In Praise of Silk Jersey

If I had to tell elucidate my most reassured wardrobe possessions, these Eileen Fisher silk tanks would be right at the top. I own three of them in black, plus one in cream, and a similar EF cap-sleeved t-shirt in red. Some were bought on sale but, truthfully, I paid full price for at least one. I wear the black tanks as a man wears undershirts. They allow me to wear my favorite cashmere sweaters longer between washings or visits to the dry cleaner; they smooth out bra lines under knit tops; they provide an extra layer of warmth and … Continue reading

A Brief Leave of Absence …

Today I’m busy editing and uploading my photos from my trip to Europe, but found something cool I thought you’d like. As you know, gifting is right around the corner, and we sewists and thoughtful crafters need to get on task quickly. Hart’s Fabric posted an “Easy Infinity Scarf” which seems like it would be a great gift on anyone’s list. Here’s their post. Enjoy, and check out my travelogue in a few days.

One More for the Road

Of course. That’s what you’ll say when I tell you I decided around 2:00 yesterday afternoon to make Just One More Top for the trip. I wanted to try Katherine Tilton’s Butterick 5961 one more time. I still had some of the peacock RPL from my View C. I had also gotten some “army green” of the same fabric. Their army green is really closer to an avocado. So I made View A/B and cut it two inches longer. To counteract the floppiness of the collar, I took the lightweight interfacing that I had used for the hems on View … Continue reading

Cute and comfortable

Here’s a second take on Katherine Tilton’s Butterick 5961. I made the first one on Saturday and blogged about it here. I wanted some more black for tops, and picked up a nylon/acetate/lycra Swiss 4-way stretch at Gorgeous Fabrics. Ann’s description is accurate—”it’s a joy to sew.” I liked my sweatery teal tunic so much I decided to try the shorter version. I have ordered a pair of those new leggings-with-attached-skirt that one sees everywhere nowadays and thought the length of View A/B would be just right with that. I dipped into my knit remnants basket and came up with … Continue reading

Another new top, and more love.

When I made Katherine Tilton’s Butterick 5925 top (blogged here and here), I fell in love with the RPL (Rayon-Poly-Lycra blend) fabric. I raced over to Gorgeous Fabrics and grabbed two more pieces, one in Peacock and one in Army Green. I expected these two pieces to have the same hand as the red RPL. I prewashed, and then last night, when cutting out Katherine Tilton’s Butterick 5961, I realized the hand was very different. And still wonderful. This top, which is slated to go to Germany with me next Friday, feels very similar to a lovely lightweight cashmere twin-set … Continue reading