Sewing Plan: Fall Mini Wardrobe

I haven't had sewing successes lately :( But I started a wool skirt and I am excited about it. So I'm going to FOCUS and create some items that I hope make me happy! 

Initially, I wanted a slit-front skirt and was going to make a black wool version of S8175. Ultimately, I decided I wanted a perfectly flat-front and am going to use M3830, view B, with side slits instead of a back walking vent. 

I also plan to knit a version of this ribbed top I saw in an old Passap magazine (the 60s Passap patterns are a treasure trove of beautiful design!). 

I want to make a pair of trousers too in a taupe or tan or other non-white nude, and at least two silk tops.

For the pants, I'm going with a TNT for me, V9032. It's been awhile since I sewed them, but ankle pants have ruled for years. This version I sewed is exaclty what I want right now!

For the tops, I plan to remake S8216 and B5965. It's been a LONG time since I've made either, but they both worked extremely well for me and I really (really!) need a win or two. 

B5965

S8216

If I can keep up the momentum, I really(!) want to make B6901 vest and pants...so we'll see how things go. 

Sewing Plan: Style Arc Monty Shirt and Burda 7/2017 Shorts

That's a mouthful of a title! But using the full pattern name makes things more searchable in the google :)

If you've been following my sewing adventures of the NL6692 dress (Plan here) on IG, you'll know that I officially HATE sewing this pattern! There are some annoying aspects of the pattern, combined with the shifty rayon challis, and it just hasn't been an enjoyable experience. However, it looks cute on, so I persevere!

I got a stash influx from a knitting friend (almost all natural fibers) and I immediately pulled out a few pieces of fabric to sew. 

A silky cotton woven, a linen (enough for shorts), and a cotton and/or linen(?) double gauze (?)

We had a high of like 65 on Saturday, so fall is on the way! But, I also know it will for sure warm up again, so I decided to go for it and make another summer addition to the wardrobe. 

I wanted to make a 2-piece set and settled on this short pattern from the Burda 7/2017 issue right away. I will probably exclude the trim that's sewn to the side seams and serve as a sort of tab. I definitely plan to include the cording with beads though! Very cute!!

In my very humble opinion, the Russian site is the best organized for viewing magazine issues and line drawings. 

This is a direct link to search by year and month, and view the full photos for each issue: Russian site by year

But THIS link...far more helpful!! Tech Drawings by year

This links to all of the at-a-glance sheets of the tech drawings from 2022 with links to each year back to 2014. I stopped subscribing after 2022 so I don't have the link for 2023, but I'm sure it's there. 

It took me awhile to decide on a shirt but I knew I wanted a loose fitting, somewhat boxy, button-front top and :lightbulb:! I remembered I had the Style Arc Monty.

Style Arc, like Burda is one of those pattern companies that just works for me. From their site, "Style Arc patterns are drafted for a B bust cup size and a height of 167cm (5'6")."

Personally, I think they draft for a slightly narrower shoulder too. Now, I get fussy about their instructions (I've found a mistake or two), but the draft works and their designs are always fresh.

I'll be using Fashion Sewing Supply's Tricot knit interfacing in white, and buttons I bought from M&J (who is going out of business!!!) on my 2018 trip to NYC. I also have beads in my stash from a Fabric Mart order some time ago. 

Sewing Plan and Fitting: New Look 6692

I had plans to refresh my loungewear wardrobe when a knitting friend invited me to shop her stash. She's long since retired and had a wonderful stash of nearly 100% natural fibers and I scored on wools and silks of all weights, colors, patterns and prints. Woohoo!!

I detoured from my detour and decided to make a summer dress that could transition to fall. I think the color and length allows it to be worn with sandals and when the air is a little crisp, with a cardigan, denim jacket, and booties. 

I am sewing view A in a floral rayon challis that has a mustard background and red, white, and blue in the flowers. 

New Look patterns work really well for me and don't require a lot of adjustments. I cut a size 14 and graded the back bodice to a 16 at the waist and cut a 16 skirt back. I shortened the bodice 1" through the back and on the side front, 1" at the side seam tapering to nothing at the princess seam. 

The pattern calls for 12 rows of elastic sewn into casings. I don't know if you've ever sewn more than 2 rows of elastic in a casing, but it gets progressively difficult. One, I just didn't want to do that. But also, WHY NOT JUST DO SHIRRING?! I cut my panel, shirred it, and it was a tiny bit smaller than the pattern piece, but the shirring is super stretch and it's fine. Worth noting that the casings were 1/2" wide, I shirred it at more like 3/8" and just kept making rows until I got to the bottom that's meant to be left plan. Then, you hit it with a shot of steam and watch it draw up. It's fun! haha! Speaking of stretchy shirring, I eliminated the zipper. I didn't find it necessary with that and the gathered skirt.

My fabric was really, really shifty and I kept having to re-find the grainline and wasted fabric. I didn't have enough for the sleeves and 3 panels for the lower flounce. But, the flounce is just a rectangle! It measured about 17.5" (cut on the fold), for a total of 52.5" folded of fabric. Well, my fabric was at least 58" wide so I just cut two 26" lengths on the fold. 

Current state, it needs side seams sewn, flounce hemmed, gathered and attached, and sleeves inserted. Final step will be to stitch the bodice lining to the skirt. 

I have NOT enjoyed sewing this pattern. It has been a real slog and I almost quit. Luckily, I tried it on as best I could with a partially constructed garment and it is REALLY cute. 

Sewing Plan: Butterick 5526 (B5526)

I'll be sharing my new sewing space soon! But suffice to say, the paint, new floors, and reorganization really sparked my desire to make. 

I wanted a straightforward project, but not a fast project. I wanted to spend some time in the process, and decided on a button front shirt. I knew I wanted a more casual top (not too fitted) that was fairly neutral and could mix and match readily with skirts and pants in my wardrobe. 

I also decided on short sleeves. I recently thrifted a blue & white striped cotton shirt with long sleeves and I just don't really wear long sleeves in summer - even rolled up!

I wear this chambray version of Burda 7136 ALL the time. I made it in 2016 and it has only gotten better with time. 

I was going to go for the TNT (I've made this pattern 5 or 6 times) but ultimately decided to branch out. I searched my stash and decided on the oldie but goodie, Butterick 5526. 

Imagine my surprise to find THREE copies of this pattern in my pattern drawers! Oy! I got back ups to my back up! Haha!

I opened the first one, and huzzah! the size 14 was already cut out. I chose a thin striped cotton shirting from the stash. There was no label on it, so I don't have a source for it, but it's been in the stash for a while.

I'll be using Fashion Sewing Supply's ProSheer Elegance Light interfacing (HERE) and shirt buttons from Wawak (HERE). I swear by FSS interfacing. It's pretty much all I've used for about 5-6 years. I remember one year snagging a deal on some interfacing from Fabric Mart at $1/yard and it was VERY comparable to FSS. Aside from that, I keep going back for more, even as the price has increased a bit. 

Her interfacing is 60" wide (vs Pellon which is 20") and is preshrunk. It performs fabulously. I usually keep the Light, Medium, Couture, and Tricot on hand, in white and black. 

As I edit this for posting, I have the collar, buttonholes, and buttons left to do. Looking forward to this addition and sharing a bit more about the process. 

I'm Still Here!

I have an answer to my complete lack of energy - I am anemic. I am not surprised...but it explains so much about why I'm barely functioning at times. 

I really had to push myself to get my project done for the State Fair, and there were tears! But I finished it and dropped it off last Monday. I also entered a pair of socks, the lilac baby sweater I made, and a sewn garment; I entered the top I made for the Rebecca Page tutorial on gathering with the serger. I'll find out on Thursday if I placed with any of the entries!

I used my standard gauge Brother with lambswool yarn from Colourmart. They sell these sets, referred to as "flops", and I paid $30 for this 300g (about 10.5 oz) set. The sweater clocks in below that. I actually mixed two sets of flops - one was reds and pinks, the other varying shades of brown. 

My original plan to was to do the lower ribbing in the light pink and the neckband in a very light tan. The light pink yarn gave me DRAMA AND GRIEF! It had so much more twist in it compared to the other colors. I ended up combining it with the pink and I love how that turned out. I also intended to insert the sleeves the other way - with the sleeve that has a pink cap on the brown side but I messed it up and there was no way I was going to redo it!

I used a custom pattern from the Knit It Now site. I made swatches and washed them up and the fabric that felt the nicest was the tension I went with. You enter your tension, size and dimensions and it spits out a pattern. 

For the front, it suggested 174 stitches. I divided that number in half and added 1 stitch to account for seaming. 

The two pinks pooled differently in the ribbing which is mostly okay but it is very noticeable here!

For the wide stripes, I calculated based on the number of total rows (286) and found the factors and decided on chunky blocks of 22 rows. This meant I had to weave end the start/end of each color change - WHEW! For the narrow stripes, I did the same but wanted to carry the yarn (really, more than 2 or 4 rows becomes a little tough). I included the band of plain pink and wish I'd bordered it with the brown but...it's fine. I did 4 rows of pink and 8 rows of brown. In the sleeve cap, this caused a problem. I didn't have as much give in my cap because of carrying the yarn and could NOT fit the sleeve into the armhole when I was trying to link them together. Lightbulb moment -- I placed the sleeve first and then eased the armhole in. Once I steamed it, it was perfect!

I THEN had some issues with the neckband. I wanted to do a doubled band but I could not understand the backstitch technique. THERE WERE TEARS! I came home from my trip at 1 a.m., woke up that morning, knit the neckband and attached it, seamed it up (I'd weaved in most of the ends on the car ride to/from Chicago) and drove to St. Paul to drop it off at the fair...all to be back home in time for a 2 p.m. meeting. WHEW! LOL! 

Speaking of, I was in Chicago for a bridal shower that had a tea party theme. I had some cute Burda options, but just couldn't muster up the energy to sew anything new. I scored this dress last summer for $40 and it was really fitting for the occasion! It helped that I found a fascinator in a blue that was close enough to work.

I also got more yarn to finish up this sideways knit that I started at knitting camp. I posted a video to my IG grid (@dressmakingdebacles) showing me knitting the lower ribbing. It took about 5 minutes and I said it's my recruiting tool to get people in MK! :) Just need to weave in ends!

Not a new project, but I wore this silk blouse recently (Burda 10/2021) and my goodness, I need ALL the silk tops! It just feels so good on! 

The shorts for my daughter are coming along except, they are just going to be too big for her. She has lost some weight and she is already very thin. I couldn't take them in too much without distorting the features. So I'm going to finish them and we'll see what comes! 

I just need to stitch in the ditch, secure the belt carriers and add a hook & eye. I also have to decide how I'm going to hem them. The pattern includes separate pieces for the turn-up cuffs, but I'm not sure I have enough fabric for that. And, I tried to just do a deep hem that I'd fold back, but there is a lot more fabric at the stitching area compared to the cut edge. But I don't think a regular hem will look good with this length. 

Next up, another pair of Burda 2/2013 pants (HERE) that will transition into fall well. And I'm going to make the boys some matching jackets using this Ottobre 4/2022 pattern:

I'm looking forward to them! I ordered fabric from Mood in 2 colors and plan to colorblock them and hope to incorporate some of the leftovers from theirs into my Style Arc Kennedy jacket :) I also ordered some swatches for lining choices for my fall blazer plan. 

I should get the shorts finished, but there may not be any other sewing this month. I have a BUSY workweek ahead, a doctors appointment on Thursday that may take me out for the rest of the day, grandson's birthday on Friday, friends coming to town that day too and a visit to the State Fair on Saturday, and my husband's birthday on the 31st. 

As always, more later!

July Wrap Up and August Plans

 My July plans were:

• Burda 7/2022 birthday dress
• Socks at knitting camp
• MK summer cardigan
• Butterick 6640
• NL6692

I made my birthday dress and socks. Woohoo! :) I did not get to my summer cardigan, but I do have two machine knit tops as WIPs (I need more yarn for both). 

I also cut out a pair of shorts from Burda 8/2014 for my daughter and made a couple of Cricut projects.

WIP: sideways knit sweater with hand manipulated lacy sleeve

MK socks with Paton's Kroy

MK socks with Wisdom Angora Lace
So soft, warm, and snuggly!! This yarn has been discontinued. I bought 4 skeins (all solids, boo, but Yay!)

I got really excited about these pleated shorts...then she balked at the length. sighhhhh.

We'll see what she thinks once they're ready to fit.

July turned out a little different than I anticipated. I ended up taking a trip to the ER last weekend turning the entire next week into a wash. I just wasn't able to do much of anything. Bonus though was time with the babies.

B is in FULL toddler mode and it is hilarious (well, at least to grandma it is! haha!)

At one point, I asked him to come get changed and he shook his head and said, No, while walking away. Then he came to "help" while I was making dinner. He repeatedly started the dishwasher and kept pulling all these strainers and bowls out of the cabinet.

F is obsessed with B and never wants to stop going. I kept trying to put him down for a nap, but now, he just fights til he passes out. 

I broke out the Cricut this past weekend to make a birthday present for my sister. She loves Scrabble and I've been meaning to make these coasters for her for ages. I finally got it done and I love the way they turned out! 

The wood blanks are 4x4 inches and I wanted them to fill the space as much as possible. I tried to very closely match the orientation of the point value with the letter. I then did 3 coats of Modge Podge with about 10-15 minutes between coats. Did you know that it takes 3-4 weeks for it to fully cure?!? I did NOT know that! Whew! Once fully cured, no sealant is needed. However, I would like a glossy finish so I'm going to get something to spray over top.

I cut out 3.5x3.5 inch squares of felt and adhered them to the back with the Modge Podge. The felt is adhesive, but I wanted to ensure a really good seal. 

Lastly, Beyonce's 7th studio album was released on Friday. It is full of fun-upbeat dance music but Thique has  heavy baselines, and THAT is right up my alley! :) I’ve been bumping the song all weekend. 

Someone posted that merch was available for 7 days only so I go to the site. $45 for a T-shirt?!? Beyoncé or not, there's just no way I'm paying that much for a tee, so I made my own! I really wanted to use this silver holographic vinyl that I had on hand, but I could not get it to weed cleanly around the curves (Cricut vinyl in general, sucks). I pulled out this Siser glittler vinyl in gold and made quick work of finishing the tee. It's a men's medium and fits well through the body, but it was long. I chopped off 9 inches, folded up 3/4" and hemmed it on my coverstitch machine. Woohoo!

August's plans? eh.

I am going back up to St. Cloud on Saturday for monthly  machine knitting meetup. Mainly because I had stuff I forgot to buy when I was there for camp, but I am also interested in the meeting topic for the month. 

The following weekend I am in Chicago for a bridal shower. Then, in the last 5 days of August, I have grandson F's 1st Birthday, out of town friends visiting so we can go to the MN State Fair, and my husband's birthday. 

Oh, plus I'm trying to knit a sweater to enter into the fair and that has to be completed and dropped off by August 15th. 

And I have several medical appointments as I try to figure out these health issues.

So what are my August plans? TO SURVIVE THE MONTH! haha!

I plan to finish the shorts and a top for my daughter and hopefully the Butterick shirt dress. I also hope to finish the 2 WIP machine knits once I get more yarn, knit the sweater for the fair, and finish the teddy bear I knit for the babies. 

As always, more later!

Mid Year Check-In and July Plans

The year is off to a rough start -- in real life and in sewing plans. Oy! I looked back at my list of goals for 2022 and I've met exactly -0- of them!

• Trench Coat - I want this but have stalled. Wah. I am thinking of taking a sew-cation in August. A trench coat is a strong desire but in reality, isn't a workhorse here in Minneapolis. I'd estimate I could wear a trench for about 4 weeks in fall and maybe 4-6 weeks in spring. 
• Burda 2/2020 blazer - I don't think I ever bought lining fabric for this. I wanted a very specific color and struck out with Mood. I'd better start looking again so that I can be ready to sew this for fall! A wool blazer will have lots more functionality than the trench - I can wear it about October through May ish. 
• Formal black dress - Perhaps this should read "semi-formal". I need a dress for more serious/somber occasions, but not say, a black-tie event/party.
• LBD or LBJ(umpsuit) - I'm thinking this Vogue 1465 or Simplicity 9151 (always down for a CR pattern!)

• Blazer for him - Another project for fall. I have the fashion fabric and lining! Ooh, still need buttons though. 
• The Dress a Month fitting Challenge - So far, I've sewn patterns by Simplicity, New Look, and McCall's. I've removed Kwik Sew because I don't have any woven KS dress patterns. I also removed Viki Sews. I've replaced KS and VS with Ottobre and Patrones.  I don't think I'll get to all 12, but definitely want to finish out the Big4.

• Matching machine knit sweaters for the boys - winter project
• Machine knit trousers - I'm not sure if I'll get to these unless I find yarn on my knitting camp trip this month. I think a crepe yarn is best but don't want to buy online without help. So either I find yarn at Rockinghorse Farms or I get tips from the experts there on where to buy. 
• 5 garments for skill building
• A raglan sweater or cardigan 
• A sweater or cardigan with set-in sleeves - I found a summer project in Machine Knitting Monthly that I'm going to try!
• A dolman sweater with some type of stitch pattern (garter, fair isle, lace, something!)
• Socks - This will happen at MK camp in July
• A wrap or poncho - I may do this sooner rather than later because the office is often pretty chilly!
• Begin grad school - who knew the deadline for fall was February?! Hahaha. I can be kind of spacey sometimes so I'm not surprised I missed this little (har,har) detail. I will be applying February 2023.
• Read 3 books per month - my focus has been really off and I have only read about 5 books total this year. womp, womp.

I was going to work on my challenge pattern (a Vogue) but pivoted and started a dress for my birthday which is next week. I sewed a sleeveless version of M7834 in white swiss dot and it is SO cute! The cotton doesn't drape as nicely over Lily so it looks tight, but it isn't. It fits great! May not get photos of it on until that day but will post it. I did not make any changes aside from leaving off the sleeves, and narrowing the shoulder as needed from version 1.

In June I sewed 5 yards. 1 garment for myself, 4 kids garments, and altered 3 garments for my daughter!:

Ottobre 3/2010 #17 and 18

Ottobre 3/2014 #12 and 25

M7834 dress 

For July, I am really going to try to execute!!!!! :)

• Burda 7/2022 birthday dress
• Socks at knitting camp
• MK summer cardigan

• Butterick 6640 for my challenge in a striped cotton shirting. I plan to have fun with stripe direction!

• I really(!) want to find time to sew NL6692 as well

Wish me luck! 

How is your 2022 sewing plan coming along?

Sewing for Little Ones

When I visited Atlanta earlier this year I went to Fine Fabrics and my 6 year old nephew (technically great-nephew) picked out this BRIGHT lime green ribbed knit and asked me to make him a short set. He wanted a tee with a dinosaur on the front with a crown, and his name on the back. His twin sister also asked for a short set but she didn't have any specifics.

I settled on my Ottobre kids magazines for the patterns. For his, I used 3/2010 patterns 17 and 18. For the shorts, I left off the slash pockets and the faux-fly. Too much fussing in a ribbed knit (I could see it in a sweatshirt fleece though). I did some googling on Ottobre sizing and looking for general measurements for kids clothes and decided on size 116. I ended up cutting the shorts about 2.5" shorter (they were super long!) and I missed that the t-shirt sleeves are finished with bands until I got to the end and had a "hey, what's this piece for?" moment :)

I bought some printable HTV a long time ago but have been afraid to try to use it. It was easy as pie! I just used a Cricut image, printed it onto the HTV and pressed it on. The crown is also a Cricut image with gold HTV. 

For his name, I wanted to use white. I don't know why I keep trying to make fetch happen with this Cricut vinyl. It is trash compared to Siser! It was so difficult to press it, it was lifting while I tried to press it. I was 2 seconds away from ditching it and just cutting another back out. 

I used a spool of regular thread in the looper, in green, and gray thread in the needles and did a reverse coverstitch for the hems. 

For her, I used the 3/2014 issue, patterns 12 and 25. For the top,  I cut a size 110. She's a little smaller than her brother. I used a white cotton knit for the bands and did a twin needle stitch for the hem. 

I took a Cricut image that said "Basketball King" and edited it to remove the letters. She LOVES basketball, so I'm sure she's going to love it. Also, it isn't exactly true that she had no specifications -- she expressly said she did not want her name on it! :)

For the shorts, I could not figure out the bound leg openings! Oy! lol!!! Once it clicked, I realized I had to do a bunch of unpicking and it took me a couple days to get back to it. I used the same white cotton knit and cut the strips at 2" so I could use my larger bias tape maker. It worked out really well. Just recently I saw a RTW short and I think I was supposed to stitch the tape down to the back short piece?? IDK, they're cute. LOL! 

For his, I threaded the elastic through the casing but for hers I stitched it to the wrong side of the waistband/facing (like with yoga pants). I like this finish better and it works well with this narrower waistband. 

I can't wait to see them in their new outfits! I also bought them some new books and a set of walkie-talkies! That was something my kids absolutely LOVED when they were little. They are 17 months apart and were inseparable. I assume the twins will love running around with their walkies :)

I'm working on a sleeveless version of M7834 in a white cotton swiss dot for my birthday dress. Lots to do - buttonholes, miles of gathering and hemming...

I also plan to make Burda 7/2022 #106 for the evening.