Thursday, 28 May, 2015

adult's clothing, sewing

Simplicity 1366 – the jumper version

When I bought the vintage wool that I used for my jacket in the previous post I also bought a length of vintage wool boucle knit. I believe that these vintage fabrics, now available at Rathdowne Fabrics, originally came from Job Warehouse that used to be in the city. I always used to think that was the weirdest name for a business. Job warehouse? How could you warehouse jobs? Was it like an employment office? I had no idea that it meant “job lot” and was in reference to fabric, where large amounts of excess fabrics were available for purchase. This is despite noticing the large numbers of haphazardly placed fabric bolts in the window (among dead flies and many layers of dust). Well duh.

This boucle has a metallic thread woven into it as well. I decided to use the rougher boucle side as the right side, not the smoother knit side that showed more sparkle. And I paired it with Simplicity 1366.

And this is what I ended up with! I made size 12, and lengthened the sleeves while retaining the width. The finished length was actually pretty random. At first I considered shortening them, but in the end I left them as they are. They’re a good length to wear, as they show off a contrasting layer underneath and are short enough that the width of the sleeve doesn’t get in the way.

Most construction was on the overlocker. Hems were turned to the inside and secured with a zig-zag, which mostly vanished into the weave. I failed to stabilise the neckline before turning it, which was a mistake. Luckily because the fabric was wool I was able to steam it back into shape without too much difficulty. I’m quite enjoying the shorter length of this jumper. A little bit cropped, and rather boxy. There is no way that I’ll be wearing a fitted cropped jumper like the Astoria, but this is a great alternative for me and my style. I need to play with it a little more, but overall I like it.

And this is how I’m wearing it today – with a Style Arc Fay skirt in ponte, purchased top underneath, and a crocheted cowl and fingerless mittens. I feel great in this outfit!

Thursday, 28 May, 2015 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Style Arc Mason jacket

One of Style Arc’s recent offerings was the Mason jacket. From the pattern page:

MASON KNIT JACKET: This knee length Ponte knit jacket is given a fresh look with an interesting shawl collar, and large patch pockets , braid or bind the edges or just leave them raw. A truly staple piece for your wardrobe.

FABRIC SUGGESTION & DESCRIPTION: Ponte, boiled wool

I didn’t use ponte. As one of the suggested fabrics was boiled wool, I figured that this vintage woven wool would possibly work out alright. It came from Rathdowne Fabrics. I adore the colour and the weave. It’s suit weight rather than coat weight.

I sewed size 12 without alteration. Most seams were sewn on the overlocker. I flat felled the centre back neck seam, as it is exposed when the collar is turned back. Sadly my photographer failed to tell me that my collar was wonky for these pictures.

I bound the edges with linen ribbon from Darn Cheap Fabrics. I folded it in half lengthwise and ironed it flat, then encased the edge of the fabric in it and topstitched it in place. I had to fiddle a bit to get the corners neat, but it has all worked out okay. After consultation with Instagram I left off the pockets that are part of the design. And yes, the wool wrinkles. I had been wearing the jacket for a few hours before these photos were taken.

I wore it with a silk scarf that I “made” from a remnant I discovered in the Darn Cheap Fabrics remnant bin. All I did was pull a couple of threads from selvage to selvage to make sure that the edges were straight, then allowed them to fray a little. No sewing involved – the perfect lazy project. And silk feels so nice next to the skin – and it is surprisingly warm!

Thursday, 28 May, 2015 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Jalie 2918 – now with long sleeves!

I’ve been sewing Jalie 2918 for my husband again.

Except this time I’ve sewn it with long sleeves.

And in different prints.

Although they are still from the same range of cotton jersey knits from Darn Cheap Fabrics.

I wasn’t paying attention when I sewed that neckband. But in the end I patiently unpicked it and then sewed it back on the correct way around. I knew it would drive me nuts if I didn’t.

All pattern and construction details are the same as in my previous post. And I’ve got another one cut out in the fishy fabric.

Thursday, 28 May, 2015 by thornberry

adult's clothing, Liesl + Co, sewing

Liesl & Co Bento tee – the long sleeved version

While I was making Maritime tops I thought it was time to give the Liesl & Co Bento tee pattern another go. I’ve made it before with short sleeves. This time I tried out the long sleeves.

From the pattern page:

Description

This versatile knit top is so comfy and cozy it’ll quickly become your favorite! It can be made up as a sweatshirt with pockets that are perfect for storing all kinds of treasures (like movie tickets, small chocolates, or money for the cafe), or it can be sewn up as a T-shirt with cute cuffed sleeves. Simple to sew, this relaxed top can be constructed just the way you want it. View A includes in-seam pockets and short, three-quarter or long sleeves (your choice). View B is a hip-length T-shirt with short, cuffed sleeves.

Suggested Fabrics

Light- to medium- weight knit fabrics with at least 25% stretch like jersey, French terry, cotton fleece, velour, and waffle knit.

Like last time, I sewed straight size Medium without alteration. I have decided actually prefer the proportions of the children’s version of the pattern, the Lunch Box tee, where the bottom band is narrower and placed lower down in comparison to the upper part of the tee. You can see Clare’s here.

The fabric is a knit from Clear It. I don’t think that it contains lycra. Once again it was great quality and easy to sew. Most construction was on the overlocker, and as always hems were secured with double sided tape before being topstitched with a twin needle.

Overall verdict? I like it but I don’t love it, mainly because of the higher round neckline. But it layers well under other items and the variations in stripe direction are appealing. It’s staying in the wardrobe!

Thursday, 28 May, 2015Saturday, 24 June, 2023 by thornberry

adult's clothing, Liesl + Co, sewing

Maritime knit tops

You’ve all heard me rave about Oliver + S patterns a thousand times. Liesl & Co patterns are just as good. Beautifully drafted, great instructions, well planned pdf patterns. One of the most recent is the Maritime Knit top. At first I thought “yet another simple knit top”? Then I took another look at the line drawing and read the description.

This simple pull-on top is designed for knit fabrics with a little or a lot of stretch. View A features three-quarter-length sleeves while View B has short sleeves. Both styles include a bateau neck with topstitching detail and simple side vents, as well as a flattering fit. You’ll love the look, feel, and versatility of this shirt, which is also an essential wardrobe basic. Instructions include detailed information for adding a bust dart for a more flattering full-busted fit.

Suggested Fabrics

Suitable for knits of all sorts. Stable knits are especially good for this style. Suggested fabrics include jersey, double knit, thermal knit, and interlock.

For my first version I used a printed viscose/lycra knit from Darn Cheap Fabrics. I think that I cut the size 12. I did shorten it through the body to petite it, but otherwise made no changes. This is the 3/4 sleeve version. They’re more like elbow length, in my opinion.

I am extremely happy with the fit of this top. The neckline is finished with a facing, which I usually dubious about in knits. However, as this top fits over the head easily, and the facing is beautifully proportioned, it makes for a simpler neckline finish than a band yet one that looks much more professional – and is much more stable – than one that is simply turned and stitched. I still used the twin needle to secure the facing, as well as to secure hems.

It wasn’t long before I gave the pattern another try. I used fabric from Darn Cheap Fabrics again for my next version. This fabric is somewhat beefier. I think it’s a cotton/viscose/lycra blend. It was divine to sew and wore beautifully. Just the right weight.

The neckline is a lovely width and depth. This is a top that can easily be worn casually or to work with a jacket and pants (which is how I wore it). The little vents at the side seams are a lovely touch and are easy to construct, and the dropped shoulder is in just the right place.

Looking at these photos I wonder if I could slim the sleeves down a fraction. Actually, I have another two cut out ready to sew at Sewjourn, although I have extended the sleeves to full length for those ones using the Plantain pattern sleeve as a guide. Either way, this is another pattern that is going to get a considerable amount of use.

By the way, the pants I’m wearing with my tops are Style Arc Misty (in stretch denim) in the top photos, and Style Arc Barb (in bengaline) in the bottom ones.

Thursday, 28 May, 2015Saturday, 24 June, 2023 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, tessuti patterns

Multiple Makes – Mandy and Misty and a May Me shrug

I’m on a casual clothes roll at the moment. I’m really enjoying sewing and wearing relatively simple, comfortable garments.

This is yet another Tessuti Mandy boat tee (one of my favourite patterns – I have three cut out to sew this weekend at Sewjourn) with a second pair of Style Arc Misty jeans (a new favourite pattern – I have two pairs cut out to sew this weekend at Sewjourn) with a shrug from the Japanese sewing book May Me Style Sewing. As this is the fourth time I’ve sewn the shrug, I figure that it must be a favourite pattern too!

I’ll start with the shrug. This changes in look and fit each time I make it. It is highly fabric dependent. The first one I made was in a woven wool, with bias binding used to finish the edges. The second was in a soft knit, with the edges turned and twin needled stitched. The third was also in a knit, but one that was a bit firmer. It had the edges turned and twin needled too. This one is in vintage wool knit left over from the Simplicity 1366 jumper I made recently but is as yet unblogged. I had to piece it a little to get the dimensions right. I probably didn’t need to – it has turned out a little larger than the others. Once again the edges are simply turned and stitched.

This is a terrific garment when you want an extra layer that is easy and snuggly but doesn’t flap around at the front. It also shows off the fabric that you are wearing underneath! Many of you will remember this fabric from Anna’s blog. In fact, you might even remember that she also made a Mandy Boat Tee from it.

This is a single sized pattern, and I really like the way it fits me. I lengthened the sleeves from 3/4 to full length, and shortened the pattern an inch or so through the body. The fabric originally came from Clear It, and it’s superb quality. I’m not sure of the composition but I’m suspecting cotton/viscose/lycra. It’s quite substantial.

As always, I stabilised the hems and neckline with double sided fusible tape before twin needle stitching them in place. My brand of choice for these tapes is Vliesofix – it can be difficult to source at times. My most recent lot came from Stitch 56. They come in a variety of widths.

So, to the jeans. The fabric I used for this pair is a stretch denim from Rathdowne Fabrics in a fantastic olive colour. There wasn’t as much stretch in this denim as in the fabric I used for my first pair, so the fit is a little different. I really have to wiggle in to these ones, although they are comfortable to wear once they are on. I made sure to allow more waist and tummy room in the next pair that I cut out, as the fabric I’ve used for that pair don’t have a massive amount of stretch either.

There are a couple of things that I did differently this time. Firstly, I eliminated the front mock pockets. Other than in the above photo, no-one is ever going to see the waistband. Secondly, I added a waistband and enclosed the elastic. I used the waistband from my Elle pants as a guide, but really for me the waistband just needs to be the same measurement as the top of the pant waist. I cut a long strip of fabric, seamed it, then folded it over wide elastic before attaching it to the pants top. Very, very straightforward.

I used a triple stitch to highlight the topstitching on the pockets and back yoke, and around the front fake fly. Yes, they are a bit too tight around my torso, but I like the overall silhouette and the fit through the legs. Those wrinkles along the back of the leg mean that I can move and sit! The legs were shortened above and below the knee to accommodate my 158cm.

All of these garments are straightforward to make and don’t require a great deal of fitting adjustments. I feel comfortable and current wearing them, and you’ll be seeing other versions of them before too long!

Thursday, 28 May, 2015Saturday, 11 February, 2023 by thornberry

THORNBERRY

Day: 28 May 2015

Simplicity 1366 – the jumper version

Style Arc Mason jacket

Jalie 2918 – now with long sleeves!

Liesl & Co Bento tee – the long sleeved version

Description

Suggested Fabrics

Maritime knit tops

Suggested Fabrics

Multiple Makes – Mandy and Misty and a May Me shrug