ITS Palermo: first Make Nine project!

One of the patterns on my 2024 #MakeNine list is the Palermo peasant top, from the Itch to Stitch book Sew Beautiful. When I mentioned last year that I was looking for patterns in this style so I could make my own Vyshyvanka, someone on IG recommended the Palermo. It's definitely in the running! 

I used a small piece of remnant fabric from my stash - it's a suiting fabric but fairly light and not stiff, so I decided to use it. I liked the idea of mixing a peasant blouse with suiting fabric! I had just enough. I cut a size 8 at the neck & shoulders, grading to a 12 at the hip. It's more closely fitted than I was expecting, even though I double checked the sizing, and did choose the right sizes according to my body measurements. I might make it one size up next time, although I like the neckline at size 8. 

It was actually a very quick project! Front, back, sleeve and neckline bias casing. The front has a seam up the middle which is pressed flat and topstitched. Fortunately the stripes worked out for me! The neckline casing is sewn on, elastic inserted and there is also elastic at the sleeve cuffs, though it's a nice gentle gather, not a tight ruffle. I like that as well. 

I added one inch to the length when I cut it out, but didn't alter the sleeve at all, except for making a slightly larger hem for my elastic. I don't think I would want the sleeve or the body any shorter, for me. 

I do like it and think the closer fit works with this fabric. But not 100% convinced that this is the right Vyshyvanka base, so will continue trying out a few more options before committing to embroidery. 

Celeste at Summer's End

I've been working on a few summer dresses to finish off my summer sewing, and now I can share them with you! My favourite so far from the queue has been the Celeste dress by Itch to Stitch. It's a simple shape, with nice lines and a good fit -- and I love the pockets. I made it in a busy floral linen so you can't really see the lines of it but I love the feel of it. Definitely making this one again. 

I didn't deviate much from the pattern. I graded from one size at shoulder to the next size up at hip (8/10) while tracing the pattern, and that is about the only real change I made. Oh -- also, because of my shape, I was also able to leave out the side zip - it pulls on over my head no problem. It fits really well and I found it really easy to sew. 

I popped down to the public garden in the middle of a traffic circle near me to get these photos in the lovely evening light. What a great spot. And makes for a nice evening walk too.

I was using a linen blend from my stash, and so I finished all the seams with zigzag stitching to prevent fraying. Because the princess line seams were all pressed to one side, I finished most of the seams together. It's very tidy. 

The front yoke is supposed to be self-lined but I didn't want to use the linen in two layers. I had some black cotton broadcloth in the stash that was lightweight and smooth against the skin so I used that instead. The inner yoke is supposed to be attached via stitch in the ditch but I find that when I'm doing something this shifty, I always miss an edge somewhere and the topstitching gets messy, even with the edgestitch foot in use. With this fabric I wanted to do a nice clean finish, so I hand-stitched the yoke down on the inside. It didn't take much longer than setting it up to machine stitch, and I love the smooth and even finish. 

The pockets that are built into the side panels are perfect -- not too big or small, and in just the right spot. They are big enough and sturdy enough to hold my phone :) 

I found this a really easy sew and enjoyed the process. The pattern is clear, the linen fabric was a dream to work with, and I love the final fit. I can see making this up in a variety of colours/fabrics. 

Huge flowers or tiny person? You decide...

Weekend Review: Sew Beautiful

 

Sew Beautiful / Kennis Wong
Salem, MA: Page St Publishing, c2020.
152 p.

I bought this book when it was newly released because I like the Itch to Stitch patterns I've already made and knew I'd most likely use this book, too. I haven't yet made one of the patterns, but I have the Mornington Dress (on the cover) in my queue for this summer's wardrobe. 

The book contains 8 patterns, of a variety of shapes and types of clothing, in knit and woven. The instructions are done as thoroughly as her regular patterns are -- lots of step by step and illustrations. And there are lots of photo images for each pattern as well. Just as with her website and online presence, the photos are taken by her husband. What a team! 

This is a well produced, professional book that I think would work for the newer sewist who wants to go a bit beyond just tanks or boxy tops. All the patterns are included in the back of the book for tracing off; the pages are a bit crowded, but each size line (0 - 20) is in a different colour, and all pieces for one project are on the same page. Hopefully that will reduce any confusion! The size range runs from 00 to 20 (up to bust size 46”/117 cm and hip size 48”/122 cm)

The patterns included are all highlighted on her website (in fact, check out her page for the book for all sorts of information and photos of each project, too).

I think you could make a nice capsule wardrobe with the pieces in this book, and none of them are super difficult either. For beginners, there is a short section at the front of the book on basic sewing information like altering the pattern, choosing fabric, seam finishes, etc. All of that is fully illustrated, just like the patterns. All in all, this is a stylish book that would appeal to new and experienced sewists alike. 

A Rose Print Melrose Top

I've started into my summer sewing plans even if it's still too chilly to wear summer clothes yet. I started off with the Itch to Stitch Melrose Dress & Top. I decided to make the boxy top first, to test out the bodice fit and see if I liked it.

To do so, I used an upcycled duvet cover, well, the remains of it anyway. I made a Butterick dress from this fabric a couple of years ago, but haven't worn it much. But since this pattern is called the Melrose, I knew I'd have to make it in a rose print, for Melanie! Because the source was a duvet cover, there was quite a lot of fabric leftover to use. 

I like it much better as a short top than a full dress. The fabric isn't so overwhelming this way. It's a tad shorter than I usually like, so if I make the top again, I may lengthen it by a half inch or a bit more. Otherwise I quite like the fit. 

It's an easy project. I cut it out one night and then sewed it all up in one afternoon. It has a sleeve cuff and hem band that can be cut in contrast fabric, as well as a neck binding that shows, so this could also be a good scrap buster. The pattern comes with various cup sizes built in, so for the C cup and larger, a bust dart is incorporated. Since I cut the A/B cup size, it was just a straight front that is close to the same as the back (although the back is slightly longer at the armholes, and wider at hem, for fit). Front and back are sewn together, add the cuffs, hem band, and neck binding, and you're done. The longest part of it was just pressing and pinning all those finishing elements so that they'd be nice and even and flat when topstitching them down. 

I like the fit - the neckline isn't too wide, it isn't gaping, and it is comfortable to move my arms around. Even in this crisp cotton, a bit stiffer than recommended in the pattern, I like the feel of this top. Next up is the actual dress, in a drapier rayon, and another rose print, of course!  Maybe if the weather warms up I can take outdoor pictures soon, too ;)

The Lindy Skirt, The Sorrel Top: matchy matchy!

I have a few items I made over the past few months that I've neglected to share here thus far.

But they were interesting and useful projects, so I am getting around to writing them up and also getting some pictures of them now that I can go outside without a parka hiding everything.

First off is this set of coordinating makes for which I used a black polkadot knit I found at the Goodwill -- the Lindy Petal Skirt from Itch to Stitch (a free pattern) and the Sorrel Top from Seamster Patterns (and most unfortunately it looks like Seamster is no longer in business).

I started with the Lindy Petal skirt, and tried to adapt it to have some cut on pockets, discovering as I was putting together the overlapping layers that you have to put the pockets into the outer layer ON BOTH SIDES if you want to get your hands in to them....  But, since I had tons of the polkadot knit, I recut the underlayer and now have two useable pockets. I do like having them, but there is a bit of bumpiness in this kind of slinky knit which doesn't 100% work with the silhouette. Since I always wear something covering the top of my skirt it doesn't bother me terribly, and I have worn this skirt a lot since it was finished. The tiny beige dots on the black read as a solid from a distance, and both that flexibility in matching with things and the comfort of this pattern mean I wear this a ton.

The pattern is well laid out, with clear instructions, and is fairly easy to make. I'd prefer another waistband elastic method, as my waistband ended up pretty puckered and uneven on first try -- I redid it using the technique from the Jalie Eleonore waistband and it seemed to stabilize it a bit more. That could be entirely due to my slippery fabric though, and no walking foot.

The only change I made, other than trying to add pockets, was to cut the bottom petal edge at a less acute angle to give myself a little more knee coverage. This is a great easy knit pattern and has such a nice finished effect. I recommend it for beginners as it's a little bit different and unique, and yet still easy to make. I also used this pattern to mash up with the Moneta bodice during a sewalong with the Monthly Stitch last summer, in a more stable knit, and it worked a dream.

Next up is the Sorrel Top. I love the look of the faux collar; it is actually set in, quite cleverly. It did take some head scratching and a bit of patience to get the collar curve to fit and meet at the points correctly but practice makes perfect. Also, I clearly had no idea how to get a hem right on this kind of knit when I made this - yikes! Good thing it was a working muslin and I haven't actually worn it anywhere ;)

I used a bit of black stretchy knit from my scraps stash for the body of the shirt, and the polkadot knit for the collar. Unfortunately, because the small dots read as a solid from a distance, the effect is rather lost on this version. But it was a trial attempt, and I will be altering a few things about it in future anyhow.

You can see that there is quite a bit of fabric pooling across the back, so I'll be taking some of that out on the next go. Also, I will be using a knit that is a little less shiny and slippery to make things easier on myself! Even with all that, I quite like this one. The style is cute and the fit is nice, even with the adjustments I'll have to make. This outfit is fun and seems just perfect for my new thrifted vintage sandals too.

These are both interesting designs, and I recommend trying out the Lindy yourself -- it's free, what have you got to lose? I am really sad that Seamster is no longer up and running, as I really liked this top and am a huge fan of her Rose Hip Tights. If you have one of the original patterns, I recommend trying it out.

Monthly Stitch Hack It Week: Floral 'Lindeta' Dress

This week at the Monthly Stitch, sewists are challenged to Hack a pattern -- whether that's changing up one pattern or combining a couple. I thought about this challenge, and looked through my fabric and pattern stash, finally deciding on this project.

I started with a pretty dark blue/pale blue/mauve floral knit that was given to me by a friend's Mom who was weeding out her own stash. It's a thin and stable knit, not overly stretchy, but enough so for a comfy fitted dress.

\Lightweight, as shown via the Petal Skirt crossover

I trialled a few ideas, and settled on this combination: an Itch to Stitch Lindy Petal Skirt, with cut-on pockets added, based on the Sewaholic Cambie dress, and a Colette Moneta bodice.  

The bodice was the most straightforward part: I cut my usual size but added a bit of width at the waist to compensate for the lower stretch of this fabric compared to my last Moneta. I also cut the neckline much higher and narrowed it slightly, to give a more retro feel to this make. I used the short sleeve version, and used a bias binding at the neck rather than facings.

Then I got to the skirt. I used the free Lindy Petal Skirt pattern from Itch to Stitch (my first make from this company, btw) and found it well-drafted and with solid instructions. It would have been quite straightforward but I decided to add on some cut-on pockets as I can barely stand to wear pocketless clothing. But I didn't want the pockets to interrupt the lines of the skirt, so cut-on it was.

I used the Cambie pocket design as my base, though I found that I had to reshape the pocket bag to fit this pattern -- only a few inches and different angles here and there. It's still not exactly right but fairly close to what I was going for -- a smooth pocket in this shaped skirt. On my first try, I cut an angle at the side seam on each piece to add the pockets, and only realized as I was putting the skirt front together that it meant that one pocket would be completely covered up under the seam - doh! So on the second try, I cut one layer of the skirt piece normally, and added the pockets to either side of the piece I wanted to go on top of the skirt. That means that on one side you sew through a few more layers than the other, but it works out if your fabric isn't too heavy.

The only real difficulty was with the waistband. I wanted to maintain the waistband of the skirt to give the dress some definition, but had to totally change the construction, as it's not a folded over elastic casing any longer. I basted in on to both skirt and bodice and then tried it on. I had to take about 1.5" out of the full width to make it balance & fit right, and then narrowed the side seams from 3/8" at the skirt edge to 6/8" at the bodice edge (seamed on an angle). This gave it the correct shape and made it fit both edges without any gathering or puckers. I also stitched it down permanently with some clear elastic in the skirt seam to give it some support and structure. I should have interfaced the waistband piece with some knit interfacing but didn't think of that until I was done.

I really like the look of this combination, and the fit is both close and yet comfortable. I am also considering making a detachable collar that I can add to this dress whenever I want to change up the look (something like this one)

I don't think I would have gone to all this effort if it wasn't for the Hack It challenge, so I really do appreciate the impetus to try something new! I really like this new dress.

All my photos were taken on a lovely evening at one of my favourite local churches, St James Anglican Church. I get to walk through this gorgeous garden-filled churchyard on my route to work, always a pleasure. This church has a 15 Bell Chime & gives chime concerts, and it also is the site of the *best* local rummage sale every spring, notorious for multiple rooms chock full of things, including a linens room where I've found many treasures over the years. They have some spectacular volunteer gardeners among their parishioners and I've always wanted to take photos there. I'm glad I finally did...and so are the mosquitoes!