This and that

Almost two months between posts again. I guess you will have to get used to my irregular posting. My intention was to post more or less regularly, but it just doesn't happen. I've been sewing mostly quite uneventful garments: basic blouses and trousers. Which I needed but are not very original to show here. 

Through a thread on PatternReview I was inspired to sew a Knip Mode top from the April 2023 issue. Love the design, hate the instructions. 

On the photo below the top is mostly pinned so that I could make it clear for myself how the parts go together. 

I read the instructions because it was not immediately clear to me how the neckline should go together with the pieces I had cut out. Based on the drawing of the cutting layout I had 3 pieces that needed gathering and I couldn't get my head round how all three were used. After studying it for a long while I concluded that one piece was not needed. In the layout they show one piece that is cut from a double layer of fabric, but you really need it only once. This wasn't mentioned anywhere! There were other issues I have with the instructions but won't bother you with it. Another main issue is Knip's drafting again: too big and I started with a smaller size.  The armhole area is the main problem. 

To make a long story short: it still needs some work to get it right for me. I do like the style, so will persevere!

And though my blog is mainly about garment sewing, I’d like to show you another project I’ve been busy with. Since a little over a year I publish bag and pouch patterns under the name AbsolutelySigrid. 

In the past weeks I have been working on 3 patterns that will together be The Creative Kit. A project bag, a pouch for knitting needles or crochet hooks and a small pouch for a small pair of scissors, a few hand sewing needles and stitch markers or other small notions.  

    

If you like to see my patterns, have a look at my Payhip or Etsy page. In The Netherlands there are two shops that sell paper copies. 

It's quite time consuming to make a new pattern and I made it more complex for myself by making three to be published at the same time. It's only me who says that they had to be published together but without firm idea or deadline I keep postponing. 

Next week is a week with little sewing due to a very busy agenda, but I hope to keep you posted on my top.

Ivy top finished (knitting)

This was a quick and easy knit. I finished it in about two weeks time (holiday season). Irony has it that it was finished on one of the coldest days we had this winter. So this top will remain in my closet for a while to wait for warmer days but I’m very happy with the result. 

The armholes are finished with a very narrow i-cord and the hem is double. Both are not as described in the pattern, but in knitting I do the same as in sewing: changing things to my preference or figure. 

I like it so much that a second one, not striped, is on the needles already.

Yarn used: the white and blue is Knitting for Olive silk, held double. The green is colourway "Dusty artichoke", 1 strand of silk and one strand of cotton merino. Earlier last year I made the Sylvan tee with this greenish colour. When I bought the yarn I had another project in mind that needed more yarn, so I ended up with quite a bit of that colour. Most of this used up now.

As this photo on mee is a bit too yellow (artificial light) below another photo on my dressform.

 

More knitting than sewing

In the past few weeks I’ve done more knitting than sewing. The sewing mojo was gone. A few reasons for it but the most important one is that I have been redecorating and organising my sewing room. Which has resulted in it being more messy than usual and not inspiring at all. Last weekend the painting was done and gradually I’m feeling I can do something again. 

My current knitting project is the Ivy top from Petiteknit. I’m using remnant yarn from earlier projects of both my daughter (who is an avid knitter) and myself. To get an idea of how to work the stripes I made a drawing of how it could look like:

The result so far is promising.

As the pattern is designed for negative ease, which I don’t like, I used a larger size than I normally would. Even then I added some extra increasess for the bust area. The top down knitting makes that you can easily fit during the knitting process and I think it’s okay. I’ll be ready for summer (which is still a long way off). 

Sewy Rebecca bra

 

Presenting my latest lingerie set. I’m so happy to have sewn two new complete sets recently. I’ve not been sewing lingerie in a long time and when I did, it seldom were sets. After trying other patterns I will stick to Sewy patterns (at least in the near future). Great fit for me and I’m done with disappointing patterns that don’t give me good results. I’m absolutely not saying that there is anything wrong with other patterns, but they are not for my shape. As in rtw bras, where there is only one brand that I like the fit of, this is my preferred pattern brand for bras.  

The panty/brief is also a Sewy pattern, with the same name: Rebecca.  

The second panty is a copy of a rtw one. As I’ve shown in my previous post, I used the last scraps of lace and sewn them to mesh fabric. I like the result with the trim from elastic. Not symmetrical at all this one, but glad it worked out like this. 

Most of the materials used are from Small Bobbins, with some additions from my stash. 

I did show you a photo from two kits I bought. Here’s the other set:

A new set in progress

 Isn’t this a wonderful lace? The photos don’t show the little blue light reflecting parts very well but even without these I still think it’s beautiful. I bought a kit at Small Bobbins in Belgium. I added a few parts from my stash, as the kit didn’t have any lycra and the shoulder straps were a bit narrow for me. Which was a pity, as the kit contained really special shoulder straps in velvet.

A few details of the bra.

The inside. I like the cup lining: thin but giving support. 

I’m making two panties to go with it, but as the bra took a lot of lace I had only remnants left for the second one and couldn’t cut a complete part from it. So I used mesh and put the lace on top. Then finished the cut edge with a trim from elastic. Haven’t finished the panties yet and I’m curious myself how it will look. 

Another project I almost finished, a velvet jacket. More on that one later. 

Burda jacket November 2025, no 117

The weeks flew by again and this jacket has already been worn twice! So much for keeping up with my blog 😳. 

I'm quite happy with the result, it's very comfortable to wear and I don't feel restricted in my movements. The way the sleeves are constructed works well. The design lines would show better with a different fabric. 

The shape of the sleeves is a bit rounded and shaped more narrow at the end. See my previous post about the issue I had with Burda's instructions for adding 4 cm seam allowance to the sleeve hem. I used a facing as described in my post.

Here you can see the inset of the under sleeve and side panel. Needs some extra attention and precision sewing. Again, it would be more of a statement in a different fabric.

The pattern doesn't call for a lining, but with the extra interfacing spots at the points and especially my fabric I liked to have a lining. There were extra steps for the sleeves here too, as the circumference changes quickly at the hem. Won't discuss it here, but something to think about if you would use this pattern and want to line it too. 

An overview of my changes:

• Made the body 3 cm longer, default adjustment for me
• Used a facing at the sleeve hem
• Slightly shaped the waistline to make it less boxy
• Added lining
• Used thin raglan shoulderpads

The photos don't really do it justice, light is a problem at the moment, grey and short days!

Jacket from Burda November 2025 - part 2

The jacket is coming along nicely, but I don't have photos yet of a more complete jacket. Days are getting shorter so light to take good photos is more difficult. So a few more photos of details and observations on the pattern instructions.

This photo shows an extra detail of the sharp corners that have to be clipped to the stitch line. Burda advises to add a fusible interfacing at that point. I fully agree on that but have added small stitches in that corner as extra "insurance", especially for my fraying fabric. Using a small stitch length makes that the fabric remains stable. The corner is exact, the other stitches are within the 1.5 cm (5/8") seam allowance.

Clipping the seam allowance of the neckline. Clips are not made to the stitch line, but remain at a small distance from it (2 to 3 mm). This makes sure that there is enough room to have a nice smooth neckline when turned without any sharp corners. When you clip to the stitch line a sharp corner could be the result. A remark on Burda's instructions: they say to be "extra careful when you use knitted fabric". Why?? You should always be careful when clipping corners, not just knitted fabric. 

Which brings me to another issue: the instructions tell you to use only stretch/knitted fabrics. I really don't understand that and is wrong in my opinion. You probably can use a stable knit like a ponti di roma but it's perfectly fine with a woven fabric like mine.

Then something that is really strange, especially in a pattern that is shown with "step by step" instructions. In the cutting instructions they tell you to add 4 cm (1.5") for the hem of the sleeves. HOW?? The sleeves are tapered and have a rounded hem!! They don't tell you how to cut the hem allowance.

These are the three pieces that construct the sleeve. The red line is mine, not part of the pattern. If you would cut 4 cm in a continuous line, would turn it up you are missing a significant amount in circumference as this sleeves is tapered (quite a bit). And because it's round it wouldn't be easy to do either. 

My solution is to make a facing for the sleeve hem, the red lines indicate where I want that to end. I will trace these parts and cut a separate facing. 

I really love Burda patterns and don't mind their limited instructions. But adding  4 cm and then just tell you to fold it over and sew it would not work.

This jacket is unlined but I prefer a lining. Making the lining is my next step.