Make Do and Mend: Wool Socks

It is sock wearing weather.  Now, I do have a batch of me-made wool socks that should keep me warm and toasty this winter.  But there is also a box of wool and cotton socks sitting in the sewing workspace waiting for some make do and mend attention.  Not the American band, rather I'm talking about the act of taking care of one's clothing.  

Make do and mend:  To maintain one's possessions for as long as possible, repairing rather than replacing them when needed, with the goal of not buying and/or consuming more than is necessary.  

I'm not sure if it's a sign of the times with consecutive interest rate hikes to try and cool eye-brow raising inflation and talk about a 2023 recession coming but there seems to be a lot of focus on the bookstore shelves dedicated to mending.  Could mending become the cool thing to do?  

It appears so.  Lladybird and WinnipegSews along with so many others offer mending workshops.  Mending has moved from the bookstore shelves to sewing community gatherings.  This is wonderful news.  Taking care of what we have has so many benefits not only for individuals but the community at large by keeping our possessions out of the landfill as long as we can.  

The chill in the air nudged me to pull out a couple of wool socks to mend.  I used an old lightbulb to fill the interior of the sock and give a curved surface to sew.  Then I cut out some "patches" from an old wool sweater that no longer fits and threaded my needle with silk thread. 

Then I got to work with some visible sewing stitches working in a circular direction from the outside edge moving towards the centre.   

My favourite SmartWool socks were also mended.  I used the ribbing edge of the sweater to give a texture that mimicked the cable-like texture of the socks.  

It feels good to have these two pairs of socks back in rotation this winter.  And I have to admit I like the cushioning effect of these wool patches on the heels of the socks.  

Happy Mending!

Wool Socks Rock: The Wolf and the Tree Going Rogue Socks

I made one more batch of wool socks.  A previously made batch of five black wool socks have been gifted.  This set of six are all mine.  

These are created just in time of rubber boot season as the mountains of snow are starting to melt.  But I digress...

The fact that I made over a dozen pair of socks, it goes without saying that I do like this pattern for the mini crew sock.  It's the only style that I have sewn even though this pattern contains many style variations.  It  is a quick make and I would recommend it for a beginner for sure.  I do however question the claim that this "can be made from print to sew in well under half an hour!"  Yeah, not quite.  Maybe once you have the pattern printed, taped and cut, then you can start the timer on that claim.  It is indeed a quick sew once you have everything read to go.  

I don't know if I will make anymore Going Rogue socks.  Perhaps for a charity project in the future.  Instead, I will likely give the sock pattern from Sewing Heart Design a try.  It won't be anytime soon.  It's another PDF pattern.  I'm not a huge fan of taping together PDF patterns and this one doesn't have seam allowances.  It just seems like too much work.  

For now, I'm just happy with this addition to my collection of socks.  

Project Details

Seams:  Lightning bolt / knit stitch

Seam finish:  None in the interior, rolled hem on sock upper edge

Pattern:  The Rogue Sock by The Wolf and the Tree

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, scissors, weights, sewing machine, walking foot, thread clippers, serger and thumb brace.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!

Me-Made May: The Third Week

Saturday, May 16th:  (2 me-made items)

Day wear:  Black linen and rayon Lynn Mizono dress Vogue 1410 worn with Buffalo denim jean jacket.  Shoes:  Mephistos.  

Gym gear:  Grey knit exercise pants worn with long-sleeved navy sketcher tee-shirt and white socks.  Shoes:  Keen runners.   

Evening:  Fleece lined knit loungewear Simplicity 2289 worn with knit loungewear pants.   

Sunday, May 17th:  (3 me-made items)

Day wear:  Grey and blue pinstriped wool and cashmere pants OOP Vogue 1325 worn with blue cashmere Lords & Taylor pull-over sweater and black socks.  Shoes:  Franco Sarto black leather ankle boots.  

Gym gear:  Green exercise shorts OOP McCall's 4212 worn with white Olsen tee-shirt and grey socks.  Shoes:  Keen runners.  

Evening:  Grey fleece lined knit loungewear Simplicity 2289 worn with knit loungewear pants and wool socks.

Monday, May 18th:  (1 me-made item)
Day and evening wear:  Blue and black plaid flannel dress (worn as pj's all day) McCall's 6600. I would like to note that it is a holiday here and we woke up to snow--it was a flannel pj wearing kind of day.

Tuesday, May 19th:  (3 me-made items)
Day wear:  Black light-weight wool pants OOP Vogue 1325 worn with black and white polka dot Liz Claiborne shirt, black knee-hi's, cream colour jacket Vogue 1263.  Shoes:  black dress shoes.

Gym gear:  Grey sweatpants, navy Skechers tee-shirt and grey sports socks.  Shoes:  Keen runners.
Evening:  Blue and black plaid flannel dress pajamas McCall's 6600.

Wednesday, May 20th:  (4 me-made items)
Day wear:  Marcy Tilton skirt Vogue 9060 worn with black tee-shirt from Holt Renfrew, cardigan sweater McCall's 6844 and beige spring coat OOP Burda 7304.  Shoes:  Clogs from Browns.

Evening:  Black and blue plaid dress pj's McCall's 6600.

Thursday, May 21st:  (1 me-made item)
Day wear:  Black linen and rayon Lynn Mizono dress Vogue 1312 worn with Mac & Jac linen jacket.  Shoes:  tan wedged shoes.

Evening:  Knit pull-on pj bottoms and Sketcher tee-shirt.

Friday, May 22nd:  (3 me-made items)
Day wear:  Navy Rachel Comey skirt Vogue 1247 worn with white shirt Burda 7136, navy Liz Claiborne cardigan and navy windbreaker.  Shoes:  Red sandals.

Gym gear:  Green shorts OOP McCall's 4212 worn with tee-shirt, white sports socks.  Shoes:  Keen runners.
Evening:  knit shirt and pants.

Saturday, May 23rd:  (1 me-made item)
Day wear:  Orange floral skirt New Look 6106 worn with yellow camisole and short sleeve knit cardigan from Mexx.  Shoes:  Mephistos.

Evening:  Knit pull-on pj bottoms with Sketcher tee-shirt.

Sunday, May 24th:  (3 me-made items)

Day wear:  Green cotton skirt Burda 6766 worn with ivory and pearl cardigan sweater. Shoes:  tan wedged style. Black and ivory knit Marcy Tilton skirt Vogue 9060 worn with black tee-shirt. Shoes: mephistos.

Evening:  Black and blue plaid flannel dress pj's McCall's 6600.

Well, that is what my me-made week looked like--a crazy mix of items just like our weather that started off with snow at the beginning of the week and ending with summer-like temperatures. I wonder what this week will bring.

Happy Sewing!

Me-Made-May Update

It really was a struggle to write a MMM update get out of bed most days this week. One more week to go. How is your Me-Made-May going?    

On Sunday, May 15th, I wore 2 me-made item.

Weekend wear:  Lace print spring coat, OOP Burda 7304; red vintage cotton knit skirt; RTW Kate Spade cotton and cashmere button-front cardigan; RTW vanilla coloured lace scarf; RTW undergarments (bra and knickers).

Nightwear:  Blue and black plaid flannel dress worn as a nightshirt, OOP McCall's 6600.

Accessories:  Red Ralph Lauren wedged shoes; red stone ring; and black leather handbag.

Lessons learned today:  Giving small unexpected gifts can make someone feel great and that is an amazing feeling.  

On Monday, May 16th, I wore three me-made items (if only briefly).

Workwear:  Blue and white pinstriped cotton pants (Rachel Comey designer), Vogue 1507, briefly until they split and ended up in the mending pile; RTW sleeveless blue top; RTW blue and white striped linen jacket; Rachel Comey skirt, OOP Vogue 1247; RTW jeans; RTW white tee-shirt; RTW undergarments (Bra, knickers, and socks); RTW red knit lined spring jacket.

Nightwear:  Blue and black plaid flannel dress worn as a nightshirt, OOP McCall's 6600.  

Accessories:  Black Mephisto; Burgundy Hunter rubber boots; floral print sneakers; wrist brace; gray sport socks; Ray Ban sunglasses; hat; and black leather handbag.

Lessons learned today:  When you work at a school it is always a good thing to have a change of clothes in the car.  You never know what your day will bring--a whole day outdoors.  

On Tuesday, May 17th, I wore two me-made items.

Workwear:  Black light-weight wool pants, OOP Vogue 1325; RTW green and black plaid shirt; green and black hoodie, Butterick 6253; RTW undergarments (bra, knickers, black lace socks).

Nightwear:  RTW knit shirt and pants.  

Accessories:  Black leather Mephisto; black leather handbag; and wrist brace.

Lessons learned today:  Always wear sunscreen and re-apply it throughout the day. Oh, and never say, "I don't burn." The day just might come. And ouch!  Did I mention that I really miss the snow?   

On Wednesday, May 18th, I wore one me-made items.

Sick day:  RTW knit shirt and pants; animal print wrap dress, OOP vintage Vogue 7014; RTW Merlino wool cardigan; RTW undergarments (knickers, bra and black cotton socks).

Nightwear:  RTW knit shirt and pants.  

Accessories:  Black leather handbag and black suede Mephisto.  

Lessons learned today:  Home sick with a throat and sinus infection. I assumed that I wasn't feeling well because of being out in the heat all day on Monday and dealing with allergies. Boy was I wrong. Looked like a freak today as I was sporting a sunburned face,  feeling chilled and wore a sweater to a doctor's appointment while it seemed like everyone else was dressed for summer-time weather. Sewing wise, I could use some pj's.  

On Thursday, May 19th, I wore two me-made items.

Sick day:  Knit dress, Vogue 1234; white terry robe, OOP Simplicity 7417; RTW cream coloured sweater; RTW knickers.

Nightwear:  Ummm, I slept in my clothes.   

Accessories:  none.  

Lessons learned today:  Learned nothing, just suffered.   

On Friday, May 20th, I briefly wore one me-made items.

Sick day:  Knit dress, Vogue 1234; and RTW socks until I finally dragged myself to the tub for a bath and then changed into my pyjamas.

Nightwear:  RTW knit pants and nightshirt.  

Accessories:  none.  

Lessons learned today:  Sinus headaches are the worse.   

On Saturday, May 21th, I wore two me-made items.

Weekend wear:  Blue cotton knit dress, Vogue 6090 and 1312; RTW yellow cardigan; RTW undergarments (knickers and bra).

Nightwear:  Animal print flannel nightshirt, McCall's 2476; RTW blue and white polka-dot knit pants. Yea, I know they don't match and I was feeling under the weather so I didn't care.   

Accessories:  Black leather handbag; yellow sandals; Ray Ban sunglasses.   

Lessons learned today:  Dressed to run errands and then back into my jammies and bed.  

On Sunday, May 22nd, I wore two me-made items.

Weekend wear:  Black and tan striped RTW but altered knit dress; black RTW cardigan; RTW undergarments; black skirt (Marcy Tilton design), Vogue 9060; RTW Kate Spade black and white striped tee-shirt; and RTW cotton sweater.  

Nightwear:  Animal print flannel nightshirt, McCall's 2476; RTW blue and white polka-dot knit pants; SmartWool socks.  

Accessories:  Tan sling back wedge heeled shoe; black leather Mephisto; black leather handbag.   

Lessons learned today:  In my older and wiser years, I notice that I'm embracing comfort (Mephistos) over style (heels) as I changed my shoes in the church parking lot.  

On Monday, May 23rd, I wore two me-made items.

Weekend wear (Long weekend here):  Blue and white striped cotton pants (Rachel Comey design), Vogue 1507; RTW blue cotton short sleeved tee-shirt; RTW undergarments (knickers and bra).  

Nightwear:  Blue and black flannel plaid dress (worn as a nightshirt), OOP McCall's 6600.  

Accessories:  Black leather handbag; black leather Mephisto.  

Lessons learned today:  Still sick, but at least I got dressed.  

On Tuesday, May 24th, I wore two me-made items.

Workwear:   Floral knit skirt, Vogue 9060; green short sleeve shirt, Butterick 6182; RTW cream coloured sweater; RTW undergarments (knickers and bra).

Nightwear:  Blue and black flannel plaid dress (worn as a nightshirt), OOP McCall's 6600. 

Accessories:  Black leather handbag; black Mephisto (worn for comfort); tan wedged shoes (worn for work).  

Lessons learned today:  I rather admire shoes than wear them. 

Happy Sewing!  

Year in Review...

Twenty-twenty-two flew by and even though at times I felt like I wasn't sewing that much, I'm kinda shocked that a hundred sixteen projects came off the machine this year.  Mind you many of those were small projects like various bags and hats and scarves.  

• Fifty-one (44%) of these projects were donated or gifted.  
• Eight projects (6%) didn't work out as planned.  
• 117.1 metres of fabric were stash busted in 2022
• 17 reusable grocery bags were sewn in anticipation of the single use plastic bag ban that came into effect this year.  These bags was the most popular sewing project of 2022 and many were gifted after some people saw and liked them.  

Well, here's a closer look back at the time at the sewing machine this past year including December's projects.  

Have a Happy New Year!  And wishing you a productive and creative 2023 in the sewing workspace.  

January

Reusable grocery bags (OOP McCall's 4851), Men's shirt (McCall's 2447), Remote control caddy (no pattern used), 3-layer cotton face masks (Dhurata Davies), Waterfall Coat (Butterick 6244)

January's sewing projects were all about finding a distraction and trying to get promised projects done.  All projects, except for the reusable grocery bags, were gifted.  

February

Diane Von Furstenberg Designer Wrap Dress (OOP Vogue 1610), Robe (OOP Simplicity 6851), Pajama Bottoms (OOP Vogue 9217) and Men's Pants (OOP Kwik Sew 3663 and McCall's 6973)

During the month of February there was some gift sewing and a couple of projects for moi.  I was blessed to sew an authentic DVF wrap dress pattern, circa 1977.  I can cross that one off my sewing bucket list.  And on the third version of the robe, I finally got the button placement right.  It was a good month for sewing and mending.  

March

Unfinished jean jacket (OOP Butterick 6373), wool and cotton knit socks (The Wolf and The Tree, Going Rogue Socks), DVF wrap dress in black sweater knit  and cotton knit (OOP Vogue 1610), cotton knit top (OOP Simplicity 2372), table runner (no pattern used), reusable grocery bag (OOP McCall's 4851)

March was a mix of charity, gift, selfish sewing and one Lent sewing project for the church.  The highlight of the sewing this month would have to be socks, so many socks!  I made a batch of wool socks for moi and a batch to be gifted.  Oh and a version of the DVF wrap dress that I saved for Easter Sunday mass not anticipating a snow storm that would happen and would nix those plans.  

April 

Cotton print top (OOP Butterick 5891), reusable grocery bags (OOP McCall's 4851) and French terry cardigan / jacket (Butterick 6495)

I wonder if April blizzard warnings will also bring May flowers?  Maybe it was all the unpredictable weather that zapped my sewing mojo this month?  

May

Wool sweater (OOP Kwik Sew 4192), 2 cotton slips (OOP Kwik Sew 3645), Men's denim pull-on pants with front facing leg pockets (OOP Kwik Sew 3663), Pear print dress (Tessuti patterns Eva dress), shirt (McCall's 7940), dress (OOP Simplicity 2372)

Thankfully, there were no more blizzard warnings this month.  Instead, it was replaced with lots of rain!  That meant staying indoors and sewing, most of the projects sewn this month were gifted to others.  

June

Yellow and gray reusable grocery bags (OOP McCall's 4851), flannel pajama set (Butterick 6296 and Vogue 9217), bag (no pattern used)

Summer officially arrived and most of my free time is dedicated to yardwork and avoiding mosquito bites.  There was some gardening and planting of squashes, tomatoes, herbs and sunflowers that took me away from sewing.  And my simple life is reflected in my sewing projects, no fancy sewing found here.  

July

DVF Wrap dress (OOP and vintage Vogue 1610), Donna Karan shorts (OOP and vintage Vogue 2092), failed attempt at recreating RTW culottes (OOP McCall's 6748)

During the month of July, I was able to squeeze in a little bit of sewing in between yardwork and gardening.  The pants and the shorts were made with thoughts of cycling more than materialized.  Maybe next month?  

August

Scarf (no pattern used), cell phone cover (no pattern used), reuseable grocery bags (OOP McCall's 4851), black and white jacket (OOP Vogue 8430), floral gathered empire waist girl's dress (OOP New Look 6493), girl's reversible dress (OOP Vogue 1455), failed attempt at culottes (OOP Vogue 9091), failed attempt at recreating a RTW t-shirt (OOP Vogue 8582) 

Mid-August my sewing move into high gear with the start of Pattern Reviews stash-busting contest.  All of these fabrics have been in the stash for years, some even decades.  Four items were gifted, two for moi didn't work out to be wearable.  

September

Waterfall coat (Butterick 6244), failed attempt at culottes (Vogue 9246), flannel pajamas (OOP and vintage Simplicity 6851 and OOP Simplicity 2372)

September was not the most successful sewing month.  The pants were way too big, the waterfall coat was not warm enough, the gifted pajama set was stressful with indecisiveness and complaints along the way.  Yup, sometimes sewing for others can be stressful.  

 

October 

Flannel pajama set (Butterick  6296, Simplicity 2372 and Vogue 9217), plaid pull-on and elastic back pants (OOP Butterick 6717), plaid scarf (no pattern used), finally, a successful pair of culottes (Vogue 9246), bag (OOP McCall's 4851), pull-on and elastic back pants (OOP Butterick 6717)

October was a mixed bag of sorts.  There were sewing bloopers and success stories.  Half of the sewing projects were gifted.  

November

Wool scarves (no pattern used), hats / tuques (The Littlest Studio, free PDF tuque pattern), wool cardigan (OOP Kwik Sew 4192), cotton knit top (OOP Simplicity 2372), polyester knit sweater (OOP Simplicity 8529), half-slip (OOP Butterick 5790), cotton knit skirt (OOP Butterick 5790) and wool pants (OOP Butterick 6717)

Most of November's sewing projects were about filling needs.  All the hats, except for one, were sewn for the church which put out a call for hats and scarves for newcomer families.  The other hat was gifted as was the short-sleeve t-shirt.  The cardigan is a replacement for the one I made in the spring but recently gave away to someone in need.  

December

Second attempt at recreating a RTW T-shirt (OOP Vogue 9057 / reissued as Vogue 1733), knit front knotted top, (OOP Vogue 2925), a little girl's velveteen and silk Christmas dress (OOP McCall's 5795 / available as a digital download) and a black knit maxi-skirt (OOP Butterick 5790) 

I would have probably sewn more if sewing time was not interrupted by a Colorado low that brought several days of snow that needed to be cleared right before Christmas!  

Happy Sewing! 

Happy Odd Sock Day!

I kid you not, there is actually an Odd Sock Day!  It's today.  The day was created in 2017 to bring awareness to issues of bullying.  

Today, I'm spreading the word through the blog, not through my socks.  Today it's all about wearing tights and winter boots.  It's icy out there!  But I digress... 

Back to socks, have you ever sewn a pair of socks? 

Not knit or crocheted socks, but actually sewn a pair.  

There is a few patterns out there if you feel like giving it a whirl.  There are a few PDF sock patterns designed to be sewn found on Etsy.  Jalie even has a pattern for socks!  

Stay Safe, Keep Sewing and Happy Odd Sock Day!

Turning Scraps Into Socks: Going Rogue

 

These are the third pair of socks that I made today.  I made two pairs exactly the same as the pair I made yesterday.  The pink wool socks are made with the scraps from this dress.  And then I turned the scraps from this dress into a pair of cotton knit socks.  

Project Details

Seams:  Lightning bolt / knit stitch

Seam finish:  None in the interior, rolled hem on the serger for the top edge.  

Fabric:  Scraps from previous projects.  

Pattern:  Going Rogue Socks

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, scissors, pattern weight, sewing machine, walking foot, serger and threads.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!

March in Review...

Sewing Projects

It was a busy month at the sewing machine.  Well, compared to recent months.  Being totally smitten with the vintage Diane Von Furstenberg pattern that came into my sewing world last month, there were more wrap dresses that came off the sewing machine.  Some sewing for the church and a few projects using left over fabric.  Oh and socks!  I've been busy sewing up socks.  Three pairs of cotton knit socks and ten pairs of wool socks.  Some of those socks have been gifted.  Same with the knit top and reusable grocery bag.  Oh, and that jean jacket project discarded months ago, it made it back to the sewing table.  

Stash Busting

All of this month's sewing projects were created with fabric found in the stash.  The Mondrian printed cotton knit has been in my stash since 2019.  It was one of those pieces that I was scared to cut into for quite some time.  The black knit fabric was completely forgotten about until it was pulled from deep in the stash.  To be completely honest I can't remember when it made it in there.  The denim also from the stash circa unknown.  The purple striped polyester was provided to me to sew the table runners for the church and the rest of the projects were made with left-over scraps.  

Destashed this month:  10+ metres of fabric, 5 metres of Knit 'N Stable, 1 metre of interfacing, 2 jean buttons, 4 spools of thread.  

What's Next?  

Well, I'm thinking about sewing some of the linen that I have in my stash.  It's been there for years.  And I'm thinking about sewing an eyelet dress inspired by this photo I saw last year.  

There is some purple eyelet fabric that I can use for a shirt dress option.  I haven't settled on a pattern yet.  Any suggestions?  

Before I get into sewing warmer weather clothes, I do have one more cardigan jacket, Butterick 6495, to sew and gift to someone special.  That's top of my list. 

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!  

Fashion Mistakes

This past week a Huffington Post article listed top ten fashion mistakes.

The top ten fashion faux pas 

{Source}

1. Socks and sandals.  Some people argue that they wear socks with sandals for the comfort. Really? A wedgie for your toes is comfortable? The only rationale that I can come up for wearing socks with sandals would be to prevent the thong tan lines. But then you have to worry about the sock tan line. That's it, it is a no win look. I'm going to have to agree with this one.  

2. Platforms for men. Awwe, guys just wanna have some fun.  

{Source}

3. Low slung trousers.  Yes, the great debate of the twenty-first century. Why? Must be a political mooning statement.   

4. Velour tracksuits. Oh Madonna! What did you do? Back in 2001 you made that custom Juicy Couture velour tracksuit trend. That's what you did! And now everyone feels that it okay to wear tracksuits and yoga pants for non-athletic activities.   

5. Harems.  The harem look has certainly come a long way from  "I Dream of Jeanne" hasn't it? Part skirt, part pants.    

6. Crop tops. Yup crop tops for men appeared in the Spring 2014 Menswear collections. Did you notice that the model is not smiling? 

{Source}

7. Bum bags. Okay, that is just politically incorrect. Or do they mean Fanny packs?  

8. Shell suit. Awww, yes Madonna strikes again inspiring the masses.  

9. Trucker hats. Another ironic suburban fashion faux pas.  

10. Scrunchies. Seriously, they're back and have been seen on Spring/Summer 2013 fashion runways with mis-matched socks and sequins. They were joking right?  

Okay, that was enough fun for tonight. I have another dress cut for Mama R and I'm tickled pink that I managed to avoid these fashion mistakes. I'll get busy and sew it up tomorrow.

Until then, Happy Sewing!