FINALLY - I finished the whole outfit. You guys have been sooo patient. I appreciate your patience and also the comments on my hair from the last post. I am very proud of this outfit because for once, I thought of the WHOLE outfit, not just the skirt, which was originally what got me going on this project. I now have a version for when the days are chilly and another for when the days are still warm. Here is the skirt:
I altered a Vogue pattern ( #2958) to make it work with the jersey knit fabric. I changed the waistline by removing the zipper, that the pattern called for, and using an encased elastic. I used Maggie and pinned all the muslin pieces right on her so I new it would work. I didn't line it and I stitched the seems down by hand a-la-Alabama-Chanin.
This is the winter top I made for it. I made the pattern by using another top I already own and guesstimating the whole thing on muslin. I pinned and cut on Maggie to get it exact. I obviously recognize that I am not trained in pattern making, but I had no patience to go through that long book on draping. They didn't get to shirts until much later in the book and I am still on the first chapter. I figured ... it is only fabric and I will learn from the mistakes on the muslin instead of the expensive jersey ($18 per yard thru Alabama Chanin)
Although I used a straight stitch decoration and edge detailing on the skirt, for this top I tried my best to make little x's so it would have some stretch.
The little sweater top, called a shrug, is my saving grace to deal with the ugly grey color. It was made using pattern #1662, by Plymouth Yarn Company, as a guideline. It knits up using only 4 skeins of wool and is perfect for those of us whose brains shut off immediately after dinner is done with. If you want to know how it is made let me know. I'll give a quick how to if there is interest.
As you saw on the last post, I made two tops for this skirt. Here is the one for warmer days:
It all looks like a different color, I know, but it is actually the setting sun which alters the color. I have to tell you getting my picture taken is not high on my list of fun things to do, but worse is having to plaster them all over the internet big enough for you to be able to see what is going on with the outfit. As I write this I am truly regretting scarfing down that Kit Kat bar I took from my girls (OK - I have 2 girls, to be fair and not feed into sibling issues, I had to eat a Kit Kat from each one of them. Fair is fair. No?)
We have been enjoying awesome Fall days were it oscillates from feeling like summer to needing to get the fire going in the chimneys. This top took me longer to finish. I didn't use any pattern - just Maggie and muslin. What took so long, though, was the hand stitch detailing all along the edges of the top. There is quite a bit of fabric covering my ... mmm ... bottom. I realized just how much with every little stitch.
This stitch also has give to it. The neckline and the armholes are big enough to easily slip on so I didn't have to zig-zag the stitch heavily. This meant my little "petals" could be more elongated and" viney" looking. Had the zig-zag really needed to come in to play, for stretch purposes, the ups and downs of the stitch would have had to be more pronounced and the leaves would have to have been made smaller and more rounded to not look odd. Because I hand finished the skirt seams, the edges on the long-sleeved top, AND all the edges on this summer top by hand, my glasses really came in handy.
Phew!
The beauty of this outfit, is that because it is made to my exact measurements and is made of easy-to-care for knit jersey, it gets thrown in the washer and dryer. When I put it on, it is really no more constricting than a T shirt and sweats. It certainly feels good to put on something that fits me to a T (especially after a life time of Kit Kat runs.)
I believe I have earned my granny grey. And the Granny boots? Well, you know me. Boots - I can't ever have enough of them.
I am glad to get this posted. I hope it gets you going to make something for yourself.
See you soon,
Carolina