Sewing!

I had gotten my sewing machine onto the dining room table recently, for some simple sewing and mending.  I decided it was time to really sew.  Like, clothing!  Most of my shirts are t-shirts, and starting to wear out (or be too small).  I'm hoping to get back to supply teaching this fall, and will need slightly nicer clothes (it appears supply teachers don't wear two piece suits or dressy dresses anymore!).  I hit the fabric stash and the pattern stash, and measured my chest.  Oooohh.  I've grown a bit LOL.  I gave away a lot of pattern a while ago because I wasn't sewing and I had shrunk a bit, and learned how to do a "Full Bust Adjustment" so I was buying for my upper bust size, not full bust size.  So a lot of my patterns are a smidge small now!  I picked out Simplicity 5849.  Because, "it's so EASY!".  LOL.  And although the bust size was a bit small, the finished size matched a similar shirt I love.  I chose some lightweight fabric, the leftover from Megan's dress, made way back in 2010!

I'm trying to find a link to the pattern, I found one on Pinterest, and one on http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/ but that Simplicity 5849 is NOT the one I made.  Google is giving me a hard time today.

I adjusted the pattern by taking out 1/2" in the upper bodice, 1/2" in the sleeve length, and 1/2" in the length...but then I added 1 1/2" to the bottom (there was some shaping so I wanted to shorten the waist length).  I didn't do any bust adjustments.  I thought I was doing good by remembering to take 1/2" out of the sleeve cap to match the reduction in the upper bodice.

My first try-on confirmed all my fears.  It was sad.  The shoulders were too wide.  There was pulling across the upper bust, pulling across the upper arm, and it was too short.  Even on me, being only 5'1".

 And the sleeves fell at an awkward spot.  These pictures are from after my adjustments though.
I had to resew one sleevehead, I don't remember why now.  I was thinking of how I could get more width in the bust...since the sleeve was sewn in it seemed that I would just have to go outwards from where they connect.  Then I realized I could re-do the whole sleevehead with a narrower seam (thank god I hadn't trimmed the seam allowance yet!).

 Doing this got me almost enough room.   It made the upper bodice and sleeve heads almost an inch wider (3/8" on body, plus 3/8" on the sleeve, times two, per sleeve), and a bit longer in the sleeve head, though I didn't adjust the shoulder seams because I had already topstitched down the shoulder seam and applied bias trim along the neckline.  Got extra through the bust and upper back.  The lower back is quite boxy; I could put an elastic strip on the inside, but I don't know.
When I was cutting it, I did a size 18 for the body width but tapered in to a 16 for the armholes.  Obviously, I didn't need to do that!

 The pattern called for bias trim on the neckline, to make the casing.  I was going to make my own, but  I wanted to get it done.  I had some trim with simple green stripes that looked cute, but I thought it might show through, so I picked out this vintage flowered one.  I'd been waiting for the perfect time to use it.  I don't really think this was the perfect time as it's all a little busy, but no one sees it.

My changes really helped, but the shoulders still felt like they were slipping, and my bra straps showed.  When I was sewing it up, you were supposed to sew the end of the drawstrings at the "dots", it didn't go all the way around the neck.  I didn't seem to have marked where those dots were on the fabric, so I eyeballed it based on the diagrams.  I thought perhaps I hadn't gone high enough on the sides of the front neck, and maybe moving it up would help draw in the shoulders a bit.  It did help, but it's now down to the fact there just isn't enough fabric at the shoulders for me.

I toyed with the idea of making a wide band to draw the bottom in and give it some length.  But I wanted a billowy, loose, sort of summer shirt and I just don't think I could do a good job...I'm just not a very good, accurate, cutter and sewer!

Now...if only I had some better pants to wear with this top...

Oh Bother!

My sister in law is a big Pooh fan.  She's been in the hospital for awhile, and my brother shared a photo of how she has a bunch of her favourite things on the window sill.  One is a Jean Greenhowe bear.  I know I made bears for her girls...but I don't remember if I made THAT bear.  I know her grandma, I think it was, also knit.  How do you ask "Did I make that bear?" without looking like an idiot?  LOL.

So, I decided I suddenly needed to make a Pocket Pooh Bear.  It started out quick, using Patons Lace in the off white, that I planned to dye.  I used the Jean Greenhowe pattern.  I'd done this before, with a different yarn, and got a tiny bear.  But not this time.  It was more "Purse Buddy" than "Pocket Buddy".  So I re-did the head and body, using half the stitches and half the rows, approximately.  It was going quick.  Then I took it to an outdoor concert and made a leg.  Then realized I made a full sized leg instead of half size.  Oops.  It was all going well, even got the dyeing done in good time...and then procrastination set in.  And I took my kids up to my parents for 5 days and barely got anything knit!

 I used a fine tip Sharpie for the eyebrows.  If I had looked at a picture sooner, I would have made smaller ears, and made sure his belly was fuller.

But he's done.  She's still in the hospital and I hope it gives her a smile!

His legs turned out a little big.  It was hard to get the shaping reduced down.  But he's cute in his big-pawed awkwardness :)

Yarn In:   2876gr
Yarn Out: 17gr + 4505gr= 4522gr
Balance: 1646gr more USED than bought
Costs:   $139.55/208 days = $0.67/day

New Photos

I took new photos of my stock of water bottle holders, so that they were a little more organized.  It's been hard, because I was making two styles (crocheted, and sewn) and at least two sizes.  This time I put the small, disposable bottle sized ones together, and the larger ones together.

I wasn't happy with the top photo though.  Perhaps the crocheted one on the right should be at the far left.  

These ones are tricky because I don't have enough water bottles in the right sizes.  The crocheted holders really need a water bottle to fill them out.  And neither picture show the insides of the reversible holders.

In other news, I think I finally came up with how to make the sewn straps adjustable, at an affordable price!  Snaps!  I was wondering around the local fabric store, looking for something like "buttonhole elastic" but not elastic.  I saw hook and eye tape, but boring colours!  Then I was in the drapery department, and saw a twill tape with small plastic rings sewn along it.  I thought, if I had something that could hook to...(but it was only white).  The assistant started talking to me, I explained what I was looking for, and she said there was nothing.  As I walked away, it hit me!  Snaps!  I could do one half on the holder, and then maybe 5 spaced along the lower half of the strap!  Bingo!  I even concluded that I could put a snap along the top edge to narrow in the larger holders.  Oh, and how about a loop with a snap to attach your key ring?  (Mine used to be on a carabiner clip, but not now).

So, I came home and started looking at snaps.  The fabric store sells the Babyville pliers, but I had heard, from my diaper sewing days, mixed reviews.  I've been fixing up some cloth diapers for my cousin's wife, and she mentioned that she had gotten snap pliers and was loving them.  She lives just a bit too far to be convenient, so I asked in a local FB WAHM craft group if anyone in my town had snap pliers and could show me the ins and outs so I'd know better what I want, and test it to see if they would hold the weight of the water bottles.  I got two responses, and knew (not well, but they weren't strangers!) them and they weren't far from me!  Yesterday, I went to one of their houses (oh, the lady that did the embroidery for the "Rude Robot" hat!) and she showed me how to do it, etc and let me borrow it.  She didn't have many snaps, and not the complete set in black, so I will probably go buy some more today, LOL, and then order my own snap pliers.

I'm really excited by this!  Snaps might be showing up everywhere!

Headbands!

I know I've been saying for awhile I had some headbands to post about....but I finally got some pictures!!

I think this one started it.  I know my niece likes pinks and orange, and I made a water bottle holder out of this, some old Bernat "Cool Crochet" cotton blend.  It's from http://www.myhobbyiscrochet.com/2013/08/thread-headband-free-pattern-and.html

It was pretty easy enough. The scallops sort of flip up though. 

I think this one was next.  It's from http://cre8tioncrochet.com/2013/09/queen-annes-lace-headband/

I used an OLD Kroy 4ply sock yarn.  I think there's a typo in her Step 3.  She says she likes to do 16dc instead of  14, but then Step 3 doesn't work out.  I found I actually needed to do 12 dc to make it lie flat.

I do notice though, that her's have more of an interlocking look, where as mine are "this side and that side".

Then I moved on to this one:

It was linked to from the first headband's pattern, but really, the pattern didn't show up well, so I thought just doing DC would also work.

This sparkly blue one was just double crochets. Nice and simple.

A lighter blue one, like the first one.  This yarn was too soft though.  

I really wanted to make this one:  https://www.pinterest.com/pin/442900944581218438/  but the pattern isn't available anymore (or at least, not on it's own).  So, I set out to create my own.  It was going well with the swatches, and then I choose this yarn.  

It wasn't doing what I wanted, and I realized the flowers were too close together.  So I tried a solid colour.  Much better.  I think it needs a very delicate yarn though.

I tired again with white cotton, but it was too bulky I think (even though this was probably a sock to sport weight)

At some point, I made another one of these.  This is a #10 crochet cotton with a silver thread in in.  No beads.  Very crisp and delicate!

A bulky, textured purple yarn for another simple one.

Another Queen's Ann Lace, with very small blueish beads.. Or maybe they were clear with silver on the inside.  It's amazing how different the beads look once you put yarn through them.  This was a very thin coned yarn that I'd use on my standard gauge knitting machine.  Thinner than #10 crochet thread.

Another one similar to the  very first one.  I changed the scallops a bit and added a plastic clear bright pink bead in each.  It's a very fuzzy fake mohair (I used it for the Lilac Sunset Sweater last summer).

And one more simple one, in the Neapolitan yarn.

This is all of them, except the Neapolitan one.

 Edit to add:  I'm getting rusty at blogging!  I thought I was forgetting something in this post.  I was!  My yarn balance sheet!

Yarn In:   2876gr
Yarn Out:  106gr + 4399gr = 4505gr
Balance: 1629gr more USED than bought
Costs:   $139.55/188 days = $0.74/day

Catching Up

I just wanted to get caught up with some yarn in totals.  For some twin cowboy hats I was asked to make, I bought one ball of Patons' Decor, and one ball of Vanna's Choice.  She liked the Decor, and I got started on the first hat.  Of course, it took just over half the ball, so I had to go back for another ball.  I meant to return the Vanna's Choice, but I forgot to take it.  I still have time to return it, but don't anticipate going there anytime soon.  So I guess I'll include it and just throw it in the bin.  It's a nice yarn, I have others in different colours...but I just don't care for this colour.  All together it's another 300gr of yarn in.  Boo!

Yarn In:   300gr + 2576gr = 2876gr
Yarn Out: 4399gr
Balance: 1523gr more USED than bought
Costs:  $13.64 + $125.91 + $139.55/184 days = $0.76/day

I've still used up more than I've bought!

Two Weeks?!

I was just over at Marg's blog to see if there was anything new.  I love that she has me linked in the sidebar...and it shows when my last post was....and today it said "two weeks ago"!  OMG.  What have I been doing these past two weeks?  Ummm....  uhhhh....  ohhhh... I went crazy with crocheting some headbands.  I'm working on some cloth diaper repairs for my cousin.  School has been busy, physiotherapy twice a week.  I don't feel I've accomplished much, but I did do all those headbands.  So I'll get them photographed tomorrow if the sun shines :)

Sweet

I have had a single ball of Plymouth Yarn's "DreamBaby" in this pretty pastels...for ever.  I made a newborn outfit for Megan in 2005 in this yarn, in white, and it's quite possible I bought this ball at the same time.  I know for certain it was before 2009.  Actually,  I wonder if I made that white dress for Lucy (2002)?
What to do with ONE 50gr ball of DK yarn?  It's very soft, no substance at all.  The pastel baby colours did not say adult hat or scarf.  One day recently, while perusing Pinterest and Ravelry, I just decided it would be a little romper dress.

It got off to a fine start.  I made it the length the pattern said, and then decided I didn't want booties, and I did NOT want any yarn left over.  Lately, it seems the trend is to diaper covers, so I thought I would give that a go.

I started with a crochet pattern...but the sizing seemed way off.  Tried again, using the sizing info that I use for my other covers, and decided to crochet hdc in the round.  Got almost to where to divide for the legs...and realized that after that, I'd be working flat.  And hdc looks different flat than it does in the round.  Rip!  Gave crocheting it flat another try, but it seemed to be eating the yarn very quickly.

Gave knitting it a try since it uses less yarn.  I think the first time I was off on sizing, so I started again.  Interesting how different the yarn looks when knitted.  I'm not sure which I prefer though. Got the legs divided and was going along...and I just knew I wasn't going to get it done with the yarn.  Rip!

I then ripped out the last round on the dress, which is a different scallop row from the rest of the body.  Used the yarn from the diaper cover, and did another two rounds on the dress.  Not enough for another round, but I was determined there was going to be NONE left over.

Decided on a headband.  I used a narrow piece of elastic I had, sewed it into a loop about 12" around, and crocheted over it.  Made a little flower with the  last yards.  Not enough for two layers, which I felt it needed, so I grabbed a lilac yarn for the second layer.  Now, I wish I had started with that lilac, and added some details on the dress, to tie it in.  Then I might have had enough for the diaper cover (which could have also had some lilac).

Anyway.  It's done.  Used up that entire ball.  Now, instead of having a ball of yarn in the stash, I have a baby dress in the "sale box" LOL! Anyone need a baby gift? :)

Yarn In:   2576gr
Yarn Out:52gr + 4347gr = 4399gr
Balance: 1823gr more USED than bought
Costs:  $125.91 /160 days = $0.79/day

Simple Things

Every year, my kids' school has a "Spring Fling" and there is a huge raffle.  Something like 59 items/baskets this time.  You can donate individual items and/or contribute to your kids' classroom's theme basket.  My youngest had a theme of "Water activities" so I thought I do a crochet beach tote, great for not holding all the sand from the toys!  And, I also threw in a water bottle holder.  I forgot to buy a bottle of water to put in it, but I tossed in a business card and wrote a bit on the back.  My plan was actually to sew a patch on the bottom part of the strap.  My kids' school is Captain Michael VandenBos PS.  Michael was a member of the Royal Canadian Air Force's demonstration team, the Snowbirds.  I also knew Michael in high school!  There is/was an Air Cadet troop that met at the school.  Their crest was similar to the Snowbirds crest, with "VandenBos" underneath.  The conductor of the community band I'm in is involved with Cadets and I saw one day he had this patch on his bag.  I asked him and he said he could sell me a couple for $10 each, and that they're hard to find now.  So, I bought two.

And hid them so well I couldn't find them.

The little circle is one of my TracyKM Designs tags.

The bottom of the bag was annoying me--I was using a smaller hook than I should have, to add some body, and my circle wasn't laying flat.  So I had to redo it with fewer stitches.  And it takes forever to do that base in single crochets!  Then I do a row through the back loop, to form the turning ridge, then a few rounds in single crochet, then a few rounds in half double crochet, then about halfway up in double crochet.  Then I switched to 1 dc, 1 ch (skipping a dc).  This speeds it up.  As I was going up, I also started doing some decreases...I split the bag into quarters and did two decreases every row, alternating front and back and sides.  At the top, I switched to single crochet in each dc and in each ch1, and then back to several rows of single crochet.  Then the strap is 12 sc wide.  I got this width from a free Bernat pattern I've done before.  However...I didn't read that it should have been decreased down to 8 sc!!  The strap seemed to take forever, LOL, but the sc really helps prevent stretching (I've had that problem with the water bottle holders I made with dc straps).

It's a good size bag!  I had quickly popped into Michaels to get the cotton yarn, and got the huge ball of Handicrafter.  I had a 20% off coupon, but the cashier used a 50% off coupon!  Score!  It used 198gr!

Yarn In:  400gr + 2176gr = 2576gr
Yarn Out: 198gr + 4149gr = 4347gr
Balance: 1771gr more USED than bought
Costs: $8.49 + $117.42 = $125.91 /156 days = $0.81/day

Where Did May Go?

I can't believe how fast May zoomed by.  I got only six posts done!  I'm not really busy with TracyKM Designs right now, so creating all those Mosaic newsboy caps, and all the caps for this post, was more of a "make work" project.  She wanted only two hats, LOL.  I made a total of ...15?

 She asked for "two shades of blue, or grey".   I searched my stash, and although I had two shades of blue in Paton's "Decor", they didn't look good together, and didn't look fresh and modern.  I had a grey Decor, but not enough for two hats.  I have some other grey acrylic, but I don't think it's "nice enough" for a new customer's newborn twins.  I trekked off to Michael's, where the only worsted weight yarn that came in two nice shades of blue was LionBrand's "Vanna Choice".  Co-incidentally, it also came in two nice shades of grey.  Just in case she went with one grey, one blue.

 I started with a pattern I've use before from poshpatterns.com.  I did some altering, since the picture she had shown me, the hats were done in double crochet, and the Posh Pattern one in dc goes through the back loop only, I believe.  And I winged the straps.  They were a bit smaller than I wanted, but still looked good.

 I tried to find buttons that would look good on all colours, and not be shiny bright--a big no-no for photographers.  These had a pewter and black look to them.

When I was photographing them, I remembered why I don't like the newsboy caps with buttons.  From straight on, the buttons look like eyes and the bill looks like a platypus.  Sorry!  Slightly longer button bands would have helped.

The client bought the two charcoal ones, so all the others are still available.  They are all NB, with the exception of one of the royal blue ones is more like 3Mos.

What do you think of my new styling ideas for the photos?  Pictures of just hats get boring!

The four balls of Vanna's Choice weighed in at 400gr, and $19.84.  I used 215gr, for an average of  31gr each.  

Yarn In:  1776gr + 400gr = 2176gr
Yarn Out: 225gr + 3924gr = 4149gr
Balance: 1973gr more USED than bought
Costs:  $97.58 + $19.84=$117.42 /153 days = $0.77/day

Where've You Been?

I've been a little busy with life here!  And, doing some crocheting...and, like often, I get a little carried away LOL.  A woman asked for newsboy caps for her twin grandsons coming this summer.  She asked for "grey or two shades of blue".  Pretty open ended...should be easy, right?

Because they were for twins, I wanted two matching yarns--same brand, and to look nice together.  I had both a grey and a blue in Patons "Decor", but felt the blue was too dull.  I had some really dark blues, and I have some grey...but together, nothing looked like "twins".  I went to Michaels and was surprised to see it was challenging to find a yarn with two shades of "nice" blue.  Many were very dark, or more of a turquoise colour.  Or, "Minion" blue (very bright).  Finally, I selected four balls of LionBrand "Vanna's Choice".  I really like this yarn, but some of the balls really split!  I got two shades of grey and two shades of blue.

Before I started though, I remembered I still had some of these hats:

I made them back in May 2013, and the sizing wasn't all exactly the same, and some were way too small for newborn, and some were just barely newborn size.  I had pulled the small ones out to re-do them and felt this was as good of time as ever.  If the client liked them, I could return the other yarn.  If she didn't like them, and wanted solid colours, then at least I had some more RTS items available!  In fact, I decided to rip them all out and start fresh.

I whipped them up--they go so quick!  Though weaving in ends, because the yarn was being recycled, added a bit of time.  But not much.  I decided to get creative and do some more gnome style ones.  They seem popular, so I hope they sell.

The three hats above are all the same hat; I wanted to show how it can be styled differently!

Eight adorable hats.  I sent a sneak peek to the client, and she said she'd prefer solid coloured hats.  Oh well!  At least these are made, photographed, blogged, and in the bin now!

Most of the yarn was recycled from the original hats.  However, I did have some left over, so I made another one.  I'm just going to count this ALL as yarn out for this year, and not worry about what was already counted back in 2013!

Yarn In:  1776gr
Yarn Out: 211gr + 3713gr = 3924gr
Balance: 2148gr more USED than bought
Costs:  $97.58 /145 days = $0.67/day