Distinctive Details: Decorate a T-shirt
13 August 2021

In the video below I show you how I added a decorative element to a t-shirt. This is a quick and easy DIY to change the look and feel of a garment.   I used a Lord and Taylor t-shirt that I bought 5 years ago from the Hudson’s Bay Company. I love the bright blue colour! It’s 65 % polyester and 35% rayon and has maintained its shape and colour despite the many washes over the years. I haven’t worn this t-shirt lately so it was due for a change up.  I found the idea to add a decorative trim to a garment from my Mum’s Simplicity Sewing Book published in 1975.  The video below shows you my process.

 

 

FABCYCLE Fabric Haul
23 July 2021

In today’s video, I show you my fabric haul that I ordered online from FabCycle in Vancouver, British Columbia.  The first fabric I saw was this. It was listed as Natural Beauty Nylon Woven Multi Stripes 3.65 metre bundle. The fabric fibre types are estimated on the website and this fabric was listed as nylon. What’s nice about the FabCycle website is that it tells you everything you need to know about the fabric. For example, this woven fabric is opaque, with a relaxed drape, and a smooth, slippery feel. It’s lightweight and is sold as a bundle 110 cm wide by 3.64 metres long. This fabric is commonly used for finishing and lining.

When I added this fabric to my shopping cart, I saw that the fabric was 25% off. It was a June promotion! That sale has since ended but if you subscribe to FabCycle, you receive a discount code for 15% off your purchase. I subscribed and got my discount code but the 15% off could not be used for this sale. That was fine because I got 25% off. Which meant that my Natural Beauty fabric that was $30.80 for 3.65 metres was now $23.10 for the piece and that broke down to $6.33 a metre.

I realize that this fabric is recommended for lining and finishing but I plan to use this for a nightwear. I’m going to make the baby doll top and panties from Simplicity 9877. I bought this pattern from Value Village for $0.25. This is one of my favourite vintage patterns. Simplicity 9877 was published in 1980 and is a pullover nightgown in two lengths and baby dolls. View 1’s top and view 2’s nightgown have gathers to the scooped yoke with optional lace trim and cut-in armholes. View 1 panties have elastic casings at waistline and leg edges forming ruffles. View 3, the short nightgown is gathered to a self bias binding that ties at shoulders. The suggested fabrics are cotton types, broadcloth, batiste, cotton challis, silk types.  The video below reveals all the fabric that I bought from FabCycle.

 

 

McCall’s Crafts – Sew The Queen’s Corgi Pillow
16 July 2021

In honour of her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and her corgis, I thought it would be fun to try out another craft from my McCall’s Needlework and Crafts Annual Annual Volume III, that was published in 1952, the year she became Queen.  The video below shows you how I sewed and appliqued The Queen’s Corgi pillow. 

 

DIY Flare / Bellbottom Jeans
9 July 2021

Today I said goodbye to my skinny jeans and hello to flared jeans! In this video, I refashioned a pair of skinny jeans into flared jeans. I bought my Jordache jeans a couple of years ago for about $9.99 from Value Village. They were in fantastic condition and the modern black colour has stayed true. Last year I decided to move away from skinny jeans but instead of donating them back to the thrift store, I refashioned them. I converted my skinny jeans into flares the same way I converted my boot-cut jeans into bell-bottoms when I was in high school.

The fabric that I used to convert my skinny jeans was a black velvet with a swirling gold embroidered pattern. I bought my fabric at Value Village thrift store during a store opening celebration. It was marked at $39.99 for 8.5 metres but I had a coupon for 20% off so I paid $31.99. That’s $3.76 a metre! What a great price! You may remember this fabric from my Simplicity 8243 jumper sewalong. The video below shows you how you can make your own flared bellbottom jeans.

 

Vogue Sewing Pattern Haul
2 July 2021

In today’s video, I show you some of the Vogue patterns I’ve collected over the years including some lovely out-of-print and vintage patterns. The patterns included in this video are: Vogue V8101 (1982), Vogue V9004 (2014), Vogue V1041 (1992), Vogue V7784 (2003), Vogue V9150 (2015), Vogue V9235 (2016), Vogue V9046 (2014), Vogue V8405 (2007), Vogue V8467 (1972), Vogue V8391 (2007), Vogue V8740 (1993), Vogue V1654 (2019), and McCall’s M6355 (2011).

 

McCall’s Crafts – Salt Dough Jewelry and Leaf Bowl
27 June 2021

Happy Canada Day! In today’s video I show you how to make salt dough jewelry and a leaf bowl.  I thought it would be fun to try out another craft from one of my McCall’s Needlework Annuals.  The video below takes you step by step through the process.  If you would like to make the maple leaf bowl, I’ve included the link to the template below. 

Link to the Maple Leaf Bowl Template

 

Fabricland Online Fabric Haul
18 June 2021

Hi Everyone!  In this video, I show you my fabric and notions haul that I bought from Fabricland Online.   I was really pleased with my last order from Fabricland Online so I placed another order.  My last order of fabric came in the full five metres and not cut into smaller pieces and the notions were exactly as I ordered and at a fantastic price. So this time I placed an even bigger order!

This time when I clicked on fabriclandonline.com, immediately a box popped up. It said, you save 25%, you save 35%, and you save 50% on appliques, carded tape, interfacing, lace, ribbon by the metre, ribbon hank, scissors, trims, yarn and accessories, elastic, dressforms, sew-in, fusible, specialty, excluding sale. This was perfect! I love sales.

When I closed the sales box, this lovely fabric was on the front page. It straightaway caught my attention! This fabric has painted sailboats resting in the calm water.  This fabric is an outdoor print fabric called Sail Away in colour 749 – Pool. It was on sale for $6.00 a metre, regularly $32.00 and was sold in full metres. It was 137cm wide and was a medium weight fabric. The description said, this outdoor fabric is great for cushion covers, light upholstery and other outdoor decorating projects as well as bags and other craft ideas. I have a couple of hats in the works right now and I’m enjoying making them. I didn’t think I would because they’re smaller pieces. They’re not garments but rather accessories but I like that I can sew a hat and bag to match a dress that I’ve made.

The fabric was 100% spun polyester and can be washed in warm water with a mild liquid detergent. The care instructions said, rub gently wish a soft brush, rinse with water and air dry. Do not use chlorine bleach, harsh detergents or abrasives. This is good news because the fabric was a bit dirty on the edge. The packing slip indicated that it was low in stock and perhaps this was the last of the bolt. I’m not worried about the dirty mark because this fabric is washable.

I ordered 5 metres of this lovely fabric and it arrived in the full five metre length. No smaller pieces. I love that about Fabricland Online. I plan to make a dress, hat, and bag. I’m really going for coordinated looks. If I don’t have enough fabric, I’ll make a skirt, hat and bag. Usually if I don’t have enough fabric, I use a complementary solid fabric to make it work.

The dress will be vintage McCall’s 9777. This is a dress pattern was published in 1969. It’s a sleeveless, A-line dress that is dart fitted in the front and the back, has a centre back zipper and a choice of three necklines. This dress has faced and interfaced neck and faced armholes. The neck is rounded in the front and may be round, scooped or V-shaped in the back. The scooped back dress has self fabric ties included in the facing seams. The dress is cut crosswise when embroidered border or border print fabrics are used.

I think that I will make up view A with the rounded back. I will add 3/4 length or long sleeves and lengthen the dress so that it falls to the mid-calf. The A-line shape of the dress will showcase the beautiful print of the fabric. One more modification will be to cut the back of the dress on the fold and put in a side zipper but this depends on the width of the bottom of the lengthened dress pattern.

The recommended fabrics for this dress are printed silks or cottons, ginghams, denim, duck, linen, pique, border prints and embroidered border fabrics. Since the pattern suggested denim, I am comfortable using my medium weight polyester fabric for this dress. I used a fabric weight converter to determine the weight of this fabric in comparison to other fabrics. The description of this fabric shows that it is 215g per square metre which is approximately 6.34 ounces per square yard. Lightweight denim is 12 ounce so I feel quite confident that this fabric will work out nicely.

In addition to the dress, I’m going to make a hat – Vogue 8405. This Vogue Accessories pattern was published in 2007. This package includes patterns and instructions for four lined hats, each offered in small, medium and large. View A and B have two trim options for each hat. I’m going to make view A with the largest brim because it will look quite feminine and flattering while protecting my face from the sun.

To complete the look, I’m going to make a purse as well. Simplicity 9553. This pattern was published in 1971 so a similar time-frame to the McCall’s 9777 dress. Simplicity 9553 is a pattern for spats and two bags. View 1 is a lined shoulder bag with a zipper closing and is trimmed with appliques and metallic trims. View 2 is a lined shoulder bag with a flap. I’m making this version up out of some gorgeous velvet. View 3 are the spats with a zipper and elastic foot strap and have special stitch lines to makes spats larger or smaller. The spats may be trimmed with purchased appliques and metallic trim or with buttons and lacing. I’m going to make up the purse from view 1. I’ll centre one of the boat scenes on the front panel instead of adding the appliques.

The video below includes the rest of the items from my fabric haul.

 

Sewing Pattern Haul
28 May 2021

In today’s video, I show you some of the patterns I’ve collected over the years including some lovely out-of-print patterns. Patterns included in this video: New Look NL6567 (2011), Butterick B5030 (2007), Vogue V8902 (2013), Vogue V8904 (2013), Vogue V8995 (2014), Simplicity S1586 (2013), McCall’s M3028 (2000), Vogue 8930 (2013), McCall’s M6615 (2012), Simplicity S3889 (2007), Simplicity S7693 (1997), McCall’s M6051 (2010), and Vogue V7871 (2004).

 

 

Victoria Day Craft – The Crown Pillow
21 May 2021

Hi Everyone! In today’s video I show you my Victoria Day craft – The Crown pillow.  In honour of Victoria Day, I thought it would be fun to try out another craft from one of my McCall’s Needlework Annuals.  The video below takes you step by step through the process.  If you would like to make the crown pillow, I’ve included the link to the template below.

Link to The Crown template on Pixabay.

 

Blazer Shortened into Bolero
14 May 2021

In today’s video I show you how I restyled a blazer into a bolero.  I used an H&M blazer that I bought a few years ago for less than $10 from Value Village. Sorting through my closet, I felt that I had too many black blazers so I decided to donate this one because it was in excellent condition. As I went through my closet, I saw my cutwork Ralph Lauren dress and I tried to figure out I could be more covered up but nothing I owned seemed to work with the dress. I usually wear this dress in the evening to go the theatre or the opera but sometimes I get cold. I wanted the option of covering up my arms in case I became too chilled. Then it came to me! I’ll convert my blazer into a bolero.  The video below details the process and showcases the finished bolero.

 

 

The Pattern Tag #thepatterntag
7 May 2021

In today’s video, I’m talking all about patterns. Specifically I’m doing the pattern tag by Whitney Sews as suggested to me by one of my subscribers but firs I’m going to show you one of my makes. Today I’m wearing Simplicity 6082 in size 16.

I bought this stunning vintage pattern from Good Value Thrift Store in downtown London, Ontario for $2.00. It was published in 1973 and is a Jiffy Knit dress in two lengths. This flared dress is sized for stretch knits only and has a low round neckline, a back zipper, and top-stitching trim. The short dress has long-set in sleeves with an approximate dress length of 36 inches. The long dress has short set in sleeves. I chose to make my dress with the longer sleeves and lower calf length rather than ankle length. I didn’t add the back zipper since it’s a knit dress.

This lovely fabric came from the Clearance section at Fabricland for $4.25/metre. It’s a wonderful knit polyester with various shades of green, blue, and white flowers on a black background. It’s soft and smooth and comfortable to wear. Since it’s 100% polyester, it’s a great wash and wear fabric.

To complete the look I’m wearing Joey New York high heels that I bought at Value Village thrift stores and the Hue brand pantyhose from the Hudson’s Bay Company. I bought the quilted leather purse from the Salvation Army charity store and the earrings were in a Ziploc bag full of jewelry that I bought for $5.00 at a church Christmas bazaar. Now onto the pattern tag.

Some of you may be wondering what is a the pattern tag? The pattern tag is about answering questions about your sewing pattern stash. These questions came directly from Whitney Sews video.

The first question how many patterns do I own. I had no idea so I counted them. I have approximately 200 sewing patterns. Honestly I had a lot more…. I mean a lot more but I stopped sewing for almost 10 years so I got rid most of my patterns, all of my fabric, one of my vintage sewing machines and all my BurdaStyle magazines. Burda magazines are much harder to come by now where I live in Canada so I don’t get a new one every month. The two places where I used to buy them, no longer sell them. Where do you buy your Burdastyle magazines? Do you buy them online? Let me know in the comments section in the video.

Some of the patterns I got rid of were gorgeous vintage ones that made up beautifully. I hope I can find them again at thrift stores. On the positive side, everything was donated so I’m glad that it got a second life. I am slowly rebuilding sewing collection including my pattern and fabric hoard.

My partner Brad bought me a vintage Domestic brand sewing machine that he found on Facebook marketplace. When he bought it, the person said that it worked but it didn’t. The stitch length would not change from the tiniest length. I watch numerous YouTube videos on how to fix this problem but none of them were the actual problem I was experiencing. I decided to oil and clean the machine to ensure that nothing else was damaged while my brain tried to sort out this problem. It turned out that the stitch length became stuck because gear needed oil. After I worked the oil through the gears, the indicator released and now she purrs like a kitten.

Most of my patterns are stored in heavy duty cardboard boxes with metal corners and handles. I found this beautiful printed boxes at HomeSense about 15 years ago and I love them! I bought two sets of three but I didn’t have a purpose in mind when I bought them. Once I got them home, I knew the larger four boxes were perfect for patterns. The small two boxes hold travel mementos from England, Scotland and across Canada.

One large box holds Vogue patterns including the larger sized designer patterns, the other large box contains Simplicity patterns, Kwik Sew and some larger sized patterns like Stretch and Sew, one medium sized box contains McCall’s patterns and the other medium sized box contains my Burda, Butterick, New Look and Advance patterns.

 

 

I organize my patterns in numerical order by company. Most people don’t think this is ideal but I like it. I like that when I buy patterns with the same number but different years that they’re together. For example, I have Vogue 1643 from both 1994 and 2019.

 

 

Both are jacket patterns but the newer version also includes a gorgeous pleated skirt pattern that I’m dying to make up. I bought the older Vogue from good Value thrift stores and the newer Vogue online from the McCall’s pattern website. I bought it before the switch over to the new site called something delightful.com here in Canada.

 

My oldest pattern is Advance 8029 from 1956. I bought this pattern form Value Village in a bag of 3 other patterns for $1.99. These are scoop-neck jumpers pattern and skirts – slim and flared. Jumper 1 has a flared skirt and soft unpressed pleats on both the front and back. View 2 is a front buttoned flared skirt. View 3 is a sheath jumper with soft waistline darts and a low walking pleat at the back. And view 4 is a slim skirt. The stitched edges add a tailored look.

The suggested fabrics are cotton, novelty cotton, linen, silk or synthetic faille, taffeta, rayon flannel, rayon gabardine and wool. I bought this pattern in a vintage size 16 so in modern sizing it’s actually a 12, so I will have to up-size it 2 sizes to a modern 16 in order to use it. I know the pattern looks like it’s in rough shape because the pattern envelope is wrapped in tape but the actual pattern inside is in excellent condition!

My newest pattern isn’t the most recently published pattern in my collection but rather my most recently acquired pattern. It’s McCall’s 7843 published in 2018. It’s close fitting skirts and pants with elastic waists and length variations. Both skirts have side slits. View C’s pants are slightly flared and above the ankle while view D’s pants are full length flares. My mum bought this pattern for herself and I loved it so much that she traced my size and surprised me with a copy of the pattern.

The recommended fabrics are two way stretch knits such as stretch velvet, cotton knits, interlock, and ponte knit. I’m really looking forward to making up view D the longer flared pants. I’ll be able to dress up or down this pattern based on the fabric I choose while still being comfortable with the elastic waist.

My favourite pattern besides my vintage McCall’s 5136 which belonged to my Nana is another vintage pattern – McCall’s 7662 published in 1964. My Nana owned a copy of this pattern too and she gave it to my mom. I bought my copy of this pattern at Good Value thrift store in downtown London, Ontario for $2.00. McCall’s 7662 is a lightly fitted and flared dress that has a choice of two necklines and two sleeve lengths, or may be sleeveless. This dress has french darts at the front, back darts and back zipper. The sleeveless dress and dress with three quarter length sleeves have patch pockets. This dress may be lined.

The suggested fabrics are lightweight tweeds, linen, pique, shantung, lightweight flannel, faille, synthetic mixtures, printed silks or cottons, silk or cotton broadcloth, and lightweight wools. This is another pattern that I’m going to enlarge. This pattern is in a teen size 14/16. I didn’t realize it was a teen size when I bought it but I’m glad I did. The teen size has a shorter finished length from back of regular neckline to the waist – an inch difference. This works out well for me because I’m short waisted. But I will still need to enlarge this pattern from a vintage size 16 to a modern size 16.

My most used pattern is Vogue 1051. You may remember these pants from my vintage pattern haul where I paired it with Vogue top 7871. I also made these pants up years ago to wear on a trip to England and Scotland. They are super comfortable. This is an Alice + Olivia Vogue American Designer pant pattern that was published in 2008. I bought this pattern in a Vogue sewing pattern sale from Fabricland, a Canadian fabric retailer. At that time, Fabricland would have specific pattern brands on sale each week.  For example, Vogue be on sale one week and then McCall’s the next and then after that Burda, then Simplicity and so on. So almost every time I went to Fabricland, some patterns would be on sale.

These pants have slightly flared legs, are semi-fitted through the hip, and have below waistline contour waistband with a fly zipper closing, front and back welt pockets and back button loops. View A has contrasting welts and loops and view B has turn back cuffs. The recommended fabrics are gabardine, tropical wool and lightweight denim and the contrast should be made from silk satin.

Most recently used pattern is Simplicity 8243. Simplicity 8243 was published in 1998 and is a jumper in three lengths with a back zipper, shoulder straps, and optional top stitching. Jumpers A and B have straight skirts. Jumper A has a back slit with a back tab with button trim. Jumper C and D are flared. Jumpers A and C have a self buttoned belt with a removable bag with a flap. And Jumper D has an upper patch pocket with a flap. I paid $2.99 for this uncut, factory folded sewing pattern at Value Village thrift stores.

I made up Jumper D with the flared skirt but instead of the upper patch pocket, I made the self buttoned belt with a removable bag. The only alteration that I made this pattern was that I did not include the back zipper because I didn’t think it was necessary. 

My next pattern to use is Simplicity 6110 from 1973. I bought this pattern from Good Value thrift stores for $2.00. This a blouse, skirt and pants wardrobe pattern. The blouse has a front button closing and set in sleeves with button fastened turn back cuffs, a notched collar, a front yoke and an optional purchased belt. The skirt has a back zipper, waistband and optional top-stitched patch pockets. The pants have a front zipper, waistband and turn back cuffs. The suggested fabrics are lightweight wool, wool flannel, gabardine,, double knit, linen, duck, chino, cotton broadcloth, sateen, chambray, challis, surah, crepe and silk linen.

There’s a note on the pattern that says this design has the new narrow shoulder look. The shoulder length of the pattern is shorter and the head of the sleeve is higher. I love that about this pattern. These narrow shoulder patterns fit me very well so I’m very much looking forward to making this up. I love the wide leg pants and the narrow shoulder blouse and I think the skirt will drape beautifully. This pattern is in a size 14 so I will need to enlarge it to a size 16 as well. Let me know in the comments section of the video if you would to see how I grade my patterns larger.

The pattern that didn’t work out as planned Simplicity craft jacket 4183. Simplicity 4183 is an Everybody Craft Coat, Pants and Tote pattern by Patty Reid Designs, published in 2006. The jacket view A has long sleeves, pockets, and pleating. The pants have an elastic waist and the tote is so cute! I bought this pattern for $1.99 from Value Village. 

This pattern is sized Large to Double Extra Large but my measurements are a Medium. I graded the pattern down to a size Medium (or so I thought) and sewed it all together but it was way too big. Rather than give up on the project, I seam ripped the entire jacket and cut the fabric pieces even smaller After sewing it all back together again, I was worried about how it would look. But it fits and I love it! 

One pattern I plan to use again is the dress I’m wearing – vintage simplicity 6082, but also vintage Simplicity 6260. I bought Simplicity 6260 for $2.00 at Good Value thrift store with a stack of other vintage patterns. This pattern was published in 1974 and is a Jiffy knit short front wrap dress sized for stretch knits only. This front-wrap dress with dropped shoulders features a “V” shaped neckline and self tie ends. View 1 has tri-coloured braid trim and view 2 has top-stitching trim.

The suggested fabrics are stretchable jersey knits of polyester, cotton, rayon or acetate such as matte jersey and tricot. Stretchable double knits of polyester, cotton or wool are also recommended. I lengthened the skirt of the dress by 7 inches so that it fell below the knee and used two gorgeous knit fabrics for a designer look. 

The next pattern that I’m going to show is the one I own the most copies of. For me that would be McCall’s 8705 published in 1996. These are great bags to carry it all. Totes, backpacks, a slingbag, a new take on the messenger bag and a shoulder bag. My favourite is view D. It’s not that I own more than one of this pattern rather I bought my first copy at Value Village and didn’t realize that there were no pattern pieces inside the envelope until I got home. I was so disappointed. But lucky for me I found this pattern again a few months later at a different Value Village with all the pattern pieces inside the envelope.

At this point in my life, I haven’t accidentally bought the same pattern more than once. BUT I can see it happening to me especially now that the big pattern companies are republishing their patterns under different numbers and even different companies. I’ve seen some sad faces on the McCall’s and Simplicity group on Facebook because they’ve bought the same pattern with different artwork.

The rarest pattern that I have and I think it is a rare pattern is Sew-Knit-N-Stretch 207. This is a ladies’ panties pattern with flared legs designed by Kerstin Martensson published in 1969. I bought this pattern for $1.99 from Value Village thrift stores. This pattern has two pattern pieces and a a guide with recommended sewing procedures. For example, it suggests when sewing nylon we recommend a synthetic thread such as a our Spun Syntet or nylon. Thread tension should be normal or balanced and use normal pressure on the pressure foot.

I have a few more patterns that I think are rare but they are embroidery transfers. The first one is Simplicity 7141 cross stitch animal motifs from the 1940s. So earlier I mentioned that I organize my patterns in numerical order. Well when I pulled out this pattern I also pulled out this pattern. They’re both Simplicity 7141 but this one is a jiffy nightgown pattern from 1967.

The 1940s pattern includes tiny cross-stitch animals that make sweet trims on children’s rompers, aprons, pinafores, bibs, overalls and dresses. This envelope contains 1 transfer sheet of 36 embroidery motifs (2 each of 18) approximately 2 1/4 x 2 inches and a colour guide chart. There are elephants, birds, deer, cats, dogs, rabbits, squirrels, pigs, sheep, roosters, baby chicks, horses and ducks. I bought this pattern in a bag of 2 patterns with McCall’s 1426.

McCall’s 1426 was published in 1948 is a kaumagraph transfer of playtime motifs and banding in cross-stitch. This pattern contains motifs and borders 1 inch high in 10 crosses to the inch for trimming children’s dresses, sun suits and more. The matching train and elephant motifs are 1 5/8 of an inch high in crosses 6 to the inch for curtains, cushions and more. I bought both McCall’s 1426 and Simplicity 7141 for $2.00 at Good Value Thrift store.

One more kaumagraph pattern that I have is McCall’s 1537 published in 1950. this transfer is for allover smocking dots 1/4 of an inch apart and shown in the actual size below. This pattern includes two transfer sheets, each 11 by 36 inches and are adaptable to different widths and various types of smocking. View A shows honeycomb smocking, views B and C are cable and wave, and views D and E are Vandyke. I bought this pattern at the same time as the other two transfer patterns at Good Value thrift store for $2.00.

The strangest pattern that I own is McCall’s 6615. This is a fashion accessories pattern that was published in 2012. I bought this pattern from Value Village thrift stores for $1.99. This is a foot wear toppers pattern like spats. There are many different views with this pattern so a lot of variation so a lot of different looks. I would like to make up this pattern at the same time as I make a jacket or coat pattern so I have a coordinated look.

My pattern that is in the worst condition is McCall’s 5136. McCall’s 5136 was published in 1959 and is a box jacket in two lengths, a slim three-gore skirt and cap sleeved tuck-in or overblouse. The jacket has set in, three-quarter length sleeves. The neck, fronts, lower edge and sleeves of the longer jacket are bound with military braid, the shorter jacket with bias self fabric. The longer jacket is lined. The blouse has a wide neck, left side zipper, vent in the front dart seams of the overblouse.

The dart fitted skirt has low back pleat and a left side zipper. I’ve shown this pattern before in a few of my videos. The first being my very first video, How to Draw a kick pleat. Or you may remember it from my sewalong to the skirt with the kick pleat. Or finally you may remember it from the sewalong where I sewed the matching box jacket! 

I’m very concerned about the condition of this pattern because the pattern pieces as well as the easy sewing guide and instructions are beginning to disintegrate. I think it would be best to trace the pattern onto tissue paper before using it again and the instructions should be copied on a scanner and printed to prevent further deterioration. What are you thoughts on this old pattern? What have others done with their vintage patterns? Please leave me a note in the comments section in the video below.

I bought my very first pattern New Look 6838 from Wal-Mart way back when they used to sell patterns, fabric and sewing supplies in Canada. This pattern was learning experience for me. New Look 6838’s top has a boat neckline but because I have narrow shoulders, it kept slipping. I ended up cutting a five inch wide triangle out of the back of the neck tapering down so that it fit correctly.

I remember when I first started sewing, my mom took me to Len’s Mill store in London, Ontario where I bought a huge stack of Simplicity patterns including Simplicity 7178. I made this top up twice – once out of a red fabric printed with gold and the other out of a green and white 70 style print fabric. Nowadays Len’s Mills sell only McCall’s and Kwik Sew patterns but their fabric selection is outstanding!

I buy new patterns from Fabricland – usually from the discard bin because they’re marked down in price. Fabricland sells Burda, McCall’s, Butterick and Vogue patterns only. I also buy patterns online from Something delightful.com which sells McCall’s, Butterick, Vogue and Kwik Sew patterns or from amazon.ca which sells Simplicity and New Look patterns. Amazon.ca is the only place that I know of where I can buy Simplicity and New Look patterns in Canada.

I buy my second hand patterns in stores from Value Village, the Salvation Army, Mission Thrift Store, Optimist Thrift Shop, and Good Value Thrift store. I also look for books that contain sewing patterns. I bought this Dressmaking book from the Salvation Army charity store for $2. It has free downloadable patterns which I’ll link for you below. I’m curious to know about where you buy your patterns. Do you have any sites online that sell patterns at great prices? Leave me a note in the comments section in the video below so that I can check it out.

The video below details #ThePatternTag and showcases my finished dress – Simplicity 6082!

 

 

Easy Way to Mend a Sweater
28 April 2021

Hi everyone! Today’s video shows you a quick and easy way to mend a hole in a sweater. Do you have a favourite sweater or cardigan that you don’t want to part with even though it’s seen better days? I do  This is my Lord and Taylor cardigan that I purchased on sale a few years ago from the Hudson’s Bay Company. It’s 100% cashmere and soft and warm but it has two holes in the sleeve cuff and one more hole at the neck where the brand tag ripped off. I couldn’t bear to part with this cardigan because it’s one of my go to items and I can wear it under a blazer. I added two butterfly patches to this cardigan to fix it.  The video below shows you how I turned my cardigan from trash to treasure. 

 

Fabric Haul from Fabricland Online
23 April 2021

In today’s video, I show you my fabric haul!  This is the first order I have ever placed with Fabricland Online. I’ve been to the Fabricland stores many, many, many times but I didn’t feel like doing curbside pickup so I found Fabricland Online which delivers your order right to your door.

The first thing I do when I’m online shopping is look for a sale. Lucky for me, the Fabricland Online website has a page just for sales. I scrolled through all 16 pages of sale fabrics, notions and sewing accessories and I found some great prices and lovely fabric.

One of my concerns about online fabric shopping was how would the fabric arrive? Would it be in one metre pieces, two metre pieces or would the fabric be the full length? I decided to take the plunge and place an order.

I ordered 5 metres of Axtell Home Decor Prints in colours 652 Wedgwood. It has an off white background with blue sketched animals. There are zebras, elephants, giraffes, leopards, tigers and flamingos all over this fabric. The pattern is a little larger than what i expected but I still love it!  A little note for my next order: double check the tape measure across the top of the sample fabric to know the exact size of the print.

The fabric was $6.00 a metre, marked down from $36.00 a metre and was sold in full metres. I bought 5 metres and it arrived in the full five metre length, no pieces. It’s 100% cotton but dry clean only. It’s 140 cm wide and is a medium weight cotton. The descriptions says that this fabric is great for curtains, cushion covers, light upholstery and other indoor decorating projects as well as bags and other craft ideas. Does a new skirt count as craft ideas?

I’m going to use this fabric for a vintage Simplicity pattern. Simplicity 7467 was published in 1976 and is a two piece dress in two lengths. The top is top stitched and softly gathered to the yoke with a low round neckline, below the elbow length raglan sleeves gathered with elastic casings and an optional purchased belt. The skirt is gathered to the waistband and has a side zipper. View 1 skirt has a double ruffle and view 2 has a single ruffle. In the comments section, let me know your thoughts about using home decor fabrics for clothing.

The next item I bought was a package of 3.65 metres (or 4 yards) of black double fold bias tape for $2.80. This item was the reason I placed this order. I’m sewing vintage McCall’s 2138. This is a dress pattern with or without long or short set in sleeves and a centre back zipper. The dress has princess seaming in the front and back and a faced and interfaced neck. The long sleeved dress has detachable, contrast collar and cuffs, notched collar and cuffs are faced and and bound with bias tape. The collar is included in neck band facing seam. The short sleeved dress has contrast, lined dickey. The collar neckband and dickey are snapped to the underside of the dress. The sleeveless dress has faced armholes and novelty trimmed neckline. I’m making the long sleeve dress with the detachable cuffs so stay tuned to BudgetSew for a future sewalong.  The video below includes the rest of the items from my fabric haul.

 

 

Sewing Pattern Thrift Haul
9 April 2021

In this video, I show you some of the patterns I’ve collected over the years including some lovely out-of-print and vintage patterns.  Patterns included in this video are: Simplicity S6648 (1966), Simplicity 2556 (2009), Vogue 8334 (2006), Vogue 8330 (2006), McCall’s 5477 (2007), McCall’s 5527 (2007), McCall’s 5528 (2007), Simplicity 3531 (2007), Butterick 6625 (2000), Vogue 7871 (2004), Butterick 6582 (2001), and Burda Style 6884 (2014).

 

 

Decorating Eggs for Easter Centrepiece
26 March 2021

Easter is almost here so in today’s video I’m going to decorate Easter Eggs!  This is my interpretation of an Easter craft from Volume Two of the McCall’s Needlework and Craft Annual. This is a vintage craft with a modern twist. For all those thrifters and sewing collectors, I bought this 1951 McCall’s Needlework and Craft Annual for $2.00 at Good Value Thrift Store in London, Ontario. While in the store I found an additional 2 McCall’s Needlework and Craft Annuals from 1950 and 1952 as well as 22 McCall Needlework and Craft Magazines from the 1950s through the 1970s.

I found this craft on page 92 of the annual. “There’s no end to the colour, sparkle and variety in Christmas tree ornaments you can have once you start decorating eggs shells with paper seals.” The annual suggests using eggs for Christmas trees and Christmas wreaths as well as Christmas table centrepieces but I’m using this idea for Easter. My decorated eggs will be placed in a crystal bowl for an Easter table centrepiece as suggested on the next page. As a modernistic arrangement for your Easter table, try grouping eggs in a large goblet or a clear glass bowl.

 

 

DIY Felt Heart Applique Top
19 March 2021

Today on BudgetSew, I show you how I added felt applique to a garment. I used a top that I already own so I didn’t have to go out thrifting. Now you can use a t-shirt, sweatshirt or even a dress. I used a Dalia sweater that I bought from the Salvation Army about 5 years ago. It’s 72% viscose and 28% nylon and it has survived numerous washes and maintained it bright red colour. I used to wear this top all the time but I haven’t worn it lately so it’s perfect for this project.  Check out my video below to see how to do it yourself.

 

 

Sewing Pattern Thrift Haul
12 March 2021

In this video, I show you some of the patterns I’ve collected over the years including some lovely out-of-print and vintage patterns.  Patterns included in this video are: Vogue V8317 (2006), Butterick B6256 (2015), Vogue V7937 (2004), McCall’s M7503 (2016), McCall’s M3610 (2002), Simplicity S5006 (2004), Burda Style 6964 (2014), Vogue V7837 (2003), Simplicity S9877 (1980), Burda 8386 (2003), Simplicity S3629 (2007), and McCall’s M4617 (2004).

 

 

Vogue Designer Sewing Pattern Haul
26 February 2021

I haven’t been out thrifting for patterns lately so in today’s video I show you some my Vogue Designer patterns that I have collected over the years.

Vogue patterns included in this video are: Vogue V2064 (1997), Vogue V2476 (2000), Vogue V2494 (2000), Vogue V2745 (2003), Vogue V2776 (2003), Vogue V2850 (2005), Vogue V2867 (2005), Vogue V2879 (2005), Vogue V2882 (2005), Vogue V2931 (2006), and Vogue V2920 (2006).

 

 

Vogue Designer Sewing Pattern Haul
18 December 2020

In this video, I show you some my Vogue Designer patterns that I have collected over the years.  Hope you like them!

Patterns included in this video are: Vogue V1051 (2008), Vogue V1143 (2009), Vogue V1176 (2010), Vogue V1182 (2010), Vogue V1183 (2010), Vogue V1196 (2010), Vogue V1233 (2011), Vogue V1276 (2011), Vogue V1317 (2012), Vogue V1443 (2015), Vogue V1512 (2016).

 

 

How to Sew the Perfect Pleats
31 July 2020

Hi everyone! Today on BudgetSew I’m going to show you how to make perfect knife pleats. This technique makes even uniform pleats without all the measuring and pinning that are usually required for pleating. This is a really quick and easy technique to add drama to your sewing so go grab a fork from your kitchen so we can get started! You’ll need it for this project.

I added pleats to lengthen a Calvin Klein skirt I purchased a few years ago from Value Village. I loved the faux leather top section of the skirt. It’s gorgeous but just a bit too short for me! I couldn’t bear to part with this skirt and donate it back to Value Village so I thought lengthening it would be a great idea. Adding length to a skirt is a quick and easy fix to extend the life of your skirts.

The video below shows the finished skirt:

 

Lengthening Dresses on a Budget
26 July 2020

Hi everyone! Today I’m going to show you how to lengthen your skirts and dresses on a budget. This is a quick and easy fix to extend the wear of your dresses. 

The dress that I lengthened was a Calvin Klein dress that I purchased a few years ago at the Hudson’s Bay Company. It’s a gorgeous dress and I enjoy wearing it but the hem is above the knee. This wasn’t a problem however I want the dress hem to fall below the knee. I find it a bit more comfortable to have a longer skirt.

The video below shows the finished two dresses.

 

How to Sew Pillow Shams
29 May 2020

During one of my thrift hauls at Value Village, I found a beautiful homemade comforter but I could not find the pillow shams that went with it. Then an idea struck me, if the comforter was homemade, then maybe the remnant fabric would be bagged in the fabric section. I ran over to the fabric and there it was! One problem though, there wasn’t a piece big enough to make a single sham.   The video below shows you how I solved this problem and how I made the shams. 

 

 

Medieval Art – How to Embroider and Apply an Iron on Transfer
25 May 2020

One of my favourite crafts is embroidery and in my video below I take you step by step through my process. There are different ways to apply a design to fabric. You can draw one freehand with a pencil, or you can trace one on using carbon paper, or you could iron on a transfer.  In today’s video I show you how to apply an iron on a transfer.

 

 

Going Old School with Old Fashioned Crafts
25 May 2020

In today’s video, I show you some of the old fashioned crafts that I have been working on.  These crafts include spool or French knitting, knitting, tatting, macramé, needlefelting, and lino printing.

 

 

You Can Leave Your Hat On – How to Sew Hats & Mittens from a Sweatshirt
17 May 2020

In this video I show you how I made two hats and a pair of mittens from an old sweatshirt that was going to be tossed in the garbage. I used modified versions of sewing patterns McCall’s 7805 and Simplicity 9749.

Last haul before lockdown – Value Village Sewing Thrift Haul
23 April 2020

Little did I know at the beginning of March 2020 that my thrift hauling days were going to be put on pause. This is my last thrift haul before the Province of Ontario in Canada declared a state of emergency and closed all non-essential businesses. Shortly thereafter my favourite thrift shops closed their doors to prevent the spread of the virus to protect the safety of their workers and customers. I’m looking forward to the day when these stores reopen so I can dive through the sewing patterns, sort through the fabric and rummage through the notions bins to restock my stash. There are brighter days ahead; I can feel it. “Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.” Keep safe.  Now onto the sewing haul!

The first pattern I have is Simplicity 1800 which was published in 2012 with an original price of $17.95 but I paid $2.39. It’s an ‘Amazing Fit’ dress pattern with individual pattern pieces for slim, average and curvy fit and custom cup sizes. It has an open neckline which I think is very flattering and feminine. It has princess seams that follow the contours of the bust smoothly and allow for fit adjustments. It has a skirt with the right amount of fullness and pockets concealed in the shaped side seams. I love the neck line on this dress and the longer sleeves. I’m looking forward to making this one up for summer.

The next pattern is another Simplicity pattern. It’s Simplicity 8401 which was published in 1998. The original price of the pattern was $11.98 but I paid $2.39. This is a top, skirt and pants pattern which I love! The long pullover top has front pleats, and a round neckline. I love the ties around the waist with the button trim. There are two variations of the sleeve and I prefer the longer version. The pants and skirt have a side zipper but if I made up the pants, I’d move the zipper to the front. The pants are pleated in the front which I’m hesitant about because I’ve never made pleated pants before so I’m not sure if they’d suit me. But I love the flared gored skirt! It’s gorgeous!

The next pattern is really cute! It’s Butterick 3055. It was published in 1993 for the original price of $13.05 and I paid $2.39. I love that there are so many options available because I wear hats all the time, year round. View F reminds me of a hat I wore all the time as a kid. I think I even wore it to Disneyland, I loved it so much. I’m looking forward to making up View J which is somewhat like a beret but not quite, or view L which I should make up and add a big brooch, or view B because I think it’s really cute.

 

The next pattern is also a Butterick. It’s Butterick 4403 and it is a Family Circle Career Casual pattern. It was published in 1996 and the original price as $15.95 and I paid $1.39. It’s a jacket, vest, top, skirt, shorts, and pants pattern. I love wardrobe patterns. I really like the close fitting top with the long sleeves and back zipper. The jacket is very loose fitting, unlined and falls just below the hip. It has pockets and side slits. I think this would be very comfortable to wear. I love the bias cut skirt that falls above the ankle.

 

The next pattern is McCall’s 3987. It’s a McCall’s fashion accessories pattern that was published in 2003 for $14.50. I paid $0.70 for this pattern! Such a good price. There a four hat and two purse options offered in this pattern. I love the bigger brim in view B but I also love the style of view A.

 

The next pattern is McCall’s 5684 and it’s a craft pattern that was published in 1991. The original price of the pattern in 1991 as $10.95 but I paid $0.70. This is a belt and tie package. It has two cummerbunds, seven belts, a tie and a bow tie. I think I could have some fun with this pattern. I want to switch up the belt pattern I always go to for my dresses.

 

The last pattern is a Sew-Knit-N-Stretch 207. It was published back in 1969 and was purchased at that time for $1.00. I think I was very lucky to find this pattern at Value Village for only $1.39 because it is available online but for $24.91 plus $17.15 shipping. This pattern is a ladies panties pattern with flared legs but I thought I’d use it to make up shorts for around the house.  That’s all of my patterns for today but I haven’t shown you the fabric yet.

 

 

The first piece of fabric is a blue patterned knit. It feels very silky and it would make a really nice top. Value Village measures their fabric in feet so this piece of fabric is 5 feet by 5 feet or 60 inches by 60 inches and I paid $5.99.

 

 

The second piece of fabric is this gorgeous blue fabric. I really like the texture of the fabric and I think it will be fun to work with. The fabric is 5 feet by 11 feet so really its 60 inches by 132 inches and I paid $9.99.

 

The final piece of fabric I purchased it this vibrant plaid fabric. It’s purple, pink, orange, yellow, black. I bought this fabric to lengthen one of my purchased dresses that is in the same colour purple. I thought about looking for the same colour purple fabric but in the end I thought it would be more fun to have a print or a plaid. And I was lucky enough to find this fabric for $7.99 for a piece that is 5 feet by 6 feet. You can see that this piece is actually someone’s remnant but I’m thrilled to have found it. 

 

The video below shows the beautiful patterns and gorgeous fabric up close.

 

Blast from the Past!  Vintage Pattern Haul
22 April 2020

I’m always looking for treasure and I always find it in thrift shops. I was doing my regular Saturday morning grocery shopping at the local market when I decided to stroll across the street into the Good Value thrift store. Now I usually find something there but this time I scored big! They had vintage sewing patterns, magazines and books and they were all $2.00 or less! What a steal!

I’ll start with the oldest pattern first which was published in 1964. It’s McCall’s 7662. It’s a lightly fitted and flared dress with a choice of two necklines and is recommended for beginners because it is easy to sew. This pattern has three sleeve versions: no sleeve, short sleeve and (my favourite) three quarter length sleeve. There are optional pockets as well. It has front and back darts and a back zipper. Now this pattern has sentimental value for me because my Nana had this exact pattern! It really made me smile to find this pattern for myself and add it to my library.

 

 

The second pattern is Simplicity 7141 and it was published in 1967. This is such a cute nightgown pattern! It’s a Jiffy pattern so it has 2 main pattern pieces that make it easy to cut out and easy to sew. It’s knee length with a rounded neckline. I love that you can either have ties at the shoulders or use trim and I also love the length of it.

 

 

 

The next pattern is McCall’s 2569 and it was published in 1970. It’s a vest, jumper and pants pattern and is recommended for knits. It comes with optional pockets and belt loops for the jumper and the pants are cuffed. I love layering clothes so I really like this pattern. I like the different ways you can style this pattern to create your own custom look.

 

 

 

The next pattern I have is a Simplicity 9231 which was published in 1970. It’s a “Super Simple” blouse pattern in two lengths. The raglan sleeves come in two lengths as well. I like the elastic neckline of this blouse. I think it would be perfect for summer! And I think both sleeves lengths are really cute!

 

 

 

The next pattern is Simplicity S8711 which was published in 1970. This is a men’s and ladies’ top pattern that features short or long sleeves and comes with an optional belt. I purchased the ladies’ version only. I like collar of the shirt as well as the length. I think that this would be super comfy to wear and easy to make.

 

 

I was so lucky that I found a couple of Style patterns on this pattern haul. Style patterns tend to be quite rare so I’m always excited when I find them. This is Style 3397 and it was published in 1971. It’s a dress, tunic and pants pattern. I think this pattern is quite nice. I love the higher neckline with the slashed V. The tunic has two slits up the front which would give the pattern more movement and it won’t bunch up when I sit down in it. I love the dress in View A. I would probably lengthen the dress a bit but I love the sleeves on this version the best.

 

This pattern is Vogue 8467 and it was published in 1972. It’s dress, tunic and pants pattern. I love this pattern! It is so elegant. I love the upside down V under the bustline and two variations of necklines. What I also like about this pattern is that if I chose a special fabric, the longer dress could be a gown for a special occasion. Gorgeous! I like that View B’s dress has a contrasting V band and long sleeves. Looks sharp!

 

 

Simplicity 6110 is fantastic and I think my favourite of the bunch. It was published in 1973. It has wide leg pants, a knee length skirt, and an amazing short sleeved blouse. What I like about this blouse besides the collar and the cuffs on the sleeves is the narrower shoulders. The sleeves are set in higher which fits me really well. I love the wide leg pants with the cuff at the hem. I love the angled pockets on the skirt. I think that this would be really fun to make up.

 

This pattern is a Simplicity 6508 and it was published in 1974. This is a top and dress pattern which I absolutely love. It’s a “How to Sew Pattern” so it’s ideal for beginners or more advanced sewers like me who love a vintage pattern no matter the difficulty. Included in the pattern is a Tissue Lesson chart on “How to embroider cross stitches.” I like that the pattern suggests that you can style the top with the turtleneck underneath for a layered look. This has given me few ideas about a couple of the tops I own. I also love the dress! I would probably lengthen it to just below the knee and I would like to try out the cross stitching to make it uniquely mine.

 

 

The next pattern in another rare Style pattern. It’s Style 1432 which was published in 1975. It’s a nightgown, pyjama top and bottoms. It includes little shorts too. I like that there are three different types of sleeves. The ruffles over the shoulder are my favourite. I think the pants look super comfortable and that they would be very nice to lounge in around the house. I also like the different necklines. You could have a square neck line or a tied neckline.

 

 

The next pattern is a Simplicity 7625 and it was published in 1976. It’s a pleated skirt pattern in two lengths. View 3 and 4 have one pleat down the front of the skirt and Views 1 and 2 have two pleats in the front. This is one of my favourite styles of skirt. I’m looking forward to making this up.

 

 

 

This next pattern is a McCall’s 5459 which was published in 1977. It’s a set of blouse patterns that come with an Alphabet Transfer. If you take a look at view B, you will see that the scarf is monogrammed using the transfer. This pattern has a variety of next lines. I love each and every one of the blouses! There isn’t a single one that I don’t like and don’t want to make. I think that I could dress this blouse up or down depending on the fabric I use.

 

 

The next pattern is Simplicity 7847 and it was published in 1977. It’s a shirt pattern that is sized for stretch knits only. It has the pick-a-knit rule on the back to the envelope. There a four variations shown on the envelope: one has a hood, one has a collar, one has a large pocket on the front and the other has embroidery. What’s nice is that the transfer for the embroidery is included in the envelope. I think that I could have some fun with this pattern especially view A which shows the large pocket with either sketching pencils or pencil crayons. It’s kind of artsy like my Simplicity crafting jacket.

 

 

The next pattern I have is a McCall’s 5441 which was published in 1977. It’s a set of flowy tops that have different variations of the neck line. The sleeves come in two lengths and are not separate pieces from the body of shirt so I think this will be a quick and easy sew. It looks so comfortable so I can wait to make it up.

 

The next pattern is Simplicity 9176 and it was published in 1979. It’s a skirt pattern and what I love about it is the length of these skirts as well as the pleating. View 1 is a wrap skirt with side front pleats and a button waistband. My favourite is view 2 with the front pleats, waistband and a back zipper. View 3 has a double inverted pleat and a back zipper. I love all three versions!

 

 

 

This pattern is Simplicity 8972 and it was published in 1979. It’s an ESP or an “Extra-Sure Pattern” so I hope the fit will be good. It’s a top-stitched sleeveless dress that falls just below the knee and has a collar and patch pockets. There are also pockets are hidden in the side seams. The bodice of the dress is button up but my favourite feature about this dress is the elastic waistline casing which will hug my figure. I also like the lace edging and sash. I think this would make a great summer dress.

 

 

This next pattern is another E.S.P or Extra-Sure Pattern. It’s Simplicity 9178 which was published in 1979 and what’s interesting about this envelope is I think that’s a young Christie Brinkley on it. It’s a lined blazer pattern with princess seams, front button closing, notched collar, pockets and set in sleeves. It has a narrower collar than I’m used to but I think it would be nice to have a change. The more variation the better.

 

 

 

The next pattern is Vogue 8740 which was published in 1993. It’s an Ultra EZ pattern by Vogue so it should be much simpler to sew. It’s a jumper and blouse pattern. I have a thing for jumpers lately so I think I could have some fun with this pattern. I don’t think I would wear the blouse and jumper together but I think that they are great separates. I also would probably shorten the jumper by a few inches.

 

 

The next pattern is Vogue 1643 which was published in 1994. What is interesting about this pattern is I just bought the new (2019) version of Vogue 1643 and it has an elegant blazer as well. What I like about my vintage pattern is that there are four options of blazers with different pockets, collars, necklines and lengths. I love the variety.

 

 

 

I also purchased Stretch Sewing Book for $1.00. This book was published in 1971 and it is so helpful because it gives you a great understanding of the properties of knits, techniques to sew knits and how to care for knits.

 

 

 

 

Included with the Stretch Sewing Books was this bikini swimsuit pattern from Stretch Sewing. It’s pattern 160 and was published in 1971. I paid $0.25 for this pattern. There are no instructions with this pattern but I’m hoping that I can make it up with out them.

Another Stretch Sewing pattern I purchase for $0.25 was pattern 121. It’s a gored skirt pattern and was published in 1971. I think this will look really nice.

 

 

The next pattern is Stretch and Sew 718. It’s an Ann Person Collectible pattern published in 1991. It’s a stretch pants and skirt pattern but when I bought it I thought it was a shirt pattern. Even though I bought it based on the wrong garment, I still like it. It was also $0.25.

 

 

This pattern is Stretch and Sew 367 which was published in 1985. It’s an easy blouse and pullover pattern designed exclusively by Ann Person. One pattern for so many looks. Love it! This pattern was $0.25.

 

 

 

The next item I purchased was also $0.25 and it’s the patterns from the Sew Splashy swimsuit book. These patterns have never been cut and I only have one photocopied page of the instructions but I think that I should be able to sew this with minimal problems.

 

 

 

The final item I purchased was a magazine called Pingouin. It’s a knitting magazine with some beautiful designs. I’m not sure when it was published but I only paid $0.25 for it so I think it as a steal! I’ve only recently (re)learned to knit so once I’m a bit more practised, I’ll give one of the sweaters a shot.

 

 

The video below shows the patterns detail.

 

Sew this, sew that!  Amazon Sewing Kit Review
22 March 2020

I can sew anything with the Sew Simply Sewing Kit by Artika! It comes with 30 spools of thread in an assortment of colours, 30 assorted goldeneye needles, a metal thimble, stainless steel scissors, 4 fabric clips, 18 extra-long sewing pins, a seam ripper, a tape measure, a needle threader, buttons, safety pins and much more. It comes in a handy, easy to carry case. I can take this with me anywhere. It’s lightweight and portable so I can slip it in my purse or my suitcase. I like that it has so many different colours of thread because I can match the right colour of thread to the fabric when I’m sewing a button on a shirt or sewing up the front of my purchased blouses to eliminating gaping. The pins in the kit are beautiful as are the fabric clips. I has never used fabric clips before but now that I have I want to buy a bigger set for everyday use. I like that it came with a tape measure because I’m always losing mine when sewing. I found this kit on Amazon.ca for $17.97 CAD. It’s a great value for the price.

Link to Amazon Sew Simply Sewing Kit by Artika.

 

I’m Sew into this!  McCall’s Pattern Haul
9 March 2020

The McCall’s pattern company had another sale and with the prices being so low, I couldn’t help myself! I bought 12 stunning patterns!

 

The first pattern I purchased was Vogue 9040. It’s a Vogue Basic Design pattern. This pattern is so elegant! It’s a lined, fitted and flared coat with collar variations, princess seams with optional sleeve heading, side-front pockets and two-piece sleeves. Variations include a Peter Pan collar, pleated and detachable cuffs, fold back cuffs, sleeve slits, and an angled shawl. I love the lengths of these jackets. Most versions fall below the knees and that is the perfect length for all my dresses and skirts. I’m looking forward to making this up for next fall / winter.

 

 

Now onto a summer pattern. The second pattern I purchased is Vogue 9192,  a wrap-top bikini, a one piece swimsuit and a cover-up. All pieces are close-fitting, cut on the crosswise grain and elasticized. What really caught my eye about this pattern besides the swimsuits was the cover-up. I like the long sleeves. I think that if I made up the swimsuit and put the cover-up over top of it, I wouldn’t have to swim in a t-shirt anymore because the cover-up is made from swimsuit fabric.

 

 

The next pattern goes really well with the swimsuit pattern. It’s Vogue 9308. It’s a lined hat pattern with both misses’ and children sizes are in the same envelope. View A has a purchased ribbon band and back lacing while view B has a contrast tie. View C has purchased silk flowers and leaves. What I really liked about this pattern is the large brim of the hat. I wear a hat every day to prevent sunburn and this hat’s large brim will shield my face from the sun’s damaging UV rays.

 

 

 

The next pattern is a Very Easy Vogue pattern. It’s Vogue 8871. It’s a fit and flare pullover dress made for two-way stretch knits only. It has seam detail, a rounded neckline and a narrow hem. I like the inserts on the midriff. I could make those up in another colour fabric or cut them on the crosswise grain to make my dress extra special. I also love the length of this dress.

 

 

 

The next pattern I purchased is a Lisette pattern by Butterick. It’s Butterick 6168. It’s a lovely tunic and dress pattern with a keyhole neckline. The tunic and dress have a front neck tab, raised waist, front pleated bodice and a gathered skirt. This pattern looks so fun! I might add long sleeves and some additional length to the dress hem.

 

 

 

The next pattern I purchased is Butterick 6684. This is a pullover top with a collar that extends into ties ends. It has neckline, armhole, and sleeve variations. This looks like a cute summer top. I love the bows and the ruffled sleeves. I think I could dress up this top for work or dress it down for a more casual look.

 

 

The next pattern is Butterick 6655. This is a great dress! It’s fitted and can be worn with or without the sash and has a lapped back zipper and mock button front. It has top-stitching detail and length and sleeve variations. I love that this dress has buttons up the front but the back actually has a zipper. This pattern has given me a few ideas about other dress patterns I have. Maybe I’ll sneak a back zipper into another dress pattern and have a mock button front instead of functional buttons. So many ideas!

 

 

Now onto the McCall’s patterns. The first one I purchased is McCall’s 8007. It’s a flared pants pattern with a front fly and belt carriers. I’m moving away from skinny or tight fitting pants and jeans into more flared and wide leg pants. It’s something different and I think it will make a nice change to my wardrobe. I like the seam down the front the legs of these pants because I think that it will make my legs look longer and slimmer.

 

 

The next pattern I purchased is McCall’s 7869. It’s a pullover top pattern with length, sleeve and fabric variations. It’s for moderate stretch knits only. I love the lace insert in the front of the top with the ruffles. I think it will make up as a great casual top with a feminine flair.

 

 

 

The next pattern I purchased is McCall’s 7657. This is an out of print pattern that was included in the sale. It’s a banded v-neck pullover top pattern. There are different sleeve variations and lengths. I love the ruffles along the princess seams down the front of the top as well as the banded v-neck. I also love that it’s a pullover rather than a button up blouse.

 

 

The next pattern I purchased was KwikSew 4132. I was really pleased to see KwikSew included in the sale. This is a beautiful dress pattern with a sweetheart neckline. It has a close fitting bodice with side front seams and semi-fitted A-line skirt. I think that the three-quarter length sleeves are quite nice on this dress and that the sweetheart neckline and A-line skirt as very flattering. I think I might lengthen the skirt just a couple of inches to cover up my knees. I find that length of skirt much more comfortable.

 

The last pattern I purchased is Vogue 1654. This is a special occasion dress pattern with custom cup sizes. The dress has a faux wrap bodice, pleated skirt and sleeves. There are two sleeve and length variations as well. I love everything about this dress. I love the longer skirt and longer sleeves. It’s so elegant.

 

As an added bonus my new patterns came with pamphlets of the new patterns that unfolded into small posters. Perfect inspiration for my sewing space. Printed on the front of the pamphlets were discount codes for me to use on my next online purchase of any Butterick, McCall’s, Vogue, or Kwik Sew patterns. I’ve already added patterns to my wishlist!

The video below shows the patterns in detail.

 

Can I Kick Pleat? How to modify a skirt pattern to add a kick pleat
28 February 2020

“What is a kick pleat?” you may be asking. A kick pleat is an inverted pleat in a narrow skirt, like a pencil skirt that allows freedom of movement and in today’s video I show you how to modify a skirt pattern to include a kick pleat.

If your skirt has a vent in the back, you could add a kick pleat instead. The first kick pleat I ever sewed was from the 1959 McCall’s pattern 5136 and I’m going to use that kick pleat as a guide for this tutorial. 

 

 

How Low Can You Go! Fabric Haul @ Lens Mills
23 February 2020

Can I get 75? Can I get 85? Yes, I got 85% off my fabric at Len’s Mill Factory Outlet!

Len’s Mill, a huge factory outlet selling fabrics, craft supplies, housewares and so much more had a winter sale to clear out some of their inventory. Their entire selection of previously reduced fabrics was 75% off the lowest ticketed price and if you finished the bolt, then it was 85% off. I could not pass up this sale! When I arrived at the store, I think I was so excited about the fabric sale, that I couldn’t find the fabric so I had to ask a customer service associate. She was very helpful and told me that if the fabric had been reduced in price, then it as included in the sale. I said to her “Any fabric that was reduced?” and she said “yes, any fabric.” I was in fabric heaven! There were hundreds of bolts to choose from! My boyfriend with his infinite patience grabbed a shopping cart and left it with me and my mum while he toured the store. By the time he got back to me, my cart was loaded with fabric. Most of my fabric ended up being 85% off!

At one point during this fabric haul my mum and I practically dove into the remnant bin to find the other end of a piece of fabric. We actually took our winter coats off, set our purses aside and rolled up our sleeves. In the end this piece of fabric was just too large and wasn’t included in the 75% off sale so we skipped on it.

After we had all our fabric measured, cut and priced, we saw 4 bolts of green lace fabric that was advertised in the flyer for 29 cents a yard! 29 cents! It was 60 inches wide and 100% polyester. We didn’t have a project in mind for this fabric but at 29 cents a yard, we couldn’t go wrong so we each bought 4 metres.

The video below shows the gorgeous fabric:

 

It’s a hoot!  Fun owl pattern and more at the Optimist Thrift Shop
22 February 2020

My own personal thrift shopper? My mum went thrifting for me at the Optimist Thrift Shop and she purchased six patterns for me. Each pattern was $0.25 so there was no way she could pass them up.

New Look 6345

This pattern really makes me smile because my mum made a similar pattern up for me to wear to a dance when I was a teenager. I wore it the shorter version but with the t-shirt underneath. It was all the rage in 90s. This pattern was originally printed in 1995.

 

 

 

New Look 6203

This pattern reminds me of one of the first patterns that I made up when I was learning to sew. I originally made it up in a deep red fabric with a gold print. I made my own type of belt for it too. I wore this tunic so much that I actually wore it out. The fabric started to deteriorate but I saved the frog closures… perhaps for another project one day. This pattern was originally printed in 2011.

 

McCall’s 6482

I know exactly why my mum bought this pattern for me… because I love owls! I think that the blanket is a nice size for the couch so I can snuggle up and watch some YouTube videos without my knees getting cold. This pattern was originally printed in 2011.

 

 

Burda 6527

I really like this v-neck of this dress as well as the below the knee length. I’ve moved towards more dresses and skirts that are below the knee or tea length. I think they’re quite elegant. I like how the additional panels of fabric in the skirt make it look fuller.

 

 

New Look 6670

This dress pattern really caught my eye. I love the collar and the buttons up the front of the dress. I like the different sleeve lengths as well as the different lengths of skirt so you could make this pattern up for really hot days in the summer or slightly warms days in the spring.

 

 

Burda 2981

This pattern is made for knits so I think it would be quite comfortable. I love the look of the blouse and the pants. I’d make the dress up a little longer so I could lounge around in it.

I was really pleased that my mum grabbed these patterns for me. It really made me smile to receive all these patterns including two throwback patterns to my youth.

 

 

Snip! Snip! Snip! Amazon Singer Scissors Review
22 February 2020

There’s no such thing as just a pair of scissors! Now if you’re a sewer like me you know that you have a pair of scissors for everything. You have pair for cutting fabric, one for thread, one for paper and you may even have a pair of pinking shears. For the non-sewers, you’re probably wondering why so many pairs of scissors? Here’s the reason: If you use your fabric scissors on paper, the paper dulls the blades quicker making it harder to cut precisely. These Singer 9 1/2 inch Pro Series Bent Sewing Scissors have a rubberized comfort grip handle and easily cut through multiple layers of fabric. The blades are tempered and ground on both sides for increased sharpness and longer life. They also come with a lifetime guarantee. I love these scissors. They cut through my fabric like a hot knife through butter. They’re really impressive for the price. I purchased them from Amazon.ca for $15.99 CAD.

Link to Amazon Singer 9 1/2 inch Pro Series Bent Sewing Scissors

 

Testing the waters…  My first online pattern order!
21 February 2020

I’ve never ordered patterns online so for my first time I decided to order from the Vogue patterns website because the patterns were on sale for $6.99 USD each with $10 USD shipping fees to ship from Manhattan, Kansas to Canada. (The shipping fees were based on the number of patterns bought and the destination country so be sure to check the rates for no surprises. I ordered five patterns:

Vogue 9282

 

This is a wide leg pants pattern from the very easy Vogue collection. All sizes are included in the envelope. What I liked about this pattern was the width of the legs as well as the seams down the front and back of the legs. I feel that this seam makes my legs look longer and slimmer. This pants pattern comes with a back zipper however it can be easily moved to the front of the pants. Another thing I liked about these pants is that they do not have a waistband. When I first started sewing I had a New Look pattern that was very similar and I actually wore out the pattern because I used it so much. This pattern is fun with the buttons up the front of the tummy; reminds me of sailor pants.

 

Vogue 8888

This lingerie pattern is a robe, camisole, slip and panties pattern. What caught my attention about this patterns was that the tie for the robe as attached to the back. I also loved both variations of the sleeves. I have three different fabrics and laces that I’m really looking forward to using for this pattern. When I make up this pattern, I’ll probably make up some of my other lingerie patterns at the same time so I can put them all together assembly line style.

 

Vogue 9372

 

This lined dress pattern is a Very Easy Vogue and is fitted through the bust and hips. I love the sleeves and flounce hem with two different lengths. I bought some black fabric with gold embroidery that I would love to use for this dress. Maybe I’ll make it up for Christmas?

 

 

 

Vogue 9197

This second dress is also a Very Easy Vogue pattern and what’s nice about it is that it comes with custom cup sizes. I bought this pattern because the skirt is cut on the crosswise grain and I’d love to use come of my striped fabric to emphasize the different cut. I love the length of the dress. I’ve moved away from skirts above the knee to skirts below the knee. I’ve noticed that Kate Middleton is wearing more skirts below the knee and I think she looks quite elegant with the longer length.

Vogue 1643

 

My fifth and final pattern is my favourite of the bunch! It’s a jacket pattern in two lengths, dress, and skirt pattern. I love this pattern! I love the cut of this jacket, the ribbon trim and the patch pockets. I’ll make this jacket up in the longer length. I love the pleated skirt as well. I like that it is pleated in the front but not the back which reduces the bulk and weight of the skirt. If I were to make up the dress, I would lengthen it a few inches and add a kick pleat in the back rather than the slit to give it a more finished look.

As an added bonus, in the shipping envelope with my new patterns were pamphlets that unfolded into small posters of all the new patterns. Printed on the front of the pamphlets were discount codes for me to use on my next online purchase of any Butterick, McCall’s, Vogue, or Kwik Sew patterns. I’m already planning my next purchase!