August in Review

Sewing, Alterations and Mending

This month's sewing focus was all about special occasion pieces and once that was all out of the way, it was back to sewing comfortable basics that fit.  I just want to sew loose and pull-over clothes to wear.  Top L to R:  Butterfly print cotton t-shirt (OOP Vogue 9057, now Vogue 1733), silk flower girl dress (OOP 9072).  Bottom L to R:  Teal coloured crepe pullover dress (Butterick 6784) and orange and gray cotton knit pullover dress (SD Patterns).   

How do you alter clothes that are too small?  This is going to be my focus going forward after I rescued the artwork from a too-snug t-shirt and used some left-over cotton knit from a previous project.  

Stash busting

This month stash-busted numbers were 14.6 metres of fabric, 7 metres of Knit 'N Stable tape, 0.5 metres of interfacing, 2 labels, 1 zipper and 2 metres of ribbon.  I used 3 previously unused and one previously used patterns.  

What's next?  

First up will be another butterfly print t-shirt for someone who was smitten with the fabric I used for the one above.  And then I'm free to sew whatever I want, time allowing of course.  I guess we'll just have to wait and see what comes out off the sewing machine.  

Happy Sewing!

Recycling an Old T-shirt Into a New T-shirt: OOP Vogue 9057

 

Out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 9057 has hit the cutting table again along with an important and special t-shirt that no longer fits.  The t-shirt that sparked this project is the official Orange Shirt Day design from 2018.  

I've worn it every year on September 30th and last year, it was a tight squeeze.  Actually, it's probably been a tight squeeze for longer than a year if I'm going to be honest about those pandemic pounds from a few years ago.  But I digress.  

So, you may be asking, "why September 30th and what is Orange Shirt Day?"  Orange Shirt Day is a small step that we take as Canadians in the life-long healing process towards reconciliation through listening to the stories of residential schools with open hearts and minds and committing to change and respecting human rights that were denied to so many in this country.    

I wanted to rescue this shirt because the message it conveys and the fabric is a 100% cotton and excellent quality and perfect condition.  I tried to see if I could cut out a new front for a new t-shirt but the artwork was placed too close to the neckline for me to successfully cut it out the way I first envisioned it.  I was able to cut out a sleeve but not before I cut the back eliminating the opportunity to cut the other sleeve in a solid colour.  Oops.  The front, back and other sleeve were cut out this cotton fabric left over from this previous project.   

Other changes are exactly as were done with the last time OOP Vogue 9057 hit the cutting table.  Additional ease around the mid-section was the most important change.  

Project Details

Seams:  Knit stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1.4 metres + 1 Orange Shirt t-shirt

Knit 'N Stable tape:  1.5 metres

Pattern:  OOP Vogue 9057

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, scissors, iron, ironing board, tailor's chalk, pins, pin cushion, Janome sewing machine, regular presser foot, thread clippers, Janome serger, threads and tea. 

Happy Sewing! 

In Sewing News Today...

The new fall Vogue patterns are out.  And it's a full-on nod to the nineteen seventies.  

Bell bottom pants (Vogue 1974) and pussy bow tops (Vogue 1973) .  

And check out this seventies vibe screaming for some stiff polyester and acrylic knit.  I'm kidding, don't go there.  As a kid, I actually had a knock-off RTW version of the jacket in the 1975 reissue pattern (Vogue 1966) back-in-those-days.  

Even though I was anticipating the arrival of the fall line I was meh about it.  I was hoping for some inspiration for cold weather wear.  Sweaters or cold weather jackets are where I would like to turn my sewing focus right now.  

I found this message when I went searching for the new pattern release.

Lots of changes in the sewing / pattern world.  I found Vogue patterns now available at the Simplicity website which is now "Your Sewing Pattern Destination".  Even locally there are changes to the pattern world.  I recently discovered that Fabricland raised the prices of their patterns by lowering the discount offered to Fabricland members.  I guess it is a sign of the times.  Everything is more expensive.  At the time, I was thinking about picking up Vogue 1581 as a special occasion outfit.  

I pivoted with the realization that the membership perks were reduced and decided to search and shop my pattern stash at home.  I don't think I will be renewing my membership when it comes due in a few months.  International shipping costs have made shopping the website just as expensive.  And I didn't have much time to wait for a pattern to arrive by mail.  

So with fingers crossed, I cut out a new-to-me pattern, Butterick 6784, in my good fabric.  Risky, but thankfully it worked out.  

Well, with all that special occasion sewing behind me, it's back to sewing everyday wear.  Cooler days are starting to appear and believe it or not some of the neighbourhood trees are shedding their leaves.  And thoughts are turning to cooler weather wear minus the seventies vibe that is out there.  

Happy Sewing!

What Would You Do With This Fabric Giveaway?

This is 1.3 metres of beaded tulle from the special occasion department of Northwest / Marshall Fabrics.  

Leave a comment below and let me know what you would do with this fabric?  And I will draw one lucky reader for it on Saturday, August 26, 2023.  

Happy Sewing!

Now I Remember Why I Do Not Like PDF Patterns: Asymmetrical Dress / SD Patterns

I'm thrilled with this new pull-over knit dress but I was not so thrilled with all the taping to get to the pattern.  

Oy, all the taping!  And the scale was slightly off.  At that point, I wasted so much paper and ink I didn't care anymore and half expected this project not to work out.  But still I went on.  I guess I was a sucker for those gathers at the dress front curve.  You can't really see it with this print.    

There are other things I do not like about this PDF pattern.  

• There is no option to have this PDF file sent out to be printed at a print shop.  You are on your own to tape and cut.  If I realized this, I would not have purchased this pattern.  I'm so glad I didn't realize this before hand because in the end, I'm really happy with the dress.  
• The pages do not fit on letter sized paper.  The dotted lines show on the top and sides of the pages but not the bottom.  There is a significant amount of guesswork to line up the pattern pieces lines.  
• There are no seam allowances.  There were half inch seam allowances added.      
• The instructions are the bare minimum.  If you have some experience sewing t-shirts, this is a basic design. 
• There are no fabric layout information or fabric amount requirements.  Again, you're on your own for figuring out this information.  
• There are no finished project measurements.  
• There are no height adjustment lines.  

This pattern could have been so much better in its presentation.  I did receive a 55% off thank you coupon after I purchased the pattern but even with that, I don't think I will be visiting SD Patterns again.  I'm just not that into taping PDF patterns.  If your don't mind taping PDF patterns, I would say go for it.  In the end, I love how this dress turned out.  

I do like the design of the front with that French curve gathering detail.  It is the reason that I made the impulse PDF purchase.   There is a generous amount of ease something that also drew me to the pattern.  There were some changes along the way, The dress and sleeve lengths were shortened by six inches.  The turtleneck was left off and the neckline was adjusted with the seam allowance that was added being removed and the front neckline reshaped.  

The fabric is a cotton knit from Northwest / Marshall Fabrics.  I did not pre-wash it before cutting it out.  If it does shrink in the wash, there is enough ease that I am sure I will be okay.  

Project Details

Seams:  Knit stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  2.5 metres

Knit 'N Stable tape:  3 metres 

Pattern:  Asymmetrical Dress by SD Patterns (an Etsy shop)

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Printer, tape, a what-the-heck (WTH) amount of paper (68 pages), new ink cartridges, WTH amount of time taping and adding seam allowances, paper scissors, measuring tape, measuring gauge, iron, ironing board, thread clippers, pattern weights, fabric scissors, Janome sewing machine, regular presser foot, Janome serger, threads, screwdriver, tweezers and tea.  

Happy Sewing!

Special Occasion Dress (Adult Version): Butterick 6784

Now-a-days, I'm all about having enough ease in easy accessible clothing.  And I couldn't be more thrilled with how this project turned out.  A pull-over dress with a pocket is a win-win.  

The fabric is a teal coloured crepe that has been in my fabric stash for years, maybe even a decade or more?  Initially, I thought of using a linen but I really like the drape of this fabric with this design.  I'm sure this pattern will hit the cutting table again, so a linen version might happen one day.  But not soon since we're around the corner from the tail end of summer.  

Let's talk about the design!  It's a kAtheRine Tilton design from 2020.  The description from the pattern envelope states, "Misses' Dress."  Someone should fire the person in charge of writing descriptions because this design is so much more.  Even the description found on Pattern Review misses the mark, "round neck dress has small band collar and multiple asymmetrical seams.  Can be short sleeved with cuffs or sleeveless."  

I'm going to give it a try to describe how fabulous this design really is, here goes.  

In true Katherine Tilton fashion, Butterick 6784 is a dress that will remind you that a Tilton design is not only a creative force rarely matched by other designers but also a joy to sew.  Pieced pullover dress is perfect for colour blocking, working with stripes, or keeping it simple with a solid colours.  Fitted in the bust with a tulip shaping at the side seams.  It has two different styles of pockets, a left front pocket and a right side pocket.  The neckline has a petal shaped  collar piece that overlap in the back by end before meeting in the front.  The neckline if finished with a bias cut strip.  Sleeveless or elbow length sleeves with sleeve facing and slits.  Neckline facing and sleeve facing are topstitched in place.  Narrow top-stitched hem.  No length adjustment markings are noted on the pattern pieces.  

The only change I made was to leave off the right side pocket a decision based on the drape of the fabric.  And the hemline was treated with Knit 'N Stable tape and finished with an inch blind hem instead of the recommended narrow hem.    

Butterick 6784 has been in my pattern stash for a long time.  It has made it onto the cutting table a few times only to be replaced with some other project.  It was all about the challenge of cutting out the larger-than-my-cutting table, single layer, pattern pieces that stopped me in my tracks.  That is until something wonderful happened.  

An Instagram message appeared from Winnipeg Sews offering table legs to anyone willing to come and pick them up.  And even though I have a similar set, two more made this dress possible.  I was able to extend the size of my workspace to open up the fabric and cut all the single layers without working from the floor and risking knee and back pain.  I'm so thankful for this wonderful gift.  It truly was a gift.  Without it I don't believe I would have cut this project out.  

Project details

Seams:  2.6 -- 2.8 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  2.5 metres

Interfacing:  0.5 metres fusible

Label:  "New Threads" by KATM

Knit 'N Stable:  2.5 metres

Pattern:  Butterick 6784

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, extra set of adjustable table legs, folding table top, fabric scissors, pins, wrist pin cushion, tailor's chalk, hand sewing needle for basting, iron, ironing board, Janome sewing machine, walking foot, blind hem foot, screwdriver, Jean-a-ma-Jig, Janome serger, threads (finished off 5 - 100 yard spools), thread clippers, Dr. Ho pads and coffee.  

Happy Sewing!

It's All About the Ease: OOP Vogue 9057

The latest t-shirt project was all about incorporating enough ease that most of my current t-shirts seem to lack at this moment in time.  I revisited out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 9057 and all the changes that I made to this previous version to recreate this one.  

Changes include:  

• Shortening and straightening the hemline (version A).  
• Pivoting the center front and back from the neckline to two inches of ease at the hemline.  
• Adding half an inch of ease from the bottom of the armhole curve and extending to an inch at the side hem, eliminating the waistline curve.  
• Adding half an inch of ease to the top sides of the sleeve, grading down to nothing at the wrist.  
• Adding an inch to the width of the neckline curve, eliminating the neckline binding and folding the edge over and top stitching.  

The fabric is a medium weight, butterfly print cotton knit from Northwest Fabrics.  It was pre-treated with a tumble in the washing machine and dryer.  It was lightly pressed before hitting the cutting table. The fabric handled it all well.  

Project Details

Seams:  Knit stitch (sometimes referred to as the lightning bolt stitch) 

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1.4 metres

Knit 'N Stable Tape:  2 metres

Label:  1 - "MAKE MAKE MAKE" label by KATM

Pattern:  OOP Vogue 9057

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, fabric scissors, pins, pin cushion, tailor's chalk, French curve, straight ruler, measuring tape, measuring gauge, Janome sewing machine, walking foot, Janome serger, threads, screwdriver, iron, ironing board and a chai tea break.  

Happy Sewing!

Little Girl's Special Occasion Dress: OOP Vogue 9072

This project was an honour and an absolute pleasure to sew and this little dress will be gifted.  

Looking at it here you can not see all the inner workings of this dress.  It has an underlined bodice with  full lining and netting stitched to one layer of the skirt lining.  Yup, it's designed to have two layers of skirt lining.  This is not a project for the faint of heart.  

This is a take-it-slow kind of project and I will admit that there was some self-imposed stress involved along the way.  The stress was all about changing the zipper installation.  Once a detour was planned everything worked out but it did take quite of bit of time to think about it and sort it out in my mind.  

I wanted to sew an invisible zipper in this dress because I didn't want any top stitching on the stunning medium weight woven silk fabric.  This is the kind of silk fabric that has been in the stash for years because I've been too scared to cut into it in the past.  If I had more time to work on this project and a steady hand, I would have considered sewing a hand picked zipper.  Regardless, I'm pleased with the look of the invisible zipper.   First, a 55 cm zipper was re-sized to the length needed.  

But most importantly, I had to reconsider the skirt and skirt lining construction to make it work and it's where I departed from the Vogue pattern instruction sheet.  After sewing the bodice and bodice lining the silk skirt was gathered and stitched to the silk bodice pieces.  The skirt back was left open for the invisible zipper installation.  And once done, the lower center back was stitched close.  

Now for the skirt lining and petticoat ruffle.  There were two lining pieces cut and gathered but it was too bulky so, I ripped it out and went with only one lining layer.  This would have worked out perfectly if I went with a regular lining fabric but I didn't because I really wanted to work with natural fiber fabrics as much as possible.  The lining fabrics are a woven cotton.  In the end I used one lining with the petticoat netting.  It was gathered and stitched to the lining bodice piece.  An opening in the back to be hand-stitched in place around the inside of the zipper.  First, I needed to attach the two skirts together and it was machine stitched together at the seam allowance around the waist.  

Once this detour was finished it was clear sailing.  The remaining opening around the center back at the zipper has hand-stitched closed before moving onto the skirt hems.  I cut the lining one inch shorter and stitched a one inch top-stitched hem.  The petticoat netting was the perfect length.  The silk skirt was then pressed and basted at a one inch hem and machine stitched with a blind hem foot.  

The last thing to take care of is diagonally trim the ends of the ribbon tie and pack it up for delivery.  

Project Details

Seams:  2.8 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabrics:  6.8 metres (2.2 metres of silk, 2.7 metres of cotton lining, 0.4 metres of underlining and 1.5 metres of netting).  There was another 1.5 metres of beaded tulle picked up for this project that I decided not to use in the end.  

Zipper:  55 cm invisible zipper cut down 28 cm

Pattern:  OOP Vogue 9072

Ribbon:  2 metres

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Flip chart paper, fine tip markers, paper scissors, iron, ironing board, cutting table, paper weights, pins, pin cushion, tailor's chalk, Merchant and Mills fabric scissors, Janome sewing machine, walking foot, blind hem foot, invisible zipper foot, regular zipper foot, Brother sewing machine, Janome serger, threads for the machine, silk thread for hand-basting, hand sewing needle, thread clippers, measuring tape, French curve, rulers, measuring gauge, seam ripper and lots of breaks.  

Happy Sewing!