I wanted a black shirt that was just a bit dressy, comfortable, looked good under a sweater or jacket, but would also look good on its own if it became warm. I couldn’t find what I had in mind, and now I don’t know why I spent the time shopping.
This is exactly what I wanted and it took so little fabric that all of it came from my stash. I love sheer sleeves in summer. They give a little coverage, but are still cool and look good under vests. I used my TNT pattern Vogue 8952 and just made it shorter and the sides straighter. I didn’t hem the sleeves and I just added another sheer knit to finish the collar and hem.
I don’t think this t-shirt took more than 3 hours to make. I’m sure I spent way more time shopping without finding anything. Next time I want something this specific in my mind I am just going to start sewing!
Author Archives: West Zen
Ripper!
I finished my vest that I have been knitting while watching the show Ripper Street. The East End of New York was pretty gruesome during the 1890’s so this project went pretty fast despite the copious amounts of straight knitting.
Shibui Mix No 28. Is a fairly easy pattern as long as you pay attention. I didn’t at one point and had to rip out a number of rows, but that’s just a part of knitting while watching television. I used the recommended Shibui Pebble and Linen held together and the fabric is light enough for a summer vest. I love the collar and dart details! 
When it came time to sew on the buttons, I just decided to use what I had on hand. There is something so enjoyable about digging around in a jar of buttons that only a fiber person understands.
Works in Progress
Despite the flurry of spring-cleaning, creative projects are still going on, but nothing is finished. Here are a few previews of projects in the works.
The first is a sculpture project. I have been sewing so much that my fine art practice has been set aside. However, I have an opportunity in July to show a piece at the Fort Collins Museum of Art. This is a photo of the project in progress.
I’m using an old wagon wheel as the framework for a map of Fort Collins inspired by a historical document from the 1890’s.
I am also knitting as usual while watching movies with my husband. We have been watching a BBC program called Ripper, (taking place in era of Jack the Ripper) and yes, I have had to rip out quite a few rows! 
This pattern is Shibui No. 28, and all I have left is to sew up the seams, and add a few buttons. I do that part in daylight so I need to find the time, and I will soon post the finished vest.
A Fix-it Tutorial
My blog is slowing down, but I’m not. The problem is spring-cleaning! My husband and I are running errands like crazy people.
Here is a little tutorial from a spring-cleaning project. I needed to repair the frayed cords to my phone and I-pad. I use these devices so much that they get bent and frayed. My favorite product is Sugru. I buy it through Amazon, but I’m sure it is available in other places. This stuff is magic. They should be paying me for this plug!
- Here is the frayed bent cord. It’s bent for a reason…that’s the way it always falls when I’m using it. Make sure it still works in this position if you want to keep it bent.
- Buy Sugru. It comes in colors, but I ordered white for simplicity. Even the small packs fix several cords so get out a few projects to fix. The stuff sticks to just about anything so be creative. Note that it does have a “use by” date that is for real, so buy sparingly.
- Pinch a bit of it (it’s very pliable) form it on your cord and let it dry for 24 hours. I used mine after 8 hours and it was cured enough for use.
Citrus Summer Tunic
I made another tunic top from my favorite pattern Vogue 8952. This top is for summer so I used a sheer mesh knit for the sleeves and the ruffle on the bottom. I fused the mesh to a piece of solid knit to make the pocket. 
I may add a bit of stenciling later. Both the fabrics came from a store in Dallas that we passed by while visiting my delightful mother-in-law.
I’m not sure I love the combination, but I also made this vest layer piece out of a knit that has sheer stripes on the solid black.
The black is very intense so it seems a bit too opaque on top of this tunic, but I love the lines so I’m sure there will be a match with a few tops in my wardrobe.
Party Pants!
I reviewed the Jacket for this outfit a few weeks ago. Here is the entire ensemble, which I wore to a charity event last weekend.
I felt wonderful wearing my head to toe look with lots of metallic! I constructed the palazzo pants with Vogue 8955. They took 4 yards of gold lame fabric that is actually a stable knit, and very light and liquid. 
The pattern was relatively easy to sew, but the waistband must fit perfectly. Tight enough to hold up so much fabric, but too tight and it would be uncomfortable for a 4-hour event. I couldn’t find a pattern for the top that I envisioned so I drafted my own!
It took two muslins to get it right but in the end I was very happy with the lines. The entire outfit was comfortable and glamorous at the same time.
Silk Charmeuse Shirt Refashion
I have seen a number of wonderful refashion projects using shirts to make skirts. I owned a few silk charmeuse shirts that I never wear and then found another at a used clothing store. My fabulous mother-in-law gifted me the black one on the right.
First I washed and dried the shirts with the cotton setting on my washer. Yes, hot water and a hot drier! Silk is very strong and I wanted this outfit to be washable for everyday wear. The first photo is of the shirts after washing. Hardly any wrinkles, and if they did shrink then better now than after sewing.
I started by cutting off all of the elements and sorting. The collars in one area, sleeves, cuffs, and the main body parts are each placed in their own pile. The leopard shirt caught my eye and I decided to save the body of that shirt to make into a sleeveless shirt/vest. This photo shows the shirts placed to form bottom of the skirt.
It’s fun to include some of the plackets with buttons. I decided to use the Taos Skirt pattern from Diane Ericson. It has a simple front and back and multiple ways to make the waistband so I could postpone that decision until later. In the end I decided (with the help of my BSF Debra) to make the waist out of the cuffs from the shirts.
The shirt was simple with binding from one of the shirts and a doubled collar from another shirt. I think it will feel great when the warm weather finally hits!
Texas Road Trip Vest
Most of my knitting is during movies, but once in a while we take a road trip. My husband and I listen to an audio book, he drives and I just knit away. For shorter trips we find this much more enjoyable than fighting our way through the airport. This time we drove to Texas to visit family. 2 days of driving each way is a lot of knitting! 
The Makalio Vest (Ravelry.com) just caught my eye as a fun layer for summer. I couldn’t resist the oddness of this loopy vest.
It’s a fun extra layer instead of a scarf when an outfit needs a little something extra. The designer of this pattern shows how to wear it in other ways, so some experimenting will be in order. Here is a view of the back with the optional tie. She also shows it with a belt around the back with the loops free-flowing on the front. All in all…kinda cool!
Dressy Jacket
I’m working on an evening look for an upcoming benefit gala.
Dressing up for an event is always fun to plan for. I’m making palazzo pants, a slinky top and then I’m topping it off with this jacket. I’ll show the pant and top as I finish them, but both are already under construction.
I’ve had this fabric in my stash for at least 5 years just waiting for the right moment. The texture has some dimension and a bit of stiffness, but also drapes enough for this Vogue pattern by Geoffrey Beene (V2232 out-of-print). 
Black, copper and bright blue threads are woven together to make this slightly iridescent textile. It’s the blue threads that really make the copper pop. I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but the other pieces have a lot of gold metallic so I added the gold studs on the pockets for just a dash of sparkle.
Samurai Sweater
No, the design of this sweater has nothing to do with Samurai. 
However, I watch movies with my husband when I knit at night with my little red LED neck lamp. He LOVES Samurai movies, especially the old classics. His favorite is a series of 26 movies about a blind Samurai, Zatoichi. Let me tell you, when the heads are rolling, I get a lot of knitting done! What I do love about these movies are the sets and the clothing. Both men and women wear the most amazing kimono. The architecture is stunning in it’s simplicity.
The sweater is knit from the free Berrocco pattern, Blish. Being a fairly simple top down, knit in the round sweater, it only took 3 weeks of movies to knit! I went shopping for the yarn with girlfriends who talked my into this smoky purple color in Dream in Color Cashmere Blend Worsted. I’m glad they did! I wear purple, but usually knit in my classic fall colors of oranges and browns. This will add a little color to my winter wardrobe.
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