Loes Hines V Neck Tunic View B

This one is an experiment that turned out ok. I was looking for a new knit top pattern and found this one among my Loes Hinse collection. With a center front, center back, and 2-piece raglan sleeves, the pattern offers lots of fitting opportunities.

The fabric is an old Emma One Sock stretch velvet that's been in the stash for a time.

In spite of the rolling edges that are typical of stretch velvet, it wasn't hard to sew and turned out well. I used a combination of Medium and Large sizes which is my usual. I'll be making more from this pattern in the future! I think it would adapt to many types of knit fabric.

Like many of the Loes Hinse patterns, this design is a classic that has stood the test of time.

Another Kwik Sew 2565 Quartet

Yes, more of them. But a basic T shirt is pretty versatile and they make great layering pieces. I finished this group up yesterday after a marathon session of coverstitching.

This time, I was able to get some picture of me wearing them, with various levels of success. But then, I never claimed to be a professional model or photographer!

This one was made from a remnant I had left over from another T I made several years ago when I first got the pattern. The original is long gone, but I had just enough for another version. The fabric came from Emma One Sock and is a cotton and lycra blend.

The fabric for this one came from Gorgeous Fabrics and is a very soft rayon. I think this one may end up as a layering piece. Although rayon is nice to work with and very comfortable to wear, it tends to be clingy.

Another fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics. This one is a poly matte jersey. The color in real life is darker, what I'd refer to as an American Beauty Rose shade.

This fabric is from Jo-Ann's. It's a bit thin, so will be another layering piece, but I really loved the print.

I think I've located a current Kwik Sew pattern that's pretty similar to  my TNT 2565. I haven't sewn it yet but it may be worth trying.

The Latest Kwik Sew 2565

Here's the Native print T that I made during winter vacation from my TNT Kwik Sew 2565. Although windy today, it's warm enough to actually wear it outside.

...with a sweater of course. 

The SewWest Closet: I styled the T with a Coldwater Creek cardigan I've had for several years, Jones NY jeans, and Ivanka Trump suede booties. Also, a black wrist brace on my left wrist, courtesy of a bout of tendonitis I've been dealing with this month. 

What I Did on My Winter Vacation

I was fortunate enough to have some time off over the holidays and was able to spend a good bit of time playing in the Sewing Cave. I was able to finish several sewing projects and a crochet one as well.

My first project is the third twin set I've made using the Loes Hinse Sweater Set pattern. It's another older one of her patterns that's still on the Casual Elegance site.

A fast make, and I loved how this set came out. This version was made with 2 yards of a rayon blend sweater knit I bought from Casual Elegance last winter. I couldn't resist the chunky knit print on the fine gauge knit fabric!

The sewing was pretty straight forward, following Loes' techniques. I used a combination of a narrow zigzag and serging for assembly, with only a few hand stitches at the hem of the cardigan (as instructed by the guide sheet) and at the center front neckline (not on the guide sheet). I added an additional button and buttonhole to the front placket since my chosen buttons were smaller than the recommended size.

My next project used the OOP Kwik Sew 2565, which I can always count on for a good T-shirt.

I've made a bunch of these over the years, but when you've got a well fitting basic, why re-create the wheel? My most current version was traced off in 2012. It's a combination of sizes, the neckline has been dropped a bit, and I've adjusted the fit due to weight fluctuations (sigh). I like that the pattern has curved side seams and even has bust ease built in, as well as a high cap for the sleeve.

I originally planned to make this T when the weather is warmer since the fabric is a printed knit lace. However, I noticed there was a big pull in the fabric that had resulted in a hole when I was getting ready to put it away. I didn't want to risk any additional damage, so I cut out the T and sewed it without even washing the yardage first. I have better control using the sewing machine when sewing delicate knits like this, so I used a narrow zigzag for assembly, and a wider zigzag for the hems.

The fabric came from Casual Elegance, but since I had this sitting on the cutting table for a couple of weeks before putting it away, I can't say if the fabric was flawed or if kitty paws were responsible. I've always had a good experience when purchasing from them in the past, so I suspect that Smudge is to blame.

I made a couple more pairs of pajama pants from cottons in my stash. These two I bought from the estate of a sewing friend. I have enough of the black print left over to make another project. For the pattern, I used the McCall's 2476 pattern that I've used many times before.

This particular pattern is probably out of print, but the major pattern companies seem to always have a few sleepwear patterns in their catalogs. I've found that most of the pants are very similar to each other. I do prefer a Miss pattern to Unisex ones because I don't need as many adjustments that way.

The last two projects didn't require patterns since they're scarves! The plaid one came from a remnant that a friend of mine gave me, so I'm not sure of the exact fiber content. One side is a plain weave and the other is brushed. I really like it, and it's already seen a lot of wear. The crochet one is just double crochet and is made from reflective yarn from Red Heart. I wear it when DH and I go on our early morning walks. It's warm and since the yarn is bright and reflective, it also adds a bit of safety.

The plaid scarf was originally a large square with fringe on all sides, but I was unhappy with the way it looked. So I re-cut it into a narrow strip, saving some fringe on either end. The long edges are machine sewn.

A close up of the crochet scarf shows the reflective qualities of the yarn a little better. I went with with double crochet throughout and improvised as I went. It's simple and utilitarian, but that's what I was going for.

Butterick 6176 Kimono

This is a kimono I recently made from a stashed poly chiffon from Joann's. I've been seeing them around lately and thought it would be a nice addition for my wardrobe. This one is a prototype to see how the pattern would work. 

I made view C, which is around knee length. As you can see from the technical drawing, there were several variations of length, trimmings, and a choice of straight or curved hem.

 

There isn't really much to say about the construction itself, since the pieces are basically rectangles. The challenge was hemming the edges all around the circumference of the garment as well as sleeves.  Because the fabric was ravelly, I serged around all the circumference, then basted in the 5/8" seam allowance before pressing in the double folded hem (including mitered corners on both fronts). Once all that was done, it was fairly simple to machine hem the entire thing. Sleeve hemming was basically the same process. 

I wore the kimono to church on Sunday and was basically happy with it, although I think there's a better way to handle the finish of the garment. I'd prefer to have a more "authentic" kimono treatment (a band) around the front openings, but that should be fairly simple to figure out. I have a couple more fabrics that I'd like to make into kimono jackets since they're nice little coverups for an otherwise plain outfit.

Another view of mine. You can see a little bit better that the fabric is sheer:

The SewWest Closet: in addition to the kimono, I'm wearing a black T shirt (Walmart!) and a pair of black linen TSW Hudson Pants. The shoes are Fly London.

Latest Kwik Sew 2565

Yes, another one! This pattern is definitely a TNT; it's my first choice whenever I make a knit top.

Kwik Sew often offers similar versions of this T shirt it its line, so even though this particular pattern is out of print, you might be able to locate something like it. Other than the fact that I've tweaked it to suit me, I like this pattern because the sleeve is actually designed to fit at the shoulder instead of being dropped.

This version is made of "onion skin" knit that I bought from Emma One Sock years and years ago, so this project is also a stash buster!

I don't have a lot to say about construction. I've made this so many times that it almost comes together on its own. This time, I used my conventional machine for assembly throughout. My serger was only used for coverstitching the hems. No particular reason because I've used the serger quite often on previous versions.

The jeans are Not Your Daughter's Jeans and the clogs are Sofft. 

Second Loes Hinse Sweater Set

I was almost able to finish another Loes Hinse Sweater Set before the trip, but didn't quite get it done.

This one is made from a Missoni-ish knit fabric that I've had in the stash for a long while. There are are two yarns, a chenille and a thin rayon. It came from JoAnn's, back when they had quite a bit of good "jobber" fabrics. I still have some green and some black left in this fabric.

Since I'm lounging about with no makeup and pajamas, I'm showing it on Ms. Acme this time.

My serger did not like this fabric at all, so I used a conventional machine throughout, a narrow zig zag for construction, then a wider zig zag for finishing. The new machine did a great job making all the buttonholes.

Coco recently asked about my dress form. It's an Acme adjustable form that a friend gave to me when she moved to Oregon several years ago. Based on the label (which fell off and is lost), I think it's probably from the 1950's-early 1960's. It has metal bars on inside to allow for adjustment. It a bit smaller than I am, so I use it for display vs. fitting. It comes in handy during construction as a tool for working out how the garment should look.

Vogue 2637 Evening Skirt

It's been a while since I posted. But in my absence, I've been working on a sewing project in addition to working some crazy hours. Our niece's wedding was October 11 and I needed something to wear. I already had part of an ensemble, starting with a sweater I bought last holiday season from Coldwater Creek but never wore. It was an orphan piece, so I decided to make a matching skirt. I found an excellent match at Silk Baron, so while waiting for the Evergreen silk dupioni to arrive, I began auditioning patterns.

My first choice was the Iris Skirt from LaFred. Unfortunately, this pattern line is no longer in production due to the untimely death of its creator but the design is classic. I traced it off and made a prototype out of one of the many cuts of fabric I bought from the Vera Wang liquidation. This one:

The Iris Skirt pattern is really great. The pattern is well drafted and the view I chose includes lining pieces for a kick pleat. The guide sheet has excellent instructions for installing an invisible zipper, too. I loved putting it together, but quickly realized that it would take longer to perfect the pattern than the time I had available. I've set it aside for now and will revisit it later. A good pencil skirt (with pockets!) is definitely worth developing into a TNT pattern.

By this time the dupioni had arrived and was prepared for sewing by machine washing and drying. I usually prewash dupioni because it knocks down the shine and mitigates the risk of water spotting.  I decided to revisit a TNT pattern that I had successfully used before, Vogue 2637. This is an early 1990s pattern that I previously used for my wedding so I knew it would work.

Like the view of the Iris Skirt that I tried, it's a pencil style with pockets and a kick pleat. But this skirt has an elastic waist instead of a zipper. That's ok because I had not planned to tuck in the matching sweater.

When making the skirt, I underlined the dupioni with flannel. This is a technique I learned from Sandra Betzina and Kenneth King's books. Underlining strengthens the garment and prevents wrinkling when wearing. My mom also used this technique when making dance costumes for me and my sister--it makes the garment look more luxe as well. I have plenty of flannel in my stash and just used one of them. The print doesn't show through the dark fabric.

I also lined the skirt to finish it. Because I had made it before, I had already drafted a lining pattern The poly charmeuse is (again) just something from my stash. It's a nice surprise to have a pretty print inside.

Wedding activities started around 3 pm and continued late into the evening, and the skirt performed perfectly through the ceremony, photos (in the cold!), pre-reception cocktails, and reception dinner with dancing.  The only thing I would have changed is to snug up the waistband a little bit more. I did the fitting without wearing shape wear, but added spanx for the wedding (which I forgot to wear in the photo above!). Oh well, still wearable and easily fixable in the future.

Follow up: Another Kwik Sew 2565 and TSW Sandra Betzina Skirt

This is the third of the skirts I made over Memorial Day weekend. This one is from the TSW Sandra Betzina faux wrap skirt pattern. I had a chance to wear it at work today with its matching TNT T-shirt by Kwik Sew. It worked pretty well as a dress look, but offers the flexibility of separates too.  The fabric is a polyester matte jersey I've had in the collection for a number of years. It was a dream to sew, and very comfortable for office wear.

Two Weekends, Three Skirts

I've been on a bit of a roll for the last couple of weekends and now I have something to show for it. I always enjoy wearing skirts when the weather gets warm. Although it has been a rainy and cool Memorial Day weekend, temperatures will be rising soon! Sorry for all the hanger shots--it's unseasonably cold and dreary today so I was in no mood to pose outside or even fool with the dress form on the patio. Hopefully later.

Skirt 1: 

This one is made from an old Sewing Workshop favorite, the Sandra Betzina Wrap Skirt. I've made several versions of this skirt in the past, and surprisingly, it's still in print.

The original skirt is quite long, so I shortened it several inches. One thing I like about this pattern is how it isn't a true wrap. The front (called Skirt Left Front on the pattern piece) and back are attached at both side seams; the wrap front (called Skirt Right Front) is actually an overlay. As a result, this skirt is much less risky to wear out in the wind. Here's what the front pattern piece looks like:

Here's how it looks when sewn:

The fabric is a poly matte jersey from Fashion Fabrics Club that's been in the stash for several years. I had enough left for another Kwik Sew 2565 T-shirt. It's all cut out and ready to be sewn, so then I'll have separates that I can mix and match with other pieces in my wardrobe.

Skirt 2:

This is another old favorite, the LJ Designs Asymmetrical Skirt. I've made several of these in the past, but I had put it away for quite a while. It's still available through the website.

This is another long skirt, even with the shorter pattern piece I used this time. The pattern is one panel that is cut into eight gores. The version I made results in a scalloped edge, which results if you cut 4 gores with the pattern facing up and four with the pattern facing down. I'm not sure if you can really see the scallop in the picture above, so here's another shot with the hem spread out:

There's also a sawtooth edged version that results if you cut all the gores with the pattern piece right side up. Here's what the pattern piece looks like:

The fabric is a red print crinkle rayon that came to me free via Material Girls. I received an entire bolt at March's meeting. I decided on a gored skirt to break up the print because it is quite vivid, not quite as much as in the photos, but still...I have more but may re-donate it. It's pretty memorable and I don't see making a top out of it.

Skirt 3:

The last skirt is Simplicity 2416, a newer pattern that I made last fall out of some Kaffe Fassett rayon. I checked the Simplicity website just now, and it's also still in print.

The view I made is the four gore skirt with an overlay (the light green version illustrated in the top row of the envelope). The print I used is a wild rayon challis that I found at Fabric Mart last year. Carolyn of Diary of a Sewing Fanatic made a dress out of it which you can see on her site.

Unfortunately, my piece had flaws in the weave that I didn't fully notice until the gores were cut out, so the skirt has a few. On the plus side, the overlay had not been cut when I discovered the flaws, so it got cut from a good section which covers most of them. The rest were on a busy area of the print so I used some Fray Block and hoped for the best. I do like the print, which is the only reason I didn't toss the whole thing out. Annoying, and I'll be more observant of anything I buy from there in the future.

Vogue 1292 View B, a Sandra Betzina Skirt

I bought this pattern when it first came out because I was fascinated by the origami flounce of View A. I'm still fascinated with it, but this time I made View B, the "other" skirt in the envelope, which you can see in the smaller picture below.

It seemed like it would work better with the fabric I wanted to use, a textured zig zag stripe that I bought at Santa Fe Fabrics last year (along with some black ponte and a couple of zippers).

It was just too busy for cutting out all those little geometric pieces (there are 12 of them!). It really needs a simple stripe, or even a solid.

I made full pattern pieces of the front and back panels. I didn't think such narrow pieces could be cut effectively on the fold, plus I wanted to be able to line up the stripes as well as I could. The pattern for the side panels is already a full piece, so why not print front and back the same way too?

I cut out the main fabric at Material Girls, where I had a huge cutting table and lots of space to work in. I'm so glad I did! The layout took some time to plan for the best effect, and that's easier to do when you have plenty of room. When I took the pieces home, I let them rest, flat, on my cutting table. While this isn't a particularly wiggly knit, I knew that having the pieces folded up in a tote bag didn't help. I did end up "trueing up" the edges after the fabric had relaxed for a few days.

The guide sheet recommends basting the pieces together first to test the fit because the construction is atypical. No changes needed for me, but if you are making this skirt according to the pattern, don't skip this step. The lining is sewn to the skirt at the waist and the hem so it would be hard to adjust later on. 

I was initially unsure how long too make the skirt. I realized when testing the fit that the 33" finished measurement of the pattern was going to be too much for me. I left the striped pieces alone, but made the lining pieces shorter. I came up with this solution because I had I smallish remnant I wanted to use for the lining and the amount was too small if I cut the lining per the pattern pieces. In addition, the lining doesn't exactly "go" with the stripe so I wanted a deeper hem to hide that. Here's a photo to explain what I mean.

The lining is a poly knit that I think came from Emma One Sock several years ago. I believe I originally made a t-shirt out of it. The price was right (free), and it has the slippery texture I wanted. As a bonus, it's a fun print, and I like having that little surprise for myself. I cut the lining on the lengthwise grain, again due to having short yardage to work with.

I like the hem technique although it took a while for me to wrap my head around how to adjust the length. But it worked out fine, with a finished length of 26". It's below the knee, so long enough to wear with boots, but not too long.

The skirt has an elastic waistband, and Sandra provides two options. I picked the simpler one, which is similar to the technique Loes Hinse uses. I always feel like I need three hands when I do this because the elastic is being stretched while being attached, but it does result in a nice waistband.

I hope to get a picture of this on me soon, but today was not the day, since it's a dreary and windy weekend again. That's been the pattern although it's nice during the week. I think I'm going to like this skirt. The pattern will be versatile too, since it's a basic shape that could be used with many knit fabrics.