Patchwork Trio Top

Another item I finished in August (at the very end of the month!) was this quick little top pattern. It's the Trio Top, a pattern from the Matchy Matchy sewing club book. 

There was a scrap sewing challenge on IG in August, & that along with a couple of other stash sewing initiatives, inspired me to try to make something scrappy. I decided to use a handful of small leftover bits from various projects to make the central panels of the top - which is simple enough to let the patchwork shine. 

The squares incorporate pieces leftover from 3 tops, 4 dresses, a skirt, vest & 2 accessories I have made previously. The black bits are the more narrow leftovers from a pair of culottes I cut out recently but haven't finished yet!

I cut 3.5" squares for a finished size of 3" but ended up adding the small elastic casing at the top of the centre panels using bias binding. The pattern has you fold over the top but I hadn't accounted for that in my patchwork & didn't want the top row to be noticeably smaller than the rest so a bias binding to the rescue! I actually really like the accent of black at the top & feel it pulls it all together.  

This is a simple pattern but I did make a couple of small adjustments. I cut a medium but lowered the neckline & added 1.5" to the side panels to make it all even. I would probably only lower the front panel if I made it again as the back feels a bit weird at this level. But the front is definitely better for me this way. 

I used up a few of my very small leftover pieces & some of the larger bits & had fun putting them together. This isn't my usual kind of thing but it was a fun project to make. It's a cute pattern & with fabric that's a bit drapier I think it would be a softer look. I was quite impressed by the way my red/pink leftovers all went together for this one!

Weekend Review: The Embroidery of Mexico

The Embroidery of Mexico / Gimena Romero
Tunbridge Wells, UK: Search Press, 2026.
192 p.

I am back to regular blogging & to start off another year of Weekend Reviews I am sharing this amazing book on the embroidery of Mexico. This is a translation of a book by Gimena Romero, a Mexican textile artist & researcher. Her connection to her material makes every page sing -- such a cultural journey is shared here, alongside multiple stitches. I loved it! 

The photography is also stunning. Rich, bright, lots of close-up images of both the front and back of stitched pieces to inspire & instruct. (Photos by Pedro Aragon). 

The book includes a section of instructions on tools, transfer methods, stitch technique etc, also illustrated. And then Romero takes the reader on a journey around Mexico, covering eight traditional & modern styles of stitching. She shares the region, the parameters of each style & how to create something in that style. From more familiar kinds of Mexican embroidery to a tradition of stitching with hair, and modern street style, or her own recognizable stitching, she covers a lot. It's fascinating - where these traditional styles came from & how they were maintained, the language of stitching which is tied to the location and Indigenous language, the kinds of threads, colours, patterns- there is so much variety. She also includes 8 pages of templates of motifs you can trace & use. 

This is a beautiful & unique book, perfect for a coffee table read or some actual stitching inspo. I would say that beginners might not find this the best starter book as it contains a lot & assumes a bit of familiarity but for visual inspiration & cultural exploration it can't be beat. Loved this one, highly Recommended!

Butterick 6722 in thrifted purple

 

One of the things I finished in August was a purple dress that I've wanted to make for a while - ever since I thrifted this purple fabric a year ago! It was a slightly narrower fabric but I had over 3 m. so I thought I'd be fine. I was waffling between two Butterick patterns, 6758 and 6722, which I bought around the same time. They are quite similar, but I ended up going with 6722 because I liked the bodice more. 

I made View B, which has one ruffled tier at the bottom. I'm not really a big ruffle person, but I like it in this design. This went together very easily. The front skirt has a placket and buttons, but the waist is an elastic one so I knew I wouldn't need the actual buttonholes. I sewed it all together then stitched black buttons through both plackets as permanent buttons (you can barely see them anyhow). 

One note, if you are planning on making this with actual buttonholes -- the instructions have you sew it all together and then insert the buttonholes last, while wrangling the whole dress and the sewn together top of the placket. I would definitely sew the buttonholes in before attaching the skirt to the bodice to make it easier on yourself. 

Anyhow, the rest is pretty straightforward. View B has little slits on the top of the sleeves but I wasn't keen on that detail so sewed them up quite normally (and boringly I suppose, but it works for me!). I considered adding the sleeve bands from View A but thought they might weight down this fabric too much. I'm glad I went with just a plain sleeve as I really like it as finished. 

The sash tie is quite long but I think it all works nicely together. As usual for me, I cut a 14 at the neck, 16 at bust and 18 at waist. It fits well. And I moved the pocket bag up to be caught in the waist seam to reduce flopping. I know I shortened both bodice and skirt but can't remember exactly how much as it was a month ago -- I believe I only shortened the bodice by 1/2" and the skirt pieces by 1" each but am not 100% sure any more! In any case, it's such a rich purple and I'm so pleased I have finally used it. This was a fun project started at the beginning of August and completed quickly. I really like this!

September Sewing Plans!

 

I am back after a lovely August break & ready to get back to sewing and blogging! This year I'm feeling more "back to school" than I have in a long time. Hoping to learn some new things this fall & try out new projects & techniques.  

In September I will have a couple of things to share which I finished in August. Then I will try to finish and share a few items I started in July & August! I have a couple of those to complete but I am already feeling like it's time to move on to some fall sewing projects so that will be what is next. 

Related to that I have a bunch of Burda patterns to trace out, a few recent ones & a couple of oldies which I think will be nice fall outfits. 

And I hope to share the next Literary Sewing Circle pick by the end of this month as well. Lots going on but a busy month at work too so I will have to be organized. I'm ready to go 😄📚🧵

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.