Sew Ready For Fall with Stylish Fabric, Seamwork Wembley

If you've been following along on the Sew Ready For Fall blog tour, you know that I've sewn for my husband AND 1 of my kids. (And I'll have even more kid themed stuff for you next week). I was definitely feeling left out, but I also know that sewing for me means a muslin and usually a LOT of fitting. That means time and when you're organizing a blog tour, there is a LOT of background work to do. But I was determined to be sure that I got to feel the love too, so here we are on the last day of the tour with me, and my Seamwork Wembley.

I have so much I want to talk about, so I apologize in advance if I start rambling. Before we get down to it, Stylish Fabric gave me 4 yards total fabric for this tour. (2 yards per day). I just so happened to be able to squeeze extra stuff out of my fabric. All opinions (and I do think the fabric is great) remain my own. I purchased the Seamwork Wembley as part of my regular Seamwork subscription. Colette (Seamwork's parent company) is a very welcome sponsor of the tour.

So part 1, let's talk about Seamwork and the pattern. Seamwork is a monthly subscription where for $6 you get 2 credits each month and they release 2 new patterns each month. This feeds my need for new patterns, even if I still haven't sewn all the patterns I already have. The patterns tend to be more basic with only 1 or 2 options. But the simplicity actually makes them a great choice for hacking.

The Wembley (per Seamwork) is: "a relaxed fit, cropped cardigan. It features an angled hem that dips in the front, a finished neckband, a finished waistband, and cuffed sleeves." Seems simple and straight forward enough.

As I was working on my muslin I did my usual length adjustments. That means removing 1/2" above the bust and 1" at the waist. The pattern does NOT include shorten/lengthen lines so I used the side seam notch to line up my waist adjustments. Now the truth is, based on the size charts, I NEED a Full Bust Adjustment. A good 2" FBA. However, I don't do FBA's on open cardigans. If it had needed to button, then I would definitely add the width, but with it draping down the bust, I wasn't worried about it.

Round 1 with my muslin was a big fat fail (good thing it was a muslin). I found the Wembley was drafted to sit OFF the shoulder and was overall pretty wide across the back. I was hoping for something a bit more fitted (which is ridiculous, because the pattern clearly says RELAXED FIT), but that wasn't going to stop me from getting what I wanted. So I ran a stitch down the back that had a 1" seam allowance. And voila, no more relaxed fit. To translate that into my pattern, I removed 1" from the center back seam, 1" from the center back neck facing and 1" from the center back waist band. Now, I am happy. :)

Now, I've been looking for the perfect cardigan for a LONG time. I've tried a LOT of different ones. This is pretty close to what I've been needing. I will point out that it makes my bust look ridiculously huge. But I think its time to just admit that my bust is ridiculously huge, and therefore I can't blame the cardigan. I actually love the fit across the shoulders, and while I did wear the sleeves pushed up to my elbows, the reality is, this is likely how I will always wear it. The sleeves fit me exactly right (even though I forgot to show it). Keep in mind that I removed an inch across the back, which also removed an inch in the sleeve. If you decide to make the same back adjustment, you will need to add the length back into the sleeve. And for once, I have a cardigan that can be pushed up to the elbow and not restrict blood flow to my arms. Extra bonus. The cut across the back actually helps make my butt look big (bonus) and the angled cut across the front draws the eye down, away from my bust and back to my waist. Maybe I'm delusional but it looks like I have a waist. I have a WAIST. Did you hear that people? Me, waist. Its like a miracle.

So with my pattern fixed, I was ready to tackle my fabric. This fabric is an AMAZING french terry and while I have used the word amazing too many times this week, I completely mean it. Things I love about this fabric:
1- It has a denim look to it. So you get the look of denim with the sweet comfort of knit
2- This blue stripey side is the back/purl side of the fabric. That means you can get 2 different looks from one fabric. The other side is a nice smooth knit in a white with blue highlights.
3- Unlike other french terry, this is soft and drapey and fabulous. 100% good for patterns that require nice drape, like: Seamwork Wembley, Love Notions Origami Tunic, Patterns for Pirates Slim Fit Raglan, EYMM Kymy, George and Ginger Traverse Tee, Hey June Aurora, Little Lizard King Library Cardigan, Made For Mermaids Mama Mya, Mouse House Creations Julia, New Horizons Riviera Raglan, Winter Wear Designs La Croix, Wardrobe by Me Daisy, Stitch Upon a Time Flora, Please note, Sisboom and True Bias not mentioned because they do not have a pattern that requires a knit fabric with nice drape. /end gratuitous sponsor promotion.

And for anyone wondering, my jeggings are RTW, size 3. My butt has NOT gotten any bigger. it is strictly an illusion. My shirt is the awesome La Croix, from Winter Wear Designs (Yet another one of our fabulous sponsors). The La Croix is one of my favorites. Now, this might sound crazy, but I love the La Croix because it makes my butt look big. Don't believe me, look at the photos. My butt looks big (at least bigger than usual). YES!

Its been great hostessing this entire series, but it'll be nice next week to leave most of the work to other people, WHEW. But of course, I don't want you to miss anything, so below is the list of all the blog posts from the last 2 weeks. AND before you go, don't forget about the give away. The prize packs are HUGE and you could even win a sewing machine.

August 1st
Sewing By Ti and Rebel and Malice
August 2nd
Gray all Day
August 3rd
Wild and Wanderful and The Sara Project
August 4th
Doodle Number 5 and Sweet Red Poppy
August 5th
Paisley Roots and Dos Natural Sistas and My Crafty Little Self

August 8th
Made By Melli and Sew Far North
August 9th
Sew Sophie Lynn and Creative Counselor
August 10th
Frivolous at Last and EYMM
August 11th
Lulu and Celeste and Sprouting Jubejube
August 12th
Adventures with Bubba and Bug and All Things Katy and Sewing by Ti

Ti

Hi, I'm Ti and I'm so happy you're here. I'm a self taught seamstress that loves to focus on good fit, well drafted patterns and of course, FABRIC! As a self proclaimed fabric-aholic, it only made sense to open a fabric store, thus, Simply by Ti was born. Here on my blog, you'll mainly find work that I've done for myself and my family. I am always looking to expand my sewing abilities and spend a lot of time learning new fitting and sewing techniques. I aim to provide objective, honest, creative content that will keep you actively engaged and wanting to read more.

4 comments

UnknownAugust 12, 2016 at 8:18 AM
I have really enjoyed these weeks of sewing, got introduced to a load more awesome pattern designers. Thanks!
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EmilyAugust 12, 2016 at 11:39 AM
Great job throughout the week, as hostess and seamstress! I didn't know much about Seamwork, but it sounds like a great resource.
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jodi @ back40lifeAugust 12, 2016 at 12:59 PM
Great job! Love the cardi!
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RubyAugust 14, 2016 at 9:41 AM
Love the Cardi, I've had it on my sewing table to try for a while. You've inspired me 😊
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