Matt’s Wardrobe Refresh: Progress

We are halfway through Matt’s birthday month so it’s time to update you on the progress I’ve made on his small wardrobe refresh (my plans are discussed here). I began with the simplest of pieces to ease myself into the time commitment since I’m rather rusty at sewing (non-work related pieces) and because my current sewing project for Thread Theory has been very involved over the last couple of weeks.  Easy knit projects were the way to go for the first two weeks of September!

I started with the easiest project of all, the Sayward Raglan.  Raglans are shockingly simple to sew because the barely curved sleeve seams are as quick an painless as sewing a side seam.  There is no worry about the knit stretching out at the sleeve head since there is no sleeve head to contend with!

I sewed Matt’s raglan from some merino and bamboo knit remnants that I had leftover from when we stocked these gorgeous fabrics in our shop.  The bamboo had been used for another project so I had to cut the sleeves across the grain which is a little wierd but Matt doesn’t notice anything different and the fabric was a four-way stretch so it worked just fine. Matt has already worn the shirt for a couple of days and loves the color combo. He gravitates to various shades of grey so it is really nice to see him in a bright red for a change!

From the tiny remaining scraps I pieced together a matching raglan for Noah so the boys could match during Matt’s birthday dinner last weekend! It was their first time matching…Matt got quite a kick out of it! I just cut apart a stained onesie that was destined for the rag bin to make sure I made the right size for Noah.  The fit of the chest is a bit wonky but Noah grows so quickly he will probably only wear this shirt a handful of times anyways! Or perhaps he will fill out the chest better as he grows.

My mom was over last weekend so I had a bit of extra energy and spare time since her and Noah have been getting along famously of late.  I used my energy during nap time on Matt’s actual birthday to finish a Finlayson Sweater for Matt so he got not one, but two fresh garments in time for his big day (my ambitions were not that high so I was quite pleased with myself).  Even though I remembered how quick the Finlayson is to sew, I forgot the immense satisfaction it gives me to make.  While a raglan tee is a lovely thing to sew, the Finlayson Sweater is almost as simple but is certainly more exciting!  The neckline facing and shawl collar give the final garment a very polished appearance and it really made me feel as though I’d accomplished a big project (even though it only took two naps to complete!).

I’ll be sewing Noah a matching sweater with the scraps from the Finlayson project too using this cute pattern by Tuesday Stitches.

Now that I’ve checked off the simple pieces, I’m going to devote spare bits of time in the next week to mend.  Matt’s jeans need a large knee hole mended and, my jeans have just recently followed suit so it will be efficient to mend both of those during our Friday movie night. I’ll also trim the old waistbands off Matt’s Comox Trunks and add fresh ones.

After a week of mending I should be done my long evenings of Thread Theory sewing (and will be sending the completed pattern to our graphic designer which will be the very last stage of development!) and that will leave me with more sewing energy to tackle the more involved projects on the wardrobe refresh list. I’ll be sewing a pair of Quadra Jeans, one (or maybe two) Fairfield Button-ups and then I will be finishing a Goldstream Peacoat that I started for Matt many years ago.  It is my oldest UFO by far…time to change that!

Obviously, the wardrobe update that was meant to take place during his birthday month will be heading into October.  I guess the lucky guy will be getting a very long birthday celebration!

Linen Harvest Apron

I am so happy to finally be able to say that I finished a sewing project!  Of all the sewing projects I dream of sewing, I decided to tackle the harvest apron first since it is a simple little project, I already had the fabric, and it would allow me to head out to the garden with Noah in my arms and easily pick a salad for dinner.

I’m pretty happy with how it turned out!  As I mentioned in my post listing my sewing plans recently, the design is based on an image of the beautiful aprons Four Peas in a Pod makes and sells on Etsy. I went with a different pocket configuration and waistband shaping and set out to make it rectangular but wound up curving the corners last minute due to bulk. It ended up quite similar to the original image but I am certain hers are far better constructed as my baby didn’t allow me the mental space to think through the construction process! On the bright side, I used close to every scrap of the meter of linen that I bought from my friend’s sewing shop in Courtenay, the Spool Sewing Studio.  It is beautiful linen and should be thick and sturdy enough to stand the test of time (and heavy veggies).  Upon testing the apron for a couple of weeks, I think I might need to beef up my stitching to match the strength of the fabric though.  The point where the pouch attaches to the waistband is a weak one and could benefit from some topstitching before it rips.

I felt a bit like a beginner while working on this project since I have sewn so little in the last seven months…I kept making rookie mistake after rookie mistake (or perhaps that is the sleep deprivation to blame?  Or the fact that I was sewing this in rushed 5-10 minute intervals while a baby complained at me?).  Anyhow, I am thankful to Noah that he allowed me the time to make something and I am thankful that my brain is still functioning well enough that it turned out to be usable and more or less how I imagined!

It has a zippered pocket on the back (originally intended to be on the front lol) which I imagine I can use for things I don’t plan to access often – band-aids will perhaps be useful once Noah is toddling around!.  On the front I did a patch pocket for my phone (pictured above) and the large harvest pocket.  This large pocket features pleats along the bottom and a drawstring along the top so that it can be un-knotted at center front and opened into a massive pouch.  Or the drawstring can stay knotted and veggies or eggs can be tucked into either side.

The waistband is shaped to sit over my upper hips.  The long ties are made to circle around the back and tie in the front so they don’t dangle behind me…perhaps this is tmi but I find garments with sashes that tie in the back to be very annoying as I invariably forget to lift the ties out of the way when I sit down at a toilet leading to a disgusting dip in the toilet bowl…ug!  As a toddler I would insist that the ribbon sashes on my fancy dresses were tied at the front so that I could always see the pretty bow.  My reasoning for tying at the front is far less whimsical now!

Well, there you have it, in addition to dreaming about sewing during Me Made May, I managed to actually create one of my day dreams!  I’d call that a step in the right direction!  Maybe I’ll work on those Burnside Bibs next…

Knitting for baby (our yarns and knitting haberdashery are on sale!)

With the weather rapidly changing here and only 2.5 weeks until our baby is due to arrive, I’ve been a bit more sedentary than I’m used to and have been looking for activities that don’t involve bending over and crawling around on my hands and knees cutting out fabric.  So, the bigger my belly gets, the more I’ve found myself more inclined to knit rather than sew!

I thought you might like to join me in some Fall knitting so I’ve created a discount code to give you and additional 25% off the entire knitting section of our shop! The sale lats 3 days only: Enter KNITTHISFALL upon checkout to receive your discount!

To get you excited to try your hand at knitting, let me walk you through my knitting projects and also through the menswear-oriented knitting supplies that we currently have in the shop.

Keep in mind, I’m a complete novice when it comes to knitting (hence my propensity towards patterns that let me sew up the seams and don’t include many details!).  So please don’t look too closely at my projects, I’m just proud that they are warm and usable!  Above is a cosy sleep sack that I made to fit in baby Noah’s bassinet.  It was knit using the Erika Knight Vintage Wool (aran weight) from our shop and is so dense and soft!  I used a vintage pattern that looks like it was from the 1970s.

These roomy dungarees (perfect for cloth diapering I think!) were also knit from 3 skeins of Erika Knight Vintage Wool.  I knit as per the (free!) pattern but then finished them with snaps along the inseams so they are easier to take off for diaper changes.  They are knit in the 6 month size.  I also made that cute little chipmunk toque from the British Blue yarn we used to carry in the shop (we’re sold out now!).  It was a really fun project that I managed in just a couple of short evenings.

The bunny was a sewing project using the gorgeous stuffed animal sewing pattern created by Willowyn Textile Art.  Her website is well worth a peruse (or follow her on Instagram for loads of inspiring images!).  I love the vintage style and it was an excellent use of fabric scraps!

If baby knitting is not your style, have a look at the menswear knitting patterns that we have in our shop:

We carry a whole book of beautiful sweaters and accessories.  While these designs are made by Erika Knight (like our wool) they do not all call for her yarn and instead feature yarns from many different readily available companies.

One of my first knitting projects several years ago was this sweater from the book.

I went off pattern and swapped the wool for the slightly chunkier Maxi Wool (super-chunky weight) that we stock in the shop.  The sweater turned out larger than I expected as a result so, although it was intended for Matt, it ended up perfectly fitting my dad!

He still wears the sweater very frequently each winter when at work on the computer as he finds it keeps him toasty warm.

I really love how it looks on him and I am especially pleased to notice that it still looks just the same as the photo below (it doesn’t stretch out):

We currently have the whole bottom row of colours available (I used the Storm colour second from the right for my dad’s sweater):

If you are looking for knitting patterns specifically suited to the wool in our shop, we have a poster format pattern collection that includes everything from a toque to a sweater:

These are all quite simple knitting projects that are very approachable even for an inexperienced knitter like me (I still don’t know how to knit in the round…despite watching many Youtube videos!).

I used the Vintage Wool (the same weight I used for the baby projects) to knit Matt a toque a few years ago.  It’s a versatile weight for sweater and hat projects.

The longevity of this toque is even more surprising to me than my dad’s sweater!  I had read that you can expect a knit toque to keep it’s shape nicely for one season of wear but Matt has been wearing this one since 2016 as his only toque each winter and it still looks just as pictured.

We have a slightly more limited selection of vintage yarn left but there is still plenty enough for hat projects.  We currently have the red/fuschia, black, and the two centre greys (darker, lighter) on the bottom row.  The only colour we have a large quantity of (enough for a sweater) is the black:

Aside from Erika Knight yarns and patterns, our knitting haberdashery and sale also includes locally crafted copper stitch markers threaded on a beautiful shawl pin…

The ever-popular expanding sewing gauge…

…and some relevant Merchant & Mills tools.

Do you knit or is it a skill you’d like to learn?  Email me at info@threadtheory.ca if you have any questions about the yarn quantity you need, the yarn a certain Erika Knight pattern calls for or if you just want to chat about trying out knitting for the first time from the perspective of a sewist!

Enjoy 25% off with the code KNITTHISFALL until Monday, 5pm PST!  Head to the knitting haberdashery >

What I’ve Been Making Lately

I think it’s high time for an update on what I’ve been working on outside the realm of Thread Theory lately!  I’ve been a bit quiet on this front for the last year because Matt and I were foster parents from August until the end of this June…this took up every ounce of energy we had and so we pared our lives down to Thread Theory and caring for the children exclusively.  Fostering also required that we keep our family life very private for the confidentiality of the children, hence why I haven’t mentioned this phase of our lives on the blog yet.

Now that the children have moved on to more permanent situations, we are delving into making things in a big way!  The biggest project I have in the works is this:

Our baby boy, due on October 10th!

Thus, my sewing projects in the last couple of weeks have been much smaller and cuter than what you might usually see on my sewing table.

Perhaps you recognise some of these fabrics from our shop in the past…what a great way to use up off cuts!  The patterns I’ve used for this cute little wardrobe are as follows:

Booties: Twig & Tale Animal Baby Shoes.  I highly recommend this pattern, it was so much fun to sew and the instructions were impeccably detailed.

Pants: Sew 4 Bub Grow With Me Pants. A free pattern!

Hats: How Does She? Knot Hard At All Hat.  An easy tutorial.

Scratch Mittens: 5 Little Monsters No Scratch Baby Mittens.  Another great tutorial.

Menswear sewing will recommence shortly since Matt really needs a new pair of shorts this summer.  I also hope to finish a fresh Goldstream Peacoat for him to wear this winter.  I’ve been sewing it very slowly and photographing the steps as I go to create a Goldstream Sew-along to launch this fall.

Dintex and Merino – Fabrics and your Projects

Do you subscribe to our email newsletter?  If so, you will have been notified about the launch of our Fall Fabric Collection last Monday!  We have Dintex (waterproof, windproof and breathable fabric) and superfine Merino fabrics back in stock…and have some bold new colors!

I’ve compiled some inspiration today from my own sewing projects and from some of the amazing projects that have been shared on Instagram and blogs since we launched our Dintex fabric last year.  But first, have a quick look at the new colors!

You will now find this classic red Dintex in our shop along with a very sporty Green Apple:

I could imagine both these colors sewn into the bright high-tech ski jackets hanging at my local ski & board shop!  Or, perhaps, they could be paired with a less sporty pattern (a glamorous full skirted trench coat perhaps) and a floral umbrella for an entirely different look.

Since a few of you have been enquiring about the mesh ‘wrong side’ of this fabric, I took a close up shot of the mesh backing so you can see that it doesn’t need to be lined.  The mesh is soft and hard wearing and is similar to what you would see on the inside of high tech sportwear (especially outer ‘shells’)…

If you wanted to line your Dintex garment though, the possibilities are only limited by the style that you are trying to achieve!  It would pair nicely with microfleece as a warm and sporty outer layer or you could dress it up with acetate lining or tartan flannel.

Aside from these two new colors we have a large range of more sedate choices as well as some gorgeous stormy blues and tropical teals!

The superfine 100% merino wool that you can also find in our Fall Fabric collection is the perfect base layer to wear beneath a Dintex rain jacket.  It is incredibly versatile – it can be used for classic long johns (by lengthening the Comox Trunks pattern) or it can be sewn in to an elegant dress!  We have restocked it in Moroccan blue and charcoal grey but I couldn’t resist adding this third color to the collection – a GORGEOUS Nova Red that features just a hint of orange:

Isn’t that beautifully rich?  The fabric gleams and it is incredibly soft against the skin.

Now that you’ve seen the new color choices, imagine them paired with these projects that you and I have sewn throughout the last year:

This superfine merino top in Moroccan blue was sewn by me (for myself) but is modelled here by my sister’s beautiful friend, Sylvia.  We were headed for a beach walk so I couldn’t pass up the perfect opportunity to dress Sylvia up and allow my talented photographer sister to take some shots!

This top was sewn using a BurdaStyle pattern from the magazine but the same pattern can also be found online as a PDF.  I love this rendition of the top because I can wear it as a warm layer while hiking or skiing or I can add a statement necklace and a skirt to dress up (sometimes on the same day!)!  I’ve washed, tumble dried and worn this steadily for a full year now with no signs of wear.  I anticipate that this merino shirt will be in my closet for many years to come.

You might remember one of my other sewing projects from last winter – Matt’s Dintex jacket:

You can read all about this on the blog.  Matt wore this jacket as a shell over a down mid-layer throughout the last snowy winter.  We’ve machine washed and then hung to dry this jacket mid winter because Matt can often be found doing grubby things like carting fire wood or bush-wacking so the front got a bit muddy.  After washing it we sprayed it with a water repellent finish to freshen up the DWR that the fabric manufacturer applied.  He continued to wear the jacket throughout the spring with a sweater underneath and this summer has been wearing it over a t-shirt since it is breathable and thus comfortable in hot weather.  I really need to make myself a similar jacket since I am quite jealous of how it allows him to be ready for anything!

And now, the best part…your projects!

Here are two adorable Dintex jackets made by Nicole of The Spool Sewing Studio (@thespoolsewingstudio) for herself and her daughter:

Nicole always does a great job of using up her fabric scraps by sewing a coordinating outfit for her daughter…so cute and no waste!  Her jacket is the Kelly Anorak by Cloest Case Patterns and her daughter’s is the Oliver and S School Days Jacket.

And another gorgeous Kelly Anorak, this time in Navy Dintex, sewn by @newribina and shared on Instagram:

She used the hardware kit that we stock in our shop!  I love how she used the reflective zipper (that we include for pockets or ‘pit zips’) as a chest pocket.  The drawstring at the waist is also reflective so the wearer of this beautiful jacket is safe walking or riding at night.

Jen (@_jennicholson_) sewed this Hemingway Windcheater for her partner.  The charcoal grey Dintex that she chose pairs very nicely with the gunmetal snaps.

Lastly, a third Kelly Anorak, this time sewn by Fiona of the blog Stitch and Finish.

Fiona has written some very helpful details about working with Dintex, seam tape (for waterproofing seams) and about a few modifications she made to tailor her jacket to cycling.  Her end result looks SO pro!

I’ve sorted our new Fall fabrics into their own section in our shop so you can see them all at once.  I thought that might make it easier to pair your outerlayer Dintex with a coordinating merino base layer.

I would really love to share some photos of the projects you guys have made with our merino wool over the last year but it isn’t nearly as easy to search as #dintex is!  I know I have seen some great ones but I can’t seem to find them now.  Can you point me in the right direction (to your blog or Instagram posts)?

Mend, don’t toss! Visible mending, up-cycling and fitting.

After posting about recycled plastic fabric a couple of weeks ago, I was interested to read your many thoughtful comments on the subject of sewing and sustainability.  One of you pointed out that I had not included second hand fabrics within my list of personal preferences when choosing sustainable materials for my sewing projects.  Another person explained that choosing North American cottons (grown and manufactured) over internationally produced natural fibres (such as hemp and linen) is actually a more sustainable option since the environmental impact of transportation is huge.

Thank you for engaging and for encouraging us all to think critically about our fabric choices!

I think I will continue this line of thought today by talking about mending, upcycling and fitting the second-hand and home-made garments that Matt and I have in our closet.  By mending and altering the garments that are already in our closet, my sewing list and my consumption of new fabrics decreases hugely.  There is a bit of a problem with this approach though…I love planning creative new sewing projects and detest a large mending pile!

In encourage myself to mend rather than start fresh I have found it necessary to add a creative element to each mending project.  Visible mending is a perfect example of this!  These jeans were bought for Matt from a thrift shop a few years ago and have slowly worked their way through Matt’s hierarchy of denim from “best pair” to “Morgan will complain if I wear these out of the house”.  Their knees and pockets were, until recently, more hole than fabric.  I decided to try my hand at visible mending using sashiko embroidery thread, a scrap of denim from a past hemming project (to fill in the holes), and a Netflix movie.  Once I got the hang of working within the confines of the narrow jean leg it went very quickly.  At first I tried to use an embroidery hoop but actually found it easiest to ditch the hoop and just use my hands to put tension on the fabric while I stitched.

The finished patch isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, I am sure, but Matt really likes how it looks!  There are many styles of visible mending that would suit the aesthetic you want to achieve (tidy, scrappy, minimalist, or artistic).  I’ve included a couple of links at the bottom of this post so you can view the work of two of my favourite visible mending artists and see their skill instead of just rolling your eyes at my first messy attempt!

When I purchased the sashiko supplies for myself I decided to add a few extra skeins and thimbles to my order in case you wanted to try it out too!  I’ve added them to the shop today and you can have a look at what I used below.  Just click on each picture to be sent directly to it in our shop:

I love the look of white sashiko thread on faded denim but if you have dark indigo denim in need of repair, this navy thread could produce a sophisticated understated mend:

When sourcing the thread I came across these neat leather Sashiko thimbles.  The thimble sits at the base of the finger and allows you to push the needle through many layers of fabric while creating a running stitch:

I never quite got the hang of the proper method while repairing Matt’s jeans but I look forward to experimenting further to increase my efficiency!

I actually mended Matt’s jeans in the late winter and then, after greatly enjoying the process, moved straight on to a pair of second-hand work jeans that I had bought for myself in anticipation of gardening and fence building this summer!  I was drawn to them because they are a very soft and lightweight denim making them comfortable for crawling around in the garden on hot days without dirtying my knees.  Unfortunately though, they were a very impractical style for work pants – their legs were palazzo style (extremely wide)!  So to make these jeans work for me I decided to employ three creative approaches to mending…upcycling, fitting and visible mending.

I doubt many people would have chosen palazzo jeans over more conservative styles in the thrift store but my ability to sew and my lack of interest in sewing a fresh pair of jeans from scratch led me to buy them second hand and adjust them to my style preference (upcycling).  It took only some chalk marking, pinning and a couple of minutes of sewing to change them into tapered legs.

I then hemmed them to suit my short legs (fitting) and decided to have some more fun with embroidery thread by adding feathers and sashiko stitching over the intentionally distressed thighs so that they would be less likely to fall apart after hard wear (visible mending).  Having a bit of fun embroidery to look forward to after upcycling and fitting made the earlier steps more enjoyable.

I love how they turned out!

Here are a few of the tools that I used while upcycling these jeans:

The Clover Chaco marker has been an essential tool in my sewing kit for many years but I did not add it to the shop until just now because they are so readily available at local fabric stores…it feels strange to add something to the shop that may not be in high demand but I am dead set on my dream that the Thread Theory shop will one day include everything you need for your menswear projects – hard to source tools or otherwise – so I thought it is time to fill this gaping hole in our inventory!

If you happen to live in an area where no fabric stores are within easy reach or if your fabric shop, for some mysterious reason, does not stock this essential tool, now you can add it to your next Thread Theory order.

This Jean-a-ma-jig, on the other hand, is a very new addition to my sewing toolbox and has already proven useful for all sorts of menswear and bag making projects!  It is a spacer that you put under your machine foot when you are about to stitch over a thick ridge – it acts like a smooth ramp for your foot to travel up so that your needle does not get caught on the ridge.  It is intended for hemming jeans (it helps you travel over the bulky flat fell inseam) but works great for many other menswear situations involving thick layers.  For example, the Jean-a-ma-jig is useful for stitching over thick wool darts while attaching a welt pocket as you would when sewing the welt pockets on the Belvedere Waistcoat.  It is a very simple tool and yet it is incredibly effective in reducing messy snarls and skipped stitches!

Lastly, I have added two more thimble types (in addition to the sashiko thimble) to our increasingly vast selection of thimbles.  As I’ve been told by many of you each time I add a new thimble to our shop, the perfect thimble is a very subjective thing!  We already have quite a diverse selection in our inventory but it isn’t yet comprehensive.  This time, I’ve added what is, in my opinion, the perfect embroidery thimble and, in my sewing friend’s opinion, the perfect hand-stitching thimble:

My ideal thimble while embroidering and visible mending is this leather one – I use the size medium.  My hands manipulate the fabric and re-thread needle so often when embroidering that I find metal thimbles are always slipping off.  The leather thimble stays put and allows for very good grip.  It can be placed on whichever finger needs protection and will mold perfectly to that finger’s shape over time.

My friend, who likes to hand tie quilts occasionally, prefers to use adhesive thimbles.  She uses a flexible plastic type that offers a moderate level of protection but I was excited to recently find this type which offers more thorough protection – a stainless steel plate with an adhesive back!  The beauty of this sort of thimble is that you can adhere it exactly where you need it and leave the rest of your finger unencumbered.  Depending on your stitching style you may need protection near the tip of your finger or off to the side, this stick-on thimble can be placed accordingly.

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In case these tools or my visible mending projects have you inspired to delve further into your examination of sustainable sewing practices, here are two of my favourite websites to get you started!

Katrina Rodabaugh: Fiber Art. Sustainability. Slow Fashion.

Tom of Holland & The Visible Mending Programme: making and re-making

Do you hate mending?  Love mending? Only mend certain items and rag bin the rest?  I’m so glad I have added a bit of creativity to my mending approach so that I actually enjoy the process now…maybe you will find the same!

Fabric Sale!

Despite the knee high snow and driving icy rain outside, I know Spring will be on its way soon!  It’s time to clear the studio shelves a little so that I have room to order our Spring Fabric Collection!  Our entire selection of fabric is currently 15% off – so if you have been tempted to order some Dintex rain jacket fabric or some beautiful merino wool, now is your final opportunity!

Use the discount code WINTERFABRIC upon checkout to receive 15% off any fabric in your shopping cart.  The sale is for this weekend only!

Once most of these fabrics are sold out we won’t be restocking them any time soon since I will be choosing a new selection of fabrics that work well with our sewing patterns each season.  We are already sold out of many of the Dintex colors…but there are still some great options available!

It isn’t only the Fall and Winter fabrics that are on sale…all of our fabric is!  The very high quality Canadian-made knit fabrics that I have stocked since the launch of our menswear supply shop in Nov. 2015 are also 15% off right now!

I just sewed Matt a new Finlayson Sweater using the black sweatshirt fleece.  As long as Matt stays well away from our white-haired pup, Luki, I think he looks really smart in this pure black fleece!  It’s the warmest sweater in our closet so I’ve been wearing it quite a bit lately too.

It makes me happy and reassured to think that no aspect of this sweater was created outside of Canada.  The people who manufactured this fabric work in excellent conditions with fair pay.  And the person who manufactured the sweater (me!) certainly works in great conditions and received a Matt-made hall table in trade for this garment…I’d say that’s pretty fair pay too.

It’s very difficult to convey how luxurious these Canadian-made fleece, interlock and ribbing fabrics are using photos since they are all solid colors that may just look like any other knit when photographed.  As soon as you feel the density of the interlock or the incredibly plush wrong side of the sweatshirt fleece, you will know what I mean!  I have been told by a number of sewists who have ordered these knits from us that they are reminiscent of the thickness and quality of pure cotton knits in the 1970s.  A t-shirt made in the interlock or a sweatshirt made in the fleece will last for MANY years of heavy wear.

I hope this fabric sale has come at a good time for you!  Maybe you can squeeze in a couple more cozy winter projects before the weather warms?

Peruse our fabric selection >

Don’t forget to use the 15% off discount code!  It’s WINTERFABRIC.

Lazo Hack: Elastic Waist Joggers

As promised, here is my contribution to the ongoing Lazo Hack contest.  I’ve made a few simple adjustments to the Lazo Trousers pattern to produce elastic waist joggers with a satin ribbon drawstring!

While working on these joggers last night I snapped a few pictures to create a tutorial for you.  I’ll show you how to adjust the front waistband so that it is one piece, switch the fly from functioning to a mock fly, and add elastic and buttonholes for a drawstring.  You can hem the trousers as per normal or you can add some narrow cuffs at the ankle as I did.

(Velvet jogger inspiration from Anthropologie.  I love the tassel drawstring!)

Transforming the Lazos into joggers is a VERY simple hack that could work for both woven and knit fabrics.  Any woven fabric that you might choose for a regular pair of Lazos will work for these joggers (chambray tencel or velvet would be awesome!).  If you want some jogger inspiration, here is a good series of styled images.  I’m probably a bit late to the jogger trend (I think it began in 2014) but I’ve never really adhered to trends anyways, I just choose my clothing based on my current lifestyle and mood.

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Ok, let’s convert the Lazos to joggers:

Begin by selecting and altering your pattern pieces.  The only pattern piece you do not need to use is the Zipper Shield.

The only pattern piece you need to change is the Waistband Front – simply fold under the extension at the notches and cut the waistband on the fold (just like you cut the back waistband).  There is no need to cut interfacing pieces for the waistband or fly.

Assemble the trousers as per the instructions all the way up to the Fly Front section.  If you are working with a knit, you might like to use a stretch stitch or a serger so that your seams are not at risk of snapping when the fabric stretches.

To create the mock fly finish the seat seam as instructed.  Next, sew the inseam, but instead of stopping just below the zipper placement notch, ignore the curved fly facing and stitch in a straight line all the way up to the fly facing notch (which is the centre front of the pants).  If you prefer to leave off the fly altogether (perhaps you would like to insert a side seam invisible zipper instead), you can trim off the fly facings.  To sew the mock fly, press the facings towards the right side of the trousers (if you were wearing them).

On the right side of the trousers, topstitch as you would normally to give the illusion of a functioning fly.

Now we are ready to assemble the waistband!  If you would like to add a drawstring later, now is the time to add buttonholes to your waistband front.  Apply a small square of interfacing to the centre of the waistband on the wrong side of the fabric.  This will help to stabilise the fabric when you sew your buttonholes and it will make your buttonholes less likely to become misshapen with use.

To position your buttonholes, fold the waistband front in half and measure in from the fold 1/2″.  Place a pin through both layers of fabric and then mark the pin’s position with chalk (preferably on the wrong side of the fabric so that you don’t have to wash out your chalk as I did!  Sorry for the wet waistband later on in the post…I was on a roll while I was sewing and didn’t want to stop to wait for the fabric to dry!).

I chose to add 1/2″ buttonholes but you can add whatever size you prefer based on the drawstring that you choose.

Now place the waistband front and back with right sides together and sew the side seams.  Repeat this step for the waistband facings (the second set of waistband pieces).

You now have two waistband loops.  Place these with right sides together and sew along the entire top edge.  By the way, at this point it would be easy to make your waistband shorter by simply chopping off the top of the waistband before you sew the two loops together.  You could choose to match the width of elastic you plan to use for instance.  I left my waistband the full height because I wanted them to be high rise trousers.  Centring the 2″ elastic within the waistband resulted in a bit of a paper-bag silhouette.  If your waistband does not extend above the elastic your trousers will not have a ruffled top edge as mine do.

You might like to understitch along the top of the waistband to prevent the facing from rolling outwards.

Attach the waistband to the trousers while keeping the waistband facing free.  Place the waistband and trousers with right sides together.  Make sure to centre your buttonholes over the seat seam and align your side seams.

Press the seam allowances towards the waistband and then press the waistband facing downwards to enclose all of the raw edges.  You can either finish the waistband facing edge at this point or you can press under the seam allowance for a very tidy look.  I left my serged edge visible because my fabric is pretty bulky so I didn’t want to add another layer of fabric.

Pin the waistband facing in place carefully.  I would highly recommend basting it in place so that you don’t have to worry about it shifting during the next step!

From the right side of the trousers, start 1″ away from one of the side seams and stitch in the ditch all the way around the waistband.  Finish your stitching 1″ away from the same side seam so that you are left with a 2″ opening at the bottom of the waistband facing.  You will use this opening to insert the elastic.

Circle elastic around your waist to find the perfect fit.  I circled mine at my natural waist but if you have shortened your waistband to fit your elastic width, circle your elastic a couple of inches below your natural waist since the trousers will now sit lower.  Remember to include some extra elastic so that you can overlap the ends later to create a loop!

Thread the elastic into the opening using a safety pin.  Once both ends are pulled out of the opening check that the elastic is not twisted within the waistband and then overlap the ends and stitch them together.

Close the elastic within the waistband by stitching in the ditch over the 2″ hole.

Try on your Lazos to check the length of the hem (and to admire how they look!).  Hem them in the style that you choose (a regular hem, a wide cuff or a narrow ribbed cuff like mine).

Now you have several options to prevent your elastic from shifting around in the waistband.  The simplest option is to distribute the fabric nicely around the elastic (while you are wearing the trousers) and then place a pin through the side seams and elastic.  Stitch in the ditch of the side seam to secure the elastic in place.

To create the paper bag waist and more thoroughly secure your elastic in place, you can toptstitch along both the top and bottom of the elastic around the entire waistband.

Now all you need to do is thread a drawstring through the buttonholes using the same safety pin technique is before and your joggers are complete!

I hope you like my fresh interpretation of the Lazos Trousers!  Have you tried hacking them yet or do you prefer to sew them as is?

Edit Jan 25th: Some of you asked me to model these Lazos for you – here I am in my jammies 😉  They look pretty cozy eh?

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To finish off Friday in a happy sort of way, let’s do the third Lazo Hack contest draw!  Today’s winner is Meg (@madebymegblog)!  Check out the awesome way she styled her Lazos.

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#ontheblog today: my new #pants obsession @threadtheory #lazotrousers #sewing #sewersofinstagram #memadeeveryday #kaufmanfabrics

A post shared by Meg 🧵 (@madebymegblog) on Jan 18, 2017 at 2:26pm PST

The rolled hems and boot combo is really wearable and cute!  Congrats Meg, your use of #lazotrousers has won you $25 to Blackbird Fabrics.  Thanks for sharing!

I will draw the last Lazo Hack prize on Friday, Jan. 27th.  The winner will get to choose which goodies (from our shop) they would like me to fill this sewing caddy with – up to a $100 value!

You have 7 days to take a photo of your Lazos whether they are still a work in progress or finished and share them on Instagram or Facebook using #lazotrousers.

Download your Lazo pattern >

Merry Christmas from my Mom and I (in our Lazo Trousers)!

Merry Christmas!  I hope that the next few days find you surrounded by loved ones and in good health.  I am about to begin my holidays (I will be back to blogging in the first week of January) so I wanted to sign off with a fun ‘editorial’ style shoot of my Mom and I decked out for Christmas in Lazo Trousers.

The purpose of the shoot isn’t to show you the trouser design details (since I have been overwhelming you with posts about the particulars of the pattern!).  These photos are meant to give you a glimpse of the Lazos in action!  We both chose to style our Lazos the way we would wear them to Christmas dinner.  My mom’s pair is made out of a synthetic fabric that was terrible to work with (loads of static and it frayed like crazy!).  I like how it has a bit of body though and does not wrinkle easily…it also doesn’t press easily :S.  My pair are made out of the beautiful tencel I was telling you about from Blackbird Fabrics.  They are VERY comfortable but perhaps turned out a bit big because my weight has been fluctuating lately and I thought I was ready to size up (only to fluctuate back down by the time the trousers were finished).  I am usually a size 2 but sewed a size 4 this time.  As a result, they sit about 1-2″ lower on my waist than intended and perhaps look quite casual because of this.

I paired my Lazos with a cozy angora sweater and, as per normal, tucked my sweater in.  I like to emphasise my waist (and wear heels) when dressing up because doing so makes my legs feel a bit longer.  My Mom wore a flowing silk blouse and vest over her Lazos because she never tucks her blouses in.  I think the tapered legs pair nicely with a loose top and long vest.

My Dad and my parent’s dog, Jake, joined us for the photo shoot (and Matt was behind the camera, of course).  It ended up being a bit of a family portrait session!  We can’t help ourselves at Christmas: We hammed it up and embraced the cheesiness by attempting to create a continuous loop of Christmas crackers.  Jake was trying to help:

It was difficult, but in the end, we managed 😛  You might notice my Dad is wearing his buffalo check Fairfield shirt…he reports that he wears it very often.  In fact, he wears a t-shirt under it so that he doesn’t have to put it in the wash daily and thus can wear it more!  So there you go – we are a family of red handmade clothing this Christmas (unintentionally matchy-matchy but I kind of like it!).

I’ll leave you with one last photo to round off 2016…Jake!

Happy holidays!  May the new year bring many great projects for you (and us!).  Thank you for giving us such a stable, fruitful, and connected year!  We look forward to many more like it.

Buffalo Check Fairfield Shirt

A couple of weeks ago my parents took Matt, my sister and I on a family holiday to Lund, on the Sunshine Coast (B.C.).  This is a couple of hours by ferry from where I live in the Comox Valley, Vancouver Island.  The trip was a joint birthday celebration for my parents who have birthdays in October and November…and it was highly anticipated by Matt and I who were REALLY looking forward to a weekend holiday!

In honour of my Dad’s birthday I sewed him a couple of new garments.  Today I’ll show you his lumber-jack inspired Buffalo Check brushed cotton Fairfield Button-up!

My sister took these photos of my Dad when we reached the end of our Saturday hike.  We walked up to Manzanita Hut which is part of the Sunshine Coast Trail.  Based on our small one day hike and the larger four day hike my sister went on last spring, I would highly recommend the Sunshine Coast Trail if you are looking for a hiking adventure in B.C.!

This Fairfield Button-up is sewn using the red and black buffalo check from our shop.  We only have a few more meters of this and it is sadly no longer offered by our fabric distributor!  We have quite a lot of the blue and white and black and white variations though!

I used the band collar from our free ‘Alternative Collar Styles’ download (you can find the link on the Fairfield Button-up page).  I love the casual vintage vibe that this style of collar lends to the shirt!  It is reminiscent of workwear from the 1930s.

Instead of buttons, I used rugged snaps (the same snaps that we include in our new Rain Jacket Hardware kits!).  My thinking was that my dad could wear the shirt open as a second layer over t-shirts if he wanted to.  The heavy snaps help to give the workshirt an appearance of outerwear.

Since I knew my dad would not be wearing the top snap closed, I covered the neckline seam with cotton twill tape so that it could peek out as a little bit of extra detail (you can just see it in the photo above).

In terms of sizing – this one is simple: It is a straight size XL (Average Figures) with a centre back pleat!  I didn’t make any changes to the pattern to fit my dad.

I already know he will get lots of wear out of this shirt because every time I’ve seen him since our trip he has been wearing it (that’s why he is so much fun to sew for!).

Enough about sewing though…Here is the best of photos to please all of you dog lovers out there: Our pup, Luki, cooling off on the way up the mountain!

He LOVES lying in puddles.  Can you tell?

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In other news, did you receive our newsletter earlier this week announcing the launch of our Rain Jacket Hardware kits?  If not, you may want to subscribe so that you don’t miss a some big news items coming up in the next month. 😉

For those of you who haven’t read about our new kits yet: I gathered our hardware kits together with Matt’s Dintex anorak in mind.  After your enthusiastic response to my post on his new jacket, I thought I would set out to find all of the hardware I could not easily source while sewing his jacket.  That way, you could make the same jacket…but even better!

We’ve included my favourite anorak snaps (super rugged, super easy to install).

You’ll also find some awesome reflective YKK zippers that are perfect for dark stormy nights.  The two short zippers are ‘extras’ to use for customising your jackets (you could ad d armpit vents as commonly found in ski jackets or all manner of zippered pockets).

When purchasing the kit, you can choose between a zipper suited to the Closet Case Files Kelly Anorak or a longer zipper to use on the Hot Patterns Hemmingway Windcheater (which is now back in stock along with the previously sold out Workshirt and Breton Top).

The toggles and drawstring have been sourced from Rose City Textiles.  A few of you mentioned this outdoor/technical fabric shop when I blogged and Instagram posted about Matt’s Hemmingway jacket.  It is a Portland-based shop that sells mostly to designers and manufacturers…and unfortunately, they are currently going out of business.  They are selling off their wares in large lots so, with wonderful help from staff member, Annette, over a long phone call, I was able to find matching toggles, cord ends, and reflective shock cord perfectly suited to high end outdoor gear!

In addition to the full kits, I’ve added sets of toggles and cord ends to the shop.  Would you like me to list any of the other materials separately?  For instance, would you prefer to purchase the snaps kits on their own?  Or shock cord by the meter?  I have priced the full kit as the best deal…but not all of you will want the whole kit!  Just let me know what you would like listed individually and I will do so right away.

And, in other news before I sign off:

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• Pattern Review is hosting a Menswear Sewing Contest and we are the sponsor!  Enter for your chance to win a $100 or $50 shopping spree in our store!
• As I mentioned before, get ready for some big news in the coming weeks (there are two things that I’m keeping secret for now!).  Sign up to receive our email newsletter to make sure you stay in the loop.
• Did you miss out on your favorite color of waterproof Dintex?  Not to worry!  I’m holding a pre-sale right now.  Simply place your order right now and it will be shipped to you (along with any other goodies you order) as soon as it arrives at our studio.  The pre-sale ends next Tuesday, Nov. 22nd. 10am PST.