What Gorgeous Outfits!

This two-piece is designed by Maggy Rouf of Paris, I believe in 1935. The yarn is called Bear Brand-Bucilla Twinkle Crepe, with a gauge of 7 stitches to the inch. The pattern is quite simple really, it's just a rib pattern (knit 3, purl 1) with raglan sleeves. The band effect in front is knitted separately (and is actually done in crochet) and then sewn on later. I think this pattern can be easily knitted on the machine and for the band I could use I-cord. I am not sure about the neckline, it's a bit high for me, so I will lower it a bit. The skirt is not difficult at all, it's actually knit with a separate back and front and not in the round. The total width at the hemline is about 49". Very nice looking outfit!

Here on the right, I have another favorite also knit in a Bear Brand or Bucilla Crepe Boucle. I just love the skirt!! The top is quite easy again, I can see this done with plaiting on the Singer machine (so the contrast collar and sleeve hems can be achieved), or it can be done as a facing I suppose. It's so simple, yet so elegant with just enough panache. The front band is moss stitch as is the top hem. It too is a small gauge of 7 stitches to the inch.
The skirt on this one might be a little more difficult, but it's a fairisle pattern, knit 3 with light and 3 with dark colours. Hmmm, will have to work this one out on a large swatch.

My Love For 1930's Fashion

I really love the fashions of the 1930's. To me it was the golden age of fashion, and really the birth of modern fashion. A time when fashion was just so glamourous yet practical, when unusual seaming was all the rage and some of the most complex seams were invented. Even the simplest of dresses with an unusual cut, made one look stunning.

I have such a nostalgia for waved hair, Cuban heels, coats with big collars, jaunty hats. I can watch 1930's Hollywood films all day long, just admiring and banking ideas for perhaps future designs. LOL!

My collection of fashion books is quite large all acquired on Ebay of course! I have over 80 knitting pattern books alone, to me it my little treasure trove. At least once a month, I dip into that magazine box and look at the pictures wondering how I could reproduce it on the machine.
Some of the patterns are fairly simple, and can be reproduced very easily on a knitting machine. Most the patterns were made to body measurements so the fit was snug, with higher armholes than modern patterns.
The body shapes are fairly simple, the glamour lies in the unusual collars, jabots, sleeves, asymmetrical fronts and trims. I'll post a few pictures sometime soon. Some of the designs are soooooooo lovely!

What shocks me, is the yarn they used. Mostly very fine yarns (9 stitches to the inch), and for flared skirts, one had to cast on hundreds of stitches, and then having to knit those stitches on two needles, it's mind blowing!!
I have the greatest admiration for those ladies! As I have for hand knitting in general. The skirts were almost, always knit in the round on circular needles, and were long, 30+" in length!!
Actually, my skirt for the burgundy two-piece, is based on one of these skirts, it has four gores with flare at centre front, centre back and side seams.
I really like this little jacket (on left) with white collar, must see how I can reproduce it, it doesn't look very difficult, I can see a pattern of: five to seven rows of plain knitting and two rows of tuck stitch, maybe?

Saga Of My Sister's Wedding Dress

My lovely younger sister got married in 2005, and I designed and sewed her wedding dress. Well, it was one of the most difficult projects I have ever undertaken! The design was simple, the sewing was a little frightening, as the fabric was very expensive (100% silk with silk thread embroidery at $180 a yard), so you can imagine, I didn't want to rip out or do anything that would end in disaster.
However the most daunting of tasks, was the fitting, as she lives in London, and I live in Toronto, so you can imagine the exchange of information! We used every available means of communication: email, digital photos, phone conversations, instant messenger, courier services and visitors to London and back.
I had her SIL take the measurements, I did the first muslin, sent it across the pond. It came back with changes, which I made on the pattern, did a second muslin, sent it across, and it too, came with changes!! By the third muslin, I was exhausted! Finally, muslin number four fit quite well.
To cut a long story short, I estimated (or DH did), I spent over 200 hours from drafting the pattern to the final dress!! I must also mention, all of this was done in a month and a half (she decided in June 2005, to get married on her birthday, October 8th 2005, and I began the dress at the end of August).

The dress was a labour of love, and I could never undertake such a project for strangers, so that puts me out of the "sewing-wedding-dresses" arena. My sister was a very accommodating and easy bride, no fuss from her at all!

All in all, it worked out very well, even though the last stitch was put in at midnight of October 7th. I was so exhausted from sewing, travelling etc., that I slept through most of the dancing at the party (thank goodness, the restaurant had a private room, presumably for people who get a little tight). I am sure the manager put me in that category! However, I was "tight" from sheer exhaustion, and having only one contact len in, didn't help (the other one got washed down the sink!!), needless to say, my perspective was horribly affected :).

Of course the funniest of stories was, my BIL, thought I was the bride!!! My sister and I look very much alike, in fact people think we are twins, but we are 9 years apart. I suppose from his peripheral vision, I looked like her! All the while, he was thinking, my gosh, what a wild wife I have, she's wearing green silk at her wedding :D
I was the maid-of-honor, and wore a green iridescent silk dress, which by some miracle I put together in 2 days before leaving for London, only to discover on the wedding day, that it was a little too loose!! Of course, this found me dashing for the sewing machine 2 hours before the ceremony, trying to take in the seams (thank goodness they were princess seams!!).

Another Garment done on the LK 150

This burgundy two-piece, is knit in Briggs & Little 100% wool worsted, lovely yarn, but not for a two-piece (what was I thinking??). The top was done in Knitware, the bell sleeves have picot edging, as does the hem of the top. The collar was drafted by me, and I wrote the pattern for the skirt (not difficult).
The fit is not very good on the top, I think my gauge was quite off! This is why I decided to abandon the gauge technique used in the Singer/Studio manuals, it doesn't work (at least not for me). I much prefer the Superba and Passap method of finding guage, it makes alot more sense and is alot easier.

My First Jumper - Knit About 6 Years Ago

This brown jumper is my very first knit garment, it was done in Louet's merino sportweight and knit on the LK 150 knitting machine. The yarn washes beautifully, but I find it a bit heavy (not sure if I'll use it again).
I made the pattern in Knitware, it fits quite nicely for a first attempt. By the way, Knitware is an excellent knitting software, easy to use, very user friendly and quite affordable. It allows one to adjust the ease, which for me is important, I like fitted knitwear, which means most of my jumpers are knit to body measuremnts (no ease).
There is a Canadian company developing some new software, called Smartpatterns, but I am not sure about the status of it. I wrote to the developers several times, have yet to hear back from them!

My "New" Superba/White S47/1502 Knitting Machine

When I first discovered the Superba brand of knitting machine, I purchased a White 1602 in mint condition, with all the bells and whistles! When it arrived, I had no idea how it worked, or what the selection box did or anything like that. I set it up and soon discovered, while it knit beautifully, the selection box did nothing, it was broken (which is very common with this type of box, especially if it sits without use for long periods).
I am not only an avid fibre person, but I also like tinkering with machinery (something I inherited from my father, I suppose), so on day 3 of owning my machine, I opened up the selection box, and the broken belt popped right out at me! Anyhow, after joining the White list, I was able to get repair instructions for the box (from some fantastic people) and, I managed to mend it. However, to cut a long story short, it still does not work. I think repair to these boxes are much more involved than the repair manual lets on, which is a shame!

About two months ago, I was able to get a Superba 1502, the pressure pad model. It arrived in fairly good condition, albeit with a broken tension mast, sans bells and whistles, but the electronics worked, so I was happy about that, however, on further inspection, the machine was filthy!!
Of course, curious me took the whole machine apart. When I took out the needle tension springs, they were so corroded with lint, it was unreal! I replaced the springs with new ones I had, cleaned all the needles, the bed, the carriages, but then I realized I didn’t care too much for the old style, where the bed racking and transfer position are separate, unlike the newer style, where all 3 settings are on the front.
What did I do? Well, I took the White machine apart, and simply replaced the Superba front bed with the White front bed (complete with newer settings and newer rail), mind you it wasn’t easy, but I learnt a lot, and now I am wiser about how this brand of machine works.

Anyhow, so my “new and improved” machine is a Superba/White combo, it looks a bit odd, with its green back bed and brown front bed, but it also looks very unique and works beautifully!
I have also realized, while the 1602 or S48 is very versatile, and I can do so much more in terms of designs, I much prefer the simplicity of the 1502 or S47, it is so easy to program!! I think for me, it's all I need right now, and I am not really in a hurry to mend my 1602 selection box properly. I know, I might be missing out on some fabulous possibilities, but...

First Musings

Okay, here I have it, my own blog!  I have been toying with the idea of blogging for sometime now, and I have finally relented!  I just hope I can be good and keep it going, perhaps, it's one those things, once you start, you are committed.