Sewaholic Granville for Summer

So I think we all know just how in love I am with button-up shirts I am. In fact, if you have read this blog for more than three posts, I am sure that you know about the intense love affair I have had with Archer.  Many moons ago (okay not so many, but you I like to be dramatic), Tasia over at Sewaholic released the Granville shirt. I was very intrigued by Granville, as it seemed to have a softer, more curvy shape, and these gorgeous princess seams in the back; and all round more feminine look that Archer. I bought the pattern right away, and then it sat on my shelf. I couldn't bring myself to cheat on my beloved Archer. It just seemed wrong.

Then I made my last Archer and noticed how many I have in my closet. I was craving working on a button down shirt, but the only way I could justify it was to try something a little different. And that's how this sleeveless, summer, Granville shirt came to be.

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I don't seem to very thrilled in the above picture, but don't be fooled. I love this shirt! It's the perfect companion to my collection of Archers. 

Sewaholic patterns are drafted for a pear shape, and I am much closer to an hourglass, so I chose my size based on my high bust measurement (with the help of the finished measurements chart), and then did a full bust adjustment. I have been forcing myself to do FBAs lately, and while I do still find figuring out when I need one a bit confusing, I think I am getting better at it. I have read a lot of material, that would suggest that I don't actually need an FBA (I only have a 2 inch difference between my upper and full bust measurements), but in the garments I've made lately without one, it appears that I do in fact need more space for the girls.

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So anyway, I started with a size 10, and then did a 1.5" FBA, which adds a total of 3 inches. If I had gone by my full bust, waist and hip measurement to choose my size, I would have had to go with a size 14 bust and waist, and a size 8 hip. I think I could have done that with simple grading between sizes, but then I have a feeling it would have been way too big in the shoulders (a common problem for me), and it probably wouldn't have maintained it's nipped in waist shape. I also debated doing that (the grading between sizes), and then doing a narrow shoulder adjustment, but I still think that, that would have resulted in a poorer fit in the shoulders. This is quite the journey, this fitting business, isn't it? 

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There are a few wrinkles in the back in the above picture, but I really think that's just from moving around; I'm really happy with the fit at the back. While you can't really see them in this busy print, the princess seams really do create a nice shape at the back.

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To make this shirt sleeveless, I used Jen's tutorial for a sleeveless Archer and it worked out really well. There was a bit of trial and error becasue I think it's a bit of personal preference to where you want the shoulder to end, but I am really happy with where it is on this shirt. I ended up removing about 5/8" and grading to nothing.

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The fabric I used for this shirt, is a lovely cotton that I picked up from the Man In Front of Sainsbury's at Walthamstow Market. It is nice and light and perfect for a summery shirt. For the collar construction, I skipped Tasia's instructions and did my normal collar method I learned from Andrea. I am interested in trying Tasia's method at least once though, as it is different than any I have seen before. I do find the collar a little bit big on this shirt, but it may just be because I am used the Archer's collar. I should also mention that I shortened this pattern at the lengthen/shorten line by a whopping 3 inches! I think it's safe to say that I am significantly shorter all around than Tasia. LOL

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I have been wearing this shirt a ton, and I really can't wait to make more of them. It won't replace my beloved Archer, but will be a welcome addition to my TNT collection. Have you tried Granville yet?

Also if you follow me on Instagram you will know that John and I are currently in London. I am having an absolute blast fabric shopping (and John has been an excellent fabric shopping companion), and I can hardly wait to get home and get sewing! Today is a rainy day, so we are just taking it easy and catching up on our favourite British game shows. So I thought it would be a good time to catch up on some blogging, I'm so behind!! Hope you all are well and enjoying your August so far!

Tokyo Train Ride Archer

Hi Everybody! Surprise, surprise I'm back with another Archer! I actually made this shirt back in May, but there always seemed to be something else to blog about so it kept getting pushed to the bottom of the list. So I thought it's time that it made an appearance on the blog! There's nothing really new to say about this pattern that I haven't already said here, here, here, here, here or here, or here (Phew! Have I really blogged that many Archers? Wow!). It's still one of my favourite patterns to make and one of my favourite garments to wear. It has definitely become my true TNT pattern. (Now to come up with some hacks!) This particular version is made out of a very lovely Cotton & Steel quilting cotton called Tokyo Train Ride Countryside (say that 3 times fast LOL).

I absolutely loved this print when I first saw it (and I'm actually really sad that I didn't buy that gorgeous Octopus print in the same collection), so I had to snap it up. I love the navy background, and all the little scenes from Tokyo (especially Mount Fuji). John and I went to Tokyo (and other places in Japan) a couple of years ago, and so this fabric reminds me a lot of that trip, and all the fun train rides we took around Japan. I know, cheesy right?

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This was my first time working with Cotton & Steel fabric, and I have to say that it was lovely. All the raves and talk are true. It's really nice. It's a bit heavy (as it is a quilting cotton), and it has almost a brushed feel to it after it's been washed. It was beautiful to cut, a dream to press, and perfect for shirt-making. I think they also make a cotton lawn, which I am guessing would be really nice, and I rayon now too.

It's a bit too warm weather wise for this shirt now, but I know it will get tons of wear come fall and winter.

You can't see them, because I have my sleeves rolled up, but I went with my favourite tower placket tutorial for the sleeves. I really like the look of  a good tower placket, and it just seems to work out so much better for me than the included placket. I always get weird puckers when I do that standard placket, is it just me?

So there you have it, another Archer is finally blogged! Lately, I've been all about sewing dresses, so it's kind of nice to go back and revisit this shirt. It seems like as soon as the weather warms up, all I want to do is sew dresses. The same thing happened to me last year. Anyway, hope you all are having a lovely weekend so far!

What's on your sewing table?

The Greenwood Tanks

Hullo everybody! I feel like I have been trying to write this post for days, and it just hasn't happened. Writer's block or laziness? I'm not sure. Life just seems to get in the way sometimes, and it seem that the blog gets sent to the back burner. But I have been finding lots of time to sew, and to fit so I have lots to share. I have been going further down the rabbit hole with fitting, and having some success in some things, not so much in others. But with every step, and every thing I try, I learn a little bit. Not just about sewing and fitting, but also about myself and my shape. I'll save my introspective findings for another post though. For now, let's get on with the Greenwood tanks I recently made.Have you seen this pattern yet? It's a great wardrobe staple from Straight Stitch Designs. I first spotted it on Meg's blog, and then my good friend Katie recommended it to me too, so I had to give it a shot. I'm not really one for tank tops on their own (I usually use them as a layering piece), but we've been spending a lot of time in BC this summer and it has been really hot. Heatwave anyone? Anyway, a simple tank really fits the bill to stay cool - well that and air-conditioning. The pugs and I could not live without it. And slurpees, let's not forget about slurpees. But I digress.... I quickly whipped up a size 12 tank based on my measurements, and discovered (of course) that it was too big in the shoulders and pretty much all over. It was okay across the chest, but it just didn't feel right. The straps kept sliding down - not cool. So I took your guys' advice from my post about my shingle dress, and decided to do some adjustments to make this tank fit right. I chose my bust size (an 8) based on my high bust measurement, and then I graded to a size 14 from the waist to the hip based on my waist and hip measurements (also I didn't want a super tight fit across the belly fit). Then I did an FBA of 1.25". But doing the FBA created a dart, and I really didn't want to have a dart so I used this tutorial by Maria Denmark to remove it. Sounds a bit tricky, but really it's easy. It just involves a lot of cutting and taping.

Then I did some alterations to the back piece. I should mention that I chose the scoop neck, scoop back version of this pattern, and it uses the same pattern piece for both the front and the back. But if you are like me and you need to do a bunch of alterations, you need separate back and front patten pieces, so trace/print two. Anyway, for the back I did a 1/4" high round back alteration, and I also did a 1/2" forward shoulder adjustment, both which I learned in the book Fit for Real People. Also, because I am short, I shortened it by 3 inches. Phew, seems like a lot of alterations for a knit tank doesn't it? But I'm pretty happy with the results. And now I have a solid TNT staple tank pattern. I used some black cotton jersey from Girl Charlee that I had in my stash for this version and I know it will get lots of wear. There still seems to be a bit of pooling in the back, but I'm not sure if it's just hung up on my bra, or what going on. Your guys' advice is always welcome there, but I'm not really losing sleep over it.

So that's what my two pattern pieces look like. Pretty cool right?

Before I made the Greenwood tank, I took a shot at the Aurora tank from the June issue of Seamwork. I did not like the construction of that tank at all, in fact I found it incredibly frustrating, and in the end I didn't really like the style on me. (What is up with these Seamwork patterns? They really seem to be hit and miss for me - anyone else tried them?) It looks so good on a lot of people, but I found the gathers a bit bulky and I think the instructions and the construction of it just left a bad taste in my mouth, so I just didn't want to like it. I did however like the curved hemline and the way it fell away slightly from the body. John agreed and said, "well why don't you just combine the two?". So that's what I did. And I made 4 more tanks just like that.

I may have gotten a little carried away and made them a bit too short, but I'm still quite happy with them anyway. See what you think:

Hello! Everybody needs a super bright tank top right?

See the back doesn't look nearly as bad here. Maybe it's still just a little bit too tight, and that's why my bra line is so obvious, or maybe I'm just being too picky now.

So I think that's enough photos of me for now, don't you? All of the striped fabrics came from Fabricville in Montreal (I'm not sure why Fabricville always seems to have a lot more and nicer knits than Fabricland in Calgary when they are the same company, but they do). I think they are all a cotton/rayon jersey blend, but I'm not 100% sure. They have great horizontal stretch, but not much vertical stretch. They worked perfectly for these tanks and I have a bit more left over for t-shirts too! That's another great thing about this tank: it doesn't require much fabric, especially when you're short like me.

I just realized that I didn't get any photos of the skinny striped one I made, it's made from a remnant I got from Marcy Tilton's website, and it's super comfy, but not the easiest to photograph. Those mircostripes always look a bit funny on a computer screen.

Hope you all are having a lovely summer, and for all my fellow Canucks out there, Happy Canada Day!!

Another Liberty Print Archer

Hello my internet friends! How are you all? I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since my last post! What up with that? Unfortunately, this isn't going to be a super unique post either as I have made yet another Archer shirt, but in my defence, I made it in some pretty awesome fabric, so there's that. And you get to see some dorky photos of me goofing around, so yay! I don't really have much to say about this pattern that I haven't already said. It's a really great TNT for me, and one of my favourites to see. I'm also having fun dreaming up different variations and fabric combinations. I sewed this shirt up in between some Ginger jeans, and I found it incredibly soothing and relaxing. Not only do I love wearing button up shirts, I really do love making them too.

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For something a little different, I've paired this top with my linen Chardon skirt. I think it works well, although this combo does feel a bit office-y for this work at home girl.

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I'm such a goof! John and I were having fun and I was super excited when we took these picture because I had just finished my first ever jacket (but more on that later).

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This fabric is a gorgeous Liberty print that John picked out for me at Raystitch, when we were visiting London last year. I believe it's called Travelling Threads, and I love it! It has taxi cabs, buses, boats and bikes on it, with little flowers for pops of colour. It's a dream to wear and sew with too! I know everyone raves about Liberty fabric, but it really is amazing, and worth the splurge.

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I decided to do tower plackets for the sleeves of this shirt. I have made them once before on my Crazy Cat Lady Archer, and they worked out really well again. I really love the look of tower plackets, so professional (although it looks like mine need a better press than I'd given them here.) I used self fabric for these ones, but they look super cool in a contrast fabric too.

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If you want to give tower plackets a shot, then I recommend this tutorial. It's got lots of great pictures and it's easy to follow. Once you go through it and make one once, it really only takes minutes to do.

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And because I can't wear a skirt without twirling around, here are some more derpy photos of yours truly. I try not to take myself too seriously. Can you tell?

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Well that's it for now. I am quite behind in blogging as I have been favouring my spare time to sewing, rather than taking photos and writing. I do have a number of things to share with you including some tips for sewing jeans, a #sewingdare, and 3 more Archers. You can hardly wait right? Hope you all are having a lovely week!

One last Maui Post: Marianne Tees and Juba Shorts

Hello my sewing friends (and non-sewing friends too)! I can't believe how fast time is flying. It's the end of March already? What?!? Nothing like some jet-lag and facing reality to make you procrastinate about blogging. I am happy to report that I am feeling much more like myself again, and am ready to get back on the blogging wagon. With that, I have a couple more summery makes left over from my Maui wardrobe to share with you.

When I tried on my Marianne dresses and discovered how nicely they fit, I decided to make a few t-shirts too. I just cut the pattern off at the lengthen/shorten line and used the skirt hem to shape the t-shirt hem. It worked out really nicely. And made for a super quick sew! For  two of them, (the navy one and the mint one) I added cuffs to the sleeves. I'm not sure if I love how it looks but, I don't mind it, and it looks much better in the drapier knit than in the more stable one.

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This first Marianne Tee is made with some slubby jersey I bought ages ago from Wanderlust Fabrics. It's soft and light, and perfect for a summery tee. I find it kind of funny that I've been drawn to mint lately without even knowing it (the pug dress, one of my Marianne dresses, and now this tee).  I've paired these shirts with my go to shorts - the Juba Shorts by Imagine Gnats.

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For this little denim pair I added back pockets (I used the pattern piece from Grainline's Maritime shorts) and I just rolled them up for a cute cuff. Sorry about the wrinkles, these pictures were taken on the walk home from lunch so I had been sitting in them all day.

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Next up, this pair of Juba shorts I made up in a quilting cotton from my stash, which also got the added back pockets (in fact they all did). The Juba shorts pattern fits me so well right out of the "envelope" and I have found it looks really different depending of what fabric you pair it with. It's a really great pattern, and there's a Men's version included too!

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I didn't get any close-ups of the waistband, but the Juba shorts have an elasticized back waistband combined with a flat, drawstring front waist band. Super comfy! On all three pairs I used some twill tape for the drawstring as it hides nicely under a t-shirt and doesn't add bulk.

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Again, I apologize for the wrinkles, but come on, I was on vacation. I didn't want to iron! This navy Marianne Tee is made out of a cotton spandex jersey from Girl Charlee, and I actually think it is a bit too heavy for what I was after with summery t-shirt. Although I do like that it has a slight peplum look to it (which I seem to be hiding with my arms in all of the pictures).

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This last pair of Juba shorts are a little bit dressier in a stretch cotton sateen I picked up in the clearance section of my local Fabricland. It has a really nice weight and I love the colours. I had originally bought it with a pencil skirt in mind, but I think it works really well with these shorts.

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And last but not least, one more Marianne tee:

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I didn't add the cuffs to this one, and I really didn't miss them.  It's made out of a nice floral cotton knit I also bought from Girl Charlee. For a t-shirt, I know some of you might think the neckline on the Marianne is a bit high. But for a pale skinned Canadian girl like myself, it was actually really nice. I have burned my chest so many times, because I forget to put sunscreen on it, and for the most part, it doesn't get much sun which makes it extra sensitive. It was nice to have these tees in rotation on our trip to save my delicate skin. Actually, this last photo was taken on the day we left (hence the jeans) and you can tell I pretty much avoided any sunburn at all so - yay me!

So there you have it, my complete travel wardrobe. It feels good to have this post done and out of the way. Now onto more sewing!

Hope the weather is starting to warm up wherever you are; it's been gorgeous this week here in Calgary.

The Maui Plantains...

So on a trip to Maui, not only do you need some cute dresses, you also need some easy basics too. Enter the Deer & Doe Plantain pattern (and if you don't have it already, go get, it's free and it's awesome!).

I've made this pattern a number of times, and it's super easy to whip up.

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This one is made from a gorgeous bamboo jersey knit from Blackbird fabrics. This fabric is super drapey and feels amazing. It's so dreamy! Where has bamboo jersey been all my life?? It's also nice and breathable, so feels cool against the skin.

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Also pictured are a pair of Carolyn shorts. I made them out of a lightweight denim that came from Joann's (when we were in Palm Dessert last November). It might be a little grandma-walmart-jeansish, but it's soft and comfy and I think it works as long as I keep the elastic waistband hidden. I was a little worried that these might be a little too short for wearing out of the house, but once we got to Maui, this fear disappeared. I have worn them here a ton! I'll probably make another pair or two for the summer out of different fabric (I'm thinking linen or a cotton/linen blend of some sort). I think they would also be really cute with back pockets added.

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This Plantain is made from a lovely knit I got from Wanderlust Fabrics. I can't remember the content exactly, but I think it's got a bit of rayon in it as well. I got it months ago when my hair was pink, and I've been saving it for when my hair would inevitably change and wouldn't clash as much. I used to have a RTW shirt with the same colour of stripes and I loved it, so when I saw this fabric I bought a yard with plans to make a t-shirt.

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Can you see the micro stripes? This fabric is super nice and soft too and was really nice to work with.

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Paired again with my Carolyn shorts. Told you I wore them a lot!

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This lovely purple Plaintain is made from a cotton spandex jersey from Girl Charlee. It's not quite as drapey as the other two, but just as comfy.

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All three of these tees are a straight size 44, and I shortened them by about 2 inches after I made them. They were all constructed with my serger and topstitched with my converstitch machine.

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With this one, I am wearing my very first pair of me-made shorts (I made them last summer). I used the Juba shorts pattern and if you are interested, you can read my post about them here.

We are getting ready to head home tomorrow. It's been a lovely trip, but I'm ready to get home to the pugs, and to sleep in my own bed, and to sew!! I can't believe how much I've missed it.

What do you miss most when you go on holiday? Do you miss your hobbies too?

Tropical Pyjamas

Hey everybody! It's finally time for something different! Pyjamas - with piping and everything! I'm sure by now, most of you have seen Heather Lou's latest pattern (and if not, head over to Closet Case Files and check it out). This time it's all about upping your lounge wear game and I am all for that. John recently bought me some pyjamas (for Christmas) and I absolutely love wearing them. I never used to be a full set type of girl. I used to only wear pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt, but this latest pair I own has changed my thinking. They are flannel (kind of like these but with penguins) and snuggly, and I love wearing them as a set. Who knew matchy-matchy could be so fun? Anyway, being a new full pyjama set convert, I was thrilled to see this new pattern for the Carolyn Pajamas. I really love all the versions included with this pattern, and that they are designed to be fitted, feminine, flattering and comfy, not the usual boxy unisex business.  This girl likes to lounge in style. Plus, I will be way less embarrassed answering the door in the middle of the afternoon in these babies, than in my usual pug-hair covered yoga pants and ratty t-shirt. (Heather Lou the UPS man thanks you too.)

I have never sewn with piping before, nor have I sewn a notched collar, so I decided I would try the shorts version first (version C). It seemed like less fabric so a good place to start just in case I made of mess of them. I should also mention that the pdf went together really well. All of the markings match up, and I like how you can print the top, pants and shorts separately. Also, I love that you can put the pattern pieces together individually. I'm not entirely sure how to explain it, but you don't have to stick all the pages together to form one giant paper. You can put the first 2 pages together for 8 or 9 rows, then the 3rd and 4th pages together for 8 rows and have all the pattern pieces. Here, I'll show you the layout so you can see what I'm talking about.

Hopefully, it's okay that I show you that little diagram, but do you see what I mean? Closet Case Files' pdfs are really well thought out, and always a breeze to put together.

I made up a quick muslin of the shorts in some cheap rayon I had lying around before I cut into this tropcial gorgeousness. I chose the size 10, but found the shorts a little too snug for pjs, so for this version I made a straight size 12 for both the shorts and the top, and I think they both fit perfectly! In fact, I can't really get over just how perfect the fit of the shirt is. I mean check out those shoulders. Once again, it feels like Heather Lou drafted this pattern just for me.

The fabric is a really gorgeous tropical print rayon voile from Blackbird Fabrics. When I saw it I knew it was destined to be warm weather pyjamas so I snapped it up right away. Unfortunately, I think it is now sold out. Have you ever sewn with rayon voile before? I hadn't until this, and let me tell you it is amazing! This fabric is so incredibly soft, and flowy, and silky, and it was a dream to sew with. I wish I could send each of you a little swatch of it, so you could feel it. It's beautiful! And it makes for an uber luxurious set of pyjamas.

I went with store bought piping that I picked up at my local Fabricland. I think it looks okay, but it's a little stiff and bulky (the shorts can almost stand on their own). For my next pair I will either make my own smaller piping, or go with flat bias tape piping. I think this stuff might be more suited to pillows and cushions and what not. This was my first time piping anything and I was a little nervous but it went okay. I started with the shorts and my stitching doesn't look the greatest when you get really close up, but I'm okay with that. I mean, who's going to be getting that close to my cuffs while I'm in my pyjamas anyway? The pugs maybe, but they love me and I feed them, so they can overlook wonky stitching every now and then.

After struggling a bit with piping the shorts (I started off using my zipper foot, then my regular foot which worked better than my zipper foot but still wasn't great), I ended up buying a piping foot for my darling Pfaff and it made a world of difference. So if you plan on doing much piping work I would definitely recommend getting the proper foot. It made my life so much easier, and it made my sewing look a lot better too! By the time I got to the cuffs on the shirtsleeves, I felt much more confident in my piping abilities.

I also struggled a little bit with the notched collar too, but I am confident that my next one will go much smoother. The instructions were fine, but I still consider myself a beginner sewer, and I am definitely someone who needs to do things at least once to figure them out, so I know next time will be a lot easier. And also since I made these, Heather Lou has added a tutorial to her website that is quite helpful for visual learners like myself.

All in all, I am thrilled with how these turned out and I can't wait to make more. I already have a stash of fabric reserved for more sets. My dream is to have a set of these to wear everyday for every season. They are like my version of the leisure suit.

Do you wear pyjamas? And if you do, do you wear the full set, or just one piece? Also what do you think of the pyjama on the street fashion trend? Would you wear them out of the house?

PS: This post comes to you live from Las Vegas. John is here for business and I tagged along. I thought it would be cute to photograph these in the hotel room, but it ended up just being a little creepy so John ended up taking my picture by the window instead of on the bed. LOL

The Linden Tunic

Hey there everybody!! I feel like I haven't blogged in ages, but when I checked the date on my last post it's really only been a little over a week. I have been sewing up a storm and making lots more things, but sadly, I haven't photographed any of them yet. Sometimes I feel like blogging gets in the way of sewing, and I also like to have a bit of a selection of things to blog about so there's been a lot more sewing, than blogging and photographing going on lately. Anyway, I do have one project photographed and ready, so in the spirit of sharing all the makes, I bring you my Linden Tunic Experiment. I know, I know, we're sick of Lindens!! Well to be honest, I am not sick of making them or wearing them, or seeing them AT ALL, but I am a teensy bit sick of blogging about them myself. But because this one is a little bit different, I decided that you all might like to see how it turned out, in case you are thinking about making one for yourself.  Anyway, enough blabbing....

So I'm not sure this is my best looking project ever, but it is sooooo comfy!! I made it out of sweatshirt fleece I bought from Girl Charlee ages ago. I actually bought it to make a Lola Dress, but that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon, so I decided to just use it for this. It's warm and thick and extremely soft. The right side of this fabric almost seems brushed. Very snuggly. Oh and the black ribbing is from Fabric.com.

So back to the pattern, all I did was lengthen in by 7 inches at the lengthen/shorten line. Easy peesy!

One time, a long time ago, (in a galaxy far far away), a very lovely sales girl at Anthropologie told me that a tunic  (or even a short dress) should hit you mid-thigh for the most flattering fit. Right at the point where your thigh starts to widen - does that make sense?  For some reason, that little rule has stuck with me. So that's where I aimed for the bottom of the ribbing to hit.

I was just looking for something snuggly and comfy to wear with leggings - so this pretty much fits the bill. I'm not sure I am in love with my fabric choice as it is a bit stiff and makes for a sack like garment, but it's okay. It's perfect for lounging around the house and being cozy, and if I need to sneak out to the store, my butt is covered!

I'm not sure if I will make this again. It's a little too plain for me. I feel like it needs a funner fabric, or pockets or maybe a waistline or something. The hunt for the perfect sweater dress/tunic continues!

Actually, not long after I made this up, Paprika Patterns released their Jasper dress. It has an interesting collar and a hood option with really cute welt pockets. So I might try that next time I'm in the mood for a snuggly sweater dress. (PS: I think that pattern is on sale until Feb 24th if you want to snatch it up too!) [Also, guys in the interest of all the advertising/affiliate links conversation going on in blogland - I want to let you know that I am not sponsored or affiliated with anyone at the moment. I know I link to tons of stuff, and I rave about lots of stuff, which may make it seem like maybe I am getting paid to do so but I want to be clear that I'm not. And I promise to tell you if I ever do get sponsored or sent any free stuff in the future. I am totally not against it, but I like it when bloggers are forth coming about it, so I promise to be too.]

So there you have it! I promise to blog something other than a Linden for my next post ;). Hope you all are staying warm wherever you are!