Notes on Bobby

I made myself a new dress! It's the Bobby pattern from Seamwork, and the first dress I've made with stretchy jersey knit fabric, a.k.a. my most daunting project to date.

This person just spent most of the day inside

And yes, it was a good challenge. So let's start with all the challenges I faced.

1. Jersey knit fabric, part 1: After pre-washing and drying, the edges curled under. I ironed the fabric but it didn't tame the curl. I researched this a little and learned this is just a characteristic of jersey knit fabrics, and one trick is to use a boatload of spray starch. I have a can of it from a wreath project,but I absolutely hate the smell of it and how it has turned portions of my ironing board brown. So I did my best to just work with the curl, sans starch.

2. Jersey knit fabric, part 2: When I attempted to fold the fabric to lay out the pattern pieces, not only did the curling make it difficult, but this fabric was clingy. I had to have a second person (named Joel) help me try to straighten it out, and even then, it was wonky. This was also combined with the challenge of...

3. Working with stripes. Why, oh why did I pick stripes?! I know why - I love stripes. But trying to match them, especially when they're thin, is no easy feat.

4. The pattern called for stay tape to prevent stretching along the neckline, but I didn't realize there are different kinds, and because I didn't want to make another trip to Joann, I found some scraps of lightweight fusible interfacing to cut into strips for this purpose. This caused me much stress as it was the first step, and I worried I was messing up this dress from the get-go.

5. Sewing with knits. I actually found this less daunting than I thought in terms of not trying to stretch as I sewed. I used a ballpoint needle, and I tested different stitch lengths, widths and tension on scrap fabric to find the combination that worked best. I also used a twin ballpoint for hemming, and that was fun. I ended up learning more about my machine and all the bells and whistles it came with which I had no idea about before. Much love to my mom for buying me my little powerhouse Kenmore 15 years ago!

6. Seam-ripping. Because of course no garment is made without a few re-dos. I found that zigzag stitches are a little easier and quicker to rip out than straight stitches.

7. Burrito lining. The bodice is lined, so I got to use this slick trick for sewing up the arm holes, which just made me crave burritos.

Burrito lining pre-stitching

In summary, I love this dress. It fits like a dream and is so comfy. These were all good opportunities to learn, and reasons why my sewing hobby has been rekindled. And yes, the stripes miraculously match! I think I’m going back to wovens for my next project but my fear of knits has lessened for the moment, as has my fear of lining.

I am also loving the Seamwork subscription and community. I posted these notes and photos there as well and received great encouragement from the designers and other sewists, and their video tutorials are extremely helpful. It is $9/month well spent.

Made in May

I've been working on my wardrobe, but there's not much to show for it. But I reached the finish line on my May Cardigan, before June 1 as hoped!

Below shows the moment when I realized how this cardigan actually comes together, because until this point none of it made sense to me. Maybe you can see why I was confused. There's nothing left to knit when you get to this point. It's all a matter of stitching seams together. 

I love the finished product, even though it's still not technically finished until I finish the sleeves with a short ribbed edge. We all should have more short-sleeve cardigans in our lives. It feels a little like a shawl, which prompted Joel to suggest I call it a "shardigan," to which I suggested a "carl."

In other news, have I mentioned my Year of Martha on here? It was a half-joking (as I try to perfect my Martha Stewart impression)-but-actually-serious goal I made in December to try to make all sorts of different things this year.  My white wreath was part of this campaign - it was an actual Martha Stewart craft, which was when I realized how crappy her craft instructions are. I still want to make a sugar scrub and do a small embroidery project. I put a modest Pinterest board together here. I'm pleased that I've made two of the sewing projects, which shows just how drawn my attention has been to sewing.  And I just received the Hearthwarming Stocking kit from Knitpicks I pinned on there, and for once I'm really planning ahead with knitting...for Christmas!

Real-life craft room: various states of sewing, knitting, decorating

It's also worth noting that I made a skirt last weekend that I just didn't end up liking and will therefore donate. I think the fabric I chose was mostly to blame - a cheap couple yards of linen blend from Joann. It had a funny drape that made my waist look especially disproportionate to my lower half. But the actual sewing of it was successful, and I felt good about the process. I only spent a day on it, so it wasn't a huge waste of time. 

Finally, this weekend I'll be on the East Coast and hope to finish the pair of Hermione Everyday Socks I've been working on since around January, in transit. Can I do it?

Made in April

April was a good month. I've been using my internet time at home almost exclusively to look at fabrics and patterns. I purchased a subscription to Seamwork for $9 per month which gives me access to really lovely patterns, perfect for people like me who are in it to learn and want wardrobe staples. There's a supportive community network there, and great Instagram coverage of these completed patterns from fellow sewists, which inspires me even more.

Here are a few things I've learned lately:

1. How to assemble and cut a print-out pattern on regular ol' paper. It felt daunting at first, but it's something that's easy to do while I listen to a podcast, and it takes maybe 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of pattern. I also learned the importance of the little 4x4 test square to make sure my print-out was at the correct size. Otherwise, it's a simple matter of cutting the pages to size and taping them together, then cutting out the pieces as I would a normal pattern.

2. Use pattern weights and tracing instead of pins. This is a game changer! When I first started sewing, I did as my mom does by laying the fabric on the floor and pinning the pieces in place. I couldn't figure out how to do this without wrinkling the fabric or occasionally pinning the fabric to the carpet. Worse, my back would be killing me the next day. (Mom, I don't know how you do it!) Now I use our dining table and place the weights on the pattern pieces, trace and note markings (ink disappears in 24 hours or less), then cut it out. My back is saved and my cutting is more accurate. Someday I want a cutting mat and rotary cutter to make it even easier.

3. If I find a pattern I like, make it again. I get better and faster with each one, and I cement techniques that I use in other patterns.

4. Finish the seam allowances. I'm still trying to figure out the best technique for my sewing machine, but so far I've been using a zigzag stitch to finish.

5. How (and why) to cut and sew on the bias. This video was really helpful. All my patterns so far have involved bias necklines and arm holes and it was kind of a mystery to me how it all worked.

6. Topstitching. I'm getting better at it.

7. Pay careful attention when you're using fabrics whose right sides and wrong sides are alike! This is the cause of most of my seam ripping.

After three rounds of Grainline Studio's Willow tanks this year, this month I tried Seamwork's Sorbetto. I love the box pleat down the center. Also, the white bias tape was kind of a happy accident. I didn't realize the bias tape would show (my most recent pattern folded the main fabric over the bias tape), and I had a fleeting thought as I was pinning it, "This would actually look kind of cute to have this white contrast," and lo and behold, I had no choice. Next time I'll make matching bias tape.

Just prior to that, I made this dress, Veronica, over a couple Sundays. I didn't do any adjustments to the sizing and crossed my fingers that the measurements specified would be my end result, and like a miracle, they were. The armholes feel a little big and I definitely had some issues around the neckline and sleeves, so you can see some tiny wrinkles if you want to stand close and judge. However, I was really proud of myself for figuring out the partial elastic waist and waistband. Joel got to hear me at my best, smartest self as I talked myself through the steps, second- and triple-guessed myself, until I declared I had figured it out at last, only to take it back a minute later. This process did entail some seam ripping and neck aches as a result.

But also, I'm still knitting. I would show you progress on my May Cardigan, but right now it looks like a giant L and I'm not sure how it all comes together. But I know, based on yarn yardage, that I'm at least two-thirds done. My goal is still to complete it by June 1.

Sneaking in: a quick knitting project

I'm not quite sure how, but right after Christmas I managed to knit a few things. I posted the bough hat (here), but I was waiting to post this project until after I knew my mom had gotten it for her birthday and I know she reads my blog. (Hi, Mom!)

I was taken with this pattern called "Final Frost" from Cozy Knits, a great book I got for Christmas. I love that it can be a chunky cowl or a capelet. The name of the pattern seems appropriate as it's something you'd wear toward the end of winter when it's getting warmer but there's still a bit of a chill in the air. I might have to make another one for myself.

Joel took a couple photos for me before I sent it off to Mom.

As a cowl

As a capelet

Resuming a tradition

You know it's been too long since your last post when Blogger makes you sign in. Sheesh. I hope you enjoyed a wonderful, relaxing couple of weeks in the meantime. I've been eating, reading, playing, strolling, road-tripping, knitting, border-crossing, puzzle-piecing, sewing, trying new hair routines, and letting the cat sit on me for hours. I love Christmas vacation.

But let's resume, shall we?

My Oma made a lot of afghans. She made at least one, if not two of them for all her six grandchildren, for friends at church, for babies, for who-knows-who-else. That's why many of my clearest memories of her, aside from the ones in her kitchen, are the ones with her sitting in her chair in the living room, with her dog Teddy nearby, and a basket full of colorful yarn next to her. When I would stay with her for an afternoon, there was always at least an hour devoted to knitting - namely the hour when "As the World Turns" was on. She knit quickly, often without looking, using the continental method (known for its speediness). Her signature afghan pattern was a rainbow pinwheel with Red Heart yarn she purchased at the grocery store down the street. She didn't design any particular color scheme - sometimes it was alternating colors, sometimes it was a hodgepodge of bold or pastel colors. We all loved the results.

With the remaining stash she made us slippers. With pom poms. We wore holes through them and she made us more. 

It's been over a decade since she left us, and I couldn't tell you the last time I wore anything adorned with pom poms. This Christmas, I felt the urge to bring back an Oma tradition. I couldn't post this full photo until after Christmas when these things were safely on Mom's feet (though you might have noticed a preview of it in an earlier post):

I made another pair for Dad, too.

They knit up so quickly that I suspect more are coming. If you'd like to try this old-fashioned pattern yourself, find it here.

Coming around to Browne

I am not a Jackson Browne fan for no good reason. I like his style. I like his voice. I like his rendition of “These Days” way better than Nico’s. But when my boyfriend wants to blast “Running on Empty,” I want to run to another room. Even “Doctor My Eyes” makes me feel a little squeamish. It's bothered me that I can't explain why.

After some soul searching, I think I might have found the root of the problem: brown shades of the past. The color brown is why, growing up, I tried to deny the 1970s ever existed even as it pushed itself into the next decade with its murky colors of sadness. (Seriously, who came up with the idea to have two shades of brown M&M’s? Some guy from the '70s.)

So maybe when I hear Jackson Browne, I think of the color brown and the varying degrees of "ick" I feel regarding shades incidentally found on this album cover:

Light brown, like brush on the side of the road, a sign of death. Which in turn makes me think of miserably hot August days in Boise - days I recall with fondness now, of course. Chafing thighs, greasy bangs and waiting around for a parent to pick me up from somewhere, my dad rounding the corner in his tan Pontiac Phoenix, windows down (no air-conditioning). The days when none of my friends could come over, the days that even the pool wasn’t fun.  The days I wanted to tell my mom “I’m bored,” but didn't because I knew she would give me a list of things to do. Like cleaning my room, washing the brown bathroom floor or picking up brown pine cones. (I'm sure Jackson Browne was playing somewhere.)

Muted brown, like men’s shaggy hair in those days. Parting it down the middle, letting it grow out in a lazy mess, and even worse, having it at a length at which air-drying it would cause the hair to gently flip out against the shoulder. These styles may have returned to fashion lately, but during my '80s childhood, when they were showcased on pimply teenage boys who didn’t care about the new wave styles, it was nothing short of depressing. 

Industrial brown, like marble-textured carpet, a popular style in all my childhood friends’ homes. It went well with orange plaid couches, the kind with uncomfortable wooden armrests, and anything macrame.

Jackson Browne brown, like the feeling I get when I hear his music.

I know, it doesn't exactly make sense, except in the sense that music paints pictures. These ones just aren't that colorful and uplifting. I really had a joyful childhood, but it's taken me awhile to come to terms with the tableau I was born into.

Fortunately for me, Lisa Frank happened in 1979 and brightened up the 80s, just in time for me.

What I'm wearing

When we were getting ready to go to Paris this past spring, I read several bits of fashion advice regarding the differences between Parisian and American women. One thing that stuck with me was the explanation that Parisian women dress in such a way that communicates that they are cared for. This probably implies that a man is in the equation, the kind who bedecks his mistress with jewels and fringe, but of course a lover is not required to achieve the look.

Ever since, I've been trying on the Parisian mindset, thinking of how to convey that time and thought were put into my clothing choices. I don't do it all the time, but I've been more conscious about adding a scarf, belt, necklace or bracelet to my outfits. These are things I hardly ever shop for (and to be honest, I don't really like spending money on them, either), but they've been making me feel strangely complete. And it feels good to care for yourself, anyway.

A few weeks ago I was stuck at home with a cold.  It was so beautiful outside, though, and I just couldn't bear to lay around in my sweatpants and watch another show on HGTV. So instead of resting, I cleaned myself up. I curled my hair, put on blush and assembled a nice outfit and headed downtown. I figured if I didn't look miserable, I wouldn't be miserable. I caught a glimpse of myself in a mirror and thought, now there's a girl who looks cared for. Ironically, of course, I should have really been caring for myself at home with plenty of fluids. Oh, well.

Either way, the effect lasted for hours (which was how long the ibuprofin lasted). I felt great. I felt normal. I felt like I was playing hooky from work. And I bought two new pairs of pants! (Thanks, Ann Taylor, for suggesting I get a head start on my fall wardrobe with your tremendous bargains.)

But the lesson that I've been learning is that it's not hard to make a little effort for yourself.

Actually, sometimes it can be a little too easy. Here's an example of how to look too put together. Check out this matching nail polish and blouse combo:

That's enough now.

Christmas is coming

Hairpins: Heaven Sent

Fresh from the gym on a hot day - can you blame me for wanting to deck myself out in polyester? Well, you should. While this may have screamed "summer" a few decades ago, these days it screams "craft project!"

I found this flouncy little number at Goodwill after reading about this project in Readymade that practically requires loud polyester in order to create adorable hairpins. I know, like anyone needs hairpins. But it's summer, and while you won't find me in polyester (never say never, right?), you will often find me with my hair up. Why not throw a little synthetic flair to it?

This project was so easy that I didn't even bother to clear off the table to do it. I started things off recklessly by working right over my laptop.

You start by cutting out three circles in descending size. The biggest one was about 1.5". After I had 3 sets of 3 circles, I lit a tea candle and grabbed Joel's needle-nose pliers, which happened to be sitting conveniently nearby. As instructed, I had a bowl of water next to me in case the 4th of July came a few days early in my living room.

All you have to do is to hold each circle near the flame (using the pliers) to get the edges to curl and ruffle a bit. As the fabric got hot, I began to smell the fragrances of the 70s fuming out of it. Specifically "Heaven Sent."

So last night I finished it. Bought some Amazing Goop and a cylinder of beads at closing time at Joann's Fabric, stopped for a root beer float on the way, then found a needle and thread that was also lying around the house (sometimes it pays to not put things away).

And here they are, ready for my next up-do:

Ready to wear

My first completed project of the year comes via Ravelry. If you knit or crochet, I highly recommend this place. I haven’t utilized all the features it offers its users, but there are great ways to organize your stash, needles and hooks, and it’s easy to keep track of patterns you like, those you are working on and any you have completed. It is also one of those sites that make you realize you could be doing so much more in your evening craft comas, and that thousands of people have loads more patience than you do. Nevertheless, a wonderful resource for free patterns.

This project was described as “all the rage in Sweden last winter.” Scandinavian endorsement is powerful, let me tell you. That simple phrase inspired a rather vivid mental picture of me frying potatoes in duck fat on a boat with Andreas Viestad in preparation for an outdoor dinner party on the isle of Gotland – both of us wearing whatever was all the rage in Sweden last winter.

Believing a simple kerchief could help me get through another Spokane winter in its ability to give me that native Nordic look, I made it in record time. (For me.) And probably because all I had to do was knit a triangle.

Drab winter wardrobe: meet your festive new friend.



Spring will be here soon. I know, because I just got a sneak peak at the latest Scand-fashion from Huset. So much to look forward to.


(Odd Molly Duvet Rose Dress)


(Stockholm Umbrella Stand)


(Just adorable.)

Here's a little something to accompany your own Scandinavian dreamscape:

Gobbledigook - Sigur Rós

Happy Up Here - Röyksopp

Waterloo - ABBA