Kanerva Blouse by Named Clothing

 I have been searching for a long sleeved, woven fabric simple top for sometime.  When I saw 'Kanerva Blouse' by Named Clothing on the Fancy Tiger Crafts blog here and here I was seriously smitten and a discount code over the new year on the Named Clothing Facebook page had me clicking buy

I really like the Named Clothing PDF style.  The pattern is layered (each piece overlaps another) and there are only 12 pages pattern to print, so it is much faster to put together than the average blouse PDF.  Because the pieces are overlaid, you need to trace off each piece in your size but as their are only two sizes displayed at a time that was easier than the average Burda Style magazine.  I traced a size EU 38 (UK size 10, USA size 6) which was a little bigger than my measurements but as this pattern is made for jersey fabrics as well as lightweight woven I thought it best to be on the safe side.  I opted for the peplum version and I wanted it to be big enough to go over my head (there is a button fastening at the back).

I made very little in the way of alterations. I added the binding in a slightly different way (more info further down this post.  The sleeves were quite short (considering that I am 5' 5" (164cm) and the pattern is drafted for almost  5' 8" (172cm) so instead of turning up the hem, I left the sleeves at full length and added bias to the bottom.  

For a first attempt I am pretty damn pleased with the fit.  It is a small busted pattern.  I am a A cup at the most and this worked for me.  There is a slight surplus of fabric in the centre of the pattern especially on the upper bust area and the darts could do with coming very slightly inwards.  The sleeves and arm holes fit brilliantly.  I did need to ease stitch the sleeve head which isn't mentioned in the instructions but is a standard method for fitting a sleeve into an arm hole.  I like lots of room to move and I loathe tightness under the arms, these sleeves were winners!  It goes over my head without straining so no need to fiddle around with buttoning up.

The pleat detail at the waist is an easy addition and sat at the perfect place for me- a longer bodied, taller person may need to add a little length in the body.  The pattern pieces fit together well and the instructions are functional.  They are not hugely detailed and they read like they are a translation but they do the job.  Everything was sewn on my new vintage Bernina 707 including the buttonholes and was hassle free.  The fabric is Robert Kaufman Lennox Gardens Lawn and is a lovely light lawn, a little thiner than a Liberty lawn and it pressed and sewed easily with a 70 Schmetz Microtex needle.  

Here's how I did my binding.  Firstly I trimmed my seam allowance off at the neckline.  Then I cut bias binding 1 ⅜" wide, three pieces- one long enough for the neck and two the same width as the cuff on the sleeve. I sewed it to the inside of the neck edge using a ¼" seam allowance (the right side of the binding is placed against the wrong side of the neck edge.  Press upwards. You can see the ¼" overhang at the vertical edge which is then folded inwards and the binding is folded to meet the neck edge.  There is an option at this point to grade the seam and trim the neck edge to ⅛" wide, the binding is untrimmed.  The grading makes the binding sit flat rather than standing up- I did this on my second Kanerva but not on this one.

Press the binding over so that the folded edge extends over the seam line and stitch close to the folded edge.  I used the same method on the sleeve cuff.

My only significant alteration was to reduce the peplum length by 2" taken from the bottom edge.

I've already made another Kanerva with a few tweaks- I just need to wear it.  Fit is something that needs to be judged in wear as well as during the sewing process.  For me, this blouse it is the equivalent of a long sleeved lightweight jersey T, a core wardrobe piece.  It layers well with cropped cardigans- I am constantly in a state of cold at the moment so this is a big plus for me!  The simple design makes the perfect showcase for prints too.  The skirt which can just about be seen is from Stylish Skirts by Sato Watanabe.  It is skirt I, "Escargot' skirt with straight hem panel.  This is a book where you draft your own pattern pieces based on your measurements.   That sounds harder than it is but you do need to comfortable with a Japanese diagram instruction style.  The book is translated but there are errors.  The skirt fabric is a dress weight denim from Merchant and Mills- any fabrics I have had from them have been the most fantastic quality

Stats:

Pattern: Kanerva Blouse by Named Clothing

Fabric: Lennox Gardens Lawn, 110cm wide, size 38 needed 1.5 metres

Alternations: Reduction of 2" in length of peplum. Bias binding added to sleeve cuff edges. 

Introducing Daisy, vintage Bernina 707 Minimatic

The longer I sew, the more I realise that one sewing machine will not fulfil all my needs.  I am a varied sewer- clothes sewing requires a free arm, top quality straight stitch and the ability to do manual neat buttonholes.  Quilting makes me long for space and power: a generous surface to sew on, dual feed to cope with the bulk and an accurate quarter inch foot.  My Janome Horizon was a frighteningly large investment at the time, but its size and ability to sew through bulk with ease is unmatched by anything else that I have ever used and it is a great machine for sewing jersey- lightning stitch and variable foot pressure are both a bonus on stretch fabrics.  However, it struggles with lightweight fabrics or sewing at the very edge of flimsy materials.  The buttonholes are unreliable, it is a beast and when sewing something smaller and lighter, I long for a machine that I can feel more connected to.  I also have a smaller Janome Jem from my pre sewing room days when equipment had to be portable and quick to tidy away. It is lightweight and useful for travelling to meet ups or classes.  To add to my collection, I have a Singer Featherweight, bought for a bargain price a few years ago and it has beautiful straight stitch and I particularly like the general sewing foot.  I can't deny that it is vintage eye candy and I enjoy it on an aesthetic level perhaps above everything else!  It doesn't have a free arm though so sleeves and cuffs can be fiddly and buttonholes need me to master the separate attachment each time.  I love them all, but none can do everything.  I have had a yearning throughout all this time to have a good mechanical machine which will do a beautiful straight stitch with perfect tension and sew a buttonhole in four stages, each manually controlled.  I've found it.  In her hey day, she was quite the poster girl:

A Bernina 707 Minimatic, produced from 1967 -1971.  She is likely to be a very similar age to myself.  Relatively small, but very heavy.  I bought her locally through eBay,with a lot of questions and from a genuine seller .  I knew I had to allow for the cost of a service and I was right- she was clean but the mechanics were dry and a few drops of oil from me, even following the manual and the red dotted oil points were not going to do the trick. The bobbin winder was stuck fast too and that has been sorted, the machine is oiled and tweaked and she really does purr.  I've tested her with a  blouse sewn with a silky lawn- the sort of thing that my Janome doesn't do its finest work on and it was a total and utter pleasure.  I really enjoy the connecting that I feel with a mechanical machine, it is a more intimate sewing experience and I would go as far to say meditative.  I feel calm sewing on her- although that may be the pattern that I was sewing which was hassle free and has fitted with hardly a modification (more on that soon).

She came with her original paper work and a wonderful selection of promo fold-outs for related models- you can imagine how happy all that made me.  Her vintage charm is a little different from Minty the Featherweight.  Daisy reminds me of avocado bathroom suites and shag pile carpets but that's no bad thing, both those things have a happy place in my 1970s aesthetic.

Sewing is my main interest outside my family.  I don't really spend money on much else so I feel I can indulge myself with my four machines (and an overlocker).  It does feel a little like the equivalent male cliche of a mid life adult buying an excess of Bose stereo equipment or lots of cycling equipment.  Sure does make me happy though!

The Paper Pieced Home- by the very talented, Penny Layman

I feel so proud of Penny words can't quite express it.  Her new book, The Paper Pieced Home is an utter pleasure from the moment I opened it.  I had seen some of her designs as she was writing it but many were new to me and I smiled a big happy smile as I turned the page from one perfectly realised retro quirky design, to another and another and another.

It's a book of wit and wisdom.  Clever, funny designs and detailed instructions- the how to, equipment, fabrics etc. its 'll there and nothing is skipped over.  The layout is spacious with a mix of drawings and photographs, great fonts, beautiful graphics and fabric snippets throughout. 

The popper push toy was the first design I saw as the book fell open and before I saw the title, I instantly knew what it was and I laughed- such a fun retro toy to include.

 A viewfinder is a hard item to design a paper piecing pattern around- all those angles in a contained space and Penny has done a lovely job.  We think in very similar ways when it comes to the technicalities of paper piecing and where the design and construction lines should go and I love how she has done this.  All the construction lines for the different sections complement and work with the design lines of the viewfinder itself.

The Saucepan is one of my favourites because the fabric choices are such a joy and I love the angle of the handle and I love kitchenalia.

Next the Lion!  This reminds me of so many 1970s craft book lion toys with a looped wooly manes.  It also reminds me of Parsley the Lion- anyone else remember him?  And the Chives?  I am itching to make him.  There is an alligator quilt that I saw during the book writing process that I also love- I can see them together in a nursery quilt.  Many of the 'Playtime' section designs would work in baby quilts, both singularly and en masse.

Many of the designs like the Rotary phone have a dynamic element with unusual angles, implied movement and a great use of perspective.  It is what makes the designs sing.  I could go on, there are so many other designs I would pick- the lamp, the cast iron skillet, and the 70s flared pants for starters. The book divides into themed sections e.g Kitschy Kitchen, Wear it! and Retro Home and each section has accompanying projects.  The block designs come on a CD of 50 printable template patterns- no need to fret about photocopying.  

I am biased.  Penny and I work together on Sew-Ichigo and I love her to bits.  But, all that aside, if you are a paper piecing fan- this book is a must.  Plus she made me cry- I'm included in the opening acknowledgements page which reminded me we both wrote our respective books in some very difficult personal times and that global quilt bees can make for wonderful friendships.  I am so proud of you Penny x

January at Eternal Maker

My January visit to Eternal Maker has timed nicely with the new arrival of a couple of very pretty and usable fabric ranges.  Starting with Handcrafted by Alison Glass.

This has already proved to be an enormously popular range judging by the makes I see on Istagram.  I have a couple of prints awaiting dressmaking plans.  It is a little softer and floppier than standard quilting cotton so it really is a perfect selection for clothing.  The colours have a rich saturation from the hand stamped hand dyed process and I do recommend a prewash. Eternal Maker have the full colour range at the moment- first place in the UK that I've seen with that.  My favourites are:

Bouquet in Yarrow.  I am not sure what it is about this particular combo but the two mustard gold and the purples make my heart sing!

Plus in Strawberry.  There is a beautiful softness to this colour combination.

Penny  in Fossil.  Like all the prints, the simplicity is everything.

I have seen a lot of items made up in these fabrics- the colour range lends itself to rainbows easily.  It would make lovely quilts and small zip pouches.  I have also seen it used for bags.  It is a little lightweight for that- I don't think they would wear well.  And as for clothing, it really does look stunning.

Suffolk Garden by Brie Harrison is a new collection from the UK based company Dashwood Studio and has just hit the shelves at Eternal Maker.

The simplest prints are my favourites.  Berry Star:

And Daisy Spot:

There is a new kit available, Petite Fleur alphabet cot quilt kit.  Everything you need to make the quilt top is there, you will need to supply backing, wadding and binding.  

The fabric is designed by Carolyn Galvin  You can see more of her fabrics (printed on organic cotton) including co-ordinating prints here.  I really liked this navy floral:

For the knitters and crochet fans, lots of new yarn has arrived.  Debbie Bliss is one of my favourite names from my knitting days.  Her yarns are such great quality and the baby yarns are especially soft.  There is Baby Cashmerino and Cashmerino Aran both in an amazing range of colours.

You will also find Knitpro interconnecting needle tips/cable range.  If you are a knitter, I am sure these will look familiar.

Enjoy looking at the new stuff, and for those of you on Instagram, you may want to follow the Anna on the @eternalmaker IG account as bolt ends pop up on there!

Pillow Gifting

Winter: a great time to make and gift pillows. not a great time to take photos of them.  This 'T' pillow is a 20" square informal log cabin design with a few extra squares. I designed it on Touchdraw to get the colours and proportions before I cut.

It was a  Christmas gift, requested by my nephew. 

I made my mum a 'Drawn Together' pillow using Sarah Fielke's pattern in 'Little Quilts'.  I must have forgotten to take a finished pillow picture! It is foundation paper pieced.

And this pillow, which was a pleasure to make (and a nightmare to photograph) was for my friend Kathy.  It celebrated her birthday and some shared memories with polaroid snaps on a formica style background.  The first person I saw make this polaroid style block was Corey- Little Miss Shabby, way back in the Ringo Pie Bee.  I made these these same size as a real polaroid.

It is a great block to paper piece and obviously, it is a fussy cutter's perfect block.  The background fabric is Doe, Intersections in Sky. The binding is Joel Dewberry's Woodgrain in Bark.

The bonus is these pillows are all within walking distance of my house, I can visit them whenever I please!

January at Plush Addict

Time for my January visit to Plush Addict and I have a few project suggestions in amongst my fabric picks for this month.  I love the breadth of what the Plush Addict virtual fabric shelves offer from Cuddlesoft plush through to silk and a lot more between.  For those new to 'plush' fabric- it is a short pile soft fluffy fabric which can be used for blankets, clothes, toys and more.  Also known as 'cuddle' (formerly known as minky) and dominated by the 'Shannon' range of plush fabrics with a few other brands mixed in too, Plush Addict stock almost 400 plush fabrics!  My top picks are:

Ultra plush Shannon Frosted Cuddle Rose in grey/black

 This fabric has an extra deep pile, I think it would make a lovely pet bed! 

I really like the classic dimple plush fabrics too.  

This is Lemon Cuddle Dimple  

And this is Kiwi

Sewing with Plush is different to quilting cottons.  Plush tends to be 100polyester, doesn't need pressing and doesn't unravel.  It can stretch and as it is thicker and can slip so it needs different handling.  Read Kellie's fabric guide to plush here.  She also recommends Clover Wonder Clips rather than pins and size 90 ballpoint needle (back in stock soon).

New quilting cottons in store include Jeanean Morrison's new collection for Free Spirit, Star Landing.  This print caught my eye:

Jade Cross Hatch

There are louder prints in the collection but this simple cross hatch is one I would use a lot and it would work very well as strips- sashing, a border or binding. 

Arrows seem to be a lasting motif in the last few years, 

Robert Kaufman Sports Life 3 Archery Arrows Grey

I can imagine this a beautiful simple baby blanket, this print on one side and plain plush in gold or peacock on the other

with bound edges and rounded corners.  It would make a lovely understated new baby gift and be a quick make!  This Windham Follie print, Grey Hopp, would make a wonderful binding print cut on the bias:

The same  basic baby blanket idea would work with this Paddington Print on one side, 

Paddington Bear Pink Tonal

and this floral plush as the backing:

 Adornit Cuddle Crazy for Daisies Pom Pom Dot Shadow

With this Anna Maria Horner print cut on the diagonal for binding:

Honor Roll Straw Misguided Gingham 

I noticed this geometric print from Camelot Fabrics which I liked for colours and simplicity:

London Fog - Rainwater

And this large scale Robert Kaufman floral print grabbed my attention and reminded me a little of the Orla Kierly Hyrdranger print from a few years back:

Mod Tex - Large Flower Bermuda

It would make an amazing lampshade!   Find a lampshade kit here.  A long ¼ yd or metre will be enough for this side lampshade. There are other prints in the Mod tex range. 

This has to be the perfect fabric for the math's obsessed geeks and Big Bang Theory fans in your life- that could include yourself of course!  I love the computerised font.

Science Fair Formulas Grey

I'll finish today with a crisp graphic toy kit, 

PaaPii Kit: Make your own Fox Family

It makes one large (38cm) fox and two smaller (16cm) foxes, each with a slightly different facial expression.  

 Enjoy!  Happy Weekend x