Ivory sweater knit finished

I've had a lovely evening sewing, and am really pleased to be able to share this little sweater knit top, made out of a very small and strangely shaped remnant. The leftover pieces after cutting out were really tiny!

Given how nicely it pressed, I think its a cotton and polyester mix, but who knows!
This is a great little top and I would absolutely have bought it if I had seen it in a store for sale. It will work really well under lots of work suit jackets as well as go with 3/4s of my wardrobe. Yay!!

Now then.... can you see what's happened here?

The needles are actually piercing something metal....

the hem gauge!

I had finished cover hemming the seam detail on the front and had brought the hem gauge through to pull the threads to the back, when my foot slipped back onto the pedal and the machine sewed into the hem gague and jammed.
After a short pause I managed to tap it firmly to dislodge and then finish the manoeuver as planned. The hem gauge does now have two holes in it and is a bit bent but the machine still sewed OK, though the thread did break once later on.

Anyway I was determined not to be thwarted and carried on and finished the top anyway. Phew.

2 new ivory tops on the go

In keeping with the SWAP colours, though not the original storyboard in detail, I have cut out two tops.
They are both ivory, so maybe the sewing fairies will let me off this once.

The first one is made from an interesting fabric which has alternating 'bands' and 'crinkled section' all woven in the fabric. After much debate I chose them to run across, as I need volume on the top to balance a chunky lower half. This is a very simple design, a dartless block adapted from a book, it has a round neck, shaped back seam and long sleeves (not shown) and just pulls on over the head.

The second one is from a remnant of sweater knit a fellow sewer donated to me in a bag of scraps. At first I thought it was too small a piece to cut a top, so changed my plans and cut out the blouse above instead. Then the problem stewed a bit, I slept etc and then came up with an idea of using some pieces I had drafted for a knit top with a 'cutabout' front. I found the pattern pieces and then had to do a bit of creative single layer cutting, plus only have cap sleeves (not shown), and so came up with this.

The front is made of 5 separate pieces which work best if they are all at different angles. I mostly just went with it and fitted them on the scraps of fabric as best I could and it seems to have worked out well. The back is a single piece but with shoulder and neck darts instead of a centre back seam, which needed for my 'rounded back' alteration.

Neckbands will be done next, a simple bias facing for the top one and a stretch band for the lower one. Then sleeves (I will prehem the knit sleeves on the coverhem machine), side seams, main hems and some of those lovely hanger shots!

It is good to be sewing again even though there are many other tasks which could also do with my attention, I just needed to sew a bit.
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I got a lot of satisfaction out of working out how to get a top from the remnant, a lot more than I do just cutting into yardage. It is bizarre perhaps since I have a lot of unused yardage but still like to play about with the scraps!

More SWAP thoughts - back to Verdigris SWAP

I've been thinking about this on and off today and I want to go with the original - green/black/cream/orange colour scheme (if not the exact garments) and so the navy top is out, and the berries will have to wait.

This was my original plan, and I shall vary it a bit but the overall vibe is going to stay I think.

SWAP thoughts and missing patterns

SWAP is still going over on Stitchers Guild and I am all over the place.
For some reason I cannot find the pattern pieces for a couple of favourite patterns, and although I have searched the disaster area that is my sewing room several times I have not found them.
So that means I would have to use some new patterns. I have plenty to choose from, but they make SWAP harder if you have to fit as well as sew.

I am all over the place on the colour scheme as well.Though maybe either grey or wine could be a good third colour.

So far we have
Green tweed skirt as my 'Sewn before the 26th December' piece. This is from Simplicity 9825.

Then the jacket I made from Style 2514. This is my 'previously made' item.

 Orange dartless woven tee adapted from a block from a book.

Then a dark green corduroy skirt, also uses Simplicity 9825.

Next a cream knit top, which uses Simplicity 2977 with sleeves from somewhere else.

And a navy dartless blouse from the same block as the orange top.

That could actaully be 2 3 PACs, one of jacket, skirt, top and the other of skirt + 2 tops.
At this point I only need to sew 5 more garments and I am done. This would need to be another 3 PAC and two wild cards. If I went with more navy, more cream and then grey or wine I would not be too far away from a workable collection.

Celtic Scarf Outfit 12 (my version of December)

Since I've already used the light coloured trousers with a dark sweater for January, I've switched it round a bit and gone for a similar drape cardigan, worn with toning dark trousers and a contrasting teal/olive print tee and some dark olivey brown dressy shoes.

I think the print in the scarf and the tee play quite nicely together.

The drape cardigan is a lot more drapey, and therefore not a very flattering silhouette. I am considering recutting it somehow to be more like the inspiration piece.

This is the end of my interpretations of the original inspiration outfits. However I still have some co-ordinating garments left to share, and will be doing some of my own versions very soon.

Celtic Scarf Outfit 11 (my version of November)

The inspiration for November is a fabulous gold dress.

Gold is not a colour I wear in clothing (only accessories), so I have chosen to pick up the carnelian with this lovely dress already in the wardrobe,and add a light olive camisole, dark olive boots and a self made olive bracelet.

This is quite a wearable look and I'd add gold earrings and a gold bag.

Celtic Scarf Outfit 10 (my version of October)

The original inspiration outfit

I kept the rust colour but switched it to the top, the added a dark olivey brown wool jacket and gored skirt, plus some great dark brown leather boots and carnelian coloured bracelets.

This would be great on a cold day.

Celtic Scarf Outfit 9 (my version of September)

The inspiration has a great sweater with skinny cords. I've gone more for a rust sweater instead, and more classic dark brown wool trousers.

Accessories are olive faux suede ankle boots, dark brown suede bag and an echo of the rust colour in a bead bracelet.

I really love this look and it is as cosy and warm as the brown sweater and camel trousers in my take on January.
Only October, November and December to go now, and of course I have still switched things about to suit what I have in the wardrobe.
I still have some co-ordinating clothes left over after all of that, so will do some bonus outfits using those pieces as well as time allows!
I am enjoying doing these posts so much, and hope you are too.

Celtic Scarf Outfit 8 (my version of August)

I found August quite a challenge, since I'd already used my one pair of shorts for June, and tend to wear lighter bottoms and darker tops. So again I've taken the inspiration but switched things around a bit.
Here I've used the dark olive in a casual broomstick skirt, then added a rust sleeveless tee with gold detailing, olive green bag, and the rust sandals from April.

 This would be really cool to wear in hot weather, but expose less pale leg than the shorts.

Celtic Scarf Outfit 7 (my version of July)

The July inspiration has skinny white jeans and those great turquoise sandals, so I hope you like my variation.
The turquoise tee was made from scraps leftover from another project and got worn a lot last summer.

 I've put it with white linen trousers and a fun straw bag.

 and then finally a turquoise bracelet with a choice of fairly classy dark leather sandals

 or more fun turquoise butterfly flip flops!

 Which do you prefer?

Celtic Scarf Outfit 6 (my version of June)

This is a great fresh look for June, but hard for me to reproduce with these colours, so I've kept the general idea of shorts/tee/hat/shoes and switched things round, going for tan shorts but an ivory tee, then picking up the olive tones in the sandals and hat.

The sandals are Clarkes again, and looking quite good for saying I wore them on our month long trip to South Africa last year. The hat was bought on holiday, so some happy memories in this outfit. Apologies for the crumpled nature of the summer things, I got them out of storage for the photos, but did not iron anything!

Celtic Scarf Outfit 5 (my version of May)

I absolutely love this dark olive dress and this is going onto my 'to sew list' for later this year.
In the meantime I had to go with a black dress and black sandals for my interpretation, though I added some pop with antique gold bracelet and bag. They get worn a surprising amount as the antique gold works well with a lot of different things.

I do love my Clarkes sandals and find the right pair is very comfortable.

Celtic Scarf Outfit 4 (my version of April)

I remembered some traditional Menorcan sandals, I bought on holiday a few years ago, so teamed them up with a rust knit top, travel zip off trousers in a mid olive green, a light olive green baseball cap, a soft brown leather belt and a brown leather watch.

Hope those different leathers work OK together.

Celtic Scarf Outfit 3 (my version of March)

My interpretation of this look uses bronze loafers and matching plaited belt, self striped high waisted dark olive trousers, a turquoise shell bracelet seen on the hanger of cream top and a brown gold and turquoise print bookbag. This one is a lot of fun. I could add amber or turquoise earrings here to finish things off.

Celtic Scarf Outfit 2 (my version of February)

So here's the Vivienne files inspiration

which I've then interpreted with an orange-red cardigan, dark teal green cord mini skirt worn with brown suede over the knee boots, a simple cream scoop necked tee, turquoise beaded bracelet and earrings.

 

 The earrings were a souvenir from a trip to the Grand Canyon and surrounding area and have both larger turquoise beads and the smaller carnelian coloured beads.

Quite a good look again I think.
Now what can I do for March.....