hallå patterns

2017 Wrap-Up

~ Michelle ~ 2 Comments

I don’t usually do a wrap-up post, but this year I started out saying I was going to finish some unfinished projects, so I thought it would be fun to look back and see how I did.

2017’s UFOs

 I started off the year mentioning a few things on an ever-continuing sewing list I just wasn’t finishing. I did finish a few of them.I don’t want to cover everything I did this year – just a few highlights.

January, February, & March

In January, I worked on my personal croquis. This is something I’d wanted to do for a while, but had put off. I don’t know why I put it off for so long. I love it! It’s come in handy so many times, especially to digitally try on clothes to see how they’ll fit. 

January also saw me work on the Raspberry Ripple bag, which I finished in February.

In March, I drafted my first bra using the Drafting information in the Bra Makers Manual Vol 2. Although it looked okay, it didn’t fit properly. I hadn’t splayed my wires enough. Lesson learned and changes applied to the next draft.

April, May, & June

May is when I discovered the hallå agnes pattern. I love this pattern! I made five of them over the next couple of months. I have plans to make a few with sleeves for winter.

July, August, & September

In July, I helped organize the Canada 150 – It’s in the Bag blog tour. I also made my first Canada bag.I ultimately made four Canada bags, three of which are now in Columbia. I used the free Miss Maggie pattern by Emmaline Bags. This is a great pattern. I have plans for more Miss Maggies.

In August, I made another bra draft, and a Cloth Habit Watson bralette.

September was a big bra month. I made two more bra drafts, and another  Watson for Em.  

October, November, & December

In October, I helped to organize another blog tour. This time it was Canada Cups – Coming Unwired blog tour. I made a lovely Pin-Up Girls Sweet Sixteen bralette for myself. This is such a great pattern for having so many sizes. It’s supportive and pretty. What more can a girl want?In November, I helped organize one more blog tour. This time it was the ChrisW Designs Global Blog tour. For this tour I made the Serendipity Hip pattern for a friend.December came and saw one more bra draft, well two actually. The first draft didn’t fit and I wasn’t really expecting it to fit. That first draft of December led to a perfectly fitting draft. I’m ready to start bra-making again in the New year. What a great way to end my bra-making year!

Unfinished Business

   I still have a couple of things on my sewing list from this year that didn’t get finished.

Here’s the list that’s been sitting on my desk:

  • bra pattern
  • test bra pattern
  • read up on bag dividers
  • make a pattern for a bag divider
  • sew Raspberry Ripple.

Out of all of that, I did the first three. I found a pattern with a bag divider so skipped the forth one. There’s still one Raspberry Ripple all cut out and interfaced just waiting for me. I think that will be one of the first things I sew in 2018.

I said starting off, that my sewing list is ever-continuing. There are projects I’ve added for my 2018 sewing list.

  • I want to work on the design or style of my drafted bra pattern and sew a bra or two or three or four…
  • I have two lap quilts to sew.
  • A friend wants a robe.
  • I want to sew another handbag or two.
  • I have material to sew two winter Agnes tops.

That’s a few things to get me started in 2018.

Happy New Year, and happy creating!

Another Agnes Dress

~ Michelle ~ 4 Comments

I have a few sewing projects on my list of things to sew. Three of them are gifts for my son’s birthday this month. His girlfriend wants me to sew her a bralette. And let’s not forget I want to get back to bra drafting.

In the midst of all that, I’m planning to sew some new clothes for summer.

Thankfully, with all these projects, one project I’m planning for me is really quick and I know turns out well. It’s the  hallå patterns’ agnes swing top & dress.  It’s quick to cut out and quick to sew.

My last one turned out pretty much perfectly with no adjustments. The armhole was a touch big, so I trimmed a 1/4″ off the shoulder to bring that up and am leaving the rest of this as is. I was thinking I’d make another dress, and a couple of tops.

As it turns out, I cut out three dresses and one top. Here are the fabrics I’m using.

The blue and red floral is a dress, and so is the blue splotchy one. The red splotchy one is an agnes swing top. All of these fabrics were Fabricland finds from my trip to Ontario last year, and they’re all gorgeous cotton Lycras.

I also cut this fabric out as a dress.

For this dress, I have some black cotton Lycra in my stash left over from panty-making. I think I’ll use that for the neck and arm bindings. It will give it a nice color block feel, and a pop of contrasting color. This fabric was another one of my Fabricland finds, but this time at 70% off here at home. I love a great deal like this.

Birthday sewing had to come first though, so although I’ve cut these dresses out, only the top got sewn up so far.

Here’s my first agnes swing top. I’ve been wearing it and it’s so very flattering. I love it.

I did have some fun while finishing this off. I’m using my CoverPro machine. I really do love how neatly it finishes the hems.

Oh, that’s a pretty hem.

I’ll have to do a fashion show with all my dresses and tops in an upcoming post. My husband/photographer is out of town today, so a photo of me in my new top will have to wait. I can say, I’m loving this top!

Happy creating!

When Things Aren’t Coming Together

~ Michelle ~ 8 Comments

Have you ever had a sewing project that just wasn’t coming together? I’ve had two of those recently.

A Butt-Kicking

Let’s talk about the first one. It’s a lovely dress. The Carefree dress by hallå.

Isn’t that pretty? It’s been kicking my butt!

It’s not the pattern. It’s dumb little things that keep happening. I cut out the skirt and somehow laid the top out and didn’t have enough material. I had been sure I had enough. I gave up at that point because it was late, and I really like my material. The next day when I went back, I did have enough material. I couldn’t figure out how I couldn’t see that the night before.

Everything got cut out and then had to wait.

I had to take a break from sewing my dress to finish another project that I’ll be revealing in a few days. Let me give you a peek.

Oh! That is gorgeous fabric! It has words from Canada’s national anthem on it.

Well, now that I’m mentioning something… There’s a blog tour coming up right away. Tune in tomorrow for the launch!

Back to the skirt. I finally had some time again this week to get back to sewing it, only to feel like I was getting beat up again. This time it was the waist gathering. I sewed that long running stitch to make the gathers three times. It broke the first two times when I was gathering it. I did get it though. I am determined. I will finish this dress.

Here’s what I have so far.

I’m really liking this. The material was the last of its kind at my local fabric store, and it was 70% off. I liked that too. It’s a lovely cotton Lycra (CL), so will be wonderful to wear.

Here’s how the top will kind of look once it’s done. Well, I’m sure it will look better than this, but you can get the idea.

I’m using the same red CL for the waistband as for the arm and neck bindings.

I’m also thinking of making a hack to the pattern. Rather than sew the top to the waistband, I’m thinking of adding a band to it, and leaving it separate. As well, I’m thinking of making a red top and band so I can add a little more versatility to this rather than just the one look.

Happy creating!

Agnes Swing Top & Dress

~ Michelle ~ 6 Comments

This week I’m trying a new pattern. It’s the hallå patterns’ agnes swing top & dress. I’m making the dress.

This is so pretty! I’ve heard so many great things about this pattern. I was really looking forward to trying it.

Something I Like

Right off, I can tell you something I really like about this pattern. It’s a layered PDF pattern so I can print the size I want, or if not sure, just two sizes. I love that! I’ve also heard the instructions for these patterns are really good. I’ll let you know.

Plans

My plans are to use this adorable pattern to make a nightdress or two. I really don’t like the over-sized, one-size-fits-all sleep tees that are so commonly available. I also love my cotton, which narrows things down too.

Another idea I have for a nightgown is the Butterick 6031. I’ve made the camisole, but if I lengthen the slip it would be a lovely nightgown.

Last year, I purchased some lovely cotton Lycra my fabric store brought in. This year, it’s all on sale 70% off. I’ve bought a few more solid colors and prints just for my summer nightgown project. One of the solid colors is the same as my summer house coat, so I’m thrilled about that. That’s where I’m starting.

Small Bumps in the Road

This bump isn’t a new bump. When I look at my measurements, the pattern would put me in a size 20. I know that will be way too big. Out comes my sloper just to prove to me this is going to be too big..

My sloper has a little bit of ease added to it, and I would want more ease for a nightgown. However, this would still be way too big.

I’ve been down this road so many times though, so I knew to look at my high bust measurement rather than my full bust. And even though I’ve been sewing for 25+ years, I learned about the high bust on this blog! Thank you!

My high bust wasn’t going to work this time though. It was going to put me in a size 2/4, and I knew that would be way too small for me.

Since I could print different layers, I printed off 6/8, 10/12, and 14/16.

You can see below, my shoulder hits between the 6/8 and 10/12.

Solution

If I wanted something a little more fitted, I’d probably adjust the shoulder to a 6/8. I’d make a size 10/12 except for the bust, which I’d make a 14/16. Seeing as I want this loose for sleeping, I’m making the 14/16.

My Agnes Make

This does come together really quickly. It’s quick to cut out, and quick to sew up. A serger is what is used in the instructions, so I’m used my serger.

I finished it with a rolled hem.
My hubby is so cute. He tells me this looks like a summer dress. I told him it is a summer dress!

It’s super comfy and as I’d heard, a pretty easy and clear sew.

I will definitely make another agnes, probably a top because it is a very flattering style. I’ll also make one change.

For my next one I’ll use the instructions from the Perfect T-Shirt to do my bindings for the neckline and arms. I prefer her way. It will take a bit longer, but I think the results are a bit better too. I’m not used to this way either, and feels a bit more in control sewing on the bindings in two steps. This one was just one step with the serger.

Here I am in my new agnes.

Material Disappointment

My one disappointment here is not in the pattern, or the instructions. When I was cutting out the dress, I noticed some imperfections in the material.

I’m calling these ‘slubs’ because this reminds of what you get in slub cotton. However, this isn’t supposed to be slub cotton. I’m glad it’s just a nightgown. I turn the lights out and don’t notice them at all.

Happy creating!