The Crooked Hem

Citrine Cardigan from Made by Rae

The Citrine cardigan is the latest pattern release from Made by Rae. At first glance, I thought Citrine looked almost identical to Marlo. But there are a number of important differences between Citrine and Marlo, and having made both patterns, Citrine comes out ahead for me.

Shop Pants by Open Studio

The Shop pants are the first pattern released by Open Studio last year, and they’ve been on my radar ever since. I decided to give this pattern a try after seeing so many positive reviews and learning a bit more about the pattern company.

Worship Jeans by Daughter Judy

This winter has been the season of jeans making for me, and for my third consecutive pair this year, I made the Worship jeans by Daughter Judy Patterns. The Worship jeans are different from my previous two jeans projects in terms of drafting, construction, and fit, so that’s why I wanted to make them. They complement the other two patterns and give me a different silhouette in my jeans rotation.

Helene Jeans by Anna Allen

I do not like high rise jeans, or so I thought before a few weeks ago. They are uncomfortable and restrictive, and I dislike the feeling of stiff denim around my waist. But the Helene jeans by Anna Allen changed my mind completely at the first try-on. Not only are they shockingly comfortable, but they have just about everything I want in a classic jeans pattern.

Helene Jeans: Studying the Fit

If I tally up all the time I spend on a big sewing project, most of it is NOT spent sewing. It’s not even spent on fitting the toile (thanks, Top Down Center Out!). Rather, the majority of my time is spent studying the pattern, researching the details, and crystalizing my vision for what I want the garment to be. In today’s post, I’ll share some of the research that went into my latest project, the Helene jeans from Anna Allen.

Adams Jeans by Daughter Judy Patterns

I’ve been thinking about garments as narrative lately. Whether it’s two words or two thousand, every garment makes a statement about the wearer and the maker. The process of making a garment can also be its own form of storytelling, and today’s post will take you along for that journey. I don’t always share the creative inspiration for my projects, or the twists and turns in creative decision-making, but in my closet these are equally as important as construction and fit for a successful garment. So let’s dive in!

ES Georgia Dress Hack

I’ve been slow sewing this summer, gravitating toward straightforward makes that I can tackle in 5-10 minute chunks. This Elizabeth Suzann Georgia tee hack is my latest project. I started with the ES Georgia tee, cropped it, and added a gathered skirt for a breezy summer dress. Of course I added some fancy pockets at the last minute, so this dress was not as simple to construct as it could have been, but I do love the results.

Adams Pants by Daughter Judy

When Daughter Judy Patterns launched recently, the Adams pants immediately caught my eye for their unique style lines and fresh design. We haven’t seen many patterns like this one in the indie sewing pattern industry: Adams is a modern take on the classic jean, and I knew immediately I had to make a pair.

Top Down Center Out with the Eve Trousers

When I first encountered the Top Down Center Out pants fitting method, I didn’t understand it. Why so much emphasis on the waistband? How am I going to get pants to fit if I can’t redraft the inseam, crotch curve, or leg angle? What about the balance? I’m used to slashing, spreading, and redrafting every pants pattern to fit me, and this method didn’t seem like it was going to be enough. Friends, I was wrong.

Paola Jacket x Marlo Sweater Hack

After making a waffle knit Marlo sweater last month, I wanted to try the pattern again in a woven with a few tweaks to the design. For this version, I wanted the cardigan to be more fitted through the shoulder and chest. I pictured something closer to a light jacket but still retaining the signature details of the Marlo sweater. So I combined neckline of the Marlo with the body of the Paola workwear jacket. The result is super squishy, jacket-cardigan hybrid (the Parlo? the Maolo?) that is exactly what I wanted for spring.