Colette Seamwork Patsy Skirt in Anchor Printed Rayon

Seamwork digital magazine (run by Colette) come up with two new digital patterns for each issue but it's been a while since I've been tempted to subscribe. This month, I instantly loved 'Patsy', a modern take on a peasant style skirt with a yoke waistband, gently gathered A-line skirt, patch pockets and contrasting lower section.  Membership was also on offer at $3 so I bought, made and wore the skirt in less than a week!

We had a long weekend away booked at a local beach holiday park and the weather forecast was hot so I bought some very floaty lightweight rayon for a lightweight summer skirt that would protect my legs.

I made a straight size 4 and I would say the waist measurement comes up generous.  I printed sizes 4 and 6 on the pattern layers just in case but the 4 fitted with room and sits about 2.5" above the start of my hip bones. It's an easy style to work out your size as the low waist is the only fitted area and it's easy to print of a few waistbands and make them up in scraps to test before you start cutting the good stuff!  The fabric I chose is prone to creasing but it is such a cool breezy skirt to wear in some very hot weather for the UK so I can happily overlook that!

 The construction, as with all Seamwork projects,  is based on a quick result so I did depart from the instructions  and used slightly different methods for the waistband and pockets based on personal preference and a neater finish but all the basics are in the original pattern.  I especially liked the shaped waistband as it's such a comfortable fit on me an waist yoke is very forgiving and more flattering than a narrow, crosscut waistband.  The patch pockets are a good size and I liked the placement.  It also works really well as a  simple short skirt, just omit the bottom section.  I'd plan to lengthen the main piece by 2-3" so it's on the knee rather than above. 

Because the fabric was so light weight I did do a few extra things to compensate:

1. Used Perfect Fuse sheer fusible interfacing on the waist band and doubled it up to create more body but without being too heavy for the outer waistband.
2. Used a heavier chambray fabric for the waistband facing.
3. Added 1" sheer fusible interfacing on the back seams to just beyond the end of the zipper placement.
4. Used a lightweight concealed zip- the zipper teeth are attached to a mesh fabric rather than twill tape, less weight and stress on lightweight fabric.
5. Used ¼" twill tape at the top waistband seam (see the Soho skirt pattern for this technique).
6. Interlined the pocket with Liberty lawn so they didn't distort with use.

Pattern: Seamwork Patsy

Fabric: Mid blue anchors rayon from Simply Solids

Seamwork Wembley Cardigan in Blush Shrug Knit

When the new addition of Seamwork arrives in my email inbox, I eagerly look forward to the patterns.  If you need a quick sewing fix, the Seamwork projects are all designed to be sewn in a couple of hours.  I've hit a wall with the jacket I'm sewing and needed a break from it so on Saturday afternoon I started on the to the Wembley cardigan.  It is a semi-fitted cropped shape, perfect for dresses and skirts.  I had the pattern cut out and ready from when I bought it in November.

I've seen a lot of Oslo cardigans on sewing blogs- an earlier Seamwork pattern- but very little on the Wembley and I really like how it turned out so I thought I'd share the details.   The fabric is from Plush Addict and its a Karen Millen wool blend mix originally used for shrugs so perfect for this design.  The wool content is 12%, sufficient for warmth but not itchy and I will be wearing this with layers.   It was a pleasure to work with- it stretches but not in a crazy way and it presses well with a warm iron and using a damp cloth.

There was an excellent post on Indie Sew a few month's back Four Tips for Serging Bulky Knits, and I referred to it before I sewed any seams.  I used two needles and four threads and I changed my settings exactly as recommended in the blog post and checked a few test seams- no ripples or waves- before I started:   

Differential feed 1.5 (usual is 1)

Stitch Length 4 (usual is 3)

Stitch Width 6 (usual is 5)

The cardigan was sewn on a serger and for a knit fabric like this with lots of space between the fibres, I don't think you could get away with doing it on the machine instead, there are too many bits that would unravel.

The only challenging aspect of using the fabric was that marking the many notches for matching up the bands was pretty much impossible so I marked them with pins as I needed them. 

The cardigan is designed to have a little swing so there is room at the back which you could remove for a close fit on the side seams.  I have lots of close fitting crop cardigans so I like the variety of this little swing!

The front hangs nicely.  The band was a good fit.  It was pressed into place and I did consider top stitching the seam allowance to the cardigan front on my sewing machine but the risk of it stretching and rippling was to great so I've left it as it is.

I lengthened the sleeves my a couple of inches (see alterations at the end of the post).  On colder days, I'll probably cross the front points over and pin them together for extra warmth and as a style variation. 

I finished the inside neck seam off with some lightweight twill tape.  This does two things: it acts as a stay on the back neck and stops stretching and it is adds a little extra neat finish, you often see this in ready-to-wear knit garments. 

I hand basted the tape into place and then used different colour threads on my sewing machine so it was sewn invisibly in place.  I sewed from the tape side and you can see the reverse stitches blending into the fabric in the pic below.

Details and Alterations:

• Pattern size XS
• Sleeves lengthened by 2".  The original sleeves are slightly cropped at a bracelet length.  I added a lengthen line on the sleeve pattern piece 4 ¾" up from the cuff end and inserted an extra 2" at that point and even the side seams out with a ruler.  I left the cuff unchanged and it fitted well. 
• Forward houlder alteration: shoulder seams altered by ⅜" to allow for forward shoulders.  I followed this tutorial by Maria of Denmark- very easy!
• Lightweight narrow twill tape used instead of clear elastic to stabilise the shoulder seams.
• Lightweight twill tape added to cover the inside neck seam.

I am very happy with the cardi, it is warm and will see lots of wear.   Definitely a pattern that I will come back to and sew another.