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.  

Pleated T-shirt: OOP Simplicity 2372

I didn't want to pack away the left-over piece of cotton knit from the previous project since there was enough to sew a t-shirt.  And the fabric was too beautiful to pack away.  This is what became of that left-over piece.  

This item has been gifted and well-received.  It is sewn with out-of-print (OOP) Simplicity 2372, a favourite and much used pattern in this part of the sewing world.  

The centre front and back seams were eliminated, cut on the fold, and the sleeves were lengthened. The hems were first finished with Knit 'N Stable tape, serged and top-stitched with an one inch hem.  

Project Details

Seams:  Lightning bolt / knit stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1 metre

Interfacing:  0.20 metre

Knit 'N Stable tape:  1 metre

Pattern:  OOP Simplicity 2372

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, measuring tape, pins, pin cushion, scissors, thread clippers, tailor's chalk, ruler, clapper (used as pattern weight), sewing machine, walking foot, iron, ironing board, serger and decaf coffee.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing

The Fabric I Was Too Scared to Cut: Vintage Vogue 1610

I imagine that anyone with a fabric stash has pieces that they are reluctant to cut.  That is what this beautiful Dutch digital cotton knit "Mondrian 2" (#70510), from EmmaOneSock was to me, a too-beautiful-to-cut fabric.  

This cotton / lycra knit entered my collection January 2019.  I knew I wanted to turn it into a dress but struggled to commit it to a pattern.  That was until the DVF wrap dress pattern, vintage Vogue 1610, entered my sewing world.  Once I made the adjustments to the second version, it was time to cut into this fabric.  

I don't know what else to say about this one.  The fabric's print is lovely and the fit on this pattern, out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 1610, is sublime.  I couldn't be happier than I am about this one.  This one has pockets, the bodice was shortened 5/8" and the hem is a one inch top-stitched hem.  Oh and the sleeves were lengthened maybe about a half inch.  

Project Details

Seams:  Lightning bolt / knit stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  3 metres

Knit 'N Stable tape:  2 metres

Pattern:  OOP Vogue 1610

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, tailor's chalk, pin cushions, iron, ironing board, sewing machine, cotton thread (for the sewing machine), walking foot, serger, polyester threads (for the serger), scissors, thread clippers and hand sewing needle.  

Stay Safe & Keep Sewing.  

February in Review...

 Sewing Projects

There was a bit of gift and selfish sewing this month.  I finally finished the patchwork pajama bottoms that have been months in the making.  And the sewing plans for the month changed when a vintage DVF wrap dress pattern, Vogue 1610, came into my sewing world.  Despite all this sewing for moi, I did manage to sew for others as well.  I finally managed to get the button placement right on Simplicity 6851, it's only the third try.  

And there was another pair of men's elastic waist pants that hit the sewing table.  I was experimenting with pocket placements on the front of the pant leg.  

Stash Busting

All of these projects were made with fabrics from the stash with the exception of the wrap dress.  The robe is made with a 100% cotton home décor fabric from Fabricland.  It was picked up last year for another Box Pleat dress from TAL when I spotted it in the discounted section.  Plans change and I'm glad I used it for this project instead.  The wrap dress fabric is a 97% cotton / 3% spandex knit in a medium weight.  I couldn't dream of sewing a more suitable knit with this pattern, it's the perfect match and bonus, it happened to be 50% off!  To be completely honest, I wasn't shopping for fabric for a wrap dress.  I was actually looking for a scissor sharpener when I happened to stumble across their beautiful collection of cotton knits at Northwest / Marshall Fabrics earlier this month.  The pajama bottoms were created with scraps and small pieces that have been collecting over the years.  The pull-on men's pants fabric is an Italian denim that I picked up in 2019 from EmmaOneSock with plans to sew a pair of jeans for moi.  Plans change.  It is an Italian enzyme wash stretch denim (#69037) and it was a dream to sew.   

Destashed this month:  11.2 metres of fabric, 6 buttons, 2 metres of elastic, 2 spools of serger thread, 4 spools of regular thread spools, 0.40 metres of Knit 'N Stable tape.  Of the 11.2 metres of fabric used this month, 4 metres were new to the stash.  My bad.  Only one pattern was added to the stash, the long-sought after vintage Vogue 1610.  

Sewing Plans

Sewing those sock patterns I didn't get around to this month and trying to rescue the denim jacket from the neglected project pile are back on the table.   And maybe another wrap dress or two.  We'll see.  

Stay Safe and Keep Sewing!

In Sewing (and other) News Today...

I was good with all this sewcial distancing.

Like many of you, I have a fabric stash.

And a hobby to distract myself.

Until things got real.

Euro Cup 2020 has been cancelled.

Until 2021.

Virtual window fabric shopping would surely cheer me up, right?

Swoon.

But I'm currently on a fabric fast.

Kidding aside.  How is everyone doing?

Personally, I'm a little sad by the behaviour of some people.  

There are people out there that are not taking it seriously.

Showing up at work sick.

Seriously, I'm not kidding.

I'm happy to read that many in our sewing community have jobs where you can work from home.

Be safe.

And thankful that you're some of the lucky few who can continue to work from home.

I worry for the homeless.

Those sleeping on the streets.

Without access to soap and water for frequent hand washing.

I wonder if those hoarding hand sanitizer are thinking about the homeless?

I worry for those with  medical conditions.

Those who are having their medical treatments postponed.

Those worried about others with uncompromised immune systems who are not taking this seriously and acting recklessly.

Be kind.

Wash your hands

Often.

Think about others.

To help them stay safe.

Keep your distance

Keep calm

Count blessings

We have many

We just have to count them.

And stay creative.

It's good for the soul.

Happy Sewing!  

My Sewing Top Fives: Fabric Hits and Miss

Fabric Hits

Hits and Misses where not limited to pattern construction, fabric choice played a key role in the success or fail of a project.  

This medium weight 100% cotton shirting fabric finally made it out of the stash earlier this year. It was an absolute pleasure to work with and it only highlighted how much I miss the fabric selection offered at Mitchell Fabrics.

I couldn't imagine a life where one is allergic to wool. That would be so sad as there are so many wonderful qualities of wool and it is one of my favourite fabrics to sew with,

Cork fabric.  Who knew it could be this easy to sew?

I'm not a faux leather fan.  It's the real stuff that I want to sew. Sadly, it's difficult to find in this part of the sewing world.  Fabricland sold a prepackaged small rectangular piece suede for an arm and a leg without a membership (an arm with a membership). It's more economical to find an old leather jacket and salvage the precious fabric.

Linen.  Need I say more?

Fabric Fail

There were a few, maybe three items made with a polyester fabric which have all been quick to pill. I've been on a path to eliminate man-made fibres from my wardrobe but I do have a few pieces in the stash that were used in my 2019 sewing. It just highlighted how much I prefer to sew and create with natural fibre fabrics.  

I think what surprised me at this look-back is that I didn't manage to cut into some beautiful yardage from Emma One Sock.  I have a beautiful denim waiting to turn into a pair of jeans.  Maybe next year?  I still have to decide on a pattern and finalize a muslin.  

Happy Sewing!  

McCall's 2447: Summertime Plaid

You're not seeing double, this is a second half of a matching mini-me set.  I made a men's and boy's version of long sleeve shirts and here is the men's version made up with McCall's 2447, circa 1999.

Yes, that's right, this pattern is twenty years old and the classic design has stood the test of time. As matter of fact, McCall's still offers this pattern for sale.

Now you would assume that since I've made a few of these in the past that I could whip this project blindfolded. Let me assure you that I'm not that talented. There were bloopers and then some and if you follow on Instagram you would have been laughing along.

My first error came just after I pretreated this fabric.  In hindsight I should have starched the fabric before cutting it out and the sad part is that I have fabric starch on hand.  This would have prevented the fabric from shifting.  I tried my best match the plaid in the front and would you believe that I even cut out the front pieces in single layers?  This fabric is a lightweight cotton and it is as delicate as silk.  I should have treated it as such. I thought that I would distract from the mismatch by cutting the front facing on a diagonal but it didn't work, I can tell.  Should have starched.

I was all excited to try the couture method of sewing the shirt yoke again (also referred to as the burrito method).  In my excitement, I enclosed the yoke before attaching the shirt front pieces. Yes, I did. I even serged the edges.

Once I seam ripped and attached the shirt fronts I noticed that I had sewn the wrong side of the back piece as my right side.  And I left it as is since you can tell the right from the wrong sides of this French yarn dyed fabric. I only noticed by the way the pleat sits. Shhh, this will be our little secret.

And then late last night when I was putting the final touches on these shirts I noticed that one front was longer than the other. How I completely missed that is beyond me! This was more serious than a seam ripper could fix. This correction required scissors and reshaping.

Thankfully, it all worked out in the end.

The Stats

Fabric:  2.4 metres

Interfacing:  0.80 metres fusible

Buttons:  9 - 12 mm recycled

Pattern:  McCall's 2447

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, pin cushions, scissors, thread clippers, seam ripper, sewing machine, walking foot, buttonhole foot, serger, iron, ironing board, tweezers, threads, hand sewing needle, tailor's chalk, tailor's wax and coffee.

Happy Sewing!  

Burda 9794: Summertime Plaid

First, can I just say how much I adore this fabric. This is a French yarn-dyed plaid cotton which came from Emma One Sock.  It is just sublime.  And it's a light-weight cotton that will be perfect in the summer heat. 

The pattern, Burda 9792, is a well drafted pattern and a quick make.  The instructions leaves room to want more.  The instructions for the placket left me wondering why there was no mention of outlining the cut line with stitching.  Other than that, I really didn't follow the pattern instructions too closely.  

The Stats

Fabric:  1 metre 

Interfacing:  0.60 metres of fusible interfacing

Buttons:  7 - 1 cm recycled buttons

Pattern:  Burda 9792

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, scissors, sewing machine, walking foot, buttonhole foot, thread clippers, threads, pin cushions, tailor's wax, hand sewing needle, and coffee.  

Happy Sewing!

What to do with Fabulous Fabric?

Back in September I won a gift certificate to EmmaOneSock.  Carolyn from Diary of a Sewing Fanatic was hosting the give-away as part of National Sewing month. It took a while to final decide on a fabric. I finally went with a virgin 100% wool from Italy. 

I knew that I wanted something warm and that I wouldn't be able to easily find here.  I was thinking a pullover sweater for moi but when it arrived I knew that my plans would have to be modified. This fabric was too beautiful and it would make a beautiful cardigan for my Mom. But she was reluctant.  I didn't understand until she told me that she wasn't quite happy with the pattern I had been using for her cardigan sweaters was not fitting the way she like. That is why I went to work on the cardigan last weekend.  I wanted to show her that I could fix the pattern to her liking and it was then that she let me get to work on this wool.  

But let me back up a bit... 

This was the first time I ordered fabric online without seeing or handling the fabric first. It wasn't an impulse selection. I researched the selections on the website. So how was the shopping experience. It was as fabulous as this fabric. Seriously, the website is easy to navigate and I like how they organize the fabric selections and the detailed description of the fabric. The checkout process was seamlessly easy. And I was beyond impressed with how carefully the fabric was packaged when it arrived in the mail. I was skeptical, and no I'm not wasn't bribed with another gift certificate to sing their praises here.  I'm genuinely impressed with the experience and would honestly recommend checking out the fabrics they offer.  

  

It was such a joy working with this fabric and making someone happy. Isn't that what sewing is all about.  

    

The Stats:  

Fabric:  1.6 metres

Pattern:  OOP Butterick 5760

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, tailor's chalk, scissors, steam iron, ironing board, sleeve ham, tailor's ham, pressing mitt, pressing cloth, sewing machine, walking foot, jean-a-ma-jig, thread clippers, serger, threads, hand needle and a thimble.  

Happy Sewing!