Haven Acres Blouse turned tunic

Here's another little garment I made for Abigail a couple of weeks ago. Finally getting around to posting my recent sewing.

I had some scraps of this gorgeous fabric leftover from the tunic I made myself a couple of years ago that has been begging to become a Haven Acres Blouse. This time I mixed things up a little and made the blouse into a longer sleeveless tunic with a combined neck and armhole facing. You can find my tutorial for creating and sewing this kind of facing over at Sew So Easy.

And one more photo, just because she's a goof and so cute and I love her!

Valencia Tunic - new release by Mouse House Creations

Recently I had the chance to test the new Valencia Tunic pattern for Mouse House Creations. Now that it has been released (and I have some time finally!) I can share!

I'm sharing a tutorial about working with sheer fabrics over at Sew Easy today - check it out to see some techniques and ideas you might not be familiar with to make working with lightweight fabrics simple.



The Valencia has an unique shaped yoke, a sweet little mandarin collar, soft gathers at the centre front and back, and a curved hem. The yoke can be made either lined or unlined, which also makes it a great pattern for choices like colour-blocking or a sheer lace top.

For this version I used a lightweight cotton silk and lined the yoke with the same fabric. I found the perfect pale blue pearlized shank buttons and to keep the delicate look, left the yoke free from topstitching.

I'm hoping to make a few more for this summer - such a sweet and breezy style to keep cool in! I think this version will be adorable with a pair of shorts too.

Agility Tank by 5 out of 4 Patterns

Last week I tested the new workout wear pattern by 5 out of 4 Patterns, the Agility Tank and Dress.

This one was fun, and very timely, as I've been hard at work on PiYo every morning. As a tall girl, it's great to be able to make myself a workout top that is long enough to stay put while active! I tell you, the name Agility suits this top - it keeps up with me!

The pattern has options for a stand-alone sports bra, this tank (or dress length) which is the sports bra plus overlay, and an A-line style tank or dress. Each variation also has a nursing access option. The pattern is well-written and was a joy to test. Jessica was a great designer to work with and ready with quick answers and prompt updates to the pattern pieces. 

This is my favourite part - the woven straps at the back. It also has an option for a T-back. I chose the banded hem option but there is also a drawstring hem option. I used one of Patty Young's Heaven and Helsinki knits, which is 58% cotton, 38% poly and 4% spandex, for the overlay and the straps, and a random piece of blue midweight french terry (?) for the bra part. The blue was leftover from another project so I'm really not sure what it is content, but it must have some spandex because it works really well.

The pattern is on sale today and tomorrow, and you can purchase 3 patterns for an extra 15% off cart total with the code Buy3.

Sew Fab Bundle - Extraordinary Girl and Capitol Hill

The new Sew Fab Bundle is here! This time it's a Winter Women's Bundle, with 10 new patterns, available till December 15th.

And, yes, that's me, top right corner, wearing the Extraordinary Girl by Filles à Maman. I also did my own version of the Capitol Hill by Straight Stitch Designs. For pattern descriptions and size charts, take look over here.


For the Extraordinary Girl, I did two versions during testing. This pattern is fun - I would never have thought of a lap-shoulder top for a woman, but it's a fun and unique detail and surprisingly easy to sew. This was my first try with the original pattern (since then the sides have been shaped a little more).

I used some fashion jersey, almost a coral colour with dusky roses printed all over it. I used the reverse of the same fabric for the contrast yoke and neck bands. I made my usual adjustment for long back by adding 1.5" inches to both front and back and 1" to the sleeve length.

With the final pattern I made my favourite version:

The fabric for this is much softer feeling - it's a Michael Miller knit from the Heaven and Helsinki line by Patty Young. The orange-red was a remnant I picked up ages ago.

This is a very bold colour for me! I usually stick to greens and blues and blacks for myself, but this was so happy I had to try it. I love the slight hi-lo hem.

The twin-needle hems worked out great - this time I just used regular thread in the bobbin instead of wooly nylon, as lately I can't get any good tension with that stuff.

I also tested for Kimberly of Straight Stitch Designs. After a lot of hard work and versions, she came out with this gorgeous design:

The Capitol Hill top and dress has lots of options and unique details! I did the elbow length banded sleeves and 3/4 circle skirt tunic length for mine. There are also options for a gathered skirt and full circle skirt, each in tunic or dress length, and long sleeves too. The bust shaping comes from overlapped double pleats at the centre, which Kimberly did a video walkthrough of as well as a thorough description in the pattern.

So check out the rest of the Sew Fab Bundle and enjoy!

Selfish Blue Roses - A Dress for Me

Well, this week is Selfish Sewing Week, so I knew I'd be dropping my "must sew" list for at least one selfish project. We'll see if any others happen, but in the meantime, I'm super pleased with my latest dress!

I bought this soft single jersey several years ago when I was expecting Abigail, meaning to make a pretty maternity top or something, then ended up on bedrest not needing much more than a lovely hospital gown. Since then, it's beckoned to me several times, until I recently found the perfect pattern to show off the beautiful print - the Wear Everywhere Dress by So Sew Easy. Free pattern too!

The pattern printed perfectly and the dress went together as if it'd been meant for this fabric. The only adjustments I made were cutting between sizes 4 and 5 to fit my measurements, and adding 2.5" to the length to suit my height. I used wooly nylon in the bobbin with a straight stitch to topstitch and understitch at the neck. The tricky part was getting the neckline to lie flat. The weight of the facing wanted to make it gape a little. At first I was going to stabilize it by sewing in some Lastin but I'm clear out. I ended up handsewing a line of running stitches along the inside edge from shoulder seam to shoulder seam for a little stability. 

The fit is perfect and it feels so comfy! BUT I think this may be my "goal" dress for now... unless I find some spanx! lol No room for mummy tummy in here! :D

(UPDATE: My goal comment was a bit of a joke slash snide commentary on myself - I'm not really that self-conscious about it [or at least I try not to let it bother me] Thank you, all my wonderful friends telling me to just rock this dress!! )

Crazy Love Rebecca Shift

Another dress for me! This is the Rebecca Shift Dress pattern by SisBoom, same pattern line as my Jenny maxi dress. I'm in love.

The fabric is Jo Ann in brown from the gorgeous Crazy Love line by Jennifer Paganelli, who together with Carla Hegeman Crim (the Scientific Seamstress) designed the SisBoom fabrics and patterns. 

I started with a muslin out of "ugly" fabric to get the size right and found out quickly that I needed to go down a size from what my measurements said I should be. The bodice is Medium 8 and the waistband and skirt are Medium 10. I used the "frankenpatterning" ideas included in the pattern to transition between the sizes. I nipped in the princess seams under the bust about 1/4" each, took the back darts in at the middle about 1/4" each, and took out an extra 1/4" on each side down the centre back, tapering out by the end of the zipper.

I chose to understitch the neck facing and armhole bias bands and then hand-tack them down inside for a neater finish, instead of the topstitching the pattern suggests. I also hand-stitched the facing over the top of the zipper.

Super happy with how the neckline notch just happened to end up inside a motif!

The pattern includes a unique way to get a zipper in perfectly - a gluestick! I used this method first on my Jenny dress and loved it. It was especially useful for this dress, with the symmetrical pattern! I switched to pink thread at the waistband when stitching in the zipper.

Hand hemmed to continue the invisible finishing. I think the last item I hand-hemmed was the little satin brocade dress I made for Abigail for my sister's wedding two years ago...

Best of all - when I walked upstairs wearing the finished dress, my husband was very impressed - he loves bold colours so I guess this was a good choice, even though very out there for me.

Linking up to SewJo Saturday!

Jenny Maxi dress for moi!

Actually made this one in March, on time to take along to Mexico, but finally got proper photos yesterday! Nice weather is here, hopefully to stay!

Details
Pattern: Jenny Dress by SisBoom
Fabric: apparel weight cotton floral
Size: Large Tall, A cup, modest neckline option

I started out with a muslin and made just a few tweaks to the sizing, but the cotton I used for the muslin was a different weight and hand than my good fabric so I ended up needing to take it in a good deal. I originally used the cutting line for tall on the midriff piece but had to go down to regular as it seemed to sit wrong. Once I had the whole thing together and the zipper in I realized it was still roomy so had to take the sides in another 1/2" on each side. Next time I'll choose a smaller size to start, I think.

Very pleased with how it turned out, overall! It's very exciting to actually have a full-length dress, as a tall girl.

Spring Tops for Me!

I've been part of Made By Rae's Spring Top Sewalong before - high time to do it again! Custom made clothing is a good idea for someone with a long back, arms, and legs. It's a drain to go shopping and find pretty things only to have to make do with too-short sleeves and waists and hems that hit in awkward spots. Time to fill my own closet, instead of adding more to my little daughter's!

I tried out Colette's Sorbetto Top, just in some lightweight cotton leftover from my Jenny maxi dress. Based on my measurements I'm supposed to be size 12, so that's what I started from, cutting 2.5" longer for my long torso.

Details
Pattern: Colette Sorbetto Top
Size: 12 (modified)
Mods: I ended up taking up 1/2" in the shoulder seams and 1/2" tapering to 3/4" at the waist on both side seams. I'm not overjoyed with the shape still - might have been better starting with size 10 or even 8. Bias tape is self fabric.

Suzanne went shopping with me last week - I was having heaps of trouble fitting the fabrics I liked with patterns and just couldn't decide. I came home with several fabrics, including these gorgeous prints:

I was thinking of doing Sorbetto again in the left fabric, a white dobby voile, and then the apparel weight cotton in the middle with the tone-on-tone blue beside it for a Patricia Tunic. Not so sure on the Sorbetto now that I've done my muslin. I may try something like a crocheted lace yoked shirt instead...hmmmm....

I also bought this smooth jersey - on sale for $6 a metre! And I only needed a metre - score! (Excuse weird expressions. The man was teasing me while he took my photos.)

Details
Pattern: New Look 6497, View C
Fabric: polyester blend jersey
Mods: Added 2" to the length at the top of the skirt pieces to account for my long back. Shoulder ties are self fabric.
Details: Hemmed at the neck and armholes with twin needle and wooly nylon in the bobbin. The tunic hem is my attempt at a serger lettuce hem.

Fits great and I love it. A very quick sew. My walking foot gets hung up when hemming over seams so there are a few uneven bits in my topstitching. If I did it again I'd probably take in a little bit at the neck edge of each shoulder seam as it tends to slide a bit. It also needs a camisole as it gapes a little at the crossover with movement. I probably would have been better off adding some clear elastic tape the the neck edges to keep snug.