Year in Review 2016

Wow, does time ever fly when you're having fun in the sewing room!  It's been another wonderful year of sewing and I feel like I accomplished a lot even though I'm not a prolific sewer.

 The highlight of 2016 was without a doubt my brand new Bernina 580.  This is my dream sewing machine that I've wanted for a while.  I'm still loving it.  It's beautiful to work with and beautiful to look at too!

So what did I actually sew in 2016?  Let's see.
I started the year off with my ridiculously girly Vintage Apron.    I really enjoyed working on this.

The pattern had some unique details which were not only interesting but beneficial to add to my sewing repertoire.


Of course,  I also did some knitting and quilting this year.

Needle turn appliqué

I didn't complete a quilt or a cardigan.  But I did complete some mittens!  Here are my Songbird mittens.

I also squeezed in my La Joie du Printemps mittens this year.    

 I made two summer shirt dresses (McCall's 6696) and I learned a lot about fitting with these.  

I discovered that doing a sway back adjustment eliminates vertical excess and makes for a lot less poofing.  I really enjoyed fitting this dress despite my frustration fitting the collar to my gaping neckline adjustment.

Then I dived into my biggest challenge which will be a tremendous sewing accomplishment if I succeed; drafting and fitting a pants sloper.  I've always been frustrated by pants and the lack of a good fit.  Now I'm ready for the challenge.

Overall, it's been a pretty good year of sewing.  I did a bit more knitting than usual.  I find knitting stranded mittens doesn't hurt my wrist as much as knitting sweaters, so those mittens were fun.  I certainly did not sew as many garments as I would like but the garments I did sew were excellent quality, and I learned a lot from them.  However, I think next year I'd like to sew more garments.  So I better get going!

Thanks for reading my blog!  Many well wishes from my sewing room to yours!

Happy New Year!

La Joie du Printemps Mittens

Ironically, I completed my La Joie du Printemps mittens around the winter solstice, and spring seems a far-flung memory.  Nevertheless, it is a gorgeous knitting pattern, and it was a lot of fun to knit.  It's knit at a denser gauge than my Songbird mittens, so they're a bit more impermeable to wind.

We just had a blizzard yesterday, so it was fun to photograph these on fresh snow banks.

I used Jamieson & Smith 2 ply Jumper Weight wool which is a lovely Shetland yarn traditionally used for fair isle work.  I decided on a bright magenta with bright white contrast for a cheery design.  I have the complete collection of Jamieson & Smith shade cards because I like to see the colours in person before I order.  So it's fun to look at different combinations on the cards for colourwork.

 I used yarn colour 52 which is a bright magenta.  It sometimes appears red in photos, but you can see how it compares to 93 and 1403.

I really enjoyed making these mittens.  It's fun to see the design emerge.  I also find that knitting colour work is not painful on my wrist like other knitting is.  So it's a bonus for me!

 Well, these mittens will definitely keep my fingers toasty this winter.


If you're having a cold winter too, stay warm, and I wish you a cozy season.  If you're having balmy or summer weather well then lucky you!

Thanks for reading my blog and

Happy Knitting!

Winter Sewing Ideas

There's no denying that winter is here.  Sewing summer dresses is no longer satisfying if I can't wear them now.  So,  I've officially shifted to winter sewing mode.  I quite enjoy winter sewing because there's no way I'd rather spend a cold wintry day than in my sewing room.  I probably accomplish a lot more in winter than I do in summer.

I decided to call them sewing ideas as opposed to sewing plans.  I guess I'm really focused on my pant sloper now and I don't want to commit to too many projects.  Nevertheless, I do have some awesome winter sewing ideas!

photo from www.asos.com

First of all, I would like to draft and sew a pair of fitted cigarette pants in a colourful cotton twill,  similar to the photo here.  I'm in the process of fitting my sloper right now.  I'll do a separate post all about it,  hopefully soon! (crossing fingers)  

I would also like to use my pant sloper to make a pair of dress pants or slacks, perhaps in a beautiful black wool crepe.  It would be so awesome to have a nice fitting pair.

I was also thinking of making this dress again in view C or D.  I love the way it fits, and I could always use a warm winter dress.  I would probably use a wool suiting fabric.  Something a bit less bulky than I used last time.

I've wanted to make Vogue 1513 for a while.  I even scoured the internet for the perfect fabric.  I couldn't find any wool crepe around here. I finally found some fabric I like from England.  So now I have to make it!

And, last but not least.  I could really use a new sweater dress!  I love McCall's 7430 with either the full length or 3/4 length sleeves because it would be so warm and cozy.  The only problem is finding the perfect knit.  I'll just have to keep searching.

So, there you have it.  I feel a bit better having put some of my scattered ideas down.  I'm on a roll with pant fitting right now.  It's a lot of trial and error but I am learning a lot, and I don't want to get distracted as I sometimes do.  Once I'm done with pants, I'll move on to dresses which are always fun.

I'll be back soon...

Happy Sewing!