funnel neck renfrew "hoodie" of LOVE

I've had this great green funnel neck zip up since summer 2008. I wore it to the inauguration, and i wear it constantly cause it's dope! 

i looked forever for a pattern for anything like it. no such luck.

THEN I GOT PONTE FEVER. and found this on Fabric.com. WHUT. (no link, it's sold out. sorry luvs)

it's so dope! then i deployed my mad skillz of improvisation and cutting and made this puppy.

I used the old Renfrew as a basis, with long sleeves and cowl neck. Took in the cowl 5 or so inches at the top and maybe some height too, then lined it with an even smoother and lovely rayon ponte. just so that snuggly neck is soft as possible.

 throw in a copied kangaroo pocket, and it's on! (my expert pattern matching makes it invisible, but trust me)

 whooppee!

New favorite happening of the summer- SHORTS! Living in the Bay Area, I have had the same two pairs of shorts in my closet for maybe 10 years. They come out for maybe an annual camping trip or east coast visit each year, so replacing them hasn't been a high priority. But now! now I wear shorts once a week at least! It's The Best. Summertime!!!!

shazaam, ya'll. what are you wearing?

Renfrews for le Mama

look how cute my mom is in her new Renfrews! she's the lucky recipient of my latest handmade gift/s. And she's already raking in compliments, so I'm pleased with my work!

um, navy is hard to photograph. 

 I gave her the brown one in pieces, saying if she liked the first one (with this gorgeous fabric) i'd make her a second (in a somewhat lamer, but still soft & cozy fabric). She was into it!

no waistband, just a simple hem. 

She also told me that when she was learning to sew knits, that's how they finished things- with bands. :/

fancy posing time. 

um, mom? was that a burn??

no, of course not. she's just sharing. she's also teasing me by telling but not showing me her tailoring books as she watches me struggle with my Anise collar. Another story for another day!

happy new year!!

t shirt weekend

so much for being done with knits? I wandered into the local fabric shop a couple of weeks ago and scored $10 worth of remnant table fabric: a hot cocoa-colored soft rayon (?) almost sweater knit, and a little bit of baby blue with a tight stretch knit. I knew the brown was for a cowl neck t for me, and thought I'd experiment with the blue for little man clothes. and that's just what i did!

For the boy

A mixed media raglan tee from sewing for boys. the little man is growing like crazy right now. While I think  he is in good shape with pants and outer layers, he needs some simple Ts.

Changes from the pattern: i did a double needle treatment on the neckline, because i am not into the messy construction of zig zags and exposed seams everywhere.

For the same reason, the sides/arms seams are also done against the instructions, with the seams inside the shirt. The pattern is designed to leave hems unfinished (how was i going to get those armholes around my machine arm anyway??) but i'm not sure the boy is going to go for it. nothing to do but wait and see i suppose.

one more thing- when I traced out my pattern pieces, i used a size 2/3 width and 4/5 length (he is a perfect store size 3 for the moment). Even though it's supposed to be slim fitting, everything else in the book has been SOO wide I just thinned it down by default.

cost $5 for fabric, 2 hours for cutting and putting together. i loooove how easy this book is!

for me,
A cowl neck renfrew (from sewaholic), finally, in a proper full yardage way. I was frustrated to have to pull out a long seam of tight zig zag stitched because of an error in the pattern, but luckily Tasia recently wrote a blog post on how to handle the crazy cowl collar, which made it go like cake once I was there.

a poor artist blames her tools, and also i do not love my crappy machine.

what's funny is that this one is supposed to have finished sleeves and hem, but I opted to leave them raw. I used to have a black shirt like this that was a really nice fine cotton and I wore it to threads, i loved it so much.

So when I tried this puppy on and the unfinished sleeves hit at my wrists, i just left em. Ditto the hem- it's landing at a nice length now, just right for a cami to peep out from without being bulky.

well that just looks like a natural fit. 

 i don't need any bulk at the middle to make me self conscious, so here we are, a matched set of completed and yet also unfinished tees.

matchy matchy

cost: $8 for fabric and thread, 3-4 hours of cutting just right on the grain, sewing, picking, and sewing again.

i also made curry, granola, mac and cheese, and a long homework assignment. what did you make this weekend?

xo r

SWAP deadline - and a giveaway~!

Today is the SWAP deadline. I think i've done pretty well, and am celebrating by adding a little SWAPPING with a pattern giveaway.
** giveaway alert! **
want my Sencha pattern? it isn't a flattering shape for me but maybe you are shaped differently...holler if you want it! tell me..your favorite tea. 
refresher- i was to make 11 wardrobe pieces...2 of a few items and then 3 others. for my first deep spring of sewing, I've had to reorient a few times as fabrics drew me and projects turned me off (i'm talking to you, cap sleeve dress). nonetheless.... WOO! 

2 Blouses     holla!

still seeking TNT pattern- here's my initial survey:

1.  Burda blouse in Green, my first sew weekly submission (and um, only, to date.)

2. Sencha, which I have realized is also my first wadder. previous post lied:  that thing is nasty.

3. Titus "village" blouse. it's a little big, but i used a nice fabric and better technique, and the shape seems like it could be good for lots of fabrics. here's hopin.  (in fact, Mom may get one for Mama's day, it's such a simple shape I think i could fit it to someone miles and miles away.  

stripped down renfrew cowl-i swear it's cute in person.

2 T-Shirts   beep!

1. brown lace
2. minimal cowl- based loosely on the renfrew, but with half the fabric- no sleeves, no cowl lining, no waistband. it's a solid wardrobe staple, thank goodness.

2 Dresses  what what!!

1. cinnamon slip (which has become a nightdress, i'm so femme :p)

oh, hello again

easter dress has a waistband now

2- "easter" dress...is underway but is taking forever~. does not count unless I pull it out.
3- black and white GINGHAM Darling Ranges. I LOVE THIS THING.

2. Skirt     hm.
1. pink half slip. I'm not really into skirts as separates right now (except pencil skirts). but i already have three pencil skirts. Really? that's enough. 
2. is not going to happen.

Coat or Jacket     ye-yeyeah!
1. Minoru rain jacket

i made my own category for undies
cinnamon cami
panties from my own design
slip - maybe the ruby, since i have it printed at home...
bloomers!

looks like i am a winner! are you too? tell me all about it! or tell me you want that Sencha! 

xo bex

i finished! a week ago?

Hi! i finished the coat! it's exactly the color scheme I wanted, and the styling is good, but it's way too big.

see? some of the seams are straight! stitching in the ditch (burgundy thread) is not a strong suit.

I'll make a muslin for a complicated project like this next time. I'm really tempted to tear the whole thing apart and take it in, i'm also tempted to just start fresh with another fabric (like wool!). but mostly, i'm excited about a spring wardrobe (even though it's been freezing and I've had the stupid FLU), so i'm looking for dresses and tops patterns for now.

Here is the jacket! I think I'm violating some rule of the sewing bloggers with bathroom mirror pictures, but i'm a n00b, so sue me.

I love the fabric. swish swish swish is it olive or brown? i couldn't tell so i used a contrasting thread & zipper. All told the fabric and MESH lining (so sporty) cost maybe 45 bucks, and i used a zipper that i think came from my mom! total for the jacket is about $60, which went to 1) independent designer and 2) local fabric shop. woo! And it's an excellent price for a good looking rain jacket with a hood...but oh lord it took at least 40 solid hours of work, partially because i had trouble understanding the directions and partially because it had been so long since I sewed something so involved and actually stuck to the pattern...

i'd definitely make it again! with these changes
1)  in a size 6, with the famed FBA. i wayyy overcompensated for the big hips small bust shape of the jacket by making it 8 on bottom and 10 (!) on top. yes, this is why muslins are popular.
2) definitely include pockets. i think on seam (thanks, Amy) is the best option. what with the welt and patch pocket options that popped up in the sewalong, i skipped them out of indecision. But  now that the thing is on my bod, I keep reaching for the nonexistent pockets. (poches!)
3) get the proper zipper length for the hood pocket...heh . you can't tell me what to do!
4) line the hood and collar with fleece / fur / flannel -- something cozy.

5) mesh is easy to work with! way easier than i thought-- but it does reveal the elastic. so know that!
6) get ball point needles. CHECK. I had no idea these existed.

This process also prompted me to get a dressform - here she is! her name is ladyfriend.

i'm been sewing furiously as I avoid my problems (do you recognize that atrocity of a t shirt? its pattern is very hot right now and boy did i blow it!). more photos to come!

um, what?

i'm damn lucky there's a sewalong going on when i'm trying to make my dream raincoat, the Minoru jacket! I just read three pattern testers reviews and they all raved about how a really good beginner could ace this jacket- but i'm on my way to having a total meltdown about how to install the lining and the collar interfacing/lining. yes! i'm a beginner. I have been sewing for 20+ years, though, so while I don't know the terms as well, i know how to trick things together.

Dear Tasia-
1- I love this jacket- but where the heck is the part where the second piece of the collar gets inserted??
2- Using a mesh, like you thought you might in one of your many iterations, and I chose to do - means the waistband elastic will show. yich! (note to self- do not take on hard fabrics like mesh!!)
but most of all- 3 there need to be WAY MORE drawings of the lining-into-jacket section (boxes 17 and beyond?), and placing that final collar piece, which seems like the part that makes it all come together (is that supposed to be understood in "stitch in the ditch along neck seam"??)...but i'm just guessing, as I need to wait for the sewalong to catch up with me!

i should take photos, eh? my olive coat isn't participating in my dark house...maybe tomorrow!

Dear Tasia -I just reread it again. for the 15th time. this time i got it. i will sew the collar in tomorrow...i think it would have helped if directions in 17 were broken out to indicate what a large amount of sewing that is- the little hook gets more room! and thanks for rolling with me. :)

raincoat! and joining the sewing bloggers

I've been looking for a proper raincoat for months. Years, maybe, but in a concerted way this winter. But they're all off. and none of them are as cute as they should be, for as much as they cost.

enter Sewaholic- the designer of this fabulous little number had the same problem, and she designed her way around it. i'm trying to jump on board.

so far, i've ordered and received the pattern. Action! (usually i just keep shopping, while stalking the pattern at the same time. result- nothing. but yay! change!)

i also shopped fabric online, then went to my local [lesbian] fabric shop, coupon in hand, and bought a beautiful pair of fabrics for the jacket and lining. now i'm getting scared...because seriously, this thing could be fabulous.

today, i spent 5 HOURS laying out and cutting the fabric. no, really. also i laundered them last night, so woman hours in this thing will make it very "dear", but i'm still under retail with supply costs....in a happy twist, after striking out with zippers at the store, i came home to find a zipper that coordinates nicely and may have been inherited from my mom's sewing table. sweet. still need another for the hood pocket. oh and some interfacing.

ok, i'll share photos for my own sake, but the light is terrible right now! if only i had it in time for marin and the chilly morning ahead of me.

xoxo
r