Author Archives: Jan

About Jan

Musician and geek and Juris Doctor; lover of fine art and fine craft; mother and grandmother and significant other and friend. Passionate about sewing.

Knit Muslin. An oxymoron?

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A few months ago a new Vogue dress pattern, 8920, came out that caught my eye. When there was a Club BMV sale, I grabbed it. When we were invited to a family wedding (that takes place this weekend), I started obsessing about what to wear. While working the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago, I saw the most beautiful soft knit in the Vogue Fabrics booth. This fabric reminded me of Gustav Klimt’s painting, “The Kiss.” The colors were like caramel ice cream topping, and the fabric is so soft you just want to … Continue reading →

Define: Design

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The Spousal Equivalent and I had a discussion the other evening after I finished my new shirt. I showed him my beautiful neckband and my personalized label inside. He looked at it, said it was nice, then commented, “Shouldn’t that be ‘Jan Crews Creates’ rather than ‘Jan Crews Designs’?” I did not take offense at his words, as that same question has run through my mind any number of times since I had the labels made. What makes a designer? Is the designer only the person who imagines and drafts the pattern for the garment or accessory? Or does my … Continue reading →

It Was Free!!

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Never in my life have I a) sewn with a downloaded pattern, or b) sewn with a free pattern. You get what you pay for, right? So free must not be very good. The Grainline Studio Hemlock Tee puts that myth to bed! I don’t remember at all how I happened upon this site and this pattern. I do nose around Pinterest quite a bit, and I think I probably saw it there. You know how I love Eileen Fisher garments, and when I read “boxy tee” in descriptions of this pattern, I thought I might like to try it. … Continue reading →

A Study in Contrasts and Placement

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I was cleaning off my cutting table—okay, I’ll admit, I was trying to clean off my cutting table. Someday I’m going to be successful. I hope that day is soon! Anyway, I found a brown jersey I remember buying at the old Buttons ‘n’ Bolts in Tucson about 10 years ago. At the time I was going to make a long tank dress as the canvas for a brown art-to-wear jacket that existed in my mind. Neither ever got made. Now I’m making lots of knit tops, so I grabbed the brown jersey (probably pima cotton, shot with black, deliciously … Continue reading →

Mindful Knitting

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(Woke up with a medium-sized headache, and lay in bed with my iPad surfing sewing and knitting blogs.) Boy, can I chew up a lot of time on the Internet reading what other people are doing and creating?! So let me tell you about my latest creation… For our vacation last week, I chose the Spud & Chloe Bulky Baby Blanket. The colors I chose were Wave for the Outer and Grass for the Sweater. I opted for the garter stitch version, as I’ve been asked by several people if I could teach them to sew, and I think garter … Continue reading →

A Study in Stretch

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This pattern, Katherine Tilton’s Vogue 8817, has become a favorite TNT (Tried ‘n’ True) for me. I love both views—View A/B, the T-shirt with a back inset, and View C/D, the tunic. When I saw the delicious colors of this poly/lycra reptile print at Gorgeous Fabrics, I grabbed it. I actually grabbed enough so that DGD could also make a top for herself out of this. And while I was at it, I grabbed some black mesh to use with the ssssnake print on this shirt. Here are the two interesting lessons learned from this project: Mesh vs. Solid: I … Continue reading →

A Top to Bring Fall Into the Picture

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Most of Katherine Tilton’s patterns have appeared in Vogue Patterns until this past spring, when two new patterns were published in Vogue’s sister publication, Butterick Patterns. When I saw Katherine’s new top with vest and jacket views, Butterick 5891, I ordered the pattern immediately and started imagining how I could decrease my fabric stash with this pattern. First I made the jacket view in a hand-dyed silk shantung, but I’ll tell you about that another day. Today we’re going to talk about the vest. Before deciding what to do with the pattern, I read the six reviews on PatternReview.com. Several … Continue reading →

Who Needs NYDJ?

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When you’ve got an incredible pair of skinny jeans that fit like they were made for you (oh, wait …), why would you lay out $120 for a pair of pull-your-tummy-in jeans that include so much architecture that you have to wear a loose top to look good? These are my new stretch denim jeans that will be perfect for all but the hottest two weeks of summer. The pattern is Marcy Tilton’s Vogue 8859. This is my third take on this pattern (Take 1; Take 2). If you only knew how many pairs of pants I have made over … Continue reading →