The Seam Ripper: December 2010

I got this as an early Christmas present, a subscription to Ottobre magazine! Ottobre is a Finnish pattern magazine. In many other countries sewing patterns are sold with a collection either in a book or a magazine format rather than sold individually. This is why I love this magazine:

1. Design - I love the clothes! I love them. The magazine issues 4 children's magazines and two women's magazines each year. The patterns are drafted well, the details are fantastic, and they have a ton of boys patterns. The big four American pattern companies just don't offer patterns like these.

2. Cost - so a subscription to the magazine, all six issues for one year is 75$. A big chunk of that is shipping. But even with the shipping taken into account you are getting a great deal because each children's issue includes around 40 patterns and each women's issue includes around 20 patterns! And yes they do plus size, and babies! It ends up being way cheaper than buy the patterns individually.

3. The models (or lack of) - They use real kids and real women! When they are looking for models they look for cute personalities. As a result the photos are quite charming! Not only that but you get all different shapes and sizes. Sometimes I can't really picture how something might look on me if it's being worn by someone whose body type is so drastically different then myself or anybody I know. I also think it's a testament to the design if it's flattering on all shapes and sizes!

Keep in mind,

1. All the patterns are color coded and are printed on large pattern sheets right on top of each other. Trying to figure out which ones you should trace can be a little confusing.

2. The instructions aren't quite as in depth as they are with American patterns. I would suggest, if you are a beginner, starting with a simpler pattern.

3. Seam allowances not included. You have to add your own.

If you want to look at more issues go to http://www.ottobredesign.com/

To buy you own subscription go here. Shipping is included in the price and you can order back issues!

I saw their Pea Jacket for boys and knew I had to make it for my son for Christmas (most of the patterns in the magazine are not this complicated.)

Double Breasted!

Welt Pockets!

Lined!

Even a vent in the back!!

I love this coat!

So in anticipation of the upcoming Christmas season I made us all some new Christmas stockings. Let me just say that I made my husband and I Christmas stockings before I really knew how to sew. I didn't get seam allowances or the fact that you needed to add them to a pattern you've created yourself. While the stockings didn't look bad they were very narrow and made it hard to fit anything larger than a pair of sunglasses inside. Then out of laziness I used the same pattern with each of my kids. I think a part of me thought that if the stockings were small then Santa wouldn't have to fill them with as much stuff. So for the past 12 years or so Santa has been leaving the gifts for the stockings in neat piles on the floor next to the appropriate stocking. Yes I know, silly, as is most of what goes on in our house!

You can either start by drawing your own stocking shape or trace a stocking you like the shape of onto poster board. Then add a seam allowance to all the the edges. I made mine about 1/4 an inch.

Next cut the stocking shape out of the poster board.

To make the cuff, measure the top of your stocking pattern.

Take a piece of poster board and fold it in half. The fold will be the bottom edge of the cuff. On the fold measure and mark the same width as the top edge of the stocking. Decide how wide you want your cuff. Mine is about four inches. Draw a line the width you desire at a right angle to the fold at each of the markings you made made on the fold. Next draw a line with your ruler connecting the two lines that you drew making a rectangle. On the fold add 1/4 inch to each corner of the rectangle for ease. Draw a new line from that point to the top corner of the rectangle so that you have rectangular shape with a slightly larger base. Cut out.

Hopefully you were able to figure out my instructions and you ended up with something similar to this. This is how it looks unfolded.

You will need lining fabric and shell fabric. I just dug through my pile of scraps. Feel free to give old things new life. An old table cloth, an old dress, and an old sweater were used in the making of these Christmas stockings!!

Cut two of the stocking pattern out of the shell fabric and cut two out of the lining fabric. Cut two of your cuff pattern piece. A contrasting fabric looks lovely.

For the Embroidery:

Decide which way you want your stocking to hang when it is completed. The piece that would be laying on top will be the front of your stocking. Take that piece and set it aside. On a piece of paper I wrote the letter I wanted to monogram and then traced it onto the fabric with tracing paper and a tracing wheel. I wrote the letter I wanted to embroider over and over again until I liked the way it looked. You can also find a font you like on your computer and print it out and trace that. Or, if you're fortunate enough to have one you can use an embroidery machine to embroider the letters on! Unfortunately I no longer have access to one

(I miss you Amy!)

This is what it should look like once you've got it traced. Hopefully you can see it ok despite my point and shoot camera and my lack of photography expertise!

After I traced the letter I secured it with an embroidery hoop. I used a gold colored embroidery floss. I just liked the way it looked, and well, I already had some on hand. I'm big on using what I already have.

I just used a backstitch. You can find a great tutorial here.

Here is an idea of what you might end up with.

Now pin your stocking shell fabric right sides together. Do no pin across the top. Do the same for the lining.

Sew together.

Clip curves.

Turn shell right side out and Iron edges. Place lining inside of shell, wrong sides together.

Making the loop: Determine how wide you want the loop. Since you'll be folding it in half you'll want to double that amount and then add a seam allowance. Say I wanted the loop half an inch wide.

.5" + .5" + .25" (seam allowance) =1.25 inches wide or 11/4 inches. I think for the length I just made it 5 inches long and before I sewed it on to the stocking I trimmed it a little. Sew measure and mark a rectangle onto your fabric. In this case it would be 1 1/4 inches by five inches. Cut it out of fabric. Fold it in half right sides together and sew.

Turn it right side out using a bobkin or safety pin and Iron.

Fold fabric in half with the two raw adges together, forming a loop. Trim if loop is too big. Be sure to take into account the seam allowance. Baste raw edges together. Pin to inside of stocking, against the front lining with the raw basted together edge lined up with the top edge of the stocking. Be sure to pin the loop near or on the seam that runs along the heal. Sew in place.