The Sewing Chronicles

As a child of the 60's, I have always been a huge fan of anything denim: jeans, skirts, dresses, cut-offs, and even hats.  The Sandbridge Skirt by Hey June Handmade brought back my love for denim, as soon as I saw the line drawing for the tester call. This is a great skirt!  It comes in two lengths (mini and knee length), and it has all the bells and whistles denim clothing should have, starting with a fly front, a coin pocket, optional rivets, contrasting bias for the inner waistband and topstitching details on the seams and pockets. The Sandbridge is designed for medium weight fabrics such as denim, corduroy, or other similar weight fabrics.  It can be made with a fabric with some stretch or with none, but if you choose non-stretchy, you are advised to go up a size.  The step by step instructions are easy to follow and there will be a sew along on the website,  Hey June Handmade , starting on Monday, July 24. Join in the sew along if you want support in making this fabul

If you have never tried your hand at a pattern from Hey June Handmade, you are missing a treat.  The designer, Adrianna Appl, provides clear instructions for professionally finished garments that are a dream to sew.  Recently, I was fortunate to be chosen as a tester for the Key Largo, which is a great summer top for woven fabrics, with two different views. One interesting aspect of the Key Largo is the front is cut on the bias.  This allows you to make an interesting chevron pattern with a striped fabric, but also provides a lovely drape for fabrics with a less obvious design.  I am still hunting for the perfect stripe to make my next Key Largo. If you are new to sewing with woven fabrics, this would be a great pattern to begin with.  There are  five pattern pieces for View A, which has a bottom band with a self tie, and only four pieces for View B, which has a hemmed bottom and no tie This count includes pieces for the neckband and sleeve binding, and the construction method is v

In all my years of sewing, I have only made garments for women (mainly myself), and children.  A few weeks ago, I happened upon a testing call for sweatpants for men, and I decided to apply.  Much to my surprise, I was chosen as one of the testers, and so, I embarked upon a new path. Christina Albeck is the designer behind Wardrobe By Me, and has more than twenty years experience designing patterns for the fashion industry.  She has an extensive selection of PDF patterns on her site, and is a dream to work with. The Rebel Sweatpants and Shorts pattern is a great fit, and an easy sew. There are two inseam pockets, a back, patch pocket, and an option to add a drawstring.  I chose to make the pants in a soft French Terry, but they would also be suitable for many types of fleece, as long as there was enough stretch.  I also decided to decorate the waistband with four rows of top stitching, to add an even more professional look to them. Even better, there is a companion pattern for wo