Top 5 of 2013: Hits

I’ve just fond this wonderful initiative by Gillian and I couldn’t help but join. Today I will enumerate my 2013 hits. These are my most loved creations from this year:

Sewing:

1. Thurlow Trowsers: They were a bit of a challenge but I love how they fit, so much that I dislike wearing my other pants and I urgently need to make more of these. I’ve already cut a pair in corduroy and bought some wool for another pair. They are beautiful and extremely comfortable. When I’m not wearing sweatpants to work (I work from home) I wear these, and also for going out and everyday life. The downside is that they need to be washed and cannot be worn everyday for just that reason.

2. Lady Skater Dress: It’s easy to make, very comfortable to wear and very flattering even for pear-shaped gals. It’s my to go dress for any warm day. I bought more fabric to make two more for next summer.

3. A-line skirt: This project marked a before and after in my sewing. It was the result of this Craftsy class, and I finally succeeded in making a skirt that flattered my body. Being pear-shaped it was not easy, but this skirt got me many compliments from other sewers. As I’d already mentioned before I have learned four key concepts with this class:

• How to sew on a blind zipper without having puckers.
• How to sew the facing to the zipper with the machine.
• The importance of square angles at the sides (waist and hem) when designing the skirt.
• How to use muslins to improve fitting.

4. Reversible Zippie Hoodie: I wanted to sew something for my niece this year and this design fitted the bill. The construction is very clever and the execution went very smooth. My niece instantly loved it and if fits wonderfully.

5. Jedediah pants: Koen was so jealous of my pants that he requested a pair for him. This pattern had just been released at the right moment. I modified it to adjust it to Koen’s figure and preferences. He loves these linen pants so much that he’s still wearing them now in December. I should definitely make at least another pair of pants for him.

Knitting:

1. Freija: I loved the yarn from the beginning, the color was gorgeous and it was very soft. I wanted to knit this pattern for ages and with a couple of mods it came out perfect. I wear it a lot and the yarn is quite durable. It got me many complements from knitters and non-knitters.

2. Émilien: I was at first afraid of the sweater curse, but nothing bad happened during its execution or later. It was Koen himself who requested this cardigan and the colors to combine. He wears it a lot except when it’s just to warm for it. I learned some new things with this project:

• Provisional cast-on
• Jogless stripes
• Matress stitch
• How to sew a zipper to knitted garments

3. Miette Cardigan: I was not very excited about the yarn used for this project while I was knitting it, but it has proven to be perfect for when the weather cools down in summer. I’ve used it a lot more than expected and it goes perfectly with my Lady Skater Dress.

4. Cellphone Sleeve: A very simple project and my first design. Not a very exciting project but Koen requested it and loved it. He used until last month, when he got a new cell phone. He’s already requested a new one but has to wait until the Christmas rush has passed 🙁

5. Calimero: I almost forgot this one. It’s true that sometimes we don’t see what’s just in front of our eyes, because I’ve been wearing this non-stop since the weather cooled down. It’s very comfortable and warm, and once you slip it in you forget about it, unlike some scarfs which tend to move. It was an easy knit and it proved very useful.

These were my 2013 hits. What were yours?