when Ruby met Maeve
About a year ago I decided to try being a little less random with my personal makes. It hasn't come easy to me; I've still ended up with some very last-minute makes and many more unfinished ones. Still, by the middle of last summer I did have one outfit that ticked all the boxes.
About a year ago I decided to try being a little less random with my personal makes. Less impulse buying of yarn, more looking at what would go with what is already in my wardrobe, planning a season ahead, that sort of thing. It hasn't come easy to me; I've still ended up with some very last-minute makes (I'm looking at you, 10-day birthday jumper) and many more unfinished ones. My wild optimism about the correlation between the outfits in my head and the ones my hands can actually produce has not been cured or even dampened, I would say.
Still, by the middle of last summer I did have one outfit that ticked all the boxes, that followed all the rules. Well, almost. I had impulse bought the fabric without the faintest notion of what I was going to do with it. But, once I'd spotted both Ruby and Maeve and thought, yes: I planned. I bought the patterns and the yarn.
I made both as per the instructions as opposed to winging it. I properly finished every last seam and tucked in every end, and then I WORE THEM. Now we've seen the last of the snow (I hope) and Spring seems to finally be around the corner (oh, I hope!), I plan on wearing them LOTS MORE.
Ruby
Ruby is a combined top and dress pattern by Made by Rae. I like her modern aesthetic, and the instructions are extremely well-written with lots of tips. I'd never sewn an adult garment to a pattern before so I was nervous initially, but I didn't have any issues at all. The little gathers at the bust were just enough of a challenge to be interesting, without having me tear my hair out.
You'll have to take my word for it that it does fit me, even though I can't show you now - 7 months pregnant! Stupidly I didn't ask anyone to take pictures when it did, actually, still fit. Next summer!
The fabrics are both organic cottons - the mustard one being woven and the flowery one voile - by Art Gallery Fabrics, and I love them. I want piles and piles more (but, time and money).
Maeve
The Maeve shrug is a design by Carie Bostick Hoge at Madder. As a knitwear designer she seem ubiquitous, and with good reason; her work has a classic, timeless feel to it without being stuffy. It is all just so, so wearable.
This shrug is a good one if you're new to garment knitting. Super-simple shaping on the arms, and then loads of mindless knit stitch for the back and garter stitch for the collar. That collar, that collar... The whole thingis drapey, comforting, and very easy to throw on over pretty much anything.
The yarn is Summer Wool by Pickles Oslo: a blend of 70% organic cotton and 30% merino wool. It's unbelievably soft and smooshy, without either the stiffness of cotton or the overly-processed feel merino can have. Despite the name "Summer Wool" it saw me through most of autumn as well. It's pilling a little bit now, but nothing outrageous.
So there you have it. When Ruby met Maeve I threw on my favourite old jeans and, of course, of course some mustard yellow shoes. I think they got on rather well, don't you?
Sea Water, Sun and Yarn
Now the autumn/winter proposals have been handed in, it's time for a little late Spring sneaky peeking. Add in a mini yarn review, "sea water" and "sun", and it feels like we're heading for a great summer.
Yesterday I handed in a stack of autumn/winter design proposals. Now I just have one or two more things to try out for the Emmy + LIEN label, and then I think I can draw a line under all things dark and wintry. Only until the sample making starts, of course, but the initial head-scratching part is done. The result: a stack of swatches. About a month's worth of work. Doesn't look like much does it?!
One late summer design has snuck in there, and I wanted to pull it out for a little sneaky peek. And a yarny drool.
Meet my new crush: Pickles. They're based in Oslo and, oh my, don't they ever produce deliciousness. I ordered two types (for now!), Summer Wool and Thin Organic Cotton.
Summer Wool consists of 70% organic cotton and 30% fair trade Peruvian merino. Plant-dyed, entirely scrumptious, and swiftly set aside for a knitted cardigan for Yours Truly (more on that another day).
Thin Organic Cotton isn't actually that thin - it works up almost like a worsted weight rather than a DK - but it is very lovely. It feels much softer than 100% cottons usually do, and so it's perfect for a summer to mid-season vest design I've had in mind. Though I normally get lead times spectacularly wrong, this *should* be coming out fairly soon. Swatch done, colours picked, mood board fun had. First test subject: the Bean (though I think it'll be a child to adult pattern - I want me some of this too!).
I'm waiting for the rest of the yarn I need to make up the sample to arrive. I settled on this muted "sea water" blue, and added a yellow called "sun". Sounds like a perfect summer of making to me.
Just so you know: I have not been compensated in any way for writing this post.