Black Community Quilts at Toronto's Textile Museum

If you are in or near Toronto, make some time to get to the Textile Museum this month! There is a beautiful exhibit on until April 28, called The Secret Codes: African Nova Scotian Quilts, curated by David Woods. There are some gorgeous historical pieces as well as modern quilts, all with lots of context to learn from. 

I stopped in when I was in Toronto recently and really enjoyed it. There was a variety of styles and techniques in the more than 35 quilts on display, and there is always lots more to check out in the Museum shop and textile reuse centre. 

I was drawn in by so many details - stitches, quilting, colour choices, stories - and I love that the exhibit is big enough to have breadth but not so big that you feel overwhelmed. It's a great visit. 

One of my favourites was this one, called Amelda's Prayer. So beautiful! 

But there were so many to enjoy.

This traditional quilt was really interesting to me for the details. All that black edging on the stars is blanket stitch. I don't remember seeing this kind of accent before and love it. 

This was the only real abstract of the show and I thought it was great. 

So many representational quilts as well. All fabulous. 

I really enjoyed this show and wish I could have made it to one of the special events they had in conjunction with it. Oh well -- I did get to enjoy it! Try to get there if you can. 

February Sewing & Challenges!

 

It's February already, and I have lots of sewing plans for the month. There are some regular sewing challenges that I'm planning to join in on, as well as some of my own sewing plans to come. 

I always love the #BHMPatternDesigners Challenge! It's hosted mainly on IG but you can find all the details and links to many designers, and the challenge sponsors and their February discounts, on the BHMPD website now, as well. 

I've made a few different items for this challenge over the years (even won a prize one year!) but this year I think I've decided to make the Nikki Blazer by Style Sew Me which I bought in 2022. Sadly, this shop is now closed but I have the pattern so will go for it. I'm really loving fitted jackets lately. I've even put this pattern on my MakeNine for this year, for extra incentive! I have two potential fabrics in my stash that I am wavering between. Now I will have to decide... 

Another pattern that I haven't bought yet but am very tempted by is the Ada Peplum top by Duana Studio. The sleeve, with its button detail, is so cute! 

And I really love so many of the patterns found at Les Lubies de Cadia like the Girna dress or the most recent Lysiane blouse. Swoon! 

Another focus of my sewing this month is due to an unhappy anniversary coming up. February 24 will mark the second year of Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This is still going on, and still as awful as ever. I don't want to lose sight of that. 

I'm planning to continue my search for the perfect base for my own Vyshyvanka by making up the Poppy Blouse by PatternScout OR New Look 6704 this month. I want to make the basic pattern up to see if I like the fit and style enough to spend some hours embroidering it. I like my recent ITS Palermo but not 100% sold on it as a Vyshyvanka base yet... 

And I also want to make another project from my MakeNine list, Burda 6354 as a colour blocked top in blue and yellow. 

I think that this will give me lots to work on this month, alongside some art projects I'm starting to get stuck into! We'll see how it goes. Although I do have an extra day this year ;) 

Willi Smith + Butterick, for the #bhmpatterndesigners Challenge

I always love participating in the #BHMPatternDesigner Challenge each February. This Black History Month challenge is run mainly on Instagram by @SewNaturalDane and challenges sewists to make something designed by a Black designer - but everyone is welcome to join in. 

This year I decided on a pattern from my stash which I thrifted a while ago. It's a Butterick pattern designed by Willi Smith, the creator of WilliWear in the 80s, who also released many sewing patterns over a decade. In fact, when I was looking up some more information about him, I found this wonderful statement about his opinions of home sewists: 

Smith respected the home sewers’ awareness of their bodies and willingness to take risks, and saw this audience as more intimately connected to fashion as a means of individual expression than the ready-to-wear shoppers who followed the colors and trends of the runway. He understood how choosing the pattern, selecting a custom fabric, and assembling the full garment allowed many possibilities for invention.   (you can read the full article about his patterns at the Willi Smith Archive) 

My Willi Smith pattern is Butterick 5987 -- there's no date but it's likely 1979/1980, before he moved over to McCalls. I loved the blouse so decided that I could make it up in the last few days of February! I had a lightweight cotton in my stash that I've never been able to decide what to do with, but it jumped out at me as the perfect choice for this floaty blouse. 

It's a fairly easy design; it's boxy, with cut on sleeves & no bust darts required. The tricky part of the whole process was the yoke design. It crosses over back and front, and so is installed after the front and back are sewn together at the shoulder. You stitch the underside on kind of in reverse, pressing all the seams onto the yoke, then press the hems of the top yoke under and edge stitch it on top. That may sound simple but my goodness how fiddly! Thankfully my cotton pressed well so some steam averted any minor disasters. I did cut the yoke on the bias so that I wouldn't have to worry about matching up the edges of the squares in the design - it's subtle but I like it.

Once that was done, the rest was pretty straightforward. There's a one piece collar, and the split hem is interesting in that the front edges are curved but the back ones are left straight. This requires some easing as you are pressing in that front hem, but it's worth it. It's a really cute design. 

Didn't notice that my back collar was flipped up! 

I happened to have the perfect buttons in stash as well. I recently thrifted a set of 6 lightweight and square black buttons. They were just the right size and weight, and I like how their shape reflects the print of this fabric. There were only four called for in the pattern but I added another one at the top as I like to be able to close my blouse a little higher. 

I enjoyed sewing this and also enjoyed finding out more about Willi Smith. When I was researching a bit more about him, I discovered that the Cooper Hewitt Museum had created an exhibit about him, Willi Smith: Street Couture, which opened on March 12, 2020. Well, it was only open one day as it happens. But they've created a wonderful website from the exhibit and I strongly recommend you take a look if you want to learn more about this designer and the fabulous things he made. 

 

Black History Month Pattern Designers Challenge: Simplicity 2344 by Khaliah Ali

 

February was Black History Month and one of the sewing things I love about the month is the Black History Month Pattern Designers challenge. I wrote about this challenge at the beginning of February but just squeaked in my project by the end of the month after all -- I posted it on IG the very last day of the month. 

Even though I bought two new patterns this month with big plans, I ended up using a Khaliah Ali pattern in my stash, Simplicity 2344. 

It's a nice wardrobe pattern with lots of options. I made the tee, as I like the silhouette a lot. It comes with different cup size options and just has a few details like the gathered front neckline and the sleeve that make it a step above a basic tee. 

I really love it. I used an old knit from my stash -- I love the print but was never sure what to do with it. It was the perfect choice for this top. The pattern was a dream to work with. The neckband is amazing; it went in perfectly the first try and sits super smoothly, no gaping or lumps to be found. The little bit of front gathering is just the right amount to give a nice look to the design, as well. 

I cut a 14 at the shoulder, grading out to 16 at bust and 18 at hip -- this is a regular adjustment that I make on many things, and it worked out well here too. I like the way this fits closely but not tightly. My changes to the pattern were just to shorten the top slightly above the waist seam, and to shorten the sleeves by 2.5" (I have short arms!) I also changed the order of construction so that I could sew in the sleeves flat. This worked well and I was able to finish this one fairly quickly! I think this is one I could make again - it's going to get a lot of wear. 

The two patterns that I bought but haven't made up yet are from two different Indie Black designers. I picked up the Temi Top/Dress by Sewphilia, and the Nikki Blazer by Style Sew Me. They are still on my to-sew list, especially the blazer as it really fits in with my wardrobe plans currently.  Lots more to explore!

February Sewing Plans

 

It's February already, and time to make some plans for the month. I don't like to have a strict plan that I have to follow for my sewing, but I do find that if I think about what I'd like to make, and then organize what might be possible to get to in a month, I'm more likely to focus and get stuff done! And February has lots of good things in it. So here are some of the things that are on my sewing list for the month. 

Of course, one of my favourite things about February is the yearly arrival of  the Black History Month Pattern Designers Challenge hosted by Nateida at Sew Natural Dane. This is such a fun challenge; it asks that you sew something by a Black pattern designer between Feb 1 and Feb 28, and share it using the hashtag #BHMPatternDesigners and tagging @SewNaturalDane on IG. I've made some wonderful items in previous challenges, and even won a great prize last year :) While it highlights Black designers (for garments, handbags, knitted/crocheted items, plus fabric stores) it is open to all to participate. 

I have a few ideas this year -- I'd love to make another Agnes Skirt (by MichelleSews) since the one I made last year is so fantastic. But I'm also strongly leaning toward making the new Temi Dress or Top by new-to-me designer Sewphilia -- it is drafted for a height of 5'2" and a B cup - perfect for me!! And it's currently on sale... Of course, I have many Khaliah Ali patterns from Simplicity already in my stash and at least 3 are on my wishlist for the year so perhaps I'll get to one of those. We will see. 

I'm also keeping busy with a project for the Liesl & Co Advisors Circle which I mentioned recently. I'm working on a wintery project so have to get that one done asap while it's still wintery weather! I'm having fun with the creative changes I'm making for this one. I'll share the link when it's posted on Liesl's blog :)

And I have a dress, jacket and vest which were cut out around the end of December that I haven't yet gotten around to sewing up. The dress and blazer are modern patterns, in the same fabric, but the vest is a vintage one. My goal is to get at least two of those finished so I can cut out another blazer and spend some time tracing off a few blouses from recent Burda magazines to make some coordinates for my wardrobe. Will that be enough for the month? Ha! I think so. 

Do you have a busy sewing month planned? Are you going to sew for challenges too? 

Black History Month Pattern Designer Challenge Recap!

 

February was, once again, a time to celebrate the Black History Month Pattern Designers Challenge. I've enjoyed participating in this challenge for the past 3 years and learning so much about Black fashion history, discovering so many Black pattern designers and shop owners (more every year!), and  being inspired by the amazing projects made by the growing number of participants. You can hear both hosts talking about the purpose behind the challenge and how it works, over on Stitch Please and another interview on the Sew Organized Style podcast, if you're curious to learn more.

This year I made the Agnes Pencil Skirt by Michelle Sews. I love it. The fit and the details are both just fantastic. If you want to check out the more than 160 projects made by other participants this year, be sure to take a look at the hashtag on IG!

This year I was also lucky enough to win one of the prizes! The prizes are drawn live at the end of the month, and are awarded by random draw. I'm thrilled that I won a prize package, featuring many of the sponsors and designers highlighted throughout the challenge. 

I wanted to also highlight some of the resources that are currently available on the Black History Month Pattern Designers Challenge website -- these resources will be staying up all year round, so you can easily pop over and discover some new pattern companies, shops, and more, anytime. I encourage you to do so. The work done by hosts @SewNaturalDane and @IslandSewcialist has elevated this challenge into a year-round resource for everyone! 

This is a super challenge, one I really enjoy. There's a real sense of enjoyment and community, and it's an opportunity to discover new designers, but also to find new makers on IG to follow and be inspired by. I recommend participating in it next year -- you now have a whole year to explore some of the links and projects and make your plans...

February means #BHMPatternDesigners Challenge!

I participated in the Black History Month Pattern Designers (#BHMPatternDesigners) Challenge on Instagram last year and really enjoyed it! I learned so much from the posts that co-hosts @SewNaturalDane and @MyraLorraine were sharing about black fashion history and personalities, and found lots of new current designers as well.

So when they announced that they are running the #BHMPatternDesigners Challenge again this year, I knew I was in! This year they've added in the extra element that participants should think about their own fashion inspiration when they are making their outfits. Hmmmmm, I'll have to ponder that.

Here's the rules, according to the original Instagram post: 

View this post on Instagram

GET READY...GET READY...GET READY!!! Kicking off tomorrow💃🏾 @onesewsweet and I are so happy to announce the 2nd annual #BHMPatternDesigners challenge. Thank you to all of our sponsors: . @mydailythreadzme @sewnmagazine @bayronhandmade @thanksimadethem @sewmuchfabric @stylesewmepatterns @claire_cochran @laststitch @montoyamayo . We are also EXCITED about our 4 FABULOUS Ambassadors: @Lejanarobpatterns @crystalsewsandstuff @crumpetsteaandsewing @islandsewcialist . PLEASE GOT TO MY HIGHLIGHTS ☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽 to see the various Black Pattern Designers. ***THIS IS NOT AN ALL INCLUSIVE LIST*** . Rules for entry: . 1. YOU MUST MUST MUST tag @onesewsweet and @sewnaturaldane AND use the #BHMPATTERNDESIGNERS in order to have your entry counted. . 2. You can ONLY SEW & POST your item (garments, handbag, knitting item, etc) between February 1st and February 29th. Your entry is due February 29th. . 3. You can ONLY use a Black Pattern Designer. **LET'S HAVE SOME FUN AND GOOD LUCK***

A post shared by Pronounced = Nah-Tea-Duh 😉😉 (@sewnaturaldane) on Jan 31, 2020 at 11:49am PST

Last year I used a Tracy Reese pattern from my stash; this year I'm looking at the variety of Khaliah Ali patterns I also have in my stash and have never made up. These patterns are great value, as many of them are wardrobe patterns. You could make yourself a nice capsule wardrobe using these.

I'm thinking that I'll make the longer sleeved blouse (yellow floral print version) from 2230 in this rayon challis from my stash:

And then maybe try adding the skirt from 2344, either in a neutral black or in a hot magenta from my stash that will pull that tone from the blouse. The gathered neck tee from 2344 is also a great shape, and in a navy print from the stash it might go with my next item too.

And that item is, if I have time, another jumper! View A from 2232 (but in knee length) would be nice in a navy blue suiting that I've had in the stash for a long time. That seems like an awful lot to try to get to, but hey, February has an extra day this year ;)

My real goal is to get the blouse done and we will see how it goes from there. Meanwhile, don't forget to check out the Instagram accounts of both hosts and their ambassadors for lots of great #BHMPatternDesigner Challenge content!

Plans for #BHMPatternDesigners Challenge

Over on Instagram this month, @onesewsweet and @naturaldane are hosting the #BHMPatternDesigners challenge. For the month of February -- Black History Month -- they encourage everyone to sew something designed by a Black Pattern Designer. They're also sharing lots of cool info on many different designers and on Black fashion history, so be sure to follow them for tonnes of great reading!

I've been reading some books in preparation as you might have noticed by my two most recent Weekend Reviews. I've also been thinking about various patterns I might use this month, and have gone through my stash to see what I have on hand.

Here's what I'm considering currently:

I have a Tracy Reese "Plenty" McCalls pattern, M7251 which has two quite distinct top designs -- I love them both and would definitely wear both these styles. I'm strongly leaning toward this one.

But I also have a handful of Khaliah Ali patterns, and there are a number of tops in there that I've been meaning to make for quite a while now. I might make View A (the short-sleeved white one) of S2230 or the flowy top from S2344. Then there are a few skirt and jacket options in there that also look good!

I've just finished Chinelo Bally's Freehand Fashion, and am eyeing her Batwing or Hi-Lo top, as an easy way to start trying out her freehand technique.

What about you? Were you aware of this challenge? Are you planning on making anything for it? Do you have any other designers to recommend?