Pattern making

I first tried to draft my own patterns whilst we were living in India in part because I didn't have easy access to commercial patterns. I bought a couple of books, scoured the internet for tutorials, and soon realised that I actually enjoyed the process. It took longer to make a finished piece from start to finish but I found it to be very fulfilling. Besides, I often have to tweak commercial patterns to get a good fit anyway.

Now that I am back in the U.S., I have all kinds of commercial patterns in my possession but I still find myself wanting to draft my own. I've borrowed several books from the library and have been playing around with miniature sized blocks.

I'm not entirely sure where this process is going but I'd like to at least draft a basic pattern set for myself and see how that goes. So far I haven't spent as much time on it as I'd like but I'm going to try to work on it more.

In other news, I've finished quite a few sewing projects that I hope to write about soon, so stay tuned. In the meanwhile, enjoy the leap day!

Negroni muslin

I've been wanting to make a shirt for my husband ever since I learnt how to make buttonholes successfully. Our favourite tailor in India even made me a pattern but I just wasn't sure how to put it all together. Colette Patterns' Negroni shirt was all I needed to take the leap. With Peter's MPB Men's Shirt Sew-Along as a resource and Sarai's very good pattern instructions, I decided to make a muslin.

I was able to put all the pieces together! I traced and sewed the large size without any modifications. My feeling is that it is a tad too big. What do you think? Peter addresses a few fit issues on his blog, which is where I learnt about pivot points. The shoulder seam extends beyond my husband's pivot point. The shirt seems too large across the back yoke and the fabric creases under the arm. The shirt length and sleeve length look good, though.

For the next version of this shirt, I am going to trace a medium and make a few modifications. Mainly, I'll add length to the body and sleeves. I am also going to follow instructions to convert the camp style collar to a traditional collar and draft a button placket and facing. Wish me luck!

On the needles: Peabody

This pattern caught my eye when I was browsing the Jared Flood pattern binder at the local craft store. It's a simple stockinette sweater with a lace panel that keeps it interesting.

I'm using the tweedy yarn I picked up on our trip to Ireland last year. I've knit past the armholes and have finished the back since taking these photos but I'm a little worried I might run out of yarn. I have three hanks in total so I should have enough but we'll see.

Now, if only it would get cold enough to wear a cozy wool sweater...

Apple pie

and tea for breakfast.

Homemade vanilla extract

Talking about Christmas presents,

no, no. Not the Polish vodka! I received a generous stash of vanilla beans from my sister-in-law and her fiancé.

I'm not sure why I haven't thought to make vanilla extract at home before. It couldn't be simpler! Most sources online recommend a ratio of three beans per eight ounces of vodka (or rum). I sliced the beans down the centre, scraped the caviar and put all of it in sterilised bottles. Each bottle held a wee bit more than 16 ounces, so I used seven beans per bottle.

I've squirrelled the bottles away in the darkest part of the cabinet. Now all I have to do is give the bottles a good shake once in a while and more importantly, be patient!

2012

Things have been quiet here lately but I closed 2011 doing some of my favourite things. I had the opportunity to travel, celebrate holidays with family, try new recipes in the kitchen and finish a few sewing and knitting projects. Although I have been remiss in writing, I had to share one of my Christmas presents from my husband.

Voila! It was a complete surprise, too. He picked out this particular model based on reviews online, and so far so good.

He also rather wisely gave me some reading material to go along with it! After perusing the book, the serger manual and other blogs, it seemed like threading the machine would likely be my biggest challenge. I was prepared! It must have been beginner's luck but I managed fairly easily. I tied on the new thread to the spool the machine came threaded with and just pulled it through. It worked for one out of three spools. For the rest, I just followed the manual. I've already started a project from the book and will write more about it soon.

Happy 2012!

Another refashion

I refashioned another of my husband's shirts recently. This one is from a store in India that mainly features cottons and linens in their collection. The fabric is very soft and summery, and I was quite excited to convert it into something to fit my wardrobe.

I had less fabric to work with this time around - an Indian extra-large is a lot smaller than an Eddie Bauer large-tall.

I followed the same steps as I did for my last refashion. The part I found tricky was trying to incorporate the shirt's shoulder/back detail, since I didn't want the cut-out to appear misplaced on my shirt, but I think it turned out well.

Like the last time, the sleeves are my favourite part! I used the original cuff to make tabs so that I can wear the sleeves rolled up or down.

Like my previous refashion, I didn't shorten the shirt at all, and used the original hem. I left the back longer, used French seams, and finished the neck with bias tape made with left over bits of the sleeves. All-in-all, a refashion success, me thinks!

Thanks to my husband for helping me with the photos.