sewing
Fleece Season
The minute it gets cold, I start sewing fleece. I’m working on a Catagonia pullover in this cheetah print Joann fleece (bought last year, so it’s discontinued now) and I have to congratulate myself on this pattern matching:
I also bought more fleece at Joann last month–they have a lot more printed sherpas this season, probably because of those Free People jackets that have been popular.
An indie pattern company even released a pattern that’s a perfect dupe of the FP jacket, so that’s next while I have black thread in the serger. Ten years ago, I never would have embraced this much polyester, but it’s SO WARM.
“We need more throw pillows!”
If you ever doubt the value of learning to sew, just look at the price of throw pillows with removable covers. Eighty to a hundred dollars? I think not!
These were “free” because the fabric had been sitting around for a while (since 2021 for the green print, when I meant to make a third new pillow for the couch, and since the spring for the orange print, when I thought I needed more quilt fabrics). The zippers were all from my stash and I even had contrast piping:
Quick Project Roundup, Childhood Prints Edition
I decided I needed some in-between tops that had more heft than a t-shirt but less than a sweatshirt, since the mornings are cold but it’s still warming up for the afternoons. I also had some knit pieces that I’d impulse bought over the last couple years and then thought, “What am I going to do with these?”
Turns out you can make a Serious Business Lady turtleneck in a pegasus print and a long sleeve top with French darts covered in Rainbow Brites:
The pegasii are a Euro knit from Jumping June, in a test of the Wardrobe by Me Trudy Turtleneck. The pattern delivers on its promise of a classic fit, but next time I make it I’ll need to do a full bicep adjustment (the hazards of being TOO SWOLE).
Rainbow Brite is a much lower quality knit from a place called Purple Seamstress Fabrics, but that almost doesn’t matter because RAINBOW BRITE. I used the Named Patterns Sloan Sweatshirt for this one–a sweatshirt shape in a regular-weight knit is something I saw Nooworks doing and it’s such a smart idea.
I’d almost forgotten how fast knits are to sew. Next up, some fancy sweatpants to pair with my new, inner-six-year-old-approved tops.
Tuesday Quick Palette Cleanser
My sewjo has been low lately, both because of that terrible pack sewing experience and because my brain is focused on COVERED BOXES. But I got an email last week that Grainline had 20% off their Field Bag pattern, and I had a kit (for a different bag) sitting around that had fabric and webbing, and I knew Grainline’s instructions would be impeccable. So I bought it and sewed it up in an afternoon.
I’m sharing the pattern illustration both because I didn’t get really detailed photos and because this is how it’s done. That LearnMYOG guy should take notes.
The webbing in my kit was wider than what the pattern called for, but it works. I like how it looks like a little pumpkin when it’s all gathered:
And it matches all my seasonally-appropriate sock projects:
The Worst Instructions
When I’m able to sit, I’m sewing another pack: the Trail Running Pack from a one-guy company, LearnMYOG. Except every time I work on it, I end up feeling like picking a fight with that guy, because the instructions are so bad.
There aren’t actual instructions, just a video sew along… but I’m not sure this guy had ever watched a sewing video before he filmed his, because why is he sewing black on black for his example? Why is it lit with a single 40-watt bulb?!
My other issue is that this was a THIRTY DOLLAR pattern. (For reference, the lumbar pack pattern I used was $9.) Not having real instructions or decent videos at this price point is bad enough, but not having anything marked clearly on the pattern is inexcusable. There are several points where you’re instructed to “pleat to fit” but… no pleat lines. Notches are hit and miss. And where should we place the straps? Is anything marked on the pattern piece? No, apparently we’re just going off vibes:
Anyway, I’ve been sewing long enough that I can figure out what to do, but I can’t imagine being able to finish this if I were a beginner. It’s also not the most restful sewing experience to be mentally composing scathing reviews while you’re working on it (although that might be a me problem). But lord grant me the confidence of a white guy who’s never seen a sewing pattern… releasing a $30 sewing pattern.
Tuesday Project Roundup: Little Outdoor Things
Well, I’ve found a way to keep shopping for sewing stuff without buying more garment fabric: making outdoor gear. I got a few little kits from Ripstop By The Roll (when I ordered the fabric for the hip belt for my lumbar pack) and sewed them up in an afternoon.
First is a dry bag in Dyneema, which is the darling of the outdoor gear world because it’s so strong and light. It sewed normally but felt weird, like sewing paper or a really thin blue IKEA bag.
The kit had everything you need, including seam tape to make it waterproof, plus hardware.
I also got their general $10 DIY Kit to try out some different fabrics. The hardware included in that one would make a stuff sack, but I wanted a zip pouch to hold my headlamp and emergency space blanket.
I tried out the LearnMYOG pattern generator to get the dimensions I needed and used a zipper I had laying around. (There are SO MANY zippers laying around… and after this MYOG craze fades, I’m going to have so much outdoor fabric laying around. Bury me with lots of craft supplies, I guess.)
Tuesday Project Roundup: Lumbar Pack!
Big sewing achievement unlocked–I made a hiking pack! No, it’s not an ultralight 50L for backpacking, but it’s exactly what I needed: A comfy, colorful little friend for our shorter trips.
I love how functional this is–it held just enough water for a 2.5 hour jaunt, it held all our snacks and first aid stuff, and it was so comfy. There are “load lifter” straps that can cinch it up if it’s full so it sits tight and close to your back, and there’s a double foam panel in the back so it keeps it shape.
This is the Stitchback Patterns’ “Lumbar Pack” and it was a beautiful pattern. Everything went together without any sweating and the instructions were super clear and detailed.
- I had the Ottertex canvas in lime and army green on hand, plus the orange zippers and orange mesh.
- The orange on the waist straps exterior is HyperD 300 from Ripstop By The Roll (oops I bought new fabric for it after all).
- The lime green toggles and orange buckles/webbing/grosgrain were from Strapworks.
- The khaki buckles, webbing, and shock cord plus orange spacer mesh were from Rockywoods.
- The pattern called for 5mm and 3mm EVA foam and I ended up just buying sheets of craft foam from JoAnn.
Some details: I added a front panel pocket and a key leash; those load lifters that are so cool; the pocket in the interior for the 5mm foam panel (plus bound interior seams); a zipper pocket in the lid and interior tie loops.
Final verdict: I love this. It’s so nice to not have the weight of my Osprey pack dragging on my upper back. I didn’t realize how uncomfortable it was until I made this. (I’ve probably been wearing it badly adjusted for 12 years… )
Plus, having a waist pack means you can just swing it around and access your snacks, no need to stop and unload everything.
Great pattern, great sewing experience, and great usability–the trifecta of sewing unlocked!
Tuesday Project Planning: Hiking “Lite” Pack
When you absolutely don’t need to acquire more fabric or make more clothes, what do you do? Buy a bunch of notions and plan to make a pack.
I’ve had the make your own gear (MYOG) sewing community on my radar for a while and was looking at pack patterns over the weekend. A lot of what’s out there is meant to be made ultralight (UL, of course) and going from my 3-pound Osprey to a 19 oz DIY pack sounded pretty good… but then I realized we just don’t do the kinds of hikes that need a 30L pack. Honestly, the Osprey is overkill for our afternoons up Millcreek, so when I saw Stitchback Patterns’ “Lumbar Pack” above, I thought, “This is perfect.”
It’s big enough to hold snacks, a hat and gloves, and a first aid kit (my non-negotiables) and it has that chonky hip belt and pockets for water bottles. I still have Ottertex outdoor fabric from an order two years ago, so my pack won’t be ultralight–but you know it will be color coordinated:
Notions shopping was FUN (because shopping!): I found colored buckles and webbing at Strapworks, and the khaki accents and even orange spacer mesh at Rockywoods.
As soon as my $50 in notions and shipping arrive, I can get started on my “free” pack!
All Quilt, All The Time
Like I said last week, I decided to push through the king size quilt I’ve had in progress so we can have it on the bed by the end of the year. I also decided we needed matching shams, so that meant I had to make a trip to Harmony on Saturday for more fabric (and, oops, some sock yarn):
Then I cut all that brand-new fabric up into smaller pieces and arrange it:
Then I sew the smaller pieces together, cut them up again vertically, and sew them all together again to get a block that’s smaller than the piece of brand-new fabric in the first place. (Sometimes, modern quilting makes no sense, but in my defense I ran out of big enough scrap pieces months ago; the mask making of 2020 really put a dent in my quilting cotton.)
Anyway, this is all pretty money- and labor-intensive. I wish I’d started tracking time and expenses but now I’m just going for it. I did have a moment, though, thinking this entire thing wouldn’t even look good. I grabbed the blocks I had 100% finished and laid them out to see if this was going to work… and it is. Sometimes you gotta get some distance and then you can see the patterns emerge.
Yes, that was a Quilting Metaphor.