My Sewing Space

I do love a nice collared shirt, so the shirtdress seems like a natural extension of that. There are so many good shirtdress patterns available right now, it was a little difficult to choose. The one I used here is Simplicity 8014 , View D. I really liked the denim version on the envelope, but I wanted the option of wearing this to work, so no denim for me. I had considered trying this in silk, but shortly before I went fabric shopping I messed up this silk top with some sort of oil stain. My attempts at treating it only seemed to make it worse. Only low-maintenance laundry items for me, I guess. This fabric is polyester. I wouldn't say it was a joy to work with, but it wasn't bad. After making a muslin, I was pretty pleased with the fit. I removed 1.5" in width from the back - only the dress piece, not the yoke. I also added 2" in length to the skirt. The pattern has gathers at CB, but I changed that to a pleat. I also omitted the pockets. In the final ...

Every once in awhile I feel like I want something "different" in my closet. Generally I'm not super trendy, but from time to time an odd trend appeals to me. This time it was culottes. I had a piece of black wool in my stash that was too lightweight for pants. Using it for a skirt was an option, but that would have left a good sized remnant that would be too big to toss and too small to do much else with. Since it was lightweight and had some good drape, I thought it could work for culottes. Plus, stash fabric seems "free" to me, so if it was a total bust not much was lost. There are quite a few patterns for culottes available now. The one I chose was  Vogue 9091 . I prefer a yoke to a regular waistband. Views A and B are considered culottes and View C is considered pants. I chose to make View C, but shortened it by five inches. I also added a lining, but those are the only real changes. This is not a complicated pattern. The pleats are deep and gett...

We celebrated my younger daughter's 8th birthday in January. Eight! Sometimes in my mind she still looks like this . One of the things she wanted for her birthday was a bean bag chair. Her brother got one for his birthday last year and she likes to use it whenever he isn't. I used Dana's Rollie Pollie pattern to make a bean bag chair that was a bit more interesting than one I could purchase. This was not my first time using this pattern. I initially purchased it last spring and used it to make a bean bag chair for a school auction. We used fabric paint and put the students' hand prints on the cut pieces and then assembled it after they were dry. It was a good project and brought in more money than I was expecting. The pattern and instructions are both good. I'd suggest reading through all of the instructions before starting - some things seem a little out of order to me, but it's all there. The only real change I made was to put a zipper in the insert an...

I was quite taken with Joji Locatelli's Lemongrass when I first saw it. I liked the split sides, the simple cable down the front and the turtleneck. The heavier gauge appealed to me also - faster to knit and a warm, cozy sweater in the end. I went with one of the yarns recommended in the pattern; Malabrigo Yarn Twist in black. I loved this yarn and would like to knit another sweater with it. It is soft and squishy and not at all itchy. Sometimes even soft wool yarns in a scarf or turtleneck start to really bother my neck by the end of the day, but this one doesn't bother me at all. So good. The only modifications I made to the pattern were very simple ones. Length was added to the front and back, but not equally - the back is longer than the front. Since I think loose sleeves on a sweater easily look sloppy, I went down a needle size for the sleeves. I like a substantial turtleneck and I have a long neck, so I added a whole lot to the neck, knitting the first half o...

A week or so before I made my dress, I worked on these two pieces for my younger daughter. My older daughter had an idea of what she'd like for new Christmas clothes and I found something similar enough on sale, so we nabbed that. If she had needed me to make hers as well, I'm pretty sure mine would not have happened. Both the vest and the dress are based on Ottobre patterns, but they're so significantly modified and mashed up that I'm not even going to name the specific patterns. The vest was very easy to construct, but the fake fur fabric was quite a nuisance. I'm pretty sure I spent more time cleaning up the fur fuzz than I did actually making the vest. It's fully lined and only has one hook and eye closure at the base of the collar. The dress is also quite simple. The main fabric is a semi-sheer polyester woven with sheer polka dots. It isn't as sheer as chiffon, but sheer enough to require a lining. I handled the dress and lining as one piece...

It's been a few years since I made myself a new "Christmas" dress. This one qualifies with even a couple of hours to spare. This is Butterick 6244. Most of the people that have used/reviewed this pattern have made the coat. I really liked the dress even though it is hard to see any details in the pattern photo. (I wish there was a way to just scroll through tech drawings on pattern sites). I liked the high neck, princess seams, and gentle A-line of the skirt. The fabric is a black/ivory ponte knit that I bought online more than a year ago. I was a little disappointed that the ivory part wasn't brighter, but thought I could make it work for winter rather than summer. The print is a bit bolder than I usually wear (okay, any print at all is more print than I usually wear). The pattern calls for woven fabrics, so I sized down for the muslin and then took it in a bit more all around before cutting the real thing. I also raised the bottom of the armholes. They ...

I don't like the word "blouse." I don't like the way it sounds or looks. The word doesn't have very attractive connotations in my mind. I don't know why. Anyway, I think what I have here is a blouse. Or maybe it's a blouse-y tunic. Whatever it is, I'm not sure it's a keeper. This is McCall's 7094 . I made it once before in silk, seen here . I thought it would look better as a tunic worn over slim pants rather than tucked into trouser-style pants. I loved the green color of this rayon challis (more emerald than it looks in the photos) and thought it would be a good match. I had removed much of the fullness of the back with the first version and I think that came out well. But, the front is still just too full and ...blouse-y. A side view photo would be helpful here, but we didn't get one of those. I want to like this style, but this pattern isn't what I wanted it to be. I retired it after this project. A few more pattern note...

This shirt was the last of my summer sewing. Like most summers, there are many things left on my "want-to-make" list, but summer is a short season here and consistently my least productive time of year for sewing. After this shirt, I did make a few back to school things for my kids, so fall sewing has already begun.  I’m really happy with this shirt, but nothing was surprising about it. I knew I liked the fabric and used my tried-and-true shirt pattern. This fabric has been in my stash for a few years. I bought it on deep discount at an end of season sale. I like that it has the tie-dye feel without being overly hippie-ish. It is a lightweight cotton (lawn, perhaps?) with a stable weave and soft feel. It was lovely to work with. Unlike the fabric for this shirt , which felt a little bulky, this  worked wonderfully for the collar, plackets, etc. I continue to tweak my collar making methods. For this one I combined Tasia’s tutorial (bleached muslin, glue ...

I made this shirt back in early spring. My wardrobe needed something fresh and I really just wanted to make a shirt. It's nice to end up with a lovely product, but when it comes to shirtmaking, I really just love the process. The original pattern is Burda 04/2010 #114 , but I've used it multiple times and made several changes. The gingham is not really the ideal weight for a classic shirt. It's more like quilting cotton - not real fine and a little spongy. It is nice quality and was pleasant to work with, but the bulk was a little frustrating at some parts of the process. I added some bright yellow-green accents to the shirt. The color isn't accurate in any of these pictures. I had both yardage and bias tape in the exact same color. That was a surprise to me (I guess I really like that color…) but I made use of both of them. I did consider binding the hem with the tape so that it showed on the outside of the shirt, but decided against it. The ot...

Sewing for my kids has been pretty minimal the last few months. I told my girls I would make them each a sundress and seeing as how July is just about done, I thought I should get on it. I had these two cuts of striped knit and told them they needed to decide together who was getting each one. They settled that quickly and then I gave them two options for patterns/design. They each picked a different one. My younger daughter picked the narrow stripe and wanted "a loooong dress." I used a tank top pattern (Ottobre 4/2015#26) and extended it to maxi dress length. Then I followed the same stripe placement scheme as McCall's 6559 . I recently purchased a binder attachment for my Baby Lock serger and thought these would be good dresses for trying it out. I got the basics down, but I have a lot more learning/playing to do. I can get it to work great for wovens, but knits were pretty awful. So, these bindings are done on my regular sewing machine with a double n...

While it took me awhile to get on board with the stylish sweatshirt trend, I’m really liking it now. The key to making it work for me is using a fabric that isn’t bulky or sweatshirt-like. When I saw a sheer white sweater knit on the clearance rack at Jo-Ann Fabrics,  I thought it would make a nice pairing with McCall's 6992 for spring. There isn't a lot to say about the pattern. It's a very easy style to sew up. Several options are included in the pattern, making it easy to include several versions in your wardrobe without feeling like they're all the same. Not that that matters to me - I use the same patterns over and over again even if they do all look the same. But I know not everyone gets excited about that. Necessary alterations were blissfully minimal. I added an inch of length, but I don't think I really needed it with this fabric. In something less stretchy, it would have been important. For the bottom band, I disregarded the pattern piece and cu...

Figuring out how to dress for work (alluded to here ) has led to some experimentation on my part. If I’m going to need new clothes, I might as well try some different things.  Awhile ago I included a couple pieces of silk crepe de chine in an order from Fabricmart . My experience with silk is pretty limited – both the sewing of it and the wearing of it, but I was curious if I’d like to do more with it. The pieces I bought were a good deal and good for experimenting.     I really liked McCall’s 7094 and thought it would be a good match for a drapey silk. I preferred view D, but didn’t have the yardage it required. The blue silk matched the blue in this wool , so I figured if the top turned out I could wear them together. As other reviewers note, the top has a lot of ease through the bodice. I chose my size based on the width across the shoulder yoke. After basting the bodice together and trying it on, I took some width off the front at the side seams an...

I made this pair very shortly after the first version , with only a couple of changes to the pattern. I took out some height at the CB (I don't remember exactly how much), tapering to nothing at the side seams. I also changed the size of the pocket bags. I'm happier with this pair, but still need some more changes. Half grimace, half smile. It was so cold and windy. I thought outdoor pictures would be better, but the sun was so bright (not complaining!) that it makes it hard to see any details. The fabric is a black and blue loosely woven wool. From anywhere but up close, it looks like a very dark navy. It is the same fabric used in the Lisette moto jacket sew-along . I think I used what would be considered the "wrong" side of the fabric, but I liked it better. Other than the fact that it frayed pretty quickly, the fabric was easy to work with. Most of the pattern details are the same as the last pair. The fabric pressed well and the finished pants are...

I work part-time as a bank teller. The bank has a pretty tight dress code (but not uniforms) and the town where I live and work is pretty conservative. While my position doesn't have much (if any?) authority, I think it's important to look professional and I would prefer to be overdressed rather than underdressed. I also walk to work and during the winter that means I need my legs covered. All that to say, it was time to revisit making pants. Not faux-leather leggings , not pajama pants , but real trousers. The last pair of great trousers I made are too small for me now. Truth be told, they were always a little small. They were fine when I was standing, but were uncomfortable when sitting. The pants I copied for the pattern had just the slightest bit of stretch. I thought it was slight enough that I could make it work with a non-stretch fabric, but that little bit of stretch did matter. So, then I debated about starting from the beginning with a new pattern or revisit...

Remember this bag ? I like that bag. It's quirky and unique and I get funny comments about it when I carry it. However, The Preacher does not appreciate that bag. He claims to be embarrassed to be seen with me when I have it. That doesn't usually stop me, but now I have a second option when I need a very large (and respectable) tote bag. This is the Mondo Bag from Quiltsmart . The pattern was a gift from my mother-in-law, who works at a quilt shop. The pattern includes fusible interfacing printed with a grid for doing the patchwork. The technique is similar to the one I used here . You produce four patchwork rectangles and then sew them together in a swirled plus-shape. That’s the best description I can give - it's rather unique and the final result looks more complicated than it actually is. The fabric I used for the outside is from CherrywoodFabrics . I purchased a pack of fat quarters at Quilt Expo to use with this pattern. I would not have combined th...

Shortly before Christmas, I made all three kids some new pajamas. Then I made them each a set as a Christmas gift and my mom gave them each new pajamas, too! Pajama overload perhaps, but it was really a good thing. Even The Preacher got new pajamas. The ability of good pajamas to bring comfort and joy is not to be underestimated. My pajama drawer and I were feeling left out. Finally last week I was able to remedy that. I do not enjoy the bunching up around the legs that happens with traditional pajama pants. I had been wearing leggings and tunics as pajamas for awhile and that worked well. Last fall I made a pair of sweatpants (track pants? lounge pants? I don't know exactly what they are...) using Ottobre 5/2011 #5  and I really liked them. Combined with the plentiful race T-shirts I have, they would be great as pajamas - comfy, stretchy, and tapered at the ankle so they don't bunch up. I bought two pieces of cotton interlock from JoAnn's and made them...

It's been awhile since I've posted anything here and I'm finding that I miss it. This past year has been full of changes and transitions for our family and this blog couldn't be a priority. We're settling into a new community and I've returned to work part-time. Time has felt tight over the last several months, but I have been sewing when I can and continue to enjoy a dedicated sewing space in our new home. Sewing and blogging come from the same pool of "free" time. When made to choose between sewing and writing about sewing, I will always choose sewing. I appreciate having this blog as a record of what I've made, just to help me remember some of the actual articles I've made and also as keeper of notes, links, and details that are helpful for current and future projects. I also just miss the writing. My day-to-day life doesn't require a lot of writing, but it's a skill I value and think it needs to be treated like a muscle: use it...

My older daughter is 10 years old now. That puts her in the "tween" age category. When trying to come up with sewing plans for her, I felt a bit stumped. This is new territory. Combining her preferences, my "guidelines" (leggings are not pants!), and this new age category in a successful way is a challenge. We talked through some options together and looked at fabrics together and we have a bit of a plan. This dress was the first part of the plan. We had an idea of what the dress should look like and then combined a couple different Ottobre patterns to get what we wanted. There was a fair bit of basting and fitting as we went and in the end, we both think it was successful. She picked out the fabric - a purple pique knit. It's pretty stretchy with very good recovery, so it wasn't too difficult to handle. The black trim is a cotton/lycra jersey. I added the keyhole at the front neckline for interest. The binding was done on my sewing machine with a ...

Since moving back to the US, I've done some experimenting with ordering fabric online. I had only dabbled with it while living in Canada because of shipping costs, duty charges and the nuisance of return shipping. As expected, it's a bit of a mixed bag. Some purchases are better than expected and some are disappointing. The corduroy for these pants was the former and the chambray for this shirt was the latter. The chambray is nice fabric, it's just different than what I had envisioned. I went ahead with it anyway. This shirt is for my son and is the partner piece for these pants. I like how the shirt looks with the sleeves rolled up. He will have none of that. The pattern is just a classic collared button-down shirt from Ottobre (6/2012 #37). I like the two-piece collar, the lined yoke, and the properly scaled front pocket. Breast pockets that are "off" (to my eye, anyway) in size, scale, or placement really bug me. I used a plaid shirting for co...

It happens every September. You'd think I would catch on. The air feels especially chilly on a Sunday morning and my kids still only have their summer clothes for church. Find some tights! Do you have a decent looking sweater? Put a shirt under that! And off we go, looking kind of patched together. Seriously, every year. That was last week Sunday. So, last week I was busy getting some dressier clothes together. I started with my son because I find his clothes takes longer to make. It's easier to squeeze in the faster dresses at the eleventh hour. I always have success with Ottobre patterns for my son, so that's where I started. This is pattern #38 from issue 4/2011. They are called "Algebra corduroys." Ottobre pattern names are always interesting. I like the narrow legs, the curved yoke and the angled pockets on the front. They are a bit rumpled from being folded up waiting for their shirt partner. All of the topstitching is done in tan thread. I copi...