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Fleece Shirt
Butterick 6520 in a Danish Cotton Fleece knit. When travelling to Minnesota over the holidays, staying warm is key. I wanted a new warm tunic top and needed some color in my wardrobe. A version of B6520 in Copen Blue Cotton Fleece Knit fit the bill. Super cozy and comfy. Easy to cut and easy to sew kept things simple. The fabric was washed on ’normal' and dried in the dryer. It came out looking exactly the same. Cut as shown on the pattern, except for the collar as noted below. The curved seams on the right lower front and back were adjusted to overlap. The seam was pressed up, stitched in place, and trimmed. I decided on no ties. A second pocket was added to the lower left front. On both pockets, I lined up the stitching for a continuous line. The collar was cut narrower than shown and randomly stitched with tucks to narrow it further.
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Cozy Coat
Re-introducing Marcy’s design, V9140, aka the “Cozy Coat,” designed for both comfort and elegance. This versatile piece wraps effortlessly around your body, keeping you snug and warm, while also flowing gracefully when worn open. Featuring an elegant hood that can be styled up for extra warmth but lies in flat folds when worn down.While originally designed for knit fabrics, it has enough ease to be made from a woven. A soft drape is important. Consider that the wrong side will show. If you choose a woven, consider sizing up to accommodate layering over other garments. Fabrics shown on the pattern envelope are wool knits.Shown here in a mid-weight ottoman-like ribbed double knit that worked perfectly in the design. Other fabric options range from lighter-weight knits to beefy boiled wool. Would be sumptuous in mohair or cashmere, but could also work for warmer weather in a linen knit or stable jersey. Depending on the fabric, this could be worn outdoors or in, and makes a perfect toss-on top layer for everyday or for a special occasion.Sewing and fitting this coat is a breeze. The original pattern had a slightly narrow wrist opening, so we made a small adjustment: we altered it to finish at 5 inches to accommodate garments layered underneath. When making the welt pocket, be sure to position the welt so the pocket opens in the right direction! If you are new to making welt pockets, make a test sample first. Another option is to substitute patch pockets instead. Vogue 9140 in a cozy ribbed double knit.
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Sculptural Style: My Take on the Ottoman Jacket
Vogue 7746 sewn in a beautiful coffee brown and black polyester mini Ottoman. V7746 was one of Marcy's first and best-selling patterns for Vogue. It is now out of print, but you can check for availability on eBay and Etsy. This is a fantastic jacket/vest pattern in a variety of fabrics, ranging from silk to denim to wool. I made my original in silk dupioni. Cutting/Sewing Tips: The original pattern calls for quilting the outer layer and self-lining the entire garment. The jacket and vest can be made to layer together. Changed the pattern by extending the front zigzag 5". Made a 5" deep sleeve facing. Added a front facing. Made a 4" deep hem. Eliminated buttons/buttonholes because when I tried the jacket on, it hangs beautifully as is, no need for a closure - always love to keep options open to the very end. Ottoman Fabric was perfect for this design, and could have been cut either lengthwise or crosswise. The fabric is smooth with a lovely drape and hang, and can work in all seasons. The inspiration for the design of the pattern comes from a spectacular Jeanne Lanvin 1936 jacket, featured in an inspiring (must-have) book, Modern Fashion In Detail. Back in my early days working with Vogue Patterns, the Design Director and I would collaborate on a design concept. Once we settled on an idea, I would figure out how to execute it for a contemporary sewist. These early patterns and directions are chock full of hands-on sewing instructions and are worth collecting!A few pages from the book that were my starting point. The pattern with my rough sketch idea for adding 5” onto the front zig-zag edge. I often draw and make notes on the pattern itself. Both the jacket and vest in the pattern are silk dupioni. Both jacket and vest, as shown on the pattern envelope, were machine quilted in a single layer using fine wool batting and stitched with silk thread using a fine sharp needle. Then the garment is lined to the edge with self fabric. Beading on the vest was done before the garment was constructed. I spent a Christmas holiday vacation in Portland beading the garment sections before constructing the jacket. Both garments use bound buttonholes, as did the original Lanvin jacket. Happy sewing!
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Van Gogh French Terry Top
Butterick 7023 made in a stunning Dutch-printed French Terry knit. One panel of Van Gogh is just the right size for a t-shirt or top with room for pattern play. Play with the paper pattern on top of the fabric pattern/print before starting to cut. Use a simple style as the fabric print is the focus, not the style. Structural changes to B7023: eliminated front vertical seams. eliminated offset back seams and added a center back seam. added 5" to sleeve length to make the change from ¾ sleeve to long sleeve. added 1/2" to the neckline to raise all around. Design decisions: I started with the word ‘Vincent’, placing it to show prominently on the top sleeve. Then I worked with the other pattern pieces, moving them around so they all fit and I was happy with the way the design worked. The fabric is so beautiful that you can not really make a mistake with your layout!Happy sewing!
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Stabilizing Knits
Even really good sewers are afraid of knits. They're afraid of the knit stretching and not being able to control it. Right from the get-go, you want to build in some stabilizing. In this video, I show you how to add fusible tricot to shoulder seams. It will keep your neckline from stretching while you work. Use a lightweight tear-away stabilizer like Totally Stable on the underside of the dart to keep the narrow fold of the dart smooth and the stitches even. This will prevent stretching and keep the end of the dart from being sucked down into the needle hole. You can change the stitch length to small stitches for the last 1/2 inch at the tip of the dart to secure the threads without the need to tie them off. I work on a tailor's ham a lot. I press the dart flat to blend in the stitches. Then you want to press your darts, going up. It will give a more youthful appearance, as you wear it. Remember that you want to make your darts as invisible as possible; all but disappearing when you wear your garment. Sewing with the interfacing on top will keep your fabric from stretching, buckling, and puckering as you sew. Threading your pins through before you begin will help to hold your pieces in place. After stitching, press each of the shoulder seams flat and then open, toward the back, to further set the seams. You can use any width double needle. I prefer the 4.0mm #12/80 size. You can wind wooly nylon in the bobbin, and use black for dark colors, and beige for light. The wooly nylon in the bobbin keeps the knit from stretching in most cases. BUT…if you see your fabric stretching, use stay stitching and as you sew, apply pressure to the back of the presser foot, using one finger and an even tension. The potential for knit sleeves growing as you work with them is very real. But little sticky dots along with fusible web (pressed in the stable vs. stretchy direction) for the entire length of the sleeve can help you avoid this problem.
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Sewing & Pressing Tips for Velvet
Sewing Velvet Mark with tailor’s tacks.Use embroidery thread—it doesn’t pull out easily. Take one stitch only through both layers of the fabric, leaving ¾” tails. Then gently separate the layers and clip the threads to mark both sides cleanly. This traditional method keeps markings visible without bruising the pile.Or, mark with a dressmaker’s pencil.Make a small dot at each marking. To deepen the color and help it last, lick the pencil tip lightly before marking. This simple trick adds contrast on plush or dark fabrics.Prevent shifting as you sew.The biggest challenge with velvet is keeping the layers from moving. The best solution is to use a walking foot in combination with a temporary spray adhesive such as 505 Spray.Apply adhesive correctly.Cover your work surface with paper, and carefully mask off the seam allowance with strips of paper. Spray a light, even coat of adhesive within the seam allowance only. Then align the edges, right sides together, and stitch as usual.A couture secret revealed.It’s a little-known secret of couture houses that seamstresses have relied on similar spray adhesives for years to stabilize velvet and other delicate fabrics. The result: smooth seams, aligned pile, and professional finish—fast, effective, and beautifully precise. Pressing Velvet Keep a light hand.Velvet demands delicacy—press, don’t press down. Let the heat and steam do the work rather than pressure from the iron.Use plenty of steam.Generous steam helps relax the pile and set seams without crushing the fabric’s surface. Hover the iron just above the velvet.Finish with a clapper.After steaming, lightly press with a clapper to lock the shape in place as the fabric cools. It sets the seam beautifully while preserving that soft, dimensional sheen velvet is known for. Happy Sewing!
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Core Wardrobe Outfit Contest Winner
Congratulations Eve Kovacs, the winner of a $200 gift card in Marcy's Core Wardrobe Outfit Contest.
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