The Sherlock Skirt

Hello Chickadees!

Recently I was given the chance to do a little bit of pattern testing for Jennifer Lauren Vintage. As soon as she described the pattern, I was very excited to try it, because it seemed like something that was missing from my wardrobe. This is her new Cressida skirt pattern. I've been waiting and waiting for this pattern to be released, cause I'm just So. Darn. Excited about it!

Cressida is a semi-circle skirt with two views. View A is double breasted, where View B is single breasted with button tabs for a belt. Both have lovely deep inseam pockets. I chose to sew View B, because my machine does not love to make buttonholes. I also loved the idea of the button tabs to keep my belt in check.

I had a heck of a time trying to find fabric for this. I knew I wanted something neutral that would work with lots of different tops and sweaters. I ended up going with this awesome heathered brown herringbone. It's also a bit stretchy, which makes it extra comfy. Something about this colour makes me think of Sherlock Holmes.

We shot these photos at the Willingdon Beach trail in Powell River. It's a lovely forested trail right on the water.  It is well known for it's rather friendly Douglas Squirrels. Fun Fact: Red and Grey squirrels are not native to this area. They were brought over by Europeans, and have become an "invasive species" in the area. It's fairly rare to see a Douglas squirrel around Vancouver, so I always get excited to see these little guys.

Along the trail, there are many lovely signs pointing out various native species of trees and animals, as well as a few artifacts from the logging and forestry history of the area. We happened upon a logging arch, which was used to lift the ends of logs to avoid extra damage from the forest floor. This one was used in the 40's, and it's held up quite well. 

This skirt is so comfortable! It has a nice amount of flare so that I'm able to move around without any worry of a busted seam, and the pockets are an extra bonus. YAY POCKETS! I found the instructions very clear, once I got over my brain block about the front placket. Do not sew when you are tired, people! I think it would be great for any level of sewing experience.

At this moment, I was looking for the squirrel that was chattering in the trees

I'll leave you with this picture of me freaking out over squirrels. My Snow White senses were tingling.

This is the face I make when I see cute things.

Love,
Rachael

Snugly Archer

Hello Chickadees!

First off, I am sorry for some of the wonky pictures. I accidentally deleted about 3/4 of the photos we shot for this blog, and these are what we were able to salvage.

Recently, Mister and I decided to go on a vacation to Powell River, which is part of the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia. I knew right away that I needed something cozy and warm, and something that I could layer. What could be better than a snugly flannel shirt?

This is Grainline Studio's Archer. I decided it was finally time to join the rest of the sewing realm in making one of these cozy button-ups. It was hard to find some decent flannel that wasn't printed with Dora the Explorer or Trucks. Luckily I managed to find TWO prints that I loved, and you'll see the other one in a later blog post.

This pattern is awesome. I've never sewn a proper button-up before, so it was nice to have clear instructions. I used the "burrito" method to attach the yoke facing, and I love the clean look that it gives to the insides. Plus it was fun!

Sewing plaid used to scare me when I was new to sewing. For some reason the idea of matching lines was frightening? Silly me. Plaid matching is not that hard to do, plus it offers some fun new ways to play with the fabric. I ran out of fabric to match the sleeves at the shoulders, but it doesn't bother me too much.

I cut the back yoke and the button band on the bias in order to give a little visual interest. I have an issue with yokes that don't match (I have a lot of wierd buggaboos about RTW clothing), so cutting it on the bias helped to mitigate the issue, as well as break up the sea of horizontal and parallel stripes.

Please excuse the wacky collar.

This shirt is so cozy, and I plan on sewing a few more for autumn/winter. I am constantly cold, and it's nice to have something snugly to wear to keep warm.

What are your favourite things to sew for colder weather?

Love,
Rachael

Something Blue

Hello Chickadees!

I have something pretty and lacy to share with you today.

Recently, one of my mother's coworkers asked me if I would be willing to make silky robes for her and her bridal party. I jumped at the chance, because I thought it would be a fun project. She chose a pretty grape coloured satin for her bridesmaids, and white satin for herself.

I thought it would be fun to make "matching set" of lingerie for her, because what bride would not like pretty lacy things to wear? Mom and her co-workers were throwing a bridal shower for the bride, so I thought this would be the perfect chance to sew up a little chemise.

I used Vogue 8888, and it came together perfectly. It's a fairly simple pattern with a pieced waist band, 2 piece bust cup, and skirt section cut on the bias to hug the curves. Quite a fun sew! It whipped up quite fast on my serger.

I wanted to make this extra special for her, so I added some personal touches. The fabric is satin charmeuse from Fabric.com, but as I was putting it together, I felt like it was missing something. I dug around in my stash, and found some leftover lace from my Mom's wedding dress.
This corded lace is so pretty, and Mom and I agreed that it added a bit of a special heirloom quality. And of course, I added a little blue bow, for something blue.

She loved it! And she was even more excited to know that it will match her robe. Hurray for happy customers!

This little project has opened my eyes to lingerie sewing. It's really fun! I look forward to more little lacy projects in the future.

Have you sewn lingerie? Do you have any tips and tricks?

Love,
Rachael

The Pants Project Part 2

Hello Chickadees!

I know y'all are probably pretty tired of hearing about pants. So am I! I promise there are other, more exciting posts coming in the future. Silky things! Sweaters! Unselfish Sewing! Please hang in there, I promise it will be better.

This is my latest adventure in pants fitting. I wrote a whole long post about all of the modifications that I made in Part One of the Pants Project.

So far, these are my favourite pair of pants. They're comfy, and surprisingly versatile. Unfortunately, Mister does not appreciate them as much. He thinks they're "too loud." Psh. Somebody please tell my husband that leopard is totally a neutral.


These pants are made with stretch denim, which makes them super comfy. If you spend any amount of time with me, you know that my preferred method of sitting is what's known in the grade-school world as "Criss Cross Applesauce." These pants make that easy, thank goodness! They also allow me to do silly things like jump in the air and dance, which are surprisingly important in my every day life.

Of course, a pair of pants made by me would not be complete without pockets. It's nice to have a place to store things like tissues or your phone.
Does anybody else have a hard time photographing pockets? I find it difficult to get a good angle without looking too inappropriate or awkward.

Fitting a "larger than average" derriere is a tad on the difficult side, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. There are still some small tweaks I'd like to make (darn swayback!), but I think I'm getting there. The next pair of pants will hopefully be in something warm like wool for autumn/winter.

Ok. This is the end of the pants posts. For now...

Love,
Rachael

The Pants Project Part 0.5

Hello Chickadees!

Guess who finally got around to shooting some actual blog post photos?! My camera is back from it's extended vacation, and Mister and I had some free time to take photos. Cue the crowd cheering!

 My last proper post was about pants (or trousers, if you're across the pond). Before I did the whole pattern hacking/alteration/slice&dice, I did try to make a pair of denim shorts. Shorts are nice, because they're like pants, but with less commitment!

 

I did a bit of a hack job on these guys, and they're ugly on the inside. Luckily nobody sees that! I started with Mrs. Depew's 1940's Shorts, made up in stretch denim. I removed the darts, and instead used pockets, cause pants without pockets are no fun! I also added a bit of length to them to make a deep hem.

I'm still working out the kinks in the whole pants fitting thing, so there are a few fit issues. Figuring out crotch curve when you're sewing on your own with no mannequin or body double is HARD! Also, I've come to terms with the fact that I do need a swayback adjustment, cause there's that crazy amount of extra fabric at my lower back as you can see in the previous photo. Sigh. Also, the zipper on the side seam keeps buckling and causing strange wrinkling, but that I think is more of an issue of a seam that is not properly supported. Live and learn, right?

Mister insisted on a booty shot.

   The top is a me-made as well. Right before Canada Day (July 1st for those of you non-canucks), I realized that I did not own a suitable piece of red clothing! How unpatriotic! So I whipped up a Sewaholic Renfrew to wear. 

I don't know why it took me so long to make one of these guys! It took me about an hour from cutting to finishing, and it's so comfy! Many more of these are planned for the future. And BONUS! It goes with one of my favourite brooches that has been passed down from my Grandma.

 

I'll leave you with this goofy shot. I was telling Mister how I thought I needed more "real" photos, instead of the same poses over and over. Half of the photos from this shoot were silly photos like this one. I can't decide if it looks like I have to pee, or I'm really excited. Maybe both?

 

 

Love,

Rachael

The Case of the Missing Blogger

Hello Chickadees!

First of all, a big welcome to all of those stopping by from Jessica's blog, Chronically Vintage. I went on vacation to Penticton a while back and had a chance to meet up with her and do a little photo shoot while I was there. She even lovelier in person! If you haven't had a chance to see it yet, you can check it out HERE.

Second, I apologize for my lack of posts recently. There has been a lot of sewing, but my camera went on a little vacation, and I'm not entirely happy with the way that Iphone photos look. It is safely back in my possession, and I plan on having a marathon photo shoot this weekend. Stay tuned! If you really can't wait till then, follow me on Instagram to keep up to date on all the fun sewing things.

In the meantime, here's a slightly blurry picture of me making friends with some alpacas. They are seriously adorable, and someday I hope to own an alpaca farm. Until I can convince my husband, photos in front of alpacas in the barn will have to do.

Love,
Rachael

The Pants Project Part I

Hello Chickadees!

Until recently, sewing pants frightened me. There are so many more fitting issues to worry about!

 As soon as I saw Gertie's pants pattern, Butterick 5895, I fell in love. It was the exact style that I was looking for. High waisted. Fitted. Front pockets. Perfect. So pretty much all of my pants have been versions of this pattern.

My first pair of real pants (not pyjama pants. Nobody cares about fitting issues with pyjama pants) were made using a black ponte knit. I used it as sort of a wearable muslin, although I don't find them that flattering. I made them straight out of the envelope using a size 12.

The next pair were a pair of jeans. I made a couple alterations to the leg length and height at the waist, but otherwise didn't attempt any real fitting issues, because I had no idea how to tackle them at the time.

Then there were 2 unfortunate pairs of fitting disasters. They were so bad that I didn't even get a photo of them. I was kind of just hacking away at them without a clue of what actually needed to be fixed.

Now I've had a chance to sit down and actually do some reading about how pants work and fit.

Here are some of the changes I've made
-Graded from a 12 to a 10 at the waist
-Added width to the hips
-Reduced the crotch depth
-Increased the crotch length
-Added width to the thighs
-Lengthened to ankle length

Whoo. That is a lot of pattern adjustments. Let's see if this actually works out!

Do you have any projects or garment types that you consider "scary sewing"?

Rachael