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.
I am consolidating my pattern reviews and will be adding blog posts of pattern reviews that were previously posted on a sewing website that I no longer participate on.
This garment was made in October of 2019. I’m highlighting it today as part of Sew Frugal 23, an Instagram sewing challenge in the month of March, 2023.
Alice and Co. created a free, downloadable Mary Quant mini dress in celebration of the Mary Quant exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London which ran from April 2019 through February 2020. Here’s a link to the V&A’s website on the exhibition.
In addition to this free pattern, the Minidress, the Georgie dress is also available for free from the V&A website. Search the exhibition website (paragraph above) for that pattern.
Although I was quite young in the swinging 60s, I love the images of Twiggy and friends on Carnaby Street. To me, little shift dresses seem like dresses that can be worn when walking, or dancing, or playing croquet. They are not a shape designed for sitting carefully at tea (although they certainly can be worn for any occasion!)
A link to the free pattern and background information on the V&A Exhibit and Alice and Co’s development of the pattern can be found here: Sew Your Own Mary Quant Minidress
The fabric used for the dress is stretch faux suede that I purchased from Fabric Mart Fabrics. It was featured in one of Julie’s Picks in 2019 and I loved the bright red that doesn’t have a hint of orange so it’s suitable for pink faced people like me.
When I received the fabric it felt more like a sueded scuba. It has quite a bit of bounce to the fabric and certainly does not drape. I thought that lent well to the A-line of the MQ Minidress.
Before I go into too many details, I want to add that the dress is really nicely drafted. It’s absolutely reminiscent of the 1960s but is also a very wearable dress for the 2020s. There are little details that add to the complexity and sophistication of the dress, such as the shaping at the top of the sleeves (photo below in gallery).
Adjustments
I paper fit the pattern and the bust darts aligned well so the only alteration I made was cutting the dress 2″ longer. Once I had basted the dress together I wound up removing over an inch from each side because it was just too big. There’s obviously quite a bit of ease in the pattern.
After stitching on the sleeves, I took about 1 1/2″ off of the width of the sleeves from the shoulder down to the wrist because my fabric wouldn’t drape well on the gathers. That likely wouldn’t be an issue with a lighter weight fabric.
After I had completed the dress I didn’t like where it hit on my legs so I cut 4″ off the length. I must have been feeling quite young that day because it’s now too short! It’s good over opaque tights but I don’t feel that it’s the best length for me.
And the keyhole is quite low cut, as you will see in the one photo of me wearing the dress with a vest/cami underneath. I will add more photos of me in the dress- but for today there is just the one from 2019.
Sewing ‘Challenges’
The primary challenge I encountered on this project was the front keyhole opening. The keyhole is intended to be faced but once I stitched on the facing it was really obvious – my fabric was too thick and springy. Adding to the challenge, this fabric did not take well to unpicking so I wound up with raggedy edges that needed to be trimmed. In the end, I settled on a baby hem around the keyhole opening. I stitched on my machine and held my breath, hoping that the edge didn’t pop out. This was a solution, but definitely not the best solution. This pattern will work much better with fabric that is lighter weight. If you see me wearing this dress, don’t look too closely at the keyhole opening, okay? 🫣
Somewhere along the way, I decided it would be a great idea to make the collar detachable with fashion fabric on one side and plaid on the other. Not having any idea what I was doing, I drafted a collar stand, added a placket, messed around with buttons then ultimate decided that it wasn’t going to lie flat or look finished so I unpicked a lot of stitches and went back to the original pattern. I think the collar would look better with a stand. The way it is, it does look authentically 1960s.
The final piece was the half-belt on the back, and I endeavoured to place it at the small of my back. This is indeed a reversible belt with one side plaid and the other red. I also used the plaid for the cuffs.
Now, over three years after making the dress, I do still like it and I wear it occasionally over opaque tights on cold days. After I had completed the dress and worn it a couple of times, I cut 4″ off the length. That’s was too much and it’s shorter than I would like, and it’s also a bit boxy but again, that is likely the result of the fabric. I may chop off several more inches and wear it over leggings next year, if leggings are still a thing.
If you are wanting to make an easy dress that has that Carnaby Street vibe, this is definitely a good choice. It’s well drafted and quite easy to sew. And free!
Back Belt OpenBack Belt ClosedNice shaping at sleeve headOld photos from 2019. Current photos will come!Old photos from 2019. Current photos will come!
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!
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.
This blog post was originally published on Fabric Mart Fabric’s Fabricista blog on May 12, 2021. I’ve included a bit of extra info and more photos here.
Last year I decided to take up golf again after playing only a handful of times over the past two decades. When I think back to what we were wore for golf when I was playing in the 90s it was basically regular street clothes – 100% cotton pants and knit or woven tops with practically no stretch. Times have changed! Golf wear is now truly athletic wear and those constricting fabrics have been replaced by technical fabrics. But RTW golf clothes are expensive, in boring colors, and the sizing isn’t always inclusive. Time to make my own.
I spent some time going through my patterns and found that I had everything I needed to make a full outfit comprised of a top, jacket, skirt, and little shorts to be worn under the skirt.
Fabrics
If you sew you know that it can be quite difficult to find technical fabric for athletic wear. A couple of months ago I discovered that Fabric Mart has an entire section of fabric suitable for athletic wear! My jacket and top patterns both have side panels/princess seams so I picked out two fabrics that would look good together.
French Wine Pink Polyester/Lycra Techno Knit is a beefy athletic wear fabric in gorgeous cherry pink. There is plenty of stretch and it’s suitable for a top, jacket, leggings or even a dress.
Powder White Nylon/Lycra Tricot Activewear Knit is lighter in weight than the Techno Knit. It drapes nicely and is almost opaque. This fabric feels like many of my summer RTW athletic tops. It would be excellent for tops and lightweight jackets, and depending on your style, for leggings or skirts.
When I received my activewear fabrics from Fabric Mart, I discovered in my stash a piece of Stretch Bengaline (purchased from Fabric Mart/Julie’s Picks last summer) and it had that same cherry pink in the print. Best of all, the bengaline has almost 50% stretch along the length of the fabric. There’s lots of bending in golf so stretch is good! I now had everything I needed for my golf wardrobe.
Patterns
I selected four patterns:
Top: Butterick 6494 – close-fitting top with raglan sleeves, front and back princess seams and a small stand collar. The pattern has long sleeves, so I cut them short to make the top suitable for summery weather. (In 2017, I made this top in French terry .)
Shorts: Kwik Sew 4044 – elastic waist capris cut to short length.
Jacket: Kwik Sew 3452 (out of print) – quarter-zip jacket with raglan sleeves, side panels and stand up collar.
I was a bit concerned about the sizing of both the top and the jacket. I had made the top before so knew that it fit but wanted to ensure that any pandemic-related spread was covered so cut generous seam allowances along the side seams. For the jacket, I read several reviews that said it was ‘close-fitting’ and even the pattern envelope notes that. The seam allowances for the jacket are just 1/4″ so I doubled those and cut 1/2″ seam allowances everywhere except at the shoulders, neck and hem. As it turned out, I didn’t need the added ease on either piece. Both are generously sized. In fact, I took off all of the excess on the front of the top. It’s easier to take away than add.
The top, jacket and shorts were all cut at the same time. All three of these patterns are easy to sew and a beginner could make them with a bit of understanding of how to sew knits. The neck opening on the top is a bit fussy but not horribly so.
For the jacket and the top, I basted the side seams together to check for fit and then used my serger to stitch the seams. There is a bit of hand sewing on the collars for both of these garments.
The jacket has excellent instructions for adding a zipper. I was a bit concerned about sewing a zipper onto stretch fabric but I needn’t have been. The pink Techno Knit is very stable. As always, every project has to have one UGH moment and this one involved the zipper. I bought a decorative zipper pull, had difficulty taking off the original pull and broke it off. So I had to unpick the zipper – topstitching and all. Through all of that, the fabric didn’t stretch and I was careful enough that there were no pulls. Like all of my mistakes, this one counts as practice. 🙄😏
The shorts are a super-fast make: left piece, right piece, elastic. I first traced the pattern onto tracing paper and checked the fit before cutting the fabric. I am still learning about sewing bottoms with legs (i.e., not skirts) and I found that this is a good pattern to play with because there are so few pieces so adjustments to the crotch seams are visually easier to work with. Even with this step the shorts were finished in record time.
The only piece that required design adjustments was the skirt. You don’t usually think of a pencil skirt for golf, however I have sewn this pattern a couple of times and felt confident that it was a great place to start. A note that the bengaline stretched along the length of the fabric. I was careful to layout the pattern so the stretch would be around the width of my body. The fabric print is random so this worked out just fine.
To make the skirt suitable for golf I made a few simple adjustments:
Created an A-line shape by adding 3″ on each side seam at the hem, then drew a line tapering out from the hip to the hem.
When stitching down the side seam I stopped 4 1/2″ from the lower edge to allow for side slits. The hem is 1 ½” which means the slits open 3”.
The seam allowances on the side slits were then turned under and topstitched, and the skirt was hemmed as usual.
Two pockets were added: On the upper right side there is a small 4” square pocket big enough for tees, a ball repair tool and ball marker. On the left side a larger pleated pocket holds at least a couple of golf balls.
And just like that I have a great new golf outfit 🙂
I wore this outfit to play 18 holes while walking and pushing a cart and this outfit is definitely comfortable. It was coolish when we tee’d off (55F/12C) and by the time we came off the 18th green it was sunny and quite warm (80F/26C). The fabric wasn’t sweaty or uncomfortable, it’s designed to be worn outside when you’re moving around in all kinds of weather.
EARLY morning of golf!
The athletic knit fabrics were much easier to work with than I expected. I am now on the hunt for more patterns for golf clothes. If only it was as easy to improve my golf game as it is to sew the clothes!
P.S. I talk a bit about this project on my YouTube Channel, Janine Sews.
Lots of stretch in the skirt
No – I did not make the putt!
Tips:
If you cut more than one pattern at the same time, use Painter’s tape to mark the pieces so you don’t get them mixed up. I also use Painter’s tape to mark the wrong side of the fabric when necessary.
A fresh rotary cutter blade makes for beautiful clean cuts on athletic knits.
Use a fresh needle in your machine. I used a ballpoint needle for all parts of the project.
If you have a serger, use it!
If you do not have a serger, these fabrics can be sewn with a narrow zig zag (I use a .5mm wide x 1.6mm long stitch)
When working with unfamiliar fabrics, test all seams and stitches on scraps before sewing. While it’s possible to pick out stitches on knit fabrics, there is always the risk of causing a pull.
This project was shared on Fabric Mart Fabric’s Fabricista blog on March 10, 2021. Fabric Mart provided me with the dress fabric, thread and pattern in exchange for this blog post. If you’re a regular reader of my blog or watch my YouTube channel you will know that I have bought a lot of fabric from Fabric Mart over the past 3 years, so I definitely am a customer!
One of my favourite colour combos is yellow and grey. When we went on our first real vacation about 10 years ago, I planned my wardrobe around those two colours. I had a yellow trench coat, grey jeans, grey dresses, yellow print tops … Making this dress filled me with the anticipation of warmer days and trips to restaurants, patios and maybe even soaking up the sun on the balcony of some vacation villa.
The fabric was obtained online from Fabric Mart Fabrics and was described as “Caution Yellow/Graphite Grey Blouseweight Woven.” This is a completely opaque polyester fabric that would make a nice blouse but I think it’s better suited for a dress.
Pattern – Cashmerette Webster
As this will be a sit-around with a drink or hang out on vacation dress, I wanted something comfortable so selected the Cashmerette Webster. I liked this pattern for the fitted bust, loose body and interesting straps on the back. It’s also perfect for a fabric that drapes well and floats in the wind. I’ve made the Cashmerette Springfield top a couple of times and loved the simplicity of working with a pattern that doesn’t need a full bust adjustment, or a shortened waist so I decided to give this pattern a try.
If you haven’t heard of Cashmerette, its patterns are designed for people with curves – in particular, boobs. (Cashmerette has recently started the process of expanding their size range to cover those from sizes 0-32.) The size charts are slightly different from Big 4 patterns, however, they offer a handy size calculator which was very helpful because I definitely would have cut the wrong bust cup size. After using the guidance from the website, the only adjustment I made when cutting the dress was adding 2” to the length. (There was one other adjustment while sewing … keep reading …)
Details
The weave on this fabric is dense and so I used a few fine pins then added weights (and a cat) to secure everything while I cut with scissors. I didn’t use a rotary cutter this time because the fabric slipped a bit.
Note – It is important to carefully mark the placement lines for the upper straps so they are angled correctly on your back.
Helpful Caternweight. She had to demonstrate that this fabric is perfect for her colouring.
To work with this fabric I used a Schmetz Microtex needle (size 70/10) and slightly loosened the needle tension and I used Wonder Clips instead of pins when sewing. To finish the seams I ran a second row of stitches in the seam allowance and then used pinking shears..
This is quite a simple pattern and the instructions are good. Amazingly, I only had to unpick ONCE! World record, folks. For the back straps you stitch the upper edge when attaching the facings and leave an open space in the facing to insert and stitch the lower edge of the straps. First mistake, I did not take the advice to have someone help me place the straps. I just stuck them in where indicated on the pattern and sewed. I tried on the dress and the back gaped between the straps. So I unpicked the seam and under stitching (ugh) and thought about what was going on. I realized that my back was too broad for the strap placement. I wound up moving the lower edge of the straps almost 2” higher. If you have a rounded or broad back like mine, consider leaving an extended opening so you don’t need to unpick. (Photo below)
The card shows the opening per the pattern. On the left is where the straps were correctly placed after unpicking.
The instructions for the hem are to fold under 1/4” and then again 1/2”. I’m absolute rubbish at finicky folds – I have a really bad habit of just eyeballing hems but I’m trying to be more careful so I followed some advice posted in various places and ran a row of long stitches (5mm) at the point of the first fold (I used 1/3″) and pressed using that line as a guide. Then I stitched ran another row of stitches up 1/2″ and pressed again. Finally, I topstitched. This process worked well and I didn’t dread hemming the long edge!
The last bit was hand stitching the side and back neck facings in place and the dress was done!
I like the tidy neck and arm facing finishes. Also, the straps are wide enough that you can wear a bra and there is zero gaping at the front armscye which is a huge bonus. No pins or fashion tape anywhere!
This fabric is just the right weight for this dress. And it doesn’t crease so that makes it a perfect dress to throw in the suitcase for a weekend away, whenever that may be!
It’s still a bit chilly to wear this dress today so I’ve paired it with another recent make, Helen’s Closet Blackwood Cardigan (I’ve made a few of these over the years, link to blog post here). The cardigan fabric is something special that I’ve been hanging on to for a couple of years. This is a lovely, luscious St John knit that I purchased from Fabric Mart about 3 years ago. I had a bit of fun with my sewing machine and made a “Hand Wash” tag from the selvedge of the fabric. The cardigan is just right for this dress, and the colour is perfect! Some things are just meant to be.
Now waiting impatiently til this duo can go out somewhere and be seen!
Janine Sews 