What I'm Listening To: Blackpink- How You Like That

Saturday, August 8, 2020
Hi all! Are you, like me, missing seeing all of the Spring 2021 runway fashion shows? Well, let me point you in the direction of the Blackpink video for the song How You Like That. Not only with the song get you dancing around in your pandemic pajamas, but the fashion is superb and may be as close to an actual couture runway show as we're going to get. 

August Plans

Monday, August 3, 2020
This month I'm feeling the need to complete some challenges, squeeze out the last few drops of summer, and prepare for Halloween. Here are my plans for August 2020:

 Mannequin with red measuring tape around shoulders and handbrushed lettering overlayed reading Sew My Style 2020 Patterns & Sponsors#SMS20

I've fallen behind on my plans to participate in the Sew My Style Challenge and I want to catch-up. These are the ones I plan to make:


We had a few hot summer days in July and I really wanted to waft around the house with a cocktail and a caftan. This month I'm hoping to sew up at least 1 Closet Core Pattern's Charlie Caftan.


Amy from @PoisonGrrls is hosting the 4th Annual Summer Knit A Long featuring her newest pattern, The Joanie Boatneck. The KAL goes from July 27-September 28, but I'm hoping to finish mine this month.

Finally, are any of you feeling spooky?🎃 This month I'm hoping to knit up a pair of Halloween socks and maybe start on a Halloween sweater. Bring on the pumpkin spice!

That's all that I'm planning on making this month. Do you have any end-of-summer makes planned? Let me know in the comments below.

What I'm Listening To: Hydelic- Connected from Tetris Effect PS4

Saturday, August 1, 2020
Hello! It's been a while since I've done one of these posts, but honestly, I haven't been listening to a lot of new music lately. However, I've recently gotten into playing the new Tetris Effect game on PS4. The combination of dreamy music and gameplay is almost...dare I say it...Mindful! Have a listen to one of my favorite tunes from the game, Connected (Yours Forever) by Hydelic.


May Makes

Friday, June 26, 2020


May was a very productive month for me. I think I was feeling very inspired by having some unexpected time off and seeing all of the lovely Me Made May posts. I ended up making 7 new items (not counting the headband and the Lander shorts alteration)! Here's a run-down of my makes:

  1. I knit an all-white Jailbird Blouse pattern by PoisonGrrls knit in CoBaSi DK yarn. I knit up the size Medium but probably could have gotten away with the Small.
  2. A Friday Patterns Wilder Top in a light blue linen fabric. I sewed a size Large with no alterations.
  3. The Sew My Style pattern pick for May was the True Bias Rio Ringer Tee. I decided to make two versions. For both the long and short-sleeved tees, I stitched up a size 14 at the bust and graded to a size 16 at the hips. I used a stripey cotton jersey knit fabric from Sewing Studio for the short-sleeved version, some deep-stash stripey knit fabric for the long-sleeved version, and ribbing from Blackbird Fabrics on both.
  4. So many people have made the Mandy Boat Tee from Tessuti Patterns, and this month I gave it a go. I used some deep stash fuschia striped fabric (probably from Girl Charlie) and sewed up a size 2 and shortened it by 1 inch. If I make it again, I'd either try the size 3 or find a way to widen the armcye a bit. 
  5. I was inspired by designer brand, Lena Hoschek, to knit the PoisonGrrls Boardwalk Blouse. I knit up the size Small in CoBaSi fingering weight.

  6. I'd been wanting to make a funnel neck Tilly and the Buttons Coco for ages and when I saw this gray polka dot sweater knit from Sewing Studio, I decided to make it happen, even though it's not really seasonally appropriate. I even made a matching headband to go with it.

  

Me Made May 2020 Review

Friday, June 12, 2020
Me Made May: Quarantine Edition has concluded. This year's Me Made May was meant to be a gentler version of the challenge and participants were encouraged to go easy on themselves. I am an "essential worker", so my routine didn't change all that much during quarantine so I chose to make the same pledge I made last year and wear at least 1 me-made item everyday. I seemed to be mostly successful at my challenge since I only missed 1 day (sometimes we need an all-day pajama day!). Let's take a look at my outfits:

  1. Tilly & the Buttons Agnes Top in fabric from Joann's
  2. Tilly & the Buttons Marigold Pants 
  3. Abbey Knits Party Sweater top in yarn from House of al la mode
  4. Style Arc Estelle Cardigan
  5. Sunset Highway Sweater by Caitlin Hunter
  6. Helen's Closet Blackwood Cardigan 

My favorite outfits this week were the Agnes top and the Sunset Highway Sweater and these were the same outfits that got the most response. 

  • 7.   Soldotna Crop by Caitlin Hunter in yarn from Primrose 
  • 8.   Friday Pattern Co Wilder Top
  • 9.   Closet Case Patterns Ginger Jeans
  • 10. Closet Case Patterns Kalle Shirt
  • 11.  Tecumseh Sweater by Caitlin Hunter in yarn from House of al la Mode

I'd wanted to add a bit more color to my outfits this week. I felt the most ho-hum about these outfits overall, but these outfits generated the most response overall. People really enjoy my Tecumseh sweater!
    • 12. Boardwalk Blouse by Poison Grrls 
    • 13. Charcoal dot headband in fabric from PDX Sewing Studio
    • 14. Closet Case Patterns Kalle Shirt
    • 15. Blank Slate Patterns Forsythe Trousers
    • 16. Spector Sweater by Joji Locatelli in yarn from Wichita Wools
    • 17. Tilly and the Buttons Coco Top
    • 18. Caitlin Hunter Whitehorse Sweater in yarn from Three Fates
    • 19. Sew DIY Lou Box Top

    This week I pulled out more of my favorite pieces like my floral Kalle and my Whitehorse sweater. I got the least amount of feedback on these outfits, but people really responded well to my new Coco Shirt.

    • 20. Megan Nielson Patterns Tania Culottes
    • 21. Tilly and the Buttons Frankie Tee
    • 22. Made by Rae Luna Pants
    • 23. Untangling Knots Waters Tee
    • 24. Helen's Closet Suki Robe and True Bias Lander Shorts
    • 25. Butterick 6563 sleeveless shirt.

    I really enjoyed swanning around in my Tania Culottes and need to make some more! I also tailored my Lander shorts which got the most feedback this week.

      • 26. Chalk & Notch Fringe Dress (worn as a top).
      • 27. Vest/ Waistcoat sewn up more than 10 years ago with my mother-in-law. The pattern is possibly Simplicity 3921
      • 28. Poison Grrls Boardwalk Blouse knit in Skacel CoBaSi yarn
      • 29. Kimono/ Haori style jacket sewn up ages ago with instructions from a Pinterest tutorial
      • 30. True Bias Rio Tee
      • 31. True Bias Ogden Cami

      This week I experimented with some of my lesser worn makes like wearing my dress as a top. I got a lot of nice feedback on these looks overall and people really seemed to enjoy the waistcoat/vest, the kimono jacket, and my Ogden cami the most.

      Reflections:
      • I feel like parts of my me-made wardrobe weren't as colorful as I would have liked it to be. 
      • I need to add more "work appropriate" business casual items into my me-made wardrobe. Especially pants.
      • I really enjoyed wearing my Tania Culottes to work & I got several compliments. I'd like to add more drapey pants to my closet.
      • I wished I had a few more cardigans in my closet to dress up some of my more casual/ warm weather items.

        What do you think about my makes overall? Do you have a favorite? Have you made any of the patterns that I've made? Did you participate in Me Made May this year? Let me know in the comments below!

        2020 Social Media Crafting Challenge Plans

        Thursday, January 2, 2020
        With 2019 quickly coming to a close and 2020 on the horizon, it's that weird time of year between Christmas/ Hanukkah/ Kwanzaa and New Year's when people start making plans for the future. One of the things that I'm looking forward to in the new year is participating in crafting challenges on Instagram, Ravelry, blogs, and YouTube because it keeps me connected with the crafting community and helps motivate me to get craftin'. Here are a few of the challenges I'm looking forward to taking part in:

             

        I don't know about you, but I've accumulated a huge stash of yarn and fabric over the years and am in desperate need of a de-stash. Thankfully, Amanda, aka @browngyrlknits on Instagram has created the Stash Down challenge. The rules are:

        1. Inventory your yarn by January 1
        2. Pick patterns to go with your yarn and make a list
        3. Knit from that list all year
        4. You get $30/month for new yarn.
        5. You get 2 "deal breakers" per year.

        For my sewing stash, the Sewjourners have created an Excel spreadsheet called the Stash Shrinker to motivate us to use our fabric stash.






        Project Sew My Style is back in 2020 with a new hashtag ( #sms20) and a new end of the month deadline. Participating in the project helped jump-start my sewing mojo in 2018 and I'm hoping to jump back in in 2020. A few of the pattern's I'm excited to make are:
             
             January: #Sew Twists and Ties


        I am a sucker for Instagram challenges, and in January @CookinandCraftin is bringing back the sewing twists and ties challenge. To participate, all you need to do is sew a garment that has twists or ties involved and post it on Instagram with the hashtag #SewTwistsandTies. Some ideas I'm kicking around are:
            
             May: #MeMadeMay

        While it's too early to predict what I'm going to wear in May, I do have plans to spend some time in warmer climates that month and I look forward to documenting my makes in a new setting.

        Do you know of any crafting challenges that I haven't mentioned? Will you be participating in any crafting challenges this year, or will you be doing your own thing? Let me know in the comments below.

        Final Make Nine 2019 Review and 2020 Reveal

        Sunday, December 29, 2019

        This year I made the most progress on my #MakeNine2019 list to date, making 7 out of 9 makes! I'd made quite a bit of progress during my Mid-Year Review, so rather than repeat myself, I'll just talk about my end of year progress.

        Makes Updates

        • The Fulton Sweater- I was super in love with the Fulton Sweater in 2018, but I never ran across the right fabric for it and fell out of love with the pattern.
        • An Andi Satterlund Pattern- Not only did I re-knit my Waters sweater for the Outfit Along, but I knit up the Julgren Sweater to wear for the holidays. 
        • A Joji Pattern- I knit up the dreamy Spector sweater in my collection of Wichita Woolery yarn and also knit the Hipster Shawl for my work's Secret Santa gift exchange. 
        • A Stephen West Pattern- I feel like I kind of cheated with this make. Initially, I thought I'd make a Vertices Unite shawl this year but, as 2019 came to an end, I decided to knit up the Windschief hat as a Christmas gift instead. 
        • A Poison Girls Pattern- I participated in the #HoneyBopKal using yarn my husband gifted me from Maryland. It still doesn't have buttons, but I'm calling it finished.
        • High Waisted Pants- I found that I need a lot more motivation to tackle a sewing project than I do a knitting project and I chickened out! I have fabric to make pants and some patterns, so I'm hoping to be braver in 2020.
        Things I Learned
        • Social Media Challenges and Make-a-longs are sometimes motivating.
        • Setting broader goals seemed more achievable because it left room for me to change my mind or try out shiny new designer patterns.
        • I have a lot of yarn/ fabric in my stash that I need to work from/ de-stash.
        • I feel more confident in my knitting abilities than my sewing abilities right now.

        And with that in mind, I present my #MakeNine2020 selection:

        1: Arachne by Andi Satterlund- I purchased yarn to make a sweater and cardigan version of this pattern but didn't get to it before Halloween, so I intend to make at least one of them this year.
        2: A Poison Girls Pattern- Sometimes I like to imagine myself as an Old Hollywood starlet and these patterns will get me one step closing in achieving it.
        3: A Dragon Hoard Yarn Pattern- If you haven't checked out Dragon Hoard Yarn's patterns, you need to! I have 3 of her patterns in my Ravelry queue and am hoping to participate in her SpellmanKAL in 2020.
        4. Zweig by Caitlin Hunter- I may be the only knitter who hasn't knit this sweater. I have yarn to make 2 versions of it in my stash.
        5. Willamette Top by Hey June Handmade- This top looks like the type of blouse I would live in all Summer long.
        6. Deer & Doe Myosotis Dress- I was reluctant to sew this dress when it was first released and became super popular, but now that everyone has made it and looks awesome in it, I want one too.
        7. High Waist Pants (M 7726)- Since I didn't make high waisted pants in 2019, I'm hoping to make these in 2020.
        8. Sipila by Caitlin Hunter- I purchased yarn to make this pattern when it was first released and need to make it up.
        9. A Christmas Sweater- I really enjoyed making and wearing my Julgren in 2019 and am hoping to add to my festive wardrobe in 2020.

        Are you participating in the Make Nine 2020 challenge? Let me know in the comments below.

        Last Minute Christmas Makes of 2019

        Friday, December 27, 2019
        When December comes around each year, I feel as if I'm magically transformed into a Christmas elf and can't stop crafting until December 25th. Sure, the crafting pressure can be stressful at times, but let's be honest, I don't really need an excuse to craft but I'll take it when I can!

        Now that all of the gifts have been given, I can show what festive makes I made:

        1. West Yorkshire Spinners Holly Berry Socks
        First I'll start off with a gift that I made for myself. I knit up the West Yorkshire Spinners 2018 colorway, Holly Berry, using the OMG Heel Socks pattern by Megan Williams to add to my Christmas box of socks collection and finished weaving in the tails and blocking them on Christmas Eve. You can't get more festive than that! I love the fit of these socks and they were so comfy and warm to wear on Christmas Day!

        2. The Hipster Shawl 
        I wanted to give a handmade gift for my work's "Secret Santa" gift exchange and learned that my swap partner liked to wear scarves and the color black, so I searched Ravelry for a pattern that would meet the brief in the time allotted and landed on the Hipster Shawl Pattern by Joji Locatelli. I was able to pick up the yarn, Swan Island Sterling Collection Worsted, during a mini-road trip to The Knotty Lamb yarn shop. This was a fun, quick knit! I hope to make one for myself in the future.

        3. Windscheif by Stephen West
        I was requested to knit a stylish hat for my brother-in-law for the cold winter months and located some black Malabrigo Arroyo yarn in my stash. I decided to knit up the Windscheif by Stephen West so that I could also check another box on my #MakeNine2019 . My only problem now is that I'm not sure my husband wants to give up the hat. 

        4. Simplicity 8613
        Earlier this fall my husband accompanied me to Joann's during a sewing pattern sale (I know, I'm a lucky girl 😉) and he picked out Simplicity 8613 (A MimiGStyle featuring Norris raglan tee) for me to sew. With Christmas approaching, I finally motivated myself to sew this up. I used one of the husband's well-worn tee's as a reference and stitched up a size Medium with a View C body and View A sleeves. He loves it!

        5. Tilly and the Buttons Margot Pajamas
        That's right kids. I sewed up a Tilly and the Buttons pattern FOR MY HUSBAND! On Christmas Eve Eve, my husband commented that he wished he could open a present early, so I scurried up to my craft room and stitched up a pair of Margot Pajama's from the Love at First Stitch book that he could wear on Christmas Eve. The fabric I used is a Dear Stella cotton lawn print from their Winter Is Here collection called Dance of Dragons. They're the perfect pants to wear during his online Dungeons & Dragons games.

        There you have it! Those are all of my festive makes of December 2019!

        The York Pinafore

        Friday, October 11, 2019

        I feel like I'm a bit late to the Pinafore party, but I finally managed to sew up a pinafore at the end of Summer. This is the York Pinafore by Helen's Closet. I was drawn to the pattern because it has a bit of an art-school chic kind of vibe and I thought it had the potential to become an unofficial work uniform staple.

        The fabric I used is a Burgundy colored Rayon linen from Joann's which is beautiful and super easy to sew.

        I chose to stitch up View B of the pattern with the longer length in a size 10 based on my measurements. Before cutting out the pattern, I lengthened the straps by 1.5 inches per the pattern instructions to accommodate my bust measurement, and I shortened the body of the pattern by 1 inch per the pattern instructions to accommodate my shorter height. The pattern went together easily and I used purchased bias binding for the arms and neck. The hardest part to sew was the curved pockets and trying to sew them on evenly. I think it took 5 attempts before I got them at an even height!

        The final product is very comfortable and I love the deep pockets! If you are considering this pattern and are a beginner to intermediate sewist, I highly recommend it!

        The Soldotna Crop

        Friday, October 4, 2019

        The Soldotna Crop by Caitlin Hunter (aka Boyland Knitworks) seemed to be the pattern for Spring/ Summer 2019. Yet when it was initially released, I was having none of it! While I was a fan of Caitlin Hunter's patterns overall and the colorwork patterning intrigued me, I simply felt that I was too old and too curvy to pull off this cropped top... until I saw the Soldotna yarn kits curated by Primrose Yarn Co. and fell in love with the color combination. The kit contained 1 skein of Marquess MCN DK in the Dusty Pink colorway, a skein of Vintage DK Tweed in the From London with Love, Marrakesh and the Dreams colorways. 


        I'd initially set out to knit up a size Small like I'd done with a few of my previous Caitlin Hunter knits but at the last minute I decided to knit up the size Medium to get the recommended amount of positive ease. As a result, my arm ribbing is a little smaller than the pattern calls for.


        I'm not super confident enough to wear this crop top on its own without a layer underneath but I'm happy with the final result. Did you make a Soldotna Crop this year? Do you have any styling tips?

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