{ tshirt version 2 }

New thread arrived so I could play with the double needle set up on the sewing machine. It’s a bit tricky on knits. The bobbin thread has to be loose to allow for a little stretch, though I find that the hem gathers once the fabric is stretched. It’s not ideal so I’m looking forward…

{ thumbholes }

Even though it feels like summertime in Texas, we keep the AC in our house cold. Cold enough for me to wear sweats all through the summer. So I was delighted to find this tutorial on thumbholes from Melly Sews. I picked a heavy rayon jersey knit in “solid plum” for this edition of the…

{ oops }

This is going to be a post of things I learned today. More elastic arrived. Dritz Soft Waistband elastic was still too hard. Dritz Lingerie elastic was nice and soft though. So I decided to make another pair of pants using the lingerie elastic. I picked the Telio Bamboo Rayon rib knit fabric in pink….

{ my favorite shirt }

The fit on the pink pants with the fun crab pattern is nearly excellent. Length, width, and the ankle hems fit perfectly. The elastic waist is a bit too large cause droopy pants. However, I used a very stiff elastic. Dritz Woven Waistband elastic. It’s too hard and stiff to be comfortable on anyone’s waist…

{ mail }

Lots of opening boxes this week! My new serger arrived. After much research and debate, I ordered the Brother 1034D. Originally, I wanted a combination serger and coverstitch machine. But, the most reasonable one I found was $600. Since I haven’t sewn in nearly 2 years, my thinking is to start on an affordable machine…

{ shortcuts }

My current project is a sleeveless blouse, Vogue 9004. Given that I don’t have much time to sew, and I have a large stash of fabric, I thought, “I don’t need a muslin. I’ll just make a shirt using real fabric.” And off I went! I recently read a blog that gave two rules for…

{ crafting and grafting }

As I finished off one of my knitting projects this week, I had to learn to graft using a Kitchner stitch. My go-to for knitting explanations is the Knit Witch on Youtube. It turned out alright, except that I pulled the stitching a bit too tight. It’s not an invisible join by any means. For…

{ gifts from afar }

My husband returned from his trip to the Middle East with gifts of fabric and saffron. One of the fabrics is a lightweight, silky blue with a gorgeous pattern. Hints of shimmery gold. Being in possession of a borrowed serger(!!!!!), I immediately wanted to follow this blog post to make a dress. Hahaha… let’s all…