2016 Goals

Here we are, almost an entire week into the new year, and I haven't posted about goals or projects or anything. A good guess is that punctuality isn't on my resolution list - I'm usually right on time to everything, all the time, even when the everything sucks (like a doctor visit or paying bills). But I've been thinking. A lot. What do I really want to achieve this year?

1. Continue knitting local. 

I really like where this took my stash last year. Purchases were fewer, but of better quality, and my stash is about 90% OH PRETTY right now.

2. Have a half-handmade wardrobe.

A bit of a doozy, yeah? I'd say my wardrobe is about 30% handmade right now and I'd like to up that percentage this year. I'll need to work on tailoring pants to suit me and get more comfortable sewing with knit fabrics but I think this goal is achievable given the amount of sewing I did last year. 

3. Self-publish more patterns. 

I have three or four patterns just about ready to go to a tech editor. The process is kind of long between what's in my head, the knitting, and the publishing on Ravelry and I tend to lose momentum somewhere in the last step. It's also pretty scary to put designs up for public scrutiny. Not that I'm a delicate flower but I would like people to like what I design if I'm mostly designing what I like, you know? 

So that's it. Three goals that are craft and hobby related. I have a few other goals for myself - reduce caffeine intake (down to one cup a day as of right now!), bring my lunch to work instead of buying it, and save money. I'm trying to introduce things slowly and build good habits instead of going full tilt all at once. How about you? Any goals for the new year?

Sewing FO: Crazy Cat Top

 I made another top!

 I used the same pattern as my other leopard print top but changed it up quite a bit. The pattern calls for woven fabrics but I was curious to see how it would translate into a knit fabric. Just to be clear here, I've never sewn with knit fabrics so this was a total crapshoot. I saw this super crazy rainbow vomit pseudo-leopard print at Joann's and  picked it up for about $8 (about what I would pay for a generic on-sale t-shirt at a big box store).

Instead of cutting two back pieces and seaming them, I cut the back on the fold, removing the seam allowances and cut the front as usual. I gleaned some awesome information about sewing with knits from this post and made a second trip to Joann's for ball point needles, a twin needle, and some double-sided steam a seam and then I got to work. About an hour later I had this crazy top which I totally lurve. There are still some issues I need to work out - I still get some bagginess at the neckline, I have a slightly wavy hem, and I could take the seams in a tad more, but overall I'm pleased with it. I wore it to work on Tuesday with my black pencil skirt and tealy-blue cardigan - the good thing about the crazy print is that it works with a ton of colors. Now my interest in sewing with knits is piqued and I want to try sewing a pattern actually designed for knits - like Renfrew!

Do any of you home sewists have tips for me for working with knits? How about favorite patterns?

Sew Crazy

I have a confession to make. I'm a bit obsessed with sewing lately thanks to everyone's posts about Me Made May and the bug hit hard Friday after learning about Andi and Lauren hosting a SAL/KAL in June and July. The idea is to make a coordinated outfit using sewing and knitting and I've decided to join in! Saturday afternoon I decided to snag the pattern at Joann's and take a look at fabric. The pattern for the sewing portion of the Sew-along is Simplicity 1803 which is a simple fit and flare dress with princess seams and a gathered skirt. Lauren will be posting step-by-step instructions on her blog. I found a great linen blend floral print that will be perfect for this Summer (40% off didn't hurt either).

 While I was shopping for the dress fabric I picked up Simplicity 1364 and fabric for it as well. Now, I have to tell you that I haven't sewn a garment for myself in ages - probably since I started knitting about seven or eight years ago. This pattern is super simple with three pieces and a lapped zipper in back and it felt like a good fit for getting my feet wet with sewing garments again. It's not 100% perfect but not too bad after such a long sewing hiatus.

My fabric is a cotton blend in an awesome leopard print and it was the last of the bolt. I barely eked out the pieces with the fabric I purchased. There are two long deep bust darts for shaping and that's about it. Since I don't have a very narrow waist that's not a problem for me but I wouldn't say it's the most figure-flattering silhouette. I totally want to make this again in a slightly lighter weight fabric or something with just a smidge of stretch and take out about an inch or two of fabric at the neckline where the fabric has a tendency to tent. I can throw on a black cardigan and a skirt or pants and wear this to work without any problem!

If you're interested in joining the Outfit Along you can find information on Andi's blog or Lauren's blog and Andi started a thread on Ravelry in her group for the knitting side of things. I'll be knitting and sewing the suggested patterns but it's definitely not a requirement that you do so! If you've been interested in trying your hand at sewing or knitting garments this is a great way to get started since both hostesses will be on hand to answer questions and guide you through the process. I hope to see you join!

Since I mainly talked about the sewing portion of the Outfit along in this post I'll be writing another post about my sweater and yarn choices this week.