Winter White Skirt: OOP Butterick 5790

I know that a winter white skirt is not the most practical piece of clothing that I can make on a weekend where we're recovering from a significant amount of slushy wet snow. But I made one anyway.  

I had a small piece of this fabric in the stash, just enough to sew up the pull-on skirt. For this project, I pulled out an out-of-print (OOP) pattern, Butterick 5790, from back-in-the-day (circa 1998) when I was a much smaller size.  

I placed the place-on-the-fold line two inches away from the fold to cut a skirt that fits my more generous hip size. Yup, that means no pumpkin pie this Canadian Thanksgiving weekend. Or maybe there is enough stretch in this one that I can sneak a piece?  

The Stats

Fabric:   1.3 metres

Elastic:  0.80 metres of 2" wide elastic

Pattern:  OOP Butterick 5790

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, pin cushions, iron, ironing board, clapper, sewing machine, walking foot, serger, threads, scissors, thread clippers and tea.  

Happy Sewing & Thanksgiving to those celebrating this weekend!  

Cozy Cotton Knit Dress: OOP Vogue 8939

I'm so thrilled with how this one turned out, I don't even mind that it's a pink dress. 

I've revisited out-of-print Vogue 8939 with hopes that I would get the width of the turtleneck right this time. I'm thrilled that I can pull this one over my head without any struggle. I lost the turtleneck pattern piece to the D5 size combination and I have been tweaking it with the piece from the AX5 sizes. I probably added about 1 1/2" to a width of a size 12.  Other than this, I shortened the length of the sleeves (it's still a long sleeve dress) and lengthened the hemline seven inches.  

Now lets talk about the fabric! It's a sweatshirt knit with some drape, not that stiff sweatshirt knit that you can find. It was actually a remnant piece. I did consider making another long cardigan with Butterick 6495 but I'm so glad that a dress won that debate. It really is cozy. And with all that gorgeous snowfall blanketing the landscape this evening, coziness is just perfect.  

This fabric was pretreated with a tumble through the washing machine and dryer. It will be a hand wash and hang-to-dry item going forward.  

The Stats

Fabric:  1.9 metres

Interfacing:  1.2 metres of Knit-N-Stable tape

Pattern:  OOP Vogue 8939 (Vogue Wardrobe)

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Pins, pin cushions, tailor's chalk, scissors, thread clippers, cutting table, measuring tape, measuring gauge, clapper, sewing machine, iron, ironing board, walking foot, serger, threads, chai tea and cookies.  

Happy Sewing!

Charity Sewing: McCall's 8548

There was a request recently in the church bulletin to help out a refugee family with children clothing and I thought it was the perfect time to break out vintage McCall's 8548 once again. The request was for newborn to age 2 boys clothes.  

My wrist has been acting up so the thought of sewing this type of baby clothes is out of the question right now but I was able to manage a pair of pull-on pants for an age 2 young lad.  

This grey coloured cord fabric is heavy enough to keep a wee lad warm with the upcoming colder weather. Would you believe they're calling for snow tomorrow? Insert a happy dance here to celebrate the end of allergy season. 

Plus the first snow fall is so pretty. But I digress...

My hope is that these pants will keep the little lad warm in the upcoming season.  

The Stats

Fabric:  1 metre

Elastic:  1" wide

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, scissors, pins, pin cushion, measuring tape, measuring gauge, sewing machine, threads, serger, thread clippers, seam ripper and coffee.  

Happy Sewing!

In Sewing News Today...

To be filed under sewing bloopers.  

Vintage Simplicity 6851 is back on the sewing table because I sewed the buttons and buttonholes on the wrong sides. At first, Mama R said she didn't mind because she loves her new robe but when she went to put it on last night it didn't feel right. She wants me to close the buttonholes, move the buttons and then make new buttonholes. It breaks my heart that I made this mistake and that I feel I've ruined this project.   

I did something this morning that I never thought I would do. I left a sewing Facebook page because I just couldn't stand all the negative and insulting political comments. Usually, I'm pretty good at filtering all the rhetoric out but this morning I thought why am I reading this?   

Sewing and talking about sewing is supposed to be my joyful space. If that is what people think is what makes America great, belittling others, (in a sewing group none-the-less) I want no part of it.  

I agree with you on this one.  I'm leaving the group, one that I really enjoyed being a part of, because reading political insults about other countries is not why I joined.  I hope you all have a great weekend and start being kind to each other. 

And this decision was based on the negativity over someone's post over vintage hooks and eyes. Seriously.  Hooks.  And.  Eyes.  But it honestly wasn't this one post or one individual's post. It was a reoccurring occurrence over several posts and posters. I just wanted to be part of a sewing conversation where people would

and encouraging. 

So, talking about kindness, I'm going to take that into the sewing room and work on some charity items on this rainy weekend. I'm going to sew some little boy's pants. Sewing little wee clothes always puts me in a good mood.  

Happy Sewing!

What's in a Word?

I posted a picture of my latest project over on the Simplicity and McCall's page and when I woke up this morning there was a whole debate as to what it should have been called. Apparently, many didn't agree with my description that it was a robe. It wasn't just mine, I quoted the description on the pattern envelope. 

Some thought it should have been called a duster. Others considered it housecoat. But the consensus amongst the commenters was that it wasn't a robe. I relish in these comments. I love words and how fluid and regional their meanings are situated. And then I thought about how I would would define this project if there was not pattern description to define it. I would have from my own historical perspective called it a housecoat. Which got me thinking why and what's in a word? Apparently, there is some history behind these words.  

Is it a robe?  

According to the Simplicity pattern description, here in North America, fifty-three years ago it was considered a robe. But I can see were the debate comes into play when doing an online search for robes. Most current online retail options for robes show a loose-fitting garment that is held closed by a tie belt. Not one current option showed button closures. Of course, this could be a sign of the times when manufacturers cut corners when it comes to garment details.  

Robe, circa 1960s {source}

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, in the definition of a robe as a "dressing gown" dates back to 1854. And a robe defined as a long loose outer garment dates as far back to the 12th century.  

Is it a housecoat?  

Several commenters also piped in and claim this to be a housecoat. According to Dictionary.com this term was first recorded during the years 1915-20 referring to a "woman's robe or dress-like garment in various lengths, for casual wear around the house." Other sources claimed that historically a housecoat was worn over another garment.  

Housecoat {Source}

Is it a bathrobe?  

It could be argued that this is a bathrobe. According to Dictionary.com a bathrobe is defined as "a long, loose, coat-like garment, often tied with a belt of the same material, worn before and after a bath, over sleepwear, or as leisure wear at home."

Vintage Bathrobe {source}

Is it a duster?  

According to many of the commenters from the United Kingdom, the consensus is that is a duster based on what their mothers had referred to a garment like this one. Historically, a duster referred to a long, lightweight overcoat that was worn to protect clothing from dust of the open road. The duster as a garment moved indoors and became a "knee-length to long lightweight women's overcoat or smock." Dictionary.com defines a dusters as a "light-weight housecoat."

Duster {source}

Although, I can see how others would define this according to their vision of how the garment will be worn, I'm going to agree with Simplicity's vintage description on this one. It's a robe. The wearer of the garment intends to wear it at home after their bath and prior to going to bed. I'm not saying that any of the other definitions couldn't work depending how and where the robe / housecoat / bathrobe / duster will be worn. I'm just saying that I'm going with robe on this one.  

Happy Sewing!  

To Bed with Roses: Simplicity 6851

This project is to be gifted but there was a moment or two that I considered running off with it for myself. I might have to revisit this pattern and make another one someday.  

It is made with vintage Simplicity 6851, circa 1960s. The more this project came together the more smitten I became with the design. It looks like a simple robe but it really is engineered well. The elbow length bell shaped raglan sleeves has a generously sized sleeve facing. I really appreciate the shape created by the bust dart starting from the raglan sleeve seam downwards instead of the traditional bust dart from the side seam. And those pockets are a lovely size for a robe.

I was asked to shorten it and then upon the first fitting I was asked to make it longer. Thank goodness there was enough fabric left!  That is why there is a seam show in the lower portion of the robe. The centre front high round neckline was lowered 5/8" and tapered to nothing on the side.  This didn't affect the facing piece and still left a lovely shape.

The green buttons were discovered in the stash, left over from another project. The floral print fabric is a 100% cotton discovered in the quilting section of the fabric store. It was pre-treated with a tumble in the washing machine followed by the same in the dryer and a good pressing before being cut out.  

The Stats

Fabric:  4 metres

Interfacing:  1 metre fusible

Buttons:  6 - 5/8" buttons

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, iron, ironing board, pins, pin cushion, tailor's chalk, measuring tape, ruler, measuring gauge, sewing machine, walking foot, buttonhole foot, screwdriver, buttonhole cutter, threads, serger, hand sewing needle, scissors, thread clippers and tea.  

Happy Sewing!

September in Review...

Well, National Sewing Month is coming to a close. I would say that it is the first year that I wasn't all that into celebrating this event. Yup, my sewing mojo took a hit this month. There was sewing just not a whole lot of excitement.  

Fabricland acknowledged this American celebration of sewing with a big portable sign at the side of the road advertising a store-wide sale in it's honour. It was a disappointment that once in the store I learnt that the sale didn't apply to certain items. Why was I surprised?

I guess sewing wise, this month was filled with a few disappointments. I made a pullover top with Vogue 1642, a pattern that I couldn't wait to get to work on and then it just didn't work on me. That neckline is huge and it feels like half my head disappears under it. As if I have no neck. It's funny actually but I don't think I'll be wearing this one.  The wool pants that I made from the same pattern just don't sit right even though the other two I made previously worked. I don't know what I did wrong. Something. Then there is Vogue 8939, a pattern that I've sewn so many times before. Where Vogue 1644 neckline was too big and loose, Vogue 8939 turtleneck was tight. Also quite funny when I think about it. At least its a good way to help flatten my hair as I struggle to get it over my head. And then there was the feather trim that I added to Simplicity 8529. I adore this update but whenever I try to wear it with a pair of pants I quickly take it off disappointed with the weight gain that seems to be highlighted at the level of where the feather sit. Maybe that's what got me on this sewing funk. I need to lose weight. Seriously. I need to lose weight. That's why I haven't started the jeans now that I have Vogue 1642 in my sewing room.  

There were some successful sewing projects this month, a men's shirt made with Vogue 8889 and a son's shirt in matching fabric made with vintage Simplicity 4166. They turned out great but I will admit that I was on a deadline to complete these and I pushed through when I wasn't feeling my greatest. It kind of takes the fun out of sewing when you're not feeling up to it. 

Plans for next month, maybe nothing sewing wise. I have no more sewing for others projects to do. But yesterday at church there was a call for "requested items for newcomer families," asking for clothes for baby boys newborn to 2 years.

Previous made OOP McCall's 7367

I do have a go-to newborn onesie pattern that has been a winner over these years but I'm not sure if my wrist can't handle sewing those arm and ankle bands. That part of the project always presents a bit of a struggle. Instead, if I do decide to go ahead and sew, I might break out OOP McCall's 8548. This pattern has size 2 pieces.

Or I might take a much needed break from the sewing machine and take care of me. No more sewing for moi until I drop ten pounds. We'll see how that goes. I'm going to start by making sure I get 10,000 steps in each day. I can't accomplish that sitting at the sewing machine.   

Happy Sewing!