Your opinions wanted! (fabric and knitting related)

First, I simply adore crane fabrics! I have a yard of this one added to my small fabric stash, and I've no idea what to use it for. It's a cotton, and so beautiful! I don't quilt, and it doesn't match my "decor," anyway. I already have several fabrics waiting to be made into purses. Any suggestions? Here are some pics, and I used a penny to help see the size of the prints.






Secondly, I've finished the back and both fronts of the LG wrap sweater! YAY! I can't decide if it's going to work as is (with sleeves, of course), or if I need to add something. A possibilty is searching through Knitting On the Edge for a nice edging to go around the wrap, and picking up stitches to add a couple (or a few) inches of ribbing at the bottom. I want to decide before I do the sleeves, so I can just make the sleeves shorter if I have to. I'd prefer long sleeves, but I think 3/4 would work if I need to make changes and start running short of yarn. Anyway, I pinned it together, and tried it on. What would you do? Finish the sleeves and sew it up, or pick up for the edging and ribbing?


Oh, by the way, I should add that I'm not at all a fast knitter. Nearly all of those pieces in the last post are the result of several months of knitting!

Sewing Plans

I think I may get more sewing done if I list the projects I have in mind to do soon. Mainly, this is one of those posts where I try to get my thoughts in order.

First, I want to get Burda 7993 done. I have some plain pink cotton for this, for now. I hope to get something cuter later. I have an Amy Butler print that I am starting to think may make a cute top. The pattern pieces are cut out, but I am still trying to figure out this whole fitting thing as described in my Fit For Real People book. It seems very lengthy and complicated. I thought all I'd need to do is figure out a full-bust adjustment (FBA), but apparently there are loads of other steps to attend to first. The fitting is really the reason I haven't started on the muslin yet. It's confusing and a bit scary.

Next, I'll either have Vogue 8196 (another shirt, minus the puffy sleeves), or New Look 6644, a DRESS (and the matching jacket). I don't have fabric for the shirt yet, so I may wait on it, plus I am eager to work on the NL dress, but if I feel I still need a little more practice before undertaking the dress, I'll go for the shirt first. I could use the AB print I mentioned above for the top, or find something else. I have some pinkish lavender linen for the dress.

Then, I will do the dress I posted about before. I'll be using view D of Vogue 8280. I found an eyelet fabric that I think will be perfect, but don't actually have it yet. Someone recommended that I use cotton batiste, too, so after I find out what that is, I'll be using that for the lining. I need to find a pattern with a v-back to use. I've found so many with v-necks, but hardly any with a v-back.

Then, I want to do my interpretation of the Kara Janx Kimono dress using New Look 6674. I want to do it in a dark pink rayon MC with a light pink rayon as the CC edging. I'm going to make changes - if I can figure out how to add a 3/4 sleeve, I will do that, and I am definitely carrying the CC down the front of the dress. Oh, and I'm going to make a fatter belt like the inspiration dress has. I love this dress so much! I can already see how great it's going to look... so I hope I am not getting my hopes up too much.

Then I want to attempt my EvaDress pattern... in silk ottoman taffeta. I think this is going to be a huge challenge, which is part of the reason I'm putting it off for so long.

Oh, and I have to make a purse using this Amy Butler fabric:

I have about 2 or 2.5 yds of it. The pattern I want to use only uses about a yd (or was it half a yard?), so I don't know what I'll do with the rest. One of my friends thinks it would be a cute top, too, but I just don't know. Oh, there's a quarter on there for reference.

This is by no means an exact schedule of the sewing I'm going to be doing over the next few months. These are just things I want to get done, and definitely don't want to forget.

PS. Knitting related news is that the back of the LG wrap sweater is almost done.
Also, proof of how ridiculous my inability to stay on one project is. Here are all finished (or very nearly so) pieces of sweaters:

The front and back of the Gatsby Girl:

One front and the nearly completed back of the Lana Grossa sweater:


The back of the Rebecca Apriot Jacket:

Sewing is great because...

I saw and adore this dress. Here are some pics in case you don't feel like clicking the link.





It's gorgeous, but it's also $550! OMG, who pays that much for a dress? Or any piece of clothing, for that matter? Not I. So, thanks to the lovely ladies at Pattern Review, I'll be making this dress for a very small fraction of the price. I'll use view D of Vogue 8280, and some eyelet fabric I'll be ordering online. It is going to be divine! I've been told how to do the white panels under the black eyelet, and am hoping for tips on how to give the pattern a v-back like the dress has, and (maybe) how to move the zipper to the side, instead of the back. Maybe I'll finally have found that perfect "little black dress" that has always eluded me?

In other sewing news, I made myself proud today. I was given a dress as a gift, but it turned out to be too large, and I couldn't return it. It fit me like a sack, so it has just been laying around, waiting, and envying my t-shirts and jeans, since they actually get worn. I made it wearable today! I added some darts to the front (like princess seams, I think) and shortened the straps, and it is actually flattering now. Yay! It was almost too easy. It's a spring/summer dress, so it will be awhile before it has an outing, but I think it will be nice for church.

In knitting news, I'm over the halfway mark for the back of the Lana Grossa Wrap Sweater. This thing grows so quickly! I hope to finish it soon. I am pretty aggravated by all the of projects I have unfinished, especially when I really want to learn fair isle NOW. But I really need to finish these things. They have sat around far too long, and I know as spring and summer get here, I will want to knit things like Orangina. Plus, isn't Eunny's book due out soon?

Like the list needs to be any longer...

I recently found two new sweater patterns that are too cute.

Vex, which can be purchased here, and Wicked, which you can buy here. I don't have them yet, but I've been ogling them quite a bit! And Vex is knit in MALABRIGO! Swoon!

FOs! (Bet ya didn't even know I was working on them)

I have two FOs to show ya! First, I test knit for Sylvie's Cactus Mittenettes. I love this pattern, and these gloves! They are SO EASY. SO QUICK. And I don't even have to say "SO CUTE," because you will see that shortly! I knit these in less than a weekend (really, less than 2 hrs/mitt, I think), in worsted Plymouth Galway, some green color I had lying around. The green is actually much brighter than the picture. I really recommend this pattern; I think it will make great last minute gifts, and not to mention very nice for those balls of splurge yarn! The Galway was a little scratchy, but softened up nicely after a soak in hair conditioner. I probably have half a ball left... definitely enough for another pair. My non-knitting roommate admired them, and I think I may whip her up a pair. Anyway, on with the pics! Please excuse the poor quality, as I took these with my camera phone... my digicam needs batteries.



The next FO is a hat I started awhile back. It's a pattern made up by a member of LJ's Knitting community, and the pattern can be found here (scroll down to the comments to find it). I used a random yarn found at Goodwill, it had no label but I'm fairly sure it's 100% acrylic. The color is very pretty, and it was $.50, so I had to get it. I wanted to make the hat longer than in the pattern, but I started worrying that I wouldn't have enough, so I didn't. Turns out I had plenty left to do a few more rows, but oh well. It covers my ears if I pull down hard enough, and the yarn is not very warm anyway. I'm happy with it. It's nice for cool, but not cold, days, and for bad hair days as well. If I knit another, it will be in a nice, warm yarn, and I will make sure it covers my ears. I'd love another, but knitting the dream swatch for 18 or 19 inches on size 2 needles seemed to take FOREVER, which is why I started this nearly the day the pattern was posted, and just now finished it. As usual, please forgive the lack of makeup.


Also, anyone want to get rid of their copy of the Nov 2003 Spring IK? Hehe. I really want to knit the Remembering Honey sweater in there!

In the sewing news, I got this pattern. It reminds me of the Kara Janx Kimono Dress. If only it had the fantastic sleeves! Now to find fabric to get that look!

New Pattern, Finally!

I've wanted this pattern for a long time, but haven't placed a KP order in awhile, so I'd been delaying ordering it. It finally went up for automatic download, so I got it! It's the Kimono Styled Sweater. I've been thinking about what yarn to use for it, because I think after I finish several of my current projects, I am going to start this one up immediately, since I have wanted to make it for so long. Of course, I could, and may, use Merino Style, but after working with Rowan Felted Tweed, and seeing how fabulous it looks with cables, I am thinking of using that. I'm not sure, because this sweater is more heavily cabled than Gatsby Girl, so it may not be a good choice. And I'm not sure if the tweedyness would look right with the styling of the sweater... of course, I was unsure of that with the GG, too, and now I think it enhances it! I absolutely adore the yarn, and WILL definitely use it again for a sweater, and for anything else. I can even see myself getting single balls of this yarn to make hats/gloves with... and I never randomly pick up just one ball of yarn. I am thinking particularly of the color Melody. What is your opinion?

Another thing, I'm not sure about the sleeves. There is no shaping for the sleeves at all. Should I try to add shaping?