Kwik Sew 3422 - Ebony and Ivory Silver Anniversary Shirt.

A spruced up post title for a black and white striped shirt !
Good in some ways and bad in others , my wardrobe has reached saturation point. I have a handful of summer clothes I have not even worn and it seems that our summer weather is now truly over with all the rain and sadly flooding that is going on . That means I have turned my sewing attention to others and I completed a shirt for my husband.
The last time I sewed anything for my husband ( apart from repairs and hems ) was 25 years ago - hence the silver anniversary shirt. I was  about 19 at the time so had only been sewing occasionally ( during long school/ uni holidays ) for a a few years . He was only my boyfriend at the time but I sewed him a similar button front , collared striped cotton  shirt .However he told me it wasn`t very professional so he never really wore it.
Just to prove that I don`t hold onto grudges :) I decided to have another go at sewing for my now husband ! Now either my sewing skills have improved somewhat or my husband`s diplomacy skills have been refined but this time he said it looked professional and that he liked it and he wore it to work the very next day . ( I suspect that both the sewing and diplomacy skills have improved by the way ) .

I used Kwik Sew 3422 - a pattern for both long and short sleeved shirts with the option of either a one piece or two piece collar. It was printed in 2006 but is still in the current catalogue.
I really like how the front band is cut on - you turn the front band inside and then fold this under creating a self interfaced band with three layers of fabric - so easy -no separate interfacing involved here ( but you do interface the collar and collar stand ) . Also this pattern has a really neat yoke - I took pictures of the process and hopefully will be able to explain more next week  . The seam allowance is only 6mm which is really helpful in applying the collar nicely but I was not able to do flat felled seams with this small allowance so I used a mock flat felled seams instead when you just top stitch the seams on the outside. I was very careful to match up stripes with the pocket placement and where the yoke meets the sleeves. ( Ironically the yokes and sleeves stripes are slightly out despite trying very hard and using my unpicker three time but where I sewed the under and top collar the stripes match perfectly even though I didn`t try and no-one sees this bit .)
I used some shirting cotton that I bought while on holidays in Cairns 18 months ago ( see I had honorable intentions way before the quarter of a century was up ) that was really good  quality - it sewed easily and ironed up nice and crisp which really helps to improve the whole sewing experience.
I was quite chuffed that my husband really liked his shirt so I won`t wait another 25 years to make another one .The other good thing about man sewing is that I will only need the one shirt pattern to satisfy his shirt needs.  I really have to thank Karen of Kbenco because she inspired me to sew this - she makes divine shirts for her husband with really special extra touches .

Also  big shoutout to the Rosedale ASG ( Australian Sewing Guild) . Bruna thankyou so much for inviting me - I had alot of fun being around others who also love sewing and amazingly sewing was done amongst the chatter ! You are all an amazing talented bunch of sewists ( Bruna , Anne, Sue, Lorna and Barbara ) and I look forward to improving my skills and knowledge as well as your camaraderie.
My next project is a nightie for my mother-in-law so until then Cheers .

Kwik Sew 3670 - To Be or Not To Be.

That is the question and I just do not know the answer.
I am unsure if it is the pattern or the fabric or just both  that is not quite jelling with me. Here is the pattern below. 

Pattern front KS 3670 .

Pattern back showing up details.

KS 3670 is a tunic /top where the front and back yokes extend into slightly gathered sleeves with a narrow band. The front of the tunic extends up in a small rectangle which is gathered and sewn to the bottom inside edge of the front yoke forming a pleat. Because of that front pleat this patterns needs a very drapy fabric or else. I have too much grey hair now to be asked if I am expecting but I want to avoid the Irritable Bowel/ bloated look. The back neck is finished with self fabric bias binding. It looked quite an interesting pattern and I had nothing else like it in my wardrobe.

A close up of the front yoke , pleat and back bias binding.

   The fabric is a georgette - rectangles of yellow, black, fawn , olive green and white. I bought it from an Australian Ebay fabric store and I had thought the olive green was going to be grey although it is really hard to tell really. I was a bit disappointed when it arrived because of the colour discrepancies between computer moniters and real life. However it was one of those I don`t  have anything to lose  fabrics so it was perfect for trialling my new pattern. The fabric was moderately slippery but by using lots of pins and cutting carefully with sharp scissors it wasn`t too bad.
  The front yoke pattern piece is very interesting and confusing but of course by following the excellent instructions it all works out at the end. I doubled my fabric for the front and back yokes since my fabric is so sheer but this did nothing to aid in modesty as the yoke finishes above the bust line .However it did mean that I had no remnants left to feed that scrap bag ( which has a life of its own I am sure )  :) . 8 cms are allowed for this hem so I turned up the hem 4 cms and then another 4 cms and stitched. Overall the pattern is well drafted and the instructions are excellent as per usual with Kwik Sew.
 The tunic is relatively long and could even be worn as a short dress . I have only one suitable bottom piece of clothing to wear with this which is part of reason why I am unsure about this top although I have possible plans to make some slim fitting olive green linen pants . The photos look OK though so I think I will put this in that magic wardrobe made famous  by Mary Nanna and stew on it for a bit.
Any opinions good or bad  ( I won`t sulk - I think ) or styling suggestions would be welcomed.
Until next time , Cheers Janine.

Kwik Sew 3573 - My Sewing Bucket List.

I have been procrasting sewing my Liberty fabric as I am not entirely sure I want to make a dress. So instead I pulled out this pattern above  I bought last month and cut into some fabric I purchased  when we visited China in 2008. I was told it was silk at the time but having just bought some `genuine` Gucci handbags for my daughters for a few dollars I was quite cynical about this. However I loved the print and didn`t really care  . I bought some black  `satin` from Darn Cheap Fabrics in Melbourne recently to complete this top and as I was cutting into the fake satin I realised there was quite a difference between this and the satin from China. Shame on me! - it was real silk satin and I had just unknowingly ticked off one of my bucket list wishes - to sew a real silk satin piece of clothing. It was just as well I didn`t realise it was silk as this would still be folded up in my cupboard!

As per usual the Kwik Sew pattern was drafted beautifully and the instructions were so easy you could be half asleep and still do a really good job. It is a kimono styled top with a contrast sleeve and waist bands. There is some gentle gathering of the front and back pieces into the waist band and the neckline is finished with their wonderful bias binding / instructions. I am really happy with the result and I would highly recommend this pattern .  It just goes to show I shouldn`t be scared  to use my too precious fabric in case something goes wrong. Perhaps now I should look at that Liberty lawn and treat it  just as some cheap quilting cotton from Spotlight.

Back view showing the kimono type sleeves. I love how the wideness of the shoulders makes my waist and hips look small - it is not like that in real life .

There is something that amuses me about the last two patterns I have sewn. Usually burda necklines go down to your navel and Kwik Sew is quite demure. However the last Burda dress neckline was  conservative and this Kwik Sew Top does show alot ! Perhaps there were some pattern maker spooks who infiltrated Burda/ Kwik Sew camp . Anyway here`s to sewing our good stuff. Cheers Janine.

Kwik Sew 3474 - The Spring has Sprung Top

I finally finished my Kwik Sew blouse - I have learnt how to add a Pattern Review Widget so I have done a fairly complete review if anyone is interested. This top was super thrifty to sew - I found the pattern for only 20cents and the fabric was only a couple of dollars - the most expensive part of this project was the thread which I had to buy new  . So really there was nothing to lose with this top - especially as I broke the Kwik Sew rules and cut different sizes at different lines - small at the shoulders and sleeves and side seams and large at the front .
I love the wrap front of this and the side shaping and front ties and cuffs with slits . I dislike that there is nothing keeping the upper part of the blouse together so I added press studs This is completely necessary as any movements will cause major gaping at the top and a significant case of `Hello boys` or being charged by the police with exposure. I  also understitched the facings which Kwik Sew surprisingly didn`t include in their instructions - having said that, this pattern confirms that I do love Kwik Sew patterns .
I wasn`t completely happy with my upper press stud - it is tending to show so I will wear this with a brooch. Next time I make this I think I will add a button .
I have some lovely soft gold paisley embossed silk look fabric and I am debating making an evening version of this above pattern but I am just not sure yet.
Anyway spring has definitely sprung here - we have a new born lamb with hopefully a couple more to come and our chooks are laying 10 eggs a day and the wattles and native jasmine are blooming ( and I am sneezing !) . It is lovely here at the moment. Until next time ( another top on the way!) cheers Janine.

A Name Change

IMG_0880[1], a photo by JanineMcK on Flickr.
I have wanted to have a sewing blog for a long time but lack of computer skills and a touch of shyness stopped  me. Then my younger daughters showed me how to transfer images from the camera to the computer - I thought this was going to be hard !- and off I went. However I could only come up with the rather boring name Sew Janine. Today I created a new name which I think is rather appropriate.
Sutures is the medical term for stitches and interrupted sutures is a style of medical stitching.
I also wanted to add a photo of my next project. I had wished to sew the above Kwik Sew top with some light weight black silver brocade but did not have enough fabric to match the pattern which would have wrecked the whole thing so I am using some left over fabric from a skirt/top combination I made my Mum some time ago. I am now procastinating on marking the 6 darts involved ( my least favourite part of sewing after cutting out possibly ) . I hope this post works as I have had a heck of a time trying to get photo inserted and now I see after each m there is a funny gap. Cheers Janine.

Unidentical Twin Skirts

This is Kwik Sew 3364. I have just finished the grey ( winter ) version this long Easter weekend but the floral ( summer ) version was sewn last year in December. I LOVE THIS SKIRT - hence why I have made now 3 versions of this.

The grey above is a light weight wool blend fully lined.I found this at the opshop for only 10cents !!  The floral version is a stretch cotton.I bought this from Ebay but the print was larger than expected but I love the colours.  Both wovens ended up successfully with nice flippy sides.
The grey skirt will be a very welcome addition to my winter wardrobe as I only have about 12 winter weight `bottoms` ( so to speak ) to wear for work. Grey is such a versatile colour - it will go with all of my winter tops. I used a couple of newer techniques for me -I usually make a casing and then insert the elastic for the waist which sometimes ( OK - alot ) ends up with twisted elastic which is annoying. Kwik Sew has you stitch the elastic ends together and then fold the waist over this - much better end result. I also used my blindhem stitch which I probably don`t use as much as I should. I used my overlocker to roll hem the edge of the lining which I have only done 3 times before. Its good to practice these.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy Easter. Cheers Janine   ( By the way that is my lovely dog Toby - a pomerian cross mystery dog. We got him from the pound - everyone calls him a girl because of that fluffy tail/bottom - but he doesnt mind. )

My Mother's Birthday Present

I have finally finished sewing this outfit for my mother with the exception of inserting the elastic since I have to measure her waist . I sewed Butterick jacket 4142 and Kwik Sew skirt 3364 out of a light weight crinkly fabric- a bit like cheesecloth but more substantial. The colour is a dark green/olive.
Just recently the health department of Australia wants to introduce plain packaged cigarettes - no logos at all on them - but with the gory pictures of all the terrible things cigarettes can do to you. They decided that the least desirable colour for the packaging was a dark olive green - hmmm - I `m not sure what this says about my choice of colour for this outfit but I know it suits my mother`s autumn colouring and she can add a pretty top to wear with this. The fabric was only $2.50 for 3.5 metres from the opshop  and it does feel very soft.
The Butterick pattern is OOP - dated 2004 and this was easy to sew. I did like the slit in the back and the mandarin collar but again I`m not sure if this is something that a certain deceased asian communist leader might have worn. Oh well. I know my Mum will like this.
The skirt pattern is Kwik Sew 3364 and I love this pattern . I have had this in my collection for a few years and until late last year I had never used the pattern - this is now the second time with the third one cut out ! I have now made this skirt in a bright summery stretch cotton, the above light weight green and the new one is cut out of a light weight grey wool blend. I really do recommend this pattern.
Well I am glad this is finished  in time and now I am off to sew a little bit more of my next skirt.
Cheers Janine

G`Day , Hello !

Hello there . My name is Janine and I obviously love sewing. I have been reading and loving reading others blogs for ages .For some strange reason yesterday I set up my own little blog and for some even stranger reason I have even written a blogpost- thanks to alot of help from my 11 year old daughter( who is also laughing at me too !) . I have been sewing for 30 Years !! but I am still very much a learner . Most of my shirts , skirts, dresses and nightwear are home sewn and I have done some pants and jackets.

For now I am going to start a skirt and blouse/jacket for my mother`s birthday in May - I am using Kwik Sew 3364 for the skirt  and the material above - some green lightweight crinkled `stuff` and a butter coloured lining .I am not fully decided on the jacket pattern .

I love Kwik Sew patterns. I have made this skirt once before from stretch cotton and it is a very nice flippy little skirt. I like the way the pattern teaches you to insert the elastic - no more twisted elastic ! The material all come from a local op shop -sometimes I find very nice pieces there and the above material only cost $3.50 for 2 1/2 metres of the green and 2.4 metres of the lining !

I hope to review another pattern McCalls 6110 - a maxi dress - made for my eldest daughter soon- when I can convince her to allow me to take a photo of her in it. I also hope to talk about some of my other sewing I have done in the past.Until then  Cheers. Janine