Sunday, February 27, 2011

My Pattern Stash - Butterick 6426 - Embroidered Layette Set

B6426 Circa 1960  Embroidered Layette Set
One size 1/2 only

This so sweet pintucked and embroidered layette set contains patterns for a long dress (21" length) and cap (A), short dress (18" length) (B), wrapper (C), sacque (D) nightgown with ties at bottom, neck and wrists (E), long slip (F), short slip (G) as well as booties (H) and a bib (I). Views A, B, F, H, & I are embroidered.

Suggested fabrics -
Dress & Cap: Batiste, Crepe de Chine, Nainsook.
Slip: Nainsook, Batiste, Lawn.
Nightgown, Wrapper and Sacque: Crepe, Albatross, Challis, Flannelette, Cambric.
Bib: Muslin, Batiste, Pique.
Booties: Slipper Satin, Crepe, Pique.

One of my most amazing finds, this rare vintage layette set printed pattern (circa 1960), is a favorite sewing project. My copy set me back about $9.00 the envelope is split along both sides and torn in several places. I can tell that this was also a favored project of a previous owner. Pattern piece #2 (the dress front) was shredded from repeated use of a pattern tracing wheel on the tissue and all the pieces have pin hole tears or other such damage from use. Very loved indeed.

To save and use this pattern I implemented my drastic measures procedure. I backed each pattern piece with Fusible Quilters 1" Grid. A good thing considering tracing the pintucks of the dress is what trashed the pattern to begin with. I know there is a collector cringing at what I have done but after this treatment the pattern will withstand several - perhaps dozens - of uses.

If you can pick up a copy of this pattern I highly recommend you do so. To date I have only found this pattern listed on three sites, e-Bay, Buggs Books and Comfort Kraft. The listing at Comfort Kraft is missing several pieces - if you would like copies of the missing pieces just contact me and I will make them for you.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

I Am Iron Man - Maxwell's Fingerless Mittens

I Am Iron Man!
So my two year old has an unnatural obsession with Iron Man. We don't watch the movies, too much Tony Stark and not enough Iron Man for Maxwell's taste - not to mention inappropriate content for a preschooler - no, his more discerning pallet prefers Iron Man Armored Adventures animated series from Nickelodeon. He is so enamored with Iron Man that he has taken to stealing mommy's red oven mitts - usually when I need them most - and running around the house with ski goggles and mitts screaming "I AM IRON MAN." I know when to put my foot down but it is just so darn cute and imaginative, but not appropriate. Time for a redirect. In steps my good old crochet hook and a skein of  Red Heart Super Saver Yarn in Burgundy from the stash. It did a wonderful job and is much closer in color to his Iron Man action figure (as well as my much loved oven mitts) than the actual "sour cherry red" of Iron Man.

Pattern is for a child's size M (increase or decrease base number in increments of two for size changes). This pattern is handed - left and right, you can make two lefties and adjust the bobble placement but once your child tries them on you'll see that adding the stitch at the end of the row creates a natural left thumb ease. To create the right hand mitten work the pattern back to front (or in this case outside to inside) tapestry style, this will make the stitches lean to the right and give the mittens two distinct variations and the right hand mitten the proper thumb ease.



Cuff
Using 6.5 MM crochet hook and red heavy worsted weight yarn chain 16. Join with sl for working in the round, being sure not to twist the chain, chain 1. Change to 5.5 MM hook.
Rounds 1 - 5: Begin in same st as joining, sc 16, sk last st, sl to join, ch 1.
Rounds 6:  FPsc 16, sk last st, sl to join, ch 1
Rounds 7:  BPsc 16 (in posts of round 6), sk last st sl to join, ch 1 
Round 8: Working in loops of round 6 (if you turn your work inside out for this round picking up the loops are very easy), begin in same st as joining, sc 16, sk last st, sl to join, ch 1

Palm
Increase rows use the last stitch in the row that you have previously been skipping.
Round 11: Begin in same st as joining, sc 17, sl to join, ch 1
Round 10: Begin in same st as joining, sc 18, sl to join, ch 1
Round 11: Begin in same st as joining, sc 19, sl to join, ch 1
Round 12: Begin in same st as joining, sc 20, sl to join, ch 1
Round 13: Begin in same st as joining, sc 21, sl to join, ch 1
Round 14: Begin in same st as joining, sc 22, sl to join, ch 1
Round 15: Begin in same st as joining, sc 16, sk the last 6 sts, sl to join, ch 1
The increases at the end of the row have created a thumb ease.

Finishing
Round 16: Begin in same st as joining, sc 2, *3 dc in st below next sc, sk sc behind bobble, sc 1, repeat from * 3 more times (creates four bobbles/knuckle bumps), sc to end of round, sl to join, ch1
Round 17: Begin in same st as joining, sc 2, *gather bobble tops (pull up loop through each dc = 4 loops on hook, pull up loop), holding yarn behind hook, sc in skipped sc behind bobble, sc in next st, repeat from * 3 more times, sc to end of round, sl to join, finish and weave in ends. Adding a row or two to the thumb is optional at this point (on larger sizes desirable)


Right Hand Mitten
Repeat left hand pattern working from back to front, tapestry style. If you haven't yet crocheted anything using tapestry style, YOU WILL NEED TO PRACTICE before completing the right hand mitten.