Author Archives: West Zen

2T Vest #1

Posted on by

I had to name this vest #1 since I love it so much I have already made a second one. I’ll photograph that one and put it on a later post. The idea started with a vest on Diane Ericson’s blog.  My BSF (Best Sewing Friend) Debra and I started with a trip to Goodwill. Goodwill HaulWe met there and spent a half hour picking out men’s and women’s knit tops that color coordinated. Her stash was black, grey and blue. Size doesn’t matter, in fact the larger the top the more fabric you get. I spent about $24 and will be able to make at least 3 tops from this pile.

The next day we met and started to chop and sew. This vest is made from the two tops from the lower right. 2T Vest #1We tried them on before sewing any side seams and made adjustments like darts if needed. The whole idea for this garment is to wear it over a turtleneck, so the fit is easy. The original collar is from the man’s shirt so you get a zippered neck without any effort! The black pockets and back detail consist of some black knit from my stash embellished with scraps from the women’s shirt. A little hand stitching and a sewn on “necklace” finished it off. Women’s clothes so rarely have usable pockets making this an awesome practical top for everyday wear.2T Vest #1 Details2T Vest Back Neck

Hand-me-down Vest

Posted on by

I’m still working with some wool left over from my Log Cabin Coat. I wanted to make a muslin for a vest and ended up with a finished project. I’m not even sure when I will get to the actual vest planned since I have also been playing with making pullover tops and vests from knit shirts purchased at Goodwill. I’ll show those on a later post. Hand-me-down Vest Front modelStarting with jacket pattern 6656 from New Look made sense since I wanted to have darts and a closer fit and this pattern has a good basic shape. I made so many changes including adding a second dart that not much is left of the original pattern except the collar. I added the bright magenta lining for a bit of punch. Hand-me-down VestThe glove pockets were something that I remember seeing quite a few years ago on a children’s sweater. I love them! Hand-me-down Vest PocketI may add a bit more detail in the back, but for now there is at least a little pleat of the magenta lining for a little surprise.Hand-me-down Vest Back

Everyday Tee #1 with a GDO (Good Design Opportunity)

Posted on by

Eucalyptus Tee1I want to make some winter T-shirts that are fun, but functional. They need to be washable, and easy care plus I hope to have pockets on most if not all of them. This is my first T in the series. I used Katherine Tilton’s Butterick pattern B5925. This is the first T-shirt I have ever made, but the pattern was easy to follow. I used 4 different knits and stenciled the front. I may add more stencilling later. The neck didn’t come out flat due to the lack of stretch in the knit I used for the binding.Wendy Portrait2 I call these little mishaps GDO’s (Good Design Opportunities) since they force me to rethink a problem and come up with a creative solution. I keep getting compliments on the keyhole neckline so the solution works well.

Foo Dog Handbag

Image | Posted on by

Foo Dog Purse2Nancy Shriber was the guest artist at the recent Design Outside the Lines retreat run by Diane Ericson. Nancy, an expert Sashiko artist, showed us fantastic samples from her book Sashiko Handbags 14 on 14. The premise is to make an embroidered 14″ x 14″ lined embroidered square and fold it to form a purse. Think of an origami meets handbag construction. I made her Asymmetrical Envelope with freeform embroidery rather than the traditional geometric Sashiko pattern. The top has a piece of curly willow to give the bag structure. I braided copper chain with hand dyed silk ribbon for the shoulder strap. The Foo Dog covers a magnetic snap, and the inside silk lining has a small pocket for a phone or eyeglasses.Foo Dog Purse1

Details of The Log Cabin Heart Felt Coat

Posted on by

By the way, today is National Cat Day. My cat Ichi is expecting some major attention.

Ichistamp

I had a few requests for information on the construction details of my coat. The fabric is just a single layer of wool so it’s perfect for fall in Colorado. It’s roomy so I will be able to wear a sweater underneath as it gets cooler.

Log Cabin Heart Felt Coat WF1

Below is a detail of the collar and front closure. I found a cool button at my local yarn shop, The Loopy Ewe.

Log Cabin Heart Felt Coat D1In this image you can see the decorative stitching that is holding the different colors of wool together with a butted joint. I used that wonderful presser foot with the metal blade down the middle. You can also see that not all of the wools are solid. The rusty-red has a subtle plaid.Log Cabin Heart Felt Coat D4

Log Cabin Heartfelt Coat

Image | Posted on by

Log Cabin Heart Felt Coat- Front_wfLog Cabin Heart Felt Coat- Back_wf

My first blog entry!

I just finished a new fall coat using Diane Ericson’s Heartfelt Coat Pattern. I hot water machine washed the wool yardage to felt the fibers together. After that I worked with the fabric patterning in order to build yardage that would enhance with the coat pattern. The wool is butted together and held with a decorative stitch. I actually started this 5 years ago and put it in a basket because it was just too big of a project.

I wore it on Saturday night and it was a success!