Sewing Therapy – Em Sew Happy Blog

La Ciotat Skirt

The La Ciotat Skirt stands out as a unique wrap skirt design, offering both style and practicality. Unlike standard wrap skirts, this one features a double front wrap, eliminating any concerns about wardrobe malfunctions. The addition of a flattering waist panel contributes to its elegant silhouette, and the two ties ensure that the skirt stays securely in place.

After purchasing the pattern, I spent some time searching for the perfect fabric. Eventually, I realised that the ideal choice was already in my fabric stash: two and a half metres of Tencel fabric adorned with a Christie Williams print. This fabric had been with me for about three years, cherished for its beautiful colours and its reflection of the distinctive Australian landscape. This project finally provided the perfect opportunity to use it.

The La Ciotat Skirt pattern is comprised of rectangles for the main body and curved pieces for the waist panel. It offers flexibility, allowing sewists to either print the pattern or cut pieces directly from the measurements provided. I selected size L, which suited my measurements of a 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips. The finished skirt ends just at the top of my ankles, which I find to be a flattering length. I did not need to make any modifications to the pattern.

This pattern is straightforward to sew, featuring pieces that fit together logically and a flexible skirt style that eliminates the need for a toile. Beginners will find Sewing Therapy’s YouTube tutorials especially helpful, while the written instructions are clear and beneficial for more experienced sewists. I personally enjoy watching Sara’s videos while sewing; her teaching style is both relaxing and informative.

Every time I work with a Sewing Therapy pattern or watch one of Sara’s videos, I pick up a new tip or technique. For this project, I tried her suggested method for creating gathers. Rather than using the traditional double line of long stitches, I increased the stitch length and tension, as advised. This approach produced beautiful gathers, but I would recommend leaving very long thread tails for adjustments. I nearly ran out of thread tail, but fortunately, it all worked out in the end.

My spring–summer handmade wardrobe is growing, and I’m becoming more confident in my creations. I’m looking forward to wearing my skirt on windy days and sunny days! I’m so excited to be getting around to using some of my “good” fabric.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Roma Dress

Do you start with your pattern and then buy the fabric or is it the other way around? I’m sure you’re like me where it’s a mix of both. In this case, I had bought this silky looking rayon but had no plans for it. It has beautiful drape, and I loved the colour, so I’ve had 3 meters of it sitting in my stash. Then I saw the Roma dress. I’ve noticed the recent trend for sailor’s collars so when Sewing Therapy released this pattern, I wanted to try it and thought it was a good match for this rayon.

Now, when you look at this fabric, both sides look almost identical, but one side is slightly shinier than the other. I’ve read that this is from the satin weave that can be used which leaves one side shiny and the other matte. What I have learnt from using this is to mark the wrong side at the start. I didn’t which was made more difficult when I decided to tackle a few parts of the project at night. I should have used my KATM sweary label for this one when I had to unpick pieces newly sewn with the wrong side up!

None of that swearing came from using the pattern which was made very easy by Sara’s sew along video. They are well captioned and her written instructions, although brief, are also very good for an experienced seamstress. Basically, the pattern comes as a dress or top with a choice of a big or small sailor’s collar and drop sleeves with cuffs or can be sewn with elastic instead of the cuffs.

For my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist, 40-inch hips, I made the size 12 (L) which had a good amount of ease so even though my waist measurements would put me into a size 14, there was no need to grade. I’ve sewn a few Sewing Therapy patterns now and because her patterns tend to include that ease, I felt comfortable skipping a toile. Usually, if a sewing pattern maker is new to me, I would toile with the blouse option. I do find her patterns are true to size for me.

For me, the most difficult point of this pattern was not the collar as she indicated in her video. I found those instructions to be superb. It involved both the facing and the cuffs. The facing had to be sewn down once the collar was attached. My fabric was super slippery and so I had to deviate a bit to make it work for my fabric. I decided not to stitch the front neckline facing down because it would have spoilt the seamless look in the front. I did attach the back neckline facing but I’m still unhappy with it because it’s not symmetrical. I had basted around the back facing then followed with the top stitch, but the fabric still shifted. I will be unpicking and trying again soon.

The cuffs were also tricky for me. I misunderstood the markings for the cuffs and initially overlapped them at the wrong spot. Luckily, I had only attached one when I tried it on to check. I felt the cuff was tight and when I rewatched the tutorial, I realised my mistake. I’m sure that has not happened to anyone else. The other challenge for me was placing the cuff onto the sleeve. I’m still not sure if I have the opening of the cuff in the right spot. I think I would have liked a notch somewhere to help me line it up. Then, when everything was attached and finished, I looked at the overlap in the cuffs which were now both facing the same way instead of opposites. Small detail, I know, but I will wait to see if it still bothers me down the track.

Despite these difficulties, I love my Roma Dress!

Lastly, I wanted to mention that I sewed this over a period of a couple of weeks which is not routine for me. I wanted to try spacing my sewing out a little bit more. Not sure if I was successful because I found myself making more mistakes. I tend to space things out like printing the pattern, sticking together the pattern, toiling, cutting fabric, markings but when it comes to sewing, I usually like to set aside one continuous session. I found that putting a project down, then having to find my spot again was probably not as productive and enjoyable as I thought it would be. I think I’ll have a mix of projects in the future, I do still have my Nova Coat that I have been slow sewing in the background using denim scraps and recycled jeans. So, it’s true to say that this “Roma” was not built in a day.

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.

Faux Collar Shirt

Sara Kim from Sewing Therapy Patterns has released another fantastic pattern! It’s the Faux Collar Oversized Button-Down Shirt or Dress. I was one of the testers for the pattern and chose to test the Crop Shirt version. There’s always a big rush to get on her testing team so I was grateful to be chosen.

This pattern features the faux collar which attaches only to the front of the shirt. It is comfortably oversized without sacrificing style. The cropped version stops at the natural waist which is perfect for pairing with my high waisted skirts or pants. It is also a button down with an inverted pleat at the back which gives a slight flared shape. This pattern is feature packed and this is only one of the versions!

As with any pattern test, there are some adjustments made along the way. I enjoyed the pattern as it was, so I made the test version twice. I made the size 12 without any modifications for my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips.

My first version was made using this colourful cotton batiste fabric which was beautifully sheer and lightweight.

Everything went smoothly with the test and the pattern instructions were great. Sara always includes videos at some stage during the test. These are usually abridged versions, but we watch and help test those as well. I had finished my test in time and was happy to send off my fit and styled photos. So, it was a shock to me to receive a message from Sara asking me if I might have accidentally sewn my sleeves upside down! I immediately ran off to check my photos and sure enough, they are flared so I had in fact attached them upside down. Sara was very gracious, and we both had a giggle. She immediately went to include markings on the sleeve pattern to help the 1% of sewers like me. This is why she is so good to test for!

I decided to sew the pattern again with the sleeves as intended by the pattern. This time I used a plain sage coloured linen-lyocell fabric. It’s slightly heavier than the batiste I used but drapier. Lyocell is beautifully soft, lightweight, absorbent and a bit more wrinkle resistant that pure linen. My choice was mainly influenced by the fluid drape of this fabric. Again, I made the Crop Faux Collar Shirt in the size 12 without any modifications, this time attaching the sleeves correctly! In fact, the sleeves can be interchanged with other Sewing Therapy patterns like the Tie Dress or the Infit Pattern.

It feels great to be testing again. I really enjoyed the process and was so excited to share the fantastic new pattern from Sewing Therapy.

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

Tie Dress

Catching up with my latest make which is this beautiful newly released Tie Dress from Sewing Therapy. So, if you have been following Sewing Therapy on YouTube, you’ll also be following Sara on Instagram under the handle @yoursara_k and you can find it in her Two O Nine Fabric Etsy shop. Okay, now that you know where to locate everything, let’s talk about this uniquely versatile dress which features four ties and comes as short or long sleeves. The ties can be tied in a multitude of ways to create a different look.

It’s always a short testing period with Sewing Therapy Patterns. I’m fine this as long as it spans over a weekend. When I signed up, I was so excited to get into the testing team because it was a long weekend here in Australia. This was until I got to the fabric store and realised that it was closed for the public holiday! Luckily the store reopened the next day when I found this beautiful linen/cotton blend fabric. I love the bright large floral print. The print is bright but is also muted. Not quite pastel but halfway there.

The pattern is a great beginner’s pattern and Sara has created very comprehensive sew along videos. It’s important to know that there are written instructions but there are no illustrations in the pattern. If you are not great with videos or have no access to YouTube, then it might not qualify as a beginner’s pattern. I did find the written instructions to be logical and easy to understand but I did appreciate the videos that Sara released early to the testers especially for the attachment of the short sleeves and the ties. The methodology for the construction of the short sleeves was quite novel to me.

My sizing was fine for the test but there were some adjustments made for the larger sizes. I like testing for Sara because she’s quick to respond to testers questions and she always gives us feedback or updates as we sew. I made the size 12 (38B:33W:40H) and I would happily sew the same size again. I’ll be making the dress with the long sleeves to wear over winter.

Styling this dress is so much fun because of the ties and, you can wear it with the V neck or Boat neck. It’s never boring! The dress will also be great for layering which is why I hope to make another one soon.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em

Sewing Therapy Hanbok Dress

When Sara from Sewing Therapy put out the call for testers to help with her inaugural pattern launch, I was so excited for her and put my hand up to help. Sara has designed a modern version of the Hanbok Dress which is the traditional dress of Korea. It’s in a style of a wrap dress with a full skirt cinched by a waistband. It’s beautifully elegant and I love the style.

This pattern is for woven fabric. The pattern test was done in a short time frame, so luckily, I already had three meters of rayon in my stash. To help accentuate the features of the dress, I contrasted with beige linen for the neckband and the waistband. The construction of the wrap and the full skirt is more suited to lightweight or mediumweight woven fabrics such as linen, rayon, silk, or cotton. The pattern is geared towards creativity so the use of contrasting fabric and the fullness of the skirt can be altered depending on preference.

My Sewing Therapy Hanbok Dress is a tester piece, so a few changes have already been made for the final pattern release. I made the size L which fits my measurements of 37-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips. Wrap dresses are very forgiving with fit so often, grading isn’t needed. To choose the size, I mainly used my bust measurement.

I thought that wearing a Hanbok Dress would be like wearing any other dress but there is a big difference in the way the bodice sits. The high neckline means that there is never a chance for a gaping neckline. It makes it so comfortable to wear. Also, the skirt overlaps very well over the front so there’s little chance of exposure with a strong gust of wind.

Finally, the outer tie is secured over the waistband in the style of an obi belt (I’m sure there’s a Korean term for it which I haven’t yet found in my research). This is a flattering feature as it helps to define the waistline and helps to hold the weight of the skirt portion of the dress. Excitingly, there is also a way to tie the waist ties for a more relaxed fit.

The pattern includes an instruction booklet and a layered PDF pattern which is standard for most patterns however, this pattern has the added bonus of video sewalongs. The pattern is geared towards a confident beginner and an intermediate sewer. The instruction booklet is quite concise and does not have illustrations, but it would be fine to follow if you have enough sewing experience. Sewing Therapy is a YouTube Channel with lots of sewing content and the videos are high quality. Sara from Sewing Therapy has a background as a sewing instructor, and I’ve referenced many of her videos when I’ve needed help with my sewing.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a pattern test. This has been an enjoyable process. I’m always a bit stressed if given a deadline but it’s also fun to challenge myself once in a while.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing!

X Em