Anna's Sewing Journal

Garter Brim Baby Hat Pattern

2009-04-15T06:58:00.001-05:00

Took me forever to get around to posting this... but here it is.

Yarn: RYC Cashcotton 4 Ply, one skein. This is enough for making matching baby booties, with lots and lots left over. (Note: This yarn is discontinued and getting hard to find. Which is sad because it's so gorgeous and soft. Why, Rowan?)

Needles: 2.75mm (US #2) straight or circular, or size needed to obtain gauge.

Gauge: 7 sts and 9 rows: 1" in stockinette stitch

Size: 13" unstretched, 16" stretched. I didn't have a baby handy to try it on, but based on charts I consulted it should fit a baby slightly larger than newborn.

Instructions: Cast on 74 stitches. Work in garter stitch (knit all rows) 25 rows. Purl next row; work in stockinette stitch 4 more rows, ending with a purl row.

Begin crown shaping:

Row 1: k1, *k7, k2tog, repeat from * to last st, k1. 66 st.
Row 2 and all even-numbered rows: p.
Row 3: k1, *k6, k2tog, repeat from * to last st, k1. 58 st.
Row 5: k1, *k5, k2tog, repeat from * to last st, k1. 50 st.
Row 7: k1, *k4, k2tog, repeat from * to last st, k1. 42 st.
Row 9: k1, *k3, k2tog, repeat from * to last st, k1. 34 st.
Row 11: k1, *k2, k2tog, repeat from * to last st, k1. 26 st.
Row 13: k1, *k1, k2tog, repeat from * to last st, k1. 18 st.
Row 15: k1, *k2tog, repeat from * to last st, k1. 10 st.

Break yarn and draw through last 10 stitches; fasten off. Use yarn ends to sew up sides of hat. The k1's at the beginning and end of each row of stockinette are taken up as a seam allowance; no seam allowance for the garter section. I used the bottom tail to sew the garter section and the top tail to sew the stockinette section.

This is, of course, my first knitting pattern. I worked out the math before knitting, so it is "tested", but I might have missed something. If anyone makes this and finds an error (or errors!), please let me know in the comments.

Misty Mitts

2009-03-16T08:53:00.000-05:00

Inspiration: I like the idea of fingerless gloves because they can be worn indoors or out. This is an extremely popular pattern, so I figured it would be safe for a first try. It's pretty, too!

Pattern: Fetching by Cheryl Niamath in Knitty.

Yarn: one skein* Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (55% merino wool/33% microfiber/12% cashmere) in 017 grape from Craft and Save on eBay. I chose the color because it reminded me of Arwen's "Traveling Outfit" in The Return of the King. Silly reason, but true.

*see Notes below.

Needles: US size 6 Bryspun double-pointed needles.

Notes: These were a bit more of an epic than they should have been... I ended up knitting them three times!

The first time was back when I was knitting "backwards". I had bought only one skein of yarn, and I ran out with one round, the bind-off, and the thumb left on the second mitt. So I had to buy another skein to finish the set.

When I discovered my knitting error, I realized that it accounted for the mitts being rather un-stretchy. I was going to be driven crazy by owning un-stretchy, backwards-knitted mitts, so I unravelled and reknit them, this time knitting conventionally. Before doing so I wondered if conventional knitting would use less yarn; it didn't.

It did, however, make the mitts much more stretchy. Too stretchy. I have fairly small hands (about 7" around the knuckles), and they were just swimming. I unravelled my mitts again. This time I cast on only 40 stitches, which made 8 cable repeats. Also, I made the thumb five stitches wide instead of seven. Much better fit. Of course, this version *did* use only one skein. Ugh.

The first time I knit these, I was still dealing with ladders; fortunately, the cable pattern camouflages such problems. Great double-pointed needle practice!

It's also a good project for learning to cable without a needle, which I did on the final version. I watched a few videos on the subject, but the best explanation for me was this one. It's scary at first, but faster and easier.

Before I started, I was nervous about working the thumbs, which was a new technique for me. Fortunately it was quite simple.

One more thing: I hadn't done a picot bind-off before. The first time I did it, I tried to do it loosely, as one is ordinarily supposed to do. For whatever reason, though, a picot bind-off looks much neater if it's bound off somewhat tightly. So I did that on the last pair.

Conclusion: I had a lot of learning to do for such a little knit. At least it's fast! But I like them very much, and am looking forward to making more mitts... there are so many lovely patterns available.

Spring/Summer 2009 Wardrobe

2009-03-03T10:15:00.009-06:00

So I'm doing a few new things. One is writing a non-project blog entry. Another is having a cohesive sewing/knitting plan. It's not an actual SWAP, but it's similar. I decided to do this about two months ago, and have been playing around with color and design ideas since then. Here's what I've come up with.

My color scheme is sage, sky blue, and white, with accents of brown, olive, and khaki. Like many sewers, I love the colors and designs of the Liberty lawns (and find their prices out of my reach for the time being!), so it was cool to find almost the same palette in this print:

image from Liberty of London

I hope to make two tops, a cardigan, two skirts, a pair of pants, a dress, and a purse. Specifically:

image from Denver Fabrics

Top #1: McCall's 5522 in white stretch poplin. I'll use view A, but make plain short sleeves.

image from WEBS

Top #2: Green Gable in brown. Mine will be longer than the modeled top, and have a slightly higher neckline.

image from WEBS

Cardigan: Liesl in sage. Mine will have short (but not cap) sleeves, two buttons, a medium neckline, and end just below the waist.

image from Denver Fabrics

Skirt #1: original pattern in olive stretch sateen. It will be based on this Anthropologie skirt, but I won't do back pockets or the extended waist tab. (Similar, actually, to this skirt from last year, but hopefully better fitted and in a slightly more versatile color. Ahem.)

image from Fabric.com

Skirt #2: remake of this skirt. I need to add more waistband interfacing and get rid of the pockets.

image from Denver Fabrics

Pants: pattern to be named later in khaki stretch twill. Possibly Burda 8085 or Jalie 2561. I've heard that Jalie is coming out with a true jeans pattern in a couple of weeks, so I'm waiting to have a look at that before deciding. I'm going for something like this, but with a higher waistband.

image from Cia's Palette

Dress: New Look 6776 (view A+C) in a sage/sky/white floral cotton. Inspired by this dress. I'll raise the neckline (several inches), make wider shoulder straps, and change the skirt to a-line or gored, and add godets. If I really want copy Anthro's look, I'll also have to change the gathering in the bust panel.

Purse: not sure yet. I'll either use one of Mom's patterns or make my own, and use white linen/cotton trimmed (piping? ribbon? embroidery? topstitching?) with sage.

I *could* add several more items... a jean jacket, a layering tee or two, maybe a pair of capri pants, and so on. But these projects will keep me busy for awhile, and they'll give me the beginning of a much more put-together summer wardrobe. I'm looking forward to getting started!

Vanilla Shirt

2009-02-26T08:13:00.003-06:00

Inspiration: I ordered the fabric to make a skirt, but when I touched it I realized that it was too lightweight for anything other than a tiered skirt. And I don't particularly like tiered skirts. I decided to make a long-sleeved shirt instead. Actually, I need tops more than I need skirts right now, so it worked out well.

Pattern and Modifications: McCall's 5138, view F. I added sleeve cuff ruffles from McCall's 4922 (now out-of-print, but this one is similar). I wanted a double-layer ruffle, but that pattern makes a hemmed single-layer ruffle. So I only used it for the width (i.e., the edge sewn into the cuff seam). The depth is 3-1/4", which when pressed in half makes a 1" deep ruffle with a 5/8" seam allowance.

I also traced the bodice neckline from 4922 onto 5138 so that I could use the stand collar pieces from 4922. Got that?!?

Fabric: 100% cotton featherwale corduroy from Fabric.com

Interfacings and Notions:

lightweight sew-in interfacing
eight clear 1/2" buttons
beige 100% rayon 1/2" seam binding

Notes: All French seams except armscye. For that I used seam binding as for my trellis blouse; however, it worked better the first time than the second! I think it had to do with the corduroy being too lightweight. The blue lawn I used was lightweight, too, but much more stable, and it was underlined with batiste. Not sure what I'll do if I make another featherwale corduroy shirt... maybe just hand-overcast the armscyes.

I'm a little unhappy with the sleeve length: I probably could have taken 3/4" or so out. I wasn't trying for the bloused-sleeve look! I didn't make a muslin because I've used the pattern before -- just not with long sleeves. I've never before had reason to think I have short arms, so my guess is that it's the pattern.

Conclusion: I like how this turned out as a sort of tailored poet's blouse; I can dress it up or down depending on what else I wear. Once I tweak this pattern some more it will be a great go-to shirt for me.

Hedgerow Mitts

2009-02-20T06:51:00.002-06:00

Inspiration: I knit myself some fingerless gloves in January. They haven't been blogged yet because I knit them in my "backwards knitting" stage, and it bothered me so much that I ripped them out and am reknitting them. But Mom liked them, and asked if I'd make her some mitts if she supplied the yarn. This pattern is terribly simple, but it was just what I needed for working out my dpn ladder problems.

Pattern: Toasty from A Friend to Knit With.

I modified it by knitting only 7" before slipping the thumb stitches, and to 9" total length. This was so that I could get both mitts out of one skein. An inadvertent mod was casting on one extra stitch... I noticed after a few rows and didn't feel like starting over. I could have added two extra rounds to each mitt if not for that stitch, but they actually turned out to be a great length for Mom.

Yarn: one skein Classic Elite Portland Tweed (50% wool/25% alpaca/25% viscose) in 5036 Desert Sand from Patternworks.

I don't expect to use a lot of multicolored yarns in my knitting. But *tweeds* are another story. I love tweed. And this one is terrific, beige with flecks of mustard and caramel and dark brown and white. I felt like grinning every time one showed up on the needles. Weird but true.

Needles: US #7 Bryspun dpns.

Notes: An inch or so into the first try at these, I had horrible ladders. It was at night, so I ripped the work, cast on again (with said extra stitch), and set it aside for morning.

The next morning, I did more research on the internet. Was I to have the unhappy distinction of being conquered by double-pointed needles? I decided to try every tip I had read, which included:

knitting on five dpns rather than four
holding the first stitch on the new right needle close against the last stitch on the previous right needle
pulling the second stitch on a new needle tight, the third semi-tight
knitting with work right side out (is this what everyone does? Was I weird to knit inside out previously?)
starting the new right needle under the previous right needle

I don't know which of these changes was the difference, and I really don't care. Something worked. Ladders are almost completely gone; I expect practice to take care of the rest. Socks, here I come!

Conclusion: An extremely easy knit, very fast.

Khaki Baby Set

2009-02-16T06:28:00.001-06:00

Inspiration: One of my cousins and his wife (a different cousin than last year) just had their first baby, a little boy. I wanted to knit something for him, and this bootie pattern gets good reviews. The hat is my own design.

Pattern: Saartje's Bootees (download in the right sidebar). I made up the hat pattern.

Yarn: one skein RYC Cashcotton 4 Ply (35% cotton, 25% nylon, 18% angora, 13% rayon and 9% cashmere) in 912 biscuit from WEBS. It's incredibly soft -- feels like knitting the rabbit itself!

The booties use a tiny amount of yarn (I made the larger size), and even after knitting the hat I have about 1/3 of the skein left.

Needles: US size 2 (2.75mm) Bryspun dpns. I ordered them from Paradise Fibers, which has good prices, a great selection of needle brands, and shipped very quickly.

Neither the hat nor the booties are knit in the round. I bought dpns because they're more versatile than straight needles, and I figured I'm likely to need them when I make socks. I "converted" them to single point needles by wrapping a rubber band around one end.

Notes: The strap was hard to figure out. I modified the directions to use a knitted cast on, and cast on 14 stitches rather than 12 for a bit more length. I also made a yarn over buttonhole instead of the button loop.

I knit the hat (or part of the hat) four times before coming up with something I liked. The yarn stood up well to repeated ripping!

I hadn't seamed knits before, so I hope the seams are done right. For the vertical garter stitches, I did an invisible seam; the vertical stockinette stitches on the hat are mattress seamed; and the horizontal garter stitches on the soles are just seamed with a very short running stitch. This article has good photos of the first two methods.

Conclusion: Knitting fine-gauge yarn was new, but not too hard. The wonderful feel of the Cashcotton was totally worth it. I don't have a baby to try these on, so I hope these fit -- and that his parents like them!

Hopscotch Vest

2009-02-13T09:31:00.003-06:00

Inspiration: I've always liked vests. Dressy vests or sporty vests, but certainly fitted vests. Mom made me a brown mini-plaid vest and skirt ensemble when I was about ten, and I drove her nuts by insisting upon wearing the vest buttoned closed, because I liked it fitted. Anyway. This particular garment isn't inspired by anything other than that I like vests, and the fabric was a good price.

Pattern and Modifications: Kwik Sew 3453, view A. I shortened it to fit an 18" zipper. It would have been simpler if I had remembered to shorten it *before* cutting out the fabric; however, it still worked.

Fabric: 100% polyester fleece from Fabric.com. It's Malden Mills Polartec 200, the "good stuff" as far as polar fleece goes; this particular fabric has a cool grid texture on one side.

Interfacings and Notions:

Fusi-Knit for shoulder stabilization
18" one-way plastic separating zipper

Notes: I don't really like sewing knits on a standard machine, but fleece is no problem. The topstitching was a little difficult, though - but the pocket topstitching is better lined up in real life.

The only step that made me nervous was applying the band to the armscye, but it was easy. What I should have been nervous about was the hem, which took three attempts to get something presentable.

The fabric for this was under $5/yd. I bought a yard and a half of fabric, and I could get another vest out of the piece. Compare that to fleece vest prices at L.L. Bean, or R.E.I., or Cabela's. I love sewing.

Conclusion: Outdoor wear is a new aspect of sewing to me, and it's awfully fun. My brother told me this vest is pretty nice; he is stingy with compliments, so I consider this a great success!

Apologies for the blue cover on the dressform.

Bramble Scarf

2009-02-05T13:01:00.003-06:00

Inspiration: Since giving her another table runner would have been rather ridiculous, this is what I decided to make for Mom's birthday. (It is long and skinny, though!) I liked that a) it would be a relatively inexpensive project (especially since my siblings and I split the cost); b) it looked complicated but only used a few not-hard stitches; and c) it is such a pretty pattern.

Pattern: Argosy by Vyvyan Neel in Knitty. I used the written instructions, but did compare my work to the charts in order to become more familiar with reading them.

Yarn: two skeins Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy (40% hemp/40% cotton/20% modal) in 022 brown from the Yarn and Fiber Company. They have very good prices and *free shipping*, and shipped my Friday evening order the following morning! I will definitely order again.

My first DK weight yarn seemed like thread when I first opened the package, and felt tiny at the beginning of knitting. It didn't take long to get used to it, though, which is good because my next project is going to use fingering weight!

Needles: US size 4. I am building my needle collection with each new project; I don't have any straights because circulars seem more versatile. This scarf was knitted on a 16" Addi Premium circular from the eBay seller I mentioned in my last knitting post.

Notes: I used yarn over, k2tog, p2tog, and ssk for the first time in a project. I made a ton of counting errors and learned how to "tink" (knit backwards), as well as "frog" (rip it!). I did a whole lot of tinking, and frogged two false starts.

I love how this is knit on the bias, achieved by repeated binding off and casting on. But it's easy to forget the casting on... hence more frogging! Thankfully only once.

After finishing this scarf, I watched this video (I knit continental-style, so that's what I linked to) on KnittingHelp.com and learned that I'd done all. My. Yarn. Overs. BACKWARDS! Which got me to thinking. And then I realized I've been *knitting backwards*. That is, when knitting or purling, I've wrapped the yarn around the needle opposite of how it should go. (This explains why the holes that should be along the edges of the scarf are so hard to see, and why the holes in the body have extra loops in them. Argh.)

This is embarrassing to admit. The reason it could happen is that I'm entirely self-taught from books, and apparently I didn't look closely enough at the illustrations. If you look closely at the (washed out) photo above, you might be able to see that the stitches have an unusual braided appearance. Ever wondered what it would look like if you knit backwards? That is what.

My perfectionist side wants to frog everything -- only four projects so far -- I've made and re-knit it. I won't, of course. Nobody but a knitter would be able to tell, and then only if they closely examined the item. Everything is perfectly functional, and even decent-looking from a short distance. Really the only thing injured is my pride.

I spent yesterday evening practicing the right way of knitting and purling. Surprise! -- it's more efficient, and the stitches lay flatter. At least I found out before starting any more projects.

Conclusion: It was a little horrible to find out what I've been doing wrong, but I still love the finished product. Mom says she likes it, too, and that *is* the main thing.

I could get addicted to brown lace!

Assorted Travel Tissue Covers

2009-02-02T07:48:00.003-06:00

Inspiration: Back in December, I wanted to come up with an easy, mass-produce-able project that Rachel could help make as Christmas gifts. Sew, Mama, Sew's Handmade Holidays 2008 again supplied the idea: travel tissue covers. Plus we could use scraps, so Rachel's only expense was a bunch of travel tissue packs.

Pattern: We used this tutorial.

Fabric: Scraps! Practically any weight - we used fabric from quilting cotton to midweight upholstery twill. The edges are bound with cotton bias, and a few of the covers have scraps of trim.

Notes: Mom and I put together a stack of fabric choices, and Rachel and I picked out combinations for each person together. Besides our parents, we have four brothers; the reason there are eight covers is that she wanted to give me something too, and I figured she might be sad if she didn't have a cover like everyone else.

Rachel helped with cutting. I applied the binding and trim, but when it was time to sew the ends together, she sat at my machine and guided the fabric while I spun the hand wheel. It helped that my Singer 301's hand wheel spins very easily, and that the seams were so short!

Conclusion: These took only a morning to finish, so they were definitely fast and easy. Rachel and I had fun picking out the fabric combos, and I know she liked giving everyone something that she made.

A Basic Turtleneck

2009-01-28T08:16:00.005-06:00

Inspiration: There's a specific fit I like in knit tops, and I can't find it in ready-to-wear for a reasonable price. I want them fitted, especially from the waist down, but I don't want them tight in the chest. So I said to myself, "self, you should make some knit tops." This turned out to be easier said than done.

Pattern and Modifications: I started with Kwik Sew 3093. I knew from checking PatternReview that it isn't the most fitted design, so I raised the underarm seam (and correspondingly shrunk the armscye). Can't remember if it was 1-1/2" or 2".

So I made it and, before hemming the sleeves and hem, tried it on. Enormous. "Self, there is no way you're wearing this." Mom ordered Jalie 2805 and I set this top aside to wait for the new pattern.

Kwik Sew 3093 unhemmed

I cut open the seams (I could stand to loose 1/4" on each edge!) and cut the Jalie pattern. I did leave the turtleneck intact. At some points I removed over an inch of fabric (from half of the pattern, so over 2" total... and from both the front and back, so over 4" total!).

Fabric: 100% cotton baby rib knit from Fabric.com

Notions: 3/8" clear elastic in shoulder seams

Kwik Sew 3093 shoulder seam falling off of shoulder

Notes: I used the overlock stitch on a conventional machine; I never quite like how it turns out, but it's the best option since I don't have a serger. Hemming knits is where I really run into trouble... I have a hard time keeping the topstitching straight, and apparently I don't stretch the fabric properly, because I'm having issues with the stitches ripping under stress. Hopefully experience will eliminate these problems.

I added clear elastic in the shoulder seams for stability.

I made the Jalie pattern a second time (no Kwik Sew) in a black cotton baby rib, also from Fabric.com. I'll have to compare the Jalie and Kwik Sew neck openings, because it's really hard to get over my head! If they're close, then the problem was not stretching the fabric enough when I made it. Whenever I compare them, I'll update this post with the information.

3/27 update: I did compare them, and if anything the Jalie pattern is a bit lower cut. So that's not the problem. I think the black knit had less stretch than the red; next time I use a similarly less-stretchy knit, I might trace a couple of sizes larger at the neckline.

Conclusion: This is my first experience with Jalie, and I really like all the style options. (And it comes in nearly every size you'd need!) Hopefully my skill with knits will improve so that I can explore all of the knit top possibilities.

Cloudburst Skirt

2009-01-20T15:15:00.000-06:00

Inspiration: I wanted to have a somewhat basic black skirt in my wardrobe, and bought the fabric with that in mind. Searching pattern websites for ideas, I found a Vogue pattern that I liked: it looks simple from the back, but has an interesting pleated faux-wrap detail in the front. Shortly after buying the pattern, I found this skirt on the Anthropologie website. The construction is different, but the overall look is surprisingly similar. If Anthropologie has the same idea I do, I figure I'm onto something!

Pattern and Modifications: Vogue 8455. I cut view C, but trimmed 2" from the hem edge, which split the difference between it and view B.

The pattern calls for cutting the same front piece twice. If you do, you'll have pleats on the underlap as well. I really don't understand this - who wants unnecessary bulk on their hips? I used Vogue 8363 to draft a dart-fitted underlap piece (left front). The steps were:

trace a new copy of V8363 skirt front. Pin darts.
trace new copy of V8455 front yoke. Trim seam allowance from lower edge.
place yoke piece over pinned skirt front. Align sides. trace along lower edge of yoke onto skirt front.
add seam allowance above traced line on skirt front. With pins still in place, cut along new seam allowance. Remove pins.
flare right side of skirt slightly (I ended up adding a couple of inches at the hem) and curve up to make new right side seam the appropriate length. It needs to match the V8455 skirt back.

Fabric and Interfacing:

100% tencel twill from Fabric.com
Armo Weft interfacing in yoke
Fusi Knit interfacing in zipper opening

Notions: a black 9" zipper. Also a spool of 100% cotton thread. I usually use Gutermann 100% polyester thread in garments, and sometimes Coats and Clark Dual Duty Plus, but somewhere I read to use cotton thread with tencel.

Construction Notes: I haven't made a pleated skirt before, and frankly the directions didn't make it an easy introduction. The instructions given are the same for both view A and B/C, and one is told after stitching the pleats to press them open. I assume this works for view A, but it did not work for view B/C. Instead, the sewn pleats need to be pressed toward the right hip; this is the only way to make the cut edges line up. It's pretty intuitive if you're making the skirt - you just have to ignore the instructions and trust your instinct!

I try to avoid raw edges as much as possible inside my garments, but for this fabric the best way to avoid bulk was to leave raw edges. I chose a stitched-and-pinked finish (you can see a picture of this here, second line drawing). I don't know how well this will hold up, but I don't expect this to be a hard-use garment, so it's worth a chance.

The instructions call for the yoke facing to be interfaced, rather than the yoke itself, which was a change for me. It seems to look nice, though. Some of my fused waist treatments develop wrinkles, but this hasn't so far. We'll see how it looks after a few wearings.

Conclusion: I think I accomplished my aim of making an un-basic black skirt. The possibility of pleats being unflattering to my hips worried me a little, but I think it looks fine with a close fitting top. And that's the type I want to wear anyway!

Cinnamon Cider Table Runner

2009-01-17T16:12:00.000-06:00

Inspiration: Another table runner for my mom (to join the one she got for Mother's Day). This time it was for Christmas.

Design: I browsed the Quilter's Cache site for a 12" star-based traditional block suitable for an intermediate patchwork-er. I chose the Folded Star design.

The layout is the same as for the table runner I made last May.

Materials: The prints are from the "Cotton Blossoms" collection by Bonnie and Camille for Moda. There are two color stories in the collection; one is burgundy/green/cream, the other blue/orange/parchment. I went with the former, ordered from Fabric Shack. (1/8 yard increments - check; reasonable shipping - check; good cutting - check; and excellent prices! I'm extremely satisfied and will likely order again.)

The batting and backing are left over from the last runner. I used natural-colored YLI quilting thread, which took literally days to make work on my Singer 301; I was getting horrible lower tension and skipping. I ended up tightening the upper tension to ~8 (from ~4!), loosening the bobbin tension screw a quarter turn (never done that before, and it scared me), and spraying canned air in every potentially dusty cranny I could find. I nearly cried with relief when it finally worked.

Construction Notes: Besides the quilting trials, not much to report. My mom and I share the basement sewing space; I did most of my work behind a couple of boxes so she couldn't see it!

Since all of the blocks match, I did them assembly-line style. I assume this would be rather more tedious with a larger quilt, but for a three-block runner it's fast and fun.

Conclusion: Loved making this just as much as the last quilting project. I could *so* get into quilting, but I have to take it slow because I want to use nice fabrics that are therefore more expensive. (Speaking of which, there are lots of fabulous ones coming out - I am completely in love with the new Hello Betty collection.) Table runners are great because they use less than two yards.

I do realize that Mom only needs so many table runners, and promise that her next gift will *not* be quilted. Actually, her birthday is in February, and I have yarn on the way for that present...

(Do the pictures look too bright? We have a new computer with an LCD; the old one had a CRT display and I'm not used to the difference yet. If there's anything wrong with the how the photos look other than my bad photography - which I am trying to improve, believe it or not! - please let me know.)

Christmas Slippers

2009-01-05T07:50:00.000-06:00

Inspiration: Christmas gifts for three of my five siblings - John (tan slippers), Sam (black slippers) and Rachel (red slippers).

Pattern: Timber Lane Press "Foot Prints", ordered from Newark Dressmaker Supply with other sewing stuff. Here's another place that carries it.

No modifications. For sizing I just traced the innersole pattern piece in the appropriate sizes and checked them against the recipients' feet.

Fabrics and Interfacings:

100% cotton flannel from Fabric Shack
100% polyester fleece from Fabric.com
Jiffy Grip from Newark Dressmaker Supply
3/16" foam from Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics
100% cotton Warm and Natural batting from Fabric.com

The boys' slippers are two colors of one brushed print from Moda's "Pine Creek Crossing" line by Holly Taylor. Rachel's are in a print from "Charisma" by Chez Moi for Moda, in flannel. The difference between Moda's brushed and flannel? The latter is slightly softer, but both are extremely nice.

The fleece is from Mom's collection, and the rest of the materials were collected over time - I didn't just sit down one day and order from four places!

Construction Notes: I was surprised by how quickly these sewed up. One pair took only a couple of hours.

I didn't have the 1/2" foam called for, so I cut two of each innersole side and stitched a 1/8" seam around the edge. It seemed to work all right.

Conclusion: I can't think of much else to say. It's a well-written and -drafted pattern with lots of sizes, and it makes something cute and useful. Try it!

Fabric Dollhouse

2009-01-02T07:45:00.000-06:00

Inspiration: My 12-year-old brother Sam drew our sister Rachel's name for our stocking present exchange this year. After seeing this dollhouse on Sew, Mama, Sew's Handmade Holidays, I was itching to make it, so I suggested to Sam that we build it together.

Pattern: Fabric Doll House tutorial from the UK Lass in US blog.

Fabric: Scrounged scraps! The outside walls are denim leftover from a skirt of mine; the roof is corduroy from an old jumper of Mom's. The inside walls and ceiling are cotton batik, and the garden is quilting cotton.

The door and window are acrylic felt embroidered with cotton floss.

Trims and Notions:

plastic canvas
polyester batting
duct tape
two 3/4" snaps
four 5/8" shank buttons
short length of black elastic cord

Construction Notes: I haven't made anything like this before, so it was an adventure - but a fun adventure. For the most part, the instructions were very good.

I was a bit confused about how to wrap the plastic canvas pieces with batting and duct tape. What I ended up doing was to lay a canvas piece on the batting, fold it to make a batting-canvas-batting sandwich, and trim around all edges but the folded one. We duct-taped the cut edges. I assume this is what we were supposed to do, and anyway it worked.

The garden (green) and roof (burgundy) pieces are string-pieced onto the foundation pieces.

Construction was easy enough. I did struggle with keeping the elastic loops in place: when I sewed over them, they tended to get caught *between* stitches and pull out with a slight tug. So a couple of them are hand-sewn in place.

My only modification was adding a pair of large snaps at the bases of the handles. They keep the dollhouse closed when it's not being held.

Conclusion: I love it! Sam was rather impressed while making it, and we hope Rachel has fun playing with it. I had some fun myself...

Pine Bough Scarf

2008-12-30T07:59:00.002-06:00

Inspiration: This is another 1/3 of John's stocking present this year (besides the journal cover, he received a box of homemade buckeyes!). I had so much fun knitting Dad's hat that I wanted to knit one other gift. I'm trying to introduce a new skill to each knitting project, and decided that (easy) cables would be my next hurdle.

Pattern: Irish Hiking Scarf from Hello Yarn

Yarn: two skeins Lion Brand Wool-Ease (75% acrylic/25% wool) in Forest Heather from JoAnn. I am ordinarily a "fiber snob" -- I just prefer the characteristics of natural fibers -- but in this case I needed something cheap and durable. This at least has some wool! Didn't make a gauge swatch, but I think I got gauge anyway.

Needles: US size 8. I am building my needle collection as I go, so I had to buy needles for this project. I have heard that Addi circulars are great, but the US price (around $14 apiece) is out of my range. But! They are available from overseas (mostly Hong Kong, I think) on eBay for about half that. I bought three pair from this seller for $17 shipped. They arrived within a week.

Although I have no other aluminum needles to which to compare these, I was very pleased with the performance of the Addis. Much faster than the plastic Bryspuns I used on the hat (which, being dpns, I didn't *want* to be fast), but still fairly controllable for a relative newbie. A bit too slippery for absolute beginners, of course.

Construction Notes: I was shocked at how easy this cabling was. I know there are fiendishly difficult cables, but these were not. Yet they look very impressive to my non-knitting family!

Not much else to say. This is a great pattern!

Conclusion: Judging by how he keeps wearing it around the house, John loves his scarf.

Monogrammed Journal Cover

2008-12-27T07:31:00.003-06:00

Inspiration: In our family we draw names for a stocking present exchange, with a spending limit of $5. This year I drew my 13-year-old brother John, and this is part of what I gave him.

Pattern: Kirin Notebook's Reversible Journal Cover tutorial, found through Sew, Mama, Sew's truly tremendous Handmade Holidays 2008.

Fabric: The outside is linen/rayon leftover from a skirt I made last year; the inside is black trigger from Mom.

Construction Notes: Very easy project; the tutorial gives very good instructions. I rounded off the corners due to the shape of the composition book I used.

I spray starched the linen/rayon three times before attempting embroidery (prior to constructing the cover, of course). The monogram is a simple one that I designed and satin-stitched, except at the 90º angle at the bottom which is fishbone stitched.

Conclusion: Fun to make, and I think John likes it.

Candy Heart Purse in Turquoise and Orange

2008-11-12T14:50:00.003-06:00

Inspiration: I've wanted to make my own purses for awhile, and finally took the plunge.

Pattern: My mom's original. She has been designing purse patterns for several years now, and I think this is one of her best.

The dimensions are about 8" long (at base) x 2" wide x 4-1/2" high. I don't carry much in my purses right now, so the size is great for me.

Fabric and Interfacing: The fabrics are from Jennifer Paganelli's "Bell Bottoms" collection for Free Spirit. I used the "Mary Trellis", "Georgie Bouquets", and "Claire Blocks" prints, all purchased from Sew, Mama, Sew.

For interfacing, I used Fusible Fleece and Ultra Firm sew-in in all shell pieces. I followed this technique to attach the interfacings together. Next time I will also try Fusi-Knit in the lining pieces. The base is composed of two extra layers of Ultra Firm, with fusible web holding everything together.

Trims and Notions:

lavender 3/8" poly grosgrain
9" #2 zipper
two 3/4" nickel D-rings
1/4" piping cord
5/8" nickel snap

All notions shamelessly stolen from Mom's stash.

Construction Notes: Basically quite simple, but a few firsts for me. Most notably my first zipper-window pocket. The initial steps are similar to those for a welt pocket, which was nice because I'm hoping to try welt pockets on a couple of skirts in the near(ish) future. Also my first piping experience... and of course my first purse.

This was a case of liking the fabrics when seen together on the computer, then being a bit nervous when they arrived. "Is this going to look too wild?" Either the choices were right in the first place, or the small size covers up the wildness, because I think it looks fine finished. It's still bright, but not shocking.

Conclusion: This is going to be lots of fun to carry! It is a great pattern (of course I'm biased, but it is!) and would look cute in so many of the great designer cottons that are available.

Constellation Hat

2008-11-12T14:00:00.005-06:00

Inspiration: I am started comfortably early on Christmas gifts this year! Most of the rest will be sewn, but I really wanted to do some knitting. My dad works mostly outdoors, so a hat seemed appropriate. I registered on Ravelry (note: I would suggest that people under 18 have their parents preview the site before using it. There's a fair amount of what I would consider inappropriate content. Users can avoid it, and Ravelry is still a very useful tool; I just can't give it an unqualified mention) and looked through popular hats for something that looked easy. This is what I found.

Pattern: Seaman's Cap from Needle Beetle

I did add 4 more rounds before beginning the crown shaping. I wanted to make sure it would fit with plenty of coverage.

Yarn: one skein Cascade 220 Superwash in #913 Jet

Being a newbie, I actually unravelled my gauge swatch and used it in the hat to make sure I had enough yarn! There would have been enough without that frugal measure.

Needles: US sizes 6 and 7 double pointed needles as directed.

All supplies were purchased from Angelika's Yarn Store, which shipped very quickly.

Construction Notes: I've never knit in the round before, so I first read The Purl Bee's dpn tutorial.

The only problem I ran into was ladders in between the needles. I followed the instructions for avoiding it, but apparently I did something wrong. To camouflage the problem, I crocheted in another row of stitches; I'm not sure this would have worked with a lighter color, but it was okay for heathered black.

Other than that, the pattern was quite easy and fun.

Conclusion: Until now, my knitting has consisted of fooling around with cheap acrylic yarn on cheap aluminum needles. This is my first successfully completed project, and I enjoyed working with nicer tools. I hope to do more knitting soon!

Rock Garden Jumper

2008-10-28T07:49:00.000-05:00

Inspiration: Part of my sister's birthday present (back in August, cough) was fabric to make a jumper. She watched me make it and got to help a little. I chose a very simple a-line jumper with back ties; the designer cotton print is what makes it interesting It's affordable since we only used 1/2 yard of it for accents!

Pattern and Modifications: Simplicity 5234. We made the long, scooped-neck version. I did end up cutting 1-3/4" from the lower edge before hemming. So it ended up longer than the short view, but shorter than the long one...

Fabric and Interfacing:

100% cotton brushed twill from Fabric.com
100% cotton quilting fabric from Fabric.com (the "Paprika" colorway from Kaffe Fassett's Paperweight collection)
100% cotton muslin from Fashion Fabrics Club for yoke interfacing

Trims and Notions:

pink 3/8" rayon grosgrain

Construction Notes: This is obviously a straightforward garment, and construction was accordingly simple. There aren't even any closures!

I didn't want the stiffness of a fusible interfacing in the yoke, so I used muslin instead. I topstitched the ribbon on after attaching the yoke, using rayon embroidery thread in the needle, and regular polyester thread in the bobbin.

The side seams are flat-felled. The armscyes are bias-faced as directed, and I really like how they turned out; however, I did press the bias into a curve before pinning it in place. This makes it easier to work with and results in a smoother finish.

Conclusion: I wasn't sure how the minimal shaping would work for Rachel, but it actually looks great. She enjoyed watching/helping me make it, and I think she'll have fun wearing it, too - with a white turtleneck, white tights, and mary-janes.

This is a nice basic pattern with a lot of potential. I think it would be insanely cute in another solid twill with this fabric for trim. (Here's more of the fabric... with coordinates. On Etsy, too, and a bunch of similar designs .)

Raspberry Picking Skirt

2008-10-18T07:50:00.003-05:00

Inspiration: This skirt is second in a somewhat boring series with the lime cream skirt - same fabric and pattern, different color and view.

Pattern and Modifications: Simplicity 4086. No changes except for the cargo pocket, which is the same as the one I added to my strawberry skirt. (Apparently I have an inclination to name garments after berries...) I had a chance to try my own instructions - so I'm going to revise them! I used 2 pieces of Velcro® instead of a button closure. The pocket *is* sewn on straighter than it looks, by the way.

Fabric and Interfacings:

100% cotton twill from Fabric.com
Armo Weft in yoke
Fusi Knit in zipper opening

Trims and Notions:

9" zipper
3 inches of black 3/4" hook-and-loop tape (Velcro®)
black Seams Great
twill tape

Construction Notes: The center front and side seams are flat felled; the center back seam allowances are finished with Seams Great.

About the twill tape used in the waistline: the instructions call for it in the button-closing skirt views but not in the zipper-closing views. There may be an excellent reason for this. However, I was concerned about the waistline stretching out of shape, so I used it anyway.

I initially made this skirt in the long length. I left it on my dressform while I procrastinated on taking photos of it. After several days of looking at it, I decided that this color and style weren't working with the length. It was going to look frumpy when I wore it. So I chopped off 6-3/4" of the length (the hemmed length) and made a new narrow hem. I like this length much better.

Conclusion: With the length fixed, I'm pleased with this skirt. I don't think I'll be using this pattern again, but it has served me well, and introduced me to yoked/slightly-below-waist skirts.

Lime Cream Skirt

2008-09-25T13:28:00.003-05:00

Inspiration: Nothing. I bought the fabric on sale with no plan other than to make a skirt. I've used this pattern twice before - once unsuccessfully with a drapey (but otherwise cheap and disagreeable) poly-blend twill, once unsuccessfully with a heavier cotton/lycra twill. Granted, my hips are a size larger than my bust and waist, but the combination of un-drapey fabric and the yoke seam made me look like *all hips*. Due to this traumatic experience, I spent some time playing with my fabric on the dressform to convince myself that it had the proper hand for this style.

Pattern and Modifications: Simplicity 4086, view A. Apparently it's been out-of-print for awhile -- I couldn't find it on Simplicity's website. Here's a picture of the pattern. Incidentally, I've never ordered from this seller on Main Street Mall Online, but I did just order from another MSMO merchant and was very pleased with my purchase.

I wanted the hem a bit less full, so I eyeballed a reduction. I also added another button to the closure. No other visible changes.

You may have noticed that I tend to add pockets to my garments. Pocket styles I've used in the past were not suitable for this skirt because of the flaps, so I decided to add pockets in the obvious place: under the flaps. Here's how I did this:

Cut a 13-1/4"x5" rectangle of fabric. (With 5/8" seam allowances, this makes a 6" deep pocket. Turns out it is too deep for my hands. Next time I would try 11-1/4" instead.) Mark 5/8" down and away from each corner, making a 5/8" square with the cut corner being one point.
Bring short edges together and press, right side in. Press one short end down 5/8", wrong sides together.
Sew sides, stopping at dots and leaving upper fold free. Finish side edges.
Pin non-folded short edge to skirt, right sides together. Match dots. (These small dots are intended for the flap, but because of the working pockets you will need to attach the flap to the yoke. Pin-baste the yoke and skirt together and transfer the dots to the yoke for proper flap placement.)
Sew pocket to skirt between dots. Clip only the skirt fabric to the dots.
Press the original upper fold flat. Flip the pocket inside of the skirt and press the seam (I didn't understitch, but it probably would have been a good thing to do).

As I said in my pink-skirt post, I have no idea if my instructions make any sense at all. If anyone uses these and has questions, ask away.

Fabric and Interfacings:

100% cotton twill from Fabric.com
Fusi-Knit interfacing

Trims and Notions:

10 1/2" buttons
twill tape
Seams Great

You can see on the inside shot of the skirt that the Seams Great is less than pristine. It had already been through the wash once.

Construction Notes: The seams are all French finished. I handstitched the lower edge of the yoke facing because I hate trying to do machine stitching from the outside; the inside always looks messy.

The only other remarkable thing was that I turned the self-facing edges under 1/4" twice to make a clean finish.

Conclusion: I have not made a long skirt for quite awhile, and I'm enjoying the swishy factor. I've also shied away from dropped-waist styles (this rides 1" below the natural waist), so I was pleasantly surprised at the slimming effect this skirt has when worn with shoes with a heel.

Trellis Blouse

2008-09-17T12:20:00.003-05:00

Inspiration: I fell completely in love with the fabric last summer and bought one and a half yards of it. Since it was nearly the end of summer, I turned to fall and winter sewing while the fabric rested. Late this spring, I found an Anthropologie top whose dainty-but-tailored vintage look I loved. My blouse is not a direct knockoff, but I hope I've captured the flavor.

Pattern and Modifications: McCall's 5138. I added a seam between the front and front facing to make the tucks easier to create.

The sleeve is from Simplicity 4171 (out-of-print); I blended the sleeve cap from M5138 onto the views A/B sleeve pattern. (Sorry about the photo quality -- I really could not get a decent shot.)

I added four 1/8"-finished tucks parallel to the front opening by drawing lines on the pattern where I wanted the tucks to be, 1/8" apart. I slashed along these lines and spread them 1/4" apart (one at a time so I didn't have three skinny strips of tissue paper to wrestle at once!). I traced off a fresh pattern.

Fabric and Interfacings:

100% cotton lawn from the Robert Kaufman "Sofia" collection from Sew, Mama, Sew
100% cotton batiste from Newark Dressmaker Supply

The lawn is lovely stuff, although a bit difficult to ease in the sleeve caps. I don't have any batiste to compare this to, but relative to the lawn it it not super-top-quality fabric. It is, however, quite acceptable for underlining/interfacing nice fashion fabric, which is how I used it.

Trims and Notions:

seven brown 1/2" buttons from eBay
light blue 70 wt. YLI Heirloom 100% cotton thread from Farmhouse Fabrics
1/2" off-white rayon seam binding from Atlanta Thread

Construction Notes: Due to the scale of the print (a very large grid, actually) , I had to pay close attention while laying the pattern out. I ended up cutting from a single layer. I also ended up cutting the sleeve facing pieces on the slightly-bias crossgrain, since the fussy layout consumed extra fabric!

Immediately after cutting the bodice fronts out, I pressed and stitched the tucks, working from the center to the edge. Then I staystitched the neck edge.

I used the cut fashion fabric as patterns to cut fronts (only the fashion fabric was tucked) and a back from the batiste. The underlining pieces were basted to their corresponding fashion fabric and handled as one for darts, shoulder and side seams, and sleeve setting. The batiste was also used for interfacing in the collar, front facings, and sleeve facings.

The shoulder and side seams are French seams. After sewing in the sleeves, I stitched again 1/4" from the seamline and trimmed close to the second stitching. I pressed the rayon seam binding in half (I think I read to do this awhile ago on the PatternReview forums), pinned it over the raw edge, and stitched it in place. It added almost no bulk and finished the armscyes beautifully -- I will be using this technique again.

The blouse is narrow-hemmed (press under 5/8", press raw edge in to fold; results in a 5/16" double-fold). I trimmed 5/16-3/8" off the batiste underlining in order not to be folding both layers over twice. It's hand-hemmed, catching only the underlining so that no stitches are visible on the outside.

The machine I use for buttonholing tends to be cantankerous, and there was no way I was going to subject my precious lawn to its whims! So I made handworked buttonholes.

Since the fabric was more expensive than I usually use for garments, I chose to buy nice 100% cotton thread for the construction. I am glad that I did, but must admit that I never did quite figure out how to make it work with my machine. I had issues with stitch skipping in spite of multiple tension adjustments. I was using a new sz. 60/8 universal needle. Anyone know what I should do next time?

Conclusion: This is one of my favorite projects to date. It turned out even better than I hoped... I love the fit, the style, and especially the fabric!

Basic White Summer Shirt

2008-08-05T14:07:00.004-05:00

Inspiration: My desperate need of a plain white summer shirt! As my mom has pointed out, I have a lot of skirts (and fabric for skirts), but not many tops to wear with them. Plain white is a good way to start changing that.

Pattern and Modifications: McCall's 4922. It is now out of print, unfortunately.

The only modification was to shorten the sleeve to a 2-1/4" finished underarm seam.

Fabric and Interfacing:

100% cotton lightweight shirting from Fabric.com
Form Flex lightweight fusible interfacing

Trims and Notions:

7 1/2" salvaged uniform buttons

Construction Notes: Between having used this pattern before and not making any major changes, it went together fairly quickly.

One of my sewing banes has been nicely finishing princess seams. Sew, Mama, Sew's article on seam finishing provided a new idea: mock French seams. They turned out splendidly.

I also used mock French seams to finish the armscyes, where they weren't so successful - in fact, they look quite awful. It might be that the curve was too sharp, and it might just be my technique, but I won't be using this finish again on armscyes. Since binding is sometimes too bulky, I'll keep looking around for an alternative.

Another area of struggle has been machine-hemming shirts: I just haven't been able to do it. Whenever I topstitched an even distance from the lower fold, the inside would look horrid, with the stitching wandering between 1/16" and 3/16" from the upper folded edge. Drove me crazy. So I would give up, rip out the machine stitching, and hand hem it.

This time, I did several things differently. First, I lightly starched the hem edge of the shirt to make the pressing as precise as I could. Then I did something I've (blush) not done before: basted the hem. Just as the pattern says! I basted with red thread very close to the upper fold. With trepidation, I topstitched just below the basting. And... it worked!

Conclusion: Obviously, not a very remarkable shirt. But I conquered a few more sewing obstacles, and turned out a much-needed basic. Quite happy with the result!

Indigo Skirt

2008-06-27T11:07:00.005-05:00

Inspiration: Ever since I was gently informed that my old denim skirt looked awful, I have been without that wardrobe staple. I waited patiently for Fabric.com to stock medium-weight, 100% cotton denim; then they did, and I waited a bit longer for it to go on sale. After it arrived, I let it age while I finished a few more urgent projects.

The design is essentially my own, based upon a gored Anthropologie denim skirt I saw awhile back, along with traditional jeans details.

Pattern: This is my first totally self-drafted pattern. I followed the instructions in Make Your Own Patterns for a 4-gore skirt, then split each gore in half to end up with 8. Instead of taking out the extra waist width only at the side seams, I took out about 40% at the sides, then 30% at each of the other two; the center front and center back seams are straight. This performs the same function as darts - which, to be honest, I have never used on a skirt before. Don't know why... but I'm sold now!

The fly zipper is essentially the same as the one on my pink skirt.

The back patch pockets were an afterthought. The very day that I intended to sew the side seams - rendering application of such pockets difficult - I came across the HotPatterns Metropolitan Superfly Skirt (this link does not constitute a wholehearted endorsement of HotPatterns' pattern descriptions), which has back patch pockets. I liked how they looked and decided to add them to my skirt. I copied ready-to-wear jeans pocket dimensions. The belt loops came about the same way, following instructions from Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing.

Fabric and Interfacings:

100% cotton 12-0z. denim from Fabric.com
scrap of black cotton/poly broadcloth for pocket facings
Fusi Knit on pocket opening and right fly facing
Armo Weft in waistband

Trims and Notions:

hook and bar closure for waistband
#5 brass zipper
Seams Great on fly placket edges

Construction Notes: Being self-drafted, there were a few unexpected snags in construction. Flat-felling over the front pockets turned out to be somewhat difficult. While working on the fly placket, I realized that my procedure for finishing the center front seam was different from the Threads "double-fold" directions I referred to in my pink skirt post. I will try to take pictures next time I use my variation, perhaps for my first tutorial.

I used a tissue-paper template for topstitching my last fly placket, but pinning it to the fabric didn't work very well. It worked even less well on thick denim, so I tried sticking the template to the fabric with a washable glue stick. Eureka! The template stayed exactly where I wanted it.

The tops of the patch pockets as well as both ends of the belt loops are bar-tacked to the skirt with a narrow, dense zigzag.

Conclusion: Making a garment from concept to pattern to finish is pretty neat. I am looking forward to more drafting adventures. This particular adventure will be as versatile as I had hoped, working with shirts and with tees, in summer and in winter.

Strawberry Safari Skirt

2008-06-16T14:38:00.009-05:00

Inspiration: A couple of Anthropologie skirts, here and here. I wanted to find a sporty style that would deemphasize the fabric's PINKNESS.

Pattern / Modifications: Butterick 3262, hopefully for the last time: I'm working on drafting a skirt pattern from scratch right now. I used the pattern only for the waistline and hip shaping. I added center front and center back seams, as well as front hip pockets. The pockets weren't carefully planned; instead, I just took a ruler and a pencil and started drawing. The hem band was achieved by drawing a line 3" above the hem edge of the pattern, cutting it, and adding seam allowances.

In my ongoing quest for an smooth, professional waistband, I made a separate facing.

The fly placket was more difficult to draft, since I've never sewn one before. I consulted the Reader's Digest Guide to Sewing, Make Your Own Patterns, "Foolproof Fly Zipper" in Threads 128 (pp. 45-47), and jeans that we own. I included a guard as directed by the Threads article.

I created the cargo pocket *after* making the skirt, because I didn't know how large it should be until the skirt was done. It is 6" square. To make one like it, cut a 7"x10" rectangle of fashion fabric and a 6-3/4" square of lining fabric (these dimensions include 1/2" seam allowances). Cutting the lining slightly smaller helps insure that it doesn't show at the edges when the pocket is turned. Create and press the pleat; topstitch the pleat edges. Right sides together, pin the pocket and lining together; stitch, leaving a ~3" opening in the middle of one of the unpleated (vertical) sides. Trim, press, turn, and press. I actually didn't bother to sew the opening closed, but let the topstitching do the work for me; however, other fabrics may require different treatment. Topstitch to garment. For the flap, cut two 3"x7" pieces of fashion fabric; interface one of them. Follow steps for pocket to construct. Topstitch one long and both short edges before topstitching the remaining long edge to garment. Make sure to catch the pocket in the flap topstitching.

I've never written instructions before and don't know if these make any sense. If you try them and they don't, please ask!

Fabric and Interfacings:

2 yds. 96% cotton/4% lycra sateen from Fabric.com
Armo Weft interfacing in waistband and cargo pocket flap
Fusi Knit interfacing in right fly facing and along pocket openings
scrap of 100% cotton broadcloth for pocket lining/facings

Trims and Notions:

two 3/4" buttons from a local fabric store
Seams Great along edges in fly placket

Construction Notes: For developing the sporty look, for finishing seam allowances, and for breaking up PINKNESS, I finished the vertical seams with traditional flat felling. This worked on the sides and center back, but not on the center front because of the fly placket. Examining ready-to-wear jeans I found that it is possible to flat-fell a seam with a fly placket, and figured if they could do it, there must be some way that I could too. Threads again came to the rescue; this time it was "Four Fast, Flat-Fell Seams" on pp. 60-64 in issue 137. I used the "double fold" variation, and it turned out perfectly!

Oh, one more Threads reference: "Why Not Make Your Own Jeans?" (issue 136, pp. 28-32) suggests French seaming pocket sack edges. Tried it - it worked. Hooray! Now I can save my valuable Seams Great for when I really need it. I did "really need it" to finish the edges of the fly extensions as well as the guard. The hem band seam is finished with bias 100% cotton quilting fabric.

Conclusion: This turned out exactly as I envisioned it. I love the cargo pocket, and that the new (to me) waistband treatment *worked*. Making my first fly placket was much easier than I anticipated, and I think it looks pretty good; I will be using it often now.

Pinwheel Picnic Table Runner

2008-05-20T08:16:00.001-05:00

Inspiration: I fell in love with the fabric as soon as I saw it. The colors appeared (on the computer monitor) to be a perfect match with the dining room color scheme, and Mother's Day was approaching. Well! Originally I planned to make placemats, but decided to make a table runner instead.

Design: I really liked this quilt top featured during Sew, Mama, Sew's Quilting Month, and my first impulse was to make simple pinwheel blocks for my runner. Then for some reason I decided that was too easy. So I poked around in our quilting books and came across a page of quilt block patterns in French Chic: Quilting Patchwork and Applique (ahem... original copyright 1980). Two of the blocks had pinwheels in the center; one was framed by a star, the other by an on-point square. I played with a few ideas and came up with the final design.

The blocks are 12" squares, so each patch is 3". To make my blocks, I cut 20 light and 20 dark 4" squares, then split them diagonally to make 80 total triangles. I also cut 8 3-1/2" squares. For sashing, I cut two 40-1/2" x 2 -1/2" strips and two 16-1/2"x 2-1/2" strips. The binding required three 44"x 2-1/2" crossgrain strips seamed together.

Materials: I knew that I wanted the blue fabric to be part of the blocks. I wasn't sure which of the green/white and red fabrics would be the other block fabric and which would be sashing. So I ordered 1/2 yard of each of all three. This was plenty.

I ordered 3/8 yard of the yellow/green fabric. This was sufficient, but not plenty - I had a 1-1/2" strip left.

All fabrics are from Urban Chicks' "Swell" collection for Moda, ordered from Sew, Mama, Sew!

The backing is natural-colored broadcloth from Wal-Mart. Batting is Fairfield brand and machine-quilting thread is Coats and Clark, both from JoAnn Fabrics. Everything is 100% cotton.

Construction Notes: I have messed around with patchwork a little, but this was my first actual project. To my surprise, I enjoyed the piecing enormously. It didn't seem tedious at all, but like artwork! (I'll get back to you after piecing a real quilt.) My inexperience did lead to a few problems with pressing: I steam my garments generously, but learned that it's a bad idea with diagonal patchwork seams. Some of my patches have their points cut off.

I'd have liked to hand quilt the runner, but time dictated otherwise. It also occurred to me that at our table, the runners get used pretty hard, and that machine quilting would hold up better. Not knowing what on earth I was doing, I layered, pinned, and basted, then started sewing. I did know enough to begin in the middle. I chose to stitch in the ditch: I don't know if this is a conventional method, but it seemed to work for me. Quilting took about 4 hours (not counting basting).

I followed binding directions from the back section of an old American Patchwork and Quilting magazine I have.

Conclusion: I had a suspicion that I would love quilting. This runner confirmed my suspicion! Designing and constructing were both delightful (in spite of the imperfect points), and it was a nice change of pace from garment sewing. The colors do match the dining room decor, and Mom says she likes it, so I think the runner was a success.

For another "Swell" project, check out this cute mini quilt on Flickr!

Lake Breeze Skirt

2008-05-03T13:43:00.000-05:00

Inspiration: This Anthropologie skirt. I love how it takes a tiered skirt and a button-front skirt, both of which can be somewhat boring, and makes them pretty and fun. At least I think so.

Pattern: Butterick 3262, which is out of print. But it doesn't matter, because any basic a-line skirt pattern would work.

Modifications: I turned the centerfront fold into a seam and added a self-faced 1-1/4" button band, following by memory the method I used to install the band on my recent purple striped shirt. I drafted a 1-1/4" waistband. And I stole the inseam pockets from another pattern.

The finished measurement of the upper skirt is 15"; the lower tier is 10". For the tier, I drafted a rectangle that was 1.5 times the length of the lower skirt edge.

Fabric and Interfacing:

1-1/2 yds. midweight 55% linen/45% rayon from Fabric.com
Fusi-Knit

Trims and Notions:

8 5/8" mother-of-pearl buttons from a local fabric store
Seams Great
1" polyester grosgrain ribbon

Construction Notes: As usual, working with the linen blend was lovely. There was not much hand sewing required so the skirt came together quickly.

The upper skirt side seams are finished with Seams Great, as are the pocket bags. The tier sides are French seamed. I bound the horizontal seam with cotton bias.

I don't like how a lot of my waistbands get stretched out and wrinkly looking. I think that the self-facing method I've been using might be part of the problem, so I tried facing this waistband with grosgrain ribbon. Hopefully it'll help...

I wanted to try hemstitching the tier, with instructions from Fine Machine Sewing. I bought the (expensive) wing needle and tried it out on a scrap. The needle was too small. Sigh. I put the needle away for a different project, and sewed a conventional machine hem on this skirt!

Conclusion: This is the second Anthropologie knockoff I've done (the other being my raspberry knit dress last winter), and I'm thrilled with how both have turned out. I have lots more planned! In the meantime, I'll enjoy wearing my new skirt.

Purple/Black Striped Shirt

2008-04-01T14:14:00.004-05:00

Inspiration: I bought the fabric over a year ago to make a dress, but decided against it, so left the fabric to age on my shelves. Then last summer I picked up the pattern because it looked like a good basic shirt style. I really liked the striped version in the pattern illustration, so I dug out my fabric, and there you are.

Pattern: McCall's 4922

Modifications: None! My shirt looks almost exactly like view A.

Fabric and Interfacing:

100% cotton shirting from Fashion Fabrics Club
lightweight sew-in interfacing

Trims and Notions: 8 1/2" clear buttons, cut off of Dad's worn-out uniforms!

Construction Notes: I cut out the shirt on a single layer of fabric. Because of the stripes that needed matching, this seemed like the most efficient route.

The bodice and armscye seams are finished with a strange self-bias method I concocted. You don't want to know, because I'm sure there's an easier way! The shoulder and sleeve seams are French. The front and back princess seams, the shoulders, the cuffs, and the collar are all topstitched. The hem was supposed to be, but I have not yet succeeded in pressing a consistent 1" hem: it roams between 7/8" and 1-1/8", and looks terrible on the inside. I handstitched it!

I have not done many sleeve plackets, so I tried to be slow and careful while I worked on these two. I am pretty happy with how they came out.

Conclusion: I like the fit as well as the style. This will be one of my "tried-and-true" shirt patterns, and I think my shirt will see a lot of wear too!

Yellow Owls Wallet

2008-02-19T14:44:00.007-06:00

Inspiration: My original inspiration was this wallet, which my mom and brother made for me last Christmas. I also took ideas from an Anthropologie wallet and JennaLou's designs.

Pattern: Self drafted. It needs some adjustment: for instance, the card pockets are too deep, and the ribbon pen loop isn't sturdy enough. Also my topstitching leaves something to be desired, but changing the pattern won't help that!

Finished measurement is 4x8", closed.

Fabric and Interfacings: Everything is 100% cotton, and was manufactured by Robert Kaufman Fabrics. I ordered online (from Fabric.com) and couldn't match colors, so I decided to hope that if the prints were from the same manufacturer they would be close. Thankfully, they were.

The owl print is from the Hot Couturier line; the polka dots, from Pimatex Basics; and the solid brown is Kona broadcloth.

I fused lightweight white cotton canvas to the shell pieces with Stitch Witchery.

Trims and Notions:

9" #2 brown zipper
1" brown rayon/cotton grosgrain
1/4" brown polyester grosgrain
5/8" black snap
1" plastic O-ring
red, yellow, and gold-lined yellow seed beads
3x5" rectangle of flexible clear plastic

Construction Notes: I used the following order of construction (it's quite general, but if anyone is drafting their own wallet pattern it might help):

Make the card pockets and apply to the lining.
Attach the lower pleated pocket to the lining.
Sew the flap; turn.
Make the back zipper pocket.
Stack lining/flap/shell and stitch along this top edge.
Sew side seams and just patch bottom corners, leaving an opening for turning.
Turn and hand sew bottom edge shut. Press.

The outer embellishment is based upon Claire Shaeffer's instructions for a Chanel-inspired button in Couture Sewing Techniques. Instead of the metal button in the middle, I beaded a circle of seed beads inside the plastic ring. I sewed the outer edge of the "button" directly to the flap, over the snap closure. I love how this turned out - the fabric is very "funky", and I think the embellishment makes it more mature. Plus I love beads.

Conclusion: This was so fun to make, and very fast even though I've never made a wallet before. I look forward to refining the pattern!

Canvas Tool Belts

2008-02-09T15:01:00.000-06:00

Inspiration: I made these for my 15-, 12-, and 11-year-old brothers for Christmas. I got the idea from a Green Pepper pattern (#536 on this page).

Pattern: I'm sure the Green Pepper work apron/tool belt is great, but I didn't really want to spend the money. This is, therefore, an Anna-drafted pattern.

The base is 18"x7-3/4", finished. The pocket, which is 6" deep, is cut with the base and folded up along the bottom edge. To copy the GP pattern as well as I could, I flared the pocket section out from the foldline so that the hemmed pocket edge is 19-1/4". (Hopefully the photos will help make sense of this description!) The smaller applied pocket is 15"x3-3/4".

Fabric: 100% cotton canvas stolen from my mom's stash

Trims and Notions: (for each tool belt)

1 yd. 2" polypropylene webbing
1/4 yd. 1" propylene webbing
2" Trovato-like style buckle (really, that's what it's called)
2" tri-glide

All hardware is from Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics. I checked several outdoor-oriented sewing suppliers, and they had the best prices. They also shipped quickly!

Construction Notes: Once I got the construction process figured out, these went together quickly. My sewing machine was somewhat grumpy about all the thick layers, though!

The main part of the process that needed "figuring out" was how to finish the horizontal edge between the hammer loop and the top. I'm not going to post how I did it, though, because it didn't work very well; if I make more tool belts someday I'll look for a better alternative.

I'm not sure how I was supposed to do this, but to finish the raw edges of the webbing I ran them through a candle flame until there was a thin line of melted webbing.

I had a lot of fun using the hardware. Do you know you're a sewing geek when a box of plastic buckles and several colors of webbing makes you very excited?!? I also enjoyed choosing the more masculine color combinations.

Conclusion: My brothers seemed to like these, so I'm considering the tool belts a success!

Red Cosmetics Case and Zipper Pouch

2008-01-31T14:12:00.000-06:00

Inspiration: Nothing - the shapes are pretty basic. My cousin and his wife are having their first baby, and Mom - a purse-making genius - made a diaper bag with accessories for them. I asked if I could make a cosmetics case and zippered pouch, and I did.

Pattern: For the pouch, I just made up measurements for a rectangle that sounded right, then arbitrarily slashed it off-center. It's 9x12" finished.

The cosmetics case pattern took some time to develop. I started out with an idea for the shape from the first bag shown on this page, and evolved the idea through three mock-ups. I really like the final product. Measurements: the base is 7" long; the highest point of the curve is 4" from the base; and the middle panel is 2" wide. There are two D-shaped sides, one base piece, and two pieces for the zipper opening. The lining is identical.

I worked with 1/4" seam allowances.

Fabric and Interfacings: I chose three fabrics from the "Look and Learn" collection by American Jane for Moda from Sew, Mama, Sew! The online photos of the fabric looked red, but the actual color is orangey-red... not quite what I was anticipating, but it worked out. Fabric-hunting was lots of fun: my goal was to find a collection that had some baby-appropriate prints, but also more grown up designs. The color scheme needed to be red and black.

I interfaced with Ultra Firm interfacing fused to the fabric with Stitch Witchery. The bags are lined with 100% cotton twill pilfered from Mom; the twill is covered with Therm-O-Web Iron-on Vinyl.

Trims and Notions:

3/8" black polyester grosgrain
1" black rayon/cotton grosgrain
7" #2 zipper
14" #5 zipper
burgundy button

Construction Notes: Except for the "practice runs" that I mentioned, I've never made any zippered accessories before. More education!

Other than the new challenge of working with stiffly-interfaced fabric, the zipper pouch was simple to make. The cosmetics case was slightly less so. I followed the directions for a similarly constructed purse in McCall's 3136.

Before pressing, the cosmetics case looked pretty sad and, well... "smooshed". Mom cut a piece of thick foam to the shape of the bag, put it inside, and steamed it. It worked perfectly.

Conclusion: One thing I didn't expect about making accessories: it's quick! I like that a lot. And I got to use fun designer cotton that I probably wouldn't choose for a garment. I hope my cousin's wife likes the gifts, and I'm looking forward to making more bags!

You can see the whole set here; Mom made everything except, of course, the cosmetics case and zipper pouch. The bags with the animal appliques are holding burpcloths, and the bag trimmed with daisy fabric has a changing pad.

Chocolate Pleated Skirt

2008-01-29T15:53:00.000-06:00

Inspiration: I wanted a pleated skirt to wear this winter!

Pattern: I used the modified version of Simplicity 5524 from my khaki gored skirt, adding pleats from Butterick 6550. The latter is long out of print, but you can see it here.

Modifications: Besides the changes on S5524 documented in the khaki skirt post, I shortened it to 27 1/2" finished. I also added cut-on pocket extensions based on the illustrations in Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing.

I used the pleat underlay piece from B6550 to draft extensions onto the main skirt pieces.

Fabric and Interfacing:

100% polyester "soft suede" from Fabric.com
100% rayon Bemberg lining from Fabric.com
Fusi-Knit fusible interfacing

Trims and Notions:

9" #2 zipper
hook and eye

Construction Notes: I had two yards of fabric, and it was just barely enough. I actually had to cut the back pleat underlays with the nap running down - opposite of the rest of the skirt - in order to squeeze it out. But I don't think anyone will notice.

Bias binding would have been nice, but I chose to overlock the seam allowances.

To help maintain the pleat definition, I edgestitched the pleats. However, the underlay fabric was still poking out, making the look more godeted than pleated. So I experimented with pinning the layers of the pleats together; holding the top two layers (of three) worked the best. About 7" down from the top of the pleat, I catchstitched the wrong sides of the layers together for about 1" parallel to the hem. It's hard to describe, but strangely, it works!

Conclusion: I like the simple lines and rich color of this skirt. Polyester isn't one of my favorite fibers, but I'm still happy with how it turned out!

Note: sorry about the yellowish tint of the photos. I *really* need to work on my photography.

Raspberry Jersey Dress

2007-12-29T14:10:00.000-06:00

Inspiration: While browsing the Anthropologie website in early November, I came across a knit dress with a deep cowl-turtleneck, shirred midriff, long sleeves, and gathered skirt. I decided to make a pretty close knockoff. Unfortunately, the dress is no longer on their website, so I can't link to it... but mine is similar.

Pattern: Simplicity 3775

Modifications: I draped the oversized turtleneck following the instructions in Threads issue #112, p. 52. Mine is 14" deep total, folded in half twice.

Because I don't like my garments to fit tightly in the bust, I cut the bodice a size larger than my normal 12. It turned out to be unnecessary, and I took in the side seams to their size 12 position! I also took in about 3/8" along the top of the waist panel on the back.

I lengthened the sleeves 3 1/2", and made a 5/8" narrow hem by hand.

Fabric: 92% cotton/8% lycra stretch jersey from Fabric.com

Trims and Notions: None - the embellishment on this dress is the shirred midriff and oversized turtleneck.

Construction Notes: I would have liked to do an attractive seam finish, but the best choice ended up being the "overlock" stitch on my mom's old Babylock. Since this dress pulls on, I didn't want to take the chance on something less stretchy.

The fabric was a bit different from what I expected when I ordered it. It's described as very soft with 4-way stretch, so I figured it would be like stretchy t-shirt fabric. It isn't. I am not a knit expert, but I really don't think this has 4-way stretch... which is actually good, since S3775 is not designed for such fabric. (Yes, I was going to cheat. But I didn't have to!) Also, this fabric is not smooth, but has subtle horizontal striations. I didn't like this at first, but eventually realized that the texture made the fabric more casual, which is what I wanted in the first place. So the fabric turned out to be perfect.

The construction was very quick and straightforward.

Conclusion: Comfortable, flattering, and in one of my favorite colors. I like my dress even better than the inspiration!

Indigo Jacquard Jean Jacket

2007-12-18T12:05:00.000-06:00

Inspiration: I needed a jean jacket, and I wanted it to be a little... different.

Pattern: McCall's 5191

Modifications: None - except adding a lining. I followed the directions in High-Fashion Sewing Secrets for drafting the front and back lining pieces. In the case of this jacket, I had to piece the pattern tissue because I didn't need the extra princess seams and yoke. Fun! Claire Shaeffer's instructions include a 1" pleat in the center back of the lining.

For the sleeve lining, I just traced the actual fashion fabric after sewing the first seam (it's a two-piece sleeve).

Fabric and Interfacings:

96% cotton/4% lycra denim jacquard from Fabric.com
100% polyester striped lining fabric from Fabric.com
scraps of 100% cotton broadcloth for chest pocket lining
Armo Weft fusible interfacing from Atlanta Thread Supply

Trims and Notions:

8 5/8" navy snaps from Atlanta Thread Supply

Construction Notes: This would have been a fairly fast project if not for the topstitching. but of course topstitching is important when you're making a jean jacket. I just hope I sew straighter now than when I started!

Since the cotton/lycra denim was a little hard to press, I decided to line the chest pockets in hopes of making them uniform. I traced the fabric after sewing the center seam for the pattern. Per Vogue Sewing, I cut the lining piece 1/8" smaller on all sides than the fashion fabric. I edge- and topstitched the pocket before hand sewing it to the jacket; I read this tip in one of our books and figured it would give me more control. It did.

The Readers' Digest Guide to Sewing gave me the general idea of how to to machine sew the lining in. However, their instructions were for a traditional tailored jacket with no facing along the hem. I left a 6-7" opening along the lower edge and turned the jacket through, then hand sewed it closed. Once the sleeve lining was in, I slashed it along the placket and turned it under, then sewed it down.

I like pockets, and I wanted something a bit more functional than the chest pockets. So I added a hidden pocket on the left front in the facing/lining seam. It's about 5" square finished. I made the jacket a month ago, and I frankly couldn't replicate the construction if I tried. I might not even want to do so! Anyway, it's there, and it works.

I thought machine buttonholes would look tacky on this jacket, and I'm not quite ready for bound buttonholes. So I used snaps. I love how they look, but I think I drove my poor mom nuts while I was hammering them in place for an hour.

Conclusion: This is the first jacket I've made. I think it was a great introduction for me.

Orange Poppies Skirt

2007-11-13T15:28:00.000-06:00

Inspiration: Fell in love with the fabric as soon as I saw it! It was a hard choice between this version, the blue-and-green, and the chocolate-and-turquoise, but I'm glad I went with this one.

Pattern: the well-used Butterick 3262 view C, modified!

Modifications: Shortened the skirt to 25" from the waist, and put the zipper in the center back instead of on the side. I copied the pocket curve from Simplicity 4087 and drafted my own pocket bag.

Fabric and Interfacings:

96% cotton/4% lycra stretch twill from Fabric.com
100% cotton broadcloth for pocket facings
100% cotton calico for seam finishing
Fusi-Knit on pocket openings and in waistband

Trims and Notions:

9" #2 zipper
cream 1/4" polyester satin ribbon for hanger loops

Construction Notes: I followed the front-hip pocket instructions given in the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing, which call for a 2" wide interfacing band echoing the pocket edge opening.

All vertical seams are Hong Kong finished with inside-out bias calico. This is one of the structural secrets that make sewing so much fun for me: no one else will see the pretty finish in my skirt, but I will, and I like knowing it's there! The lycra content of the fabric seemed to make topstitching look weird, so I hand hemmed the skirt.

Conclusion: A quick project that is lots of fun to wear, and even multi-seasonal!

Khaki Gored Skirt

2007-11-13T14:26:00.000-06:00

Inspiration: My old khaki skirt was falling apart! I needed a replacement.

Pattern: Simplicity 5524

Modifications: I didn't want the pronounced trumpet shape of the skirt, so I redrew the gores into wedge shapes. I also narrowed the hem; the finished width is around 80".

I split the center back gore into two pieces so that I could have a zipper there. I generally prefer back zippers to side zippers.

The pattern doesn't come with pockets, so I had to make up my own. I decided on front-hip pockets, and copied them from the aforementioned ready-t0-wear khaki skirt. Finished, the top of the pocket is 1 7/8" from the side seam, and the visible bottom corner of the pocket is 6 1/4" from the waistband. The pocket sack extends about 3" below the bottom corner; I probably could have made it longer for more room.

The pattern also doesn't have a waistband. I found another pattern that had a 1" (finished) waistband and used it. Could have drafted one, but this was faster!

Fabric and Interfacings:

65% linen/35% tencel from Fabric.com
100% cotton broadcloth for front pocket sack
Fusi-Knit for zipper and pocket reinforcement
Fusi-Form in waistband

Trims and Notions:

9" #2 zipper
skirt hook and eye

Construction Notes: I spent awhile trying decide between French or clean-finished seams...and ended up doing flat-felled seams. I like how they make the skirt look a little sporty. Besides, I needed to tie the topstitching on the pockets in with the rest of the garment! The center back seam is cut on the selvedge, so it didn't need finishing.

As on my pink yoked skirt, I topstitched the zipper opening before hand sewing the zipper in.

Working with the linen/tencel was delightful. It is softer than the 55% linen/45% rayon print I used for my yellow dress earlier this year, and drapes wonderfully; it also has a surprising amount of stretch across the grain.

Conclusion: I am just getting around to posting this...I think I actually finished it in July. Bad Anna. I like how it turned out, and am happy to replace the old skirt!

Flirty Skirt Contest Update

2007-11-05T07:05:00.000-06:00

The results of the Fabric.com Flirty Skirt Contest were announced last Thursday, and my entry placed second. The prize is a $150 gift certificate at Fabric.com. My winter wardrobe is essentially nonexistent, so I'm very thankful for the money. I'm having fun browsing the website deciding on fabrics (not that I didn't do that already), and dreaming up embellishments for the future garments.

Making the skirt was a lot of work, but I'm certainly glad I did it. Just wanted to share!

Pink "Glitter Nouveau" Yoked Skirt

2007-10-19T15:20:00.001-05:00

Inspiration: I made this for the Fabric.com Flirty Skirt Contest (referenced in my previous post, not quite a month and a half ago), which required that I use the Favorite Things Hip Skirts or Cute Skirts patterns. I browsed the Anthropologie website for ideas. I did not knock off any particular skirt, but combined elements of several, including this one and this one.

I spent several weeks deciding on my fabric scheme. I went so far as to make an outline of the skirt in AppleWorks (yes, we still use AppleWorks!) and copy different fabrics into it. Not terribly accurate, but it did help me have a rough idea of what I would get. I experimented with dozens of fabric combinations before settling on one of the more aesthetically simple, less cutesy options. I hope!

Pattern: Favorite Things Hip Skirts. I substantially modified the circle skirt option.

Modifications: I wanted the yoke to go all the way up to my waist and to be less fitted at the hips. I also preferred to have a center-back zipper rather than the waist elastic called for by the pattern. And I needed to make the skirt less full to fit it onto two skirt-lengths of 45" fabric.

I ended up making the yoke 6.5" deep (not including seam allowances). The waist is fitted with about an inch of ease, and if I do it again I might make it less. The hips have ~2" of ease. I flared the skirt as much as possible from the yoke; it's finished measurement is 84".

I made up the lower band application. It's 3" wide finished. I traced off the lower edge of the skirt and added 3 5/8" up from there, then a 3/8" seam allowance on top. Before applying it, I stitched along the upper seam allowance and pressed it down. Then I matched the band's right side to the skirt's wrong side, and stitched along the lower edge. I clipped the allowances, understitched, and pressed to the right side. Finally, I edgestitched the upper edge of the band to the skirt.

Fabric and Interfacings:

100% cotton poplin print from Fabric.com - it's from Robert Kaufman's "Hot Couturier" collection
100% cotton broadcloth from Fabric.com for hem band
100% cotton muslin from Fashion Fabrics Club for yoke lining

Trims and Notions:

9" #2 zipper
hook and eye
1/4" polyester double-faced satin ribbon from Newark Dressmaker Supply
black and crystal seed beads from Whim Beads
three shades of pink seed beads from Wal-Mart

Construction Notes: The actual skirt was pretty easy after I hashed out the fabric choice and pattern. I made French side seams; the center back seam is Hong Kong finished with the same black broadcloth used on the hem band. Following Claire Shaeffer's tip in High-Fashion Sewing Secrets, I topstitched the zipper opening, then backstitched the zipper in by hand. I'm going to do this for all my slot zippers from now on - it's so much easier for me than trying to get my topstitching straight with the zipper underneath, and actually faster!

I did not use any interfacing on the yoke. I have a horror of bulk around my hips, and figured the muslin was stiff enough for the support needed. I'll see if that is true when I wear it.

After the skirt was done, I hand beaded the hem. As soon as I had the fabric washed, I'd traced off several of the individual print motifs and established the beading design. I fiddled around with different transfer methods before making a stencil out of poster board, which I used with a (tested!) washable chalk pencil.

My only prior experience with bead embroidery was a few small practice designs when I decided to bead this skirt, so this was quite an adventure. The first set (of 12) took 3 hours, and I was... somewhat depressed. Fortunately, there's a pretty big investment in fabric, and the contest deadline was remarkably motivational! Beading took about 24 hours total.

It would have been easier to sew the ribbon onto the skirt before constructing it, but I wasn't sure where the ribbon wanted to go, so I waited until the end. It said it belonged right underneath the yoke, so that's where I put it. The sewing machine and ribbon weren't cooperating together, so I handsewed it on. It took about an hour, and you can't imagine how easy and fast that felt after the bead embroidery!

Conclusion: The whole process of designing and making this skirt has been incredible. I feel like I've reached a new stage in my sewing. Previously I preferred using great prints with simple patterns, but now I want to branch out into more challenging designs. I've only been sewing seriously for a year, so I hope I'm ready. As time consuming as the beading was, I am thrilled with the result, and eager to learn more methods of surface embellishment. Fine Embellishment Techniques looks like a great resource, and Christmas is coming!

I owe a big thank you to my brother Danny. Recognizing my somewhat abysmal photographic skills, he did all of the photography for me except the shot of the stencil.

Anna Still Sews

2007-09-13T07:55:00.000-05:00

Really, I do! But I've had an unexpected "vacation." About a month ago, Mom started painting the walls of our basement sewing studio. One thing led to another, and pretty soon she was rearranging, too. Dad even installed an outlet for the iron. The basement is much more pleasant now:

before

after

Then a ten days ago the hydrostatic transmission on our lawn tractor got messed up, and my 17-year-old brother fixed it. I got to be his assistant, which mostly involved finding the 1/2" wrench and holding the funnel for refilling the oil in the transmission. I also got to see the differential... Anyway, he got it fixed, and we're very thankful.

But now I'm back to sewing, and enjoying it even more for the break. My current stash:

I finished the khaki skirt I mentioned awhile back, and need to post it. Right now I'm working on a skirt from the fabric on top of the stack; I hope to finish it today. I'm also considering entering Fabric.com's "Flirty Skirt Contest".

Perhaps my next post will be in less than 1 1/2 months!

Brown Ruffled Skirt

2007-07-20T14:38:00.000-05:00

Inspiration: In the comments on my fuchsia striped shirt I mentioned that I wanted to make a brown gauze skirt. The design is my own, at least as much as a severely simple tiered skirt can be!

Pattern: None, although labeling this "patternmaking" might be exaggerating. It's just a couple of rectangles. I did spend awhile mulling over proportions, though...

Creating the rectangles was easy. For the main skirt, I measured my hips and added 5" of ease, plus seam allowances. The ruffle is twice the width of the main skirt.

The main skirt is 19" long (including the casing); the ruffle is 6" long.

Fabric: 100% cotton gauze from Fabric.com

Notions:

3/4" black non-roll elastic
1" brown grosgrain ribbon for "tag"
3/8" brown grosgrain ribbon for hanger loops

All notions were stolen from Mom's stash!

Construction Notes: I considered adding pockets, but wasn't sure that it would work. Since the fabric is so lightweight, I thought the extra fabric on my hips might look weird. So I skipped the pockets. (And pockets are very important to me: last weekend I actually picked out the French seams on my "cherry blue" flounced skirt and installed inseam hip pockets. Back when I made the skirt I was still scared of pockets, but I'm not anymore, and their absence was bothering me. Anyway.)

I used French seams throughout. The ruffle hem is hand-rolled per the instructions in Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing. It was my first hand-rolled hem, and I hope to get better with practice!

The gauze was inclined to stretch while being sewed. I kept a finger behind the presser foot to prevent that inclination from creating lettuce edges where I didn't want them. I believe this technique is recommended in Fabric Savvy.

Pressing would ruin the crinkles in the fabric, so this was an iron-less project; it felt strange!

I made hanger loops of narrow brown grosgrain ribbon, and a "tag" (so I know where the back is!) of wide brown grosgrain.

Conclusion: I recently discovered that brown is a good color on me, so I think this skirt will be used a lot. I already noted that I'm going to wear it with my fuchsia striped shirt; I'd like to make a belt to complete the outfit. I also have some wonderful blue and brown lawn for a blouse that I think will look nice with this skirt. It'll work with a plain white shirt or tee, too. And there's nothing quite like the quick gratification of a pull-on skirt.

Sage/Purple Hibiscus Princess Jumper

2007-07-05T08:54:00.000-05:00

Inspiration: Honestly, jumpers aren't generally my cup of tea. There's a lot that can go wrong. As soon as I saw this fabric, though, I immediately thought of a princess-seamed jumper my mom made for herself awhile back. And that's what I made.

Pattern: Vogue 1149 (out of print)

Modifications: I left off the sleeves and made bias facings for the armscyes following the Reader's Digest Guide to Sewing instructions.

I also added inseam hip pockets. Again! I like pockets...I need pockets. Because there's no waist seam, I changed the pocket pattern to a teardrop shape.

I really like the length of my "garden yellow" dress, so I made this jumper the same length. To accomplish this, I shortened the jumper by 5-1/4" and made a 1-1/4" hem instead of the recommended 2".

Fabric and Interfacings:

100% rayon twill print from Fabric.com
Fusi-Form lightweight interfacing

Trims and Notions:

11 1/2" strand buttons from eBay
twill tape for pocket reinforcement
2 small metal hooks to eliminate gapping

Construction Notes: Working with the rayon twill was different from other wovens I've used so far. A more experienced seamstress probably wouldn't have even thought about it, but to me it seemed a bit slippery. Pinning it within an inch of its life solved that problem - on the more severe curves of the princess seams, spacing pins every 1/2" did the job. The great drape and silky feel more than make up for any handling inconvenience.

I've never done bias facings before, and they were an adventure. I "discovered" that when the book says to press the bias into a curve before sewing it in, the book means it. The first facing called - "begged" is a better term - for Mom's help, but the second went in much more easily for me (because I curved it more!). I'm reasonably happy with how they turned out. Anyway, I learned a lot.

I don't know of a fine seam finish for unlined princess seams. so on Mom's advice I triple-zigzagged the edges as soon as I cut the pieces out. Something like "Seams Great" would look nicer.

Since this fabric is typically used for camp shirts, I chose the strand buttons that would be used with that style. I really like how they look. I spaced them about 3" apart, which is closer than the pattern indicates, but there was still some gapping at the waist area. Snaps in between the buttons didn't help, so I used metal hooks and thread loops.

Although I'm a pretty standard size 12 bodice, the jumper didn't fit well at first. I put it on and Mom pinned out the fullness. It was quite loose around the waist, and we also rearranged the seams over the bust so that they fell where they should.

Conclusion: As with my fuchsia striped shirt, I need to make another garment before I can wear this one. In this case I need a top. I've ordered white cotton broadcloth, which I'll make into a basic short-sleeved shirt.

I enjoyed the challenge of the rayon twill (you can see the weave in the pocket photo). The finished garment looks a little retro to me, and I love it!

Black Tropical Swimsuit

2007-06-28T19:46:00.000-05:00

(I couldn't put it on my dressform. Try it!)

Inspiration: Well, my refusal to wear any ready-t0-wear swimsuit was pretty inspiring. I just don't like all the skin they reveal.

Pattern: Fashionably Modest Ladies' Swimsuit pattern

Modifications: I've never sewn a knit before, let alone a super-stretchy knit like nylon/lycra swimsuit fabric, so this was an adventure. I ended up recutting the bodice front, the shorts, and the panties to get the modifications I wanted. Thankfully I had plenty of fabric to work with.

I like my necklines pretty high, so I raised this one 1 3/4" in the front, leaving it alone in the back. After trying on the pin-basted original top, I also redrew the front armscyes a little farther away from the body.

I also like my skirts to hit at least mid-knee, so I lengthened the skirt 6 1/8". I lengthened the shorts 3"; hindsight suggests that 5-6" would have been better. If/when I make this again, I will also make the skirt a bit more narrow.

After making the panties, I tried them on and found that the leg elastic was too tight. To get the right width, I just measured my regular panties - should have done that in the first place, but I didn't think of it. Redrafting the panties wasn't difficult: I just tapered from the side notch down and away to the new mark.

Fabric:

nylon/lycra print from Big4Fabrics on eBay; guessing contents at 90/10 or 85/15
100% nylon nude-colored lining fabric from Lucy's Fabrics

Note: the pattern calls for 2 1/2 yds. of the fashion fabric and 1 yd. of lining. For the size 8/10 that I made, this was pretty generous. In a non-directional print I *think* I could get away with 2 yds. of the fashion fabric, and definitely 1/2 yd. of lining. However, due to all of the re-cutting I did, I was very glad to have the extra fabric.

Trims and Notions:

3/8" poly/rubber elastic in neckline, armscyes, under bust, and panty legs
1/2" poly/rubber elastic in waistband
2 bra cups

I found the elastics at Wal-Mart, and stole the bra cups from my old swimsuit!

Construction Notes: As I mentioned, getting used to working with the knit took awhile. The lining was more difficult to sew than the fashion fabric, for me. With both fabrics, I wasn't sure at first how much to stretch them, but I did get the hang of it. Seams take a lot longer to sew when you're stretching them out!

The instructions are clear and thorough. I did do a couple of things differently, though. The first was inserting the panties (into the skirt part of the swimsuit) with the right side toward the body - I figured they would be more comfortable that way. In the same vein, I sewed the under-bust elastic to the wrong side of the lining.

Inserting the bra cups sounded scary, but it actually wasn't too bad. I learned that smoothing the fabric away from the cups is important to prevent puckers. After the initial zigzag (and trying on the top), I sewed the second seam in triple-zigzag for extra strength.

This suit looks fine, I think, from the outside, but the inside isn't quite as "ready-to-wear" as I would like. Since we don't have a serger for sewing the seams and inserting the elastic, that's really unavoidable. Oh, well!

Conclusion: I'm really happy with how this swimsuit turned out. I think it is modest without looking weird, which for a swimsuit is saying something. Since this was my first project of this kind, I learned a lot...now I want to make another suit next year so I can do a better job!

Strawberry Outfit

2007-06-21T10:39:00.000-05:00

Inspiration: This outfit is exactly the same as the previous one. Mom designed both for Rachel.

Pattern: Simplicity 4206

Modifications: Same as Daisy Gingham Outfit: top lengthened 2". Solid skirt tier 12" deep, ruffle 4" deep, not including seam or hem allowances. Pants shortened into bloomers with a 2" inseam.

Fabric:

100% cotton quilting print for top
97% cotton/3% lycra canvas for skirt
65% cotton/35% polyester broadcloth for bloomers.

All fabrics from Fabric.com.

Trims and Notions:

1/4" elastic in top neckline and waistline
3/4" elastic in "skort" waistband
1/4" satin ribbon for top tag
1" grosgrain ribbon for skirt tag
bias tape for top waist casing and skirt ruffle seam finish

Construction Notes: Again, same as the Daisy Gingham Outfit. The top and skirt are constructed with French seams, the bloomers with flat-felled seams. I put in tags again, too.

For this review I took photos of the waist casing and the skirt/ruffle seam finish. I made a casing of 1" bias tape folded to form 1/2" bias tape (really need to get a 1/2" bias tape maker sometime), then sewed it into the top. Before sewing, I folded the ends of the bias tape under and butted them together; after threading the elastic through the casing, I handsewed the ends closed.

The finish for the skirt/ruffle seam is basically a Hong Kong finish, although the real method involves finishing the seam allowances separately, I believe. On the right side, I edgestitched along the skirt edge of the seam to make everything lie flat.

Conclusion: Between this, the daisy gingham outfit, and the safari-themed top and skirt that Mom made, Rachel has three new summer outfits. She's thrilled with all of them, and it was great fun to help!

Daisy Gingham Outfit

2007-06-14T11:34:00.001-05:00

Inspiration: This outfit is for my 6 1/2-year-old sister, Rachel. Our mom picked the fabric and designed the outfit. She was going to make it, too, but I offered. So I can't take any credit for inspiration!

Pattern: Simplicity 4206 (yes, an - ugh - Sewing for Dummies pattern. It happened to have the right lines!)

Modifications: We lengthened the top 2". After trying it on Rachel, Mom marked the waist casing, which I made of 1/2" bias tape.

Mom moved the skirt tiers all over the place. We ended up with the solid canvas 12" deep and the ruffle 4" deep at their finished lengths.

Mom shortened the pants into bloomers with a 2" inseam.

Fabric and Interfacings:

65% cotton/35% polyester gingham daisy print (top)
97% cotton/3% lycra canvas for skirt
65% cotton/35% polyester broadcloth for bloomers

All fabrics are from Fabric.com. I'm still not affiliated, however.

Trims and Notions:

1/4" elastic in top neckline and waistline
3/4" elastic in "skort" waistband
1/4" satin ribbon for top "tag"
1" grosgrain ribbon for skirt "tag"
bias tape for top waist casing and skirt ruffle seam finish

Construction Notes: The top is very straightforward with raglan sleeves and an elastic neckline. I constructed it with French seams and added a ribbon tag in the back neck casing. For one thing, Rachel needed it. For another, I always thought it was neat when Mom did that in my clothes when I was younger.

I made the skirt and bloomers separately, leaving the waist for last on both. The vertical skirt seams are French seams, and I finished the ruffle seam with binding. The bloomers seams are flat-felled.

We collaborated on figuring out how to insert the bloomers into the skirt (at least, Mom lets me think that I helped!). With the wrong side of the bloomers against the right side of the skirt, I lined up the side seams and centers, sandwiched the "tag" between the skirt and bloomers' center back, and sewed a 1/4" seam. The lycra in the canvas gave it greater stretch on the crossgrain, which was helpful in easing the pieces together, the bloomers being slightly bigger than the skirt. I left an opening of about 2" for inserting elastic.

After sewing and pressing, I pulled the bloomers away from the skirt and pressed the seam toward the skirt. Then I pushed the bloomers into the skirt and folded the canvas to form a 1" casing in the skirt. I stitched along the edge of the skirt (on the bloomers). I should have edgestitched along the top of the casing too, but unfortunately I forgot. After threading the 3/4" elastic through the casing, I handstitched the opening closed.

Conclusion: Rachel loves to wear skirts and dresses, but she also loves to play baseball and ride bikes with her four big brothers! This outfit is a great solution for her. It went together very quickly, too.

Navy Twill Skirt

2007-06-04T16:17:00.001-05:00

Inspiration: Hmm... does it look inspired?!? This is just a basic everyday skirt. It was a good way to test the pattern and get something to wear, too. I usually find skirts more comfortable than pants, and this is a skirt I won't mind getting dirty in the garden.

Pattern: Simplicity 4086, view D

Modifications: The skirt is supposed to ride 1" below the natural waist. I strongly dislike wearing low-rise garments, so I added an inch onto the top of the yoke. It turned out perfectly.

I didn't think I would wear a belt with this skirt, and I considered the carriers to be extra work, so I skipped them.

I followed the High-Fashion Sewing Secrets method of inserting a slot zipper, and added a hook and thread eye at the top of the zipper.

Fabric and Interfacings:

mystery twill from Wal-Mart's bargain table. I know for sure that there's plenty of polyester in it - it turned shiny when the iron looked sideways at it!
Form Flex lightweight fusible woven interfacing in yoke
Fusi-Knit for zipper reinforcement, as usual!

Trims and Notions: 2mm navy zipper

Construction Notes: While making this skirt, I decided that it takes more talent to work with cheap fabric! The poly twill was pretty slippery to work with, and resisted pressing, at least for me. Topstitching the zipper was, for some reason, a nightmare: I had to rip it out twice. And I have had success with zippers before, so it wasn't all my fault. Really, none of the topstitching looks very professional. Sigh. I said this was a gardening skirt!

I flat-felled all of the seams except the center back, which was Hong Kong finished. To tie the plain yoke in with the rest of the skirt, I topstitched 1/4" from the lower edge.

I normally avoid machine-stitched hems, but made an exception for this project. I think it fits in with the sportswear look anyway, and it'll be very sturdy.

Conclusion: I was able to use up my "stashed" twill, test a new pattern, and get a new skirt - for $5! The pattern is definitely a keeper, now that I know raising the yoke works. I was reminded of the virtues of natural fibers, but polyester has its place, and I know more about working with it.

Garden Yellow "Sundress"

2007-05-29T06:57:00.000-05:00

Inspiration: I picked out the fabric for my birthday. When I saw Laura's sundress, I knew what pattern I wanted to use.

Pattern: McCall's 5042; Simplicity 3877 (sleeves); Butterick 3853 (pockets)

Modifications: After making a toile of the bodice, I found that the armholes gaped on me. (They also gape on the model for the pattern cover!) Rather than fix the fit, I added cap sleeves from S3877 (view D). I sunburn easily, so this is probably a better choice.

S3877 calls for making a lined sleeve. I wanted something more airy, so I made an unlined sleeve and narrowly hemmed it.

I didn't like the fullness of the skirt. I narrowed it by marking a point 5" in from the foldline on the skirt front and connecting that point with the waist edge of the foldline. I repeated this on the back piece. There is still plenty of hip room, and I feel that this skirt is more flattering on me. I also lengthened the skirt 4 1/2" - and hemmed it with a 5/8" seam instead of the recommended 1 1/4" seam.

And I added inseam hip pockets from B3853.

Fabric and Interfacing:

65% linen/35% rayon print from Fabric.com
poly/cotton batiste (bodice lining)
Fusi-Knit tricot interfacing (for zipper reinforcement)

Trims and Notions:

22" cream invisible zipper - I might pick up some yellow nail polish to paint the pull.
twill tape (for pocket seam reinforcement)
1" yellow grosgrain ribbon and 2 hooks and eyes (for waist stay)
3/8" cream satin ribbon and 2 sets of snaps (for lingerie guards)

Construction Notes: This dress only took two days of fairly intense sewing to finish. I didn't have a deadline, I just wanted it done!

I used a couple of techniques from High-Fashion Sewing Secrets. One was the waist stay I added; it holds the dress against the waist and improves the fit. A waist stay is very simple to make using some grosgrain ribbon and a couple of hooks and eyes.

The other was a pair of lingerie guards. They prevent undergarment straps from showing at the neckline and also hold the garment down. Both of these additions are fairly simple to do and greatly improve the finished product.

Because the sleeves are so short, it was necessary to use a nice seam finish on the armscyes. I planned to use bias binding; my mom suggested using self fabric, turned wrong side out. I am very happy with how this turned out. The binding is shown in the photo of the lingerie guards above.

I followed the instructions in the first issue of Sew Stylish magazine to insert the invisible zipper. For my first attempt, I think it went well. I used another Anna's tip to ensure that the waist seam matched up.

Conclusion: I loved working with the linen/rayon blend...hemming was so much fun! And I love how this dress turned out. It went together quickly, and I think the result is fun and summery.

Fuchsia Striped Shirt

2007-05-24T20:27:00.000-05:00

Inspiration: The fabric! When Fabric.com (yes, again) listed a bunch of striped seersuckers last month, I thought that one of them would be perfect for a faintly southwestern summer top. And I had just been looking at the pattern I ended up using!

Pattern: Simplicity 4487

Modifications: I made view C but left off the front ties.

You're supposed to leave a few inches open at the bottom of the side seams, but after determining that it would fit around my hips, I sewed the seams all the way down. That allowed me to make French seams.

Fabric and Interfacings:

65% cotton/35% polyester striped seersucker from Fabric.com
cotton/poly batiste in collar (I didn't want to use a fusible on the visible seersucker)
Fusi-Knit in front facings (since it doesn't show)

Trims:

7 1/2" brown buttons from eBay (the pattern calls for 4 5/8" buttons)

Construction Notes: This was my first experience sewing with stripes, and I learned a lot. If the fabric hadn't been fully reversible, it would have been impossible to match some of the stripes! Layout took quite awhile, but the pattern only has five pieces, so it wasn't too bad.

I chose to match stripes at the shoulder seams, the back of the collar, and the front armscye. They're not lined up exactly, but you can't tell unless you look very closely, so I'm happy with it.

This fabric ravelled a lot, so I tried to get the edges enclosed as quickly as possible. The side and shoulder seams are French. I net-bound the front dart seam allowances as shown on my Cherry Blue Skirt. I tried net-binding the armscyes too, but found it to be very scratchy. I took it out and did a Hong Kong finish with bias-cut muslin.

The stripes compensated for the challenge of layout by being very easy to mark buttonholes on. Since I don't have a buttonhole attachment, I handwork all of my buttonholes. I've done over 50 since the beginning of the year, and they're starting to look a bit more presentable. I still have a long way to go, though!

Conclusion: I like how the 3/4 length sleeves make this shirt suitable for spring, summer and fall. I intend to wear it with a long, a-line black skirt. Unfortunately, I don't yet have a "long, a-line black skirt" - something else to make!

(The back looks a little funny in this picture. It's because of the wind. It has been very windy in southeast Iowa over the past week, and tonight was my first chance to take pictures on our deck. I wanted to include this disclaimer lest someone think that my back is shaped like that, because it isn't. And while I'm making disclaimers about my photography: the hem looks uneven in the first picture, but it isn't. Really!)

Pink Butterfly Apron

2007-05-16T11:10:00.000-05:00

Inspiration: I do all of the bread baking for our family, presently 12-16 loaves a week, and I need to keep my clothes clean. I also do quite a bit of general cooking. And I like wearing fun aprons!

Pattern: McCall's 7343 (out-of-print), view E

Modifications: I didn't like the rounded pocket corners, so I squared them off when I was cutting out the pattern. I also sewed two rows of stitching 1/4" apart down the center of the pocket so that it wouldn't gape.

I didn't look at what width of bias tape the pattern calls for, because my mom keeps a large supply of 2" strips (which make 1" bias tape) on hand. I just used those, along with the extremely convenient bias tape maker. I also converted the neck ties to an over-the-head style; my neck strap is 18" and probably could have been smaller.

To bring the fabrics together visually, I added a 1 1/2" ruffle to the hem in the same fabric as the binding.

Fabric: 100% cotton twill from Fashion Fabrics Club

Trim: 100% cotton quilting "blender" fabric for bias tape and ruffle

Construction Notes: This pattern is simple enough that I was able to ignore the instructions! The apron went together in about two hours, including cutting. It is cleanly finished everywhere but the hem/ruffle seam. I couldn't think of a good, quick way of finishing it, so I just triple-zigzagged it on one of Mom's old machines. It isn't very pretty, but it's solid and unnoticeable from the right side.

You may notice that the print on the pocket is matched with the apron. I didn't plan this! When I laid the pocket piece on the apron, I saw that it nearly matched, so I just moved it until it did match, and sewed it on. I like that kind of accident.

Conclusion: Mom picked this fabric out for me for Christmas, and I love how bright it is. This apron makes cooking even more enjoyable!

Cobalt Paisley Shirtdress

2007-05-07T10:40:00.000-05:00

Inspiration: I wanted another everyday shirtdress. Part of my fondness for shirtdresses comes from old TV shows (The Andy Griffith Show, The Honeymooners) in which the actresses frequently wore practical, pretty housedresses.

Pattern: Simplicity 4995, again! I was looking at patterns the other day and saw McCall's 4769: ; it is nearly identical to this out-of-print pattern with the advantages of having a long sleeve option as well as inseam pockets. The collar is a bit different also, and I like the McCall's collar more than the Simplicity collar. I will try to pick it up next time patterns go on sale.

For this version of the dress, I used the patch pockets in S4995. Unfortunately, the "panhandle" is drafted too narrow at the top, and I didn't notice until I cut out my original pockets. So I redrew the pattern and cut new pockets.

I again used the rounded collar in S4171.

Modifications: As mentioned, I had to redraw the pockets, and I chose a different collar. I also added a back yoke facing as described with my previous shirtdress, and lengthened the front opening.

Fabric and Interfacings:

100% cotton quilting calico from Fabric.com
100% cotton muslin (back yoke facing)
Fusi-Form lightweight interfacing

Trims: 14 3/8" navy buttons purchased on eBay. We have picked up lots of 200 or so buttons in quite a few colors on eBay and are very happy with the cost and quality.

I also made a belt of navy trigger and Ultra Firm sew-in interfacing.

Construction Notes: I used flat-felled seams throughout. I chose to make them men's shirt-style, with the overlap on the inside of the garment rather than the outside. I love how sturdy and comfortable this type of seam is.

I made a belt to go with this dress - in fact, I made two! The first was black, and I decided after making it that it didn't look right. I made both in the same way, following more or less the instructions given in Vogue Sewing:

I measured my waist and added 6". Another belt I like is 2" high, so I cut two pieces of Ultra Firm interfacing (waist+6)" X 2" each. I tapered one end to a point, then layered the interfacing and quilted the layers together with seams 1/4" apart along the belt.

I then cut two pieces of trigger the size of the interfacing plus 5/8" seam allowances. One pieces (the right side) was pressed around the interfacing and basted in place. The facing's seam allowances were turned under 3/4". The facing was slipstitched in place over the interfacing, onto the front's seam allowances, enclosing all raw edges.

I completed the belt with a hook-and-eye closure.

Conclusion: This is my other new shirtdress this summer!

Cherry Blue Skirt

2007-04-28T12:03:00.000-05:00

Inspiration: The Cindy Taylor Oates "Sassy Skirts" pattern. Already had a basic a-line skirt pattern, and I thought I could figure out how to draft a flounce... I also prefer flat waistbands and would have had to modify that pattern anyway. And I would rather spend my money on fabric than on patterns, when possible!

Pattern: Butterick 3262 (out-of-print), view C. I shortened it to 22".

Modifications: Besides shortening the skirt, I created a center back seam and moved the side zipper. I don't find side zippers particularly flattering on me.

I bought the fabric online, and when it arrived I realized that it required a lining. I drafted this from my "new" pattern by drawing a straight line to the hem from the hip point, so that the lining would have less width than the shell. I compensated for the loss of hem width by leaving 4 1/2" slits in the side seams.

I also tapered from a size 12 waist to size 14 hips.

Drafting the flounce took longer than sewing the skirt! Hopefully I will learn patternmaking quickly, or most of my projects are going to take a lot of time. A tip for those drafting a flounce: mark the seam allowance on the skirt hem and measure. Make your flounce this wide at the top. Add the flounce seam allowance AFTER you draft the flounce.

Fabric and Interfacings:

100% cotton embroidered broadcloth from Fabric.com
65% polyester/35% cotton broadcloth from Fabric.com
Fusi-Form lightweight interfacing
Fusi-Knit tricot interfacing
nylon tulle to finish the flounce-to-skirt seam

(By the way, I am not affiliated with Fabric.com. We live 45 miles from the nearest fabric store, and it's not that great, so nearly all of my mom's and my own fabric shopping is done online.)

Trims:

9" nylon #2 zipper
hook and eye

Construction notes: I made French seams on the skirt side seams; the the center back seam and all of the vertical lining seams are clean-finished (folded under 1/4" and stitched).

To finish the seam connecting the flounce and the skirt, I cut a 1" strip of nylon tulle. I folded it off-center and pressed, then wrapped it around the seam allowance and stitched it in place. (As with binding, have the wider side of the strip on the underside to ensure that you catch it in your stitching.) This technique is described in the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing.

I used the excellent instructions in High-Fashion Sewing Secrets for inserting the zipper into a lined skirt. Considering it was my first time (I have done zippers before, but not in lining), it went very well.

I sewed a very narrow machine hem on the lower flounce edge.

Conclusion: Once I had success with my flounce pattern, this skirt went together very quickly. It will be my "fun" skirt this summer, and I think I will enjoy wearing it.

Green Floral Shirtdress

2007-04-28T11:02:00.000-05:00

Inspiration: I just like shirtdresses.

Pattern: Simplicity 4995 (out-of-print) for main pattern; Simplicity 4171 for collar; Butterick 3853 for pockets.

Modifications: The pattern calls for the front opening to end at the hips; I lengthened it so that it buttons all the way down the front. I changed the collar from the "fake stand" in S4995 to the rounded version in S4171. Following the Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing, I added inseam hip pockets and a back yoke facing.

Fabric and Interfacings:

100% cotton quilting calico from Fabric.com
100% cotton muslin (back yoke facing)
Fusi-Form lightweight interfacing (in collar and facing)
bias-cut cotton for seam bindings and
twill tape to reinforce the pocket openings

Trims:

15 3/8" off-white buttons
rayon embroidery thread for topstitching on collar, back yoke, and sleeve hems.

I wear this dress with a purchased belt.

Construction Notes: My sewing machine does not do zigzag stitching, so I must use other seam finishes. I used four different ones on this dress: flat-felling on the bodice seams; hand-overcasting on the armscyes; French seams on the center back skirt seam; and Hong Kong binding on the side skirt seams.

When attaching the bodice and skirt, I followed the High-Fashion Sewing Secrets instructions for a strap seam, but did it on the inside rather than the outside; it's under the belt anyway.

I also pinned the facing and the fusible interfacing right sides together and sewed a 1/4" seam along the unnotched edge. Then I clipped, turned, and pressed it; the pressing served to fuse the pieces together as well. (I read this "Threads Tip" in S4171). I really like how clean this looks on the inside.

Conclusion: I'm very happy with how this dress turned out. It fits well and is very comfortable, and the pockets are quite convenient. It's also my first green dress!

Who's Anna?

2007-04-16T12:27:00.000-05:00

I'm 19. I live with my parents and five younger siblings on a small acreage in southeast Iowa. We presently raise chickens, vegetables, and berries, and would like to expand our livestock species eventually. I was homeschooled all my life and am now graduated; the other kids are also homeschooled.

I have tried off and on to learn to sew since I was thirteen, but didn't become serious until about a year ago. Since buying my own sewing machine last fall (a Singer 301 on eBay), I have fallen in love with sewing. I spend way too much time at Fabric.com. I am fortunate in that I have no "grown-up" wardrobe, so I get to make all of it myself! So far, I've completed four dresses and have fabric for another dress and two skirts. Mom and I just ordered from the aforementioned website, so I also have fabric for a summer blouse, a jumper, and a jacket on the way.

I have been greatly influenced by Claire Schaeffer's High-Fashion Sewing Secrets and Couture Sewing Techniques. My goal is to make everything I sew look as nice on the inside as it does on the outside. Besides garment sewing, I'm interested in learning quilting and home dec sewing.

I've been inspired and motivated by other ladies' sewing blogs. Now that our family is getting a digital camera, I can share the things I make, too. I hope that my blog will be as encouraging to other seamstresses as theirs have been for me.