Monday's Mending Pile

These me-made sweatpants from 2024 made it to the mending pile because I wanted to replace the cuffs.  There was no ribbing in the stash when I made Vogue 8909 back then and I thought that I could get away with cutting the cuff pattern pieces in the fashion fabric.  It was a mistake.  One that was evident during the construction process.  And it didn't feel right when I wore these otherwise very comfortable pants.  

Today, I finally corrected that mistake and cut out some navy ribbing that has since entered the stash.  

First I had to cut off the cuff at the stitching line.  There was no way I was going to even attempt to remove a knit stitch by hand.  I'm at the stage of life that I am losing height so I don't think I will miss that 5/8" allowance from the leg length.  

Ah, that feels better.  

Elbows up and keep sewing.  
 

Stash busting: And Then There Were Two

There was just enough cotton knit left over to sew one more body sock.  And a head band.  

Now that I have two extra body socks made, the original ones from Brace Buddies were shortened, basted and cover stitched.  

Project details

Seams:  Knit (lightening bolt) stitch

Seam finish:  Serged and Coverstitched

Fabric:  1 metre

Pattern:  None used for the head band, the body sock was copied from the original Brace Buddies

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, measuring tape, straight ruler, tailor's chalk, fabric scissors, hand sewing needle, silk thread for basting, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, lint brush, screwdriver, tweezers, threads, Janome CoverPro 1000CP, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, thread clippers, iron and ironing board.  

Elbows up and keep sewing.   

The Mending Pile: Blankets and Dresses

The never ending mending pile was calling for some attention.  First up was a duvet, it has been shedding feathers and needed some patch work.  

This was done by machine, once the holes were identified along the edges.  It is nice to have this piece of bedding back in service.  

I am going through the challenging work of editing my wardrobe.  I didn't wear this much loved turtleneck maxi dress at all this past winter.  And to be honest, I can't remember that last time I wore this dress.  It's time to change this into a pull-on skirt.  I know I will be able to wear it over the lower part of the brace.  

I did the same fix to this dress and it's one of my favourite pieces this past winter.  It's comfortable as a skirt.  The upper part of the dress is set aside with hopes to make a patchwork cardigan or pullover.  

I made another dress that ended up on the chopping block, the Merchant and Mills Trapeze dress I made a year ago didn't work out for me.  I felt frumpy wearing it over the brace.  And the gold metallic dots did not retain it's shimmer in high stress points such as the front underarm edge.  So it ended up on the cutting table and turned into another reusable grocery bag.  

Tools and supplies:  Cutting table, pins, pin cushion, seam ripper, fabric scissors, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, safety pin, Janome AirThread serger, threads, heat pad, iron, ironing board and tea.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Monday's Mending Pile

Lately, it seems like I've been spending more time mending than sewing something new.  This past week it was all about altering curtains.  Two sets of kitchen curtains required some additional length so there was some quality time with the seam ripper to open up the upper casings and to add length by adding a facing and new casing.  Not my favourite type of sewing but I'm happy that it is off the list of things to do.  

My heart broke a little when I found this fraying at one of the edges of this duvet cover.  I wasn't sure how I was going to mend this one.  In the end, I just used some linen fabric to make a patch and hand stitched it in place.  

I would like to go back to this and do some decorative stitching.  For now, it's covered up and safe to put away.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep mending.  

Monday's Mending Pile

It seems like the pile of mending never ends.  It's like once something is placed back into wardrobe rotation, another item finds its way to the mending pile.  

This weekend, I was going to wear these jeans only to have someone notice that the back end needed some re-stitching.  And this is why I prefer longer shirts.   A quick fix that only required a thread change on the sewing machine. 

These wool pants required some quality time with a seam ripper and some new elastic after having a less than pleasant wearing experience out and about.  The elastic was too loose and since I couldn't find newer one inch elastic, I used some recycled elastic.  The first time wearing them out, I felt like I had to be constantly pulling them up.  I longed for a pair of suspenders until I could get back home.  

There was a bit of time dedicated to fixing these pants that was made easier with this little tool.  The best gift for someone who likes to sew.  

After the elastic waist was fixed, the hem required some attention.  Thanks to the scoliosis, I deal with asymmetrical hips and the left leg is about 5/8" shorter than the right leg.  The left leg hem required an adjustment to at least make the hem look even when these pants are worn.  

Next up, a pair of winter gloves that will have to wait for some free time later this week.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Monday's Mending Pile

There has been some work done on the mending pile.  Let's see, 

This yellow cashmere wool scarf required some attention with a fabric shaver to remove the pilling that has happened over the past few years.  And it was during this time that a small hole was discovered near the hem.  A little hand stitching with some silk thread and it is ready for another winter.  

The first Style Arc Elita Designer jacket / top that I made was on the mending pile for some adjustments.  I really like the length on the second version and this one just needed to have some length cut off from the bodice and sleeves.  I cut two inches off the bodice hem.  I chicken out of cutting the sleeve length and decided to leave them rolled up.  Now that the hem length is fixed, I hope to get some more wear out of it.  

The Daughter Judy's Henry skirt is a recent make and would be perfect for these colder temperatures but it's too big.  I didn't get the sizing right when I made this one.  It was in the mending pile to see if adjusting the hook and / or button might fix the issue.  But in the end, I decided to donate this skirt.  If I revisit this pattern, I will have to remember to go down a size or two.  

The oversized sweatshirt I recently made has a little hole that is starting to show.  I know!, it's not even a week old.  Just a couple of stitches were needed to address that issue.  I wonder if it could be the age of the fabric that led to the hole development?  It was made with a piece of fabric that did have several flaws but I thought I was careful with my cutting to avoid those.  Hmmm, hopefully this will be the one and only.  

Well, that's all that I managed to knock off the mending pile this week.  

Tools and supplies:  hand sewing needle, threads, thimble, fabric scissors, thread clippers, Fray Check, fabric shaver, seam ripper, measuring tape and tea.    

Stand strong, elbows up and keep mending.  

Mending Mondays

Last week I shortened these ski pants.  This week they are on the mending pile because I cut and shortened the interior elastic piece and reinstalled it the wrong side.  Ooops!  

I just cut them off and finished the edge on the serger and calling it done.  

Replacing buttons always seem to take the most time.  This vest has been hanging out in the mending pile for weeks.  It's now making its way back into the closet.  How I missed those lovely pleated pockets!

Remember that turtleneck dress I recently refashioned into a pull-on skirt?  Well, the left over piece from the dress is perfect for sewing patches on my socks.  

Well, that's all that I managed to fix from the mending pile today.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Monday's Mending (and Alteration) Pile

It is almost guaranteed that when I'm tackling the ironing there will be some mending waiting in the pile for some attention.  

This cotton slip did need some attention at various points where the binding is sewn at the upper edge.  The little holes that were starting to appear were hand sewn closed.  For an eleven year old garment made from a light-weight cotton, it has held up fairly well.  It was an easy fix, just a little bit of time investment.  Plus it is a reminder that slips are on my need-to-sew list.  

These pajama bottoms ripped when they were caught in the drawer as I tried to pull them out.  No stitching, just an interior patch job with some Knit 'N Stable tape.  Let's see how long that will hold.  I'm on the lookout for some scrap pieces of flannel to do a proper patch fix on this one.  

Speaking of quick fixes, I found a solution for the too wide neckline on this black Toaster sweater.  Last year when I made it, I chose to make an oversized version and sewed the largest size.  It has since shrank to a manageable size in the length but not in the width.  And then I caught a sinus and lung infection earlier this month and while dealing with chills, I closed off the neckline with my hands in a fruitless attempt to keep warm.  But it did give me an idea, why don't I close it off with a brooch?  I do have a collection of them!  I will be able to use this quick fix to the gray Toaster sweater as well.  No more drafty necklines and I'm going to count that as a mending win even though no sewing was required.    

This ready-to-wear (RTW) shirt has been in my closet for years but I have yet to wear it.  I love everything about it on the hanger but when I put it on, I question if it's too long and then it is hung back in the closet.  Let's face it women's RTW clothing is not designed for the below five foot crowd.  

I cut three and a half inches off the back, pressed a narrow roll hem and made my way to the sewing machine to change the thread colour on the machine.  I'm sure I'll finally start wearing this top soon.  

Mending Tools and Supplies:  Ironing board, iron, fabric scissors, hand sewing needle, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, threads, brooches, Knit 'N Stable tape.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Part One: Sewing Sleepwear to Wear With a Scoliosis Brace

My go-to sewing patterns for sleepwear have been Butterick 6296 for the top and OOP Vogue 9217 for the bottoms.  I've tried a few other sleepwear patterns but I don't reach for these as much.  Over the years, it's all about Butterick 6296 and OOP Vogue 9217 and when one pair needed replacing, it was another version of the set that made it to the sewing machine.  

That was until the new back brace entered the picture.  Yes, I sleep with this thing.  

And now my go-to pajama top just doesn't cut it.  I can certainly continue wearing my pajama bottoms but I will have to rethink the top situation.  I'll need instead something fitted but not tight underneath the brace.  The goal is to prevent fabric from bunching under the brace, this will help to avoid skin irritation.  I've been wearing these tops in the meantime.  But I want longer sleeves to keep my arms warm and cozy during those cold prairie winters.  

Now, I will give Vogue 1852 a try as my new sleepwear set.  Before I get ready to cut this pattern, I will need to trace it out and make some adjustments.  First up will be adjusting the pattern for the top.  One side of my back is four centimetres wider than the other side.  There is a shoulder adjustment that will need to be made on one side as well.  The length looks like it might need to be lengthened.  

My two resources to help with these adjustment are The Daily Sews 2018 article "How to Alter a Pattern for Scoliosis" which basically paraphrases Sandra Betzina's Fast Fit:  Easy Pattern Alterations for Every Figure's chapter on Scoliosis.  I have more issues caused by my scoliosis than are discussed in these resources.  But they are a good starting point.  

So, let's start this journey.  

I have a moderate-severe S-shape curvature and a significant rotation of my spine.  During measurements for the new brace, I discovered that one side of my front to back measurement has a four centimetre difference from the other side.  One side of my hip sits higher than the other side.  My shoulders are also not even and it is exaggerated more when wearing and moving in the brace.  

No wonder I'm smitten with asymmetrically designed patterns, it mimics my body shape!  So, the next step is to make this symmetrical designed patterns into an asymmetrical designed pattern.  Sounds easy enough.  Or does it?  Stay tuned for part two.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

September in Review

Sewing, Alterations and Mending

Dresses:  Butterick 6784 and Style Arc Top / Jacket

There was sewing this month!  Woohoo!  This was the best way to celebrate National Sewing Month.  All of these were previously cut and ready to sew.  I just needed to change the thread on the machines.  That made it easy.  

I have been going through my wardrobe to reassess what needs to be replaced, altered or recreated into something new.  After sewing the latest version of Butterick 6784, I was reminiscing about the first dress I made with that suiting fabric.  That led to an alteration project, this shirt dress had two and a half inches removed from the hem before taking it to the ironing board and sewing machines for re-hemming. 

In mending news, these sweatpants needed some reinforcement at the centre back seam.  I discover most repairs while ironing clothes. Maybe that is why I'm not a fan of ironing?  But I digress.  It was a straight forward easy fix.  

Stash busting

This month I stashed busted seven metres of fabric, 0.4 metres of Knit 'N Stable tape, six spools of thread, two sewing labels and used one new-to-me pattern.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Monday's Mending Pile

It's been awhile since I focused on mending and alterations.  Things have been piling up and now that I'm switching over clothes to reflect the seasonal change I'm finding more things that need some care and love.  

Source

First up is this shirt dress that needed some attention.  Nothing to mend, it's actually held up well but I don't reach for this dress like I did when I first made it.  It's long, longer than when I first made it, and then throw in that my heel wearing days are behind me.  I look like I am drowning in it.  You see, I've lost some height in the past seven years, I'm not as tall as I was back when I made this dress.  

The shirtdress was shortened two and a half inches and had a rolled hem resewn.  Done!  

Next up was this recently made dress.  Even though I cut it at the same time as this dress, it is longer than the red version.  It's the fabric, the light purple coloured fabric is a four way stretch and has more drape that the red version.  And with the weight of all the fabric, it just hanging longer.  

If I compare the two dresses together there is a three inch difference.  I wanted it a little shorter.  I cut five inches off the bottom and then applied Knit 'N Stable tape and finished it off.  It is still below knee length and it now gives the appearance that it fits better.  Done!  

Next up is a mending project, a simple repair to some broken crotch seams on these sweatpants.  That was easy, no idea why it waited so long.  

And then this coat / jacket caught my attention while going through winter coats and jackets to see if anything needed repairs.  It is shy of two years old and honestly the fabric looked in rough shape.  I am saying this after only wearing it one season, I didn't wear it at all this past winter.  The faux lambs wool 100% polyester fabric pilled that first winter.  It's not pretty.  Fabric makes or breaks a project.  And despite looking like a warm jacket, it didn't hold a candle to the other wool winter coats and jackets I've sewn in the past.  

I'm not sure what I will do with it other than rescuing the rooster button and snaps.  I might try to save the the lining and see if it can be used in future project.  

The last mending task was to reattach and reinforce buttons.  Another easy mending task that I can't explain why it took so long to do.  

Mending Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, thread clippers, fabric scissors, iron, ironing board, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, threads, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, hand sewing needle, pins, pin cushion, tailor's chalk, tailor's wax and a pumpkin spice latte.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing mending.   

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.  

June in Review

Sewing, Mending and Alterations

Clockwise from the top:  cotton skirt (The Assembly Line, S:402 Tulip skirt), blue cotton knit t-shirt (OOP Butterick 6859) and cotton pullover top (The Assembly Line, T:202 High Cuff Sweater).

There were projects completed at the work table this month.  All of these were first-time used patterns and turned out to be wearable toiles.  I would like to re-visit all of them in the future when I can find some more free time.  These June makes turned out to be some comfortable pieces that I often reached for throughout this month.  

And there was also mending and alterations that received some attention.  Bedroom curtains that needed some hem adjustments and various broken stitches that needed to be repaired were done.  

Another Pattern Shake Up

This month the sewing community was hit with the news of a pattern shake up.  According to the online article, "Parent Company of the Big 4 Sewing Pattern Brands Sold to a Liquidator" by Abby Glassenberg, "IG Design Group cited the impact of tariffs imposed by the US as a factor."  

It was twenty years ago that Fabricland stopped carrying Simplicity and New Look patterns here in Canada.  And now Fabricland has started selling off these Big Four Five legacy patterns (Vogue, Butterick, McCall's, Burda and Know Me) at deep discounts.  

It breaks my heart that these pattern companies are the latest victim of the convicted felon's tariff scheme.  But according to an upbeat message by Mimi G, work at the Big Four continues.  So what is going on?  According to a reply to a question on the Mimi G video update, there are Fall Vogues in the works.  Deep breath.  It's heartbreaking to even think that the Big 4 may not survive the upheaval tariffs have created.  

I did take advantage of Fabricland's recent pattern discounts and, with a heavy heart and elbows momentarily down, picked up a few patterns just in case it's my last chance.

Vogue 2115, Know Me 2076, Butterick 6745 and McCall's 8147 were recently added into the stash.  And elbows are back up.  The available stock at the store is low and many patterns found in the pages of the pattern catalogues are no longer available in the dwindling collection found in the pattern drawers.  The times they are a-changin'.  

National Sewing Machine Day

Another June presents us with another reason to celebrate our sewing machines.  June 13 happened to be National Sewing Machine day.  I am intrigued with what the future will hold with artificial intelligence and the use of sewing robots to help over populate the globe with fast-fashion.  Yikes!   

The times they are a-changin'.  

Stash Busting

This month 5.6 metres of fabric, 7 spools of thread, 1 recycled zipper, 1 KATM sewing label, 1.5 metres of Knit 'N Stable and 0.8 metres of basting tape were used from the stash.   There were four new patterns added to the stash.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing

August in Review

Sewing, Alterations and Mending

Clockwise L to R:  Reversible wool winter jacket (OOP Vogue 2571), cotton patchwork garment cover (no pattern used), cotton knit panties (OOP Simplicity 8229).

Most of the sewing on the reversible winter jacket was done in the previous months.  I didn't finish it before August arrived and I certainly didn't plan on sewing it during the hot summer months.  This project almost took a year to complete from the dreaming about it stage to sewing the last toggle on.  I'm just happy I'll be set for when the cooler weather arrives.  Apparently, we're supposed to have a traditional cold prairie winter with lots of snow.  Woohoo!  I'm not a fan of the summer heat or the insects that thrive in this weather.  

the winter of 2024-25 should see below-normal temperatures for about two-thirds of the nation, from east of the Rockies to Ontario. 

Winter temperatures will be coldest from the Prairies into the Great Lakes region. The coldest outbreak of the season will come during the final week of January into the beginning of February when frigid Arctic air brings a sharp plunge in temperatures especially across the Prairies.  [Source:  Canada Winter Weather Forecast 2024-2025 - Farmers' Almanac (farmersalmanac.com)]

This reversible wool winter jacket and a pair of ski-pants will keep me warm enough to survive this weather outlook.  

Replenishing undergarments have certainly been on my want-to-sew list this month.  The wish to sew a new batch of panties only yielded one pair so far.  Currently all my sewing equipment is put away but once the equipment comes out so will OOP Simplicity 8229.  

As far as alterations, I did spend some time with a seam ripper and try to alter this skirt hoping to make it fit.  But it ended up in the scrap fabric pile instead.  If the skirt couldn't be altered, the plan is to save and reuse the fabric.  

There is a big mending pile that was neglected this summer while I tended to the blessings from the garden and fruit trees.  

Top L to R:  Fruit and custard tart (birthday dessert, recipe from Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Desserts), homemade ricotta cheese (because the price of ready made cheese is ridiculous and it is super easy to make cheese, recipe from shelovesbiscotti.com) and apples prepped and ready to make a batch of homemade apple juice (so many recipes found online, take your pick). 
Middle L to R:   this was the summer of pie-making, apple and gooseberry pies (recipes from Good Housekeeping Illustrated Book of Desserts).  
Bottom L to R:  homemade hamburger buns (recipe found online), homemade French bread (recipe from one of the Moosewood cookbook), and gooseberries!, oh my gosh, so many gooseberries that there was even gooseberry jam production.  

With the exception of the ricotta cheese, all of these were shared with others.  The ricotta is saved to use in lasagna which will likely be shared with others.  It was fun and exhausting working in the kitchen but I will admit I miss having some time to sew.  Although, after all that hand-stitching on the winter jacket it was nice to have a bit of a break and let the sore fingers recover.  Maybe now that it's approaching the end of harvest, I might get a chance to tend to that mending pile.  

Stash-busting 

Stash busted this month:

• 4.5 metres fabric + scrap pieces patchworked together to create new fabric yardage
• 2.4 metre elastic
• 5 leather toggles
• 5 metres of knit binding / trim
• 4 thread spools

Stash-busted totals for 2024:

• 63 metres fabric + scrap pieces patchworked together to create new fabric yardage
• 5 metres of knit binding / trim
• 8.6 metres interfacing
• 6 invisible zippers
• 2 metres Knit 'N Stable tape
• 6 metres trim
• 8 sewing labels
• 25 buttons
• 5 leather toggles
• 7.4 metres elastic
• 18 thread spools
• 4.3 metres basting tape

Total additions this year:

• 5 leather toggles
• 14 thread spools
• 11 sewing patterns
• 10--20 mm buttons
• 7.8 metres trim
• 15 metres fabric
• 1 second hand cover stitch machine.  

Happy Sewing!

May in Review

Sewing, Mending and Alterations

There wasn't much new sewing this month.  A SD Patterns dress was on my wish-list since I made the first one.  Same goes for the sweatpants.  This month's makes were made using up scrap pieces of left-over fabric.  There were some new patterns to try and I did enter the stash and pattern contest over at Pattern Review but with the arrival of spring, I'm distracted with the thoughts of growing food, pruning fruit trees and yardwork.  And that didn't leave much time for sewing.  

Mending took up most of my limited sewing time this month as I tried to tackle the mending while putting away seasonal clothes.  The oddest mending project to jump queue was to re-stitch the Velcro straps on the back brace after they started to come apart post-fitting.  Along with researching how to adjust my sewing patterns for a better fit while wearing the brace.   

Me Made May

A selection of some of the me-made pieces pulled and worn over this year's Me Made May.  

Once upon a time, dresses ruled the closet selection.  This is not the case this month, pull-on pants, sweatpants or maxi length skirts, pull-over tops, t-shirts, and sweatshirts ruled Me-Made-May 2024.  Here was my pledge for the occasion:   

This year for Me Made May, I pledge to mend, care and wear my me-made items and the items that no longer fit into my life, I will refashion.  Sewing wise, I pledge to do my best to create fun and practical things with all those fabric scraps.  Hmmm, maybe another patchwork pajama set?  

Oh my!  That was an ambitious pledge.  Mending went well, thoughts of refashioning was on the ambitious side but yet not forgotten.  I did manage to sew with fabric scraps but no patchwork pajama set.  

This year was quite different than previous Me-Made-May inventories.  With the recent addition of a scoliosis back brace to layer between undergarments and my regular clothes, it proved to be a challenge in feeling comfortable in some of my old clothes.  Thank goodness I don't have to wear the brace twenty-four seven.  Thank God, all thanks to God, I do have this to wear.  It's a game changer.  So what if I will have to readjust some sewing patterns to achieve a better fit.  It's something that I'm more than willing to do.  The first pattern I would like to do alterations to would be OOP Butterick 5891, a favourite Katherine Tilton design.  We'll see how that turns out.  Fingers are crossed and Sandra Betzina's Fast Fit book is close at hand.  

Stash Busting and Additions

This month I added 2 packages of 3/4" wide elastic while sewing the sweatpants.  

Happy Sewing!  

Wool Pull-over Sweater: Vogue 9330

A few More than a few months ago, I made this skirt with the intention of sewing a matching pull-over sweater.  Let's just say this has been a slow process to complete this project.  

The Pattern

Vogue 9330 is a [v]ery loose-fitting pullover top has neckline variations and sleeve in three pieces.  

There are several reviews recommending going down a size on this pattern because of what some have describes as "very oversized".  There are a couple of makes where the undersleeve and side pieces have been omitted for a more fitted look.    

I didn't find this to be the case.  I have hips.  What I don't have is a big bust.  And I did find that it is very oversized in the bust area.  I did cut a size large based on my hip measurements and could have easily gone down a size or two in the bust, shoulder and sleeve regions.  So, there was some tweaking going on during the sewing and trying on process.  

Quite a bit was cut off (stitching was done on the chalk markings) from the sleeve and tapered towards the waistline on both underarm and side seams.  This gave me a fit that I was more comfortable with and it did not interfere with the sleeve darts that I quite like.  There is a generous amount of ease at the hemline and that is exactly what I was hoping for with this loose-fitting top.  Just beware of the generous amount of ease throughout the pattern pieces.  

Sewing Techniques

The pattern instructions call for a double stitch at the seams.  I did not use this technique and instead sewed the top with the knit stitch on my Janome sewing machine.  It is often referred to the lightning bolt stitch.  

Instead of hand stitching the hems, I top-stitched them using Knit 'N Stable tape before stitching them in place.  I wasn't all that please with how the hem finish came out on the sleeves.  If I were to sew this again, after adjusting the undersleeve pattern piece, I would make a facing and then top-stitch.  

The Fabric

The fabric is a medium-heavier weight merino wool from Marshall Fabrics, a western Canadian fabric store.  They do ship and if you are looking for fabric like this, the last time I was there, they did have other colours (teal, gray, and black) as well.  

The fabric was pre-treated before hitting the cutting table and it handles the wool setting on the iron quite well.  

Project details

Seams:  Knit stitch (2.8 straight stitch for the darts)

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  2.1 metres

Knit 'N Stable tape:  2 metres

Thread:  8 spools of thread 

Pattern:  Vogue 9330

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, fabric scissors, pins, pin cushion, tailor's chalk, ruler, measuring tape, measuring gauge, Janome sewing machine, walking foot, screwdriver, tweezers, Janome serger, thread clippers, threads, iron, ironing board, tailor's ham, sleeve ham, tea and months of delays.    

Happy Sewing!

October in Review

Sewing, Alterations and Mending

Top left clockwise:  cream coloured merino wool sweater (OOP Kwik Sew 4192), men's blue sweatpants (OOP Kwik Sew 3663),  chair cover and pillow sham (no pattern used) and white organic cotton knit panties (Simplicity 8229).  

Mending wise there were a few unexpected projects that needed some tender loving care.  

• A small hole near the back neckline seam was found in the pink merino dress as I went to get dressed.  It seems that is when I discover that items should be in the mending pile instead of hanging in the closet.  I used matching silk thread for mending this hole.  
• The hand-stitching on the inside cuff needed to be re-stitched on a favourite shirtdress.  Actually this one was not unexpected, rather it was sitting on the mending pile for months.  I hand-stitched it back in place with some cotton thread.  
• Small holes discovered on RTW t-shirts were also taken care of to extend the life for another season?   I used Fray Check™ around the edges of the hole and a polyester thread.  Here is a really helpful tip when using Fray Check™.  

Alterations were made to the hem of these pants.  Believe it or not the the non-existent hem allowance was shortened an inch.  

 

Life Without a Serger & Stash Busting

The serger sieged earlier this month and has been in the repair shop for weeks.  It's waiting for a new needle plate.  It actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  The blessing came in the form of an opportunity to organize the workspace and prep future projects.  Despite being without a serger for most of the month, there were 5.84 metres of fabric and 3 metres of elastic stash busted this month.  

Happy Sewing!