Chasing Waterfalls

The weather in Texas is finally changing and I am completely here for it! After living in the Midwest for my undergraduate education, I gained an appreciation for changing seasons and the clothes it ushers in. I do not have a need for a full Winter wardrobe, but I love being able to wear light layering garments. 

The window for cold weather clothes here is narrow, so versatile dual duty pieces are a must. When I saw the new Double-Sided Merino Wool Jersey at Nature's Fabric I was excited to add a reversible cardigan to my closet.

 

I have had the Butterick 6244 Pattern in my stash for some time waiting for the perfect fabric to make it up. It is a popular pattern that has gotten rave reviews.

I love the cascading waterfall front that showcases the front and back side of the fabric. 

I made the size 10, based on measurements, and sewed it with no modifications. This is a great fabric and pattern for anyone who is knit phobic. It can be sewn successfully with a standard sewing machine using a zigzag stitch. 

The pattern was fast to sew and and constructed with flat-felled seams. This detail makes it attractive to wear on both sides. 

I considered adding a pleather trim to the edge of the cardigan like Carolyn did here. I had a hard time finding a trim of similar weight to the fabric. The sample I made proved to be too heavy and I decided to forgo it. Instead, I hemmed it the traditional way with the black side toward the brown.  

This fabric feels nice to the touch and has lovely drape. 

I have an extensive pattern stash with vintage and current patterns. I am diligently sewing through them before adding more. I didn't get to this one before it was out of print. If you are looking for an alternative pattern choice, consider the Madison Cardigan by Style Sew Me.  It is longer and cascades along the hem instead of the neckline. It is a favorite among those who have made it and would have been my choice for this if my stash was lacking.

I love this one and know I will get much wear from it this season. Little Miss loves it too and has submitted her Fall sewing wishlist, a cardigan is on it. 

Happy Sewing,

Bianca

If I Sew For Fall, Will That Speed Up It's Arrival?

School is back in session so, for all intents and purposes, Summer is over and I have Fall on my mind. The temperatures are in the 90's and it feels like 100's. I am retouching blog photos to remove sweat drops and shine from my skin. When that fails, I am doing double shoots at different times of day for usable photos. I am so over this season and I am ignoring all of the environmental evidence and shifting my sewing gears.

Seasonal projects that I worked on many months ago with Autumn debuts, are now being released. My Emerson Tote Bag which is a part of the Sew News Capsule Studio: Well Traveled Pattern Collection is live and available for download. The fabric choices, the layers and the transitional pieces of all of the items in the collection hint of cozy, relaxing and comfy times.

In addition to the capsule wardrobe pattern release, I have a cutwork embroidery project in the Fall 2019 edition of Creative Machine Embroidery. Everything about this issue is a far stretch from Summer creating it is a clear shift toward Halloween decorations and preparations. 

 

Looking at the forecast, I have no confidence that the weather will cool down significantly anytime soon. Despite that, my mind has made the shift Fall making. The new arrivals of fabrics at Nature's Fabric has me really excited and I chose a couple of the new prints to add to my stash. The first one I want to share with you is Fall Red Berries. It is a lusciously soft and cozy bamboo/spandex jersey with soft peach, cream and red tones. This is the first time I have sewn with this type of fabric and I love the way it feels. 

I had many pattern choices to consider. Some were exactly my style and others were a slight departure from my go-to. In the end, I decided to go with Mccalls 7973 in view B.

This dress is a bit different from my usual style, but I find the ruffle neckline and gathered sleeves so charming.

I considered making this dress in my favorite maxi length. In the end however, I decided against it thinking it may make me look too matronly. I used my sashiko inspired pattern weights and rotary cutter for fast cutting of the pattern and fabric. The construction was done on my sewing machine and serger.

It came together with ease with the exception  of the sleeve instructions. I initially had trouble understanding, seeing and differentiating the stitching and gathering lines of the illustration. These eyes aren't what they used to be! Eventually, I took a photo and zoomed in to see what I needed to do. Anyone else need to do this?

 

After completing the sleeves, I wasn't pleased with the light density of the gathers I got by following the pattern. I decided to make them more prominent with narrow elastic. After sewing the elastic in place at the top of the seam, I pulled it taut while sewing it down with a zig-zag stitch along the seam.

At the end of the seam, when the elastic is released, the fabric gathers perfectly. 

I love the sweet details of this dress.

I like how the neckline ruffles with cord tie ends frame my face. 

I can't resist a dress that has side seam pockets and I was happy to not have to draft them for this. Now that it is made, I am pleased with decision to keep the length as is.  I am on the fence about how I feel about the width of the side ties. I generally like them wider to cinch in the volume of fabric at the waistline. Considering that this dress is meant to be loose fitting and not cinched, I think I am okay with them as is. 

I am loving this transitional dress! The color of the print, the feel of the fabric and overall style came together as I hoped. 

Stay cool friends and happy sewing,

Bianca