Jersey – The Finished Garment

A Simple Grey Dress: McCall’s Learn-to-Sew M8064

Not every sewing project works out the way it is supposed to.

But let’s start with what went right. This fabric is a cotton baby rib knit, in grey, from Our Social Fabric. It might be the softest cotton rib knit I’ve ever used. And it’s on the thinner, drapey-er side. It’s so nice that I ordered more.

Our Social Fabric is a non-profit fabric recycling initiative, run out of Vancouver, Canada, selling donated fabric and fibre arts supplies online and in-person. In March, they kept 6,531 lbs (2,962 kilograms) of fabric and sewing-related supplies from ending up in landfills. That makes buying fabric here a bit more ecological.

The project requested by Kid No. 3 was a simple knit dress. So I bought McCall’s Learn-to-Sew M8064. It’s described as a pullover dress, fitted through bust, with neckline, sleeve and hem variations. I made View C (long sleeves, crew neckline, knee length).

This is a very simple pattern with just 5 pieces (in View C).

This dress comes in sizes XS (4-6) to XXL (24-26). My daughter is a size 10-12, but I opted for the size Small (8-10).

This dress fits very large. If you make this dress, you will need to size down a lot.

I’ve been sewing for a long time, and have made a lot of items in knits. This pattern had an odd fit for a knit.

In a close-fitting dress, in a knit, there should be negative ease. If you look at other popular patterns, the ease in the bust is negative, or zero.

True Bias Nikko Top And Dress 8101: -1.5″
McCalls 6886/8058: 0″
McCall’s 7561: 0″

If you look at reviews for McCalls 6886, 8058, 7561, people are often going down a size, to get that negative ease.

If you look at this pattern, there is +1.5″ of ease in the bust. That means that going down just one size might not be enough.

I would recommend choosing the size based on whatever would give you about an inch of negative ease in the bust.

I ended up recutting the entire pattern, after having sewn it. What I finished with was smaller than the XS. I had to grade smaller, beyond the sizes listed.

I still had issues with the fit though. The neckline was very wide – more of a bateau neckline, and I had wanted a crew neckline. The shoulders were set very wide apart and extra low.

I wonder if maybe the pattern makers used a pattern block for wovens and did not test?

The pattern also used a 5/8″ seam allowance – which is odd for a knit (but typical for Big Four knit patterns). I had already trimmed down the seam allowances on my pieces before I started, but it was still very large.

I added cuffs to the sleeves and removed a bit of length. My daughter is a bit shorter than average.

In the end, after recutting, the dress is cute and does get worn, so I’ll chalk this up as a success. But I’m not likely to use the pattern again. It’s a bit disappointing, because this pattern had a lot of potential – cute design, multiple views that all look wearable, good instructions, quick to assemble.

Summary

Pattern Review: McCall’s Learn-to-Sew 8064. View C.
Fabric: Cotton Baby Rib Knit, Grey, from Our Social Fabric.
Size: S (8-10).
Cost: Pattern: About $15. Fabric: $18.80.
Sewing Level: Beginner
Modifications: I added cuffs, and recut the whole dress.
Results: Ok.

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 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.

Valentine’s Day Sewing

This fall, when I made my kids t-shirts there was a lot of extra fabric. So I decided to take all the leftover fabric and make some matching hats for everyone and skirts for the girls.

Slouch beanie sewing pattern from Brindille & Twig, sewn by The Finished Garment. — These kids are always being silly!

I used the Slouch Beanie by Brindille & Twig. It’s a very simple, fast easy project, but the results are just sooooo cute! My kids look like little elves.

The hats are reversible, and they can be worn, as designed, like slouchy skater beanies. It’s great when mum is doing the styling. But my kids usually fold up the bottoms and wear them that way.

The skirt pattern is from Collection privée filles & garçons by Atsuko Maruyama and Noriko Onoda (a French translation of the Japanese pattern book シンプル＆デサイン　おんなの子服　おとこの子服 ). The book contains 27 patterns available in sizes 90-140 cm. I made the “#12 Jupe – legging” (skirt with leggings) in sizes 120, 110, and 90.

The pattern comes with attached capri leggings, which are adorable. But here in the land of Hoth, where tights are pretty much required for six months of the year, they seemed a bit impractical, so I left them out.

Both patterns were super quick projects and I made the hats in a day and the skirts in another.

Project Summary

Patterns:

Slouch Beanie by Brindille & Twig, available in sizes preemie to 6T. I made sizes 5/6 (not shown), 3/4 and 2/3.
Skirt: from Collection privée filles & garçons by Atsuko Maruyama and Noriko Onoda (a French translation of the Japanese pattern book シンプル＆デサイン　おんなの子服　おとこの子服 ). The book contains 27 patterns available in sizes 90-140 cm. I made the “#12 Jupe – legging” (skirt with leggings) in sizes 120 (not shown), 110, and 90.

Fabric: Jersey.
Cost: Hat pattern: 4.50$. Skirt: 0$ (used for another project). Fabric: $0 (leftover from other projects).
Project Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: For the skirt, I did not include the leggings.
Results: Fun, easy sewing.

Field Trip Tees for the Kids

I’m not sure how your October was, but mine was crazy! October is when work gets busy, homework piles us and then, Halloween! I managed to get a bit of sewing done for Kids Clothing Week (KCW). But did I get around to blogging it? Of course not.

The Field Trip Raglan T-shirt sewing pattern by Oliver + S, as sewn by The Finished Garment.

I try to sew my kids what they need, so with the approach of crisp fall weather, some long-sleeved tees seemed like a great project. I used the Field Trip Raglan T-shirt pattern by Oliver + S, and sewed it up in sizes 2, 4, and 6.

This is a super fast project. The instructions are great and there are only a few pattern pieces. The only change I made was to add bands to the sleeves. Partly, this was because I like the look, and partly this was because my kids are on the tall skinny size and I wanted to be sure the shirts last through the winter. Next time, I might go up a size, at least for the three bigger kids.

I used my regular sewing machine, as a I don’t have a serger, but this worked really well.

The kids picked these fabrics themselves ages ago. Mostly I used cotton jersey from the Riley Blake collection, but the dark grey is from the Robert Kaufman Laguna collection. The Riley Blake colours are really bright, which I love, and the kids do too.

This pattern looks great colour blocked, especially with stripes. I’m seriously considering copying at least one of these tees using a grown-up pattern.

Jersey is usually about 60″ (150 cm) wide, so I found I had a lot of extra fabric left over. But that just meant that I had enough for a couple more cute projects that I’ll be blogging soon. Yay!

I really, really love these shirts. Even though they were super quick and easy projects, I’m really happy with the results. It’s really hard to find t-shirts that are fun and bright but that aren’t pink with sparkles or covered with logos. I’ll definitely be making more.

This project was part of Kids Clothing Week and the Stashbusting Sew Along.

Summary

Pattern Review: Field Trip Raglan T-shirt by Oliver + S available in sizes 6m-12.
Fabric:

Cotton Jersey in Heathered Knit Pepper from the Laguna collection by Robert Kaufman.
Cotton Jersey in small chevron in aqua, small chevron in rainbow, small dots in red, solid red, and 1/2″ stripes in red, all from the Riley Blake Knits collection.

Sizes: 2, 4, and 6.
Cost: Pattern: (gift). Fabric: About $10/shirt.
Sewing Level: Beginner.
Modifications: I added bands to the sleeves, and didn’t put pockets on all the shirts.
Results: Amazing. My kids love these shirts and wear them at least once a week.

Pattern Testing the Heidi & Finn Cowl Neck Dress

Have you seen the Cowl Neck Dress and Sweater by Heidi & Finn? It is super cute, and oh so trendy.

So I was very excited to be a pattern tester for the newest version of the pattern, which now includes a sweater, a short-sleeved version, and an expanded size range from 12m to 12Y.

Heidi & Finn Cowl Neck Sweater, sewn by The Finished Garment — The kids really like the tops and they are very comfortable.

And is it ever easy to sew! I finished about one project per nap. I love one-nap projects!

In the end, I made this pattern six times: three tops and three dresses, in three different sizes.

This project calls for knit fabric, and obviously a sweater knit would be ideal, but sadly the choices were limited at my local fabric shops and I had no time to order online.

The smallest kids chose the fabric for the tops (ack! so cute to watch them choose fabrics) – a slinky rayon jersey. In that fabric, the tops have a retro 70s vibe.

The pattern changed slightly during testing, and now has a banded waist, but these tops were made before the change.

For the dresses, I chose a ponte de roma that has a bit of a soft, sweater-knit texture. This fabric gave better results than the jersey. It’s a stable knit that is still very stretchy and has great recovery.

Heidi & Finn Cowl Neck Dress,, sewn by The Finished Garment — This is my favourite fabric for this pattern. It’s a ponte de roma, and has just the right amount of structure, without being stiff.

I only made two changes. First, I shortened the sleeves by 1-2″, depending on the fabric and dress size. Second, I attached the cowl neck first, before starting the sleeves. I find it easier to work this way, but it’s just my preference. See a discussion on sewing flat versus in the round, here.

I didn’t use a serger – I don’t have one. I just used my regular machine, which has a faux overlock stitch and I hemmed everything using a double needle. This worked very well.

The results were great. These tops and dresses are cute, cute, cute and the kids love wearing them. Yay!

Summary

Pattern Review: Cowl Neck Dress and Sweater by Heidi & Finn, available in sizes 12m-12Y.
Fabric: Rayon jersey for the tops and ponte de roma for the dresses.

Dakota stretch rayon jersey knit Hearts in navy, pink and teal (medium-weight knit, 95% Rayon/5% Lycra, 4-way stretch, 25% vertical stretch and 50% stretch across the grain).
Ponte de roma in grey, (medium- to heavy-weight knit, 80% Polyester/15% Rayon/5% Lycra, 30% stretch across the grain), magenta, and dark teal – not shown – (medium-weight knit, 50% Polyester/45% Rayon/5% Lycra).

Sizes: 2T, 5T and 7Y.
Cost: Pattern: 0$. Fabric: About $12 per top and about $16 per dress.
Sewing Level: Confident beginner.
Modifications: I shortened the sleeves, by 1-2″, depending on the fabric and dress size.
Results: Great. This was fast, and I love the trendy look.

Disclaimer: The pattern was generously provided by Heidi & Finn, in return for testing the pattern. As always, my opinions are my own.

Moneta in Stripes

I have recently seen so many gorgeous knit maxi dresses on the web, that I thought it was time I made one too. I was especially impressed by a number of dresses made by some curvier ladies, that looked amazing. So after some mulling over, I decided to use the Moneta dress pattern by Colette Patterns.

The instructions are great, and the pattern is simple and quick. If you’re new to knits, this shouldn’t give you much trouble and there is a Moneta sew along, just starting. It’s also very quick to assemble.

I used a lovely, springy bamboo jersey by Telio that I bought locally. It’s amazing, and I will definitely use it again, in all the colours possible.

Moneta Dress — The dress has pockets, which I really like. It looks short in this photo, but it’s ankle-length. I’ve seen longer, but I like to avoid tripping on my dress.

I sewed the XL, based on my measurements, but it was huge. I ended up taking in the sleeves by two inches and the sides of the bodice by an inch on each side. I could have taken a bit more in the sleeves, and a tiny bit more at the waist. I probably should have cut the medium with a fake FBA (to the size large).

I’ve seen at least one review that recommended using the sleeve in a size smaller than the dress, and I agree, this would be a good idea. I thought the bodice looked short, but with the weight of the skirt, the length was perfect (I’m a bit long waisted too). I extended the skirt by 12 inches, to make a maxi dress, but I didn’t keep the angle, as others have, keeping the same dress width at the bottom.

The instructions have you gather the skirt using clear elastic. I’ve seen at least one review that noted this was difficult. I had no trouble. But I had to recut the skirt a bit (more on that later), and I was out of clear elastic, so I used lingerie elastic. This is much, much easier as it doesn’t slide around. I added clear elastic to the shoulder seams though, which wasn’t in the instructions.

After taking the dress in, I had two main problems: the first was the neckline. Did it look like the pattern photo and technical diagram? Absolutely! And was it flattering? Absolutely not. It’s just the neckline to show off my bad curves, and hide my good ones. In the end I recut the neckline into more of a scoop neckline and lowered it by 2.5 inches. I could have lowered it more. I also used a band to hem the neckline (like in the Renfrew top by Sewaholic) – tutorial here. My double needle broke, which is why I did this, but I prefer the look, in any case.

My second problem was with the stripes in the skirt. The skirt panels are not rectangles, but curved at the top and bottom. I think this might be to have a prettier hemline with a shorter skirt. However, with stripes, it means that the stripes near the waist will appear to curve down at the sides of the dress. You can see it in the pattern photos on the Colette website, if you look carefully. You would only notice this with stripes. It also means that if your fabric panels are cut the slightest bit off, or if the gathering is uneven, the skirt will appear crooked. In the end, I recut the skirt to be straight on both the top and bottom, because the curved stripes really bothered me.

And in the end? Even with the fitting modifications (and the fit is good), I don’t think the dress is especially flattering – on me. I’ve seen lots of versions of this dress, on a lot of different figures, and they look lovely. On me, though, the gathered shirt emphasizes exactly where I need to loose a little weight (sigh). A better silhouette for me would have shorter cap sleeves, or 3/4 sleeves, a lower scoop neckline, and less gathering at the waist, and I think I’ll stick with a solid next time. It is, however, the most comfortable dress I have ever owned. So overall, a great pattern, but not ideal for my figure.

I’m a bit discouraged, to be honest. I was hoping this would be a great, easy (it is easy!), go-to summer dress. But I think I have to keep looking. I’ve just cut out Vogue 8825 in black , which I think might look better on me. And I’ve bought the Lady Skater by Kitchy Coo, as well. Hopefully I’ll have more luck with one of those. Wish me luck!

This post is part of The Monthly Stitch Indie Pattern Month sew-along.

Summary

Pattern Review: Moneta by Colette Patterns.

Fabric: Striped bamboo jersey by Télio.

Sizes: XL.

Sewing Level: Intermediate.

Cost: Pattern: $14, fabric about $30.

Modifications: I took in the sleeves by 2 inches and the sides of the bodice by 1 inch per side. I lowered the neckline by 2.5 inches and made it a bit more scooped. I used a fabric band on the neckline. I reshaped the skirt so that the stripes would be straight at the top of the skirt and I lengthened the dress by 12 inches. I used lingerie elastic at the waist, and clear elastic at the shoulders.

Results: Great pattern, but not ideal for my figure.

Mini Maxi Skirt

Kid No 1 needed a pirate costume for her school play, and I figured, if I was going to make something, I should make something she could wear all summer. I decided a stripy maxi skirt would be just the thing.

I didn’t use a pattern for this one. I just followed the Girls’ Knit Maxi Skirt Tutorial by Crafting Chicks. It was very simple and straight-forward, and the whole thing took under an hour. The tutorial makes a long, slightly a-line skirt with a yoga waistband.

I sewed this on my regular machine, which has an overlock-style stitch. I didn’t bother to hem it.

Also, no model for this one. Kid No 1 wasn’t in a great mood. Oh well!

I used a bamboo jersey from Telio. It’s really springy and soft, and though this skirt takes under one yard of fabric, I may have, ahem, purchased four meters. So expect to see more stripes on the blog soon.

Summary

Pattern Review: None. Instead I used the Girls’ Knit Maxi Skirt Tutorial by Crafting Chicks.

Fabric: Bamboo jersey by Telio.

Cost: Under $15.

Sizes: 7.

Sewing Level: Beginner.

Modifications: None.

Results: Excellent! Super easy, super fast, and great, comfy results.