In Sewing News Today...

Did you know that there is a couture method to sewing the yoke on a men's shirt? 

Photograph source:  The Idle Man

It's true. According to the 1978 edition of Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing, it doesn't involve top-stitching or the slip-stitch. 

Couture method:  Do not topstitch yoke seamline.  Baste right side of yoke facing to wrong side of shirt fronts at shoulder seam.  Right sides together, match shoulder seams of yoke and shirt front. (Shirt will be between yoke and yoke facing.) Stitch through yoke, shirt front and yoke facing.  Thurn shirt to right side and press. (402)

Goodness! Do I ever love my vintage sewing library resources. I really want to try this on the next men's shirt, along with finishing the seams with French seams. I think that would look smart. I'm not a real fan of the Oxford styling with the flat felt seams and topstitching. It's not that there is anything wrong with it, I just see it everywhere in men's shirts. If I'm going to sew a classic style I prefer to make it stand out a little.  

I wonder if any modern day pattern instructions include this method? I checked the menswear patterns in my collection and they all only allude to the top-stitched method and the same goes for my vintage Vogue Sewing book.  

In other sewing news, I spent some time in the local bookstore that stocks sewing magazines and books. I have to say that I haven't been finding anything that I find inspiring. Is it me, or is there a over abundance of sewing literature geared to beginners or home décor?  

I did find one book that I would like to read but it wasn't a sewing reference book.  

Photograph source:  The NY Times

It has an interesting story as to how it came to be, I'll let you read about it here. First, I have to finish the book currently in my bag, blink. So far, it's a good read.  

Well, my Christmas break is coming to an end and the sewing machine will have a break until the weekend.  Until then, that's all in sewing news today.  

Happy Sewing! 

A White Dress Shirt: OOP and Vintage Simplicity 7840

Filling a request for a little boy's long sleeved white dress shirt.  

The Pattern

This vintage pattern is from 1968, back-in-the-day, when patterns envelopes were stuffed with pattern pieces for a whole outfit, not just one simple garment.  Shrinkflation is real and it has hit the pattern drawers as well as the grocery aisles.  But I digress.  Out-of-print (OOP) Simplicity 7840 comes with patterns for long and short sleeve shirts, a lined front zippered jacket and pants.  The sewing instructions are rich in details including a "dictionary" of sewing terms and guidance.  Ah, the golden age of sewing patterns.  There is something special about sewing a vintage pattern now-a-days.  

OOP Simplicity 7840 is a keeper, although, I don't know if I will have another chance to sew another shirt in this size.  This project was sewn in a size ten.  Currently, I do believe it will be a wee bit bigger than needed but with kids' clothing, they are sure to grown into it in no time.  It is a well-drafted pattern.  

There weren't many changes to the pattern.  The front pocket is a little small and after stitching it and pressing I decided to leave it off.  I would have preferred a pointed bottom instead of the curved edges but not so much that I was willing to recut another chest pocket.  My preference is for a buttoned placket for the sleeve but I did stick with the finished sleeve opening suggested on the pattern.  The shirt is not for me, so why change things and create more work if I don't have to?  I did, however, change the method for sewing the shirt yoke.  For this, I referred to page 402 in the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing and sewed the yoke using "the couture method."  That's what they called it back in nineteen seventy-six.  Today, "the couture method" is often referred to as the burrito method.  Since, we're talking about a vintage pattern, why not stick with the vintage terminology.  

The Fabric and Notions

I was lucky enough to find some white cotton fabric suitable for a dress shirt in the stash.  The fabric is leftover from a previous project and the 1.7 metres were the perfect amount required for this project.  It was pre-treated with a tumble through the washing machine and dryer before arriving on the ironing board for a steam press.  

The shirt was interfaced with a fusible interfacing and instead of placing the interfacing on the shirt front, it was inserted on the facing piece.  This is the second vintage pattern recently used that suggests placing the interfacing on the front rather than the facing.  The other pattern was re-released DVF wrap dress pattern, Vogue 2000.  

The recycled buttons were found in the stash.   The cotton thread, thankfully, was also from the stash.  It was leftover from microwave cozy sewing days.  Actually everything needed to complete this project was found or borrowed.  The pattern was borrowed for this project.  

Project details

Seams:  2.2 -- 2.8 straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  1.7 metres

Interfacing:  1 metre

Buttons:  seven -- half inch and two -- three-quarter inch recycled plastic buttons

Pattern:  vintage and OOP Simplicity 7840

Additional Tools and Supplies:  cutting table, measuring tape, pins, pin cushion, tailor's chalk, ruler, measuring gauge, paper scissors, fabric scissors, Janome sewing machine, walking foot, buttonhole foot, Janome serger, tweezers, threads, thread clippers, iron, ironing board, hand sewing needle, thimble, tailor's wax, good tunes (2 Cellos) and tea.  

Happy Sewing!

McCall's 2447 Shirt

I've made a few versions of this shirt pattern. This is the first time using the couture method of sewing the shirt yoke. And I do believe that I will never go back to top-stitching a shirt yoke again. Why pattern instructions don't show this method and how this method has elude my sewing repertoire is beyond me.

This method is outlined in my vintage copy of The Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing. And I do plan to revisit this method along with this pattern.

McCall's 2447 is the cat's meow as far as patterns go. It is well drafted and all of the piece come together without any issue. No complaints or issues with the pattern.  

The fabric is one of the best quality shirt fabrics I've had the pleasure to sew with, it was sublime. It is a cotton with a bit of stretch from the now-closed Mitchell Fabrics. Thankfully after pre-shrinking the fabric there was enough for the project. It did shrink significantly. The fabric was pretreated with a tumble through the washing machine and dryer.    

Stats:

Fabric:  3.3 metres of striped shirting 

Interfacing:  1.2 metres of fusible interfacing

Pattern:   McCall's 2447

Buttons:  10 - 9 mm

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Sewing machine, serger, buttonhole foot, threads, cutting table, scissors, thread clippers, pins, pin cushion, measuring tape, measure gauge, tailor's chalk, new sewing machine needle, hand needle, tailor's wax, buttonhole cutter, clapper, pointer, thimble, bandage, iron, ironing board and tea.  

Happy Sewing!

     

Men's Shirt: Vogue 8889

I've tried a new (to me) men's shirt pattern, Vogue 8889.  The one thing that I've noticed about the men's shirt patterns currently offered over at Vogue patterns is that the button-down shirt patterns have become more fitted with shaping detail options. Not one of the pattern selection has a back centre pleat I've been used to sewing. So this experience was quite different to sewing McCall's 2447, my go-to men's shirt pattern over the years.   

I chose view C for this project. And my plan was to stick to the pattern instructions while constructing this project but that soon fell to the sidelines. 

Flat Felled Seams

The flat-felled seams for this shirt design are lovely. But they were quite fussy as well, I soon became bored with the time investment that this feature demanded especially since I'm on a time crunch with having this finished. It probably didn't help that I'm sewing this while dealing with a sinus infection and my focus and attention span is limited at the moment. Since this type of enclosed seam is typically used when very sturdy finish is required it seemed to work well with the fitted shirt design. The only seams that were not finished using the flat-felled seam technique were the armhole and side seams. For those I finished the seam with the serger.

I did notice that the flat-felled seam instructions that came with the pattern differ slightly from the one found in my vintage Vogue Sewing and Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing books. The vintage sewing books instruct that the fabric should be wrong sides together for the first stitch on the seamline and to sew the felled seam on the right side.  The instructions from Vogue 8889 call for the felled seams asks for the right sides together and the felled seam to be seam on the wrong side. On this shirt it looks as it's been topstitched from the right side of the shirt and the enclosed nature of the seam is hidden on the inside.   

The Yoke

Vogue 8889 has instructions for a classic shirt yoke with topstitching. Instead, this shirt's yoke has been sewn using the couture method. Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing has this method outlined in it's pages. It's also referred to as the burrito method in online references.

The Placket

The sleeves have a shirt placket pattern piece that works out perfectly without having to make the "3/8" diagonal clip at [the] inner corner of placket."  I would suggest leaving out this step, it really is unnecessary. For sewing the cuffs, I didn't follow the pattern instructions and just did it as I would when sewing McCall's 2447.

There is also a front placket that hides the buttons, this is well designed and easy to complete. I was surprised that it didn't call for interfacing here at first but I have to say, it turned out perfectly.

The Collar

This design incorporates something called a under collar band. I left it off as I didn't see it as being necessary for the person who will be wearing the shirt. Now that the collar is sewn, I can understand it's function with the narrow width of the collar and how it could perform well in order to hold a necktie in place without peeking under the collar edge. It may as well help the narrow collar to sit better than it does without.

Other than these small changes, the pattern turned out well. I don't know if I will have an occasion to make another. This shirt is part of a "Dad and Mini-me" set for a client.

The fabric that I used for this shirt was a light weight 100% cotton. It was prewashed at a regular temperature setting and with warm water followed with a tumble in the dryer and a steam pressing. It handled the pre-treatment and pressing well. I didn't notice a lot a shrinkage, minimal actually. Now to get to work on the mini-me version.  

The Stats

Fabric:  1.9 metres 

Interfacing:  .7 metres

Buttons:  14 (the pattern calls for 15 but I left off the under collar piece and didn't use the two required there.  An extra button was sewn into the inside of the lower front placket.  

Pattern:  Vogue 8889

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, scissors, measuring tape, pins, measuring gauge, iron, ironing board, tailor's chalk, pin cushions, collar pointer, clapper, sewing machine, walking foot, buttonhole foot, buttonhole cutter, serger, threads, hand-sewing needle, tailor's wax, thimble, and a few breaks to think where to go with this project.  

Happy Sewing!

My Sewing Top Fives: Sewing Techniques

Top Five Sewing Techniques

1.  This year I discovered the couture method (also known as the burrito method) of sewing shirt yokes with this shirt project.  And I have never looked back at my old method of top-stitching a yoke in place.  

There is a wonderful set of instructions for this sewing technique in the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing.  

2.  Clothes pins, they're not just for hanging up clothes to dry.  Paper clips could work just as well!  I learned this year that there are gadgets around us that can be adapted for use in sewing projects without running off to an overpriced fabric store for supplies.  

3.  Pad-stitching can be done by machine to save time.   

4.  Using a buttonhole cutter for opening buttonholes was a game changer.  

5.  Stay tape makes all the difference when it comes to sewing with knits, especially when it comes to sewing hems.  Stay tape stabilizes and supports the edges to they don't stretch out and gape.  

Happy Sewing!  

The Quest for the Perfect White Shirt Pattern: Vogue 1678

I'm on a quest for "the perfect white shirt" pattern. And the next stop in my search is with Vogue 1678 from the Spring 2020 pattern release.

Design wise this pattern checks off a few items from my wish list, asymmetrical design, long sleeves and cuffs, loose-fitting enough to hide my weight gain (at least until I lose some weight). Missing from my wish list are pockets and a menswear style sleeve placket.

In reality, it hit all of my wish items, this pattern is as close to perfect as it can get. I can live without pockets on a shirt and even though there are not the traditional menswear style sleeve placket, I like the finish on this one. I absolutely adore the design. This pattern is a keeper.

There were a few changes after the first fitting. I opened up the side slits three and a half inches to accommodate the need for extra ease in the backside.  And I had to adjust the button placement for again for the need for extra ease. Easy fixes. I did shorten the sleeves about one inch before cutting (my usual adjustment) but I could have easily doubled that adjustment. I might shorten the hem next time around. I used the couture method (also known as the burrito method) for sewing the yoke instead of the method illustrated in the instructions.

I didn't want to use up anymore white fabric from the stash until I found "the one" pattern that would be worthy of the honour. The fabric that I did use for this project is a medium weight cotton with some stretch from Mitchell Fabrics found lingering in the stash. It has an uneven grid and dot pattern and was pretreated with a tumble through the washer and dryer cycles followed by a steam pressing.

These four hole buttons were a recent find at Northwest Fabrics. They don't often carry buttons and I couldn't be more pleased with how perfect they turned out to be for this fabric.

I'm defiantly going to revisit this pattern. Maybe in a white linen.

The Stats

Fabric:  2.2 metres

Interfacing:  0.7 metres

Buttons:  10 - 1/2" buttons

Pattern:  Vogue 1678

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, scissors, pin cushions, tailor's chalk, measuring tape, rulers, measuring gauge, clapper, sleeve ham, tailor's ham, sewing machine, buttonhole foot, serger, threads, tweezers, thread clippers, tailor's wax, hand sewing needle, thimble, buttonhole cutter, hammer, cutting board and some good tunes.  

Happy Sewing!

The Making of a Cape: Chapter 2 -- Bound Buttonholes

Many delightful details were found in the Kate Spade cape I tried on. I was impressed by the bound buttonholes, a technique that I longed to master.

I tried Tasia St. Germaine's method found in The Sewtionary while working on a spring coat, yet to be finished. But I didn't want to revisit this method.

And goodness knows, there are many ways to do a bound buttonhole as an internet search will reveal. And there lies my problem, I haven't yet discovered a method that I'm comfortable with for this project.

I decided to try Claire B. Shaeffer's method next. In her book, Couture Sewing Techniques she points out that there are various methods for making bound buttonholes and I wonder if this is why I have yet to find detailed instructions in pattern sheets. Could it be that there is no consensus on a universal method to do bound buttonholes?  She offers the patch and strip methods in her book but I chose the  method that Claire Shaeffer shares here.  And the practice bound buttonhole turned out fine.  

This practice bound buttonhole had me giddy with excitement. Words can not express how giddy. I changed the thread on the sewing machine, basted and marked all the markings and set to work.  

Perhaps, the excitement of that practice bound buttonhole got in the way of my clear thinking and I sewed my stripes to the wrong side of my fabric! To be completely honest my ability to laugh at this error was based on the fact that I had some more fabric if I needed to cut another front. But Mama R had a suggestion when I told her what happened.

"Why don't you take them off and sew them to the right side?," she asked.

I explained that I had stitched them in place with 1.5 length stitches and with my red thread perfectly matching my fashion fabric I'll never get in there with a seam ripper.

"Not even with the new seam ripper?," she questions my illogical response.

What is wrong with me?, I thought to myself recalling how crazy awesome the Pro Seam ripper works. And that is how the bound button blooper was fixed. I carefully cut out the stitching, finished basting and thankfully have some beautiful bound buttonholes.Thanks Mama R!

The stripes are created by folding a length of scrap fabric, pressing and then stitching 1/4" away from the fold. The length is calculated at the width of your button plus an additional inch.  Then I stitched the strips in place matching where I basted the placement lines.

I clipped between the two stripes and then diagonally into the corners.

And then I turned the ends over and stitched the triangular end in place before trimming the excess from the ends.

I turned over my front to check out the button hole and steam pressed using the clapper. I finished by diagonally hand-stitching the opening closed and now I can proceed with the next steps.

Stay tuned for the next chapter, until then, happy sewing.  

January in Review

There are two seasonal diversions that can ease the bitterness of January wind chills and frostbite warnings, sewing and the release of the new spring line. Okay, I might be joking but not about the cold. Perfect temperatures to test out my winter coat if I weren't so afraid to spend time out there. But I digress...

Sewing 

This month was all about sewing with previously used patterns. I didn't try out any new-to-me patterns this month. And other than a robe and pair of knickers for myself, the rest of the sewing projects were to be gifted to others. 

I did, however, try out a new-to-me sewing technique. It is called the couture method in one of my sewing books or as Susan refers to it as the "burrito method" of sewing a shirt yoke. I have to agree with Susan, it is tidy.

Super thrilled to have completed a project that has been sitting around for years. Well, it felt good to check one unfinished project off the list.  

This month, eleven and a half metres of fabric, two point ten metres of interfacing, two point four metres of ribbon and twenty-four buttons were stash busted. I would say that it was a good month sewing wise. I still haven't got around to sewing a toile for those boot-legged jeans that I keep thinking and talking about. Maybe next moth.

Spring Pattern Release

I have to admit, it has been awhile since Vogue released patterns that I really want to try.  Even though I was disappointed with the fit of the last Marcy Tilton dress I made, I would like to give this one a try.  

Thrilled to see that designers are pulling up their pants when it comes to where the waistband sits.  

The coat pattern is quite nice too.  

There was much a do about this Meaghan Markle inspired look but it actually reminds me more of a DKNY design with the skirt drape.  

View C caught my eye, maybe it's that it has pockets? Otherwise it's a pretty classic design. Its a toss-up between this and Paco Peralta's design.  

It's nice to see the spring offerings but when you're piling on the layers to keep warm, it's hard to wrap your head around the thought that spring might just be around the corner. In the meantime, while I'm waiting for spring to get here. I hope to get to work on those jeans and something with sleeves.  

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!  

Repeat: McCall's 2447

I might be ending the sewing year the same way it started, with McCall's 2447, circa 1999.  It's a button-down shirt with a back pleat and couture yoke. The pattern might be twenty years old but this one is a classic. 

The only change that was made to this pattern design was lengthening the hem by two inches. Otherwise, just the method instructed in the pattern for sewing the yoke I switched for the couture (known online by more hip-than-I sewists as the burrito) method outline in my Reader's Digest Sewing book, circa 1980.  I also chose to interface the top portion of the shirt pocket.

The fabric is a shirting fabric from the stash. It was pretreated with a tumble through the washing machine and dryer followed by a steam pressing before it hit the cutting table.  It handled the process well and even handled the cotton heat setting on the iron although I suspect that this is a blend. The cut edges of this fabric was prone to some fraying and it does have a light-weight drape structure to it. I don't have any record of a fibre content for this one.

The number of buttons were increased from what is recommended on the pattern envelope.  Instead of seven recommended, I used ten. The buttons was sourced from a big collection of odds and ends and I only had nine of the two whole buttons that I used in the front.  The cuffs have a matching colour but are four-holed buttons. I was just making do with what I have in the stash.

McCall's 2447 is a well-drafted pattern. I would highly recommend this one if you're in the market for a men's shirt pattern.  

The Stats

Fabric:  2.5 metres

Interfacing:  1 metre fusible

Buttons:  11 - 9 mm 

Pattern:  McCall's 2447

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, iron, ironing board, pressing mitt, sleeve ham, pins, measuring tape, measuring gauge, ruler, tailor's chalk, sewing machine, walking foot, buttonhole foot, cutting board, hammer, buttonhole cutter, serger, various threads, hand sewing needle, tailor's wax, thimble, tweezers, screwdriver, scissors, thread clippers and a tea break or two.  

Happy Sewing!  

Men's Shirt: McCall's 2447

This project, McCall's 2447, has been weeks months in the making.  Actually, it was coming close to a year.  The fabric was chosen and pre-treated last year, in the spring, and then it sat waiting to be pressed and folded so that it could hit the cutting table.  

McCall's 2447, circa 1999, is still in print and has been a tried and trusted pattern over the years.  Usual modifications as the last version with one addition.  

The addition of interior elbow patches.  

An outline of the edge stitching is visible on the right side of the sleeve.  

The shirt yoke has been sewn with the couture yoke method and instructions from my Reader's Digest sewing reference book.  If you interested in exploring this technique the more modern name for this is the burrito method and there are a bazillion tutorials to be found on the web.  Same technique, different names and reference sources.   

The fabric, oh what a fun print!  I found this stretch cotton at the local Fabricland store.  It was lovely to sew.  The fabric was pretreated in the washing machine followed by a tumble in the dryer and then a steam pressing before hitting the cutting table.  

Project Details

Design Features:  Front pocket, couture yoke, sleeve plackets, interior elbow patches.  

Seams:  2.4 -- 2.6 Straight stitch

Seam finish:  Serged

Fabric:  3 metres

Interfacing:  1.5 metres non-fusible

Buttons:  11 

Pattern:  McCall's 2447

Additional Tools & Supplies:  Cutting table, pins, pin cushions, measuring tape, measuring gauge, scissors, threads, hand sewing needles, thimble, thread clippers, sewing machine, blind hem foot, regular sewing machine foot, buttonhole foot, tailor's chalk, ironing board, iron, serger, tweezers, sleeve ham, cutting board, buttonhole cutter, clapper (I couldn't find the hammer), and some quality time with the seam ripper. 

Stay safe and keep sewing! 

The Year in Review...

January:

Top L to R:  Reversible Little Girl's dress, out-of-print (OOP) Vogue 1455.  Striped men's shirt, McCall's 2447.  Terry bathrobe and tie belt, OOP Simplicity 7417, Blue men's shirt, McCall's 2447

January's Gift / Charity Projects:  3
Total Gift / Charity Projects:  3

January's Personal Clothing Projects:  1
Total Personal Clothing:  1

Out of all my years of sewing under my belt, I started the year with learning a new-to-me technique, the couture method of sewing a shirt yoke.  I haven't looked back since.  Most of the sewing this month was gifted items with the exception of a robe for myself.   

February:

Cork handbag, McCall's 7851

February's Gift / Charity Projects:  0
Annual Gift / Charity Projects:  3

February's Personal Clothing:  1
Annual Personal Clothing:  2

This month was about discovering a new-to-me fabric, cork.  Who knew it would be so easy to sew?  This project was my most-complimented and requested item.  It became the first of four that I would make this year.  

March:  

L to Right:  Cotton sateen dress, Burda Style 6321.  Long cardigan, Butterick 6495.

March's Gift / Charity Projects:  0
Annual Total Gift / Charity Projects:  3

March's Personal Clothing:  2
Annual Personal Clothing:  4

This month I learned that I'm should just stick to the basics and classics.  That dress although on trend at this time was an epic fail on my body shape.  The cardigan was a win.  

April:

L to R:  Pullover cotton sweatshirt fleece, Simplicity 8529.  Upcycled Burda Style 6321 because the style didn't work.  Another cork handbag, McCall's 7851.

April's Gift / Charity Projects:  1
Total Gift / Charity Projects:  4

April's Personal Clothing Projects:  1
Total Personal Clothing Projects:  5
Upcycling / Refashion Projects:  1

This month I tried to upcycle that dress and refashioned it into a skirt.  The top was a way to use up a remnant piece from last month's project and sewing for others.  

May:  

L to R:  White cotton shirt, McCall's 7904.  Winnipeg Jets shirt, McCall's 6548.  Pajama top, Butterick 6296.  

May's Gift / Charity Projects:  1
Total Gift / Charity Projects:  5

May's Personal Clothing:  2
Total Personal Clothing:  7
Upcycling / Refashion Projects:  1

This month was all about sewing tops.


June:

Coat, Vogue 9367; Boy's Shirt, Burda 9794 and Men's Shirt, McCall's 2447

June's Gift / Charity Projects:  2
Total Gift / Charity Projects:  7

June's Personal Clothing:  1
Total Personal Clothing:  8
Upcycling / Refashion Projects:  1

I finally added a spring coat to my wardrobe, it might seem a little late, but surprisingly with all the rain, I actually got to wear it this summer.

July:  

Cork purse, McCall's 7851; Linen Slip, OOP Simplicity 6851 and Cotton Sateen Skirt, OOP Vogue 1247

July's Gift / Charity Projects:  2
Total Gift / Charity Projects:  9

July's Personal Clothing:  1
Total Personal Clothing:  9
Total Upcycled / Refashion Projects:  1

Really enjoyed sewing with these natural fibres.

August:

Laptop cover, no pattern used; Striped Linen Pants, Vogue 1642; Wool Pants, Vogue 1642; Reusable Produce Bags, no pattern used; Red Cardigan, Butterick 6495; Boy's Sweatshirt, McCall's 6548; Linen Slip, OOP Simplicity 6851; Cork Handbag, McCall's 7851 and Linen Tea Towels, no pattern used.  

August's Gift / Charity projects:  15

Total Gift / Charity projects:  24

August's Personal clothing:  3

Total Personal clothing:  12

Total Upcycled / Refashioned projects:  1

The produce bags are the most used item of 2019.  

September:  

Boy's Shirt, Vintage OOP Simplicity 4166; Floral Pullover Topper, Vogue 1642; Polyester Cable motif Turtleneck, OOP Vogue 8939; Men's Shirt, Vogue 8889 and Wool pants, Vogue 1642.

September's Gift / Charity projects:  2

Total Gift / Charity projects:  26

September's Personal clothing:  3

Total Personal clothing:  15

Total Upcycled / Refashioned projects:  1

This month saw a few sewing fails at the sewing machine.  

October:  

Floral Robe / Housecoat, Vintage OOP Simplicity 6851; refashioned dress; Polyester Pull-on Skirt, OOP Vogue 5790; Cotton Knit Turtleneck Dress, OOP Vogue 8939 and Boy's Pants, Vintage OOP McCall's 8548

October's Gift / Charity projects:  2

Total Gift / Charity projects:  28

October's Personal clothing:  2

Total Personal clothing:  17

Total Upcycled / Refashioned projects:  2

This month's sewing was all about cozy things.  

November:  

Shirtdress, combination of Vogue 8934, McCall's 7546 and Vogue 1503; NHL Hockey Microwave Cozy, no pattern used; Wool Hat, OOP Vogue 8966

November's Gift / Charity projects:  1

Total Gift / Charity projects:  29

Refashioned project

November's Personal clothing:  2

Total Personal clothing:  19

Total Upcycled / Refashioned projects:  3

Not really sure what to say about this month's sewing, just filling some needs.  

December:

Cotton Panties, Simplicity 8229; Men's Shirt, McCall's 2447; Boy's Pajama Top, combination of vintage OOP McCall's 8548 and McCall's 6548; Boy's Pajama Bottoms, vintage OOP McCall's 8548; Men's Pajama Set, vintage OOP Kwik Sew 1415

December's Gift / Charity projects:  8

Total Gift / Charity projects:  37

December's Personal clothing:  3

Total Personal clothing:  22

Total Upcycled / Refashioned projects:  3

Nothing says Christmas like pajamas and undies, right?  

So there you have it, most of my sewing this year were charity and gift projects.  The sewing that I did for myself were basics, nothing fancy.  I didn't really do anything too challenging or outside my comfort zone.  What 2020 will hold, time will tell.  Maybe, I'll finally get around to working on a toile for a new pair of jeans?  

Happy Sewing!