Christmas Sewing Roundup: Scrap garlands, various bags and stickers!

Hi all, 

This is a quick roundup of my festive sewing for 2020.

Chain Garlands

Firstly, I was desperate to find a good way of using up the scrap felt from my wardrobe box project earlier this summer. I love chain garlands and was hoping to find a relatively low-fuss way of using the felt to create one of those. Using this Etsy blog post for inspiration, I figured out a good no-sew way of linking the chain. The advantage to this type of tab/notch method is that the chain can be disassembled and stored as flat strips during the rest of the year. Recipients can also pick and choose which colours go where and how big the chain is. I cut as many strips as possible from my remaining pieces and, unlike the Etsy post, cut a small slit at the end of each strip. My felt was 5mm thick and it was helpful to have fewer, less precise cuts to make compared to the Esty Post. 

This is what it looks like when it's all linked up:

I ended up with about 270 strips/chain links and divided these across 3 bundles. I think each bundle has enough strips to make just under 5m of chain. I raided my stash for some fabrics to make 3x zip-up storage bags. We kept 1 bundle and gave 2 away.

Felt Diamond Bunting

After cutting all of the strips for the chain garland, there was the question of what to do with the remaining bits of felt which were too small for the chain links. I cut them all into tiny squares and then sorted everything by colour. I measured out some Prym cotton twill tape for 5m + an arm length at each end and then stitched straight along it, adding felt squares every ~10cm in a regular pattern. After reaching the end of a length of twill tape, I cut a new length and started again. This meant that as colours were running out, I could change the pattern of each length of bunting. 

I ended up with about 43m of bunting (In 5m batches) and wound it all nicely onto some card. We kept the 3m end length, which was mostly green/yellow leftovers, and offered the rest as gifts.

Stocking Bunting

I had also been eyeing up my scraps bag and thought it would be a good idea to turn some of it into a bunting as well. I cut as many tiny stockings as possible and ended up with approx 60x tiny lined stockings. I split this into 2x 3m lengths of bunting to offer as gifts.

I'll admit, I was dubious that this bunting would work out well. The individual stockings look a little odd because they're not traditionally festive designs or colours - they're obviously scrap sewing. Luckily, the sheer quantity of tiny stockings on the tape is pretty cute and I think the overall effect is quite nice!

Shopping Bags

I saw this tutorial by Sewing Times for a tiny foldable shopping bag and thought it would be a cool use for some of my ripstop nylon. I ended up making 4x of these bags, and a variety of others in different designs to offer as gifts too.

It looks like I forgot to get photos of any of these designs...

Popcorn Pouches

I made a few popcorn pouches using this tutorial and spares of softshell fabric to offer as gifts as well. Honestly, I have no idea if these are useful but I am hoping they are. I used up some of my zipper tape on a roll for this project and had a lot of fun/difficulty in getting the zip pulls onto the tape. 

It looks like I also forgot to get photos...

Stickers

You may have understood by now that a lot of these projects are basically compulsive sewing. There's nothing particularly challenging about cutting hundreds of tiny felt squares and sewing a long straight line. This autumn has been all about finding pick-me-ups wherever they can be found and I ended up gifting myself a little pick-me-up in the form of stickers (!) that could go on each of the wrapped gifts. 

I bought these from Sticky Things Ltd and used a basic template in their online designer. They are so cute and I have plenty left over for future projects too. 

I even stuck them on the boxes of baked gifts that were sent out. It jazzed up the Tupperware a little and meant I had somewhere two write what was inside.

They make me so happy!

K x

Tutorial: A top made only from triangles!

Introduction

I mentioned in a previous post that I was thinking of doing a tutorial on the Pinterest mainstay sunshine yellow triangle top, which seems to be taken from 'Clothes by Yoshiki Hishinuma' (1986). You know I love me some twisty japanese clothing.

I made a second version of the top for this tutorial, and honestly I think I like it more than the first version.

Before we jump into it, I just want to say that I think there's quite a few tutorials and instructions out there for a sleeveless t-shirt based on a similar type of pattern. What sets this one apart is the sleeves. If you look closely at the image of the original, you can see they're gathered at the wrist, forcing them to twist, which is completely weird. So this tutorial shows you how to get a proper twitsty triangle sleeve on your Japanese triangle top. 

You will need:

• Basic measuring, drawing and sewing supplies
• Sewing machine or overlocker or mad hand sewing skillz
• Loose drapey knit fabric (those ones with poor recovery i.e. no elastane work!)
• Something to finish the edges (e.g. Fold over elastic, self-fabric bands, knit binding, cuffing/ribbing, added hem allowance)
• Mannequin, or some other draping aid
• Some floor space/some table space

Pattern

The basic pattern is 2 different triangles (cut 2 body, cut 2 arms)

The original top seems to use all-equilateral triangles (which give elbow-length sleeves), but I've also written up instructions here for isosceles triangle sleeve pieces which gives you full-length sleeves. 

Taking measurements, drawing the pattern

I drafted these pieces by folding the paper in half lengthways and drawing one half of the pattern. Once cut out and once unfolded, I had the full pattern piece. You can use whatever drafting method suits you. 

Bodice: 

The front and back pattern pieces are identical.

Measure your hip circumference and the length between the nape of your neck and your hip. Draft an equilateral triangle (sides all the same length) that uses an average of these measurements.

For reference, my mannequin is an 8-10UK, my hips measure about 37" (94cm) at their widest. They are probably a bit smaller at high hip. ****** The sides of my bodice triangle measured 34" (88cm).

You can break out your classroom trigonometry skills to check that the hip measurement and vertical length nape>hip are similar enough that it suits your needs. (You will probably need to fiddle numbers and compromise a bit - it's not a perfectly fitting top). Just make sure you end up with an equilateral triangle pattern piece.

If maths isn't your jam and you prefer the Micarah Trewers approach to pattern drafting, measure from the nape of your neck to the centre front top of your trousers/skirt/underpants. Draw 3 lines directly on the fabric (preferably in pancake batter).

Elbow-length Sleeves: 

Draft an equilateral triangle, with sides equal to half of the side length of the bodice triangle. E.g. If your bodice piece has sides of 88cm length each, your sleeve piece will have sides of 44cm length each.

Full-length Sleeves: 

Draft an isosceles triangle, where one side is equal to half of the length of the bodice sides. E.g. If your bodice piece has sides of 88cm length each, your sleeve piece will have one side of 44cm length. Then measure from your armpit to your wrist. Note this number. Measure around your wrist or measure a stretchy cuff on an item of clothing you already own. Note this number. Add these two numbers together, this is the length of each of the remaining two sides of your isosceles triangle. Draft the triangle.

You can add seam allowance either on the paper pattern pieces or directly on the fabric - just be sure to know which one you're doing!

Don't notch anything yet - especially not if you're doing the all-equilateral version of the top. It is incredibly confusing and unhelpful. 

Cutting the fabric

This top is a good opportunity to mess around with stripes and pattern placement, or you can keep it standard if you like. On my first version, I cut one bodice piece at 90deg rotated so that the stripes on my shoulders would look interesting.

Once you've cut out the fabric you will end up with 4 pieces. Lay them out flat

Assembling the top

Take each body piece and mark Centre Front/Centre Back with a notch.

With right sides together, pin the body pieces together at top and bottom of the garment (align the CB/CF notch with the point on the other piece.) It will look like this:

Fold over the "shoulders" of the triangle, right sides together, and pin the seams together. This is the front of your top.

Carefully flip the mass of fabric and pins over, it's time to pin the back of the top....(or flip it recklessly, I'm not judging you!)

Fold the outermost points to the CB so they meet in the middle of the back hipline, pin the seams together. Right sides are still together. Baste if desired. Remove the pin at the CB point so the hemline is "open" and you have a way in to the top.

You will notice that we effectively closed up the neckline with pins. Now is a good time to decide what your neckline looks like. Use a dressform if you have one available as a draping aid, or a pillow,  maybe a cardboard cutout. Currently the point of the front triangle sits at the top of the mannequin's head/neck stump.

Drape something you like for the neckline and finish it off. The original has the neckline along a side of the front triangle, but you could do something else, or even trim the triangles to taste. Leaving the neckline raw is also an option, just make sure you have a space to put your head through. 

Remember that the top is currently inside out and you may screw up like me and put the neck slit on the wrong side. Double check before slicing or stitching anything. 

You may find it helpful to stitch one or both of your shoulder seams first. It all depends on your neckline finish. On my first version I added a band to each edge, so it was added flat to each pattern piece. On my second version I stitched one shoulder seam, added the collar and then stitched the other one closed.

Lay out flat again, remove the pins from the body seam (diagonal seam from armpit to CB hip) to make it easier to lay flat.

Take the arm pieces and position them on either side of the bodice. Pin them in place (right sides together). Stitch. 

Mark both sides of the sleeve triangle tips with your wrist/cuff measurement. 

Technically you only need to do this for the front edge of the sleeves, but (like me) you will probably mess this up and it'll be easier to just mark both edges.

Put the top on your mannequin or lay out flat so you can clearly see front from back. 

On each sleeve, finish the wrist area. It is on the front edge, between the notch you've just cut and the point of the pattern piece.

On my v1 I stitched a 1" band like the neckline. On my v2 I was planning to fold over and topstitch, but I made a last minute decision to use the leftover ribbing/cuff material from the collar. This looks nice but added about 7cm to the total length of the sleeve. If you're adding a cuff, you might want to account for the extra length when you're drafting the pattern.

Gather the whole length of the back edge of the sleeve seam (you could use elastic or gather with thread using your preferred technique) so that its length matches the length of front edge of the sleeve triangle. 

Pin the two edges of the wrist opening together (right sides together). Pin the "underarm" seam, armpit to wrist, easing and arranging your gathers. If you're making the elbow-length sleeves it will look a bit puffy and twisty. If you're making the full-length sleeves, it will look really cursed. Stitch the "underarm" seam.

(re)Pin and stitch remaining body seam right sides together. It should be the diagonal line from armpit to CB hip. (diagonal line from armpit to CB hip).

Turn up the hem and finish the edge.

You're done!

K x

Burda 6875 - Version 2

 Do you remember my previous adventures with Burda 6875?

Well, at some point in 2018 I got a yearning for it again. Progress on a new version was slow and it only took a global lockdown to get me to finish it. 

The Fabric

I found this fabric on the August bank holiday weekend in 2018. It was nestled in the wool remnants at Misan Berwick Street while they were setting up their Goldhawk Road store. There was a dearth of clearance fabrics in the Berwick Street shop and I really struggled with the decision to purchase it. Of course, it is lovely fabric but there was notably less on the bolt than the Burda packet said I would need for this pattern.

It is a W Bill check in exactly the kind of fabric I want in my life.

The Pattern Matching

This beautiful check didn't sit in my stash for too long, but while it did, I came to realise that it needed to look consistent across the whole garment. Nowadays you can get away with mismatched checks if they're sufficiently busy - thanks to fast fashion retailers. But such an approach would be a disservice to this fabric, so I needed to treat it with care. There are so many different stripe colours that it would be very obvious if they were offset at all. I was very nervous about this because this remnant technically wasn't big enough to make the pattern normally, let alone with fussy cutting and pattern matching!

I spent many hours planning my cutting layout. Firstly by pinning stripes together so they wouldn't shift when I cut the double layer/folded. Secondly by drawing stripe references onto every pattern piece with Frixion pen and walking all of the seamlines to match stripes. 

Yes, some stuff ended up unmatched in the finished project, but most of it is there. 

I did plan to match stripes between the sleeve heads and body, but failed. Technically the sleeves were cut to match but I never corrected the sleeve pattern after the forward shoulder adjustment in my first version. So they refused to match when I tried to sew them in. They refused to match 5 times. On insertion attempt #6, I stitched the fabric where it was content to lie. 

The other pattern matching thing is is about the welt pocket. I COULD NOT match the stripes on the body seam closest to centre front (it is is half seam, half dart). I unpicked and re-sewed the vertical seam several times before unpicking the welt and slicing the top edge of the side front panel at an angle. There was also a bit of easing using steam from the iron. Unfortunately I only figured out this fix in time for one side of the jacket.

The Lining

Both times I've made this jacket I've made a fragile silk lining. In both cases it was just a case of finding something that coordinated well with the outer fabric. I did buy this silk specifically for this project and was hoping to find something more robust in the shops but I just couldn't. I did shell out for some (overpriced?) cotton flannel to underline it though.

For this version I quilted the lining to the flannel after cutting out all of the pieces, and was pleased to make use of my Solvy wash-out stabiliser again. The silk was far too shifty to take the quilting on its own, but it did work well under a layer of Solvy. I washed it out in the sink, but did a sloppy job and the pieces dried like cardboard. It got me thinking that you could also treat this like wash-in stabiliser (like the gelatin technique) if needed in future. 

I made up the whole lining, overlocked the edges and ran it through the washing machine before attaching the lining to the outer. This got rid of the residual stiffness before inserting the lining into the jacket outer. Everything was pre-washed anyway so there wasn't any shrinkage post-quilting. 

The Interfacing

Why, you ask, when I bought silk and Savile Row wool, did I dare to use fusible interfacing? Don't you know that's not the couture method? You should be shamed!

Well, Imaginary Internet Sewing Police, because by now I have a fairly good idea of reliable fusibles and how to use them. I am a complete beginner with hair canvas, pad stitching etc. I am not prepared to ruin my nice fabrics with beginner attempts at new techniques. 

Also, Imaginary Internet Sewing Police, I am neither a tailor nor a couturiere. No one is obliging me to use these techniques and no one is paying me to perfect them.

I used a few different fusibles: William Gee K10 for softer areas, Macculloch and Wallis general purpose for more structured areas

I also used my new trick of using greaseproof paper as a press-cloth. No more glue seeping on to the iron!

The Buttons

Yes, I pattern matched the buttons too. 

How does anyone else do fabric-covered buttons with thick fabrics? I sewed a gathering stitch around the edge of a circle and then needed a clamp and pliars to get the backing in place. Does anyone else need woodworking tools to do this job??

Oh! You guys! I nearly forgot! I did cute little bound buttonholes too! Look how sweet they are:

The Pattern

Normally, the number of pieces in a pattern will be a good indicator of  how time consuming the project will be. I will repeat my claim that this pattern is pretty brutal in that respect. With every extra pattern piece there are extra seams to sew but also extra seamlines to check, match and "translate" if you make any fit adjustments. 

So what adjustments did I make this time?

• Omit the sleeve vents. I only decided this quite late in the project, shortly after I'd finished working on the Hades Jacket. At that point I was DONE with sleeve vents.
• Added some extra space for my hips in the lower part of the pattern
• Kept my edits from the previous sewn version of the pattern

I'm a little frustrated that it still cuts quite high into the armhole and that there seems to be too much fabric between my shoulder and my waist (vertical folds visible in the photos). I didn't pick this up at the muslin stage but it does frustrate me a bit now. I just need to be careful with which jumpers and scarves get worn with this. However, overall I think the fit is alright. The shoulders look proportional to the rest of my body and I think that's quite important.

I will probably wear it buttoned because I like to keep warm,  but it does produce some weird buckles in the photos. I don't think I'd care when wearing it and carrying a bag, but it bothers me a bit here. It does look best when worn open. What causes the buckling when buttoned up? Well, maybe the extra space for my hips wasn't big enough, maybe I should have put some more shaping into the darts, maybe the bodice is too long. Maybe it's fine and you just need space to move in a non-stretch coat...

One thing that continues to frustrate me with this pattern is the 'Lower Side Front' piece. The one that sits under the pocket opening. Last time I made this pattern, I said that it was easy to lose track of which vertical edge was closer to the front, and which was closer to the side. This time I struggled with the length of the edges and the balance of the pattern piece (as explained earlier when I tried to match horizontal stripes). This is hard to explain, but I think the pattern piece doesn't account for the pocket insertion. I think it wants to match the horizontal waist seam but the pocket welts add extra length to the jacket front and the pattern doesn't correct for that. It means that the vertical on the side front piece is about ~2cm longer than the edge on the centre-front piece and the seam is thrown off. I don't think this would have been an issue with a "standard" welt pocket where you cut into the middle of a pattern piece. I has only become an issue because Burda tries to introduce the pocket with about 5 seams instead. 

The Pattern: Centre Back Vent

Twice I have made this pattern and twice I have sewn the vent by hand. 

Is it just me? I just don't understand the draft/method for this feature. I know you should be able to machine finish that area, but when the time comes I just can't do it on this jacket. Is it something about the notches that need to be matched? Is it something about the length/width of the lining compared to the outer? I just don't know. I just can't make it work.

This is also the second time I have mitred the vent corners instead of following the pattern instructions.

The topstitching across the top of the vent was incredibly difficult, but I think I got a passable result.

Pockets!

This pattern comes with 2 pockets with optional pocket flaps. They're not particularly generous in terms of size, so I increased them a bit. In this version I did cut out fabric for the pocket flaps but saw how bulky they would be and decided to leave them out. The pocket edges are double welts (also known as jetted pockets), and I really like how they look.

Unfortunately this pattern doesn't include any interior pockets, so I added 2 to the lining again. These are my first attempt at Bluff Pockets. I don't know whether they're any stronger than other styles, but I was getting a bit obsessed with them on other blogs/videos at the time. These are the same pattern piece as my pockets on the previous version. In the blog post for my previous version I list how much wedding swag I could fit in the pockets - which gives you a good indication of how spacious they are!

The Collar

There are elements of the collar I really like: the height, the width, the piecing, but I struggle to get the points around the notch to look flat and nicely executed. I think I need more practice and patience when sewing this step on future jackets.

The Hem

I've alluded to problems with the balance of the side front piece, but it's worth addressing a bit about the hem too. I feel like I just wanted to keep the same fabric stripe at the bottom, but it looks odd now because the hem dips to a point at the side seam. I also didn't have enough fabric for the lining and the outer to meet so I had to add a length of petersham ribbon to the hem. It does the job but it's not as supple as it should be. I think there is some odd buckling and pulling at the hemline - this always seems to be my downfall in jackets!

That's it. I like it. I finished it in lockdown and I haven't worn it anywhere yet. I am hoping it will get some outings in the autumn.

K x

Weekend Projects 1

Recently I did one of my classic "shut-in sewing binges". I'm still setting up my sewing space and haven't unpacked all of my boxes yet. I have tried to decant all of my stash into the cupboard but, embarrassingly, it doesn't all fit in right now. I'm not even sure what tipped it over capacity, but I saw the opportunity of a sewing weekend to maybe free up a bit of space in the cupboard.

I'm not ready yet to make complex projects, so I'm focusing on simpler items at the moment. I'm lucky I can shop my stash for quite a few items and will try to use up some more fabric before buying anything else. I do want to restock on cotton (for masks) and stretch activewear (to upgrade my leggings) but that needs to wait a little longer.

So I took things nice and slow and ended up with 3 items.

The Triangle Top

I fell in love with this fabric on the 2019 JP trip and knew that it had potential to become something twisty and conceptual that showed off both sides of the fabric (dots and stripes). So this Pinterest classic seemed like a perfect match.

I cut out some tiny paper triangles to figure out measurements and seamlines. I also used it to test stripe directions. As someone with slopey shoulders, I don't want to accidentally cut stripes in a way that emphasises them. The trickiest part of this was figuring out the sleeves. The photo shows gathering at the wrist and it's a bit puzzling. It's also confusing that the underarm seam is twisty when the garment is laid flat. You would expect only really to see that if one side of the triangle was longer than the other. If you sew the underarm seam like a normal underarm seam, then it just comes to a point where you effectively close up a cone.

I am thinking of making another mockup, taking photos and writing a tutorial - watch this space...

I finished the neck and wrist edges with bands because why not.

Fairisle Nautical Jumper

I fell in love with this fabric when buying my felt over the summer. It's so cosy and good for wearing about the house. It's a basic jumper using one of the Winifred Aldrich blocks.

I messed up the pattern placement on this so badly that it makes me laugh. I was not with it when I cut this!

Joggers

 I remade Burda 11/2012 #135 (?) using a sweatshirting remnant. These are so soft and cosy. I slimmed the leg down below the knee to make it easier to insert the cuff at the ankle, and because I like that style. The fabric is from girlcharlee and I'm a bit wary of how it will wear over time. I made my orange cardi out of a different colourway and it's a bit crusty after a year of wear.

I used an elastane jersey remnant for the cuffs but ran out so I had to piece one of the ankles together. 

I really enjoy wearing the nautical jumper and joggers together. They make me feel like growing a beard and repairing the lobster pots.

K