Cabled Tunic from The Art of Seamless Knitting in Malabrigo Arroyo Fresco y Seco

I got quite a few new knitting books around Christmas time, and The Art of Seamless Knitting was one of them.  It looks like there is a ton of great information in this book, but so far, I have just been enjoying the beautiful patterns.

This is the Cabled Tunic pattern.  Obviously, I stopped mine at hip-length.  I was drawn to the beautiful cabled patterns, which are different on the front and back.

 I made a couple of small changes to my sweater, other than just the length.  For starters, I used a sport-weight yarn, which is quite a bit thinner than the recommended aran-weight yarn, so I adjusted stitch counts accordingly.  Second, I made the sleeves totally stockinette stitch and also added stockinette stitch panels at the sides.  I thought this yarn was just too pretty in stockinette stitch to not show off a little bit.  I also added some short rows to the back to raise the back neckline a bit.

The yarn is Malabrigo Arroyo in a deep, rich green semi-solid color called "fresco y seco," which my rudimentary Spanish tells me means "fresh and dry."  I used about 2.5 skeins.  I bought this yarn at A Good Yarn in Sarasota.  I actually started a couple of different projects with this yarn before settling on this sweater.  Nothing was quite special enough for the yarn, though.  I'm glad I didn't settle with another pattern I wasn't as happy about, because I LOVE this top.  It is a great weight for a short-sleeved sweater, and the yarn feels just fine next to my skin.  I would love to make a lightweight cardigan in this yarn, and the colors at Webs are so tempting.  I'll have to see what other colors they have in Sarasota.

Hepburn Turtleneck by Itch to Stitch

Here is my Itch to Stitch * test # 2.  First was the Zamora Blouse.

This is the Hepburn Turtleneck.  It is the cutest little turtleneck!  I used the 3/4 sleeve option, which on me ends just below the elbow.  The fabric is this one from JoAnn Fabrics.

This turtleneck is perfect with my recent Simplicity 2215 skirt.  In fact, it is my favorite top to wear with the skirt.  The form-fitting top balances the pleats on the bottom half nicely.

This was actually going to be my muslin, but I was so happy with the result that it is the only one I made for testing.

*FYI, all of the links to Itch to Stitch pages are affiliate links that kick back a little money to me only if you purchase something. 

Zamora Blouse by Itch to Stitch

Kennis at Itch to Stitch* just released 4 new patterns today!  I am excited to say that I tested two of them.  This is my first time testing a sewing pattern, and I have to say that it was really fun!  It is not as much of a time commitment as testing a knitting pattern, and in addition to getting some cute new patterns, I am also just happy to help out Kennis, who seems like a really great person and a hard worker.  Ok, so on to the garments!

This post is just about the Zamora Blouse.  I also tested the Hepburn Turtleneck, which is coming up very shortly on the blog..

This is a classic bow-blouse with a V-neckline that I prefer to the high tied necklines you often see.  It required some patience because there are 8 pin tucks and 8 darts.  However, this version only took me 4 hours to make, including cutting, since I did make a muslin and knew how things work.  The only changes I made from the muslin were to lengthen the whole thing 1 inch and leave off two of the front fish-eye darts for a looser fit.

I am happy with how this turned out.  I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the style, but I like it!  It would also look great with a skirt.

Here it is tucked in.  The fabric is from JoAnn Fabrics, but I can't find it on the site.  It's one of their "silky" fabrics.  I like how it is semi-sheer, and the drape is great for the bow.  It didn't press very well, though.   

Definitely a successful blouse.  I can also see this with the bow left off, with a narrow band around the neckline.  You can't see with the bow, but this is actually a button-front blouse.

And just for fun, here is my multi-print muslin:  :-)

* FYI, all of the links to Itch to Stitch pages are affiliate links that kick back a little money to me only if you purchase something.

Oak Grove Mitts by Alana Dakos and Simple Sideways Scarf

I don't remember exactly what the yarn is called but I used 3 skeins of hand-dyed Alpaca that I got at the Pennsylvania Farm Show last winter.  I saw that yarn amid all the cows and crafts and pretty much ran over to get some.

 The mitts are the Oak Grove Mitts by Alana Dakos (Never Not Knitting).

 The scarf is made-up by me.  It started out as a crescent shaped shawl with increases worked evenly throughout, but it turned out very long and skinny, so a scarf it wanted to be!  It is stockinette stitch with a simple applied border (worked sideways) from Nicky Epstein's Knitting On The Edge.

StyeArc Elle Pants (and some other stuff)

This is kind of a 3-for sewing post.  There are three recently sewn garments, but only one of them is from a pattern, so I'm putting them all here.

These pants are StyleArc's Elle Pant, with many thanks to my local sewing friend, Myra, for enabling me to finally try the company.  She seems to wear pants made from this pattern often, and they always look great!

My pants fabric is a stretchy woven with a fuzzy texture, like velveteen.  I bought the fabric at Pennie Fabrics in Sarasota and purchased another fabric at the same time for a second pair of these pants.  I made this pair first since the fabric was less expensive.  That's my version of a muslin.  Ha!

The vest is also a fabric from Pennie Fabrics.  It is such a fun, unique wool fabric that I had to have some.  I was originally planning a sleeveless top to wear over a long-sleeved tee, but in the end, I decided to try a waterfall cardigan-style vest.  It is "self drafted," but really, it's just a big rectangle with holes cut for arms and hemmed all the way around and at the armholes.  Looking at these photos, I'm going to take another look at the hems and trim any bits sticking out and give it a good pressing.  The edges look sloppy to me here.

Back to the pants - I do have an issue with horizontal lines forming around the legs while wearing.  Does this mean they are a little too snug?  Does anyone know?  I'm not sure whether to cut my next pair a half inch larger at the outseam to try and combat that.  I don't want to give up the close fit, though.  These are supposed to be skinny pants, like woven leggings.  I guess if I do cut them a bit larger, I can always take out the extra if I want.

 The top is made from a very stretchy ribbed knit  from Fabric.com that I purchased specifically with this outfit in mind.  Since it was so stretchy, I didn't want to use a regular pattern but instead traced a similar purchased tee shirt in my closet.  It worked out fine.

 For the hems, I just zig-zagged over the raw edges.

 I wanted to play with the ribs at the neckline and so I used the cross-grain.  Um, don't do that.  I should have known better.  It doesn't have enough stretch this way.  It barely fits over my head!

So overall, a successful winter outfit... just in time for spring to arrive here in Florida.   :-)

Vogue 1460 by Badgley Mischka

Well, this dress has been on my "to-sew" list for quite a while, and I'm glad I finally got to it!  The pattern is Vogue 1460 by Badgley Mischka.  I think it came out fall 2014 but am not positive.

 I love the blousey top with the pencil skirt bottom.  This dress really calls for a thick knit fabric, like a ponte or doubleknit.  I used an RPL from JoAnn's that has tiny stripes that you really can't see unless you get super close.  It might be this fabric, but I'm not positive.  I decided on charcoal gray because I love wearing that color, and I also wanted another "funeral dress."  I play music and sing at funerals at my church from time to time, and I'm always looking for nice, comfortable, dark dresses for these occasions.

 My husband told me that the neckline looks like I put my dress on backwards.  Whatever.  I think it's chic.  :-)

 This dress is soooo comfortable!  It's basically a thick t-shirt in dress form.  I left out the zipper.  I didn't need it, but depending on the stretchiness of each fabric, you might.

 I  have finally made the perfect funeral dress.  :-)

Simplicity 2215 - Cynthia Rowley Collection

This is Simplicity 2215, a Cynthia Rowley pattern from 2010.  Of course, I am just now getting around to sewing it.  I decided to sew the skirt, but I do like the dress and blouse in the pattern also.

 The fabric is another score from Gorgeous Fabrics, the same order as this and this.  The fabric is a cotton/linen twill that is out of stock.  It looks and feels like a heavy-weight linen.

 This skirt has uneven pleats.  It even mentions in the directions that this is a designer detail.  As a home seamstress, though, I just hope it reads as "designer detail" and not "she needs to go back to home ec."

The heavy fabric combined with the pleats make the skirt swingier than I prefer - as in, it seems to stand away from the body a lot.  I hope the fabric softens up with some more washing and relaxing to hand more straight.

 The pockets and fringed hem make this skirt fun and casual.  This skirt will see lots of wear this spring, especially with my new t-shirt shown here..

 Here are the pockets.  I used a coordinating quilting cotton from my stash for the pocket bags.  It is neat how the pattern incorporates side pockets with a side zipper.  You can also see the fringed trim in this photo.  I made a row of straight stitches about 1/4 inch from the edge to prevent more fraying.