Darn!

 

Fast fashion is not my thing. 

My wardrobe is fairly limited and contained. No, I am not a fashion minimalist but I am a deliberate shopper. As a general rule I only go clothes shopping when I need something specific. Then I go in, find what I need and get out -- as quickly as possible. I do not bargain hunt, but rather, keep fewer items in my closet. I tend to buy classic styles that I can wear year in and year out. Where I veer from this path is in my hand made clothing. Here I will be a bit more daring as I try out patterns, often, to just learn a new skill or method of construction.

When things wear out I try to repair them but some things are not worth the time. Socks for example, I never catch my socks in the wearing out stage but only seem to realize there is a problem when a big hole has appeared. By then, the effort involved in repairing it is almost as much as the effort that goes into knitting a new pair of socks. I tried darning socks for a few months but after repairing one pair of socks only to immediately burst through them in another area, I went back to the Yarn Harlot's method of darning socks. I hold the sock over the trashcan and say "Darn!" as I drop it in.

Sweaters, however, are another story.

My son wears handknit wool sweaters 12 months of the year. Don't judge. He's an adult and knows what he needs to wear to be comfortable.

All of this wearing leads to the inevitable wear and tear. Mainly the elbows. These I mend.

The most recent victim of elbow wear is his Dust Puppy sweater. Originally knit for my husband, Dust Puppy has been around for probably about 20 years in it's current incarnation. (It was originally knit several sizes larger but Mike then lost a lot of weight and I reknit it.)

All that is to say that it's kind of surprising that the elbows are just wearing out. One sort of gave way a year or two ago and the other one I noticed just before Thanksgiving.

Usually I do my best to just duplicate stitch over the worn areas and bring them up to strength that way. I keep some left over yarn from all of my hand knits just in case I have to do a repair. Unfortunately, Dust Puppy was knit so long ago that I no longer have the yarn I made it with.

So I got creative. Follow along on my darning tutorial to see how!

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Step one, identify the worn area.

 

Step two, out line the area to be darned. Usually I use the same color yarn but, as I said, this time I got creative. I used a blackish sock weight yarn left over from a sock weight sweater. I also usually darn in a square but circles are good too!

Step 3, run "warp" lines vertically from one edge of the outline to the other. This provides a matrix for what comes later.

Fill in any gaps that seem to be too wide. (This is a personal decision.)

Step 4, duplicate stitch over as many of the encircled stitches as you can. I either work vertically or horizontally or ... both. Yup, I play fast and loose here and just go into the next stitch that feels right at the time. Use the warp threads to help you figure out where missing stitches should go.

Step 5, once you get to an area with actual missing stitches, start weaving. Using your needle, go over and under the warp threads, filling in the area until you have a nice dense patch over the sweater wound. (O.k., it looks like I didn't get those photos so please use your imagination.)

Then I got creative. Using a sparkly black sock yarn I crossed over the area, back and forth on the diameter. I started dividing it like a pizza and then kept splitting the pieces until there was no evidence of the original grey yarn.

The end result ... a mini Dust Puppy (rear view).

Thank you for joining me in my first, rather scattered, tutorial. Tune in next week for more fun!

Leggings: A Learning Journey

Eight Ten pair of leggings (workout style). (Pattern links at bottom of post)

That's how many I have made since my love affair with me-made workout gear began.

With each pair I have gained valuable skills and confidence.

Some have provided valuable lessons.

Yet others have shown me the risks of choosing colors on line while still knowing that I do not have the greatest color sense in the world.

And another two pair taught me that workout tights can also be skirts! (There are attached bike shorts under the skirt.)

And yet others have proven that it is difficult to know what a fabric will feel like when bought on line. (The pair below are not my faves when it comes to working out.)

It was this pair (below) that convinced me that it was time to start learning how patterns are actually drafted.

They look good and feel great (fantastic workout fabric)  but I have some issues with them. First off, they are a little to long and hence a bit baggy at the ankle. This was my fault as I went for the "tall" version of the pattern without reading carefully and looking for what height the regulars are drafted for. Turns out I am kind of in between the two. Figures.

Second, when working out, they gather in ways that I think might be a result of a fit that is not perfect, and while I am happy wearing "not perfect," I still want to get closer.

---

Several weeks ago I reunited with a a workout buddy who has problems getting workout gear that fits correctly. I took this as a challenge. Asking if she would be my test subject, I got some basic measurements and, using the pattern I'd purchased for the Kracken tights, gave it a couple of tries.

On the first attempt I over thought it and
used some basic knowledge gleaned from the Made to Measure leggings class to try to adjust the purchased pattern. The end result was too small. Then, comparing the basic measurements to the actual pattern I decided to make it up in the smallest size. Too big.

Finally, I decided to try actually drafting the pattern using the Made to Measure leggings class. Since I am still waiting for my friends measurements I decided to give them a go with my own.

Not too bad.

The fabric is not something I would choose for leggings -- it is a bit too thin and has a bit too much stretch (100% horizontal and 50% vertical) and, using the yoga waistband, they were way to big at my waist -- matching my actual measurements instead of being more compressive, something that does not work in this fabric even with a compressive lining. I took a dart in each side of the waistband and will give them the workout test this morning.

My next steps will include making them again in a more suitable fabric (the first attempt was meant to be just that, an attempt using left over fabric from another project (yes, I over ordered and got a pair of "mommy and me" dresses (for me and my adult daughter!) out of the fabric before making the leggings).

I also want to compare my drafted pattern to my purchased patterns and see how they compare. The ultimate goal is to use my personalized pattern to alter purchased patterns and learn how to make the correct alterations. 

Once again, a learning process.

Pattern Links:

First, Second and Third Attempts -- Inspire Tights

Pockets!  -- Spark Tights

Sports Skirt -- Rally Skirt

Kracken Tights -- Simpaticos

Made To Measure Leggings Class

Kracken Fabric - Sew Dynamic Fabric

Slowing Down

 Slowing Down

I have a hard time holding back when I get an idea I really want to try.

For example, last week’s post. Go back, read it, comment and then return. I’ll wait …

I want to do it. I want to try to start my own semi custom, small batch, sewing business.

Now! 

Friday I was *this* close to stopping at the Spandex House (yes, it is a real place) and getting fabric for a sample first make.

Fortunately I got distracted and went home instead.

I need to slow down. I know that I do. My retirement plans are still up in the air and things at work are changing rapidly due to our new Mayor and Chancellor.

Also, I need to build my skills. I’ve only been at this clothing sewing thing for about a year and I know I still have a lot to learn. Yesterday, for example, I finally managed several good hems with a twin needle. (You know, the double line of stitching on the hem of your tee shirt – that. It’s not as easy as it looks.) I used some cool Kracken fabric from Sew Dynamic to make tee shirts for Mike and Natan and tried the twin needle out on them. Not perfect but not bad either.

Lessons learned from these shirts: 1. I need a little more than a yard of fabric to make short sleeve tees for each of my guys. I thought I had enough for Natan’s sleeves and discovered, after I had cut them and was ready to attach, that one was missing the top part. I improvised a fix and moved on. Mike’s shirt has contrasting sleeves and neck band. 2. I need more practice on twin stitching the neck band down. 3. I need to check each piece for issues before I sit down to sew it up - turns out one of Natan’s sleeve was missing its top. I sewed another piece of fabric on and made it work. Now I have ideas for color blocking sleeves!

In addition to needing time to build skills, I have several projects that I have fabric for and need to make up. These include, but are not limit to, a long black dress for Batya to wear for performances (Riverside Orchestra), multiple camisoles for me from the left over fabric from the quartet of tee shirts I made for Natan a few weeks ago and … pillow cases.

For the master bedroom we own two sets of bed clothes. That translates to two fitted sheets, two duvet covers and a passel of mismatched pillow cases. When one sheet wears out I replace it with the least expensive, same fabric content, option I can find on Amazon. That means that my bed is a mixture of different colors. No, I do not care if everything matches.

What I do care about is the fiber content. Many years ago I bought a set of linen sheets on sale. I never looked back.

So, when one of Mike’s pillow cases wore out last week, I decided it was time to make my own. We went to Gray Line Linen and purchased enough fabric to make a few pillow cases. In a color which neither clashes nor matches the rest of the bedding.

So, to summarize, I have plenty to keep me busy. And yet I am anxious to get started with the next part of my journey through life.

I am going to do my best this week to focus on what I have now instead of what I think I want next. Next is still far away and I need to live in the here and now.

Let’s see what happens.

Post Script: Here are three of the five pillow cases! Now to cast on a sweater …

What Next?

Sometime in the next 18 months I will be retiring. It might be this June, it might be next January or, at the latest, the following June.

The details of how I will make my determination are the subject of another, probably never to be published, post. (More of an internal dialog put in writing.)

The question of the day is: what next?

It is on this question that I am hoping for some feedback. Keep reading to see what I think might be possible.

For as long as I have been able to control my fine motor skills I have been crafting. My endeavors have provided years of blog fuel (go back to when this blog was last active) and I get great satisfaction from my hobbies.

As long as I have been crafting there have been those who have said “you should sell this,” about whatever I was making at the time. Up until now that was simply not feasible. The amount of time that I put into a hand made garment is significant and the cost / time ratio just did not allow any significant hourly wage.

Sewing, however, is a different beast. I can make a good looking pair of workout tights in a day. A tee shirt in a unique fabric in an afternoon and a pretty dress in a pair of days.

But I don’t want to make stuff at random and have inventory to deal with.

What I would like to do is:

• Pick a pattern

• Pick a couple of different fabrics

• Put up the garment for pre-orders

Garments would be made to the client’s measurements and in the fabric chosen.

Price would be based on fabric cost plus time estimated to make the item and would be pre-set at time of ordering with the costs averaged out to accommodate all sizes (larger or smaller quantities of fabric) and assuming the same amount of time for construction of each garment.

Is this feasible? Would you or people you know be interested in this?

Please comment either here or on the social media site that led you to this post.

Thanks!

Hand Crafted Memories

Mike and I are about to embark on our first long vacation since summer 2019. We are heading to San Diego for a week -- a week during the school year. This is a first for us. For the last 30 plus years we have been constrained by the academic calendar and have had to put up with crowds and higher prices for traveling during peak times. 

This trip is only possible because, while we are both still in academia, Mike is on a college schedule and it is currently intersession, and I now have a year round role in a Central office, not in a school and can take my vacation time with more flexibility.

When we travel I always bring my knitting with me. Always. 

Often I come home with more yarn than I left with and, I usually come home with at least one pair of socks finished on the road. Sometimes they are even on my feet!

It is vital that I have my knitting with me. Knitting makes me feel productive while enduring flight delays and give me an outlet for my nervous fidgets while making our way from here to there.

My knits also serve as a memory time stamp. For example, while on our epic trip to Harrogate, England I finished three or four pair of socks. Two pair, in particular, will always evoke memories of that trip. 

The socks at the top and bottom were knit with yarn brought from home. The pair in the middle, and a second pair (not shown) were knit with yarn bought in England. While both of my kids have socks knit in England from British wool, I have socks (top pair) knit en route from wool purchased in Lancaster, PA.  See, time stamps from two different trips combined in one pair of socks!

Mike's hat was made from yarn purchased in a lovely shop just outside of Leeds and knit here in NYC. 

This shawl was knit from wool acquired in Dublin in February 2020 while on a trip with my daughter. The wool is a rarity in that it comes from Irish Sheep, was dyed in Ireland and was started in Ireland on needles purchased along with the yarn. It was finished back here in NYC during the weeks following the start of the pandemic. Whenever I wear it I remember that wonderful trip and the fact that the yarn store was our very first stop after dropping our things at the hotel.

For this week's adventures I give you this!

A pair of socks with half of one foot to finish, The Russell Street Shawl, still in early stages, and a pair of socks in larval form. My thoughts are that I will work on the socks while waiting in the airport and the shawl while in flight. Sock knitting will be with me where ever we wander, ready to take out while visiting with friends, waiting for a meal or just relaxing after a strenuous day of sightseeing.

And, just in case you think I forgot about Mike, he is bringing his paints with him and will return with his own hand crafted memories.

Latkes!

 Latkes!

It’s that time of year again, Chanuckah. Actually, by the time most people read this Chanuckah 2021 (5782 in the Jewish calendar) will be over. If you want to know when Chanuckah is next year view this video: A Chanukah Song then come back.

So … Latkes.

As I type this the latkes are frying. 

O.k., not really, that would be dangerous. (Unless I wasn’t the one making the latkes, then it would be fine.)

Actually, I’m early in the prep stage. The potatoes are peeled and cut and soaking in a bowl of water and the onion is ready to be cut as soon as I am ready to grate.

Yes, I said grate.

There are many schools of thought as to what makes the perfect latke. There are those who coarsely chop their potatoes and then grind them up in a food processor, there are those who steadfastly use a box grater and then those, like me, who split the difference, grating the potatoes and onions using a food processor with a grating blade.

I grew up with both types of potato prep, first learning on a box grater and being taught that the best latkes always had a bit of blood in them. I passed that lesson on to my kids with the caveat that blood was not actually a secret ingredient and mechanical grating was perfectly acceptable.

In later years I learned the latkes could also be made using a food processor. Then I made up my own mind.

Back when Mike and I were young and adventurous we did a lot of cooking together (yes, I did cook once upon a time and I liked it). We were fans of many of the t.v. chefs and had shelves full of cook books. 

One of our favorite cookbooks was written  by Paul Prudhomme of New Orlean’s fame. We pored over his books and even made a pilgrimage to his restaurant in the Big Easy while on our honeymoon.

Chef Prudhomme had a recipe for cajun potato pancakes. I really don’t remember how they tasted but I do remember the texture and prep and adopted that for my own latkes.

The Prudhomme recipe called for potatoes, onions, salt, pepper and cajun spices. The potatoes and onions were grated, strained in a colander and mixed with the other components. They were then dropped in small dollops into a pan of hot oil until crisp on both sides and then drained on paper towels.

That is how I make my latkes -- minus the cajun spices. 5 ingredients. Potatoes, onions (roughly 2:1), salt, maybe pepper if I feel like it, and oil for frying. Fry until crisp and eat. Maybe with a dollop of applesauce, maybe some sour cream. DO NOT FREEZE.

My latkes have to be eaten hot and crispy. Almost right out of the pan. This is my idea of heaven.

Now to start frying!

Happy Chanuckah!

Failure or Lesson?

 Failure or Lesson?

I frequently encounter the phrases “I could never do that,” “I would mess it up,” “what if I make a mistake,” “that looks hard,” and others of that ilk. I’m never quite sure what to say in response.

My journey through crafting has always been a matter of seeing something, saying (perhaps just to myself) “that looks interesting,” and then, maybe years later, trying it.

Over the years I have learned how to crochet, knit, cross stitch, make bobbin lace, tat, construct and paint a doll house, paint my apartment, garden on a balcony, program a school, drive, weave and replace various parts of my dishwasher (none electrical). I admit to leaving most plumbing and electrical tasks to  professionals.

I learned how to crochet from my mother (I think, I don’t actually remember being taught), to tat from my aunt, to drive from my father (and a driving school) and everything else is mostly self taught. 

I do not consider myself brilliant by any means. Rather, I see figuring out something new as just that. Figuring it out. Each new skill, whether professional or personal, is something that someone else has done and therefore doable by me. Notice that sports are not included. They are not a puzzle I wish to figure out.

Yes, there are some things I do not wish to become good at.

Each of the skills that I have acquired had a learning curve (literal curves in the case of driving). My proficiency in these skills has improved due to my willingness to fail or, in the case of driving, to not crash.

Case in point,  these leggings.

They look good on the surface but are, in my opinion, not what I was going for. The design and execution are pretty good but I made a bad choice in the fabric. It is far thinner than I like in my workout tights and I didn’t adjust for my height so they are shorter than I would like. I also don’t like the thread. Oh, and the fabric on the legs is wrong side out. Oops.

Are they a failure? No. Are they a lesson? Absolutely! This lesson sent me to my computer to  research knit fabric weights and terminology. 

Will I try again? Yup! I think I have found the same color in a heavier weight and will probably order it.

All of my skill acquisitions have a similar story. The sweaters knit early in my knitting career that were far too big for my kids. The cross stitch projects that look kind of wonky. The lace samples that certainly don’t look like the illustration in the book. Did I give up? Maybe. I can’t remember what I have tried and then dismissed as “not being for me.” Certainly I have pushed crafts aside only to come back to them later in life as they became more intriguing. My aunt will often suggest things that she has tried that I am not ready to play with yet. Sometimes I try them, sometimes I don’t.

In the realm of education we talk about wanting to nurture a love of learning, to create life long learners. That is how I view my not-so-perfect makes. They are part of my learning curve, a part of being someone who is willing to try and fail learn.

Silk Stockings

 Silk Stockings

Okay, maybe not silk. Perhaps nylon. And maybe not stockings. Pantyhose? That sounds right.

Nylon Pantyhose.  Yup. Silk Stockings is a much better title!

Two summers ago I did my “back to school” shopping and, as I always do, stocked up on pantyhose. Because yes, I still wear pantyhose. Sue me. 

(Please don’t! I’m a working educator and you won’t get much.)

For a few months I wore my pantyhose, ran my pantyhose and threw my pantyhose away.

And then I stopped.

Stopped wearing pantyhose. Stopped running my pantyhose. Stopped going to work.

Sort of.

I did indeed stop all of the above except the going to work part. I just stopped commuting. Or at least commuting far.

Basically my commute consisted of walking from the living room to the spare bedroom. The room previously known as my daughter’s bedroom and more recently known as my craft room.

Now it was my office by day and my craft room on the weekends.

But back to the stockings pantyhose.

I stopped wearing them. I also stopped wearing shoes. I kept wearing dresses, skirts, slacks and pretty tops because I felt the need to dress for work. It made me feel a bit more normal in a rather abnormal time.

Fast forward eighteen months and we are now in the early days of autumn. I am back to commuting (if a walk of 10 blocks counts as a commute) and my legs are getting a little chilly.

So I have broken out the panty hose. (And the shoes.)

Actually, one might say that I have run with the panty hose. Or, rather, they have run with me.

The first day I put them on I immediately discovered a run. So I did as ladies do, cursed a bit, threw them out and donned a fresh pair.

The fresher pair lasted the entire day and hit the trash when I got home because my panty hose, unlike me, like to run.

Today I broke out a brand new package! I think I have 4 or 5 of these bad girls (each containing 4 or 5 pairs of panty hose) in my dresser.

My goal -- to run through them all and never buy another pair (except for special occasions). This includes, by the way, a dozen pair of tights, of which I have not spoken.

Then I will have a free drawer in my dresser for all of the wonderful things I am knitting and sewing!

Starting

If the last post was about finishing then this post needs to be about starting. (The topic of continuing will be another post.)

While the first steps in production happened this weekend, the two project I just started have been months (years for one) in the planning process. When I embark on a project I might just get the idea, buy the supplies and then start immediately. Others start as a germ of an idea and then proceed slowly as I figure out the how, what and why of the project. (For the writing teachers out there, the who, where and so what are usually the initial driving factors.)

Some projects may go from start to finish in the course of a weekend (a hat, a pair of socks knit while traveling) others may take months or even years.

The sweater below started as a concept the day that my son accepted his offer to the University of Michigan. It took a year and a half to get it to a finished state. The knitting only took a month. The other 17 months were spent thinking about it. Swatching, ordering thinner yarn, swatching again, graphing the notes, figuring out what to do on the sleeves (there is a clef on the right sleeve and a stop mark on the left) until I finally had it figured out. Mostly. There was still a considerable amount of recalculating done on the fly as I knit.

Other projects start as fiber that "jumps" into my arms in a store or at a fiber festival or fabric that just calls out to be a dress or, an idea that I want to try because it seems intriguing.

Last weekend I started  two projects. One began as fiber just begging to be spun and the other started as an idea begging to be created.

First up, I started knitting a new wrap/scarf thing in a handspun merino silk blend from Lisa Souza. The fiber was purchased at the New York Sheep and Wool festival at least two years ago, probably 3 or 4, and spun within a year of purchase. It has been sitting on a shelf looking pretty for about 2 years. 

My second project is a pair of cargo pants. The idea of making cargo pants crept into my head shortly after I successfully made my second dress this spring. A member of my family is tall and thin and favors cargo pants and it is difficult to get them in a waist size that also fits his leg length.

There are not that many patterns out there that fit the bill so much time was spent searching on line until I found one that also came with a video tutorial. I found the pattern two months ago but it took me this long to find what I think is the right fabric. Saturday was spent piecing the pattern together and cutting it out. Sunday I cut the fabric and started sewing. Monday was spent sewing al day. I successfully completed the front with the zipper, two side pockets and one front pocket over the 3 day weekend.

Neither project was finished over the weekend. I expected to finish the pants some time over the week but didn't get much done. Between evening activities (hello Carnegie Hall!) and this weekend's trip to the New York Sheep and Wool festival (hello Rhinebeck!)  these may be three weekends in the making.

The scarf/wrap has been cast on but it will likely take a month or two to complete. But then the satisfaction is in the process -- starting and finishing are just two of the steps.

#sewing #productivefidgeting #knitting #cargopants

Finishing

I like to finish what I start. When I talk to other knitters I often hear that they have lots of unfinished projects. Unsewn sweaters, wraps with ends that need hiding, and tons of single socks. That's not really me. Yes, I have unfinished projects -- at least 2 cross stitches -- but as a general rule I tend to eventually finish what I start. Something about hiding ends and sewing the pieces of a project together is deeply satisfying. Even more so when I have made the fabric or yarn myself.

Right now, actively in progress (as opposed to those cross stitch projects), I have: a pair of socks (still working on the first sock), hand spun yarn that needs to be plied (at least 2 different types), a scarf being knit out of my hand spun and masks that are in their initial stages of the assembly line. 

Also in progress but nearing the finish line is my career as an education. 

Last week I wrote a blog post that I did not publish. I had to vent and I did so but, for now, am keeping it to myself. Maybe I'll put it up later as a part of a multi-part post on my time working for the New York City Department of Education. A time that is approaching its end.

Right now I am not sure when the end will arrive but it is pretty safe to say that I will be retiring in anywhere from 2 to 20 months. Monday may determine if I go on the earlier side. 

In the mean time, while I try to pretend that I am not stressing, I spent the day finishing some projects.

This dress was assembled several weeks ago but I had to wait until my daughter came for dinner to mark the hem. It is now hemmed and ready to wear to work next week. Pattern: Sydney from 5 out of 4 Patterns.

This top was purchased as a kit from Needle Sharp. I started it last weekend and finished it today. It is also slated to be worn to work next week. Pattern: Cielo from Closet Core Patterns

And then there are these ... some pretzel masks destined for Bar Method Noho and Darian. There are more in the pipe line because I may have gone a bit overboard when I purchased the fabric. 

Pattern: Fabric Masks from Twig and Tale with my own modifications.

I'm not sure what I will make tomorrow but you can be pretty sure that I will finish it.

#sewing #endings #maskup

Masking Up

As a little kid I had dreams of being a seamstress. 

I would sew dresses out of old sheets and trim them with lace from old panties. I even posted a hand written sign in my bedroom window offering my sewing services.  I just loved to make things. That love of making has stayed with me my entire life and mask making fits right in. I find something seriously satisfying about sewing one batch of seams, then another and so on and so on, repeating step after step multiple times until a pile of masks is sitting in front of me. The actions are simple and yet the end product is actually fairly complex. 

In our home there was never a question about wearing masks. It was a given even if our Co-op hadn't required it in all public spaces. We weren't going out often, but when we did, we wore a mask. 

Over the last year or so I have spent a lot of time thinking about masks. What makes one style more wearable than another? Why do people have such different preferences?

Like my cousin over at Patterns from the Past, I have played with many styles and made personal judgements as to which ones are easiest to make (a basic pleated mask), which ones are best at keeping my glasses from fogging (pretty much anything with a good nose wire), what makes a good nose wire (I prefer 12 gauge aluminum cut to 14 inches with the ends bent under), which method is best for holding a mask on one's face (again, personal preference) and so on and so on. 

My answers to these questions are as varied as the questions themselves. 

It seems that masks, like shoes and underwear, are a personal matter. What works for you may not be what works for me. Yes, I am a proponent of nose wires but then I wear glasses and a mask that doesn't seal well over my nose means that I can't see  due to the fogging. My husband prefers that masks be held in place with elastic that goes around his head. My son is partial to a panel mask and my daughter needs softer ear bands, preferring ones that she crochets herself to the elastic that I use. Other folks are gung ho for the gold standard of non-medical masks, the KN-95, while yet others are partial to the disposable pleated paper mask. 

When masking was initially recommended I immediately thought "why buy when I can make?"  I could not stand the idea of paying for a disposable item when I could easily (or so I thought) make my own. The materials were already on hand and free DIY patterns were  plentiful. So, I dusted off my sewing machine (really, it was covered in dust!) and started making masks.

I had a fair amount of quilting cotton left over from my curtain making spree ten years ago. Google provided a basic pleated mask pattern and my daughter crocheted ear bands because elastic was in short supply.

That first batch was a wonky looking lot but they covered our faces. Taking out a few for the family, the rest were donated to the soup kitchen at the church next door. I feel a little bad about those now but I was doing my best at the time.

Over the next several months I refined my techniques, found new "favorite" patterns and distributed my masks to family, friends and the staff and students at my sister's school. My repertoire expanded to four basic styles -- the "old school" pleated, the "hybrid" pleated, the "3-D" and the "panel" masks. My son and I prefer a panel mask with a zip tie inserted as a stiffener while my husband prefers the 3-D and hybrid masks. My daughter seems to mostly wear pleated and hybrid. In our family we all use nose wires now (we didn't originally) as we all wear glasses.

I made some for the holidays because, if I'm going to wear a mask, I'm going to have fun with it!

One friend only wears KN-95s that she purchased in bulk and another mixes it up, moving between paper pleated, KN-95 and cloth -- heavy on the pink. Some folks like to coordinate masks with their outfits (ME!!!), wear seasonally themed masks (also me!) and others want their masks to be plain and unobtrusive. My son prefers plain colored fabrics because he finds a pattern distracting. He is, however, willing to wear colors of all hues. 

My mask making adventures reignited my love of sewing, particularly of production sewing. The rhythm and repetition of mass producing something is soothing and satisfying. It harks back to my childhood where I helped my father put out mailings for his firm. It's different from making a garment, satisfying in a different way. With a dress I am clothing one person. With masks I'm protecting my family, friends and community. And that is what drives so much of what I do in life, serving my community.

#sewing #productivefidgeting #maskmaking #masks 

A Tale of Three Dresses

 

As I stated in my last post, my dive back into sewing was driven by one particular social media post. For some reason (known only to the algorithm designers) my mask adventures led to an ad in my feed from Rebecca Page. The ad photo was of the Classic Dress, a style that just screamed my name.

I love a summer dress with a flowy skirt and a fitted bodice and I had to have it. But I was afraid. I remembered the last dress I made, an ill fitting affair that I wore two or three times before retiring it and the slightly too tight nursing tops. But the ad kept popping up in my feed like it was daring me to give it a try. So I did.

I ordered the fabric on line from a highly recommended source and the website even matched the thread, lining, and zipper for me. This so excited me that I didn't realize that the vendor was located in Manhattan's Garment District -- a mere ten blocks away (and only two blocks from my office!).

The pattern was purchased and downloaded, I measured myself, assembled the pattern and started. The instructions were incredibly detailed and guided me through every step of the process from my first French seam to the final hem. Going slowly and carefully, reading and rereading the instructions, I put it all together. I sewed, I pressed and I trimmed. At one point I realized I was running out of matching thread and switched to using white on the inside seams, conserving the lilac for the hem.

And suddenly I was done!

My first fitted garment in 20+ years! I was so excited -- and a little bummed that I was still working from home and had no one to kvell over it besides my family. Yes, I like to show off a little. 

There are imperfections. The zipper shows a bit because I didn't have the right zipper foot. The pockets (yes pockets!) have some puckers where they join the seam. And, it is a bit loose. But I made it and love it!

This time I went to the fabric store in person. I roamed the aisles stroking and poking the fabrics and finally settled on two. One was intended for a short sleeve dress, the other for another, more casual, sleeveless version.

Once again I cut and sewed and pressed, confidant that I knew what I was doing since this was my second go at the pattern -- and this time I had the correct zipper foot! I was even confident about the sleeves since I had eased many a sweater sleeve into place.

Yes, you can predict what happened. I got cocky and made newbie mistakes.

This fabric was thicker and had some stretch to it. I hadn't realized the stretch issue when I purchased it but did realize that it was thicker. What didn't occur to me was that the thicker fabric would give me some problems when it came time to put in the facing. You see, I had decided to forgo the lining this time and do a facing instead since the fabric was totally opaque.

Silly me.

Once again I followed the instructions to a fault, including hemming the facing. That was the fault. Since the fabric was on the thicker side this made the facing hem too bulky, a fact that bothers me every time I wear the dress (which I do!). No, I haven't fixed it but I probably should. Lesson learned: there are different ways to finish the edges of a facing and hemming may not be the best one.

I had, however, learned my lesson about the invisible zippers from the first dress, purchased the appropriate foot (and many others) and this zipper is indeed invisible. There are still issues where the zipper starts at my neck and the pockets are still a bit wonky where they meet the seams and the dress is still a bit loose despite my using the size corresponding to my measurements. But here it is!

The second length of fabric that was meant to be another sleeveless dress was repurposed into matching skirts for my daughter and myself (the subject of another blog post due to the vast amount of learning that went with them).

Then I went on a bit of an adventure with workout gear and skirts. More about those in later posts.

Fast forward to July. I am now working from the office five days a week and am usually alone due to pandemic restrictions. Since returning to the office I have taken to roaming the nearby blocks to get some exercise and to check out the smaller fabric vendors. If I just want to get lost in the fabric, however, I still default to the larger, more well known store because, for me, a good browse is more comfortable in a larger space. I picked up some knits here, some voile there and had fun with my makes.

Then came the day of the fire drill. As happens in all office buildings we had an evacuation drill. Leaving the building is fairly quick but reentry can take up to an hour due elevator capacity. Knowing this, once I exited the building I decided to take an early lunch and headed over to the larger fabric store. Without any clear goal in mind I wandered the aisles and, while chatting on the phone with a friend, stumbled on the perfect poplin for a new dress. Then I found a fabulous light knit for a coordinating cardigan. I admit to crouching in the aisle stroking the knit for longer than was probably socially acceptable.

Using the lessons learned with the other two dresses and the garments in between, I pressed and cut and sewed. This version was lined with a thin, soft, cotton purchased from a hole-in-the wall shop near FIT (SUNY's Fashion Institute of Technology). The pockets are without wonkiness (yay!) but the zipper took three tries and I wound up doing some hand stitching to make it look more normal near the base. I just was not willing to redo the whole back yet a fourth time! I dare anyone to look that closely at the small of my back.

This one fits perfectly! It seems (seams?) that when I actually use the recommended seam allowance the dress is just right -- almost. In between dresses I purchased a social media promoted gadget -- a magnetic seam allowance guide -- so I am no longer eyeballing my seams and they are now the correct width and much more regular. Love it!

As for the "almost" part of the fitting, I realized that the neck didn't lie quite right. This prompted me to go back to the first two dresses and realize that it doesn't lie right on them either. The problem is my body shape, not the pattern. So, I made a small box pleat in the center of the front neckline and now it lies better. Another lesson learned. On the next go I will try to actually alter the pattern piece to fix it since I want the dress to lie a little closer to my chest without the added pleat. Oh, and I also hemmed this one properly. The first two I just folded up the hem evenly around. This time I had my daughter mark the proper hem placement so that the back doesn't look shorter then the front. That lesson was learned from the mommy and me skirts. But that's another story!

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