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DIY Fabric Scrap Soft Book Tutorial

Hello! Personally, I’ve been in a bit of a creative rut recently. I want to sew but, don’t know what to sew, feel overwhelmed with the options and then binge watch something on Netflix instead. Anyone else? Just me? In an effort to combat this, I forced myself to spend some time sewing this weekend.

Not unlike many creatives, I have a stockpile of unfinished projects. My sister is due with her first baby in a matter of weeks so I decided to look into my box of unfinished baby clothes and toys. First, I completed a tiny Waterfall Raglan that I started for my now 4 year old niece when she was just a few months old. Then, I pulled out and finished up a Mini Fringe Dress that was started for the same niece when she was two. Finally, I pulled out the pieces of a soft book that I’d cut out back when I sewed one for my 1 year old son (he’s almost 8 so I’ve held onto these for a while).

SOFT BOOK TUTORIAL

This particular soft book was made with coordinating pieces from an older line of fabrics by Sarah Watts. While stitching it up, I thought it would make a great scrap busting tutorial so I decided to document the process and write the instructions here for you.

Fabric and Supplies

As mentioned above, the fabrics used in my soft book came from a coordinating line but I think this would be a fun opportunity to use up any scraps in your stash. I love the idea of a book with different textures using corduroy, denim, linen, minky, etc. You can also add embroidery, or make a book with different animal print fabrics. Truly, the possibilities are endless.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 8 fabric scraps at least 5″ x 11″ (you could try more or less, this was just the maximum thickness my machine can handle.
  • 4 pieces of lightweight quilt batting or fusible fleece at least 5″x11″
  • Coordinating thread
  • thread snips
  • optional point turner
  • Preferred cutting tools: cutting mat, ruler, rotary cutter or shears

Cutting

Cut one 5″ x 11″ rectangle from each of your eight fabric scraps and four 5″ x 11″ rectangles from your fusible fleece or batting.

Sewing the Pages

Begin by planning out your fabric placement. To do this, make four pairs from the eight fabrics. Then, place the pairs wrong sides together and stack the pairs like an open book.

Once you’ve decided on placement, let’s make the pages. Grab one pair of your fabric rectangles and place them right sides together. On the back of one of the fabrics, place a rectangle of batting (if using fusible fleece, you can fuse it to the back of one fabric at this point. Pin all three layers together.

Stitch all around the outside of your rectangle using a 1/4″ seam allowance, leaving a 2-3″ opening at the center bottom. Backstitch at the beginning and end. To reduce bulk, trim corners and the batting or fusible fleece along the seam lines.

Turn right sides out. Press well and pin bottom opening closed.

Now, we’ll close off the bottom opening by topstitching all around your sewn page at 1/8″.

Repeat these steps for the other three pairs until you have four pages.

Assembling the book

On your middle page (the one that will stack on top) find the center and use a pencil or other marking tool to draw a stitching line.

Beginning with your outside cover on the bottom, stack your four pages. Pin along the stitch line you drew on your middle page.

Using a fresh, sharp needle (I used a microtex needle) stitch down the center line. Tip: I found my machine handled the bulk better if I started stitching from the center to the edge so I ended up with two stitch lines that meet in the middle.

That’s it! Your book is finished. Gift it to a special baby in your life or just keep it for yourself and admire the pretty fabrics!

If you create one of your own, I’d love to see it! You can use the hashtag #ScrappySoftBook when sharing on social media and tag me on Instagram at @nf_merritts . Thank you for reading!

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Suit Up for Summer 2021 with Raspberry Creek Fabrics

Whew! What a year it’s been. Last year’s 2020 Suit Up for Summer blog tour was the last collaboration posted on my blog. Fortunately, the 2021 tour was the perfect opportunity to jump back into it.

This year I tried to keep things simple by sewing up two suits: one for myself and one for my son. They didn’t go quite as smoothly as planned but, all worked out ok in the end. Let’s get to it.

SUIT #1: A FLUTTER SLEEVE SEABRIGHT SWIMMER

FABRIC AND INSPIRATION

Fabric – Multi Stripe Swim, Inspiration

I can never say no to a good stripe and this pastel stripe swim knit immediately caught my attention. After selecting my fabric, a Pinterest and Google deep dive led me to find this Boden Limnos Wrap Swimsuit. I was drawn to the simple, romantic lines and the sun coverage on the shoulders.

CREATING THE SUIT

The Friday Pattern Company Seabright Swimmer seemed like a perfect starting point for my suit. I made a few small alterations to the pattern to get a look closer to the inspiration photo. The first simple one was overlapping the front wrap pieces by an extra two inches instead of meeting at the center front. Second, I added sewn in foam cups. Finally, I changed the sleeve to a small flutter. Below you’ll find a quick tutorial on how I created the flutter sleeve from the existing pattern piece.

SIZING

Based on my measurements, I chose to sew a Medium at the bust (I was between a Small and Medium) and grade to a Large at the waist and hips. I had no issues with the sizing and think the final suit fits quite well.

FLUTTER SLEEVE TUTORIAL
  • First, Grab your sleeve pattern piece. Cut it to your desired length. I cut mine about 3.25″ below the bottom of the armhole.
  • Then, start at the center and draw vertical lines every 1″.
  • Cut each line from the bottom. Just up to, but not through the top of the sleeve.
  • Place your cut sleeve piece on top of more paper and spread them each cut line apart evenly. Tape in place. I spread mine apart by 1″ at each cut line. If I had to do it again, I’d add a little more fullness and spread by 1.5″ at each cut line.
  • Redraw the bottom of your sleeve pattern piece.
  • Cut out your new pattern piece.
  • That’s it. Cut two mirrored pieces out of your fabric and follow pattern instructions for attaching the sleeve. You can hem the sleeves if desired. I left mine un-hemmed.
SEWING

This suit took about four times as long as it should have. First, I decided that I didn’t want the hassle of trying to match the stripes along the back so I removed seam allowances and combined the back bodice and back bottom pieces into one. It looks nice, but required me to change up the construction. This required too much thinking for someone who’s out of practice improvising and I spent a lot of time seam ripping my mistakes until I figured out a workable solution. In the end, the suit is fully lined but the side seams are just exposed serged seams on the inside. Not my most professional finish but, since nobody else will see them, I’m not bothered.

Overall, I didn’t mind sewing the pattern. It was a good pattern and the issues were all of my own doing. Trying not to destroy swim lining and swim knit when ripping seams for the second, third, and fourth times was a challenge and I may have uttered several choice words as I was doing it.

THOUGHTS ON THE FINAL SUIT

Despite saying this every time I make a swimsuit, this one might be my favorite. With a decent amount of sun coverage (hello, fully covered back and shoulders) and just a hint of skin with the low neckline, it feels sexy and practical all at once. If I made this suit again, my only changes would be adding some extra volume to the flutter sleeves and extending the shoulder seams out towards my arms by about 1/2″.

Now, for a quick tangent about these images because I love how they turned out. We don’t have a pretty place with decent lighting in our house for photos, our yard is muddy and dull this time of year, and I don’t really want to take photos in a public place in my swimsuit when its 40 degrees outside. So, each year we’ve made due by hanging a curtain in the garage and using it as a backdrop for swimsuit photos.

Maybe I just watched too much of it (made it through the full season twice) but the coloring of this stripe reminded me of Bridgerton. So, inspired by Bridgerton, I wanted to create images that felt simultaneously soft and bold. I purchased 2.5 yards of this floral ponte (now retired, sorry) also from Raspberry Creek to use as a backdrop.

Remember how I kept making mistakes and this suit took significantly longer to make? Well, we were originally supposed to photograph this suit last Thursday which was a beautiful, sunny day with highs in the 60’s. Instead, by the time the suit was finished, the only time we had to take photographs was on a cloudy, rainy Saturday morning with highs in the 40’s. The cloudy day made my garage too dark for photos so, our only option was outside. My husband had a good laugh as I was outside wearing my large snow boots setting up the backdrop. Then, he was a great sport as we spent about 15 minutes in the rain snapping these shots. By the time we took the ones where I’m sitting down, both my suit and the fabric were soaked through. What do you think? Were the images worth it?

SUIT #2: SEW LIKE MY MOM PALM EURO SUIT

I’ve been sewing this pattern for my son since the pattern’s release in 2018. He’s owned maybe a dozen of them through the years and loves the comfort of the fully lined and fully enclosed seams. I sewed up a straight size 7 and the fit is spot on. A pair can be sewn up in about an hour and uses surprisingly little fabric. This suit used less than half a yard (although I still needed 1/2″ for the length of the legs). He chose the rainbow floral swim knit from Raspberry Creek for this pair of jammers and I love how they turned out! He was so pleased with the suit that, after these photos, he wore it under his clothes for the rest of the day.

Due to the cold, we didn’t get many photos of him in his suit as he didn’t want to be out in the rain long and I wasn’t about to force him to do so. We snapped what we could get in less than 5 minutes.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this stop on the Suit Up for Summer 2021 blog tour. Be sure to check out all the other talented creatives this week as they share their suits. You don’t want to miss them!

Sew Mary Mac  Merritts Makes  Wild + Wanderful  Call Ajaire

Made by Kates  Violet and Jewels  Sweet Mama Life  All Things Katy!

Intensely Distracted  Pins & Pinot  My Heart Will Sew On  The Petite Sewist

All My Spare Time  Kara Metta  Handcrafted by RED  Sincerely, Shantelle

Replicate Then Deviate  That’s Sew Kari  Desert Blooms  Boo + Lu





Titchy Threads  Sew A Little Seam  Simple Life Pattern Co.  Pattern for Pirates  Ellie and Mac  

Lowland Kids  Gingham Hive  Striped Swallow Designs  Honeydew Kisses  Little Lizard King  

Jennuine Designs  Greenstyle Creations  Made for Mermaids  Call Ajaire  Hey June  Boo Designs! 

  Sofiona Designs  Love Notions  Lil Luxe Collection  Jalie  Sweet Red Poppy


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Sew Some Fancy Pants : New Pant Sewing Pattern Round Up

Hello fellow sewists of the internet! It’s been a bit and I’m not even sure I know how to write a blog post anymore. The last six months have been a wild ride and unfortunately sewing and blogging had to be put on the back burner so that I could teach my son, parent in a pandemic, maintain a smaller workload and provide support to loved ones. None of these are bad things and I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to do all of them. 

However, I’ve missed being actively engaged in the sewing community and especially missed Sew Fancy Pants and hosting/co-hosting the event this year. Up until fall of 2020, I’d still planned to host a Sew Fancy Pants 2021 event and had been rounding up new pants patterns in anticipation of doing so. 

So, here’s a round up of newer pants patterns as of January 2021. This is not an exhaustive list and I’m sure there are great patterns I’ve missed. If there’s a pattern you think I should include please leave a comment below or feel free to contact me.

Note: after feedback from last year’s post, I’ve decided to include min-max waist and hip measurements as well as only including patterns that go up to at least a 57” hip. 

NEW PANTS PATTERN ROUND UP

Jeans

Almost no pants are more iconic than jeans. Thanks to the world of indie sewing patterns, sewing jeans is more accessible than ever and easier than one might think!

Noice Jeans by Muna and Broad: I’ve loved watching Leila and Jess work on this pattern throughout the year! With a high waist and a wide leg or more traditional “mom jean” style straight leg, these jeans have both versatility and practicality. Size Range – Waist: 36”-60” (91-152 cm) Hip: 41.5”-71.5” (105-182cm) Note: Muna and Broad has a policy where they’ll grade a pattern to your size if your measurements are currently outside the upper end of their size range. Anyone can support this effort by supporting them on Patreon.

Halfmoon 101 Jeans by Halfmoon Atelier: The Halfmoon 101 jeans are designed with a low rise and straight leg, perfect for those who just don’t love a high waisted jean. Details  Size Range – Waist: 23.5-56.75” (60-144 cm) Hip: 33.75-67” (86-170 cm) 

Mountain View Pull on Jeans by Itch to Stitch: While not a new pattern, the Mountain View Jeans were updated over the last year to include a larger range of sizes. If you’d like to dip your toes into jeans sewing, love stretch denim and closures like zippers and buttons aren’t your jam, these might be a great place to start. Size Range – Waist: 25.38-54.25” (64.5-138 cm) Hip: 33-62” (84-157.5 cm)

Claryville Jeans by Workroom Social: The Claryville Jeans were actually re-released in late 2019 but I neglected to include them in last year’s round up and decided they deserve a mention. With a classic mid rise and straight leg, they’re on my personal to-sew list. Size Range – Waist: 25.5-48.5” (64.8-123.2 cm) Hip: 37-60” (94-152.4 cm)

Beginner Friendly/Elastic Waist Pants: 

I can’t remember who said it, but I heard another sewist refer to elastic waist pants as “soft pants” and it’s my favorite description. Soft pants have been part of my everyday wardrobe for the last year and I love how they’re also a great way to get into sewing pants.

Arden Pants by Helen’s Closet: The Arden pants are a classic high waisted casual pant with a slightly tapered leg or jogger style cuffs. Size Range – Waist: 24-48” (61-122 cm) Hip: 33-58” (84-147.5cm) 

Arthur Pants by Sew Liberated: If you’re looking for a casual statement pant, look no further than the Arthur pants. With a front fly pleated view or gathered elastic waist view, these pants have volume for days and I really want to make a pair. Size Range – Waist 25-48.5” (64-123 cm) Hip: 33.5-57” (85-145 cm) 

Arenite Pants by Sew Liberated: The Arenite Pants are hands down my favorite pants in my wardrobe. The pattern has been around for a few years but was just recently updated with a larger size range and with a knit option. I’m thrilled that more sewists will get to experience the joy of my favorite deep roomy pockets. Size Range – Waist: 25-52.5” (64-133 cm) Hip: 33.5-61” (85-155 cm)

Opal Pants by Megan Nielsen Patterns: The Opal pants are high waisted with options for a paper bag waist or regular waistband and tapered or wide legs. Size Range – Waist: 24-48” (61-122 cm) Hip: 34-58” (86-147 cm)

All Well Studio Pants:  The All Well studio pants feature a flat front or traditional elastic waist, tapered leg and two pocket options, perfect for those wanting to dip their toes into the world of pants making. Another thing that’s fantastic about this pattern is the “pay what you can” pricing which makes them accessible to more sewists across the board. Size Range – Waist: 24-60” (60.5-152 cm) Hip: 34-70” (86-177.5 cm)

Pio Pants by Ready to Sew: The Pio Pants are another high waisted elastic pant with roomy pockets. Size Range – Waist: 24.2-48.8” (61.5-124 cm) Hip: 35-59.4” (89-151 cm) 

Papao Wrap Pants by Ready to Sew : Another statement pant, the Papao Pants are a tapered leg wrap style pant with a tie closure (no buttons or zippers, yay!). Size Range – Waist: 24.2-48.8” (61.5-124 cm) Hip: 35-59.4” (89-151 cm) 

Willandra Pants by Muna and Broad: The Willandra Pants are a slightly dressier elastic waist pant with a flat front, tapered leg, and a diagonal side seam that adds a special bit of visual interest. Size Range – Waist: 36”-60”” (91-152cm) Hip: 41.5”-71.5” (105-182cm) 

Sculthorpe Pants by Muna and Broad: The Sculthorpe Pants feature a tapered leg, deep v-shaped side pockets and a fully elasticated waist. Size Range – Waist: 36”-60”” (91-152cm) Hip: 41.5”-71.5” (105-182cm) 

Trousers:

While trousers likely weren’t the most worn pants of the last year, I’m hopeful that in the next year, we’ll have more opportunities to wear such fancy pants.

Nita Trousers by Amy Nicole Studio: The Nita Trousers are a classic tapered leg trouser with one view. They include all the trouser essentials: front pleats, slash pockets, and back welt pockets. Size Range – Waist: 24-50.5” (61-128.3 cm) Hip: 34.5-61” (87.6-155 cm)

Cass Pant by Make by TFS: The Cass pant is another single view trouser pattern with a mid rise, zip front, and wide leg. Size Range – Waist: 22.4-51.8” (57-131.5 cm) Hip: 34.3-62.8” (87-159.5 cm) Note: This is another pattern company who will grade the pattern to your size if you fall outside their current size range. More details can be found in the pattern listing. 

Jumpsuits/Misc:

Nova Jumpsuit by True Bias:  Looking for a comfy, casual stay at home uniform? The Nova is a relaxed fit jumpsuit that just may fit the bill. Size Range – Waist: 26-50.5” (66-128 cm) Hip: 34-59.5” (86-151 cm)

Patsy Overalls by Ready to Sew: Featuring a slightly gathered top, tie closure, large pockets, and relaxed fit, the Patsy Overalls look like the perfect overall pattern for a beginner or someone looking for a more casual overall. Size Range – Waist: 24.2-48.8” (61.5-124 cm) Hip: 35-59.4” (89-151 cm) 

Sundial Leggings by Greenstyle Creations: Leggings are the perfect option for those who want to sew leg coverings without worrying too much about fitting as knit fabrics can be quite forgiving. The Sundial Leggings have a lower rise v-shaped waistband or full coverage full waistband with no side seam. Size Range – Waist: 22-57” (55.8-144.7 cm) Hip: 32-62” (81.3-157.5 cm)

Chandler Pants and Heather Blazer bundle by Untitled Thoughts and Friday Pattern Company: Ok, I know this isn’t exclusively pants but, after a year spent mostly in loungewear I’m dreaming of dressing up in a full suit. This combination seems like a great way for beginners and more experienced sewists that want the look of a suit without much tailoring work. I’m thinking they’d make a great non-birthday suit, birthday suit. Maybe manifesting that here means I might actually start on this by April? Pants Size Range – Waist: 24-50” (60.9-127 cm) Hip: 34-58” (87-148 cm) Blazer Size Range – Chest: 32-60” (81-152 cm)

Thank you for reading!

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Warp and Weft Wardrobe Project: Free Range Slacks and Pipit Loungewear Top

Hello! Today I’m excited to share with you the first two completed items of my Warp and Weft Wardrobe Project. Over the last week I was able to sew up the Sew House Seven Free Range Slacks and Common Stitch Pipit Loungewear Set top in Matinee in Earth. I used 5 yards of the 45″ wide fabric to complete both projects. I’m going to be swanning around in this all summer but, before I do that, let’s get to the details.

Pipit Loungewear Top

The Pipit Loungewear set top has been on my to-sew list for a while. Combined with Warp and Weft fabric, it’s giving off some serious fancy pajama vibes. In this particular time, fancy pajamas are exactly the wardrobe aesthetic to which I’m aspiring.

Sizing and Alterations

Based on the finished garment measurements, I chose to sew a size 6 top. As far as flat pattern alterations, I added 2 and 3/4 inches to the length of both the bodice and sleeve lengths. There aren’t lengthen/shorten lines on the pattern pieces so I just arbitrarily picked a place about 2-3 inches below the armpit to cut a straight line and add the length.

Construction

I somewhat closely followed the pattern instructions and was able to sew this top in about 3.5 hours of total sewing time. It’s a straightforward sew, however I did make some slight changes to fit my personal preferences. First, I topstitched the facing down along the back neckline to keep it from flipping to the outside. Second, I altered the construction of the sleeve cuff. In the pattern it instructs you to press the long ends in by 3/8″ (1cm), sandwich the unsewn sleeve bottom between those edges, and topstitch in place. Then, you attach the sleeve and stitch the underarm seam. I opted for a cleaner finish on the top and used a construction method similar to the cuffs on the Chalk and Notch Fringe. If I would’ve thought ahead, I would’ve snapped pictures as I worked but I’ll do my best to describe it instead. Here’s what I did:

  1. Attach sleeves to top without cuffs. Sew underarm seam.
  2. Press cuff in half lengthwise with wrong sides together. Unfold.
  3. Using a 3/8″ seam allowance, stitch short sides of cuff piece together to form a circular piece.
  4. Press one long side of the cuff to the wrong side by 3/8″ (1cm).
  5. Right sides together and using a 3/8″ (1cm) seam allowance, stitch the unpressed edge of your cuff to the sleeve edge. Press seam towards cuff.
  6. Fold cuff to the inside of sleeve. Pin your previously pressed edge from step 4 to just barely cover the stitching (from step 5) on the inside of your sleeve.
  7. Stitch in the ditch where sleeve is attached to cuff. Make sure to catch folded edge of cuff in your stitching.

That’s it. Finish pattern steps for attaching buttons and finishing the hem and your top is done. Yay!

Free Range Slacks

These Free Range Slacks marked my second time making this pattern (see my first pair here) and I can’t decide which pair I love more. The weight of this Warp and Weft fabric seems especially suited to this style of pant. In fact, upon finishing these, I nearly abandoned all my other capsule plans to make a pair in every fabric.

Sizing and Alterations

Sizing was easy since I already figured that out on my first pair and went ahead making the same flat pattern alterations which were:  selecting a size 10 then adding 1/2″ to the rise and 1.5″ to the leg length. Due to the narrower width (44″) of this fabric, I did have to make the pants 1/2″ shorter at the hem to accommodate those horizontal stripe side panels.

Construction

Handmade pants are my favorite sewing project and stitching up these was no exception. The simple lines and elastic waist meant I had these sewn up in about 3 hours (which is quite fast for me).

Final Thoughts

I’m just not sure how many more ways I can articulate how much I love this set. Together the Pipit Loungewear Top and Free Range Slacks feel like an outfit right out of an Ace and Jig listing or like something I would wear in the evenings to relax at some swanky resort ( a girl can dream, right?). Separately, each piece makes a statement on its own. The pants are equally cute styled with a basic tee and the top would be a great complement to a simple pair of jeans. You’ll be seeing these around and I can’t wait to pair them with future additions to my Warp and Weft Wardrobe.

Thank you for reading!

P.S. Notice those cute shoes? Can you believe I made them? I mean, I can hardly believe it but if you want to read more, head to this post for the low down.

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Warp and Weft Wardrobe Project

Hello! It’s been a minute since writing here but, it was important for me to take some time over the last month plus to focus on my family as well as dive into anti-racism efforts. As I get back into sewing, I’m planning to take a slower approach that focuses on quality and versatility instead of instant gratification. My wardrobe is approximately 90% handmade. While I can be proud of that, it’s also getting quite full. The Warp and Weft Wardrobe Project will be my ongoing capsule wardrobe project. It was originally planned as a summer project. However, there’s a good chance it will continue into the fall. Enough rambling. Let’s get to the details.

Inspiration

If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you may remember that I’m a huge fan of Ace and Jig. Last year I made two projects inspired by Ace and Jig. My Zadie Jumpsuit and Madrid Dress quickly became favorites.

Other than their intricate and colorful woven textiles, my favorite thing about the Ace and Jig brand is the way their stylists fearlessly mix patterns and colors. Just take a scroll through the Ace and Jig Instagram to see what I mean. So good, right?

Inspired by the work of Ace and Jig as well as the beautiful Warp and Weft Wovens line by Alexia Marcelle Abegg for Ruby Star Society, I sat down one evening in April and concocted a plan. For a moment my creativity took flight and I messily scribbled my ideas and calculated yardages on a scrap piece of paper (see above). Using five fabrics from the collection, I would create a 9 piece capsule wardrobe that could be mixed and matched to create 20+ outfits. Once the plan was formed, I couldn’t risk my favorite fabrics selling out so I pre-ordered them from Finch Knitting and Sewing Studio as well as Cottoneer.

Here’s the Plan…

Fabric #1

The burnt orange color and alternating checkered stripes of Matinee in Earth had me falling head over heels the moment I saw it. For this print, I’ve planned a tapered leg pair of Sew House Seven Free Range Slacks (with contrasting side stripe like my navy pair made earlier this year) and a Common Stitch Pipit Loungewear Set top.

Fabric #2

Matinee’s woven pattern was compelling enough that I couldn’t stop myself from ordering it in both colorways. Matinee in Dahlia is destined for a short puff sleeve Roscoe Blouse (see Kelli’s hack here) and an In the Folds Peppermint Wrap Skirt.

Fabric #3

From far away, Mountain in Earth reads a little more solid and felt suitable for mixing with every other fabric in the collection. As such, I’ve selected the Ready to Sew Patsy Overalls for this print.

Fabric #4

Stitch in Lilac is the wildcard of the bunch. I felt that the predominately orange colors of the other fabrics would benefit from something different in the mix. This is one idea that I haven’t set in stone yet. However, my tentative plans for this fabric are a Criswood Sews Envelope dress and a Wiksten Shift top.

Fabric #5

Finally, Parade in Lavender is set to become a pair of Anna Allen wide leg Pomona Pants. Similar to the Persephone Pants, the Pomona Pants don’t have an outside leg seam which will make the pattern matching of this design significantly easier on me.

Wrap Up

Truthfully, this whole project is far more planning than I usually do when it comes to my sewing. Often, I fly by the seat of my pants and sew whatever feels right in the moment. Completing the Warp and Weft Wardrobe capsule project will be a true challenge for me. None of the plans are 100% set in stone so I’ll be giving myself freedom to switch up pattern selections as necessary. The goal is to focus on one fabric each week for the rest of the summer. As a final project wrap up, I’ll use the scraps to create a scrappy Wiksten Shift top. Once each fabric has been sewn, I’ll record my thoughts on the completed pieces here on the blog. By September, October, November or, even December (since 2020 is certainly no respecter of plans) I hope to have a full capsule to share with you. Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading!

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Wiksten Shift Dress and a Birthday

Note: Just here for the Wiksten Shift Dress info? Go ahead and skip to the bottom of this post and it’s all there.

Hello! I hope this post finds you and yours well. Today I turn 29. My 20’s turned out to be nothing like I expected and it looks like the last year of my 20’s still has some curveballs. Usually I love to make a big deal out of birthdays. You see, I grew up with three siblings which made birthdays extra special. Every year, my birthday felt magical because I’d usually have a brand new outfit for school and my mom would cook my favorite meals for lunch and dinner, usually followed by an ice cream cake. I always felt loved but, on those days, I felt truly seen.

This year, however, I haven’t felt much like celebrating. I’m tired. We’re all tired and life feels heavy. In spite of the heaviness, the memory of one previous birthday kept coming back to me this week. Obviously, it wasn’t anything like this year but, it was a birthday where things kept going wrong. Every time my parents tried to make something special, there was a hiccup. It could’ve been remembered as the worst except that it wasn’t. In fact, it was one of my favorites. Whenever that birthday comes up in conversation, I can’t help smiling. I’ll circle back to that in a bit but, for now, here’s the story of my 9th birthday.

My 9th Birthday

Humor me, if you will, and let’s travel back in time twenty years to April 2000, about a week before my 9th birthday. It was the day of my birthday party (we only had “friend” parties every other year so this was a big deal). I woke up feeling awful. I tried to hide it and excitedly listened to my mom as she showed me the cake she was planning for my party. Of course my mom noticed that something seemed off however, I assured her I felt fine and was going to school. I was NOT fine. Before lunchtime, my teacher noticed me repeatedly putting my jacket on, taking it off, and looking extra pale. I tried to fight it when she sent me to the nurse’s office but when I went to the nurse and got a temperature read of 103 f, my mom was called and I was sent home. My party was postponed and I was devastated.

The following week was my birthday. Dad had a job interview in the small town of Spencer, Iowa, a six-ish hour drive from where we were living in the Quad Cities. The interview was on my birthday so instead of being away from us on my birthday, he suggested we make it an adventure and the whole family should come along to check out the town. I don’t remember much about the drive there as it was mostly uneventful. The next day, however, was my birthday which I remember well.

As a kid, being in a new place seemed exciting. As a parent, I now feel for my mom who had the sole task of wrangling four children for most of a day in an unfamiliar town (my dad was at his interview). In the days before everyone owned a cell phone and you couldn’t simply google local activities, this must’ve been a daunting task.

Here’s how the day went down: one sibling was in need of an ice pack for pain due to a prior medical issue. So, my mom loaded us up and took us to Shopko which happened to be an anchor store for the local mall. While in Shopko, she suggested that I could have a look at the toys. She found the ice pack and came to collect us from the toy section. Upon hearing that she wouldn’t be getting a toy from the toy section, my four year old sister began melting down. She was four, this is normal but I was nine and unable to see that. Honestly, thinking about this moment and how I was likely also not being the most cheerful, I just wish I could go back in time and give my mom a big hug. We got out of the store as quickly as possible and headed back to the hotel.

We watched television in the hotel room until my dad got back. I don’t remember much of what we ate for dinner (possibly pizza?). However, I DO remember the cake. My parents had always made our cakes at birthdays so when my dad suggested we go buy one, this seemed like a luxury. We headed to the food court of the small, local mall and picked up an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. It didn’t take my parents long to realize we had no way of cutting such a cake. The plastic knives at the hotel just wouldn’t cut it. So, my dad asked the Dairy Queen employee how to cut such a cake in our situation. Being in an apparently trusting midwest small town, the employee proceeded to loan us a large knife with which we could cut the ice cream cake (we made sure to return it the next day). Maybe it had to do with the fact that the day was kind of hard or maybe I just loved ice cream that much but, this cake felt life-changing. Ice cream as your cake? Nine year old mind blown. Oreo crust with a fudge center sandwiched between both chocolate and vanilla ice cream? If this wasn’t a dream, I don’t know what is.

At some point that evening, we swam at the pool and my mom left the younger siblings with my dad so she could take my older sister and I to Claire’s where I picked out a blue choker necklace.

The next morning, we packed up and headed home. Dad decided to take us on a detour to visit the Jolly Green Giant statue in Blue Earth, Minnesota. It would add about an hour or so to the already 6 hour drive but seemed like a fun activity. Instead, about an hour into the day’s adventure, another of my siblings began feeling sick (remember that I’d had a fever and flu like symptoms the week before). We made it to the statue, snapped a quick picture and tried to get home as soon as possible. I don’t remember much about the long drive home except for my poor sister looking miserable. Truly a birthday and trip to remember.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve made it this far, thank you. I don’t regularly share personal anecdotes here but figured, if any day was a day to share something different and rambling, my birthday was that day. Is there a purpose or a moral to this story? About that I’m unsure except that I felt like sharing it. Pondering on it throughout this week had me seeing it from my parents’ perspective and feeling so much gratitude for their efforts. Despite the hiccups, they rolled with the punches and managed to make me feel their immense love. Life is hard, things go wrong even when they’re as trivial as a postponed party, a sibling meltdown in the store, or as difficult as our current situation. Things we can’t control will always come. However, our efforts, intentions, love, and ice cream cake won’t be forgotten.

Wiksten Shift Dress Info

The dress worn in this post is the Wiksten Shift Dress. It’s a fast, easy sew with simple lines that let this fabric do the talking. I left off the pockets and optional belt for an unstructured, 1970’s house dress feel. Fabric is a Ruby Star Society rayon purchased from Suppose. I sewed a size 4 graded to a 6 at the hips and below, added 1 inch to the length, and sewed the side slits one inch lower than indicated on the pattern.

Thanks for reading!

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Suit Up for Summer 2020 with Raspberry Creek Fabrics

Disclaimer: The fabric for this post was provided to me by Raspberry Creek Fabrics. However, all words and opinions are my own.

Hello! It’s been a minute. This year seems determined to keep everyone on their toes. Posting about swimsuits at this time may feel a bit frivolous but, projects such as this one are keeping my spirits up. Truthfully, without deadlines, I’m not sure that I’d be able to focus on much of anything at the moment. Enough about my state of mind, let’s talk about these suits.

Fabrics

I personally had a hard time narrowing down my favorite prints from the Raspberry Creek 2020 swim line. My son, on the other hand, immediately knew that he wanted this banana print. I eventually figured it out and selected the tangerine micro stripe and leopard print for my suits.

Note: For this week only, you can use the code: SWIMTOUR for 15% off swim fabrics only over at Raspberry Creek Fabrics. 

Palm Euro Suit

I’ve made no less than ten Sew Like My Mom Palm Euro Suits since the pattern was released two years ago. This kid LOVES them. I love that they use a relatively small amount of fabric and can be sewn up in 30-45 minutes. The banana pair below is a straight size 6 with a 7 length in the jammers option.

Women’s Top #1: Belen Bodysuit Top Hack

This swimsuit wasn’t actually a planned pairing. Once I finished my son’s banana print jammers, I had a bit of the banana print left and decided to use it as a practice for recreating a coveted ready-to-wear suit (here). Since sewing my first Belen Bodysuit last fall, I’ve wanted to use the pattern as a base for swimwear. This hack provided the perfect opportunity.

Cutting

For this hack, you simply need the bodice front and bodice back pieces from the Belen pattern.

  • Remove 4 inches from bottom of front and back bodice pattern pieces.
  • Cut 1 front bodice and 1 back bodice from main swim fabric.
  • Cut 1 (2 if adding removable swim cups) front bodice and 1 back bodice from swim lining.
  • Cut one strip of swim fabric 5″ x (circumference of bodice bottom + 14″) for bottom band. For reference, this ended up being 5″ x 37″ for me.

Construction

Optional: If adding removable swim cups, use your two front bodice lining pieces to create openings for your swim cups. I used the directions in this post as a guide, omitting the under bust elastic.

1. Follow sleeveless Belen Bodysuit bodice instructions.

2. Baste or serge bodice and bodice lining together at the bottom.

3. Fold bottom band right sides together, cut short sides at an angle if desired.

4. Using a 3/8″ seam allowance, stitch along short sides and 8″ in from each end of the bottom band long sides. Turn right side out.

5. Mark your center front with a pin. Starting 1/2″ from center front, pin the bottom band top to the bodice bottom all the way around to 1/2″ away from the center front. This should leave a 1″ gap at the bottom of your center front bodice with 7 and 1/2″ of the stitched band ends hanging free at center front. See photos below for reference.

Women’s Top #2: Alexandria Swimsuit Top

The top was inspired by a pin on my Apparel Sewing and Inspiration Pinterest board. In search of a tie front wrap swim top, I settled on and purchased the Made for Mermaids Alexandria Swimsuit pattern. It’s a one-piece swimsuit but, there’s a top hack tutorial on the M4M blog meaning the guesswork was done for me.

Sizing

The Alexandria is the first Made for Mermaids pattern that I’ve used so the sizing system is new to me. The sizes are colors and coincide with the color of the lines on the PDF pattern pieces. Following the pattern measurements, I opted to sew a size purple bust graded to an indigo at the waist.

Sewing

This was the part of the Alexandria that wasn’t my favorite, mostly due to my own errors and the fact that I generally prefer my swimwear sewing to be a little less involved. Construction took somewhere around four hours. Here’s where I admit that I went a little rogue and didn’t actually follow all the steps outlined in the pattern or hack tutorial. This would be my downfall. There was a brief moment when it came time to hem the bottom of the swim top that I wasn’t sure it would work. I got creative and made it work, but learned my lesson about following the directions. Learn from my mistakes.

Cottesloe Swim Bottoms

After getting creative with my swim tops, I decided to keep it simple with the bottoms. I used high waisted option of the Megan Nielsen Cottesloe Swimsuit pattern for both pairs. Both have the waistband omitted and are a size 10 at the waist graded to a 12 at the hips. Each took about an hour to assemble.

There you have it! Five pieces, two hacks, three full suits, and a few mix and match options as well. Looking forward to the future has seemed bleak as of late but, these suits have me hopefully looking forward to a time when we can wear them outside of our garage. If, like me, you’re in need of a little sunshine in your life at this time, click the blog links below for swim inspiration coming your way all week.

Thanks for reading!

 
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Sew House Seven Free Range Slacks

Hello! After posting regularly during January, it feels like it’s been a minute. I cut these Sew House Seven Free Range Slacks during the last week of Sew Fancy Pants, sewed them the following week, and finally got them photographed last week. There’s been an ebb and flow to my sewing practice as of late. I’m slowly learning to embrace it. Enough about me: Let’s talk about these pants.

Inspiration

I’ve had these Topshop menswear inspired trousers pinned on my sewing inspiration board for several months now. When it came time for Sew Fancy Pants, I knew this was a look I wanted to recreate.

Fabric

Here’s where I sing the praises of Tammy from D & H Fabrics because she’s a master fabric “sourcerer.” Upon emailing back and forth with Tammy, I sent her the above inspiration photo. Within hours, she’d found this fabric and suggested it. This Tencel Pin Stripe Pique has a beautiful, fluid drape and a subtle pique texture that reminds me of a formal button up shirt. It’s lightweight enough for summer wear, while still keeping my legs decently warm in mild winter weather. If it was terribly cold, I’d probably slip on a pair of leggings underneath.

Sizing and Adjustments

Since these are elastic waist pants, I opted for just a few flat pattern alterations. These pants are a size 10 with 1/2″ added to the rise and 1.5″ added to the leg length. The only adjustment made during construction was slightly tapering the inseam by about 1/8″ near the ankles. This took out a total of 1/4″ from the leg width.

Construction

Construction was done in 30-45 minute sessions over the course of about 5 days. I didn’t keep an accurate count of time but, would estimate the total sewing time to be just over three hours. Instructions were straightforward with no major sewing hiccups throughout the process. It was a truly enjoyable change of pace after sewing two pairs of jeans in row.

Final Thoughts

I fell asleep in these pants the other day which either speaks to their extreme comfort level or my exhaustion level. Let’s go with the comfort narrative because they’re divine.

My biggest qualm with these pants is the waistband. The elastic I used is likely too soft for the weight of a pair of pants and tries to roll despite being stitched in place at the seams. I’m considering going back and zig-zagging through the elastic for more of a shirred waistband look. This would also solve the problem I have of needing to adjust the waistband gathering every time I stand up. If I made this pattern again, my one other adjustment will be to interface the pocket facing. One of my pocket openings got a little stretched out during construction and doesn’t quite lay flat against my body. It’s not terribly noticeable in this fabric, just something I would change for future pairs.

Overall, I’m happy with the final result of these pants and plan to try this pattern again with the small modifications mentioned above. The fabric feels simultaneously casual and luxurious. In fact, I’m contemplating ordering a bit more to make either a matching top or jacket (Maybe the Helen’s Closet Pona Jacket?). Now that I’ve finished this last pair of pants, I think I’ll wait a month or two before sewing another pair, you know, unless some shiny new pattern catches my eye.

Thanks for reading!

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Sew Fancy Pants 2020: Prize Winners

Like many good things, Sew Fancy Pants 2020 has come to an end. Thank you all for joining Katie, Rumana, Sierra, Brad, and I in sewing Fancy Pants this January. We’ve hope you’ve felt supported, inspired, and especially fancy. Now, let’s get right to the reason you’re all here and announce some winners!!!!

Random Drawing Winners

These winners were randomly chosen from all participants using the hashtag #sewfancypants2020 during January.

Prize Package #1: @wandadesigns

Muna & Broad PDF Pattern

Paper Theory PDF Pattern

Blackbird Fabrics $50 CAD (approx $36 USD) Gift Card

Prize Package #2: @modicumsew

Anna Allen Clothing PDF Pattern

Tilly and the Buttons Jessa PDF Pattern

Grand Prize Winner

In order to be entered into the grand prize drawing, participants danced their new pants off (figuratively, not literally) and shared their dances using the hashtag #sewfancypantsdance. Choosing a winner was a difficult task and we truly wish that everyone who entered could win. These fancy pants dances brought creativity and vibrance to the sewing community. Winner selection for this prize was half judge’s choice and half random drawing. Each judge chose up to 5 favorites. Then, those names were put into a random drawing to determine the final winner.

Grand Prize: @mikeandmollyshouse

$100 D & H Fabrics Gift Card

Sewing Box with Haberdashery Items up to £100 in value from Minerva Crafts

$25 Spoonflower Gift Card, Project Book, and Swatches Pack

Sew House Seven PDF Pants Pattern

$25 Closet Case Patterns Gift Card

Opian Geneve Vaulion Trousers PDF Pattern

Thank you to our Sponsors!

In addition to the prize packages above, we were lucky enough to have weekly sponsors all the way through Sew Fancy Pants 2020. We are extremely grateful for their generosity. Without them, Sew Fancy Pants would not be possible. If you have the chance please send some love and support to these fabulous sponsors!

Friday Pattern Company, Cashmerette, Megan Nielsen, Tilly and the Buttons, Thread Theory, Named Clothing, Spoonflower, Threadbare Fabrics, Imagine Gnats, Sew Me Sunshine, Fabric.com, Topstitch, Muna & Broad, Paper Theory, Blackbird Fabrics, Anna Allen Clothing, Tilly and the Buttons, D & H Fabrics, Minerva Crafts, Spoonflower, Sew House Seven, Closet Case Patterns, Opian Geneve 

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Sew Fancy Pants 2020: Jeans Comparison with Ginger, Dawn, Philippa, and Morgan

The end of Sew Fancy Pants 2020 is nigh. While I haven’t felt quite as productive as last year, I’m still proud of what I was able to accomplish. My last two completed #sewfancypants2020 projects were a pair of black denim Ginger Jeans and a pair of caramel colored Dawn Jeans. After finishing them, I thought it might be helpful to post a comparison of the four different jeans patterns I’ve sewn. Alright here we go, a brief comparison between the Closet Case Patterns Ginger Jeans, Megan Nielsen Dawn Jeans, Anna Allen Clothing Philippa Pants, and Closet Case Patterns Morgan Jeans.

Ginger Jeans, Dawn Jeans, Philippa Pants, and Morgan Jeans

Fitting Adjustments

As far as sizing goes, each pair was made based on the pattern maker’s size chart. They’re all somewhere around a size 12. I used mostly the same flat pattern adjustments for each of these patterns but, I’ll detail them a bit here:

Closet Case Patterns Ginger Jeans

  1. 1/2″ added to front and back rise. Added 2″ of total length to the legs (1″ above knees and 1″ below).
  2. To fix the gaping at the center back, I took out a small wedge at the center back of the yoke. I drew a line that started 1/2″ away from the top of the center back and angled to the bottom of the center back yoke. I trimmed the yoke pieces along this line and then sewed everything according to the pattern instructions. FYI: this is definitely not the proper or recommended method, just what worked for me personally.

Megan Nielsen Dawn Jeans

  1. 3/4″ added to the front and back rise.
  2. Used the longer length inseam option
Ginger Jeans, Dawn Jeans, Philippa Pants, and Morgan Jeans

Anna Allen Clothing Philippa Pants

  1. 1/2″ added to the front and back rise.
  2. Back darts extended by 1/2″
  3. 2″ added to leg length
  4. Legs slimmed about 1/2″ total (extra 1/4″ on each side)

Closet Case Patterns Morgan Jeans

  1. 1/2″ added to the front and back rise.
  2. 1″ added to leg length.
  3. Removed an extra 1/4″ from the top of the center back seam allowance and angled back to the regular seam allowance just below the back yoke.

Philippa Pants vs. Dawn Jeans

The Philippa Pants and Dawn Jeans (view A) are both slightly tapered high rise pants designed for non-stretch fabrics. They’ve got different details but, produce a similar result. For me personally, I found the fit pretty comparable. The details I love about the Philippa Pants are: the generous square back pockets, flat front with no front pockets, and a deep 2″ hem at the bottom. My favorite details about the Dawn Jeans are the traditional jeans details such as the front pockets, coin pocket, and back yoke.

Philippa Pants and Dawn Jeans

Ginger Jeans vs. Morgan Jeans

While these two patterns are designed from a slightly different block, I decided to compare them since they’re both from Closet Case Patterns. The Ginger Jeans are designed for stretch denim while the Morgan Jeans are designed for non-stretch denim. The high rise skinny fit of the Ginger Jeans feel a bit more dressed up than the mid rise relaxed fit of the Morgan Jeans. During the winter, Ginger Jeans are my go-to with sweaters and boots while the Morgan Jeans were worn weekly during the summer months.

Ginger Jeans and Morgan Jeans

Final Thoughts

I’ll be honest in saying that it’s difficult for me to pick a favorite between these four jeans as it seems to change weekly. Lately, I’ve been wearing the Philippa Pants on repeat but, have a feeling the Dawn Jeans just might be the next favorite. All four pattern designers provide thorough instructions with the Anna Allen zipper instructions using my favorite zip fly method (the Dawn jeans method is similar). Finding the words for this comparison was a struggle for me so, I decided to focus more on the photos to do the talking. Hoping the photos provide some valuable insight into the basic differences between each pair of jeans. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any specific questions about any of these jeans.

Thanks for reading!