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.  

Desert Performance Ruska

This is my first bona fide performance wear top!

I needed a long sleeve active wear top for a holiday weekend hiking trip in Joshua Tree National Park. Desert weather can be harsh- and I need both sun protection and climate control.  Desert climate and making active wear are both pretty foreign to this Northern girl- so where to start?

To simplify things, I chose my favorite t-shirt pattern from Named Clothing Breaking the Pattern book- Ruska.  I made four Ruska tops this past year, including two merino wool Ruska tops which are absolutely suitable for active pursuits.  But this latest make turned out to be next level active wear.

Fabric choice was a big question mark.  I know my way around natural fibers- since that’s predominately what I sew- but active wear fabric is another ball game.  So, before buying, I did a little research.

I knew I needed a fabric with wicking power.   This is true even in our cold weather climate here in Minnesota.  Wicking means the fabric wicks moisture away and the fabric doesn’t absorb moisture- so after exertion (and sweating) you stay dry and comfortable.  You want to avoid-sweating after a run or climb and then getting chilly because your shirt is wet.  Wicking fabric also acts as a good insulator. Note the snow in the desert below.

Wool is a wicking fiber; it wicks water from the body.  However, wool doesn’t dry as fast as some synthetics because the wool fibers absorb moisture.  Polyester is a core fiber for athletic wear because of its moisture control benefits:  it both dries rapidly (it doesn’t absorb moisture) and it wicks sweat from the body due to the yarn structure. Nylon has the same moisture control properties. In addition, nylon is also super strong and abrasion resistant- or long-lasting. Note, nylon is more expensive than polyester.

Stretch is the other key quality for performance wear.  Again, natural fiber knits have stretch, but special stretch fibers provide four way stretch capacity, and/or better recovery- read- no bagging.  So for performance fabric stretch, the fabric should contain Lycra, elastene or spandex.  One active wear designer recommends the fabric contain at least 12% Lycra, spandex or elastane to give you performance level freedom of movement.

This particular performance wear fabric is from Fabric.com.  It is described as an athletic medium weight double knit.  The description suggests it is “perfect for athletic tops, leggings, low impact sports bras, dancewear and swimwear.”  That pretty much covers all the performance bases.  The fabric content is 75% polyester and 25% Lycra- which is plenty of Lycra for a maximum range of movement. Bonus- it’s a floral, for cute desert hiking style. Another bonus quality of polyester is it’s color vibrancy and ability to hold color- which means this fabric will continue to blossom brightly even after many desert suns.

Sewing with this athletic knit was a stroll in the park.  The knit is super stable, absolutely no raveling or curling. I sewed this up on my regular machine with a straight stitch even though I have a zig zag option on my machine.  When sewing knits, I simply increase the stitch length slightly to 3 mm and hold onto the fabric both in front of and behind the needle.  With both hands, I pull the fabric very slightly -and gently- as it feeds under the presser foot. And that’s it. 

Happily, this beauty performed outstandingly while covering approximately 10 miles in one day and comfortably withstanding wind and sun and changing temps. I plan to make some bottoms out of this fabric soon.

Riff on a wrap

My most recent wrap dress was pretty traditional- but my second wrap project has some cool and new elements:  notably the d- ring closure and the super straight silhouette.  This is the Utu skirt from Named pattern’s Breaking the Pattern. I have been steadily working my way through this gem of a book.

Wrap skirts - maybe even more than the wrap dress- are a crowd-pleasing wardrobe element. I have owned several- and they were also the run-away FAVORITE beginner sewing project when I was a student. When I went to middle school, female students were REQUIRED to take a sewing class and many chose to make a wrap skirt-remember: no zips and no buttons- but none were as cool and stylish as the Utu.

I love the look of this quick and easy to make skirt. Be forewarned- you will need to curb your gymnastic moves as there isn’t a lot of fabric overlap on this wrap.  This skirt looks fabulous when standing at attention- or practicing your mountain pose (Namaste), but pay attention when bending or leaping.

I used Robert Kaufman Jetsetter twill- which has a little stretch and great recovery- from Fabric.com. 

The skirt is high waisted which is adorable on the pattern model- but I am long waisted- and short on the leg front.  So I modified the waistline by adjusting the darts. 

I had this blue and white stripe in my stash- of unknown origins and unknown – or long forgotten -fiber content. One thing is clear- it is not cotton and it is fairly stiff. The fabric properties didn’t exactly match my idea for the top- but the color was a perfect match for this blue skirt- so I improvised…the sleeves may need modification.

By the Book- Solina dress

This project was by the book.  Literally.  The Solina dress pattern is from the book Breaking the Pattern by sisters Saara and Laura Huhta who are also the founders of the Finnish indie pattern company Named.

I was immediately drawn to this striking book when I saw the elegant, streamlined and modern patterns and beautiful styling.  The deal was sealed once I calculated it was actually cost effective to purchase this book- because there were several patterns I knew I would make.  The book offers 10 patterns, but there are 20 variations included.  For example, the Solina style can be made as a dress or a jumpsuit or top.  The book also provides tips and suggestions for numerous options for customization- so you can easily create a one of a kind garment. A dream for those of us who routinely fiddle with patterns.

The templates for all the patterns are included as pattern sheets in the book.  PLUS- if you purchase the book, you receive a code to download PDF patterns to your home printer if you prefer to do that.  Originally, I thought I would download the patterns, because I download and assemble patterns frequently these days (albeit grudgingly- because while it may be old school of me- I prefer printed pattern pieces) But in the end, I decided to go the pattern tracing route. 

Surprisingly- this pattern tracing option is starting to grow on me. I think of myself as a somewhat intuitive sewist, and I find there is something in the act of tracing the pattern that transcribes it into your brain, and it kind of gives you a head start on construction because you really feel the pattern by drawing it out. It’s similar to studies that demonstrate people learn better when they write the words out longhand on paper. Anyway- the short story is- I am growing fond of tracing the pattern on Swedish tracing paper with my colored pencils

Saara and Laura explain that Solina means “babble of water.” This influenced my fabric choice which is a lovely rayon crepe from The Fabric Store.  The print is a lot like the moody river with its grey and blue palette.  The Solina dress is quick and easy.  I made it even quicker by shortening the sleeves and eliminating the sleeve ties.  The other change I made was to sew the front skirt seam closed.

I goofed on measuring the length and would prefer a longer dress- will have to pay attention next time.  I am pretty ok with the swishy aspect of the dress, but if I make this again, I would use a slightly heavier fabric that has a bit more body.