Built by Wendy Dresses (and a coat)

Two work dresses I've been wearing to death and a coat drafted from the Sheath pattern in the dress book before the coat book came out, with the collar from the coat book. The faux fur was easy to work with, you just need to keep the vacuum cleaner handy! All material from Tessuti Melbourne.

First a cotton boat neck version of the deep impact dress with the skirt cut on the bias...the material was a remnant, about two metres.

Next up is a wool/cotton version of the sheath dress with a high waist tuck to stop it looking too much like a sack and a stand up collar. Used a bit more than two metres.

These are both work dresses for me and hilariously you can see me wearing this one in this video.

And my coat which I wore all winter, which took a bit more than two metre, plus a bit less than half a metre of faux fur. I didn't bother lining it as it's super warm and doesn't particularly itch on the wrong side.

Am I insane?

Most probably, yes. I've signed up to IntSweMoDo 2011 (International Sweater-a-Month Dodecathon) in June with only one finished object for the year under my belt. Here are the next two, with two more well underway and plans for five more which takes me up to 10 for the year...yeeks!

First is the most recently finished, an easy knit from Louisa Harding's Blue Monday, the Tuesday tunic. Knitted in Adorn Yarns Silky Merino DK, colour Ash. I'm hoping this tunic will help me combat our rather bleak winter weather.

Again, for those of you who care...these are my first images with my new point and shoot camera the Fujipix x100. Set on raw (and having to use Adobe's DNG converter which is very annoying) and Velvia simulated saturation for a bit of film nostalgia. The lens is super, but it is quite clunky and slow just as this review says, so I for one am hanging out for a firmware update.

The other is Mandarin from Louisa Harding's Chinoiserie. This was a much slower knit...mainly because of the colour work on the cuffs and peplum. The rest was plain sailing and I used Adorn Yarns Cotton Cashmere DK, knitted a bit tighter on 3mm needles instead of the recommended 4mm on the ball band (as a loose knitter I always go down a size and for cotton I need to go down two sizes). I was a little worried that it may create too firm a fabric that would go stiff on washing, but it's just fine.

I wish my sewing was progressing as smoothly...

Finding the time...

...to finish both sewing and knitting projects is difficult at present, but here are two I've managed to finish and photograph. First is my favourite summer top (just as it's long sleeved partners was my favourite winter top). The knit is from Tessuti and the pattern is from Wendy Mullins Sew U Home Stretch, called Get the Scoop, cut on the bias (not matching stripes) and without elastic in the neck and waist. I just used the twin needle to finish the neck, sleeves and bottom. Easy!

Then I finally managed to finish Kim Hargreaves' Haze from Misty, a generous boat neck jumper with big raglan sleeves and a lovely trim bottom band. Knitted in Adorn Yarns' Cotton Cashmere DK, it's a cuddly jumper for chilly autumn evenings. 

Embrace

Which is exactly what this lovely cardigan by Kim Hargreaves from Misty does when you put it on. Knitted in Adorn Yarns Silky Merino DK in Ash, I've been wearing it all week. Underneath I'm wearing one of Wendy Mullins' Sew U Home Stretch tops, the boat neck...my new favourite! The fabric is the same striped jersey knit Nikkishell used for her drape dress from Tessuti.

The short row shaping creates a beautiful curve across the back and down to the fronts that was really easy to knit. 

I love...

two women I've never met! Wendy Mullin and Kim Hargreaves.

(and the borrowed Canon 17mm TSE lens, but that's another story...)

First Kim Hargreaves. Although it has taken me FOREVER to finish 'Lilac' (in coral) from Breeze, finally I have. And I love it. 

The yarn is Rowan 4ply cotton from Wool Baa, the buttons are from Buttonmania in the Hamilton Building. And despite ripping it back several times to get the tension right, I'm glad I didn't give up.

My Lilac teams beautifully with the second dress I have made from Wendy Mullin's Built by Wendy Dresses (not counting the three muslins - one for each basic dress style - I whipped up first). It's a variation of the 'Valentine Dress' in Etro cotton from Tessuti. I added inseam pockets.

The first dress I made was a variation of 'Overall Improvement' in an Armani cotton.

Neither dress is anywhere near perfect (although I do love them)as I'd already cut the material to make other things before I bought the book...but I've managed to muddle through and learnt a lot in the process. 

The button is from my grandmother's button jar.

I'm I huge Wendy fan, this is the third book I've bought and used. Although she doesn't give you lots of information on how to make her patterns fit you, she does show you how to turn her basic patterns into something that's just for you. Here I am in a Wendy shirt and my new summer jeans...

Again the material is from Tessuti for both the shirt and jeans. (The shoes are from Preston Zly.)

Nearly every seam is topstitched, either in contrast of matching thread which I find makes the seams on this stretch denim hold together better. I'm really happy with them all. Thanks Wendy and Kim!


Finally, I've been buying up more of my favourite yarn...Jaggerspun Zephyr...more Kim on the way!

MIA

Well nearly, but not quite...weddings and teaching have kept me busy, but I've still be knitting away...and at least now I have a corner to sew in and keep all my clutter under control.

I have been working away, both sewing and knitting. First of all the knitting. Finished is Kim Hargreaves's Jen from Precious in Rowan Cotton Glace. It was a quick knit despite making a mistake on each piece and having to pull out most of my work a number of times. A lovely summer cardi.

And the buttons are from Wool Baa in Albert Park. Next is Frankie from Kim Hargreave's Breeze. I'm knitting it in JaggerSpun Wool Silk DK and I've run out. I'll have to put it on hold for a while as I wait to order more yarn. It has knitted up beautifully and the colour is fantastic.

Also on the needles and likely to get finished more quickly is Kim Hargreave's Lilac, also from Breeze. I've pulled out the lace edging so many times as I keep making mistakes...but three quarters of the way there now.

And now to the sewing. The top is Simplicity 2934 View C with the capped sleeves from View D in a cotton knit from Tessuti. It is a fabulous shirt, a really easy pattern with some nice touches. It does run on the large size especially in length. I made another one in a Gucci Viscose knit. The skirt is my third version of McCall's 5590 View C with the pockets from View A. This remnant, again from Tessuti has quite a bit of stretch, so it's very comfy to wear.

This little shirt is made from a piece of remnant cotton from Clegs...about 1.2 metres. The pattern is McCall's 5884 View A. This pattern runs really large and taking my lead from some comments on Pattern Review, I cut out a 10 and took two inches out of the back. Also I cut the tie down the selvedge rather than on the bias. Works a treat. I've cut out two more (you can see the material piled up next to my sewing machine in the first picture). One is a white spotted lawn and the other is a blue and coral spotted silk, again both from Tessuti. Maybe before Christmas?

Another remnant, from Tessuti, made it into a cute little shirt with some easy simple detail. The pattern is from Wendy Mullin's Sew U, a medium with bust darts but not the waist shaping. I cut the button facings with the fronts by extending the pattern by the width of the facing less seam allowances and folded the facing outwards to make a placket style detail down the fronts as well as on the sleeve (all suggestions she makes in the book). Perfect with my denim skirt!

I have perfected is tee-shirt...made here from a cotton print from Astratex from Wendy Mullins Sew U Home Stretch. The sizes in this book run really large, so I've made my own pattern for the back and the front and cut down the neck to a shape of my liking. I make the neck band by cutting a piece that is 80 percent of the length of the neck opening and stretching it slightly when sewing it in place.

Hanging out after washing are my work pants...I finally bit the bullet and bought a pants pattern maker pattern, Simplicity 2700 and cut out a curvy 14 as a muslin with inch seams. For this pair (my work pants, that's why they're drying on the line not on me) made in a stretch cotton, I let the seam allowances to 5/8ths of an inch between just above the knee and the waist to give me room to move. The next pair I'm going to make are out of denim with a little stretch, so I'll increase the seam allowance again to make them more fitted. I'll also change the pockets to make them look more jean-like.

I've a very long list of sewing to keep me going, hopefully I'll get a bit done after Christmas!

Quietly working away

I have been I promise and you can tell that I knitted these jumpers a while ago because they've already started pilling! That's the problem with cashmere, but I'm prepared to put up with it for the softness and warmth.


This is Kim Hargreaves Ripple from Nectar knitted in Naturally ME a 80% wool and 20% cashmere yarn that's machine washable! Some of the yarn was recycled from my Glint (from the same book) which was gorgeous (I wore it on my wedding day!), but which was never really going to be practical for me. As you can see it's already well worn! I'm wearing it with a shirt I made from a remnant from Astratex sort of following a Sew U pattern by Wendy Mullins and my organic denim jeans made from Tessuti, pattern Vogue 8131.




Also made from a 80% wool and 20% cashmere Karabella Margrite, this is my Kim Hargreaves Still, from Thrown Together. Some of this yarn was recycled from my Louisa Harding Fitted Sweater which was too short. I'm wearing my organic denim skirt (yes, I had enough left over!) made from McCalls 5590 a fabulous easy pattern which fits perfectly. My two favourite outfits!

I'm taking a break to do lots of sewing and to finish my other knitting projects!

WHAT?!

My stash of knitting yarn and material has exploded! For the first time I have three projects on the needles at once (it was four!) and quite a few garments cut-out, but not sewn up yet! Yeeks!

But first the finished objects. Sloppy Joe by Sarah Hatton from Rowan Studio 12, quite my favourite at the moment!



And then my Habu scarf...I've been wondering what to do with these yarns which are so beautiful and yet so simple...a scarf seemed the most appropriate, however knitting it on 2mm needles took forever. The scarf measures 12cm by 250cm and is lovely under jackets where a bigger scarf would be too bulky.



On the needles and more than half finished is Haven by Kim Hargreaves from Heartfelt. The yarn, Karabella Margrite Bulky was on sale from kpixie.com.



A bit of a story with this, I ordered some more Margrite DK for Still by Kim Hargreaves (from Thrown Together), but they send the wrong yarn, some charcoal Margrite Bulky. When they re-shipped the original order I managed to include the green sale yarn as well! The charcoal is going to be made into a hat and some mittens!



For both Still and Ripple, also by Kim Hargreaves from Nectar, I'm pulling out two of my finished projects. For Still, the green V-neck jumper by Louisa Harding I knitted last year which is too short in the arms and the body, and Glint by Kim Hargreaves which is just too small really, and as it is made from my favourite yarn, Naturally ME, too good to waste.



Also on the needles, but much neglected at the moment in the rush to knit winter woollies is the Bow Cardigan by Sarah Hatton from Rowan Studio 12, also being knitted in Filatura Di Crosa Superior. It is a very boring knit, and something I will wear in the warmer months. I'll come back to it after I've knitted all my jumpers, scarves and hats I guess...



Also about to be cast on, and needing to be knitted to a deadline, are a couple of jumpers for a short film being made by an friend. Because she has no budget, she's bought disgusting acrylic yarn from Spotlight, but as I'm only knitting for a 10 year old girl, it shouldn't take too long. I have to knit a jumper which can unravel from the bottom and then one that is unravelled to a certain point. I thought I'd do a provisional cast on and knit the jumpers bottom up without the bottom bands and then knit the bottom band down to aid the unravelling. At least the colour is fabulous!



Also waiting to be cast on, but probably not until Spring is this beautiful Habu non-twist cotton boucle for Clemence from Louisa Harding's new book Nouveau.



I've also just ordered some Jaggerspun Wool Silk DK to knit another pattern from that book, Sabine. And there's a jacket from Thrown Together that I have to knit for Mum...

The sewing is more pressing as I'm close to running out of clothes! Here is my stash!



A jacket and a coat, a pair of lined wool pants, three woven shirts, a knit dress and three knit tops. Whew! Then I went to the new Tessuti shop in Flinders Lane run by friend Lisa and bought more! Madness!



Organic denim for jeans and a Marnie Skillings knit originally for knickers, but I think more for a top!

Time to knuckle down!