A timeless and feminine reversible coat, perfect for wearing over dresses with a full skirt. You can choose a basic fabric on one side, and a bright colour or print on the other side, to get two completely different coats in one. It has an asymmetric closure and a clean neckline without collar, as well as side seam pockets. The darts add a nice detail to the clean finish. You can also add a collar or a hood to your coat, by adding the extension pattern.
Made to Measure book: released Nov 2 UK, Nov 5 USA.
Following an overview of essential sewing tools, a primer on fabrics, and a guide to essential sewing techniques, you will learn how to:
Draft simple patterns based on your measurements
Take a pattern from an existing garment
Identify and fix common fit issues
The sixteen pattern-free projects for dresses, skirts, tops, a pantsuit, and more are a springboard for creating a versatile, personalized wardrobe. The designs include:
This week we’re doing something different – almost a throw back to previous guest spots from our first year podcasting. We have a guest – and Jenny & Aaronica just talk and talk about KnowMe patterns, Made for Mermaids, and all things creative.
No sponsor – just PF. However, if you’d like a pack of PF labels, and you’ve shared a make and tagged us recently, please send us a DM with your address! No cost – available internationally while supplies last.
What have we been up to?
Jenny:
Sundresses. I made one from my indigo dye bath experience & love it.
Painting on fabric: Shiva stiks which were recommended to me by CaramiyaMau on Instagram.
Two updated patterns from Sew Over it: The Lana Skirt and Ella Blouse. Sew Over It has a fantastic commitment to going back to all their older patterns to update sizing.
News from Deer and Doe:
One of the designers/founders (Camille) became ill in March and although she’s getting better, they decided not to release any more new patterns this year. However, by doing that they are going to be able to take time to re-release the Myosotis dress in their complete size range. We will talk more about the pattern when it happens, but it’s such a sewing community favorite that I am glad they are taking it on and also that they are prioritizing their health and well being.
Can we talk about the Zadie dress update? It’s not size inclusive.
This week’s topic:
Getting to know your sewing buddies.
About 13 years ago, Whipstitch did a few rounds of pairing up sewing folks as sewing buddies – and part of that involved a questionnaire about your sewing experiences. I thought we’d use that to learn more about your favorite sewing podcast hosts – and suggest you do the same with folks you’d like to sew with regularly.
Accounts to follow:
Somebody_or_others_mom
SheilaOKelly
TheNeedleAndTheBelle
Fabric_Scraps
Tips (from, and others):
Want a sewing buddy? Reach out to someone online or in person that feels compatible to you, with your style of sewing, and start a conversation.
What does it mean for us?
Questions:
Sewing Experience
1. What is the first sewing memory you have? Do you think that memory was a prediction of your future sewing success?
2. What would you say is your “sewing personality”? Are you a perfectionist or a procrastinator or a planner or something else? How does that affect the way you create? How does it affect the space you do your sewing in?
3. What is the best thing you ever, ever sewed? Who was the first person you showed it to? Would you ever sell it, and if so, how much would you ask?
4. If time and money and talent were no object, what ONE sewing project would you choose to complete? Who would you give it to when it was done?
5. What one sewing skill do you really, truly wish you possessed? What skill do you think is over-rated and probably not worth learning?
6. What is the most inspiring sewing project you’ve ever seen (in person or virtually)?
No sponsor – just PF. However, if you’d like a pack of PF labels, and you’ve shared a make and tagged us recently, please send us a DM with your address! No cost – available internationally while supplies last.
What have we been up to?
Jenny:
Mostly just more sundresses. I have ideas on how to change them up more but am stalled because I love DIY Daisy’s design so much!!
And I went to a play and saw someone rocking the Tate Romper in the wild!!
Not a new pattern, but Style Arc has announced that every Sunday they will put one of their patterns on sale for 30% off just for that day. If you like SA patterns, it’s worth subscribing to their emails to get the notifications. – Love notions does a similar thing on Fridays (specific pattern $5)
Sustainability’s three main pillars represent the environment, social responsibility, and economics. (These three pillars are also informally called people, planet, purpose, and profits.)
Sustainable sewing means sewing in a way that leaves a minimal impact on the planet. Whether that is using eco-friendly materials, reusing old textiles, making garments designed to last for a long time, or ensuring you use every scrap of fabric reducing fabric wastage.
Accounts to follow:
Frugilisima
CrisWoodSews
Liz Haywood
Birgitta Helmerson ZW patterns
Tips (from Sewing Dictionary, Paprika Patterns, Feel Good Fibers, Seamwork, and others):
Comments have been disabled on the site due to unmanageable levels of very crude spam, but if you would like to comment, please visit us on Instagram or email us at punkfrockers @ gmail dot com.
Who’s our sponsor this month? Ha! Trick question! We don’t have one. Going forward, challenges are just for the fun of it. Does that mean I can win too? It means we all win.
Catch up:
Jenny:
I’ve made a couple new DIY Daisy sundresses. I love this style & it’s helping me to feel comfy with my bra showing. I’m also finishing up two secret pieces that will get revealed this autumn.
Beverly:
Continuing with Skirt Skills. I’ve made my first draft of the block, sewed it up and tried it on. That was finished on Thursday and Brooksann says not to fit on the same day as you make up the mock up (what she calls a toile/muslin). So I didn’t.
You wouldn’t believe the instructions I am following!
The Cantabria is a lined, sleeveless trench dress with a double-breasted front, lending a contemporary touch. It’s ideal for sunny days and can be layered with a suit jacket or cardigan, making it perfect for transitioning into cooler seasons or air-conditioned environments. Craft it with breathable linen for a touch of casualness, or choose a suiting fabric for a more polished and office-appropriate ensemble.
Cantabria Dress Features:
Options for cup sizes
Notched collar
Sleeveless finished with faced armholes
Fully lined
Front and back princess seams with a back yoke
Semi-fitted with a knee length straight skirt
Double-breasted surplice front with buttoned closure
The Cassie Dress is one for the cottagecore lovers out there. If you’re after a really pretty make, look no further than Cassie with her fully shirred bodice, bound neckline, gathered tier skirt and gently puffed sleeves.
Choose between two sleeve lengths: just above the elbow, or full length with an elasticated wrist. Cassie is a midi length dress, but you could also omit the extra hem tier to make her knee-length. Additional elastic is sewn in at the waist, to ensure the dress maintains its shape.
With no closures and the shirring in the bodice, you get the versatility of a woven fabric, with the comfort of a knit!
They also offer a class for this to learn how to make it. The class is just under $30 USD, and includes the pattern, which is about $17 alone.
Topic: What are you most proud of in your sewing journey? What makes you feel good about your sewing? Is it a skill, a garment, or something else? Let’s toot our own horns here!
Jenny:
My wedding dress. I’m really proud that I made my own wedding dress years and years ago. I’d made several for others, but never really considered making my own since it might mean drafting patterns I didn’t have any context for in my size. Ultimately, I made a drop-waisted dress with a boat-neck, gathered skirt, and simple straight ¾ length sleeves in a black and grey brocade. I finished hand-hemming it an hour or so before our wedding. My mother was appalled – her daughter married in a not-white dress. I made my bridesmaids dresses, too – simple cotton dresses in a floral print picked by my sister, with a loose-fitting bodice, grown-on sleeves, and a gathered skirt.
My father’s kilt. We traveled to Scotland to buy the fabric, and I stitched the entire thing by hand, sitting on the couch watching re-runs with my dad. He wore it with pride the rest of his life.
A series of quilts from my father’s neckties. I had a quilting group and we sat at tables and on the floor together pouring over his ties, to design & stitch up a set of three quilts in quick succession: one of my dad’s hospital room, and one each for my brother and sister. I’ve never had a group of sewing friends quite like the women who came together for me during one of the hardest times in my life as we waited for my dad to die.
The Moana costumes I made for myself, my husband, and my granddaughter. She loved to dress up, and this was her favorite movie. It reminded my of my tutu Marian, and I was so excited to create these. I stamped fabric, and tea-dyed laces, and so forth. We did buy a few thing (like the rooster hat my husband is wearing, and the beanie babie on my staff). But she had so much fun, and loved how many people wanted to take pictures with her.
Comments have been disabled on the site due to unmanageable levels of very crude spam, but if you would like to comment, please visit us on Instagram or email us at punkfrockers @ gmail dot com.
Who’s our sponsor this month? Ha! Trick question! We don’t have one. Going forward, challenges are just for the fun of it. Does that mean I can win too? It means we all win.
Catch up:
Jenny:
We’ve continued swimming every other night or so which means I’m starting to consider sewing swimwear again. Any one listening have great recommendations for fabric & 60” + hip patterns? Two piece preferred.
Beverly: Jim is home from guitar camp!!! Yay! We missed him way too much!
Somehow screwed up the July bonus for Patreons – so sorry about that. It has been fixed.
I am working on my Skirt Skills class with Brooks Ann Camper. She has a really interesting way of making a block, using NO STANDARD measurements. So far we have determined our hip level, and our waist level. By definition, the hip level is parallel with the floor, but this is NOT true for the waist. Many folks of all different body sizes have angled waistlines, but standard clothing and patterns assumes a parallel waistline because when you make clothing for many or even patterns for many, you have to make a choice and you aren’t likely to make the “non standard” choice.
We also measured out where anchoring darts and where curved side seams were necessary to make the block fit our bodies.
In my previous online classes, we made blocks to our measurements but not to our BODIES. For example, one instruction was to arbitrarily make a straight waistband, and to divide the difference between my hips and waist and then divide that up by a standard ratio to know where and how much to put in my darts vs side seams.
My first draft of my block looks pretty boring but that’s to be expected based on my waist:hip ratio.
I like precision in my work, but I am embracing “Better Done than Perfect” as Brooks Ann says having a block fit perfect the first time is a disservice to ourselves because we miss the opportunity to do fitting!
New patterns:
These are not really new patterns, but at some point – maybe recently? They did nice size expansion. I had to really search for an pattern that had not been updated, but they used to go to size 26 = 52” hip and now go to size 34 = 60” hip. Stitch Witch patterns – check them out for all your ren faire needs!
The Coe is a high waisted trouser with a side seam that wraps to the front giving it a slightly curved leg shape. On-seam pockets at the front and patch pockets at the back with optional self belt. The inseam finishes below the ankle giving you a relaxed look.
Topic:
Sewing Failures. We’ve all had them – let’s talk about some of our worst fails.
Jenny:
My #pfProm dress! I made this from a free mood pattern in a slinky taffeta and everything went wrong. It was strapless, but the cups weren’t even close to fitting my body. It was short, and puffy, and all around amazingly awful. The drafting was bad, but I also didn’t toile (I should have). I waited to the last minute and boy, was it not great.
All my undies. I made them with fabric that was too heavy, and ended up not really loving any of them. For one pair I cut up a tee shirt that was important to me – and came to regret it. Now I buy my underwear on sale twice a year, and accept that I’m not meant to make my own.
My Noice Jeans – sort of. The fit was amazing, I spent a long time crafting these only to stumble at the last minute. I put the button hole on the wrong side of the waist band – and finished it, and cut it open, before noticing. I keep thinking I need to send these to someone else to repair so I can really wear them. I did a junky job at the end trying to make them work. I’m really bummed by these.
Atlanta: actually got a serger here once! On a business trip!
On long business trips, I sometimes bring a sewing machine, iron, felt pad. I cut out stuff before leaving home, and use my evenings to sew instead of watching tv.
Beverly :
NYC: Mood, J and B fabrics, Gray Lines Linen
Day to Day Textiles – $25 6 yard genuine wax ankara – bought a really nice navy cotton twill with “bubbles” on it.
Moon Tex – same fabric for $40 hahaha – but several nice fabrics
Pacific Trimming
M & J Trimming
Hand sewing project – don’t forget instructions!
Porto, Portugal: Mundo Dos Tecidos (World of Fabric)
Style Arc Teddy Designer top – #pfSewPrecious. Handwoven fabric from Loom and Stars that Jenny gave me over a year ago. I made the top without the collar and the facing stitched down and I love it. Also interfaced the hem facing and it is perfect!
Caramiya Dragonfruit dress as a top – lightweight cotton lawn
Do you know that I basically never fit patterns to my body specifically ? I’ll shorten a waist, or raise a waist, but don’t do FBAs or full biceps, or shoulders, and whatnot.
Beverly :
Likes:
Sleeve and popover plackets
Altering patterns using my fancy rulers – I enjoy FBAs, altered necklines with facings, moving darts around, moving shoulder seams forward/back, converting from sleeves to sleeveless, etc.
Making slash and jeans pockets
Making button-up shirts
A clean work area
Making pretty insides to garments
When I can “mend” or alter a garment to make it something I want to wear.
Buttonholes on my Babylock
Wearing rayon/viscose/tencel garments
Dislikes
Cutting out fabric
Filling the bobbin mid project
Cleaning my serger (except the big cleans when I take it all apart and change knives)
Pinterest – search by item and when you find something you like and click on it, there’s a bunch more like it below. I have a sewing board, a “my style” board, and boards for specific garments.
The Cassie Dress is one for the cottagecore lovers out there. If you’re after a really pretty make, look no further than Cassie with her fully shirred bodice, bound neckline, gathered tier skirt and gently puffed sleeves.
