First Sewing Project for 2016!

It's been pretty quiet here on the blog lately.  We've had a bit of a change in things around home lately which has left little time for things like blogging.  Almost a month ago, my MIL had a bit of a bad spell with her health and wound up in hospital.  She needed more care than was available to her upon her release so we invited her to move in with us.  We're all adjusting well to the new routine - she's been here a week and a half now with us - and settling in, but moving and settling takes time, especially since she lived in the same home for over four decades.  I'm very happy to say she's doing wonderfully well and getting stronger every day!  And as the business of moving gets wrapped up, I'm finding a bit more time for things like sewing and writing.  So here we go with my first sewn project of 2016!

I've actually had this finished for about a week now, but trying to get any photos of it that are fit to be seen by the rest of the world has been challenging.  I do not know what it is about the Julia Cardigan* from Mouse House Creations, but the whole reason I never ever blogged about my first one a few years ago was that I simply could not get a photo in which I didn't look like either a lunatic or an escaped convict and this one has proved to be the same.  You'd laugh if you saw the photos, but I'm afraid my ego can't quite handle it to share them with you.

So to that end, I've decided that, "You get what you get and you don't get upset" so the little boys always say in a sing song voice (usually right before they get terribly upset over what they get - the wrong colour of cup, a perceived difference in amount of cake... you know.  Things that can become tragic in the eyes of a five and six year old).   Seriously though.  Over a dozen photos and only one ok, but doesn't really show how great the cardi actually is.  So you'll just have to trust me on it.

I LOVE the Julia Cardigan.  It's really easy to sew and easy to throw on when you need an extra layer to keep the chilly air at bay.  I chose to do the double collar, just because I feel it looks a little more polished.  I shortened the sleeves by about the width of the cuff because they were longer on me than their current length with the cuff before I had sewed the cuff on. I didn't want to have to constantly be shoving my sleeves up or rolling them up.  I think I perhaps went a touch shorter than necessary, but they're still long enough to be cozy.

For my first one a few years ago (the unblogged although much loved one), I had used a lightweight blend knit.  It held up well, but a few weeks ago as I took it out of the wash I realized I could see little dots of light showing through the back of it.  Upon further inspection I noticed that light was a result of several tiny holes in the fabric.  Whether a matter of kitty claws getting it, or just plain over use, it was clearly time for a new one.  For this new one I chose a really soft sweater knit.  Again it's lightweight so it has a great drape to it, but it has great recovery, no itch to it and to top it off was on sale at Fabricland for a song when I bought it!

I'm seriously considering making a cap sleeve version for when the weather warms up in the spring.  I think it would definitely get a lot of use!  My only conundrum is figuring out what fabric to use and what colour!  Any suggestions?

Me Made May 2015 Week One

Well, week one of May is over and I have, so far, maintained my very reasonable challenge of wearing/using at least one handmade item per day.  I had some doubts after signing up that maybe I shouldn't have after all.  As I read around the blogosphere about crafters worrying that they didn't have enough outfits for the entire month and would have have repeats so they weren't participating, or reading here and there, comments such as "I'd better hurry up and sew {x} amount of dresses so I can participate" etc. the doubts just compounded.  But then I went back and re-read Zoe's sign up post and I felt a whole lot better about it all.  I'm really enjoying the personal challenge that I set forth for myself and that's really the whole point of it I think.

So here's a bit of a round up for week one. You have seen last Friday already so I'm just going to jump on in today with Saturday.

May 2nd:  Jocole's A-Line Yoga Skirt (blogged here)- I absolutely need more of these in my wardrobe. I love it!!!  It's a "wearing pyjamas" kind of comfy but looks put together (unlike my actual pyjamas - although I'm sincerely considering rectifying that matter this spring. No, don't worry I won't be wearing them out in public, but it's high time I had some nice, not threadbare and tattered jammies).

May 3rd: Mouse House Creations' Julia Cardigan - Once again,  I need more of these.  I made this one a few years ago now (yet somehow never blogged about it).  I've worn it so much it's pretty much worn out.  The fabric, which was just cheapo clearance section unknown fibre content sags and bags now and is definitely showing it's age.  Time to make a new one.  In possibly every colour.  (If I'm looking a bit ragged it's because Baby Boy had been up and down all night with a nagging cough then was up for the day before six, then we had done the MS Walk that morning and although it was warm it was also really windy and there is something about being outside in the wind that sucks all the energy out of me.  By the time this picture was taken I just wanted to have supper and curl up on the couch.)

May 4th: Laura Aylor's beach in winter (blogged here) - Monday morning started out brisk.  So I decided to ward off the chill with my new favourite pullover.  I really like everything about this sweater.  It's comfortable, it fits, it's cozy without being crazy warm and the Northern Wool with Tweed is such a soft yarn against the skin.

May 5th: The sun was shining and the temperature glorious on Tuesday.  It was the perfect day to wear my "Bluebirds of Happiness" SisBoom Rebecca Shift for the first time of the year.  This dress is one of my favourites. It's easy to just pull on but makes me feel really great.  At the same time it's comfy enough to just hang around the house in too!  What more can a gal ask for in a dress?  I blogged about it last year here.

May 6th: My Sweatshop of Love Work+Shelter top was the choice for Wednesday.  I knit it two years ago (blogged here) and I've worn it so often over those two years.  My only disappointment with this top is that I knit it out of 100% bamboo yarn and over time my top (that I was once worried would be too short) has now migrated quite far south with stretching.  The yarn has also definitely lost its once upon a time lustre, becoming quite matte and muted now.  I need to figure out how to tighten it up a bit.  I'm considering just tossing it in the dryer and hoping for the best because it's getting to the point where it's looking pretty sloppy these days.

May 7th: Thursday was dreary and rainy here on the prairies.  The morning started out warm with a temperature of +17C when we woke up.  By the time afternoon had rolled around it was +6C.  Yikes!  I figured that morning, upon looking at the forecast, that layering was my best option, so SisBoom's Tortola Top (blogged here) and Andi Satterlund's Marion cardi (blogged here) were the way to go.

May 8th: Today has been downright cold. What the heck Mother Nature??? You can't be +26C one day and then three days later dive down to -1C.  It's just not nice.  So it was a "wear all the wool" kind of day.  Laura Aylor's Hay Cove (blogged here) and my own Just Around the Corner socks (blogged here) kept the freezing weather at bay somewhat at least.  I really hope the sun comes out tomorrow and the temperature starts to climb again!

So that's a wrap for the first week of my first ever participation in Me Made Made!  I'm looking forward to seeing what hand mades I can wear next week - of course a lot of it depends on what Mother Nature throws at us next temperature wise...

How about you?  Did you pledge a Me Made May challenge for yourself this year?  If you did how's it going?

Valencia Women's Tunic

It seems like I've been sewing up a storm lately!  When the warmer weather arrives I almost always trade my knitting needles for my sewing machine.  Don't get me wrong.  I still knit.  It's just that it takes a bit of a back seat to sewing, where as in the winter it's all knitting all the time.

A few weeks ago I posted my to do list and on that list were a couple of test projects.  Today I get to tell you about one of them! (sorry, can't tell you about the other one for a few more weeks yet...)

Hayley Crouse - you know her from Mouse House Creations and Willow and Co. - has just released the Valencia Women's Tunic as part of Willow and Co.'s spring line up.  It's a sleeveless, flowy, high-low hemline, tunic top that comes in sizes xs to xxxl and is perfect as those temperatures heat up!  (although depending on the fabric you use this could easily become a year round wardrobe piece by just throwing on a cardi as the cooler weather approaches).

I was really excited to be chosen as a tester for the Valencia Tunic.  The Julia Cardigan is one of my absolute favourite hand made items in my closet that I've nearly worn out from constant use - note to self : make a new one!!! - so I was confident that I would appreciate both Hayley's pattern making skills and her method of construction.  What I appreciated most though was that I got to see the inner workings of her process in releasing a pattern.  She was great to work with and I can tell you that she only releases a pattern once it is perfect and any little kinks that may have existed have been ironed out.  Although, one would hope all designers would consider that to be standard, it just doesn't always seem to be the case.  If you purchase one of Hayley's patterns I guarantee that you are getting your money's worth.  You can purchase the Valencia on the Willow and Co. Patterns website.

So without further ado, here's my take on the Valencia.  I used a cotton lawn with a lace overlay yoke.

Don't forget to hop on over to Willow and Co. and pick up your copy of the Valencia Tunic.  It's intro price for the next few days is just $7.00, which as you seamstresses/sewists/sewers (what on earth are we supposed to call ourselves these days) know, is a really great price for a pattern!

Now I've got to head back down to my sewing room and find my trusty BFF the seam ripper for my current project I'm working on.  I've completely ignored the order of my to do list and am working on a dress for myself right now and not only have I changed sizes over the winter and have to take in what I've done so far (a darn sight better to need it smaller than bigger mind you!), I made a tactical error in colour judgement and need to fix it up.  I've also added six more items to my spring sewing list when I took advantage of the newest Ladies Bundle Up Sale the other day. (Hurry up and get it while you can!  You've still got until May 8th to get the bundle pricing!!!! There are some awesome patterns that you do not want to miss out on.  I worked out the price of the patterns I bought and I saved over $40 on them buying them through the bundle up sale.  Whoot!).