Fabric : Fibre : Family
Whilst I’ve been missing from this little corner of the blogosphere, I’ve been off doing ‘real life’ stuff. Most of it has just been the minutiae of everyday life, coupled with a real drive to slow things down (not entirely successfully, but we’re making a start).
However, you may have seen on Insta that Dave and I managed to bunk off parenting for a couple of nights and zip up the motorway to the Southern Lake District for a bit of time just being Mr and Mrs.
This post is so overdue it’s ridiculous. And it’s all been hanging on photographs! Yesterday Summer agreed to take a couple of quick snaps as I was wearing my favourite of these tops, so here we go, at last.
I’ve already covered the fitting changes I made to this pattern here and, I’ll be honest, I’m still wearing that top on a regular basis, despite it’s imperfections. It fits better than pretty much anything I’ve bought from a shop and is great to throw on when I’m running around the house with a pair of jeans doing chores.
I have, however, since then made 4 other versions, with varying degrees of success. The success or failure of the finished garment has been purely down to fabric choice.
First up my favourite. This is a lovely sheer, lightweight cotton that has almost a cheesecloth texture to it. The print is delicious, and it’s cool and lovely to wear as we head into warmer weather, but also a great layering piece with a cardigan for us women-of-a-certain-age!
The fabric is from deep stash and was gifted to me by my friend Christian, who is a seamstress with impeccable taste! I’m glad I’ve finally got this one in my wardrobe and its in heavy rotation.
Second favourite is another fabric from deep stash, which I purchased yonks ago from Abakhan. it’s a printed cotton jersey, and it’s my favourite for when I just need something comfy for dog walking or housework. Love this top and it proves that this pattern is great for knits as well as wovens.
The first of the unsuccessful tops is this one.
The fabric is from the wonderful Stone Fabrics in Devon. I bought this on holiday a couple of years ago, so again it’s good to get it out of the stash. I’ve checked their site and the don’t seem to have any of it left. Which is a shame because the fabric is beautiful, and the print is lovely.
Unfortunately I look like an extra from the Walking Dead in it. It’s a really bad colour on me.
And finally is this lovely blue print.
Which is all the colours that look amazing on me. But the fabric (a bargain bin purchase from Abakhan for very little money) is awful. And clingy. And just plan old nasty.
So I can happily say I’ve now got my first TNT pattern. It’s such a useful little top I’m sure to make more. However, on the sewing table at the moment is a Harris Tweed waistcoat for Dave, and the Imogen top in its second iteration with an FBA. As the kids are back at school next week, I’m hoping to get some sewing done on both of them.
The Sew Me Something Imogen Top has been on my sewing list for what seems like forever. And as I’ve a few lengths of pretty prints in my stash that are perfect for this top, I decided to make a quick toile to see what it looks like and fits like.
Fit is still a massive challenge to me, but for this top I decided to compare the measurements to a RTW blouse that gets heavy rotation. Although the fit on the RTW blouse isn’t perfect, it’s still good enough, and it’s one of my favourite wears.
Taking some measurements from the RTW blouse, I decided to cut a straight size 20 and added 4″ to the length. I’ve made no other adjustments to the pattern.
As you can see, it’s come up a bit long. I will go back at some point and chop probably a couple of inches off the length. That’s an easy enough fix and due to me being overly cautious – you can always shorten but it’s tough to add length once you’ve cut.
The bust is the problem area. You can see drag lines pointing clearly to the bust, indicating that although, theoretically, this top fits around the circumference, it does need a full bust adjustment (FBA) to make it hang nicely.
I like the gathered neckline and elasticated cuff.
All in all, I really like this top. It’s an easy wear and, although it’s been very shoddily sewn, as it was intended only to be a toile, it’s had several outings and a compliment every time it’s worn.
Construction wise, it’s simple enough, apart from the placket. I couldn’t get my head around the instructions, but that could just be user error. I’ll let you know the next time I make it.
For the next iteration, I’ll go do an FBA and the shorter length, and see what I end up with. If it’s half as wearable as this toile version, then I’ll be a happy sewist!
Project notes
| Pattern: | Sew Me Something Imogen |
| Pattern cost: | £16.00 (£9.00) |
| Fabric: | Blue print poly |
| Purchased at: | Birmingham Market |
| Fabric Cost: | £3.00 ish. Not very much at all. |
| Photographs by Miss S. Jones | iPhone 8 |
After spending so much time last year building a beautiful sewing room, clearing down my stash and cataloguing the remaining fabric, this year is all about Getting Things Done!
I have a pile of beautiful fabric, a smaller collection of beautiful yarn, and a surprising number of more crafty projects, all waiting to be turned into finished items.
This year I’d like to get at least 50% of stuff in my stash turned into garments, gifts or beautiful things for the home.
To do that I need to be a bit more organised, or it’s all going to be far too overwhelming. And I do love a good plan!
The first thing I did was download the lovely, and free, Sewing Calendar from Sew DIY.
I’m sure you’ve already come across these planning pages, but if you haven’t, they’re just the prettiest, and simplest way, to get some order for your sewing plans for the coming year.
These have been cut out and pasted into my sewing notebook…a cheap, spiral bound artists sketchbook. The thicker paper means you reduce the risk of bleed through if using coloured pens, and you can sketch, make notes and add swatches to your hearts content, without the restrictions of someone else’s ideas of what you need to note.
Next I made a list of outstanding knitting/crochet/craft plans.
It’s longer than I’d expected.
I’ve already added the current UFO, plus the dance wear that’s needed by the 18th March to the planner.
Next up….sheep.
I’ve had a tapestry cushion on the frame for forever now. I’ve had the kit for at least a year….possibly even 2? That’s not good. Last year I only completed two squares.
Sheep are herd animals.
These lovely ladies don’t even stand next to each other. I’m sure they’re lonely. I need to crack on.
So every month this year I shall complete 1 square of the sheep tapestry, so that by the end of the year this one will be ready to turn into a cushion for my snuggler! Already this month I’m half way through the third sheepy square!
So…it’s a start.
It would be way too ambitious to think I’ll get the whole of the stash cleared this year, but it would be really nice to halve it.
This month is time pressured as I’d like knitted mice and a crocheted pug for Easter gifts. I also need to sew a new dance shirt for the wee boy and a dance outfit for me, as I’ve been roped into a dance competition!!!
Wish me luck!?
Back in June I catalogued my ridiculous stash, and then discussed how it was actively blocking my sewing mojo. This isn’t a new topic on the blog. Back in 2015 I chatted about why a fabric stash doesn’t work for me.
But, as you know, thanks to the generosity of friends, and fabric shopping but not sewing, my stash had grown again. And, I’ll be honest, it was making me uncomfortable. I know that having a fabric stash is a bit of a contentious issue, and that many people would feel bereft without theirs, but I find it, quite frankly, oppressive.
When I started sewing, back in the days before the internet, I didn’t stash fabric or patterns, but simply decided what I wanted to sew, and then bought the fabric and pattern needed for that garment.
My goal at the moment is to pretty much get back to that state of affairs. There are a couple of pieces of beautiful wool coating that will be the last things I sew, and some summer weight dress lengths that I’m not sewing till spring. But everything else is going to be sewn as quickly as possible, just to get them out of a crate and into the wardrobe.
I even have a list!
So, October has been a bit of a crunch month for me, stash wise. Not only have I been tweaking Newlook 6217 to perfection, I also decided to bite the bullet and go through the fabric book with a more critical eye.
I revisited each and every single piece of fabric, in a Marie Kondo fashion, and anything that didn’t “spark joy” was put to one side. I filled two of the large blue Ikea sacks with fabric that I couldn’t see what I would make, or how it would fit into my wardrobe. The friends who originally gifted it to me were happy for me to pass it on to a good home…so I did. Another friend, who is learning to sew, was the overjoyed recipient of 71.9 metres of fabric that was weighing me down, but which has buoyed her up. The gifting of this fabric sparked much more joy than the stashing of it ever did. I highly recommend it.
I used another 5.4 metres for toiles, wearable or otherwise, and binned 2.5 more when I completely ruined version 3 of the Newlook top by completely not paying attention to cutting out!
So at the end of October I had 99.7 metres left in the stash, and I’ve pulled out about 8 or 9 pieces that have been pre-washed and pressed and are ready to go. If you follow me on Instagram you’ll already have seen that November is shaping up to be a productive sewing month.
Stash Stories, then, is a monthly roundup of all things stash, where I’ll tally how much fabric I’ve used, what, if any I’ve purchased, and how much is left. Hopefully, I’ll get to the bottom of the crates sooner rather than later.
By the way, if you’ve not already listened to the Love To Sew podcast “How big is your stash” then I highly recommend that you do. In fact, I highly recommend you listen to all episodes…they are great!
With the weather being so overcast and dull, it’s been nigh on impossible to get photos of finished knits and sewing, so I’m taking this opportunity to share another of the books that Tuttle Publishing recently sent me.
This time its a sewing book, Basic Black: 26 Edgy Essentials for the Modern Wardrobe by Sato Watanabe.
This is a beautiful book. I do love the Japanese aesthetic, but often find that it leans a little too much towards simplicity, or, even, too young. But this one is full of clean, stylish, wearable garments that would be equally at home in the wardrobes of 20-somethings as well as those more *cough* mature, like myself.
The patterns include blouses, dressed, jackets, skirts and coats. Pretty much a whole wardrobe’s worth of designs.
My personal favourites include:
J. Jumper Dress with Square Neckline
K. High Neck Shirt with Three-quarter Length Sleeves
S. Dress with Stitched Skirt
U. Asymmetric Jumper Dress
Y. Flannel Short Coat
Z. Raglan Coat with Pin Spots
See, I told you they were gorgeous!
I particularly like that Flannel Short Coat! Just the most perfect Autumn jacket.
The instructions are quite basic, in a style reminiscent of Burda magazines, and just list a series of sewing steps. However, where you’ll need a bit extra help, there are diagrams to assist you.
The sizes are quite generous…these are finished measurements:
Although it’s still not a book for fuller figures, unless you’re happy to do some grading.
Which I’m not. I just don’t have the headspace for that at the moment. I’m concentrating on clearing the stash and filling the wardrobe as quickly as humanly possible.
So, I thought that maybe one of you guys would like to have this copy of the book?
Yes?
If so, please leave a comment below, before noon on Friday 3rd November, and I’ll pick a winner after that.
I’m happy to ship internationally.
Good luck!
Disclaimer
The lovely Ann over at @TuttlePublishing supplied me with a free copy of this book in return for an honest review. However, all opinions expressed here are my own and in no way influenced by @TuttlePublishing.
One of the things that’s been missing in my life for many years is the time to regularly sew for myself. This isn’t a bad thing. It’s just that life has been full of too many other things to allow me the time and brain space to as creative with fabric as I’d like.
But as the kids get older, and I shed obligations that no longer work with our life, I’m hoping to change the sewing situation.
I’ll have to admit that there’s one other thing that’s kept me from sewing quite as much as I’d like, and that is fit.
I’m have not yet mastered fitting myself. This isn’t just down to time, I think it’s also due to my ridiculously fluctuating weight over the past few years. I think I just have to acknowledge that this may continue for a while and embrace the need to carry out alterations or pass clothes on.
It became very clear to me recently in my adventures with Newlook 6217 that I still don’t have a clear plan of what I need to do to a pattern to get a half decent fit without multiple toiles.
This top is so, so simple to make. Two pieces. Four seams. Five hems. Nothing to it.
But as with all simple garments, fit is key as it has nowhere to hide.
My original unblogged version of this had been worn to rags, but had needed a little more room in the bust and a little less in the neck. It had also needed the shoulder and side seams shifting.
So I carried out the changes (thankfully I’d noted these down!) and now have the side seam exactly where I want it. The black line helps you see it, as it’s well hidden in the fabric pattern. I know it looks odd but that’s due to me carrying all my excess weight to my front.
It does look like I need a small sway back adjustment in the photo, but I’m sure that’s the way I’m holding my arm up to take an iPhone photo. I’m going to monitor that situation with future makes as in real life it doesn’t look as pronounced.
So I’m happy with that.
Having moved the shoulders, I’m still not happy.
The seam is still rolling to the front. I have appalling posture. Thank goodness I’ve got a yoga teacher coming next week!
Ok…on a top like this it’s easy to adjust the shoulder, so, I’ve done another seam adjustment for the next iteration.
I added another 1″ to the FBA. I didn’t want to add a dart to this top so I followed the instructions for the Y-shaped FBA in Fit for Real People: Sew Great Clothes Using ANY Pattern. I removed the sleeve portion of the pattern before doing the alteration and it worked a treat.
As I’ve added a significant FBA to this top (a total of 6″), I’ve got some pooling above the bust.
I’ve pinched this out into wee darts to make this top wearable, and I’ve transferred this to the pattern.
I promise I’ve sewn them more evenly!
This second iteration is still very wearable.
Even with the fit flaws its still better than anything that I would buy off the shelf. And because of the FBA it fits around the bust but flatters across the tummy, rather than having too much fabric swimming about there.
The other joy is having a top that fits at hip level and actually covers the bits I want it to. At 5ft 7ins I have such trouble with RTW tops hitting too high and rising up in wear. This doesn’t do that!
I have another version cut out and ready to sew. It’s a knit fabric this time, which is really not the greatest idea when you’re perfecting fit, but was top of the fabric tub. I’ve also got another length of fabric washed and ready to go which will, hopefully, be the last wearable muslin to get me to my first Tried And Tested pattern.
Project notes
Pattern: Newlook 6217
Fabric: Soft cotton lawn.
Colourway: Navy/taupe
Purchased from: Preston market
Total cost: £4
Similar fabric can be found here: Croft Mill Fabrics*
*This is more spendy!
Please note that some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you! I only recommend goods or services that I am happy to use myself.
Sewing for my man isn’t something I’ve done a lot of in the past, although he’s not short of woolly socks! I’m hoping to do more for him in the future, but there is a dearth of good menswear patterns out there.
So it was with bated breath that I’ve been awaiting my copy of The Gentleman’s Wardrobe, Vintage-Style Projects to Make for the Modern Man by Vanessa Mooncie.
The book is beautiful to look at. The styling is reminiscent of Japanese sewing books. Moody shots in a modern industrial setting. Whilst the styling appeals to the “hipster” look my husband likes, the patterns are really quite classic.
The shirts, trousers and a jacket could all be made up in different fabrics to achieve different looks. They are the kind of patterns that once you’ve got the fit nailed you’d have a set of basic styles that you could make over and over again for the man in your life.
There’s also a selection of useful accessories and nightwear.
It really does cover all the bases. The only thing really missing would be an overcoat. But that’s nit picking.
The book is, for a change, not aimed at the beginner sewist. There are some basic techniques included, but this is not a “learn to sew’ book.
There are full sized pattern sheets included. They do require tracing but are nowhere near as busy as a Burda pattern sheet so should pose no trouble.
As you can imagine I was really excited to look through this book and was, quite frankly, planning to make everything except the wallet and bow tie and short sleeved shirt for my mister. The styles are that good and these are the only garments he wouldn’t wear.
And then I checked the size chart.
My man has a 19″ neck. And his chest is definitely more than a 42! The grading to get these to size would be ridiculous.
And lets be honest. As with us ladies, the 16″ neck market is widely served with both RTW and vintage patterns. This was a great opportunity to hit an untapped and underserved market with cool patterns that a wide range of men would be glad to wear.
Sadly it’s an opportunity that once again has been missed.
Thankfully I’d ordered this from the library to “audition” it. It’s not a book I’ll be buying.
I’m so disappointed!
This project has been a long time in the making. Not just the months since we moved into our wonderful new home in August, but the 10 years I spent sewing in the tatty loft room in our old home.
(Not that I didn’t love having that tatty old loft. I had some great sewing fun up there. But it was very tatty. And boiling in summer. And freezing in winter. With no storage)
But this room. This room is just perfection.
It was originally going to be our company office with a projector and screen so we could use it as a home “cinema”. The previous owners had wired (and decorated it) as a cinema room:
However, I pointed out that:
No one was more surprised than me when The Husband said yes! Love that man!
And so began the plotting and scheming. I knew that my main priorities were storage and cutting space. I’m so sick of not being able to lay hands on a pattern, or thread, or whatever. And also trying to cut out on the floor or kitchen table.
So, off to Ikea I went.
The first thing to purchase was supplies for the cutting table. It’s about 150 x 160cm. It’s constructed from 2 of the 8 box Kallax units with a 4 box unit at the top end. They are screwed together in a U-shape and then topped with 12mm MDF.
A pinnable surface proved invaluable in the tatty sewing loft. Sadly we couldn’t lay hands on any of the insulation board that we had used 10 years ago, but I’m giving it a go with layers of the underlay that you use under laminate floorings piled 3 high on the MDF.
Finally it’s wrapped with curtain lining stapled to the underside of the MDF to secure. And set on castors so you can move it to get around all sides for large projects. Or cleaning!
The top layer of spaces on each long side have drawer units, with boxes in the bottom. This gives me loads of storage options for tools, notions, patterns, yarn and all the other wee bits and bobs you have in a sewing room.
It is a joyous thing!
For books and magazines I have a run of Billy bookcases with half glazed doors.
I may have quite a few sewing, knitting, embroidery and quilting books!
There’s plenty of room for the odd magazine or two, too!
Crates of fabric and the stuff I don’t need to access often are stashed out of sight in the understairs cupboard that runs along the back of the room.
I’ve also got all my drafting/measuring tools hung up here, as they’re too big for the drawers.
All of this covers my need for storage and a super cutting table. Now all I needed was somewhere to sew.
We picked up this little table at GB Antiques in Lancaster a couple of years ago. It’s perfect for this corner, with a daylight lamp for when I need it, and a bluetooth radio for listening to music or podcasts as I sew. An Ikea Raskog trolley holds projects handy, and my overlocker sits to the side of my gorgeous new Bernina.
I have the luxury that if I decide I need a larger table for sewing on, there’s one in storage in the garage that I can swap for this.
The chair needs a lick of paint, but I’m in no hurry for that.
After, all, I do have sewing to do!
I love this room so very much. It makes me smile every time I think “I need a needle and thread” and can put my hands right on them.
And when we were house hunting, I never in my wildest dreams thought I end up with something so perfectly perfect.
Of course, none of this would have happened without my wonderful husband. Despite rolling his eyes at some of my ideas, he worked it out and brought them to life in the most amazing way.
“Thank you” seems so inadequate in the face of such a wonderful gift, but I hope he knows just how grateful I am for such an amazing room, and how very happy it makes me.
Yet more flamingos for Miss Button.
A cute summer dress that looks like polka dots from a distance but gives you a happy surprise close up.
It fastens with a side zip and cute halter neck. Elastic at the top of the back keeps it snug and modest. And no pattern matching is required!
Most importantly….it has the twirl factor!
I was astonished to get Miss B into this dress today. She’s been really reluctant to wear her handmade clothes recently. However we finally got to the bottom of it this weekend (thanks Nana!).
A girl at a school party had commented that she looked “awkward” in this dress!
They’re 8 and already the mean girl stuff starts! It’s horrifying and heartbreaking. She’s already having confidence issues, but this is the second time this particular girl has said something thats knocked her sideways. Last time it was that Miss B is “fat”. Please feel free to insert your own expletive at this point. I did!
Sadly the girl’s mother isn’t remotely engaged. School keeps a tight rein on unpleasantness, but still it sneaks through.
As someone who was bullied hideously at school I’m trying to arm Miss B with the tools to fight this nonsense. And reminding her how beautiful she is…inside and out, how individuality is to be cherished, and how the people who love her love her for the amazing person she is. Anyone else’s idiocy doesn’t count in our family.
Thankfully, she’s got enough personality to bounce back, as these outtakes show.
This is her “rock chick” pose and face. Often accompanied by air guitar!
These are the Miss B we know and love.
Project details
Pattern: Newlook 6204
Pattern cost: £2.98 (on half price sale)
Fabric: Cotton flamingo print – John Lewis
Fabric cost: £10/mtr – I used 1.5 mtr.