Pattern: Adrienne Blouse from Friday pattern Company

Fabric: printed dot jersey from Joann’s

Notes: This is the fourth pattern that I’ve made from Friday pattern company. They’re one of my favorite indies. They usually have good tutorials and instructions, and the styles appeal to me. They do have some drafting idiosyncrasies – two are a short torso length and rather square shoulders. Part of the appeal of making multiple patterns from one company is, for me, that you get to know the block they use and what your alterations are. I use a lot of big 4 patterns, and I generally know how to alter those to fit me without a muslin – not necessarily so for a new company!

When I printed this pattern out I was surprised to see that it’s really only three pieces – front/back, sleeves, and neckband. I’ve seen a lot of controversy about how patterns that are aimed at knits can differ from wovens. For instance, a symmetrical sleevecap is not generally desirable in a woven because we are not shaped symmetrically. But in a knit, that doesn’t really bother me. What does bother me, I’ve discovered, is using one piece for front and back.

I wear either a 34 D or 36 C bra (these are sister sizes, with the same size cup and differing bands.) I don’t usually need to make a Full bust adjustment to most patterns because my upper bust measurement is only an inch or two larger than my full bust. That’s an important distinction to understand. When we make a FBA, we are choosing a size that fits our shoulders and adding room for the bust. In my case, my shoulders and bust generally fit into the same size. I know, it’s a little odd, but sewing cup sizes are not the same as bra cup sizes.

That’s all a long way of saying that I feel this pattern basically needs an FBA if you have any chest fullness at all. If your knit isn’t super stretchy it will be even worse. This isn’t a negative comment necessarily, and the pattern does include instructions for doing an fba, but I do think it would be a better pattern with separate front and back pieces. I did not do one, and while it fits my dressform above it’s clingy on me:

While my dressform and I have the same circumference, my bust is more projected. I don’t use it to fit on though, it’s mostly there to hold WIPs and take photos.

Other than the bust, I did think the pattern was solid. The sleeves are lovely, and I had no issues with the neckband width. I reduced the elastic length at the wrists and added two inches in length to the body, but otherwise it’s straight out of the package. My size is a medium, which I blended out to an xl for the waist. In my opinion it needed the length to be tucked in, but ymmv.

I’m currently working on a Simplicity pattern for wovens that is very similar. When I’m finished I will post my thoughts on the style!

Pattern: Burda 6265

Fabric: Mammoth Flannel by Robert Kauffman, purchased from Etsy.

Size: 40, blended to 42 at the waist

Notes: I was initially not sure what to make of the cottagecore trend. Admittedly, I do love ruffles and silly collars, but I did experience a twinge of “Am I too old for all this?” But you know what? Wear what makes you happy. Those rules are all silly. And this dress? Makes me happy to wear!

I’ve seen a few others make lovely flannel dresses online this year so I decided to give it a try. I’ve been diagnosed with Reynaud’s Syndrome which leads to me being excessively cold most of the time, so I really need to focus on covering myself in warm things during the winter! I made my Ilford jacket out of Robert Kauffman’s Durango flannel, the heavyweight version of this fabric, so I already knew how nice it was. It doesn’t pill, and I don’t think it shrinks as badly as cheap flannel either. This is the small version of the buffalo plaid. The checks are around 3/4 inches.

The pattern was a joy, although the directions were the usual Burda nonsense. The collar is attached and the seam is covered in bias tape – a good method, but strips are cut rather too narrow. I would make them wider so it’s easier to cover the seam allowance.

This is mostly view A, but I did cut the ruffle from view B at half the length (folded it in half longways before cutting.) I’m very happy with how it came out!

You can see my video review here:

One of my resolutions was to do a better job of keeping up this space, so look for more content here, and hopefully a move to self-host this blog in the future.

Over Christmas break, my wonderful boyfriend got me started on a YouTube channel about sewing. Since I don’t actually have anyone to talk to in my real life about crafting, I’m looking forward to using that space to give updates. I’d also like to do a few sew-a-longs, as that’s something that has helped me tremendously from other channels!

If you’d like to see my top garments from last year, please take a look at this video:

I hope you enjoy listening to me go on about my favorite things!

I’ll be back in this space soon with some new pattern reviews – I just made a killer Burda pattern that I can’t wait to talk about! In the meantime, here is a preview of how it turned out:

Pattern: Romey Gathered Top and Dress from Sew House 7 patterns

Fabric: Bee print poly crepe

Notes: One thing I love about sewing is the ability to experiment with different silhouettes. This kind of oversized fit is everywhere right now, but I haven’t been sure it was something I could pull off. When I saw this pattern appear on my Instagram feed, I immediately was attracted to the versions made in crepe or challis. I ordered a poly crepe from fabric.com to try it out for low investment.

The pattern comes as a PDF, and the taping/cutting was like most. It does include layers in the file, so I was able to print only the size 6 that I planned to make. I decided to make the longer length so that I might be able to wear it a little longer this fall.

I have to say that I was pretty impressed overall with the quality of the drafting and the instructions. Most of the seams were finished as french seams, and for the most part that worked out really well. I do think that it’s a mistake for the pattern to call for the underarm seam to be finished in that way – in my opinion that’s too much of a curve for a french seam to lay smoothly. I would not do it that way again.

The tricky bits – the front neckline, sleeve cuffs, and the patch pockets – were all well illustrated. I think that a fairly new sewer could make this dress if they take their time. But maybe not in poly crepe. This fabric did hold a crease, but not all that well, so it might be challenging to a new sewist.

My final verdict? I really like the way this looks, and it’s super comfy. I’ve got a video on my instagram in case you’d like to see how it moves (stitchywitchcreates is my id.) I’m probably not going to start making all my clothes oversized, but I think this dress is fun and I’m glad I made it!

Did you notice my new location? I’ve given up on photos in my apartment because there’s just no natural light at all. Instead, I brought my tripod to work and used my office during lunchtime. It’s so much better!

I’m sure that many of us struggle with finding space to sew. Sewing is a fairly space intensive hobby, and not everyone has the luxury of extra rooms. I’ve been in both situations, but now I find myself without a dedicated sewing room. My current apartment is in a lovely neighborhood, but it is very small (only 600 square feet.) There are two bedrooms, but one of them is in use as a (tiny) living room. When I decided it was time to start sewing again I had not idea where to put my things – it probably put me off starting for at least a year.

I finally decided that they would have to go in the kitchen. The kitchen is technically supposed to also be the living room, but I found it to be too small for that purpose. So I took a desk that I already owned and set up there. This was not a good long term solution, as my things ended up everywhere.

I ended up googling “sewing cabinet for small space” and found this Sauder cabinet. The reviews were decent and the price was right so I went ahead and ordered. It comes completely unassembled and I’d recommend having a second person to help as you need to balance some doors while installing them. I’d also be sure to not tighten anything too much at first, as there are several places that need to meet up later. But we got it done and I love it!

Here is the before (no, it wasn’t usually this bad, but this is with everything piled on the table.

We’ve all been there, right?

You can see the cabinet closed above, and here it is open:

The drop leaf to the left isn’t sturdy enough for really heavy things, but it’s going to be good for holding WIPs. There are three shelves in the cabinet to the right. In addition I got a hanging shelf for my closet for fabric. I’ve always used the kitchen island for cutting. I’m looking into a pegboard for the wall above and maybe a few decorative touches. I’m so pleased, and I can’t wait to start using my new cabinet!

First up: New Look 6511 in a rayon crepe. It’s already cut and ready to sew!