Outerwear and other – Em Sew Happy Blog

Nova Coat

I was trying to think of when I first made plans to sew the Nova Coat and checking my records, it looks like I purchased the pattern in May last year. Soon after getting the pattern, I enthusiastically went to Potter and Co. to buy my fabric. I was all set to sew until a sewing friend asked me how I was going to prepare my precious wool fabric. Yikes. I lost my nerve and now, 17 months later have finally decided to give it a go.

So, it turns out that preparing the fabric was not such a big deal after all. If I had just read page 12 of the pattern instructions, I would have seen that Katie tells us how to prepare the fabrics. If it’s dry-cleaned only fabric, don’t wash it. If it’s something that can be washed, wash it first. I’m not sure if it was fog brain from Covid or momentary lapse of common sense but I washed my dry-cleaned only wool fabric and it shrunk. Luckily, it remained soft, and I had remembered to use wool wash, but I nearly cried when I pulled it out of the machine and was wondering what possessed me to do the unthinkable? So, to make up for the shortfall in fabric, I bought a meter of the plaid. My coat is made from a luscious white wool blend and a soft neutral coloured plaid fabric. There have been many examples of colour blocking and mixing fabrics in the making of this coat.

Due to delay in starting the project, I had time to stalk the pattern on social media. I found that most people had recommended sizing down the coat. Sometimes there was a recommendation to size down as much as two sizes. My sizing would normally sit in the Size 4 range. I wanted the oversized look and most importantly, a roomy jacket that could easily go over a chunky knit sweater. I find ready to wear coats never comfortably accommodate bulky winter wear. With this in mind, I only sized down to a Size 3 and am very happy with the fit. If you’re undecided, have a look at the “Finished Garment” sizing including the sleeve length as this will give you a better idea.

Sewing the coat took less time than what I thought it would. I genuinely love the drafting and the construction of the coat. I was a little stuck at step eight but I think I misunderstood the picture in the instructions. Also, my instructions steps were numbered differently to the sew-along steps (it doesn’t take much to confuse me).

Attaching the liner was easier than I thought it would be. The instructions are so clear. My lining fabric is a mid-weight cotton in a bright pink burst of micro floral pattern. Most jackets have a slippery lining, I could have used satin or something similar, but this fabric caught my eye, and I wanted something cheerful and bright on the inside. It’s been such fun to watch people reaction when I reveal the bright lining!

An iconic pattern at an iconic landmark!

This is a big tick off my “Make Nine” list. It’s being used at the moment, and I can’t wait to wear it a lot more next winter. I might even attempt the jacket version of the pattern!

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Marlo Sweater

My daughter and I fell in love with the Marlo Sweater by True Bias at first sight. I always find it amusing that to my daughter’s generation, the 90s are regarded as “retro” which of course it is now but the 90s are still so fresh in my mind and the years of my youth! This pattern paired with the argyle patterned fabric that I found conjures images of the outfits that Cher Horowitz wears in the movie, “Clueless”. I love the bond that my daughter and I have formed over sewing. My daughter’s textile course in her final years of school was the catalyst to my sewing obsession.

So, back to the Marlo Sweater, I decided to make the cropped version. My daughter was happy with a very oversized sweater, so I made it to my sizing which was the size 8. My closet is often raided by her so it’s understood between us that my sweater will eventually be worn by her. Hence, why she is modelling it as well.

The instructions for construction were very comprehensive and easy to follow. I’ve sewn True Bias a few times now and the patterns are always well thought out and logical. Everything went smoothly. I started by pattern matching the argyle pattern of the fabric. To match the fabric, I had to cut the pattern piece individually instead of two paired pieces.

The next step was to cut the ribbing. The width that the black ribbing came in did not allow me to cut the bottom ribbing piece in one length. Instead, I cut one length for the back then two equal pieces for the front. These three pieces were sewn together before attaching to the body of the sweater.

My second-hand overlocker has been the best bargain buy of my sewing journey. It’s been such a worthy investment. It allows me to sew directly onto knit fabric without having to zig-zag sew on a sewing machine. This makes it so fast to put together a knitted outfit.

My real challenge (and the one that stalled this project) was the installation of buttonholes. There is a piece of interfacing that is already attached to the inner side of the front ribbing however, when I attempted to sew a buttonhole on a tester piece, the ribbing kept getting caught in the teeth of the machine. This meant that the fabric could not move forward. It was a test to my patience as well as my sewing skills.

After a couple of days of frustration, it occurred to me that the brain bank on Instagram could help me, and they did come to the rescue! The consensus was to line the back and if needed, the front of the ribbing with tear away interfacing or freezer paper. I promptly tested it and it does work well. However, after consulting my daughter, she said she preferred it without the buttons so after all that, I have left the buttons off.

I’ll definitely be making Version B which is the longer cardigan with patch pockets. My preference will be to put buttons on that!

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Reef Camisole and Shorts

Christmas holidays arrived and here in the Southern Hemisphere, we found ourselves in sweltering summer heat. Needless to say, it was too hot to be at the sewing machine but I managed to sew up the Reef Camisole and Shorts Set from Megan Nielsen Patterns. It was my final sew for the year just in time for my favourite time of the year. I’ve always loved the time after Christmas and the start of the new year where there is a quietness and a temporary lull to give us a bit of respite before the whirring of busy-ness begins again. It was a good time to finish making the Reef Set so I could have my pyjama day.

Motivated to finish by coffee and panettone

As usual, if you’re looking after a comprehensive sew-along, you should look at the Megan Nielsen Blog Site. This was my own sewing process. Before heading into that, I wanted to talk about the fabric that I used. I bought this lovely muslin from Spotlight Stores. It caught my eye because of the beautiful mustard colour and the pattern is reminiscent of a field of dandelions. Muslin is such a thin fabric; it’s often used for children’s clothing or baby wraps and for good reason. It’s soft, made of cotton and is such a breathable light fabric which is why I’ve thought to use it for summer pyjamas.

I remember when I had just started sewing, I tried to sew with muslin fabric. I ended up cutting it up for cleaning cloths because it did not even survive the first wash! The best way to prepare muslin fabric for sewing is to overlock the raw cut edges before washing on the cool cycle. This preserves the integrity of the muslin fabric which has a loose weave otherwise you would risk your washing machine unravelling some of the thin fabric. After washing, I gave it a light iron and went on the cut out the pattern pieces. Another beginner tip is to check your needle. I made sure I had a 10/70 needle to ensure that I wouldn’t damage the delicate fabric.

Starting with the camisole, which is cut on the bias, watch that you don’t handle the fabric too much and lay it flat as it will stretch if you hang the fabric before sewing. I also made sure to staystitch where needed as this helps to stabilise the fabric. I love the look of bias-cut garments as it drapes beautifully especially with silky materials.

The crossover back yoke is the distinguishing feature of this camisole. It’s a really satisfying construction. It’s also so comfortable to wear. I’m tempted to sew this camisole as a top if I can find the right fabric like silk. Once the crossover back yoke is completed, it comes together very fast. Topstitching the neckline and armscye was my own addition to help secure this fragile fabric. I tend to wash everything in the machine and have little time for hand washing so this will go a long way of preserving my Reef Set. I also secured the facing by stitching in the ditch at the side seams and stitching down the back panel.

Onto the shorts, I made the View B option which is the mid-rise. The hemline is curved and again an interesting construction with the attachment of facings. It elevates the piece from basic elasticised waisted shorts to luxurious summer pyjamas shorts. It doesn’t stop there; it also has pockets!

Adding the long straight stitch to the midline of the elasticated waist

A quick note on sizing, I made the size 12 for my measurements of 37-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 38-inch hips. The sizing was a great for the shorts, but I could sew up a size for the camisole top. The camisole has very narrow seams except for the side seams which returns to 5/8 inch. I narrowed the side seam to allow more room in the armscye. It still fits me in the size 12 but there are some horizontal fold lines where the front straps meet the bust line. The other option would be to make a full bust adjustment but I would also like to lengthen the camisole so I feel the best option would be to size up.

Now that the busy Christmas holiday period is over and we have turned over to the New Year, I have a few days of lounging around in my newly minted pyjama set. I’m really enjoying my new book which is the second book by Named Patterns titled, “Building The Pattern”. This is my first sewing book and it’s a gem.

Thank you for reading and wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

X Em

Wooster Jacket

The Wooster Jacket is a timeless addition to any wardrobe. I was lucky enough to be gifted this beautifully designed piece by Sewing and the City. The description of the pattern is, “The Wooster is a loose-fitting unlined jacket with yoke detail, front slit pockets, bracelet length sleeves and a wide neck band.” This is my first time sewing a pattern from Sewing and the City and I daresay it won’t be my last.

Sewing and the City offers tutorials for those who may be just starting out in their sewing but I found the instructions comprehensive enough for the short time I’ve been sewing. I decided to challenge myself to sew this jacket in a “Sew Everyday” challenge where I sewed for 15 minutes daily. This was such a fun way to sew and it helped me plan and understand the processes of putting this piece together. Here was my sewing process for the jacket:

Complete all stay stitching
Attach pockets to front panels
Join front top and bottom panel
Join yoke to back panel
Sew on sleeves
Sew side seams
Sew hem
Add neckband
Sew sleeve hem

Just a few notes from my version, I sewed the size M which fit exactly as I liked. This pattern has a size range from 42 1/2 inch bust to 55 1/4 inch bust. I used a wool blend fabric to make my Wooster Jacket as it’s an unlined jacket so I chose a fabric that would sit softly against the skin. This fabric has a bit of polyester in the mix which made it hard to press and so when it came to attaching the neckband I stitched-in-the-ditch rather than topstitching it on. Also, there are no indications in pattern of when to overlock / serge the seams so I just noted where to do this when I read through the pattern. Other than that, it turned out exactly as the pattern promised!

Thanks so much for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Comfi Lounge Set

This make was inspired purely by my much anticipated annual leave. I know that the lounge set trend came about because of people working from home but being a healthcare worker rules that out for me. So, all I’ve thought about was a couple of weeks of sitting home lounging, eating, napping, reading and lots of sewing. The weather has also helped as temperatures have dropped and rains have settled in.

I chose to sew the Comfi Lounge Set as it’s a Pattern Scout Pattern and from past experience, all her patterns have been pure joy to sew. I do love a challenge when I sew, like doing a good puzzle, but in this case, I just wanted a relaxing, uncomplicated sew. It definitely turned out to be exactly that! A very easy, relaxing sew and it does exactly what it says on the tin. The guesswork for sizing and the choice of fabric is all taken care of.

My husband is an avid supporter of my sewing hobby. He often comes along fabric shopping with me and was the one that spotted this pineapple print cotton jersey fabric.

I cut out and brought along the stretch ruler that Pattern Scout provided in the pattern instructions which made it so easy to pick the fabric especially if you’re new to knit fabrics as I am. I used this medium weight knit for the Comfi Lounge Pants and as a surprise for my husband, I also sewed up the pineapple print jersey as a sleep shirt for him (this is not included in the pattern, his shirt was self-drafted). For the Comfi Lounge Tee, I’ve sewn up the basic short sleeved tee version and I’ve used a lightweight stretchy white cotton spandex fabric.

Instructions were great as usual and the size 12 was a perfect fit for my measurements. All seams were sewn up on my overlocker and the hems and sleeves were finished with twin needles. I’ve seen some beautiful versions of this pattern on Instagram and it’s definitely one that I’ll revisit. The next time I sew this, I’d love to play around with fabric choice.

On a side note, sewing this has been such a joy and in general, sewing is such a joyful pastime for me. It has also been fun (and funny) to document these makes along the way. I hope joy and creativity is something that everyone can make time for in their lives. Sewing and having a hobby is something that really contributes to my wellbeing. Hopefully, whatever you’re facing or doing, I hope you’re able to find some joy in it.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em