August 2021 – THORNBERRY

adult's clothing, sewing, tessuti patterns

Tessuti Yuki dress – winterised

The last time that I sewed the Tessuti Yuki dress, it was for summer, in a summer fabric. This time around I sewed it in wool crepe.

It seems that there is a little more black creeping in to my wardrobe. My greying hair makes the black work a little bit better than it used to, but I still don’t like it too close to my face. Although the wool crepe would have worked well in the collar/cowl, I rifled through my stash and found some linen that is cross dyed, with brown threads in one direction and black in the other. This worked nicely with the main fabric, providing some colour without too much contrast.

From the pattern page: The Yuki Dress is a loose fitting, knee length, pull-over tunic dress that features extended shoulders, tapered hemline, side pockets and a funnel style collar with drawstring tie. The contrast collar drapes around the neck like a soft cowl. Worn on its own or layered over a fitted top, it’s a fabulous trans-seasonal wardrobe piece. Sizes (AUS): XXS-XL Recommended fabrics: Dress – drapey fabrics with great body such as wool crepe, rayon/tri-acetate crepe, viscose, acetate, heavy silk satin and linen. Contrast collar and tie – viscose georgette, silk crepe de chine and double georgette

This is a great pattern for me – the sack rules! I sewed exactly the same size as my summer version. It layered nicely over thick winter leggings, boots and an Aldi merino long-sleeved tee.

Tuesday, 31 August, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, teen, vintage patterns

vintage Simplicity 6616 skirt

Okay, finally back to garments sewn this year! I’ll start off with another garment for Clare – and it’s a winner. This one was sewn in April.

Every now and then I sew something for one of the girls that is just something that I feel like sewing for them. This is always a risky decision to make, and experience has taught me that there are absolutely no guarantees that the finished product will be worn. This time though it all worked out.

This is a vintage Simplicity pattern, 6616 from the 1970s. The pattern was in stash, and I went ahead and sewed the the size that was already cut. Talk about taking a chance!

Those old Young Junior / Teen patterns work so well for my girls. I really wish that there was still as much variety in the pattern blocks as there once was.

The fabric is a fine wale corduroy that has been in stash for a very long time (I think left over from a dress I sewed for Clare about ten years ago). It seems to work fairly well with her wardrobe. I lined the pockets with some printed cotton that was in the large scraps area of the cupboard.

I didn’t have a suitable invizible zip in stash, so inserted a regular zip centrally into the back seamline. It’s really not my favourite way of inserting a zip – other methods give a superior finish, in my opinion. But it’s acceptable.

Hooray for vintage patterns and fabric leftovers! The top she’s wearing with it is the Stitch Witch Patterns Tudor Blouse with the front wrap hack, blogged here.

Monday, 30 August, 2021Tuesday, 14 September, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, teen

Victory Patterns Sofia top

I wish that I’d taken better photos of this top on Clare – because it’s really lovely, and she’s worn it heaps. The lighting in these photos does nothing good for Clare or the top!

Clare loves a bit of shirring in her clothing. She likes the fit flexibility that it provides, and the comfort. I am always a bit reticent to sew shirred clothing however. Not because the process of shirring is difficult – it’s just lots of straight rows – but because my sewing machine does not like shirring elastic at all. I have to fiddle a great deal with the bobbin case tension to get it working properly, then fiddle again when I am finished to return it to normal. Many of my friends’ machines have no issues with shirring elastic; it’s a trial and error situation to see how yours copes.

Clare wore this top to the beach the day that VCE results came out last year and forgot to apply sunscreen – she still has a neckline square from this top of darker skin on her back where she got sunburnt!

The pattern is Victory Patterns Sofia Dress and Top. From the pattern website: SOFIA is a wonderful mix of pretty and comfortable, featuring an elasticized, shirred bodice that allows for easy fit and wear. You will find full instructions on how to sew shirring. Choose from three garment styles along with several sleeve options, which can be mixed and matched to create several looks. The dress features a waist-length bodice and an A-line skirt with optional pockets and lining. Two top options are also included, allowing you to make a crop with a small ruffle hem, or a peplum top with a larger ruffle hem. Pair them with your favorite high waisted skirt or pants. Choose from four sleeve styles: Sleeves 1 & 2 are similar in style, featuring an elasticated puff shoulder and ruffled hem. Sleeve 1 is cap length, and Sleeve 2 is Elbow length. Sleeve 3 is a bishop sleeve with an elasticated puff shoulder and rows of shirring at the wrist. Sleeve 4 is a bias-cut bell sleeve that is accompanied by a shoulder strap, designed to ensure coverage of bra straps. Lightweight fabric with a soft drape: Cotton, gingham, broadcloth, rayon, linen, single gauze, crepe.

There are two size ranges for the pattern, 0-18 and 14-30. I used a printed rayon remnant from The Cloth Shop for Clare’s top – it shirred beautifully.

Clare chose the bell sleeve with shoulder strap option, to better keep the sleeves on her shoulders and provide more bra strap coverage. I also sewed some shoulder strap keepers on the inside for extra security.

There aren’t all that many pattern pieces in this garment but it takes plenty of time to get that shirring done. The magic really happens when you hit the rows of shirring with a steam iron; it contracts into a whole lot of lovely little gathered bubbles. There’s elastic threaded through channels near both the top and bottom of the bodice for additional security and structure.

The little hemline ruffle is really pretty. I have another of these tops half-constructed at the moment (yes, I stopped when it was time to shir) that was initially planned for Stella, but will now end up with Clare due to Stella’s style changes. Honestly, if my sewing machine was more cooperative I would shir so many more things! There are extensive instructions and tips about shirring included in the pattern by the way.

This is a pretty pattern with great instructions. Recommended.

Friday, 27 August, 2021Friday, 27 August, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Style Arc Bonnie woven skirt

Only a couple more posts of last year’s sewing to go! Phew! This Style Arc Bonnie woven skirt was an unseasonal sew, made back in October 2020.

I don’t actually wear summer skirts all that often; I tend to wear dresses when the weather warms up, or lightweight pants that keep the sun off my legs. However, this one fits into the same place in my wardrobe as those summer pants do – it’s fairly long, and has a semi-elastic waist, which keeps it up (my waist to hip ratio is sometimes challenging when dressing my lower half).

Style Arc describe this skirt as follows: This mid length dirndl skirt is made for comfort with a curved front waist band, elastic back and a functional button front. The inseam pockets are optional. The slight gathers at the front create a flattering shape that gives this skirt a fashionable but classical look. This is a versatile skirt that can be worn for any occasion. FABRIC SUGGESTION: Linen, Crepe, Rayon, Cotton.

As is usually the case, there are subtleties in the drafting that give this skirt a pleasing silhouette. It’s not too full, and although the back gathers are created by the elastic in the back waistband, the front has a small amount of gathering in to a flat fitted waistband. The buttons down the front are functional; the skirt can be fully opened up, which is nice for better ironing access, but not necessary to get it on. Actually, I think that the elastic in the back waistband is enough for me to pull this up over my hips.

The pockets are the usual inseam variety. The elastic is only in the centre back section of the waistband. I seem to recall that I scratched my head a few times when constructing the waistband, and had to re-read the instructions and take things slowly. But it all worked out okay in the end!

Working out how best to style this midi-length skirt was a bit of a challenge for me! I generally don’t tuck things in, so need something that still has proportions that I like when it’s worn over the top of it. The Style Arc Bonnie woven tops (my version here and the other view that I sewed for Stella here) were designed to go with this, so would work! I think it’s best with a bit of a crop – this simple tunic scoops up high enough at the centres to please me.

The fabric is rayon that I bought a very long time ago, when GJs discount fabrics was still in Lygon Street. Although I didn’t wear this much last summer, I think it will stay in my wardrobe for a long time.

Thursday, 26 August, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, teen

more Hemlock tees

When I first sewed the Grainline Studio Hemlock tee in 2013 it was a free, one-size only pattern. In late 2019 an updated version of the pattern was released, with different sleeve and body lengths, and a size range from 0 – 30. It’s still free if you subscribe to their newsletter. My review of the original pattern is here, and the update here.

I went through a flurry of slouchy tee sewing for Clare in October last year, figuring that this pattern might be a great way to use up small cuts and remnants, especially if I mixed fabrics.

There really wasn’t quite enough of the cream with hearts print that you can see below though – cropped length entirely dictated by the amount of fabric, and it’s a cotton/spandex so not as much drape.

I pieced together every little scrap that I had of this ‘faces’ print to make Clare’s tee – if you look closely you can see the seams in the front!

And i had to use a contrast for the back and neck band.

This fabric was a bit of a challenge to sew – it skipped stitches really easily. I found that a zig zag stitch worked the best for securing hems and the neckband seam allowances.

This pattern was also the base for Clare’s last day of high school outfit. We appliqued the eye and smile, and found the tutu at Spotlight.

Monsters University!

I have no idea what size I used for Clare, other than it would have been one of the smaller sizes. I definitely suggest fabrics with some drape so that the tee looks slouchy rather than just too big. This is a terrific pattern that could work for most members of the family.

Wednesday, 25 August, 2021 by thornberry

Australian Sewing Guild, sewing

ASG Spring Industry Day

The Australian Sewing Guild runs a Spring Industry Day in Melbourne each year. In 2020 they held it via Zoom. The ASG run plenty of workshops, both online and ‘real’, sewalongs, provide sewing information and industry discounts. And yes, you can be part of a local ASG social sewing group and meet up with nearby sewing enthusiasts on a regular basis. I’m an online member only as a regular meeting doesn’t suit me at this stage of my life, but I still find membership worth it.

The December 2020 Spring Industry Day had the following program:

9:00AM – 10:30AM – Shingo Sato – origami workshop (hands-on workshop)
11:00AM – 12:30PM – Louise Sparrow – Natalie “Alabama” Chanin stitching (hands-on workshop)
1:00PM – 2:00PM – Susan Khalje – couture and working in a couture house (presentation)
2:30PM – 3:30PM – Yahav Ron – couture finishing techniques (presentation)
4:00PM – 4:30PM – Tatyana Anderson – winter 2021 colours and styles (presentation)

Shingo Sato ran a fascinating workshop that took us through a method of manipulating a half-size bodice block into one that manipulated darts and created fascinating folds.

I have never done anything like this before (and haven’t replicated the process since) but it was super interesting! I’d seen similar manipulations before, but Shingo is certainly a master at this technique. He is on Instagram and Facebook and runs in person and online workshops.

The next workshops was a sampler of Alabama Chanin style stitching. I own a few of the Alabama Chanin books (plus a Craftsy class) but it still took an online real-time workshop to make me actually give it a go.

Alabama Chanin garment are traditionally handstitched, generally using two layers of cotton knit that are also stencilled and are sometimes also embellished with hand-beading along with the embroidery. As you’d imagine, they’re very time-consuming to make. I’ve had ‘make an Alabama Chanin style garment’ on my to-do list for a very long time, but still haven’t actually done it!

Doing the workshop certainly did give me the taste for more, plus additional appreciation of the work involved in sewing these garments. I have a feeling that it will be on my to-do list a little longer! Do go and check out some of the stunning garments that can be made using this technique; my little sampler is a bare-bones example of where things can head.

The other presentations we had on the day were excellent. All extremely well qualified, talented, and experienced people who generously shared their stories and their knowledge. It was a great day, and the online format worked really well for me. Well done ASG!

Tuesday, 24 August, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Sew Liberated Arenite pants

Yes, it’s another of last year’s garments. Photographed in October 2020, possibly sewn a few months prior. And no longer in my wardrobe, but I’ll get to that later.

The Arenite pants by Sew Liberated have been pretty popular in the online sewing community. I tend to stick with Style Arc for pants, because I know their draft. Pants are one of the most difficult garments to fit well in my opinion – so many shapes in so many dimensions to work with! The slouchy pockets appealed to me, along with the seaming. So I sewed them up in some deep stash fabric, which is a polyester of some type, possibly a microfibre. Perfect for a wearable muslin.

From the pattern website: The Arenite Pants are the luxuriously deep-pocketed, slouchy pants of your dreams. The pattern includes three leg finishing options – a knit cuff, an elasticated woven cuff, or a dressier hem. It also includes a view for knit fabrics, with two cuff options, for perfect, effortless loungewear. Whether made in knit or woven, the Arenite Pants blend cozy and chic, for a piece that can slip into any wardrobe, perfect for styling with tees, sweaters, and jackets, for relaxing at home, running errands, or dressed up for evenings out. They’re our new favorite pants, and we hope they’ll be yours too!

Learn to sew French seams, flat-felled seams and a comfortable, non-twist elastic waistband for a made-to-last, beautifully crafted wardrobe staple. This pattern is suitable for advanced beginners. It is the perfect project for those new to sewing pants or knits, as the fit is very forgiving. The Arenite Pants View A is designed for woven fabrics, with the exception of the knit cuff option. For the main pant, look for rayon challis, tencel twill, or silk noil. The essential characteristic of the woven fabric is fantastic drape. View B is designed for knit fabrics. Look for stable knits with a bit of drape such as interlock, sweatshirt fleece, or french terry.

I didn’t do flat-felled seams but instead overlocked, pressed to one side then topstitched. The fabric does have good drape, so worked out okay for the style. The reason it’s no longer in my wardrobe is that I don’t want to wear casual pants in polyester! I want a soft cotton, a rayon or linen. I will remake them eventually, in one of those fabrics.

The fit is very forgiving. They’re a loose style, and reviews that I’d read prior to cutting out indicated that many people went down two sizes smaller than their measurements indicated. I really wasn’t quite certain what to do, so went with one size smaller than my hip measurement. As expected, there’s plenty of room in the back thigh, which is usually the case for me. My legs are quite small compared to my torso.

The topstitching is a really nice feature, as are the slouchy pants. This type of shape works well on my type of shape with comparatively small hips and large waist and stomach. Because the waistband is elasticated it’s easy to adjust for comfort. I tend to thread through elastic into waistbands, safety pin the ends, then wear it for a day or two, adjusting the elastic as I go to get the fit just right. I think that I used one channel of wide elastic for these pants, and didn’t topstich through it.

It’s hard to remember the details from a year ago, but I assume that I shortened the pattern pieces mid-way down the leg before cutting out to accomodate my 158cm height. They’re still quite long and I’d shorten them even more in future renditions. I do like this pattern, and am likely to use it again.

Monday, 23 August, 2021 by thornberry

sewing, teen, tween, vintage patterns

vintage Style 2191 skirt

Stella’s style has been evolving over the past year. Last October she requested a black flared skirt with a fitted waistband and belt loops.

Goodness, Stella looks quite different now in comparison to these photos from ten months ago! Anyway, she says that this skirt was really the first item in her current wardrobe (now predominantly black, grey, denim, a bit of white and some very small doses of colour; very little made by me). I dived into my pattern stash and found Style 2191. This is a pattern that often pops up at the op shop; despite it being a children’s pattern it’s mostly the waist measurement that needs to be fitted; the style ease is pretty forgiving to other body measurements.

I sewed view 4, the shorter flared style without a lower ruffle. The fabric is a black stretch woven from deep stash, probably from the Darn Cheap Fabrics $2 table once upon a time. A non-stretch would have been better, but this still worked out okay. There’s a centre back seam zip. Not installed as well as it could be; I usually use invisible zips for this type of application (but this was sewn during second lockdown so I used what I had). There’s also a vintage button as a waistband closure.

This has been worn a bit although it’s probably longer than she’d like. Teenage skirt preferences seem rather short at the moment.

It’s just hemmed on the machine. Really, this isn’t my most outstanding piece of sewing, but it’s wearable. When I made it I wasn’t even sure that it would ever be worn (I was wrong). The top she’s wearing with it was sewn for Clare ages ago.

Sunday, 22 August, 2021Tuesday, 14 September, 2021 by thornberry

bags, sewing

Redwood Tote

I sewed this Redwood Tote during second lockdown last year. It was sewn in fits and starts over a period of about four weeks as I waited for zips and hardware to arrive in the mail.

I do enjoy bag making! I hadn’t used Noodlehead patterns before, but I will again after sewing this one. Instructions were clear, everything fitted together perfectly, and I was really pleased with the finished bag.

The outer fabric and the lining are both Ikea drills that have been in stash for an extremely long time. Yes, there was some fussy cutting involved with the placement of the bird prints!

One of the fun things about bag making is working out what fabrics, straps and hardware combinations to use.

The leather that I used on the base and for the straps was harvested from a pair of too-small leather pants that a friend gave me a while ago. It’s very soft, which made it easy to sew but possibly a bit too supple for the straps.

I used rivets to secure the straps to the bag, and metal YKK zips for the outer pocket and the bag closure. As always, my tip to Australians with bag hardware is to buy QUALITY. Not the stuff you can get at Spotlight/Lincraft. I usually have to order online from saddlery or leather suppliers or specialist bag hardware shops. Bags like this take a bit of time to make, because there are lots of components, and they take more fabric than you would first think. Don’t spoil your lovely bag with cheap hardware!

There are slip pockets inside the bag, a zippered pocket on the outside, and another slip pocket on the outside. Plenty of places to stash things away! The zippered bag closure keeps the contents secure.

I’ll definitely give this pattern another whirl. I really enjoy sewing bags, and this one has proved itself to be a very useable bag for my lifestyle.

Saturday, 21 August, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, Pattern Fantastique, sewing

Pattern Fantastique Mersis dress

Goodness, how did I not get this dress blogged sooner! It’s possibly my favourite sew of 2020. May I present to you, the Pattern Fantastique Mersis dress!

I first saw this dress when Anna wore a prototype to Frocktails a year or so ago and knew that I would definitely want to sew it when the pattern was released. In the end I pattern tested it (so didn’t pay for the pattern). Nita-Jane likes to get feedback, mostly on the instructions – her pattern making and drafting is superb, I have no suggestions to make on that!

The fabric is linen that I bought in person at The Fabric Store in Dunedin, New Zealand when we visited there a couple of years ago. It’s such a fabulous shade of green and was a perfect fabric souvenir. And a little challenging to thread match from my existing thread stash. I can’t remember which one of these I eventually chose!

I absolutely adore the sleeves. I feel that they have the perfect level of puff, especially given that the fullness is all at the cuff. The sleeves are gathered into a narrow bias cut binding; they’re not elasticised.

This is a garment that takes time and precision sewing. Savour the process and do not rush! And you definitely need to be accurate, especially with those underarm gussets.

From the pattern website: DESIGN: Mersis dress is a shift dress for superstars. The Mersis draws on 80’s glam with generous shapes and peek-a-boo features that suggest more than they reveal. Dynasty balloon sleeves, a deep ‘V’ neck at back and midway ‘V’ for the front neckline. The Centre Front seam features a wide seam allowance topstitched down to enhance the long line from shoulder to hem. The centre front hem features a mitre corner finish and split for the longer lengths. FIT: The Mersis Dress has a shift fit. Loose through the body and slight taper in the dress length hemlines. The ‘V’ necklines are purposefully cut to be above most bra straps and to minimise shoulder drop. Pocket opening and are on high hip to streamline hips and reduce lapline bagging. There’s a lot of ease throughout the body.

I sewed the Midi dress version, which isn’t actually a length that I used to wear very often – but I like it! Do make sure that you reinforce the centre front split with plenty of stitches and possibly even a little interfacing or similar when you sew it – I found this out the hard when when I got out of the car wearing it and heard some of the stitches rip! And because the seams are finished and topstitched so beautifully, it was a hand-stitched fix. Don’t do what I did; make sure that you do that part properly when you first sew it.

Also speaking of ‘don’t do what I did’, make sure that you remove pins before you sew over them or you run the risk of this:

So, back to the dress! I often leave pockets out of dresses, but left then in and I think that they actually provide a nice structural detail.

Nita-Jane is right about the neckline too – there isn’t any bra exposure, and my bra isn’t a skimpy one. And it did pretty much stay on my shoulders – which is a mean feat for me as they are pretty rounded and straps/necklines moving off them is a common issue for me.

I sewed size 14, which was the size suggested by my measurements. At first I thought that I could have gone down one size, but on reflection I think that the 14 is good and it was defintiely comfortable to wear (I wore it to the theatre way back between lockdowns).

So there you go, loads of photos of a dress that I really love. I’ll use the pattern again, maybe to do the top version, but hopefully eventually for a full length stunner like the metallic leopard print version on the pattern website.

Friday, 20 August, 2021Saturday, 11 February, 2023 by thornberry

Month: August 2021