February 2022

I sewed myself a set of summer jammies, consisting of shorts and a camisole.  The fabric is from www.fabric.com, and is a super cute sweater print.  It is a thicker 100% quilting cotton.  I sewed as size 8 top, and size 40” hip bottoms. 

The top:

Pattern- True Bias, Ogden Cami.  This is a hack from www.sewnorthco.com, in which you skip the lining and add bias tape to the neck and armholes instead. 

This is the 4^th Ogden cami that I have made (5^th if you count my Ogden Cami dress hack), and by far my favorite.  I will make all future camis unlined.  This fits so much better and has a much better flowy feeling, even in stiff cotton.  I may even re-do one of the camis in my collection and remove the lining.  For some reason the lining never allows the top to fit me properly, it is always too tight around the bust (and I am NOT busty) and it messes up the shape.  It also causes the front hem to flare out.  I have not had this issue with the unlined version.  I may even go down a size when making the unlined ones.  The fit is loose, but not “too big”.  I forgot to attach the back of the straps before I added the bias tape, and that was incredibly messy.  Thank goodness these are pajamas, so no one should really notice the poor stitching.  I want to work on making the straps neater in the future.

New techniques: single fold bias tape.  This is the coolest invention ever!  The edges are smooth and look so neat.  I need to work on my technique, especially at the overlapping areas (in this instance, the overlap by the straps.)  I remembered to clip my curved edges before sewing on the tape.  I was very proud of myself.  I also want to find a way to finesse the V in the top.  There was a tiny bit of puckering that I couldn’t figure out how to smooth out.

The bottoms:

Pattern- began as the Darcy Boxers from www.peppermintmag.com, but I ended up not wanting functioning boxers with the fly and changed it to plain shorts with an elastic band.

These were pretty standard shorts.  I cut off the flap for the fly and seamed up the opening.  I then made an elastic channel and threaded it through.  My tension was a nightmare on these shorts.  For some reason I could not get the tension on my sewing machine right, so my stitching is very loose.  Again, good thing these are pajamas.  The shorts are at least 1 size too big, and I didn’t compensate with tighter elastic.  They are rather loose on my hips but still wearable.  I hemmed the legs with basic fold over ¼ inch, twice, then iron and sew. 

All in all, I am happy with these jammies.  They are NOT perfect.  They are not even close.  But they are done, and I can now wear them (when it gets warmer).  I want to make ALL the unlined Ogden camis.  I even want to make another Ogden Cami dress hack that is unlined.  I feel much more prepared to do it right and have them fit better.  I want to try to sew one with a lighter fabric.  So far, I have only used quilting cotton because it is easier to sew.  I am not going to go crazy and make a silk one, but maybe a medium weight linen…  I don’t think I will be making the Darcy Boxers again.  I want to find another shorts pattern that has options for elastic and drawstring waist.  I also want to find an athletic shorts pattern that can be made with jersey fabric.  I need to figure out sizing, in general.  I tend to always make a size too big.  This is better than making a size too small, I realize, but I want my garments to fit.  I am a 36”x 29”x 40” and am 5’4”.  I always make the finished garment to be 40” in the hip, but it always ends up being a size too big.  Not sure what I am doing wrong there, but I need to figure it out.

Loves,

M

This month I did a lot of knitting.  Everything that I knit this month has been knit in the past, so there were no new techniques.  I am pretty stoked that I emptied my scrap basket.  That has been a long time coming.  I set a goal this year to knit at least 3 hats per month for charity.  I intend to donate them, and any other useful knitted things, to the Homeless Action Coalition.  I have a lot of yarn that can be knit into hats and a metric ton of classic cotton yarn for washcloths.

• Finished makes:

2 pairs of vanilla socks for Feebs- 52 stitch socks (7 years old).  I used Duren Dyeworks for the body, and Marigold Jen Rainbow Connections for heals and toes.

9 vanilla hats for charity- 60, 70, or 80 stitch hats.  I used scrap yarn held double or triple to create a bulky weight yarn.

1 scrappy cocoon- pattern is Cozy Cocoon, by Kate Jackson.  I used my entire basket of scrap yarn held double or triple to create a bulky weight yarn for this and my charity hats. I love this pattern.  This is the 3^rd one that I have knit.  It is a very easy knit and is warm and comforting to wear.

• New cast-ons:

Calliope sweater, by Espace Tricot.  This was my NYE cast on.

Vanilla man socks for the Husband

Worsted weight socks for me

• Works in Progress:

Knitting my memories blanket- no pattern, simple chevron blanket made from left-over sock yarn.  You will see this on every WIP section till the end of time.

Jameson Sweater- pattern by Baby Cocktails

• Goals for next month: 

Start a gift pile

Use up more stash yarn for gifts/ charity.

Organize sewing cut outs and SEW THEM!!!

Make every recipe that comes in the January Yummy Crate

January was a very weird month.  It definitely felt like a new beginning, but not necessarily a comfortable one.  I think I am going to find myself pushing through a lot this year.  You know what I mean, right?  Like, “I have to do this, but I don’t want to.  So, I am just going to square my shoulders, put my head down, and push through till it’s done.”  I am also trying to adapt to the motto of “done is better than perfect” with sewing.  I have gone through my yarn and reorganized and updated my Ravelry stash page.  That took a hot minute, let me tell you.  I have a…  significant sized yarn stash.  I don’t think I am up to more yarn that I can knit in a lifetime size stash, but definitely a I could knit solely from stash for a decade or two before I needed to buy more yarn size one.  I have also acquired more fabric than I really should, considering how scared I have been of sewing.  I am making a plan to use up a lot of the fabric that I have.  Even it isn’t perfect and beautiful, I am going to make it, and wear it, and be happy with it, dammit.  I also FINALLY pulled out the serger and tried it out.  It is a really cool tool, and I look forward to getting over myself and using it.

Life stuff has been pretty much more of the same.  We survived the holidays, which is good.  School and work have resumed.  Feebs is having some struggles with getting back into the routine and has been very disorganized and sassy.  I’m working with her teachers and school counselor to help her get back on track.  Sadly, the husband’s dad has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  He is stage one, which is good (?).  There isn’t much more info at current.  Feebs and I got to see Sister #3 and her family, which was fantastic.  They are going to come to our house in February, for the first time.  It’s really ridiculous that they haven’t been here before, considering we have lived here for 3 years, and they are only an hour away….  We are planning to attack our incredibly overgrown back yard in the last week of January, before we end up with Audrey 2 taking up residence and eating the neighborhood cats (kudos to you, if you got the Little Shop of Horrors reference).  I am going to weed and renew last year’s veggie box so that the husband and Feebs can plant their new crops in March.  My birthday is in February, so I guess that means I get to splurge and buy myself some yarn (that I completely, totally, 100% don’t need).  We also signed Feebs up for the Yummy Crate (www.kiwico.com).  I absolutely DO NOT cook.  Like, at all.  “Do you cook?” is the first question on the application to date me.  Those that don’t, need not apply.  Luckily the husband is a phenomenal cook, so we eat well.  However, …  it has occurred to me that Feebs should learn how, and it won’t hurt me to learn as well.  So, when her Atlas Crate expired, she asked to get the Yummy Crate instead.  She and I will do this crate together, as we have with all the crates that she has had in the past.  Goal #1: don’t set your kitchen or yourself on fire.  If I can do that, the world/ kitchen is my oyster.

Loves,

M