The Grainline Hemlock and Espresso Leggings

Have you ever had one of those days where you just feel blah? Well that was how I felt all day today. I woke up and my stomach felt yucky and my arms and hands really hurt. I've been having lots of trouble with them lately - too much sewing (and knitting and putting together pdf patterns) I guess. So I laid pretty low and didn't do much of anything. Lucky for me, my only boss is my husband and he's pretty lenient with me. So I spent most of the day surfin' the net, catching up on sewing blogs and watching Netflix (am I the only one who cried watching Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt's wedding? I'm the biggest baby ever). I always end up feeling really guilty when I'm sick or if I spend the day doing nothing (there's always so much to do!), so I decided I should at least do some blogging.

I have wanted to make Grainline Studio's Hemlock tee for quite some time, and I finally got around to it yesterday. I was hoping for a nice boxy oversize tee to wear with leggings, and while that is what I got, I'm not sure it suits my figure. I think I might be a bit too breasty for it. Is that a thing? I can't complain too much as it's a free pattern and only one size. I actually really liked how it looked in the mirror, but I'm not loving it on me in these photos. The pattern is a free pdf, and it all goes together quite nicely. Instructions aren't included but Jen has a great tutorial on her website to go with it.

I decided to go with a colour-blocked version, and I'm happy with how it worked out. The blue fabric is from Girl Charlee. It's a tissue knit and it's super soft. I wasn't overly impressed with it when I first took it out of the box, but it grew on me. The grey is a lightweight knit I got from the guy in front of Sainsbury's at Walthamstow market in London (if you ever go to London, let me know and I'll tell you all about shopping at Walthamstow - it's great!). It is also incredibly soft.

Can you tell I took these photos myself? I balanced the camera on the retaining wall of our garden, so some of them are a bit off kilter. The leggings are of course the Espresso Leggings by Cake - my go to pattern for leggings. I love being able to make custom fit leggings for myself and it's a bonus that I can make them out of funky patterned fabric.  This is another fabric from Girl Charlee (I just can't seem to resist Girl Charlee, damn you adorable prints and great website!). I'm a bit of a sucker for galaxy prints, and while the crosses might be a bit much, they really spoke to my inner 90's grunge-rock teenager (what can I say, I'll always love Wayne's World, Pearl Jam, plaid shirts and doc martens - it's my curse).

Anyway, this fabric is nice and soft with fairly good stretch, but it's a little bit on the sheer side for leggings, and after wearing these guys for a few hours they started to bag out a bit (no recovery). Plus the colours have already started to fade after one washing, and I bet next time I wash them they'll pill. They were great for lounging around today though. I probably would have been better making a t-shirt out of this fabric, but hey, I play by my own rules.

Sweet pose right? I'm trying to show you the underarm seam - I'm a pattern matching genius, no? LOL. And it wouldn't be a legit blog post with out gratuitous pug shots, would it?

Both of these projects were super quick and easy. I used my serger to put them together, and because the leggings were made pre-coverstitch machine, they got the double-needle treatment, but the Hemlock got treated right and I was thrilled to have no tunnelling using a lighter weight knit in my new machine. Knit projects are great for instant gratification.

Oh and just in case you are wondering where my third pug is, she stayed in the house napping. She's not a big fan of the paparazzi.

How do you feel about one-size fits all patterns? Or one size garments for that matter? Have you tried the Hemlock tee?  Also have you planned your Fall sewing yet? Based on the crazy blizzard that's happening back home right now, I think I better get my but in gear and sew some warm stuff.

The Tale of the Plantain and the New Janome Coverstitch Machine

Yep, you read that right, I got a coverstitch machine! I had been contemplating one for awhile, and every time I sew with knits I think, what am I doing? I always struggle with my double-needle, I am never happy with how hems look with it (and sometimes they pop) and I always end up thinking that the garment would look so much better if I had the proper tool. After making all those t-shirts with ripply hems, I chatted with my amazingly wonderful and supportive husband, and he agreed that I needed to add this machine to my sweat shop and so off I went to the sewing store.

I had already picked out (read: fondled) this machine last time I was at the store, so I knew exactly what to buy. I have a soft spot in my heart for Janome. My first real sewing machine, John bought me back in 2007 was a Janome and it still runs like a top. My serger is also a Janome, and I love it too. (The regular sewing machine I use now is a super amazing Pfaff, the Creative Performance, and it does everything but the dishes. There now you know all my secrets.) I read a bit about coverstitch machines on the internet too, and was happy to discover that this baby got some good reviews. I ended up buying a clear foot, and a seam guide to go with it.

You might be asking yourself, what exactly is a coverstitch machine? Don't worry, I had no idea what it was either. I thought a serger could do what it does, and some combination serger-coverstitch machines can, but that's not what I have. Basically, a coverstitch machine hems knit garments with one or two needles. You can use it on wovens as well, but usually it's used on knits to create that stretchy hem. Take a look at the hem on a RTW t-shirt and you'll see what I am talking about.

Of course I was pretty anxious to make something with this bad boy, so I turned to the Deer & Doe Plantain. I've made about 3 Plantains so far (two are blogged here) and been really happy with them all. I had been dreaming of making one with contrast sleeves and a large pocket, so off I went. The coverstitch machine uses the same thread as my serger, so that's pretty handy. And it's really not difficult to thread. It only has one looper and then the needles - easy peasy.

I picked up some more serger thread while I was shopping and I just couldn't resist this rainbow variegated thread. It's so pretty, and I know that I will be the only one to see it, but it makes me happy. There's a secret rainbow party going on inside my shirt. LOL

I used the coverstitch machine to top stitch around the neckline and it worked beautifully. You can see the grey thread I used above and here it is on the right side of the garment.

Doesn't it look beautiful? Here's a look at the sleeve hems. I used the narrow 2 needle option, but there is also a 3 needle option, or a wider 2 needle option. You can also use one needle for a decorative chain-stitch.

Look there's no lump in between the stitching, no skipped stitches, and the hem is laying flat. Hallelujah!

Doesn't that look so professional? I love it! It's a bit tricky lining the hem up with the edge of the fabric, but with a little more practice I am sure it will be a breeze. There's always a bit of learning curve when I learn a new technique. So far, I am super happy with this machine, and I can't wait to use it more.

As for my Plantain, I cut my regular size 42, but for some reason this one is a bit more fitted than my other ones. I'm thinking it might be due to the fabric (or it could be all the slurpees and ice cream I've eaten this summer. Nah! Let's go with it being the fabric's fault). The grey is my favourite cotton spandex from Girl Charlee, and the lovely mint is a weird mystery knit that I picked up on Goldhawk Road when we were in London during the spring. It's a lovely weight and colour, and it has an okay amount of stretch, but pretty much no recovery. This shirt is still totally wearable, but I wish the mint was nice as the grey.

I used the pocket from Grainline's Archer and it didn't turn out quite as I imagined and I should have placed it a bit closer to the middle, but I'm still happy with it. I didn't want to unpick it and replace it, because I am sure there'd be little holes left in the fabric.

Seeing the back of this shirt, really makes me wish I wore a different bra for these pictures or that I had given myself a little extra room, but I didn't. You live and learn, and I know I will totally still wear this one a lot. It also got a tiny bit shorter than I had wanted.

So there you have it. If you are on the fence about a coverstitch machine, jump off and go buy one. If you sew with knits a lot then I think it's totally worth it. If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask. I promise to do my best to answer them. Hope you are enjoying these last days of summer. John and I are kind of gloating because it's supposed to snow in Calgary tomorrow (and Tuesday and Wednesday), can you believe it? But at the lake, where we currently are, it's still nice and warm! Woo hoo!

Happy Sewing!

The Jalie Dolman Tops

So I decided that my me-made wardrobe is lacking in basics. I really need t-shirts (and shirts in general) so enter the Jalie Dolman Tops (a pattern I ordered a while ago, but then completely forgot about). I generally like the look of Jalie patterns and I've made the raglan tops/tunic before which turned out really well, and they're Canadian so that' great too! These were super quick and easy to make, and I am totally digging the high- low hem. I chose my size based on my bust size, shortened it by 2 inches and away I went. I made a wearable muslin out of a super cheap knit I bought somewhere - it's pretty got pretty colours but not it's very high quality. I think I bought it on Goldhawk Road, but I'm not 100% sure. In person, the purple stripe is like a tissue, see-through knit, and the blue stripe is a heavier opaque knit - it's weird. But I'll probably still wear it.

The fit was not bad, but I thought it was a little big, and so did John, so I went down two sizes and made this one.

This one is made out of a gorgeous rayon knit I got from Wanderlust Fabrics. It's so soft and has a nice drape.

I love that high-low hem. I think this size fits much better. What do you think?

After the floral one, I was hooked. I find with t-shirts, especially ones without set in sleeves, that once you have the pattern traced, it takes no time at all to whip them out. So, I decided to try a long-sleeve one, and I'm really not in love with it. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I cut the sleeves (I probably wasn't thinking at all), but I feel like I look like a circus tent.

I feel like John took a hundred pictures of me, but none of them turned out overly well. I had attempted to take photos of myself without a tripod on the balcony, but they were terrible! Anyway, these two were the best of this top. The fabric is lovely. It's a bit thin, and it doesn't have a ton of stretch, but it's super soft and I am happy with it for a t-shirt. It came from Girl Charlee. I truly have mixed feelings about Girl Charlee. I always find the fabrics to be not quite as described when I finally get them into my hot little hands, and I'm usually disappointed when I first go through my order. But then I end up using them anyway, and am pretty much always happy with the garment. It's weird. It's not always the case. I do have a few fabrics from there that were god awful before and after I sewed with them, but most of the time, once I sew them up, I'm happy (and I get lots of compliments).

I am usually a stripes girl, but this top is my least favourite of the bunch. I'll probably chop off the sleeves and then maybe I'll like it more. I was originally planning a Grainline Hemlock tee out of this fabric so that could be the problem too - it's just not what I visualized.

The next two are my favourites. Why make one color- blocked tee, when you can make two? Both fabrics are from, you guessed it: Girl Charlee . They are both a cotton spandex knit that I have ordered twice before and been consistently happy with. It only seems to come in solid colours, but it's spongy and stretchy and it's lovely to wear. I have a long-sleeve plantain out of it, and also a long-sleeve renfrew out of it that I really like. And my contest winning Hudson's are made out of it too. Plus, I love love love this Jungle Green, it looks exactly as it was represented online. Yay!

I'm not sure what's going on with the fabric in this ˆ picture - I think it's just wrinkly from sitting in the cupboard.

So after I made these, I started reading about t-shirt fitting and full bust adjustments. I have never done an FBA, and according to what I've read, I'm kind of borderline for needing it. There is about a 2.5 inch difference between my bust and high bust measurement and my waist measurement is usually in a bigger size than my bust - what can I say I have a fat belly and weird proportions. Anyway, I am looking for a bit of advice. Do you think that this size looks right? Should I be choosing a size based on my high bust and then doing an FBA? Also any advice for rippling? Check out that ripply hem - is that something I'm doing wrong? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

So now I have all these lovely t-shirts and we come home to Calgary, and it's freezing. Okay freezing might be a bit of an exaggeration but it's cold and rainy and John even has the fireplace on. It's crazy! Plus there was snow in parts of the province - what up with that?!?! I'm not ready for winter. I still want to make more Alder Shirtdresses! Have you started planning your Fall/Winter sewing yet?

Hope it's warm where you are!

Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetle....

Oops, careful not to say it 3 times! Did you ever see that movie? It was one of my favourites when I was younger. It bordered on scary for me (I am the biggest fraidy cat ever - and I was only about 10 when I first saw it), but it was funny so I was able to look past the scary elements. It was my first introduction to Winona Ryder, Alec Baldwin, and Geena Davis, who all quickly became favourites of mine. Plus it also contained the musical stylings of Harry Belafonte. What's not to love?  I already loved Michael Keaton from his Mr. Mom fame - another one of my favourite movies, I'll have to track that one down and watch it again. They just don't make movies like that anymore. I'm discovering that the 80s is quickly becoming my favourite movie decade. Who'd of thought? Anyway, I digress, here is my Beetle blouse:

This is probably one of my favourite makes so far, and guess what? It's self-drafted! Self-drafted you say? Yup, I created this pattern. Okay not totally from scratch, I had a bit of help. A while back I stumbled upon this post by Karen of Blinky Sews. She talked about this cool pattern-making set/template called Bonfit Patterners. It sounded really interesting to me, as I am always up for learning more about sewing, so I googled it. Turns out Bonfit Canada is based out of Calgary!! It was meant to be. I called the lovely lady up (the president of the company: Midge Travis), and she told me I could stop by and pick up a kit. She turned out to be this extremely sweet older lady ("I'm 88 you know!") and she even wrote books to accompany the patterers.  The style suggestions are very 80s (I'm seeing a theme here), but I pretty much love all the silhouettes they suggest, and you can use the base template you create to make just about any style. Anyway, I still have a lot to learn, and this blouse is definitely not perfect, but I think it's pretty awesome for my first attempt at pattern drafting.

This was my first attempt at a sway back alteration (the tutorial I used is here - very helpful), and I thought it turned out okay, but from the look of this picture, I may still need to take a little more out of the back.

The other issue that I should have addressed but didn't was arm-hole gape. Because I went sleeveless, I should have re-adjusted the arm hole and probably added a bust dart, and maybe made the shoulder seam a bit shorter. That all seemed extremely complicated to me, so I thought I would leave it for this go around. I have been actually pretty OCD about perfecting the fit of this blouse since I made it, so my next version which is coming soon, should be better. Pattern drafting is really hard, yo! (And it requires a whole lot of muslins.) I have so much respect and admiration for all those amazing pattern designers/makers out there.

I learned a ton making this blouse, I have never made a button-down, collared shirt (this collar was pretty easy as it has no stand and is meant to lie open) before so it was a complete learning experience. Not to toot my own horn, but I feel so incredibly proud and accomplished now that it's done. I really took my time and put love into this top, which is probably why I love it so much. Plus when I showed the final product to my husband he said "I love it!", which is rare, so that made me feel even more amazing.

The fabric is a Michael Miller quilting cotton from Fabricland and the buttons are just plain black plastic buttons from Fabricland too. Here's a detail of the beetleness:

The cool thing about making your own pattern is that it is based solely on your own measurements. How awesome is that? The books by Midge that accompany this patterner are awesome. She talks a lot about fit issues and how to identify them, and suggestions on how to make patterns work for your shape. I've only read the Bodice book so far, but I learned a ton. I'm not sure if I will continue to draft all my own patterns because if I did they would probably look all the same - I just don't know enough, but it's fun to play with this system and I'm learning lots about my shape and what works for me, so that's good too. I am hoping that I might be able to create a template to help me fit other patterns to my body - I think that's called a sloper? I have a pretty huge stack of patterns on my sewing shelf waiting for me, so I'm not sure what to make next but we'll see if this experience helps.

Hope you all are having a lovely week!

WHS - A Kimono Tee and More Leggings!

I know, I know...how many pairs of crazy leggings could one girl need? Well a lot apparently. Now that I have this pattern all figured out, and it's super simple, I have to make it! I'm a bit of monster about it really. So I used what was left of my Renfrew and made purple leggings. My best pair yet, I think. I am really proud of my sewing on this pair. I used my double needle to do the hemming and top-stitching and I think it turned out really nicely.

The other lovely thing I made, is another freebie! The Kristen Kimono tee by MariaDenmark. This t-shirt was super easy and I actually love the fit. I was a little bit skeptical as I thought it might be a little tight for me around the belly, but it's not. It's just right.

This pattern is a downloadable PDF, and it super easy to assemble. There are only two pattern pieces and a neck binding - super easy! To be honest, I don't really love the neck binding - I think when I make this top again, I will just turn it under for a cleaner finish.

The fabric I used for this guy, is more mystery jersey knit from Fabricland. It was part of the buy 1 metre, get 3 free deal, so I still have a couple of metres left, which is awesome because it is super soft and I love the colour. And because I know you are dying to see what my purple leggings look like on, and more of my awkward selfies: Ta Da!

Ooooo, shiny bum! I can't really decide if I am a leggings as pants kind of girl. Definitely, when I am lounging around the house I am, but in public? I'm really not sure, maybe if I was 20 years younger. Some of my skinny jeans/jeggings I own are probably just as tight, but they are of a much weightier fabric.  With leggings I feel the need to have my butt covered, so usually in public that would mean a long tunic top or a dress. What do you think?

What can I say, I am starting to have fun with it! (The camera that is.)

Happy sewing!

Where Heather Sews - Sewaholic Renfrew

I really love this pattern. I made a long-sleeve version a few months ago and it turned out really great. My only problem is I keep making mistakes. On my first one, I decided after it was completed that it was too long. So I had this great idea to just eye-ball it and cut off 3 inches. Well I did that, then reattached the bottom band and it was way too short. I loved it so much that I wore it a ton anyway. The fabric I made my first one out of was a super luxurious cotton spandex jersey from Girl Charlee (one of my favourite online shops to buy knits). This one is made out the same type of knit from Girl Charlee, just in a different colour. I love the rich purple!

I feel like a bit of a dork while I take these pictures, so I decided to just go with it, and dork right out. LOL

So while I don't think this one looks too bad, I made a pretty major mistake, I used the wrong cuffs! DOH! I was wondering why they were so hard to attach!! I used the cuff for the long-sleeve version which are a little wider (deeper?) but are meant to go around your wrist, not your bicep. Thank goodness for stretchy fabric. Do you think it looks okay?

This one is a little bit roomy and I like it that way. I used my Serger to put it all together, so I didn't strictly follow the 5/8's seam allowance. If I had, it would probably be a bit more fitted. The fabric is really nice, but it's a little bit heavier than regular t-shirt material. It's perfect for transitioning into summer and I imagine it will be perfect for fall too. While my mistake with the cuffs really cheeses me off, I am sure it will still get lots of wear.

I am really liking that I am sewing pieces that will get lots of wear. I have made a number of dresses, that I love, but sometimes you just want to throw on a t-shirt and jeans. What are your go to/staple pieces in your closet?

Where Heather Sews - Attack of the Plantains

A couple of months ago I discovered a fabulous french indie pattern company called Deer & Doe. This company has only recently started printing their patterns and instructions in english and I am very excited to try out some of their designs. While I am waiting for the patterns I ordered to get here, I decided to take a crack at their free downloadable t-shirt pattern: The Plantain. The Plantain is offered as a free PDF pattern. So you just download it, print it out, tape it all together and then cut out your size. It's actually pretty cool and means that you have your pattern pretty much instantly. I had heard/seen/read lots of good things about this t-shirt on the interwebs, and because of it's relaxed silhouette, I thought it would be a good match for me, plus it seems like one of those patterns that would be endlessly customizable.

I am really happy with how this one turned out. I decided to use a patterned fabric for the neckline and the back panel. I have a couple of t-shirts very much like this from Anthropologie and I wore them a ton last summer. (It's so cool to be able to make my own!) I think that added the back panel just makes the plain old t-shirt a little more interesting. I got the pink jersey knit fabric on sale at Fabricland. They were having this ridiculous deal, where you buy 1 metre and you get 3 free, so I have a number of things made out of this fabric, and it's buttery soft to boot. The flowery jersey is from Girl Charlee and it's just as nice. The construction of this tee, was really easy and the directions were very straight forward. I used my Serger to put it all together and then used my double-needle for the hems.

It seems to be that I do most of my projects in two or more, and this one is no exception. Here is my second version:

For this one, both fabrics came from Girl Charlee. I can't seem to get enough of stripes. I open my closet and it is filled with stripes, so instead of making a fully striped t-shirt, I thought making the back and sleeves solid, this one would at least be a little bit different.

The remote for my camera only seems to work when I point it directly at the camera. I was trying hard to be discreet with it, but it wouldn't work, so that's why I am sometimes awkwardly bending, or twisting. (Just in case it wasn't obvious enough in the pictures LOL).

I really enjoyed making both these little tees, and they were super quick to whip up. I know they will get a ton of wear from me this summer. Looking forward to making more Deer & Doe patterns!

Happy Sewing!