November in Review...

Sewing:

I had some sewing plans this month. How many were crossed off the list?  

1. Make a sweater or two with Simplicity 8529.  I actually make two.  One was my toile and the second version has received a lot of wear throughout the month.  
2. Make that beautiful Paco Peralto skirt, Vogue 1567.  I didn't get around to this project yet.  
3. Make Vogue 9268 in a cotton knit fabric.  I can cross this one off the list but I'm not 100% thrilled with my fabric choice. Don't get me wrong, I love the fabric. It's just that Vogue 9268 needs a fabric with some drape. Even though I do have cotton fabric that has some drape I went with a beefier cotton batik that had a generous width. There will be another remake in the future, I'm sure.  In the meantime, I been wearing my new dress. No need for it to go to waste.  

And there were more sewing projects that got made this month.  

First row L to R:  Reusable cotton grocery bags, no pattern used (blog post coming up in a couple of days); cotton microwave cozies, no pattern used. Second row L to R:  cotton sleepwear bottoms, Vogue 9217; cotton sleepwear top, Butterick 6296; black wool knit top, Simplicity 8529 (red knit top shown on original blog post); cotton knit dress, Vogue 9268 and Vogue 9057. Third row L to R:  cotton microwave cozies, no pattern used; black and white cotton skirt, out-of-print Vogue 9951; reusable cotton grocery bags, no pattern used; and cotton knit panties, Simplicity 8229.  

RTW & Fabric Fasts:

I'm happy to report that I have managed to stay away from RTW clothing besides the odd window shopping. It's a good confidence booster when you see something in the store and know that your sewing skills have improved to the point that you can chose better quality fabrics and sew with techniques not found in RTW garments. The fabric fast failed but in my defence I picked up fabric for projects for others. 

The Stats:

Supplies	Quantity Used from the stash this Month	Quantity Used this Year	Added to the Stash this year
Basting Tape	0.36 metres	6.29 metres	0
Bias Tape	4.15 metres	32.95 metres	10 metres
Buttons	5	62	50
Chain		0	0
Cord Stopper		0	0
Elastic	8.4 metres	38.3 metres	38 metres
Fabric	17.9 metres	140.5 metres	85 metres
Fusible Tape	3 metres	44.26 metres	6 rolls
Hand needles		2	0
Hook and Eyes		0	0
Interfacing	1.2 metres	11 metres	6 metres
Lace trim		2.6 metres	0
Pattern (new)	4	21	18
Pattern (previously used--TNT)	4	34	0
Ribbon		1.1 metres	5.3 metres
Serger needles		0	0
Serger thread		4	12
Sewing machine needles	1	11	9
Snaps		5	0
Thread	3	18	18
Trim	0.1 metres	4.2 metres	7 metres
Velcro		0	0
Zipper	1	10	10

So what do I have in store for next month?

1. I would really like to work on that Oki Style shirt pattern I picked up last year. 
2. Vogue 1567 is still on my wish list. If I make it in the red plaid silk I have in my stash, it would be something that I can wear to the theatre in a couple of weeks. And it will be a fun Christmas skirt.   
3. I want to finish that wool coat, another version of OOP Vogue 8934. It's cut out and started, I just have to focus on it.  
4. And finish off a jumpsuit, it's almost done.  
5. And there are some Christmas sewing projects in the works as well. 
6. Oh and I have a few posts coming up about Make Something Week sponsored by Greenpeace and Fashion Revolution.  Stay tuned.    

On that note, I should get to work.  Happy Sewing!  

Psychological Prescription for Troubling Times

This weekend in the Globe and Mail, Nathalie Atkinson presented a fashion theory in her article, "Sparkle and Shine:  There's Never Been a Better Time to Adopt a Flamboyant Look". She pushes past the lipstick index as a reference to fashion's commentary on the economy. Instead, Atkinson refers to as the Rhinestone Index as a commentary on the dark times we're currently living in. 

Therma Kota's gold jacquard bomber jacket. {Source}

The Rhinestone index has nothing to do with the economy, rather it's psychology. All that glitters, shines and sparkles on the fashion runways is a reaction to the constant terrible news of the world.  

And yet, yesterday when the world heard the news of a royal engagement it was a simple non-decorated coat that crashed a fashion website as people flocked to find and sell out the simply designed coat.  

Meghan Markle wearing white coat by Canadian fashion brand Line the Label.
{Source}  

McCall's pattern company was quick to congratulate the happy couple and point consumers to the very similar pattern design that can be whipped up at home.

McCall's congratulatory instagram post {source}

Yes, indeed!  McCall's 7480 is a very strikingly similar design. And it quite easy to change the sleeve design to a two-piece more fitted sleeve if you're a looking for a copy-cat version. This instagram post received over 1,800 likes and surely some sewing machines will be humming away to capture this happy moment and recapture the concept of I dress, therefore I am.  

Maybe, yesterday's engagement announcement highlights Atkinson's point about the psychology of fashion with her new index. When there was finally some happy news for a change, the style called for some sophistication and grace over flashy. So the question remains, will you be sewing McCall's 7480 or will it be glitter and glamour coming out of your sewing room? I don't think I will be sewing either as right now as I'm busy working on a vintage pattern.  

  

Happy Sewing!  

In Sewing News Today...

It has now been three weeks since I stopped wearing man-made fabrics. My wardrobe has been cleared out and what remains are items made with cotton, cashmere, linen, or silk. And so far, there has been an noticeable difference in my sinus issues. It will be interesting to see if this continues for another two and a half months. In the meantime, I'm working on a new winter coat made out of all natural fibres since my winter coat has a Kasha lining and is underlined with micro-fleece.  

Even though it is cold enough to wear a winter coat, I'm distracted with another potential project. There is a new pattern in the collection, out-of-print (OOP) McCall's 6437 in the sizes that I need. Now I just need to decide on fabric. There is a beautiful grey coloured British wool that I'm tempted to use but I think I might make it in a blue cotton to test out the pattern.  

I'll have to put OOP McCall's 6437 in the smaller sizes up for sale in the Etsy shop since I won't need to grade the pattern. Oh and the Etsy shop has a sale going on for the next two weeks. All patterns, scarfs, stockings, and vintage items have been reduced by 20% and microwave cozies by 10% off. The sale ends December 6, 2017.  

It's hard to believe that Christmas is soon approaching. I'll need to get busy with gift giving sewing projects soon.  

Well, that is all in sewing news today.  

Happy Sewing!  

The Perfect Merger: Vogue 9268 & 9057

I first made Kathryn Brenne's dress, Vogue 9268, a few months ago and it has been on my wish list to make another. I love how comfortable this dress is to wear but even though I like the drape of the ITY knit, I really wanted one in a cotton jersey. The ITY knit was my toile before I cut into this fabric. Marcy Tilton's Vogue 9057 came into play when I was thinking about what I wanted to change. On Vogue 9268 the armhole sits a little low, almost a dropped armhole. It wasn't a big deal but while ironing my tee-shirt (yeah, I do that) it hit me that I like how the armhole and even the modified neckline fits. I wondered if these two pattern could work together.  

It turned out to be the perfect merger.  

I started out with matching the point where the underarm and side seam meet and then folded under and out of the way the bodice from the dress. From there I was able to cut the armhole, shoulder and modified neckline from Vogue 9057 and kept the shape of the side and skirt seams. This way I was able to achieve the rounded neckline that I preferred. The sleeve pattern that I used came from Vogue 9057 and there wasn't much difference besides the armhole shape. I also, as on the toile, eliminated the centre seams opting for the dress to be cut on the fold. The sleeve length was extended 1 1/2" and the skirt was shortened an inch.  

Instead of cutting the interfacing pattern pieces from Vogue 9268, I chose Knit-N-Stable tape to stabilize the hems and neckline edges.  

I can't be more thrilled with how it turned out. The fabric is a batik cotton jersey that I found at Northwest / Marshall fabrics and much to my surprise it is wider than 150 cm. It is the perfect width (170 cm) for the larger sizes as it can easily accommodate the full drape of the skirt. The fabric was pre-treated with a tumble through the washing machine and dryer prior to cutting it out. It will be washed in cold water and after this I will just hang it to dry as I don't want to risk it shrinking any more.  

The Stats:  

Fabric:  3.8 metres

Fusible tape:  3 metres

Sewing machine needle:  1 Ball point needle

Patterns:  Vogue 9268 and Vogue 9057

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, scissors, thread clippers, tailor's chalk, sewing machine, walking foot, tweezers, lint brush, serger, threads, iron, ironing board, and some good tunes.  

Happy Sewing!  

Panties: Simplicity 8229

Today, I spend some time making a couple more pairs of panties.  

Easy peasy sewing project. The fabric is a 95% cotton / 5% spandex knit. I have to say this is my go-to pattern for panties. Even though Simplicity 8228, another Madalynne design, is quite nice with the lace insets, there is something about this one that I prefer. The lace is cute but it's not really my thing. I like the simple and comfortable look when it comes to undergarments.  

The Stats:

Fabric:  1 metre

Elastic:  4.8 metres picot elastic

Thread:  1 spool finished off

Pattern:  Simplicity 8229

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, scissors, pins, thread clippers, sewing machine, walking foot, ballpoint needle, threads, serger, tweezers, and tea.  

Happy Sewing!

Pyjama Top: Butterick 6296

I chose this Lisette pattern, Butterick 6296, as the top half of my pyjama set and mixed up details between view A and B.

I wanted some piping and long sleeves and went from there.  I omitted the piping from the collar and front edge shown on view B, going for the clean finish illustrated in view A.  I kept the long sleeves, and at the last minute I changed my mind about the piping on the sleeve band. The only place I used piping was on the pocket facing. I cut the length shown in view A and went with the chest pocket instead of the patched hem pockets. And this is another reason why I like sewing, I'm in charge of the details that I find appealing and want.

The little chest pocket is more decorative than functional and I'm okay with that since the pockets on the matching pyjama pants are quite generous. The challenge of sewing the pocket on was eliminated with the aid of the jean-a-ma-jig®.

Back view.

The December 2017 / January 2018 issue of Vogue Patterns has an article titled, "Luxe Pajamas to Give or Keep" by Kathryn Brenne. It is a wonderfully detailed article on making a beautiful 100% silk crepe back satin pyjama set. My humble cotton jammies are not as fancy but I did take note of something that made my pyjamas special, a back neck facing.

A lot of vintage patterns from a certain age used to include back facings but you don't see them anymore. Kathryn Brenne is right with drafting this piece. I think it looks and feels great. I used the back pattern piece as a guide for the shoulder and neckline and then free hand drew the rest. I interfaced this piece, stitched it to the front facing, serged it and then stitched it in place after the facings and collar were sewn.

Grading the seam allowances.  

The fabric is a 100% cotton and was pre-treated as outlined in this post. The buttons may now be considered vintage. I picked up a box when Eaton's was closing down many moons ago. Even though they are suit buttons, they have become my go-to pyjama buttons over the years. The colour worked out perfect for this fabric.  

The Stats:  

Fabric:  2 metres

Interfacing:  1.2 metres fusible interfacing

Buttons:   5 - 19 mm 

Piping:   0.1 metre

Pattern:  Butterick 6296

Additional Tools & Supplies: Cutting table, pins, scissors, tailor's chalk, measuring tape, measure gauge, sewing machine, zipper foot, buttonhole foot, seam ripper, serger, thread, thread clippers, buttonhole cutter, tailor's wax, hand needle, and tea.  

Happy Sewing!    

Pyjama Bottoms: Vogue 9217

A designer Vogue pattern for pull-on pants with a shaped hem made the perfect pair of pyjama bottoms. 

The pattern is Kathryn Brenne's Vogue 9217 and I'm quite happy with how these turned out. They have generous pockets, an elasticized waist, and the cutest seam binded hem. There will defiantly be another pair or two in my sewing future. I'm thinking the reversible top that is part of this pattern along with another pair of pants would make a cute summertime outfit. But I digress...   

The fabric is a 100% cotton. It was pretreated with a cycle through the washing machine and tumble in the dryer followed by a pressing on the steam setting. The pattern was shortened by an inch and I had to grade the pattern up to a large to provide the amount of ease I want for pyjama bottoms. The pattern is a multi-sized pattern but I purchased the smaller size thinking that the loose-fitting description would be enough. Perhaps loose-fitting referred to the other garments in the pattern? Or maybe I need to do some more squats? Anyway, it all worked out perfectly.  

The Stats:  

Fabric:  2.2 metres

Elastic:  1.2 metres of 25 mm wide elastic

Seam binding:  1.65 metres

Pattern:  Vogue 9217

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, measuring tape, tailor's chalk, scissors, thread clippers, sewing machine, serger, thread, seam ripper, iron, ironing board, and tea. 

Happy Sewing!   

National Button Day!

Today is National Button Day.

Clockwise top L to R:  recycled large black rose coat button, green and blue vintage buttons circa 1960s, vintage black and silver buttons, new burgundy shirt buttons, recycled large red decorative buttons, polka dot buttons, large rooster decorative button, red shirt buttons, and black and silver coat buttons.  

A day to celebrate buttons! When it comes to sewing clothes, I prefer using buttons to sewing a zipper. It's just easier to get in and out of a garment with buttons never mind replacement. I would much rather replace a button than replace a zipper! And buttons can be decorative besides functional. Sure, there are decorative zippers out on the market but do they really compare to these gorgeous buttons?  

There are so many buttons out there that are tiny pieces of art. Of course there would be a National Button day! If you're interested in reading a fascinating piece on the history of buttons and some beautiful visuals, I recommend this read.

Happy Sewing!  (with buttons!) 

In Sewing News Today...

Today started off with the heartbreaking news that Nancy Zieman passed away early this morning.

Back in September, not long ago, she wrote a message to her viewers that she would be retiring from her program and that the next fifteen new episodes would be her last. It was a terribly sad good-bye as she hinted that the end was near. I don't have a lot of words other than the sadness felt at this news.  Rest in peace gentle soul.  

  

Pleated Skirt: OOP Vogue 9951

Sometimes you just feel like breaking the rules.  

I made this skirt with out-of-print Vogue 9951, circa 1996, in a canvas, almost denim, weight fabric. But that is not where I broke the rules. This Vogue pattern lists view A and B pleated skirts as "unsuitable for obvious diagonals, plaids or stripes." 

It's the first time trying out this pattern and the fabric was a bargain find at Ikea. So I thought what the heck and gave it a try. I won't say that I dislike it, but I'm not loving it either. It will be a good item to kick around the house in. It would probably look better in a different fabric. The pattern suggestions are for a light-weight gabardine, wool crepe and light weight woollens. It would look nice in those fabrics.  

This was all about trying the pattern. I had to make some adjustment to the size, and to be honest, I can still do some tweaking there.  I omitted the waistband only because it would have sat too high.  Instead I finished off the waistline with left over seam binding. I did the same for the hem. I wish this skirt had pockets. Pockets would have been great.  

All and all, it's a pattern worth revisiting at a later date. In the meantime, I think I can get some use out of this skirt.  

The Stats:  

Fabric:  1.6 metres 

Zipper:  1 - 7" invisible zipper

Basting Tape:  0.36 metres

Seam binding:  2.5 metres

Pattern:  OOP Vogue 9951

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, scissors, measuring tape, ruler, tailor's chalk, sewing machine, invisible zipper foot, regular zipper foot, serger, iron, and ironing board.

Happy Sewing!  

Panties: Simplicity 8229

I'm revisiting Simplicity 8229 this evening. 

I made a few for Mama R a few months ago but she asked if I can sew a few with the elastic on the outside. She doesn't find how the elastic is inserted comfortable to wear. This insight has me confused because I haven't found any issue with how the elastic is sewn. But who am I to argue with how someone feels in their clothes. Comfort is everything. Before I go into production mode with these I thought I would try out a sample to see if this will work. Fingers are crossed.  

The fabric is a recent purchase. Mama R complained that the other pairs don't stay up well. And I'm certain is has to do with the fabric she chose. This cotton knit is the one that I use for my own panties so I went to pick up some more hoping that it has the amount of stretch that she finds comfortable. I found it in the discount section at Fabricland and it's currently marked down to 70% off. The picot elastic used at the leg openings came from Northwest Fabrics and boy did their stock of picot elastics sell quickly. Hopefully they'll get more in soon in a colour that better matches my fabric since I picked up enough fabric to make several pairs of panties. Since Mama R complained about how the elastic was sewn on I decided to try a lightweight lace elastic sewn on the outside of the waistline. I'm not sure if she'll like it or not but my hope is that this will be more comfortable.  

The Stats:  

Fabric:  0.5 metres of cotton knit  

Elastic:  2.4 metres

Thread:  1 spool was finished off during this project

Pattern:  Simplicity 8229

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

Happy Sewing!  

Time Will Tell

Word out on the internet is

NEWS FROM OUR PARENT COMPANY: We are excited to announce that CSS Industries, Inc. has just purchased Simplicity Creative Group. The Simplicity family of brands includes wonderful sewing patterns, of course, but also Wrights® trims and sewing notions, as well as terrific crafts brands including Boye®, Perler®, Dimensions® and American Girl Crafts®. These brands—combined with our existing CSS brands, including Offray®, Lion Ribbon™, C.R. Gibson®, La Mode® buttons, McCall’s®, Butterick® and Vogue Patterns®, and our creative and dedicated employees—will continue to bring our consumers an ever increasing variety of products and innovation all within the CSS portfolio of brands.

I'm not sure what this is going to mean for consumers, only time will tell. I'm sitting on the fence right now. Maybe I'm surprised. But there are a lot of speculation and strong opinions as to what this will mean. 

There is hope that it will mean Canadian consumers will have access to Simplicity patterns without having to fork over a small fortune in shipping and exchange rates. Or travelling across the border for a pattern run.  Fabricland stopped carrying Simplicity and New Look patterns years ago. I'm not so sure if they will reappear since even though Butterick, McCall's and Vogue are offered at Fabricland stores, they do not carry Kwik Sew which is also under the MBV umbrella. Time will tell.  

Personally, this news is greeted with the memories of what happened to the NY Collection when McCall's was picked up by CSS Industries. The short lived NY Collection designs changed once they were under the Vogue label and then they disappeared. I remember the sizing changed as it was a time when I was able to get smaller sizes than was available under Vogue. I like the fit of Simplicity patterns, I just hope they don't mess with the fit.     

Fear has also been expressed on McCall's Facebook page that this will mean less competition and higher prices. Followed by comments on how expensive not only patterns are but also that the price of notions and fabric have sky-rocketed recently. I have to agree, I've also noticed an insane increase in prices. Certain brands of zippers for example that more than doubled in price. So, I can also appreciate the fear expressed by others.  

I guess time will tell what this will mean. Until then I'll be hoping for the best.  

Happy Sewing!  

In Sewing News Today...

The sewing machines have been humming this weekend. I've been busy sewing for the upcoming holiday season and stocking up the Etsy shop with more microwave cozies.  

There are more to come. The Campbell's soup print has been the most popular but I'm running low and sadly the store is out of stock. So, I'm branching out into some sports themed prints. It's fun mix and matching with some new prints.  

In other sewing news, I finally used up four metres of cotton velveteen from my stash. I know, after those little girl dresses that I made in velveteen I claimed that I would never sew with this fabric.  

But I still had this floral print velveteen in my stash. Never say never. I picked it up many moons ago when Fanny Fabrics closed down. I actually thought about using it for a coat but memories of sewing velvet and velveteen turned that idea into a dream. Since I have recently discarded several pieces of my bedding in a little experiment I found myself chilled to the bone last night. At least I woke up not feeling stuffed up. But I digress... I folded this piece of fabric in half stitched the selvages together and serged the un-finished ends and there I have a make-shift blanket made out of cotton velveteen.  

Well, that is all in sewing news today.  

Happy Sewing!  

Knit Sweater: Simplicity 8529

Simplicity 8529 is the cat's meow. I'm so thrilled with how this turned out and that I have a wool sweater to wear.  

Seriously, I'm going to get good use out of this one. And the best part is that I was able to make this out of a beautiful 100% wool knit that I had in my stash. I was just waiting for the perfect pattern to come along and this is the one.  

Sorry, black doesn't photograph well. I really like the funnel neck line (view A) and the side slits. The back is a little longer than the front and it actually did surprise me that I like how it looks. Maybe because of the loose fit? Some how it just works.  

Last night I worked on the toile for this pattern (the red version). I copied a size medium and cut it out just as it came in the pattern. I shortened the hem an inch and finished it up and when it came to cutting out the black wool version, I also shortened the length on the sleeves.  

Super easy make and super comfortable to wear. So the fabrics... 

The black wool fabric was a find at Northwest Fabric a couple of years ago when they received fabrics from an out-of-business upscale dress shop. All of the fabrics were marked down to $3.99 / metre and if you bought the rest of the bolt, it would only cost 99¢ / metre. So I bought the rest of the bolt which only worked out to 1.7 metres and it had some damage at the end.  

I took my time inspecting and marking all the holes in the fabric and thankfully I was able to cut out all of the pieces that I needed. Can I just say that this wool knit feels luxurious compared to the polyester knit that I used for the toile. The toile fabric was another bargain find when Fanny Fabrics closed down many years ago. It feels great to finally put good use to these knits. The sweaters were sewn with the knit (lightning bolt) stitch and the edges were finished on the serger.  

The Stats:  

Fabrics:  2.8 metres

Pattern:  Simplicity 8529

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Burda tracing paper, highlighter, pins, scissors, thread clippers, measuring tape, measuring gauge, sewing machine, walking foot, serger, tweezers, iron and ironing board, and tea.  

Happy Sewing!  

Could Some of My Fabric Choices be Making Me Sick?

Okay before you start to assume I'm an over-sensitive eco-lunatic about natural vs. man-made fibres bear with me for a bit. I actually started on the natural fibre journey because I was noticing that natural fibres held up better than the man-made fabrics that I was sewing with and it started my inner calculator to conclude that I really was better spending a little more at the cash register for the natural fibre fabrics. 

CC-licensed image by Flickr user:  Jo Jakeman {Source}

I found this to be the case because they last longer and in the long run, man-made fibre garments actually cost more because they had to be replaced more often. This sewing thing has been a long journey full of little observations along the way.

But then another observation that doesn't have to do with how quickly and badly a fabric is prone to pilling made me start thinking about other natural vs. man-made fibres qualities from another angle. It had to do with my allergies. This past summer I had a part-time job at the local fabric/quilting/home decor/knick-knack store. Yes, my happy place. While at work I spent over seven hours a day handling fabrics in a very dusty environment (and think of all that lint!). One thing that I quickly noticed was that it was not the greatest environment for my allergies and sinus issues. I found that the days I cut large quantities of fleece / home decor fabrics and put them back on the shelves these were the days that I had the most negative and painful issues with my sinuses. I felt like I was sick all the time with flu like symptoms and the tissues were becoming stained red when I blew my nose. I have since left the position and miraculously my sinus issues improved. For the most part...

The observation that the days I worked more closely with fleece and home decor fabric were the worst lead me to wonder if the blanket on my bed could also be contributing to feeling stuffed up when I woke up in the morning.

I made this blanket back and 2011 and it has been part of my bedding ever since even in the summer months. But one day while changing my bedding I started to consider that this simple item that laid on top of my sheets may also be a culprit. I often woke up in the middle of the night unable to breathe and I always woke up feeling stuffed up. Could this blanket made of similar fabric in the fleece / home decor department be playing havoc with my sinuses and breathing?

I decided to do an experiment and remove the blanket from my bedding. I made my bed up with just flannel sheets and a down comforter. Would this make any improvement? Much to my surprise (it really shouldn't have surprised me but it did) I experienced a much better sleep (I've actually been sleeping through the night) and I didn't wake up stuffed up. I should add that recently I've been starting incorporating Rhonda's essential oil routine.  But I digress...

All of that was until I made this project.  Another man-made, faux fabric and after handling the fabric for about eight or so hours while I cut, chalk marked seam allowances and sewed, I found myself waking up the next morning all stuffed up. Could my man-made fabric choices of the past be what has been making me sick? Some people are allergic to wool, so can an allergy to the chemicals, finishes and products used in making man-made fibres be such a far stretch?

I don't think that these pieces put together amount to a coincidence. They actually might be worth more investigation. Or at least a little experiment.

I've cleaned out my closet of all the clothes made with man-made fibres and for the next three months I'm going to strive to wear a natural fibre wardrobe. I have another appointment with an ENT specialist next year. So, it will be interesting to see if there is any noticeable change after being more mindful of what I wear and perhaps see if this sinus situation improves with this wardrobe change.

Happy sewing!