Every Lunar New Year, I think to myself, why didn’t I plan ahead of time?! But this year I finally did! Here is the last project I am making on my sewing machine before a move, and will be the first thing I hang up in the new house. In the meantime, it’s hung facing my courtyard for my neighbors to see.
Quilting from a pattern is funnnn!
@the.weekendquilter #newyearblessingsminiquilt in various quilting cottons from @stonemountainfabric@konacotton@rubystarsociety
My partner took this of Oogi and me today. He’s my new favorite family dog, a great pyranees and lab mix. We’re visiting family to celebrate a cousin’s graduation. I realized when I want to dress for a nice but comfy occasion, I end up with all memades. @spaghetti_western_sewing #SWSHenrietta, @northsideknitco #louisepullover, wiksten unfolding jacket. Some bonus pics for you of Oogi because he’s the best.
A cardigan (corgi) on my cardigan (sweater)! My first time knitting a cardigan and duplicate knitting. After knitting the cardigan, I just had to put MJ on it. I wore it for a test dog walk this evening and may end up shortening the sleeves as they lengthened after blocking. Thanks to @ezlyh for the tutorial on using procreate to make a knit chart and @spaghetti_western_sewing for the rec! (Even though I still modified it after the fact)… duplicate knitting is fun, I’d do it again! Next I need to teach the dogs the “selfie” command.
Pattern: #zakkuri_cardigan by @noriko_ichikawa_
Yarn: @dererumnatura gilliatt in poivre et sel
Vintage buttons from @ccmadethat !
Worn with #helenejeans and #antheablouse
My first pair of socks! I truly never thought I’d be someone who knew how to knit socks. Trying new things as an adult is so cool. I didn’t know how to measure properly and account for negative ease… so the first sock was too big around the calf, and the second is a bit too tight around the ankle 😆 but I’m still calling it a win. I learned new skills, yarn preferences, and am ready to tackle a pair I’ll actually wear. I also started a new tradition of buying a skein of sock yarn as a travel souvenir — much more packable and a great travel project!
Yarn: @knit_picks I discovered I like the toothiness of Hawthorne better than Stroll despite it being so soft! VERY affordable.
Pattern: So Basic Sock. Thank you for this FREE pattern @summer.lee.knits ! #basicsocksquad I loved the process so much I bought the book!
Third annual shirt for my mom. Her birthday is on Wednesday so there’s no way it’ll get to her by then, sorry mom I tried. Photos taken at 10 PM as I just finished it and need to stick it in the mail tomorrow. If you haven’t been around here long, I make my mom one garment a year, in whatever fabric she wants, with all of the modifications she requests. So far she has only wanted this same formula linen top, and I have been slowly iterating on the fit. (Makes sense though, considering how j.jill is her favorite brand). Since I live 2000 miles away and have not seen her wear any in person (DC is disgusting in the summer and the only good thing about it is the crabs), she describes fit issues over the phone and I do my best to suggest alterations and then execute. This year’s has shorter cuffs and a longer split side hem.
Pattern: #esgeorgiatee #esmadebyme
Fabric: She wanted the perfect blue hue, but because of tariffs, I gave her two choices I already had on hand. This one is linen I’d been hoarding from @beatonstudio so you know how precious it is to me!
Granny square tag from @sarahhearts !
When I was in Seoul last year, all the cool girls were wearing cropped men’s shirts. I had been meaning to try it! This is a shirt from @sfbaygoodwill a few years ago that I was wearing as an overshirt. I’d definitely go a size up so I don’t have to crop at my waist next time, but I guess midriffs are in! This outfit, like many of mine, is a combo of memade and thrifted.
#helenejeans that have relaxed with wear and jean jacket from @prettypennyclothing ! hat from @mo.knits !
Realized I never posted about this fit! I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect short sleeve button-up as I realized it’s my most worn type of garment. This is my first attempt at a short-sleeved TAL oversized shirt, and it fits the bill! I sewed it up for my trip and wore it many times. My partner did not warn me that my pant legs were uneven.
@theassemblylineshop #taloversizedshirt shortened in the sleeves and length in M, which is a size down from my chart size for current bust of 40”. @merchantandmills linen of course! Next time I’ll try this in a cotton shirting in my chart size. This is one of my TNT’s! I have 4 of them now.
#helenejeans in blue denim from Tokyo last year. Details further on grid. I love buying fabric on trips as a way to remember my travels.
Another travel tip, bring @baggu shopping totes! Easy to stash and then you don’t even up with tons of packaging to immediately throw out. I actually forgot this time but my partner didn’t!
The weather turns so quickly in Copenhagen, it was in the 70s two days ago and now in the 40s and raining. I got soaked yesterday in a sudden downpour which made me very grumpy, (especially since I had planned to sit by the canal). So today I bundled up and brought my #swspearlheadscarf! I used the most amazing water-resistant nylon on one side and leftover* gingham linen on the other, both from @blackbirdfabrics . The nylon is keeping my head dry today, and the linen is quick-dry for when I sweat! I can pull it off and keep around my neck for warmth.
Here I am looking cheesy in front of FANGST, a fav tinned fish maker. They sell so many other flavors that are not available in the US! When the shopkeeps learned I had specifically travelled there from California, they gave me a tote for free!
*Also from a @spaghetti_western_sewing project! Thanks Sadie for being a mind reader and designing what I want to make and wear 💞
Today I made a pilgrimmage to the one and only @merchantandmills ! We took a train from Kings Cross station to Rye via Ashford International, about 1 hour. I brought my English paper piecing aka hexie project as a travel project. On the train, a middle-aged lady came up to me and said “Can I see your EPP? I’m a quilter too!” We had a lovely chat in which she showed me quilt squares her friends sewed that were in the Liberty London exhibition 🥹.
At Merchant and Mills, another younger lady came up to me and said, “I saw you on the train sewing and wondered if your shirt was MM fabric?” and when I said yes, she said “you look really cute with it with the blue jeans, I am going to try to find fabric like it.” Later she showed me a purple check linen she was purchasing. I spent so long in the store picking out fabrics that the employees put my pile of bolts up front away; I was embarrassed! Fortunately I had my notebook out with all the fabrics and meterages down (along with the patterns with fabric requirements I wrote out last night). It was so lovely meeting sewists in the wild, they’re all so nice!
Shoutout to @eb.stitch for the idea to bring vacuum bags on the trip and to @spaghetti_western_sewing for teaching me EPP!
#memademay #taloversizedshirt short sleeve version in @merchantandmills linen, #helenejeans in Japanese denim
I call this one: “I wanted to show the details of my new jeans but forgot how to pose for photos,” otherwise known as “I was checking the butt fit when the bus came by…”
#HeleneJeans (up to 61” hip), graded from my chart size in waist to hip, shortened the rise 1.5” so it sits right at my belly button. I got this amazing blue denim in Tokyo last year for $20 total for 3 meters!! My first time doing @citron.jeans hardware and I am a BIG FAN. The first rivets that have not fallen off! As always, I put the coin pocket on the left because I’m left-handed and keep my eyedrops/chapstick and sometimes the occasional edible in there and when you make clothes, you can customize them for yourself! Also, use your nice fabric scraps (from @blackbirdfabrics ) for pocket bags, treat yo’self!
Two cross country friends met up at Rhinebeck last year, bought yarn, went home and knit the same #novicevest. Then the vest friends finally met IRL in Napa! Of course we had to take a photo in front of the yellow door.
