Me Made May 2023: Celebrate your sewing wins and challenge yourself to do more, different, better.
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Me Made May 2023!
"MMM is a wardrobe challenge
that helps you improve your relationship
with your handmade items"
-Zoe Edwards @sozoeblog
Trace the Me Made May (MMM) challenge back to its roots in 2010 and you will find a woman named Zoe Edwards who contemplated the meanings and motivations she had in creating her own handmade wardrobe.
She simply wanted to test how far she could rely on the items she had made. And in a blog post she invited others to join her in the challenge.
My oh my, how we have shown up and joined her! The hashtag #memademay2022, for instance, had 53,247 postings on Instagram!!
In the 13 years since its inception, Ms Edwards’ very personal challenge has clearly evolved into a worldwide celebration of makes…as well as a challenge.
"My own personal pledge was to wear only me-made things [for a month], aside from bras, tights, socks and shoes,” says Ms Edwards. “But I left it open for anyone else taking part to set their own specific pledge and have done so ever since.”
Basically, the challenge is yours:
“I (insert name or username) pledge to wear
(insert specifics of your pledge) throughout May 2023."~Borrowed from the So, Zoe, What do you Know blog
These are some of the things that come to my mind when I think of participating in the MMM challenge:
My interpretation of the MMM challenge is to set an intention of doing something different vis à vis garment sewing that has me arriving at the end of the month in a changed relationship with my sewing journey and fashion stress points; less critical of my abilities and more motivated to learn more and hone aspects of my craft; with a greater awareness and openness of how I present myself in the clothes I choose to make and wear; more conscientious of how and who made all of the clothes I didn’t make; and, lastly, more appreciative of this amazing sewing community.
Ms Edwards has a lot of thought-provoking content on her site, so I urge you to pop over to her blog to read more about her vision for the challenge - what it is and what it isn’t intended to be.
In addition to her inspiring blog, she hosts a weekly podcast called Check Your Thread which explores ways to sew more sustainably. Ms Edwards is also the author of Wear It, Mend It, Love It (2021), a book about mending, altering and caring for your clothes to give them a longer, happier life.
Ultimately, be PROUD and CELEBRATE the fact that you even try to make something to wear. Having owned Bolt & Spool for nearly 13 years has made me acutely aware of the fear a surprising lot of people have of attempting to make anything.
This is your month to shine and grow - inwardly and outwardly.
And if you DO choose to celebrate your “me-mades” on social media and use a pattern or fabric you bought in our shop...please tag us @boltandspool. We want to share in your success!
Here are the top MMM hashtags iffin' you want to follow along with the challenge.
#MMM #MMM23 #memademay #memade #sewing #memadeeveryday #handmadewardrobe #sewistsofinstagram #memadewardrobe #mmmay #sewcialists #imakemyownclothes #isewmyownclothes #slowfashion #handmade #sewist #isew #isewlation #imakemyclothes #sewersofinstagram #diyootd
And don't forget to follow Ms Edwards and thank her for encouraging us all to get out of our comfort zone!
Thanks for reading, as always,
xoxo,
Nan
It's also the most beautiful soft color: made from our Merchant & Mills cotton jacquard in a peachy/pink peony.
A slight bit of pattern "hacking" was necessary, however, since I didn't have ribbing in the same color. I made a smidgeon of bias binding for the neck and turned it under. The sleeves are just serged and hemmed up half an inch.
I also cropped it slightly to just below my natural waist and made a casing for cording to cinch in the boxy shape. We have some pretty metal cord stops that came in handy here.
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In case you were wondering, we arrived too late for the strawberries. So my son and I went to pick our own!
]]>Still enough time to whip up some darling Easter outfits for your kiddos! Sweet spring fabrics and a versatile sewing pattern like the Wiksten Baby + Child Smock Top/Dress make an easy transition to play clothes to wear throughout the summer.
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If you have two girls you need to dress for Easter, this is definitely the way to go!
The pattern is well drafted with clear instructions. The smock style is loose fitting and looks comfy with a smidgeon of gathers at the front neck and again the back on each side of the keyhole closure.
I made the size 2-3 and the size 5-6 for the dress forms in the shop at the same time. It took me about four hours for both working in an assembly line fashion, that including tracing the pattern. I used the "old fashioned" method of zig zag stitching to finish the seams. I would probably do french seams if I made it again.
Make the pattern in either the dress or top length, with or without long sleeves.
Since it was still snowing in Cleveland as of two days ago...I opted to make the long-sleeved dress for the smaller size, as little people often have trouble keeping a sweater on. I used Cotton + Steel Dear Friends "Love is in the Air - Sky" (also available in pink) with Art Gallery Fabrics Petits Check Sky for the bias trim and pockets.
The larger size is the sleeveless top combo which can be worn with a skirt for Easter, then leggings or shorts all through the spring and summer. The fabric is Art Gallery "Open Heart - Cherished Gatherings Glint" designed by Maureen Cracknell with Tilda's Medium Dots in Pink for the contrast trim and pockets. Tilda's dots come in so many beautiful colors and go with literally everything in our store; so don't be shy to use them liberally!
Merchant & Mills elastic grey cord is a great option for the button closure. It's 50% recycled cotton and 50% natural rubber and the perfect size to slide into the bias opening and top stitch it in place.
The buttons are our nylon blossom buttons in grey. I used one for the back keyhole closure and one on each pocket...just because.
Have fun playing with this pattern! It would look so different made up in a solid linen/cotton as shown on the pattern cover. It's just fun to mix and match sometimes.
~Nan
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Essentially I played like a kid making Valentines. It was fun. And dinner didn't get made til I was good and finished around 8pm.
If you like to embroider, you may enjoy this twist. If you've never embroidered, this book can serve as a great introduction: there are good stitch instructions/illustrations; you don't need a hoop; and card stock isn't floppy like fabric. Moreover, the holes you punch in the paper for the needle and thread to pass virtually ensure evenly spaced stitches.
The book has darling template drawings to trace or copy onto your paper.
Here’s how I executed the “A” from their cute alphabet:
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So I finally made the Reeta Shirtdress by Named Patterns, a dress I've loved since it came out years ago, but have never come across the right fabric for. Their cover sample fabric (which I think is rayon) is perfect, and I just couldn't imagine anything better. We got in this rayon from Cloud9, and I was totally sold.
Except, I've been reading about how terrible synthetic fabrics are for both people and the environment, and as much as I love this fabric, I don't have any interest in sewing with synthetics anymore. I'm not turning this into a soapbox post, although I may do one in the future!
I'm trying to be more intentional with the things I make -- making things that can be repaired, or reused somehow, or composted at the end of their usable lives. So, with that in mind, I made the Reeta Shirtdress out of this hemp / cotton blend from Merchant & Mills in "Sizzle."
(I am not a natural in front of the camera, this is honestly the least unflattering front-facing photo I've got)
This fabric is the the complete opposite of the floatiness of the rayon. But I think the crispness of this fabric works really well for the dress, too. It feels more durable and wearable, more utilitarian. And, it's one of my favorite things to make: a (long) shirt.
Usually when I'm making something like this, I think, "I've made enough shirts, I know what I'm doing" and completely ignore the directions. But for this dress, I recommend following the directions. It's not complicated, it's just that this isn't constructed like a regular shirt, and I had to do a lot of unpicking.
This pattern does not include pockets, so you're probably wondering, "Did Debbie lose her hands recently, or does this dress have pockets?" Don't worry, I added pockets and I still have hands. I think clothing without pockets is pretty much useless. Where else would I stuff dog treats for this beautiful boy?
]]>Get ready for the launch of TAUKO!
STARTING TODAY we will be taking pre-orders for the first edition of this chic European fashion/sewing/sustainability magazine.
TAUKO stands for a break or a pause in Finnish. It describes a strong, silent, and still movement that is almost impossible to notice.
Who knew when I started my retail adventure 11 years ago that I was part of a MOVEMENT?!?!?
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As some of you may know, the inspiration for Bolt & Spool actually began in Europe about 20 years ago during travels with my husband who, luckily for me, lectures all over the world.
Although I had sewn from a young age, my exposure to the "really good" components of that hobby - the sewing patterns and fabric - was limited. It wasn't until I began visiting <especially> children's clothing boutiques in Sevilla, Madrid, Milan, Rome, and Lisbon that I realized how few people in the US even had ready access to the fabrics that made European clothing so exquisite - let alone the timeless styles. (And YES I have saved every outfit I ever bought for my kids in these shops.)
And so the "what if" wheels in my brain began turning and haven't stopped since. What if there were stylish patterns? What if I could get my hands on amazing fabric? What if people preferred to wear a handmade garment vs ready-made? What if I could source cool ribbon, notions and heirloom quality tools to work with? What if more people understood and appreciated what goes into making an article of clothing?
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A quick history...
I opened my shop in 2010 during what appears now as a time of rebirth in home sewing. Indie sewing patterns like Merchant & Mills, Sew House Seven, Deer & Doe, Sewaholic, and Colette were just getting started. Brands like Closet Core, By Hand London, and Named were soon to follow.
Sources of fabric, once privy to only fashion designers, were opening up and more and more of the "traditional quilting" fabric suppliers were adding "fashion fabric" lines. I was able to make contacts with the Liberty of London office in New York, Diana Muzzy from Fine Fabric Sales in Chicago, and Emma at Merchant & Mills in Rye, England. Finding the good stuff was and will always be a priority for me.
Then came on-line learn-to-sew subscriptions like Craftsy and Seamwork, and amazing free sewing instruction on blogs like oliver + s, and Helen's Closet.
Why am I telling you this when I started talking about this new magazine?
Because, for the first time since I began, has a group of amazingly cool folks married haute STYLE and trendy FASHION with SEWING and SUSTAINABILITY and PATTERNS on texturally-appealing paper <just for us who are tempted texturally> !
And I am SOOOOOO on board! It feels like they have taken what I have always envisioned and made it REAL and put it all in one place. This is exciting! All the GOOD <thought-provoking and inspiring> STUFF in one place.
It's like beauty of Selvedge, the chic style of Vogue Scandinavia and the sewing concepts of Threads magazine all had a baby together and named it TAUKO?!?!
Don't get me wrong, I have crushes on other publications and look books too - like Making Magazine and By Hand Serial but they can trend toward knitting and needlework (which I also love); but TAUKO is truly fashion/clothing/sewing dominant.
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TAUKO's story:
TAUKO Magazine is a pioneering independent print publication for home sewists and fashion and culture lovers, who have a big heart for the planet. It has its headquarters in Helsinki and Berlin and is founded and published by art researchers, fashion designers, makers, and passionate fighters for planetary well-being, Kaisa Rissanen and Mila Moisio. Its international network of contributors, designers, writers, photographers, and illustrators share the need to bring mindful and beautiful work to the world.
Each issue features more than 10 sewing pattern designs created by celebrities and newcomers from the sewing community. A carefully curated selection makes design clothing accessible to anyone willing to try out sewing and learn new skills. With actual-size paper patterns, easy guidelines, agile images, and illustrations, we wish to make the sewing experience empowering, exciting and fun. The vast horizon of crafts, culture, and climate is featured in interviews, columns, articles, tips, and recommendations by our international contributors.
TAUKO magazine works to find new, regenerative, and empowering ways to celebrate design and clothes. It’s a start for positive system change. Their background is in running an awarded sustainable fashion brand, and, as such, they are very familiar with design, pattern making, collection presentation, international fashion weeks – learning how clothing matters only when there is a personal connection to it.
So hold on to your seats for this exciting new addition to our collective sewing journey!
...and enjoy!
xo
Nan
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Looking forward...
TAUKO is currently calling for editorial submissions for issue No. 3 to be published next summer!
The theme is vintage:
"When possible, find creativity from reused or recycled fabrics to continue the lifecycles of high quality materials. Voluminous hems, oversized jumpers and blouses, relaxed trousers and tailored jackets for summer are welcomed with a big heart. We encourage design submissions to be inclusive and mindful of the garments fitting various body shapes and physical abilities. Offering options to modify the design is highly appreciated. Several entries are very welcome."
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Tone is the founder and sole designer of the Tilda brand, which she started in 1999 at the age of 25. She grew up in Oslo, Norway, and now lives and works on a small island in the Oslo fjord. Her education is in classic painting and graphic design.
So happy we now carry many of her books and fabrics. The style is a bit of shabby chic, mixed with Norse folk, mixed with a touch of modern crispness - if that makes any sense?
We happen to have this tall narrow space between our two front windows that is only 18" wide, just perfect for one panel of the Birds and Sunflowers quilt from the Sewing by Heart book.
The book was written with directions for using both her "Harvest" and "Cottage" collections of quilting fabric; however, we only had the "Woodland" collection in stock along with several of the basics. So I had to improvise a bit and throw in one or two Liberty and Art Gallery prints to make up for missing colors.
This is my third pieced project. It went quickly and the instructions are excellent - especially for a beginner. A section in the back of the book helps with tips and tricks for some quilting basics for completing all of the projects in the book - which include quilts, pillows, pincushions and other sweet decor accents.
Our fabulous quilter extraordinaire Lori Moormann did the quilting and binding. The detail is amazing. Lori's website for Harcourt Creations is here if you ever need anything pieced or quilted. She is lovely to work with.
The next time you visit us at the shop...don't forget to look up to see the quilted inspiration on the wall! If you need immediate inspiration, here is a link to a ton of FREE patterns to be made with Tilda fabrics!
Lastly, we are eagerly awaiting the arrival (any day now!) of the soon-to-be-released Tilda Garden Life fabric collection. What will you make?
xoxo
Nan
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The Gus top is a super easy, quick sew. I love the sweet bow tie closure for the keyhole opening at the back. I followed the directions and used self-fabric for the bow, but you could easily sub in a double sided ribbon.
The little sleeve tabs are a unique added addition. You could add a button here, but my fabric - Liberty Tana Lawn Lola Isabel B - was fairly busy so I chose to leave them off.
The top also features a band at the bottom that draws the blouse in around the waist...perfect as a substitute for tucking a shirt into pants or skirt.
The Lollipop skirt also has lovely added touches, like the foldover flap pockets and optional contrasting (or self-fabric) band around the hemline (which I didn't add). The button is the Little Bunny button from our collection.
The back waistband calls for 3/4" buttonhole elastic for a custom fit.
This fresh green fabric is Cotton + Steel's "Square Up" in scout green color from their "Basics" collection.
p&m Patterns are French patterns, but all directions and pattern markings are now in English. They are very well drafted patterns with great instructions and explanatory drawings. The plastic envelope packaging protects the pattern and makes it easy to re-package the pattern pieces once they are cut and used.
Enjoy! : )
NW
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The main fabric is a Merchant & Mills flax and cotton blend oilskin called Tobacco. I've been wanting to make a jacket with this fabric, and I think it pairs perfectly with the Billie pattern. It has a sort of worn leather look, but it won't get damaged in the rain!
Contrasting fabrics are encouraged in this pattern design. I wasn't initially planning on it, but the black bits look so good. Even though it has a tighter weave, I love the contrast in both texture and color with the black Merchant & Mills oilskin.
I've never sewn a P&M pattern before, I think they started out with just kids' patterns (or that's all we ordered at first). They're a French company, so everything has been translated. I'm super impressed, the instructions were very detailed and clear, and the jacket went together well.
The only change I made, which is glaringly obvious, was to add pockets. It's of course an easy addition, but I just can't imagine a jacket without pockets. Where are you supposed to stick your hands? Maybe it's a French thing.
The sleeves are very fitted, and wearing them over long sleeves feels too tight. So my advice is to either widen them or don't wear them over long sleeves.
The lining is a Liberty of London poplin, Anthology A. I can't resist a Liberty lining, nor can I resist a bit of piping!
]]>The kit I made is Little Witch from the French design company Un Chat dans l'aiguille. I love these kits because:
I unpacked the kit and promptly put the threads in order on a thread minder (we have some nice new cherry wood minders from Katrinkles).
I never used one of these before! It was WAY better than unknotting globs of floss to change colors. This proved especially important because this kit has a few thread colors that are one or two shades off from each other. Sorting them all out at the beginning absolves you from guessing throughout the project.
There is an embroidery hoop in the kit that I'm assuming is more for framing and hanging as it was a bit too large for me. I used my own 6" hoop. It is big enough to see the design and stitch around but not too big that it's unwieldy.
I assembled the fabric in the hoop and started stitching along the pink lines!
She also went with me to my son's sailing lesson on a very windy day and almost blew into Lake Erie.
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Once the fun of stitching was completed, I gave her a nice warm water rinse to fully remove the pink stitching guides. Yes, poof, it's magic.
And dried her off by rolling her gently in a clean towel and leaving to air dry for a few hours. No wringing!
Once the fabric was dry, she got a good pressing on the back with a hot iron.
Even though the hoop that comes packaged with the kit is actually really nice and meant to be used for framing, as I mentioned before, I opted to use one of our European beech wood hoops by Nurge size No. 4. It has a slightly richer color and sheen.
I used a piece of burlap in my stash for the backing, secured the two layers of fabric tightly in the hoop, and trimmed closely around the edge.
She felt a little naked : 0 ... so I added the grapevine wreath. Lastly, I embroidered a couple of organic felt leaves using some leftover floss. The black and white ribbon and wreath are from Michaels.
And she's beautiful!
Highly recommend any of these lovely kits: we have masks, pouches, glasses cases, sampler booklets and Christmas ornaments.💛 Here is a link to what is currently in stock at Bolt & Spool!
Un Chat dans l'aiguille Embroidery Kits.
Enjoy!
🍂 Nan
]]>Cleveland hospitals call for home-sewn surgical mask donations for the community.
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The Cleveland Clinic is asking for mask donations to help with controlling the spread of COVID-19 in the community. These donated masks will help reinforce "cough etiquette” in our community. Cough etiquette, which includes covering your cough, is a vital way to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and protect those around us. Caregivers will not use these donated masks as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for clinical care. The Clinic has asked us to have you take pictures of your mask-making. Email photos to nan@boltandspool. You do NOT need to wash them. They will be sterilized prior to distribution.
Drop off completed masks to:
Curb-side at the following CCF delivery sites in Northeast Ohio:
Hours for curb-side drop-off delivery sites in northeast Ohio:
Monday, March 30th – Thursday, April 30th Monday – Friday Hours: 9 am – 1 pm
Masks made at home may also be mailed to the Cleveland Clinic, 8937 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44195.
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University Hospitals is also asking for masks. The masks will be made available to: (1) Visitors to UH facilities; (2) caregivers who are not involved with direct patient care and are at low risk of catching COVID-19 from patients or transmitting to others; (3) COVID-19 patients, as an alternative to surgical masks to better protect them and others around them; and (4) as a cover for N95 masks for extra protection for caregivers on the front lines.
Experienced makers are asked to email UHClevelandVolunteer@UHHospitals.org to help with our mask-making efforts. Face mask kits with 100 percent cotton fabric are available and you will be directed to a location near you to pick yours up. Locations are listed below. All masks will be laundered by UH.
For experienced makers in need of materials to assemble masks, kits will be available at these sites beginning Monday, March 30 beginning at 12 p.m.:
I've been looking for a Bomber Jacket pattern for a long time. I don't know why I couldn't commit to anything, although it seemed like nothing was quite what I wanted. I made the Deer & Doe Lupin Jacket a few years ago, and I love it (it's my go-to jacket for weddings and nice stuff). I considered altering the pattern to be more bomber-y, but I wasn't quite sure how I'd go about it, or even what fabric to use.
We all know sewing patterns aren't cheap. So I love being able to use a pattern more than once, especially to make something with a totally different look from the original.
I never read The Alchemist, but some guy we hosted on a bike trip gave me the gist of it -- people are so inherently generous and willing to assist you, and something about putting your wishes out into the universe, although that may have been from Oprah. Anyway, all I'm trying to say is that when people know you're into sewing, they're super generous. That's how I got three sewing machines (one doesn't work so it's basically just a really heavy table) and most of my fabric, including this one.
I'm pretty sure it's a wool/cotton/viscose blend. I almost used it to reupholster a chair, but I'm glad I saved it for a jacket. We have a few fabircs that look similar, like this Donegal Tweed, this Japanese Linen / Wool blend, and this English wool.
In the end, the alterations were simple. I drew a line straight up from the bottom of the jacket to cut off the lapel.
I also added 1 1/2" of length to the sleeves and body. The only thing I couldn't figure out was how to add a zipper.
When I have trouble sleeping I think about and visualize a sewing project I'm working on and try to work through problems I'm having. I usually find a solution, and it knocks me right out! Sewing must be pretty boring for my brain.
I didn't want the ribbing to attach to the zipper -- I couldn't get a neat finish that way. Most bomber jackets have a little square of main fabric that separates the ribbing from the zipper, but I couldn't work that out. My solution was to remove 2" from each side of the jacket front, attach the body of the jacket to the ribbing, then replace those 2" with a front placket for the zipper. It's exactly the look I wanted, although I seem to have a lot of fabric around my chest.
I'll never get around to fixing it, so I'm just going to stop worrying about it. At least I can fit a scarf under my jacket.
Surprise surprise, I used Liberty for my lining.
I'm obsessed with these monkeys! It's a Liberty of London Cotton Tana Lawn called Tree Tops. For the sleeves I used our polyester crepe de chine. I love it because it's so smooth and soft, and very durable for sleeves.
I made this about a month ago and have worn it pretty often since then. It layers comfortably under my winter jacket, and I love the practicality of a jacket verses a cardigan. And it looks a lot cooler.
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I've been wanting to make a Kalle shirtdress since before it even had that name, back when Heather of Closet Case Patterns made it a year and a half ago. I could never find quite the right fabric or look that I wanted, so I just held off on it.
I was at Porco, our local tiki bar, and everyone was wearing Hawaiian shirts, even the imbibers, and there I sat stewing with jealousy in my flannel shirt. The very next day I started this Kalle. It's very important to have the right outfit for occasions like these.
This Liberty print is part of their new Spring / Summer collection, which we ordered in late fall and came at just the right time. Even though I am not a pink girl, I really love this hot coral color, which I would definitely describe as pink.
This is View A of the Kalle, which is a cropped button-up shirt. The only change I made was to lengthen the front by 4" to make it roughly the same length as the back, but I think it ended up a little longer than the back. Oh, and I finished the hem with bias tape rather than a facing. A facing would have been too much structure for the hem, I think.
In keeping with the tropical vibes, the buttons are coconut husk with blue resin. You can really splurge on buttons with this shirt -- I only needed four.
Making a muslin would have been a good idea. When I first tried this on, I wasn't too keen on the volume or the length or the dramatically curved hem. It is quite voluminous. But the more I wore it, the more the style started growing on me, and now I love it. It's a little out of my comfort zone, as it's definitely a statement shirt, but it's so fun to wear.
One thing I have trouble with is wearing it in cold weather. This type of sleeve doesn't wear well under a cardigan, and since this print already straddles the line between tropical and old lady, I think this will have to be a summer shirt.
This is totally a Closet Case outfit. Based on how tight my pants are, you might think these are the skinny Ginger Jeans, but in fact they are the Morgan Jeans. I wrote about the here. I made them in a medium-weight linen that relaxes by the end of the day and I have to pull them up, but at first they're nice and tight and I surprisingly don't find them uncomfortable at all. And my shorts in the first photo are also the Morgan Jeans, but short, obviously.
]]>So, despite all that is at my fingertips, sometimes I just have to press the "download/pint at home" button.
And it is a messy process.
The pattern that called my name from the cloud is from a French company called Ready to Sew. Founded by a woman named Raphaëlle, like so many of us, it began from the dream of turning a passion into a career. The garments are described on her website as "a combination of simplicity and comfort without forgetting details and originality."
They are lovely. And in English. As is her delightful blog.
Jane is "...a boyish button up shirt with an effortless wide boxy cut. It combines feminine and masculine details, a slight drop in armhole seam with a cute round collar and a beautiful twisted wrap-over front."
This Jane is ingenious. There are no side seams, just one seam up the back with a dramatic sweeping drape up the front where the two pieces cross over.
It tags it as an intermediate pattern, but it sews up so quickly - I am going to say it's more of an advanced beginner. Unless that includes being able to read directions about needing to use reversible fabric to make the twisted wrap front work- which I failed the first time!
I posted my mistake on Instagram in a huff, and thank you to all who commiserated with me poking fingers at the pattern designer. But it was all my fault. Fortunately, I sucked it up and fixed my mistake! I had to cut another 3/4 yards of fabric and make a fake wrap, but it all worked out in the end! Yay Nan for persistence and resilience!
This blouse was an epiphany for me.
Working with slippery fabric has always made nervous. Sounds of my sisters and mom "speaking French" (swearing) from the basement while sewing still haunt me. The prom dresses, the cocktail dresses, the bridesmaid dresses...all silk and 1970s velvet.
I've been feeling bold of late, so I spent some time in the laundry aisle at Heinen's and found liquid starch. Laugh, but I only thought it came in a spray can.
I followed the directions to soak my fabric - which is a polyester chiffon swiss dot in a heavenly shade of pale peach - for 15-20 minutes and popped it in the dryer on medium until it was still slightly damp. Then pressed it with a medium iron.
At this moment a new era dawned for me. The fabric was stiff enough to hold its shape without sliding off the ironing board.
I continued to build my courage by watching some online tutorials about sewing with slippery fabric, which will come in handy if I can't actually starch the fabric. Things like using tissue paper and tape to keep the fabric in place.
I used the right angles of my dining room table (with my self-healing mat underneath) as my grainline guide and taped the edges down. It held as I pinned my pattern, slid the cutting mat under and cut with a rotary cutter.
And voila! Here I am wearing it to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's gala downtown Cleveland. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is over my shoulder on the left and City Hall over my other shoulder.
The other nice thing about these Ready to Sew patterns is that some of the sleeve styles are interchangeable. So, in fact, I used the sleeves from the "Jazz" romper (and yes, you can just buy the sleeve pattern!) because I wanted a lot of dressy drape. So that's pretty cool.
So cool that I made dear "Jane" again using our Roma metallic hanky linen. And this fabric is exactly what the pattern called for. The metallic side reverses to a plain matte linen, so I get the full effect of the twist front.
The hardest part was deciding whether I wanted the shiny or the matte side for the collar and collar stand!
I wore this to an event at the art museum the other day (to see the new Eyewitness Views: Making History in 18th-Century Europe) and a woman asked me if my blouse was an artist's piece. With due kudos and thanks to Raphaëlle, it is!
Ready to Sew patterns are well drafted and the directions are easy to follow.
And OMG! I almost forgot! The pattern comes with a link to a playlist of French songs to sew by! 💕 I'll let you discover that when you get your own Jane!
]]>So why, I ask, is it perfectly alright for me to have piles of fabric and yarn and sewing and knitting patterns and half finished projects of all descriptions all around me like a blanket of comfort?
If I don't have something to work on, a sort of anxiety sets in. Like my teens without their phones. Fidgety. Restless.
The wheels of creativity are in constant motion. But they rarely produce a cohesive body of work, something like a wardrobe.
But I'm thinking its just a bad habit and something that can be broken with discipline. Discipline: the hallmark of success.
I seem to make time for everything else that comes up. But the one thing I enjoy doing.
I "waste" so much time on Instagram longing over the things that everyone else is making, thus using up my time for sewing. I use the term "waste," but I hope it's depositing pearls of inspriation in some subconscious realm.
As such, I have been searching for a way, a method, for planning my projects and my handmade wardrobe.
Lucky for me, just as I was contemplating this in January, Seamwork Magazine announced an online, four-week "Design Your Wardrobe" course. Seamwork is an outgrowth of Sarai Mitnick's wonderful line of Colette sewing patterns. The course includes worksheets, activities to jumpstart your creativity, a planner, and a private community to share your progress with others.
By the end of the program, I am supposed to: 1) have an organized queue of projects, a plan to make them and 2) have learned a process to use again and again to harness inspiration, design garments that work together, and plan my sewing in a realistic way.
This series is available only to Seamwork members and is currently in progress. So if you aren't part of it already, you have to wait until August for the next one.
I am one week in, and although I am already a day or two behind, I love it! The daily dispatches have forced me to start thinking about my wardrobe differently - what do I want (am able within time constraints) to make versus buy, fashion design, fabric, mood, season, etc. They offer simple tools that are really powerful.
So sign up for Seamwork - not just because we are BIG fans and the monthly magazine is so pretty and offers fabulous free patterns, tips and tutorials - but you will be able to sign up for the course in August and try it for yourself.
If you just can't wait til then, Colette also offers a sewing planner book. This offers to help you plan and prioritize your sewing queue. I will try to get some in stock too!
If that's not in your budget, they also offer a FREE mini version called the Colette Collection Planner.
The next cool thing I found is the By Hand London Sewing Planner. This is a downloadable product from the folks who bring you the By Hand London sewing patterns. Once you buy it, you can download it as many times as you like to add pages, or if you spill wine or coffee on it, or if your first go isn't as pretty as you think it should be. It costs $9.19 for those of us in the States.
Similar in concept to the four-week Seamwork program - but less intense - it features a project planner, fabric stash log, sewing techniques bucket list (to keep track of things you want to venture to try or for keeping notes on what works and what doesn't work for you), and for your own designing it has a section of sketched body types for you to work with.
Other planners...
The next two are not specifically sewing planners, so if you are in need of organization in other parts of your life as well, these may be a good bet! They are hybrids of a traditional "to-do" list and a journal. So there is room in each system for planning and reflection. Whereas a "to-do" list can become very myopic and reflexive, these force you to be broad in scope and reflective. So you can make a long-term map of where you'd like to go and then drill down to strategies and specific tasks of how to get there.
The Breathe Journal is a 52 week planner. Unlike other annual planners, this doesn't start with January, so you can begin any time and fill in your own dates. Whether you have career goals, creative projects or just want to build more mindfulness into your life, this journal can help. With a 52-week planner, 13 four-weekly planners and plenty of space for reflection and doodles, it is the perfect aid to help you make time for yourself and YOUR SEWING! It's also just really pretty. I got mine at Barnes & Noble, but I think you could search for it on Amazon or ask your favorite independent bookstore to order one for you.
Lastly, the Bullet Journal concept is appealing (and SUCH A CRAZE!), although I haven't tried it. It uses a system they call Rapid Logging. Compared to traditional journaling and note taking, it's supposed to less of a chore...so you actually don't mind keeping up with it.
Rapid Logging relies on the use of short-form notation paired with Bullets. Every bulleted item should be entered as short objective sentences. The Bullets help organize your entries into three categories: Tasks, Events, and Notes.
And it can be plain OR pretty!
People I've talked to who use this system really like it. The developer sees it as an evolving, adaptable practice meant to be self curated so you get to decide what works best for you. It's nice to be in charge.
Here is a video. There seems to be a slight learning curve to this, but apparently it has transformed people's lives!
Would love to hear how others among us plan wardrobes, sewing projects and LIFE!
Planning has the opportunity to feel confining like "OMG look at everything I need/want to accomplish! OR it can feel very liberating! Like meditation, sitting with thoughts or not-thoughts can be freeing. Hopefully it gets you excited to dream and set goals and actually accomplish the things in life you really want.
So the next time I feel the impulse to mindlessly scroll through Instagram or Pinterest, or cut a few yards of fabric from my favorite new bolt, I'm going to pause, grab one of my new journals and sit with it a bit.
All the best on your journey! xo
]]>This time it's the Deer & Doe Bruyere Shirt, which I lengthened by 4" to make it a dress. I almost went midi-skirt length, but I chickened out. I'm not sure that's a style I would wear much, and I think it would look a little costumey with this Victorian-wallpaper-print fabric. This dark, moody print is called Crochet Meadow A by Liberty of London.
If you asked me to pick a favorite fabric, it would almost certainly be this silk/viscose blend, which I used for the contrast fabric. The color shifts between a deep blue and green, and the twill weave gives the material a beautifully slinky drape. The hand is soft and it feels amazing against the skin. I made the Papercut Patterns Swing Dress with it, and in the future I plan to make a slip dress.
It is, however, so shifty that it's a pain to cut out and keep the pieces the right shape. So for the contrast pieces of this dress I cut out the interfacing first, ironed that to the fabric, and then cut the fabric out. The pocket is not interfaced and it took a lot of time and patience to shape it right (this dress has no pockets, I took this from something else). Originally I had pockets on both sides of the bodice, but I didn't like that. I think this is a little too high, I just have to work up the motivation to move it.
I cannot for the life of me make a nice bound sleeve placket. So I had to resort to a tower placket for the sleeves. I'm not sure they fit with the style of the dress, but they do help tone down the very feminine look.
Instead of doing a 1/2" swayback adjustment at the waist, which I can't quite wrap my head around, I raised the back shoulder seams 1/2". That's a bastardized version of the method that Pattern Scissors Cloth describes here, if you scroll down to the bottom of the blog post, and that's what I'll try next time. But it works well for me!
An interesting difference between men's and women's shirts is that sleeve heads for men start at the edge of the shoulder, but women's shirts tend to give the illusion of narrower shoulder, so they start in a little more. And that's why men's sleeves can be sewn in flat but women's often have to be eased in, because our sleeves need more room for the shoulder joint. All of this to say that I measured the sleeve length from the wrong point of my shoulder, so I nearly made my sleeves way too short, but thankfully I noticed this and just used tiny seam allowances on the cuffs.
I tried so many buttons with this dress, and nothing looked quite right until I remembered these distressed buttons we have from Merchant & Mills. They are perfect.
I finished this for Christmas but not thinking how cold it gets this time of year. So this might have to wait a few more months! It'll be a nice spring/fall dress.
]]>This is the Deer and Doe Arum Dress, a very quick project with zero closures. It has a loose fit that is subtly shaped by back princess seams. This incarnation feels sophisticated, but it seems like a very versatile pattern that could be casual in a different fabric.
I initially had a little trouble pulling it on, but I think I've got it figured out. However, if you're bustier, check the finished waist measurements to make sure you can get it on. The pattern calls for drapey fabric, but instead I used a nice crisp organza. As a result I get a bit of a hunchback if my posture isn't perfect. I think you'd need to be careful of your fabric choices with this one. You can see how much fabric is folded up around my shoulders, so I'd avoid anything too bulky.
So anyway, the organza is both underlined and lined with a polyester crepe de chine. I used to be anti-synthetic, but I've come around to some of them, especially for slippery linings and active wear (I ran in cotton shorts for a while, and it could be painful). This particular fabric is a nice quality, and I find it really comfortable to wear. Look, the hems are finished with GOLD LAMÉ BIAS TAPE.
Overall, I'm kind of lukewarm on this pattern. I love this dress and enjoyed making it, but I'm not crazy about the batwing look. It's an interesting style, but it's not my style. I dig the shape and simplicity of the dress, but the sleeves limit what I can wear over it.
Here are some more pictures.
Front -
Back -
Party on!
]]>These are the Closet Case Patterns Morgan Jeans, made in a heavy Japanese linen that we don't have anymore. I made a size 6 with a regular fly instead of the button one, and I took out 1/2" under the yoke because I have a short back.
They look tight (and feel tight) because they shrank a little in the wash. But that's okay because the fabric relaxes when I wear them, so then I wash them and they shrink again. Linen jeans are cool in theory, but they're pretty annoying by the end of the day when I have to keep pulling them up.
I can't remember if I pre-washed this fabric. I don't always wash my fabric, unless it's something fitted (like... pants?). Sometimes it turns out okay, and sometimes I have to take apart the jumpsuit I just made to add a waistband because it gives me a terrible wedgie. I don't know how many times I'll have to learn this lesson until it finally sticks.
You can see some pulling across the fly as a result of these being tight around the butt. My shorts aren't like that at all, so I think it's from shrinkage. Later in the day it loosened up. I love this robot button because its eyes remind me of my cat. All pockets that I make (or remake) are made from Liberty of London. It's tightly woven and strong and smooth and the prints are beautiful. This particular print is gone, but we have it in another colorway.
My shirt is a Grainline Studio Lark Tee, a pattern and company that I'm not totally sold on, despite making many multiples of their patterns. I get that their designs are meant to be comfortable and slouchy, but they all seem to fit weird, and only look right if you hunch over a little bit. Like, I felt as though I was putting the sleeves in backwards -- there was more ease in the front than the back of the sleeve head, which isn't right, right? Some of their design decisions and pattern instructions make no sense to me. Anyway, like most of the patterns I've tried from them, I'll probably make more Lark Tees because it's such a basic thing. This one is made from a lightweight rayon knit with a black and taupe French lace across the front.
I actually made these 6 months ago for activities that I didn't want to wear leggings for, such as building a beehive and keeping bees. I have no photographic evidence of this though.
I've made many pairs of pants and shorts, so I pretty much just used the instructions for the fly, and I actually had to use the Ginger Jeans sewalong because these jeans have a button fly. I appreciated the fitting tips that were included with the instructions.
These shorts were my muslin. I also used this fabric to cover a stool, and covered the bottom with the same fabric I used for my pockets. I love to match things, especially my furniture.
I haven't worn the pants much because it was summer, but now it's not. Actually, it's been a very comfortable 7 years since I switched from pants to leggings. But I feel so limited by what I can wear with leggings, and annoyed that I don't have pockets.
Billy the original blue Power Ranger stuck his thumbs in his pockets like this and I couldn't stand it because I didn't like him because he was a nerd.
The biggest reason I stopped wearing pants? Every pair I had made a popping noise in the crotch when I walked and it made me really self-conscious. I think it had to do with the cut? It was like George Costanza's swooshing suit.
]]>I've been itching to make a jumpsuit ever since I finished my romper. We don't have any jumpsuit patterns, and I didn't love anything I found online, and if I had, I couldn't possibly wait for it in the mail. So I combined a few things. This is made out of knit cupro, which is made from the bits of cotton left on the seed when they are separated, but is processed to feel and behave more like silk. Like any well-behaved jersey, this doesn't wrinkle much. And it feels so, so good.
Here's how I made my cobbled this thing together :
I traced and altered the Megan Nielsen Reef Pajamas pattern to have a crossover bodice instead of a V-neck by continuing the lines of the V, and added more width until I was comfortable enough with the coverage. Each bodice piece is self-lined. To prevent too much gaping of the front crossover pieces, I cut the lining piece about an inch shorter and stretched it to fit. I guess that helped?
The Reef has a lot going on in the back and I didn't want all that (and couldn't find the pattern pieces), so the back of my jumpsuit is traced from a tank top that I've remade a ton.
For the pants part, I used the Closet Case Morgan Jeans. I've made only one pair of pants from this pattern, but it has really come in handy for a lot of other projects! I'm a size 6, and only had to do a small swayback alteration, and now these pants fit me perfectly.
To make the pattern more jumpsuit appropriate, I left of the waistband and fly, combined the back leg and yoke, and widened the legs a tiny bit. I also lengthened them at the waist about 2 1/2" so they reached my natural waist. I'm sure you could use any pants or pajama pants pattern for this, or lengthen a shorts pattern -- this is just what I had.
Here is the most genius part of this, and the whole reason I bothered to write this blog post : inside the pants are a shorts-length mesh lining. The mesh and cupro are super slippery against each other, so nothing clings! A friend tipped me off to this brilliant construction in a jumpsuit she bought from Anthropologie.
This is power mesh from Mood.
This fabric is pretty heavy -- this jumpsuit weighs 1 lb. The crossover pieces intersecting the pockets measures about 1/4" of fabric -- seven layers. That doesn't gather so well, and it's pretty lumpy in the front. The bodice is blousey, so it actually doesn't look bad, but I thought I might want a belt, so I made a mystery braid belt with our pigskin suede. That was a waste of time because the suede is way too lightweight and it looked like a mess. But I made these tassels!
I used this tutorial to make the tassels. It's insanely easy. By using the raw edge of the leather (i.e. scrap), I ended up with this great layered effect. And if you're wondering how I come up with these ideas, I look at the Anthropologie website a LOT.
Leather can seem intimidating to work with, especially as it's not very forgiving with mistakes. If you're not reckless enough to make a few mistakes like I am, I definitely recommend taking a class. If you're local to Cleveland, our friends at Studio How-To teach leatherworking (among many other things)!
I'm definitely into the jumpsuit look. Going to the bathroom is a little more involved, but I'm willing to pay that price.]]>
This is McCall's 7330, a romper / jumpsuit pattern with a real shirt top and real pants bottom. It has a two-piece sleeve, a collar and collar stand, and a zipper fly. It's legit. A student brought this in as a pattern she wanted to learn, and I ordered it as soon as she left.
Months ago, I insisted that we carry this cotton ikat in the shop specifically so I could make a romper with it. I decided to forgo a muslin because I couldn't decide what to make it out of. Based on my measurements, I am a size Medium, and I know these patterns are notorious for too much ease, but I figured the only place really cared about good fit were the waistband and the butt / crotch. So I borrowed the crotch length and curve from the Closet Case Morgan Jeans pattern, which fits me extremely well. Maybe a little too well for a romper.
I wish I had gone a smaller size on the top. Even with all the taking-in I did, it's still pretty oversized on top. Which I know I necessary for ease, since I took that all out of the shorts, but I'd prefer it to fit better in the shoulders and neckline. Had I put more thought into this romper, I would have just combined the Grainline Alder Dress with the Closet Case Morgan Jeans. Especially because I used both of those patterns to help figure out alterations. Next time.
I ended up bringing in the waistband an inch to get a close fit, and took 4" total out of the side seams. The pattern was designed for sleeves, so I brought the shoulders in maybe a half inch. The instructions were jam-packed, and I skimmed the illustrations but didn't follow the directions much because I can make a button-up shirt in my sleep (sewing permeates my dreams) and I've been making a lot of shorts lately. I recall that there is no zipper fly shield in this pattern.
If I stand with my legs together, the fabric bunches up around my crotch and looks like a diaper.
As ugly and tacky as I think these buttons are, I sure use them a lot. Even their name is stupid! They're plastic, but patterned to look like wood grain with garishly bold-colored rims that are perfect for dated-looking rompers and Hawaiian shirts.
I once read an interesting article linked out from the Colette blog about the benefits of making all your design decisions before you start doing something (such as sewing) so that you can just focus on just doing it. At the time I thought it was a great philosophy and was gung-ho about the concept. But I actually don't recall ever trying to work that way, and now I intentionally do the opposite when have a chance to play with pattern placement. Matching or intentionally mismatching stripes is much easier and more fun this way. That being said, I ran out of fabric and had to use a Liberty scrap for the collar stand. I figured I'd continue the clown theme.
This is the unfinished top half on my dressform, next to a plant. Isn't that how all the sewing bloggers are photographing things these days?
Somebody was helping a relative downsize and brought us this wire-frame dress form. The form unsnaps down the front and is put on the body like a vest, and an assistant contours the wire mesh to the wearer's body. We really had no use (or space) for it at the shop so now it's mine.
Want to see my sewing space? Of course you do.
My sewing machine is a 1950's Kenmore Domestic ZZ Double Needle, made in Germany, but the motor was made right here in Cleveland(!). It weighs like 50 lbs and threading it is complicated and the light doesn't work and I often bump the zig-zag stitch lever, but it's amazing. Like the dressform, someone's relative was downsizing. When my friend said this was in a case, I thought she meant carrying case. This is my second sewing machine in a cabinet, but thankfully this machine actually works. The other one is just a really, really heavy table.
This machine is amazing, but I love the cabinet just as much. It keeps my notions organized in a way that a cardboard box never could. If I have to put the machine away, it folds into the table. It has a foldout extension that I use as an ironing board, but mostly that my cat Fran naps on.
I can understand why cabinets for machines lost popularity -- it's a large, heavy piece of furniture. But I'm so happy to have a designated space for sewing, rather than clearing off space on the kitchen table. I doubt I'd ever travel with a sewing machine unless I'm moving, so portability is not a concern of mine.
Here's another picture of my ironing board because it's just so dang cute!
Romp on!
Debbie
]]>I fell in love with this lace fabric and was so looking forward to it coming in. I had big plans for it, because I have 3 weddings to go to this year (which seemed like a lot to me until my friend said that she has 6). I'd love to link to this lace in our shop, but I got the very last yard in the warehouse. So, yes, I made this dress out of one yard of lace. Laying out the bodice pieces was difficult because I wanted some continuity and pattern flow (and symmetry, obviously) in the various pieces, and I'm extremely happy with the finished result.
Waldo haunts me constantly.
In this case, the fabric came before the pattern. I'd been kicking around this idea of a swing dress, like the Sway Dress by Papercut Patterns. But I would never get that dress out of a yard. So then I thought maybe a swingier Colette Laurel, which I have squeezed out of a yard of fabric. I was putzing around on the Anthropologie website, and I found the perfect model dress. It has a similar lace motif and the exact bodice shape I've been drawing for months. This is one of those instances where sewing is waaaaaay less expensive than buying retail.
Incredibly, we have just four sewing patterns with princess seams, and half are for knit fabric. But this wonderful book, Sew Many Dresses, has just about every bodice style you could need, plus tips for altering them. I appreciate how classic the styles are. It's difficult to find a basic dress pattern, I think, and these can be used as blocks. One snag I ran into is that the bodices are all designed to be used with sleeves. Sleeveless bodices fit differently than bodices with sleeves.
I made a bodice muslin and did a lot of letting out and taking in, then cut it apart to trace onto pattern paper, made a new muslin, and had only a few changes on that. You can see the difference between the original pattern and the new one. I want this dress to fit perfectly.
Then I moved on to my wearable muslin.
Do you like my heavy metal door?
This fabric is Wild Orchid by Dear Stella, and I am in love with all of their prints. The quality of fabric is so nice, and a few of them are shirting weight, so I guess I know what I'm making with those...
By now I had made all of my fitting adjustments, but I wanted to figure out my finishing plan. Also I really like this fabric and wanted a dress from it. For the skirt I just gathered some rectangles and added pockets.
And I got the shape of the back just right.
I'd like to lower the neckline on this one because it chokes me a little.
Okay, back to my lace dress.
I made a big to-do on Instagram about which fabric to line this dress with, even though I kind of already knew the answer. The dilemma was between this black cupro or this pink satin polyester. And then after I made that Instagram post I thought I should just disregard everyone's opinion and use this evergreen silk / viscose. I loved the way the black layered over the dusty pink, and in the end what drove my final decision was that the other fabrics would be too hot on the dance floor. Even though I knew all along that the pink was the right choice. I didn't love how close it is to my skin tone, but I got over it.
The belt is made from this beaded trim with the edges stitched under. I definitely ordered this for the shop just to make a belt for my dress.
The skirt is a slightly gathered A-line made with black silk organza. Both edges of the lace were scalloped with the viney medallion motif in the middle, so I had a decent amount of edging to work with. I hand-stitched the scallops to the skirt, then used pinking shears to cut off the extra organza at the bottom.
I spent many, many hours hand-stitching things onto this dress. The viney thing encircling the back opening is all hand-sewn on, and closes with a hook and eye at the neckline. I sewed the invisible zipper using a regular zipper foot!
Lately I've been trying to get myself into making more involved pieces, like this dress and my jean jacket. But now that it's heating up, I'll probably just start knocking out summer dresses.
]]>A gathering of lucky folks joined us at Bolt & Spool a few weeks ago to learn a bit about local artist Emily Felderman's creative journey. It was an exquisite demonstration of not knowing where you will end up once you let yourself be cajoled by shape, texture and color.
]]>A gathering of lucky folks joined us at Bolt & Spool a few weeks ago to learn a bit about this journey. It was an exquisite demonstration of not knowing where you will end up once you let yourself be cajoled by shape, texture and color.
About 10 or 15 years ago, Emily - already a clay artist and art teacher at Laurel School for girls here in Cleveland - came into possession of items from her grandparents' home. Not the usual antiques and heirloom china that, she says, her siblings scooped up; but containers of old buttons and thread belonging to her grandmother and a box of old gears of her grandfather's.
Having young children at the time, Emily says they all spent time sorting buttons by size or shape as a game. And then she took to stitching them onto pieces of fabric. This was the beginning.
She brought the button pieces that were her first works including things she said she looks at now and doesn't like at all.
But, like her box of gears, each subsequent iteration was a cog in the development of her current work. While her work remains bright and playful, it has certainly matured with time.
After the buttons, she started experimenting with just stitches and then layering colors, and then sketching out the designs before stitching, and then just free-form stitching with, perhaps, a simple basting stitch as a guide for form.
More recently she dug into the box of gears and began stitching those onto fabric and then actually cutting up larger pieces and incorporating the stitched parts into the gear openings...and then she moved onto to antique scissors!
While we all stood aghast at the intricacies of her tiny tiny stitches, questioned her eyesight, and marveled at the time it takes to make each work of art (about 4 hours for one square inch on her more densely populated pieces)...Emily says she finds the act of making all of the thousands of tiny stitches meditative.
"I even love the the feel of the thread as it pulls through the fabric,"
she says smiling.
I'm guessing she's blown through her grandmother's stash of thread, because Emily now uses simple Gütermann poly thread and a #11 embroidery needle for her creations. She mostly stitches on cotton with a wool felt backing. Hmmm, but she sure loved the Merchant & Mills linen we gave her for the demonstration!
To end the evening, Emily offered a hands on demonstration to those who wished to try her technique. We had hoops and linen and floss available. Those who took the five or ten minutes to experiment were equally attracted to the calming aspects of the mistake-proof, no-pressure nature of this art form. (Once they got the needle threaded, that is.)
Her current textile/stitching experiments lie in working more texture into her pieces and layering the stitches so densely that they pull the fabric and felt interfacing into almost a three-dimensional form.
Calm and passion permeate her lovely works; and her smile and wonderfully warm persona is an absolute delight.
We are honored to have the amazing artwork of Emily Felderman hanging in our boutique for another week (through April 21st) so stop by and see her work. There are a few unsold pieces left!
...thank you to whoever left us their practice piece 💕
]]>I love it so much that I wanted to replace it exactly. I traced it using this technique. And I actually did my dress that same way. It's copied from a tank top (from the same era as the jacket, I believe), with the Sewaholic Hollyburn Skirt attached.
I searched and searched for the perfect greenish-gray color, but no luck. I ended up using this bottom-weight cone denim. (The company we ordered this from doesn't reveal much about their fabric, they just call it "Cone Denim". So we can only assume it's American-made Cone Mills denim.) It's a raw (unwashed) denim, so I look forward to breaking it in. The original fabric is a lightweight canvas with some lycra, so I took a chance making it out of a non-stretch fabric.
This is definitely the coolest thing I've ever made. And the least homemade-looking. I really enjoyed sewing it, and the whole time I couldn't get over how awesome it was coming out. And how easy it was to make.
This denim was so nice to work with. It pressed well and held a crease, and flat-felled seams were so easy because they stayed put without any pins. Flat-felling over flat-felled seams was tough, but they don't look terrible.
For pockets and random trim I used Liberty of London Tana Lawn (of course) in Lagos Laurel D.
I even flat-felled the pointy back yoke! I topstitched with a dark brown thread and used horn buttons.
The fit pleases me, especially considering the fact that the lycra in the old jacket was all stretched out and stuff, so I figured the fit would be a little off. That may have helped translate into a non-stretch fabric, though. After making a muslin, the only change I had to make was to take out width from the back because it was giving me major humpback.
Also, I added 1/4" to the width of the sleeves, figuring tight denim sleeves wouldn't be the most comfortable thing. The sleeves are a little crunchy, so I guess I just have to power through it until this fabric chills out a little.
I think I could have made the jacket shorter. It hits below my waist, so it rides up and puffs out when I button it up. Which I almost never do.
I used to get my hands stuck in the pockets all the time, so I widened the welt opening from 3 1/2" to 4". Sadly, I still get my hands stuck in the pockets.
Don't have a ratty old jacket to trace? We don't carry any denim jacket sewing patterns, but you can find some similar ones to this by Burda or Style Arc.
I still plan on wearing my old jacket, by the way. I worked really hard to get it looking this good.
Layered over a sweatshirt, this used to be my winter coat. (That sweatshirt is also in my queue for tracing and remaking, actually).
]]>I had the flu about a month ago, and was all snug and cozy on the couch in front of the fireplace with, gasp! idle fingers. Embroidery seemed like something doable between coughs and naps.
So while poking around on the internet for inspiration I learned about embroidery month and was prompted, with this as justification, to share an old fondness for this ancient art in the form of free classes and (ta da!) a blog post!
You won't be surprised that embroidery is making a comeback (along with coloring books and Zen-doodling). All of us are are so eager to employ new ways to re-direct the mind away from daily stressors (not to mention our phones and computers) while at the same time making something beautiful.
Our anecdotal evidence is that four out of five of our free embroidery classes filled up in two days!!
Here are just a few tidbits to get you going on your journey: tools; tutorials; books; patterns and kits; freebies; and inspiration. I'm not going to re-create the wheel here, there is enough out there. Let this serve as your map to find what you need.
Fabric: we love to embroider on linen like our Merchant & Mills yummy linen. But truthfully anything is game to embroider.
Hoop: Any hoop that will hold your fabric is fine! We love these hoops from Sajou, however, because they are sanded and so smooth!
Needle: Choose an embroidery needle that has an eye wide enough to acommodate your size floss. A size 5 embroidery needle is good for the run-of-the-mill DMC as well as our Sajou retors du nord floss. Larger DMC pearl cottons require a larger eye.
Floss: We, of course, love our Sajou retors du nord embroidery floss (available in our brick and mortar store only). But any embroidery brand will do. Play with the different kinds and see what style appeals to you. Here is a thread tutorial from Needle 'n Thread.
Scissors: A good pair of small scissors is necessary. We offer Sajou Decouvit Embroidery Scissors - Vitry or Nogent Models - or a pair of lovely crane scissors from Studio Carta Italy.
Tracing/transfer paper: Unless you are using pre-printed fabric or iron transfer patterns (like this book of Doodle Stitching transfers), you will need either tracing paper (DMC or Saral work well) or Clover brand iron-on transfer pencil.
Needle 'n Thread ...these are really great videos!
Sublime Stitching...super diagrams of how to embroider if videos stress you out and you need to look at something static.
Oh my the books! There are so many. Here are just a few:
Little Stitches by Aneela Hoey. Playfully modern illustrations are printed on transfer paper to use and reuse.
Stitching Handbook for Kids by Kristen Nicholas. Fifteen easy projects and 17 stitches show you how to personalize all your stuff.
Embroidery: A Step by Step Guide to More than 200 Stitches by Lucinda Ganderton.
Simply Stitched by Yumiko Higuchi. Just a visually beautiful book with some great ideas for gifts!
And I'm trying to get this book in stock from the publisher. Love, love, love the designs and inspiration. Zakka Embroidery also by Yumiko Higuchi. I have this book and it is SO nice.
Bolt & Spool, of course, has a variety of kits to get you started! This is our most popular...the bicycle! These I Heart Stitch Art kits even come with a sampler to practice your stitches before you start on the "real" project!
The French Needle offers embroidery kits for perhaps more advanced embroiderers, but they are certainly something to strive for. Here is an exquisite design by the Swiss company Canevas Folies:
Sublime Stitching tags itself as a contemporary embroidery design studio. They are also the sponsor of our free embroidery classes this month, so a shout-out and thank you to Jennie Hart and her crew for supplying us with the cutest free transfer patterns! They are definitely more on the beginner end of the spectrum from the French design above. But perfect for making pillows and other sweet gifts from the heart!
Etsy has tons of embroidery patterns for sale...I stumbled on this one from England that I love: LiliPopo. Once you purchase the pattern, you simply download the pdf, print it out and transfer the design onto your fabric. Of course I love her use of Liberty fabric!!
Needle 'n Thread: download the pdf and print them out. Use embroidery transfer paper to trace the design or trace the design onto your fabric using a heat-setting pencil.
Other free designs: you don't always need someone to draw something out for you. Draw your own or stitch freehand (not scary!!) If you don't feel comfy with that use a stencil to draw a design onto fabric. I have a plastic sheet of circle stencils I bought at Blicks that is great to use. It's also easy to trace shapes in your home, the bottom of a glass, a playing card, your hand! Use rubber stamps like these from Yellow Owl with washable ink pads to transfer a design onto fabric. Or simply use the design of the fabric as inspiration. You don't even have to use fabric, you can embroider on a card or cardboard!
Pinterest: we have more than 500 pins on one board dedicated entirely to handstitching!! It's a great source of inspiration, but just be careful when downloading a pattern for free: check that it's truly free of copyright - or follow links to the origin and buy the pattern.
And a couple of my favorite embroidery folks...
Here is Ayumi Toda for fabrika uka (Facebook) or @fabrika_uka (Instagram), an embroidery artist and fabric designer for kokka Japan who simply uses the fabric as a guide for stitching:
I can't leave off without linking you to my all time favorite embroidery artist: ironnahappa. The designs are so simple, elegant and perfect.
OMG I almost forgot to mention a very perfect thing for EVERYONE who wants to improve their embroidery or just meditate/embroider (zenbroider?). Please don't think of it as committing to "one more thing..." I couldn't possibly. I know. But this is YOUR trip around the sun.
It's called a 1 Year of Stitches, (or @1yearofstitches on Instagram) a daily practice of embroidery. Click the link and it will explain it all. Just try it, but definitely make up your own rules.
Enjoy your handstitching journey, my friends!
~Nan
]]>It feels like we are sneaking into someone’s private closet as the big door is unlocked and the lights switched on. Debbie and I stand in awe to be privy to walk among the rows and rows of hanging racks and shelving that line the costumes and textiles storage room at the Western Reserve Historical Society.
Hanging on these racks are the precious garments once worn by the famous and not-so-famous of Cleveland: President Garfield’s dressing gown, Ellen Wade’s wedding dress, an afternoon dress worn by Elizabeth Mather in the 1930s…as well as gowns and suits custom made in Paris by Chanel, Dior, and Guy Laroche.
And on the shelves above the hanging clothes are delicate shoes and heavy boots, hats in hat boxes and so many other coordinating accessories (lots of feathered...some still attached to their bird bodies!).
Thinking back, it's no wonder we were so awe-struck…it’s one of the largest collections of historic costume and textiles in the United States boasting more that 40,000 garments, accessories and domestic textiles dating back to the 1700s. We spent quite a while ooohing and aahhing, and sometimes laughing, over a number of items in the collection.
A couple of months ago, Debbie and I had the good fortune to visit our friend Patty Edmonson at the Western Reserve Historical Society. What a treasures! Both Patty AND the museum.
Patty has the dream job of being the Curator of Costume and Textiles at the Cleveland History Center which is housed in within the Western Reserve Historical Society. The WRHS also encompasses the Crawford Auto & Aviation Museum, an extensive research library, the Euclid Beach Grand Carousel, as well as Hale Farm and Village - the organization’s off-site experiential learning community located in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Bath, Ohio.
The Western Reserve Historical Society is a museum dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the people and communities of Northeast Ohio. A fascinating part of that history is told through the clothes our ancestors and prominent citizens wore; not to mention the significance of the garment manufacturing industry in Cleveland and surrounding communities.
According to the the museum notes on their website: “Northeastern Ohio’s cultural roots begin with the native American populations who first inhabited the area some 10,000 years ago. In 1662 the area became part of the colony of Connecticut whose royal charter granted it a swath of land extending across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. After the formation of the United States, Connecticut ceded most of its western lands to the national government but exempted approximately 3,400,000 acres lying north of latitude 41 degrees and extending 120 miles westward from the Pennsylvania border. This became its Western Reserve. In 1795 it sold most of this land to a group of investors who had formed the Connecticut Land Company and in the following year the company began the survey of the land to prepare it for sale. The survey party was led by Moses Cleveland, the namesake of Cleveland, Ohio.”
In short, we used to be the western end of Connecticut.
So, under Patty’s purview, the museum has a continuously rotating exhibit of clothes and accessories she brings out of storage to help tell this rich story of our past. Seeing what people wore to parties, special occasions and just during the daytime for tea truly breathes life into this history.
During our trip at the height of the presidential campaign, for example, we got to see the the exhibit “Power & Politics” featuring clothing related Cleveland’s history in politics: clothes made and worn expressly for campaigns, outfits worn to inaugurations, and dresses worn by suffragettes. This exhibit is currently on display through President's Day on Feburary 20th: GO SEE IT!!!
In addition to "Power & Politics," the museum also has a special exhibit on display called “A Stitch in Time” that showcases the history of the garment industry in Cleveland. It is based on a beautiful book, of the same title, written by Dr. Sean Martin, the Society’s Associate Curator for Jewish History. The book and exhibit tell the story of the region’s garment industry in the 19th and 20th century.
Interestingly, in light of current politics, the book details that one of the things that made Cleveland a hub for the garment industry was our abundant supply of immigrant workers. Go figure!
From the Czechs to the German and East European Jews, to the Poles, Hungarians, Slovaks, Slovenes and Lithuanians to the Italians and Greeks and others, there was no dearth of labor.
Although Cleveland wasn’t one of the major cities - like New York, Boston or Philadelphia - in the manufacture of ready-to-wear, Cleveland was very important in a few sectors such as women’s clothing and men’s suits, work wear and uniforms. Some of the big names include Joseph & Feiss, Richman Brothers, Printze Biederman and the Cleveland Overall Company.
Despite the fact that almost all of these garment factories and knitting mills, that once employed thousands, are now boarded up or torn down, the legacy of the founders of these family run businesses is very much alive today.
You could say that Cleveland's garment industry had a larger and longer-lasting impact on Cleveland than Cleveland had on the garment industry.
The civic commitments and philanthropy of these pillars of our community’s past is evidenced in such things as: the Federation of Jewish Welfare which provided crucial fundraising efforts to the Bellfaire orphanage, Montefiore Home for the Aged and the Council Educational Alliance - what we now know as the Jewish Community Center (JCC) on Cleveland’s east side. Another lasting legacy is the Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards established by the daughter of John Anisfield as a way to honor his commitment to social justice by bestowing annual awards on books that address issues of racism and diversity; among others.
I won’t re-create the book here! But it’s a super-interesting read for anyone, and not just if you live in Cleveland!
This exhibit is actually fodder for a good laugh - “did people actually wear that?” was running through our minds (and occasionally out our mouths) as we perused the sweaters on display from Frisch and Ohio Knitting Mills. They were the epitome of late 1960s to 1970s fashion - MY era. In fact, I think I owned a few of the sweaters at one time!!
So go visit the museum and ride the carousel. You can have your very own historic field trip!
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I don't think I've ever blogged about a button-down shirt that I've made for Josh, but I've made him at least ten. I started out with the Colette Negroni, a pattern I like okay and learned a lot from, but it wasn't the classic style of shirt that I wanted to make and I didn't know enough about altering and fitting to stick with it. I figured I could do better by tracing the best-fitting shirt that he owned, which incidentally is the very shirt that this one is replacing. Here is a tutorial.
I even stole the buttons from it!
I made many shirts with this pattern (using Negroni instructions until I had them memorized), always altering it for a better fit, and I finally got it down about 3 shirts ago. So I was really excited to start fresh with a new pattern. But I think I arrived at a lot of my alterations in an unusual and probably incorrect way, so I actually was excited to start fresh.
This is the only photo I have of a shirt I made for him.
Based on his measurements, Josh is a size Large -- except for his neck, which is size 3XL. The human body is really something. Against my lazier inclinations, I made a muslin. I couldn't really compare my traced pattern to the Fairfield, because the latter uses a variety of seam allowance (eventually I drew seam allowances onto the pattern so I could compare them). Its funny, even though his measurements placed him squarely at a Large, the whole shirt seemed too small. But I was not about to re-trace everything to go up a size.
Still seems a little tight
The pattern is drafted for two body types : slim and full-figured; so there are two sets of patterns, but it makes me crazy that the pattern pieces aren't labelled which body type they're for. You could tell by the size range, but some of the pieces don't even have the size ranges printed on them.
Thread Theory has a sewalong on their website here, including common fitting alterations. These are the alterations I made:
- extend shoulder by 3/4"
- lowered neckline by 1/4" on the back yoke only
- lengthened sleeve 1 1/2" and added 1/2" to height of cuff
- The shirt was too tight, so I added 1" at center back, which is folded into the back pleat. The pleat as designed only adds about 1/2" width to the back, and it was too tight. I also added 1/4" to all the side seams.
- The underarms were too tight, so I extended the pattern pieces by 1/4"
Josh had trouble lifting his arms. Part of that was solved by increasing width on the back, but I also found some really helpful information about fitting sleeves here. Basically, the height of sleeve head affects the angle at which the sleeve naturally sits. Taller sleeve heads angle downwards, and shallower sleeve heads angle more outward. You can see the difference in pattern pieces below. The brown paper is my original pattern, and the white is the Fairfield pattern.
Here is a picture of Josh demonstrating how far he can comfortably lift his arms.
His right side is the Fairfield sleeve, and the left is a shallower sleeve. The Fairfield is supposed to be close-fitting, hence the sleeve-fitting angle I suppose, but I don't want to have to re-sew the buttons that Josh pops every time he changes a light bulb or bothers the dog.
I can only make so many muslins before I start to feel burnt out and bored, so despite still having some fit issues to work through, I just had to make the shirt. I think that clothing has to be lived in for a while before fit and, more importantly, comfort can be thoroughly assessed.
This fabric is a lavender cotton oxford, a nice crisp shirting fabric that we don't have in stock at the moment. I really like this pattern, and Josh has asked me to make him more work shirts like this. He never wears his shirts like this, but he buttoned it all the way to the top just to prove that he could. No shirt I've made for him has buttoned all the way up before.
If you're wondering about the set, it's for practicing stand-up.
]]>The fabric is a classic buffalo plaid flannel. My socks have Santas drinking martinis, and it's too bad you can't see them.
This dress could be made two ways : altering the Alder dress to have sleeves, or lengthening the Archer shirt. I prefer the slightly closer fit of the Alder, so I added the sleeves. If you want to do this, you'd need to add an extra 3/4 yard (the length of the sleeves) to the amount you need to make the Alder. I imagine you'd need about the same extra amount if you wanted to lengthen the Archer.
That being said, I squeezed this out of 1 3/4 yards. It wasn't easy, and I can't believe I was still able to match the plaids. Originally, this was like a shawl thing I made because I was cold. Really it was just a length of fabric that was cut down the middle, and I wore it once. I figured a shirtdress would be more useful to me.
If you want to do this too, here's some technical stuff:
I followed almost exactly this tutorial on the Grainline blog. However, where she added 1" to the armhole, I added 1 1/8" so I could sew with 5/8" seam allowances rather than the 1/2" that the pattern is drafted with. I prefer to flat-fell my seams and the extra 1/8" makes a huge difference. The Archer sleeves fit perfectly after that, with a small amount of ease that I was able to work in without gathering the sleeve. They are also sewed with a 5/8" seam allowance, so they are a tiny amount narrower.
I added a back pleat in case I need to carry firewood or something. I don't know if it was necessary, but I like it!
This dress responsibly uses all the parts of the buffalo -- the plaid and the horn buttons! For the sleeve plackets I used the backside of smaller agoya shell buttons. I'm not sure how this happened, but I goofed up the placement of the buttons, right where it's most critical : the bust. So there are three squares between them instead of two like the rest of the placket (this is how I figured out button spacing -- so easy!). But I didn't realize it until I was sewing on the buttons, after I had cut the holes. Guess I'm not fixing that! And I ended up with an extra buttonhole at the bottom.
Check out these perfectly matched plackets! I wish it was intentional so I could do this all the time, but honestly these were cut from the scrappiest of scraps.
I've come to love working with plaids because I actually find them easy to cut out (like, I cut out one sleeve and use that as the pattern piece for the other sleeve, and the plaids match perfectly). I'm also really into the syncopation I can create by perfectly mismatching the plaids. Below, however, is not what I intended.
Somehow the back is a stripe off from the front. There are some pretty funny mistakes in this dress. At least it fits well!
I added pockets. They're made from a scrap of Liberty of London Emma and Georgina, and don't match the dress at all, but that's okay.
I don't own a real belt, but I made one for a different shirtdress, and it looks pretty good with this on too.
The belt really helps take it from bedtime to daytime! I distinctly remember my mom wearing a longer version of this to bed when I was young.
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I collected a sackful of acorns off the sidewalk and received a fair amount of strange looks, smashed them with a hammer and tried not to be too grossed out by the wormy ones.They soaked in water for a few days with some rusty thing and I dyed the yarn to what I hoped to be a charcoal gray, but turned out to be ever-so-slightly gray. I knitted the yarn into a scarf, but it had come out so thick that there was no way I would have enough yarn to make a decent scarf.
So I unraveled it and wove it (because I have a loom!), which helped with the length a little. But a 3 foot scarf really isn't that substantial, and not long enough to wrap around a neck really. I wasn't super happy with it, but Josh liked it and it was his only scarf, so that was good enough. I've wanted to make a better one, but I have a love/hate relationship with knitting.
Recently, though, he asked if I could make him a cowl. And here it is!
This is not my boyfriend, this is Poppy modeling the Deer & Doe Lupin Jacket. She wear the cowl well though!
This is high on my list of the easiest things I've ever made. I love the new Merchant & Mills wools (and so did Josh). The wool I picked for this, called Flat Cap, is a little scratchy so I backed it with a Robert Kaufman flannel with a cool herringbone weave. The flannel is narrower than the wool, at 44", so that became the length of the cowl.
Here's a rundown of what I did, if you want to make yourself.
- You'll need 1/4 yard each of wool and flannel. Cut the pieces down, if necessary, to be 44" long.
- With right sides together, sew the rectangles together using a 1/2" seam allowance. Be sure to leave an opening to turn the cowl right side out, which you will sew up by hand.
- Sew a buttonhole at one corner of the rectangle. I made mine more fun by making it diagonal!
- Wrap it loosely around your neck to see where the buttonhole hits to give you an idea of button placement. If you don't feel like doing that, I sewed my button 1 1/2" from the top edge (same edge as the buttonhole), and 19" in from the short edge opposite the buttonhole.
Stay warm!
(This is the Colette Albion Coat in a super warm wool meltonwool melton. You can read about it here)
]]>So I made another Grainline Archer Shirt.
You're probably thinking, "Oh wow, like the internet needs another Archer." Yeah, this'll be the last time I blog about it. Unless I try to combine it with the Alder dress... Though I do find it helpful, when I'm Googling a sewing pattern to see how it fits other people and to imagine how it will look on me and what alterations people have made, to see all the versions of it that could possibly exist.
So here is my latest Archer. This is a size 2.
When this pattern first came out, I didn't love how oversized and boxy it was. But it's really grown on me. I layered a long-sleeved thermal and a sweatshirt under my Archer and I could move comfortably.
I've modified the fit over my last few shirts (see the linen one here and the flannel one here) and I'm very happy with it now.
- lengthen the shirt and arms by 1"
- sew the side seams 5/8" instead of 1/2" like the pattern calls for
- 1/2" swayback adjustment (not convinced it worked though)
- sew a tower placket to the sleeve opening instead of a binding
- raise the armhole 3/8" so the whole shirt doesn't lift up when I move my arms. Even though it still kind of does.
The changes that I've made for this version were to sew the shoulder seams with 5/8" seam allowances (I forgot to last time), giving me more wiggle room to flat-fell my seams. It also lessens the drop shoulder that I wasn't crazy about. And I didn't cut my undercollar on the bias like Grainline instructs. I find that it stretches out rather than pulls the upper collar under like it's supposed to. Or maybe it's supposed to help the collar lay better? I never noticed a difference. Anyway, this picture looks cool.
Also, I sewed my buttonholes on the wrong side of the shirt!
Having done this before on a shirt I made for my boyfriend, it is really awkward to try to button up your shirt the other way! (I had to button his shirt for him) But I am keen to improve my dexterity, and I don't like unpicking and resewing buttonholes, so I just left them as such. I can pull this shirt on over my big head anyways.
My plaid matching is so good, bet you couldn't even see the pockets.
Oh and guess what, I made my leggings too. I traced a pair that wore out a little too much in the bum and remade them with this black ponte. The fabric isn't as stretchy as my original pair, and I didn't make the waistband elastic as tight as I should have so sometimes I get plumber butt, and the fabric pills, but they're thick and opaque and I've got to make more.
]]>Following my last blog post about the Deer & Doe Lupin Jacket, this is the Melilot Shirt.
The pattern features cut-on dolman sleeves, onto which you can attach longer sleeves (which is nice because you don't have to set in the sleeves). As you can see, I elected for the short sleeves, making this a pretty quick sew for a button-down shirt.
This material is a slinky, shifty, see-through silk chiffon. You can't really see through it when I'm wearing it, though. I have always loved this fabric, but despite attempting two tank tops out of it, I never quite got the hang of sewing with it. It's so shifty that it's difficult to work with, especially to keep the dots properly aligned. So finally I starched it.
First, I pre-washed the silk in cold water with a bunch of other things. Probably once the shirt is made I'll have to be more careful about what it goes into the washing machine with.
I made my own starch solution with arrowroot powder, which is essentially a more expensive version of corn starch. I boiled 1 1/2 T arrowroot powder in 2 cups of water for a minute and let it cool. Since I don't have any spare spray bottles, I just crammed my nice silk in the gelly liquid and squeezed and crammed and squeezed again to make sure the fabric was evenly soggy.
I tested a piece of the silk first, soaking it in the starch solution and ironing it dry under a press cloth. It seemed fine, so I continued with the rest of the yardage. But I don't have the (clean) space to iron that much fabric, so I hung it on a clothesline as straight as I could get it and left it outside over night for it to dry. Near the clothespins, the fabric stretched a little, but I could avoid using those areas. It was so much easier to lay out and cut this way.
I actually haven't gotten all of the starch washed out yet. I just ironed and steamed this a ton and it softened up.
Instead of fusible interfacing I used black silk organza, which I pre-washed with the chiffon. The finishes on this shirt are so neat. The pocket is lined (I used the silk organza), which helps finish all the edges and forms those nice curves that complement the curves hem and collar. However, only one of two attempted pockets came out with those nice curves, so this shirt only has one pocket.
I love the dramatic hemline. I finished the edges with bias tape made from the organza. But, I don't know, should I have done a swayback adjustment?
Duh.
I really love this pattern. It came together quickly and easily, especially considering the material I was working with. I wish I could have matched the polka dots better along the front, but I misunderstood how to fold the concealed button placket.
Also, doesn't it look perfect with the Lupin Jacket?
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