sewing – Page 10 – THORNBERRY

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

Blackwood the third

Okay, it’s another repeat. You know the drill. A few photos, links to the previous posts.

The Helen’s Closet Blackwood cardigan always feels very sleek to me. Althought this is my third go at it, I have only made the longline version. See here for the first one I sewed, and here for the second.

This striped ponte came from The Cloth Shop. As well as the need to do some stripe matching, it provided me with the opportunity to have a bit of fun with stripe direction on the bands, cuffs and pockets.

I sewed size 14, the same as my previous versions. Construction was mostly on the overlocker, with the machine used for topstitching to secure the pockets and the front bands. It’s really quite fast to make – I think that it took longer to cut out because of the stripes!

Worn here with Style Arc Misty jeans in stretch black twill from Drapers Fabrics, Vogue 9057 top, Ebb & Ive scarf, Django & Juliette boots.

Tuesday, 21 September, 2021Saturday, 11 February, 2023 by thornberry

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

Helen’s Closet March dress

At the moment there appears to be a glut of patterns for loose fitting dresses with gathered skirts and gathered sleeves. Despite having many in my stash that could have fitted that brief or be easily adapted to it, I bought the Helen’s Closet March top and dress pattern when it was on sale.

I decided to sew a winter version, so used a brushed wool blend twill that was in deep stash and matched it with a paisley printed vintage wool for the contrasting bodice overlay.

From the pattern page: The March top and dress is a fun retro-style pattern featuring voluminous sleeves in two lengths and a gathered skirt (View A), gathered peplum (View B), or a straight peplum (View C). We love this whimsical design because it is comfortable, easy to style, and fun to wear! The interfaced front and back bodice panels add visual interest and provide a great place for a featured fabric or embellishment like embroidery. Views A and B are finished with a neck tie that you can tie in the front or leave to hang open. View C has a clean neckline finish with no tie. The neck tie can be added or removed from any of the views. The dress view features extra deep inseam pockets that are secured into the waistband seam.

As you can see, I chose to sew the dress view A with the neck tie, and the longer sleeve length. Of note, the contrast bodice panels are an overlay, applied like an external facing – they are not panels with seamlines that provide any shaping.

I sewed size 12, without alteration. The skirt is at pattern length. The sleeves are gathered both at the head where they join the bodice, and at the wrist into a narrow band. No elastic!

The inseam pocket insertion is very nice – well explained and illustrated, and it results in pockets that are secured across the waist seam plus have minimal bulk. I’ll use the pocket pattern piece and insertion method again.

I prefer this without the neck tie done up; it feels a bit high at the front neck on me when tied (which is common for me and my forward shoulders and forward head) and I don’t love the look of it tied on me either.

The dress layered nicely under a coat and with boots when I last wore it (in the days before lockdown) plus there was room underneath for a merino tee for additional warmth.

This is a pretty versatile pattern. As with most Helen’s Closet patterns, there are plenty of ‘hacks‘ on her blog that suggest ways to modify and adapt the pattern for even more garment options. Definite props to Helen’s Closet for excellent pattern illustrations and instructions too. I suspect that I’ll give this pattern another whirl at some stage.

Saturday, 18 September, 2021Saturday, 11 February, 2023 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, tessuti patterns

Athina the fifth

Goodness, I have sewn so many Tessuti Athina tops! This is number five. There will be more.

The fabric is vintage that I bought a few years ago. What amazing colours – and that’s quite a zig zag! It’s definitely got a significant wool component – it has that lovely wool smell when steam ironed. I sewed the same size as I usually do with Tessuti Patterns, which I think is the Medium but could have been the Large, with a forward shoulder adjustment.

After trying it on, I realised that I had cut out the tunic length; my previous versions have been at top length. I’m wearing it in this next photo with a shawl knitted by mum and Style Arc Parker pants (designed for ponte but sewn in stretch corduroy).

It’s such a simple design that really lets the fabric shine. I find it an excellent foil for scarves and necklaces too. Sleeves roll up or down depending on the weather! You can see my previous versions of the Athina top here: first, second, third, and fourth.

Friday, 17 September, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, Liesl + Co, sewing

Liesl + Co Yanaka Jacket

Gee, Liesl Gibson is an excellent pattern designer. I first came across her patterns through the Oliver + S line of children’s patterns. It’s some years now since I’ve sewn them for my daughters; fortunately she also designs for adults! As well as the Lisette line sold through Butterick, there are Liesl + Co patterns. I’ve sewn a few of them over the years. They are often quite classic in style and are always impecably drafted with very clear instructions, and are generally available in both pdf and hard copy.

This is the Yanaka jacket. From the pattern page: A cross between a blazer and a cardigan, this chic, unlined jacket is semifitted, slightly cropped, and includes several unique features: a cutaway silhouette, cut-on sleeves, a sleeve gusset for better movement and fit, and a gentle stand-up collar. With no set-in sleeve and no closures, this style is fun and easy to sew as well as versatile to wear. The cut-out V-notch at the back hem adds a little extra style, and the pattern is great for color blocking. This style includes cup sizes with added bust darts for C and D cups to help you get a perfect fit. Suggested Fabrics: This pattern works best with medium- to heavyweight woven fabrics like denim, canvas, wool coating, jacquard, brocade, and bonded fabrics.

Once again, this was really a wearable muslin. I wasn’t at all sure how this type of jacket would fit with the rest of my style, but hoped that it would be a shape that might be a good ‘smart casual’ piece for my work wardrobe. The fabric is a textured stretch bengaline from Super Cheap Fabrics. I have enough left for a pair of pants – I wonder if I can rock a white suit?

This is size 12 with the C cup front, no other alterations. It’s an unlined jacket, but the collar and facing is interfaced. I chose to machine stitch the facings in place rather than hand-sew them as per the instructions, mostly because of the fabric that I was using. If I sewed this in wool or similar I would probably hand sew. I also chose to finish seam allowances with overlocking rather than binding them. Once again, that was mostly because of fabric choice.

The collar really does stand up beautifully! I’ll give this pattern another whirl in a heavier fabric, and suspect that it’s a pattern that will be used multiple times in the years ahead.

Thursday, 16 September, 2021Saturday, 24 June, 2023 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Winter Maya

When I blogged my blue linen Maya top a month ago, I mentioned that I’d also sewn a winter version. Here it is!

Normally when I look at small lengths of wool, such as this check, I think straight winter skirt. This time around I thought how about a layering top? I’ve traditionally shied away from short sleeves with long sleeves underneath, but over the past few years have been experimenting with it more often. I have realised that I have a whole lot of internalised clothing/fashion rules that I don’t necessarily need to stick to!

I doubt that the Maya top was designed for fabrics of this weight, but like many things with sewing patterns, it’s sometimes worth going outside the box and trying something else. You do however need to make appropriate modifications to accomodate your fabric choice (and be prepared for the garment to be a wadder that just didn’t work out at all). In this case I ditched all the facings, and finished every edge with bias binding turned to the inside like a facing.

As I was working with a limited amount of fabric I chose to focus on keeping the checks centred more than matching them across seamlines. The fringed selvedge provided a nice detail on the small chest pocket.

I think that this top deserves a styling session to figure out what combinations of underlayer and bottom work best with it for me. It definitely provides an extra layer of warmth without bulk, and the colourway works well with many of the scarves in my collection.

Wednesday, 15 September, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, teen, vintage patterns

Vintage Simplicity 6620 jacket

Isn’t it great that everything old is new again? I’m now at that age where I see the way that fashion cycles throughout the years. Much of what Clare wears is reminiscent of what I wore in the 80s; much of what Stella wears reminds me of the early 90s. This pattern dates back to the 70s – my childhood.

This jacket is Simplicity 6620, without any style or fit changes. It’s in the size that was already cut out, and once again it’s from a Junior Petite size range. I really need to set up some alerts on eBay/Etsy etc for Junior Petite patterns; they work so well for Clare!

Isn’t that jacquard fabulous! It has all the colours that Clare loves to wear. But – it’s a remnant (from The Cloth Shop). I had SO many attempts at playing pattern tetris to not only fit all the pattern pieces on the remnant, but to keep the directionality the same way for paired elements. It was a struggle – and it’s one that I lost. In the end I used a contrast scrap of cashmere for the lower back piece.

I am going to deluge you with photos of this jacket because I love it so much! It’s unlined, and the jacquard was fray prone. I overlocked edges very smartly after each seam was sewn, and took advantage of the double rows of topstitching to keep things secure.

This took a little while to sew. Lots of pieces, lots of cutting out, a few darts, lots of seams, lots of topstitching. All so worth it!

We chose to sew the topstitching and buttonholes in pink, and found some minty blue-green buttons in stash that worked nicely with the variety of pastels in the jacquard.

These 70s patterns have lots of shaping through darts and incorporation in the seamlines. Darts at places like the back neck (and you often see them at the elbow in vintage patterns) really do make a difference in fit, yet they’re so rarely used in current patterns. When I see darts in patterns I often inwardly groan, but I don’t know why! They’re not actually hard to sew, and don’t even take long! I wonder what’s happening in the recesses of my mind that makes me resist darts?

There’s enough ease in this jacket to go over Clare’s crochet jumpers. It definitely works in well with the rest of her wardrobe.

Now I should get on with sewing Clare the pink cashmere coat that has been cut out for months (the urgency vanished when lockdown started…)

Tuesday, 14 September, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Style Arc Fenix sweatshirt

In the past I wasn’t a big sweatshirt wearer, but the past 18 months of mostly working from home has altered my mindset.

This Style Arc Fenix sweatshirt was mostly made as a stashbuster! The striped sweatshirt fleece (smooth outside, fuzzy inside) has been in my stash for a long time. It possibly came from Crafty Mamas Fabrics. There wasn’t a great deal of it, so I paired it with red ponte scraps that seemed to have adequate stretch. I keep all my ponte and bengaline scraps in a tub – they come in handy. There’s a similar tub specifically for linen.

I sewed straight size 12, but probably shortened the sleeves an inch (or two) when cutting out. Bonus of using a solid for the side panels was that I didn’t need to stripe match along those seamlines!

There’s quite a bit of pleasing topstitching in this garment. I really do like topstitching, both for the aesthetics of the additional detail, and for the stability and structure that it can provide. Construction was shared between the sewing machine and the overlocker. There are pockets set into the side front seams, also highlighted with topstitching. I didn’t use a twin needle for topstitching as I thought there were too many layers of fabric to get through.

This pattern would be really lovely sewn in french terry and rib – there are a few online stores selling matching terry/rib combinations at the moment (I know that many of my blog readers are in lockdown at the moment, so online is our shopping option). My Fenix was intended to be a wearable muslin, but it’s turned out better than expected and I’ve worn it quite a few times this winter already!

From the pattern website: PRODUCT DESCRIPTION Crew neck sweatshirt. Side panels with inseam pockets. Side rib panels can be made in main fabric. Extended shoulder line. Deep armhole. Rib hem band, side panels, cuffs and neckband. Slight hi-low hemline. Slouchy long sleeve. FABRIC SUGGESTION Fleece, rugby knit and a knit rib for the trims

I’m doing an online Style School at the moment, as I feel the need to reassess my clothes as my body, colouring, and lifestyle is altering. I’m still not sure how many sweatshirts will make my way into my wardrobe; they are definitely something that I don’t tend to wear outside of the home. But while we’re still in lockdown – bring them on!

Monday, 13 September, 2021Monday, 13 September, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, teen, vintage patterns

another vintage Simplicity 6616

Ah, there’s nothing like sewing something fabulous from a remnant. This wool remnant came from The Cloth Shop. There was just enough to sew vintage Simplicity 6616 again for Clare.

This is a Japanese wool, in a herringbone weave. There was just enough to eke out the skirt. Because it’s wool I fully lined it with a smooth cotton so that it wouldn’t stick to tights or be itchy (Clare is sensitive to wool).

I found an invisible zip in stash that matched adequately. One of the great things about invisible zips is that it doesn’t matter if they’re too long; you just cut them to size.

The pockets are lined with the same smooth cotton that I used for the rest of the skirt. I like the way that the top of the pockets forms belt loops.

I used the blind hem foot and stitch on my machine to hem the skirt. The stitches have almost disappeared into the weave. Gee it’s lovely to sew with wool.

This was a ‘bonus’ garment that Clare hadn’t asked for, but likes a lot! She’s wearing it here with one of the many crochet jumpers that she’s made herself this year.

Sunday, 12 September, 2021Tuesday, 14 September, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Esme the fourth

The first time that I sewed the Style Arc Esme top was back in 2015. I sewed it again in 2016, then again in 2017. Good thing that I kept the pattern (ha! I rarely get rid of patterns) as I pulled it out for a fourth time earlier this year!

I’ve always sewn this in relatively structured fabrics; quilted, scuba, or double knits. This time around I used cotton/spandex from The Cloth Shop.

From the pattern page: This knit top has a fabulous bias cut collar that can stand fashionably high or turned over. Make it sleeveless or with sleeves for the cooler months. FABRIC SUGGESTION & DESCRIPTION: Ponte, Scuba or any fabric with a stretch component

As well as the collar, which is definitely a highlight, I like the high-low hemline with side splits. A fabric with some structure works nicely with this pattern to get the collar to roll and sit up nicely. If you’re sewing the collarless version you could easily try something a little more fluid. I reckon that I could try it in a woven too – I have a small head that would probably fit through the collar. There might not be enough boob room in a woven though.

I sewed size 12, and it’s quite roomy. I think that I shortened the sleeves an inch or two, or maybe just took a deeper hem than suggested. I am experimenting a bit with my colour palette at the moment now that my hair is greying, and quite like the way that this shade of pink works on me.

Worn here with Style Arc jeans (either Misty or Blakley) and Django & Juliette boots.

Saturday, 11 September, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Style Arc Emery knit top

Thanks for the comments on yesterday’s Ellery dress! I ended up wearing it yesterday and it felt really good. I was right – not as many pulls and wrinkles without a top under it and with an underwired bra, but it still needs those tweaks at the back. Today I’m showing you another Style Arc pattern – the Emery knit top.

This was slightly experimental. Once again, I think that Anna’s version may have pushed me over the line and inspired me to sew this up.

This golden yellow cotton/spandex is from Spotlight. I figured that a cotton/spandex would have a little more body in it than my often preferred viscose/spandex knits, which would help the shoulder tucks to maintain a little more ‘puff’. I sewed size 12, without any alteration. There isn’t any waist shaping in this top, so I figured that it would be roomy enough through the torso to fit me.

The pattern description is as follows: Update your knit collection with this chic crew neck top. Continuing with the strong sleeve theme this top has a subtle ¾ length “leg of mutton” sleeve. This is a great easy fit silhouette not too tight and not too loose. FABRIC SUGGESTION: Knit jersey, baby wool or sweater knit.

While this top has the usual issue of sleeve volume not easily fitting under jackets/cardis/jumpers, it’s comparatively subtle. Do make sure that you baste the pleats into place before setting in the sleeve – or else use a million pins! If I make this again I would lower the front neckline an inch or so – I can feel it on my throat.

I’m wearing it here with Style Arc jeans (I think these are Misty), Ebb & Ive scarf, and Django & Juliette boots.

Friday, 10 September, 2021 by thornberry