January in Review...

A January in review post already? This month seemed to disappear into a blur. Luckily, there are some in-focus photographic evidence that there has been some sewing.  

And there was some mending as well. I've been less resistant to the thought of mending as of late. Shocking as that sounds, it's been a good thing.  I've actually found mending a relaxing activity.  I can't believe I just typed that but there you go.  

Output:  

Fabric:  8.4 metres

Zippers:  1 - 55 cm invisible

Seam binding: 7 metres

Spools of thread:  1 - 100 metre spool; 2 - 1500 metre spool of serger thread

Sewing machine needles:  1 serger needle

Input:  

Fabric:  24.7 metres

Sewing machine needles:  3 serger needles

Buttons:  2 packages (10) jean buttons

Stay Safe and Happy Sewing! 

Tuque: The Littlest Studio

 

This latest version of The Littlest Studio's (free downloadable PDF) tuque has already been gifted. This one came with a request to shorten it about an inch.  

The fabric is a lovely French cotton terry knit from Northwest / Marshall Fabrics. I have to stop here to say that they have recently been bringing in some lovely cotton knits from Europe. It's worth a trip to check out until they up their online store game.  

This fabric makes the tuque fit a little more snug than the others made from sweater knits. It's a much better fit actually. It was pre-washed followed by a tumble in the dryer to eliminate the fear of post-make shrinkage.  

Other than shortening the tuque no other changes were made.  

Project Details

Seams:  Knit (lightning bolt) stitch

Seam finish:  None since there are no exposed seam edges.  

Tips:  Keep in mind that fit can be different with the use of different fabrics.

Fabric:  0.5 metres

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, scissors, container of sewing accessories used as a pattern weight, sewing machine, walking foot, pins, wrist pin cushion, empty tissue box used for collecting threads, sewing machine needle, hand sewing needle and thread.    

Stay Safe and Happy Sewing!

Slow Sewing: Scrub Cap Project

 

My latest project is to send off another thirty scrub caps and it's been a slow and painful process. And yet extremely rewarding.  

The slow part is finding the time.  The painful part is the working around the hand swelling and wrist pain added to that, the dry cracked hands from all the hand sanitizer used during the day.  During this time, coming home and using my hands is one of the last things I want to do.  I just want to give my hands another massage with hand cream and let them rest.  

The rewarding part comes from making these scrub caps from scraps and left-over pieces of fabric from other projects.  The scrub cap above is make with the white cotton from this shirt project and the x and o print used from little girls dresses made many moons ago. The green scrub cap is make from left over cotton and linen blend fabric from this dress project.  

Topping this is knowing that this is going to very hard working health care professionals working during a very difficult and challenging time.  

Ten are done, another twenty to sew.  First, I'll have to search for more fabric pieces that will be large enough to cut the band / tie piece. Most of my quilting cottons do not have the length I need and are too narrow to fit the pattern piece. I'm going to have to search the fabric stash to finish cutting out eleven more caps and get busy sewing.  Hands willing.  

Stay Safe and Happy Sewing!  

Silk Slip: OOP Simplicity 8666

 

This is another version of out-of-print (OOP) Simplicity 8666. It's a simple bias cut slip design that has made an appearance here many times before. The only difference is that this version is made out of 100% silk fabric.  

It has the same changes as the others: addition to the side seams, lowered the front neckline by an inch, shortening of the hem length, French seams, matching bias tape finish for the straps, armhole and neckline finish. The hemline is finished with a narrow top-stitched hem. This project was actually started months ago, it just needed the length of one of the straps to be adjusted before it could be gifted.  

Project Details

Seams:  2.4 seam length

Seam finish:  French and bias tape

Tips:  Use a layer of tissue paper underneath to cut the silk.  It will help prevent slipping of the fabric while cutting.  

Fabric:  2 metres

Pattern:  OOP Simplicity 8666

Label:  "me made" 

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, tissue paper, scissors, silk pins, sewing machine, bias tape maker, iron, ironing board, seam ripper.  

Stay Safe and Happy Sewing!

In Sewing News Today...

Today was a different day at the sewing table. 

I needed to alter... 

Never thought I would be doing this kind of sewing but now they fit.  

And cutting out new items.  

There was just shy of a metre left over from the last project and I was able to cut out two scrub caps and one more face mask. I spent most of the afternoon going though the remnant pile and was able to cut thirteen more scrub caps.  

Off to sew a couple before heading off to bed.  

Stay Safe and Happy Sewing!

The Assembly Line: Tulip Dress

Do you have any fabric in your stash that you're afraid to cut into because you find it so beautiful and fear that you might ruin it? That is how I felt about this fabric. I finally turned it into another version of The Assembly Line's Tulip Dress and I could not be more pleased with how it looks and fits. It's one comfortable dress and it has pockets.  Win. Win!    

The Fabric

This fabric has been in the stash for many moons. Looking back on the blog it appears that it entered my stash back in 2016. I actually made a dress and matching jacket out of some of the yardage. It is a medium weight twill weave 100 % cotton that I found in the home décor department at a local fabric store. I picked it up for a song when it when on sale in the discounted section after swooning over it for quite some time before hand. It's pretreated with a tumble in the washing machine and dryer followed by a steam pressing before hitting the cutting table. 

The Pattern

The pattern is a tried and tested (TNT) and this is the forth version made with this pattern. I know all the changes that I like this final version to have incorporated into the design. 

1. The very first version of this dress, I shortened it. It was fine although I did wish that I didn't shorten it as much as I did at the time.  For this version, I added back an inch and a half to create the hem length that I prefer.  
2. There's 1/4" added to the seam allowances so I could sew a 5/8" seam allowance.  
3. The bodice pieces are cut in a size medium from the shoulder and neckline until the under arm point.  From here, I graded from a size medium to a large. Although, I do appreciate the extra ease, I could easily work with a size medium throughout.  
4. I did not add 1/4" to the waistline seams.  Here I sewed a 5/8" seam allowance and then took in another 3/8", the width from the needle to the edge of my walking foot.  
5. The height of the pockets to were raised to line up two and a half inches from the raw edge of the skirt pieces.  
6. The facing pieces weren't used, instead the neckline, sleeve hems and the skirt hem were finished with bias tape.  

I have to take the time to say a word about The Assembly Line's "Detailed Sewing Instruction" booklet that accompanies this pattern. The instructions are excellent and well thought out. They are indeed detailed as suggested in the title.  I love the time, consideration and space taken in the booklet that addresses how to sew "nice darts."  It is suggestions like this and advice on pressing that make these instructions stand out. It also makes this a good pattern for a beginner even though there are several darts and a zipper to contend with, the instructions are a good guide for beginners to complete this project.  

Project Details

Seams:  2.6 straight stitch

Seam Finish:  Serged interior seams, bias finished hems and neckline.  

Tips:  Press open your zipper before sewing it in place.  I also like to use basting tape instead of pins when securing the zipper in place before sewing.  

Fabric:  3 metres

Zipper:  55 cm invisible zipper

Basting Tape:  1.10 metres

Seam binding:  3.6 metres

Pattern:  The Tulip Dress by The Assembly Line

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Flip chart paper, marker, cutting table, measuring tape, measuring gauge, pins, pin cushion, paper scissors, fabric scissors, tailor's chalk, thread clippers, sewing machine, walking foot, regular zipper foot, invisible zipper foot, serger, threads, seam ripper, tweezers and tea.  

Stay Safe and Happy Sewing!