jazzeria

Charlie (they/them or she/her). Crochet and stuff. This is a little journal of my adventures--mostly involving food, gardening, math humour, gender, polyamory, and whatever crafts I've stuck my nose into lately, including jewellery, calligraphy, crochet (including amigurumi), paper crafts, and sewing. Most things are OC unless otherwise noted.

[charliecraftsthings]

A second sports bra

After sewing my first Jalie Coco sports bra, I promptly made two more! This post will showcase the first of the two.

Pattern: Jalie 4014 Coco Sports Bra

Fabrics:

Supplex knit from Our Social Fabric (Navy blue)

Supplex jacquard from OSF (black medallion)

Swim Lining from Marshall Fabrics (black)

Power Mesh from OSF (black)

I've been into "batch sewing" lately, where you make more than one of a pattern in parallel: do step 1 for each bra, do step 2 for each bra, etc. Working in parallel also allowed me to test a change on the first bra, and if it didn't work, I could do something different on the second bra. This would come in handy for a particular fit issue I had with my first make.

On my first make, I felt the bra was too long, by about an inch or so. This was very noticeable in the back, but also the front. I decided that the way to solve this was not by drafting new pieces, but by cutting the partially-sewn garment before attaching the underbust elastic:

I zig-zagged the raw bottom edge and put it on for a test fit, marking the approximate line to cut. After taking it off, I smoothed out the curve, tried it on again, and adjusted the cut line. Then I folded the bra in half along the centre front/back line, holding all layers evenly with clips. Cleaning and oiling my sharpest pair of fabric shears (and taking a deep breath to settle my nerves), I carefully cut through all layers!

Doing it this way had a slight drawback: part of the opening for the (optional) foam pad pocket got eaten up by the cut. In future makes, I'll reposition this opening.

On my first make, I used Power Mesh for both pairs of Panel G (cup lining), cut at right-angles (ie: one pair on-grain, the second pair cross-grain). I found this a bit aggressive for my needs, so this time, I cut the skin-side pair from knit lining (cross-grain for less stretch) and the inner pair from power mesh (on-grain for as much stretch as power mesh has).

To finish, I opted again for a stitch-in-the-ditch underbust band topstitching (instead of the zig-zag as in the instructions) using an elastic thread. I like this look of this finish better, but I think it's harder to sew accurately:

I should also mention that I used a stretch stitch (lightning stitch) for most of my construction seams (instead of Jalie's recommended two-step process). The downside to using this stitch is that the threads can be quite visible:

But overall, I'm very pleased with the final result!

Another modification I'll have to make in the future is Panel E (underbust band). This panel is joined straight, and when the band is folded on itself three times and encasing the joined elastic, it creates a thick lump of fabric! You can really see the difficulty I had stitching through all that, on the last photo (inside-back).

In the future I'll modify the panel for a diagonal join to spread out that seam allowance.

Below are some photos of me wearing the bra.

I don't think these are particularly risqué (the sports bra has good coverage), but since I don't normally post these kinds of photos, I thought I should give a heads-up.

Yeah! I made that!!

[jazzeria]

Every time I see that last photo, I feel pretty dang proud! I did a pretty good job, I think!

[jazzeria]

Apparently, I do a very specific type of laugh when I accidentally take AOE damage from my own farts. And my spouse can actually recognise the sound for what it means!

What an amazingly intimate knowledge to have of another person! Secret and specific details that no one else might ever know--I'm not even sure I knew it before we spoke about it!

I feel known and loved!

[charliecraftsthings]

Jalie Coco Sports Bra

I sewed a sports bra for the first time!

Pattern: Jalie 4014 Coco Sports Bra

Fabrics:

Supplex knit from Our Social Fabric

Knit mesh from Our Social Fabric

I've hestitated about writing this post for a few months now, for several reasons: my first make didn't turn out very good; I didn't take many photos of it; and it's a rather personal item (it's underwear!).

But making my own activewear and underwear has been a goal for some time now. My favourite sports bra was discontinued by the manufacturer; they released an X-back bra that was similar, but I didn't like the crossing straps.

Jalie Coco's View A seems like a copycat for this sports bra, but they also offer a racerback version in View B.

I also appreciate that Jalie offers step-by-step photo tutorials for this pattern! I found steps 34-35-36 a bit under-explained in the instruction PDF and I might have misinterpreted it, if had been my first time doing something similar ("burrito method"; here's an explainer video by Seamwork).

This was my first time working with clear elastic. Again, I found the PDF instructions basic (but not inaccurate!) and would have appreciated more guidance.

I read several reviews and blog posts about the pattern; including this one by activewear sewing designer Melissa Fehr, who gave this tip:

cut your two layers of lining stretch mesh for the Lining Side piece (G) at 90 degrees to each other. Stretch mesh is always more supportive in one direction than the other, and this has been my trick for years for preventing both up & down and side-to-side motion

Melissa also describes how the Band panel (E) is sized incorrectly for the wider elastic (link). The pattern as written can be made with a "40 mm" wide elastic, but what they really mean is 38 mm, because 1½ inch elastic is sometimes sold as "40 mm". If your elastic is 38 mm, no adjustments are required; but if it's 40 mm, you need to widen the panel by 6mm.

Clear elastic is applied to the neck and arm holes. Because I used a mesh lining, the elastic could be seen and felt on the skin side.

I also tried making the pocket for foam cups, but had a very difficult time zig-zagging the pocket openings!

Some more thoughts about the construction:

The instructions have you cut two Back panels (D) from the main fabric. Wearing the finished result, I didn't like how heavy it was, and in future versions, I cut one Back from Main, and one from Lining.

The final fit felt a bit too long for me, by about 1" in the front and 1.5" in the back.

Sewing the band was incredibly difficult, going through so many layers of fabric all at once! I would cut the Band (panel E) with a bias join in the future, to distribute the seam allowance over more distance.

The very last step is to close the band with a zigzag stitch all around. I didn't feel my machine could do that and produce a good result, so I switched my thread to Eloflex (stretchy thread) and did a straight stitch. I wasn't able to always grab the lining correctly underneath, but I think this looked better, and would be less prone to breakage.

After trying this out for a few weeks, I ultimately gave it to a friend who was looking for a new sports bra. She's very happy with it, wearing it for dancing, and showing it off at every opportunity! I wish I'd taken some better photos before I gave it away, but I'm very glad that it's being used!

Since making this one, I've made several more, and I hope to post about them soon!

[jazzeria]

Dear tumblr,

Please please please don't be weird at me about posting pics of my underwear on the Internet.

Thank you,

- An intermediate sewist

[jazzeria]

Apple-Pear Melomel (16 Sep 2025)

My good friend CB gave me some apples (which he had received from a friend!). I'm not sure of the variety, but they were small, about the size of a ping-pong ball; bright red, tart, astringent, very juicy, and also sweet. They might be a type of crabapple, and I imagine they'd be lovely for baking--and of course, brewing.

After removing the stems and seeds, I pureed these apples with the remaining Dead Horse Cider from the recent cyser. It had begun fermenting slightly in the fridge, and I was very curious about utilising that wild yeast in combination with commercial yeast. To bring the volume up to a size worth fermenting, I added some pear nectar from Del Monte (it contains pear puree and added sugar, so it can't be called "juice").

I used half a packet of Lalvin 71B, and a quarter-teaspoon of pectic enzyme. Reading the hydrometer in this pulpy puree was difficult, but I think the OG was about 1.078. (Of course, some sugar would still be locked in the fruit solids, meaning my sugar estimate would be low; but I ran with it.)

I first tried to fit everything into my 4L Fermonster, but that seemed foolish, so during the first few days, I also made use of a 1L glass jar.

After a week or so, things had calmed enough for me to feel safe combining it again.

At some point (probably early October when I also racked the Cyser) I racked from the Fermonster to a 1 gallon jar. By November, I had moved the brew to the basement, and solids were settling into a thick layer.

I left it in the basement for a long time, procrastinating waiting for the sizeable sediment layer to compact.

In March, I finally racked to a 1 gallon jug. I took a little taste, and was startled. I described the flavour as "cheesy" at first, because it tasted "fermented" in a way I associated with lactic acid I guess, and the fruitiness made me think "blue cheese". I took a few more tastes and wondered if maybe the flavour was actually "yeastiness" (not "cheesiness")? Anyway, it's acidic (malic acid for sure) and fruity, maybe floral, complex in a very compelling way. But it's also got bitterness, and the harsh burn of a young brew.

I'm not sure whether the complexity comes from: the wild yeast in the fermenting cider, all the fruit pulp and peel, the commercial yeast, leaving it on the lees for so long, or something else? But I'm really excited for this one!

I'm going to let it settle some more before I rack again (there's still some solids I'm waiting to fall out and cake), add some Sparkalloid, and then pasteurise.

[jazzeria]

Cyser (31 Aug 2025)

In late-Aug, I picked up some apples from the St Norbert Farmer's Market: Goodland and Trail (crabapple).

I also bought some cider from Dead Horse--a variety of different donated backyard yapples that they press for juice! The juice is tart and lightly astringent, very refreshing.

I cored the apples and removed any discoloured parts (since I wouldn't be pasteurising it), then blended the fruit, keeping the pulp. This yielded about 1068g of apple puree. I knew some of the sugars would remain locked up in the apple solids and so the hydrometer reading would underestimate my sugar content. But I still aimed for ABV of 12%. I used a half packet of Lalvin 71B and a quarter-teaspoon of pectic enzyme. The OG measured around 1.096.

This fermented in a plastic bucket for about a month. In early October, I transferred the brew to a 5L jar and set it in the basement. By November, the sediment was settling nicely.

I racked this in late March, taking a little taste.

It's not great. It's got bitter flavours, and I'm not sure how much of that is "young, messy brew", how much is "bad flavours from too long on the lees", or how much is, "bad flavours from bad airlock." I'm going to let it settle a bit before having another taste.

Like, it doesn't taste "bad", it just doesn't taste like a winner at this point. There's actually a lot of complexity that I find compelling, and I'm hoping I can mitigate the bitterness and get a really nice brew out of this eventually!

In the meantime, I'm hoping it will mellow with some ageing.

[jazzeria]

Two plain meads (17 July 2025)

Since I was posting about my meadjito project and latest cyser anyway, I took some pics of my other brews to give you an update on where they're all at. These have been in my basement for awhile, where the temperature ranges about 17 to 20 C.

Unfortunately, this temperature range might be affecting the airlocks: I've definitely seen the airlock fluid being sucked toward the brew instead of pushed away. I can't know for sure how much air has gotten into my vessels--or how much airlock liquid (diluted StarSan solution).

In July, I made two "plain" meads (fairly neutral-tasting honey, mild flavoured mead with no additional fruit), with the intent of fermenting them dry and backsweetening with nice varietal honey. I was aiming for ABVs of roughly 12% and 15%, so my OGs were 1.095 and 1.122 respectively.

Both these batches were made with a bit of black tea to provide tannins and complexity. I used Mangrove Jack M05 yeast.

The lighter (less sweet/alcoholic) batch, I labelled with a blue marker so I could spot it more quickly. It's been doing ok! This month (March 2026), I racked to another jug, and added some lemon peel and black tea in a teabag. I'll taste it after a week, and when it's ready, I'll add a touch of Sparkalloid and then pasteurise the batch.

The heavier batch is not looking well at all. It's dark and murky, with some scummy-looking foam on top. I don't know if this brew has been sucking air through the airlock, or if it's got something else wrong with it. Honestly I'm kinda just ignoring it, hoping it won't get worse, and trying to work up the courage to taste it and come up with a plan 😅

[jazzeria]

Meajito Update

After several months of forgetting about it in the basement, I finally bottled my mint mead for making meadjitos.

Unfortunately I bumped the jar as I was bottling so one bottle in particular is noticeably cloudy.

Mixing the drink in preparation for carbonation, I made the erroneous assumption that the agitation of carbonation would be sufficient to dissolve the honey. Oops. In the future, I'll have have to stir the mixture before starting carbonation.

As we get into warmer weather, I think this will be a nice, refreshing beverage to have on hand. I'll probably keep a carbonated bottle ready to drink in the fridge during summer.

...which means, I'll soon have to brew another batch of mint mead!

[jazzeria]

Another Cyser (22 Mar 2026)

In autumn 2025, I bought a jug of apple cider (unfiltered apple juice), and kinda forgot about it in the fridge til spring 2026.

Although the juice had been pasteurised, I was a bit worried. The plastic jug looked like it had been inflated slightly! When I opened it, there was no apparent hiss or deflation, and the juice still smelled normal. I gave it a cautious taste and it was still sweet and tasty. But there was the faintest amount of carbonation.

To be safe, I transferred the juice to a pot and brought the temperature up to at least 70C for at least 20 minutes (probably longer). Dissolved gas bubbled out of the juice quite eagerly once the juice got warm!

I took a sample out to cool just enough to get a hydrometer reading; it had a specific gravity of about 1.060. I did some napkin math and figured I'd add about 1100g of honey for my target ABV of 11%. My mix ended up being too sweet, so I added a little water (in hindsight, I think I had assumed 3.8L or 1 US gallon of juice, when the jug was actually 3L).

Recipe:

3 L unfiltered apple juice, pasteurised

1.122 kg liquid honey

100 g water

half packet, Lalvin 71 B

1/4 tsp Go Ferm

1/8 tsp pectic enzyme

handful of dried apple peels

OG: 1.109

For the first few days, each day, I gave the brew a big stir to let out gas, mix in oxygen, and then added 1/8 tsp of Fermaid K. After that I'll keep giving it a stir for a few days, then just let it do its thing undisturbed until primary fermentation looks done.

I honestly don't know whether I'll ever replicate that amazing Triple Jims cyser, or make something as good as it. But I'm gonna try!

[charliecraftsthings]

Overdyeing Double Gauze Fabric

I bought some cotton double gauze on sale. It came in a pale peachy-pink colour...

... but I wasn't a fan, so I decided to try overdyeing it blue. I used Tintex powder dye

I pre-soaked the fabric before putting it in the dyebath, but it still came out a little unevenly:

I actually kinda like it like this! It reminds me of clouds, especially with the fabric's texture.

Close-up of the fabric's extra-wrinkly edge when it came out of the dryer:

The bolt width was 135 cm, but after washing it shrank to about 124 cm. I've got about 4m of length, so I'm thinking about what I would make with it.

[jazzeria]

I'm thinking a comfy vest or cardigan!

[charliecraftsthings]

I was featured in the C2 newsletter!

Staff Selection of the Month – by MCML Curator Andrea Reichert I know that winter hat season is on its way out (hopefully), but you need to check out Charlie Wong's work. As I crocheter I appreciate when crochet looks elegant, and Charlie's work is so precise and the designs are both fun and fashionable. If you don't need a hat right now, you will come fall, so make sure to drop by to see what we have in the C2 Shop!

Read the full newsletter here.

Find my work for sale at the museum shop here.

[jazzeria]

I think it's extra funny that I didn't find out about this until I went to my knitting circle and one of the knitters asked, "Is that you??"

[jazzeria]

I Learned How to Knit!

Earlier this year, I took an introduction to knitting class at my local yarn shop.

At the first lesson, we learned the long tail cast-on, how to tension yarn in a yarn hold, and I learned how to Continental knit (the rest of the class learned English style; the instructor figured I'd have an easier time doing Continental because I crochet).

Soon after, I joined a knitting circle that meets on weekends, and at my first day, someone kindly taught me the knit decreases "knit two together" and "slip slip knit"! (And I taught her the most secure way I know to join yarn, which seems to be a modified weaver's knot!)

Aside: at the knitting circle, I also explained "foundation single crochet" to a knitter as, "Imagine if you could just start knitting without having to cast on. Like if you could just start knitting, and somehow that produced your cast-on as well!" Her response: "That makes zero sense!" which I think provokes a similar response in crochetists who've never done foundational crochet either!

It's now March and I've learned the following knitting techniques:

Purl (Continental)

Yarn-over increase (for purl and knit)

Make one Left/Right (knit)

Knit front and back

Twisted knit/purl

the basic bind-off (does it have a name?)

Lori's Twisty Bind-off

Tink (un-knit and un-purl)

I'm keeping track here because I don't think I'll knit as much as I crochet. Because I learned it first, I have more intuition for how crochet projects work, how the material behaves and grows. And I like really working intuitively ("keep going until it fits") rather than keeping track of stitches and rows in a pattern.

That said, the movements of Continental kntiting feel way more efficient than any crocheting I do. So I like the idea of knitting some garter stitch scarves or something where I don't have to concentrate too hard on counting or meeting gauge.

Anyway, here are some of the things I've started knitting, mostly practice swatches:

The hats in progress are Spiral Beanie by Babi Crisosto (free pattern!).

The pink swatches are for a garment I'm on the fence about making. I can't seem to meet the pattern gauge, so I'll probably make it one size smaller (my knitting teacher and I did the math). But I'm still not even convinced I want to make it yet (Madiera Tee by Cascade Yarns, free pattern).

[jazzeria]

Sewing Anniversary

Exactly when I started sewing is hard to say.

In early 2023, I started mending clothes with hand stitching, and also doing decorative sashiko-like embroidery.

Later that year, I also started hand-sewing small things like pincushions, jar bonnets (kraut caps!), and even project bags:

In Feb 2024, my friend showed me how to use a sewing machine.

Using the machines at the public library, I machine-finished a project bag which I had begun with hand-sewing:

Upon hearing about my strange commutes, a friend loaned me their family's sewing machine that wasn't being used.

In March and April of 2024 I sewed at least 6 more project bags! After that, I took a short break apparently; but in September I was back at it, sewing my first zipper, then my first faux leather bag.

I continued sewing project bags and purses in 2024, and started planning mending my blankie by encasing the entire blanket in a new quilt top and bottom. In preparation for that big project, I started my Lil' Blankie project, practising patchwork, quilting, and testing how various fabrics wear over time and use.

This project got me really ambitious in 2025. I made a dedicated post about all the things I made in 2025 here. In early 2025, my mother-in-law gave me her old sewing machine! Later that year, my grandmother-in-law gave me her old sewing machine too!

I learned most of my textile craft skills from self-led research in adulthood: watching videos, reading books, asking friends to teach me, and signing up for classes. What I mean is, I didn't come to it in the way that was (and maybe still is?) more common: exposure from youth, usually through a family member--a family tradition. Which I'm ok with. But I think it creates a bit of.... Maybe it makes me an outsider to the craft?

Anyway, I wanted to take some time to reflect on my "sewing anniversary", irrespective of how you count it.

When I think about the sewing I've done in the past year, what are the biggest skills I've learned since?

Buttonholes!

Sewing garment zippers

How to sew rope baskets

Sewing more complicated bag zippers

Sewing stretch and knit fabrics!

I'm excited to continue expanding my skills over the next year of sewing and crafting. Some goals and intentions for this year:

Pants fitting workshop in April

Sew house pants for my spouse (spouse house pants!)

Sew a house vest for myself

Plan gifts and create schedules to ensure timely completion and delivery

Be very intentional about what clothes I buy, and consider what clothes I can make.

Shop my fabric stash before buying more fabric.

Avoid buying fabric just because it's on sale (I probably have something usable at home already!)

Go through the old clothes that have been marked to harvest for their materials; do an inventory of those clothes and their materials.

Write more! Write about sewing! Write about projects! Write more, in general!

[jazzeria]

I joined a knittng circle! It's a club ($20 for the year) that meets weekly at a community centre, to just hang out and do fibre arts of all kinds (not just knitting). The location is walking distance from my new home!

I joined last month, but they meet on Sundays, and I guess I haven't gotten used to thinking "Sundays are now a day I go out and do an activity" so I've actually missed 100% of the meetings since joining, dangit!!

I'm going to try to build my Saturday routine a bit better, scheduling time to plan for my new Sunday outing. The meeting time will also force me to consider my lunch and dinner plans for Sunday in advance.

Side-note: I also picked up a mini loom (about 8x8 inches, or 20x20 cm) because I saw someone weaving at the free event the club hosted last month, and I thought that looked like a great way to use up small yarn scraps! I'm not yet sure what I would do with all those tiny squares... Two ideas that come to mind are: rug mugs (like coasters) and patchwork sewing (join with a zigzag to make a patchwork fabric). But yeah, maybe I'll get some ideas when I go next!

[jazzeria]

I've been doing a lot of sewing, but haven't felt like posting about the projects on my other blog (charliecraftsthings).

I think the reason is: that other blog is meant to be more of a showcase, and I haven't felt like my stuff is showcase-able? Or I'm not sure how to showcase it?

So I might try posting them here instead (and maybe some other time, post them there too).

It feels weird to have this pressure (albeit self-inflicted) to write in a certain way. Like, I try to write more "professionally" there, try not to complain or nitpick, and try to show off my work. But I want to also be able to just go, "Hey I made a thing!" with no, like, expectation of professional conduct?

"I made a thing! I had a really hard time with this part. I think the pattern was unclear. But maybe it was my mistake? In any case, here's what I ended up doing and how I feel about it. Actually if I'm being honest, I have mixed feelings about it."

[pyrrhiccomedy]

it's important to keep at least one weird, difficult person in your life who constantly says shit you don't agree with. Not like shitheads obviously but like, a low grade freak. you don't want to lose perspective on the gamut of (barely) acceptable human behavior by narrowing the Overton window too much. Your barely-a-friend-who-you-see-once-a-month who takes every opportunity to go off about how psychiatric medicine is literally exactly the same thing as cops shooting protestors dead on the street is helping you keep critical compromise and negotiation skills sharp. like you need to retain the ability to go 'okay sarah why don't we just go get lunch. what have you been reading lately' to someone you can barely take out in public but is nonetheless still not your enemy.

and I'm not talking about your parents or your uncle or something. that's universal and they're hard to get rid of. somebody you opted into and could quit out of anytime with minimal social repercussions. it's exposure therapy for tolerance

[jazzeria]

I'm reminded of this graphic from In the Tiger's Mouth: An Empowerment Guide for Social Action by Katrina Shield (which you can read for free on Archive.Org):

Here's another version of that chart, which may be easier to read since the text is not rotated:

Practice is essential for keeping your skills, and an incredibly useful skill is how to interact with people who don't agree with you.

Also important: being able to discern how strongly opposed someone is, and then treating them appropriately.

(Do I also need to say that there should be a difference in how you treat, say, someone who is actively harming you every time you interact, and someone whose beliefs make you uncomfortable now and then? There should be a difference in how you treat someone who demonstrates they won't change their mind on something that harms you, and someone who may change their mind.)

[jazzeria]

I had a lovely time practising French tonight at a casual language practising hangout. It was awesome to just be a language nerd with fellow language nerds--even being outclassed in language nerdiness!

People inevitibly ask me why I want to learn so many languages, why I'm drawn to that. There's the real reason, but I also want a cute answer that I can give easily.

And I think I found it: I want to learn how to summon cats in every language 😸

[charliecraftsthings]

Obnoxious Cat Backpack

I got this beautifully obnoxious cat print fabric from IKEA and was "saving it for something special"...

... but if you never use it, it'll never get used.

So I decided to dive right!

I wanted a backpack with a front panel that would really show off the print. I chose the Len Backpack pattern by I Think Sew. (Spoiler alert: I don't strongly recommend this pattern, especially not to beginners. But I'll do a more thorough review some other time.)

Before cutting the panels, I decided to treat the fabric for water resistance: I washed the fabric, then soaked it in a preparation of Nikwax Cottonproof, a wash-in waterproofer. After thoroughly rinsing, I put the fabric in the dryer on low. I only did some cursory testing of the treated fabric by flicking water droplets on it, which beaded up and rolled off the "right side", but had a harder time on the "wrong side". I decided this was probably good enough.

When cutting the panels, I wanted a cat face on every side of the bag. I wanted derpy cat faces to stare disconcertingly from every vantage, I wanted this backpack to say, "If you observe me, I will observe you back."

I think I was successful.

One major modification I made was adding a zipper flap for the main compartment. This was not in the original pattern, and I didn't thoroughly think through my execution here. I think the original pattern can be adapted to include a zipper shield, but it will take a lot better planning than I was prepared to do.

I made my zipper shield by tacking a long strip of lining fabric along the zipper tape before attaching it to the bag. However, this meant the bag couldn't be constructed per the instructions, and I puckered the shield when sewing over it. The fabric I chose was also thinner, so it gets caught in the zipper if you're not careful. I'm actually tempted to carefully snip away the shield (there's too much topstitching for me to justify unpicking the seams and re-sewing it entirely).

Although I don't wear the backpack often, I really get a kick out of taking it on mundane activities like grocery shopping.

I will absolutely make more bags with this fabric!