Everything Old is New Again...and 2024 Favorite Sewing Projects

Oh how I have missed blogging. Instagram is now just too "insta" for me and although I'm a relatively frequent IG reader, less frequent commentator, it's just too too annoying. So I'm back to this tiny comfortable for me sewing, gardening, reading and traveling blog, basically for myself since I've always been a long form person...novels rather than short stories and series rather than movies. I won't bore anyone with life since my last post in April, 2020. If you're a friend, you know the details and if not then the details won't be that interesting since you too have had ups and downs over the last four plus years. But since I have always enjoyed the record keeping part of blogging, the end of th eyear provides a great time to post my sewing successes and disappointments this year. One thing I note is that I'm a repeat srwing person. When I get a pattern to fit then I'm going to make multiples. So let's start with a jacket I made three times this year,

This black and white Fabric Mart plaid boucle was perfect for a sudden April to trip to Paris and France when a generous friend invited 14 of us to use her house trade in central France for a week in exchange for chipping in for food, wine and cleaning expenses. I lengthened Simplicity 2858 to mid thigh and used the selvedge for trim and bias for pockets and sleeves. Then we had a madcap forty eight hours in NYC and I used a cotton print fabric that I'd saved for maybe fifteen years for the short version.

And the final version was in green plaid for a holiday trip to Paris, Starsbourg and London just a few weeks ago. My favorite souveniers are wearable items like the green plaid wool scarf that I found at Bon Marche, the oldest department store in Paris. Mr Lucky and I are so aware these days of how fragile our lives are and those of our dear friends and family. So we are taking time to wrap our selves in the warmth of relationships just like this scarf warps me in wonderful 2024 memories with him.

And I even repeat patterns for Mr Lucky, in this case Kwik Sew 3422, from a Liberty fabric that I found at Misan west a few years ago. He had just completed another week of driving the lanes of the Cotswolds for a week on the opposite side of the road with a stick shift on the reverse side of American cars and did it without a scratch...so the cars and trucks on this fabric always make us smile.

My favorite kimono topper is a copy from a Zara version and I made it three times this year with at least one more silk velvet one in mind:

Versatile Vogue 7832 is a Sandra Betzina bias dress that I have modified so many times in ten years. This year I focused on adding puffed sleeves for a few summer versions and I like the coastal grandma vibe...although I am neither a coastal dweller nor a grandmother. And yes, there will be more versions in 2025 since flowing summer dresses are cool and breezy and easy. And the peach silk nightgown version is from fabrric aging in my resource center for decades. When JoaAnn Fabrics wanted to go more upscale they were stocking some silks over 20 years ago. But that rebranding never really took and I bought silks for pennies on the dollar.

Final favorites is also my last project of 2024, Tessuti Sydney jacket in boiled wool Still figuring out the closure technique to use) and a hat/cloche from leftover wool jersey.

Sewing for Others, Blogging for You and Me

This is a post that I have been writing in my head for several months now and it has taken this long for me to sit still and type.  Nothing that dramatic, I promise, but the dual topic got me thinking.  So let's start with the sewing projects and leave the ruminating for the end when you can move along as you like.  

Back in the autumn months I spent my sewing time doing some "sewing for others."  Nothing dramatic like so many quilters and charity sewing people do.  (Aside:  I always loved that Nancy Zieman featured so many sewing for charity groups and projects on her show Nancy Zieman Sew to Give and in her book "Creative Kindness")  But I like the sewing process and since I was doing some very tedious fitting and pattern work at the same time, it was nice to have sewing machine time that actually produced a finished project.  

My blogging is my own memory jogger so here from the fall are the dozen pet mats  I sewed after the first of numerous natural disasters had US animal shelters struggling with new arrivals from those devastated areas...floods in Houston, the hurricane in Florida/Puerto Rico and fires in CA.  Mr. Lucky and I seem to be the harbingers of natural disasters since we have intimate connections with all of those places.  My 12 pet mats were returned from one shelter so I sent them out again and haven't heard back so I assume they were put to good use.  Quilt Pattern Magazine Kennel Quilts

Kennel Quilts

I am also part of a Baltimore team who sews for "Days for Girls" each month.  I have been traveling a great deal so I haven't made many of the scheduled meetings this past year but once again, when I do it is nice to have productive sewing projects and in this case fun sewing time with other local women.  

Not directly sewing related but it did involve sharing what I had been taught.  The year before last a multi-talented, creative woman in my Maryland sewing group taught us how to do eco-dyeing with natural materials.  I loved the results and offered it as an afternoon workshop for my church auction in the fall.  Four wonderful friends paid for it and  a small lunch that I made and we had a fun afternoon selecting materials, rolling them onto purchased silk scarves and waiting for them to reveal themselves after an hour boiling in their mordant and water combination.  What was funny for me was seeing their exact same reactions as I had the prior year..."So, what leaves and petals produce what colors and designs?"  Me: "Sorry, there are people who understand the science of all the possible combinations but I am more an impressionist.  We will have to see what happens."  Turns out accomplished people can struggle with that concept...do the work and turn over the result...(ask me how I know) but I think all four of them liked their first result and learned something, too.

Eco-dyed silk scarves

Last completed sewing for others project was a gift for our 30th wedding anniversary this fall.  I had bought a luscious cotton, from Fabric Mart, of course, and thought it would be a nice preview of our winter Florida trip.  I don't know my clothing brands but when FM advertised a Tori Richards cotton for $6.99 a yard I had to google the designer and saw these wonderful tropical prints Tori Richard Shirts....and then when I felt the soft, high thread count, silk like fabric I knew I had to make one of these for Mr. Lucky.  

I've made this Kwik Sew 3422 pattern many times now but used a slightly different technique to get those collar points nice and sharp in this thin fabric.  Worked like a charm.  

Here's one of the nice videos that Jamie Kemp made to show the process. 

And here's the shirt without Mr. Lucky:

And yes, I will share our quiet local celebration.  We have had so many trips this year, anything big on our actual day would definitely have been overkill.  He gets handsomer and more wonderful each year.

So now let me ruminate out loud a bit.  These are pics and projects from months ago and quite simple ones at that.  The blogging world has grown exponentially since I finally joined in about seven plus years ago.  Other social networks have arrived on the scene and I even gave one of them a try.  In November I participated in Bimble & Pimble's Sewvember 2017 Sewvember prompts  I participated actively for about half the month.  I enjoyed connecting through Instagram since my younger cousins and their children are active participants.  I liked the idea of learning something new since I can be a Luddite when it comes to my smart phone and computer.  But I gave in around halfway through the month.  My "old" iPhone is too tiny to enjoy reading and seeing pictures and definitely a PITA for me to use for posting.  Let's face it, I am a woman of words (my close friends and family are howling with laughter as they read this)...I use them, I love to read them and I admire people who do the same.  I appreciate the power of images and in some ways respect their power so much that I want to keep some distance from too many images so that I can absorb and think more than just react.  So yes, blogging is now considered so old school.  And yes, my blogging is old school old school.  But I was touched that three non-sewing friends asked me in January about my blogging status.  And even a few sewing friends remarked on my long dry spell.  That shows me that my blogging does what I want it to do...create links with people whom I don't get to see in person often enough.  I started blogging to give back in my little way to a very generous community of early technology adopters who shared so much free, useful, encouraging info and inspiration.  I'm continuing, albeit at a far, far slower rate for my own accountability and for deepening those relationships that I have developed.  Thanks, sweet readers, for coming along.   

Next up I will share what some of that pattern work lead to in the winter.  

Sewing Retreat, Vogue 1263

First of all, let me give tribute to indomitable blogger and superb seamstress, Audrey,  Sewtawdry Blog  for getting me back onto a blogging schedule, erratic as ever but at least present once again.  I was surprised and happy to see her attend this summer's sewing retreat and thrilled to see some of her projects in person.
As I mentioned in my last post, Mr. Lucky and I have had a marvelous summer taking big and little trips to visit family and friends.  But between you and me and the rest of the blogging universe, we both need some time with our own tribes.  Mr. Lucky has played lots of golf with some regular golfing friends this summer (and had some wonderfully great scoring days, which, I suppose, would be like making a perfect double welt pocket in a difficult fabric for me.) But I haven't had anything like the equivalent with sewing girlfriends.  So I was thrilled to see that the Northern Virginia American Sewing Guild summer "Taste of Retreat" (called that because January is our greatly numbered attendee retreat) was scheduled to fit perfectly into the summer schedule .  
So I packed up more projects than I could complete... even if I didn't interrupt myself to talk to everyone (and talk and talk and talk....I was lonely for girlfriend company after all) and headed to a new venue for this retreat, the National Conference Center NCC  in Leesburg, Virginia.  
Small aside....decades ago my former employer used the sales training materials from this former Xerox training site and I came on board just after they stopped sending sales people and managers there.  So I had heard stories about its isolation and almost monk-like experience.  Not true anymore.... the center is located in the midst of suburban sprawl and there's a bar and cool outdoor fire pit on site as well as an amazing food array for each meal.  Now, back to the sewing content.  
Here are the projects that I worked on and mostly completed except for some hand sewing that I have been finishing while watching TV.

Vogue 1263

My major sewing accomplishment from the retreat was this Vogue 1263 pattern.  I received it as the free pattern in the Craftsy Hand Embellishing Knit Fabric Natalie Chanin class and originally I didn't think it would be me at all.  I'm more a sporty or classic  type gal and this had an arty edge that I didn't think I could carry off easily. I have not done anything with the class knit embellishing technique nor the three Natalie Chanin books but, hooray, I did sew up the included pattern.

There are a many darts in this jacket.  Three in the collar and the collar facing, six along the bottom hem, two waist darts and then the side pockets are built into a side seam dart that must be slashed open.  Last fall it was one of four coat designs that I took to Sarah Veblen for fitting help.  She strongly encouraged me to take on this project and didn't make any fit adjustments on my mock up..  I sewed a straight size 14 and did find the upper sleeves a little too tight so added 1/4 to the two piece sleeve in about six inches of my bicep area since I will want to wear a sweater underneath.  I also don't love the back armscye but it is never really visible so I am not going to quibble or make any major adjustments.

It's a lot of jacket

I used a wool lurex blend that I "splurged" on by buying full price at Fabric Mart last winter.  Now those of you who know Fabric Mart's prices realize that meant maybe $12 a yard not my retail store $2-3 per yard. But I loved the mix of herringbone and the silvery lurex and the damask rose design.  And I love you enough, dear readers, to model it in almost 90F weather yesterday. 

Vogue rates the pattern as Easy but gosh, there's a lot of accurate marking and stitching happening all over this pattern.  The pockets were definitely a challenge for me....a slashed side seam dart with the pocket bag showing from the outside so you better get right sides and wrong sides correct before you pick up the scissors.  I did plenty of pinning and hand basting to double check myself and they came out wonderfully....but it wasn't done "easily."

Dart side seam pocket

The jacket is unlined (which might put it in the Easy category) but each dart and seam is flat fell seamed. It makes for a nice smooth finished effect, particularly on those six hem darts.  Don't know how well you can tell but the large cut out dart is stitched, one side trimmed down to 1/4" then the opposite seamed turned under 1/4 and pressed to enclose the seam and is top stitched. 

One of the hem darts stitched, trimmed then topstitched

My fabric was very forgiving for all that topstitching on bulky fabric, particularly on the upper back curved seam where you are flat fell seaming the edge of other flat fell princess seams.  I cheated by the time I reached the side seams and sleeves and used my serger to finish them and reduce the bulk.  

Inside pocket bag and unlined jacket

Turns out that I love the jacket and think I will get a lot of use out of it this fall and winter.  Just goes to show you, don't judge a pattern by its cover....and do make a quick mock up to give it a chance.

Kwik Sew 3422

My second completed project was this very overdue Kwik Sew shirt 3422  3342 for Mr. Lucky.  I am definitely not a skilled shirt maker like a Pam Erny Off the Cuff Blog but I am so touched that Mr. Lucky picks the shirts that I have made him from his array of summer casual ones.  One of the early versions needs to be retired so I used up the last of this lovely, heavy rayon to make a replacement.  My sewing friends certainly noticed the careful pattern cutting and he was both surprised and impressed when I brought it home finished for him.  
The retreat was just what I needed to get my sewing mojo and my blogging mojo back in gear.  I am the happiest person on the planet since I was able to retire early and pursue my hobbies and interests.  But I do miss the social part of my job and these get togethers remind me of how much I cherish connections.  So I leave you with some pictures of happy, creative, encouraging sewing friends....and a few of the great facility we used this year.

The end of a wonderful day of friendship and creativity.

Next up will be the scarf tutorial that a few of you requested and some more new kimono type summer jackets.  Hope your sewing projects bring you smiles and good times.

Shirt Making Helpers

Kwik Sew 3422

It's been a beautiful summer day here, warm and sunny but low humidity.  Perfect for finishing Mr. Lucky's latest Kwik Sew shirt.  I thought I'd share a few tools that I use in the sewing room to make things a little easier and nicer along the way.  I sew on a Viking 770 machine which has a wonderful automatic buttonholer.  I had to make six simple buttonholes on this shirt and wouldn't you know it, on number three, my machine started malfunctioning.  What I like about the Viking buttonhole is that the first thing it does is straight stitch the length of the buttonhole left side, then zig zag back to the starting point, straight stitch the right side of the buttonhole, bar tack at the far end then zig zag once more to the starting point, bar tack at the end and it's done.  But on buttonhole number three my machine kept sewing straight....and sewing straight....long past the buttonhole size selection.  After two repeated attempts, I did what every computer owner knows to do....turn off the machine, wait 20 seconds, turn it on again and it reboots perfectly.  Guess it was just having a cranky moment since it wasn't allowed outside on such a lovely day.
I mentioned some tools I use to make them look nice.  One is this sewing gauge which spaces the buttonholes perfectly for me.

The other is Solvy stabilizer.  I use it on the top and bottom of my buttonholes and it stabilizes the stitches nicely.   I merely tear away the excess before cutting open the buttonhole.

Finished buttonhole with Solvy still in place

Speaking of cutting, I do use a small cutting device, this chisel and block that I believe I bought from Nancy's Notions.  It make a slim, neat cut and lessens the chance that I'll cut into those side buttonhole stitches.  

Before I cut the buttonholes open I usually use Fray Block on the back threads but I happen to be out of it right now.  It's on my Joann's buy list and I can always add it to the cut buttonhole later.  I find that the Fray Block really helps keep the buttonholes on Mr. Lucky's shirts stable and less likely to wear with use.

Parting shot is how I'm spending much of the next two weeks...canning.  We picked 1/2 bushel of peaches on Wednesday afternoon at our favorite Pennsylvania orchard.  Peaches need to be eaten and used rather quickly which is just what we've been doing.  Here's my first batch of preserves for 2011, low sugar chunky peach jam.  Our own garden has been terribly disappointing.  Two tomatoes for us, six for the squirrels despite chicken wire and netting.  And I must be the only person who can't get zucchini to grow.  My plants and flowers are wonderful but no squash.  Do you think the squirrels are taking those also?
Off to the Little Italy outdoor movies on this glorious summer night.  This evening it's Daniel Day Lewis and a terrific cast of women in "Nine."   I hope it's as sultry and spicy as I imagine.  Hope you are planning on some enjoyable times this weekend as well.  Thanks so much for reading and commenting or rating.   We may never meet in person but this is the next best thing to being there.