Briar Cardigan

The idea of a cardigan with a high-low hem sat in my head for a while. I had planned on drawing the pattern myself, but then Megan Nielsen launched her Briar pattern. I had wanted to try one of her patterns anyway (you know, "market research") so the choice was easy.

The table indicated I should cut XS. I was surprised by this, I am usually a size M. I cut size S because I didn't want a snug cardigan, and I think the size turned out right. I slashed the front piece in half and added 5,5 cm to both center fronts. I then folded it over twice, whereby the middle of the newly formed edge was at the center front. Other than that, I pretty much followed the instructions! Except for shortening it a few cm. I found that this shape of the hem does not flatter those with big hips. My shoulders are just as wide as my hips, but with the long version my hips looked much bigger. Shortening it improved this a bit. I chose brownish buttons for an oldfashioned look. I deliberated on faux leather shoulder and/or elbow patches to complete the look, but that didn't happen. Mostly because I couldn't find nice faux leather. I did find beautiful soft lambskin leather, but didn't feel comfortable about it. That, and a bit of laziness to keep searching :) (Anyone know a good source for nice faux leather?)

I quite like the outcome. In fact, I liked this style so much I made a second Briar shortly after this one. I have never before made the same pattern twice! But then, this is such a fast and easy make, it hardly requires any planning. What I also like about it is that it was a piece I needed in my wardrobe, and that this colour fits in really well. What I don't like is that the fabric is already pilling, and together with the style, that makes it look a bit sloppy. But all in all, it's a day-to-day cardigan that is just a bit more interesting than usual. Sometimes that's all you need!

Top 5 of 2012 - Lessons, Inspiration & Goals

You've probably seen some of these lists already, which is why I'll keep it short. As theperfectnose stated, if you want to see what I've made there is a search bar on the right side :) Plus I just did a recap of hits and misses half a year ago, and nothing spectacular had been added to my wardrobe since then. Except for two unblogged Briars and an unfinished coat that will hopefully very spectacular, but not finished in 2012. I've added some of my favourites at the bottom though. So here goes, all in no particular order:

Lessons

1. Sewing with stretch does not automatically mean you should use a serger. 
2. I learned to recognise whether someting has turned out well or not. Admitting mistakes and not getting upset about it is wonderful.
3. No blogging is better than half ass blogging. I.e. provide good content or just be quiet. 
4. Finding my style. Or at least I came close, and I hope to be able to define it a bit further next year.
5.  I LOVE pattern drawing.

Inspiration 

(i.e., go check them out if you don't already know them. )

1. Catherine Daze - Love her tough but feminine style. 
2. Mokosha - A beer-loving archeologist who sews pretty dresses and does quirky poses.
3. Grainline- I love her minimalistic style and dude-ness.
4. Esther from the sticks - Very talented young girl, does pretty dresses and beautiful photography. 
5. Whole larder love. - Completely sewing unrelated, but very much related to the DIY lifestyle that sewing is part of for me. 

Goals

1. Take more classes. There's my regular pattern drafting class once a week, but I also signed up for a handful of Craftsy classes. 
2. Sew jeans. And more pants in general. 
3. Learn a bunch of new tricks like sewing with a twin needle. 
4. Get better at photographing. 
5. Set up an awesome pattern company. 

Thank you all for your encouragement, kind words and also your critiques. I hope we'll talk a lot more this next year! 2012 has been a good year, and I'm hoping 2013 will be even better. I wish you all a belated but very happy New Year!

What I Want To Be When I Grow Up

This last year I've realised one thing (among many others): I am grown up. Whatever external criteria one might have for being grown up (independent, job, house, relationship, pet, all that stuff), the most important one is whether you feel grown up. And I do, and despite the romantification of youth that is embedded in our Western culture, being grown up is not a bad thing at all. It means you get to be what you want to be. All these years until now you had these dreams about what you would do and be, and this is the time to start realizing them. Awesome, right? And also a bit scary, but definitely worth a try.

So, what I want to become now that I'm grown up is (drumm roll...) a pattern designer!

Designing and making clothing is where my passion lies, so it would be only logical that this should also be how I sustain myself. I am ofcourse also a bit scared by the shear amount of stuff that that comes with this decision, and I am certain I have not foreseen half of it. But Stef and I will be working together on this, so I am confident that we will get there one way or another!

I decided to share the whole process of setting it up here on the blog. I'm going to need your input on lots of aspects. I will want to hear about your experiences with other pattern designers, about style and fit, but also about packaging and instructions, downloadable or paper, all that stuff. After all, the one I will be making them for is you! This way, you get to have a say in what kind of patterns, and in what form, will be available later this year.

The decision to start taking pattern making and sewing more seriously was also sparked by our dream of traveling for at least a year. That is ofcourse where the firetruck comes in, as it will be our means of travel during that year. The plan is to have the pattern shop set up by the end of September, the month we start our big journey. I will continue working during the trip, and I'm so excited to see how that will work out.

The first steps now will include revealing the name, setting up a new website and later also a shop, and finding pattern testers. The first thing I can reveal is that the first pattern will be the Folded Mini Skirt! It will be a free downloadable pattern, and, as what most of you asked for, available in multiple sizes, in two lengths and a with a proper closure. Thank you for sharing your wishes! Besides the pattern design stuff, I'll also keep showing finished projects like I did before.

So, today marks the official start of our pattern company! I hope you are as excited as I am and that together, we can create some awesome patterns!

Want a free mini skirt pattern?

Just popping by to ask you some questions! Would you be so kind as to fill out this survey about the folded mini skirt for me? Thanks a lot!

Occupied With The Future

Still no finished garment to show you, but there's some other things I want to share with you. For the last couple of months, we've been making plans for the future, and talking a lot about what we want our life to look like, what kind of job we want, where our passion lies and how to combine all these things. One thing we both really love is travelling. Enter:

Our new baby
We bought a campervan! I can't tell you how happy and lucky we were to find this gem. It's a 25 year old German-army-ambulance-turned-into-a Dutch-army-firetruck-Mercedes Benz 508D. Wow that's a mouthful. But isn't it gorgeous?



It seems completely sewing unrelated, but it's not and I'll tell you why soon. No, not because I'll sew new cushion covers. Something much more awesome.



Lookee, I'm a truckster! A very happy one, indeed :) Buying this van has occupied us for the past month or so, one of the reasons it was a bit quiet over here. This quiet time has also made me think about this blog and where I want to take it. I think it's time for:

A little break
I'm taking a month off blogging to prepare myself (and the blog) for the next step. I've been talking about a redesign and new blog name, and this will happen but also so much more. I'm very excited about it all but I don't want to spoil it yet. But I will tell you that I will need all of your help accomplishing my goals for 2013! Even more so, you will become the center of attention around here. So, it would be really cool if you'd stick around to see what we have in store. (In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter.)

For now, I'll leave you with a pic of our courtyard yesterday morning to get in the mood for the holidays. I wish you a very merry Christmas and I hope to see you in a few weeks!