Snow Day!

And when I say snow day, I actually mean ice day, but it doesn’t have the same sort of ring, does it?

This weekend I learned a few things.

  1. I own no items of red clothing. I mean, my Kaylee dress has a little red in it, but its not a winter dress by any means. I own and elastic red belt. So much for getting a raffle ticket for wearing red (at a dance on Saturday)!
  2. Trying to carve wood will bring on instant flashbacks to Brave.
  3. Even when I own a plethora of food, I don’t like seeing an empty fridge, and I’ll set out to fill it. Which will inevitably lead to buying other stuff too. I’m dubbing it the Valentine’s food run of 2016.

Because its rather cold outside, and therefore inside too, I’m holding off on taking garment photos, because I’m unwilling to take off my knee socks to change into tights. Or to put on jeans. My pajamas are just too comfy. Plus then I’d have to comb my hair.

So once it warms up later this week I’ll be able to photoshoot.

But to catch you up on my wintry day activities, beyond the research I’m also supposed to be doing, I’ve been working on the following projects:

sweater

I cast on the back of the Vale Cardigan last year, sometime in the fall I believe. I’ve now progressed past the armscye shaping, and I might be able to bind off tonight. I’m then going to make the sleeves, and then the fronts, to see how much yarn I’ll have left.

My fingers have been twitching on the interwebs some more, and I spent a few nights lost on the RPF looking at builds of Claudia’s mini Tesla pistol. So I immediately (and slightly regrettably because it was unplanned and hasty) went to work on it.

tubes
and there’s more tubes…

I got some vacuum tubes, bought a dial which is way too big for the build, but may work for the TARDIS, and bought wood carving tools from a craft store.

tools

At first, I only bought a set of chisels and some wood blocks. I got the one I’m currently working with for 25 cents, on clearance. It’s pine, which is not recommended for absolute beginners, but it was cheap. I’ve got some other pieces of wood, of the more beginner variety, so maybe I’ll return those, or I’ll use them for another project.

After some trouble with using just the chisels, I went back to the craft store (on the Valentine’s Day food run of 2016)  and bought an x-acto knife with some extra blades. Things have gone much more smoothly since then. Although I’m even more scared of cutting myself.

pattern

After all, my hands are angry at me enough after working with the chisels and my hand saw. They don’t need any more reason to hate me. For instance, blood. Blood would be bad

In other news, I’m mulling over drafting and making a sweater out of some lovely navy blue sweater knit…

Plenty to keep me busy on this wintry day!

Warmth, in this incredibly Warm Winter

full

So after the large winter storm passed by here, it got warm.

Like really warm. There were some people wearing shorts. Winter, even around here, should not be that warm.

So its a fitting time to be knitting with wool, right?

In reality, both of these projects were conceived earlier in the month/last year.

Knowing that its supposed to be winter, I had decided that I needed a warm hat. I’m not a hat person, really, but I walked home (about 2 miles) one night when it was near freezing, and I only had a thin scarf and my “fall” coat (because its lighter than my winter coat, but still normally warm enough), and I’m pretty sure that I nearly died. It took me about 45 minutes to warm up enough to function like a human being, and then another hour past that to eat and drink enough hot stuff to warm up enough to fall asleep.

side

The next day I started this hat. I had this orphan skein that I got on sale when I was looking for sock yarn. I couldn’t find any on-sale sock yarn, but even with my full-price sock yarn, this still fit into my hobby budget. It may have been 4 dollars, and I’ve got a couple of yards left.

So the pattern is Helios, free on Ravelry. It’s a pretty good pattern, though I stuck with the size 7 needles throughout, since I don’t have a slightly bigger needle. It makes it more of a globbular slouchy hat, instead of a beret/tam kind of slouchy hat. The one thing I’m afraid of is blocking it, since it’s a tad big, and I don’t want to stretch it out any. My other green knit hat was too small, so I gave it away to my cousin, so I guess I overcompensated with this one, and made it too big.

top

Oops! Its still wearable, which is perfect. Because I was not going to admit defeat and try again.

And the second knit project is this pair of socks! This project can be described in three words:

Second Sock Syndrome.

full

Yes, this time I fell prey to SSS hard. Really hard. There was a thought in the back of my head that I should somehow work both socks together, and my circular needle collection does not include a skinny enough needle with a long enough connection. So I planned it that once I got to the ankle of the first sock, I’d put it on stitch holders, and start the second. Which worked perfectly.

Yarn-wise this is an alpaca merino blend that I intended to use for socks for my dad… last year. Meaning 2014. Sorry dad. It’s also not machine washable, so perhaps its best that I made them for me, since I’ll be more likely to remember that…

The pattern is ish-designed by me. Meaning, I used this book I got, Socks a La Carte 2 Toes Up to plan it out, with a rotating rib leg, technically a double picot cuff that I’m too lazy to fold over and seam. But once I made the toes of the first sock, I realized that I would get super bored doing a simple stockinette for the foot, so I found this.

lace-diamond-knitting-motif-chartTo be honest, I’m not sure where I found it, but I think it was on a Russian stitch pattern website, and since this was before I started the sock, so I never anticipated needing to cite the source. If you know who’s this is, please let me know! Because its a beautiful lace pattern, and I’d definitely suggest it!

So after finishing both feet of the socks, I started in on the rotating rib of one of the socks, and I got a long way through when I realized that I should weigh out the yarn so I could maximize the height of the sock. Once I double checked that, I ribbed until I got to the cuff, made the double picot cuff, bound off, and then the socks sat there. For months. And months.

What I haven’t  told you yet, is that these socks were started over the summer. July or August.

Oh yes.

These took me about 6 months.

leg

When I went home for the holidays I brought these with me, and didn’t even make it a row. So once I got back I vowed that I would finish before the semester started. Which also didn’t happen. I made progress, but didn’t finish it.

It was during the first week of the semester, and I told myself that I couldn’t start any new projects until I finished these. Trust me. These got finished really quick after that. I even took them with me to the movie theater when I saw Star Wars the second time. I had the whole row to myself, so I didn’t even feel (too) self conscious about KIPing. There are some advantages to itsy bitsy theaters.

And then I started on the hat! So a happy ending finally. Plus, the hat got done in less than a week. All that pent up knitting energy I guess!

Got any SSS, or longtime knitting projects?

My name is Agent

peggyskirtPeggy Carter is the master of well tailored shirts. Most of them are soft and drapey, and a few are structured. I’m excited to see whatever the next season brings, but from the first there were many good shirt examples, and mine is a combination.

This shirt post is long overdue. After all, I first wore this shirt in an unfinished capacity on Halloween… But then didn’t get around to actually finishing it until December. And it’s very wordy…

peggy-sideI started drafting in late September, and it went through a number of muslins (at least 4) and an incredible amount of drafting variations (meters and meters of Ikea drawing paper), some of which got scrapped before a muslin was even cut.

peggyfrontThe many alterations that I made for this shirt included a full bust adjustment, rotating and then eliminating darts, removing the back darts, adding a yoke, raising the armscye, moving the shoulder point up, doing a full back adjustment, and then taking some of that out, making a swayback adjustment, removing it, and then adding it back in, adding room to the bicep, adding room to the sleeve cap. Etc.

I had bought this lightweight linen at the same time I bought the linen for my Merida outfit, so I knew that it wouldn’t be super drapey, but not 100% structured either.

peggyback

This is also the time to infodump my many sources for patterning and fitting this shirt. This was the website I used to draft the initial block that I drafted the shirt from. I used this article to help explain and draft my one piece front/collar and facing. I’m fairly certain I tried this forward shoulder stuff too… This placket tutorial is awesome! And this explanation of sleeves and drafting remains my favorite reference, and one that I re-read often.

sleeve upper back

front lower back

The front darts were replaced by three tucks, which do a good job of dealing with the dart-replacement, but make hemming the shirt a bit miserable. I eliminated the darts in the back, and tried to use a center back seam to solve swayback issues… It only worked a smidge, and the execution needs to be improved on my next version.

peggy-raised-armsLook look look! I can raise my arms! The armscye is super close to the base of my arm, which I’ve learned is the key to a shirt that doesn’t pull out of a tucked-in state, and since I knew that I would be tucking the shirt into the 40s style trousers, this was very important to me. Because of the size and shape of the armscye, though, this shirt is oddly uncomfortable to take on and off. The sleeves are ginormous at the top, but because the circumference of the base of the sleeve is about the same as my bicep at its fullest fat level, the sleeve base pulls a little as I put it on. The sleeves are ginormous mostly because slimmer set sleeves were creating extreme draglines, so I overcompensated and made a super large sleeve cap instead, since I was running out of time. I’m hoping to slim them down slightly for the next version.

peggy - back-skirtThis was supposed to be my Halloween costume, if you remember. And a version of it was in fact done for Halloween… One that wasn’t hemmed, no cuffs, no placket, a very ill-fitting back, and I sewed the top three buttons on when I was in the car on the way to the party… Also, I was sick-ish.

So most of the finishing was done post-Halloween. It’s currently a bit too chilly to wear the costume out of doors, but I anticipate that once spring comes, I’ll have more opportunities to photograph and show you the full costume! Maybe with a second version, that’s a bit neater and more crisp.

peggy-front-skirt

In fact, I can’t actually wear this version as is… The cuffs don’t overlap, and for these pictures I’ve managed to pin them close with these tiny treble clef pins that I got in high school. Unless I take those off, and attach new ones (if I can find any remaining scraps of fabric), then this shirt won’t really leave the house.

I keep talking about this next version… I have the fabric, a white shirting material, and I’m just working up the motivation to cut it out and make it.

First I’ve got to finish this homework assignment due in four hours…

Chase the Wind

I posted two weeks ago about my Merida skirt, which I’m super proud of… all that embroidery…

front full

Today I’m going to tell you about the top that I made to match it. I was never really into two piece sets, because most of the ones I found consisted of shorts and a top. But when I had the idea to make the Merida themed outfit, I knew that I didn’t have a need for a black dress. I wanted to have a more versatile outfit, so a two piece set of a skirt an a top it was!

The peplum craze is still going, and excepting my Belle Mark 2 (where it was “accidental” because it as a dress was too short, so I cut it shorter) I don’t have any in my wardrobe, so I wanted to try one out…

Verdict: I don’t really like it, but I’ll talk about that more later.

side

The top is made of the same heavy black linen (from Joann’s) as the skirt, but its got a green lace layer over the peplum, and is lined with a forest green “posh” lining from Joann’s. The lace is this gorgeous stuff from my stash, and is the same as I used in the Dandelion suiting dress and the Dandelion linen sleeveless top. I actually think that this linen might be the same weight as that sleeveless top

front

I self drafted this top from the same general “block” that I started with for Peggy. The block itself is quite… wrong, but it was a good starting point for the moment. Since it was wrong, I had a few adjustments to make. I had to raise the armscye since it was drastically too low. I also made it sleeveless, so I raised the edge of the shoulder and made the shoulders a little more snug. I had to adjust the front and back darts in order to get it to hang properly. Using a side seam zipper seemed like a good idea at this point, especially since I only had a deep green, not a black one, but I’m not sure that it was the right call.

The muslin I made out of the same linen was pretty terrible, so I had to make changes. Namely change some of the darts, and fix the side seams, which were leaning to the front. The back of this version is now both tight and loose, with a bubble above the darts… I’m not sure if its that the fabric is super finicky, or if its a problem with drafting that I’ll need to fix for next time I make one of these, but I guess time will tell.

front smile

The peplum itself is a 3/4 circle skirt, and is hemmed with black bias binding. It’s got a lot of body, because the linen is so heavyweight. That’s probably why I don’t really care for this peplum. I do like the idea of it, and I like the Belle version, made out of a fairly thin knit so it hangs flat, but I think the body of this version is too much. Especially with looser bottoms like these jeans. I don’t own any pencil skirts, because I feel like I can’t walk in them, but I bet such a skirt would be a great match for this. I’ve mostly worn it with skinny jeans, and I think it balances well.

back side

Looking at the pictures, I can’t tell if the horizontal waist seam is bubbling or whether its an unfortunate trick of the light. Now that I have a full sized ironing board this will probably be easier. My tabletop ironing board was too small for its own good, though I’ll keep it around for small scale things like quilt top seams and the like. I’ve been thinking about adding some embroidery up by the neckline, but I think I’m just going to leave it alone. More versatility. The neckline doesn’t always lie flat, which is something that I will need to improve for future drafting projects, but when its tugged at, it will, so once rigged up to the skirt, or any skirt for that matter, it should help.

Realistically, this top will mostly be used with skirts, since its a plain but structured top above the peplum, but if I ever go on a trip and bring it along, I can see wearing it alone. Only time will tell!

I’ll be back soon with pictures of the two parts together, but before that, I need to actually rig up a way to fasten the two together… Procrastination is my specialty, after all.

5 Goals for 2016

#sewingtop5 - The Top 5 of 2015!

It’s time for the final post of the Top 5 of 2015, the goals post. Some of these were easy to propose, but I had to think about the last two. Real hard. I guess its time to go ahead and share my crafting resolutions!

1. Draft real slopers.

I’ve drafted things on my own before, namely my Claudia vest and Belle dress, both of which have their flaws. I haven’t shown you my Peggy blouse in full yet, but I showed a pic yesterday… It went through so many iterations and muslins to get to the final point, but I can raise my arms and the blouse doesn’t come out of a tucked-in position. Isn’t that great! Now I just need to go through the mess of pattern pieces I made in order to find the last drafted and final pieces. That’ll be… difficult. But if I have well fitting slopers, perhaps I won’t need to make so many muslins!

denim

2. Make 3 pairs of jeans.

I’ve got the denim for 3, so that’s my goal. I’m thinking one “low rise” Ginger, which will probably not be terribly low rise on my short torso-ed body, one high waisted, adjusted so its more comfortable than the last pair, and to round it off, a bootcut/flare pair that’s got the same rise as whichever of the above was most comfy…

unknowns

3. Only buy fabric that I have a distinct and thought-out plan for.

I have a ton of new fabric that I got on the shopping trip with my mom, and most of it I’ve got plans for (excepting those pictured above), but I need to work on making sure of that in the future. Otherwise I won’t be able to work down my stash, since I’ll just keep adding to it.

fabrics
Fabric for the skirt and a new blouse for the TARDIS

4. Finish my TARDIS build.

It’ll be three years in March since I first planned the costume, and I haven’t made any progress on it in a year and a half… I did get some more fabric for the skirt, so that may be the boost I need to actually make the bustle and petticoats and skirt.

ashildrkayleelink and link

5. Work on at least 2 other (big) costumes.

I’ve got most of the work done on Hatter, Claudia, and Peggy’s mission outfit (though I’m making another Peggy shirt). So those can’t count. I’m thinking about perhaps Kaylee’s jumpsuit outfit and Ashildr’s Face the Raven outfit. Maybe I’ll spring for a larger costume, but I still probably won’t have enough space in my apartment for a ballgown… It’s unfortunate.

And then there’s always the life resolutions, like brushing teeth more often, cleaning dishes the week I use them, that sort of thing. But you don’t need to hear about all that!

Thanks again Gillian, for hosting the Top 5s, and I hope you all have a great year!

Top 5 Reflections of 2015

#sewingtop5 - The Top 5 of 2015!

This post was more difficult than the previous three. I reflect on my work all the time, whether we’re talking my job-work, or my blog/costuming/making in general-work. But to boil all that down to 5 is more difficult.

Here we go!

skirt

1. I’ve learned to fit my body better.

It’s still not perfect, but as I learn which fitting techniques and tricks to use, it’ll go better. This holiday break I had an opportunity to try on some clothing in a RTW store, which I avoid in normal life, since I rarely need to buy anything anymore. I was reminded yet again why I really started sewing my clothes, and how much of a self-esteem boost it is to wear clothing that actually fits. For instance, the shirt above that I made for my Peggy cosplay that fits so well in the sleeves that it doesn’t move much even when I move my arms up.

left1

2. My posts and my makes are not always… simpatico.

It’s not that I don’t always want to post (relatively) on time, but I just happen to procrastinate on pictures… a lot. Looking back at the year, I had all these posts on TARDIS progress in February, but really that all happened last October. And once again, my Halloween costume will be posted (in full) in the new year, not this year when it actually happens.

3. I’m not as terrible at makeup as I always thought.

I wear glasses daily. It’s taken nearly 4 years to get through a box of contacts containing 45 days worth. So with glasses, I don’t like to wear makeup, because they already exaggerate any undereye bags… I don’t need them to exaggerate undereye concealer mishaps. Plus my eyes get itchy a lot, which doesn’t bode well for eyemakeup. I’d been improving, but this year my knowledge took off. I can now do more than just basic eyeliner and vaguely acceptable lipstick. As in, I can put on fake eyelashes and can leave the house wearing full face makeup and not feel (entirely) overdressed. Plus there was the time when I walked into my local grocery store with full costume makeup including those aforementioned false eyelashes… Oh wait, I’ve done that twice now…

4. My me made wardrobe has overtaken the RTW… It was a slow crawl, but now the rolling stone has picked up some speed.

There are days when I wear head to ankle me mades (I can’t count the shoes… sometimes the socks). And I get nearly all the way through the day before I figure that out… I still can’t give up my RTW undergarments, but now I will be able to make jeans (3 pairs worth of denim is now in my possession), as well as my shirts and skirts and dresses and such.

haul

5. Solids are still my jam.

In fact, I went fabric shopping with my mom last week, which is an all day endeavor involving multiple stores, and only one of the fabrics has a print. I’m interested in large scale designs though, and may have to look more closely at Sew Red’s tee embroidering. And not just because of the Little Mermaid design.

Also, to update on where my goals last year left me, I completed 2, and partially others. I did improve fit, and have been actively trying to buy better quality materials. Most of my garments are at least somewhat subtle cosplay inspired too, so that makes me super happy. I only got around to making two quilts, not three. My serger is still finicky,and I didn’t work with much specialized crafting things. I did do a lot of knitting, and fabric painting, and doodling though. And finally the stash. It would be hard to tell, but the old stuff in my stash has mostly been either used or trashed, just more has been added to even it out.

Top 5 Highlights of 2015

#sewingtop5 - The Top 5 of 2015!

This post is all about what happened to me this year!

This year I did not graduate from college or study abroad or anything terribly exciting, so it’s more about the little things for me this time…

storybook back

1. My Susan costume was finished!

I’ve been dreaming of making this costume for years, and this year its finally done! It took a long time, and a lot of frustration, but I’m very proud of it.

2. I truly succeeded with my clothes buying ban.

Last year I did a pretty good job, but this time I managed to succeed in buying (if anything) only things from thrift stores. Excepting undergarments (bras, underwear, camis), all my newest clothing was made or thrifted by me! I even resisted it at one of my favorite stores ever, when it came to the States (because Primark is a surprising wonderland) but I managed to prevent buying actual clothing.

3. I worked in an office all summer (well, at least most of the summer), and I didn’t hate it.

This might sound terrible to people who do work in offices, and I’m sorry for that, but for as long as I can remember I wanted to do scientific research so I wouldn’t have to work in an office. So now that most of my work is on a computer, an office building is the logical place, which didn’t occur to me until this summer. My work is really cool, and it makes up for the setting.

4. At least three costumes have been finalized.

Peggy Carter, Susan, and Belle have been finalized, and if not finalized then photographed. Woot!

5. I moved into my own place, and I love it!

Nobody can tell me to do the dishes or eat something other than candy (other than myself… when I run out of dishes or candy, respectively). In all seriousness, I love having my own (rented) space, and its definitely improved the quality and time frame of my projects.

Well, that’s it for highlights! Check back tomorrow for the reflections on the year!

Top 5 Misses of 2015

#sewingtop5 - The Top 5 of 2015!

Now for the misses of this year… It felt hard to narrow down this list, but then I realized that it was only hard because I had six to show you. Other ones were taken off this list because they were reworked into other versions. I’ll also share some of my makes that held over from previous years, but are still flops.

front

1. Yellowtail Cami

I do like this cami, and it was a good “muslin” for this pattern. I just think its too short for my normal wearing habits. So once I lengthen the pattern and try it again, it will probably be my dream cami, but until then, this’ll be hiding at the back of my drawer.

dinglehopper

2. Jenna Cardigan

I do like this cardi, and I wear it sometimes, but because I don’t wear it pinned or buttoned closer (yet) it doesn’t hang well, and then bunches up under and next to my armpits. So once I find great buttons, and manage to get it buttoned and buttonholed I might like this better.

front

3. “Whole Package” top

I love this top. I really do. However, I also have a deep love of food and a general unwillingness to exercise. Unfortunately as this summer moved on, this top fit less and less. I wobble in weight and fat distribution, so I may in the future be able to wear it comfortably, but that time is not now.

front

4. Miter Shell

Unfortunately I “lost” this one to a bad grease stain. I need to figure out if I can lift it, but it might be finished. I’ll be investigating this today, actually.

top

5. Green Gable Hat

This one was too small for my head. Unfortunately. I gave it to my cousin though, and I hope she likes it!

And now for the misses that I’ve had to give up…

DSC02106

1. Spring Green Jeans

They just never fit quite right, and the denim (if you can even call it that) was terrible. It got the boot over the summer.

front

2. Pastel Sorbetto

Too much ironing required… I may have worn it once. It was disappeared in October. (You can see how much I disliked this even when I took these pics, since I was too lazy to take out my headphones).

front

3. Velvet Dress in current form

I wore it to a dance this month, and it was nice in a way, but the lace I used for the top is so itchy. So itchy. I may use the skirt though. We’ll see…

front

4. Mint and Navy sweater

It was barely able to fit over my arms in college… And it has even less hope now. I don’t actually know where this is, and maybe I got rid of it awhile ago.

front

5. Peanut Butter Cup

Too polyester, too odd when stretched. And uncomfortable.

Top 5 Hits of 2015

#sewingtop5 - The Top 5 of 2015!

So, the end of the year has come, and therefore reflections should be made. After all, how else am I going to really know how much I’ve screwed up or did well?

Gillian from Crafting a Rainbow is once gain hosting this Top 5 extravaganza (See more Top 5’s from other bloggers here)! All week I’ll be reflecting on the past year, until Friday when, with suspiciously good timing, it’ll be the new year with my goals!

First up is the hits of 2015, and they will be joined with the top hits of all time, since this’ll be a good time to also muse on those!

day 29

1. Grey Bronte Top

I love this top very much. It’s a spongy knit, and a little sweater-like, so it gives it a more professional feel, and makes me feel better when I wear it into the office too! I’ve worn it through all seasons since I’ve made it.

pinned

2. Cornflower Shawl

This was one of the first things I’ve knit, other than socks, that I am incredibly proud of, and wear regardless of how odd it may seem to wear it… Let’s face it, college campuses are not where people wear shawls, but its something that I do whenever I want to gain some confidence from wearing something I slaved over and poured my heart into.

side

3. Maxi Skirts

I never planned to wear or make maxi skirts, but when the Syrah pattern came with the pattern bundle last year, I figured I’d give it a try… And I love them! My first one, the green one, is great, but the grey wearable blanket version is my favorite. It’s gotten me through summer (though it was a tad hot), a warm fall, and will help with some warmer winter days as well!

full

4. Peggy Trousers

These may be the most comfortable trousers I own, as long as I don’t eat a big lunch. They’re wide enough that they don’t get stuck on socks or unshaven legs, and they are both cool and warm depending on the need. They also were the inspiration and reason why I watched and fell in more love with Agent Carter. I didn’t need a reason, but it always helps!

cute

5. Merida Skirt

This is the most recent make on this list, but its a favorite of mine, because people who know me and what I do will like it because they know I made it, and people that don’t will know soon or will like it because its neat and different. (And those that don’t like it need not tell me…) It may have taken over 52 hours on the embroidery alone, but still… It’s fantastic.

 

For the top 5 hits of all time, the list changes a bit… mostly because it’s been nearly 3 years since I’ve started the blog, and really 3.5 years since I started making clothes for myself. Also, I’ve kept the top 5’s separate, so there isn’t any overlap.

front

1. Belle Dress

It’s been two years since I finished the Belle dress, and even with some adjustments (and some weight fluctuations), its seen me through thick and thin. I may need to remake it, and I’m much more experienced now, but for one of my first major self drafting projects, I made a great piece.

 

Day 22. Olive green sweater

This was a pre-blog project, made from fabric I found in the costume shop scrap bin, and it still remains one of my most used sweaters. It’s an open front cardigan that I wrap around and hold when I get cold. I have no idea what the fabrics are made of, but I don’t even care, because it gets so much use, and is definitely washing machine approved!

3. Nettie shirts (Too many to link to)

I never thought that I would get this much use out of a pattern. Now, its been through several iterations, which change from time to time, so I’m not sure how close it is to the original tee pattern I made from it, or how close to the bodysuit pattern for that matter. But these are my favorite shirts, and so I’d label this “hack” as a TNT pattern.

ariel

4. Blue skirt

This was first made for a Frozen subtle cosplay, but it has become a favorite in my wardrobe. I fixed the waistband this year, and re-hemmed the skirt. It’s still not even, but its better. The color of this skirt is a deep royal blue, which can either look more red or more violet depending on the light and humidity, strangely enough. It’s a favorite for going ballroom dancing, and it works for a few subtle cosplays, and its just fun in general, and makes me quite happy.

whole

5. Knapsack

I made this fall 2014, and I’ve been using it at least weekly ever since. It’s held up well, I know its unique, and because I made it to fit my computer as well as lunches and more, it holds everything I need. It might need to be replaced soon since I’m transporting a smaller computer to and from work, but otherwise this is a fantastic bag.

So there’s two sets of Top 5 Hits! I’ll be back tomorrow with some misses… See you soon!

Shooting for my own Hand

cute

This skirt is my pride and joy of this quarter of the year (aka post September).

I made the skirt first, in late September, knowing that I would use the other part of the bundle of linen that I bought to make a matching (complimentary?) top. That part I finished, technically in November, but I’ll talk about it in another post.

zback

On the subject of fabric, this is a heavyweight linen from Joann Fabrics, in black. It is heavy enough that I really don’t need a slip or slip-shorts under to keep it from sticking from tights and stuff, and it helps give the skirt some body.

zbody

It’s a 3/4 circle skirt, my favorite kind, and I used a facing for the knee length hem. I didn’t get any pictures of it, though. The other end of the facing was closed using bias tape (pink and pastel green, since that’s what I had on hand), and then carefully sewn to the main skirt.

The waistband is plain, embellished lightly with black thread and lines, also to help the interfacing stay better. And I used a zipper to close it.

pockets

There are two full sized in seam pockets that I adore. They get in the way of the zipper a bit, so I can’t pull the skirt over my hips easily, but it fits fine over my head.

It sat mostly unfinished until mid October when I got this crazy idea to embroider it.

By hand.

You don’t have to tell me how crazy I am. I know how crazy I am.

EpilogueDress6link

 

I found this gorgeous art that is supposedly concept art. And I loved the knot at the bottom, so I copied it, and stuck it on my skirt!

merida

Six hours minimum to finish each motif. There are eight. So that’s a minimum of 48 hours. Plus the extra time the first four took (about 4 hours), means this embroidery alone took 52 hours…

emb

There is so much extra body to the hem. It’s not pretty on the underside, but eh. I can deal with that.

I may do extra embroidery… But not right now!