Knock It Off!

So, I'm in a national clothing chain -- perhaps one named after the science of humankind -- and I see what I consider to be a cute, plaid skirt. Not being the target customer for this particular emporium, however, there are a few things about it that make it 'not quite' for my particular, oh, let's call it maturity.

All is not lost though for a woman with a sewing machine (or two), a yard of plaid, and New Look 6843. Trace off the front pattern piece -- draw a few curved tiers (don't forget to add those seam allowances!)breathe easily with a new, lower, thinner waistband, and voila:

Inspired by, but not a copy of, that cute, plaid skirt. Color me pleased.

Bobbing to the surface...

...after being slammed by a nasty virus. Whew -- glad to be feeling better.

So, how about a couple of finished projects? First up, Cerisara by Bonne Marie Burns, the design talent over at Chicknits . Yarn: Classic Elite Premiere from the stash -- gosh, I LOVE that color!







Interesting, all-in-one construction. You may need to pay attention in a couple of areas, but trust in the directions and you'll be just fine. I'm a big fan of Bonne Marie's work -- very wearable clothing with a current look.

It's always fun to try a new yarn, and next up is a cute little beret from the folks at Quince & Co. The yarn is sourced from fiber produced in the US -- also spun here. I used Osprey, which is their aran weight. It was delightful to work with, but did lose a little color with wet blocking. I look forward to trying one of their lighter weight yarns in another project. This beret only needed one skein, so it was ideal for testing a new (to me) yarn -- the pattern was simple, and easy to knit.

No additional work done on the vintage Elgin sewing machine, but I hope to have it ready for viewing soon. Who knows? Maybe I'll even get it to sew!