Inside Out

 This make was an exercise in piecing.  I'm not sure it is an entirely successful make (not because of the piecing), but I mostly like wearing it, so I guess it is okay?  

I found some heavy cotton sweatshirt type material in what I thought was going to be a dusty pink color but turned out to be sort of a clayish pink. The reverse side, however, was a nice saturated sienna, so I decided to go with it, as the saturated side looked much better next to my face.

My original intention was a Toaster, but I changed plans after receiving the fabric and decided to try for a Coco instead, since husband really likes my blue wool Coco dress and I thought it would be nice to have another in a brighter color.  

That meant I was a bit short on the yardage, but I figured if I'd made it with the same short yardage in the wool version, I could do it with this.

I'm not really sure why it was harder to make the pieces fit on the yardage, but I had to piece the sleeves to even get to 3/4 length, and at that point, I figured I might as well piece all the way to long sleeved cuffs.  I ended up taking off the last piece to turn inside out for a contrast cuff, which I like better than my original iteration.  

I also pieced a reverse border to get the extra length I lacked.  I thought about turning the neckline to the outside for the same contrast there, but decided against it since that clay color really isn't great next to my face.  

I do kind of like the texture of the fleecy outside and smooth knit inside (which admittedly is less warm than I anticipated, but will make for a decent shoulder season piece). 

Given the hot flash issues, it was probably the right call.  I recently thrifted an oversize sweater that I think will look good with it and warm it up more.  

Legacy Stash

My husband's seamstress aunt died a few years ago, leaving behind a fair stash of fabric and notions.  (Funny story: the first time she met me, my husband and I had been dating only a few months and she immediately proclaimed that she would make my wedding dress.  It was one of those classic My Big Fat Greek Wedding moments.  In the end, however, my mother made my dress).

Anyway, when we visited one of the cousins last summer, she asked me to look through the stash and take what I wanted. A lot of it was fibers or colors that I knew I'd never use, but there was a generous yard of wool Glen plaid that I took, along with some black velvet that had been sewn into the beginnings of a teeny tiny pencil skirt. 

I'm not sure what I'll use the velvet for, but I decided to make up the Glen plaid into a simple skirt (simple being my one-trick pony).  Given that the limited yardage+plaid, it seemed best to limit seam lines for optimum pattern matching.

I used my trusty Anne Adams 9481 and left off all the waist darts and band, as well as adding back in the center back seam allowance that I had taken out the last time I graded it down.  The pockets are done in a two-part construction that I thought would look bulky in this fabric, so I took a page from the Free Range slacks and used just the back piece and stitched it to the skirt.  I hand stitched some linen bias on the pocket edge to finish it.  In retrospect, I should have extended the top edge of the pocket at least as deep as the facing, but live and learn.  

There was a bit of bemberg left from my wool skirt so I lined this one.  I faced the waistband with bemberg using the Free Range Slacks facing pattern piece.  

The elastic waistband construction uses that of the Elemental skirt.  

It looked weird to top stitch the facing, so I hand stitched it as well as the hem.  I need to steam the front again a few more times, as the fold lines have proved tricky to get out, but hopefully I'll get there in the end.

The top is another 1 yard Coco top with extended cuffs in Marsala cotton jersey knit.  I added an inch of length to the body, just to see if I'd like that better, and I'm not sure--Goldilocks again. 

It feels like it might be on the edge of hitting in an unflattering spot and perhaps my original length would have been better.  Maybe I should split the difference?  I dunno.  I realized that I need to be making a forward shoulder adjustment on tops and dresses, so will try that on future makes for a better fit.

And in the land of Penelope, I finished this sweater after knitting the yoke three times (I know, I know...) but...the sleeves fit like sausage casings and came out much too long.  I knew it was a mistake not to go up a needle size, so I'm reknitting both sleeves.  The neckline is also a bit higher and tighter than I prefer, so I'm also going to tink that back and decrease fewer stitches.  I've pretty much given up hopes of wearing it this season.  Oh well. 

Wool Gathering

The past couple of winters, I've been wearing a quartet of thrifted wool pencil skirts from Sag Harbor, probably dated from the early 1990s.  Maybe late '80s.  They fit me well, had a bit of elastic at the back waist, and were just the thing in cold weather. 

Well.  One of the skirts doesn't fit at all right (it was borderline tight to begin with and I always struggled to pair it with other things in my closet).  The other three still fit fine (although are very slim-fitting) but the polyester lining on them drives me crazy with static, so I've long thought to replace it with something less static-prone like bemberg.  Even though I generally try to make things I already have work, I found the skirts a bit uncomfortable, and decided to shelve the lining idea for the moment.  A project for another day.

 

In the meantime, however, I wanted to have at least a couple of easy skirts that were warmer than the Brussels linen or flannel or corduroy.  I found an end-of-bolt yard of Melton wool at Fabric.com that looked like a bright emerald green on the monitor, but turned out to be the most gorgeous shade of peacock teal you could ever want (even better!), and a light pink mystery wool blend in a looser weave. 

The pink wool has tweedy little flecks of teal, green, yellow, and red in the weave, so it is a lot more interesting than a plain pink would be. I decided to line it with the leftover white bemberg from my Sorrel dress, so I had to piece the lining a bit and the hem is a bit wonky, but given the simple shape of the skirt, it worked out fine.  No one sees the hem lining but me, so it doesn't matter.  Even better: I used up all but a 6" square of that bemberg!

A few things to note about making the Free Range Skirt hack in this heavier fabric (probably applies if making the pants in the heavier fabric too).  I originally sewed it all according to the packet instructions (which have you top stitch the waistband and hem), but decided I didn't like how that looked:

 

Too boxy, bulky, and puckery.  So I went back and redid the hem with lace hem tape stitched down by hand and also hand stitched the waistband facing to the skirt.  I think it looks much better that way.  The pockets I left alone.  Because I omitted the front center seam but left part of the seam allowance (just a smidge), I believe I sewed all the seams at 5/8" as directed.

The main change I made to this make was in the elastic length at the waist.  I discovered quite by accident that the elastic needs to be several inches shorter in a heavier fabric.  For my Elemental skirts, 29 1/2" with a 1/2" overlap is perfect, and that length also worked well for the Brussels linen and silky noil skirts. In this heavier fabric, 27" with no lap (just butting the edges) is perfect.  I'm also using Ban-rol elastic, which has a different sort of stretch to the hard elastics found in most sewing supply places.  For reference, my waist is around 32-33". 

 

I'm not really sure why, but shortening the elastic made a huge difference to the fit and feel of the skirt (so much so that I went back to my plaid flannel skirt and shortened the elastic there as well--much better!) 

As per my now-usual, I applied the waistband facing as directed, at a 5/8" seam allowance, and then divided the waistband and elastic into fourths, and zig-zagged into place on the seam allowance so that the gathers are evenly distributed (as opposed to inserting the elastic into a channel and sewing the ends together). 

I think what I like so much about this pattern is that it is a slim skirt (that actually feels slim to me while I'm wearing it) but it is still flattering and easy.  The pink isn't in my usual palette, at least not for a bottom weight, but I've worn it a ton, and it goes with much more of my wardrobe than I would have thought!  I love it with this teal top, and it goes nicely with my Evendoon and Stripes! sweaters (both of them!) 

The dress equilvalent of a hug

 

Lately, I've been on a Spooks kick.  I watched the whole series about 10 years ago when it was on (all 10 seasons!) but wanted to revisit it, so I restarted the whole thing sometime in November.  It was a nice (if slightly paranoid) accompaniment to my stress sewing--ha!  It was also an interesting window into world politics over the past 20 years, since the show first aired in the wake of 9/11 and dove head first into current events.  

Things I learned from Spooks:

1. No character is safe, and the show runners are usually killed off after three seasons.

2.  If a female heads up Section D in MI-5, she dies in a season.  If a guy does it, he gets three seasons, but all his female colleagues will die in some heroic and horrible way during that time.

3.  Americans are the worst allies ever.

4.  Trust no one.

5.  Harry Pearse will always have your back because he knows where all the bodies are buried (literally!)

That said, Rupert Penry-Jones lasted longer than some (almost four seasons) and I love his Adam Carter. (Although, good grief, his character went through the absolute wringer).  So I've been watching some other work he's done in more recent years.  Whitechapel is a British police procedural.  In it, he plays an Detective Inspector in London's East End who suffers from OCD.  I enjoy the interplay of his character (DCI Chandler) and the more earthy Sargent Miles, played by Phil Davis to absolute perfection.  

I also watched a recent movie of his, Getting to Know You.  It's a quirky indie that is billed as a comedy, but I wouldn't describe it as such.  It's more complex than that.  I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, given the premise and the reviews.  The plot is a bit thin, but I really loved the texture and nuance that Penry-Jones and Natasha Little brought to the script.  And the ending was perfection.  

Moving on to the sewing portion of our program, I made a dress earlier this week.  The end.  

Just kidding. 

Shortly before Thanksgiving, Peggy at Sew House Seven had a sale that included fabric, and I couldn't resist the wool-cotton blend knit fabric that she used to make a Toaster sweater.  I bought a yard and a half, intending to make a Coco top from it, but when it arrived, I wondered if I couldn't get a whole Coco dress out of it.  

 

Turns out I could!  I had to go with 3/4 length sleeves, trim the sweep very slightly, and only add 2" of length (3" would have been better, but this is fine with heavy tights), but I squeaked it out!  I might go back and add extra long cuffs to make long sleeves, as I've had good luck with that mod on some Coco tops this week (pics to come). 

 

 

I made a size 4, which seems to be the right size for me overall, and sewed the shoulders and sleeve heads at 5/8" seam allowance as written, but made the sleeve/side seams 3/8" to give it some extra ease. 

I did simple turned hems on the neckline, cuffs, and hem, and like that very much.  The stitches really disappear into this thick fabric.

I'm struggling a bit with my body right now, feeling like a stranger in my skin.  I suppose it is my Nativity Fast podvig or something, but it is discouraging. 

The hives from the mask have turned into eczema, so I'm scratching everything from the neck up constantly and taking high doses of antihistamines and steroid cream.  Oy.  Still worth the trip to see my family, though, and I'd do it again tomorrow if I could.  Preferably with this dress in my suitcase.  

But this dress is so comfortable and soft and warm and such a nice addition to my cool weather closet.  Like adding a hug into my wardrobe somehow.  (And crucially, my husband loves it, so there's that).

*My dad is back in hospital following a post-bronchoscopy infection ahead of his third chemo treatment at Mayo.  The chemo has been pushed to next week.  He's stable on oxygen, although very tired from all the coughing. His latest scans are encouraging, however, and we continue to live in hope and prayer.  

Fun with flannel

The weather has well and truly turned this week, and I am a happy camper.  It got to the point where I was wondering if my knitting was even worth the effort, since I probably wasn't going to be able to wear any of it anyway.  

 

I think we can all agree that hot weather makes me a totally irrational.  

 

Every autumn, the summer temps hold on a little bit longer and I have a freak out about the continuing heat.  I need to make a note to remind myself in mid-September that it does get colder eventually and I just need to calm down. 

 

My Mackworth sweater is so close to being finished I can taste it.  I have been working on another knitting project with a soft deadline, but have set it aside temporarily so I can just get the sweater done already and wear it while the wearing is good.  Doesn't hurt that I just finished a flannel dress that I think will look smashing with it.  Pics to come.

But as long as we are talking about flannel and cold weather, I figured I should show my new flannel skirt!  Robert Kaufman's Mammoth flannel line is wonderful, and I have had several great dresses out of it, plus a few good skirts from the Shetland line. 

I was sort of craving another flannel skirt from the Mammoth, so I went through all the choices and picked the junior check pattern in a palette of aquas and light greens.  I thought it went the best with my wardrobe.

 

Given the daunting prospect of plaid matching, I decided to stick with a pattern that had very few seam lines, and adapted the bottom of half of the M7353 for a skirt, along the lines of the Purple Violet Squish skirt hack from earlier this fall.  The pattern is drafted for a knit, and although I've made the dress out of a woven several times, the inseam pocket installation is a bit of a squeeze on the 3/8" seam allowance.  

The pocket is additionally anchored into the waistband and sewn down a few inches from the waistband, so it can be a pain to get it smooth.  I added about 1/2" on both side seams to make the pocket installation easier, and that worked out great. 

 

 

I'm definitely living the elastic waistband life, but I somehow can't find it in me to feel too bad about it.  I think I've mostly found ways to style it well.  (She says hoping that she's not just deluding herself).  I'm reminded that 18th century petticoat skirts were almost as adjustable as elastic, and no one was making boo or baa about it then, so I probably don't need to now.   

It's interesting to me that one of the byproducts of industrialization is a kind of rigidity in fashion that only really changes with the advent of commercially available knit fabrics in the 1960s and 1970s.  (Admittedly, they were double knit polyester, mostly, but still, a huge change from wovens).  And by rigidity, I mean in the fabric and the styles it produced.

 

As the shift gives way to modern undergarments, there is more and more constriction, less room for the body to change over time, necessitating faster consumption of clothing and styles.  I think there is more to unpack there, but I need to think about it further.

 

As I do every time I sew with plaid, I learned something new.  I did make sure to line up the lines very carefully along the sides, but it wasn't clear to me until I took photos that the pattern's gray lines are much stronger than the surround and I should have focused on lining up those instead.  Oh well, live and learn. 

I suppose if it really bugs me I can try to realign it; the skirt is slightly long anyway, so I would have the length to play around with it.  For now, however, it will do.  The inline pockets are from rayon bemberg, as I wanted to reduce bulk on the waistline.  The bemberg shows slightly when I walk, but it is dark gray, so it looks okay.

I also sewed another Coco shirt, using the rhubarb telio knit that I made a skirt from this summer.  It is a much richer shade than how it photographed--a complex deep red that isn't quite burgundy and not quite cranberry, but a saturated tone in between.  I love it.  

The fabric was purpose-bought, so I had enough fabric to make long sleeves this time, and I added an inch to the bottom, as I thought it would give me the option to tuck it in if I wished.  I sewed the side seams at 1/2" and the rest at 5/8" to give myself just a smidge more room through the torso.  I also skipped all the facings this time and did a simple turn under, which I think I prefer. 

My wardrobe is in a good groove now, and I am pretty happy with almost everything I've made this fall, so yay for that!  I'm mostly through my gargantuan sewing list, so it's time to move on to the neglected knitting projects and get ready for Thanksgiving.