Sewing for my daughter

About two weeks ago my daughter asked me whether I had any special plans for this weekend and on my answer that I had nothing planned she asked me whether I liked to have a sewing weekend. She wanted to sew together, so that she would get back in the groove of sewing and could get a little help. What does a mother say to such a request? For me it's a very rhetorical question. Of course I would like that. So that's what we did this weekend, sewing together. We even found time for some baking. Confess that my DH was a little neglected this weekend 😉. 

The tally is 5 tops and one pair of trousers altered! Easy patterns, most of them used before, all but one using the same colour thread which reduced time needed for changing thread on three machines (sewing machine, overlocker and coverstitch). I made her a couple of tops (after 50 years of sewing I can sew pretty fast if I want to, usually take my time though) and my daughter traced and made one top on her own. 

First is a top with layers from Ottobre 2/2014 with layers at the front. Rolled hems on the layer pieces.This was the most important piece as it is needed in two weeks time for a wedding she'll attend, but not difficult. 

Number two and three: t-shirts. On the left an Ottobre pattern I used before but changed a bit for the look she wanted this time (a bit wider, short sleeves a bit wider too than the original version). On the right the Bobbie pattern by Jalie, for which I made a curve to the armholes and added a cuff. Based on a photo of a shirt she liked.

  

Shirt 4 is the same Ottobre pattern, but then in original width of body and sleeves:

Last but not least the top my daughter made completely by herself, using a Burda pattern:

I'm proud of her doing this on her own. She asked a few things, but I only had to confirm that her way of thinking or doing something was correct. 

Finishing off with one sewing detail I'm pretty chuffed about: a v-neck topstitching done on my coverstitch. 

Needless to say my daughter went home happy. It was a lovely weekend, today the weather was especially good for sewing (cold and grey where I live). Back to work and household chores now. And of course thinking about the next project for myself! I already got a dress finished I want to show you, so stay tuned!

Burda blouse, April 2021

It's been again quite a long time since I posted. I won't bother you with the details, I'm well but illness and mourning has been part of the past months. 

Now it's time to get back to some sewing. A relatively easy blouse from Burda April 2021. 

A good preparation for when spring will finally arrive, it's been cold, raining and storming most of March here. I look forward to wearing this blouse.

I made this blouse before, in March last year and loved to wear it. So when I was looking for something to make from this fabric I remembered this pattern and as it was already traced and ready to use an easy choice. I had only about 1.20 meter as I bought it with the intention of making a short sleeved blouse. The facing has a seam as it couldn't be cut twice from that length in that amount of fabric. The little tricks we use to make a fabric work!

Below my first version of this blouse.

Podcast interview

In December Maria from @SewOrganisedStyle asked me to talk to her about the fake Instagram account that was made with my name and to talk about my sewing history and what I like to make. It was so lovely talking to Maria! 

The podcast was published today and if you would like to hear the story, here's where to find it:

Sew Organised Style website

On YouTube with some photos (no video)

She has some great interviews with other dressmakers too. Enjoy!

First project of 2023

 

This t-shirt was inspired by one a friend wore a couple of years ago. I have made a similar one (never blogged about) at the time and thought it was time to do it again. 

I used a basic t-shirt pattern and made it into this pattern. The original inspiration piece had a higher neckline, this one was drafted with a lower neckline. It's the sort of change you can do easily.

As I always like to share the process, below my process in 7 steps. In the past year I made the move to digital pattern drafting and making my own pdf patterns, even for personal use only. Must say that's someting from someone who has been opposed to pdf patterns for a long time! 

The main advantage of digital drafting? No paper! Easy to keep an original, start again, save it in a folder on my computer, work on a draft when not at home, etc. The downside is that it's costing more than pencil and paper. I've used Adobe Illustrator initially because other programs couldn't do some essential things in pattern drafting (like measuring the length of a curve). Recently Affinity Designer 2 was launched, which is the program I used this time. This new version can measure curves and while it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of Illustrator, you can surely draft patterns with it. Big advantage is that you buy the program and there's no subscription fee! I'm not affiliated, but like to share this in case some of you are interested in digital pattern drafting but the cost of Illustrator is too high (it's a ridiculous high amount if you only use it for a hobby and probably occassionally). 

I'm working on a tutorial of using Affinity Designer 2 for sewing patterns. Let me know if there's something you would like to see!

Happy New Year!

 

Blouse from October Burda

Thank you for the nice comments on my posts! I'm having trouble commenting on blogger, even on my own blog at the moment, so therefor a general thank you and no reaction in the comment section itself. Hope I can find the problem and solve this, as apart from posting myself again, I also started to read other blogs again and would like to be able to comment. 

My most recent make is this Burda blouse from the October 2022 issue. Being a lover of special necklines, this immediately got my attention and ended high on my "to sew" list. 

The fabric is a viscose from Atelier Brunette, with good drape and easy to sew. I bought it last year in a fabric shop in Denmark, it's a holiday souvenir. 

I didn't like the sleeves had no cuffs, so I added those. 

If you made Burdastyle magazine patterns, you know that the instructions are not very detailed and more an order of construction (unless it's the pattern of the month, which this wasn't). As the neckline is not your everyday neckline, I did read the instructions! They  have you put on the collar first, attach it to the inside and only then add the zipper at center back. Which is not very neat in my opinion. Or I have understood it wrong ;).

I followed the first steps: sew the center of the collar, clip and turn and sew one side of the collar to the body. As the next step I inserted the zipper, so that when turning the collar, the top of the zipper is wrapped neatly inside. As last step the inside of the collar was handstitched to the neckline.

When there is no band to be attached above the zipper, I don't sew the start of the zipper tape, where there are no zipper teeth. In that way you can more easily fold the end out of the way and the fold of the fabric is more smooth.

A burgundy red suit

I realised that I have not published anything of what I've sewn in my sewing week in October. The coat plan was abandoned because I was so unsure of the pattern and didn't want to spend that precious sewing week and ending with a garment that I was not happy about. Well, we can always change our minds😀

So I worked on a suit instead. Burgundy red, quite uncommon for me but I have decided that this winter I would not only sew black ;). My winter wardrobe was getting a bit boring!

Both garments were made with Burda patterns. The trousers are from the March 2019 issue, the jacket from the August 2019 issue. 

As always the inside got some extra interfacing, shoulder placket and sleeve head. 

A special lining is always fun! 

I've worn the suit a few times already. Thought it might be formal, but it doesn't feel that way.