Tag: retro

Sunday Sewing

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I made a shirt today. I wanted a high (but not tight) neckline, 3/4 sleeves, short length (to go with high waisted pants) and a loose comfortable fit. And I wanted to get in on the floral trend. I modified the Ace pattern.

I found this knit fabric on sale, presumably because it is an autumn floral. I love the more subdued colors, but it is still a lot of color for me.

I tried to get a good shot without asking for photography help. This was the best I could do. It’s a little blurry, but you get the idea.

Vintage Is as Vintage Does

Posted on Posted in design, inspirationTagged , , , 16 Comments

Yesterday I received The Vintage Shetland Project in the mail. What a glorious book! Quiteayarnblog had posted about it and I knew it would be for me. It has knitting, history, and patterns! But my real reason for mentioning it is I want to ask you a very important question. Do you think I can pull off wearing puffy sleeves?

I know we all say, “You can wear anything you want!” But honestly, I think I may feel ancient if I dress in — what appears to me to be — a rather old fashioned style. I loved to dress vintage when I was younger, and it was easy for me to pull off. I think I may also have had a sweater like this when I was in my 20s.

Maybe I’ll start with the mitten pattern and use my Fairlight Fibers gift card. I’ll add it to my queue anyway.

Aren’t pics of images funny? How they distort and skew but seem real? There’s an art project in there. Postmodernism at its finest. It’s probably been done.

Today I was thinking I might challenge myself to sketch a design for a knitting pattern every day. That would be good practice.

Here’s a knitting fashion quiz for you:

1. Do you think it’s true “if you wore it the first time around, you shouldn’t wear it the second (or third) time around?”

2. Do you believe there is a “first time around” anymore? Have you seen fashion produce anything new lately that you would like to wear?

3. Do you knit things you would never wear just because you want to knit them? Do you gift them afterward?

Here are my answers:

1. As I get older, my experience is that I don’t look (or feel) good in retro or vintage styles like I did when I was younger. I look and feel better in classic and/or modern but more sophisticated clothing. In other words, my Mother was right.

But I will never get rid of my overalls!

2. I haven’t seen anything new in fashion since the 80s. Everything is a rehash, except the jeans with the clear plastic over the butt cheeks and I wouldn’t wear that. (ETA: Bob thinks this was only in a movie, but I thought someone tried to make it a fashion after that.)

3. I only knit apparel I have in mind for someone to use and enjoy. I love beautiful things but I am prosaically practical. I do occasionally knit art that is for looking at and contemplating, although it’s been a while.

Please leave your answers in the comments, or on your blog and let us know!