Stitchin' in My Kitchen

Last year I made a short list of some ambitious sewing projects I wanted to tackle in 2017, and not only did I cross most of them off the list, but they were all at least fairly successful, I would say!  So I was inspired by the #2018MakeNine posts to sit down and think about nine projects I'd like to make this coming year. In no particular order: Thread Theory Patterns Goldstream Peacoat - for Tim. I already bought the fabric, and am working on a fit muslin, so this is my January 2018 project. Papercut Patterns Otsu Jeans - formerly known as the Peter and the Wolf trousers, now in front fly jeans form! I've developed some pants-making confidence this year, and have a lot of stretch denim and twill in my stash that will work for this pattern. A plaid wool moto jacket, using KwikSew 3764. I also already have a few possible fabrics for this and a muslin cut out. The theme is "I already have the fabric in my stash", since I'm leaving my job in a few week...

I have sewn many a pair of trouser-style pants, or muslins of trousers.   Despite what I consider success at fitting jeans patterns (Closet Case Ginger, Deer and Doe Safran), I’ve never been able to really adjust the fit of trousers to the point where I was really happy and I ended up with pants that I would actually wear on the regular.   I started to wonder if the issue wasn’t the difference between a fly-front jean and a side- or back-zip trouser that was somehow in play.   Maybe it’s real or maybe I just made it up, but when Closet Case released the front-fly Sasha trouser I picked up the pattern to see if I couldn’t get a fit I was happy with. I cut these out after Thanksgiving (thick with sweet potatoes), and was in-between sizes so I sized up, given the wide range of stretch in stretch wovens. So I cut a 14 hip graded to a 10 waist (my Ginger jeans are a 12 hip graded to an 8 waist).   I wanted a sleek pant so I went with View B, no pockets.   My...

 I love to travel, and I love to use an upcoming trip as an excuse to sew something new!   Next month I’m headed back to Seattle, one of my favorite American cities, and I decided I should make some outerwear for the trip.   I’d had the Jalie 2680 Stretch City Coat pattern in my “to sew” pile for a while and decided the hooded version would be perfect.     I also had 3 yards of this black perforated windblock fleece in my stash that I bought last year from Califabrics.com .   It is medium weight, has nice stretch, and a soft fleecy interior. Since I anticipated rain, I decided on the hooded view. I cut a size U based on my measurements.   There are a lot of pieces, with seaming and topstitiching details, but the construction is quite simple.   I made this on a Saturday while battling a cold and it was still easy!! I used a 90/14 ballpoint needle and had no problems sewing it with the machine (hand-tacking was a bit dif...

This will just be a short little post about my just finished asymmetrical zip jacket, Butterick 6169. Described as: Semi-fitted, lined jacket has shoulder pads, seam detail, welt pockets, exposed zipper, and two-piece sleeves.  I want to make myself a full on moto jacket at some point, so I'm working my way up to, starting with this pattern.  I made a muslin for a straight size 12, and only made two small changes: First, a swayback adjustment. It was very roomy at the small of my back, and I know it's described as semi-fitted, but I didn't like the look and I took out a few inches back there so it would fit close when I had it zipped. Second, the pocket bags are not drafted for adult human hands. They are crazy small so I drew them large enough to put my hand in them (see the picture above? Her hand can't go any farther in!) Otherwise, it was a great little jacket pattern. I spent about a day working on this, there's not a lot of hand sewing, just the lining at...

I’ve spent the past few weeks working on Vintage Simplicity 5922, it’s finally finished, and I felt like showing it off! Even though I’m currently experiencing summer in the SF Bay Area, I love faux fur, and I hope to one day move back to a city that experiences true winter. In the meantime…. This jacket pattern is meant to be made in a combination of fur and a woven fabric. I decided to go with the fur sleeve option this round.   The body of the fabric is this amazing black-on-black skull silk-cotton from the designer Milly that I bought from Cali Fabrics (I think it’s sold out because I bought it all). The sleeves are a black shag 2” faux fur also from Cali Fabrics, and the lining is a purple polyester from the brick-and-mortar home of Cali Fabrics, Fabric Outlet (shop local!) I made a quick muslin of this and found it to be a bit snug around the lower band. It’s a size 14, which is sized for a 28” waist, but felt a little too tight for a jacket so I ended up s...