Gertie's Tie Front Blouse

The instant I bought this book I knew this is the pattern I needed immediately. It also taught me plenty of new skills which is great!

This tie front blouse is beautiful and I decided to sew it up in a ponte de roma knit in white with grey dots. I LOVE this knit fabric. It feels beautiful, sews beautiful, and is VERY forgiving with my fit. (This shirt didn't require any fitting really).

I sewed the size 16 - again, I should of selected the size 12 for my bust and graded out for a 16 at the hips. But you sew and you learn right?

So what did this skirt teach me? It taught me:

Bound Button Holes

Collar Attachment

Collar slit for the Tie

Shirt Facings.

Hook & Eye Attachment

SO many new skills! And SUCH a great learning project. Gertie's book makes it exceptionally easy for a new sewer to improve their skills and tackle an item that is above your skill set. Her photo tutorials are simple to follow.

But like I said, I should of sewed a smaller version as the shirt is very loose around the bust and arm scythes. I'm thinking I'll go back and take off an inch. I hope not to lose any of the shape of the shirt by doing this.

Pattern: Front Tie Blouse from Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing
Size: 16
Fabric: Ponte de Roma spotted grey &white fabric
Cost: $5/metre
Alterations: Added a hook&eye to the back collar and bottom back hem.

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Book Review: Gertie's New Book for Better Sewing

Look what I bought! I've followed Gertie's blog for awhile and love everything she creates! Although I'm not one for vintage patterns and styles myself to the full extent I do really appreciate hints and details that pay homage to another fashion age. So Gertie's book was something I was thrilled to get my hands on.

First off, I bought it to help myself learn more sewing tricks. I'm a newbie seamstress and many sewing skills are beyond my capacity at this point. I was Hoping to improve my skill set through the use of Gertie's book. 

And did I ever improve. Gertie's has made sewing drastically easier for me. Many of the things I struggle with previously have been clearly explained and illustrated for a beginner. It was easy to follow along, even when I had to read an instruction over 3 times to comprehend, I knew it was my lack of basic understanding that was the hindrance not the explanations themselves. Now I read back through and laugh at what I was stumped over previously. Horrah for learning. 

Why love Gertie's book?

The vintage drawn photos 

The truth about vintage

Start to Finish sewing by chapters

The skill set illustrations

The Patterns

And Gertie modelling each design herself!

Simply put: I adore this book and I would highly recommend it to any beginner seamstress or any advanced seamstress who wants some amazing paper patterns! 

Great job Gertie! Thank you for being and inspiration!

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Free Fabric from ClubBMV

I won free fabric! I won free fabric! Did you hear me? FREE!!!

Phew, that was exciting! So free fabric - what?

I have a clubBMV membership. Don't know what that is? It's the membership that gets you 20% off online patterns from McCalls, Vogue, Buttrick, and Kwik Sew. 4 major pattern companies, one membership. I bought it during a promotion and paid $9.99 for the year. I typically pay $1.99-$3.99 per pattern because they always have sales and I get the 20% discount on top of those prices! Amazing. I'm no affiliate, I'm just a girl who likes a bargain.

So free fabric! ClubBMV has Material Mondays where they give away fabric from their stash that has been used during previous photoshoots. And all you have to do is send them an email! :D

So I sent them an email. A week later I was announced that weeks winner! And what did I win? 

I won this beautiful teal dotted chiffon.  3 metres of the stuff! Yay! 

It probably isn't something I'd buy on my own as the dots have some sparkle to them and I'm more of a matte girl. But it's free and it's drapey and it's beautiful!

Yay Free Fabric!

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The Frequency Salme

As soon as I saw the Pleat Front Salme dress I fell in love. It seems like such a simple dress, but simple is what I wear. Simple with details. I love the pleats in the front. I love that they add interest and are an attention getting detail.

Pattern: Salme Sleeveless Pleat Front Dress
Size: 16
Fabric: 100% Polyester fabric from my stash
Alterations: 

• Shortened the bodice by 1 inch
• Added two extra pleats in the front to eliminate ease (5 Pleats per side)
• Sewed pleats at 1 inch instead of 1 1/8 inch because the pleats overlapped too much I wanted them to show more
• Cut 2 Inches off the length (I might cut more as it is still too long for my liking)
• Sewed the shoulder seams at 1 1/2 inch to help eliminate the gaping in the back neck
• Made a lining at 3/4 of the pattern pieces instead of using only a neck and arm facing. Pulled them through the shoulder seams and hand stitched the shoulder seams to encase the seams within the lining.

I bought it. Printed it. Fabric Choiced it. Cut it. Sewed it. Wore it.

Yeah, it is love. No time to waste. So none was.

Overall this pattern sewed really nicely. The most time consuming aspect was taping the paper pieces together. I truly dislike PDF patterns. I appreciate the immediacy they provide to my sew-lust, but I hate taping multiple A4 sheets together. I prefer when companies provide a copyshop version of the pattern so I can have it printed on one single sheet and cut it out myself. But hey, luckily this pattern only had 16 pieces! I taped it while watching an episode of Dexter. (Maybe that is why I found it hard to focus on matching the circles up- Dexter is so addicting!)

Next time I'll sew myself the Size 14 as the 16 had more ease than I typically like to wear. Even after taking in the side seams and shoulder seams the dress is still a littler looser in the bodice than I wanted but I couldn't make many adjustments without first having to take the entire dress apart. And since I'm not that much of a perfection I just let it be and am happy with the result!

The pleats came together quickly as the polyester fabric pressed easily. I actually liked making the pleats. The process of pressing all the pleats till my fabric stood up as a zigzag was fun. I was very precise with my pleating and had my ruler out to guarantee exact spacing of my pleats.

I tried my best to pattern match. I matched the pattern up the centre back bodice and skirt. The skirt I also did a good job of centering the design so we have a wave down the front and at both side seams. The bodice front was a little more difficult, I probably could of worked harder and centred the pattern down the centre of the pleats but I'm happy with the results!

I wore it that same night and received a "Your dress is beautiful where'd you get it?" followed by an astonished look when I informed them I had just sewed it myself! It makes me SO proud to say those words!

This pattern will be made again very soon! it is just so easy to make and wear. Elastic waist all the way! (My zipper skills aren't great yet)

So what do you think? Do you like the Salme pattern? How about my fabric choice? Let me know!

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Thrift Store Finds

I live in Thunder Bay, Canada. It is a small city and we have one fabric store: Fabricland. My options are limited unless I order online.

Then I realized we had 4 thrift stores in town. Maybe I'd get lucky and find some patterns? Worth a look right? Well - I found some amazing old school patterns. Take a looky!

Ps. All 10 patterns cost me $0.29 each! How amazing is that?!?!? Pretty amazing. Yes, I answer my own questions. 

Sweet jacket (McCalls 7102)

Jacket without side seams has optional: button closure, notched collar, lower pockets, and upper patch pocket.

Simple shift w bonus Bat Wing Jacket (See&Sew 5154)

Loose-fitting unlined jacket has shawl collar, mock welts, and full dolman sleeves. Loose-fitting dress has bateau neck, elastic waist, and cap sleeves.

Honeycomb waist detail Dress (Style 1310)

Dress with high-line bodice has lowered neckline and slightly cut-in armholes, panelled front skirt with smoking trim, ties from side front seams, and back zipper. Sleeve options: long sleeves gathered into armholes and buttoned cuffs or short bias set-in sleeves.

Bow tie back dress (colour block option) (Buttrick 4776)

Dress has close-fitting, lined bodice, raised waist, slightly flared skirt, contrast tie ends, above elbow sleeves, and back zipper.

The Amish turtleneck and Jumper (McCalls 7207)

Loose fitting jumper has back zipper and dropped waist bodice sewn to gathered skirt; semi-fitted, pullover top has long sleeves, back zipper, and optional shoulder pads (SCORE!)

Sweat Suit Specialty (doesn't say brand?)

View A: pull on top has front and back yokes and drop shoulders; crew neckline, Long sleeves, and hip area are finished with stretch rib-knit bands.

View B: pull-on pants have drawstring in waistband and zippered side seam pockets; legs and waistline are finished with stretch rib-knit bands.

View C: pull-on top has low front yoke with zipper, drop shoulders, hood, and double-pouch front pocket; long sleeves and hip area finished with stretch rib-knit bands.

View D: pull-on pants have elastic waistband with drawstring, cut-away front pockets with inside coin pockets; hemmed straight pant legs have knee patches and optional side seam zippers at ankles.

Batwing Dress (Buttrick 6676)

Very loose-fitting, straight, pullover dress,  has back neck slit with button/loop, low armholes, side pockets, and either above elbow elastic sleeves or long sleeves pushed-up.

Button Front Dress (Buttrick 4544)

Pullover, sleeveless dress, above mid-knee or ankle, has mock bands, semi-fitted bodice, raised waist, and dirndl skirt.

Cross-over Jacket (McCalls 7577)

Long or short sleeve jacket with front and back princess seaming, has appliqué or trim variations and optional lining. 

Tapered Wrap Dress (Buttrick 4017)

Tapered wrap dress with notched collar, dropped shoulders, shoulder pads (Yes!), and yoke with forward shoulder seams, front and back extending into single layer tie ends, back pleated bodice and above elbow sleeves with stitched hems. Narrow hems. 

And my one failure:

Girls 8-in-1 pattern (McCalls 8044)

 Oops. I was so excited for the body suit(top right F) and the panel button placket (centre white C) that I completely missed the part that this is for Girls Not Misses. Ooooopsie! Still cute though. Hey McCalls can you make this in ladies sizes? Much obliged! 

So what do you think of my thrift store pattern haul?? I think I did already! Especially since I thought I wouldn't find anything at all! :D I love to be pleasantly surprised!

Ps. Excuse my shitty photos - I take my photos with my iTouch; it has 0 megapixels. Excellent. 

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Review: Ottobre Design A/W 2009

While I was browsing the internets for patterns I came across OTTOBRE Design Pattern magazine. It is designed and printed in Finland by Studio Tuumat Oy.

They have a monthly children's pattern magazine but the woman's magazine only comes out bi-annually. I don't mind this twice a year because the majority of the patterns are winners. Also, a great aspect of the magazine is that they use normal people to showcase their clothing. Normal people with normal proportions. So you can see the patterns on all statues - short, tall, slim, and wide.

The magazine includes the patterns and written instructions. It does not include a cutting layout or illustrations. The patterns are 8.5 Euros each.

So lets see these patterns!

The Patterns I Love:

Not only do I love this pleated bubble skirt but I LOVE the colour of the fabric! It just screams Christmas cheer to me! I also really like the simple black tank (including the fabric choice) and the jacket is a definite win. Look at that adorable back pleat detail!

I'm a fan of casual knit dresses. I also prefer patterns that have sleeves included. They always work better than trying to set in my own sleeves. The jacket is a simple A-line that would be a quick make. I probably wouldn't make the pants  or the scarf though.

Underwear? LOVE IT. Look at those hot shorts! Those are high on my to make list. I wish I had a serger! That would make life quick and easy! The tank top is cute with the ruching but it isn't something I'd likely make.

Now, I really like the styling on these photos. I like the brown tones and the cute wooly hat. The Jacket, shirt, and tshirt are all simple items. Everybody loves a quick sew. I might make the pants, I like the crop wide leg on them.

Now, this pattern set is a love/hate. I love the skirt and I like that it is done in a plaid. Lots of thick pleats. I could make a schoolgirl kilt for myself! The t-shirt is nice is you hack off those sleeves. I like the neck detail. The jacket is something I would never make, the wavey bottom hem looks sloppy not like a design feature.

Patterns I am Not a Fan of:

It isn't a bad pattern, it is just something I'd never wear. A simple sheath dress with pockets would just make me look pregnant (NEVER DESIRABLE), and the sweater/jacket is too long and too short all at the same time. They include a basic button-up which would be nice though.

Let me start by saying there is nothing wrong with this tracksuit jacket. I just would never sew it. I prefer to purchase my sportswear because I can never find appropriate material for it. And the pants aren't anything special.

Again, not a bad pattern, I just don't wear wrap dresses. And again with those sleeves, they just look so outdated to me. 

So what do YOU make of this OTTOBRE Magazine? Would you purchase it?

Watch for another two OTTOBRE Design magazine reviews from me in the next weeks.

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