rostitchery

an exercise in utility

i've been organizing, sorting, inventory-ing, purging, and otherwise completely messing up the shop.  but it has gotten me to touch fabric again.  :)

for months i've had an idea for a new nursing top but i only got around to the muslin a few weeks ago--and then i only got around to the fitting today.  which just shows you the kind of sewing momentum i have going right now--it's what rudi calls IDD: "intention deficit disorder".  but i since i haven't shown you any sewing for a while, i figured i could at least post this--it is just a muslin, so bear with me.  it looks like an ordinary peasant top:

 

which provides my favorite nursing access:

but in actual fact it is two separate pieces which can be worn overlapped for nursing, or as individual pieces:

the whole thing took about an hour to cut and assemble--the fact that i spread that hour out over three weeks' time is my own fault. 

the skirt is just a rectangle:
width = hip circumference X 1.5
length = as desired, plus enough for waistline casing and hem

sew the short ends together, put a casing in the top and thread it with elastic.  hem.  (cutting one large rectangle creates only one seam, up the back.  if you choose, you can cut two rectangles, creating side seams.)

the top is one rectangle each for front and back (same size), and one each for the sleeves.  the construction is exactly how i make medieval/rennaissance/elizabethan/victorian/hippie chemises, the only variable is the length of the sleeve or the bodice.

BODICE RECTANGLES--cut two as follows:
width = underbust circumference
length = top of shoulder to underbust plus casing at top and bottom

SLEEVE RECTANGLES--cut two as follows:
width  = twice the bicep measurement
length = however long you want plus casing at top and bottom

NOTE--make sure to use the same casing width at the top of sleeve and bodice!   

now, if you've made my pillowcase dress, the next part will be familiar:  you are going to cut a J shape out of BOTH top corners of BOTH of the bodice rectangles--my J was 7" deep and 3 1/2" wide.  start with that size and adjust later if needed.  cut the exact same J shape out of BOTH top corners of BOTH of the sleeves.  the bodice and sleeve pieces will have the same basic shape--they will simply be different sizes depending on your measurements and the length you choose for your sleeves: 

the J shape is your armscye.  with right sides together, lay one sleeve on top of one bodice, matching the J's, and sew--repeat with the other sleeve.  now sew the remaining sleeve J's to the remaining bodice piece.  the neckline will be HUGE--that is correct!  sew the side seams from the hem of the top to the hem of the sleeve, in one pass.  the top is together!--all you have to do now is  fold and sew a casing at the neckline, the underbust, and both sleeve hems.  thread with elastic, and YOU ARE DONE.

if you make two outfits, each in a fabric that coordinates with the other, you end up with four complete outfit combinations, plus the four separates can be worn with other things (think jeans with the tops, t-shirts with the skirts--mix and match for bathing suit coverups, jammies--you get the idea).

please make this outfit.  prove to yourself how easy sewing can be.  even if you don't wear this, you know someone who would love to have it.  or you know an organization that would love to have this to give to someone who needs it.  and you know you have fabric to use up.  :)   i myself will be making several of these--one in some fun fabric that ella picked out for me--one in some panne velvet that needs something to do--one out of a sheet that i have been hording for just such an outfit.  i'm going to sew, i am, i really mean it--the very minute after i clear off the cutting table.

hey, what's with the yarn banner?

and where is all the sewing content?

the yarn banner is because i liked the yarn, and i liked the picture, and i was tired of the old banner, but the sewing-type banner i had tried to make just looked stupid, and this banner looked cool.

and the sewing has been on a mental health time-out.  i really really meant to sew this summer--i had planned to build myself an entire new wardrobe out of dust mops and dog chow bags--but alas, my sock drawer needed my attention.

for example:  ella has been having a little trouble with her piggies this summer--nothing serious, but enough that she can't wear closed-toe shoes.  so being that i have had socks on the brain, naturally i thought she needed socks for her open-toed shoes, AKA flip flops.  so i worked out a pattern for something that is more or less a tube with a strap to protect the foot from the flip-flop thong.  i made up a pair for myself first, to test them out, and this is what i came up with:

they seemed to do the job so i made a pair for ella, and she doesn't like them.  she wants her piggies covered--she doesn't want anybody to see her "boom-booms", AKA owies, boo-boos, or wounds, so now i have three sets of these lovelies and nobody in the house is wearing them--ella wants her piggies covered, and i want my piggies and the rest of my foot free.

in case your piggies need a pair, here is the pattern:

i used "sock weight" yarn and size 0 needles.  if you use other yarn or needles, adjust accordingly.  i knit with 5DPN's and the instructions reflect that, feel free to adapt to your method/needle count of choice.

to fit my size 9, medium width but very flat foot:  cast on 52 stitches or however many it takes to go all the way around your foot snuggly.  knit four rows of K4P4 ribbing, then knit in the round 20 rows, then knit four more rows of K4P4 ribbing.

now--knit 5 stitches, bind off 29, knit 5 stitches, bind off 13 (i'm sorry, you will need to do the math yourself if you use a different number of stitches--basically you just knit 5 stitches and bind off the rest needle one, bind off all stitches on the second needle, bind off the third needle to the last 5 stitches--knit those five then bind off the fourth needle.  clear as mud?).  when you get done with this part, you will have two needles with 5 stitches each.  you will knit 5 of those stitches to make a strap, and graft to the other five.

to make the strap:
row 1: K1, P3 K1
row 2: K5
repeat these rows until the strap is long enough for your foot, then graft to the remaining live stitches.

for ella's (size 11 shoe) i cast on 48 stitches, ribbing for four rows, knit in the round 10 rows, ribbing four rows, bind off as above using 4 knit stitches instead of 5.  strap is 10 rows long.