A Girlier Lane Raglan

If you look at this picture...

...you might think I made a Lane Raglan. No big deal. Right? We've all made a bazillion Lanes by now. But there are a few things I want to show you about this particular Lane Raglan.

The first is the that I followed some advice I'd never heard before and cut my neckband on the bias. This comes from Melissa at Melly Sews and I think it turned out great. This fabric doesn't have a ton of stretch so I think it was key in getting a nice flat neckband. Check out her post here.

The second thing is the change to the sleeve.

I copied the proportions of a knit top I bought at Kohl's this winter. I cut the sleeves at 6 inches and added 6 inch bells or ruffles or whatever you want to call them, for 3/4 length sleeves overall. There is only 4" of extra width gathered in so they aren't too full.

The third thing is the stitching.

I'm still on the decorative stitching instead of double needle stitching kick. It's just so easy and adds a nice touch. This is stitch #40 on my Singer Quantum Stylus. You know how long that would take me by hand? I do enjoy hand embroidery, but this is so much quicker. Just be sure you have enough thread on both your top thread and bobbin before you start each area because running out in the middle of a line is not attractive. I used this to hem the sleeves and bottom as well and also to topstitch the neckband down.

The last thing I want to talk about is the fit. It's a bit tight in the chest. I'm sure you noticed but were too nice to say anything. So here's my excuse. This top fought me every step of the way. I started out using a completely different pattern for a draped front raglan that I've made in the past. BUT, I just didn't like how it looked in this fabric AND I accidentally attached the front piece inside out! I had serged and lightening bolt stitched so there was no chance of unpicking the whole thing. So I cut it apart and was able to re-cut the front and back pieces and cut entirely new sleeves using the Lane pattern, but the sleeves had to be shorter and I had to use the tiniest seam allowances possible.

So it is a bit snug, but I'm not worried because I gave up dairy for Lent and should be able to drop my winter weight pretty quickly while I suffer through Mexican food sans cheese and no homemade yogurt with homemade granola for breakfast, etc. My chest is one of the first places I lose weight, so that's kind of good news for this top.

What I really like about this top is that it's basically a t-shirt and suits my casual everyday style, but I feel like it can be dressed up a bit too. The fabric is a wool jersey that was nice to work with and feels good - not like wool in other words.

This top makes me feel ready for spring, but I really need some new jeans and pants in general. I think I'll wait and see how much the lower half of me loses though before I shop or sew much more for me.

Wool Jersey Otium Sweater Hack

Happy New Year! It's been a busy couple of months since I've posted, but let's just pick up where we left off. It'll feel like reconnecting with your old college friend you haven't talked to in ages. You don't need to hear what's been keeping me away, let's just be happy to be back together.

I treated myself to a few cuts of wool knits from the Imagine Gnats shop. My first make of this year is a Sofilantjes Otium Sweater hack using this wool jersey. This is my first time purchasing and using wool jersey, but it won't be my last! I think it has surprised me in a couple of ways. First off, it's soft. I was worried about buying online without feeling it, but I read a review that said it was soft, and it is. No scratchiness at all. The second surprise was that it was completely easy to sew with requiring no special anything.

The only pictures I have are selfies in the mirror. Several technological difficulties have happened around here lately and it's been pretty tough to keep up with all the changes. As it is, my laptop is hooked up to a 32" TV right now for me to even post this. I was pretty pleased with myself for figuring out that I could unhook teen boy's Xbox and plug that cord into my laptop to use the TV as a monitor. Yay me.

If you aren't familiar with the Otium Sweater pattern, I'll tell you it's a great basic that has some options to dress it up. I have the bundle pack so I've made several for all the women in the house. I did make a couple small changes of my own to this one. For starters, I cut the bodice pieces 3" shorter, but then cut a large 10" band to double up for the bottom. I did this as a design detail but also to add weight to the top so it would hang nicely.

Being familiar with the pattern, I knew that the sleeve length is nice and generous already requiring no additional length for me whereas I often have to add length to other designers patterns. I wanted a long, slouchy sleeve look though, so I cut the cuffs double the usual length. I also narrowed them some to fit my bony wrists snugly. Love how they turned out.

The pattern calls for finishing the neck with a band, but I simply turned and topstitched with my double needle and matching thread. The front is possibly a bit higher also. I cut it much higher but then cut some back off so I can't really say how much different it is from the pattern.

So that's it. Today, our outdoor temp is 21 degrees. We keep our house at no more than 68 during the day. I'm wearing a silky (poly I guess, though I wish it was silk) cami underneath and am completely warm and comfortable. The first make of 2017 is a success. I have the next wool top cut out in this fabric and ready to sew so hopefully I'll be back next week with that one.