Beige Fair Cotton Walking on Air Top

 

This is another project to put my yarn remnants to use. I had three whole Katia Fair Cotton Yarn left from a project I made 4 years ago. 

I found this pattern online, for free, in the Drops website and I loved it.

I just followed the instructions straight, no modifications. I made an L size in 4 mm circular needles. 

It took me all summer to knit it, and when I finished, the weather had turned and I could only wear it one day in September. I will have to wait till next summer to see if I wear it enough. 

I like it quite much, and I think it will be lovely with anything denim as bottoms, but, I feel my tits are too big for this and the top keeps sliding backwards, and consequently, the front bottom curves upwards. We'll see if it is comfortable and easy to wear. 

Project in Ravelry

Cigarrette Jeans

 

I bought this indigo middle weight elasticated denim in Denim.lab. It was in my stash for three years before I made up my mind as to what to do with it. The fabric was only 70 cm wide, and I'd bought 2 meters, so the material was tight. 

I decided to make some cigarette short pants using the Ginger Middle rise Jeans pattern, by Closet Core Patterns, which is spot on for this kind of middle weight elasticated denim. 

No modifications made, except cutting the bottom short, but the fabric was so tight that I had to make narrow pockets, specially one of them. When I realized it was no good, I modified the second one using the lining fabric, and that one is better. Anyway, it is only wrong if I use it. Pity, but... they are very becoming and comfortable. 

Grey & Yellow Suit and Ribbed Cotton Top

I have a dear friend whose mother was a professional seamstress. Last year, she retired and was so kind as to donate some fabrics (the ones I chose) to me. This is one of those fabrics. It is a viscose-polyester blend, but I am not entirely sure. 

I immediately envisioned a suit, so I decided to make a double-breasted jacket and some straight pants. She also gave me some yellow fabric, and I made a sleeveless blouse with it, but the fabric was so tight that I had to make it too short, and it ended up in the bin. 

The pattern of the jacket is from Burda Style magazine. It hangs handsomely, but I do not like the buttons' positioning, so it is not a keeper, I think. 

For the trousers, I used the pattern from this book I have, for the nth time, perfect again. 

I finished the suit in June, and I could not wear it then, because it was too hot when I finally finished it. Last October, when I tried it on, I got inspired and made this sleeveless top from the same book, with a ribbed organic cotton I've had for ages. It goes very well with my suit, it makes it modern and casual, I love it, and prefer it to a blouse. 

White Long Cotton Skirt

 

A white, long, summer skirt was in my mind for some time now, and when I went to Lleida to buy some gingham for my next project, I found this gorgeous cotton English embroidery with 3D margaritas sewn into it. It is beautiful, and although it was expensive, at 32 €/M, I bought 1.5m to make a long skirt. 

The plan was a gathered, or pleated one... but then this fabric would not go well with added volume, specially in white... So after much thought, I decided to make it on the bias, using an old pattern of mine, which works like magic every time. 

The problem was that the usual add-on I have to make to pull an ankle long bias skirt with 1.5 m of fabric, and only one seam at the centre back, did not look good in the sheer fabric. I hid it with an embellishment cut from the fabric borders, which was destined for the bottom in the initial plan. I think the effect is nice, and makes the add-on inconspicuous. 

It was difficult to find a top to wear it with, but then I remembered the awesome denim vest I bought in my Toronto honeymoon last year. We found it in a 2nd hand shop in Kensington Market, one of the coolest neighbourhoods, if not the coolest, we've been to. 

I had to make a white jersey loose lining to give it weight and not see-through. 

All in all, it is perfect in any sense. Very proud of this special one. 

Red Cotton Twill Cropped Pants and Gingham Blouse

I've had this red cotton thick twill for two years in my stash. I bought in Porto, without a project in mind, because good cotton twill is difficult to find, and this had a nice red colour. 

I doubted about how to make the pants, and finally I had the idea of cutting them short, and that was the starting point.

Then, one day I was watching the last And Just Like That season and I saw Charlotte combining some red pants with a red and white gingham blouse. Very inspiring!

I found the cotton gingham in my Lleida and I started to pick up patterns. 

For the trousers, I went again to the wide version of my favourite pants pattern. I can make them slimmer, wider, in every length, including this pirate version. They are perfect in every sense, and I will continue using them again and again. 

As for the blouse, I found a good pattern in a Burda Style magazine (September 2024), with a yoke in the back and side breast seams. It has a big shirt collar and it is practically straight in the sides. 

The sleeves could have a better hang, I rushed the machine stitching and seam enclosing process, but all in all, the blouse is awesome, and I will wear it a lot. 

Animal Print Twill Ginger Pants

After making my 50's dress  with this gorgeous fabric, I had 1 m left. Then, I remembered the idea I had had long in my mind, of making a pair of camouflage pants. Finding the right fabric has been impossible til now, so I thought this fabric would be perfect to make a pair of tight-fitting Ginger Jeans.

As any other pattern of jeans, legs must be adjusted to get the right amount of ease, depending on the look we have in mind, the thickness of the fabric and most of all, the elasticity of it. Since this fabric is quite thin and it has a very good give and recovery, I thought I could make them in a tight version. 

In the 1st fitting I realized they were too tight, unwearable. One of these projects that goes to the waste unfinished, a shame. But then I gave it some thought and I decided to make serged seams instead of self-encasing them. Most commercial jeans have serged, and then topstiched seams. This meant I could give 1 cm off every seam. 

That proves to be the perfect solution. It is amazing that only 1 cm is such a game changer! They feel like a glove, they are comfortable to wear and the perfect tightness in both hips and legs. 

I have worn them to a metal festival all day, and they stayed in perfect shape after sitting, dancing and the lots. 

Last time I made a pair of Ginger jeans, I remember I had to take them in all around, so I must have cut 1 cm off around all pieces, although I cannot remember doing that. In this fabric, which is not that elastic, this was. I am making another pair nowadays, adding 1 cm in all exterior seams, we will see if that is right, or I might have to print and trace the pattern in my right size again. 

Black and Pink Chunky Cotton Stripped Sweater

I started this project to use the remnants of black and pale pink chunky cotton from previous projects. I had two skeins of each colour, so I thought that I would have enough to make a cropped tight jumper. 

I followed Ann Budd's book to make a seamless yoked jumper, knitted in the round without any seam. 

At the end, I needed to buy one more skein in each colour, but it was still worth it. 

The jumper could have been tighter, I think. I made it in size 40, the sleeves are quite tight, but the bodice has still some ease. The length is great, and it combines great with high-waisted pants or long dresses like the one in the picture. 

I finished at the beginning of summer, but I could pack it for my holidays in the Czech Republic, where it was cold in the evenings, and it felt great to wear. I love this chunky cotton, because it is cool, warm but not itchy, so I can wear it on my naked skin. 

Ravelry