THORNBERRY

adult's clothing, sewing, tessuti patterns

Tessuti Lily dress as top

I first sewed the Tessuti Lily dress in 2012. That dress is still in my wardrobe and is still worn! I have actually sewn the pattern another three times since then (once for Mum and twice for me). The orange linen version is still in my wardrobe getting regular wear, and the sleeveless version was worn and washed so much that it’s actually been worn out! Each time I wear the Lily dress I think about how much I like the fit across my shoulders, and think that I really should use the same pattern to make a top. Finally, that’s what I did!

The beautiful Japanese seersucker that I used was a gift from a generous friend. The check is printed, not woven in to the fabric. I decided to keep the flare in the side seams, and just cut the pattern straight across at the desired length (mostly determined by the amount of fabric that was available).

I find this such an easy top to sew! The neck is finished with bias binding used as a facing. Hems are simply a narrow hem turned twice and topstitched. I used the overlocker to finish seam allowances, but otherwise sewed it on the machine.

Have you noticed the white pants that I am wearing with it? These are the same pattern as the orange pants in the last post – McCalls 2699.

This time they are sewn in linen from The Cloth Shop. I had a pair of wide leg white linen pants many years ago that I wore to death (I had a wide leg black washed silk pair as well that was also worn to death) and I’ve always thought that I should sew a replacement pair. It was a bit of a challenge finding white linen that was the right weight for pants, but fortunately The Cloth Shop had a range to choose from. This linen is just right.

I did a stash dive again for elastic and a toggle for the waist. This is a very easy adjustable finish.

At around the same time I was planning to sew the Lily dress as a top I saw in this Instagram post from Tessuti, showing Silva’s Lily dress as top. She removed flare at the hemline and used the fabric selvedges at the hems. I might give that a go next time I am working with a fabric that has an interesting selvedge!

Size wise, I sewed the Medium, which according to their size chart is for a 96cm/38″ bust. My measurements are one size up, but the Medium seems to fit me well. Tessuti offer this pattern from a 32″ to 42″ bust, so the size range is pretty limited. I find that Tessuti patterns are ones that work well for me and stay in my wardrobe for some time.

Saturday, 19 June, 2021Saturday, 11 February, 2023 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, vintage patterns

Vintage McCalls 2699

I am all over the place with my blogging timeline at the moment! These pants and jacket were sewn and photographed last year – I wore this outfit on Christmas day.

Firstly, to the pattern. It’s a Lida Baday pattern, McCalls 2699, from 2000. And it’s been in my pattern stash all that time. Pity it took me twenty years to make it!

I have sewn a couple of other McCalls Lida Baday patterns in the past, and I think that there is still another one (or two) waiting for me to get around to sewing them. It was so good sewing from an older pattern – those lovely 5/8 inch seam allowances, clear markings, and only a few sizes to distinguish between. I think that I sewed size 12 for both the pants and jacket.

So, where will I start? Maybe with the pants.

As you can see, these are a wide-leg, elastic waisted pair of pants. They do however have some interesting features. The side seam pocket construction is a little unusual, and results in pockets that sit flat during wear and have attractive topstitched detail around the opening. There is a waist casing for elastic and a toggle – I used contrasting round elastic and a toggle that I found in stash. See, it’s handy to keep all those slightly random things for the one day when you might need them! A drawstring would aso work, or you could just insert flat elastic into the casing.

The back has a yoke, also with some topstitching. The pant hems are quite deep, which I like in a wide-leg pant. It somehow makes them feel more ‘quality’ to me. In the pattern photo the pants look cropped on the model; I shortened them a couple of inches and they’re still full length on my 158cm height!

The fabric is a textured cotton that I bought online from Super Cheap Fabrics. It’s a medium weight, so perfect for this pattern. The woven texture looks slightly different on each side, a bit like it does with a jacquard, which I took advantage of by using one side for the body of the jacket and the other side for the bands.

The bands are really a lot like external facings, as they are sewn to the wrong side of the jacket then are turned to the outside and topstitched in place. The same method is used on the sleeve hems as the jacket openings and hems. Thinking about the sleeves, I have a feeling that I shortened the sleeve pattern pieces before cutting out.

This was a relatively straightforward sew, while still needing attention to detail and especially attention to reading the instructions! There’s plenty of topstitching, and collar construction always adds a little time too. The jacket is unlined, so I took care to ensure that the overlocker thread matched the garment fabric as closely as feasible.

This outfit is a real winner for me. It’s very soft and unstructured. Mid-weight cotton gets me through spring, summer and autumn, depending on what I wear with it. And the texture is just scrumptious! The white top is the Style Arc Ethel top, by the way, blogged here.

Friday, 18 June, 2021Tuesday, 14 September, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing

Jalie 2918 yet again

Whenever I fancy sewing a new tee for my husband, I turn to Jalie 2918.

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve sewn this pattern. This version is in bug printed knit from the Darn Cheap Fabrics bargain table. I bought enough to make something for myself from it as well.

The contrast neckband is in lovely smooth rib knit from stash. It’s handy to have a few different colours of rib trim tucked away – you never know what they’ll work best with! Construction all on the overlocker, with topstiching on the machine.

Thursday, 17 June, 2021Wednesday, 16 June, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, teen

Stitch Witch Patterns Tudor Blouse

I first came across the Stitch Witch Patterns Tudor blouse on Instagram late last year and immediately thought of Clare. It wasn’t the original Tudor blouse that took my fancy though – it was the front wrap hack that appealed the most.

From the pattern website: Meet the Tudor blouse – a whimsical summery piece designed for the romantic at heart! This blouse was inspired by 16th century square necklines, the drama of Tudor era fashion and modernized for the contemporary sewist! The Tudor blouse has two lengths: a cropped version, or a longer version that reaches the high hip. Pattern package includes the free Tudor blouse wrap hack. The center front of the blouse features a button closure (clasps and snaps can be used in place of buttons). The sleeves are elasticated, making the blouse a very quick sew! The pattern also has another new feature: two bust cup options! A small bust version (A-B) and a full bust version (C and up).

Size wise, the patterns goes from 0 to 26. I think that I sewed Clare size 4 or 6 – because it is the wrap version, it’s pretty flexible fit wise anyway. I bought the pattern before the update with cup options. The ‘wrap hack’ also has two options – one that has a solid back and wrap front, and the other with a solid front and wrap back.

This is super easy to sew. Elastic encased in a channel across the top of the shoulders and elastic in a channel at the sleeve hem to gather it in. The back piece is faced, and the front wrap ties are doubled. It’s very quick to make, and pretty easy to wear. So much so that it didn’t take long before I sewed it a second time.

I had a bit of fun trying to ensure that the border print didn’t mean that there would be a big circle right on each nipple when the top was tied! It’s worked out okay in the end, phew! The blue gingham seersucker that I used for the first top had proven to be a perfect fabric weight, and the voile I used for the second also worked beautifully. Both fabrics were lightweight enough that the double layers in the ties weren’t thick and unwieldy.

The neckline of this blouse pretty much aligns with Clare’s bra straps. I have added strap keepers to both these tops to eliminate the possibility of the sleeves falling off her shoulders.

This really is one of those almost instant satisfaction projects. It’s fashionable, easy to sew, and easy to wear. Clare wore both these tops quite a lot over the summer.

Wednesday, 16 June, 2021Sunday, 13 June, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Style Arc Monty dress

Another garment sewn and photographed many months ago was this Style Arc Monty dress for my Mum.

The fabric is Japanese linen from The Cloth Shop. This fabric was a joy to sew. I even have enough of it left for one more garment, possibly a top for me 😉 I really like fabrics where the warp and weft are different colours; it gives them more dimension, even though the fabric reads as a solid from a distance.

From the Style Arc website: This is a two in one pattern. Both patterns share the deep yoke, extended shoulder line, neat revere collar and pocket flaps. The easy fit button through dress has side splits and falls below the knee. Wear it with sneakers for a casual look or high heel pump for a more formal occasion. The square shaped shirt has all the details of the dress and is the new length which sits on the high hip. FABRIC SUGGESTION Linen, crepe, silk, rayon.

I sewed Mum the size 16, which is pretty much the size she’d buy in the shops. Mum is around my height but doesn’t like her hemlines short, so I didn’t shorten the dress at all (I possibly would have if I were sewing it for myself).

I’m just going to take out a moment to point out the perfection of my buttonholes. My sewing machine is old – I got it for my 21st – and the buttonholes are a manual four-step buttonhole. After all this time the machine and I operate as one being! These are spot on!

And that’s a good thing, because there are ten buttonholes in this dress. I really like the way that they are paired together – nice thinking, Style Arc! I sewed the vintage buttons on with the sewing machine as well, using double-sided tape to secure them in place before stitching.

This dress is perfect for the hot weather in the country town Mum lives in – although this summer wasn’t especially hot in the end!

There are handy in-seam pockets in the sides; the pocket flaps on the bodice front are just for show. And most of us don’t put anything in boob pockets anyway! The side splits allow for ease of movement. I reckon that this dress looks terrific on Mum.

Tuesday, 15 June, 2021Sunday, 13 June, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, teen

Medieval Day

One of the highlights of the school calendar is Medieval Day. It’s part of their Year 8 Humanities studies, and is a day where the girls get to dress up and learn more about life in Medieval times. When Clare was in Year 8 she still fitted in to her Eowyn costume. Stella grew much faster than Clare, and there was no way that she could squeeze into that! So we made her something new.

Stella started thinking about her costume many months before the day itself – thank goodness! We searched the internet for inspiration, and bought a couple of patterns to base it on.

We used Simplicity 1773 for the underdress. I had ordered poly satin from Super Cheap Fabrics to make both dresses. The ivory for the underdress was pretty lightweight and pretty slippery. You know, work of the devil type of fabric. I knew that I’d need to make fit alterations so cut a muslin from an old sheet, sewed that up, pinned out all the alterations, then used the muslin as the pattern. It was way too wide across the upper chest and shoulders originally, and needed grading between bust and waist, plus shortening through the torso. Quite a few fit changes really, which I had anticipated. I know that when I’m sewing anything fitted in a woven for my daughters that I really do need to muslin it first. Everyone’s shapes are different; just because they are slim it doesn’t mean that patterns will fit them as drafted! Rather than have a heap of small buttons at the wrist, we inserted invisible zips. Definitely not period accurate, but much better for ease of dressing with those close fitting sleees! There’s also an invisible zip in the centre back.

So, on to the outer dress. This was sewn in poly satin crepe, with the crepe side as the right side. It was actually quite nice to sew with, which was a welcome relief! Pattern wise I used the muslin from the underdress as a fit guide to mash up the Butterick and Simplicity bodice patterns, and grafted on the sleeves from Butterick 4571 instead of the Simplicity sleeves. We didn’t bother with the Butterick undersleeve, because the underdress had long sleeves. I wanted to line the dramatic oversleeve with something and spotted this cross-stich printed quilting cotton in stash. It was perfect!

Time wise, it was around twenty hours of work to make both dresses, including cutting out, muslining, and construction.

Adding the eyelets to the front was the last stage. It’s really difficult to get quality hardware fittings for the home sewer – what you can buy at Spotlight just doesn’t cut it (same applies to the Spotlight jeans button kits). Fortunately I had some higher quality hardware in my stash that I’d purchased from leather/saddlery suppliers. I really do advise that you don’t use the cheap stuff; you’ll just get frustrated and you also run the risk of causing damage to your project. Reminder to self: throw out the cheap kits that are still in the bottom of the drawer. I had some leather thonging in stash that worked fine as lacing.

So once again, this isn’t a historically accurate recreation by any means. We’ve got polyester, zips, metal eyelets, and a mish-mash of styles that possibly range from Medieval to Baroque. Stella’s crown was purchased on eBay, and the sword is a LARP sword.

And although the overdress looks quite blue in many of these photos, it’s actually a definite teal. I have a couple of photos taken at school that are much more representative.

Fit wise, it’s still a bit too wide across the upper back and shoulders. However, that was mostly fixed with bra strap keepers sewn to the inside of the underdress, and a couple of safety pins between the underdress and the overdress! I didn’t want to fit these too closely to Stella as I still anticipate that she’ll grow a little more (she’s just turned fourteen) and we hope that this is a costume that can be worn to more occasions in years to come.

Monday, 14 June, 2021Sunday, 13 June, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Grasser Patterns 513

Grasser appears to be a Russian pattern site, possibly using the same software as Lekala and Bootstrap Fashion. These patterns often have quite interesting design details that I rarely come across elsewhere. They also offer their patterns in much more customised sizes than most pattern companies, and the patterns are very reasonably priced. My first try with a Grasser pattern is this one – Grasser 513.

This is an older Grasser pattern, so the instructions are much more basic than those provided with the newer patterns. The newer ones seem to have extensive instructions with step by step photos and sometimes links to blog tutorials. That said, the only tricky thing to figure out with this pattern was how to best do the sleeve ties.

Fortunately for me, Mie of Sewing Like Mad had written a detailed Instagram post on this pattern, with additional photos saved as a highlight in her stories. There is also a blog post on this pattern here (with a variation without the sleeve ties here). A key message for this top was to alter the upper back pattern piece BEFORE CUTTING OUT to remove width at the back neckline. I did that by slashing at the centre back neckline and then overlapping the required amount. See Mie’s post for more information!

I sewed the upper front to the lower front on the machine, pressed the curved seam allowances open, then topstitched either side of the seamline to highlight it. Same thing on the back. I also topstitched the shoulder seam allowances in the same way, plus the seam allowances between the sleeve front and sleeve back. I did the ties the way that Mie described. Actually, I think that almost all the construction for this top was done on the sewing machine. I probably finished the neckband seam allowances on the overlocker.

Fabric wise, this is a taupe lightweight french terry from Seamstress Fabrics. The colour is very difficult to photograph accurately. I rather like working with this type of fabric. Anyway, back to the pattern! From the pattern page on the Grasser website: Sweatshirt of free silhouette, large volume, slightly narrowed to the bottom. On the front and back, there is a figured cut that gives a three-dimensional shape. Lowered shoulder line. Sleeve with upper and lower seam, ¾ in length, with single cut turn-down cuff and straps. Fabric suggestion: tight knitwear holding a shape or neoprene; Ribbing for neck binding.

It looks to me as though Grasser intend for the tie edges to be cut and left unfinished if the top is being made in something like neoprene, which makes sense considering the thickness of that fabric. One of the joys of sewing though is that you can substitute different fabric types – but of course then you need to figure out corresponding construction and finishing changes! Size wise I ordered this pattern according to my height – so the shortest height range – and body measurements which I think corresponded to RU 50. It looks to me as though the design is fitting me as intended!

This layers well over a long-sleeved tee as the weather gets colder, but it’s also quite nice for those in-between days. I have a few more Grasser patterns in my wishlist now, some more for my daughters than for me. I’ll definitely keep this pattern company in mind for future sewing. I sewed this top back in March as a palate cleanser after a much more involved sew for Stella for her school’s Medieval Day – that’s coming up in my next blog post!

Sunday, 13 June, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, Pattern Fantastique, sewing

Pattern Fantastique Vali dress

I am always a little excited when Nita-Jane of Pattern Fantastique releases a new pattern. Her patterns have interesting design lines and remain stylish for a long time. This is my wearable muslin of the Vali dress.

I sewed and photographed this dress back in March, and wore it to the Sew Melbourne Garden Party. The fabric is a cotton shirting that was in stash. It has a fine green and white stripe, and a little stretch. This means that it’s not really the ideal fabric for this design. It would be much better in one of the suggested fabrics – a drapey viscose, silk, linen or cotton. Not a tightly woven cotton with some spandex in the mix!

That said, I was aiming at a wearable muslin, and it’s definitely wearable! This is size 12, with the standard neckline. Although the dress is roomy through the body, the yoke is more fitted and I definitely advise selecting your size based on your bust/upper bust measurement. Don’t size down because of the body ease.

I referred to this on the day as my ‘nightie’ dress but I think that’s a function of the colour. Take a look at the Instagram hashtag of #validress to see how it looks in a variety of fabrics. It’s not a quick sew, but it’s very satisfying. Take your time and follow the instructions carefully. Gathers, binding, side seam pockets, curved hemlines, they’re all enjoyable to do. The sleeve cuffs are easy – they’re elasticised! I suggest cutting the elastic a little long then adjusting it to fit you comfortably. It needs to be firm around your upper arm so that you get the puffiness, but not tight.

From the pattern website: The Vali Dress is a classic 70’s style glam smock. The high neckline is surrounded by sleeve and yoke gathers. Volumes of fabric, fine ties, topstitched facings and pocket bags will transform the simplest of materials into a romantic, textured and detailed dress or top. The Vali has two neckline options, the standard neckline and a drop neckline, for those who prefer a plunge or need a little more breastfeeding access. Sizes range from 6-26. The yoke is the key fitting point with a high neckline and close-fitting yoke line that gives form to an otherwise full flowing dress. The instructions contain more information on how to measure and choose the best size for you.

This dress will probably leave my wardrobe, but I will definitely sew this pattern again in a more suitable fabric, probably with the lower neckline option. I’m still tossing up whether my next go at the pattern will be a dress or the top version. I’ll also do a forward shoulder adjustment to better fit my shape.

Saturday, 12 June, 2021Saturday, 11 February, 2023 by thornberry

sewing, teen

Hey June Patterns Lane Raglan

I don’t often get a sewing request from Stella. Her current style preference leans toward 90s grunge, rather than mummy-made. But a few months ago she did ask me to make her a TommyInnit top. She didn’t need to pester; I was quickly on to it!

For those of you wondering who/what TommyInnit is, Wikipedia gives the short version as follows: Thomas Simons, better known by his online alias TommyInnit, is a British YouTuber and Twitch streamer. He produces Minecraft-related videos and livestreams, including collaborations with fellow YouTubers and streamers in the Dream SMP, which caused his YouTube and Twitch channels to increase in popularity.

Stella is an avid Minecraft watcher, player and streamer. TommyInnit often wears red and white raglan sleeved tops during his streams. I had some red jersey in the stash, and cut up an oversized white tee that was also in stash to get the fabric for the body. The pattern is the Lane Raglan, a popular tee from Hey June Patterns. I sewed the smallest size for Stella, and shortened the sleeves.

There’s not much more to report on this tee – it’s nicely drafted and was very straightforward to sew. And she’s been wearing it, so that’s a win!

Thursday, 10 June, 2021 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing, teen

Made for Mermaids Eloise top

And whoosh, more weeks have passed! We’re almost at the end of a snap 14-day lockdown here in Melbourne. Looking forward to easing back to normal in the next couple of weeks. I’ve cut out lots of projects and am looking forward to getting some sewing done soon. Lockdown meant the postponement of lots of interstate work, so I’ve got some more time at home.

This top was an impulse sew for Clare a few months ago. It wasn’t on her requests list but sometimes I just want to sew what I want to sew! I liked the look of the pattern and thought that it would be cute on her.

The pattern is the Made for Mermaids Eloise top. From the pattern page: Eloise is a fitted knit peasant-style pattern full of options. It includes a hemmed cropped or top. Plus a half circle peplum, mini, and dress length. The front neckline includes a high, mid, or low scoop. The back neckline is straight. The cropped and the top length neckline is finished with binding. The peplum, mini, and dress bodices are lined. Perfect for year-round wear with several elastic top sleeve options: flutter, ruffled elastic short sleeve, elastic hemmed 3/4, and elastic hemmed long sleeves. All options have a solid or faux button front option.

As you can see, we chose the cropped top with plain front and mid scoop neckline, with long sleeves. There’s quite a size range, especially when you take into account that there is also a child and a youth version of the pattern available. The women’s pattern goes up to a 60 inch full bust. I sewed the smallest women’s size for Clare, the 30 inch full bust, and graded up one size at the waist. I won’t bother grading up the waist the next time that I sew this pattern.

The fabric is a printed rayon/spandex knit from Spotlight. It has lovely drape for the sleeves. The pattern was a very easy sew, and the neckline binding finish is a step up from just turning and hemming.

Despite Clare’s initial misgivings when I told her that I wanted to sew this top, it’s been worn quite a lot! It seems to fit quite nicely with the rest of her wardrobe (like the vintage Calvin Klein jeans she’s wearing with it here). I’ll definitely be sewing this pattern again for her, both in summer and winter versions.

Wednesday, 9 June, 2021 by thornberry