Blog Closing – thank you, and here’s an exclusive sale for you!

We’ve been busy as always at Thread Theory headquarters but, as you’ve probably noticed, I haven’t been adding to this blog much at all! It’s time to formally shut this blog down as other aspects of Thread Theory (and life) have been keeping me too occupied to give it the time it deserves. We have a huge line up of patterns at the brink of release so I’ll be putting all my extra energy into those for the next year.

I know many of you have followed along here for years (some of you have been here since the start in 2013)! To thank you for all the time you’ve given to reading and commenting on my posts, I’ve created a big discount code just for readers of this post. The code TTBLOGREADER will give you 25% off all physical patterns, notions and even Merchant & Mills tools. It’ll operate until December 10th 2021. You can browse gorgeous scissors, heirloom wooden tools, and all sorts of appealing menswear and women’s workwear patterns at your leisure! Head here to peruse the selection.

To keep abreast of Thread Theory pattern releases and sales, you are welcome to sign up for our newsletter (scroll to the bottom of the linked page to see the sign up form). We generally post once a month or less when we have relevant info to share and we like to add inspirational Thread Theory community makes or links to sewing education with each posts. It’s a great one stop way to stay in the loop!

Otherwise, Adrianna, our production manager, is very active on Thread Theory social media (Facebook and Instagram), so you could join in the fun there.

Lastly, if you are into Facebook Groups, there is a super active Thread Theory one where people would love to answer your specific sewing questions or view your latest menswear or women’s workwear makes!

This blog will remain online so old posts are still accessible by search engine and I have added the most useful of our tutorials (and all sew-alongs) directly to our website.

Thanks, again, for being my supportive community for so many years. This blog linked me to people worldwide who shared the same passions as I did long before I joined any form of social media! This is certainly a bittersweet moment but it is time now to embrace change and focus on the areas of life that need me and continue to allow my community (both locally and online) to grow.

The Woodley Tee has landed – and it’s available in men’s and women’s sizing!

It’s been a while but our newest pattern is ready (and more will be following hot on its heels!). The Woodley Tee is a relaxed fit crew-cut t-shirt meant to be comfortable and practical. I am very excited about this one because it is the first of our Quarry Workwear Collection; you will be meeting the rest of the workwear in this collection throughout the Fall and Winter!

The Quarry Workwear Collection is different than our previous collections in that each of it’s patterns will be available in men’s and women’s sizing. It also includes an expanded size range all the way up to a 57″ Chest for our men’s size chart and a 51″ Chest for our women’s size chart.

Get to know the Woodley…

The Woodley Tee is an important staple in this collection because it gives you a good indicator of the relaxed fit you might expect from the more complicated upcoming patterns. That being said, the Woodley Tee isn’t just practical, there are some fun styling details too! You have the option to sew a colour-blocked tee or a monochrome tee and you can add a pocket featuring contrast or self fabric. The back neckline and shoulder seams are beautifully finished with self (or contrast) fabric or twill tape. The instructions walk you through sewing with knits with or without a serger.

The Woodley Tee is the first pattern that Adrianna, our talented pattern development manager, has worked on from start to finish. You can look forward to the clarity of her instructions and the accuracy of her beautiful illustrations…really, her work on the instruction booklets is amazing! I am so thrilled to have her expertise on our team since the detailed nature of our instruction booklets have been one of the best reviewed aspects of our patterns for many years now. Adrianna, with the Woodley Tee and all patterns moving forward, has helped push Thread Theory to the next level in quality and clarity.

How we wear the Woodley…

Modelling the Woodley Tee was a family and farm affair this time! My dad and Matt gamely agreed to wear their samples during the sweaty work of splitting a year’s worth of firewood in one day. We rented a wood splitter this year since all my parent’s forest management efforts had led to such a huge pile of rounds to process.

My dad typically wears a size L these days when purchasing store bought garments but I offered him an XL as his sizing can fluctuate quite a bit and really falls between L and XL on our size chart. He liked the extra length provided by the XL as he typically tucks his t-shirts in. The short sleeves also fell at his preferred length and the shirt body matched his preferred amount of ease. If I were to sew him a custom tee I would probably grade down to a L at the shoulders and keep the XL for the rest.

Matt is wearing a size S sample. He is between our size S and M sizes but tends to prefer a slightly more fitted look so I went with the smaller size.

He liked the length of the long sleeves (he has long arms and we have always drafted our patterns to include slightly longer sleeves than many RTW brands provide). I think the fitted crew-neck looks very flattering on him.

The women’s pattern was drafted and graded separately to match a women’s size chart but features the exact same fit and style lines to create an androgynous garment.

Since our workwear collection includes my sizing, I modelled this time as well! I wore our women’s size 2 and I match the size chart quite closely. I really love the cut of this tee at the waist and hips in particular – it doesn’t hug anything tightly but feels a lot less slouchy than the basic tees I already have in my closet because it is a bit more fitted at the hips. I am not used to such a close crew-neck (I tend to purchase tees with scoop necklines) but found it to be very comfortable and also kind of cozy. I really like how the pocket and color blocked seamline add enough detail to the top that I feel comfortable wearing it with a bralette or lace bra rather than a smooth and padded t-shirt bra…not sure if anyone relates to this, but in my closet, any top that works with comfortable and minimalist undergarments is in heavy rotation!

The pattern features a number of variations including seam finishes, cuff fabric options (ribbed or self) and short or long sleeves. The long sleeve monochrome variation sewed up wonderfully in a lush sweater knit with matching ribbing for the neckline and cuffs. If I wanted a roomier sweater or to use an even bulkier knit I could just go up one size.

As you’ve probably noticed, a basic t-shirt was a bit of glaring gap in our existing pattern catalogue. I hope it will help to fill the corresponding gap in your me-made wardrobe! I look forward to seeing your versions on social media using #woodleytee or you can email photos to me at info@threadtheory.ca.

Celebrate the launch

This week only, to celebrate the launch, download the Woodley Tee for 15% off using code WOODLEYLAUNCH

Lastluy, stay tuned for the upcoming Woodley Sew-along! It will be run on our website with weekly email newsletter updates so make sure you’re signed up for the newsletter if you want to sew-along with us. Here on the blog you can expect the next post to be all about Summer life on the farm!

Happy sewing!

Download the Woodley Tee: Women’s Sizing or Men’s Sizing

Two years at Forgotten Pond Farm

This weekend marks the second anniversary that we’ve lived on our little farm! I think I can venture to say that, over the last winter, we’ve really settled into this new lifestyle. Watching the increasingly familiar signs of Spring emerging on the property truly makes me feel home. While the sense of unknown and feeling of discovery as each season progressed were very exciting during our first year on the property, it is so comfortable to be able to anticipate and feel in sync with the seasonal changes now that we’ve experienced our second year.

This winter was, as you might expect, a busy one for projects around the property seeing as we were so home-bound. I feel ever so fortunate that our winter of Covid isolation was this winter rather than the prior one – toddlerhood is so much more enjoyable for Matt and I than muddling through life with a newborn!

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Knowing our property that much better allowed us to settle into routines and projects much more than the previous winter when the scale of every project and problem on a homestead felt a little too large and scary for us to tackle.

Whenever allowed, both sets of Noah’s grandparents have been included in our bubble, and, as always, they have been incredibly supportive and eager to take on childcare or projects around the property. We are so very lucky to have such a supportive family and, of course, when they were forced to socially distance from us at various points throughout the year, their support, love and companionship was sorely missed by all three of us.

My parents, who share ownership of the property with us and intend to live here once my mom has retired, have been full steam ahead with land clearing and milling. They are building a large workshop and will eventually move into the existing house (where we currently live) once we have built our new one. This winter we had arborists come to clear both building sites and my parents have since bought a mill to turn all of the fallen trees into beautiful lumber. They are so thrilled with this enormous project!

Our impending house build project has really begun to feel possible now that the land is cleared! You can see above that our build site will have lovely south exposure and a gorgeous view of my garden! We have spent quite a few sunny winter afternoons having campfires at the site and roasting hotdogs while we sit on stumps imagining them to be our future living room couch.

The site where my parents are building their shop is now cleared, has a gravel road, and is home to a temporary shop that they set up in a rented sea container. I can’t wait to see their build come together – it will hopefully be started this summer if their plans proceed smoothly. My dad plans to build a second story overtop the workshop which I will rent from him as the Thread Theory studio…this new studio space can’t come soon enough for us as we are bursting at the seams with inventory here in our house!

As you can see from the photo selection so far, chainsaws and tractors have figured hugely in our winter activities…I can’t say I ever imagined my life would revolve around these pieces of heavy machinery but, thanks to my dad’s enthusiasm for them, they have certainly shaped our property. The wood chipper, in particular, suits my plans perfectly as I’m adding to the fertility of the land by having my parents chip all the branches taken from the logs as they mill their lumber. The chips are then piled high around perennials and in the orchard to protect the tree roots from the chickens and retain moisture in the summer. The effects were very noticeable last summer and I can’t wait to see how lush everything becomes this year! My dad just added a backhoe attachment to his collection and I have already come up with a million landscaping plans for which it will be essential.

The first big project is digging a french drain across our ‘homestead area’ (the fenced portion of our land where I am developing the orchard, garden and livestock paddock) that leads from a seasonal rain catchment pond. For two winters now we’ve waded through a lake of slush and mud all winter long to get to our chicken coop. The seasonal pond paired with the french drain will hopefully allow the water to seep into our garden area and then excess can be sent down to the meadow and swamp at the lowest edge of our property.

While my parents have been occupied with power tools, I have frequently been in the kitchen preserving and cooking over the course of last Fall and Winter. Noah was a great help during the apple harvest and has since consumed more than his share of dehydrated apple rings, apple juice and apple sauce.

I was really thrilled with how our preserved homegrown veggies saw us through the winter. I didn’t get too crazy about eating only from the larder seeing as our local grocery shop and a nearby farm continue to sell a nice selection of local veggies all year round…but all the same, most of our meals feature at least once thing I grew and preserved! Our potatoes, garlic, frozen kale, collards, and swiss chard are still in plentiful supply.

Over the winter, as a creative pursuit and a way to feel connected to our new community, I’ve been developing a pizza dough recipe that I hope to sell at the farmer’s market this spring. I haven’t heard back from the market adjudicators yet but I sure hope they will allow me to rent a table! Here is my very rough and tumble website so far. Sonia (my sister-in-law and the talented graphic designer who creates our Thread Theory packaging) is working on a logo and packaging design for my pizza dough but, in the interim, the website gives you a bit of a temporary feel for what I will be selling. We’ve even bought an old van (named Jenny) that would allow me to bring a freezer of dough to the market! I might snazzy her up with a homemade paint job if I work up the courage.

Aside from all these activities, we’ve been building a fence for livestock (just chickens right now but we will hopefully add goats to this area one day), enjoying the wildlife around our property (loads of owls and frogs this Fall and Winter compared to the first winter we were here), setting up a brew-station for Matt (he likes to brew beer), painting parts of the house, and have just generally been having fun playing and exploring with Noah.

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I am feeling so energized now that Spring is here! I can’t wait for the growing season! Thanks for following along on this adventure with us.

Here’s who to thank for a VERY busy pattern release schedule this year!

Please help me to welcome Adrianna to our team! Adrianna has recently joined us remotely to help me with pattern development and social media (read: to pick up my slack whenever I focus on parenting more than working!). She does an amazing job writing instructions and her illustrations blow mine right out of the water! I anticipate that our pattern release schedule will be greatly increased this year and I’m so excited about this!

You’ll be seeing Adrianna around Instagram and Facebook from now on as she takes over the running of those two accounts. Please make her feel welcome and say hi!

I’m really excited to have Adrianna working with me as it is the first time I’ve had a colleague who has all the same skill sets that I do. I’ve already been enjoying the increased sense of camaraderie as we trouble shoot instruction wording, discuss the details of pattern labelling, and the merits of various fabric choices. I feel very fortunate that someone with just the skills I needed had the courage and initiative to get in touch and offer her services. Thank you for sending that first email, Adrianna!

Here are a few questions I asked Adrianna recently in hopes of getting to know her better:

Can you tell us a little bit about your professional sewing-related background?

I have a BFA from the Academy of Art University in Fashion Design specializing in Menswear. Since graduating I have worked for a variety of clothing companies, from corporate mass production brands to small made to order clothing brands, specialized tailoring boutiques, and most importantly indie sewing pattern companies. I love the community that is involved with home sewing, and it is my passion to teach and share my skills with others and provide encouragement for people to learn how to create their own clothing and accessories.

Where do you live and what do you like about your community?

I live in Portland, OR, USA. The sewing (and craft community in general) is huge here which is what I love the most about this city. The street that I live on has a small fabric store, knitting shop, AND craft supply store, amongst several coffee shops, all which I can walk to in about 10 minutes. Portland is also big on community support and activism which is important to me. Though the media has portrayed Portland as…. interesting to say the least, I will attest that in my experience all the activism I have experienced and participated in has been very positive (such things the news likes to leave out as it isn’t as dramatic). I have witnessed many friends and other sewing community members come together to share their skills and make supplies – such as masks, quilts, clothing, and mending kits –  and meals to help one another, especially over the past year. 

How did your interest in sewing first develop?

Most of my family is relatively artsy in some way, so there was always access to art and craft supplies at my home. My grandmother, Mom, and Aunts had all contributed in teaching me how to sew, knit, and crochet. Sewing took the lead in my teens after I started making my own clothes and fell in love with the empowerment that gave me. I was, and still am to this day, a bit shy so I find it easiest to express my creativity through making clothing and accessories. In high school I started taking classes at a small boutique in Milwaukee, WI, USA, where I am from, and it inspired me to keep on going with it so I decided that was what I was going to study for a career. 

What aspects of designing and sewing menswear excite and interest you?

What I love most about sewing is how technical it can be. I have always been more of a technical person, so in regards to making clothes – fit, details, and construction techniques have always been what interests me the most. Traditional menswear tends to have more of a focus on these things which is why I gravitated towards it in college. From my menswear degree I have landed some very fun and rewarding jobs!

What project is on your sewing table right now?

I am currently in the middle of reworking some garments in my wardrobe! One of the things I have helped my community with over the past year is making something new out of what you have, whether that is mending an old garment that would have been thrown away, or taking apart a garment you have and making something new out of it. I recently made some Qualicum Bags out of repurposed denim jeans I had that didn’t fit any more and also turned one pair of jeans into a skirt. I am in the process of taking apart some dresses that I had bought because I liked the fabric, but the style didn’t really fit me, so I’m hoping to make some breezy tank tops or a pair of beach shorts out of them. 

Can you tell us a little bit about your sewing space?

I have had some very cramped and odd sewing set ups in the past so I am extremely happy to say that the house I live in currently has a converted, insulated, and spacious outdoor shed that my partner and I share for our artistic endeavors. Half the studio is set up for my sewing and the other half is filled with rock n roll instruments. I wish I had more helpful tips for organization, but it is something I feel like I am working on everyday. Most of my smaller tools I keep in a variety of mason jars so I can easily see them, and my fabric I have stored in vacuum sealed bags in many rope bowls, on a built in shelf unit. I have all of my patterns in labeled binders, but they currently are not necessarily in the correct binders. Like I said, something I work on daily! I have a senior cat named Oliver that I rescued almost 3 years ago that keeps me company some of the time, mostly when I am doing computer work. I have had to keep him away from the studio when I’m sewing as he is a typical cat that likes to plop on whatever fabric or paper is out. As far as tools, I have become dependent on my wacom tablet for all computer work. I also have a large standing desk that I use for sewing and computer work which has been a godsend for my back and shoulders!

What sewing-related patterns, projects or supplies are piquing your interest right now?

Due to being home all the time, I have found my hobby sewing has been focused on interior projects. I have made some throw blankets and pillows, new curtains for the studio, I have been experimenting with braided rugs and am in the process of collecting enough scraps to make the Closet Core pouf. I have also been building up the courage to re-upholster a loveseat that my dear cat scratched up.

Thanks for the detailed answers, Adrianna! It’s been lovely to get to know you better. Welcome to our team!

Carmanah Sweater – our new pattern has landed!

Meet the newest pattern in our menswear line – the Carmanah Sweater!

This sweater pattern is part of our menswear Alpine Collection which means that it is designed as hardwearing activewear.

As such, it includes details reminiscient of high end adventurewear: Notice the twill tape seam finish, the chin guard, reinforced grommets, a well-shaped three piece lined hood, and lots of topstitching.

This pattern was designed to be a very versatile one that can be sewn up over and over to create a whole wardrobe of comfortable sweaters fit for many occasions.

There are a myriad of variations and an excellent array of color-blocking options so that each sweater you sew will look unique.

Instead of creating ‘Variation 1′ and Variation 2’ as per usual, we’ve created five mix and match sections.

Choose between a full zipper or a quarter zipper. Sew a collar or a hood. Add a kangaroo pocket or leave it off. Sew your sweater with one fabric or select contrast yokes and a pocket.

One of the great joys of sewing is the ability to choose your own fabric and style. This pattern is quite flexible – as long as your knit has at least 10% stretch and a medium weight, you can choose anything from cozy jogging fleece to a sporty ribbed knit to elegant boiled wool!

Indeed, with the right fabric and zipper choice your Carmanah could even look quite dressy (think soft boiled merino with a fine antique brass zipper with leather pull tab).

Two cuff pattern pieces are included so that you can use self fabric or a contrast rib knit depending on the stretch and bulk of your main fabric. The instructions include details on how to avoid ripples when installing your zipper. In fact, the instructions are very thorough so if you are new to working with knits, this sweater might be a great project to tackle after your first t-shirt. The more involved details are reminiscient of a woven jacket project and there are tips on how to set up your machine and handle your materials so that you do not need to struggle with stretch.

When I designed this sweater I imagined it would complement our very popular Finlayson Sweater pattern. Just like the Finlayson Sweater, its boxy shape makes it simple to fit and thus easy to sew as a gift (it’s possible to just guess the size or have a sneaky peek at the recipient’s closet).

It’s mix-and-match design allows sewists to cater the garment exactly to the recipient’s tastes – do they want a high-tech wicking hoodie to wear as a mid-layer while hiking? No problem! Do they want a ‘slightly more dressy than a crew-neck’ quarter-zip sweater to wear to the office or to Christmas dinner? Check! Just like the Finlayson, the high-end finishing details make it both a wardrobe basic and something that can be uniquely customized to suit the wearer’s personality.

Add a funky hood lining fabric and choose an interesting patterned or colored twill tape to add personality within the sweater. Finally, again like the Finlayson, this knit sweater is just involved enough to be an interesting and rewarding sewing project but still much simpler than sewing, say, a button-up shirt or jeans. It’s a nice in-between project to tackle when you don’t want to get overwhelmed by tailoring but still want to get creative with the details.

The size range for this pattern is: XS-4XL (36 1/4″-50″ Chest). 5/8″ seam allowances are included within the pattern.

We will be launching this pattern as a paper pattern during our next pattern re-print. If you order the PDF now but prefer the tissue pattern when it is available, please feel free to take advantage of our usual offer: Email us when the paper pattern is released and we will discount the cost of the PDF from your order – this way you get the format you prefer but, in the meantime, you can get sewing!

You could even sew the Carmanah Sweater this weekend! It is 20% off until Friday September 25th to celebrate it’s arrival to the shop. Happy sewing!

And now it is Summer at the farm!

Wow, Summer is certainly our busy season this year! Since the pandemic began Thread Theory has become exceptionally active so we are actually thankful that Matt’s usual work is at a stand still so he can join in to pack orders, do runs to the post office, and keep up on emails. I have been helping with this and also chugging along at pattern development. One pattern is completely done and just waiting for our graphic designer (my sister-in-law) to come back from maternity leave and add in our test sewer feedback. The next pattern is well under way! I’ve got most of the instructions roughed in. This has been more time consuming than our past couple of patterns because it is a very involved design full of all manner of construction details – topstitching, a full lining, zippered pockets, elasticated cuffs and much more. Perhaps you can guess what it is?

Outside of Thread Theory, homestead life is, predictably, at it’s most busy time too! We’ve finally settled on a name for our property – Forgotten Pond Farm – after setting out to put a small tadpole pond in our fern garden only to discover a huge concrete-lined pond is already there! It had simply been filled in with stones and dirt at some point. We have been excitedly digging and cleaning it out. After one last chance to dry in the sun we will build some rock ledges for plants and then fill it with water! I can’t wait for the frogs to take up residence!

Our garden is pumping out zucchini, kale, collards, garlic, potatoes, beans and more. The only disappointing harvest has been tomatoes so far as they have a very dismal case of late blight. We have built a bit of a cold room off our kitchen (it used to be an unused entry way that we’ve closed in and put up shelving and added ventilation). I can’t believe how quickly it is filling up with food! So far most of my preserving efforts have involved dehydrating, curing, and freezing but I plan to launch into canning once blackberries and tomatoes are fully ripe in a week or two.

You may have noticed I have been silent on social media. I must say, I don’t miss it! Personally, I was finding Instagram, in particular, to be a huge drain on my positivity and confidence. Professionally, Matt and I felt we had to clear the airwaves to leave these platforms free for those who need them for social change rather than marketing right now. We purposely didn’t make any statement on the pandemic or on racial equality since we have the perspective that any such statement would not be truly genuine – as a business, any post we make is a form of marketing (whether we intend it to be or not) and thus we don’t feel an important social statement would come across as genuine on the social media account of any business. Personally, I am more than happy to talk with you about the subject! Our business will not though.

Now that we’ve stepped off of social media and given ourselves some time to digest how we feel about using such platforms as a business, I am feeling quite happy with my decision. I feel like I can connect with other sewists most genuinely by blogging and reading blogs so I am reverting to that format of engaging with the sewing community online regardless on the impact this might have on Thread Theory financially.

Please feel free to continue using various Thread Theory hashtags if they are helpful to you… but please never feel obligated to do so when you post about our patterns! If you prefer to keep your sewing projects private or shared just amidst your friends and family, there is absolutely no obligation on your part to promote our patterns using hashtags. We have always been a little mystified by the sense of obligation I have read many people express when they sew with indie sewing patterns. Despite being a small family run company and despite the fact that we love how a community of menswear sewists has developed through use of our patterns (I can’t believe how active the Facebook group is) I have never felt comfortable with the role many of our customers set themselves. You have purchased our patterns and we thank you for that! You do not need to spend your precious creative time reviewing them, sharing them and otherwise marketing them unless this is also something that enriches your life!

All that being said, the Thread Theory social media accounts will remain active for now as I have committed many years of work on them and I know many of you enjoy engaging with them. I’ll just refrain from engaging myself and may make a more permanent decision later. For now it seems to me there is no reason to actually close them.

Now, I’ll get back to my sewing machine and pattern development (and hanging out with little Noah!), as that is really why you all check in with Thread Theory, after all… you are waiting for more sewing patterns so you can get busy at your machines too! Happy sewing to all of you and thank you ever so much for reading about my life and my current perspective on social media. Please don’t hesitate to share your opinions in the comments as I know many of you differ in how you expect small businesses to act on social media. I look forward to hearing the diverse array of perspectives.

Spring at the Farm

It’s time for a seasonal update about life at our homestead. This spring has been an unusual one, to say the least, but since it is only just our second Spring on the property (we moved here March 2019) life hasn’t been that abnormal for us as it has been for most…we have very little with which to compare this confinement at home! Matt is out of work right now as one would expect so we are trying to make the most of his extra time by ticking off as many projects as possible.

The vegetable garden and irrigation system have been our main focus. This last winter the garden was only a patch of layered cardboard, leaves, compost and straw. The chickens enjoyed many months of scratching though the debris for bugs until we were ready to plant.

I am attempting to use the No Dig method (by Charles Dowding) which I have used successfully on past gardens. This year though, we did not have a thick enough layer of quality compost to recreate past year’s flourishing spring gardens. The garden area was a market vegetable plot about 7 years ago but since then had been converted to pasture for small livestock. The soil is deep and dark but infested with wireworms which ate basically every seed I put in the soil and most of my early spring starts. Once the soil warmed up the wireworms moved deeper so my main season veggies seem to be chugging along nicely. According to some colleagues at the farm where I volunteer, the wireworm problem should become less over time since they thrive on grasses. I’ve hedged my bets and put cut up potato pieces in the garden as traps (I take out the pieces every few days and feed the wireworms to our chickens) and I’ve also applied beneficial nematodes. Between volunteering at the farm down the street and battling with this new-to-me pest, I have learned a lot about growing vegetables this spring!

While I’ve been battling wireworms Matt has been puzzling through the design and installation of a rainwater collection system. It has been a big cost in time and money but is necessary on this property because our well is not equipped to irrigate more than a single household. The larger our garden area becomes the more pressure this will put on our well and pump so we need to supplement with rainwater. We now have a 3000g tank installed by the shop and gravity fed drip tape spread throughout the orchard, berry hedgerow and vegetable garden. We hit a bit of a snag when the timer that Matt purchased would not work with the low pressure system he designed but we’ve set the idea of an automatic system aside for this year at least and are now just happy that the gravity fed system works with the turn of a few nozzles! The last piece to the puzzle will be extending the irrigation from Matt’s shop gutters (new last week) to the tank using PVC. That will happen in the next week or two…just in time for the summer dry spell. I hope there will be enough rain to fill the tank but I don’t really expect that to be the case! We will probably have to truck in one fill of water at least.

Aside from these large projects, we’ve been enjoying lots of smaller homestead tasks. This Spring has really marked the beginning of a new era on this property. Since moving in we have mostly been removing things: Junk, smelly flooring, accumulated wood scraps, overgrown brambles, overgrown trees, decrepit buildings. Around May we began to notice that some of our projects were actually centered around adding something new to the property…and then as May came to a close they transitioned one step further to include some projects that aesthetically as well as functionally improved the property. How exciting! Here are a few photos of the smaller tasks that we’ve tackled:

My parents (and their tractor) helped us to build this play area for Noah over the winter. This spring Matt planted the back levelled portion with clover seed and has been babying it with watering and mowing. I don’t have a current picture of the lush clover but you’ll have to believe me when I say it is the perfect spot for a picnic table!

The gorgeous fernery/grotto next to our sun room just keeps getting prettier! We’ve added a wood chip path through it and cleared out a lot of the overgrown ground cover so that I could add to the diversity of the garden by adding a variety of new ground covers. My grandparents just gave me a tadpole pond form for my birthday. I’m really looking forward to installing it in the middle of this garden. I think Noah will be the perfect age to investigate the tadpoles as they turn into frogs next spring!

Much of my May gardening time was spent watering by hand since the irrigation wasn’t ready yet. It was such a hot May and a very rainy and cool June.

Matt built a Lil’ Chick Cottage (as we’ve named it) using the only remaining decrepit building on the farm – a very sturdily built dog house. Noah enjoyed ‘helping’.

My dad built me these beautiful herb planters for our back patio and my mom filled them with soil and herbs. I’m just thrilled with them! They make the steps quite a bit safer feeling and are very convenient to access from the kitchen.

I’ve begun to paint the inside of the house at long last – the kitchen is now done and is much brighter (it used to be dark green and this picture is after one coat of slightly cream coloured white). I’ll continue the big job room by room and will tackle the easiest ones first as they can mostly be done in evenings and nap times. For the main living areas we will need to bring in painting or childcare help I think!

Matt’s dad built us a really handy TV bench to contain some of Noah’s toys. These sorts of projects really make our home feel ours…just ignore that dark burgundy wall (complete with many, many scratches and outright holes) for now, I can just picture how nice and fresh it will look white!

Lastly, we have some adorable Spring chicks in residence. We bought six chicks in hopes that most would be female since the vast majority of the chicks we raised last year turned out to be roosters. It turns out, we have three roosters this time. So in total, we will have a flock of five laying hens after purchasing fourteen chicks in two years. I don’t think those are especially good results but we are happy to have met and supported local farmers by purchasing chicks through them rather than buying sexed chicks from a farm and feed at least.

To close, a small tidbit of Thread Theory news: We just completed a photo shoot and our latest pattern is with testers right now! If all goes well I plan to launch it in August since it would make a nice Fall sewing project. If there are some more involved changes due to feedback we will, of course, adjust the timeline. Fingers crossed!

Our Pattern Collections and Names

I don’t think I’ve ever really fully explained how we name our patterns or organize them into collections. Since I’ve received many queries about this over the years, it is about time!

We began by developing four collection names as a framework to design our patterns within. The collections are Parkland Casual Wear, Alpine Activewear, Cityscape Urban Menswear, and Meadow Women’s Wear. You can see our very first four patterns marked out on the map above. They range in location from central to southern Vancouver Island. Let’s delve into these collections and the place names we’ve selected in more detail:

Garments within the Parkland Collection must be suitable to wear while strolling or picnicing at one of Vancouver Island’s many beaches or parks. Alpine Collection garments, on the other hand, must be suitable for more strenuous hiking or climbing throughout the mountain ranges on our island. Cityscape garments are great for either casual or business use in Victoria (Vancouver Island’s largest city which is still very small as far as cities go). Meadow Women’s Wear is simply comfortable women’s garments, there aren’t any restrictions on these designs as they have always been special releases for Thread Theory’s birthday and are simply garments I would like to wear!

Within the Parkland Collection you will find the Newcastle Cardigan, named after Newcastle Island near central Vancouver Island. This island was a great place to visit when we were kids. Both our families boated recreationally (and we probably came across each other at anchorages but, knowing my shy sister and I, we wouldn’t have joined in with whatever antics Matt and his brother were getting up to!

The Jedediah Pants were named after the island Matt and I visited (also near central Vancouver Island) by borrowed sailing boat when we were engaged. We climbed to the top of the highest mountain on the island where Matt proposed by writing a note to me and placing it in the stone cairn!

The Strathcona Henley is named after Strathcona Park which is an enourmous conservation area extending from mid to north Vancouver Island. Within this park are many spectacular hike in camping locations but also some lovely day walks, including my favourite, Paradise Meadows. This walk is a circle route with many boardwalks, alpine lakes, wildflowers and whiskey jack birds.

The Goldstream Peacoat was named after Goldstream Park in Victoria. This park is right near the main highway but upon taking several steps from the parking lot you are immersed in anothe world of ancient forests and babbling streams. When we lived in Victoria we loved to camp here. The Goldstream design would be a nice choice to wear here when taking a day trip from the city.

The Sayward Raglan was named after the northern Vancouver Island town of Sayward. Matt and I were considering buying a property in this tiny town around the time that we developed this pattern. While not named after a park, it still felt like a fitting name because the main reason we were drawn to this town is that it felt like the entire town and surrounding mountains were one big park! We found gorgeous free camping beside a stream while we visited, watched some great baseball games, and climbed the local mountain.

The Eastwood Pajamas were named after the woods that we frequented daily when we lived in the Comox Valley. We joked that the woods were such an extension of our home we would almost be comfortable wearing pajamas there. It was the best place for blackberry picking, was right near our foster children’s school, and was Luki’s place to socialize with other dogs. We’ve found some great walks close to our new home but we still miss Eastwood!

The Quadra Jeans are named after Quadra Island, another location that Matt and I tried to buy a property (our offer was turned down). It is a gorgeous little island just off of Campbell River and features some of our favourite cruising grounds – sandy beaches, a hut filled with driftwood art left by boaters from decades past, excellent crabbing and prawning, and some lovely walks.

That brings us to the Alpine Collection now! The first pattern in this collection was the Comox Trunks. They were designed with hiking in mind – they are close fitting and seamed in such a way to avoid chaffing. They were named after my hometown, Comox, because we returned to this community after attending school in the city while we were in the midst of designing this pattern. The Comox Valley is nestled between the mountains and the ocean so it is always only a short drive to reach a hilly hike.

Next in the collection was the Arrowsmith Undershirt (our free pattern), paired with the Comox Trunks you have a nice base layer to wear while on adventures. Arrowsmith is the largest mountain on southern Vancouver Island and features a challenging hike.

The Jutland Pants were named after one of the mountains just outside of the Comox Valley. It can be reached by avid hikers with Paradise Meadows as the starting point for the hike. I suspect shoulder season hikers would appreciate the lined Jutland Pants!

The Finlayson Sweater was named after Mount Finlayson which is right near Goldstream Park. We thought it a fitting name because, despite being part of the Alpine Collection, it can be made to be more of a casual or dressy garment depending on fabric choice (sew it in merino for hiking, in terrycloth for cosy loungewear, or in a textured sweater knit for a smart and dressy sweater). A mountain close to the city sort of bridges that gap between wilderness and civilization!

The Fulford Jeans were named after Fulford Harbour on Saltspring Island (one of the Gulf Islands near southern Vancouver Island. This was yet another area that we tried to buy a homestean unsuccessfully! It is a hilly region for such a small island. The Fulfords would have been excellent jeans to wear while working to clear and build on the land we tried to buy!

Our upcoming pattern will also be part of the Alpine Collection. It is called Carmanah which is named after the next hike I would like to do once Noah is ready for this sort of adventure. The Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park is on the west coast of Vancouver Island (all our other garments have been named after locations on the east coast which is where we live). The park has a beautiful hike through truly ancient Sitka spruce trees.

Moving on to the Cityscape Collection, which is currently our smallest collection. You may notice that our daily lives don’t involve a lot of formal wear or time spent in cities anymore! All the same, everyone needs a smart outfit or three in their closet to wear to special occasions. Plus, sewists have the flexibility to vary the aesthetic of a design based on the fabric they choose! Matt still wears his flannel Fairfield Button-up every week at least once through the entire year (he insists it is actually quite cool and comfortable as a light layer to put on in the morning and evening throughout the summer!). The Fairfield Button-up was named for the street that we lived on while I attended my Fashion Design program in Victoria.

The Belvedere Waistcoat was named for the apartment building near ours (while in Victoria) with, what I thought to be, the classiest of names!

The Qualicum Bag, the final garment in this collection (though I am sure it will continue to grow over the years) was named after the town in which Matt’s parents live. The Qualicum Bag can pack a lot – perfect for our weekend trips to visit!

The final collection, The Meadow, features the Camas Blouse and Lazo Trousers. I named these garments after my favourite meadow locations on Vancouver Island. Camas refers to the Camas flower meadows found in the Garry Oak ecosystem of southern Vancouver Island. We often walked through the famous Camas meadow at Victoria’s Beacon Hill Park which was just across the road from our apartment building.

Cape Lazo is in the Comox Valley and consists of a sandy and windy spit with a beautiful beach and some stunning seaside homes. Many of these properties  feature resiliant wild grasses that turn golden in the summer and sway in the wind. I’ve always enjoyed driving along the peninsula road during summer windstorms to watch the waves and the wind in the grass.

And there you have it, the story behind our garment and collection names! I’ve also added collection buttons on our shop home page so it is easier to view our patterns by collection. Scroll to the bottom to see!

Have you visited Vancouver Island? What landmark would you want to remember by naming one of our patterns?

 

 

Comparing our trouser/pant patterns

We get quite a few emails asking about the fit differences between our men’s pant patterns, and just recently received a helpful suggestion from sewist, Heidi – why not make a visual blog post comparing the differences in all of our pant patterns? Sure thing!

 

In this post you will be able to compare the Jedediah Pants (our take on chinos), the Jutland Pants (our take on cargo pants), the Quadra Jeans (slightly tapered jeans) and the Fulford Jeans (straight leg jeans).

First, let’s look at the styling differences by examining the technical illustrations (right click and open image in new tab to see larger versioins of each image):

 

 

Important differences to note include: front pocket shape, yoke shape (or no yoke with darts instead), back pocket shape and size, leg style and fly styling.

• Front Pockets: Jedediah = slash, Jutland = swooped jean pockets, Quadra = standard jean pockets, Fulford = standard jean pockets
• Back Pockets: Jedediah = shaped and smaller patch pockets, Jutland = boxy and large patch pockets or welt Quadra = large patch pockets, Fulford = large patch pockets
• Seat Shaping: Jedediah = deep yoke, Jutland = darts, Quadra= narrow yoke, Fulford = narrow yoke
• Fly: Jedediah = narrow and long, Jutland = wider and two rows of stitching, Quadra = average width and two rows of stitching, Fulford = average width and two rows of stitching
• Legs: Jedediah = very obviously tapered, Jutland = straight and wide, Quadra= subtly tapered, Fulford= straight and moderate width
• Size Range: Jedediah = 30-40″ waist, Jutland = 30-45″ waist, Quadra = 26-50″ waist, Fulford = 26-50″ waist
• The Jedediah Pants have slash front pockets, a deep yoke, narrow fly, and tapered legs.
• Other notable differences include the following: The Jedediah Pants include a shorts option with rolled cuffs, the Jutland Pants include an optional full lining and all manner of work pant details, and the Quadra and Fulford Jeans include very detailed instructions for finishing the pants in a classic jeans style (topstitching tips and rivet installation).

Next, we will use the actual pattern pieces to compare fit. I’m comparing size 34. Below you can see the Jedediah Pants (yellow), Jutland Pants (brown), Quadra Jeans (blue) and Fulford Jeans (green).

Rise

The Jutland Pants and Jedediah Pants both have a high rise (just a little below the waist) while the Fulford has a mid rise and the Quadra Jeans are just slightly lower (I would still classify them to be mid-rise or perhaps mid-low rise…they are certainly not low rise). I’ve stacked the two most comparable trouser patterns so the rise and other differences are more obvious.

Crotch Curve

Let’s compare the crotch curve now: The crotch curve on the Jedediah Pants results in a close fit at the inseam (you can see how much higher it is compared to the Quadra Jeans). This high crotch creates a nice fitted appearance despite the roomy hips. The Jutland Pants feature a high crotch close fit in this area too and an even closer fit at along the center back seam. This means the design is well suited to men who have smaller bottoms and straight figures. This is because it was part of our athletic size chart that we have since relaxed slightly on our newer patterns – including the Quadra and Fulford Jeans. The athletic size chart caters towards ‘athletic slim figures’ so it is great for lankier men! The Quadra and Fulford Jeans are newer so you can see they have a lower more relaxed crotch curve to accomodate a fuller figure. The Quadra Jeans fit roomier than the Fulford jeans – you can tell this because the Quadra Jeans crotch is more of a J shape – meaning there is more room for a larger bottom at the curviest point of the ‘J’. The Fulfords, since they are intended to be a straight fit, are slimmer across the bottom. Again, look at the stacked pattern pieces to see how vastly different the crotch curve is for each design (the same stacked image is included in each section so you don’t have to scroll up and down to have a look).

Hips

Moving on to fit in the hips: The Jedediah Pants feature the most exaggerated hip curve since this is a classic feature of a chino fit. The Quadra Jeans feature a moderate hip curve. The Jutland Pants curve very slightly at the upper hip (but would still be considered quite straight in this area). The Fulford Jeans feature almost no hip curve (which is why many people like to sew these using selvage denim!).

Legs

And lastly, let’s compare the legs: Of the four designs, the Jutland Pants feature the most tapered lower leg (and this is visually exaggerated by the wide hip), the Quadra Jeans are next (almost the same taper but less obvious when worn since the hip is narrower), followed by the Fulford Jeans and then the Jutland Pants which have the wide straight leg of a work pant.

If you would like to read very detailed written descriptions about the fit and style of each garment, head to these older blog posts:

Comparison of the Jedediah Pants and Jutland Pants

Comparison of the Quadra Jeans and Fulford Jeans

To wind up this post, please admire this beautiful pair of Jutland Pants that Mathias shared with us via email. He wrote that these were the first pants he has ever sewn. Look at those slick bar tacks:

He created this pair in linen and modified them to include a gusset so that he could use them as flexible rock climbing pants. If you would like to add your own small gusset to any of our trouser patterns, check out the tutorial I made during our Jutland Pant Sew-Along.

 

I hope that this post has helped you decide on the trouser pattern that suits your purposes best. If you are still uncertain, please don’t hesitate to email me at info@threadtheory.ca with your questions!

 

[All photos of rust-colored linen trousers, including the photo at the top of the post were taken by and are property of Matthias and have been used with permission.]

Embracing Change

I shed a few grateful tears the other day when I first opened up the early results of our survey. Hundreds of you have not only taken the time to answer the basic survey questions, but you’ve also written beautiful paragraphs of encouragement and support. When I made up the survey I was only hoping to receive some concrete opinions and perhaps a little enthusiasm to help launch me into the initial design phase for our next batch of patterns. Instead, I received that plus so much more. Even though I thought I was keeping my insecurities and concerns to myself, so many of you are perpceptive or have perhaps walked a similar path before. You took a big nebulous cloud of unexamined fears and anxiety, named it all for me and then showed me how to move on. Thank you!

Here are a few of the comments that I am just so grateful for:

“I really value the work you’re doing. I know balancing work & family needs is a real challenge. The challenges don’t go away – they change as everyone gets older – kids, parents, & you. But so do the rewards ( or maybe out standards drop 😉). Hang in there. Trust your gut. You got this.”

“Thank you for some lovely patterns, superb instructions, helpful sew alongs and tutorials. I sew these patterns again and again because they produce well fitting, beautiful and hardwearing garments. I love the details and finishes, the henley placket and the cuffs of the Strathcona, the hood lining of the Finlayson being smaller than the hood which gives a lovely fold back finish. The welt pockets excellent instructions of the Belvedere waistcoat and all the tips in the online sew along.”

“Keep up the amazing work! As a male sewist there isn’t much out there that I get to make for myself, and finding your site years ago was what made me brave enough to try making clothes for myself.”

“I also live in BC and have a small acreage, so I really love the updates to your blog about your property, even though they have nothing to with sewing!”

 

Some of you were concerned that I plan to depart from menswear design entirely. Don’t worry, menswear patterns will remain the main focus for Thread Theory. I only seek to refresh and envigorate myself by approaching things from a slightly different direction for a while.

The survey results are still streaming in steadily and I have a lot of thinking yet to do so it is far too early to say what my plans will be for this shift of focus. In the meantime, your outpouring of understanding has made me feel so much more connected to the sewing community and, as a result, I am newly eager to get designing!

 

Another unanticipated outcome from the survey results is that I am now clear that many of you have been enjoying my homesteading blog posts. In the “Any other comments?” answer box at the end of the survey, person after person wrote that they have been enjoying these posts and hope I keep writing them. Wow! I had considered stopping them as I suspected they were tolerated at best…I’m glad to hear that isn’t the case! I really enjoy writing about our new lifestyle and will continue with much more confidence now. With that in mind, here is a little peek into our long post-Christmas winter days:

While driving Noah into the little town nearest us earlier this week (we attend an action packed toddler group at the local community hall) he fell asleep when only minutes away from home. He’s usually only napping in the afternoon now but has had at least four teeth coming in over the last few days so that wore him out enough to fall asleep as early as 9:30 in the morning. Rather than wake him I decided to just keep on driving and head 45 minutes south to a big menswear retail chain to do a little RTW research for Thread Theory. Once Noah woke we headed into the shop and he pushed a buggy (he just won’t sit in it lately!) while I looked at pocket details, fabric choices, fit differences between brands and all of the other details that serve as inspiration when I am beginning new designs. I plan to draw up some techical illustrations and start a mood board while Matt and Noah are at their swimming lesson this Sunday. After that, I’ll mull over the construction process in an attempt to create a garment that is a pleasure to sew. This will invariably lead to a number of design changes after which the pattern can be drafted…and onwards the process will go!

These late winter days are an excellent time of year to dig into design work as, although my seed starting station is partially set up, only peppers and celeriac have been sown and the rest must wait until closer to the last frost date. Outdoors the landscape has been covered with frost, snow, or, for the majority of the time, puddles and mud. We have been working at pruning (Matt has taken on the dwarf fruit trees while I’m working on ornamentals and blueberries) but the soil itself is still far too wet to do all that much. This is changing quickly though! This weekend I’m going to do some weeding during nap time as I’ve noticed the weeds have suddenly taken off in the herb bed. That way I’ll be ready to order a big load of mulch to unload over the freshly tidied beds when my parents visit next weekend.

In the meantime though, the evenings are still dark and long so I can work away indoors on pattern development once Noah has been put to bed (ahem…on the nights I have energy to work, that is!).

Another wintery sort of project we have taken on of late is a general shift and tidy of some of our living spaces. We spent two evenings last week as ‘date’ nights. We headed out to our workshop to put on music and tidy and hang tools and create storage systems. After that little bit of effort the workshop is so much more useable! Our house has received the same treatment. We moved all of my sewing equipment and office station to the main floor of our house. Now we have lived here for almost a year (as of this coming March), our daily rythym has taken shape and it has become clear that our lovely second floor studio with windows overlooking the property and a balcony to off one side will just not be used! The nursury is directly across from this room…and I only work when Noah is sleeping! Sewing, typing, and creaking floor boards interfere too much with his sleep.

Thus, the studio will now become our inventory and shipping station. This is just as well because we have another restock of 3000 tissue patterns arriving next week! Matt and his dad are spending the weekend building some sturdy wooden shelving to hold the inventory. Up until this point, our tissue pattern boxes have been piled high in our second floor landing which I would really like to clear up to make into a craft and play room.

My sewing station is now in our sunroom (the very furthest possible point from Noah’s room) and it is a great little corner in which to work. It needs some major work setting it up but it is functional for now and I love that I don’t feel too secluded but it isn’t in anyone’s way (though I have to pack my things up each time I sew so that the power cord and ironing board are not a hazard). I like that Noah can see my work station constantly so he will grow up very aware of what I do for work. Earlier this week we sewed together for the very first time. He plays with my sewing machine knobs quite regularly but, until now, I had never plugged the machine in to show him how it works. He sat in my lap with wide eyes while I sewed him a big pillow for his room. He had a blast stuffing it with me and ran to the sewing machine the next day when I mentioned I had more pillows that I wanted to make.

Outside of studio projects, we have a number of other developments going on this winter on our homestead. Since my Fall post, Matt and my dad have felled, limbed, bucked, and split all of the trees I had intended to hire an arborist to deal with! My dad bought a tractor and has made a new road through one section of the property.

The two of them also re-roofed the chicken coop to combat a frustrating rat problem due to the poor design of the original roof. With the rats long gone, our chickens are happy and have been laying eggs daily all winter long! Our two roosters get along famously and I’ve never once seen them fight. We definitely need at least two more hens though (more likely, three or four!) as Noah eats a lot of eggs and our rooster to hen ratio is still way off.

As winter draws to a close we will be tackling a large rainwater collection and irrigation project. I only had a small veggie garden last year and even then our well was more or less dry mid-summner. I have big garden plans for this summer so a huge rainwater cistern will be essential to irrigate the vegetable bed and orchard. We will be purchasing a 3000 gallon water tank shortly to install by the workshop that we roofed with metal last summer. Once we add gutters to the shop it will collect the rain and a drip system will run from the tank to both garden areas. My past gardens have always suffered mid-summer as I become more and more stingy with water. I hope a timer system and efficient drip tape will lead to happy and healthy plants, all while using the rainwater that is readily available to us throughout a West Coast spring!

To finish up this update with a touch more Thread Theory news: Our next pattern is inching closer and closer to the test sewing stage. Now that the initial sample is sewn, instructions are written and all design details are finalized, it is currently being graded. Next, Matt will format the PDF pattern while I get started on illustrations. I think I will leave the bulk of the illustrations until after I receive the test sewer feedback. We did this for the first time with our Qualicum Bag pattern and it worked very well. Since test sewers only had my written instructions to go by (no images), it really put the clarity of my writing to the test. It was also easier to change construction order and methods as per the tester feedback because I did not have to redo all of the diagrams to reflect the changes.

Anyways, thank you, once again, for the unexpected support and encouragement that you gave me through the survey. You’ve shown me how to embrace this phase of life that I am in and have made it clear that changes of pace and lifestyle should be embraced rather than resisted. I’ll be back with another post when the giveaway winner is announced on February 15th! In the meantime, head here to enter the giveaway, and head here to complete the survey.