Following on last week’s assessments of my wants and my needs, I sat down this weekend with my notebooks and favorite pencil and stack of recent sketches. The simple fact is there are at least a half-dozen things I’m eager to knit and sew right now, all of which are more interesting than the projects pictured here, but I’m putting the needs first — especially since they’re fairly simple things to knock out:
1.) Finish the little grey marl sweater already on my needles.
2.) Fix the navy canvas pre-sleeves Clyde Jacket I got at Elizabeth Suzann’s sample sale in December. Meaning: trim out deep vest armholes (along the lines of one of my State Smocks) and finish the edges.
3.) How many times have I said this? Sew myself a heather grey Linden Sweatshirt. I’m actually thinking I’ll make two: One exactly that, and the second the short-sleeved version in a thicker bouclé knit I also have on hand. (While I have the pattern out …)
4.) Replace my natural toddler pants with an identical pair, this time in undyed cotton canvas. (Fabric picked up for $2/yard as remnant at ES’s garage sale last summer. What did I ever do before I lived near Elizabeth Suzann?)
5.) Make another pair of toddlers in my light blue, recycled-denim canvas, this time tinkering even more with the leg shape and rise. (If you’re confused, I am currently in possession of two fabrics made of recycled denim: one lightweight and drapey, the other one a sturdy denim/canvas.)
6.) Replace the white linen shell.
These are all projects where I already have the pattern (in most cases already traced and tweaked) and also have the fabric ready to go, apart from needing to find good ribbing for the two sweatshirts. So all I need is the time and head space to get going. And then there’s one other near-term thing:
7.) I recently freed myself of the need to carry a laptop back and forth with me every day — hallelujah!! — so I can have any everyday bag I want for the first time in awhile. I’m thinking for spring/summer, I’ll make myself a big ol’ Stowe Bag! (There have been so many inspiring ones posted to the #stowebag feed lately!) I have a blank linen one in progress, just waiting for it’s bias bindings, but I have some ideas about some very specific pockets for this scenario, so may be starting a new one.
That’s more projects than the number of months since I last sewed, I think, but it seems really doable. And then with these necessities (back) in place, I can start to scheme about some more adventurous stuff for … Summer of Basics! More on that to come.
• Fashionary sketch panels, Fashionary sketchbook and spiral notebook from Fringe Supply Co.
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PREVIOUSLY in Wardrobe Planning: Spring ’18 Haves and Have-nots
Glad to see the return of ‘summerofbasics’! I’m always on the lookout for good ribbing, please do share if you come across any!
I’ll take the white linen shell, I love it!
That won’t work for me since I wear it several times a week! (It’s just not white anymore, so need to make another.)
DARN!
Karen, the solution is simple. Soak it in hydrogen peroxide.
I’d love to know how you drafted that shell. It looks so comfortable.
Mostly just winging it. I’ve redrawn necklines and armholes enough times on other patterns, that I sort of just filled in the space between the two and went for it! I’m sure an actual pattern drafter would take issue with it, but it works.
Last fall my mother made me a Stowe bag out of a big piece of lightweight leather she had — it worked great and looks wonderful. What a good pattern.
Love that!
I’m with you on the Linden! I have the pattern and fabric and I keep saying I need to make it . . .
Thanks for reminding me of the sweatshirt need; I have the fabric to make Paxton (from the Seamwork magazine) in grey velour (not sure if it’s going to look luxe or like a sad Juicy Couture wanna-be; stay tuned). Also, glad that the Summer of Basics is still on!
Oh gosh, Juicy Couture — that is so funny.
I wonder whether it’s possible/practical to hand knit ribbings for the linden sweatshirts? you could do some great yarn-fabric matching and make them as tight/loose as you wish. or maybe in wool if you wanted a little warmth …
One could hand knit the ribbing (in any weight yarn) and see it on which would look pretty cool!
I think it might depend on how the ribbing functions in the sewing pattern. If the pattern at all relies on the ribbing fabric to gather in a larger circumference, then a hand knit ribbing might struggle to have enough sucking-in power compared to a machine rib knit, depending on what the fabric to be gathered in is like in terms of weight and body.
But it would be fun to experiment with! In addition to sewing on separately knitted ribbing (as Vanessa suggests), you could use a steel crochet hook (or hand sewing needle) to pull up regularly spaced loops around the (finished) edge you want to apply hand knit ribbing to, and knit it on directly. This is how people commonly apply crochet edging to flannel baby blankets.
I seem to recall Jen Beeman experimenting with that a few years ago (before I knew her). I can imagine trying it sometime, but for this I want to play it straight.
Do you have a picture of that boucle knit? Sounds perfect for something I have in mind
A new #summerofbasics? Yeah ! better start planning early…
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