Make Something

When I first learned how to knit, I was blown away by the concept that I could make something. (I was only about 8 at the time so it was a big concept.) That feeling never truly went away, although I was less impressed with myself as time went by and the process of making something became more commonplace. Every now and then, though—particularly when I successfully tackle some new challenge, like drafting trousers or making a coat—I feel like an eight year-old again.

I made two hoodies:

I am very pleased with these. Even if the boys never wear them (they will), I am so happy with the way they turned out. Except for the zippers—more on that in a moment—these were a pleasure to sew on both the serger and the sewing machine.

Now, about those zippers. The pattern instructions could use some improvement when it comes to the zippers. First, the materials list says only that the jacket requires a “separating zipper.” That makes sense; a separating zipper—as its name implies—separates into two pieces for use on jackets and other items where someone might need to get inside.

Do you know how many kinds of separating zippers there are? The Joanns website lists the following:

  • Sport separating zipper

  • Molded sport separating zipper

  • Coil separating zipper

  • Lightweight coil separating zipper

  • Sport parka dual separating zipper

  • Metal separating zipper

  • Sleeping bag separating zipper

Obviously, I am not going to choose that last one for a hoodie, but the others are fair game. A short discussion within the pattern about the pros and cons of each kind would have been helpful. As far as I can tell from the pattern photos, all of the sample garments used metal zippers. Specify that in the pattern. Otherwise, someone might choose a nylon coil separating zipper and wonder why the instructions for removing the teeth don’t work very well.

I am not crazy about metal zippers in little kids’ clothing. If I make these again, I might opt for a sport separating zipper providing I can shorten it as needed. Again, if one type of zipper is preferable over another, that should be specified in the pattern.

The other place where the instructions could use some beefing up is in attaching the hood, because the top of the zipper gets finished as part of that assembly step. The illustrations were okay, but a more detailed illustration or even a photo would have been helpful. I had to follow the instructions as written and hope for the best. The finishing is quite nice in the end, but I like to know where I am going before I get there.

[I used 1/4" double-sided tape when attaching the zipper—a bagmaking trick—and the actual zipper insertion went very smoothly.]

This reminds me of my other pet peeve about sewing patterns. I get very frustrated by patterns that use clear vinyl, such as project bags, that don’t specify the weight of the vinyl required. Clear vinyl comes in 8-gauge, 12-gauge, 16-gauge, and 20-gauge, and the difference between 8-gauge and 20-gauge vinyl is huge. I finally figured out that 12- or 16-gauge vinyl is most suitable, but I shouldn’t have to work that hard.

Zippers are going to be a podcast episode in the near future.

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One of the sweater knits I ordered arrived yesterday:

I love this. This is exactly what I had in mind to wear with my hot pink corduroy pants and the hot pink corduroy skirt. I am not sure yet which pattern I am going to use, but I cut pieces for a sweater yesterday from a knit that is very similar to this one in terms of weight. I’ll make that sweater first, and see what I think.