My favorite perfectly worn in jeans got a hole in them. It started small, but every time I washed them, it just got a little bigger and a little bigger again.
Before: It’s not going to get any smaller….
I knew that I wanted to mend them, but I didn’t want them to look haphazard or shabby. I wanted a result that I could proudly wear just as I would any of my “good” jeans.
When we spend time patching, stitching, darning, or otherwise fixing torn fabrics, we ultimately deepen our understanding of quality, composition, and craftsmanship.
She likes using simple needlework, such as running, straight and whip-stitches in natural fibers to complement the craftsmanship of the original denim garment.
Pinked edges on my cotton patch will prevent raveling.
At the same time, another book caught my eye, this time about the Japanese quilting technique sashiko. The Ultimate SASHIKO Sourcebook: Patterns, Projects, and Inspirations by Susan Briscoe turned out to be a great general reference and introduction. Many readers will recognize the repeating geometric patterns used in sashiko embroidery, even if unfamiliar with the craft. Since sashiko began centuries ago as a thrifty way to mend all kinds of items made of woven fabric, it seemed like a great fit for mending my old jeans.
I took the patterns as an inspiration and looked at what I had on hand that might work. If I had some denim of a similar weight to my jeans, I could have used that as a patch. Since I didn’t, I looked for a good quality tightly woven fabric that I could attach underneath. Scraps from the quilting cotton I used for my Vintage Style Shirtdress fit the bill and was soft enough that I knew it would not be irritating against the skin.
I thumbed through the sashiko pattern reference in the Sashiko Sourcebook and chose a simple design that I thought would look nice stitched over about a 3 inch square. I traced the design onto tracing paper using a marker designed for iron-on transfers. (Iron-on transfer pen – black by Sulky. I have more on tranferring designs in my post on Hand Embroidered Dishtowels.
I considered using fusible tape to temporarily hold the patch in place, but pinned it carefully instead, as Rodabaugh does in her book. On the right side, I chalked a square over the location of the patch. I used the chalk lines to help place my iron-on in place. It turned out to make a nice, solid impression, although a little bit heavier line than I expected.
Ready to stitch
Sashiko thread is a long staple cotton made especially for the highly visible sashiko stitch. It comes in different weights and colors, and can even be hand dyed. I would love to try it some time, but this time I made do with what I had on hand.
The closest match I could find was a spool of jeans topstitching thread. It’s designed to use with jeans, so the colors coordinated well. To make the stitches stand out a little more, I doubled the thread. I did try to keep the stitches nice and even, but it’s pretty obvious I’m new at this. Even so, I like the way it turned out. I think I put the brakes on the hole’s growth. I think the patch underneath will look interesting if/when it starts to show through.
Butterick 6354 by Patterns by Gertie is a retro-style set of summer coordinates. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it, but held off making it until I had a vacation planned. This March was finally the time!
I had about four yards of a lightweight tropical print in my stash that seemed perfect. I knew I wouldn’t have enough to make all of the pieces, but I thought with some creative layouts, I might get pretty close.
Due to the fabric requirements, the shorts I made don’t use the Butterick pattern, but the rest of the pieces do. I’ve only made modifications for fit.
The perfect print
Easy?
Butterick rates this pattern as Easy, which they describe as follows:
There will be more details when the techniques are simple and fewer details when the techniques are more involved. Some fitting knowledge required.
Okaayyyyy…..
So, the garments with easy views have detailed instructions. The more complicated pieces have less. It’s left as an exercise for the customer to figure out which parts Butterick considers simple. When things get a little vague, you are expected to find (or already know) the answers on your own.
I think I did that and hopefully I can pass some of my newfound knowledge on to you.
I would rate the skirt as easy, the jacket as slightly more difficult, and the bustier as most difficult. Although I didn’t make them, I would put the side-zip shorts between the jacket and the bustier.
The Sarong
This wrap skirt goes together easily and has some details that make it more flattering than many skirts that are much harder to make. There is a hook and eye that keeps the tucked layer in place* and ties that are shaped to make a pretty knot at the side. The tucks going in to the side tie and two back darts give it shape while keeping bulk at a minimum. It’s a nice feature that gives all kinds of body shapes a curvy look.
Instead of a waistband, the top edge is finished with bias binding. The other edges are simply finished with narrow hems. The pattern called for a purchased package of 1/2 inch binding, but I thought the contrast of a solid color would look wrong. I certainly didn’t see it on the pattern’s cover photo. Making my own was easy enough and didn’t use up too much material. It only requires a piece a little longer than the waist circumference.
Oops – next time do up that hook and eye!
I have to admit that I accidentally sewed the ties on upside down. It looked nice anyway, so I didn’t change it. Done correctly, it should be even better!
Being an easy view, the skirt had a nice complete set of instructions.
* I forgot to do the hook when I took pictures, so all of them have the inside layer hanging down a little bit.
The Bolero Jacket
The bolero might be the most versatile view in the pattern set.
It’s just big enough to cover the shoulders when worn over a slim fitting top. While the sleeves and shoulders would accommodate a variety of shapes with no adjustment, the ribcage/bust area uses darts for a close fit. I didn’t need to make adjustments, but given that I usually reduce fitted garments there, I would say it’s worth checking before sewing.
I didn’t have enough fabric to do the self-lining the pattern called for. I used a simple lightweight unbleached woven instead. I also chose to carefully topstitch the sleeves closed instead of slip-stitching. Using this technique, the jacket can easily be made reversible.
Testing the fit is important as the jacket fits very close to the bodyI saved a step by using my muslin as the jacket lining.
The Bustier
Even without the halter strap, careful fitting and boning keep the top smooth and flat against the body
The bustier was the most ambitious project I have undertaken in a while. I was pleased to find out that it was not beyond my ability, although there were many steps.
Preparing the Pattern
I knew from experience that I would need to make a long waist adjustment, so I made that pattern modification before I did anything else. I then started a test of the front and back body pieces. My test bodice revealed a lot of fit issues. I pinned out new bust darts and new side seams and tried again. Success! I transferred all of the changes to the paper pattern using colored pencil to make sure I knew which lines to use. Once that was done, I adjusted and smoothed out the lines indicating boning placement.
If you use 1/4 inch gingham to test your bodice, you can just count the squares to double check measurements.
The Zipper
The pattern uses a lapped zipper application with a separating zipper. Separating zippers are easily found in 7 inch lengths, which is what the pattern calls for. But since I made a long waist adjustment, I needed a longer one. After much searching, I found that they can be custom ordered from Botani Trim. I paid more for my custom zipper, but I really love it. It has metal teeth on soft twill tape, which really makes it feel authentically retro.
Boning
The pattern calls for 2 1/2 yards of 1/4 inch boning.
I started with a package of Dritz featherlite boning, then halfway in noticed that 2 1/2 yards would require 2 packages so things sat around for a while until I got more. Continuing with my theme of making mistakes from not reading carefully, I accidentally ordered a different boning the second time. The other type turned out to be a 1/4 inch casingless version.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
When complete, the top contains 10 strips of boning. That gave me plenty of time to experiment with the two different types and how to sew them.
The less expensive uncased boning worked fine and will probably be what I use in the future. I used some scrap bias tape to make casings, which was fine for this because the casings were sandwiched in between the lining and the surface fabric. I would choose something softer and stronger if the casing was going to come in direct contact with skin.
By the tenth strip, I had a process.
Carefully mark the wrong side of the lining fabric with the placement lines and the seam lines.
Then, for each boning strip:
Make a small arrow in the seam allowance to show the center of each placement line.
Cut casing strip to go from seam line to seam line
Iron small squares of fusible tape to upper and lower edge of casing (more for longer or curved sections)
Fuse casing in place
Using blind hem foot, sew casings in place close to the edge, leaving top and bottom open.
Cut boning strip to casing length.
Using nail clippers, clip ends into curved shape
Using lighter, slightly melt ends to smooth them (takes a little practice)
Insert the boning into the casing.
I have to say that I am amazed at how effective the boning is at smoothing out all of the top’s little pull lines and wrinkles.
Another unexpected bonus was that I don’t need to wear a bra under this top. The boning is placed directly over the bust points, so it conceals very well.
Putting it all Together
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
The Shorts
I did my best to squeeze all four of B6354‘s views into the fabric I had, but there was just not enough for the shorts. So I took the pattern pieces I had from my Itch to Stitch Angelia Shorts and just barely made them fit with the scraps.
Perhaps that should have been a hint, because squeeze and just barely fit is what these shorts are all about! It seems that I took too much comfort in the comfort food over the winter. Oh well. They’ll make great motivation for getting in shape this summer.
I go into detail on how to make them here: Itch to Stitch Angelia Shorts – Part 1 and here: Itch to Stitch Angelia Shorts – Part 2.
I am sewing through the winter blues by working on some hot weather projects. I’m calling them the Resort 2019 collection. First up is this airy little top using Love Notions‘ Rhapsody pattern. I knew that the pattern would work, having made it several times. The fabric was another story. I’ve never sewn with such a lightweight fabric before.
Sewing the tissue-thin batiste was a bit like trying to sew cotton candy. I was able to pull it together using careful pinning and cutting, but next time I will splurge on some wash-away stabilizer.
The results though! It’s almost weightless and has a soft, natural feel against the skin. I have a feeling that it will become a summer favorite.
See my review of Rhapsody on patternreview.com here
I think this little project started because I was still working on the hand basting for my coat and wanted to make something easy that I could enjoy finishing.
Is procrasti-make a word?
I had the floral knit in my stash and a tested pattern ready to go.* Finally all of that pattern prep (and shopping) was going to pay dividends!
At the same time, my January 2019 issue of Threads Magazine arrived. I devoured the article Luscious Sweater Knits by knitwear designer Olgalyn Jolly.**
Under “Flat Hems” on page 37, she writes:
If hemming, don’t sew a knit with poor recovery directly to itself; the hem tends to flare out. Instead, apply a fine stretch mesh or lingerie elastic along the hem allowance to ensure good recovery at the hem.
What a great idea at the perfect time! I quickly added her technique to my plan.
** Threads gives online access to their issues through paid subscriptions, so unfortunately, I can’t provide a link.
Swedish pattern paper pieces on the sweater knit
The pattern is the Hallå Slim Dolman pattern for women. I chose the tunic length, long sleeve option with hems instead of bands. I had to iron my pattern pieces from last time, but other than that, I just had to take them out of the envelope. In this case, there was no need to even pin the pattern to fabric. The swedish tracing paper clung to the sweater knit, which behaved well while cutting.
Delighted with how well everything was going, I never noticed that I forgot to cut a collar band. By the time I got to it, I didn’t have any material left. We’ll get back to that issue in a minute.
I noticed right away that I would need to keep handling to a minimum, as the edges raveled very easily. Time to put my sweater-knit tricks new and old into practice!
Trick 1: Stabilize shoulder seams
This is a good idea with most knits, but especially where the fabric may not be strong enough to support the weight of the garment. The last time I used (2-way) fusible knit interfacing, I gathered up the scraps and cut them into strips. I fused them in place on all four shoulder edges.
Fusible knit strips ready to go
Strip fused in place
Trick 2: Stretchy stabilized hems
Using the Threads article as a general guide, I put together some really stable and flat hems. I didn’t have lingerie elastic or lightweight mesh on hand, so I cut strips from a piece of power mesh. If you are not familiar with power mesh, you would recognize it as the mesh often used in ready-to-wear bras and shapewear. The only color I had was a hot pink, but since there was pink in the sweater, I figured any show-through would look intentional. I made a little slide show detailing how the hems came together.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Trick 3: Baste with Wonder Tape
Remember how I forgot to cut a neckband? When I figured out what I did, I looked around for some fabric that would work as a stand-in, but nothing grabbed me. Then I tried it on without the band. The neck opening is very wide, but I kind of liked it. I figured that if I added bra-strap carriers, it would be pretty easy to wear.
I applied wash-away wonder tape to the edge of the neckband for two reasons. First, it served to stabilize the fragile curve and prevent raveling. Second, I could use it as a guide to turn a precise 1/4 in. hem.
Neatly basted 1/4 in neck opening
Trick 4: Stabilize neckline with strong and decorative embroidered edge
At this point, I could have stitched the neck in place and called it a day. I just thought the top needed a little something extra. Why not use embroidery to highlight it? At the same time, the hand stitching would secure the hem in place.
Using some plain embroidery floss I had on hand, I stitched a simple cross stitch pattern around the entire neck. It’s now a very secure hem, but gives the neck a unique embellishment. My work is not quite as precise as I would like, but that is more than made up for by how happy I am with the color and pattern.
Embroidery up close
Inside view showing stabilized shoulder seam and bra strap carriers
Even with all of the embroidery and extra steps, this was a quick project. I would definitely do another one – just maybe with a neckband next time.
I had just finished cutting out a cute new top (coming soon) out of a lightweight floral sweater knit. When I was done, I still had a wide length of fabric. It wasn’t enough to use for any garments though.
Regular readers will know that I like to find ways of using every little bit of leftover fabric. Because my scrap was basically a wide rectangle, it was perfect for a scarf.
I smoothed out the piece on my large cutting mat, aligning the grain as best as I could. Like many stretch fabrics, it was somewhat pulled out of shape near the selvedge. I cut that part away. Then I used the gridlines on my cutting mat and a long ruler to cut the largest rectangle I could, resulting in a 50 x 15 inch piece.
The scarf fully extended
The cutting doesn’t have to be perfect. This project is very forgiving of mistakes.
While still at the cutting table, I folded the rectangle lengthwise, right sides together. This sweater knit stuck to itself very well, so I didn’t bother pinning it. Then I serged the long raw edges together using a 4 thread overlock.
I turned the tube so the right side was facing out, then serged the openings to each other. I had to hand stitch the last little opening, then done!
Instant gratification projects are so fun, don’t you think? Now excuse me while I rummage through all of my sweater scraps.
SUPPLIES
1/3 yard (or so) lightweight sweater knit – Mine was from Sincerely Rylee
Before I started cutting into the good fabric, I tested the unaltered pattern by making a muslin. The coat has two sets of pieces: one larger set for the coat exterior, and one slightly smaller for the lining. For the muslin, I just used the lining pieces, omitting the collar and making only one sleeve.
Trying it on, I found that I would need to lengthen it about an inch to make the waist fall where it should. Otherwise, everything seemed to work.
I’m used to altering pattern pieces, but I think this is the first time I have had to lengthen 6 pieces for a single waist adjustment!
Muslin front view
Muslin side view
54 pieces? Seriously?
Pattern pieces in hand, I was ready to start cutting. Since I had 5 different materials to cut, I made a checklist. Between the wool, the lining, the underlining, the interfacing and the collar, I had to cut 54 pieces. Yep – 54.
For the exterior, I cut out the main fabric and an interfacing or an underlining piece for each coat part. Following along with the class, I resolved to get all of those prepared before moving on to the lining.
I used the instructor’s recommendation and applied fusible knit interfacing to the wrong side of the coat’s front, front facing, sleeve facing, and under-collar. Then I re-pinned the pattern piece to transfer markings and cut notches. I used tracing paper and a tracing wheel for the markings.
TIP: use a dedicated press cloth for fusibles. Mark the top “this side up” so that any stray adhesive comes off on one side of the press cloth instead of the iron.
I backed the remaining coat pieces with a flat-lining (black cotton lawn). First, I pinned the cotton lawn to the wrong side of the wool, gently pulling the edge inward to accommodate the “turn of the cloth,” or the extra space the thick exterior fabric takes from the seam allowance. I used my japanese basting thread to hand baste the lawn in place. As with the fused pieces, I re-pinned the pattern piece back in place. I cut notches and transferred markings, this time using tailor’s tacks.
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
It’s going to be a little while before I’m ready to start putting the pieces together, but I promise you will be the first to know!
I made another scarf! This one was a special request. The assignment: use a specific yarn to make a simple, long, lightweight scarf. No embellishments or fancy stitching desired.
I think the finished object fit the brief. With one skein of Cascade Heritage Quatro (400 meters), I went back and forth in garter stitch, slipping one stitch at the beginning of each row. The quatro is a sock weight yarn, so the entire project was done on tiny size 2 needles. It’s a very nice merino/nylon blend yarn made from plies of four different colors twisted together. When knitted together, they make a nice blended effect. Unfotunately, I think I may have bought the last one in existence, because I can’t find any more anywhere. I think you could approximate the effect by holding four different strands of a laceweight yarn together though.
That’s the last bit of knitting for a little while.
More sewing coming soon!
Scarf as work in progress. You can clearly see the twisted strands in the sock yarn.
Cost – I checked out several retailers looking at basic, lined, medium length wool or wool blend coats. The coats I found all had front pockets and polyester lining. Prices ranged from $150-$400 for mid-range brands. I made a mental note that I did not want the materials for my coat to exceed $150.
Fit – Although fit is less crucial in a roomy garment like a coat, it still matters. Obviously, sewing your own leaves fit in your own hands.
Quality – I don’t think I have ever had any problems with the construction of store-bought coats. Materials are another story. I’m hoping that I can avoid torn linings, pilling and other wear and tear by using better quality fabrics.
Style and Details – I like pockets. I love when I am able to go for a walk without having to carry a bag because my pockets do the job alone. While most coats typically have some kind of front pockets, that’s where it stops. I think I can do better. I also don’t want to have the same thing as everyone else.
Silk twill lining fabric
I mentioned in a previous post that I purchased a coat-making course from Craftsy*. The interactive, online video lessons also come with a pattern, Vogue V9040, which the instructor, Steffani Lincecum, uses as her example throughout. Before buying anything else, I went through the course. I confirmed that I still wanted to do it, and noted all the ways the course instructions deviate from the pattern. For example, the pattern calls for sew-in interfacing while the course uses fusible knit interfacing.
*Craftsy and Bluprint both offer this course. If you are a Bluprint customer, you will need to purchase the pattern separately.
With pattern and notes in hand, I started hunting for materials. It took over a month. I am glad that I started looking when I did, because it took a while to wait for swatches and make final decisions.
Supplies
I think I’m ready to begin. Here’s the result of my shopping spree (includes shipping):
3 yards Italian Dark Brown Wool Blend Coating from Mood (on sale) $62.96
2.5 yards Dragonfly print silk twill from MarcyTilton.com $93.50
1 yard Black Silk/Rayon Velvet for collar and buttons from Dharma Trading $14.42
I’m already over budget by $60. Oops. I chose to use silk for the lining, and that was really expensive. My rationale was that silk is warm and hard wearing. It’s also something that will bring me joy whenever I put on my coat. New budget rationalized!
I wish I could say where the yarn came from. I only know that I have had it for a long time and that I was saving it because it was too good to use. I have revised my thinking and now more often consider materials not good enough to use. 😉
I do remember that both colors are undyed 100% alpaca yarn. They are so soft, warm and light.
This is a very very easy scarf to make. It only uses one stitch, so it can be done almost mindlessly. I finished it in 4 nights while binge-watching TV. If you are interested, I have a few more details on Ravelry.
More sewing coming soon. Until then, happy making!
Last weekend daylight savings time began. For those of you not in the USA, it’s a charming custom whereby we set our clocks back one hour until spring. (Not everyone does this – it’s a whole big thing…)
For me, this is when autumn starts to feel real. Here in Rhode Island, the sun is now setting at 4:30PM! I think at a subconscious level, I knew I had to prepare. October found me as busy as a squirrel collecting acorns and about as focused. Unfortunately, that meant that many projects have gone unblogged.
Rather than go into a lot of detail (for a change), I’m just going to share some October highlights.
Fall Wardrobe Sewing
I didn’t do a lot of ambitious sewing in October. I finished a few projects I started earlier in the year though.
I made another pull-on knit circle skirt from the Butterick B6578 pattern. The skirt was part of my original Fall 2018 sewing plan and coordinates nicely with the rest of the collection. I made View A. The fabric is a nice brushed poly from Sincerely Rylee.
Also for Fall, I made a neat cloche hat with leftover green twill. More on that below.
I also finished another fit and flare top using McCall’s M7356. This top was actually constructed from my original muslin. The fabric is way too thin, but I never intended to use it for real. I just really liked how the muslin looked. So I took out all of the basting and put it together properly. There are a few imperfections, but I think with a camisole I will wear it a lot. I go into more detail on my pattern review here.
Above: Fall cloche and fit and flare top
Vintage Handkerchiefs
Some of my nifty new old things – oh, the possibilities!
My Mom has saved all kinds of interesting things, including a number of old handkerchiefs from the 1930s to the 1960s. I took some back to Providence after my last visit to incorporate into my fabric stash. After a bit of effort, I now have 34 clean, ironed bits of old-fashioned charm. The collection is a veritable needlecraft sampler, with hemstitching, tatted lace, appliqué, embroidery, and crocheted edges. I can’t wait to start playing around with them! I have already started a board on Pinterest to collect ideas.
I blocked some of the lacier handkerchiefs
Halloween
Spoiler: I did not sew my costume. But I will take credit for making the accessories that pulled it together. This year I dressed as a suffragist. I can well imagine that this might have been me in reality if I have been alive 100 years ago.
The dress I found in my Mom’s closet – she wore it in the 1970s. Since we have an election around the corner, I thought a suffragist would be fun.
I found a free downloadable cloche pattern which I used to throw together a vintage style hat. I’ve never made a hat before. It was much easier than I thought. Since the individual pieces are so small, I was able to use scraps alone. The ribbon is even saved from a Christmas package. I wound up making two hats because I misread the instructions the first time and sewed the seams with too narrow of an allowance. This led to a large and loose hat, which someone else might enjoy some day. I cut out another hat, following the directions the second time. The fabric is scavenged from the scraps of my fall 2018 collection, so it coordinates with everything. It’s already found it’s way into my closet. I reviewed the pattern on patternreview.comhere. The pattern itself was from the website sewmamasew.com. There are gorgeous versions of this cloche and other styles for sale on Etsy at the Etsy store Elsewhen Millenery.
The sash came out again on election day. It felt pretty good to wear it at the polling place.
I made the sash using some plain unbleached muslin. The lettering was really easy. I found a font that was close to the one used by the marchers in historical photos. I typed the words, scaled them to the size needed for the sash, then flipped them to be mirror image. Then I used my inkjet printer to print it on an Avery light fabric transfer sheet. I followed the instructions on the box to iron the lettering onto my sash. I think it looks great.
Knitting
As if that were not enough, I somehow found myself in a yarn store early in the month. I am constitutionally incapable of leaving a yarn shop without buying anything. This time was no exception. I have been knitting my way through my purchases. So far, I have finished two winter hats, both with the same yarn. I’m keeping one for me and the other for donating. I have a bunch of other works in progress, which I will add to the blog as I finish. For other knitters (and curious onlookers), you can find my work going back to 2004 on Ravelry.comhere.
Winding yarn for the next project
Embroidery
I finished a couple of embroidered day-of-the-week dishtowels recently. Aren’t they adorable? They are made in the same way as the ones in this post from earlier this year, only with a different iron-on design. You can find the puppy design here.
Mending and Editing
I have been making my way through the work basket as well lately. In the past month, I have mended or altered at least 6 items from my work pile. They have all been there so long that it seems like I just went shopping and came home with 6 new things. I haven’t seen the bottom of the pile yet, but I think there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. I’ll feature some of the more interesting upcycles in the coming months.