Keep scrolling!! It’s so worth seeing!! Ginny’s Fine Fabrics and Creative Sewing/Apple Valley were our hosts-thanks!!

Karen’s Garments:

This pattern was published in 2005, so time to see how it works! I want to make a patchwork boiled wool jacket sometime so I tried out this top as a possible pattern to use for that project. I think it will work very well for what I have in mind.

I made up the top just to pattern and it fit fine and is super easy. The only challenge in the project was deciding which pattern piece should be used where on this wild and non-symmetrical print.

This cotton fabric is stiff even after a couple of washings, but the pattern needs some body to hang well.

I love this fabric but it was difficult to work with every day. It’s a woven wool gauze so it stretches out as it is handled and sewn and worn. The pattern uses 3/8” seams but I ended up using 5/8” seams everywhere to keep it somewhat in shape.

The fabric frays so much that even serging them seams didn’t work well because the serging just fell off the edge of the fabric on curves. I used French seams on the sides.

I made a 1 inch seam at the “waist” because I didn’t want this to be a dress and I was worried the seam would pull out from the weight of the skirt. I then used that wide seam to insert elastic to help keep the shape of the skirt in place.

The neckline is faced and I used a light weight cotton to help with the shape and to be less noticeable.

I shortened the “cuffs” on the sleeves and made them wider so I could gather them because I thought it would be a better design for the fabric. Instead of tabs to gather up the sleeve length I inserted a casing at the top of the shoulder and ran elastic through it.

Experimenting with custom printed fabric

Pattern is Tilly and the Buttons Zadie Dress

Unsurprisingly my mom painted better than Spoonflower prints. The painting works better on the dress she made than on this one.

I kept the shape of the skirt but had to cut the skirt front and skirt back into a center panel and then 2 side panels because the fabric was printed in panels.

This pattern wasn’t drafted for someone with my body shape so I added 2 inches in length of the front and back pattern pieces to account for my chest.

Kristin’s Garments:

Loved the style. Lengthened the sleeves by 2 “ because I didn’t like the straight line created by bodice and sleeve hem. Some attempt was made to match pattern but I’m happy with how it turned out.

Pattern is lined but nothing fancy, I used cotton-made it warmer for spring.

I chose a stripe which made tucks easy to sew-12 in all, ascending and descending.

Back and front have center seam, which I did but placed pattern piece on fold anyway and didn’t cut. Left it pinned and sewed it up-seam finished and still in place!! Works. Great for plaids too.

Length is to pattern-size 12.

Raised the diagonal line on front bodice under the arm-like it better than original-no dart.

All French seams in the pattern so I went with it. The sleeves were the only things I tried to sew right sides together but I caught myself after 3”-whew!

Collar stand is always a challenge with the curved front-don’t look close!

Buttonholes were a bear-possibly Mettler thread? Needle thread broke twice, then bobbin. Switched to Gutermann? Rip, pray, sew!!

Had to try side slits because of the sewing instructions for French seams. Worked great!

Length is to pattern-I think I’ll add and inch or two next time.

Another wonderful sew from SisterMag! More hand sewing, which is nice on the fluffy French terry. The neck edge fits very nicely but I was surprised that the hand stitching didn’t allow as much stretch as I would like when fitting over head.

Sleeves have darts at wrist for a soft balloon shape. Fun, out of the ordinary sweatshirt!

June-cohost Paulette Finnegan

Wednesday, June 17, Lakes Makerie, Mpls.

Thursday, June 18, Creative Sewing, Apple Valley

Saturday, June 20, Ginny’s, Rochester

Happy to be spending a sunny Saturday morning at Open Studio Sewing! This week we will be Rochester at Ginny’s Fine Fabrics on Wednesday and then back up to the Cities on Thursday at Creative Sewing in Apple Valley (don’t forget to bring fabric for swapping!) All meetings start at 10:30. Carpooling is available for Rochester-email me-materialgirlsewing@gmail.com

Let’s start at the very beginning…

And then it was time for the Haute Couture Club of Chicago’s Fashion Show!

It was a wonderful event-so glad we went!! Who is going next year??

Frocktails just released the photos from the event-not sure if the general public can see them somewhere online. Here are the pics we took. What a great night of networking, ooohhhhing and aaaahhhing! Well done, organizers!!

A few samples of what we saw (hard to catch a picture)

It was fun to get back for the Saturday meeting and see some of you and your great makes!

It takes a village, right? So thankful for all who pitched in and understood so I could take care of grandbabies!

Debbie’s Garments:

The pattern is designed for a 5ft., 7” body – needless to say I need to make lots of length adjustments. Also her measurements are based on upper bust numbers because there is no shaping to the top.

I decreased length between the shoulder and armhole, between the waist and bust and at hemline. I also shortened the sleeve length.

I did a narrow shoulder adjustment even though the shoulder is slightly dropped.

I do like the design of this top – it has sleeve and length variations. It slips over the head without buttons or a placket. There is a center front seam variation as well a specific Full Bust pattern piece.

The construction methods for her patterns are great. There aren’t any hand sewing techniques and she has “an integrated” cuff method where the hem is part of the construction.

The top is an easy, quick sew and even though I had some difficulty deciding what size to make and the V-neck is a little too deep it is a great patten in all aspects.

Purple Jeans–see photo above-

This is a TNT (Tried and True) pattern for me.

The fabric was from a swap and I thought it would complement my Popover Top.

It had been awhile since I made this pattern and I found that I needed to make some fit changes so technically it is a muslin.

I also didn’t have quite enough fabric so I made the waist band out of a ponte fabric scrap and eliminated pockets.

5. This pattern is a keeper but I really need to reconsider sizing before I make it again.

Barb’s Garments: Spring Capsule in Navy as Neutral

My inspiration was the Sewing Workshop’s March Sew Confident project.  I am not a member of Sew Confident 2026.

Modified as follows: shorten the pants 2″, or as desired, and eliminate the front vents and facings.  Baste the ends of ½ of a ponytail holder 3 and ½ inches from finished lower edge to the side/back leg piece to form a loop for a button.  Stitch a 1″ strip of contrasting fabric down front of leg using a 1/4″ SA joining the front and back pieces.  Press both seams toward the center.  Topstitch the seam without the loop. Back patch pockets:  Using New Look 6703 or pocket of choice.  Cut horizontally on decorative stitching line and sew a 1″ strip of contrast fabric between the new top and bottom w 5/8″ SA and topstitch. Finish pockets per directions.  Stitch in place at desired placement.  Sew a button on each pocket.  Construct per Urban pattern,  Sew button at end of ponytail holder loop and another 2″ out towards the sides for optional pleat effect.

Sewing Workshop Mimosa Top/Vest in navy linen-photo above

1. No pattern changes.  This was my first “make” of this pattern.  Catching the edge of the band on the underside was tricky for me.

1. I used the Mix-It top pattern laying it over the Liberty front and traced a new front.  I omitted the collar. I lengthened the new front and the Liberty back piece 2″ at the S/L line.  I shortened the sleeves 8″.  I followed the Mix-It front neckline and facing instructions.  Then I continued with the Liberty instructions.  I used a 2″ wide bias strip of self-fabric to bind the armholes.  I have 6 buttonholes and buttons in my vest/top.

1. I made a forward shoulder adjustment to the Marceau top. I shortened the sleeves 3″.  I created a new front by placing the right front pattern piece on the fold. Repeat with right back pattern piece to create a new back.  Using the Sew House Seven Tabor view 4 neckline, I matched the “point” of the neck/shoulder of the front of both patterns to make new neckline.  This raises the back neckline 1 and 1/4″.  I cut out the “V” on the front using the Tabor front neckline.  I constructed the front per Tabor and using the wide neckline band.  I finished the  construction using Marceau pattern.

1. I tried using the instructions from the blog for this variation on the Sewing Workshop website.  My problem was that my fabric had an undesirable back that I didn’t want to show.  I cut the collar according to the blog and shortened the top of the facing to 2” shorter than the adjusted collar.  Follow sewing instruction of the blog.  I omitted topstitching the front facing as instructed.  Collar: fold right sides tog and stitch ends enclosing the facing, trim, and turn. Stitch down collar to jacket back.   I finished my jacket by topstitching the front facings along the finished raw edge.   

Kristin’s Garments:

The knit version is cut at the midi version. The woven is shorter by about 8”.

The knit version is very comfortable to wear. The woven version needs to sit at waist or you will lose the blouse effect which means the woven fabric will fit very close.

There are separate pattern pieces for woven vs. knit. The bodice of woven is at less of a bias than the knit and the woven is wider from waist down.

The pattern instructions recommend hand stitching hems to continue the luxurious feel of the dress but I wasn’t going for luxe so I machine stitched 🙂

May-cohost Karen Sweet

Saturday, May 9, Open Studio Sewing, Mpls.

Wednesday, May 13, Ginny’s, Rochester

Thursday, May 14, Creative Sewing, Apple Valley

Also note: June meetings are all one week later-June 17, 18 and 20

Debbie stepped back into her hosting shoes for April meetings so I could be with grandkids as they welcomed their new sister into the family-

But let’s move on to your garments!!

My just-serviced coverstitch machine is for sale-$300. I have more machines than I need 🙂 This is my favorite stand alone coverstitch. Babylock BLCS-2.

I’m at Creative Sewing in Apple Valley today (Thursday, April 16) and would love to leave it here with a new owner.

Text if you are interested 952-201-3863 and I will respond as I can-class at 1 pm.