Her Pretty Ways Cropped Hoodie

Originally posted on The Sew Weekly for the "On Trend: Summer" Challenge here.

I'm not mad; just smirking.

I really, really wanted to participate again in June for the SewWeekly challenges, but my first skirt idea using some stashed wild floral fabric fell flat when I didn't have enough yardage to do what I wanted. Drats. So, then I went rummaging through my patterns, and was reminded of this downloadable freebie from YSR (your style rocks.com) that I had come across a while ago when searching for a hoodie pattern. This pattern happens to be a cropped hoodie. Yes! Cropped is in! Once that decision was made, it all came together. I'd had this pale yellow t-shirt from my grad school days that I tried to tailor, but at that point, I still wasn't confident with knits...

So, I hit the books and researched knits and elastic fabric, and lo-and-behold my "stretch" needle came back out! The stash grey stuff is an interlocked knit (a thin drapey double-knit) and the t-shirt is knit jersey.

The Factoidals

⁃ Fabric: grey interlock knit (Ribas y Casals), and an ol' yellow RISD t-shirt
⁃ Pattern: Our Own Pretty Ways - Style A (free w/registration on YSR)
⁃ Year: contemporary
⁃ Notions: snaps, fusible interfacing, some elastic
⁃ Time to complete: 4 hours
⁃ First worn: this week
⁃ Wear again? Yes!
⁃ Total price: about 8 EUR (for the grey knit)

Modifications to the pattern...

I didn't have a ribbed band for the bottom edge, so I just used t-shirt. I used 2 colors for the hood grey/yellow. I omitted the drawstring - my eyelet/grommet maker was malfunctioning and wrecking the fabric so I passed for now. Instead of hook and eye closures I used snaps. The sleeves were a bit droopy for me, but I'll live with it. I tried applying an elastic band w/contrasting yellow, but it just wasn't working. The shape + fabric just isn't meant to be gathered...at least not yet by me and my handy-dandy skillz. :D

I do feel that knit fabric is way more forgiving than I expected it to be. I'm really pleased with the results!

New Pattern: Stripey Legwarmers

DIY knitting pattern for striped legwarmers...

If you love stripes, and you love to dance, then these legwarmers are perfect!  I modeled this design after my favorite pair of legwarmers completely unraveled.  Now you can make your own, and sizes are available for kids/teens, too!

If you're interested in knitting them yourself, the first 75 people to download the pattern and use the Ravelry code: LWFREE01 get it free!  Afterward, it's only $2!

Thank you to my test knitters, and my friend Ines who modeled her pair for the photos!

Loco for Logos

Here are two logos I developed in the last six months...

For Julia of J.Riede Just Knitting...

For Vivienne of Food Flurries...

And an oldie, but a goodie - a commission from Samantha...

Up-cycled Sorbetto Top

 Originally posted on the Sew Weekly for the Vacation/Summer Holiday Challenge.

Finally, my sewing machine and fabric are out of their boxes!  Here’s my super-satisfying-to-make Sorbetto top.

The Facts
⁃ Fabric: upcycled rayon skirt
⁃ Pattern: Sorbetto (free here!)
⁃ Year: 2006?
⁃ Notions: DIY bias tape made from swiss dot batiste scraps
⁃ Time to complete: 4 hours (the tape making took most of this time)
⁃ First worn: this week
⁃ Wear again? yes, with lots of care (see below)
⁃ Total price: 0!  freeee

This little Sorbetto top came to be after a friend of mine gave me a skirt she had tossed into the wash and came out like this:

Oops.
So, I knew this rayon fabric had an unraveling issue.  I dug into Claire Schaeffer’s book on fabric and learned that rayon does unravel easily. Check.  Rayon likes to be zig-zag or overlocked… this skirt was overlocked so I have my doubts, but I also learned that the stretchy needle I bought was going to be put to good use!

Because I had limited fabric, I removed the front pleat of the pattern.  Other from that, and using bias binding at the hem, I followed the pattern exactly.  I made a size 2 and there’s a lot of room.  The rayon has a bit of elasticity to it as well.  I just felt a bit of pressure when I was making it, that every puncture from the needle would start the unraveling.  So, I’ll wear/wash as gingerly as I can.  Also, swiss dot doesn't make very good bias-tape.  Every "dot" jigs the presser foot so if you do dare to use it as your bias-tape maybe a walking foot is in order to keep it from straying...
I wanted to interject here, that I’ve been away for a bit because I’ve moved countries!  I’m back in Germany after my short stint in the Netherlands.  Oh, Amsterdam, I will miss your fabric markets. :(
Sniffle sniffle.  Seriously, though, my seasonal allergies have really kicked into high-gear.

endless sniffling

All in all, easy peasy top.  And, I do recommend this as a summer project because it’s light, airy, and perfect for your next holiday or wherever you might be setting your next picnic!

Block of the Month: June

This month's blocks were very straightforward.  I used some of that Tula Pink Prince Charming fat quarter fabric bundle I acquired earlier this year.  Seeing that my current blocks were missing a little pink, I went with some of the pinky tones from the collection.  Luckily, the fat quarters were at the top of a container so I was able to dig them out easily!

the mess, my studio

I think the June blocks are pretty cheery, and a great way for me to get back into sewing.  What a crazy month it's been...

Block 1 - Greek Cross

Block 2 - Octagon

 

I love the detail on this fabric.  The little bee logo that Tula Pink uses is too cute!

Updates: Knit & Garden

Photo update...
My SnB de Pijp Group made this wonderful hexi-puff seat cushion (or could-be future quilt) as a parting gift.  Thank you SnB de Pijp!!

The garden had it's first blooms and first losses.  I used the wrong kind of soil for the anemones which succumbed to rot. :(  But, the Oxalis are going strong as ever!

Growing, Going, Gone...

We moved.
Again.
And, I made a promise to myself that wherever we went next, I'd have a garden. I knew that the next place had a great balcony.  So as soon as I arrived at our new apartment, I planted all my bulbs from Albert Heijn (a grocery store in Amsterdam) into my lovely flower boxes from Blokker (a sort of catch-all shop also in the Netherlands).  The thing is, I wasn't expecting results so quickly! My sewing machine and illustration supplies aren't even unpacked yet, but these buds wait for no one!

The first ones up are...
Oxalis "Iron Cross"

And the teensy tiny tips of Triteleia are just making their way up...