Gertie Sews Glam Knits

 

Gertie Sews Glam Knits / Gretchen Hirsch
NY: Harry Abrams, c2026.
192 p.

The latest pattern book by Gretchen Hirsch features knits - not a frequent fabric in her vintage-inspired designs. But in this book she covers all you need to know to make knits look glam and Hollywood. It's more than a pattern book, as she discusses quite a lot about knits themselves to begin with. How to identify, decide what kind of knit you'll need, the differences in content, stretch, drape, recovery and more. She discusses stabilizing, finishing, and so forth. It's actually a great intro for people who are hesitant to sew knits, or who are generally unfamiliar with them. 

Then of course there are the patterns. There are six main patterns here, with pattern-hacking variations included to extend their potential. All patterns are available as pdf downloads, in sizes 2-20 and 18-34, A-H cups. You could really make a knit wardrobe with the patterns here, if you were so inclined. They include: 

• The Jewel Neck Top
• The Surplice Top
• The Halter Top
• The Pencil Skirt
• The Side Draped Skirt
• The Tap Shorts

They all look lovely the way they've been presented here, on two body sizes. For my own wardrobe, I'd be most inclined to make the Pencil Skirt, particularly one of the variations that has a few draped tucks on the front. But this is a really informative read, as well as being visually engaging, as most of Gertie's books are. So it's just fun to look at even if you don't end up making anything! If you like vintage knits, this is one to get.

Style Arc Ines in Purple Knit

In another addition to my Fall wardrobe focus on purple, I thought I'd try a simple shift using a thrifted knit I picked up a while ago. I looked through many patterns to try to find something like I had in my head; I finally decided on the Ines knit dress from Style Arc. 

I used the Ines as my base pattern, but made quite a few changes. I lengthened the short sleeve to a 3/4 length, for more of a fall style. And I decided, because of the glen plaid print of this fabric, to leave out the seam at the waist, to avoid pattern mismatches. I just cut it with the bodice and the skirt pinned together on the fabric. It worked but does take out one of the interesting details of the pattern, the topstitched waist seam. 

I also added side seam pockets. Those pocket flaps on the front of the pattern are just decorative but I wanted real pockets -- I still find the buttoned flaps a nice touch though, and so still added them to the dress for a little more interest in this very plain outfit. 

It sewed up fairly easily. The pocket flaps take a little bit of concentration as you do want to get them perfectly even. And I had to baste and redo the neckline a couple of times; the first time I had to take it off and shorten the neck band by an inch to get it to sit smoothly on my neck. Then it seemed to be okay, although I don't think it's perfect, there is a little bit of pulling but I'm not redoing it again! 

I was planning on lengthening the dress quite a bit, as it looked pretty short in the pattern illustrations, and when I measured it, I thought I'd need to add a few inches. But in fact I did not have to add any length, rather, I had to shorten it by about 1/2" from the original length to get the hem where I wanted it. Style Arc does draft for 5'6", and I am barely 5'2" so that could be why! I'm not sure why I first thought I'd have to lengthen it. Oh well, better than making it too short to start.

It's okay, a functional dress, but I'm not loving it. I am wondering if that's because the fabric and the neckband make it feel a bit too casual or t-shirty for me. Or if the overall silhouette just doesn't work. I may test it out with a belt to see if that works. I'll give it a try and see if wearing it makes me feel good, or if this is destined for a donation to a friend. 

Burda Knit Dress in 80s Style!

I finished the first project from my 2025 MakeNine list! Actually it's the first garment I have made for myself this year! It's a knit dress, Burda 121-11-23 -- I was drawn in by its 80s silhouette, with those great sleeves :) 

I had a lightweight sweater knit in my stash so decided to use it up on this dress, which I was hurrying to finish before the weather warms up. I made a few small changes to the dress, not many, mostly for fit and style preferences. 

I didn't shorten the length, as I wanted it to end around my knees, not shorter as it appears in the original. I did shorten the sleeves, however - I have shorter arms so always do this. This time I took an inch out, and made a 1.5" hem. I also adapted the neckline, as a super wide boat neck doesn't work for me, and also Burda necklines are usually wide for me to begin with. I took an inch out of the centre front & back width at the neckline, and I also added another inch to fill in the curve at the shoulder. It's still a wider neckline but won't be falling off my shoulders now. 

The other change I made was to add in some pockets. It was very easy to add in some side seam pockets (using broadcloth to minimize stretching). I added them first, and then when attaching the elastic casing on the inside at the end of the process, I made sure to catch the tops of the pockets in the stitching so that they would be held to the front and given a little more security as well. That should avoid any sagging in the line of the dress. 

I think this is a fun dress and because it's a lighter weight sweater knit, I can wear it longer into the spring and again earlier in the fall. Nice touch of print in it to relieve any solid black, but a more subdued look when I don't feel like wearing jewel tones. I do find I always like a Burda pattern. 

Making over Knit Dresses

As some long-term readers might know, one of my favourite knit patterns is Kwik Sew 3559, an older OOP pattern that I've made 10+ times. Two of my 3559 dress versions haven't been worn much, so I decided to remake them into tee length tops instead. I really need more comfy tees, and these were easy fixes. 

The first was a plain black short sleeved version. I never wore this, as I had added a band on the bottom to get it to the right length, and somehow it just didn't sit right. The hem curled up after a couple of wears and I just couldn't sort it. Perfect candidate for a chop! I sewed the pocket openngs shut from the inside & then cut off the pocket bags. This one I cut to a high hip tee length, and just ironed on some knit interfacing to keep the hem smooth, I didn't sew it at all. Quick and easy, and will mostly be worn under a cardigan or jacket anyhow. 

The second one was a little bit fussier. This knit is really lightweight and springy, which is why it never worked well as a dress. I wore it a couple of times, but I found that once I put the sash on, the back of it clung to my bottom more than I liked. Also it is a bit static which doesn't help. So I wasn't reaching for it often, but I love the pretty fabric and how soft it is to wear. I thought if I made it over into a tunic, I wouldn't be tying it around my waist and the fabric could fall more naturally. So I did the same with the pockets - sewed the seam shut and then cut off the pocket bags. I then measured down from the yoke and cut this one a bit longer than the black one. I also added hem tape to the bottom of this. 

I then took the 9" that I cut off and sewed into a tube for a quick infinity style scarf that I can add to this if I want a little extra coverage or just a different look. This was fun to do and I'm glad I could use the fabric for another piece. I think I will get a lot more wear out of this tunic version! 

Burda Swing Top in leafy print

The Make a Garment a Month Group on Instagram had a January challenge -- "Jungle January". I really wanted to make something as I had two excellent fabric choices in my stash. After some waffling, I decided to reuse a pattern for a swing top from Burdastyle magazine which I've made before (Burda 115-11-2018). I had just enough fabric for this easy top. 

My fabric is a light and stretchy knit, so I used straight stitches on the shoulders to try to keep them from stretching out too much. There is supposed to be a bit more gathering on the shoulder seams but I found that the weight of the shoulder seam has reduced the effect a bit. I'm thinking of going back in and stitching a small piece of elastic to the shoulder seam to regather and hold the gathers too! 

Otherwise this was a quick and fun make. I'm used to the pattern now, with all my adjustments (mainly adding 3" to the hem length) even if it does look a little different in each fabric I've used. I love the bright green (more vibrant in real life) and the rayon knit is super soft to wear. 

This is a fun silhouette and I do love an oversized top with a straight skirt. I'm wearing my staple knit skirt, the free Lindy Skirt from Itch to Stitch (with added pockets) which I wear constantly. Burda does have some fun designs and I'm glad I saw the IG sewalong to give me a bit of a boost to make this top. I got it done on the last day of January, so just squeaked in to the sewalong, but would definitely would not have finished without a deadline! Do you enjoy contests/sewalongs/challenges? I often find them stressful, but in this case, I had something in my long-term queue that fit into the challenge and this gave me enough of a kick to get going on it. I'm finding I like these deadlines more and more ;) 

Anyhow off to swish around in my flowy new top! 

A Batwing Burda, for Fabricville and beyond

My second project for Fabricville this fall was a shimmery black batwing dress. I love a good 80s influence, and when I saw Burda 6074, I knew I had to make it.

For my Fabricville version, I used “Dazzling Black” evening fabric, a poly knit with printed sequins. A print is so much easier to sew than real sequins! In fact, this fabric was very easy to handle. It’s lightweight with fairly minimal stretch, and it behaved nicely when sewing. I used a stretch needle, though, as this fabric was both thin and tough at the same time. It worked really well, where a regular ballpoint needle was just not working out. 

The Burda pattern is a quick and easy sew, as promised on the pattern envelope. There are 5 pieces; front & back, sleeve, collar & self-tie. Because this fabric is so lightweight, I interfaced half the collar with some light knit interfacing. You won’t need that if you have more heft in your fabric, or if you’d prefer it to be more squishy and cowl-like, as designed.

I only changed the pattern slightly, shortening it by 1/2″ above the waist and adding the 1/2″ back at the hem. I wanted my version to be knee-length so I didn’t shorten it at all (I am only barely 5’2″).  I made my usual Burda sizing of 42 at the shoulder and 44 at the hip, although I also added a bit extra at the hip when cutting it out, probably 1/4″ on each side. I also shortened the sleeves by an inch. 

I enjoyed sewing this up, but when I put it on, well, I did feel it reminded me quite strongly of a Hefty trash bag! The combo of fabric and pattern perhaps wasn't the best here, even though both on their own are pretty great. 

So I decided to make another version, this time is a lighter weight knit from my stash. I got this green and black soft knit at Fabricland locally, quite a few years ago. I had just enough to make this dress. (the pattern calls for 3 m. but I found I could fit it into 2.5 m. quite easily). 

I made all the same sizing adjustments, as I found my first version fit very well. But this is where fabric makes such a difference! I found the cuff area of the sleeve on the black version quite tight, so I added 1/2" to the diameter on the green one. But the green fabric has a lot more stretch than the black, so I find it is now a little too large! I'm going to narrow it back down to the original sizing.

 

I also added pockets to my green version -- I didn't think the thin and shiny black fabric of the original could handle pockets, but this thicker and squishier knit worked just fine. I placed the tops of the pockets just below the match points for the sleeve (which basically sit at the waist). This seems just right, and it's very convenient to have pockets! 

I love the silhouette of this pattern, especially the sleeve. The 80s vibe is strong, and it's also a very comfy outfit to wear. I think it looks quite different in the two fabrics, and enjoyed that it's also a quick sew. 

Another Mandy!

When I was recently making the free Athina Top from Tessuti, I started thinking about some of their other free patterns... namely the Mandy Boat Tee, which I've made a few times now. This is one of my fave t-shirt patterns, as I like the silhouette and fit, and it's really the only kind of 'tee' I wear.

Well, this seemed to be the perfect fit for this piece of lovely soft knit I had in my stash. I received this fabric from a library patron who knows I sew; she was clearing out her stash a bit and thought that this print would be perfect for a librarian. She was right! 

I was pleased to find that there was enough fabric here for the Mandy, with just a sliver left over. I cut it carefully, trying to get the centre line of the print down the centre of the front and back. I think it worked! I really like how comfortable this top is, and in this super soft knit it's really fabulous.

I made it with the minor fit changes I have figured out for myself - basically adding 1/2" width to each sleeve at the seam, and making the neckline slightly narrower. The neckline finish is a nice touch, with a dart of sorts put in at the side seams of the neckline; it makes it sit so smoothly. Something to note is that this pattern does have quite limited sizing.

The only small difficulty I have with it is that the fabric is so very soft and stretchy (maybe a bamboo knit?) that it has grown a little in the 3 times I've worn it since I finished it. The hem is a little longer than it was originally! Otherwise I really love it, and hope that the patron who gave me the fabric will pop back into the library on one of the days that I'm wearing this :)

A Green Grass Print for Sisters of Grass

For my project for this round of the Literary Sewing Circle, I went with the overall impression I got from this book. Right from the title onward there is such a strong sense of place, of the grasses and sunlight and the landscape that the story is set in. I had been thinking about a print I've had in my stash for a few years now, a lightweight knit that has a grass-like print. I knew I really wanted to use it, but couldn't quite come up with the right pattern match for it. 

But then I put this sense of grass together with an almost throwaway moment near the end. Margaret is shopping for new clothes in Kamloops in preparation for her travels to New York. 

Margaret found the shop where she had bought trousers the previous May -- John T. Beatton, Clothier -- and bought dresses to supplement her rose muslin gown, one of dark blue and a simple green one of soft wool. The saleslady showed her some collars, one of lace, one of beaded silk, that could be worn with the green dress to make it versatile.

While my dress isn't wool, it is green(ish) and it is versatile. I've used my TNT knit pattern, KwikSew 3559, which I can wear in a variety of weather depending on the jacket or sweater I pair with it. I might not be wearing collars but the neckline is a great spotlight for jewellery! This is definitely a daily wear dress that will get much use, likely just as Margaret's green dress would. 

This pattern is pretty straightforward. I am very used to making my adjustments to it, as I've made about 8 tees and 2 dresses from it already. I add width to the hips on the front and back pieces and both narrow and raise the neckline by about an inch. This time I also added pockets to it, although with the very light weight of the dress I'm not sure they will sit right -- but I'll wear it a couple of times and decide. I can always snip them out and sew up the pocket openings if I find I don't like them! 

Since I had some leftover fabric I whipped up a sash as well. It adds options to how I can wear it. Lightly tied it gives some shape to the silhouette but on days I want more swish I'll wear the dress loose. It's super soft and comfy and I'm so pleased to have finally used this fabric that I've had for a long time and have always loved the feel of. And also pleased to have used it in conjunction with such a truly lovely book.  

Purple Dolman Top for a Retro Feel

This fun top was inspired by the fabric -- I got this soft double sided knit in a fabric swap at my Garment Guild in December. I've been wanting to make an 80s style dolman top ever since! I finally got around to it, and I really like it. I used McCalls 8024, View B -- that's the view with the longest length and sleeve cuffs. The shape is fantastic, just what I was looking for.

I didn't really make many adjustments to this at all. I didn't shorten the body or sleeve at all, the only thing I changed was to narrow the neckline at centre front and back by 1/4" each and shorten the neckband slightly to match. This one cut and sewed up very quickly and easily. 

The only real issue I have with it is that it is a bit staticky so sometimes clings to bits I'd prefer it didn't cling to ;) But I love how the soft knit drapes and how soft it is to wear.

I'm not a huge fan of polka dots, so used the striped side as my main fabric. But then I thought, why not use the dotted side as a contrast, so cut the neckband and cuffs the opposite way. I like it.  But stripes don't like to photograph too well so there are some funny distortions in these photos - and these are the best ones!

This was a fun one to make, and the pattern worked out very well with hardly any adjustments. The fit and natural ease in it are just right - not gigantic but nice and full. I have fulfilled my 80s dreams with this top, and it pairs so well with my thrifted beads! Super fun to make, and really comfy to wear - plus in a colour I love that doesn't show up in my closet enough. A win for sure.