and yet, since my last trip, and my last blog post, I have not done much in the sewing room.

That doesn't mean I don't want to catch up. One of the highlights of my year, and especially the fall months, has been both a return to sewing and, more generally, a renewed focus on handwork in general. And I have wanted to record that progress in some way, to write about what I am doing and what it means to me, not so much because there is anything particularly special or skilled about my efforts but because it is my nature I suppose to think excessively, increasingly to go slowly, and to natter on.

In early November I devoted a few straight days to working on sewing, as opposed to other projects in the studio. I spent some days drawing patterns on muslin, cutting, sewing, fitting two patterns I wanted to make.

I had so much fun!

I had forgotten how much I enjoyed the process itself completely separately from the thrill of wearing the clothes. I was reminded how important it was to give myself time, to allow myself to play. How important it is to just make things, simple or complex, mistakes and all.

I am very fortunate. I do not have to make my own clothing to have something to wear. I can afford to buy clothes. And simple garments are really not that complicated or difficult, unless one is inclined toward complexity or detail. I am also in an odd place in that I probably actually need some clothes, but I do not feel inclined to rush out and fill my closet to the rafters. I want to make what I make, wear what I wear, be it simple or fancy. Even if what I make is a total mess, I might still wear it. I am past the stage in my life where I feel I need to impress anyone with any accomplishments or skills or talents. Perhaps I am at that stage in my life where I can be proud to be a novice again.

I realized a few things. First off, I need a full-length mirror in the sewing studio, preferably a three-part one. I do have a mirror in the master bedroom, in the house, not the studio. That means that I am constantly running back and forth from the studio, which is above the garage, a separate building from the house, into the house and up the stairs to the master bedroom. And the reverse. The process of running down and up stairs, back and forth, trying on, pinning, running, sewing, running again, reassessing, pinning, and so forth, again and again and again, is not tenable.

One of my first projects for the new year is to find a mirror and figure out where to put it. I also think I need a full-sized tripod with a mount for my iPhone. The combination of mirror and camera will help considerably. Of course this also means that there will be an entirely new learning process involved. Sounds like fun. More playtime!

A tripod also means I can probably make some attempt at styling and photographing finished objects. I don't know how well that will take as I am not comfortable in front of a camera. I am perfectly happy employing Abigail as a model, as seen above in a dress I did finish and wear to several holiday parties.

The dress pattern itself is fairly simple. I used the Cadence Dress Pattern from Love Notions. The fabric is a lightweight rayon crepe. I lined the dress, which was not necessary, but makes me happy. I also messed up cutting the lining therefore making the process even more of a challenge. But I managed to pull it all together. The dress is wearable and I like it.

The lining on the sleeve flare makes me particularly happy. I want to swan around, making sweeping gestures with my arms. Silliness, yes. But what is life without a little silliness?

December 21, 2023
2020 in Review and Moving Forward (Part One)

2020 was full of challenges in so many ways, and not just for me, but I also have to admit that overall I did not have a bad year. Yes there were challenges, and yes I am very fortunate. I did not lose my source of income or my home. I can stay safely sheltered. Yes I miss seeing friends, but I also realize that this period of sheltering at home has offered the possibility of reflection. No one likes change, and yet to some extent we are all driven toward it; this is part of the conundrum that makes us human. I prefer to see the challenges of the year as an opportunity for growth, for evolution. As much as we would like it to do so, the world will never again be what it was before SARS Covid-19 made its presence known. Much as we would like the lives we once had, the true telling of who we are is in how we cope with the now and next, not how we yearn for the past.

I did struggle with some health issues during the time of our collective shut-down. Some were self-inflicted, such as a garden fall brought on by stupidity, a fall that kept me from doing much gardening during the peak spring planting time. Others were through no fault of my own. In retrospect I can see that I was struggling with one thing or another, either decline or the frustratingly slow pace of recovery from April through November. In retrospect I can see that I struggled more than I even realized at the time, but there may be a blessing in that. Either way I refuse to dwell on it.

But there were good things as well. I reacquainted myself with my love of cooking and food. Yes, I would like to be feeding others; that does not mean I should not enjoy feeding myself. I planted a vegetable garden, not as large as I had hoped, but large enough that I struggled to keep up given others setbacks. In fact the process of gardening expanded my horizons, both in terms of watching plants grow, watching birds and beasts in the yard, exploring new flavors and combinations. When one cannot go out, perhaps one discovers whole universes in one’s own backyard.

The garden will be here. More will be planted. Perhaps there are benefits in taking things more slowly. I tend to be a person whose dreams are bigger than my ability to execute them. If I cannot slow myself down, the world slows me down instead. Perhaps I should learn from that. Perhaps I never will, but I have hope. One of the advantages of having too much to do, is that reality puts a damper on enthusiasm and actually leads to more creativity. I will be planting for years to come., I am planting now. Three cryptomeria globusa nana were planted last week. I’ve prepped the ground for three more, and they will go in soon. Baby steps.

I started the year with great sewing plans. I was going to make 4 summer linen tank/tunics, 5 dresses, goodness knows what else. It did not happen. I went to a sewing retreat where I fitted a muslin and cut out three dresses, copied from a favorite summer dress from my closet. Only one was completed, the muted purple Japanese print dress. I wore that dress despite my misgivings that the quilting cotton was perhaps a little too “happy hands at home”. I discovered that I didn’t care. There were far too few opportunities to wear a dress, to see a friend, to worry about what others thought. The dress made me smile, and smiles are always good.

The second dress, out of a muted wine linen with an abstract leaf print, was mostly completed in March but not hemmed. My intentions were good, but my motivation waned with a general sense of stuck-at-home malaise. I picked it up again in August only to toss it aside once more. I had made errors, the correction of which seemed more than my poor, oxygen-starved, brain could handle. I picked it up again in December to discover that the solution was obvious and easy. Not perfect, but good. I have something to look forward to wearing when the weather warms.

Two dresses. Countless face masks. 45 yards sewn.

Although there seemed to be long stretches of time in which I knit nothing, knitting output was the greatest it has been in a decade. Seven completed projects, 33 skeins used. Paltry in once sense, and yet more than enough. How much does one need, after all? And yet, one should use what one has. Better garments to wear than yarn on a shelf.

Cozy Cowl Cardigan, knit in Rowan Kid Classic is still my favorite winter sweater. And one that has been in heavy use since Thanksgiving. I don’t know if the weather has been colder or if I have been more sensitive, but I am once again happy for cozy sweaters.

A prayer shawl, hopefully enjoyed by someone, somewhere.

Citron colored socks knit in Lichen and Lace 80/20 sock yarn. Desperately needed and in now in heavy rotation. In fact, after 7 months at home my attitudes toward every day wear are changing, and I actually need more socks. There will be sock knitting in 2021. Yes, I could buy socks, but I will not. Fewer things, well made, hand made, mended, and even then they will wear out. But worth every second. It seems if I have learned anything, it is to not take things for granted.

A throw or lap blanket knit in shades of Blue Taiyo by Noro yarns. I loved knitting this. I love curling up on the sofa under this. I bought yarn to knit another, and other blankets as well. In fact I have blankets on the brain. I want to knit my own blankets. Perhaps I’ve gone off the deep end.

A summer sweater, knit in lace weight linen, held double. Started in the summer of 2019 then put aside when I started the fuzzy pink cardigan. Hopefully this will become another favorite. I almost wore it this past weekend, when the temperatures were in the 60s. Instead I was pulling up small trees partially uprooted by snow and digging in the garden. There will be plenty of opportunities for future wear. Generally the warmer seasons are longer than the colder ones here in Tennessee.

And finally two warm hats from the same pattern. You saw those both, just a week ago. A warm head is a happy head. Poncho and I spend an hour or two walking each day. Walks with Poncho are slow, and hard on my back (and ears if the weather is cold — hats help) we might spend an hour circling around in front of 3 to 4 houses. Poncho is cuddly and sweet and may well be another spirit-guide. Perhaps all the “forward movement” of my life is just a myth, another circle. I know I’ve said this before.

I continue to be thrilled, even as I continue to struggle with the dichotomy of wanting to make more while simultaneously needing less. Having finally gotten started, I don’t think I will be stopping soon. But I also realized it is not really about making more, planting more, doing more, about rushing through things, but just about the whole process of life, making, using, eating, breathing. Especially that.

January 4, 2021