July in Review...

 Sewing

There were dreams of sewing a denim jacket, caftan and a wrap dress this month and then things changed after a slow start and stumbling along the way.  The wrap dress managed to be finished after many sewing bloopers and the amputation of the pockets.  And then a detour.  It wasn't my finest month in the sewing room due to sewing bloopers and fitting miscalculations.  I guess my head wasn't into it this month.  Oh sewing mojo where are you?   

Of course, I love the DVF wrap dress, out-of-print (OOP) vintage Vogue 1610, because the fit is absolutely lovely and I feel comfortable wearing this item even though I had to nix the pockets.  The DKNY flared shorts, OOP vintage Vogue 2092, need to have the crotch length shortened, something that I realized after the fabric was cut.  The short pants / culottes, OOP McCall's 6748, is my least favourite make mainly because of the fabric choice.  As a wearable toile, I won't complain. 

 

Stash-busting

This month's sewing projects were made with supplies found in the stash:  7 metres of fabric, 1 metre of elastic, 7 metres of Knit 'N Stable tape, 1 zipper, and 1 hook and eye.  There was a trip to the fabric store when I couldn't find any white Knit 'N Stable tape while sewing the wrap dress only to find my roll days later.  This lead to a re-organization of the sewing workspace and re-organization of the fabric binder.  Some fabrics were sewn and no longer in bins however not removed from the listing in the binders.  Something that was long overdue.  

I did recently add to the fabric and pattern stash.  Remember that caftan pattern I keep dreaming about sewing?  Well, it takes almost five metres of fabric and there isn't that much yardage in appropriate caftan fabric to be found in the stash.  

So, when I stumbled across an animal print satin in the discounted section at 70% off.  Well, I couldn't resist the thought of sewing something I've been dreaming about.  

Future Plans

Other than sewing Vogue 1886, I would still like to sew that denim jacket, OOP McCall's 5191 I've been talking about for many moons.  The black denim fabric has been pre-treated and is waiting for a press before hitting the cutting table.   And while re-organizing the fabric stash I found an undocumented piece of white linen that would be lovely for OOP Vogue 1204.  Both of these are from July's wish-to-sew list that I hope to finally get to in August.  Until then... 

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!  

Sewing Tools From the Hardware Store

Not all sewing tools come from the fabric or craft store.  Some very useful tools can be found at the hardware store aisles.  And in most cases, it will save you money compared to fabric store finds. 

This magnetic pick-up tool comes in handy when picking up fallen pins or sewing machine parts that might fall into hard to reach places.  And the flexible arm helps with reaching areas without having to bend or twist in uncomfortable positions.  

The humble hammer has been a much treasured tool in the sewing basket.  This smaller version is a perfect partner for a buttonhole cutter.  It's also a helpful tool when installing jean buttons and snaps.  

And these handy tools are great for cutting, opening and closing chains.  The pliers are handy when hand-stitching leather and pulling a needle through the thick layers.

Just some of the unconventional sewing tools that make it onto and underneath the work table during a project.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!

Are They Culottes or Shorts? OOP McCall's 6748

Once upon a time I found a pair of Liz Claiborne knit and elastic waisted pants.  They were part of my wardrobe for many moons and one day I cut them short, slightly below the knee.  They were perfect for cycling and I hoped to one day recreate them.  

Enter, out-of-print (OOP) McCall's 6748.  

These are not an exact match, but it's close enough.  There was some tweaking to the pattern.  I was shocked how short the crotch length looked when I first laid out the pattern.  And matching them up to my Liz Claiborne pants I knew that I would have to do some adjustments.  

Besides lengthen the crotch, I added 3/4" to the side seam and an 1/4" to the inner thigh to provide about three inches at the hip and waistline.  I could have easily sewn a large but the pattern only went up to a size medium.  According to the measurements on the pattern this should have provided ample ease.  In reality, it didn't provide the extra ease I thought, although it does fit.  

I'm not sure if I'll sew another one.  One additional pair of pull-on culottes / shorts should do.  And I don't know if I would have picked up this pattern if I realized that the waist seam line was just below the natural waistline.  The waistline is marked as sitting at the top of the waistband.  Minor complaints that are an easy fix to achieve the fit I want.  

The fabric is a black polyester ponte knit that was sitting in my stash, left over from this project.  Perfect for a toile, most likely a different fabric would provide a different fit outcome.  The pattern calls for a fabric with moderate stretch.  

Project Details

Seams:  Knit stitch / lightning bolt stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:    1.4 metres 

Elastic:  1 metre

Pattern:  OOP McCall's 6748

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, paper scissors, measuring tape, fabric scissors, pins, pin cushions, tailor's chalk, measuring gauge, sewing machine, threads, serger, thread clippers, iron and iron board.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing

Donna Karan Flared Shorts: Vintage Vogue 2092

I made myself a pair of shorts!  

This is nostalgic sewing at the finest.  It's with fond remembrance that I gasped when I spotted vintage and out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 2092 last year on Etsy.  Back-in-the-day, way back, I had a smaller much smaller size of this pattern and I made these shorts and the wrap tops.  It was a much-loved pattern and then life happened and my size magically grew.  Okay, there might have been some cookies doing it's damage magic to my waistline along that journey but I digress...   

I'm not someone who often wears shorts.  To be completely honest, I rarely wear shorts.  But this Donna Karan design is different and with the hot and humid weather we've been having lately these are a welcome addition to the wardrobe.  These shorts are flared, and it feels like I'm wearing a hybrid skirt / shorts combination.  They have more than ample ease in the thigh area.  And pockets!  What's not to love?  

There is an invisible zipper at the center back and the waistband is fastened with a pants hook & eye notion.  

The fabric is leftover piece from this project.  It is a beautiful wine coloured cotton knit that I found at Northwest / Marshall Fabrics.  There was 1.6 metres left and with some creative pattern placement, I was able to add three inches to the length.  These shorts now sit just below my knee hiding my scars.  The pattern is a size 14 so I added a little more (1/2") ease to the side seams.  To the waistband, I added two inches at each end for a total of four inches extra length.  The one change that I would like to make when I revisit this pattern is to shorten the crotch length.  Otherwise, I'm thrilled with how this project turned out.  

Project Details

Seams:  2.4 length straight stitch for sewing the zipper, Janome knit stitch for the remainder of the seams.  

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1.6 metres

Knit 'N Stable tape:  4 metres

Zipper:  20 cm invisible zipper

Hook & Eye:  1

Pattern:  Vintage OOP Vogue 2092

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, scissors, tailor's chalk, measuring tape, measuring gauge, Janome sewing machine, walking foot, regular presser foot, invisible zipper foot, regular zipper foot, Janome serger, threads, iron, ironing board, hand sewing needle, tailor's wax and an audio book playing in the background.  

Stay Safe, Stay Cool and Keep Sewing!

Diane Von Furstenberg Wrap Dress: Vintage Vogue 1610

 

Despite all the sewing bloopers, limited sewing time and bouts of missing sewing mojo, I have a new version of the DVF Vogue 1610 wrap dress.  It felt good to get this one to the completed stage.  

First, let's talk about this pattern, out-of-print and vintage Vogue 1610.  It is not the iconic status that surrounds this pattern rather it's all about the fit.  It's sublime and I love the fit!  The only alterations done were shortening the bodice length and reducing the hem two inches.  I love that there are no darts or pleating on the front bodice, those tucks at the back bodice, the soft gathers of the skirt and the pattern comes with pockets.  Sadly, I had to give those up.  

For a brief moment in time, there were some pocket bags sewn together.  And then the realization set in that the two front pocket pieces along with the front side seams were sewn together.  Oops!  The use of a seam ripper was fruitless in an attempt to remove the stitching as I used the knit stitch program on my Janome sewing machine.  This stitch is a wonderful feature when sewing clothes that require stretch while wearing.  However, like Linda Lee points out in Sewing Knits from Fit to Finish, "[i]t is a difficult stitch to rip out so make sure it is your final stitch (83)."  In order to rescue this project, I cut off the 5/8" seam allowance and the pocket bags.  This had me a little worried as I worked through the final steps of the project knowing that I removed an inch and a quarter from the skirt width.  Would it still fit?  

Thankfully, yes Virginia!  It did fit despite removing some width from the front skirt sides and saying good-bye to the pockets.  I give all thanks to God, not Santa Clause for that one.  

The fabric was found at Northwest / Marshall Fabrics many, many moons ago.  The last time I was there pre-moving sale, there was a bolt of this print but not this colour.  So, maybe when they re-open at their new location soon, there might be some left.  It is a cotton knit, in a beautiful weight and would you believe that I struggled to think of what to turn this fabric into?  There were three options, Named Clothing's Kielo wrap dress, a pair of pajamas, or the DVF Vogue wrap dress.  Since I haven't tested the Kielo wrap dress pattern yet, I ruled that one out quickly.  And then I turned to you, the readers, for some help.  Thank you for all that helped.  It was a tie, three votes for the dress and three votes for lama pajamas.  So I flipped a coin and the dress won.  I would have been happy with either but now that this project is done, I'm really happy it was the dress that won the coin toss.  

Project Details

Seams:  Knit Stitch 

Seam finish:  Serged.  

Fabric:  4 metres (one way pattern on the fabric)

Knit 'N Stable tape:  3 metres

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, assorted heavy objects to use as pattern weights, tailor's chalk, scissors, pins, pin cushions, sewing machine, screwdriver, regular presser foot, walking foot, serger, threads (for the machines and hand stitching), hand sewing needle, thread clippers, tweezers, iron, ironing board, a whole lot of procrastination, tea and cookies.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!  

Book Review: Sewing Knits

Sewing Knits from Fit to Finish:  Proven Methods for Conventional Machine and Seeger by Linda Lee

ISBN:  978-1-58923-938-8

Publisher:  Creative Publishing international, an imprint of The Quarto Group, 2018

Canadian price:  $32.99

Photo source

This is a book I wish I came across when I started sewing with knits.  Let's just say there were a few disasters in my sewing closet when I first starting sewing knits.  Oh heck, who am I kidding?  There was a sewing blooper with a knit fabric that happened yesterday.  But I digress...

Linda Lee owned a retail fabric store back in the 1980s and this extensive knowledge of fabrics comes through in the pages of her book.  Of course, fabrics have evolved since the eighties and she explores more modern knits and the properties of modal and lyocell knits.  Fabrics that I have limited experience with, so I appreciate her insight shared in this book.   She delves into the properties of different types of knit fabrics along with suggested garment types that would be appropriate.  

The best section of the book is creating a personalized fit and it is a section that I would not recommend skimming over.  This section alone makes this book worth the financial and reading time investment.  This book is so much more as she explores different types of seam, hems and techniques. 

Even if you have mastered sewing knits, I would still recommend this book.  I would most certainly recommend this for a beginner.  Lee's instructions are clearly written and her guidance will put to rest any apprehension you may have about sewing knit fabrics, lingerie or swimwear.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!