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!

Compose Robe

 

Pattern - Love Notions Compose Robe
Skill Level - Confident Beginner
Fabric - Bamboo Fleece from Discovery Fabrics
Skills - pocket corners

I've been wanting a good robe pattern for a while and Love Notions has come out with a great robe pattern!  It can be knee or calf length and you have the choice of a hood or a banded edge.   Of course, the pattern for women comes with the full bust option.  Not only that - you can make the Compose Robe in knit or woven fabric!  How versatile is that?  And wait - there's a children's pattern, too!

I chose to make my calf-length robe using luscious peacock green bamboo fleece from Discovery Fabrics. The fleece is light, yet warm and oh, so cosy!  The face is smooth with a fuzzy inside.  I'll be making hooded robes for my grandchildren in this fabric, too!

There are lots of the perfect little features we've come to expect from Love Notions patterns. 

There's a loop for hanging up your robe built into the neckline.

The band around the robe ends in a nice clean finish.

Loops at the waist hold the lovely, long belt above the pockets which are perfectly placed.  We need pockets, right?

Perfect Pocket Corners

And speaking of pockets, I like to see nice crisp corners on my pockets, so I've developed a process to get what I need.

After you've created the hem at the top of the pocket, press the edges in 3/8".

Now open the bottom corners and fold them in to create a diamond shape, the edges of which stay inside the pocket edges.

Steam press it flat.

And once you've stitched your pocket in place (remember to use lots of pins!) you won't see any edges peeking out at all!  Pocket perfection!

Adding Ties

Want to make sure your robe stays closed?  You can add ties and do it discretely so that they don't show.

First, put on the robe to establish where you want to add the ties - you'll want 2 sets - one near the outer edge and another at the inside edge.  I marked mine with safety pins, then put the robe on to make sure any outside stitching marks were hidden by the belt.

Then I replaced the safety pins with chalk marks for where the ties would be attached.

Next - what to use for ties.  I had an old roll of seam binding inherited from my mother-in-law's stash.  How old?  Well, you can see it's marked with 15 cents!  I cut what remained on the roll in 4, giving me ties about 8" long.  A bit longer would have been better, but I used what I had.  I cut a forked tongue in one end to prevent fraying and folded over the other end which would be stitched to the robe.  You can use a fine ribbon - or anything that's not going to be too bulky. 

I pinned the ties in place and then stitched them down.  If your robe's material is fine, you might want to reinforce under the ties.

 Now I can wear my robe with confidence knowing that it's not going to accidentally come open!

Love Notions' newest pattern, the Compose Robe is the pattern I've been waiting for.  It's comfortable, can be made in knit or woven fabric and has the clever features I've come to expect from well-made Love Notions patterns.  Available in women's and children's sizes, it's a pattern that belongs in all pattern libraries.  You can get the patterns from my affiliate links below.

Love Notions Compose Robe for Women - sizes XS - 5XL

Love Notions Compose Robe for Children - sizes 2T - 16