Flat cap

Posted on April 25, 2012 by naomi

I love hats. I love sewing. But on the whole I don’t love sewn hats. The seams usually look out of place. But a cap like this is actually meant to be sewn and looks right that way.

I made this one for my dad, based on this tutorial. Rather than take apart an old hat, I carefully measured one, adding 5/8″ seam allowance along every edge. I used a milk bottle for the brim – it’s a bit stiffer than any of the cardboard I had in the house. If I made another one, I’d make the back of the hat a bit longer, but I’m pretty happy with the way this one turned out.

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Flapper Earwarmer Pattern

Posted on March 3, 2012 by naomi

This turban-like earwarmer is a perfect last minute gift. Once I’d figured out the pattern Isabel’s took less than an hour to knit, even including breaks to take the cookies out of the oven and help my dad find his keys (turns out I had them all along). Just what I want from a Christmas knit. Plus, unlike the cape I made her last Christmas, this one might actually keep her warm in the New York winter.

I used a bulky weight yarn at about 3 stitches per inch, but the exact gauge isn’t important for this pattern.

Cast on 16 stitches

Odd rows: p1, k1, p1, k10, p1, k1, p1
Even rows: k1, p1, k1, p10, k1, p1, k1

Knit until piece measures 16″. Cast off. Sew ends together to form a loop, pulling hard on yarn as you sew, so the fabric gathers.

Cast on 5 stitches and knit in stockingette until piece measures 3″. Cast off. Wrap around seam of other piece, and sew ends together.

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Victorian lace sweater

Posted on February 20, 2012 by naomi

I love this sweater. It’s the most complicated thing I ever knitted, but it didn’t take as long as you might expect. I used a heavier yarn than the pattern calls for – sock weight instead of fingering. This made for some minor modifications (casting on fewer stitches for the back, stopping the center panel a bit early, leaving off one section of the sleeves), but it also meant it knit up a little faster. And I ended up with a cozy sweater that looks like a lacy blouse. What could be better?

The pattern is the Victorian Lace Blouse from Michele Rose Orne’s Inspired to Knit.

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Printing with wooden stamps

Posted on February 12, 2012 by naomi

After the huge project that was my bedroom curtains, I didn’t want to pleat anything else for a long time. So for my living room curtains I bought cheap plain white curtains and stamped them using carved wooden blocks and fabric paint.

The first curtain didn’t come out all that well, but as I went along I came up with a system that works well. Here are some tips:

  • put a rag directly under the fabric you’re printing – the paint leaks through a bit
  • put a folded towel under the rag – wooden blocks are hard, and they don’t print well if they’re pushing against an equally hard table (this is probably less important if you’re using rubber or linoleum stamps)
  • run the roller through the paint after every swipe across the stamp – running it back and forth over the block takes off the paint you’ve just put on
  • if you don’t have a roller you can dip the block into the paint, but be sure to keep the layer of paint very thin- you don’t want to fill in the holes of your stamp
  • push down firmly and wiggle the block around slightly to get the paint off onto the fabric
  • it’s fine to mix different brands of fabric paint – I made the pink I used out of three colors made by three brands and had no problems

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How to make inverted pleat curtains

Posted on January 22, 2012 by naomi

I haven’t made any clothes recently, but it’s not because I haven’t been sewing. I’ve been busy working on my new apartment. By far the biggest apartment project was curtains.

Curtains are a great thing to make yourself, as store bought versions just can’t fit your windows as neatly as something you made to measure. They are fairly time consuming and require a lot of fabric, but their mass-produced cousins are so expensive anyway, it’s worth the trouble.

Start with a piece of fabric at least twice the width of your window and 7 inches longer than you want the finished curtains to be. You will also need a piece of lining fabric that is two inches smaller than the main fabric in each dimension.

Place the lining fabric along one long side of the main fabric, with the right sides facing in. The main fabric should extend an inch beyond the lining on each end. Sew along this side. Repeat on the other side. NOTE: the main fabric is wider than the lining fabric, so they will not lie flat against each other. Pull the lining fabric all the way to the edge of the main fabric so the edges you’re sewing line up.

Turn the tube you’ve just created right side out. Turn under about an inch of the main fabric on each side, and press. The lining and main fabric should now lie flat against each other.

Fold and press 1/2 inch along the bottom. Fold and press another 3 inches.Whip stitch this hem to the lining. Repeat along the top.

Measure and mark where your pleats will go. To figure out where these marks should go, I’ve made you a little calculator:

Curtain Width
Window Width
Number of Pleats
Width of Pleat
Spaces between Pleats

To make a pleat: On the wrong side of the curtain, pinch the fabric between your marks. Tack down the end of the pleat, then push the pleat out and whip stitch along the top of the curtain to hold the pleat in place.

For a crisp finish you can iron the pleat down. Mine are not ironed.

Attach a hook at the center of each pleat and hang your curtains!

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Cowl

Posted on December 26, 2011 by naomi

This is the cowl neck top I always make, done with full-length set in sleeves. I haven’t come up with an easy way to do long sleeves yet. Any suggestions?

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Mock cuffs

Posted on December 17, 2011 by naomi

I would always rather sew a seam than finish an edge. It’s faster, tidier, and there’s none of that folding the edge up and pressing that always burns my fingers. So I often think about ways to replace hemming with another seam. I’ve told you before about using a contrast band around the edge of a skirt in place of a hem, but this can also be a cute way to finish a sleeve. On sleeves I like to use the main fabric for a quiet mock cuff look, but there are all sorts of ways you could modify this idea.

To add mock cuffs, cut a rectangle of fabric twice as wide as you want your cuffs to be (plus seam allowance) and an inch longer than the wrist opening of your sleeve. Fold the fabric in half so the right sides are facing in and sew up the short sides. Fold it right side out and press. Place the cuff on top of the edge of the sleeve with the right sides facing each other (not that the cuff really has a right side) and the raw edges aligned. The ends of the cuff should overlap slightly. Make sure this overlap will point down when worn. Sew along the raw edge, flip the cuff down, and sew down the overlap with a pair of buttons. Repeat on the other sleeve.

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How to add front jeans pockets

Posted on November 26, 2011 by naomi

To make front pockets for jeans, first cut out two pieces of fabric in each of these three shapes:

Next sew down the small denim piece to the round white piece using a zig zag stitch so the edges won’t fray.

Cut out a 2″ square with a pointed end (like a mini version of the back patch pocket). Fold and iron all sides and stitch down the top edge, using a double line of stitching.

Sew the mini patch pocket to the right hand front pocket.

Take the remaining white pocket pieces (the ones with the cut out in the top) and pin it at the corner the front of the pants. Sew the pocket piece to the front of the pants, then trim the pants along the curve of the pocket. Turn the pocket inside out and top stitch it in place.

Sew the two pieces of the pocket together, in standard pocket making fashion. Your pockets are done!

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New house

Posted on November 20, 2011 by naomi

I haven’t posted much recently, because I’ve been busy moving from my parents’ house to my own apartment! This has interfered with my sewing, and even more with my picture taking since I forgot to bring my camera. This weekend I went home and collected my camera (also, we finally bought glasses! and a shower curtain! we’re something like two thirds of the way to a functioning home.) So here’s the better lit picture of my corduroy pants I promised weeks ago, along with a basic raglan sleeve shirt, and a tiny glimpse of my new home.

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Decades of Style

Posted on November 9, 2011 by naomi

A while back I spent an afternoon modeling for Decades of Style, a local reproduction pattern company with some beautiful designs. My favorite of the dresses I tried on was the 1940s New England Dress, immediately above. I love all the buttons. I'll be making one for myself with a shorter skirt. I haven't used any of these patterns yet, so I can't say anything about how easy they are to use, but I will say that the finished dresses are beautiful. You can find them all on the Decades of Style website.

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