August = Blog Break!

 

Photo by Elin Melaas on Unsplash

Hello loyal readers! Just a quick announcement that I will be taking a blog break for the month of August.

 I may pop up on IG now and again but I'm taking some time away this summer. 

I will be back in September with new projects, book reviews, and our Fall Literary Sewing Circle round, late in the month. See you all then!

McCalls Josie in a purple print

My latest dress is one I had in mind for a while. I wanted to use a colourful batik in my stash and decided that McCalls 8030 (otherwise known as #JosieMcCalls) was a good pattern for it - I always like a shirtdress! 

I cut it at 16/18, and found that it went together quite easily. I decided to make the longer version with the straight hem and standing collar only. I didn't add sleeve bands to this version, either. 

I made a few changes to the pattern: I lengthened it by 2" since when you put a belt on, it usually lifts the hem somewhat. I don't think I needed 2" -- could have gotten away with just 1". I may go back and shorten it even if I do have to unpick the bottom of the button placket to do so neatly. But maybe I'll just see if I get used to it... ;)

I would also change the pockets - the opening for my hand is really small, just big enough to fit but I don't like to have to wiggle my hand out again! I find the armhole openings really deep (definitely would show off the side bra at a certain angle. I might pin it up to test whether I can reduce the depth without it looking too weird. 

I chose vintage buttons with a bit of contrast, and since I'm not that fond of D-rings, as called for in the pattern, I replaced those with a vintage sliding buckle that I had in my stash - I picked up a whole bag of random vintage belt buckles a while back at a thrift store and so many of them are very pretty. I made sure to slightly adjust the width of the belt when I sewed it up so it would fit snugly into the buckle.

What do I think? I like it, but I don't love it yet. I like the fabric, the buttons, the overall shape - but I'm not crazy about the fit. I think I need to do a few adjustments and then will be more satisfied with it. Or perhaps leave it in the magic closet for a bit?? It's a really cheerful, bright fabric, which I love, so I do want to be able to wear it! 

Weekend Review: Daddy Dressed Me

 

Daddy Dressed Me / Michael Gardner & Ava Gardner
illus. by Nadia Fisher
NY: Aladdin, c2023.

This charming picture book is a lot of fun to read, especially if you followed Michael Gardner's original blog about his journey to sew for his daughter Ava. 

The storyline is that Ava has been asked to recite a poem at school and is very nervous about it. Daddy agrees to make a very special dress for the occasion. But both of these projects are hard! So they help each other - Ava practices her words while Daddy is sewing, with his help with the hard bits. And she encourages Daddy as he goes through the steps of this challenging new dress. 

In the end, Ava wears a beautiful dress and recites her poem perfectly. This is a sweet story of the gentle relationship between these two. And the illustrator has done a fabulous job of capturing the essential charm and all of the sewing details too! I really loved the way that the words Ava is learning are made into bright colourful parts of the text, alongside all the fabric designs and colours there. It really works well and was a satisfying read. 

There is a short afterword by Michael Gardner about how and why he began sewing for Ava, and it was a great addition for the adults reading this. Definitely worth searching out this lovely picture book. 

In Progress: things I'm making and listening to!

I didn't quite finish the project I'm working on quickly enough to be able to share today - but it's just over halfway done! Maybe next week... I'm really enjoying the colour of this fabric and think it will be a fun dress when complete. I have this dress and one more on my July list, and I'd like to be able to complete them. Somehow I always think that life will be a bit slower in the summer like it was when you were a kid and had the whole summer off...that never happens now ;) 

I have been listening to some interesting things while sewing, though, and thought I'd share a few in case you're looking for something to keep you busy while you work, too. 

There is a series called Textile Talks on Youtube that I really enjoy. It's easy to watch while sewing and inspiring too! They describe it as "Textile Talks features weekly presentations and panel discussions from the International Quilt Museum, Quilt Alliance, Studio Art Quilt Associates, and Surface Design Association.". They interview artists, have themed presentations, and more, all about textile arts. I've just been watching one on text in textiles, something I'm very interested in. There is a huge back catalogue of these talks so you would be able to find many of interest, I'm sure. 

I've also been catching up on the podcast Haptic & Hue, which is a very calm, relaxed and informative podcast all about textiles and history - it's just fabulous if you haven't listened before. 

For specifically sewing content, I enjoy listening to the Seamwork podcast for a lot on wardrobe planning and style, to Sew Organised Style for features on people in the sewing world including Sew Over 50, and also Stitchery Stories for some embroidery talk! These all keep me company in the sewing room, where I only wish I could spend more time lately ;) 

What are some of your favourites? 

Cover Designs! #43: Did You Hear About Kitty Karr

 

Cover Designs is a feature in which I try to match up the outfit on a book cover with a dress pattern and sometimes even potential fabric matches as well. Today's pick is Did You Hear About Kitty Karr, by Crystal Smith Paul. 

Here's the summary of the story (from publisher):

When silver screen icon Kitty Karr Tate, a white woman, dies and bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the three Black St. John sisters, it prompts questions.

A celebrity in her own right, Elise St. John would rather focus on sorting out Kitty’s affairs than deal with the press. But what she discovers in one of Kitty’s journals rocks her world harder than any other brewing scandal could—and between a cheating fiancé and fallout from a controversial social media post, there are plenty. The truth behind Kitty's ascent to stardom from her beginnings in the Jim Crow South threatens to expose a web of unexpected family ties, debts owed, and debatable crimes that could, with one pull, unravel the all-American fabric of the St. John sisters and those closest to them.

How could we make something similar to this cover image? With a couple of interesting patterns, I think. 

That's a classic pencil skirt, and there are two patterns I immediately thought of to make something like this. You might try the Extra Sharp Pencil Skirt by Liesl & Co. It's snug and has some nice panel details, but definitely has the same look as the cover skirt, including back walking slit. 

Or, since we can't see the front of the skirt on the cover, who knows, it might have some extra details to jazz it up from that view! The Malmo Skirt from How to Do Fashion has a delightful pocket detail on the front, and an interesting walking slit that's filled in, if you like that detail that is just slightly different from our cover pattern. 

Or of course you could also just go for a free pattern, like the Layla pencil skirt from Tiana's Closet for an affordable option! 

As for the retro blouse, you could try the Romi blouse by Seamwork which could look similar from the back to the one on the cover of this novel. 

Or you could use any favourite fitted knit top, worn with one of these dickies by the Assembly Line, to give it an even closer similarity! 

I hope you've had some fun perusing these pattern ideas! And that you are enjoying your summer reading, too. 

It Starts with a Square

 

It Starts with a Square / Cris Wood
Beverly, MA: Quarry Books, c2026.
144 p.

I'm doing something a bit unusual for me today, and that's reviewing a book that hasn't been published yet. This collection of low-waste designs by Cris Wood is being released on August 4, so very soon -- and I really wanted to share it so you can look out for it -- it is fantastic! 

Cris Wood really hit it big online with her Envelope Dress during the pandemic boom in sewing, and has continued to develop new patterns. They are all zero or low waste designs, and there is quite a variety to her stable of patterns. This book incorporates some of those classics as well as new patterns. This is a generous book - there is so much of her work included.

The book has 17 garment projects (!) made entirely from basic squares and rectangles - no closures or premade patterns required. She goes over how to measure your body and translate that into the shapes for each pattern, and there are no really tricky techniques once you've got the measuring and cutting down. There's a section where she talks about how to mix & match the pattern elements to create new pieces, as well, which should appeal to more practiced sewists - it really extends the wardrobe options in the book.

This would be a great book for sewing newbies but it's also inspiring for those of us who have been sewing for a long time. I'm really excited about the possibilities here, and there is even one of her patterns included in this book that I've been meaning to make for ages, so now I will definitely give it a go. 

If you've enjoyed her work online, or if you're interested in low-waste sewing in general, don't miss this one. It's an inclusive collection, with lots of images of every pattern, on varied body shapes and sizes, and a great discussion of how this kind of sewing is based on your body, not preset sizing. I think this is one of the most welcoming sewing books I've seen in a while, but it is also organized, well-laid out, easy to use and instructive. It's a hit for me! 

You can see some of the interior images and pre-order on her website!

Tracing and Cutting and Prep, Oh My!

I finished my lovely colourful dress earlier this week, and haven't had a chance to sew enough to finish anything else yet! But there is a lot of prep going on for the remainder of my summer sewing. I have one UFO project I am hoping to get to, a Charlie Caftan cut from a tablecloth. 

And I have a couple of fabric/pattern matches to cut out and get working on -- I'm planning on a McCalls Josie from the purple batik print, and a Fringe Dress from the green and white leaf print (a duvet). 

And then I'm also hoping to get some tracing done this weekend - I have this stack of Burda magazines with a top and three dress patterns I'd like to trace out, and also a couple of indie patterns I've downloaded recently. 

Lots to keep me going, but I'll see how much I can get done by the end of the weekend. It's a lot but if I can do a little of each I will be happy, and it will keep me busy for another week! I have to sew up these summer dresses before summer is over...