Frisky Undies

In my quest to find the ultimate undies pattern for myself I have tried yet another pattern Frisky Knickers by Stitch Upon A Time (SUAT for short)

Like the 2 other Stitch Upon A Time patterns (Bunzies and Scrundlewear) the pattern come with various options of waist rise, buttock coverage and waist/leg finishes. It also has options to have pieced or have cut out sections on the side or back pieces. Of course there is just a super basic version which has a plain back and front. I went with full coverage plain front and back and knit bands. The fabric was brought specifically from Rubyjam fabrics for undies as I had none in my stash.

I broke the fitting rules when it came to tracing out my pattern size. I didn’t measure myself before I started I went by the measurements I was when I made my 2^nd attempt at undies. To be honest I looked at all the numbers, held up a pair of RTW of undies against all the sizes and guessed I would be a medium as that is what size I was with Bunzies and Scrundlewear. By chance I pulled it off and I’m happy with the fit. The only pattern modification I guess you would call I made was that I cut my gusset piece the largest size instead of cutting it the size of the undies as on my previous ones I actually missed some of the gusset when I was sewing on the leg bands. The wider gusset meant I didn’t need to pull it to cover the side edges and I didn’t miss any of it.

My overall verdict is they are comfortable. In the above photo the top 2 are Scrundies and the bottom is Frisky. You can see that the Frisky’s are a higher cut on the leg openings making for more of a bikini style which is what I’m used to wearing in RTW undies.

In the SUAT Facebook group I read that if your undies are creeping up your butt a little (wedgie) to go down a size with the leg bands than what the pattern calls for in that size as this will make them more snug. I tried this on my 2nd pair of Bunzies (which I will share on here soon) and it was comfortable. On Scrundies I don’t need to do this but I did try it out on a 2nd pair of Friskys. For a fair comparison I wore them 2 days in a row to see if I felt any different. The shorter bands did make them feel tighter. The first pair weren’t creeping so I don’t think I need to in future.

Would I make these again? Absolutely. I wouldn’t mind actually trying the pieced front to sides if I had shorter amounts of scraps I wanted to use up.

Cassiy

Advertisement

Rectangle Knitting Bag

My brain is always only the lookout for potential gifts to make people. You need to watch what you say in front of me as I’m always looking for clues or making a mental note of things people say. I even observe people over time (in a non stalking way) for colour palates to use in gifts. During a conversation with a friend who mentioned she is always misplacing her knitting needles so I thought she needs a case to store them all in.

I have always been intrigued by rectangle box pouches. The ones I had always seen (and have patterns for) always had the square ends done in the form of triangles folded over. Online I came across a Youtube clip by Debbie Shore that made the square end shape by doing a modified version of the traditional way to sew a boxed corners where fabric is cut away from the corners before any seams are sewn. Watching the video it will make more sense than how I am describing it. In my stash I found the perfect fabric for the outside of the bag. Originally I had cut out a skirt from the fabric but then changed my mind and decided not to make it. I was able to cut out my bag pieces from the pieces I had originally cut so it was good use of fabrics sitting in my stash.

For the inside I used a yarn printed fabric that had been lingering in my stash for years. Unfortunately the print is showing in detail in this photo but it like but it is swirls of yarn all laid out on top of each other. I interfaced the back of the exterior fabric with a squishy viliene which I ironed on. The bag is floppy when empty in my opinion. With a stiffer interfacing it might hold its shape better. I’m still happy with it though.

Would I make this pattern again? Yes but I would use a stiffer interfacing. You could still use viliene to give it a squishy feel but I would interface the interior fabric with a stiffer interfacing. Another option would be to add a stiffer interfacing behind the viliene as well interfacing the interior. Construction wise it was very easy to sew. I did watch the clip a couple of times just to get my head fully around it but once I got to my sewing machine it was an easy sew.

Cassiy

Robbie # 4

Once I started making Robbie pants this year I couldn’t stop! The Robbie addiction hit me hard. This is the final pair that I made this year.

The fabric for these was purchased at my local (next suburb over) small fabric shop in 2018. I don’t normally like white fabric but the blues drew me in and I had to get it. The white isn’t really the focus here. The fabric is cotton sateen and my original plan from memory was to make another Washington dress with it. The dress never got made and the fabric sat in my stash since then. I think it is perfect for these pants.

I’m really happy with these. Like all my Robbie’s they are super comfortable. The pattern is easy to follow and is quick to make. Generally I don’t spend the entire day sewing so I did these over 2 days but really you could make these in a day. The front pockets are generous in size and are really easy to access. Like my other Robbie’s I can wear these with sneakers or with dress shoes so I don’t have to worry about how I will wear these.

If you have followed my blog this year you might recognise the fabric. I used the offcuts from these pants in my charity toiletry bags. I liked using fabric that I had something made for myself with in the toiletry bags, a little connection I had to the bags. Being cotton sateen the fabric has structure which made them perfect for both the bags and my pants.

After making 4 Robbie’s this year will I make another pair? Never say never. For the moment I have enough long pants for wearing outside the house so there isn’t the rush to make more.

Cassiy

Coco Wide Leg Pants

It’s funny how a pattern sits in your stash for years and when you finally make it you think why didn’t I make it sooner. My pants sewing journey continued this year but after sewing 3 pairs of Robbie’s I tried out a different pattern making the Coco Wide Leg Pants by Pattern Emporium.

Which came first the chicken or the egg? Or in sewing terms the pattern or the fabric? After my Winslow Incident I had rayon fabric that was all prepped in my stash and that I really wanted to use. If you didn’t read the post after day dreaming all week about making my Winslow Culottes just as I was about to cut them out I noticed I hadn’t paid attention to the amount of fabric needed and I was significantly short of fabric. With fabric prepped and ready to go I looked through my stash for patterns that used rayons. I came across the Coco’s which I had purchased years ago but never made. Looking at the photo on the front of the cover of the pattern I actually think I originally brought this rayon to make Coco’s as the print is very similar to the model’s so I think it was the pattern before the fabric.
Coco’s have a range of options for the waist, pockets and length including a culottes style which is the version I made as I really wanted to make culottes.

Style Options

• Waistband – Top Stitched
• Rise – Mid Rise
• Pockets – Hidden
• Length – Culottes

Pattern Emporium or PE patterns have a Facebook group for fans of their patterns. I think the Coco’s are an underrated pattern as you don’t see many people make them but they are so comfortable. I’m short so they fall as a longer length on me but it is a good length. Due to my mobility issues with walking tripping is hazard if my pants are too long or too wide so I have to be mindful of that but these fit nicely. The pockets are great. I do sometimes get confused and start looking for the pockets on the front of them instead of in the side seams as all my Robbie’s have patch pockets.

Would I make these again? Yes for sure. I have rayon in my stash so I can see more in my future. These pants have been on high rotation since I finished them in June. Not only am I wearing them to work but also on weekends. I wear them with sneakers or dress shoes as shown above. They are a super comfortable if I am walking to the shops which might be a 30 min walk each way. The style is good, the length is great. Overall a winning pattern

Cassiy

Robbie Star

Back in 2019 when I purchased the Robbie Pant pattern down in Melbourne I purchased several fabrics at the time to make them in, on version number 3 I finally used one of them.

The fabric was purchased at The Fabric Store in Melbourne. They were having a sale at the time I was there and when I saw the star fabric I had to get it, I am fond of a star print. I don’t remember if I looked at the fabric label in the shop and I had to read back to my Fabric Crawl post to see if I had written what the fabric was. At the time I described it as denim like. Whilst cutting these out I decided it was a heavy weight linen. It looks like denim but the feel and structure is more like linen, the weave is certainly more linen like than denim.

On this version for the pockets I actually placed them in the area which the pattern recommends. The back edge of the pocket overlaps the side seams so there is a small portion of the pocket on the back. On my previous ones I have placed the pockets fully on the front with the pocket edge very near the side seam without overlapping it. Usability wise I don’t notice the difference between the 2 placements.

I love the print on these pants. The stars have a bold yet subtle look to them. The stars are large but not gerish. I don’t like to categorise the clothes I make into “work wear” and “non work wear” like I used to when I purchased ready to wear items but some items I make do fall that way. These pants are funky enough to wear to work (kids love stars) but also not out of place to wear grocery shopping.

I mentioned at the start this was version 3 of my Robbie making this year I still have one more to show which I will share soon.

Cassiy

Ahead Of The Curve

Jenny Rushmore aka Cashmerette has just release her first book and although I’m cutting down on the sewing books I buy I had to pre-order myself a copy as soon as she announced it and I’m glad I did.

If you are not familiar with Cashmerette it is pattern company which originally started as having plus size patterns that came with multiple bust size options C-G as a lot of other brands with plus size options still only draft on a B cup. In recent times they have released some of their patterns in smaller sizes but still with the different bust sizes options. The target audience for this book is for those who have curves as the patterns included (I will get to those later) are from size US 12-32 however I think anyone who does dressmaking could benefit from this book. This book is more than just plus size patterns.

The book is set out in 3 sections

• Preparation
• Fitting
• Patterns

Preparation – In this section Jenny demonstrates how to measure yourself accurately on your own. Some people are lucky enough to meet with friends who can help take their measurements but others like myself often have to do it on our own so it is important to see how to do it right. Once you have your measurements Jenny shows you how to pick your size/s from any pattern including how to grade between pattern sizes if your measurements fall between multiple sizes. Jenny mentions that you may automatically pick a larger size if you are so used to patterns being small which is something I have a habit of doing but it is important to look at the finished size measurements of the garment as you might not need the larger size. I’m very guilty of I’m plus size therefore I needed the biggest size available.

Fitting – This part of the book has an overview of fitting and then is divided up into 5 fit clinics

• Bust
• Shoulders and Neck
• Arms
• Back
• Lower Half

Each clinic is very comprehensive covering common fitting problems for that area including showing before and after photos on how to fix each problem. The bust clinic demonstrates how to do FBA’s (Full Bust Adjustments) on both woven and knit garments that don’t have darts. Knit garments is an area not often covered in terms of FBA’s. You may need to a do Small Bust Adjustments so that is also covered. Both FBA’s and SBA’s are demonstrated on princess seams too. Princess seams are a little more involved in doing the adjustments but the book steps you through it.

What I thought was a nice touch was there is a page which mentions fitting for those who use a mobility aid like myself. It discusses things to take into consideration. If you use a mobility aid it might be common sense to think of things such as you need no restrictions around your arms but if you are making a garment for someone else who uses an aid you might forget that small detail.

Patterns – The last sections is the patterns. The book has 5 new Cashmerette patterns.

• Kersoe Top
• Magna Pants
• Stanway T-shirt
• Honeybourne Dress
• Foxhill Dress

The patterns are basic which gives you experience is making and fitting the different styles as each one is demonstrated in the fit clinics. The patterns are for a mixture of knits and wovens. I think they are all a classic style. Once you are familiar with making them and have your fitting for your body you could expand on them. You could add pockets or lengthen/shorten them. The patterns are a nice starting point. 

In 2018 I did 2 sewing reatreats with Jenny when she was in Australia which I loved. She really kicked off my desire to make my own clothes. I have made a lot of clothes in the last 3 years however fitting hasn’t been my strong point. I learnt a lot when Jenny was here but I haven’t necessarily put it into practice or the fit issues I found once the garment was made wasn’t necessarily covered during the retreats. I love this book as it covers a lot of the fit issues I have. From seeing my clothes on I can see what issues I had but I didn’t know what they were called or I didn’t know the difference between the different fitting adjustments you see online. In this book I can identify through the photos my issues such as having too much fabric at the back of my neck and needing a rounded upper back adjustment. It is also shows you how to calculate how much you need to adjust the pattern. It is all very well to watch a tutorial online on how to do an adjustment but how do I know how much to do it by? This book covers it and that’s why I love this book so much. This book isn’t just for plus size sewists it is for anyone who has fit issues and finds other pattern fitting books a bit confusing or confronting.

Cassiy

2021 Sewing Bingo Completed

In January I mentioned that I was once again joining Patsy in her sewing bingo challenge for the year. The challenge was simple Patsy provided us with a bingo card consisting of 16 sewing themes and the challenge was to tick off as many of them throughout the year as we were sewing away. To recap the 16 themes were

• Long Time Coming
• Something Special
• More Involved
• A Repeat
• Print
• Quick And Easy
• A First
• Fabric From Stash
• One Piece
• Everyday Basic
• A Favourite
• For Someone Else
• Pattern From Stash
• Separates
• Solid
• Spur Of The Moment

For the first half of the year I was very productive at my sewing machine and in July I ticked off my last theme from my bingo card and completed the challenge.
The items I made were

• Long Time Coming – Sewing Machine Cover
• Something Special – Silk Eye Masks
• More Involved – 2021 Charity Bags
• A Repeat – Bucket Hat
• Print – Appleton Dress
• Quick And Easy – Produce Bags
• A First – Wheelchair Pocket
• Fabric From Stash – Robbie Pants
• One Piece – Barber’s Cape
• Everyday Basic – Undies
• A Favourite – Charity Toiletry Bags
• For Someone Else – Star Wars Bag
• Pattern From Stash – Train Case
• Separates – Gloves
• Solid – Cedar Dolmain Top
• Spur Of The Moment – Mop Up Towels

As you can see from my list some of the items were for myself but it was nice to make things for others. I’m still enjoying making gifts and of course sewing for charity. All of the fabrics except for the produce bags came from my stash so it was nice to use some of it up, the produce bag fabric was brought late 2020 so I guess technically it was in my stash. I used some new patterns which had been in my stash for a long time so again it was good to finally use them. I tried some new sewing techniques so I learnt a lot from the items I made. Some of the themes were easy to tick off with different projects but others made me really stop and think.

If I had to pick a favourite from the items I made it would be the train case. It was the first item I made and the most used this year. Prior to starting it the instructions really had confused me so I’m glad I finally jumped in and gave it a try.

At the start of the year I said I wasn’t putting pressure on myself to complete all 16 themes nor would I make an item just to fit a theme. Sadly my inner brain had other ideas. I had set myself a challenge with a deadline so in my mind I had to finish it. Although the items were practical I found myself making certain items just so I could tick off a theme such as the Cedar top which was one of my last makes for the challenge. At no point did I not enjoy my sewing but mid year I was thinking I needed to finish the challenge on my July holidays as my Christmas gift sewing wasn’t going to fit the themes I still had to go.

The challenge did motivate me to finally getting in and finishing some projects such as my Appleton or make items which I had been on my mental “To Sew” list for some time so it wasn’t a waste of time or a pointless exercise. It made me realise that I can’t do challenges that have a deadline even if just for fun as my mindset is that I have finish it. In future I’m not going to join any challenges like this. Sewing for me is enjoyable and I want to keep it that way. I’ll set myself little sewing challenges in future like perhaps making an item just from scraps but nothing with a deadline or that involves ticking off items from a list.

Cassiy

Seam Roller

In my magnetic pin holder post I mentioned only buying tools that I have considered for a period of time and this is another thought about purchase.

I try and press seams whenever I can. Most seams I can press with the iron and the various pressing tools I have. Some seams are too tricky to press with the iron or aren’t able to be ironed due to the fabric. I do have a hand seam tool but sometimes that isn’t strong enough or my finger hurts using it. A seam roller solves that issue. To press the seam you simply roll the wooden disc over the seam like using a pizza cutter. You can comfortably apply pressure as you roll.

This will come in handy when I’m making bags as I often have seams in tricky places. I’m also planning on piecing nylon scraps in some projects, as the fabric can’t be ironed this roller will allow me to flatten the seams. Even on pieces that can be ironed I can still use this tool if I just want to quickly press the seam without the need to heat up my iron. Yes I know how important it is to press seams as you go but sometimes I think it is a waste of power to heat up the iron if you have simple seams which you only press for a few seconds and you haven’t used the iron that day. With just a few rolls with the seam roller you can get nice flat seams and can continue on with your sewing.

This is just another useful pressing tool in my sewing collection. I’m happy to purchase items and tools that I’m actually going to use.

Cassiy

Paisley Robbie’s

After the success of making my first pair of Robbie pants I was itching to make another pair.

In my stash I found some cotton sateen. I originally brought this fabric with the intention of colouring it using Liquid Radiance fabric paint when I was going though my fabric painting stage. I’m glad I didn’t get around to colouring it otherwise I wouldn’t have ending up with these funky grey/black/white paisley pants.

When I made my first pair of I used fabric which was brought with the intention of making pants so I had a lot fabric. I don’t actually know what I intended to make with this fabric and I only just had enough to make these pants. The pockets are a fraction smaller than on my first pair as I was really pushing to squeeze them in from the leftover fabric after cutting the waistband and leg pieces. It isn’t noticeable but the pattern print is upside on one pocket due to the fact I wasn’t paying attention to print direction as I scrambled to fit the pattern piece on the fabric.

I used black elastic inside the waistband instead of the white elastic I used in my first pair. Maybe I’m just imaging it but the black does feel a bit better, it just feels more firmer. It also feels like it has a better stretch and recovery compared to the white elastic in my first ones.

I made these at the end of April and wore them all winter. I love them they are so comfortable and the pockets are so useful. Once again I’ve received compliments on these including one from my Covid 19 vaccination nurse which made a stressful situation a little more easier.

Referring to my list to consider when making garments

♥ Comfort √
♥ Classic √
♥ Creative & Quirky √
♥ Natural fabrics √

These do tick all the requirements. As mentioned they are comfortable. The style is classic and simple, I like basic. The paisley fabric adds interest but isn’t ghastly. With the fabric a cotton base they aren’t hot to wear. Winning garment all around in my books.

Cassiy

Bucket Hat Repeat

I do like a gift that I can make several times for the same person. Call it cheating, call it being resourceful. There is no reason why if someone likes a particular item why you can’t make that same pattern multiple times for them.

This bucket hat is the first time that I have repeated the pattern in the same fabrics as the original version. Normally I like to change the fabrics around however I still had fabric leftover from the original hat so I used it again but I made a bigger size this time. Instead of cutting into a new piece of fabric it was more sustainable to use up an existing piece of fabric first.

The pattern I used was the Ulitmate Buckhat by Flossstyle patterns. I have made many of these over the years. The pattern is very easy to follow. What I really like about this pattern is that it has sizes from newborn to large adult so you can make them for kids or adults without the need to buy multiple patterns. It also has various style options so you could make the same size in but in different styles.

Would I do a direct repeat again?
If I was making an item for myself it wouldn’t bother me for example if it was to replace an existing item, I wouldn’t make a duplicate item otherwise. If I was making a gift I wouldn’t do a direct repeat of pattern and fabric again for the same person unless it was like in this case in a different size. I often repeat the fabric in different gifts for the same person but I wouldn’t do a direct copy of a previous gift unless it was something they really really liked and had asked for.

Cassiy