dirty doz: something sewn (with a pompom for good measure)

Right when I decide I'm no sewer, I sew something.

I'm going to be totally honest about this one, I discovered a brand of bonnets on my instagram popular page, fell in love, then did my best to recreate it. When I saw it I was like, I can make that! I have more fabric stash and time than bonnet money and went on the hunt for a pattern. Lo and behold, Purl Bee had a free pdf template for a sunbonnet. So with some printing, stash digging and the mandatory heavy modifications I always seem to make this bonnet was born. Cost? $0. The lining is scraps of my favorite fabric ever Mum Toss by Martha Negley, which I ration almost to a fault, the outer is an undyed wool from Dorr Woolen Mills and the pompom was leftovers from a cowl I made for a friend. Not sure how practical a huge pompom on a baby's head will be but it'll be easy enough to cut off if it's really in the way. It's just so damn cute I couldn't help myself. I was vacillating between this size pom and the size smaller and was like "Fuck it!!! Babies are supposed to look ridiculous!"

This was an incredibly easy project. I knocked it out in one afternoon, even with all the winging it and making bias tape freehand. I just hope it fits!

And to give credit where credit is due, if you simply must have a super cute bonnet like this but can't sew (or just don't want to), the company that makes the inspiring bonnet is Briar Handmade. I'm seriously considering nabbing one of the Winter Floral ones because it is so unbelievably adorable.

Sewing isn't that bad!

dirty doz '14: WELT POCKETS

Denim vests. They're fun and stupid and one of those things I've always wanted because they're fun and stupid. So I finally caved and got one only to realize when it arrived that 1- the color was way too matchy with my jeans and 2- IT HAD NO POCKETS. Seriously, a dress without pockets I can forgive, but a denim vest? No. So its transformation began. I bleached it along with some jeans legs a friend gave me when he made some shorts and I decided to try to put some pockets in it myself. I knew there was a good chance of failure but hey, I wasn't going to wear the thing WITHOUT pockets so what was there to lose?

My Grandma used to always tell me she was going to teach me how to sew bound buttonholes. She didn't realize this, but I practically saw that as a threat, bound buttonholes along with welt pockets were black magic as far as I was concerned. They terrified me and I swore I would only use zippers and/or hooks and eyes for my entire life. I managed to always avoid learning them which I now kind of regret because she was really good at teaching me things like that, but I think I've done her proud anyways by learning how to sew single welt pockets which share the terrifying construction part of bound buttonholes.

Thank you internet. Online sewing and knitting tutorials have made me a more functional human being.

I am so excited about how this thing turned out! Now I can stick my hands/poop bags/wads and wads of cash/nail polish in my lovely little pockets. Throw some strawberry fabric accents and neon green contrast stitching on top of it all and how can you lose? 
I used this tutorial for the pockets, which I totally recommend, I didn't swear while sewing them once (sewing+me=swearing). I also used a tutorial about bleaching denim -which I clearly ignored- so just mix a 1 to 1 of bleach and water and take your denim out before you think you need to and it won't look like mine. This denim vest is every bit as fun and stupid as I had hoped it would be. Strawberries, how very not punk. Awesomeness level achieved.

2013 craft recap

I made lots of stuff this year, and while I fell short on the sewing goals I set for myself, I do this stuff FOR FUN and I've decided to not let anything about sewing or knitting upset me or stress me out, that's what actual jobs are for.

So here's what I got. I aimed for 13 and finished 13. Seven were gifts, that's more than half! I even included a few I never blogged about. All in all not bad. The project titles are links to their individual posts, so if you want more details that's where to look.

-Eric's Pom Pom Hat-
Made up pattern, Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky.

-Db's Hideous, Horrible Hat-
The pattern is A Most Bespeckled Hat and the yarn is Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage in Nassau Blue.

-Cat Shorts!-
Never blogged about these because I felt silly posting pics of my ass. The pattern is Simplicity 7547 (modified to not be high waisted) and the fabric is a bit of a mystery from Purl Soho a year and a half ago... I want to say Quiet Cats? Sorry no pics, they're a better pair of shorts in your imagination anyways.

-Db's Socks-
The pattern is Harvest Dew and the yarn is Malabrigo Yarn Sock in Caribeno. They were my first ever socks and turning the heel wasn't very hard. He wears them all the time!

-Strawberry Box Bag-
I combined two online tutorials for how to make these into one best way (I think) and wrote up a formula (MATH) so I can make them in any dimensions. Unfortunately killed my sewing machine while doing it and haven't made another one. I love this thing though, I use it all the time.

-Luxury Monster Triangle-
I used the pattern Anteros Shawl with Blue Heron Silk Merino in Deep Blue Sea. My cousin Alice gifted me the pdf for my birthday, it was awesome. This is gorgeous but not very warm, mostly just for looking cute.

-Jo's Leggies-
Some Cloudy Day legwarmers pattern (second time I've made it), yarn is Madelinetosh Sport in Kale.

-Short Row Sweater 2.0-
The pattern is Short Row Sweater, but heavily modified so it has short row shaping front and back. I used Madelinetosh Sport in Winter Wheat. I like the drape of my original which used Madelinetosh Pashmina better though, it's less stiff.

-Vavó's 100th Birthday Shawl-
Anteros Shawl again, I really love the way it came out both times, and Madelinetosh Pashmina in Windowpane.

-Yoga Strap-
I made up this pattern so I could have a yoga strap that 1-wasn't ugly and 2-didn't cost a million dollars. I dyed organic cotton canvas from Purl Soho and used neon thread to make it more fun. It's alright, at least I finished it.

-Julie's Leggies-
Again Some Cloudy Day Legwarmers (why mess with success?) and Madelinetosh Sport in Pop Rocks. This combo of pattern and yarn is killer and I think I want to make myself a pair too.

-Grapefruit Boxy-
The pattern is Boxy and yarn is Madelinetosh Tosh Sock in Grapefruit. I added short row shaping front and back (slight) and it's awesome. Cool enough to be worn on Christmas.

-Jo's Lettuce Cowl-
Used my tried and true extra long cowl pattern and my new fave bulky yarn Malabrigo Yarn Chunky  in Lettuce. Also, obv this is the pic of the year. Kill it!
So there it is, another year of making tons of stuff in the books!

PENDLETON

The next time I'm like "woe is me" someone please slap me. 

These past 6 weeks Db has traveled for work a lot. He's been to so many cool places so far! This most recent trip he went to Oregon. Now I'm a pretty good sport about the fact that I don't get tag along on all of them (Lake Tahoe? Come on!), but I have always wanted to go to Oregon and it bummed me out I couldn't. I have it in my head that it's the perfect place and I want to live there with all the hippies and ferns and mountains. He had to go out into the middle of nowhere and it just happened to be to PENDLETON, Oregon.

I'm a big fabric, wool, made in the USA kind of person, I always have been. The idea that Db was going to be there at the home of the fabric and blankets that I've loved and wanted my whole life blew my mind. How lucky and random! So he went to not one Pendleton store, but two. He sent me pics of cool blankets and then... bolts of fabric. Double cloth! Wool! Made in the USA! So he bought me two solid yards of the most weighty gorgeous fabric I may have ever laid my hands on. What should I make with it? I kind of want to make everything. I'm thinking maxi skirt or hooded elbow length cape would be great ways to showcase the pattern. I LOVE IT. Was that not the best souvenir ever? Man, my Mom and Db really know how to make a girl happy with fiber gifts!

Seriously beautiful. I wish I could make something reversible with it.

who can argue with strawberries?

probably no one. not you and definitely not me.

after going to a few mountain bike races with dillon and uzo, i decided i wanted to get some embroidery floss to make friendship bracelets a la 3rd grade (and let's be real, most years after that, too). it just seemed like my normal surroundings for making them, sitting in torn pants on the ground in the woods... it brought on such a flood of awesome memories. so yeah, i went on purl soho to get some floss because they basically have EVERY COLOR IN THE WORLD and there's nowhere around here that has any besides michael's (the devil) anyways, but as soon as i hit their homepage i got an eye full of the cutest fabric quite possibly ever. it stole my friendship bracelets' thunder pretty hardcore. first i was like "ok ok ok, i'll get three yards of the orange strawberry, i haven't spent any money on supplies in three months and this is amazing." and then hunted for embroidery floss. alas, i ended up ordering two other prints too... and every few minutes kept upping the yardage haha. hey guys, zero regret, it was a preorder and one doesn't stumble upon awesomeness of this level often.

i figure, i don't have a job for fun! i got enough for a dress or skirt or top of each... and a bit leftover for a quilted pillow. i also got like 15 colors of embroidery floss and some organic white canvas and twill to dye and turn into a box bag tutorial for you guys (hopefully soon!). what a great celebration for my sewing machine finally being in working order again right? i'm really excited!

so, if you have an amazing fabric habit too, here's the goods...
windham fabrics - briar rose: lilac calico, orange strawberry (sold out!) and pink strawberry

if you get any let me know! i'd love to see what you make with it, i don't think you can go wrong :) happy weekend!

baker's doz: i made a box bag, i must have a problem.

tada! i made a friggen box bag. why? I BARELY KNOW. this is just what happens sometimes when i can't fall asleep fast enough. laying in bed pondering how i'm going to find a sweater-in-progress sized box bag in a print i like while also thinking about how i should be more resourceful (one of my 2013 goals). then my mind wandered to "huh, i bet i could make one, it would be exactly what i want, would cost like $6 total and i have all the supplies except a standard zipper....." then the 2am iphone box bag tutorial hunt began.

so, it was easy. a bit fidgety for some parts and i did something horrifying to my sewing machine that i didn't realize was possible while trying to do the inside near the zip tab. there will be no attempting to sew through 6 layers of canvas, two layers of quilting cotton and both sides of a strip of bias tape in my machine's future. besides that it basically made itself like a middle school home-ec project. ruler, fabric, scissors, done. i had to hand sew the bias tape on after the machine ate it because i broke the only needle that works in my old as dirt (but best dirt ever) sewing machine, but i had neon thread! it ended up looking cooler than if my machine had just done as commanded anyways. don't you love when disaster turns into something amazing? it's the story of my life and i love it.

now the color! seriously, i dyed it and it came out better than i was hoping for. i was shooting for "i just was attacked by a field full of ripe strawberries" and i think i nailed it. the lining is a scrap of my fave fabric of all time. super clash but who cares? i made it myself for myself, no need to be tasteful... i'm not fooling anyone.

my in progress project's view. like the neon/bias tape situation? obviously the only correct answer is yes.

it works! so everyone, do you want me to write up a tutorial? i made a hybrid version of the ones i found and i'm pretty sure it's the best/easiest way AND i made a formula to figure out fabric dimensions for any sized bag. oh math, who the hell knew i'd only use you for fun? high school me would be absolutely shocked.

exterior - Robert Kaufman Organic Canvas Deluxe - hand dyed by WHITE LIGHT (more details on that soon!)
lining - Mum Toss by Martha Negley for Rowan - i can't find the teal for sale anymore, bummer.
finished dimensions are 10.5Lx6Wx5D"

baker's doz: vogue 9486

so this is happening.

every february i start pretending it's spring and day dreaming about what the good weather will be like. there will be green back in the world, the breeze will be warm, the birds will come back... basically everything will be awesome. i pretend like my days will consist solely of laying in grass, smelling good smells and feeling the world on my skin. goddamnit winter, GO AWAY.

anyways, i think my desperately wanting to make this skirt right now has a lot to do with that. this amazing vintage fabric is like summer in a print and i've been wanting to use it for a while. sometimes it's dangerous to use such cool fabric, what if what i make turns out horrible? wrap skirts are a pretty safe bet though, so if it turns out i even have enough, it's turning into this. they always fit perfectly, a bow and pockets are involved, and hopefully i'll wear it more than a dress... which would be accomplished by wearing it like 3 times a year.

summer park picnics here i come.

wonderful rainbow

i sometimes wonder how my favorite artists come up with their color palettes or amazing seemingly random ideas. i wonder if they just have weird hobbies that easily get out of hand and aren't worth cleaning up like me. they reach in a box for a spool of thread, they look down and then go "shit, that's IT."

and now for my favorite song off wonderful rainbow by lightning bolt, dracula mountain

bear camp

well, i went on purl soho to look for heavy duty top stitching thread in fun colors for a project i already have the rest of the supplies for (innocent enough right?), and stumbled upon this.

oh man.

would this not be the most amusing/amazing neutral polka dot dress ever? consider my "spend this on anything" christmas money gone.

happy weekend! and don't go on purl soho unless you're ok with blowing at least $50 accidentally.

birch fabrics - camp sur: bear camp
- added bonus; it's 100% organic cotton.

2012 dirty dozen SUCCESS!!! part 4 of 4

and here's the grand finale! maybe in 2013 i'll learn how to use photoshop so i can make photo collages of work...

all info will be below the pic i'm writing about. if you want more details on the projects click here.

number ten
RAD fox!

i knit this little dude up to wear to rhinebeck, but i didn't end up going :/ that's fine though, i got to wear this ridiculous thing to the grocery store and it now stares me in the face every time i open the closet. i altered the pattern to make his body in the round rather than flat and one sided which turned out well. sewing it together though? so boring! i might make like 4 more to sew into a faux vintage murder stole thing. gross and awesome.
pattern- mr. fox stole my heart & mini fox by tiny owl knits
yarn- claudia hand painted sock - scarlet ohara, rubies playing, cotton candy

number 11
hooded wool cape!

i love looking at this cape, i wanted to make one for two years before i found the perfect pattern to use. of course, it was a children's pattern. all the adult cape patterns lacked any sense of humor, there was no flounce and that's no fun. this thing is awesome.
pattern- new look maudella 6028 (uk)
fabric- dorr woolen mills - 6811 oatmeal background w/peach & mint plaid
new things- adding details

number 12
grace!

new new new! patting myself on the back for how cool this one is. i was using this yarn to knit a different pattern but realized it was coming out too big and had to rip it out. luckily, within days of that happening, this pattern was released and i cast it on instead. by far the fanciest lace i've ever done and also the most useful sweater i've ever knit. i'm sold on the whole sock yarn for sweaters thing, it makes them so much more every day usable (i think anyways). i LOVE how it came out! it's getting it's own post next week with more pictures :)
pattern- grace by jane richmond
yarn- sweet georgia yarns tough love sock - pumpkin
new things- fancy lace pattern, picked up button bands, picking up sts along a lace edge ...horrifying

number 13
calico dress!

also new! i don't care that i'm an adult and not supposed to wear adorable things like this, i don't think i ever will. when i set off on the 12 of 2012 i was imagining tons of dresses so i'm glad i banged out at least one. 2013 will be the year of the dresses and they might even fit alright since i learned a bit about sizing, adjustments and how to put in a regular old dress zipper on this dress. sweet!
pattern- mccall's 3494 - from the 70s
fabric- free spirit: chicopee
new things- dropping back neckline, inserting regular dress zipper, taking in sides without messing up armhole size

number 14 and 15 have no photo evidence because they were christmas gifts finished within minutes of leaving to give them away. one was a stocking for a new baby which i designed, it said his name in colorwork! and the other was an adorable grey and purple hat with scallops color work and a dense pom pom. i so wish i'd gotten pics, now i've learned my lesson, it's not done until it's photographed!

i hope you all liked seeing what trouble one can get into in just 12 months. making things with yarn and cloth has become such a part of my everyday that i'm going to keep on banging the projects out. it feels good to be wearing a sweater you've knit while working on a hat for a friend or scheming the next project. plus it's cool knowing everything you make will hold up well and be put to good use.

"my hobbies are both time consuming and antiquated." ...i plan on doing nothing about it.

2012 dirty dozen SUCCESS!!! part 3 of 4

dirty dozen recap number three, damn, too much stuff to post!

all info will be below the pic i'm writing about. if you want more details on the projects click here.

number seven
hooray cardigan!

this sweater. this damn sweater. i LOVED knitting it, it was so fun. and the color? my new favorite color, i'm not even kidding, it's like a neon coral. i ordered more of this color in fingering weight for two projects after this. the only thing wrong with this cardigan is it looks kind of stupid over anything i try to wear it with. it's also completely not cute if worn unbuttoned... the kiss of death for any garment i own. i'll figure out how to wear it someday, i'm not giving up yet! for now it's amazing to wear while i'm knitting alone in my own apartment feeling all pleased with myself.
pattern- hooray! by veera välimäki
yarn- madelinetosh tosh dk - grapefruit
new things- provisional cast on, cables (LOVE), picking up sts along an edge, i-cord bind off

number eight
uzo's second wurstwärmer!

knit this in the heat of the southern summer, and by southern i mean 'south of my homeland of the great white north, rhode island' which is apparently fucking cold to anyone not from new england. uzo needed a bright colored sweater for hunting season when we wander in the woods so this happened. i like it! uzo hates it! whatever, it still counts. doesn't it fit him nice?
pattern- wurstwärmer by pamela wynne
yarn- madelinetosh tosh sport - lapis

number nine
grapefruit legwarmers!

don't be fooled by this picture, the day these were finished and modeled it was 99 degrees out, i did not want to be wearing wool or tights. this was my second lace project, they worked up so fast! i wear them almost constantly. one of my friends asked for a pair of hand knit legwarmers so i'm whipping a pair of these up for her asap. so easy, so useful... why have i not realized easy and useful often go hand in hand before writing this? anyways, i love them and they look awesome. it's a perfect first lace attempt pattern, too. no big loss if you fuck it up but the reward if you succeed is worth the effort.
pattern- some cloudy day legwarmers by tiny owl knits
yarn- madelinetosh tosh sock - grapefruit
new things- lace in a more fancy way than a straight line, making a second exact copy of something without getting bored and not finishing

almost there! numbers 10 through ? tomorrow!

2012 dirty dozen SUCCESS!!! part 2 of 4

dirty dozen recap number two, happy tuesday!

all info will be below the pic i'm writing about. if you want more details on the projects click here.

number four
pink herringbone wool maxi skirt!

db thought it was cool i wanted to actually finish 12 things and he gave me this gorgeous wool for my birthday so i could make this as one of them. honestly, the wool is prettier in real life than i even thought it would be. this pattern came together so well i'm planning on making another in 2013 out of a plaid and in an awkward midi length. who wants to be attractive anyways?
pattern- butterick 4067 - from the 70s
fabric- dorr woolen mills - rose herringbone
new things- successful 'invisible zipper to seam it was hidden in' join, getting pockets to lie flat, making up a lining

number five
short row sweater!

my parents gave me a webs gift card for christmas and i spent at least part of it on the fancy ass yarn for this sweater. merino, cashmere and silk, it is SO soft! i'm kind of still in love with cropped things, and i already bought the yarn to make another of these. it's frivolous, that's fine. this came together just in time to wear for easter which was perfect because my vavó and aunt always gave me money to buy something nice to wear special for easter when i was younger and i was excited to be like "look! i look nice on my own too now!"
pattern- purl soho short row sweater
yarn- madelintosh pashmina - calligraphy
new things- short rows. so. easy.

number six
neon lace knit bandana scarf thing!

you may or may not know i'm into riding my bike around, not into my assets showing when i'm leaned over riding said bike around, that i'm all about things that keep my neck warm, that i like neon colors and that knitting is obviously the best way to combine everything into one great pile of awesome... so i knit this. it's great for wearing to keep warm, to be seen while i'm riding (yay neon!), to cover my semi-modest self and to knit something with no guilt. it was my first go at lace and i wear it constantly still. it got carried around in my bike bag all day today actually, and it also makes an amazing dog blanket when uzo is cold. this is totally the surprise most useful thing i made last year.
pattern- simple things by mary-heather cogar
yarn- madelinetosh tosh sock - edison bulb
new things- lace

more tomorrow...

2012 dirty dozen SUCCESS!!! part 1 of 4

oh sweet victory! sweet sweet victory. i actually accomplished my 2012 goal of 12 projects from start to finish... only i actually made 15. i don't have decent pics of all of them, but i'll still try to get them all. here goes! all info will be below the pic i'm writing about. this post would be way way too long if i did all 15, so i'm splitting it into a few smaller ones :) if you want more details on the projects click here.

number one
wiksten tank!

made from some of my favorite fabric of all time. finished just in time to wear on my supremely drab birthday. this picture is in the last minutes of me being 26, wearing this colorful thing on a grey january day of working late DEFINITELY helped. it's good for laying under cardis but isn't so great on it's own, the straps are just a little too modest for me. that's perfect though, winter needs it's color and fun too.
pattern- wiksten tank
fabric-
new things- bias seaming

number two
not this exact sweater!

i knit a blue version of this sweater pattern for my mom for her birthday. i literally can't find a picture of her wearing it (since my computer was dropped and my photos aren't all un-corruptable), but just imagine it, it was a royal blue version with my mom in it instead of me being a goofball.
pattern- oatmeal pullover by jane richmond
yarn- quince and co. puffin - river
new things- knitting an entire sweater for someone other than myself

number three
db's fab fingerless gloves!
no pics of anything for this one either. i realize now that i'm typing this that i'm in the bad habit of being too excited to give people their knit gifts to properly document them... maybe i'll have him model them for me and i'll update this post later :/
pattern- made it up!
yarn- mission falls 1824 wool (discontinued) in pistachio

projects four through 6 tomorrow, they all have pics i promise!

dirty doz: wool cape aka: the jellyfish

cape! plaid! candy colors! immediate strange nickname! what's not to love? so at long last this is the mysterious project i finished a month ago and literally didn't have a chance to document until this past weekend. first it was sandy, then it was a nor'easter and then we were gone three weekends (the only time both db my fabulous photographer and the sun are around at the same time) in a row. i'm honestly in a little bit of shock this is the 11th project i've started and completed in 2012. i just have to finish ONE more and i will have destroyed my new year's goal. kind of unbelievable.

so this was a really fast project once i got around to starting it. i banged it out in two days while watching foreign and/or 60s movies, i recommend Mademoiselle. anyways, this is a children's pattern and i made size 9/10 and still had to shorten it, people really like their kids being warm apparently. i added lots of little details not called for in the pattern which is a first, does this mean i'm getting better at sewing? hopefully. i pinked the seams and sewed them down so the inside looks nice, double seamed at the hem, topstitched on either side of the front and back center seams and put a little x at the bottom of the front opening so it won't pull. lastly and my favorite, i cut out the center hood panel on the bias so it would have a cool diagonal look instead of just being plaid gridded to death. the pattern called for toggles but as my dad can attest, i'm never going to fasten it so what's the point? i also made the hood about 1" deeper at the top because 1- i don't have a child sized head and 2- my hair tends to be enormous. just look at that hood! it's what caped dreams are made of!

it came with me to france and i wore it around paris, it was perfect. it's official, capes are fun! it even spins well, i'm not the only one that did 'the spin test' when trying on dresses as a little girl right? too bad i didn't find the perfect pattern years ago at the start of the hunt so i could've been rocking a cape all along. worth the wait though, this pattern is great and i'm totally using it again.

-details-
pattern: new look maudella 6028 (uk)
fabric: dorr woolen mills - 6811 oatmeal background w/peach & mint plaid

dirty doz: calico dress for thanksgiving

i'm making the dress with ruffles to wear on thanksgiving! isn't it cute? i've already got the rest of my outfit planned around it, i'm that excited about this one. i think the ruffle sleeves might be getting the ax so i can wear it under cardigans in the fall and winter because i don't want it to just be a summer dress, i can always make another with summery fabric and ruffle sleeves later if i want. isn't the fabric perfect for this pattern though? now i just need to figure out where around philly has the cotton thread i like using. looks like i'm going to have to go to a bunch of fabric stores, how horrible haha.

treats

i'm not just a supply hoarder, i swear. i waited and deliberated long and hard on buying these fabrics and, in the end, i decided that they would be a good investment in my vintage, small american designer and handmade by me only wardrobe. also, i survived my lovely friend's wedding without ever losing my cool which was tricky when dealing with so many totally different people. being a maid of honor is fucking hard! so i earned a treat, yes, like a dolphin that does a trick... only in an expensive pink dress. the two dresses i make from these fabrics will still be less than 1/4 the price of my bridesmaids dress. guilt? i feel it not.

if you are equally in love with these fun treats i found them on purl soho. the dark fabric is free spirit: chicopee and the yellow one is cloud9: simpatico. the cloud9 is extra rad because it's 100% organic cotton. the silver bellocq tea strainer was a happy accident,  i'd been looking for a nice one since ours broke in the move. i could only find ones with plastic parts and plastic doesn't belong in food. so when i saw, i snatched. they have brass also.

these fabrics have too-pretty-to-cut written all over them, how will i do it? ...probably beer

dirty doz: wool capelet!

it may not really feel like it here in philly, but fall is coming, it has to be. so what better time to start my capelet, right? i nabbed this sweet wool at dorr woolen mills in nh over fourth of july weekend knowing this would have to be the year i'd find the perfect cape pattern. lucky for me i was right, when i saw this amazing children's pattern it was instantly the one. well, after i figured out the metric to standard fabric measurements and confirmed i actually bought enough wool for it. the pattern is new look 6028 and was made in the uk, pretty fancy. i've never used a new look pattern before, hopefully it's good. i wonder if the directions will say "this will look charming over trousers, now get sewing you wanker!"

so there it is. i have cat shorts and a wool capelet to work on, i'll never be bored again! i should totally wear the two together, it will be hideous fabulous. i HAVE to finish the dirty dozen, and the sooner the better, the holidays are quickly approaching and holidays = zero time to work on anything except holidays. time to start actually sewing things since i swore off buying shitty, low quality new clothing. reading about the horrible labor conditions in bangladesh and blasting through my 3rd $5 tank top of the summer really sealed the deal. only small designer, handmade by me or vintage clothing from here on out. honestly, i don't think it will be that hard. i bet it will be fun and i'll feel better knowing i'm not supporting an abusive system and my clothes will also last longer than 5 seconds. win win win.

dirty doz: beyond fab/ridiculous cat shorts!

here are the fabled cat shorts mentioned yesterday, are they not absurd and amazing?

i spied this fabric while poking around on purl soho and seriously jumped from my computer to my pattern collection immediately to see if i had a shorts pattern that would work. i had a hiphuggers pattern but decided that it wouldn't showcase the cats well enough, so it gave me the perfect excuse to nab this one which i'd be eyeing for over a year. high waisted shorts, the perfect canvas to show off ridiculous cat fabric! once these babes are sewn up there will be no more need to lament my lame severely hot weather appropriate wardrobe. oh no! how am i ever going to find a button for the fly that's cool enough?! cat gods, your help might be needed...

dyeing with shabd

class this past weekend kicked complete ass. shabd was really cool and a really good teacher. she so obviously has a love for this process and can do it totally second nature. she taught us little tricks to make our lives easier along the way and how to save resources and make fewer messes too which was awesome. the first day of class we learned about the chemical processes and different dying techniques, and the second day we got to make projects using whatever methods we wanted which was awesome.
she had some garments for dyeing that we could buy and we could bring in stuff too. luckily i planned ahead (for once) and nabbed 4 yards of organic cotton voile so i can make a particularly rad maxi dress out of it. so here are my project pics! i'll be decribing the image above the caption.
above and below are pics of the 4 yards of cotton voile. it's scrunch/circle tied single immersion dyed

scrunched double immersion silk swatch, def the coolest looking thing i made

scrunched bottle dyed silk scarf... i'm wearing it right now, it's rad.

accordion folded double immersion cotton swatch
the very necessary bottle dyed swirl cotton swatch
single immersion, folded and clamped cotton swatch, a traditional shibori technique
scrunched bottle dyed cotton swatch

it was so amazing, i can't even describe it. i absolutely love how it's like a team effort between you and the materials to make something beautiful together. opening up each swatch was like a cool little surprise, and since that's how i like to work anyways in my painting and in life in general it really jived well with me. i'm so happy i just went for it and did this it was so inspiring. i want to do it again! i can't wait to buy supplies to dye more rad stuff, i have some pretty cool plans for this knowledge, what an awesome thing to do with a weekend.