May 2022 – THORNBERRY

Style Arc Florence woven top in de Linum linen

You might remember the Tessuti Rae dress that I recently sewed from de Linum linen. Since then I have agreed to be an ambassador for de Linum for three months, with my choice of fabric and pattern for each project. What a no brainer for me – I love sewing with and wearing linen! So here is my project for May.

The pattern is the Style Arc Florence woven top. As you know, Style Arc is not a departure from my usual style, but the colour of the linen is!

The colour is called Musk Rose, and it’s a 132 GSM weight which is light to medium. I have found that with my hair greying I am gravitating to more toned down colours. I rather like this one on me! The linen was lovely to sew with. Yes, it wrinkles quite quickly in wear, because, linen.

I sewed size 12, with the only alteration being the elimination of the centre back neck opening. I just sewed the whole thing up; I have a fairly small head and it’s rare for a neckline to not fit over it.

This pattern has lovely details. Those shoulder pleats, centre front and back seams with topstiching either side of the seamline, hem band, and double layer shaped cuffs forming the lower sleeve. And it’s an easy fit through the body, which is something that I always look for to better accomodate my belly and waist.

De Linum stock patterns that work with their linens – which makes sense! So if you like to sew for linen, and are wondering what might be good in a particular fabric, it’s easier to pair them.

This was also quite fast to sew – I think that I made it in an afternoon (not counting cutting out time). Construction was on the sewing machine, with seams finished on the overlocker. You could really go to town with contrasting topstitching if you wanted to, or could take advantage of all the pieces and seamlines to do colour blocking. This pattern and fabric combination is a definite winner for me!

Sunday, 29 May, 2022Thursday, 7 July, 2022 by thornberry

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

Half a dozen York pinafores

Yes, this Helen’s Closet York pinafore makes six. Goodness!

I figured that it was time that I had one in traditional indigo denim! I have one in brown denim, one in green denim, a lined version in brushed cotton, one in printed barkcloth, and another in textured linen (which was never blogged), but surprisingly nothing that could substitute for blue denim jeans!

I’ve sewn all of these the same size, with length alterations to better accommodate my 158cm height. Most of my Yorks have been sewn with the lower scoop neckline so this time around I went for the higher one. I have used the large curved front pockets every time.

I assembled the pinafore mostly on the sewing machine (overlocker used to finish seam allowances separately) using navy thread. I wanted to be sure that the bias binding used to finish the armholes and neckline was secured correctly from the wrong side without having to worry too much about a contrasting thread on the right side. Then I went back and topstitched over the navy stitching from the right side in a contrasting yellow (keeping navy in the bobbin). This worked really nicely!

The fit across the back isn’t as good at the moment; my measurements have increased. However that isn’t evident in terms of comfort during wear. I hemmed a length of printed crepe that was in stash to make a coordinating scarf.

The York has turned out to be quite a heavy lifter in my wardrobe!

Wednesday, 11 May, 2022Saturday, 11 February, 2023 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Yet another Fantail

Yet another Fantail top! I think that this is my fifth version of the Fantail Shirt & Sweatshirt pattern, by The Sewing Revival.

I used a Jocelyn Proust printed rayon/spandex knit from Spotlight (originally bought for one of my daughters) with a quality rib from Crafty Mamas Fabrics for the contrast bands. This is size Medium. Also note that I have shortened the sleeves a good couple of inches since I first sewed this pattern.

This top doesn’t take much longer to sew than a classic raglan tee, and I always feel good in this style. I am never good at doing the ‘french tuck’ with tops, and this style has the same effect without any hassle. There is one thing that I will tweak when I’m next at the fabric shop. I didn’t have the correct width of elastic for the front gathering, so just zig-zagged two narrower pieces together, However, this doesn’t sit as well as I’d like in the front; you can see the join line in the front because it ‘folds’ a bit. I’ll unpick and replace.

That makes three knit versions, and two woven! I wonder if I’ve had enough of this pattern (knowing me, possibly not).

Monday, 9 May, 2022 by thornberry

adult's clothing, Peppermint Magazine, sewing

Peppermint Magazine Bowen dress

The Bowen dress pattern came free with Peppermint Magazine a few months ago. Peppermint have a number of free patterns on their website (but you are encouraged to make a donation).

The pattern is described as follows: Dress it up or dress it down, throw it on and get ready to go, go, go with our latest free pattern – the Peppermint Bowen Dress! We collaborated with clever Kiwi patternmaker Kim Sisson from Hubba Ding to create the ultimate in comfort dressing – an extravagantly voluminous tent dress. With relaxed dropped shoulders and rah-rah ruffle sleeves, the oversized silhouette makes a dramatic splash, while being cool and comfy enough for everyday wear. And it’s reversible! You can button up your bosom with a sweet button closure and flash a V-neck’s worth of shoulder blades or flip those buttons to the back and display a little daring decolletage. All this and pockets too? Bump the Bowen Dress to the top of your to-sew pile already!

I sewed size E, which was smaller than the size suggested for my measurements. I could have gone down to size C and it still would have had plenty of ease. All the swishiness!

I added light weight interfacing to the neck facings. I decided that I prefer the V neckline at the front, sofor me the dress buttons at the back. I am unlikely to wear it with them at the front. The buttons came from Thailand.

Rather than using side inseam pockets (I find that they flap around in loose frocks) I sewed on two patch pockets.

For those of us who like loose tent like styles, this is a winner. The fabric is a printed voile that I picked up at Restash a few years ago. I think it’s the perfect match for the pattern. This is the ideal hot day dress when you need something that is loose and stays away from the body. Which means that it will be waiting for months until warm weather returns 😉

Sunday, 8 May, 2022 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, zero waste patterns

Cris Wood Sews summer Parasol dress

This dress started out terribly and ended up beautifully! Note that these are all ‘after’ photos.

The pattern is the Cris Wood Sews Parasol dress. It’s actually a set of instructions, with the pattern pieces drafted to your own measurements. This is where things went downhill.

Many of you who have been reading my blog for a long time know that my measurements tend to fluctuate quite a bit over the years. Lately they’ve been going up. So when I drafted the pattern pieces ‘to my measurements’ I added a bit extra for insurance. Take it from me – don’t do that. I ended up with a very large garment that was actually very frumpy and quite unwearable. I harumphed at myself, and went to bed.

The next morning I decided that I could fix things. I hand-stitched the front V neckline to make it another couple of inches higher, then raised the bodice seam two inches by taking a large fold through the bodice at the seamline and re-stitching the bodice to the skirt. Then I added some shaping to the side seams to bring them in, stopping stitching just above the seam joining the bodice to the skirt. This did the trick!

I wore this dress to my mother-in-law’s 90th birthday party back in February, and felt terrific in it. The back V-neckline stops just above my bra, and I love the large patch pockets on the front. Did you notice how well I managed to pattern match them? The fabric is cupro, bought on clearance from Darn Cheap Fabrics a few years ago. It’s not terribly easy to sew with – definitely use a fresh sharp needle – but it’s great to wear! I still have some left for another garment, hooray!

So the moral of the tale – follow the measurement directions in the instructions. But also don’t hesitate to make alterations and tweaks to make it work for you! I’ve actually used this pattern before, but that winter version of the dress isn’t wearable as it is (too many graduation gown vibes) and it’s now on the alterations pile. I’m hoping that I can make it just as good as this version!

Friday, 6 May, 2022 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Style Arc Archie woven shirt

I rarely wear traditional collared shirts, but more seem to be entering my wardrobe.

This one is the Style Arc Archie woven shirt. From the pattern website: PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Boxy shape, Dropped shoulder, 2 piece shirt collar, Long sleeves, Sleeve hem bands, Button front, Double yoke, Oversized shape, Length finishes at high hip. FABRIC SUGGESTION Poplin, silk, crepe, linen.

I used some slightly crinkly, fairly lightweight linen that was a gift from a friend. If you look closely you can see that the weave uses three different colours of thread. It gives a lot of dimension to the resulting brown.

I sewed size 12, and am trying hard to remember whether I did any alterations! I don’t think that I did.

Looking at side on photos, this probably could have done with a full bust alteration. The hemline is considerably higher at the front.

There’s not massives of topstitching on this shirt; just the hem, to secure the pockets, to secure the cuffs, and to secure the collar stand. You could add plenty more if you liked, or do more hand-sewing and have very little topstitching whatsoever.

Here’s the whole outfit, worn here with Style Arc Bob pants, also in linen. I chose to wear it with the sleeve cuffs folded back. Buttons are from stash, and have a couple of colours in them, like the fabric.

Wednesday, 4 May, 2022Wednesday, 4 May, 2022 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, teen, Vikisews

Dress becomes skirt and top (VikiSews Nola dress as top)

Back in 2018 Clare sewed a dress from a vintage pattern using vintage techniques as part of her MYP Personal Project.

The dress has been languishing in her wardrobe, as the bodice no longer fitted. However, Clare really likes the fabric, and the full skirt. As it happened, there was still some fabric left in the stash. So between the dress, the scissors and sewing machine, and a new pattern, the dress became a matching skirt and top!

The skirt was easy. I cut the original dress through the bodice, a couple of inches above the seamline to keep all the gathering intact. Then I did a double turn of the fabric to form a waistband, and hand-stitched it in place. I did think to remove the vintage side dress zip before wielding the scissors! I inserted a new invisible zip into the side seam, and added a couple of buttons and loops for waistband adjustability.

The top was more complicated. It took a bit of trawling through pattern sites to find something that matched her vision. We ended up with the VikiSews Nola dress. The pattern is described as follows: Nola is a close-fitting dress with a trapeze silhouette. The front features a yoke gathered on the bottom, and finished with a channel for ties on the top. The back has side panels as well as a shirred center panel. The skirt has a slight A-line shape. Nola has a short, voluminous sleeve with gathers along the shoulder and a channel for elastic at the hem. The front and back necklines are quite deep, and the dress is above knee length.

I figured that I could just cut the dress off at top length, and it would work out okay. I also modified the design by using elastic in channels in the back instead of shirring. Shirring looks gorgeous, and Clare loves it, but my sewing machine really prefers not to shirr!

I cut the centre back piece double (I used a lightweight cotton for all lining pieces as I barely had enough fabric for the outer) so that I could sew the channels for the elastic. I also made a casing at the hemline and inserted elastic there to keep the top closer to Clare’s body. However, this pattern is designed as a dress without any fastenings like a side zip or similar. In this top version Clare can barely wriggle into it! If I was sewing this again I would definitely look at openings/fastenings to make it easier to get in and out of.

The sleeve hem frill is created by turning a fairly wide hem and sewing a channel for the elastic. Easy peasy! And pretty. Here’s a closer photo so that you can see details of the bustline, sleeves and waistband more closely. There is a drawstring along the top of the neckline that gives quite a bit of adjustability.

I had so much trouble choosing which photos to include in this blog post because I think they’re all gorgeous! So here’s some photo spam.

Clare specifically wanted this outfit to wear to the Valentine’s Day Picnic that she has with her friends near the Botanical Gardens each year. They like to dress pretty/fluffy/romantic for it! Here it is in action.

Tuesday, 3 May, 2022Friday, 4 November, 2022 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, teen

Summer pyjamas

My family likes cotton/spandex for summer pyjamas. I snapped up a few metres of this fabulous sloth print when I spotted it on the Super Cheap Fabrics website late last year. When it arrived, the selvedge says it is from Peter Alexander – no wonder it’s perfect for pjs!

I used the Grainline Studio Hemlock tee for the top, with the short sleeves and cropped length options. The pants are from an old Butterick pattern. I had to remove two inches from the top of the pants to bring the crotch up to the right place. The pants have pockets, and I used solid purple knit for both the elasticised waistband of the pants and for the neckband of the top.

Such satisfying sewing! I reckon there could be enough of the fabric left to sew myself something.

Monday, 2 May, 2022Sunday, 1 May, 2022 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Style Arc Barry woven pants

There’s been a whole lot of love in the sewing community for the Style Arc Bob pants since the pattern was released in 2019 (you can see my versions here). The Style Arc Barry pants are similar in vibe, but are toned down a little.

From the pattern page: PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Elastic waist band with top ruffle. Angled pockets. Slight balloon leg shape. Front hem dart. Sits on natural waist. Faux fly. FABRIC SUGGESTION Washed linen, tencel, crepe, fine wool.

I used a solid linen, with a contrasting check linen for the waistband with ruffle and the pocket bags. Not a design choice, but one necessitated by fabric limitations.

I sewed size 12, and shortened the length at the shorten/lengthen lines. Want to see the back?

The darts at the front hemline, in conjunction with the curve of the leg seams, bring the volume in toward the hemline.

I sometimes wonder why I bother with detailing in the waist area, but it is satisfying to see the topstitching turn out so well. Aren’t fake flys a funny thing though? Completely non-functional.

Super comfortable thanks to the waist elastic, no-one is ever going to see the contrasting fabric or the ruffle because I always wear my tops out, and the leg volume is fun but contained. Nice work Style Arc!

Sunday, 1 May, 2022Sunday, 1 May, 2022 by thornberry

Month: May 2022