November 2019 - Merritts Makes

Hello! This last week has been filled with all kinds of family festivities. Last Saturday we celebrated my brother’s wedding. Following the wedding, my sister and her children came and stayed with us until yesterday. Having children to play with all week was a dream come true for my only child and spending time with my sister was one for me. There were a few minor hiccups when one child got sick in the movie theater (before we knew he was sick), all three children ended up sick, and I put the turkey in the oven one hour late after not setting an alarm. Despite a wild few days, I’m left feeling grateful for family that is down to roll with the punches and take on life’s bumps together. It was a lovely week overall and we’re missing our family already. Enough about my week. Let’s get down to the reason I’m writing this post: My secret pajamas wedding suit.

Fabric

One week before my brother’s wedding, I still had no clue what I wanted to wear. That is, until I was browsing Stylemaker Fabrics and discovered this Dusty Rose Ponte Knit. Inspiration struck and 3.5 yards were ordered.

Joan Trousers

The Friday Pattern Company Joan Trousers have been on my to-sew list since I wrote a Sew Fancy Pants Fabric Inspiration (Beginner Edition) post in January. Eleven months later, I purchased the pattern and got to work. Based on my measurements, I cut a Large, added 1/2″ to the rise (there isn’t I lengthen shorten line here so I added it at the top), and added 3″ to the leg length at the lengthen/shorten line. Inspired by bluefloralneedles and pinkcoatclub, the legs were tapered for a cigarette pant vibe.

Sewing the Joan Trousers was quick and relatively painless. Most of the sewing took place one afternoon. I was nearing the finish line when I noticed that I’d accidentally placed the belt loops along the wrong markings. One hour of seam ripping later, the belt loops were correctly attached and I was on my way to a finished pair of pants.

Evans Blazer

Since it’s release, the Hey June Evans Blazer has been near the top of my favorites list. This one didn’t turn out quite as well as I’d like (mostly because this fabric is on the lighter side) but, it’s still wearable, just needs a bit of tweaking.

Based on the size chart, I cut a 6 bust, 8 waist, and 10 hip. Added 1/2″ of length to the blazer and 1″ of length to the sleeves. Size wise, all of these alterations seemed about right.

Before I get into the issues I had, I want to clarify that the sizing and instructions were accurate and thorough. The following issues had to do with my fabric choice, not the pattern. I fully intend to make this pattern again in a better suited fabric.

First, my fabric is a lightweight rayon/nylon ponte and has a bit of drape. This means the collar doesn’t stay in place on it’s own. I did hand tack a couple of spots on the collar but, they came undone after a bit of dancing and child wrangling. Now that the wedding is over, I plan to go back and hand tack the entire collar.

Second, also due to the lightweight nature of the fabric, my hem had to be sewn by machine. I spent an hour making a hand sewn blind hem on the blazer bottom and it DID NOT look good. While not sold on the visible topstitching, it’s better than what I had before. Perhaps I’ve lost my blind hemming skills after not using them for a while but the small divots made by the blind hem were extremely noticeable in this color and fabric weight. A darker color would likely not have the same result. The visible stitching makes the blazer more casual than intended.

Final Thoughts

Despite my fabric issues with the Evans Blazer, I’m quite pleased with the overall look created here. Many of my brother’s wedding guests complimented my pink pantsuit while the knit fabric kept me comfortable throughout set up, take down, and everything in between. The trousers are bound to become a staple and with a little work, the blazer will become one as well.

Thanks for reading!

Disclosure: The pattern for this post was provided to me by Indiesew. All opinions are my own.

Goooood morning! Today I’m sharing a project that feels like an amalgamation of my sewing journey. I’ve always found joy in creating and had access to a sewing machine from a young age. However, it wasn’t until I took a few college sewing classes that my love of sewing blossomed. Those sewing classes led me to a magical place called Suppose. It was there that my love affair with fabric began. During my five years working there, I came to love quilting and was serendipitously introduced to the world of indie sewing patterns. There I purchased my first indie apparel pattern: a paper copy of the Grainline Studio Scout Tee. Now, years later, I’m here writing a blog post about another Grainline pattern, the Tamarack Jacket.

Preparing the Patchwork

Over the years, I’ve acquired an unhealthily large stash of scraps. Letting go of beautiful fabrics has never been top priority here. In a moment of creative energy, I began piecing together large scraps in October 2018. Then, I cut them down, pieced them back together, and….. forgot about them for nearly a year. Early this October, the project was resumed and I slowly added scraps one fabric or block at a time.

Once the patchwork reached a size of approximately 60″ x 60″, the Tamarack pattern pieces were placed to determine a cutting layout. Then, I roughly cut around each piece leaving about an inch of extra fabric on all sides. Using the roughly cut pieces I cut batting and backing pieces. Finally, each piece was quilted with straight lines 2″ apart and cut down to its proper size.

Sizing Alterations

According to the size chart, I should be a 4 at the bust and a 10 at the hip. Over the years I’ve noticed that Grainline patterns often include a generous amount of ease. Consulting the finished garment measurements confirmed this observation. In the end, I decided to size up in the bust and arms to provide plenty of room for layering. This led me to sew a straight size 6. My only other sizing alteration would be adding 5/8″ to the sleeve length.

Creating the Wrap Front

The simplicity of this particular “pattern hack” makes it feel like less of a hack and more of a pattern shortcut. An added bonus of a simple wrap front vs. the snap or button closure? A fully reversible jacket. Say “hello” to the Ace and Jig inspired side of my Tamarack Jacket. Want the details on how to hack your own? Let’s do this.

Pattern Preparation

Grab your front bodice pattern piece. Draw a diagonal line connecting the top of the neckline (at the shoulder) to the lengthen shorten line at the center front (view B). Curve line slightly for a smoother look. Remove excess paper to the right of this line. Cut front pieces as indicated. For this version I also chose to curve the bottom of the center front.
Create four belt loops by cutting a piece of binding fabric 1.25″ x 13.” Fold in half and sew along the length with a 1/4″ seam allowance. Leave short ends open and use a safety pin or tube turner to turn right side out. Cut this into four 3″ pieces. Baste belt loops to front jacket pieces on both the inside and outside.
Cut a belt piece that is 3″ wide by desired length (mine was about 62″ long). Use a 1/4″ seam to sew around all edges, leaving a 2-3″ opening for turning. Turn right side out and sew the opening.

Construction

Sew shoulder seams as indicated in pattern step 26. Finish the shoulder seams with bias binding for a clean finish.
Apply bias binding to neckline and front as indicated in pattern step 27. Do NOT apply bias binding to the back bottom piece yet.
Follow pattern step 28. Finish this seam with bias binding.
Sew sides as indicated in pattern step 29. Now, starting at end of one sleeve, use continuous piece of binding to bind the sleeve seam, down the side, across the back bottom, up the other side and across the other sleeve seam. This part is probably the most confusing and time consuming of all. Don’t give up. You’re almost finished.
Bind sleeve hems as indicated in pattern step 30. Hooray! Trim any stray threads and enjoy your finished jacket.

Final Thoughts

Last week I posted a photo of my in progress patchwork. One commenter called it a “love letter to a fabric stash.” This sentiment has stuck with me since reading it and holds true in this Tamarack Jacket. In it I see bits of old projects, stray quilt blocks, and scraps left from gifts made for loved ones; all pieced alongside bits of my own fabric favorites. Each fabric connects me to a moment in time, joining my sewing past and present into a wearable warm hug.

Note: If you haven’t heard the news, Indiesew will be closing up shop and no longer available after November 30th. Read the goodbye announcement here for further details. I’m going to miss the enrichment and inspiration that Indiesew has contributed to the online sewing world and wish Allie all the best in her future endeavors. Thank you Indiesew for being a cherished part of the community and my personal sewing journey.