Friday, January 29, 2010

BurdaStyle Jenny Skirt

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(this is my sewing den)


It's been awhile since my last post.
I've been busy with catching cold for some weeks, I know it sounds not funny. I think I need some outdoor-ish hobby other than sewing, to make myself tougher against those flu bugs.

Actually, when my friend M told me her idea about our "extreme sewing" (refer "extreme ironing" for understanding it) in this summer at some desolated coast of very lonely place where we have to walk for hours to reach, I thought I found my new outdoor hobby. No, I'm joking. We are not tough nor brave enough to call ours "extreme". But the idea of outdoor sewing, sewing buttons onto a shirt on the sea shore with my lovely sewing geeks sounds fun and something unusual. I think we'll do it. (photographs will be taken, of course.)

Jenny

Other than planning our "not-so-extreme sewing" tour, I sewed a skirt. The pattern I used was Jenny from BurdaStyle. I really love this pattern! You can think the pattern looks too simple to pay for it, but I have different idea. I think that when it is simple, it's difficult to be outstanding or even distinguished as better among the same kind (obviously I am thinking Jenny is such cute). I mean it's more difficult to make a garment look particularly better when the design is simpler because all of those in comparison are practically similar. I always admire things that is simple AND beautiful, and I see Jenny in such way. I needed to buy it. (I have to admit that I love elaborate & beautiful designs too. But I shut up about it for now.)

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Jenny

Therefore I sewed one new simple skirt and one new simple pullover in ultra plain colors, hoping they look better than how they are described in words.
Now I need the spring to come.

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BurdaStyle Jenny (skirt)

fabric:
wool/polyester tweed, in pink+white+pale beige+hint of shiny silver
thin and not so soft, easy fray

no alteration including the length
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anneeduex* p585d (pullover top)

fabric:
wool smooth jersey, in oyster white
thicker than T-shirt weight jersey, stretch very well, very very soft

lengthened and widened the sleeves
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Have a lovely weekend!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

a casual shirt for the husband

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I sewed my hubby a shirt.

I usually sew nothing but my own clothes. I don't feel like sewing, especially when I am asked (oh well... I'm selfish). On the other hand, I have to confess that I enjoy looking at people who look happy with the clothes that I make too.

So, when the energy that is needed for my rate-determining step is lower than usual, I happen to sew for others (for making myself feel good).

He seems loving it, as I see him in it so often. Yay for me!

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men's shirt

fabric: wool, pink-purple, twill, soft, slightly raised and thick
pattern: casual shirt no.11 from "the book for shirts for men" (ISBN-13: 978-4579111107)
** this is a Japanese book with full of shirt patterns, and I can strongly recommend it if the wearer is slim-build or not-very-tall. It is fully written in Japanese, though. I believe that the pattern always matters most for the better result.**


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Happy sewing ;)

Friday, January 1, 2010

Easy Mobius Cowl

A Happy New Year!

mobius

It took just one day to knit this easy and pretty cowl, and took another day for a pair of wrist warmers in the same yarn. It was a quick knitting and the result was very satisfying.

I usually have a problem with wearing cowls, no matter how big or small they are, I find it difficult to wear cowls rightly. I hope you know what I mean. Most cowls are simply tubular, and it causes uncomfortable excess when I try them on. They would sit on my shoulders strangely, or they would bury my neck unnecessarily funnily, instead of wrapping my neck nicely and gracefully with their characteristic feature, richness.

So I analyzed about it a bit, and thought that adding one-time twist to my cowl would make my life improved. Indeed, this cowl with a mobius twist sit on my neck just fine without any hustle, and it looked prettier than any other cowls I have tried! I think the twist is absorbing the excess that is normally aimlessly dangling around my neck. You can't imagine how happy I was to find my rule for cowls!

mobius

I recommend this to you if you have same kind of problem as mine on cowls and if you still would like to try another. This is a simple pattern with great potential.

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Easy Mobius Cowl by Haley Waxberg

size: smaller size
note: knitted with holding those 3 yarns together

yarns:
Filatura Di Crosa Zara Solid: off-white
Filatura Di Crosa Maxime Print: colorway5062, multi-colored
UNITIKA bonbulcy silk: pale pink
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*the pink coat is one of my old creations (2007).