Scrap busting: Kyoto Vest / Tessuti Patterns

This is my wearable toile version of the Kyoto Vest by Tessuti Patterns.  

The pattern has been sitting in the stash for nearly a decade.  I don't know why it took so long to finally sew up this project.  Maybe it was fear of cutting into the boiled wool or cotton fleece sitting in the stash without knowing if the pattern would work?  Silly me, just like the Eva and Lily dress patterns by Tessuti Patterns, the Kyoto Vest is a gem.  It's quite simple to sew, only one pattern piece.  There are no side seams.  The edges are supposed to be finished with binding.  The pattern has wonderful instructions and photos on how to finish this vest.  However, I didn't follow them and finished the edges with the rolled hem feature on my serger.  

I pieced together the left-over fabric from this coat project.  Not quite enough length but I did patch together pieces to make enough yardage and get this cut out.  I trimmed the seam allowance and then top-stitched along the seam using my Coverstitch machine.  If I was more caffeinated during the cutting and piecing process, I would have sewn the seam with wrong sides together instead of right sides together, this way the top-stitching would have been on the wrong side of the fabric on that big beautiful shawl collar.  None-the-less, I'm just being picky, I'm thrilled with how it turned out.  I will be wearing this toile for sure.  If I make another, I think I might lengthen the shorter version a bit or give the longer version a try.  

Sewing IS Political

This is another Canadian made and tariff free project.  The incredibly beautiful and warm wool coating fabric came from Winnipeg Sews, a now-closed Canadian fabric reseller.  It came with a tag dating it all the way back to 1984, this is a vintage treasure.  I'm sad they're closed and that this type of quality fabric is rare to find.  A trip to Fabricland to see the new fall offerings recently was a huge disappointment as many of the labels were polyester, polyamide and viscose blends.  I did not find a mention of wool in the new selections offered this year.  But I digress.  The fabric scissors used were from Merchant and Mills and were purchased from The Workroom, another Canadian fabric outlet.  The threads used in the sewing machine, Coverstitch and serger were Gütermann Threads and are labelled as made in Greece.  They have been in the stash for quite some time as Gütermann Threads stopped labelling where their threads are made.  This lack of transparency is so not cool.  The threads were purchased at Marshall Fabrics, a Canadian fabric outlet.  

Project details

Seams:  3.0 straight stitch + coverstitching to patch together pieces

Seam finish:  Serged + rolled hem

Fabric:  0.40 metres + remnant pieces stitched together (the pattern calls for 0.90 metres of fabric for the short version)

Pattern:  Kyoto Vest by Tessuti Patterns, circa 2017

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, pin cushion, tailor's chalk, ruler, tracing paper, pencil, paper scissors, fabric scissors, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, Jean-a-ma-jag™, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, threads, thread clippers, Janome 1000CP, iron, iron board, clapper, snacks and good tunes.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Scrap busting: Cotton Panties / OOP Simplicity 8229

There wasn't an urgent need to sew anymore pieces of underwear, just a wee bit of left over cotton knit fabric to use up.  This white cotton knit used in this project is left-over from this slip project completed last month.  There was enough left over fabric and picot elastic in the stash to make two more pairs of panties.  The pattern:  out-of-print (OOP) Simplicity 8229.  This has been a go-to panties pattern for several years now and is highly recommended.  

Sewing IS Political

This is another Canadian made and tariff free project.  The fabric had been in the stash for decades and came from Fanny Fabrics, a long-time closed Canadian fabric outlet.  The elastic, found in the stash, came from Marshall Fabrics, a Canadian fabric outlet.  The scissors were from Fabricland, another Canadian fabric outlet.  The cotton thread used in the sewing machine are Gutermann threads, made in Germany.  It has been in the stash that long!  Gutermann threads were appearing in the fabric stores labelled "made in USA," but lately there is no longer any country of origin label on their spools.  Not cool Gutermann.  In a time of global tariff wars, this is important information that affect consumer decisions about price increases and quality.  The spools used in the serger have also been in the stash for many years, and did not contribute to the convicted felon's tariff economy. The serger threads are Surelock brand, made in India, by Madura Coats Private for Coats and Clark in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Oh what a tangled web these threads weave.  All of the threads were found at Fabricland.  

Project details

Seams:  Knit (Lightening bolt) stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  0.8 metres (made 2 pairs)

Pattern:  OOP Simplicity 8229

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, fabric scissors, pins, pin cushion, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, thread clippers, threads, iron, ironing board, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, good tunes and coffee.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Weekly Mending Pile

Another mending Monday--a portion of the day devoted to examination of existing garments, sewing up broken seams, reattaching or securing loose buttons, re-stitching fallen hems and adjusting fit of pieces that still have some life in them.  

There hasn't been a whole lot of new sewing projects hitting the sewing machine lately, even though there are cut projects sitting on the side and thoughts of new projects floating around. 

First up are these black wool knit Palazzo pants that were made back in March.  I thought to leave the hem unfinished but they made it to the mending pile to take 5/8" off the left leg and hem them with a half inch cover stitched hem.  

Next up was a pajama top that was missing a button.  I misplaced the orange button that fell off and just went with whatever I could find in the stash that matched the size of the buttonhole.  I'm good with the mismatched button.  

And then this decade old dress hit the mending pile.  It has held up well over the years and only ended up on the mending pile because the a section of the blind hem was coming down. The request was made for a top-stitched hem.  

Next up is to take a look at the stitch length inconsistency that is happening with my Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine.  This is how a 3.0 stitch length is coming out, something is off.  The machine might need some TLC as well.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

 

Stash Busting: Cotton Sateen Curtains

One more set of curtains rolled off the worktable this weekend.  This pair is made out of 100% cotton sateen sheet fabric.  I'm not upcycling here, this is a new fabric that I pulled from the stash.  Well, not really new, its been there for years.  But I digress.  

The open panel shown here is one 1/2 of the width of the fabric.  I actually cut it down the centre.  Same finishing as the previous version, a three inch upper casing for the curtain rod and a two inch hem.  

Sewing IS Political

This is one more Canadian made and tariff free project.  The fabric was in the stash for many years and was discovered in the home décor section at Marshall / Northwest Fabrics, a western Canadian fabric outlet.  The thread was pulled from the stash and is another item that has been there for years since I stopped purchasing Coats and Clark thread.  The fabric scissors used to cut the fabric are Merchant and Mills, a U.K. company and were purchased from The Workroom, another Canadian fabric outlet.   

Project details

Seams:  3.0 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1.5 metres

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, fabric scissors, ruler, measuring gauge, measuring tape, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, threads, walking foot, thread clippers, iron, ironing board, back brace and tea.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.   

Stash and Scrap Busting: Back-up Curtains

 

There was quite a bit of yardage of this home décor fabric in the stash.  There was not fixed project in mind other than it was a discounted to the point that I couldn't resist the bargain.  It first made an appearance here last week when I made a pair of curtains.  And at that point I knew that I was going to make a second pair.  Tada!  

I still have 0.49 metre left over and I think I will be able to squeeze out one more reusable grocery bag with the last bit of fabric, we'll see.  

Sewing IS Political

This is another Canadian made and tariff free set of curtains.  The stash fabric was discovered at Fabricland, a Canadian fabric outlet.  All the measuring tools (ruler, measuring gauge, measuring tapes) used have been in the workroom from a pre-trade war era.  The Gütermann threads used in the sewing machine and serger were sitting in the stash and are products of the U.S., purchased prior to the convicted felon's 2.0 tariff war.  The threads were purchased at Fabricland and future thread purchases will, obviously, have to be scrutinized more closely.  Maple washing is not just happening at the grocery store.  The fabric scissors are from Merchant and Mills, a U.K. company and were purchased at The Workroom, another Canadian fabric outlet.  

Project details

Seams:  3.0 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  3 metres

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, fabric scissors, tailor's chalk, straight ruler, measuring tape, measuring gauge, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, thread clippers, ironing board, iron, back brace, pins and pin cushion.  

Stand strong, support local, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Book Review

How to Sew Clothes:  Learn with Intuitive, Super-Hackable Patterns

by Amelia Greenhall and Amy Bornman

ISBN:  978-1-4197-6202-4

Published by Abrams, 2023

Canadian price $50.00

208 pages.  

This is a book that I spotted in the book store and its the quilted jacket on the front that actually caught my interest.  In my sewing dreams, I would like to sew a quilted jacket.  In reality, I couldn't bring myself to cut a quilt.  But I digress.   

The hefty price tag for simple patterns lead me to the library to check out the book further.  I was surprised to find this is more than simple patterns.  

This is a wonderful book for encouraging one to start sewing regardless of their sewing knowledge and skill.  Absolutely believe this to be a treasure for those starting out on a sewing journey and wanting to build up their confidence along the way.  Greenhall and Bornman offer practical advice for sourcing materials and making the basic patterns into your own style.  

The patterns included in the back of the book are simple, boxy shaped clothes making them forgiving in terms of fitting issues.  I did enjoy reading the well thought out advice and options provided in the book.  This book and along with the patterns are geared to the beginner.  No pants pattern found in the offerings but there is a section that suggests some pants styles to attempt on your own.  There are lots of photographs and illustrations to help encourage creativity.  I wouldn't add it to my personal sewing library just because I have enough books on this hobby.  But I wouldn't discourage anyone from picking it up and checking it out.  

Stand strong, elbows up, support local and keep sewing.  

Monday's Mending Pile

Well, this mending item was unexpected.  Just when you think you're all caught up, something else makes its way to the pile.  

The duvet came out of the wash a little lighter and the dryer revealed that it's shedding feathers.  Again!  I just patched up some holes about five months ago and today I discovered more spots to patch.  Once the holes were located, I used the sewing machine to close them up.  Despite the duvet becoming a wee bit thinner (lol, I didn't lose that many feathers), it's nice to have this piece of bedding back in use.  

Stand strong, elbows up, support local and keep mending.