Another Liberty Print Archer

Hello my internet friends! How are you all? I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since my last post! What up with that? Unfortunately, this isn't going to be a super unique post either as I have made yet another Archer shirt, but in my defence, I made it in some pretty awesome fabric, so there's that. And you get to see some dorky photos of me goofing around, so yay! I don't really have much to say about this pattern that I haven't already said. It's a really great TNT for me, and one of my favourites to see. I'm also having fun dreaming up different variations and fabric combinations. I sewed this shirt up in between some Ginger jeans, and I found it incredibly soothing and relaxing. Not only do I love wearing button up shirts, I really do love making them too.

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For something a little different, I've paired this top with my linen Chardon skirt. I think it works well, although this combo does feel a bit office-y for this work at home girl.

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I'm such a goof! John and I were having fun and I was super excited when we took these picture because I had just finished my first ever jacket (but more on that later).

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This fabric is a gorgeous Liberty print that John picked out for me at Raystitch, when we were visiting London last year. I believe it's called Travelling Threads, and I love it! It has taxi cabs, buses, boats and bikes on it, with little flowers for pops of colour. It's a dream to wear and sew with too! I know everyone raves about Liberty fabric, but it really is amazing, and worth the splurge.

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I decided to do tower plackets for the sleeves of this shirt. I have made them once before on my Crazy Cat Lady Archer, and they worked out really well again. I really love the look of tower plackets, so professional (although it looks like mine need a better press than I'd given them here.) I used self fabric for these ones, but they look super cool in a contrast fabric too.

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If you want to give tower plackets a shot, then I recommend this tutorial. It's got lots of great pictures and it's easy to follow. Once you go through it and make one once, it really only takes minutes to do.

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And because I can't wear a skirt without twirling around, here are some more derpy photos of yours truly. I try not to take myself too seriously. Can you tell?

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Well that's it for now. I am quite behind in blogging as I have been favouring my spare time to sewing, rather than taking photos and writing. I do have a number of things to share with you including some tips for sewing jeans, a #sewingdare, and 3 more Archers. You can hardly wait right? Hope you all are having a lovely week!

The Maui Plantains...

So on a trip to Maui, not only do you need some cute dresses, you also need some easy basics too. Enter the Deer & Doe Plantain pattern (and if you don't have it already, go get, it's free and it's awesome!).

I've made this pattern a number of times, and it's super easy to whip up.

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This one is made from a gorgeous bamboo jersey knit from Blackbird fabrics. This fabric is super drapey and feels amazing. It's so dreamy! Where has bamboo jersey been all my life?? It's also nice and breathable, so feels cool against the skin.

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Also pictured are a pair of Carolyn shorts. I made them out of a lightweight denim that came from Joann's (when we were in Palm Dessert last November). It might be a little grandma-walmart-jeansish, but it's soft and comfy and I think it works as long as I keep the elastic waistband hidden. I was a little worried that these might be a little too short for wearing out of the house, but once we got to Maui, this fear disappeared. I have worn them here a ton! I'll probably make another pair or two for the summer out of different fabric (I'm thinking linen or a cotton/linen blend of some sort). I think they would also be really cute with back pockets added.

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This Plantain is made from a lovely knit I got from Wanderlust Fabrics. I can't remember the content exactly, but I think it's got a bit of rayon in it as well. I got it months ago when my hair was pink, and I've been saving it for when my hair would inevitably change and wouldn't clash as much. I used to have a RTW shirt with the same colour of stripes and I loved it, so when I saw this fabric I bought a yard with plans to make a t-shirt.

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Can you see the micro stripes? This fabric is super nice and soft too and was really nice to work with.

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Paired again with my Carolyn shorts. Told you I wore them a lot!

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This lovely purple Plaintain is made from a cotton spandex jersey from Girl Charlee. It's not quite as drapey as the other two, but just as comfy.

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All three of these tees are a straight size 44, and I shortened them by about 2 inches after I made them. They were all constructed with my serger and topstitched with my converstitch machine.

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With this one, I am wearing my very first pair of me-made shorts (I made them last summer). I used the Juba shorts pattern and if you are interested, you can read my post about them here.

We are getting ready to head home tomorrow. It's been a lovely trip, but I'm ready to get home to the pugs, and to sleep in my own bed, and to sew!! I can't believe how much I've missed it.

What do you miss most when you go on holiday? Do you miss your hobbies too?

The Nettie Chardon Conglomerate

Get ready for a pretty picture heavy post guys! I thought I would give the blog an Archer break and share something a little different. Well different for me anyway. The Deer & Doe Chardon skirt and the lovely (what will I ever wear that with, but now I can't live without) Closet Case Nettie!

I say a little different because I hardly ever wear skirts (and I have never worn a bodysuit). I'm not sure why I don't really wear skirts, as they seem like a pretty versatile item, but for some reason, I have always thought that they don't really suit me. That being said, I really like this one! I think the highwaisted-ness suits my petite frame and I love the pleats and belt loops too! Plus it has pockets - woo hoo!

Hey look, I still have pink in my hair!

I've seen a bunch of Nettie/skirt combos popping up online and I thought that a Nettie paired with this skirt would be perfect! I wouldn't have to worry about always tucking in, or that my top was riding up and/or becoming untucked and I think it worked out splendidly.

For the Chardon, I used Kaufman Brussels Washer Linen Blend (say that three times fast) from Fabric.com. I think it has the right amount of drape and body and it holds the pleats well. I made a size 44 and I used the length of version A without the contrasting piece - what can I say, I'm short. I used store bought bias tape for the hem and I love how that worked out too. I'm all about the bias tape hems lately.

For Nettie I used a striped cotton jersey from Girl Charlee, and I made the version with 3/4 length sleeves in a size twelve. I ended up shortening the bodice by about 1.5" and I did a small sway back adjustment as well. The leg bindings are supposed to be finished with self fabric, but I decided to do something a little different, and I finished them with lingerie elastic. I have never applied lingerie elastic, but I think it turned out pretty well. This pretty pink came from Sew Sassy, and it's super soft and not pinchy at all.

I first attached it with a zig zag stitch and then used my coverstitch machine to topstitch it in place.

This is the first project I have ever made that involved snaps. And I was a little naive about it. I thought, how hard can it be really? Well...here's what it looked like on my muslin.

Snap fail!! (If you follow me on Instagram, you would have seen this already, with the caption Nailed it! My husband didn't understand the reference until I pointed him here. We had a really good giggle, and it still makes me laugh whenever I think about it).

I think my first mistake was using a scrap of jersey for the gusset. In my experience so far, setting snaps in jersey and having them look good is really, really hard! I think my second mistake was trying to set them through so many layers of fabric. After doing this, I re-read the pattern instructions and discovered that you are supposed to a) use a woven scrap of fabric, and b) set the snaps through one layer of fabric, then fold it over and stitch. My second try turned out so much better! When it comes to sewing, I tend to be one of those people that refuses to be discouraged by fails. I think you learn so much from your mistakes and I was so determined to master snaps, that I just kept trying. I have a couple more projects to share that involve snaps and I am so happy that I just kept on trying, because the effort really paid off.

Here's a look at my second attempt:

Hallelujah! Not perfect, but much, much better. You are supposed to slip stitch, but I am way too impatient for hand sewing, and no one's going to see this but me, so I just machine stitched as well as I could around the snaps. It works. My cover stitching looks pretty messy too, but in sewing, it's not what's happening on the inside that counts, it's how in looks on the outside that's most important. Right?

Anyway, I was a little bit worried about what I would wear Nettie with, but I think she goes perfectly with skirts and will be a great layering piece during the colder months. She could be worn under cardigans, sweaters, Archers and perhaps even under an Alder Shirtdress. (Btw: Did you hear that Grainline is releasing a new sweatshirt pattern on Monday?? Eeeeee!) I am a little bit confused about how to wear this bad boy when tights are involved though. Do the tights go over or under Nettie? But I'll figure it out I'm sure, it's probably wearer's choice LOL.

What have you been up to lately? Have you had any epic fails (sewing or otherwise)? Did it discourage you or were you like me and even more determined to conquer the task?

PS: Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian peeps!! Hope you get lots of yummy turkey and remember all the wonderful things to be grateful for!

The Tale of the Plantain and the New Janome Coverstitch Machine

Yep, you read that right, I got a coverstitch machine! I had been contemplating one for awhile, and every time I sew with knits I think, what am I doing? I always struggle with my double-needle, I am never happy with how hems look with it (and sometimes they pop) and I always end up thinking that the garment would look so much better if I had the proper tool. After making all those t-shirts with ripply hems, I chatted with my amazingly wonderful and supportive husband, and he agreed that I needed to add this machine to my sweat shop and so off I went to the sewing store.

I had already picked out (read: fondled) this machine last time I was at the store, so I knew exactly what to buy. I have a soft spot in my heart for Janome. My first real sewing machine, John bought me back in 2007 was a Janome and it still runs like a top. My serger is also a Janome, and I love it too. (The regular sewing machine I use now is a super amazing Pfaff, the Creative Performance, and it does everything but the dishes. There now you know all my secrets.) I read a bit about coverstitch machines on the internet too, and was happy to discover that this baby got some good reviews. I ended up buying a clear foot, and a seam guide to go with it.

You might be asking yourself, what exactly is a coverstitch machine? Don't worry, I had no idea what it was either. I thought a serger could do what it does, and some combination serger-coverstitch machines can, but that's not what I have. Basically, a coverstitch machine hems knit garments with one or two needles. You can use it on wovens as well, but usually it's used on knits to create that stretchy hem. Take a look at the hem on a RTW t-shirt and you'll see what I am talking about.

Of course I was pretty anxious to make something with this bad boy, so I turned to the Deer & Doe Plantain. I've made about 3 Plantains so far (two are blogged here) and been really happy with them all. I had been dreaming of making one with contrast sleeves and a large pocket, so off I went. The coverstitch machine uses the same thread as my serger, so that's pretty handy. And it's really not difficult to thread. It only has one looper and then the needles - easy peasy.

I picked up some more serger thread while I was shopping and I just couldn't resist this rainbow variegated thread. It's so pretty, and I know that I will be the only one to see it, but it makes me happy. There's a secret rainbow party going on inside my shirt. LOL

I used the coverstitch machine to top stitch around the neckline and it worked beautifully. You can see the grey thread I used above and here it is on the right side of the garment.

Doesn't it look beautiful? Here's a look at the sleeve hems. I used the narrow 2 needle option, but there is also a 3 needle option, or a wider 2 needle option. You can also use one needle for a decorative chain-stitch.

Look there's no lump in between the stitching, no skipped stitches, and the hem is laying flat. Hallelujah!

Doesn't that look so professional? I love it! It's a bit tricky lining the hem up with the edge of the fabric, but with a little more practice I am sure it will be a breeze. There's always a bit of learning curve when I learn a new technique. So far, I am super happy with this machine, and I can't wait to use it more.

As for my Plantain, I cut my regular size 42, but for some reason this one is a bit more fitted than my other ones. I'm thinking it might be due to the fabric (or it could be all the slurpees and ice cream I've eaten this summer. Nah! Let's go with it being the fabric's fault). The grey is my favourite cotton spandex from Girl Charlee, and the lovely mint is a weird mystery knit that I picked up on Goldhawk Road when we were in London during the spring. It's a lovely weight and colour, and it has an okay amount of stretch, but pretty much no recovery. This shirt is still totally wearable, but I wish the mint was nice as the grey.

I used the pocket from Grainline's Archer and it didn't turn out quite as I imagined and I should have placed it a bit closer to the middle, but I'm still happy with it. I didn't want to unpick it and replace it, because I am sure there'd be little holes left in the fabric.

Seeing the back of this shirt, really makes me wish I wore a different bra for these pictures or that I had given myself a little extra room, but I didn't. You live and learn, and I know I will totally still wear this one a lot. It also got a tiny bit shorter than I had wanted.

So there you have it. If you are on the fence about a coverstitch machine, jump off and go buy one. If you sew with knits a lot then I think it's totally worth it. If you have any questions about it, feel free to ask. I promise to do my best to answer them. Hope you are enjoying these last days of summer. John and I are kind of gloating because it's supposed to snow in Calgary tomorrow (and Tuesday and Wednesday), can you believe it? But at the lake, where we currently are, it's still nice and warm! Woo hoo!

Happy Sewing!