Questions and Answers

Isaspacey asked to see the front of the skirt (BurdaStyle 12-2009-123) to see what all the pouf hype was about. Fair enough, and I would have posted this sooner but I had to wait until the neighbour's car was out of the driveway and I could be sure mocking children were far away. (Give me sexy, give me cool, give me fierce smiley eyes).

Katherine asked about strong thread. Here is a comparison of the two: strong thread on the left is, well, stronger and the thread is a consistent thickness. Top - stitching thread seams to be thinner and the threads aren't as evenly spun.

Annette from the Bernina shop says that strong thread flows through the tension disks more evenly, and stops that horrible straining clunky noise that your machine can make with the other thread, especially if you use your edge stitch/ blind hemmer foot. She says if you use top-stitching thread with a Bernina, you need to use a top-stitching foot which has a gouged out bottom to facilitate the tension. Now those of us with Bernina machines know that novelty feet are expensive. Ka-ching!

Strong thread is easily available, so why don't you give it a try next time you want some fancy stitch work on your jeans and don't want to fork out for a new foot?



Judy asked how I sewed my motifs on jeans' pockets etc. Answer: the easiest way I know how- I simply draw on the design with wash out pen or tailor's chalk and then use my open-toed embroidery foot so I can see the design as I'm sewing it. I don't do anything professional, I'll leave that to her (check out her baby trench progress, unbelievable!)

Well people, I am being so humbled by my toddler these days. What with the loss of his day time sleeps and now a lot of night waking (he wakes up and shrieks hysterically for an hour or more at 3 am ) there's just not too much left of me in the day. I will continue to comment as much as I can on all your blogs, which I enjoy so much, but sewing progress for the next wee while will be slow and postings sporadic.

Lady like

Sorry about the scowl, the neighbours' kids are mocking me from over the fence.



I do prefer a slightly dressier every day style and in fact this skirt is totally practical. The skirt can be worn with boots - it's long enough not to require leggings with boots, and wool is a great dirt repellent.

The skirt is great fun, the only thing I was really worried about were the poufy bits at the side which I thought could look a little silly. But with Burda, you have just got to learn to live with a little kook. I think the shorter version is slightly risque, or maybe it's just the weird looking fella she's disappearing into the woods with.



At any rate, I put in some welt pockets from the shorter style, and used bias tape to hem the skirt because it is so full and the fabric so bulky I wanted the slimmest, lightest finish possible.

From the front, technical view, it was those boufy bits that gave cause for concern:



Welt pocket, with lining fabric both sides of pocket to reduce bulk:



Hem, the bias tape left to hang on show, too bulky to turn and stitch, or those poufy bits would be flying all over the place.



And now it's time to exercise a little discipline and do some mending and alterations. yawn. But I shall reward myself at the end of it by allowing myself to sew another coat.

Burda WOF 12-2009-123
Fabric, Global, Marc Jacobs wool, $22.50, zipper $3, bias tape $4, lining, Nick's $4, tracing paper $2, thread $2 = $37.50

Burda "sporty" parka 01-2009-104

I totally love the expression "loving hands at home" and I'd call my blog it if I didn't think it would attract all sorts of creepy google searches looking for a very different kind of loving home front action. (For non-sewing friends who read my blog, it's an ironic way of saying, "it looks home-made." )

Of course, if you are a sewer, saying something looks home-made is a bad thing, a very bad thing. The goal is to make something look as professional as possible. Still, I wonder about this. We don't try to make home cooking look like restaurant food, we value the irregular stitches of a home knit garment, handcraft revels in the individuality of its creator and is valued for it, so why is the ultimate accolade of home made clothes the comment, "I would never have guessed you made it."

I've been thinking about this because it seems to me that home sewing needs to forge its own identity and be valued for what it is without unfavourable comparisons to high end designer wear. I say this to myself mostly, mistakes in sewing bug me greatly - some clothes I can't wear because the mistakes bug me so much.

There has not been a great deal of journeying here of late - not for want of wishing but a busy fortnight has put paid to usual recreational activities. We've had a lot of friends come back from northern hemisphere winters to catch up with, and we got a very nasty tummy bug that laid us all low for a couple of days and made us grateful that we had 2 bathrooms.

I also took on what in hindsight has proven to be a very challenging project, made more challenging by sewing it piecemeal and never getting a good couple of hours free to sit down and whack it out. Deeply, deeply mourning the loss of Benjy's afternoon sleep.



The back view:



I picked up some Gore-tex for $4 a metre from Nicks, who got all of the Line 7 liquidation stock. I decided to sew one of the Burda parkas from last autumn, but wanted to put a hood in it. There'a no doubt the original design was much chic-er, but Auckland has a seriously high winter rainfall and that nice ruffled collar, adorable as it is, will not keep head dry in sheet rain.



Sometimes it's worth looking a little dorky to stay dry:



I chose this parka from Burda 01-2009-104, but substituting the hood from #126 and adding in a thermal mesh lining. Despite careful measuring of the existing neckline and the hood, I still could not ease the fabric into the space without a great deal of puckering. Gore-tex is too stiff and the weave is of course very tight to ensure it stays waterproof so easing is not something it wants to do. After stay stitching and clipping hard I managed to get it in, but I strongly suspect that the neckline on #104 has been lowered by an inch or so, making a longer seam line on the front.

Then I had all sorts of issues inserting the 4 way stretch lining into a fabric with no give whatsoever. Lots of unpicking first of all, then a big sigh, and thereafter a lot of hand basting.

Also challenging was working out how to insert a lining into an unlined jacket pattern. The lining part was easy - just trace off the facings and add seam allowances - I didn't even have to draft an ease pleat in the back because of the stretch lining - but how was I going to get access to the draw strings? How was I going to line the hood and turn the whole thing out through the sleeves? What to do about the drawstring hem and the elasticated wrist bands?

Added to all of this, about half way through I lost the instruction section of the magazine - not that that was a huge loss - they were more basic than usual. The instructions for the poacher's pockets left out the vital piece of information that the flap had to be attached to the pocket WRONG sides together and so there was a lot of head scratching going on there until I figured it out.



In the end the solutions to the construction process were quite simple. I added eyelets to thread the drawstrings from the waist casing though. I added the hood to the top of the facings and sewed the whole lot together in one continuous seam from one end of the zipper to the other. The sleeves I decided to do by catching the lining inside the hem and simply sewing the casing over the top of all layers.




The bottom hem casing was the only really tricky part but I threaded the elastic by reaching the casing through the hole in the sleeve.



Getting a good fit was another challenge. I never know what to do about bust alterations on loose styles like these. The front was still about an inch too small - but - there's so much room in the back I could easy borrow fabric from there to reach the front. The side seams would be off though, which I decided would bug me. I could cut the front piece at the waist, do an FBA and pivot out the dart to the waist and then slash the lower part to fit the new piece. Then I'd just use the waistband casing to pull it back in again - but then I decided it was already quite gathered and the bulky fabric would just take the whole look too far. So in the end I settled on darts, but they never sit that well, because of the loose back and the bulky fabric.

I am curious to know how other people resolve this dart dilemna - ignore, eliminate, shift or sew? If you have an thoughts, please share.

For my next project I was going to sew a full muslin for a jacket that I was then going to make up in suede in April for the Pattern Review lined jacket competition. I am very good at sewing long projects bit by bit (think 2 years hand piecing a quilt if you want the evidence) but frankly I'm worried. Sewing a suede jacket is a huge challenge, and if I had some decent time to do it I'd be up for it, but an hour's sewing at the end of day when I'm exhausted is just asking for trouble. Suede cannot be unpicked. There can be no errors. There's no way I have the mental energy for this kind of project.

Bummer.

Burda parka: 01-2009-104, hood #126
Gore-tex, $14, thermal mesh lining $6, washers,$3, thread,$3, elastic $3, tracing paper,$2, zipper and buttons $7 = $38.

To sew Gore-tex:

- microtex needle 70/10
- stay stitch then clip into corners and bends, fabric has no ease.
- moderate iron, use a clapper to flatten seams
- top stitch down anything that will "poof" up. Raglan sleeve seams, hood central seam etc.
- the fabric is naturally stiff - no need for interfacing
- fabric does not fray
- lining is recommended for comfort and protection of the gore-tex layer - usual linings are microfleece or mesh - anything quick to dry and breathable. However, in NZ purchased gore-tex clothing is more often than not left unlined.
- to seal the seams, Pack'n'Pedal in Albany sells seam sealant and waterproofing spray.They will do a credit card phone order and courier service.

I sewed them myyyyy waaaaaaaaaaaay.

I cannot believe I am standing here in jeans and a t-shirt made by my very own loving hands at home. Of all things to make for myself, it's the one where I think, "couldn't I just have gone out and bought these???"

Burda 09-2009-113



I had a lot of help with these jeans so will try to credit all the fabulous people who have shared their expertise:

Adjustments - following this guide here which I found via Dawn's summary of jeans sewing on Pattern Review. I lengthened the back crotch length their way, and did the flat butt wedge their way too. I think there are fewer wrinkles this time, but it's not a perfect solution. I'm going to try the Palmer/Pletsch lift and tuck next time, I think.



The lovely professional top stitching you see chez moi blog is courtesy of foot number 5 - the blind hemmer/edge stitch foot. It looks like I am a sewing goddess but I am totally an imposter because you just run the barb of the foot along the edge for a precise line of stitches.




From Brian (the seamster formerly known as "rocket boy") I learned that you should use plain thread matching to your fashion fabric in the bobbin. The small gap between the stitches makes the contrasting thread really "pop".

From Palmer/Pletsch I learned that you needn't bother changing threads and needles for jeans. Just sew the whole thing on one set of threads. So I did! Also, because top stitching needles are a size 14, they're already a good size and strength for denim so I found the needle sewed through many layers with no problems at all.

Annette from the Bernina shop recommends "strong" thread, rather than "topstitching thread" for jeans sewing.

From my favourite RTW pair of jeans I copied this idea for a double back belt loop.




I used a scrap of cotton shirting to line the pockets because I was using heavier fabric than was recommended.



This denim has 1% lycra which equates to about 5 % crosswise stretch, enough to provide better movement and recovery but without the down side of unflattering shaping. It was enough to make me worried about how the waist might stretch out though so I taped it with cotton twill tape. From the Jalie jeans pattern, I learned that it is a really good idea to sew the bottom of the facing seam allowance so you can get the exact amount you need to turn for the waistband.No more burned fingers with the iron trying to iron them accurately, the denim folds on the stitching line like a warmed knife through butter.



Why sew my own jeans? Now tell me, have you ever seen a back pocket design like this? No? I didn't think so.



Now to answer a couple of questions in the last comments:

Helen asked why I had listed Burda 42 as a 16. Simple, if you take a big 4 pattern (vogue, butterick etc) and look at a size 16 you will see "waist 76, hip 102" - if you look at a Burda 42 you see "waist 78, hip 102", so the Burda is just slightly bigger. The real difference is wearable ease - the big 4 use 3-4 inches for a semi-fitted style, Burda uses 1-2 inches for a fitted style. That's why I prefer sewing with Burda, because I find fitted clothing more flattering. I don't know why the big 4 make so many semi-fitted styles. Vanity - because you go down a size because of all the extra ease?

Judy asked about my front adjustment. Look at the picture of the woman wearing her perfect fit jeans. Look at the front crotch. Look at how the line pulls tight and folds of fabric fall around it. Is that not the most unfortunate place for folds of fabric to gather??? I mean REALLY. It means the front crotch curve is too high, and you simply lower it as it comes round the bend. I don't always have to make this adjustment - the curve is on the bias and stretches anyway, I only have to do it with fabrics with little give.

Costings: fabric, denim from Global fabrics, $32; strong thread $4.50, normal thread $3, tracing paper, $2, rivets $2, zipper $1.50, interfacing 50c = $45.50


This post is dedicated to my dad, who most certainly made things his own way, and who died a year ago Sunday (yesterday) .

This is great. I like it. I'll sew it.

Front detail Burda 09-2009-113



"When I see people dressed in hideous clothes that look all wrong on them, I try to imagine the moment when they were buying them and thought, "this is great. I like it. I'll take it." Andy Warhol

I was totally bummed about the failure that was the Jalie stretch jeans. Determined to learn from my mistakes I reflected on all the factors that contributed to their downfall.

1) I did not like the fabric.

2) The fabric was the wrong weight for the project.

3) The fabric was the wrong colour both for the project and for me personally.

4) I made the mistake of assuming that the jeans looking good on other people would mean they would look good on me. (the old, "love it on the model," factor)

5) I ignored the fact that I do not actually like stretch jeans on me.

6) I was in too much of a hurry to get into the sewing room and start sewing without creating a space for critical thinking and reflection. Questions like "is making this a good idea?" did not get the space they needed to find their true answer, which in this case would have been "no". Don't get me wrong - I'm all for taking risks and wadders are a necessary part of the learning process, and I'd rather have wadders a plenty than not try something I really want to make. But really, more thought was required on this one.

7) I am someone who needs to see a pattern and then pick the perfect fabric for it, not the other way round. Using up stash does not work for me in this way, except as maybe fodder for wearable muslins.

I took some time off to do some research and spent an afternoon reading these books:



For Valentine's day, my husband gave me the best present - 6 hours uninterrupted sewing time. I traced the Burda jeans from the September issue 2009...and as a little momento from the Jalie jeans I used their back pocket pattern piece and put a x (kiss) and o (hug) on the back. (the burda jean has no back pocktets). I also chose some fabric from stash to serve as my "wearable muslin."



Check out the difference in the pattern pieces - both are cut to a Burda 42 (16) Jalie size "w" - although the burda pattern has no back yoke so it extends further up. Let's look at the "pour factor" - that's what 20% stretch looks like friends - the difference is what wants to embrace your little touche, and grasp your tender thighs. The difference across the hip, accounting for differences in seam allowance is 3 cms (an inch and a quarter).



I still am struggling with the fit through the back, more experimentation required, but I got rid of the front pooling by deepening the front crotch line below the zipper.



I totally love the front yoke and the pockets that slant off it. Sooo handy.



Now I am going out to buy exactly the right fabric and make these jeans again with adjustments. Watch this space.

Burda 09-2009-113
Fabric: lightweight denim in pewter, Nick's fabrics - $8, scraps of cotton and interfacing.

Jumping on the Jalie bandwagon.

When PR offered 20% off patterns for members over January I knew it was time to see what all the hype was about with Jalie patterns. Me and my neighbour, Jenni from across the road shared postage and ordered in 5 patterns between us.

I am having a buying freeze on material at the moment because - due to a number of circumstances - the leading one being greed, the second being fabric crushes that vanished soon after purchase, I have managed to fill my stash box. I am not one of those people who takes joy in owning a lot of beautiful fabric, I like to keep things moving so I thought I'd get onto a few things that have been loitering in my box. The only really suitable fabric for a first time run on these jeans was this cotton lycra which just squeaked in with 20% stretch. (this was purchased because it was on sale, I have since grown to really dislike it)

As I sewed these jeans (#2908) from Jalie a disturbing thought entered my head. Should a middle-aged woman really be pouring herself into stretch jeans?

Remember this from TS Eliot?

I grow old . . . I grow old . . .
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

No, flared with 20% stretch apparently.

I really enjoyed sewing these jeans. The instructions absolutely rock. I learned a new way to sew a zipper - I really like the way they use bar tacks to secure the fly shield. I totally misunderstood the belt loop instructions though and put them in the wrong place. Oh well.




Because this is a stripe, and because this is a new pattern company for me with different sizing and different blocks, I thought I wouldn't waste my energy matching anything when the chance of first off success wasn't high. So I cut the pockets and back yokes on the bias to avoid unmatchy unmatchy unmatch. I also used my walking foot because of the stretch, which means my top stitching is not as straight as when I use the edge foot.

Fit wise they're OK - there's some kind of poufy business at the front that looks alarming like "camel toe" - I think I shouldn't have extended the crotch front length, a normal alteration for me.



After trying them on and showing them to my husband they got the big thumbs down. "They really excentuate the fullness in your thigh area." I was right to be worried about sewing stretch jeans. Would it be cruel to say if you are plus size you need to be young and fearless or if you are older you need to have chicken thighs to wear these? It never occurred to me that the only people I have seen successfully make these have been waifs.



A wadder. Absolutely. But a good learning experience, and the moral of the story must be "favourable reviews from thin young people on Pattern Review should be read with extreme caution."

costings - Jalie pattern imported from Pattern Review - $20 incl postage; leftover cotton, cotton stretch suiting lycra from Smart Dress fabrics Mt Albert - $16 = $36.

Kwik sew 3338 .. the latest mutation.

This time we have with puffed sleeve:



Drafted like so (3 x 3/4 inch in case you want to try it yourself):



But sleeve gathered onto a band which was not drafted but simply cut to the width of bicep minus ease.




Yes I sure do have a weakness for sparkly fabric but a big part of my recent sprarkly grey obsession has to do with the big sparkly greys in my hair.

My son has stopped having his afternoon sleep: by next week my hair will probably be white.

Now this top is a bit tighter than the others which just goes to show how different fabrics with different stretch fit differently. I mean that's a no brainer really but still the same pattern has produced a much snugger fit.

And now I must mind my manners and answer a few questions:

Katherine asked about the blind hem. Next time I use my blind hemming foot I'll take a few snaps. Super easy. You need a blind hemming foot though, it would be hard to do it without.

Sue asked the rivets. Oh rivets, how a love rivets and buttons and snaps. So much that I bought myself a set of Prym pliers for attaching them all easily. In Auckland the Bernina shop imports Prym products - so I don't have to order them on line or anything. Fingers crossed someone in your area imports them - each packet comes with its own tool and set of instructions so you don't need the pliers - they just take a bit of grunt out that's all.



Keiler asked about the back of the Burda denim pants - the front is much the same as the back, without the buttons, but with the same 4 piece shaped waistband finish - no pockets.

Several people were curious about "westies". "Westie" refers to people from the western suburbs of Auckland and the stereotype of people who live there. The stereotype has a lot in common with the "redneck" stereotype - but "westie" is affectionate and takes on the "loveable rogue" aspects of the stereotype. We use the word "bogan" to take on the negative aspects of the stereotype. Funnily enough, if I'd called the top "bogan" chic it would have seemed more of a snigger than a smirk.

Costings: fabric, polyester lurex $18, Global fabrics, thread leftover from another project.