Stash busting: Knit Stirrup Pants / OOP Vogue 7630

Last month I made a pair of stirrup pants to wear while doing yardwork and hopefully prevent tick bites.  Yeah, that is a thing now.  But I digress.  The stirrup pants are so comfortable, I've been wanting to make another pair but not for yardwork, just for everyday sort of wear.  

This time around, I used a cotton knit fabric.  I like how they turned out, they feel like they have more ease than the first pair which was made with a non-knit fabric.  I could certainly tighten up that waistband elastic but I'm waiting to try these with the back brace on before I commit to cutting down the elastic.  The pants were shortened just like the first pair.  I did reshape the ankle side widths, used a machine blind hem along the edges and then added the elastic.  

Sewing IS Political

This is another Canadian made and tariff free project.  The fabric has been in the stash for many years, well before the convicted felon started threatening the world.   It came from Marshall Fabrics, a Canadian fabric outlet.  The Very Easy Very Vogue pattern is a made in the USA product but did not contribute to the convicted felon's economy.  It was a vintage find, circa 1989, purchased from a Canadian reseller.  The label is from Kylie and the Machine (KATM), an Australian company.  The scissors used in the making of these stirrup pants are from Merchant and Mills, a U.K. company and were purchased at The Workroom, a Canadian fabric outlet.  The threads and elastic were pulled from the stash, purchased at Fabricland, another Canadian fabric outlet.  

Project details

Seams:  Knit (lightening bolt) stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1.8 metres

Elastic:  0.8 metres

Label:  1--"me made" KATM label

Pattern:  OOP and vintage Vogue 7690, circa 1989

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, pin cushion, tailor's chalk, measuring tape, scissors, thread clippers, canned air, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, regular presser foot, threads, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, safety pin, clips and warm milk with honey.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Stash Busting: Pull-on Wool Pants / OOP Simplicity 2372

This pair of wool pull-on pants has been gifted.  They are made with out-of-print (OOP) Simplicity 2372.  I don't know what to say about them because there have been a few versions made over the years.  I will mention that I had to go back to the very first pair made with this pattern and copy how the elastic waist was created.  

The first pair did not work out in that the waistline was too short.  I made a waistband to hold the elastic on the first pair and increased the height to fix the issue on other pairs that followed.  But it appears that the first pair was the most comfortable of the bunch.  So, instead of a casing for the elastic made by folding over and stitching, there is an attached waistband for the elastic.  I left off the side pockets like on the first pair as well.  

The only difference is the quality of the fabric.  It is a beautiful wool suiting fabric from another era.  I would be hard pressed to find, let alone afford wool suiting fabric of this quality now-a-days.  It really was a joy to sew.  The fabric was pre-treated with the towel method in the dryer (on the delicate setting) followed by a steam pressing before hitting the cutting table.  

Sewing IS Political

This is another Canadian made and tariff free sewing project.  The beautiful wool suiting fabric was picked up at Mitchell Fabric's closing sale about a decade ago.  Mitchell Fabrics was a Canadian Fabric outlet.  The Simplicity pattern is a U.S.A. product that has been in the stash since 2012, pre-boycott.  The fabric scissors used to cut this project are from Merchant and Mills, a U.K. company and were purchased from The Workroom, a Canadian fabric outlet.  The threads were pulled from the stash and were purchased at Fabricland, another Canadian fabric outlet.  

Project details

Seams:  3.0 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  2 metres, 100% wool suiting fabric

Elastic:  1.2 metre

Sewing label:  1--"YOU CAN'T BUY THIS" label

Sewing pattern:  OOP Simplicity 2372, circa some time in the 2000's.  

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, measuring tape, tailor's chalk, pins, pin cushion, measuring gauge, fabric scissors, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, regular presser foot, blind hem foot, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, threads, thread clipper, iron, ironing board, tailor's ham, pressing mitt, safety pin and tea.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.   

What The Fudge, Nike and Converse

I'm not going to repost the disgusting and sickening ad that has Converse shoes in the news.  If you want to read about it, here is a link to an article.  It is racist and is worthy of a boycott and should also call for Converse's President and CEO, Aaron Cain, to step down.  Their so called apology is as equally as insulting.  

And it feels, as it should, as empty words.  The ad is out there, people around the world have seen it and are rightfully horrified that such an image made it into the world.  Karina, a South Korean member of a musical group called Aespa is featured in the ad.  How did she even think that this was appropriate?  I have no words.  My heart aches for those living with generational trauma and were hurt by this ad.  Everyone should be hurt by the callousness of this ad.  

And now I confront my own shoes, newly washed and worn in.  They are comfortable and disgusting to look at.  I have no desire to slip my feet into them again.  Let along walk around and advertise these brands with each footstep.  Nike and Converse are American brands and there is a boycott already happening due to the annexation rhetoric and tariffs from the convicted felon but this boycott is something that will last longer than the tariff war.  As for the shoes, they're going in the trash.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

It Feels Like a New Robe!

About seven years ago, I made this robe and for the past year, I haven't worn it.  Actually, I didn't wear it often for a couple of reasons.  The length was too long and I would trip on it when walking upstairs.  So I cut the hem length shorter.  

The sleeves are also too long and even though they were meant to be rolled up, I found it too cumbersome to wear that way.  I could either donate it or try to fix the sleeves.  It has been sitting in the donation pile for months but something was holding me back from letting it go.  

I knew this would be an easy alteration if I would get over my fear of removing those hard to see stitches.  My fear was damaging the fabric.  

I mustered up some courage and a seam ripper and got to work.  Sometimes you just have a vision of lounging in an armchair by a fireplace with a good book and a latte wrapped up in an oversized cozy robe.  So not my life but I digress.  I got to work to make this robe fit into my real life.  

There is a small hole from removing the hem on the sleeves, adding one more fix to the mix.  

The sleeves once opened had seven inches cut from the length and were stitched back up with an inch and a half hem.  The length that was cut off from one of the sleeves were transformed into pockets, something that I did not sew originally on the robe.  The other length made two face clothes.  

Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, fabric scissors, seam ripper, thread clippers, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, threads and coffee.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Stash busting: Merino Wool Sleeveless Turtleneck Sweater / OOP Vogue 7323

Out-of-print (OOP) and vintage Vogue 7323 has been in the stash for about a year waiting for a decision on a fabric.  There was enough left-over fabric from this cardigan project to make the sleeveless top.  And now, I have a sweater set.  I didn't set out to make one, but happily, here we are.  

It wasn't all smooth sailing on what looks like a simple project.  The initial plan was to make view B, the turtleneck with long sleeves.  The fact that there wasn't enough fabric to cut all the pattern pieces lead to a plan to use some left-over wool from this sweater for the back and cut the front, collar and sleeves in the ivory wool.  My heart wasn't into a colour-blocking project.  That is when plans changed to sewing view C instead.  

I didn't want a "close-fitting" top with a back zipper.  The centre back seam was removed and cut on the fold easing the pattern piece out one and a half inches from the hemline foldline.  Then I needed to add another 5/8" width to the collar back edges.  The front centre hemline has the same amount of additional ease as the back.  And the waistline curve at the side seams was removed providing even more ease.  

I wasn't sure if the extra ease to the neckline and collar would be enough to eliminate the zipper and make this a pull-over top.  Thankfully, it worked out.  It was however tricky to sew the collar into the neckline.  Would you believe I had to use a seam ripper on the merino wool fabric to correct some puckering?    

All thanks to God, I was able to fix this without stabbing a hole into this beautiful merino wool.  Seriously, all thanks to God.  

Sewing IS Political

This is another Canadian made and tariff free sewing project.  The fabric came into the stash years ago from Winnipeg Sews, a now closed Canadian fabric reseller.  The Vogue sewing pattern is a product of the U.S.A., and is a vintage find dating back to the Clinton era.  It was purchased last year from a Canadian reseller and was not subject to tariffs.  The scissors used to cut the project were made in Taiwan and were purchased from Fabricland, a Canadian fabric outlet.  The threads were all pulled from the stash and were not new purchases.  

 

Project details

Seams:  Knit (lightening bolt) stitch

Seam finish:  Serged and Coverstitched

Fabric:  1.1 metres

Pattern:  OOP and vintage Vogue 7323, circa 2000.  

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, pin cushion, fabric scissors, measuring tape, measuring gauge, tailor's chalk, threads, thread clippers, Janome sewing machine 4120 QDC, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, Janome 1000CP Coverstitch machine, iron, iron board, tailor's ham, hand sewing needle and a seam ripper.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Designer, Bob Mackie

Source:  Photo Credit: Harry Langdon/Getty Images

Today is a sad day in the designing and sewing world, Robert Gordon Mackie passed away.  He is known as Bob Mackie in the fashion and theatre world, an Emmy and Tony award winning fashion and costume designer.  

I grew up watching Bob Mackie's designs come to life on the television way back-in-the-day.  My first introduction to his designs came into my orbit via The Sonny and Cher Show and The Carol Burnett Show.  I just dated myself.  

Source:  The dress concept was Bob Mackie's idea and it is current in the The Smithsonian. 

Mackie designed for many other big name celebrities as well, you can read about his influence on the entertainment world in the many touching tributes that are popping up today.  

But did you know that Bob Mackie also designed sewing patterns for McCall's in the late seventies and early eighties?  Here's is a look back at his contribution to the home sewing community.  

Rest in peace Bob Mackie.  Thank you for the wit, glamour and inspiration that you brought into our sewing rooms through your designs.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Labour Day

Source:  Women shirtwaist makers, 1909

Courtesy of Kheel Center, Cornell University

This weekend, actually today, we're celebrating Labour Day.  There is a lot to be grateful for in the Labour movement.  There are many reasons to thank a union from laws ending child labour and sweatshops to pensions and health benefits.  But today, with trade wars and billionaires actively attacking workers rights it feels like there is more to fight for rather than celebrate.  We're living in an eerie time of AI art that is disrupting workplaces and creativity.  Even sewing factory workers and creatives are not immune from being replaced with robots.  

So what does this mean for us that sew as a creative outlet, a labour of love?  Will there be a backlash?  There has been so many changes in the sewing and creative industry.  What will never change is the joy, that labour of love that is obtained and embraced when a needle and thread is held between our fingers and moved through a piece of cloth.  

"Hands that create deserve our applause."

Inhale, exhale, pick up a needle and keep sewing.  And celebrate a Happy Labour Day.