Sew Essentially Sew
Monday, 7 July 2025
In Sewing News Today...
Tuesday, 1 July 2025
Happy Canada Day!
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Canada Day outfit: Red and white maple leaf print cotton top, OOP Butterick 6325, circa 2020 worn with a white cotton sateen pull-on skirt, The Assembly Line's A-line midi skirt, circa 2024. |
I'm grateful that I live in a country that is kind and cares about others. I am grateful and blessed that I live in a democracy. I'm blessed to live in a diverse and generous country. Even though Canadians may disagree with each other from time-to-time, for the most part we're respectful and stand together as a nation. I am blessed to live in a country that cares about the environment and takes care of our national parks. I am grateful for a country that has healthcare. I am grateful for the community organizations that care of the poor, those without food and those that need help. I am grateful for governments and community members that work towards ending homelessness and affordability issues. I am grateful for the beauty that this country has to offer from it's vibrant urban centres to the rural and northern communities. I'm am grateful for clean water and a place to call home. I am blessed that I get to live in a country that has four distinct seasons. I am grateful that I get to enjoy the beauty of the first snowfall at the start of each winter season. I am grateful for Canada.
Happy Canada Day!
Monday, 30 June 2025
June in Review
Clockwise from the top: cotton skirt (The Assembly Line, S:402 Tulip skirt), blue cotton knit t-shirt (OOP Butterick 6859) and cotton pullover top (The Assembly Line, T:202 High Cuff Sweater). |
Another Pattern Shake Up
This month the sewing community was hit with the news of a pattern shake up. According to the online article, "Parent Company of the Big 4 Sewing Pattern Brands Sold to a Liquidator" by Abby Glassenberg, "IG Design Group cited the impact of tariffs imposed by the US as a factor."
It was twenty years ago that Fabricland stopped carrying Simplicity and New Look patterns here in Canada. And now Fabricland has started selling off these Big Four Five legacy patterns (Vogue, Butterick, McCall's, Burda and Know Me) at deep discounts.
It breaks my heart that these pattern companies are the latest victim of the convicted felon's tariff scheme. But according to an upbeat message by Mimi G, work at the Big Four continues. So what is going on? According to a reply to a question on the Mimi G video update, there are Fall Vogues in the works. Deep breath. It's heartbreaking to even think that the Big 4 may not survive the upheaval tariffs have created.
I did take advantage of Fabricland's recent pattern discounts and, with a heavy heart and elbows momentarily down, picked up a few patterns just in case it's my last chance.
National Sewing Machine Day
Another June presents us with another reason to celebrate our sewing machines. June 13 happened to be National Sewing Machine day. I am intrigued with what the future will hold with artificial intelligence and the use of sewing robots to help over populate the globe with fast-fashion. Yikes!
The times they are a-changin'.
Stash Busting
This month 5.6 metres of fabric, 7 spools of thread, 1 recycled zipper, 1 KATM sewing label, 1.5 metres of Knit 'N Stable and 0.8 metres of basting tape were used from the stash. There were four new patterns added to the stash.
Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing
Saturday, 21 June 2025
I Do Like a Plaid: TAL's High Cuff Sweater / T:202
Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Stash Busting: Wearable Toile / OOP Butterick 6859
This is a lovely pattern. It's well drafted. I adore the gathering on the raglan seam of the sleeves. And I wouldn't mind making the sweatshirt version with a kangaroo pocket one day.
Monday, 2 June 2025
It Has Pockets! The Assembly Line's Tulip Skirt / S:402
I've made a few Tulip dresses in the past but this is my first Tulip skirt which has some of the best design elements of the Tulip dress. I am a fan of the front side pockets and the tulip shape of the skirt.
It is a comfortable skirt and I do recommend this pattern. I cut a size large knowing that it was going to be too big if I sewed the recommended seam allowance. I thought if I sewed 5/8" seam allowances I would come closer to the fit I need. In the end, I think I should have cut a size medium and could still have sewn a 5/8" seam allowance and achieve a good fit.
The length was shortened two and a half inches and there is an one and a half inch hem. The pockets were raised about an inch, three inches down from the waist cut edge.
The fabric is a medium weight cotton sateen with some stretch that I pulled from the stash. It was pretreated with a tumble in the washing machine and dryer before hitting the ironing board for a steam pressing.
Sewing IS Political
This skirt is the latest Canadian 🍁 and tariff free make. Most of the material and supplies were found in the stash. Some of the threads were new for this project.
Sewing is a reprieve from all the chaos in the world. After a recent visit to Canada from a bipartisan group of U.S. senators and listening to Senator Kevin Cramer during the press conference just makes me want to boycott American products more than I already am, if that is even possible. It's not just the convicted felon's rhetoric regarding tariffs and annexation, it's also those who support him that is beyond belief. And as a Canadian and consumer there is no way I would contribute or support the American economy while this is happening. No means NO! What part of that do these republicans and MAGA supporters not understand about no? Even after the King of Canada read the Throne Speech, the annexation rhetoric continued to echo from across the border. Let's not get me started on the U.S. Ambassador to Canada's view of the 51st comments and boycott of American products. Again, mind blowing. Trust me when I say there are plenty of American products on the store shelves in the hardware, grocery store and fabric stores, no one is buying it while the economic war, tariffs and annexation / 51st state rhetoric continues to circulate. But I digress.
Let's count the ways that this lovely project did not contribute to the convicted felon's economy.
- The Tulip skirt pattern is from The Assembly Line, a pattern company from Sweden. I picked up this pattern after I stopped shopping American products which sadly meant saying good-bye to any future Vogue patterns. I don't miss the American line of sewing patterns anymore, I actually found some beautiful patterns in queue from across the pond to keep me busy for the next while. This Tulip skirt pattern is one of those patterns.
- The cotton sateen fabric was found in the stash and purchased before the convicted felon took office for the second time. I found it in the discounted section of Fabricland, a Canadian fabric store.
- The scissors used to cut the fabric are Merchant and Mills, a company from the United Kingdom. They were purchased from The Workroom, a Canadian company.
- This project was sewn on Janome machines, a Japanese company.
- The zipper is a recycled 22" zipper from a previous project that was cut to size.
- Some of the threads used in the sewing machine and serger were Gütenmann threads from Europe and were purchased at Marshall Fabrics, a western Canadian fabric store. There were some vintage spools of Ballet® brand threads found in Mom's thread box that were a close colour match and used in the serger.
- The label is from Kylie and the Machine (KATM), an Australian company and purchased directly from them to avoid shopping on Etsy.
Project details
Seams: 2.8 straight stitch
Seam finish: serged
Fabric: 2.5 metres
Basting tape: 0.60 metres
Zipper: 20 centimetres
Pattern: The Assembly Line S:402
Additional Tools and Supplies: Cutting table, paper scissors, fabric scissors, tailor's chalk, pins, wrist pin cushion, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, invisible zipper foot, regular zipper foot, blind hem foot, screwdriver, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, threads, thread clippers, lint brush, mini vacuum, tailor's wax, hand sewing needle, iron and ironing board.
Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing!
Saturday, 31 May 2025
May in Review and Me Made May 2025
Sewing, Alterations and Mending
There hasn't been much sewing this month. I wake up with sewing time planned into my day and then life happens and sewing does not. I did manage to finish off one previously cut and started project that I stumbled across this month.
That's it. Other than cutting out the next sewing project and setting up the sewing machines.
Mending and alterations seem to take up most of my designated sewing time. There always seems to be the odd mending job that presents itself while I'm tackling the ironing.
Stash busting
There was 0.5 metres of cotton knit and 2 metres of elastic used in the only project that I managed to finish this month. Nothing was added to the stash.
Me Made May 2025
The final week of Me Made May finally arrived.
To recap the month:
What am I missing from my wardrobe? Technically, nothing. Although, one rainy day when I had to do some work outside, I wish I had a rain jacket to keep me dry.
Most worn me-made item(s)? Pajama sets (OOP Vogue 9217 and Butterick 6296), cotton knit underwear (OOP Simplicity 8229) and French terry undershirts made to wear under the scoliosis back brace (OOP Vogue 9057 and OOP Kwik Sew 2899).
Favourite me-mades? Those pieces made in natural fibre fabrics (cotton, linens and silk) and pieces that are easily pulled on or pullover.
Least favourite pieces worn this month? Those grass stained yardwork pieces. And pieces that don't have pockets.
Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.
In Sewing News Today...
I have a reason to break out this pattern, out-of-print (OOP) McCall's 7367. It's been in my stash since the early 1990s and I'...

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This is The Assembly Line's T:202, High Cuff Sweater . This pattern may make it back on the cutting table sometime soon as this is one ...
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This top is made with a light-weight cotton knit and out-of-print (OOP) Butterick 6859. It's made as a wearable toile to test the fit b...
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I have a reason to break out this pattern, out-of-print (OOP) McCall's 7367. It's been in my stash since the early 1990s and I'...
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This is an important Canada Day as our country continues to be under threat. It's also a day to be grateful and to count our blessings....
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Sewing, Mending and Alterations Clockwise from the top: cotton skirt (The Assembly Line, S:402 Tulip skirt), blue cotton knit t-shirt (OOP ...