I’ve taken up the Sew a Seasonal Wardrobe (SSW) gauntlet, with my first make being the Calvin Klein top (which I’m wearing here), and my second is this Seamwork Oslo cardigan
Before I talk about the cardigan, I’ll just go over the SSW challenge. It began on 1 February, and ends on 31 May. I am now way behind, but confident that I will make the deadline!
We have to make an 8-piece seasonal wardrobe where all the pieces coordinate with each other. I opened my cupboard door and had a look at what fell out. Well, it appears that I’m going to be making things that are orange, grey, black or cream, or even a combination of all of the above!
As I mentioned in a previous post, my self-imposed rules are that I cannot buy a single element for this challenge – it all has to come from my stash; and I cannot use a previously used pattern – I have to find patterns in my stash that I have not yet made. I am already regretting the second rule. I would kill to make a Nettie bodysuit or MariaDenmark Karen Drape dress!
As you have probably guessed, I have now completed the jacket that is on the cutting table above. I had already pinned the pattern on – last year! I am pleased to have this fabric out of the stash as it took up a lot of space.
I wore the cardigan on a trip to Bruny Island, Tasmania and it was the perfect weight for the weather.
What’s with the hat you might ask? Well, it was one of Mark’s Mum’s. She has given me her entire collection from the 1950s – 1970s. This one is from the ’50s I think, and is a glorious orange felt and is worn at a very rakish angle. It needs to be blocked, but is otherwise in really good nick.
The back view
You will notice that the bottom of the cardigan has stretched out a bit. I have tacked some tape along the hemline in an attempt to stop this, but may need to resew it and try and gather in the fabric a bit. It does disappoint me a bit lot…
The pattern is extremely easy to put together. The only slightly tricky bit was matching the stripes, and to be honest, they are so big that it was no real effort. I did buy a piece of coordinating orange knit to make the shawl collar, but I didn’t buy enough; luckily I had enough of the stripe! Now I have to work out what to do with a small amount of orange knit – grrr.
I didn’t want to put buttonholes in this fabric due to the stretching, but I want to be able to close it, so I used these gorgeous snaps that were in my stash.
They are tortoiseshell coloured plastic and I bought them in Iceland. I wish I had bought more (although I also bought grey and black). I am going to sew some buttons over the front to give it a more finished look.
Another shot of me perched precariously on the jetty at Bruny. I wasn’t confident that I wouldn’t slip down between the thing I was sitting on and the dock, although when I think about it, I’ve got enough cake loitering around my midsection to wedge me between the two before my feet even got wet!
I’ll give you a little whistle stop of Bruny: there is an excellent ferry service with drive-on/drive-off facility
The views are marvellous, and this is the view of the main port at Kettering on the mainland side.
I just don’t have room for all the photographs, but this is a lookout with ocean on each side of a narrow causeway between north and south Bruny Islands.
On the way home we stopped in Margate, where I visited an excellent op-shop and this train where each carriage has been converted into different shops. How charming is this?
A final photo of Mark (it was his birthday) and me on the ferry to Bruny.
Notes: The fabric came from Pitt Trading when Maria from Velosewer took me there. I was served by the lovely Susan from Measuretwicecutonce.