Hey Guys! I'm back with my second Helen's Closet Blackwood Cardigan in View B (the shorter version), and a couple of other unblogged garments too. So let's get this show on the road!
So for view B, I did exactly the same as what I did for view A. I made a size L and lopped 4" off the body, and 3" off the sleeves. As you can see, it's a little short. I really like it, but it has more of a cropped feel, that what I think was intended. I've still been wearing it a ton, and I think the cropped length will look really cute over dresses as well, but next time I'll add a couple of more inches back onto the length. For this cardigan I used a double brushed poly knit from LA Finch Fabrics. It is sooooo soft, and lovely to wear. It's like wearing a knit flannel. I wish you could reach through the screen and feel it for yourself. It's really awesome! LA Finch doesn't seem to have this exact colour in stock any more, but they have lots of other good ones, including this gorgeous, super trendy dusty pinkish-muave, and this really cute elephant print.
This cardigan layers perfectly over the True Bias Ogden cami. As you might remember, I was a tester for that pattern, and it's a good one. I bet you've seen it popping up a lot on blogs and Instagram, and it will continue to do so over the spring and summer I'm sure. It's just one of those great wardrobe staples. Plus it can easily be hacked into a dress. This Ogden has got to be one of my favourite makes, I mean come on, it's got ice cream cones on it! Ha ha! I got this fabric, which I believe is a some kind of silk, from the Walthamstow Market in London. I was really nervous sewing with it, because it's super slippery and shifty, but I'm so glad I went for it! I ended up using this amazing fabric stabilizing spray that Anya suggested to me, and it worked a dream (if you are interested in it, you might want to check your local shops because I found it cheaper locally)! Anyway, it stiffens the fabric up and then completely washes out. I highly recommend it!
Okay, now onto the jeans. So I've made a number of jean patterns now, and have quite a few pairs of jeans that I love and that fit me quite well, but I'm still searching for that PERFECT pair. Maybe my expectations are too high, maybe l'm just being to picky, or maybe I should really stop throwing my jeans in the dryer and let them mold to my body, as denim was intended. Ha ha! You can actually see vertical lines on this pair from the knee to the ankle that were caused by the dryer. Stupid dryer! I'm just too impatient to wait for them to line dry. I must get over that!
Anyway, I digress. These are the Liana Stretch jeans, by Itch to Stitch. This is only the second pattern I've made from Itch to Stitch, but I can tell you that both this pattern, and the Bonn shirt are fantastic. The pdfs are great, and the instructions are very detailed, and thorough, plus both patterns have fit me really well right off the bat. So win win, win win! Also this jeans pattern comes with a skinny leg, a straight leg, and a boot cut. How awesome is that? It's described as a mid-rise, but I think it might be closer to a low rise. I guess it depends on your comfort level, and what rise you've normally been wearing. Anyway, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that so far, this is probably my favourite jeans pattern. I still have a few more in my stash to try, and the Ginger jeans will always have a special place in my heart because that's the pattern that started it all for me, but if I was going to make another pair tomorrow, I would reach for this guy.
So this is a straight size 8 (another thing about Itch to Stitch, I'm a size 8!), with no changes. So tall people beware, you will probably have to lengthen this pattern! I am so pleased with how these fit. I've been wearing and washing them now for about 2 full months, and while I do think the dryer has shrunk them slightly, this is the pair I always reach for. I will say, that while I don't mind the lower rise, I think for my next pair I will raise it by about a 1/2 an inch, maybe even 3/4". I have come to love having my jeans hit just slightly higher than these. I should also mention that I didn't use the included back pocket piece. I went for the back pocket from the Angela Wolf Angel Bootcut jeans because it's my favourite. Maybe I should have tried the included one, but I didn't as it looked a little on the small side. Maybe next time though, because I do like the option of a pocket flap which comes with it too. So many options! I also when I bit crazy and did a topstitching design on the back pockets. I really love this detail and it was fun to play around with it. The denim I used here is a Cone denim from, you guessed it, Threadbare Fabrics.
Okay, so that's it for this post. I'm so glad I finally got to share these with you. Again, if I've forgotten any details, please don't hesistate to ask! I'm always happy to help!
I hope you're all having a great first day of Spring! The sun is shining here so I'm happy!