A Last Minute Summer Sew

Labour Day long weekend is coming to a close now and school starts on Wednesday for the kids. (I've already been back since last Monday).  The hectic fall season is upon us for sure, but this weekend the weather has been gloriously summery - sunshiny and warm, so I'm wearing a last minute summer sew that I  almost had finished whipping up before we went on holidays - all I had left was the shoulder straps and hem for when we got home.  Not having had an opportunity to wear it since finishing it, I totally forgot about it until this morning.

Of course, it's the new free Orchard pattern from Helen's Closet that you can get just by signing up for their newsletter!  It's such a simple make and comes with a top version with two lengths and a dress version also with two lengths (that even has pockets!).  

I knew as soon as I saw the pattern that I wanted to make mine out of leftover linen that I had in my stash.  Because I was working with scraps I knew that I'd need to do some colour blocking to make it work.  I used the "Summer Breeze" linen in Pomegranate from Pure Linen Envy that I used a couple of summers ago to make my Helen's Closet Ashton Top along with leftover bias binding and a small strip of fabric that was all that remained from cutting out the linen blend from Minerva that I made my Zadie Jumpsuit with (also a couple of years ago). I also seamed the back of the top because I didn't have big enough piece of the solid linen to cut out the entire back piece. Scrap busting at it's finest!! 

To make my colour blocked version I went the easiest route possible.  First to make sure my top would be long enough for my liking, I added  1 1/2" to the pattern right off the hop.  Then I traced out the cropped version and added 5/8" seam allowance.  For my contrast band I traced off the rest of the top pattern from the cropped version line to the cut line and added 5/8" seam allowance at the top.  I cut both pieces on the fold since I had the room for it on my strip of linen blend, then it was just a matter of stitching the band to the bottom of my front and already sewn back pieces.  Then I continued on with the pattern as directed.  I lucked out having enough of the patterned linen bias tape left over from my Zadie to finish everything off with so I didn't even have to piece any teeny tiny bias strip scraps together.

I am really happy with how my colour blocked top turned out and now that I know how darn easy the Orchard Top and Dress is to sew, of course I can't help but thinking of some fall print fabric to make a dress with to pair it with a mock neck Dawson Top.  Hmmmmm...  Before I ponder that too much though I have a couple of other projects in the works - right now I'm working on a Moss jacket and some Winslow Culottes (Helen's Closet has ALL my attention right now apparently!!) and then I have dress I'm planning for early fall and I still want to get the pants hack of the Brampton Shorts made.  So many plans... so little time.  

Speaking of time I have to dash.  It's football practice night and the boys need to be at the field in less than an hour.  Gotta go...

The Brampton Shorts

Hello, hello!  How's your summer been going?  I've been having a great one!  We've had quite the busy one between football practices four times a week and working out in the garden - I refuse to let the weeds take over this year - and we even got in a trip to Saskatchewan that was absolutely wonderful.  We rented a cabin at Regina Beach for a few days and used it as a home base for day trips to Moose Jaw and Regina.  It's got me really excited to spend time over the next few months planning a road trip for next summer!

But here I am again with another pattern release from Itch to Stitch*.  I am definitely not ready to say farewell to summer or summer sewing for that matter, so the Brampton Shorts came at the perfect time for me.  Also, I'd been planning all summer long to make a few pairs of shorts, because I had only one pair left that fit me and so was in a bit of dire need.  The call to pattern test was the kick in the pants (or shorts as the case may be) that I needed to finally get to it.

Brampton comes with two different lengths to choose from, optional inseam and back pockets and optional belt loops and sash tie belt.  It features an easy elasticated paperbag waistband and comes in sizes 00-40.  This is a quick and easy sew, even if you choose all the optional pockets, belt loops and belt!  I whipped up my first pair in no time at all and made a second pair right away.  I didn't require any modifications to my shorts making it even quicker.   I chose to do the shorter length and all the options for both my pairs.

My first pair I made for the pattern test was made using leftover fabric from a previous Minerva project - my Itch to Stitch Anza Dress.  The fabric, that was gifted to me two years ago by Minerva, is a beautifully drapey rayon chambray.  I had just enough to do the shorts except for the pocket lining so I just used a white cotton lawn I had left over in my stash for that.  

The shorts fit great right off the hop.  As I said, no modifications were needed at all, so I was ready to make another pair straight away!  

I  definitely wanted to use all the options again, and this time wanted to try a different fabric to see how it would work out.  I chose a navy blue lightweight linen that I had bought earlier in the summer on sale from my local Fabricland with making shorts in mind.  It turned out to be perfect for the pattern as well!

My linen ones passed the road trip test too - I wore them all day on my trip and was equally comfy sitting for several hours in the truck as I was walking along the beach and lounging in the cabin. 

I'm so excited with this pattern and how it fits and wears!  I have some burnt orange viscose twill that I bought the same day I bought the navy linen with the intention of making some Helen's Closet Arden pants, but I changed my mind.  I'm going to hack the Brampton Shorts into pants.  I'd hoped to make them before my trip, but ran out of time, so I definitely want to make them for back to school.  I think they'd be super comfy as pants and I know that pattern fits well so it'll be a fuss free pants making venture!

If you want to get a copy of the Brampton Shorts they are on sale for the release week and I highly recommend them for any of your summer sewing plans!  I'll keep you posted on how the pants making goes! But for now I'm off.  I have to eat my breakfast and get out on the tractor and get the grass cut, then get into the garden and tackle the weeds and pick some veggies for supper tonight!

It's Been Awhile...

How has it been three months since I last posted here?  I didn't even realize it had been that long.  I've had so much going on!  It was a busy spring for sure - two of my kids got married within three weeks of each other,  I ended up with Covid in between the weddings and then some sort of stomach thing that lasted a whole miserable two months and then the end of school madness.   I will say that this year was probably the hardest and most stressful of my career to date.  I'm not sure why - it felt like it should have been easier than the two years previous, but whatever the case I'm so thankful it's done and hopefully next fall is a lot better!

But here I am.  Feeling so much better and we're into week three of summer break, so I'm caught up on much needed rest and feeling more relaxed than I have in months.  Summertime and the living is easy.  I've been working away in my garden, reading books that have been on my to read list for far too long, floating in the pool and getting some sewing and knitting in too.

I'm going to do a catch up post of some of the things I was working on in the months of my blogging hiatus - I sewed my dresses for both weddings and the ties for my husband and little guys (Ok, they're not little anymore - one is already a full fledged teenager and taller than me.  How did that happen?)  and I did a pattern test for Itch to Stitch* in between the weddings that I'm realizing I never shared here, along with a few other sewing projects and I picked up my knitting needles again!!  I'm so incredibly slow at knitting now, but I'm enjoying it, so that's what counts!

So, speaking of pattern testing, I recently finished another one and it's just been released today!  This is the Soller Top and Dress from Itch to Stitch and oh my goodness it was love at first sight!  The Soller features gathers at the front shoulders (achieved so simply with elastic!), a v-neck binding and grown on sleeves that are also finished with binding.  

I made the top version for testing and loved it so much I literally snipped the threads, tried it on and cut out a dress version and was wearing the dress by that afternoon.  So this is also a super speedy, quick fix kind of garment.  I need new tees in my wardrobe because most of mine are getting tattered and worn from so much use, and I'm trying to decide how many Soller tees would be an appropriate number.  

I made my tee out of an unmarked jersey remnant I picked up for a few dollars a couple of years ago at my local Fabricland.  I think it likely has some rayon or bamboo in it because it is super soft and has a drape to it.  I really, really hope I pre-washed my fabric - I usually do before I put it on the shelf, but I had a horrifying moment of thought after I cut it all out that I may not have.  Please oh please don't shrink! It's perfect the way it is!  I'm being super precious about how I care for it, because I don't want to ruin it.

The dress is just as good.  I've reached for it so many times this week already! It's just so comfy and easy to wear.  

This one is made out of The Fabric Snob's "boyfriend" wash jersey and it definitely has been pre-washed so this is a easy throw in the wash without a second thought kind of garment.  Which is a darn good thing given I practically have been living in it right now.  It's been so hot and humid the last little while it's been the perfect thing to throw on and go about my day. 

I want to talk about the yardage for a moment too.  After sewing some garments recently that took a whole lot of yardage (mother of the bride and mother of the groom dresses I'm looking at you...) it was so nice to be able to whip out a top or dress out of a small amount of fabric.  A top in my size 18 takes .8m  and the dress 1.2m!

If you want to get sewing a Soller for yourself, head on over to the Itch to Stitch site.  It's on sale for the release week too!

I'll pop back in soon again to tell you about the Lemont top that I tested and then forgot to tell you about here (although it was over on my Instagram and I did post about it in the ITS facebook group, so you may already have seen both I made.  I'll have to fill you in on the details of my wedding sewing too!

Sew Frugal 22

Hello, hello!

I'm back on this first Saturday in April to talk about my #sewfrugal22 challenge project that I did during the month of March.  The idea behind the challenge, hosted by Frugalisama and The Sew Yorkshire Girl was that we were to use a free pattern and fabric from our stash to make something during the month of March.

I have a lot of fabric in my stash and there are certainly plenty of patterns that are free available on the internet, so I thought it would be a fun challenge. 

For my project I finally jumped on the #M7969 bandwagon. Well sort of anyways…

I apparently live under a rock and this pattern was not even remotely on my radar until it was offered up as a freebie for signing up to the Minerva newsletter. Then suddenly it was everywhere and I realized it had been for quite some time. As I said. I must live under a rock.

I figured I had THE perfect fabric in my stash for it and I was pretty sure I could squeak it out if I chose the less billowy sleeve. I bought my navy blue floral challis probably three summers ago and have been wanting to make a floaty dress with it for the longest time. So it definitely fit the parameters of the Sew Frugal challenge.  It also fit the challenge going on over on the Minerva site for #SewnWithMcCalls.  Decisions made, it was time to get sewing!

I definitely struggled with choosing a size - there is zero indication on the pattern sizing chart whether it is finished measurements or body measurements - but after reading a lot of reviews online and perusing the #M7969 hashtag on Instagram, I decided to size down from what the pattern  seemed to be suggesting.

I will say it is one heck of a lot of pages to print out (maybe 50?  I can't remember offhand) and taping it together was not my favourite thing.  In fact I really, really disliked it.  I'm not sure what exactly had me so annoyed, it just didn't feel like it was as easy to line up and tape together like some of the other indie companies I have become used to using.  I also haven't used a Big Four pattern in probably close to a decade now for myself, so I'm not used to the style of pattern instructions anymore.  

Once I got it all taped together, all was going swimmingly, or so I thought. Everything got cut out and I had started to sew up my bodice (altered slightly to raise the neckline). Then I went to start the sleeves. That’s when it all went south. I was giving my sleeve pieces a quick press before starting on my next construction step when I noticed it... There was a flaw in my fabric and no way to hide it.  Then I noticed it ran along the bottom of the sleeve too.  They were not holes really, but very obvious almost holes.  Then I looked at the other sleeve and it was worse. It had a swooping line of these frayed almost hole bits marching across the entire sleeve. (not sure if you can see them where I've circled on the photo below, but they were there and they were obnoxiously noticeable.) There was absolutely no working around it. I am sure it was not like that when I got it. Surely I would have noticed when I pre washed and ironed my fabric. The only thing I can think is that maybe the cat got at it?  I was so disappointed.  I had hoped I could order more fabric from Minerva, but alas it's no longer available.  (Not surprising given how much time has passed since I bought it)

So I had to regroup.  Dreams of a floaty, billowy dress dashed,  I would selvage it by making a top instead. I used one skirt piece and cut new sleeves from it. Then I cut the other skirt piece in half for a front and back peplum.

Back to the sewing machine and back on track… or so I thought. Nothing left to do but the hem, I tried it on and found that much to my horror it looked exactly like a maternity top. Eeek!!!!

Back to the drawing board. AGAIN. I skipped the cuff I was going to use and ran elastic through the sleeve hem instead to keep them from hitting an awkward spot on my arm. Then I took the skirt off, cut it down to be a straight peplum like my Helen’s Closet March top that I love so much and decided to call it a day.

I’m not overly thrilled with it (mostly because it’s in my bad books for not being the dress I envisioned) but I think I will wear it. When I tried it on with my  my cropped Lander jeans and clogs I liked it quite a bit more so maybe not all is lost. Now I just need winter to go away and for me to forgive my top for not behaving. Lol!

I will definitely scope out my stash fabric to see if I can make a dress yet.  I also saw a hack for making a blouse without the wrap that seemed like a great idea too, so I want to try that as well!  

Before I do that though, I have some more pressing matters (or projects if you will) at hand.  I absolutely need to make my dress for G's wedding at the end of the month as well as my dress for N's wedding in May.  Plus I want to get my latest Minerva Ambassador project wrapped up and start on the next one AND if there's any time left after that, I want to make a Friday Pattern Company Sagebrush for the #sewaprilblouse22 challenge being hosted by Sew Dahlia Society and Cloth Edit.  I guess if I'm going to get any of those things accomplished I'd better get off the Internet and get down to the sewing room... 

Sibiu Top

Well, it certainly would appear things are feast or famine in terms of post on this old blog of mine.  It always seems to be the way.  You don't hear a peep from me for ages and then suddenly I'm here twice in as many weeks.  

I'm back here with some more sewing content and what do you know... it's to showcase another brand new Itch to Stitch* pattern that's just launched.  I haven't been doing as much testing lately because with everything going on I haven't felt I have the time or energy to give it the proper attention it deserves.  Every now and again though a design comes across my feed that I a) love the look of, b) have the fabric for, c) it doesn't look like it'll take me too long to sew up and d) I feel like I have the time and brain power for.

The Sibiu Top is one of those designs.  It's a simple design, but one that has a few options to make it really stand out.  I had some leftover fabric from, would you believe another Itch to Stitch test I did way back in 2015 - The Irena Top?  I have saved that red sweater knit for so long not knowing what to do with it.  As soon as I saw what the fabric requirements were I quickly ran down to the sewing room to see if I had enough and I had exactly what I needed!  (Now I'm wondering where on earth my Irena Top got to?  It's not in my closet, nor is it in my dresser drawer.  Huh.  I hope I didn't give it away at some point thinking I didn't fit it anymore.  Note to self:  You need to find your Irena!)  

Anyways - before I get too far away on my tangent let's just circle back to the Sibiu Top.  The only change I made to my size 18 was my standard 1 1/2" in length to the bodice.  However when I sewed up my top and tried it on I realized that I hadn't accounted for the amount of vertical stretch in my fabric being significantly more than the pattern called for.  I ended up taking a inch back off the bottom to bring the hem band up to the appropriate level. I love the short cuffed three quarter sleeves and the crew neckline, which is good because that was all my fabric would allow for! Top finished I decided immediately to make a second one.

For my second one I wanted to try some of the other options so this time I opted for the long cuffs and the cowl neckline.  I decided it was the perfect pattern for my latest Minerva Brand Ambassador project.  This gorgeous sparkly sweater knit was kindly gifted to me in exchange for a review that you can read over on the Minerva site under my profile!

For this one the stretch percentages are what are required by the pattern so I kept the 1 1/2" of length in the bodice and it's perfect for me.  No other changes were necessary at all.  This is such an easy top to fit given it's batwing style.

Of course I couldn't just stop with two of the views when I could make a third version!  For my third I decided to go a more casual route and make a jersey version.  I had a metre of Pointelle Jersey and a metre and a half of the Tangled Gardens from a previous custom round (unfortunately sold out by the looks of it) in bamboo jersey both bought from The Fabric Snob.  I did have to seam the centre back to make it work, as well as cut the cuffs and hem band on the lenghwise grain instead of the crosswise grain, but it was fine.  I could have been less stubborn and reversed my fabrics and had plenty to work with but I wanted just a pop of the floral in the solid.  As I said everything worked out fine, I just had to spend a bit of time figuring everything out - pattern placement tetris if you will.

I'm so happy with all three of my tops!  They're comfortable and cozy and yet another winner for my wardrobe.  You know it's a hit when I make three versions of a pattern within days.

If you'd like to get your own copy of the Sibiu Top pattern you can hop on over to the Itch to Stitch site and get it while it's on sale for the release week!

Garden Variety

Hello and Happy New Year! I can't believe we're almost to the end of January already!  Things have been a little bit bananas lately including the weather!  We seem to be on a bit of a yo-yo string with Mother Nature these days - bitterly cold then a drastic upswing to just below freezing then plummeting once again into a deep freeze.  The boys have had a total of five weather related school closures already this month (I've had four).  And we have another storm expected to roll through early this week, so that ought to be interesting!

Despite the weather, I'm still getting out and going for my daily walks that I started doing January 1st, 2021.  I'm pretty impressed with myself that I haven't missed a single day in over a year as of yet!  On those bitterly cold days though I need to make sure I'm dressed properly, which for me is wearing ALL the wool!  I'm pretty excited to have a new source of wooly warmth to show you today!

I started the Garden Variety Wrap during a mystery knit along with Paper Daisy Creations back in the fall of 2020.  I thought it would be an easy one to finish given there was only to be four clues to knit.  I was so certain about my ability to get it done I even bought brand new wool for the project instead of digging through my stash.  

I was really eager to start when clue one came out in September of 2020.  I had a bit of a false start and had to rip out my beginning,  but not to be deterred I cast on again and forged on finishing clue one a week into October.  Then I worked through clue two and started into clue three.  Then I lost all will to knit, put it aside and didn't pick it up again until after Christmas this year, when I decided I really did feel like knitting again, but couldn't really decide on what to start.  Not to mention I was starting to feel a little bit guilty about having bought all the wool and then just let it go to the wayside.

When I picked it up on December 29th I was about a third of the way through clue three.  It took me a bit to figure out where I was exactly and what I was doing but by New Years Eve I was finishing up the last rows and started out the next day with the fourth and final clue! I finished all the knitting by January 25th and was ready to weave in the few ends I hadn't woven in as I went and then block it.

I'm so happy that I picked it up again and finished it!  I absolutely love how it turned out - I had some misgivings as I was knitting that I might not like that the design wasn't symmetrical - sometimes I can be a bit funny about that sort of thing - but in the end it doesn't bother me at all.  I actually am quite fond of it!

My wrap is huge and snuggly warm!  It's perfect as a scarf for keeping the wind off my face when I'm going for my walk, which is how I normally wear it, but it is also big enough to throw over my shoulders if I'm a bit chilly and need a little bit of an extra layer.

This is my second wrap/shawl pattern from Paper Daisy Creations and I have to say I'm really impressed with the way she writes her patterns.  Both this one and the Midwestern Afternoon shawl were easy to follow and fun to knit! They're both certainly easy to wear too!  I've been using my Garden Variety constantly since it finished drying and up until wearing this one, I've been wearing my Midwestern Afternoon on endless repeat this winter!

I'm tempted to knit another Paper Daisy Creations wrap - I've had Flickering Light queued for a few years now - but seeing how pleased I was to finish one work in progress, I decided before starting something new I'd pull out another wip and finish it first.  

Now I'm plugging away at Polarity by Elena Nodel.  I started this one way, way back in February of 2017 using some black alpaca fingering weight that N and A had brought back for me from their trip to Peru and a skein of brightly coloured Colinette Jitterbug in the Red Parrot colourway that a friend had gifted me a few years earlier.  I don't even have much left to do on my Polarity.  A few more "teeth" and it'll be done and I'll have a fiesta of a scarf ready to be an antidote to any grey and gloomy weather!  

After that I have two sweaters also in my WIP basket - both are Untangling Knots patterns in various states of done-ness.  My Mary Mead from the December of 2018 needs the a couple more inches on the body and the sleeves and my Populuxe from earlier in the fall of 2018 only needs sleeves.  I'm not sure if I'll finish them up first or start something totally new once I'm done with Polarity though.  We'll see... I'm just so happy to be enjoying knitting again after such a long hiatus of not doing anything but the occasional gnome.  

Until next time, I hope you're staying safe and well throughout these crazy times and finding lots of things to bring you joy and happiness!