New top

A lot has been happening around here. Unexpected (painful and expensive!) dental work, job interviews, warmer weather and several sewing projects have kept me away from this space for long enough that I don't recognise Blogger. It took me a few seconds to figure out how to publish a new post.

Anyway, after a frustrating morning of drafting a new sloper (more on that later) a few days ago, I was looking for an easy project. The fabric is from a thrift store that I've had in my stash for several years now. The colour is not especially an harbinger of spring but the fabric is soft and very thin; perfect for warmer days.

I've made different versions of this top a couple times before. The original pattern is from this Japanese book but I've changed the pattern considerably. This time I made a short-sleeved version with cuffs and didn't sew down the inverted pleat. It made for a quick and easy project!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Negroni take two

I finished making a second Negroni muslin a while back and I almost can't recollect all the details. Let's see. I traced a medium but added length to the body and arms. I traced the largest sized cuffs and tapered the sleeves out to match. The biggest change I made from the original pattern was to change the collar from a camp style collar to a traditional collar and add plackets, which I did using Peter's instructions.

The overall fit is much better in the shoulder and the neck fits perfectly. The shirt still creases near the armhole but it looks better than the large muslin in the front and back. I had to use a 3/8" seam allowance to sew the shirt front to the back and at the armhole, since it was a little too snug.

The fabric was labelled as a chambray but it really is an oxford.

Things to remember for the next time: the shoulder, collar, plackets, cuffs need no change. I need to shorten the collar stand I drafted by about 5/8". I need to sew and press the cuffs more carefully, so that the inside fabric doesn't show! I would add even more length in the body, maybe shorten the sleeves a little. Most importantly, I need to trace a larger armhole, with more room in the shirt body.

It isn't perfect yet but it's getting closer with each try!

Pattern making

I first tried to draft my own patterns whilst we were living in India in part because I didn't have easy access to commercial patterns. I bought a couple of books, scoured the internet for tutorials, and soon realised that I actually enjoyed the process. It took longer to make a finished piece from start to finish but I found it to be very fulfilling. Besides, I often have to tweak commercial patterns to get a good fit anyway.

Now that I am back in the U.S., I have all kinds of commercial patterns in my possession but I still find myself wanting to draft my own. I've borrowed several books from the library and have been playing around with miniature sized blocks.

I'm not entirely sure where this process is going but I'd like to at least draft a basic pattern set for myself and see how that goes. So far I haven't spent as much time on it as I'd like but I'm going to try to work on it more.

In other news, I've finished quite a few sewing projects that I hope to write about soon, so stay tuned. In the meanwhile, enjoy the leap day!

Negroni muslin

I've been wanting to make a shirt for my husband ever since I learnt how to make buttonholes successfully. Our favourite tailor in India even made me a pattern but I just wasn't sure how to put it all together. Colette Patterns' Negroni shirt was all I needed to take the leap. With Peter's MPB Men's Shirt Sew-Along as a resource and Sarai's very good pattern instructions, I decided to make a muslin.

I was able to put all the pieces together! I traced and sewed the large size without any modifications. My feeling is that it is a tad too big. What do you think? Peter addresses a few fit issues on his blog, which is where I learnt about pivot points. The shoulder seam extends beyond my husband's pivot point. The shirt seems too large across the back yoke and the fabric creases under the arm. The shirt length and sleeve length look good, though.

For the next version of this shirt, I am going to trace a medium and make a few modifications. Mainly, I'll add length to the body and sleeves. I am also going to follow instructions to convert the camp style collar to a traditional collar and draft a button placket and facing. Wish me luck!

2012

Things have been quiet here lately but I closed 2011 doing some of my favourite things. I had the opportunity to travel, celebrate holidays with family, try new recipes in the kitchen and finish a few sewing and knitting projects. Although I have been remiss in writing, I had to share one of my Christmas presents from my husband.

Voila! It was a complete surprise, too. He picked out this particular model based on reviews online, and so far so good.

He also rather wisely gave me some reading material to go along with it! After perusing the book, the serger manual and other blogs, it seemed like threading the machine would likely be my biggest challenge. I was prepared! It must have been beginner's luck but I managed fairly easily. I tied on the new thread to the spool the machine came threaded with and just pulled it through. It worked for one out of three spools. For the rest, I just followed the manual. I've already started a project from the book and will write more about it soon.

Happy 2012!

Another refashion

I refashioned another of my husband's shirts recently. This one is from a store in India that mainly features cottons and linens in their collection. The fabric is very soft and summery, and I was quite excited to convert it into something to fit my wardrobe.

I had less fabric to work with this time around - an Indian extra-large is a lot smaller than an Eddie Bauer large-tall.

I followed the same steps as I did for my last refashion. The part I found tricky was trying to incorporate the shirt's shoulder/back detail, since I didn't want the cut-out to appear misplaced on my shirt, but I think it turned out well.

Like the last time, the sleeves are my favourite part! I used the original cuff to make tabs so that I can wear the sleeves rolled up or down.

Like my previous refashion, I didn't shorten the shirt at all, and used the original hem. I left the back longer, used French seams, and finished the neck with bias tape made with left over bits of the sleeves. All-in-all, a refashion success, me thinks!

Thanks to my husband for helping me with the photos.

Another Sorbetto top

After I made my first Sorbetto top, I had planned other versions but we haven't had much sun in Paris this summer. So by the time I got down to making a second one, I had all but forgotten the design elements I had wanted to incorporate.

I had envisioned converting the original pattern to a racer back, but the only thing I did differently was curve the armholes in a little bit, add length in the body, and leave out the front pleat. I cut out a small pocket for the front but ultimately decided to leave it out since it was lost in the floral pattern of the fabric. I had wanted to make a curved hem but by the time I got to it, I forgot and cut a regular hem! I guess I was in a hurry to wear my new shirt before the sun disappeared!

Thanks to my husband for taking the photos.

New top with Peter Pan collar

I finally drafted a Peter Pan collar using Gertie's three-part video tutorial that I've had bookmarked for a few months now. Gertie's tutorial is very detailed, and overall, I found the collar quite easy to draft, as I followed her directions exactly.

I drafted the collar for a smock pattern I've made before from this Japanese book. Once I sewed the collar pieces together, I wasn't quite sure how to attach the collar to the top but it worked out rather well in the end. I used a 2" bias strip folded in half as a facing, and again, followed Gertie's directions.

As for the smock pattern itself, I changed quite a bit. I obviously left out the ties and slit down the front. I also reduced the front piece by about 1" on the fold for a better fit, and converted the gathers of the original pattern to an inverted pleat in the center. I added gathers to the sleeves by extending the original sleeve about 1" on either side at the cuff end, and finished the sleeves with bias tape.

Even after having washed it once, the fabric is a little stiff owing to the sizing but I'm hoping it will soften with use. It was a cut-piece of about 1.5 meters that I picked up months ago for five euros, so I can't complain. It was perfect to practice new drafting techniques!

I'm most chuffed about having drafted a Peter Pan collar, and about manipulating the smock pattern to make something different. I love this top! Despite the sleeves, it feels summery, and since Paris has remained rather cool this month, I really appreciate having sleeves.

Thanks to my husband for taking all the photos!

Sorbetto top

The Sorbetto top from Colette Patterns was perfect for the one-meter piece of cotton fabric that a friend gave me. I cut out the smallest size and lengthened the blouse by several inches so that I could finish it with a wide hem. It is loose and comfortable, and it made for a quick and easy addition to my wardrobe. As for the black linen skirt, I made it using the pattern I drafted last year to make this skirt.

I made this top a couple of weeks ago but today is the first day I was able to wear it without a cardigan. I wore it to the park for a picnic lunch date with my husband, who kindly took this photo!

Refashion

For several years now, I have been wanting to refashion one of my husband's shirts into a dress for me. I have a small pile of his shirts that have either shrunk in the wash or that never fit him well to begin with, slowly accumulating in India and the US. Since storage space is notably scarce in our rented Parisian apartment, there really is no room for piles of anything. So I finally gave it a go, taking inspiration from Antoinette and her clever refashions.

I was working with a large-tall Eddie Bauer shirt, so I had quite a bit of fabric to work with. I started with ripping out the collar and the shirt pocket. I initially wanted to keep the collar stand but it was much too large, and it had to go. After I cut along the side seams on the body and sleeves, I converted the box pleat on the shirt back to gathers.

I used a self-drafted pattern to cut out the shirt fronts and back, and the sleeves. The sleeves are my favourite part!

I also sewed the original pocket back on the right front of the dress.

I added small gathers to the shoulders, which you can't see very well in these photos, and I left the back of the dress longer than the front (inspired by Wiksten's Lissa dress).

I finished the entire dress with french seams, and I had enough fabric left over to make bias tape, which I used to finish the sleeves and neck. I wore it the day to wander around Paris!

Thanks to my husband for taking all the photos of me in my new, refashioned dress.

Japanese smock

I bought a couple of sewing books on my quick trip to Japan last month. It was difficult to decide which ones to buy, there were several shelves of books to pick from!

My decision to buy the ones I finally chose was influenced by the many lovely creations I have come across online. Most of the patterns in these books have clean lines and are minimalist, which I find very appealing.

I picked Smock no. 21 from the Adult Couture Dress and Smock Blouse book (yes, it translates to a rather odd title in English) as my first project. I don't read Japanese but the drawings provided sufficient direction.

I traced out a size 7 but took in an inch or so at the sides, and left out the ties in the front.

I've never sewed with any material other than cotton and (occasionally) silk, so my fabric selection stays pretty limited in the winter months. I used a lovely cotton kalamkari from in India, not at all suitable for winter, but I wear it over a wool turtle neck top, which works pretty well. I'm hoping to try my hand at sewing with other materials soon.

One last photograph of me taken by mon marie at the Musée de la chasse et de la Nature in front of a forest made out of corrugated board!

Steve Alan knock off

One of the last sewing projects I finished before we left India was a skirt. I wanted to make a cute, high-waisted skirt, and Steven Alan's ikat Ella Skirt proved to be good inspiration. I used my usual pattern drafting sources, and came up with a very basic pattern - waist band for the back and front, plus a couple of carefully measured rectangles for the skirt body.

The pockets turned out to be the most challenging part! I didn't know how to make kangaroo pockets, so I had to wing it three times with an old curtain before I was satisfied.

The fabric is a 100-percent hand loom cotton ikat, similar in colour as the Ella Skirt.

I painstakingly finished the raw edges with bias tape that I made, and hand hemmed the fully lined skirt. It took a while to finish but it made for a very neatly finished skirt.

I finally got to wear it a weekend ago, when the sun was shining, and all of Paris came out to enjoy the fine weather. I like the gathers between the pockets, the pockets work, and it is very comfortable to wear. All in all, a success!