Sunday, February 5, 2017

Five for Five

So we're just over five weeks into the year, and I've just finished my fifth successful project of the year.  That's better than I expected, especially since three weeks of January was Interim, when I teach a fourteen-week-course's worth of material in three weeks and am correspondingly busy.

Some friends are expecting a second baby, and asked for boys' clothes for a baby gift.  This is very exciting, because I've often seen clothing discouraged as a baby gift.  I made them bibs and burp clothes for Baby #1, so I was very excited that there was something I could sew that they would actually like.

Two of my projects so far are thus baby clothes.  I used fabrics from L'Oiseau Fabrics for each.

The hoodie is from Kwik Sew 3811, in a size L (6-12 months).  I was using a remnant only 15" long, so I couldn't cut the hood as intended (all one piece, folded back on itself as a self-lining), but otherwise I made it as designed.  There are a few places where it isn't quite right - you can definitely tell the pockets aren't lined up perfectly - but overall I'm happy enough with it, and I expect that the imperfections are mostly things that only a sewist would notice.  The father's a guitarist in my partner's band, so I like that I've got a guitar-themed item for them.

Next up was this sleeper, using Kwik Sew 2433, in a size S (3 months).  There were a few parts I had trouble with, due to inexperience with this type of project, but I adore the fabric and that makes up for a lot in my assessment of the final product.  I was pleased with how the pattern-matching turned out on the front - not 100% perfect, but pretty good.


My other three completed projects are all mashups of the Cashmerette Concord and the Sewaholic Renfrew.  I've long admired the cowlneck on the Renfrew, but since Sewaholic patterns are drafted for pears and I am decidedly not a pear, I've never attempted it before.  The blue top and the definitely-not-pink* top are both mostly Concord, with the Renfrew cowl adjusted to fit the Concord neckline I've currently got, which is itself different from the original Concord neckline.


* I have issues with pink, have since I was little.  I recognize this now as internalized misogyny, but this recognition doesn't make me any more comfortable with pink.  So this shirt is orchid, or light plum, as the fabric was called - definitely not pink.

From the back, all these tops show I could probably use a swayback adjustment, even beyond what is built into the Concord, but I don't want a seam up the back of my tees, and I don't mind that fitting flaw at all.  I still feel like I could do better on the armscye fit, and that feeling lead me to the different Concord/Renfew mashup I used for this top.
This one was 100% Renfrew for the shoulders, neckline, and armscye/sleeves, and Concord down from there.  I only finished it a few hours ago, so I haven't worn it enough to say whether this fit is better than the other blend.  If nothing else, I'm learning a lot from all my mashups, and understand armscyes and sleeves much better than I used to.

I still have two more fabrics to make baby items from - the mini-shower isn't for another month or so, so I've got time.  I'm torn over what I want to make next.  I am still lacking in the long-sleeved knit tops department, and even with room for improvement, I think both of the Concord/Renfew mashups here are good enough to make more of.  But I've also got some slightly more ambitious projects I want to be sure happen before winter's over -- two lighter jackets - so maybe I should be turning my attention towards those.