On the Wild Side

 It seems to be accepted these days that it’s hard to save money by sewing your own. While that’s certainly true of many fast fashion clothing items, there is still money to be saved on many other things. 

I was browsing on line to get some ideas for new pillows for a couple of living room chairs. I was smitten by some tiger print pillows from a major (US) home goods retailer. Just two problems though — the pillows weren’t quite the right size (too wide) and they were selling for about $300US a piece, and that didn’t even include the pillow form. 

The fabric was lovely (Tigre by Scalamandre) in a silk blend. Hmmm, maybe I could find some yardage at a good price and make my own? The hunt was on. Now, this particular print is available in two different fabrics - a less expensive silk/cotton/viscose blend, and the pricier silk version. I was looking specifically for the blend. Prices were all over the place — from $450 per yard up to $875 per yard (and that source had a 2 yard minimum order!). Well, the fabric is lovely, but that was just too rich for my blood.

I still liked the idea of an animal print for the small lumbar pillows so I started looking at fabric that might give the look at a lower cost. I didn’t find a tiger print that I liked, but I did find another big cat print (leopard? cheetah?) that appealed for a price I could live with — $48US per yard. Not luxurious silk, or even a silk blend, but all cotton, which I keep reminding myself is better suited to our lifestyle anyway (sigh).

So, in the end I didn’t get an exact copy of some pricey pillows, but I think I did achieve the look at a price point that was comfortable — I’m calling that a win for sewing. Oh, and my pillows have animal print on ‘both’ sides of the pillow, not just the front! 😀

Got the Blues

 

And just like that - a cozy cardigan. I’m always amazed at how much faster a crocheted project is compared to knitting — especially an openwork one like this. 

I deviated from the pattern (Hexaparty by Berroco) just a bit. The pattern is designed with a front gap (6” in the size I made - even bigger in larger sizes) which I thought I’d be fine with — until I tried it on. Personal taste, but I felt it looked out of proportion, so I added two additional rows to each front. This brought the gap in line with the 4.5” of the smaller sizes and looked better to me. Perhaps I’m wrong, but it seemed to me that a larger gap on a well-endowed bust just looked like a too small size had been made. I also added a single button at the waist to pull things in when worn. I gradually changed hook size at the bottom of the sleeve to bring things in a bit also. 

Now that this project is done I think it’s time to get back to sewing — just as soon as I tidy up the workroom!

A little color

 

As the days draw in, and darkness falls so early, I like to work with a little more color. This (so far) small hexagon will eventually be folded and formed into one side of an upper front/back plus sleeve. Hard to imagine, isn’t it? 

The pattern is Hexaparty by Berroco, crocheted in Berroco Wizard yarn. While not as bright as the colors in the modeled sweater, these pretty blues give me a lift in these darkening days. 

I’ve done the first front/back piece, and this second side is progressing nicely. I hope to speed things up a bit now that I have a better idea just what I’m doing. I always say crochet isn’t my first language, so it takes me a while to get comfortable with written crochet patterns.  Which is why I totally love working from charted Japanese crochet patterns — you can clearly see where each stitch is meant to be. 

I haven’t managed much sewing since recovering from a nasty bout with Covid, but I’ve finally gotten around to pre-washing that lovely cut of cotton fleece, so hope to have a Sew House Seven Toaster sweater cut and sewn soon. It’s certainly needed — our extended warm season has ended, and winter temps are here!