Results tagged “linen” from Fabric.com Blog

Being a Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross Addict ("Hello, my name is Tara and I am addicted to Weekend Sewing...") and having made the Smocked Dress for my little girl I was over the moon when I stumbled across this hidden gem on the web. The Heather Ross Mendocino Sundress is almost an urban legend with many whispers concerning its existence but few have seen it. There are breadcrumbs to broken links throughout the internet but I have found the direct link and thus made the dress. AND... IT... IS... AMAZING. First, this dress is super fast. You can make it in an afternoon. There are 4 pieces to cut (6 if you want straps) and with the elastic thread the smocking is a piece of cake.

Now for the mods (modifications for you newbies): first, I selected the uber beautiful and dreamy Valori Wells Jenaveve Linen Blend fabric in Pebbles Merlot. Let me mention that this is a cheerful reddish/coral print perfect for spring and summer. This linen (and even more specifically this print) is perfectly paired with this dress. I was more excited to be finished at each stage of construction. There are pockets, glorious pockets! But the pockets that come with the pattern are HUGE so I used the pockets from this dress but you can always just reduce the size of the Mendocino pockets but 10-20% on your copier or at your local copy place. I placed my pockets at 14 in. where the pattern recommends anywhere between 14-18 in. I guess my arms are a little short. I also smocked 8.5 in. where the pattern recommends 6-8 in. I am on the busty side so I wanted to make sure that I was 1) covered and 2) there was some smocking below the bust to nip in the waist a bit to lend a slimmer line. If the dress just goes from bust to billowy bottom then I tend to look bigger than I am. That is why I prefer to make my own smocked dresses and tunics. The store bought dresses/tops do not have enough smocking and it ends up looking frumpy. I also made my straps longer so I could add the cute bow that the little girl Smocked Dress has. I cut 4 strips of 2 by 15 in. The length is just right plus I can tuck them in should I want to go strapless. The hem is a double turned 1.5 in. but I want to make it much shorter so that it sits right at the knee which means I will need to cut off 3-4 in.   

Materials:

Heather Ross Mendocino Sundress Pattern

2 yds of Valori Wells Jenaveve Linen Blend 

1 Spool of Elastic Thread

1 Spool of All Purpose Thread

Conclusion: I adore this dress. Heather mentions that this dress offers enough support for you to go braless and I did try it. In the future, I will opt for the bra just because I feel more comfortable with it than without. It does offer great support but I would only recommend it for those A & B cups. You can also just do 2 straps and wear it as a halter neck. Another version would be to cut it very short to wear as a tunic and then you can tuck in the straps to wear as a skirt as well. This is a great standard sundress with lots of possibility. Sexy and casual it can adapt to your days and events as needed. This is a MUST MAKE Dress!  

I feel ashamed to say that the Bossa Nova Skirt is my first Hot Pattern experience. I have long coveted the patterns but my plate has been so full since I first discovered them that I kept putting it off. The Hot Patterns free pattern downloads for Fabric.com have given me an excuse to clear my calendar for some quality time with my machine and a good pattern. Let's get started

I loved the Bossa Nova Skirt! Most of my love was gained because it was so quick and easy. It was laughable how quick and easy. About 2-3 hours from prewashing, ironing, laying out, cutting, pinning, sewing and finishing. This is definitely for a beginner. The Bossa Nova skirt should be a first project for most beginners because it will make them feel so confident that they will never want to stop sewing. Another significant portion of love is due to the fit and form of the skirt. It is just as cute and glam on as in the stylize rendering on the pattern download page. I scoured my closet for an equally cute shirt to match the model but I had to settle for something different but no less good looking (I am sure you will agree). The skirt is very flowy, swishy and forgiving, perfect for a night out, date night or luncheon with the girls.

The variety of fabrics that this skirt can be made from is another notch under the Love column. Woven and knits alike. You can make it casual with some Rayon Jersey, glam it up with some Ultra Sateen, or let out your wide side with Animal Print Satin Charmeuse. I was amazed with the variety. Since it is a gored skirt you can even make it bolder by alternating colors or coordinating prints on each gore. The skirt also uses a small amount of fabric, just 1 ½ yds. I choose some Hanky Weight Linen because it is still hot 

here in GA and I love a good linen skirt. I choose a neutral to try something different (you all know how I love bright colors). With the hanky weight, I definitely recommend a slip under the skirt but the weight is very nice for swinging and swishing that I love in a fuller skirt. I over-locked the edges to prevent fraying so I just pressed all my seams to one side instead of open (as recommended in the pattern). I am playing around with an idea to either embroider the skirt around the hem a bit or add some ribbon detail down there. Jury it still out. The hem length is just right for me; I am tall -- 5' 7'' --   so if you are shorter, I suggest playing with the hem before the final stitching.  

I am putting this pattern on my list of favorites and will make another out of some jersey in the near future. I think the gathers around the waist and the fullness of the pattern will lend itself well to a lightweight knit, maybe in a fall color to wear with boots or leggings. I think leggings will call for a shorter hem. Oh, the possibilities!

Lantern Moon Palm Wood Needles shall be from this point forward be called Turbo Moon. These are smooth, slick and great for speed knitting. Wait; let me back up to my first impression. Gorgeous. These needles are art in themselves. The grain and color of the wood plus the style of the needle makes for a very stylish needle. I felt very posh just knitting with them.

Now for the knitting. They were fast; I mean fast. I first tried them with S. Charles Sahara yarn but the needles were too slick for this yarn (Viscose, Bamboo and Linen). My loops kept sliding off and I felt unwieldy. I had a few balls of some bulky mohair, so I cast on with it and felt back in my element. This yarn has always been a little difficult for me since it seemed so slow and snaggy. Not with my Turbo Moon's. The yarn seemed to flow from one needle to the next. Even tricky stitches, like SSK, were cake with this combo.

I highly recommend these needles because they are so great for difficult yarns like novelty yarns, mohair, angora and thicker wools. The needles felt soft but solid in my hands. I felt no fatigue after a little over an hour of knitting and no aches (I often get aches from hard woods and some metals). The weight was good but even better was the tips. The Lantern Moon tips were not so sharp to split the yarn but not so dull to make picking up loops frustrating. In fact, I thought the tips so perfect that I completely forgot about them altogether until now.

I say buy for 2 reasons 1) they are super fast, smooth and comfy b) they are so beautiful that even if you never use them, they will make an excellent center piece.

KAL Progress

My Wisp is (NOW) going along swimmingly. I will confess a secret: I have made this once before and hated it. I just didn't understand the pattern. I read it over and over and it just didn't make any sense. As much as I wanted to blame the designer ("Ugh- can't she just make it simple! I must drink wine") I knew in my heart of hearts that it was reader error. So I wanted to try it again. I knew I needed support so I would not get to row 15 and throw it down and stomp up and down swearing my undying vengeance upon it. I smite thee! So I decided I would throw it into the KAL poll and see what happened. The rest is current history and happily it worked out because I cleaver knitter, codename: Cape Maui, joined our KAL. She unlocked the pattern for me and though I feel like a dunce for not seeing something so simple, I know I never would have seen it without someone else pointing it out to me. My husband has told me that often enough.

Pshaw, I say. This is different.

Now I am easily on the third repeat and there is no stopping me. I love it. LOVE IT. And the yarn. It was an excellent choice. While noticeably less fuzzy than mohair, it is unbelievably soft and shows the stitch pattern in a new way. I just want to cuddle in it. The Cashsoft feels good in the ball but awesome knitted up. The color, tricky to photograph, is perfect. So bold but the red is classic. I highly recommend knitting wisp it bright colors because it is so delicate and transparent. The lace pattern and a bright color are the winning combo.

I can't wait to see and hear about the other knitter's KAL progress. Post your pictures or Ravelry links on our Facebook page.