Yaaay!

Gatsby Girl is almost done! I will finish knitting it tonight! I am SOOO GLAD! I have loved knitting this pattern, but 1x1 rib on size 3 needles can only be interesting for so long, haha. Anyway, yeah, just wanted to say that!

I'm also working on getting my fabric scraps organized into a book. I'm trying to separate them two different ways - based on fiber content and on weave (for the ones I have big enough scraps to cut, or two of the same), and adding information in there when I get it. I think it's going to be such a great and handy tool when "finished" (of course, I am sure I will be adding to it whenever I get a fabric I've never used before). If you have a million random scraps you don't know what to do with, you can send them my way. My goal is to learn and have access to as many different fabrics and weaves as I can, because I am such a hands on learner. I can read all about a fabric, but until I actually have it in my hands, I really can't judge it or picture how it will look and feel. Since I don't have a fabric store to go "experiment" in, I thought of this, and several nice ladies from PR sent me scraps.

I'm thinking of doing this for yarn as well. I have scraps of most of the yarns I've used so far left; only a few projects I think I used every yard on.

Also, does anyone know of a pattern that looks like this?



I know it's from Burda Easy Fashion, and I think from the Feb 07 issue, but I cannot find it anywhere to purchase! I thought there might be a single pattern out there somewhere that is very similar. So please let me know if you've seen anything. Or, if you know where I can purchase this mag (I looked at GLP's website but couldn't find back issues), or if you have it and want to get rid of it, or even if you don't want to get rid of the whole magazine, but know you are never going to make this dress and would be willing to sell me just this pattern, please leave a comment! I would really appreciate it! I just LOVE this dress!

Edited to add: FINISHED! The knitting, at least, on Gatsby Girl is DONE! YAY!! She is blocking now, and I am so excited. I hope to have it seamed this weekend.

I may be able to save the Burda blouse

I have had an idea, and can't wait to try it! It involves taking the shirt apart, so unfortunately, I don't know that I will have time for it today. I wonder how hard it is to do those fabric covered buttons, though, and whether Walmart would have any (since that's the only place around here). Hmmmmm...

Wow, inspiration!

I'm not a quilter, nor have I ever attempted to be, but wow, this quilting blog I ran across is so inspiring, I just had to share! These quilts are works of art (not that they aren't all works of art, of course!). Check it out if you'd like:

Nellie's Needles

Really amazing!! :-)

The muslin didn't turn out very well this first try. I'm going to give it another shot when I get some more sewing time. I have never done a lining, so after I get it to fit decently, I am going to try a lining before I make the actual dress up.

I have dress envy

Aside from study for multiple exams I have next week, what do you think I did today? Perhaps tried to rescue the disaster from the last post? Nope. How about knit on the Gatsby Girl? Nope. What about one of the other hundred projects I've started and not yet completed, then? Nope.

I cut out the muslin for Vogue 8280. Hopefully I'll be more pleased with this than the Burda shirt. I did finally crochet the edge of the LG wrap sweater, though, and wove the ends in. It's complete, I guess, but I still haven't found anything to close it with that satisfies me. I wore it on a cool day fastened with a cute little butterfly pin, but the pin is a bit heavy, and, being old, gave me a hard time getting it undone later.

If you happen to see any fabric with a print like that used for the dress "Rhoda" from this site, please, please, please let me know! I saw Stacey London wearing this on WNTW yesterday, and now I really want to make something similar! I just love all the black and white with splashes of pink, so fun! And how they brought the pink out with the trim. I've been obsessing over the thought since I saw the dress. I also totally love Barclay , Blair, and May in the black/white fabric. Any pattern suggestions there? Hehe. Unfortunately, I think I love planning new projects more than finishing old ones, but fear not, the old ones will get done (except I haven't yet decided about the Burda blouse).

Edited to add: Oh, and thanks, everyone, for the birthday wishes. I did not get to knit, but I did have a wonderful birthday, complete with a fabulous crawfish boil! :-D

Burda 7993 Progress

I've worked more on Burda 7993. In fact, it's nearly complete. I don't know how much closer to complete it is going to get, because I don't know whether I like it. I think it's either too big or too unflattering, or both. Too big can be fixed, but unflattering probably cannot, so once I decide that, I'll decide whether it's worth finishing. Progress is stalled, anyway, because I need elastic for the sleeves and don't have any. Anyway, here's what I've got thus far:



What do you think? Is this pattern worth finishing or at least giving another try? Or is it wrong for my body type?

Edit: Ok, normally I would be far too vain to ever put such horrible pictures of me where they may be viewed by anyone (and that's something, considering the crap shots I normally post), but several people have commented in the review I did at PR that the shirt is too small for me and that I need to go up a size. So here are some awful pictures of it with no waist belt ribbon thing. Too small? I'm worried because the next size up is a 36", which is what I originally tried to start sewing with, and everything I've made in a 36 has been less attractive and flattering than a burlap sack would be.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Maybe I'll actually get some knitting time today! There has been very little of that lately.

Finished? Object - Lana Grossa Lacy Wrap Sweater

Well, I've seamed the LG sweater, and now am trying to decide what else needs to be done. I still can't decide if all I need is to do an edging around the fronts, or if I need to add to the bottom, and of course, there is the matter of how to close it. I could knit the tie as pictured, or I could get some cute brooch/pin, or I could sew satiny ribbon in a matching shade. I was even thinking of finding ribbon to sew all around the bottom edge, and extending it for the tie... but that might mess up its stretchiness. What do yall think? And I still can't decide whether I should rib or do some kind of lacy rib at the bottom, lengthening it, since I am not "long and lean" as I think is normally the shape a sweater like this looks good on. Would it be more flattering this way? I definitely don't want something that makes me look dumpy, and since I love this yarn so, I want to love the sweater and have it as perfect as I possibly can. Or should I leave it be? Argh, so many decisions! Please give advice!! :-)



Edited to add: Link to FREE pattern is here: http://www.lanagrossa.com/service/mdm/08_2005/index.html

Sewing news

I made a muslin for Burda 7993 (the cute top). I did a 2" FBA, which worked really well, except that it made the vertical darts HUGE and you can see them through the muslin. That won't matter on the real shirt, because I don't think the pink cotton I have is as thin.

I didn't bother with any of the facings yet, and though I did the collar, I didn't do it right (you're supposed to cut 2 pieces, but I only cut one, whooops!), but I don't think it will matter too much anyway.

The FBA used up so much extra fabric that now I'm worried I'll always need to get more than called for by the pattern. That really sucks, because I've already got fabric for a few projects that will need an FBA, and I had bought only what the pattern called for. I really hope I don't need more!

Anyway, back to the top. One thing I'm not sure I like about the shirt is how much the ruffle at the bottom sticks out, and another is the puffy sleeves. The ruffle kinda poofs out (which it does NOT do in the pattern picture!), and I have never thought puffy sleeves would be super flattering on me, but as the sleeves on this top didn't look very puffy, I thought it might be ok. I still don't know, because I didn't have the elastic you're supposed to put at the bottom of the short sleeve. I'm going to cut out the fabric soon, and give it a try in the real stuff. Maybe in the cute pink, I will be happier, and I am sure I can figure out something to do about the ruffle and the puffy sleeves if I just hate them. Mainly this shirt was to learn FBAs, and because I thought it was super cute, but the fabric was so cheap that I won't cry if it doesn't work out, just sigh and be a little disappointed for a day or two.

Edited to add: FBA stands for Full Bust adjustment, and so far, I am not liking how this shirt looks on me... but I still need to sew on the ruffle and get that elastic.

FOs - Mardi Gras Gloves and Ribbon Purse

I figured since I'd be down south for Mardi Gras, and had that fabulous Mardi Gras Lorna's Laces, I should make a pair of gloves to wear to the parades. They weren't done in time, and it turned out too warm for gloves my entire vacation, but I am happy about them anyway. I could not find a pattern for fingering weight gloves anywhere, so I did these with no pattern! My first non-pattern project (aside from a couple of hats). I love the way the LL pooled... anything better could have been called a self striping yarn!




I've had this idea in my head for longer than I've known how to sew... a purse made of ribbons woven together. I was disappointed to find on Craftster that my idea wasn't original, and had already been executed better than I could have done, but I decided to make one anyway. I was actually going to follow the tutorial, but I didn't have enough of the ribbon, and Michael's was out, so I just wove the ribbons together, sewed it, put interfacing on, folded it in half, and sewed it together. I made the lining in the same way (minus the weaving, of course), from a fat quarter, but added pockets. It was really fun, and I ADORE how it turned out! I flatter myself enough to say it looks almost store bought!

I'm alive

I haven't dropped off the earth. I haven't been online much, and while I've been knitting, I don't have that much to post about. I do have a small FO to post... but I'm currently on vacation, and haven't bothered with taking pics yet. I've been working on both the LG and GG sweaters, got yarn for a couple new undecided projects, but mostly have had sewing on my mind lately. I think it's because of the warm spell we had that convinced me I wouldn't be needing warm things any more, until today when the temperature dropped 20 degrees F. I've got a sleeve finished for the LG, and about half a sleeve finished for the GG. I will not knit on ANYTHING else until both of these are done, darnit! I am so ready to finish GG, and LG is going so quickly that if I don't finish soon, you'll know it's totally out of neglect.

Pics to come soon! Also, pics of a purse I'm sewing. It's going to be totally cute, so keep a lookout for it! :-D

I'll also talk about the book I won in a contest next time I post. I'll be home, and more inclined to use a computer than I am now.

I also finally found THE CABLE used for the Delphine sweater! It really looks just like it! It's on page 100 of Gisela Klopper's Beautiful Knitting Patterns. I saw it today and just couldn't believe it! But I didn't get to buy the book yet. I wasn't expecting to buy a book today, and didn't have the cash on me. I will get it for sure, and then I can return to the Delphine sweater. Joy, oh joy!