Wooly Jacket, Part 2

I knew I had more pictures of this jacket. I finally found them in a different folder on my computer. I realized I like this jacket with a longer shirt, as shown here. I wore it the other day with one that just came to the top of my jeans and didn't like the look quite so much. Funny how proportions change the look of something so much.

Wooly Jacket

Way back when, I decided I wanted to use this pattern - Cynthia Rowley-Simplicity 2443 - to make a little jacket. I wasn't in love with it as designed, and you can see my inspiration on my mood board. I changed a few things around and this was the final result:

I used a poly/wool/silk blend that I got on sale at JoAnn and fully lined it in a cotton jacquard from Denver Fabrics. I didn't want to spend much on the fabric because I had no idea how it would turn out. I don't know if I followed the procedure correctly but I semi-bagged the lining (I think?), referencing this Threads article.

I realized this is the first thing I've made that I really like. I'll probably add buttons at some point (the thought of adding the buttonholes is stopping me), but there aren't any significant changes that it needs. The construction could be better, but that comes with practice.

Plain sleeves

Lessons and techniques:

• Restyling a pattern: I basically left off all the extras - no pockets, no tabs, no ribbons, no d-rings. That plus the sleeve changes really made it look different.
• Drafting/revising sleeves: I based them off a different pattern, because I didn't want them to be quite so puffy, a little longer, and... see the next point.
• Working with the fabric: The sleeves as drafted wouldn't have worked well with this fabric especially with the lining. The outer fabric is pretty loosely woven (and ravels), so I added a lining with a lot of body to give it some structure.
• Adding a lining: I used the included facings and then used the body pattern pieces for the rest of the lining. I don't know when/if I was supposed to convert the front darts to gathers or anything like that but I pretty much just constructed a second jacket and stuck it inside out inside of the first one.
• Follow directions: I messed up on attaching the sleeve lining to the outer sleeves and ended up just slip stitching them together at the sleeve hems. I would have caught this if I did everything in the order I was supposed to.

All in all, though, I like this. It fits me better than the other things I've made and I don't have plans to alter it. (My Spring/Summer Challenge is half alterations and UFO's.) I thought I had a picture of me wearing it but it looks like I deleted all of them... they were very blurry. I'll update if I remember to take one. UPDATE: Found them! More photos here.

Pink Jersey Maxi Skirt

Way back when, I mentioned this skirt I was going to make. I did finish making it, and I've worn it a few times, but only recently got pictures and only even more recently put said pictures on the computer. All that to say, here it is:

I haven't been exactly sure how to style it, and honestly it's not my favorite thing. I did like this outfit, though. I think the issue is that I didn't make it wide enough. It's a super simple skirt, with two layers (joined at the top as if you were seaming two pieces into one big one), just one seam up the back and elastic at the waist. I think I may try to refashion it into something shorter with more fullness. It's comfortable, though, and I may try something similar in the future. Also, I created a funny little fishtail train thing at the back, because I sort of angled out the seam (if you can make it out through the blurriness):

I didn't exactly mean to do that but didn't think about how the fabric would drape when put together like that. I don't really mind it, though. Anyways, there's proof that I DID finish things from my autumn challenge!

Pretty Cowl

Love this yarn - it's some sort of hand-painted bulky wool that I bought up in Tahoe last year. I made up a simple cowl with a simple pattern of increasing-height rows - starting with a single crochet row, then double, etc. up to a double-treble and then back down. It's pretty wide, so I folded it in half (which adds some warmth since double-treble stitches are pretty open), sewed a button onto one end, and voila: a pretty splash of color.

Autumn Color 2011 Weeks 5 and 6

Well, I'm making progress on the challenge, but nothing is entirely finished. My rose skirt now has 3 out of the 4 panels stitched - after that I just have to cut away the centers of the appliques and actually assemble the skirt. I like to think that I'm 3/4 of the way done, but obviously that's not really accurate.

I also tea-stained the pink fabric I got for a jersey maxi skirt, because it was a little brighter than I'd wanted. I also decided I should probably get more fabric because it's a little bit sheer, so I ordered yardage in a different shade that's hopefully much closer to what I really wanted. Once it gets here, I'll decide for sure, but I think I'll make the skirt in two layers, with this one on the inside and the new fabric on the outside.

Before...

After

I also crocheted this scarf, in a yarn that I bought up in Truckee in January, but I can't remember just what it is... I need to look for the wrap thing, I usually keep those. I do know that it's handpainted, and it's such a gorgeous blend of colors... sort of a smoky blue, rusty orange, eggplant, cranberry, and a creamy white, plus a million other shades that exist where two or more colors overlap, like a deep purple that I'm pretty sure isn't an individual color, just the red and blue combining. It's perfectly autumnal. It's not done, though - I need to fasten it off and decide how I want the ends to connect - it's not exactly a scarf, it's more of a cowl that needs some sort of closure.

And then there are (always) a ton of other projects that I start to plan, or wish I had time for, etc etc. And things I need to finish, like altering my Traveler dress, lining my hoodie, making a dog bed... and making pillows from that Michael Miller fabric up with the pink jersey. I love that fabric. Hmm, the list keeps getting longer. Never shorter. Why is that?

Autumn Color 2011 Week 3

Well, I think this is week 3. I thought I'd share my patterns first, since I sort of mentioned them but didn't give any detail. Except for the Alabama Chanin skirt - that's in the Polyvore board. Also, more on that below.

The dress is the Lisette Traveler dress, aka Simplicity 2246. I want to make something like View B but with the regular collar from View A in a plaid flannel. I love a certain fabric I found online but I wavered on my decision and now it's backordered until mid-October. (I have a feeling I might be stretching my timeline for this challenge.)

Lisette Traveler

The jacket (which isn't on my official list) is from Simplicity 2443, a Cynthia Rowley pattern with a knit dress and a jacket. There's a version of the jacket that you can see here that's a little more like what I'm thinking... I want to try it in a tweed or something like that, without the pockets and plackets and bits on the front.

Simplicity 2443

I just want some big buttons instead of the ties, and I'd leave the band off the sleeves to make them a little simpler. My inspiration (from J. Crew) shows the idea I'm going for that I think I can get from this pattern.

And no pattern needed for the scarf, but here's the fabric:

I think I'm going to make a circle/infinity scarf from this. It's very light, I think it might be a Swiss dot? It has those little raised polka dots on it... don't know if that's the right term though.

And I've been working on the reverse-applique skirt. Not too quickly, I'm not quite done with the first panel, but making progress. It's gone from this:

To this:

As you can see, I'm using a navy blue jersey for the top layer. The bottom layer is a white jersey that I may or may not have washed with the blue causing it to become a very very pale blue itself... And the stenciled parts are a sort of metallic champagne with natural colored thread stitching it all together. I think I'll go for a blue thread for the seams, though. I haven't done much hand-stitching before, and I'm really liking it.

On a side note, did you know that the kit for the rose applique skirt is $140?!

I've also been making not-for-me things that I'll share later on.