A Jacket & A Coat – the Pona Jacket by Helen’s Closet

.Reading time 11 minutes.

Hello again! It seems I’m on a bit of a sewing binge at the moment – having sewn two pairs of jeans, two sets of PJs and a turtleneck recently. Now, adding to that, two coats using the brand new sewing pattern release from Helen’s Closet; the Pona Jacket. I think its safe to say my Sewjo is back and I couldn’t be happier!

I was lucky enough to be a pattern tester for this one; as soon as I saw the initial line drawings I was in! *The Pona (a PDF pattern) was just the pattern I was looking for – a true wardrobe staple, something that will transition nicely all year round. It can either be a lightweight throw-on jacket for the warmer months or a full on warm coat for the cooler months. Or something in-between! And, as a bonus, this is incredibly simple – and quick – to make!

I love the drafting; it’s unlined but has a nifty facing that allows the front lapels to drape open. It also has no closures; it’s meant to be worn open, although there is enough cross-over if you do want to add a button or a frog fastening. I left the cropped jacket as is but added a simple hidden snap fastening to the top left on the coat version so that I can wear it closed with the collar up should I need to. I think this pattern makes for a great introduction to sewing coats and jackets for those wanting to dip their toes in these waters! If you haven’t already, I can heartily recommend you do so using this pattern – come on in, the water is warm!

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Sewing Myself Comfy – the Linden Sweatshirt / Hudson Pants loungewear combo!

.Reading time 10 minutes.

Hi sewing friends!

Long-term readers may well have noticed that I took something of a break from sewing / blogging over the summer (welcome to all of you that continued to sign up over summer, thank you!) There was no onerous reason for taking a break, other than I wanted to dedicate my summer wholly to my family. And it was glorious! I also learnt how to knit socks and finally found the time to write a book of family recipes for the kids. That said, whilst I wasn’t actively sewing, I was planning upcoming makes like crazy…creating a spreadsheet and a Look Book and stocking up on fabric and supplies. It also gave me a good opportunity to really consider how I want to take this blog forward since it’s grown beyond anything I imagined at the start. (I’ll talk about that more in a minute!)

So, once the kids went back to school, my sewing space got a dust off and sewing began again in earnest!  I’ve been pattern testing this last week but thought I’d come back to the blog with my first makes.

Coffee, I need coffee!

As always, my new season sewing has begun with the basics; this for me means loungewear / sleepwear. If I don’t have to leave the house, I don’t get dressed; it’s that simple! What I wanted then was sleepwear I’d be happy to lounge around the house in (and by ‘lounge around the house’ what I really mean is running after the kids and doing seemingly never ending housework!) And I don’t know about you, but I always find after taking a sewing break that I want to come back to something that I know wont be too taxing to sew but will produce something I’ll get lots of wear out of. PJs is always the answer!

I decided on the Linden Sweatshirt / Hudson Pants combo which I’ve seen so many great versions of on my Instagram feed. I’ve sewn the Linden a few times (see here) but the Hudsons, though long in my stash, were a ‘new-to-me’ pattern.

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#sewtogetherforsummer 2019 – The Winners – Prize Draw … and some Geeky Stats!

.Reading time 9 minutes.

Phew, what a momentous journey this years’ #sewtogetherforsummer has been! The deadline of 21st June came and went followed by some serious data checking and number crunching! A staggering 767 garments were entered this year from all over the world – including Brazil, Tasmania, Europe, UK, Canada, America, Denmark and Australia – showing just how universally strong the Jumpsuit trend is – it’s proved to be, quite literally, global!

So on to the fun business of announcing the Winners!

Not just of the Challenge prizes but also the pattern companies and sewing patterns that came out on top – so I thought I’d present some stats for you – we all love to geek out over this stuff don’t we – not just me?! I’m always curious to see which was the most used pattern company and what were the most sewn patterns for the Challenge so let’s take a look (I’m not a statistician; these are just for fun!) :

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Top ‘n’ Tailing : A Guide to Hacking your own unique Jumpsuit Pattern (from patterns you already have!)

.Reading time 13 minutes.

Have you ever wanted to create your own unique garment, by hacking together certain features from your favourite sewing patterns but find yourself unsure where to begin? Perhaps you’d like to enter this years’ #sewtogetherforsummer challenge but can’t quite find a pattern that has all the elements you wish it had? Today we bring you a guide to get you started mashing up your own unique style – since it relates specifically to Jumpsuits we’ll be talking about putting your favourite bodice to your favourite trousers, perhaps adding your favourite sleeves and other features … from the patterns already in your stash!

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Pattern Testing the Yanta Overalls by Helen’s Closet

.Reading time 9 minutes.

I’ve happily pattern tested for Helen for some while now (see here, here and here) so it was doubly-exciting to discover, when discussing this years’ sponsorship for the #sewtogetherforsummer Jumpsuit / Dungaree / Overalls Challenge, to discover that the next pattern in her testing pipeline was only, you guessed it, a pair of Overalls! 

The Yantas by Helen’s Closet are a relaxed approach to this years’ major Jumpsuit / Overall trend, described as a casual artist-style overall with a loose fit through the waist hips and legs (with the option to add a side zip should you want one). I’d describe their overall shape (see what I did there) as somewhat cocoon or lantern like; with shaping darts to front and back. Also included are classic features such as the ‘V’ shaped back and pointed front patch chest pocket. They can be made either cropped leg or as shorts.

Although these are listed as an ‘Intermediate’ sew, I think Helen has completely excelled herself with the instructions to this pattern, making them accessible to confident beginners (who aren’t afraid of buttonholes!) Her instructions are crystal clear; being extremely well thought-out and presented. She also offers plenty of easily digestible information regarding sizing and grading to get the fit you want from this pattern. I truly believe they’re fool-proof.

What I like about the Yanta pattern is, I feel, that it can act as a blank canvas for your imagination! You could embellish them in a multitude of ways; adding in-seam pockets; decorative belt loops or patch side pockets; jazz up the insides with contrast fabric for the facings and embellish the topstitching – there are so many ways you could customise these! Also you will get a very different look depending on the type of woven fabric you go for; from a structured pair using a denim or cord to softer warm-weather Overalls in a linen/viscose slub, for example.

So what did I opt to do?

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