Willow Tank Hack

Early in the summer, I sewed several Willow Tanks, from Grainline Studio. They are part of this year's summer uniform. I pretty much wear one every day. More recently, I followed these instructions (more or less) from Fancy Tiger Crafts for modifying the tank into a gathered dress.

The fabric is a yarn-dyed linen. I cut out the pieces flat, not on the fold, to be sure to get the check pattern to match at the seams and darts. The only other change I made was to make patch pockets sewn into the side seams, instead of inseam pockets. Bring on the dog days of summer!

Another York Pinafore

Not sure if this is my fourth or fifth York Pinafore. No one I know seems to be able to stop at one. I wear mine year round--with leggings and sweaters in winter and with a sleeveless linen top in summer (no bra necessary). This one is in a medium-weight linen from Pure Linen Envy, colour "Byzantium".

Here are the mods I made to the pattern, which is from Helen's Closet (based in Vancouver):

1. I cut the bodice width to size L, while cutting everything else, including length to M.
2. I made my own single-fold bias binding out of cotton, and applied that instead of the double-fold suggested by the instructions.

That's it. So quick, so easy to wear. And those pockets can hold your entire life!
Best of all, it looks fab with my new Willingdon Cardigan.

Hope to write this up in the coming weeks. I promise it won't take as long as Ellerbeck.

Second Look

Blocking is done, and buttons are on.

This is not a staged Instagram-worthy photo. This is a throw-it-down-on-your-bed, like-the-way-it-looks-so-casual kind of picture. If you scroll back to the previous post, you'll be able to see the difference that blocking makes. Really pleased with this make; it exceeds expectations, and I can't wait for some fall weather.

First Glimpse

August is not really when you want to be working on a chunky shawl-collared cardigan, especially when you don't have air conditioning. But, with the humidity gone and the nights back down to 13C (that's 55F), the house is staying cool enough to make knitting bearable. What you see below is a sweater with a collar and front edges that have not yet been blocked into submission. Nor have the buttons been sewn on or the ends woven in. In other words, everything will be much more beautiful in a couple of days.

The real challenge is going to be getting photos. My lack of an in-house model since Isabel left home is taking a toll on my design photography. If you know anyone approximately 5'2" and 100 lbs, who enjoys posing for the camera, send them my way!