Ottobre Woman Gorgeous Grey in Cream.

This is the last of my main sewing projects I have to catch up on . This is a raglan sleeve cardigan from the Winter 2015 edition of Ottobre Woman. I used a fine , thin cream woollen knit which although was not difficult to work with , I was a bit worried about . I thought it might possibly unravel or stretch out so I handled it very very carefully .

I changed the pattern by doubling the size of the long rectangular band , then folding this in half  rather than a single thickness band with a curled selvage front outer edge . I also eliminated the interesting pockets because I have never made this type before and I didn`t want to start on this fabric . If they went wrong it would muck up the whole cardigan . What I did follow on the instructions was to finish the seams and hems with a coverstitch type top stitch. I don`t own a coverstitch machine so I used one of the fancy stitches on my Pfaff . I carefully cut strips of tissue paper to stabilise under the seams before doing the stitching . Although the ` coverstitch ` is not obvious , the tissue paper made a big positive difference to how this went. The down side was carefully tearing away the tissue paper afterwards - a labour of love for sure.

A close up of the hard to photograph ` coverstitch ` top stitching . 

The cream cardigan turned out to be another good wearable basic which will hopefully see years of use.
Apart from this I have  made a pair of shorts and some pajamas for my daughters  ( I don`t have any photos ). I also refashioned a Liberty lawn blouse my Mum gave me by changing the puffy sleeves to fitted sleeves with a slightly gathered  elasticised hem . I am currently making up a Katherine Tilton shirt out of several scraps but I am having a holiday so  completion of that will probably be a few weeks away.

Knipmode Black Spotty Winter Cardigan.

Back to sensible sewing again and you can't get more sensible than this . A black wool mix cardigan in winter to replace another black cardigan that is just about as old as my youngest daughter who can now legally drive and vote and drink. I was getting thoroughly sick of it apart from some emerging holes , runs and droopiness.
I was going to sew another Style Arc Abbey cardigan but after seeing the pictures of my current one from MeMadeMay I decided I was tired of the waterfall front as well . I have a couple of other well used cardigan patterns from Kwik Sew and Butterick but they didn't feel right . I considered buying a McCalls pattern as there are a couple of cardigan patterns which are really popular and look good but this would involve a couple of hours driving there and back to buy what could be a $20 pattern . I revisited my sewing magazines and found a Knipmode one .

This is `vest ` 21 from October 2010 Knipmode , a long sleeved cardigan with slightly gathered  below bust lower fronts and backs with a wide foldover front facing .  I had never considered this pattern before because in the magazine it is very long , just above the knees and to be honest looked like a dressing gown . Then while I was helping my daughter shop for her Year 12 formal dress ( forgive me all ye sewing zealots for not sewing one ) I saw a woman wearing a shorter version and then later at lunch with my niece and her adorable twin baby boys she was wearing a similar style . So that was it !
I shorted the pattern by about 30 cms at least ( I only traced the pattern out 3 weeks ago but I can't remember what I did- getting old ? ! ) and eliminated the pockets and the front tie . I only had 2 metres of this fabric so it was necessary to shorten the cardigan anyway. Ahhh , the fabric is lovely . It is an Alannah Hill wool mix with tiny small dots from Clear It . It was really easy to sew with except the small gathers at the waist are more like pleats.

I was very careful sewing this - using iron-on interfacing at  the back and front neckline and some silk selvage at the shoulders to prevent stretching . I pressed the garment with low heat using a silk organza pressing cloth . The cardgan came together so well and easily , I sewed the sleeves in the round and they fitted perfectly.

For some reason I always get a lot of pleasure from  making a bonus pattern from my sewing magazines that I hadn't considered before and I really love this one . Also this is the last of my Clear It purchases apart from a few buttons so thinking it is time to go back ( no Janine you must keep on stashing busting , keep strong ) .

Pattern Review Sew Stylish Sew Along - New Cardigans.

 
Hello ,  these are the initial results of my attempts at following along with the Pattern Review Stylish Sew Along .
Note I am interpreting this as becoming more stylish not being stylish . So believe me these two cardigans are a whole lot better than what they replaced because even I realise that these cardigans are not what you would see on the best dressed lists!

The first cardigan is made from Butterick 3461 ,  a Kathy Ireland Lifestyle Wardrobe pattern from 2002. It is a long line slim fitting cardigan with a V neckline and gentle side seam shaping.It is such a basic pattern that I can't see any reason to but a newer pattern.  The fabric is a white stable  knit with a herringbone pattern. The recommended fabric is a knit with moderate stretch but this worked out fine.
I actually bought and made this pattern when it was first released from a caramel coloured fake suede which was the worst fabric I have ever sewed with even though it looked really good. I'm glad that I have revisited this pattern despite my bad memories . I was so pleased with the end result that I  actually hand stitched all the hems rather than my usual machine hem job  . I think it  looks much better and  I should just consider doing this all the time.

The cream cardigan on the left uses Kwik Sew 2875 which I have made several times but using  the hoodie version and also the great little camisole that comes with it.
I used my paisley embossed fleecy which is really lovely fabric but impossible to photograph . I only had one metre so I was really limited in what I could sew and in the end  this was the only pattern I could use . I actually wanted to make a raglan sleeve windcheater . There are pros and cons to op shop fabric and this is one of them. Finding great material but just not enough of it. From now on I will just have to leave these pieces behind .

Anyway end result is that I got rid of a couple of old cardigans and used some old stash to make replacements- a win-win situation .

The Stylish Sew Along has also inspired my next sewing projects. I am finally going to use some Liberty lawn given to me by a friend 4 years ago and am making up a couple of new tops which will match as well.
I highly recommend reading this sew-along/ discussion  . There are all different sewers , from different parts of the world , with different sewing needs but with the same common goal - trying to lift style game and get out of a rut. Happy Sewing Janine.

A Tale of Two Twinsets .

THE GOOD 

Using a combination of the Style Arc Abby Cardy and Kwik Sew 2965 and a cream lace knit .
I`ve made the Abby Cardy before but the top was a new sew. I was wearing this set to work a little while ago and someone commented that they hadn`t seen a twin set for years !  Well I suppose they haven`t been in fashion what since the 50s ? Another great reason to sew - you can wear what you want and not be dictated to by a higher fashion authority .

THE BAD AND THE UGLY 

This twinset was made using Vogue 8559 a Marcy Tilton pattern. I used a lovely slubby capuccino coloured knit but as there was not enough to make both pieces I had to use a remnant of a spotty knit. I have only worn this twice since making this a year ago ! Once when I had finished sewing it and for the photos.

The cream twin set works I think because both garments are made from the same fabric , the cream suits me and both garments are a flattering length.
The brown twinset fails on so many levels. I only had one metre of the  brown knit ( but the fabric was extra wide - at 200cm !) and was just trying to do too much with  too little  . The colour is not so complimentary and the cardigan is just too short and finishes where the widest part of me starts . I could not find a suitable trim so I used a dark brown lace ( which again is lovely ) which was too stiff . Also the spotty contrast tank  is just too much . It`s a pity because the brown knit is actually quite good and every image I have seen of this pattern made up looks great .

I love twinsets as part of my wardrobe because they really do reduce dressing thinking time in the mornings. Each time I wear them it saves precious seconds ( and as you get older those seconds get more precious !)

Happy Sewing Janine.

A Neighbourhood of Hoodies - Kwik Sew 2848 and 2875.

Kwik Sew 2848

Kwik Sew 2875

Kwik Sew 2875

I was never one of those girls who could keep an up to date diary and blogging is the same although perhaps with age some things have improved because I have at least been more persistent although still not very up to date.  I sewed these hoodies a few months ago but I am trying to get all up to date for a fresh new start next year.
Both patterns are Kwik Sew . I sew a lot with these although I don`t actually own a great number  because I just keep on reusing them . I was reading Paolo`s blog post about her disappointment in sewing a McCalls Jacket and I was nodding along because I had the same experience in sewing a McCalls twinset using some really lovely ( read expensive ) boucle knit and it ended up being so boxy and large and shapeless . I was so disappointed but wore it anyway because I adored the fabric. And then I discovered Pattern Review and the site highly recommended a few Kwik Sew patterns so I bought a couple on the strength of that and what a discovery. I was so happy with the fit and the shaping and hence I am always keeping a lookout for patterns I like.

The striped hoodie uses Kwik Sew 2848 on the left above and some sturdy rugby type knit( love the colours ) .  I modified the pattern by adding welt pockets and a contrast  trim along the front of the hoodie extending down the front bodice slit. This is only the second time I have made welt pockets so I practiced a few times with scraps and they looked very nice thank you very much . So I proceeded with my real fabric and managed to insert them upside down ! Luckily the pocket bag fabric is very soft and flexible so it doesn`t really  matter but I it means I have to continue on my journey on making that mythical perfect garment . 

The navy blue and  `sea foam ` cardy hoodies use Kwik Sew 2875 and both are sweater ( jumper ) type knits . I  added some bias binding along the front edges but otherwise sewed them up as is. Very simple pattern and very easy. I don`t really knit so I love sewing `knitted` garments. I used to be a bit scared of using sweater type knits but I have practiced several times using opshop and in the case of the sea foam cardy very cheap ( read nasty ) spotlight stuff . Kwik Sew 2875 came with a bonus camisole/singlet pattern which is excellent +++. I wear these all the time so am glad to have a great pattern which will be useful in using up scraps. 

Kwik Sew 2875

I`m not normally a hoodie type person but you know they are great for covering up bad hair days ( basically everyday for me ) and adding a little extra warmth or even sun protection when needed so really are very useful garments. 

Ok now I only have four more completed garments to catch up on. 

Cheers Janine. 

StyleARC Abby Cardy Meets Animal.

I whipped this little number up over four weeks which is pretty sad really  !  This is by no means anything to do with the pattern . I really thought I had been sewing more than what reality indicates but life has been very busy . I really am missing sewing and reading all the sewing blogs  . Anyway I would highly recommend this pattern. I will definitely sew this one again in a plain fabric.

 

I used a remnant knit  left over from my Butterick dress I sewed last year for my muslin  . I only had enough to sew the short sleeves unfortunately .

As with all Style Arc patterns there are no detailed instructions.There is the list of steps involved and one small diagram showing the centre back neck/ shoulder  and where the facing attaches. The pattern pieces are quite well marked though.

It is a very simple cardigan to sew however  so the lack of detailed instructions does not matter  but if you were completely new to sewing it would be a challenge.  

 I really like the end results - unlike some other drapey cardigans it does not have masses of fabric at the front , the fit is great and it can be styled in several different ways. Also I was very impressed by the service I received from this company - the pattern arrived the week after I ordered it and the costs were quite reasonable.I also really like the small swatch of fabric they include - this really helped with my material selection .  I will definitely buy more patterns. ( I also have the Peta Pants patterns and have sewed a muslin - another happy success !)

I hope to get more sewing done in the next month - I have been on a prolonged break from work and go back to the real world in a month. Also I have lost my nocturnal foot warmer for the next 4 weeks - my husband and middle daughter have gone to France while I stay home with the oldest and youngest daughters - sigh .We are expecting some extra special souvenirs - well they better or else !  I don`t know what the or else is yet - hopefully we won`t have to think of something ;)