Sunday 31 May 2015

May Indie Pattern Update!


So May has been the month of the Spring/Summer collection releases! We have been inundated with choice of new patterns this month. Luckily I've had a bit of time off and churned through some of my never ending sewing queue so I might be able to treat myself to a couple of new additions!

New Indie Pattern Companies!

  • Annie from Nine Stitches launched her new company Sew This Pattern with her first pattern, the Pin Pegs Mini Skirt! I'm really taken with the contemporary design which features an asymmetrical hem and diagonal zip closure.
  • Lilith & Eve released their very first pattern, LE101! It has two very different variations, one a button down tank and the other a long sleeved shirt, both with a gorgeous draped back and curved yoke. A paper version of the pattern is coming soon!


New Patterns

  • Papercut Patterns launched their Spring/Summer 2015 collection, Chameleon. The Rise & Fall Turtleneck is my favourite, although I absolutely love the look of the Guise Pants too but they're one of those styles that I just can't pull off!
  • Lily Sage & Co. released two new patterns this month. The first was the Wonderland Skirt and the second the Branson Top. I love seeing unique designs like this being released; the fitted yoke of the skirt I think is particularly interesting.
  • Style Arc's new pattern offerings included the Hazel Combo, a couple of beach cover ups and the Faith Woven Top which was the freebie of the month. They are also offering more pattern packs which come complete with the fabric; this month's releases are for the Demi Drape Top and Lea Wrap Dress along with more Designer Leggings.
  • Vanessa Pouzet recently released the Fatale Sister Pencil Skirt which features an exposed centre back zip. I love her samples and might need to brush up on my French so I can tackle it!
  • Itch To Stitch released the Lindy Petal Skirt pattern which is designed for knits and is also FREE! After testing Kennis's Marbella Dress last year I can highly recommend taking the chance to try out one of her patterns for free as the instructions are so thorough and well thought out.
  • The latest release from Paprika Patterns is the Onyx Shirt, which is their take on the woven t-shirt. It has lots of options within the two variations to create the look you want, including sleeves, sleeves with cuffs or no sleeves, two heights of neckline and the choice to make it shirt length or cropped.
  • Madalynne released a FREE pattern for the sequin bra she made earlier in the month. It's named Mallori Lane and is just for A and B cup sizes. I've seen some lovely lace versions popping up on various blogs.
  • The recent release from Straight Stitch Designs is the Greenwood Tank which is a classic knit top design featuring two back options. It's the first in a collection of Straight Stitch Basics which sound really interesting.
  • I've been eagerly awaiting the release of Dixie DIY's Bonnell Dress and now I've seen Lindsay's chambray test version I think I'm going to have to make a purchase! It's available in 10 sizes and has one of my favourite design features, a back v-neck along with triangular cut outs at the side seams.
  • Another company with an entire collection release this month is Schnittchen, with 10 new offerings. It wasn't actually until I was writing this that I properly checked out the new patterns and I may need to take a little break to possibly purchase that Judith Jumpsuit!
  • Hot Patterns released the Fast & Fabulous Shirt Tail Tees, a pattern for slouchy knit tops. I think you could have some real fun with pattern placement on the variations with the pieced front!
  • Colette Patterns have been releasing some gorgeous designs with their monthly Seamwork Magazine but this month they treated us with a new addition to their main collection, the Aster Button Up.
  • Megan Nielsen has launched her redesigned paper patterns, starting with the ever popular Tania Culottes and Darling Ranges Dress plus a brand new design, the Brumbie Skirt. I love those big pockets and Sallieoh's voile version is just gorgeous!
  • And last but by no means least, Christine Haynes' big new release is the Sylvie Dress. I'm in love with the gingham sample she made for picnic's in the park and think the full skirt is perfect for a border print I've been hoarding!

Sew-alongs

  • There's been a sew-along running for the Named Jamie Jeans over on Indie Sew. I've got a pair of these cut out (along with a pair of Gingers which I really need to get started on!) so will definitely be referring back to this for extra guidance.
  • The sew-along for Colette Patterns' new Aster will be coming soon so keep an eye out over on sew-alongs.com for that!
  • Jen from Grainline Studio is running a sew-along for the already very popular Morris Blazer, which was released last month. It starts tomorrow (Monday 1st June) over on the Grainline blog.

Upcoming!

  • Norma from Orange Lingerie revealed that she is working on a new thong and brief pattern to go with the Marlborough Bra. I know how popular the bra has been within the sewing community so I'm sure this news is going to go down a storm!
  • By Hand London have revealed a few hints on their Instagram at their next release, the Zeena Dress. Fingers crossed we should be seeing it sometime next month!
  • I was very excited to spot a sneak peak of what looked to be a swimsuit pattern on Maison Fleur's Instagram account. After making the Closet Case Files Bombshell last year I'm keen to make some more swimwear this year so am looking out for some interesting designs.
  • Kennis from Itch to Stitch just put out a call for testers for her next pattern, the Angelia Shorts. They have a huge number of pocket options and interesting details to choose from!
  • Tilly and the Buttons has a new pattern coming this week!

Other Exciting News

  • Iconic Patterns relaunched an updated version of their Jess Jeans pattern. It now includes options for a button or zip fly and the PDF version now has various printing formats to choose from.
  • Menswear pattern company Thread Theory released the paper versions of their Finlayson Sweater, Jutland Pants and first ladies wear pattern the Camas Blouse. I'm yet to try out one of their printed patterns but love the look of their packaging.
  • Continuing their work to make their entire collection available in PDF format the By Hand London Elisalex Dress is now available as a digital download.
  • As well as relaunching her paper patterns with a gorgeous new look Megan Nielsen revealed her brand new Pattern App! It's available free from the app store and I really think Megan might have hit on something in terms of the future of sewing patterns. It makes it easy to access all the pattern information you might need as well as all the sewing instructions, negating the need to print out instructions with your PDF.
  • Waffle Patterns have made their Cookie Jacket and Warabi Tunic patterns available in more sizes. The range is now from a 31.5"-43" bust and both patterns are 10% off for the next week!

As always if you can think of any news I've missed or if you're an indie designer with some more info for me please feel free to make a comment below or shoot me an email. To finish up here's your monthly dose of indie sewing inspiration! 


  • I LOVE how Lauren hacked the Lady Skater pattern into a wrap dress! Such a great idea and it's turned out really beautifully. I've been thinking about making a wrap dress for a while now and I've already got this pattern in my stash...
  • Heather Lou's Asaka Kimono is jaw-droppingly beautiful! What an absolutely perfect pattern for that crazily stunning fabric!
  • Lindsay has been knocking up some stunning garments recently; I particularly love her version of the Delphi Maxi Dress. It's made me take a second look at that pattern!
  • Queen of how to use a print to it's best advantage, Marcy has struck again with her two piece jumpsuit combo of a Vogue bodice and the Holly Jumpsuit trousers! Not technically a full indie  pattern project but I love it so much I had to include it anyway!
  • Anna's sunny yellow combination of the Kim Dress bodice and Salme Flared Mini Skirt has turned out beautifully! The exposed blue zip in the centre back is a lovely touch.

    Friday 29 May 2015

    Two Emmeline Tees

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Silk Georgette Emmeline Tee from Little Tailoress

    One of the main things I had on my list of garments to sew during my recent 'sew-cation' was an assortment of simple but interesting tops to wear with jeans throughout the spring and summer. My job can be fairly hands on so despite trying my hardest to find reasons to wear pretty dresses and maxi skirts I often find myself reaching for skinny jeans or shorts in the mornings. Spring hits and every year I think I wish I had more chic tops that I can sling on when still half asleep and feel great in all day. I've tried out quite a few t-shirt and blouse patterns in the last few weeks and despite my continuing love for the versatility of Grainline's Scout Tee I think I might have hit the jackpot with Emmeline from Little Tailoress!

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Silk Georgette Emmeline Tee from Little Tailoress

    Ami offered to send me a copy of the paper pattern shortly after she released it at the start of the year. While I was looking forward to making it and could see where it would fill a gap in my wardrobe I wasn't as enthralled by it at first glance as I am now I've made up a couple of versions! It is cut beautifully, and the result is both flattering and comfortable. I can just about squeeze it out of a metre so I'm really excited that it might also be the perfect pattern for using up a lot of the fabrics in my stash!

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Emmeline Tee Sewing Pattern from Little Tailoress

    One of the things I was most impressed with about the pattern were the instructions. I already knew from reading Ami's blog that she has some serious sewing skills and experience with techniques up her sleeve and it really shows in the depth of information provided. The instruction booklet felt like a little textbook. There are six sets of instructions in total, one for each of the three variations using both knits and wovens. I first tried out variation 2, with raglan sleeves in a lovely berry coloured silk georgette from Mood Fabrics. I cut the size XS which I was a little wary about as only a bust measurement is given but as it has a relaxed fit this turned out perfectly. For me personally it has just the right amount of ease.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Silk Georgette Emmeline Tee from Little Tailoress

    I really love the shape of the neckline; both the width of it and the way it cuts down just beneath the collar bones. The neckline is also the aspect of this project that I'm the most proud of! I followed the instructions exactly and despite using a delicate silk it's the best binding finished I've ever achieved! When I realised how narrow the binding would turn out I was slightly apprehensive of this step but, partly because the georgette pressed so well, it was fairly painless.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Silk Georgette Emmeline Tee from Little Tailoress

    I did get a little confused about how to achieve the turn back cuffs with this one as, after describing how to secure the deep hem on them, it wasn't detailed in the instructions. In the end I just pressed them back by the amount I thought looked best, though I might catch them back with a stitch at the top and bottom for added security.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Silk Georgette Emmeline Tee from Little Tailoress

    I've decided that despite usually being very lightweight silk georgette is one of my favourite silks to work with. The slightly textured and matt nature of it means that it seems to slip about less than a crepe de chine or chiffon might. I cut this out using my shears without any extra measures like cutting sandwiching it between tissue paper and had no problems with it shifting off grain. I used plenty of pins within the seam allowances and took the sewing nice and slow. It's also a pretty resilient fabric so I've been washing it on a delicate 30 degree cycle in my machine with no trouble. If you are intending to wash your silks by machine make sure to pre-wash your fabric in exactly the same way to prevent any unexpected shrinkage or damage when the completed garment in washed.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Cotton Jersey Emmeline Tee from Little Tailoress

    For my second version I chose variation 1, which has kimono style sleeves and I used a soft cotton jersey which I picked up in the recent £1/m Cloth House sale. It is printed with a silver foil effect which I love but unfortunately a fair bit of the silver wore off when I pre-washed the fabric. I quite like the more subtle look it now has at least and the wear doesn't seem to have continued with further washes. Who can complain when a £14/m fabric is knocked down by that much anyway! I've still got over a metre of this one left so answers on a postcard for what else I could make with it please!

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Cotton Jersey Emmeline Tee from Little Tailoress

    I had the same straightforward experience sewing up this one as the first. A different pattern piece is used for the neckline for the knit versions (as obviously it's not cut on the bias like a woven and it's shorter so it will be stretched out to lay flat). I really like the slim width of the resulting neckband. I used my twin needle to finish this off although it is not called for in the instructions. I just like the way this looks and also like how it helps keep the seam allowance securely tucked under.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Cotton Jersey Emmeline Tee from Little Tailoress

    As has become normal practice for me with knits I used a narrow zig zag to assemble it, then finished the seams on my overlocker. The jersey was really lovely to sew with and responded well to a nice hot and steamy iron. The instructions were much more explicit about the cuffs on this version and after pressing I slipstitched these in place by hand as described.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Cotton Jersey Emmeline Tee from Little Tailoress

    I do prefer my woven version to the knit which I think is down to the weight of the jersey being a little heavy for this style of top and not hanging quite right. I'm keen to try out one of the other variations in a lighter weight knit. Both of these have been in and out of the wash at least a couple of times already and I can see them getting a lot of wear over the summer. I so enjoyed making them and already have another waiting to be cut. I'm looking forward to seeing what Ami releases next!

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Cotton Jersey Emmeline Tee from Little Tailoress

    Thursday 21 May 2015

    Denim McCalls 6696 Shirtdress

    I'm so excited to share my latest completed garment with you today! It was one of those projects which seemed to come together without any struggles and just worked. I'm so pleased with the style, fit, fabric, and finishing I managed to achieve.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Denim McCalls 6696 Shirtdress

    I'm sure many of you will recognise the pattern as the infamous McCalls 6696 shirtdress which has been taking the sewing blogosphere by storm over the last year or so. I can see why everyone has been raving about it; it's a fantastic pattern and is so enjoyable to put together. The cut is beautiful and it has some gorgeous design details. Not only that but it comes with bodice pattern pieces for different cup sizes and the construction method is spot on. I love the way the insides have turned out, especially with the contrast of the right and wrong sides of this lovely denim!

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Denim McCalls 6696 Shirtdress

    I've been thinking about making a denim shirtdress for a while now, they keep popping up all over my Pinterest! I think they're a great staple to have in your wardrobe and with changes in styling can work through all seasons. Then I found this beautiful washed denim in Unique Fabrix on Goldhawk Road and my mind was made up! It was so lovely to work with and great for this pattern as the washed quality means it's not too stiff, thick or heavy. I'm very tempted to head back and buy a bit more in a different shade to make myself a little seventies style button up skirt!

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Denim McCalls 6696 Shirtdress

    I then deliberated over what pattern to use for some time as I already have the Grainline Alder and Colette Hawthorn in my pattern collection but neither of them seemed quite what I was after; I wanted something more fitted than Alder and not quite as feminine and full skirted as the Hawthorne. I then remembered Clare from Sew Dixie Lou's gorgeous chambray version of 6696, decided it was just what I needed in my life and treated myself to the pattern! Boy was that a good decision. It's one of those patterns that as soon as you finish you want to start all over again. It's a good thing I didn't have any other suitable fabric in my stash or I could have disappeared down a shirtdress rabbit hole and the rest of my sewing queue would have gone out thew window!

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Denim McCalls 6696 Shirtdress

    I made View C, sleeveless with the more fitted skirt. I was so keen to make this dress just perfect that I actually made a muslin of the bodice which is fairly unusual for me! I'm always a bit wary of the amount of ease in the sizing of the big 4 patterns so I measured the flat pattern pieces to work out what size would probably fit best. The envelope suggested a size 12 but my measuring indicated I would be a size 10 maximum so I cut this with the A/B cup (which I also don't understand as that's not my usual size but I followed their measuring guide!). It was a pretty good fit as is. The only change I made was to shorten the bodice by just shy of an inch and the waistband now sits perfectly. Looking at the final dress in photos I think it's a little roomy in the shoulders so next time I'd skim a bit of width off the armholes or possibly even size down to the 8 with a C cup as I could probably stand to loose a bit of ease in the waist too. I like this shape of skirt to finish above the knee on me as I think my frame gets a bit overwhelmed by them being longer so I took 3.5" off the bottom and used 1" for the hem.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Denim McCalls 6696 Shirtdress

    The main change I made to the pattern was to remove the gathering from the centre back. I quite like it as a feature in the version with the full skirt but I wanted to keep my straight skirted version streamlined and also felt like the gathering would be too bulky in the denim. To do this I removed a wedge from the centre back of the pattern piece, 3.5" at the top where the back piece joins the yoke, and 6" from the waist seam. One of the things that I really liked about this pattern (which I have to say I miss from a lot of indies) is how clearly aspects like the waistline, centre back and bust points are marked on the pattern pieces. It makes making alterations like this and analysing fit SO much easier. Marking things like this on pattern pieces and muslins is definitely something I will take forward from this project.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Denim McCalls 6696 Shirtdress

    The pattern doesn't instruct you to topstitch your seams; the yoke, plackets and waistband are all finished with slip-stitching. As I was using denim I really wanted to incorporate some topstitched detail but I wanted it to be quite soft a subtle so chose to use the same mid grey thread I was using to construct it. Topstitching is actually one of my favourite sewing activities, I don't know why! I'm really pleased with how it turned out on this. I didn't use a special foot or anything, I just used the edge of my foot as a guide and the fabric took it beautifully. It also meant that I could get out of all that hand sewing as I just pressed under the edges that would have been slipstitched, pinned them in place from the right side and secured them with the topstitching.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Denim McCalls 6696 Shirtdress

    Most of the insides end up cleanly finished if you follow the instructions. The only change I made was to complete the yoke using the burrito method rather than slipstitching the inside yoke piece to the shoulder seams as recommended. I finished any visible seam allowances using a light grey thread on my overlocker. It's true what they say about grey thread; it really does blend in with nearly anything and I'm really pleased I bought some cones of it a few weeks ago. While I'm looking at the insides and thinking about it I'm just going to take a moment and say how much I love the angled pockets on this pattern. I might end up using the skirt pieces to make my denim skirt just because I like the pockets so much!

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Denim McCalls 6696 Shirtdress

    The only aspect I'm not super happy with my finishing on is the collar stand. It's always a tricky element and in this denim it proved even more so. The topstitching worked out great but it was tucking in the seam allowance at the centre front points that proved tricky in the denim. It needed trimming down quite a bit so as not to be too bulky but I ended up with such a small allowance it was really hard to keep it tucked in neatly. As always I used Andrea from Four Square Walls' collar tutorial and trimmed down the interfacing, under collar and inner stand slightly which helped both with bulk and to keep everything sitting correctly.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Denim McCalls 6696 Shirtdress

    I chose to use a mid weight fusible cotton interfacing after much deliberation. I was worried about it being too stiff and heavy, particularly on the button plackets where there is a double layer but it's worked out perfectly.  I made my own bias binding from the denim to finish the armholes rather than using shop bought and am so happy with how this looks. The buttons came from Goldhawk Silks & Trimmings and were just what I was after; the metal look of a traditional denim shirt dress but still delicate and small. I only needed 9 as I had shortened it beyond the bottom button and omitted the one on the collar stand which I would never use. I had a bit of trouble with the buttonholes because the bulky seam allowance where the band meets the bodice/skirt was pushing the foot off centre but I got there in the end with a bit of unpicking!

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Denim McCalls 6696 Shirtdress

    As well as being ridiculously pleased with this new addition to my wardrobe I really learnt a lot from the process of making it and enjoyed that too. Despite my usual tendency to plough on ahead with a project because I have such limited time to sew I think I've finally cracked realising just how valuable it is to give myself a bit more time to think about fit and whip up a muslin if necessary. This one took no time at all and even though I barely made any adjustments I can see difference!

    Saturday 16 May 2015

    Two Ultimate Pencil Skirts

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Tartan Ultimate Pencil Skirt from Sew Over It

    Well this post has been a long time coming as I tested this Ultimate Pencil Skirt pattern for the lovely ladies at Sew Over It way back at the end of last year and made another using the tartan fabric from their kit in February. Both versions have seen a lot of wear since, in fact the tartan is rapidly becoming one of my most worn handmade garments, so I thought it was about time I got some pictures and shared the details with you!

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Black Stretch Crepe Ultimate Pencil Skirt from Sew Over It

    For my testing version I used this black crepe from the Sew Over It online shop. It's got a slight stretch to it which makes for a super comfortable skirt but it is particularly important to interface the waistband facing in this instance to retain the fit in that area. The crepe sewed up beautifully, the stitches disappear into it, but it really did not respond well to pressing! I used a medium heat, as high as I could go without risking a melting/burning situation, but it still tended to spring back. Some vigorous clapping and under stitching really helped though.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Black Stretch Crepe Ultimate Pencil Skirt from Sew Over It

    I cut between the size 8 and 10 as my measurements fell exactly between the two. This version could now stand to be a little tighter as I've lost a bit of weight since I made it. For my second skirt I cut the straight size 8 and it fits like a glove. It's just snug enough for my liking but is surprisingly comfortable and easy to walk and sit in despite the tartan having no give whatsoever. The pattern recommends 1.3m of fabric but I actually managed to get both versions out of just 90cm (140cm wide) before removing any length.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Tartan Ultimate Pencil Skirt from Sew Over It

    I gave quite some quite detailed feedback on my experience with the pattern and was really delighted about how it was taken on board. I know a few changes were made after testing, the most obvious being the addition of a lengthen/shorten here line above the kick pleat. In my test version I removed 2" of length from the hem. To make it my preferred length I really needed to remove more but I was worried about making the vent too short to serve it's purpose and also loosing too much of the gorgeous side seam shaping which is one of the best features of this pattern. Being such a shortie, for my second version I removed 2" at the lengthen/shorten here line and still took off 3" from the bottom before hemming! It has made the vent a fair bit shorter than intended but I am much more comfortable with the length and movement of this version.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Ultimate Pencil Skirt from Sew Over It vents

    The instructions and illustrations are clear and concise and it's definitely a project a beginner could tackle but I think a bit of sewing know-how is useful to get the most out of it. I did get a bit puzzled about the centre back vent instructions during testing but using the released version from the kit it made complete sense and achieves a lovely clean and professional finish. The only time I veered away from the instructions was when attaching the facing. My preferred method for doing this is to sew it to the waistline all the way around, including over the ends of the zip. I use my regular zip foot to sew the ends of the facing to the zip tape along the centre back seam before trimming the top corners and turning it out. I find this makes for a much cleaner and less bulky corner at the top of the zip.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Tartan Ultimate Pencil Skirt from Sew Over It

    One of the things I've always really liked about Sew Over It instructions is that they have you overlock/finish the seam allowances before construction. This might be something that a lot of you do anyway but it's not how I usually work and for a simple project like this it makes for a really satisfying and quick assembly process. You do have to be careful not to trim anything off with the overlocker and messing up your sizing but it does prevent any nasty overlocker blade accidents!

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Black Stretch Crepe Ultimate Pencil Skirt from Sew Over It

    You can either purchase the printed pattern as part of a kit (which includes the tartan wool blend fabric, interfacing, zip and thread) or separately as a PDF download. I really love this particular tartan and can report that it's been wearing fairly well. As I pre-washed it in the machine this is how I've been washing the finished skirt and after three months of being in regular rotation I'm just starting to notice some bobbling now.

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Tartan Ultimate Pencil Skirt from Sew Over It

    I will hold my hands up and admit to not putting all that much effort into matching the plaid as I figured that the shaping of the side seams meant that nothing was going to line up all that beautifully anyway. I did make sure that I cut the pieces so the plaid would be symmetrical either side of the centre front and back but I cut everything with the fabric folded when usually with a pattern matching challenge like this it's best to cut each piece in a single layer. As the main pattern pieces fitted next to each other on the fabric I did line them up so the horizontal lines of the tartan ran through the same point, using the notches and hemline as a guide. I'm pretty pleased with how the side seams look as a result!

    Diary of a Chain Stitcher: Tartan Ultimate Pencil Skirt from Sew Over It

    The super high waist and lack of a waistband is my favourite feature of this pattern. It's really feminine and flattering and I feel great in it. It's definitely one of those patterns that has me rummaging through my stash as soon as I've finished one version to see what other fabric I've got that would work for it so I'd expect to see a few more of these in the future!