Bye bye (too) skinny jeans

Skinny, straight, barrel, boot cut, flare, wide, hip slung, low, high, cropped, pooled.  Every season, the jean style choices seem to multiply.  No matter what the denim silhouette- I know from experience and living through nearly ALL the trends - a good fit in a pair of jeans trumps everything. 

Every season, I confront my jeans inventory and evaluate every pair with fit as the goal- because only then do my jeans spark joy. Recently, after the big try on, I found several (read 5) pair that failed the fit threshold- all falling squarely in the “too tight” category.  While confronting a significant jean discard pile- I concluded I should tackle some denim refashioning.  There was one pair that I was fond of- they fit well in the waist and hip but regrettably- they soon became skin tight in the legs.  This pair was a perfect weight and comfy cottony soft with a tiny bit of spandex- which I consider a bonus when it comes to trouser wearability.  The design challenge was to find a way to add width to the legs.  I had another pair in the discard pile in a similar hue with a bit of spandex- which meant these two would play well together. The challenge was to combine these somehow to create one pair with wider legs

When I laid the jeans out I noticed I could double the bottom width of the skinny jeans by splitting the jeans at the side seam and drawing a line from the side seam up to the pocket to create a new center seam-- see the yard stick diagram below.  Then I could add fabric from the second pair to almost double the width of the leg.

Now I just needed to disassemble. First, I enlisted my spouse to remove the pocket rivets from the comfy and well fitting waist pair that would form the front base.  Second, I unpicked the back pockets on both pairs (the base pair and auxiliary pair) and then I unpicked the front belt loops on the auxiliary pair.  

I measured from bottom to top approximately 6 inches from the side seam and trimmed the auxiliary pair.  Then I pinned the auxiliary pair onto the base pair so they were straight down the base pair center front- and then- risking all those pins, I tried them on- and the center line held.  I did the same procedure down the back.  

I overlapped the auxiliary pair on the base pair both front and back and stitched down twice.  The most difficult part was stitching through the back leg.center.  

These might be the best fitting jeans I ever owned. Which makes sense, becasue that’s why we sew right? Although it took two pair of jeans to come up with one pair that fit- this feels like a major win

Final note- a big shout out to my ancient Viking that plowed through a double jean stacked waistband - that's four layers of denim- like a champ.

Marimekko Makeover

Finland is regularly deemed the happiest country in the world- so it makes absolute perfect sense that a Finnish design house- Marimekko -is responsible for the most joyful designs in fabric and housewares. 

In preparation for a short trip to Finland in May, I pulled out a Uniqlo Marimekko collaboration ready to wear sundress that I purchased in 2021-it is a size extra large- the only size that was available by the time I got around to shopping.  I always intended to take it in, but somehow never got around to it.  So I changed course and decided to completely transform the garment into an easy tunic top that I could wear on my trip. 

Keeping with a Nordic theme, I turned to the Esme top pattern by Lotta Jansdottar in her Everyday Style Book.  Esme is a simple tunic pullover style perfect for showcasing the fabric’s bold splash of flowers. This is a super easy make - the only tricky aspect of this project was identifying the straight grain on the fabric, which I did by folding the sundress in half at center front.  Once I marked the straight grain, I was able to cut out a front and back, using the existing hemline- easy peasy.  

The exuberant print is called Talkoot (work party) and was designed by Fujiwo Ishimoto in 1978.  I did a little research and learned that Ishimoto created 400 patterns for Marimekko from 1974 to 2006.  

The fabric is a cotton linen blend and amazingly traveled well without wrinkling. See my Esme top in action- in Helsinki and on a day trip to Tallin below.

While it was definitely easy to be happy while in Finland, I was especially glad to honor Marimekko with a my own Marimekko garment. This year is significant for the design house because it is the 60th anniversary of Marimekko’s bold and iconic Unikko poppy print -designed by Maija Isola - and still inspiring happiness.

Also, (interestingly) I observed a significant number of people on the street sporting Marimekko. Perhaps these joyful designs have something to do with the country’s high happiness score.

A wedding dress saga

Navigating another big life event with needle and thread

I wasn’t going to write about making my daughter’s wedding dress.  I actually tried to keep my dressmaking role for the big event on the down low.  To be honest, I was terrified throughout the entire process. I know this might sound unusual for someone who has spent a lifetime making clothes for special occasions. I made my own wedding dress -however, that was a hundred years ago and I was too young and stupid then to doubt myself. And clearly, it’s different when you need to figure out how to interpret the dreams of someone else- even if it’s your own daughter. Tears were shed more than a couple times on this journey, But, in the final review I noted that I spent countless hours scouring the internet whenever I was stumped, so I decided I to jot down what I learned.  I found a great deal of guidance and support online. Maybe someone will find a helpful nugget from my experience -so here goes.

Where to begin?  I will say in the final analysis that this dress required more thinking than doing. I seemed to be stumped every step of the way. First, full disclosure- I have been sewing forever- but not couture sewing- just everyday bread and butter kind of sewing.  I really don’t know anything about dress fitting or lace.  I know how to sew for my body because i have a long relationship with it- and understand it intimately. But as it turns out- some fitting skills are extremely important if you are sewing for another body. And specialty fabric sewing is a subject you should brush up on if the bride loves lace. Lace is a complicated fabric territory; I discovered at least 21 different varieties of lace when I started researching.

As is our habit in our DIY lifestyle, we ended up plunging in head first and went shopping for lace fabric without a firm idea about pattern and style.  My daughter had tried on some ready-made bridal gowns- and liked elements of dresses, but we were still unsure about the exact vision.   The local fabric stores in my city don’t stock lace, and I wasn’t confident enough to shop online for such an unfamiliar product.  My daughter and I drove an hour to Rochester, Minnesota to Ginny’s Fine Fabrics where Ginny stocks a wide variety of lace and other special occasion fabrics.  Pretty quickly, my daughter fell head over heels in love with an open netted ivory lace with a significant border design.  The store had two pieces that totaled about 2.75 yards in width.  We picked a coordinating duchess satin for lining and a piece of ivory guiperre lace for making appliques.  The heart ruled the day- and then the next morning I panicked.  We didn’t really have enough fabric for the ball-gown styles that my daughter loved, and we didn’t have a clear consensus on design.  I went down the rabbit hole of wedding dress online browsing and we negotiated back and forth (read heavy negotiations, strong feelings, etc.) over the style.  We also had to wrestle with some serious style constraints given the fabric’s predominant vertical design and the scalloped border.  Given all these issues- I suggested and we finally settled on a simple and straightforward a-line shape.

I made a toile out of a nice pima silky cotton that I intended to use as the lining in the final dress. The design I drafted included a deep v-neck, narrow shoulders and a deep v in the back.  I did use Simplicity 2648 pattern front pieces to help create a princess style bodice block because this pattern includes several bra cup sizes which I have used to create a bodice block for this daughter.  After I made a toile and drove 7 hours to Chicago –where my daughter lives- to fit the toile and debate about waistlines- (read- this was VERY difficult) - I returned home and took the toile apart to use the pieces of the toile as pattern pieces for the dress.  

I probably should pause here to admit the first of many times I was paralyzed to move on.  The lace was obviously expensive- but in addition- there just wasn’t much fabric and virtually none to spare- read: not enough fabric at all!   So I couldn’t make a mistake- I also had to figure out how to fabric match the lace design in the bodice and puzzle out how to cut out the dress using minimum yardage so there was enough for a skirt.  Amazingly, I was able to cut out and pattern match the bodice with almost zero waste- these are the scraps left from cutting out the bodice.

Whew- momentary relief and then paralysis set in again- and I went back to the internet.  One of the first considerations with lace is seam finishes and how to make them look great given the sheer fabric.  I planned to use the silk satin to line the dress- but unlike typical linings where the seams are sandwiched together, I underlined the bodice, so the lace and satin were sewn as one piece.  That way the seam is encased and invisible.  First, I hand basted the lace to the silk and assembled the bodice in that manner- taking care to line up motifs.  I added some lace appliques to the bodice using an amazing invisible thread called wonderfil. My hand stitching leaves allot to be desired and this thread was a game changer.

Once the bodice was constructed I set about to tackle the skirt. Another decision point because I needed to treat the skirt seams differently.  I didn’t want to sew the lace into the skirt lining side seams.  I wanted to keep the skirt floating freely from the waist and the lining completely separate.  So how to handle the skirt side seams?

The lace is quite open so I couldn’t use the matched motif method most often used and discussed in this Threads video:  Then, I saw one wedding dress maker who used French seams on an open lace.  I did a French seam test on some scraps and that actually looked pretty spiff and wasn’t too difficult- mostly because I know how to do French seams.

The next decision crossroads was length of the skirt.  The silk underskirt would skim the floor- that was an easy decision, but I debated on how long the lace overlay should be.  It could also skim the floor, but the bride had wanted a train- impossible with an a-line skirt and limited fabric- but the dress could have a bit of a train-like feel if the lace pooled a bit on the ground.  I struggled with how much to pool- which was impossible to see without attaching the skirt and trying it out.  I attached the skirt and then tried it on the youngest daughter for effect because she was the only body on hand.  I ended up deciding to lessen the pooling- so I had to re-attach the skirt in the end.

Even though this is an a-line silhouette, I wanted maximum fullness at the dress bottom.  I used a horsehair trim on the silk underskirt- demonstrated below to give the skirt a good shape.  I also added a strip of folded tulle on the edge of the lining to add a bit of fullness.

I put off the back closure until the very end.  I didn’t want to make a seam down the back of the skirt because the lace border is so pretty and there is that wedding dress back interest requirement.  So, I made a 7 inch slit at the waist and made a placket faced with silk organza.  I closed the slit with transparent plastic snaps.  I had beautiful imitation pearl buttons from her great grandma that we wanted to use on the back of the dress but we both agreed there should be a zipper closure and the buttons would be purely decorative. 

I settled on a lapped zipper installation and planned to pick stitch it in place.  I was concerned about the strength of a pick stitched zipper so I sewed in a facing to the bodice back and then sewed the zipper to the facing first by machine and then I pick stitched the zipper facing in place to the bodice.  I think the pick stitching is more elegant than machine stitching. You will also note the zipper is sewn into the silk of the skirt but the lace overlay is free of the zipper- that took some finessing during the zipper install- but definitely easier to do hand stitching instead of negotiating that by machine.

The last stressor was completing the final fitting two days before the wedding- I had to lug my sewing machine by car (7 hours again) to Chicago so I could do last minute fitting and alterations before the big event. I also managed to find time among all the preparations to add the customary blue touch and a truly heartfelt message for this celebration of love- courtesy of Kylie and the Machine.

P.S. My dress is also me made in a New York minute because I was - ahem- preoccupied. It is inspired by the flattering vampire wife dress style and cobbled together mainly from McCalls 7539 a tried and true dress block for me.

Merry, bright -and WARM in a sequin Ruska Tee

What is the best antidote to a chilly and dark holiday?- something warm and bright obviously.  During our long, dark and chilly winters in Minnesota, I follow the northern European tradition of getting cozy with wool, lots of candles, twinkle lights, and a blazing fire at home.  Building on this strategy of combining light and warmth, I also created the perfect top for a frosty holiday at home –albeit somewhat by accident.

I planned to make a fancy top out of navy sequined stretch fabric purchased from Fabric Godmother last year.   I host extended family on Christmas eve and my go to hostess outfit is typically a party in a top.  The beauty of this plan is that I can prep everything and at the last minute, throw on a pretty top for the party.

So I dug out the sparkly fabric and was a little chagrinned to find out for some reason, I only bought a measly yard and a half of this fabric which pretty much limited my pattern choices.  But with sequins- staying simple is the best guidance- so I planned to use a tried and true Ruska tee pattern in Named Clothing’s Breaking the Pattern Book- it’s a tried and true “just right” tee- not too fitted and not too baggy.  It also works with both stretch and woven fabrics if you alter the neckline.

The sequin fabric required a lining, and as I was rummaging through my fabric stash for possible linings, I laid eyes on some merino wool from The Fabric Store and it clicked- I could be cozy and bright if I lined my shiny top in cozy and warm merino wool.

 Everything else about this project was easy.  I checked a few blog posts about sewing with sequins- see SewDIY’s post here and ByHand London’s post here.  Basically, there is either the careful or the quick approach to sewing sequin fabric.  You could remove sequins from the seam lines or you can put a jeans or heavy duty needle in your machine and simply sew.

It’s probably easy to guess which method I preferred.  I simply sewed through the sequins leaving a mini sequin storm in the sewing room.  I wear glasses so no worries about eye injury from flying tiny sequin shards that are created when sewing through the sequined fabric.  Also, just be aware that you will leave tiny sequin puddles for the first few times wearing it out from sequins that get busted and drop from the fabric with wear.

 Basically, I made the T-shirt according to instructions (except for the neckline): one t-shirt out of sequin fabric and one out of merino.  Then, I simply attached the merino lining to the sequin top at the neckline which created a great finish.  An ingenious blend of cozy and twinkle!  I paired it with True Bias Lander pants in black denim for laid back glamour. This project was so quick and easy I had time to paint my toe nails- navy of course to match my new top.  I think it is a great stay at home glamour outfit.  It may be sparkly fire on the outside, but it is soft, cozy on the inside.  

Refashioned Linen Shirtdress

Here’s a story about a remake times two.  I have a navy linen shirtdress that I made for myself several years ago that proved to be an amazing wardrobe work horse.  It was appropriate for practically every occasion: work, travel and play -dressy or casual.  But- years later- it is now too faded and too small/short? to keep performing it’s all star role in my closet.  I wear it around the house, but that’s about it- so I set about making a replacement.

I started this replacement shirt dress saga by making a kind of mashed up and hacked version of Grainline Studios’ Archer and Adler patterns. I have made several Archer shirts (blogged about here) and often use it as a base for other tops and dresses. For some reason, I was feeling extra and I added a waistline and a very big gathered skirt.  This particular linen- purchased from Stone Mountain and Daughter Fabric -is a little bit opaque, so I thought a full skirt would eliminate the need for a lining- and maybe I was having a ball gown moment.

If we are talking about versatility- I think navy is a champion color and I have quite a bit of it in my wardrobe. Linen is also definitely an all-around versatile fabric.  This particular light weight linen has dual magical properties: it is both crisp- see that collar- and it drapes.

I had fun twirling around in the dress for pictures and I liked it styled with different belts and shoes for different feels- but after the picture-taking session, the dress hung unworn in the closet – and lingered unworn, and almost disappeared.  What the heck?  I made this expressly because my other navy dress was so wearable.

 So I decided the dress needed a significant overhaul- or refashion -to make it more wearable.  I made a few key changes to the skirt and sleeves to give this dress a more easy going, laid back and much less structured feel. 

Let the unpicking begin! First, I completely took off the skirt and reduced the fullness, which made a big difference in the feel of this dress. I added a full button closure down the entire length of the skirt, and I also attached a casing and made a drawstring waistline for comfort and super easy style.  Last, I shortened the sleeves to relaxed elbow length.  Now it’s a great one and done every day kind of dress.

It feels more versatile and I can still change it up a bit with belts, shoes and other accessories.

I love how linen is a season spanning fabric.  This navy linen is suitable when the weather is cool, and we all know linen is the perfect fabric in a heat wave- and (surprisingly) it actually gets very hot and humid here in Minnesota in the summer. I wore the dress to brunch on the patio this weekend in extreme heat and it was perfect. This navy shirt dress- third edition- is a winner.