Me Made - and its not even May!

 This morning as I went to the closet to get dressed, I came to the sudden realization that nearly everything in it has been made by me!  Furthermore, nearly everything there is a Love Notions pattern!  Love Notions patterns are well designed and come with easy to follow instructions which often include videos.  All women's patterns are either now made with inclusive sizing from XS to 5X or will be in the near future and most include full bust pattern pieces.  And the support in their Facebook Group is excellent.  Are you a projector user?  If you come across a pattern without a projector file, Tami will make one up in no time at all!

So what are my favourite Love Notions patterns?  Well, let's start with my current favourite:

The Compose Robe

I had been hoping that Tami would come up with a robe pattern, and this year she did!  I am loving this pattern so much, and of course, I'm wearing it every day.  I made my Compose Robe with cuddly soft bamboo fleece from Discovery Fabrics in a rich bluey-green called Peacock.  I made my robe with the band finish, but also made robes for my grandkids with hoods.  It was a quick, easy pattern and the results have been perfect.  It's the robe I've always been wanting!

Which top do I wear most frequently?  That has to be:

The Sloane Sweater

Now that the cold weather is here, I seem to be living in my Sloanes and other than the free Laundry Day Tee, I think it must be the one most frequently posted in Love Notions' Facebook support group.  This particular one is brushed french terry from l'oiseau fabrics.  It's just the most basic one - no yoke, no elbow patches - but it's probably the one I wear most.  Another quick, easy pattern that goes together in minutes.

The Sloane is great for casual, but how about something a bit more sophisticated? 

The Whistler Pullover and Hoodie

The first time I wore this, I was besieged with questions as to where I'd bought it - it seemed to be hard to believe that I could have made it myself!  But I did - with the assistance, of course, from a video link right in the pattern instructions that helped me understand the challenging bit!  This one is made from cotton/spandex from l'oiseau fabrics.

The Whistler and Sloane are perfect for cooler weather, but how about something that spans the seasons?

The Forte Top & Dress

The Forte has to be one of the most versatile patterns.  While most Love Notions patterns come with options to change things up, I don't think you can beat the Forte for having the most!  I don't have a properly staged picture of this one because I had to make it up in a hurry for a party a friend's little granddaughter invited me to - I was ordered to wear red which is a colour I don't normally wear.  Forte to the rescue!  Which just goes to show how quickly you can make this one up and still get great results.  It's made from Solar Stretch from Discovery Fabrics which has no curl - with the result that I didn't hem the sleeves or bottom!

These are all great patterns for knits, but what about woven fabrics?

The Rhapsody Blouse & Dress

When warm weather arrives, I practically live in my Rhapsody Blouses! The loose, flowing fit of this pattern makes it perfect for summer's heat.  I've made them in everything from cotton to linen and love them all equally!  This one was made from cotton border fabric from my local Fabricland.  The finish on the Rhapsody is particularly professional, utilizing french seams, so it's beautiful inside and out.  You can buy bias binding for the neck finish, but it was this pattern that introduced me to making my own bias binding and now I'll never buy it again - I posted about it here.  

So what's my all-time favourite top?  Definitely La Bella Donna!

La Bella Donna Top & Tunic

This dolman has got to be the simplest pattern of all to make!  You can do it with just the front and back, turning under the neck edge to hem it.  I usually finish it with a strip of fabric for a clean binding finish.  I've made this in a variety of fabrics, but right now I love bamboo for this pattern.  I've made summer ones with bamboo jersey and this one is made from bamboo terry.  I get my bamboo fabric from Discovery Fabrics.  I particularly love the cowl neck and the curved hem is flattering.  If you need something quick, easy and good looking, La Bella Donna is your pattern!

And how about bottoms?

Duet Trousers

I just realized I don't actually have a current picture of the Duets by themselves!  But they're in every picture here, because they're the only pants I wear these days!  You can make them with woven or knit, contoured waistband or yoga band and the pattern comes with a fitting workbook that is worth the price of the pattern alone.  My most-worn ones are made with Yoga Stretch from Discovery Fabrics.  They're like wearing secret PJ pants!  Yes, they're that comfortable.  

All we need now is a coat.

The Octave Coat

Love Notions made my day when they produced this pattern - it's the coat I'd been dreaming about!  I love shawl collars, and this is a perfect length for me.  Make it dressy in wool with a sleek lining for classy.  Or make it more casual as I did with Polartec Windpro Stretch from Discovery Fabrics.  My coat is warm and yet it's water repellent.  And if it needs it, I can throw it in the wash.  Surprisingly easy to sew, the instructions have 3 video links if you want help.

Love Notions practically dresses me from head to toe - and if Tami ever came up with patterns for bras, panties and socks, I'd be the first in the line!  If you don't have one of my favourite patterns, you can get it through my affiliate links in the pattern titles.  And since my closet is filled with Love Notions clothes, you can take it that I have no hesitation in recommending them!

Happy Sewing!

Forte and Chitosante for summer comfort

Pattern - Love Notions Forte Top & Dress
Skill Level - Confident Beginner
Fabric - Discovery Fabrics' Chitosante Interlock
Skills - personal adjustments, markings, finishing seams when not hemming

Now that the warmth of summer is approaching, I needed a top that would provide coverage from the sun as well as keeping me cool - it's a tall order!  But with the right pattern and the right fabric I knew I could do it. (To see a picture in more detail, simply click on it.)

First of all, the fabric.  I had 2 metres of an amazing fabric from Discovery Fabrics called Chitosante Interlock.  You may not have heard of this before, but the properties are mind-blowing!  It's a polyester fabric made with chitosan, which is biomass from crab or shrimp shells combined with textile fibres.  It's antibacterial, odor-resisting, moisture-wicking, breathable, fast-drying, pill resistant and as if that wasn't enough, has UPF 50.  I'm not sure you could ask for anything more in a fabric!  It's also light as air and doesn't curl (psst - no hemming needed!)

And as for the pattern, I'd already made a few Love Notions' Forte Tops - view B - which is fitted on the bust, but loose and airy below.  And it's a sure sign that you love a pattern when you already have several hanging in the closet and are prepared to make more!  It's one of my favourite patterns.

I also knew that there would need to be a few adjustments made to the pattern to fit my unique body.  I am 5'8" tall and usually have to add to allow for my height. 

I have to put some of that addition above the bustline so that my full bustline matches the pattern's.  This is especially important for the Forte View B so that the seamline is below the fullness of the bust.  The last thing I want at my age is to look pregnant!  So I add 1.5" above the bustline.

I also need another inch for my height, so I add that to the skirt part.

Having added 2.5" to the front, I now needed to add the same amount to the back and I distributed it in 2 spots, just as I did for the front.

This taken care of, I now had to decide on the sleeve.  I love the bell sleeve - it's so classy looking - but for everyday wear, I needed something a little shorter.  I decided to make the bell 8.5" long, but I would need more flare.

I slashed into the shortened bell 3 times, spread the pieces 1" apart at the ends and taped them in place.  I would add this to the sleeve cut on the bell line so that the end of the sleeve would fall below my elbow.

Pattern adjustments made, I was ready to cut and sew!  But I always have to throw in a few tips, don't I!

Marking

Transferring pattern marks is so important!  I use multi-coloured quilting pins and designate a certain colour for each marking to make sure I'm putting the pattern together correctly.

For sleeves, I use yellow for the shoulder seam, white for the front marking and the green pin goes right between the 2 marks for the back.  I use those same coloured pins for the armscye of the bodice.  I used orange pins for the skirt and bodice marks and made a mental note which side of the skirt was the side seam - so easy to get mixed up if you don't take care!

When Not Hemming

My Chitosante Interlock doesn't have a curl and because it's so light, I decided not to hem the sleeves or bottom.  I needed, however, to make sure that the ends of the seam were secure.

Both seams were serged, so I threaded the serger tail back through the seam and finished it off with a dab of Fray Stop.

I love my new Forte made with Chitosante Interlock - it's like wearing thistledown!  I know that I'll be comfortable and protected through whatever summer decides to throw at me.  If you'd like to check out this amazing fabric and the wonderful pattern I made it in, there are affiliate links below.

Discovery Fabrics - Specializing in technical and performance fabrics for outdoor and activewear.

Love Notions Forte Top and Dress - XS - 5XL