VOGUE V9341 Jacket Pattern designed by Julio Cesar

 Vogue patterns 9341 - Spring and Autumn 

  

This is a lovely sewing pattern as it is but when I saw it I could think of many different ways I could personalise it just  for me and to make it work for different seasons 

SPRING

For the first version I used a dark grey wool British Coating and trimmed the front of the jacket with a pale pink Tweed.  I made a matching Tote bag too 

AUTUMN

In the second version I used this rather gorgeous reversible Melton wool fabric, and for the front section  I simply used the opposite side of the fabric. The bag was made last year and it suits the coat fabric beautifully 

This jacket is incredibly easy to sew and if you use a boiled wool for example you  could consider not finishing the seams.

You could make the jacket reversible by a number of methods incorporating flat fell seams, or binding the seams with Bias binding.  These are called Hong-Kong seams. It is easy to make your own Bias binding 

Bias Binding maker

Or you can purchase it ready made  

Bias Binding

The jacket works out roomy so I chose a smaller size than normal. The short sleeves are not practical for where I live and so I lengthenced them. For the fastenings I used magnetic press studs, other choices include   buttons and buttonholes,  sew in poppers bag clasps and more 

I took a fair amount of time thinking about the placement of the contrast fabric on the right front and what other trimmings I could add.  

The pattern may be purchased from Jaycotts.co.uk 

 Vogue 9341

Fasteners can also be purchased from Jaycotts.co.uk 

There is a huge selection so enjoy browsing 

Various fastenings

 Enjoy designing your own special jacket

Angela 

Sewangelicthreads 

Brother Embroidery Machine NV880E

 My review of The Brother Embroidery Machine NV880E

I have also upgraded my embroidery machine. I love machine embroidery and the previous one was slowly wearing out with use. 

This marvelous machine is available from Jaycott.co.uk on the following link 

Brother NV880E

The machine has many functions and is a real pleasure to use 

4.9” colour touchscreen

260 x 160 mm embroidery area

258 built-in patterns and 13 fonts

Advanced needle threader

Auto jump stitch trimmer

Colour sorting

LED pointer

Wireless connection

The wireless connection means that downloaded embroidery designs can be transferred directly to the machine from your computer without the need for a USB.

It comes with the following accessories 

Accessories Included with 880e

Embroidery foot with LED pointer

Seam ripper

Bobbin (4) (One bobbin is on machine.)

Needle set

Cleaning brush

Spool cap (large, medium, small)

Thread spool insert (mini king thread spool)

Spool net

Scissors

Set of screwdrivers

Bobbin case (no color on the screw) (on machine)

Embroidery hoop and sheet 260 x 160mm

Embroidery hoop and sheet 150 x 150mm

Embroidery hoop and sheet 100 x 100mm

Embroidery bobbin thread

Dust cover

Power supply cord

Accessory bag

Operation Manual

Quick Reference Guide

Embroidery Design Guide

I like the new designs which are built in ready for use and have used some already, but  it is also very easy to use a USB  to download your own designs 

If you need to break off sewing for a while, don't worry as when the machine is switched back on again you will be asked if you want to continue where you left off. 

Another feature I like is that the thread is automatically cut when moving on to another area so that you do not end up with a spiders  web of threads to unravel and cut.

This is an amazing machine and even if you are new to machine embroidery you will soon be producing high quality embellishments on your clothing, linen etc 

There is a good choice of accessories available from Jaycott.co.uk 

Embroidery machine accessories

You will need threads and stabilisers ,so if you are not sure exactly what you need,  and  for any other enquiries then do not hesitate to contact  Jaycott.co.uk  on 

Contact Jaycotts

Angela 

Sewangelicthreads 

#embroiderymachine

#brother

Brother Innov-is F560 Sewing Machine

 My review of the Brother Innov-is F560 Sewing machine 

I have just upgraded my sewing machine to this beauty. It is available from Jaycott.co.uk- just  click on this link for more information 

Brother Innov-is F560 

 The Innov-is F560 so simple to use even if you are new to sewing .

All the settings are displayed on an LCD colour touchscreen which I find to be an absolute dream - on my previous machine I was forever referring to the manual and I found that some functions just did not get used very often. Now I have no excuse. 

These are the basic stitches on the machine

From the touchscreen you can access all the stitches - 241 of them - and make all the adjustments you need. It is so simple. There is capacity to make a design using a combination of lettering and patterns and save them to a USB stick.

 

There is a very useful function on this machine, it has a square Feed Drive System which produces a very high quality stitch on all fabrics .

 It also allows the machine to sew all the way around a patch or pocket without having to move the fabric.  It is quite something watching your machine sewing a perfect square.

 

The handy storage tray holds additional feet and spare Bobbins 

The following accessories are included 

Zigzag foot “J” (on machine)

Monogramming foot “N”

Overcasting foot “G” 

Zipper foot “I” 

Blind stitch foot “R” 

Button fitting foot “M” 

Buttonhole foot “A” 

Needle set

Twin needle

Bobbin x 4 

Seam ripper

Cleaning brush

Eyelet punch

Screwdriver (large)

Disc-shaped screwdriver 

Horizontal spool pin

Spool cap (large) 

Spool cap (medium) x 2 

Spool cap (small)

Thread spool insert (for mini king threads) 

Spool net 

Knee lifter

Standard bobbin case

Foot controller

Accessory bag

Hard case

Grid sheet set

Operation Manual 

Quick Reference Guide

I am very impressed with the machine and how easy it is to use. I love the fact that everything is displayed on a screen , which again is easy to operate. The photograph above shows which folder contains the type of stitch you want to use ,simply tap on the icon and the folder opens to display everything inside it 

There are  five  fonts to choose from and ten  buttonholes 

Brother is the brand I always use and I highly recommend their products.

I also highly recommend Jaycotts.co.uk

 

The customer service is professional and friendly. If you are unsure of what exactly you are looking for then just contact them and help will be there.

They sell other machines from different manufacturers and at various prices so do visit the Web site and take a look 

HAPPY SEWING 

Angela

Sewangelicthreads 

#BrotherF560

#sewingmachine

#sewing 

Autumn Sewing Dresses, tops and utilising unloved fabrics and haberdashery

 Autumn sewing 

I want to share with you the garments I have made recently.

Everyone needs warm tops and this is where my sewing begins . I am also keen to use fabrics and haberdashery which would otherwise be thrown away.

This top , The Cosmos sweatshirt, is made from fabrics left over from  other projects.  The   beige fabric is a sweatshirt fabric and the pink is a circular ribbing . 

By using left overs you are firstly preventing the disastrous effect caused by far too much of what we buy going to landfill

Secondly, you are getting a garment for almost nothing so it makes sense doesn't it. If you make a garment from leftovers treat the project with the same respect as if you have used the most expensive fabric ever and you will get great results 

This top is by Katherine Tilton for Vogue Patterns. 

The unusual and attractive neckline is actually sewn using an unused zipper as a trim.

The top itself is made from a charcoal wool blend and I used a long open dark green plastic teeth zipper for a trim. The neckline comprises two separate collars each made from two  contrasting fabrics with the divided zipper sewn as a trim by sandwiching it between both pieces along the top edge.

In case you are wondering the zipper does not irritate my skin at all. As you can see from the photographs it doesn't actually touch the neck.

For this version I found scraps of covered Piping and used it to edge the collars in the same way as I used the zipper on the Charcoal top 

This fabric is French Terry

I love both versions. 

My most recent make is this Grey dress and shrug. The dress is made in Ponte Roma and the shrug from a fine mohair 

I added a touch of machine embroidery to the centre front 

Do take care when fitting this dress, and pay attention to your underwear as you want to display a smooth figure.  Body suits, tights with control tops and or control slips are all suitable. They make you feel confident,  so do not hesitate to buy shapewear even if you are very slim. It really does make a difference. 

I love Simplicity s9644 this one is made in a snuggly wool mix rib 

Thank you for reading this post. All of the patterns mentioned are well worth buying.  Do purchase new fabrics as and when you need them but think about how you can use leftovers too.

Angela 

Sewangelicthreads 

#Sewangelicthreads 

#sewist

#stretchfabric

#cosmossweater

#voguepatterns

#sewingblogger

#patternreview

#frenchterry

#sweatshirt

#knitfabric

#upcycling 

#simplicitys9644 

Using my new Brother Coverstitch machine on a top made in Stretch Cotton Jersy Rib

 The Brother CV3550 Coverstitch Machine 

I am very lucky to now own a Coverstitch machine,  I have wanted one for years . They are not a necessity but are an incredible addition to a sewists collection of sewing machines.

Coverstitch machines are primarily used to create professional-looking hems to garments. They can be used for covering raw edges of a fabric,  for example in seams , they can be used for embellishments and are suitable for stretch and woven fabrics ,

Mine is from BrotherUK and I purchased it from Jaycotts.co.uk

  Brother coverstitch machine from Jaycotts.co.uk

It has many stitch options plus a feature I love is the possibility of creating multicoloured stitching using any variation of thread colours to give the effect you want 

This is a Top Coverstitch using multiple coloured threads. 

This is the reverse side of the same stitch.

It has numerous stitches in addition to the top  Coverstitch with three needles it will do a Coverstitch like this one with up to three top threads which can also be adapted to wide and narrow stitches This sample is a narrow two thread 

I found that YouTube has plenty of suggestions.

***********

Cotton Rib Stretch Jersey Top.

The best way to learn about your new machine is to use it. I self drafted a top and made it up in  this Cotton rib stretch fabric which was gifted to me from Minerva.com 

Cotton Rib fabric at Minerva.com

I made a simple design as an extra layer on cooler summer days. The front and back have little shaping but the sleeves are slightly full with a cuff which can be worn in multiple ways.

The neckline has a band. This needs to be cut with the stretch along  the length and stretched slightly when applying to the  neckline. 

Whilst we want the band to stretch, the main fabric needs to remain the same. To stop it from stretching therefore I stay stitched along the garment neck edge. 

If I could give you a hint. It is far easier to install the neckline if you stitch just one shoulder and join the other one later. 

Similarly it is easier to add sleeves before stitching the side seams. 

To finish the neckline I added a triple top Coverstitch in shades of pink and purple 

I used the same stitch on the hem. To prevent the hem from stretching out of shape I used some iron on seamtape 

I think you will agree that this very simple top will be a very useful addition to my wardrobe 

Just a touch of embellishment helps lift it from the ordinary to something special

The fabric is soft, light but has plenty of body. It lends itself to lots of different garments

Thank you Minerva.com for gifting the fabric. And thank you to Jaycotts.co.uk for sorting out this fabulous machine for me

Angela

Sewangelicthreads 

#coverstitchmachines 

#stretchfabric

#top

#SewingBlogger