projects Archives - Page 10 of 12

Lucinda October 23, 2008

Amy Butler Birdie Sling

It’s been a little quite here on the craft front for some time now. I was finally inspired to get back to my sewing machine, after about three failed projects, when I saw this Amy Butler pattern at a quilt shop in Concord. Love love love this bag!

Pattern: Amy Butler’s Birdie Sling
Fabric: all by Benartex

This was my first Amy Butler pattern and I found it easy to follow and it could be a great first project for beginners. This was exactly the project I was looking for: fail proof. I needed a sewing pick-me-up and it delivered.

I think the picture is deceptive in how big this bag is – it’s HUGE! I could easily fit a giant turtleneck sweater project in the sling and have room to spare. It also really holds its shape well.

The pleating is really my favorite part of the bag. It was fun to do, and really makes the bag look interesting even though the pattern is pretty basic.

There’s also room for lots of storage. The small pocket is great for holding a phone and some keys…

…and the other narrow pockets would be perfect for storing knitting needles. These pockets are essentially a big square sewn down the middle to create two tall, narrow pockets on the opposite side of the bag.

The only change I made to the pattern was that I used regular Thermolan Plus fleece instead of the fusible Thermolan Plus, only because my Joann Fabrics near me didn’t have the fusible kind. I used a spray adhesive to temporarily attach the fleece to the fabric before I stitched everything together, and it worked out just fine. I did read on Patternreview that some people didn’t care for the fusible fleece, so this could be an alternative. In retrospect, I would have also added a magnetic snap to the lining band since it tends to gape open a little bit. I’ll have to remember that for next time.

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Lucinda September 9, 2008

Ravelympics Entry – Complete!

Ok, so I started this for the Ravelympics competition last month during the summer Olympics, and sadly I did not finish it in time. But! This definitely was the fastest I’ve knitted a scarf on needles smaller than US 17.

Pattern: Chunky Braided Scarf
Yarn: Cascade Pastaza (2 skeins)
Needles: US 10.5 and 11

I finished this about a week ago (Labor Day maybe?) and I can’t wait to wear it with my tweed coat. But let’s not rush the cool weather, shall we?

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Lucinda July 14, 2008

Pinstripe Work Shirt

Pattern: Simplicity 7086 (out of print, I think)
Fabric: Polyester
Size: 10-14

This material was a devil to work with. Of course, it didn’t help that I didn’t line up my stripes correctly (I’ve never worked with stripes before). So the darts look funny because the stripes aren’t even on both sides. I also lengthened this about two inches on the pattern because I knew it would be too short for me to tuck in to pants and have it stay put. I feel pretty meh about this, because I should have picked a better fabric to work with. For now, I’m saying “no” to slippery fabrics until I get some more confidence in my sewing.

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Lucinda July 13, 2008

The Mole Jacket

Pattern: Butterick 5089
Fabric: Wool coating from Metro Textile in NYC
Size: 10

Pros: I like that it’s an express pattern (2 Hour Fashion), and I knew that it would go together fast. Of course, I opted to do some handwork, so it took longer than two hours to do. But still, pretty fast to whip up.

Fabric Used: A furry wool that I bought at Metro Textile in NYC. It seriously looks like I skinned a mole or something. But it’s got a wonderful soft feel to it.

Pattern Alterations: I added an extra snap along the lower edge because otherwise it would flip open if a breeze came by. I have no idea why they just included two snaps at the top and nothing at the bottom to keep it shut. I also hand stitched the neck facings down since they bunched up when trying to put the jacket on.

The collar, because of its bulky nature, has a tendency to roll out in the back. This should have been understitched before adding it to the jacket, but I didn’t know that beforehand. So, unfortunately, it rolls out and there’s not much I can do about it now.

It’s also a bit tricky to put on and to adjust the collar, again because of its bulky nature. I need a mirror to check it out to make sure everything is smooth and not bunchy.

All in all, a good and easy pattern.

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Lucinda June 26, 2008

Squirrely Squirrely Squirrely

After about six months of hibernation, I pulled out these babies last week while I was traveling since they are so portable and my Pink-ina needs some frogging. I forgot how fun these are to knit! I’m just at the point where I need to shape the top of the mitten, and then it’s on to the thumb. Maybe I’ll get these done for fall…