#SewWrapped in Red

I finished my project for the #SewWrapped Instagram challenge that I mentioned last week -- I did get it in by the deadline on IG, but haven't got around to writing a full review of it, until today! I decided to use New Look 6081, a pattern from the 80s that's been in my stash for a while. I paired it with a stash fabric, a red & white, faintly sparkly stretch lace that I bought ages ago. 

The pattern calls for wovens or a jersey, so I thought that this not too stretchy lace would work for it. It's a fairly simple pattern, with four pieces -- front, back, and two ties. I had to make adjustments with my fabric in mind. First, I had to cut it out on the crossgrain so that the stretch was going around my body and not vertically. Luckily the floral pattern is random, not a vertically oriented one, so that didn't matter. The hems and finishes were actually easier than the pattern required; since this fabric doesn't fray, and I didn't want lumpy double folds I just turned and stitched - the single fold and the stitching don't show much at all. I can only press this fabric very lightly so didn't want to depend on flattening thick seams or hems. 

The other difficult part was the gathering at the bottom edges of the front pieces where the tie attaches on the right, and the buttons are installed to keep the left side connected to the interior. Gathering a stretch lace with so many open areas was difficult. Luckily the right side (the visible one) worked out well; the left side is a bit more of a mess but as it's inside I didn't try to unpick invisible stitches from a lace, I just 'made it work'. I didn't want to use buttons to fasten the underlap as called for in the pattern since I didn't want anything to get tangled up in the open spaces of the lace. I just stitched on three flat snaps - they are attached to the underlay and the right side seam and close up neatly. This fabric is so lightweight and forgiving in motion that I am not worried about snaps coming open here. 

The neckline is just folded in half at the back neck when you put it on, and that makes the rest of the front edges follow suit and gives that lovely swooping gathered look. One long tie is attached in the right side seam and wrapped around your back, while the short one is attached to the right front edge, and when they meet you make a knot and voila, a very quick wrap top. 

I am very pleased with this in this red lace - I can use it as a holiday piece or in this outfit that I'm sharing today. Here it's worn over a red camisole and with my favourite black skirt. Medium dressy, let's say. Over a red dress and with some sparkly jewellry it could really look fancy. I enjoyed this project and now a couple of my other wrap patterns have shifted up the queue a bit! 

It's a Wrap

Sewing Challenges are always a fun thing to follow on Instagram -- I must admit I don't do all that catch my eye, as my sewing schedule is always pretty full with preplanned things. But now and again one aligns with my ideas and my stash and piques my interest.

The latest one is #SewWrapped, hosted by @cloth_edit and @dahlia_sewciety

I have come across this one at the eleventh hour: the deadline is Nov 27, NZ time. The challenge is to make an item of clothing with a wrap or surplice feature. I'm not always very fond of wrap designs so don't have a ton of patterns with that feature -- or at least I thought I didn't, until I sorted through some patterns to see what I could make. 

Here are some of the patterns I'm considering: 

These are all stash patterns and I'm hoping to find the appropriate fabric in my stash as well, as I am not buying any more fabric this year!

And I also hope that by this Saturday (deadline Canadian time!) I'll have something to share with you from this collection. The only problem now is choosing a project so I can get busy in the evenings this week and start sewing :)

February means #BHMPatternDesigners Challenge!

I participated in the Black History Month Pattern Designers (#BHMPatternDesigners) Challenge on Instagram last year and really enjoyed it! I learned so much from the posts that co-hosts @SewNaturalDane and @MyraLorraine were sharing about black fashion history and personalities, and found lots of new current designers as well.

So when they announced that they are running the #BHMPatternDesigners Challenge again this year, I knew I was in! This year they've added in the extra element that participants should think about their own fashion inspiration when they are making their outfits. Hmmmmm, I'll have to ponder that.

Here's the rules, according to the original Instagram post: 

View this post on Instagram

GET READY...GET READY...GET READY!!! Kicking off tomorrow💃🏾 @onesewsweet and I are so happy to announce the 2nd annual #BHMPatternDesigners challenge. Thank you to all of our sponsors: . @mydailythreadzme @sewnmagazine @bayronhandmade @thanksimadethem @sewmuchfabric @stylesewmepatterns @claire_cochran @laststitch @montoyamayo . We are also EXCITED about our 4 FABULOUS Ambassadors: @Lejanarobpatterns @crystalsewsandstuff @crumpetsteaandsewing @islandsewcialist . PLEASE GOT TO MY HIGHLIGHTS ☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽 to see the various Black Pattern Designers. ***THIS IS NOT AN ALL INCLUSIVE LIST*** . Rules for entry: . 1. YOU MUST MUST MUST tag @onesewsweet and @sewnaturaldane AND use the #BHMPATTERNDESIGNERS in order to have your entry counted. . 2. You can ONLY SEW & POST your item (garments, handbag, knitting item, etc) between February 1st and February 29th. Your entry is due February 29th. . 3. You can ONLY use a Black Pattern Designer. **LET'S HAVE SOME FUN AND GOOD LUCK***

A post shared by Pronounced = Nah-Tea-Duh 😉😉 (@sewnaturaldane) on Jan 31, 2020 at 11:49am PST

Last year I used a Tracy Reese pattern from my stash; this year I'm looking at the variety of Khaliah Ali patterns I also have in my stash and have never made up. These patterns are great value, as many of them are wardrobe patterns. You could make yourself a nice capsule wardrobe using these.

I'm thinking that I'll make the longer sleeved blouse (yellow floral print version) from 2230 in this rayon challis from my stash:

And then maybe try adding the skirt from 2344, either in a neutral black or in a hot magenta from my stash that will pull that tone from the blouse. The gathered neck tee from 2344 is also a great shape, and in a navy print from the stash it might go with my next item too.

And that item is, if I have time, another jumper! View A from 2232 (but in knee length) would be nice in a navy blue suiting that I've had in the stash for a long time. That seems like an awful lot to try to get to, but hey, February has an extra day this year ;)

My real goal is to get the blouse done and we will see how it goes from there. Meanwhile, don't forget to check out the Instagram accounts of both hosts and their ambassadors for lots of great #BHMPatternDesigner Challenge content!

Scraptember!

September seems to be the month of scrappy sewing over on Instagram -- I am still intending to sew along with #scrappySeptember via the Make A Garment A Month group. To that end, I've been trying to decide on a project!

I do love to use up my larger offcuts by putting them together into something else, and I especially love print blocking, when it's done right. I don't sew with too many solids so don't do a lot of solid colour blocking -- just because I don't have many of those scraps to work with.

I was thinking about some of the ways in which I might use some of my larger remnant pieces for this September's scrappy challenges, and that led me to investigate which patterns I already own that might fit in well with this technique. It turns out I have quite a few. So I thought I'd share them with you for inspiration. If you have any patterns that you find helpful for this kind of project, please share them in the comments.

Kwik Sew 4260

This is a pattern that I just bought; couldn't resist the silhouette or the scrappy potential!

Kwik Sew 4016 

Now this is a pattern I've had for a very long time, and I've made View A before. It might be time to try the short sleeved View B and use up a few interesting pieces of scrap fabric.

McCalls 7132

I just bought this one is our local fabric store's amazing moving sale. I had missed it altogether so was happy to pick it up now that I am thinking of scrappy sewing. It's made for lightweight fabrics but I'm thinking that maybe some velvety bits might work too... 

McCalls 7466
It's obvious in this pattern that View D is specially created for scrappy goodness! I can imagine it in wild print blocking -- that would be fun. There is a denim version like the pattern cover over on PatternReview; someone actually made this one and it is so fun.

Vogue 9081

Another pattern that I just picked up in our local sale. I'm not a huge Marcy Tilton fan, but I'm willing to give this one a try. I really like the simplicity of View C -- maybe this one could use up some of the larger solids in my stash, of which I have only a few!

McCalls 7361

This might be perfect for some of the smaller pieces of lightweight fabrics like challis or crepe in my scrap pile. I like a nice oversize pullover top and this one looks cute to me.

Vogue 1484

I've had this one for ages, a pretty Zandra Rhodes design that I bought thinking of a Christmas dress. But many holidays have come and gone and I still have not made it...Perfect for those glitzy bits!

Butterick 6033

You can't quite tell with this one unless you look at the line drawings, but there are

 multiple  seam lines here to help you break up the fabrics you choose. I think it would look 

nice with some subtle scrappiness in the fabric choice.

Butterick 5821

Obviously the jacket is the leftover fabric project in this wardrobe pattern. You could make

 all the other pieces and then use the leftover bits to make a matching jacket. 

Or just make a jacket  on its own with all the remnants currently in your stash. 

Any of these patterns would be fun to try! Maybe it would reduce my scrap stash.

Then of course, I might always try a Bargainista copy of my favourite Dior dress of the past few years:

Take a look at the whole show for more inspiration!


What about you? Do you like print blocking? Colour blocking? Do you like to save and use your scraps?

Plans for #BHMPatternDesigners Challenge

Over on Instagram this month, @onesewsweet and @naturaldane are hosting the #BHMPatternDesigners challenge. For the month of February -- Black History Month -- they encourage everyone to sew something designed by a Black Pattern Designer. They're also sharing lots of cool info on many different designers and on Black fashion history, so be sure to follow them for tonnes of great reading!

I've been reading some books in preparation as you might have noticed by my two most recent Weekend Reviews. I've also been thinking about various patterns I might use this month, and have gone through my stash to see what I have on hand.

Here's what I'm considering currently:

I have a Tracy Reese "Plenty" McCalls pattern, M7251 which has two quite distinct top designs -- I love them both and would definitely wear both these styles. I'm strongly leaning toward this one.

But I also have a handful of Khaliah Ali patterns, and there are a number of tops in there that I've been meaning to make for quite a while now. I might make View A (the short-sleeved white one) of S2230 or the flowy top from S2344. Then there are a few skirt and jacket options in there that also look good!

I've just finished Chinelo Bally's Freehand Fashion, and am eyeing her Batwing or Hi-Lo top, as an easy way to start trying out her freehand technique.

What about you? Were you aware of this challenge? Are you planning on making anything for it? Do you have any other designers to recommend?