A Wool Knit Renfrew & Zinnia

Well, I’m back once again with some projects I took photos of pre-pink hair; this time it’s my 2nd Renfrew top and 1st Zinnia Skirt.

Before I get chatting about my outfit – Thank you all ohh so much with your “welcome back” notes and kind wishes about my step-dad.  I’m getting back in the swing of things and will be commenting back soon to you, as I’m able to.

Renfrew and Zinnia

This is my new, dusty purple, wool knit Renfrew.  This is my second renfrew  top; I only slightly modified it from my navy renfrew by increasing the shoulder height by 1/4″ of an inch on both the front and back – to allow for a bit more room for the umm… girls.  This also meant I had to lengthen the cap of the sleeve to match the longer armscye.

Looks much better when I pull it down where it’s supposed to sit, yea?!

Renfrew and Zinnia

I tucked in my shirt all wonky & attempted to fix it but failed.  heh  I promise the shirt isn’t normally all twisty like.  :D

Renfrew and Zinnia

I am soo in love with this wool knit fabric.  It’s so soft to the touch and I got it for a steal.  I think it’s a wool jersey – much ligher weight than my navy renfrew was (which was a thicker, cotton jersey)

I bought this wool knit fabric from my local fabric store at least 2 years ago (maybe 3).  I bought it waaaay before I even knew how to sew with knit fabrics.  I knew that one day I would sew with them and I’d love to have it in my stash to use when that time came.  It was a bargain (for wool knit) and I loved the color.

Lo and behold, when I went to make this top up I found several moth holes right down the center of the fabric!!!  Sometime in my last apartment moths found one of my favorite fabrics and ate it.  :(  Waaahhhh!!!

I laid out my Renfrew pattern pieces just so, to avoid all of the moth holes.  I think there is one little spot on the cowl where there is a hole but it’s hard to find/see.  I had enough yardage for the Renfrew + some more, but ended up using the whole length just to avoid all of the holes.

I’m really happy I was able to still use this fabric at all and turn it into one of my favorite fall/winter tops.  I was pretty estatic when I finished cutting it since I’d made it around all of the holes.

Renfrew

On to the Zinnia skirt…

I’m so glad I got photos of this Zinnia skirt before I went and shrunk it in the wash over Christmas break.  Can you believe it?!

It was a stupid thing to do – attempting to wash wool crepe with cold water in the washing machine.  I should have known better but I did think it would have been alright in the cold water… Guess not.  Learn from my mistake folks!

I love the Zinnia skirt pattern!  This black skirt was a staple in my closet (until I went and shrunk it).  It worked with everything…

Renfrew and Zinnia

You’ve actually seen this skirt here, but I forgot to talk about it in that post.

I don’t remember the size I cut, but I remember I cut a straight size across the board, despite my hippy hips.  I added the little belt loops to the waistband, but rarely use them.  This skirt was a great opportunity to use that one fab button in your stash – as it calls for a button at the center back waistband.

Renfrew and Zinnia

Same picture below but I lightened it up a ton so you can see the tucks better, I hope you can… black is so hard to photograph.

Renfrew and Zinnia

Look how long my hair was, and this is when it’s curled?!  Sorry I digress…

All of the tucks were uber time consuming to make, but they’re worth it.  I’ve paired this skirt with some vintage sweaters for a modern 40’s vibe and also with my modern tops – this skirt just works for me and in so many situations.

As a result of the shrinking fiasco, I went hunting for more black wool crepe at my local store but didn’t find any!  Can you believe it?!  Anyhow I found some dark grey wool that’s more drapey and worked on a second version (to be blogged about soon).  It’s not as versatile as the black Zinnia was, but it’s a good basic to have also.  In the meantime, I’ll have to keep a lookout for some more black fabric.

Renfrew and Zinnia

Big shout out to my mom who found me these nearly-matching purple tights!  *thanks mom*

Happy sewing & knitting – I’ll be back soon to show you one of my new knit projects…. soo much to catch up with still, it’s crazy!

In: Sewing

Blogger for 6 years and counting, I am a passionate creator who loves to tinker.

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