Pine Cove PJs for the Win

I’ve been on a quest to upgrade my pajamas. That might have been inspired by the Itch to Stitch Pine Cove Pajamas pattern. It has been on my “to-sew list” for quite some time. I've seen some great versions  in flannel and in satin and I want to try those fabrics some time. But when I saw this fabric on Minerva’s site, I decided I HAD to have it and it seemed like it was worth a try to use it on this pattern I had been eyeing for so long. It's a woven cotton, and I wasn't quite sure about using a woven cotton. Would it be too wrinkly? Turns out, it's a great choice! It’s soft and comfy and doesn’t need pressing when it comes out of the dryer – especially for lounging! Something I love about this pattern and fabric combo for pajamas, is that if someone outside my family sees me in my pj’s I feel completely at ease (which I don’t if I’m wearing a t-shirt and no bra – personal preference). It feels modest, comfortable and stinkin’ adorable! Another thing I am loving about wearing this fabric is that it keeps me warm, without making me hot. It’s super breathable and would be great for wearing year-round. 

I’m kind of in love with hedgehogs right now, and I ALWAYS love flowers. Making PJs from this fabric just adds an element of fun to life!

So, this pattern. No secret that I love Itch-to-Stitch patterns. No cup sizes in this pattern - the wrap style makes the top very forgiving size-wise. There is a pocket on the front of the top. It holds a phone fine - which may be all you need. But, I think it wouldn't be too hard to add pockets to the pants. And I don't think it would affect their comfort at all. While we're talking about the pockets, the selvage on this fabric was just too cute! I HAD to incorporate it into the finished garment! So, I used it as an accent on the front pocket. I love the way it turned out!!

 

The longer I have sewn, the pickier I have gotten about the way the inside looks. So, I used French seams on the pants seams, as well as attaching the sleeves on the top to the bodice (there are lots of great tutorials about how to do this). 

That tag on the waistband? I ordered these about 25 years ago - you may or may not be old enough to remember when they advertised things like this in sewing magazines and you filled out an order form and mailed it in and then they sent them to you. At any rate, believe it or not, I still have them! I added one of those – it’s nice to easily be able to identify the back.

The pajama top has vents at the bottom of the side seams. To make these vents you need to press the entire seam open (which you can’t do with a French seam). So, I used a Hong Kong finish for the side seams (again, check out some online tutorials if you haven’t done that before). It turned out so nice, and looks so pretty on the inside! 

 

Let's talk about directional fabric for a minute. We don't really want upside down hedgehogs!! I was super careful as I cut it to make sure that all the pieces were right side up. However, the collar band is just rectangles. I could have sewed them either way, but I forgot to think about it and now I have upside down hedgehogs on my collar band. It took me several days to even notice, and I don’t think most people will – but I’m always looking to up my sewing game – and I can’t do that if I don’t learn. So, I just filed it away for next time (and I’ll pass that little word of wisdom on to you because I’m nice like that!). Pay attention to how the collar band will sit when you go to sew it on. 

 

I really love the finished product! I have loved wearing them about the house, working from home, and having something special to wear when we have company staying with us. What makes pajamas fun for you?

*I received this fabric from Minerva in exchange for posting about it on their site. The views and opinions expressed are all mine.

 

 

Itch to Stitch Montana Shirt - working with subtle stripes

When StyleMaker Fabrics got this fabric, it was love at first sight! 

I ordered it back before Christmas and then had tons of Christmas sewing to do and this fabric just sat there on my shelf taunting me. I was so excited to finally have time to sew this up!!

I spent some time looking around for a pattern and decided on the Montana Shirt by Itch to Stitch. 

If you've read other posts on this blog, you know that I love Itch to Stitch patterns. Kinnis builds cup sizes into her patterns which means I don't have to do much in the way of modifications. However, when I use a new pattern, I always look around for blog posts by others who have used the pattern and see what they have to say about fit and possible creative ideas. I found this blog post by Heidi at Handmade Frenzy to be super helpful. She also wrote a blog post on the Itch to Stitch blog that has even more details. 

In the original Montana Shirt pattern, you have to choose the tie option or a longer, but straight hem option. I liked that Heidi changed the bottom of the shirt so that she could wear it tied or out and I love a curved hem versus the straight hem in the pattern - so I did the same. I even added the side vent that she added. 

She also mentioned that she sized down because the shirt is meant to be oversized. I thought this was good advice and followed that as well. Even sizing down, the shirt is very roomy and baggy. I think it would make a great plaid flannel shirt.

My favorite thing about this pattern are all the inside details - the flat felled seams, the fancy little cuff vent and the amazing technique that encloses all the seams in the yoke. The inside of this shirt is just so pretty you guys!! The making of this shirt was super satisfying - it was definitely a slow sew....but very enjoyable!!

Some notes on fabric. I should have ordered more of this. I think I ordered the fabric before I chose the pattern, either that or I looked at the amount for 60" wide fabric and this was 45" wide. As I thought about cutting, I had to pay attention to the fact that this fabric has some definite striping. First you want to consider the layout - so I draped the fabric over me to decide whether I wanted those stripes to run across my body or up and down - it's important to make deliberate choices about things like that!! Next I wanted to think about pattern matching - or how adjacent pieces would line up when sewn together. The pattern matching (which is good in the front - but the sleeves are not in line) was a little tricky because I was working with so little fabric. If I had had more fabric, I would have lined up the sleeves as well, but given my fabric constraints, I decided the sleeves were fine. One of the sleeves is already actually three pieces - I always vacillate between feeling a little bad about that and then telling myself I'm being resourceful!!  Luckily, the fabric is so busy that you can't tell and I was very careful to make sure and choose the patches from the same color area of the fabric so I didn't get a bright pink patch in the middle of the brown.

In my post on the Bonn Shirt, I talked about button placement. One of the great things about sewing is that every project you learn things that you can apply to future projects. #NoSewingFails So, I definitely applied my new found button placement knowledge to this project. Don't use the placement guide. Put a button at the fullest bust point and then arrange the rest from there (unless you either don't have the problem of your shirts pulling or gaping at the buttons or you don't care....hey no judgment here!!).

In the end, I think I would have liked a more form fitting shirt for this fabric - but it still makes me happy every time I wear it and I learned a ton from the process. I had never done several of the techniques before, and I'm tempted to make this pattern again just to enjoy the process!!

Rebecca Page Circle Cardie Mashup

I love a good cardigan. It can really be a statement piece for an outfit or it can just be a practical basic. I made a Sinclair Patterns Harper Cardigan (which is a free pattern by the way) awhile back to post on the Minerva site. 

It was fun, but I used it to experiment with some serger detailing - and while I loved the pattern and loved the fabric, I haven't really been digging the serger detailing...so I've been wanting to make another one. I also needed a more basic, neutral cardigan to add to my wardrobe - but I really like my basics to have a LITTLE flair....so if I was going to make a boring color (black - no judging those who prefer a more neutral or muted wardrobe - it's just not always MY go to) I needed to have some fun details. 

I had bought some black double brushed jersey spandex blend knit from GirlCharlee awhile back that was earmarked for my basic black cardigan - It seems they no longer have this specific one - but it's a pretty thin knit with nice drape.

After spending lots of time looking at cardigan patterns, I settled on the Rebecca Page Circle Cardie. If you look at the pictures, one of the views has a really cute ruffle across the back.

So, I paid for the pattern, printed and cut it out, and got ready to sew. As I read the instructions I realized that this doesn't have a ruffle just across the back....it has a ruffle AROUND THE ENTIRE CARDIGAN. Neck, front edges AND back. Oh dear. That wasn't the look I was going for at all. I have looked through the ENTIRE Instagram #circlecardie and I can't find ANYONE who has posted a ruffled version of this make and the only picture of this view shows the back....see my confusion?? To be COMPLETELY fair, it is not SUPER gathered - The pattern says it is gathered at about 1.25x the total length - but it is also a wider binding than the band binding. It's possible that there ARE some pictures of the gathered hem view, and I just didn't realize it because it's not very tightly gathered?? Have you made this view? How did it turn out for you? I would LOVE to see a picture...I'm probably being dramatic....it's probably amazing! But even so, I fretted for a day, trying to figure out if I had wasted my money on the Circle Cardie Pattern. Then I decided to try a mashup. So, here's what you can do:

                                            

First, measure the bottom back edge where you actually DO want the ruffle. For my size, I wanted about 31" of ruffle across the back. So, I cut my ruffle piece to about 60" so I could have 2x fullness (If you're gonna do a ruffle, you may as well really do a ruffle, am I right??).  Then I measured the length of the band for the hem band finish and subtracted 30" from it - the band is a LITTLE smaller than the cardigan you are sewing it onto - you stretch it slightly. I had already cut out all the ruffle pieces - which was way more than the 60" I needed, so I repurposed these for the band at the new width. Then I tapered the ends of the ruffle so that it would have a more gradual transition to the band edging on the sides. I also tapered the band slightly on the ends. Finally I sewed on the ruffle and then finished the rest of the cardigan with the band - starting the ends of the bands just over the edge of the ruffle.

 I absolutely LOVE the finished product and I think there are quite a few more circle cardies in my future - in a variety of views!! I've decided it's super flattering and now that I know how to get that little ruffle detail for as much or as little of it as I want - there may be no stopping me....

Button Placement for the win!

 

I bought some scroll floral embroidered chambray shirting from Style Maker Fabrics (The one I bought is no longer available, but it's similar to this one) awhile back and it was begging to be made into this Bonn blouse from Itch to Stitch. I have made this shirt one other time - I posted about it on this blog and also on Minerva.com . 

One of my favorite things about Itch to Stitch patterns are that they come in cup sizes. No more full bust adjustments!! However, as I've worn the last blouse, I have had a little trouble with gapping between the buttons. So...this time I decided to do my button placement differently. I placed a button right at the fullest part of my bust. Then I spaced buttons appropriately above and below. I also didn't worry about whether they were all equally distanced apart...and guess what? No one notices!! My buttons are spaced a little wider apart towards the bottom of the shirt and people only notice when I point it out to them. You COULD space them equally, but that would require more buttons if you want really good closure on top - and I hadn't thought of that at this point. For me, I'd rather have the closure where I need it. In the future I will probably buy extra buttons so that I have the option to make them all a little closer together - but I'm not scared of spacing them out how I need them. If you look closely in the picture below, you can see how I spaced them on this shirt.

While we are talking about buttons - let's talk about the button holes. My machine has a foot that you put the button in and then it usually makes the button hole the perfect size for the button. These buttons however are very very thin. That means that the button hole made by my machine was TOO BIG for these buttons. Always always always make a trial button hole and test your button in it!! I wound up having to find a smaller button to put in my button hole foot so that it would make the perfect sized button hole for these buttons.

Finally, I always measure my arms when I am making shirts, as that seems to be a place I wind up finding things fitting too tightly. In this case, I added an inch to the sleeve bands at the bottom of the sleeves. This means that the bottom of the sleeve is not as gathered as intended. If I make this shirt again, I will add a little more fullness to the bottom of the sleeve so I can get a little more gathering at the bottom without having too tight sleeves.

All in all, I have loved wearing this shirt! I might have to try the dress version next!!

My Favorite Pants for Sewcial Distancing

Or any time for that matter!! I have had joggers on my list for awhile - and I finally got around to sewing some up just in time for CoronaVirus! I literally wear. them. all. the. time!! Well, today I finally put on some jeans...but seriously! Let's talk about these!!

The weather here is not very nice today - and I think we are stuck with dumb weather for most of the week. Luckily, last week was beautiful and my social distancing protocol included some hiking! You know I wore these joggers!!

I used this ponte de roma fabric from Raspberry Creek Fabrics. I had never sewn with ponte roma before and I really loved it! It is so soft, stretchy but stable and super comfy to wear! It's the perfect weight for fall/winter/spring. I think it will be too warm for summer wear - but I rarely wear pants in the summer anyway.

I kind of obsessed over which jogger pattern to use - there are a lot of great ones out there! I finally settled on the Greenstyle Creations Iron Joggers. My biggest hesitation with these is that it is a unisex pattern and I get nervous about trying to fit my curvy self into a men's pattern. I haven't tried making these for my hubby (yet) but they worked great for me! So - if you have this hesitation, you can relax about that!

They have several lengths - not only for fit, but also for style which is nice. Shorts, capris, and pants length, but then you also get to choose your inseam length.

You can choose slant or zipper pockets for the front pockets - I chose slant pockets and I like them. Be careful when you sew them on that you catch the pocket all the way around since the pocket stitching shows it can be hard to recover if you don't!

You can also add zipper back pockets one or two - so that's fun! My only regret here is that JoAnn's only had plain grey zippers, and I wish I had been patient enough to wait to order some hot pink ones online! This would be a fun place to add an accent color! I will have to make another pair....Oh! and I know zippers can be scary...but the instructions are great and I had NO PROBLEM installing these zippers! Easy peasy!

You can choose cuffs on the bottom or not. I love the cuff option and the Ponte De Roma I used worked great for cuffs.

Finally, a note about the waistband.  The instructions have you make the drawstring holes (button holes or grommets) in the waistband, then insert the elastic in the folded over waistband and THEN attach the waistband. This works pretty well, with a caution...I'll get to it. After attaching the waistband you sew a channel for the drawstring through all the layers - waistband and elastic. FINALLY you thread the drawstring into your pre-made holes. Unfortunately I didn't think this all the way through and my grommets were a little too small. They fit the drawstring, but not a safety pin, or a knotted drawstring.

Sooooo.....when you pre-make your holes, make sure they are big enough to get your safety pin through. Threading a drawstring without a safety pin on the end is NOT FUN. Just sayin. And I definitely know.... And now you know how to avoid that disaster! You can thank me. ;-)

I hope you give these a try! Stay safe, healthy and sane!!

My first post on the Minerva Blog!

I have been writing blog posts for Minerva and have several that will be posted over the next few months. The first one posted yesterday!! So, if you'd like to go have a look, you can find it here.
I sewed a basic cream blouse

using the Bonn Shirt Pattern by Itch to Stitch and some viscose twill from Minerva.

Unfortunately I moved this blog after I wrote that post - so the link at the bottom doesn't work. But leave a comment! Say hi! Thanks for reading!!

TNT Pattern Numero Uno!

Rochester, Minnesota - a place that holds a special place in my heart!

Guess what?? (Forgive me for a second....I feel like I'm announcing the birth of a child....) I've been sewing long enough to find a TNT pattern! Okay, well, maybe I've only made it twice now. But....since I have not been garment sewing for myself until recently I have made a variety of patterns, but only one other more than once. I hear people talk about TNT (Tried aNd True for those less obsessed) patterns on social media, and I have just not been sewing long enough (again anyway - if you missed my sewing journey story, you can find it here) to be able to relate to this.

Recently I was gifted some fabric from Minerva and I made it into a Lotus Blossom Blouse by Love Notions. That will not post on the Minerva Crafts Blog until Feb 2020, but you'll see it there eventually! I LOVED THIS BLOUSE SO MUCH!

The pattern also has the option to add a contrasting back piece. I did this on the first blouse - but I did not include a contrast piece on the purple version.

Split Point along The Great Ocean Road - South Coast of Australia

I had some awesome crinkle knit that I had picked up earlier this year when I was in Sacramento. I make a habit of wandering into any local fabric shop I can find when I travel. So, Hi-Fashion Fabrics wasn't too far from where I was staying. Loved that place!! If you live in Sacramento, you are lucky! But I digress....I KNEW this fabric would be perfect for the Lotus Blossom Blouse! This pattern is designed for knits that are the same on both sides - read solids and stripes. There IS a work-around - so although the Minerva Crafts fabric had a definite wrong side, I was able to cut the front in half and re-sew it together. That way when it gets twisted the correct side of the fabric shows on both the right and left of the blouse! The purple fabric didn't have this problem.

Manley Beach, Sydney, Australia

I was reading posts on Instagram and saw someone complaining about how knit hems are the worst. I understand this. It might be one of the reasons I quit sewing clothing 20+ years ago. I would hem something and the hem would come out all wavy. So frustrating!! Let me share the trick it took me a bit to find. H E M  T A P E. This is a fusible interfacing type strip that stabilizes the fabric and also holds your hem closed. Here is a picture of it lined up and ready to iron into the hem. It must be completely enclosed in the hem or it will stick to the iron.

It makes it so easy to do a hem and then I also love to stitch it down with a double needle. Let me know in the comments if you need more info on this method. I could do a post about it. After I get home anyway...since I don't have all the pictures needed to write the post now. ;-)

At any rate, I really like the way they both turned out. We are currently spending about a month in Australia - and you can see they are getting lots of wear!!

Alterations

This used to be a bad word to me. But I have found that reframing something can help you have a better attitude about it! This is true for sewing as well! So here's what I have been telling myself about alterations....
Something I love about sewing is that I can take something that I don't wear very often because it doesn't fit well and turn it into a favorite!
A week and a half ago, I decided I was going to fix the pile that had accumulated in my sewing room.

I had two ready to wear shirts - one long sleeved work shirt for my husband that had a huge tear in the sleeve. Easy, cut the sleeves off and make it a short sleeved shirt.

The purple shirt is one I had liked, but decided it was too long, so I wanted to cut a few inches off the bottom and re-hem it. 

You can see the purple shirt underneath a shirt I like the length of - that was my cutting guide!

Finally, there was a dress I made (and blogged about here) but just haven't loved the way it fit. I finally figured out that I needed the bodice to be shorter. I also didn't like how low the neckline was, so if I took in the shoulders that would fix both problems and luckily there was enough space in the armscye to do it!

It was also still a little too big through the waist - even though I have already taken it in once. (I'm not losing weight - I just clearly need more practice at alterations!!)

As luck would have it, I got a little side tracked by yard work the day I decided to tackle these, but I have chipped away at them over the last week and I'm happy to say I have worked through the pile!!

I'm so happy to have things that will actually get worn! It's the ultimate sustainability project!

You can see there's still plenty of length there!!

Finally, the dress fits much better as well!

Do you have clothes hanging out waiting for a few little tweaks before they can get worn? Do it!!

Do I really want Spring though?

It was a race with the calendar and I'd never felt so conflicted. I love sunshine. I love spring. I'm tired of winter. But I also had fabric for a Brunswick Pullover that wasn't made yet. I finally got to it this past week. I even got to wear it on a cool day and now it is warming up - today in hometown, USA it was 62 and tomorrow it's supposed to be 65. That's what I call having your cake and eating it too!! I won't even be sad if the forecast for a 50 degree and cloudy day on Saturday turns out to be right because then I get to wear my Brunswick again!

The Brunswick Pullover is a pattern by Hey June Handmade. It is really well written and easy to follow and there are some fun - advanced beginner - techniques showcased.

I had this beautiful hacci sweater knit from Raspberry Creek Fabrics and needed a complementing woven fabric. I found the perfect burgundy in my stash (ie - I have no idea where it came from or how long ago!).

When I was getting the pocket ready, I wanted to add some interest, so I tried sewing the pocket on with a decorative stitch. I did not like it....but it gave me an idea! I took that decorative stitching and decorated the whole pocket - I love the way it turned out!

I also ordered some wooden buttons on Etsy. I was planning to use the wooden ones with flowers and I ordered the Boho ones on a lark. Upon auditioning them though I realized I loved the Boho buttons. The pop of color adds to the fun!

It has been a long time since I sewed button holes. I did a practice one, but even with that, I still messed one up. Pretty good. I picked it out once, but screwed it up again. This time I just tried to fix it manually. It doesn't look perfect. But it was good enough. I learned something along the way....

PSA - Make sure NOTHING touches the pull down sensor as you sew the buttonhole (not your finger, the folded over fabric or anything else...) This will make the buttonhole think it's done. That's super annoying. Unless you like to unpick buttonholes.

I also decided I should learn how to sew buttons on by machine. That is fun and fast!! Here's my "learned the hard way" tip from that exercise...

Pull the thread on the machine long before you start stitching. This gives you a long enough thread to hand tie it easily. When you finish sewing the button on, pull the threads out long again. I threaded these through a needle and went back down through the button and wrapped a shank around the threads before pushing the needle through to the back. You can then tie the top and bottom threads together to secure the stitching. Voila! Done!

See those cute Boho buttons???

The hood was the last detail and it went together without a hitch.

I love all the details on this sweatshirt and they were worth the extra time. As we head into spring, this may not be at the top of your to-make list, but add it to your Pinterest board (or however you keep track of the projects you want to sew) and file it away for fall...you won't be disappointed!!

Adjustments are good!!

I picked up this yummy fabric when I was in Germany late last year.

My husband was working in Stuttgart and I had been stalking sewing Instagram accounts and wanted to start sewing more clothing, but hadn't started in earnest yet, so I spent a day taking the bus and train from one fabric store to another and checking out all the fabric stores in town. I found this fabric at a great little store called Esro jersey fabric sales E. K.

They were super nice to me even though I speak almost no German! AFTER purchasing the fabric and getting it home I realized I really wish I had gotten the information about the fabric content. Unfortunately, all I can tell you is it is a knit jersey of some type. Super soft and drapey.... I had a pattern in mind, but changed my mind because I think this fabric was too stretchy. When I had the Sienna Knit Dolman fail then I realized that this fabric would make a beautiful Sienna Knit Dolman top. I measured myself and my measurements fit exactly to one size (that's kind of crazy....that never happens!!).

I decided to lengthen the sleeves. I have short arms. Because the sleeve is the same piece as the front and back, if your arms are very long, you may have trouble getting a long sleeved version to fit on your fabric. But I digress. This sewed up quickly and beautifully - but after wearing it a few times I decided it was really a little too big.

Sometimes I get frustrated by the adjustments that are always required with garment sewing. However, I'm teaching myself to think differently about it (a good skill for most things in life!!). Adjustments usually don't take that long in the big scheme of things and the payoffs are huge!! I now LOVE the fit of my Sienna Dolman top!!

To adjust it, I had to remove the neckband and then I took in the shoulder seams. This made the neck opening less gaping and took up some of the excess in the sleeves. I also cut off the sleeve hem and re-hemmed. I seem to always underestimate how short my arms are. When I had sewn the neckband on the first time, I top-stitched around it with a double needle. I like this look a lot, but it seemed to stretch the neck out a bit. It didn't look terrible, but I was a little disappointed. It also made removing the neckband a real pain! However, once I got it off, made the adjustments, and sewed it back on, I omitted the top-stitching and I think it looks better! No before pictures for you, because I'm still getting the hang of this blog documenting thing....but look at these cute ties that make some really nice ruching!! Love this detail!