Sew a Drawstring Beret
8 July 2023

Today we’re doing a sewalong to The Drawstring Beret from Saturday Night Hat by Eugenia Kim. I’ve always loved hats! I’ve made two hats from Saturday Night Hat so I thought go for the hat-trick and sew a third!

 

Three Knitting Books and One Sewing Book
1 July 2023

In today’s video I show you my book haul from Book Outlet including three beautiful knitting books and one lovely sewing book.

 

Sew a Patchwork Scarf
24 June 2023

Today we’re doing a sewalong to The Patchwork Scarf from Everyday Style by Lotta Jansdotter.  For this project you will need five pieces of fabric. You can use five different fabrics or repeat the fabrics for your favourite look. Lotta recommended using fabrics that looks good on both sides since scarves are reversible. I chose a red satin, a black polyester, a gorgeous plaid and a striped green fabric.

 

Sew a Classic Beret
10 June 2023

In today’s video, we’re doing a sewalong to The Classic Beret from Saturday Night Hat by Eugenia Kim.  I’ve always loved hats and I’ve made quite a few on BudgetSew! I sewed Vogue 7784 out of a luxurious black velvet with gold embroidery, big brimmed Vogue 8405 out of stiff denim, Butterick 3055 out of some solid and plaid polyester remnants, and The Newsboy from Saturday Night Hat out of a fun knit houndstooth. I had such fun sewing those hats that I decided to grab my Saturday Night Hat book and whip up another hat!

I chose a beautiful green, red, black and gold plaid for my hat.  I bought the plaid fabric from a Fabricland store closing sale in Stratford, Ontario. The fabric was originally $26.00 a metre but they had it on clearance for $6.50 a metre, and since the store was closing, I received an additional 50% off. There were only 1.2 metres left on the bolt but I really liked the plaid and was sure that I could make something nice out of it. Since I had 1.2 metres of fabric, I decided to make a matching bag. I chose Simplicity 9553, view 2 from 1971.

 

Sew a Newsboy Cap
13 May 2023

Today we’re doing a sewalong to The Newsboy cap from Saturday Night Hat by Eugenia Kim.  I’ve always loved hats! If I’m leaving the house I always have on a hat. Hats not only keep my face protected from the sun in the summer and my ears warm in the winter but I feel that they really project a complete, stylish look. So I grabbed my Saturday Night Hat book and whipped up a new hat!

Saturday Night Hats recommended a heavy cotton canvas, denim, or wool for the best results for the newsboy. I used a medium weight knitted houndstooth that I bought from Value Village. There was approximately 1.25 metres and I paid $5.99 for the full piece. Even though the pattern did not recommended a knit fabric, I chose the houndstooth because it was the same pattern that Eugenia chose, just a different colour. My fabric was black and beige but Eugenia’s was black and white.

 

Vogue 8405 Hat
3 September 2022

In today’s video we’re doing a sewalong to Vogue 8405, view A, in a size large.  Vogue 8405 is a Vogue Accessories pattern was published in 2007. I bought this pattern on Sale from Fabricland years ago. 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.

The recommended fabrics are twill, embroidered twill, raw silk, pique, jacquard, home decorating fabrics and canvas. The fabric that I chose was a medium weight denim that I purchased at the Len’s Mill store in London, Ontario as part of a 40% off remnant sale. 

 

 

Vogue V9282 Pants Sewalong
21 May 2022

Today’s video is a sewalong to Vogue V9282, view C in a size 16.  Vogue V9282 is a pattern for semi-fitted pants with no waistband, a back zipper and leg variations. View A’s pants are cropped above the ankle. View B and C are full length. Views A and B have slits at the hem with buttons. This pattern has all sizes in one envelope. The pattern sheets are grouped for sizes 6 to 14 and sizes 16 to 22. Since I made my pants in a size 16, I gave the pattern pieces for sizes 6 to 14 to my mum so she could make a pair, too!

I bought this 2017 pattern online in 2019 from the McCall’s pattern website which has since been renamed somethingdelightful.com. It was originally $35.00 Canadian but I bought it on sale for $6.99 American. 

The made two alterations to this pattern were that I lengthened the pants by 4 inches along the lengthen or shorten lines and I moved the zipper from the back to the pants to the front. When I moved the zipper from the front to the back, I had to make sure that I cut the front and back facings differently. I added 5/8 of an inch to the front facing and did not place it on a fold, in addition, I removed 5/8 of an inch of the back facing and placed it on the fold.

The recommended fabrics are crepe back satin, gabardine, and lightweight denim. The fabric that I chose was a medium weight denim that I purchased at the Len’s Mill store in London, Ontario as part of a 40% off remnant sale. The fabric was in a bin of denim remnants that were sold by the pound.

This denim caught my eye because it was 60 inches wide, had a bright red wrong side of the fabric and there was lots of it. It weighed 5.41 pounds and was $4.49 a pound originally for a total of $24.29. With the 40% discount, I paid $14.55 which broke down to $2.69 a pound. 

Since I had 5.41 ponds of denim which worked out to be just over 4 metres, I plenty of fabric left over for other projects including McCall’s 8007, fun flared jeans or bellbottoms and Vogue 8405, a lovely full brimmed hat. So stay tuned to BudgetSew for the sewalongs for those patterns.

 

McCall’s M2811 Holiday Apron Sewalong
17 December 2021

On the 17^th day of Vlogmas we are doing a sewalong to McCall’s 2811, view C because what’s Christmas without a Christmas apron.  I bought McCall’s 2811 for $2.99 at Value Village thrift store. You may remember this pattern from my sewing haul video Start the Car!  In that video, I bought an armload of sewing patterns and sewing supplies for a fantastically low price! It was as if someone cleaned out part of their sewing room and donated it to my sewing stash! I was thrilled!

McCall’s 2811 was published in 2000 and is part of their Retro Collection from the 1950s. There are five apron variations included in this pattern. Apron A has a back wrap., and aprons B through E have a back tie closure. Aprons B, D, and E have contrast variations. I chose to make view C but with two fabrics so it has a view E feel but uses less fabric.

The suggested fabrics are cotton and cotton blends, chambray, broadcloth, gingham and lightweight denim. The first fabric that I chose was given to me by my mum. She thought it would be perfect for a Christmas apron. She bought it from Len’s Mill store during a huge fabric sale.

Lens Mills, a huge factory outlet that sells fabrics, craft supplies, housewares and sew much more had a massive 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, it was 85% off. This lovely fabric was included.

It was previously reduced to $5.49 a metre and there were 2.2 metres left on the bolt. That means that prior to this sale she would have paid $12.08 for this fabric BUT since she bought the last of the bolt during this sale, she got 85% off the total price so she paid $1.81. 

The second fabric I chose was a gorgeous red satin. This is one of the scraps of fabric that I received from FabCycle. They collect fabric scraps from Vancouver apparel manufacturers and have production offcuts, swatches, and other wonderful textures and colours of fabrics. The scraps are free but you have to pay shipping or pick up the scraps from their Vancouver based ReUSE Centre.

 

 

Simplicity S9749 Mittens
10 December 2021

In today’s video we are doing a sewalong to Simplicity 9749, view G.  I bought Simplicity 9749 at Value Village thrift stores for $1.99. This pattern is a Misses’, Men’s, and Teens’ Outerwear Accessories Pattern. View A is an unlined vest with patch pockets. View B is a beret with an elasticized edge. The hat in view C has the top tied with braid. The hat in view D is in three colours with a turn up band. View E is a headband with a Velcro closure. The neck gaiter, view F has turned and stitched edges. The mittens in view G has elasticized wrists and contrast tops and scarf H is in three colours with a self fringe.

 

The recommended fabrics are soft wool melton, fleece and double faced fleece. The fabric that I chose for the body of the mittens was a navy blue woven polyester that was 150cm wide and just over 3 metres long. I bought this fabric at Value Village thrift store for $4.99.

I thought it would be nice to have mittens to match the Butterick hat B3055 that I sewed last week.  

 

 

 

 

Butterick 3055 Hat Sewalong
3 December 2021

Today is December 3^rd and the third day of Vlogmas! Vlogmas is a holiday event where YouTube creators such as myself post a video every day in December leading up to Christmas. In today’s video we are doing a sewalong to Butterick 3055, view B.

I bought Butterick 3055 for $2.99 at Value Village thrift stores. This hat pattern was published in 1993 and the pattern envelope included patterns and instructions for nine different hats and each hat is offered in three sizes – small 22” or 56 cm, medium 23” or 59 cm, and large 24” or 61 cm. My favourite hat is view B with the plaid top and under-brim. This pattern reminds me a denim hat with a pink flower that I had as a child. I wore it all summer long and even on our family trip to Disney in Florida.

The recommended fabrics for view B are lightweight woolens, tweeds, velveteen, polar fleece, and corduroy. The first fabric that I chose was a navy blue woven polyester that was 150cm wide and just over 3 metres long. I bought this fabric at Value Village thrift store for $4.99.

You may recognize the blue fabric from one of my videos. It’s the same fabric as my Simplicity crafting jacket. Simplicity 4183 appeared in my Fabricland Fabric Haul video.  I thought that I had used all this fabric and did not have a single remnant left but it just reappeared in my fabric trunk. What a surprise it was to discover more fabric! When I sewed the crafting jacket, I thought that I did not have enough fabric left for a belt so I had to piece together a belt with the 10 scraps of fabric that I had left over from grading down the jacket to a smaller size. 

The second fabric that I chose was a vibrant plaid with the pink, red, orange, yellow, blue and purple stripes. I bought this fabric at Value Village thrift stores for $7.99 for the piece. It’s a beautiful woven polyester. This piece of fabric was approximately 60 inches wide but less than 2 yards long. The tag on the fabric indicated that it was 6 feet long but there was a big piece cut out of the middle of the fabric so this was definitely a remnant.

Normally I wouldn’t pay that much for a remnant but I did get 20% off my purchase because I donated a couple bags of clothing. I used this fabric to convert a sleeveless summer dress into a fall dress by lengthening the skirt and adding sleeves.

My video below takes you step by step through the hat making process.

 

 

 

 

Vogue V8391 Top, View A
24 September 2021

In today’s video I’m wearing Vogue V8391, view A, in a size 16.  I purchased this Very Easy Vogue pattern in a Vogue pattern sale at Fabricland more than 10 years ago. This pattern was published in 2007. Its a wrap shirt with collar and neck variations, side tie and machine stitched hems. View A is sleeveless, view B is short sleeves and view C has ¾ length sleeves with a roll up cuff. I made up the top with view A’s neckline and view C’s ¾ length sleeves. I loved view A’s collar and neckline. You may remember this top from my Thrifted Sewing Pattern Haul video. 

I bought the fabric at Fabricland in the clearance section $7.00 a metre, originally $29.00 a metre so I bought 2 metres. I couldn’t pass up this beautiful fabric. I loved the white rope pattern on the emerald green fabric. I thought that it went well with all the blue and white fabrics I had bought at the time for a nautical look. Even though the pattern calls for broadcloth, lightweight linen, or crepe, I chose this cotton mix fabric because it has just a hint of stretch.

I didn’t make any alterations to the pattern pieces before cutting the fabric but once I had the shirt in one piece, I decided not to cuff the sleeves so that they would be full length instead. This is a lovely top but a bit too low cut for me so I always wear it with a camisole.

 

Butterick B4403 Top
17 September 2021

In my new video, I’m wearing the top from Butterick 4403, in a size 16.  Butterick 4403 was published in 1996 and is a Family Circle Casual Career pattern that includes a jacket, vest, top, skirt, shorts, and pants.  The very loose-fitting, unlined, below the hip jacket has a collar, forward shoulder seams, shoulder pads, pockets, side slits, and long sleeves.

The loose-fitting, lined vest has low armholes.  The close-fitting top has a back zipper and long sleeves. You may remember this top from my Butterick 4403 sewalong video.  The A-line, bias skirt, is above the ankle length, the shorts are above the mid-knee, and the tapered pants have an elastic waist. All have stitched hems.  The skirt has a waistband, and the pants and shorts have pockets.

I purchased this pattern from Value Village for $1.99. The original price of this pattern brand new in 1996 was $15.95 CAD but I was very lucky to find it at such a low price, uncut and factory folded. The link to the video where I purchased this pattern is right here.

I chose to make up this pattern in a size 16 based on the measurements on the pattern envelope. Since it is a close fitting top, I knew the ease would be minimal and I didn’t want to make it too small. Looking at the pattern pieces for the front and back I could see that the top was very form fitting.

 

The pattern envelope indicates that the top should be made out of moderate stretch knits only such as cotton interlock and jersey. The fabric that I chose was a textured knit that I purchased at the Len’s Mill store in London, Ontario as part of a 40% off remnant sale. I purchased two pieces of fabric approximately 60 inches wide by 0.944 yards long. Each remnant was the exact same size. It was $6.99 a yard originally but I got them for the great price of $3.96 each.

 

Vogue V7784 Hat, view F, Hat
10 September 2021

Happy Friday, everyone!  In today’s video, we’re doing a sewalong to Vogue V7784, view F.  Vogue V7784 was published in 2003 and the pattern envelope includes patterns and instructions to make seven lined hats. Each hat is offered in three sizes. Hat A has a self-fringe. Hat B has a quilted top. Hats C and D have contrast sections and topstitched brim. Hats E and F have larger top-stitched brims and Hat G is self lined. I bought this pattern on sale from Fabricland over 10 years ago.

The suggested fabrics for view F were denim and pinwale corduroy but I decided to make my hat out of black velvet with a swirling gold pattern. I bought my fabric at Value Village thrift store on Oxford Street in London, Ontario 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 broke down to $3.76 a metre! What a steal!

This pattern shows layouts for 115 and 150 cm wide fabric but my fabric was 140cm wide so I used my own layout making the best use of the fabric and keeping with the nap of the velvet. Since I had 8.5 metres of it, I had plenty of fabric left over for other projects including Simplicity 8243 – a fun jumper.

I also made Butterick 6523 – a classic blazer.  I also refashioned a pair of skinny jeans into flared bellbottom jeans using this fabric.  I also had enough fabric for Simplicity 9553 – a vintage bag. 

The lining fabric is pinky peach with black designs that I bought about 10 years ago from Len’s Mill store in London, Ontario. I use this fabric all the time and I have lots left over. This fabric was used for Vogue 8992, lined, wrap dress (fitted through the bust) that has the front extending into a collar, princess seams, inside ties and hook and eye closing.

The video below takes you step by step through the sewing process of Vogue V7784. 

 

 

McCall’s M7869, Top
3 September 2021

In today’s video, I’m wearing McCall’s M7869 in a size large.  This pattern is a pullover top pattern with length, sleeve, and fabric variations. View A and B have flounces, view C has a contrast yoke and view D has purchased piping. Now I didn’t pick a specific view for this pattern. I did a mix up two views. I chose view A with the flounce at the yoke on the front of the top only but with view C’s sleeve and lower band. You may remember this top from my McCall’s 7869 sewalong video. 

This pattern was originally published in 2018 but I bought it on sale this year off the McCall’s pattern website. The original price of this pattern was $19.99 US but it’s sale price was $3.99 and I had a 10% off coupon code from ordering from their website previously so I paid $3.59 plus shipping to Canada. 

I chose to make up this pattern in a size large based on the measurements on the pattern envelope but I ended up making it too big because I didn’t look at the individual pattern pieces to see how much ease there was before cutting it out and sewing. Based on those measurements I should have made a size medium.

The fabric that I chose is a textured knit that I purchased at the Lens Mills store in London, Ontario as part of a 40% off remnant sale. I purchased two pieces of fabric approximately 60 inches wide by 0.944 yards long. Each remnant was the exact same size. It was $6.99 a yard originally but I got them for the great price of $3.96 each. 

In addition that fabric, I used contrasting knit fabric that I purchased from Value Village for $4.99. I used the majority of that fabric for a vintage pattern make: Simplicity 6260. The link to the video of that dress is right here at the top of the screen. After making that dress, all that was left was a remnant of less than 1 yard. Even though I had very little fabric to work with, it was the perfect amount for the neck band, front flounce and sleeve bands.  The video below shows the top in detail.

 

 

Simplicity S9553, View 2, Bag
27 August 2021

Today’s video is a sewalong to Simplicity 9553, view 2.  Simplicity 9553 was published in 1971 and 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. 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 bought this pattern about 10 years ago from Value Village thrift stores for $0.99.

The suggested fabrics are velveteen, suede cloth, ribless corduroy, denim, canvas, duck, homespun, hopsacking, linen, leather-like fabric. Corduroy may also be used for view 2. View 2 and 3 also in tapestry and upholstery fabric.

I decided to make my bag out of black velvet with a swirling gold 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 broke down to $3.76 a metre! 

This pattern shows layouts for 89, 92, 112, 114, and 137 cm wide fabric but my fabric was 140cm wide so I used my own layout making the best use of the fabric and keeping with the nap of the velvet. Since I had 8.5 metres of it, I had plenty of fabric left over for other projects including Simplicity 8243 – a fun jumper.

I also made Butterick 6523 – a classic blazer. I also refashioned a pair of skinny jeans into flared bellbottom jeans using this fabric.  There was also enough fabric for Vogue 7784 – a gorgeous hat. So stay tuned to BudgetSew for that sewalong.

The lining fabric is pinky peach with black designs that I bought about 10 years ago from Len’s Mill store in London, Ontario. I use this fabric all the time and I have lots left over.

The last project it was used for was Vogue 8992 is a lined, wrap dress (fitted through the bust) that has the front extending into a collar, princess seams, inside ties and hook and eye closing.

The video below takes you step by step through the process of sewing Simplicity S9553.  

 

 

Simplicity S2648, View C, Dress
20 August 2021

My video below shows some the wardrobe patterns that I have collected over the years but I show one of my makes. In the video, I’m wearing Simplicity 2648 in a size 16.  Simplicity 2648 is an Amazing Fit Collection pattern that has individual pattern pieces for slim, average and curvy fits, as well as A, B, C and D cups sizes. The bodice follows the contours of the bust smoothly, the neckline lays flat against the body, the waistline seam sits at the natural waistline, and the skirt seams fit smoothly over the body shape.

The dress has princess seams in the front and darts in the back. It has capped sleeves, shorts sleeves with gathering at the sleeve cap with a band at the bottom, or sleeveless with armhole facings. The dress has an optional front tap with a buckle or two buttons. It has a curved or V-neck and falls above mid-knee.

I bought this pattern a few years ago from Fabricland but I can’t remember how much I paid. The original price of the pattern was $17.95 American but I can’t see myself paying more than $6.00 Canadian. That’s my cut off price because I won’t pay full price for sewing patterns.

I made some modifications to the pattern. I made view C with view A’s sleeves with the average fit pattern pieces. I lengthened the skirt by 7 inches and I removed the sleeve bands after I sewed them because they pulled on the shoulder seams and looked sloppy. I also replaced the slit in the back of the skirt with a kick pleat.

 

The fabric is a lightweight knit from Fabricland. It was on sale for $4.75 metre so I purchased 4 metres. The fabric is 100% polyester so it’s a great wash and wear fabric. Since I try to squeeze out as much as I can from a piece of fabric, I also I made a top – McCall’s 6355, view C, and a skirt – Kwik Sew 3195, view B. I also used two vintage gold buttons for the front tab.  The video below shows the dress in detail as well as the wardrobe patterns for the thrifty.

 

 

Butterick 6523, View A, Jacket
6 August 2021

Hi everyone! In this video we’re doing a sewalong to Butterick 6523, view A.  Butterick 6523 was published in 2017 and is jacket, sash, and pants pattern. These loose-fitting jackets have neckline variations. Views A and B have a collar and a self tie belt. View B has a contrast collar. View C has attached tie ends and a snap closure. The fitted pants have wide front and back yoke and a side invisible zipper.

My Mum bought this pattern for herself for $5.99 from the discard from Fabricland. She was showing me this pattern and asking if I liked it and I told her I loved it. She said good, because I bought you a copy, too! I was thrilled!

The suggested fabrics were velvet, satin cotton belnds, gabardine, crepe, and shantung. I chose to make my bag out of black velvet with a swirling gold 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 broke down to $3.76 a metre! What a steal!

This pattern shows layouts for 115 and 150 cm wide fabric but my fabric was 140 cm wide so I used my own layout making the best use of the fabric and keeping with the nap of the velvet. Since I had 8.5 metres of it, I had plenty of fabric left over for other projects including Simplicity 8243 – a fun jumper. 

I also had enough fabric for Vogue 7784 – a gorgeous hat; and Simplicity 9553 – a vintage bag. So stay tuned to BudgetSew for the sewalongs for those patterns. I also refashioned a pair of skinny jeans into flared bellbottom jeans using this fabric. 

I used black sew in non-woven pre-shrunk interfacing that I bought from Fabricland on sale. It was regularly $1.49 a package that included a piece of interfacing measuring 1 metre by 55 cm but I bought it at the low price of $0.50. I didn’t have quite enough of this interfacing because I used it for other projects so I also used white fusible interfacing and sewed it to the velvet rather than press it. I didn’t fuse the interfacing to the jacket because the iron will pucker and pull the velvet in different ways.  The video below shows the jacket in detail.

 

 

Vogue 9204, View C Top
23 July 2021

In today’s video I’m wearing Vogue 9204 view C in a size 16.  I purchased Vogue 9204 from Fabricland from the discard bin for $5.99. It’s a loose fitting pullover top with the collar extending into tie ends, back yoke with pleats, narrow hem and sleeve variations. View A has a stitched hem on the sleeves. View A & B have a shaped hemline and view C is longer with side slits. I liked view C’s longer length. I can tuck this top into my skirt or wear it over a pair of jeans just I did in my Purse Handle Repair video. 

The fabric is a blue polyester print so it’s a great wash and wear fabric. I bought it in the clearance section at Fabricland for $7.00 a metre and I bought the last of the bolt which was 1.1 metres. Now that wasn’t quite enough fabric to make this top so I improved and I used some blue remnant fabric for the back yoke of the top as well as the bottom portion of the sleeves. I bought the blue polyester remnant fabric on sale for $4.00 meter and used 3.2 metres of it for a dress. Vogue 8992. 

I added two vintage buttons to each cuff to make them appear to be button up. The buttons were originally my Nana’s and I was lucky enough to inherit them. If you love buttons as much as I do then check out my Buttons, Buttons, & More Buttons video. The video below show the top.

 

 

McCalls M6355 Top and Kwik Sew 3195 Skirt
16 July 2021

Hi everyone!  In the video below I’m wearing McCalls M6355 and Kwik Sew 3195.  The top that I’m wearing is McCall’s 6355. I made the ¾ length sleeve top in view C. I purchased this pattern from Fabricland and originally made up the dress for a Spice Girl Halloween costume. Ginger Spice!  This pattern includes a semi-fitted top and dress that have optional front and back vertical darts, self neck binding, and optional invisible zipper. This is a Palmer Pletsch pattern that was published in 2011. These patterns are known for their great fit. The front of the pattern envelope even says “Fashion that Fits.”

Palmer Pletsch patterns recommend pinning the pattern pieces together and then trying it on. I didn’t do that. I made up this top in a size 16 but it was too big so I added front and back neck darts to remove the excess fabric around the neckline. It also raised the shoulder seam so that it sat on the shoulder rather than on the arm. The next time I make up this pattern, I’ll check the ease, make it in a smaller size, maybe a size 12 or 14, and pin the pattern pieces together to check the fit. That should eliminate the alternations I made.

The skirt that I’m wearing is Kwik Sew 3195, view B. It’s a pull on skirt with an elastic waist. View A and B have various shaped panels with gussets in side seams. On view A the grain lines are marked for being made from striped fabric. The drawing for view B shows three different fabrics but I used only one. View C and D are gored skirts with 16 panels. This pattern was designed for light to medium weight woven fabrics but I made it up in a knit. I love the drape and movement of the skirt. I love the length of the skirt and the elastic waist is so comfortable. I think next time I make up this skirt, I’ll try the three different woven fabrics as suggested in the picture.

 

The fabric is a lightweight knit from Fabricland. It was on sale for $4.75 metre so I purchased 4 metres. The fabric is 100% polyester so it’s a great wash and wear fabric. Since I try to squeeze out as much as I can from a piece of fabric, I also made a dress Simplicity 2648. 

My video below shows the top, McCall’s M6355, view C, and the skirt, Kwik Sew 3195, view B in detail.  

 

 

McCall’s M6355 Top, View C
2 July 2021

In today’s video I’m wearing McCall’s 6355 in a size 16.  I purchased this pattern from Fabricland for a Ginger Spice Spice Girl Halloween costume. I made the Union Jack dress out of a flag. I also made a nurse’s costume with the same pattern. The link to the video with those dresses is right here at the top of the screen. In addition to the dresses, I also made the same top that I’m wearing, view C with the ¾ length sleeves in another knit fabric. 

This pattern includes a semi-fitted top and dress that have optional front and back vertical darts, self neck binding, and optional invisible zipper. This is a Palmer / Pletsch pattern that was published in 2011. These patterns are known for their great fit. The front of the pattern envelope even says “Fashion that Fits.” Palmer/Pletsch always recommends pinning the pattern pieces together and trying it on for a perfect fit.

 

I made the ¾ length sleeve top in view C. I added 3 inches to the length so it was longer than the other top. I made up this pattern three times before and each time I made it, it was too large. To fix it, I added front and back neck darts to remove the excess fabric around the neckline. Those darts raised the shoulder seam so that it sat at the shoulder rather than on the arm. To avoid future alterations, I will pin the pattern pieces together and look at the ease of the pattern before cutting it out of fabric. Despite the changes, I’m very happy with how the top turned out.

 

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. You may recognize this fabric from a dress that I made, vintage Simplicity 6082.

My Vogue Sewing Pattern Haul video below showcases the top.

 

 

Vogue V1051 Pants
27 June 2021

Hi Everyone!  In today’s video I’m wearing Vogue 1051 in a size 16.  This is an Alice + Olivia Vogue American Designer pant pattern that was published in 2008.  You may remember these pants from my vintage pattern haul where I paired it with Vogue top 7871. The link to that pattern haul is right here. I also made these pants up years ago to wear on a trip to England. They are super comfortable.

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 a below waistline contour waistband with fly zipper closing, front and back welt pockets and back button loops. View A has contrast welts and loops and view B has turn back cuffs. My version of the pants, view A, have an invisible zipper in the front rather than the front fly and I did not add the welts and loops.

The recommended fabrics are gabardine, tropical wool and lightweight denim and the contrast should be made from silk satin. I used 100% woven polyester that I bought at Fabricland. In addition to the pants, I made a dress Vogue 8992. Vogue 8992 is a lined wrap dress that is fitted through the bust, has the front extending into a collar, princess seams, inside ties, and hook and eye closing. It has a narrow hem and top-stitching. View B has a stitched hem on the sleeves. You may remember this dress from my Vogue pattern haul video. The link to that video is right here.  The video below shows the pants.

 

 

Simplicity S6260 Vintage Jiffy Knit Dress
18 June 2021

Today’s video details Simplicity 6260, a vintage JIffy knit dress that I made up in a size 16.  I bought this pattern 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. For my own unique look, 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 first fabric I chose was the light blue knit that comprises the majority of the dress. I bought it at Value Village for $4.99 for the whole piece. I can’t remember the exact dimensions of the fabric but in addition to this dress, I was able to lengthen another dress that was featured in my Easter video and then used the remaining remnants for the yoke, sleeve bands, and neckband of McCall’s 7869, a pullover top that features length, sleeve and fabric variations. View C, the version I made up, has a contrast flounce.

Since I lengthened the dress, I didn’t have quite enough fabric for the additional length so I used the darker knit fabric for the bottom portion of the dress. I found this lovely knit fabric in 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. This fabric was used to make vintage Jiffy dress Simplicity 6082.  In addition to the dress, I made a top as well, McCall’s 6355, a Palmer Pletsch semi-fitted top that had optional front and back vertical darts and self neck binding. The link to the video with that top is right here at the top of the screen.

I wanted the dress to look as though I made it out of two fabrics on purpose, so I cut the front facing and back facing as well as the tie ends out of the same fabric. I folded the facings outwards and top stitched down to create a trimmed look rather than tuck the facings underneath. I also added a facing to the dropped sleeves and turned it out just like the front and back facings to create a continuous look. I love how the two fabrics came together. I think that it looks quite designer.  Overall this pattern was a fun sew and the instructions were easy to follow. I did not run into any problems making up this pattern. I absolutely love Jiffy patterns and I’m looking forward to making this pattern up again but in a different fabric and maybe with longer sleeves.  The video below shows the dress.

 

 

Simplicity S8999 Pants, View B
4 June 2021

In today’s video we’re doing a sewalong to Simplicity 8999, view B in a size medium.  Simplicity 8999 was published in 1999 and is a misses’ pants and knit top pattern. The wide neck top, view A has three quarter length sleeves and is sized for stretch knits only such as jerseys, lightweight double knits, and stretch velvet. The elastic drawstring waist pants have pockets and come in two lengths. View B are full length and view C are cut at the mid calf.

The recommended fabrics for the pants are cotton and cotton blends, silk and silk types, rayons, crushed velvet, linen and linen blends. The fabric that I chose is a cotton blend of 60% cotton and 40% polyester so my pants will be comfortable to wear around the house but still look great for wearing outside the home. My fabric is a navy blue queen size sheet that I bought from Value Village thrift stores for $6.99. Since this a queen size sheet I was able to squeeze out a second pair of pants, New Look 6203, view I. The link to that sewalong is right here. Yes, that’s right, I made two pairs of pants for less than $7!

I bought this uncut, factory folded pattern from Value Village thrift stores for $1.99. The envelope contained all sizes – extra small through extra large. I chose to make up the pants in a size medium which were a 14/16 according to the measurements on the pattern envelope but they were huge! There was way too much fabric in the hip, thighs, and waist. It looked like I stole my big brother’s pants or MC Hammer’s! The ease for the hip was 11 ¾ inches so I had to unpick the pants and cut them down to a smaller size and then resew them back together.

One other change I made to the pattern was that I made up my version of the pants with an elastic waist rather than a drawstring elastic waist. I’m much more comfortable with an elastic waist and prefer not to have to tie the drawstrings all the time. This alteration did not change the look of the pattern.  

The sewalong video below details the sewing process and showcases the finished garment.

 

 

Vogue V8408, Dress View B
21 May 2021

Hi Everyone! In today’s video I’m wearing Vogue 8408, View B in a size 16.  Vogue 8408 is a dress and belt pattern published in 2007. This princess seamed dress has an oversized collar, topstitching, and back slits. View A is sleeveless and view B has long sleeves. There are optional trims including buttons and buttonhole stitches. The tie belt has top-stitching as well. I bought this pattern in 2007 from Fabricland.

The dress fabric is a lovely large houndstooth pattern in black, brown and white. I bought this knit fabric at Fabricland but the clearance section for the very low price of $1.75 metre. I bought the last of the bolt for a total of 3.7 metres. The remaining fabric was used to make the skirt and top of Vogue designer pattern 2867. The link to the video with the skirt and top is right here at the top of the screen.

Before cutting the pattern out of fabric, I lengthened the skirt by 22 centimetres so that it now falls below the knee. I feel much more comfortable in long skirts lately. I also replaced the slits in the back of the skirt with kick pleats. If you would like to see how I draw and attach kick pleats to my patterns, the link to the video is right here at the top of the screen.

The pattern called for a side zipper but since my dress is made from a knit fabric I didn’t add it. I didn’t think that it was necessary. View B, the long sleeved version, calls for four buttons and four buttonholes on the collar but my buttons were not very noticeable because of the large houndstooth print of the fabric so I did not add them.

Originally I made the belt out of the same fabric as the dress but I just didn’t like the look of it so I cut out the belt again but this time from a black knit remnant. When sewing the dress together, my sewing machine struggled to sew the collar to the dress due to the multiple layers of fabric, interfacing, and facings but my vintage Kenmore is a tank and she managed to sew through it all!

The instructions for this pattern were very clear and easy to follow and my pattern modifications were quite simple. This dress is comfy and elegant all at the same time.  The video below shows the dress.

 

 

Simplicity S8243 Jumper
30 April 2021

In today’s video, we’re doing a sewalong to Simplicity 8243 in a size 16.  I paid $2.99 for this uncut, factory folded sewing pattern at Value Village thrift stores. 

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. Jumper D has an upper patch pocket with a flap.

I made 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.

 

The suggested fabrics are flannel, denim, pinwale corduroy, twill, challis, soft lightweight linen and linen blends, and lightweight wool and wool blends. I decided to make my Jumper out of black velvet with a swirling gold 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 broke down to $3.76 a metre! What a steal!

 

The pattern shows layouts for 115 cm and 150 cm wide fabric but my fabric was 140cm wide so I used my own layout making the best use of the fabric and keeping with the nap of the velvet. Since I had 8.5 metres of it, and the 150 cm layout for jumper D calls for 1.8 metres, I had plenty of fabric left over for other projects including Simplicity 9543 – a vintage bag; Vogue 7784 – a gorgeous hat and Butterick 6523 – a classic blazer. So stay tuned to BudgetSew for the sewalongs for those patterns.

 

I used black sew in non-woven pre-shrunk interfacing that I bought from Fabricland on sale. It was regularly $1.49 a package that included a piece of interfacing measuring 1 metre by 55 cm but I bought it at the low price of $0.50. Fusible interfacing should not be used for velvet because the iron will pucker and pull the velvet in different ways.

The sewalong video below details the sewing process and showcases the finished garment!

 

 

 

McCall’s M5136 Vintage Three Gore Slim Skirt
16 April 2021

Today on BudgetSew, we’re doing a sewalong to the dart-fitted skirt of vintage McCall’s M5136.  This video is the follow up to the matching box jacket from 2 April 2021.  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 front dart seams of overblouse. The dart fitted skirt has low back pleat and a left side zipper.  You may remember this pattern from my very first video, How to Draw a kick pleat. 

Since this pattern was published in 1959, it uses older sizing. So this vintage size 18 with a 38 bust, 30 waist, and 40 hip is approximately a modern size 16. I was very lucky to inherit this pattern from my Nana. She used this pattern before because the blouse pattern pieces are missing as well as the waistband to the skirt. I’m not sure though if she made up the jacket pattern because I didn’t see any pin marks in the pattern pieces and all the jacket pieces were in the envelope. You can see that the pattern envelope is homemade. That’s because it has disintegrated by the time I was a teenager so I made my own envelope for it.

The suggested fabrics for the suit are corduroy, velveteen, linen, cotton suiting, tweed, flannel, houndstooth checks. The blouse should be made from cotton shirtings, synthetic mixtures, printed silk or cotton, and linen. I used a printed silk rayon mix that I bought from Lens Mills store. The fabric is a pale blue with deeper blue and grey bamboo leaves. 

I made this skirt up more than 10 years ago out of a silk-mix remnant in a bin at Len’s Mill store. The silk was black with yellow, pink and blue butterflies. It was lovely, it shimmered when I walked. Since I made this pattern up before, I’m not worried about altering or changing the pattern in any way.

The video below is the sewalong to McCall’s 5136 and the gorgeous completed skirt.

 

Vogue 9204 Top, View C
9 April 2021

In today’s video I’m wearing Vogue 9204, view C in a size 16.  I purchased this pattern from Fabricland from the discard bin for $5.99. It’s a loose fitting pullover top with the collar extending into tie ends, back yoke with pleats, narrow hem and sleeve variations. View A has a stitched hem on the sleeves. View A & B have a shaped hemline and view C is longer with side slits. I liked view C’s longer length. I can tuck this top into my skirt or wear it over a part of jeans just I did in my how to embroider video. The link to that video is at the top of the screen. I really like tying the scarf into a bow but I also wear it undone with casual clothes so I can dress up or down the blouse. It gives more options for different looks.

 

I bought the fabric from Fabricland in the clearance section. It was $6.50 a metre, marked down from $26.00 a metre and I bought the last of the bolt which was 1.1 metres. There wasn’t enough fabric to make this top, so instead of the tie being two pieces, I made them out of four. This fabric frayed very badly when sewing and I don’t have a serger so I used a bit of Fray block at the top of the slit in the sides of the body of the shirt. I bought the Frayblock about 10 years ago from Fabricland and it still works. I followed the instructions on the tube, shook it, heated it up under warm water and the application went on smoothly.

The 1.1 metres of fabric wasn’t quite enough to make this shirt but I wasn’t discouraged. I used some blue remnant fabric for the inside yoke of the shirt as well as the bottom of the sleeves. The inside yoke is two pieces of the remnant sewn together down the centre back. I bought the blue polyester remnant fabric on sale for $4.00 meter and used 3.2 metres of it for a dress. Vogue 8992. The link to the video with that dress is at the top of the screen. (Vogue patterns 2). I could’ve made the sleeves shorter but I like the long sleeve look.

 

 

The instructions allow for a 5/8 of an inch hem so I used Wrights’ Flexi Lace Seam binding in a bluish green to make the hem extra pretty. I bought a package of 3 yards or 2.75 metres on sale from Fabricland for 25 cents. 

The video below shows the finished top.

 

 

McCall’s M5136 Vintage Box Jacket
2 April 2021

Hi Everyone! Today on BudgetSew we’re doing a sewalong to the jacket in view A of vintage McCall’s 5136 in a size 18.  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 front dart seams of overblouse. The dart fitted skirt has low back pleat and a left side zipper.  You may remember this pattern from my very first video, How to Draw a kick pleat. 

Since this pattern was published in 1959, it uses older sizing. So this vintage size 18 with a 38 bust, 30 waist, and 40 hip is approximately a modern size 16. I was very lucky to inherit this pattern from my Nana. She used this pattern before because the blouse pattern pieces are missing as well as the waistband to the skirt. I’m not sure though if she made up the jacket pattern because I didn’t see any pin marks in the pattern pieces and all the jacket pieces were in the envelope. You can see that the pattern envelope is homemade. That’s because it has disintegrated by the time I was a teenager so I made my own envelope for it.

The suggested fabrics for the suit are corduroy, velveteen, linen, cotton suiting, tweed, flannel, houndstooth checks. The blouse should be made from cotton shirtings, synthetic mixtures, printed silk or cotton, and linen. I used a printed silk rayon mix that I bought from Lens Mills store. The fabric is a pale blue with deeper blue and grey bamboo leaves. 

The video below is the sewalong to McCall’s 5136 and the beautiful finished jacket.

 

 

 

New Look 6203 Pants, View I
5 March 2021

Today we’re doing a sewalong to the pants of New Look 6203, view I. New Look 6203 is a pattern for Misses’ Evening Separates including tops, tunics, skirt and pants. The top and tunic have the mandarin collar and side angled neck opening. Some of the tops and tunics have frog fasteners. The pants and bias cut skirt have an elastic waist.

This pattern was a gift from my mum. She bought it for 25 cents along with five other patterns at Lucan Optimist Thrift Store.  This tunic pattern reminds me of a similar pattern that I made up 15 years ago. I used a deep red fabric with gold designs with black frog closures. I loved the tunic so much that the fabric began to disintegrate so I cut off the frog closures to be used on another garment.

The suggested fabrics for this pattern are crepe, crepe back satin, jacquards, laundered silk-rayons, brocade stain, shantung, velvet. Now I’m not making my pants out any of those lovely fabrics. Instead I’m using a navy blue queen size sheet that I bought from Value Village thrift stores for $6.99. The sheet is 60% cotton and 40% polyester so these will be comfortable pants for around the house. Since this a queen size sheet I was able to squeeze out a second pair of pants, Simplicity 8999, view B which I will I show you in a future sewalong.

I chose to make the pants up in a size 14 based on the measurements on the pattern pieces rather than the measurements on the pattern envelope. The pattern piece measurements are the finished garment measurements that include the amount of ease. I found that some of the newer patterns that I had I made up in my usual size 16 were too large even though the pattern envelope shows my measurements as a size 16. This is my first size 14 pattern that I have ever made so I made no adjustments to the pattern pieces.  The video below shows the finished pants. 

 

McCalls 7869 Top
10 October 2020

Hi everyone! Today we’re doing a sewalong to McCall’s 7869. This pattern is a pullover top pattern with length, sleeve, and fabric variations. View A and B have flounces, view C has a contrast yoke and view D has purchased piping. Now I didn’t pick a specific view for this pattern. I did a mix up two views. I chose view A with the flounce at the yoke on the front of the top only but with view C’s sleeve and lower band. This is the second item that I made up as part of my new casual clothing wardrobe. Instead of making clothing for my office job which is what I usually do, I decided to make some casual clothes for after work and perhaps for future travel plans. It’s something new and different for me to make.

This pattern was originally published in 2018 but I bought it on sale this year off the McCall’s pattern website. It was an out of print pattern but it was still included in the sale. The original price of this pattern was $19.99 US but it’s sale price was $3.99 and I had a 10% off coupon code from ordering from their website previously so I paid $3.59.

I chose to make up this pattern in a size 16 based on the measurements on the pattern envelope but I ended up making it too big. I didn’t look at the pattern pieces to see how much ease there was in the pattern so based on those measurements I could have made it in a size 14 or even possibly a size 12. Size 16 has always been my go to size but I’m finding with the newer patterns that they are turning out too big for me. I am definitely a vintage size16 with a 38 bust but not in the modern sizing.

This top pattern has 10 pieces but the top I made up uses only 9. It uses pieces 1 through 7 as well as pieces 9 & 10. There is a front, back, front and back flounce, yoke front, yoke back, neck band, sleeve, sleeve band and lower band.

The pattern envelope indicates that the top should be made out of moderate stretch knits only such as sweater knits, velvet knits, interlock, sweatshirt fleece and the contrast could be made from stretch lace or stretch sequin. .The fabric that I chose is a textured knit that I purchased at the Lens Mills store in London, Ontario as part of a 40% off remnant sale. I purchased two pieces of fabric approximately 60 inches wide by 0.944 yards long. Each remnant was the exact same size. It was $6.99 a yard originally but I got them for the great price of $3.96 each. In addition that fabric, I used contrasting knit fabric that I purchased from Value Village for $4.99. I used the majority of that fabric for a vintage pattern make: Simplicity 6260. The link to the video of that dress is right here at the top of the screen. After making that dress, all that was left was a remnant of less than 1 yard. Even though I had very little fabric to work with, it was the perfect amount for the neck band, front flounce and sleeve bands.  The sewalong video is below.

 

 

Butterick 4403 Top
10 September 2020

Hi everyone! Today I’m doing a sewalong to Butterick 4403. This pattern was originally published in 1996 and is a Family Circle Casual Career pattern that includes a jacket, vest, top, skirt, shorts and pants. I’ll be making the close fitting top with a back zipper and long sleeves. Instead of making clothing for my office job which is what I usually do, I decided to make some casual clothes for after work and perhaps for future travel plans. It’s something new and different for me to make

I purchased this pattern from Value Village for $1.99. The original price of this pattern brand new in 1996 was $15.95 CAD but I was very lucky to find it at such a low price, uncut and factory folded. The link to the video where I purchased this pattern is right here at the top of the screen.

I chose to make up this pattern in a size 16 based on the measurements on the pattern envelope. Since it is a close fitting top, I knew the ease would be minimal and I didn’t want to make it too small. Looking at the pattern pieces for the front and back I could see that the top was very form fitting. This top pattern has 5 pieces; it uses pieces 14 through 18. There is a front, back, front neck facing, back neck facing and sleeve.

The pattern envelope indicates that the top should be made out of moderate stretch knits only such as cotton interlock and jersey. The fabric that I chose is a textured knit that I purchased at the Lens Mills store in London, Ontario as part of a 40% off remnant sale. I purchased two pieces of fabric approximately 60 inches wide by 0.944 yards long. Each remnant was the exact same size. It was $6.99 a yard originally but I got them for the great price of $3.96 each. In addition to the fabric, the pattern calls for a 7 inch long zipper, seam binding and hooks and eyes as well as fusible interfacing for the front and back neck facings

 

Simplicity 2648 Dress
29 May 2020

In the video below,  I’m wearing Simplicity 2648 in a size 16. It’s an Amazing Fit pattern because it has different pattern pieces for slim, average and curvy fits. I love this dress. I love how the bodice follows the contours of the bust smoothly, and that the waistline seam sits at the natural waistline, and that the skirt is not too tight and not too loose. It’s just the perfect fullness.

I made some modifications to the pattern. I made view A with view C’s sleeves with the average fit pattern pieces. I lengthened the skirt by 7 inches and I removed the sleeve bands because they pulled on the shoulder seams. I also replaced the slit in the back of the skirt with a kick pleat. The additional fabric around the upper arms overwhelmed the sleeves and looked quite droopy.

I bought this pattern a few years ago from Fabricland but I can’t remember how much I paid. The original price of the pattern was $17.95 American but I can’t see myself paying more than $6.00 Canadian. That’s my cut off price because I won’t pay full price for sewing patterns. The fabric is a lightweight knit and I purchased from Fabricland. It was on sale for $4.75 metre so I purchased 4 metres. In addition to the dress, I made a McCall’s top and KwikSew skirt but I’ll save the reveal of those garments for a future video. I also used two vintage gold buttons for the front tab.

 

 

Simplicity 6260 Dress
23 April 2020

Today I’m wearing Vintage Simplicity 6260 in a size 16. It’s a Jiffy knit front wrap dress with dropped shoulders, published in 1974. I purchased this pattern for $2.00 at Great Value Thrift Store.  I made a few alterations to the pattern. Before I cut the pattern out of fabric, I sliced the paper pattern to lengthen it by 7 inches so that the dress would fall below the knee. Now I didn’t have quite enough fabric for the additional length so I combined two fabrics. The first fabric in the lighter blue that comprises the majority of the dress was purchased at Value Village for $4.99 for the whole piece. The other fabric, the darker blue with the flower print is leftover fabric from another vintage pattern I made – Simplicity 6082. I purchased this fabric for $4.25/metre in the clearance section at Fabricland. This fabric was also used for the facings and trim for the dropped shoulder sleeve. The trim up the front of the dress and around the neck is actually the facings folded outwards and top stitched down rather than tucked underneath. The pattern called for top-stitching or braided trim but I thought by folding the facings outward, it made for a continuous look. I wanted to carry the theme throughout the whole dress so in addition to the facings, sleeve trim and additional length, I cut the belt out of the same fabric. I love how the two fabrics came together.  Overall this pattern was easy to sew and the instructions were easy to follow. I did not run into any problems making up this pattern. Vintage Jiffy patterns are my absolute favourite to sew right now and I’m looking forward to making this pattern up again but in a different fabric.  The video below shows the dress in detail.

Simplicity 6082 Dress
22 April 2020

Today I’m wearing Simplicity pattern 6082 in a size 16. I bought this vintage pattern from Good Value Thrift Store for $2.00. It was published in 1973 and is a Jiffy Knit pattern so it has three main pieces for easy construction. The dress pattern calls for a back zipper but because the dress is made from a knit fabric, I didn’t add it. The pattern shows two different skirt lengths, however I chose a length in between the two. This gorgeous fabric came from Fabricland from the Clearance section for $4.25/metre. Since this pattern was a Jiffy pattern it was easy to cut out and easy to sew. I wear this dress all the time.  The video below shows the dress in detail.

 

 

 

Vogue 8408 Dress
23 February 2020

In my video below I’m wearing Vogue 8408 View B. This dress has princess seams and top stitching. I purchased this pattern on sale a few years ago from Fabricland in a size 16. The dress fabric was also purchased at Fabricland but in the clearance section for the very low price of $1.75 metre. I bought the last of the bolt for a total of 3.7 metres. The remaining fabric was used to make the skirt and top of Vogue pattern 2867. Before cutting the pattern out of fabric, I lengthened the pattern by 22 centimetres and I added two kick pleats since the pattern called for two slits in the back of the dress. If you would like to learn how to draw and attach a kick pleat to a pattern, please see the link in the description box of this video. When sewing the dress together, my sewing machine struggled to sew the collar to the dress due to the multiple layers of fabric, interfacing, and facings but my good old Kenmore is a tank and she sewed it through! The pattern called for a side zipper but since my dress is made from a knit fabric I didn’t add it. View B calls for four buttons and four buttonholes on the collar but the buttons were not very noticeable due to the houndstooth print of the fabric so I did not add them. Originally I made the belt out of the same fabric as the dress but I just didn’t like the look of it so I cut out the belt again but this time from a black knit remnant. I was sold! The instructions for this pattern were very clear and easy to follow and the pattern modifications were quite simple. I love wearing this dress! Comfy and elegant all at the same time.

 

 

Simplicity 4183
22 February 2020

Today I’m wearing Simplicity 4183, View A. It’s a Crafting Jacket by Patty Reid Designs. It has long sleeves, pockets, and pleating. The pattern was $1.99 from Value Village. The navy blue fabric was 150cm wide and just over 3 metres long. I paid $4.99 for the entire piece of fabric at Value Village. The pattern calls for 2.8 metres of fabric so I had a little bit of fabric left over to lengthen two of my previously purchased dresses. I bought this pattern is size Large to Extra Large but my measurements are a Medium. I graded the pattern down to a size Medium however after sewing it all together I discovered it was still too large. At that point I became very discouraged and wondered if I wasted my time and money on this make. After a few days, I gave it another shot. I seam ripped the entire garment and cut out large pieces from the seam allowances. I crossed my fingers and sewed it all together again. It fit! I made couple more variations to the original design. The patterns calls for four buttons and four button holes, however I added one snap closure to the inside of the top of the jacket. Then I sewed a bright yellow button from my Nana’s vintage button collection to the outside of the jacket at the same spot as the snap. It’s a little pop of colour! After completing the jacket and trying it on, I decided to add a belt but I used ALL the fabric. There wasn’t a single remnant left except the pieces I cut out of the seam allowance to make the jacket smaller. I stitched all ten, yes ten pieces together in a long band to form the belt. Overall, I encountered quite a few difficulties making this jacket but I love the end result!  The video below shows the jacket in detail.

 

Vogue 8992
21 February 2020

The wrap dress that I’m wearing in my video below is Vogue 8992 in a size 16 that I bought from the discard bin at Fabricland for $5.99. The fabric was 150 cm wide for $4/metre at Fabricland and I used 3.2 metres. The dress is fully lined with a pinky peach fabric that I bought a few years ago from Lens Mills. I had a little bit of a problem attaching the collar to the dress because the collar was just too big. I finally gained the confidence to try again and managed to sew it on after setting the dress aside for about a month. After trying the dress on, I decided to make a belt. I used the belt pattern from Vogue 8408 so I had the right length. I made no other alterations to the dress and it turned out beautifully. Overall it was a fun make and I love the end result.