[ still in bits and pieces, waiting to be sewn up. ]
Hmm… looks like bits and pieces of something being knit, doesn’t it? Things have been hopping on my knitting needles lately, as I try to finish this cardigan up before the weather truly cools down.This is the exciting part of any knitting project: the pieces are taking shape and things are waiting to be assembled! I just have to sew the seams up at this point, and pick out some buttons. My heart is set on sparkly, vintage glass buttons, but I have been having the darndest time finding 8 that are the right size!
The thing I have found about knitting with vintage patterns (the two sweaters I have knit so far–so I am not an expert by any means!), is that they really are not that difficult. Certainly, there are times when I have had to scratch my head and wonder what the directions are getting at, but overall the experience has been less daunting than I anticipated when I initially took the plunge into knitting with old patterns. This particular project has been surprisingly quick when I get into the rhythm.
[ the stitch pattern is so simple, but I love the texture. ]
Being the “bad” girl I am (at least when it comes to crafty things. Sailor Husband maintains that I really cannot pull off a “bad girl” impression no matter how I try! lol), I of course have been dreaming what knitting project I’d like to tackle next. I think a cream cardigan might be just the thing my closet needs. I’m a bit terrified to knit with light colored yarn–I have visions of it somehow getting dirty (though I’m always careful to wash my hands before I knit), or spilling something on it (knitting and drinking tea are a favorite pastime). But I need a cozy little cardigan in a cream or ivory color, and darn if I can find anything like what I want in the thrift stores! So knit one I must… hehe!
November 9, 2009 ·
21 lovely thoughts
posted in casey's musings,knitting
· tags: knitting
[ click for a larger view. ]
Being the silly girl I am, I realized (after a few gentle promptings from the comments) that I forgot to post not only what fabric I made the pinafore in, but also the pattern details! I declare: I’m not usually this forgetful when it comes to sewing posts! lol. So for those curious about these things, read on…
The pattern is a late 1930s (judging from the design) Hollywood pattern I found on Ebay recently (number 1758 if anyone is interested). I really liked the versatility of the piece (sundress or pinafore) and the blouse or jacket pattern included too (yay for options!). Plus it said it was a “sew simple design” (in small print, near the bottom), which appealed to me. lol. The belt, however, was not included in the pattern, but was a simple 1″ wide affair I sewed up and added some buckram to for stiffening. The fabric is a lovely, dark purple cotton twill I purchased from Denver Fabrics earlier this year. I had been holding on to it for just this project, and finally got to cutting it out!
Hope that answers a the couple of questions about this project… Thank you all so much for your sweet enthusiasm about my sewing musings and ramblings! It is so fun to be a bit geeky about sewing… lol!
November 5, 2009 ·
18 lovely thoughts
posted in casey's musings,sewing
· tags: sewing
[ a little sewing something that has me preoccupied. ]
Um… so this is obviously not the post of knitting progress! I got a little side tracked with a sewing project instead. One of the pieces on my fall wardrobe plan, in fact! It took a couple evenings of earnest sewing, but it was a pleasantly simple and quickish pinafore to whip up.
[ love the cross-over straps. ]
Although I made it primarily as a pinafore (or jumper) to be worn over blouses and shirts, the pattern indicates it can also be worn as a sundress. Considering the weather is still quite warm here, I decided to model it as a sundress. I’m fairly pleased with how this turned out: it was one of those projects that was a bit of an experiment. I generally do not gravitate towards designs that have such a pronounced, horizontal line across the hip area. It emphasizes what I don’t want to draw attention to! lol. Although I won’t be rushing out to replace my wardrobe with yoked skirts, this is a nice change to the usual styles that populate my wardrobe!
[ front and side views. ]
[ details. ]
Oh, and all the fabric I ordered came today! I’m quite excited, but not sure whether to start on the red dress or the floral one first… Decisions!
November 4, 2009 ·
53 lovely thoughts
posted in casey's musings,sewing
· tags: sewing
[ click for a larger view. ]
- 01. The oversized flowers pinned to the model’s cardigan add a lot of panache to the otherwise classic look.[image.]
- 02. I love the coat that the woman is wearing in this photo! [image.]
- 03. Maybe it’s her sweet smile, the flowers in her hair, or wondering what the rest of her outfit looked like, but I adore this image! [image.]
- 04. Short coat with tailored details? Check. Cute, yet utterly practical dress? Double check. [image.]
- 05. I keep coming back to this illustration; I can’t help but think how fun it would be to do a geometric cut out at the neckline with a peek of another color! [image.]
Excuse the lack of an exciting post today–I’m decidedly having one of those days. So rather than berate myself over the fact that I forgot to take pictures yesterday (when it was sunny!) of a project nearing the exciting stage of completion and neglect to post anything, here are some pictures that have caught my fancy of late!
[ click for a larger view. ]
- 06. I love this delightful headband/hat idea with the loopy flowers! Can’t you just see this in a pretty, low pile velvet for winter? [image.]
- 07. The coat, the mile-high shoes–love! [unknown source.]
- 08. A jaunty color combination with an even snappier, military inspired braid work. So fun! [image.]
- 09. I have decided I just have a preoccupation with surplice bodices right now. Just about every image sporting this style blouse has been jumping out at me! [image.]
What has been inspiring you, friends? Please do share–I’m always curious to know what is sparking your imagination!
Tomorrow, hopefully, there will be a knitting progress post! Much excitement!
November 3, 2009 ·
14 lovely thoughts
posted in casey's musings,vintage inspiration
· tags: style inspiration, vintage inspiration
