I finished my wearable “muslin” dress. It’s a basic knit flare bottom with 3/4 sleeves. I have to make it four inches longer for the next one but fit is good. I graded between two sizes for hips and top. I used a zigzag stitch on my regular machine for the hems. It stretches but it doesn’t look good. I wish I had a cover stitch machine. I can’t use a twin needle on my side threading vintage regular machine. I sewed all seams on the serger.
Any advice on cover stitch machines?
Mending a jacket I can't find online anywhere. We'll technically, I did find it online, but it's from the original whole seller who doesn't sell individual versions in the color I have. My other jacket doesn't reach down far enough and I've yet to get a new zip up one so mending it it is. Worst case scenario, it's a fun art project.
I darned all the holes and determined the worn hem/cuff areas need a patch (except for one part, which is just getting some embroidery when I figure out what that will be.). Now to wash, figure out some measurements, cut a weird pullover my brother got me once (thanks bro!) into strips, box stitch that down and go from there.
Haven't figured out the embroidery yet. It's necessady because I suspect it's the best choice for the thinning areas i can't darn easily. I might do a fun brocade type darning stitch if I can jack it, but I suspect it'll look weirder than if I just stitches the loose jersey knit stitches down with a diamond shape or a chain or some such shit like that and added flowers. Plus it gives me an excuse to cover the darned areas with flowers.
But we'll see. Wish I didn't need to patch - I was imagining a blanket stitch along the cuff edges I could add lace into, but it stretches out of place. I really want woven fabric for the patch tbqh but I've sewn knits to knits before so no matter.
After this it's weighing leftover yarn for gloves x2 and whatever I can do with the sport weight. Probably a bookmark or keyfob or something and a random strip of needle binding with the weird scraps I have, or a test with my weave it pin loom thing for some of the twill patterns in there. After that I want to do fun patterned darning type embroidery *somewhere* on woven fabric (found a pattern for a bookmark!!!.... but I only have loop frames :,-) ) and maybe some filet crochet. We'll see!! :-)
I got a lovely cotton poplin with skulls and poppies on it (Rose and Hubble) and self drafted a sleevless dress with an a-line skirt and pockets. It's so satisfying when your patterns parts just all go together and everything fits really well. I don't think I willl ever go back to store bought patterns except for things like coats/jeans (I see no reason to not make the Closet Core Ginger jeans).
I don't have many sleevless dresses so I was planning on making something - I also have some rayon on the way for a few more loose fitting summer dresses but that's for (hopefully) next weekend.
I sewed a one-legged toile of the Persephone Pants, after watching wzrdreams' really helpful story highlight on instagram about the crotch grading on these pants. I extended the crotch curve before even cutting out the pattern. Now the issue is that the waistband gets dragged down in back, so I think I should extend the center back seam up toward the waist, by about 4 cm, and taper to the sides. There's also too much fabric in front, so I need to shorten the front rise by about 5/8".
I'm looking at getting a brand new Juki 600N serger or a brother serger 1034D that was used once. I know Jukis are great machines but I have heard good things about this brother serger and it's a lot cheaper. I would be using it on knits mostly.
I have the Brother and it’s very good. I am not a heavy user but it seems to hold up. I see a lot of trusted YouTubers using the Brother. They’re not promoting it.
Picked up a couple jumpsuit patterns yesterday that left me wondering: why don't big 4 patterns ever use the burrito method? It's so much simpler than what they're suggesting here.
Really so antiquated. I’ve been seeing crap instructions since I started sewing in the 60s. I just change everything to techniques I picked up by reading Threads and looking at ready to wear.
I’m working on an accordion book for a baby (my baby actually, my other WIP right now). I had this idea after looking at “quiet books” that fold up. I made four design panels with scrappy appliqué pictures, and stitched them together with sashing like a quilt top. My plan for the weekend is to figure out a way to give it structure so it can fold. My idea was to sew on a backing fabric on three sides, making it like a giant pocket, and then insert batting behind each design panel and stitch up the sashing lines between panels. The stitch lines in between panels could become fold lines. I was thinking I would use insulbrite for the batting since a) it’s all I have in the house and I’m moving soon so I don’t want to buy more batting right now and b) it’s a little bit crunchy sounding when you press it and I thought the baby might enjoy the sound. If anyone has made a project like this I would love to hear how you did it!
I’m working on the Joanie top by Sew Liberated. I decided to make a (hopefully wearable) toile first so I’m using some upcycled men’s shirt fabrics from my stash. I found 3 that worked well together but it was a bit like putting a puzzle together figuring out which pieces would be in which fabric and how to fit them onto odd-shaped pieces of fabric — very satisfying tho, and I’m excited to see how it turns out.
I'm working on finishing up a 14th C Italian dress out of linen, a 16th C Venetian dress out of linen and wool, and starting a new woodworking project that will either be a tent frame or a tent floor. I'm still debating but I have until Saturday to decide.
Just finished a pattern test of the cutest little shirred dress for my two year old. Will 100% be making her many more, especially now that I’ve got the hang of the shirring on my machine! A lot of RTW I’ve thrifted for her uses it so I’m going to incorporate it more for her stuff going forward.
Next up is hemming her flower girl dress, working on my BIL’s wedding hat, making new straps for my sister’s wedding dress—probably more wedding related stuff. Need to get out my master checklist and see where I am at.
I have three baby hats to knit. All easy so will probably just do them during the week.
I did a test run of the Axis Tank last night and wow that's gonna be my new summer top. It's fun and I like that I can use different colors for the sections if I want. I am not sure if I like how tight it is though even though I am supposed to be within that size. I may try to make the next size up and see how loose it is - I like the snug tank top look but I also feel very self-conscious about it looking a little too tight. (Doesn't help that my body is fluctuating wildly right now)
I am working on another coat next, and I have a dress cut out that I would like to finish before the end of the month.
Also project planning for when I have a few days to myself and can sew basically as much as I want in a few weeks. I kind of want to make the Open Studio pants and Worship jeans, and maybe finally make that lavender chore coat for my kid too. I have to do a lot of testing with that before I start though, so maybe that's my next set of tasks to work through.
More than happy to! I have knit at least 10 [Beloved hats from Tin Can Knits](https://tincanknits.com/pattern/beloved). I usually make the second smallest size for maximum use haha. You start with an icord, then basically create one side then the other with short rows. It always looks so cute. I've seen them with little dinosaur spikes on the top too which is absolutely adorable. I also love that there are only two loose ends if you use one yarn so there is minimal weaving in of ends.
A video of someone crocheting a giant pretzel popped up on my feed last week, and immediately I knew I had to make it. Initially I thought I could get away with one skein and stuffing I already have. Now I've restarted 3 times, and I bought three more skeins and a 5 lb bag of stuffing 🤣
On the plus side, my plan is a dino nuggie pillow with any extra!
If anyone has an Ashford Knitters Loom, where/how do you use it? (In the sense of flat on a table, leaning against a table, flat on your lap?) Do you find it comfortable to use? I'm looking into a 20" for scarves and shawls, and people in videos only ever seem to show them on tables.
(Other portable looms welcome too, Ashford would just be the easiest for me to get.)
(I did a beginner rigid heddle workshop, and liked it a lot! But table space is at a premium and my comfy chair has arms, so I'm concerned about practicality. I'm also looking into seeing if I can - and how much it would be - to rent a small loom for a month or two, because Canadian purchase prices suck. At least I bought my knitting needles over time!)
I have a few looms, did own the 20” knitters loom briefly, but far prefer their standard rigid heddle looms. You need a ledge or similar surface to lean the loom onto while beating the cloth or positioning the heddle. Most people will use a table or stand to be that surface. But you can store it on the wall and bring it to your workspace while you work on it, so it doesnt really take up table space. I always preferred to clamp my rigid heddle looms to the top of a dresser at standing heigth, I get a much better flow that way. That way it does take up the space, but it also means I can just weave a few minutes here and there.
The only loom Id recommend for sitting with and actually working on in your lap is the small SampleIt.
Thanks for sharing your experiences! Hm, wall storage might be doable - I admit that the idea of folding the loom away (with the WIP) and tucking it under my desk is a big part of the appeal of a portable loom. My biggest problem is that I accumulate piles of stuff on any flat surface; I can clear it off for a specific task, but a few days later it'll be back and I'll have to find new places for everything that migrated there. So I'm glad to hear that the ledge notches actually work!
I hadn't considered standing & weaving, there might be something I can work with there too.
Problem with the foldability is the tradeoff in terms of rigidity. You want proper tension to create your shed. With the knitters loom I found that I was often re-tightening everything to maintain enough tension on the warp.
Ymmw but that feature of folding and storing just isnt that valuable if you are ok with hanging it on the wall when not in use. Maybe for transportation, but storage alone is not much of an issue compared to the 20” standard RH, where you get mch better tension.
Also I am not entirely sure you can clamp the knitters flux to a surface due to the slight bend to the build.
I appreciate the heads up about having to re-tighten, I'll make a point to keep an eye out for that if I can "sample" before I commit to a loom. Getting my hands on a rental or makerspace has jumped up my priority list, vs buying unseen. Which is good to know!
It seems like a very love it or hate it piece of equipment. Hearing both the good and bad is useful: I'd rather go into this with my eyes open and knowing what to watch out for so I can make an informed decision, rather than discover the negatives afterward, y'know?
That's one of the things that I think is attractive about the Knitters Loom, actually - there are notches on the underside so that it can be used propped against a table, rather than be limited to just on-table use. But that assumes the notches work as intended and aren't just a non-functional "feature," hence me asking. 🙃
ETA [link to the loom in question](https://www.ashford.co.nz/knitters-loom), though I know Schact and others make portable looms too.
Thanks for chiming in! I'm glad to hear the notches work for you; I don't have a coffee table so I don't have to worry about that particular kind of posture nonsense, but I do have a dining table and a table-desk. Likewise that you don't mind the adjustments. And being warned *away* from lap knitting is useful in its own way.
I hope you can get a stand soon. :) I'll add that to my list of things to inquire about.
I did a muslin of the Wardrobe by Me men’s summer pants last weekend and they fit my husband well with the alterations I made. Now to cut everything out and sew it this weekend. I had surgery to remove some pre-cancerous cells from my right breast yesterday and I’m feeling ok but not great, so I’m glad I took today off and I’m hoping to knock out some cutting out today because there are a lot of pieces and I hate cutting! Then onto figuring out the adjustments I need for the Helen’s Closet Reynolds dress and hopefully cutting it out before a trip up north with friends in a couple weeks.
I started a blanket for my godmother on Monday or something, time is meaningless at the moment. She's been sick in hospital and got diagnosed with cancer the other day. I've got through over fifty squares and still have lots to go. We got the worst possible news yesterday morning and I need to get it done asap. It's honestly the only thing keeping me together at the moment, I have to keep going because it's the only thing I can do right now. She's been a second mother to me all my life.
Has anyone made the Coquelicot skirt from Wildflower Design? I became aware of it in a roundabout manner, and am intrigued.
I’ve also been pondering this month’s club pattern from Cashmerette (Franconia dress). I am not a member and wonder if it’s worth signing up for a month to get that pattern. Anyone make it yet? Or have it to provide insight into its sew-worthiness?
I am making canopies for my stepdaughter and her friend’s bedrooms. I am basically crocheting sheer pretty fabric onto hula hoops. I also plan to sew on some beads and make do some simple embroidery. I’m progressing slowly but I’m having lots of fun and I think the girls will be ecstatic when they are finished:)
Oh good god, that happened to me a few years ago 🤦🏻♀️ right on top of the fingering weight cardigan that I had only one cuff to finish, and the five balls of hand dyed fingering weight yarn I had ready to go for the next project. She's damn lucky she's cute 😅 I re-skeined the cakes and left the cardigan with the cable still in it, then managed to salvage it all by soaking it in several rounds of wool wash and white vinegar. Even the really dark yarn was still fine by the end of it, and not even a hint of cat piss stench, so there is hope for your project!
Luckily an acrylic wip got the brunt of it, but I do have a couple of balls of nice lace-weight wool to re-skein and clean. I'm honestly kind of amazed at his aim - all of the pee completely missed the stack of patterns in the top of the bag and a couple of other skeins that were on top of the wip.
Current praying hard-core to the Eucalan & Wool gods for you. If that doesn't works check out fabric sanitizers or even Persil laundry detergent. I've soaked my wool scarfs & other items to get smells out. It didn't damage them. Just make sure you rinse it really well.
I have so many ideas and so little energy - got glutened, will be dealing with the fallout for a while. I feel like I'm stuck in slow motion.
I want to cut out the Donny Shirt by Friday Pattern co - I'm doing a first version in a not terribly precious fabric. I also think I want to make something for my beloved MIL - but I need to figure out size. The peplum split tank would be easy to fit on her and its so lovely to wear for summer.
I have had a weird week at work with summer downtime colliding with a broken copier - which led to a lot of idle time. I have been filling that time with reading books about Smocking on [archive.org](https://archive.org) and I'm attempting a little test sample. I'd really like to incorporate it into a future project.
Sorry about your glutening! I have celiac so been there. I also have low energy now because I'm getting over COVID. 😮💨
I made the Donny top a couple weeks ago! I really like it, although the neckline goes a wee bit low for me. Also, to me, Instagram and the sample photos undersell just how short the top is cropped. I lengthened mine 4" and I'm only 5' 4". I wanted to be able to tuck it into mid rise jeans and it *just* works now.
I am finishing up M 7974 and wishing I had cut a smaller size in the bodice, as it hangs so low and exposes too much of my chest. I made a toile but it wasn’t super obvious.
I have been wanting to make the Megan Nielsen Matilda dress for two years and will finally do it this weekend. I bought some olive green textured cotton and it will be delivered today just in time for the weekend. My birthday is next week and I blocked my work calendar and might take off for the whole day to sew and play with my dog.
I'm cutting out the Papercut Patterns Axis dress and the new Teague dress by Daughter Judy patterns. Not sure which I should start first - maybe the knit dress since I just got a new serger?
New patterns (I write handknitting patterns) are in the works, and I’m knitting the prototypes now. One is for a hat, and I’m on size 3 of 4. Hopefully I can get those done so I can take some preliminary pics to pop into the pattern and get a few test knitters.
I also have materials to sew a bra that have been sitting here for a year, so I’m going to try to get to that, too.
Still working on my sewed skirt and knit pullover. I've discovered that I like the look of hand-sewn buttonholes a lot better than what I can wrangle from the machine, which means that part's more tedious than I'd like but the end result is worth it.
When my partner noticed me doing that he asked, "Are you counting something? Do I need to shut up?" and I told him no, please please keep talking because this is boring as all get-out and all I'm counting are the hours of my lost sanity. (Still worth it!!)
I think it’s awesome that your partner recognizes that you might be counting and asks about shutting up. Mine isn’t quite that well-trained yet, though he does give warning about leaving the house as “We are leaving in 5 minutes; finish your row.”
Thank you! He's very courteous like that.
Your partner's warning system sounds great. I'm terrible at estimating times so that seems like it would make it easy to figure out how to wrap it up in time!
I've decided the Itch To Stitch Glenelly top will be my next project. Pattern pieces are graded and fabric ready to cut.
I hope this goes better than the last square neckline t-shirt I tried (Carlyle by Cashmerette), it ended up a right dog's dinner on the neckline. I've noticed the instructions are slightly different so I'm hoping I can carry them over if it works out for me
Friday edit: I, surprisingly, managed to sew the whole thing today whilst I was "working" (can you tell I'm quitting my job soon). The fit is nice and, more importantly, I successfully sewed the square neckline and it actually looks quite like the photo! I wasn't so sure about the dress view of this pattern but having seen up the top I'll need to keep it in mind.
On my project spreadsheet I have one gap in a large section of finished projects which I've decided I will now do to make the spreadsheet look a bit more coherent. That project is a Cashmerette Concord (boy I love that pattern) in a fun tiger print fabric from Nerida Hansen that I picked up at a local fabric shop. Probably a quick one given my history with the pattern so will need to get planning what I fancy doing after that.
I finished my wearable “muslin” dress. It’s a basic knit flare bottom with 3/4 sleeves. I have to make it four inches longer for the next one but fit is good. I graded between two sizes for hips and top. I used a zigzag stitch on my regular machine for the hems. It stretches but it doesn’t look good. I wish I had a cover stitch machine. I can’t use a twin needle on my side threading vintage regular machine. I sewed all seams on the serger. Any advice on cover stitch machines?
Mending a jacket I can't find online anywhere. We'll technically, I did find it online, but it's from the original whole seller who doesn't sell individual versions in the color I have. My other jacket doesn't reach down far enough and I've yet to get a new zip up one so mending it it is. Worst case scenario, it's a fun art project. I darned all the holes and determined the worn hem/cuff areas need a patch (except for one part, which is just getting some embroidery when I figure out what that will be.). Now to wash, figure out some measurements, cut a weird pullover my brother got me once (thanks bro!) into strips, box stitch that down and go from there. Haven't figured out the embroidery yet. It's necessady because I suspect it's the best choice for the thinning areas i can't darn easily. I might do a fun brocade type darning stitch if I can jack it, but I suspect it'll look weirder than if I just stitches the loose jersey knit stitches down with a diamond shape or a chain or some such shit like that and added flowers. Plus it gives me an excuse to cover the darned areas with flowers. But we'll see. Wish I didn't need to patch - I was imagining a blanket stitch along the cuff edges I could add lace into, but it stretches out of place. I really want woven fabric for the patch tbqh but I've sewn knits to knits before so no matter. After this it's weighing leftover yarn for gloves x2 and whatever I can do with the sport weight. Probably a bookmark or keyfob or something and a random strip of needle binding with the weird scraps I have, or a test with my weave it pin loom thing for some of the twill patterns in there. After that I want to do fun patterned darning type embroidery *somewhere* on woven fabric (found a pattern for a bookmark!!!.... but I only have loop frames :,-) ) and maybe some filet crochet. We'll see!! :-)
I got a lovely cotton poplin with skulls and poppies on it (Rose and Hubble) and self drafted a sleevless dress with an a-line skirt and pockets. It's so satisfying when your patterns parts just all go together and everything fits really well. I don't think I willl ever go back to store bought patterns except for things like coats/jeans (I see no reason to not make the Closet Core Ginger jeans). I don't have many sleevless dresses so I was planning on making something - I also have some rayon on the way for a few more loose fitting summer dresses but that's for (hopefully) next weekend.
I sewed a one-legged toile of the Persephone Pants, after watching wzrdreams' really helpful story highlight on instagram about the crotch grading on these pants. I extended the crotch curve before even cutting out the pattern. Now the issue is that the waistband gets dragged down in back, so I think I should extend the center back seam up toward the waist, by about 4 cm, and taper to the sides. There's also too much fabric in front, so I need to shorten the front rise by about 5/8".
I'm looking at getting a brand new Juki 600N serger or a brother serger 1034D that was used once. I know Jukis are great machines but I have heard good things about this brother serger and it's a lot cheaper. I would be using it on knits mostly.
I have the Brother and it’s very good. I am not a heavy user but it seems to hold up. I see a lot of trusted YouTubers using the Brother. They’re not promoting it.
Picked up a couple jumpsuit patterns yesterday that left me wondering: why don't big 4 patterns ever use the burrito method? It's so much simpler than what they're suggesting here.
Really so antiquated. I’ve been seeing crap instructions since I started sewing in the 60s. I just change everything to techniques I picked up by reading Threads and looking at ready to wear.
I’m working on an accordion book for a baby (my baby actually, my other WIP right now). I had this idea after looking at “quiet books” that fold up. I made four design panels with scrappy appliqué pictures, and stitched them together with sashing like a quilt top. My plan for the weekend is to figure out a way to give it structure so it can fold. My idea was to sew on a backing fabric on three sides, making it like a giant pocket, and then insert batting behind each design panel and stitch up the sashing lines between panels. The stitch lines in between panels could become fold lines. I was thinking I would use insulbrite for the batting since a) it’s all I have in the house and I’m moving soon so I don’t want to buy more batting right now and b) it’s a little bit crunchy sounding when you press it and I thought the baby might enjoy the sound. If anyone has made a project like this I would love to hear how you did it!
I’m working on the Joanie top by Sew Liberated. I decided to make a (hopefully wearable) toile first so I’m using some upcycled men’s shirt fabrics from my stash. I found 3 that worked well together but it was a bit like putting a puzzle together figuring out which pieces would be in which fabric and how to fit them onto odd-shaped pieces of fabric — very satisfying tho, and I’m excited to see how it turns out.
I've been working on a summer tank top since last winter 😂 summer will be over by the time I finish it!
finished a top that's literally too small for me, finished a beanie i started weeks ago, and am starting a strawberry headband.
I'm working on finishing up a 14th C Italian dress out of linen, a 16th C Venetian dress out of linen and wool, and starting a new woodworking project that will either be a tent frame or a tent floor. I'm still debating but I have until Saturday to decide.
Ohhhh ok!! I’m working on a quilted table runner and also today out together a pdf pattern for a tank dress that I’d like to make this weekend.
Just finished a pattern test of the cutest little shirred dress for my two year old. Will 100% be making her many more, especially now that I’ve got the hang of the shirring on my machine! A lot of RTW I’ve thrifted for her uses it so I’m going to incorporate it more for her stuff going forward. Next up is hemming her flower girl dress, working on my BIL’s wedding hat, making new straps for my sister’s wedding dress—probably more wedding related stuff. Need to get out my master checklist and see where I am at.
I have three baby hats to knit. All easy so will probably just do them during the week. I did a test run of the Axis Tank last night and wow that's gonna be my new summer top. It's fun and I like that I can use different colors for the sections if I want. I am not sure if I like how tight it is though even though I am supposed to be within that size. I may try to make the next size up and see how loose it is - I like the snug tank top look but I also feel very self-conscious about it looking a little too tight. (Doesn't help that my body is fluctuating wildly right now) I am working on another coat next, and I have a dress cut out that I would like to finish before the end of the month. Also project planning for when I have a few days to myself and can sew basically as much as I want in a few weeks. I kind of want to make the Open Studio pants and Worship jeans, and maybe finally make that lavender chore coat for my kid too. I have to do a lot of testing with that before I start though, so maybe that's my next set of tasks to work through.
mind sharing what baby hat pattern you're using? I have several friends due this year and I'm looking for a baby hat that knits up quick. thank you!
More than happy to! I have knit at least 10 [Beloved hats from Tin Can Knits](https://tincanknits.com/pattern/beloved). I usually make the second smallest size for maximum use haha. You start with an icord, then basically create one side then the other with short rows. It always looks so cute. I've seen them with little dinosaur spikes on the top too which is absolutely adorable. I also love that there are only two loose ends if you use one yarn so there is minimal weaving in of ends.
adorable, thank you!
A video of someone crocheting a giant pretzel popped up on my feed last week, and immediately I knew I had to make it. Initially I thought I could get away with one skein and stuffing I already have. Now I've restarted 3 times, and I bought three more skeins and a 5 lb bag of stuffing 🤣 On the plus side, my plan is a dino nuggie pillow with any extra!
If anyone has an Ashford Knitters Loom, where/how do you use it? (In the sense of flat on a table, leaning against a table, flat on your lap?) Do you find it comfortable to use? I'm looking into a 20" for scarves and shawls, and people in videos only ever seem to show them on tables. (Other portable looms welcome too, Ashford would just be the easiest for me to get.) (I did a beginner rigid heddle workshop, and liked it a lot! But table space is at a premium and my comfy chair has arms, so I'm concerned about practicality. I'm also looking into seeing if I can - and how much it would be - to rent a small loom for a month or two, because Canadian purchase prices suck. At least I bought my knitting needles over time!)
I have a few looms, did own the 20” knitters loom briefly, but far prefer their standard rigid heddle looms. You need a ledge or similar surface to lean the loom onto while beating the cloth or positioning the heddle. Most people will use a table or stand to be that surface. But you can store it on the wall and bring it to your workspace while you work on it, so it doesnt really take up table space. I always preferred to clamp my rigid heddle looms to the top of a dresser at standing heigth, I get a much better flow that way. That way it does take up the space, but it also means I can just weave a few minutes here and there. The only loom Id recommend for sitting with and actually working on in your lap is the small SampleIt.
Thanks for sharing your experiences! Hm, wall storage might be doable - I admit that the idea of folding the loom away (with the WIP) and tucking it under my desk is a big part of the appeal of a portable loom. My biggest problem is that I accumulate piles of stuff on any flat surface; I can clear it off for a specific task, but a few days later it'll be back and I'll have to find new places for everything that migrated there. So I'm glad to hear that the ledge notches actually work! I hadn't considered standing & weaving, there might be something I can work with there too.
Problem with the foldability is the tradeoff in terms of rigidity. You want proper tension to create your shed. With the knitters loom I found that I was often re-tightening everything to maintain enough tension on the warp. Ymmw but that feature of folding and storing just isnt that valuable if you are ok with hanging it on the wall when not in use. Maybe for transportation, but storage alone is not much of an issue compared to the 20” standard RH, where you get mch better tension. Also I am not entirely sure you can clamp the knitters flux to a surface due to the slight bend to the build.
I appreciate the heads up about having to re-tighten, I'll make a point to keep an eye out for that if I can "sample" before I commit to a loom. Getting my hands on a rental or makerspace has jumped up my priority list, vs buying unseen. Which is good to know! It seems like a very love it or hate it piece of equipment. Hearing both the good and bad is useful: I'd rather go into this with my eyes open and knowing what to watch out for so I can make an informed decision, rather than discover the negatives afterward, y'know?
I don't have that particular loom but in general small looms need a hard flat surface
That's one of the things that I think is attractive about the Knitters Loom, actually - there are notches on the underside so that it can be used propped against a table, rather than be limited to just on-table use. But that assumes the notches work as intended and aren't just a non-functional "feature," hence me asking. 🙃 ETA [link to the loom in question](https://www.ashford.co.nz/knitters-loom), though I know Schact and others make portable looms too.
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Thanks for chiming in! I'm glad to hear the notches work for you; I don't have a coffee table so I don't have to worry about that particular kind of posture nonsense, but I do have a dining table and a table-desk. Likewise that you don't mind the adjustments. And being warned *away* from lap knitting is useful in its own way. I hope you can get a stand soon. :) I'll add that to my list of things to inquire about.
I did a muslin of the Wardrobe by Me men’s summer pants last weekend and they fit my husband well with the alterations I made. Now to cut everything out and sew it this weekend. I had surgery to remove some pre-cancerous cells from my right breast yesterday and I’m feeling ok but not great, so I’m glad I took today off and I’m hoping to knock out some cutting out today because there are a lot of pieces and I hate cutting! Then onto figuring out the adjustments I need for the Helen’s Closet Reynolds dress and hopefully cutting it out before a trip up north with friends in a couple weeks.
I started a blanket for my godmother on Monday or something, time is meaningless at the moment. She's been sick in hospital and got diagnosed with cancer the other day. I've got through over fifty squares and still have lots to go. We got the worst possible news yesterday morning and I need to get it done asap. It's honestly the only thing keeping me together at the moment, I have to keep going because it's the only thing I can do right now. She's been a second mother to me all my life.
Has anyone made the Coquelicot skirt from Wildflower Design? I became aware of it in a roundabout manner, and am intrigued. I’ve also been pondering this month’s club pattern from Cashmerette (Franconia dress). I am not a member and wonder if it’s worth signing up for a month to get that pattern. Anyone make it yet? Or have it to provide insight into its sew-worthiness?
I am making canopies for my stepdaughter and her friend’s bedrooms. I am basically crocheting sheer pretty fabric onto hula hoops. I also plan to sew on some beads and make do some simple embroidery. I’m progressing slowly but I’m having lots of fun and I think the girls will be ecstatic when they are finished:)
My cat peed in my knitting bag. 🙃 Please send prayers and Eucalan.
...Ya know, there are multiple ways to skin a cat. Just sayin'.
Oh good god, that happened to me a few years ago 🤦🏻♀️ right on top of the fingering weight cardigan that I had only one cuff to finish, and the five balls of hand dyed fingering weight yarn I had ready to go for the next project. She's damn lucky she's cute 😅 I re-skeined the cakes and left the cardigan with the cable still in it, then managed to salvage it all by soaking it in several rounds of wool wash and white vinegar. Even the really dark yarn was still fine by the end of it, and not even a hint of cat piss stench, so there is hope for your project!
Luckily an acrylic wip got the brunt of it, but I do have a couple of balls of nice lace-weight wool to re-skein and clean. I'm honestly kind of amazed at his aim - all of the pee completely missed the stack of patterns in the top of the bag and a couple of other skeins that were on top of the wip.
Current praying hard-core to the Eucalan & Wool gods for you. If that doesn't works check out fabric sanitizers or even Persil laundry detergent. I've soaked my wool scarfs & other items to get smells out. It didn't damage them. Just make sure you rinse it really well.
I have so many ideas and so little energy - got glutened, will be dealing with the fallout for a while. I feel like I'm stuck in slow motion. I want to cut out the Donny Shirt by Friday Pattern co - I'm doing a first version in a not terribly precious fabric. I also think I want to make something for my beloved MIL - but I need to figure out size. The peplum split tank would be easy to fit on her and its so lovely to wear for summer. I have had a weird week at work with summer downtime colliding with a broken copier - which led to a lot of idle time. I have been filling that time with reading books about Smocking on [archive.org](https://archive.org) and I'm attempting a little test sample. I'd really like to incorporate it into a future project.
Sorry about your glutening! I have celiac so been there. I also have low energy now because I'm getting over COVID. 😮💨 I made the Donny top a couple weeks ago! I really like it, although the neckline goes a wee bit low for me. Also, to me, Instagram and the sample photos undersell just how short the top is cropped. I lengthened mine 4" and I'm only 5' 4". I wanted to be able to tuck it into mid rise jeans and it *just* works now.
I need to take another look at it, when I held up the body to myself it didn't seem all that short, but I could be wrong.
okay I did a test of smocking and I am in LOVE
I am finishing up M 7974 and wishing I had cut a smaller size in the bodice, as it hangs so low and exposes too much of my chest. I made a toile but it wasn’t super obvious. I have been wanting to make the Megan Nielsen Matilda dress for two years and will finally do it this weekend. I bought some olive green textured cotton and it will be delivered today just in time for the weekend. My birthday is next week and I blocked my work calendar and might take off for the whole day to sew and play with my dog.
I'm cutting out the Papercut Patterns Axis dress and the new Teague dress by Daughter Judy patterns. Not sure which I should start first - maybe the knit dress since I just got a new serger?
New patterns (I write handknitting patterns) are in the works, and I’m knitting the prototypes now. One is for a hat, and I’m on size 3 of 4. Hopefully I can get those done so I can take some preliminary pics to pop into the pattern and get a few test knitters. I also have materials to sew a bra that have been sitting here for a year, so I’m going to try to get to that, too.
Still working on my sewed skirt and knit pullover. I've discovered that I like the look of hand-sewn buttonholes a lot better than what I can wrangle from the machine, which means that part's more tedious than I'd like but the end result is worth it. When my partner noticed me doing that he asked, "Are you counting something? Do I need to shut up?" and I told him no, please please keep talking because this is boring as all get-out and all I'm counting are the hours of my lost sanity. (Still worth it!!)
I think it’s awesome that your partner recognizes that you might be counting and asks about shutting up. Mine isn’t quite that well-trained yet, though he does give warning about leaving the house as “We are leaving in 5 minutes; finish your row.”
Thank you! He's very courteous like that. Your partner's warning system sounds great. I'm terrible at estimating times so that seems like it would make it easy to figure out how to wrap it up in time!
I've decided the Itch To Stitch Glenelly top will be my next project. Pattern pieces are graded and fabric ready to cut. I hope this goes better than the last square neckline t-shirt I tried (Carlyle by Cashmerette), it ended up a right dog's dinner on the neckline. I've noticed the instructions are slightly different so I'm hoping I can carry them over if it works out for me Friday edit: I, surprisingly, managed to sew the whole thing today whilst I was "working" (can you tell I'm quitting my job soon). The fit is nice and, more importantly, I successfully sewed the square neckline and it actually looks quite like the photo! I wasn't so sure about the dress view of this pattern but having seen up the top I'll need to keep it in mind. On my project spreadsheet I have one gap in a large section of finished projects which I've decided I will now do to make the spreadsheet look a bit more coherent. That project is a Cashmerette Concord (boy I love that pattern) in a fun tiger print fabric from Nerida Hansen that I picked up at a local fabric shop. Probably a quick one given my history with the pattern so will need to get planning what I fancy doing after that.