Day: 15 February 2015

children's clothing, kids clothing, sewing

Hide and Seek

Let’s turn back the clocks to 2014 again, as this dress was made when I went to Sewjourn last November.  Sometimes it takes a while to get photos!

Oliver + S Hide and Seek dress

This is the Oliver + S Hide and Seek Dress. I’ll have to pull out the pattern to check what size I made, but I’m guessing it was size 10. As is always the case with Oliver + S patterns there are many lovely features in this dress, but as far as I am concerned the main feature of this version is the fabric used for the yokes and pocket welts.

Oliver + S Hide and Seek dress

Do you remember this? It’s fabric we had printed by Spoonflower from one of Clare’s drawings. Her own fabric design, now part her own dress!

Oliver + S Hide and Seek dress

We used up pretty much every bit of the fat quarter we’d ordered. There was just enough for both the front and back yokes as well as the pocket welts.

Oliver + S Hide and Seek dress

The pattern description from the website is as follows: This relaxed-fit dress and tunic pattern features a front and back yoke, V-notch neckline, and back button closure. The dress has easy-to-sew welt pockets and cuffed, three-quarter-length sleeves, while the tunic has hemmed short sleeves. The yoke on this pattern can highlight a favorite print or fabric, and the number of included sleeve styles and hem lengths offer a variety of design options.

Oliver + S Hide and Seek dress

The fabric is the same one I used in my Tessuti Sophie dress, a silk/cotton from Darn Cheap Fabrics. The ric rac was in stash, and adds another little detail to the bottom of the front and back yoke. The buttons used on the back are vintage, also from stash. They’re not as good a match to the fabric as I’d like, but not glaringly out of place either. I have seen some delightful versions of this dress on the internet; it can be made in so many pretty ways and really does give the opportunity for creative fabric placement. Worth googling!

Oliver + S Hide and Seek dress

As is always the case with Oliver + S patterns, the drafting is impeccable. The sleeve eases perfectly into the armscye, and all the seams line up and join to one another to give beautiful fit. This is a roomy style, especially on Clare, and will fit for some time. It’s also cool and comfortable in this fabric, but in a winter weight it would layer well over a long sleeved tee and tights. I think I’m an Oliver + S fangirl.

Oliver + S Hide and Seek dress

by thornberry
adult's clothing, Pattern Fantastique, sewing

Another Aeolian

Whenever I look at a knit fabric, I wonder how it would look as an Aeolian tee.

Pattern Fantastique Aeolian tee in knit from Clear It

It doesn’t take long to find out! I have stopped counting them now. This one is in size Medium, as per usual. You’ve seen the fabric before – I used it recently for a Tonic tee. The fabric is a double sided knit from Clear It. This time I used the finer stripe for the body of the tee and the wider stripe for the sleeves and neckband. There was still stripe matching required, and I really had to be careful to cut everything straight and on the grain.

Pattern Fantastique Aeolian tee in knit from Clear It

I decided to add some more detail and highlight the raglan seams by twin needle stitching alongside them, as well as around the neckband.

Pattern Fantastique Aeolian tee in knit from Clear It

I used a new-to-me tape to secure the hemline before stitching. This is Wash Away Wonder Tape – I bought it from Stitch 56.

Wash away wonder tape

It is a tape that doesn’t require ironing to adhere. You just pull it off the roll and stick it in place, then peel off the paper backing to expose the other adhesive side. I then turned the hem to the depth that I wanted and pressed the adhesive in place to secure it. No pins needed, hooray! It can be repositioned, and still stabilised the hem so that it didn’t stretch out.

Wonder tape to secure facing

Because this is a deep hem a marker like a sticky note on the sewing machine bed is usually needed to keep it even and straight. As this fabric is striped I was simply able to follow the stripe.

Pattern Fantastique Aeolian tee in knit from Clear It

Yes, I’m addicted to Aeolians.

by thornberry
miscellaneous, musings

Why I don’t monetise my blog.

I’ve read a couple of posts by “big-name” sewing bloggers recently about why they are monetising their blogs.  They provide great arguments and rationale.  I especially understand why you would want to monetise your sewing blog if you have a sewing related business – or if you have a huge readership who clearly do follow your links.  But here’s why I don’t monetise mine.

  • Sewing – and by extension, blogging about it – is my hobby.  By definition, a hobby isn’t a job.  I don’t make money out of it.
  • If I wanted to make more money, I’d do more hours at my day job.  The hourly return there is far more than I would ever get from blogging.
  • I’m a small-time blogger.  Why would I want to bother monetising?
  • Money creates expectation.  If I’m being paid or receiving financial reward in some way from what I am doing, there are certain obligations that go along with that, whether explicit or implicit.  I’m not interested in those obligations.
  • No-one makes me blog.  I blog for me.  I am thrilled that there are people who like to read my blog, but the main driver of my blogging is to record my sewing and crocheting.  It’s an online journal.
  • I link to patterns I like, products I use, books that I read, web-sites that I frequent, shops that I buy from.  Because they are what I use.  Not for any other reason.  I don’t want to link for any other reason.
  • Not everything in life has to be about money or financial reward for effort.  What about karma?

Many of these points are inter-related.  I suspect that others may have similar reasons for not monetising their blogs.  I am not saying that people shouldn’t monetise, but I also think that there are valid reasons for not heading in that direction.  Your thoughts?

by thornberry