Sew House Seven – Remy Raglan

Featured ~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ 4 Comments

As I was out Shop Hopping, I visited a new store in Hagerstown, MD. Pink Peony Creations opened their brick and mortar store this past spring. They carry fabric that I don’t see at most of the shops around me. In addition to 100% cotton, they also stock some knits and linen. I purchased this Merchant and Mills organic cotton fabric because I’ve been wanting to sew a Remy Raglan by Sew House Seven and I thought the weight of this fabric would be a great match with the pattern. The fabric is 61″ wide, so I knew I would have plenty for pattern matching the plaid.

I sewed View #2 with short sleeves, which has a seam running down the front of the top, so I meticulously cut the pattern pieces so that seam would match up. Since it is front and center, I did not want the check pattern to be misaligned. I also matched the side seams while I was at it. Honestly, it took me longer to think about the pattern layout and overcome the fear of cutting into my fabric than it did to actually sew the top. LOL

The seam down the front of the top allows for an easy way to add this keyhole with button and loop closure. The pattern instructions are clear and easy to follow. The pattern rating is for confident beginner, and I would say that is an accurate rating (just don’t use a plaid fabric). The pattern also guides you through terrific finishing techniques so you do not have any exposed edges on the inside of the garment.

A bias binding strip is sewn to the neck edge, then the seam is clipped, the folded edge of the bias strip is brought to the inside, and it is sewn down. That bias strip will also finish off the loop seam on the inside of the garment. Here is a picture of that:

The interior of the top is just as lovely as the exterior:

The sleeve and side seams are finished with French seams.

I added a cute strawberry label by Sarah Hearts. The color match was pretty much spot on. It was as if the label was made to specifically coordinate with this fabric. I love that.

I just hemmed the sleeves and turned them up twice and tacked them down to keep the cuff in place.

I will use this top year round. The fabric is cool and comfortable for summer wear, and it is also lightweight enough that it does not add a lot of bulk under a sweater or jacket for fall and winter wear. All and all, IMHO, my new Remy Raglan is a winner.

Have you used Sew House Seven patterns? If so, please share with us which one(s) you have sewn and what your experience was. I have also sewn the Toaster Sweater (4 different times), and I love that pattern as well.

Thank you for reading and sharing. Have a great sewing week, dear readers.

Summer Shorts – Simplicity 9337

Featured ~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ 3 Comments

#simplicitypatterns #summersewing #memade #simplicity9337

This is a new to me pattern for unisex tops, shorts, and joggers. I purchased the red French terry fabric from University of Sewing. It is 95% cotton and 5% spandex. The recommended fabrics are knits such as cotton Lycra, jersey, and bamboo knits. Those knits are lighter weight than my French terry, but I went for it anyway. I will say that if you are planning to sew up this pattern, use a knit with similar weight to the recommended fabrics. Here is why:

See how the lower edge scoops up at the side and is a slightly longer length in back? That hem edge is completed by using front and back leg facing pieces. The written description on the pattern does not indicate this type of hem on the shorts. None of the line drawings show this type of hem on the shorts. And the actual photo on the pattern envelope does not show this hem. That said, I did notice the curve hem and the facing pieces when I was cutting the pattern. I went ahead and cut the pattern as it was printed on the tissue. When I sew a pattern for the first time, I like to sew the look that the designer intended for the pattern. As you can see from the above photo, my chosen fabric was waaaay too thick for this type of finish, but the length was also an issue. It finished just above my knee, which I knew it would, but being the glutton for punishment that I am, I figured I would just see how it looked for grins. I was NOT grinning. That’s not a flattering length on me at all. That, coupled with the thick fabric, made for a very ‘homemade’ looking pair of shorts. So here is what I did:

I sliced off almost 3 inches so I could serge the edge, turn up a 1 inch hem, and do two rows of topstitching to finish it off. So much better!

I eliminated the drawstring at the waist because I just don’t like the bulge from the drawstring to show under my top. I prefer a flat waist finish.

One of my favorite ways to wear my new shorts, is with my red and white striped tee that I made several years ago (it is the same Simplicity pattern that I shared in last week’s blog post). I liked these shorts so much, that I quickly sewed a second pair, but this time with a lighter weight knit fabric in blue.

Much to my dismay, the second time I wore them, I caught the leg on a rough piece of wood and ‘pulled’ the fabric. I thought about trying a fabric shaver to smooth off some of the roughness from the pulling. Have any of you ever used a fabric shaver on knit fabric? Please let me know your results. I really love this pair of shorts and I wear them quite often.

Here is a close up of the flat waistband in the front. The shorts have elastic inserted into a casing, but I like to put most of the bulk from the elastic in the back. I put less elastic at the front and I stitch in the ditch at the waistband side seams to catch the elastic between the layers and keep it in place.

I had some of the red French terry fabric left after sewing my red shorts, so I made the View B top. I like the length a lot. This top is a little warm to wear for the hot summer months, but it will be very comfortable for fall weather.

It has drop shoulders and features a loose fit. In a lighter weight fabric, it would drape very nicely. My version is close to the feel of wearing a sweatshirt.

Okay, dear readers, thanks for hanging with me through this lengthy review. I appreciate the time you spend with me and I enjoy reading your comments. Please let me know if you have any recommendations about the fabric shaver.

Two Summer Tees

Featured ~ Pamela Klingensmith ~ 6 Comments

First up is the Scout Tee by Grainline Studio. No, this is not a new sewing pattern. It has been around for some time, but this is one of my TNT patterns. I’ve sewn three other Scout Tees in the past several years and I find that I turn to them regularly throughout the summer months.

This green viscose fabric was on sale at Silhouette Patterns, and I knew I needed it. 🙂 Unfortunately, there was only one yard of this woven print left, but I purchased it anyway. When I bought it, I wasn’t certain what I would use it for, but once I received it I decided a Scout Tee was the perfect match for the fabric.

IMHO, tees are a perfect basic. They can be worn out like I am wearing it with my jean shorts, or it can be tucked in as I like to wear it with these black shorts. I like to use a rolled hem on my serger (overlocker) to finish off the sleeve hems on lightweight fabric such as this viscose. The rolled hem is also an easy, casual finish for a casual top.

I did a basic four thread overlock along the bottom hem, and then turned it under and top stitched with my sewing machine.

I’ve already worn this tee several times in the last couple weeks. It washes up nicely and does not need to be ironed when it comes out of the wash. That’s a bonus!

#simplicitypatterns, #silhouettepatterns

Next up is another TNT pattern. It is Simplicity 8376. This is a nothing special, run of the mill, quick to sew, knit tee pattern. But it is one that I turn to time and time again because I wear so many t-shirts in the summer.

I wanted to share this version with you for two reasons. Number one, I think the fabric is just so much fun. I also purchased it from Silhouette Patterns. It is a lightweight viscose knit fabric. And number two, I changed up the style of the t-shirt ever so slightly by adding lace to the back hem.

I’ve had this lovely lace in my stash for many, many years. I don’t even remember where I purchased it, but it is so very soft and pretty. I only had a small amount of it, so I just added it to the back hem of my t-shirt. I had originally planned to make a softly gathered ruffle hem along the back, but there was not enough lace to do that, so I simply laid it flat and straight stitched it down. In hindsight, that was probably a better choice anyway because the last thing I need to add across my backside is a full ruffle! Hee, Hee.

These two patterns make up my favorite choices for summer time tops. Next week, I will share a new shorts pattern with you. Do you have a favorite summer shorts or tee (or other style of top) pattern that you like to sew? I would love for you to share the pattern in the comment section. Who knows, you may inspire me to expand my summer sewing selection next year!

Stay in from the heat, dear readers, and I will meet you back here next Friday.