27: Better picture of orange raglan top and a new top

I have some slightly better photos of my orange two colour-sleeve raglan top now. It was a great location out and about shopping but the original photos just did not show enough of the top I was trying to show so here is a better one of the front:

and the back:

This is my latest attempt at a raglan sleeved top:

Its from the Newlook 6230 pattern so NOT a free pattern but was half price at Jaycotts recently so I decided to invest in it.

Unfortunately I did not bother reading the instructions OR the pattern pieces and cut the back piece out on a fold rather than with a centre-back seam. That is good because I prefer no back seam. Seems a stupid thing to put one there if you do not need it for shaping!
But bad because I failed to take out the seam allowance which makes it baggy on the back! You will have to ignore the straps. They are from what I am wearing underneath.

I have not ironed it either as you can tell:)

I also think its a bit short which will be fine with skirts but not so good to cover up my bum when wearing leggings.

I did not use the neck edging band here since I was in a hurry to finish this

 but will add this on my next version. It is a nice baggy overtop partly due to my not noticing the CB should be cut and seamed  but also because it seems it is just baggy and the neck is a bit wide - possibly partly down to my missing out the neck band but not completely I think. The fabric is a reasonably thick ribbed fabric which I picked up for 99p off ebay for about 3 meters so its a wearable muslin really. At least when I make it in more expensive fabric I will do it right next time. I shall not bother to alter this because it will work with some of my wardrobe as it is and could really be worn off the shoulder which will mean the baggy back is seen less and with a bit of luck summer is coming and I have no basic black off the shoulder tops in my current clothing so this could be good after all.

In the end though I still prefer the pattern which is FREE from http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/2016/02/15/long-sleeve-raglan-sweatshirt-free-pattern.html
but I will be making another one of these. Also this Newlook 6230 pattern has a straight skirt pattern. I have recently made several skirts similar to this but without a pattern. Always good to have a proper pattern since I find it avoids expensive mistakes and as you may realise I am not the most experienced sewist around.

Thanks for reading and feel free to leave any comments:

Bracken

ME MADE MAY 2016

  'I, Bracken of http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '16. I endeavour to wear as many hand made or upcycled garments I can especially those I have made that just sit looking lovely in my wardrobe and never get worn each day for the duration of May 2016. I also pledge to finish my so called easy to knit bat-sleeved fluffy sweater by May 31st 2016.'

Well I have done it and signed up. Most of all I just MUST MUST MUST finish my so called easy to knit bat-sleeved fluffy sweater:

18: Wonderful people and easy knitting bat wing sleeved jumper or sweater

because I simply am not getting round to knitting and I really want to wear it. Also as I have pledged I have LOADS of stuff I just never wear so if I achieve nothing elses at least everything that I just store and look at occassionally will finally get worn. 

If you fancy taking part you can find out more an/or sign up here:

http://sozowhatdoyouknow.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/me-made-may-16-sign-up-here.html

Thanks for reading

Bracken

26: More free raglan sleeve T shirt patterns - Comparing the free raglan sleeved T shirt patterns available on the internet

My last post was the start of my raglan sleeve T shirt reviews. I started with the free pattern from
http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/2016/02/15/long-sleeve-raglan-sweatshirt-free-pattern.html
Which made me two very nice tops here: 25: Comparing the free raglan sleeved T shirt patterns available on the internet
I was really very impressed by these tops which is what caused me to decide to review the other free patterns for raglan sleeved tops available on the interenet.
So next I decided to try this one from the cutting floor:
http://www.onthecuttingfloor.com/free-sewing-pattern-long-sleeve-raglan-top/
Which I thought was a bit different since it has different sleeve tops to bottoms.

Well I put the pattern together and because www.onthecuttingfloor.com has been going for a long while now and also has patterns to buy, I assumed it would all be fine. I have used loads of different free patterns some hand-drawn and many that were made with one sort of software or another. Anyway this pattern did not work for me. Well yes I made a top but look at the next two photos:

 

 

I do not know if I put it together wrong or if it simply does not work right

but the bits just did not fit. I unpicked everything and sewed it all again after I had rechecked the pattern by repinning the pattern pieces onto my cut out fabric and everything seems ok. I looked at the tutorial on the www.onthecuttingfloor.com site. The bits simply do not fit together. It looks like it should be a polo neck rather than a normal raglan T shirt.

To make it work I had to hack off the extra neck fabric. I also decided the neck band which is given is far too small so cut a new one and added wrist edges to accent the sleeves. I also added a wider hem band.

In the end it does work - kind of. Its a boat neckline due to me hacking off the extra fabric which is wearable but not what I intended. I can wear it as you can see here but I am not impressed. The photos are not really very good and its hard to tell but, the top sleeve sections are a bit tight and it kind of reminds me of those weird tops you find in H&M. 

Needless to say I will not make this one again but I may try the original pattern available on the same site which has one colour sleeves since I wonder if it is me that put it together wrong. Who knows?

I might try a bought pattern for my next version.

Anyway I personally do not rate this pattern very highly at all.

Thanks for reading

Bracken

25: Comparing the free raglan sleeved T shirt patterns available on the internet

 If you are, like me, after a raglan-sleeved T shirt pattern ( preferably for free) you will find this article of interest. The following is my experiments with widely available FREE raglan sleeved patterns off the internet as well as a couple of other purchased raglan sleeved patterns.

Some time ago I decided I wanted to make some sports-wear inspired clothing. Not actually for sport but just because I like the style and the details on this kind of clothing. It is also very easy to wash and wear and does not need ironing which is always a bonus. I saw a lovely sports dress, not sure what type of activity it was intended for on a local University sports website. I cannot copy it here in case of copy-write etc. It was really just a very long vest dress but with colour blocking, piping etc and in performance type fabric.

It inspired me because of firstly I love active wear but also because of the details. You can add piping, colour blocking or just do it all plain. I have lots of synthetic 4-way stretch material in my stash. Some of it is actually very high quality high performance type material but mostly it is just average bog-standard synthetics such as polyester some with and some without spandex. Anyway I have lots of colours I would not usually wear such as coral and white due to getting a bit carried away on ebay on several occasions. Normally,I tend to go for darker and richer colours. When it comes to sports clothing however I will happily wear coral and white with no worries. Or even fluourescents. Since I am not the most experienced sewist around I need first to try a few designs out before committing to anything too difficult. I decided the best way to use the colours of fabric I have is to colour block them so for example mix coral with black. Since I am not a great designer the easiest way to do this seems to me to find a decent raglan sleeved pattern and see how it looks.

The first pattern I tried was Its always autumn's free Tshirt pattern in a large. You can get it here:
http://www.itsalwaysautumn.com/2016/02/15/long-sleeve-raglan-sweatshirt-free-pattern.html

As I have previously blogged in a different post I find sizing is somewhat varied. I can be a XS or even a XL depending on the brand. I am a Burda size 36-38 so around a 10-12 UK size in tops. Although on the high street I have bought a UK sized 6 and a UK sized 16 so who knows what I really am.

For version 1, I used some of my coral fabric which was sold to me as coral flair. I am unsure what flair is but its a kind of stretchy textured fabric. I mixed this with some black 4 way stretch polyester type fabric. I did not read the itsalwaysautumn.com tutorial to go with this top before making it which was possibly a mistake. I just set to and overlocked all seems although I forgot the sleeve edge, twin needle hemmed the sleeve edge before sewing up the side seams since previously I have found tight fitting sleeves do not go over my machine once the sides seams have been sewn, and turned the neck edge over, overlocked it and twin needle stitched it. That was a mistake. I should have put a ribbed edge on it. The sleeves are three quarter but the tutorial does tell you how to lengthen them. Well as I said I didn't read it but just went ahead and sewed. It worked well considering I did not do the neck properly - may go back and redo that later. I also think a sleeve edge with ribbing would be better. I cut my sleeves without putting the pattern on a fold so ended up with a seam down the arm which would look good if I was to add piping. As you can see it fits more like a sweatshirt than an exercise T shirt but then thats was it looks like on itsalwaysautumn.com so thats really good.

I am actually after something tighter but I may make this again with addition of the piping down the raglan bits and either down the sleeve seams or I will put the pattern on a fold to eliminate the sleeve seams. I also measured it against an existing sweat top I have (from New Look sized 8 ) which also has three quarter sleeves and its almost an exact copy size-wise.

Really my main issue is not the pattern, although it is looser than I hoped, for but the fabric. I wore it to work and as any regular readers will know I work in a lab where you do not have to be smart. Jeans and T shirts go. It was comfortable but the sleeves are a bit tight round the edge - they are 3/4 so its not the wrist but the calf on our leg. No idea what it is on the arm. Forearm to me is kind of the entire lower bit of limb.Well theres a thought!

And it is not the pattern style but the coral flair! Now this fabric is just kind of old lady blousish. The kind of old-lady-top fabric you get in tops found on a market or out of a supermarket. Thats the only way I can describe it. My next top  I decide to make was made in ribbed fabric. Its a fine rib with cream sleeves and khaki body with a ribbed neck edge and longer sleeves like itsalwaysautumn did herself..



Anyway I am going to try a different pattern out for my next post. I am very happy with this pattern from itsalwaysautumn.com and can only recommend this if you are after a free raglan sleeved top pattern.
I really have to sort out my sports type of patterns because I have so much of this kind of fabric in my stash and I love to wear these kind of clothes.

TO BE CONTINUED........

Thanks for reading

Bracken

25: Red faux leather trousers

Well I have been busy this week but sowing not sewing. As in sowing cabbage seeds. I will add a picture later of my babies that have come up so far.As well as sowing seeds I also potted on my cucumber and tomato babies which I sowed back in February. Once they get bigger the cabage babies can go out into a cold frame where they can grow on which is good because I am rnning out of space to sow any more seeds. Because its still frosty here my tomato plants will not be able to go outside even in a poly tunnel til at least May so I need to nurture them inside until then.  Other than sowing this week I mostly just did more house decorating - I tiled the bathroom! Have yet to do the grouting but it is looking good. I did make just one item of clothing although not original really since I made yet another pair of faux leather leggings similar to my 19: Green leather look leggings
These ones are red and like the green faux leather the red is very stretchy. Here they are:

Again they were easy to make. The pattern is just three pieces: front, back, and waistband with elastic waist. They were simply overlocked and then twin needle stitched on the hems. I love this particular pattern since it makes leggings that are so easy to wear. However I have now made 4 pairs! Three faux leather and one pair of 10: Tartan leggings
Time for a new leggings pattern I think else my 100 hundred garments is in danger of being 100 versions of 3-4 patterns!

Not sure what pattern I will use next but watch this space...............
Thanks for reading and have a lovely week,
Bracken

24: Red lace hoody - Burdastyle 01/2016 and black faux leather leggings

Well, I am a bit late blogging this week.

 No excuse really other than life just got a bit hectic and I never got round to it. Slack of me I know!
Anyway I made a whole new outfit the last week although not using any new patterns. Since I made the decision to try to be more authentic in my clothing makes I have completely reviewed all patterns I currently have available and decided to make another pair of my 19: Green leather look leggings
which I love wearing. This time they are in shiny black faux leather which is a bit less stretchy than the green was but they have still worked out fine as you can see. Again I made the extra long version which means the gather a bit round the ankles but I like that look.

I have also made a new version of the 15: Burda style 01/2016 hoody since I absolutely love my black one even though I made it as a muslin in a naff fabric. I have still found I have worn it loads. It was always meant to be just a muslin anyway so this red top is the real deal. I did not make any real changes to either pattern other than not adding the pocket onto the top since it is a very lightweight lacey fabric and I was not sure a pocket would work. I think if it was used at all the fabric would be destroyed by carrying things like keys around and to be honest if I had a pocket on it that is what I am most likely to carry in it so best just not to sew it on in the first place. It is the same fabric I used for my 5: Burdastyle dress- Lace Cowl Dress 12/2014 #121

I wore my new clothes when we went to the garden centre on Saturday which was a lovely sunny day and ideal for taking some pictures:

Possibly I was a bit overdressed for the local garden centre but at least I felt good about myself!
I suspect I will be wearing this top and trousers lots over the next few months.

If you have the time and you would like to leave a comment that would be lovely.
Thanks for reading and see you again soon.
Bracken

23: Khaki cullottes

Back to my new "being authentic " in my makes from now on, I decided just a few days before
Christmas to make some cullottes when Sasha on Kollaboro released this pattern.

Well I was very inspired and immediately printed out the pattern. Then I spent absolutely ages going through my fabric stash. I found at this point that I have at least one piece of fabric I do not wish to wear. I tried several colours because although the original pattern was made by Sasha for the Chrismas party season, I did not wish to make something for that but rather for spring. I ended up with a linen type fabric which has a lovely texture. Its a pretty thick fabric though so I was not sure how this was going to work out. Having said that the cullottes made by Sasha were apparently in quite a stiff brocadey sort of fabric which makes them quite stiff by the looks of the pictures. My linen is similar to canvas and before washing was very stiff but has soften a bit after being washed, dried and ironed. It looks more green in the photos below than it actually is. In real life its kind of an olive/khaki but a green khaki rather than a brown khaki if you know what I mean.

I actually printed Sashas's pattern three times and attempted to put it together but each time the test square was the wrong size. This is a tester pattern so Sasha did say it could have problems. Well for me on three different printers - two at home and one at work - I could not get the test square the right size. Having spent some time now fiddling around reprinting and sticking together at the third attempt I also realised the pattern is layered which means I am still going to have to trace all or part of it even after I have solved the printing problems so I scrapped the idea and moved onto other projects. I did not want to risk making something that might be the wrong size and I am not good enough yet at making stuff to know by measuring if it is going to definitely fit me so better not to make it than ruin my fabric.

04/2015

03/2015

Then I was going through my Burda magazines looking for something, which I do occassionally either when needing inspiration or more likely because I remember an item I want to wear and cannot locate it so I need to search them.

I am sure there must be a better way. I hoped I could search using the website but it does not always work. You get peoples projects when searching at burdastyle.com and the burdastyle.co.uk site is even worse and although I do use burdastyle.de my german is rarely good enough for me to search it effectively so I tend to spend ages physically searching the old magazines I own. Well I found two versions of cullottes I already have in 04/2015 and 03/2015. These are the sketches: 

04/2015

 The 04/2015 seem to be a bit narrower and possibly shorter. They have an option for turn-ups. I do not at least on this occassion want turn-ups. The second pair though, from 03/2015, seem more like the Sasha cullottes so I decided to go with these.

03/2015

I traced the pattern much quicker than I usually do, so I must be getting used to this now. I cut it out immediately since my fabric has now been sitting around gathering dust and in the way for about 2 months. I used an iron-on interfacing on the waistband and interfaced the pocket pieces.

Then I began to sew. The directions in the magazine are to tack the fly. Stupid me did it on the wrong side ( or actually on the right side when it should have been on the wrong side of the fabric!). As it happens it will not matter just yet because I am going to sew the pleats and darts first:

I did the front pleats first. They are very easy assuming you have added the markings. I did not use carbon for this since I seem to have lost mine so instead just used pins and old fashioned tailors chalk to mark then sewed them up.

 Then the back darts:

As you can see this fabric creases very easily which is going to be a pain I can see already. 

I pressed all the seams and then sewed the side seams. At this point I decided to leave out the pockets and add leg pockets instead. Partly this is down to laziness but mostly it is because the fabric is very bulky and by missing out the hip pockets I can lose a bit of excess width around my hip area. Also whilst checking they will actually be about the right size - I wrapped them as well as possible around me to see if they will fit before I go any further with the making process because I hate seam ripping and re-stitching.

The "Authentic" bit hit me then, because I am not really an officey kind of girl and am more into activity or sports kind of clothing but with a bit of old style Goth, Punk or Hippy thrown into the mix. Being authentic with my clothing makes means I am meant to be making something I will actually like to wear. I am unlikely to wear a smart pair of cullottes more than just the once to show them off after making them and my aim now is to make things I will want to wear again and again not just because it is a nice garment to make. So I want to kind of millitary these cullottes up a bit and leg pockets seems the easiest way. I also love cropped trousers so this could make me a real winning garment. Now I need to draft or find an army style expanding pocket pattern to use for my leg pockets. 

04/2010 118

 I already own 04/2010 which I bought from burdastyle.co.uk when trying to find:

NR. 129-042010-DL

 I think this must be the mens pattern though because the womens pattern is the 118 pattern above for the style in the right of the picture. The picture of style 118 just shows the woman and not the whole familly. I assume the kids pants are also in this magazine. I will have to buy this magazine if I come accross it in fact because it seems to have lots of millitary type patterns in it and I am still collecting any copies old or new of burda style magazine that I fancy. So anyway, the plan now is to print out style 118 above and use the pocket pattern on the legs of these cullottes. I will let you know how it goes in my next post.

TO BE CONTINUED:

Thanks for reading feel free to leave a comment if you have the time

 see you again soon,

Bracken

heabv

Being Authentic. My new challenge.

Being the "authentic" you seems to have become an aim for lots of people recently and rightly so. I can completely identify with being yourself. I also have drifted away from the way I want to be in order to "fit in". In order to do the mundane jobs we do most of us have to "tone it down". But, I  need to make things I like to wear and recently I seem to have been making stuff that is a bit "girly" in a way that doesn't feel like the real authentic me. It is a case that I have found a pattern and followed it. It has increased my skill level but some although not all of my sewing has been a bit unlike me if you see what I mean. I do not want to be an everyday clone and that is my reason for making my own clothing in the first place so why am I just following a pattern and making stuff that doesnt feel right for me? It is not the pattern. Its my lack of daring. My lack of imagination that is my problem.

So my aim is to define and make things that are really ME. That probably, if I am honest, means punking everything up a bit. Or maybe more Goth. Either way I am sure that cannot be so very difficult. I just need to be a bit more imaginative while still challenging myself. Really most so called alternative fashion is simply made from everyday patterns. Its just the mix of fabrics and extras such as lace or studs that makes the item alternative. Punk and similar clothing simply uses lots of colour blocking and segmented patterns. I love a lot of the steampunk patterns around right now but I also need to be a bit more mature about things because I am no longer young so could end up looking a right idiot if I do it wrong or go too far. 

Having said that though, why should I have to dress boring just because I am no longer a teenager. Well of course I shouldn't have to. No one should. Famous people manage to do it and are expected to do so. When we are teens we all dress like rock stars. Its just what you do when you are discovering yourself. A small number of people manage to do this all their lives but for most of us life simply does not allow us to look how we feel inside. Or not if we want a career that is. Only a very small number of people manage to keep their own "style" past the teenage years. Well I am not having it anymore. I wanna be me again. It is just case of making my own look and making it work for my life as well.  

So now I am challenging myself to make clothing that reflects who I am rather than just follow a  pattern. But that also does not mean making unwearable items of clothing. So for the rest of my 100 garments I am going to aim to reinvent who I am and to become who I am inside again. But still maintain a liveable wardrobe that I can go to my normal boring job wearing and not upset my boss. I just need to find my own style again and live it.

I seem to have been collecting patterns now for about 5 years. I have a wonderful and huge stash of fabrics as well as patterns. I started with really good intentions to make them all but it seems I collect far more than I really get round to using. I have now stopped my Burda style magazine subscription as well because again I dream of making far more than I really manage to. I seem to always have an idea of what to make in my head but I simply do not have enough time to make everything I desire. Sadly!

Since all these patterns take up lots of storage space and I live in a very small house, I have decided to make a list of the items of clothing I most want to make in the next few months so I can look back later in the year and see how many if any I actually manage to complete.That way I do not keep getting magazines out and messing up my home whilst I ponder what and if I am making this or that. I need to be organised so I am making a list to keep my sewing on track.

Originally, I thought I should make at least one pattern from each magazine I have collected but I have found I like lots in one and none in another. Hence cancelling the subscription. Also besides very similar patterns from one year to the next a lot of Burda patterns are just not my style at all. I will probably still buy the odd magazine but will just buy those I want to make something specific from. Burda do lots of repeats too it seems. For example:

Drop waist leather skirt pattern from 09/2015:



Drop waist tartan skirt pattern from 09/2014:

 

The only difference I can see here is one has a back zip and the other has a side zip!  I have both of these magazines and other than that they look identical in construction. There are lots of other examples as well. So having realised this I reckon I will look at the previews I get from burdastyle.de and decide then whether or not to buy a particular magazine.

But I also need to get my head round making things that I WILL ACTUALLY WANT TO WEAR! Not just "Oh I like that!" and end up making something I will never really have the lifestyle to wear which is what I have done with some patterns. I am seduced by the magazine image and it does not really fit in with my life so will rarely be worn no matter how lovely it is. 

For now I want to make these items:
At least one more huge hoody similar to the 15: Burda style 01/2016 hoody
I love to wear this despite making it in a naff fabric. It was always meant to be a muslin anyway but I find I am still wearing it lots and I need to make one or maybe two good ones. I am thinking a mesh or lace fabric without the pocket and a patterned fabric with the pocket.


I also have some lovely ladder mesh fabric which I want to make into something. Punk styles would really work with this so I may just stick with a quick easy top similar to my
7: Dark navy top with a step by step tutorial guide to making

It will look kind of jumpery I reckon and will be very wearable.
Then I want to make some more of the 19: Green leather look leggings 
because I have loved wearing them even to work. But I think maybe in dark red and black faux leather.  So thats several quick makes I want to do, where I have already traced the pattern. I also have some light brown faux leather ( no idea why I bought this cos I hate brown as a colour) and some almost metallic jeans-blue faux leather but I am not too sure I want to make these trousers in either of them so need a new project for them. Maybe a leather dress?

Or maybe this top:





I think it would work in leather, but that also brings me to a sportswear kind of look. I am kind of hankering after a sportwear look right now. Probably because it is spring. I do not want actual sportswear but something with A 90's feel so colour-blocking and maybe piping.  Maybe black and a flourescent in colour blocking. I have not quite made up my mind as yet. So what I need to find is a raglan sleeved top or dress pattern since I think that is the look I want to go with right now.

I have a  raglan sleeved patterns such as this from Burda that could be made with or without the colour blocking:

I might have to chop the hem a bit shorter though for the look I am after since I am thinking more tennis-ey but not quite as short as a tennis dress and I also would like a top or two in a similar style. This would make a reasonable raglan sleeved top I think. Maybe even keep the A-symetrical hem if the bottom panel was missed out. I am very short of nice tops so that should be high on my list.

I also need some kind of jacket. I have had several jacket patterns out on my work table but so far not made any of them. I even washed and dried some fabric but I think first I need to decide what I want. Like; do I want a leather jacket, a peplum jacket or a coat?
I am considering all of these:

But along the sportwear line I also like these :


I can see matching leggings for the Burda young 7140 too. Or maybe a short skirt?  Maybe in a double sided fabric. I have some that is magenta one side and black the other.Kind of a ski look but not as warm as ski wear since I am after all in the UK and even in winter it is rarely that cold.


On Pinterest  I have a "bags, hats, scarfs, shoes, cuffs and gloves" page
https://uk.pinterest.com/brackentracy/bags-hats-scarfs-shoes-cuffs-and-gloves/
and I keep going back to this kind of thing:

https://uk.pinterest.com/pin/535013630712771303/

 

I love mitts because I suffer from Raynauds syndrome so I often have very cold hands even in summer. And air conditioning is torture for me! I work in real life in a cold office with air conditioning or in a lab. The lab can be stupidly hot or very cold. In the lab usually I have to wear rubber gloves anyway so really I want these for when I am sitting typing in the office. Because I work with mostly very average boring ( clothing wise) people I cannot really get away with anything too outrageous but these I could wear. I have some fabric off-cuts of grey stretch velvet left over from my 21: Burdastyle 01/2016 112 track pants or lounge pants which I think would make some lovely mitts. All I need is some stretch black lace and I am pretty sure I have some hidden in my stash somewhere. Maybe this should be my next make!
  
Or maybe first for spring I should make some cullottes before they go out of fashion again since I did make a pair when I first went back to sewing but have never made any since. These were my circular cullottes made with my own pattern:

I think maybe some more like these next:
from Sasha on Kollaboro.

If I made them in Khaki and wore with tights( maybe stripey tights!) that could be a nice spring look and I could wear that to work.

First though before I can make anything, I am aiming to spend an afternoon just tracing loads of patterns since I have found I am most productive when I trace several, cut several and then sew them up as and when I am able to.
So my list looks like this:

• raglan sleeved tops - colour blocked
• dress also colour blocked
• cullottes
• mitts
• jacket
• hoody x2
• leggings in red and black faux leather
• sports wear jacket - Burda Young 7140
• leggings with side stripes to match 7140
• short sporty skirt

So that gives me 10 key items to aim for. That is not including any repeats since I want two pairs of trousers and two hoodys. So what to make first?
Thanks for reading and leave a comment if you have time. I love comments!
Bracken