The world of knitting and 3D printing has collided and I've added 3D printed stitch markers to my Etsy Shop. These markers are colorful and ever so cute, if I may say so myself. They should be snag-free as they are printed as one piece. In case it's not obvious, the cut-out is that of a cat silhouette.
This was another quick sewing project with a very simple pattern -- Simplicity 1068. My skirt is in between views C and D in length. I only had to cut 3 pieces of fabric out of 2 pattern pieces. The fabric is this printed knit fabric by Nicole Miller for JoAnn. It's a very tightly woven polyester and feels like a lighter version of the neoprene fabrics that I saw in the stores last spring. I'm not sure that I love the fabric because it feels strangely slimy. I decided to try it for a skirt because I figure it wouldn't breathe much and be uncomfortable for a dress. It's also a little annoying to work with because it doesn't hold a crease and even my ball point needle wouldn't sew through it easily. That being said, I do like the look of the completed skirt. The bottom trim is just some wide bias tape folded in half and sewn over the raw edge. I saw that done in some ready-to-wear garments made with similar fabrics and I liked the idea. The red gives it a bit of pop at the hem.
I just finished knitting the Petra Shawl. I'm not much of a shawl knitter, mainly because I don't really like to wear them. I did knit this one last year, and I actually wear it as a large scarf quite often because it's light and warm and also has bling. I knitted this latest one because I wanted to make use of this colorful ball of yarn that I bought last year. It's named Woollee, and I couldn't resist the name or the colors. The knitted end product is actually a bit more colorful than I like, but it's fine as a big scarf.
I recently sewed two, count 'em, two, skirts, one after the other. I used Simplicity 1072, and it's a super simple skirt pattern. You have to cut just 3 fabric pieces out of 2 pattern pieces. It's cut for stretch fabrics, so no darts are needed and the waistband encases some wide elastic.
I love how these came out. They are the perfect casual and comfortable skirts that I can wear through most seasons. I won't bother with the leggings in warmer weather. The pattern calls for stretch knits, but any moderately stretchy bottom-weight fabric will work. The first one is sewn in a stretch quilt fabric. I found it in the juvenile fabrics section at JoAnn -- it was there probably because of the hearts in the quilt design. I managed to cut the skirt with the hearts upside down, but I don't think anyone will notice. I sewed the second one in a mauve colored stretch corduroy that has a very narrow wale.
Footnote (no pun intended) -- if you're wondering about the leggings, yes, they do have a subtle camouflage pattern. Camouflage seems to be everywhere these days.
Here's a photo of a pair that I just added to the shop today. I named them "Barrel O' Fun".
