Afternoon Blouse in Green

I just finished this Afternoon Blouse by Jennifer Lauren, a pattern I've been meaning to make since I bought the pattern at least 5 years ago! The PatternReview "Fabric & Pattern Stash" contest spurred me on to finally get this one cut out. 

I traced a size 12, grading out to 14 at hip. It is fairly simple, with only front, back, and facing pieces. And I used a remnant of green linen blend of some kind which I got from a friend last year, when she gave me two plastic bins of fabric from her mother's sewing stash. I had just enough to cut out the blouse version of the Afternoon Blouse & Shift Dress. 

The fabric was fairly loosely woven, so I did have to zigzag all the edges of the pattern pieces as I cut them out. But there aren't many, and this went together quickly. I used a lightweight interfacing for the facing pieces, which was just right for the softness of this fabric. I did find once I tried it on that it is a little tighter around my upper arm than I like - I may upick the shoulder seams and restitch at 1/4" just to give me a touch more room. I will add a bit to the pattern pieces for future use. 

Otherwise, the only thing I had to watch on this one was getting the overlap to sit correctly. Because my fabric has a bit of a softer hand, I found it wanted to droop. I had to press the front seam and the overlaps in place, then pin them in order to put in the line of hand stitching that holds the overlaps together -- I did it quickly the first time, then realized I had to pick it out because I hadn't carefully arranged the placement and there were sags and droops! I placed the top on my dress form after pressing so that I could get the alignment right, and then restitched the overlaps together, and added the button. Actually, looking at the photos I think I might readjust it again to get rid of the little pucker near the button!

It was kind of fun digging through my button stash to find a single button I liked for this top. The one I had in mind first didn't actually work, so I looked again and came up with this pinkish toned one, which is slightly smaller than the recommended size but I think it looks nice. 

I like the way this fits, aside from the slightly tight arm opening, which is fixable -- it floats over the body and feels just right. I will definitely be trying the dress view next. 

In A Tracing Frenzy!

This week is all about pattern prep for me! I have a ton of patterns that I've purchased in the past that I have not made up yet. PatternReview is running a two-month challenge to make up some of those stashed patterns using stash fabric. Since this is the way I sew quite frequently, I took a look at what I had in the queue. The only caveat for this contest is that patterns & fabric must be prior to 2023, and the patterns can't be repeats or even ones you've already prepped for making. I decided to try a few of my Indie patterns for this challenge, although I have numerous big four envelope patterns that I could use as well ;)

First up is the Zoe Dress by Simple Sew, it's a casual shift I've been planning on making for this summer so it fits right in! I also have a purply-magenta linen a friend gave me last year that I'm matching up with this one. 

And I bought the Wiksten Shift Dress/Top late last year when it was announced that Wiksten was closing. I put off buying for a very long time during its peak popularity, but impulse bought it once it was going away. So that matches the contest rules as well - I have that ready to trace, and I have a couple of different fabrics in my deep stash that might work, I haven't chosen which one to go with yet. 

I am also going to make the Afternoon Blouse & Shift Dress by Jennifer Lauren, another one I've been meaning to make for AGES. I bought this pattern sometime pre-pandemic and it has been on the queue ever since. Once I get it traced out, I'm planning to make the blouse view in a bright grassy green linen blend? cotton blend? well, mystery fabric I got from a friend last fall when she was cleaning out her mother's stash. A dress will follow but I don't know which fabric I'll use yet. 

And I think I will also trace out the Fresco Blouse by Studio Calicot in this round of tracing. This is a pattern that is on my Make Nine for this year, and it's such a cute one. I might use a black rayon or a multicoloured silky poly for this, haven't made up my mind yet. Both are pieces I thrifted in early 2022.

I was also going to make the Antonia Dress by Pattern Division for this contest (also on my Make Nine) but imagine my surprise when I opened my envelope to discover that at some point I had already traced and fitted the pattern pieces, but never actually made one! So this won't fit into the PR Contes rules, but I am still making one for my summer wear. It's such a neat pattern. 

I think it's clear that I'm into shift dresses for this summer! Hoping for some comfy summer wear in lovely fabrics. Are you planning new items for your summer wardrobe this year?

Rayon Print Aisling Blouse

I love Jennifer Lauren Handmade's vintage inspired style -- I think I own more of her pdf patterns than any other Indie in my stash. When her fairly recent release of the Aisling Blouse came to my attention, I knew I had to buy it.

I had a very busy print in my stash that I'd picked up at the PR Weekend shopping spree here in Stratford in 2018; I bought it in the excitement of the group shop, but had never known quite what to do with it. Aha! I found it would be perfect for the simpler view of this blouse.

This is a fairly straightforward pattern, but has options -- View 2 has a solid front and plain square neck (that's the one I tried here) and View 1 has a button front and a collar on the square neckline. That one will look great in a lovely vintagey fabric, I think. I decided to try the basic version first and see how the fit worked out for me.

Well, it worked out wonderfully. I finally have a pattern that suited this pretty fabric, and it sewed up quickly and easily. View 2 has a front that's cut on the fold, and so a simple facing takes care of the neckline. And it was that square neckline that first caught my eye -- I'm a fan of square necklines, and the little collar in View 1 is very appealing too.

This was a quick sew; the only alterations I made were to lengthen the hem by an inch (just because I prefer a longer top) and to shorten the sleeves by a couple of inches for my short arms. I wasn't sure about the wrist length since I don't usually like things at my wrists but for some reason these are really comfortable and feel natural -- and I don't think the blouse would look quite right with my usual 3/4 length sleeve anyhow.

This is a very light and flowy rayon, and today's pictures were taken while the sun was out but a brisk wind was blowing. It's good to know that I'll be able to wear this long sleeved top on warmer days, because it was certainly chilly today!

This is a quick make and I love the fit. I didn't even have to pinch any width out of the centre front as I do with many patterns. I'm definitely making this one again.

Border Print Summer Sorrell

I participated in the Kickstarter project for Jennifer Lauren Handmade's new Sorrell Dress, quite a few months ago now. Therefore, I've had the pdf pattern for this dress for a while! But I've only got around to sewing it up now, right at the time that she has released the pattern for everyone; it's now in her shop, in both pdf and paper formats.

I've made a few of her patterns before -- I adore the Laneway Dress. So I really wanted to make this one too. I like the slightly retro vibe and the simple lines of her patterns.

I was dithering about what fabric to use for my first try. I saw that some of the testers used linen, some rayon, some a crisper cotton -- I couldn't pick! So I finally found a cotton border print in my stash that I thought would make an interesting dress.

I bought this fabric from the sale ends at my local Fabricland because I thought it was pretty, but it's been marinating in the stash for a while. I was happy to finally match it up with a pattern! The pattern is an advanced beginner sew, with the same feature I liked in the Laneway, a facing that folds out to create a collar. With this border print, I had to use the print for the facings as well so there would be a pretty match.

I had to cut creatively to fit the dress onto the fabric, though. I cut most of it on the crossgrain, obviously, since I was using the border print. But I had to shift the front bodice to straight grain to squeeze it in. Fortunately with this fabric, you can't tell as it's a solid with no directional print or weave. Also because it's fairly fitted there's no competing drape on front and back to be concerned with. It all looks the same.

It is a lightweight cotton so I used a very light interfacing to keep the hand of the fabric supple. And I set my own button placement -- I always start by marking the bust button and working from there. I used an 18mm button rather than the 15mm that I'd expected so the placement could have been a little wider; I have them all spaced at 2". But I like the look of it anyhow.

The other change I made was to release one of the back tucks. When I finished it and put it on, I didn't like the way the waist pulled a bit at the side back seams. This is most likely because of the fact that my waist/hip is at least a size bigger than my bodice, and although I thought I'd accommodated for that it wasn't quite right. So I just released the outer back tucks on each side, and restitched the waist seam. It worked great.

After wearing it for a day, I'm planning on putting a little snap on the collar overlay about an inch above the top button just to keep things a little less gaping, especially at work ;)  And I'll probably cut the shoulder to bust area at 14 rather than 16 on my next try just to take a tiny bit in and make it a pinch more fitted.

This is a charming pattern, really straightforward and easy to sew. I think it could look quite different depending on fabric choice, so it's a good standard for your pattern collection.

Day & Night Dress Challenge

Because I have nothing better to do and so much spare time (hahaha) I decided last minute to join the Day & Night Dress Challenge hosted by Elizabeth Made This.

I highlighted my "Coffee Dress" yesterday -- this sunny day dress is made from a soft and lovely cotton flannel, and the Jennifer Lauren Laneway Dress Pattern. It's perfect for day wear and cozy enough to sit around in having coffee and danishes, I think. I will have to test that hypothesis immediately.

My "Cocktail Dress" is made from a sparkly knit I picked up at the Goodwill a few years ago now. I thought its nighttime feel contrasted well with the sunny feel of the Laneway. Also, as you can probably tell by now, prints are really my thing.

I used a favourite TNT pattern, Kwik Sew 3559. I love the way this pattern looks, either as a dress or a tee, and how it changes its feel according to fabric. I would definitely wear this one with some sparkly beads and heels to a cocktail event. Or with these gold accented flats for after work drinks.

It's such a simple pattern, really 3 pieces and a bias neck facing. I quickly turned under and stitched the sleeve hems -- probably too quickly, as I didn't press, and looking at these pictures I can tell! Time to toss it under the iron... But I started it at 9:45 last night, and was hemming it by midnight. So it's really a quick and easy standard for me. I really love how it fits and the overall shape.

It's loose but not baggy; in fact I might have benefitted from an extra inch across the lower back. But then each version is different, according to stretch of the fabric. This particular fabric was a thrift store bolt -- I had 5 m. of it, and since this only takes 1.5 metres, I still have a fair bit to use in future.
I think this dress suits this sparkly print, and can see wearing it in many different settings.

Here is how I wore it today, accessorized. I was also wearing a little black cardi but took it off for photos so that you could actually see the dress ;)

Thanks once again to accommodating coworkers who will snap pics of me on our breaks!

I'm also participating in a "Dress a Month" sewalong on Pattern Review so these will go right into my count there. It's fun to have some incentive to stitch up something new.

Speaking of new, I'll soon share some first looks at my project for the Literary Sewing Circle & our  reading of Dance, Gladys, Dance. I've been inspired by Frieda's colourful canvasses... hope you have some ideas too.

The Silver Lining Laneway Dress

I had a few days off last week, and made the most of it. I visited the big city to take in the ROM Dior exhibit with a friend; I took a daytime hand sewing workshop with my local quilt club that was running when I'm usually at work. And I spent quite a bit of time in my sewing lair!

This was the project I spent the most time on; it took me a couple of days work to get it cut out and put together so that I could wear it to work today. I bought this Jennifer Lauren Handmade Laneway Dress pattern a few months ago; traced it off during my Christmas holidays, but only got to work on it this week.

I used this beautiful flannel that has been in my stash for at least two years. I've always had it in mind for a fit and flare style dress, but I was never quite satisfied with a pattern match for it. When I put it together with the Laneway, I realized it was exactly what I wanted, though I'd have to make a few modifications for a flannel winter weight dress.

I started by extending the sleeves -- can't have short sleeves in a warm flannel dress! I drew them to my preferred length, but found when I tried it on that they were still two inches longer than intended, and quite wide at the hem. I shortened them and also narrowed them slightly, and found that worked perfectly. I was going to add a grey sleeve band to match the turn down facing, but the effect wasn't so good -- as my husband noted, it truncated my already short arms. So I left the sleeve hem plain!

Also got to wear some of my amber jewellry!

I also lengthened the skirt by an inch, and most importantly with a flannel dress which is always going to be worn with tights, I added a skirt lining. I have a very large amount of this silvery grey lining in my stash, which comes in handy for most anything. And as I like to say, every dress needs a silver lining!

Aside from those changes, I made minor adjustments -- shortening the back bodice by an inch, and the front by about 1/2 inch. Taking the side bodice in after trying it on -- I'd cut a size 14 at shoulders and 16 at waist, as per my usual size adjustments, so I don't know if it's this pattern or simply the fact that flannel stretches a bit that required that little bit of taking in. In any case, taking in each side by 1/2" made the bodice fit much better.

I used some grey cotton scraps from my stash as the contrast facing (first used for this set of skirts). I love this grey and wish I had more!

After wearing this for a day I can feel that I'll have to make a couple more adjustments the next time I sew this, primarily taking a dart in the upper back bodice edges, since it does gape a bit when I move around and I get a little draft right down my back (which isn't necessarily always a bad thing...)

Otherwise, I am a huge fan of this pattern and can't wait to make a summer version as well. I enjoyed sewing it up; it's logically laid out with good instructions and diagrams to follow. It is comfortable, flattering, and work appropriate so I know I'll get lots of wear from it. So nice to finally use one of those cherished stash fabrics!

Sew Indie Month: Pattern Hack Zsalya/Cressida Dress

Sew Indie Month is officially over for another year, but the contests are open until the end of today. Thank goodness I had this weekend off work, because I've been working madly on finishing my own Pattern Hack to enter.

I looked at all the patterns included in Sew Indie Month -- really, all of them -- searching for inspiration. Influenced by all the folkloric prints on the runways these days, I eventually decided to use one of my favourite stalwart patterns, Kate & Rose's Zsalya top & dress, and hack it into a fit & flare style dress, using Jennifer Lauren's Cressida skirt for the bottom half. This entailed a few changes.

The skirt was the easy part; I planned to take out the button placket in the front of the Cressida, and cut both front and back on fold. I used the regular waistband and pocket, but had to do a little adjustment on the left side pocket, as I was adding in a side seam zipper. Instead of getting really complicated about it, I just "made it work" with the way the pocket already sat. So now that pocket opens a little lower than the other side (about an inch lower). I also made sure the waistband opened at that side and not the front or back!

It ended up though, with the fabric I chose -- a narrow quilting width -- I had to cut the skirt in two pieces. I added a 1/2" seam allowance to the centre seam and just stitched it up and continued on. The print hides the seam very effectively.

It was the Zsalya bodice that really slowed me down, though. I've made the Zsalya three times before, and really love it. But my idea here was to take out the fullness of it, and taper it into a waistband. I made some pretty massive flat pattern changes to the bodice below the yoke -- shortening it by a good 10 inches, narrowing both front and back at the waist, and adding in darts to take up some of the remaining fullness.

Fuzzy shot of the redrawn, redone bodice pieces, with multiple attempts to get darts etc. right!

In my first muslin, the front looked great, with some gathering left in at the yoke seam, and darts adjusting the fit otherwise. The back was horrible though -- the darts did not work at all, the back was all wonky and puffy. So I tried taking the back darts out and replacing them with equal gathering top and bottom (reminiscent of McCalls 6696). But that also puffed out and made me look like I had a kangaroo pocket on my back. So then I switched it to an inverted pleat. It looked nice flat, but had the same puffy effect when I tried it on. So then I decided to just fold out all the gathering, and then took a 1" swayback type of horizontal dart across the centre of the back. It worked beautifully. The only other bodice fix I had to do was to make sure that the bottom of the bodice was going to be the same size as the Cressida waistband, which I used pretty much straight as it was drafted.

Front bodice with gathers left in & darts though you can't see them

Back bodice, with no gathers left

I finally got to the point where I was going to cut out my pattern in "real" fabric. I considered a number of choices from my stash, but when I saw these two side by side I knew they were perfect. I think that the Zsalya yoke gives this dress a folksy feel, but adding in the effect of these two fabrics also makes me think of Japanese design.

The floral print is a vintage sheet I've only owned for a few months, and the star print cotton is another 15-yr-old stash treasure that I originally bought with the plan to make a "Space Odyssey 2001" star quilt, alongside this other starry fabric I also used for a dress recently. The star fabric is a heavier cotton with a touch of stretch in it. I wouldn't really consider it quilting fabric but it did have a narrow width so perhaps it was sold as such; I can't really remember now! This info was on the selvedge:

In any case, I put it together, adding in a side zip on the left side, as the design made that the only possibility for an opening. I inserted a regular zip, as a centred zip, since I couldn't find a navy invisible zip in my local store. I'd have preferred an invisible one but this one turned out pretty well in the end.

Forgive the impressionist closeup -- I could not get a clearer image!

Then it came time for the sleeves. I wanted to use the Zsalya sleeve but change it from full length to elbow length. I had to extend the sleeve band as my elbow is larger than my wrist ;) When I tested it I didn't like the look of all the gathers that high on the arm, it seemed like 80's style puffed sleeves.

I decided that I should remove all the gathering and change the sleeve to the width of the band -- to do so on my muslin, instead of recutting another sample sleeve, I quickly sewed in a few tucks to take the fullness out and basted the band on again to check it out. But I was so taken with the look of the irregular darts around the sleeve that I repeated the same technique on my final make (there are about 7 darts in each sleeve). I love how it leaves the fullness of the upper sleeve but tucks it smoothly into the sleeve band. With the starry fabric, I feel like there are starburst darts in the sleeve, and I love the effect.

This pattern hack took much longer than I anticipated, but I enjoyed every minute of it. It was a lot of fun to look at a familiar pattern in a new way, and to do the "adjust & test & adjust again" until I had things just right. I might shorten the front bodice by another inch if I try this again, but I'm satisfied with how this turned out. I really love the final effect of these two fabrics next to each other in these two patterns.

I hope you all enjoyed Sew Indie Month as much as I did!