Maria Denmark Kirsten top turned into a Renfrew

This is a free top from Maria Denmark when you sign up for the newsletter. The lack of seam allowances actually kept me from making it for so long!  It's a two piece tshirt, and then you just pick how to finish the neck and seams.

I made a size M from this amazing Art Gallery knit.  I love this fabric and got it as a scrap from an etsy seller.  It costs 35 franks per meter here, just to give you an idea.  I LOVE this fabric.  I totally thought it would be a simple and great top.  I put it together and I hated it.  It was loose over the bust and tight over the belly, kind of the opposite of what I generally aim for in tshirts.  

The evidence: I promise it looked much worse than it seems.

I backtracked.

I checked the scraps.

And I turned it into a Renfrew.  My classic, like this: size 4, 1'' waist shortening - it's longer than most of my other ones which I shortened 2", and no change in the shoulders.  I managed to squeeze all the pieces onto my scraps although the waist piece had an extra seam.

The way Renfrew nips in at the bust and out at the hips suits me way more and now I am happy.  Although I would have preferred it shorter.  I have retraced my Renfrew pieces as they were disintegrating, and somehow the lengths don't all match so I accidentally ended up with the longer one. 

As for Kirsten - bigger size?  Drapier fabric?  Maybe, but I think I prefer more fitted tshirts and now I don't have a lot of interest in exploring this further.  

Knit Extravaganza: Ondee Sweater by Deer and Doe

I went fabric shopping in Paris.  Enough blogs have listed how to do this so I won't unnecessarily repeat.  I also happily got all the patterns on my list without having to order online, hurrah!  I found the fabric shop employees generally helpful and willing to speak English if one asked politely.

So after about two days of total sewing-planning-washing overload, I settled down to sew some easy projects.

A few Ondees! First in truly amazing, luxurious navy sweatshirting.  So fuzzy.  So soft.  I cut a 38.  No changes.  I read the instructions and then put them away.  This is an easy project.  My only gripe is that the neck binding has to be really tight - using self-fabric it was being pulled as tight as it could go.  I needed a center front snip.  I have added that to my pattern pieces now, but I think it should have been marked on the pattern.  The bottom binding is also that tight, which I am a bit self conscious about.  Do note: this sweatshirt hits at exactly the bottom of my ribs, about 1.5" above my waist, so in normal-length torso people it will barely cover the rib cage. I love this sweatshirt but I think something this short has truly limited utility in my life.  Despite that I notice that I pull it on every day after work because it's so soft and amazing.

Version 2: stripes. This is double knit but is still pretty light compared to the sweatshirting.  I added six big stripes in length (about 2") and widened the bottom band so it wouldn't be tight but would function like a shirt extension. I went crazy with the doubleness of the knit but hesitated before alternating the bottom bands - I think it would actually have looked great. As for the length, I'm on the fence!  I was so sure I wanted it longer but I think it becomes a bit more boring, like just any old knitwear.  Also it's really obvious I need to get on with that swayback fix.

You can see how the stretchier stripes made a much looser top

Tissue Jersey Renfrew:
The rules with such fine jersey seem to be to touch it as little as possible.  I might note here that, contrary to mainstream and despite various knit issues with my new Pfaff and its IDT, I have always sewn my knits with a straight stitch, and finished them with a zig zag.  I still find this to work out fine, even on this jersey.  On some machines (the cheap Singer) it didn't go so well but most of the time my stitches don't strain or break.  I use a microtex stretch needle.  So for this Renfrew I didn't sew on a bottom or sleeve bindings.  I also didn't measure the length very closely so it's not the same but I reckon for a distressed look item it doesn't matter.  I will cut it at least even soon!  

And to round out the knit craze, I pulled out the Undercover Hood and made another one.  The fabric is a nubbly outside and sweatshirt inside, super lush and warm - about 1 meter, the last piece from the Berlin market.  I cut a S, removed 1" from center front on the fold, 1cm from center back on the fold, and shortened it 2".  I put all the bindings on, and then put the sweatshirt on and chalked myself a new, lower neckline.  Once I was convinced I made a binding almost exactly the length of the neck, because I didn't want it to pull very much.  No Hood in this Undercover Hood : )  It is clearly much nicer than the blue version I made earlier this year but I still struggle to turn it into the magic perfect sweatshirt.  It's luckily perfect for Francesca though.

Vogue 1408 jersey dress

So in keeping with my fast-fashion muslin making of late, I decided to overlook the fabric recommendations and make this seamy dress out of a single layer of jersey.  I reckoned it would be a distressed look and easy and would give me an idea of whether it was worth buying some expensive stretchy wool stuff to make a more serious iteration.  The pattern calls for "medium stretch" fabrics.  Plus a "medium stretch" lining - could get expensive... 

I cut a size 10 but didn't prewash my fabric (hm, does fabric shrink in an irregular way?? This could become interesting.)  I assumed it would be a bit too big because my fabric is stretchier than a thick ponte, but I don't love the pattern enough to trace it so I wanted to make the same size as I would in a less stretchy material.  The fabric is a soft viscose jersey from the market in Berlin, and cost something like 5 Euro.  At the end I had to take in about 1cm at the shoulders, and 1cm at each side seam.

I found attaching all the pieces to be very easy, although of course I was not stabilising the edges of every piece like the Vogue instructions advises.  I did one row of topstitching on all the seams, not two.  Unlike the other Vogue top of late, 1247, the jersey means that most seams can be convinced to match without a lot of effort, especially with my high-stretch jersey.  Without trying at all, every single seam matches perfectly except one.  My 2 meters was enough for this dress, but I didn't have a lot left over.  I don't make dresses with wide skirts very often and I think it's because I'm weirdly stingy about how much fabric they require.  I did forget that jersey is heavy!  I realised early on that the dress needed the support from the arm and neck bindings.  I just barely had enough fabric left over to cut some strips which I sewed into loops, folded over, and sewed it on like making a Renfrew.  I cut each of them short enough to have some stretch, especially along the neck as I wanted it to stabilise all this fabric.  I was happy with the result.  Hemming was terrible.  My new Pfaff sewing machine seems to be bad when it comes to knits, and especially when it comes to using the stretchiness of knits to advantage - the IDT pulls the knit fabric against the direction of sewing, and creates huge bubbles.  So, ugly hem.  Not too obvious. 

By avoiding the lining and the zipper and the extra staystitching, this was a pretty quick but still interesting jersey project with a nice set of lines.  It took some effort and I think it looks cool!  I also reckon you could do some pretty neat colour blocking with all of the pieces.  It has been a reminder to me that more effort is sometimes worth it.

As for fit, I think this size would fit me better in a less stretchy fabric.  I do feel like the body is too long - the skirt starts at my butt.  With so many pieces and no shorten-here lines, I wouldn't be tempted to shorten the torso length, so overall I recommend this pattern for longer torsos. 

Vogue 1247 Skirt

I expected to love this skirt, but as I perused online versions I became a little nervous about the shape.  It is not A-line, but quite straight cut, and it has this funnel at the waist that I imagined not being my thing at all.  I strived ahead in some owls from the market in Berlin, treating it fully as a muslin - I didn't do any bias taping.

I cut a size 12 based on my waist measurement. Even though I have never previously cut the size that Vogue recommends.  I had a bit of a depressed moment over this, silly how we fixate on the numbers sometimes, isn't it?

It is simple to make, but the Vogue instructions are probably good to follow - you sew the front panels together with gaps for the pockets, and THEN sew the pockets, instead of doing a continuous line.  I think best is to pull a bit of tension as you sew those bits, and also maybe add some seam tape along that pocket edge.  If the pockets aren't quite tight, they can gape at the front.

I thought at first that it is terribly too small and just overall terrible.  I did a dance around my flat in it.  Then I thought that really it's only terrible because the hips of the skirt and my hips are not in the same place.  I think if I take a 1"cut out right above the pockets, around the whole skirt, that it will flow from my hips instead of hanging up on them and getting baggy.  As for the slightly funnel-waistband - yeah, I really need curved waistbands!  But on skirts that just hang off my hips, they end up sliding all over the place, like up to my waist, which sadly is also my ribs, because of how I have a micro-length torso.  I am not sure if the only answer is elasticated waist skirts.  I still have at least one skirt pattern to go before I take a break from perfect-skirt hunting.

high waist, it actually hits my belly button.

I am facing how I need to get on with some sewing education.  Instead of complaining about how things don't fit, I need to start putting in the time to making them fit - and the hardest step - creating that list that skilled sewists have of their required changes from pattern--> person.  I have become slightly better about not making projects just because they are on my list, and also allowing my list fluidity with my mood, but I still suffer from a desire to make every project once just to see what it will look like.

Lately I have a few great friends willing to benefit from my sewing dependency!  I can't call it selfless sewing, because I think it's the ultimate in SELFISH sewing - I sew whatever I want (more or less) ...and give it to friends so I don't have to deal with the stress of owning more things : )  And my friends get to wear my stuff and they report to me that it is amazing.  (Possibly just gratuitous ego-petting.)

Merchant and Mills Trapeze dress

Some ironies with this project. I compared it to the Camber set *at length*, (it is quite different!), made a muslin of the top, did a shoulder widening adjustment, and then realised my amazing fabric had so much stretch that I would be better off with the narrower shoulder.  Then I applied the pattern to my fabric and determined that even shortening the dress 6'' there was no way it fit on 1.5 meters of fabric...

So I ended up, after these labors, cutting the normal pattern, size 10, with no changes, from some Marc Jacobs charmeuse that I had lying around and was tired of looking at.  The charmeuse created most of the challenges here.  I french seamed the sides and shoulders, applied the facing, which then of course refused to lie flat, and then the sleeves, with really little trouble (I stopped french seaming by then, too much trouble for the sleeves.)  There is a funny little sleeve insert which required a bit of effort (and is my favourite part!)  Overall this is such a shapeless, floppy kind of dress that I doubt the relevance of any small irregularities caused by my charmeuse slipping away from me. Or maybe the IDT was doing its job.

Hemmed the rest of about 7'' off the length. I don't love hemming so my technique is to spend as little time on it as possible.  This time it worked out.  The wide hem and the wide sleeve hems match, and although on certain spots my stitching is not totally straight that was me, not my machine.

This was fun.  It could be done in one evening. I think the facings suck because they always do and I would never use them again.  This one could easily accept a bias tape finish.  The result is...sort of cool in a hippie way.  Maybe I'll find somewhere to wear it and then feel like it's totally me, but I am not used to having so much fabric between the bust and hem.  I think it can be quite flattering, and the silk because it keeps sticking to me, then flowing away, creates very nice movement, but just a bit of me wonders if it's too middle aged lady? Pregnant lady?  Trying to hide something lady?  Not sure yet. I wore it to dinner with my friends (hence change of scenery photos!) and they reckoned it looked very sophisticated so it can't be too bad but I'm on the fence as to whether it goes in my 'keep' pile or my 'friends' pile.

Deer and Doe Chataigne trousers

So who needs shorts when we could make pants?  My idea for this came from the snug fit at the waist.  I envisioned hippie era pants that are snug at the waist, and sort of billowy to the ankles.  To create the billow effect I though I might tie strings at the ankles so they could be long but not drag on the ground.

Also, this fabric.  This is from Emma's Sewing Basket in Seattle.  I got the end of the roll.  It's a hemp blend - either hemp wool or hemp poly, and it has a great soft feel, drape, and I love the pink and brown!  I have been considering it for every project and getting frustrated!  I realised a bit too late that it is also itchy.  

I cut a size 38.  I measured the inseam and opening width of the pants I was wearing at the time, which were boot cut jeans.  I just eyed it as I cut.  I figured I would have to adjust after sewing.  The waist was just right, although I wouldn't have minded one size smaller.  I had to do some adjusting at the crotch curve, but not a lot. Unfortunately the leg shape is kind of ugly.  I guess this is what happens when you don't know how to draft anything. 

I wonder now if there is a right way to cut pant legs.  I know a straight line is supposed to go down the front of the trouser leg over the knee.  I suspect I cut the legs wrong and I wonder if they will twist as a result.  Another thing to learn about drafting, someday.  It always becomes more relevant after you try it : )

So I got most of the way through these pants and then became demoralised because they were...a little too hippie even. Not to mention just a bit big at the waist, and they had to be properly fitted to work.  They sat for a week while I sifted through some other fast-fashion projects.  (Really, lately, I know, I'm on a low-quality binge.)  And then something amazing happened: my friend Mirjana entered the scene and announced that she had been looking everywhere for baggy hippie pants!  She is the same size as me, although as always with curves in slightly different places, so she came out well while digging through my recent makes, walking away with my Waffle vest and with the Camber Set as well (ends up it just needed a proper set of boobs and it looks amazing!)

So I was sparked to finish them.  I ended up taking in about 3cm at center back, with a not very skilled taper, and a tiny bit at the sides.  I finished them with a normal hem.  Mirjana is happy and so am I.

Vogue 1247 Top

During a cutting binge last week I suddenly put this fabric together with this pattern.  I have been planning to make the skirt, but the shirt gets surprising reviews (initially I wasn't interested at all...foreshadowing?)

The fabric is one of my favourites.  It is a light silk-cotton that I spotted in Wellington at The Fabric Store, but didn't buy it since I was about to move.  I was very sad about that and thought about it.  Aaaand!  One year later at the Fabric Store in LA I found it!  I only got a meter, another problem of mine...I managed to squeeze the pattern onto it by cutting a size 6.

Vogue size 6: I have never made a Vogue size 6 in my life and I suspect I never will again.  This top is so baggy that I thought I'd have enough room in it even in a size or two smaller than usual.  For reference, I generally fit into a Vogue 10 and occasionally into an 8.

I was hoping that by being exacting with the french seams, that things would magically fit together.  They didn't - from the very first piece.  When I sewed the first center front and side together, I was really puzzled why there was about 3 extra cm at the top of the side piece.  The answer is that there shouldn't be...and that got things slightly offset from the beginning.  I didn't find it exactly difficult to sew, but I think that once you have done one step slightly off, it's impossible to recover because there isn't a lot of adjustment room elsewhere.

That bust dart?  It's like, outside my shoulder.

But that's ok!  Because in the end, the top is COMPLETELY HIDEOUS. There is no fixing this problem.  I look like a pregnant linebacker.  Why do the bust darts end 3 inches out from the bust?  I can find nothing flattering about this top.  I had to force myself to hem it, since it was clearly a lost cause.  The silk-cotton is a good fabric for the pattern, so I don't think its lack of drape is to blame.  I can't imagine the shirt looking better if it were *bigger*.  Overall I am mystified how it suits other people so well!