A Beginner's Guide to Sewing with Knitted Fabrics - blog tour

Today it's my stop on the Beginner's Guide to Sewing with Knitted Fabrics blog tour. This is Wendy Ward's latest book and the perfect starting point if you're wanting to branch out and start sewing with knits. The book includes full sized paper patterns for six core garments (T-shirt, Wide Leg Trousers, Tank, Lounge Pants, Cardigan and Skirt) with a variety of hacks to give a choice of twenty different variations. 

The book is laid out in a similar way to Wendy's first book A Beginner's Guide to Making Skirts (reviewed here). For each project there are step-by-step instructions with clear diagrams, with methods for tackling specific techniques (adding a neckband, hemming, using elastic etc) included in a comprehensive 'techniques' section. These techniques are noted at the start of each project and I'd recommend reading up on them before you start. In fact I'd strongly recommend reading the "How to Use This Book' section on page 9 before you do anything, as it lays out everything you need to know to get the most out of the book.  

The patterns are printed on both sides of each sheet and overlap, so you will need to trace them. Also, some larger pieces (such as trouser legs) may be printed in two halves, so make sure you know where the two halves are! A helpful guide showing which projects and pattern pieces are printed on each sheet can be found on page 23. One thing I found slightly annoying is that there are no sizes i.e. size numbers printed on the patterns, just the different pattern markings for each size. If you're confused about which markings relate to your size (as I was) there's a key on the inside back page of the book.

Sizes range from US size 4 (UK 8) to US 22 (UK 26) and the garments are sized depending on which area of the body the garment will fit most closely. The two trouser patterns are sized on hip measurements, the cardigan, T-shirt and tank are sized on bust measurements and the skirt is based on waist measurement. Just make sure you're working from the correct area of the body before you start.

I have to be honest and say that a couple of the patterns were not really my style, most notably the Longshaw Skirt. The T-shirt and tank were similar to designs I've made lots of times before and the wide legged trousers didn't appeal. It was therefore a toss up between the chic and versatile Kinder Cardigan or the Monsal Lounge Pants. Now Lounge Pants have never really been on my sewing radar, but the weather was cold and miserable at the time of making, and all I wanted to do was lie on the sofa, so lounge pants it was.

There are three pattern options: full length, with or without cuff, and shorts length. I went for the cuffed version, adding the optional cut away pockets with a contrast pocket band. One very helpful thing that Wendy does in the book is list the fabrics that each of her samples are made from. Based on this I chose a navy ponte for the main trousers with a contrasting grey marl in the same fabric for the cuffs, waistband and pocket bands. The quality of the ponte was lovely - a nice medium/heavy weight with a good amount of stretch. With hindsight, I should perhaps have chosen a lighter weight fabric for the pocket bands as the double layers of ponte ending up very bulky to sew through. 

The instructions were a breeze and actually employed a different method than I've previously used for trouser making. Usually I would make up both legs separately, then put one leg inside the other and sew the front and back crotch seams in one go. The method in this book is to sew the crotch seams first - which give you an entire front section and an entire back section - then sew the inside leg seams. Once the pockets are added you simply sew up the side seams and you have a pair of trousers! This seemed like a much simpler method to me and one I'll definitely use again.

Trying to replicate the model's pose above...

The fit is supposed to be loose (not baggy) with a tapering leg shape. I like the tapering leg shape but I could probably have done with shortening them a bit as they noticeable crumple below the knee. The calf section is also a bit tight, but that may be down to my newly discovered runners calves (ahem). As predicted, they're supremely comfortable and perfect for lounging stylishly around the house. When the 'Beast from the East' hit the UK recently they were an absolute godsend - cosy, comfortable and a definite step up from pyjamas!

There's a lot of work that's gone into the writing and production of this book and this is evident throughout. It's an excellent first guide for beginners and a very good source of patterns and advice for those who are already familiar with sewing with knits. Like the look of it? Well you're in luck, as MAKEetc.com are offering readers of my blog a 25% discount off the purchase price. Simply purchase through their website and enter the code BLOG25 at the checkout. The discount is valid until 21st April 2018.

A Beginner's Guide to Sewing with Knitted Fabrics was given to me for review by CICO Books and the fabric for my project was kindly supplied by Minerva Crafts. All views my own. 

The Ultimate Guide to Sewing and Fitting Trousers

The Ultimate Guide to Sewing and Fitting Trousers is the latest class from Sew Over It and the first online course I've been tempted to buy. At £45 (or £35 in my case as there was an introductory £10 off) it's pretty good value for money - you have access to all the online tutorials plus two downloadable patterns: the Ultimate Trousers and the new Carrie Trousers.

The class focuses on two areas: basic trouser making for beginners (where you make the easy-fit Carrie trousers), then fitting and sewing the Ultimate Trousers for those who already have some trouser making experience.

I've made a few pairs of trousers (including the Ultimate Trousers), so the latter part of the course was what I wanted to focus on. With my first pair of Ultimates the fit wasn't too bad, but there were still a couple of things that bugged me about them:

- The waistline is too low for my taste and the trousers feel like they're riding down throughout the day.

- There's a weird bagginess around the front crotch which you can see in the blog photos here. I needed to find a way of removing this excess fabric.

So I sat down to watch the class to see if I could sort these issues out. The first bit was easy - there's a whole section on making style changes to the pattern, one of which is raising the height of the waistline! I made the adjustments to my pattern pieces as instructed and raised the waist by two inches. For reference the waistband now sits level with my belly button. It's worth noting that there's also a lesson on adding a waistband to the pattern, including a downloadable pattern piece - very handy.

This just left the baggy crotch to sort out…. The 'Fitting Surgery' section of the course is made up of seven downloadable PDFs. Each part focuses on a different fit issue and includes a line drawing, a photograph on a real body and a description to help you diagnose the problem. I went through each section several times before finally realising what my problem was - thin thighs! What?! I can honestly say that was the last thing I was expecting.  

Image: Sew Over It

The adjustment was quite easy, I measured around the fullest part of my thigh, then the crotch line on the front and back pattern pieces. The difference between the two measurements was the amount I needed to remove, spread equally between the inner and outer seams of each leg piece. In my case, this was 1cm from each seam. I then sewed up the trousers, tried them on and the fit was exactly what I wanted. Yay!

They're very fitted, in fact they look more like jeggings than trousers, but that's what I was after. The higher waist is a much better fit on me and stops the trousers riding down.

I think that baggy crotch has disappeared...

The fabric is a stretch polka dot denim from Classic Textiles on the Goldhawk Road which is sturdier than the previous fabric I used, but still really comfortable to wear. I think I'll wear them a lot.

Based on what I've watched of the course so far (60% of it), I'm impressed. I've managed to sort out my fit issues, I have a fab new pair of trousers and a shiny new Carrie pattern to try out soon. All in all, a good investment! Has anybody else tried this class yet? I'd love to know what you think. x

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

Trousers from the block

Behold - my first pair of trousers using my trouser block! I made the pattern during a one day trouser fitting course at Ray Stitch last month, but it's taken me a while to get round to making the final adjustments. Nothing too complicated, just tapering in the width of the legs considerably as that's the style I wear most. On a side note, I've come to the reluctant conclusion that as much as I love them, very wide legged trousers really don't do me any favours. I'm short, and however well fitting around the hips and bum they are, wide legged trousers just make me look even shorter. So it's slim legged trousers from now on, preferably teamed with a giant heel!

Having got my trouser block sorted, what I should have done is use a nice, ordinary non-stretch fabric for my first attempt. That would have been the sensible approach. Instead I used a lovely, but extremely stretchy houndstooth poly viscose I bought at Ray Stitch during my course. It has great drape, washes well and barely needs an iron, but frays and unravels like it's going out of fashion. I had to overlock all my edges straight away. It also has about a billion percent stretch in it, in fact there's so much stretch it's almost like a knit fabric. Unsurprisingly, this meant that the trousers came out way too roomy. Undeterred, I painstakingly unpicked them (I know, I'm amazed too!) and recut the pieces with the following changes:

- Removed a 1.5" wedge from the back seam 

- Removed a 1" wedge from the front seam

- Made an additional large tuck in the back thigh as there was a lot of excess fabric (this was an adjustment Alice made to my original block too)

They're still not perfect - there's a bit of bagginess in the front crotch - but that was as much fiddling as I was prepared to do and I'm happy to wear the trousers as they are. The ridiculous amount of stretch meant I could almost get away without a zip. Almost, but not quite! The zip is positioned up the back seam as that's how we made our toiles (easier to adjust) and I decided to keep it in that position as I like how it looks.

In the interests of science I've included a back view. 

I was worried that the waist would stretch out over time, so it's finished inside with a simple piece of strong elastic. It works like a waistband facing - I just zig-zagged it to the top edge of the waistband, turned it over then stitched in the ditch at the side seams to keep it in position. I cut the elastic a couple of inches shorter than my waist measurement so it keeps the waist nice and snug!

I'm pleased that the trouser block actually works! I compared it to what I'd always thought of as a well fitting pair of trousers - the Ultimate Trousers pattern. Amazingly, the crotch curves were completely different, which was interesting. It also reassured me that the course was money well spent!

I'll have to slightly tweak the block pattern for different fabrics as they're all so changeable. So for my next pair, I'm quite tempted to see how they'll turn out made with a stable denim. I'm unite pleased with how they turned out for a first attempt though. Have a good weekend! x   

  

My weekend in sewing

And what a fab weekend it was! On Friday I went along to the Handmade Fair at Hampton Court - this is on my side of London, so an easy one for me to get to. I was delighted to hook up with Jenny from Cashmerette and her lovely mum almost as soon as I walked through the door and we were joined a bit later by Rachel from House of Pinheiro. Look at the ridiculous differences in height - remind me to take a box to stand on next time! 

These girls are ACE!

I really should have booked into a workshop or gone to see a demonstration, instead I spent most of my time eating, drinking tea and chatting, I have no regrets. I still managed to pick up some lovely pieces of fabric from the fabulous shopping village. All of them are very summery and totally inappropriate for winter sewing - I'm sensible like that!

The top piece is a length of vintage gingham from Simply Vintage Designs. This stand was a complete treasure trove and I spent ages rummaging around.

The other two fabrics are vintage chambrays from the Fabric Godmother which I can't wait to sew into cool, summery shirts. Despite drooling over her fabrics for years, I'd never actually met Josie from Fabric Godmother in person, so it was lovely to have a quick chat with her.

I might have to make a direct copy of her Linden sweatshirt!

Absolutely GORGEOUS wools

My pledge for next year is to arrive super early and have a thorough look round the stands before I get distracted! It's probably just as well I didn't have more time this year as there were some seriously talented makers exhibiting. 

The fun didn't stop there though. On Sunday I legged it over to Islington with Winnie from Scruffy Badger Time to attend a one day Trouser Fitting course at Ray Stitch. Ah I'd been looking forward to this course for ages and it didn't disappoint. It was based on the same principles as the pattern cutting weekend I blogged about here, where we made bodice and skirt blocks based on our measurements. Our teacher - Alice Prier - is extremely knowledgeable about pattern cutting and was a great advert for the course in her perfectly fitted trousers! She'd also brought along several pairs of her own trousers to show different ways of finishing waistbands etc. This gave me lots of ideas for trouser construction, my favourite being the hidden elastic waistband! 

Everybody concentrating hard...

…and smiling, yay they look like trousers!

The aim of the course is to create a basic trouser block that can then be used on its own and/or as a starting point to adapt other trouser patterns. After taking measurements, working out our front and back pattern pieces and sewing them in calico, in no time at all we each had a pair of trousers to try on. 

Alice, adjusting the fit on Zoey's toile

I don't have any photos of my own toile (I'm useless, sorry!), but I can tell you that the fit wasn't too bad at all for a first attempt. I had to take a wedge out of the back thigh as there was a bit of excess fabric, and add an extra wedge to the top of my back piece to accommodate the curves around my 'ahem' arse area. The trouser block was for quite a straight leg so I also made amendments to the pattern for a narrower fit as that's the style I think works best on me. I'll be making my first trousers using my new block very soon and I promise to take lots of photos this time. 

Trousers really aren't that difficult to construct, it's getting the fit right that's the tricky bit. If you're keen to make trousers then I'd definitely recommend this course next time it's running. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am filled with confidence for future trouser making. Thank you Alice!  x

Ultimate Trousers

Trousers are one of those garments that seem to put the fear of god into many sewists. They're really not that scary - in fact I can think of countless sewing tasks that beat trousers hands down: sewing on the bias, sewing with silk, bound buttonholes, invisible side zips and, my personal nemesis, hooks and eyes (uuurrrggh). In reality, once you've made a few pairs of pyjama bottoms, you have the basic skills for trouser making, the hard part is perfecting the fit.

I was surprised to discover that I've made quite a few pairs of trousers in my sewing life. The wide legged vintage-style trousers I've sewn (here, here and here) are actually very easy to fit and sew, and given the width of the legs, not that different from PJs. My Juniper trousers fitted well, but that was more fluke than skilled fitting, as my body shape happens to be a good fit for a lot of Colette patterns. My Gertie Capri pants and sailor shorts required a few adjustments, but in both instances it was just a case of taking in seams on the hop. I've never actually sat down with a trouser pattern and tried to work out how to get it to fit to my shape. Well, not until I encountered the Ultimate Trousers pattern from Sew Over It that is.

I was sent the pattern as a thank you for pattern testing the Betty dress in the summer, but because I'm fickle and the sun was out, all I could think about was sewing dresses. I liked the shape of the pattern though: easy, darted front, ankle length and a classy slim fit and I kept seeing great versions pop up on sewing blogs. My attention was finally caught when Winnie decided to use the pattern for OWOP. Her advice? Once you perfect the fit, it's a great pattern. So I set out to perfect the fit.

To do this, I made not one, but two muslins. Gasp! I made a full sized muslin to check the (ahem) crotch area and legs. Then, once I'd sorted out the legs, I made a second muslin from waist to thigh, incorporating my adjustments. Sew Over It patterns don't have a great deal of ease and are very true to the pattern measurements, so be honest when choosing which size to cut out! For reference, I made a size 10, which is a 28" waist and 38" hip. The first muslin wasn't too bad, but I noticed the back waistline pulled down at the centre quite noticeably. After consulting the fitting post for the Ultimate Trousers sewalong, I knew that this was because my derriere was taking up a bit too much room and forcing the waistband down. A fat arse adjustment was therefore needed! To do this, I added ½" to the centre back seam and ½" to the top waistline. This created more room in the bum area and, very pleasingly, ensured that the waistband was parallel again. I did a smaller adjustment at the front, for my less-than-flat stomach.

The only other adjustment I made was to taper the legs in the calf area by a total of 1" each leg, using the tips from the same sewalong post. I hemmed the trousers by just ½" rather than the recommended 1" and the length is perfect on me. Beware though - I'm only 5'2", so if you want an ankle skimming trouser and you're tall (or even normal height) you may need to lengthen them. If you prefer a cropped length, you're laughing.

The fabric I used is a navy stretch cotton from Sew Over It.  I only needed 1.5m for the size I made, but I bought 2m for contingency. When it arrived, there was a bit extra included as it was the end of the roll - perfect for two muslins!  The fabric is quite lightweight, so maybe not suited to winter wear if you feel the cold. It's also VERY stretchy and, perhaps predictably, now that I've worn them a few times, they're a bit big around the waistband - grrr. I'm certain this is all down to the fabric though - if I was making them again in a non-stretch drill for instance, I'd do exactly the same adjustments. Once the trousers are washed, they shrink back to their normal tight fit, which is what you see in these photos. Be warned, though, they are a very tight fit - as Karen remarked when I was discussing them with her, "there's nowhere to hide!", which is definitely something to consider if you're thinking of making them!

The actual construction is a cinch, the only pieces are trouser legs and facings. There's a side invisible zip, which I managed to insert without any tears. Sadly, I still can't tell my left from my right, so it ended up on the wrong side! This is a great pattern to practice your trouser fitting skills on because of its simplicity. There are no waist bands or fly fronts to worry about, so you can focus purely on fit. I like the fit I managed to achieve and will almost certainly make them again, perhaps in a plain, black drill. I was even contemplating a gingham pair at one point, but I think that might have been the Prosecco talking! Happy Thursday. x

The Ultimate Trousers pattern was given to me free of charge for review. All views my own.

Stretch denim Capri pants

Good afternoon. First off, the winner of the book giveaway is Clipped Curves - hoorah! Congratulations Clipped Curves, please email me your address and I'll get the book sent out to you. Thank you to everybody who entered and for all your summer reading suggestions.

Right, on with the sewing… When the latest Butterick patterns by Gertie were released, I pounced on this one (B5895) within seconds. A kimono sleeved, tie fronted blouse and sassy stretch Capri pants. Swoon.

Even the cover artwork looked good - I could quite happily have made all the variations on the front cover. I started with the trousers first though, as they looked like the easier make of the two. I used a lovely stretch indigo denim which I bought on a recent fabric buying trip to the Goldhawk Road with Tilly. Sometimes a fabric shopping buddy can really come in useful. I'd told Tilly what I had in mind whilst we were eating cakes and planning our strategy beforehand, she then firmly steered me away from a murky looking denim I was wavering over, straight to this one. It's perfect, just the right amount of stretch and a bargain too at £5 a metre. As it's wide, I only needed 1.5m, so £7.50 for these beauties. Not bad eh?!

I'd read in reviews that there's a lot of ease in the trousers, so I cut a size 12, even though the size 14 is probably nearer the truth. The reviewers were right - I still had to make quite a few adjustments to get the fit right and next time, I'll cut a size 10. As is my lazy way, I didn't make a muslin, but I was able to make all the adjustments on the go which was lucky. I took in quite a bit off the hips (they looked like jodphurs when I first tried them on), a bit from the inner thigh and reduced the front crotch curve all the way down. 

I left the back crotch curve exactly as it was and look at the result. This pattern was made for my backside!

The zip looks a bit lumpy - I promise it looks better in real life

Despite being figure hugging, they're surprisingly comfortable to wear (although not in the current heat), which must all be down to using stretch fabric. I love the retro feel of them too, it makes me feel like I should be hanging out at a soda fountain or playing a ukelele…. 

It's my son's - I can't play a note!

Next up I'm planning a turquoise gingham version of the blouse. Good job a bolt of turquoise gingham has recently landed on my door step then! I've actually made a tiny dent in my gingham mountain already. Look, gingham pockets! 

Beatrice from Butterflies and Hurricanes has just had exactly the same idea, even down to the pockets! And there was I thinking I was being original! I love her version though and I can't wait to get started on the matching blouse.

Right, off to jump in the back of a red Cadillac with some bad boys (as if!)  

Have a great weekend everybody and don't forget the sun cream. x

Sewlution Juniper trousers

I did it, I did it!! I completed my Sewlution for 2013 - to make a pair of trousers with a zip fly. Hoorah. I rule.

Ahh the relief!

I used the Colette Juniper pattern and even though they didn't actually take that long to make, the pattern instructions for the fly front had me completely flummoxed. How on earth they managed it on last week's Great British Sewing Bee with a rubbishy set of instructions I do not know!! The insertion of a fly front is a relatively quick and simple job, it's just getting your head around how it all fits together that's the difficult part (well it is for me anyway). Luckily, there's a photo tutorial on the Coletterie website which is a godsend if, like me, you need to see things visually in order for them to click in your head. There wasn't anything else tricky about the construction and the only change I made to the pattern was to shorten the leg length by three inches. 

I made a size 8, which initially seemed a bit on the tight side, until I realised that they're actually supposed to be extremely fitted around the waist and hips. My big worry was that they might be too wide in the leg, but on comparing them to my Simplicity 3688 1940's trousers and my sailor trousers, they're actually narrower in the leg than both pairs. Would you credit it?!

Very fitted around the derriere 

I think it's the design that made me think they're about fifty inches wide - the legs drop straight down vertically to the floor from a very fitted waist and hip. In the end I didn't narrow the leg width, having decided that they might look a bit odd if I tried to taper them in.

Side view

Fabric-wise, I used a lovely red gabardine from Calico Laine which was a delight to work with - hardly any fraying at all. As I'm short I only needed two metres, so at £5.99 a metre it was a cheapish make. I used scraps of leftover Lauren Childs Liberty fabric for the pockets which was last seen on my second Violet blouse. This worked well as Liberty Tana Lawn is a perfect weight for pocket lining. 

One final change I made was to add two buttons to the waistband instead of sewing on hooks and eyes. It may seem like madness to some of you, but it was actually a lot quicker and more beneficial to my mental health to make two buttonholes and sew on the buttons than it would have been to sew on some evil hooks and eyes (uurrgh). I like the way they look too - I think they add a bit of a nautical touch.  

Oh yes I nearly forgot - look at the interfacing on my waistband pieces... 

"What interfacing', I hear you cry, "I can't see any." Well that's because it's RED!! Yes, red interfacing from Walthamstow market - how cool is that?!

I'm pleased I've finally made these trousers and I'm ecstatic to have ticked off my Sewlution at the same time (there's nothing like somebody putting your name in a jar to make you stick to a task!) 

On reflection, I think they're quite a difficult shape of trouser to wear, which is probably why there aren't that many versions out there. They kind of remind me of Oxford Bags - I feel like I should be doing backflips down at the Wigan Casino when I wear them. So they may take a bit of getting used to...

Oxford bags in action

Also, because the waist is so fitted, you can't really tuck a top into them or you end up with an unsightly bulge. They look good with navy though, which is always a crowd pleaser in my book. Happy Monday. x

Simplicity 3688 revisited

Two years ago, the flags were raised, trumpets were blown and joy was spread across the land. Why? Because I'd made my first pair of trousers of course! As trousers go, I don't think you can get much more straight forward than Simplicity 3688 (unless you're making PJ bottoms, in which case, Simplicity 9871 wins the prize.) 

I thought my success the first time round was mostly down to beginners luck, but it's actually the pattern that makes life easy for you. The pattern is based on a 1940's design, with a high, darted waist and wide legs. The only slight niggle I have with the pattern is that the high waist is quite unforgiving on the stomach area. So unless you've got a washboard stomach, be sure to wear industrial strength undergarments if you don't want your stomach to look bigger than it actually is. 

I got to use my Margaret Howell 'trousering' at long last, but only just managed to squeeze the pattern pieces out of the 1.5 metres I had. The fabric is lovely and drapey and perfect for this style. Alas though, I think it's actually a linen/cotton blend, which makes it great for summer wear, but totally useless for snowy England. 

Snowy weather + not much natural light = gloomy looking photographs. Sorry about that. The trousers do look a bit grey and drab in these photos, but I've got high hopes for them in the summer teamed with my beloved red wedges and a crisp, white shirt.

...and one from the back

There's not much more to say about these trousers except that they're easy to make and give a great, retro shape. So if you're teetering on the edge of trouser making, go forth and sew them up. There's more trouser action from me planned for this year, but first I need a bit of feedback from you, which I'll go into in more detail in a later post. If anybody else has trouser plans for 2013, I'm all ears! x