Since the last blog post I’ve managed to finish sewing my Ascent Fleece, and I’m happy to report that the second half of the construction was much more straightforward. Most of the complicated steps do occur very early on in the construction order. Sadly I can’t model it yet, because there is no way that it will fit over my bump, but I’m really glad to have it finished ready for wearing all winter!
Like many shirts, one of the trickiest or most intimidating parts of this was the collar. The instructions suggest using lots of wash away wonder tape to keep everything aligned while putting in the neckline zip and finishing the collar. This was definitely good advice, especially with the fleece as it can’t really be thoroughly pressed into position.
The tape helped to hold the seam allowances securely while stitching, and I think the finished collar looks pretty neat, even on the inside where I have caught down the bottom edge while stitching in the ditch from the front.
I chose to stitch my sleeves to the bodice flat, before closing the side seams, rather than do as the instructions suggest and add them in the round. I’ve always found that sewing the whole sleeve and body side seam in one go is simpler. I did baste all the intersections between the contrast stripe and the main navy body to make sure that they still aligned really well once I attached them on the overlocker, and I think it did make a big difference to the level of accuracy.
My twin needle did not like stitching over all the seamlines at the hem in particular, so I have needed to redo a few sections. I’m still glad I chose to use the twin needle though over a stretch or zigzag stitch because I think in an athletic garment it probably does look more professional.
Matt would say that one of the markers of success on a project like this one is that it looks like something you could buy, meaning that there is nothing about it which screams ‘handmade’ by being less than professionally finished. For me, that seems like a compliment, especially as this performs better than anything I have seen in shops, with the nursing zips adding a lot of functionality.
I will be tempted to make another nursing version, and I would also consider using it to make basic fleeces in the future too. Without being able to try it on yet it is difficult to know if there are fitting tweaks that I could do with making in subsequent versions, but I am provisionally happy with how it has all turned out!
The Ascent Fleece is the final project from my amended make 9 for the year (excluding the unfinished Taylor Trench). It’s not finished yet, but I always find it helpful to know a bit more about the instructions and construction methods when using different pattern designers, and this is the first thing I have made from 5 out of 4 patterns.
When I was cutting out, I did notice a few of the notch markings didn’t sit quite on the lines, particularly as you went up though the sizes. It wasn’t always easy to follow the size lines either because the fold lines had been printed slightly offset for each size, but not enough to be clear. It might be better on a colour print though, because I just used black and white. I chose to sew the size S which is a bit of guesswork into which size will be best after baby is born, but I’m hoping it will be comfortable!
These fleece fabrics come from Pennine Outdoor, which specialises in outdoor and technical fabric. I chose the Navy and Denim Blue microfleeces, and I’m really pleased with my colour selections. The fleeces are a perfect weight, and very soft. I have some of their wicking t-shirt fabric too, which I’m hoping will be good for some technical walking t-shirts and was a bit of a bargain too!
I’ve used a scrap of sportswear lycra for the pocket linings in the hope that it will be nice and breathable. This fleece requires a few extras including 5 zips if you choose to put in the pockets and the nursing option which is a bit daunting! The instructions are a bit unusual in that they contain lots of hyperlinks to jump you around to the next step for your version of the pattern. It does seem to work ok as you are sewing, but is a bit confusing to skim read through in advance and I definitely would advise using a digital copy rather than a printed version.
I found the diagram and instructions on joining the two zips in the contrast seam (one for the pocket, and one for the nursing access) pretty confusing. I made my best guess at it, but it did make installing the zips very bulky at the join. I think next time I would just install each zip separately, one at a time and then trim back anything that wasn’t needed.
There is no easy way to finish these seams once the zips are in either. For this time, I’m not going to worry about it. Almost all of the seam is covered by the zip and pocket anyway, and the fleece doesn’t fray. In future, I might consider finishing the edge of the piece before putting in the zip though.
There is just one pocket piece provided for all the different sizes, which is fine, but the instructions suggest stitching the pockets to the front bodice piece as an option, and I have found that on the size S the two pockets overlap one another in the middle. I did still manage to attach them to the front piece, but I ended up having to stitch up the centre line of the front to secure both pockets at the same time, rather than attaching them individually. They are both nice and secure though now.
It sounds like I’m not a fan of the pattern based on my observations so far, but I am actually really looking forward to the end result. These little niggles are all things I will bear in mind if I make the pattern again, but so far none of them will stop me from using it. The drafting of the pieces themselves seems really good, and both the method of construction and the instructions have been pretty helpful so far. I’m looking forward to seeing the finished article.
The last little while on the blog seems to have been taken over by baby clothes, but normal service is resumed today! I’ve been making a few more Megan Nielson Amber‘s, and being as this is a real tried and true pattern for me I thought I would share a few of the little tips and tricks that I have picked up in the course of making them. Some of this applies to most jersey top (or dress) patterns, and some is slightly more specific to the Amber. (I’ve already blogged t-shirts here, here and here, a dress, and a t-shirt hack)
This time I’ve made a dress and a couple of tops, all from cotton spandex jerseys from Girl Charlee. The dress is this lovely muted floral, with some of their solid cotton spandex for the modesty panel (I always keep a couple of colours in my stash for cuffs, and t-shirts). I’ve also made a short sleeve t-shirt version for now in this feather print, and a plain navy long sleeve for layering when the weather cools down. I plan to be wearing these for at least the next year or so during pregnancy and breastfeeding so I’m looking forward to having a few more options this time around.
My first deviation from the pattern is to stabilise the shoulders with some narrow ribbon. I do this to all the adult t-shirts or jersey dresses that I make whether or not it is included in the pattern instructions. The shoulder seam takes a lot of the weight of the rest of the garment, and over time that could stretch. Sewing some 5mm ribbon into the seam allowance before I start construction is a great way to help them look good for longer.
The Amber top has a lot of neckline to finish neatly before you can carry on with putting the whole bodice together, especially if you include the modesty panel. Some of the curves are quite tight, and the fabric has to stretch quite a bit to sit neatly. Before I sew these neckline edges, I always press and then fuse hemming web into them. It means that I don’t need any pins which makes the sewing up a doddle and the hemming web gives the neckline a bit of stability, preventing it from stretching out as you sew. I always buy 2cm wide hemming web and cut it into either halves or third widths depending on what I need. I’ve also never worried about finishing these edges on the overlocker because the jersey doesn’t fray, and the hemming web also helps to keep the possible curling up of edges under control. Most of my Amber’s have been worn and washed regularly over the last two years and the neckline still looks pristine on all of them.
On my first Amber, I decided to skip the instruction to baste the pleats and then baste to the waistband before overlocking or stitching properly and it nearly ended in disaster! There are quite a few fiddly layers to manoeuvre at the front of the bodice, and I managed to catch one of them in the overlocker knife. Fortunately it was only a little nick and was concealed in the layers, but now I always baste this step and I haven’t had any issues since.
This tip works for all jersey garments- if I am planning to finish the hems (sleeves or at the bottom) on the overlocker, I always do it before attaching them to the rest of the garment, and always before sewing the piece into a circle. It is so simple to overlock a straight edge, but a bit more fiddly to start and finish a circle neatly. You can also press a ‘memory hem’ at this stage too, which is just a fancy way of saying press the hem allowance up then unfold again before stitching. It makes hemming really easy because there is less fiddly pressing in a circle.
For sewing t-shirts I usually just use my overlocker for all the seams but I always need to stitch hems on the sewing machine. I use either an even zigzag (usually 2.5mm width 2.5mm length) or a twin needle. I don’t mind the look of either, so it often comes down to laziness in deciding to change needles and re-thread for the twin needle version!
If you don’t have two spools of the same thread for a hem, an easy fix is to load a bobbin with the same thread and use that in the second needle. Especially if I have been overlocking in white, I will often put white thread in my bobbin for the hem and use the coloured bobbin thread in the twin needle. It stops me having too many part-filled bobbins of odd colours. Here I used the end of a bobbin of dark blue thread which blended in with the overlocking.
So these are the finished Ambers. Right from the start of the year I left a planned wildcard but with thoughts of making a jersey dress in my make 9 so I’m counting this as another project ticked. These dresses really are so comfortable so I know this one will get plenty of wear, especially with leggings as the weather starts to cool. In this one the fabric does contain a bit of rayon which makes it a bit more drapey than all the other versions I have made. As a result the length seems to have grown a bit, so I’m not sure if it looks a bit nightdress-y? I might re-hem so that it sits above the knee like my other dress version.
With the white background and array of colours, this t-shirt feels bright and summery so it’s had some good outings already. It might not be quite the right thing over the winter, but I’m sure it will be worn plenty again in the spring.
Conversely, this navy blue one felt a bit dark and boring when I was sewing it up, but I know it’s moment is almost here. I love a good long sleeve for layering in winter so this will end up underneath all my dresses or even other t-shirts to make them more seasonally appropriate. This might be the most times that I have used any single pattern, so it has been a great value buy. What is your ‘can’t live without’ pattern?
It feels like this poor blog has been a bit neglected of late. I have been sewing, but the poor weather hasn’t given me much motivation to get out and take pictures and my sewing has changed direction slightly over the last couple of months. I shared my make 9 plans at the start of the year, but I think it is always good to review and adapt plans if they are no longer going in the right direction. My make 9 is all things I would like to make, and I’ve actually made quite a few things from my plan already, but the next part of the year is going to have a slightly different focus.
It turns out, that we are expecting another baby, so suddenly high rise fitted jeans don’t seem like such a good plan! I’m quite sad about putting my Ginger Jeans on hold for another year, because I have some really lovely indigo denim, but it just doesn’t seem wise to make something that isn’t going to fit me for months!
Instead, it has given me a fresh motivation to sew the sorts of things I will be wearing. I know from last time that I practically lived in my Amber t-shirts and dress, and they were also my favourite things for breastfeeding afterwards too. It seems to make sense to focus my attention on things that I know I am going to be wearing for the next 18 months.
This time, baby is due in November, so I think I may need some more warmer layers which will fit over my bump. I only had one fairly thin jumper last time and some fleeces for work so I’m planning on making a jumper suitable for breastfeeding in winter when I know I hate taking layers off all the time! I’ve decided to go with the Ascent pullover from 5 out of 4 patterns, who I haven’t used before, but I like the concept of concealed zips between the jumper panels, and I’ve already sourced some suitable fleece.
I’ve also been scouting out more cute baby sewing patterns and discovered a whole load of new to me ones that I’d like to try out. I’m particularly keen to try the Wee Lap Tee from Patterns for Pirates and the Footed Pants from Vagabond Stitch. I think they will make a great cosy outfit over a vest and both are free which is a real bonus!
So here’s to the second part of the year and success with new plans! How are your sewing plans coming along?
Last year I found it really helpful to think about which of my makes hit the mark, and which were less successful with my hits and misses, so I thought I would have another go this year too. I think most of my sewing has been fairly successful this year, though I have just done a wardrobe clear out, and a few handmade clothes did get the axe, so its certainly not perfect yet.
So here we go:
Top 5 Hits
Amber tops and Dress
I practically lived in my Amber tops during the last part of my pregnancy when it was hot and my bump was huge. Even since then, I must wear one at least 2-3 times a week because they are one of my most practical options for feeding in too. I particularly love my Amber dress because I think it looks fairly stylish and is so easy to just throw on, and my Amber hack layering tee also gets a lot of wear under shirts at the moment. I think the reason they have been so successful is because they suit my lifestyle as it is right now, not how I might wish it was. They are also made in good quality cotton jersey, so they have survived lots of washing and grabbing straight back out of the laundry pile!
Oslo Cardigan
This is another item of clothing that regularly gets taken straight from the clean washing pile to be put back on. When I first made it I wasn’t sure about the style on me and this was really intended as a wearable toile. However, the oversized nature of it has definitely been growing on me, and I love how easy it is to throw on. I would love to make another (possibly multiples) as again it fits my lifestyle right now really well.
Modified Toaster Sweater
I made this Toaster sweater right at the start of the year with some very special Atelier Brunette fabric. I’m pleased that I used this very special fabric in something which is comfortable and practical. I love that it fits over my Archer shirts, and the crew neck is more practical with a collar. I’m even really pleased with my decision to go for contrasting gold topstitching.
Ultimate Wrap Dress
This dress is another make that I love because I tweaked the pattern to create what I actually wanted. I hacked the sleeve into a little flutter sleeve, modified the cross-over to be a little higher and added an empire line seam to make it fit over the bump. I have worn it a bit since the arrival of baby too, though I think it might now need re-hemming to take out some of the extra length that I added to the front. I’m looking forward to being able to wear it again next summer.
Ringer Tee
I have made a mountain of these tops for Toby and as gifts, and I’m sure there will be more. I particularly like hacking them to have poppers at the neckline while he is small, but the pattern goes up to ages 5-6, so I’m sure I will make more as he grows. It’s a free pattern too, so what’s not to love!
Hits Conclusion
There were a couple of other patterns that I would have included, but I thought it might be cheating to include patterns that made it onto last year’s successes like the Mens Metro Tee and Grainline Archer because I knew before I got started that I would love them! I also thought that perhaps I couldn’t include the skirt that I am currently sewing, even though I’m pretty sure it will be a hit because I haven’t actually worn it yet! Another that came close was the Dandelion Dungarees because they have seen a lot of wear in the last few months and the popper hack definitely worked there too. I think the things that I have included demonstrate that I’m getting more confident at hacking patterns to get what I actually want from them, not just putting up with the parts that don’t work for me.
Top 5 Misses
Kinder Cardigan
Considering how much I love my Oslo cardigan, it seems a little strange that I’m not such a big fan of the Kinder Cardigan which is pretty similar. I think it is down to a couple of issues, one being that the pattern is possibly even a little more oversized than Oslo. The other being that the Ponte I made it in is definitely more structured so it ‘feels’ bigger. I did like some of the construction methods, and the pockets though, so I’m tempted to adopt some of these for my next Oslo cardigan attempt.
Blossom Dress
Technically this was made in 2017, but I was never really going to wear it until this year. I’m not sure if it is just because it is such a large expanse of single colour, but I didn’t really hit it off with this Blossom dress. I love the fabric, and the Anna Top that I squeezed out of the offcuts, but the dress hardly got worn. It probably doesn’t help that it looked a bit strange before I had a big enough bump, and by the time my bump was bigger the weather was warming up. This hasn’t survived a recent wardrobe clear out because it looks ridiculous again without a baby bump. Perhaps it would have been better as a top.
Lucia Top
A more recent make was this Lucia Top. It was a great way to kickstart sewing again being really simple, but I’m not a massive fan of the fabric. It’s a bit too shiny and ‘polyester’y. It has survive the wardrobe clear out, but only to see if I will wear it during the festive season when red and shiny seems more acceptable. If it doesn’t get worn it might have to go too.
Lily Top
There is nothing actually ‘wrong’ with this Lily Top, it just doesn’t get worn as often as I thought it might. I did wear it while I was pregnant, and I do sometimes wear it now to feed, but I wasn’t 100% pleased with the finishing techniques and there are some areas that I don’t think are going to be all that robust. It’s not a total fail, though I don’t think I would make the pattern again.
Miette Skirt
Again, there is nothing ‘wrong’ with this skirt, but I think it suffers from not suiting my changing body and style. I have been wearing a lot less that sits actually at my waist because I don’t find it that flattering at the moment. Perhaps that will change in the future and I will feel better wearing this skirt though. With hindsight, though the pockets are really useful, they just draw more attention to an area that I feel less confident in at the moment!
Misses Conclusion
I think several of these projects have suffered from the difficulties of guessing what sorts of things I was going to want to wear as my lifestyle and body have changed. Hopefully now that thigs are starting to settle down I can make more informed choices for next year and get more of them right!
I am enjoying my previous Agnes and Amber pattern mash-up, but I wanted to try another method of getting breastfeeding access with a t-shirt. My previous hack works great, but variety is always nice, and I fancied a long sleeve tee with a neckband because my upper chest/neck keeps getting cold!
This is based on the Tilly and the Buttons Agnes Top and is a much simpler pattern hack than the previous one because it involves modifying fewer pieces. I would detail the changes, but Zoe from SoZo what do you know already has a great tutorial and I didn’t really do anything different. I think the overlap would be less obvious if I had found a better thread colour match for the topstitching, but I found this fabric difficult to match and it will probably be hidden under my layers anyway.
This option is quicker to construct and does give a sleeker silhouette for layering, though I think my other hack is easier to use. I will definitely be using both options, and will probably make some more too. I have some lovely peacock blue cotton spandex which would look great.
One of the best things about this top is the way it has helped me to reconsider and start wearing a few clothes that had been slightly forgotten. Here it is layered under my Bridgetown Backless Dress as a tunic, and worn with the crossover at the front.
Slightly different styling from wearing it to the wedding I made it for.
I also made Matt another Metro tee to match! It doesn’t really deserve its own post as I’m pretty sure I’ve already said all there is to say about making up that pattern. It’s probably one of the best value patterns I own though for the number of times that it has been used (closely followed by the Agnes and Amber patterns too!)
In the autumn and winter, I usually layer up long sleeved t-shirts, shirts and cardigans, but this year my clothing needs to be feeding friendly. Currently none of my long sleeved t-shirts really facilitate that, so I’ve needed to come up with a pattern hack solution. This top is my first attempt at creating a slim fitting layering t-shirt which I can feed in.
I’ve hacked together the Megan Nielson Amber, with my usual layering top- the Tilly and the Buttons Agnes. Both of these are tried and true patterns for me, with multiple iterations (For Amber see here and here, Agnes here and here). I’m using the front bodice piece of the Amber, and the modesty panel, but I’ve raised the centre front on this panel about 5cm to keep me warmer. Then I’ve attached it to part of the front bodice of the Agnes.
For the back, I’ve mostly used the Agnes bodice, but tweaked the armscye to fit the Amber sleeve. The sleeve has been slimmed down a bit too to make it fit under layers more easily. This is how I’m most likely to we wearing it on an everyday basis- worn with jeans and an Archer Shirt.
I’m pretty pleased with this as a first try. I do have another hack in mind to try so hopefully I will be able to show you that one too soon. Like Matt’s recent Metro tee, this is made with the Girl Charlee solid cotton spandex in Sage Green.
I’ll be wearing this all winter I’m sure. I’m really glad to be able to keep warm and cosy in my layers again!
This is another quick and practical project. I have made my own lingerie before (such as an unblogged Watson Bra and these Acacia Undies), but I didn’t really have the time or inclination this time around! Instead I bought this bra recently, though to be useful for everyday it needs to be nursing friendly so I decided to make the modifications myself.
You can buy kits like this one to convert your bra, but I decided to just buy the clips and elastic that I needed separately. First job is to measure the width of the current strap elastic to buy the right clip size, and unpick the elastic from the top of the cup.
Once it’s been taken apart, the clips can be put into position and sewn up.
Next job is to attach elastic from the strap clip to the bottom of the cup. This stops you from losing your strap back over your shoulder when it is unclipped.
In all, a pretty useful little modification. It always feels good to do some sewing that will really get lots of use. Now I really must get on with that graduation dress!
This post comes slightly out of sequence because it has just gone live today on the Minerva Crafts blog. When I was offered some of their John Kaldor jersey to test I thought that this floral pattern was just beautiful and the drape of the fabric is great. At the time of sewing, my sewing time was a little limited because I had assignments to finish so I decided to combine a couple of different plans to make maximum use of my limited time.
This pattern is the maternity hack of the Sew Over It ultimate wrap dress, a pattern which was one of the first to make it onto this blog. Sew Over It provide instructions to hack the standard pattern pieces into an empire line so that is can be fitted around a bump. I also sized up to a 12, rather than the 8 I made before, as I’m hoping to be able to use this dress for nursing, and I’ve changed size at the bust too. The flutter sleeves are another hack, so look back to my post from Sunday to see what I did, and the tutorials that I found helpful.
This dress is also my entry for this years #sewtogetherforsummer community challenge, which involves making any wrap dress. I participated last year with my Alex shirtdress, and I’ve enjoyed seeing all the different patterns, inspiration and lovely dresses that have been made.
Anyway, to see the full blog post with all the construction details and final photo’s head over to the Minerva Crafts blog. I’m hoping to keep getting plenty of use out of this dress once baby arrives- hopefully it will be practical for throwing on when I don’t have time or energy to work out what to wear!
This week’s post will be arriving slightly later than normal because it is another collaboration with Minerva Crafts and is only due to publish on their website on Wednesday. I’ve been so exited to share this make though because I really am loving wearing it in this more summery weather, and I feel very sophisticated in it! Full details on the blog later this week, but for now I’ll show you the bit of pattern hacking that I did to create these lovely flutter sleeves.
This pattern started out as the Sew Over It Ultimate Wrap Dress, one of the first patterns that I blogged about. The dress has full length fitted sleeves- not very summery so I decided to make a few changes! Firstly, I worked out approximately how long I waned the sleeve to end up by holding it up against me, and I just traced off that much of the pattern. There are some great tutorials online, and I followed this one on craftsy, and also found this one on sewing pattern review helpful. You can see how the finished pattern piece looks very different to the initial one, but because none of the sleeve allowances or seam lengths have changed inserting it works exactly the same as before.
I wanted to keep the sleeve looking light and airy so I didn’t want a heavy hem weighing it down. It made it a great reason to use my overlocker’s rolled hem function which is much more dainty, and a very quick easy way of finishing a curve. I think I will be using this sleeve hack again over the summer- the sleeves are just so lovely. They aren’t restrictive or hot, but keep your shoulders covered when out in the sunshine! Pop back on Wednesday to see the other changes that I made to this pattern.
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Naomi Sews 