More Summer Garments! A Red Linen top

I'm not sure if other sewists do this. I'm quite lazy when it comes to changing the threads on my serger. So when I want to sew something, I always look at what colour threads are already threaded in the serger and then proceed to make something in that colour.

The serger has been threaded with red threads for a while, and I have been making red garments. So to continue with the red trend, I made myself a sleeveless top with the same red linen blend that I used for the cargo shorts I made a few days ago. This top is based on my stash pattern Butterick 5364 which I have used previously.

I used a size 10 because of how 'blousey' this pattern is. But I had to enlarge the armhole as the  size 10 armhole is too tight for me. I also added side slits this time to make it easier for me to sit down without wrinkling the bottom half of the top too much. I didn't use the facing pieces in the pattern but instead used bias tape to enclosed the edges. I found the facing pieces too cumbersome and too warm to wear on a hot, sticky summer day. I sewed a short line of satin stitch right on top of the side slit to stop the slit from splitting from wear and wash.

I'm pretty happy with this top and I can't wait to wear it. Now what else can I do with the remaining red linen blend fabric?

The review of this pattern is at PatternReview.

Wardrobe Sudoku Contest: Last item Red slim pants McCall's 5273

Wow! This is the last piece of garment for the Wardrobe Sudoku Contest. I made a pair of red slim pants a few years ago but I wore and laundered it so much that those pants were falling apart. I had more red stretch woven cotton fabrics in my stash so I decided to make another pair with a slight twist.

I used the same tried and true and tweaked McCall's 5273 that calls for moderate stretch fabrics. I made view C which is an elastic pull-on style. This is my 14th (?) time using this pattern so it all came together really quickly. I added a faux front fly and sewed down permanent narrow pleats in the front leg pieces.

I'm pretty happy with them. I think I'll be wearing these very often in the Spring, Summer and Autumn.

It's such a relief to have completed all the garments for this Wardrobe Sudoku Contest! I was worried that I wouldn't find enough stash fabrics/notions that would go together, and then I was worried that I would run out of time because of the upcoming March Break. I am also very excited to have so many new sewn garments to wear this coming spring, summer, and autumn! I am also very thankful for all the encouragements I have received from my blog friends who cheered me along!

Now I will need to do a photo session with all the different combinations of garments/ accessories for this Wardrobe Sudoku.

My review of this pattern is at PatternReview.

Wardrobe Sudoku Contest: 4th Top New Look 6344 and Simplicity 5204

This is my 4th top for the Wardrobe Sudoku Contest. I found this striped cotton poplin with a slight stretch in my fabric stash. It had been there for years! If it wasn't for this contest, I would have totally forgotten about it. This contest is so great for my stash discovery and stash busting!

I was initially planning to use Simplicity 5204 to make a three quarter sleeves shirt with this fabric:

However, since the last tunic top with New Look 6344 went so well and fit so nicely on me, I decided to do a franken-pattern top. I would use New Look 6344 for the body and Simplicity 5204 for the sleeves. I have previously used Simplicity 5204 for a couple of linen shirts for the office and I liked the faux button up sleeve detail. But I had always dreaded a button up shirt as they tend to pull at the button front (I always end up 'wrestling' with the kids or carrying/moving heavy stuff).

I chose view C of New Look 6344 with the shirt collar and the sleeves of View D in Simplicity 5204. The shirt came together very quickly. I made my usual short waist adjustment. The buttons were also from my stash:

I think it looks fine and I'm pleased with how it turned out. It is versatile enough for the office or casual wear. It is basic enough that I can wear any colours with it. Yay! I have finished making all the tops for this contest! Now I need to concentrate on making the final bottom as well as 3 other accessories to complete the sudoku.

The review of this pattern is at PatternReview.

Wardrobe Sudoku Contest: 3rd top with New Look 6344

I'm on a roll here! I need to get much sewing done this month because next month I will be busy with March break and spring traveling. I will not have much time to sew next month. For the 3rd top I'm using up this beautiful red and white floral 100% cotton poplin. It has been in my possession for a number of years but I just found it recently. I thought it could make a lovely tunic top with New Look 6344.

I had previously used this pattern for a pyjama top for myself. It was roomy and comfortable but not too loose. I chose View D with View E sleeves. It was lovely to sew on crisp cotton and it came together fairly quickly The pattern has French darts (angled side darts) and side slits. I made my usual short waist adjustment and added a white bias trim (also from my stash) to the neckline to jazz it up a bit:

I think it looks fine. The print is quite busy and I usually don't wear such a busy print. But for spring and summer it should be fine. I'm quite happy with the fit of this pattern. Perhaps I should make more tops with this pattern in the future. There is a little bit of this floral fabric left. I am thinking of making my daughter a top for this summer.

So far, I have made 3 tops, 1 accessory and 1 bottom for this contest. I need to make 1 more top, 1 more bottom and 3 other accessories to complete the sudoku. Fun fun fun!

My review of this pattern is at PatternReview.

Wardrobe Sudoku Contest: 2nd Top and 1st Accessory

For the 2nd top of this contest, I'm using this thrifted polyester 'art silk' large scarf that I thrifted earlier this year. It has this beautiful wine red that gradually morphs into a lovely green. To showcase the beautiful colours of this fabric, I used my tried and true pullover woven dress pattern - a vintage McCall's 8048 (published probably late 1970's or early 1980's). I thrifted this pattern a while back and had made a number of dresses with this pattern:

1. White tablecloth lace dress

2. Chiffon Scarf to dress

This time I wanted to make a tunic and not a dress. So I just reduce the length and here is how it turned out:

I also got a green scarf out of this fabric by cutting a long rectangle and serging the edges with black thread:

I really like the look of these 2 garments I made. I got a lovely top and a lovely accessory out of this large thrifted scarf. I still have some remnant of that scarf left for trims and embellishments. So for this contest, I'm now 4 down 6 more to go! Yay!

The review of this sewing pattern is at PatternReview.

Wardrobe Sudoku Contest: 1st top Butterick 5053

As my serger is still threaded with black and grey threads, I proceeded to sew the next garment that required these threads. My first top for this contest is this mixed moderate stretch knit cardigan/jacket/top. I have had these 2 knits for a while and I have made other garments with them before.

With the striped polyester knit I made The Irene Adler dress:

With the black/white check cotton knit I made:

1. Checked leggings

2. Checked dress

I have used Butterick 5053 once when I was pregnant. I modified the cardi/jacket pattern to allow lots of room at the tummy area and made a fleece jacket with it. I wore that jacket almost daily as my belly grew larger and larger. I still wear this often in the house during colder months. :

I had chosen size M (10-12) according to the envelope back information. I used the checkered knit for the body and the back of the striped knit for the sleeves and collar according to the yardage I had. It came together fairly quickly. I omitted the cuffs because I thought they would be too long for my arms. I made my usual short waist adjustment. I tried the initial jacket on. Boy it was really loose! I had to take off a good 5 cm off each side seams, as well as a good 3cm off the sleeve width. I understood that I was using a moderate stretch knit instead of a woven non-stretch fabric. But the looseness still really surprised me.

After trimming and trying it on a few times, this is how it looked in the end:

I had initially made a self-belt but it looked too much like I was going to a Karate tournament. So I used a thrifted belt for the photo above. I think it looked okay but I have to be really careful what I wear with this jacket to not look like I'm doing Asian martial arts. It's a good weight for the late Spring and early Autumn weather. I'm extremely happy that I busted some major fabric stash! The remnants of these 2 fabrics are now only good for trims or other embellishment details. So 2 garments down, 7 more to go!

My review of this pattern is on PatternReview.

Wardrobe Sudoku Contest: 1st bottom McCall's 5273

I was initially planning to sew the tops first for this contest. But as I'm lazy, I saw that my serger was already threaded with grey and black threads, so I decided to make the grey stretch woven 'yoga comfort business pants' first.

I used my tried and true McCall's 5273 (for moderate stretch fabrics) for these pants. This must be the 12th time I have used this pattern! I chose View C with the elastic waist, which I have modified to fit my body (sway back, flat behind, short waist in the front, etc). I was going to add a welt pocket at the right back but thought it might make the close fitting pants too 'bumpy' at the bum. I can always add that later if I change my mind. I added a mock fly front.

Whoops! I splashed some water on the pants!

I need to clean the camera lens!

They are super comfortable and the colour and texture of these elastic stretch poly woven pants makes them versatile enough for office or casual wear. I'm really pleased with these pants and I'm even more pleased that I used all stash fabric/notions with them. One down, 7 more to go!

My review of this pattern is on PatternReview.

September Dress - Tried and True Butterick 5146

I have been sewing lots of dresses since I started sewing in the late 1990s. It's funny because I was such a tomboy growing up that I would burst into tears if my mom force me to wear a dress (other than my school uniform). But now I find that dresses can be extremely versatile for difference occasions, different weather conditions and of course make getting dressed in the morning much easier (yes!).

For September I made a knit dress with a remnant medium weight, cotton check double knit that I bought 7 years ago. I used a tried and true Butterick 5146 which I have tweaked to my body shape. I have used this pattern for this dress and this dress.

I shortened the waist, made the deep v-neck less deep and made it a short sleeves dress. There is a little bit of excess fabric at my back due to my sway back but I'm not going to worry too much about it. I contemplated making patch pockets for the dress but I thought it would make it too casual looking.

I wore the dress out already and it was super comfortable. Another easy to wear dress that I can use for the office, for leisure and for 3 seasons!

The review of this pattern is here.

April MAGAM Chanel-esque Jacket done!

I have finished my April MAGAM Chanel-esque Jacket. Yay! Lots of work and rework went into it. It was really my fault for not doing a muslin first on a sewing pattern that I bought before having kids.

Simplicity 8850 is a pattern I bought more than 10 years ago. I made a wool blend jacket with it. It is actually a generously cut pattern. I chose size 12 because the envelope said that the Bust measurement of the garment will be 41.5". If I had chosen my usual size 14 it will be too roomy at 43.5". The pattern has 2 front darts and 2 darts on each side. I combined the 2 front darts into 1 and eliminated one of the back darts (I have a thick waist). I also did my usual short waist adjustment.

The pattern calls for 1.5 metre of fabric for the jacket. Since I only had a little more than 1 m of the white boucle fabric, I had to cheat. I made 3/4 sleeves instead of full length sleeves. I eliminated the facings as well. I was lucky that I had enough to create 2 pockets. The boucle was unraveling like mad, so I fused a lightweight tricot interfacing for the entire jacket. Unfortunately the fabric seemed to have been stretched a bit out of shape already. It is most evident in the front hem as well as the pockets.

I used  a stash black ric-rac trim that I had barely enough to finish the front opening, the top edge of the pockets and the sleeves. In fact I think I stretched the ric-rac too much for the front opening (to ensure that it covered the whole front) that it warped the front opening line. You can see that the front curves slightly inward in the photo.

I had wanted to do the fancy machine quilting of the fashion fabric and the lining like the other bloggers have done. Unfortunately, the mini sequins and the metallic threads in the fabric kept breaking when I was doing the quilting. So I just did minimum hand quilting for the front opening and the neckline. I also hand sewn the pockets onto the jacket to prevent a machine sewn groove appearing on the pocket.

Lastly, I think I can improve the drape of the jacket by sewing metal chain at the bottom hem of the jacket (like the real Chanel jackets). I will need to go buy some when there is a sale. For now, I'll just wear this jacket without the chain.

The pattern also calls for shoulder pads. Since I already have broad shoulders, I didn't want to put in shoulder pads. But I can see that without shoulder pads, the back shoulder area collapses, forming unslightly drag lines. I tried the jacket with shoulder pads and the back looked a lot better. However in the front I looked like an American football player! I'll wear the jacket a few more times to see if I want to put in shoulder pads afterall.

All in all I'm pleased with this wearable muslin. The next version will certainly be better now that I have learned more about working with boucle as well as this pre-kids sewing pattern.

My review for this pattern is at Pattern Review.

MAGAM March Project - Striped sweater dress - Butterick 5146

I can hardly believe it's already March! We have lots of snow this week so we are still in the deep of winter here. No chance for me to think about sewing Spring clothing yet. And for me, when in doubt (regarding sewing projects), sew a sweater dress!

The March theme for the Make A Garment A Month group is 'Make over March'. I decided to use a stash fabric that I had used before and a stash striped wool blend sweater knit fabric to make a dress. The last time I used this pattern, I did a refashion of a RTW dress into a little red dress for myself:

Refashioned RTW dress based on Butterick 5146

I thought it fit well enough so I wanted to use it again to make a proper dress with long sleeves. I used size 14 again and did the short waist adjustment and changed the split neck into a jewel neckline. I found the sleeve cap and the upper arms to be too voluminous. So the next time I make it I will scale it down properly. It was a very easy to sew pattern for knit dresses or tunics. Highly recommended! I'm sure I will use it again in the future for another knit dress.

The wool blend sweater knit fabric has been in my stash for almost 6 years! I bought it to make stuff for the kids but then realized that kids and wool might not be such a good idea. It has 2 sides: one side is a grey and wine striped and the other side is plain grey. This allowed me to play with both sides and use the plain side as the sleeves as well as the neck binding.

My review of this pattern is at PatternReview.com.

My entry for the Little Red Dress Contest - Butterick 5247 again!

I stared at my stash fabrics and my stash patterns for a long time to figure out what I want to make for the Little Red Dress contest. I have lots and lots of red fabrics and great patterns to make 5 red dresses! I was pondering if I should make something really sophisticated or something very practical. Eventually, practicality won over elegance.

In keeping with the theme of the contest, which is 'empower women to take charge of their heart health', I wanted to make a practical dress that I can use for healthy outdoor winter activities (hiking, playing in the snow, etc), general day to day activities of a mom, and even lounging around the house. Most of the sporty, practical, utility dresses I have seen at the shops are all in muted colours: black, grey, taupe, navy, blue, etc. Why not something in a vibrant colour?

This is a lipstick red Polartec material. I have LOTS of it! I have this material in black, green , brown and red. I love this material. It's warm and moisture wicking and has 2 usable sides: the soft fleece side and the coated firmer side. I took advantage of the 2 different sides to make my dress.

The pattern I chose was the tried and true Butterick 5247 (See previous creations here and here).  As this is a dress I will be layering, I used size 14 (otherwise I would have used size 12). It is super easy to sew. I drafted a kangaroo pocket for practical purpose. I used the firmer coated side for the main body of the dress and the fleecy side for the pocket and the cowl neck. 

I look pregnant with my hands in the pocket!

It's not the most glamourous little red dress but it's definitely something that's very useful for me. I have already worn it out for a day and was very pleased with it. I think it will get a lot of use in the colder months!

You can read my review of this pattern at PatternReview.

Patchwork jacket - Simplicity 3962

My fabric scraps box has been overloading for a while. So I chose some scraps and made a Patchwork jacket! I picked a rainbow brocade, a black brocade, a small houndstooth wool, a red plaid wool, and a black sparkly wool boucle. For the rest of the jacket I used this thrifted grey wool flannel that I had felted last year. I want the jacket to be warm!

I used a stash pattern Simplicity 3962. I have made a tropical wool jacket with this pattern before and I liked it. This is a great pattern as it comes with different cup sizes and the shoulder princess seams make the pattern easy to alter if necessary. The pattern is very straight forward and easy to use. I didn't even look at the instructions.

I used size 14. Since the scraps were of different weight, I used a lightweight fusible interfacing for the entire jacket. This turned out to be not such a great idea since the grey felt was already quite thick. The front facings and the collars are way too thick and doesn't lie too flat. Even the sleeves are a bit too stiff. Oh well! I'm wearing it anyway. Perhaps if I wear it more often it will become softer??

What I didn't consider when I was auditioning the scraps together was that the collar would obscure the top front fabric. I will remember that next time. Also, I think the shoulder pads are a tad too big for my already broad shoulders.

I'm looking forward to wearing this tomorrow to see how practical it is!

My Pattern Review for this pattern is here.

MAGAM Sept Project Done! A CopyCat Tweed Dress for Fall/Winter 2015

Finally, after more hours than I had anticipated, the CopyCat Tweed Dress is done!

To recap, this was the inspiration photo I found on eBay:

I didn't have the exact pink tweed and blue trim, etc, in my stash. I wanted to use up my stash fabric so I picked a dark green tweed and a purple wool and some burgundy trim for this dress. I also used a stash pattern New Look 6779 (size 14). And this is the result:

(I guess I should have ironed it more before taking the pictures.)

In the inspiration photo, the neckline and the pockets were trimmed with blue trim. I used a stash burgundy velvet pipping for the neckline and around the pockets:

I used size 14 instead of the size 12 that I had previously used due to the fact that the wool fabrics are thicker and I was to fully lined the dress. I omitted the hem band that was in the inspiration because I think it would cut me off and may make me look shorter. I have used the sewing pattern before a few times (see here). It's a very easy to make dress. However, since I decided to make the dress fully lined (tweed wool can be itchy), as well as adding the pipping, the dress took much more time than I had expected to make. Regardless, I'm very happy with the result:

The weather is already getting cooler so I'm hoping to wear this dress in the next couple of weeks. Can't wait!

My review for this pattern is here.

A Summer Maxi gored skirt - Simplicity 5914

I made a maxi skirt for this summer! It's not the most practical for running after 2 young kids but I do like the look of it. I had this light turquoise blue linen cotton blend fabric in my stash for almost 10 years. I knew that a straight or pencil shape wouldn't fit my shape that well so I used a stash gored skirt pattern - Simplicity 5914. I have used this pattern before a few times but only the short skirt version (see here).

I used size 12 which is my usual for the skirts/pants for the big 5 pattern companies. I bounded the waist edge with a which bias tape. I didn't line it because the fabric has a good weight and not translucent.

I never wear my trousers/skirts with the top tucked in. So this is how I was wearing it this morning:

It's wonderfully flowy and drapey but I can only wear it when I'm out with hubby to chase after the 2 kids. I can dress it up or down with different tops and accessories. I have always liked this shape of skirts on me so I will definitely sew with this pattern again. Highly recommended!

My review of this pattern is here.