April in Review

Seriously, where did the month go?  April flew by in the blink of an eye.  I had big sewing plans for the month but back and shoulder pain put the brakes on any plans.  Although, I did manage a wee bit of sewing.  

Sewing, Alterations and Mending

L to R:  The Assembly Line's (TAL) puff sleeve shirt in a cotton stretch denim coloured fabric (T:204) and 100% cotton denim skirt (OOP Vogue 1247)

Honestly, I wasn't trying to be on trend nor was I trying to go for the Canadian tuxedo look with these two April makes.  One was what I hoped would be a wearable toile and the other was a scrap busting project.  These weren't even projects I hoped to work on this month.  

I was thrilled with how the puff sleeve shirt turned out, hot off the sewing machine, the fit was lovely.  I wore it briefly one day before it got dirty and ended up in the laundry.  Fast-forward, it no longer fits.  Even though I pretreated this fabric, it shrunk some more.  ~sigh~  It's currently too tight and too short and it will be going in the donation pile.  There is still some of this denim coloured stretch fabric left-over but I think this will remain as a toile / muslin fabric.  I am happy with the TAL pattern and I'm just thinking about moving onto sewing another version in a different fabric.  The fabric for the denim skirt held up much better.  No additional shrinkage to report. 

In the alterations and mending department, nothing to report other than the mending pile keeps growing.  Those sweatpants that I thought I would work on last month are still sitting on the mending pile.  There are also some previously made projects waiting for some alterations.  

Stash busting

This month, I stash busted three metres of fabric, one invisible zipper, one KATM label, one snap, forty centimetres of basting tape and half a metre of elastic.  There were no notions, fabric or patterns added to the stash.   

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Earth Day and Fashion Revolution Week

This week is deep in reflection.  

Yesterday, waking up to the news that Pope Francis passed away was incredibly sad.  It marked the start of nine days of mourning for the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.  His words and actions throughout his life will hopefully continue to inspire those to continue to care for the environment and the poor.  

Today is Earth Day.  It's actually the fifty-fifth anniversary of Earth Day but somehow, it seems more important as it falls on a period of mourning for a man so devoted to environmental issues.  And more urgent as the convicted felon down south has withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Accord and signed executive orders reversing climate policies.  And yet today, on Earth Day, the White House tries to portray the convicted convict as a hero on environmental issues.  Is anyone buying it?  Sigh.  Does it matter?  What we do as individuals in our everyday lives does matter, whether it's something big like protesting and voting to have our voices heard or something as simple as recycling or growing a garden.  

Even sewing matters in the context of caring for the environment.  Chose sustainable fabrics, be mindful of using scraps, using quality techniques to create items that last.  And embrace repairing and mending to make loved clothes last.  

Today also marks the beginning of Fashion Revolution Week.  This is an annual event to mark the anniversary of the 2013 Rana Plaza garment factory collapse that killed over a thousand garment workers and injured many more.  It brought to light the terrible conditions these garment workers experience while making fast fashion clothing for the global market.  In its aftermath, it highlighted the poverty that garment workers experience while producing multi-million dollar clothing brands.  Along with the environmental impact of the fashion industry.  This year's theme is to think globally, act locally and many of the events surrounding Fashion Revolution Week encourages community engagement, "[c]ommunity is not just a group of individuals; it is a powerful tool for justice that can transform fear, anger and grief into hope." 

It sounds like a good week for some hope. 

Scrap busting Project: Denim Skirt / OOP Vogue 1247

I still had a wee bit, about 1.5 metres, of denim left over from this project.  And so, I thought to make one of my favourite skirt patterns, OOP Vogue 1247, from way back-in-the-day.  This skirt is a Rachel Comey design, circa 2011.  

The skirt was lengthened twelve inches with a two inch hem.  Other than that, there were no other changes to the design.  Oh, wait a second, I also finished the seam allowances with the serger instead of the Hong Kong seam finish recommended in the pattern instructions. 

Fabric

This medium weight denim fabric is to die for.  You don't find 100% cotton denim like this in the fabric store aisles anymore.  Well, at least not around here.  It's been in the stash for decades.  It's been in the stash long enough to have a faded fold line down the middle.  Yup, that long.  Thankfully this denim is wide and I was able to cut out this project around the faded line.  It was pretreated several times with tumbles through the washing machine and dryer.  It was steam pressed before hitting the cutting table.  

Sewing IS Political

This is another Canadian made 🍁 and tariff free project.  Today, the convicted felon's plans to annex Canada made headlines in the news once again.  This disrespectful rhetoric against Canada's sovereignty and the global tariffs are my reasons for sewing from the stash and not purchasing anymore American products.  All of the supplies and equipment used to create this project were from the stash with the exception of the zipper.   

• The fabric was part of the stash for over twenty years.  It came into the stash from Fanny Fabrics, a Calgary based fabric store chain that closed down in 2005.  
• The pattern, out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 1247, is an American product that has been in the stash for over a decade.  It was back in 2012 that I made my first version with this pattern.  
• The zipper is a  Costumakers zipper by YKK.  YKK is a Japanese company and the Costumakers zippers are made in Canada .  
• The threads are a mix of Gütermann threads and Coats and Clark.  Even though the Coats and Clark threads are labelled as made in Mexico, Coats and Clark is an American company that donated to the convicted felon's election campaign and once they are all stash-busted will not be replenished.
• The sewing label is a Kylie and the Machine product from Australia.   
• The snap fastener was made in India and imported by H. A. Kidd and Company Ltd., another Canadian company. 

Project details

Seams:  2.8--3.0 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1.5 metres

Zipper:  20 cm invisible zipper

Basting tape:  40 cm 

Pattern:  OOP Vogue1247

Snap:  1--15 mm metal snap

Label:  "Me Made" KATM label

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, fabric scissors, pins, pin cushions, measuring tape, tailor's chalk, ruler, measuring gauge, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, invisible zipper foot, regular zipper foot, medium sized snap, hand sewing needle, tailor's wax, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, thread clippers, threads, iron, ironing board, back brace, many breaks and coffee.  

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

Slow Sewing: The Assembly Line's Puff Sleeve Shirt / T:204

This is my wearable toile made in a chambray cotton with some stretch.  It took weeks to complete, not because it is complicated rather I was sewing in spurts while dealing with fatigue and back pain issues. As Bette Davis said, "this getting old thing is not for sissies," and it's interfering with my desire to sew.  But at last it's done.     

The plan was to try out this pattern and possibly make a version in a silk noir.  I'm not sold on moving onto cutting into the silk.  There is nothing wrong with the pattern, it's lovely and if my body was more model-like, the fit would be spot on.  Instead, I have scoliosis and a shoulder that sits higher than the other and when I have swelling, it is noticeable in this top.  But that will not stop me from wearing this one.  The lovely boat shaped neckline would look lovely on a person with perfectly aligned shoulders and back.  And I'm not sure how nor do I have the energy to alter the pattern to address this unique fitting issue.  Like I said, that doesn't mean that I won't wear it.  It is a very comfortable top.  

The pattern is perfectly drafted and the instructions are well written and illustrated.  No complaints about the pattern, you can still count me as a TAL fan.   

I cut a size medium and added to the seam allowance so I could work with 5/8" seam allowances.  I didn't follow the order of steps laid out in the instructions.  I didn't sew set-in sleeves instead I sewed the sleeves before sewing the sides and left the cuffs to the end.  The length of the sleeve was shortened three inches and the hem by 1 5/8" and has an inch hem.  Since this is a toile, I opted to go without interfacing.  

The cotton stretch fabric was found in the stash and pretreated with a tumble in the washing machine and dryer before hitting the ironing board for a steam press.  It handled the pre-treatment process well.  

Sewing IS Political

This is another Canadian made 🍁 and tariff free make.  Yup, we're still doing this while the convicted felon down south and his cohort are creating chaos around the world, threatening other countries' sovereignty including Canada and crashing stock markets.  Let's just say, that sewing has been a much needed escape from all the chaos and hardship the convicted felon and his cohort is trying to unleash on the world.   

I am happy to report that everything used to make T:204 were non-American supplies and did not contribute to the convicted felon's economy.  The fabric is from Fabricland, a Canadian fabric retailer.  It has been in the stash for many moons.  The pattern is a recent addition from The Assembly Line, a Scandinavian company. .The threads used in the sewing machine and serger were Gütermann threads.  The sewing machine and serger are Janome, a Japanese company.  The fabric scissors used were from Merchant and Mills, an U.K. company and were sourced from The Workroom, a Canadian fabric and sewing supply company.  And the sewing label used is from Kylie and the Machine (KATM), an Australian company.   

Project details

Seams:  2.8 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1.5 metres

Label:  1--KATM "me-made" label

Pattern:  Puff Shirt T:204 by The Assembly Line

Additional Supplies & Tools:  Cutting table, tailor's chalk, fabric scissors, pins, pin cushion, measuring tape, pins, ruler, red marker, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, threads, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, thread clippers, iron, ironing board, tea, many breaks along the way and a radio.      

Stand strong, elbows up and keep sewing.  

March in Review

Sewing, Alterations and Mending

Left to Right:  Cotton Trapeze Dress, Merchant and Mill's; wool plaid scarf, no pattern used.  

March was a slow month at the sewing machine.  The scarf was just a project that I made to use up the last bit of yardage from this skirt project.  I've surprised myself with how often I've reached for this scarf as the weather warmed up and it worked well with this coat.  The dress has a sixties vibe that I adore.  I took it out for a spin pairing it with a turtleneck sweater and it's so comfortable.  This may become my go-to summer dress.  Although, I do like my Eva dresses and they will likely not be replaced.  

And there was a wee bit of mending to a piece of furniture that needed some care.  These sweatpants have a tiny hole in the left back side that needs to be closed.  I plan to mend them today.  Otherwise things were quiet in the workspace. 

Stash busting

This month 2.4 metres of fabric and two spools of thread were used from the stash.  I did pick up 2 metres of fabric this month.  And I quickly regretted the purchase even though it was on sale.  

It's a man-made knit with a metre long sticky tape residue at the centre fold and right side of the fabric. It's not the kind of fabric I go for but it was a good deal and I thought that I could use it as a toile fabric.  I didn't realize it was damaged by the tape residue when I took it to the cutting table and the sales clerk did not point it out when she measured it.  If I had noticed this, I wouldn't have picked it up.  I should have known, the sale price was too good to be true.  Thankfully, after three tumbles in the wash and a heck of a lot Shout stain remover, the tape residue is no longer noticeable.  But I digress.  

When the addition of toile fabric is considered, I didn't do much stash busting this month.  And there were some new patterns added to the stash.  Three new patterns from The Assembly Line (The Tulip and Balloon skirts and the Puff sleeve top) and a new Style Arc pattern to test out with the above fabric.  I hope to get to those projects soon.  Hopefully, April will be a more productive month.  

Stand Strong, Elbows Up and Keep Sewing!

Home Décor Sewing: Foot Stool Repair

 

It was about twenty-five to thirty years ago I had this piece commissioned after spotting a similarly shaped foot stool in an Eaton's flyer.  I fell in love with the height of the foot stool but at the time I couldn't afford the one listed in the Eaton's flyer.  I found someone willing to build one at a fraction of the cost and had it upholstered in a fabric found at Peach Berserk in Toronto.  The foot stool fabric was picked to match an antique chair.  Despite having the same fabric the two pieces don't match.  The feet on the foot stool are more modern where the antique chair has darker wood and a more delicate shape.  Even though the feet on the foot stool were not what I personally would have chose, it's a very comfortable piece.  And the feet eventually grew on me now that I don't use the two pieces together.  

Fast forward to a couple of years ago, a wee little gal was happily playing on the foot stool.  And then she discovered that she could flip it over and started climbing on it when her foot went through the underlining.  Thankfully, she escaped without any injuries but that wasn't the case with the foot stool.  I finally got around to mending the underlining after talking myself out of removing all those staples and replacing it.  That will do, no one will see it while it's in the upright position.    

Now, I'm distracted by the piping on the upper edge that is starting to fray in some parts.  Otherwise, the fabric is holding up on the foot stool.  Although it had started to fray on the seat of the antique chair many years ago.  I'm thinking that maybe I should attempt to make a slip cover for the foot stool?  There is still some leftover upholstery fabric left over from this project.  However, it would mean piecing together the fabric to cover the circumference of the foot stool.  I can live with it, as is, by just throwing something on top of it until I made a decision otherwise.  But it just might become a future sewing project.  

Stand Strong, Elbows Up and Keep Sewing!

Stash busting: Merchant and Mills Trapeze Dress

I do love a loose A-line style dress so when I saw versions of the Trapeze dress from Merchant and Mills popping up I was sold and wanted to make one of my own.  I've been holding onto this pattern for sometime and finally can check this off the sewing wish list.  I like the nineteen sixties vibe of this style.  

The pattern is a simple dress design with a few variations.  You can make it sleeveless, with short sleeves or three-quarter length sleeves that actually would be long sleeves on me.  I did want to have sleeves but after reading review I thought that I should try this pattern out in the sleeveless version.  

Even though it appears in the line drawing to be drafted with no sleeve cap gathering, just easing.  There are a few versions out there that appear to have the sleeves gathered into the sleeve cap.  It is not a look I want.  I was also worried about reports that the sleeve opening is tight and I thought if I went with the sleeveless version, alterations would not be so challenging.  

There are also options for the centre back design.  It can be made with a centre back seam or centre back button closures.  I opted for a seamless centre back so that I didn't mess with the circular prints on the fabric and cut my fabric on the fold for both the front and back pattern pieces.  

I am disappointed there is no pattern for pockets included here.  It would have been nice.  Of course, that didn't stop me from adding side pockets.  I borrowed the pocket pattern piece from The Assembly Line's Tulip dress pattern.  There is no marking for where the waist or bust lines on this pattern, so pocket placement was figured out after a fitting.  

I did struggle with turning over the facing.  I am not sure with what I did wrong.  In the end, I cut open the neckline, ironed a narrow allowance on the facing and dress and then wrong sides together I hand stitched the neckline closed.  I guess this wasn't such a simple design or I just needed a cup of coffee.  

As far as the fit, I think I would have been okay going down a size.  I didn't find the armhole opening to be too tight as others have described.  There is good coverage in that area where undergarments are well hidden.  

Sewing IS Political

This project is completely Canadian 🍁 made 💕 and tariff free.  

I don't know if you've been hibernating this winter and just emerged to the news that the convicted felon down south and his cohort have declared an economic war on Canada and other countries around the world.  Right now the convicted felon has a global steel and aluminum tariff and Canada and other countries have rightfully responded with tariffs on American goods.  That means if I go to the fabric store, many sewing and fibre art supplies are more expensive.  I don't know if this was necessary since most Canadians are not touching, looking or buying American goods and add to that Canadians are not traveling down south like they did before.  But I digress.  

Thankfully, everything I need for this project did not originate from the United States and was already in the stash.  The fabric is a Japanese cotton that I picked up a few years ago at a Canadian fabric store, Marshall Fabrics.  The fabric scissors and sewing pattern are from a United Kingdom business, Merchant and Mills picked up via a Canadian fabric store, The Workroom.  There were no Coats and Clark threads that touched this fabric, all threads used were Gütermann threads.  And my sewing machines are all non-American machines.  

The Fabric

A swatch of this medium weight 100% cotton fabric was previously pretreated in the washing machine on the normal setting and the gold dots faded.  This time, I pretreated the fabric on the delicate cycle both with the washing machine and dryer.  It was followed with a steam iron pressing on the wrong side of the fabric.  Thankfully, it turned out beautifully.  I will have to take the same care when laundering the finished garment.  

Project details

Seams:  2.8--3.0 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  2 metres

Pattern:  Trapeze dress by Merchant and Mills

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, measuring tape, iron, ironing board, measuring gauge, pins, pin cushions, Merchant and Mills fabric scissors, Janome 4120 QDC sewing machine, walking foot, Janome AirThread 2000D serger, threads, thread clippers, seam ripper, wrist brace, back brace, tea, and many breaks between episodes of sewing.  

Stand Strong and Keep Sewing.