Frederique deux fois

Posted in Uncategorized by ninjajnin

Spring, we`re ready. The first kind of sunny and warm days arrived around here. There is no better time to start sewing my little girls spring wardrobe. We already spotted the first snowdrop flowers in our garden. I await them eagerly every year. It means the cold days gonna pass by soon. Spring will arrive and that makes me happy. Flowerprints are not so much for me. But for the Frederique Dress at this time of the year, it just felt right. Compagnie M just released THE dress, I felt like sewing in my ihaveenoughfromwintermood mood.

Colorful, sweet and fresh it had to be. With cute little details like the bow in the back, piped pockets and of course the easy cuffs. To calm down the busy print I decided to use white fabric with a touch of mint in it, for all the details. And it worked out so well.

I made two small pattern hacks. I added a gathered skirt. This is a very easy adjustment. Just add some wide to the patternpieces and gather it back to the original waist size. Keep in mind you don`t want gathers over the pockets. Second, I sewed on the cuffs differently than suggested in the instructions. As i like them folded up i sewed them on right-side of the cuff, facing wrong-side of the sleeve. Then i folded up the cuff, hiding the SA between the Cuff and the Sleeve. Understitch from the inside of the sleeve. If you want your cuffs to stay up, this gives a very nice finish. Add a button or some stitches to secure everything in place.

Fabric is from Petit Pan. I bought it together with Marte while visiting Antwerp. Such a beautiful city by the way.

When I have a pattern with many options it`s sometimes really difficult for me to make a choice. I`m not to good in making decisions anyway. Yes, i ended up sewing two Frederiques. Could be worser. My girl is more than happy that she got two dresses instead of the one i promised her.

This dress has a totally different vibe, even if it`s from the very same pattern. This one actually was the first I sewed. It`s a size 4Y. She needs the length, not the wide (lazy me). For the second dress i made the very fast adjustment and sewed her a size 3Y with the length of a size 4. Perfect fit.

The fabric was bought in Paris 3 years ago, in one of the fabricshops around Montmartre. A borderprint shirting cotton. It was cheap but a very reasonable quality. It behaved very well. I love that I managed to line up everything. And that i didn`t had to cut up the print. I joined the pocket piece to the sidepanel, this way you`re able to sew a continuous piping all the way down. Too nice! Congrats Marte, this Pattern will be so loved. It`s all we love about your brand. A versatile pattern with beautiful seamlines and lot`s of options to play with.

Pattern: Frederique Dress by Compagnie M

Fabric: Dress Nr. 1 Petit Pan, Dress Nr 2 bought locally

11Feb2017

Kielo Shift Dress

Posted in Uncategorized by ninjajnin

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This dress was lying in the darkest edge of my closet for nearly a year. It looked a bit different back then I`ve to admit. His story starts back in 2015, I was in need of a dress i could wear for Christmas. Nothing fancy. I was pregnant, my belly was already uncomfortable big, let`s call it huge. Maternity patterns are most of the time… hmm. (how can i say that in a friendly way) Just not that much my style. I thought the Kielo Pattern by Named would fit the bill and have enough room for a big belly. Specially, when sewn in a knit fabric. It actually could work, though. But not in this particular fabric. There is nothing wrong with the fabric. It`s a beautiful double-knit. Firm, heavy with not that much stretch, great recovery. Not the attributes you would name, if you search for a good match with the Kielo pattern. I don`t know what drawn me to this fabric, probably I just felt like being comfy, cozy and warm. With the result, that I looked even huger than I actually was. Any way you looked at it, it was just not flattering. When i was back in shape after pregnancy i gave it a change again. It was hopeless. I just picked the wrong fabric for this project. Sad dress went back on the shelf.

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Until a day, I found it again. I felt a bit ashamed when I saw the dress in my closet. I hate it when something isn`t working out how i imagined. And having wasted that beautiful fabric felt even worser.

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The fabric. Most of my projects start with the fabric. A fabric should work well with a pattern. And then it occurred to me. Heavy, good recovery, little stretch. This fabric has to be a shift dress.

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The Shoulder, neckline and the sleeves fitted very well. Everything I had to do was lay it on top of a well-fitting knitdress and trace the shape from under the armpit to the seamline. I reused the straps of the Kielo, attached them to the waistline and I was good to go. 15 minutes guys.

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I ended up with the most beautiful and well-fitting shift dress I ever owned. It`s so sexy without being loud. So casual but still so chic on the same time. I love versatile clothes. That`s probably what describes my style the best. I love clothes that can be worn in any situation. Being with kids, Business, friends, going out. Everyday. Clothes i want to wear for all the opportunities. That`s one of those genius dresses.

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By the way one little side note about my shoes. They`re new. You may now that I`m a bit of a sucker for Doc Martens. I wear their boots like all the time. The same pair since 8 years (winter version) and 10 years (rest of the year version). Emm, yes. I like to invest in quality that lasts for a long time. This year i thought it`s time for a more grown up version. Still have to get used to them. They work with a dress as well as with jeans. Win.

So here i`ll leave you with a last view on the nice backdarts of the Kielo that gives the dress such a nice shape.

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Pattern: Kielo by Named with the free long Sleeve. (Modified)

Fabric: Double knit, bought locally in Freiburg (Germany)

3Feb2017

Hannah

Posted in Uncategorized by ninjajnin

Hannah, wins the award, for the most clever pattern I`ve sewn so far. It`s just awesome how everything comes together. I really had to sew it up until i completely understood how it works. I had to follow the instructions while sewing, something i don`t do that often. But they`re so well made. You won`t get lost.

I love everything about the design. The clear style lines. The curved hem, the deep pockets. I`m specially in love with the deep pockets. I just store my hands in there the whole day. Beautiful, how the crossover back detail ends up in the pockets, isn`t it?

The fabric I used, is a proundly-cherished one. I got it from Marte of Compagnie M. She spotted it for me and knew, i would love it a lot. And i really do! She`s such a sweet person. I`m so happy, we got in touch through Parissewsocial. I found a worthy place for this special gift, though.

I finished this dress some time ago. But never came around to take pictures. I wore it all the time. The last sunny days went and winter came. And I ended up taking pictures on a very freezing cold day. That`s how it goes.

I sewed a straight size 4, down to my measurements. The only thing I might change on a second version is to lower the armscye just a tiny bit. But that`s just a personal preference. The dress is drafting perfection!

Pattern: Hannahdress by Victory Patterns

Fabric: Bought locally in Belgium

1Feb2017

Split Hi-Low Hem Tutorial

Posted in Tutorial, Uncategorized by ninjajnin

I`m not the person, who makes resolutions on the beginning of a new year. This year I made one. Sewing related of course. I stopped buying clothes more than 2 years ago. There are a lot of reasons for. First, I want to know, who makes my clothes and to which conditions. Second but not less important point is that our clothes, or the way we buy clothes is eco-unfriendly. That`s why, I decided to stop buying and make it myself. Now, i know exactly who made my clothes and because i made them myself, they bring me so much joy. Pieces i love to wear everyday for hopefully a long time. For 2017 it`s my goal to sew all the stuff, which is really missing in my closet. You know, the stuff you don`t fancy to sew, when there is just an other nice dresspattern on your table. Like sweaters, t-shirts, leggins and underwear. Yes underwear.

To help me to stick at my mission I decided to sew along with Project sew it. I`ll try to sew a wardrobe stable item for myself or my husband every month. Or even better, for both of us.

January was all about sweaters. Haha, yes. Waffle knit sweaters for Mr. and Mrs. Fliegfederfrei. We`re not going to wear them on the same day, of course.

It`s not the same fabric actually, mine is a Waffle knit from Miss Matatabi. It`s very beautiful with the white reverseside. The one of Mr. Fliegfederfrei is bought locally in Belgium. The cuffs and the detail on the neck are made with the backside of this fabric. Different, but not less beautiful.

You may be interested in the nice split detail I added to my Inari sweater. I made you a Tutorial.

SPLIT HI-LOW HEM TUTORIAL

I used the Inari cropped tee pattern by Named. I planned to try out the free long sleeve. With my fabric it didn`t work. The sleeve was really baggy. Maybe because of the weight of the Waffleknit. I seamripped it out again and went for the short sleeve pattern piece which comes with the Inari and just lengthened it to my measurements. Much better. The hemline is extended as described in the tutorial.

Mr. Fliegfederfrei wears a modified Finlayson Sweater by Thread Theory. A size S with extra length. The neckdetail is selfdrafted. Read more about his previous Finlayson Sweater here. He wears his handmade sweaters as soon as they`re out of the laundry. It`s so nice to sew for him.

I really like our new sweaters and I`m quite sure I would probably not have sewn two sweaters without the extra motivation of Project sew it. January was a success.

7Dec2016

It`s Friday

Posted in Uncategorized by ninjajnin

Yesterday, the Fridaydress by petit a petit and Family finally released. It`s a timeless, modern shirt dress with lots of options.

A perfect dress pattern for any occasion. Sew a chic and sparkling one for Christmas, or just a relaxed dress for everyday wear. This pattern can cover it. You like a feminine touch or maybe more casual, you`ll be fine. Luckily you can sew a ton of different dresses from it, then once you decide to dive into shirt making, you`ll see it`s addictive!

My girl is a size 3. And the fit is spot on. During the pattern testing, I tested version D (waistband and semi-circle skirt). A bad choice. Don`t get me wrong. I love the look. Perfect for a tween who has kind of a waist. It was not so flattering on my little girl who still has a sweet baby bump. I didn`t like it. I couldn`t stand calling it a fail after so much time I spent on it. I carefully seamripped the skirt away from the bodice. Then i added panels until i had the wide of the view B skirt. I gathered and reattached everything. Now, with the gathered skirt, no waistband and the buttons all the way down, she looks super sweet. She felt like trying on the dress as soon as i cut the threads to my sewing machine and didn`t take it off again. A very good sign.

It`s also a good style for smaller children because it`s easy to get in and out. And the deep sideseam pockets are a highlight as always. I finished the whole dress with flat felled seams. Time-consuming fun, I enjoy while making a button up. The inside looks just so pretty.

I couldn`t resist using Snaps. Buttonholes aren`t my favorite part of Shirt making. I was more than happy to skip this part. It`s for a toddler, so whatever, it`s practical.

I had fun playing with the stripes. By the way, I sew a big piece of those nicely bias-matched stripes and then i place my pattern pieces on it. So much easier, than trying to match those little already cut out pieces.

I used a nice yarn dyed Japanese selvedge cotton from Miss Matatabi. It sews up like a dream. Good quality fabric is a live safer when sewing a shirt dress. As a little extra I could use the contrasting selvedge as a eye-catcher on the small pocket.

We`re happy, and I caught the bug. Friday we`ll be good friends! I hope you feel like sewing your own Friday dress. You can get your copies here.

Pattern: Friday Dress by petit a petit Patterns. –> View B without any alterations.

Fabric: yarn dyed selvedge cotton from Miss Matatabi

3Dec2016

Ready for the Rain

Posted in Uncategorized by ninjajnin

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Have you heard about the big Compagnie M sewing contest? It`s all about the Louisa and Lewis Coat. Of course, I couldn`t leave out such a friendly contest. Here is my entry. After making a simple Louisa Coat version for the blogtour, I felt like pattern-hacking could be fun. And i went all the way from a wool coat to a functional rain jacket. I never ever thought i could make something like that, when i first started to sew. I`m not a sewer who fears a lot. But this seemed to be a big deal. Now it`s clear, there is no reason to become scared of such a project. It behaves like a woven fabric and doesn`t shift. And the best of all, you don`t have to iron. Because you would destroy the fabric. You just understitch or topstitch the seams and get a nice and crisp finish.

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My tips for sewing Goretex

Use a microtex needle
Understitch or topstitch seams
Don`t use your iron
Use a seam sealer (I used seamtape) to make seams waterproof
Don`t make mistakes, your needle will leave holes in the fabric and weaken it.
No pins for the same reason

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I made a whole bunch of changes to the pattern. Let`s start on top. I added a little cape to the hood to protect her face from the rain. Then, I drew a standing collar, that she can close her jacket over her neck. Because I didn`t want the zipper to scratch her chin i needed a zipper guard. I provided a drawstring on the waist and an elastic for the hood. I drew deep gusseted pockets in the form of the typical Louisa Pocket. There is a little inside pocket for small treasure and last but not least a size-adjustable velcro for the sleeve.

All you need for a nice weatherproof rain jacket.

Have a look at the details.

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As it is not so easy, to find good quality outdoor fabrics (Your recommendations are very welcome!) I reused a good but not often worn Jacket from her grandmother. I decided to ask around for an unloved rain jacket, I could use to make a new one out of it. I was sure someone had one waiting in a cupboard. But I was so delighted when she arrived with this purple jacket. It`s probably exactly the color my little girl wished for. It was a heavy task to take the whole jacket apart and place the new pattern pieces on it. There isn`t much left of the original jacket. I reused everything. Main fabric, lining, elastic, velcro and even the shortened zipper. So satisfying! Time consuming yes, but lots of fun. And i boast when i look at the finished project!

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The only difficulties I faced where sewing on gusseted pockets without using pins and to apply the sealtape. That was kind of frustrating. This tape caused all those pucker you can see, for example, under the pockets. So annoying for a little perfectionist like me. But I had to live with it. Just couldn`t do better. I`ll try an other brand next time. It`s a great coat, though. At least my little girl is more than happy about it.

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Pattern: Hacked Louisa Coat by Compagnie M

Fabric: Upcycled old outdoor jacket, and some Aime come Marie Diamants for the hood lining.

2Dec2016

Madeit Fashion Week 2016

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Welcome to the Madeit Fashion Week 2016.

I proudly present you my turn on the Dropdress. The new pattern by Madeit. It`s the dress you sew for yourself, when you don`t know what to wear tonight. Yes right. Even an hour before you should be ready to go out. Drop is sewn as fast as a t-shirt. It wears like a t-shirt. It may feel like a t-shirt, but gives you stylish and dressy look. With it`s long sleeves and the slash neck it`s the perfect dress for the cooler winter days. Wear it with a big scarf and you`re ready.

The special drape detail just occurs to the asymmetrical cut. Very clever. I was excited about that dress on the first glimpse. Luckily, Olu let me test. By now, I got 4 versions. Can`t stop. It`s a dress you love to wear as a mum. Effortless and comfy to wear. but don`t be fooled by that. I feel so well dressed in my Drops.I even got some compliments, while wearing them. What do you want more?

This striped version is made in a very nice french terry. It is thin and drapes very well. I found it locally. It`s a gorgeous fabric. I just have to get used to the white. Not a color that suits me very well, though. It makes me somehow palish. This was the very first version of the pattern. For the pretest. Since this version, the pattern changed a bit.

My grey version is made from a normal t-shirt fabric style knit. It drapes way less beautifully but works as well. It`s not just plain grey, you can`t see it very well on the pictures, but it has some nice blue stripes running horizontally and vertically.

The fabric choice can make all the difference with this top! Try a true knit, something with 4 way stretch or even a french terry. You`re drapes are going to be much more special!

Madeit Fashion week is also a funny little contest about a great backdrop, between all the talented lady’s contributing. My theme is monochrome. From head to toe (my nails are grey as well accidentally). I just had to wear my Turban hat to make the look complet. This one is selfdrafted and i still have to tweak the pattern a bit. I allready love it a lot. It feel so sophisitcated to wear a turban.

Back to the Backdrop. I just attached Christmas wrapping paper on my wall and jumped in front of it. Looks funny doesn`t it?

You can win as well!!!

So jump over to Madeit Patterns, no time to lose! And psst… you`ll get 20 % off your Drop during the fashion week! Use code MFW2016.

Thank you for having me Olu and Anna!

5Nov2016

Origami Double Gauze Quilt

Posted in Uncategorized by ninjajnin

My Girl asked for a Blanket, as a Birthday gift. And who am I, to say no to such a request. I`m not a quilter. The only quilts, I ever made, are small babyquilts. Nothing to compare. This one had to be big. Big enough to snuggle down in it. I decided to go with a size 135 cm of 200 cm. A good choice.

I wanted it to be soft and fluffy. Double gauze it had to be. A double gauze quilt will never be as perfect as one sewn in quilting cotton. But I don`t mind. The gorgeous material makes more than up for that. Just relax and enjoy sewing. Double gauze has a mind on his own.

The Pattern I used is self-made. Actually, it`s an origami of a flapping bird. I used the crease lines as a guide. Normally, origami is a square, right? I divided the square in 4 parts and used two of them again on the bottom. See what I did here? That was my template.

And you can laugh now, but I really found a paper big like this and made a giant origami bird. The same size as my blanket. No idea how real Quilter would do that.

The back of my quilt is a beautiful linen in the same color as the binding. Between a soft, thick cotton batting. I used temporary spray adhesive, to hold everything in place while sewing. This was a game changer. Not one single pucker on the underside. I never got such a neat result when I used safety pins.

I just stitched in the ditch to quilt the layers together. First to keep the softness and as a bonus I have the nice origami pattern on the underside as well.

I think quilting wan`t be a new hobby of mine. But my first quilt experience is rather positive! I must say, I love the result a lot! And so does she! She was so proud and happy when she finally received her blanket made specially for her. In her favorite colors. She`s convinced that the quilt is able to charm her while sleeping. And it surely does. It`s made out of love! Love in every stitch.

A Birthday without a special dress, incredible. I had to try the super cute just knot it dress by Mind the Whale. I used Naniiro scraps from the quilt for the bodice and linen for the skirt. There`s too much bulk inside the waistband that`s bothering me a bit. I should have cut it down properly. But still I think she looks really sweet in it.

A very beautiful pattern! The fit is spot on and it`s nicely finished on the inside as well. One to set on your to sew list!

Maybe there`ll be an other quilt in the future. It`s so satisfying. Never say never.

Fabrics: Naniiro, Cotton and Steel, double gauze. All from Miss Matatabi. Linen is from the Dutch fabric market.

Quilt Pattern: self-made

Dress Pattern: Just knot it by Mind the Whale

30Oct2016

Drape Drape Dress no 3

Posted in Uncategorized by ninjajnin

I sewed dress no 3 for my mum a few years ago. She wears it quite often. It`s a staple in her wardrobe. And every time she wear it, I`m reminded that i should make one for myself. She looks great in it by the way. Before we left on holiday the time has come. I was in need of a summer dress.

Winter has arrived in Switzerland and those sunny days already feel like ages ago. looking at those pictures I feel the travel bug! Take me back!

The Japanese Drape Drape book is probably one of my all time favorite sewingbooks. See here and here and here. That`s Dress no 3 out of the first book. I love that it`s made from just one patternpiece, like most of the design in this book.

I traced the pattern, back when I sewed this dress for my mum. She`s short and skinny. Normally, her clothes fit me, even if I`m much taller. So, there was this pattern already traced out. I could just start cutting my fabric. Of course, I was too lazy to trace the pattern again. For the next one, i need to lower the waistline by about 2 cm and add about 5 cm to the hem (cough, cough). I guess with two kids i`m to old for such a short skirt. I`ll wear that dress with tights.

The fabric is a beautiful silk knit. Very lightweight. It was a nightmare to sew. I needed something to stabilize the hemlines. Golden elastic. You have to go with what`s around, don`t you? This one, was just waiting for his big appearance. It`s my favorite detail on that dress.

Pattern: Drape Drape Dress no 3

Fabric: Silk knit bought locally

27Oct2016

Flowers for the girls

Posted in Uncategorized by ninjajnin

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I allready gave you a sneak peek of this dress in my last post. Now i felt like I`ll have to dedicate it a proper post on his own. The Maradress was the first pattern released by Compagnie M and also the first Compagnie M pattern I sewed. I was even one of the Mara-contest winner (see more here). It was about time to show that dress some love again.

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I sewed a lullaby layette romper for my baby girl a few months ago, out of this gorgeous Liberty fabric. (That`s my baby girl when she was about 1 month old.)

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Shortly after, my big girl requested a dress as well! There was just enough left. You don`t waste even a little piece of such a fabric, right? By the way, I received this fabric back in 2014 as part of the Parissewsocial sponsorship. It was generously given by Cousette. It`s probably one of the most perfect cotton fabrics I ever sewed with! This is quality that makes a difference!

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With that opulent flower print, it just had to be a bit princess like. I hacked the sleeve to a balloon sleeve, which makes it extra cute in my eyes. For those of you who like to give it a try. I made a graphics which should make it easy for you to do it yourself.

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Draw lines on the sleeve pattern as illustrated.
Cut it as illustrated and spread it open. The more you give, the more Volumen you`ll get.
Take the new outlines as your new pattern-shape. Make sure you transfer notches.
Gather the sleeve, so the new pattern fits to the armscye.
Add an elastic to the hem. (Don`t forget to add Seamallowance for that!)

That`s it, you just made a balloon-sleeve.

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Add some pockets and snaps to the yoke and that`s everything you need for the perfect summer dress. She still wear it of course, just with a few more layers. But that fabric really goes with everything and makes every outfit a tad special.

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