Hello Lovelies! Long time~no blog. It’s been busier than usual round here with unexpected projects that didn’t include sewing. (Meeeh!) Some are resolved, some are on-going, but they haven’t stopped my thinking about wardrobe . . .
That’s what I was thinking about when I strayed into my all-too-local fabric store. You know what’s coming . . .
On the left are two 100% cottons that feel almost like lawn – wonderfully light and silky even though they were new bolts in the quilting section. (Gasp!)
Originally I was just looking for something to make a couple pairs of sleep shorts to go with 2 oversized tees I use as sleep shirts. But the fabrics are so soft I can’t stop thinking about other possibilities . . . . . .
The red rayon on the right (how’s that for alliteration? 🤣) looks to have been maturing in situ, waiting for me to grab the last 4 yards on the bolt. It washed beautifully and has a very luscious feel.
I’m thinking loose slouchy trousers & a top – maybe the Amalfi (by Masin). Has anybody made it? I’ve looked through IG but there’s not much about it, although there are lots of nice piccies.
If the universe will get off my back so I can sew!
Several months ago I ordered a pattern from Grainline in Chicago because I wanted an up-to-date, very basic top/dress pattern for some fabric I’d bought at a local crafts resale shop. I was so impressed with Grainline’s efficiency in shipping and the care they’d used that I took a photo.
You can imagine my surprise last week when I received two patterns ordered from the Big5 pattern conglomerate. They arrived a good 8 days after my ordering, and the over-sized envelope had a rip across one edge and down the back large enough for the patterns to fall out. I doubt I’ll be eager to order from them again.
So, did the patterns fall out? No, and they’re below.
On another front, SewOver50 (on Instagram) isn’t the only group interested in ageism. Here’s an article quoting the World Health Organization:
“… ageism [is] the most widespread form of discrimination in the world ,,, it is even more implicit and hence unchallenged than sexism or racism.”
My apologies in advance if you can’t access this as it’s a good ‘un. But that’s the state of online news these days.
Check out the dramatic mailing envelope this vendor uses!
What else would you expect from a lovely sewist named Raven Maureen?! Her dramatic packaging continues with a black ribbon-closured mesh bag for the pattern weights, and an attractive Thank You card.
I’m delighted to have snagged some of the last of this special edition Hallowe’en design. Hallowe’en is always a special holiday for me because it signals Autumn and cooler/cold weather is officially here. (Plus the seasonal colors are my most favored.)
Each one of these pattern weights is handmade and no two are alike. I love the dramatic colors!
There’s no better way to delight my eye and remind me of the season whenever I use these pattern weights. Huge Thank You’s to Raven Maureen for creating a very special treat. I love ’em!
Pssst! If you’d like to see what other goodies she has in her Etsy shop, it’s right here. Shipping was quick and I’m a very satisfied customer!
Raven also has her own YouTube channel and blog, both of which I enjoy very much. Speaking of them reminds me – there should be another happy mail delivery any day now …
Crochet ‘s been the main focus this week, although a couple of happy packages did arrive. They need to be washed, PDF patterns sorted – the usual details.
Plymouth Encore Worsted #451, Green Gremlin, 75% poly, 25% wool.
Meanwhile, I’ve tapestry needle in hand joining the two sections of my shawl. Two sections? Considering past experience, I was leery of managing a wide expanse of a new-to-moi stitch.
Roaming around a yarn shop last week I kept thinking I wanted a red hat for next winter, but a tomato red, not crimson.
Adobe is my color-range, so when I spotted the last two skeins of a superwash wool, they jumped into my basket.
Why Red? The last couple of months there’s been a Germany-based Red Dress campaign over on IG. Think of it as a metaphor to encourage older women to do or wear “their red” to become more visible in today’s world.
Possibly you’ve also heard of the #SewOver50 tag on IG. Red Dress, or rotesKleid in German, is greatly supported by #SewOver50.
The idea has been catching on all over. Eventually yours truly saw it, and having explored it a bit, decided to share some English links with you Lovely Readers.
What’s with all the red?
This is the German website for the Festival that runs through 31 May. There are already two magazines available in German & English on the site. Just scroll down to find them. The mags have articles from specialists that I’ve found very thought-provoking.
RotesKleid has also been mentioned on a Sew Organized Style podcast. That’s a series of 20-min. English interviews with sewists from around the world, hosted by Aussie sewist Maria (Velosews). Maria also interviews members of the SewOver50 community.
One of the founders of rotesKleid is Lindy of Stokx Patterns. She’s an Australian in Berlin that I heard on this podcast, and have become a fan of her PDF patterns (here).
I hope you’ll take a few minutes to explore & click a link or two. If you do, please feel free to share your thoughts. Meanwhile, think RED!
Thanks to a friend, I’ve been watching the many fabrics carried by a quilting company, Hawthorne Supply Co. , plus I’ve a new-to-me pattern company to share.
Sometime last year Hawthorne started offering different fabrics instead of just quilting cottons. When I discovered they stocked a couple of solids in french (French?) terry, which I’d never tried, I was hoping they might make cozy late winter trousers. So . . . .
I washed the terry (on the right), which is lighter weight than I’d hoped. But not having seen or felt a French terry, I can’t judge. It does have good stretch for trousers, but I’m now thinking of a longish skirt instead.
The scissors fabric was labeled as a medium weight knit, but again, there’s no other indication of weight, and I haven’t laundered it yet.
Both selvedges are almost 2.5″ each, but the print itself is the full 58″ I’d ordered.
Overall, I’m pleased with the colors, and have revised my plan: This’ll be a late Spring/Summer/Early Autumn outfit instead of Winter.
Such is life in the Age of Online, eh? 🤪 Moving on, am thinking about red. . . . . . he-he-hee!
Here’s why – Over on IG there’s a very active international sewing group of thousands of women & men, #SewOver50, with many “challenges” to take part in, or not, as you choose. One of the challenges involves wearing red….
If you’re interested (and maybe not using IG) below are several online locations where you can get more information.
Australian pattern maker Lindy, of Stokx Patterns, who lives & works in Berlin, seems to be taking the lead with RED, and she’s working closely with the folks at #SewOver50, on IG. Check out Lindy’s website for some unique patterns, and see her blog for more about RED. She wrote~
“On a serious note it is about being visible and being worthy. This is just a safe space to step out of your comfort zone. It is also a very great reason to have a sewalong.
Please feel invited.
There is no pressure,
You don´t even have to make a red dress… just something a little bit braver than usual.
Even then, if you don´t have time you can still like, share and cheer on from the side lines.”
Roteskleid (Means Red Dress in German, but there’s also English text).
I discovered both whilst listening to a podcast from SewOrganisedSyle‘s Maria Theoharous, an Australian. Scroll down the linked page. There are two podcasts of approx. 20 min. each & they explain more. Below them you’ll see the RED announcement. And in case you’re interested…
Lindy has some great patterns on her web site… I’m hoping to get to the top version of The Hacker Dress soon. 🤞🤞
Looking at previous posts it’s really been busy weeks around here, but not quite the busy that equates to lots of blog posts, if you know what I mean.
I’ve managed to get 4 pattern PDFs sent off & returned on A0-sized paper, and the one with the most pieces is now cut out. I’m so fortunate to be able to do it this way, but I really admire all the sewists around the world who don’t have a choice.
Rather than write about sewing plans, here’s a wee update on what’s actually happening – which is crocheting. It’s crocheting, because it requires little prep & takes up minimal space. I can grab it for 10 minutes & put it down for 3 days. Plus I can listen to an audio book on Libby whilst doing it. And this stitch pattern is sooo relaxing!
Yes, this is a lighter green than in photo below. I’ve just started the second skein, & currently the piece is 24in/61cm long & growing.
Some History — I’d been looking for another crochet project and thought a soft, warm shawl would be a good thing to have. But before I could get onto Ravelry, my three sisters & I had a Zoom convo.
Talking about current projects, I mentioned looking for a shawl pattern. Sis3 mentioned a crocheter on YouTube she really likes. I got his (yeah! men crochet too!) URL and am just as enthusiastic as she. Check out his Easy Fall Scarf for Beginners.
Yes, I know a scarf is not as wide as a shawl. I have plans . . . 😉
Yes, the current green is lighter than the darker green here, but yarn is the same Plymouth Encore, 75% acrylic/25% wool & washable! My gold ski cap is the same yarn.
After a friend found my real sewing machine in the bottom box in the farthest corner of storage, I’m contemplating sewing clothes again! Maybe even those two tops I cut out in September, when I discovered the used machine I’d hoped would like knits didn’t.
That was so discouraging I gave up thinking about sewing, which was almost easy because there have been other irons in the fire which I’ll reveal later. Besides, as every sewist knows, once the stars & the right machine are in place – we’re back in business!
Time to gather up the PDF patterns purchased before the move, see if PDFPlotting had changed, and send down an order for printing. As you can see, they’re just back yesterday . . .
With almost a whole ball of yarn left over from my ski cap, I decided to make a little neck warmer – something I use quite frequently when whatever top I’m wearing doesn’t have a collar.
(Note to self: Next fleecy top needs to have a collar. Maybe another LB Pullover? There’s that long piece of navy fleece I currently use to keep my legs warm. Hmmm .. . . ..)
Meanwhile, cogitations on a wee scarf . . .
Maybe a solid single crochet stitch… naw, too stiff.
The Fashion History Museum‘s monthly newsletter landed in my In-Box this morning and first item of business was announcing today is National Tartan Day. As Wiki has it,
“Tartan Day is a North American celebration of Scottish heritage on 6 April, the date on which the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320. It originated in Canada in the mid-1980s. It spread to other communities of the Scottish diaspora in the 1990s. In Australia, a similar International Tartan Day is held on 1 July, the anniversary of the repeal of the 1747 Act of Proscription that banned the wearing of tartan.”
Thought I’d pass that along in case anyone has some tartan in their closet. 😉 But if not . . . . .
You may have already seen this on other social media sites, but if not, check out Great Scot, the company that’s made a new plaid in honor of Ukraine, and is busy weaving more yardage for all the orders they’re getting. From their home page:
They’re a lovely smallish museum housed in an old post office building, and have some interesting things to exhibit. (Ever heard of bead strings? 😲 Me neither. Imagine all those antique beeeeads. . . .)
Today’s addition to their YouTube collection gave me several new ideas for some of my own pieces – more repair/recycle/up-cycle! All I need is time to get to them all! If you’re curious, look for the 38 minute interview with Carol Campbell.
Psss . . . . . just in case you’re wondering about that pile of giant paper. It’s been reduced to 5 neat piles of pattern pieces, scraps tossed, and planning begun. 😅
Yes, I know there are only 4 piles. The 5th got cut out after this piccie. Reeeally!
I decided to hoover my mattress the other day. No forethought. No reason.
“Hoovering” is a British term for vacuuming, but I’m claiming it’s kosher for me, too, because I own one.
It came with a miniature suction roller attachment. They claim it’s for hoovering up pet hair or soft furnishings. (No, it’s not recommended for use on pets, even if some owners are tempted.)
I spent most of the day washing bed linens, putting pillows in the dryer to refresh them, just getting on with it and never changing out of my jammies.
(Don’cha love those days when you give yourself permission to just do the work and not worry about getting dressed ?)
Mind, I did do all the crockery washing up, proper morning ablutions and such, but I sooooo wished I could ‘a been pegging out in the sunshine and fresh air. Ahhhh . . . . .
About mid-afternoon the thought came that I was getting on with something I’ve been wanting to do for ages, and I should be a happy chapess. 😳 What might encourage the feeling?
Comfy is still the vibe I’d be going for, so I settled down for a very late clean-out-the-fridge lunch with The Sisters.
(They’re really partners who started a sewing business together, and both also have teens and hubbies — none of which applies to moi. But working from home is working from home, and so is comfort! (Plus, their choices aren’t so laid back you’d be under suspicion if you risked a quick trip for take-out.)
Plus — and this is a BIG plus — I got several great ideas for easy crochet patterns for Autumn/Winter, and now have a great free sweater pattern to find yarn for: The Habitat Cardi by Make Do & Crew. (Note to self: Check pattern directions & Ravelry reviews first — would I reeeally make it? Yeeees!)
I had no idea Agatha Raisin (on telly) had continued over in Blighty, and their fourth season is in the works now. 😱 😱 😱
Where have I BEEN????
Not checking BBC, that’s for sure. As I type, series 2 is winging it’s way to me and I plan a bit of binging as soon as it hits my mail box.
Have been test-wearing my Autumn tablecloth top but cannot decide if I’d be comfortable wearing it out. It’s shorter than my usual well-below-waist length.
That’s very cooling inside, and should make it ideal for outside. . . except I keep thinking that if air can flow in freely…… so can 🦟 🦟🦟
I almost never use a feature image, but as this is a hol that I had a photo for, and the rest of this is about my LB Pullover test wearing, it seemed appropriate. Not getting fancy, mind, just making do.
Back story: Back last winter, when I was waiting for a load of fleece from Vogue Fabrics to arrive, I downloaded a copy of the Talvikki Sweater pattern by Named. But when the fleece arrived and I had it in hand, I realised there might be some problems with that neckline and my thick fleece. (There’s fleece and there’s thick fleece – I had the latter, which is great for damp, cold weather.) So I messaged someone I knew had made several Talvikki’s: Anne, of Compulsive Seamstress.
Anne suggested the LB Pullover instead, noting it could also be used with woven fabrics. After doing a bit more reading up on it, I was taping the pages together. (Incidentally, she makes the case for making multiples of any pattern you like – so why do we feel guilty when we do?!)
Here’s the front . . .
Friday was a chilly day so I test wore this second iteration to see how it worked in real life. As usual when I’m test wearing a make, I did not finish the sleeves or the hem. In addition, I’d left one side open about 4 inches for a vent. (I forgot when sewing the first side seam, and didn’t want to get out the seam ripper. 🙄 There will be a single vent in this version. )
I’d wanted to try cutting the sleeves with the most stretch going around the arm rather than running the length of the arm, but as this was a relatively small remnant I didn’t have that option. Rest assured, there’s a third version in the planning stage, and that one has enough fabric. Maybe I’d better make a little note . . . . . . .
My other question was using two different weight knit fabrics (the orange being slightly weightier). Would they play nicely together, or start fighting from the get-go? Seaming the sides, from wrist through under-arm and down to the waist was a good test. So far, both are doing okay, with not much detectable – as in wavy seams, missing stitches, and so forth. (Will be back with a single fabric for the next version.)
I did notice, when looking in the bathroom mirror, the sizing on this version – although the same as the first fleece version – looks about 2 sizes too big on both sides. While wearing I didn’t notice any problems. Except I got the dreaded purpley side facing wrong way round when I first pulled it on. 🙈
And the back – where I don’t have to see it – hehehee!
My non-stretchy-for-the-washing-up wrist problem with the first fleece version continues with this, but I’m not beating m’self up over it. Needs must, or not enough fabric in this case.
This is a quick pattern to cut and sew up, provided you don’t misread directions, as I did with this version.
Attaching the neck facing is done a bit differently than I’m used to and I managed to make it a multi-step process, with many trimmings necessary, as well as a real fudgey bit. BIG note on the PDF instructions page to remind myself not to do that again.
But really, we can finish off necks and arms and waists any d##* way we choose these days. It’s called freedom. And we sewists, or people who sew, are free to do it any way we choose!
One facet of this pattern is you can also use woven fabric for it. And that’s something I’m also going to be trying. We’ve already had days in the 80’s, and it’s only a matter of time before those higher numbers become “normal.”
And I run screaming into the AC and dig out all my cotton lawn and light-weight challis . . . . . 🥵
Curls n Skirls 
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