BHMPD Challenge: Daphne Maxwell Reid with McCalls 9125

For my first project of the month, I made up the tunic from this McCalls 9125 Daphne Maxwell Reid design. It is also a project for the Black History Month Pattern Designers Challenge! 

I picked up this pattern while thrifting a few months ago, and haven't been able to get it out of my mind. So I found a lightweight cotton in the stash and went for it. So, this also fits into the PatternReview Stash contest :) 

I chose to make the short tunic with longer sleeves for this project. The pattern includes two tunic views, a light over-jacket, pull on pants and a skirt, and a scarf. A whole wardrobe here! 

I had this lighter weight cotton with a great print, so chose a simple pattern to highlight it. The tunic has a rounded off squared neckline (a favourite style for me) and slits in the side seams. I really like the details in this otherwise simple pattern. 

I was careful to line up the centre fold along the middle of one motif so that there would be balance in the print. It was pretty straightforward! Front, back, sleeve and facing pieces. I did shorten both the body and the sleeve, by about an inch each. I ended up making a deep hem on the sleeve so I could fold it up in a little cuff, as well. If I did this again I would add a touch of width to the sleeve to allow for more room for a cuff. It works here but another half inch would make an improvement to fit. 

I gave the bottom a narrower 5/8" hem and feel that it worked out pretty well! I really like the colours here and the traditional print -- although the colour is hard to capture in these photos. I think that maybe it's really halfway between the closeup of the side slits and the large photos. 

Daphne Maxwell Reid is a former model, an actress, photographer, and fashion designer - including creating patterns for the Big 4. I have found a handful of her patterns from the 90s at my local thrift stores, and was really drawn to this one! I love this tunic and this fabric, and I still have lots of her patterns to try out! 

As styled on this still chilly day

Black History Month Pattern Designers Challenge

 

Check it out on Instagram
or on the BHMPD website

February sees the returning challenge, Black History Month Pattern Designers Challenge that I mentioned in my monthly sewing plans earlier this week. I've done this one for a few years, although I missed completing a project last year. But I love this one! I really want to participate again this year. 

And this year I have many options. I have looked through my paper patterns both new and old, and have found many, from a variety of designers, like Lydia Naomi, Khaliah Ali, Beauté J'Adore, Diahann Carroll, Daphne Maxwell Reid, and more. This is one I just thrifted recently and I really like it!

I also have some newer patterns from contemporary designers, in PDF, like Les Lubies de Cadia - I recently purchased a few of her patterns in a sale, and am planning on making one of them for the BHMPD Challenge, probably the Lysiane Shirt. Although I also bought the Girma Dress, which she's discontinuing -- I've had my eye on it for a long time so had to jump. But I have lots of choices which is great for a mood sewist like me! 

Lysiane Shirt

Girma Dress

This is such a fun challenge, and a great way to discover new pattern designers of all kinds - from sewing to knitting, quilting, bagmaking, fabric stores and more. Check it out!

Willi Smith + Butterick, for the #bhmpatterndesigners Challenge

I always love participating in the #BHMPatternDesigner Challenge each February. This Black History Month challenge is run mainly on Instagram by @SewNaturalDane and challenges sewists to make something designed by a Black designer - but everyone is welcome to join in. 

This year I decided on a pattern from my stash which I thrifted a while ago. It's a Butterick pattern designed by Willi Smith, the creator of WilliWear in the 80s, who also released many sewing patterns over a decade. In fact, when I was looking up some more information about him, I found this wonderful statement about his opinions of home sewists: 

Smith respected the home sewers’ awareness of their bodies and willingness to take risks, and saw this audience as more intimately connected to fashion as a means of individual expression than the ready-to-wear shoppers who followed the colors and trends of the runway. He understood how choosing the pattern, selecting a custom fabric, and assembling the full garment allowed many possibilities for invention.   (you can read the full article about his patterns at the Willi Smith Archive) 

My Willi Smith pattern is Butterick 5987 -- there's no date but it's likely 1979/1980, before he moved over to McCalls. I loved the blouse so decided that I could make it up in the last few days of February! I had a lightweight cotton in my stash that I've never been able to decide what to do with, but it jumped out at me as the perfect choice for this floaty blouse. 

It's a fairly easy design; it's boxy, with cut on sleeves & no bust darts required. The tricky part of the whole process was the yoke design. It crosses over back and front, and so is installed after the front and back are sewn together at the shoulder. You stitch the underside on kind of in reverse, pressing all the seams onto the yoke, then press the hems of the top yoke under and edge stitch it on top. That may sound simple but my goodness how fiddly! Thankfully my cotton pressed well so some steam averted any minor disasters. I did cut the yoke on the bias so that I wouldn't have to worry about matching up the edges of the squares in the design - it's subtle but I like it.

Once that was done, the rest was pretty straightforward. There's a one piece collar, and the split hem is interesting in that the front edges are curved but the back ones are left straight. This requires some easing as you are pressing in that front hem, but it's worth it. It's a really cute design. 

Didn't notice that my back collar was flipped up! 

I happened to have the perfect buttons in stash as well. I recently thrifted a set of 6 lightweight and square black buttons. They were just the right size and weight, and I like how their shape reflects the print of this fabric. There were only four called for in the pattern but I added another one at the top as I like to be able to close my blouse a little higher. 

I enjoyed sewing this and also enjoyed finding out more about Willi Smith. When I was researching a bit more about him, I discovered that the Cooper Hewitt Museum had created an exhibit about him, Willi Smith: Street Couture, which opened on March 12, 2020. Well, it was only open one day as it happens. But they've created a wonderful website from the exhibit and I strongly recommend you take a look if you want to learn more about this designer and the fabulous things he made. 

 

Black History Month Pattern Designers Challenge: Simplicity 2344 by Khaliah Ali

 

February was Black History Month and one of the sewing things I love about the month is the Black History Month Pattern Designers challenge. I wrote about this challenge at the beginning of February but just squeaked in my project by the end of the month after all -- I posted it on IG the very last day of the month. 

Even though I bought two new patterns this month with big plans, I ended up using a Khaliah Ali pattern in my stash, Simplicity 2344. 

It's a nice wardrobe pattern with lots of options. I made the tee, as I like the silhouette a lot. It comes with different cup size options and just has a few details like the gathered front neckline and the sleeve that make it a step above a basic tee. 

I really love it. I used an old knit from my stash -- I love the print but was never sure what to do with it. It was the perfect choice for this top. The pattern was a dream to work with. The neckband is amazing; it went in perfectly the first try and sits super smoothly, no gaping or lumps to be found. The little bit of front gathering is just the right amount to give a nice look to the design, as well. 

I cut a 14 at the shoulder, grading out to 16 at bust and 18 at hip -- this is a regular adjustment that I make on many things, and it worked out well here too. I like the way this fits closely but not tightly. My changes to the pattern were just to shorten the top slightly above the waist seam, and to shorten the sleeves by 2.5" (I have short arms!) I also changed the order of construction so that I could sew in the sleeves flat. This worked well and I was able to finish this one fairly quickly! I think this is one I could make again - it's going to get a lot of wear. 

The two patterns that I bought but haven't made up yet are from two different Indie Black designers. I picked up the Temi Top/Dress by Sewphilia, and the Nikki Blazer by Style Sew Me. They are still on my to-sew list, especially the blazer as it really fits in with my wardrobe plans currently.  Lots more to explore!

Black History Month Pattern Designer Challenge Recap!

 

February was, once again, a time to celebrate the Black History Month Pattern Designers Challenge. I've enjoyed participating in this challenge for the past 3 years and learning so much about Black fashion history, discovering so many Black pattern designers and shop owners (more every year!), and  being inspired by the amazing projects made by the growing number of participants. You can hear both hosts talking about the purpose behind the challenge and how it works, over on Stitch Please and another interview on the Sew Organized Style podcast, if you're curious to learn more.

This year I made the Agnes Pencil Skirt by Michelle Sews. I love it. The fit and the details are both just fantastic. If you want to check out the more than 160 projects made by other participants this year, be sure to take a look at the hashtag on IG!

This year I was also lucky enough to win one of the prizes! The prizes are drawn live at the end of the month, and are awarded by random draw. I'm thrilled that I won a prize package, featuring many of the sponsors and designers highlighted throughout the challenge. 

I wanted to also highlight some of the resources that are currently available on the Black History Month Pattern Designers Challenge website -- these resources will be staying up all year round, so you can easily pop over and discover some new pattern companies, shops, and more, anytime. I encourage you to do so. The work done by hosts @SewNaturalDane and @IslandSewcialist has elevated this challenge into a year-round resource for everyone! 

This is a super challenge, one I really enjoy. There's a real sense of enjoyment and community, and it's an opportunity to discover new designers, but also to find new makers on IG to follow and be inspired by. I recommend participating in it next year -- you now have a whole year to explore some of the links and projects and make your plans...

It's Agnes, for the #BHMPatternDesigners challenge

For this year's #BHMPatternDesigner challenge, I set myself the task of finally making a well-fitting pencil skirt. I always have problems with skirt fitting for some reason! I found the Agnes Pencil Skirt by Michelle Sews a while back, and decided that this was the time to give it a go - it has all the elements I want in a pencil skirt (pockets!) and I decided that learning to line a skirt, including the back vent, was something I needed to do this month. 

This pattern also spoke to me because it is named Agnes, which was my beloved Gran's name. So I wanted to make it with her in mind. Imagine my surprise when Michelle said that she'd named this pattern after her own grandmother! Extra special :) 

I can't deny it was a bit complicated when it came to that lining. The instructions for this skirt are thorough, and include photos, but I still needed to go to the Agnes sewalong on Michelle Sews' blog and watch the vent lining instruction video a couple of times. In the end, I got it done, not perfectly or fully cleanly but it's all on the inside and staying put so that's good enough for me. The next time I try this, I'm hoping my technique will improve ;) 

Other than that issue, I had no problems with this pattern. I had a great piece of cotton sateen with some stretch, in this fabulous leopard print, which I've been saving for a pencil skirt. It worked out perfectly. I really like this design, as it has so many nice details in it. She includes the option to pipe the edges of the slant pockets, so of course I had to do it. I had some satiny black piping left over from my Jalie Tania coatigan project in 2019, so added it to this project. I love it.

 

The back zip also includes a zip shield, which is very tidy and fancy -- and actually very easy, I think I might add one to many other patterns from now on. The zip stops at the bottom of the waistband and then a hook and eye or a button is added to the waistband. I happened to have a bronze-colour skirt hook and eye handy so used that, since it matches so well.

I think this went together very neatly and logically. As mentioned, I did have some trouble getting my head around how to attach the lining to the vent. So give yourself time to figure that out if needed. The sewalong video is helpful, and of course many sewing reference books on your shelf might also have instructions on this technique if you need more info. 

I always enjoy the #BHMPatternDesigners challenge; be sure to check out the Challenge page, and the hashtag to find out more, and see some of the fantastic outfits others are making up this month. You'll discover some wonderful new Black designers, shop owners and more. There are still a couple of days to take advantage of the discounts and deals many pattern shops are offering for Februrary. I'm happy to have found Michelle Sews and this great pattern to add to my stash.