Finished Object – The Finished Garment

Sweater Weather

I tried something new! Sweater knits!

I’ve never really sewn with sweater knits before, so I wasn’t sure this project would turn out, but it’s lovely and very, very comfortable.

Also, spring is a long way away, and there is still lots of time for sweaters.

The fabric is a waffle sweater knit from Our Social Fabric . Our Social Fabric is a Vancouver-based non-profit fabric store selling donated deadstock fabric and fibre arts supplies. Buying deadstock keeps fabric out of landfills, and the price is right.

This fabric very drapey, and very soft, (and it makes a lot of fluff when you are sewing!). I had to finish all the seams really well to keep it from ravelling. But it’s worth it.

I used some matching charcoal bamboo ribbing for the neck and cuffs. It’s also really soft.

The pattern is Hey June Handmade’s Lane Raglan. I knew I wanted a raglan, but I wasn’t sure which one to get. This one has a built-in full bust adjustment, and there is nothing fun about testing out an FBA on a raglan, so I was sold!

In retrospect, I probably didn’t need the FBA in this particular fabric – it’s very drapey. Other folks who have sewn with this have mostly gone with cardigans, and loose tops.

I made the version with full-length arms, no hood, and a curved hem.

I made one change – I lengthened the cuffs to be extra-long, and made them a little cone-shaped. The default short cuffs are single cylinders. And because this is a drapey fabric, I tool a quite a bit off the arms and also narrowed them a bit to fit the cuffs.

This fabric is a little slouchy, and adding the structured cuffs gave it a bit more shape.

If I had to change something, I’d probably raise the neckline a little. I did shorten the neckband because the bamboo jersey did not have great recovery when the weight of the sweater knit was taken into account.

I considered a different pattern with a high neck, but I already had a similar grey sweater with a large turtleneck, and it is distinctive enough that I didn’t need two. A funnel neckline would also have been nice.

I usually finish the hem in knits with a band or a double needle. But here I used one of my machine’s jersey stitchs (the one I never really use, lol) and it’s almost invisible, which is perfect. It looks a little bumpy here, but that’s just the lighting – it’s quite flat in real life.

This make has caused some jealousy because other people in my house want one too. We’ll see if there is any fabric left to buy!

Summary

Pattern Review: Lane Raglan by Hey June Homemade, available in sizes XS to 2XL (roughly size 6-20 in Big 4 sizing).
Fabric: Waffle sweater knit (49% Viscose 49% Polyester 2% Spandex) with 100% cross-wise stretch from OSF.
Size: XL.
Cost: Pattern: $10. Fabric: $18.75.
Sewing Level: Confident beginner.
Modifications: Extra-long cuffs, and narrowed arms to fit.
Results: Great!

Cozy in Flannel

When you haven’t been sewing for a while, it’s nice to start off with a nice easy project. Flannel pyjamas definitely fit the bill – or so I thought!

A photo of an Ottobre magazine pattern sheet.

The first challenge was finding a pattern. My youngest are tweens now and finding a pattern in that size range is tough. Most Big 4 patterns stop at size 12, and tend to be a little “young”, while women’s patterns often start too large, the fit is off for tweens, and the look can be a bit “old”. Ottobre Magazine to the rescue!

The Zen pyjama set from Ottobre Magazine.

The two great things about Ottobre magazine are 1) the size range (50-170) which covers tiny infants to about age 14-15, and 2) the styling. The styles are age appropriate and fun, but cool enough that my kids will actually wear the clothes.

Of course, you need to trace out each pattern piece from the cryptic pattern sheets onto tracing paper. You might want a cup of coffee before getting started!

Ottobre patterns come on double-sided sheets of paper – each about 60 cm by 100 cm. This issue comes with three of these. They include all the pattern pieces for all the garments in the issue, in multiple sizes. You trace out only the pieces you need.

The cut of the garments is always great, and the instructions are good, if brief. There are some tutorials online for plaquettes, cuffs, etc.

Once you get the hang of it though, it’s worth the effort! It’s also a good value, since you get 40 patterns in this issue. And even if one is a rectangular scarf, the others more than make it worthwhile. More recent editions have about 25 patterns.

OTTOBRE design® kids WINTER 6/2011 which includes sizes 50-170 (EUR pattern sizing system). This issue includes a section on sleepwear.

So the next challenge was the flannel. I love sewing with flannel. The fabric sticks to itself, in the best way, making it unnecessary to pin much.

Of course, my kids suggested solids, but it seemed so boring.

Two types of flannel and some bamboo jersey.

Me: “Don’t you want a colour, or something fun?”
Also me, but later: “Wait, this is a window pane and a wobbly stripe! &^%@#!”

Anyway, I got a perfect pattern match on the window panes and a close-to-perfect match on the stripe.

I made a couple of modifications. I lengthened the boxer short to a pant, and I added a really wide hem at the bottom – maybe 5 cm/2″. I really like this look, but it also lets me lengthen the pants when the kids grow.

It’s tough to see, but these pants have a super wide hem.

I remember how amazed I was when I learned that most men’s pyjamas come with pockets, so I was determined to add some. I just copied the pocket from Vogue V8964, which I’ve made previously and trimmed it down a little.

And I added ribbon to the back of the waistband so you can tell which way they go.

A ribbon in the waistband for sleepy pj wearers.

For the top though, they wanted bamboo jersey. This fabric has an incredibly soft hand – amazing to sleep in. But of course, it’s slinky.

I finished the neckline with fabric bands, and used a double needle to hem the sleeves and bottom.

This pattern also had some modifications. I made a short, cap sleeve. I also lowered the neckline by about 2.5 cm/1″. I found the neck was really high, and not great for pyjamas with this slinky fabric.

I have to say the sizing from Ottobre was perfect! And my kids love these pyjamas and insisted on wearing them immediately. I had to wait until clean laundry day to fish them out to photograph them.

Summary

Pattern: Zen t-shirt/pajama top (38) and Green check boxer shorts (37) from OTTOBRE design® kids WINTER 6/2011 which includes sizes 50-170 (EUR pattern sizing system). This issue includes a section on sleepwear.

Fabric: Ivory bamboo jersey, and two types of cotton flannel from Fabricville. The cat pattern was one of their in-house prints.

Size: 158 (about a kids’ 14).

Cost: Magazine $13.50. Fabric: About $70 ($35 per pair)

Sewing Level: Beginner.

Modifications: Top: Lower neckline, shorten sleeve. Bottom: lengthened pyjama pant, removed the fly, wide cuffs, added pockets.

Results: Great. Great fit and very comfortable, I hear.

Goth Skater Dress

So something looks a little different! Last summer I chopped off all my hair, went platinum (yes, blondes do have more fun!) and lost over 30 pounds (more on that in another post).

This dress was the first thing I made in my new size. It is the Lady Skater Dress by Kitschy Coo.

Gothic Skater dress sewn by The Finished Garment — Such a fun dress.

The thing about losing that much weight, is that nothing at all fits anymore. I went from a decent me-made wardrobe to nothing. But the thing about that is that you get to start over. I was feeling kind of stuck in a wardrobe that didn’t really fit me, both literally and figuratively. I didn’t really want to dress like a mum anymore, and I don’t have the kind of job that requires the corporate wardrobe stuffed in the back of my closet which suddenly fit again.

So when I made this dress I decided to choose something way more fun than I normally buy. Roses and skulls. I feel a bit more badass than normal, so I figure I’m doing it right.

This pattern is perfect. It is super easy to make and the fit is great! The only problem I ran into was of course the infamous Awkward Skull Placement™. There was a 1/2 inch of skull on the bodice front that I thought would be fine but then I decided it would irritate me constantly. I had to shorten the bodice by just a sliver. If I hadn’t, the length of the bodice would be perfect, but what’s a girl to do!

Summary

Pattern: Lady Skater Dress by Kitschy Coo available in sizes 1-8 (using their own pattern sizing system). I chose the short-sleeved view. There is also a long sleeve version.

Fabric: Red Goth digital jersey: 92% cotton, 8% spandex, and 200 g/m2 with black tubular ribbing. From l’Oiseau Fabrics.

Size: 5 (or was it the 6?).

Cost: Pattern: £7.20 Fabric: About $30.

Sewing Level: Beginner.

Modifications: none.

Results: Great. Great fit and very comfortable.

Up In The Sky – Kitschy Coo Skater Dress

Sometimes it’s fun to make something quick, easy, and adorable and the Little Girl Skater Dress by Kitschy Coo checks all those boxes.

Little Girl Skater Dress sewing pattern by Kitschy Coo, as sewn by The Finished Garment — This is the size 7/8 in a watermelon colour theme.

This is the second time I’ve used this pattern. Last time I did this in a winter dress with long sleeves and using french terry. This time I used cotton jersey and made the sleeveless version.

The fabric is from l’Oiseau Fabrics. I used their jersey for the dresses and ribbing for trim. All are really high quality and perfectly suited for the pattern.

The pattern combines two sizes in one, and this works great for my kids, since they can wear the dress for a long time. I didn’t make any alterations at all.

Various cotton spandex jersey prints in a sky theme.

This project is part of the Kids Clothes Week sew along, the Monthly Stitch August challenge: Triple Trouble, and the Stashbusting Sewalong.

Summary

Pattern: Little Girl’s Skater Dress by Kitschy Coo available in sizes 18m-8y. I chose the sleeveless view. There are also short sleeve and long sleeve versions.

Fabric: Starlight Jersey Knit in red and turquoise. Cloudy jersey knit in pink. Stretch ribbing in Aqua, purple and lime. All 95% cotton, 5% spandex. All from l’Oiseau Fabrics.

Size: 3/4, 5/6, 7/8.

Cost: Pattern: £7.20 Fabric: About $24/dress.

Sewing Level: Beginner.

Modifications: none.

Results: Great. Makes a cute, comfortable dress the kids love.

A Quick Summer Dress

It’s been a really, really busy summer. I haven’t had much time to sew and even less to blog. And yet, I still managed to have a blogging backlog.

This is the Sugar n’ Spice Romper and Dress by Heidi & Finn, which I made earlier this summer. I wanted a nice quick project that would get my daughter something fun and comfortable to wear in hot weather, and this definitely fit the bill.

Sugar n' Spice Romper and Dress sewing pattern as sewn by The Finished Garment — I really like the length of the dress.

I used ITY (Interlock twist yarn), a synthetic knit for the dress. The bright print was something I had left over for a dress for myself, and the pink was a remnant that just happened to match perfectly. Both are from one of the local chain stores.

The pattern was really quick and easy to sew. My only complaint has to do with the fabric I chose. The ITY doesn’t have a lot of structure, so in the bodice it tends to curl a little. Next time, I’d use a fabric with a bit more structure (even cotton jersey) for the bodice, or make a bit more effort to make the outer layer of the crossover bodice a bit more snug.

The dress has been a big hit and gets lots of wear. So I will count this one as a belatedly blogged success.

Summary

Pattern: Sugar n’ Spice Romper and Dress by Heidi & Finn available in sizes 12m-12y.
Fabric: ITY.
Size: 7.
Cost: Pattern: $11. Fabric: About $10.
Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: none.
Results: Good, but next time I will make the outer layer of the crossover bodice a bit more snug, or use fabric with a bit more structure.

Tiny Assassins

A couple of years ago I made bat costumes for my kids for Halloween. The kids loved them and wanted to wear them all the time, but they were maybe a little costume-y for regular wear.

So this year, I used the same pattern, the Red Riding Hood from the book Oliver + S Little Things to Sew, to make capes the kids could wear this fall.

Red Riding cape from the book Little Things to Sew, as sewn by The Finished Garment.

I made the capes in three sizes: small, medium and large. The pattern only comes in medium and large so I had to draft my own small.

I didn’t make any changes to the pattern, and even hand finished the arm openings for a nicer finish.

I used some wool suiting that I bought out of season ages ago and chose a different quilting cotton to line each one. These were also from my stash. I think my total stash busting for these was about 8 meters (about 9 yards). Even the buttons were lonely singles from my button jar.

Black Button — Even the buttons came from my stash.

Grey Button — I think this button had no siblings, so a perfect project for it.

The kids love the capes, especially the big hoods, and they are really well suited for easily fall and late spring. My husband likes them too, though he thinks they look like little assassins from the video game Assassin’s Creed. So maybe they are still a little costume-y after all.

This post is part of the Stashbusting Sewalong.

Summary

Pattern Review: Red Riding Hood from the book Oliver + S Little Things to Sew.

Fabric:

Grey wool suiting
FloraDots in Violet from the La Dee Da collection by Erin McMorries for Free Spirit Fabrics.
Happier Bugs in Blue from the Happier collection by Deena Rutter’s for Riley Blake Designs.
Pick A Bunch Organic Blooms in Orchid by Nancy Mim’s from Robert Kaufman.

Sizes: S, M and L.

Sewing Level: beginner.

Modifications: None.

Results: Excellent! I’ve made these several times before. I would highly recommend this pattern.

My husband thinks the kids look like junior characters from Assassin's Creed. — My husband thinks the kids look like junior characters from Assassin’s Creed.

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

One Last Hurrah for Winter

Spring has finally spring here in Montreal, so I thought I’d share my last winter sewing project before it’s embarrassingly late.

Here in Quebec, it isn’t unusual to see temperatures around -30°C (-22°F) in the winter, and then +30°C (86°F) in the summer. It takes two different wardrobes. So each year I box up all the kids’ winter clothes and bring out all the summer clothes and take an inventory. It seems that over the winter my kids have all gone up at least one size, and one thing everyone was missing was pyjamas.

Bedtime Story Pajamas sewing pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment — One last pair of PJs before spring.

Once again I used the Bedtime Story Pajamas sewing pattern by Oliver + S, for the bottoms, and store-bought t-shirts for the tops. I used flannel for the bottoms, which may sound a bit crazy if you live somewhere warmer. But here, it’s likely be chilly at night right into May. I finished these in March, and they’ve gotten tons of wear. This fabric was chosen by the kids and has sat for ages in my stash, so it was time.

I’m not sure how many times I’ve used this pattern anymore, but it’s a lot. So I was sooooo sad to see that it only goes up to size 8. I’m sewing size 7 now, so it looks like I’ll have to branch out pretty soon.

Hope you’re enjoying the change of seasons.

Summary

Pattern Review: Bedtime Story Pajamas by Oliver + S.

Fabric: Flannel Star Wars Angry Birds Flannel in Blue from Camelot Fabrics.

Sizes: 3, 5, 7 and 7.

Sewing Level: beginner, intermediate if not just the pants.

Modifications: None.

Results: Excellent! I’ve made these many times before. I would highly recommend this pattern.

Just to be clear: Angry Birds and Star Wars names and images are licensed to Camelot Cottons by Lucasfilm Ltd. and Rovio Entertainment Ltd. The pjs shown here are not official licensed products and are not available for sale. But you can always buy some fabric and make your own!

A Renfrew in Stripes

My latest sewing project is for me! Lately my blog has been full of projects for other people, but I have been sewing for myself as well.

The Renfrew Top sewing pattern by Sewaholic, as sewn by The Finished Garment. — The top is really comfy.

My latest project is the Renfrew Top by Sewaholic Patterns. I made this once before, but the results were so-so.

This time I made quite a few adjustments. First, I went down two sizes. I made size 12, which is about 2 sizes smaller than the size chart indicated I should use. This made the fit at the shoulders much better.

I skipped the waistband altogether, which wasn’t especially flattering on me, and lengthened the top by three inches to make up for the length in the band and then some. I’m a little long in the ribcage and ready-to-wear shirts are often too short. This is the length I prefer.

I also skipped the zigzagging around the neckline that is called for in the pattern instructions. Last time, I tried this on the back of the neck but I didn’t like the look. to hem the shirt, I used a double needle. I’m much happier with this finish.

I also used better fabric. This jersey is a bit more expensive than the last time, but has much better recovery. That makes it a little more flattering, but also more comfortable. It’s also really bright, which I like. Who says kids should get all the fun?

I am so much happier with this shirt. It feels great and cheers me up when I wear it.

Summary

Pattern Review: Renfrew Top by Sewaholic Patterns. I made view A.
Fabric: Cotton-spandex Jersey, from L’Oiseau Fabrics.
Cost: The pattern was a birthday gift and the fabric was about 16$ a meter. Total: about 25$.
Size: 12.
Sewing Level: Adventurous beginner.
Modifications: I didn’t zigzag around the neck band, I lengthened the shirt by about three inches, and I skipped the waist band.
Results: So much better than the first Renfrew I made. I plan to make this again with the cowl neck.

Rawwwr, Rawwwr, Dinosaurs!

Nothing says Saint Patrick’s Day like a velociraptor! Amiright?

Dino tees sewn by The Finished Garment, using the Oliver + S field trip tee sewing pattern. — Velociraptor!

I wanted to make the kids something green and fun for today. I found some great lime jersey, and figured the Field Trip Raglan T-shirt by Oliver + S, which I’ve used before, would be a good match for the fabric.

Then I spotted these amazing dinosaur iron-on vinyl transfers on Etsy. They are pretty cool, and fuzzy! And so a very dinosaur-themed Saint Patrick’s Day came to be. So much fun!

Summary

Pattern: Field Trip Raglan T-shirt by Oliver + S available in sizes 6m-12.
Fabric: Stenzo cotton-spandex jersey in Lime stars and lime solid from L’Oiseau Fabrics.
Sizes: 2, 4, and 7 (not shown).
Cost: Pattern: (gift). Fabric: About $10-20/shirt.
Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: I added bands to the sleeves, and didn’t put pockets on the shirts.
Results: Rawwwwr!

Pattern Review: Retro Sweatpants

It is cold and snowy here, but my blogging backlog means I get to bring you a couple of photos from the last sunny days of fall.

This is the free Retro Sweatpants Pattern by Elegance & Elephants, available in sizes 12m to 9. I made size 6. I used leftover fabric for this project bringing the total cost to 0$.

The Retro Sweatpants pattern by Elegance & Elephants, as sewn by The Finished Garment. — What our backyard looked like this fall. Right now we have a couple of feet of snow on the ground. Green grass – remember that! (sigh) Me either.

The pants are interlock, leftover from some shorts I made my husband, and the cuffs are jersey, leftover from another project. The interlock is very soft inside, so they are the go-to comfy pants for Kid No 2.

I skipped the drawstring since Kid No 2 doesn’t like anything fussy, and the pockets. That made this pattern super quick to sew. Free, easy, super soft – what’s not to like?

Project Summary

Pattern: Retro Sweatpants Pattern by Elegance & Elephants, available in sizes 12m to 9. I made size 6.
Fabric: Sweatshirt fabric.
Cost:Pattern: free. Fabric: $0 (leftover from other projects).
Project Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: I skipped the pockets and drawstring.
Results: Quick, easy sewing.