Named Alpi Chinos - pattern experiments.

Digging through my big dropbox of patterns, I found this. I recalled that back in 2015 I was really keen to make these trousers! So excited! And somehow, time ran out and they didn't get made.  So I became again very curious how the Alpi chinos are doing and wanted to see for myself. 

I have this very pretty light corduroy fabric from The Fabric Store.  A bit wild.  Hm, if I got more, I would make a wee jacket, in fact...but I decided it would be good for these pants.  I made size 38 according to the size chart.  Seems like when you buy a Named pattern, you only get a few sizes?  Or did I print layers?  It doesn't matter - seems that this pattern has gone off their website, so it's no longer available.  I did impeccable pattern matching on both the front pockets and the back.  And I do love the tui and kowhai inside the pockets -it's really my favourite of the New Zealand quilting cottons.  Overall the parts of this project please me so much.

Simple pants, I don't recall my opinions on doing the fly - since everyone seems to reinvent how to do a fly zip, but I got them done and put them on and realised...2015 was a long time ago.  And that low waisted trouser style from 2015 was hard to fit then and it is both hard to fit and kind of unstylish now.  By which I mean the upper hips were way too big.  So I added in some big back darts and took in the back waist before adding the waistband, and I got them to the point where they wouldn't fall off.  It made me lose my interest in these a bit.  I already have the Cali Faye Hampshire pants - I don't believe Cali Faye exists anymore, but the trousers are a great fit on me if I want that kind of style.  Basically, I don't need any Alpi Chinos in my life.  And higher waisted things look way better on me. 

 

 

 

Went to a friend who has gotten a bit hippier than I am. Yay friends!  Thank you so much for loving what I make!

Onward with knits: trees and stars

Making one project often seems to beget other project ideas. Sometimes it's ways to use up the fabric scraps, other times it's to improve on the first version.  I think that it's a good idea to chase down these ideas because they are the things I get excited about even though they are kind of queue jumpers (and I am way too obsessed with crossing things off lists.)

That happened.

The Geneva tee was a way of using the end of the star fabric, which I love, and the original project was a fail. It was also a way of using my scraps of my totally amazing cashmere merino blend jersey.
Geneva: size 36.

I added cuffs to the sleeves, which helped to stabilise the super fine sleeve fabric.  My second thought on this very fine jersey is that in the future it might be nice to double it up.  I am scared that the leggings are fragile and will get easily worn out.

The Minttu was a way of quickly testing whether there was a way to salvage this pattern. I didn't want to commit too much to it, but I did think that whatever I made would be wearable.
Minttu: size 34, back to full length, no lining or bindings.
I used the end of this lovely star embossed fabric and some navy ribbing for the under arm portions.
I still think the shape is too billowy but at least it's not too short.  I would decrease the exaggerated width at the bottom on future versions.

The mission tank was actually an idea from my first op-shop trip in March. I fell in love with this fabric, even though the original item was a pretty tight dress and therefore not a lot of fabric to work with. I really wanted it to be a Renfrew but I could not make it happen. And as a Mission it has already had lots of wear!

Mission size 6.  Upcycled dress. 

Named Mai jacket in leather and wool

This is one of the projects I've had in my head since moving to NZ.  I had a lot of ideas of which pattern would match these fabrics, and the Mai Jacket seemed to have it all.

The pattern: Mai Jacked, by Named patterns

Description from the website:

• Short, lined jacket  with a zipper closure
• Zipper details at the bottoms of the sleeves
• In-seam pockets at the sides
• Short stand-up collar
• Contrast panels around the zipper, and yokes at the shoulders
• Loose-fitting style with elastic hemline

What I needed: simple pockets, lining, and that little collar.
What I ditched: the sleeve zips.
Size: 34 based on the finished measurements.  I wanted this to be quite fitted and I knew that all of my fabrics have some stretch so I could size down.  That worked out great, it's just a tiny bit short but is otherwise well fitting and as I expected.

My fabrics:
-purple wool from The Fabric Store, which I have hoarded for ages.  It's heavy and almost looks felted but with quite a bit of stretch.  I have been waiting really carefully for the right project for this stuff
-suede, two skins, from Copenhagen.  I think they were in a remnant bin and I found two in the same colour.
-lining is a solid black cotton jersey from The Fabric Store, which I got recently. It has a great shine and is not too stretchy.

I used a 90 sharp needle most of the time and that was enough although the needles did go blunt and start to skip at times.  I was able to get through 4 layers of the leather, on the collar for instance, without trouble.

I spent ages preparing for this, ages planning and a week or so sewing it.  First, I wanted to use a cotton lawn for the facing and pockets, but then the fabric I had chosen arrived and I didn't like it.  So I just used interfaced jersey.  Partly because I couldn't decide if I wanted to line the sleeves and I held everything up while I was indecisive.  In retrospect it might have been nice to use leather for more stability.

I obviously pinned basically never, except when it was jersey layers together.  My IDT was good for all this.

I basted the collar on prior to putting the facings, though, because there was no way I could hold together that many layers without clips or pins.

Finally I decided that the inside of suede is not great feeling and I did need the lining.  Then I put the lining sleeves together inside out and couldn't be bothered to undo.

Final thoughts: it's just like written.
That's great except for the pockets.  It ends up that I hate the pocket location. I need princess seams, or any seam to bring these pockets away from the sides.   There is a blousing effect due to the elastic at the hem and the blousing really is all around these stupid side seam pockets. 

I do not really like the way the hem is finished.  You are told to secure the elastic on each side of the zip, then you sew the jacket together and bag it, and THEN you feel through all the hem layers and stitch in the ditch without stitching the elastic, in order to create a clean hem. This of course makes a mess on the inside.

I have still not found a jacket pattern that guarantees a nice hem finish.  I was left with little bits around the zipper sticking out, but being leather, I could cut and just sew them down.

Named Minttu swing top & some stars

Initially, and for quite awhile, I've been really excited about this pattern- the facings and the shape made it seem like a substantial, interesting tank top that could be done in a variety of fabrics.  There are not very many review out there but the few I found (here and here) were inspiring.  

Fabric: Spotlight.  Exciting sparkly stuff again, because my brain suddenly wants shiny.  It is a rayon jersey with a nice drape.

I cut this out in a size 36,  (I am 33-27-37) and being all smart I removed 3 inches from the length.  I did so in the middle and I believe there were no shorten lines, I just picked a spot and made sure to keep things horizontal.  By doing this instead of shortening at the bottom, I could keep the same amount of swing in the top.

I do vary in Named pattern sizing and have cut everything from 34-38 in Named patterns, but in 36 this top was too small.  The fact of having interfaced facings means the top part of it is not very stretchy. The neck hole is tiny - uncomfortably so.

The facings I hate hate hate hate.  They pull every which way.  I have to admit once the top is on, it's not visible. But I already dislike facings and ones that refuse to sit flat just don't make me happy.

And of course I shortened it too much!  I could have kept all of those three inches.  By shortening in the middle instead of the bottom I overdid the 'swing' effect, in my opinion.

As it is, it's like a top for a 12-year old.
The shape, however, I like.
What I plan to do is make this as a super simple, single layer, no binding tank top (once I have figured out how to lengthen it without printing the pattern again, hisss.)  Then I think you get the benefit of the cool shape without all the mess of those bindings and I will be able to adjust the size of the neck hole too! 

Most Amazing Papercut undercover hood & Named Geneva raglan tee

I'll just smash these into one post since I made them the same day!

First was a Geneva Raglan tee, by Named patterns.
Done here.
I wanted to see if the size I've been making, 36, would work for a more sweater-type feel.  I was even armed with wrist and hem bindings.  I used up some scraps, as you can see.  Unfortunately I wasn't paying close attention and the left arm fabric had a right and wrong side...which I flipped thinking that there was a notch when there wasn't.  The right arm is made of ribbing, and didn't have a right and wrong side, so I didn't notice until it was too late (I did wonder why I had to ease the arms in so much on a raglan tee!)

Ridiculously, this worked out really well.  I did have to take in the arm with the ribbing, as that ribbing has proven to be really loose and floppy.  (See my Geodesic).  I ended up cutting about 2 inches off the hem and the hem binding looked stupid so I took it off and just zig zagged the hem and the wrists.  I'm not sure how well that will hold because the left sleeve fabric is kind of terry cloth and sheds, but I will see.

Then I made my Undercover hood which I've been dreaming of for weeks!  I have to majorly thank the Fabric Store, as I ran in straight from the airport with ten minutes before closing time and dithered over the knits, (Ah plus the new patterns from Papercut!  Exciting!)

I had envisioned an orange hoody.  But the orange wasn't the right shade and right next to it was...this.  It's drapey, thin weave merino and basically is a sweater weave.  Heavier than usual merino.  It so happens that I adore this colour, which is a dusky terra cotta. This thin, but drapey fabric, I know from experience, is totally the wrong thing for the Undercover Hood, which works better with moderate structure...

So I doubled the front and back.  I lined the hood and the pocket with a leftover, also merino, also from the Fabric Store, that was more stable, and I used the changes that I have written on my pattern from ages ago.  It's XS, with 1 inch removed from the length and from the sleeve length.  I narrowed the front body by about 2 cm but not the back.  If I had read my notes I might have been encouraged to shorten it by 2 inches as I still think it's too long, especially as this drapey fabric pulls down.

Anyway I think despite the length this is the most fabulous undercover hood I have ever made.
Plus I have an embarrassing admission to make. Until now, I have always used a straight stitch for all my knits, all the time.

For some reason I thought I'd try a very narrow zig zag.  And my mind was totally bent.  I somehow had never realised that was the way to fix knits which are just too tight in the seams!  I thought any zig zag would show up and look silly. 

So I have stretchy cuffs and a fabulous hoody.  It's a bit sad to me that these unglamorous basics are the things I wear All.The.Time but that is my life...