March in Review...

Sewing Projects

It was a busy month at the sewing machine.  Well, compared to recent months.  Being totally smitten with the vintage Diane Von Furstenberg pattern that came into my sewing world last month, there were more wrap dresses that came off the sewing machine.  Some sewing for the church and a few projects using left over fabric.  Oh and socks!  I've been busy sewing up socks.  Three pairs of cotton knit socks and ten pairs of wool socks.  Some of those socks have been gifted.  Same with the knit top and reusable grocery bag.  Oh, and that jean jacket project discarded months ago, it made it back to the sewing table.  

Stash Busting

All of this month's sewing projects were created with fabric found in the stash.  The Mondrian printed cotton knit has been in my stash since 2019.  It was one of those pieces that I was scared to cut into for quite some time.  The black knit fabric was completely forgotten about until it was pulled from deep in the stash.  To be completely honest I can't remember when it made it in there.  The denim also from the stash circa unknown.  The purple striped polyester was provided to me to sew the table runners for the church and the rest of the projects were made with left-over scraps.  

Destashed this month:  10+ metres of fabric, 5 metres of Knit 'N Stable, 1 metre of interfacing, 2 jean buttons, 4 spools of thread.  

What's Next?  

Well, I'm thinking about sewing some of the linen that I have in my stash.  It's been there for years.  And I'm thinking about sewing an eyelet dress inspired by this photo I saw last year.  

There is some purple eyelet fabric that I can use for a shirt dress option.  I haven't settled on a pattern yet.  Any suggestions?  

Before I get into sewing warmer weather clothes, I do have one more cardigan jacket, Butterick 6495, to sew and gift to someone special.  That's top of my list. 

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!  

Seven Months in the Making: OOP Butterick 6376

Okay, maybe not quite "in the making."  Perhaps it's more like "in the waiting."  It took a long, long time to make this project into something wearable.  I can't count how many sewing bloopers and the desire to give up on this project occurred along the way.  Well, here it finally is, my new denim jacket.  

The fact that I wasn't able to find a 100% cotton denim style jacket that fit in the RTW and vintage landscape brought this project back to the sewing table.  Yes, there was a period of time that I thought of buying a denim jacket.  I wasn't willing to spend $40 + on something that was ill-fitting.  There are a lot of ill-fitting RTW options out there.  The last RTW jean jacket I tried on has way-too-tight sleeves.  I rather wear something that looks unfinished, sewing bloopers and all.  At least these sleeves have enough room to move in.   

It is missing the front buttons and buttonholes, mainly because I ran low on jean top-stitching thread and with everything going up, I wasn't willing to go into the budget for something that seems like a luxury right now.   

Maybe one day if thread goes on sale, I might splurge and finish the button holes.  But to be completely honest, I never have buttoned up denim jackets.  It would just be a decorative feature.  

Right now, this is perfectly fine for my needs.  As the weather warms up and turns towards spring like weather, this will be perfect under my wool coat.  

Out-of-print (OOP) Butterick 6376, circa 2001, is rated easy.  The pattern is well-drafted and I do like the loose-fitting structure but I won't say that it was an easy project.  It's not about the sewing bloopers along the way, rather the thickness and weight of my denim fabric.  That is what made this a challenging project.  My sewing machine, despite using a Jean-a-ma-Jig®, was challenged by the thickness at some seam points.  

I wouldn't trade this denim fabric for an easier sewing experience.  The fabric is sturdy and exactly what I want in a denim jacket.  It was pretreated prior to cutting.  

Project Details

Seams:  2.8 straight stitch length, 3.5 top-stitching

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1.5 metres

Interfacing:  0.7 metres

Pattern:  OOP Butterick 6376

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pattern weights, pins, pin cushions, scissors, tailor chalk, thread clippers, sewing machine, blind hem foot, walking foot, regular presser foot, screw driver, measuring tape, measuring gauge, Jean-a-ma-Jig, threads, serger, iron, ironing board, seam ripper, hand sewing needle, thimble, tailor's wax, cutting board, hammer, awl, buttonhole cutter and a whole lot of procrastination.  

Stay Safe & Keep Sewing!

Wear a Hat Day

Photo credit:  Image from Pixabay. CC0

Today is Wear a Hat Day, meant as a way to raise awareness and funds for brain-tumor research. 

Did you know there are over 100 different types of brain tumors?  

And most brain tumors "actually came from somewhere else in the body and [travelled through] the bloodstream to the brain" (LeBeau, Wear a Hat Day supports brain tumor research, funding).   

Fifty thousands Canadians are affected every year by brain tumors with 27 new cases each day.  (Source:  Brain Tumor Registry of Canada).  

What can you do?  

Know your risks.  

Learn about preventative measures.  

Speak to your health care professional if you have any concerns.  

And don't keep it under your hat!  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!  

In Sewing News Today...

Remember when I made this top?  

And I mentioned that it was gifted and well-received?  

That didn't last long.  

lol.  

It ended up back at my sewing table to be fixed.  

It came with a complaint that it was too loose and the neckline was too wide.  

When I made it, I was asked to make sure it was loose.  

This is why I don't love sewing for others.  

I stitched a seam down the centre back with a 3/4" seam allowance.  

The original pattern has a centre back seam.  

It seems to have done the trick.  

But wait for it.  

I'm sure another complaint will come my way.  

That seems to be what happens when I sew for others.  

Either crickets or complaints.  

Remember this one?  

I've offered to fix this after I was told that it was "too big."  

I even tried to make arrangements to have them try it on so I can see the problem in order to fix it.  

Both times they forgot to bring it.  

I've given up, I've tried.  

It just makes me sad at the thought that I wasted that beautiful Katia print fabric on something that didn't fit the person it was made for.  

In a way, I wish I didn't know about the issue.  

I wish if someone tells me about a problem with something I create, that it would be an opportunity for me to fix it.  

That would make me happy.  

Well, I'm off to see if I can fix that jean jacket project I abandoned last year.  

I will certainly be happy if I can fix that one.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!

Wool Socks Rock: The Wolf and the Tree Going Rogue Socks

I made one more batch of wool socks.  A previously made batch of five black wool socks have been gifted.  This set of six are all mine.  

These are created just in time of rubber boot season as the mountains of snow are starting to melt.  But I digress...

The fact that I made over a dozen pair of socks, it goes without saying that I do like this pattern for the mini crew sock.  It's the only style that I have sewn even though this pattern contains many style variations.  It  is a quick make and I would recommend it for a beginner for sure.  I do however question the claim that this "can be made from print to sew in well under half an hour!"  Yeah, not quite.  Maybe once you have the pattern printed, taped and cut, then you can start the timer on that claim.  It is indeed a quick sew once you have everything read to go.  

I don't know if I will make anymore Going Rogue socks.  Perhaps for a charity project in the future.  Instead, I will likely give the sock pattern from Sewing Heart Design a try.  It won't be anytime soon.  It's another PDF pattern.  I'm not a huge fan of taping together PDF patterns and this one doesn't have seam allowances.  It just seems like too much work.  

For now, I'm just happy with this addition to my collection of socks.  

Project Details

Seams:  Lightning bolt / knit stitch

Seam finish:  None in the interior, rolled hem on sock upper edge

Pattern:  The Rogue Sock by The Wolf and the Tree

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, scissors, weights, sewing machine, walking foot, thread clippers, serger and thumb brace.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!

Turning Scraps Into Socks: Going Rogue Again

I haven't stopped sewing socks.  

These are my latest pair made from scrap left-overs from the recent wrap dress and top projects.  And there will be more to come.  

A comment over at Pattern Review sparked a wonderful idea that these would be a thoughtful donation to a homeless shelter.  I know that our church community asks for sock donations at the beginning of the winter season ever year.  And The Wolf and the Tree's Going Rogue sock pattern comes in women's and men's sizes.  Yes, there will defiantly be a plan for more sock sewing.  

Nothing really new to report on this latest version, it's exactly like the cotton knit version I made a couple of days ago.  I just wanted to show 'n tell and record it here on the blog.  

Project Details

Seams:  Lightning bolt / knit stitch

Seam finish:  trimmed interior seam allowance, rolled hem top edge.  

Pattern:  Going Rogue Socks by The Wolf and the Tree

Additional Tool and Supplies:  Cutting table, scissors, pattern weight, sewing machine, walking foot, serger, thread clippers, threads and decaf coffee.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!

Turning Scraps Into Socks: Going Rogue

 

These are the third pair of socks that I made today.  I made two pairs exactly the same as the pair I made yesterday.  The pink wool socks are made with the scraps from this dress.  And then I turned the scraps from this dress into a pair of cotton knit socks.  

Project Details

Seams:  Lightning bolt / knit stitch

Seam finish:  None in the interior, rolled hem on the serger for the top edge.  

Fabric:  Scraps from previous projects.  

Pattern:  Going Rogue Socks

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, scissors, pattern weight, sewing machine, walking foot, serger and threads.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!

Oh My Goodness, I'm Never Buying Socks Again! The Wolf and the Tree's Going Rogue Socks

 

I don't know why it took me so long to cross off sock making from my sewing bucket list.  Oh wait, PDF pattern and taping.  That's right.  Once I finally got around to tackling that pile of paper, this became a quick and easy make.  

Seriously, I'm never buying socks again now that I can whip up a pair in no time.  

Project Details

Seams:  Lightning bolt / knit stitch

Seam finish:  trimmed interior and rolled hem finish

Pattern:  Going Rogue Socks by The Wolf and the Tree

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Printer, paper, ink (a lot of ink), tape, paper scissors, pattern weight, scissors, cutting table, sewing machine, walking foot, serger, thread and thread clippers.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!

In Sewing News Today...

This weekend there are some declaring that we reached the 2 year mark in the global pandemic.  

If it feel longer than that, you're right.  

And there are some who are declaring that we're no longer in a pandemic rather an endemic and that we just have to "learn to live with the virus."  

Aplat face masks, circa 2021

Mask mandates are being dropped in two days in this part of the world.  

I'm not thrilled about this new phase of public health announcements, the lack of testing and vaccine inequality.  

I feel that the latest lifting of health measures is to bow down to the anti-maskers who were recently and aggressively occupying strategic locations across the country.  

But I won't be giving up my Dhurata Davies or Aplat face mask patterns anytime soon.  

Mask mandate or no mask mandate, I'll still be wearing a face mask.  

It's hardly an inconvenience when I know I'm protecting others.  

Added bonus, not one cold, flu, or sinus infection since I started wearing the hottest fashion accessory of the past two + years!  

Seriously.  

Face masks have been a blessing.  

Yup, this is one fashion trend I'm not giving up anytime soon.  

✄✄✄✄

The table runners for the church are off the sewing and cutting table, pressed, hand-stitched closed and delivered.  

They turned out better than I hoped.  

Fingers are crossed that they are well-received.  

Actually, they were well-received when I delivered them.  

That was before they were unwrapped and used.  

I guess, I'm just waiting to see how they look on the tables.  

✄✄✄✄

Currently, I've been spending my free time taping my sock PDF patterns together.  

I'm not a fan of PDF patterns.  

And taping.  

I just want to get these cut out and see if the pattern works for me.  

I'm starting with the Going Rogue Socks pattern.  

At this rate of procraftination it might take awhile to show you a completed pair.  

I hope not.  

We'll see.  

Well, that's all in sewing news today.

Stay Safe & Keep Sewing!

Lent Sewing: Table Runners

What started off as being a request for paraments (alter and pulpit cloths along with table runners) was edited down to three table runners.  

There just wasn't enough fabric (just shy of six metres) for everything that was on the wish list.  And the fabric provided for the project was a light-weight crinkled polyester fabric with some drape.  Not the idea fabric for possibly getting away with a single layer table runner.  So, it was two layers stitched together, turned and pressed.  I think that pressing it with some starch might give it some more body but it might also distort the crinkled texture of the fabric.  I'll leave the pressing issue to another volunteer.  

Sewing table runners might sound like an easy peasy sewing project.  But there were challenges.  The biggest was cutting it out.  The church basement and some folding tables provided ample space to lay out the fabric.  The challenge was cutting out the light-weight slippery polyester in a straight line.  That took some time and a steady hand hampered by a bout of arthritis in my thumb that has been acting up recently.  I'm giving all the credit to God that it was done.  

I cut the pieces about an inch wider than needed so that I could stitch the two end and one lengthwise seam first.  Then I laid out the runner and trimmed down to a 17" width + 5/8" seam allowance for the opposite lengthwise seam.  This way, I tried my best to have a smooth seam with a fabric that was a little slippery to work worth.  The extra work was worth it because they did turn out well despite working with a challenging fabric.  There is one more to make, this last one will have a 16" width.  But for now, I'm going take a break and hopefully finish the last one this weekend.  

Project Details

Seams:  2.8 straight stitch

Seam finish:  None

Fabric:  Provided by the church

Pattern:  None

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Folding tables, cutting table, clapper (used as a weight), pins, scissors, pin cushions, thread clippers, iron, ironing board, measuring tape, pad of paper, calculator, pen, tailor's chalk, sewing machine, walking foot, thread and thread clippers

Stay Safe & Keep Sewing!

In Sewing News Today...

I have often said that I will not see equal pay in my lifetime.  

And today, International Women's Day, is just another example of why.  

✄✄✄✄

I've been asked to sew some alter clothes and table runners for the church.  

Of course, I said, "yes."  

And I was thrilled when the person who asked said they would help me cut the fabric during the initial phone call.  

Today, I found out that meant they would "hold the fabric as I cut."

Oh my gosh!  [insert laughter here]

Gotta laugh at non-sewing folks perception of help.  

I've been dealing with hand swelling and pain so I was hoping for some actual scissor action.  

Foolish me.  

I also asked if it would be okay to sew a rolled hem and the person said, sew whatever hem you like, followed by instructions that it be two layers, turned and pressed.  

Obviously, hem techniques were not part of their vocabulary or understanding.  

Drats!, because I have a really nice rolled hem feature on my serger that would have saved a lot of time.  

This is not going to be as quick of a job as they initially presented it.  

It never is.  

I'm just grateful that the church has the fabric.  

With the price of everything going up lately, I wouldn't want to be shopping for sewing supplies.  

I'll just have to get it measured, cut and get to work sewing the pieces.  

The church would like the ambo and altar cloths done before the end of Lent.  

Not much time.  

✄✄✄✄

In other sewing news...

Did you hear about the new Pfaff sewing machine coming out later this month?  

It's equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) technology.  

It will respond to voice sewing commands.  

Not kidding!  

I hope it understands what a rolled hem is and other sewing techniques.  

You can read more about it here.  

Well, that's all in sewing news today.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!

Pleated T-shirt: OOP Simplicity 2372

I didn't want to pack away the left-over piece of cotton knit from the previous project since there was enough to sew a t-shirt.  And the fabric was too beautiful to pack away.  This is what became of that left-over piece.  

This item has been gifted and well-received.  It is sewn with out-of-print (OOP) Simplicity 2372, a favourite and much used pattern in this part of the sewing world.  

The centre front and back seams were eliminated, cut on the fold, and the sleeves were lengthened. The hems were first finished with Knit 'N Stable tape, serged and top-stitched with an one inch hem.  

Project Details

Seams:  Lightning bolt / knit stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1 metre

Interfacing:  0.20 metre

Knit 'N Stable tape:  1 metre

Pattern:  OOP Simplicity 2372

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, measuring tape, pins, pin cushion, scissors, thread clippers, tailor's chalk, ruler, clapper (used as pattern weight), sewing machine, walking foot, iron, ironing board, serger and decaf coffee.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing

National Dress Day

Over the years, I've sewn a lot of dresses.  And I wear them too.  I find them comfortable to wear.  I would rather throw on a dress than pants no matter the weather.  Some have been gifted.  And some have been refashioned into other things.  Here's a look back at the dresses I've sewn over the past year. 

The Eva Dress, Tessutti Patterns

The Eva Dress pattern has been a long time favourite.  It's all about the comfort of a pullover dress that is easy to wear.  And it has pockets.  Gotta love a dress with pockets!  Right now this cotton dress is packed away waiting for warmer temperatures to arrive.  

Little Girl's Shirtdress, OOP McCall's 8548

I first came across McCall's 8548 about a quarter century ago when I made a version of this dress for my niece.  So, it was with an enthusiastic sense of nostalgia that I revisited the pattern.  

 

Sweatshirt fabric made a toasty warm winter-ready dress,
OOP Burda 8848

I do love a turtleneck dress and I really wanted to try this pattern for it's raglan sleeve design.  Of the two versions of this pattern I made, I prefer this one all because of the fabric, it has kept me toasty warm during a bitterly cold winter these past months.  

Wool turtleneck maxi dress, OOP Vogue 8939

Have I mentioned how much I like a turtleneck dress?  I imagine a winter without one.  

Seersucker Girl's shirtdress, OOP McCall's 8548

I couldn't resist to make another wee little dress.  Just the cuteness of it make it worth all the work.  

Box-pleat dress, The Assembly Line

Yeah, sometimes I don't get the fit right and a dress ends up as a reusable grocery bag.  

Is it really a wrap dress?  OOP Vogue 8827

It wasn't the wrap dress that I hoped for and the fabric choice was not a good one.  It was gifted and found another life as a robe.  

Can you have enough turtleneck dresses?  OOP Burda 8848

This version of Burda 8848 goes to demonstrate that fabric choice affects the fit.  This one is made with a cotton knit and fits much looser than the sweatshirt fabric version.  

Or enough wrap dresses?  OOP Vogue 1610

Oh my goodness, I found the perfect wrap dress pattern in Vogue 1610.  No wonder Diane Von Furstenberg's version has propelled to iconic status since it first appeared in the late 20th century.  She nailed the fit.  

Take 2, OOP Vogue 1610

Even though the fit is sublime, I am not of Vogue model height.  I shortened the bodice and played around with the sleeve length.  

Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress meets Mondrian inspired print,
OOP Vogue 1610

And that is how I came to sew my favourite dress of this past year.  Do you have a favourite dress pattern that you like to sew?  

Happy National Dress Day!  

The Fabric I Was Too Scared to Cut: Vintage Vogue 1610

I imagine that anyone with a fabric stash has pieces that they are reluctant to cut.  That is what this beautiful Dutch digital cotton knit "Mondrian 2" (#70510), from EmmaOneSock was to me, a too-beautiful-to-cut fabric.  

This cotton / lycra knit entered my collection January 2019.  I knew I wanted to turn it into a dress but struggled to commit it to a pattern.  That was until the DVF wrap dress pattern, vintage Vogue 1610, entered my sewing world.  Once I made the adjustments to the second version, it was time to cut into this fabric.  

I don't know what else to say about this one.  The fabric's print is lovely and the fit on this pattern, out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 1610, is sublime.  I couldn't be happier than I am about this one.  This one has pockets, the bodice was shortened 5/8" and the hem is a one inch top-stitched hem.  Oh and the sleeves were lengthened maybe about a half inch.  

Project Details

Seams:  Lightning bolt / knit stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  3 metres

Knit 'N Stable tape:  2 metres

Pattern:  OOP Vogue 1610

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, tailor's chalk, pin cushions, iron, ironing board, sewing machine, cotton thread (for the sewing machine), walking foot, serger, polyester threads (for the serger), scissors, thread clippers and hand sewing needle.  

Stay Safe & Keep Sewing.  

Reusable Grocery Bag: OOP McCall's 4851

There was enough left-over canvas fabric kicking around from the recent robe project to make another reusable grocery bag.  

Out-of-print (OOP) McCall's 4851 is my go-to pattern for this project.  The pattern is actually for a lined bag with interior pockets but these features are not necessary for carrying groceries.  Straps were also shortened to a manageable length.  

Project Details

Seams:  2.8 straight stitch length

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  0.5 metres

Pattern:  OOP McCall's 4851

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, pin cushion, scissors, thread clippers, iron, ironing board, sewing machine, walking foot, Jean-a-ma-jig, serger, threads and screwdriver.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing.  

DVF Wrap Dress: OOP Vintage Vogue 1610

After sewing my first DVF wrap dress pattern, vintage Vogue 1610, I knew there would be more to come.  I pulled out all the knits that I have in my stash to find pieces that had enough length to turn out this project.   First, I made a couple of adjustments to the pattern.  

Most noticeable, this version has long sleeves.  I appreciate the longer sleeve since it's quite not short sleeve weather in this part of the world just yet.  The other change is shortening the bodice by five-eighths of an inch.  I like where the raised waistline seam sits especially if I wear a slip underneath.  I'll keep this change to the bodice pieces in future versions as it also raises the position of the side pockets to a reasonable height.  This version has pockets and will be keeping that as well.  The hem was sewn as a one inch hem and all the hem edges were stabilized before top-stitching.  

The fabric is a light-weight sweater knit that I completely forgot was in the fabric stash.  No idea on the fibre content, where or when it came into the stash.  It's not a cotton knit, that is for sure.  And it did handle the higher end of the wool setting on the iron.  It could be a wool blend?  Perhaps a burn test might be in order?  A ball point needle did not work well with this knit fabric and I did have to change to stretch needle (Schmetz Stretch 90/14).  

It did handle a pre-treatment with a wash cycle, followed by a tumble in the dryer.  It didn't require a pressing before I cut it out but it certainly is prone to static electricity.  I might have to carry Static Guard when wearing this one.  But I digress... 

I will certainly keep the changes made in this version:  the one inch hem and raised bodice.  There will certainly be future makes with out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 1610.  

Project Details

Seams:  Knit Stitch (Lightning bolt)

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  4 metres

Knit 'N Stable tape:  2 metres

Pattern:  OOP Vogue 1610

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, tailor's chalk, measuring tape, scissors, thread clippers, pin cushions, hand sewing needle, silk thread (for hand sewing), measuring gauge, sewing machine, walking foot, new sewing machine needle, serger, threads, ironing board, iron, seam ripper, tweezers, mini-vacuum (for cleaning machines), screwdrivers and many breaks.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!