I have been so busy the last two months with commissioned projects that I haven’t had much I can share with you. It is hard to keep them a secret for so long, but I promise they are worth the wait! I’m rounding third base with my final project, and soon I can breathe again and knit at a (somewhat) more leisurely pace.
I have been itching to sew something for a long time. In fact, I have so many summer projects that I never got to, plus projects from last winter that have languished in my fabric bin. But, there is nothing like the motivation of gift giving to get you started! I hadn’t planned on making any Christmas gifts this year, but it seems that I have one to work on. My dear husband has now asked me three times to make him a smoking jacket. Yes, an old-fashioned martini-with-a-cigar kind of smoking jacket. Sometimes I don’t take his requests seriously (like the time he wanted an R2D2 hat, come on!) but since he has brought it up three times, I think he means business. So, last night while he was busy tending the fireplace, I snuck into my room and looked for a sewing pattern. It is really just a fancy, short bathrobe, right?
I found Butterick B5830, a quilted bathrobe with a shawl collar. I figured I could just shorten it and leave off the quilting. Perhaps I’ll add a band of contrast to the pocket to make it fancy. This morning I headed off to the fabric store. I wasn’t sure what kind of fabric I would be looking for. A quick Google search told me that the old smoking jackets were made out of velvet and satin. I did want it to be nice, but should it be that fancy? My husband isn’t really a fancy kind of guy. I recall my grandma telling me that back in the ‘50s she made my grandpa a smoking jacket out of brown corduroy. I don’t think my husband is a corduroy kind of guy either. But, as usual, I just wandered around the fabric aisles until something struck me. And, boy, did something strike me! First I saw velour. Usually I don’t like velour because it makes me think of those obnoxious Juicy Couture sweatsuits that women wear far too often. But as long as I didn’t scrawl JUICY across the lower half, perhaps velour would be good. Definitely more washable than velvet. But what kind of contrast to go with it? I was thinking a jewel tone dull satin, but then I came across this lovely brocade. Having made myself a formal gown out of brocade last year, I already knew it wasn’t too difficult to work with; definitely easier than a slippery satin. But is the pattern too much? This is for a man who wears camouflage and boots every working day. I hemmed and hawed and looked at every other fabric in the store. I still loved it the most. Tough, he will just have to like it!
I looked over the pattern and it seems pretty easy. As soon as I finish up my knitting I can begin!!
I have been itching to sew something for a long time. In fact, I have so many summer projects that I never got to, plus projects from last winter that have languished in my fabric bin. But, there is nothing like the motivation of gift giving to get you started! I hadn’t planned on making any Christmas gifts this year, but it seems that I have one to work on. My dear husband has now asked me three times to make him a smoking jacket. Yes, an old-fashioned martini-with-a-cigar kind of smoking jacket. Sometimes I don’t take his requests seriously (like the time he wanted an R2D2 hat, come on!) but since he has brought it up three times, I think he means business. So, last night while he was busy tending the fireplace, I snuck into my room and looked for a sewing pattern. It is really just a fancy, short bathrobe, right?
I found Butterick B5830, a quilted bathrobe with a shawl collar. I figured I could just shorten it and leave off the quilting. Perhaps I’ll add a band of contrast to the pocket to make it fancy. This morning I headed off to the fabric store. I wasn’t sure what kind of fabric I would be looking for. A quick Google search told me that the old smoking jackets were made out of velvet and satin. I did want it to be nice, but should it be that fancy? My husband isn’t really a fancy kind of guy. I recall my grandma telling me that back in the ‘50s she made my grandpa a smoking jacket out of brown corduroy. I don’t think my husband is a corduroy kind of guy either. But, as usual, I just wandered around the fabric aisles until something struck me. And, boy, did something strike me! First I saw velour. Usually I don’t like velour because it makes me think of those obnoxious Juicy Couture sweatsuits that women wear far too often. But as long as I didn’t scrawl JUICY across the lower half, perhaps velour would be good. Definitely more washable than velvet. But what kind of contrast to go with it? I was thinking a jewel tone dull satin, but then I came across this lovely brocade. Having made myself a formal gown out of brocade last year, I already knew it wasn’t too difficult to work with; definitely easier than a slippery satin. But is the pattern too much? This is for a man who wears camouflage and boots every working day. I hemmed and hawed and looked at every other fabric in the store. I still loved it the most. Tough, he will just have to like it!
I looked over the pattern and it seems pretty easy. As soon as I finish up my knitting I can begin!!
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