Archive | weekend projects

Hunt Bolero Vest and Harriot Archer Buttonup

By carolyn friedlander on December 11, 2018 in Featured on Home, my patterns, patterns, sewing, weekend projects | Comments: 0

My Hunt Bolero Vest and Harriot Archer Buttonup are some new favorites for sure.

We’ll start with the bolero vest. The pattern is in Casual Sweet Clothes by Noriko Sasahara. It’s a Japanese sewing pattern book that has been translated into English.

I LOVE the trim detail on the version in the book, but after looking and not finding anything good I decided to take matters into my own hands. Sometimes not having the right option forces you to creatively discover a new one!

Insert the idea to appliqué some shapes from my Hunt pattern onto the back. I love how these shapes work together. This Bolero is such a good canvas.

After deciding on my color palette, the next decision was to figure out the shape placement. The great thing about appliqué is that you can move shapes around very easily to see what you like before making the final attachment. I cut out my shapes first and auditioned them in a few different spots before deciding on this one. I like the way they echo the neckline while breaking up the proportions in a nice way on the back. Plus, you’re able to get a good feel for the overall appliqué motif.

What’s also fun about appliquéing a project like this is that there is less of it than you’d need on a full project. It can move along fairly quickly, while providing a nice impact. I did appliqué them by hand, but you could totally add them via the machine and/or something fusible.

The vest isn’t lined, which made me pay closer attention to having clean-ish starts and stops, because I knew you’d be able to see them on the inside. Of course, if you didn’t want to concern yourself with this, it would be very easy to line this vest so you wouldn’t have to!

I got a little fancy (and fussy) with my facings. I managed to get a bit of the scallop from the fabric in there, and I also spiced things up with some neon serger thread.

+ Tool Tip – remember this handy seam wheel set I mentioned in the Hunt Harriot post? The 3/8″ wheel made adding in the seam allowance to the Bolero pattern a complete breeze. While this book is translated into English, the pattern pieces do not include any seam allowances. You’ll want to add them in yourself.

As for the buttonup, I used the Grainline Archer with the Popover variation, which I LOVE. It’s such a great pattern.

The yarn dye that I chose from Harriot is super soft and the perfect weight for a buttonup. It is a dream to wear, and I love how versatile the color and pattern will be for mixing/matching/layering with other stuff in my closet. (Plus, I got a little fun with my yoke…)

I’ve made this pattern many times and cannot recommend it enough. It’s a fun sew and an easy wear. I pretty much made it as the pattern is written, but decided at the last-minute to omit the top part of the collar. When I got to that step, I realized I’d not done that before, and so I left the stand as it is. I really like it!

Also, I had some fun with my buttons…

Making a buttonup can highlight your button stash–bountiful or lacking. In this case, I discovered that while I have been doing a good job of stockpiling buttonup options, my black department is lacking. I’ll keep that in mind in the future, but luckily I had these fun gingham buttons to use.

There we go!

patterns: Bolero Vest, Casual Sweet Clothes by Noriko Sasahara, Hunt Appliqué Pattern (appliqué on vest) by me, and Archer Buttonup with Popover Variation by Grainline.

template: Hunt quilt template (1/8″ seam allowance)

fabric(s): all from Harriot

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Polk Clothes.

By carolyn friedlander on July 10, 2018 in fabric, Featured on Home, patterns, sewing, weekend projects | Comments: 2

Polk starts shipping this month–yay! With that, I thought I’d share some Polk clothes that I’ve made.

First up is the Willow Tank–a personal favorite. The pattern is by Grainline, and it’s one of those patterns that never lets me down. Because I know the fit is great and it’s super speedy to make, I made this one while packing for Quilt Market. I couldn’t help but make one more thing to wear at the show.

I really like the weight of this fabric with this particular pattern. They go quite well together.

Pattern: Willow Tank by Grainline

Fabric(s): Polk, bias trim in Gleaned.

Also by Grainline is a tunic from the new Uniform book that was recently released with Madder.

I love the versatility of the design. There are two neck, two sleeve and two hem options that are all interchangeable, which means there are lots of possible results. Of course, I wanted to include the pockets in my first version. I also went with the round neck and sleeveless option.

The pockets are pretty fantastic, and I’m generally on board with how everything turned out. With the next version, I’ll make adjustments to the darts and length, as I found the as-designed result to need some tweaking on me. But overall, I think there is a lot of potential with this one.

Pattern: Uniform by Grainline and Madder

Fabric: Polk

The Lexi A-Line Top by Named is a pattern that I’ve been eyeing for a few years now. I finally made it, and I’m so glad that I did–it’s a new favorite! Their version is cropped, and I wanted mine to be full length, so I lengthened mine by about 4″. It turned out perfect.

I was kind of worried about the sleeves being a tad too much in a more structured fabric, but they’re just right. I will definitely be making this one again.

Pattern: Lexi A-Line Top by Named

Fabric: Polk

The Adeline dress by Style Arc is a neat pattern, and I like how it came together. I’m not super wild about the hemline, and if I were to make it again, I’d make some adjustments there. Otherwise, the pockets are great, and I think this could also be nice in either a knit or some drapey woven.

Pattern: Adeline Dress by Style Arc

Fabric: Polk

The West Water Tunic by Squam was enjoyable to sew, but if we’re being honest, I’m not sure that I’ll make one again without some adjustments. It’s a lovely tunic, and there are many online versions that look great, but the final result on me felt a little maternity-ish. Maybe on someone taller or with a different shape, it would look right? I do love the collar and the pockets.

Plus, I like how these glass buttons that I’d picked up at a show look with the fabric.

Pattern: West Water Tunic by Squam

Fabric: Polk

Finally, I want to end on a favorite–the Moji pants by Seamwork. I’ve made so many of these guys starting with this pair in Euclid. I love them so much!

They’re cozy, comfortable and look pretty stylish. Any pants with a drawstring feels like cheating, and how could you not love these big, handy pockets? These pants check all of my favorite boxes.

Pattern: Moji by Seamwork

Fabric: Polk

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Polk Pouches and Bags.

By carolyn friedlander on June 26, 2018 in fabric, Featured on Home, patterns, sewing, weekend projects | Comments: 3

Bag making can be really fun and very practical. Here are some Polk pouches and bags that I made using the new fabric.

Noodlehead makes some of my favorite bag and pouch patterns, and I’ve made several of them out of Polk.

First up are some pencil pouches, which are from a free tutorial of hers. These guys are great and not just for pencils. I’ve used mine for toiletries, hand sewing and several other things.

What’s fun is that you can come up with different fabric combinations for the outside panels.

Pattern: Pencil Pouch Tutorial by Noodlehead

Fabric(s): Polk, Architextures and Essex Yarn Dyed in Aqua

Next up are some Petal Pouches (pattern by Noodlehead).

There are 2 sizes included in the pattern–small and large. I’ve made both. I use the smaller size to hold ear buds, chargers and other travel essentials. The bigger one holds more, and I’ve even used mine as a clutch when attending an event.

It’s such an attractive shape, and if you’re worried about sewing curves–don’t be! This one is pretty gentle.

Pattern: Petal Pouch by Noodlehead

Fabric(s): Polk, Gleaned and Essex Classic Wovens

I finally made a Traverse bag (pattern also by Noodlehead).

I love this bag so much, and it’s been on my to-sew list forever. Since making it (like immediately upon making it) I’ve been carrying it around daily, and it’s been perfect. The pattern includes 2 size options, and this is the smallest size.

I love the small size because it means I’m not overloading myself and carrying more than what I need. I find that this size holds all of the essentials.

Also handy, I used one of Anna’s hardware kits. It included the zippers, d-rings, slider, cording and little leather accents. I love that she has these available in her shop.

Pattern: Traverse Bag by Noodlehead

Fabric(s): Polk and Essex Classic Wovens, hardware kit from Noodlehead

It’s worth mentioning that I also recently updated my wallet situation. I’m now using Noodlehead’s minimalist wallet (the smaller size), and it works perfectly with the Traverse. If you’ve ever wanted to make a wallet, this one is a fun and smart sew. I love how easily it comes together.

Pattern: Minimalist Wallet by Noodlehead

Fabric(s): Polk and Liberty

Last up is not from Noodlehead, but instead from Grainline. It’s the Dopp kit from the Portside Travel Set. Someone made me one of these, and I use it ALL the time. It’s such a perfect size for many things, but I’m often using it to tote around sewing supplies like my rotary cutter, scissors and other stuff.