More about knickers

Handmade underwear update

It has been about a year since I published this video about how to make your own hand stitched knickers. 
  
In making this video I could expand my knickers collection and now after a year I thought it was time to produce some more. Why? Because the few knickers from the high street, that I did not throw away in case I could not keep up with laundry tasks, are just too uncomfortable in comparison. And I also have a bit of Organic Cotton/Bamboo Jersey left over.

As I am currently experimenting whether working with the machine can come close to the hand-stitched-experience but also to see if I can produce slightly more economic garments with similar effect, I thought I give this project a try on the machine. 
I am writing this post also because some DIY friends possibly did not dare to try to make their own underwear because of the hand stitched madness or not enough time. So now there are no more excuses not to wear the most comfortable underwear ever!

If you watched the video you know how to make a pattern for this project. First you pin the side seams, as in the film, but try to use fewer pins, 3 would do and make sure you pin perpendicular to the sewing direction, you don't want to break the needle. I use a Gutterman sew all thread for the top feed, that is 100% polyester, for the bobbin I use Seraflock, that is a very stretchy thread normally used for swimwear. My machine is a very very old Singer with only the basic stitches. Set the machine to a wide zigzag stitch and put in a needle for stretch material. Let the foot come down so all material is under it, because that avoids problems with the material and thread forming a big knot. Also keep hold of the threads before you start as this helps to prevent these issues as well.
And after a couple of stitches reverse and sew backwards almost to the very edge. Almost because again you don't want to start the argument. Repeat once you arrived at the end of the seam. 

For the leg opening it is a bit different. Use only a few pins like before, and the same setting, but this time don't reverse. The reason for this is that you want no tension between material and thread. (Across the grain you have more stretch.) You know when you put on a garment and it goes ratsch and the thread snapped? So leave about 2 inches of thread in the beginning and then when you went all the way around instead of reversing, overlap the beginning and ending for about 2 inches, before you trim leave some thread. Now bring the hem between your index finger and thumb and stroke around the hem, at least once, you will feel movement between thread and material. Do this until the leg opening feels comfortable when you stretch it, so the thread won't snap when you pull it. Now you can trim.

The elastic band works the same way, only a few pins, 8 should do. Do not reverse but overlap and stroke the finished seam until you cannot feel any tension, trim.

Although it doesn't look nowhere near as good as made by hand - I just love the herringbone stitch, the result is very comfortable and you are prepared and ready to go on holiday in no time ......

For him

Hallo Valentine!

This morning when I finally started working I had to discover it was already past lunch time. Great.

And although it was already sooooo late, I had another idea that I absolutely had to follow in that very moment, so I lost another hour or so on top. And yesterday I probably should not have made my mala instead of working on this order as I had planned... But those shiny beads were just calling.....

I think I mentioned it before, I love it when someone asks me "could you make ...." These are my favourite projects as I love to find a solution. Saying that, before I start I have the greatest doubts and ask myself, why why why do I say yes to the weirdest projects when my time is already so limited. And by the way, why did I ever start sewing by hand. I just love my job!

So it feels all this avoiding and distracting gathered that much energy that I could realise this project in one go.

Yesterday I did squeeze some time in to make the pattern and do some thinking and today I made the prototype.

What is the project?

Very comfy underpants for a special Valentine.......

The test showed that they are comfy and nice to wear, whether the Valentine is happy.....I do hope so!

Rusty accident, New Moon & a New Top!

New Moon on the wrong day ....

Why is that? I have a moon app and I was really very sure that New Moon was yesterday. I even did my Moon fast yesterday. But then this afternoon I read weird posts on facebook concerning the moon and checked my app and had to find out that New Moon is today, never mind.

A good timing for this post. I worked on a new order, a men's vest and because it is still school holiday I had to squeeze it in somewhere and found a gap. So I developed the pattern and checked and double checked and then when I was happy I started cutting the fabric, wow, this is running smoothly.

Pinned and stitched I put it on my tailor's stand, which is not accurate because it is a men's vest but as it is for a size S, I could at least see its shape and collar. It looked nice. Good that I had a similar vest to compare sizing because it was far too wide.

How did that happen?

I haven't done a top all summer, so I might be a bit rusty but intuitively, I added a bit to the pattern being used to making ladies clothes. I know my patterns and know when I need to cut a bit wider so there is more room for drape and change and fine tuning, so this might be why it happened. 

This vest has a similar cut like my Hand stitched favorite Tank top, just with a men's shape, as in smaller armholes, smaller cut for front and back neckline, and it is a bit less tailored at the waist. 

So no chance for adjustment here unless I changed the pattern and create instead of a one-seam top a 3-seam-top. But the really comfortable thing about this one seam is that it feels fantastic on the body, because no seam is bothering you anywhere and the one seam that holds it together and gives the shape is on the back. So the answer was no, I had to check the pattern again, make sure that the pattern was super accurate and then concentrate to cut it at the line without adding anything.

There was enough fabric left, I started again. 

And what to do with the unusable top? I tried it on had to find out that it looked really nice on me. I never thought of using these differences on a ladies top. That is why I probably like it. The neckline is a bit higher than I would normally go. But because men have wider shoulders there is more space at the sides of the neck and this makes the whole décolleté very interesting and loose. And as men's waist is less accentuated than women's it floats nicely down my sides without touching and comes to an halt at my waist where it drapes. 

I shall finish it and take a pic.... Nice to have a new order and a new top for myself at the same time!

Happy New Moon!
x

breaking the silence and an alien

time time time ....

I have been waiting and waiting to receive some pictures of the latest onesie order and now look at the date of the last post!!!

It is summer and I am tangled up in childcare - this involves saving an alien that has been thrown up to the attic door and as I washed it just the day before, it stuck there and did not move for a whole day, no matter what we tried.

I keep forgetting that there is hardly any me time in the summer holidays. What I always remember though and love is that there is only our rhythm and the kids turn into happy and relaxed little beings - even with the house full of children and them running wild!

So no news on the sewing front but as always ideas brewing. One of them is a new triangle bra version, another a cardigan and I found a new organic fabric source selling hemp...... which might make a nice Kundalini Yoga collection being white!!!!

More later, when there is more time....

;) x

210 days of Bound Lotus and the Hand stitched Onesie

Harvest time

You might think I have started expanding my work and specialize in toddlers clothes. No I haven't. Although I would not mind it at all designing a girls dress or a baby jumpsuit or any children's clothes, really.


This time I worked on an Hand stitched Ladies Onesie. The request was to replace a range of jumpsuits with the mission to be more attractive at home. Also wearable all year long, with and without any other layers to wear, and very comfortable were included in this order.

I must say I am very happy to have been approached. It is nice to have my work noticed. And I love this kind of approach. Can you make me...is my favorite.


I would not have designed a onesie in near future, so it is nice to have expanded my collection. But now as it is accomplished I would not be upset at all if the customer would not like it, as I fancy one myself.

It is the ultimate of comfortable so far! The cut is very feminine but there is enough drape to feel good if you know what I mean. The waistband is looser than for the Hand stitched Yoga pants as it should just gently sit there, which is also an important factor for hot summer days. The legs of the pants only touch at the very end so the only points of contacts are on the shoulders, a touch on the waist and at the bottom of the legs. The conic shape allows to pull them up higher when you wish to have cooler ankles.

I have the feeling she might ask for other colors once she received it and will not wear it only at home. I guess I can start making another one ...... ;)

I called this post harvest time. This onesie was quite a challenge as it has a lot of folds and must really sit perfectly. And looking back I can tell now how much I have progressed with my work. 

I recently had a similar experience with my daily Bound Lotus practice. I noticed a shift before but now I can see the difference. It is hard to explain but this posture seems to be part of my body now, in way. I am still far from reaching my toes but I feel comfortable and notice what this posture gives me.

The warmer days seem to be more frequent and I am thinking of shorter and airy......... 

Time to make Dandelion Honey and a Hand stitched Jumpsuit (Ladies)

Oh DEAR

I just looked at the date of my last post. It has been a month! And where has time gone? And what have I been doing this last month?

Anyway it is May and I am happy for some sunshine. My kids are still coughing and I wish we could see the sea more often, not only because it is my favorite place to be but I would love to get some sea breeze into their lungs. Instead, we went to the park, whenever it was not blowing a gale or raining, and picked lots of dandelions before they are gone and made some honey.

I guess time also vanishes as our youngest son has to be taken to school since Easter. This makes three journeys to school each day, as he only attends half a day.
 
I experimented on rare occasions of having a working day or two on a Hand stitched one-piece top made of pointelle (ajour) which I loved already when I have seen my nanny wearing it. At that time it was rather used for vests. I found some white organic cotton ajour and it turned almost into a tunic. I also extended the short sleeves (t-shirt) of the one-piece top with white organic bamboo cotton jersey and I love to wear it.

Now I have an order to design a Ladies jumpsuit and I am looking forward to this. 

It is really nice to see that finally some people around me start to notice what I am doing. And also that they get interested in wearing it themselves.......

After the Blue Phase

Time

I hope I have finished the Blue Phase now! 

Winter is fading so I dare to believe and the light has changed, and to fight dullness I made a range of blue Tops. I don't really like to wear black. Although people still associate this colour with me probably because I had a very Black Phase a very very long time ago, it stuck to their mind. Even though it was followed by a White Phase and then a very colourful period.....

I seem to start working on my working days and as soon I am busy time is over. I understand that I have to corporate with my family life but it is like everything in my life at the moment. There is a thought or I start something and in a blink I am taken out and have to do something else. Normal for this stage of life, I still struggle with it and it keeps me feeling fragmented. A good challenge to still get things done, time efficiency is required and concentration. Which brings me back to my Blue Phase. I lack all of it. And chocolate is one of my dearest friend at the moment...oh.

There are only 2 more unfinished tops waiting to be made which feels much better than a pile and I decided to do some other very practical things today. Starting with a hairband. You might think that is boring.  But to wear your hair all day long with an uncomfortable hairband only leaves you with headache and a very bad mood. And although I went through my whole workspace and did a spring clean at the same time (actually quite efficient!) I cannot find my one and only so comfortable hairband anymore. Ridiculous, it takes about 5 minutes to make and I only had one? Made of the edge of lycra - I love using leftovers - it is very elastic but still maintains enough stretch to keep my bun where I want to have it all day long without headache or broken hair.

Next on the list are undies and a bra but I won't go into anymore detail....... Ready for a long long Easter Holiday.......

Comfortable drop crotch pants and a one piece T-shirt

I am ready for spring!

Where have I been? Weeks have past by but it is still not spring.
I could not care less as I am completely into spring and absolutely denying that I am freezing cold. I also had to fight a bad cold which made me even more ignorant to cold!

But, but, but I progressed in my comfortable Hand stitched 
T-shirt project. The last version posted was a drapey one with one seam at the side. This drape was not very comfortable and also not tummy-friendly so I worked on a legere version, which is fun to wear and comfortable, very. Might post pics of this one later.

But now I have moved away one step. This Hand stitched top is made in one piece, meaning I folded the fabric at the shoulders and cut a hole for the neckline. Consequently there are no seams on top of the arms either. This way the jersey is gently hanging on my shoulders. Again words seem not to be able to describe what I mean. Compared to a normal sleeve, the lack of seems in this area makes an enormous difference.

The side seams have only a touch of batman wings. This gives more freedom of movement to the arm but also relaxes the armpit.

I chose Organic Cotton/Bamboo jersey, which feels gorgeous.
This prototype is short but works for layering with a tank top, but I started already a longer version....

Now to the very comfortable Hand stitched Yoga Pants.
I have posted the white version earlier. 

I have made the experience that wearing white only works if I feel comfortable. So I started to design my Kundalini Yoga outfit. I started with leggings, as it was winter and the need of layering required a simple cut for the pants. But now the layers are about to be reduced or vanish, so I could experiment with the shape of the pants. Saying that this drop crotch version is so comfortable that I might stop wearing leggings!!!!! I wish you could try for yourself. The no impact comfort makes such a difference. Additionally there are 4 tucks on each side, which is a nice element and again adds to the comfort.

So I am switching between designing for Yoga and adapting for urban life or designing for everyday life and creating a white Yoga version......

As I did with the grey Valentine's cardigan ....there is now an off white Yoga Version.


Well I am ready for spring.
Actually skip spring, I am ready for summer.

Valentine's Cardi

Love to you - Copy and Paste 

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

We do not do this Valentine thing as according to my dear love it is a consumer thing. Honestly I am lucky if we do birthdays or Christmas...... But I DO THIS, so I woke him up with a cappuccino made with extra love and shared my love to him as well. The answer I got was: Ditto, copy and paste. Well I guess it was early and he might have been still dreaming.....

The day itself did not start too good either, even before that, I spare you the details of kids and making a mess, but somehow I am in a very good mood.

Probably because it is my working day today and I have done already so much as I started working last night. Sometimes I have so much in my head that I cannot stop standing by my doll (tailor's dummy). I love creating live and enjoy that I have learnt so much already. So only a few hours later and I designed a long sleeve top, a T-shirt and a cardigan. I mentioned it before I cannot have too many cardigans, especially because my favorite got blown away and I haven't made a new favorite until now......(actually that is a lie, this hooded cardigan was my dearest companion for the last freezing weeks, ah months)

The grey cardi is made of a wool mix in grey, a very light fabric. It has one seam at the back. At the front it is closed with two upcycled mega press studs. It has a hint of a cowl neck collar which looks quite interesting. The cut is figure fit, not too tight and as the studs are somewhere in the middle, the bottom of the cardigan drapes open. The contrasting seams are red. I love it already!

Love.

In Training

New year

It seems that this year is everything else than superficial. I found already great music, geared up my Yoga props and changed my daily practice. Up somewhere around 4 am I start the day like in a cloud or dream. It is not really hard to get up at this hour for me, I am perfectly trained after two toddlers who still venture in my bed nowadays. 

The most challenging is to keep the time. I am slower but also this practice is much longer than anyone I had so far...... I try to finish before everybody is up but mostly end up with a little boy or two lying on my tummy or a demand for breakfast. 

It goes very deep to dedicate this golden hour to turn inside. And as a consequence during the day I feel sort of minced and incredibly tired. I notice it is getting better and the day does not seem endless anymore but I still have a long way to go before I fully integrated this routine into my life.

That does not keep me from designing new outfits. My head is bursting and I am looking forward to spend some time with the doll (tailor's dummy) over the next dew days......

ps:
I had some lovely feedback on my new collection, wearing it on a Yoga course I was attending. In a random conversation some ladies mentioned they could not find any nice Yoga Wear and where I got mine from, thank you!

The New Collection on the Beach

Finally ready to let go of 2013 . . . .

I am soooooo tired - But it was a good day. 

The last weeks I did nothing else but finishing off my NEW Collection - BASIS - and today I was ready to take all the pieces with me to the Beach to take some pics. Obviously it was freezing cold but the sun was out and we chose a rather sheltered corner. So filled with my excitement of being at the Beach - home! - but also because I finally can show the collection and offer it in my shop, I felt almost warm.

Just after a couple of hours I could not feel my toes anymore and we had enough shots captured and could drive back home, where we shot the rest of the details and voilà: my first listing is online!

The collection is the Best of ONE year work. There are Yoga pants, three different styles of Long sleeve Tops including a Tunic and a Tank Top and ALL pieces are Hand stitched. I offer size S, M or L and the fabric is either Organic Bamboo/Cotton Jersey or Organic Cotton Jersey in black, white and colours. (I will show the colours available but will have to order them on demand according to availability.) For the seams there is a choice of contrasting Red, or a similar colour to the tone of the chosen material and you can state your wish at the check-out.

There is still much more to do but I can feel a chapter is finishing and I am ready for the New of 2014! 

Funny dance around new Patterns

Anti...climax

Good that I can still laugh about myself.

 

It has been weeks now. First I transferred the chosen garments of my first collection onto pattern paper, then I had to let go of them and they were transported to London. And after some weeks they made it to the graders and also back. And finally they came by train back to Liverpool last weekend. 

When I heard they would be back I got very excited, it felt like a victory. But somehow it started scaring me and that's where I am glad that I can laugh. Maybe because it felt like a massive project from start to end, maybe to let go of a whole year of hard work, maybe the step to the next level, whatever it was, it is gone now and I am ready to move on. And it feels really good to use them. 

This collection is available now and just waiting to be put in my shop. It is a Hand stitched long sleeve Yoga Tunic, a short long sleeve Top, a comfortable Top and Tank Top and the Yoga pants in all sizes and different colors.

Merry Sparkly Woolly Top

Happy Advent!

I am still in denial. I cannot believe where time has gone. 

My body and head are still bathing in warm sunshine while I am shopping for Christmas presents in the freezing cold. The shop that provides it all is the local fabric shop and I found what I was looking for. But Christmas also means making myself presents. Actually especially at Christmas time I find the most exquisite gifts for myself.

This one is a small cut-off of sparkly woolly midnight blue fabric and I did not hesitate to get it! And as I am practicing offline-ness it is already ready to wear! It is quite airy but very warming and it has a very decent sparkly thread that blinks once in a while.... 

Now which Christmas Party should I take it out to? 
Ok, there is still more to do this year, a lot more. Another thing that is in my head but maybe there is one at least!

Auditions and a Hoodie

Warming news from the attic

Sometimes I really regret that I have turned on the computer during my working day. I get distracted and consequently lost and that is what I ended up watching last night: x got talent

Anyway, after seeing lots of auditions were you could never guess what you will hear I felt even more excited that my hoodie turned out so nicely.

I like hoodies, they are great to hide in. But usually the hood is very small and when I turn I have the feeling I am being slightly strangled when I twist my head. 

The one I have just created was developed out of the woolly vest mentioned earlier. It is a gorgeous versatile piece this vest, light and very warming. But I forgot that it is getting even colder and I have the wish to hibernate also indoors, mainly after I have brought the kids to bed and I am half asleep myself or when the heating gets randomly turned off.....

Obsessed with simplicity I had to fiddle about quite some time to solve this puzzle. The vest was created with a panel who's  size is determined by half of the body width. For the length I took all material I had. I used the edge of the woolly fabric so there would be no need to sew a hem. 

This time I have included the hoodie in this panel. I marked the position of the shoulders and tucked the bottom of the hood in, creating two pleats. The hood is wide but also vanishes when not used. 

This fabric is warm and light and very nice to wear. Sadly I have used it all now and after loosing my favorite cardigan to the fairies I hope this one will stay longer with me.

I really have to go now ........

Travel Sewing Kit

Where are you going?

This was the question my husband asked when I showed him my new Hand Stitched Travel Sewing Kit. The answer was sadly, nowhere.

My head is spinning, there is the collection that wants to be finished and presented, there are 2 books to study more sewing and pattern making techniques that want to be worked through and there is already a new project that I want to realize. I could not make up my mind of what to do first, so I had a cup of tea and decided to make a Hand Stitched Travel Sewing Kit. 

Where am I traveling to? Well, I am fed up with thinking of where to put the magnet, especially not next to the computer and also the threads and pins got tangled up. I wanted to make one in the very beginning when I started sewing by hand. But the design wasn't mine and I also questioned the practical value of the design. 

This version is not much designed and thought through but it suits my needs. The scissors are secured, the threads held in place and the sewing needles are in a separate location from the pins.

It needed to be very small in case I really travel as I have to give up any space in a suitcase for toys and extra clothes for boys. I also did not want to have to extra pad it so I put a layer of felt around it. It is made out of a too small T-shirt of the boys and some leftover materials and it is easy to close with a strip of jersey.

So were am I traveling to? From my studio to the living room, to nanny's television room and probably sometimes to the park.

a collection / chapter end

Suffering (;

I knew this would come. 
I have this self-imposed rule that I draw a pattern straight after a new design is born, no matter what. And if I make any changes I transfer them immediately too.

Obviously, there are exceptions. Sometimes I am not sure and think I can draw the pattern later. Sometimes the drawing is very free-style as it is in process anyway. Although I must say through experience my pattern-development got more and more accurate as it just speeds up the process, and although I know by now how to cut what, it is still of advantage to have the pattern finished, named and neatly stored. 

A year has passed. It feels like a chapter is finished and it is time to move on. But before that I wanted to present what I have done in form of a collection. I decided which of the designs will be part of this collection and did the last fine tuning. And I spent the whole weekend to create the final drawings of those patterns, I mean the final final ones, which was quite painful as I had to test and work out if it is all correct, like super correct. Because they will be graded and if there is an error, it will be in every size.... 

(... From now on I am not only drawing the pattern immediately but also do the final drawing.)

Well, now I only have to choose the fabrics and manufacture and present this collection in my shop. What a big event!

2 weddings and lots of rain

Show off time

They are married and the sun is shining now.

The last two weekends where marked with two weddings and pouring rain. But the rain has stopped both times for the wedding ...

I might get some more and better pics later on but this is a little peak into i can cu's wedding world.

  Hand stitched tie (in church)

 Hand stitched dress

 Hand stitched dress with poncho

hot pink and Hand stitched

up for vote....

i can cu' s pink extra long Hand stitched gloves 
are up for vote....... 

if you have a minute, very much appreciated, thank you!

(vote icancu2)

http://onfireforhandmade.com/pink-great-finds/

Lotus and the Beach

Yoga in progress

My newest challenge is Bound Lotus. I have avoided Lotus in general the last years as I was either too fat or not flexible enough. But now the Baby-fat is fading and this summer had a good aspect as I had nothing else to do at night than doing my Yoga Set, every day. So Lotus is possible now, Bound Lotus still a big mission though. But I must say after 11 minutes with lots of props and some suffering, I feel really good afterwards, just wondering when will I enjoy 31 minutes without too much pain.....

Meanwhile my Hand stitched Yoga Tunic in natural Organic Cotton Bamboo Jersey is finished. The seam is at the front this time, as it might bother me while practicing kriyas on the back. Also, it is neither too wide nor too tight as I want to be able to do inverted postures without showing my belly. I enjoy being aware of my body but do not want to be trapped like a sausage, so I chose the middle way. 

As you can see on the picture, I took it on an outing and this Tunic is really fun to mix with blue and grey. The material is fantastic to wear (Bamboo!) and with the Yoga Bra, the white feels even better, as it breaks the brightness.

The second Top of this special Hand stitched Yoga collection is also about to be finished, already thinking of variations with different seam colours but I might add some coloured versions anyway, as I am not sure to keep it all white....

I love big projects!

3 min dis-traction

Restless night

Thinking of when I lived on the small remote Island in Scotland I remember one really cold winter, so cold that the water system froze. We had very brave longterm guests back then and while I was really inventive to gather some water to wash my hair, the girl solved it with Dry Shampoo that she had brought with her.

The other night, I could not concentrate on anything which is a shame because I really honor those quiet hours, and nothing mind numbing was broadcasting, so I remembered the upcoming wedding in our family and browsed for some special hair do. Vimeo has quite some arty films and I once watched a really nice series of Tiger in a Jar like making your own pesto or bread but also a nice hairstyle. From that I ended up at Hair Dresser on Fire which is kind of entertaining to watch..... On her blog she talks about no poo which is when you don't use shampoo but water, baking soda and cider vinegar. She says she cannot handle that herself but tries to reduce the times of hair wash and that is where the Dry Shampoo came back to my life.

I thought I give it a try after all and went into the shop I pass on the way to get my son from school and tried it this morning. A funny thing. The hair feels lighter but it turns white so I guess you have to spray it with a bit of water?.....I really don't know about that.

Anyway it is fun to play with hair for a while but last night I had a much better distraction result after exhaustion of a restless mind and Aqua Running:

3MS - 3 minutes to shift the flow in your body and mind...