Blocks

Happy Easter Ronan!!

Sundays.....

Best laid plans, sometimes get trumped, with better ones.  I thought I was going to spend the day sewing, but instead woke up with a bug to reorganize my stash.  I pulled EVERYTHING out.  Two large bags donated, everything else folded and placed neatly back in the closet.  I kept opening the closet doors just to look at it.  I made my husband look at it.  He said nice.  He never saw the BEFORE. LOL.     

 

 

Then, I tried to decide what to sew next, and my cell rang. My daughters wanted to have lunch. So instead of sewing, lunch with my girls and grandson. PERFECT.

I decided recently that I needed better lighting and mirrors in my sewing room.  Lights, I have taken care of, clip on spot lights from Home Depot.  For a mirror, I want tri fold full length mirrors. NO ONE carries them.  At least in the small town I live in.  Online they ranged from thousands to hundreds.  I really want a tri fold mirror to aid in fitting, but I will not pay that kind of money.  Then I found a you tube video of making one yourself.  Simple as mounting one full length mirror on the wall and then placing on either side, a full length mirror, attached to the wall by hinges.  Ingenious.  I told my husband and he said, you get the mirrors, I will hang them.  So now, I just need to find 3 mirrors.  Target only had 2 of every mirror they carried!!!  That is ok, I will be patient.  For a bit. 

 

 

 Stay Happy

Keep Sewing

and if you can't

enjoy whatever it is you CAN do!

Who doesn't love instant gratification.....

 

Saturday evening, four tops done.  This is my TNT knit top pattern.  The pattern is sized so that a stable double knit is perfect with a 1/4" seam allowance.  The looser the knit, the bigger the side seams I have to take.  Pretty easy.  I love the slouchy collar on Sewaholic's Renfrew, so thought I would give drafting it a go.

 

This was my muslin.  #1

 

I cut the collar as a large rectangle, the upper portion, was on the fold.  The width of the rectangle (collar) was the same width as the neck opening in my shirt.  The height of the rectangle (collar) was 6".  The side of the rectangle would be the back seam.  I then unfolded the collar, stitched the 12" long back seam together and then I had a long tube, the circumference of my neckline.  I folded it in half, right sides out, and attached to the neckline.  Then topstitched along the base of the collar.  Here is the result.  I like it, but the collar/cowl is not as drapey as I imagined it would be. 

 

My husband likes it.  (-:

 

 

Muslin #2.  I decided a trapezoid shape for the collar pattern, instead of a rectangle.  This time I made the trapezoid 12" deep, and the top of it being 1 1/2" wider than the base. The wider part of the collar (top of trapezoid) was cut on the fold and then just like the previous version, sewn into a long tube, folded rights sides out and then attached to the neckline.  It is emerald green in real life,   I did not hem it, but added a self band, way nicer than a wonky hem on this thin knit! 

 

Here is the collar / cowl extended.  Might be nice on a cold windy day!

After wearing a few hours, I felt the collar was too deep and needed to be even wider at the upper portion. So...  Muslin #3

 

This collar is also a trapezoid.  The upper width of pattern piece is 3" wider than the base. This time only 8" deep, cut on fold.  Then followed same insertion as above.  And this one is JUST RIGHT!  I love it.   

 

 

This fourth top, was actually the first one I made this weekend (my weekend started on Friday! yippee)  The collar is from Off the Cuff - Sewing Style http://off-the-cuff-style.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-split-cowl-collar-tutorial.html.

 



 

Now what next..... I need a spring jacket..... and some spring skirts....and some spring jeans.... but alas, I think I best go make dinner first. 

 

Tomorrow.... another whole day of sewing ahead of me. 

 

 

Stay Happy,

Keep Sewing,

and if you can't sew,

enjoy doing what you CAN do!

Vogue 8774 again....done.... and a TNT knit

March has been a crazy month already.  I finally finished my second pair of Vogue 8774.  Corduroy again.  Green.  My green jeans.  lol.  This corduroy has more stretch than the chocolate did, even though the fiber content claims to be the same.  So this pair has more of a saggy butt by end of day, but they are so comfortable, I can live with it.

 

Have you ever visited Off the Cuff?   http://off-the-cuff-style.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-split-cowl-collar-tutorial.html  She does some amazing work.  She recently posted a tutorial, the split cowl collar.  It is awesome and simple.  I added the collar to my TNT knit top pattern.  The top is based on a a morph of many patterns fitted to my KG2.  The collar really adds some style to a simple T shirt.  She has 3 variations in her tutorial.  I want to try them all.

 

 

Here is the collar 'unfolded'

 

And folded. 

 

Here is part of what has been keeping me so busy.  He is 5 months old today.  Being a grandma is awesome.

 

Stay Happy

Keep Sewing

and if you can't sew,

have fun, doing whatever it is you can do.