Knit and Sewn Outfit

 

Well, we have a goody today!

A project I am really proud I made and I know it is going to have a lot of wear. Let me explain the creative process.

The main inspiration for the top is Kim Hargreaves book, Heartfelt: The Dark House Collection. I bought the book online for a project a friend found for me, and this is the 2nd project I made (see the 1st one) from it, and it is not going to be the last. Designs are gorgeous and totally my cup of tea, and patterns are perfect and really fun to make. 

The yarn recommended is some outstocked bamboo, but I decided to adapt it to this beautiful organic cotton by Katia. I had made another project with it, and it had the perfect feel, thickness and colour. This shade of beige can be tricky, and I wanted it to be natural and antique... it's perfect. 

It took quite a while for me to knit it, I started in June and finished at the end of the year, when it was too cold to wear it (typical). 

After some trials with different needles, I adjusted the pattern to my gauge and started knitting. When I got 20 cm from the bottom up, I realized it was too narrow, and I had to undo it and start over, but it was completely worth it, as it always is, because now it is just perfect. See the project at Raverly. 

I had this skirt in mind for quite a long time now. The inspiration is the Gabriola pattern. I love to be able to copy commercial patterns by adapting my own. In this case, I used the long A skirt pattern. I took the upper part and draw some lines with a ruler in the pattern paper, creating these three top pieces (front and back), and the remaining long bottom piece. The final result is quite good, but I had to make lots of undoing and redoing because there were some weird wrinkles over my bottom, which I finally took rid of. They were probably caused by imprecision, aka, I had not marked the fabric, as I always do, with tailor tucks. Seam allowances were so sparse, no sense in doing so.  Another problem was fabric scarcity. I cut the pieces too tight and that gave me no room to manoeuvrer, so I ended up with a tight skirt. Anyway, it does not flatter my protrudent tummy area, so I am wearing it covered. But now I have the doubt of how it would be if it were looser. I will experiment more with those Gabriola pieces, cutting them a couple of cms wider at the sides. 

Well, the final outfit is gorgeous, don't you think?

Organic Thick Interlock Dress

Wonderful new interlock I've found at Ecological Textiles. 

Touch, hang, low wrinkling, shade of black, the matte finish, stability, everything is perfect with this fabric. 

I plan several pieces in it, so great!

I though this BurdaStyle magazine pattern (January/21) would be nice in it, and I am really glad about the result. This is a dress I will wear and wear. Comfortable, classy and sporty at the same time, warm and breathable... well, it has all the right ticks.

 

The construction had some thrill in the neck area. The instructions of the pattern (we all know Burda for their meagerness) suggest that I left row seam allowances around it. I wanted to encase it all in itself and after some jig jawing, I managed a neat result I am very proud of. 

As always, sleeves are almost perfect with Burda patterns. I had only to sew them 2 cm inwards the upper armscye seam. 

I am also proud of by wooden buttons. I bought them in a big box, two sizes, and they are awesome, I use them all the time. And they read MADE WITH LOVE, engraved in the wood, which is lovely. 

It is a pitty how bad black fabric gets on camera, the details of the neck are perfect. A perfect pattern for a perfect fabric.