Sharing, Inspiration and Project Photos XVIII

[AnnRowley]

Very pretty dress Ruthie,  I like the sort of 3D look of the fabric, no wonder the butterfly landed! 

Janis, I hope after this great success you will follow on with lots more that you like... you look great!

[fzxdoc]

Janis, your oufit looks wonderful, as do you in it. You should be proud of it--your careful workmanship shines in every detail.  Are these the pants you had trouble with on the waistband? If so, it is a well-kept secret, since it is not evident at all in the photos. Marvelous job, really.

The fabric is so nice--I can see it carrying you through 3 seasons.  Plus I can see you mixing different colored tops into the outfit as well.  Pretty, comfortable, and versatile--a real trifecta with that ensemble!

Ruthie, thanks for the additional information. That fabric is so unusual looking and so pretty, that I can see why it caught your eye. How nice that it was relatively easy to sew with and the result is so attractive as well. I'm with AnnR--it looks like that dragonfly liked it so well it just perched on your shoulder!  Enjoy wearing and accessorizing that pretty dress.

Kathryn

[Deirdre]

Janis, you look great---the colours and fit look excellent on you.

Deirdre

[Janis]

Thanks so much for the comments .  Yes, Kathryn, these are the pants with the wonky waistband.  I ended up piecing together the waistband from the last bits of fabric I had.  I used a striped cotton for the facing.  I actually learned a lot about waistbands in the process, so it was a profitable, if not frustrating, exercise. 

So now I have several colors of petersham in my stash .  I'm looking forward to trying the petersham waistband because I think it will be a much nicer look for me with my high waist.

[Diane Egelston]

Janis, I love your ensemble. Impeccable fit and the proportions are perfect. Love it! Thanks  for posting the pictures and providing inspiration. Must look for that Burda issue.

[mardel]

Janis, what a fabulous outfit!  It looks really wonderful on you and the proportions are just perfect.    I hope this means you are on a roll now and there will be lots more things you just love.

[vtmartha]

Wonderful outfit, Janis!  I'll be it looks great with the garnet top you showed us awhile back.

[AnnRowley]

I have been doing some more knitting.

                                       

This a wrap/bolero designed by Marie Wallin for Rowan.  The yarn is Lima, 84% alpaca, 8% wool, 8% nylon with an unusual chain construction. 
I'm not a great fan of thicker yarns - this is knitted on 5.5 mm, US 9 needles  - but the springy construction made it very pleasant to work with.

It's a most unusual construction, starting off with a long strip.  It took me a while to get my head round how it worked, not made any easier by the schematic on the pattern page -  see above.

It's a far from elegant garment but it provides lovely soft warmth to arms and shoulders. Ideal for working at my sewing machine or sitting knitting.

You can see me wearing it and more details of the construction by clicking on the larger picture above.

[stashpanache]

Oooohhh.  I love it.  That is beautiful, Ann.  Very interesting design, too.  LOVE that color.  Rowen is my favorite yarn company.  I bet that sweater is nice and soft...perfect for cold, rainy days.

[marciae]

Great sweater Ann, and a lovely shade of green!  Will be warm and toasty!

[vtmartha]

What a fascinating knitting project!  The resulting sweater is lovely.

[JenSA]

You're right very weird drawing. The construction method is pretty unique, but the end result is very pretty.

[mardel]

Lovely sweater Ann!  I think I have trouble getting my head around that drawing too, but the final result looks lovely on you as well as warm and cozy.

[fzxdoc]

Very nice sweater Ann. I just finished one of those rightsideup/upsidedown types of sweaters as well, but it's not as pretty as yours is. Plus, the sleeves hang sort of funny. But they're fun to knit. I love the stitch you used!

I have just finished 'blogging about a dress that I made for my DD's career wardrobe. She wears it with a lab coat, a jacket, or a turtleneck. It's made from a really wonderful rayon/poly/lycra medium weight doubleknit called Sophia. Here andhere are links to sites that sell the fabric, although I did not get my fabric from either place, since they did not carry the colorway I wanted. ETA: I have a friend who says this blend should be called PRL not RPL because there's more poly than rayon and more rayon than lycra. Sounds logical to me!



You can see more Flickr photos or read about it on my 'blog .

Kathryn

[Janis]

Ann, lovely sweater.  And it's a very interesting design.  I'd love to see you wearing it .

Kathryn, that is a beautiful dress.  And thanks so much for the link.  I was going to ask you on another thread where you get the Sophia RPL (PRL).

[Karendee]

Kathryn,

Again, I'm just "blown away" with your glorious blue-tone dress for DD. I'm sure she is a ray of light wearing it in a hospital setting. I always learn so much from your thorough posts. Beautiful!!

Ann,

What a handy sweater for arms and shoulders. I always like to have those parts covered; they seem to get the coldest. Lovely color and knit.

Karen

[shams]

Beautiful dress, Kathryn.  I agree that the skirt is improved by your redrafting and what a beautiful electric blue color.  It sounds like your daughter has an interesting job to require beautiful clothing and a lab coat. 

Ann, yowza.  I love love that sweater.  Make sure you go look at the other photos, which show it in process and on Ann's body.  What amazing knitting and sewing skills!  Looks like this pattern required a lot of "picking up" of stitches.  Wow, really special.

[Madrona]

I made this reversible tote bag Saturday afternoon while Kathryn was napping before Trick-Or-Treat:

 

It turned out pretty well for my first try at a tote bag, but the straps are twisted.  Oops.  Also - I should've made it wider, so people would have an easier time sticking candy in there for her.  Something to keep in mind for next year, I guess. 

[mardel]

Lovely, lovely dress Kathryn; I'm sure your DD must be thrilled.

Cute bag Madrona.  How great to have a special trick or treat bag.

[vtmartha]

Very pretty dress, Kathryn!  It's great to have your input on sewing the Sophia PRL    knits.  I may have to try some.

[lessalt]

Ann, What a beautiful and unique sweater. I love the color. I bet it looks wonderful on you with your silver hair.
Kathyrn, What a nice dress, at work she looks fashionable and competent. After work hours and without the lab coat she could wear it to a number of places.
Madrona, Cute bag and it could hold a lot.

[Ann]

I have been lurking since my trip to Toronto. I have been tired from a combination of time change and not sleeping due to the tenant upstairs. I am working on a grocery bag for one of my support staff for her Christmas present. I have to make another one for my other support staff. I will put in teas, hot chocolate mix, and a purse organizer for them (thanks to the person who suggested it to Mike as a gift idea for his mom).

Wow to everyone who has been sewing so hard. From skirts to dresses, to suits to knitting and Halloween bags, I have enjoyed looking at your projects. And I am green with envy at everyone sewing for themselves. I don't have a lot of time as another principal and I are doing a district project this year for ESL children and I am losing weight. Next year I want to sew for myself - a retirement wardrobe.

Ann

[sdBev]

ann

That sweater is fascinating, as well as unique and lovely.  Where can I get directions? 

[BetsyV]

Ann the sweater is fabulous. Great color; great shape.

Kathryn the dress for your DD is wonderful. Beautiful color!

Madrona a reversible trick or treat bag - what a fantstic idea. Cute fabrics, too

[AnnRowley]

Kathryn, lovely dress for your daughter and an interesting sounding fabric. 

Madrona, pretty little bag - how big is it?

Thank you everyone for liking my latest knitting. 
The pattern is from "the lima collection" by Rowan; you can see me wearing it and more details if you click on the larger picture...
And shams - absolutely no picking up of stitches involved.

I am just starting this cardigan from Hanne Falkenberg - fine 2 ply Shetland on 2.75 mm needles - it will take some time...

[ejvc]

It's a lovely green sweater-shrug, Ann, and I bet it's super-warm.  As to the Hanne Falkenburg -- I feel my hands hurting from the thought!  But I expect you will be done next week or so :-)

[mardel]

Oh that is going to be a gorgeous sweater Ann!  I hadn't looked at new Hanne Falkenberg patterns for some time and there are some lovely selections.  I'll be happy at this point to see yours when you are done.

[MaryPat]

I have been very busy with work with little time to even look on here, so it is wonderful to come on and see such wonderful projects. I love the trick or treat bag. The shrug looks cozy and I don't have time to check out the wearing pics, but will once this stretch of work calms down. Kathryn the dress for her daughter is gorgeous. I think it has kind a of "Mad Men" retro feel to it.
On previous pages there was a cute bunny and elegant mermaids and coordinates and girls who wouldn't sleep and so much eye candy! I am so glad people post. Thank you!

[stashpanache]

Kathryn, I posted on your blog about your DD dress.  Just beautiful.

Ann, your new sweater will be gorgeous.  You not only make gorgeous things, you are so productive!!

First, the bad news about the Jalie top I made for DD BD.  It was too small.  I went by her bust size.  The problem is, she is so skinny that the shoulders were too small on the top and the seam which connects the wrap top to the lower part of the top hit across her bust points.

The good news, it fit DDIL#2 perfectly.  She is 5 feet tall and outweighs my DD by 25 pounds at least.  Go figure.

Oh well, now I know which size to make for both girls.  So, will be cutting out DD a new shirt plus I think I can brave the Sweetheart top for her now too since I know what size she is.  This is progress.   DD loved the top so she was disappointed.  I have some cotton/lycra knits to make some cute tops for her for Christmas.  I just have to figure out about the difference in fit due to difference in stretch.  Sewing on knits is something else.  Reminds me of felting.  You're never sure what you are going to get.

[CanAndi]

Ann - that green shrug is very elegant indeed and I can see it dressed up as well as for casual wear.  I am a knitter but truly have never taken the time to learn cabling.  It always seems so intimidating to me and I have bypassed opportunities for beautiful garments by shying away.

What a lovely shade of blue for your daughter Kathryn.  That is a great day to evening dress.

I really like those Hallowe'en bags Madrona and hope your little bunny got to fill them up!  My youngest had her last trick or treat excursion on Saturday as she will be a little long in the tooth next year.  She filled a pillowcase and will have candy to last till Christmas!

Andrea

[Madrona]

Thanks all!  It was fun to do a little project that went so quickly.  being able to complete a project in one sitting does wonders for the confidence.

AnnRowley - the bag is about 7" x 10".  If I had it to do it over again, I'd probably make it 10x10 with a wider gusset.  I have extra Halloween fabric; I'll put it in the cupboard and see what comes up next year. 

Hubs took this photo of the bunny in action:



That is the last photo I'll post of that project, I promise.   

Next up is a jumper out of pinwale corduroy.  My sewing instructor has a wonderful method to get facings to lay right, and I wanted to learn it before the last class.

[BetsyV]

Madrona your bunny is ADORABLE!

Our most impressive trick or treater was a boy about 12 in a home made PacMan head. I love the homemade costumes - those kids get extra candy from us!

[Nedra]

Madrona,

Thank you so much for posting more pictures of your bunny!  I must say I think she's about the cutest one I've ever seen!!

Kudos to AnnR for another beautiful knitting project .  My shoulders and neck get colder with each passing year.  Ann's project gives me an idea of maybe making a shrug out of knit that would suffice (since I don't knit).   I definitely see the advantage of not having all that fabric bunched up around your waist while sewing at the machine.    

I'm hopelessly behind again, but have enjoyed EACH and EVERY project posted, thank you all very much for contributing.  It's a pleasure to enjoy it all everyday.

Nedra

[JenSA]

Madrona...your bunny is tooo cute, great costume. I had a little tiger & a devil over the weekend, but I already had the costumes, so I didn't have to make anything.

[stashpanache]

Awwww...