Showing posts with label Simplicity 2858. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Simplicity 2858. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Everything Old is New Again...and 2024 Favorite Sewing Projects
Oh how I have missed blogging. Instagram is now just too "insta" for me and although I'm a relatively frequent IG reader, less frequent commentator, it's just too too annoying. So I'm back to this tiny comfortable for me sewing, gardening, reading and traveling blog, basically for myself since I've always been a long form person...novels rather than short stories and series rather than movies.
I won't bore anyone with life since my last post in April, 2020. If you're a friend, you know the details and if not then the details won't be that interesting since you too have had ups and downs over the last four plus years. But since I have always enjoyed the record keeping part of blogging, the end of th eyear provides a great time to post my sewing successes and disappointments this year. One thing I note is that I'm a repeat srwing person. When I get a pattern to fit then I'm going to make multiples. So let's start with a jacket I made three times this year, 
This black and white Fabric Mart plaid boucle was perfect for a sudden April to trip to Paris and France when a generous friend invited 14 of us to use her house trade in central France for a week in exchange for chipping in for food, wine and cleaning expenses. I lengthened Simplicity 2858 to mid thigh and used the selvedge for trim and bias for pockets and sleeves.
Then we had a madcap forty eight hours in NYC and I used a cotton print fabric that I'd saved for maybe fifteen years for the short version.
And the final version was in green plaid for a holiday trip to Paris, Starsbourg and London just a few weeks ago. My favorite souveniers are wearable items like the green plaid wool scarf that I found at Bon Marche, the oldest department store in Paris. Mr Lucky and I are so aware these days of how fragile our lives are and those of our dear friends and family. So we are taking time to wrap our selves in the warmth of relationships just like this scarf warps me in wonderful 2024 memories with him.
And I even repeat patterns for Mr Lucky, in this case Kwik Sew 3422, from a Liberty fabric that I found at Misan west a few years ago. He had just completed another week of driving the lanes of the Cotswolds for a week on the opposite side of the road with a stick shift on the reverse side of American cars and did it without a scratch...so the cars and trucks on this fabric always make us smile.
My favorite kimono topper is a copy from a Zara version and I made it three times this year with at least one more silk velvet one in mind:
Versatile Vogue 7832 is a Sandra Betzina bias dress that I have modified so many times in ten years. This year I focused on adding puffed sleeves for a few summer versions and I like the coastal grandma vibe...although I am neither a coastal dweller nor a grandmother. And yes, there will be more versions in 2025 since flowing summer dresses are cool and breezy and easy. And the peach silk nightgown version is from fabrric aging in my resource center for decades. When JoaAnn Fabrics wanted to go more upscale they were stocking some silks over 20 years ago. But that rebranding never really took and I bought silks for pennies on the dollar.
Final favorites is also my last project of 2024, Tessuti Sydney jacket in boiled wool Still figuring out the closure technique to use) and a hat/cloche from leftover wool jersey.
But what about disappointments? I started 2024 pulling out a coat project that I was saving for some precious greeen and blue fabric that I bought at the Great British Sewing Bee expo. But before I committed I decided to do a trial run and I'm glad I did. I had to make many alterations to the pattern with help from Kenneth King and Sarah Veblen This first version is from Fabric Mart buy out, a deep purple wool and cashmere blend and some purple leather that matched wonderfully. I did pad stitching and took my time. The result is certainly wearable and fits ok but doesn't feel comfortable enough nor room enough for that precious fabric. So the coat itself isn't too disappointing but I still don't have the right pattern for the precious stuff.
Now it's time to get serious about sewing plans for 2025 but first I'll post my favorite books from the last year in th enext post. And if by some small chance you are still reading, thank you. Just like my studio sewing days, I'm really doing this for myself but it's nice when others come along.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The Jacket with the Fringe on the Top and Bottom
Oh so many blog posts spinning around in my head this week....now I just have to sit down and put them on virtual paper. Let's start with the oldest project that I was able to complete and wear this past weekend. I started this jacket in late January and finished it just in time for probably the last cool spell before summer hits us hard.
The jacket pattern is a favorite, Simplicity 2858, (OOP but readily available on Ebay, etc.)and this is my third version. I lengthened it five inches, cut off the front overlap so that the fronts would meet at the center front, sewed it wrong sides together at the outer edges and then added bias trim on the front and the back side of all those edges. It was Louise Cutting, not Susan Khalje, who wrote the great instructions for this trim technique in Threads issue #121. It's a Fabric Mart tweed with black, brown, tan, gray and pinks. Cozy and sweater like, perfect spring and fall jacket.
First two Simplicity 2858 jackets
post with bias trim details
I was able to finish the jacket on Saturday afternoon after getting everything done for our annual Floribbean dinner. We've offered this for the last four years at our church auction. Six people, drinks and appetizers on the deck (homemade sangria, cheese coins, shrimp, mango avocado salsa) and then dinner (Cuban pork roast, rice and bean salad, tropical tossed salad, grilled banana/ red onion salsa) and dessert (Key Lime pie) inside. The menu stays the same so Mr. Lucky and I have worked out a smooth routine to get it all done ahead of time. This year we were extremely fortunate to have offered a Saturday night date rather than our usual Friday night. Friday night here in Maryland saw a huge storm system sweep through with several small tornadoes touching down, right at the early evening hours. Saturday arrived with sunshine and blue skies...but a surprise, nonetheless. As I got ready to slice the dough for the cheese coins, I preheated the oven only to discover that our oven did not function. The gas stovetop was fine, the range clock worked but the electronic switch would not start and we couldn't even light the gas oven with a match. Oh, we are lucky to have friends in the neighborhood. A lovely garden club friend loaned me her oven so I could bake those cheese coins and the key Lime pie. We adjusted our plans and slow cooked the Cuban pork roast for six hours on the gas grill and all was fine.....and I even got the last of the trim sewn to the jacket and wore it to church on Sunday. Last year I shared the shrimp appetizer recipe, this year I'll share the yummy banana red onion salsa recipe which always gets raves as well:
Banana Red Onion Salsa
1 red onion, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds
3 bananas peeled and halved lengthwise
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp dark rum (optional)
lime wedges for serving
Brush both sides of the onion rounds and banana with the oil and sprinkle with the cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Grill the onion over the hottest part of the grill, covered until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the onion to the cooler part of the grill and place the bananas cut side down on the hottest part of the grill. Grill the bananas, covered, until browned in spots, about 2 minutes per side.
Transfer the onion and banana to a cutting board and cool slightly. Whisk the lime juice, mint, brown sugar and rum (if using) together in a medium bowl the sugar has dissolved. Roughly chop the onion and bananas, add them to the bowl, and toss to coat. Season the salsa with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the lime wedges.
Love this with grilled chicken or pork.
Back soon with more sewing news from my place. Now it's time to read about what's going on in your sewing spaces.
The jacket pattern is a favorite, Simplicity 2858, (OOP but readily available on Ebay, etc.)and this is my third version. I lengthened it five inches, cut off the front overlap so that the fronts would meet at the center front, sewed it wrong sides together at the outer edges and then added bias trim on the front and the back side of all those edges. It was Louise Cutting, not Susan Khalje, who wrote the great instructions for this trim technique in Threads issue #121. It's a Fabric Mart tweed with black, brown, tan, gray and pinks. Cozy and sweater like, perfect spring and fall jacket.
 |
| Simplicity 2858 |
post with bias trim details
I was able to finish the jacket on Saturday afternoon after getting everything done for our annual Floribbean dinner. We've offered this for the last four years at our church auction. Six people, drinks and appetizers on the deck (homemade sangria, cheese coins, shrimp, mango avocado salsa) and then dinner (Cuban pork roast, rice and bean salad, tropical tossed salad, grilled banana/ red onion salsa) and dessert (Key Lime pie) inside. The menu stays the same so Mr. Lucky and I have worked out a smooth routine to get it all done ahead of time. This year we were extremely fortunate to have offered a Saturday night date rather than our usual Friday night. Friday night here in Maryland saw a huge storm system sweep through with several small tornadoes touching down, right at the early evening hours. Saturday arrived with sunshine and blue skies...but a surprise, nonetheless. As I got ready to slice the dough for the cheese coins, I preheated the oven only to discover that our oven did not function. The gas stovetop was fine, the range clock worked but the electronic switch would not start and we couldn't even light the gas oven with a match. Oh, we are lucky to have friends in the neighborhood. A lovely garden club friend loaned me her oven so I could bake those cheese coins and the key Lime pie. We adjusted our plans and slow cooked the Cuban pork roast for six hours on the gas grill and all was fine.....and I even got the last of the trim sewn to the jacket and wore it to church on Sunday. Last year I shared the shrimp appetizer recipe, this year I'll share the yummy banana red onion salsa recipe which always gets raves as well:
Banana Red Onion Salsa
1 red onion, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds
3 bananas peeled and halved lengthwise
2 tbs vegetable oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp dark rum (optional)
lime wedges for serving
Brush both sides of the onion rounds and banana with the oil and sprinkle with the cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Grill the onion over the hottest part of the grill, covered until well browned, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the onion to the cooler part of the grill and place the bananas cut side down on the hottest part of the grill. Grill the bananas, covered, until browned in spots, about 2 minutes per side.
Transfer the onion and banana to a cutting board and cool slightly. Whisk the lime juice, mint, brown sugar and rum (if using) together in a medium bowl the sugar has dissolved. Roughly chop the onion and bananas, add them to the bowl, and toss to coat. Season the salsa with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the lime wedges.
Love this with grilled chicken or pork.
Back soon with more sewing news from my place. Now it's time to read about what's going on in your sewing spaces.
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