You guys surely know by now, if I love a pattern I’ll make it again shortly after. So, shortly after making my blue version, I made another cardigan in variation B, with the shoulder yokes.

If possible, I love this cardigan even more than my first one.

I just loveloveLOVE the yoke detail on this version. And, I’m not a bit wearer of black but it’s handy to have black items in your wardrobe, right? I think I have 5, the rest of my entire wardrobe is all colour and patterns.

I don’t even know what else to say, other than “I love it”. I didn’t make any changes to the pattern or the instructions, other than adding a touch more ease in the front – where there is still gaping because my machine’s buttonhole was messing up big time, I really struggled with these buttonholes!

This is made in some lovely black merino from my stash. Buttons are also from my button stash, which I really need to re-build – luckily there’s a second hand store with heeeaaaaps of buttons for <50c each, just around the corner. He only takes cash and is open at weird times so I need to time my visits carefully (but he also gave me his business card in case of Button Emergencies – I love living in small towns!).

Details

Pattern: Jenna Cardigan by Muse Patterns

Fabric: Black merino from stash, from memory bought for ~$20/m = $20

Notions: Buttons, interfacing, thread, from stash. Buttons approx. $1 from an op shop

Lipstick: Quince from Bite Beauty. Tastes yummy. I didn’t realise how much harder it was going to be to wear my bright lipsticks with this hair!

Total: $21

And to Gemma – okay, I timed myself. Cutting out took 30 minutes, sewing it took 1 1/2 hours. So I totally underestimated, but still it’s pretty good! And that’s 1 1/2 hours to 100% finished, including having to faff around with the buttonholes.

---

 

The other half of my post was the idea of Gemma from 66stitches – something to get us of the Wellington Sewing Bloggers Network out of our winter slump: doing a tour showing off all our sewing rooms.I was, erm, supposed to be on the 2nd or 3rd of September, but I forgot. And then I was on the 7th, which was yesterday, but I’m pretending that I’m running on USA time.

I’m lucky enough to have a whole room to myself. In fact, I won’t rent a house that doesn’t have a spare room for my sewing room – if we get a two bedroom place, Mr. Guy has to have his computer in the living area. Sorry, not sorry.

I took my photos of my room’s “usual state”, then I did a bit of a tidy up. So I have “before and after” photos.

Before:

View from the door. I’m a pretty messy person, but this is actually kind of good for me!

My beautiful second hand Elna Press, with fabric just on the floor. The fabric on the press is used as a pressing cloth.

Box of random sewing things, pile of fabric to sell at Fabric-A-Brac, tiny ironing board that I don’t use because it’s tiny. Hanging from the wall is my half-done front moulage

Ironing board, with iron constantly on – it’s lucky I have one that automatically switches off. Before I got this one, I had a sign above the light switch that said “have you remembered to turn off the iron??”. I probably need another one because I often forget to turn off the Elna Press. Once, I walked in to find it was on and I hadn’t sewn for 2 days

Fabric. Top draw is a random collection plus mending, second is knits, third is fabric for Mr. Guy’s stuff, bottom draw is cottons. On the desk is my thread holding lunch box.

Dark photo, sorry! Sewing machine and overlocker, clothes draped over the chair (WIPs and mending). This is surprisingly tidy for me. Under the desk is a bag of plaster of paris, that I bought to make my own shoes (I may have bought a book on how to make your own shoes when I was on night shift. Those of you who do night shift know how dangerous buying things can be, during or right after)

Haphazardly piled fabric, fabric in bags, stuff in boxes, patterns.

After

Elna Press sans random bit of fabric on the floor. I realised I wasn’t even using these drawers, so now the bottom drawer is for old muslin and calico for making more, the middle one is for slippery linings.

Ironing board (iron is on). Pile of stuff has gone – stuff for sale is now in a suitcase. Ironing and mending is mostly done – the dress hanging up needs its zip replaced and the top is the Newcastle Cardigan waiting for a zip.

Fabric pile much tidier! Top shelf is knits (rolled up), second is wools/linens, third is still stuff for Guy, last is smaller pieces of cotton for linings etc.

Desk, tidier. Rewatching Project Runway season 1. My overlocker thread lives on the windowsill. Under the desk lives my old sewing machine that I will lend to my SIL, a box of fabric that I’m not going to sew in the near future, and a random box of stuff that gets used infrequently. The jewellery box on the desk holds needles, rolls of interfacing, elastics.

My drawers hold interfacing, thread, zips, buttons, bias binding etc.

My main machine is the Janome DC7060 – apparently only available in NZ/Australia, but it is awesome. I never want to use a machine without a knee lift EVER AGAIN, and the needle up/down function and extender table are great as well. My overlocker is the Brother 3034D, which is fine, I haven’t had many issues with it.

Doesn’t this look nice! Fabric nicely folded. The shoe boxes hold my traced off patterns which I store in bags from the Pick n’ mix, the blue box holds original paper patterns. The bag is a WIP (Jennifer Lauren Dalloway Dress), papercut patterns don’t fit in my box! The Fabric Store bag is some wool that’s too heavy to fold, to make a cape and a jacket. Bottom shelf is work/study stuff.

So! There you have it, my sewing room. I don’t have the most amazing storage system, partly because we’ve been moving a lot so I don’t want to spend heaps of money on things that wont work in 6 months time. I would like to get something to hang clothes on (mending and WIPs) to keep them visible but out of the way.

Any bets on how long it’ll stay this tidy? (Hint: it’s already messier)

---