Month: September 2016

adult's clothing, sewing

Style Arc Coral Cardigan

I definitely sew many Style Arc patterns more than once.  The Coral Cardigan is no exception.  This is a fairly recent release – just a couple of months ago, I think.

coral-cardigan

The website describes it as follows: Everyone needs a cardigan, why not this on trend style. It’s shortened front neck band that aligns with the inseam pocket detail give s a simple cardigan a new lease on life. Carol is a lovely square shaped cardigan, very easy to wear and make.  FABRIC SUGGESTION: Knit, Jersey, Light Ponte or any knit fabric

Style Arc Coral Cardigan in wool knit from Clear It

I really like to wear garments that are essentially quite simple, but have small details. In this case, it’s the shortened front neck band. I know that lots of people find it a little strange, but I love it.

Style Arc Coral Cardigan in wool knit from Clear It

I sewed straight size 12, which is my usual Style Arc size and pretty much correlates with what I’d buy in the shops (if I bought clothes in the shops). The sleeves are rather long on this cardigan – I could have shortened them a little. It is incredibly fast to sew. The in seam pockets are straightforward, and were sewn on the sewing machine. I used the overlocker for the rest of the construction, including sewing the wrist bands to the sleeves.

Style Arc Coral Cardigan in wool knit from Clear It

The fabric is a lovely wool double knit from Clear It. It’s possibly a bit heavier weight than this pattern recommends, but still worked out okay. It’s very warm to wear, and has lovely flecks throughout. I try to avoid buying black fabrics, but will relent for grey on occasion.

Style Arc Coral Cardigan in wool knit from Clear It

I topstitched the hem and down the front of the jacket to hold the neckband in place and finish the centre edges of the lower front. The neckband sits very nicely around the back of my neck, and those little pockets are rather cute.

Style Arc Coral Cardi in Anna Sui printed poly knit from Darn Cheap Fabrics

This simple pattern was the perfect canvas for a brightly coloured print! My second version of the Coral Cardigan is sewn in a polyester double knit from Darn Cheap Fabrics, that is apparently an Anna Sui print. All those colours and shapes and swirls! Fantastic!

Style Arc Coral Cardi in Anna Sui printed poly knit from Darn Cheap Fabrics

This was cut out and sewn exactly the same as the grey cardigan. Because I had already sewn it once before it was even faster to assemble.

Style Arc Coral Cardi in Anna Sui printed poly knit from Darn Cheap Fabrics

The centre fronts and the band edges do actually line up – I must have done something weird with how I put it on before these photos were taken.

Style Arc Coral Cardi in Anna Sui printed poly knit from Darn Cheap Fabrics

Prints like this are loads of fun, but they definitely require more plains to go underneath! I know that many people can mix prints with aplomb, but I don’t think that I am one of them. Although I do think that stripes are a neutral, as is animal print, and spots, and can be worn like plains….

Style Arc Coral Cardigan in wool knit from Clear It

I highly recommend this pattern. Remember that the arms are pretty long, but otherwise I think that it would work well for everyone who likes knit cardigans without waist shaping. It also works well with a scarf or shawl – thanks to Mum for this knitted one!

Style Arc Coral Cardigan in wool knit from Clear It

musings

Musing

Firstly, I don’t think that I have ever had as many complimentary and supportive blog comments as on my last blog post on the lace dress I sewed for Clare.  Thank YOU all so much!  She has been thrilled to read them all, as have I.  I really do appreciate each and every one of them (I know it takes that bit more effort and time to leave comments, and we’re all under tight schedules nowadays).  I will be honest and say that I know I will be really disappointed if the dress doesn’t win a prize, but at the same time I am very well aware that there are many other stunning entries, and more are flooding in as the deadline approaches.  I don’t really know what the judges criteria are, and I didn’t really enter thinking that I’d win anything, but after it was finished and I saw all the photos I really hope that it might!  If not, just another life resilience lesson I suppose 😉

So, time for a new blog post!  As is often the case my sewing has got ahead of photography and time at the computer, so I’m blogging out of order.

I’ve mentioned a few times lately that I’ve put on weight this year.  It’s not surprising – a mixture of a slower metabolism, being in my late forties with likely shifting hormones, lack of exercise, and a distinct love of chocolate and wine – and because my other health parameters are okay I’ve been alright with it.  It’s not always as noticeable in the flat photos that you see on the blog, as much of my weight increase is right on the front of my abdomen, but it’s very much there.  And now it is definitely influencing the styles and the fabrics of the clothing that I am sewing.

Which leads me to talking about knit fabrics.  I much prefer a knit cardigan to a woven jacket, and a knit skirt to a fitted woven.  It’s about the flexibility.  I find that it moves better with my bulges, accommodates weight fluctuations, and allows me to bend and move in ways that don’t result in a garment that digs in.  The elastic waist is my friend! Now that Melbourne has moved into spring I am re-evaluating my wardrobe.

Many of my summer dresses still fit me – both the wovens and the knits.  The wovens are nearly all loose through the midsection, and because my upper chest and shoulders haven’t changed a great deal with my weight gain, they mostly still fit.  A number of my knit dresses are more fitted, but the nature of the fabric means that they can stretch to fit. However, I don’t always feel good in them – I don’t like the sausage casing feeling – so a number of stretch dresses have left my wardrobe.

I am finding separates more challenging.  I definitely need those elastic waists.  Most garments with a fitted waist no longer fit me at all.  Many tops and t-shirts that are more fitted around the waist also no longer feel good on me.  I also have a number of separates that don’t really go with anything else.

So it’s time to reassess.  I’m getting rid of what doesn’t fit, and what I don’t feel good in.  (You might have noticed that I talk about how I feel in my clothes, rather than how they look.  Although it’s likely that the two are linked, I know that I won’t wear things that I don’t feel good in, no matter if they look good according to prevailing “taller/thinner/younger” dogma.  My confidence comes from how I feel in what I wear, not what others think about it – although I do of course still appreciate compliments and positive feedback!  Ah, so many contradictions).

I also think that as I approach Fifty I am reassessing many aspects of myself.  I presume that this is a common thing – those “zero” birthdays often have an impact.  Although it’s still over a year away – and I don’t mind getting older; I feel that it is a blessing – it feels significant.  I think that it’s having an impact in a number of areas.

And as for my sewing?  I want to continue to focus on sewing “outfits” that go with at least  one or two other items!  As much as I will continue to love print and pattern I’m seeing a small wardrobe shift toward solids.  I want to keep experimenting with silhouette a little as well – I am planning on trying the off the shoulder look that is fashionable at the moment.  I am fortunate to have a very large stash of fabrics and patterns that allow me to experiment as well as to sew tried and true styles.  I just need a little more focus at the moment.

I’m guessing that these feelings are familiar to many of you reading this blog.  Does your sewing change much with significant changes in life stage?

Anyway, I’m having a day to sew some of those simple basics that have been missing from my recent wardrobe – so I’d better get back to it!

cloth diapering, kids clothing, sewing

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition entry

When Tessuti announced their most recent competition, the Cut Out Lace Sewing Competition, I looked at the fabric and knew that I would never sew it for myself.  I don’t really wear lace, as much as I love it on other people.  But I had a very strong suspicion that Clare would like a lace dress.  There were three colour ways on offer – black, red and ivory.  Clare chose ivory, and I ordered two panels. When it arrived and I opened the parcel all that I could think was “tablecloth”.

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition entry begins

Now that I’ve said that, it’s all that you can see too, isn’t it! I had a dilemma – how was I going to best use this fabric in a way that it wouldn’t look like a tablecloth? I ran a few pattern options past Clare, and a few lining options, and in the end we decided to base her dress on view B of Simplicity 8086 with a contrasting taffeta lining.

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition entry begins

So, the first challenge. This is a women’s pattern. Clare measured a 4 bust and an 8 waist. I didn’t care about the hip measurement as I knew it was a full skirt. I also checked front and back waist lengths, and shoulder width, and knew that I had some adjustments to make.  I really would have made life easier for myself if I’d started with a girl’s pattern.  I needed to focus on the bodice pieces.  Firstly I graded between sizes where needed then did a SBA to remove the copious bust shaping.  Then I cut a muslin from an old sheet and tried it on.

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition entry begins

It was SO worth sewing the muslin. As you know, I’m not usually a muslin maker, but there are times when I can really see the value.  I made some more alterations, sewed them, tried it on Clare again, then unpicked it completely and used it as the pattern to cut out the lace. Having sewn the muslin also meant that I had all the pattern pieces needed for the bodice, which made working out the lace placement more straightforward. Hooray!

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition entry

See those instructions? They were basically gobbledygook, so I discarded them completely. I cut out the bodice overlay entirely from the lace. For the under bodice I cut the bodice waistband and lower back pieces from the lace and underlined them with taffeta. I cut the upper front and back bodice from the taffeta as well, then cut all the same pieces again to sew a full bodice lining. The taffeta is a copper colour, with red threads in one direction and green in the other. It has enough depth that the patterns on the lace really stand out, yet it blends fairly well with Clare’s skin tone beneath the looser overlay.

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition entry

I sewed the overlay, the under bodice, and the lining separately. Then the fun began. I needed to join these pieces in a way that would fully enclose all the seam allowances. There was a lot of fiddling, a lot of pinning, and a lot of working in small spaces involved. I started by putting the overlay in place on top of the under bodice, then sewing the lining to it right sides together around the neckline. This seemed to work okay. Then I used the burrito method to sew one armhole, then the other. The overlay is joined at the neckline and armholes, but hangs free elsewhere. Once I’d done that, I needed to finish the edges of the upper back under bodice. Once again there was a fair bit of pinning and turning inside out. I’d left the waistline and centre back seams open so that I could manipulate the rest of the bodice. By taking things slow and steady, and thinking logically, I was able to complete the bodice other than the centre back seam. I knew that I wanted to leave it for the eventual insertion of an invisible zip.

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition entry

The skirt width is the full length of two panels of the lace.  I cut it as a long rectangle, without any shaping. I underlined it with the taffeta, hoping that the taffeta would add fullness to the pleats and prevent any show through of the seam allowance at the centre back skirt seam. This worked well. Pleat placement was a matter of trial and error. I spent some time manipulating the skirt fabric, measuring, pleating, pinning, unpinning, re-measuring, pinning, checking, and so on, until we had the pleats at a depth and distribution that was pleasing to the eye. The mirroring of the lace was really important here as well – some pleat depths looked better than others. Eventually the pleats were stitched in place, then the skirt attached to the bodice and the seam allowance edges overlocked together. There is quite a bit of bulk in that seam and we wanted it to sit as flat as possible from the outside of the dress.

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition entry

After all of that it was a relatively simple matter of inserting an invisible zip at the centre back seam. The bulk at the waist seam made this a slightly delicate process, but once again patience was my friend. I sewed a button loop from embroidery thread at the centre back neckline, and covered a button with a flower from the lace, with taffeta underneath.

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition entry

The last step was to sew the hem by simply turning the edge of the lace under and stitching it by machine. This just made it a little more substantial and helped with the skirt fullness.

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition

This was one of those special sewing occasions where I turned the finished dress around the right way, gave it a shake, and felt a huge smile spread over my face. I just loved it! Then I called Clare – and she had entirely the same reaction. And once she tried it on? Just beautiful. I know that I am biased – she’s my daughter, after all – but I think that this dress is absolutely perfect for her.

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition

We had an absolute ball doing a photo shoot down at the local creek. We managed to get some lovely photos in the natural environment, as well as some at the industrial estate nearby.  That green wall is an auto body repairers, and the grey wall belongs to a funeral director!

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition

So now I’ll subject you all to yet more of the photos that I took – because I found it incredibly difficult to narrow down which ones to enter in the competition. There is a week or so left before the competition closes, and there are already a number of stunning entries. I don’t expect to win the competition, but as far as Clare and I are concerned, this dress already takes first prize.

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition

You can follow the entries for the competition on Tessuti’s Pinterest board here.

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition

Tessuti Cut Out Lace Competition

adult's clothing, sewing, tessuti patterns

Tessuti Berlin Jacket

I have had a great deal of success with many of Tessuti’s patterns.  The Berlin Jacket is no exception.

Tessuti Berlin Jacket in wool cashmere remnant from Rathdowne Fabrics

The Tessuti website describes this pattern as follows:This collarless, longline jacket features patch pockets, extended dropped shoulders and full length sleeves with a turned back cuff.The back neck is slightly raised. Effortlessly stylish, the jacket is the ideal winter wardrobe staple and perfect for layering over dresses or any casual outfit. Ideal made up in boiled wool knits, ponti knits, boiled felted wools and neoprene fabrics. IMPORTANT: Not suitable for woven fabrics that fray when cut.

Tessuti Berlin Jacket in wool cashmere remnant from Rathdowne Fabrics

This is similar to the very popular Sydney jacket pattern, in that the edges are left raw and the pattern pieces are overlapped and topstitched throughout the majority of the construction.

Tessuti Berlin Jacket in wool cashmere remnant from Rathdowne Fabrics

This means that you do need to pay attention to the instructions. They are well illustrated throughout with photographs and explanation, so I didn’t have any issues with assembling the jacket. The front has a raw edged facing, that is topstitched in place, and the pocket tops and cuffs are made in a similar way. the only place where you have a conventional seam sewn right sides together is the side and sleeve seam.

Tessuti Berlin Jacket in wool cashmere remnant from Rathdowne Fabrics

I had this cobalt blue, almost purple, cashmere/wool remnant from Rathdowne Fabrics sitting in my stash. It was the perfect choice for this jacket. The colour is vibrant, and fraying is minimal. You really do need to pay attention to the fabric recommendations for this jacket – all those raw edges! I particularly like the way that the collar has been drafted – it sits beautifully close to my neck.

Tessuti Berlin Jacket in wool cashmere remnant from Rathdowne Fabrics

I sewed the size Medium, without any alterations. The jacket is designed to be worn with the cuffs folded back to make a 7/8 sleeve, but I find that it also looks good with them left down at full length. It was very fast to sew – probably not surprising when you think of all those raw edges and the lack of a lining – and once again is a lovely weight for an extra layer in Melbourne winter (or autumn, or spring). It’s especially nice with this scarf that my mother knitted me from One Fat Slug yarn hand-dyed by Kate (finally out of stash and being very happily worn). I’ve been sending lots of skeins of beautiful yarn in Mum’s direction lately for transformation into scarves and shawls, and she’s doing a sterling job.  Thanks Mum!

Tessuti Berlin Jacket in wool cashmere remnant from Rathdowne Fabrics