Top Five Hits and Misses of 2021

 

I've always enjoyed doing a roundup of my yearly makes, and I just noticed that Gillian is hosting the Sewing Top 5 again, this time via Instagram. So I'm joining in :) 

This year was a decent sewing year for me -- I could have made a top 5 selection in different categories this year, and I've really liked most of my projects over the year. There are at least 12 other projects I was considering for top picks. But after winnowing through my list of faves a few times, I've whittled it down to the very top five projects! 

My faves of the year are: 

 Celeste Dress by Itch to Stitch

I loved the fabric and how easily this dress went together. It's 

comfortable to wear and has great pockets!

Metamorphic Dress by Sew Liberated

I loved making this reversible dress as a project for the Amatka round of the Literary Sewing Circle. It was just so perfect for the book, and it's comfortable and gets great comments when I wear it.

Burda Jumper

I love a good jumper, and this one has really cool pockets. Plus it's the first time I sewed with stretch gabardine, and this pattern was just right for it. I love the print and it's one I've worn a lot.

Harmon Top by Sew Different

This pattern was inspired by The Queen's Gambit, one of my fave shows of the year. And I was so delighted at how it turned out, using this floral linen from my stash. Love this one. 

Rochester Dress by Maven

Of course I must mention my Rochester dress which I made for my 50th birthday! I like this  pattern and love this version in such a fun print. The first Rochester I made as a kind  of tester is also one of the tops of the year ;) 

**************************************

As for the Top 5 Misses of the year, they all seem to have come in a clump this summer, right when I was having a hard time with a lot of things in my life. Big surprise there! The things that I made and tried hard to remake to wear them but that just didn't work out are:

Self-Drafted pull on trousers. Just didn't get that fit right at all. 

A McCalls 4591 and matching Peppermint Magazine Pocket Skirt. The blouse was the wrong fabric and just couldn't be rescued, the skirt is just so not my style, I've only worn it once. 

Penrose Top from Sew News magazine. A free pattern but I made it way too big and I just do not like it at all. May reuse the fabric for something else, though, because I do like the print.

And finally a green rayon McCalls 7712 that I made in September and was underwhelmed -- tried to fix it but still don't like it and have never worn it. Think I need to find a friend who wants it! 

Overall this was a year with lots of great sewing, and this fall when I did the Seamwork wardrobe planning exercise I really got my sewjo back and have been slowly working away on some skirts and a suit jacket. Enjoying that a lot! I'll be posting my plans and goals for 2022 shortly, and suits will definitely make an appearance in next year's sewing...

Merry Christmas!

  

Photo by Rodion Kutsaev on Unsplash

Merry Christmas to all my readers here! 
 Enjoy your holidays reading, resting, & relaxing. 

“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.”

― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

You Get a Bowl Cozy, and You Get a Bowl Cozy!

A year or so back I made a whole stack of bowl cozies for holiday gifts. I searched out fabrics that reflected the recipient's interests (my best find was a yoga print!) And then I had to look for the correct materials -- the only trick to this project (if you plan to use them in the microwave) is making sure you're using only 100% cotton fabric, thread and batting. Nobody wants a microwave fire for Christmas.

I kept my eye on sales and finally got a package of Pellon's Wrap N Zap for 40% off, which made 7 bowl cozies. I could probably squeeze one more out of the batting scraps if I piece them together.

I used this perfectly sized pattern, a well-known one by this time, from this tutorial by Lindsay at Happy Hour Stitches. It's a great tutorial, and a free pattern.

But this year I decided that I should also make myself a bowl cozy! They are so convenient for hot soup or oatmeal bowls, and I have so many scraps of cotton prints hanging around in my stash. I had a hard time making a choice for my own fabrics since I bought them all in the first place because I loved them. And I made my husband look through my cotton scraps and pick his own pieces as well.

This is what we ended up with.

I ended up going with a fat quarter that my sister bought me in New Zealand (fabric is such a great gift) covered in their national bird. My husband liked a red marbled print I've had for ages, and then I found a green cotton that coordinated perfectly with both. I had a bit more Wrap & Zap in my stash so I whipped these two together. Not sure why I waited so long to make us our own bowl cozies! 

Perfection :) 

Weekend Review: The Art of Mixing Textiles in Quilts

The Art of Mixing Textiles in Quilts / Lynn Schmitt
Lafayette, CA: C&T, c2018
111 p.

 Another quilting book this week, full of beautiful images and inspiration. I picked up this one because I'm interested in the idea of mixing textiles in projects -- I am certainly not a quilting cotton purist, especially since I sew with so many different fabrics, and want to be able to scrap bust all of them! 

This book is a great resource. The first section talks about the different non-quilting cotton fabrics that the author uses, like wool, silks, linen, or upholstery fabrics, among others. She goes over the best ways to use and combine these fabrics -- tips on seam pressing, stitching, interfacing/stabilizing, and so on. One good example of a basic tip is when sewing heavier fabrics like wool or upholstery weights, don't press the seams to one side. Press open to reduce bulk, and you can also grade seams. This is something garment sewists will probably know but it's a great tip for someone new to incorporating these fabrics.

I'm mostly interested in this topic because it seems to me that this book has lots of great ideas that can be used in garment sewing, especially these days as patchworked and quilted clothing is becoming a little more popular once again. And I feel like there is a lot of useful content here. Plus beautiful images, did I mention that already? 

Her style of eclectic piecing as she calls it is really eye-catching, as is shown off with 14 projects here -- pillows, quilts and small projects which feature piecing, applique and some wonderful quilting designs too. One piece that uses both traditional blocks and more modern design is this beautiful little wall hanging. I love the combo of colours, techniques, and the overall finish.

There are also practical or useful projects included and this "Market Tote" is one example. It uses the same mix of traditional blocks and more general piecing as the wall hanging, and on the other side of it there is actually some applique as well. It's a great use for the sturdier fabrics that she uses in the mix.

I also admire some of the quilting on these pieces. The wall hanging has a spiral motif that contrasts with the square blocks, and there is one piece, shown on the cover, with a circular medallion quilted onto an area of green silk, right among the flying geese blocks, and it's really stunning. The shape of it and the way it catches the light are both very pleasing to the eye. There are many little details in these projects that are very inspiring. 

I really enjoyed going through this book. Other projects include table runners, pincushions, pillows & throws, and while I might not be planning on making many of them they were a delight to look at. The initial section of information on textile use is the most applicable to my sewing habits, and I think her experience and advice would be useful to anyone wanting to blend fabrics in a pieced/quilted garment. If this kind of stitching appeals to you, I'd recommend checking your library to see if you can take a look at this book too.  

Cover Designs! 23: The Dinner List

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 choice gives a nod to parties and dinners and dressing up, so we can dream of doing that again someday. 

As the publisher says: 

"At one point or another, we’ve all been asked to name five people, living or dead, with whom we’d like to have dinner. Why do we choose the people we do? And what if that dinner was to actually happen? These are the questions Rebecca Serle contends with in her utterly captivating novel.

When Sabrina arrives at her thirtieth birthday dinner she finds at the table not just her best friend, but also three significant people from her past, and well, Audrey Hepburn. As the appetizers are served, wine poured, and dinner table conversation begins, it becomes clear that there’s a reason these six people have been gathered together."

Of course, if Audrey Hepburn was at your birthday dinner you might feel a little pressure to show up wearing something glamorous. The red dress on this rather clever cover is a great party frock.

 

This is a great dress to copy, whether for a birthday or a holiday party. You could use Vogue 1655 to get a pretty close copy of this one, down to the red sample on the pattern envelope. 

This dress isn't quite as off-the-shoulder as the cover image from the book, but it's close -- and probably a little more secure too! Look at these line drawings; you can see how similar the lines are. 

But, if you'd like something that might be a little more comfy, you could also choose to make a knit version of this dress by using the Patterns for Pirates knit wiggle dress. There are many views of this dress, and it can go from casual day dress to New Year's Eve glamour! If you made the off-the-shoulder knee length version, like this sewist did, you'll get a nearly perfect cover copy. 

Of course, fancy schmancy red fabric can be found everywhere at this time of year! Try a beautiful red stretch silk charmeuse from Riverside Fabrics if you want to make the Vogue version: 

Or try a festive stretch velvet knit for the wiggle dress if you like that version more! Maybe this one from Prairie Love Knits:

Either way, a slinky red dress is a great way to step into a new year. And, please do tell me the 5 people you'd invite to your imaginary perfect dinner ;) 

Holiday Gatherings for the Garment Guild

It's getting to be that festive season, and my local sewing group, the Stratford Garment Guild, had our holiday Zoom party today. It's lots of fun to get together with other sewing friends and talk all things patterns and sewing. To make it a little festive we also played a few virtual party games. 

The first one was a little game of Sewing Have You Ever -- the Naughty & Nice version! I had fun putting these lists together and discovering just how Naughty or Nice our members are ;) 

I thought you might have fun with this too, so here it is so you can play along...how Naughty or Nice were you out of 10 this year (or ever??)

Naughty

1. Sewed Over Pins
2. Used Fabric Scissors for something that was not fabric
3. Sewed through your finger
4. Lost a pattern piece in the middle of making something
5. Had a rotary cutter accident
6. Forgot to add seam allowances
7. Cut a hole in your project while trimming seams
8. Made something but never wore it
9. Bought the same pattern twice...by accident
10. Have more than 5 projects in your UFO pile

Nice

1. Sewed a gift for someone else
2. Taught someone to sew
3. Used your scraps to make something new
4. Used recycled/upcycled fabric or thread
5. Sewed something that fit you perfectly
6. Have used more than 5 specialty feet for your machine
7. Mended/refashioned something in your wardrobe instead of getting rid of it
8. Tackled a hard project that intimidated you at first
9. Added pockets to a pattern that didn't have any
10. Made a whole project without using one swear word

If you play along, let us know your score in the comments so we can commiserate and celebrate!

Weekend Review: Making Scrap Quilts To Use it Up

Making Scrap Quilts to Use It Up! / Lynne Edwards
Newton Abbot, Devon: David & Charles, c2003
128 p.

One of the ways to sew more sustainably is to make sure you're using as much of your fabric as possible, and wasting very little of it. Making quilts has always been a traditional way of doing this. However, I'm not really a quilter, well, not a traditional one anyhow. So I don't end up using a lot of my scraps in this way. 

But, I recently saw a book review on PatternReview for this book, Making Scrap Quilts to Use It Up by Lynne Edwards. The reviewer mentioned that along with quilts this book includes two other small projects, in particular, a bag that she was interested in.

It sounded so intriguing that I quickly requested this book on Interlibrary Loan and have had a chance to read through it over the last week or so. It is a good collection, with a variety of quilts (16 patterns) using small pieces, arranged either randomly or in set quilt patterns that give great visual effects. There are good photos and clear diagrams and instructions for the projects as well. 

One of my favourite kind of quilts is the random scrap style, and the first one in this book is a massive postage stamp quilt -- all made of 1.5" squares. It's really appealing, the kind of scrap celebration I love. There is also a quillow pattern, I recall making a bunch of these for Christmas gifts many years ago! 

But as I am mainly a garment sewist, I have to agree with the original reviewer that the highlight of this book is the very unusual bag pattern. It's a pleated bucket bag style, with an interior drawstring closure. I haven't seen a style like this before, and there are examples both in solid fabric and in patchworked fabrics. I don't make many bags but this is such an interesting design that I'm eager to give it a try. 

This book is out of print as far as I can tell, so you'll have to find it second hand or via your own local library if you are interested in investigating it as well. 

Quick scarf making!

I picked up a piece of checked wool at the thrift store (marked at 1.5 yards though it's a bit more) the last time I was there -- it was on sale for $1.63 with the daily discount so how could I say no? It was really nice, and I was sure I could make something from it. 

When I got it home and held it up to myself, I realized that the check was much more square and boxy than I'd anticipated - close up it had a houndstooth vibe but in large view it's really just a mixed check. I wondered what I could do with it. I felt that the print was too blocky to really work as a skirt, and the weight was too stiff/dense for a top... 

As I was pondering my husband wandered by and said, that would make a nice scarf. Bing! The lights went on. This fabric really is perfect for a classy scarf to go with his dress coat. There is exactly 5 feet of length, perfect for a simple scarf, and it is 60" wide. So I cut it into half and half again to get basically a long quarter strip of 15"wide and 5' long. 

Then came the edge finishing. I wondered about what would be best, since there are no woven edges here! I looked up a few ideas, like this tutorial on Threads, and then just went ahead and tested a narrow hem all around. The tricky part was mitering the corners so there would be no lumps. 

You could also fringe the ends for a bit if you like that look, but because this one is trying to be a sleek dress scarf, and it's a bit short for fringe, I didn't go for that this time. 

I'm quite pleased with it. To wear it, it's best to fold it lengthwise and wrap around the neck. Sits smoothly and it's really warm! 

Weekend Review: Sew Sustainably by Wendy Ward

 

How to Sew Sustainably / Wendy Ward
London : CICO Books, 2021.
160 p.

Carrying on from last week's book list of reading on sustainable sewing, here's a must read if you're interested in this topic! Wendy Ward has written a handful of other sewing books, all well done, and runs a pattern company as well (MIY Collection). She really has a specific style, and it's clearly on show in this book.

So this particular title is about using up all the smaller bits of fabric we all have left after sewing, as well as trying to reduce those leftovers through low waste cutting. There are no pattern sheets in this book; everything is done via measurement, like many zero waste patterns out there. And this book isn't limited to clothing ideas, either -- there are directions for art pieces too and accessories like bags and scarves too.

The cover image is a good example of the chapter on piecing; how to put together scraps into another appealing garment. (One that I really like here, shown on the back cover above -- lengthening a dress by inserting a strip of pieced fabric in coordinating colours. So cool!) This is definitely a great idea if this aesthetic matches yours. Some people will love it, others won't find it jumps on to their to-do list. There are a couple of designs for new or larger pieces of fabric, including a huge batwing style tunic/dress and a dropped crotch pair of pants. Like we're talking knee level or lower crotch. So it's definitely cool and unique, but not something I myself might make. But reading through the concepts does start to make you think a bit more about the fabrics you have and how to use them. 

I liked the idea of including fabric scrap art projects -- some were wall art, some notecards or pieces to applique to a garment. There were a couple of techniques shown, and this might be a way readers could experiment with scraps to see if they like the process and results. I think this kind of freeform scrap use is rather fun! 

As in all of her books there is a good strong section on basic techniques. If someone who doesn't really sew much or is just learning picks up this book, they'll have enough to get started right away. And there is also a section at the end of the book on refashioning and "aftercare" -- mending and caring for garments. 

Well planned out, great photographs, unusual projects -- if you like this scrappy, edgy aesthetic, you'll like this one. Even if you don't there are some interesting ideas and techniques shared, so I am glad I read it even if most of the projects are not for me personally. I think it would really appeal to a certain kind of sewist though -- if you know someone who likes to experiment and freeform their sewing and is also concerned with sustainability, this might be a hit.