Hello! Today I’m sharing my latest outfit made from fabrics available online through Raspberry Creek Fabrics. You may have noticed by now that I’m a bit of a fabric collector and have several online fabric stores from which I regularly purchase. Raspberry Creek has a great selection of designer fabrics along with their in-house printed CLUB line. I was introduced to RCF in the summer of 2017 and just recently moved closer so that picking up my online orders could be even easier. Ok, so maybe that’s not actually why I moved to a new area, but it’s a nice perk.
I’ve wanted to make the Named Clothing Gemma Sweater since it was released last fall. Instead, I made the dress version first (see that here), and put away the idea of a sweater for a while. It’s been in the back of my mind since, just waiting for the perfect fabric combination to come along. I wanted something with enough stretch to be comfortable, but the correct weight and structure to really showcase the shape and style lines of the pattern. About a month ago, I was browsing Raspberry Creek Fabrics when I came across the solid ponte and knew I’d found my Gemma fabric. I chose the olive (sold out, but soon to be restocked) and charcoal for a combination that I’ve dubbed my Slytherin sweatshirt.
A couple of years ago, I had some time to waste and decided to take the sorting quiz on Pottermore. I was perplexed when I found myself sorted into Slytherin. At first I felt almost ashamed by this because I don’t necessarily think of myself as the Tom Riddle or Draco Malfoy type. Like any millenial, I took a couple of minutes to have a mini identity crisis. Quickly, I remembered that the sorting hat allowed Harry to choose his house. In my situation (where none of this actually mattered because my life isn’t a fictional story), I decided that this means we get to choose which traits we want to embody. loyalty and ambition aren’t bad traits and they are something I try to cultivate so maybe I can be a proud Slytherin after all.
Ok, enough about my Hogwarts identity crisis. Let’s get back to talking about this sweater. Based on my measurements, I decided to cut and sew a size 38 (US 6). The only alteration made was to add 1″ to the length of the body and the sleeves.
I traced the pattern and cut the fabric in one afternooon, sewing it up the following afternoon. After a series of involved sewing projects, it felt liberating to start and finish something so quickly. This was my first experience sewing ponte fabric and it was much easier than expected. Despite a decent stretch percentage, it’s stable enough to sew easily without some of the headache that comes with sewing a lighter knit such as a cotton or rayon lycra. Overall, I’m so pleased with this sweater and enjoyed the process so fully that I’m considering buying a couple more colors of the RCF ponte and making matching sweaters for my sisters.
Finally, let’s talk about these Ginger Jeans. This is my third pair of jeans and I made all the same alterations that I made to the first two (read about my sizing and alterations in this post). I’ve wanted a pair of black denim Ginger Jeans since before I dared tackle sewing a pair. In fact, one of my excuses to put off sewing jeans for so long was the difficulty in sourcing the “perfect” denim. Back in September, I unfortunately ended up pulling an all-nighter while attempting to launch this new site. The next day, Diana posted in the Raspberry Creek Fabrics Facebook Group that Cone Mills denim had just been added to the site. In my sleep-deprived mind, I easily justified purchasing 3 yards of this tencel stretch denim. Patting my tired self on the back for this one because these black denim Gingers are dreamy.
Just as anything handmade, there are a few imperfections and I can’t quite say that there’s absolutely nothing I’d change fit-wise (there are a few more wrinkles below the rear than I’d like), but all of my Gingers fit me 10x better than ready to wear jeans ever have and I’ve enjoyed immersing myself in the construction process each time. Jeans and pants have quickly become some of my most enjoyable and rewarding items, so if you’re on the fence about making some, what are you waiting for? Grab some Cone Mills denim and get to it.
If you’ve made it here to the bottom, Thanks for reading. My favorite part of writing a post is finally having my items photographed so they can be added to my regular closet rotation. These two pieces are sure to get their fair share of wear as the temperatures drop over the next several months. What are you wearing/sewing for fall and winter?
Want more Raspberry Creek Fabrics Inspiration? Check out my french terry loungewear set. Want to see more of my Named Clothing makes? Check out my Ronja Dungarees or Gemma Dress.
Full disclosure: The fabric for my sweater was provided to me, but all opinions are my own.
I love this color combo! Somehow it’s military AND cozy. I’ve used Cone Mills in the past (not over-rated at all IMO – just, like, accurately rated every time by everyone who raves about it) but never with tencel in the mix! Sounds interesting!
Thank you Lia! I’ve been wearing these jeans a lot lately and the tencel does make them a bit more comfortable than my jeans made from just cotton/spandex blends.