Lars Wallin Couture

Lars Wallin is together with Pär Engsheden the most famous couturiers of Sweden. Per made the Crown Princess´s weddinggown and Lars have dressed a lot of swedish celebrities as well as margarine ( I didn´t know that but apparently you can eat your sandwiches in style using "Flora") Last year where was a big retrospective exibition in Stockholm with his work and some of that are now touring Sweden and is until november 4 in Kristianstad at the museum with free entrance!!!Then it will move to Västerås ( my ex hometown that´s rather close to Stockholm ) There where a lot of dresses as well as shoes, jewelry and margarine boxes... and there was a room showing some toiles and a couple of garments they led up to. And you can send your letters in style using a stamp with one of his dresses on. The clothes where mostly displayed behind a net and sometimes I got a better shot at the net

These are costumes for Alcazar singing "Not a sinner nor a saint" click here for a link to the video This is one of my favourites, like the double bodice of this

and this coat is in Silk organza, There was one coat in this style too but short made in see-through plastic with big swarowski buttons, really cool idea for a raincoat

I think it´s this dress that´s on the stamp

I got more photos and will show more later

The blue dress

This is the blue dress based on the ottobre pattern

I changes the sleeves like this

buttons from stash

and chopped the dress up and made side panels, longer bodice pieces, the closure is on straight grain and I´m really pleased with the result. All the seams but the princess seams are made french and then topstitched

French seams are my new favourite. I sew the pieces together 1 cm wider than finished result laying the pieces wrong side to wrong side, then I trim the seam, press it open and turn right sides together and sew 1 cm from the edge and the seam allowance is included. It can be left like this or topstitched.

Ottobre dress- the wadder

I bought a set of pillowcase and duvet cover (?) not really sure about the correct term here but I bought it at a fleamarket and got a lot of yardage for very little money. It was so cheap that I went back and found the set in blue too. They are never used and is chambray. I might go back and get the black set too.... It´s the cover model from the latest issue but with sleeves. I had some issues with the cut before starting but went ahead and used the pattern anyway...with not so good results. If you follow the pattern the ends of the front where the closures are will not be on straight grain...The seamstress that made the plaid dress must have had an issue with that too and made ajustments in a way not told in the magazine

This is a photo of the back, not so good either...Burda had a simular cut in the latest issue but did it without scooping out the bodice piece.

Here´s a picture of me trying to fix the front.

I was not too keen on the sleeves either, but decided that I could make a nice blue dress using this pattern with a lot of modifications and I can use the fabric of this dress for something else

Almgrens Silk Weavery

I spent a couple of days in Stockholm in may and one of the places I visited was Almgrens sidenväveri a museum in central town there they still do some weaving but not anywhere close to how large it once was The looms are jaquard looms and this means the pattern is made by punchcards that rotate through a system and you can change the pattern in the loom simply by changing punchcard Since the punchcard makes the pattern there´s only one "pedal" ( trampa) that feeds the punchcard and there was plenty of silk on the shelves The museum is in the part of Stockholm called "Söder"; South A place there my mother was born over 80 years ago

Aeolian lace shawl

Aeolian is a Knitty pattern that´s been around for a while and includes beads and nupps. Here shown over my wadder dress that looks really good together colorwise I used Guterman beads that I put on using a crochet hook that I filed down to be able to get the beads on. Here´s two closeups on leafpattern and border and shawl in blocking Purple is my color and the beads add weight to the shawl that makes it an addition for my wardrobe

Missan

Missan , lady of the house

Everybody can sew a tank top

These patterns called "alla kan sy" Everybody can sew are old in an unsofisticated way, the fabric of choise was bad even when they where produced... But they are actually great, basic styles that fit well and they can still be found at fabric sshops across Sweden I used to make a lot of this tanktop 10-15 years ago. very nice, very bra friendly I havent been sewing this for a long time and was curious how my new bust would work and I have to cut of about 4 cm at each side at bustlevel to get a good fit. I wanted to try it out becourse I used to have good experienses with it way back and I want to make myself som summer dresses. It worked very well, I used a purple thai silk, gift from Annika that I washed in the machine befor cutting and cut it on the wro´ng direction to get the stripes vertical. Really very easy sewing, french seams at the sides and som lace inside for a little extra...

Colette Beignet

I spend more time on the couch with knittingneedles and even more time on the net than in my new sewingroom, but today I finished the Beignet skirt that I´ve been working on for a while (aka "that has been hanging over a chair for me to finally do the loops...") It´s my first Colette pattern but I did my usual ajustment for big "derriere". I used the largest size and my fitting assistent don´t do my hips justice... What I liked about the pattern in the first place was that "extra" button way down, buttoned skirts usually end the closure a little bit higher, and there are tons of different skirts made from this pattern on the net. The pattern in itself is relly nice it´s a booklet with a tissuepattern in a pocket at the end. and I also liked that there where seperate pattern pieces for the lining. I bought all the fabrics including buttons at Stof och Stil, a local chain. The voile for the lining was intended for a top but I changed my mind. I used 1,6 meters a lot less than the pattern say and thanks to research on PR I could save some money here. The high waist is a little strange after all years with skirts with facings but feels comfortable

The pic with the tag and lining will not be accepted by blogger so you have to wait for it And here´s my new darling; Missan

Navy is kind of new to me but there´s a lot of nautical things going on right now, I was thinking of gold buttons first but decided on these at the end. I bought a seqiunned top I find it hard to spell it becourse it´s something I rarely use. but this one is not so sparkly and now I have something to wear whit it!

Greenland and Musk Oxes

I´ve been to Greenland, Kangerlussuaq for a holiday visiting a friend who works there. a lot of Ice and snow but really nice!
This is me in sealskin clothes ready to go dog sleighing

I saw some reindeers but not any musk oxes that where alive. Muskox yarn is very expensive ans due to how it´s prepared now wonder.
Birthe who we visited buy skins that she stock in piles outside and take them in for thawing

She shaves off the long hair with an electric devise to the right in this picture and then the bottom hair that is so thick and so soft is pulled off with help from hands and combs like you use to comb a dog

Then the fleece is gone over by hand to remove "sticky" hair. packed and sent to denmark for spinning and then returned. She did some handspinning to and also spun yarns into cones for machineknitting

As you can see the pictures are in the wrong order but you´ll get it...don´t you?

Pacific UFO for Mars

This is a pattern by Marianne Isager from her Inka knitting book. If you are in to a real challenge she will provide you with several suggestions. I´ve been knitting on it or more I started on it a year ago and picked it up mid februari and are slowly making progress. I´m not a skilled Fair Isle knitter so I knit one color at the time slipping the other color. So that takes extra time too.
My sewingroom is making progress so very soon I will be able to start sewing again. I have some plans for spring/ summer. I wear most of my clothes year around but layer them differently, The cardigans I wear during the colder months works as outerwear during the warmer months, I wear pants and tops under dresses and tunics during the colder month to keep warm. and I wear my sandals indoor and I have a lot of shawls that I wear year around too, really like lace shawls in thin wool

UFO queen

My sewingroom never became the hit I excpected it to be, mainly due to poor use of the floorspace, but last week I had an idea, moved the furniture, a quick visit to IKEA and the outcome was so much better. In the future I will invest in a larger table for the sewingmachine/serger and I need one more Antonius.
But right now The areas for sewing, pressing, machineknitting will work well. I cut in the basement of my building, but there´s a spot for rotarycutting and pressing includes both my Elnapress and a ironingboard.
In januari I joined the 12 Ufo finishing challenge under 2012 and got my knitting UFO:s in one big bag, when cleaning up the sewingroom I found the sewing UFO, not to mention the mending UFO ( even though I been good with them lately too...) I also found the embroidery UFO, one sample that are almost finished and one tablecloth, a kind of vintage style that I remember sewing on almost 30 years ago, so maybee it´s time for that now...
I have a lots of ideas for sleeveless tops/ tunics/ dresses for summer but need to make myself something that will keep me warm on my trip to Greenland

First "real" project on my knittingmachine

I have 860 pins on Pinterest that are supposed to inspire me in mostly sewing and knitting. This is not only the first real project on my knittingmachine but also the first pin from Pinterest that I actually made something from.
This sweather I pinned or repinned, It´s from Net a porter

And I used Drop´s alpaca and made this sweather:

I sewed the folds on the lower sleeves by hand, wasn´t sure about the gauge so I made them 10 cm longer than normal sleeve length. The folds are a little uneven but I think it´s OK.
I used a basic pattern for a raglan sleeve cardigan in an old Vogue knitting and recalculated the entire thing, finally I knitted the neckline by hand, I don´t have a ribber yet.
Warm and cosy alpaca love.

And now off to do the other 859 pins...

No longer UFO

I finished the february UFO, a baby alpacka silk yarn from drops for the body and various yarn in alpacka and mohair and maybee something else for the yoke, lovely and soft!
I also did the Miyake again and finished it at once, so now I only need a really nice shawl pin to be able to wear it. This is a really simple, fun and fast project and no sewing involved

The last item is a scarf that I bought yarn and pattern for when I visited Church mouse yarns on Bainbridge Island outside Seattle. The yarn is a silk alpacka lace from Classic elite and I made the scarf on the knitting mashine and finished the ends by hand. This pattern is super easy and really shows off the yarn.

Burberry pocket

I was snoopshopping at one of the thriftstores in town the other day and they had a Burberrycoat, of course too small but I had my I phone with me and snapped a shot on the pockets

on the outside they are slanted one welt s with a button in the middle, you can see the button on this picture. On the back they look like this, the pocket is a patchpocket that you can reach from the inside too.
Today on the other hand was not a snoopshopping day it was final sale at many places and I had my salary last week and I bought my ticket for Greenland so a couple of more crowns that goes away doesn´t really matter. I got home with 3 dresses, 1 skirt and two blouses and some pamplets to get inspired by...

Na Craga

It´s been a while since I finished the knittingpart of my Na Craga sweather...as usual it´s the sew-it-together part and the weave-in-all-the-threads part that where missing

I joined a challenge ( Can´t resist a good challenge...) This one is for finishing one UFO / month and now januari is done.

Winter slippers 24/7

I like to join challenges, I don´t have a tendency to follow them all way. Knitting 24/7 is a very nice book by Veronique Avery who has written a few more books and they are packet with very wearable clothes and accessories knitted in different tecniques and all looks very nice.
On Ravelry thereé a "Very Veronique" forum and this challenge came up there. The challenge is to knit 12 items from this book during this year and The Januari project is finished but is waiting for felting.
I used leftover yarn from the Na Craga sweather that of course I have not sewed together yet. 100g, 2 balls and some still left on the skeins

Resumé 2011 and goals for 2012

Hmm my goals for 2011 was denim, lingerie and blouses and let´s face it;I blew it!!!
2011 will always be the pink year for me and due to the reduction finbding nice bras at good prices was easy so I might have spent a lot more than expected on buying lingerie. Denim....Let´s take it into next year...
blouses, I made one during the very nice sewing retreat organized by Åsa. I´ll take blouses with me for next year too!
I did a lot of sleeveless things though, due to medical stuff etc...bought a lot of cardigans too!

So the goals for 2012:
Focusing on a few key pieces
I want to make a Odd Molly look alike knitted blazer using my knittingmachine
A couple of nice dresses for summer
There is that sampler sweather from Rowan that I´ve saved to do for 20 years and I want to make it with handspun yarns on the knittingmachine
I would like some pieces that say "night", after work oriented that I could not wear to work, a little fancy stuff. I bought fabric for a blouse when visiting Annika and I will sew it next year.
You can´t have too many shawles!
More spinning
There is a Vivienne Westwood skirt that I like to make. I adore both her and her clothes!
I need a slip or two
Have fun!

Prada style socks

I saw these socks from Prada´s fall fashion show earlier and thougt they where cool.

The first attemt top was not so good but the bottom rocks!

I have to weave in ends but don´t whey look great!?
They are knitted bottom up and then I reached the point there the braid would start I knitted the entire braid, then I picked up stitches at the sides and knitted the sock back and forward picking up stitches from the sides of the braid. On the curvy first sock I took one stitch/row but on the good ones ( there is two!) I knitted two of the picked up stitches together on every second row.I also added stitches mid back since my calves are quite wide
I used Drops Fabel and the braid is in Nepal

First machine knit item

In Seattle I went to Churchmouse yarn and tea out on Bainbridge Island. A very nice place both the shop and the island!
I was going to try out Annikas knittingmachine and wanted something easy to start with. I used one of the stores own patterns an a Berocco yarn with alpacka in a rusty shade I think 5 balls...

I knitted the bodypart on the machine and it went fast...at home I did the border using the Camomille shawl pattern by Amimono and finally did a little cowl and 2 rows of crochet for the lower edge

It´s really a nice way to knit a poncho and it can be made in many different yarns and textures...stripes...fair isle etc etc.
If you ever read a book called " Snow is falling on Cedar" It takes place on Bainbridge Island but a fictional one.
There was also a great coffeashop Blackbird café there I had my best carrotcake ever this far...and I have had quite a few....

PR weekend Europe 2012 Barcelona

I started a thread on PR about this as an event. go there and join the chat and please book your calenders

Sewing a la Colette

So I bought a new book. I haven´t got it yet but like the Burda stylebook this one has patterns too and they cost the a same, at least from Adlibris, a swedish net book shop.
http://www.colettepatterns.com/shop/colette-sewing-handbook a link to the homepage of Colette patterns.
The patterns seems to be popular on the sewing blogs and I bought the beignet pattern when I was in the US and yesterday I washed the mustard corduroi that I intend to use for the first skirt....I also have to find all the patterns that I bought there and probably stored in a good place...

Stamps

Look at these stamps. They are so nice that I might actually send a letter instead of an email!

Burdastyle sewing handbook

I love Burda, the patterns and the fit is great! I know a lot of people are complaining about the lack of instructions.
This book has great instructions not only on how to sew but also how to alter a pattern to 2 different looks, the looks are created by members of the Burdastyle homepage.
There are pattern for a A-line skirt, a shirt, a dress, a coat and a bag and part from the 2 illustrated versions there are 14 more of each garment to get inspired by.
The patterns are sized 32-46.
For sewers of all ages and the perfect X-mas gift for a young sewer.

Studio

My camera will not work so I can´t show you my KNITTING MACHINE!!!!
Hopefully I will have it up and running this weekend. It´s a brother medium knitter and I bought a new spongebar for it. They dont make brothers any more but a brand called Nova Knit works on brother machines so I can get supplies for it. The machine came with a lace carriage and a carriage that I can switch between four colors of yarn, and I can also do tuckwork, that means that some stitches are made through 2 rows.
All this stuff made me go for an idea I have been thinking about for a while and I now sleep in my livingroom and the bedroom is now only for sewing etc. Will probably work fine since I plan to keep all my crafty items in there.