Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Navy and Red Striped Coco

I made another Coco!
Oh, come on now. I know I've made three of these, but we could all get a bit more excited about it. After all, this is my first striped Coco.
That's better. 

I think it's safe to say at this point that I am entirely addicted to sewing Coco. Knit tees were one of the few items left in my closet that I wasn't sewing, and it's been so much fun to fill that gap. This outfit is entirely handmade, which makes me so happy. I made the navy circle skirt last year, and I wear it pretty much every week no matter the weather. It's one of my all time favorites. And these two handmades together?! I can't wash it fast enough to get it on my person for another day of wear.
The construction and fit of this tee was very straightforward, so I can't say I have much to add from version 1 and version 2 there. I did a few extra steps to make sure the stripes matched, mostly basting before serging to make sure everything aligned. Look at those glorious lines all matched!
I used a tip when cutting from Susan of moonthirty, a fellow Austin sewing blogger. You cut one side of the pattern, then use it as a template for the other. It's genius!!
I only have one more Coco planned before I set the pattern aside for a bit. I've been sewing lots of separates lately, which was a gap in my closet to be sure, but my hands are starting to itch for novelty-print dresses again.

Speaking of those hands, I went to the doctor last week and discovered I sprained my wrist from all the sewing at Gertie's Beacon Sewing Retreat! Apparently three days of sewing plus hauling fabric all over the Garment District was enough to do me in. My doctor acted like I should have seen it coming, "I don't know why you're surprised… That's a lot of concentrated wear…" 

Here's a pathetic selfie of me with my good 'ole wrist brace. Don't worry! I can still sew with it on! TAKE THAT, WRIST.
I've suffered endless teasing from coworkers and friends. It is pretty pitiful when I get the classic, "How did you hurt your hand?!" and I say, "…sewing..." Have you ever had a sewing injury? Tell me I'm not alone! 

39 comments:

  1. Besides the continuous jabbing with pins, I have never had a serious sewing injury. Your selfie is soooo sad :( I'm sure you will be sewing at top speed again in no time!

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    1. Thanks, Allie! Well, I hope that pin stabbing is the most serious you ever have to deal with! This really isn't so bad, just a bit painful and awkward. The things we do for sewing! :0)

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  2. i sewed through my finger once. ouchie! i love your coco/ circle skirt combination. so pretty!

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  3. That outfit is gorgeous! I love the parisian chic feel it exhudes.

    Get well soon!

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  4. MEGA STRIPE MATCHING LADY!

    Strategically, there are no side-on shots of my Moneta.. Better baste before serging next time!

    Get well soon, wrist

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    1. Thanks, Jenny!! I really wanted to show my underarm, too, but those pictures looked fairly atrocious. There's just no flattering angle of me flashing my armpit. Yay for stripes!

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  5. So cute, Lauren! You did such a fabulous job stripe matching and it looks perfect with your circle skirt. I'm definitely using Susan's trick the next time I sew stripes - genius!

    I hope your poor wrist feels better soon. Ouch!

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    1. Thanks, Mary! Isn't the cutting technique brilliant?! It fixes a lot of the stripe-matching problems I've had in the past!

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  6. Get well soon my dear and wowzers. Sewing related injuries we are a hardcore bunch!

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    1. Thank you, miss! It does make me feel pretty hardcore!

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  7. I got thumb tendonitis hand-sewing a Chanel jacket a few months ago. Sewing is so risky! It's really for the thrill-seeker. (Though nothing is more thrilling than perfectly matched stripes.)

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    1. This is the best comment!! So sorry to hear about your thumb, though! I was terrified this was carpal tunnel, so I was pleased to hear it was something much more temporary!

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  8. Yay Coco time! Love your HANDMADE outfit, how ace is that. Plus that is a genius way of ensuring matching stripes; going straight on my Pinterest board! Get well soon wrist :)

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  9. Nice job on the stripe matching! I burned myself with the iron once pretty badly, that wasn't fun. Hope your wrist feels better soon.

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    1. Oh, I hate iron burns. I get those all the time. I actually just dropped my iron on the floor and burned a lovely imprint in the hardwood. I guess I'm a clumsy sewer!

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  10. Love this outfit and great job on the pattern matching! Sorry to hear your wrist is down for the count though.

    Getting an injury hauling fabric is much better than hauling garbage to the curb, right? ;)

    Jenny xox

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    1. Very true!! At least it happened because of something I'm very passionate about!

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  11. I'm looking forward to when I have time to make a coco! The stripe matching is pretty impressive. I sewed through my finger once, but I usually have a strained/cramped wrist and fingers if I have to handsew a lot (in other words, more than 6 hours at once) at work. This happens with my knitting too :(

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    1. I have problems with that with knitting, too! I've only knit the one cardigan, but I've been trying to do a second, and I'm definitely going to have to break from that while I"m in the brace. Oh, the trouble we go to!

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  12. Love your outfit! I occasionally get wrist strains from crawling on the floor basting quilts...so I feel your pain...literally!

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  13. that shows some serious dedication to bust your wrist from too much sewing! hope it is feeling better soon :) your Coco looks lovely, the stripe matching is fantastic and its a great match for your skirt. hooray for all handmade outfits! :)

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  14. Love it! I think I'm going to have to try out the Coco soon. I'm not really experienced with sewing knits,, but I just ordered the new Colette book and I'm excited to finally learn. Yours turned out great!

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    1. Yes, do! This pattern was my first time sewing knits, and it really isn't difficult. It just requires a special needle. And thank you!

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  15. I looooove this outfit! That circle skirt is so cute. What type of fabric did you use for it?

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    1. Thanks, Nicole! It's a gabardine suiting. There's also an aqua lining under there.

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  16. Such a cute outfit! I love everything about it!!! And OUCH! I've had sprained ankles and a sprained wrist sounds infinitely worse! I have sewn my finger before.....I think that's probably a more embarrassing sewing injury since it means I was being careless with my machine. You were just going about your business! :)

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    1. Eep. I'm so glad I've never sewn through my finger (yet anyway). I can't wait to see your Colette Curvy make for Monday, Tanya!

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  17. Awww, I'm sorry about your hand! But I love your striped Coco, you've been a Coco machine lately! It looks so cute with your skirt, too. I still haven't been bit with the desire to want to sew my own knits yet, but if I do, I'll definitely turn to this pattern. :)

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    1. Thanks, Tasha! Yes, I'm building up a little army of Cocos! :0)

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  18. I love this top... And as sorry as I am about your wrist, I just think it makes for such a hardcore story, HA! "So you play rugby? No, I sew..."

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    1. Hahaha, I know, right?! It's serious business, this sewing.

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  19. oh my! i hope your hand is getting better. i have so many patterns i tend not to linger on just the one because im too excited to move onto the next one. I love the top! so very cute!

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    1. Thanks, it's on the mend! Still wearing the brace, but hopefully I'll be out of it soon. Sometimes I just get stuck on a pattern!

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  20. Cute shirt! That's a genius technique for matching stripes. And I'm sorry about your hand! I can sympathize, I've had tendinitis in both arms for a while. It might have been brought on in part by sewing, but it was apparently just from "consistent over-use".

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    1. Oh goodness! I feel like we're all too young for stuff like this. I want to sew until I'm very very old!

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