projects Archives - Page 5 of 12

Lucinda December 21, 2011

Wisteria Scarf

Pattern: Wisteria from Twinkle Weekend Knits
Yarn: Twinkle Handknits Soft Chunky – Crimson
Needles: US 35

It’s mid-December and it still feels like early November in Boston, which makes it hard to believe that Christmas is a little less than a week away (crazy, right??). I’ve been trying my hardest to wrap my head around that fact and get “in the spirit,” but with my crazy work schedule and the temperatures outside, it’s been a challenge. So when we *finally* had a seasonably cold day, I knew this red scarf would help me snap out of my mentality and feel festive.

This was the quickest knit of my life – hands down. Two skeins of Twinkle Soft Chunky and size 35 needles – can you say, “instant gratification?” I used to own the book Weekend Knits but got rid of it after a bad sweater experience and didn’t want to buy it again, so I actually looked up the stitch pattern and figured out how to knit the scarf without the pattern. I also opted for no fringe – not a big fringe gal, and the scarf was long enough after I whipped through the two balls o’ yarn.

This is a fashionable monster of a scarf and not for the timid or petite. I even find it overwhelming at times if I don’t wrap it around my neck properly but boy, what a show-stopper it is.

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Lucinda November 16, 2011

Lil’ Gray Cape

Pattern: DROPS 116-19

Yarn: Cascade Lana Grande

Needles: US 17 circs

Size: Small

I love capes. Ever since I saw the pictures from the spring runway shows, I knew I wanted a cape for fall this season. Yes, they are impractical. Yes, they trigger images of super heroes or Little Red Riding Hood. But damn it all, I wanted a cape this year come hook or by crook. And why buy one when you can make one?

My initial plan was to make the Not-a-Poncho City Cape by Wendy Bernard. It had all the elements of the RTW capes I had seen in stores, with the slits for arm-holes and a chunky ribbed collar. When I went to my LYS Gather Here, Virginia unfortunately did not have the amount of gray Eco Wool that I needed. Which was probably just as well; I don’t think I would have been brave enough to rock a giant knitted cape like I originally thought. So instead I scrolled through my Ravelry queue and found a little DROPS cape pattern that I liked and some chunky gray yarn at the store that fit the bill.

I modified the amount of stitches I needed to cast on since my gauge was smaller on the needles I used (US 17 instead of 19). The rest of the pattern was followed exactly, except I knitted the collar ribbing to 6″ instead of 8″ – it just seemed like it would be too much collar if I knit it to that length.

I also used two buttons I had in my stash instead of three like the pattern calls for. I like the open look just two buttons creates, and the ribbed collar has more of a sailor collar effect than a traditional fold-over collar.

I wore this to work this week since it’s been chilly in the building (seriously, is the AC still on??), but I probably will only wear it around the apartment in the coming months even though I got comments at work on how cute it looks. It’s like a little woolly blanket that fastens around your shoulders and stays in place. As much as I love how it looks, it doesn’t replace the warmth and functionality of a coat.

At least I’ve gotten my cape-lust out of my system now.

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Lucinda November 14, 2011

Leaflet

Pattern: Leaflet by Cecily Glowik MacDonald

Yarn: Osprey by Quince and Co. in Nasturtium

Needles: US 11 circs

Size: Small

Last week we felt our first really “cold” day of autumn in Boston, which reminded me that I needed to block this sweater and wear it before it’s no longer in season. I love how this sweater turned out – it’s the perfect fall color, the short sleeves make it a great layering piece, and the leaf pattern on the back is a nice surprise.

I had some trouble starting this sweater, as I wrote about here, due to my initial yarn selection. But once I got over the hump, the sweater flew off my needles and was a quick knit. I probably would have posted this sweater earlier but I was just too darn lazy to pick up the stitches around the neck and knit the ribbing. So it sat in my knitting basket, waiting, until one of the girls in my knitting group asked me how my sweater was coming along and wanted to see it the following week at our knitting night. It was some good motivation to get me to pick up all of those stitches around the neck, which I dreaded doing.

The other nice thing about this cardigan is that there’s no buttons or buttonholes, hooray! Sometimes that can really ruin the look of the ribbing band around the front of a cardigan. I picked up a cute shawl pin at Webs in Northampton, MA that had a leaf decoration at the top, which seemed apropos for the sweater I was intending to use it for. Even more versatility with this sweater – easy to wear it open or closed.

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Lucinda October 26, 2011

McCalls 6200 Green Swirl Dress

Pattern: McCall’s 6200

Size: 8/10

Fabric: Rayon jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics

Boots: Nine West

Earrings: M Style Lab

I really wasn’t sure how this pattern was going to turn out. I’m so apprehensive about dresses that are “shaped” with a tie-belt: they can be hit or miss in the fit department. I’ll either love how it drapes and feel super cute and chic in it, or it could be a giant sack and feel like I’m wearing a muumuu. I’m also not a huge fan of line drawings on a pattern envelope since it’s an ideal representation of the pattern and not a realistic interpretation of how it will truly fit. But I thought heck, I’ll give this pattern a shot. At the least, I could make it into a swingy top if I don’t like the dress.

1) Sizing

This pattern was a breeze to sew and went together in a matter of hours. I chose to do View A with the swingy sleeves to bring out the 70’s vibe of my fabric. I did my usual adjustments from bodice to waist, but went down a size in each of these areas: instead of cutting my usual 10/12, I cut out an 8/10. These dresses always seem to have so much ease and I didn’t need this being any larger than necessary. I would strongly advise going down a size in this pattern, I still had room to spare.

2) The Sleeves and Side Seams

I also ignored setting the sleeve in and sewed the sleeve cap in flat using staystitch plus, and then sewed the sleeve seam down through the side seam in one fell swoop.

3) The Neckband

The neckband was a little fussy and I wasn’t crazy about hand sewing the facing to the inside by hand, but it went together ok. I’m really glad there was interfacing for the neckband since it’s so wide to begin with and it really prevents it from stretching out even further. The only thing to be aware of is that if the neckline doesn’t lay across correctly, it will buckle and gape in the back. I also had to adjust my bra straps during the day since they kept showing due to the wideness of the neckband. Maybe lingerie straps wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

4) The Hem

I shortened the hem more than what the pattern called for so that it would look proportionally correct with my boots. The drawing shows the hem hitting at the knee, which didn’t look right on me, so I took the dress up about two inches to get the correct effect.

This is a really easy, basic pattern that would be an excellent pick for a jersey with a large print. I could definitely see making this dress with different sleeve options, maybe incorporating the tie in to the side seams and having it tie in a bow at the back, or using contrasting fabrics for the neck and tie-belt. This pattern is definitely a staple to have in your pattern arsenal.

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Lucinda August 29, 2011

Simplicity 2657 – Sew Stylish Sundress

Pattern: Simplicity Sew Stylish 2657, View C

Size: 8/10 for the bodice, graded to a 12 in the skirt

Fabric: Cotton Twill from Joann Fabrics (an awesome find)

This pattern has been in my stash for two years since it was the feature pattern in the Spring 2009 issue of Sew Stylish Magazine, a younger and hipper version of Threads Magazine geared towards the sewing newbie. When doing research on this pattern before I committed to making it, I was surprised on how few people had made this pattern. There were the few sewers who made alterations to this pattern for maternity wear, which wasn’t exactly a turn-on, but I decided to give it a try. I figured once I mastered the fit on this dress, I’d have a great base for a sundress for future dress projects.

1) The Bust

If you’ve been reading my blog, you know that I’m challenged when it comes to fitting the bust in any type of top/dress pattern. This pattern was featured in the issue to show how to fit a bust using princess seams. Amazingly, the bust fit perfectly on my muslin and I didn’t have to do any type of alteration to the curve of the seams. Instead, I added on to the bodice pieces for more coverage; I added about half an inch on to allow that I can wear a regular bra and not a strapless. Somehow when I widened the front, and consequently the straps as well in the same amount, it created a different neckline than the original pattern, which I like better. The points at the top of the bodice pieces create an unintentional retro look. I swear I did my math right; I have no idea how it happened!

I also need to tack down the surplice, it’ll make the top more smooth looking than in the pictures and prevent it from gaping open slightly.

2) The Straps

Because I widened the front pieces, I had to widen the straps as well. I’m glad I did so since I can wear my normal bras with the dress and not worry about an strappage peeking out. If I really wanted to, I could have made lingerie straps to secure my bra straps in place. Of course, I was too lazy to do so.

3) The Back

I’ve never had this happen before: the back piece was almost two sizes too large. Like I said, it’s always the front that is an issue to fit, not the back. Solution? I cut an 8, instead of a 10, for the back piece. Plus, I had to grade it in slightly as I got to the waist seam where the skirt joins the bodice. But after I did so, it fit perfectly.

4) The Zipper

A side zipper – yikes. I’d never put one in before until this dress and wasn’t a fan of the fact that it was a standard zipper the pattern called for, not an invisible zipper. Side zippers seem to be really popular now on RTW dresses since they’re hidden in the side seam and don’t destroy the continuity of a pattern’s design; it’s a hidden construction element. I disregarded the instructions for the regular zipper and assembled the front and back skirt and bodice pieces to each other, installed the invisible zipper, and then sewed the side seams. I also made sure that the zipper stop went all the way to the top of the side seam so I wouldn’t have to sew a hook and eye (dislike), and tacked down the facing in the inside to the side seams.

So summer is coming to an end, I’ve already started thinking about my fall sewing wish list, and I probably won’t look at this pattern again until next year. I can definitely see myself making this pattern again, either as a maxi dress or as a cute tunic top. Once I got the fit down, this was a breeze to sew.

(Pictures are at Ogunquit Beach in Ogunquit, ME)