Patterns And Fabrics – Page 3

Nadine Skirt

The Nadine skirt is the inaugural pattern released by The Maker Haus. Laural is the talented designer, and she says on her Instagram profile that she is sewing a Doen inspired wardrobe. I had to google Doen and I found out that it’s a Los Angeles based line of clothing that is inspired by the nostalgia of a decades past California. They feature touches of romantic, bohemian detailing like embroidery, ruffling and retro-inspired silhouettes. The Nadine skirt is a gorgeous skirt that has two variations. The first is a midi skirt which leaves off the ruffled hem and gathers. The second is a maxi that features those ruffles. I tested Version A. Both skirts feature gathered tiers, shaping around the hips and sits at the natural waist. There is also a button placket running down the centre front.

Laural was awesome to test for. She took her time modifying and correcting any fit issues and was quick to respond to feedback. She has worked hard and produced an outstanding pattern with detailed instructions and diagrams. I got a lot out of testing this pattern. The most exciting feature for me was learning about receiving tucks. Of course, like everyone, I usually buy patterns that I like the look of, but I always try to find something I can learn and progress my sewing with.

My skirt sizing is the size 14 waistband for my waist measurement of 33 inches because my sizing falls between the size 12 and size 14. I used the size 12 skirt pieces for my hip measurements of 40 inches. I made a toile to adjust the sizing. I could have graded between the two sizes and because it’s a fitted waistband, it is better to toile. I like the curved waistband but if you want a straight waistband, Laural has included instructions for adjustments to do this.

The Nadine skirt is drafted for woven fabric. It’s great for lightweight to medium fabric. I found a beautifully printed linen. I wanted to make my skirt summer appropriate, so I shortened the top tier by two inches and the bottom tier by one inch. Again, these adjustments were made on my toile when I was making the tester version so nothing to do with the fit of the pattern. In fact, when reading any post on tester versions, it’s important to note that the designer will share the final pattern with the Testers before launch but there might not be time to sew up the final version yet which is the case here.

I’m keen to return to the pattern and am currently keeping my eye out for the right fabric. I want to try Version B with the cute ruffles! This pattern is feature packed. I love learning how to do a receiving tuck which is such a neat way to finish the gathered tiers. In fact, the whole skirt now has instructions for French seams so it’s neat inside and out. It’ll be great for very lightweight fabric.

Congratulations to The Maker Haus for the launch and creation of a beautiful pattern!

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Mia Dress

I’m so happy to be starting on my winter wardrobe. I wonder if anyone else finds themselves at the start of winter thinking that they should have added a few winter items in their summer sewing months. That’s probably me every year. I must admit that I probably sew more summer than winter items but that’s because our summers are longer. When Casey from Patternscout Studios reached out to ask if I wanted to test her latest design, I was so excited because it’s a winter dress. An item that is lacking in my wardrobe.

The Patternscout Mia Dress is a turtleneck knit fabric dress. It has raglan sleeves and a fit and flare high-low skirt which is a midi length. The pattern test went smoothly except I told Casey that my big head needed a slightly larger neck opening which she has adjusted. I made the size 12 graded to a 14 at the waist and hips and I used the Cup B pattern. This is why I’ve sewn so many Patternscout patterns and am happy to test for her. The sizing is spot on each time, and I love that she includes the different cup size options. It’s also great that printing the pattern is made so easy because you have a different PDF for each cup size option. My measurements are 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips. I think I could have just sewn a straight 12 being a knit fabric garment but I feel more comfortable when garments are not so “clingy”.

I did make some adjustments for my own liking after I had submitted my toile and was sewing my “real” dress. I shortened my bodice 1/2 inch and shortened my skirt by 1-inch as the dress is for someone slightly taller. I also shortened my sleeves by 3-inches. These adjustments are usual for me so not to do with the fit.

The fabric is a rayon-spandex from Spotlight Stores. There wasn’t a really big range to choose from at my local store. I would love to find a dark coloured plain rib knit like the one that Casey has modelled. Although, because our winters are mild, I might not get as much wear of my dress if the knit fabric is too thick. It is recommended for two-way and four-way medium weight knits with at least 50% horizontal stretch.

In other news, my second-hand Bernina that I scored on Facebook marketplace had to be retired. She has served me well but there is something wrong with the tension dials. When I purchased the machine, I was told about this problem, but I took the risk and bought it anyway. It was such a bargain price that I thought even if I had to pay for a service, it’s a worthy machine. So, that was five years ago, and this is the first time it’s shown some serious signs of failure. I will be repairing it at some stage. In the interim, there happened to be a great sale on overlockers at my local Spotlight store, so I decided on the Elna. It seems to have a few good reviews. I’ll wait a few months before posting my review.

Many sewists have said that they sew their knit garments fully on their overlockers. The Mia Dress pattern instructions assume this, but it can also be fully sewn on your machine and the instructions accommodate this. Armed with new overlocker, I decided to try this. Usually, I use both. The thing that confused me was the seam allowance. When you sew on your machine, you know where the allowance falls. On the overlocker, I’ve read that you account for the loss of 1/8 inch, a scant amount of loss which the blade removes when you are sewing with the overlocker. I think this is included within the 3/8-inch seam allowance. I hope, because that’s what I did. I did use my sewing machine with the twin needle to finish my sleeve hems and skirt hem.

Overall, if you’re like me and new to sewing knits, this would be a great dress to try out. It took me half a day to put together from cutting the fabric to finish. That’s quite a quick sew in my book. I would grade it as an intermediate pattern. In terms of fabric consumption, it didn’t take as much fabric as I thought it might. The chart is quite accurate assuming there is no pattern matching needed. I used 2 meters.

I’m looking forward to getting some wear out of this and I think I’ll be looking for some other similar patterns to try in knit fabric. I should also mention that Patternscout instructions are always great and accompanied by illustrations but if you want videos, she is has quite a huge catalog of YouTube videos.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing,

X Em

Tie Dress Featuring Longan Craft Linen Chinoiserie Fabric.

Like an artist choosing a palette of paint colours, the right pattern must be paired with the right fabric. So, when this beautiful Linen Chinoiserie fabric was kindly sent to me from Longan Craft, I had to make a choice of what to sew with this fine and lightweight linen-tencel fabric.

Initially, I had thought of a different dress on my summer make list. However, when the fabric arrived, it was drapier and finer than I anticipated. It reminds me of raw silk which was the material of my wedding dress, and it has the lustre and sheen of silk. There is also a subtle print of koi and flowers which I wanted to highlight so I didn’t want a pattern that would break that up with gathers or too many pattern pieces that break up the beautiful print. Searching through my files, I realised that the Sewing Therapy Tie Dress was the pattern that fit the bill! I was on the testing team for this dress and have made two which I constantly reach for, especially the short-sleeved version.

As usual, I started by washing my fabric. Even though it looks delicate, I found that it was okay to wash it in my washing machine on the cold cycle with a detergent for delicate fabric (one without enzymes). I then air dried it which is the normal way I would treat it once the dress is sewn. There was no loss of colour or changes to the fabric which was a relief.

The next step was to test a small piece of fabric on my machine and the overlocker so that I could decide on the type of seam finishes and the needle I needed. I did change my machine needle to a 70/10 gage needle which is great for finer fabric. Testing the fabric with the overlocker also worked out without any changes. I’m still learning about overlocker settings on my second-hand Bernina. Being second-hand, it didn’t come with a manual but luckily, I could find the manual online.

The Tie Dress is an elegant design with versatility in mind. The ties can be played around with, so the wearer can tie it in multiple ways to adjust for a loose or snug fit, be tied to the front and back or to the sides. It can also be worn as a v-neckline or round neckline. I’ve never known a pattern like this. I guess that’s why it has been worn so much. There’s never a time when I have avoided wearing it due to changes in my tummy size. Talking about sizing, I made the size 12 with my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips without any modifications.

Sewing the dress is made easy by the instructions which are included with the pattern. It is also helpful that Sara has included a sew-along video on her YouTube channel called Sewing Therapy. It’s my go-to channel for sewing inspiration and a great resource for the sewing community.

I’m so grateful to be given the opportunity to showcase this delightful fabric from Longan Craft. I learnt a new word from my husband. When he saw the dress, he said that the fabric is diaphanous. According to google dictionary, it’s an adjective (especially of fabric) light, delicate, and translucent. It’s a great description of this fabric. The fabric composition is 60% linen and 40% Tencel but has the feel and lustre of silk. It comes in 59-inch width which is a lovely wide 150cm fabric. It’s beautifully lightweight at 92 gsm which converts to 2.71 oz. Longan Craft is a well-established online fabric store since 2020. The delivery of the fabric was prompt and I’m so impressed by the quality of the fabric. It has been a pleasure to sew their linen chinoiserie fabric, but they have a wide range of fabrics which cater for sewists and crafters from novice to professional level.

Diaphanous quality of the Longan Craft Linen Fabric

For my lovely readers who have read all the way to the end, Longan Craft have provided a discount code which you’re welcome to use! It’s not an affiliate link and doesn’t add to the cost of your shopping cart so don’t worry. The code is emsewhappy which will give you a 15% discount. Happy shopping!

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Disclosure: Fabric was supplied for review with no obligations to write a blog post. All opinions remain my own.

True Bias Blair Skirt

A while back, I was part of the testing team for this skirt. I really love the look. It was released for their autumn collection, but I think it looks great all year round. As part of a paid collaboration for Instagram, I was asked if I could make another version of the True Bias Blair Skirt.

The skirt comes in three lengths, mini, midi and maxi. I’ve made the midi again because it’s versatile seasonally and I know I’ll reach for it many times. The general design is a skirt that is fitted over the waist and hips which then goes straight down to the hem. It has a front button placket and comes with the option of adding pockets with an inverted pleat, belt loops and a belt. I added all the extras!

My sizing fell into the Size 12 range with my measurements of 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips and 167cm height. I didn’t feel that I needed to make any modifications. I think that the main watch point for fitting is the hip measurement because there is limited ease in the pattern. It’s true to say that I found the pattern true to size.

Fabric choice is quite straightforward for this pattern. Anything medium to heavy weight woven would be the way to go with the main fabric so I chose a light-coloured denim. This beige denim suits my style, and I wanted this skirt to be a staple in my wardrobe. I love colour and pattern but against a backdrop of something that is neutral. There is a bit of lining fabric needed for inner side of the waistband and the pockets. I used some beautiful scraps from Melco Fabric. It’s worth saving all the scraps from your sewing projects!

My skirt needed nine buttons for the button placket and two for the pockets. I feel I’m making some progress with button installation. I like how the pattern includes a guide for the buttonholes and button placement. It helps to take the guesswork out of the equation. I am tempted to get the button measuring gauge but wonder how useful it is. I’m starting to get quite a collection of useful sewing tools. Unfortunately, my buckles ordered from Amazon have not arrived at this time. When it finally arrives, I’ll be making the matching belt to go with the skirt. I’m quite keen to make my first proper belt!

Sewing the True Bias Blair Skirt was a pleasure. I’ve made many True Bias patterns and so glad I came across their patterns as a novice self-taught sewist. I learn so much from Indi patterns like these. No hiccups but also, I am learning that it’s important to go back and sew the patterns a few times. I feel that I could understand the pattern better and made some decisions of my own for my version. Simple things like using a blind hem stitch for the skirt hem, reversing the instalment of the button placket so I could stitch in the ditch because I preferred to minimise my stitch lines. My next version could be the complete opposite where I use top stitching to highlight all the stitching. The point is, sewing is such a superpower because we can customise what we’re making.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Full Disclosure: Paid collaboration with True Bias for Instagram but all opinions remain my own.

Marigold Dress

I’ve been a long admirer and follower of Stitchmaiden Patterns but never brave enough to attempt a pattern because they look so technically hard. When Stitchmaiden reached out to me, I took it as a sign that it was time to stretch out of my comfort zone and I was so pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

Firstly, the pattern I chose was the Marigold Dress. Each pattern draws inspiration from a period in history. The Marigold is from the Romantic Academia Collection. It is a pattern that keeps on giving because of the multitude of combinations possible with just a switch of one or two features. There are three versions which are suggested for the seamstress. The basic concept is a square neckline with princess seams and a fitted waist. I chose the suggested Version A which has a slim fitted skirt, but I chose the butterfly sleeves from Version C, and I left off the ruffled hem. There is also a belt that is sewn in which I chose to keep.

Marigold Dress featuring fitted waist, square neckline with gathered bodice and butterfly sleeves.

With this many options, I thought that printing and putting together the pattern was going to be time consuming and difficult but there is a comprehensive table, and it made the whole process quick and painless. There are two ways to print the pattern, one is without the seam allowance and the other is with the seam allowance added. I’m more used to having my seam allowance included so that is the one I chose. This is where it got interesting for me … I mistook the sewing line for the cutting line. I had printed the size 42 and size 44 because I fell between those two sizes and needed to grade the pattern. In the end, I decided to only cut the size 44 and grade from there but as mentioned, I cut the sewing line! To make matters worse, I cut into my “good” fabric thinking I had enough seam allowance and ease with the larger size to then “fit” it once I had cut the fabric pieces.

The dress has an invisible zip closure, so I did the usual basting stitches on my side seam and basted my zip. Imagine my panic when I couldn’t zip up the dress and there was no amount of ease or seam allowance that could help! It really puzzled me for the afternoon then I went back to the pattern and thought I’d start again, and this time make a better toile. When I reprinted the pattern, I realised my mistake which was actually a relief! It was me, not the pattern.

Lesson learnt, I should never assume and always make a toile.

I chose the size 42 and 44 for my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips. I graded the bodice from the 42 to the 44 waist and hips. The dress is a tailored fit with moderate ease, and I felt that this worked well for me. When I make the dress again, I might adjust the princess seams as well.

Initially, I was going to use a beautifully printed linen but because of my mistake, that fabric will now be made into a dress for my daughter. Instead, I had this green crepe the chine which my husband bought me that I’ve been keeping for a special make. He bought me 5 meters of this fabric of which I’ve used about 3.5 meters. The crepe the chine is drapey and light which is beautiful to wear. It highlights the skirt, the gathered front and butterfly sleeves nicely. I actually think this fabric was a better match in the end.

The pattern comes with some of the most extensively detailed instructions and illustrations which are great to learn from, but they also provide a summarised set of instructions for the more experienced sewist. I used the detailed instructions and appreciated the two pages of Basic Workmanship which is great for those looking to extend their sewing repertoire.

Stitchmaiden Patterns have a vintage vibe and draw inspiration from history but they really are timeless classics. This will be a dress that transcends passing trends and I’ll be wearing it time and time again. It’s a pattern that can be changed easily with so many mix and match options, so it is a “TNT” (tried and true) pattern for me. Oh! And another thing, please now refer to me as Stitchmaiden Emily.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

* This pattern was provided for a review with no obligation for a blog post.

Frankie Tankie

Featuring Fabric from the Maaidesign Artist Collection

I’ve always wanted to come back to sew the Vanessa Hansen Frankie Tankie and with summer coming around it was perfect timing when Maaidesign sent me a preview sample from their Artist Collection. The Maaidesign Artist Collection features three talented designers; Jessica Neilsen, Jennifer Bouron and RouCouCou. The collection features these beautiful designs in three premium fabric bases. They include super smooth cotton lawn, soft cotton jersey and drapey viscose twill. There are no pre-launch orders available so the best way to make sure that you don’t miss out is to subscribe to the Maaidesign newsletter! Maaidesign have set their launch date for the 5th of December but it is best to keep an eye out with a subscription to their newsletter.

My little piece is called Messy flowers by Jennifer Bouron in a super smooth cotton lawn. It is beautifully lightweight and luxuriously smooth to feel. Maaidesign cotton lawn feels very silky and drapey. It’s woven at a very high thread count giving it that luxurious quality. This lightweight fabric is perfect for summer blouses and dresses.

As usual, I started my sew with preparing the fabric. I do this by washing the fabric on a cold cycle , air drying and finishing with an iron because cotton lawn is one hundred percent cotton. There was no shrinkage or loss of colour in the fabric which is what I would expect of good quality fabric. I then prepared my machine by swapping to a 70/10 gage needle on my machine which I feel suits the lightweight fabric (80gsm) and the finer needle prevents snagging the finer fabric.

The Frankie Tankie can be sewn as a double-sided blouse or with a facing. I’ve chosen the facing option. I used a white cotton muslin for the facing. I had about one meter of the super smooth cotton lawn. It is quite wide in width at 150cm, so it was sufficient for the Frankie Tankie. My measurements of 38-inch bust, and 33-inch waist fell into the size 12 but the pattern does run a little big so I could have also comfortably fitted into the size 10. The top is a cropped length, but I did lengthen the top by 2cm because I wanted to have the choice of tucking it in or wearing it out.

Vanessa Hansen Frankie Tankie worn with True Bias Mave Skirt

Maaike and the Maaidesign team have really curated the best quality fabric which is great when you’re buying online. I feel that it’s easy to trust that you’re going to get the best for your sewing projects. So excited for this launch of the Maaidesign Artist Collection! Messy Flowers by Jennifer Bouron is a beautiful bold abstract print. She is a designer that is known for her beautiful bold prints and illustrations, and I’ve been a great admirer for a long time. I’m so happy that Maaidesign have made it easy for Sewists to find these beautifully designed fabrics in one place. A blog post was not a requirement for receiving this fabric but I really wanted to share!

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Ritual Dress

Featuring Fabric from the Devonstone Fashion Summer Abroad Collection by Lindsey Rae

So excited to feature the latest fabric collection from the immensely talented Lindsey Rae @sewtogrow. It’s currently available for wholesale through Devonstone Fashion. It was hard to pick which design I wanted but I settled on the Cornwall Oceanside Print in a luxe linen cotton blend. It is fifty-five percent linen and forty-five percent cotton, 180-185 gsm and 145cm wide. The pattern is reminiscent of wildflower fields. I love the riot of colour in this collection. Best of all, it will also be available in a variety of substrates like rayon, poplin, and jersey to name a few.

The pattern that immediately came to mind when I received the Cornwall Oceanside Print Linen was the Swimstyle Ritual Dress. I had bought this pattern last year but was waiting for the perfect fabric to match it. It’s basically a shirt dress but with the additional features of the drawstring waist casing in a maxi length. I haven’t had the opportunity to sew many collars and cuffs, so this was another consideration in my choice. The instructions for these are superb for entry level sewists.

Wearing it with waist cinched in and with it loose

As with any other sew, I washed the linen cotton on a cold cycle and popped it on the medium setting in the dryer. There was no noticeable shrinkage and no fading of the dye. I like how the addition of the cotton to the linen helps to reduce wrinkling and cuts down the time it takes to iron. I do appreciate that relaxed vibe that wrinkling in linen can give but I prefer to start wrinkle free and earn the wrinkles along the way.

Of course, I also checked my needle. I left it on the universal 90/14 gage needle that I had been using. I matched the fabric with the Gutermann CA 02776 thread. I’m not sure the colour of the print shows up in the photos, but the print consists of shadows of mauve flora on a background of green.

The Ritual Dress has quite a lot of ease in the pattern sizing, so I chose my usual Size L for my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips. I did not make any modifications. My height is 167cm. I felt the pattern was true to size and fitted comfortably. Perhaps the sleeves could have been shortened slightly but I wanted to have the full-length sleeve and a properly maxi dress. I guess I’m great at sewing summer outfits, but I really need to make items that will see me through the cooler weather. I think this dress fits the bill nicely.

Ritual Dress in Cornwall Print Linen Cotton

The collar and cuff instructions were great if you lack experience in this area. It’s really made for novice level and can highly recommend it. The Summer Abroad linen cotton has been such a good quality fabric to sew with. It still has that slight stiffness that linen starts with so it feels a little bit course on the skin but that will soften with a few washes. I know that’s sometimes a concern with linen, but it really doesn’t take long for it to season to a soft and pliable garment.

Hopefully, the Summer Abroad collection will be available for purchase soon from your favourite fabric store! Currently, it’s available for wholesale through Devonstone Fashion. Keep your eyes out for it from the Sew To Grow newsletter.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Ele Skirt

It’s been a minute and a half since I’ve sat down to do some sewing. I decided that when my all my kids finally graduated from school, I would treat myself to extending some of my own education. It turned out to be extremely challenging but satisfying and was happy to pass my course. I’ve had to turn off all my social media just to concentrate and avoid the temptation to sit at my sewing machine. Now finally, I’m happy to be back sewing. I realised that I have come to rely on sewing to relax and decompress.

The pattern I chose to sew first was the Sewing Therapy Ele Skirt. I got it when it launched and it’s the perfect skirt weather with our weather warming into spring. It was a relatively quick sew and has great instructions. Again, Sara keeps all her instructions concise but detailed. She also includes great sew along videos on YouTube which I did watch.

I like the Ele skirt design of the flat front and elasticated back waistband. It’s more comfortable these days to wear items that have a bit of flexibility in the waistband. Hands up fellow endo sufferers and perimenopausal women. I want structure but comfort, if that makes sense. The fit is true to size. I made the size 12 with no modifications. My measurements are 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips. The pattern advises using the hip measurements to choose your sizing.

The fabric I’ve used is a 100% cotton lightweight poplin. Even though I have largely stopped shopping ready to wear, I sometimes pop into Uniqlo to browse and I really love that style of shirt-fabric skirts that they stock. I’m happy with the choice except for a minor hiccup when I discovered that the narrow fabric did not fit the skirt’s pattern piece. To compensate, I trimmed the pattern piece and took a wedge off without affecting the hip or waist measurements. I’ll need to be more careful to find a wider piece of fabric when I make it again.

The pocket construction was one of my favourite features of the pattern as well as the list of options for the front pleats. I chose to make the big, inverted pleats but there was also a gathered option, knife pleats, reversed knife pleats. It’s fun when a pattern can be customised to your liking. The pockets are large enough to fit you hand and phone. Very useful indeed!

Another successful pattern from Sewing Therapy. I’m embracing neutrals and solid colours currently. I’m trying to make things that would match and balance out my more colourful, patterned makes.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Flora Dress

Featuring Nani IRO Rakuen silk and cotton in black

The Flora Dress is a new release from Pattern Scout. I was excited when I saw the release because she had detailed this dress on her YouTube channel last year. It was just made from rectangles of fabric with pleats. The simplicity of the dress is exactly the style that I love Pattern Scout patterns for. With the pattern release, the rectangle fabric concept is still there with a bit more refinement in the neckline but still retaining the wide tucks to fit the bodice.

The dress is made for lightweight woven fabrics that do not have any stretch. It was so lucky that I had the Nani IRO Rakuen fabric from DIY District. This fabric is a blend of silk and cotton with a composition of 70 percent cotton and 30 percent silk. It’s beautifully soft and lightweight at approximately 129gsm (a bit under 5oz). “Rakuen” translates to “paradise” which is depicted by the flowers and birds in a garden in what the description describes as a black background but, I would say that it’s more of a midnight blue background. I’m not disappointed as I prefer this colour.

So impressed by the precise cutting and presentation of the fabric when it arrived.

Construction begins with sewing these pleats or tucks in the front and back pieces. It was a very satisfying exercise once you get into the rhythm of matching the notches of the tucks, folding, and marking the lines for the length of the tucks, sewing, and pressing the tucks and then repeating the whole process until the fabric was shaped into a fitted bodice that flared out into a flowy skirt. I guess the process reminds me of origami which is quite meditative and rhythmic when forming the shapes with the process of folding. It also requires the accuracy of origami, so I made sure that I measured the distance of the top and bottom of each tuck.

Love the feature of the wide tucks of the Flora Dress

My sizing fell between the size 12 and 14 with a full bust B Cup. I did a toile of the size 12 because looking at the final measurements, there is a fair amount of ease in the waist and hips. I prioritised the bust measurements in choosing my size which worked out perfectly. To make the toile, I cut the tank top pattern pieces only which saves fabric. I used some of the remnant cotton lawn pieces from various previous makes. When making a toile, I find it’s important to use similar fabric. I’ve learnt this the hard way in the past!

Sewing with the beautiful Nani IRO cotton/silk fabric was lovely. Again, due to the fine nature of this fabric, I sewed with a 75/11 needle to make sure the fabric wouldn’t catch when sewn. I also pre-washed my fabric with an organic detergent (no enzymes) in a cold wash and air dried it. I remember shrinking some rayon once because I thought I would cheat and skip the pre-washing. Bad mistake! It shrunk so significantly that I couldn’t wear the top. That was in my first year of sewing and I’ve not made that mistake again. The other tip I can give regarding sewing with this fabric is to be careful when pinning the fabric. I used my quilters clips at times rather than making holes with my pins. I need to invest in some finer pins like what they use for bridal dressmaking, and I need to sort the blunt pins from the pincushion.

Amazingly, I did not use my overlocker in this make. Pattern Scout is great for their instructions for French seams. I decided to follow those instructions and I’m getting more skilled using French seams. It’s a satisfyingly neat finish. The neckline is finished with bias tape which there are also great instructions if you want to make your own. I used some pre-made black bias tape which saved me a bit of time and fabric.

A great summer dress for evenings, pool side or day dress.

As you can see from the photos, I’ve sewn the long midi version of the dress with wide straps, and I left out the pockets. I know everybody loves pockets but with the finer fabric, I did not want to risk the outline of pockets and to be honest, I never use pockets in a dress because I’ll always have a bag. It’s a great inclusion in a pattern but I decided to skip it which made the construction even easier. The last thing to point out is the side slits of the dress. Slits are an important inclusion if you want to stride out or ascend stairs with a natural gait!

The Nani IRO fabric is another beautiful gift from DIY Fabric. This is another item sewn for my holiday capsule. I’m looking forward to wearing the beautifully soft and breezy fabric in the heat. It will be good for the evenings where I’ll need something a bit dressier for dinner but will remain cool to wear. There is also a light sheen from the silk in the fabric which probably hasn’t been captured in the photos. It gives the dress a luxurious quality and feels amazing. I can’t say enough how beautiful this fabric is to sew and wear.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Valerie Raglan Dress

The start of 2023 has been great for my motivation to sew. One of my sewing goals this year was to really pick projects that help to develop my skills and to only sew items that I would wear repeatedly. Seems like an obvious goal but when I started sewing, a lot of garments were beyond my skills. I tried the big four patterns but often instructions were a bit illusive to a novice sewist like me. When Forget Me Not Patterns generously offered me a pattern for review, I was a bit worried about this, but the instructions and illustrations are one of the best I’ve ever sewn with.

The Valerie Raglan Dress was the pattern that I chose to review. It’s a dress with a fitted bodice and A-line skirt. The sleeves are raglan sleeves but are tailored with a dart at the shoulder, so it doesn’t have the bulky look of other raglan sleeved dresses or tops. There are so many sleeve options included with the pattern. I chose to sew the short sleeve with a flounce, there is also a long sleeve option with a cuff which I’m planning to sew for winter and there’s also the ¾ sleeve and short sleeve version. Along with all these options are also cup size options which is great for obvious reasons!

Fitting the pattern was a breeze with the comprehensive and logical instructions. In fact, the second page of the patterns gives such good instructions on how to choose which size to sew up. I fitted in the medium bust range, so that is equivalent to a B cup to C cup and my dress sizing was between the 38 and 40 for my measurements of 37 inch high bust, 33 inch waist and 38 inch hips. The pattern alteration tips were fantastic because I toiled bodice graded the size 38 bust to a 40 waist and hip. The other impressive thing about the pattern were the little notes that helped me to pause in my sewing so that I would go and check the fit physically. It’s such a good practise to develop as I didn’t have any sad surprises at the end of my sew.

Sometimes the mention of an invisible zipper sends a sewist screaming into the bush, but I had no problems installing it. I just followed the instructions step by step and before I knew it, I had installed it perfectly! It’s not a technique I’m familiar with but the result was the easiest invisible zipper I’ve ever installed, and this is even without an invisible zipper foot! It’s great to learn more professional techniques in a pattern. This was evident again with the facing attachment. This was attached using the stepped-back method. I watched the video and had a few attempts but unfortunately, I was unsuccessful, so I attached it my way. The great thing is, next time I come back to the pattern, I will try it again and I have the resources to help me.

The fabric I’ve sewn with is a rayon which has beautiful drape and is so good for summer. I’ve sewn a lot with rayon because it’s what I reach for in this heatwave called summer. Sometimes, I’ve read comments about the difficulty of sewing with rayon so I put together a little Instagram reels to share some of the tips that were generously shared with me.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

*Full Disclosure: Pattern was gifted for a review but all opinions expressed were my own.