Tessuti Patterns love affair.

emilyWools1 Comment

tessuti_alice_topI visited Tessuti Fabrics when we were in Sydney a few months back. What a wonderful store! I bought the Alice top pattern while I was there, and have made two so far. It is a really nice, quick pattern. I have not tried a dress version yet. Here is my version in a wonderfully drape-y crepe de chine from Blackbird Fabrics. It was a little fiddly to work with, I think I ended up using a 5/8″ seam allowance for the sleeves instead of 3/8″ to catch all the layers of fabric (understitching changed the sizes pretty considerably).

Very fun and swishy! I think I can dress this up or down. I also finished the sleeve seams and yoke seams with bias tape so nothing would unravel. I added some side slits, although I wish I would have made them even bigger. Just a quick baby hem since the fabric was so slippery.

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closeup of the front yoke.

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slighty sheer, delightfully drape-y.

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swingy!

I also made a Tessuti Tokyo Jacket. I got this very delicate and floaty silk/cotton from The Fabric Store in Aukland. I french seamed everything, and its a bit bulky at the arm pit, as the pattern hinted it would be, but I didn’t want “overlocked (don’t have a serger)” seams hanging out. I omitted the pockets for a more floaty finish. I enjoyed the cuff technique, I was very skeptical at first but when I finished the first one I thought, “HOW CLEVER!”

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all photos by Leah Vautar.

emilyWools1 Comment

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Honeymoon PJs. Made with some French cotton voile from Marché Saint-Pierre, and some blue silk trim. Working with silk bias tape was incredibly fiddly, and I had a really hard time keeping things tidy. To make it, I did use this tutorial which I found very easy compared to tutorials I have followed in the past. I also finally figured out how to use my bias tape maker, so that was also a big help. I french seamed everything but the crotch seam (I just zig-zagged to finish instead), and I only had 3/4″ elastic, so thats what I used for the waistband. I tacked it down via stitch-in-the-ditchat both side seams (instead of sewing in the middle of the waistband all the way around).

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I compared these, my second version of the Lakeside PJs, to the first that I made ~2 years ago, and its neat to see how my sewing skills have improved dramatically since then. The first time around, I vastly underestimated the amount of ease in the pattern, so this time I made a 6 in the top, and an 8 in the bottoms. The bottoms are still a tiny bit tight (!!) but they will work.

SUPER EXCITED FOR NEW ZEALAND NEXT WEEK!!!!!!

emilyWoolsLeave a comment

i haven’t been posting but I’ve still been making…

I made Stylish Dress Book dress “E” this week, and I am loving it. The size guide advised me to cut the 10 (or even the 12) but I cut the 8, and added 1/2″ seam allowances. I added 2″ to the skirt length after reading how others made this dress, and I didn’t want to end up scheming ways to lengthen later, as I had on a previous Stylish Dress Book dress (WOW that was awhile ago!).

I used a Pickering hemp/wool blend from Spool, and its very toasty. Its the beginning of November and the forecast says 75, so I didn’t wear it to work today. The touches of Liberty are from a remnant I bought in Portland this spring. I had thought it was too dark and muddy to use a lot of, but instead I lined the patch pockets, made the facing, and finished the sleeve hems with it, and I think it looks lovely, and not muddy or dark at all!

I contemplated lining the bodice and/or cutting the back from the Liberty, but ended up not doing it. If I make this again (which I would like to!), and made it sleeveless, I would line the bodice to hide all those pinktucks and back skirt gathering. I french seamed throughout (even the sleeves!) and although the pattern didn’t call for it, I had a MUCH easier time fitting the sleeves when I did some gathering on the shoulder caps (duh?). I hand-sewed a 2″ hem and I am glad I didn’t machine it, it only took about 45 minutes.

My only fit issues so far is the shoulders are sort of tight, making it a little difficult to take off. I love the drapiness of the Pickering hemp/wool, though, and I think it will be a great wintery dress.