Toaster Sweater for spring featuring Simply By Ti

Simply by Ti Fabrics recently let me pick one of her new open weave fabrics to try out. I chose the Black Crochet off of my wishlist with plans to do a pattern hack similar to this with the Blanc Tee. I altered my plan though, once I had the fabric in hand.

I was picturing a thin fabric more like lace (though I don’t know why), but this turned out to be just a bit heavier and thicker than the Hacci sweater knits I’ve used in the past with a similar mechanical stretch. The fiber content feels like a cotton or other natural fiber and is really soft.

New plan: Use the Toaster Sweater to create a transitional spring piece that I can use for a lacey looking top.

My initial thought was that I would need to stabalize all the seams so the open weave wouldn’t pull apart and ruin my piece. I decided to eliminate the cuffs and bottom band to minimize the number of seams that I would have to treat in this way. I simply extended the bodice and sleeves to make up the difference.

It turned out I didn’t need to stabalize all the seams after all. I did a test run through my overlocker on some scraps, played tug of war with them, and I have no worries about these seems. I did decide to add a strip of knit jersey as I sewed the neckline to give that seam some extra support.

Here you can see how I folded it over to encase the neckline seam.

For the hems, I did a double fold hem with a hand catch stitch for a nice looking finish that would have some stretch to it.

The Pattern: Toaster Sweater 1 from Sew House Seven paired with my Goldenrod skirt. I can’t give a complete review here because of the changes I made and using an off book fabric choice, but I will share a few of the first impressions I had of the pattern. The pattern is pretty basic and the use of bands and cuffs eliminate the need for hemming, making the construction really easy. A sewing newbie could easily sew this up. I personally could have done with a more condensed version of the instructions.

 

Does your fabric sometimes throw your plans for a loop, how do figure out what to do?

As always, thanks for stopping by today.

*Simply by Ti provided the fabric for today’s creation in exchange for a review. These are my honest thoughts on the fabric.

Modern Stripey Boatneck featuring Simply By Ti

I’d like to thank Marta of doguincho for posting her beautiful Miss Marlene top and fueling the flames of inspiration for today’s Stripey Boatneck top. Inspiration often languishes on my pinterest boards for lack of pattern or just the right fabric. Not this time though. I have my TNT boatneck pattern (Butterick 6084 oop) at the ready and Simply by Ti Fabrics let me pick this wonderful rayon in ivory and black stripes to feature in a blog post.

The Fabric: Rayon Spandex in ivory and black stripes from Simply by Ti. I love the drape of rayon, but it comes with the drawback of being a little clingy, a bear to sew, and I’ve been burned by instantly piling fabric. What I like most about the rayon from Simply by Ti is that it is a little heavier than the other rayon spandex blends I’ve used. The heavier rayon knit is a just a smidge easier to sew and press, is not as clingy, has the opacity I want in a light color, and still drapes nicely. I think with every rayon I’ve used before, the fibers start to lift or pill right away- very annoying. The surface of Ti’s rayon is still perfect after washing and manipulating. I’m very pleased.

The inserts are a super stretchy, shiny cotton blend that I saved from shortening some rtw pants. I thought they looked like faux leather, so I kept them for a time such as this.

A very simple pattern hack, some scrap busting, and viola; I have a modern twist on a very classic look.

The Pattern: Butterick 6084 oop. To make space for an insert, I dropped the shoulder seam point by 1/2in on the front and back bodice pieces and smoothed out the neck lines on the pattern pieces.

I folded over the hems for front and back necklines stabilizing with knit-n-stable from Pellon. Next I positioned my shoulder inserts, leaving 1 inch between the front and back bodice at the shoulder and pinned in place. I then stitched my necklines through all layers and proceeded to finish the tee according to the directions.

Next time, I would sew the inserts in differently, as the neckline tends to stand up and roll forward along the inserts, but I can live with it.

As always, thanks for stopping by today, and join me next week for the Breaking Ground Blog Tour.

*Simply by Ti provided the fabric for today’s creation. These are my honest thoughts on the fabric.

Zircon Sweater for Sew Long Summer

I’m saying Sew Long Summer by dusting off my fall sewing wish list and making it happen.

One of the projects on the top of my list was to make another Zircon Sweater from Paprika Patterns. The inserts on the Zircon let me have two of my favorite things; geometric shapes and high contrast colors.

I’ve made the Zircon before, so I knew no alterations were needed. Take note that the Zircon sleeve is supposed to be bracelet length, but hits my shorty self right at the wrist were I prefer it.

Those inserts might look scarey to make correctly, but if you follow the directions and take your time to line up the stitching lines, you’ll be good to go.

 

Stop by today’s bloggers for more inspiration.

AppleGreenCottage, mahlicadesigns, Kaleidothought, PrettiModesti, Olive Ashby, Sewing Bee Fabrics

And…enter our giveaway for a pattern from On the Cutting Floor.

How about some fun discounts and coupon codes from our sponsors:

Zeirstoff Patterns 20% off patterns   Code: zierstoffpatterns20  Ends 9/17/16

Blue Dot Patterns       25% off patterns    Code: SewLongSummer  Ends 9/17/16

On the Cutting Floor   50% off patterns   Code: SEWLONG   Ends 9/17/16

Sarah Top and Dress – Pattern Review

On the Cutting Floor is putting out some really interesting patterns, with unique details that take them above and beyond the many basics you see out there in the Indie pattern world. I have many of them on my list to make.

I started with the Sarah Top and Dress Pattern** Those origami-like folds, oh yeah, so very cool. I had the perfect color ponte in my stash to fit into my Core Wardrobe too.

The pattern comes with lots of options, 24 all together, so you need to read the “How to Print” instructions to get the pattern pieces you need.

Sarah Top and Dress technical drawing

The easily understandable instructions walk you through how to complete the many options and they’re organized so there’s no confusion. Sewing the pleated panel was a breeze because of good markings and clear instructions.

Item of note: The curve from waistline to hip is not a gentle one. This is great for pear shapes like me, but if you’re a rectangle or inverted triangle shape you might want to check that.

My alterations, which I have to do to most patterns. A drop shoulder adjustment of 3/8in. Shortened 3in at hem line, I had to eliminate the bottom pleat to make it look right. Shortened the sleeve by 3in to make it a length I like.

Next time, I’ll use a binding on the neckline instead of folding over and topstitching. I prefer a binding or facing.

I had a few fit issues with the test version of the pattern. (I don’t see adjustments for these in the final version)

1. I got a lot of gaping at the center front neckline of my muslin (not shown). I ended up removing two 1/2in wedges from the neckline to compensate.

2. I found the neckline sat high up on my neck at the shoulder line. I ended up removing 1in here.

3. I found the front piece 1/2in narrower than the back piece in the same size. I used a size 10 front piece and size 8 back piece in my final version.

The fabric: One yard of a nice ponte de roma from Finch Fabrics. (sold out)

The Pattern: Sarah Top and Dress in size 8/10. Pleated front, short sleeve options.

The Sarah Top & Dress is 50% off until Friday to celebrate the pattern release, so hop on that now.

The pleated front, short sleeve version of the Sarah Top should take you about 1.5 hours to complete.

Total Cost: $2          Fabric $2           Pattern $ 0- Free as a pattern tester

 

**Affiliate link, meaning your purchase provides me a modicum of compensation to fuel my hobby.

Fancy Tiger One Hour Top for Diving into Dolmans blog tour

Today I’m sharing the One Hour Top from Fancy Tiger Crafts as part of the Diving into Dolmans blog tour hosted by Sewing By Ti. Ti has put together bloggers of all shapes to show how this style top can work for every body shape.

Sewing by Ti as an Inverted Triangle
The Creative Counselor as an hourglass/small pear
Made By Melli as an apple
Sew Sophie Lynn as a rectangle.

Guest bloggers:
Dos Natural Sistas (spoon)
Rebel and Malice (pear)
Sew Far North (apple)
Mahlica Designs (pear)
Lulu and Celeste (inverted triangle)
Adventures with Bubba and Bug (hourglass)

I just love my dolman style Georgia Tops (here and here), so it was only natural that I would want to try another pattern and expand my dolman love. Unfortunately, I did not find true love a second time. I think we’re more of a “like-like” status.

The blandly named One Hour Top is a loose fitting top with a 3/4 length dolman sleeve. True to it’s name, the top goes together very quickly. The instructions are easy and straight forward to follow. I did change one step. Instead of folding over the neckline by 1/2in and stitching down as instructed, I used a clean finish binding. Even with the extra time needed for the neater neckline finish, I still finished in under an hour.

I found this really cool ponte knit on the clearance rack at Hancock Fabrics, but it was a bit shy of the needed length, so I added a color block band at the bottom to make it a decent length on me. As is usual for me, I had to shorten the sleeves just a bit to hit at the right place.

I was worried that a dolman without a fitted band at the bottom would look really slouchy, but that turned out just fine. The overall fit is just not love for me, as roomy as this is supposed to be, I’m getting drag lines down the front. I often need a FBA, but honestly didn’t think I would need it with as much ease as the pattern has built in. I’ll pass on making this one again. You may have better luck.

Some things to consider about the One Hour Top:

Sizes	XS/S to XL/XXL (32/34 to 42/45)
Printable pattern pages/copy shop version	18 (no copy shop)
Skill Level	Beginner
Measurements for Rectangle Pieces	NA
Line Drawings	Yes
Size made	XS/S
Options chosen	NA
Fabric Requirement for your size	1 ½ (1 ¾ stated in pattern)
Measurement Chart	Bust Waist Hip
Cutting Instructions	Yes
Pattern Printing Layout	Yes
Cutting Layout	Yes
Suggested Fabrics	Medium weight knits
Layer Printing Option	No
Neck Line Options	No
Sleeve Options	No
Hem Options	No
Color Blocking	No
Seam Allowance	½ inch
Hem Allowance	½ inch
Separate add-on pack	No
Fit	Loose
Easy to read instructions	Yes
Drawing or photograph instructions	Drawings

 

Tonic 2 Tee pattern hack by mahlicadesigns

As part of the Sew With Me challenge in September to make four coordinates, I used some of the remaining fabric from my Matilda leggings, to make a color blocked version of the Tonic 2 Tee from SBCC patterns. (Previous Tonic 2’s here & here & here )

I made a size small with a few adjustments to the pattern this time. I raised the neckline  by 1in at center front, narrowed the neckline by 1/2in at the shoulders and drew a new neckline curve. I also shortened the sleeves to about 17in finished length to make a 3/4 sleeve.

For the color blocked portion, I used one of my previous versions to determine where I’d like the new sewing line to be, retraced pattern pieces and added seam allowances. I also noted where my center bust point was so I could slightly curve the color block line down from center bust to about 1/2in lower at the sides.

It didn’t quite come out as hoped. Next time I’ll move the sewing line up a little more above my bust and redraw the curve to be more noticeable. I also learned to consider stretch more carefully. The stretch in the top fabric is much less than previous fabrics used and pulls across the top of my shoulders.

The Tonic 2 Tee should take you about 2.25 hours cut to finish, plus time to redraft your pattern.

Fabric $5  Pattern $0   Total $5

I also entered my Tonic 2 into the Sewing Indie Month contest.

Jalie Drop Pocket Cardigan for Core Wardrobe building

Holi-Daze week for my Sew Long Summer sew along was a bit of a challenge sewing wise. I was hoping to make a big batch of tees or undies, but it just didn’t happen. Weekends are not where I get my sewing time, so I just barely finished the Jalie cardigan I was working on to show off with my sewing tips post.

I’ve had the Jalie Drop Pocket Cardigan on my list since I saw Jamie’s last December. I’ve also been seeing Hacci knits around and wondered what they are like to sew and if using one would give me a warmer cardigan. The jury is still out on the warmth; it’s not quite cardigan weather yet. I purchased my Hacci sweater knit from Girl Charlee during their July 4 sale.

A little about the pattern. Jalie patterns come on a large sheet for you to trace off and include a huge range of sizes. The seam allowance on this one was pretty narrow at 1/4inch. Since I was using my serger I was ok with it, but otherwise I would recommend you think about adding more of a seam allowance as you trace. The pattern is put together to enclose as many seams as possible, because of this there were points in the instructions that I definitely would have been lost without the diagrams, so have both handy.

The pattern is a fabric hog, needing four of the front pieces shaped like a big “L” so the pocket part folds over the front. With stripe matching and my best pattern Tetris skills, I got a size U for 36in bust out of 2.25 yards (60in wide).

Hot Tip: Check your length before you cut. The pocket does not allow for much to be just cropped off the bottom if you forget.

Working with the Hacci sweater knit was very similar to working with a jersey knit; a little rolling at the edges but no fraying. I had some trouble getting the tension adjusted on my Janome 4618LE sewing machine to handle the stretch of the Hacci, but had no problem using my serger for the majority of the construction. I would think twice if I only had my machine to use.

Jalie’s Drop Pocket Cardigan should take you about 3.5 hours cut to finish.

Fabric $9      Pattern $ free     Total $9

Jade Skirt from Paprika Patterns for Summer Crush week

Meet my Summer Crush, the Jade Skirt from Paprika Patterns. (LinkUp your Summer Crush here)

My interest was piqued last fall when the Jade came out, but it wasn’t until spring that I decided what fabric to use. Thanks to #sewlongsummer the Jade is finally taking up residence in my closet. I can really see this being a key part of my Core Wardrobe. The length is good for summer and paired with some colorful tights will be cute in fall and winter too.

I used a  Maggy London ponte from Fabric Mart for the shell and a cotton jersey from Girl Charlee for the lining. I’m very pleased with both fabrics for this project. The ponte is a good quality and the jersey has the right stability needed to support the folds on the Jade. The color is not as saturated on the jersey as I would like, so it may only be used in supporting rolls in other garments.

The pattern is not as difficult as those front folds make it look. There’s a tutorial video and a practice sheet to make sure you can do the folds correctly. I watched the video a couple of times and followed the tip to use colored pins and had no trouble with the folds. In fact, I got it on the first try.

Once you tack down those folds, the rest of the construction is elegant in its simplicity. The instructions include options to add an exposed zipper or an elastic waistband. I didn’t need to do either.

The Jade Skirt should take you about 3.75 hours cut to finish.

Pattern: $7      Fabric: $9    Total: $16

Lindy Petal Skirt from Itch To Stitch; Core Wardrobe Building

A lot of times I hem and haw when deciding on a pattern and then spend even more time on fabric. As you may know, I’m slowly working on building my Core Wardrobe. One of the items on my list is a summer weight skirt in charcoal gray. I associate charcoal gray with the winter season, so it’s been a challenge to find a pattern and fabric inspiration for this piece.

Lindy Petal Skirt

The Lindy Petal Skirt pattern was released a couple weeks ago and gave me that ah-ha moment I needed. The Lindy is a knit skirt, which I hadn’t thought of doing, and I had just enough of this rayon terry left over from one of my Jaspers to use. The length, silhouette, and wrap look of the petals all said spring/summer to me.

If you’re looking for a quick and easy sew that ends with a great look the Lindy has what you need. The pattern is free from Itch To Stitch and it looks like she takes care to make quality patterns.

I used a medium weight terry knit, I think using a lighter weight knit like a jersey with a little stretch would be ideal so you don’t get some of the lumpiness at the side seams like mine. Shortening by 1in was my only pattern alteration. I’m 5’4.

So what do you think? Did I get a spring/summer success? I feel pretty good about it.

Oh, and yeah I got a hair cut between photos.

The Lindy Petal Skirt should take you about 1.5  hours.

Fabric $8  Total Cost: $8  Yea, more stash busting.

Rose Tshirt from Blank Slate Patterns; pattern review

Theres nothing like purple to make me happy and to help break out of the basic colors I’ve been using to build my Core Wardrobe. The first of much more color to come for Spring and Summer, is my version of the Rose Tshirt from Blank Slate Patterns.

Body is more of a plum color like the accent pieces

 

Likes:

• The gathering at the front adds some nice ease through the body without making it baggy and I did not need to size up at the hips like usual.
• Great pattern for a little stash busting of those quilting cottons I haven’t touched in a while.
• The contrast options at the neckline draw the eye up and away from the tummy and hips.
• I like inserting sleeves flat.
• Theres a full facing on the front to cover up all those seams.
• The pattern can easily be made into a dress with just a little grading for the hip/thigh. (The pattern has been re-released to include a dress option)

Criticisms:

• The seams at the front of the arm scythe are pretty bulky with three layers there. I’d recommend using a lighter weight fabric for the front facing to reduce the bulk.
• The arm scythe at the front curves in toward the center front a bit and causes some pulling. I’m not going to spend time to adjust the pattern as I’m only planning to use this pattern again for a sleeveless version.
• I determined that the triangle shape marking on pattern piece#6 needs to be moved by 1in down toward the center front to make the two front pieces #6 and #5  line up correctly. I purchased my pattern from a store, perhaps the PDF versions in the Blank Slate Patterns webstore have been corrected.

  

  Corrected marking in Red

Suggestions:

• Go down a size if you’re between sizes. I’m a 35.5in bust and the small sized for up to a 35in bust has enough ease for me.
• Understitch the facing around the neckline to prevent rolling, before top-stitching the front facing below the front yoke.
• Use a lighter weight fabric for the front facing if possible, this will decrease bulk at the arm seams. Alternately, grade the seam allowances if you’re not using a serger.
• Check your pattern pieces.
• Lay out your front yoke pieces as demonstrated in the instructions to help keep track of what goes where.
• I use stay tape at my shoulder seams when sewing with knits.

The Rose Tshirt takes about 3.25 hours to complete.

McCalls 6559 Summer Stripes dress; Core Wardrobe part 5

Come on warm weather, I’d like to see you.

The warmth is still a ways off for us, but that’s why we take vacations right? In honor of warm vacations to come and because I just need/want to focus on spring and summer Core Wardrobe pieces I’m trying a pattern out of my stash. McCalls 6559.

I found this striped knit, in my Core colors, in the Joanns red tag section. It was pretty stiff feeling, but at $2.5/yd I thought it would make a good beach cover up and give me some practice matching stripes. To my surprise, it softened up nicely after washing. Now I have a nice striped dress for summer, bonus!

I sewed up view D in a size 12. I went with the maxi length after I realized I had bought more yardage than I remembered and what the hey, why not test out how maxi length looks on me using a bargain fabric. I can always shorten it.

I made a few simple modifications to the pattern and instructions.  I used a 1/4in seam allowance at the sides because I was concerned about having enough width at my hips and thighs, this turned out to be unnecessary. Instead of turning and topstitching, I used self fabric as neck and armhole binding, I just think this looks better. I removed 3in from the length, I’m 5’4, and sewed the hem at 5/8in.

It took extra time of course, but I’m pretty pleased with the pattern matching at the side seams.

I can see this pattern being pretty useful in a lightweight knit as pajamas, as a beach coverup in the shorter length as I originally planned, and to show off some awesome prints.

McCalls 6559 took 3 hours, including the extra time needed to match stripes and add neck and armhole bindings.

Plum Blossom crocheted brooch

I really enjoyed making a crocheted brooch as a gift this Christmas.

This was the perfect project to work on during baby’s nap time.

Do you have any go to projects for short bursts of free time?

A gift for Grace: Fan stitch crochet blanket

Baby Grace has joined the family of our good friends. Often, baby number two does not get showered like the first, so I wanted to make something especially for her.

I’m a beginner at crochet, but found The Crochet Stitch Bible by Betty Barnden at my local library very helpful in learning the fan stitch I used in the body and the picot edging for the top and bottom edges of the blanket.

Spa Cloth: a crochet test pattern

With a baby on the way, I’m mulling over how many layette pieces I can and want to make for myself. So far, I’m pretty sure on making a crochet blanket and a quilt.

This weekend, I took a practice run using the Blue Lagoon Spa Cloth pattern tutorial by Heather over at The Good Life.

I worked up her pattern with a  scrap ball of worsted weight acrylic and an H hook. For the real deal, I would use a cotton for a softer hand and a larger hook for a more open look to the pattern.

I did some extra rows of the edging to use up all my yarn.

I now have a very nice addition to my dish cloth drawer.

Need a little help with a half double crochet stitch like I did? check out theknitwitch on YouTube.

Chunky Knit Scarflette

I hand knitted this little charming piece without my usual over thinking and meticulous planning.

I love the soft feel and the contrast of the tabs.

This one is available in several colors as a custom order in my esty store.