Seasonal Sewing Plan

Eucalyptus tree bark

Am I the only one feeling "Seasonal Transition Disorder"?
 ( Don't google that I just made it up)  Maybe it's just my ADD working overtime but I can't settle down to my sewing.  July went so well...and then August just fell apart, and here we are its Sept. 1st....National Sewing Month and I simply must pull it together.

I suppose it is in part due to all of the fall trends being released and a bit of Pinterest overload.  Last week though I decided I had to take control of the situation so I spent a day deciding on my fall & winter sewing line up.  Once I had a plan I was able to settle down and I am now looking forward to my sewing once again.

My fall plan is inspired by this Eucalyptus bark.  I have fond memories of eucalyptus..I can smell it in the air and hear the distinctive rustle of its leaves every time I say the word.  It reminds me of dry September days, dusty toes, playground fun and ponies....it's all good:)

I thought about joining the Fall Wardrobe Challenge at PR but I don't really need a wardrobe, mine got a fine start last year....Remember.......


My needs are:
          Ministry clothes -  Skirts, Dresses and Blouses, dressy
                                       layers - vests, sweaters,blazers
   
           Studio clothes - Jeans, cords, Henleys, T's and sweaters

I made this skirt last fall along with several other items and I simply need to add a few items to the mix.  I have enough of the skirt fabric left over to make a vest from.....

This is a Folk Wear vest made last year and I will probably use the same pattern for my vest for this year or the double breasted version is another option.

These are some stash fabrics I pulled and I found a use for the burnt orange (2nd from left) which will mix in nicely with my other dressy separates.

This is a tried and true pattern which I will make up in the burnt orange silk adding a flutter sleeve to it.

I also have some brass sequins which I will add to the hem of the sleeve and possible the hem of the blouse, or possibly scattered over the silk....


The brass sequins came from a jacket I made for my mom.  The silk dupion yardage she chose had a fairly dense covering of these lovely sequins on it.  They had to be removed from the seam allowance which produced a fine stash of them for future projects:)

This piece of linen on the far left was planned for the blouse on the right as part of last years fall sewing plan....Ah well the best laid plains will be just as suitable a year later.....right?

 



My Jalie jeans have worked out well and I think I will modify the pattern to create some straight leg corduroys.  I have some green medium wale corduroy in my stash that will be suitable for studio days.

In the evenings I can knit on this vest, which will be suitable for both the studio and the ministry:)






This is a knitting class being offered thru Craftsy which I signed up for because.... I like to knit, have not done any Fair Isle and have found knitted vests to be very useful here in WI.

I have had a love affair with this pattern for a few years, could this be the year it gets made up?........

I don't have fabric in my stash for this one and I have been trying to use all the glorious fabrics I already have but.....could I break my "no fabric buying" streak with.....
   


....this plaid from fabric.com?  



So this is the Fall plan and we will talk about winter once I have a few of these babies made up.  I do not expect to accomplish them all but if I don't have a lot to do I procrastinate and then nothing gets done...Anyone else have this issue?  

I will stop sewing fall items on Nov 30th  and sew winter items from Dec. 1st thru Feb 30th.

Do you like to plan your sewing seasonally? or just as you're inspired?

Glacial Sweater by Rock + Purl Review

This sweater by Rock + Purl has been my primary summer knitting project.  I was in desperate need of a studio sweater as my old one by Cabi had worn out.  I am thrilled that I have completed it in time for the colder weather which is already beginning to set in here.....sigh:(

I must wear a sweater in the studio throughout the fall, winter, and spring months as the studio is in our basement and the cold seeps up through the concrete making me perfectly miserable most of the time.

My requirements:  Warm!
                             Snug fitting so it does not collect pins
                             Allows some layering






 The Yarn is what the pattern called for and very reasonable.  Purchased at ColourMart on line.

It is an Extra fine Merino Wool DK 2 ply.  Super soft but it splits easily and looks rather uneven until after blocking.  I would highly recommend it for scarfs as the softness is almost cashmere like.  I had a little difficulty getting my gauge, actually having to go up a needle size which for me is very unusual ( I generally go down a size)

The sweater was a complete pleasure to knit.  No seaming because its knit from the bottom up:) I love that the sleeve detail runs up onto the shoulder by means of short rows and the shaping is flattering.

The pattern comes in a large size range from a 32" bust up to a 64+" bust which I think is awesome.

Although my gauge was correct my final measurements were different in some areas than given in the pattern.  The 2 largest areas being the bicep which was 1" smaller and the hips which were 4-3/8" smaller.  The bicep might be because I tend to knit tighter on double pointed needles and the hip measurement is due to the ribbing I think.

The sweater does button all the way down to the hip so it's not a real issue. I probably should have gone up one size though.  My bust is 36" and I chose the 3rd size (36 3/8") the next size up (38-1/4") might have been a better option.

From the back you can see how nice the shaping is.

The pattern calls for you to make the collar 7" long, but I stopped at 6" because I preferred that scale around my narrow face, but as you can see that left it a touch shy of covering the back neck seam.

I will no doubt get a lot of use out of this sweater and I look forward to seeing how the yarn holds up.

I found the pattern easy to follow and well written.  I would recommend placing markers at the beginning and end of each pattern to help keep you on track.


I started knitting at the end of May and completed it Aug 15th.  The yarn cost $45.00 for 1380 yds(what a deal)  and the pattern sells for $9.00 as a pdf download.  I purchased mine through Craftsy.com 

One UFO complete - Knitting Smartie

 Ta Da!! or Voila' whichever you prefer....me I just love that its done and I can now wear it it!

I started knitting this cardigan as part of my Fall Essentials wardrobe and previously posted about here:

Knitting Smartie post

I love the shaping on this cardigan which has darts as well as side seam shaping.

I love the vent detail and moss hem stitch at the hemline.

I love the flecks of lighter color in the yarn which helps to create more depth of color.

I love the 3/4 length sleeve.

They yarn felt wonderful in the hand but did want to split easily which made me nervous about some of the sections where I had to rip back and redo, but when finished it recovered fine, steamed and blocked well, and now I am looking forward to seeing how well it retains its shape. 

When tried on for the first time my husband gasped and said "Like it was made for you" which of course it was, but we always say it because good fit is so hard to achieve and is always greeted with great satisfaction and maybe a little pride.  He of course was not just referring to the fit but the style as well, which does really suit me:)

I would certainly recommend this pattern and will without a doubt make it up again because the style is  useful,flattering and not at all difficult to knit up.

I plan on wearing it tomorrow and will try to post pictures of the ensemble.

How is your sewing going in the New Year?

Do you have a new skill you would like to learn?

I am seriously considering sewing up a vintage garment this year....any suggestions? 

What piece of vintage/ historical costume clothing would you like to see a tutorial of?

Knitting Smartie, or Knit off the pounds.

Black Purl 1102 3rd st, Wausau WI. 

On my recent shopping trip into Wausau I managed to stop by my favorite yarn shop The Black Purl.  

My intention was to pick up a few hanks of Cascade 220 to knit myself another sweater vest for the FESA challenge. 

This I figured was an affordable alternative for my next knitting project.

  Knitting is not for the economically challenged.  

If you have not been to The Black Purl I highly recommend it.  The owner Beth is quite honestly brilliant.  Her shop is an oasis of cozy color, rich textures, and a soothing ambiance.  As usual several ladies were sitting around an old oak table in front of a sunny window knitting away while chatting with one another.

With good intentions I headed straight to where the Cascade was the last time I was in, and searched for a color that would fit in with my palette and ...well speak to me.  

The Cascade was shockingly quiet and subdued...hmmm, well while I am here lets at least look and see what new gorgeous samples Beth has been knitting up...this, I can recognize now, was my first mis-step.  Her samples are all on sale, I started trying them on(the 2nd mis-step), and then it happened, while shaking my arm out of a beautiful deep purple sweater I caught sight of this yarn by Louisa Harding

It was just the color I was looking for to fit in with my fall palette

Merletto yarn by Louisa Harding color #17 True

but not suitable for my fitted sweater vest.

I did just happen to have the directions for the Smartie sweater by Kim Hargreaves with me ( maybe this was my first mis-step...) the gauge would work, although with the texture of yarn I would forgo the window pane texture as knit in the pattern...simple enough to eliminate.

Smartie sweater by Kim Hargreaves / pattern in Rowan #19

I drove home full of recriminations...it's over an hour on a cold and blustery day.  Upon entering the house with my purchases, my wonderful husbands says " Did you find something lovely for yourself?"  

and I responded " Why...yes, yes I did....a few things"

Knitting up Smartie for Lynne Williams

I have been knitting ever since.  Here is my left front, which I started with instead of the back so I could confirm the shaping and lengths.  Chuck likes the texture that the moss stitch creates at the hem. and I love the vent detail at the princess seam and the luster of this yarn.  

Have you been distracted by the title of my post..." Knit off the pounds" ? 

 I do not mean to suggest that this sweater will make me look thinner, but I have noted a huge benefit to knitting in the evenings...I snack less, in fact not at all.  Evenings are typically my downfall where my diet is concerned, the longer I watch television the more I want to snack, but when I am knitting I am not thinking about snacking, so I now figure that my yarn is a very cost effective diet aid.  Less expensive then a trainer or diet foods, and therapy. 

 After all for the cost of 12 skeins of yarns I am lowering my stress and calorie intake. 

 That's a win, win in my book:D

To see some of Black Purls patterns go here

For my fans of vintage clothing, check out the patterns using this yarn

Have you knit anything with  Merletto?

Do you use knitting, crocheting or hand work as a diet aid?

Have you been to the Black Purl?

Do tell:)