September in Review

Sewing, Alterations and Mending

It's hard to believe that the end of September is here and all that I managed to sew this month are five pairs of panties that I start sewing the previous month.  No alterations or mending projects were completed.  It was a pretty slow month in the sewing department although it was busy, my mind was working overtime on future sewing plans.  

I'm busy trying to figure out what and how to wear clothing with the scoliosis back brace.  It's been a blessing and also a pain (no pun intended).  Wearing a brace during the summer months has been less than fun.  It's been a long hot summer and wearing a bulky back brace plus body sock in the heat is not at all my idea of a fun time.  But the brace helps with the back pain and in so many ways it has been a blessing.  It also creates another problem that I need to solve.  

What to wear?  

This is basically what I wear now.  A sleeveless polyester body sock underneath the brace that causes abrasion wounds in the underarm region.  I asked if the upper part of the brace could be cut down but the answer was no.  And the family doctor suggests putting gauze bandages where the abrasion wound appear before I put the brace on.  There has to be a simpler solution.  

 

This is a RTW t-shirt with underarm flaps to be worn under a back brace that I could pick up online.  I dislike shopping online about as much as I dislike printing, taping and cutting out PDF patterns.  I've been disappointed too many times with scoliosis undergarments that I've pick up in the past.  Not going down that route again.  But it is an interesting design.  

I want control over the fabric.  The body sock I was given with the brace is made with 100% polyester and even though the label claims to "help keep skin dry" that is a big fat falsehood.  And it's pilling like crazy.  I want cotton, a rare commodity in the body sock market.  

If I want something in cotton and that is high enough in the armpits to provide protection, I'm going to have to make it myself.  The idea is still brewing in my brain, but I hope to have a sample sewn up shortly.  

National Sewing Month

Today marks the end of National Sewing Month, which this year's theme could be summed up in the words in Barbara Burman's introduction to The Point of the Needle:  Why Sewing Matters.

The most marked new theme to emerge in the intervening time is best called the new politics of stuff--when sewing for yourself is part of the desire to reduce ready-made consumption, to be a thoughtful and well-informed consumer mindful of the potential exploitation of people and the planet (15). 

Well as far as celebrating the theme of Sew Sustainable, I went as far as leaving a smaller footprint with the small output this month.  

Stash busting

Stash busted this month:  

• 2.5 metres fabric
• 7 metres elastic

Stash-busted totals for 2024:  

• 65.5 metres fabric + scrap pieces patchworked together to create new fabric yardage
• 14.4 elastic
• 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 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!

  

Stash busting: OOP Simplicity 8229

I finally finished the batch of undies I started last month.  Life and a late summer cold turned this into a slow sewing project.   

Simplicity 8229 is a favourite and the go-to pattern for sewing panties around the work table.  Sadly, it is no longer available but it was mentioned over on Pattern Review that this pattern is similar.  Added bonus:  it's a free downloadable PDF pattern and since it's for panties, it won't eat up all the ink and paper at the printer.  

The fabric has been in the stash since the time when Mitchell Fabrics was open, pre-twenty seventeen.  You don't find cotton knit like this in the remaining fabric stores in the region.  It was a pleasure to sew and it's a comfortable knit to wear.  The picot elastic was found many moons ago at Marshall Fabrics but it's been years since I've been able to find picot elastic like this locally.  I'm grateful that I had the materials to make these panties and at the same time sad that it's getting harder to find these items.  

Project details

Seams:  Knit (lightening bolt) and zig-zag stitch

Seam finish:  Serged 

Fabric:  2.5 metres

Elastic:  7 metres

Pattern:  OOP Simplicity 8229

Additional Tools and Supplies:   Cutting table, fabric scissors, pins, pin cushion, tailor's chalk, Janome sewing machine, Janome serger, Janome CoverPro, threads, thread clippers and tea.  

Happy Sewing!  

September is National Sewing Month: Keep on Sewing Sustainably

 

This year's National Sewing Month theme is a continuation of last year's "Sew Sustainable" theme. 

Be Mindful of Sources

This one is a tough one in today's retail climate.  Often we make choices based on autopilot.  Or are you aware of the decisions made while searching for the perfect fabric and supplies for a project.  We all want to make "better" choices but there are so many challenges along the way.  Bolts of fabric are rarely labelled with information that might sway our decisions.  

Let's look at cotton production.  

When was the last time that you found the source listed on a bolt of cotton?  It's a rare sight.  But consider if a country's human rights or environmental record would affect your decision on whether or not to pick up a product.  What guides our decisions in the fabric aisles or are we being set up to operate on autopilot without considering questions we may have along the way.   

Use Fewer Materials

These past decades, there has been a steady decline in the RTW market of using fewer materials when constructing a garment.  It all started with less buttons appearing on a shirt and the growing trend towards pullover or pull-on pieces that eliminate the need for closures altogether.  

I'm not advocating for this, it's just an observation.  Although, I do like an easy access garment now-a-days while strapped into the back brace.  But I digress.  Instead, this point can be summed up as avoiding wastefulness.  Recently, I was able to use fewer materials with the appearance of a second hand Cover stitch machine.  When sewing knits pre-Cover stitch era, I used a lot of Knit 'n Stable to help me sew a neat and tidy hem on knit garments.  Now-a-days, there is no need to stock up on Knit 'N Stable tape and spend all that time pressing it in place.  

Recycle and Reuse

There are many opportunities in the sewing workspace to recycle.  From sourcing fabric from other places than the fabric store aisles to reusing fabric from a previously make garment that no longer fits.  I have a collection of fabric scraps and pieces that I patchwork together and use as a new-ish fabric source.  

And we all have button tins, right?  A collection of recycled buttons to be used in a new project down the road.  

Leave a Small Footprint 

The dictionary defines this phrase as "to have a significant or lasting impact on someone or something."  It can also refer to a lifestyle choice minimizing one's ecological impact on the environment and community by reducing resources and space requirements for daily living or sewing.  Simply put, embrace simplicity.   

How to do this?   

• Focus on quality over quantity.  I've recounted so many times on this blog that I fell for those trendy fabrics made from man-made fibers and they are not worth the hype.  I'm thinking of scuba knits as one example.  Natural fiber fabrics will hold up and last longer than any polyester.  
• Maximize the efficiency in your work space to reduce waste.  Could your worktable also work as your cutting table?  How about the space that your sewing machines occupy?  Smaller spaces use less energy.  Mind you, I do dream of a large sewing studio.  Ah, to dream.  But then again, with a smaller space there is no chance the fabric stash can get out of control, right?  

What other suggestions do you have to embrace simplicity at the sewing table?  

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!

New Batch of Undies: OOP Simplicity 8229

Simplicity 8229 is now an out-of-print (OOP) pattern.  If you can find it, it is one that I highly recommend.  I've made more than a few pairs of cotton panties for myself and others over the years using this pattern.  It is my absolute go-to and trusted pattern for this project.  

The fabric and elastic are pulled from the stash.  The fabric is a light yellow cotton knit from the now closed Mitchell Fabrics.  The blue picot elastic was sourced from Marshall / Northwest Fabrics many years ago.  

This is the first pair of a batch that I plan to make.  On that note, I should get back to work.  

Project details

Seams:  Knit / Lightening bolt stitch

Seam finish:  Overlock and Cover stitch

Fabric:  0.5 metres (95% cotton, 5% spandex)

Elastic:  2.4 metres

Pattern:  OOP Simplicity 8229

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, fabric scissors, pins, wrist pin cushion, Janome sewing machine, walking foot, Janome coverpro, Janome serger, threads, thread clippers, iron, ironing board and tea.  

Happy Sewing!  

Scrap busting: Garment Bag

 

This afternoon I pulled out the scrap pile to create a cotton garment bag for the winter jacket.  It's now safely put away until I need it.  

Project details

Seams:  2.8 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Overlock stitch

Fabric:  variety of left-over scrap pieces (100% cotton)

Pattern:  Self drafted 

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, fabric scissors, tailor's chalk, pins, wrist pin cushion, Janome sewing machine, Janome serger, threads, iron, and ironing board.  

Happy Sewing!

Reversible Wool Winter Jacket: OOP Vogue 2571

Would you believe this winter jacket has been ten months in the making?  Actually, mostly planning, procraftinating and sourcing supplies.  Although, there were hours and hours of basting and hand-stitching involved as well.  Anyway, I'm thrilled with how this project turned out and it can be put away until the first snow flakes arrive.  Right now, we're living through a wave of "extreme heat".  

The pattern used for this project is out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 2571.  I stumbled across this pattern when I was contemplating a jacket made from a quilt.  And then I changed my mind and started thinking that a wool jacket would be more practical for this part of the world during the colder months.  

This lead me on an epic journey to find suitable and affordable fabric for the project.  Fabricland's 2023 offering of coating fabric was a disappointment.  All of the selection had some percentage of man-made fibres (polyester mostly) and did not feel warm enough for surviving a prairie winter.  And there was much the same at Marshall Fabrics.  Although, Marshall Fabrics did have some 100% wool coating options, these were out of my budget range.  And then I happened to check out the coating fabric selection at Winnipeg Sews and much to my delight there was a wonderful selection of wools.  

I chose this cream coloured wool for one side of the reversible jacket and the gray and cream coloured wool for the other side.  They're both wool and are warm on their own.  Together they make my dream winter jacket.  

These wools were previously owned and collected by Winnipeg Sews to be resold.  The gray and cream coloured wool came with a tag attached from Victor Woolen Products Ltd. dated 1984.  I couldn't find wool of this quality in the local retail shops when I was searching for coating fabric.  I feel very grateful to work with these wools.  

I am also grateful for this knit binding that I used to finish the edges of the jacket.  The cream and gray trim was a perfect match with the wool coating fabric.  All thanks is going to God.  I did have buttons selected for the cream side.  And for a time I was determined that this jacket would have hand-stitched buttonholes.  The original plan was to sew the binding by machine.  

And then, after much procraftination, plans changed.  I wasn't happy with how the trim looked when I tried to stitch through all the layers on the sewing machine.  Briefly, I thought of doing a rolled hem on my serger.  That did not look nice.  In the end, I decided to stitch only one side of the binding by machine hiding one of the gray stripes.  And then I hand-stitched the other end in place.  What I ended up with is the gray stripe on the gray and cream colour wool and the cream stripe on the cream wool side.  It was a lot of work and I lost count how many times I poked my fingers with the needle but it was worth it.  I love how it turned out.  

The toggles were ordered online after more disappointment with the options found here locally.  These are leather toggles made in Italy and the quality far exceeds anything I found here.  In the end, I didn't make the buttonholes or use the buttons considering if I would actually use this as a reversible jacket.  I prefer the look of the gray and cream side.  

The pattern is a keeper, although I'm not sure if I will make another anytime soon.  Love the fit most of all.  I did give myself a little more ease in the back by fanning out the pattern piece from the bottom hem.  I'm thrilled that this also fits comfortably over the scoliosis back brace and the hood hides the bump out the back brace creates in my clothes.  There are generously sized side pockets on both sides of the jacket and love the design of the hood. 

Project details

Seams:  2.8 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  4 metres (vintage wool coating)

Closures:  5 -- 7" toggles (leather)

Foldable Knit Braid:  5 metres (cotton knit)

Pattern:  OOP Vogue 2571, circa 2001

Additional Tools and Supplies:  Cutting table, measuring tape, measuring gauge, fabric scissors, tailor's chalk, hand sewing needles, variety of threads, thimble, pins, pin cushion, Janome sewing machine, thread clippers, walking foot, Janome serger, iron, ironing board, clapper, sleeve ham, tailor's ham, tailor's pressing mitt, tailor's wax and tea.  

Happy Sewing!