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Author: Kimberly Payne

Sew the Year: Custom Fitting with Becca of Free Notion

I am so happy to have Becca joining us today to share some pointers on where to even begin when working on a custom fit for your handmade garments.  One blog post is not enough to really teach you all what you need to know, but I hope this will get you thinking about the things you can do to get a better fit on your garments.  And make sure to head over to her Facebook page where the over 6,000 members are literally just waiting to help you get a great fit.  It has been the best group I have ever joined for fitting and pattern knowledge.

Sew the Year – April

Spring has finally arrived in Seattle and I couldn’t be happier to sew up some fun springy outfits for the kids and I.  My Sew the Year plans for April are all about the hope of warmer weather in the future, and a little egg hunting later this month.

The first project I am going to work on is the Sewaholic Alma Blouse which is playing double duty for me.  Not only is it going to be the most amazing spring top but it is also the base pattern I am using for a super super special project I am working on for my future sister in law.  I can’t share anything about it now but I promise to share when I can later this summer.

Sew the Year March Recap

Tomorrow I will be sharing my Sew the Year sewing plans for April but today I wanted to share how March went.

To recap my plans, I planned to sew a knit View Ridge and the Colette Myrtle dress.  I am happy to say I managed to sew them both this month!  First month since starting this fun challenge that I actually got both projects done.

My Colette Myrtle dress was the perfect outfit for my daughters elementary school auction.  I was dressed up without being too over the top and it was fun to almost take on a different persona with this outfit.  Because faux leather is most definitely not my usual style.

Knit View Ridge

Shortly after I released the View Ridge pattern last year I sewed up one in knit.  It was everything I had hoped it would be, but then I never shared it with all of you.  I wear it often and thought I would finally sew one up for you for March Sew the Year and share.  Make sure to read all the way through because I have a fun pattern bundle to share as well.

Sew the Year: Spring Fabric with Style Maker Fabrics

I am so excited to have Michelle from Style Maker Fabrics joining me today.  As part of my Sew the Year series, Michelle is going to share some great spring fabric inspiration as well as some great patterns that work well with them.  Make sure to also check out her Spring Style Tour that is happening now.

Like all of you, I have been following along with Kimberly’s Sew the Year series admiring her planning and thought behind her wardrobe for this year. She has definitely inspired me to set more goals and plan out what I am going to sew. Now to just find the time!

Colette Myrtle Dress

This dress has a story that I want to share with all of you.  If you have been reading my blog long you probably recognize this black and white fabric.  You see, I made a maxi dress like 3 years ago out of it.  And I wanted to love it at the time but you know what, I never ever wore it.  So a couple years ago I hacked off the sleeves and I had a renewed love of it.  But that love has faded over the years.  The reality is that I never ever grab for it, so it needed a new life.

Bryant Dress Remix

Believe it or not the cuffed sleeves was a last minute addition to the Bryant pattern right before testing started.  So what was just a quick addition turned into one of my favourite elements of the pattern.

Right after I decided to add the cuffs I realized that lengthened slightly this pattern would be perfect as a dress.  Not to toot my own horn, but I was totally right about the dress.

My husband pointed out when I put this on today that I have been on a grey kick lately.  Maybe it’s the never ending rain here that is getting to me.  

Bryant Tester Roundup

My post yesterday on how different the pattern fits depending on the fabric you choose, is even more evident today with the Bryant Tester Roundup.

These ladies sewed up a bunch of amazing tops and I can’t wait to share them with you.

Abigail really took the opportunity to show off the print in her top.  The bold blue and white stripe cut on the bias looks amazing! Sewn in jersey.

Terri of Blue House Joys colour blocked the back of her top.  And while it may have been done because she was short on fabric, I love the look. Sewn in cotton lycra.

Bryant Fabric Choices

One of the elements of the new Bryant pattern that I didn’t expect is the wide range of looks you can get simply by the fabric you choose.  So today I wanted to show you how the pattern looks depending on your fabric choices.

Each of the tops I will be showing you was made with the exact same pattern pieces.  This will be even more apparent tomorrow when I share the tester roundup with you.  I actually have a few more tops that never got photographed, simply because the rain in Seattle the last few weeks has been insane.  I will make sure to add them to this blog post as soon as I photograph them.

Fabric on the Bias

My newest pattern Bryant, is a dolman sleeve top that is cut on the bias.  One of the common questions that came up in the testing was on the best way to cut out a pattern like this on the bias.

The two most important things to remember when working with knit cut on the bias is to handle it as little as possible and STAYSTITCH the neckline and facing.  Absolutely in no way should you skip this step, trust me I did it with one of my tops and the neckline was so stretched out I couldn’t get the facing to fit.