Category: sewing

2025 Sewing Intentions

Karen

Daughter Judy Patterns put out their own spin on the traditional “Make 9” sewing community lists. Since I make a lot more than 9 things anyway, I liked this more thoughtful approach. Here are the prompts:

 

And here are my answers:

1. 2025 Color: I’m really into red–this image from J. Crew is a little more orange-red, which is a no-brainer, but a true red is speaking to me too.

2. Vintage Pattern: If I can track down a copy of DKNY Vogue 2958, I think it would look great in a red coating.

3. Skill Enhancer: I want to get better at hand sewing for tailoring/any hand sewing at all. I really hate it (I even have a Bernina foot to sew buttons on by machine) but you can’t get a perfect collar/lapel roll on jackets or coats any other way. Daughter Judy has teased a blazer pattern this year so maybe that will be when I learn.

4. On Your “To Knit” List: I’m really going to make that Gap-inspired sweater this year. I just ordered yarn!

5. 3 Personal Style Words: I think Colorful is self explanatory. Layered gets ignored a lot when I need to just throw something on after the gym for Zoom, but I want to get back into the habit–because that’s what makes me feel Cool.

6. Batch Sew Basics: I need bras, both for the gym and for home. The Greenstyle and Cloth Habit patterns I have work and lord knows I have enough knit scraps to use.

7. Pinterest Pin You Can’t Stop Thinking About: This picture of curator Thelma Golden. The coolness! The confidence! The colors and prints!

8. 2025 Mantra: I have SO much fabric that’s special or one of a kind, which makes me want to hoard it rather than use it up. But isn’t it better to enjoy it in my closet rather than on the fabric shelf? And isn’t my hoarding of it just based in fear (“What if I mess it up and can’t get more?”) anyway? This hobby shouldn’t feed my anxiety!

9. Take Your Time Project: I’m still marinating on this one but I could really use that Waffle Patterns 3-in-1 Kikyo Jacket I posted about.

Tuesday Project Roundup: Arts & Crafts For Christmas

Karen

I kept it pretty low-key for handmade gifts this year–I’m finally learning that December is full of government clients wanting to wrap up projects, plus two birthdays and regular holiday insanity, so maybe I shouldn’t plan the ultra-ambitious projects for gifts.

But a little valet tray to hold a traditional gift of car wash tokens for my Sunday Night Conversations friend? That took an evening and it’s always fun to play with cardboard and glue. I know he loves intalgios so when I saw this new paper from Parvum Opus, I had to use it. (And now he wants to carry the paper in his store, success!)

 

For my dad, I wanted something to go with a vintage tiki mug I found him. This is a wild swerve away from plaid flannel; the Hawaiian print flannel (from Joann) might be a little much for an old cowboy, but the thing about handmade gifts for a parent is they have to use them, if only when you come to visit. And it’s warm.

And finally, I sewed a little pouch to hold a Stonemountain gift card for the friend I’m going to the East Bay next month. Of course, the leftover fabric I wanted to use wasn’t heavy enough on its own, so I quilted it with leftover batting and more stash fabric on the inside. I even had a matching zipper and tiny D-ring!

I rushed the seam binding on the inside since I was working on this the Sunday before Christmas, but it’s sturdy and I don’t think anyone’s going to turn it inside out and inspect it too closely.

Winter Break Project Planning: Travel Backpack

Karen

I was feeling the urge to make something complicated, but instead of a coat I landed on a travel backpack. Why? My friend and I actually booked a winter trip after talking about it for years. We’re going to the East Bay (ok, we’re going to Stonemountain) in January and I decided to sew a suitcase-backpack for it. (Why not sew that domed carry on that I keep posting about every year and then not making? We won’t have a car so I want something that’s comfy to walk around with. Someday, carry on…)

I’m going to use the “TRVL 32” from Prickly Gorse which won out over the Stitchback Gear version because it opens like a suitcase and has lots of exterior pockets. Just look at all these pockets!

I uncharacteristically didn’t go mega-colorful with this one–my thought is that Doc could use this as a personal item if we ever go anywhere with rolling luggage and I could still sew the Kate Spade knockoff carry on for mine. (Also, if your backpack is neutral it won’t clash with your snakeskin printed pants or bright blue corduroys as you prance around Berkeley.) I couldn’t resist contrast red lining inside, though:

I’m not 100% sold on the two tans so I might check out Salt Lake Sewciety for a backup. But otherwise, I have everything I need to get started–including the biggest zippers I’ve ever seen:

Let’s sew a suitcase!

Tuesday Project Roundup: Catzilla Birthday Shirt

Karen

Doc got his traditional birthday shirt, the trusty M6044, in perhaps the best print ever this year:

Giant cats causing city-wide havoc! I found this at Miss Matatabi in the late summer and didn’t even have to think twice about buying it. It’s a nice shirt weight, too–almost an oxford.

I was able to pattern match the pockets but not the placket, but I think that’s OK. Everyone will be too busy seeing what the giant cats are doing to pay attention to the placket anyway.

Wednesday Project Roundup: Pattern Testing Pics

Karen

I got some more pictures of the pattern I tested, which is releasing today: The Monty Pant from Daughter Judy.

Since testing, the designer has made the fit a little smaller overall and refined the zipper placket instructions, so you shouldn’t have any of the issues I did. Like I said before, I don’t think I would have picked this shape but I really love it. It helps that there’s an elastic-back waist and lots of room in the hip, but I also just like the vibes: a little 80s, a little modern I kind of want a corduroy pair now.

I just don’t wear office clothes any more so I styled these the way I’d actually wear them, but I think they’d really work with ankle boots and a button up, too.

Anyway, pattern testing was fun! Expanding my style horizons and getting to provide written opinions, what’s not to love?

Pattern Testing, Keeping It Real

Karen1 Comment

I had my first pattern tester experience for one of my favorite companies, Daughter Judy. (Pattern testing is just doing a trial sew of something before the pattern is released and putting in notes about the pattern and instructions.) This is an elastic-back pant that’s coming in a couple weeks and I would never have picked this silhouette on my own, but I kind of love it?
(I’m going to make Doc take real pictures so I can post more detail.)

 

This is actually my second pair; the instructions for the exposed front zip kicked my ass the first time (the bottom opening should have been square):

But the pattern designer put a helpful video in the tester Slack group (and I think will add more detail to the instructions) so my second try turned out great:

Remember, you can be at any skill level and mess things up! But you can also try again!

Tuesday Project Roundup: Camo Pants

Karen

I bought some cotton ripstop camo back in the summer when I was going through my nouveau prep/Magnum PI moment. As much as I was tempted to make tiny shorts, I went with pants–I’d had this image from J. Crew saved since maybe 2010. (It feels very 2010, right? Pattern mixing, heels with everything…thanks for the bunions, J. Crew.)

I used the Daughter Judy Brier Pants again, except in a straight size 12 (no grading at the waist) and with about half an inch taken off the rise.

I do love how the Daughter Judy block fits me–other than the rise, these are exactly as drafted. I even did some pattern mixing for my outfit (but am firmly at the “soft flat shoe” age).

Project Pondering: Big Complicated Jacket

Karen

Without fail, the weather gets cold and I start thinking about outerwear I could sew. This is how I end up with three tailored coats, two jackets, and more fleeces than I can count. So I don’t really need another coat, but Waffle Patterns just released the “Kikyo 3-In-1 Jacket” and it would be SO much fun to sew:

Look at all the pockets! And all the zippers for the hood and the lining! Plus I could quilt the zip-out lining and use up some fleece for the batting!

AND, this would look like a Barbour jacket if I used waxed canvas, which I haven’t worked with before.

Oh it’s hard not to just buy the pattern and do it. But because it got cold, I switched out seasonal clothes and eeesh I have a lot of clothes. (“But not THIS piece of clothing,” my brain adds.)

Tuesday Project Roundup: Last Of The Block Prints

Karen

It’s been an unseasonably warm fall so these summery block prints still feel appropriate. This is the last cut of the three I ordered and it was destined to be a shirt for Doc (so I could wear my blue tiger dress with it and we could attract comment, if we go out somewhere).

This is the staple aloha shirt pattern I use for him, New Look 6197. I mixed things up and used the Daughter Judy Genra Shirt instructions for the facings, which involve sewing them into the shoulder seam first for a really clean finish–a vast improvement over the New Look instructions.

This was a fast, straightforward project. It’s fun to work with these prints–look at all the fierce tigers staring at you!

Tuesday Project Roundup: Kaftan!

Karen

Reader, fabric choice makes such a difference: The Bonnet Shirt/Dress in a shirting was stuffy and nightshirty. The Bonnet in a tiger block print? Desert Aunt Kaftan Time!

I don’t usually make a pattern three times in a row but apparently I really like this one. The sleeve details are nice and the band collar makes it fast (the collar/placket reminds me of a J. Peterman linen shirt I had in high school; I’ll try to dig up a picture).

 

I was a little worried about making a dress, since I haven’t worn one in years but because this is a KAFTAN it’s easy to just throw on and walk around in.