21 January 2012

I have also been sewing.

By January 3 I had already resurrected one garment and sewn another from scratch! If only I could continue at that pace I could give Carolyn a run for the money! Well, perhaps not.

First, I made this dress last year but never wore it because the delicious slinkiness of the silk jersey clings to every bump, bulge and baloney sandwich underneath it. So shortened it to a top and cut sleeves (from Vogue 8575, my go-to pattern because I never get round to putting it away) from the excess, turning it into this.

IMG 0359

Then, when it came time to pack for a weekend in DC to visit DD and attend a law professors' conference I discovered I had nothing warm (or clean) to wear so I made another, better iteration of Vogue 8525. This one looks exactly like the photo on the pattern envelope, since I made it out of a nice charcoal grey double knit. I wore it every day in Washington because I like it and I could wear as many layers underneath as the temperature required. I pressed DD (who was surprised to learn I had made the top! Oh, joy supreme!) into service to take a picture, but I see she doesn't really grasp the outfit photo concept, which is probably just as well.

IMG 0352

Meanwhile the overly ambitious two-at-a-time-toe-up-magic-loop socks are proceeding apace. I'm somewhere around the instep preparing to learn how to do a heel. I didn't bother with a gauge because, well, I just didn't, and I figure the socks, if they ever materialize, will fit someone. Even if they have to be worn over shoes--they are looking pretty large.

And, finally (for now), I sat down for some serious "what happens if I do this?" time with my Brother 1034D serger, generating sample stitches, on muslin and stretch knit, carefully labeled with Differential Feed Setting, Stitch Length, Stitch Width and Needle and Looper Tension Settings, which I then tossed in a heap.

IMG 0367

A good day.

6 comments:

  1. I really like the look of the top, good save of a garment! AND you've been really sensible doing all those stitches on the different fabric, something I really need to learn to be with my sewing machine and overlocker. Need to take the overlocker out of the box first though! hehe!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your dress-turned-top is very pretty. And wearable, which is a plus! I've never knitted with "the loop". I find that I need to go down a size than what the pattern recommends for my foot simply because of the stretch of the sock when it's finished.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love how your dress turned top has come out, it looks lovely. Yay for go-to patterns!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great alteration on the dress-to-top. Far better than having something beautiful but impractical handing in your wardrobe, unworn. I laughed at the photo your daughter took. It's a lovely 'KC visits scenic spot' pic anyway!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I love cutting off dresses, I have a section of my dress pattern file just for evil future tunic plans!

    ReplyDelete