Fen Dress

This photo is a bit of a potato. We were in the middle of a heat wave so my hair is doing a thing, the wall is blah, the patio could use a deep clean. But it was the first picture of my first sewn garment (!!!) and I am STOKED to learn more about making clothes!

Pattern: Fen Dress by Fancy Tiger Crafts; sewn in a linen/viscose blend from Joann Fabrics

New skills: Tracing a pattern, sewing gathers, pockets, darts, making bias binding tape

Lessons learned: When buying fabric, take a picture of the bolt end so you can look up wash instructions later.

Weigh down the tracing paper when tracing a pattern or your lines will be squirrelly (glasses work well) and use a straight edge wherever possible. I had to retrace my entire pattern. Then trace your cut pattern on the fabric directly before cutting (I also pinned the tissue pattern to the fabric as a fallback).

Measure darts after sewing to make sure they're the same length. Don't pull too hard on basting thread tails when making gathers or the thread will break.

Trim threads as you go or you'll end up with a rats nest. Seam gauges are amazing when turning hems under.

Pin turned hems before pressing.

Making bias tape is really easy.

This sleeve style is called a dolman sleeve! Linen blends don't wrinkle too badly and get softer with each wash.

What I'd do differently: There were some fit issues I noticed, and I've been thinking of possible solutions (suggestions and corrections are welcome!) The neckline has a bit of gape in front, I think this can be fixed by taking in the shoulder seams at the neckline a little. The waist is a bit loose, which can probably be fixed by taking in the side seams and maybe the bodice darts, though because this is a woven fabric, I'll need to make sure it can still fit over the bust. I'd also try to get the gathers a little closer to the pockets in front.

My seam finishes are pretty sloppy and I'd like to take more time to get those right.

Care: Machine wash in cold water on a delicate cycle, Do not use chlorine bleach or Fabric softener, Tumble dry low, Use a cool iron

Fen Shirt (Hacked)

I'm not thrilled with the way this project turned out, but it gave me the opportunity to experiment with rayon, fitting, and pattern modification, which was great. I wore it a few times before the armpit frayed out. Rather than mend it, I'll likely turn it into stuffing so it doesn't go to waste.

Pattern: Fen shirt by Fancy Tiger Crafts, modified to have a symmetrical hem (used seafoam polka dot top as template). Sewn in 100% rayon challis from Joann Fabrics

New skills: sewing rayon challis

Lessons: Rayon is quite tricky to sew, it's slippery and easy to stretch out of shape after you cut pattern pieces—this tutorial was a big help.

I learned a lot about fitting and fabric choice. I started out by sewing a toile following the vanilla Fen shirt pattern, but wasn't thrilled with the high-low hem. I adjusted the bottom hem to be symmetrical using a RTW rayon shirt as a template. Something about the neckline + fabric + cut strongly evokes "scrubs" and isn't really a style I'm going for in my everyday clothing.

What I'd do differently: Since making this I've started to dial in what types of fits & silhouettes I want in my clothes and cropped/tucked tops look awesome with my (proportionally) long legs. I'd like to revisit my original toile with the high-low hem to see how it looks with a high waisted trouser or palazzo pant.

Care: Hand wash, lay flat to dry