Building Block

I’ve really been dragging my feet when it comes to getting back to sewing. Gardening, knitting, spinning, baking — anything but sewing it seems. Why the reluctance, what’s holding me back? In a word - “block”age. My tried and true shirt blocks no longer fit very well, so it’s back to the drafting board to configure something better. 

I’m not sure what the technical definition of a block is, but to me, it’s a basic, no frills pattern that has been adjusted to a comfortable, attractive fit and that can be sewn ‘as is’, or adapted to produce other styles by changing necklines, sleeves or other elements. I’ve used two Connie Crawford sloper patterns - now distributed by Islander Sewing  - CS1201, darted blouse sloper, and CS1301, shoulder princess blouse sloper. I started with the darted blouse. First I traced off one size smaller. I thought this would give me a slightly loose fit without looking oversized. Measuring my upper bust and full bust, I thought I could leave the dart uptake ‘as is’ - spoiler alert - that was not my best decision! The neckline was just a bit smaller, so that meant drafting a new collar stand. I used the instructions in Patternmaking Made Easy by Connie Crawford since the sloper pattern does not include any collar or stand. For this test garment I did not draft a collar for the stand. The pattern provides a set-in short sleeve. I lengthened it to 3/4 length, narrowed the bottom and drew a 2 inch facing for the hem opening when I realized I wanted the cut length to be close to the finished length. And this is what I ended up with:

It’s OK - wearable - but the pattern will need further tweaking before it’s ready to serve as a base for other styles. The biggest problem is the bust dart - it’s just too big. I also want to further reduce the circumference, not by a lot, but just to give it a slightly closer fit. Also, the shoulder seam could come in just a bit more. I’m hoping version 2 will be good enough to trace onto sturdier oak tag and serve as my new darted shirt block. It’s so much more fun to be able to just cut out and sew!

A Small FO

 

Some days you can handle a big, complicated project, and some days you just need a quick FO (finished object) — and sometimes a quick, fun project is anything but!

I’ve been trying to up my casual wardrobe game and a small accessory seemed to be the way to go. Do I have any scarves in my closet? Why yes, yes I do. Do I ever wear the scarves I already have? Hmmm, not so much. Does this idea make sense? Well, if you have to ask…

At any rate, the Holly Bandana by Susanne Muller was chosen, and I decided to try a new-to-me yarn to make it — Pure Silk by Knitting for Olive — 100% silk (bourette), 250m/50g ball in color “Blue Tit”. 

The pattern comes in two sizes — S for a head scarf, and M for a neck scarf. I made the smaller version, but knitted it with a slightly larger needle (a 3.25mm instead of a 3.0mm) so it probably hits somewhere between a S and a M. It’s well written and easy to follow - no complaints whatsoever about the pattern. The yarn however — to be honest, one of my least favorite knitting experiences of all time. It is not spun from long silk filaments, but rather made up of ‘waste’ fibers of silk. It has a ‘cottony’ feel, and this particular yarn is three plies of bourette silk thread. It is categorized as ‘fingering’ weight but it appears much more of a ‘lace weight’ to me. It splits at the drop of a hat, and felt rough passing through my fingers. However, it was just one ball of yarn and very useful for me to learn that it just isn’t a good choice for me - to each her own.

Here’s a closer look at the stitch pattern - a simple lace, just enough patterning to keep it interesting, but simple to memorize. 

Cherry Blossom time

 

You could get whiplash from the changing weather here lately - sunny and hot one day, snow soon after. Nonetheless, it’s time to think of Spring and I’ve been shifting into lighter warm weather projects.

This is my version of a Rowan design by Quail Studio ‘Interlace’  The pattern suggests Rowan Cotton Cashmere yarn, a blend of 85% cotton/15% cashmere - 50 g./137 yard ball (US $17.50). While this is probably a lovely yarn, I went with a different choice - Cascade Ultra Pima Fine, 100% Pima cotton - 50 g./136 yard ball (US $7.50). I love cashmere, but I’m not a fan of blending it with cotton, and let’s be honest - I was happy to spend less money on a yarn that I believed suitable to the project.

This is a simple design overall, and I didn’t change too much - except for length - I took about 2 inches off the body, and about 5 inches from the sleeve length. I also felt the sleeves were too wide for my taste, so I used the stitch count for a smaller size, which (luckily) worked out fine.

It should work well as a light cover up for warmer weather over a tank top or short sleeved tee, and coordinate with either natural colored or navy linen slacks - fabrics purchased, but still dithering about pattern choice. 

One month later…

 

…a new cardigan. This was not one of my favorite makes, more on that later, and I was glad to finish it up just in time for another round of snow. We don’t seem to be getting the worst of the current nor’easter here (knock wood), but it’s disruptive nonetheless. Why is it the shortest month of the year feels like it drags on forever  with such wretched weather?

The pattern is  Port Jacket by Ozetta (Hailey Smedley). The yarn suggested (and used) is Lettlopi by Istex, 100% Icelandic wool, 50 g/100 m. I wasn’t expecting softness from Icelandic wool, but this lot seemed really harsh and tended to stick together, making the knitting process not so pleasant. The hand did improve with a nice warm bath and the stitches settled down too. I kind of wondered if the stickiness I noticed in the yarn might have been due to it’s having been sitting around for a bit - could natural oils in the yarn have dried and perhaps hardened a bit? In any case, the moisture and gentle wool wash (Soak brand) gave it a much nicer feel when completed. 

As this is a new to me designer, I didn’t want to stray too far from her vision. So, in choosing which size to make I went with my actual bust measurement (40”) which was a size L. The pattern indicated that sizes XS - L had 12 inches of positive ease added. This seemed like more than I would want, but I went ahead and kept to size L. I think I would have been happier with one size down, as the stiffness of the yarn coupled with so much ease is more bulk than I really like. I did veer from the pattern in a couple of things. I have tried to get with the German short row love that a lot of younger designers seem to have, but nope. I’m always willing to learn a new trick for a better result, but I’m fine with my standard wraps (or the YO method used in a lot of Falkenberg makes). I also balked at using the Italian bind off for the main body - there was no way I was going to use a strand of this unplied, slightly kinked, sticky yarn in a length of 150 + inches to do a sewn bind off -I shudder to even think of it! The Italian bind off does look lovely on the sleeve cuffs though. I also chose to use handcrafted buttons instead of the recommended toggles. These were long term (25 years?) residents of my button stash, and they help to elevate the look. I don’t think the artist (Arel) is still making buttons, but they were from The Hands Work, Pecos, New Mexico.

2026 - and so it begins

 “Hope and fear cannot occupy the same space at the same time. Invite one to stay”.

Maya Angelou

No sewing going on lately. There comes a time when you have enough for the current season and aren’t ready to start planning for the needs of the next. I have a feeling that there will be more alterations or re-dos rather than new makes for Spring anyway. It’s not really my strong suit, but needs must.

There has been knitting though, and I’ve started spinning again. I haven’t spun much since moving here and I wasn’t much beyond a beginner then, so it’s been like re-learning. It has been good for learning patience though - always a necessary trait, but in short supply these days. I also found some skeins of hand spun that may be good enough to turn into a small project or two - currently working on swatching. 

I do have a finished knitting project though - a simple pullover for DH knit from a yarn I’ve been eager to try - Fleece Bluefaced Leicester DK by West Yorkshire Spinners - 100% Bluefaced  Leicester wool available in 100 g. 244 yard skeins. It’s a lovely yarn, very pleasant to knit. DH is fairly hard on his knitwear, so I hope it holds up well. I’m especially hoping it pills a bit less than merino - so soft and comfortable, but seems to pill with the slightest touch.

The only change made to the pattern (Wade by WYS) was a small amount of short row shaping in the upper back. I’ve noticed the back rising up a bit on previous makes, which seems to be due to a slightly rounded upper back, and this small tweak seems to help. The sleeves could have been a bit shorter probably, but obviously not enough to bother him as he hasn’t fussed about them.

Next big project? A cardigan by Ozetta (Port Jacket) in Lettlopi, crimson red. Can’t wait for the yarn to arrive!

Preston Knit Sweater

 When I see wool sweater knit yardage on offer I tend to grab it — especially if it’s a color I like and I have a birthday discount offer. This particular fabric is from Stylemaker Fabrics (sold out now) and was listed as a wool/silk blend. 

It’s been made up in one of my TNT patterns from Style Arc the Preston Knit Sweater. I like the raglan sleeves, with shoulder darts for a bit of shaping, and it’s nice to have pockets - although they won’t fit much more than a hand or a hanky. My only change was to raise the neckline a bit and cut the neckband just a smidge taller. Because I’m always chilly I’ll wear it over a merino turtleneck.

Next up I’m pulling a fabric from deep stash — so deep I don’t remember how long ago, or what I had in mind to make with it. It’s a short piece though, so I suspect it was going to be exactly what I’m planning to use it for now - a vest. Specifically Butterick 6901, a Lisette pattern for a lined vest, shorts and slacks. It needs to be completely interfaced, so I’m going to try using sewn in silk organza as I doubt this metallic fabric would respond well to being fused. We’ll see how that goes.

Playing with ChatGPT

 Once upon a time I had photos of finished projects worn by their recipients - mostly me, sometimes DH, a cute dog and even a couple of headless shots of daughters. We were living in the country, with neighbors not very close by, and more of a chance a ‘photo shoot’ would be interrupted by wild turkeys cutting through the back field than a neighbor passing by to check out what you’re up to. Fast forward to now: urban setting, close by neighbors literally a few feet away, small and shady yard, and an introvert’s desire not to be noticed and you end up with sewing room hanger shots - sigh.

So, after seeing some pics of clothing on imaginary models created with ChatGPT I wondered if I could show something of mine that way - not as a regular practice (‘cause it feels kind of like cheating) but as a one off. Here’s how it played out —

I started out with a shot of my finished Lyon sweater by PetiteKnit. I was hoping it could be shown on a person who had a passing resemblance to me, so I included several features (hair color, hair style, complexion, age range - even style of earrings) that might skew the end result to a more ‘me’ look. I assumed (most likely incorrectly) that the actual sweater proportions would dictate body size so I just concentrated on the face. I asked for it to be worn with jeans (how I will wear it) and also requested a casual pose. And this is what I ended up with —

My twin? Not quite. Obviously AI must think women in the age range I gave all have incredible skin routines (or have had work done) because just look at that firm jaw and non-sagging neck. There are a few crinkles around the eyes - that’s something I guess. Totally got the hair though! 

Body size appears in range, if ever so slightly aspirational.

Casual pose was interpreted as pushed up sleeves and a hand in pocket, so that seems on track.

While I love the idea of showing projects on a human-ish form instead of boring hanger shots, I don’t think it’s necessarily always an accurate presentation of the item. This sweater pic is pretty close to how it looks on me, however other photos I played with were sometimes changed in small ways - a different collar, different sleeve length - things like that. As for getting a reasonable facsimile of a person’s appearance, I suspect you’d need paragraphs of precise physical description to even get close to a passing resemblance.

All in all it was fun to play with, even if imaginary me never returns. At the moment, a free version is available, so yet another rabbit hole to fall down instead of getting actual chores done!