Mustard T-shirt

This is my second T-shirt from this pattern and my second make with this fabric, so it should have all come together like a dream…

Hmm... not quite, but not a fail.

I do like the fabric, I am aware that the colour doesn’t really suit my skin tone, but hey ho, I like it. I’ll have to see how it washes over time. I fear it might start to look old pretty fast, but for now it feels good: soft yet sturdy.

I like the pattern, the Kirsten Kimono Tee, but I don’t think it worked as well for the heavier weight of this interlock. I used jersey last time and it handled the kimono sleeves better. These are quite puckered under the arm where it curves into the sleeve.

My machine still didn’t behave for the twin needle hem so I hemmed the bottom by hand and hemmed the sleeves with a binding.

Can you spot the "design feature"?

I made loads of mistakes with the neck and the sleeve binding this time. Practice made me lazy, not perfect. First, I cut the neck binding on the bias. Should have read the pattern. Then I attached it wrong side out! I’m so lazy that I decided that the exposed seam at the back neck could be a design feature and so I left it like that. Shock, horror! The bias explains the slight ripple along the neckline. I think. Then, (there’s more!) I cut the sleeve bindings with the stretch running vertically, not horizontally. Again, did I rip out and re-do? Gosh no! That’s why they are a bit ripply too.

Anyway, there’s not that much to say about this top, it’s a pretty boring make. I might not have posted about it, except for the mistakes, but I’m pleased to have an early Autumn piece that goes with a lot of things and layers up nicely with my favourite cardigan.

Cost: £5.13 for the second yard of interlock fabric.

London Dress for Dolls

Finding fabrics printed with interesting graphics is challenging for the home sewer, so when some landed in my lap, I immediately planned a border skirt.

Before: an airline toiletry bag.
After: a doll's dress.

Can you spot the London landmarks, in amongst the cosmetic bottles?

I used 3 of these bags for the dress. The skirt is three print panels, which are on the front of the bag only.  The bodice and lining are cut from the reverse of one bag each. One drawstring cord was just long enough for a tie belt. Longer if I had bothered to untie the knots, instead of just cutting them off and melting them in the gas hob.

I used my go-to doll dress pattern, used here and here. Between that and the Popover Sundress, I only have two doll dress patterns. I got stingier on the velcro this time, it only needs 2-3 pieces to fasten, not a whole strip.

Cost: 3 x business class flights on British Airways. Long haul only.  :-P

Doll hat and scarf

The leaves are blowing across the lawn, the nights are getting shorter, and colder. Our thoughts turn to Winter, getting cosy and knitting.

Naturally, I thought of the dolls first...

I had this 4ply yarn in navy and thought it was a good weight and colour for them.  I made up the patterns as I went along.

First, the scarf is 9 stitches, knit in garter stitch, with seed stitch for a few rows to edge.

The hat is 74 stitches, ribbed edge, then stocking stitch for about 1.5 inches. I knit 2 together 6 times around the crown to decrease. I did the decreases every second row until the last 2-3 rows when I made them every row. Finally, I pulled the last 8 stitches through the remaining yarn and weaved in to finish.