FO: Hortencia Cardigan

One nice perk of having all this Covid-19 craziness has been all the very generous free offers by various designers and artists out there. One of them was that Andi Satterlund (I've knit many of her patterns over the years) generously offered one pattern of your choice for free. I love her vintage aesthetic of her patterns, which is why I've knit so many. This freebie happened at the perfect time because I had suddenly developed a love for the Hortencia pattern, which I really didn't care much for when it was released. Funny how our tastes change, isn't it? I had contemplated grabbing this pattern a few times, but I just have so many patterns that I couldn't justify buying another that I wasn't necessarily going to knit up any time soon, you know? So when Andi put up the freebie code, I knew exactly what I wanted to get with it :) And I was ready for a simple knitting project AND I had yarn on hand to make it with. So this project was just meant to be. I officially started knitting this on March 27th, and even with not devoting a ton of time to knitting I managed to finish it by April 15th.

I checked through my whole stash on Ravelry (holy cow, I love the stash feature - seriously you should look into it), and I came across 5 skeins of Cascade Avalon in the Pirate Black colorway. Avalon is a 50/50 cotton and acrylic blend, so it makes for a sweater that is warm enough for air conditioning but not heavy like wool and too warm for Florida. I bought this yarn for crazy cheap in a Craftsy sale back in 2016 thinking that "black" meant black. My monitor showed it as closer to black black, maybe slightly lighter, and I know I had it flagged for a certain sweater pattern (can't remember what now); but when the yarn arrived it was very much not black. The yarn is a charcoal gray color, which is nice and all, but at the time it was just not what I had expected so I wasn't super happy with it. So this yarn sat for 4 years with no project in mind for it, making it perfect for this sweater :) And it turned out that I had the exact amount I needed - meaning "I had to unravel about half of my gauge swatch to finish this" exact amount. Kismet!

One thing I have noticed about Andi's patterns over the many years of knitting them up is that the shoulders always end up too wide on me. Given that I've lost weight and my other sweaters are all too big, I went down to a size Medium for this project. Even with that, the shoulders are still too wide on me. For this style, I think it looks fine, like a design choice, but I think next time I make up one of Andi's patterns I will have to figure out the alterations to narrow the shoulders. 

The real feature of this design is the shawl collar. The entire sweater is stockinette stitch, then the collar is garter stitch, which normally I'm not a huge fan of but I really like the contrast in texture on this sweater. She has a clever short row construction for the collar and it helps it lay nicely. Having said that, the pattern does recommend tacking the collar down to keep it in the right position, which I didn't do yet, but having worn this a few times and having to adjust the collar a lot I known I will be doing that sometime soon.

Interestingly (for me), I actually had no idea what buttons I would use, lol. This was such a quickly envisioned project that I never even thought about my buttons. Even after I finished the knitting, it was over a week before I started looking through my button stash to pick some buttons. The funny thing is that I went with the first option that I picked up - I didn't even dig further in my stash! That is pretty unheard of for me.

I have an entire vial of these buttons in 2 sizes that I grabbed at The Sewing Studio in one of their Annex sales. They are gray and have a slightly iridescent lined design. They looked good + I was in the mood to finish + I was already taking blog photos of my other makes, so I decided to just sew these buttons one and get the pics and call it done, lol. I'm glad I did because now I can wear this when I'm chilly at work.

So that's my Hortencia cardigan :) I really love the finished sweater. I think it will be great over dresses and high waisted skirts (once I make some that fit me). I like the style and color and cotton yarn. So yay for a quick and satisfying project!

Summary:
Yarn: 5 skeins of Cascade Avalon in Pirate Black - $13.90
Pattern: Hortencia by Andi Satterlund - Free (Thank you, Andi!)
Notions: 2 buttons - $0.10
Time: 3 weeks
Total Cost: $ 14.00

Free Pie Making Craftsy Class! (Today Only)

In honor of the lovely Gesine Bullock-Prado being on the Today Show earlier today, Craftsy is offering up her class Pies & Tarts for Every Season completely free! How awesome is that? I wanted to make sure everyone knew and had a chance to snag this great deal (since the class is usually $39.99). I've watched her puff pastry class, and I can personally vouch that she is a great teacher. This offer is good today only (June 28th, 2017), so hurry and grab the class for yourself!

Click here to get your free class :)


(Affiliate links included in post)

Christmas FO: The Pierced Eyebrow of the Republican Party

Oh my gosh you guys - I lied! I'm sorry, lol. I forgot one of the gifts that I made this year. I swear this is the last one though, so don't worry. Though I can completely see why I forgot about this gift...

My husband made a passing comment back in December that he would like to try wearing bow ties. I already had other things planned for his gift, but I thought that a few handmade bow ties wouldn't be too much trouble. I had him look through my stash with me and pick a few fabrics that he would like to wear. I made no promises as to when the ties would materialize, I just knew what to make them out of and what his taste would be. I ended up making them that same weekend. I searched pinterest for a pattern and came across See Kate Sew's free bow tie pattern. You just print it out and tape all 2 pages together, cut out your ties, interface one side, sew around the edge, flip it right side out, sew the hole shut and press. Super easy. 

Confession: I learned how to tie a bow tie just to take these photos, lol. I now understand why stores usually only have them in slick fabrics - these were not easy to tie! All of these fabrics were thrifted :) The stripes (my favorite) is a cotton seersucker, the check is a poly rayon of some kind, and the blue tiny checks is a thick 70s polyester. That thick polyester one was near impossible to tie. Maybe it will just take some practice. For the David Sedaris fans among you, the title of the post comes from one of his stories about when he decided to wear bow ties. It was so spot on that I always think of that phrase when I see a bow tie, lol.

Those are all the photos I have of these, and I know I won't be getting any modeled shots. Sadly my husband and I are separating. It's a pretty crappy time, and I'm not looking for sympathy by posting about it here, I've just been meaning to say something about it for a while and didn't know how to begin. My life has become incredibly crazy, filled with unfortunate tasks like sorting through old junk and divvying things, cleaning and repairing things around the house to prepare it for sale, gathering things for a yard sale, trying to sell things online, etc. Lots to do. I will say that I am fine with it all - it's my decision and I know it is justified so I will leave it there for now. That does make it easier to summon the motivation to do all these annoying tasks though. I will still be posting projects, but definitely with less frequency as I sort everything out. I guess now you can see why I forgot about making these bow ties though.

So that's OFFICIALLY the last Christmas gift I made this past year and normal projects will commence soon. If you find yourself needing a bow tie pattern, I would absolutely recommend this one. It was easy and free - can't really beat that! It also comes several sizes, so it's sure to fit the bill. Thanks for hanging in there with me and giving me a little happy place to come to. I try to keep my blog upbeat to drown out the drama of real life, and it makes it so much better to know that there are real people out there who read my posts. Thanks for reading :) It means more than you can know.

WIP Wednesday: Socks For A New Year

Anyone who gets the Broadway reference in my post title - we should be friends, lol. I found myself wondering what I should make as my next project. I recently finished a cute animal (what I called me Post Christmas Gift Making Palette Cleanser, lol), and suddenly the weather actually turned slightly cool. When Craftsy announced their new Free Sock Knit Along Class, I decided it would be a great kick to finally tackle another pair of socks. I've only ever made one pair, and they didn't end up fitting great, so I never wear them. I did learn a lot though, and suddenly the thought of making socks as a social event upped the appeal. I decided to dig in my stash for some appropriate yarn.

I decided to finally use my Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Grape Gatsby that I received in a Soak gift box I bought for a steal on Craftsy a year or so ago. The yarn is 80% Superwash Merino Wool and 20% Nylon, so it is deliciously soft and springy. I held onto this for a long time because I couldn't decide if I should make socks or a shawl, but at the end of the day ... I would probably not wear an almost neon colored shawl, fun though it would be, lol. So socks it shall be!

I started knitting these last Friday night, then I had a kind of dramatic weekend where all I really wanted to do was knit ... so I did...

By Sunday evening, my sock looked like this! I can't believe how fast I knit so much up, especially since I'm not that accustomed to knitting with sock weight yarn. The pattern is the January pattern included with the class - Smocked Guernsey Socks by Lucy Neatby. I love how this yarn is working up with this pattern - the little wrapped "smocked" stitches are nice little pops of color. I've been running around all week since then, but I"m hoping I can keep up the momentum and finish these socks in time to wear them in the cool spell.

I also was thrilled to find out that my socks have been featured on Kollabora this week :) Woo hoo! If you're at all interested in knitting socks, this class would be a great way to try it out. Join me, won't you?

*Craftsy link is an affiliate link, but all opinions about the free class are my own

FO: Gertie's Cherries Rayon Sorbetto

On my recent 4th of July fabric binge I was lucky enough to get 1 yard and 4 inches of Gertie's teal rayon with cherries at Joann's on super sale. This was all that was left on the bolt and I've wished there was more ever since I purchased it. The fabric is buttery soft and drapey - just what the doctor ordered with this awful heat and humidity. Ugh, Florida summer, how I hate you. Since I had so little fabric, I knew whatever I made would have to be super simple. While looking through my patterns i pulled out Colette's free Sorbetto and when all the pieces fit I just started cutting.

The Sorbetto is the first thing I made myself back in 2012 when I started thinking I could sew clothes for myself. That poor shirt never gets worn due to bad fabric choice - quilting cotton just will not work for this one unless you don't mind looking like a box. This rayon on the other hand would drape beautifully and really make the pattern flattering. The only problem showed up when I realized that I had no idea what I was doing back when I fitted the Sorbetto, so I had to change quite a few things on the fly. Somehow I had a crazy amount of excess at the shoulder - I think I removed 3 inches total on each shoulder seam - which was a simple fix, but left the top a smidge shorter than I prefer. It's still wearable, just not 100% perfect. Ah well, you can't have everything. I just won't raise my arms ever.

I also don't really know what's going on at the sleeve. The sleeve is actually an add-on pattern piece someone other than Colette Patterns produced. The sleeve pattern only came in one size (I think it was an 8 or something like that) which was way too small for me so I had to scale the piece up way back when. I did this by eye-balling it around the edge to what I thought would be the right size. It worked on my quilting cotton version, but the sleeves were a bit long in hindsight so I shortened them to the length of a dress sleeve pattern I like. Something about the overall cut (maybe it's a grain issue?) seems to make the sleeves flip out in a weird way. Again, not a deal breaker - just not perfect. I do love the drape of the fabric though :)

Here's my fancy surprise on this shirt - it's finished with self-bias ... that I made ... out of rayon! I have to say I impressed even myself that I pulled this off. Knowing that rayon can be shifty, I started out by spray starching the area for the darts so that I could get them nice and straight. This worked like a charm! My machine was already set up with my walking foot, so I just kept that on and in combination with the spray starch it was a sure fire. I had no shifting while I sewed at all! From there, I decided to use the spray starch on the bias tape too. I received a Simplicity Bias Tape Maker from my in-laws for Christmas this past year and I am sad to say I hadn't used it until now. This machine is a boss! I'm kind of embarrassed to say it, but I've never successfully made bias tape before. I always end up cutting it wrong or burning the crap out of my fingers and have to stop. This machine made it so much easier. 

Once you cut the bias strips and get them sewn together, you just load it on the spindle and the machine does the rest. The only tricky part was threading the bias tape through the tip - rayon is not so good at this. I just sprayed the first few inches of the fabric with spray starch and threaded it through -  no problem! Beautiful! I did have to press down slightly on the little iron piece and hold the folded tape that was coming out so it didn't bunch up, but I'm pretty sure that's because I was using such a drapey fabric. I now have really pretty bias tape, and I can't wait to make more! (By the way I'm not being endorsed by Simplicity or anything, I just really love this machine and wanted to let others know about it - Amazon usually has the best price if you decide you need one!)

Obligatory mannequin shot - because everything looks better on her :) I love this print, don't you?! If I could have, I would have bought enough for a dress but they don't even have it available online. *sigh* Oh well. I'm borderline on thinking this shirt is too plain - do I have a problem? lol I can't decide. I mean, I know it's cute, but I think it could be cuter with something going on at the neck like some buttons or a trim. I haven't found anything that looks good with it yet though, so I'm open to your thoughts.

Detail shots - I used matching minty thread so it didn't take away from the awesome print, and I think that turned out nice on the hems and neck. The bottom two shots are peaks at my self-bias. Since the shirt came out a little shorter than intended, I'm glad I went with the bias since that kept just that little bit more at the hem. Also the front center is slightly shorter than the rest of the shirt, so I'll need to adjust for that next time. At least now I know how to adjust the pattern for the next go round!

Well, there you have it. A cute but simple top that's perfect for the Florida heat. I will certainly be making more shirts like this, and I have a complete obsession with rayon now. So prepare yourself!

Summary:
Fabric: 1 yard 4 inches cherry printed Gertie rayon from Joann's - $4.19
Pattern: Sorbetto by Colette Patterns - Free!
Hours: 4
Total Cost: $4.19

FO: Crazy Chevron Tee (That Is So Not Me)

This is one of those projects that starts out with good intentions, but just doesn't end up quite how you wanted. I've classified this as a borderline fail, but I'll get to that below. Here - look at this crazy shirt!

Are your retinas ok? Good. This project all started when I decided to finally try out The Tee by Cake Patterns - a free t-shirt download with kimono sleeves, V or scoop neckline, and mini pocket option. It looked like a cute but simple basic, and we all know I love a freebie. I printed the pattern out ages ago, but never got around to testing it out. I went to my knits stash and pulled out this piece of poly jersey. I bought it as a garment industry remnant at The Sewing Studio in one of their sales when I first decided to sew knits, and then it just sat there. I recall my mother even tried to talk me out of this purchase, saying it's a pretty crazy print. "No, it will look cool in the right pattern," I said, loving the neat lines and cool bordered edge. I was just so excited to find knits that weren't baby printed that I had to have it, even though this print in no way fits in with my personal style. I know this now, but I wanted to use a fabric that I wouldn't be heartbroken over if it didn't work out so I was willing to give it a try.

I've long been interested in the was Cake drafts her patterns. You measure your bust, waist, hip, and distance from shoulder to desired hem, then connect the dots to get your pattern piece. Pretty crazy, huh? I added some length since I prefer my shirts longer, but other than that I made it up just as it was printed. 

I took great care in patter matching and lining up all the chevron peaks to coincide with the pattern lines. Everything about the cutting was heavily pinned and very deliberately done, which took a ridiculous amount of time. I went whole hog into this experiment, and I think my pattern placement shows that. Truth be told, it's not a bad looking shirt on the mannequin. I made sure to use the border on the selvage as the bottom hem instead of a band, and I used the lined edge pieces of the excess fabric to cut out the neckband so it all stayed in pattern.

I did a twin needle hem on the kimono sleeves. The V neck was my first ever, and honestly isn't perfect but it's not the worst thing in the world either. I also took care to line things up at the side seams so it kept the pattern going.

This is the point where I stopped to try the shirt on and had a, "What was I thinking?!" moment. This pattern is super mod and crazy. I mean, don't get me wrong, I obviously love a bold, novelty print. I'm just not one who can pull off something this mod-looking, you know? I was wanting a loose fit tee since the weather has been so muggy and humid that I want absolutely nothing touching my skin, and in that regard this is a loose and comfy shirt. I just am not a fan of the kimono sleeve look on me. I'm not really sure why, but I feel like it makes me look more slumpy than my bad posture already does. Also, the neckline is really high on me. Like puritan high. It ended up kind of looking silly in a, "Oh, look at that poor, nerdy ten year old who's grandmother picks her clothes," and not in a good way. Maybe I just have personal issues with my late childhood years and the frumpy t-shirt and short suits of the 90s I was dress in that did my chunky kid years no favors. Anyone else have these memories? Anyway, the neckline could easily be lowered the next time around if I chose to make this again, but I double I will. Also, have I mentioned that I hate V-neck shirts on me? I really don't know what I was thinking. Well, that's a lie - I was thinking that the v-neck would best compliment the pattern of the material, which I still stand by, it's just not complimentary on me. After noticing all these things that just aligned to make me dislike this shirt, I didn't even hem it - I just left the selvage as the hem. Thank heaven knits don't unravel!

So, sadly this project seemed to be doomed from the start. I don't think the shirt is inherently bad, just not me in any way whatsoever. After all that work though, I've still kept the shirt and relegated it to my sleep ware selections. It's quite comfy :) I'd just like to clarify that none of my issues with this shirt are due to the pattern - I really love how this is drafted specially to your measurements, and if you are into kimono sleeves or want a quick but satisfying sew I would recommend giving this pattern a try :) For me though, this shirt is certainly a fail.

Summary:

Crazy Chevron Shirt:
Fabric: 1.3 yards of wildly printed mystery knit from The Sewing Studio - $4.00
Pattern: The Tee by Cake Patterns - Free - yay!
Hours: maybe 3 total
Total Cost: $4.00