Tutorial on knit buttonholes, using a Solvy sandwich

By popular request, I decided to post S. Betzina's method for preventing buttonhole stretch out on a knit jacket.

This knit jacket was very boring without buttons, but I was a bit intimidated by the task.  Found some great stone buttons at Gayfeather Fabrics, in Madison, WI that had dots ground into them.  The buttons are sitting on the jacket above, but it might be hard to see.

So, you put a bit of Solvy over the place you plan to buttonhole and underneath, making a Solvy sandwich.

Then, you make your buttonhole.

Then, gently tear away the Solvy.  

Don't worry if it doesn't all come off, as a steam iron over the buttonhole after you cut the slit will take care of leftover Solvy and any minor wobbly sides.

Wonderful buttonholes every time.  And, thanks to Gayfeathers for jazzing up my jacket.

52 degrees in Florida??

Yes, it finally got to be winter here.  How odd, as last year we had this weather in January.  I've already packed up several jackets to take back to Madison, as it's been too hot and sticky most of the winter for much other than a short sleeved tshirt.  Even Linen tunics are too hot until my bathing suit gets wet!

Nevertheless, jackets are one of my favorite things to sew.  I usually have lots of jacket weight pieces of fabric hoarded and waiting for a good jacket pattern.  Thank you so much, Marcy, for Vogue 8982.

I first made this in a bright blue polyester I ordered from Gorgeous Fabrics.  I hated the hand of the fabric when it arrived and it seemed way too thin for a jacket.  But, the pattern is sized for knits and the darts helped tame the cheesy look.  And, this fabric is perfect for travel!

Then came the dreaded buttonhole phase.  Fortunately, I've been watching Sandra Betzina and Ron Collins sewing videos.  In one, she emphasizes several times, that a Solvy sandwich (Solvy on the top and bottom of the buttonhole area) will tame most potential buttonhole disasters.  She was right, even for this largish (over 1") set of buttonholes.  And, Ron (I feel I know him virtually well enough to call him that) has an incredible Western Canada way of pronouncing "buttonholes".  These shows are some of the best tutorials I've ever seen BTW.  They are now filming and releasing episodes on each of Sandra's Today's Fit patterns, even the older ones.

This version of the jacket is in a cotton ponte from that orlando fabric store I blogged about in November.  I love the bright colors worked into the animal print and plan to wear this today.

There are separate pattern pieces in this pattern for wovens.  So, I just completed this version in a brown printed linen I found here last season at Jo Ann's.  This jacket gets packed, as I have a marvelous E. Fisher brown sundress just waiting for this fresh topper.  

Yes, Madison, it will be summer before too long!!!!

Early 'March, my favorite sewing time of the year

While it is not yet even early Spring where I live most of the year, I just love this time of year.  My birthday time, when the redbuds bloom where I grew up, in Southern Oklahoma.  Also, the time for the biggest sewing expo event of the year in Pewallup, WA.  I've only attended once, what a fabulous trip!!!

But, all the independent pattern companies and many of the Vogue pattern designers go all out with their new patterns right before the show begins.

This is Sewing Workshop's new Helix tshirt pattern.  I ordered some very fine Hugo Boss knit from them as well, as they said it was perfect for this design.  Another blog said a fabric was like sewing on jello.  Well, this wasn't quite that bad, but it wasn't much fun, either.

I do like the resulting shape which has a seam running around the body.  Will have to wait until I return to WI to wear it as Florida is pretty much a short sleeve cotton tshirt place this winter.

A very sweet blouse pattern. V1385

Since it's cloudy here in Florida today and I have a visitor induced cold (no sewing), I wanted to catch up a little with recent sewing projects.

I made this S. Betzina blouse pattern before I left Madison in January.  

The blouse is easy to make, if not to mark all those darts around the neck.  It's softly flattering.  And, now I remember why I bought this rayon from casual elegance, Lois Hinses fabric store online.

I made my second try of this pattern in similar rayon from Casual Elegance for my Florida closet.

Wore it today to the Palm Beach fine craft show and amidst all the wonderful wearable art, a buyer complemented me on it.  I told her a friend designed it for me.  Thank you, Sandra Betzina, for a very wearable pattern.

Style Arc Marni Ponti jacket

I haven't seen too many reviews on this jacket, and it does have a bit of a peplum (with deep pleats in the front waistline) But, I just trusted style arc's great style (and cut generously on the side seams.  The pattern was a dream to sew, and quite fast (its unlined).

The ponte is from Charlotte's Studio in Port Charlotte, Fl.  Even though it's fairly lightweight and polyester, I couldn't resist the color or the houndstooth pattern.  The ball button and elastic loop closure are from Gayfeather fabrics in Madison, WI.  (I thought my stash had every button known to man, but Gayfeather's has even better stuff!)

These pictures were taken on my body double (my eternal gratitude to Deb Holden for wrapping me in brown tape to make it) and it fits just like this on my body as well.  I like it and plan to liven up some black wardrobe basics soon

Coats suitable for a blizzard!

I found a beautiful piece of Marc Jacobs coating last winter at Gayfeather fabrics in Madison, Wi (where they are currently getting 6-8 inches of blizzard/snow- I know because the weather channel radar is impressive esp. in 70+ F in Florida).  I made a coat last year that got gifted, as the small amount of nylon and the structured design were not compatible to my Rowenta steam/box iron.  Still cleaning that puppy off this year.

Then, in April, I found these wonderful Eiffel Tower snaps at the most incredible button store in Paris, that I thought might work instead of trying to make bound buttonholes with that thread woven through fabric.

So, before I left Madison during the second Atlanta blizzard, I made this version of the coat with more of the same beautiful M. Jacobs black with blue thread wool (thanks to Gayfeather's generous birthday discount-at my age 1/2 my age in discount is substantial!!!)

I used a vogue pattern, 8937, that Marcy Tilton said she should have used in her winter coat saga last year.  HA 

I love the coat and plan to wear it in March when I return to the Polar blizzard called Wisconsin.  This shot I showed off the incredible Paris snaps, that don't really show on the finished coat.

Then, I picked out another Marc Jacobs coating I bought around the same timeframe from fabric mart. It's very heavy and two-sided.  I picked a vogue pattern, 8933, I now remember was a disaster the last time I tried it.  I allowed lots on the sides, but incredibly, the sleeves are also way too tight.  

Which brings me to this picture.   Fortunately, I still have plenty of fabric and lining to do a complete sleeve redo.  While sitting with friends at a Linda Lee seminar in Milwaukee (almost cancelled after a huge, similar blizzard) a couple of years ago, Linda held up said tool, and said "make this your friend. Sewing is as much about ripping as it is stitching". And I couldn't agree more.  I really don't even mind ripping during a great episode of Downton or Mad Men (it is coming back with new episodes, right?)

This shot shows finished coat with too tight sleeves. . . . I plan to finish this one too.

Oh yes, these Eiffel Tower "Paris" snaps I found at stone mountain and daughter in Berkeley last spring.  They will be added to the second coat above after the sleeves are done.

A plethora of tshirts. . .

Usually, I have only one tshirt pattern as my go-to style of the moment, so I feel privileged to have found three patterns that fit, are interesting, and I like wearing.

The first is Vogue 8962.  Thanks to the vogue patterns magazine and the Jilly be Jolly blog, I found this wonderful tshirt that's almost a tunic.

made it first in stripes and fell in love with it there.  But have subsequently made the View B with a plain grey/silver velour or stretch velvet and a rayon/lycra print and it looks great in both those versions, as well. Next project with this pattern is one of those giant chevron knit patterns.  Wish me luck.

Here's the back view:

The second tshirt pattern is one of S Betzina's today's fit patterns, Vogue 1363.  Not crazy about the neck facing, but used my normal band of 2 inches width and it worked great.  See my post on Port Charlotte s. Betzina seminar for a few pictorial examples.

The third pattern is a Katherine Tilton Butterick 5961.  This is view B with what is called a turtleneck collar in a marvelous Mood fabrics rayon/Lycra knit.  Has really odd armholes, but isn't uncomfortable to wear.

All of these tshirts are a bit longer than I used to use but uber flattering with longish sweaters or vests and even shorter sweaters with bracelet sleeves.  

My two former fav tshirt patterns worn out at this point, so it's nice to make something different.