2023 plans and thoughts

 

Having realised there is no plan yet for 2023, I've dug out the 2022 plan. And guess what? The themes are similar.

Every year I aspire to complete items from the queue, polish my techniques, improve my fitting, and learn lots of new things. These are not SMART goals, but saying them out loud helps me choose projects that will take me in the right direction.

Sewing machine. The engineer has been unavailable due to health problems, so it has been making do with regular cleans. Haven't yet got to play with the new feet I was given last autumn.

Using up, adapting or finishing off:

Bonus legwarmers for the friend who had to wait till mid-January for her first pair. These are just k2p2, 40 sts on 4.5mm needles. I'm getting bored with them, however they are a good project to take to knit and natter, or for a regional train journey.

The Finchdale jumper. Sleeves are too tight, and I may consider a higher neckline. Good job I crocheted the sleeves in to test the the fit. 

Still too many odd balls of yarn, though these are now big enough for toddler-size rather than newborn projects

Revisit the fitting project, which got put down in order to knit for the winter.. I haven't even made another woven shirt from nicer fabric, despite having a much much better pattern now. I have used what I learned on the Tilly and the Buttons Freya tee, but haven't blogged it yet. Both of these patterns will replace worn out garments.

Finish summer handbag from 2021 course. If I think I'll be going anywhere to use it...

I'm pretty up to date with repairs. Refashioning? I've inherited a handful of event badged polo-shirts. They fit well on the donor. He doesn't often wear short sleeves, so just putting a pocket over the logo won't work for him., Can I refashion them to fit someone smaller? Or make two from three by extending the sleeves?

Wardrobe holes (still):

More long sleeved t-shirts. I'm still tweaking Freyas (Tilly and the Buttons) and the Mica (Laela Jeyne OOP) which has a v-neck rather than a high neck. I might also have another try at Tulip Tees (Patterns for Pirates), which is a good drop shoulder option with little waste.

Formal-ish dress to replace double jersey Freya (now too small)

Another pair less informal trousers. There are some nice inherited suiting lengths waiting. And a shirt length that goes with the linen.

A denim skirt or pinafore - the fabric piece is not quite long enough for jeans.

More cycling shorts as undertrousers, maybe wear them under the denim skirt. I have three pairs, but only one will survive the spring clothing sort.

Pattern test and make up the mouse quilting fabric waistcoat. 

Masks again - rarely worn nowadays, unless there's a prolonged visit to a confined place. However the original batch are looking really scruffy.

Replace at least one pair of tired joggers.

Looking backwards to 2022

In the colder months, I usually knit rather than sew. In 2022, I recorded 32 finished knitted items. A couple of scarves and wristwarmers for me, but the others were gifts for friends or donations to people in need. About half were newborn hats, donated to K's maternity ward. The bonus was that they were nice portable handbag-sized projects. (I'm saying little about the still unfinished Finchdale jumper, except that it's much better in the upper body than my 2021 jumper. Thanks to Mrs Mole.) 

Because of weather conditions - a late cold snap and a mild early summer - Me Made 'May' stretched on for weeks. I succeeded in assessing all the summer clothes and the formal wear. I got rid of some wardrobe orphans and badly fitting stuff, then reluctantly parted with some worn out favourites. It was also surprising how many small repairs happened during these weeks :) Some charity shop finds were adapted during an unusually hot spell in late summer, some of DH's clothes were mended too, a temporary chair cover fitted, and a whole load of things around the flat fixed, painted...

With new garment sewing, my search for well fitting basics continued. All of the following have been much tweaked for my unique shape. Elasticated trousers - Simply Sewing 8 - now good enough. PJ top and derived summer cardigan - traced ancient Rtw - good enough. Cycle shorts as an extra layer - Patterns 4 Pirates Peg Legs - improved. Camisole as an extra layer - So Zo vest - improved. Fitted tee - Tilly and the Buttons Freya - hugely better than Rtw, but needs more work as there's still some friction at the armscye. Loose fitting tee - OOP Laela Jayne Mica - very comfy though I need more practice on the V-neck binding. 

However, the big sewing project was working on a woven shirt/top pattern, semi-fitted but enough movement ease, with set in long sleeves. I'd spent a long time using Pattern Maker 7 software, trying to get suitable measurements and customising the macros to generate a 'fitting shell' with a bit of ease. I felt I'd made good progress and made a comfy summer top with some inherited fabric. Not my colours, but a real step forward. 

Then a great opportunity. Mrs Mole of 'Fit for a Queen' blog, launched a series of tutorials on fitting by reading the lines in a gingham trial garment. Not only that, when I'd asked a specific question, she took the trouble to teach some better ways of measuring, and to recommend some really appropriate pattern adaptations. It's also reassuring that someone experienced knows how to adapt for my own spine curve, rather than expecting 'perfect' posture. It was well worth the number of test-shots to achieve the best fit I've ever had! I shall be using what I learned even more in 2023. 

Top things I learned.

Fitting: I need a bigger back wedge, placed at the yoke line, plus a smaller wedge at front yoke, as well as one above my tum. 

Measuring skills: Use the metre stick to establish a side line. If I'm going to wear an underlayer, I need to measure when actually wearing it. 

Drag lines: Point to the problem. How much adjustment will take practice. 

Fabric choices: 2022 favourite was a low contrast print (the duck tee) which reads as plain-ish from a distance but the texture hides the odd water splash etc. 

Knitting: After trialling different crowns on all the newborn hats, I'm now happy to choose an appropriate one for different size people and personalities. 

Reasons for redoing. 

Apart from brain-slips, size and ease were the main stumbling blocks. 

I can help myself by doing a tension piece in each new yarn. And unless playing fabric Tetris, bigger seam allowances. 

Remember the hip/abdomen area doesn't just need to look good in the fitting mirror, it needs to recover well after reaching up, down or out. More ease or more weight tends to help. 

Techniques

Cutting , marking and stitching are all getting better.

I'm ready to use nicer fabrics for the improved patterns - and I have more enough things to refashion for early trials of other basics when I'm ready. I've learned magic loop knitting which gives me more options. 

    

December 2022 wrap up

Not a lot to say about December that wasn't covered in the previous (legwarmers) post. 

The Terracotta pair for H were delivered before Christmas because of a cold snap. She got a bonus pair in grey acrylic after Christmas as I worked out a panel-based pattern. 

The duck egg merino pair for J occupied a long train journey at the beginning of the month, but were so slouchy they were unpicked and restarted. So I've bought some Aran weight merino so I could get a pair to her in time for her birthday in January. 

The Finchdale jumper continues slowly. After assembly, the sleeves are a bit tight over winter tees. And there's more ease in the front yoke area than elsewhere. Note to self - detailed notes in my diary. 

A productive month in non-sewing terms, though. The flat continues to improve. Pre-Christmas clean done. And lots of nice social things too.