What an overdue post! My draft of this post is from January 2019! These blouses have been completed for a while and in standard work rotation in the wardrobe. I think it's time for a blog post! These blouses were a long time in the making. I looked at them, I left them, I came back to them... . Rinse repeat! I am thankful that I finally just did it. I did the buttonholes, I did the finishing, I just got them done. And sometimes that is what life is about - just getting whatever done. Over the new year break between 2018 /2019 I decided it was time to tackle this blouse once and for all. To help along the way, I had two gorgeous 1930s replica print cottons in my stash from Spotlight. They felt really stiff and full of starch so I washed them to force improvement. Best idea I had all day! They turned into the softest cotton which feels like a dream against the skin. To say they have been a delight to work with just doesn't cover it! The pattern was cut out with only scraps left over. I think I would be able to squeeze in the pocket if I wanted. The collar points are just so... pointy. They take up space. Here is the blouse as a general shell so I could see the shape and the print. It's trés pretty. I always get excited at this point. It so early but you get the idea of what you're making. The sleeves are shaped with three darts at the sleeve cap to create that dramatic 40s look. The pattern says to use shoulder pads, but I tend to rely on my own naturally large shoulders. The blue blouse I made as directed with the pleats in the sleeve cap, and the simple narrow sleeve hem. It does make the sleeves sit just in the crook of my elbow which feels a moment too long for me. Workable, but not idea. Is it enough for me to take the hem up again?... no. After my success with the blue one, I barrelled straight along into a red one - same fabric but different colourway. This collar is just... POW! It pops right into your face and demands attention. Mods to the red blouse include:
10/10 would make again. Blouses - Simplicity 8243
Pants with blue blouse - Retrospec'd Pants with red blouse - Simplicity 3688 in brown mechanical drill
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It's finished. It's worn. It's lovely! This project was finished a while ago, but this is only the second time it has seen daylight. My mum had to figure out the sleeves as I couldn't get them to be nice and puffy. She is a wizard. On a shoulder / sleeve cap related note, I am employing my own shoulders here again. The stitch of this jumper is squishy and cozy. It was really easy to memorise and knit mindlessly. The sleeves increase dramatically out of nothing and I found them an odd looking shape. It worked out in the end! It's a comfortable long length for my torso as I added an extra inch. Good decision. Much love. The yarn is a baby yarn I purchased from Lincraft. It was gorgeous and smooth to work with. No splitting. No weirdness. Only a few balls had knots in the yarn. Not too bad. There are a list of my mods on my Ravelry page. This is a great knit. If you're thinking about casting it on, go ahead! Jumper: Joan Crawford Jumper from Hollywood Knits
Shirt: Uni Qlo Pants: Hell Bunny Shoes: Windsor Smith circa 2010 Hat: Vintage Hello hello you beautiful 1940s reproduction pattern. What a delight you are! Welcome to my wardrobe, Simplicity 8736. It is a 1940s blouse with bishop sleeves into a cuff, button back, gathered front shoulders and gathered sleeve heads. I made self-covered buttons for the back and sleeves. They are small and flat so I cannot feel them when I am leaning against something. This pattern went together really easily, however there are quite a lot of fiddly steps. Gathering here, facings there, folding back facings and interfacing back there, cuffs, button holes, buttons, tucks, darts. You should have some skills up your (bishop) sleeve if you want to sew this one. Originally, the plan was to finish this on the June 2019 long weekend. I had cut it out, done the darts/tucks to start... and then my partner injured his knee on the Saturday (high grade ACL tear).... I became a full time care giver as he couldn't walk, bend, turn, step over high things, bend knees, reach up, reach low, carry things, pour things, balance. He could walk on crutches but that was about it. No more sewing for me! I also had to call my mum for her birthday while we were waiting in the medical centre! Not the best way to delay a birthday phone call! Most of my day was taken up by helping him hobble off the soccer field, up stairs, into the car, out of the car, into the medical centre, onto a chair, out of a chair. The whole lot. It was a busy weekend but not in the way I anticipated. Finally, a few weeks ago I stuck in and got it done. Then it sat on my dress form for a while to be admired. Next it moved to my wardrobe waiting for the perfect moment to come out and play. That day is today! It's a lot of fun to wear, it's pretty glamorous and enhances general swanning about. Which is what you do in bishop sleeves. Everyone knows that. If this pattern is languishing in your stash waiting for time to sew... then just do it! The time you invest is worth it. Notes: Made the straight size 16 - no alterations Fabric is a rust coloured rayon from Spotlight bought specifically for this project Self covered buttons from a Spotlight kit, 12mm Hand stitched down the back facings and neck facing to keep it flat No shoulder pads installed. I use my own shoulders. 1940s blouse: made by me - Simplicity 8736
Pants: Retrospec'd Shoes: Asos IT'S FINISHED! My first proper fair isle pattern has been cast off, blocked and worn. I absolutely love it. There will no doubt more fair isle knitting in my future. Mostly because there is a lot of yarn left over from this project... The pattern is knit in the round, bottom up until the shaping for the armsyce. The front neck/upper back are knitted straight in rows. Neck and armholes and picked up and knit afterwards in the roundy-round. Then time to weave in a buttload of ends. So many ends. All the ends! Took me two full nights of weaving to finish it. Purl-ing the fair isle was a bit of a pain to get used to, but I eventually found a rhythm. I cannot say how pleased I am with this project. It's the first thing I've completed in my knitting goals for 2018 and I'm glad that it's worked so darn well! Now, I can do plain knitting, cables, lace AND colourwork! Considering that 2019 will be my 10th year of knitting, I think I'm doing pretty well! Colourwork isn't scary, it just takes time, patience, a little more concentration... and natural light. P.S: Note how well the red in the vest matches the red of my existing pants! Match made in heaven. Scroll down to jump straight to the tutorial Introducing.... The Gable Top by Jennifer Lauren Handmade. But with bishop sleeves! Shut up and take my money. My first attempt at this hack was with an additional 3" to either side of the sleeve - so an extra 6" per sleeve. I made it in a draped black knit jersey fabric from Spotlight. The added 3" per side looked really drastic on the pattern, and then wasn't at all drastic in real life. It was a subtle bishop sleeve. Nothing was changed in the sleeve cap, I didn't do the slash and spread method. I did the lazy version. To continue with the lazy theme, I made a casing and slid some elastic through. No messing around with cuffs. On the second version I used a wine coloured, open drapey knit which was prone to unravelling - tedious. I added 9" per side of the sleeve. That's a whopping 18" of additional sleeve. This was much more successful. However... there could always be more sleeve drama. I want to drape myself around the house like a femme fatale. Tutorial: Gable Top Hack - Bishop SleevesYou will need
1. Trace the entire sleeve, including all pattern markings. Remember to add a note about the type of hack and what version of the sleeve it is. Sometimes it can even be a good idea to add a date. 2. From the bottom edge of your sleeve hem, measure out your desired additional width. 9" on both sides = 18 additional inches added into the sleeve fullness and the wrist. Draw a line from that point up to the beginning of the sleeve cap shaping. It's going to look crazy. Just go with it. The example below is 9" per side. 3. Directly below, add your casing. Mine was 2cm (and I folded in 5mm to hide the raw edge). 4. Add in the little wibbly-bit on the BACK of the sleeve. The back of the sleeve will be decided by the double notches on the sleeve cap. I just free-handed this wibbly-bit and it worked out in the end. My smaller black 3" per side didn't have the wibbly-bit and there wasn't an issue - the world kept turning. 5. Cut out your new sleeve pattern. Again, double triple check that it is clearly labelled and you've listed how large the addition is. Cut 2 of your new sleeve pattern. Hooray for dramatic sleeves! Note on asssembly: Make Gable Top as usual. However, do not hem the sleeves before inserting them. Set the sleeves in, sew the side seams and THEN do the elastic casing. Trust me, this is the easiest way. Now, swan about in your beautiful new top with added drama and mystery. Let me know if you try the cheats version of the bishop sleeve! Top: Gable Top b Jennifer Lauren Handmade
Skirt: Salvos Boots: Sandler, circa 2004/2005 |
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