A Zoe Top from Simple Sew

I just made this Zoe top, from Simple Sew -- I have had this pattern for ages and always thought it would be a fun project but you know how that sewing queue goes. 

In any case, the PatternReview Fabric & Pattern Stash contest got me looking through my stashes to see what I had, and this one caught my eye again. I decided to make the dress view, using a crisp linen blend that a friend gave me a year or so ago. There was 5 m. of this fabric so plenty to experiment with! 

Well, spoiler -- I ended up cutting off the dress to a top length before even finishing it. I was nearly done and tried it on, well, it looked like a hospital gown! Not sure if it is the plain colour alongside the loose fit that caused it but it was inescapable. 

The dress is fairly basic. It's a front, back and facing, along with sleeve cuffs and a pocket. The front and back have a centre seam, and the pattern is designed to have topstitching along the seams for a little extra touch. I started out with this plan, and found a thread that was very similar in tone to the fabric, as I didn't want strongly contrasting topstiching. There is one pocket on the dress view, attached over the right side side seam. I even got that on, and it had beautiful topstitching, I was so proud, lol. 

The dress came along very quickly, even with the topstitching, and before I hemmed it I decided it was not going to work as a dress. So I unpicked the perfect pocket, and recut the dress to a longer top length. I pressed up the hem and there it was. SO much better as a top to wear with fun skirts. I actually really like it as a top and think I'll be able to wear this quite often. 

The neckline is a lot wider than I had realized when cutting it out, however. I don't usually wear a boat neck style, but fortunately I picked up some lingerie guards at the thrift store recently. These are very convenient - they pin onto your shoulder seam/facing, and the ribbon goes around your bra strap and snaps. Easy to keep your bra straps up and yet out of sight, and also you can quickly move them to any top as they are just pinned in. Great find. 

Anyhow, from the dress I had envisioned, to a top I will actually wear, even before leaving the sewing room for the first time ;) This colour is a delight and it's something I don't already have in my closet. I love the clear tones of the colour, and am really pleased it could be easily rescued to be wearable as a top.

Weekend Review: Radical Sewing

Radical Sewing / Kate Weiss 
Portland, OR: Microcosm Publishing, c2021.
192 p.

I was lucky to find this one via my library's online collection. Although I don't usually like sewing books in online formats generally, this one has the subtitle "Pattern-Free, Sustainable Fashions for All Bodies", so I thought a sewing book without patterns might be okay to read in e-book format! 

It was an interesting read, put out by a publishing company that has many other books on sustainable, alternative kind of topics. I thought it was a neat approach, bound to appeal to a different kind of audience; however, I didn't quite love it. I found the tone was a bit uneven, at times feeling like the author was speaking to beginners but at other times more aimed at those familiar with sewing -- the terminology sometimes felt like you should know a bit about sewing to really get the book. Which I did, but someone newer to the sewing world might feel a bit intimidated. And from the cover copy, it does seem like the gist of the book is to get newbies into sewing.

Additionally, despite the subtitle, there is a whole chapter of this book that talks about how to read and understand a sewing pattern. As that chapter begins, she acknowledges that despite the title, you may sometimes need to understand patterns. I agree, but wonder if a change in subtitle might have been more effective in getting across all the elements of this book. 

However, it was a pretty good overview that might appeal to a certain kind of reader already interested in zines, alternatives and 'radical' things in general. It has some funky drawings/illustrations and gives enough info for someone to actually learn quite a bit about sewing well. 

You can find out more about this one, and see some interior pages to help you judge the style and see if it's one for you, over at the publisher's website. 

My Antonia!

Oh my goodness, I love this dress! I have had this pattern for the Antonia Dress by Pattern Division for a while, and love the simplicity of it. I thought it would be fun one, and I had already traced and prepped the pattern pieces a while back. So I decided to cut it out last week while I was on a cutting spree ;) 

It has a front, back and facing pieces, with cut-on pockets. It was a breeze to lay out and cut, and took me 3 hours start to finish to sew it up the next night. I am a slow sewist, it would probably take others less time! Being such a simple pattern, I was unsure that the fit would be very good, or flattering. But I guess this one is that unicorn pattern, the one made just for my body, because the only alteration I made was to shorten it by 2" for an above-knee length on me. Even the cool little gathered back feature sits at the right spot on my waist, and this is an area I often have to shorten.

Did I mention I absolutely love it? The waist, pockets, shoulders, everything is just in the exact right spot. And the back feature is adorable. The back gather was the only "difficult" part, and that was only because I wasn't quite sure how to sew it up at first. But you just follow the seam lines marked on the pattern, it's kind of a wedge. I haven't made something like this before; the lower skirt is cut on the fold and upper bodice has a centre seam, but it's all one piece. It's pretty neat to see it come together. 

The facings are also very wide - I like this, as it keeps them from flipping out. Well, that and the fact they are also topstitched. There are the front yoke seams and the centre back seam to tack the facings down to as well, so altogether this is a very quick and efficient pattern without the feeling of a pattern that cuts corners. 

I used a cotton from my stash that has a bit of a sateen feel, but isn't too heavy. This worked well, even if you can't really see the gathered front shoulder/yoke or centre back features too clearly in such a busy fabric. I really love this and will definitely make it again! It also has a top length and midi length version in the pattern -- I might make a top, but I do really love this knee length dress and can see making a solid coloured version.

The pattern is named after the writer Antonia Fraser, since as the designer, Ann, states in the pattern copy: "I read that Antonia Fraser didn’t like to shop so she had her favorite dress made in different fabrics so she could wear it every day, every season… I loved that idea! This is my everyday, every season dress and I make it myself. "

A great pattern that I really enjoyed making - easy, quick, no closures, fun to sew up, and a great result. What's not to love? :)

Afternoon Blouse in Green

I just finished this Afternoon Blouse by Jennifer Lauren, a pattern I've been meaning to make since I bought the pattern at least 5 years ago! The PatternReview "Fabric & Pattern Stash" contest spurred me on to finally get this one cut out. 

I traced a size 12, grading out to 14 at hip. It is fairly simple, with only front, back, and facing pieces. And I used a remnant of green linen blend of some kind which I got from a friend last year, when she gave me two plastic bins of fabric from her mother's sewing stash. I had just enough to cut out the blouse version of the Afternoon Blouse & Shift Dress. 

The fabric was fairly loosely woven, so I did have to zigzag all the edges of the pattern pieces as I cut them out. But there aren't many, and this went together quickly. I used a lightweight interfacing for the facing pieces, which was just right for the softness of this fabric. I did find once I tried it on that it is a little tighter around my upper arm than I like - I may upick the shoulder seams and restitch at 1/4" just to give me a touch more room. I will add a bit to the pattern pieces for future use. 

Otherwise, the only thing I had to watch on this one was getting the overlap to sit correctly. Because my fabric has a bit of a softer hand, I found it wanted to droop. I had to press the front seam and the overlaps in place, then pin them in order to put in the line of hand stitching that holds the overlaps together -- I did it quickly the first time, then realized I had to pick it out because I hadn't carefully arranged the placement and there were sags and droops! I placed the top on my dress form after pressing so that I could get the alignment right, and then restitched the overlaps together, and added the button. Actually, looking at the photos I think I might readjust it again to get rid of the little pucker near the button!

It was kind of fun digging through my button stash to find a single button I liked for this top. The one I had in mind first didn't actually work, so I looked again and came up with this pinkish toned one, which is slightly smaller than the recommended size but I think it looks nice. 

I like the way this fits, aside from the slightly tight arm opening, which is fixable -- it floats over the body and feels just right. I will definitely be trying the dress view next. 

Weekend Review: Your Skirt, Your Way

 

Your Skirt, Your Way / Jenniffer Taylor
Search Press, c2020.
128 p.

This is another book by a former Great British Sewing Bee contestant. It's the second book by Jenniffer Taylor, whose first book, Girl With a Sewing Machine, was published in 2020 shortly after her GBSB appearance. 

This book is a really interesting one for adventurous beginners, or those more accomplished sewists who want to create their own block to then make into a variety of skirts. There are 10 distinct skirts included in the book for readers to create.

The book starts with an intro, recommending necessary tools and basics, then moves into how to create your block based on your measurements. This section includes how to measure, how to draw out a block and how to create a toile to check fit. 

Then the following sections cover six shapes of skirt, waistbands, facings, zips and buttons, and then a section on pockets, yokes, hems and vents. There is a lot of info for sewists to use here. 

The final 40 pages are the actual skirt "recipes", as she calls them. They are not quite patterns, but the instructions about how to make the pattern based on your block -- and then how to construct them. I think there are many options here, with a style to suit every reader. And the details are cute too - I love the pockets on the flared Kate skirt.

I thought that this book was really well done, at just the right level for an ambitious beginner, straightforward but not overly simple. Skirts are a great starter project, and are also a good way to take a stab at pattern making. There is solid instruction, lots of photos, and some creative yet very wearable projects in this book -- a winner. 

Half Way through 2023

 

Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash

I can hardly believe that this year is going so very quickly. It's already halfway through! Fortunately for me, I had a long weekend as July began, so was able to spend some time thinking about my plans for the year and how I'm doing with them. 

My goals that I set for 2023 were fairly relaxed. They were to:

1. Sew From Stash

2. Finish some art quilts

3. Take classes/learn more

I think I've done okay on all of these so far! I've been sewing a lot from stash, probably about 75% of my projects so far are from stash, and I haven't bought too much new fabric this year. I still have to sort more of the piles out so I can see what I want to use and what I want to pass on, but haven't got there yet. 

Finishing art quilts has been going pretty well -- I finished 2 small ones, and got to the SAQA Conference in Toronto I was planning on, which spurred me on. I have 2 more small quilts to finish, and lots of ideas for new ones! 

Take classes -- well, haven't done too great on this one yet. I did take one interesting art quilting class online, about using scraps effectively, which I really enjoyed. And I've been listening to some embroidery and art quilting webinars. However, I haven't finished my Jasika Blazer class (maybe this fall?) and do have some CreativeBug sewing classes I want to watch. 

My other 2023 goal was my Make Nine/Use Nine plans. So far I'm moving a bit slowly there - I have finished one, the McCalls dolman knit top, and have two others cut out. So maybe I'll get a few more done before end of year! 

Like I mentioned in my original planning post, I am a mood sewist - I get distracted from plans easily! Plus I've been doing a bit of sewing on demand, so to speak, for various sewing companies/stores, which does cut into my planned sewing a bit. 

And in May I added a new goal to the year, which is to make my own Vyshyvanka by next May -- I've traced out two potential patterns for it but haven't made any samples yet. I'm planning to make a couple of quick versions to test out which pattern I want to use good linen for, and spend time on embroidering! So I'll have to get busy so I can start on that with plenty of time for stitching. 

Not too much to overwhelm me, and I don't feel terribly behind, as these are simply goals to keep me focused. It's great to look at them and refocus now, with time left in the year to accomplish a bit more. Do you like making plans as well, or are you more freeform? I think I'm a mix! 

Weekend Review: Sew Chinelo

Sew Chinelo / Chinelo Bally
Collins & Brown, c2021.
176 p.

I am a big fan of the Great British Sewing Bee, and Chinelo was one of my favourite contestants. I read the first book she put out after her appearance, Freehand Fashion, and so really wanted to check out this one as well. 

Unfortunately, this one wasn't really a book for me. The focus here is partially upcycling (the subtitle references Sustainable Style after all). And I do love upcycling, but the projects in this book don't appeal to me personally. There are lots of wrap dress/skirt, wide off-the-shoulder collars, strapless maxis, and kids clothes. None of those are my style at all. So, while this isn't a book for me, it could definitely be one for other readers. 

Aside from my personal aesthetic, there is a lot to admire about this book. If this kind of refashioning and youthful style is your thing, then you'll love it. It provides a variety of projects, so you could make a whole outfit or two. There are 11 adult projects, and 3 children's. They combine Chinelo's Freehand cutting style with the previously mentioned upcycling projects. And there is quite a good section on techniques - from bias binding tips to seam finishes, zips and hems, there are step-by-step illustrated instructions included. Plus a great section of taking measurements, which includes photographs to make the spots to measure very clear to new sewists. 

The one project that really intrigued me was the maxi dress, but mostly for the bodice. Chinelo uses a pair of men's suit trousers, takes them apart and uses them for the fabric of the bodice, which is a basic sleeveless scoop neck, princess seam bodice. It works quite well & if there was enough fabric to add some cap sleeves this is one I might try myself, although I'd change the skirt. She also finishes the book with a one-shoulder jumpsuit, and while there is no way I'd ever make that, it is finished with a huge floral corsage, in the same suiting fabric, on one shoulder. That was eye-catching and the instructions make it seem really easy -- would love to make one for other uses! 

So, not the best book for my style, but interesting nonetheless, and it might just appeal to you. Worth checking out.