Mini Lounge Collection! Keeping Cozy this long winter - Part 2

I am back with part 2 on my mini cozy, comfy collection! This blog post I will tell you about the two tops that I made to go with the matching jogger and hoodie.

Boat Neck Tee

Easy Fit and Sew Tank

The tank top is from Jen Stern and is the Easy fit and sew tank top, view A. This tank has a great size range from 2XS to 5XL Bust from 34” to 58” and hip from 36” to 60”. 

The boat neck short sleeve tee is self drafted and the boat neck portion was developed from a Sarah Veblen zoom class on boat necks. Size range- just me!

The Jen Stern tank is my TNT tank top pattern. I have made a couple changes to the pattern over time. Little tweaks here and there. The 2 biggest changes were to lower the underarm 3/8 inch with a little tweak to the back armhole shape and adding about 3/8 inch across the width in the back at the level of mid armhole. I did this because on the first ones my bra strap was peeking out  and i just needed a smidge more fabric. I like that the neckline and armholes are finished with a band. My favorite method of finishing and the neckline is such a nice U shape. Very flattering on me. 

For this specific tank, I had to piece the back together. I originally was planning to make a long sleeved knit t-shirt but since I changed the design to short sleeves, I was blue to eek out both tops but had to do a smidge of piecing. I think it looks very intentional and could be fun for a color blocked version or maybe make that top part out of a fun mesh knit.

The Tee shirt is my self drafted tee with a boat neck that I drafted after taking a zoom class with Sarah Veblen. I never thought that a real boat neck would look good on me and it was a fun exercise last year to develop this neckline on my master knit bodice pattern.

The Fabric is a limeade solid knit is an Oeko-Tex Viscose/Spandex 4 way knit jersey. It is quite a nice knit that feels soft but substantial. It washed and dried nicely and was very easy to sew.

The only interfacings/stabilizers that I used in both tops was to stabilize the very narrow shoulder seams of both tops with SewkeysE Extremely fine fusible 1/2” woven stay tape. 

No other notions except for more fun Kylie and the Machine labels were used.

The construction was done on both the sewing machine and the serger. The shoulder seams were done on the sewing machine with a straight stitch and the side seams, sleeve insertion on the tee and band applications on the tank were done with a 4 thread serger.

To finish the neckline and sleeve hem on the tee I used a serpentine stitch. Very pretty and a little bit of stretch to accommodate the fabric. The hem was done with just a straight stitch with a lowered presser foot pressure to keep the fabric from slipping.

Boat neck Tee details

For the hem finish on the tank I tried something new. I did a blind hem stitch on the serger using a blind hem foot. I am not sure if it was done correctly but I like the outcome! It  gives the tank the effect of having a banded hem finish without the work of attaching a band. A technique to keep in mind for future makes. 

Tank top details

These two tops were quick and easy to make, even with trying a new hem method on the tank. I like taking the time now and then to try a new method, you never know when you will learn a new and better way. 

Happy Sewing!! 

We enjoyed a snow day in Chicago this week. Me, my daughter,  the Princess and the mini-princess all put on the snow gear went to the local park and played in the snow! It was just so much fun!!! I felt like a kid again making snow angels and playing in the snow :)

Sometimes you just need instant gratification!

There really is nothing closer to instant gratification in garment sewing than sewing up some summer tees!

I love the ease and the fit of Jen Stern The Tee pattern. Yes, it has a couple more pieces than a traditional Tee shirt but the fit is amazing and it is super easy to sew assembly line style plus I can sew it all on my serger.
I have a previous blog post about all the different necklines in this post from 2016.

I made several variations by modifying the neckline. Some of these variations are in the Beyond the Boatneck workbook from Jen Stern and some are of my own making.

One change in construction that I now do on all of my tees from this pattern is to make the center upper front piece with a facing. I find that this gives a nicer edge and the quality of the tee holds up better in the long run. Jen does give directions for a full facing but I just like to do the very front piece and then treat is as a single piece in the rest of the construction. This means that the back neckline is a simple turn and coverstitch  or topstictch and the front has the facing.

These first 2 Tee's, the multi-color butterfly featherweight cotton and the red cotton jersey one from the last post both have the original neckline.

This has the original boatneck neckline. You can see below how the CF piece is faced and then treated as one piece.

This purple bamboo knit has a soft V neck that is very flattering and comfortable in the hot summer weather and is a perfect companion to the summery A-line stretch cotton skirt I made earlier this spring.

 Here is another variation in the multi-color butterfly featherweight cotton. This time I completely eliminated the center front piece to make a tank top! I did re-shape the side front pieces to be a more flattering fit on me. I curved them in a little bit and widened them at the top so they easily cover my bra straps.

The tank top version of the Tee. I still used a partial facing technique, this time just on the side front pieces. You can see this in the photo below.

This last Tee did take a little longer to make just because it is a lovely silk knit with a stretch lace overlay that is part of a work wardrobe collection I am in the middle of making.
The neck line on this is a drape neck that I drafted myself and have used in the past. I used only the lace for the draped neck part and self faced it to give it some weight to correctly drape. The sleeves are modified into a wing sleeve and that is single layer lace with raw edges. The lace and the silk knit were treated as one for the side fronts and upper back and at the upper front and back seams. For the lower body the lace and silk knit is kept separate so that they can swish independently.

silk knit tee with gold stretch lace overlay

Close up of the details. top photo shows the faced lace draped neck portion, bottom left shows the un-hemmed sleeve shape and the bottom right shows how both layers treated as one for the beck neckline.
The photo below shows how I kept the body portion of the lace and silk knit separate.

One of the reasons that I really love this pattern is that I was able to modify it so that the lower front is a little bit on the swingy side while keeping the shoulder and bust area fitted nicely.. This really means that I can grab this shirt and always feel comfortable even on days that my pancreas is misbehaving and causing me to have a bloated abdomen. On the bad days it can increase my measurement by almost 2 inches!

Do you have a favorite or TNT tee shirt pattern?

Happy Sewing!!

The princess turned 4 this weekend! We celebrated with a beach party :)
I cant believe my grand-baby is getting so big!

Neckline Extravaganza!! J Stern Designs-The Tee

Neckline shirt project. 

Goal: take a well fitting base knit shirt and play with the necklines to create a variety of Tee shirts for summer and fall. All shirts use the same pattern pieces for the upper and lower back and lower front. What was changed was neckline pieces and variety of sleeves.Sleeve decision based purely on my decision of summer or fall/winter wardrobe.  Click on any photo to see it larger.

Shirt: Jen Stern Tee pattern # 0041

You can purchase the Tee pattern and neckline workbook at www.jsterndesigns.com

Shirt #1: Original boatneck neckline. This is a polyester ITY knit. I constructed this shirt back in early July before going to JSTern neckline workshop.

The JStern Tee with the original neckline and changes to the front and back lower pieces as seen below. These are the main pieces that are used on every shirt.

For the look I wanted on a basic Tee I needed to shorten the bodice by 2 inches and I also wanted a more swingy look. To Achieve this I used a slash and spread method.

Shirt #2 and #3: two variations on 'V' necklines. I choose to make these soft V's instead of a sharp neckline. The top shirt is made with neckline facings and the fabric is a remnant I had from a project several years ago. This is a very thin, see thru tissue knit. Perfect for hot summer days! The bottom shirt neckline was bound with a knit binding over the lace. The lace was is an Anna Sui over printed stretch lace purchased from Britex. I used an underlayer of the light blue cotton/rayon knit (shown below in high crossover neckline shirt). The back top, sleeves and upper front are all the single layer of the lace. 

The 2 versions of the V neckline versus the original boatneck pattern piece. Theses 2 V necklines were developed in a neckline workshop with Jen Stern and are included in her Tee workbook.

Shirt #4: High Crossover neckline made with separate facings. This is one of my favorite necklines although the color of the shirt is kind of blah on me. This is a more stable, very smooth, cotton/rayon knit.

High crossover pattern piece versus the original neckline. This was also developed in Jen Stern's neckline workshop and is included in her workbook.

Shirt #5: Draped neckline version 1. During the workshop my brain started ticking away with ideas and between Wendy and I we thought what about a draped neckline? 

This first draped neckline is cut with separate facings. The fabric is a soft rayon knit. I played with the direction of the print. The bottom, main pieces of the shirt are cut with the print going horizontal. and the sleeve, upper back and upper front pieces are cut on the vertical. Makes for a fun design! I won't say what online site I purchased this from... It was so off grain and I was just lucky to have had purchased 3 yards. It took all 3 yards for me to get enough on grain print to make this top! 

For this neckline I slashed and spread vertically and decided that I would make this with a facing so the main pattern piece is cut on the fold. This is my own pattern development. 

Shirt #6: draped neckline version 2. with a foldover free facing that I cut as a single layer on the bias. This is made of a thicker very soft modal knit and is a re-fashion from a dress that I no longer wore. This fabric was bought several years ago from JoAnn's and is the nicest fabric I have ever purchased from JoAnn's! It has been washed and dried at least a dozen times and the fabric was like new. I have never found it again at JoAnn's!

You can see this is developed from the first draped neckline(outline in pencil on left). I just raised the front and drew it so that the neckline would just foldover and come from the seamline at the shoulder. I also decided to cut this on the bias to play with that draping property.  I really like this one as well! Below you can see the full pattern piece.

Shirt #7: draped neckline version 3. This is also a foldover free facing design. This is made from a stiffer 100% cotton knit and has less stretch and drape than the rest of the shirts. This is a super fun fox print from Girl Charlie fabrics. This draped neckline has the largest drape. I toyed with the idea of cutting it on the bias but I didn't want the print interrupted that way. So I cut it on the cross grain. Due to the stiffer fabric you can see in the photo all the way on right that this causes a more dimensional neckline.

This neckline again was created with a slash and spread method although I used a vertical slash and spread method. Next time I use this i will cut it as a single layer on bias. 

You may be thinking what ever possessed you to make so many versions of the same shirt? Well... A couple pats backed I told you that I have been unwell. On one night, very late at night, unable to sleep and on pain medication, I decided that I really hated the regular old t-shirts in my dresser draw and that I needed to make new ones. Tee shirts that are fun, interesting and that fit well. Not being able to sleep I went down to my sewing studio and pulled a bunch of fabrics and started cutting.
Several days later and I had a bunch of new shirts! Constructed 98% on my serger all with the same thread color. I really approached this project with a lets see what happens! attitude with nothing to lose since most of these fabrics were remnants from other projects. This project also served to kick start my sanity from this nasty illness I am dealing with.

6 new necklines!

wait.. what? another shirt?

Well this is version: EPIC FAIL!

In the Jen STern Tee workbook she has directions for a couple wider necklines that are just too wide for me! Of course I had to document this silliness and of course my hubby really liked this one!! LOL!! I guess i'm just not one for the off the shoulder look.

What was interesting about this shirt was the dual sleeve. It didn't really work with this fabric combo but has potential for something in the future.

Flutter sleeve pattern that I developed on top. Just slashed and spread the original short sleeve so I would have a flutter sleeve.

Happy Sewing!!

Here are some fun outtakes of Princess Victoria. She was helping with the photo shoot!

Trying on grandma's new shirt!

American Sewing Guild 2016 National Conference

My very first ASG National Conference!

I attended with 3 others form my Neighborhood Group, Sew Chicago. Since the conference was held in Indianapolis we decided to rent a minivan and drive down together. We had an excellent and, more importantly, an uneventful road trip.

Enjoying a night out together with friends!
L-R Top- Stephanie King, Sarah Veblen, Liz C
L-R bottom- Wendy Grossman, Monica M, Linda A

There are many different classes to choose from, ranging from all day hands-on workshops, half day hands-on workshops, and 2 and 3 hour lecture classes. There was a vendor hall with a demo stage and depending on the type of registration you had breakfast and lunch were included.

I choose to go for quality over quantity when it came to classes and did only full day and half day workshops. This also helped from feeling overwhelmed by too much subject matter and ideas, as it was we had a non-stop pace going!

The classes that I took were:
Developing Flattering Necklines with Sarah Veblen- all day workshop
Fabulous Shirts and Blouses with Marla Kazell- half day workshop
Innovative Set-In Sleeves with Sarah Veblen- 3 hour lecture/trunk show
The Tee Neckline Workshop with Jennifer Stern- Hasemann- half day workshop
Easy Heirloom Techniques for Modern Sewing with Vaune Pierce- 3 hour lecture/demo
Easy Zippers- Easy Waistbands with Janet Pray- all day workshop

Before I go into a quick review of the classes, I want to also mention that the Friday Lunch Keynote Speaker was Linda Przybyszewki author of The Lost art of Dress. She gave an excellent talk about the dress doctors and how the art of dressing has changed over the past century. She was also available in the later afternoon to sign copies of her book and of course for a photo opp! She was quite lovely, Wendy and spent some time chatting with her and would have continued on for longer if there hadn't been others patiently waiting.

I also participated in the fashion show. Wendy and Sarah both encouraged me and I showed off my iART jacket and culottes and my French jacket ensemble. The french jacket was done as a grouping. Sarah Veblen, my mentor along with Monica and myself who are both students of Sarah's showed off our french jackets together. It was great fun!

Back to my learning experience...

Developing Flattering Necklines with Sarah Veblen- all day workshop, Thursday
I really enjoyed this workshop. It was broken into part lecture, part hands-on and part show and tell. Sarah was assisted by Monica so there was plenty of hands on help in the class of about 15 participants.
Wendy and I paired up in the hands on portion which was really great. We have a very good trusting relationship which made working together intimately much easier. The lecture portion went through a handout of different photos of necklines were we had group discussion about what we liked and didn't like and really trained our eye to see shape and proportion of necklines and how this effected the entire look of a garment.
The hands on portion consisted of us breaking into pairs and working on mock-ups that we brought with us to develop necklines. For my necklines we worked on finding an acceptable jewel neckline, a modified boat neckline, a soft deep V neckline and a 'swoopheart' neckline. These were all done on mockups of my master pattern so I can easily transfer the changes to my main pattern for different variations.

Sarah Veblen demonstrates how to draw a new neckline while using a mirror and physical landmarks to find the best flattering shape!

Here Sarah Veblen demonstrates hoe to transfer the necklines drawn on the body to the pattern.

Two of my necklines developed with the help of Wendy Grossman. I love the 'swoopheart' on the left in the photo.

A very happy class with many new necklines to play with!

Fabulous Shirts and Blouses with Marla Kazell- half day workshop, Friday morning.
I have to admit that I went into this class with an open mind and little expectations. I have never taken a class with Marla before. I really enjoyed this half day workshop. It was well thought out with an engaging handout that encouraged hands on play during the workshop. Shirts and blouses are on my list of items to work on this year and this workshop gave me many ideas to work with. We played with 3 different hidden plackets, multiple design changes with dart manipulations and many more ideas on how to change up a well fitting shirt pattern.

Marla Kazell presented us with a great handout to follow along in the class and plenty of play materials!

Some examples of my dart manipulations in 1/4 scale.

Innovative Set-In Sleeves with Sarah Veblen- 3 hour lecture/trunk show, Friday afternoon
This was another great half day workshop put on by Sarah Veblen. The relationship of the sleeve to the armhole has been a tricky one for me to wrap my head around. It was not until I started working with Sarah that I was able to fully grasp the entire concept. Frankly, armholes and sleeve caps terrified me. I was never able to get them both looking good and fitting well with out some compromise that I just didn't want to accept. Sarah spent the afternoon explaining her method of first fitting the armhole to the body and then going back and fitting the sleeve to the armhole in a way that also fits the arm in a flattering way. In many situations this means an outer arm seam or as she showed in this truck show, many innovative ways of seaming the sleeve cap to achieve fit without the use of an outer sleeve seam. I left this class with many fine ideas floating around in my head!

example of an innovative sleeve with a horizontal seam to remove excess ease in the sleeve cap.

Demonstration of how to manipulate sleeve pattern pieces to change both design and fit.

The Tee Neckline Workshop with Jennifer Stern- Hasemann- half day workshop, Saturday morning
This hands on pattern manipulation workshop was all about taking your well fitted J STern Designs Tee pattern and changing up the neckline. This was a fun, no stress, hands on class for me. I really enjoyed the time just playing with different neckline shapes to be applied to this great Tee. Jen Stern is a lovely teacher that is full of kindness, patience and encouragement and really wants to give back to the sewing community. I thoroughly enjoyed this morning class!

Wendy and I with Jen Stern- Hasemann

Jen Sern- Hasemann demonstrating the ease of changing up the neckline of her Tee pattern.

Example of how to turn the boat neckline into a funnel neckline.

Easy Heirloom Techniques for Modern Sewing with Vaune Pierce- 3 hour lecture/demo, Saturday afternoon.
This was the one class that I just did not take to. It may be for many reasons. I was tired, it was a busy morning with a half day workshop and then 2 Plus hours for lunch and the fashion show, the class was supposed to be hands on machine sewing but through scheduling difficulties got changes to a lecture/demo style class. I did not stay for the entire class. I only made it about halfway through and then decide I was too bushed to continue. Another time.

beautiful examples of lace insertion and entredeux 

Easy Zippers- Easy Waistbands with Janet Pray- all day workshop, Sunday
This was another class that I went into with little expectations. In fact, I thought to myself as I was signing up for it that if I didn't like it that I didn't have to stay for the entire day. Well, let me say that I was so [pleasantly surprised! Janet Pray lead a wonderful workshop and I learned many good techniques to enhance my sewing skills. We practiced on putting in a slot zipper and a lapped zipper as well as how to use the burrito method for finishing waistbands, In fact I went home and practiced her methods on a muslin that I was putting together for a pencil skirt. The class was well paced with everyone having time to finish their examples however, we never seemed to be waiting. The class was conducted in a lecture-demo-hands on method.

Wendy working on easy 2 fabrics together without any pins!

Examples of our slot zippers inserted with no pines andlooking great... the zippers look great! 

Wendy and I with Janet Pray at the end of our very successful day long workshop!

Between classes and at the end of the day, there was time to do some shopping at the vendor area. It was not overly large. However, I felt that there was a good collection of vendors. there were some things that I was hoping to look at and purchase but was unable to because of lack of vendors. no scissors, no thread, no large cutting mats, no irons or big boards. Probably best that they were not there otherwise I would have spent a lot more money!

Wendy and I with Maili from Soutache.

Just a little bit of fabric shopping!

I had a wonderful experience at the ASG national conference. Will I go again... depends on location, dates and, most importantly, the quality of the teachers.

Downtown Indianapolis from our hotel room. Beautiful view of the statehouse.

Sunrise over Indianapolis on our last day!

Have you attended any national conferences? If so, i'd love to hear which ones you found had a great variety for garment sewing.

Happy Sewing!

Me and my grand experiment of vertical cucumber gardening!