Tessuti's New York Cape Pattern

After sewing my second Lady Grey this year, I had been seriously hankering for more winter sewing. I thought about making a jacket, but then Tessuti released their New York Cape Pattern, and I decided that a hooded cape would work a treat!!

The pattern was expensive ($35), but I really wanted it... :-) It came printed on printer paper, with black and white photos and instructions on A4 paper. The cape is unlined, and all edges are finished with poly-cotton hong kong binding for the inside and wool binding for the outside.

I found the pattern very easy until I got to the wool binding. I sewed the binding on according to the instructions, but it looked awful. It was all wonky and the edges were wavy. I don't know what I did wrong, but I unpicked it, sewed it again and it still looked awful. My next attempt was to sew it in by hand. Thats 10m of hand stitching. It still looked dreadful. So I unpicked it and sat down for a while and thought about it.

I realised that the binding was too short in length. I also realised that if I was going to sew it in by hand I should only use a single thread, not a doubled-over thread. So, off I trotted to Tessuti to buy more binding. I bought half a meter more than the pattern suggests.

I sewed it in by hand, and here is what I came up with!

I am very happy with it now. I did do a few other things differently than the pattern instructions. I added a line of topstitching along the edge of the hood, as the layers of wool were a little bulky. Now it sits flat.

I also hand-sewed the buttonholes. To do this, I consulted Shaeffer's Couture Sewing Handbook. I used silk thread and a buttonhole stitch. I am really proud of them:

The fabric is from Tessuti - a dark navy wool/cashmere blend, the wool binding is also from Tessuti and is black, and the black buttons are from Spotlight.

This project took me a loooong time... but I am really happy with it. I think it will be great for Melbourne's spring - not really cold but not warm yet either. I wore it this morning out to breakfast and it was perfect!

I'm Back! In Black and White!

Hello! It is has been soooo long since I've posted a project! I have been doing a little sewing - not a lot though, because Michael was away in Chicago for 2.5 weeks, then we went to Cairns for a week. So not a lot of free time for me!

I finished this blouse some time ago. It is Pattern 'C' from 'Casual Sweet Clothes' - the Japanese pattern book I sewed my other shirt from. The fabric is 100% medium weight cotton from Tessuti Fabrics.

These pictures were taken ages ago - I've since cut my hair and lost another 5 kilos, so I'll have to take some more up-to-date pictures of me in another completed project very soon!

This shirt came together very easily. It is essentially a simple princess-seamed blouse, with the sleeves sandwiched between the seams. You finish the neck edge and arm-hole edges with self-made bias binding. The pattern calls for the stripes to all be going horizontally, but I like the way the CF and CB panels are vertical. Plus I would have had to do way too much stripe matching if I'd made them all horizontal!!

The only complaint I really have about the shirt is that it is too large, especially now that I have lost more weight. I can't seem to get my head around the sizing in the Japanese pattern books. I guess I'll have to do muslins in future projects from these books. But muslins take time! And time I do not have.

Little M is verrrry active these days. She sleeps through the night (started to at about 2 months), and will nap after every feed, but only for a short while - 30 mins to a rare 1 hour. So I am on my toes the whole day! She's so lovely - her personality is really coming through, and my goodness she is cheeky! I love her so much and love being a mum. It has taken me a while to find my feet with motherhood, but I found that Michael being away really helped me, and I got my groove.

Sorry I haven't been commenting on the wonderful projects I've seen around the traps - I've been reading and admiring and filing things away for inspiration. There are so many beautiful projects out there!