wooly things

Kathy and I made our 7th visit to the Kentucky Wool Festival, which also happened to be its 40th anniversary! We sipped hot cider, snacked on warm donuts, listened to bluegrass music, and of course stocked up on yarn!

I finished knitting a sweater just in time to wear it to the event. It was perfect sweater weather this year! I made a Carved Pullover with Berroco Vintage DK yarn in the appropriately named colorway "Pumpkin." I made a bunch of modifications to the pattern. I just kinda winged the raglan using another similar pattern, and I used another knitter's chart to create a symmetrical mouth. I love how it turned out, and I did get several chances to wear it in October!

I have 3 more Wool Fest-related projects to share also! I loved this Kaiya Mei hat pattern from the moment I saw it. It looks like confetti! It took me a while to track down the perfect yarn with very short, random color changes. I finally found the perfect one from Deep Dyed Yarns at Wool fest in 2021 and made the hat in fall of 2022. I added a fleece band, since wool on the forehead can be a little itchy.

Unfortunately, this hat just desperately wished for freedom. It escaped and was recovered many, many times last year until one time, it just never showed back up in the lost-and-found bin at school. I only hope that it has found a new, loving home somewhere.

And so, Mae needed a new hat. An excuse to buy more yarn at Wool Fest this year! I love the stripes in this colorway called "Home Sweet Home" from Hinkston Handmade (formerly Rock and String). The hat pattern is the Top-Down Ear Flap Hat from Purl Soho. Instead of i-cord strings/tassels, I googled how to make a 6-stranded braid. It took me like, 50 tries, but I finally got it right! I added a fleece band to this one also, and it fits Mae well!

Lastly, this yarn is another Hinkston Handmade colorway called "Constellation." I think the random white speckles are just SO COOL. Kathy gifted me this a couple years ago. I finished the socks almost 2 years ago, but finally got around to photographing them! The pattern is Vanilla Socks, and I love how the heel fits.

Okay we're about half-way caught up on knit projects from the last 2 years. I still have a sweater and a handful of gifts to write about! Details for the Carved Pullover, confetti hat, striped ear-flap hat, and constellation socks on my Ravelry page.

lord of the rings baby mobile

I was so excited for Colleen and Bobby when they announced their pregnancy, but I might have been equally excited when they requested a Lord of the Rings baby mobile. I love designing baby mobiles, and this was such a fun challenge! I spent lots of time researching costumes and props, designing the characters, making templates, and choosing a color palette. My phone camera roll was just movie screenshots of LoTR characters for several weeks!

Colleen and Bobby requested Frodo, Gandalf, Gimli, Aragorn, and Legolas. I think Gimli and Legolas were my favorite pieces to create. I love their braided details, and Legolas' pointy ears are so cute.

I chose Gandalf the Grey (not the White), because of his cool hat. I was actually able to rework some of my previous designs for these pattern pieces. I modified Dumbledore's beard and the Scarecrow's hat. I did my best to copy the lettering onto the one ring, but I did make one small typo (embroidery-o?). If you happen to read Mordor Elvish, please let me know if it translates to something funny now.

Aragorn's cloak is double-sided so the red only shows from the front. I loved that detail in the movie costumes. I made the tiny ring that hangs around Frodo's neck from a real gold link from an old necklace. It was forged around an awl in my craft room instead of in the fires of Mount Doom, though.

For accessories I made Aragorn's crown, Legolas' bow, Frodo's sword "Sting" (complete with blue "glow" to warn of nearby orcs), and Gimli's axe! I assembled everything to a simple mobile arm that can be clipped to a crib or hung from a hook.

I love how it turned out, and it looks so cute in the nursery!

lane raglan rash guard

I haven't done much sewing this summer, but here's a little project I finished just in time for our trip to the beach! I made this rash guard using the Lane Raglan pattern (used previously for my taco shirt, lemon shirt, and striped hoodie. I love rash guards for protecting my shoulders from getting too much sun at the beach. Plus, I don't need any help sunscreening since my whole back is covered!

The main fabrics are nylon spandex tricot from El Centenario Fabric on Etsy. The powermesh, lining, and elastics are all left overs from the Take the Plunge swim suit I made last year. I made a size small but took in the sides a little bit more for a snug fit. I also added a shelf bra using a tutorial from Made for Mermaids. I sewed padded swim cups to the "inside" of the powermesh and lined the whole front with swim lining. My first attempt at the shelf bra was way too long and too loose, so I shortened it and reduced the elastic length by several inches. I have plenty of fabric leftover, so maybe I'll make a matching swim suit next year!

me made may 2023

I’ve just wrapped up another Me Made May! This year I committed to wearing as many of my handmade items as possible, and I managed to wear something almost every day.

Top Row (L to R): Dory Cardigan, Lane Raglan hoodie, striped raglan sweater, fade pullover, Cheyenne Tunic button down

2nd Row: Breathing Space sweater, Biscayne Blouse, Julia cardigan, Cheyenne tunic, Georgetown cardigan

3rd Row: Lark Tee, Lane raglan v-neck, Bettine top, Biscayne Blouse, sleeveless top

4th Row: Estuary Skirt, Julia cardigan, sleeveless top, City Gym Shorts, Blackwood Cardigan

5th Row: Lady Skater dress, Bettine top, Helen's Closet robe, Pussy Bow Blouse, Nittany top

A couple of items are new this May. I originally bought the yarn for this sweater (Garnstudio DROPS baby merino in colorway "grey" - it's less purple than it looks in this photo) to make a "Magnolia Bloom Light" sweater, but the gauge was just too far off. Then I started a Culswick pullover but the lace pattern was just too slow-going. I pulled that out and decided to just make a simple striped raglan sweater with some black Berroco Ultra Wool Fine yarn leftover from my Fiesta mittens. The sweater is based on the "Ink and Brass" pattern, though I've been calling mine "Ink and Iron" due to the color scheme. I didn't have quite enough black yarn to finish the stripes, so I added a few purple stripes to the end of the sleeves. They turned out to be my favorite part! The yarn is really soft, and I love the fit of this sweater. Shame I only got to wear it once before it got hot out!

I also finished sewing this Nittany Top recently. I wore it to celebrate the last day of Me Made May. It was fun to sew and I love how the pleated neckline came together. This feels like a good staple wardrobe pattern, and would look pretty sleeveless as well as with the sleeves. I bought 1.75 yd of fabric (Art Gallery tinted bloom rayon in "dusk"), which was plenty for a size 4. I made the view without the keyhole; the only modifications were shortening by 1" and using french seams at the shoulders and sides.

Lastly, I didn't actually wear this in May, but I finished it just in time for Easter. (Did you notice it in our Easter photos?) This is a Style Arc Tulip Dress in a rayon crepe and bemberg lining from Harts Fabric. I didn't expect this crepe fabric to be stretchy when I bought it, since I've never worked with crepe before. It makes the dress comfy to wear, but it sags a bit in the bodice due to the weight of the material. Fortunately, the bodice lining keeps the structure and helps hold the waistband and skirt in place. I followed the Moneta Dress instructions for assembling the bodice to the sleeves, which keeps all the seams nicely hidden inside the lining. The tulip sleeves are so cute, and I love how they match the hemline!

To combat the stretch in the seams, I reinforced the pocket edges, neckline, and zipper seam with twill tape instead of interfacing. I lined the back of the skirt also. I finally bought an invisible zipper foot and it made sewing the zipper less annoying. Win! I cut the pocket from lining only, but I made the pocket bearer with a layer of crepe and a layer of lining for extra support (and slipperiness against the skin.) The pockets actually lay flat when the dress is flat, but they stick out a bit when the dress is on my body. I'd love to see how this pattern behaves with a slightly sturdier material like a cotton sateen.

I did make a muslin for the bodice (size 8 graded to 10 at the waist), and eventually decided to just sew a straight 10 with the bodice shortened 1/2" and the hem shortened a bit too. The hem is just overlocked, turned up 3/4" and stitched with a zig-zag blind hem stitch.

Lastly, I apparenty never blogged this Sew Over It Pussy Bow blouse and Patterns for Pirates Pencil Skirt that I made for Christmas this year. The skirt didn't make an appearance in May, but the top did. The blouse is a size 10 based on 35” bust. I did all French seams and followed instructions by Cashmerette for the sleeve splits (though I think I put them in the wrong spot - inner wrist vs. outer!) I don't love the finish at the top of the bow and had to do a little hand stitching to get it to look right. Also, the sleeve caps fit kinda weird. This is my second SOI pattern and I've had sleeve issues both times!

The skirt is made from a crushed velvet that I impulse purchased (very rare for me) from JoAnn. I lined the skirt, but the lining has a tendency has a tendency to ride up and the waistband has a tendency to roll down. Still cute though!

Phew, that was a lot of new stuff I made over the last ~9 months!

flower girl

I know I already wrote about Colleen's wedding, but I really wanted to share a few of the professional photos and a bit about Mae's flower girl dress! Here's a few of my favorite pics from the photographer. Everyone looks so nice all dressed up, and I just love the colorful wildflowers bouquets so much!

My boys look so handsome escorting GranE down the aisle. I was disappointed that I forgot to take a photo of them in their matching ties (from ElenaAndChris on Etsy), so I was really happy to see that the photographer got one!

Now on to the flower girl dress. The pattern is the Caroline Party Dress (my 5th time using this pattern! (See versions 1, 2, 3, and 4.) I made a size 4T in width and a 5T in length, and I modified the bodice to eliminate the cap sleeves. Even thought I've sewn this pattern several times, it took me a while to source all my supplies and to psych myself up to begin this project. I wanted it to look great for Colleen's wedding! Fortunately, I gave myself plenty of time and had it finished well before the wedding, so it wasn't high pressure!

The dress fabric is a matte polyester satin in a color called Rose Water from JoAnn. The bodice and skirt lining is a cotton voile which I thought would feel comfier against the skin than the poly dress fabric. The star of the dress is the embroidered 3D flower mesh, which I bought from lacefabricArt on Etsy. I cut the mesh overlay as one piece so it woudln't have side seams. I removed the flowers and beads near the gathered waistband and the seam allowances at the center back. I hand-gathered the satin skirt and overlay together and pressed the gathers before attaching to the bodice to try to get them as even as possible. I left the mesh hem raw and used a horeshair braid (not actually horsehair) in the hem of the satin for a little more body. After hemming the satin, I wished I'd left it a little longer, so I hemmed the skirt lining longer than the satin to give a little more length to the dress under the mesh.

Mae looked so sweet in the dress, and she was so excited to wear it! I even made her a little matching dress for her American girl doll. I thought about making a little hair piece with some of the leftover flowers from the skirt, but the flower crown was so much cuter!!

I'm so happy for Colleen and Bobby and so glad we got to be a part of their special day!

taco tuesday

I bought this taco-print fabric on a whim after seeing the cutest baby romper on display in my local fabric store. After several years waiting patiently in my fabric stash, it’s realized its full potential as matching raglan tees for Mae and me!

Mae’s shirt is the Ellie & Mac kids raglan with slim fit and short sleeves. Mine is the Lane raglan with short sleeves and a modified neckline. I followed a tutorial from The Petite Sewist and watched a video from Hey June to create the v-neck.

Do you think Mae selected mint chip gelato just to match her shirt?

I also made a few more pairs of Acacia undies with leftover fabric scraps from these shirts, my Camas Blouse, Georgie Dress, Suki Robe, and Lark tee. Even though my current measurements put me in a size 2 or 4, these are a size 8 just like the last batch I made because I was too lazy to trace the pattern again. They fit fine with the stretchy cotton jersey (all Art Gallery Fabrics) and stretch lace from frogfeathers on Etsy.

taking the plunge

Here's another item I made for our vacation! This is the Take The Plunge swim suit by Patterns for Pirates. The swim fabric, lining, swim cups, and power mesh are all from Fabric Fairy. I made the low back with cross straps and non-ruched bottom in size small at the bust and hip graded to a medium at the waist (based on my measurements 34-28-37.) Next time I'd probably just grade from a small bust to medium at the hip and waist for simplicity.

I assembled the entire suit with the sewing machine on a 3mm zig-zag stitch. I heard some stitches popping the first few times I tried it on, so maybe I should try different stitch settings, try twin needle top stitching, or use the serger.

The only fit issue I have is with the torso length. I suspect a combination of two causes: 1) the power mesh is overly restricting the vertical stretch of the swim material in the bottoms, and 2) I am in denial about the length of my lower torso. Even though I'm only 5'2", my measurement from front waist between the legs to back waist was 27". The pattern is drafted for this "crotch length" measurement of around 25". I assumed that my measurement method was just off somewhere since I'm not used to being too "long" for any pattern, but I think this suit would be more comfortable with an extra 1" in length added to the front and back bottom pieces! As far as the power mesh issue, I think I would omit it next time. I'd prefer if the top was less "minimizing." Between the power mesh and the suit being too short, it flattens the bust just as much as it flattens the tummy!

This project was surprisingly fun! Sewing all these tiny pieces of slippery fabric and elastic was less frustrating than I expected. I'm already envisioning my next swim sewing project... maybe a rash guard and some swim bottoms? I've also seen a lot of cute animal print versions of this suit online. So many possibilities!

meadow shelby dress

I have a few handmade items to share from our recent trip! First up is the dress I wore for the rehearsal dinner. This is the Shelby Dress and Romper pattern by True Bias. The pattern includes a dress or romper in mid-thigh or mid-calf; I opted for the short dress version. The pattern is described as "a serious nod to the 90s with a modern fit." I like to read other sewists' reviews of a pattern before I sew it, so i can see what kind of fit adjustments are common and get ideas for fabrics. I found a lot of dresses sewn up in true 90s fashion: ditsy florals styled with Doc Martens. (I also found one blogger who was especially excited to try this style because she wasn't alive in the 90s. We won't discuss how old this made me feel.) I didn't want to go full-on ditsy floral so I chose this more modern Meadow print rayon from Art Gallery Fabrics. (Do you recognize this fabric? I already made a Biscayne Blouse from it!)

After my experience fitting the princess-seamed bodice of the Jessica dress, I thought it would be wise to sew a muslin of this dress. I also wanted to check the length since the “mini” version looked a smidge shorter than my preference but is designed for a model about 3” taller. I made a 4 in the bust graded to a 6 in the waist and hip based on my measurements of 34"-29"-35". Fortunately the bodice and length fit well. The only issue (and it was a big issue) was that I could barely move my arms. I did anticipate this issue based on Heidi’s review of this pattern, looking at the fit on other sewists, and the fact that my upper arms are proportionally large compared with the rest of my bodice measurements.

I removed the sleeves to verify that the bodice and armscyes fit well (they did), and the only issue was the sleeve fit. I modified the sleeves to have a shallower sleeve cap using a really helpful blog post on Ikat Bag about sleeve drafting. It demonstrates different sleeve shapes by fitting paper tube "sleeves" onto a tissue box "torso." I added a bit of ease to the bicep, 1/2" of length to the sleeves, and a tiny bit of ease to the seams in the upper back bodice.

I added a pocket (using the pattern piece from the Suki Robe) and followed a pocket assembly tutorial from @birdy_sew_obsessed, featured on her Instagram stories. It resulted in a nicer finish of the inside seams and was pretty easy to execute. I also extended the waist ties so they can wrap around the front and give the effect of a belt. Lastly, I raised the v-neck 1.5” to prevent it from gaping when I inevitably bend over to pick up kids or toys.

Because this dress is short and made from a very lightweight, floaty material, I was a bit concerned about the effects of a sudden breeze on my skirt! I decided to make some navy undershorts using the free Patterns for Pirates Peg Legs pattern (size small, shorties length.) I sewed these up in just one evening using a poly/spandex knit from Joann. This pattern is a keeper; I'd definitely use it again for leggings.

The shorties actually came in super helpful while we were getting ready for the wedding the next day. Due to her growing baby bump changing the placement of her dress slit, the Maid of Honor was showing a bit more skin than desired. The shorts matched her navy dress well and prevented any wardrobe malfunctions!

Remember that family photo we took at the rehearsal dinner? We liked it a lot so we turned it into a puzzle for Batman's birthday. Here's what my dress looks like as puzzle pieces!

linen estuary skirt

This is the Sew Liberated Estuary Skirt in Robert Kaufman Brussels Washer Yarn Dye, which is a linen/rayon blend. The color is called "Rain." The fabric had a lot of shrinkage during washing and ended up only about 48" wide, which meant I had to cut the back with a center seam instead of as one piece. I'm glad I bought lots of fabric (3yd) since I used most of it.

I made the version with in-seam pockets. I fully interfaced the pockets and the pocket edges on the skirt fronts and back with Pellon Ultraweft interfacing. I found a recommendation for this interfacing on Pattern Review as a good stabilizer that still maintains the drape of rayon. I'm interested to see how it holds up in the washing machine since it is listed as dry-clean only. I did pre-soak it in warm water and hang it to dry. My only complaint so far is that it seemed to leave a sandy grit (I'm assuming it's bits of dry adhesive coming loose) all over my cutting table!

I sewed a size 8 based on my waist measurement of 29" and cut the elastic about 1" longer than recommended. I'm not sure if the linen waistband stretched, the elastic stretched, or I just should have sized down, but the waist turned out quite a bit too large. I did some surgery on the waistband and center back seam, taking out 3" from both seams and 2.5" from the elastic. Much better! I did not sew functional button holes and just stitched the buttons through both plackets since the elastic back allows the skirt to pull on easily without opening the buttons. I sewed the buttons by machine for the first time. Game changer!! Usually I HATE sewing on buttons, but this was very quick and easy. I learned that almost all buttons, regardless of the diameter, have a hole spacing of 4mm! (** The More You Know **)

I shortened the original pattern by 3" and it hit me a couple inches below the knee. I tried to love it, but it's just a terrible length on me. I re-hemmed it, taking out an extra 2", and I like this length much better. Instead of just hemming the bottom of the plackets, I sewed them right-sides-together at the bottom edge of the finished hem and then turned them out to form a point (similar to my Camas blouse, Suki robe, and Jessica dress). I finished all the seams with a serger, since I was afraid flat-felled seams would look too "denim-y" (not a word, but also not the look I was going for.)

I wore the skirt to Oliver's birthday party this weekend. It was super comfortable. The fabric has enough weight that it doesn't blow scandalously in a breeze but is still very lightweight and cool. I was a little worried about the pocket shape, but my phone stayed securely in the pocket all afternoon. We had lots of fun at the dino-themed birthday party! This is the only photo I took, but it's a good one. Happy birthday, Oliver!

little sockhead

I’m getting Colin ready for winter with this little knit set! I picked up the yarn at the Kentucky Wool Festival this year. It’s a self striping sock yarn called "Grinch Night" from Colorplay Fiber Studio.

The hat is the Sockhead Slouch Hat in child size. I used a provisional cast on, folded the ribbed edge in half, and joined it together on the first row of stockinette knitting. I love the extra warmth of the double-thick ribbing! I added a pompom on top. Colin loves the "ba!" on his "hat!"

The mittens are roughly based on the Pat-A-Cake mittens pattern. I sized them similar to Mae’s fiesta mittens. I doubt Colin will ever keep them on, but they sure look cute!

I was able to get a few pictures before he insisted on running down the driveway to play with his bubble mower ("buh-buh-moh").

Hat and mitten details on my Ravelry page.