Retro-Modern Pillow

September 8, 2011 ~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ Leave a comment

A ~~crocheting~~ camping we will go, a camping we will go . . . DH and I finally pulled out the RV for our first camping trip this season. We spent five glorious days and nights in the mountains doing absolutely NOTHING (except for crocheting this terrific retro-inspired pillow).

The pattern is in the Setember/October 2011 issue of Crochet Today magazine. The pattern includes a square version and a round version. I chose the round one simply because all my throw pillows are square and I needed to change up the mix a bit. I used the suggested yarn colors as follows – Red Heart Super Saver #380 Windsor Blue and #313 Aran, but I couldn’t find #406 Med Thyme at my local craft store, so I used #661 Frosty Green. The pattern calls for a crocheted front and back for a 16″ round purchased pillow form. Being a sewer, I decided to crochet only the front panel and to use fabric for the opposite side. I also added a scalloped crochet edge to bring it all together. I happened to have a piece of quilter’s cotton in my stash that complemented the yarn colors perfectly. Here’s a shot of the opposite side:

In case wondering minds want to know, here’s how I put the whole thing together.
1. I started with my crocheted pillow panel:

2. After measuring to make sure it truly was 16″, I cut my cotton fabric to 16 1/2″ using a ruler and Sharpie to mark my circle.

3. Then I sewed a 1/4″ double fold hem around the circle. To do this, simply sew a basting stitch 1/4″ from the edge of the fabric like so:

4. Pull up the bobbin thread and the hem will ‘fold itself over’. Then simply fold it over on itself again and topstitch.

5. Then, using Omega nylon thread, I hand sewed a blanket stitch around the circumference of the cotton fabric so I would have a foundation on which to crochet a row of double stitches.

6. Finally, I used a scallop crochet pattern to attach the back to the front. This was a really fast and easy project and it was a great addition to my square, fabric home dec pillows.

Completed Cardigan – Simplicity 2154

September 5, 2011 ~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ 2 Comments

Wow! Hard to believe it’s been a month since my last post. It is my goal to post at least once a week, if not more. Hmmmm, I fell a bit short of that goal in August. Okay, enough guilt, let’s move on. It’s a new month, new beginning. Here’s my completed cardigan that I previewed in my one and only August post (so maybe I’m not past the postless guilt syndrome yet!):

In case it’s not obvious, that’s not me modeling the cardigan. Until I’ve completed the entire outfit, I chose to simply show it on the headless woman who shares my sewing ~~room~~ studio. I plan to sew a skirt and blouse to make a complete ensemble.

Here’s a close up of the buttons and buttonholes.

Buttonholes are not my favorite closure to sew, but I sucked it up and forged ahead. Don’t get me wrong, my Bernina sews the most beautiful, perfect buttonholes I’ve ever seen. It’s the simple act of cutting the slit in the buttonhole that rattles my nerves. Once the initial cut is made, there’s no turning back – this is not a task for those afraid of commitment! Four of the six buttonholes were a “clean” cut and I only clipped a few threads on the other two buttonholes when I cut the slit in them. That’s success in my book. I simply went back and sewed a new zig zag over the clipped threads. This is a picture of one of the buttonholes that I “repaired”:

I’ve not fully commited yet to which pattern I will use for the complementary skirt and blouse, so until then, I’ve gone a whole different direction. I have an almost-completed home dec project that I will share with you later this week. Have a terrific Labor Day.

Yes, I’m Still Sewing

August 5, 2011 ~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ Leave a comment

This is the pattern I’m currently using:

I just adore the look of classic pieces. The pillbox hat, although not included in the pattern, really intrigues me. I’ve always wished hats for women would come into fashion once again. Until then, I will wistfully admire them from a distance.

The cardigan is complete, sans the buttons and buttonholes. I’m having a difficult time finding just the perfect buttons. Therefore, until it is completely complete (?) I will just post a couple of detail photos. The first one is the shoulder seam. Ordinarily a piece of stay tape or stabilizer would be used here, but I opted for some ribbon from my scrapbook ribbon stash. I really like the ribbon and it matches perfectly with the color of the knit fabric. It’s a fun little detail that nobody will see but me, but it brings a smile to my face when I see it. The second photo is simply to show that I used a 4.0 mm double needle to stitch down the sleeve and body hems.

Shoulder seam

Double stitched hem

My plan is to make a complete ensemble for fall. I’ll sew the blouse from this pattern also. I’m not sure which skirt pattern I will use. The jury is still out on that one. I also have an outwear garment targeted on the horizon. Yes, my brain plans faster than my fingers sew!