Parfait Progress

I started working on this dress last night. I put it off because I didn't want to sew that curved midriff waist on the front. It wasn't nearly as bad as I was anticipating, so I was able to make lots of progress with this project. All that I have left to do is sew in the facings, sew on the pockets, and add buttons and buttonholes. I should have a new dress to wear by next weekend!

Aran Waistcoat

Summertime weather is here and that means my knitting will slow down a little. The next project on my knitting docket is this Aran Waistcoat by Megan Rogers. It's a pattern from Twist Collective. I hope to get sewing my Parfait dress this weekend too!

Charming Charms by Tord Boontje & Artecnica

Charming Charms by Tord Boontje
Originally uploaded by actionhero

These charms were featured in the NY Times Sunday Styles section about three weeks ago and they were promptly sold out from the A+R Store. I ordered them anyway and they finally came in the mail today. I got the sterling silver charm set, but they also come in 18-karat gold. Each pack contains three different charms and there are four packs to choose from. I've also seen the charms over at Charles & Marie.

Honeycomb Vest

Honeycomb Vest
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I finished the Honeycomb Vest on Saturday night. I love the texture of the stitch, the deep neckline, and the subtle shaping too. I hope to be able to get a couple of wearings out of it before the summer weather hits.

Fabric for Parfait Dress

Here's the fabric I selected for my Parfait dress. It's from the Darcey collection by Anna Griffin. The floral fabric will be the main fabric and the chevron stripes will be the contrasting fabric for the straps, waist, and pockets. This will be a fun project!

Honeycomb is Blocking

So, I pinned the vest down for blocking last night. The night before I finished the front and had to redo the back because I had done the decreases incorrectly along the neckline. I didn't even notice it until I was getting ready to three-needle bindoff the shoulders together. I must have really been deeply involved in Dancing With the Stars to not have noticed that error because it was so obvious! You can't really tell in this photo, but there should be a slight U-shaped scoop on the back with the straps on the same edges as the armholes. Luckily, the fix wasn't too complicated.

Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity 2584

Cynthia Rowley for Simplicity 2584
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I finished this dress tonight. I really like how it turned out. The only modifications I made were to sew in an invisible zipper rather than what the directions called for: a contrasting zipper that is sewn on the outside. I also did not sew the tuck the is supposed to be at the bottom of the dress. I thought it was unnecessary. It's pretty low cut, but with a cami underneath, it should be fine.

Yoke's On Me

Just finished sewing the facing to the yoke and the front of the dress. Once they pieces were sewn together I had to slash it down the center, which I'm always paranoid about because I think I'm going to end up cutting the dress too. As you can see, I used some brown binding that I had in my stash to finish the facing edges. The fabric is thick enough that it doesn't really show through to the right side. I just didn't want to have to go and buy a bunch of facing when I could just use what I had on hand.

Simplicity 2584 Dress

I started working on this project Sunday morning. So far, so good. I had scanned the directions briefly a couple of weeks ago, but for some reason, I thought the project would be more complicated than it is. I wanted to experiment with some different seam finishes and decided to sew some binding on all the exposed seams for a neat professional look. It's definitely taking more time, but I think it will be worth it. I'm using the binding that I have in my stash, so it doesn't all match. I'm still trying to decide if I want to add the sleeves or go for a sleeveless look.

Knit & Crochet Show

PDXers, have you heard about this?
The Knit & Crochet Show
The Show is The Knitting Guild Association's National Conference and the Crochet Guild of America's Regional Conference.
May 14-17, 2009
Doubletree Hotel, Lloyd Center
Lots of classes, shopping, fashion show, and more.

Colette Patterns: Parfait, No. 1003

Colette Patterns: Parfait, No. 1003
Originally uploaded by actionhero

I got my Colette pattern in the mail today. I love that the the pattern and instructions come in a booklet format. It's a very clever and handy presentation. At first glance, the instructions look easy-to-follow and clear. This project is next on my list to sew after the Cynthia Rowley shift. See the rest of the pattern booklet photos here.

Simplicity 2593 Tank

This is the first completed project using the Cynthia Rowley patterns that I bought. I had wanted to make the shift dress first, but the tank was a quicker project. I sewed this over the course of a couple of days because I started on Saturday night. It only takes a couple of hours to make. I used some Moda fabric I had in my stash that I completely forgot about. I think the polka dots are perfect!

Crafty Scrabble Tiles

Giant Scrabble Tiles
Originally uploaded by actionhero

Check out these giant Scrabble tiles that my sister made for me. Pretty cool, huh? You can see other views here, here, and here.