Foxy Patterns' Bria Dress: It's a Real Green Dress!

I recently tested a dress pattern, the Bria by Foxy Patterns. I haven't done any testing for a long time but this was an interesting design so I signed up. It was an interesting process, and Foxy Patterns made some changes in response to tester feedback - and the pattern is now live if you like it too, and want to try making it now! 

This was my tester dress - I only have to redo the neckline a little, as it gapes a bit in the front. This was an issue that she has fixed in the final pattern. I made the dress version with the short, tulip sleeve option. I also made it with the slit, but closed that up once the test process was done. I have short legs, and didn't feel like the slit really looked or felt great on me. 

I really love how it went together. It was easy, with some nice details (optional front slit, sleeve options, top view with side zip, etc) that could make it a pattern that you could get a few different looks from. I found the instructions pretty clear, and the steps quite logical. 

I used a rayon from my stash, which I picked up at a thrift store a while back. There was just enough of it for this project, and the drapy nature of the fabric works very well with this design. I will have to wear a slip, though, as the fabric is a bit see-through in the skirt, but lining it would have added too much weight - and also, I was trying to follow the pattern closely since it was a test make, so didn't want to add in anything besides basic fit adjustments (mostly shortening the bodice & skirt, as usual for me). I may also go back in and add some pockets, I haven't quite decided yet! 

In any case, this pattern is now available and I may make another with a few more personal taste changes if I do. I really like the fit and the sleeves are a great look, in my opinion. 

Weekend Review: Elevate Your Scrap Sewing Projects

 

Elevate Your Scrap Sewing Projects / Sallieann Harrison

Mount Joy, PA: Landauer Publishing, c2023 

215 p

A rather random reading choice today, but this is one I came across in my library and was pleasantly surprised by! It's a book of projects to use scraps, mostly quilting scraps, and the projects are mainly home decor and accessories, but there are some intriguing techniques that could also be adapted for garment details. 

The book is pretty to look at, and definitely scrappy; the author shares some new ideas with a modern, pretty aesthetic. The author is UK based, so there are lots of Liberty scraps in evidence here -- it's a pretty book to flip through! 

It starts out with an "About Me" to introduce the author a bit, then has a "Tools Tips Techniques" chapter which goes over quite a lot of the basics. It makes it easy for the beginner sewist to feel confident trying the projects. The projects themselves have a range of difficulties, and are shown clearly with lots of photos of process and finished project, and they have pretty good instructions. There is a mix of fabric manipulation and more straightforward quilting projects, as well as a couple of other styles of project. 

The 10 projects are: 

• Basket Weave Cushion or mini Quilt
• Pleated Bucket Bag
• Summer Cushion 
• Woven Cork Pouch
• Rope Basket
• Sallieann Flower Quilt
• Japanese Origami Cushion
• Heart Strings Pouch
• Christmas Presents Mini Quilt 

There is a bit of repetition -- for example, the fabric pleated bag and cushion use the same techniques, so there is duplication in the instructions. This was the technique I was most interested in though, and the most unusual for me, so I was happy to have two examples to study. 

I liked this one, and it gave me some ideas, always a good thing in a new craft book. It's quite charming and I think the projects are modern enough to appeal widely. You can get a flip through of the whole book with the author in the video below, if you are interested! 

Style Arc Blaire in Upcycled Duvet!

 

I'm very happy with my new Style Arc Blaire blouse! I had a lot of fun making this one. It's the blouse I cut out in April intending to make it for the various upcycling challenges that month - but I have just now had the chance to finish it! 

The lines of this boxy blouse are really interesting -- lots of chance to play with colour and/or print. I picked up this duvet from the thrift store a few months ago, finding the print irresistible. It's a lightweight cotton-poly blend, quite crisp but not a heavy fabric. Perfect for this blouse, both for the stripe play and for the double layer required on the bottom part of the pattern. 

I found this a straightforward pattern for Style Arc. The instructions are of course quite sparse, being Style Arc. But they are logical, and there are some illustrations for the more confusing bits, which was very helpful. The most unique thing about this pattern is that the bottom piece is two layers: the inner is a straight bottom band , and the outer has a large U-shaped cutout on the sides, to highlight the underlayer, whether that is stripes in a different direction, like mine, or any colour blocking you might be doing. It's quite fun! I did find the U angle a bit hard to hem neatly, but that could be because my fabric has zero give at all. In a cotton or linen you might be able to smooth out the curves a little more easily. But my fabric is so busy it hides the small wrinkles so it all works out LOL! 

I love the cut on sleeve as well, it's just the right size for my preferences. There is a sleeve cuff, which gave me another option to play with stripe direction. The instructions are to sew the outer cuff, turn it under and stitch in the ditch to catch the inside. With the small size and angles I thought that would be too fussy for me, so I just sewed the cuff on in one go with a zigzag finish and pressed toward the bodice. That was very easy and gives a tidy finish as well. 

I was really lucky to find the perfect buttons in my stash. I had a card of vintage buttons that were just the right size and finish for this blouse. I had another set in mind at first, but found they were too shiny and distracted from the black tones of the blouse. These ones are matte and have just a little extra interest to them. I love how they run down the white stripe on the button placket. 

This is super comfortable - the fit is great. The only alterations I made were just for length - I added 2" to the bottom sections only. I like this length and the whole vibe is a lot of fun. I'm really happy with this one, so glad I finished it :) 

Free Patterns on my mind, inspired by SewFrugal26

The SewFrugal Challenge ran in May this year, and it is always an inspiring one for me! I had so many ideas for this year's challenge. I have a lot of free patterns in my collection to choose from -- I went through my options before finally deciding to make the Kelly Watch the Stars top by Festive Road as shown in my last post. 

But here were some others that I considered as well! 

Tiana's Closet has a ton of free patterns. I looked at, and even downloaded, three tops - the Isla, Basilie, & Nomi. I also looked at the Madera dress and may end up trying that someday also, it has nice lines! 

I have the ITS Deba Topper in my stash and think it will be a useful addition to the summer wardrobe. Just couldn't find the right fabric for it this time around. 

I also even briefly considered the Hanbok vest Baeja, a free pattern by Sewing Therapy. But I'm not sure how it would fit into my style so didn't go for it after all. 

The last one I considered making was the Manhattan Top by Sewing and the City (which you can get for free when you subscribe to her newsletter). It's so cute & can be made as a dress, too.

And of course, once all the #SewFrugal26 posts were shared for all the amazing things that others were making, I got even more cool ideas for further free projects in future! Here are a few I am eager to try later on.

I liked the look of the Declic Top by Atelier Scammit as a simple summer top. This was new to me. Quite a few people made this one and it looked great on everyone. 

The Janet Celeste Zero Waste Top was also new to me. It's just the kind of design I like, and now I want to try it too. 

Another discovery was the Maeve Dress by Violette Field Threads. This is a flowy summery style and might be fun to try. (It's also available in child and tween sizes if you sew for younger people).

And I had forgotten about Imby's Flowy Top from Karmme Apparel -- I will have to investigate that one again for another summery option. 

Do you have a favourite free sewing pattern to recommend? 

Weekend Review: Sew Happy & Healthy

 

Sew Healthy & Happy / Rose Parr
Concord, CA: C&T, c2021
80 p.

A bit of healthy sewing content today...I read this book on ergonomic sewing by a fellow Canadian, and found quite a few great tips to stay healthier and less achy after spending time in the sewing room.

This book is quite short, but covers a number of things. It starts out with some guidelines about setting up the sewing space ergonomically, starting with studio design. Then moves on to ergonomic tips specifically for cutting, pressing, and then all the sewing options. How high to have your sewing and cutting tables, pressing techniques, angles, how to use different machines etc. She is a quilter so does talk about seated sewing, longarm quilting and various situations like that which may require different adaptations. This is all very practical and useful. 

The book is illustrated with drawings throughout, no photos. They are clear and show the details of both the set-up suggestions and the stretches well, however. 

The book then moves on to 20 pages of stretches for sewists, to keep your body supple and help you avoid any chronic repetitive strain injuries. It's very helpful. There is then a brief section on healthy habits and snacks - I have to say, this part I just skipped over, it wasn't interesting to me. Then the book closes with some tips on best practices when attending workshops - things like have a proper transport for your machine so you're not hauling it uncomfortably, find out what the workshop offers so you don't haul along unnecessary items (ie: irons if you don't need to). Like I say, this is primarily aimed at quilters so definitely a lot of workshop info will be very relevant there. But the info is great for any sewist who spends time in a workspace that hasn't been optimized. There are a few tips here I could use, and I will definitely incorporate some of the stretches - I can already see how they'd help with the aches and pains of longer sewing sessions. I thought this was a good book and super practical for any sewist!

SewFrugal with the Kelly Watch the Stars Top

 

#SewFrugal26, a fun IG challenge, was running during the month of May this year. I decided to sew along, but had a hard time deciding on what to make - there are so many great free patterns out there. I finally decided on the Kelly Watch the Stars top, a pattern by Festive Road, which I first saw over at PatternReview. It's in French, but if you don't know any French, Google Translate can help! It's a pretty straightforward design in construction terms, anyhow. 

I decided that I also wanted to make this from stash fabrics. So I looked through my stash for smaller pieces that would go together. (this pattern is a great scrap-buster). I finally decided that I would upcycle an old skirt (Simplicity 4236) which I made in 2014 but have only worn a couple of times. I hadn't given it away because I loved the fabric. And there was *just* enough once I'd unpicked the skirt. 

The black yoke was made from the scraps from a Matchy Matchy Skipper top that I made in 2023 - fortunately it has no clear nap so I could cut the front and back differently, one crossgrain, to make it all fit on my leftovers. 

I made a couple of small adjustments - I found that the sleeve cuff wasn't quite long enough so added an extra 1.5" -- maybe a little too much but my fabric would not stretch to fit, as it's interfaced (and my cotton poly is zero stretch). Also, instead of sewing on the cuff and then turning it in with a pressed edge and stitching in the ditch I just sewed on the folded cuff in one go with a zigzag. Much easier. 

I found the fit around the shoulders and arms really good, but it's a bit tight at my hips, even with grading to the next size. I will add another inch to the hem width if I make it again but for now I just opened up the side seams with a little side slit. Does the trick! 

The curved yoke was actually quite easy - they do mention clipping the seam to get it to sew smoothly, but do be careful doing this as the seam allowances are only 1 cm. (3/8") so don't clip too enthusiastically! I really like this pattern and can see using it again. A great option with nice details, for a free pattern. 

June Sewing Plans

 

June's sewing is once again mainly catch-up sewing! I had big plans in May but nearly all of them were derailed. 

I started a pattern test, which threw off my timing. And I didn't get down into the sewing room as much as I'd planned! I did finish my Literary Sewing Circle project (yay!) and I made pants! That's not the usual. And I was able to finish a quick top for the #SewFrugal26 IG challenge, hurrah :) I'll be sharing that here very shortly.

I also worked a little bit on some of the projects I started in April - but didn't finish anything else. Getting closer, though...

I am carrying forward those April projects - a blouse and my 3 remaining Sudoku wardrobe planned makes. And for June I want to add in summer dresses. If I can at least get the 3 dress patterns I want for this summer traced out, I will be happy with my progress.  

Always so much I would like to sew :)