Sewing jeans was something that has appealed ever since I started my sewing journey, partly because it's hard to find good fitting ready-to-wear jeans, but also because I perceived them to require a fair amount of skill so would be a great challenge.

I decided to enhance my jeans journey by booking onto 2 workshops and buying a book.

Workshop 1: Draft Your Perfect Jeans at Like Sew Amazing

This weekend workshop was totally worth it as I came away with a well-fitting pattern for jeans, by modifying an already fitted trouser block. You can read more about my experience and the basic fitting process here.

Workshop 2: Making Your Perfect Fit Jeans at Guthrie&Ghani

This was another weekend workshop to help with the actual sewing techniques. We had the choice of 3 patterns - I chose the Ginger Jeans by Closet Core Patterns since they were stretch jeans and I wasn’t sure how to tackle this kind of fabric or adjust the fit accordingly. Although I had a fitted pattern from the first workshop, this was for rigid denim so I thought it would be useful to have a pattern for each. There are more details in my review of the workshop itself here.

Book: Sewing Jeans by Johanna Lundström of The Last Stitch

This has so much useful information and tips, along with interesting insights into how RTW jeans are constructed, explaining different types of denim, how best to care for it, fitting advice and detailed explanation of the construction process with photos. I read this book before making them and it helped me gain some background knowledge first.

Since the workshop was heavily guided, I can imagine referencing this book more so when I sew the next pair of jeans myself.

Fit and length

Fabric

Cutting out

Interfacing

Construction

Zip fly

Topstitching

Buttonhole and button

Rivets

Belt loops

Hem

Summary (photos of all views)

What I love

What I would change

What I discovered

Fit and length

As part of the Guthrie&Ghani workshop package, you get a Zoom call with one of the tutors to help advise on sizing and fitting adjustments, so that you can cut the pattern and fabric before the workshop to make the most of the time there. After the useful discussion with Becca, we decided I should cut a straight size 8 as it matched my waist and hips measurement closely.

She gave some good advice about where to adjust the length as it was likely they’d be too long for me, so I shortened the pattern by 2.5cm at the knees. I decided to make the high waisted stovepipe version. Becca emailed some advice on preparing the pattern and resources from the Closet Core website. They also have a sewalong for this pattern.

After basting the jeans together at the workshop, Becca recommended:

1. Take the side seams in by 0.5cm on front and back leg around the hips

2. Reduce the depth of the yolk at centre back by 2.5 cm.

Here's what I did:

1. Take the side seams in by 0.5cm on front and back leg around the hips

• Took in 0.5cm at the side seams on front and back leg pieces, ending roughly at the base of the pocket bag.
• Took the same amount off the side seam of the pocket bag pieces since they also line up with the front and back leg pieces.
• Took the same amount off the side seam of the back yoke piece.
• We decided not to adjust the waistband at this point as it seemed to fit well.

2. Reduce the depth of the yolk at centre back by 2.5 cm.

I shortened the centre back on the yolk (the fold line) by 2.5cm from the bottom of the piece, going to nothing at the side seams, trying to keep a smooth curve like the original piece. This created a more rectangular-shaped fabric piece, rather than the classic V-shape. For future versions I would consider adjusting the yoke and back leg pieces to create more of a V-shape on the yoke.

Once I'd sewn up the jeans with only the hem left to do, I shortened them by another 8cm. Having cut off the excess fabric, I then saw the notes from the g&g course that advised holding off hemming until after washing them a few times as they were likely to shrink further in length. It was too late for me by this point, but something to bear in mind on the next version, and I had at least washed the fabric twice before making them.

Fabric

When joining the workshop, G&G give you a 20% discount on fabrics needed and so I bought their washed indigo stretch denim. I washed it twice at 40 degrees and normal tumble dry. Johanna Lundström does mention in her book that tumble drying damages the Lycra / Elastane in stretch denim which will cause it to eventually lose its stretch so I would consider more air drying of my final jeans.

For the pocket linings I used some blue and white striped cotton shirting from Like Sew Amazing, and for the waistband I used a scrap of Japanese metallic cotton leftover from my Clemence Skirt project.

Cutting out

It is recommended to cut jeans in a single layer and cut the paired pieces the other way up to prevent twisting of the legs. The 2 views of the pattern are:

A - High waisted skinny jeans

B - Low waisted with stovepipe legs

Since I wanted the high waisted version with the stovepipe legs, I needed to combine the two views, although they do mention that "The PDF version of this pattern includes bonus pattern pieces for interchangeable leg shapes with both rises." I cut the paper pattern to size 8 and then overlapped the two front pieces and back pieces so the crotch and hips matched, checking the grain lines were parallel. The photo below shows the two front pieces laid on top of each other.

When cutting this out, I noticed that the stovepipe leg was very slightly smaller than the skinny version towards the top of the inseam.

I decided to follow the stovepipe version here, by folding back the skinny leg underneath. The first photo is where I cut around the edge of the skinny piece, the second shows the stovepipe piece then cut.

Interfacing

After reading the post on the Closet Core Patterns website about prepping and cutting the Ginger Jeans, the advice was not to interface the waistband if you wanted it not too stiff. My denim had quite a bit of stretch and after basting it together, I could see that the waistband had a lot of give. Becca's advice was to interface both the waistband and lining, and so I cut these additional pieces in interfacing.

Having basted the jeans together to check the fit, I then unpicked the waistband to fuse the interfacing. At this point I realised the denim waistband had stretched by 1 cm at each end, just from trying them on. I trimmed the pieces back and then interfaced them.

Construction

Since I made these jeans in a workshop, there was more of a time constraint than if I was doing this at home. This meant I didn't capture as much detail of the construction as some of my other reviews. I also didn't have to reference the instructions much at all, as our tutor Becca was on hand to explain every step. This is a huge advantage for me on such workshops. Figuring things out for the first time by myself would likely have taken much longer with lots of research on various sewalongs and videos. Once you've been shown, it would be a little easier next time when reading the instructions.

I wasn't sure if stretch denim needed any special type of seam or thread but I was reassured that it can be sewn up in pretty much the same way as rigid denim, just with a little care not to stretch it while sewing.

Zip fly

For this part, I relied heavily on Becca's instruction as it was my first time sewing this, and I was really pleased with the result.

After sewing around the fly topstitching guide, you are then guided to sew the second line of topstitching inside the first. This would have meant me catching the zip and so I stitched it outside instead.

Topstitching

If you don't enjoy topstitching, jeans is not a project for you! Luckily I do enjoy it, but I admit that I was nervous of doing this under the time constraints of a workshop. This turned out to be a very good thing in fact, teaching me that perfection on topstitching was not necessary, and that it would soon become something I didn't give another thought to. I used Gütermann denim thread 2040 provided at the workshop.

The photo below shows some slightly wonky topstitching that I wasn't entirely happy with and would have unpicked and re-sewn if I was at home. However, I wanted to progress as far as I could within the two days so I left it. As I continued, it ceased to bother me and I was merrily on my way telling myself that nobody would notice, and if they did, well it didn't matter. I made a pair of jeans - how cool is that!!

Don't get me wrong - the next time I sew jeans I will definitely strive for neat, straight parallel lines, but it was great to see that I could sew it pretty fast, let some dodgy bits go, and that I would still be very proud to wear these. I didn't redo any of the topstitching, except on the one occasion I came off the fabric completely.

I also forgot to change to the longer stitch length when topstitching the yoke, so just carried on with the smaller length here (2.5mm vs 3.5mm elsewhere).

The time constraint also meant accepting a little bit of untidiness on the insides. I often like to take extra care with French seams, binding, neat overlocking etc. but again, it was great not to get hung up on this. It was certainly neat enough and serves its purpose of not coming undone in the wash.

Buttonhole and button

I sewed a keyhole buttonhole on the automatic setting. Once home, I added a dab of Prym Fray Check just in case. A very very minor detail but when attaching my button, I forgot to check which way up it was so the design doesn't sit the right way up.

Rivets

At the workshop I was able to use the Prym Revolving Punch and Vario Pliers for the first time to attach the rivets. This was much easier than using a hammer as I did for the eyelets on my Stella Hoodie. It was tricky placing them on the outer side of the front pockets due to the pliers having to go past a larger bulk of denim, so I didn't add any to the back pockets.

This was as far as I'd got in the workshop, with just the belt loops and hem left to do.

Belt loops

The instructions guide you to fold the ends of the belt loops under by 13mm. Since there was a lot of bulk of denim, I couldn't really rely on a sharp press to guide where this was, so marked it with a Prym AquaTrick Marker which just needs a dab of water to remove. I marked the underside at 13mm, so I could line this up with the topstitching on the top of the waistband.

After folding it over and pressing it, I marked the stitching line again to match the topstitching on the waistband.

I marked the right side of the belt loop to press it under at the other end, and then backstitched a few times to secure the bottom end.

Hem

When hemming the jeans, I used a hump jumper to help with the bulky seams.

Since there was a lot of fabric at the side seams once the hem was folded under, the pressed hem had a tendency to come undone while topstitching it in place. This meant that I didn't always catch the second fold.

I handsewed a slip stitch to secure this. You may notice in the photo above that you can see the top stitching thread showing on the underside. I was using my recently acquired vintage Janome sewing machine for the first time and this shows I hadn't got the tension correctly set.

Summary

I absolutely loved this project. Sewing my own pair of well-fitting jeans is incredibly satisfying. I am so glad I joined a workshop for this as I found the idea of sewing jeans a little intimidating. Having now gone through the process, it's not nearly as scary as I thought, taking it one seam at a time.

What I love

• All that yummy topstitching :)
• The great fit thanks to the workshop and stretch denim. This fits the best of all my garments so far. Where I would generally tweak the fit slightly on each future iteration, I can't say there's anything I would change about this one.
• Comfort factor of the stretch denim.
• The high-rise is not too high and I feel looks in proportion on me.

What I would change

• As mentioned above I may leave the hemming for later on a future version to ensure it didn't shrink too much after washing a few times. (At the time of writing I haven't washed them so can't comment on the extent of shrinkage just yet).
• I would consider making the front pockets longer to fit my smartphone.

What I discovered

• This experience served to reinforce how much I value workshops for the expert guidance. Asking What do I do next? and then being shown is something that makes the whole process so much smoother and streamlined. There are often techniques that the tutors would recommend for a better result, that differ from the instructions as they are designed to make it an easier process for as many people as possible, but it's not always the best way.
• That I can let go of needing the topstitching to be perfect :)
• That it is possible to sew a project in a fairly short space of time if you dedicate solid stretches of time to it and don't unpick every seam that didn't go perfectly.
• Stretching myself on a project does wonders for my learning and love of sewing.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Ginger Jeans by Closet Core Patterns PDF, Printed

Ginger Jeans Sewalong

Like Sew Amazing

Guthrie&Ghani

Making Your Perfect Fit Jeans workshop

Sewing Jeans book by Johanna Lundström

Prym Revolving Punch

Vario Pliers

Prym AquaTrick Marker

Prym Fray Check

Hump Jumper or Bulky Seam Aid

Related blog posts

Making Your Perfect Fit Jeans workshop review

Draft Your Perfect Jeans workshop review

Stella Hoodie review

Clemence Skirt review

I booked this workshop at Guthrie&Ghani shortly after attending the Jeans Drafting workshop at Like Sew Amazing. I had a fitted pattern after this, and so the next logical step was to sew the jeans. This being my first pair of fly front trousers, I was keen to pick up some advice from the G&G workshop, and added to my knowledge with the Sewing Jeans book by Joanna Lundstrom which I thoroughly recommend.

Since the drafted pattern I already had was for rigid denim, for this workshop I chose the Ginger Jeans by Closet Core Patterns for stretch denim to learn more about fitting and sewing this. My review of this pattern will soon be posted up on the blog.

This was my third workshop at Guthrie&Ghani, having attended Learn How To Use An Overlocker, and Developing Your Overlocker Skills. There are a few details about the first workshop here, and there will be another post about the second coming up, where I made the Stasia Dress by Sew Liberated.

Preparation for the workshop

The workshop 

Sewing space 

Location

Summary 

Preparation for the workshop

You get to choose from 3 jeans patterns:

1. Ginger Jeans from Closet Core Patterns. Skinny or stovepipe fit for stretch denim.
2. Ames Jeans by Cashmerette. Skinny or straight fit for stretch denim.
3. Dawn Jeans by Megan Nielsen Patterns. Tapered, straight or wide legged for rigid denim.

As part of the workshop package, you get a Zoom call with the tutor to help advise on sizing and fitting adjustments, so you can cut the pattern and fabric before the workshop to make the most of the time there.

After the useful discussion with the tutor Becca, we decided I should cut a straight size 8 as it matched my waist and hips measurement closely. She gave some good advice about where to adjust the length as it was likely they’d be too long for me. I decided to make the high waisted stovepipe version. Becca emailed some advice on preparing the pattern and resources from the Closet Core website. They also have a sewalong for this pattern.

The workshop

The workshop spanned two days over a Saturday and Sunday, from 10am - 4:30pm. It was lovely to meet the other attendees, sewists are generally such a great bunch of people. I do like to challenge myself with sewing projects beyond my skill, and more so on workshops because of the additional help and guidance. This meant I was the least experienced there but I didn't feel awkward.

Day One

After introductions, we started assembling the front and back pockets including topstitching. It was good to get stuck into this straight away as I did have some apprehension about how neat I could make this during the workshop. It soon ceased to worry me because there is so much topstitching to do and no time to unpick and redo.

We then basted the jeans together to assess the fit. Becca spent time with each of us to guide us on what fitting adjustments would be required. We ended the day making the adjustments to our fabric and pattern pieces, and unpicked our basting. Here is a short video of the day.

Day Two

The start of day two was continuing with fitting adjustments, unpicking and then starting to construct the jeans. It seemed like a lot to get done in the time but most of us managed to get quite far. It tended to be those needing more complex fitting adjustments that were slowed down.

Becca demonstrated various techniques as we went along, and did a great job of keeping up with everyone's projects across the 3 different patterns. To help speed us along, she helped with pinning, pressing and changing thread between our matching and topstitching thread while we were away from our machines.

I was pleased to have got to the stage of attaching rivets, since I didn't have any of the required equipment at home. I don't think anyone completely finished by the end of the workshop; I got to the stage of just needing to attach the belt loops and hemming.

Sewing space

The sewing room is above the fabric and haberdashery store, and equipped with Janome 6234XL overlockers and Brother sewing machines (I'm not sure of the exact model but it's much more advanced than my own machine). It is a light airy room with a vaulted ceiling and windows at front and back.

There are 3 large cutting tables and three ironing stations. At the back of the room is a small kitchenette for making drinks. We all managed to use the space together without much trouble since we had already cut out our fabric.

During the lunch break, it is a great opportunity to shop in the store downstairs. I have ordered fabric from here online but it is always great to see and feel the fabrics in person.

Location

The studio is located in Moseley, Birmingham, about 1hr 40mins away from where I live in Bristol so I stayed overnight at the Edgbaston Park Hotel. It is a conference hotel within the Birmingham University campus a short 10 min drive from the studio. It is reasonably priced for this location, has a lovely restaurant for breakfast and dinner, and is set in a leafy suburban area which feels safe.

The studio is on a high street with a range of cafes and supermarkets nearby including a Co-op and M&S Foodhall to buy a takeaway lunch. Time doesn’t allow for you to dine in somewhere, and of course you can bring your own lunch.

There is a car park at the back of the high street, but I find it convenient to park for free on the nearby Reddings Road off the high street and only a couple of mins walk away.

Summary

This was my third workshop here which goes to show how much I enjoy them. Becca is a great and patient tutor, helping create a friendly relaxed atmosphere. I can’t deny that a part of the reason I love these workshops is that they feel like a retreat away from home, and that I always come back with a load of gorgeous fabrics :)

Attending these workshops is also an eye opener for me in how little time it can take to make a garment from start to finish. If at home, yes I would have taken more time and care over it but the huge advantage of the workshop is not having to reference the instructions much at all. It is a huge time and stress saver to be able to ask someone how to do the next step, along with their tips of how to avoid any problems.

Another huge advantage is learning to let go of those little imperfections, since there is no time during workshops for much unpicking. It certainly fosters a healthier relationship with the process of sewing which I enjoy enormously, without dwelling on those things that didn't go quite as planned.

I will be keeping an eye out for future workshops here that appeal, for another enjoyable and wholesome experience.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

,Making Your Perfect Jeans workshop at Guthrie&Ghani

Sewing Jeans book by Joanna Lundstrom

Ginger Jeans by Closet Core Patterns PDF, Printed

Ames Jeans by Cashmerette PDF, Printed

Dawn Jeans by Megan Nielsen Patterns PDF, Printed

Stasia Dress by Sew Liberated

Ginger Jeans sewalong

Edgbaston Park Hotel

Related blog posts

Draft Your Perfect Jeans workshop at Like Sew Amazing

Simple t-shirts

Saguaro Set Trousers / Pants

I have long lusted after the Zadie Jumpsuit pattern by Paper Theory having seen so many on Instagram in all sorts of fabrics, and every single one looked great. I was in my mid-forties when I purchased my first jumpsuit and was amazed at how comfortable it was and yet still looks stylish. That seemed like a win win situation and I made a note to add more jumpsuits to my wardrobe.

I therefore attended a jumpsuit fitting workshop at Bristol store Like Sew Amazing to give me a head start, and it was well worth it. You can read my review of the workshop here.

Fit

Fabric 

Construction 

Stay stitching

Pleats

Pockets

Wrap opening

Waist seam

Bias binding

Belt

Seam finishes

Labels

Summary

What I love

Things I'd change next time 

Fit

Attending the workshop cut down my own fitting and fiddling time a huge amount. I was guided by Serefina Taylor (FinaMakes) to make a couple of small adjustments to the pattern before making the toile based on my measurements, and the fit was pretty good. She then pinned out some excess at the back of the shoulder and sleeve, and after making the corresponding paper pattern adjustments, I was pretty much good to go.

I refined the trouser fit a little afterwards which helped raise the low crotch and sized down in the trousers preferring a little less fabric here, as well as shortening the sleeves. You can see my entire fitting process here with photos of my toiles, and further considerations after sewing it having noticed the inseams were twisting forwards.

Fabric

I had some beautiful Japanese fabric from Japan Crafts that my sister had gifted me for my birthday 2.5 years ago, waiting for the right project. It is stunning fabric with metallic gold and I wanted to do it justice. 

I had 3m rather than the 3.2m specified in the pattern but knowing I had shortened the length of the trousers and sleeves, I thought it would fit OK. It was actually a lot tighter to fit all the pieces on than I anticipated and I was considering leaving it at the short sleeved version, but after some jiggling I just about managed it.

Construction

Stay stitching

I'm not a huge fan of stay stitching as I do wonder whether I am distorting the fabric in the process, so instead of stay stitching the neckline, I applied Prym forming tape interfacing, after reading a blog post by Sew Dainty, who had done this on hers. I already had this in my stash but hadn't used it yet and found a useful video by Lauren Guthrie about how to use it.

It is a strip of lightweight interfacing with a chain stitch sewn closer to one edge to prevent it stretching. This particular tape is 12 mm wide and the binding that will be sewn over it will be 10 mm wide. I didn't want the tape to show and so I trimmed off a few millimetres from the edge away from the chain stitch.

I did this for the two front and two back neckline pieces.

Below is the trimmed section against the original tape. After trimming, the chain stitch ended up more in the middle of the strip, but if you're not trimming it the chain stitched edge should sit closer to the raw edge of the fabric.

The pattern instructions guide you to stay stitch after assembling the bodice, but I didn't want to risk any stretching and so I did this right at the start. I had a little bit of bunching around the tight curve of the bodice, but the tape is very lightweight so this wasn't an issue.

Pleats

When sewing up the toile at the fitting workshop, Fina advised sewing the pleats on the trousers, then pinning the bodice to the trousers pinning the bodice pleats to match. I thought this was a great idea to make sure it all lined up. It's not perfect but likely much better than otherwise.

Pockets

I sewed a French seam for the base of the pocket, taking a few more mm in the second pass to ensure it was enclosed since the 1cm seam allowance was a bit tight.

I reinforced the pocket openings with interfacing, knowing they’d be used a lot. I had 3 different types of lightweight interfacing and fused a small strip of each to some scrap fabric to see which I preferred the handle and weight of. I ended up using the Vlieseline H180, a lightweight non-woven fusible interfacing as it changed the feel of the fabric the least.

I cut 4 strips, 2cm shorter than the length of the pocket opening and 1cm wide. I didn't want the interfacing in the seam allowance hence cutting it shorter. I fused them 1cm from the edge of the fabric on the pocket pieces and front pieces, where the opening would be.

Wrap opening

I did a narrow zigzag stitch to reinforce the upper edge of the opening. It wasn't my neatest sewing here, but it will do the trick.

Waist seam

When attaching the bodice to the trousers, I initially pinned the edges of the fabric together at the free ends (where the wrap section is). I then remembered that bias binding will be attached to this edge running smoothly from the bodice to the trousers. It therefore meant that the seam lines on the bodice and trouser need to meet, not the raw edges. I therefore measured the 1cm seam allowance and pinned it here instead. The notches would match up here to help, but it was more important to me that the edge was smooth than the notches match, since they were slightly off for me.

I reinforced the waist seam where the belt hole is with a couple of extra rows of stitching.

Bias binding

I was lucky enough to have been gifted a bias tape maker by a local sewing teacher which really helped with the wrap section, plus it is just a joy to watch it work its magic.

After a couple of dodgy starts at the crotch, I started the sewing a couple of inches further up, finishing both ends at the crotch with hand stitching. It wasn't the neatest round the back but on the front it was a much better result than I had achieved with the machine.

I followed the advice of Fiona Parker of Diary of a Chainstitcher to open up the binding and sew to the wrong side, before folding it over the front to topstitch.

This felt much more controlled and it didn't matter whether I had caught the binding on the reverse. I trimmed the seam allowance before folding it over.

To topstitch the binding an even distance from the edge, I tried the edge stitch foot but the fabric was less secure under the foot so a little harder to control. I switched to the normal foot and the straight stitch plate. I also stuck a bit of washi tape to the foot which really helped me line up the fabric.

The most challenging part of this project was trying to attach it smoothly to the bodice curve close to the belt. Part of this may have been due to the fact that I had attached the belt too high up (see below) so there was additional bulk.

Belt

Once I'd finished attaching the binding, I realised I'd sewn the belt too high. When attaching it, I had matched the pointed raw end to the waist seam and did not take into account that it would be folded back on an angle, which made it about 1cm above the waist seam.

This wouldn't matter so much on the left side of the bodice as it would be hidden under the wrap, but I could see it sat too high on the right piece and so decided to unpick both and redo them. To make sure I positioned the belt correctly this time, I did the topstitching first and then folded the raw edge under the binding before sewing that.

Knowing how tricky this was the first time round, I went really slow by just turning the hand wheel and adjusting after each stitch if needed. Since I only unpicked this small section I sewed the front and back of the binding in one go. There was a small section of binding I didn't catch on the back which I then secured with a fell stitch. I was really pleased how this turned out considering all the trauma this area had been through.

Seam finishes

With this being a special garment, I wanted the insides to look nice and with having to pretty much undress to go to the toilet, I knew I’d be seeing the insides a reasonable amount. I ended up using 3 different types as I encountered a couple of issues as I went along.

Starting with the bodice, I decided to go with Hong Kong binding, having loved the look of this on my Sienna Maker Jacket. I also considered using normal double folded binding, but I liked that the line of stitching didn’t show on the HK binding.

I didn’t really find anything within my stash that I thought would match, so I went with the same fabric using the last bit of scraps I had. This is a photo of the centre back seam.

I did the same on the shoulder, armhole and bodice right side seams.

After doing the side seam, I found it a bit bulky in the underarm area and I was struggling to press it flat so I switched to overlocking on the left side and sleeve seams.

I then used some leftover Liberty lawn on the leg and waist seams. Since these seams would be bound together, it wouldn't look so odd with both floral designs adjacent to each other as opposed to a single seam allowance. I made sure I didn't extend the binding into the seams and hem area to reduce bulk. However, I forgot that this would make for an odd gap where the vertical trouser seams met the waist seam as it would be pressed upwards.

I knew the waist seam could be bulky but with the belt going round it, I didn't think it would be an issue.

I was umming and ahhing about whether to use HK binding on the crotch and got some good advice on The Fold Line Facebook group. I was wondering whether it would create too much bulk, but the crotch is low and loose so I went with it. When it came to meeting the other binding continuing from the neckline, I folded the raw edge of the HK binding underneath at the end.

I had done the HK binding so it pressed to the left on the crotch just as a random decision, but later on realised it was better to press it to the right to encourage the overlap of the wrap in the right direction.

When I came to hemming the trousers, I realised I'd miscalculated where to finish my HK binding down the trouser side seams so it would be within the hem. I knew the hem allowance was 4cm so I doubled this knowing it would be folded up by this amount, so stopped my binding 8cm from the raw edge. I had forgotten that it is turned under 1cm, so I should only have stopped it 7cm short.

Labels

I tried using the 'invisible' method as seen on a Kylie and the Machine Instagram post to attach my label. It was a bit fiddly but worked really well. I used a fine Prym Aqua Trick Marker to highlight the fold lines on the inside to make it easier to see where to sew. I just used fabric glue as seen in the video without the pin.

Labels are from Kylie and the Machine, Intensely Distracted and Inside Voices Labels (purchased from Like Sew Amazing).

Summary

This is a pattern that will definitely get made up again. I have seen many other versions in different fabrics, drapey viscose and velvet, both of which I would love to try with a full length trouser for a more formal look. It is a bit inconvenient going to the toilet, and I need to figure out a way of avoiding the belt dragging on the floor or ending up in the toilet bowl, but these are things I am more than willing to put up with.

What I love

• The fabric / pattern combo. I was destined to love whatever garment was made from this fabric.
• I love the design of this pattern and can see multiple versions in my future. It is so comfortable to wear and yet looks stylish and put together.
• The wrap front looks great without me feeling exposed.
• The belt is a nice feature that makes fitting around the waist easy with no fiddly zips or buttons.

Things I'd change next time

• I would check the balance of the trousers to see whether this was causing twisting of the inseams (see my fitting post).
• I would plan all my seam finishes in advance for a more cohesive look on the inside, binding the hems as well.

Find me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Bloglovin' or scroll to the bottom to subscribe to my newsletter which is published every month.

Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Zadie Jumpsuit by Paper Theory

Like Sew Amazing

FinaMakes YouTube channel

Japan Crafts

Sew Dainty's blog post on the Zadie Jumpsuit

Prym forming tape interfacing

Lauren Guthrie's video on using forming tape interfacing

Vlieseline H180 interfacing

Fiona Parker of Diary of a Chainstitcher

Kylie and the Machine labels

Intensely Distracted labels

Inside Voices labels

Related blog posts

Fitting the Zadie Jumpsuit

Jumpsuit Weekender workshop with Serefina Taylor (FinaMakes)

Sienna Maker Jacket review

Jeans seem complicated to sew and I wasn’t sure I was ready for this kind of project, but having challenged myself with the Sienna Maker Jacket I knew I could learn so much. Although this workshop wasn’t for teaching us how to make jeans, I knew this was the starting point so mentally committed to the challenge.

The workshop 

Drafting the jeans

Fitting adjustments

Sewing space 

Location

Summary 

Follow on

The workshop

The workshop was held over a Saturday and Sunday, and having been to several workshops here before, I knew it was going to be a fun and relaxed affair. This workshop was for those who already had a trouser block as this would be adapted to draft the jeans. There were 4 of us, and we started by deciding on our design. I was hoping to get some slim-fitting jeans to finish at the ankle. 

Drafting the jeans

We followed Fina’s instructions to modify the trouser block which mostly meant a slightly tighter fit in general and removing darts. We then drew on the other elements such as the pockets, yoke and fly, and then traced these off to give us the individual pattern pieces.

Having done this and added seam allowances, we proceeded to cut out and sew our toiles in white cotton drill. As someone who has never made trousers with a fly before, I learnt a lot just from the process of sewing the toile. I tried it on, and was amazed at how comfortable they felt due to the fact that they fit well. 

Fitting adjustments 

Fina assessed the fit for each of us in turn, advising adjustments as needed. My waist ended up very high, and it was a little loose around the waist and high hip. In the photos below, the waistband has been folded down inside, and the side seams pinned.

The high waist was relatively easy to adjust as it fit everywhere else. This meant shifting down the top of the front, fly, front pocket and back yoke pieces. I also redrew the waistband pieces to fit the draft further down. I managed to just about do this within the workshop time, and then traced the individual pieces out at home.

Sewing space

The workshop takes place within the store, and it’s lovely to be sewing amongst all that gorgeous fabric. I have always come away having purchased something, plus it's handy to browse for any haberdashery items.

The maximum number of people on these workshops is 5 as the shop comfortably fits 5 tables. Each of us had a sewing box with all the tools we needed, with rulers, dot and cross paper, toile fabric, an iron and sewing machines all available. The kitchen is stocked with tea and coffee, with a table where we could all have our lunch.

Location

The store is located on the ground floor of a unit in an industrial estate in Bedminster, Bristol. On the weekends there is free parking on neighbouring roads, or metered parking on weekdays with the first 30 mins free.

There are nearby places to grab lunch if needed, with the Bristol Loaf cafe which does some takeaway items and an Asda both a 5 min walk away.

Summary

Having an expert help me with fitting is always something I feel is worth the money. I have spent many frustrated weeks fitting garments before when I really just want to get on with sewing the thing. This will hopefully get easier over time as I amass these blocks and learn how to adapt them to existing patterns. Getting a well-fitting jeans pattern within a weekend was a great achievement.

Follow on

I thought it would be good to join a workshop for guidance on sewing the jeans and signed up to the Guthrie & Ghani Perfect Fit Jeans workshop. Since I now had a pattern for rigid denim jeans, I decided to go for stretch jeans for the workshop to pick up more fitting advice for these. I chose the Closet Core Ginger Jeans, and I’ll write more about my experience once I’ve attended.

I bought Johanna Lundström's book Sewing Jeans prior to this. I already have her Coverstitch book and have watched some of her content which I have found very useful. This book teaches you about the various types of denim fabric, how to care for it, a huge amount of advice about constructing jeans, and some great insight into the industry techniques. It was really useful to have this background knowledge before the G&G workshop to help me get the most out of it.

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I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Serefina Taylor / FinaMakes on Instagram, YouTube, website (under construction at time of writing but is worth signing up to her newsletter)

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Bristol Loaf cafe

Guthrie & Ghani Perfect Fit Jeans workshop

Closet Core Ginger Jeans pattern PDF, printed

Sewing Jeans book by Johanna Lundström

Master the Coverstitch book by Johanna Lundström

Related blog posts

Sienna Maker Jacket review

Jumpsuit Weekender workshop review

Fitting the Zadie Jumpsuit

You can see my review of the pattern itself here, and read a review of my workshop experience here. It was brilliant - I learnt a lot about my own particular fitting issues, and came away with a pattern I could sew up with confidence. I did end up making a couple of adjustments later on, partly for preference of a tighter fit and to change the fit of the trousers.

Sizing

Pattern adjustments prior to making toile

First toile

Back adjustment

Sleeve adjustment

Further fitting

Grading down trouser size

Back rise adjustment

Sleeve length

Inseams twisting forwards

Sizing

My measurements matched size 8 at the bust, 12 at the waist and 10 at the hips. There was a decent amount of ease at the waist so I went with size 10 here to make things a little easier.

Pattern adjustments

With Fina’s guidance, I then made some adjustments to the paper pattern based on our measurements, comparing these to that of the pattern. Seam lines were drawn on the pattern to help with this, since the measurements taken on ourselves would not include these. Our adjustments were largely based on differences in the vertical height of the bodice (nape-to-back waist and to front waist), crotch length and length of the trousers. These identified the following:

1. My nape-to-back waist measurement was 1cm longer than the pattern

2. My nape-to-front waist measurement was 2cm shorter than the pattern

3. My crotch length was 10cm shorter than the pattern

4. My preferred length was 5.5cm shorter than the pattern (I am 5"4' tall)

5. If I wanted the trousers at floor-length, I could add 19cm

The fact that the front and back bodice pieces had a discrepancy (i.e. I was longer in the back and shorter in the front) meant that the balance was off, and so Fina advised moving the shoulder seam rather than using the lengthen/shorten lines.

For each of the above, I did the following adjustments:

1. My nape-to-back waist measurement was 1cm longer than the pattern. I added 1cm to the back shoulder seam. This took care of the additional 1cm needed and moved the shoulder seam forwards to where it should be.

2. My nape-to-front waist measurement was 2cm shorter than the pattern. I removed 1cm from the front shoulder seam. This was to match the moved shoulder seam on the back piece. This still left me with 1cm to remove from the height of the front piece but this was small enough that Fina was happy to go to the toile without further adjustment.

3. My crotch length was 10cm shorter than the pattern. Since the fit of the trousers is like a loose pair of culottes, the additional crotch length shouldn’t be an issue so we left it as is.

4. My preferred length was 5.5cm shorter than the pattern

I drew this line on the pattern rather than shortening it, since I also wanted a floor length version.

5. If I wanted the trousers at floor-length, I could add 19cm Fina pointed out that as well as adding to the trouser length, I would need to widen them at the hem so they would fall over my shoes properly. If I had continued the width from the cropped hem, it might have looked too narrow.

First toile

When sewing the toile, Fina advised sewing the darts on the trousers, then pinning the bodice and darts to match to ensure everything lined up. I was pretty impressed with the fit of the toile, and when looking at it from the front I thought that it didn’t need anything more.

On the back I had some excess around the upper back and down the upper arm. This is an issue I have often had on other garments so it was very helpful to see how Fina would tackle this. She pinned out two options:

1. Pinning width out of the back piece, no adjustment to the sleeve
2. Pinning down the back from the shoulder down the back of the sleeve

Although I thought Option 1 initially looked better because of the more fitted back, Fina pointed out that it still left a lot of excess fabric in the back of the sleeve. It also effectively removed the waist pleat and so we agreed with Option 2. She pinned out both sides and we decided to go with this.

Back adjustment

The photo below shows the blue dotted lines of what Fina pinned out, it was essentially a large dart going across the back of the shoulder and arm. This was very interesting to see as I have often struggled with fitting this area, thinking I had too much width in the back or a sloping shoulder. For this garment, I essentially needed a back armhole dart.

The excess pinned out was 5cm. I straightened the pinned lines on the back piece to make the dart, cut along one side and overlapped to remove this amount, smoothing the armhole.

Sleeve adjustment

Fina then guided me to do the sleeve adjustment to match, taking it off the underarm seam. The dart is the blue dotted line below, the equivalent of which I cut off the left side of the pattern piece, going to nothing at the sleeve hem. I then trued the pattern around the entire armhole.

I adjusted the pattern for the pinned hem for both full length and cropped, making sure I added the seam allowance back.

This was definitely one of my more positive fitting experiences. Making a couple of adjustments before making the toile seemed to make quite a difference, and there were minimal adjustments required afterwards. If I could manage only one toile in each project and be more confident of the final garment, I’d be very happy. It has certainly made me think about my ‘usual’ fitting adjustments differently, to make considerations about moving the shoulder seam forwards and whether I need to remove anything from the back armhole and sleeve.

Further fitting

I assessed the toile again before starting to make it, since I was using some very special Japanese fabric gifted by my sister from the Japan Crafts store. I could also see this as a pattern I'd make multiple times, so I wanted to be sure the fit was as good as I could make it.

Grading down trouser size

I decided that I didn't want quite so much fabric for the trousers and so sized down from 10 to 8, grading down to 8 at the waist of the bodice piece so it would match.

Back rise adjustment

I noticed that the trouser side seams were pulling forwards, with my calves touching the back of the trousers. This was causing a slight drag line where my lower leg was pushing the trouser leg back. During the workshop I was working on a full length trouser version falling over my feet so this wasn't noticeable.

When I pulled up the centre back seam just below the waist seam, this made it hang straighter. I basted a horizontal wedge of 4 cm in total to see how this would look. I had tried it at the lengthen/shorten rise line but I didn't think it looked as good so I did it higher up, about 10cm below the waist seam. (I had tried some other adjustments in between but returned to my original toile pattern, and so the fabric is different)

This looked better in that I was no longer getting the drag lines, but looked like it could do with a touch more so I did the pattern adjustment for 5cm. This took 5cm out of the crotch length but it was already very long so I didn't do any further adjustments, checking I could still sit down and bend over with ease. The crotch point seemed quite far forwards on me, so this adjustment helped with this too.

To adjust the pattern piece I cut a horizontal line about 10cm below the waistline either side of the side seam line, leaving a small hinge. (Apologies for the busy-looking pattern piece, I have a washi tape obsession!)

I then overlapped the pieces by 2.5cm at the centre back seam giving a total shortening of 5cm here, but no change in length at the side seam.

I didn't do any adjustment to the pocket, but will check it when sewing it up.

Sleeve length

After assessing sleeve length on my toile, I decided to shorten it by 8cm by drawing a horizontal line across the pattern piece about half way down, perpendicular to the grainline. I then overlapped the piece and smoothed the edges.

Inseams twisting forwards

Once finished, I realised the inseams were twisting slightly forwards. Having looked at The Fitting Book by Gina Renee Dunham, this may be caused by the trouser part of the pattern not being being balanced so I will look at this when making this again. My adjustment to the back crotch may have caused an issue.

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Serefina Taylor / FinaMakes on Instagram, YouTube, website (under construction at time of writing but is worth signing up to her newsletter)

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,Zadie Jumpsuit by Paper Theory pattern PDF, ,Printed

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Zadie Jumpsuit review

Jumpsuit Weekender workshop with Serefina Taylor (FinaMakes)

You can choose any blazer pattern for the workshop, and I chose the Heather Blazer by the Friday Pattern Company. This post is about the pattern and construction. I have a separate post here about the workshop itself with lots of information about the course, sewing room, facilities and location.

Fit

Fabric

Interfacing

Construction

Pockets

Plastron

Sleeves

Lining

Collar

Hems

Buttonhole

Summary

What I love

Things I'd change

Fit

Having just sewn the Sienna Jacket, I compared the finished garment measurements and found that they matched the XS size of the Heather Blazer most closely, even though my own body measurements put me at size M. This is due to the design being an oversized blazer, but I didn't want it too loose-fitting so stuck with the XS. It feels a little more snug with the lining, but I'd wear it with a lighter layer underneath anyway.

I did an upper and lower rounded back adjustment which got rid of the back armhole gaping. I also reduced the sleeve at the back armhole due to excess fabric here during construction. You can read about my fitting process with lots of photos of my toiles in this separate blog post (4 mins).

Fabric

I used two fabrics from a haul while on holiday in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, visiting the Jakel Mall. The main fabric was an ivory herringbone linen and the lining a pale blue polka dot cotton. With this being my first jacket lining, I kept it simple by not using a slippery fabric but felt it was smooth enough to do the job. As usual, I washed them both at 40° and tumble dried on a hot setting as this is likely how I would wash the completed jacket. The linen ended up with a slightly creased look but this didn’t bother me.

Interfacing

Claire gave me three types of interfacing to use.

1. A lightweight fusible (G710) for the pieces listed under Woven Interfacing: front, under collar and back interfacing.
2. An ultra lightweight fusible for (G785) for the pieces listed under Knit Interfacing: front facing and upper collar.
3. A heavyweight canvas interfacing for the plastron piece that was drafted during the workshop. (More details below about the plastron)

She put a pack together with all the interfacing and tapes she recommended for the whole project which was very useful and took a lot of the guesswork out.

Construction

Having done the cutting out and most of the construction at a workshop, I didn't take quite as much time over this as I might have done at home, wanting to progress as far as I could to learn from Claire. This means I wasn't as particular as I might have been, with some of the pieces not quite matching up, and the pockets being a little asymmetric. However, it is more than wearable and it proved how much could be achieved in a relatively short space of time.

Pockets

Having followed Lynda Maynard's technique for lined pockets on the Sienna Jacket, I did the same on this blazer. Claire suggested handstitching them on instead of topstitching for a different look, and to conceal the stitching. I was keen to try this for something different, and also remembering that the pockets on my Sienna had a tendency to shift slightly when machine topstitching even after basting. The process of handstitching was really enjoyable, and I loved the sense of control it gave.

I have a short separate post (2 mins) on the lined pockets.

Plastron

This was a new word to me until I went to this workshop. Claire showed us how to draft a pattern for this piece, used to help create some structure over the shoulder and top of the chest.

We used canvas interfacing and attached it inside the front of the jacket with a larger piece of lightweight interfacing over the top to secure it. It extends under the shoulder seam (shown below stitched to the seam allowance), to give structure to the upper chest and help guard against those heavy handbags :)

Sleeves

When pressing the sleeve, Claire showed us how to create more of a curve to help follow the bend at the elbow where the forearm falls slightly more forwards. You essentially steam it into place and secure it with some tape on the seam allowance.

You can see this curve on the finished garment.

Claire recommended using some wadding on the armhole seam to give it a bit of lift. You sew it on like Hong Kong binding around the armhole, except around the underarm, then trim off the excess. This can be seen on the photo of the plastron above.

Initially I liked the look of this, but when fiddling with the fit as explained in my separate post here I decided to remove it. I wondered whether it would look better on a jacket with shoulder pads or a more structured jacket with heavier weight fabric, and so I ended up unpicking this but keeping it in mind for a future project.

Lining

Claire advised putting a pleat into the back of the jacket for wearing ease, adding an additional 4cm here (2cm wide pleat).

Claire’s technique is to line the jacket without bagging it out since she isn’t a fan of that method (neither is Lynda Maynard). This meant changing the steps of construction but thankfully she was on hand to show me, plus I have her video series for reference.

As she suggested, I did a few hand stitches to secure the lining to the jacket to stop it from coming away when pulling your arm out of the sleeve. She did this by hand stitching within the seam allowances at the shoulder and underarm. The entire lining was then handstitched in place at the hems with fell stitch.

Collar

When it was time to sew the main fabric to the lining, I ended up with a tuck on the collar notch. I’d done the same with my Sienna Jacket so unpicked this section as I did with that one. I find this area tricky to sew because there are seam allowances in the way and it relies on absolute precision with cutting, marking the dots and sewing.

After unpicking this section, I decided to hand stitch since this gave me more control, and I was less concerned with how strong the seam is here as it is not under tension.

Hems

Claire introduced a new product to me called Perfect Hem tape. It is a double layer of lightweight fusible interfacing with a chainstitch about 1cm from the edge holding the two layers together.

Once the hem is pressed under, you insert this on the underside and fuse into place with the chainstitch closer to the hem edge. The tape is 4cm wide but my sleeve hem was 3.5cm, so I trimmed 0.5cm off the edge away from the chainstitch before pressing it into place. We used the same on the jacket hem.

Buttonhole

Having got this far, I procrastinated for a while before putting the buttonhole in, feeling nervous that I hadn't done one for months. I decided not to use the automatic buttonhole feature and foot because on occasion it has not completed the stitching all the way to the end and this wasn't something I wanted to risk on the final task. I used a zig zag stitch for more control, using this technique in my blog post (3 mins) to ensure a really neat result. In fact I used the handwheel to stitch the final side to ensure it was straight and left enough room to cut the buttonhole.

I used Fray Check on the edges, and stitched on a coconut shell button to finish. I have often found Fray Check to leave a hard and almost scratchy surface but I found this tip on sewing.patternreview.com where someone suggests using a steam iron over it before it dries. I sandwiched it between muslin just in case to protect the iron and board and it worked well to reduce the hardness.

Here are photos of the blazer from all sides. There was a slight breeze causing the hem to flare out a little more than otherwise.

Summary

Following Claire’s course either in person or with her video course is well worth it. She adds in so much more than the pattern instructions which definitely made for a much better result. I love a lined garment, particularly outerwear so this really fit the bill as a simple place to start. I’m unlikely to sew up another any time soon, largely because you only need so many blazers in your wardrobe and I’d want a variety of styles.

What I love

• This blazer fills a gap in my wardrobe
• The neutral colour goes with just about anything
• The slightly crinkled linen means it looks a bit more casual which makes it more wearable with my existing wardrobe.
• The style goes well with many items - jeans / trousers, dresses / skirts, jumpsuits … I can see this being a much worn garment.

Things I'd change

• I’m not entirely sure the loose boxy style suits me and I think I’d prefer a more fitted type of blazer. Having said that, I do find myself actually wearing it a lot which I guess is the real test.
• There’s something about the combination of my fabric and this style that makes it look quite plain. I have mostly been wearing it with the sleeves turned up showing the polka dot lining to create a bit more interest.
• The plastron probably wasn’t so necessary for my fabric, giving my linen a slightly stiffer appearance which maybe didn't fit in so well with the crumpled casual look. I can see it being suited to a blazer in a more structured fabric.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Claire Tyler workshops

Classic Blazer online workshop

Lynda Maynard classes

Vlieseline G710 lightweight woven interfacing

Vlieseline G785 ultra lightweight woven interfacing

Heavyweight canvas interfacing

Speed tailoring pack

Vlieseline Perfect Hem tape

Prym Fray Check

Related blog posts

Fitting the Heather Blazer

Heather Blazer lined pockets

Sienna Maker Jacket review

How to sew a buttonhole with zigzag stitch

I attended The Classic Blazer workshop with Claire Tyler which came days after the Sienna Maker Jacket Course with Lynda Maynard ended and so I had a reference point with this in terms of sizing. I’d seen several reviews where sewers found sizing on the Heather Blazer on the large side and wish they had sized down by one or two sizes.

When comparing it with the finished garment measurements on the Sienna, I found that they were very similar to that of the extra small size on the Heather, even though my measurements matched size medium more closely on the size chart. I decided to continue with extra small for my toile as I knew my Sienna Jacket had a good amount of ease already.

This post is all about my fitting process. You can read my ,review of the pattern here, and the ,Classic Blazer workshop with Claire Tyler here.

First toile

Observations

Adjustments

Front neckline gaping

Rounded back adjustment

Second toile

Observations

Further adjustments at the workshop

Adjustments made during construction

First toile

Here is my first toile made up in size XS without the sleeves.

Observations

The issues I could see were:

1. Gaping front neckline

2. Gaping back armholes

3. Vertical drag lines on the back.

4. The back hem flares out

Adjustments

Here’s how I dealt with each issue.

1. Gaping front neckline

I pinned out the excess at the front neckline which indicated I needed 2 centimetres removed from each side. Thankfully, I already found a good ,fix from Alexandra Morgan having had the same issue with my Sienna Maker Jacket and so I knew how to adjust this. I describe the process in my ,post here.

2, 3, 4. Gaping back armholes, drag lines on the back, back hem flares out

I felt that all three issues would be helped by a rounded back adjustment. Referencing the ,Palmer Pletsch book, they recommend a maximum of 1.5 cm here with any additional adjustment being carried out as a lower rounded back adjustment. I just did the 1.5 cm at the high back initially, pinning in some extra fabric. When slashing across for the high rounded back I did this along the seam line, but then realised this would cut across the shoulder seam. All the back adjustments I have seen have always cut across the arm hole and so I lowered this on the pattern piece.

This improved the back armhole gaping and the drag lines a little.

I felt more room was needed for the back, so I decided to slash across for a lower rounded back adjustment of 1 cm.

Observations

The gaping armholes were reduced further, the back vertical draglines were a little reduced, and the back flared out a touch less. Here are the views against the original toile.

I transferred the back adjustments to the pattern, and modified the front piece to distribute the neckline excess into the surrounding seams. Here are my adjusted front and back pattern pieces.

Second toile

I then made a new toile with the sleeves on, with reduced length to save on fabric.

Observations

This looked better but I felt the rounded back adjustments protruded a little too much on the centre back seam. The sleeves were also tight from the elbow downwards, particularly if bending my arm. This was as far as I managed to get before the workshop and so I took it with me to discuss with Claire Tyler.

Further adjustments at the workshop

Claire recommended the following:

1. Keep the increased length of the rounded back adjustment but flatten the curve
2. Grade one size up on the sleeve pieces from the elbow downward
3. We looked at the length of the blazer and decided to shorten it by 6 cm

She reminded me that all the corresponding lining pieces would also need to be adjusted, as well as the collar pieces as I had reduced the front neckline. It was then that I realised I missed this crucial step on my Sienna Jacket collar which may have contributed to the fit of it which I struggled with.

I took an even tuck out of the collar pieces where the vertical line of washi tape is.

Adjustments made during construction

I proceeded to construct the blazer but didn't manage to sew on the sleeves during the workshop. Once I got to the sleeves, I found they looked odd, with some excess fabric causing loose folds. I took off the wadding around the armhole which seemed to exaggerate it but found there was still an odd fold around the left shoulder in particular.

It looked better if I pulled the jacket forward which made sense to me because I often find garments are too wide in the back for me, so I fiddled with the back part of the sleeve cap to reduce the volume of fabric here. I unpicked this section and made the seam allowance wider on the sleeve but kept it the same on the jacket back

.

This seemed to work and gave a slightly smoother sleeve cap.

The right side seemed OK so I left it as is. Here is the finished jacket. There is a slight flare at the front with the wind exaggerating this, and may be due to how I sewed in the lining.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

,Heather Blazer by The Friday Pattern Company printed pattern, ,PDF

,Claire Tyler Workshops

,Alexandra Morgan post on back contour shaping

The Palmer Pletsch Complete Guide to Fitting book

Related blog posts

,Heather Blazer review

,Heather Blazer lined pockets

,Sienna Maker Jacket review

,Fitting the Sienna Maker Jacket

,Sienna Maker Jacket lined pockets

I initially felt a bit out of my depth, knowing that everyone else was much more experienced than me, but Lynda was great at including every student in the discussions and making sure everyone’s questions were answered. She also responded well in email if I had a query between classes. The general atmosphere of the classes was friendly and supportive, and I never felt like I was holding everyone up, or asking too basic a question.

This post is a review of the class, you can read my review of the jacket pattern itself here.

Course preparation

Course structure

Overview of classes

Summary

Course preparation

It is recommended that you have fitted a toile before the course starts as it is structured around the construction of the jacket and not the fitting. Prior to the course, Lynda sent out an information pack about preparing fabric and notions, and some fitting advice. However, she did cover a full bust adjustment and rounded back adjustments in the first class as several people wanted advice on these. I put together a separate post on how I fit my jacket. The photo below shows the before and after shots of my neckline gaping.

There are three views to the pattern. Views A and B are essentially the same but different lengths. View C is a different design so has slightly different construction. I decided on the longer view A, and Lynda covers the relevant steps for all views.

Course structure

The course took place over eight weeks, and since they were held in the US at 10 am PST, I was still able to make the live classes at 6 pm UK time. Each week there was a 1.5 hour live Zoom call with Lynda and our class (around 12 of us), where we would catch up on everyone’s progress and any difficulties or questions they had. Lynda would then introduce the next stages of construction and play a YouTube instructional video she had made. We would usually watch three of these short videos in each class and there was plenty of time for questions.

The videos are excellent. They were short, clear, concise and full of great hints and tips for getting a professional result. You get lifetime access to these videos and limited time access to the class recording. I have to say that Lynda’s attention to detail is superb, and I really enjoyed the high level of information she was passing on. There was so much more than what is included in the pattern instructions. Since I wasn’t that experienced, I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and although all these techniques will be explained somewhere on the internet or in YouTube videos, I wouldn’t know to look up a better technique.

Overview of classes

Class 1 went through some basic fitting, interfacing, preparing the pattern with options for seam allowances, cutting and marking the fabric, and various seam finishes (all of which I’d heard of but never sewn). A lot was new to me, but it really pays to hear the advice of someone so experienced.

I liked how Lynda encouraged us to consider the construction of the entire project at the start e.g. thinking about moving the hip pockets since they are sewn into the side seam creating a lot of bulk, or planning the seam finishes especially if using flat felled seams so you can make sure you have enough seam allowance. I tend to just follow instructions from start to finish, but I can see the advantage of familiarising yourself with the whole process first so you can make changes before it’s too late.

Class 2 was all about patch pockets. Lynda showed us three different types and how to line them. I loved these so much I wrote a separate blog post about them.

Class 3 was about the smaller details such as the belt, and some basic tailoring techniques with sew-in interfacing. I ended up using fusible instead due to a lack of time and experience, but knowing I can go back to these videos at any time as I improve is a huge bonus.

Class 4 started to focus on the under collar and establishing the roll line. Since this was my first jacket and notched collar, I relied heavily on the videos. The advice here was very useful, and particularly if using sew-in interfacing and pad stitching.

Class 5 continued with the upper collar and facings, with some good advice on pressing. In fact I decided to buy the Milward Point Presser and Clapper after seeing Lynda use something similar for pressing corners.

Class 6 moved onto the sleeves, hem and topstitching. There is a lot of topstitching on this jacket, so her advice on using a walking foot and other tips was helpful. She also shows how to neatly enclose the hem at the front of the jacket so you don't see the bulk of the seams.

Class 7 included instructions on how to draft and sew a lining to the jacket. Although I didn't line this jacket, I can see this being a valuable series of videos for projects in the future, another huge benefit of lifetime access.

Class 8 was the final session and student showcase, with a chance to see everyone's finished jackets or to whatever point they had got to.

I was running slightly behind on the classes having changed my mind about what fabric to use, but this wasn’t too much of an issue since I could watch the videos at my own pace. Most of the students did not manage to keep up with the progress either but I would recommend trying to keep pace as it makes the next class and videos more relevant. Only a few managed to finish their jackets by the end of the course (not me), but again this wasn’t an issue since you have access to the videos.

Summary

I would absolutely sign up to another of Lynda’s courses in the future. They are well structured, her videos explain things well in bite-sized chunks and the live classes provide an excellent opportunity for questions and discussions. In my case, I didn’t know what I didn’t know, so listening to other peoples’ questions was very helpful.

It has also taught me the value of diving in at the deep end with these more advanced courses, where I have little or no experience in the construction involved. It has accelerated my learning enormously, and when I have limited time to dedicate to sewing, this is of huge benefit to me. The entire construction method of a jacket was new to me, and so this course acted as an in depth sewalong, with lots of hints and tips along the way for a precise and professional result.

I knew that my first jacket wouldn’t be the best, but my aim for this course was to learn how to make a great jacket, and I know this will come with practice. Still, with Lynda’s guidance I was able to pull off a pretty decent first try. I know for certain that if I had tackled it by myself, it would have taken me so much longer and the result would have been more sloppy. Lynda’s attention to detail makes all the difference, and is the reason I would not hesitate to book another course with her.

You can read my review of the jacket and pattern here.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Lynda Maynard Designs classes

Sienna Maker Jacket by Closet Core Patterns printed, PDF

Geri Berman website, Instagram, YouTube

Milward Point Presser and Clapper

Related blog posts

Sienna Maker Jacket review

Fitting the Sienna Maker Jacket

Sienna Maker Jacket lined pockets

This jacket by Closet Core Patterns was on my to-sew list (admittedly with hundreds of other patterns) and I happened to come across a post advertising a course with Lynda Maynard to sew this up. You can read my review of the class itself here.

It was a big leap in complexity compared to anything I’d sewn to date. By this point I had sewn probably less than 20 garments, several of which were part of my journey in learning to sew from Tilly Walnes’ books Love At First Stitch and Stretch! I knew this course and project would be very advanced for me, but I was prepared to be the newbie of the group.

I signed up to the course to push myself and learn quickly. Since I can’t dedicate a lot of time to sewing I want to learn from experienced teachers early on, not on my 5th jacket. I was totally up for the challenge and there were many firsts on this project for me.

Fit

Fabric

Cutting out

Seam allowances

Interfacing

Construction

Pockets

Seam finishes

Belt and loop

Collar

Sleeves

Hem

Topstitching

Things I would change next time

Summary

Fit

My measurements matched size 4 closely but this was too tight so I ended up cutting size 6 and made some adjustments, mostly for the gaping front neckline. I also lengthened the jacket by 4cm.

Since time was a little tight before starting the course, I didn’t make as many adjustments as I normally would. I detailed all my adjustments and toiles in this separate fitting post, including further changes I would make next time, and sleeve and collar adjustments I made during the construction process.

Fabric

I had some upholstery fabric that I was planning to use for this project but as the course unfolded, I thought it might be a bit too thick and I didn’t want to make things more difficult than needed on my first jacket. I ordered the 12oz (410gsm) organic sanded twill in ecru from Merchant & Mills instead.

I don’t have any experience in ordering fabric that is this heavyweight, so it was a relief when it arrived that it seemed just right for my project. I went for a neural cream shade as shopping online can be a bit tricky to gauge colour, and I didn’t have time to get a sample. It has a beautiful soft brushed finish on the right side.

I put it through two cycles of washing at 40 degrees and tumble drying hot, and it survived perfectly well. I pretty much wash all my fabrics like this so it can go in the wash with everything else.

Cutting out

When cutting the fabric out I folded it with the selvedges together and was about to cut into it when I couldn’t ignore what seemed like a slant in the cross grain lines on the wrong side. When I looked closer, I could see the cross grain more clearly and when trying to fold the fabric perpendicular to this, realised it was quite far off. I decided to go with it and cut my pieces at what seemed like a bizarre angle to the selvedge.

Once I’d cut everything out, I had used about 0.5m less than the recommended length needed with some single layer cutting.

Seam allowances

The pattern’s seam allowances are 1.5cm or ⅝” unless specified, so they do vary depending on which seam it is, some being 1cm or ⅜”. Lynda recommends making all seam allowances 1.5cm to make it easier to remember and to handle the fabric. Thankfully she had put together a video describing all the places where this was needed.

Interfacing

By this point I hadn’t used many different types of interfacing, just light or medium fusible. I went onto the Vilene website and picked H140 for this project since it was described as “For the fusing of front parts on coats and longer jackets and small parts susceptible to distortion. Suitable for light- to mediumweight fabrics.”

Lynda is keen on sew-in interfacing and favours silk organza, but it wasn’t something I was familiar with and I didn’t have enough time to research this before starting the course. To reduce bulk, I trimmed the seam allowance off the interfacing, using red Saral transfer paper and a Clover double tracing wheel to mark it.

Photo 1 shows two layers of interfacing with two layers of transfer paper between, ink side towards the interfacing.

Photo 2 shows the interfacing layers lined up, and using the double tracing wheel to mark the seam allowance at 1.5cm.

Photo 3 shows the marks created, ready to cut along this line to remove the seam allowance.

I have put together a separate blog post and video on how to use this paper and tracing wheel here.

Construction

I haven’t always stay stitched before on lighter weight fabrics, thinking I may be stretching the fabric in the process, and just trying to handle the pieces delicately. However I did on this as the stability of this fabric meant minimal distortion during the staystitching, and I knew that I’d be handling this heavier fabric a lot particularly around the neckline when attaching the collar pieces.

Pockets

Lynda showed us 3 types of pockets - unlined, lined and handmade. The handmade one was beautiful and I will keep it in mind for another project, but for now the lined pocket appealed for a relatively simple smooth finish. I have written a separate post about how I the lined pockets here.

Seam finishes

I used flat felled seams on the shoulder having never tried this before, and thinking it would help strengthen it. It worked just fine but I should have allowed a larger seam allowance to make it a bit easier.

I did Hong Kong binding on all the other seams including the armhole, and it made for such a beautiful finish on the inside. I used Liberty cotton lawn left over from my first Sagebrush Top, the same fabric that I used to line the pockets.

Lynda had suggested using double-fold bias binding and sewing it around the armhole in one go. I made some bias binding having been just gifted a Simplicity Bias Tape Maker by a local sewing teacher who no longer uses it. The video below shows how it works.

The machine worked beautifully but I found that the ¼” width I made was too narrow to wrap around the seam on this heavy weight fabric. I could have cut wider strips but instead I did a Hong Kong finish using what I already had, using this technique as I had on my Mimi blouse to get the correct length of binding.

Belt and loop

I love the channel stitching that Lynda recommended, not just for the sturdiness but it looks amazing too.

The belt is awkward if wearing the jacket undone as the free end is long. I have seen others either put it into the pocket or tie it round the back and secure it with the D-rings.

This fills the pocket and can leave the front gaping open a little awkwardly with so I may consider adding two thread loops on the inside having seen this blog post by Irene's Studio. I also really liked her second version with belt loops and a tie belt.

Collar

As mentioned in my fitting post, the collar sat quite a way from the back of my neck on my toile but after using a smaller seam allowance to give more room for my rounded back, I got a pretty decent result on the finished jacket.

Lynda suggests lots of handbasting, and I found this particularly useful when putting the collar together. It gave me much more confidence with the finished result because it was essentially half sewn already. It gave me an opportunity to check the collar looked OK before sewing it, and it’s much easier to handle in the sewing machine than with pins.

With all those thick layers to baste through, I wondered if it was finally time to invest in a thimble. I initially bought a Prym silicone one but couldn’t get used to the plasticky feel of the thimble head. I then tried a Clover leather one and much preferred the tactile feel of this. It helped a great deal when basting the belt/loop to the front of the jacket where there are up to six layers.

Since I’d added a twill hanging loop I decided to anchor the collar here with a few stitches, to attach the undercollar/facing piece to the back of the jacket. I hand stitched a small section around the hanging loop between the two pins in the photo below, stitching in the ditch between the facing and upper collar.

The stitching was visible on the back but wouldn’t be seen under the collar.

I changed the position of the roll line having had issues with the collar sitting away from the neck. I played around with the roll line for the best result and decided to place a few stitches to help hold it in place on the underside of the under collar. If you do this, just remember to do it after the topstitching (ask me how I know!).

Sleeves

I left the sleeve hemming for the end so I could check the length on the finished garment. Once pinned in, I hand-basted the sleeves as I find it tricky manoeuvring it in the machine with all the pins. Having done quite a bit of hand-basting by this point at Lynda’s suggestion, I knew it was time well spent.

It also meant I could check the fit. As mentioned in my fitting post, I was aware my arm fell more forwards than the pattern was drafted for, creating some wrinkles at the front of the upper arm so I rotated the sleeve and this looked a bit better.

Hem

Consistent with the rest of the project, the hem had a Hong Kong finish too which I think looked lovely. The instructions guide you to fold the hem up and sew, but this leaves the bulky seams on show at the bottom of the front edge and back slit.

One of Lynda’s videos showed how to enclose the seams inside, essentially turning it inside out, sewing along the hem line and then turning it back out. However the extra professional detail she added was making sure the seam of the front edge was still sitting just to the inside. It was many little details like this that really made the course worthwhile.

Topstitching

I basted the facing in place to help with the topstitching. Linda suggested doing two rows on the hem, sleeves, and to secure the facing. My two rows of topstitching on the pockets were fairly close together and I thought it might look a bit much to repeat this on all these areas and so I just did a single line of topstitching. I followed Linda’s suggestion of using a walking foot due to all the layers.

For securing the edge of the facing, I wanted it as straight as possible as it would be visible on the front and so I used a rectangular plastic lid on my machine secured with washi tape to act as a seam guide. I picked this tip up from Johanna Lundström of The Last Stitch who uses a Lego block with Blu-Tak.

I used this for the long straight section of the front, then followed the Hong Kong binding edge for the remainder.

There are more details and photos of the topstitched pockets in the separate post here.

Things I would change next time

Having been guided through this project, there wasn't much that didn't go to plan. Things I might change would largely be fitting adjustments (more details in my fitting post):

1. Correcting the bust point which was too high and too lateral on me.
2. Checking the horizontal balance lines. There was some raising of the front balance lines and hem. Adding length above the bust may have corrected both this and point 1.
3. Rotate the sleeves as my lower arm falls more forward than the pattern
4. Consider sizing down on the sleeve (they felt a little wide)
5. Reduce collar pieces according to the amount taken out of front gaping neckline
6. Do a rounded back adjustment
7. Consider reducing width of the back bodice
8. Consider shortening the length of the jacket slightly (not sure if the proportions looked right on me so I would experiment with this)

Construction:

• I may add belt loops and make it a tie belt to avoid the long length when left undone.
• I’d consider drafting a lining, and particularly so if using the upholstery fabric. Lynda's course includes instructions on how to do this.

Summary

I was finally done and am so proud of the result. I can’t say that I even found it that difficult, but I know for sure that this was because I was completely led through the process by Lynda’s course. When someone shows you how to do it in a certain way for a more precise result, it makes it feel easy to get a professional finish.

I would sew this again and possibly use the upholstery fabric I had initially bought or try wool. I’d also consider the shorter View C for a different style, and particularly since I have Lynda’s guidance for this view as well.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Lynda Maynard Designs courses

Sienna Maker Jacket pattern by Closet Core Patterns PDF, Paper

Love At First Stitch book by Tilly Walnes

Stretch! book by Tilly Walnes

Merchant & Mills

Saral transfer paper

Clover double tracing wheel

Clover leather thimble

Related blog posts

Fitting the Sienna Maker Jacket Sienna Maker Jacket lined pockets

Review of Lynda Maynard's RTW Sienna Maker Jacket class

Using a double tracing wheel

Sagebrush Top

Making a facing/binding exactly the right length for an opening

Mimi Blouse

Having watched episodes of the Great British Sewing Bee involving jumpsuits with ‘hungry bums’, I thought it would be sensible to get help with fitting my first one, and so I jumped (pardon the pun) at the chance to attend a jumpsuit fitting workshop with Serefina Taylor (aka FinaMakes) at the lovely Bristol fabric store Like Sew Amazing. I had already attended her bodice and trouser block workshops and so I knew that it would be another fun weekend where I learnt a lot and came away with a valuable pattern that fit, as well as some beautiful fabric :)

The workshop

Sewing space

Summary

The workshop

This was a two day workshop over the weekend and we had a choice of the Paper Theory Zadie, Closet Core Blanca or True Bias Rory / Nova / Shelby.

There was a group of 5 of us and we started by measuring each other. This in itself was such a valuable process to come away with these measurements. We then compared these to the pattern pieces and made a few adjustments where there were discrepancies, largely in the vertical dimension of the bodice. It was then time to make our calico toile, and by the end of day one most of us had cut this out and were in the process of sewing it up.

On day two, we completed sewing our toiles and had the massively helpful experience of having Fina fit the toiles on us and guide us in making the final pattern adjustments.

By the end, we all had patterns that fit us well and were ready to sew up. To me this was the most exciting thing as I have often spent weeks on this process, and never quite getting there in the end. Fina had suggested adjustments I’d not considered before and it was such an eye opener to see the different ways she would pin out excess and adjust the patterns.

Fina has such a fun personality and it made for a really lovely atmosphere. I also like her attention to detail, and when I was tempted to think that’ll do, she encouraged me to do it with more precision for a better result which I never regretted. She was careful to give each of us all the time and help we wanted. The other students were equally lovely, as was Sarah the owner of Like Sew Amazing who was cheering us on and providing everything we needed.

We all had plenty of time for our projects, most finishing before the end. The atmosphere was very relaxed and friendly, and it extended to any shoppers visiting the store wondering what we were doing.

Sewing space

The workshop takes place within the store, and it’s inspiring to be sewing amongst all that beautiful fabric. I have often come away with several purchases on these days! It’s also handy to browse and buy any haberdashery items - my jumpsuit involved a waist tie which I was struggling to turn right side out so I bought the Prym loop turning set which has been on my wishlist for some time and I was amazed at how much easier it made this task.

The maximum number of people on these workshops is 5 as the shop comfortably fits 5 tables. Each of us had a sewing box with all the tools we needed, there were rulers, dot and cross paper, calico, an iron and sewing machines all available. The kitchen is well stocked with tea and coffee, with a table where we could all have our lunch.

The store is located on the ground floor of a unit in an industrial estate in Bedminster, Bristol. On the weekends there is free parking on neighbouring roads, or metered parking on weekdays with the first 30 mins free.

Summary

This was my third workshop here and I’d definitely attend another, particularly those involving fitting. It’s one thing to learn about fitting through books and videos, but quite another to have an expert fit a pattern directly on you. To come away with a fitted toile and pattern after a weekend feels like an amazing achievement.

You can read my post on the actual fitting adjustments made here, and my review of the pattern itself here.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

,Zadie Jumpsuit by Paper Theory pattern PDF, ,Printed

Blanca Flight Suit by Closet Core PDF, Printed

Rory Jumpsuit by True Bias PDF, Printed

Nova Jumpsuit by True Bias PDF, Printed

Shelby Dress and Romper by True Bias PDF, Printed

Great British Sewing Bee

Serefina Taylor / FinaMakes on Instagram, YouTube, website (under construction at time of writing but is worth signing up to her newsletter)

Like Sew Amazing

Like Sew Amazing workshops

Prym Loop Turning Set

Related blog posts

Zadie Jumpsuit review

Classic Blazer workshop with Claire Tyler

Fitting the Sagebrush Top

Fitting the Sienna Maker Jacket

They have some beautiful glass head pins with marbled effect, but I got these Patchwork Pins as you get more in a pack. Here they are being used on the sleeve lining of my Heather Blazer by The Friday Pattern Company.

At first the pins seemed to have a little friction, but once I wiped the shaft between my finger and thumb it seemed to do the trick. The pins are polished in a certain way that they minimise contact with the fabric and therefore glide really smoothly.

I also got a pack of needles which are polished in the same way, and make hand sewing a real joy. Who knew basting could feel so good?

They have a vast range of pins and needles that come in the most beautiful packaging like mini test tubes, and the cardboard boxes have a real sense of luxury. For me personally, I like sewing items to feel like a treat, and these definitely do.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Entomology pins from Merchant & Mills

Tulip Hiroshima pins and needles

Heather Blazer by The Friday Pattern Company printed pattern, PDF

Related blog posts

Heather Blazer lined pockets

Classic Blazer workshop with Claire Tyler

Sienna Maker Jacket lined pockets

I didn't book it (yet!) but had a good browse around the website and was really impressed with the wide range of workshops available. The Classic Blazer caught my eye since I hadn't sewn any outerwear by the time I'd booked, and it seemed a great opportunity to learn. Even having just done a fantastic eight week online course with Linda Maynard for the Sienna Maker Jacket I knew I still had a lot to learn. Lynda’s instructional videos were brilliantly clear and concise, but I knew there was also benefit in constructing a garment with a tutor on hand.

The Workshop

The Sewing Room

The location

Summary

The Classic Blazer Workshop

It was my first workshop with Claire and I was very excited since I had missed the six workshops I’d booked with her at the Knitting & Stitching Show last year because I had Covid.

It was a 3 day workshop and you could pick any jacket or blazer pattern with a notched collar. I picked the Heather Blazer from the Friday Pattern Company, as the fit was meant to be relaxed, as well as the jacket being lined. My course with Lynda Maynard did include guidance on lining the Sienna Jacket, but I decided to keep it simple since that was my first jacket. I was therefore excited to learn new techniques and build on my knowledge with the Heather Blazer.

This post is a review of the workshop itself, the review of the actual pattern will follow soon.

Several others had chosen the Jasika Blazer, and another picked The Blazer by The Maker's Atelier.

She had a sample of Nina Lee's Richmond Blazer which I really liked and have added to my list of patterns I'd like to sew.

The Heather Blazer was the simplest, had the fewest pieces and was the least fitted, but I felt was still enough of a stretch for me. I made a calico toile in advance of the workshop which still needed some tweaking, and Claire was more than happy to help us with fitting adjustments.

Having Claire on hand with our small group meant there was plenty of time for guidance and asking questions. She put together packs of various tapes and wadding to be used at different stages, and assembled kits containing all the interfacing we needed for our different fabrics, mine needing two different types with Claire also recommending a horse hair canvas for the plastron piece which she helped us draft.

Day One was spent making pattern adjustments and cutting all the fabric and interfacing, although those with the more complicated patterns did not necessarily get time to cut the lining at this stage. At the end of the day, I took my pieces and interfacing back to my accommodation to fuse to save some time the next day.

Day Two was to continue preparing our pattern pieces and applying tape for the roll line and edge of the front pieces. It was then that we got to start some sewing. We started with our pockets with some patterns including welt pockets. Claire did a great tutorial on this for which I took notes for a future project.

Day Three was spent continuing with construction of our blazers. None of us finished our jackets but we got to a stage that there was something to put on that resembled the final garment.

The days were interspersed with demonstrations as they came up, or as we reached the relevant stage e.g. sleeves, collars, applying tape etc. Although our patterns were different, the theory was the same and Claire was sure to point out any differences that were relevant for individual patterns.

There were plenty of hints and tips given along the way. Even with stages I had done several times before, it's always useful to see how someone else recommends doing it to make it easier, give a more consistent result or for better precision.

After the workshop, Claire gave us access to her video course which is incredibly helpful in outlining all the stages with lots of great advice. If you are wishing to tackle your first jacket with an online course, this is well worth it.

The Sewing Room

The Sewing Room is light, spacious, and well equipped with Janome sewing machines and all the tools you'd need. Most of us had brought our own sewing kit for ease of use and familiarity, and you are welcome to bring your own machine if you wish.

There were eight of us at the workshop with plenty of space to move around. There was a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, with drinks and snacks available. Claire even took our lunch orders for a local café and collected them for us towards the end of the morning session.

There were three steam generator irons available which I had not used before. I thought these were a great idea since they didn’t require a temperature setting to be changed on different fabrics. As is to be expected, they generate a lot of steam and I had to remember to keep my left hand out of the way to avoid a burn. Since they use steam for the heat and not a hot plate, it can be left face down on the ironing board when rearranging your fabric. I may consider getting one for my new sewing studio once it's ready.

The haberdashery in the room next door is very well stocked for its size with a huge range of items, which can also be bought from her online store.

It was here that I discovered Tulip Hiroshima pins and needles, which I was so impressed by that I wrote a short blog post about them here.

There are also many patterns available, including those for her workshops.

Claire has a range of sewing books available for reference, and some rare remnants for sale e.g. Linton Tweeds.

The location

The Sewing Room is on a lovely high street in the town of Midhurst, right next to a car park which was convenient with all the bits and pieces I had brought with me. It is set in a beautiful part of England, with Cowdray Castle right behind.

Since it was a 2.5 hr drive away for me, I turned it into a sewing retreat by booking a hotel nearby, The Hamilton Arms. It was reasonably priced for the size of room you get, modern, comfortable and finished to a high standard. The rooms are in a separate block behind the car park of the main pub and it is blissfully quiet being in the middle of the countryside, but very convenient just off the A272 which leads straight into Midhurst a 5 min drive away.

Milk, juice and yoghurts are supplied in the fridge, as well as tea and coffee-making facilities. A basic continental breakfast was provided in a basket in the room, with croissants, cereals, granola bars and jam.

The pub houses a Thai restaurant, and you can order delivery to your room. I did this the first night and was very happy with the meal. The couple who run the pub and accommodation were friendly, and supplied me with an iron and ironing board for my self-imposed interfacing homework. They even had hair straighteners, not that I need them but I have never seen them provided in a hotel room before. I have booked the same place again for my next workshop.

On the second night, I ate at the Indian restaurant Lime & Spice. It is across the road from the Sewing Room and I had a lovely meal there. I can't say I'm a connoisseur of Indian food, but I was perfectly happy with my meal and the service.

On the last night, I ate at Italian restaurant red.h recommended by Claire further up the high street. It has lovely decor (including a bright red grand piano) and again, I had a very good meal.

Summary

I have taken 3 courses / workshops in as many months, and this is the way forwards for me as the learning is unparalleled versus trying to go it alone and doing your own research. It accelerates my learning, and since I can't dedicate a lot of time to sewing, this is very valuable to me.

One of the great things about this workshop was that it was like having a very detailed, live sew along that you can take at your own pace, without spending ages trying to figure what the next stage is. There are plenty of hints, tips and demonstrations along the way, and an experienced professional on hand to answer your questions. With Claire putting together packs of interfacing and tapes for us, it took away a lot of guesswork and experimentation as to what would work best on this particular project.

I would definitely take another course with Claire, and indeed have already booked for her Winter Coat Workshop, as well as one of her retreats.

Sewing a coat is a huge stretch for me, and I hope to learn how to handle and sew with wool which I have not done yet. And who knows, maybe one day I'll be writing a review of the sewing cruise :)

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

,Heather Blazer by The Friday Pattern Company printed pattern, ,PDF

,Claire Tyler Couture

,New York Sewing Tour and Cruise

Lynda Maynard Designs

Knitting & Stitching Show

Sienna Maker Jacket by Closet Core Patterns

Jasika Blazer by Closet Core Patterns

The Maker's Atelier Blazer

Claire Tyler Classic Blazer Online Workshop

Claire Tyler Winter Coat Workshop

Claire Tyler retreats

Philips PerfectCare Elite steam generator iron

Related blog posts

Tulip Hiroshima pins and needles

,New sewing studio: Part 1. Demolition

,Sienna Maker Jacket lined pockets

,Fitting the Sienna Maker Jacket

I was originally planning to topstitch them in the same way, but then Claire Tyler whose workshop I was attending, showed me some hand-stitched pockets where the stitching didn’t show on the front and I really liked this look as an alternative. To secure the pocket you essentially do a back stitch, but only catching the folded-under seam allowance. Claire also gave a great tip of doing a few cross stitches at the pocket opening to reinforce it. Otherwise I followed the same technique as described in my blog post.

I loved the amount of control it gives (having sewed my first pocket wonkily on the Sienna jacket, even after basting) and I would certainly consider doing more hand-stitching in the future. My finished pocket could certainly have been straighter along the edges, but somehow I felt it didn't look too out of place with the crumpled linen look. It took a fair amount of time to sew them on, but speed is never my top priority when working on a project.

Sitting there hand-stitching, was another reminder of how much I enjoy the process of putting a garment together. I do of course feel a huge sense of pride and achievement once it’s finished, but that’s just the cherry on the cake.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Heather Blazer by The Friday Pattern Company printed pattern, PDF

Claire Tyler Couture

Related blog posts

Heather Blazer review

Fitting the Heather Blazer

Sienna Maker Jacket lined pockets

Fitting the Sienna Maker Jacket

On our last visit as we were driving home, we commented (as we do each time) with how nice it would be to have a holiday home here. Next thing I know, I’ve found the perfect house on Rightmove going for a bargain price, and hubby views it the next day. The deal is done and we pick up the keys a mere 6 weeks later.

It is The. Best. Thing. Ever. And the absolute cherry on the cake is the beautiful attic room.

I immediately envisioned a sewing studio up there and luckily hubby agreed. Lots of internet research for inspiration ensued for layout, storage options, and the all important height-adjustable table. The Ikea Bekant range looks good, and I may consider two that can be put together for a larger cutting surface. They also have an L-shaped version.

When at home, I like to work standing up and use this desktop converter when at my computer.

I also have a raised table for cutting as described in this blog post, and enjoy using the sewing machine at this height too.

I'm looking at what ideas I can take from my current sewing station.

Natural light is a huge bonus and there is a large window at one end of the room. I have always dreamt of a place with a view of water, be it a pond, lake, river or sea. You can imagine my delight when discovering the view at sunrise one frosty morning.

The house is in the little town of Pembroke which boasts a lovely castle and Mill Pond.

We're so excited to stay here but the plaster on our walls and ceilings is in poor condition and so hubby is starting to pull it down. It’s a bit of a shock to see it right now, but it’s an incredible opportunity to build an amazing sewing studio made for me.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Ikea Bekant height-adjustable table rectangular, L-shaped

FITUEYES Standing Desk

Related blog posts

Cutting table and work surface

My sewing station

I had some beautiful Liberty Tana Lawn in Felda left over from my first Sagebrush Top and thought it would be a lovely fabric to line these pockets.

This post describes how I lined the pockets, you can read the full review of the pattern itself here, which includes my fitting process and lots more photos of the finished jacket and the little details. You can read a review of Lynda's class here.

Breast pocket

Front pockets

Sewing pockets to the jacket

Breast pocket

Having never sewn lined pockets before, Lynda's instructions were clear and the technique made perfect sense. You essentially sew the lining to the pocket along the top edge, press the pocket and lining edges in and sew together, before topstitching in place.

Lynda's video was for a plain rectangular pocket but it was straightforward to apply the technique to the outer breast pocket with two angled corners. Clipping the corners also helped to reduce bulk.

I did this by pinching the excess and marked with a Prym Aqua Trick Marker where to clip from. I love these pens as you just dab the marks with water to remove them.

Lynda recommends hand-basting at each stage to help keep the seam allowances in place while working on it. This adds a little time but is worth the effort.

My pocket was ready to sew onto the front.

Front pockets

I continued with the front pockets which are angled and sit level with the hip, applying the same theory as best I could. I interfaced the breast pocket opening, but decided to interface the whole of the front pockets since they were larger and I imagined I'd use them a lot since they were so spacious.

My brain couldn't quite work out what the finished shape of the lining would be with the angle at the top, and so I cut the lining pieces too large and trimmed them down afterwards.

I sewed them to the top of the pocket and folded in the seam allowances.

I did a mitred corner on the right angle and clipped triangles on the other fold lines as above to reduce bulk when folding the seam allowance inside.

Lynda demonstrated the a point presser and clapper on turning the corners of the pockets, which I have seen but not particularly seen the advantage of until I saw her use it, and of course promptly ordered one for myself. The ability to turn and press corners in one go was too good to miss.

When folding over the top of the pocket to the inside, I found that it was too long and overlapping the side of the pocket, and so I cut this back. It's a little hard to demonstrate on the paper piece in the photo below since the paper doesn't curve like the fabric would, but it gives an idea of where I needed to trim it.

I'm not sure it's entirely due to the pattern drafting, it could well be my own pattern piece, since I made all the seam allowances larger to 5/8" / 16mm as recommended by Lynda so you have a bit more fabric to work with when folding and pressing seams. These two marks show the discrepancy I had on the lining which I then trimmed off.

Here is one of the finished pockets, ready to sew onto the jacket.

Sewing pockets to the jacket

In my head, the last stage of sewing patch pockets on was easy. You put 'em on and sew right? It then dawned on me that the slightest wonkiness would be very obvious, and indeed the breast pocket was wonky on my first attempt, even having hand-basted it in place.

I realised there was still some movement, particularly the rotating motion exaggerated when sewing them in place. Having had several attempts basting a zip before with similar frustrating results, I used the same solution and applied Wonder Tape.

It is double-sided tape sticky enough to hold things down, but easy enough to remove or re-stick if needed. It worked a treat. I know it adds some bulk here (although it is meant to wash out), but I preferred the bulkiness to the wonkiness. The difficulty getting it absolutely straight meant I decided not to add the inside pocket. The stitching for this is visible on the outside, plus it would be bulky over the breast and so I was unlikely to use it.

I topstitched the breast pocket in place as slowly and as neatly as I could, using the edge guide foot for my machine. It really helps when needing to stitch a line equidistant from an edge or seam.

The difficulty getting the breast pocket straight made me think that I needed to ensure the two larger front pockets were absolutely symmetrical, knowing this would also stand out if they weren't. The pattern instructs you to sew the pockets into the side seams but Lynda recommends moving them slightly away to avoid the bulk it creates there. Here they are pinned in place.

By the time I'd got to this stage, my pockets were a bit different in shape and size, so I sewed one on and then pinned the other to look as symmetrical as I could. I decided to match the sides closer to the centre front, thinking any discrepancy would be more obvious here than at the side seams.

I used Wonder Tape again to secure it and topstitched them in place.

It adds such a sense of quality and luxury when I look inside the lined pockets.

My full review of the pattern is here.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Sienna Maker Jacket by Closet Core Patterns

Lynda Maynard Designs classes

Liberty Tana Lawn in Felda

Prym Aqua Trick Marker

Milward Point Presser and Clapper

Prym Wonder Tape

Janome edge guide foot

Related blog posts

Sienna Maker Jacket review

Review of Lynda Maynard's RTW Sienna Maker Jacket class

Fitting the Sienna Maker Jacket

Sagebrush Top

I had heard good things about Lynda's courses online and in forums and so signed up without much hesitation. I was beyond excited to start this, having not sewn anything for a few months, plus I love a good challenge. As usual, I decided to make a toile which Lynda recommends before starting the course which deals with the construction and not the fitting, although she does touch upon some advice for this.

This post is all about my fitting process. My full review of the jacket can be viewed here with lots more photos of the finished jacket and the little details. You can read my review of Lynda's class here.

Sizing

First toile

Bust point too high

Gaping at the front neckline

Large vertical folds on the back

Second toile

Update after completing the jacket

Sleeve

Collar

Things I would change next time

Sizing

My measurements matched size 4 most closely, but this ended up being too tight around the bust. I attribute this to a larger upper bust measurement than full bust, and so I re-cut a size 6 to allow for more ease. Knowing it was to be a loose-fitting jacket, I didn't do any grading to further refine the fit at this stage. I lengthened the jacket by 4cm.

First toile

Here was my first toile in calico. Note the seam allowances were still present on my toile, so the neckline and armhole do not represent where the seam would be.

I was happy with the fit on the front from the bust downwards, and the amount of ease around the hips, wearing a belted pair of jeans.

Things I noted:

1. Bust point too high

2. Gaping at the front neckline.

3. Large vertical folds on the back.

Here's how I tried to deal with the above issues:

1. Bust point too high

With the rest of the front looking OK, I decided to leave it as is since the course start date was looming.

2. Gaping at the front neckline

Although the jacket isn't worn done up in this way, I thought it might affect how the collar and lapels would sit. I pinned out the excess and then researched how to eliminate these darts.

I came across this very helpful article with video from Alexandra Morgan, which addresses the removal of a back shoulder dart, but I applied the same theory.

Essentially, Alexandra recommends distributing the ease between the surrounding seams - neckline, shoulder, armhole and centre front. I had 1.5cm in total to ease in. I wasn’t sure whether this would cause an issue on the centre front/lapel, but it was a small amount of around 4mm in each seam, so I decided to keep all the other pieces the same and planned to ease the longer length in rather than try to adjust everything to match. The 4mm in each seam fit within the maximum 1/4" or 6mm that Alexandra recommends for this technique.

This worked really well for me:

Update after completing the jacket

When I was at Claire Tyler’s workshop to sew the Heather Blazer, I had done the same adjustment due to gaping at the neckline here as well. She reminded me that I also needed to adjust the collar pieces. At this point, I realised I had not done this on the Sienna Jacket, and this may have contributed to my collar issues described below. I took out a vertical section of the under and upper collar pieces, making sure I moved the dot marks.

3. Large vertical folds on the back

I pinned out vertical darts in the back to reduce the excess volume which did look better but I wondered whether I was over-fitting the intended rectangular shape of the jacket.

I unpinned it, put on a belt to replicate how the final jacket might look, and was happy with the result.

Second toile

The back pieces were unchanged so I only recut the front pieces, and conserved fabric by finishing them shorter. I also added sleeves.

Update after completing the jacket

Sleeve

As noted in point no. 3 above, I was aware my arm fell more forwards than the pattern was drafted for, creating some wrinkles at the front of the upper arm. While constructing the jacket I decided to rotate the sleeve by 1.5cm so that the head of the sleeve was towards the back and not in line with the shoulder seam. I re-basted this and it looked much better.

Since the pieces were already cut out, I simply flattened the curve on the sleeve head that sat against the back armhole and did no adjustment to the underarm curve which therefore sat more forwards of the side seam. For future projects, I would alter the pattern piece more accurately.

Collar

I didn't sew the collar onto my toile, but when I got to this stage on the actual jacket I decided this might be a good idea to determine the roll line. On my toile, the collar sat quite far from the back of my neck.

I asked Lynda for some advice and she wondered whether shortening the height of the collar would help which it did a touch. Then someone else on the course suggested using a smaller seam allowance on the back piece of the jacket, effectively giving me more room for my back and trying to compensate for lack of a rounded back adjustment.

This worked well, and along with the thicker fabric of the jacket itself versus the calico of my toile, the final result was pretty decent.

Things I would change next time

I was happy with the fit of the toile, and felt it was good enough to progress on the course. For a future project I might consider the following:

1. Correcting the bust point which was too high and too lateral on me.
2. Checking the horizontal balance lines. There was some raising of the front balance lines and hem. Adding length above the bust may have corrected both this and point 1.
3. Rotate the sleeves as my lower arm falls more forward than the pattern
4. Consider sizing down on the sleeve (they felt a little wide)
5. Reduce collar pieces according to the amount taken out of front gaping neckline
6. Do a rounded back adjustment
7. Consider reducing width of the back bodice
8. Consider shortening the length of the jacket slightly (not sure if the proportions looked right on me so I would experiment with this)

You can read my full review of the pattern here.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Sienna Maker Jacket by Closet Core Patterns

Lynda Maynard Designs classes

Alexandra Morgan In-House Patterns blog post on back contour shaping

Related blog posts

Sienna Maker Jacket review

Review of Lynda Maynard's RTW Sienna Maker Jacket class

Fitting the Sagebrush Top

Fitting the Stella Hoodie

Fitting the Freya knit dress

I fell in love with the Saguaro Set pattern as soon as it came out, yet if I’d seen this in the shops I wouldn’t have given it a second glance. I accept that this has nothing to do with the clothing and everything to do with my lack of vision, as I often dismiss clothing on the hangers, then see it on the mannequin and think, “Oh that looks really good!”. In this case, I saw hundreds of posts on Instagram of sewists looking amazing in their sets.

I made the trousers first. You can read my review of the Saguaro Set Trousers / Pants, 4 mins, which links into my fitting post, 4 mins). Some aspects of the construction e.g. waistband are similar between the two.

Fit

Fabric

Construction

Bias binding - Mistake!

Gathering the waistband

Sleeve hem

Things I'd change next time

Summary

Fit

This is the first wrap-style top I've sewn, so I made a toile to check how it fit and see how much cleavage and midriff would show. The pattern pieces are such that the shoulder seam is horizontal. This already made me think that I'd need some adjustments as I have quite sloping shoulders. Indeed, my toile showed excess fabric, particularly around the back.

I pinched out a large amount (5cm each of front and back) from the shoulder seam going to nothing at the neck to reduce some of the excess fabric. You can see the difference in the photo below where I only pinned out the right side.

This was the shape of my final pattern pieces.

Read my post Fitting the Saguaro Set Top (5 mins) for all the details, sizing, photos of my fitting process and of the finished top.

Fabric

I used Merchant & Mills linen from their 185 range in Calamine. They describe it as pale pinky grey with a slight lilac tone. I have a fair amount of grey in my wardrobe and it’s a really pretty pink without being too pink, so this suited me perfectly.

I generally don’t follow the recommended washing/drying advice for fabrics, as I tend to put everything through at 40 degrees and into the tumble dryer. If I need special settings or effort for an item of clothing, I know I just won’t wear it (or wash it!). It survived just fine and I used a tip I picked up on the Patternreview.com forums for overlocking the two raw ends together before washing to help prevent it rolling up into a big ball.

Construction

Bias binding

MISTAKE! - Step 10 clearly says to understitch. Standard stuff and yet somehow I decided to just ... stitch. I essentially stitched the bias tape in position on the garment including the seam allowance, rather than stitching just the tape and the seam allowance. This meant a double layer of stitching on the right side of the garment once it has been edgestitched but no one but me will know.

Gathering the waistband

The instructions advise you to leave a 5cm opening in the waistband for you to insert the elastic. The elastic itself is 5cm and so pretty stiff, and I found I was stretching the opening in order to insert it. If sewing this again, I would leave a longer opening to avoid stretching the fabric here.

I wanted to make sure that the waistband gathers were even all the way round. The technique I describe below relates to my Saguaro Set Trousers project but is exactly the same for this top. The instructions recommend stretching the waistband several times and then pinning it before sewing the casing to the elastic.

After stretching the waistband, I placed one pin and then stretched the waistband again to ensure it didn’t look like it had pulled on the waistband fabric. I did this with each successive pin.

If it did look like the waistband fabric was being pulled as in the photo above, I repositioned the pin and checked again. The photo below shows much less pulling after repositioning the pin and so I would then add another pin and repeat.

This technique works if you’re sewing this alone. If you have a willing helper, they can hold the elastic stretched while you pin it, or clamp / stretch it between two points. It is similar to the technique in this short Instragram reel from Jen Hogg, but this would work best on lighter elastic.

Sleeve hem

I sewed this top to finish it before a trip to Barcelona. If I had more time before the holiday, I would have finished the sleeve hem in the same way as the trouser hem - by overlocking the raw edge and then handsewing a catchstitch so you couldn't see it. However, I was in a hurry so I followed the instructions to fold the hem under twice and edgestitch. This was 10pm at night before the flight the next day so I was really excited to give it a final press and try the finished top on.

My heart sank as I saw the sleeves jutting out like a trumpet.

The hem felt stiff and I wasn't sure why this had happened. Was it because I pressed it a certain way, or because the hem was doubled-folded and thick? After wallowing in disappointment and trying to problem-solve for a while, I decided to try washing and tumble drying it see if that would help soften it up and reshrink any stretching I'd inflicted. It did indeed help and I was finally holiday ready :)

Things I'd change next time

1. Having seen other reviews, I would apply stay tape to the front wrap section to help stabilise this area. Since it is on the bias, it will have a tendency to stretch, exaggerating any gaping.
2. I would lessen the overlap of the waistband elastic when securing the ends together. The instructions do say to overlap by 1.3cm and I probably did something closer to 2cm. I found that this area becomes very stiff when in 2 layers and so once it is topstitched, the gathers of the fabric over it are more flattened in this area, indicated by the arrow in the photo below.

Summary

I absolutely adore this set. It's nothing like anything I've owned before but it feels so chic to wear. As mentioned in my fitting post, I'd consider using some breast tape to help secure it from gaping when sitting down. Stay tape mentioned above may help avoid any stretching of it here, or I would consider increasing the overlap as described in this article by the Friday Pattern Company.

If making it again, I'd consider using a more drapey fabric like viscose which I think would look lovely for both top and trousers.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Saguaro Set pattern

Friday Pattern Company

Merchant & Mills 185 linen - Calamine

Patternreview.com forums

Jen Hogg video - distributing ease

Friday Pattern Company fitting article

Related blog posts

Fitting the Saguaro Set top

My review of the Saguaro Set trousers / pants

Fitting the Saguaro Set trousers / pants

This post is all about my fitting process. My full review of the top can be found here.

Sizing

Toile

Pinned out shoulder seam

New shoulder seam

Adding to the length

Fabric fitting

Pattern changes

Mistake!

Gaping

Finished result

Sizing

My measurements matched the chart on size S for the bust and M for the waist so this is what I cut. I use my upper bust measurement as this is larger than my full bust. My shoulders are fairly wide so I graded back to size M here.

Toile

Here was my toile, with safety pins attaching it to the elastic with the 1cm seam allowance.

I was pleased with how the front looked and the amount of crossover at the bust. The back had excess fabric that created large vertical folds at either side of the back.

Pinned out shoulder seam

Having realised from the Stella Hoodie project that I have sloping shoulders, I tried roughly pinning the excess at the shoulder to see if that improved things, which it did.

I had pinned out 5cm each on the front and back at the shoulder point so marked this with a blue Prym Aqua Trick Marker, indicated by the red arrow in the photo below.

New shoulder seam

From this point I drew a straight line to the seam at the neckline, and took an even 5cm down the sleeve, the new seam line indicated by the black arrows.

I sewed this on my right side only to check how it would look compared to the original. The view of the back shows the difference very clearly, there is much less excess fabric on the right side.

I decided at this point that I wanted the fit to be more accurate by sewing the waistband properly since the top wasn’t secured evenly all the way around. However, since I knew the only other thing needing adjustment was the shoulder seam, this would be fairly easy to do on the final garment and so decided to go ahead for the fabric fitting.

Adding to the length

I added 1cm to lengthen the front as it seemed to ride up a little. This seemed to be the case in a lot of the examples I saw online including the official photos so this may be how it's intended to be.

I preferred it to look more straight but this wasn’t a big deal so I just added 1cm. I didn’t use the adjustment line marked on the pattern in case this changed the fit around the bust, but added it to the bottom of the pattern piece, 1cm at the centreline going to nothing at the side seams.

I extended the straight line of the wrap front, then went vertically down to meet the new line representing where the waistband would be. The vertical line was 1cm, not because this was how much I wanted to lengthen it by, but because this is the seam allowance. If I wanted to lengthen it by 2cm, the vertical line would still be 1cm.

Here is the new pattern piece with centreline notch transferred.

Fabric fitting

I cut my fashion fabric as per my original pattern, except for adding the additional 1cm length at the front. I followed the construction process as normal until completing Step 18, having inserted the waistband but not yet sewing the opening shut. Since I knew the shoulder seam at the neck fitted OK, I was fine to complete the bias binding as normal before finalising the fit on the rest of the shoulder seam.

I did a quick try on at this stage to check it was going to plan so far. It looked as it did on my toile, and so again I pinched out the excess at the shoulder seam, marking the end of the shoulder where the sleeve would then fall down the arm. I pinched out the same 5cm here, with my upper arms raised to check I still had some wiggle room when wearing the top.

As on the toile, I marked a straight line from the neck to the marked point at the end of the shoulder, drawing a line from here parallel to the original shoulder seam and curved the join. I continued to finish the waistband and checked the fit once more by chainstitching (for easy removal) the shoulder seam on the right side only.

You can see the excess of fabric on the left compared to the right.

I was really happy with this and so proceeded to finish the garment.

Pattern changes

I transferred the change to the shoulder seam to the pattern piece for future versions. The shoulder slope was fairly steep, so I kept the first 1cm horizontal for the bias binding to attach to. The photo below shows the back piece oriented for the left side, and the new seam line.

I drew the line on the back piece, cut it out, then flipped this over and placed it onto the front piece to copy it across. This would just make sure it matched up exactly.

Here are the adjusted pattern pieces for the front and back.

Mistake!

I copied the position of the seam line onto the pattern piece, forgetting to add the seam allowance. I’ve marked this on the pattern for future reference.

Gaping

I believe this might be the first wrap top I’ve owned as I’ve never found a RTW one that fit me well. I was therefore not particularly versed in knowing when it might gape a bit. It’s not a problem when standing but opens slightly if bending forward, and more so when sitting. For future outings I’d consider sticking some breast tape on for security.

I’d also follow advice I’ve since read online to put stay tape along the front section of the wrap to prevent it stretching out over time since it is on the bias.

Finished result

And here is the final result. I also have a MingMakesMistakes post out that focusses more on the construction and with lots more photos.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Prym Aqua Trick Marker

Friday Pattern Company Saguaro Set - printed, PDF

Related blog posts

My review of the Saguaro Set top

My review of the Saguaro Set trousers

Fitting the Saguaro Set trousers / pants Stella Hoodie

I had been admiring the Saguaro Set by the Friday Pattern Company ever since its launch earlier this year, but I had one nagging doubt - was I too old to show a bit of midriff? I scoured the Saguaro Set hashtag on Instagram and every single one of the hundreds of posters looked amazing in it, and so here we are :)

This post is just about the trousers. Here is my review of the Saguaro Set Top (5 mins) which includes more photos of the full set worn together, along with my post on how I fit it (5 mins).

Fit

Fabric

Construction

Buttonholes

Gathering the waistband

Hem

Things I'd change next time

Summary

Fit

I made these in the run up to a holiday, starting with the trousers as I thought I’d get more wear out of these. This was the first pair of trousers I tried fitting, having only made a pair of pyjama bottoms before without any modifications. I was pretty sure I could easily get away without any fitting since they were loose-fitting with an elasticated waist, but in anticipation I’d watched the Craftsy course called Easy Fitting the Palmer/Pletsch Way: Pants, and wanted to make use of the information I’d learned.

It was a great course that went through a few examples of the whole fitting process, and by the end it didn’t feel quite as daunting as I’d imagined.

Read my separate blog post Fitting the Saguaro Set trousers / pants to see how I used their tissue-fitting method which worked really well for me, my sizing and adjustments made, plus the mistake I made when cutting the pockets after fitting.

Fabric

I used Merchant & Mills linen from their 185 range in Calamine. They describe it as pale pinky grey with a slight lilac tone. I have a fair amount of grey in my wardrobe and it’s a really pretty pink without being too pink, so this suited me perfectly.

I generally don’t follow the recommended washing/drying advice for fabrics, as I tend to put everything through at 40 degrees and into the tumble dryer. If I need special settings or effort for an item of clothing, I know I just won’t wear it (or wash it!). It survived just fine and I used a tip I picked up on the Patternreview.com forums for overlocking the two raw ends together before washing to help prevent it rolling up into a big ball.

Construction

Buttonholes

The waistband drawstring requires two buttonholes. Before attempting the real thing, I tried some practice buttonholes on some scrap fabric. I must have tried about 15 times but something was up with my machine or the foot and it wasn't happening. I was on a roll and desperate to continue. I considered eyelets but I only had one in my stash (!) so I decided to go it alone with a zig zag stitch. Turns out I really liked the amount of control this gave and so will probably do this now in future instead of the automatic setting. Here's what I did to make it neat in a step-by-step post which includes a short video tutorial.

Gathering the waistband

The instructions advise you to leave a 5cm opening in the waistband for you to insert the elastic. The elastic itself is 5cm and so pretty stiff, and I found I was stretching the opening in order to insert it. If sewing this again, I would leave a longer opening to avoid stretching the fabric here.

I wanted to make sure that the gathers were even all the way round. The instructions recommend stretching the waistband several times and then pinning it before sewing the casing to the elastic.

After stretching the waistband, I placed one pin and then stretched the waistband again to ensure it didn’t look like it had pulled on the waistband fabric. I did this with each successive pin.

If it did look like the waistband fabric was being pulled as in the photo above, I repositioned the pin and checked again. The photo below shows much less pulling after repositioning the pin and so I would then add another pin and repeat.

This technique works if you’re sewing this alone. If you have a willing helper, they can hold the elastic stretched while you pin it, or clamp / stretch it between two points. It is similar to the technique in this short Instragram reel from Jen Hogg, but this would work best on lighter elastic.

Hem

Having added 3cm to the length (I explain my 2 reasons for this in my fitting post), I hemmed it up by 2.5cm. The instructions suggest folding it up twice but I wanted to avoid bulk so I overlocked the edge and handstitched with catchstitch for an invisible look.

Things I'd change next time

1. I would reinforce the pocket openings with interfacing as these will likely stretch out over time, as they get used A LOT! This was described in the Love At First Stitch book which I learnt to sew from, but just forgot.
2. I would put a double layer of stitching in the crotch area to reinforce this. Again, something I'd been recommended in a pyjama bottoms workshop but just forgot.

Summary

This was a great project to introduce me to fitting and sewing trousers. They are so comfy to wear and the pockets are of course fab. There’s a good chance I’ll make another pair in a darker colour, and I’m looking forward to making the matching top.

Here are photos of all the angles. The wind caught the trousers in the photo of the back so they look wider than otherwise. In these photos, I have paired it with a simple t-shirt.

Find me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Bloglovin' or scroll to the bottom to subscribe to my newsletter which is published every month.

Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Saguaro Set pattern - printed, PDF

Friday Pattern Company

Craftsy

Easy Fitting the Palmer/Pletsch Way: Pants

Merchant & Mills 185 linen - Calamine

Patternreview.com forums

Jen Hogg video - distributing ease

Love At First Stitch book

Related blog posts

Fitting the Saguaro Set trousers / pants

My review of the Saguaro Set top

Fitting the Saguaro Set top

How to sew a buttonhole with zigzag stitch (no buttonhole foot)

Simple t-shirts

I was smitten with the Saguaro Set by the Friday Pattern Company since it was released, considering it perfect for a cruise I had coming up. This was the first pair of trousers I tried fitting (as a Brit, I can't get used to calling these pants!), having only made a pair of pyjama bottoms before without any modifications. I was pretty sure I could easily get away without any fitting since they were loose-fitting with an elasticated waist, but in anticipation I’d watched the Craftsy course called Easy Fitting the Palmer/Pletsch Way: Pants, and wanted to make use of the information I’d learned.

It was a great course that went through a few examples of the whole fitting process, and by the end it didn’t feel quite as daunting as I’d imagined. I used their tissue fitting method which worked really well for me.

This is a post just about my fitting process. My full review of the pattern and construction can be found here.

Sizing

Preparing for tissue-fitting

Waistband

Tissue-fitting

Mistake!!

Fabric fitting

Hem

Finished trousers

Sizing

My waist and hip measurements put me into size M so this is what I traced. I added an extra 3cm to the length on the pattern piece because:

1. I wanted them to finish at full length rather than skimming the ankle.
2. In the Palmer/Pletsch course they mention that when tissue fitting, the pattern pieces should touch the body at the crotch since fabric would have more drape and so once transferred, would fit just nicely. However since the crotch is cut on the bias, this creates a little bit of stretch and so the trousers may need to be pulled up further to account for this, therefore shortening the trousers at the hem and so they advise leaving extra length.

Preparing for tissue-fitting

I pinned the pocket backing to the front piece to complete the front of the trouser piece lining up the notches, then pinned this to the back piece.

Here is the back view, the back piece curving as it is wider than the front.

Waistband

I cut a piece of the 50mm wide elastic bought on Etsy that the pattern uses for the waistband, and safety-pinned this together to hold it round my waist, at the height I wanted the waistband to sit. I had it so the lower end of the elastic covered my belly button and it felt comfortable here.

Tissue-fitting

I pulled up the tissues pieces until they touched the crotch and then held them at whatever angle meant they were straight down my leg with my foot in the middle of the trouser leg. I also made sure the side seam was straight down.

I pinned the pattern pieces to the waistband at this level. Since the waistband is elasticated, there was a bit of scrunching involved to pin it to the waistband. It seemed to fit nicely around my hips. My cat seemed to find the process intriguing :)

Once happy with how it was sitting, I marked the bottom of the waistband on the pattern pieces to represent the seamline between the waistband and front/back pieces. These marks are indicated with the black arrows below.

After taking the pattern off, I roughly joined these marks with a French curve ruler.

I then used a double tracing wheel (blog post with video here on how to use it) to add the 1cm seam allowance and then cut along this line.

I moved the wax paper under the front piece to mark the pocket backing.

Mistake!!

In the fitting adjustment above, I removed some height from both the front/back pieces and the pocket back piece, but forgot to do the same with the pocket facing which was therefore longer. I only realised this having sewn the pocket facing to the front piece already. Thankfully I had enough fabric to recut the pocket back piece as a longer piece, and in fact I this worked out better because it meant I kept the original length of the pocket, which otherwise would have been shorter. The change in the curve at the waistband was not significant enough to make this an issue.

Fabric fitting

At this point I was confident enough to cut into my fabric without a toile. I sewed the waistband to the front and back pieces and the pocketing backing to check the fit.

I was happy with the fit but the legs felt quite voluminous so I graded down to size S below the pockets to avoid having to change those pieces as well, plus I didn't want to lose any width around the hips. Here is the new shape of the back piece on the original fabric piece which I then cut. I repeated this with the front piece.

Hem

Having added 3cm to the length, I hemmed it up by 2.5cm. The instructions suggest folding it up twice but I wanted to avoid bulk so I overlocked the edge and handstitched with catchstitch for an invisible look.

Finished trousers

Here is the final result. The wind caught the trousers in the photo of the back so they look wider than otherwise. They are very comfortable and the crotch fits just right. In these photos, I have paired it with a simple t-shirt.

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Links

I have no affiliations, I'm just a keen buyer and user. A UK supplier may be linked, please try to source items from your favourite independent stores.

Saguaro Set

Friday Pattern Company

Craftsy course - Easy Fitting the Palmer/Pletsch Way: Pants

50mm wide white elastic from Etsy

Related blog posts

My review of the Saguaro Set trousers / Pants

My review of the Saguaro Set top (includes photos of the full set worn together)

Fitting the Saguaro Set top

How to sew a buttonhole with zigzag stitch (no buttonhole foot)

Fitting the Sagebrush Top

Simple t-shirts