Boho Tunic - Kwik Sew 3670

Late last year I fell in love with some navy chiffon printed with peacocks and attempted to sew a Kwik Sew tunic I have made once before. It was an utter dismal failure and I was ready to chuck in the towel . I have faced a few life challenges behind my smiley face photos and darn it if I am going to let a mere fabric and sewing pattern defeat me . In a previous blogpost I wrote about my win over the fabric.

So that was the chiffon fabric under control but I was unhappy that I had failed at making up the pattern which I successfully made before and loved ! Kwik Sew 3670.

So back to the stash cupboard . Mum gave me this boho print crinkled georgette ( there must have been about 5 metres ! ) and learning from my chiffon nightmare I gelatinised the georgette until it was almost crisp . I then very carefully pinned  the sides of the fabric together to match the wide patterned stripes . The pattern pieces were placed , pinned and cut like I performing some delicate surgery . I really was determined to  make this work. Well all that preparation was the hardest part because with the treated fabric it was relatively easy to sew up the tunic. This really is an interesting pattern with a rectangular extension of the front pattern piece gathered and then folded over the front yoke / sleeve part.

The only thing I am not quite happy with is the somewhat wobbly hem but if I try to level this out the black patterned stripe  at the bottom will look off so I would rather the wobbly hem. Obviously I did not quite have the fabric straight  when I was cutting it but I did manage to match the stripey pattern at the side really well but forgot to take a photo so you will just have to take my word for it.
Overall I  love the tunic - the patterns and colours and  the fact that I conquered the pattern as well . No more frustration at being bettered by fabric and pattern. I think this version will be as successful as my last one which came to  nasty end after a run in with a velcro vest .

Well January is obviously an energising sewing month for me because I have also completed a dress .
So until next time Happy Sewing everyone. Janine.

Kwik Sew 3658 - A Miracle In Pattern Drafting .

My sewing output is much greater than my sewing blogging as I made this top early this month .
I was so impressed by this pattern I wanted to include a few pictures showing how it was made .

This is the two front pieces placed right sides together and stitched at the top and along the middle .

The fronts are ` opened up ` .

This creates a self front facing which is basted down .

The back is then stitched to the front . After this all that has to be done is sew the sleeves in the flat and then sew up the side seams and do the hems. So quick and easy and just amazing  ! Mind you I have no drafting skills so I might be easily impressed .

The close ups of the front and back neck line also show up my fabric well - a white waffly knit . It was only $1.00 from the op shop but it was covered with lots of little black dots which I did not realise until I had taken the fabric home. Luckily they washed out with a bit of that wonder pink napisan .
I am overall happy with the top but the neck line is a bit floppy and the shoulders too wide. Otherwise it really is a little miracle in pattern drafting.  I know Kwik Sew is not so popular or trendy so I do appreciate that they have reliable drafting and excellent instructions which is what really counts in the end.
Happy Sewing Janine.

Kwik Sew 3121 - Snuggy Shawl Collared Polar Top

taken without a flash 

I just made a polar fleece jumper  in time for the monster El Nino weather effect that is going to affect eastern Australia !  When I started this the weather was still cool but then bam all of a sudden we had a mini heat wave . Mum gave me the polar fleece and said it could make a blanket . No way Jose ! I only have two fleecy type tops both of which are ancient .

I used ( a rather tatty ) Kwik Sew 3121 . I really like the shawl collared option .
I used Size M which is very roomy but I like these jumpers on the larger size so I can easily wear a shirt and woolly vest underneath . There is no shaping to the body although the envelope gives that impression.
The instructions for the shawl collar are excellent and there are separate pattern pieces for the under and top collar. Because the polar fleece is so thick I used some leftover black ponte for the undercollar .However my polar fleece is navy so  I  under stitched and top stitched the collar pieces to minimize any peekaboo black sticking out .

Luckily our mini heat wave was only mini and typically the temperatures plummeted and I was quick to wear my new top while I could  . My husband commented that the top is very soft and it is indeed very cozy to wear. I would highly recommend this pattern for a casual

photo taken with a flash . 

I have made some more weather appropriate clothing that I just need to photograph - always the slowest process in this house.

Happy Sewing .

The Essential LRS - New Look 6896.

LRS being The Little Red Skirt.
Earlier this year I sewed up a really old stash inhabitant , the pink and blue plaid , and I love the end result. This got me thinking about other similarly elderly pieces of fabric. I do not subscribe to the theory that she who dies with the most fabric wins . I think about the lost opportunities , unfulfilled sewing dreams and not to mention the plain waste of resources . So I feel a bit ashamed to admit that I have  more 20 + year old fabric  languishing in my cupboard.
 This red crepe was actually a two metre  remnant ! I originally bought 5 metres to make a 3/4 length dress with multiple gores - very much a look at me dress - so not me ! I ditched that plan and  sewed another dress up but it was what I now know to be a wadder . I did wear it but  my sewing was less than stellar so I  turfed it after just a few uses.

I was skimming through pattern review a few weeks ago and saw a really lovely looking skirt . I then googled more images of the same pattern made up and the cogs started slowly turning until bingo I realised this would be a great way to use my red crepe . However after accumulating sewing treasures for 30 years I  knew I would have a similar pattern in my collection.

I found New Look 6896 in my French pattern magazine which was very much what I wanted . I really like this magazine because although I do not know the french language all the patterns have clear construction diagrams which are helpful in trickier areas.
The skirt is a simple wide yoked semi-circle style with belt carriers and pockets . The zip is on the side which was the only real difficulty because I added pockets from another view to my skirt .
I used some tips I found in a Vogue magazine to hem the skirt - first sewing a long gathering stitch to gently bring in some of the fullness of the hem before hand sewing the hem in place . I then removed the gathering stitches , gave the hem a press and it looks pretty invisible to me ! I added some cotton tape to the top of the yoke to stabilise this area and I think this does help a lot .

I have so many tops that coordinate with this skirt that it is a wonder that I never thought before  this was an essential garment to have !

I have worn my new skirt with a new top as well using  a long narrow remnant that Mum gave me . I used Kwik Sew 2695 which has become a favourite pattern to use up small pieces of fabric . It is so quick and easy but I managed to make more than one mistake in sewing this up . And now I have just realised looking at these photos that I have achieved the dreaded bulls eye effect so I don`t know if I will keep it or not now.
As I was sewing up my red crepe I felt quite pleased to be using up all my really old fabric until I realised that no there are still a couple of pieces left that are 20+ years ! So I predict a denim tunic coming into my life in the near future but the other piece is only good for night wear so that will probably reach its silver anniversary.

Happy sewing , Janine.

241

Just updating my personal sewing diary.

One of the things I really enjoy about having a blog is being able to document my sewing endeavours.  Most of my sewing has long disappeared and exists only in my mind. Not that it was spectacular or special just that I sewed it and and can see that I am getting better even if I still know just about zilch on fitting and totally nothing about drafting.
Another thing about having a blog is actually having a photo of myself wearing the clothes which sometimes even includes a back view. There are very few photos of me except on this blog. That doesn't  matter to me at all but it has been interesting to me to see what  clothes , colours  and styles might suit or not. Because that is another thing I am relatively clueless on -style etc.  And until this blog I didn't actually know what my back view looked like ( and perhaps that is information that was better that way ) .

Last month I finished sewing another burda style henley T.
This was a sewing project that I needed ,  not just wanted. A basic cream T .
The fabric is a fine ribbed knit bought on a lovely fabric buying day in November 2013 with the lovely girls from the monthly sewing group ( sadly this year it has been an annual sewing group for me ) . The month before had been a stashbusting sewing month - pure genius ! The fabric was from Rathdowne Remnants and the first piece I have made up from that day ! I thought it would be difficult fabric to handle because it is so fine  but it sewed up quite easily and I was delighted there was just enough to make  another kwik sew singlet as well - hence the two for one blog title .

Kwik Sew 3026 or How Not To Sew Plaid.

Pattern used - Kwik Sew 3026. I love this pattern having now made it 5 times. It is a great basic pattern for either a button up or placket shirt. It has separate pattern pieces for the under and outer collar pieces and a gently curved hem.
Fabric used - pink and blue textured plaid cotton. This has been in my stash for 20 years ! It feels  sturdy and soft  and I had trouble working out which were the wrong and right sides . Overall a great quality fabric which is hard to find these days.

 From memory I have  not sewn a plaid shirt before. I did make a plaid dress  20+ years ago and I am certain there were no thoughts about pattern placing going on then  This time there were plenty of thoughts but I still managed to muck up!

1. The front placket is not cut on the true bias - I thought it was but I must have been wearing my foggy glasses .
2. The front main plaid is cut slightly off centre .
3. I cut the pocket pieces on the bias and the pocket flaps on the straight grain. I carefully matched  the pocket flaps to the shirt front and then sewed them on the wrong sides so the pockets are lower and closer to the placket than intended. Annoying but the end result is fine .
4. The back of the collar plaid pattern is meant to align with the main back piece. Mine doesn't because I didn`t know .

No back view of the shirt because. 

Much loved and much used Kwik Sew 3026. 

However I did manage to cut the cuffs and yokes on the true bias and matched my side seams really well. I used larger buttons than originally intended on the placket to cover up my mistake :).

The Verdict - I love my new shirt !

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 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. 

Stash Busting and Self Care .

Recently I attended a Girls Night Out and included were  talks from a McGrath breast care nurse and a lifeline counsellor. The take home message from the counsellor was the importance of self care.
I absolutely agree . Some women equate self care with being selfish. Self care is important at all stages of our lives whether we are students , new mothers , working women etc.
My husband and children sometimes encourage me  to buy new clothes. Like other sewers my interest in shopping has waned although I appreciate the eye candy and potential inspiration. For me though self care involves not buying new clothes but not feeling guilty in getting rid of old ones. I often keep clothes way past their best.  So with this sage self -care  advice fresh in my mind I did some stash busting and sewed up a pair of  new pajama  pants and a  singlet and promptly got rid of  the  old ones before I could change my mind.
I think as sewers we have a fair idea about self care ( unless we are constantly sewing  for others) and it is just another one of the multitude of reasons why sewing is such a lovely hobby .

 Anyway a brief note about the actual sewing. Here is a bad shot of the PJ pants a one seam pant from Vogue 7645 dated 2002 . I used a green /blue cotton plaid from my mother  stashed for several years . I added a ribbon on the front to make it easier to work out which is the front and back but this was entirely unnecessary since I mucked up matching the plaid at the front but it matched perfectly at the back ( another aspect of self-care - not berating yourself about trivia like matching plaids ) .

For the singlet or tank top I used Kwik Sew 2845 dated 1999  which uses only two pattern pieces. The fabric is a thin soft blush coloured cotton interlock also from my mother and also stashed for a long time. My sewing machine did not like this fabric whilst I was making the original  button hole ( to thread the ribbon through ) but I found by adding tear away stabilizer in both the front and the back of the fabric everything went smoothly the second time. Apart from that hiccup the rest of the sewing was easy and enjoyable.  I have never made this pattern before but it certainly will not be the last.

So here`s to daily self -care . Cheers Janine.

Japanese Cotton Sewing - Kwik Sew 3026 and Knipmode May 2012.

I added sleeve tabs so I can the wear the top with sleeves up or down. 

Last year my eldest daughter took a gap year after finishing secondary school  and travelled to Japan for several months , came home for 4 days and then took off again to Peru ( talk about how to cause your mother a heart attack  ! )
Anyway three years prior to that she spent three months in Tokyo on a school exchange and I muttered something about Japanese cottons . Her host mother took her shopping and  she  came home with the most lovely softest piece with a divine pattern. My DD told me how hard it was to choose because the cboices were overwhelming but I think she did a fantastic  job. This fabric went into my very special fabrics section . I wanted to sew the perfect garment that I would have for years and years  and not waste it.
Three years later and my daughter is about to go to Japan again and she mutters something about  me not having sewn up this fabric and how she wouldn`t get anymore for me . Umm was that a threat ?
 Quicker than you can say Japanese fabric I pulled it out and cut out Kwik Sew 3026 view B -a  pullover  basic shirt pattern with collar and stand, back yoke and front tab. I have made this pattern four times now so I knew it was a winner and being a basic style I would have it for the years and years that I wanted.

Obviously all went well with my daughters travels overseas and she did buy me more Japanese cotton - quite a lot actually .

Wanting to show my appreciation I sewed up one the fabrics straight away ( although eldest DD had already left at this point so she couldnt see it !) As a compromise I chose my least favourite and used a knipmode pattern from May 2012 to sew a simple yoked tunic with tabs on the lower sleeves and body .

Then while our daughter was in Peru ( Cusco and Manu National Park in the amazon ) her host brothers from Japan whom she stayed with in 2010 came to visit for one week  and they brought some more Japanese cotton for me ! That was a very interesting week because one of the brothers did not speak English and the other was learning ( and doing a great and very fast job ) and we do not speak Japanese ! Our eldest daughter is quite fluent but we got by without her and had lots of fun.

I have since used some of my Japanese cotton stash to make the lace and floral top for eldest DD which is only fair!
So I am very lucky to have a small stash of lovely Japanese fabrics  which I have again put away in my mind to be used only for the perfect project.

PS - I actually sewed this shirt last year just to clear up any confusion on time lines.
PPS - My youngest daughter is thinking about going to Japan on a school exchange so I may have to start muttering again about how lovely and special Japanese fabric is and how much I treasure it.

Shirts for Everyone ( Except Me ) New Look 6647 and Kwik Sew 3422.

My sewing groove is back and  the bad news is that I have been sewing shirts . For everyone except me.
First up  a blouse for  middle DD . I used New Look 6647.
This is a really sweet pattern with a bib inset front - either pintucked or plain with a variety of sleeves. There are waist darts front and back and the blouse flares out at the waist to hips.
My daughter chose the plain bib front and the short sleeves. The sleeves are slightly gathered at the bottom only and finished with a bias band . This makes a lovely sleeve which is not overly pouffy .
We used a soft navy with pink floral charmeuse which she chose out on holidays last year .
This blouse came together really well - it was one of those projects where everything turns out right.
I have made the blouse once before for myself so I knew there were no unexpected surprises . The only changes we made to the pattern were to take the sides in near her bust a few centrimetresI( to make up for a lack of bust darts I suppose ) . I would highly recommend this pattern .

New Look 6647,  floral fabric and lovely vintage mother of pearl buttons . 

,

Yay a modelled shot ! 

Closer picture of the bib front. 

Next up is a shirt for my husband. I have been a good wife and this is now the third shirt I have sewn him in the last couple of years ( as well as one T-shirt this summer ) . It is Kwik Sew 3422 again ( really I can see no need for another shirt pattern for him - shirt patterns for myself is an entirely different matter !)
I used some gray and white cotton shirting from Clear It in Melbourne that I purchased only a couple of months ago. I could not tell the difference between the right and wrong sides ( admittedly my eyes are getting fuzzy but I don`t think there was a difference ) and it felt very smooth  . I only paid $10.50 for the material - a great bargain for such quality. I am going to keep my eyes peeled for more shirting fabrics like this.
This is a great pattern . I love that they have separate collar pieces for the under and top collar pieces. The front button band is simple and just turned under twice . They have the great yoke instructions where the seams are all enclosed . This   is what I appreciate about Kwik Sew Patterns - I hope the new ownership keeps that up . Again I would highly recommend this pattern. I am so proud of this shirt I would have a gender  transplant to wear it !

Well the good news is now I have sewn the Paris Lace, the Tokyo charmeuse and the Melbourne Cotton I can now get on with some serious selfish stashbusting sewing ( SSSS) for me. Cheers Janine.

Spot the camouflaged pocket  .

Dang I am proud of that collar .