Two Tried and True Twist Tops - Butterick 5429

  

Pattern: Butterick 5429 (2009) OOP

Pattern Description: Long and short sleeve tops with front neckline twist, dropped shoulders, and a stitched hem.

Pattern Sizing: Size BB (8-10-12-14) I originally cut and made this pattern years ago in a size 8, despite being larger than the pattern recommended, because of the ease. Years later, it still fits despite growing from a B-cup to a D-cup! 

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes. 

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, very.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love the twist detail at the center front, making this a simple to with interest. 

Fabric Used: #1) Ponteroma knit in Winter White from deep stash, originally from Hancock Fabrics, 

#2) Pink Watercolor floral jersey knit (95% polyester, 5% Spandex), Coats & Clark Dual Duty XP All Purpose 100% polyester thread in #3530 Lilac

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: Having made this before, I'm using an altered size 8 pattern. However, my last version still fits.  

White: This version is in a stable ponte, so I added 1/4" to each width-wise seam when I cut it out and stitched the seams at 1/2" instead of the pattern's prescribed 5/8" seam allowance.

Pink: This top is in cotton jersey, so I cut the top 1" larger in width, and added 1/2" to the length. The additional width was unnecessary.

This is a tried-and-true pattern only because it had already been adjusted. From the original, I had to remove some extra fabric hanging beneath the twist by scooping out the front seam, curving in from the bottom of the open twist to one inch at the middle, and and then blending out to the hem and the original seam.

As always, I found it much easier to handstitch the twisted loop edges since they would show when wearing, Otherwise, you might stretch out this section trying to stitch with the machine. I also handstitched the neckline and arm holes for neatness.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, and yes, I would recommend it if you can find a copy secondhand. 

Placed over an older version

Conclusion: An easy but interesting top that can be had if you are willing to do a little work. I would have made one more this time, but the repetitive hand sewing dampened my motivation. It's a very flattering top. In jersey, it drapes well, emphasizing an hourglass shape by following the body's curves 

Adult Life, Mess, and Soft Furnishings

A year ago I bought a velvet sofa and a long-held dream was finally achieved.

However, I was terrified to sit on it-- so true. This was justified as I'd already spilled on the homemade quilt I was using to protect it. Luckily, that was easily laundered, whereas it would not have been easy to clean the velvet upholstery. 

A chance pin on Pinterest revealed a solution: a sofa pad in a homey cottage style. This is what I needed -- pretty protection.

Etsy

W Concept

I tried to find a similar fabric to the inspiration but nothing was close. I had it in my mind that I wanted a small black-and-white check or a black-striped cotton ticking.

I also loved the idea of gingham but needed a fabric that could stand up to the extreme lounging happening on this piece of furniture. When those fabrics didn't materialize at Joann, I turned to finding a complementary heavier canvas fabric that would work in the space. Using my handy West Elm Tarragon velvet swatch I located a green canvas that almost matched and complemented the upholstery. I have a lot of luck with this particular shade of green.

Richloom Fiera Apple cotton canvas

How it came together:

Using the dimensions of my 76" Harris sofa bench cushion I knew I needed a cushion at least 66" x 22".  Pre-made ones were normally at least 72" which is more than the length of the cushion I need. Luckily, if using a 44/45" wide fabric that meant I could buy for the length (nearly 2 yards) and simply fold it in half lengthwise and stitch three sides. Easy-peasy!

 

Also lucky for me, when I moved I purchased 1/8" thick furniture pads from U-Haul and had six of them to store or give away. What if I cut one up to use as batting? 

When playing around with it I realized when folded over and over again into four layers one pad fit the needed dimensions almost perfectly. I only needed to cut an inch off the length to account for the seam allowances on the cushion cover.

 

To make the padding stable when inside the cover, I basted through the layers on at least two sides to eliminate it migrating once enclosed. 

On the canvas I stitched from the short side around to the other end and sewed an inch into that side. I made sure to reinforce all the corners and the ending point. I pressed my seams open, clipped the corners, and while holding a corner of the moving pad between my fingers with the open corner of the cover I turned the cushion inside out while inserting the cushion inside. Using quilting safety pins I secured the pad at one end and manipulated the rest to fill out the cushion evenly. Once turned, I pinned the other end to keep the pad in place for the next part.

  

The last step was stitching the open end closed. I had originally thought I would tuft the cushion like the inspirations above but decided against it. This will allow removal for laundering. Knowing me, I will need to do that for sure. It will also work as a protective "mattress topper" for when guests sleep over. Without the back cushions on the sofa makes a comfortable bed.

Thanks to this project I feel secure in knowing that my sofa will survive living with me and look great while doing it!

Update: Months later, searching for examples of sofa toppers, I discovered that West Elm had the exact product (they call it a sofa overlay) I was looking to make! Funny. Though of course their version only fit their larger sofas at 84" x23" and cost $130. But its the same idea and it's for one of their sofas.

West Elm Reversible Sofa Overlay

First Things First - The Dream Achieved

Note: These home posts are a year late, but better later than never, right?

What was the first thing I did after I signed the papers and got my keys to my new home?

I went to the West Elm website and ordered my dream green velvet sofa; the Harris sofa in Tarragon Astor Velvet.

Harris sofa

Once I realized I could afford a home I knew I should finally purchase a "real" sofa. The last few decades I had first lived with a basic futon loveseat and then spent far too long on a two-seater sofa handed down from a friend who bought it from Goodwill. Who knows how old that thing truly was? Despite how it looked upholstery-wise it was in good shape and the coils were in shape. For many years I had a dream to reupholster it, but that never happened. Overall, it was hard to feel like an adult with those things. 

I deserved to get what I wanted and could finally afford to buy new. Now, of course, I'm still frugal but I wanted to up my game quite a bit. The companies I researched were Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, CB2, RH (fka Restoration Hardware), West Elm, and Target. 

The most important factor was who had the right style in the right shade of green? Many had similar styles, but the green velvet factor was key. I chose national brands with nearby storefronts because I needed to see and feel the product via a visit or fabric swatches in the mail. A purely online purchase wouldn't work, there is too much margin for error.

I also needed a fabric that was hard wearing. That is this velvet which is also luminous and wonderfully light reflecting. I'm still in love with it as much as I was when it arrived almost a year ago.

My inspiration was the 1930s style of a classic Jean-Michel Frank's club sofa. I believe I achieved that in an incredibly luscious green velvet that appears to change color during the day and throughout the seasons.

Here it is early in my home owner journey.

More updates to come...

Popcorn But Not Wine* - Helen's Closet Blackwood Cardigan

Pattern: Helen's Closet Blackwood Cardigan (2017)

Pattern Description: Fitted cardigan with extra long sleeves with a close fit around the neck and shoulders. It has minimal excess in the front and is meant to be worn open. View B ends at the hips, View A extends to mid-thigh and has patch pockets at hand level.

Pattern Sizing: Two size options: B-cup for sizes 0-22, and D-cup for sizes 12-34. I cut my size, starting at the top with a B-cup size 14 moving out to an 18 for the waist and hips.

Did it look like the photo or drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, exactly.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, very much.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? The fit of this cardigan is extremely elegant and every version I've seen is gorgeous.

Fabric Used: 58" Sweater rib knit (50% Rayon, 30% Polyester, 20% Nylon) in Cream, Gutermann 100% polyester Sew-All thread in Eggshell, #22; and

 58" Ottoman rib knit (66% Cotton, 29% Polyester, 5% Spandex) in Root Beer, and Gutermann 100% polyester Sew-All thread in Chili Brown, #

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Choosing a pattern size was hard. My upper and lower half are different sizes, spanning across 2-sizes. However, with this pattern, it ranges four sizes from a D-cup size 12 to 18.

  

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? Yes, most definitely! I have another one in the queue but in a very different knit. This one was snug in the sleeves but I wonder if in a looser weave I should alter the pattern piece or not.

  

Conclusion: I absolutely love the finished garment. Though the sleeves are designed to be extra long I chose to shorten them. I took both cuffs off, removed an inch from the sleeves and half an inch from each cuff. I wear the cuffs folded half up so that shows how long they still are. This also helped loosen how tight they were at the wrist.

I also shout out about the fabric choice. I leave this cardigan at work where it's always cold. I could never have imagined how many times I arrive, add it to my daily outfit, and the color combination seems as if it was planned! I wish it didn't take so long to finish stuff because I need more of it! I may make a matching pencil skirt.

* Yes, A dated reference to the old tv show Scandal and Olivia Pope's wine cardigans.

Change is a New Bed

I'm long overdue to feel like an adult and buying my home finally did it. The realization that I got my finances to the point of making this possible is huge.

No more third-party sofas and no more decades-old mattresses.

The movers could either leave the decade-old mattress, box frame, and metal frame or fill the truck with more heavy stuff I couldn't lift myself. I chose to leave the bed behind because, duh. Also, I was planning on getting an uncomplicated platform bed after I moved and this helped me see that moving all of that and then needing to bring it all back down two flights was impractical. That was an excellent opportunity to order it since I could still sleep at the old house before delivery.

My research was checking all the "best (insert desired item) of 2024" articles and comparing the ones that won the "affordable" categories. The hands-down winner overall was always the $$ wooden Bed by Thuma and the more affordable lookalike Alexis from Zinus. The financial difference between the brands is around $500 for a queen-size bed and the Zinus bed was even cheaper when I purchased it through Amazon. 

Detailed instructions

Fully stocked and organized supplies

The lovely carved leg

Great protective packaging

My search for a mattress was similarly easy. I wanted an innerspring mattress similar to a ComfortCoil innerspring futon mattress by Gold Bond I owned years ago. Using my tried-and-true review search method (see above) I was led to the Allswell Luxe Hybrid sold by Walmart. A hybrid between spring coil and memory foam, I can confirm it's affordable, high quality, and comfortable. I have no complaints and a bonus is how fun it is to set it up! It is vacuum-packed and encased in multiple layers of plastic wrap. From the first cut of the packaging, the mattress starts to fight its captivity, audibly and physically expanding as you hurriedly try to cut through the packaging in time. It reached finished measurements quickly and over the next few achieved its final level of firmness.

The inflated mattress and my pale green walls

 

What excited me the most about my purchases is that unlike all the house rehab work at the old house and the setup at the new one I didn't have to schedule or wait around for delivery. Both frame and mattress come to your door, don't weigh that much, and can be assembled easily. As a bonus, Amazon gave me timed delivery alerts. Since I live close to work I could drive over, push the package over the threshold, and return to work. No stress! 

I highly recommend both companies for convenience and quality.