Western Shirt, Pilot
Note, February 2012: All current proceeds from my craft go to Project “Help Us Get To The ‘Life Is Good Unschooling Conference’!”; I have until May to raise the funds. Thank you to any and all who purchase, tweet, share, FB, email, or take a body shot in my honor.
Yeah so. The ADORABLEZ? We can haz them.
I have long-enjoyed Western-style shirts and made one before. But I first observed the most striking part of this particular enterprise, a specific cuff detail, in an old MST3K short as worn by “Tommy” in “Appreciating Our Parents”. This kind of cuff – I don’t know the name for it – is relatively common in Western-style shirts (here’s another example, and while you’re there, reflect on how much softer and cuter and well-made my version is).
So I am not going to lie, the cuff was a BITCH to sew. I am raring to go on another try, which will involve a pattern re-design. Yes, like a sick little monkey I have the impulse to keep messing with the pattern until it is perfect. I have everything down except for those cuffs (and, I must confess, I need to practice my piping-making, but I learned a bit about what not to do).
By the way, hit Etsy and look about for a homesewn Western shirt (most Etsy is “upcycled”, not sewn-from scratch, these days). Homesewn Western shirts, probably not as common today as back in yesteryear. And those other shirts, do they boast a completely smooth finish on the inside? 100% flat-felled seams, not a serged edge to be seen? Cozier than the best pajamas you’ve ever had? Yeah, I’ll bet they don’t.
Other details: bias pockets and bias back-yoke. One-piece sleeves with double-tucks at cuff. A lovely soft collar, and vintage slimness and collar sharpness. Yup, this is some hot-on-50s collar action.
This item is on sale as it is a prototype. You can see more photos and read more about construction in the Flickr tagset – I also blogged a bit about my sewing projects of late.
Materials used: 1 1/2 yards soft cotton yarn-dyed plaid, 1/2 yard white quilting cotton with plaid stripe, ~64 inches red bias made into piping, 1/4 yard interfacing (I love Pam Erny’s products, NAYY), eleven pearl snaps, thread.
Time to completion of sewing and knitting (not including time gathering, shopping for, or organizing supplies): 6 hours.
Size: 8
Available
Price (sale!): $50
Mini Yeti
I’m pretty sure this is the only wee-yeti you’re gonna see toddling out in the North American snow this winter.
This project was both a delight and a challenge. This was my first-time working with a wind- and waterproof laminate, a tech-fabric insulator, and lyrca/nylon ribbing. I appreciate having gained some experience. The resultant garment provides a lot of protection from the elements, delivers warmth without adding weight, – and, of course, carries a perfectly unique style.
And if you’re looking at the spiral-detail horns and thinking, “Those look tricky!” – well, they were.
The project was finished out by hand-knit I-cord in Cascade 220 (a yarn I work on US size 7 needles), and the handwarmers used the same colorway as well as Crystal Palace Whisper Solid, a bit pricey but delivering wonderfully both on added warmth and a certain grizzled realism. I mean, realism given we’re talking yeti here.
You can see more photos and read more about construction in the Flickr tagset – I also blogged a bit about the creative process, which was at times – arduous.
Materials & materials cost (not including overhead of sewing machine and equipment maintenance, renting and heating sewing room): 1.5 yds of Polartec Windbloc Laminate in “Whisper White” ($18.99/yd + $2 swatch), 1.5 yds PrimaLoft ONE® Insulation Fabric ($9.95/yard) 1.5 yard wintry fleece ($7/yd), Cascade 220 yarn & Crystal Palace Whisper Solid (~$5), two zippers ($1.10 each, $3.95 shipping), thread & needles ($4), cotton scraps and thrifted buttons (gratis): $73.50. Shipping to Alberta, Canada: $14.76.
Time to completion of sewing and knitting (not including time gathering, shopping for, or organizing supplies): 20 hours.
Note: Much of the time it took to make this item was due to not only a great deal of handstitching necessary, but also my inexperience with several products I was using – specifically tech-fabrics used for outerwear. If I were to make the exact same article again, I estimate it would take me 10 to 12 hours.
Size: 1 year
Private Collection
Price: Please read my FAQ & policies
Monstrous Millinery
No one has a hat like this one. No one. Another version, with creatures and colors and fabrics at the discernment of a client? Limitless.
You can see more photos and read more about construction in the Flickr tagset, as well as a special tutorial I made up demonstrating ear and whisker technique.
Materials & materials cost (not including overhead of sewing machine and equipment maintenance, renting and heating sewing room): variable, $10 – $30; Time to completion of sewing and crafting (not including time gathering, shopping for, or organizing supplies): 2 hours.
Size: M2M (this version is 53 cm)
Available
Price: Please read my FAQ & policies
Winter Wool Pants
REALLY AWESOME wool pants are flying through my little studio. Why are they so great? I’m glad you asked.
First, shaped knees. Until you’ve had pants with this feature you don’t know how comfortable they are. Plus I like the look as well!
Secondly, they are fully lined – no seams on the inside whatsoever, and a nice smooth inner surface for maximum comfort. For kids’ garments I generally like to use a cotton sateen or, in this case, a 100% silk twill. The waistband is a cotton and trimmed and graded as to be smooth against the tummy. Have you worn pants lined with silk? Yeah. It’s super-fun times.
They also feature a low-bulk waistline, including a flat front waistband and elastic back. I added belt loops for the super-slender child (as the child modelling these size 10s).
They are roomy with a stovepipe leg. Adorable and perfect for climbing trees.
Finally, the shell of these pants are wool – my favorite fabric to work with. Wool is sturdy, naturally antibacterial, retains warmth or coolness despite the outside elements, and will not get you clammy and cold if you should get wet – which happens a lot around here for the next, oh, several months.
Let me put it this way: today my daughter slipped a pair on and immediately said, “Mom, these are marvellous pants. You should make a pair for every kid!” Pretty high praise!
You can see more photos and read more about construction in the Flickr tagset.
Materials & materials cost (not including overhead of sewing machine and equipment maintenance, renting and heating sewing room): variable; Time to completion of sewing and knitting (not including time gathering, shopping for, or organizing supplies): 2 hours.
Size: 10, &/or M2M
Available
Price: Please read my FAQ & policies
Retro Shirt
Shown here: a shirt for a teen boy, fabrics chosen by the client:
I learned a bit since the last time I made a man’s shirt. For one thing, I use Pam Erny’s interfacings faithfully (NAYY, just love her stuff and the assistance she gives!) which gives better results. I am also better at trimming and grading and techniques of underlining and interfacing specifically.
You can see more photos and read more about construction in the Flickr tagset.
And while we’re on the subject, my favorite (so far) retro-flavored shirt I’ve sewn: Ready Set Robot, a shirt for my son two summers ago from fabrics purchased at Cool Cottons in Portland.
Shirts made-to-measure are clean finished on the inside (no visible seams nor serging) and guaranteed to be well-loved! I look forward to working with a few new fabrics… maybe next time I’m in the big city (of Puyallup) I’ll pick up something delicious to make a soft and sturdy shirt!
Materials & materials cost (not including overhead of sewing machine and equipment maintenance, renting and heating sewing room): variable; Time to completion of sewing: ~3 hours (variable).
Size Made-To-Measure
Private Collection
Price: Please read my FAQ & policies
Not-So-Scary Red Monstre
I was heading out to my porch to take some natural light pictures of this little garment before shipping; my son had left me some wildflowers. I thought they could come along in the photos of this warm and fuzzy and sleepy little scrap of creature-gear.
Made for a client for a gift going to California, I truly hope the intended recipients enjoy the piece. I certainly had fun working on it – all construction was completed on a “new” (to me) 1967 New Home sewing machine.
The body is striped with couched cashmerino freehand “stripes” and four cutely-sinister little horns adorn the hood. And let’s not forget the alien little back fin. By the way, I have four cats, all of which want to cover my wool creations with cat hair!
You can see more photos and read more about construction in the Flickr tagset.
Materials & materials cost (not including overhead of sewing machine and equipment maintenance, renting and heating sewing room): wool, cotton knit, zipper, cashmerino yarn, interfacing, and all-purpose sewing thread: ~$30; Time to completion of sewing and knitting (not including time gathering, shopping for, or organizing supplies): 5 hours.
Size Newborn
Private Collection
Price: Please read my FAQ & policies
mp3-riffic!
I love listening to my mp3 player (these days, usually my phone streaming Spotify), but I hate how tangled up my cord gets and how wont my earbuds are to getting yanked out of my ears.
The idea here was to create a hood that would hold the earbuds, so if you pop them in or out they’ll hang out all handy at neck-level. As you can see, this feature works whether the hood is up or hood is down.
You can see more photos and read more about construction and design in the Flickr tagset.
Materials & materials cost (not including overhead of sewing machine and equipment maintenance, renting and heating sewing room): two rayon knits, fleece scraps, invisible zipper, heavy duty thread, safety pins, and all-purpose sewing thread: ~$20; Time to completion of sewing (not including time gathering, shopping for, or organizing supplies): 3 hours.
Size 12
Available
Price: Please read my FAQ & policies
Brown Bear
Nothing much to show here: just a little brown bear, size newborn, reminiscent a bit of one of the first buntings I ever made for my own son – long ago. Pattern is of my own construction with an offset zipper for ease of insertion. And of course, the garment is lined in super-soft fleece.
You can see more photos, and read more about construction, in the Flickr tagset.
Materials & materials cost (not including overhead of sewing machine and equipment maintenance, renting and heating sewing room): corduroy, fleece, zipper, interfacing, scraps, and all-purpose sewing thread: ~$20; Time to completion of sewing and knitting (not including time gathering, shopping for, or organizing supplies): 3 hours.
Size Newborn
Available
Price: Please read my FAQ & policies
Purple Spooky
So one of my big “things” is that babies belong everywhere babies want to be. Babies, babies, babies. Bring ‘em on! Thusly, for cold nights or days, I like to make warm but lightweight garments for wee ones so no one ever has to worry if the little one is cold or uncomfy.
I present – “Purple Spooky”, the latest in my baby creations! Featuring an asymmetrical invisible zipper closure (for ease of inserting and removing baby), lined fully with fleece for softness and wicking. The bunting is made using 100% wool for the shell and features a skully pocket-detail from a fun Alexander Henry print, and a homemade wool felt tassel.
You can see more detail shots and read about how I made this in the Flickr tagset.
Materials & materials cost (not including overhead of sewing machine and equipment maintenance, renting and heating sewing room): wool, fleece, invisible zipper, fabric scraps, wool felt, embroidery thread, and all-purpose sewing thread: ~$25; Time to completion (not including time gathering, shopping for, or organizing supplies): 3 hours.
Size Newborn
Available
Price: Please read my FAQ & policies
Bleeding Heart Dress
OK look. I’m pretty proud of this garment. Not so much for the design lines (I used a vintage McCall’s a-line with a drop-waist and added some pockets because, geez, kids need pockets) but for something new I’m experimenting with: thread-drawing. See, my daughter selected the pocket fabric (Alexander Henry’s Tattoo) and then based on a design element of this fabric I handsketched then created – using no computer - the motif on the center-left breast:
And of course there were the little things, like a vintage button and thread-chain closure in the back:
The client was pretty happy about the dress:
You can see more detail shots and read about how I made the dress (seriously! Clean-finished facings! NEAT) in the Flickr tagset.
Materials & materials cost (not including overhead of sewing machine and equipment maintenance, renting and heating sewing room): ~2 yards Japanese import lightweight canvas, Alexander Henry Tattoo scraps, white cotton lawn (for facings), one vintage button, one zipper, interfacing, thread: ~$38; Time to completion: 6 hours. Time spent on custom work will vary depending on thread-drawn motifs.
Size 10 (model’s measurements:)
Model’s measurements: height 54″, chest 26″, waist 23 1/2″, hip 29 1/2″
Made to Order
Price: Please read my FAQ & policies