Category: Sewing Project

Butterick 6556 Tiered Skirt Cherry Pink Poplin from Minerva

by two.sewing.sisters, posted in Sewing Project, Travel

A few months ago, I saw a dress on Instagram that had a striped gathered skirt, with a horizontal band in between each layer. While the “baby-doll” bodice of the dress wouldn’t suit me, I loved the skirt!

In true sewing spirit, we were inspired to take what we like about the design and make our own version ready for the European summer.

Fabric: Minerva Core Range 100% Cotton Poplin Fabric Cherry Pink

This is the Minerva Core Range 100% Cotton Poplin Fabric Cherry Pink. In person, the fabric looks more red than pink. Being 148cm wide and 100% cotton, it was very easy to both cut and sew. Find out more about the fabric here.

Pattern: Butterick 6556

The bodice is Butterick 6556 – one of our fabric Gertie patterns. We amended the bodice by removing the “v” in the centre front bodice. To make the bows, we extended the straps to be very long so they could be tied into bows. The shape of the shoulder straps in the pattern is curved, however we straightened the shoulder straps for both fitting and visual reasons (given the striped fabric). 

Finished Make

Find out more about this project

Photo Credits

Photographer: James Christie Media
Pattern: Butterick 6556
Fabric: Minerva Core Range 100% Cotton Poplin Fabric Cherry Pink provided by Minerva

Minerva Kit Tilly and the Button Erin Dungarees in Urban Cheetah French Terry

by two.sewing.sisters, posted in Sewing Project

The Erin Dungarees, how could we not make these? When our own Two Sewing Sisters Erin saw this pattern come through as a kit on Minerva it was an instant yes!

Pattern: Tilly and the Button Erin Dungarees

The Erin Dungarees are a casual overall style from Tilly and the Buttons. The bib front features a princess seam to form a gentle shape across the bust. We created the tie at the shoulder view with full-length pants. Find out more about the pattern here.

Fabric: Minerva Exclusive Urban Cheetah French Terry

Terry Stretch Knit Fabric is 95% Cotton, 5% Lycra so alongside being a knit structure the lycra makes it super comfortable a less likely to crease.  The fabric comes in a range of prints and this cheetah print was loads of fun and easy to pair with other black tops in our wardrobes.  Check out this fabric here.

Finished Dungarees

Get your Erin Dungarees Kit

Photo Credits

Photographer: James Christie Media
Pattern: Tilly and the Button Erin Dungarees
Fabric: Minerva Exclusive Urban Cheetah French Terry

Holiday Wardrobe: Indigo Bias Skirt from Mood Fabrics

by two.sewing.sisters, posted in Sewing Project, Travel

Exploring London in our first bias-cut skirt! We are late to the party on bias-cut skirts, but we see more in our future.  For the pattern, we explored a few options and landed on the Indigo skirt from Mood Fabrics. It looked quite full in the hem when we first cut it but bias being bias it sat beautifully.  The fabric weight was key and this deep green from Drapers Fabric fit the bill. 

The top is the Grace Top by Friday Pattern Company in black jersey knit from Fabric Deluxe. A nice cowl neck detail to compliment the shape of the skirt. 

Photo Credits

Top: Grace Top by Friday Pattern Company in black jersey knit from Fabric Deluxe
Skirt: Indigo Skirt by Mood Fabrics in crepe back satin from Drapers Fabrics
Photos by: James Christie Media

Holiday Wardrobe: Adrift Shift by Gracie Steel in Faces Canvas from Spotlight

by two.sewing.sisters, posted in Sewing Project, Travel

Erin and James are off jet-setting to Europe this month so this was a fantastic excuse to plan a capsule travel wardrobe.  We will share some of the makes on the blog but also follow along on our Instagram for all the outfit updates.  The first make featuring on the trip in London is the Adrift Shift by Gracie Steel in Faces Canvas from Spotlight. 

Photo Credits

Fabric: Faces Canvas from Spotlight
Pattern: Gracie Steel Adrift Shift
Photos by: James Christie Media

Vogue 2000 in Green Leopard Lycra from Super Cheap Fabrics

by two.sewing.sisters, posted in Sewing Project

Super Cheap Fabrics invited us to explore their current collection of fabrics and select some projects to share with you.  This was an exciting opportunity to explore the fabric selection and create something that was different to our usual style. We jumped at the chance to create the iconic DVF Vogue 2000 wrap dress in a vibrant green leopard print which are both available on Super Cheap Fabrics. 

Green Leopard Print for Vogue 2000 by DVF

The iconic Wrap Dress by Diane von Furstenberg is back! In an exciting celebration of 50 years of the wrap dress, the style was re-released in the latest collection from Vogue Patterns.

This dress is a front-wrapped dress with a fitted bodice and slim line skirt that is secured in place with a feature tie. The full-length sleeves feature pointed cuffs and a matching pointed collar.

When picking which elements of the pattern to combine we what to create a version of this dress with the elements are are associated with this iconic design. For us this meant we simply had to include the collar!

The dress gives many options for the fabrication and we selected to use a jersey knit. Browsing through the Super Cheap Fabric website we can across this Printed Lycra – Scattered Jungle.

Coming in at 150cm wide this was a fantastic fabric to create the iconic dress in. The challenge of the knit fabrics is always front of mind for us when creating something in a jersey. We interfaced the collar, cuffs and facings as suggested. To help the fabric move with its knit properties with used a stretch thread that matched the green of the fabric.

Finished Make

Explore Super Cheap Fabrics

Photo Credits

Fabric:  Printed Lycra – Scattered Jungle – 150cm provided by Super Cheap Fabrics
Pattern: Vogue 2000 available on Super Cheap Fabrics
Photos by: James Christie Media

Minerva Kit Know Me 2016 in Brushstroke Blooms Cotton Sateen

by two.sewing.sisters, posted in Sewing Project

Hello, Know Me 2016 kit! This is one of our favourite dress patterns! The shape bodice and details in the skirt make it is a simple design yet, is a design with impact. We have made this dress in a range of fabrics but the Minerva cotton sateen is a go-to for us.

Pattern: Know Me 2016

Know Me #me2016 is a design by Beaute’ J’adore, it is a dress with a shaped waistline sloping up slightly at the front and lovely design lines in the tiers with gathers. Let us not forget about the scoop pockets in the skirt. It has a high round neckline, bust darts from the sideseam and finished with an invisible back zipper.

Fabric: Minerva Exclusive Brushstroke Blooms Cotton Sateen Fabric

The cotton sateen creates a lovely finish on the fabric a rich finish for a fabric that is 100% Cotton making it comfortable to wear as a natural fibre and has some structure providing body to the make. It is non-stretch and at 115 grams per square metre, this fabric is a light to medium weight. See more about the fabric here.

Finished Dress

The fun of the Minerva sewing kits is perfect for a gift as it has everything you need or as a sewing project for yourself to make sure you have everything on hand. This kit includes everything you need to make your preferred view of the pattern and comes with the Know Me 2016 paper pattern, our high-quality 100% Cotton Sateen, lining fabric, interfacing, elastic, a pack of needles and a matching Gutermann thread! We cannot wait to see your me2016!

Get your Know Me Kit

Photo Credits

Photographer: James Christie Media
Pattern: Know Me 2016
Fabric:  Minerva Exclusive Brushstroke Blooms Cotton Sateen Fabric

Super Cheap Fabrics Canvas in V1900 and Linen in B6792

by two.sewing.sisters, posted in Sewing Project

Super Cheap Fabrics invited us to explore their current collection of fabrics and select some projects to share with you.  When we are planning our projects it is a combination of elements, patterns we have in our collection, fabrics with interesting prints or that will showcase elements of the pattern design.  This outfit was a combination of both, bringing together Black Linen and Wonderland Printed Canvas from Super Cheap Fabrics. 

 

Butterick 6792 in Pure Linen in Black

Can you ever have enough black tops? In our wardrobes, the answer is no. So we were planning this outfit we wanted to create a classic piece for the collection.

We were drawn to view A of Butterick 6792 with a button front and tuxedo collar it has a swing line through the bodice and extra fullness in the back panel. The shape is created through bust darts and a side panel. We shorted the bodice to sit just below the waist to balance with the pants.

We created it in classic black linen, this is a lighter-weight linen from Super Cheap Fabrics and 145cm wide but this was perfect for the shaped and flowing back of the pattern.

The fabric responded well to being interfaced through the collar and pressed well to create the turn-back feature.

Vogue 1900 in Wonderland Printed Canvas

Hello, fun pants! A canvas is a great weight for a pair of tailored pants. When we spotted this Wonderful floral print with the aqua background and striking flower it became the hero for the outfit.

We have had plans to create Vogue 1900 for some time, and with the pattern already cut, we thought it would be the perfect pairing.

Vogue 1900 is a tapered leg pant that has a clever pocket construction and tuck in the front. The waist is finished with a facing, fly front and includes belt loops.

Finished Make

Photo Credits

Fabric:  Printed Canvas Wonderland and Pure Linen Black provided by Super Cheap Fabrics
Pattern:Vogue V1900 and Butterick B6792

John Kaldor Lizzano Cotton Sateen from Minerva in Simplicity S9780

by two.sewing.sisters, posted in Sewing Project

We love making fun summer dresses, but we never seem to pick fabric or patterns for dresses with sleeves. This means we feel like we have nothing to wear when spring or autumn comes around! Our challenge in the next couple of months is to fix this before the weather gets cooler.

Fabric: John Kaldor Lizzano Cotton Sateen Fabric from Minerva

This is the John Kaldor Lizzano Cotton Sateen Fabric in the black colourway. It is 100% cotton but has a beautiful smooth finish. Some of the cotton sateens you find in Australia are heavy and have stretch in the fabric – this one is quite the opposite! It is light and soft, but still keeps its shape when gathered.

Pattern: Simplicity 9780

When picking the pattern we wanted to make, we wanted to choose one that showcased the lovely way the fabric looks when it is gathered. Simplicity 9780 is a smock type dress with three views, with different sleeve, length and ruffle variations. We love the way the yoke of the dress continues around the front, back and sleeves of the dress. The front tie provides a creative feature to otherwise very simple design lines.

Finished Make

See more about the make

Photo Credits

Photographer: James Christie Media
Pattern: Simplicity 9780
Fabric:  John Kaldor Lizzano Cotton Sateen Fabric provided by Minerva

Marimekko Unikko Fabric in Vogue 9237

by two.sewing.sisters, posted in Sewing Project

It is the 60th anniversary of this iconic Unikko print by Marimekko. We came across this fabric while fabric shopping in Newcastle – we couldn’t help ourselves, and we had to bring home a piece!

Also… enter our new fabric pattern! We have claimed that Know Me 2016 is our favourite pattern for a couple of months. Only now we might have found a new favourite Vogue 9237! It is easy to wear and easy to sew – it also has limited pattern pieces, so the wonderful print of the fabric isn’t segmented between too many pattern pieces ✂️

Fabric: Marimekko Unikko Fabric

Mini Unikko, conceived by Kristina Isola, is a scaled-down rendition of the iconic Unikko print that has captivated global audiences. Originating in 1964, Unikko emerged in defiance of Marimekko founder Armi Ratia’s decree against floral motifs in the brand’s fabrics. Despite this prohibition, artist Maija Isola boldly crafted a collection of floral patterns, ultimately prompting Armi to incorporate eight of them.

Unikko has since become a symbol of exuberance and innovation, seamlessly woven into Marimekko’s design ethos. Maija’s work stands as a testament to the enduring power of creativity in spreading joy.

Pattern: Vogue v9237

Vogue 9237 is a Very Easy Vogue Dress pattern with a loose-fitting pullover style that has a round neck with a button and loop closing at the back neck. The main feature is the back ruffle panel create a playful design element.

Finished Make

Photo Credits

Photographer: James Christie Media
Pattern: Vogue 9237 provided by Sewdirect Australia
Fabric:  Marimekko Unikko Fabric

McCalls 8098 & McCalls 8161 in Inky Grove Cotton Sateen

by two.sewing.sisters, posted in Sewing Project

Fabric: Inky Grove Cotton Sateen Fabric

The Inky Grove print on Cotton Sateen is a Minerva exclusive print that is fabulous and we loved the rich blue tone mix with the white background. The quality and weight of the cotton sateen is lovely, more a light to medium weight of the fabric. It gathers beautifully and at 142cm wide it has lots of options for cutting large pattern shapes to make the most of the print.

Pattern: McCall’s 8161 McCall’s 8098

We started with the pants as the hero we used, view B McCall’s 8098 a full-length pair of pants with a very comfortable elastic waist. For the top we wanted a classic shape and used McCall’s 8161 our go-to for this occasion.

Finished Make

See more about the make

Photo Credits

Photographer: James Christie Media
Pattern: McCalls 8098 & McCalls 8161
Fabric:  Inky Grove Cotton Sateen provided by Minerva