Monday's Mending Pile

Sometimes I stand in front of my closet and think, "I don't have a thing to wear!" This is because most of clothes that should be hanging in my closet tend to end up in the mending pile at one point or another. And well, I'm not the most efficient at clearing items off the pile. I'm not the biggest fan of mending.  

But I am a fan of finally getting an item back into rotation instead of adding items to the donate pile that might eventually end up in a landfill. That would just make me sad. Take this RTW t-shirt. Yeah, ready-to-wear, I still have some of those lingering around my wardrobe. That would make this t-shirt over five years old. I'm guessing maybe ten? I picked it when I spotted it on sale despite that it had this lace thing stitched to it. I didn't like the lace appliqué but it was a bargain and I thought what the heck, with the long sleeves and cotton fabric, it will be a good t-shirt to wear and work in the yard.  

Problem was I hardly wore it because I didn't like the appliqué. Seriously, I don't know why it took this long to remove the lace. Now, this is a t-shirt I can wear.  

And socks. Yes, there are constantly socks that make it to the mending pile and linger there despite that it a quick mending project. My bad.  

This cotton t-shirt made it to the mending pile once again when I noticed holes happening at the underarm.  

This mending project is all about my stitching rather than wear and tear. I used a lightning bolt stitch while sewing this stable cotton knit which was overkill. I could have easily used a straight stitch without any negative consequences to the outcome. Lesson learned for the next time I sew this type of fabric. And it's how I repaired this section, with a straight stitch.  

Well, I might not be a fan of mending but I am a fan of putting these back in the closet. 

Happy Sewing!  

It Costs How Much?

There has been an Issey Miyake skirt pattern that I've been searching for years now.

And this evening I actually came across it on Etsy. In my size range! I would have been over-the-moon excited if the price tag didn't stop me in my tracks. The price for this vintage pattern, with exchange and shipping, a whopping hundred fifty-eight (Cdn) dollars and fifty-five cents. That was enough to give up my search and any desire to ever own and sew this pattern. I think I need to start drafting my own patterns. When did pattern prices get so insanely crazy?  

Okay, I do realize that it is an Issey Miyake design but really, do people pay over a hundred dollars for a sewing pattern?  

I found this one, circa 1950's listed for one thousand six hundred (US) dollars. It's not even a designer pattern.  

It makes these Givenchy patterns look like a bargain listed at three hundred twenty (US) dollars for OOP McCall's 3625 and three hundred thirty-nine and eighty-nine (US) dollars for OOP McCall's 3788.  

This Simplicity pattern from the nineteen thirties is listed for two hundred and fifty (US) dollars.

And this pattern capturing the era of 1950s glamour is listed at three hundred sixty-four (US) dollars and forty-six cents.

Even patterns from the nineteen sixties are demanding some serious coin such as this Fabiani design listed at two hundred twenty-five (US) dollars. Not only is it a stunning design, it comes with a label.

Even this 1970s futuristic Handsmaid's Tale cosplay pattern disguised as a bridal pattern has an asking price of two hundred two (US) dollars and forty-eight cents.  

It's not just patterns from last century that are priced with eyebrow raising price tags.  This McCall's 4659 pattern from this century, circa 2004, is currently listed at one thousand three (US) dollars and sixty-four cents.  

So it begs to be asked, how are these patterns priced? Is it whether or not a pattern is considered rare, culturally relevant, or could it just be a typo?  

Happy Sewing!  

I'm tempted.

My sewing mojo is defrosting and with some milder temperatures on the way and a morning last week filled with birds chirping, I'm tempted with the thoughts of sewing again. Never mind that Butterick released their Spring / Summer patterns last night.  Yes, Vogue released their Spring line a couple of weeks ago but there wasn't anything that made me think WOW! But Katherine Tilton released a jacket pattern that did via the Butterick release last night.  

WOW!  Butterick 6569 is a home run!  Raglan sleeves, hip coverage and pockets make is my kind of workout gear.  That's the only pattern that I'm excited about. Now if I could just get excited about working out, then the pattern might make it to the collection 😉.  

How about you any patterns that you're tempted with in the Spring / Summer releases?  

Happy Sewing!

 

The Verdict is In

Back in November, I embarked on a little experiment to see if wearing a natural fibre wardrobe would have an impact on my allergies and sinus issues.  

It appears that it did. As the camera went up my nose, it was the clearest picture I've seen. Coincidence? I don't think so. When a change in lifestyle could produce such drastic results it's hard to ignore. And this winter, even with the brutal cold and wind chills, has been the first winter I remember living here that I haven't used an inhaler. [knock on wood]. Coincidence?   

It's official, I'm now going to clear my closet of all of the man-made fabrics that I have put into storage since the beginning of this journey. I can't tell you what fibres are the culprit, or if it's dyes, or chemical treatments on the fabric. All I know is that I'm feeling better since this lifestyle change and I'm going to stick to it. Life is too short to be dealing with allergy and sinus issues.  

It all started when I made this jacket, Kwik Sew 4197. So, without a doubt, this jacket is the first to go. There is a small part of me that is a bit sad to see it go as it was a jacket that really wanted to sew and it is quite warm. But I'm sure I'll get over it.  

This turtleneck sweater dress, out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 8939, has been a winter time staple but since is has a petroleum based fibre content I'm going to let it go as well.  

Another petroleum based fibre made into a dress that I loved wearing because of the print. It will also be leaving the wardrobe. If I could survive three and a half months without them, I'm sure I can let them go for good.  

But giving up this spring coat, OOP Burda Style 7304, will hurt the most. ~sigh~  I hope it will find a good home.

Do any of your sewing projects leave your closet and end up in other places than you intended?

Happy sewing!

In Sewing News Today...

I will admit that I'm getting tired with this winter's wind chills and extreme cold warnings. Not even a little groundhog folklore cheered me up earlier this month when this fictional groundhog predicted an early spring.  

I can't even wrap my head around the thought of sewing warm weather garments. It seems like such an unimaginable and foreign concept. Yet, sewing peeps are posting pictures of floral fabrics over on the McCall's Facebook group and Instragram. All the while I'm freezing and thinking I just want to crawl under a big pile of blankets and hibernate. Yes, my sewing mojo has taken a hit.  

I've cut into some of the wool fabric that I picked up when Mitchell Fabrics closed last year. The plan is to make a dress by merging design elements from McCall's 7546 and Vogue 1503. I plan on lengthening McCall's 7546 to a dress version and using the sleeve and placket from Vogue 1503.  Oh, and pockets would be nice. I just don't have enough sewing mojo to tackle it.  

I did spend part of my weekend organizing my button collection. How can a person have a large collection but yet not be able to find suitable buttons for a project?  

This called for a trip to the fabric store. With luck on my side and layers of clothes to keep the cold at bay, I found these buttons matching my olive coloured fabric. They were marked down 70% and I didn't even need a membership card. [insert happy dance here]

I don't know when I'm going to dig myself out of a pile of blankets and get back to sewing. Waking up to windchills of minus forty degrees Celsius is not all that encouraging.  

Happy Sewing!   

January in Review...

Seriously, January has been a blur when I think about at it. I didn't make any sewing plans since I knew my free time would be filled with driving others to appointments. It worked out okay since all the snow shovelling played havoc on my wrists and my sewing mojo. But I did manage to get some sewing done.

The Keepers:  

Navy Rachel Comey skirt, out-of-print Vogue 1247. I found all the supplies and notions from my stash using 1.1 metres of sateen, 1 metre of interfacing, a zipper, a recycled snap and reusing a favourite pattern. This skirt replaced a navy skirt that ended up being cut up for rags.  

When I made this pink wool sweater and blogged about it, I was not willing to admit that it's my favourite colour but things have changed. Never say never. I actually like how it looks on my sun deprived skin and it's been an item that I seen to reach for quite often. All materials and supplies were from the stash, 1.4 metres of wool fabric and Simplicity 8529.

The green and red plaid skirt is my favourite make. Paco Peralta's Vogue 1567 design makes me so happy with those fantastic pockets that drape from the sides.

Words can't describe how great I feel while wearing this skirt. It's fun and different and I like it. The three metres of fabric that I used for this project came from my stash and the sewing pattern has been in my collection for a few months. But I did have to hit the store for an invisible zipper, seam binding and some thread.  

The Fail:

The beginning of the year, I joined the 2018 RTW Fast and in addition I went further with vowing to stay away from purchasing fabric and patterns as well. Would you believe that I didn't even look at fabric when I went to get my zipper and thread for the latest sewing project? Thirty-one days down, three hundred thirty-four more days to go. All of the items I made were made with patterns and fabric purchased prior to the start of the year. I have a stash that should keep me going for the year and it would be nice to downsize. 

So what's in the plans for February? I'm anxiously waiting to see if there is any noticeable difference to the interior of my sinuses in a couple of weeks.  It has now been three months that I've stopped wearing any clothes that contain man-made fibres. I certainly feel better and have noticed a difference. This is the first winter that I haven't had a need for an inhaler. Coincidence? We'll see.  

Until then, happy sewing!

Vogue 1567: Mad About My New Plaid Skirt

Vogue 1567 turned out to be such a fun project to sew. And I'm thrilled with the final product.

This is such a unique design and it has the most satisfying pockets.

It did come with some challenges though. The pattern pieces are quite large and demand 150 cm wide fabric to make it fit unless you want to chop it up and cut it on the cross grain. That is what I did to make my 115 cm wide fabric work. I cut the front as two pieces, the skirt and the facing which worked out just fine. And there was also some sizing issues that I need to address. The pattern had to be shortened five inches. Paco Peralta's design comes with adjustment lines to make this an effortless process. 

The fabric is decades old, a piece that originates from Toronto. It is a wool / silk / cotton blend and it handled the pre-treatment well. I pressed the fabric on the wool setting with steam.

I don't know what else to say except it's comfortable and I can't wait to wear it.   

   

The Stats:  

Fabric:  3 metres

Zipper:  55 cm invisible zipper, cut down to 25.5 cm

Seam binding:  2.3 metres 

Pattern:  Vogue 1567

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, scissors, pins, measuring tape, iron, ironing board, thread clippers, thread, sewing machine, serger, walking foot, regular sewing machine foot, invisible zipper foot, and regular zipper foot, hand needle, tailor's chalk, ruler, tailor's wax, seam ripper, screwdriver, and coffee. 

Happy Sewing!