Tag: Dressmaker

Pattern Review: Simplicity 8843 Anorak
Sewing · Simplicity

Pattern Review: Simplicity 8843 Anorak

Janine Sews2 Comments

This garment was sewn and reviewed in March 2022. I wrote a review on a sewing website/forum that I no longer visit or use. Rather than lose the reviews, I’m recreating them here on my blog.

The Pattern

Get ready for spring or fall with this great utility jacket. Available in sizes XXS-XXL, this anorak features optional hood with zip-front closure and pocket variations. Express your individuality by making this jacket sportier using organza, or go for a casual look with twills and cotton fabrics.

Simplicity 8843 – I made the version without the hood in size Large.


Now that I’m back in a cooler climate, I need jackets. Anoraks are great for this climate and my ‘shape’ in life because they are long enough to wear over tights or leggings, big enough to wear over a sweater, and the waist tie adds some shape (and keeps the cold wind out).

Fabric Used

100% Cotton Twill for the jacket. 100% Nylon ripstop lining.
Both were gifted to me by FabricMart because I’m a Fabricista vlogger/blogger.

Alterations and Changes

I added a lining to make this wearable in early spring in this part of the world where spring may not come until late May. I have not added a lot of linings in my life but this was relatively simple because I just needed to use the front, back, and sleeve pieces for the lining.

For a bit of fun, I fussy cut a piece of the design and stitched that to the inside of the lining. No one else will see it, but it was something that made this jacket bespoke.

Sewing Comments

Again, another relatively easy project that a beginner could sew with a bit of patience. There are challenges with the zipper (made more challenging by adding the lining). And I added work for myself when I used a bold print that would need to be placed properly and matched. I did not mark the pockets well so first sewed them on too high, then when I moved them down they needed to be recut to align with the print.

The cord at the waist is in an external channel that again, needs to have the print aligned. That was actually easier than the pockets!

Conclusion

This turned out to be a really enjoyable sewing project and I’m really happy with the final result!

I would definitely use this pattern again, perhaps with a technical fabric. It’s a nice shape for every day. I wasn’t as successful in matching the fabric design as I had hoped to be but I did add a lining and that was a growth moment 😉

This is a great weight fabric, and the ripstop lining does a good job of cutting the wind which makes this a good choice for spring and fall. And the design is interesting but not so weird that it can’t be worn as outerwear to work.

Thoughts after wearing this jacket for a year

One change I would make if I use this pattern again is to add some length to the sleeves. They are just barely long enough when walking around but pull up when driving. There’s a bit of fabric left in a scrap bag so this may become one of those ‘mending’ projects for the future.

If you’d like to see more, this project is on my YouTube channel.
Sewing an Anorak for Spring

Two Pieces | Vogue 9181 + Jalie Emilie
Indie Patterns · Sewing · Vogue

Two Pieces | Vogue 9181 + Jalie Emilie

Janine Sews5 Comments

An Outfit for First Snow of the Season

We had a marvellous autumn in western Canada with warm dry days and just a couple of hints of frost. When I was perusing Fabric Mart Fabric’s site in October, I was tempted to focus on pretty florals for blouses or dresses but part of me knew that … (da dah dum … ) winter was coming. Fortunately, Fabric Mart was stocked with a huge selection of cooler weather fabrics that are perfect for winter or holiday sewing.

Over the past several months I’ve been planning my sewing projects so I have pieces that work together so I decided to pick a print fabric for a top, and a solid for pants, using navy as the base.

Pants

For the pants I selected a Poly/Nylon/Spandex Stretch Corduroy in Navy. Corduroy is great for cooler weather, but if you live in a cold climate with blast furnaces you know that heavyweight cord can feel good outdoors but too warm when you come inside. This fine 14-wale corduroy is warm enough to wear outdoors but will be especially comfortable indoors. It also has a bit of drape which makes it nice for trousers. And who doesn’t want some stretch?

I selected Vogue 9181 (Custom-Fit Bootcut Pants) because it is designed for stretch woven fabrics, it has bootcut legs, and it has a front mock zip. For the past several months I’ve been working on the Top Down Center Out fitting method for pants and this pattern, with its shaped waistband, works especially well when learning Top Down Center Out. I first made a half-toile using muslin, then marked up the pattern and cut out the corduroy. The fabric was really easy to cut and sew. It does shed a bit but not nearly as much as cotton corduroy. I used a stretch needle and sewed the seams on my sewing machine, then serged the seam allowances.

I made two mistakes when sewing the pants and both were simply a result of a lack of experience working with corduroy. The first was neglecting to sew a test buttonhole on scrap fabric. That resulted in a good hour of unpicking after I made the same mistake twice! The second error is more embarrassing but I know I’m not the first nor will I be the last to do this. When I cut out the cord I didn’t even think about the nap of the fabric. So my finished pants has the nap going up on the front and down on the back. It makes a difference! I’m hoping that no one will notice and if they do, they’re looking too closely.

These pants are super comfortable. I like the drape with the boot cut shape.

Top

The second part of my outfit is a loose-fitting turtleneck that is perfect for winter weather.

When I was shopping Fabric Mart in the middle of October there were a number of fun holiday print fabrics and I just couldn’t resist this brushed sweater knit with Christmas trees and cabins in non-traditional colours. I think this print will be wearable throughout the winter, not just over the holiday period. This sweater knit is a poly/lycra blend and the stitches are very fine so it feels like a jersey. It has lovely drape and feel cosy but not too warm.

I went back to a favourite pattern, the Jalie Emilie. This free, downloadable pattern is sized for girls aged 2 through bust measurement of about 51″. It’s oversized with dropped shoulders and a turtleneck collar. I’ve used this pattern several times and love it because it’s such a fast make and is a great shape for wearing over tights or pants. And it’s fast! You can sew the whole sweater on the overlocker or serger, or on a sewing machine. The only change I make when sewing this top is to slightly change the shape of the columnar tube collar so it’s more loose fitting around the neck.

As you can see, we’re already in winter mode here in western Canada! I know I’ll get lots of wear out of both of these pieces. Only about seven months of winter to go!

Indie Patterns · Sewing

Pamela’s Patterns Softly Pleated Dress & StyleArc Coral Cardigan

Janine Sews5 Comments

An outfit for Sew Over 50 Frocktails

I’m a super active participant in the @SewOver50 community on Instagram and also volunteer as the Relief Editor for the group. There are currently about 43,000 followers of the Sew Over 50 account and it’s a wonderful, welcoming community comprised of those who are over age 50 and sew. We don’t discriminate – those under 50 are welcome to follow along!

In September 2022, the two ladies who ARE Sew Over 50 organised a Frocktails event in Edinburgh, Scotland. Like a lot of people, I had trips planned prior to March 2020 and wound up with a bunch of airline credits waiting for an excuse. One of my pandemic lessons was that life can change in an instant. We don’t know what could happen next week or two years from now so grab opportunities when they come your way! So I took those airline credits and bought myself a ticket from Calgary to Edinburgh. Then I started thinking about what kind of frock I would wear to Frocktails!

I set a few requirements for my garment before I settled on a pattern and fabric: a) comfortable, b) pack/travel well, c) versatile and d) suitable for late-September weather.

A quick lunchtime visit to Rick Rack Textiles and I’m ready to sew!

Dress: Pamela’s Patterns Softly Pleated Dress

Pamela’s Patterns Softly Pleated Dress
https://pamelaspatterns.com/collections/patterns/products/115-softly-pleated-dress

I’m a fan of Pamela Leggett’s patterns because they are well drafted classics that are designed to fit the more mature figure. For this event I wanted a comfortable dress that could be later worn to work, for dinner or out for events. This pattern fit the bill.

The fabric I purchased is stretch cotton (95% cotton, 5% spandex – about 200 gsm) designed by EttaVee for Riley Blake Designs. In the fabric description it lists that it is suitable for t-shirts, leggings and sleepwear. Does that make for a comfy dress? You betcha! I selected this fabric for the colours and also the design that was decidedly NOT florals. (I tend to gravitate toward florals and have way too many in my wardrobe.)

I selected this pattern because it was designed for knits, it has some shape (it’s not a loose fitting dress) and it is suitable for everything from a day at work to dinner out. Pamela also provides excellent directions on how to adjust her patterns, so I knew that I could finesse the fit.

Before I started cutting I made two adjustments to the pattern. First, I changed the neckline from a square or scoop neck to a v-neck because that’s more flattering for my bust. The second change was to line the bodice. This allowed for a beautifully turned v-neck and also helps the bodice to lie nicely. The photo on the left is of the lining in the bodice.

I selected a size based on my upper bust and went from there. Once the dress was basted together, it was clearly too large so I followed Pamela’s detailed instructions to move the waistband higher, shift the front and back pleats to the most flattering point, and taper the skirt. In the end, I wound up with a dress that fits so well. And it was made to be packed in a suitcase!

Topper: Style Arc Coral Cardigan

When I was shopping at Rick Rack for the dress fabric I spied a wool blend that matched perfectly and it seemed like the right weight for an autumn cardigan. I hadn’t planned to make a cardigan but the match was just too good and I expected that I would need a cardigan or jacket in late September. This fabric is called “Lana Bolito” and content is 65% viscose and 35% wool. The weight is 340 g/m2

I have several cardigan patterns but was ready for a change, and I also knew that this fabric would work best with a pattern that has some structure.

The Style Arc Coral Cardigan is a relatively basic cardie but what makes it different is the front band that ends at about the waist, giving a bit of definition and also showing the structure of the jacket. There is also a seam at the front with inseam pockets, providing a chance for the fabric to shine.

I’ve only sewed Style Arc one other time and know that their instructions are often rather minimal but in this case, it didn’t matter because this is a very simple garment that went together in record time. My skills are also much better than they were last time I sewed Style Arc.

This fabric doesn’t ravel so the seams don’t need to be finished and in fact, I could have gotten away without hemming the jacket or sleeves but I’m not that much of a bohemian.

In the end, I made one small change to the pattern. As you see in the photo on the left, there is a cuff for the sleeve. This fabric was quite bulky and I didn’t like the idea of a cuff so instead, I made a 1.5 inch (3 cm) facing for the sleeve and that gave a nice, crisp line.

I love this cardigan. I think it’s one of my favourite makes this year. When I finished it and took it to my closet, I realised that it coordinates perfectly with several tops in my wardrobe. That means it will be worn and not just hang in the closet! I suspect that I should have washed it several times to pre-shrink and am a bit concerned about how it will react to water so this will be a ‘dry clean only’ cardigan.

The cardigan and dress made it to Edinburgh for Frocktails and they had a wonderful time! As it turned out, Scotland (like Alberta) had a warm autumn so the cardigan wasn’t needed for the event but it wandered up and down the cobblestone streets of Leith.

If you would like to hear more about the Frocktails event, please visit take a look at my YouTube video – Janine Sews Goes to Frocktails. I’ve included many pictures plus video of the fun.

I’m so very glad that I went to Frocktails! I have memories that will last a lifetime, and will be reminded of my lovely sewing friends every time I wear my dress or cardigan.

Washroom Selfie at Frocktails!
Indie Patterns · Sewing · Vogue

Three Pieces for my new wardrobe

Janine Sews9 Comments

This post is shared in conjunction with Fabric Mart Fabric’s Fabricista blog.

Until March 10, 2020, I worked in an office five days a week. And although my employer had a casual dress code, there was still a work ‘uniform’ which for me was a dress, trousers or skirt, a ‘business-appropriate’ top, and a jacket or sweater. And shoes with heels! The working world has changed and maybe I won’t be in an office again all week – it could be that I’ll be in an office a couple of days a week and working from the home computer on other days. That doesn’t mean that I want to live in yoga pants and a t-shirt, I enjoy being ‘presentable.’

My wardrobe has to adapt to this change plus be prepared for a new climate! This summer, we moved from the United States to my hometown of Calgary, Canada. Other than our brief stay in Pennsylvania, we’ve been in the southern U.S. states (where 10C/50F is considered ‘cold’) since 2002 which means that I need a lot of stuff for ccccccold weather.

I spent some time perusing Fabric Mart Fabric’s website and found some great fabrics that spurred my creativity!

Piece 1: Dress/Jumper

The base item is a Lodo Dress from True Bias patterns. For this dress, I chose a pretty royal blue Ponte knit from Fabric Mart’s website. Ponte is one of my favourite fabrics to sew and wear in cooler weather! I like that it has enough stretch for movement (like doing a quick vacuum between Zoom calls) and is comfortable for sitting at a desk all day. And it can be sewn on a regular sewing machine, serger or cover stitch. So versatile!

The Lodo dress is a classic that I’ve made before in the above-knee length. This time I went for the longer mid-calf length because I think it’s likely to be more wearable in a place where boots are the footwear of choice for five months of the year. The longer length is also more comfortable for me when sitting at a desk (no worrying about a skirt riding up 😉. While a lot of people wear the Lodo as a standalone dress, I like to wear it as a jumper/pinafore over a top and opaque tights.

Piece 2: Top

I’m so excited about this garment! When I saw this “English Canine Print” jersey on the Fabric Mart website, I had to have it. (Shhh – don’t tell the cats that I’m wearing something that features dogs!) It’s quirky enough to be interesting but not so out there that it looks like a novelty. It’s a stretch cotton jersey and is neither too lightweight or too heavy – perfect for a top that skims the body. The pattern I used is the Maven Patterns Somerset T. This boat-neck t-shirt can be made with different sleeve styles and I selected Bishops Sleeves with a deep cuff. Big statement sleeves continue to be in stores and on the runway but let’s face it – runway designers aren’t planning for those of us who need to wear coats. I love this long cuff because it keeps the sleeves where they are supposed to be, instead of half way up my forearms!

The knit was easy to sew. I sewed most of the seams on the serger, and then topstitched the boatneck and hem with the cover stitch.

This fabric is perfect for this pattern, although it would also work well with a bamboo or lighter fabric. I’m planning to make more – maybe next time I’ll use a contrast fabric for the cuff, or a sheer fabric for the sleeves for holiday evenings out.

Piece 3: Jacket

Edge of collar is left raw.

The final piece is a cosy, fleece jacket that can be worn as a cardigan or jacket, depending on the weather. The fleece I chose has “Prussian Blue/Vivid Auburn” horizontal stripes, and it looks as good on the inside as it does on the outside, which was important for the pattern I chose. Vogue 8676 (out of print) is a Marcie Tilton pattern designed for fleece and boiled wool. All of the edges are left raw – so on the collar and cuffs you can see both the wrong and right sides. This fleece worked really well as there is a slight difference in the print on the right side and wrong side. Because of the design of the fabric, the collar edges look really interesting – almost like trim was added. The collar doesn’t have a button. I keep it closed with a stick pin that I borrowed from my mom’s jewellery box. You don’t really need to close the collar but when the north wind blows …Fleece is easy to work with. This particular fabric is medium weight and my machine didn’t struggle with the many layers on edges. I used a ballpoint needle and as mentioned, the edges are left unfinished so a serger or cover stitch isn’t needed to make a nice looking jacket.

And … The Outfit

I selected all of these fabrics online without using swatches and the colours work together just as I expected! On the top there are blue highlights on the Union Jack and River Thames and those match the Royal Blue dress, and the blue/auburn stripes on the jacket coordinate well with everything.

For labels, these Kylie and the Machine ones really add a professional touch. Does anyone remember when we didn’t add labels? Or we just wrote on a piece of twill tape with a special pen? (Dating myself, clearly.)

These three pieces will get a great deal of wear in the colder months. I especially like that all are so versatile and can transition from meetings in an office to hanging out at home – with a stop at a restaurant in between.

If you’re interested in seeing more of the garments and information on how I sewed them, please visit my YouTube channel.

Thanks for visiting!