Pattern Review Archives - Merritts Makes

October 8, 2019October 8, 2019

Clementine Top and Crew Trousers

Disclosure: The pattern for the Clementine Top was given to me in exchange for a review and I received the Crew Trousers in exchange for my participation in the pattern test (no obligation to promote). All opinions are honest and my own.

Hello all! Today I’ve got a couple of my latest makes to share with you: The Forget Me Not Patterns Clementine Top and the newly released Chalk and Notch Crew Trousers. Combined these two make a look that I’d describe as business casual. My current work environment (as a seamstress and SAHM), only requires that I’m clothed and looking alive for daily activities. However, if I did work outside the home, I have a feeling that this is how I’d want to represent myself. Maybe I’ll pull this out for date night instead. Ready for all the details? Let’s get to it.

Clementine Top

Fabric

I purchased one yard of this marbled scuba knit from Stylemaker Fabrics (sold out but check out their current selection of scuba knits here) in January 2018. Originally, I intended for it to be a Lodo hacked into a top. It never happened and this fabric languished on my shelf for 18+ months. Fast forward to a few weeks ago when it dawned on me that this scuba would be the perfect pairing for the Forget Me Not Clementine Top. The weight of the scuba gives a modern, stiff drape to the cowl and highlights the structure of the princess seams. Match made in sewing heaven.

Sizing

Based on my measurements, I chose to cut and sew a size 36. Technically, my bust fell in a 34 but, I chose to sew a 36 for simplicity and the sizing turned out great. The photos here don’t highlight it quite as well as I’d like but the fitting on the back is especially fantastic. The princess seams make it fit like a glove with no swayback drooping. My only alteration was adding 1/2″ to the top length at the hems. Other than that, I sewed the pattern up as-is.

Construction

The Clementine pattern instructions were clear and easy to follow. Clear instructions combined with a cooperative fabric made this a quick and simple sew. I spent one afternoon on assembly, then hemmed the top and sleeves the next morning. The cowl neck and princess seams added enough detail to make the sewing process satisfying as well.

Crew Trousers

Fabric

A few weeks ago, along with ladies in my local sewing group the “Salty Sewists,” I made a little afternoon trip to visit Harmony in Provo, Utah. It’s a darling store filled with fabric, yarn, and all the best little gifts packed into a small pioneer age house. Oh, the charm! I picked up this coral pink Tencel Twill and knew it would make the perfect pants. The fabric is opaque, has great drape, AND the front side has a brushed texture that feels suede-like. Working with it was fairly easy, although I did have one spot on the waistband where I accidentally stretched the fabric, creating some small bubbles along the waistband. Luckily, that’s covered by a pretty bow so it’s not really a big deal.

Sizing and Alterations

Over the last few years, I’ve sewn nearly every Chalk and Notch women’s pattern. You could say I’m a bit of a fan. It also means that I trust in Gabriela’s ability to get sizing and measurements right. Based on the measurement chart and Gabriela’s recommendation, I chose a size 10 for the waist and hips then graded to a 6 at the thighs and legs. I also ended up removing about 1/2″ of the width around the ankles for a slightly larger taper. My other adjustments were standard for me: 1/2″ added to the front and back rise, 1″ length added at the above knee lengthen line, and 1/2″ length added at the below knee lengthen line. Just going to take a minute here and stress the importance of lengthen lines above AND below the knee on pants. Everyone’s legs are proportioned differently. My calf length is likely not the same as another person of my height and may be the same as someone shorter or taller. If you are thinking about designing a pants pattern, it will make everyone’s life easier when you include both. There we go. Off my soapbox now.

Construction

Despite sewing 90% of my wardrobe over the last several years, I wouldn’t consider myself a quick sewist. Many experienced sewists can whip up a tee shirt in an hour. Often, it takes me two. Pants are no exception. I’ve made probably 10 pairs over the last year and still find myself taking my time to get each step finished well. With that in mind, sewing these pants took me somewhere between 6-7 hours total.

I sewed these over the course of a day while also taking care of my son, getting him off to school, picking him up, cooking dinner, cleaning dishes, and while sitting across the table from my mother (so I might have gotten distracted with chatting). As per usual, Gabriela’s instructions were concise and included plenty of illustrations. This made inserting a lapped zipper (the hardest part: which is totally doable for an advanced beginner) a breeze.

My favorite detail is in the pocket construction. The pockets are shaped and sewn so that they’re secured at the top of the center front. This makes them stay nicely in place and keeps them from flopping around inside the pants. I didn’t know this was something I needed in trousers until now.

Final Thoughts

Do you have a desire to look semi-professional while still feeling comfortable? If so, this pattern combination just might be the one for you. I know it’s the one for me. If I wasn’t wearing a bra with this outfit, I might have worn it to bed. Seriously, that good. Both patterns felt suitable for the advanced beginner. Instructions were clear and I would gladly recommend both.

Here’s the deal: yes, I received both of the patterns in exchange for either a review or testing but; the time, effort, and cost of fabric used in these projects is worth far more than the price of these patterns. I genuinely like both of these patterns and hope you will too!

Thanks for reading!

June 17, 2019June 17, 2019

Coffee and Thread Madrid Dress Tour

Disclosure: Although the pattern was given to me for participation in this tour, all words and opinions are my own.

Clearly I can’t get enough of Ace and Jig inspired makes because here’s my second one in less than a week (Check out my A+J inspired Zadie Jumpsuit here). Joining the Coffee and Thread Madrid Dress Tour was the perfect opportunity to sew up my own version of a dress I’d been ogling for months (use code ‘madridtour’ for 25% off any Coffee and Thread patterns through June 28th). This required a bit of hacking but, I was up to the challenge. Are you ready for it?

Inspiration

Last fall I was watching Ace and Jig’s Instagram stories when my jaw dropped at upon seeing this version of their Ellis Dress. The pattern mixing and play on scale had me instantly hooked. I saved the photo, vowing to someday make one of my own. Time went by and I had all but forgotten about the dress until I saw Olga’s release of the Madrid Dress. Seeing the pattern reminded me of my dream dress and reignited the fire.

The Madrid Dress pattern isn’t an exact match for the A + J dress, but comes pretty darn close. There are two main differences:

Madrid Dress is a faux wrap style while the A + J dress is a true wrap.
Madrid Dress pattern actually has three tiers for the maxi length (hack details coming later in this post) while the A + J dress has 4.

Difference #1 was actually preferable for me as true wrap dresses sometimes leave me feeling like I’m just one wardrobe malfunction away from accidentally exposing everything to the world. Difference #2 was an easy fix that just required a bit of math which we’ll get to real soon. Overall, they’re pretty similar and the Madrid made for a great starting point.

Fabric

After singing the praises of Anna Maria Horner’s Loominous fabric lines in my last post, I’ll just cut to the chase here and say these 100% cotton yarn dyed wovens are incredible. Dreams are made of these fabrics. This dress uses two fabrics from her Loominous II line. The first is Dotted Line in Cobalt Blue (purchased from Graciebelle Fabrics on Etsy) which has black and pale coral lines stitched into the fabric. This specific fabric was actually the inspiration behind the hand embroidered stitches I added to the back of my Hampton Jean Jacket (here). The second fabric is Tribe in Algae (purchased from Hawthorne Threads), a mint green with stripes of cobalt, forest, and bits of pale pink woven throughout. Together they mimic the play on scale and bold fabric choices included in the inspiration dress.

The only thing that isn’t ideal about these two fabrics is the fact that they’re only 44″ wide. The narrow width meant that I had to order 9 yards of fabric (5 of the blue, 4 of the mint) to determine that I’d have enough of each. Honestly, the price of ordering 9 yards of fabric kept me from making this dress sooner. I hemmed and hawed over spending the money on a dress that likely wouldn’t get as much wear as most practical items in my wardrobe. I spent hours scouring Etsy and online fabric stores looking for the absolute best deals on these two fabrics and was lucky enough to find both for less than $10/yd. In the end, I decided that the dress wasn’t worth making at all if it wasn’t something I loved and that made the cost worth it. This time I threw caution to the wind and sewed a little frosting just for the fun of it.

Sizing

According to the size chart, my measurements fell into a 4 bust, 8 waist, and 10 hip. I started with a size 4 at the bust and graded to an 8 at the waist and below. There’s enough ease in the hips that I didn’t have to worry about grading out to a 10. I also added 1/2″ to the bodice length. As a side note here, the front bodice facing is missing a lengthen/shorten line. add this in by lining your facing piece up with your front bodice piece and marking the lengthen/shorten line. Then add the same amount of length to your facing piece. Since the rest of the sizing alterations happened in the hacking of the skirt, it’s finally time to get down to it.

Hacking the Skirt

Since the maxi version of the Madrid dress has three tiers and I wanted four, it was time to do a bit of math. My exact calculations here are based on a size 8 with a skirt length of 45″, I’ll include the formulas however, so you can do the math for your own custom size.

Determine your desired length by measuring from your waist to the floor (mine was 45″).
Divide the desired length by 4. (Desired length/4) Mine ended being 45/4 coming out to approximately 11.25″ per tier.
Add 3/4″ to the desired tier length to account for 3/8″ seam allowances on top and bottom. I ended up with a total length of 12″ for each tier.
Keep the width of the first tier as drafted, with the only change being to cut off length to fit your new desired tier length.
Measure the width of the 1st tier. To account for seam allowances remove 3/4″ from that width. (1st tier width – 3/4″ = finished 1st tier width). Take the first tier width and multiply this by 1.5. This will give you the finished width of your 2nd tier. Divide the finished width by the width of your fabric. This will tell you how many (desired tier length) strips to cut. Add 3/4″ to the width of each strip to account for seam allowances.
Follow the steps in #5 above to calculate for the 3rd tier, this time using the finished width of your 2nd tier multiplied by 1.5. Again, divide this number by your fabric width to determine the number of needed (desired tier length strips). Don’t forget to add in 3/4″ to the width of each strip for seam allowances.
Again, follow the steps in #5 above to calculate for the 4th tier, this time using the finished width of your 3rd tier multiplied by 1.5. Again, divide this number by your fabric width to determine the number of needed (desired tier length strips). Don’t forget to add in 3/4″ to the width of each strip for seam allowances.
It seams like a lot, but once you get the hang of it, the math is pretty simple. For reference, here’s what I cut out for my size 8 tiers: 2nd tier- 2 strips 12″x 46 and 1/8″ (the blue had to be cut down the length of the fabric instead of the width), 3rd tier- 4 strips 12″ x 34 and 3/4″, 4th tier- 3 strips 12″ by 69 and 7/8″ or 6 strips 12″ by 34 and 3/4″.

There you have it. Three tiers have now become four. Follow construction as instructed in the pattern directions (I did end up attaching the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th tiers to one another before attaching them to the finished bodice and first tier).

Final Thoughts

Gosh, it feels delightful to have a dress fit for twirling. It’s been a bit since I made a truly twirly dress and my inner 10 year old girl was squealing with joy while taking these photos. Gathering took approximately a million years but was 100% worth it. I’ve also had my fill of gathering for a bit so I’ll probably stay away from it for a few weeks at least.

Overall, I’m thrilled that this dress turned out how I envisioned. This is not always the case and I took a big gamble purchasing 9 yards of fabric for something that I wasn’t sure would work. My version is fuller than the Ace and Jig inspiration dress but, that just ups it’s twirling factor which is fine by me. Will I make this hack again, probably not because I don’t need more than one bright, fabulously twirly, pioneer chic dress in my wardrobe. Am I satisfied with the end result? Yes, 100%! That’s all I got for you today. Hope you’ve enjoyed reading about this dress as much as I enjoy wearing it!

Want to see more Coffee and Thread Madrid Dress inspiration? Be sure to check out the tour on Instagram by following the hashtags #ctmadriddress and #madriddresstour.

April 19, 2019April 19, 2019

Deer and Doe Sirocco Jumpsuit

Hello! What a week it’s been! I’ve been hosting Nicole’s Birthday Jumpsuit Bash over on Instagram and it’s felt like a whirlwind of giveaways, jumpsuits, and sewing. Yesterday was my actual birthday and I wanted something extra special to wear for a night out. After hemming and hawing for a few weeks about the perfect outfit, I saw Sweet Shard’s Sirocco Jumpsuit Review. I was sold. The Deer and Doe Sirocco Jumpsuit would be this year’s birthday suit.

Fabric Choice

Once my pattern decision was made, I set out to scour the internet for the perfect fabric. Honestly, I didn’t have to look far because I had seen Tessa of SewSpoke (on Instagram) make a stunning jacket using a Lady McElroy floral scuba. I went to her source, La Mercerie, and decided this Bold Botanical Scuba was the one. I purchased 2.5 yards and anxiously awaited its arrival. I usually steer clear of anything containing polyester (except for swim) but make the occasional exception for vibrant scuba knits and a beautifully printed polyester crepe. When this fabric arrived, I knew it was worth making an exception. The dimensionality and details of this fabric are nearly impossible to capture in a photo. It’s beautiful and comfortable although the polyester content will restrict this to a spring/fall or evening outfit as I would wither from the heat wearing a polyester jumpsuit in the summer.

Construction and Pattern Details

The Sirocco Jumpsuit features a crossover front, large pockets, a pleated bodice, and a small waistband. There are no closures making it a fairly quick sew. I printed and taped the pattern on Tuesday, cut it out on Wednesday morning, and did most of the sewing on Wednesday afternoon. I did spend about an hour yesterday morning ripping out a bit of the front waistband seam and adjusting the front pant darts for a better fit (they were angling out odd; something I will explain when I discuss fitting in the next section). I spent more time adjusting the fit (due to my own mistake) than actually sewing this jumpsuit. Next time I make this pattern, I’m assuming that it should come together easily in an afternoon or evening.

Fitting

Ah, fitting: The reason I sew and also my least favorite part of the sewing process. First, I made my usual adjustments: Added 1/2″ to the bodice and rise and another 1″ to the leg length. According to the Sirocco measurement chart, my bust is a size 36 with my waist and hips being a size 42. I was nervous about the negative ease in the waistband and the scuba not having enough stretch. As such I decided to size up to a 38 in the bust graded to a 44 at the hips and grading back down to a 36 in the legs. This turned out to be wholly unnecessary.

Once I sewed up the side seams, I found that the jumpsuit was huge! I started taking in the side seams 1/4″ at a time until I achieved the correct fit. The fit was better after taking in the first 1/4″ but still looking proportionally wrong for my body. Again, I started at the top of the side seam tapering to another 1/4″ in (for a total of a 7/8″ seam allowance) at the waist and hips. In the end, I also took an extra 2″ out of the legs (1 and 3/8″ seam allowances at the leg side seam and inseam) before calling the fit good.

Overall, I was happy with the fit but left with one dilemma: the front pant pleats were angling out towards my hips creating a triangle shape. It was not a shape I personally wanted so I set out to fix it. I determined that all of my tinkering with the fit had messed with the position of the pleats. In an effort to remedy this, I ripped out the waist seam just above each of the front pant pleats and pulled the corners of the pleats up into the seam until the pleats were straight down instead of angled out (the corner of the pleats nearest the pocket openings ended up pulled up into the seam by about 1″). With that minor fix. My birthday outfit was complete.

Final Thoughts

After wearing my Sirocco for a night out I think it’s safe to say that it was a hit. I got quite a few compliments, was extremely comfortable, and was able to fully enjoy the chicken and fries I ordered at the comedy club without the worry of my pants feeling too tight. That is always a win. I’d like to try this pattern again in something with maybe a cotton or rayon content for more breathability in the summer. My one qualm is that the waistband does pull a bit in some parts due to the weight of the fabric. I’m wondering if securing it with clear elastic (like the waistband on a knit dress) would help with this issue at all. If you have any tips for that I’d love to hear them. Overall, the pattern was great and worked well with my chosen fabric. It’s certainly one I would recommend and plan to try again.

January 13, 2019January 13, 2019

Sew Fancy Pants Project 2: True Bias Emerson Crop Pants

Hello! Happy Sunday all. How is your fancy pants sewing coming along? Today I’m sharing my second finish for #sewfancypants, a pair of True Bias Emerson Crop Pants. As mentioned in my plans and inspiration post, I didn’t give the Emerson pattern much consideration until Kelli released a high-waisted option last fall. Then, I knew they had to happen. I’ve now sewn all the True Bias pant patterns and feel like I’ve achieved some sort of True Bias Trifecta.

Fabric Choice

I knew back in October that I wanted to make these pants, but choosing the perfect fabric took more time than expected. Initially, I had planned to make a solid colored pair in tencel twill or silk noil. I scoured the internet for fabric that would make my heart sing, but kept coming up empty. Finally, in December, I was browsing ‘tencel’ on StyleMaker Fabrics and came upon this Black and White Grid Plaid Tencel. It was the one and I ordered it immediately. Once it arrived, I loved it even more. Between the gridded lines are tiny stripes that add texture and interest to the fabric when seen up close. I cut out these pants at our January sewing night on Thursday and several of the ladies ‘oohed and ahhed’ over it. It has a decent drape, but enough weight to feel comfortable as a pair of pants. The texture makes it a bit less slippery than a solid tencel so working with it was a dream.

Construction

As mentioned above, I cut this project on Thursday evening. In order to get photographs and have this blog post up today, I had to do all the sewing on Friday evening. I’m actually not a terribly fast seamstress, so finishing a pair of pants in a day seemed daunting. The Emerson Crop Pants are perfect for this kind of sewing. The pleats, pockets, and flat front waistband provide just enough details to keep things interesting, while making the pants an easy sew. I didn’t time myself exactly but, I think the actual sewing took about four hours start to finish. These pants could likely be sewn in less time if made in a solid or print with no need for pattern matching. I took extra care and did my best to line up the grid on side seams, crotch, and inseams. The pockets and front waistband were cut on the bias to eliminate bit of the pattern-matching headache. It’s not perfectly lined up everywhere but; someone would have to get pretty close to notice that, so I’m satisfied with the result.

Fit and Alterations

My body measurements put me at an 8 waist, and right between a 10 and 12 at the hips. After looking at the finished garment measurements, I opted to sew a straight size 10. I chose not to grade down at the waist because I figured simply using a shorter length of elastic at the waist would be an easier solution than starting with an 8 and grading out. The only other modification made was adding 5 inches to the length. I usually add 3-4 inches in length to my other True Bias pants but, added a little more here because I wanted the hem just above my ankle, making the pants wearable year-round. Overall, I’m really pleased with the fit of these pants. I may go back in and remove a bit of length from the elastic, but that’s the only thing I would change.

End Result

After photographing these pants, we had a little family date night and went out to eat. I paired them with booties, my latest Nikko Top, and a cropped black Wiksten Haori. The result was an outfit fancy enough for a night out, but comfortable enough that I could eat all I wanted at dinner without my pants feeling too tight (thank you elastic waistband). After wearing these, I realized that I need more pants like this in my life. Next time I make this pattern, I think I’ll taper the leg and use a linen for an easy pair of summer pants. I plan to wear this pair year round, pairing it with some of my solid colored tees in the warmer months.

Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to follow along with the ladies of Sew Fancy Pants (Katie, Jen, Loni, and me) because we’ve got more fun and inspiration coming your way all month. Head to my Instagram and enter the StyleMaker Fabrics Giveaway, but don’t delay because it ends Tuesday.

Want to see more of what I’ve made using fabrics from StyleMaker? Check out my Gemma Dress, Joy Jacket, or Spring Style Tour posts.

Fan of True Bias Patterns? Check out my Lodo Dress, Lander Pants, Hudson Pants, or Roscoe Blouse.

November 12, 2018November 11, 2018

Kaste Dress from Breaking the Pattern Book

HAPPY MONDAY! Shouting this from the rooftops because this is a make that makes me want to scream “SEWING IS THE FREAKING BEST!” Today I’m part of the D & H Fabrics Blog Tour. You can check out more about this dress and this luxurious Tencel Twill I used on their blog by clicking this link. Below I’m going to discuss the Named Clothing Breaking the Pattern book and the process of fitting this dress.

The moment the ladies of Named Clothing announced that they were writing a book, I knew it would become part of my sewing library. I’ve made a few Named patterns and am an admirer of their unique, modern style. My pre-order copy of the book arrived this last Tuesday and it does NOT disappoint. It begins with a beginner-friendly bag and ends with a lined coat. There are dresses, skirts, tops, and pants with options to mix and match some patterns for seemingly endless possibilities. The Kaste Dress with butterfly sleeves caught my eye and the rest is history.

Muslin and Initial Fitting

Since I had a limited amount of fabric and not enough time to order more in case of a fitting emergency, I opted to make a muslin first. This is a rarity for me, but you know that I’m really serious about something if I start making a muslin. The last time I made a muslin was for these bold pants I completed in September. Also because of limited time, I decided to use my Pellon 830 Easy Pattern as my muslin “fabric.” Once I traced the pattern pieces onto the Easy Pattern, I simply cut out the required number of pieces. Then, following the pattern instructions, I quickly basted the darts and pattern pieces together. This resulted in a lovely 3D paper-like version of the dress that I could very carefully try on to assess fit. Since fitting the butterfly sleeve portion wasn’t necessary, I didn’t worry about that piece. The photo below shows what my muslin looked like. There are no photos of it on me because it’s a bit sheer.

Initial fit adjustments:

Started with a size 3 at bust graded to a 4 at waist and a 5 at hips
Added 1/2″ to front and back bodice length just below bust line.
Added 1 1/2″ to length at hips.

To my delight, The muslin fit was nearly perfect. I knew there would be other necessary adjustments with my final fabric, but the muslin gave me a good idea of where the darts would fit and if any changes would be necessary in that area. With the fit somewhat sorted, I cut out my main fabric.

Sewing the Dress

Due to time constraints, deadlines, and an unexpectedly hectic week, I had one day to sew up this dress before meeting up with Sara for photographs. For the record, I don’t recommend sewing this dress in a day. I did not get more than a few hours of sleep. I made one mistake where I thought I was smarter than the instructions and inserted the zipper before attaching the facings. Spoiler alert: I am, in fact, not smarter than the instructions. By the I noticed my mistake, I had the dress nearly finished with the exception of the side seams and hem. I did not have time to correct this by ripping out the zipper and going back several steps. Instead, I used the method described in this video to attach the facing to the armholes. It worked, but next time, I’ll just follow the pattern instructions.

My favorite part of the construction process was sewing the diagonal seams and contour darts. It’s been quite some time since I last sewed a contour dart and I’ve never sewn one that overlaps a seam line. Each step felt like putting together an elaborate puzzle. That end result though? 100% worth it.

The dress was nearly finished, when I noticed that my serger needles were getting dull and starting to snag the fabric. Unfortunately, it was late at night and the allen wrench required to change the needles was nowhere to be found. I basted the hem in place and called it good until I could buy a new allen wrench . In case you were wondering, That’s on today’s agenda. Headed to the store for the correct sized wrench and properly finishing the last few seams in my dress. Fixing this properly ASAP so I can get lots of wear out of this baby. Just your friendly reminder that sewing isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, but I could probably benefit from a little more organization.

Final Fit Adjustments

Once the dress was sewn up, I noticed some excess fabric in the mid-hip area and towards the hem. Starting at the upper hip, I slowly tapered the seam allowance to remove excess. At the lower hip, I took in the side seam by 1/4″, by mid-thigh, the side seam was taken in by 1/2″ and, by the hem it was taken in by almost 1″. This achieved a fitted, but unrestrictive skirt. I wanted to avoid the “so tight I can’t sit down” dilemma that sometimes happens when I wear woven bottoms that are too tight. With these final adjustments, my dress was complete.

Final Thoughts

I’m thrilled to have taken the time to sew a little bit of frosting. My sewing as of late has leaned heavily towards basics and getting out of that headspace for a moment was exhilarating. Honestly, I don’t have a lot of places to wear a dress like this, but it felt good and isn’t that sometimes the point of a hobby? Wearing it makes me feel special which is also a fantastic bonus. Feeling especially thankful for the opportunity to participate in the D & H Fabrics blog tour as it pushed me creatively and brought me this gem of a dress. I’m also feeling inspired by this new book and trying to eke out all the time I can to stitch of a few more of its projects.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to follow the tour happening all this week on the D & H Fabrics blog.

Want to see more of my Named Clothing makes? Check out my Ronja Dungarees, Gemma Dress, or Gemma Sweater.

Interested to see other things I’ve made with D & H Fabrics? Read about my rayon Mila Shirt.

October 29, 2018October 29, 2018

The Free Justine Skirt by Ready to Sew

Happy Fall! I know October is nearly over and leaves have been falling for over a month now, but fall has finally come to my yard. Did you catch my last post about my Named Gemma Sweatshirt? Those photos were taking just two weeks ago and the trees were still a lush green. Now reds, yellows, and oranges have taken over the backyard. After years of apartment living, it’s a bit surreal to look out the windows and suddenly realize that these big, beautiful trees are part of our yard and it’s time we buy a rake. During our house hunt, mature trees were one of the reasons I resisted the idea of a new build. The shade in the summer is ace and these beautiful fall colors are another bonus (although, let’s see how I really feel when I’m finished raking everything).

Ok, enough about trees, let’s get down to business and talk about why you’re really here. This skirt: the FREE Justine by Ready to Sew. Until making this skirt, I hadn’t worn a skirt in nearly a year. I fell out of love with the ones I owned and just wasn’t feeling inspired by skirts. Cue the release of Justine in June. I was immediately drawn to the large patch pockets, midi-length, and button front. Hello effortless skirt of my dreams. Add to that the fact that the pattern was free and trying it out became a no-brainer. I immediately bookmarked the pattern and not so patiently waited until I was no longer knee deep in painting and packing. When we finally moved into our home during the last week of July, I downloaded and printed the pattern before I had even unpacked my kitchen.

Sewing up this skirt turned out to be a great way to revive my sew-jo after a busy summer. There are only four pattern pieces in the pattern which made it easy to knock out the pattern assembly and cutting in less than an hour. A few days later, I spent an afternoon sewing and finished all but the buttons. Then, I spent a lovely evening watching Netflix and hand-sewing each button. The instructions were straightforward and, combined with my fabric choice, made for a fuss-free sewing experience.

Let’s talk about fabric choice for a quick minute. My textile of choice is this woven stripe in a cotton/linen blend. I purchased it from Suppose, my favorite hidden gem and a place I called a second home for five years. It’s got a great weight to it, heavier than a quilting cotton, but lighter than a true canvas. The weight makes it a skirt that can easily transition through the seasons. I wore it with sandals and a tee in the heat and can see it looking just as lovely paired with tights and booties.

I had originally flagged this fabric for a pair of Burnside Bibs (see what I actually used for my bibs here) that never came to fruition. Once I’d printed this pattern and saw this stripe sitting in my stash it felt fated. Working with this stable fabric is incredibly easy and something I would certainly recommend to a beginner. The only drawback to the fabric (thanks to its natural fibers) is that it’s somewhat prone to wrinkles. I’m personally a fan of linen and have learned to embrace the wrinkles that come along with it.

Can we pause for a moment and just admire these pockets? One of the reasons I love sewing is the aspect of customization that can be added to each piece. If a pattern doesn’t include pockets, I will often add them. With few exceptions, I truly believe that skirts and dresses should always include pockets. I don’t love carrying a bag everywhere and pockets allow me to forego one from time to time. One issue that I sometimes have with patterns are that the pockets are sometimes too small to be useful. Not so with Justine. The included pockets are large enough to fit my entire hand which means they easily fit my keys, wallet, and phone. The folded flap detail is a unique design choice that I’ve come to love. Occasionally I’ll attach a favorite enamel pin to the flap for added flair.

We’ve talked assembly, fabric, and pockets so I’ll leave you with a note on sizing. My waist and hip measurement put me right at a size 42. I cut a straight 42 with 2 inches added to the length. The full 2 inches of length wasn’t necessary and I ended up taking off 1 of those inches. I didn’t make any other modifications and felt the fit was spot on.

In summary, the Justine has made me a skirt convert. It’s easy to wear, neutral enough to wear with my wild closet, coupled with just enough detail to keep it interesting. I think you’ll be seeing lots of this baby in my wardrobe. Currently pondering a corduroy version for winter. Should I try it?

Have I convinced you to try the pattern? If so, head over and download it here.

Want to see more of what I’ve made using Ready to Sew patterns? Check out my Jumpy pants here.

Interested to read more about the shirt I’m wearing in these photos? Read about my Willamette Shirt here.

May 16, 2018August 29, 2018

Hey June Handmade Willamette Shirt

Every once in a while, I’ll find a pattern that I want to make over and over again. I’ll see any pretty fabric and think “Hey! that would make a great (insert favorite pattern here).” The last pattern that made me feel this way was the Grainline Studio Scout Tee. I’ve surpassed double digits with that pattern, but have been waiting to fall in love with another pattern the way I fell in love with the Scout. Enter the Willamette Shirt by Hey June Handmade. Although, I’ve since made a third version, today I’ll be talking about my first two versions.

I’m about to say something that may sound blasphemous to some, but this was my very first Hey June pattern. I’ve had the Union St Tee bookmarked in my browser for literally years, but the my introduction to the Willamette is what finally pushed me over the edge. Last May, I invited a few of my sewing friends to join me for a sewing weekend. During that weekend I watched Sara of The Sara Project and Rachel of Little Fish Apparel each sew a Willamette. Admittedly, watching them make their versions gave me a bit of FOMO; so I immediately added the Willamette to my must-make list.

For my first version I opted to sew view A in Rifle Paper Co. rayon. This first one took a total of 7-ish hours to sew up over the course of a few weeks. The instructions were clear, and I found the construction to be fun and just challenging enough to keep it interesting. Due to the shifty nature of the rayon, I spent at least two of those sewing hours attempting to get the placket nicely top-stitched. I must’ve redone it 3 or 4 times before deeming it “good enough.” Despite the placket’s imperfections, the busy floral does a great job hiding them.

What I love about this version: The bold jewel toned floral makes a statement without looking childish. This rayon fabric has just enough drape to make the top feel breezy and balance out the boxy shape. I can see this top looking equally lovely paired with a skirt as it does with the jeans pictured here.

Before I started my rayon version, I was undecided between View A and the cropped View C. I settled on View A but promised myself that a cropped version would be in my future. This cotton chambray was purchased from Fancy Tiger Crafts back in September and sat in my stash until inspiration struck. It was the end of a bolt and I only had a little over a yard and a half so I wanted to be sure that I was making the perfect selection. Once my decision was made I cut the project immediately and waited for sewing time.

This cropped version came together in one morning. I spent somewhere around 3-4 hours sewing this top including the time it took to feed my son breakfast and help him with his online preschool program. I’ll attribute the quick turnaround and ease of construction to a few things. First, this wasn’t my first rodeo and being familiar with the construction techniques was a real bonus as I didn’t have to spend so much time reading and rereading instructions. Second, the cotton chambray was stable and that placket top-stitching was “good-enough” on the first try. Winning! Third, the straight hem took at least 15 minutes less to press and stitch than the curved hem on View A. It’s not often that I complete a sewing project before noon so this one felt like a victory.

What I love about this version: The stiffness of the chambray combined with the cropped length create a true boxy silhouette that I’m all about. The fabric is less busy than my first version and really lets the yoke, cuff, and collar details shine. I love the comfy, casual vibe of this top and can’t wait to experiment with styling over the summer.

Over the winter months, I didn’t get a significant amount of wear from these tops, but I have big plans to make them wardrobe staples over the summer. Now, please excuse me while I go plan another Willamette for every day of the week.

A quick note on sizing: All versions are sewn in a size 4 with 1.5″ added to the length.

December 29, 2017August 29, 2018

My Son’s Jean Jacket and Tips for Working With Ottobre Patterns

Hello! I hope you’ve had a lovely holiday season. Today I’d like to share something that I made for my rambunctious four year old. You might recall that I made a Hampton Jean Jacket (here) back in October. My son almost immediately requested one of his own asking for “shiny buttons” just like mine. The boy was in luck because I had just a little over a yard of Cone Mills denim (purchased from Threadbare Fabrics) left over from my jacket. Since my sewing queue was a bit full of Halloween sewing at the time, I promised him a custom jacket for Christmas. I was able to pull it off just in time as I hammered the jeans buttons in place on Christmas Eve.

I attempted convincing my son to select some unique details for his jacket, (a different color of topstitching thread, different embroidery on the back, etc.) but he insisted that it be exactly like mine. I’m soaking in all these moments when he still thinks my style is cool because I’m sure those feelings are somewhat fleeting.

You may notice, however, that there are a few details that vary from my jacket. These are all small details such as the absence of welt pockets, the jacket front pockets being sewn to the outside instead of the inside, and bias tape on the inside of the collar. These are all differences between Alina’s Hampton Jean Jacket pattern and the Ottobre pattern used for my son’s jacket.

Coming across the Ottobre pattern for my son’s jacket involves a bit of serendipity. I had been searching for a children’s jean jacket pattern, but hadn’t quite settled on one when my friend Lisa asked if I would like to have some of her old Ottobre magazines. I said yes and she brought them to our Modern Quilt Guild meeting the next day. I started to flip through them when I saw the back cover for issue 1/2011. This was exactly the pattern for which I had been searching.

Ottobre is a well-known name in the sewing community so you may have heard of them. Ottobre is a Finnish company specializing in children’s wear patterns. They produce 5 magazines a year containing children’s clothing patterns as well as a special Ottobre Woman issue. In 2017 they also added an Ottobre Family issue bringing their grand total of issues to 7 each year. You can order both subscriptions or individual issues, although I’m not sure how easy it is to come by the older issues. Each issue is jam-packed with fun and stylish patterns. The specific one I’ve used here contains 40 different patterns. As you may have guessed, the sheer volume of patterns included comes with a few drawbacks.

First, in order to fit all the patterns on just a few pieces of paper, they are printed overlapping and on both sides of each paper (see first photo below). I managed to make tracing bit more manageable by grabbing a permanent marker and my trusty Pattern-Ease (more about that here). I used the permanent marker to outline the correct size pattern pieces (see second photo below). This made tracing a bit easier on my eyes.

Second, you have to add your own 3/8″ or 1 cm seam allowances. This isn’t a difficult step, just takes a bit of time.

Third, the instructions can be a bit sparse as each pattern only gets half a page of instructions. This specific limitation might be the most intimidating of the three. My recommendation for this is to select a project with techniques you have previously used. In my specific case, this worked out well because I had already made a jean jacket and was familiar with the top stitching, and other details associated with one. I actually used Alina’s Hampton Jean Jacket sewalong to help me clarify and understand some of the Ottobre instructions.

Overall, these drawbacks added a bit more time to the project, but none of them would keep me from using another Ottobre pattern. The interesting style lines and endless variations on children’s basics mean I will likely turn to them again and again. I also love the fact that Ottobre makes a decent amount of patterns for boys. I’m sometimes discouraged when it comes to sewing for my son because the indie pattern world is largely dominated by patterns for women and girls.

I’ll leave you with few more notes about my construction process. Every bit of my leftover yard of denim was used to make this jacket. This resulted in a serious game of pattern tetris as I worked to fit each and every piece. Cost-wise this was a relatively inexpensive project (less than $10) as I only purchased buttons and topstitching thread. I sized up a couple of sizes in the hopes that my son will be able to get lots of wear out of this jacket. Another concession I made was to use mock flat-fell seams in order to save a bit of seam ripping and time.

I thoroughly enjoyed making this jacket as a present for my boy. I do however, plan to wait a year or two before making another jean jacket because two within few months was a lot of work. Thanks for reading! Did you gift any handmade items this year? What did you make for the holidays?

December 12, 2017October 15, 2018

Named Clothing Gemma Dress

Today I’d like to introduce you to my Named Clothing Gemma Dress. My inner 90’s girl jumped for joy when stretch velvet started making a comeback a couple of years ago. I first fell in love with the sweatshirt version of the Gemma pattern, but have yet to find the perfect fabric combination for it. When my cousin got engaged earlier this year and announced that she’d be married in December, I knew this was the perfect excuse for making a new winter appropriate dress.

I snagged this olive colored stretch velvet and the Gemma printed pattern from Stylemaker Fabrics during their Black Friday Sale. I ordered on Thursday and had the goods in my hands by the following Monday. Michelle currently has a great selection of stretch velvet available and I’m doing my best to convince myself that I don’t need it in every color of the rainbow.

Styling this dress presented me with a bit of a conundrum. You may have noticed that I always wear the same few pairs of shoes. Almost two years ago, I decided to purge and scale back my shoe wardrobe. I had nearly 30 pairs of shoes that were rarely worn or falling apart because they were poorly made. I love a good pair of shoes, but these were just feeling like a waste of my space and money. I made a list of shoes that were necessary in my wardrobe (snow boots, athletic shoes, a pair of dress shoes, etc.) Eventually I whittled my collection down to 8 pairs of shoes. This system has worked quite well for me over the last few years. It’s encouraged me to be more intentional about shoe purchases and creative with my styling. I’m not great at scaling back in many areas of my life, but this one has brought me a little peace of mind. Here’s my little soapbox of the day: You don’t have to Marie Kondo your entire life to feel peace of mind. Find one thing that you can live with less of (decorations, shoes, pants, t-shirts, pens, etc.) and start there. Maybe you’ll be surprised with what you can live without, or maybe not. I’m really no expert here.

Now that I’ve presented my little soapbox, let’s get back to my styling conundrum. After seriously considering purchasing a new pair of shoes, I decided to dress the outfit down a bit by wearing my Teva ankle boots. While not the prettiest option, they were certainly my most practical when presented with the thought of walking on ice and winter slush. In order to make it work, I decided on a slightly boho vibe. I selected a pair of simple dangle earrings, patterned tights, and decided on a crown braid for my hair styling. The thought of a crown braid presented me with another issue: I cannot braid to save my life. Enter Vienna: My kind and beautiful friend Vienna of The Late Sew offered to braid my hair and assist me in taking photos. Sewing friends are some of the freaking best, seriously.

Overall I couldn’t be more pleased with this dress and can’t wait to invent a million occasions to which I can wear such a lovely thing. Who am I kidding? I totally wore this to the grocery store, cooked dinner, and while sewing last night. I might never take it off.

As always, I’ll leave you with a little note on sizing: I sewed a 38 graded to a 40 at the hips. My only other modifications were adding 2 inches to the length and sewing the slit closed an extra 4 inches for a bit more coverage on the back.

Want to see another Named pattern sewn up? Check out my Ronja Dungarees here.

Love the Gemma pattern? See my Gemma Sweater here.

Need a some more Gemma Dress inspiration? Check out Sara’s gorgeous maternity version here.

November 20, 2017August 29, 2018

True Bias Roscoe Blouse

Hello and Happy Monday! My family and I took a mini vacation this weekend and decided to escape to the cabin owned by my husband’s grandparents. I used our weekend plans as motivation to finally finish sewing my True Bias Roscoe Blouse (purchase here). This Mountain Mirror rayon by April Rhodes (purchased from Imagine Gnats) was basically begging to be photographed in front of the mountains. Perhaps I just couldn’t resist the opportunity to photograph a mountain print top in front of all this beautiful scenery.

We love spending weekends at the cabin because it always gives us time to reconnect as a family. There’s no internet and minimal to no cell service depending on where you stand on the property. We always come back home feeling refreshed and happy to have a break from our work and devices. Our four year old loves exploring and fighting imaginary monsters so that’s pretty much the only item on the itinerary when we visit. This last weekend we were greeted by snow covered mountains and frost dusting the ground. Once we got a fire started, we played my son’s version of Monopoly and cuddled while watching Spongebob. Not a bad evening if you ask me.

We woke up the next morning, got ready for the day, and headed outside to snap these photos. As evidenced by the snow and frost on the ground, it was freezing outside. My son was bundled in his winter coat and having the time of his life chasing monsters. My husband and I, on the other hand, didn’t pack the appropriate outerwear and were a bit cold. If you look closely at the photos you may see my fingers turning red from the cold and goosebumps on my arms and neck. I did bring this rtw cardigan along and it made finishing this 15 minute photo session a lot more cozy. I love having items like this Roscoe Blouse in my wardrobe that are easily made cold-weather appropriate with the addition of a cozy cardigan or stylish jacket.

While layering over the Roscoe to make it more winter appropriate was rather easy, I may have had more time to wear this sans layers had I finished it back when I originally started. I purchased this fabric and pattern sometime around the end of August as I intended to finish it before my early September trip to Colorado. Clearly, that did not happen. I had just started to sew my blouse and was on step 2 of the pattern when I made a HUGE mistake. I had attached the neckline facing and was cutting the neck slit. Feeling pretty accomplished, I lifted the fabric to realize that I had unwittingly cut a large hole into the middle of my blouse front. I pulled out my extra fabric and found that it was about 3 inches too short to cut a new front. I was frustrated to realize that I would need to purchase another yard to finish the blouse. I set the fabric and pattern aside and decided to revisit it at a later date.

When I returned from Colorado, I hit the ground running and finished my Highlands Wrap Dress (here), Hampton Jean Jacket (here), and family Halloween costumes (here). I had all but forgotten about my Roscoe Blouse fail until a few weeks ago when Imagine Gnats announced a great sale on their rayons. I searched through their sale section and found this Mountain Mirror rayon which reminded me of my unfinished project. I quickly ordered a yard and waited for it to arrive.

I almost immediately cut out a new blouse front and waited for an opportunity to sew it up. This time I paid careful attention when cutting the neck slit and avoided my earlier mistake. I sewed this up in a time frame of about 3 days. I didn’t keep track of my actual sewing time, but I would estimate this took me somewhere around 3 hours total. It was a quick, easy sew and I love its relaxed, flowy fit. The voluminous raglan sleeves are one of my favorite design features and will make it perfectly breezy for eventual summer wear.

I’ll leave you with a quick note on sizing. I sewed up a size 4 with the only alte,ration being 1″ added to the sleeve length and blouse length. I’ve sewn several True Bias patterns over the last year ( Lodo Dress, Hudson Pants, and Lander Pants) and have found the sizing on each pattern to be accurate according the measurements included. I’ve only made minimal length alterations to each and would highly recommend Kelly’s patterns.

Thanks so much for reading!