August in Review

Sewing, Alterations and Mending

This is the most productive I've been at the sewing machine since February.  Back then I also managed to sew six items.  To be completely honest, I'm surprised that I a) found the time and b) had the energy to pull off this many projects from the sewing machine.  Tis the season of yardwork.  But I digress.  It certainly did help that three of the dresses were previously cut and ready to sew.  There are still some more pre-cut projects waiting for some free time.  

In the alteration department, this dress made it back to the work table to have the hemline lowered.  In mending news, the mending pile continues to grow as I discover new breaks in various seams or hand stitching while ironing clothes.  And then it's a quick run to the sewing machine for some repair work because loved clothes last.  It feels like the sewing machine sees more action in the mending department.   

The heating pad needed some attention as it started shedding its filling.  This project was hand stitched mending job I couldn't put off any longer.  Nothing fancy, it was a quick get it done and forget about making it pretty job.  

What to Wear?  

I'm asking that question once again as I'm trying to adjust to wearing a night scoliosis brace.  I'm trading in my pajama tops for padded t-shirts.  There might be the need to add some more t-shirts into rotation, maybe with longer sleeves for those cooler nights that are certainly coming in the next couple of months.   

Stash busting

This past month, I managed to stash bust 13.9 metres of fabric, 0.65 metres of elastic, 9.3 metres of Knit 'N Stable tape, two spools of thread and six sewing labels.  Of the three patterns used this month, one was new.   

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Children's Leggings: McCall's 7709

One more gift sewing project, the leggings, from McCall's 7709.  

I will have to give this a good pressing before I wrap this one up.  These leggings are sewn in a size six.  The pattern is rated as "very easy" and this certainly applies to this project.  There are no side seams and it can easiest be stitched in less than an hour.  

The fabric is another scrap busted piece.  This fabric first appeared here and is a 67% bamboo, 28% cotton and 5% spandex blend.  It was previously pretreated so I was able to get right to work on this project.  

Sewing IS Political

This is another Canadian 🍁 made and tariff free project.  The fabric was in the stash for many moons.  The "designed and printed in the U.S.A." pattern was a recent and tariff free purchase as the Big Four patterns are on a liquidation sale due to the U.S. tariffs.  The Gutermann threads are from the stash.  The label is a KATM project from an Australian company.  

Project details

Seams:  Knit (lightening bolt) stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1 metre

Elastic:  0.65 metres

Knit 'N Stable tape:  0.5 metres

Label:  1 KATM "You Are Loved" label

Pattern:  McCall's 7709

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, fabric scissors, measuring tape, measuring gauge, tailor's chalk, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, screwdriver, mini vacuum, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, thread clippers, iron, ironing board and chai latte.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Children's Top: McCall's 7709

This is another gift project made with McCall's 7709.  

The fabric has made a previous appearance here and here as adult tops.  This project is made with left over fabric that turned out to be enough for a wee gal's top.  It is a lovely medium weight cotton and spandex knit that I found at Marshall Fabrics a couple of years ago.  It was previously pretreated and ready to cut.  

The pattern, McCall's 7709, was an easy project to sew.  No issues to report and it is recommended for a beginner willing to give sewing with knits a try.  The only thing that I changed was the length on the hem, shortening it by one and a half inches and sewing an one inch topstitched hem.  

Sewing IS Political

This is another Canadian 🍁 made and tariff free project.  No fabric or supplies used to make this top contributed to the convicted felon's economy.  The fabric, purchased a couple of years ago, came from Marshall Fabric, a Canadian fabric outlet.  The "designed and printed in the U.S.A." pattern was purchased during a liquidation sale in part of the consequences of the convicted felon's global tariffs.  To be honest, I don't think I would have added anymore children's patterns to the stash otherwise. The threads were all pulled from the stash and are Gütermann threads.  The fabric scissors used are Merchant and Mills, an United Kingdom business and were purchased from The Workroom, a Canadian fabric outlet.  The sewing label is from KATM, an Australian company, purchased directly from their website.  

Project details

Seams:  Knit (lightening bolt) stitch

Seam finish:  Serged  

Fabric:  0.8 metre

Label:  1 KATM  "You Are Loved" label

Pattern:  McCall's 7709

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, measuring tape, pins, pin cushion, tailor's chalk, fabric scissors, Janome 4190 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, lint brush, tweezers, threads, iron and ironing board.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing!

Children's Dress: McCall's 7709

This is a gift sewing project.  

McCall's 7709 is a new-to-me pattern.  An easy peasy project with just three pattern pieces.  It was a quick sewing project and would be great for a beginner willing to try sewing with knits and involves a wee bit of gathering on the sleeves.  I'm not a fan of the recommended finish on the neckline and decided to skip the rolled hem.  I thought it would be too bulky especially around the pleats and instead finished the edge on the serger and then turned it over once, stitching in place.  Otherwise, the pattern is cute and it was a fun project to sew.  

The fabric has been in the stash for over a decade.  It is left-over from a dress I made for my mom, many moons ago.  There was one metre of this floral cotton sateen left-over and it was too nice to let it go.  I often thought of making a top or using it with another fabric.  It just happens to be enough for this project.  

The fabric suggestions for McCall's 7709 did not call for a woven but over on Pattern Review, someone made a lovely version of this dress in a non-knit.  And since this cotton sateen has a 35% stretch which matches the recommended stretch guide on the pattern calling for "moderate stretch knits," I thought why not give it a try?  What do you think?  

Sewing IS Political

This dress is the latest Canadian 🍁made and tariff free project to come off the sewing machine.  As previously mentioned, the cotton sateen fabric was leftover from a previous dress project.  It came from Fabricland, a Canadian fabric retailer.  The "designed and printed in the U.S.A." pattern is a non-tariffed product that was part of a recent clearance sale at Fabricland.  According to the online article, "Parent Company of the Big Four Pattern Brands Sold to a Liqidator" by Abby Glassenberg, "IG Design Group cited the impact of tariffs imposed by the USA as a factor."  The Big Four patterns will no longer be available in retail stores here.  That is why I momentarily put my elbows down and picked up this dress pattern.  Now, our only option to shop the Big Four patterns in the future, if this tariff war and annexation threats ever ends, is to shop online.  Instead, I'll be keeping a watchful eye out for second hand pattern finds from now on so not to contribute to the convicted felon's economy.  The threads used were Gütermann threads.  The label is from KATM, an Austrailian company.  

Project details

Seams:  2.6 straight stitch 

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1 metre

Label:  1 KATM "YOU ARE LOVED" label

Pattern:  McCall's 7709

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, pin cushion, measuring tape, straight edge ruler, fabric scissors, tailor's chalk, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, screwdriver, blind hem foot, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, measure gauge, threads, thread clippers, hand sewing needle, tailor's wax, iron, ironing board, tea and some good tunes.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

More Nostalgic Sewing: Vogue 9268

Here is another version of Vogue 9268.  

I think I have already mentioned that Vogue 9268 is a favourite pattern?  It's nice to have another version of this dress to wear when the mood strikes.  Over the years, I made four versions of this pattern but as of today, there are now only two sitting in the closet.  There were some lessons learnt along the way.  This pattern does well with a knit fabric that has some drape.  

The pattern recommends rayon / spandex, cotton / spandex and ITY knits.  I avoid rayon fabrics so that suggestion falls on deaf ears.  The first version I made was in an ITY knit, it draped beautifully.  Over the years since making that one, I stopped wearing polyester.  So, the first one found it's way to the donation pile.  The second version I made did not have enough drape and ended up being refashioned and then I outgrew the revision.  This version is made with a bamboo French terry.  

The fabric has been in the stash for years.  I will admit that I was a bit nervous about this fabric when I first picked it up.   It is made up of 67% bamboo, 28% cotton and 5% spandex and shrinkage would play a part in how it wears.  Bamboo is said to have a shrinkage rate of 6%, whereas cotton has a 4% rate.  The fabric was pretreated with a tumble through the washing cycle and time in the dryer.  Just in case any further shrinkage may occur, I will be handwashing and hanging this dress to dry.  It has a lovely drape for this pattern.  

The pattern did have some changes and alterations before it was used to cut the fabric.  First up was shortening the length.  And even though I made view A and shortened the pattern, it looks like I made myself view B.  The sleeve length was also shortened.  Then I changed the V-neckline to a rounded neckline.  The dress pieces were cut on the fold eliminating the centre front and back seams.  I cut the dress as a medium with the exception for the side seam at the underarm to the waist which was cut at the large cutting lines.  Since I have scoliosis, I'm not all that keen on close-fitting knits across parts of my back.  

Sewing IS Political

This is the latest Canadian 🍁 made and tariff free project to come off the sewing machine.  The fabric has been in the stash for quite some time.  I discovered it in the discounted section at Fabricland, a Canadian retailer.  The threads used to make this dress were a combination of Coats and Clark and Gütermann threads and were all pulled from the stash.  Once the Coats and Clark threads are de-stashed they will not be replaced.  I'm a loyal Gütermann thread gal now and I'm not going back to Coats and Clark threads.  The Vogue pattern has been in the stash since it first appeared on the scene and did not contribute to the convicted felon's tariff economy.  Vogue 9268 is designed by Kathryn Brenne, a Canadian designer.  The fabric scissors used are Merchant and Mills, a United Kingdom company and were purchased from The Workroom, a Canadian fabric outlet.  The label is another KATM product from an Australian company.  I ordered these directly from KATM.  

Project details

Seams:  Knit (lightening bolt) stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  4 metres

Knit 'N Stable tape:  3.3 metres

Label:  1 KATM "Look After Me" label 

Pattern:  Vogue 9268, circa 2017

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting tables (2), pins, pin cushions, measuring table, measuring gauge, tailor's chalk, assorted heavy objects to use as weights while cutting, fabric scissors, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, threads, thread clippers, iron, ironing board, many breaks, chai latte and some good tunes.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

 

A Pullover Knit Dress: Vogue 9268

This project is about revisiting an once upon a time favourite pattern, Vogue 9268, and stash-busting some fabric.  I made Vogue 9268 when it first was released in 2017 and then another version a couple of months later.  Currently, those two dresses are no longer in my closet.  I gave up wearing polyester which was fibre content of the first version and the second cotton knit version did not have enough drape to make this design work.  Fabric choice matters as much as sewing techniques.  

Enter the latest version of Vogue 9268.  This dress is made in a light weight cotton knit.  This fabric came from Mitchell Fabrics, prior to their closure.  This fabric has been in the stash for over a decade.  So, it is nice to finally stash bust most of the yardage.  There is enough leftover fabric to make a t-shirt.  

The fabric was pre-treated with a tumble in the washing machine and dryer.  It hit the ironing board for a steam pressing before hitting the cutting table.  It was a lovely fabric to sew and it makes me miss Mitchell Fabrics more than normally I do.  

The pattern is still a favourite, it is so comfortable.  There were some tweaks to the pattern prior to cutting out the project.  I shortened the length since I am currently shorter than the first time I sewed this dress.  I cut the shorter version and it's still long and I'm okay with that.  I also shortened the sleeve length and it's still a long sleeve version.  I cut the pattern as a size medium except for the small section at the side seam from the underarm to where it curves out towards the drape of the skirt.  At this section I cut at the large size markings.  The neckline was changed, eliminating the V-neck shape.  The front and back pattern pieces were cut on the fold.  

Vogue 9268 is a well drafted pattern and came together quickly.  Need I say more?  

Sewing IS Political

This is the latest Canadian 🍁 made and tariff free project.  I don't know if you heard about the increase in tariffs against Canada a few days ago.  

Artist: Bruce MacKinnon, Halifax Chronicle-Herald

Yup, the convicted felon, sexual abuser, pathological liar and TACO man is as predictable as ever.  No one is surprised that the convicted felon imposed higher tariffs on Canada at the beginning of the month.  So predictable.  And so the boycott of American products continues in the sewing workspace and all other areas of Canadian life.  

The fabric used in this project was from Mitchell Fabrics, a now-closed Canadian fabric outlet.  The pattern is a "Made in the U.S.A." product that has been in the stash prior to the convicted felon started the tariff war against the world.  Knit 'N Stable tape used is a Pellon brand product, an American company.  It, as well as the pattern, did not contribute to the convicted felon's economy because it has been in the stash for years.  Once I run out of the remaining Knit 'N Stable tape sitting in the stash, it won't be replaced and I will instead turn to my Coverstitch machine for finished hems on knits.  The sewing label is from KATM, an Australian company.  The fabric scissors are from Merchant and Mills, an United Kingdom company.   The threads used in the sewing machine and serger are Güterman threads, a German company.  

Project details

Seams:  Knit (lightening bolt) stitch

Seam allowance:  Serged

Fabric:  4.2 metres

Knit 'N Stable tape:  3.30 metres

Label:  KATM "Be Bold" label

Pattern:  Vogue 9268, circa 2017.

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table x 2, fabric scissors, pins, pin cushions, tailor's chalk, good tunes, measuring tape, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, thread clippers, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, iron, ironing board and tea.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Revisiting a Favourite Pattern: Butterick 6784

I am revisiting a favourite kAtheRine Tilton sewing pattern, Butterick 6784.  

This is one of four that I cut recently and hope to get to this month.  Two are summer versions (one cotton and one linen) and the others are cut in fabrics I can wear in the cooler to colder months of the year.  Why four more?  This is such a comfortable dress to wear, that's it.  Oh, and it has pockets!  

The only change to the pattern was to shorten the length by two inches after it was all pieced together.  It has a 3/4" topstitched hem.  I decided to leave off the collar, even though I do like the design and I did cut the pattern piece.  In the end, I decided to omit it since this is a warm weather version.  I also omitted the interfacing on the sleeve facing piece.  I just wanted to keep this light.  

The 100% cotton fabric used for this version has been in the stash for some years now.  I picked up this shirt weight cotton fabric from Emma One Sock many moons ago.  It was pre-treated with a wash in the washing machine and a tumble in the dryer prior to hitting the ironing board for a good steam press.  And then it hit the cutting table.    

Sewing IS Political

This project is Canadian 🍁 made and tariff free.  The fabric was purchased from Emma One Sock, an U.S. business prior to the convicted felon down south starting his tariff war on the world and trash-talking Canadians.  The "made in U.S.A." Butterick sewing pattern has been in the stash for years and was previously used over the years.  So I am happy to report, the fabric and sewing pattern did not in any way contribute to the convicted felon's economy.   I believe this is an Obama era fabric.  The threads used were Gütermann threads.  The fabric scissors used to cut the project are from Merchant and Mills, an United Kingdom company.  The sewing label is from KATM, an Australian company.  

Project details

Seams:  2.6--2.8 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  2.9 metres

Knit 'N Stable:  0.20 metres

Label:  1--KATM "Ooh La La" label 

Pattern:  Butterick 6784, circa 2020

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting tables, pins, tailor's chalk, pin cushion, fabric scissors, measuring tape, measuring gauge, threads (sewing machine and serger), Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, thread clippers, iron, ironing board, assorted cans used as weights, good tunes and a cup of tea.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.