All Set in the Sock Department

I know that most of the country is dealing with heat warnings and wildfire smoke but all of these weather conditions just make me long for winter while no summer sewing has captivated my sewing mojo.  I'm counting down the days to hurry up and get to that first snow fall when forest fire, tick and mosquito season is finally and officially over.  

So, I've been busy in preparation of those glorious days of winter.  The final three pair of tights were refashioned into knee high socks.  They were cut at a desirable length and finished with a machine rolled hem on the serger.  I'm officially all set in the sock department.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep on sewing.  

Stash busting: A New Blanket

More practical sewing has hit the worktable, this time a new blanket.  This fabric entered the stash last year and a bit of it was used to make this skirt.  And then quite a bit a whole lot of yardage sat in the stash.  It was on sale, in the bargain section.  But I digress.  There was once a thought to make this Pace Cardigan to match the skirt and then plans changed.  The skirt has since been donated.  And the fabric sat in the stash until today.  Yes, that's right, in the middle of summer during heat warnings, I decided to turn this fabric into a blanket.  

When cooler temperatures arrive, this one will replace this blanket that I made last year which has not held up well.  We'll have to wait and see how this new blanket holds up.  

Sewing IS Political 

This is a Canadian made and tariff free project.  All the tools and supplies used to make this project were found in the stash.  The fabric and threads came from Fabricland, a Canadian fabric outlet.  The clips were made in Taiwan and purchased at Lilax Studio, another Canadian fabric outlet.  

The scissors used on this fabric are from Merchant and Mills, a U.K. company and were purchased at The Workroom, a Canadian fabric outlet.  

Project details

Seams / finish:  Rolled hem 

Fabric:  4 metres

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, fabric scissors, fabric clips, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, threads, thread clippers.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

A Toile: OOP and Vintage Vogue 2447 and Vogue 9286

I'm trying to make a toile of an extra long close-fitting pullover top that I can wear under and over the scoliosis brace.  Bonus, if I can make it with short sleeves.  

I thought that the tank top included in Vogue 9286 might be a starting point.  I liked the lower cut neckline in the front.  I cut a size medium and extended the length by ten inches, I might add a couple more inches.  It didn't quite work out as I planned.  It is too wide in the lower section.  I will have to take it in quite a bit if it's going to stay in place when I lift it over the brace.  

I borrow the short sleeve pattern from vintage Vogue 2447 and to my surprise it worked out, fitting without any struggle.  I did lengthen the sleeve an inch and wouldn't mind a bit more length, not much. 

My toile fabric is a lightweight cotton knit and it's not the best option.  Also, I didn't cut this on the cross-grain, something I noticed is done on the Brace Buddies t-shirts, camisoles and body sock.  I will be doing this when I fit the pattern and find a suitable cotton knit fabric.  This won't be a wearable toile, just trying to figure out the fit.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Stash busting: New Cotton Knit Slip / Kwik Sew 3645

Another cotton knit slip is hot off the worktable.  After some much appreciated feedback on the toile, it is time to make another.  

Out-of-print (OOP) Kwik Sew 3645 turned out to be a perfect pattern for this project.  The request was for a undershirt / tank top style strap.  The pattern is designed as sleepwear but it also turned out to be perfect option for sewing a slip.  The changes made on the toile were repeated here; shortened the shoulder seam by three-quarters of an inch, straightened and shortened the hemline and added about two inches extra ease from the hemline by pivoting from the centre back and front neckline points.  I transferred all the changes to the copied pattern piece.  The pattern pieces were cut two inches shorter and three quarters of an inch at the shoulder seam.  Now the pattern can be considered a true and tested pattern.  

The armholes and neckline were finished with Knit 'N Stable tape, serged and then folded over and top-stitched using the knit stitch on the sewing machine.  The hem was turned up an inch, basted and cover stitched.  

This fabric has been in the stash for decades and was purchased at the same time as the floral print knit used for the toile slip.  I bought them together thinking that they would be the fashion and lining fabric for a wrap dress and then plans changed.  It was nice to finally stash bust this fabric and at the same time a bit sad because working with it, it became obvious that this is a fabric from a by-gone era.  They don't sell cotton knit fabric of this exceptional quality now-a-days.  ~sigh~  I was careful to set aside the remnants with plans to cut underwear pattern pieces for a future sewing project.  But I digress.  The fabric was previously pretreated with a spin in the washing machine and dryer before hitting the cutting table.  

Sewing IS Political

This is a Canadian made sewing project.  The fabric came from Fanny Fabrics many moons ago prior to the global tariff war.  Fanny Fabrics is a now closed Canadian Fabric outlet.  The pattern, OOP Kwik Sew 3645, was recently purchased from an American Ebay seller.  The original copy of the pattern that was in the stash is lost.  And sometimes when you are sewing for someone you love, you just sometimes have to forget the boycott for a moment.  There was a search for a Canadian seller who might have this pattern listed but I came up empty.  I tried.  The threads used in the machines and for hand basting were all found in the stash and were purchased at Fabricland, a Canadian fabric outlet.  Same with the basting tape.  The fabric scissors are from Merchant and Mills, a U.K. company and were purchased from The Workroom, another Canadian fabric outlet.  

Project details

Seams:  Knit (lightning bolt) stitch

Seam finish:  Serged and Cover stitch

Fabric:  2.0 metres

Knit 'N Stable tape:  2.2 metres

Pattern:  OOP Kwik Sew 3645, circa 2012

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, paper scissors, pencil, fabric scissors, pins, pin cushion, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, Janome CoverPro 1000CP, Janome 2000D serger, threads for the machines and basting, hand sewing needle, screwdriver, tweezers, thread clippers, iron, ironing board and ice tea.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Refashioning: Slips

A cotton full length slip no longer works as such, so it made it onto the cutting table for a quick refashion.  It was all about saving that lovely cotton knit fabric.  It is really comfortable to wear.  

It was cut just above the waistline, serged and then onto the ironing board to press down a one inch casing.  It was finished by inserting a three quarter inch elastic.  Easy peasy.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Refashioning: Tights

So what would you do with a whole bunch of tights that you no longer wear?  

Personally, I wouldn't mind some knee high socks.  

Cut them at the desired length and 

finish the edges with a rolled hem stitch.  And there you have it, new socks.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Stash busting: Linen Dress / OOP Butterick 6784

This project is the story of absolute procraftination.  It started with out-of-print (on the Simplicity website) OOP Butterick 6784, a much adored Katherine Tilton design.  I have to note here that this pattern is still available on Pattern Review and via online sellers.  

I have a few versions of this dress, it's that comfortable and it has pockets.  Back in July of last year, I cut out four versions and by September I managed to sew three of them.  And then this one sat in the pile of cut out projects waiting to be sewn as winter settled onto the landscape.  It wasn't the time for a lovely linen dress.  Then other sewing requests pushed their way to the top of the pile.  Of all of the versions I made this past year, one would think that the orange coloured version would be the one sewn first just because,

This orange linen fabric has been in the stash for so long, I'm tempted to call it vintage linen.  I made another dress out of this fabric close to a decade ago and at that point this fabric had been aging in the stash for many years.  It was back-in-the-day when Fabricland put their linen in the discount section at the end of the summer season and you could pick up a bargain.  Oh, those were the days.  The fabric was previously pretreated with a tumble in the washer and dryer before hitting the cutting table.      

Let's talk about this pattern.  I do adore a Tilton design, they have been some of my favourite projects and this one is no exception.  Every time I pick up a Tilton pattern from the stash, I'm sad that Butterick and Vogue are no longer carrying their designs.  Out-of-print (on the Simplicity website, currently still available on Pattern Review) Butterick 6784 is one well-drafted pattern and it is a fun make.  Why the procraftination?  Oh yes, the changing seasons.  But I digress.  Only one notable change to the design, the hem length was shorten by two inches once it was pieced together and then a one and a half inch top-stitched hem was sewn.  There was the omission of the small band petal shaped collar pieces.   

Sewing IS Political

This is a Canadian made and tariff free sewing project.  The fabric came from Fabricland, a Canadian fabric outlet, many moons ago.  The sewing pattern appeared in the stash before the elbows up movement.  The scissors are from Merchant and Mills, a U.K. company and were purchased from The Workroom, a Canadian fabric outlet.  The label is from Kylie and the Machine (KATM), an Australian company and were purchased online.  

The 100% cotton threads used in the serger and sewing machine were Gütermann threads from Germany and Coats and Clark quilting cotton threads from Eygpt and many moons ago, were picked up from Fabricland.   

Project details

Seams:  2.8 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  2.5 metres

Label:  1--"Me Made" label from Kylie and the Machine (KATM)

Pattern:  Butterick 6784, circa 2020.  Out-of-print from the Simplicity website.  This pattern is still available from Pattern Review.  

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting tables, pen, Post It! notes, measuring tape, measuring gauge, seam ripper, tailor's chalk, pins, wrist pin cushion, pin container, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, threads, thread clippers, iron, ironing board, many cups of tea and some procraftination.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing!