2020 – THORNBERRY

adult's clothing, family, Lekala, sewing, teen

Graduation dress

Once again it’s been ages since I updated my blog, and once again I have a number of finished garments that need to be blogged! It’s been a weird old time here in Victoria. We’re now up to 53 days without a locally acquired covid-19 case, and we’re nervously watching a recent outbreak interstate. School has finished for both Clare and Stella, I’ve just finished work for the year, and Christmas is nearly upon us. Coming out of lockdown has been really strange. It’s been great, but it hasn’t been easy. So much congitive dissonance and conflicting emotion. I’m also thinking of those of you in places around the world where the covid-19 situation is much more dire than it is here. There really aren’t adequate words to describe 2020. So I’ll move on to telling you about Clare’s graduation dress.

At Clare’s school there is usually a graduation mass and assembly, with families in attendance, where awards etc are handed out. There is usually also a Valedictory dinner, that parents and staff also attend. Because of covid-19 restrictions this year’s events were smooshed into one graduation ceremony held after VCE exams were finished. Only year 12 students and their teachers could attend in person, but family could watch on a live stream link. Although I completely understand why things had to be that way (and have been supportive of the need for restrictions throughout), as a parent who really enjoys celebrating in community, not being able to attend Clare’s graduation really sucked. However, it was great that the cohort got to graduate together at all. Another bittersweet story like a million others from 2020.

So although I couldn’t see her graduate, I could sew something for her to graduate in! I actually sewed two different options; the other was an embroidered net lace dress with an underslip. I’m sure it will be worn for another occasion. The dress she chose to wear is a variation on Lekala 4140.

The fabric is from The Cloth Shop, Ivanhoe, and was the last of the bolt. I just couldn’t resist the colours and print! I had spotted the fabric made up into a stunning frocktails dress by @happylat, and thought that it could be also perfect for Clare.

I can’t remember what type of fabric this was! It’s quite stiff and structured, and I suspect that the fibre content is mostly artificial, which allows for that beautiful print to be so perfect. Clare and I looked at quite a few pattern options before deciding that Lekala was probably what we were after. We find that for fitted garments, it really helps to have a pattern printed to your measurements. We just used the bodice part of the dress pattern, and I faffed around for ages with the skirt to get the deep pleats even.

The dress is fully lined in mint green silk that was surplus to requirements when I sewed Clare’s formal dress last year. This of course made it feel lovely next to the skin. Lekala’s instructions are more of a vague guideline, and you definitely need to have some sewing experience to use their patterns effectively. I had to do a little bit of fiddling and tweaking to get the bodice sitting nicely, but it really wasn’t far off fitting nicely even without that.

I sewed the skirt and skirt lining separately, leaving part of one side seam open for an invisible zip, then put them wrong sides together and treated them as one for the pleating. I basically did the pleating by quarter marking the skirt and the bodice, then pleating, pinning, measuring, checking, unpinning, pleating, pinning, measuring, checking, etc etc etc. Once it was all even, I sewed it to the bodice. This means that the bodice/skirt waist seam allowance isn’t completely hidden, unlike most of the other seam allowances in this dress which are covered by the lining. However, it’s what seemed to work best.

Of course, I also sewed a matching clutch. I figured she’d need something for her phone/some cash/tissues/lipstick/hanky. And because it’s 2020, I also made a matching mask (masks were worn throughout the graduation ceremony, other than when speaking).

The clutch is the ubiquitous Ida clutch. I did a much better job of this one than the first one that I made – practice always helps!

There’s not a great deal more to say about this dress, other than I loved it on her and she seemed to love it too!

So that’s it for school for Clare – now she’s just waiting for her final results (released on 30th December) and university offers. She’d like to do either Arts at Melbourne Uni, or Humanities at La Trobe (she’s already got an offer from them) so is feeling pretty good about the thought of going to university next year. In the meantime she’s sleeping in until midday, looking for a casual/part-time job, going to parties and on outings with her friends, watching plenty of Netflix and YouTube, and doing the odd shift at Vinnies. It’s great that she finally gets the chance to do some fun things now that the Melbourne lockdown is over and that it’s safe to do so. Fingers crossed that it stays that way. I’ll finish off with more photos of Clare in her dress!

Tuesday, 22 December, 2020 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Style Arc Joan top

I was so pleased to see Style Arc‘s Darby and Joan bundle pop up last month – pants and a top that are designed to work together. I bought both, but so far have only sewn the Joan top.

Style Arc describe this pattern as follows: PRODUCT DESCRIPTION – Square shape, “V” neck, Extended shoulder line finished with a band, Slightly dipped back hemline, Sits on the high hip. Wide hem facings. FABRIC SUGGESTION Washed linen, charmeuse, crepe, rayon.

My plan is to sew this in linen, which I really love to wear as the weather warms up despite the wrinkles inherent in the fibre. First, I wanted to sew a wearable muslin. I had a length of border printed fabric bought in Sarawak, Borneo back in January that I thought could work well in this style. First though I needed to decide how to place the darker teal border on the top. I asked the Instagram hive mind for opinions on whether it should run across the shoulders or the hemline of the top – and a few people suggested that I run it vertically! So I did.

This kept the teal colour closer to my face – I think it’s a better colour on me than the cream background of the rest of the print. The print isn’t completely symmetrical, so it isn’t perfectly matched along that centre front seam. The colour then shifts nicely to the lighter background along the sleeve cuffs.

I actually had to shorten the top a little bit to fit the front pattern piece along the border of the available fabric. It’s about 5/8″ shorter now than designed, which actually works well for short-waisted me. I took a fold of the same amount out of the back piece so that the side seams matched up. I rather like the gently curve of the back hemline. Wide facings finish it really nicely too. I interfaced the neckline facings, but not any of the others.

I sewed size 12. It’s roomy, as designed. I find that Style Arc are very consistent with their sizing, and I am generally quite happy to sew the same size in their patterns almost all of the time and wear the garment with the style and design ease that was intended. But the joy of sewing is that you can do differently if you so desire! I decided not to do a forward shoulder or high rounded back alteration for my first go at this pattern because I doubted that the depth of the front and the back necklines would require it. In retrospect I possibly could have done a forward shoulder alteration, and still might, but it’s not a drastic requirement. I am also considering unpicking then re-stitching the front hemline in a darker thread colour to match the background fabric. The hemline is the only visible topstitching in this garment. The neckline facings have been stitched in the ditch at the relevant seamlines to secure them.

I really like a V-neckline with a centre front seam – I find that it helps to get a lovely sharp finish. However, it can take a bit of practice and be a little tricky. Style Arc have a YouTube tutorial on how to face and sew the V-neckline for this top in case the instructions and diagram doesn’t work for you. The pants I am wearing the Joan top with in these photos is the Style Arc Ethel pants. These were sewn back in 2015 and have been worn over and over but they’re still going strong in the way that linen can! I have another Joan top cut out and some coordinating linen earmarked for the Darby pants. Maybe I’ll sew them up this weekend!

Saturday, 14 November, 2020 by thornberry

adult's clothing, Helen's Closet Patterns, sewing

Helen’s Closet Luna tank

Helen’s Closet have a nice little freebie pattern, the Luna tank. It’s just one pattern piece; the same for the front and the back.

From the pattern page: The Luna Tank is a super swingy, summery tank top that is comfortable and quick to sew. Luna features a knit binding finish on the neck and arm openings. You have the option to do a hidden or exposed binding with Luna. The hem is left raw for maximum swish and swing. Two lengths are provided and the sides of the Luna Tank curve upwards. We bet you can’t make just one! Recommended Fabrics:
Four-way stretch knits with at least 20% stretch horizontally and vertically. The Luna Tank works best in a lightweight knit fabric with plenty of drape like bamboo jersey, rayon jersey, modal jersey, lightweight cotton jersey, ITY or rib knits.

I used a something/spandex knit that came from the Darn Cheap Fabrics $2 table forever ago – I bet that plenty of my blog readers have some of this in their stash too! It came in a few different colourways. It has quite a nice amount of drape – I think it’s possibly a cotton/rayon blend. Not sure! I did stripe match along the side seams.

I have a feeling that I sewed size 14, but really the only measurement that matters for this pattern is your high bust. There is a considerable amount of flare. It’s a great pattern for practicing band attachment. I did all the construction on the overlocker and topstitched the band seam allowances with the machine to secure them. I even left the hem raw as per the instructions!

I don’t wear this type of top very often, but it’s a good little tank pattern which I am sure will be easy to wear. It’s also an excellent way to try out Helen’s Closet patterns, if you haven’t already. As always, the instructions and associated illustrations are superb.

Wednesday, 11 November, 2020Saturday, 11 February, 2023 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Jalie Bobbie V-neck top

I generally like to write my blog posts in the same order that the garments were sewn, but that approach appears to have been tossed by the wayside! The Jalie Bobbie V-neck top was sewn a couple of weeks ago.

I was looking to expand my tee patterns a little, and I always like a V-neck. However, they can be a little challenging to sew in soft knits. This pattern has a neckline facing rather than a banded finish, which gives a much nicer result, in my opinion.

The secret of this facing is that it’s essentially a fitted crop top. So it enables a lovely finish around the neckline, holds it to the body so you don’t have gaposis, and provides for coverage at the armholes, which are fairly low. Clever!

From the Jalie pattern page: Rounded-V neck dolman top with unique longer facing that keeps the neckline against the body and hides the bra at all times. No more layering, no more unwanted “reveals”, even when you bend over to pick up something on the ground or hail a cab! Rounded V-Neck, No bands or binding, Loose at the bust, tapered towards the hips. RECOMMENDED FABRIC: Fluid knit with nice drape and 20% stretch across the grain, with a soft hand. Double brushed poly is NOT recommended (it would cling to the facing).

I used a rayon knit remnant (I’m pretty certain it was from The Cloth Shop) for the outer, making sure that I ‘matched’ the stripes at the side seams. I used a plain white knit for the facing/crop, as I didn’t have enough of the stripe left. One of the good things about this pattern is that you can mix and match the fabrics used for the main top and the facing/crop. The facing/crop does show at the side seams when you raise your arms, so keep that in mind. It’s a good way to use up smaller pieces.

I made a few changes to the pattern before cutting out, after reading the reviews online. People seem to either really like this pattern or feel very ‘meh’ about it. As with many designs, I reckon it depends on what sort of fit you prefer! I shortened the pattern at both shorten/lengthen lines, removing a couple of inches from the length. I also graded down two sizes from the bust to the hip – very easy to do, as the side seams are a straight line. By the way this is a multi-sized pattern, covering 28 sizes starting with children. I am wracking my brain to remember if I also did a forward shoulder alteration – I don’t think that I did.

I reckon that I got the fit just right with this highly wearable muslin! I doubt that I’ll make any further changes unless I gain/lose weight. This would be a great shell top pattern for work if sewn in a sophisticated solid crepe knit or similar, and a great casual garment in something like the stripe that I used. It’s also very fast to sew. The facing/crop has the armholes edges simply turned and stitched, which worked perfectly using a zig zag on my knit, and the facing/crop hem is left raw. It could easily be converted into a shelf bra too, depending on the fabric used for the facing/crop and by adding elastic to the bottom. I am very short waisted, so the facing/crop almost comes to my waist. Depending on your torso length and bust depth you might want to alter the length and make it either shorter or longer. Either way, that’s easy to do.

This pattern is a winner, in my opinion! A great one to have in the knit tee/top arsenal.

Saturday, 7 November, 2020 by thornberry

adult's clothing, Pattern Fantastique, sewing

Never enough Aeolians

This is one of my most recent projects; it was only sewn two days ago! Yet another Pattern Fantastique Aeolian tee. I’ve lost track of how often I’ve sewn this pattern.

I’ve sewn this tee in a variety of different knit types over the years. This time I used a Lady McElroy viscose crepe jersey, in a print named Epic Spectacle, that I bought from Seamstress Fabrics.

This is super soft fabric with superb drape, as you’d expect from a viscose jersey. The crepe finish gives it a really lovely texture. However, I did have some trouble topstitching the hems. I am not certain that this was the crepe texture and considerable stretch of the fabric at play, because prior to sewing this I’d been sewing a shirred top for Clare and had been playing around with the bobbin tension of my machine. However, I had reset the tension and tested it out after finishing that top, although on a woven rather than a knit. You can see what I mean ini these photos.

That is not at all the stitch quality that I am used to from my machine! Has anyone else had any difficulties with topstitching on this fabric? My trouble-shooting tips for the next time that I sew with it are to do more test sewing on scraps, stabilise the areas that are being topstitched, and change the machine needle. I don’t think that I am likely to pull this stitching out and re-do it (I think it might upset the surface print, actually) but it’s the only negative in what is otherwise a terrific garment. There were no issues at all with the overlocked seams.

The Aeolian tee has beautifully shaped raglan sleeves and very deep hems. The weight in those hems make the fabric drape and hang extra nicely. From the pattern page on the Pattern Fantastique website: The Aeolian Tee (Pattern #202) is the perfect boxy cotton tee, as tall as it is wide. It has a square shaped sleeve, strategically inserted to the armhole for maximum 3D body. Sized down, it makes a perfect sheath. Neat, but not tight. Excellent in a glamour knit for a super clean, mini, cocktail dress. Sized up it responds with mega drapes and kaftan-esque volume. Fabric recommendations: Knits from light cotton to french terry. The neckband can be done in self (narrow option) works best in light knits. For heavier knits use a contrast rib for neckband can be made in narrow or wider neckband option.

I’ve recently sewn another Pattern Fantastique pattern – the Mersis dress. Stay tuned!

Tuesday, 3 November, 2020Saturday, 11 February, 2023 by thornberry

miscellaneous, musings

And things change

It’s a month since my last blog post. I’ve been sewing during that time, and will update here on the blog soon. It’s been a month of change.

The sun kept going up, and going down. Daylight hours grew longer and longer. Work from home started up again for me. Clare went back to school on site, then so did Stella.

Other than school going back, life continued to be centred at home.

And while all of this continued, the daily numbers of new covid-19 cases continued to go down. Every day we tuned in to the presser to hear what the numbers were and where things were at on the roadmap toward reopening. And gradually, some restrictions were relaxed and the numbers went down and down. And stayed down.

The 5km travel from home zone extended to 25 km – I finally got to go for a walk with my cousin Freya! And we were able to meet up in a park with Dan’s mum for the first time since she moved to Melbourne at the beginning of lockdown. So good. And eventually, the hairdressers opened as well.

Being able to have a haircut just felt so NORMAL. That was the best thing about it. Yes, the hairdresser and I still wore masks, but it felt so normal.

And then, lockdown ended. After 111 days since stage 3 restrictions began, that moved to stage 4, things eased considerably. From a daily high of 725 new cases at the beginning of August, we were down to a daily count of zero. The modelling was right.

On Wednesday retail businesses opened again. A number of restrictions on other workplaced eased. The ‘four reasons’ to leave the house were lifted. Hospitality venues opened again. Don’t get me wrong – there are still MANY restrictions about how everything is operating. Caps on numbers, density limits, still many activities not permitted, strict limits on inter-household visits, the 25km travel radius still remains in Melbourne as does the ‘ring of steel’ between Melbourne and regional Victoria. Masks remain mandatory. But it’s so good to go out for dinner with friends again, like we did on Friday evening. I am continuing to take life a week or so at a time. Because as well all know only too well nowadays, things can change – and they do.

I don’t really have the brain capacity to adequately describe how lockdown as been. At times we’ve been a deeply divided city, state and even country, and sometimes politics seemed to take over the public health imperative. Lockdown has definitely had a massive economic impact and many have really struggled with the negative mental health impacts. We’ll be dealing with the issues that have been created by lockdown for a long, long time. That said, I do think that we all pulled together and did what had to be done for the sake of public health. I have wondered a few times why most Victorians managed to adhere to lockdown, and think it might come down to Australians’ basic desire to have everyone looked after. We are a country with universal healthcare and social security, and I think that people from all sides of the political spectrum support those things (despite systemic imperfections). Letting the virus just ‘go for it’ wasn’t an acceptable proposition or a viable alternative to lockdown for the majority. I am sure that many people far cleverer than me have analysed all of this and will continue to do so, both locally and globally, those are just some of my thoughts (and I am well aware that not everyone will agree). Melbourne’s success in driving down covid-19 cases is being reported internationally. Let’s hope that others can learn from what happened here in Victoria, and be able to get the virus under some sort of control while mitigating the many negatives as much as possible. Meanwhile, we take our cautious steps back into our new normality, praying that all the systems that have been put into place since this second wave began have been refined and will be able to contain the cases that will inevitably pop up in the future. So far, so good. As I type this, I hear that Victoria once again has had no new cases or death in the last day. Boris Johnson has just announced a month long lockdown in England as total confirmed cases pass one million.

For us, what will probably be the biggest change of the past month is that Clare has finished school. She still has to do her final exams, with her last one on the 23rd November, but that’s it for formal classes. We began 2020 with so much excitement and anticipation for her last year. But all the things that Clare is involved in, and all the ‘lasts’ that create markers and help with the transition from one stage of life to another, evaporated. No last school production. No last Festival of Jazz. No last Mother’s Day morning tea, or Father’s Day breakfast. No last music soiree. No last Carols concert. No last debate. No last liturgy, or last assembly. And obviously, none of these markers for us as parents either. But in many ways we were fortunate – Clare did get back to school on site for three weeks, and the school was able to arrange lots of special things to mark the end of the year within strict covid-safe guidelines. They had a pyjama day last week, and a dress-up day on the last day where the school provided a special breakfast, a gift parcel for each student, and a guard of honour as they left the school for the last time. And there will be a graduation ceremony once exams have finished, which will be students and staff only in attendance but will be live streamed for parents. We are incredibly proud of Clare and her cohort and her teachers – they deserve whatever celebrations and acknowledgements they can get! It’s been a year 12 like no other.

Oh 2020, what a year you’ve been so far. So many losses, for so many people, in so many different ways. Yes, there’s been some positives come out of it all, but gee those positives are extremely outweighed by the crap. And if I hear the word ‘resilience’ one more time I might just scream. I’d like to thank the many people who have contacted me during this time just to check in, to express solidarity, and to let me know how they are going. I send my best wishes and my love to all those who are currently living in places where covid-19 numbers are going up and up, and really do pray that things turn around for you soon too. I hope that the Victorian experience has given you hope.

To finish off, you may have noticed that my blog is now at a new address. The old one is currently redirecting here, but you might wish to update any bookmarks/subscriptions that you have, if you haven’t already. It will be getting a new look soon too – Clare ‘rebranded’ it as her major design project and assessment for Visual Communication, and I just need to do all the behind the scenes work to update. I’ll be back soon with some more sewing content – because really, isn’t that what we’re all here for!

Sunday, 1 November, 2020Sunday, 1 November, 2020 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Style Arc Hope woven dress

Some patterns are a slow burn, whereas others are instant love. This new Style Arc pattern was the latter.

Talking to other sewing friends, a number of people were equally enamoured. I’m not quite certain what made this pattern such a fast ‘like’. Style Arc describe the Hope woven dress as follows:

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

Easy fit
Slip on dress
High waisted
Deep raglan armhole
Full sleeve
Elastic sleeve finishing 7/8th sleeve length
Loop and button back neck opening
Two skirt lengths, knee and midi lengths

FABRIC SUGGESTION: Washed linen, rayon, crepe, cotton or even a knit.

I suppose it’s the combination of all of the above! I recently bought a stunning Nani Iro printed cotton double gauze from The Cloth Shop, Ivanhoe after seeing it on their Instagram feed. I really enjoy wearing double gauze, and every colour in the dotted print was calling my name.

Fortunately for me, the Cloth Shop was taking phone orders, and is within my 5km radius for contactless collection. I bought 3 metres, not certain of what the fabric was going to become, and being very aware that these fabrics are relatively narrow at only 110cm wide. When the Hope dress was released a couple of weeks after I bought the fabric, it felt a little like destiny.

I decided to sew size 12, and tossed up whether I should do a forward shoulder or high rounded back alteration. They’re important for some styles, not as important for others. Luckily Sandy had already sewn it and was happy to share her opinions and modifications. I eventually decided to just sew the pattern as drafted and designed. The only alteration I made was to shorten the length of the skirt by six inches (I used the shorten/lengthen line) – entirely dictated by the amount of available fabric! I used up almost every single scrap to make this dress.

I often leave out back openings – I have a fairly small head and most things pull over it without difficulty, and unsurprisingly I can pull this dress on without having to undo the button and loop. I left it in for the added detail – I wanted the opportunity to use a vintage button, and to make the most of the way that the print changes at the selvage borders.

I’m not happy with the puckering down the centre back seam, however. It hasn’t pressed out. I think I’ll go back and undo it and resew, possibly keeping the fabric a little taut as I do so. It looked fine until I pressed it after sewing the seam. I’ve had similar issues with double gauze before. Interestingly, I haven’t had this issue with any of the other seams in this dress, but I think that I ironed the fabric more before sewing those seams. Hmmmm.

The elastic I used in the sleeve hems is about 2cm wide, and fits very snuggly in the casing. I sewed the casing first and then threaded the elastic through, rather than encasing elastic at the same time as sewing the casing. I knew that there was too high a chance that I would accidentally sew through the edge of the elastic if I did it that way! If I’d used narrower elastic it wouldn’t have been an issue. I finished most seam allowances on the overlocker before using the sewing machine to sew them with a 1cm seam allowance and pressing them open.

I included the pockets and inserted them according to the instructions (I often go my own way). I’m really pleased with how neatly they came together. Nothing too complex, but a nicer finish to the pocket opening. I didn’t rush at all when sewing this dress – I just took my time. I actually followed the instructions throughout for this dress. I really liked the way that the neck facing and back opening came together. I often read people criticising Style Arc’s instructions – and I don’t agree that most of the criticism is justified. Sometimes there are slight errors, but overall they provide all the information that most people would need to construct a garment. I suspect that it’s the format of the instructions that some sewers have difficulty with. There is generally a lot of text, fitted together onto a page. There are usually also diagrams for any tricky bits, and there’s usually a picture illustrating the order of construction. If you’re used to having your sewing pattern instructions laid out in a very detailed step by step way with an illustration or photo for each precisely described step, or if you are used to sewing from sewalongs or YouTube, the Style Arc instructions will be a change for you. Personally, I like that the instructions are more condensed. And to me, their styles and drafting more than make up for any percieved issues with the instructions. Each to their own.

I suspect that we’ll see more and more Hope dresses pop up on the internet. Very easy to wear, and quite transseasonal. I’m looking forward to wearing mine – but first I need to re-do that centre back seam while the matching thread is still in the sewing machine!

Thursday, 1 October, 2020 by thornberry

patchwork, quilting

Quilt top explosion – Value quilt and Scrap quilt

I think that I mentioned a couple of blog posts ago that I’ve been spending time in the sewing room organising and tidying. The entire process was kicked off when I decided that I really needed to progress my many quilt tops and tidy up the quilting section of my sewing room cupboard. One of the first boxes that I pulled out was full of Japanese fabric squares that I had collected from Kimono House some years ago. My original plan for these squares was to turn them into a Japanese Kaleidoscope quilt, which is entirely hand-stitched. I looked at them, acknowledged that the hand-stitched quilt was never likely to eventuate, and began to turn them into a Value quilt.

There are some wonderful examples of Value quilts on the internet and Instagram. They all follow the same principle of using the value – how light or dark a colour/print is – to form the overall design, rather than the actual colour. Looking at the fabrics in greyscale really highlights it.

I sorted the squares into three piles of light, medium and dark fabrics. Then sewed them into half-square triangle blocks. After that they were trimmed to be exactly the same size.

Then I started playing with layouts. Here are some of the ones that I experimented with.

I really wanted to use all of my blocks, so in the end I went with the last one of the three layouts above which utilised every single one of them. I didn’t agonise too much over this project; it was all experimentation and play. I was aiming for done, rather than perfect! Time to sew them all together and see how the final product looked.

Ta-da! Done. Let’s take a look in greyscale.

This quilt top is pretty small. I’ve since added a border to it, which you can glimpse in the next photo.

After sewing the Value quilt I pulled out every single quilt top that I have, along with whatever batting that I could find, and started piecing together backs for each quilt. I wanted to use stash fabrics only for this, and was able to put together a back for each one from both the scraps left over from sewing up the front, plus coordinating fabrics that were already in the cupboard. Some of the quilt backs took many hours to piece together, and I think that they look like modern improvised quilts in their own right! I also cut binding for each quilt. Now I have two quilts all basted ready to quilt, and more with the quilt top/back/binding all ready to go once I have more batting. There are two quilt tops that need my Mum’s sewing machine and it’s lovely little embroidery stitches to finish off. I feel that I’ve made loads of progress toward turning all these quilt tops into quilts.

The next thing that I did was ferret through my scrap bin and cut all the scraps into squares – either 2.5″, 3.5″ or 6.5″. These are now pre-cuts, just waiting to become quilts once there are enough. I still have another shelf to sort through and cut up in a similar fashion (maybe I need some strips as well as squares). I feel that this will be really effective quilting stash management for me – thanks to Kellie from Cutting Cloth for sharing how she’s managing her leftovers. Basically, after you’ve cut out a project, turn the scraps into useable pieces such as pre-cuts.

Of course, I couldn’t just leave these squares in nice piles, and decided to turn some of the 2.5″ squares into a scrap quilt top, by mixing them with a small amount of quilting cotton solid that was also in my stash.

I had cut out enough 2.5″ squares from the solid to make thirty blocks. So more decisions! How should I arrange them? I wanted to sash them, but the amount of solid was quite limited. I popped a photo up on Instagram, and Stacy suggested that I add cornerstones. Excellent idea! So this is what I ended up with.

There wasn’t enough of the solid for another row of sashing (and cornerstones) around the outside, which would have been my preference. But this is still pretty sweet! I have enough fabric in stash to back it, and have cut a striped fabric for binding. It will be a cute knee rug, all from scraps/stash.

Now the quilt tops/backs/binding are all folded ready for quilting. I also did a huge tidy of my sewing room, finally clearing out the ‘kids craft cupboard’ and rearranging many of my supplies in more useful, easy to access ways. I think it’s time to sew a couple more garments, then pull the sewing table/cabinet out, put it in to quilting mode and get cracking. I’d like to finish off this blog post by sharing this amazing quilt that my sister-in-law recently completed. Jeanette has only started to sew garments and quilts in the past couple of years, and she’s absolutely fearless! She imagines something that she’d like to make, and just goes for it. It’s awesome. That’s her mum (my mother-in-law) Adri you can see holding it in the photo below; she’s really enjoying doing craft with her daughter since recently moving to Melbourne.

Wednesday, 30 September, 2020 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Studio Faro drape back dress

Do you follow Studio Faro? They’re a design and patternmaking studio and school, and over the years designer Anita McAdam has posted a number of pattern puzzless on the associated well-suited blog. These are illustrations of pattern shapes that come together to form a garment – and it’s often not obvious how they come together! It’s always fascinated me to see how two-dimensional shapes join together into three-dimensional garments. While there have always been instructions for drafting these pattern puzzles yourself, Anita has recently turned some of them into pdf sewing patterns that can be purchased. I have been eyeing off her drape back dress for years, so quickly bought the pdf pattern when it became available.

Unlike the tunic I shared in my last blog post, this was an incredibly fast garment to make! There is only one pattern piece, cut twice. The line drawings are really useful in understanding how this pattern works.

From the pattern website: the Drape Back Tunic is the simplest of patterns with the most stylish outcome. It’s a one-piece pattern with one size only and very clear markings to alter the generous fit of this tunic. Cut in a jersey, I easily fit this little gem on my size 20 dummy in the workroom. And at the same time I wear my own jersey tunics regularly with skinny jeans, leggings or a pencil skirt. This PDF has one size only with a 1 Pair cut for the complete garment and some volume and length alteration instructions included in the pattern. You’ll be able to moderate the amount of fullness in your garment according to your own taste. You can checkout the Pattern Puzzle post about this design on the blog.

I sewed this in a fabulous printed knit that was in stash – if my memory serves me correctly it came from one of the little fabric shops in Sydney Road, Brunswick. Even after making this dress I have plenty left! It’s poly/spandex, veering toward a medium wieght rather than a light weight. Very easy to sew, as it wasn’t too slippery. Construction was entirely on the sewing machine. I actually sewed it together in breaks between Google Meet parent-teacher interviews for Clare!

Even the hems were sewn with a simple straight stitch on the sewing machine. I do have a few comments on the sizing. I’m somewhere around an Australian size 12 to 14, with relatively small hips, and I’m 158cm tall (5’2″). This is a one size pattern, and I didn’t make any alterations. There are lines very clearly marked on the pattern to show you how to alter the size to your preference. I think it’s actually just right for me as it is! The website also notes the following: This drape back tunic is best cut in a light, drapey, one-way stretch knit fabric. The seam allowances are generous at 1.25cm (½”) so there is enough fabric to finish the neckline and armholes. The wider seam allowance will also be useful if you cut this tunic in woven fabrics (e.g. light weight cotton voile, light silks and some rayons). It’s home and industry ready with a flexible fit that makes it so easy to wear…..The first order of business is to select your fabric for this elegant tunic. I’d recommend soft drape knits for your first sample. That could be either one or two-way stretch knits although the elastane found in two-way stretch is not needed in this design. And I did have some success using a light cotton voile keeping in mind a petticoat would be needed. And I’m just dying to try it out in a silk crepe de chine!

This type of style is right up my alley. No waist definition, interesting drape, comfortable. When I posted it on Instagram a couple of people commented that the patternless, zero-waste Envelope Dress by Cris Wood was very similar. It looks to me to be very much the same type of garment, although the Envelope dress is designed for woven fabrics, and the armholes are constructed differently. The Studio Faro drape back dress design has been around for years, and I am pleased to see these less conventionally shaped styles reaching a wider audience.

Unsurprisingly, I will be sewing this pattern again (and again). I agree that choosing a fabric with drape is super important. If I sew it in a woven I will probably upsize it a little more. I think that it would make a perfect holiday wardrobe for a warm climate. I look forward to experimenting with the pattern length and width as well.

Tuesday, 29 September, 2020Tuesday, 14 December, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, vintage patterns

Vintage Style 2609 tunic

I’ve done much more patchwork and sewing room organisation over the past month than garment sewing. Since my paid work stopped, and with restrictions still in full force and the kids schooling from home, I’ve had relatively uninterrupted time to just get things done. I’ve been able to start tasks and just keep on going! This means that many of those ‘one day I will do that’ tasks are now either done or are well under way. It’s quite a satisfying feeling, especially as there haven’t been any time pressures related to it. This tunic pattern, copyright 1979, was also a slow sew.

I’ve had this pattern for a little while, but knew that it required careful fabric selection. There’s so much fabric in it! So many gathers! Fortunately I picked up a very soft and lightweight fabric from Restash that I thought would be perfect – and it was. An added bonus was having exactly the right amount!

This pattern is ‘one size fits all’ – and it probably would fit many. The hemline has a drawstring in it, so it’s quite adjustable.

There are many, many gathers. Gathers at the front yoke, gathers at the back yoke, elastic gathering the fabric in at the wrists, hemline gathering in at the drawstring. Goodness!

You can see how much the weight of all that fabric pulls the yoke and collar backward on me. The yoke seam is actually straight! The fabric is quite lightweight; it’s just that there is so much of it.

The little combined collar and stand is actually quite sweet. I didn’t add a button and loop to do it right up at the neck as I knew that I would only wear it open. I hand-sewed the collar facing to the inside of the tunic.

This fabric was actually very shifty. Spreading the sewing across days made it more bearable – I’d just do one component a day, then put it away and do something else. Not a relaxing sew – and vastly different to sewing quilting cotton shapes together! But I was in no rush.

I have the drawstring tightened quite high above my hips in these photos – if it was undone the tunic hem would be just above my knees; almost dress length! I’m pleased that I’ve finally sewn up this pattern, despite the challenges of working with the fabric. It’s actually a perfect fabric/pattern pairing. Now let’s see how much I wear it once the weather warms up a little!

Monday, 28 September, 2020 by thornberry

Year: 2020