2013 Archives - Sew Wrong

Lucinda January 7, 2014

What I Made In 2013: Owl Sweater and Wool Moss Mini [Grainline Studio]

Patterns: Owl Sweater by Kate Davies, Moss Skirt from Grainline Studio
Yarn: Rowan Cocoon, Scree colorway
Fabric: wool from Metro Textile
Sizes: sweater – small, skirt – 6

Hat: Topshop
Leggings: DKNY
Boots: London Fog

During the snow storm late last week, I dreamed up the idea of escaping the cold by going to Maine (hah!) for the weekend and staying at a resort with hot tubs and fireplaces. It was a great weekend last weekend, and so weird to see the place where I vacation in the summer covered in snow. Chris and I walked down to the beach on Sunday, which was a surprisingly warm and sunny day. It felt like a totally different place, seeing all of the beach stores and cafes boarded up for the winter.

Do you remember the sad story about this sweater back in January 2013? After I wove in the ends and blocked the sweater, it stretched out into measurements that were impossible to wear (we’re talking 30″ sleeves, peeps). I threw it in my pile of WIPs, waiting for fall to come so I could harvest the yarn for a big, chunky cowl. Just before I started the frogging, I tried it on one more time – what the heck, it fits!! Since then, this sweater has been in heavy rotation, especially on cold cold days like what we’ve been experiencing in New England lately.

I really really love this sweater! The sleeve are still a little too long, so I just cuff them up a bit and the sleeves are perfect. The stitches are still a bit loose, but it’s ok because I always wear a shirt under the sweater. I’m not sure how I’m going to care for this; I’m afraid of the stretching happening again and the idea of taking it to the dry cleaners doesn’t really appeal to me.

Instead of putting eyes on all of the owls, I just did one owl – it’s more subtle and not as twee looking. Also, I need to try using a needle a size larger when I bind off – I’m barely able to pull the sweater over my head!

Actually, I really love love everything about this outfit! I made another Moss skirt, this time out of wool and acetate from my failed Beignet skirt, and it turned out even better than my first one. After some practice, I think I finally have the hang of inserting a fly front zipper. I went up a size this time since my corduroy skirt was a bit snug, and lengthened the skirt about two inches since my first one was a little too short for my liking and comfort.

It’s absolutely perfect now! I need to make some more of these for warmer weather, this skirt is definitely a TNT (tried ‘n true) pattern in my sewing arsenal.

What are your go-to winter outfits? Mine seem to be mini skirts, leggings or tights, and boots with a cozy sweater on top.

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Lucinda January 3, 2014

What I Made in 2013: Bombshell Swimsuit

Pattern: Bombshell Swimsuit by Closet Case Files
Fabric: lycra spandex from The Fabric Fairy
Size: 6 graded to a 10? I think? I really don’t remember…

So yes, it’s a bitter 5 degrees outside today, and I woke up to a pile of snow that the latest and greatest winter storm just dumped on the Boston area. The snow had me thinking about warm weather and beaches, the trip to Puerto Rico next month that I’m planning, and that it’s only January 3 and I’m sick of winter already. My thoughts turned naturally to sewing, and I decided to post pictures of my Bombshell Swimsuit that I made in 2013 and never made it to the blog, mostly because I don’t deem it wearable for swimming or lounging in the sun (even though it does look pretty cute).

Don’t get me wrong – this is a great pattern and I have every intention of making it again, maybe before vacation in February. I learned a lot: I never sewed with spandex before, or made a swimsuit for that matter, and there’s some things I want to do differently for the next go-round to get better results and a better fit. Heather Lou, you rock for putting out such a well-drafted pattern and writing great instructions! I felt like you were holding my hand the whole way through the sewing process.

I wasn’t sure what size to pick for this pattern and went off of the measurements for the pattern, which I believe led me to picking out size 6 and grading out to a 10 at the hips – it was a little tricky. I also chose the sweetheart neck view of the swimsuit since I thought it would be easier for small-chested moi to pull off. Sadly, I had a devil of a time applying the swim elastic around the legs and it ended up all ripply (I blame the fact that I can’t adjust the pressure of my presser foot). There’s also a ton of fabric around the bum and crotch area, so I learned that I should have gone down at least one size in the lower part of the swimsuit.

This suit was also constructed pre-serger, so I’m sure using my serger next go-round will improve the overall quality of the swimsuit as well (I’m sure it’s possible to make a great looking suit with a regular machine, but it just didn’t work well for me). I used the zig-zag stitch on my regular machine and you can really see the stitching and space between the stitches on the outside. I wasn’t too keen about how the fabric looked when stretched over my hips; you could definitely tell the fabric was printed and not yarn dyed since the fabric looked white in the stretched red sections. Good to know for next time…

Which brings me to my biggest problem with the swimsuit – the bust. I used cups for this suit, specifically gel padded sew-in cups, in the attempt to give the suit a more “bombshell” silhouette than I currently have (this gal’s got no curves, but whatever). I think that was mistake #1 – the cups did nothing for support or feeling like I was “in” the suit, and may have distorted the fit of the neckline. Plus, I felt a little cartoony when I put the suit on, hahaha.

There’s also major gap-age along the top, which is probably indicative that I picked a size too big. What I should have done is go by my measurements without my usual padded bra on since that would be more true to how the suit would fit. Yet again, I had the worst time sewing the elastic at the top – I think I ripped it out about five times and it still didn’t lay flat. My solution was to make some tucks along the neckling to eliminate the buckling and get the suit to lay flat, but it didn’t turn out right. I didn’t want to post a photo on here, but when I bend over, you can see down my suit – imagine the problem I’d have with a wave coming along in the ocean!!

I do love the back – the scooped lower back and the ruching all the way down is pretty flattering. I also dig the bum coverage, too, even though mine was baggy because of my previously mentioned sizing error.

Obligatory pin-up pose!

Yes, I will make this again with the knowledge I learned the first time around: I’m looking at this suit as a “muslin” before I make the awesome final version. I think the halter version may work out better for my bust, and I’ll use regular swim cups instead of these looks-like-I-got-a-bewb-job cups. Maybe I’ll do a solid cobalt blue color? All I know is that the next time I’m back in New York, I’m hitting up Spandex House!

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Lucinda December 29, 2013

2013 Top 5 Hits

Last year I participated in Gillian’s roundup of my top five favorite garments I made in 2012, so I decided to participte this year and also write some posts reflecting on misses and goals I want to set for 2014.

This year, between sewing and knitting, I made over 30 garments – a lot more than the 17 that are posted right now on my What I Made page (I still have some that need to go up!) and more than the 19 I made last year. Yay, productivity! My lack of garment photos will be included in my “Misses” post…

So, here’s my favorite garments that I made in 2013:

Eyelet and Silk Laurel Dress

I only wore this dress once last year, since it’s special, but this is definitely my favorite garment of 2013. Blue and green are my favorite colors, and I love how the green pops through the navy blue eyelet.

Faux Missoni Dress

2013 was the year of the Renfrew! I think I made at least five garments based off of the Renfrew pattern, and this one was one of my favorites – a hacked sweater dress.

Archer Shirts

Had time allowed, there would have been many more Archer shirts. I was a little late to the party, but I’m so glad I got over my fear of button-down shirts and made this pattern. The above plaid, which is the only photo I have available right now via Instagram, is my favorite version so far. There will be many Archers in 2014, I have a whole stack of fabric from Mood ready to go!

Stripey Sundress

I participated in the Spring Sewing Swap this year and was paired up with Sue of Sewin’ Steady as a swap partner, and she gifted me this great stripey knit fabric. The dress pattern itself would have been boring without a fun, mult-directional fabric to show off the bias direction in the top. I wore this dress to death this past summer, it was really comfy and easy to throw on with some sandals when it was hot outside.

Tiramisu Dresses

This pattern and I didnt’ get along initially, but these dresses were heavily rotated in my spring and summer wardrobe this year. They’re super flattering and comfy, and they don’t wrinkle. Plus, they layer well with cardis. I may add one or two more to my closet for next year.

For the most part, the theme this past year was all about wearability, which was a goal I had going into 2013. Most of what I made were sewing “cake” that I rotated frequently in my closet. I hope to continue this into 2014 and grow my handmade wardrobe even more!

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Lucinda April 10, 2013

Finished Project: Laurel Dress [Colette Patterns]

Pattern: Laurel by Colette Patterns (view 1 )
Fabric: Eyelet from Fabric Place Basement, Silk Habotai from Grey’s Fabric and Notions
Size: 2 graded to a 4

Belt: self made (see Tilly’s Bow Belt Tutorial)
Shoes: Tommy Hilfiger
Earrings: Francesca’s

Well, I did it! I finished my Laurel dress in the nick of time for the Cocktails with Colette party last Saturday in Boston (pics and party details to come later this week).

The Fabric

I had a couple of firsts with this dress – it was my first time working with silk (eek!) and my first time underlining a garment. The underlining probably would have been much easier to do had I not been working with silk which, by the way, was a miserable experience. All the shifting, all the raveling….ugh!! I’m not a fan, to say the least. Had I had a bigger cutting mat, I would have used a rotary cutter to cut out the lining pieces, or if I had tissue paper, I would have tried the paper sandwich method to cut out the fabric. But I took my time with hand sewing the darts and the basting of the two fabrics together and it turned out alright.

The Pattern

The dress seemed to fit a little different than the top. For my top, I cut out a 2 for the bust, a 4 for the waist, and a 6 at the hips. When I did that for the dress, it hung like a sack and and felt and looked too big on me. After re-grading down to a 4 for the waist and hips, the fit looked better but…I just wanted a little more of a fitted look. Tilly’s Bow Belt to the rescue! I cut out some leftover silk (with my rotary cutter this time) and whipped one up following her instructions. I love the contrast to the main dress fabric and the belt makes the green underlining pop and stand out a little bit more. In the future, to get a better fit, I’ll take in more at the back darts – the front fit was great but it really looked like it was the back that had more of a fitting opportunity for me. Again, this was different from how the top fit on me.

A word of caution: this dress is s-h-o-r-t! Which, if that’s your thing, this dress is perfect. I could have made this a teensy bit longer, since it’s difficult to pick up things in a dress this short, but the length makes the dress much more hip and fun than if it was a longer length. Because, you know, no one wants to wear a long shift dress – that would just look frumpy.

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Lucinda January 23, 2013

Vogue Knitting Live 2013

Last Friday, I decided to take a long weekend and travel down to see my sister in NYC and attend Vogue Knitting Live. We’ve never been before, so it was something new for both of us. This year we only bought tickets for the marketplace, just to check everything out, so maybe next year we’ll take a class or two.

The Loopy Mango booth had a live demonstration of knitting with their oversized needles and yarn. It’s almost mandatory to knit standing up with these suckers! I’m sure that’s going to be a cozy blanket.

They sell the yarn and needles on their website as well.

Lion Brand Yarn demoed a new yarn called “Spaghetti,” which is made from fabric remnants in garment factories. It’s manufactured in limited quantities – only two balls per color are ever made! So basically, when you see a color you like, grab both balls. I think I remember the rep saying each ball had something like 50 yards worth of yarn and is supposed to be knit up on US 11s or 15s.

Mmmmm Rowan yarn tasting. This is actually a really cool idea, to try out knitting a yarn before purchasing a skein.

There was also an exhibit with “knitting art” from different artists all over the country. Can you imagine knitting with a pair of foils?

This was my favorite – knitted food! A whole table was set up with different kinds of knitted food, from sushi to hotdogs. Isn’t the lobster adorable? My sister also grabbed a picture of an Italian dinner and wine bottle.

We hit the Garment District afterwards for some serious fabric shopping (more on that to come). Sadly, Mood was closed by the time I got there, le sigh. Next time, Mood, next time.

I didn’t buy any yarn at the show since I’m not in any kind of “need” right now, but I did pick up this kitschy coin tin from the Knitty City booth. Need…wool…

I love their take on the Lululemon shopping bag. I like this version better! It’s the perfect size for a small project.

I didn’t take a picture of it, but I also picked up a bag from Yarn Pop. I’m using it with my new sweater project and it’s great for containing my yarn.

A view of the city from the New Jersey side of the river, where my sister lives. I’ll be back soon!