I’m currently sitting in my car, trying to avoid yet another $65 parking ticket thanks to the stupid NYC alternate side parking system. Writing a blog post seems like a good use of that time. Because it’s been a while.

I don’t know - does anyone even read sewing blogs anymore? I love writing these posts - it’s cathartic and a total geek out on sewing and my intense love of clothing, but I know I personally get most of that fix from Instagram these days. Still, here I am with my usual jumbled brain dump.

Well, the world - specifically the US - is in the toilet right? I don’t even know where to start; half a million COVID deaths; violent supremacist insurrections that aren’t going to disappear; a vaccination roll out that has so far been pretty shambolic; and, closer to home, aside from all the other awful stuff that is emerging, Cuomo has decided that movie theatre’s can reopen, WHILE MY KIDS ARE STILL NOT BACK IN SCHOOL FULL TIME. Priorities man, priorities.

Last week, I was listening to something about the first stages of the pandemic in this city, which was the epicenter of this tragedy at the time, and it brought it back. It’s incredible how our brains choose to recover from, or at least bury, low level trauma. That which destroyed life as we knew it last March and terrified us all - the feelings are difficult to access now.

Having said that, as the journalist recalled the ghost town that was NYC last March, April and May; the constant wail of sirens; the all pervading fear; and the daily barrage of horrifying numbers of hospital admissions and deaths, it did come back and I sat on my sofa shaking and in tears.

There does seem to be some light at the end of the tunnel and despite the fact that there are things that are problematic about his track record and stance, Grandpa Joe and his rational, human, homely demeanour is just the hug / weighted blanket this country needs right now. And well, Kamala!

Through this all, on the days when I needed to just take a step back from the news cycle and the various aspects of life that were challenging me, I found solace in sewing. Often that doesn’t happen, it can just be too much effort, but for some reason, rather than staring at my machine and not feeling it, I escaped into seams and unpicking and pressing and consequently I’ve realised I actually made a lot last year. 90% of which I have haven’t been able to wear as I’ve had nowhere to go but, and I seem to say this a lot, it’s often about the process not the finished garment.

I seem to be starting this year off in a similar fashion.

The Friday Pattern Company has only really been vaguely on my radar. I’ve been aware of the Wilder Gown, and have seen some beautiful versions, but gathers and ties at the front neck just annoy me* so I haven’t been inclined to make it. Then I started seeing the Heather Blazer all over the ‘gram and was so happy to discover it. I’ve been trying to find a boxy big blazer pattern like this for a couple of years but the ones I looked at involved too much alteration to get the shape I wanted for me to be bothered with.

This is exactly what I have been looking for. Square shouldered, unfitted, lined, below hip level with long lapels and a single button. Spot on! The only thing I would probably love even more is welt pockets - but that puts it in a whole different realm of complexity and it is just the right amount of simplicity. The blazer has only a little shaping so the fitting was easy, just lengthening it and doing my usual forward / broad shoulder adjustment. It is a really straight forward make, mainly because the instructions are excellent. And the finish is really beautiful - lining it was a doddle which can’t be said for some jacket pattern instructions I have used in the past.

The two-piece sleeve is lovely and you don’t come across them very often in indie patterns. Although on my next version - I have some white heavyweight linen that I’ve been holding onto for just a pattern like this - I’ll make the sleeves a little wider. I have relative thin monkey arms, so it’s kind of strange that the sleeves fit as closely as they do and so I feel looser would help with rolling them up and be closer to the more roomy look I prefer.

The fabric is a linen / cotton (I think) fairly loose weave I got sent from The Fabric Store a while back and is the perfect weight for this pattern. I went a bit belt and braces and serged all the seams, even though they are inside the lining, because this fabric frays like a mofo.

It is actually navy on either the warp or the weft and a dark cream on the other, but comes off as brown. I don’t love brown on me, but it will go with everything and, nostalgically, it is an improved version of a thrifted, muted, tweed blazer I loved and wore for years which wasn’t really oversized enough but I liked contrasting it with pretty dresses.

The lining is a cream cotton lawn and not very exciting, but I had it already and I’ve been trying to work through the fabric I have rather than buying more.

Having said that I did buy this gorgeous silk / cotton pale pink peacock eye beauty in Mood last fall as I just couldn’t leave it behind. I love it but I’m not sure I did it justice with my pattern choice / execution.

It is the Sagebrush Top, again by The Friday Pattern Company. It’s a really pretty pattern but probably a little pretty pretty for me. I forgot to lengthen the shoulder width so it doesn’t fit well there but I get away with it due to alllllll the shoulder puff. I should have left off the yoke ruffle - just not my style. However, I love the tie at the back (I’m contrary I know*) and the sleeves, which I lengthened by 5 inches or so, are beautiful. I used French seams throughout and shortened the bodice, but kept the deep hem which is a lovely feature.

In my head this combination of makes worn with black jeans looked great, but I’m not so sure about it in reality. Probably mostly because the best fitting jeans I’ve ever had - pictured here - that were a horrible mid blue so I dyed them black - failed to dye properly, so are not in fact black, just a darker blue and have random dark black stains all over them. Ugh.

I do like the structure and androgyny of the jacket and boots, combined with the prettiness of the blouse though. And the slimmer leg jeans are good with the oversized jacket.

I made both of these over the course of one weekend, which shows how accessible they are. Especially as I am a fairly thoughtful (albeit a bit slapdash - if I can be both things at the same time) and therefore not the fastest sewer.

I have decided to try and resurrect the word sewer. I have never been a fan of sewist and try to avoid using it despite it’s popularity, So.

I really like both these patterns, despite being unsure at first and will make them again with adjustments. And I will explore more of The Friday Pattern Company’s patterns as they really are so well put together.

Anyway, I can leave my car now. It really is ridiculous that this is a thing people do - spend an hour and a half sitting in their car so they can avoid a ticket and snag a parking spot. There was a reason I didn’t get a car for the first 7 years I lived in this neighbourhood!

See you soon x