I can’t finish Tyo’s Pikachu onesie quite yet. I ran out of yellow thread and, more problematically, I forgot to get yellow zippers and that grippy material for the bottoms of the feet. I could’ve gone out and gotten some, but that would’ve required leaving the house. I don’t have much time off this year and most of what I did have off was spent running from one family engagement to the next. Which is as it should be, but still. Busy. So I’m treating my scant leisure time with fierce protectiveness.
It’s also been fucking cold. Long, steady, solidly cold, with lots of wind. I needed a tiny bit of black fleece for Pikachu, but it being black fleece (and on sale!) I got two metres. So today, whilst stymied on the Pikachu front, I made a fleece shirt.
I used my knit sloper, which I haven’t done in about a million years. It felt good.
I used the same technique to up-size my sloper for (not-so-stretchy) fleece as I did with my Grandma’s sweater, with much the same results: the size is good but the shoulders are just about too wide. The sloper has pretty narrow shoulders, though, which is why I went for it. Nice thing about using my knit sloper—it’s cut out of Bristol board, so I just grabbed a sliver of soap from the bathroom (since all my chalk is AWOL. Seriously, everything is AWOL. I mean, I’m not the most organized person, but this is ridiculous.) and traced around it. So much neater than pinning everything!
When I got to trying-on, I had to scoop out a bit under the arm, but otherwise the fit was pretty good. I thought the body was a bit short so I finished it with a wide band; the sleeves I just hemmed under with a three-step zig-zag.
The high point of my construction was binding the neckline. I used black cotton-Lycra, the stuff I use for underwear and leggings. I just cut my strip wide, zig-zagged it in place on the right side, folded over so the edge was bound, and top stitched the whole works, then trimmed off whatever I didn’t need from the back.
It’s not really the right fabric for a top—a little stuff and awkward, not enough drape. Nor is it a wonder of professional-looking finishing. But it’s warm and serviceable and warm and practical and warm and generally just WARM.
Yeah, I fear this blog suffers stylistically in the winter. My brain shuts down and all thoughts of fashion are replaced by cries of “Is it WAAAAARRRMM?!?”
At least it goes well with my fleece pants…
Tanit-Isis Sews 
Looking good!
Thank you!
My sympathies on the cold- I have family in Manitoba and the news that it’s colder in Winnipeg than at the Mars rover was kind of mind boggling. And then when you think of buying fashionable European style cold clothing, then realize that it just isn’t warm enough and say screw it, fluffier and bulkier (uglier) the better….
Yeah, that just kinda breaks my brain! Hope they’re keeping warm!
Nice top! I’m in chilly Edmonton area and like you this time of the year, somedays all I care about is what is warm 🙂
Amen!
My thoughts exactly. I’ve taken to only making comfortable sweatshirts and pajama pants recently. Enjoy any time off you have and happy new year!!
Yay for warm comfies! We’ll emerge like butterflies from our fleece cocoons once spring comes…
I sewed a fleece top from some icky fleece I picked up at our local fabric store – it is the go-to-top when it is cold! I wish I had bought more of it. Who cares about fashion when comfort and warmth are the main priorities.
In my better moments, I fantasize that warmth and fashion could coexist… But when it’s this cold, it kinda breaks down, doesn’t it. 😉
It looks like it fits you well, and comfy and yes warm! I couldn’t agree more! I’ve been collecting fleece tights as my ultimate winter weapon!
Yay fleece tights! Santa brought me another pair in my stocking, but though they’re the large (I always need a bigger size in tights), they’re still too short! They’re fluffier than my last pair, though.
Looks great and WARM! I need to get into my sewing room and make some warm tops too. Yours looks really good, despite your concerns. That neck binding!
It’s actually warmer here in Whitehorse than it is in the prairies right now, but I’m sure that’ll change soon. We’ve had to deal with about 3 feet of snow in the last couple of weeks. No exaggeration – I can’t actually drive my car right now because A) it is currently buried under a snow drift, and B) my tires aren’t actually up to the roads right now. I’m not inspired to go spend 2 hours or so digging the thing out. I just make the Boyfriend drive me everywhere in his 4×4 truck!
Yeah, I think you win on the winter front. Just by definition. 😉 it has been FREAKING cold, though, and unrelentingly so. The top is warm! And it was so fast, I can’t believe I haven’t done that before. Although I guess it’s not the sort of thing I can really wear to work. 😉
I like it. I can’t sew clothes yet, but I am getting my first new machine today and I’m very excited to stat expanding my skill set. Thank you for the inspiration.
Thanks! Good luck with your first machine—I hope you have lots and lots of fun!
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