Sewing Pattern Review: Twig + Tale Forester Coat

Twig + Tales patterns are full of Whimsy and Magic.

I fell in love this fall with their Pathfinder Vest with Animal Upgrade (because what 30 something year old doesn't want to have a funky animal inspired vest for running around the forest in??).

I was fortunate to be part of the background testing for their newest pattern - the Forester Coat - for Women, Men, and even babies with a Nestledown option.

Twig + Tale loves upcycling - and this jacket is perfect for old warm blankets that you have too many of, and is also a great scrapbuster for fabric that doesn't have large enough pieces to make a more traditional or basic coat.

Pixie Hood Version

Round Hood Version

There *are* a lot of pattern pieces, but that's part of the magic - the design is meant to loosley hug your curves in all the right spaces, with enough room for a sweater underneath in the fall or winter, and breathable enough on those cold spring or summer dewy morning.

And really, the instructions are stellar - and include video instruction for those of us who are more visual.

It leads to a coat that looks store bought made with your own chosen fabrics!

I made two versions, and each version has a different hood - typical Round hood AND a Pixie hood for when I'm feeling mischevious!

I didn't have to use my seam ripper during the production of either coat, so that means the instructions REALLY are user friendly, as I typically do one rip on longer sewing projects, as I try to get them done in one sew.

 

My Round Hood version is made from fleece for the exterior, and a mix of some scrappy thick satiny fabric and flanelette unicorn fabric. 

Because UNICORNS!

I added the outside pockets and back belt to this version.

The hood is held on with snaps, so doesn't always have to be attached. I like the side blinders and hood coverage it gives me on car rides so I can close my eyes and the drive doesn't bug my Migraine as much (the side visuals are too fast for me right now).

 

 

INSIDE POCKETS!

The second is made from coat fabric I got for $4 a metre for another coat project that I ended up using a different fabric for. I knew as soon as I saw the Forester pattern testing come up that it was meant to be! 

Inside I used a few different silky linings and some of the leftover fleece from my round hooded version, as I didn't have enough one one lining fabric for the entire inside, but that's ok, as it's the inside, and they're complimentary colours!

I added both inside AND outside pockets, because one can never have too many pockets. And it has the back belt and sleeve tabs as well.

I'm 5'2", and both coats cover my caboose, which is great, as that area tends to get cold quickly.

I can wear a fleecy underneath, and am very tempted to make another Pathfinder Animal vest to go on underneath  and remove my removable hood on the occasions I pair both coat and vest together.

Actually....I could probably just hack an animal hood ONTO it - OMG - epiphany moment!  I'm totally doing that after work today!

 I can never be warm enough these days, so layering is extremely important.

Overall, the Forester Coat pattern is relatively easy despite the number of pattern pieces - challenge yourself and make yourself the perfect fitting coat today!  You'll be proud of yourself and look fabulous with the end results! 

Join the Twig + Tale Facebook group for any questions or to be inspired by others Forester coats (and beyond) - you'll love the whimsical feeling it will give you!

Sewing Pattern Review: Bella Sunshine Designs Emmaline Top and Dress

I love colour blocking (aka using as much of my different fabrics in as many clothing articles as possible).

Bella Sunshine Designs Emmaline instantly drew me in with the awesome Chevron Skirt!

I have sewn up both a dress and a top, and can't wait to hack the top version with Chevrons as well!  Why? Because it's fun, a challenge, and because it's a test of skill.

The Emmaline pattern has a multitude of options, including:

- An unlined bodice\
- Banded flattering neckline
- Full Bust Adjustment pattern pieces if you upper and full bust have more than a 3" difference
- 2 A-line skirt options - simple (plain) or Chevron
- Top, Dress, or Maxi dress lengths
- From girls to ladies sizing

For the Ladies sizing, it goes:

- Up to 59.75" overbust
- Up to 53.5" Waist
- Up to 59.75 Hips
- Up to 22.6" Bicep (Melissa has awesome directions if you require a larger bicep adjustment)

The bodice is knit (4 way stretch) - a more stable cotton lycra is preferred to avoid sagging with the skirt weight.

Same pattern - different looks!

The skirt can be any knit fabric with good draping - the drapier, the more whimsical the skirt is!

It's about an hour or two from cutting to finished, depending on which style you take on.

The instructions are clear, and walk you through each step with drawings and easy to understand verbiage.

If you are so inclined, try mashing Emmaline up with the Clementine, Amelia, or Sahara skirts or bodices for a different look! 

Grab your Emmaline now and Sew On!

Sewing Pattern Review: Winter Wear Designs Outer Banks Boat Neck Tee and Tunic

I've wanted to pattern test for Suzanne from Winter Wear Designs for eons now, and finally had the opportunity to quickly sew up the long sleeved version of the newly released Outer Banks Boat Neck Tee and Tunic! 

I responded to a request Wednesday morning, and by mid afternoon te sameday, I had the top sewed up with proper photographs for a last minute pattern addition! 

So not a true pattern test, it let me email back and forth qith Suzanne, and she seems quite friendly and down to earth - like her Winter Wear Designs patterns.

It's a semi-loose fit knit top that offers several options:
- Boat neck with 3 different finishes - Suzanne will guide you through to get you the perfect flat fit!

- Sleeves: short, 3/4, long, or 3/4 length bishop sleeves (so pretty!)

- Top or tunic length (with RUCHING option!)

It's a great Wardrobe builder top, and can be as fancy or casual as your fabric allows. 

I opted for a medium weight C/L trailer pattern and lightweight C/L Royal Blue for the perfect mashup.

I love the ruching, and it is always my go to (along with pockets, hoods, and thumbhole cuffs), hence why the pattern instantly grabbed my attention.

The boatneck instructions were detailed for all levels of sewing, and led to a flat lay and an awesome new neckline sewing skill checked off on my skills list.

And for $5, you can't really go wrong with this pattern! 

I look forward to adding some thumbhole cuffs and doing a bit more colour blocking to sew up some of my odd width fabric scraps to my next boatneck tops!

Sew On!

When Your Wardrobe is Made By You Most Days!

Some days I get to work and realize I made ALL my clothes! 

After a year of starting to Sew My Wardrobe, this seems to happen more often than not. And considering I feel I’m a slow sewer with my Husqvarna Viking Emerald (aka NOT a serger) and meticulous nature, the more you sew, the more efficient one becomes.

Why don’t you give it a try too?

Today I’m sporting:

-        My Winter Wear Designs Cross Hem ¾ length sleeved top, which I used scraps for the smaller underlay from a beautiful velvet skirt I had no chance of ever fitting into again.   

To the left - look at that fabric cross! And my first V neck - perfection!

-        My Winter Wear Designs Provence Pea Coat – made with sparkly twill and stretch star fleece! I included the removable hood, however, need to add on a belt, as apparently my waist has come in a bit since the fall (boo yah!)

-        My 5 out of 4 Zen Pants – made with stretch suiting fabric with cute C/L I Lava You fabric inside the pockets because I’m silly. I made the back pockets too, because POCKETS!  This was an easy sew, and although geared for activewear, make the COMFIEST non-skinny pants at work EVER. I wear Zens at least twice a week to work. And I work in the office 4 days a week. They also make my behind look amazeballs!

-  My Rebecca Page Circle Cardie – These are another office Staple that I can’t stop wearing.  The flow, the speed to sew up, and the options. I find it also doesn’t use heaps of fabric.  There are even kids & doll sizes to up the extra cuteness factor!

Secret photo taken at work between people passing my pod.

Why sew my wardrobe?

My measurements are out of whack. No amount of Squats, lunges, or cycling will get rid of this booty, and after a frustrating experience looking for leggings in January 2017, my dabbling into sewing became my passion. Well as much as my wallet can afford fabric – never enough fabric to create most patterns with just one metre, so I’ve developed the knack of colour blocking and making 1 metre of fabric last through 2-3 garments (and then some!).

I want to try SO many fabrics, hence the 1 metre limitation most of the time – I just don’t want to miss out on fabric awesomeness.

My full bust is multiple sizes smaller than my hips, my upper bust is in line with my waist, and I have that hourglass shape with legs built for squats and cycling.

So I’ve become an expert in grading, measuring myself monthly to ensure proper fit.  I rarely make a muslin (or test) garment, trusting in the testing experience that helped bring the pattern into reality by the ever talented pattern makers I have grown to admire. 

There are pattern makers I love (you KNOW who you are!), ones I’d give my favourite fabric to just to test with them, and a few who left a sour taste in my mouth and I sadly won’t be able to create their garments any longer.

I’ve met cyber-friends across the Globe who share my passion, and put up with my silliness during pattern testing.  We all have stressful lives in some way, so I add a silly dance and groove it up for most of my tests (at least once) – once I know my pattern makers are a bit weird (in a good way) too!

Heck, I swear my friend, An, is my sister from another mother and father across the Ocean. Whenever we travel to Europe, I’m totally visiting her family and bringing her some Canadian fabrics to rub her face in and sew with (sorry An, it will be single metres!).

I have my go-to fabric places – Water Tower Textiles and Okee Dokee Fabrics (both Canadian) – and sometimes I can find some test fabric that isn’t totally hideous or overpriced at Fabricland, but this is rare most of the time.  Even their crap fabric is priced more than what I am willing to pay. I mean, if a test pattern actually works out first try, I’d at least like the option to be able to wear my garment vs just throwing it into the scrap pile or garbage.

So back on topic – sew your wardrobe. As long as you have a workhorse machine, you can do it too.  I had only sewn costumes before this adventure. Now there are few skills I haven’t tried thanks to the sewing community out there.

You can do it too!




More secret Pod photos at work!

***Affiliate Links Above used - I love these patterns, and without the help of those who love their patterns, marketing would be extremely difficult for the pattern makers we love and learn to love. Affiliate links help with the hours, fabric, and tears that go behind testing each pattern in order to provide a real-person view on the patterns for you (and me!) 

Pattern Review - New Horizons Tami Revolution Double Hoodie

Back in April 2017, I didn't have a lot of true sewing experience, but sew-a-longs and pattern testing have changed that - the challenge in my mind vs reality were totally different.

Last year I participated in my first sew-a-long with New Horizons, and won a lovely bundle of fabric for my completed hoodies! 

Thank goodness for the sew-a-long though, as it included a useful link for how to make thumb hole cuffs (which I ADORE thanks to my past life love of Lululemon clothing).

The Tami Revolution Double Hoodie had my interest at the Thumbhole Cuffs, hood, pockets, and a new sewing challenge - a full zipper (or any zipper).

THUMBHOLE CUFFS!!

The only zipper issue I had was user error when I was too tired, and accidentally cut into the zipper nubs mid-way completing my hoodie, and had to go out and get a replacement zipper. The sewing part was super simple, and I was able to follow directions as a person who had put in maybe 2 zippers into anything over my lifetime.

Zipper (and more thumbhole cuffs - can you tell I'm excited?)

As a more beginner PDF sewist, understanding directions for a multi-option pattern were confusing - but today I can use multi-option patterns like it's nobody's business.  Why?  For example, the pages zip from page 5 to skipping over to page 15 then back to 11, depending on your options - making the sew-a-long steps easier to follow than the actual pattern at the time.

*But* Terra has been working hard with her pattern testers for more fluid patterns, including You Tube video links for more difficult to understand concepts.  I continually use the thumbhole cuff tutorial every time I make them, as I can't understand the instructions written, no matter HOW they are written - I'm visual like that). The New Horizons Group is also helpful for any inquiries or how-to's.

The end result of creating my first hoodie was a proud achievement. And MUCH easier than I expected.

Wearing it in OUR forest!

The options for the Hoodie include:
- Double Hood
- Crossover Hood
- Standard Hood
- Front zip
- Thumbhole Cuffs
- Standard Cuffs
- Shoulder Zip Accent
- Drawstring
- Kangaroo Pockets
- Side Pockets (POCKETS!!!)

Probably not the right inner fabric (thick silky retro fabric), but I love the hood!

And sizes range from XX Small to 26.  What does this mean?
- Bust - 29" to 51.5"
- Waist - 23" to 47"
- Hips - 31" to 53.5"

I wore mine almost every weekend at camp - and it kept me plenty warm - and I admit is quite cute - I know I was hoarding that beautiful teal cherry blossom stretch fleece for a reason! 

I still wear it while working from home Fridays, as it's cold in the basement!

So grab your Tami Hoodie pattern today and experience the satisfaction of a useful and versatile pattern for cozy nights and brisk mornings!

The Sansa Pants - Bella Sunshine Designs Pattern Testing

I have SO many issues buying pants in store, it's part of the reason I started sewing my wardrobe this year.

One of my favourite designers, Bella Sunshine Designs, finally has their own pants party with the Sansa Pants! 

With a band or elastic waistband option, two points where they can be shortened or lengthened, and a cute retro flare on the bottom....if I add pockets to the front/back, they'd pass for pants I can wear at my casual office attire! 

If you can sew straight lines, you can cut and sew these pants in under an hour - for seriousness! 

As usual, I tend to use large scraps sewn together for my muslin (test product) phase of pattern testing - mine turned out perfectly first go with only 2" taken off underneath the knee to fit my 5'-2" frame.

 

 

Sewing up my final pair, I opted for 2 way stretch medium weight Scuba Knit - which although the pattern calls for 4 way stretch, this worked for me! 

I broke my NEW double needle, and my replacement is still in the mail after 2 weeks, so I opted for normal topstitching and hem stitching instead. 

Be a Unicorn Amongst Deer!

 

 

I really like the way my caboose looks in these pants too - flattering - not bulky.  The high rise band is perfect for preventing muffin top and keeping everything in place. And finally  - I don't have sausage thighs!  My thighs have a nice layer of muscle, which have caused issues with fitting into mainstream pants for years - and they're not even that large in diameter!  BSD made the perfect fit for NORMAL bodies.

Shake what your mom gave you!

As always, I had fun testing with the BSD team, and making yet another amazing outfit.

I paired my Sansa Pants with my latest Maggie Top - so grab both patterns for a flattering look and have a new outfit in under 2 hours!