A few years ago my sewing friend Cindy bought me the Sewaholic Robson trench coat pattern. I had been contemplating buying it because I admired the coats that were popping up on the blogosphere at the time so I was pleased to have the pattern show up at my door. Soon after receiving the pattern, Mood Fabrics had this wonderful double-sided polka dot fabric that was the perfect weight for a trench coat. Both the fabric and pattern sat in my stash patiently waiting their turn at the sewing machine.

The coat is unlined with the seams bound with bias tape (Hong Kong finish). I think it is a great opportunity for using contrast tape. The pattern is very well drafted and everything came together nicely. I sewed a size 6 tapering to a size 4 below the waist.

Below is a line drawing from the pattern highlighting the details that don’t show up well because of my fabric. I like the classic lines of this coat.

This coat will be in my wardrobe for a many years; I love polka dots and I love trench coats.

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When I was in high school I worked at La Petite Marmite, a wonderful Swiss restaurant in my hometown of Granby, QC. My job was making salads and general kitchen help. Whenever I visited my hometown I always made a point of dining at the restaurant. The food and service were wonderful. The chef/owner was my first boss and I had fond memories of working there.  After being in business for many years the restaurant was planning on closing on April 8^th.  Fortunately I had planned on being in Granby during that time. One week before my scheduled visit emails and texts were sent and we soon had 14 friends lined up for a last meal at the restaurant. This was going to be special evening.

Such an occasion required a new dress, of course. It can be tricky when it comes to weather at the beginning of April in Quebec. The dress was going to have to be appropriate for any type of weather. I didn’t have time to shop for patterns or fabric so it was going to have to be something made from my stash. A quick search yielded this ITY knit panel print purchased last summer at Tissus Mode De L’Orme in Granby.

The fabric required a simple dress so I turned to McCall’s 6886, again.  This pattern is a work horse when it comes to knit dresses. Sleeves have become a big focus this season so I wanted to do something different with the sleeves. I liked the bell sleeve featured on McCall’s 7501 view D. The pattern has raglan sleeves so I took the shape of the sleeve and adapted it to fit McCall’s 6886. I shortened the sleeve by 3/4″.

I lined the dress with tricot to give the dress a little body because the ITY is fairly lightweight. I normally do this when it comes to semi-fitted or fitted dresses in ITY knits.  I  cut out front and back pieces in the lining and attach the sewn front and back inside the dress at the neckline. Wearing a slip would probably have the same effect but I like the feeling of a lined dress. I think I did a good job matching my side seams 😉

I love the challenge of working with panel prints. The length of the dress was determined by the print. Finding a good place in the print to “end” the dress is important.

The evening was full of great food and great moments made even better by the fact that I loved my new dress.

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I’m digging the cold-shoulder trend and have been wanting to sew a cold-shoulder knit top for a while. I decided on Style Arc’s pattern to give this trend a try. The pattern only has three pieces and comes together quickly. For me, the most important part of sewing this top was clearly identifying the sleeve and armhole markings. Getting the sleeves aligned correctly are important for a good fit.

The fabric is a medium-light weight poly-lycra knit with some body.

This top is fun to wear. I have a couple of woven fabrics line up try some other cold-shoulder styles.

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Could this ITY print have any more going on?!!! Animal print, stripes and a million different colors. I loved it as soon as I saw it at Tissus Mode de L’Orme in Granby, QC last summer. I knew it would be a dress but I was not sure what style at the time.

The flounce and side ruching of this dress seemed perfect for the weight of the ITY knit. I was pleased that the “extra” fabric created by the ruching falls nicely across the front and back without adding any bulk or sagging.

I made the following changes to the pattern:

I shortened the sleeves by 3.5 inches. The pattern has you turn and hem the neckline. I chose to add binding instead. It is my preferred method when faced with a “turn and hem” neckline situation. I also sewed the sleeves in flat which changes the order of construction. I lined the dress with tricot because I prefer the way the dress fits with lining.

This is a cute dress that came together without any fuss. It is pretty distinctive and I don’t need too many more dresses with flounces but I can see myself whipping up some knit tops in the future from this pattern.

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I love sewing with panel prints. I enjoy the challenge of finding the right pattern to showcase the print. The process of placing the pattern pieces in order to maximize the print is both challenging and fun.

My most recent top is Jalie 2787. I substituted the 3/4 bell sleeve for the sleeve from Jalie 2806. Jalie patterns never disappoint and are great for a quick and satisfying project.

I purchased this ITY knit from Tissus Mode De L’Orme in Granby, QC. I often find the most interesting border and panel prints there.

Here is a picture of a top I made with the same pattern last year:

Jalie 2787

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It has been a little while since I last blogged. I’ve been sewing but the weather and a family emergency in Quebec have interfered with picture taking. Life is settling down and the weather has been cooperating so this past weekend my fashion photographer and I set out to take pictures of my projects. The first one is collarless coat I made in February.

I wanted a simple black coat that I could wear just as easily with a dress or a pair of jeans.  I was attracted to the simplicity of the coat pictured below in the Burda Style magazine. I had made this pattern a few years ago and liked it very much. I chose a medium weight black wool crepe from Gorgeous Fabrics.

I was sewing my coat in the evening after dinner as I always do and was pleased with how things were shaping up. One evening I spent a little time checking out Tory Burch’s website and saw the coat pictured below. The buckle detail struck me and I knew I wanted to do something similar for my coat. I had the imitation leather and buckle in my stash so nothing was holding me back from adding this detail to my coat.

I lined the coat with silk charmeuse from my stash. I didn’t bother matching the plaid on the lining. Now I wish I had 😦

I like the simple lines of this coat.

Below is a picture of the coat I made a few years ago from this pattern.

BurdaStyle03-2012-110

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This skirt is one of those simple sewing projects that is so satisfying.  It hung on a hanger for over a week waiting for the rain to stop so we could take pictures. It made me happy every time I looked at it. The fabric had been in my stash for a few years. I had the lining and the invisible zipper as well. I was all set to go.

I wanted to make a pencil skirt with a fringe. I used my go-to pencil skirt pattern: Butterick 5466. I like this pattern because it offers various waist options.

I changed the zipper to be on the side so I wouldn’t have a seam in the center back. Once the fabric was cut I began to pull horizontal threads at the bottom of the skirt until I had the length of fringe I wanted. I used my coverstitch machine to sew a seam above the fringe in order to secure the fabric. Next I proceeded to sew the skirt as I normally would. The nice part about making a skirt with a fringe is that you don’t have to hem it 🙂

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