Slate Blue Miette…. aka half of OAL2017

While it is increasingly looking like the Kim dress portion of the Outfit Along will not be finished…. or…err started….. for some time, I have finished the sweater portion!!

This is my second Miette sweater!  I had issues with sizing on the first one and didn’t even bother to put buttons on it, because that shit wasn’t going to close.

This time though I got serious about sizing and taking my time with the swatching…. you can read more about that process here.  And that work paid off 🙂

The fit came out real well!  I followed the pattern fairly closely this time to make a true cropped sweater…. my first version I lengthened quite a bit.  I did add a couple of rows to the button band on this one though, because I was paranoid it would be too small again.  That is a also why the top button is out of line with the others

The yarn is the worsted weight Cascade 220 in the Atlantic color, which I ordered online.  And after much deliberations I settled on these rust colored buttons from my local fabric store In Stitches 🙂   I had wanted to use these awesome vintage shank buttons I’ve had in my stash for FOREVER… but alas there are only 5 😦

So, there you have it!  There’s not a whole lot more to say…. this is a great free, beginner pattern and would work great as someone’s first or second handmade sweater.

I’m hard at work on my Armande sweater, I’m hopeful I’ll finish it in time to wear this fall/winter…. famous last words 😉

Throwback Thursday: Simplicity 2286 in Vintage Barkcloth

Yes…. in a blatant ripoff of the Sometimes Sewist, I’m posting a Throwback Thursday…#TBT to you young, hip kids 😉

This is my Simplicity 2286 completed way back in 2012, solidly pre-blog.  In fact, this was the first finished garment I made once I really got into sewing…. There was a very 80’s leopard print jumper/overall atrocity made for a Girl Scout sewing badge in elementary school, which we don’t talk about *shudder*.

Simplicity 2286 is solidly a beginner/learn to sew pattern and a really great one!  There’s no closures, but a lot of very basic skills 🙂

I honestly can’t remember too much about making this, except I basically completed it in a day from cutting the pattern pieces to hemming.  I also cut straight into my “special” fabric….no muslins, no trial runs in less “special” fabric!

The fabric is a vintage barkcloth my Mom had gotten, she had had it since forever (I remember rummaging through her fabric stash and finding it periodical growing up).  I’m not sure how old it actually is, but I’d say at least 1970’s.   And there couldn’t have been much more than a yard 😦

It is amazing looking back….. I just jumped straight in- there was no hemming and hawing about finding the “right” pattern, no muslins, no trial runs to make sure I had gotten all the techniques down; there was just cutting (and the hubris of a beginner).  I guarantee you had I not made this skirt that fabric would probably still be languishing in my stash waiting for the “perfect” project….. there’s a lesson somewhere in that

Now, being the n00b that I was, I actually didn’t finish the seams….at all.  I also, used the wrong size elastic, twisted said elastic, and then hemmed it too short.  It was kind of a hot mess if you looked close enough! So, after a year or two of things slowly unraveling with each wash, which honestly wasn’t that much because I hardly wore it due to fear of flashing everyone every time I bent over, I went back and “fixed” everything.

I used store bought bias tape and finished everything with Hong Kong seams.  I also unpicked the hem and used lace hem tape to help lengthen things a bit.  And replaced the elastic.

Since then I’ve gotten a lot more use out of it!  I still find it a bit short and so will usually pair it with tights, but given I only started with about a yard it’s not too bad!

And there you have it!  I’ve got a couple of other pre-blog makes I could post about, so we’ll see if this becomes a regular thing 😉

OAL 2017 Update and other stuff!

You will notice this is not a finished OAL 2017…. you will also notice the OAL deadline was like 4 weeks ago 😦

On the other hand:

I finished my sweater!!  This is the quickest start to finish sweater I’ve done….like 2.5 months.  So, despite not finishing in time for OAL deadline I’m quite pleased with myself 😀

On the other, other hand:

Yes…. ironies of ironies, I was convinced I’d be able to zip through the Kim Dress no problem and it would be the sweater preventing me from finishing, but it was the other way around 😦
It may be the seasons starting to change, but I can’t seem to get started on this

So, having failed at the Outfit Along I decided to jump on Fringe Associations Summer of Basics…..2 weeks before it ended, because yes, I am insane!

In my head this was going to be easy….. my Zinnia skirt would be my first item, the Miette sweater would be number two, and a quick and easy T-shirt would be number three.

Easy peasy…..right?

And then for reasons I can’t fully explain, I did ZERO sewing in the month of August 😦   There was knitting to be sure….

And traveling to view awe inspiring astronomical events….

But no sewing…. or blogging for that matter 😦

On the other, other, other hand, after living in my house for over a year I’m finally getting it set up!!