Vogue Knitting and The Fiber Factor

I know, the blog isn't spiffy and whipped into shape yet.  I'll get to that soon, but today I feel a tiny bit of explanation is order for why this blog has been so dormant, why am I resurrecting it plus I have some exciting news that just can't wait.

Two things, or rather, two entities.  Vogue Knitting Magazine and The Fiber Factor  are primarily the reasons.

I'm pretty sure most people reading this will know who and what Vogue Knitting is so there isn't much need to explain that. Some though may not know who or what The Fiber Factor was and is.  The Fiber Factor was (and is) an online knit design competition fashioned after Project Runway.  I say was and is when referring to The Fiber Factor because season one is done, and season two will be starting very soon. (apply for season two in January).  The reason I mention The Fiber Factor here is because I was one of the 12 designers chosen to compete in season one. I won 3 out of 6 of the regular season challenges and moved on to the finals for the 7th challenge. It was a very fun, very grueling experience I will speak much of in the future, but for now I'm merely mentioning it because of what is happening right now at this very point in time.

Because of The Fiber Factor, I have a new design in the Winter 2014-2015 issue of Vogue Knitting!!!!  I know right!?!?!?!  EEK!!!!!  Trisha Malcolm the editor in chief of Vogue Knitting and Karin Skacel CEO of Skacel Collection got together and Vogue presented the four finalists of The Fiber Factor season one, another challenge.  Early this summer Vogue challenged my fellow finalists and I to design a Chanel inspired piece and once again we, the finalists, are in a head to head, toe to toe competition.  The twist this time is the panel of judges is YOU! Anyone and everyone can have their say and vote for the design of their choice.

You can vote NOW, after viewing the issue preview, wait until you have your copy of the magazine in hand, or wait until the 360 look video comes out BUT, you have to vote by midnight EST January 15th.  The winner will be announced during the runway show at Vogue Knitting Live in NYC January  17th!!!

I'm not going to tell you who to vote for, but an all expense paid trip to NYC or LA would be kinda cool, I'm not gonna lie.  ;)

Included on the webpage where you can vote for the design you like, you can also view a video of myself and fellow Fiber Factor peeps.  Ahhhh yes, the videos, remember in the last post where I said I had made a fool of myself a few times?  Um, yeah, the videos are pretty much what I was referring to.  All my Fiber Factor videos, all the videos I made for The Fiber Factor KAL I did this summer for one of my winner designs, Bravura, and now a video for Vogue Knitting briefly explaining my design process are now on youtube forevermore. Let's just say the videos are not my forte.  ;)

So here you go, follow this link and vote for the design you like.  Cast Your Vote

Oh, not to sway your decision in anyway but, this is my design:

Talk to you soon, and thank you for voting.

Barney

OK peeps you know once I get something in my brain I just gotta do it, right? So for the last month or so I've been working on a new sweater. Not necessarily any particular sweater, but more like a method of making a sweater wwith a variety of design elements. So far I'm on "Prototype VII" Yep, that's a seven, and no, I haven't really knitted 7 sweaters, but I have made 7 half sweaters. Let's not count the sketches OK? I can get carried away at times it seems. lol

It's been great fun churning up the gray matter like this. To be brief, the construction isn't all that special per se. It starts at the cuff and meets in the middle. I'm thrilled with the set in sleeve without the need for seaming though. You know me and seaming....ICK. So like I said, I've been churning out various renditions of the theme. I've got it worked in a bulky gauge (11 sts to 4 inches) and in a much smaller gauge (6 stitches to 4 inches). I've got cables meandering around, peplums, empire waists with full flirty lower bodices, as well as 40's-50's style swing coat variety, not to mention v-neck, crew, cardigan and pullover. Waaaay too many sweaters to comprehend and that's not counting those in my Ravelry queue! LOL

On Saturday the Antropologies group on Ravelry turned me on to this sweater. It's not from an Antropologies catalog but it can be purchased at Barney's in NY.




I dang near fell off my chair. Aside from the Rev. Stk. St and the over size collar, it is nearly identical to my Prototype V! LOL So ya know, I had to make it, just cuz I could.

I really hate the increases and decreases I used on this, and I'm not really thrilled with the yarn either, but it was merely an exercise in mimicry so why bother with the good stuff. Right? I have now begun in another in better yarn, and I'm changing the increases and decreases so they don't look so weird. I'm also going to make it with more of me and less of Barney in it. Exactly which of the "me" variations I haven't decided yet but I'll let you know as soon as I do.

I'm thrilled Fall is here, it's been sweater weather for a couple of weeks now. Love it.

Anybody got a 2x4?

I am an IDIOT.

This weekend I started another sweater. I had meticulously swatched (something I tend to avoid...I don't have much time for liars) and then I figured, crunched numbers, drew sketches and charts, and came up with another version of Dancing with the Devil that has a higher neckline and is shorter in length. The swatching is what killed me.

I decided to use a thin sportish wt. (fingering? shetland?) wool that's been sitting in my stash for a very long time. I had plenty of yardage and its blue, nearly identical in color and feel to one of my fav store bought sweaters. A huge snuggly wrap style from Eddie Bauer that had seen it's last day a few of years ago. (I still wear it around the house though, sometimes a person just can't let go, it's been my comfort sweater forever)

But of course, a thin yarn like this wouldn't do for my purposes so I had to swatch. I hate swatching. I never swatch, but I had to. I swatched and swatched using various other yarns held together with the thin sportish wt. After several hours of swatching getting the right gauge, but not the right look or feel, I smacked myself upside the head and convinced myself that merely holding two strands of the thin sportish wt. together and fudging with the needle size a bit I could get gauge. That is when I should have backed away from the needles, cuz you see, after all those long hours of experimental swatching (ick) not to mention the frustration, I was not in the proper frame of mind. I was so obsessed with getting gauge and finding the right feel and look I totally forgot about one other, somewhat important, aspect one needs to consider before setting out to knit a sweater, can you guess what that might be?





I stopped knitting it on Sunday when I realized what I had done. Yesterday I refused to look at it. This morning I got out my scale. Sure enough, one third of a the sweater done, more than half of the available yarn used.

I am an IDIOT.

damn

Now I'm going to go smack myself upside the head with a 2x4.


BTW if you haven't noticed yet, there's a link to a pdf of the Dancing with the Devil Sweater. It links directly to a pdf that Ravelry is hosting. Can I, or anyone else, express the shear awesomeness of Ravelry??? Even those of you who haven't gotten your invite yet can get this download. Isn't that the slickest thing ever?!?

Dancing with the Devil

Edit: to add a Ravelry pdf download button.


Yep......

LOL I had to do that, I realized last night I have begun the last 2 posts with "Yep" so I thought I ought to continue.

OK, maybe not. :o/

Believe it or not, I have pix and a pattern for you! "Dancing with the Devil" is ready. Of course I've already started tweaking it. :o) It's such an easy mindless knit. Absolutely perfect for the days when the Devil is ready to dance.

As a point of clarification, the Devil in this case is a migraine. Yes, I get them. Yes, they last days and days. Yes, they leave me for dead, or at least have me feverishly begging for it. Sometimes though I don't beg for death, just for time to pass quickly, because while the migraine itself isn't that bad (relatively speaking) I still am unable to do many things. Really difficult things like reading, writing, watching tv....sigh. On days like that even counting is likely to be a hardship with much the same accuracy of a 2 year old, "1,2,3,5,4,8,5,6,11", you get the picture. It was one of those days, when the best I could hope for was some big, bulky, mindless, repetitive knitting, "Dancing with the Devil" was born.

Aside from the initial cast on of 68 stitches, (yes, it took several attempts, I was originally shooting for 72 stitches...sigh) and a set up row counting to 45 and then onward to 60 to place markers, there is relatively nothing left to do but to mindlessly knit scads of mind numbing garter stitch. (Mind numbing is a good thing whilst one is dancing)

OK, OK, here are the pix...



This sweater is worked vertically in one piece, from the bottom left front up to the neck, advancing to the side, then the left sleeve, across the back, right sleeve, then right front. The only sewing are the sleeve seams, which could conceivably be done in a 3 needle bind off. (or my personal preference, a 2 needle bind off ala Debbie New) if you use a provisional cast on at that point.

I used this yarn.



"Designer" Homespun Tweed by Tahki. It's coarse, lumpy, over spun in places, and wire-like. Not my fav yarn by a long shot. It softens a tad and blooms a bit after a warm bath, but it is no way near next to skin yarn. OTOH it makes a warm, drapey, swingy, garter stitch, sweater.

Of course, as I said before, I have already begun working on some other versions, a higher neck, (two different version), more swing, and some other variations that include fancy stitch work, and colorwork in the yoke.

I think a nice buky mohair would lend itself well to this pattern. That's sitting in the basket for a real dancing day. I'm playing with the colorwork version now.

Here is the pattern. I hope it's clear and there aren't any errors. I haven't tested it yet, but I'm working on it. :o)

Dancing with the Devil

Size: one size fits small through large(?) (given the nature of garter stitch and the wide neck/yoke it could probably fit a variety of sizes. See End Notes for sizing adjustments)

Finished Measurements:

Circumference of neck buttoned 28”

Length of center back/front 23”

Chest at underarm 44”

Underarm to hem 15”

Underarm to cuff 15.5”

Circumference at hem when buttoned 52”

Materials: “Designer” Homespun Donnegal Tweed by Tahki. 5 skeins (135 yds/skein)
# 8 needles. 2 blue markers**, 6 red markers**, and one large stitch holder (or a length of waste yarn to hold stitches) 5 1” diameter buttons.

***Slip the blue markers as you work the pattern. The red markers are stationary they are only there to aid in counting ridges leave them where you put them!****

Gauge: 11 stitches and 11 garter ridges = 4 inches

Note: Sweater is worked in one piece vertically. Always slip the first stitch of every row, including the short rows.

Left Front: Cast on 68 sts. Work in garter stitch for 16 rows (8 ridges), place red marker.

Begin Short Rows Pattern

Short Rows Pattern:

Row 1: Knit 45 sts, place a blue marker, leave remaining stitches unworked. Turn.

Row 2: Knit across the 45 stitches just worked in row 1, turn.

Row 3: Knit 60 sts, place a blue marker, leaving remaining stitches unworked. Turn.

Row 4: Knit across the 60 stitches just worked in row 3, turn.

Row 5: Knit across all 68 stitches, place a red marker in the last stitch. (This is the neck edge) turn.

Row 6: Knit

[From this point on, slip the blue markers and place the red markers only in the six places mentioned in the pattern and not at the end of every 5th row! ]

Continue working the Short Rows Pattern until there are 12 ridges after the red marker at the neck edge. Place another red on the neck edge.

Left Sleeve: Knit 39 stitches and slip them to a holder or on to waste yarn. Cast on 47 stitches. Next row knit across the newly cast on stitches and up to the first blue marker continuing the Short Rows Patterns sequence. (The stitch count will now be 53 stitches to the first blue short row marker, 68 stitches to the 2^nd blue short row marker, and 76 stitches across the entire row.)

Continue working the Short Rows Pattern until there are 12 ridges after the last red neck edge marker. Place another red marker.

Next row: BO 47 stitches (the sleeve) and knit to the first blue marker. Turn knit the 8 stitches on your needle and then knit the 39 stitches being held on the waste yarn or stitch holder. Your stitch count now returns to the original count. The next row will continue with the Short Rows Pattern at row 3 as you now begin working the back.

BACK: Work the Short Rows Pattern until there are 24 ridges from the last red marker. Place another red marker.

Right Sleeve and Right Front:

Work the same as the Left Sleeve and the short Rows Pattern portion of the Left Front, working the 12 ridges for the sleeve first followed by the 12 ridges for the left front.

Center Front Buttonband: Work 5 ridge across all 68 stitches.

Next Row: * knit 11, BO 2* (5 times), knit 3.

Next Row: Knit 3, *CO 2, knit 11* (5 times)

Work 3 more ridges (6 rows) even. BO

Finishing: Sew sleeve seams and sew on buttons.

End Notes:

To increase/decrease the width around the shoulders increase/decrease the number of ridges between the red markers that separate the sleeve/shoulder ridges and the fronts and back. (This will also affect the width of the sleeve)

To increase/decrease the chest measurement, increase/decrease the number of ridges on the fronts and back.

Note that the above mentioned changes will also increase/decrease the neck edge measurement.

To lengthen/shorten the sleeves cast on more/fewer than the 47 sleeve stitches.

To lengthen/shorten the length of the sweater cast on more/fewer stitches and adjust the placement of the first blue marker.

I guess I'm now supposed to do that copyright notice thing as if anyone would even consider making this! LOL.....um....go ahead and use this pattern for your personal use, please link back to this page instead of copying it someplace else. And hey if you want to make this for charitable work no problem, just please don't turn a personal profit on my stuff. Good Karma and all that ya know.

Other modification will be coming…..a swingier design, and two variations of a higher neckline, colorwork etc.

For those of you who actually looked at the pix and read the pattern, you'll see that I goofed the buttons on the sweater. I have 4 buttons on the sweater and have 5 buttons in the pattern...do as I say, not as I do! :o)

EZ Baby Surprise with a twist

Here is the first prototype of EZ's Baby Surprise with a twist worked in a nearly acceptable color combo, but of course I ran out of yarn again.......(giggle/snort) Being able to block it would help immensely, but this is acrylic yarn.

Pretty much the same, as the original, but I wanted to see if I could get the mitered look on the lowers half......yep, mission accomplished. I've got another on the needles with the mitered look on the lower half rotated so the stripes match and it radiates from the armpit.

Basically this the same concept as EZ's sweater, the only real seam is at the shoulder line, but it also has with a couple of pickup-the-edge-stitch-and-knit-together. An intriguing aspect of this design is that the sleeves can be lengthened a couple of different ways, and not by just adding more rows on the cuff, so adult sizing would be a snap and not just a bunch of add rows of stripes. Bodice length can be increased by stacking another "unit" of miters.

I do have to give a nod to Debbie New also, I've used some concepts I learned from her as well to make this.



BTW, the cuff stitches are still live in these pix, I still want to play with some sleeve lengthening, stuff. I didn't bother with button holes on the trim, and now that I look at it again, I see that I sewed my shoulders seams a little too far and the neck is pretty small! Ooops!

Score at the Mouse

Joe and I went thriftin' the other day. Dang if I didn't score BIG time! It's not surprising though, I've got the BEST Thrift Store ever. It's named, The Church Mouse, just the "Mouse" to us. I can only count on one hand the number of times I've gone in there and not found something that I needed/wanted/desired but I've always had a great time!

The Mouse is a cute little shop, or at least it tries to be. It's ran by a local church and staffed by volunteers. Not all, but most of them are well beyond 65, and they work real hard at organizing their wares in boutique fashion. Some of the more spry of ladies put in whole 6 hour shifts, others, well, 2 hours is about all they can manage. They are such a friendly bunch and of course you just HAVE to chat a bit. Consequently a trip to the Mouse is an event, because it takes much longer to shop there. Generally speaking I'm a "power thrifter". I know the terrain of the various stores and head directly to the sections of the things I'm interested in. A quick walk through, glancing here and there and I'm outta there, 6 minutes, tops. I don't shop in those places I "thrift", at the Mouse I shop.

The Mouse has a completely different environment. You walk in, you greet a few of the ladies, you look through a section, you greet a few more ladies, if you picked something up, you might have a chat about it, you move on to another section, you greet someone else, you chat about what's in your hand again, and it goes on and on, section, by section, item by item. At the check out a gaggle of women assembles and they ooh and ahh over your purchases. "What are you going to do with this yarn...I use to knit/crochet before my hands got so bad" "Oh that fabric is lovely, what's it going to be...I use to sew before my eyes got so bad" "Oh honey that sweater will never fit you". I love my Ladies.

After all has been discussed and stories of what's was made in the past have been shared, then it's time add up the sale. Some days it goes smoothly and others well, we have fun. Some of the items in the shop are priced individually, some are just listed on a price sheet (books, magazines, purses and such). It can be difficult to read for some of the ladies. Sometimes the little ladies behind the checkout area will have to trot out to the other side of the counter to get far enough away so they can read it. (Just to be clear, the aforementioned price sheet is a poster board hanging on the wall with 3 inch lettering.) The lucky ones just stand there bobbing their heads valiantly trying to locate the appropriate level of their multi-focal eyeglasses. The usual procedure for check out is to have the bagger call out the prices (from the price sheet on the wall), to the lady who is manning the cash register, who confirms the price (from the price sheet on the wall.) Um, yeah, see where I'm going here? Remember what I just said regarding the readability of this price sheet? Multiple the appropriate reaction to said price sheet by two. On any given day, depending who is punching the register and who is bagging other types of mayhem can occur. More times than not a "discussion" regarding the size of the magazine will develop, the difference, price-wise, being a nickle. (how dreadful it would be if the customer got overcharged an entire nickel!!!) Often times the two will get mixed up and have to begin the tally again. (with all that head bobbing and climbing over each other who could blame them?) And on occasion, to be sure, an accusation of mumbling will be issued and be countered with a remark about someones lack of hearing and a lively "discussion" will ensue. You know the kind of "discussion" I'm talking about. The same kind you had as a kid with your sister or your best friend....my Dad called it squabbling.......Joe calls it knicker knacking. I love my Ladies!

So now you know why I said going to the Mouse was an event. I love the Mouse and the Ladies who work there. I plan my Mouse trips.....gotta give them at least an hour. :-)

Last week shopping at the Mouse scored this:






I can't read German, but I thought the picture looked interesting. Inside was this:








It's a pattern drafting program!!! Over 280 patterns! From the simple straight forward classics to...um....."specialty clothing" (?) Yeah, I don't think I'll be making a riding outfit anytime soon, but that just kinda sums up the scope of patterns in this kit/program/book.








There are woman's clothes, obviously, and children's, teen's, men and boys, swimwear and lingerie, to bridal fashions, and winter coats. I'm soooo pleased with this. Oh and btw, it is in English. The translation is a bit shaky regarding grammar, but then why the hell would that bother me right? :-) Every now and then there are words that aren't translated, mostly the names of the patterns (I think). The directions are just fine. If I run into trouble I'll be asking Monika. I'll drop her a line and say, 'Hey Monika, what's a "snitt"?'



As a matter of fact no time like the present....Hey Monika, what's a snitt?

Project Leather Coat Still Draping part 6

Yep, I'm still draping and still changing my mind. At least that's what I've been doing most of today. I think at last count I was 1, 726 times I've changed my mine....add another 1200.....sigh.


Here's a small taste of what I was thinking today.









BUT.......





This is what I have decided on.





There's no going back. No more changing my mind, this baby is nearly done!!! All that's left is to set the straps and pound the eyelets for the lacing in the back. And those two things are the reason it's not done now.....sigh.

I want to set the straps on me, not on Vivian. She's been a awfully good sport, and not bitching at all when I would drape a piece around her for the bazillionth time. But as close as she is to my size she's just a wee bit big through the rib cage. I need another pair of hands so I guess I have to wait until Joe gets home in the morning.

Pounding the eyelets is a whole other story. I have to get up enough nerve to do that. For what ever reason eyelets and I just don't get along. Sometimes I can pound them all day and not have a lick of trouble, other days, well I'd rather run my tongue through the sewing machine. I even considered putting a zipper in the back! That's how much I'm dreading these eyelets. But eyelets it is and eyelets it will have to be, this leather is just too fluid and stretchy for anything as permanent as a zipper. Although, I could always put the zipper in now and when the day comes the top is just too stretched out then I can do the eyelets!! Oy! Everything is done including the top stitching and I'm still thinking of ways to change it!!! Shoot me now.

Tips Project Leather Coat part 5

I'd just like to say thanx to all of you who have left comments here, at the Wardrobe Refashion blog (http://nikkishell.typepad.com/wardroberefashion/), and sent emails. A few of you that I don't know, and have no way of contacting you, have asked some questions. I thought I'd take this post to answer a couple and start making a list of the things I'm learning as I work this leather.

As I mentioned before, I've never worked leather before. Ooops, lying again.....this one time at band camp......um, that's a stretch, I never went to band camp, but I'm pretty sure in Brownies I made one of those coin purses with the pre-punched holes laced together with cording. Doesn't everybody?

Having never actually worked leather, doesn't mean that I haven't thought about it, read stuff about it or stood fascinated watching the artisans work at various festivals and such. Granted, as all of you know, wishing, thinking, and watching hardly ever transfer into really DOING, but I'm foolish enough to always jump right in and say why not regarding most anything.

Disclaimer: "most anything" is defined as anything that I don't think is scary, and won't hurt me very much. There are LOTS of things I think are scary I'm not as devil may care as that disclaimer sounds. Leather, needle, and thread? Not a problem. Something that IS scary? Anything past the second level of the step ladder.....well duh, why do you think I married 6'5" Joe!?! :-)

To answer a few of you.....No my sewing machine is nothing special. I bought it a year or two ago at Walmart on a whim. My beloved Thrift Store iron horse circa early 60's- late 50's had finally given up the ghost a couple weeks before. I had been hunting for a replacement, but wasn't having much luck. I bought a Brother XR-65 (I think that's the model number) more bells and whistles than I'll EVER use. I'm not after much, all I want in a machine has the ability to lengthen the stitch, oh, and reverse is a nice feature but not necessary. I think I've zig-zagged maybe twice in my life!

I used the standard all purpose needle that came with the machine when I made the book. It didn't snap like I thought it would. I was impressed. I used that very heavy Perle cotton (size 10 maybe) through the needle, AND in the bobbin, and had no problems. Honestly, I was quite surprised. I have since gone to town and bought a leather needle.....I don't want to thumb my nose at the sewing gods for too long.

Beginner's Tips for Working Leather
Couldn't be anything else but beginner's tips cuz they are coming from me!

1) Never use pins. Pins are bad. Pins are no no's. Pins will put a hole in your leather that will never ever go away.
~Use hem clips, those kitschy 6 inch long strips of folded metal with the inches notated so you can make an even hem.....does anyone really use these for that purpose??
~Use office binder clips. I used the tiny ones. They aren't too tight and won't (haven't so far) make dents, which may or may not go away*. They are great for seaming knit/crochet items too.
~Use those giant clips from the beauty parlor. You know the kind, they are metal, come in a variety of Easter egg colors (pink, blue, green, golden yellow) The beautician uses one or two of them to hold all your wet hair out of the way when she's cutting it. Just make sure that the edges are smooth.

I digress: Beauty parlor? Beautician? Sorry those clips a nostalgic to me thus the outdated nomenclature. I don't even know if they still use them in the salons today but you can buy them easily enough at Walgreens and such places. I just remember them as a kid waiting in the beauty parlor, holding my grandmother's pocketbook as she got that weird blue rinse put on her hair. Funny how today some people are scorned for having not as nature intended colors in their hair, when as a kid, almost every woman over 60 had blue hair.

2)Never leave anything "clamped" for a long period of time. Ever. It will make a dent. Even if you use some of the really gentle methods of holding the pieces together that I've mentioned above. If you leave something clamped just over night, or maybe just a couple of hours, you run the risk of denting your leather. The only way you know if you've clamped something for too long is when it's too late.
~I know there is multitude of factors each playing their own part in why leather will dent. I'm not going to expound on them. Let's just do this.....pinch and pull up a fold of skin on the top of you hand. Hold for about 30 seconds to a minute.....let go....nuff said? Any of you out there that have done this and then said I don't get it, well, then, go ask your mother.

3)Glues and adhesive. Oy! Never could I have conceived of world with sooo many ways to stick stuff together!!! I know NOTHING about adhesive. I stick to the old stand bys. (ooo nice pun lol) I have read about, and I have used good ol' rubber cement on leather before. Slather the stuff on, wait bit, enjoy the fumes, slap it together and weight it down. I haven't used rubber cement on this leather yet, and my only experience with it and leather so far, is fixing my son's watch band, but if the need arises I will stick with the rubber cement. The obligatory disclaimer....try it in an area that won't show first. I don't know if would discolor the leather. The watch band was black.

4)As you all know, when refashioning anything, one of the major things you have to think about is where the original seams are. With leather you can easily cut right through a seam with little worry about the seam coming undone or the edges raveling. BUT you do have to think about how they will effect (affect?) the drape. Yes, leather does have drape, and the seams from the original garment, and the new seams you make will affect? (effect?) it. (noticed how I changed that up? I'm equal opportunity dumb!) So how do you deal with the existing seams?? Try to have them placed in your new design with the same orientation of the original garment, so they behave in the manner they were intended. Don't try to reinvent the wheel if you need a yoke, or a collar, or a sleeve cap for your new design, try to use what is already there.

5)Cutting leather. Scissors are ok....very, very, very, sharp scissors, but personally I rather use a new blade**. I haven't tried a rotary cutter yet, and I won't until I get a new blade in it. You'll run into more and more trouble the thicker the leather is when using scissors. The weird edge you get from scissors as opposed to a blade is caused by some of the same reasons the leather will dent when clamped too long. (see #2 above) Also when using a blade (or a rotary cutter) the material your are cutting is stationary, it's held in place and cannot (hopefully) slip, slide, or stretch, like leather just laying on the table can, and will do.

6)Trying to get the optimal amount of yardage. Never just start cutting the garment apart (at least I don't. As you can see in the past posts I change my mind sometimes.) Remember, you have a very limited amount of available material. It's a vintage coat for crying out loud, it is one of a kind. Even if you do find an identical vintage coat, by some freaky stroke of luck showered upon you by the Thrift Store gods, it won't be the same. The hand of the fabric as well as the color will not match. How could they? They've been living all their lives under different circumstances, in different houses, on the backs of different people, and prob'ly (most assuredly) cared for differently.
~Try to incorporate original seams and garment sections in your new design (see #4)
~Use the best tool known to all recycle people, the almighty seam ripper. (bow your heads and genuflect) Don't cut it a part you never know when you'll need just a fraction of a inch more. You can always cut way excess, you can't match it, or make it grow.
~Hand sewing a seam using the holes from the original seam that was ripped out by the almighty seam ripper is a piece of cake.....Talk about even stitches while hand sewing!!!

That's it for the tips today. This post is long enough already. I have a few more and I'm learning stuff each time I pickup the pieces. BTW most of #6 aptly applies to anything you want to refashion, whether it's leather or fabric. I've disregarded those tiny little cautions way too many times before and have been very sorry for it.

Thanx for reading! Thanx for the really nice comments and emails! and Thanx for asking!


*I'm sure you could prob'ly do some light steaming or something like that to get rid or a dent, but I've never tried it and I'm not going to tell anyone to steam their leather. I just don't know if it would be a good thing or not.

**exacto knife, single edge razor etc.

Hmmmm Project Leather Coat part 4

I have the book and wallet done. I understand (relatively speaking) how to work this leather. I've got a list of possibilities, and I have this much yardage:

Ooops, there are 1 1/2 sleeves and some misc pieces that aren't pictured here.

I've gone through the list of things to make. I've got their requirements organized. Ur, what does that mean? Well, it just means I've placed them in a sort of hierarchy that takes into account, how much I want to make the item, how much yardage it needs, what size pieces it needs, and how do the seams and detailing already present in the coat work with the designs I have in mind?

For example, I want to make a bag really bad. I also want to make a base ball cap just as badly. The bag obviously takes lots more yardage, and I really rather use pieces that are as big as possible. On the other hand, the cap, doesn't take that much yardage, the pieces are small and could conceivably be cut from scrapes. I know I can get at least one of the sections (gores?) of the cap out of the piece of collar left from the wallet. I also have a another project in mind that is going to need some long very thin pieces. I have to ask myself where can those long piece come from and not take away from the big bag pieces.

Then I throw the next thing on the list into the convoluted mess in my brain and it sounds like this:

I want this...I have this....but then this...it needs that....but then so does that....if that then what about this....if that is this then this is that....that there...this there...that and this here...looks good.

Then the I think about the next thing on the list and it sounds like this:.......never mind you get the picture, just increase it exponentially.

So I do this in my brain until all the pieces fit. No, that's a lie. I do it until all the MAJOR pieces fit. Major pieces are defined as those that I HAVE to have. I don't bother with the list of it would be cool to make pieces. They get the scrapes. Some will work some won't and will have to wait for another coat.

Usually when I take on a project like this, I just go this far and then begin. But this coat has a bit more to it than other coats. First off it's leather.....the absolute WORSE material to make a mistake with. If that seam is off, you better just live with it cuz if you rip it out and re-seam well, all you've succeeded in doing is making a lovely perforation along your true seam......honey it ain't gonna last. The other unique thing about it is the detailing it has. (There are closeups of the details in part 2, and you can see them in the pic above also.) Sooooo, now that I've started this project, and I've told the world about it (the Wardrobe Refashion family and anyone else who stumbles here) The pressure is on! No mistakes!!

So I did what any sane person would do. I made some crayon rubbing of the coat!

I made a rubbing of what I determined in my convoluted hierarchy are the main pieces. My hierarchy also told me that the bag was to be the next piece made. One side out of the center back, and the other made of the section from the the right and left fronts.

Lower center back.....didn't the crayon rubbing work great!?! The detailing, stitches, and seams are easily seen. LOL if you look close enough you can see the weave of the rug too......btw estate sale, hand woven, random pieces of women's wool suits and coats (1940's? 1950's)....love it. 12x9ish...how much was it Tim? $65?

Center back piece and right front piece to be used for bag, you can imagine the what the left front pieces looks like right?

Yeah the bag is almost done!!!!!!

Then the phone rang and I draped it around my neck.

Ooops......it could be this:

Or this:

Egads! If I do either of these will I have enough for my bag??? Yes, OK hierarchy still intact , bag design altered to first design filed in brain that does not use the detailing. Everything is cool and still on track. Looking, looking, adjusting.....I just don't like the fit of the neckline on the second style. Hmmm the upper back has a similar swirl what if.......

Yeah, I'm liking this one. Obviously I'll make it a bit longer in the front it barely covers the boobage right now, but the back is just about right. A nicely fitted scoop neck tank, with a low back and crossed points on lower edge. Easy to get in and out of, not a lot of closure/button/zipper things to think about!!

So far so good. I've only changed my mind 14,726 times BUT I haven't ripped any seams I shouldn't have.....yet.

Vivian has to wear this all day tomorrow while I work on something else.....prob'ly a new bag design!.....And that item I have in mind that needs the long thin stripes....I have to do some internet searching. I don't know how to do it. I've seen it. I've read the directions years ago, I don't remember it though. I might get around to making the pattern pieces for the ball cap, maybe not. I've got some knitting that has to get done. I need to finish a few pieces in the next couple of days so I can take them all to my sister's house and use her wash machine to felt them. I'm calling them my "NEW bags", cuz my hero inspired me to make them. And I have GOT to get some "Nuff Stuff Folds" made. Those design have been burning holes in my brain for a week now!

Wallet..... Leather Coat part 3

The upper collar not including the lapels, the piece you see below, was used to make a simple no frills wallet.

There are 2 pockets on either side.

I considered sewing the wallet by hand, but then just went ahead and ran it through my machine. I used regular office binder clips and a few hem clips to hold it all tightly together......leather does have a tendency to stretch and slide as it goes through the sewing machine.

I'm having sooo much fun doing this. I really am the kind of person that needs to be given a problem or a challenge. In the next post I'll go a little bit more into how I do/did things and what's going on my head while I do it. I promise not to make it too scary for you. I'll tone it down and only relay the pertinent thoughts! :-)

I realize the book and the wallet aren't that exciting as far as designs go, but I made them first for a couple of reasons. The first is I've never really worked with leather before. I wanted/needed to get a feel for it. I needed to know how it would behave under the foot of the sewing machine, and how easily it was to hand sew it. Notice also that I used a heavy Perle cotton on the book and "regular" thread on the wallet. I also now know how the leather behaves as a single layer, doubled, or tripled. The second reason is cuz I didn't/don't know what all the future projects might be. I had to make a couple of things that used small pieces of leather, or pieces that I wouldn't be sorry about using and no longer having them for something else. The wallet used the otherwise mostly useless, oddly shaped collar, a piece of leather that wouldn't be missed. The book used half of the sun bleached sleeve, I wouldn't be using that sleeve for any future designs....at least not as a sleeve!

Now I have a fairly large list of things I COULD make. I have the maximum amount of yardage still at my disposal. And I've got a pretty good idea what the leather will and won't do.

Leather Coat part 2 Contemplating

As I mentioned yesterday. This coat has some detailing that needs to be considered before I can settle on what's next. Here are some close up pix of those details.

Here is a close up of the upper back.

Lower back and side.

Front yoke and lower front.

Now I have to decide just how, if at all, I want to incorporate these gentle curves into the next creation and beyond. I'm pretty sure I'll be making a bag, cuz well, vests aren't me, and I have plenty of leather skirts.......technically how many leather skirts should one girl have??? Me?..... I have waaaay too many and rarely wear them. I just can't seem to pass them up when I see them at the Thrift Store. :-)

I removed the leather collar today and I'm making a small wallet/credit card holder thingy out of those pieces. I'll post step by step photos when it's done.

I'm kind of stumped right now regarding the bag. Aside from the aforementioned curves, I have to judiciously cut the pieces for the bag to ensure enough leather yardage for the NEXT thing that this coat will spawn.

Hmm...a halter maybe? Wonder if this leather is up to the task of reining in these mid-aged boobs! Wonder if these mid-aged boobs have any business in a leather halter!!! LOL

I'm also considering a ballcap. Just don't know where to go with this just yet.

Leather Coat part 1 The Book

I joined the Wardrobe Refashion group. I took the pledge for 4months. It's certainly no hardship for me, it's a way of life that always has been a part of me. I only took the 4 month pledge cuz, well, if you've been TRYING to read this blog with any regularity, you'll know that regular it ain't. I just didn't think I could or would want to commit to anything for longer than 4 months, and if it means that I have to upload posts in a timely fashion, well, that's just not me either! So 4 months it is, and already into the 2nd month, I haven't posted anything yet...go figure!


Anyway, I decided to step this wardrobe refashion thing up a notch and make it the driving force of a special project. That special project being this:





I bought this coat at an estate sale for $7.00. Yep, $7.00 for this fox collared, butter soft leather coat. And when I say butter soft, OMG, do I mean butter soft. It's incredible. I want to touch it.......I want to touch it ALL the time!!!!!


Aside from being a coat that it is just not my style, it does have a major flaw. The right shoulder and sleeve have been bleached out by the sun.



Yeah, doesn't that bite!


So first things first......off with the collar!

Then off with the sleeves!



I used the sleeve that was not sun bleached to make this:





Waaaay tooo cooool. 600 pages!!! LOVE IT!!!

I know there are tutorials out there on how to make a books, but I didn't use them. Perhaps I'll check them out next time, but I'm pretty pleased with how I did it and how it turned out.


I used 3 pads of 4 x 4 grid paper. Folded 6 sheets of paper in half and ran them through my sewing machine that was threaded with a heavy Perle cotton. The machine was set at six stitches to the inch with a fairly loose tension. After all the paper was folded and stitched I stacked them together making sure their bottom edges and "spines" were flush. Using a much thinner but stronger nylon thread I sewed the spines together by hand running my stitches through the spine stitches of each folded group of papers.


To help make a sturdy cover I glued pieces of the cardboard cut to size onto the the first and last page. (cardboard came from the original pad of paper)


To reinforce the spine, I cut a 6 x 6 inch piece of silk (from and old scarf) and glued it to the front cardboard, around the spine and to the back piece of cardboard. I also glued in my ribbon book markers at this point.


Next I cut a piece of leather from the sleeve that was approximately 1/4 inch bigger than the front + spine + back. I cut two other pieces that were 1/4 inch bigger than the front only. I sandwiched the leather pieces around the front and back and sewed them in place by hand using the same Perle cotton that I stitched the pages with.

Ta da!

Oh BTW, in the pic of the book you can see that open edge of the book has some unruliness to it. That's cuz my stitching on the machine was off here and there. No problem though. I clamped the pages together good and tight and use my dremel with a sanding stone and one of those sponge sanding blocks to even them up nice and neat. I think with the next book, I'll make a gig for the sewing machine to get that stitching arrow straight.

Leather Coat part 2 ........ Contemplating the details.