A Martha Moment and Salvaged Shawl

I had a Martha moment on Christmas day for our family get-together. I actually put some effort into decorating and setting a decent snack table. I guess the only thing that wouldn't pass muster with her would be the Sun Chips box filled with Simon's toys sitting next to the couch. And now that I look at the photo closely, that fake orchid in the back looks kind of sad --- I think it is time to find a replacement!



As part of my end-of-the-year organizing efforts, I went through my partially finished knit projects and decided to do something about them --- rip them or fix them. One project was this lacy shawl from earlier this year. Believe it or not, I ripped this complicated lace pattern three times, because I kept getting to a certain point where the lace pattern became "off". By the final time, I had memorized the pattern so I disregarded the printed chart and tried to work the pattern, but it still didn't work out. I gave up somewhere in the summer. Well, I dug it out and decided I didn't want to rip it again, so because the length is enough for a short shawl or shawlette, I stopped the pattern and worked a garter stitch ruffle (make 1 stitch in every stitch to double the number of stitches). I think it turned out okay for a salvage job.

Merry Christmas

We wish you a happy and joyous Christmas!

Tasty Cookie Recipe

I've been baking like a mad woman these past couple of days to get ready for the holidays. In addition to my tried-and-true recipes, Woolanthropy posted a delicious recipe for Ginger Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies. They are fabulous! Her photos are so much more beautiful than mine --- the photo below isn't much to look at, but those cookies are really tasty. Give it a try! Thanks for sharing the recipe, Woolanthropy!

A "But I Can Make That" Moment

I had one of those moments yesterday...At the Anthropologie store among masses of holiday shoppers...Feeling guilty because we were supposed to be shopping for family.

I saw this comfy-looking garment made of soft and lightweight boiled wool in navy --- one of my fave colors.

Image from here.

I looked at it, walked away, came back and looked some more. I love the shape of the collar and the easiness of the style. My problem was I couldn't stop thinking about how easy it would be to make --- no finished edges and all straight seams except for the collar. The $118 price tag didn't seem justified. My husband rolled his eyes. I knew what he was thinking, as we've been through this a zillion times before --- "yes, I know you can make it, but will you have time to make it?!?"Ugh. I know he's right, but I walked out without it.

I'm sure this moment strikes many who enjoy making garments --- such a dilemma!

Parka: Miracles Do Happen

Perhaps it is the season, but a miracle occurred at our house this week. I actually finished the parka! Granted, I took my hammer to class to pound in the final snaps and the sleeve hems weren't hand-stitched yet, but in my book, it was pretty well finished by the time 6 pm on Tuesday night rolled around.





Fabric
The main fabric is a silk and cotton blend from Thai Silks and the bias trim and belt are made from silk dupioni. I machine-washed and dried both fabrics, which yielded a soft and slightly crinkly finish. The main fabric is really cool because the colors are reversed on each side. I used a fusible interfacing for the front facings, collar, pockets and flaps, and hems.

Details
It is an unlined jacket so I took the time (as if I had much!) to make bias strips from the black silk dupioni and apply a Hong Kong finish to the raw edges along the front facings and the hem. I made flat-felled seams throughout so there are no raw edges to be seen. The sleeves are two-piece sleeves with a little vent.





It is difficult to see in the photos but there are four patch pockets on the front. Each is lined with a Bemberg rayon fabric. After I sewed the pockets on, I realized that they blended into the jacket. In hindsight, it may have been more attractive to add bias trim to make them stand out.



At that point, I wasn't about to re-do the pockets, so I decided to add flat piping to the fronts and the waist casing for added definition. I also made the tie belt with the black silk dupioni for a nice contrast.

The snaps were interesting. I purchased parka snaps from Joanns and they worked well, but beware --- read and follow the instructions! The big mistake I made was to not make a little hole in the fabric before punching the snaps in. This caused the fabric around some of the snaps to "seize up" slightly, so the fabric around each snap doesn't look as smooth as it could.



My favorite part of the parka is the collar. I love stand-up collars and this one turned out ok. I ended up interfacing both pieces for added stability. You can see the flat piping along the center front seams and the topstitching I added as well.



Overall, I'm pleased with the result. It was stressful given the time crunch, but I'm glad it came together without my having to sacrifice any of the details I wanted to include. I hope I receive a good grade!

Parka: Down to the Wire

I have until Tuesday evening to complete a jacket as my final project for my class. While for some people this may seem like ample time, I'll be honest --- I'm stressed. And to add to it all, as part of my procrastination ritual, I'm writing this blog post! I'll get it done, but for some reason, when there's a deadline attached, the sewing doesn't seem quite as fun...

I'm making a parka from the January 2009 issue of Burda. I was attracted to the parka's mix of casual and elegant style, and of course I love that stand-up collar.

Image from here.


I made a one-sleeved muslin (lazy!) that fit well. The only alteration I needed to make was to decrease the shoulder line by 0.5 inches and decrease the sleeve lengths.

The fabric I'm using is from Thai Silks and is a black and gray version of the photo below. It is a silk and cotton blend that I threw into the wash and pressed. It isn't as crisp as it was originally, but I like the slightly crinkled look that resulted. The pattern is woven into the fabric and the colors are reversed on the other side.

Image from here.

I'm off --- wish me luck!