Timmel Swap - final preview

Whoo-hoo! finally finished - pictures and all. I owe a big debt of gratitude to my good friend Maureen for doing my pix for me. I couldn't have done it without her. (Well, I could have, but it wouldn't have looked nearly as good!)

Final pix go up on the Timmel SWAP site on the 21st, but I'm posting mine here now. (who knows what will happen in life between now and then?) Doing the composite photo was where I really needed Maureen's help. Not only is she a wonderful photographer (and friend, may I add), but she also has PhotoShop, which I do not. I cannot eliminate backgrounds, use a magic wand, or change my background color. She was able to do all this for me and then I imported them into "Comic Life" to do my final picture. Here is the result:


















We are also allowed to submit 6 additional photos. I had 7, so I eliminated this one

top - striped knit from Timmel Fabric- New Look 6735
pants - black ponte knit - New Look 6735


















One of my favorite tops, the black turtleneck didn't make it into any of the pix, but it will be one that I wear most often, I think. It is super light weight and goes under many things I currently have in my wardrobe. Although the turtleneck (like the striped top) is not part of my photos, it is still part of my SWAP. Here you see it under the green shirt, which is no longer part of my swap. I had made 7 tops and you are only allowed to enter 6. Since this green top just did not photograph well, (believe me, we tried and tried) it was the one that got eliminated. Actually, it is probably my least favorite out of the SWAP, so it was the best one to go.
Turtleneck - Christine Johnson Base 2 pattern - black rayon jersey
Green shirt - BWOF 3/2007 - oxford cloth








This top, which I call the "poet's blouse" is probably my favorite blouse out of the swap. I put a lot of time and detail into this one, and it is just comfy and casual to wear. It also works tucked in with the fitted skirt and worn over the black skirt with a belt at the waist. The pants in this photo are made of an olive green rayon gabardine and I just love the fabric. They were a little small when I made them, but I've lost a few pounds, and now they fit me perfectly. One thing I really like about these pants is the fact that they have a fly front and angled pockets in the front.

Blouse - BWOF 1/2008- white cotton broadcloth
Pants - BWOF 12/2006- olive rayon gabardine









I purchased the fabric for this top at F&S Fabrics on the PR westcoast weekeknd. It is trimmed with black satin ribbon at the neckline and has ties in the back. It has a side zipper, but I plan to take that out since it slides easily over my head.
These pants have an elastic waist and wide legs. They sit below the waist.

Top - New Look 6515 - rayon crepe
Pants - New Look 6735- black poly ponte knit.












It was kind of windy when we were taking the pictures and my hair kept blowing in my face. Here I'm really just trying to get the hair out of my face, but we liked the pose, so we kept it.

I am surprised at how much I like this top. I do not usually go for velvety, shiney kinds of clothes, but I wanted to try something different with the simple knit top pattern. This is a stretch velvet burnout that I got at JoAnns. It is polyester, but the "mesh" quality of the burnout makes it cool and comfortable. It was surprisingly easy to work with as well. The skirt is a 6 gored skirt made out of the same fabric as the wide leg pants. I really like the drape of this skirt.

Top - NL6735 - stretch poly velvet burnout
Skirt - NL6735 - black poly ponte knit.







Here is the BWOF tie-neck blouse. I have made this twice, and actually like the second one I made better. This is made of a poly chiffon with a geometric print. Because the fabric is sheer, I am wearing a black camisole underneath. The sheerness also makes the fabric breathable and comfortable.

Top - BWOF 2/2008






Although I was disappointed in the performance of this herringbone knit after washing (it pilled terribly) I really love this cardigan. I think it is a flattering style, and is easy to wear. This fabric does hold its shape well and has just the right amount of stretch. I am wearing it with the olive and cream tweed wool skirt. I love this skirt. This is one of the items that took more time. The skirt is underlined with silk organza and lined with bemberg rayon. This is a great skirt pattern with a lot of different hemline variations. I plan on making many more of these. I love the flounce in the back on this version. You can see a better picture of the front of the cardigan here.

Skirt - Simplicity 4784 - olive and cream wool tweed
Cardigan - NL 6735 - olive and black herringbone knit.


Any wardrobe contest is a big undertaking, and the SWAP is no exception. The community on Stitchers Guild is a great support and inspiration. When the finals are posted, you must check them out. There are some fabulous wardrobes out there. I can hardly wait to see all the finished collections!

There are more pictures in my Picasa folder