The New Flat Cap Pattern and a Magazine Project

Well, I finally stopped talking about it and got around to making a hat for the blokes (which also looks fab on girls). 

I've made it a digital download, so you can print it out immediately and start sewing up a flat-cap storm in time for Christmas.  You can get it HERE.

The pattern is a multi-size number, which fits sizes - Small - 56cm (22’’), Medium - 58cm (23’’), Large - 60cm (23’’) and Extra-Large - 62cm (24’’).

NOTE: I'd recommend printing out the instructions 2-up or booklet form, and check your printer settings before printing out the pattern, to make sure that it's printing ACTUAL SIZE, not fit-to-page.

 

The cap can be made in any medium-weight fabric, through to thicker wools and (my favourite) cotton moleskin.  

During the development process, the design went through lots of minor tweakings, thanks to my advisory committee of blokes (Chris in the office's sons and hubby, my mate Dale and his workmates, and my cover-boy Chris, who somehow got bundled into the whole thing and ended up on the cover without any sort of plan... ahem.. or payment ...apart from a hat).

 

Some of the sample hats have been claimed by members of said advisory committee, and can be seen on the streets of Melbourne as we speak.  I've heard that compliments have been made and girls have borrowed them.  And the blokes like them, which is what I was aiming for. 

 



 While we're on the subject of new patterns, this month's Australian Homespun Magazine has the final in the "A Trip to Remember" project of the month.  It's a bag designed by Amy Butler, with instructions developed by yours truly.

 Amy was in a tight spot last year, when her pattern-writing staff were away sick, and the project needed to be put together.  I was called in to help ...so I helped. 



The design and pattern are not mine - I was sent a sample and a pattern, and I worked out the work flow, wrote instructions, included a few tips for things that I thought might help and took the photos.  And then the Homespun editors did their re-working to the Homespun format and we have the final project.  It was a bit of a group-effort, really.

So... lots of holiday sewing for you!   Back to book-writing for me.....

 

Revamped

At last, we have a new and reliable source of grommets for the Fan Bag, so we can add it to the list of revamped and rebranded YOU SEW GIRL patterns. 

It's been hanging in limbo for months, so I'm very happy to announce that it's NOW available.  If you can't make it into Northcote to see us, you can ask at your favourite YOU SEW GIRL stockist to order it in for you.

The Fan Bag is an instant gratification sort of bag project.  It's super-quick and very easy to make (even for beginners).  It's fully reversible and can be made as a day or evening wristlet (or both... being reversible).   It's also a really lovely gift-wrap for small presents (think: Christmas).

 

Another revamping - this time as a digital download - is the Make-Up Purse.  Like the Coin Purses, it's a great way to use up scraps and offcuts and makes practical, attractive gifts.  Also like the coin purses, the instructions for this one are all about making neat zipper ends (no bunched up corners).

I've revamped the pattern completely, making 2 x sizes for 15cm/6'' zips (one is the original size and one is taller and wider) and then there's an adjustment on the larger size to make purses to fit 18cm/7'' and 20cm/8'' zippers (all the maths and patternmaking is done for you for these sizes, but you can also extend the pattern to make pencil cases or purses of any length).

 

Watch this space for more new patterns for Christmas gifts.  I have a few new designs on the back-burner.

New pattern and a workshop vacancy.

I'm sure there are more enigmatic or poetic titles I could have thought up for this post, but really... it's about a new pattern and a vacancy we have on my Zippers for Bags class on the 17th.

 

Firstly, the new downloadable Market Apron project.... 

 

 

This is a development on the aprons that I made and we used for the AQC, Stitches and Craft and Quilt and Craft shows.  I think the design would work  equally well for a school fete, craft market, garage sale, sausage sizzle outside Bunnings or any other time you need to handle money away from a cash tin.

 

The apron ties securely around the waist and back to the front, under the 'skirt' bit, and it has deep compartment pockets for coins.  (Believe me, nobody could pick those pockets without you noticing!)

 

 There are also two hidden zipper pockets.  When we were doing the shows,  we used the front zipper pocket for the working float of smaller value notes, and we put all the large-value notes and credit card dockets in the zipped pocket that is directly against the body.  I always felt very safe from the threat of opportunistic theft with this arrangement.

At the big craft shows, our stand was often so crowded that we couldn't get back to the shelf where the pens, notepads and EFTPOS machine were kept, and we needed a pocket to carry things like that (and... errr... Lindt balls).  

 

So, I developed the "easy access" pocket (widening the top of the pocket by pleating the waistline). This is an optional variation on the original design that you can take or leave.

 

(And yes, I should have pressed the hem on that dress... or cropped it out of the shot.)

 

And I nearly forgot to mention the lovely Saffron Craig fabric that I used for this particular apron.  These two prints are from the Magical Lands range.... and getting rarer by the day.

Many thanks to the pattern-testers who volunteered and helped to refine the instructions.  Anna has blogged the results of her testing here.

I mentioned a Zipper Workshop vacancy... which is a bit like mentioning hen's teeth.

We've had a cancellation for 17th November, so if anyone wants to take up the place, I'll throw in a free pattern for you.  The listing on the website is for the next Zipper workshop, which is on the 16th February next year, so don't click on that one... you'll need to email or phone us.

Another one enters the digital age.

Still steering the good ship You SEW Girl around to new waters, we're working away in the background, re-jigging patterns to be either new-format, newly-rebranded paper patterns or quick pdf downloadables.

Today, we finished the Party Purse as a digital download and popped it up on the website.  (Gosh, I made that sound a bit easy, didn't I?) 

There was a fair bit of reworking done on this one, with lots of fresh new colour photos and a whole new section on the pleated overlay version. 

 This one is designed to be a quick little whip-up number, when you suddenly realise that a little purse to match your outfit is in order.  It seems to work in just about anything, and you can juggle the interfacings to give you the structure you need.  

You only need basic sewing skills for this one, and it's quick to make.
It can be plain, gathered or pleated and can be made with silky bridal fabrics (as seen below) as easily as with reject lengths from the knitting machine (a seen directly above).

Many thanks to my US-living nephew, who happened to be online when I was printing the pattern to PDF.  I was able to get instant feedback on how it printed out on LETTER size.  We tested the A4 here and it was all set to go instantly.  I love technology (today). 

Enjoy!

The nose and the tail and all that lies between... including a few downloadable patterns.

Since I changed the direction of this lil 'ol business of mine last year, I've felt a sense of relief at not having to keep up with the whole story, from design to retail... but the enormity of the task of changing tack, when the ship I'm steering is such a big beasty, has been a source of constant anxiety.

I've found myself referring to the process as "steering the Titanic".  There have been many references to icebergs (and the avoidance of), and a sense that I can't take my eyes off the job for a minute.  It's been a juggle between planning and working on the future, catching up with the backlog of rebranding and re-working and all the while, trying to keep the whole thing afloat.  It's been a case of paddling very fast while making very slow progress.

Throw into the mix some very large real-life stresses and upheaval and the whole she-bang could sink quickly... OR... I have to step back a bit and do what I can, when I can.... and just keep paddling at a manageable rate. 

...which is the reason it's taken me this long to get the downloadable pdf pattern section up on the website.  I've had to pare things back and prioritise a bit.    Apologies for the delay.

Anyway - at last it's done!  DOWNLOADABLE PATTERNS ARE HERE!

You'll see a new pattern there - the Zip-Away Shopping Bag.  I talked about it here, expecting to have it ready within the fortnight, but it was one of the things that had to wait.   We're currently re-working a few of the other smaller patterns into a downloadable format and I hope to make some new ones soon, as well.  

We won't be converting any of the larger patterns to digital format in the forseeable.  It's too difficult to stick lots of printed-out pages together accurately enough.... and really, there's already enough to keep me busy. 

There are a few large projects on the go for the next 12 months or so, and there is still a website and a bunch of patterns to overhaul, classes to teach and a life to sort out.  The change in business structure has been good so far and there is smoother sailing ahead.  I'll keep you posted on updates as they happen (and won't make any promises about timeframes!). 

If you don't do "downloadable" (or want to purchase a fancy printed-and-packaged pattern as a gift for someone), we also have the paper version of the Zip Away Shopping Bag ready for wholesale, so you can ask your favourite stockist to get it in for you!

Restructure

Firstly, many thanks to the many wonderful people who left comments here or on Facebook or who sent lovely emails after my last post.  I've been quite fragile lately but you've made me feel stronger and a little bit protected from the blows of future criticism.

It has been mentioned before, that I can't leave well enough alone, once I gets me an idea..... 

So now, not only am I restructuring my business and lots of real-life stuff, but I can't seem to stop turning last year's knitting machine wraps into twisty-drapey winter woollies....

The few scarfy-shruggy rectangle-based things I made a little while ago got me thinking about other wrap-and-sew structures for knitted rectangles.  I decided to try this idea on last year's rectangles before I knitted up any new ones. 

I've been felting them a bit, too.  The blue one felted up nicely, but I think the red one might need a few spins in the dreaded front-loader to disguise all the little pulls and holes in the knit.

These two are based on a spiral wrap.   The back is lovely and snuggly-warm and the neck can be cowled and draped in a lot of different configurations.  I'm now thinking of other wraps and other shapes to wrap.....

Other restructuring activities include the revamping of a few of my smaller projects: converting them into digital downloads.  You can find them over at Pink Chalk Farics.

So far, we have the Pyramid Purse, the Lavender Handbag (which also makes a cute little pincushion) and the Fabulous 50's Bib.  These are all my go-to "quick gift" projects.

The patterns have nice spiffy-new colour photographs and re-vamped pattern pieces.

There is still a lot to do here... organising the path ahead while bringing the tail end of the good ship YOU SEW GIRL around.  You can expect to see more revampings and restructurings.... and you can definitely expect to see more knitty wrappy things.