Christine Sews

I have re-purposed the blackout lining from my old bedroom drapes, and re-used them for these new drapes.  Finally.

I dreaded making these drapes.  The lined curtains in the family room took so long. But I must be learning, because I made these in an evening with the same process. Except, since I used true blackout lining this time, I let it hang free at the sides and bottom.  So that the front layer of fabric would hang nicely, instead of being stiff.

The bottom of the drapes are puddled.  To do this with vinyl backed blackout fabric, the blackout layer has to be cut shorter, and left to hang free.  The top layer, in this case, the French Country toile, has to be cut long enough to drag on the floor.  Then the ends need to be finished so they won’t ravel.  They can be hemmed, or serged since they will be tucked under.

I caution you against the puddling if you have a pet or child who will lie on the drapery.   If not, then leaving the fabric long makes measuring much easier.  And if you decide to move the drapery to another window, you have extra fabric to work with at the length.

See also

• Lined Drapes - Sewing Tips
• Sewing Tips - Pattern Matching
• Toile Fabric - How to Cut

Simplicity pattern 5284, view D is a child’s jacket.  I decided to recycle a fleece shawl into a new jacket for my daughter.  She is allergic to wool.  And fleece is lightweight, warm and washable.

I also chose this particular shawl because I had wanted to recycle it for the Vogue cardigan sweater, V2949, that I made recently.  But it was too short by about four inches.  And I knew piecing it would ruin the drape of the design.  So now we both have charcoal grey fleece (offsite link) winter frocks.

The pattern envelope shows a little boy wearing a fleece with a sports motif.  But by using a more somber color, I have a completely different look to the jacket.  I can convince my child to wear it because of the Hello Kitty applique that I added.

Fleece is very forgiving, since it doesn’t ravel.  But it can be difficult to topstitch, due to being so thick.  I topstiched it about a half inch from the edge, which is further than I would typically use as the spacing.

I cut out two pockets, instead of one.  And attached them closer to the hemline, rather than at chest level.  And I did not turn them under around three sides, just trimmed them off with pinking shears to make them look nice, and lie flat.

During the Spring, I made view C of this pattern into a reversible jumper .  And closer to summer, I made the jumper into the lightweight butterfly and ballet print dresses.  It has proven to be a very versatile style.

The pattern calls for four one half inch buttons.  And provides a pattern piece with markings.  But I used grossgrain ribbon to add color and femininity.

Vogue Pattern V2949, a cardigan sweater, has a very different feel to it sewn up with charcoal colored fleece, than it does with cream colored waffle knit.  It is entirely more serious, much warmer, and the bottom bands of view A add an asymmetrical peplum style to the bottom.

I thought I looked a bit large and odd wearing this coat, due to the unusual shape of hemline.  It does not skim the body, but rather drapes loosely and stands out to some degree.  I think it stands out due to the thick fleece that I used.  And the seamline where the bottom bands are attached at the hips cause it to be a little stiff in that area.  The coat actually looked better after I had sat on it for a while. That appears to have removed some of the stiffness at that seam.

Unlike some of the patterns I have made; I think the addition of the peplum for view A, and the absence of it for view B , really make the coat look different.  It is still a loose modern coat.  But view A is much longer, and does drape differently.  I think perhaps view A would be best on a woman with a longer torso, i.e. not me.  I feel more comfortable in the other jacket that I made with the waffle weave, as it feels less bulky around my body.

Sewing Tips and Notes:

• Use a heavy northern type fleece for a more professional look.  The cheap fleece will begin to pill immediately.
•  Fleece is thick.  Adjust your serger and sewing machine accordingly.
• Most sewing patterns for fleece can be put together with the serger for all of the main pieces, using the sewing machine only for the edges.
• Fleece does not ravel.  If you need a fluid edge, as this modern design requires, leave the edges free for the most drape.
• Fleece does not breathe.  I only like it on open neck styles.  Consider whether it will cause you to be too warm when you are deciding if you want to use it.

See also, Vogue Patterns V8151 .

Being a person who sews, but having no skill whatsoever at knitting limits the type of sweaters that I can create.  But I still really like sweaters.  I found this Vogue Pattern, V2949, a cardigan sweater style to sew.

I tried to photograph the entire coat.  But once again, I photographed myself, using a mirror to aim.  But you get the idea.

The design is a very loose modern  fit and looks very casual sewn with this waffle knit.  The knit is the same one I used for a previous Today’s Fit pattern, v8151, and was the only knit I had in my fabric stash.  I am going to make it again in a charcoal color fleece.  I tried to find sweater knit.  But what I found was either very cheap and ugly looking, or very expensive.  So fleece it will be.

The pattern pieces are very odd shapes.  And I kept them on the pattern paper until I was ready to put them together to help prevent confusion.  I still managed somehow to sew one front sleeve piece to one front piece so that the seam would show and had to take it off and do it again.  The instructions were very clear, much more clear than typical pattern instructions.  And the pattern paper was nicer than usual, a white paper that was easier to see through and refold.

I used a smaller pattern size than I did for the shirt v8151 , since it came out a bit large.  And this worked out to fit perfectly at the shoulders and upper chest.  As is my custom, I had presumed myself to be larger than I actually am.  Even a tape measure is unable to convince me.

Coincidentally, Australian Stitches aka Sewing with Stitches, has an article about this cardigan pattern, v2949, and includes really beautiful photos of it done up with a hand applied blanket stitch around the collar and hemline.  If I were using a different fabric, and had the time, I would try it.  I cannot find the web site address for Sewing with Stitches, so if anyone has it please do share.

I made view B of the cardigan, which is the shorter style, and finished the collar and hem with a serged edge.  It makes for a very fluid finish.  It closes nicely with a brooch.  But due to the very casual fabric I have used, looks silly.  It came out to look nicer than a hoodie.  I really wish I could wear a wool jersey.  But it is just too itchy for me.