When I first noticed blogs a few years ago, I saw them as a platform from which to spew one’s ideas all over a blank-faced anonymous internet audience and wondered what kind of attention-whore ego maniac would have one. That was incorrect. Terribly, terribly incorrect.
Now I appreciate the time and skill that goes into blogging. I also value the creative collaboration that blogging and social media facilitates. Sometimes it’s as simple as weighing in on whether white and cream should go together, sometimes it’s a little more involved. That’s what “Sew Grateful” is about- celebrating these collaborations.
This is the shrug that 3 bloggers made. It’s a very fine, airy New Zealand merino/ viscose blend. Leimomi brought it with her to Australia as a gift. (Crazy how well it coordinates with my other clothes…!) When I draped it over my body and pottered around my house trying to decide what it should be, I felt a shrug in the fabric. I remembered Tanit-Isis’ 1950′s shrug pattern available as a download.
Tanit-Isis and I are differently proportioned, but I decided to go with her original size anyway. I’m not a “shrug” person, generally, but I want to experiment with lightweight tropical layering. Perfect.
I believe the fabric must have spread while I stitched (despite my best efforts), because my neckline looks much wider than Tanit-Isis’. I don’t mind the “drapey open neck easygoing shrug over a dress” look.
How many sewists can we fit in a single shrug? In the spirit of collaboration, I’d like to hear if/how you’d change the neckline. Should I go for a button? What about ties for a prim bow? A brooch? If I covered the inside seam with pretty bias tape and left the neckline open, would that accentuate the drapey open neck look or make it worse? Should I trim it down to “just sleeves”? What do we think? I can’t decide exactly what to do with it, but I feel like it’s millimeters away from perfection. (And surprisingly comfy on a blistering day.)
This post is for Debi, too- she’s participating in the “Sew Grateful” challenge and I wanted to chime in.
Thanks for the Sew Grateful link. I will definitely have something to blog about this week. Almost every garment I sew these days has some level of influence from a fellow blogger, whether it be a tip or technique, a pattern recommendation or just an outfit inspiration. The online sewing community gives me something I would not otherwise have access to in terms of support and assistance. It’s a great idea to honour that.
Hear, hear… I’m lucky enough to have a wide circle of friends here who sew and quilt, I hope to be able to share some of those collaborations soon, too. :)
I just love seeing projects like this…where so many people have been involved in the garment–whether as a lovely gift or an amazing free pattern! Thanks for posting!!
The bow seems very young and 50′s to me so if you were going for something permanent I’d go with that. But I think what I would do is put the bow on a pin back. Then the shug could be worn 3 ways: open and flowy, pinned with the bow or pinned with a brooch.
Sensible advice. :)
Oh, yay! :D
Neckline stretching out was a problem I had, too, on my first version. The original 50s shrug I was copying has a very snug, close-fitting neck, but when making up my versions, even though the pattern measurements matched, the final product seemed to grow. Easing the neckline onto the neck-band, careful handling, and maybe some hand-basting to stay the neckline are in order.
I think this version looks a little strange worn open—”open” versions generally have a smooth curve from the side of the neck around the bust, not the point that goes up to fasten under the neck. If it were mine, I’d put a small, inconspicuous button on, and then swap out brooches or ribbon bows as desired :)
Thanks so much for trying this out! That fabric is gorgeous.
It’s weird, I was paying attention and it didn’t seem to spread at all… But then there we go, it’s all wide open… :)
A little pearl button and a little crochet loop? Like th eothers suggested (such clever ideas!) then you can have any version you want. And it is very, very adorable!
Yay! I’m so glad you are using that fabric, and that it works! I’d go for little button and loop, just because I am a hopeless minimalist!
I also wonder if the shrug would work if you gathered the neckline just a tiny bit?
Minimalist? Hehe. I’m thinking of that wild-colored japanese linen… hehee. Can’t wait to see the Minimalist dress you bewitch from that fabric… ;)
But I think I know what you mean… An engineering minimalist, perhaps?
Exactly! I go either over the top with fabrics, or cut! And I keep trim down! And avoid fussy!
I can’t wait to cut into that linen. I’m making myself finish a few UFOs first.