The Amador Top

So I do realize I keep saying I shouldn’t do tests when school is in, then I do another test, but sometimes a project is just that good that you want to be in on the ground floor.

Let me introduce you to the Amador Top* which is the newest design from Itch to Stitch. It’s a great top that features dolman style sleeves and a fun front detail with the lower bodice forming a point at the centre front the has some gathering under the bustline. It has a v-neckline that is neatly finished with binding.

I made mine out of ITY jersey. As I finished sewing it up we were under a storm watch and I took the photos on a “snow day” from work. Happily all the snow has since melted - although this being the prairies and all we are forecasted to get up to 10cm of snow over the next day. No thank you!! I’d much rather be able to wear my spring like Amador Top thanks!

As I mentioned I used an ITY that I bought at Marshall’s Fabrics on the city. It’s a super lightweight fabric. It’s a bit slippery cutting out but it wasn’t too awful. It has really good stretch and a good recovery.

The pattern comes in the usual size range of 00-40 with regular or full bust bodice pieces so no fussing with full bust adjustments. I made a size 18 (regular bust) and blended down to 16 at the hip.  No length was added to this one, but I had to get a bit fancy.

Normally I would add length and I think I could have added 3/4” but I blithely went ahead and added my length to the wrong part of the bodice. Imagine my surprise when the under the bust seam was hitting somewhere around my midsection. I couldn’t figure out where things had gone wrong for the life of me. I looked at other’s tops and they were fine then looked at mine which was very much NOT fine. Then one of the other testers asked if I’d perhaps added length to the wrong half of the bodice and sure enough that’s precisely what I’d done. I unpicked the whole top, re-cut the top bodice from the original too big one and started over. Thankfully it all worked out! To hem it I really didn’t want to lose any length so I did a one inch facing using a 1/4” seam allowance leaving me with the proper amount to “hem”.

I keep thinking this would make a good “basic but elevated”  kind of top and want to sew one up in a solid coloured fabric. I just haven decided on colour and/or fabric yet. I do plan on sewing another though for sure!

You can get your copy of the Amador Top over on the Itch to Stitch site. As usual it’s on sale with a discount for the release week!

The Jessi Hoodie

Ages ago - I feel like maybe as far back as late fall - one of the sewing groups I belong to on Facebook was hosting a sew along for the Jessi Hoodie by CoEmi.  I snapped up the pattern, bought the paper needed to print it off (It's a European pattern so required A4 - I made do with 8 1/2 x 14 " to accommodate the extra length needed and it worked just fine), printed and then assembled it all in short order.  Then proceeded to have zero time to sit down and trace the pattern out, add seam allowances and cut fabric out, let alone sew it up.  So it sat in a big pile on top of my desk until the beginning of March.

I've seen this pattern everywhere on Facebook for months now. It seems like ALL the custom fabric group sewists are especially crazy about it.  I really liked the look of it and thought it would be perfect for work, so I finally dragged my roll of tracing paper out and set to the business of tracing and adding seam allowances to all the bits and bobs.  It really wasn't an onerous task and now that it's done and I'm so happy with how it turned out I wonder why on earth I waited so long, other than time was, as always, at a premium.

I decided that my peached herringbone jersey from Blended Thread Fabrics would be great for the main fabric and instead of buying a co-ordinate for the rest, I decided to make do by utilizing as much of the charcoal Fabric Snob jersey from my ill fated New Horizons Vermont cardi that I'd made earlier in the year. (You never saw that one.  It was a complete fit disaster on me.  I don't know why I strayed from my beloved Blackwood Cardi in the first place).  So the cowl contrast was cut from the back of the cardi, the front side panels from the cardi fronts.  I cut the cuffs off and used them as is, and did the same with the cardi bottom band, so cuffs and band weren't exactly as the pattern measures, but did the trick nicely. I was pleased that the only "waste" left over from the cardi was the front bands which were so bizarrely stretched out of shape they were garbage anyway, and the sleeves, which I'll save for contrast on something for the little boys.

I have really loved wearing this top and reach for it so very often on cooler days, so I thought I'd make another version.  This time I used a panel from the custom print company, Midnight Mountain Fabrics which is located in the city. Being from the flat as flat can be prairies, I've always been drawn to the mountains. Some might even call it obsessed with them. I love their majesty, ruggedness and beauty, so I couldn't resist the panel when the pre-order went up a few months ago.  I combined it again with a jersey solid from The Fabric Snob.  This time since I was starting out from scratch I used the pattern pieces for the cuffs and measurements for the bottom band.  I like the bottom band's width, but the cuffs feel just a bit too long and too snug for my liking.  I'd probably like just an extra quarter of an inch width and a 1/4 of an inch shorter for my personal preference.  I'm not sure if it's the difference in fabric, or if I totally used the wrong seam allowance (How on earth do you do that when you're the one that added the seam allowance in the first place...The mind.  It boggles sometimes! LOL), but this one turned out really relaxed and verging on baggy.  I've taken it in some on the side seams and will wait until it's gone through the wash a couple of times in case it shrinks then I may leave it in it's still "relaxed fit" state, or may take it in more - I just feel that the minute I take it in, is the minute that it's going to shrink like a beast in the wash and I'm going to be living in a world of so much regret.  So for the time being it stays as is.

I used the "BIG Jessi" pattern. (Wow!  Not sure how I feel about the naming of the pattern - thanks for pointing out the obvious there CoEmi, because we larger ladies might not realize we're bigger than your regular pattern size range already.  But whatever.  Slight annoyance aside, I wasn't going to let myself be put off by that.  Maybe it's a translation thing.  I don't know.) As for the nitty gritty pattern details, the fit is pretty good (if you follow your seam allowance choice you made...), and it's a nice flattering design.  It has one heck of a huge cowl - if you feel the need to hide your head in a shell like a turtle, this is your pattern. LOL!

Or if you'd rather, there's a nice big hood option as well. You also have options to put in pockets (I didn't bother) and if you're a nursing mama, the pattern tells you how to add hidden zippers along the princess seam lines to make it breastfeeding friendly. Certainly not a feature I'd need anymore, but might be quite handy for others.  I like that you can mix and match fabrics and that it's a perfect way to use those fun custom print panels that are all over the internet that I seem to be acquiring but haven't previously had a hot clue what to do with.

I'm am pretty much delighted with both my versions and am currently pondering if I should make a third version, but this time with french terry and just a regular jewel neckline instead of hood or cowl.  Although, the weather has been glorious, so maybe I should just turn my thoughts to spring sewing instead... we shall see!

It's All About Comfort

It's been cold a lot here lately.  Even when we have a ridiculously warm temperature in the forecast it'll go something like this, "Thursday's high -3C... with a windchill making it feel like -35C"  What?!?!  Why can't we have anything nice??? Quit playing with us, Mother Nature.  At this point it's just rude.

So along with cold comes a great need for cozy, comfortable clothes.  I'm all about jerseys and pontes these days!  I had some quilted jersey from Blended Threads that I wanted to use for possibly another Grainline Linden, but then one of the Facebook groups I belong too was planning a sew along for the Hey June Halifax Hoodie.  Since I have a Linden already, I thought I'd branch out.  I made view E of the Halifax, but lengthened it significantly (too much maybe?), because while I really loved the cowl neckline and the interest of the front diagonal seams there is no way that I'm doing a hi-low hem.  I really can't stand them at all on me.  It just always feels weird, so I spend all day tugging at the front of my top and feeling awkward.  LOL

I'm pretty happy with my Halifax although I've discovered that the quilted jersey collects lint like a beast (as does the ponte that I used along with it) and it also seems like it's going to have a tendency to pill a bit.  I also feel that the black is a bit strong (does that even make sense?) and wish I'd gone with a charcoal instead, but I was using up stash so, whatever.  It's cozy and comfy and so I'm perfectly fine with its couple of downsides.

After all was said and done, I still had a bit of Ponte left in the stash and a hankering for another Linden, because I absolutely adore the striped floral one I made at new years.  I went hunting through my stash of leftover bits and bobs for the sleeves and settled on quilted jersey left over from my last year's Jasper Hoodie.

I'm super happy with how it turned out and again, other than the lint collecting factor of the ponte, this was a complete wardrobe win for me.

My final make is a bit of a dud.  I think I mentioned how my husband bought me a Silhouette Cameo for Christmas - best new toy ever - and I wanted to try doing a shirt with a logo on it.  I had bought a light grey tee from Walmart for the purpose, but it was ridiculous on me. First off the fit was weird.  Next problem it was tissue paper thin.  Nope. Nope. Nope.  So $5 worth of poly blend jersey from Fabricland and my "TNT" Molly Top pattern seemed the best route to go.  The saying, "Don't Make Me Use My Hockey Mom Voice" is a reference to the fact that one of the other team moms and myself are sort of a bit ... ahem... infamous for our loud cheering.

Now before you start thinking we're that kind of obnoxious hockey mom, we're definitely not.  We cheer everyone on for pretty much everything. You're skating?  We're going to cheer.  Your stick touched the puck?  Cheer.  Got a goal? We're hooting and hollering like a couple of lunatics.  So we are super encouraging to our little players, but just happen to be a bit loud whilst doing it.  I blame it on my years in cadets as a teenager, calling the squadron out onto the parade square and giving drill commands.  That whole comes from the diaphragm, not the throat thing apparently stuck and I am just loud.  Can't help it.  LOL

The tee is fine.  Except it was like Goldilocks and the freaking bears with that neckband.  The first one was TOOOOOOO big.  The second one was TOOOOOOO small.  The third one?  Well it's ok. Certainly not just right, because in the meantime all the ripping out and re-doing stretched the heck out of the neckline.  Then I actually burnt the fabric a tiny bit right in the front trying to beat the darn thing into submission. (Hello polyester!).  So it's not great, but it'll do.  Then there's the logo.  I think my placement is a touch off.  Maybe a bit lower? Maybe more line spacing? Maybe a bigger font?  I've no hot clue.  I just know it looks off to me.

In amongst the sewing, I've also been knitting, spinning, playing with the cutting machine and generally avoiding dishes, laundry and other sundry housework when I'm not at work or the rink...