Unveiling of the finished product

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A bombardment of stashbusting briars Part 2 of 3

Welcome to part 2 of my stashbusting briars. If you want to make your own, order the briar pattern here.

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Version 2: 3/4 length sleeves

For this version, I added 3cm to the length. I had added 2cm to the long sleeved one, but I wanted to make the hem a bit wider, thus the extra centimeter. I’m not crazy about the neckline facing in this one, not the facing itself but just the way it drapes on me. I like the one on the long sleeved one better, which I did with a needle.

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The unflattering but necessary back view.

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I think I was channeling Amanda from Bimble and Pimble in this one.

click here for part 1

click here for part 3

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A bombardment of stashbusting briars Part 1 of 3

I am sitting on the couch in a ray of sunshine and I can barely see my computer screen but I don’t care! Even though the temperatures are low, the sun offers a promise that spring is around the corner if I’m just a wee bit patient.

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Briar is definitely my favourite pattern at the moment. I only had time to make one in February for the sewalong, but now that I have a bit more time, I’ve been whipping them up like nobody’s business!

They probably take about 2 hours in total (a little more than two episodes of your favourite show) to make, including cutting out the fabric. There are only 4 pieces: a front, a back, and two sleeves, and because it’s made of jersey fabric, there’s no need for zippers. The only zipping you’re doing is zipping through this project!

I don’t have a serger, so I used a zigzag stitch for the seams and then trimmed them down to about 0.7cm (half of the seam allowance). And the hems were done with a twin needle. This is a must for sewing with jersey/knit fabric in my humble opinion!

The only other thing I’d say is to PRESS THOSE SEAMS AND HEMS. It’s recommended in the instruction booklet, and you should take it to heart.  I kept coming out with wavy hems, for example. I stretched them out a bit, then pressed them, and the tops look just like they came off a rack.

I’ve broken this post into 3 parts, one for each version of the briar. The other two are 3/4 sleeve and short sleeves.

GET READY FOR LOTS OF PHOTOS!

Version 1: long sleeves

For this version, I added 2 cm to the length of the top and I finished the neckline with a twin needle, just like with the hems.

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Click here for part 2

Click here for part 3

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Reveal: The Cordova Jacket in Black and White

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So here it is finally! I have a few things left to do on the inside, but it’s pretty much done.

First, I promised to tell you about how I attached the peplum. Since Tasia from Sewaholic did not reply to me, I decided to ask the lovely Trisha from Made by Trisha because she made a great version of the Cordova jacket in purple. Here was her reply:

I’m at work, so I don’t have the pattern in front of me, but if I remember correctly, I think I had a similar issue. If memory serves me, the back of the jacket needs to be a bit longer than the peplum so you can fold it under slightly for the hem. Does that make sense?

So I had to fake it to make it. I ended up pinning and sewing the peplum 3.5cm from the back edge. It turned out pretty well, but I probably should have made it 4cm. I hope this helps some of you who want to make the jacket.

I’m pretty happy with this jacket. I like the contrasting fabrics. Don’t ask me about this silly pose.

I’m not sure aout the size. Once I saw this picture, I kind of think it’s a bit too big on me. Although, that would make it easy to wear a sweater under it.

I love the sleeve pleats! They look so cute! I also didn’t realize how terrible these jeans look from the back! I shall only wear them with tunics from now on.

Well, as a wearable muslin, I think it turned out pretty well. What would I do differently?

  • Maybe I need to cut out a smaller size.
  • I would use a thinner fabric like a canvas.
  • I will definitely line the next one.
  • And attach the peplum 4cm from the lower back bottom edge.
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Reveal: Vogue 1152

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This is the Vogue 1152 dress, designed by Rebecca Taylor. The fabric I chose for this is a navy cotton with white polka dots. I love the design. There are a lot of beautiful elements without it being over-designed, like the piping and gathering.

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This project had a lot of firsts for me. It was the first time I did any piping. It was the first time I did knife pleats (in the tops of the sleeves). It was the first time I put in an invisible zipper. Of these things, the invisible zipper was the least successful. I don’t have an invisible zipper foot, so you can see the zipper a little bit. But the zipper colour matches the fabric almost exactly, so it isn’t very noticeable.

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The back looks a little bit like the front, but it has elastic instead of gathering. Very comfortable!

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Using regular cotton may not have been the best fabric choice for this dress. Something softer with a bit more drape would have made it look even more fabulous. But it’s a very comfortable and cool dress, and washable!

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Sorry for the incongruency in the photo edits. I’m playing around with photoshop to see what I like, and I’m just trying out new techniques as I go along.

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Yay!

Thanks Mr. Livana for taking the photos!

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Reveal: Belladone dress from Deer and Doe

Belladone, how do I love thee? Let me count the gorgeous ways.

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One, its design. That back cut out is sexy with no hint of trashy. There are pockets too! It is designed for non-stretch, woven fabrics, which are the easiest types to sew. Two, the instructions. The instruction booklet (also gorgeous, by the way) contains concise, but clear instructions on how to make your garment. There are also great diagrams. But if you’re like me and you usually only look at the diagrams and don’t read the content, think again. Not every step is diagrammed! Thank goodness the instructions are not long-winded, so I skimmed everything and didn’t miss anything. Third, the pattern itself. It is printed on good quality paper so you don’t tear the pieces, and you can use them over and over. (Actually, I want to make one for my sister too, so I ended up tracing the pattern to tissue paper anyway). And all of the pieces fit together beautifully. There was no bunching in places. The curves matched each other perfectly, even with my pattern adjustments to account for my small bust and large hips.

Simply a dream to cut out and to sew!

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I used stretch denim from my stash, and standard orange bias binding. I even had blue thread left over from a previous project still in my sewing machine. The only thing I didn’t have was a zipper. So I sewed up the top part of the dress, ordered a zipper, then two days later started sewing up a storm again when I saw the zipper in my mailbox. Yay!

I didn’t make a muslin for this garment. In fact, I confess that I don’t make a muslin for anything! Although, I am definitely starting to see the light. I think I may have to start doing them on projects where I use expensive fabric and want a great fit.

I was a little bit apprehensive that it wouldn’t fit. This is my second time sewing with an indie pattern (my first being Megan Nielson). And I already know from experience that out of the big pattern companies, only Vogue tends to be true-to-size for me.

Well, I was right to be nervous. As you can see from this picture, the bust darts are much too high. The waistband hits my lower ribs instead of my waist, so it fits almost like an empire-waisted dress. But I must say, even though it doesn’t fit correctly vertically, the width fits quite well, and it’s very very comfortable! It’s great to wear with a turtleneck and a pair of leggings in the winter and I think it will be great in the summer as a dress because the cutout in the back will keep you cool.

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Thanks Mr. Livana for taking these photos!

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I love the detailing on the denim, don’t you?

Next time I make this dress, in addition to lengthening the bodice, I shall NOT use stretch fabric. You can see from the picture above, the upper back does not lay flat. Also, although I matched my seams and the top perfectly for my zipper, it stretched and shifted when I sewed, so the waist band doesn’t match perfectly, nor does the top of the zipper. aaarg.