Reuse, Recycle

The term upcycle (the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality) may not have been coined until 1994 but let's face it, Scarlett O'Hara perfected  this practice years before when she turned her curtains into a ballgown.  My skirt has a similar origin.  When I purchased some winter white wide wale cotton corduroy curtian panels (whew!) from Ikea I needed to chop almost four feet off of them to make them fit my window.  The resultant "scraps" were ideal for a long, straight skirt.  I used a pattern drafted from my Pattern Master Boutique software which included waist darts, back zipper, and a faced waistband.  To add some interest to this piece I hand stitched dozens and dozens ofwhite buttons around the hem, a detail that adds beauty but also an unanticipated loud jingling sound when I walk (I scare my cats every time I wear this skirt).  I like to think Scarlett would be proud.

Buttons, Bells, Beads and Bows

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about using my dad's old sweater to make Christmas stocking ornaments for some of my family members.  I also made some ornaments shaped like Christmas trees for my siblings (and myself) but didn't want to post pictures until I had given these gifts around New Years. 

I used a cookie cutter as my template and traced the shape onto a piece of the felted wool.  I then embellished the tree by needlefelting various yarns onto the front.  I layered the shape on another piece of sweater and stitched around the traced design.  After cutting around the edges with pinking sheers I further embellished the trees with buttons, bells, beads and bows.

My hope is that each year when the recipient hangs their ornament on their tree they will remember my dad and me.

Princess-line Jacket

This is the first of the garments I am presenting, a favorite jacket of mine.  I reviewed this jacket on PatternReview.com; below are some excerpts from that review.

Butterick: 4028 (Princess-line jacket) (out of print)

Pattern Description: Fitted, lined, hip-length jacket has princess seams, shoulder pads, and long two-piece sleeves.

Pattern Sizing: 6-22, I made a size 10.

This is a finely drafted pattern with very nice lines. I like that there is a center back seam.  The upper back seam is quite curved which, for me, is a nice surprise since I usually have to make a small adjustment here and I did not have to on this pattern. In fact, the seam is quite curved so this might be a good pattern for those with a significantly curved upper back. I loved the two-piece sleeve -- one of the best I've ever used and plan to keep it in reserve to use with other patterns. I also found the armhole to have good mobility. I found this pattern to run very small. I usually can wear a size 8 but made this up in a size 10 based on the finished measurements. I could not make the CF meet -- which was fine since I intended this to be a no-closure jacket -- but if I had wanted to put on a closure I would not have been able to.

Fabric Used: Cotton ikat which I purchased from Mekong River Textiles. This site has lovely cotton and silk ikats imported from Thailand by the owner. I am not associated with this business other than as a happy customer. I highly recommend her fabrics. The jacket used three different fabrics. The waterlily design is printed on the fabric. I lined the jacket with bemburg rayon.

I made no alterations to the pattern for fit but made several design changes. I designed a pocket that overlays the side front princess panels and trimmed the top in the red contrast fabric. I also used the red fabric to make bands at the bottom of the sleeves and piping along the front opening and around the neck edge. I reduced the height of the collar somewhat.

Conclusion A nicely fitted jacket with lovely lines and great sleeves. A real "sleeper" in the pattern world.

I hope you enjoyed reading about and seeing pictures of this jacket.  I will feature a different garment next week.  Enjoy the upcoming weekend.

New Year, New Flair

It was one year ago today that I posted my first post on this blog.  I’ve really enjoyed this creative outlet very much.  It’s a new year and I’ve got some new ideas.  I also hope to continue to inspire you through my posts and pictures.  Each year I like to make a list of creative goals (you can call them resolutions, if you like) that I hope to achieve.  Here’s my list for this coming year:

>I participated in a couple of craft shows this year (this isn’t on my “list” but is something I hope to continue in 2011) and a customer commissioned me to knit a hat for her granddaughter.  I love these little fruit/veggie hats from Ann Norling  and have knit a lot of these.

Pumpkin and eggplants, acrylic yarn

Tomato, cotton yarn

Son #1 modeling the tomato hat

As usually happens when I pick up my knitting needles, I remember how relaxing and rewarding the knitting process is.  This year I hope to do more knitting.  I am not a very experienced knitter though I have been knitting since I was a child.  I am also not a very fast knitter and find the time required to complete a project a little discouraging.  But what I realized recently is that if I keep a project in a bag, ready to travel with me whenever I leave the house, I can work on it whenever I have a few minutes and eventually I will finish a project.  You don’t have to worry about this becoming a knitting blog because I don’t have the expertise to tell you anything useful but I will, occasionally, post pictures of the projects I complete.

I have recently discovered a new company that I want to share called Quince & Co.  The owners of this company offer yarn made from domestic wool and spun in their New England mill.  They are ecologically-minded, conscious about the farming techniques of their materials and using non-toxic dyes.  Their goal is to produce an eco-friendl,y affordable yarn and sell directly to knitters via their website.  I have ordered their color card and will report back after I’ve tried some of their yarn.  You can read more about their story and see their lovely wares at their website.

>Even though I describe myself as “primarily a garment sewer”, I have not, actually been sewing many garments in the last two years.  I am hoping to change that in 2011.  After my second child was born it took me a while to get back into the size clothing I wore before my kids, and I found I didn’t have the desire to sew clothes for my “new body”.  With my kids in school a few days each week I am hoping to find the time to start more time consuming projects and get some clothes made.  I am excited that this year I will get to go to my American Sewing Guild (ASG) Chapter’s annual sewing retreat.  I used to be a regular at this event before I had my first child in 2006, and this will be the first time I have gone since then.  I have already pulled out one dress and one skirt pattern, found the fabric I am going to use and am getting ready to cut out the pieces to take to the retreat at the end of this month.  Another associated goal is to learn the newest version of Wild Ginger’s Pattern Master Boutique (PMB).  This computer software drafts custom patterns based on your own body measurements.  I have had a lot of luck in the past creating garments with this program but have not used it in several years.  In fact, I am still using Version 3 even though the latest version is Version 5.  I am hoping to jump in and learn the newest version and start using the program again.

In an attempt to stay motivated and on track with my garment sewing, I am going to feature a garment each week on my blog, things I have sewn in the past coupled with current projects I complete.

>I have noticed that I have recently been doing a lot of crafting.  I like crafting but I’m finding that it is taking the place of other things I like to do (like sewing).  I think craft projects appeal to me at present because my time is limited and broken up into little chunks and it is easier to complete these projects that require less time commitment.  I am planning on replacing some of the crafting time with other things that I like but I also am hoping to try a few new crafts this year that I have not tried before.  I have collected a number of found objects to use in a mixed media piece and am hoping to try something along those lines this year.

>I am hoping to continue developing my line of bridal accessories and open my Etsy store sometime this year.  Stay tuned.

>Lastly, I am hoping to improve the photography for my blog by taking a couple of classes on the subject and using a whippy-do camera I borrowed from my inlaws.  I feel that my photos do not feature my work as well as I would like, and I’m hoping to improve that this year.

Whew, that’s a pretty long list.  Hopefully seeing it in print will hold me accountable to some of these goals, and I am hoping to share all that I do along the way with you.  Thanks for visiting my blog this past year and leaving such nice, encouraging comments.  They mean a lot to me.  Please come back often in 2011.

Bag of the Week 52

Placemat Bag

This is my last Bag of the Week post.  I made it all the way to week #52 before I depleted my supply of bags and said, “what am I going to post for my last bag?”  Well, since it looked like I needed to come up with something at the last minute I decided to use that as a theme for a bag.  With New Years Eve arriving tomorrow you might be looking for a quick bag to sew for the festivities.  This little clutch began its life as a placemat (you can see a picture of it in my last post).  I simply seamed the two sides together, boxed the bottom just a wee bit, and it was done; it took me less than 20 minutes.   I think a frog closure would look great on this but you could also add a large snap to the inside.  Placemats are a great starting point because they already have some body to them and they are fully finished and lined.

I will continue to post pictures of bags as I create them but this is the last of my year-long feature.  I have enjoyed posting a recurring theme each week and I have some ideas for more of these in 2011 (but probably not a year-long venture).  Happy New Year to one and all.  I’ll see you next year!