I settled on the easy Kirsten Kimono Tee from Maria Denmark since it seemed fairly quick and easy. No setting in sleeves! The pattern is free, which yay!, you just have to sign up for her newsletter.
I made my first knit garment! It was surprisingly painless!
Isn't this covered bridge fabulous? I paired my new colorful tee with a white Express skirt obtained secondhand from a friend of my mother's. Side note about this skirt: Brand new with tags on, and the first time I washed it (granted the tag did say dry clean only) the hem fell out. I had to catch stitch the hem back before I could wear it, but it just goes to show you how shoddily made fast fashion is - even from what I would consider a somewhat nicer brand like Express.
I didn't have time to go to the fabric store before I needed to leave for the weekend, so I had to stash dive for something suitable. I had some dark gray, dark purple, and mostly white florals in the stash, how surprising. Fortunately, I had somewhat recently picked up some mystery knits from an estate sale, and there were definitely some bright jewels in the mix.
Yay for first time twin needling success! All my hems look so much nicer with the twin needle. I just used a single fold hem and left the edges raw inside.
A tried a bound neckline using this tutorial from Megan Nielsen, and I think it looks pretty good! It's a little thick due to my fabric, but it's nice. I got some skipped stitches with the twin needle, but I'm not sure how to fix it.
Here's the inside of my neckline. Everything is nicely enclosed, I do wish I had used a matching thread instead of white though.
Details:
Pattern: Kirsten Kimono Tee from Maria Denmark
Size: XS
Fabric: Mystery knit from estate sale, maybe ~1 yard
Notions: ball point needle and twin needle
Size Alterations: None
Design Changes: None
Techniques used: Bound neckline
Construction Notes: The pattern instructions are quite good and this is an easy pattern to begin with. I used a straight stitch on the shoulder seams, zig zag on the side seams, and twin needle for all the hemming. I used a ball point needle when I wasn't using the twin needle since it's supposed to help with knits.
Will you make it again? Definitely! Next time, I need to pick a drapey knit instead of the more stable mystery knit I used. It makes the sleeves stand out a little too much instead of falling nicely. I think it will make a good t-shirt dress too with a gathered skirt.
Final thoughts: This was a really easy sew and a great beginner knit pattern. The fabric I used has kind of an athletic feel to it, and I wasn't super impressed with it when I had finished sewing it. It's just a little plain in this solid color I think. It'll have to be dressed up with a good statement necklace or something (which I had intended to borrow from my sister on this trip, but she forgot to pack it). I do have a gray t-shirt knit with great fluid drape that will make a great Kimono Tee in the future.
Now that the technical sewing stuff is out of the way, here's some more pictures from our weekend in Paso Robles.
There was some insanely thick fog outside of Santa Barbara, but then we got high enough in the mountain that the fog instantly cleared. I loved the fog though. It was a crazy long drive between LA and Paso Robles, ugh.
We visited quite a few wineries on Friday and Saturday, there were quite a few picturesque places even if it was surprisingly windy. Also at the place in the center top, there were so many roaming kitties that let me pet them :)
The full bachelorette entourage.
Is this boxer from Dover Canyon not the most adorable thing ever?
This was surprisingly one of the rare views of the vineyard. There was a great covered patio overlooking this.
It was quite a whirlwind weekend, but Paso Robles is quite lovely and quintessential Central Valley.
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