Summer Wrap Up

I had meant to post pictures of garments on me before now, but between work (busy) and monsoon (afternoon storms), it's been difficult to set up a time. Oh yeah, and my remote gave out and I had to order another one from Amazon.

But I finally got around to it so here's an assortment of summer garments, right in time for the fall. It's still warm, so these will be wearable but I'm starting to lean more towards fall shades. So we'll see if they actually get any wear for a while, even as layering pieces.

If you want to see more details, click on the links.

Cutting Line Designs, Pure and Simple Shell:

Sewing Workshop, Eureka Top:

Butterick 6324, View A:

Cutting Line Designs, Simplify Your Life, View B:

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.

Cutting Line Designs, Pure and Simple Shell

This is one of those patterns that I often turn to when I need a simple top for warm weather (which is often here in Albuquerque). I currently have a couple of versions in rotation in my closet and I've made several others in past years.

This one came about when I was at my local JoAnn's picking up some thread for another project. Lately, thread has been a challenge. Although I have a whole drawer full, I never seem to have the color I need for a given garment (and recently, even ran out of white!). On my way to the thread, I noticed that the linen was on sale and a couple pieces of "tissue linen" (actually a linen and cotton blend) jumped into my cart. One of them was the bolt end of slightly less than 1 1/2 yards that became this top.

It was a pretty easy sew since I've made it several times before, so not much to say about construction except that Cutting Line's guide sheets are incredibly detailed, even for a simple top like this one. Unfortunately this pattern is out of print, but Louise Cutting has mentioned she may bring out something similar in the future.

I'll try to get a picture of this on me in the near future since the dress form really doesn't do it justice.

Butterick 6324 View A Top

I bought this pattern because I was intrigued by the photo of the orange eyelet top on the envelope.

 I'd also been looking for a shirt style without facings that I could use with sheers and eyelets. And that hidden button placket was so cool!

I traced off the View A pieces since the pattern tissue combined multiple views as single pieces on the tissue (grrrr...). And then it sat.

Why? Because the hidden button placket consisted of several separate pieces seamed together. Holy bulk, Batman! So, I re-drew the placket and band so they would be part of each of the pattern fronts. A bit of a brain teaser but I eventually worked it out. Less bulk, many fewer seams, and much easier to  match patterns across the front of the garment. Below is a photo showing off the placket and collar:

You can see that the fabric is "ventilated", with the stripes woven with openwork. The pattern also features a collar with stand, which went together nicely.

Another change I made to add to the pattern was to provide some additional room in the hip area. Although the envelope went up to a 14, I needed a bit more room. :(  I used one of Louise Cutting's "Industry Insider Techniques" videos to add another 4 inches. The technique I used is in Volume 6. The DVDs are produced by Threads Magazine and have been very helpful to me. In my experience, many sewing techniques are easier to view than read.

The fabric is a novelty weave cotton print from JoAnn's, of all places! I was very pleased with how it handled during construction. Every one in a while, even they get it right. Of course they don't have anything like it in their stores now, but maybe they could bring it back...perhaps in some solid colors?

Overall, I liked how my test garment came out and I'll be wearing it a lot and making more like this. I'm also planning to tackle a couple of the other views too. View B has a contrast hidden placket that could be fun to play with. View C features lace overlays and back, which would work well with some sheer remnants I've acquired. View D's illustration looks very blah, but could become a nice basic without overlays, or more special with them.

Another TSW Liberty Shirt

I've made this shirt several times and have been meaning to give it a rest, but work has intervened. We've been having "Red on Fridays" in honor of a coworker who's currently on assignment with the NM National Guard overseas, so I've been supplementing my work wardrobe with red garments.

I bought the red ikat cotton from Ann Silva's several years ago. She mostly sells quilting fabrics, but once in a while she gets other things like this! It was a joy to work with although the color was a bit tricky, since it's a cross weave. I auditioned several colors of thread and ended up using a Coats thread called "Tomato Bisque." The buttons were another surprise. I tried several different red buttons but these odd pink-ish ones looked the best with the fabric. I guess it goes to show that you have to look at the blend instead of individual threads when determining what will work best.

Once again, I used the collar I drafted instead of the one that came with the pattern. Just my preference.  As with the other versions I've made, this one went together easily.

I really like the Sewing Workshop pattern line. I like most of the releases and they have excellent instructions. 

A Remake of the TSW Icon Shirt--Presenting the Iconic Shirt

I've been interested in this shirt since it first appeared on The Sewing Workshop website.

I've even made one already, which was previously featured on this blog post back in 2013. But that time it only appeared on a dress form. It was made pretty much according to the pattern (I left off the pocket). But you have to admit, it's memorable:

Lots of asymmetry and a flanged side seam in addition to that interesting neck treatment. But face it, I can't see having several of these in my wardrobe. But I can envision having something similar; hence the Iconic shirt will be coming soon. I'm thinking about keeping the neckline but losing the flange, the uneven front hemline and the split back seam.

The SewWest Closet: I'm wearing a pair of black Not Your Daughter's Jeans with tan patent Viotti wedges, both old. The generic sunglasses are new.

A Finished Object--Simplicity 9505 View E

If you've followed my blog for a while, you know that I've made quite a bit of sleepwear, such as pajama pants and nightgowns, over the years. One of my favorite patterns is Simplicity 9505 because it has two nightgown patterns that I like.

This pattern is still on the website under pattern number  Simplicity1561 and a slightly redesigned envelope. Good to know in case I ever need a replacement.

Last summer, I cut out the version with the straps (View E) but the weather turned before I had time to get to it. So off to the projects stack it went. It resurfaced when I was doing a bit of reorganizing. I was also ready to start on a new project, so I found it just in time. Easy to make and good for an afternoon at the sewing machine, serger, and iron. Here it is:

The fabric came from Stitchology, a local independent, and I just love it. It's still a little cool to wear but I'm sure I'll enjoy it a lot when summertime comes.

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.

Loes Hinse Cowl Top, Part Two

And the third top from the shoot! I'm loving this tunic since the fabric is so soft and cuddly. I made this one about 2" longer than the pattern so I could wear it as a tunic if I want to (and I have).

The SewWest Closet: Simply Vera narrow ponte pants with faux leather patches, MIA boots. The coral necklace is a vintage piece I bought at a silent auction.

TSW Border Print Liberty Shirt, Part Two

I've yet to wear this one out of the house because it's been a bit too cool, but I wanted to show you what it looks like. Since I'm home today with no plans to go anyplace, I threw it on with a pair of narrow pants and some boots. They're really for a different top I'm photographing during this shoot. However, in "real life", I'd either be wearing this with a more conservative pair of pants or black jeans.

Some more sleeve.

The SewWest Closet: Simply Vera narrow ponte pants with faux leather knee patches, Mia boots.

TSW Cortina Shirt, Part Two

Seeing that it's still Christmas vacation and I had a little time for photography, albeit inside. Here's me wearing the Cortina I made recently. Unfortunately, the pink is a bit plain for a stand alone piece, although it works well with other items in my closet.

As I mentioned in the previous post regarding this shirt, I've worn it with this cardigan I made from the Loes Hinse Sweater Set pattern.

The SewWest Closet: NYDJ jeans, Ivanka Trump suede boots.

Loes HInse Cowl Top

This is another TNT pattern that I've made before in both long and short views. It goes together quickly in all sorts of knit fabrics, including sweater knit, stretch velvet and interlock. This one is made from a cuddly cotton and synthetic sweater knit I bought from Casual Elegance Fabrics earlier this year. This picture of the collar shows the texture of the fabric in more detail:

My tracing of the pattern combines size Medium in the neck/shoulder area and Large from the armhole down. The only changes I made this time were to drop the neckline about 3/8", cut the cowl a little larger for the deeper neckline, and lengthen the body by 2". I wanted a tunic length that I can. wear with jeans or leggings.

I went from cutting out to finished in an afternoon, and really is an easy make. The pattern is still available on the Casual Elegance website even though it was issued many years ago. It features a couple of shorter versions too. I highly recommend it. 

Pattern envelope and technical drawings:

The garment pictures are also from the post-Thanksgiving shoot, so I'll provide some pictures of me wearing it soon.

TSW Liberty Shirt with Border Print

Another Liberty Shirt; I think this is the fourth one I've made, but they all look a bit different based on the fabric This time I used a cotton that came from JoAnn's and has been in my stash for several years. I had just enough and resorted to a mandarin style collar in order to make it work.

The fabric had a border print on both selvages and I had enough to center the pattern along the back hem and the sleeves. The photos below show the border print in more detail:

I had just enough of the lemon print for the fronts and collar.

Here are the illustration from the envelope and the technical drawings to give you an idea of what the design looks like. This pattern is a favorite of mine, and I love how it looks with the border print!

These photos are also from the wintery post-Thanksgiving photo shoot, so I'll try to get some photos on me later so you can see how it looks on a person.

Zen for Dia De Los Muertos, Part Two

It's done! And just in time for the upcoming Halloween and Dia de los Muertos season! As I mentioned in the last post, this is the Zen shirt from the Sewing Workshop's "Now and Zen" patterns. I've made the Now shirt a ton of times, and this my third version of the Zen shirt.

There are some cool features, such as a double collar (which I didn't change after all) a hidden buttonhole placket...

and this cool pleat in the back!

The fabric is a "quilt" cotton, and the grid pattern was challenging but fun. It'll be a lot of fun to wear!

The SewWest Closet: In addition to the Zen Shirt, I'm wearing black RTW pants by Laundry (from TJ Maxx a couple of years ago).  The velvet skull slippers are from Fergalicious (from 6 pm). The terra cotta pumpkin came from the floral department at Albertson's!