Jacket Sewing Class completed and a Jasika Blazer for a friend

Perhaps it's the year we've all had or the fact that I have enough jackets to last me a good long while, but as I started to prepare to teach my Blazer Jacket class in October I looked around for someone else to be the recipient of a new jacket. My next door neighbor Marissa was happy to oblige - and it's very convenient to have such a nearby fit model! Plus she got this blazer out of it. I have to say that this is one of the best things I have made in a while - due to being meticulous with every step in order to show details to the class via photos and video. Also I decided to up the degree of difficulty with plaid fabric, but I think it's ideal for this jacket and I'm so happy with the result.

I also note that this is one of those items that doesn't photograph all that well, it might look a bit drab but I think that up close it looks so nice and it can be worn with so many different looks.  Here's Marissa wearing her new jacket. It's the Closet Core Jasika Blazer. About half the people in the class made this pattern and the rest made others. I like to have my classes be very general purpose so you can learn basic techniques which apply to any pattern. 

I made a size 8 for her with just some small adjustments in the hip area and lengthening the sleeves. She's tall but the hem was at a good spot so I didn't adjust the length.  

My online class started in October and went for 6 weeks, with Tuesday evenings for instruction and Thursday evenings for sewing time, questions and discussion. That was longer than any other online class I've done but it worked out well since a blazer has a lot more steps than other projects. I really enjoyed it and plan to repeat it again in a couple of months. I've done this class both in person and now online and while they are different both are a lot of fun and have different pros and cons. Here's a quick video with some snippets from the class - I'm learning to use iMovie and now you can't stop me :)   If it doesn't have the play button if you click on it, then you will go to the Flickr page where you can view. 

You can see she is a bit taller than I am, maybe 4 inches? I'm wearing my Pauline Alice Saler blazer which is one of my most frequently worn jackets, that color is my favorite.

Here's a look on the dress form. 

This fabric is 100% wool and I think it's been in my stash for more than 20 years?  Is that even possible? I know I bought it way back when I was working in the corporate world and we wore suits a lot, but I just never sewed it up so it stayed with me - across a couple of moves and occasionally I would pull it out to make sure it didn't have any moth holes. I am 95% sure I bought it at Stone Mountain and I used about half of what there was to make this jacket so I still have a piece remaining. I just might make this same jacket for myself. It's really lightweight and not at all itchy, yet has the perfect press ability and non-wrinkle tendency of a high quality wool. 

For the class I also made another blazer from a new Butterick pattern, which made me long for my Burda jacket patterns - more to come when I post about the Butterick. Although with that project I did  try out VikiSews patterns to make pants to go with it and they were great so it was a productive project in the end. 

I hope the video is entertaining - let me know what you think and also if you are interested in joining in a blazer class in the next couple of months. It's been a happy side effect of this pandemic that I've started these online classes and had the chance to meet and interact with people who I might have known as names in a comment here or in IG. 

This has definitely been a year of making some fun things for friends - I plan to do a year-end post so I will mention all those then. Meanwhile I'm so happy to be wearing a few of the coats I made last year as things here in N. California are very good (fingers crossed it stays that way) and we are mostly out and about with precautions. 

I've made a few holiday-ish items for the season including what I think will be the Burda top of the winter, so I'll post those next week.  

Until then, Happy Holidays and take care,

Beth

Back to School: Cielo top and dress for my new class

Why am I standing there in my garden, holding something cool and fizzy, wearing my latest sewing which is the Cielo Dress from Closet Core Patterns?

Now that summer is coming to an end we are starting a new season of virtual classes, The Hello Stitch Sewing Club. We hope to do something a little bit different with this, so this class will be part formal instruction and part social sewing time. Here's the link to register.



We plan to do a different pattern each month and I chose this pattern for our first one because it has a lot of options for making a dress or a top and looks good in a lot of different fabrics.


Here's the info from the Hello Stitch website class page: 

We're kicking off the club by doing a Cielo Sew Along! For the month of September, we will meet each Tuesday as I introduce new topic or skill that will be related to the project. Choose to meet for "Happy Hour" between 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm, or join us for us "After Dinner" from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Then meet up again on Thursdays from 6-8pm for Social Sewing. For those who need a little more help with their machines, we'll also hold Office Hours to help troubleshoot any issues that may arise.  All these times are Pacific Standard Time - so if you are another part of the country perhaps you can join in! 

Hello Stitch has also put together a complete kit you can order with pattern and choice of fabric, plus thread and interfacing. Fabrics are pictured above. If you already have the pattern then you are all set or you can buy the pattern as a PDF immediately from Closet Core or other pattern shops.

The lockdown and restrictions to opening have been really tough on the studio, and so many small businesses in the bay area. I really want them to survive and they are getting by for now. They do longarm quilting and have other aspects of their business that continue but not holding in person classes is a real challenge. So I hope you continue to support small sewing businesses in this difficult time if you can. I know everyone is dealing with challenges - doing school at home for children sounds exhausting to me :)

As is my habit lately - this is more lockdown sewing so I rummaged in my stash and found this cotton pique fabric.  I opted not to put the bands on the sleeves, as it's a slightly thick fabric and with the temp around 105℉ on the day I was sewing I felt it didn't need any more fabric! I put some darts in the center back - more just to see how it looks and I like it. So another option for this pattern which I will talk about in the class.





I was actually going to make it sleeveless however since it is designed for sleeves the armholes were too low. I will also go over how to make that adjustment so it can be sleeveless or have a cute ruffle sleeve. I think I like it belted on me but I made this a bit big in the hip and hem width, I will probably go back and take it in (when the weather cools off!)

So are you getting interested in some social sewing?  I hope so as I really miss teaching classes at Hello Stitch and getting to know so many new stitchers. Here in the bay area we are heading into the 6th month of social distancing which means very few in-person interactions that are not absolutely necessary. I've spent this time mostly with my family and seeing some friends in very careful outdoor sessions but now that summer is coming to a close I think life might be a bit dreary. But we can sew socially and make some new connections along the way.

Once I had the pattern out I decided to make the top version, this time in a cotton voile from my stash.  This one is all about the sleeves and I have some ideas on how to do a little pattern hacking here as well, if you wanted to add button cuffs or even reduce some of the fullness.



This pattern has two options for neckline finishing, either an interfaced facing or bias binding. Both have some pros and cons so in the class I will go over my tips for neat neckline finishes.




This piece of fabric sat neglected in my stack for ages and now that I've sewn it up I think it will be quite versatile in my wardrobe and go with other things I have like this wool blazer.
OK - now that I've mentioned blazers what might you be interested in for subsequent classes in our Hello Stitch Sewing Club? I haven't decided on the October item but I think we will be leaning towards cozy stay-at-home separates. But maybe after that we could do a jacket class? I was supposed to travel to the east coast to do my jacket class this Oct. 2020 but that is sadly postponed to who knows when. In the meantime we have to be creative and stay connected as we can.
In any case I would love to hear what you might be interested in doing in a virtual class. We are also open to doing a weekend class as well which might work better if you are in a different time zone.
Lots of options.

So that's the scoop on our upcoming Hello Stitch Sewing Club class. Here's the link to register or see more information. 

Just to review, it's starting Tues. Sept 8, option of either 5-6pm or 7-8pm and then Thursdays Sewcial Sewing 6-8pm when we will catch up on your progress, answer any questions, discuss anything you are working on and just stay in touch over a topic that brings us all together. (no need to participate in the whole time on Thursdays - you can drop in for some quick answers or stay the whole time as we sew together).  Class will be held on Zoom.




I hope to see you (virtually) in September!  let me know if you have any questions about this class or ideas for our upcoming sessions.

Happy Sewing, and stay well,
Beth

Today's garden picture is the humble geranium. Except I don't think they are so humble - I think they are gorgeous. In fact I've turned into geranium collector. They are such hardy plants and ridiculously easy to propagate. The plant that keeps on giving! I've started to buy some of the more exotic ones, bicolors and with interesting foliage. They are a great plant for our hot and dry weather - when the rain comes they always seem to spring back up. Plus they remind me of Italian travels and the lovely window boxes of bright geraniums everywhere. Tornerò lì un giorno! Speriamo di sì.

Meeting up with international sewing friends and some upcoming class updates

All summer long I was looking forward to my relaxing vacation and one day I received a message from Yoshimi who is a long time sewing friend that I actually had never met in person. She said she and Carolyn were coming to San Francisco and New York so we could all meet up. For a split second I had the thought that they would be here when I was away, but fortunately they arrived the day I returned! Does that ever happen to you? A few weeks go by with nothing much happening and then everything at once and you have to make choices, which never fails to mean that you miss something fun. But this worked out and I was able to get together with them a couple of times while they were here.
Interestingly they were two of the first people whose blogs I started reading ages ago and I'm in awe of both their talents - they both are sewing wizards as well as fantastic knitters, a skill I admire all the more because I can't seem to learn it.
First up we met over at Stone Mountain in Berkeley for some shopping. They were staying in SF near Shams who had met Yoshimi previously when she traveled in Japan They arrived before me and it was so surreal to walk around a stack of fabric and see Carolyn looking at the linens.



We're all wearing our handmade wardrobes - Yoshimi and Carolyn's are Vogue patterns and my dress is a old Butterick pattern that I always think I should make again, and the silk twill fabric I bought at Stone Mountain so it seemed fitting to wear it :)



They are both so delightful and it was a thrill to meet and talk. It was great to see Shams again as it's been quite a while since I've seen here also. As we were leaving the store I remembered the photo spot which they found very useful. And I will include this one to show that striking the right pose is not easy and Carolyn is doing the "gaze thoughtfully into the distance which showing your outfit to best advantage" while I am looking like I fear a bird may drop something on my dress 😉.



That was Sunday, on Monday they had perfect weather in SF and saw a lot of the city, renting bikes (intrepid with all the hills!) riding across the Golden Gate Bridge and doing all the stuff that I never do unless I have out of town visitors.
On Tuesday evening I met them in the city for dinner and unfortunately Shams wasn't feeling well so she could make it, but Yoshimi, Carolyn and I had a lovely dinner together and as Carolyn said we never run out of things to talk about. I'm already thinking I need to get my 2020 travel plans organized and take a trip to someplace that's not a tropical beach.

One last thing - which is the cutest sewing item I've ever seen. Yoshimi gave me this present which looks like a lipstick but is a tiny pincushion. I think if I ever go to Japan I will need an empty suitcase!


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now for an entirely different topic - we have lots of great classes coming up at Hello Stitch. 

If you are interested in any classes I suggest you register as soon as you decide, since a lot of the classes are selling out very quickly. Particularly our Learn to Sew Series - I'm thrilled at the reception that class has received and also to see so many people from that class continue with others.

Here's what's coming up, not in calendar order but I've grouped them by type of garment.

The Jeans Jacket class starts this Sunday, it's a two session class so plenty of time to get it completed. And you can make any jeans jacket pattern you would like. I think there are 2 spots remaining.
The Wiksten Haori jacket class is really popular and such a good item to make after the Learn to Sew class. It might be sold out as I write this but you can check.



And my favorite - I'm doing another Intro to Tailoring Weekend Workshop Class. This one is in January so you have plenty of time to find the perfect fabric. We just held this class in September and it was so much fun, plus the jackets everyone made are gorgeous.   Let's just say the weather wasn't exactly wool jacket or steam pressing weather but it was great fun anyway. Though I am looking forward to the January weather version. You are welcome to make any blazer jacket pattern.



~~~~~~~~~~~
Learn to Sew Class



The interest in this class has really surprised me in a good way - we're onto our fifth (?) session of this class in just the last 6 months and it's great to meet so many people who are interested in starting to sew. Note this is a 3 week class, and there are two sessions scheduled. Morning and afternoon.

Fitting Classes: in November we have pattern fitting, the workshop part of the class (morning) still has some spots open. In this class everyone works with half size templates and you learn to do the most common alterations, plus how to measure yourself and the pattern. In the spring we have an Adjust the Bust class, specifically for adjusting bust and other bodice fit questions.



More Garment sewing, of specific patterns.  Knit T-shirt,  the Zadie Jumpsuit (make a holiday party version!) and the Emerson pants (this pattern is ideal as a first pants project).



And of course, Jeans! You can use any jeans pattern, but I must say I love this pattern, and am about to sew up my 4th pair.



So that's the latest on classes for the rest of 2019 and a bit of 2020. I had better look carefully at my schedule so I can fit in some travel time, there are so many sewists to meet!

Up next, I have just finished a dress from the Burda April 2019 issue - the issue that keeps on giving! and the aforementioned jeans, plus I have some lovely silk and need to decide on a shirt pattern for that.

Happy Sewing and I hope to see you in a class at Hello Stitch or a sewing meet up someday!
Beth

Today's garden photo, a dahlia that forgot I planted in the front, which despite a poor location and not much water put out some lovely sunshiny blooms.

Deer and Doe Myosotis dress and True Bias Emerson Crop Pants: sewing examples for classes

When we create sewing classes at Hello Stitch Studio where I teach, we've found that choosing a specific pattern and designing a class around that works out better than general sewing classes. I think because people who are new to sewing can visualize the finished item (plus probably have seen many nice versions on line). Those who are more experienced might decide to try a new style, and every one gets the encouragement and camaraderie of sewing together.

In so many classes I ask people how they know one another and come to find out they just met there in the class - while I thought they were already friends! Some even decide to take another class together which is really nice. I think everyone bonds over sewing successes and failures and there just aren't that many opportunities in everyday life to talk sewing. I mean really, do your office mates want to hear about your latest pattern haul? Well maybe - I don't know what your office is like :) but if anything like my previous corporate life there were always a few comments about stuff I made but nobody wanted to hear about fabric shopping bargains.

The latest two patterns that we've selected for summer classes are ones that fit into a summer wardrobe but I think can be useful all year round. I always sew at least one version of the pattern prior to my classes, just to compare to the instructions and check for any tricky bits.

By the way - be sure to scroll down to the 2nd outfit as it is a bit of departure for me, style-wise and I think I love it!



The Deer and Doe Myosotis Dress is the first Deer and Doe pattern that I've made, although around here I've seen plenty of great versions of the Magnolia dress and if I were a maxi dress wear I might consider it (but I'm not!)
The class at Hello Stitch is on Sunday July 14 and I think there are 3 spots still available.

The reason I chose this pattern is that I think it is IDEAL for pattern hacking. A nice basic pattern that you can change up and use in a lot of different ways. As you can see from my summertime version below.

My changes: Sleeveless, slightly cut-in armhole, no neckband, in fact I opened the neckline about 1 inch all around. Oh yeah, and pleats in the skirt instead of gathers. Also a tie at the back waist for more shaping. Facing for neckline and button front, bias binding for armholes.

What else could I do with this pattern? Here are some more ideas:
-Make it long sleeved, with perhaps a ruffle at the sleeve hem or a standard button placket and cuff.
-Add a shirt collar to the collar stand
-Drop the seam to the true waist by adding length in the bodice front and back.
-Continue the button placket down the front of the skirt to make it a true shirtdress
-Use a contrast fabric for the upper and lower half.
-Play with stripes by adding trim or a hem band
-Reduce the width of the skirt for a different silhouette



Closer look at the pattern and the adjusted neckline.



Closer look at the fabric and the skirt pleats.  This might be the oldest fabric in my stash that I can recall buying, at Stone Mountain of course:) and it was in the 50% off cotton section, which is mostly quilting cottons. This happens to be a Robert Kaufman fabric, with a slightly brushed/sateen surface but not stiff. I think I've had it for maybe 10 years and not sure what possessed me to use it for this but now I think it will be my summer beach cover up dress.

The only slight sewing detail is this - hairpins are perfect for turning smallish tube of fabric.



Up next: the Emerson Crop Pants from True Bias. Or in my case the not cropped pants, i.e. the full length pants and a matching top to fool you into thinking it's a jumpsuit.




Do these qualify as wacky pants? Somehow I think so. I was given this fabric with a few other pieces by the owners of Hello Stitch as they were remainders from a fabric swap day they had last month. OK, it's a little wild but it does have pink in it and also is a very lovely weight of rayon that is perfect for both these pants and the top. Plus I have enough remaining to make a skirt so versatile, right?

I lightened this photo a bit but it's still hard to see the details on the pants, which are probably well known by now, they have deep slant pockets, a flat front, two small pleats in front and then a wide elastic gathered back.






The top is my favorite Bondi dress pattern as a top. Here's my first version of the dress, and here's the version in silk crepe I made as a top.  Gosh I wear that top a lot, so it was an easy choice to use it again for this outfit.

Sewing details, I don't like how the Bondi top has a loop and button closure in the back, as sewing a loop is a pain (although I have used tiny elastic which works a treat) but I decided to add a small ? placket, where I could sew a couple of snaps for closing. Also if wearing a racer back bra it keeps the center back from opening.



I finished the edges with bias binding I made from some black cotton voile in my stash. I can't stand to use purchased bias tape, I think it's way too stiff for most garments, and bias in self fabric or a lightweight voile, ambiance lining or silk works really well.



Since I was being stingy with the fabric so I could make a skirt, I used a remnant of ambiance lining for the pockets, and sewed on the outer fabric over that where it would show on the slant pocket.




I chose the Emerson pattern size by my hip measurements and they fit perfectly. I made the high rise version ( or the regular rise, perhaps the other option is called the mid-rise). And I lengthened by about 5 inches and then had about 2 inches of hem to play with.

So that's the latest on my sewing for upcoming Hello Stitch classes. Soon I'm going to make a Zadie jumpsuit for myself, the class on August 3 is sold out, so we've added another one on Sept 22.

You can read more details and register for the classes here at Hello Stitch Studio which is in Berkeley.
Next up I will be starting on a Closet Case Files Jasika Blazer jacket - the class is in Sept and I think there are just 2 spots remaining in that one. (Note if you have some other jacket pattern you prefer to make that is OK with me).

And then some sewing for my Mom as she has a birthday party coming up and I found a great fabric to make her a new top, plus the June Burda arrived (Yay!!!) so I'm sure I will find something in that.



Happy Summer sewing, Beth

Today's garden photo - the same hydrangea that is shown above in the white pot. It looked a little scraggly all winter and I never dreamed it would come out with all these blooms. Another Trader Joe's plant that I couldn't resist. Plus it's kept its color and is blooming in the same pink color as when I first brought it home. A winner!

Ash Jeans again: 3rd pair in sparkly denim

This sewing project was one of those "I don't really need it but why not?" items where you are in a fabric store and see something slightly ridiculous and yet buy it anyway. For me it was this sparkly denim which I bought at Joann's one day, as it had a nice weight and suitable stretch, plus a subtle silver shimmer. Or can jeans that sparkle be considered subtle? Since you can't really see the shimmer in photos I will say yes.



I cut them out fully intending to make the cropped wide leg version on the pattern envelope, which is one of the 4 options on the Megan Nielsen Ash jeans. (the last view shown in the diagrams).



However I am tempted to say, in honor of May the 4th (Star Wars day) that THESE are not the wide leg jeans you are looking for. If you get it, you get it...and on a slightly meandering note, I saw the original movie as it opened that first summer in the theater. Try to imagine how thrilling that movie was before it was everywhere in our culture. It had everything, adventure, romance, good vs. evil, humor, inspiration and young Harrison Ford! And we had to wait 3 years! for each sequel to find out what happened next. I still love that original trilogy (and have never seen any of the subsequent ones :)

Back to sewing, I did cut these out using the pattern pieces for the wide leg version. And basted them together for a try-on. And decided noooooooooo. Everyone has their pet peeve about how things look on themselves, for me it is things that make me look extra short in the bottom half. As I'm not tall to begin with, and kind of short in the leg half, I don't need clothes that make my bum look even closer to the ground.
So I took out my pattern pieces from the slim leg Ash jeans and overlaid them on the legs and recut them to that shape. Below is the back pattern piece, you can see how much narrower the slim leg is. And not just in the outside seam, but also starting at the inner thigh and continuing down to the ankle.
I didn't get a photo that showed the whole pattern piece but you get the idea.



The yokes were already sewn on the backs and the pockets and zipper were all done in the front, so it was a quick bit of work to unbaste and then restitch after I had trimmed them down to the slim leg.



Not the best looking photo but I wanted you to see how high these jeans come up on me. I did raise the waist all the way around 1/2" since I'm long in the rise. I bought the Dawn jeans pattern which is described as a high-rise jean so I'll be interested to see how the rise is on that.




The whole time I was sewing these I thought the denim was black with a bit of sparkle, and I used black thread for both construction and topstitching.

I like the pockets to continue all across the center front of the jeans, I think some call this a waist stay, or I in RTW jeans I've seen it called tummy control. Whatever it is I think it keeps the front from stretching out, and also it keeps the pocket bags from creeping out which drives me crazy.

I'll be showing how to do this in my Jeans class at Hello Stitch Studio which is coming up in June, it's two Saturdays June 1 and June 8. I think this Ash jeans pattern is so good, the fit and shaping are really nice. As I mentioned before I made the first pair back in January and I used my hip measurement to choose the size. I took them in at the waist but the rest of the jeans are according to the pattern and I really am happy with the fit. This is probably the most suitable denim I've used, as the other two versions were sewn with denim I got at fabric swaps and a little skimpy on the stretch amount although they worked out ok.



You can see that I rummaged around in my scrap box for some cottons to use as the pocket bags and the waistband inside. I don't really get too worked up about the insides and don't care if they match. They don't show! use up scraps!  I put plain woven cotton for the inside waistband instead of the denim as I felt it was the tiniest bit rough and also got quite hot when I ironed it, possibly due to the metallic component. So I didn't want that touching my skin around the waist. Also using a non-stretch for the waistband seems to work well for me.

And here's how I realized these jeans were actually blue and not black.



I put them on with this silk top which is a black/white/green print. And took some photos. Staring at the pictures it was obvious that the denim was blue. Oh well. And the silver loafers are maybe too much with the sparkle jeans....Funny how you see things in photos that you don't notice in the mirror.

Close up view and the sparkles are evident?  Also looks like black denim, right? This is in my super bright in the daytime sewing room.






So that's the latest on my Ash jeans. I probably have about 10 pairs of blue denim RTW jeans in my closet, various other colors also and now 3 pairs of Ash jeans. I fully intend to make the Dawn jeans and them it's time to make some shorts maybe? No more jeans for a while. Plus once our summer heat kicks in I rarely even put ON jeans until sometimes mid-Sept or even later.

For May I have a bit of a break in my schedule of teaching classes, as this month has a lot of weekend holidays and other stuff on the calendar so we don't have as many classes. Although we just did a weekday class last Thursday and it sold out immediately so based on that we have a couple more weekday classes now scheduled (Wrap dress and Lander pants classes).

Instead of listing my upcoming classes, here's a screen grab to show you what's on the calendar for June - Aug. There are just a couple of spots remaining in the Fitting class on June 22 and we won't have another scheduled until the fall so if you are interested jump on that. Here's the link to the class page.

Register or see more information for my 
Garment Sewing Classes at Hello Stitch Studio



Did you see what class is there in the last image? Yes, the Zadie jumpsuit! I'm very excited to make that, I just got the pattern and will be sewing up a sample in the next month or so. And I didn't think it would work on a height-challenged person :) but I ran into Kristin at the Stone Mountain Fabrics 38th Anniversary party on Friday night.



Kristin, who I met in a few of my classes, said her Zadie was hot off the sewing machine, just finished the night before. It looks so cute on her! so now I'm ready to try one for myself. It looks like
we are the only ones there but the place was packed with so many stitchers - a really fun event and great to see everyone. The sewing community in the bay area is really lively!

And looking ahead to August and September, check this out. I'm doing another beginner series based around the new Wiksten dress pattern (which I believe is going to be back in stock in the next month or so) and then my Jacket Weekend workshop is official. The class registration is live on the Hello Stitch Website.

The jacket workshop will be a 3-day class (afternoon on Friday and then Sat/Sun). The new Jasika Blazer pattern is a good option but if you already have a jacket or coat pattern that you want to do that's fine with me. I will be showing a lot of techniques and demonstrations on how I do things, including what parts of the instructions I ignore and go my own way :) all my thoughts on interfacings and a faster way to make the lining. Plus whatever else I think of in the next few months. While this class isn't until Sept. we have had registrations the day it was listed so I think we will have a great group. If you have any questions on this please email me. 

That's the latest on my Ash jeans, now onward to some summer dresses. I have a couple of things picked out from the last two Burdas and I need to get going on those. 

Happy Spring Sewing, Beth

Today's garden photo, I was so pleased with these bicolor tulips that I planted in the fall and promptly forgot were there. They've finished blooming now but the colors were so pretty.