Deer and Doe Arum in Japanese cotton

I was planning to make this in April but two things went wrong: my patterns didn't arrive (Deer and Doe sent replacements!  But they came a day too late) and my fabric didn't arrive (I miscalculated...) 

The fabric is Japanese cotton from Miss Matabi on Etsy.  It's soft, but medium weight, not at all transparent, and has a lovely soft feel. 

As an aside, every single one of my recent projects involves stripe matching!!  Bad planning! 

I made a size 38 which usually fits very well from Deer and Doe.  (I'm still 33.5-27-37). I tried to match my stripes at the side seams, but when it came to the back seam I think I matched the wrong notch...at least my pocket is invisible and my shoulder chevrons look pretty nice.

This dress summarises a lot of my sewing development.  It looks ok.  It fits ok.  (I did have to decrease the seam allowance from the armpit to the end of the sleeve to fit my massive biceps.)  It doesn't make me want to run around and make 12 more Arums.  It is somehow...too boring.  Or something.  I think I need my dresses to have more pieces and be more complicated. 

The Arum is exactly what it advertises: it's very easy.  It can be adjusted using the back seams, to take in or let out for your figure.  I did use the facings because I didn't have enough fabric left to make bias bindings, and I do still hate them.  I vigorously understitched and then I hand sewed them down at all seams and they don't flop outwards.  

I do count this dress as a success, and the fabric is really fabulous.  I have a few more projects that I'm working on while I'm in Seattle just because they have been in my head since Ukraine and all exploded into about two days of marathon cutting (and stripe matching)...but not all very practical.  After that I'll be moving to Arizona and I'll be there for awhile.  Anyone sewing near Flagstaff? 

My brother took the photos which is why I have semi-awkward sibling relationship looks on my face. 

Lovely Leaf Lace Scarf by Purl Soho

My knitting queue was honestly concocted sometime in February.  I spent a few days trawling Ravelry like nobody's business.  Then I realised knitting isn't sewing and it's very depressing to want to make 32 things that you would never finish before 2029.  So I stopped.

That means I planned this scarf in February! My plans were created with an educational progression and I think it's working, because after this comes the Miette (LACE!!).  Making this scarf has been really amazing for my lace learning skills.  I shortened it by 10 rows on the width, and used the leftovers from my last sweater - Malabrigo Rios.  I had just about 2 skeins, one of Purpuras that I hadn't used at all, and 3 ends of Zarzamora.  Since the scarf is started at both ends and grafted together in the middle, I reckoned if it were too short I could find something to add into the middle without it looking too bad, but I ended up just stretching it when I blocked it.

A great thing about doing lace in a pattern like this, is that 51 stitches isn't too much to follow.  I definitely made a few mistakes, but every time I lost a stitch it was quick to identify and make a new one, and the pattern for the most problem hid the mistakes.  I had to review how to properly do yarn overs and ssk.  I think I've mentioned that I learned to knit in Finland and because of this I hold everything differently than the majority of youtube video-producers, so sometimes I have to either seek a video from someone who holds their knitting like I do, or watch the videos until I understand the fundamental movement, before I get it.  (that happened a lot with short rows...)

Anyway once I stopped trying to watch movies while knitting the pattern, this went smoothly.  Also this time I'm the one leaving, not Tanya my translator, so I was much more relaxed about the process, at least until the final few days.  I finished the scarf on time but I didn't have a chance to block it!  But Tanya likes it that long, so I'm in luck. 

The airconditioning had us all shivering so the scarf immediately went to creative use...

I loved making this scarf and I was sort of sad to give it up as it turned out so beautiful, and the texture really makes it feel substantial in a way my previous scarves haven't felt. 

In other news, I've not completely gone over to the dark side!  There's a strong possibility that I will be reunited with my ENTIRE SEWING STASH during the course of 2016!  And get to sew again!  Not just on vacation!  Hurrah!