1 yard. 30 minutes. Skirt!

I haven't done much experimenting with jersey, but I think it's high time I started. I had some leftover jersey lying around, so I made a tube skirt out of it. Probably the quickest, easiest, and most wearable thing I've ever made. And it's sexy by suggestion, rather than by skin, which is my favorite kind of sexy.

All you need is one yard of a good, stretchy jersey, and 30 minutes of your time.

Cut 1 rectangle for the waistband, your waist measurement minus 5"x 8"
Cut 1 rectangle for the body of the skirt, your hip measurement minus 5" x your desired length plus 1".

Use a serger if you have one. On a regular home machine, use a stretch needle (it has a blunter tip than a regular needle to prevent it from attempting to puncture those crazy, spandex-y fibers) and the stretch stitch (pictured below), paired with a zig-zag on the edge to prevent it from rolling, which can add extra bulk to the seam.

Sew up the back seam of both waistband and skirt.

Fold the waistband in half, wrong side to the inside, and sew it to the top of the skirt, matching the back seams together.

Slap on the hem of your choosing, and you've got a skirt!

With love,

Melody

Dream Tote!

I have a lot of stuff. Too much stuff. Especially in my closet. A year or so I had a revelation concerning all this stuff. A lot of it I rarely wear or use, but when I try to get rid of these things I can't. Why? Because they still serve a purpose or fill a hole. You need to fill that hole with one beautiful, well-made item so that you can get rid of a host of sub-par items that have been serving that purpose together.

For example, my tote bag situation. Sometimes you need a tote bag. For me, most often it's the days I don't work from home. In addition to the small items I usually stuff in a little handbag, I usually want to bring a lunch, a bottle of water, perhaps my knitting or reading, perhaps supplies for a class I'm teaching. So for this I have been relying on 3 dirty, ugly, ancient, a-little-too-small tote bags. None good enough to stand on its own.

So I made myself a damn beautiful tote bag. With all the bells and whistles.

You may recognize the fabric from last weeks apron DIY...

I just like it so much! And there's still plenty left. Who knows what else I'll use it for!?

A note about the Cut List: If your self fabric is directional, like mine, you'll want to cut two 16" x 19" pieces instead of one 16" x 38".

Left: Lining with Pocket; Right: Self with Pocket and Strap

The first step is to assemble all the bells and whistles. Sew on all your pockets and straps before we complicate things by sewing them together and making them not flat anymore.

You may also note that I matched my fabric for that front pocket. Because I love that kind of stuff. It's all in the details, my friends!

1. This is where you should be: front and back assembled with straps and pocket.
2. Topstitch bottom reinforcement pieces to the precise center of the body, and the bottom of the side pieces. The easiest way to do this is to press your raw edges in before sewing.
3. Sew your sides in. Be careful around those tricky corners! Repeat this step with your lining, but leaving a hole somewhere to flip your bag right-side-out through.
4. To attach lining: Place your right-side-out, fully assembled bag inside your inside-out lining and sew the top edges together.
5. Pull your bag through the hole you left in the lining and close up the hole with a topstitch. Push your lining its proper place inside your bag. Press and topstitch the top edge of your bag.

Beautiful, isn't it?

Turn a Mason Jar into a Travel Mug: Knit it a Cozy!

As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. A few weeks ago I was rushing off to work at some ungodly hour of the morning, made myself some coffee, but WHERE IN GOD'S NAME IS MY TRAVEL MUG??? So I dumped it into a mason jar and played hot potato all the way to work. And I thought, "Gee. This would actually make a pretty decent travel mug if I just knit it a little sweater..."

I am, of course, not the first one to think of this. I went home and pulled up dozens of them in a Google search, even specially designed lids for the express purpose of turning mason jars into travel mugs (from Cuppow, a company birthed for this product alone).

You can also turn a mason jar into a travel cup for cold drinks, but creating a hole in the lid for a straw. Here are three slightly different, but equally wonderful ways of doing it:

with a metal washer, from Fine and Feathered

with a rubber grommet (spill-proof!), from The Chick n Coop

with a plastic yogurt lid, from Crunchy Can Feel Good

For the love of mason jars! This is a great little knitting project for your scrap yarn; I finished mine in under 3 hours!

Gauge: 15 sts = 4 inches

On size 8 double pointed needles, CO 14 sts on each of your 3 needles (42 sts).

Join your first round and knit in a 1 x 1 rib for 5 more rounds.

Switch to size 9 double pointed needles.

Make 1 st at the beginning of your sixth round. (As you continue with the k1, p1 pattern, this extra stitch will transform your 1 x 1 rib into a seed stitch.)

Continue in seed st until piece measures 5 1/2" from CO.

Flat Jar Bottom: 

Knit 1 round in stockinette stitch.

*K1, k2tog, rep to end of round.

K 1 round
*K2tog, rep to end of round
K 1 round

Cut your yarn, leaving a tail of at least 6". Using a tapestry needle, thread this tail through your remaining stitches and remove the needles. Pull the yarn towards the inside of the cozy until the hole closes. Weave in the remaining tail of yarn and snip off the excess. Weave in the tail from cast on edge, and you're finished!

A note about knitting on double pointed needles:

A lot of people are afraid of double pointed needles. If this is you, trust me! They aren't nearly as scary as people make them out to be. The most difficult part is keeping your stitches tight between needles. So just pull tight between needles and everything will be okay. Be adventurous! Give it a try! However, if you don't want to, this same pattern could be knit on straight needles, then sewn up the side. Leave a longer tail at the end, and after you close up your last stitches, use this tail to sew the sides together. Piece of cake!

With love,

Wear Your Apron Low: Make an Apron You'll Love to Wear!

It's apron season! Love your apron! The best aprons are both practical for the kitchen and pretty enough to wear all night. So for Thanksgiving I've prepared you all a quick and simple apron DIY!

You can either trace an apron you already have that you like the fit of, or you can easily create your pattern directly on the backside of you fabric with a ruler, tape measure, tailor's chalk, and french curve.

With any symmetrical pattern, it is always best to draw out only half, then cut on the fold, you know it's perfectly symmetrical.

Start by standing in front of a mirror with a tape measure...

How wide do you want the bib to be?
How wide do you want the waist/body to be?
How long do you want the bib to be? (I always like to wear my aprons folded at the waist, so I added a few extra inches here)
How long do you want it to fall from the waist?

Using these measurements, draw out your apron pattern as in the above image, smoothing the corner between bib and waist to a curve with a french curve.

Fold at your center front line and cut.

Hem in all the edges around your apron.

Now for ties and pockets!

Ties can be made from twill strapping or a sturdy ribbon, if you have it, or you can make them from fabric. To make your ties, cut them to desired length + 4", and three times desired width. Iron and sew them as shown above, folded in half, with raw edges turned and sandwiched inside.

Cut pockets to desired width + 1" and desired height + 1 1/2". Fold and iron raw edges towards the inside on sides and bottom. Hem in top edge. Don't forget to sew the top edge (and only the top edge) before attaching the pocket to your apron.

Sew on ties with an X in a box!

Divide large pockets into sections to make them more useful!

Angle waist ties for a more flattering fit!

Ready for cooking!

Happy Turkey Day,

Knitting in Progress: Baby Smock Dress

I am seriously behind on my knitting. I've been working on this smock dress for my cousin's new baby since July. I intended to give it to newborn Eva. Now I'm just hoping I can get it to 6 month old Eva for Christmas. Good thing I knit it in the biggest size!


This is the pattern, from Debbie Bliss...

Excruciatingly adorable, right?

I altered it slightly, using a different smocking stitch...

This is my new favorite stitch pattern. It's much easier to keep track of than the cabled version that Debbie Bliss provides. It requires practically no counting at all!

Ribbed Smock Stitch
Knit over a multiple of 8 sts + 2 sts.

Row 1: *p2, k2 to last 2 sts, p2.
Row 2: *k2, p2 to last 2 sts, k2.
Row 3: rep row 1
Row 4: rep row 2
Row 5: *p2, wrap 6 sts, k2tog, k1, p2, k2 to last 2 sts, p2.
Row 6: rep row 2
Repeat rows 1 - 4
Row 11: p2, k2, *p2, wrap 6 sts, k2tog, k1, p2, k2 to last 2 sts, p2
Row 12: rep row 2

To clarify rows 5 and 11:
To wrap 6 sts, insert your right needle between the sixth and seventh stitch on your left needle. Wrap your yarn around your right needle as if knitting normally. Pull this yarn back through and place the loop back on your left needle. After wrapping stitches, you will always k2tog, knitting this extra loop you've created in with the next proper stitch, so as not to add stitches. This is the stitch that creates the smock effect. Otherwise, this stitch pattern is nothing but a 2x2 rib, plain and simple!

With love,

Blanket Sweater, Take 2

After I posted yesterday I was biking to work and had a brilliant idea! I wanted to give my blanket sweater another shot after I botched it the other day, and it occurred to me that I had a big, hole-y blanket slated for the trash. It's a comfy, white cotton blanket with a great drape.

So that's what I used for Take 2: Success!

If you didn't read about my inspiration and first attempt, find it here...!

Note: I originally put together this tutorial while making my first version, so the images a mash up of the two... I hope it isn't confusing!

A note about choosing a pattern: 

Perhaps you have a simple jacket pattern filed away somewhere with a one-piece sleeve. This is the ideal.

Perhaps you have a sloper. This is what I used, leaving an inch all the way around to account for comfy-fit ease and seam allowance. It worked like a charm.

Perhaps you have a pattern of some other kind with a one-piece sleeve. This shouldn't be a problem, just take the fit of the pattern into consideration and cut it bigger if appropriate to allow for a loose fit.

Perhaps you only have patterns for sleeves with cuffs or short sleeves. I wouldn't recommend this unless you know what you're doing, but you could perhaps use the cap and extend the sleeve length.

You will also need the front and back bodice pieces from the same pattern to create your armhole.

The Basic Measurements:

Obviously, these are up for interpretation if you aren't a size 8 or want it to fit differently than mine.



To begin, cut and finish any raw edges on your main rectangle.

To Assemble Your Sleeves:

***With fabrics that have indistinguishable front and back sides, be sure you sew them opposite, so you have one left and one right sleeve!



Now this here is a make-it-or-break-it (as I learned)...

1. Fold your main rectangle in half lengthwise.

2. Measure down 11" from the top, and over 9" from the fold. This is the top center of your armhole.

3. Using the front and back bodice pattern pieces from the same pattern you snatched your sleeve from, place the back bodice piece parallel to your center fold with the top corner of the armhole at the point you've measured, 11" down and 9" over.

4. Place the front bodice piece so that together they create a nice armhole shape. (Mine are so far apart because I added ease to my sleeves when I cut them out).

5. Mark this shape with tailors chalk, rounding out any harsh corners.

6. Cut along your chalked line, through both sides.



Sleeve Set:

1. Check for where you marked your sleeve cap. One notch means it goes towards the front, two means it goes towards the back. Make sure you have left and right sleeves on the appropriate sides.

2. With your sweater body inside out, and your sleeve right side out, match the sleeve to the armhole, underarm down, sleeve cap up.

3. Start pinning at the underarm. Pin the sleeve flat to the body in the underarm. Pin from inside the sleeve to the body, so that you can easily remove the pins as you sew.

4. If your sleeve cap is bigger than your armhole, this is okay! This is called ease. Ease should be evenly distributed between your front and back notches.

As an old teacher of mine used to say, sew as if your presser foot is a hamster and your armhole is a wheel. This is to avoid accidents like puckers and catching other parts of your sweater in the seam.




Congratulations! You're finished!

With love,

Witchy Woman: The Pattern

So, I teach this sewing class for 3rd-6th graders, and this semester it's 

ALL AMERICAN GIRL, ALL THE TIME. 

Adorable, right? 

For Halloween, we're working on witch hats for our American Girl dolls. 

But don't fret: All you need is a head circumference to make this hat in any size!

Not just for your American Girl Doll.

For your Barbie!

For your dog!

For your child!

For you!

For your school mascot!

Fortunately, American Girl doll size is also a perfect cat size, so even though Molly and I don't spend much time together any more, my witch hat fits Dinah all too perfectly...

Witchy Kitty

What You'll Need to Make the Pattern

Measuring tape

Calculator

Compass

Paper

(opening up paper grocery bags is a great source for big paper for patterns)

Pencil

Ruler

Scissors

Measure your head circumference. Now put on your high-school-math-thinking-cap. We have our circumference. We want to find the radius of that circle.

( Circumference ÷ pi ) ÷ 2 = radius

Remember that? Make sense?

Now that we have our radius, we can open our compass just that wide, and draw ourselves a perfect head-sized circle.

Add 1/2" seam allowance inside that circle

Add your desired brim width outside that circle

Add 1/4" seam allowance beyond the brim

It should look something like this:

The outer shape of the pattern is what you need to cut out of your fabric. The pencil lines represent your stitch lines. 

Note: For a larger hat you may want to divide the brim into 2 pieces to reduce fabric waste, or if your fabric isn't wide enough. If you do this, don't forget to add 1/2" seam allowance on both sides of the divide!

Now for the top. We have to make something that looks like this:

How tall do you want the point to be? My tiny hat has a 6" peak. Every point along the bottom curve is equidistant from the point, and the bottom curve is the same length as your head circumference. 

The best way to do this is to start with a point and using a ruler, measure and mark your peak height from that point a bunch of times, until you have a semblance of a curved line approximately lent enough. Measure your curved line and mark your head circumference, making sure it is perfectly symmetrical, saddling your peak point equally.

Add 1/2" seam allowance all the way around.

Cut out both pattern pieces and mark them as shown (if we're being professional, or if you want to share your pattern, or if you want to save your pattern and possibly use it again at some future occasion at which time you may have forgotten what the heck this pattern is all about).

• I always label my patterns with a title, in this case Witch Hat, so I know what the pattern pieces are for.
• Then I label which part of the pattern it is, in this case Hat and Brim, so I know which part is which.
• Then I draw an arrow indicating grain, so I know where to line up the length grain when I cut. (This is irrelevant in the case of full circles, like my brim)
• Finally I write how many pieces to cut out of what material. "Self" is the main fabric. "Inter" is fusible interfacing. 

Pattern complete!

Learn how to sew it here

Happy Halloween!