Vogue 8450; published 1972. Misses' Coat. Loose-fitting, flared coat, mid-knee or tunic length, has shaped collar and wide raglan sleeves with turn-back bias cuffs. With or without welt pockets. Purchased pants.

Featured in Vogue Patterns December 1972/January 1973

PATTERN SIZING:

Only one size per envelope, as is typical of patterns from this era. My envelope is size 12. There is a large amount of style ease - it is meant to be very oversized and full. You could size down if you don't prefer such ease, but in that case I might suggest that you choose another pattern, with a slimmer fit.

INSTRUCTIONS:

I love the instructions. Step three is "Make buttonholes". The pattern assumes you know how to sew a coat, that you know basic hand stitches, and how to pad stitch. On the back of one of the pattern instruction sheets is an advertisement for the Vogue Sewing Book, which I own. Every technique mentioned in the pattern is further illustrated and/or explained in the book, making it an ideal companion if you need a little help.

The order of operations is good. The garment is fairly simple, but as with all coats, it's possible to make things as complicated as you want.

LIKES & DISLIKES:

I made this because I was charmed by the illustration. Now that I have sewn the pattern, here is what I like: the shoulder shaping, everything about the collar.

Dislikes: My issues with this pattern are not the fault of the pattern - the proportions and swinginess are impractical for my lifestyle and bulky in my fabric choice.

MATERIALS:

• Alpaca (possibly wool blend) boucle that I scored in a fabric swap last summer. There were 3 and 1/4 yards, and I do not have any usable scraps.

• Lining is a heavy-ish polyester satin from Mood.

• Buttons are vintage (antique?) carved shell, purchased on eBay. I also used little clear backer buttons from my stash.

• For interfacing I used a soft 100% cotton muslin, fusible weft insertion, as well as a very lightweight fusible in a few places that needed it. The collar and cuffs are interfaced with light weight hair canvas. Rayon seam binding (Snug Hug) was used in staying seams where called for by the pattern.

• This project used a lot of thread: Mettler Seraflex for construction, as well as topstitching thread and silk thread in various places.

• I added sequins to this project to take it to the next level. I was inspired by the idea of a dusting of snow at the shoulders. I have a *ahem* robust sequin stash. I did a deep dive and settled on all silver. Glass beads are also from stash.

PATTERN ALTERATIONS:

I won't bore you with too much process here, but some changes need explanation.

The sleeves are very wide, which I love, but they were kicking out at the outseam. I took them in at the underarm, 1" blending to nothing by the armpit. This removed 2" from the circumference of the sleeve hem.

IMHO the sleeve cuff is insane. Does it look dramatic and amazing in the illustration? Yes. Is it practical to have 3 layers of lofty boucle, plus hair canvas, plus seam allowances swirling around my wrists as run errands? Unfortunately, no. I think the cuff could work in a lighter fabric such as Harris Tweed or similar. I reduced the cuff to 2 layers of bias cut fabric, with one layer of hair canvas inside. My finished cuff is 3" wide.

The welt pocket in this pattern is fine, but not my preferred method, and the pocket bags are small by modern standards. I used my favorite welt pockets instead. I raised the placement up 2.5". Note that the shorter view of this coat does not get pockets because they are placed so low that the pocket bags are longer than the coat. Ridiculous! Move the pocket up or offer a different pocket option!

After constructing, let the coat hang for 48 hours, as you would a circle skirt. I needed to trim off a few areas, mostly at the side seams, to achieve an even hem.

I found the swing of this coat to be too much for me personally. This, combined with the hem issue explained below, motivated me to reduce the fullness. Removing at center back causes a bad drape, removing from side seams messes up the grainline. I took out a long dart on each back piece, halfway between Center Back and each side seam.

I made a big mistake with the length. I cut 4" off the hem early on in the process, and then wanted to add back some length later. So I added a hem facing. For whatever reason, my fabric HATED this. The hem flipped out horribly. I finally got things to behave with a combination of fusible interfacing, steam, catch stitching, and sheer, unadulterated annoyance. I think this is 2.5" shorter than as drafted. It was not worth the fuss.

I enlarged the back neckline facing and added my label and a loop for hanging.

I modified the lining to have a 2" deep pleat at center back, and added a jump pleat at the hem. Note that the pattern does not include either, likely because it is not at all a fitted garment. But I still think it's best practice to have them.

I pressed most seams open and catch stitched them down to keep things flat and reduce bulk.

Oh, and I sewed sequins along the shoulders and upper back of the coat!

DO I RECOMMEND IT?

I recommend this pattern if you like the vintage look and truly enjoy a swing coat with quite a bit of volume in the back. Personally, I won’t sew this pattern again, but I might borrow the collar pieces for a different project.

CONCLUSION:

This coat is extremely warm and a bit heavy. If I wear it in the snow. I look like one of those dogs that likes to sleep in the snow - it piles up on the coat, unmelted, while I remain warm (maybe even too warm) underneath! Will be good in the icy dead of winter.

Sewing your own wedding dress is a wildly different experience than buying one - you don’t have the big “Say Yes To The Dress”. That emotional moment is replaced by months hunched over your sewing machine, threading hand needles, and hoping the stupid thing looks ok at some point, because it sure doesn’t look good right now!

WHEN IS IT DONE??

Completing the bodice and skirt both felt like accomplishments, but the magic didn’t happen until they were attached. And even then, it was missing a little something. It needed a little pizzazz, some frosting! 

The dense neckline ruffle, a touch of beading, a double sided satin sash, and a custom label all did the trick! Let’s take a closer look at those details.

THE NECKLINE RUFFLE:

The neckline ruffle follows the pattern, but I made mine a little bit longer - and therefore denser - than the pattern piece. I can’t remember by how much, it was only a few inches. The ruffle is cut on the crossgrain.

The ruffle is baby hemmed on both edges, gathered, and then applied on top of the bodice along the neckline. I used a long stitch length and applied it on the sewing machine, careful to keep the machine stitches right on top of my gathering stitches. 

SEQUINS & BEADS:

I bought a LOT of sequins and beads for this project, in addition to the very healthy stash already in my possession. I had a few ideas, and tried them all. They all got ripped out. It wasn’t until I tried clear sequins that it clicked. The winning combination is: clear flowers with shimmery white flowers layered on top, secured with a tiny white seed bead. 

This adds texture and shimmer without being overwhelming. It also holds down the center of the ruffle, gently nudging the heavily gathered fabric to fall in a pleasing way. 

THE SASH:

The sash is sandwiched into the side seams of the bodice, so it was added earlier on in the process. But I never really considered what I would do with the sash! If I made this dress again, I would make the bow removable or something, but I didn’t think ahead like that.

To make a perfect bow that holds it’s shape, by friend Carolyn (who did my hair and makeup on the big day) used a few little safety pins to secure the fabric into shape. She did it perfectly, so you could not see the pins, but the bow looked just right. 

CUSTOM LABEL:

After the beading, the dress was “finished”, but it didn’t feel done to me. I hung it up and looked at it for a few days before deciding it needed a special label inside to commemorate the day. I made a few samples and then the final one - it came together quickly and made the dress feel complete!

The fabric used is my silk charmeuse lining, interfaced with a light fusible interfacing - this is essential to keep the fabric stable. I also recommend a fresh microtex needle. 

FONT STITCHES:

I used the font stitches on my BERNINA 735 to spell out our names and the date, placing a “__” between each word. Those stitches were picked out later. For the date, I had to contend with the lowercase letter “g”, which goes below the baseline of the other letters. Any letter that does this will cause all letters to be compressed. To avoid this, I replaced the “g” with an “a”, and added the lower part of the “g” with hand stitches. 

For the border, I used a scallop stitch. I actually didn’t really practice this part, and it worked out pretty well. It’s not super perfect, but it’s also just right. It’s a handmade wedding dress! This is a perfect handmade touch!

IT’S DONE!

That’s it, that’s the dress! In my next and final installment, I will share some photos of the finished dress and of our wedding day. Thank you so much for following along. XO, Martha

To catch up on this series, you can find Part 1 here, Part 2 here, and Part 3 here.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I focused my wedding dress fitting energy on the bodice. I knew the skirt would be full, as opposed to close fitting, and a shape I know love to wear. But there was still a lot of work to do to make the skirt swishy and romantic. I didn’t bargain for how much energy is required to wrestle with yards and yards of gathered, slippery silk. I recommend giving yourself more time than you think you need for something of this sweeping size!

VINTAGE SKIRT PROPORTIONS:

I have sewn many dress patterns from the 1970s, and I have learned that even when the cover displays a sweeping, full skirt, the pattern pieces are more modest in their fabric usage. I think a few things are at play here: the style of the time, narrow fabrics were more widely available, and the companies were making an attempt to fit pattern pieces within a reasonable amount of yardage. I wanted to capture the swirling energy in the envelope illustration, and I had plenty of fabric, so I modified the skirt.

SLASH & SPREAD:

Starting with the original pattern pieces, I slashed and spread the skirt to both widen it - which would add more gathers at the waistline - and to increase the sweep. So my skirt is more gathered, and has a much wider sweep (hem width) than the pattern tissue. Additionally, I lengthened all skirt layers by 2”, to account for my height in my heels.

FABRIC LAYERS:

My fabrics are sheer, and I wanted the final dress to be opaque. I chose the layers I used on the top half of my dress based on how the fabrics would behave when sandwiched together in a fitted bodice. For the skirt, the layers would all be attached at the waist/midriff piece, and free flowing from there.

Traditionally, the fashion fabric (my Swiss dot) would be full and gathered, and the layers beneath it would have less volume. While I understand the reasoning for this, I wanted more fullness, especially at the hem, where there is a big, juicy ruffle. The Swiss dot fabric does not have enough body to hold fullness on its own, so I added gathers in the layers beneath it to help fluff it up.

SKIRT LAYER 1:

Cut from my slashed & spread pattern pieces, the outer skirt is Swiss dot with two layers of gathered tulle under the ruffle. The ruffle is 200% the width of the skirt hem above it. The layers of tulle have the same amount of gathering as the fashion fabric. The tulle is not hemmed, as is typical in tulle petticoats and skirts.

SKIRT LAYER 2:

I got a little creative here, and I was worried about my decisions, but it worked well. The second layer is silk habutai cut at the same fullness as Layer 1. It is then hemmed with a bubbled, pleated ruffle. This bubble hem is made with a strip of fabric, folded over and not pressed. The cut edges are gathered using the BERNINA ruffler attachment - you can see the perfect, even pleats created by the ruffler. Adding this bubble creates a little more fullness at the hem, puffing out the bottom of the tulle ruffles. 

SKIRT LAYER 3:

The third skirt layer is the lining. I used silk charmeuse, cut from the original Under Skirt pattern piece, with length added, but no other modifications. This was given a baby hem, using a hemmer foot. The shiny side of the charmeuse faces inward, so the dress does not catch on the body, but glides over my skin when wearing it.

ATTACHING THE SKIRT:

Once I completed sewing all three layers of the skirt, I put them inside of each other in the correct order. The two outer layers were more gathered than the lining. It was a LOT of gathering! And in spite of how light my fabrics are, all together, the skirt is quite heavy. I contemplated adding a waist stay to help hold up the weight of the dress, but on the body, it felt pretty good, so I didn’t add one.

After attaching all the skirt layers, I needed to finish my waistline seam. This was done with a combination of hand sewing the midriff lining down, and adding rayon seam binding to cover exposed seams. I could have constructed the dress in a manner where the seam allowances were all enclosed, but since this is a dress I plan on wearing only once, I allowed myself to construct it more like a costume.

In my next and final installment of this series, I will apply the ruffle at the neckline, add beading, and install the zipper. I will also add a large machine embroidered tag to commemorate our wedding day. These last steps were when it started to feel like a Real Dress! I’ll post that soon.

XO

This is Part 3 in my series about sewing my wedding dress. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

In making my wedding dress, I sewed four bodice muslins, and two full practice dresses - one in handkerchief linen, one in silk CDC. I made many small, incremental changes as I worked, little tweaks slowly building towards bigger changes.

In the late 90s/early 2000s, I had a sewing instructor in Kansas City, Missouri, named Cherry. While taking her classes, I sewed my high school graduation dress: a white silk dupioni shell top and a matching maxi skirt with a big dense ruffle at the hem. She drilled it into me that for every single fitting, you must wear the shoes and undergarments you plan to wear with the finished outfit. I thought of her every time I begrudgingly put on my strapless bra and heels.

BTW, my strapless bra is from Town Shop in NYC, where I was professionally fitted. I have never had a better fitting bra. It’s a fabulous store and I had a great experience there.

BODICE MODIFICATIONS:

I started with basic, standard adjustments that I make to all patterns:

I added 1" length to the bodice above the apex. I am 5’8” tall, and find I need an extra length here, the Lengthen/Shorten line on all patterns is always too low for where I require additional length.

Then, I made a 1cm Full Bust Adjustment, which usually adds a little more length, so I removed that length, keeping only the added space through the bust.

I added 1/2" to my side seams, because I had a feeling I would need more room, and I was correct. After I finalized the fit on my practice dresses, I made sure my pattern pieces correctly reflected the the correct side seams and seam allowances. I then increased my side seam allowances from 5/8” to 1" total (adding 3/8” to the seam allowance). This was for easy alterations if needed, and it also allowed me to add boning to side seams easily.

From here, I sewed my first muslin, tried it on, and began addressing further fitting and construction changes.

NECKLINE & RUFFLE:

Adding the neckline ruffle felt fussy and annoying to me when fully lining the bodice. The ruffle is sandwiched between the fashion fabric and the lining, and then flops down. Even in my feather light fabric, this got bunchy in the seam allowance and looked a little clumsy. To avoid this, I made a ruffle that I applied on top of the bodice. I hemmed the ruffle with my hemmer foot on both long edges.

Sewing the ruffle on was one of the very last things I did to this dress. After it was added, I considered beading, which we will get to in a future post.

I lengthened the straps 1/2". My straps are interfaced silk charmeuse, and folded into 4 layers. They are very strong and hold their shape well.

As drafted, the straps are elasticated. I eliminated elastic in the straps and along the neckline. I think you need the elastic only if you are planning to switch between wearing the straps on and off the shoulder. Or maybe if you're only going to wear it off the shoulder. It is more casual looking, which I disliked for a wedding gown. In the end, I found I simply did not need elastic for the dress to fit.

ARMSCYE:

I re-drew the armscye - it comes up very high into the armpit, which I find is often the case with patterns from the 70s. You have some flexibility here because you can wear the straps on or off your shoulder and will need to adjust the strap length and armscye shape accordingly.

MIDRIFF FITTING:

To fit the midriff piece I took out a horizontal fisheye dart from the front piece. This shortened the midriff 1" all the way around, but 1.75" total at center front. The way you alter this piece - if you need to at all - is pretty specific to the shape of your body and your preferences about where the waistline falls.

Remember that I added 1” of length above the apex - so this adjustment was based on my proportions.

BONING:

I added spiral steel boning at the side seams. I could have also added it at center back on either side of the zipper, and also to the front midriff, but I wanted the dress to feel soft.

For the record, spiral steel boning, in spite of the tough sounding name, is quite soft and flexible within a garment. I’m fine with the amount of boning I added, but maybe if I did it again, I’d add more.

NOTES ON MUSLIN FITTING:

Almost all of my fitting energy for this project went towards the bodice. I needed to dial in the bust, midriff, neckline, and especially the strap length and positioning on my shoulder. After making three muslins, I sewed my first practice dress in silk CDC.

I was not totally satisfied with the fit, which was disheartening, but this reminded me of the importance of adding a skirt to a muslin, as the weight of the skirt pulls things down and provides more information than a bodice alone.

I made a fourth muslin, and then a second practice dress in handkerchief linen (silk would have been ideal, but I used what I had on hand). I was finally happy with the fit!

FABRIC LAYERS:

After all that bodice fitting, I still needed to sort out what fabrics I would use, and where. I needed the dress to be opaque, which required three layers of my diaphanous silks. In the end I landed on: Swiss dot, underlined in silk habutai, and lined in silk charmeuse. All layers were basted together with big, loose hand stitches using silk thread that wasn't removed until after the bodice was fully assembled.

INTERFACING:

I avoided fusible interfacing for this project, which is sort purist of me - I usually don’t mind using fusible on silk. In retrospect, adding a layer of fusible would have supported the midriff piece better than a sew-in interfacing could. My fashion fabric is desperate to warp and droop, and even a very light, sheer fusible interfacing would provided body and structure. Not adding it is my only regret with this dress!

So did I use any interfacing? Yes, the invisible is supported with strips of silk organza. I hand sewed in the zipper using a pick stitch. I contemplated using my invisible zipper foot, but with three layers of shifty silk, plus the organza, I could see it going sideways fast, and unpicking this fabric is a guaranteed disaster.

THE SKIRT:

In my next post, I'll talk about the modifications I made to the skirt pattern and the sash, and walk through the layers of fabric used. The layers of material create the drama and magic of this dress!

XO, Martha

I started and quickly abandoned Pinterest pages, trawled wedding websites (a nightmare for me), and flipped through vintage sewing patterns until my eyes blurred over. I needed fabric.

For reliable bridal fabrics, I highly recommend NY Designer Fabrics. They’ve got what you need, be it silk or poly, basic lining or beaded extravagance, and they sell swatches. I ordered many. I also spent whole days in the Garment District, hunting. I was about to give up when I stumbled upon a bolt of novelty Swiss dot in the basement of Mood. Truly, I was at my wit’s end. I thought, I’ll just buy some so I don’t go home empty handed again. I asked for two yards more than what the pattern called for, and headed home on the train.

MY FABRIC:

My main “fashion” Fabric was labelled 50% cotton / 50% silk novelty Swiss Dot at Mood's NYC store. I have my doubts about the content of this fabric. I think it is silk, cotton, and a touch of rayon. It’s hard to say just by touch, so I’ll never know, but the drape feels like rayon, and that’s a compliment. It is sheer, very light, hates to stay on grain, and absolutely shreds if you unpick a seam.

Swiss dot is usually a bit smaller scale than this fabric - smaller, less dimensional dots - and the dots are usually arranged on a half drop, where these are on a grid. It’s nice, a nod to the classic, with a very subtle shift.

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LINING & UNDERLINING:

Underlining: depending on where it was needed, I used either silk CDC or silk habutai from NY Designer Fabrics.
Lining: silk charmeuse from NY Designer Fabrics. As this is a lining, the shiny side is always facing the wearer’s skin, which feels luxe and drapes beautifully.

The fabrics shown above, from left to right: silk habutai, 12mm silk CDC, silk charmeuse, all from NY Designer Fabrics.

INTERFACING:

Interfacing: silk organza from NY Designer Fabrics, and a couple small areas have Lightweight fusible from SIL Threads (inside of the straps, the label).

SASH SUPPORT:

I made my sash double sided, and silk charmeuse for a textural contrast. The pattern has it as one layer of fabric, which is very flimsy, and the wrong side of the fabric and hems will show. I used silk charmeuse underlined in plain white Liberty Tana Lawn from Duckadilly Fabrics. If I were to make this again, I’d add fusible interfacing, and something stiff, like netting or tulle, to the sections that become a bow. Or, I might make a bow that is detachable from the dress, that snaps in place.

ADDITIONAL VOLUME:

Tulle: My tulle was ordered online from Mood. I’ll note that not all tulle is created equal, and you might want to try swatches, depending on your desired stiffness of the tulle. I added two layers of heavily gathered tulle under the ruffle of the skirt. This gave really great volume, but didn’t weigh it down.

NOTIONS:

When I need top quality notions, I head to SIL Thread in Manhattan. I picked up spiral steel boning, a whole roll of rayon seam binding (used to stay some seams and to cover exposed seam allowances inside dress - this is a required notion per the pattern), and a YKK invisible zipper. While I was there, I grabbed fresh spools of thread - Clover brand silk thread for basting, Gutterman polyester for construction.

UNUSED MATERIALS:

In addition to what is listed here, I purchased many trims and notions which I did not use. These came from Brimfiled Antique Markets, various flea markets, the NYC Garment District, and my mom’s very sweet wedding dress. As my ideas evolved, I would buy something, and then not end up using it.

While this was wonderful for stash building - I now own a lifetime supply of white trims - it feels important to mention that it is easy to stray from your ideas and your budget if you aren’t careful with this kind of project. I have no regrets, material exploration is an important part of my creative process. I am sure I’ll find use for many of these trims in future projects.

In my next installment of this series, I’ll dive into my pattern modifications and design changes - there are quite a few, yet I kept the spirit and main design lines of my vintage pattern.

XO, Martha

Early in the planning process, it seemed obvious to sew my own dress. Let me rephrase: everyone else thought I should sew my own dress. And I get it, I do. I sew everything, why wouldn’t I make my own dress? Why? Because it would be stressful and a lot of work!

Even thinking about a wedding dress made me anxious, so I procrastinated, watching the date get closer and closer. At about the 6 month mark, I started to feel the heat any time I was asked if I had a dress yet. I began sewing, in earnest, three months out, and even then, it was in fits and starts. I would sew a bodice muslin, and then take a few days off. But I did it!

PATTERN SELECTION:

A vintage pattern seemed obvious - I have so many! I love 70s gowns, specifically. I’ve owned this pattern for years, and always considered sewing it up in a light weight linen. I never got around to that, but when we were planning our backyard garden wedding, this pattern stood out to me much more than any of the other eveningwear and bridal patterns in my stash. It's a lovely, feminine dress, not too fussy, with a swishy skirt and a pretty neckline. 

This pattern included all the design elements I tend to gravitate towards: a sweeping skirt, ruffles, a fitted bodice, and a sweet sash. It also features a Basque waist - a detail I do not love, as it reminds me of the Easter & Christmas dresses of my 1980s childhood. But this design element is super popular and trendy for wedding dresses this year (I am 42, and I suspect younger brides don't have the same associations). I love when you can tell what year a wedding photo was taken, so I wanted a trend in the mix. 

PATTERN DESCRIPTION:

"Vogue Americana 1043; ca. 1974; Oscar de la Renta - Misses' Evening Dress. Evening length, sleeveless dress, with fitted bodice and wide, shaped inset midriff has scoop elasticized neckline with self ruffle, attached self sash, slightly flared gathered skirt with self ruffle and underskirt with purchased pre gathered trim at hemline."

PATTERN SIZING:

My envelope contains size 12 only, and was already cut out and used by the previous pattern owner. I graded this up a bit, probably closer to a 14 or 16 in some areas. I find vintage Vogue designer patterns have less ease than many other patterns from the same era.

DOES IT LOOK LIKE THE ENVELOPE COVER?

Yes, in spite of quite a few modifications. The illustration captures the essence of this dress more than the photo. The photographed version is made out of a fabric with too much stiffness, you can really see it in the drape of the ruffle and the skirt. Go light & drapey when selecting your fabric for this one, and you will have that glamorous, swirling movement captured in the illustration. 

One challenge with material selection is that the dress is drafted to be unlined, so most people would select something opaque, and therefore maybe not so flowy. I knew I wanted to use very light fabric, which would require a lining, and therefore, some construction changes. 

My next post in this series will cover the materials used, and how I chose to layer them in different areas of the dress. So stay tuned for that, I used a wider variety of materials than I anticipated!

XO, Martha

If you prefer videos, I have also filmed a video about making this project! You can watch it here.

PATTERN DESCRIPTION:

"Lined dog or cat bag with handles and optional adjustable strap." One size only.

INSTRUCTIONS:

I would say this is an Easy project for an Intermediate/Advanced sewer. The instructions are straightforward, typical Big 4 style. It assumes you know how to read a pattern and follow the markings alongside the instructions. There are good tips included for how to successfully stuff your plushie.

LIKES & DISLIKES:

The way the tissue is set up is awesome: you are told the dimension of the piece of fabric required, and the pieces are all on a piece of tissue that same dimension, all grainlines lined up. You pin the tissue to your fabric and then cut the tissue and fabric at the same time.

You must keep your pieces organized, labelled, and marked for the process to go smoothly. Since the pieces are small, it's almost like doing a puzzle. Following the markings (dots, circles, squares) is ESSENTIAL!

Sewing is precise:

• Seam allowance is 1/4".

• Lots of sewing concave/convex curves together.

• Sewing V shaped seams.

• Zipper, straps, lining.

MATERIALS USED:

• Silk charmeuse which I block fused to make it about the weight of quilting cotton.

• I cut up some trim from my stash and sewed the flowers on for some texture.

• I used an invisible zipper because that's what I had in my stash.

• Stuffing from a pillow insert that's been kicking around.

• Antique Mother of Pearl buttons for eyes and nose.

TIPS & TRICKS:

Sewing this is fiddly, but I made it in a few short sewing sessions. The seams are short so it comes together quickly.

When sewing on the bottoms of the paws, which are perfect circles, it's really hard to get it under your sewing machine foot and be accurate. I hand sewed them on with a running stitch (short stitches, not basting) and then machine stitched. This went faster than the one I tried to do without hand sewing (seam ripper was involved).

I recommend using a longer zipper than required, sewing it in, then shortening it.

The most difficult part of this project was attaching the tail to the body! It is clumsy to do it when the instructions tell you. If I make this again, I will attach it to the body before adding the head, and before any stuffing is added.

You will need a very long needle (3" to 4") to add the eyes to the finished bag. Otherwise attach eyes before stuffing the head.

DID I LIKE THIS PATTERN?

Yes, I love this pattern and enjoyed working with it. I would sew this again and I recommend the pattern.

My fabric was not the easiest to work with, but every time I referred to the image on the cover, I was impressed that they used stretch velvet (a fabric I think would be a curly, slippery nightmare here) and faux fur (BULKY!), but obviously it can be done. This a project that proves that hand sew/basting is often the fastest solution. Also, I can see a glue stick coming in handy for some materials.

CONCLUSION:

I would love to sew this in a variety of fabrics! Super fun and great gift. It's a hit!

If you sew a version of this, please tag me on Instagram, I would love to see your version!

XO, Martha

I just sewed myself a Marnie Blouse from Tilly and the Buttons’ pattern. I only wish I’d made one sooner!

The pattern is clear, teaches the tuck technique well, and fits as expected. I filmed myself sewing this blouse, with a focus on the undulating tucks technique - you can watch the video here!

TATB has their own size chart, which I found to be accurate. The chart put my measurements at size 4, but I cut size 5 because this was my first time sewing a pattern from the brand. I’d rather something come out a little too big than too small. Sizing up was unnecessary, and I ended up taking the blouse in, so I recommend following the chart.

I used Liberty Tana lawn from deep stash, and left off the ruffles at the neckline and shoulders. If I sew this again, which I likely will, I will include the ruffles. The blouse is sweet yet wearable, comes together quickly, and feels special. A total winner!

The tucks sew up quickly, and I love that the pattern has them included in the drafting.

I’m looking forward to wearing this blouse all spring. I think it pairs well with jeans and overalls. The pattern also includes a dress view, which would be a very fun garment to make!

Let me know if you sew one! XO, Martha

After years of putting it off and getting in my own way, I joined YouTube!

I love making photo based sewing tutorials and pattern reviews here, and short form videos (like Instagram Reels and TikToks), but I have wanted to make longer form videos for years . It’s taken me some time to muster the courage to film and edit videos, but in the process I learned that I enjoy making them.

My first video is up! Join me on YT for thirteen minutes and forty seconds of How To Sew Box Pleat Trim! This tutorial walks you through all the steps to making one of my favorite decorative elements for special garments.

I have already created a few videos, so I'll post 1-2 per week for a bit, and then settle into a rhythm. One video per week is realistic for me, and if I get faster and editing, I can either post more frequently, or more in depth (longer) videos. I’m planning tutorials, sew-alongs, show and tell style videos, and more. There’s a learning curve to anything new, and I’m excited to see where it takes me. I hope you’ll join me over there!

XO,

Martha

This is a non-exhaustive list of stores. These are my favorites! If your favorite is not included, please share it in the comments so others can learn about it. I’m linking every store and including one quick sentence - please have a look and learn what you prefer. XO, Martha

NOTE: There are NO affiliate links in this post, these are just my favorite places to shop.

Fabric Mart Fabrics - A grab bag of high end & mid range designer deadstock with new arrivals hitting the site Monday-Friday. Watch the rolling sale schedule to snag your favorite fabrics at deep discounts.

Duckadilly - Incredible selection of Liberty Tana Lawn, one of my all time favorite fabrics to work with. Featuring beautiful, exclusive colorways that cannot be found elsewhere.

Miss Matatabi - Wonderful selection of Japanese imported fabrics. Well curated and photographed.

Farmhouse Fabrics - A bit of everything, but what gets me going is their excellent options for heirloom or special occasion sewing, including a large selection of very fine European cottons and trims. 

Fabric-Store - All linen, all the time! Sign up for their emails to get discount codes. They also offer free patterns, some of them are quite popular.

NY Designer Fabrics - If you need embroidered silk dupioni, I’d send you here first. Dazzling selection of very high end and specialty fabrics (think bridal and special occasion). 

Vogue Fabrics - I buy Kasha here - a flannel backed satin lining that adds warmth to winter coats. But they have extensive offerings of all kinds of fabric.

Fabric Wholesale Direct - Excellent pricing on a vast array of fabrics. I stick to natural fibers here, I specifically like their cotton voile.

Dharma Trading - “Fiber Arts Supplies & Clothing Blanks since 1969”. If you’re interested in dyeing your own fabrics, they’ve got the goods! Great array, good pricing. I love that they label fabric weights clearly.

Gray Lines Linen - My personal favorite source of linen fabric, I use a lot of their handkerchief weight linen. Wonderful color selection and color cards are available for purchase, helpful for repeat customers.

Stone Mountain & Daughters - Designer deadstock mixed in with new stock and name brand fabrics. Curated with the home garment sewist in mind. 

Mood - They’re famous for a reason. I much prefer the bricks & mortar experience, but get a taste of it online! High end fabrics of all kinds.

Emma One Sock - Designer deadstock, as well new stock specialty fabrics such as solid color silks and linings. My go-to for rayon bemberg. Check out the remnants page for last chance deals.

Elliott Berman Textiles - Designer deadstock, really interesting selection. Pricey but gorgeous.

Fabrics and Fabrics - Designer deadstock. I have a soft spot for this one, they have gorgeous prints, many pages to scroll.

Linton Tweed - Making a Chanel style French jacket? Get the good stuff here.

Thrift stores & Estate sales - You will not hit the jackpot if you only go once. This is a numbers game. Search regularly and you will be rewarded with special, hard to find gems. 

Etsy & eBay - Be specific, search for what you want, and then scroll until your eyes bleed. Set alerts. Be patient. You will find it!

WAWAK - Head here for hardware, zippers, thread, and almost any sewing room necessity you can dream of. Phenomenal customer service and shipping so fast, you won’t believe it. 

Zippers - Check out my online zipper shopping guide to up your zip game!

I present to you my finished Vintage McCalls 9361! Let’s have a look at all of the details - both the finished project and pattern. To see some of my planning and Work in Progress of this blouse, check out my previous post.

THE PATTERN:

From the back of the envelope:

"Miss's Shirtdresses and Loungewear or Sleep Shirts with Bikini. A, C, D and F have ruffles of self fabric. B and E have ruffles of purchased Edging or Lace. Ruffles D and F may be hemmed or finished with Narrow Trim. Matching Bikini is worn with B or E. A, B, D and E have extra width, also back pleat, for sleeping. C and F are regular dress width."

SIZING:

Pattern is Copyright 1968. Labeled "New Sizing" to indicate they were working with a new block. One size per envelope. This is size 12.

I compared 9361 to a Copyright 2018 McCall’s blouse pattern from my stash, that to my eye had a similar amount of ease. When I overlaid the main pattern pieces, they were surprisingly similar (both cut at size 12). The most notable difference was the vintage pattern had a much higher armscye. I thought I might need to lower the seam in the armpit, but I actually prefer this fit than the one I got from M7723.

INSTRUCTIONS:

This pattern assumes that the maker has a fair amount of dressmaking experience under her belt, and suggests that you reference McCall's newest sewing book if you require further guidance (good advice imho!). I found the instructions to be very good, though as is still the case with Big 4 patterns, uneven.

SEAM ALLOWANCES:

For example, this pattern calls for French seams, which are clearly and concisely explained. But then when it's time to sew the cuffs, you just get "assemble the cuffs as you did the collar" - but cuff and collar are constructed completely differently, with different seam allowances and finishings. In retrospect, I think I understand how I was supposed to make the cuffs. But I did it my own way, and they look great, so I'm not sweating it.

Anywhere calling for French seams has a 5/8" seam allowance; everywhere else has a 1/4" seam allowance. So you better be accurate!

PATTERN MARKINGS:

Tissue is well marked with seam lines, notches, dots, and ruffle/trim placement markings. But the Cutting list is a place where experience is necessary: the collar is labelled "Cut 1", but you in fact need two of that piece. You also need to cut interfacing. In the directions, interfacing and facing are mentioned - it is assumed that the reader has made a collar before and is following the typical order of operations.

Pattern includes stay stitching and basting instructions, overall it guides you towards good sewing habits.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS:

Personally, I don't think a pattern owes you comprehensive instructions on every technique involved in the project, and I like to reference books if I get stuck, which this pattern suggests. So I really liked these instructions and found them adequate.

WHY THIS PATTERN?

The design is fabulous!!

I have been playing around with edge finishes on my serger. I've been particularly smitten with the 3 Thread Rolled Hem, so I wanted to find a way to show off this technique. My mind immediately went to this pattern, which has been in my collection for a while.

I collect, sew, and wear a lot of vintage nightgown patterns. I like to make them as day dresses. Many nightgown patterns are designed for a more casual home sewist - simple, boxy fit, nothing too tricky. It was a delight to find a nightgown pattern that offered a sewing challenge!

MATERIALS:

Gauzy, lightweight cotton fabric found at an antique mall. I paid $12 for 4 yards, and the fabric is only 30" wide. This was *exactly* the right amount of fabric for this project.

Buttons purchased in Osaka, Japan at LOGIC Atelier Shop.

FLAT PATTERN ALTERATIONS:

• Lengthened bodice 1" above the apex (standard alteration for me). Bust shaping has all been rotated into a long dart that is concealed by the ruffles. I considered lowering the apex of the dart, but left is as is.

• Lengthened sleeve 1" and added 3/4" width at bicep.

• This pattern includes different options for almost every piece - front and back bodices each have 3 pieces, with very minor changes, there are 2 sleeve options, etc. I chose a view with a deep pleat at Center Back. In retrospect I think I would prefer the version without the pleat. Pattern has you stitch down the pleat until about 3" below the neckline, but I stitched mine down about 10" to cut down on the billowing vibe. In retrospect, I don’t know why I didn’t use an un-pleated piece - I do not like a pleat at the back of my shirts, I don’t like anything billowing back there.

• I shortened the bodice to a blouse length that I will wear, plus I was cutting it close with my yardage (as drafted it is more of a tunic length) and I gave it a soft shirt tail shape at the hem.

GO YOUR OWN WAY:

• I followed the ruffle instructions closely until I got to the cuffs, where things got vague. I could see two different ways to construct the cuffs. I just made a decision and went with it. To maximize the ruffled effect, and make my life easier, I overlocked all 4 sides of one of the ruffle pieces, and used both of those sides as ruffles. This way, I wasn't trying to catch a lot of gathering in the seam connecting the cuff to the (also gathered) sleeve.

Per the pattern, this pleat is stitched down until about 3” below the neckline seam, and then released. That makes sense for a nightgown, but not for how I personally want to wear it.

I edge stitched the edges of the pleat at each place it folds because my fabric is too soft to otherwise hold the pleat. Then I stitched it down with decorative top stitching about 10” down from the neckline seam. It’s fine for me, but if I sew this again, I will eliminate the pleat completely (unless I make a nightgown….but I’ll likely stick with blouses).

WOULD I SEW IT AGAIN?

Do I need another one? Absolutely not! But I will probably make the other view, with the Y shaped neckline. I am a sucker for a ruffle, and these styles are very wearable for me.

CONCLUSION:

Wonderful, unique pattern. Definitely worth sewing, but take your time with the details.

XO, MARTHA

I just finished sewing vintage McCall’s 9361, and want to share some of my process, and how I arrived at making my ruffles the way I did. I hemmed over 10 yards of bias cut fabric on my serger, using a 3 thread narrow overlock stitch, to create the satiny edge of my ruffles. This took extra time and a lot of thread, but was absolutely worth the effort. The stitch looks super professional, like an industrial merrow stitch. 

STITCH:

Over the last few months, I’ve been spending a lot of time with my serger, the BERNINA L 890. I am a BERNINA brand ambassador, and I use this machine as part of that program. The L 890 is truly dazzling: a combination overlocker and coverstitch machine with chainstitch capabilities.

The machine is user friendly, but I still found it a bit intimidating at first. It’s abilities are so above and beyond my previous serger! I’ve taken a scientific approach and made samples of every stitch the machine can make. I did this as an academic exercise, but the result? Creative inspiration!

RUFFLES:

When most of us think of sergers, we think of creating garments with knit fabrics. But the reality of my sewing practice is that I favor wovens - and delicate ones, at that. As I made swatches using 2-thread and 3-thread stitches, my mind immediately went to ruffles. 

At the mere suggestion of ruffles, I dug out this pattern. It’s been in my queue for years now. What kept me from making it was an assumption that the fit would be too small or something. I took the tissue out of the envelope for the first time ever and was surprised by what I found.

PATTERN:

First of all, there are more pattern pieces than I expected. Every view has separate Front and Back bodice pieces, even though the differences between the pieces are pretty small (in one case, I am not sure if there is any difference).

Meanwhile, for any ruffles, there is a short “guide” piece to indicate the width of fabric strips to be cut. The length of each ruffle is indicated in the directions. I went through the instructions and noted all of the lengths, and tallied them up to determine how much trim is required for the view I was making.

FIT:

Looking at the tissue, sizing seemed fine, but better safe than sorry. I took out McCall’s 7723 for comparison. I chose this pattern because I have made it before (and it fit), and to my eye, these two patterns are designed with a similar amount of ease.

Vintage size 12 McCall’s 9361 has very similar sizing to the current M7723. The vintage design has a higher armscye and quite frankly, more and better pattern markings. But as for fit, I felt confident that I could sew the vintage pattern, and it would fit me. 

SEAMS:

McCall’s 9361 has ⅝” seam allowances in places where you are directed to sew French seams - the shoulders, side seams, and sleeve seams. Everywhere else on the pattern has ¼” seam allowances, which are all enclosed. This gives the garment an extremely tidy interior. Since I planned to use my serger for the trim, I decided to forgo French seams, and use a 3 thread overlock to finish construction seam allowances. 

FABRIC:

My fabric is from an antique mall. I paid $12 for 4 yards of 30” wide fabric. It is 100% cotton, very soft, a little prone to fraying due to the woven stripe design. Based on the width, it’s likely antique, but has been stored very well, and feels good as new.

I was careful to handle this fabric minimally (honestly difficult with the way this shirt is constructed). The floaty quality of this fabric ended up being perfect, but the project would have been easier with something super crisp that does not fray (I’m thinking Liberty Tana lawn…but it doesn't have the soft drape of this floaty cotton). 

CONCLUSION:

This is a labor intensive garment, requiring a lot of precision. The drafting is excellent, but you need to nail it with your ¼” seam allowances, especially when sewing the placket. If not, things will get messy quickly. The pattern includes instruction to stay stitch and baste where necessary, and recommends using McCall’s newly published sewing book if you need additional guidance. All of these things guide you towards good sewing habits, which I really appreciate!

I’ll leave it here for now, but my next post will feature the finished garment with a full review of the pattern and all of my modifications. Thanks for tuning in! XO, Martha

PATTERN:

Simplicity 8797 - per the envelope: "with its classic lapels and easy fit, this lined Misses' coat has the look of a comfortable oversized coat. The coat features four lengths and a one-button closure."

SIZING:

Sizes XS (6-8), S (10-12), M (14-16), L (18-20), XL (22-24) are all in one envelope.

In my experience, when Big 4 patterns are sized in this method, each letter size (S, M, L, etc) is actually the larger numerical size. I.e. size M is size 16; size L is size 20; etc. This accounts for people who say the patterns "run large" if they would feel more comfortable in a 14 or 16. Regardless, much of the ease in this pattern is for style - the intended fit is oversized.

I graded between sizes to achieve my desired fit.

WHAT DREW ME TO THIS PATTERN:

Classic, simple shape with nice, slouchy proportions.

INSTRUCTIONS:

This pattern includes solid instructions with nice details like catch stitching your hems. But some other details are neglected.

For example, the shell of the coat and the lining are not attached anywhere other than the top stitching around the edges. Sewing through all layers at the collar will create a much more stable and long lasting garment. Without doing so, it's like a big floppy pocket and your coat will not wear well over time.

As is often the case with Big 4 patterns, I found the drafting to be solid, markings matched as expected, and the instructions were uneven but get the job done.

MATERIALS:

My black wool fabric came from a fabric swap, so I don't know its full origin. A burn test confirms it is 100% protein fiber. I would guess it is mostly wool, with a touch of something else. Alpaca? Something like that. It feels expensive. The fabric face has been brushed and slightly felted, creating an almost pilled surface. It is very lofty and warm.

Leopard print silk CDC lining is from Fabric Mart, years ago. I sewed a simple dress and kept all my scraps. I was going to use the scraps for some piping and then thought, I bet if I take the dress apart, I can make a lining with it. It worked! The main pieces are large panels from the dress, the sleeve linings are pieced quite a bit, but no one will ever know.

Interfacings from stash - I mostly used fusible weft.

Buttons are antique Czech glass via Etsy. The large button in the front is 1.5” and the back buttons are 1”.

FLAT PATTERN ADJUSTMENTS:

• I blended sizes: The shoulder down to the waist is size S, from the waist I blended to L at the hip and hem.

• Sleeve is cut as size S through the armscye, grading to M from the bicep down. I love a very wide sleeve on my coats.

• Added a back neckline facing. Not sure why this isn’t included in the pattern.

DESIGN CHANGES:

• Made a large bound buttonhole and reinforced the lips with a non-stretch cording.

• Added large, slanted welt pockets. These have big pocket bags and are easy to find with your hands.

• In addition to back neckline facing, I modified the lining to have a 2” deep center back dart, and a deeper jump pleat at the hem. Both of these changes will help the coat have better wearing ease over time. I added a decorative patch behind my label and a grosgrain ribbon loop for easy hanging.

CONSTRUCTION NOTES:

• A goal I set for myself with this project was “Keep It Soft” - I wanted the coat to feel light and unstructured. I achieved this! It is lofty and lightweight, especially for how warm it is, however, I wish I’d used heavier interfacing in the collar. You can’t beat hair canvas and pad stitching. I added a line of top stitching along the roll line to help force the fold, it works well and looks nice.

• I hand stitched through ALL LAYERS of the coat along the neckline - anchoring it all together - as well as through the shoulder seams/facing layers. This adds a good amount of stability to the coat, especially if I choose to hang it by the grosgrain loop I added to the back neckline.

THOUGHTS AFTER SEWING:

I probably won’t sew this again because there are other coat patterns I want to try, but I recommend the pattern to anyone. This would be a good early/first coat pattern, though I’d recommend keeping a Tailoring book next to you as you go to supplement the instructions. The pattern has nice proportions and a very wearable result - even without my changes it would be a great winter coat.

CONCLUSION:

I love the coat! I didn’t have a plain black coat of this length in my closet, and this ended up being warmer than expected (big win!). I’m going to add some brooches to the lapel. Looking forward to frequent wearing this winter.

XO,

Martha

To celebrate the 50 year anniversary of Diane Von Furstenberg’s iconic wrap dress, Simplicity Patterns released the sewing pattern from their archives. This Very Easy Vogue has swept the home sewing world off our collective feet! Leading up to the wide release of this pattern, I was asked by Simplicity if I would like an advance copy of the pattern, to be used for promotional purposes. Of course, I said yes!

DVF was the first place I worked in New York City. Fresh out of design school (where I majored in Textiles), I landed myself an internship at her West Village design studio, in the print design department. Eventually, I was hired on as a freelancer, and worked there 9-5 while seeking a full time (non-freelance) gig. I have many stories from those days, but I’ll save them for another time.

I will say, I collected many wrap dresses while working there. The production department was generous with weird or mutilated samples (for example, two different sleeves on the same dress, or, a slash in the back of the skirt), and I would happily snap them up. I knew I could fix them up with my sewing machine. They also had big sample sales. If I worked a day at the sale, I was allowed to fill a large paper shopping bag with dresses as payment. I took a lot of shifts!

I do not have the original 1970s version of this pattern, but I still have my dresses, and I can compare them to the pattern, which I plan on doing. I’ll photograph some ready-to-wear DVF dresses and do a side by side comparison. But first, let’s take a look at this pattern “out of the envelope”.

PATTERN DESCRIPTION & SIZING:

Per the envelope: "The iconic Vintage Vogue Patterns 1970's Front Wrap Dress by Diane von Furstenberg has been released from the pattern archives for the first time in honor of its 50th anniversary. Wear it your way by customizing the fabric, length, collar, cuffs, and where you tie it."

This is a re-issue of the 1970s version of this pattern, which was released as one size per envelope. The reissue has the current standard two size ranges: (6-8-10-12-14)(16-18-20-22-24)

I use size 12 in both vintage and current Big 4 patterns (I find them to be pretty comparable), and that is the size I used here.

INSTRUCTIONS:

I believe the instructions are a replica of the original ones. I sew a lot of 70s patterns, and I found the instructions to be typical.

As is usual in both vintage and current Big 4 patterns, seam finishing is not really mentioned, so I added serged edges where I saw fit. I also added a bit more under stitching than was mentioned, and I deviated from the pattern where interfacing is involved, as I think there are better ways to handle that.

MATERIALS USED:

• Rayon/Lycra leopard print jersey from Mood

• Very light weight, fusible interfacing from SIL Threads

• Snug Hug rayon seam binding

FLAT PATTERN TISSUE ADJUSTMENTS:

These are my typical adjustments that I make to every pattern before beginning to sew:

• Lowered bust dart 1"

• Lengthened bodice 1" above apex, done at same time as lowering dart

• Graded to size 14 at hip

• Shortened the shorter length by 5” to fit within my fabric. I prefer this length. I am 5’8” tall.

Next time, I will only lengthen the bodice 1/2”, because the weight and stretch of jersey fabric pulls the dress down enough for me to be comfortable with that amount of additional length.

After sewing this up, I made the following adjustment:

• Took in sleeve below elbow - from nothing at elbow to about 1/2" on the flat at the wrist (removing 1" total circumference at wrist).

• Adjusted cuff to be the same size as adjusted wrist opening

• Eliminated sleeve facing, seemed unnecessary. Instead, I attached the cuff, serged all seam allowances together, pressed seam allowance up, and top stitched into place.

WHERE I DEVIATED FROM THE INSTRUCTIONS:

The instructions are dated, but also weird. I sew a lot of 1970s patterns, and tend to modernize my techniques where needed, but this pattern had some instructions that don’t make sense, regardless of era.

• My seam allowances are all finished on the serger.

• Eliminated sleeve facings, as noted above.

• Next time, I will assemble all facings, then serge the continuous edge for a clean finish, as opposed to finishing each piece, and then assembling them.

• I added interfacing to both sides of cuffs and collar.

• I interfaced my facings, NOT the main dress pieces. This instruction is pretty WTF, I suggest doing what you know to be correct, not what the pattern says here.

• Understitched all facings!

• You only need a hole for the belt on the wearer’s right side. You do not need an opening on the left side.

• I did not do any hand sewing.

CONCLUSION:

This is a wonderful pattern! I highly suggest adding it to your stash. If you pay the full sticker price, you’re still getting a bargain compared to what the ready-to-wear dresses retail for!

I have two cuts of silk jersey in my stash, and they are both destined to become versions of this pattern. By changing the length, sleeves, collar and cuffs, there are many versions you can create! Let me know if you sew it! XO, Martha

Last spring, I saw some blaze orange Woolrich brand 100% wool coating fabric listed on FabricMart. I added it to my cart, but didn’t purchase, hoping it would go on sale before selling out. A few days later, a Wool sale popped up, and I snagged it!

Though I didn’t sew this jacket right away (mostly because we bought a house and moved), I knew I wanted to make a chore jacket to wear around our rural property during fall and winter. Fall rolled around, and suddenly, it was time to sew it up!

When sewing this coat, I planned for all my personal preferences:

• A slightly oversized collar, with good structure and a definite roll line.

• Large pockets.

• Good fit through the shoulders.

• Fully lined.

• Big buttons!

Based on coats I’ve previously sewn for myself, I knew the blend of patterns I’d use to achieve the desired look, plus a few easy things to draft myself.

The base pattern is vintage Simplicity 5285, which I have sewn before, but not documented on this blog (will remedy soon!). Shortened, it would come close. I had already drafted facings and a full lining (pattern is for an unlined jacket).

I grafted on my favorite collar, a pattern piece I’ve tweaked over the years of using it. The original pattern pieces are from my favorite Japanese sewing book. I also drafted simple, oversized patch pockets. The pockets and flaps are fully lined in very light weight, orange polyester lining fabric.

I opted for “speed tailoring” ie using fusible interfacings. I like a well fused jacket, but lightened up on interfacing for this one compared to some coats I’ve made. I added fusible weft insertion interfacing to the jacket fronts, upper back, upper shoulder, and all hems. I added a structured woven interfacing to the collar, and further accentuated the roll line and stand with top stitching.

Construction-wise, this is a simple jacket. Drop shoulders go in smoothly, patch pockets are simple, the lining is fully bagged. Top stitching is the most defining detail (besides the electric color). I used top stitching thread for maximum impact.

I made a few practice buttonholes at home - this jacket’s casual vibe means I prefer sewn buttonholes over something like bound ones. Since I have access to professionally sewn buttonholes in Manhattan, that is what I opted for (Jonathan Embroidery Plus, 256 West 38th street, walk-ins welcome. Cash only). It is important to mark the hole placement clearly, but then you get incredibly well sewn buttonholes every time. Profesh!

For the lining I opted for the first fabric I was attracted to when planning this project. A galaxy print viscose twill from Mood - likely intended to be used for a dress or blouse, but imho a little heavy for that. I bought the end of the bolt from the Manhattan store. Usually I go for a bright colored lining, but this felt fun, and the fabric feels great.

The jacket came out exactly as I had envisioned, and quickly. I did minimal hand sewing, which is unusual for my approach to outerwear, but I loved the experience.

It is relatively lightweight, which I intended so I can start wearing it in early autumn. The style is boxy enough that it layers well over sweaters and a puffer vest to extend the wearing season. All in all, it is a welcome color and style in my closet! XO, Martha

I’ve had quilted jackets on my mind lately, which drew my attention to the fact that I don’t wear this one. You may remember it from when I sewed it in 2020, at the very beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Photos of this jacket - more specifically, of me wearing it - took on a life of their own on Pinterest.

I don’t mind if people make their own versions of my projects - I often encourage it! - but it can be a bummer if they don’t at least “tag” or credit me for that inspiration. Individuals weren’t the problem, though. Before long, I was getting targeted Instagram ads, featuring those photos of me wearing the jacket. The ads linked to sketchy Chinese websites, selling digitally printed polyester monstrosities. Whole websites full of weird fakes of one-of-a-kind garments.

As photos of the jacket took on a life of their own, the jacket itself got pushed farther back in my closet. The proportions of it didn’t feel quite right anyway - too long, difficult to layer. So let’s do something about it!

I cut the jacket in half at a high waistline. Exhilarating! I also removed the patch pockets. From there I added darts to the back of the jacket, helping to nip in the waist. I replaced the white plastic buttons with glassy black ones - they’re actually carved shell that has been coated in a thick layer of enamel, heavy and weird!

To keep the binding consistent across the project, I decided to sacrifice a blouse I was no longer wearing, for the greater good. This was a top I loved wearing for a couple of years, and then I moved on from it. The fabric is Marc Jacobs cotton lawn. I bought the end of the bolt from Mood. It’s printed askew, the fabric is off grain. It’s just always been an annoying fabric. Cutting it into strips for binding feels like its best possible fate.

The bottom half of the jacket was fated to be a mini skirt. The skirt was far more complicated to make than the jacket, mostly because I had to undo my bias bound seams, and then re-do them.

I sewed up the center front of the skirt, and hand stitched the buttonholes closed. I took in the side seams at the waist, curving to nothing at the existing hem. This created a bell shape. I inserted a zipper in the left side seam.

I added one set of darts at the skirt back, and two sets of darts on the skirt front (six darts total). All darts were machine top stitched down. All seam allowances were wrapped in the same bias binding used in the original jacket, pressed flat, and invisibly hand stitched down to reduce bulk.

As with the bottom edge of the jacket, I bound the top edge of the skirt in the cotton lawn from the black floral blouse.

The result is this suit! I will wear the jacket with high waisted black pants - that’s a no brainer for me. The bell shape of the skirt isn’t in my wheelhouse - I wish I’d had enough fabric for a true A-line. But as an impactful, Fran Fine inspired brunch outfit? It’s perfect.

If you’ve been afraid to cut up an existing garment you’ve sewn for yourself, but hesitated, let this be your sign to bust out those scissors and go for it! XO, Martha

It’s no secret that I love sewing quilted jackets! I have written many blog posts, both on this blog and for BERNINA’s We All Sew blog.

I am rounding them up here with direct links, so you can easily find the information you’re looking for.

These posts are on BERNINA’s We All Sew blog. They include tips, tricks, and helpful information about sewing a Grainline Studio Tamarack Jacket.

Sew a Custom Quilted Tamarack Jacket: Part 1

Sew a Custom Quilted Tamarack Jacket: Part 2

Sew a Custom Quilted Tamarack Jacket: Part 3

Want to add a collar to your jacket? Here is a post I’ve written on the topic:

How To Add a Collar to a Quilted Jacket

And finally, here is a four part mega post on my most popular quilted jacket project! This contains tons of information both on my design and inspiration, but also the techniques used.

Please let me know if you find these helpful by leaving a comment, or tagging me on social media! @BuriedDiamond

Happy Sewing! XO, Martha

This jacket started with different intentions from the result…or did it? Maybe my personal definition of things changed along the way.

I purchased this 100% cotton bull denim online with a plan to sew basic black pants, but it’s a little too heavy for that. No problem, it went into the Jacket & Bottom weight fabric stash bin. I’ve owned it for around 2 years. The intention was: Basic Black. Wearable, Easy.

Recently, I thought I found a hole in my wardrobe: a plain black jacket that would go with everything. I finished sewing my Basic Black, Wearable, Easy jacket, and thought to myself: I am never going to wear this. I didn’t love the fit (which I have since modified), and it was SO plain. I could not see myself reaching for it like I thought I would.

The gunmetal finish jean tack buttons looked cool, so I added a couple of rivets. Which is when the lightbulb went off in my head. With nothing to lose, I got to work.

Here is the cost breakdown of the project. This is a good example (for me) of the benefits of owning a stash, being flexible about how garments turn out, and having fun - both in sewing and getting dressed.

PATTERN:

Merchant & Mills Foreman Jacket, PDF: $15.75

Printed and taped together at home. This copy has been used to sew 5 jackets between Jason and me since I purchased it in 2020. Ameratized, that brings the cost down to $3.15 per jacket.

FABRIC:

From stash. I think it is from Ray Stitch in the UK, so I checked my emails for a receipt. I purchased 4 meters for £32. I used about 2.5 yards here. Look, that’s a few layers of math and I don’t care that much. Let’s say the fabric cost $20.00 and not get too stressed out about it.

I used black interfacing from my stash. I prefer a fairly expensive interfacing from SIL Thread, but for this project, I used almost entirely scraps, overlapping smaller pieces to create the bigger pieces. I don’t consider scraps free. Let’s say $7.00

I used one package of Wright’s bias binding to finish the edge of the facing inside this jacket. If I had a serger, I would have simply overlocked this edge, but I have to admit, the way I finished it is very tidy. It is difficult to get a stud through the layers of denim and the bias tape, though. I tend to purchase bias tape in a larger quantity when it goes on sale, as I know I’ll use it. $1.50

Thread is also from stash, Guterman Mara in black. I considered using heavier thread for top stitching, but didn’t feel like swapping thread out between seams, and you can’t really see black on black anyway. $1.50

BUTTONS & BUTTONHOLES:

Jean tack buttons from Wawak. Sold by the dozen, but I used 5: $1.90

Buttonholes were sewn at Jonathan Embroidery Plus in Manhattan. I was taking another jacket in anyway, and truly, you cannot beat the professional results of corded keyhole buttonholes sewn on an industrial machine that only completes that singular task. 5 buttonholes at $1.25 a pop: $6.25

HEAVY DUTY PRESS & DIES:

When calculating costs for my blog, I don’t factor in the cost of my sewing machine or my labor. I would if I were doing this for work, but I’m not! So I’m not going to factor in the cost of my heavy duty hand press. But I purchased a die specifically for this project, so that will be included (and for future projects, it may get the “cost per use” treatment).

Double cap rivet die: $30

STUDS:

Double cap studs go for around $8 for a pack of 200; I used about 600 on this project. $24.00

Prong backed dome rivets are applied by hand with piers - it goes fast! I used around 300 pieces, but purchased 400 as they were sold in units of 200. $20.00

BASIC NOTIONS & LABOR:

I don’t track my time when sewing, as that would be misery inducing for me, nor do I track the costs of basic sewing supplies like chalk or scissors. But this project came together surprisingly quickly and did not require specialty notions until I got into studding.

I cut everything out quickly because I had already sewn the pattern. I couldn’t find the instructions, so looked inside my previous version to figure out the order of construction. Because I don’t have a serger, the interior finishing was a bit fussy, but it’s clean, so I can’t complain.

As for the studding, I marked some areas with chalk dots, but free styled much of it once I found my rhythm. The heavy duty press makes fast work of setting hardware, and the prong studs are really easy to apply to denim (they’re designed for use on leather, so they are very sharp). I worked on the studs in bursts, anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour here and there, between other sewing tasks and household chores. It adds up! I did all the studs in a few days.

TOTAL:

Total: $115.30

Are you surprised? I am! I thought this would cost a lot more. And let’s give a nod to Girl Math: if I wear this like 300 times, it’s basically free.

I’ll have a separate post with photos of construction details and the completed garment, and another about my heavy duty press and dies. So keep an eye out for those. XO, Martha

A while back, I asked a series of questions in a poll on my Instagram Stories:

• Do you have a fabric stash?

• How does your stash make you feel: Excited? Anxious? Guilty? Overwhelmed?

• How much fabric is in there (I gave brackets)?

• Do you plan to sew everything in your stash?

• Are sewing and stash building different hobbies? (tbqh I hate this question.)

I asked these questions after a week of meditating on my relationship with my own fabric stash, and then found the hundreds of answers I received to be provocative, fascinating, and at times unexpected.

While the questions are about fabric, the answers delve much deeper, into rich and murky topics such as: self expression, hobbies, spare time, beauty, joy, collecting, imagining, relationships, sustainability, finances, and the limitations of physical space.

I’ll start by answering the questions I posed.

DO YOU HAVE A FABRIC STASH?

Yes, of course! Notably, the most popular posts on this blog are about fabric shopping. If there is one thing I cannot resist purchasing, it is fabric.

In 20018, I did a so called Ready-to-Wear Fast - I didn’t purchase any clothing for a year. None! This completely modified my shopping habits in all categories except buying fabric.

Since then, I purchase less stuff in general, and I think for a few days before completing a transaction. It had a positive affect on my life. But it’s impossible to say if I currently buy more or less fabric than I would have without completing that exercise.

HOW DOES YOUR STASH MAKE YOU FEEL?

Simply put: Home is where the stash is.

Last Fall, we moved back to the States after two years of living Scotland. Because we didn't know where we would live next, or for how long, we plopped everything we owned in a storage unit until we could figure out housing. Our unit was 15 x 15 x 20 feet, and held all our possessions aside from some clothes and basic supplies.

Moving is always stressful, and this was an extreme example. I had a toddler style meltdown when I couldn’t find a box of vintage patterns and assumed it was lost (it was mislabelled as bedding and shoved to the back of our storage unit). I managed to get one box of patterns and about half of my fabric to the front of the unit, where I visited them at least once a month.

Visiting my fabric was one of the most grounding practices available to me during a transient few years. Is that weird? Does it matter? The material comforted me: its familiarity, its potential.

One of my greatest sources of inspiration is looking at the fabric I already own, even if I have no plan to use it. I like to stare at it all stacked up, allowing my eyes to unfocus, and just absorb colors. I will unfurl yardage and drape it around myself like a toga for an afternoon. Or take every single cut off the shelf, rearranging the stacks - by color, maybe, or weight - and put them back. Without fail, this messy routine sets off my subconscious, and my creativity is sparked.

When visiting the storage unit, I’d paw through boxes until I happened upon something that caused me to gasp, or have a memory of what I was thinking of making when I bought it. Then I’d bring it back to our rented house, where I would not use it. I’d keep it stacked to the right of my desk, or you know, drape it over myself like a toga for the afternoon. I’ve learned that I need a certain amount of material in my presence to conjure new ideas.

HOW MUCH FABRIC IS IN YOUR STASH?

Great question, but I don’t know the answer. 6 plastic bins. And then my various scrap boxes. Hmm then a few pieces I keep out in stacks. Things I don’t love, but need (muslin, interfacing) tucked into little nooks.

I have what some people consider to be an overwhelming amount, others would say it’s not much; for me it’s perfect. There must be hundreds of yards, because I usually purchase a 3 yard cut.

Meanwhile, I continue to buy fabric. The new purchases are often sewn up immediately, while the older stash fabrics work their magic of generating ideas. Why is this happening? What would happen to me if I didn’t have access to a stash? Could a fabric store fulfill this need? (I have tried and the answer, for me, is No.)

DO YOU STICK TO A BUDGET WHEN BUYING FABRIC:

In 2018, when I did that Ready-to-Wear Fast, I shifted my clothing shopping budget to my sewing budget. This made sense, because the previous year I had sewn a lot, and purchased very little clothing. Over the next few years, I continued to mostly sew my own clothes, but I do buy RTW on occasion.

Eventually, I stopped paying attention to what I was spending in either category. I am now back to a budget. I stay within it, but really, I’d like to cut it back, because I have already bought so much gorgeous fabric. I’d like to use it.

So my answer used to be No, I don’t stick to a budget; but now it is Yes. Only time will tell how it shakes out, but so far, it hasn’t been too painful.

CONCLUSION:

I wanted to share my answers to these questions before diving in and analyzing the answers I crowd sourced on Instagram. The answers cover the full spectrum of possibility and my goal is to approach them without judgment, while inspiring introspection around our own behaviors. We all have our reasons, and this is an emotional topic.

Home sewing is already a charged topic. It’s historically Women’s Work. Garment making has always been undervalued, and in the age of Fast Fashion, garments sell for prices that don’t even cover material costs, let alone the cost of labor to sew them. I worked as a textile designer for fashion companies for many years, so I’m well aware of how fabric is produced, and why it is over produced, which skews my point of view slightly.

I’m curious about how others feel about their stash - positive or negative. I’d love to hear your thoughts, let’s chat in the comments. XO, Martha

Last spring, I snagged this cut of super bright orange wool from Fabric Mart Fabrics. I had been watching it for a while, and waited for a day when wool was on sale. My patience paid off because the price dipped low, and then I scored the “Lucky You!” sticker they put at the end of bolt. I ordered 2.5 yards, but was sent more like 3.75.

My intention was to sew myself a chore jacket to wear around our property during hunting season. To be clear, I don’t hunt, but it’s a reality of living in rural America - you’re safer if you can easily be seen. And that’s what this fabric was originally used for; I found the unlined men’s jackets on a few websites.

Anyway! I sewed the jacket. It’s done except for some hand sewing and buttonholes, which I plan to have done professionally in Manhattan. So I decided to have some fun with the rest of my fabric!

THE PATTERN:

I sewed this pinafore once before, I think in 2018. That dress was a mess: stiff fabric, ill fitting, and I wasn’t skilled at moving or adjusting darts at that time. So I tucked a note inside the pattern envelope with some suggestions to my future self. I took those notes into consideration when working on this version.

Another consideration: this envelope contains size 14; I usually sew size 12 in vintage patterns, though 14 for some Vogues, which can run smaller or have less ease. I am not sure what year this pattern was published, but it’s from the early 1970s.

THE DRAFTING:

The drafting of this bodice is pretty weird. No I’ll say it: I think it’s bad. But it’s workable. Additionally, my fabric is much thicker than what this pattern was designed for. But I knew that going in, and by skipping the facings, I didn’t have a build up of bulk.

Look at the darts - where is the apex? Are they both pointing to the same apex? The vertical dart terminates slightly above the horizontal dart. WTF. I lowered the vertical dart 1.25” in the end, and I think I could drop it even more. I added my usual length above the apex, but then needed to remove 1/2” at the hem. I lowered and completely re-drew the top edge of the front bodice, and if I make this again, I will revise it further.

I made a quick full muslin of this dress so I could fully assess any fitting issues. Out of the envelope, the fit was terrible on me. It may have been improved if I were wearing a bra from the same ear as the pattern - it’s drafted for a very pointy bust. It also has an extremely high neckline, which fully covered my collarbones.

In the end, I achieved a good fit in the bodice, but take a look at the top edge as it relates to my armpit. It comes up really high - I suspect this is for full coverage if you do not wear a shirt under the pinafore, which is one of the views on the envelope cover. But this kind of modesty seems unnecessary, or maybe outdated? I will scoop that out if I make this again. It feels like excess fabric when I’m wearing it.

THE INSTRUCTIONS:

Drafting issues aside, I love the instructions in this pattern. One page is printed on both sides, with two colors of ink. The instructions are very clear and demonstrate nice techniques. That being said, I didn’t use the instruction because I constructed my dress differently. Because I was low on fabric, I skipped facings and pockets. Let’s get into the nitty gritty!

THE BODICE:

• Lowered apex 1” and added 1” length above apex at the same time - standard adjustment for me. I do this to front and back pieces. (See the photo of my pattern tissue.)
• The vertical dart ends above horizontal dart, as if they have different apexes. Lowered point of vertical dart 1.25” and still could definitely lower it a tad more.
• Lowered center front neckline 2.25” and reshaped the neckline/top edge. Also lowered the armscye 1/2” front and back.
• Lengthened straps 2.5” to accommodate the re-shaping of front.
• Added 1” width to waist.

The back needed a major adjustment for me. I am small across my back but this was fairly dramatic. I removed 5.5" (2.25" each side of the zipper) from the top edge, tapering to the waist.

THE SKIRT:

• I have wide hips, so I made the skirt slightly more circular to give myself more ease at low hip circumference.

• Shortened skirt to 22” before hemming.

• Added 1” width waist.

• Eliminated patch pockets - not enough fabric.

• Bias facing for the hem. Sewn on, under stitched, pressed up, and then slip stitched into place. The lining was cut shorter than the shell and hemmed with a rolled hem.

THE EXTRAS:

Eliminated facings - not enough fabric - and fully lined instead. Lining is some thin poly lining from stash. Cut lining 1/8" smaller than shell all around so it easily rolled to the inside.

I chose to use two colors of lining for a couple of reasons. The orange was used on the top where the lining could potentially show on the outside of the garment. The pink is a nicer quality of lining, and it doesn’t make a swishy sound, which I wanted to avoid in the skirt.

I tacked the lining to the shell at the waistband, side seams and center front. Made swing tacks at the hem to connect the lining and shell.

Buttons are the same as the ones I have for my orange jacket, just smaller. I used 4 instead of 2 so I wouldn't have any leftover.

I’m on the fence about sewing this pattern again. I have a bunch of 70s pinafore patterns in my stash, and I’ve sewn a few of them before. Most of them don’t require the level of alteration this one did, but then, I’ve done the work to get a nice fit here, so it wouldn’t be complicated. I can definitely see myself wearing a black denim version!

Regardless, this is done just in time for Halloween, so I’ll be wearing this for the next few days! Trick or Treat!! XO, Martha