Thursday, December 14, 2017

Tin Can Knits Barley Hat

In a completely unoriginal move for a sewing blogger...I knit something! I sew because I love having control of my wardrobe, so it naturally follows that knitting would interest me as well. My husband bought me a beginner book two Christmases ago (!) and this fall I finally finished my first item!


This is the Barley Hat by Tin Can Knits. TCK has a great series of free patterns that are meant to teach and build upon one another. The first in the series is a scarf, which I started and never finished about a year ago. I felt ready to move on to the hat, though, and it was a great next step.


The real reason I was inspired to pick up the needles again is this yarn. It’s called Species, and it was released by my favorite company, Sloomb. They mainly produce cloth diapers and wool clothing, but over the summer they released yarn in some of their most popular clothing colorways. This color is called Carbon. It’s 100% Merino wool and crazy soft. It was a little splitty but I got used to it after a while of working with it (and I’m a noob so it could’ve just been me).


Not being primarily a knitter, it’s difficult for me to properly review this project! I do have Ravelry notes here. Unfortunately, as much as a I love this hat, it turned out way too big. I followed the size chart but I did not knit a test swatch (whoops) so it’s probably my fault. You can see that it ended up VERY slouchy, which is fine, except that it’s so loose it slides down my face. Whomp whomp. My husband tried it on and it wasn’t quite right for him either. I’m considering the unpardonable sin of purposefully machine washing and drying it in order to felt and shrink the wool. I do not recommend this process unless you’re really familiar with wool and know what you’re doing, since felting also reduces stretch. We’ll see...there’s nothing worse than working hard on something that doesn’t fit right.


I actually have another hat on the needles right now, with this same pattern, but it’s for one of my kids and it’s in a different yarn. I hope the sizing will be better. For now, I’m enjoying the learning process of knitting, and I really like having a portable project I can do on the go. My ultimate goal is to be able to knit sweaters and socks, the two things that are difficult to get right with sewing. Basically, I want to #makeallthethings.


Have you branched out to knitting?

Thursday, December 7, 2017

How to Fit Your Handmades into Your Wardrobe

Like a lot of people, I’m often pulled in by the “oooh shiny” phenomenon in sewing. How many times have you sewn something new, only to have it languish away in your closet? And how often is that because it doesn’t go with anything? I call these pieces “unicorns” although I’ve also seen them referred to as “widows” or “orphans” (too depressing for me, I’d rather imagine my closet full of mythical creatures!). Recently, I’ve tried to be more mindful about the new items I sew and how they’re going to work with my current style. I’ve developed a few steps to help eliminate these beautiful, but not-so-useful, unicorns!

Listen to the fabric
Everyone is different in the way they purchase fabric, but I think all sewists tend to buy faster than they can sew! Inevitably, we end up with stash fabric that loses its original purpose. We know we want to use it, but we can’t decide how. When I run into trouble is when I attempt to force certain fabrics to do certain things, just for the sake of using it up. For example...


...I bought this open knit jacquard many years ago, because it was cool. That was the only reason! I had two yards, which meant I COULD do many things: dress, cardi, skirt, top. But due to the open nature, I kept getting stumped. A top or dress would need lined. For years (literally) I debated about what to do with it. In the end, it was so simple! A lightweight, lacy knit could really only be a cardigan. Once I listened to the fabric, I had my answer.

Look for inspiration
After deciding on a style for your fabric, I find it helpful to browse photos of what your finished garment might look like. Going back to my example, I knew the fabric wanted to be a cardigan, but I couldn’t picture how a navy and white striped cardigan would fit into my wardrobe. What would I wear with it? I pulled up Pinterest and did a search for “navy and white striped cardigan”.


Most of my results were actually navy and white striped shirts with cardigans of other colors. But there were enough real-life examples to give me an idea of how to wear this particular style. Overwhelmingly, they were worn with plain colored shirts underneath, typically white or navy, or sometimes grey or black.

Next I asked myself, do I have these plain shirts? If I have them, is this a look I want to wear? Does the silhouette work for me? If the answers to these questions is no, then you have some more thinking to do. If the answers are yes, then you can feel fairly confident in moving on to choosing a pattern and making your garment. Pairing the right fabric to the right pattern is an art in and of itself, and it's not something I'm going to cover today. I will assume you've chosen the right pattern to meet your fit needs and to match the fabric you've chosen (you can see my full review of the cardigan sewing here).

Mix and match
Once you've finished your garment, don't just toss it on a hanger and wait around for the day you want to wear it. I admit, I'm completely guilty of this habit! After I finished my cardigan, I attempted to just throw it on top of an outfit, and I realized that it simply didn't work. I decided to slow down and invest some time into figuring out exactly how to wear and style this item.


I went back to Pinterest to remind myself of my original inspiration. I pulled out all my solid colored tops and tried different colors underneath until I found what looked best.


I paid attention to the necklines. I also swapped out different cuts and washes of jeans. Finally, I tried different shoes and various styling such as a half-tucked shirt, a fully-tucked shirt, an infinity scarf looped twice, looped three times, etc. I did my makeup.


Yes, this process took time and effort. I estimate I spent at least 30 minutes figuring out what worked, and why. I learned that the cardigan looks best with solid white or navy tops underneath, and with a pair of pants that have a decent amount of color contrast, to avoid looking like a big navy blob. I found a slight hole in my wardrobe, in that I could use a white tank top with some sort of embellishment along the neckline (the one in the photos is definitely too small).

Photograph
Finally, after mastering your outfits you want to be able to remember them! I made sure to take photos when I liked a look. I ended up with three different combinations. It's easy enough to make an album on your phone, or you can use a more advanced process like the Stylebook app. A few weeks later I wore the cardigan again, and I couldn't remember how I liked it! I was so glad I had the photos so I could quickly find the pieces I needed to finish off my look.

Do you have any of your own tips for incorporating handmades into your wardrobe?

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Jalie Drop Pocket Cardigan

This is my new favorite thing.


Back in the day, I had a RTW cardigan with this same drop pocket look. I LOVED that thing, and it disappeared, and I hate myself because I'm sure it's in my house and I just can't find it. I had saved Jalie 3248 ages ago but finally decided to buy it recently. I bought the PDF directly from Jalie. It wasn't a perfect assembly, some lines didn't match up. It wasn't layered so I had to trace off my size and true the lines. But it was worth the front-end effort. I'm so glad I made it up right away because I LOVE it (did I mention that?).


There are a couple important details to know about this pattern if you make it (and you should). First, the sleeves are narrow, as stated in the description it's intended to be worn over a sleeveless top. I found that to be true. Second, it's a fabric hog. The front is doubled over and doubled up. I had two yards and only just eeked out my size (R). So don't ignore the fabric yardage chart! I'm not 100% certain but I think my fabric was a touch narrower than 60", so make sure your's is wide enough.


Using stripes turned out not to be such a terrible idea. Cutting was a PITA of course, but keeping each layer properly aligned was easier with stripes. There are plenty of notches but I could ignore them if I wanted and just use the stripes. The fabric is a knit jacquard and the white lines are open lace. I believe it was from Girl Charlee many years ago.

Dog photobomb

This is one of those patterns where the directions make no sense if you read them ahead of time. But in the process of sewing, everything worked. I did have two windows up on my computer at once so I could flip back and forth between the written directions and diagrams. The pockets are constructed in a really cool way and it's more involved than just folding over the front. Here's a really terrible photo of the pocket pulled out of the fold.


The only thing I would do differently next time is the finishing of the back neckline. The directions have you fold a strip of fabric to the outside and topstitch. I would rather turn it to the inside.


The shoulder seams are finished so that the seam allowance is enclosed.


Believe it or not, this was actually a fast sew, and I had most of it done during one nap time (just the sewing, cutting was a different story). I did not hem the sleeves. I like them extra-long, they would be an acceptable length if I did hem, though.


Forgive my ugly backyard and my dogs running through the photos. There just isn't enough daylight in the evening for photos anymore! Gotta grab what pictures I can during nap time.

If you need a new cardigan in your life, make it this one!

Monday, November 27, 2017

Cyber Monday sale on A Sewist’s Notebook

Looking for that special gift for a sewing friend (or yourself)? Until midnight eastern today, take 40% off all versions of A Sewist’s Notebook! Use code CYBER40 at checkout. Undecided on whether or not you need a copy? (You do.) Check out the many reviews and photos on the About the Book page.


Wednesday, November 22, 2017

Project Runway finale recap

I have to admit, this was the first time in a long time that I’ve felt complete surprise during a finale! What I thought would happen, didn’t, and the one I expected to fail, succeeded. What a good episode!

Spoilers ahead...

After the previews last week, I thought it was down to Brandon and Ayana. I felt like Margarita was put through sort of as a courtesy to her being the Tim Gunn save. Honestly I wasn’t sure why Kentaro was sent to Fashion Week at all, since he received bad feedback.

“Designing fashion is exciting, it’s kind of like I’m making food for the soul.” -Kentaro

I love this quote. I also loved when he said that he felt like he’d already lost, which was a GOOD thing, because then he could do whatever he wanted.

Margarita’s collection was fun, but I feel badly for her if she thought she could really win. To me, the judges just wanted to see a colorful runway and never had any intention of giving her a win.

When Kentaro’s collection walked, I was stunned. The flow of looks was amazing. The colors told a story. It was like watching artwork that moved. The eerie quiet of the audience, paired with the music he composed, was haunting.

I was highly anticipating Brandon’s collection, but it turns out I was disappointed. I agreed with the judges about the lack of diversity in his fabrics. I understood what he was doing with his various silhouettes, but it just didn’t work. His most interesting looks were the ones that incorporated the pink leather, but sadly there weren’t enough of those.

Ayana’s collection pretty much looked how I expected. The prints weren’t my favorite, the silhouettes were old, and I can’t get on board with ruffles. But I think she accomplished what she wanted. I give her kudos for her finale dress. It was possibly the most beautiful garment made this season.

Going into the judging, I thought Ayana had a slight edge over Brandon. As much as I loved Kentaro’s, I thought it would be too cerebral for Project Runway. But to be honest, I wasn’t sure at all how it would go, and that was fun! I was pleasantly surprised when the win went to Kentaro. He deserved it and his collection was beautiful.

What did you think of the finale? Was Kentaro the clear winner?

Friday, November 17, 2017

Wool Peacoat with Organic Cotton Plus

It seems I'm on a coat-making kick when it comes to using fabrics from Organic Cotton Plus. My previous review was a Kelly Anorak with their fabulous pink cotton twill. I knew that this time around I wanted to make my oldest daughter a winter coat, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out!


This is the Olivia and Oliver Peacoat from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop. I made this coat once before for my daughter, when she was just a baby (sob!). I've always wanted to make it again, and I'm so glad I did!


For my outer fabric, I chose this navy wool (it comes in 11 colors!). Aside from being the classic peacoat color, it also matches my daughter's school colors. I wasn't quite sure about the fabric and whether it'd be suitable for a coat, but I looked through the older posts from other OCP bloggers and found a coat made from the same fabric. Double-checking the weight (13 oz/sq yard) led me to believe that it would be a bit lighter than wool melton, and I was right.


For the lining, I settled on a beautiful golden poplin from Cloud9 fabrics (doesn't say the maker online but it was on the selvedge). It is a little "sticky" in that it doesn't glide over clothing like a silkier fabric would, but I wasn't interested in purchasing polyester just to make dressing easier (have you ever dressed a Kindergartner? It's not easy, no matter what they're wearing!).


Both of these fabrics were absolutely wonderful. The wool, in particular, was a great surprise. I've worked with heavy wool in the past and when you start adding layers, it becomes very difficult to sew. Then when the coat is finished it weighs a million pounds. My daughter is still in a five point harness carseat, and I needed her coat to be slim but warm so that she can be buckled properly on her way to school.


The pattern is surprisingly simple. No collar stand, no pieced facing/lining (only the back panel and sleeves are the lining fabric). Minimal topstitching. But the impact is strong. I opted for only a single row of functional buttons. Extra buttons usually end up confusing my kids. After a quick muslin of a size 6 (my daughter will be 6 in a few months) I realized it was a little too small for wearing over a cardigan, and I wanted it a bit wider. I slashed and spread the front and back pieces from the shoulder to the hem. I spread them 2" at the hem on the front (4" total with two pieces), and 1" on the back (piece was cut on fold so 2" total added). I also added in-seam pockets, and I rounded the collar for more of a Peter Pan style.


My daughter goes around school telling everyone that her mom made her coat, and I kind of want to cry over how sweet she is! The changes I made resulted in a bigger coat that will hopefully fit the entire season, and dare I hope for next season as well? We'll see.  At the very least, her two younger sisters will have a high-quality garment to wear when they're older.


If you want to nab some of your own beautiful, all natural fabrics, make sure to follow Organic Cotton Plus on Facebook or Instagram. They will be having a big Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale next week. There have been a few teasers of new products and they look amazing! You can also sign up for emails on their website. Thank you so much to Organic Cotton Plus for sending me the fabric for this review!


Fabric for this review was sent to me for free. I purchased the pattern and notions. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Project Runway recap

Home stretch! For the most part, I think this has been an enjoyable season. All of the designers were talented and the challenges were great. Although, I did find myself watching this episode and imagining how it would be with Claire and/or Shawn and how dramatic that would be! I guess this season we learned that siblings should not be on this show?

Spoilers ahead...

Best/worst moments: Tim’s visit to Puerto Rico somehow falls into best and worst. Old San Juan was so beautiful in those shots, and it was so sad knowing what was coming to that area.

For totally different reasons, Kentaro’s piano playing also falls into a best and worst category. I thought it was cool that he composed something, but then the whole exchange was so awkward! Sometimes I wonder how much of it is Kentaro’s personality and how much is the language barrier.

See all the looks here.

Best looks: As always, Brandon’s looks were the most interesting, but I agreed with the judges that the crop top and pants were a bit of a miss. There was just too much volume. I’m glad Ayana listened to Tim because the looks she showed were much younger looking than the ones she wanted to show. They’re still not my cup of tea but she does have talent.

Worst looks: Sadly, Kenya’s looks were not good enough for Fashion Week. I really wanted them to be. I wanted her to have more time and get her thoughts together for a great collection, but it just didn’t happen. The black dress just wasn’t working, and I can’t see the same woman purchasing both of her designs. On the other hand, Margarita’s woman would buy both of her outfits and then have nowhere to go, except for a disco club in Miami. To be honest, I’m a little appalled that Margarita went through. Her prints are beautiful in small doses but I’m afraid they’re going to dominate the collection in a tacky way. I already have second-hand embarrassment for the judges.

The big question: who will win? I think it’s down to Ayana and Brandon. Their viewpoints are very different so it could come down to a matter of taste. Ayana’s dresses that she wanted to preview are super frumpy dumpy to me, but it’s possible she could rescue them with some amazing styling. Kentaro seems lost (again, styling is important!!). I can’t see Margarita winning (please no). What do you think? I’m rooting for Brandon.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Color-blocked Halifax Sweatshirt

It's that time of year, the time of hoodies and sweatpants and hats and "it's too cold to go anywhere wahhhh". Okay, maybe that last bit is just me! While everyone else is downing pumpkin spiced everything and wrapping up in blanket scarves, I'm all like "I'm cold!" But I learned a long time ago that dressing in frumpy hoodies for 6 months out of the year is both unfashionable and bad for my self-esteem. The last few years, I've been on a mission to make stylish sweatshirts that are comfortable but not sloppy. Enter my fave, the Hey June Halifax!

Hey June Halifax

I made this pattern twice last winter (here and here). Both of those were mediums, and I found that they were just a bit too big. The pattern includes enough ease for wearing as a sweatshirt (in other words, with something underneath) so I didn't really need to size up. For this newest Halifax I went with a small and I'm pretty pleased with the fit.

Hey June Halifax

Another reason to be happy: all the fabric I used was from large scraps in my stash! Hooray! But that also explains why the sleeves are color-blocked (I didn't have enough fabric). I wavered between making the top 3/4 length sleeves or adding the color-blocking, my husband voted for color-blocked so that's how it ended up. Both fabrics are French terry. It escapes me where they were purchased, but I remember that the green is a cotton/modal blend and super soft (the rest was used for this Itch to Stitch top, and the black was used here for a Union St. sweatshirt).


I went ahead and added thumbhole cuffs, using the directions from the Lane Raglan. This was my second time making these, and while it can be a little head-scratching, Adrianna does a great job explaining it.

Yes, that is snot and dog hair #sahmomlife

Olive is so "in" right now, and black is always in style, so I'm excited to add this sweatshirt to my wardrobe.


Monday, November 6, 2017

Project Runway recap

You know that emoji with the horizontal lines for eyes and a mouth? That's my face after watching this episode.

Spoilers ahead...

Best moments: Two days for the challenge, which again had just the right amount of focus vs. open-endedness (is that a word?). For the last challenge, it was definitely time to let them spread their wings a bit and see what they could do with more time and money.

Worst moments: This is a cruelty-free show? But leather is okay? So confused. By the way, since when?? It's entirely possible I don't understand what makes something cruelty-free...but I would think the designers would know, or hell, the people at MOOD would know. That whole thing with Margarita putting back her fur was weird.

Also weird: an ice bar. Hard pass.

See all the looks here.

Best garments: LOVED Kentaro's. He was lucky he had that particular model (her name is escaping me at the moment) because they obviously work well together. Brandon did a great job as well. Am I totally crazy, or was there NO WINNER this week?

Worst garments: I liked Ayana's coat (I'm a sucker for pink and black), but the geometric romper underneath was hard to look at. For that matter, I thought Kenya's tweed was hard to look at, too, even though she was in love with it. Margarita's coat and dress had boring, unoriginal silhouettes, in addition to being unfinished. Which brings me to my real point...

WHY are there still five of them there??? I am so angry about this. Two weeks in a row, nobody goes home! Am I crazy to think that Margarita definitely should have gone home after that weird fur dress? I miss the old days of Project Runway. Three designers go to Fashion Week, that it's. None of this "okay, four can go but really only three can because we'll eliminate one beforehand". They're doing the same thing except its FIVE of them! Hey, I have an idea, how about you have 12 contestants make full collections and then eliminate them the night before Fashion Week. That would be fun, right? So. Much. ARG.

Next week: home visits and probably two people being eliminated just for the sake of drama

Thursday, November 2, 2017

Halloween Costumes

I think all sewists with families both anticipate and dread Halloween. It’s a chance to get pushed outside our regular boxes, but also a lot of pressure! This year, I left costume choice for our whole family up to my five year old. Continuing with her princess theme, she chose Cinderella. Her dad was Prince Charming, I was the Fairy Godmother, and the two littles were mice, Jaq and Gus Gus.


Unfortunately, it was so cold in Indiana (wind chill in the 30s) that everyone (except me!) needed coats over their costumes. Sad face. I was able to bulk up underneath my costume with two wool tops, wool pants AND jeans! I did have a wand, but I lost it almost immediately while trying to carry Gus Gus. The wand was made with silver washi tape wrapped around a toy lightsaber (a small one). Pretty clever, I thought, so I'm totally bummed I lost it.

For future reference, and if anyone needs inspiration, I've given the details of the costumes below. There are lots of tutorials on Pinterest but I kind of made everything up as I went along. The Prince was kept as close to the movie as possible, which ended up being a lot more simple than you'd think. Anything I sewed to hist top was done lightly, by hand, so it can be removed later and the shirt still used.

I tried to turn my hair white with cornstarch. I do not recommend this method!

Cinderella's skirt was puffed up with the crinoline I made two years ago with her Belle dress, plus this tulle skirt, plus another RTW skirt we had on hand. SUPER poofy! Even though it was cold and dreary, I was so excited to have us all in a family costume for the first time. My oldest daughter loves her Cinderella dress and I know it's going to have a heavy rotation as dress-up piece for years to come.


Cinderella
Pattern:
Practical Princess (affiliate link) with lengthened skirt
Self-drafted bustles which are a separate skirt attached to an elastic waistband
Fabric and supplies:
Main Fabric is cotton/poly interlock from Jo-Ann’s
Silver knit from a mystery bundle from Fabric Mart (stash)
Glitter elastic and headband from Jo-Ann’s
Choker is black elastic
Hair donut from Amazon
Gloves from Amazon (these were too big for my five year old but worked fine for a costume)
Glass slippers from local swap group


Prince Charming
Pattern:
Pants made from the free Pajama Pants pattern from 5 out of 4 Patterns
RTW button up shirt
Fabric and supplies:
Epaulets, belt, and neckband made from yellow felt and gold trim, from Jo-Ann’s
Gold cording from Jo-Ann's
Yellow ribbon (on pants) from Target


Fairy Godmother
Pattern:
Self-drafted jacket (started with my Anthro cardi knock off and altered from that)
Hood from Hey June Lane Raglan
RTW tshirt
Skirt is just a long rectangle with an elastic waistband
Self-drafted bow
Fabric and supplies:
Blue cotton/poly interlock from Jo-Ann's (same as Cinderella's)
Pink cotton ponte from Mood (stash)--this needed to have a lot of body to stand up properly, which is also why I lined the hood with it!


Jaq
Pattern:
Jacket hacked from PABPS Winter PJs (affiliate link) top
RTW red shirt
Wool pants from Sloomb
Self-drafted hat and ears
Fabric and supplies:
Red poly knit (stash)
Hat is lined (to make it stand up) with jacquard knit from Urban Rag Trader (stash)
Ears are brown felt and pink rib knit (stash)
Grey yarn tucked into pants for tail


Gus Gus
Pattern:
Yellow shirt hacked from PABPS Winter PJs top (link above)
Brown shirt is RTW
Wool pants from Sloomb (link above)
Self-drafted hat and ears
Fabric and supplies:
Green wool knit (stash)
Hat is lined (to make it stand up) with jacquard knit from Urban Rag Trader (stash)
Ears are brown felt and pink rib knit (stash)
Yellow cotton/lycra knit (stash)
Grey yarn tucked into pants for tail

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Project Runway recap

I accidentally got spoiled on the ending of this episode (be careful who you follow on Facebook!) so it wasn't quite as suspenseful as it could have been. I also hate unconventional materials. So this was a good episode to watch after school when the kids were bouncing off the walls, and I didn't really need to hear the dialogue!

Spoilers ahead...

Best moments: The Lexus cars were pretty? IDK. I didn't much like this episode.

Worst moments: I did not like seeing Brandon and Kentaro doubt themselves. They're likeable, and top contenders, and I hate that they felt at risk because of a stupid unconventional challenge.

See all the looks here.

Best looks: Ayana's was the most dramatic, I'll give her that, and her model did a fantastic job with the hard hat and her walk. But something about Ayana's attitude was really off-putting (not talking to Kenya, bragging about how she was going to win). The rest were kind of boring.

Worst looks: Michael's was terrible, I think everybody knew that. Brandon managed to pull off something good, but in any other challenge it would have been considered too simple. Margarita's was too costume to me (but I did just watch Wonder Woman this weekend).

Best quote: "I look like Pocahontas is about to play football." --Liris

I thought Zac's comments this week were telling about how the rest of the season will go. He said he wanted to see a full collection from Brandon, and that he didn't know who Margarita was as a designer (I agree with both). And keeping Kentaro over Michael indicates that they want more from Kentaro too. So who will slide into that final spot (assuming three designers go to Fashion Week)? And will Tim even use his save?

Next week: High fashion warrior women

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Foxy Pajamas

This post contains affiliate links.

Every now and then, I impulse-buy a fabric with a novelty print, thinking that I will be THAT cool mom with such quirky style. And then the fabric sits in my stash, because in truth, I'm a boring basics kind of mom. But when life (or your bad decision-making) gives you graphic prints, you make pajamas. That's a saying, I'm sure.


I've had this fox jersey for ages. It's from Girl Charlee, but it is not one of their modified reprints. If you've followed them at all you've likely seen this fabric, but printed by them with a lighter background. Personally, I love the dark background, I think it works better with the orangey-red and white of the foxes. I'm not sure where it originally came from, but I bought the very first batch they ever had.


Originally, I wanted to make a Day Tripper top for myself (exactly like this one, actually) but never got around to it. I finally accepted it wasn't going to happen, and that pajamas for my oldest would be a much better use for this fabric.


The fabric is a simple cotton/poly jersey, no spandex. I knew I couldn't go with my default PJ pattern, the Alex and Anna PJs from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop. Those are drafted with negative ease and need good recovery in the fabric. Instead, I went with positive ease and more of a t-shirt and sweatpants look. For the top, I used the Day Camp Tee, and for the bottoms I used the Pajama Party pattern. Both are FREE from PABPS (for the Pajama Party pattern you need to join the Facebook group and get the code). Such a quick sew on my serger and did I mention FREE?


I'm so glad this fabric is finally sewn up, and AB loves her new jammies!

Speaking of Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop, check out her newest pattern, the Hazel Dress and Tunic. On sale today only for release day!


Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Project Runway recap

I'm back from vacation and a little blog break in the meantime. I'm up to my eyeballs in Halloween sewing, but I definitely made time to catch up on Project Runway. All this drama!

Spoilers ahead...

Best moments: I thought it was cute to have Shopkins Super Fans help the designers, especially for an avant-garde challenge. If it were some sort of translate-to-the-real-world challenge I think that would have been more restrictive. What I didn't understand was why the fans weren't at the runway show?

Worst moments: We started this episode where the last one left off, with a dramatic storm-off by Michael and accusations of Claire cheating. The whole thing was kind of childish. Margarita made me want to throw things at my TV. She ran around the workroom tattling on Claire and then on the runway she claimed she wasn't the type of person to throw someone under the bus. Okaaaaayyy...instead she got Michael to do the dirty work instead. I was also annoyed at Claire's lack of ownership to her part in it. She clearly knew the rules and broke them anyway (about having a tape measure in her room) AND she played loosey goosey with the spirit of the show by using her sister as a partner most of the time. Who cares if it was a simple tank, Claire, if it was so simple why did you need to measure it and cheat? The whole thing was so dumb. But I agree with her being booted if she did cheat, which it seems like she did.

See all the looks here.

Best looks: I'm not into avant-garde, so the one I liked the best was the least avant-garde-y, Kentaro's.

Worst looks: I thought most of the designs looked like someone threw up fabric onto a dress form. Batani's was bad, Amy's was boring.

I'm sad that Amy was eliminated. I felt like she had some great looks in the past and didn't get any recognition for them. Batani was clearly on borrowed time so I guess they threw in a double elimination just to surprise us? And perhaps Tim will be using his save soon? Have they even mentioned the save?

Next week: More unconventional. Barf.


Thursday, September 28, 2017

Coverstitching Underwear

A short post today showing off my newest me-made undies, and talking a little bit about my new favorite finishing method.


No extra seam allowance

Over the years, I've made a lot of underwear and tried many patterns, but I keep coming back to my favorite, the free one from So, Zo... For everyday pieces under jeans, they can't be beat. The pattern is drafted for use with fold-over elastic (FOE). I'll be honest...I HATE FOE. Every single time I use it, it's instant regret. Inevitably, I end up stretching out my fabric and my stitching also looks sloppy and uneven. Take these two pairs, for example. Same pattern. Same fabric. Look how stretched out the bottom pair became after sewing on FOE!


I decided to try something new, and use my coverstitch with picot elastic. Normally, you would sewing picot on once, turn it under, and sew it down (scroll down for info on this technique with a coverstitch!). Since I didn't have the seam allowance for turning under (fabric was already cut) I figured I could sew the picot directly to the edge. The ladder stitching of the back of the coverstitching finished the edge on the inside of the underwear.


I LOVE this technique! It was so much faster than FOE and I had more control while sewing. I put the leg elastic in flat, sewed up the side seams, and then applied the waist elastic in the round. Having made this pattern before, I was at an advantage knowing exactly how long I wanted my elastic. In no time, I had three new pairs of undies that fit and are lovely too!

Coverstitching underwear
Contrast stitching can be fun too!

Extra seam allowance

If your pattern has been drafted with extra seam allowance, then you can still use your coverstitch machine to sew on elastic. Instead of sewing it once right on the edge, like above, follow these steps.

First, place the non-picot edge of your elastic along the edge of your fabric, right side of fabric facing right side of elastic (if your elastic has a right side, it might not). Using a zig-zag stitch on your regular machine, or your serger with the knife disabled, sew along the edge and secure the elastic to both leg openings. 


This task is much easier if you do it flat, without the side seams sewn.


Next, turn the elastic to the inside of the underwear. Try to align the fold of the fabric just beneath the picot edge.


With the underwear right side up, sew along the elastic with your coverstitch, without stretching anything.


At this point, you can either sew up one side seam (allowing you to work flat) and then repeat the process for the waist elastic, or sew up both side seams and insert the waist elastic in the round the same way. My preference is to insert the leg elastics flat and the waist in the round, but you do you!

Rebecca Page Cheeky Underwear
Rebecca Page Cheeky Underwear pattern

I love using my coverstitch in this fashion on underwear elastic! I know a coverstitch is a big investment, but I've never regretted mine. I got mine in 2014, you can read more about that here.



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