Take Two for 2022: The crisscross tunic

Pattern: Butterick B5954

Over the last few years, I’ve not been great at keeping up with this blog. At the start of each year, I have all these intentions for how I am going to start writing again through all my projects, but it always seems tp fall off very quickly. In fact there are dozens of projects I completed in 2020 and 2021 that I have not written about at all.

All that aside, I had a good idea for my blog this year and I really want to stick to it. As we head into another seemingly challenging year, it feels like many of us are in need of a do-over. As my wardrobe expands, I myself have been looking at my past projects and noticing how I could have done better if I had the experience I have now. Therefore for this year, I’d like to focus my sewing around the remake. A take two for 2022.

My goal is to post at least 2 times a month – hopefully more. It definitely helps to reflect after a project is done before diving headfirst in the next project. Maybe this year I can focus just on the writing and not about trying to have that perfect picture or narrative.

My first project of the year had me re-visiting a pattern from one of my earliest days of sewing. I made this top from Butterick (shown below), which I actually still love, back in 2014. This was before I owned a serger, which means it still has all raw edges on the inside that I didn’t bother to finish. I know no one can see the inside, but I know it’s there and it’s not up to my current standards for garment making. The shirt has held up pretty well despite it’s age, but it was made before I understood the basic concepts about working with knits, such as using a zig-zag stitch or how to hem stretchy material.

I got the idea to try this one again when I recently saw someone wearing a similar style shirt. I wondered if this style was back in fashion or at least showing up at some clothing store. This seemed like the right time to try out this pattern again, with hopefully a more professional look.

Continue reading “Take Two for 2022: The crisscross tunic”

Sweater weather : Experimenting with sweater knits

Pattern: Butterick  B5954, view BIMG_3170

I can’t remember if I officially made the announcement, but I did mention this on a previous post – I bought a serger!  It was my Christmas present to myself….that I actually bought in October.  It was expensive, but so very necessary.  Finding a way to work on my mom’s just wasn’t working any more as I don’t live close enough to pop over for an hour or two.  I did however decide to buy the exact same one as her, since I had gotten so used to it.  And here it is – I feel like I need a name for it, but can’t think of anything clever.  Sergey just sounds too much like Pee-wee’s Playhouse.

IMG_3168

My main fear about this machine was threading it.   Continue reading “Sweater weather : Experimenting with sweater knits”