Dressmaking

Do you make sewing plans? Mine are always super loose, ideas on a postcard if you will. For 2021 I have decided that this is the year of fashion, starting with these Just Patterns Tatjana trousers in wool. Basically, I mean I’m going to try my best to get dressed properly and wear and make clothes that are designed to be for exiting the house. Even if I’m not leaving the house!

2021 is the year of less loungewear 

My mister will tell you that I am typically the queen of loungewear (“house clothes” as he terms it). Especially in the colder weather. I really only like to get dressed when I leave the house! But for the foreseeable future, since we’re continuing to be home a lot, and I’m working from home, there’s less moments than usual for me to go out.

So that would mean I’m wearing loungewear all day long, and I have stopped feeling ok about that. The other day I was in a hoodie and leggings for most of the day and I got changed at 9 pm to go and spend time with my sewing machine. Call me totally mad, but I felt better about it!

I won’t rule out making sweaters and things which could double as loungewear, but I’ll be trying my hardest to wear it with things to make an acceptable “out of house” outfit. And on my blog / IG, hopefully I’ll be showing a few more outfit repeats as I figure out how to mix and match?

Just Patterns Tatjana trousers – wool version 

My first version of the Tatjana trousers was in Tencel™. If you’re curious the pics and details are here. I really like these so I was curious to see how they would be in wool. As I type I have a third pair in the making, in corduroy!

Fabric choice

I searched a long time for wool that was the right weight, blend, and with a nice neutral-ish colour. A blend was my preference to lessen the scratch factor. This deadstock wool blend (this is 50% wool / 40% cotton / 10% polyester) from Meter Meter came up. When it arrived I promptly found myself in a sewing panic – I thought I’d ordered 1.5m but turns out I ordered only 1m! After a calming cuppa and a chat with sewing buddies, I measured the piece and it was more like 107cm. I put it in the wool cycle of the sewing machine and hoped for the best. 

Shrinkage was 5cm and it shrunk to 102cm. But there was zero shrinkage across the width which remained 150cm wide. So luckily I was able to get all 4 leg pieces out of one width of fabric after playing some tetris and cutting on a single layer. The leg was shorter than I’d like and I thought in the worse case I could put in a hem facing.

Pattern and construction modifications

These were purely due to lack of fabric:

• No back welt pockets
• No pocket facings
• Waistband cut on the cross-grain
• Hem allowance is a very un-elegant 1.5cm instead of 5cm.
• Waistband of 4cm instead of 5cm.

By the end of it, there was basically just a few odd-shaped scraps left. No room for error or re-cutting! Happily, this is a TNT so it came together pretty fast. Before I forget – let me mention I like to tuck my tops in. If you’re not into that, then you might want to split the waistband in two, add seam allowance, and use something else for the inside so the wool doesn’t scratch your waist.

The binding is leftover scraps from a silk top, and the pockets are from the offcuts of the Fibre Mood Holly dress. It’s viscose so not stable like cotton but I like that they are nice and thin. Red zip from my stash. It actually all looks rather colourful inside – for a closer look, check out my 15-second video Instagram reel here.

Styling the Tatjana trousers in wool

When I first put on the trousers I thought I might have been going a bit too retro. But when I look in my cupboard I found a lot of options which would go nicely with it. 4 out of 7 are me-made, 2 are second hand and 1 very old RTW.

I’m happy to report these are currently my favourite winter trousers, mostly due to the wool! For extra warmth, I wear tights underneath and it doesn’t feel restrictive. I also had fun testing out some outfits (even if the raspberry top is not seasonally appropriate. So here are some more photos to finish off. And yes, I was pretty tired when I was taking photos. Lockdown is getting the better of me and my energy levels are not super high at the moment.

Till next time,

Kate xx

In the second half of 2020 I still sewed all the things. I think this year, in particular, many hobbyists turned to sewing as a creative outlet. For me, sewing also became a job. Both as a freelancer doing technical pattern/marketing/blogging work, and also blogger makes. This massively contributed to the amount of output. Here’s the breakdown of the July to December sewing makes.

If you’re keen to see my January to June makes, see this post.

All the things from July – December: 40 makes

• Fibre Mood sewalongs: due to lockdown, this was the year of the sewalong. Between July to December, 15 of the garments I made were related in some way to a sew-along.
• Sewing for others: 10 items (of which 5 were sewalong related).
• Pattern promotion: there were 4 things from sponsored patterns. I also had a few pieces of sponsored fabric but I used all of it for work-related makes.

The handful of clothes I made that don’t fit into any of the above categories were items I made because I felt like it. Also not included in the 40 things are a couple of quilt tops, a load of kids stuff (for my own kids and that I sold), and 100+ masks.

July (6 items)

• Fibre Mood Norma x2 (sewalong): full details on this post. The blue Liberty lawn was because I fancied it and the white broderie anglaise was to refilm the sewalong when the live video didn’t save. I gave that to my friend.
• Fibre Mood Hettie (sewalong): another sewalong make; read about that here on the Lamazi blog. Alas, the shape wasn’t right for me even after a ton of design adjustments so it’s been refashioned (blog to come!)
• Fibre Mood Rosalie (sewalong): the Storrs cotton lawn was gorgeous, but the dress did not suit me at all! I re-fashioned it into Fibre Mood Holly, see this post.
• I Am Patterns Cassiopee: Storrs London blue floral cotton lawn. I’m on the fence about this one, it may get refashioned later. Pattern sponsored by Makerist.com.
• Named Inari tee: in double gauze from offcuts from another project. It was in my WIP pile for 2 years so I thought I better bust it or ditch it.

August (7 items)

• Fibre Mood Mary: for my niece in blue seersucker. I might have bought extra fabric for myself but I haven’t done anything with it yet.
• Just Patterns Stephanie skirt: statement yellow cotton with paint dabs from my stash. Best. Skirt. Ever. I wore it to both my in-laws’ 50th wedding anniversary and my mister’s 40th birthday and felt like a million bucks!
• Just Patterns Kate bias top (pattern since retired): black silk from my stash.
• Just Patterns Naomi bias skirt (pattern since retired): Tencel™ from my stash. The elastic a clean finish, but the elastic I have curls, making it uncomfortable to wear. I’m debating whether I want to refashion it next year or put in a zip (ha! Zip on a bias, good luck with that….) And that top? A really old silk one made years ago. I replaced the sleeve facings with bias tape and now it is great!
• Common Stitch Loungewear set shorts: from scraps of leftover linen. I forgot to post or photograph them! I’m a subscriber to Peppermint Magazine anyway, but even you are not you can download the patterns from their website here.
• Just Patterns Tyra tee: a beta test to feedback on the design. I posted about Tyra tees here.
• Fibre Mood Lola top (sewalong): a blog about that here on the Sew Me Sunshine site (they sponsored the fabric).

September (6 items)

• Fibre Mood Indira: in a funky viscose linen painterly stripe. The fabric was meant to be for a sewalong but it did not arrive on time. So I made this instead for a friend.
• Fibre Mood Guilia (issue 11 link party – where bloggers are invited to preview new patterns from the new issues): made in Tencel™ from my stash.
• Fibre Mood Ida (sewalong): Tencel™ from my stash. Not a fan of this shade of buttercup on me so it might be ditched.
• Just Patterns Tyra Tee: a big green tee! I posted about Tyra tees here.
• Fibre Mood Paris (sewalong): made for a friend. A blog about that here as the fabric was sponsored by Minerva.
• Orageuse Laurier: cotton lawn from Storrs with some leftovers, pattern sponsored by Makerist.com.

October (8 items)

• Vogue 8964: pics and details here. a dressing gown for the mister and my very first big 4 pattern (really!) It was for his 40th birthday, there’s a pic below of the dressing gown at rather fancy place where we stayed.
• 3x Papercut Rise turtlenecks: because I decided that turtlenecks would be my new basic! I bought fabric from Madeline de Stoffenmadam and a local shop. Round up here.
• 2x Fibre Mood Bertha (sewalong): I liked the first one so much I made a second!
• Just Patterns Tatjana trousers: favourite fancy trousers ever, read about them here. This was a beta test with fabric sponsored by Meter Meter
• Paper Theory Kabuki tee: a refashion from the sewalong Hettie skirt I made in July. Pics etc and separate blog post to come!

November (6 items)

• Fibre Mood Daniella (issue 12 link party): a turtleneck with a twist! Read my turtleneck round-up here.
• Just Patterns Tyra sweater: I bought some grid sweatshirting for a Fibre Mood sewalong, but the schedule changed. By then I fancied a sweatshirt anyway, read about it here.
• Fibre Mood Frikka (sewalong) x2: made for a friend. Alas, she is very tall and has a longer body and longer arms than the pattern, so I had to make it again! I’m taking the old one for myself.
• Fibre Mood Bonnie: my sister’s name is Bonnie + I loved the blouse, so naturally I wanted to make one.
• Fibre Mood Luz (sewalong): made for my sister in law. Forgot to take a photo of this one before I gave it to her!

December (7 items):

• Fibre Mood Holly x2 (sewalong): first one as a blouse – a refashion from the failed Rosalie earlier in the year – read that here. And a second one for my friend during the sewalong.
• Fibre Mood Carole: (sewalong): Tencel™ from my stash, for a friend. Can you tell I was in orange / rust colour mode?!
• Lotte Martens Cypres box: a sweater with a sparkle print for my sister, sponsored by Lotte Martens. Read about that here.
• Tessuti Apron: free pattern. Made as a Christmas gift with Marimekko fabric courtesy of my friend’s destash. My mister decided he wants one too …
• Plisse skirt: it took me 3 years to buy the fabric for this! Another blog to come.
• Finally, a Nani Iro special with Minerva fabric which is to be finished imminently! You can see what it’s going to be here.

Other stuff

• Quilt tops: two completed for charity. The blocks had all been sent to me previously. I love all Suzy Quilt patterns and it was super fun to play with the colours.
• Masks: 100+. My favourite pattern is the Japanese Sewing Books one (free). Great reviews from anyone who has received one.

2020 Sewing Tally

January to June: 23 makes

July to December: 40 makes

Total for 2020: 63

That’s a lot of sewing and clothes…

It sure is!!! Whilst I am detailed with my finishings etc. I still sew pretty fast. This year was not about sewing for my wardrobe or curating a wardrobe – that was already full before the year began. Instead, it’s mostly been about teaching and inspiring others. I even taught some in-person classes as well as online when Covid rules permitted!

Next year? Well, sewing is still my job so there will be sewing. And maybe a bit less, or if not, then more to give to others and more refashioning. I am still looking forward to trying new styles or construction techniques that I may never otherwise try or use. After all, every make as an opportunity to improve and practise skills!

And sustainable sewing?

I plan to go back to sustainability blogging as well. There are actually several unfinished posts in the works, I just need to give myself a talking to and actually finish and publish them!

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with my favourite outfit. My fancy yellow skirt, and a sports jacket that I made for mister some years ago. It was his birthday and probably the best day we had this year!!!

Happy New Year!

Kate xx

Be still my beating heart, because I have Just Patterns Tatjana Trousers! The story begins some months ago. I was lamenting to Delphine that I could not buy the high waist double pleat trousers in my size from my favourite vintage shop which often stocks that kind of thing. The sizing just never works out for me. Turns out, Delphine also had on her plan the idea to make similar trousers. Even better that she knows how to make patterns, because I don’t!

Disclaimer: 1) As the technical editor for Just Patterns, I had access to an early version to try out and provide feedback. There is no obligation to post or write about any of the things I make 2) The fabric for this post was sponsored by Meter Meter. Note: no affiliate links in this post, i.e. I do not receive any commission from future sales.

Then, Meter Meter asked if I’d like to try fabric from the Meet Milk range and it was the ideal trouser weight (more on that later), so that was a match made in sewing heaven. Whilst my sewing is not 100% perfect – there are things I would do differently next time (details below) – I am very happy overall. And I have 2 more pairs cut out: in wool, and also a lighter weight corduroy. I’m already thinking about heavyweight linen next summer!

Just Patterns Tatjana Trousers pattern details

High waist, double pleats on both front and back, fly front with zip, 4x pockets (front slash + back welt), belt loops.

Fabric choice 

I used the smooth drape twill from the Meet Milk range, in the emerald colour. It is 100% Tencel™; link here.

Meet Milk is a fabric brand owned by Meter Meter, a fabric shop in Denmark. It markets itself as a fabric brand containing more sustainable fibres and was probably the brand that brought Tencel into the EU / UK sewing market as a standard fibre that you see everywhere. If you have ever browsed an online fabric shop you will probably have seen it.

If you would like a “what is Tencel™” refresher, please see my blog post here. 

For trousers, I like to choose fabrics that are a little bit heavier. 200gsm+ for me, otherwise they can feel a bit flimsy. Most Tencel on the market seems to be around the 150gsm mark, but this is 210gsm. 

What I did 

My sewing is not perfect on this one, because I forgot about a few things and there are also some things I would do differently next time:

1. Reduction in the hip curve by about 4cm overall. On the Just Patterns size chart my hip is 38 and waist is 40. The reduction in hip curve worked out roughly the same as if I would have cut a proper size 38 at the hip. But I forgot to move the welt pocket!!! *facepalm* Therefore, as you can see from the side view, they are too close to the side. 

For my next version I have chalked where I think it should go. Then I will baste it together to check before I sew. 

2. Removed the waistband extension at the front in favour of two hooks and bars. But, if you look closely you can see where it is now pulling unattractively at the front. 

I have since replaced it with a visible button closure which is much better (forgot to take a picture of me wearing it but you can see it below). This is a button I ordered specially from Meet Milk as it was dyed to match the emerald exactly! Size is 25mm which I think is a good size for a 5cm waistband. Waistband notes coming up in a moment.

3. High waist notes The very high waist means you need a 19cm zip, and the top of the waistband almost hits the top of my bottom rib. I might reduce the 5cm wide waistband to 4cm in future versions. But, another issue I encountered was the interfacing I used was not stiff enough and the waistband is drooping a little – see pics above and below. It would not have been an issue if the fabric had some structure, but Tencel™ is very fluid. A good reminder for next time!

4. Last but not least, I am very happy with my choice of cotton lawn for the pocketing and the binding. If you are making all 4 pockets, you probably need a bit more of it than you think! But the insides look pretty, the cotton is stable and that makes a big difference. The zip colour doesn’t match exactly but oh well, can’t win them all. Also, you can see that the buttonhole area is a bit mangled from where I originally had sewn hooks and bars and then went on to wear the trousers a few times before changing to the button closure. Tencel™ does not take well to unpicking.

Dress her up, dress her down.

I tried to dress the Tatjana trousers up as you’ve seen with all the pictures. Then I dressed it down. I like them better dressed up. Can I go for a fancy dinner now? Or even lunch?

PS. Want to see the Tatjana trousers in action? Head to my Instagram reel video here.

Till next time

Kate xx

The Lotte Martens Cypres Box is a sewing kit containing all the necessary items to make a sweater. Don’t know Lotte Martens? I have been a long time admirer of Lotte’s foil prints that she prints by hand from her studio in Belgium. I’ve also been keen to try some fabric from About Blue (a Belgian fabric brand which also has patterns). So this was an excellent opportunity to try products from businesses fairly local to me!

Disclaimer: The Cypres Box is a PR product sent to me for review purposes. I only accept products I think that I will like – it still takes a few hours time and effort to sew it up and write about it!. This post contains no affiliate links, i.e. I receive no commission from any future sales resulting from this post.

Contents of Cypres Box

Opening the box is like opening a lovely present. As described, it includes everything you need to make a sweater, just add a sewing machine and your sewing skills. Inside the box:

• 1.3m of 150cm wide black french terry with foil print. Note! The print is small and measures c60x40cm. It is designed to be used for accents, not as an all-over print for the whole jumper.
• 45cm black ribbing to match. This is important! Even in black, not all blacks are created equal! If you pick any other colour you also get matching ribbing.
• About Blue paper pattern (there was a page showing the layout but no paper instructions, these are on their website. They are free to read here.
• 1 roll of Gutermann sewing thread in black.
• Postcards! I love including postcards when I send packages to my friends.
• A lot of samples and a couple of pages of catalogue of Lotte Martens and About Blue fabrics.

Fabric

French terry

French Terry is “zomersweat” in Dutch and the literal translation is a good descriptor: summer sweatshirting. It’s structured like a typical sweatshirting with loops on the back, but at 220gsm it’s not a warm jumper in winter. Despite the stretch, because it is thicker than jersey it is very stable and easy to sew, but not so bulky that misbehaving sewing machines will struggle with it.

For some odd reason, when it comes to fabric, it’s a lot easier to find nice prints on french terry than proper hoodie type sweatshirting. Also, it tends to come in 95% cotton / 5% elastane blends, rather than say 20-30% polyester on thicker fleece backed sweatshirting. I use french terry a lot for my kids stuff because of the prints.

Print size

The print is utterly gorgeous! But it was smaller than I expected, measuring 60x40cm in one corner of the fabric. So, be aware that you won’t get a full on sparkly sweater, but you will get interesting accents if you choose a high contrast colour and cut with care.

My sister, who is getting this for Christmas, had a specific idea about what she wanted: a plain sweater with print just on one side. So, there is print on the stripe running on top of the arm and a bit on the side seam. That took one of the two rectangle bits of prints you see in the pic above, and I have another piece left for a future sweater. You could also use one or both print panels for the front, back or one sleeve panel. Up to you to get creative.

Print colour and durability

The print is copper-toned. I pre-washed at 30 degrees which I think is the recommended care instruction (this was not included in the box), and there was no loss of print. Do put colour catchers in though, I used 2 and both sheets were covered in black at the end of the cycle – as is typical with a lot of dark coloured fabrics.

Pattern

About Blue is known for fabrics. But they also have patterns. The Over and Over pattern included in the kit differentiates itself by being a 3 in 1, with options for a sweater, cardigan and bomber. There is a decorative strip running down from the shoulder over the arm to the wrist, and another one between where you join the side seams. No line drawings are available so here’s the cover image.

Fit

Always check the finished measurements before you make a pattern. Unfortunately, in this case, no finished bust or hip measurement was given. Not an actual problem – there is that thing called measuring the pattern – but it really did make me second guess myself after I eyeballed the pattern pieces.

Why? For a bust size of c91cm, the sweaters I know and have used all have finished bust measurements of c110cm, give or take. This includes my Tyra sweater, the Fibre Mood Mika, Paper Theory LB Pullover and Grainline Linden. To triple-check, I also measured a RTW sweater which was very similar.

The Over and Over pattern measured around 10cm smaller than all the others! I examined the cover pictures again and it looked reasonably slouchy, so I decided I had better go with my gut…

Adjustments:

• Cut size 46 instead of the recommended 38. I cut and pinned everything together and it looked pretty good, albeit as you’d expect there is excess room in the back shoulder where it joins to the armhole.
• Removed 6cm length from each sleeve. This was to be expected given that I sized up by 3 sizes.
• No hemband at the request of my sister.

If there is a next time I will also increase the width of the cuff by 2cm since I think a longer cuff looks more aesthetically pleasing.

Pattern and instruction comments

In the interest of this review, I followed the instructions. These were average (you can see the instructions for yourself here if you like, they are free to read).

The good stuff

• The instructions are reasonably detailed. Having one instruction for 3 variations is no easy task!
• Pattern pieces are all numbered and labelled and come on nice thick paper. Seam allowances are included, lines are easy to see.
• It seems that the writer assumed that the garment would also be nice for teenagers, and gave some advice on fitting and where you would likely need to adjust the pattern.
• Instructions can be found online and are free to download. It also means that if there are ever updates, it’s easy to look at the latest version.
• There are pattern pieces included for the cuffs, neckband, hem band. I expect these pieces to work well with the fabrics /ribbing combo in the kit (how long you should cut these pieces depends on the level of stretch you have in your fabric) – and they did.

Less good stuff

• The instructions could really do with a proofread to make sure the translation makes sense (this kind of proofreading is my day job so call me more critical than average). Other bits just weren’t clear. For example, step 11 is joining the strip that goes over the arm and shoulder to the neckline. It says: “the obtuse corner at the top fits in the neckline, pin the long stripe to the shoulder and sleeve”. Now, both “corners” of the stripe form part of the neckline. They are also shaped differently. There is no explanation or picture of which corner joins to the front and which one to the back.

In case anyone makes it, here is a quick photo of how it’s meant to be:

• In the instructions, there are photos to accompany the text, as you would expect. But the photos are all together on separate pages from the steps! If you want to make the bomber for example (more complicated than the sweater) this will make it harder to follow.
• In the English translation, there are still a few terms in Dutch. You can work it out (and there’s google translate if needed) but it feels like a lack of attention to detail.
• Limited finished measurement info and no line drawings.

Verdict

I think the Cypres box would make a really nice gift, for yourself or for a friend. The fabric is definitely the star of the show here. Pattern-wise, I did not find this one the most user-friendly patterns I’ve ever sewn. Additionally, there are a lot of sweater and bomber patterns out there, so if you have a TNT then I’d say use that one.

On that upside, it’s great that the ribbing and french terry are a perfect colour match because that can be hard to find. The matching thread is also a nice touch. The print is exclusive to the kit and looks effective as an accent (there’s not enough print for there to be an all-over sparkly sweater). I’m pretty pleased with this make, and hopefully, my sister will be too. And I will definitely be keeping an eye on Lotte’s website for future beautiful goodies!

Thanks for reading, till next time
Kate xx