October in Review...

Sewing

This month has been all about gift sewing and preparing for the winter ahead.  

Stash busting

All of October's projects were made with fabric and notions found in the sewing stash.  This month 10.2 metres of fabric, 3 metres of elastic, 1 label, 1 zipper and 3 buttons were used from the stash.  

Mending

There has been some mending happening this month.  I'm thrilled that I was able to rescue two pairs of wool socks from the neglected and forgotten pile of socks I have for mending.  As well, there was a pair of pants, Vogue 1325, that now fit after extending the elastic.  

And a previously gifted pair of pajama bottoms came back to the sewing workspace to have the elastic shortened.  I used to dislike mending but lately, I've embraced the activity.  It feels good to fix and rescue these pieces.  

What's Next?  

There was talk here about making another winter coat, only to discover that I don't have enough fashion fabric to make Vogue 8934 when I started laying out the pattern pieces.  There is enough fabric to make a short coat, I will just have to decide on a pattern.  

Charity sewing projects are in the plans for the November sewing list and will likely be the first items to be sewn.  I've printed off the tuque pattern I used previously and plan to whip up some.   Maybe, I'll try my hand at making pompoms for the tuques?  I think there is some yarn somewhere in the stash.  We'll have to see how much time I have to search for yarn to accessorize the tuques.  And maybe some winter scarves if I can find enough appropriate fabric in the stash.  I would like to get the charity sewing done and delivered this coming week.  We'll see how that goes.  

Happy Sewing!  

Stash busting and Sewing Bloopers: Butterick 6296

Other than the sewing machine and serger, the seam ripper has been my most valuable tool for seeing this project to the end.  I was working on this project while feeling under the weather, not the best condition for sewing.  But I digress.  

The collarless feature of this pajama top, Butterick 6296, was part of the countless sewing bloopers that happened throughout the day.  I didn't realize this blooper until I reached the ironing board to press the facing.  At that point, I didn't have the energy to open up the neckline and try to make the correction.  

And there were other bloopers, I lost count but let me try to recall. 

1. Tailor chalk markings were made on the wrong side of the fabric.   
2. I forgot to stitch down the facing on the pocket before stitching it in place.  I had to hand-stitch it down afterwards.  
3. I sewed the wrong side of the pockets to the front of the pajama top.  
4. I sewed the front facing pieces to the wrong side of the back facing and had to tear those stitches out and try again.  
5. Did I mention that I cut out the collar pieces, interfacing and attached the interfacing only to forget to sew the collar and attach it with the facing pieces?  

Yup, it's a miracle that I ended up with a finished pajama top.  

There were also some intentional changes / alterations to the pattern.  The sleeve length was shortened, and the front pockets are from vintage Simplicity 6851.  There is an extended back facing top-stitched in place to the shirt back.  

This pajama top is the matching piece to these pajama bottoms that were made earlier this month.  The set has been gifted and thankfully well received.  We both agree that even though leaving off the collar was not intentional, it may be something that will be revisited on future pajama top project.  

Project Details

Seams:  2.6 - 2.8 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1.9 metres

Buttons:  3 - 1"

Pattern:  Butterick 6296

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, scissors, pins, wrist pin cushion, tailor's chalk, tailor's wax, hand sewing needle, sewing machine, serger, buttonhole foot, regular presser foot, threads, iron, ironing board, seam ripper, thread clippers, Vick's, tea with lemon and honey and many breaks.  

Happy Sewing!

Make Do and Mend: Wool Socks

It is sock wearing weather.  Now, I do have a batch of me-made wool socks that should keep me warm and toasty this winter.  But there is also a box of wool and cotton socks sitting in the sewing workspace waiting for some make do and mend attention.  Not the American band, rather I'm talking about the act of taking care of one's clothing.  

Make do and mend:  To maintain one's possessions for as long as possible, repairing rather than replacing them when needed, with the goal of not buying and/or consuming more than is necessary.  

I'm not sure if it's a sign of the times with consecutive interest rate hikes to try and cool eye-brow raising inflation and talk about a 2023 recession coming but there seems to be a lot of focus on the bookstore shelves dedicated to mending.  Could mending become the cool thing to do?  

It appears so.  Lladybird and WinnipegSews along with so many others offer mending workshops.  Mending has moved from the bookstore shelves to sewing community gatherings.  This is wonderful news.  Taking care of what we have has so many benefits not only for individuals but the community at large by keeping our possessions out of the landfill as long as we can.  

The chill in the air nudged me to pull out a couple of wool socks to mend.  I used an old lightbulb to fill the interior of the sock and give a curved surface to sew.  Then I cut out some "patches" from an old wool sweater that no longer fits and threaded my needle with silk thread. 

Then I got to work with some visible sewing stitches working in a circular direction from the outside edge moving towards the centre.   

My favourite SmartWool socks were also mended.  I used the ribbing edge of the sweater to give a texture that mimicked the cable-like texture of the socks.  

It feels good to have these two pairs of socks back in rotation this winter.  And I have to admit I like the cushioning effect of these wool patches on the heels of the socks.  

Happy Mending!

In Sewing News Today...

Instead of sewing, I've been busy changing over the seasonal wardrobe.  Winter is around the corner and it's dressing-in-layers season right now.  

And I'm dealing with some hard clothing truths.  I've outgrown some of my clothes.

No matter how lovely the wool suiting fabric and well-made my collection of wool pants is, I'm likely never going to fit into most of them again.  I made many of them with out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 1325.  There is one pair that still fits I can still squeeze into.  The other four pairs are sitting in a pile waiting for re-fashioning inspiration to strike.  This dress no longer fits and also made it onto the to-be-refashioned pile.  I don't want to lose this treasure of wool to the donate pile.  I am thinking maybe a dress or something can be made with the harvested fabic.  

I am also trying to see what I can fix / alter before going full-on re-fashion mode.  

This too-tight-to-wear pair of pants, Vogue 1642, was sewn back in 2019 and found its way to the mending table to adjust the elastic back.  

I opened up one side to expose the elastic casing and dug up a length of elastic to stitch and add another four inches of elastic.  It was exactly what these pants needed.  They are now the most comfortable pair presently sitting in the closet.  I just might have to dig out this pattern, Vogue 1642, and give it another try.  All I know is that I'm at the elastic back pull-on stage of my life, it's all about comfort and this style is my secret pajama pants.  

There are socks to be mended.  I've neglected this task in the early spring when I discovered that I could sew socks and just forgot about the RTW pairs that could use some care.  But now that the cooler temperatures are here it's time to sit down, listen to that audio book I've also have been taking too long to get through and get some sock patching and mending done.  

There is a crazy idea of sewing another winter coat.  I've been putting off because it's a big project.  I would want to underline it with some wind-blocking fleece.  That's going to mean a lot of hand stitching.  And OOP Vogue 8934 has a lot of hemline darts to sew.  I'm going to use the dart shortcut I recently discovered on a rerun of Sewing with Nancy.  

I didn't get everything that I want to sew this past summer done.  But that will have to wait, winter sewing is calling, and I need to replenish my pants if I'm going to stay warm this winter.  

Talking about staying warm this winter, I would like to answer the call for some charity sewing from the church.  Winter items, hats, mitts and scarfs were asked for from parishioners that knit and crochet.  I'm not that talented but I can sew some winter scarves.  Maybe some hats?  I will have to check what is in the stash.  I know that I will have some left-over wind-breaking fleece that will be perfect for winter hats.  

Well, I better get back to work.  I think I will start with cutting out the coat and seeing what materials I have left over for the charity sewing.  

Happy Sewing!

Stash Busting: Black Wool Pants / OOP Butterick 6717

Pull-on elastic back pants made with out-of-print (OOP) Butterick 6717, are my new wardrobe staple.  I have plans to replace the wool pants that no longer are a comfortable fit.  And there will be more of these to come now that I have the fit issues all worked out.  

The height of the waist was raised one inch and an inch was added to the side seams.  I was working with a size medium.  The pant hem was shortened two inches (2 1/2" inches on the left leg) and were sewn with a two-inch top-stitched hem.  Lower back pain made me lazy to the idea of basting before digging out the blind hem foot for the sewing machine.  I can live with the top-stitched hem even though it wasn't my preferred hem finish.  Just like the first pair I made with this pattern, I left off the side pockets.  

The fabric is a black wool suiting that has been in the stash for decades.  I believe this fabric originates from circa 1990s and that makes this vintage.  It was previously pre-treated.  

Project Details

Seams:  2.4 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  2 metres

Elastic:  0.6 metres

Pattern:  OOP Butterick 6717

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, pin cushion, measuring tape, measuring gauge, ruler, tailor's chalk, scissors, Janome sewing machine, regular presser foot A, threads, thread clippers, iron, ironing board, Janome serger, safety pins, heating pad, pain meds and coffee.  

Happy Sewing!

Stash busting: Zippered bag

Since this is a stash busting project let's start with the fabric.  It's a home decor fabric that has been in the stash for at least eight years.  I know this because it was back in 2014 that I made this jacket with this fabric.  And yes, I still have some left over hanging out in the stash.  

This bag will be used on the back of a chair and has a zippered closure.  Easy peasy.  I just adapted the out-of-print (OOP) McCall's 4851.  The width at the bottom was shortened to three inches and the top was straightened.  The straps are sewn at the side seams and a zipper was added.   

 

Project Details

Seams:  2.4 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  0.5 metres

Zipper:  51 cm (20") double ended

Twill ribbon:  0.70 metres

Pattern:  OOP McCall's 4851

Additional Tool & Supplies:  Cutting table, fabric scissors, clapper (used as a weight), pins, tailor's chalk, ruler, sewing machine, walking foot, zipper foot, screwdriver, serger, new serger needle, thread clippers, threads, and sweet precious time to sew and enjoy part of an audio book.  

Happy Sewing!

In Sewing News Today...

Happy Thanksgiving!  

Yup, in this part of the world it's the Thanksgiving weekend.  And if you listen to the news it is filled with doom and gloom stories of the high cost of food, global inflation and the great turkey shortage of 2022.  What happened to being thankful?  

Sure, food prices are eyebrow raising.  This just calls for some creativity.  And as sewists, we got creativity covered.  All thanks to God.  

I'm so thankful for the gifts that God has blessed my life with, from the ability to sew and being creative in the kitchen.  It wasn't a bumper crop in the garden this year, but we were blessed with squashes and enough tomatoes to make a pot of soup.  

All thanks to God.  

There was even enough butternut squash soup and Korean Carrot Salad to allow for sharing with another family this Thanksgiving weekend.  

All thanks to God.  

And that's what I want to focus my energy on, being thankful.  Period.  That's it.  Oh, and maybe sneaking in some more sewing time this weekend.  

Happy Sewing and Happy Thanksgiving Day to those celebrating this weekend!

Stash Busting: Wool and Silk Plaid Scarf

There was a length left over of the beautiful wool and silk blend fabric that I turned into a scarf.  This project was made into an easy task with thanks to the Janome serger.  I used the 3-thread rolled hem on a Janome AirThread 2000D Professional and some Fray Check on the clipped corner threads.  Easy!  And I feel good that there are no scraps left behind from yesterday's pants project.  

Happy Sewing!

Stash Busting: Plaid Pull-on Pants / OOP Butterick 6717

This fabric has been in my fabric stash for decades, at least three.  It came with me when I moved from another part of the country.  It's not the original cut.  I actually cut some when I made myself a DKNY skirt many years ago.  I outgrew that skirt.  And I've been holding onto the last precious 1.8 metres of this beautiful wool and silk plaid fabric, too scared to cut into it.  You don't find fabric like this anymore.  

It's not perfect plaid matching, I'm only working with 1.8 metres.  That's my excuse and to be completely honest, I don't mind.  These pull-on pants will keep me warm.  

Since I was working with less yardage that is listed on the pattern envelope never mind no extra yardage for plaid matching, there were some sacrifices besides the obvious.  The side pockets were omitted.  And the length was shortened four inches which turned out to be too much.  There wasn't enough extra length for a hem allowance and a machine roll hem solved that problem.  

The pattern, out-of-print (OOP) Butterick 6717 is worth a revisit for sure.  I sewed a size medium and added one inch to the side seams for a total of four inches extra ease.  If I were to make another change when revisiting this pattern, it would be to raise the height of the center back about an inch.  And of course, leave the hem length alone.  Absolutely love the flat front and elastic back waist, these are so comfortable.  

Project Details

Seams:  2.6 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1.8 metres

Elastic:  1 inch width - 0.7 metres

Pattern:  OOP Butterick 6717

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, fabric scissors, pins, pin cushion, measuring tape, measure gauge, sewing machine, walking foot, serger, screwdriver, threads, thread clippers, iron, ironing board and snacks.  

Happy Sewing!

Stash Busting: Tweed Pants / Vogue 9246

A couple of weeks ago I tried to sew this pattern, Vogue 9246.  I made these pants in the exact same fabric.  I just made them in a much larger size than I needed.  What I thought would be my size ended up being way off the mark.  So, I thought to give this pattern another try, in another size.  

I cut this pair in a size medium with an added 1/2" to the side seam.  They fit but they are fitted on me rather than "semi-fitted" as described on the pattern envelope.  The crotch length is perfect.  Maybe a size large with a medium crotch length would have a semi-fitted fit.  If I didn't add to the side seams this pair would not have fit.  

What I do love is the design of these front pleated pull-on pants and know that there will be another pair in the works soon.  

Project Details

Seams:  2.4 - 2.6 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  2 metres

Elastic:  0.7 metres

Pattern:  Vogue 9246

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, pin cushion, fabric scissors, tailor's chalk, ruler, measuring tape, sewing machine, walking foot, hand sewing needle, threads, safety pins, serger, iron, ironing board and the radio playing in the background.  

Happy Sewing!

Stash Busting: Pajama Bottoms / OOP Simplicity 2372 and OOP Vogue 9217

Meet the latest pajama bottoms.  The last pair turned out so well, I've been making more.  Again, once this set is complete, it will be gifted.  

They were shortened and have a one-inch hem.  The waist was finished with the waistband from out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 9217.  Easy peasy.  

The fabric is from the stash, not certain how long it has been there except that it's been there for years.  There was enough to cut out a pajama top which is waiting to be sewn.  It was pre-treated with a tumble in the washing machine and dryer.  It has one side that feels like a flannel.  I used the soft side as the interior for the warmth.  I'm not sure of the fibre content but I do know that the right side of this fabric does not like the cotton setting on the iron.  

Project Details 

Seams:  2.6 straight stitch (2.8 straight stitch for top-stitching)

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  2 metres

Elastic:  0.8 metres

Label:  1 - "me made" label to indicate the back of the garment

Patterns:  OOP Simplicity 2372 and OOP Vogue 9217

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, measuring tape, pins, pin cushions, fabric scissors, sewing machine, walking foot, serger, threads, iron, ironing board, safety pins and tea.  

Happy Sewing!