Gather and Ease

Me made may day something!

I'm wearing my brand new Pattern Emporium Besties Tee out of cotton tencel knit from and it's the first time I've gotten to sew with a tencel knit... I just love the feel!

I'm wearing it with my Sew Over It Xanthe Skirt.

It was perfect for the more reasonable temperatures today.

I am keeping my eye out for more tencel knits! This is going to be a favourite.

My Sew Over It Lea Dress! This one is re-released today with the 18 to 30 size range.

Modifications: my usual back adjustments and straightening out the waistline seam on the bodice. Also raised the neckline 3.75"

Fabirc: a rayon challis like no other. It grew and grew and grew. It's not my first time using this kind of fabric but this particular one had a mind of its own. I made the size 22 but it fits very large in this fabric. I did make a bodice muslin out of some other Challis so I know that the pattern isn't off.

I'd love to try it in another better quality Challis. I was talking to and hoping this would be my witchy 90s dress to channel Buffy or Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but I think I need it to not grow so I can have a closer fit and shorter skirt.🧙‍♀️🧛‍♀️

The instructions and construction methods were wonderful! And I do hope to make my witchy dress soon.

I think this will be my last time sewing for a pattern brand until July because I am on the report card / end of school year hamster wheel now and this was a lovely last thing to sew for a company for a bit. 😊

New Blog Post! Read all about my super simple hack to turn the Love Notions Saltwhistle top and dress into this cute crop top to make a matching set.

I paired it with the new Caprice Skirt on sale now at Love Notions until midnight tonight.

All the links for my blog post and my Love Notions affiliate link are in my bio.

I did receive the skirt pattern and payment for testing the Caprice Pattern. I bought the Saltwhistle Top and Dress because I love it! I had no obligation to share these garments as partof testing.

I love Love Notions!

I love how all their patterns always include so many options and that their patterns are no-trim for print at home. So quick to put together!

They're great wardrobe staples whe being highly hackable! I have a hack to show you later 😉

I also love the extensive size range and how easy it is to reprint if you change sizes like me. I think that in the 7! Years I've been sewing their patterns I've been 5 different sizes! And a full bust option is usually included!

💖It's the first day of the Love Notions 40% off sale! 💖

Today, I'm wearing my Crescendo Jeans, my Forte top top a Metra Blazer.

My affiliate link is in my bio if you want to support me. I paid for all of these patterns as a customer and I just keep coming back to them. I was not a tester for them.

Better photos to come but its 6am!

We skipped spring right to summer today so I got to wear this Chrissy Set from Patterns for Pirates I made in the pretest round!
I believe the opening on the side of the shorts on the final pattern doesn't go up quite as high.
I was sad that I couldn't participate in the final test because of some other commitments, but I know I'll be sewing more of these!

I used scraps of DBP to make this and was so happy to get it out of very little fabric.

A little outfit of the day. 💃 I'm still alive and should emerge from a very busy professional time in the near future!

Today I'm wearing my , my cashmerette , and my because it was actually kind of spring today! 🌞

🧥 The Love Notions Metra Blazer is in ponte from .
👕The Cashmerette Conchord t-shirt fabric is from a now closed fabric store.
👗 And the Denim for the Sew Over It Xanthe Skirt is from .

Here are my finished Love Notions Crescendo Jeans! I ended up sewing the bootcut because I was using scrap jegging fabric and didn't have enough for flared but there is more denim coming!

I love how they turned out. The back of the leg especially fits well. I took a lot of time adjusting the pattern but all my work paid off. These are my best fitting pants to date! ❤

I'm working on a blog post about how I chose my size and adjusted the pattern so follow me to stay tuned!

I also made this Breckenridge Henley this week.

I did not test this Love Notions Pattern. I bought it because I love pull on Jeans!

I'm getting pretty excited about my Crescendo Jeans from Love Notions. I'm working on a muslin and I think all I want to change is adding 3/4" to the front rise and taking in the side seam a bit as pinned. Pants are inside out for pinning purposes! My new Breckenridge henley is helping me visualize how these look irl. 😆🤗

Have already made extensive adjustments to my pattern pieces because I am a lot of shapes that are unique to me. I added 3 inches to the front and back rise and shortened the legs quite a lot of the petite pattern pieces.

Had a blast making this bunny bonnet for my sweetiepie today out of some scraps from my stash!

This is a size medium Evergreen Bonnet from Twig and Tale. It came together like a dream.

I first learned about this pattern from a dear sewing friend who made and sent me a cat version for my daughter when she was born. It's so lovely to receive such a thoughtful gift and I know my daughter will love this one because
1. She likes hats,
2. She still tries to wear that tiny cat Evergreen Bonnet which barely sits on her head,
3. She loves playing dress up.

If she plays her cards right 😆, I'll make her some other ones because they are just so fun and can be made with scraps or repurposed garments.💖

Id love to try the Riverstone Bonnet, too!



Do you think bonnets are darling or too old fashioned?

In case you were emotionally invested in my zipper saga, I did rip it out and get it back in!

You can read about that and how I made the straight waistband on my Sew Over It Xanthe Skirt into a contour or curved waistband on my blog. Click the link in my bio. 💖
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The details:

I have been searching for just the right denim skirt pattern and when I was asked if I would sew the new Xanthe Pattern, I knew, this was it! I received a free copy in return for sewing up a version for release.

The show stopper on this skirt is the inset front pockets. Gorgeous and functional!

I love that the skirt is form fitting without being tight, even though I used a 10.5 oz upcycled denim from Blackbird Fabrics. I made a size 18 waist and size 20 hip down.

I modified the waistband piece to make it curved after sewing a muslin and having some gaping at the top of the waistband. I removed a total of 1.5" from the top edge of the waistband. On my next one, I'll do a sway back adjustment on the yoke.

If you're looking to learn some jeans techniques without the hassle of crotch fitting, this might just be the pattern for you!

A word of caution, dont put your zipper in if you have covid brain... I put mine in inside out 😱😆 through no fault of the pattern instructions.

Maybe this I why I'm such a slow blogger? 🐌😆

I'm working on a tutorial for making a straight waistband pattern piece into a curved or contour waistband piece. Sometimes it's just easier to get my ideas down on paper first. Tonight I'll type up this rough draft and work on photos for it.

I can't wait to share the garment that I made the curved waistband for later this week. It's a dream com true!

Finally pictures of my Cashmerette Rivermont! I used this ponte from Core Fabrics and it looks and feels beautiful. 🤩

I made a high round back and low round back adjustment. I shortened the skirt a few inches. This is a size 18 top wih the GH cup graded to a 20 at the waist a hips.

I unfortunately didn't have a chance to take a picture seated yet, but I'll do that next time I wear it if I can remember.

Have you sewn with Ponte? There are so many cute patterns out now and great colours and quality of ponte finally available in Canada.. If you haven't tried it in a while, you might want to give it another chance!

❓Let me know if you have questions or any pattern suggestions for me.

In honour of actually cleaning the mirror, here is my Love Notions Aria shirt in cotton poplin from a Blackbird Fabrics. I just love the simplified collar on this shirt. It only has bust darts. All these features make it a great first shirt experience if you're looking to jump in. Love Notions offers an entire course for sewing this shirt, too, to help you master the techniques. If you're experienced this is a fast sew for a shirt and lots of fun. I love the tower placket on the sleeve, especially.

Click on the link in my bio if you'd like to purchase the Aria shirt pattern with my affiliate link to help support me. ❤

Oversized white shirt outfit of the day ✅

This is my Ritual Shirt from Swim Style Patterns styled with my Onyx Pants from Closet Core.

The shirt is made in tumbled textured cotton from in a size 4x and the pants are size 18 in ponte from . Stay tuned this weekend for a post about fit adjustments you can do to these pants to get them to fit just right!

2 of my newer makes. ❤

The top is a Cashmerette Carlyle T-Shirt out of cotton jersey from . I made a size 18 bust graded out to a size 20 at the waist and hips. The top is a little long. I think I'll shorten it eventually. But I'm in love with those mitered corners. 🥰

The jeans are Cashmerette Ames Jeans in black stretch Denim from Core Fabrics from a few years back. They are size 18 waist and hips tapered to 14 at the ankle. I used the apple pelvis piece and the skinny leg.

I added 1" to the front rise. The legs fit really nicely which is a big win for me. I think on my next pair I want to raise the waistline 1.5" and make them in a midwash denim. I took pictures with the white shirt tucked in to show the details but I find them a little too low to tuck my shirt in. That's, ok, they'll still see plenty of wear! These are my best jeans so far! I will post more details on my blog soon. I'm finally starting to feel better.

I just loooove the fit of this Sew Over It Georgie Dress! That wrap is the most secure ever! Clear elastic is used in the neckline and I'll admit, it was a struggle to sew in for me this time, but it was well worth the effort!
I made a size 20 in the D cup range, with my usual adjustments and also took the sleeve in a bit at the wrists. I used dbp which is a lighter weight than recommended but I love the result!

This was meant to be my valentines date Dress but I was sick. I'll definitely wear it when we reschedule.

I received this pattern for free as a Pattern Insider in exchange for posting my make.

I finished one of each of the North American Leaf Blankets for my toddler... a project I started a while ago! Turns out, quilting is not my strong point but I learned a lot with this project!
It also turns out, not only my toddler likes these, but so does Gino, my cat! My mother has also expressed she would like some to use as placemats! Truly a lot of potential in this pattern and a fun change from garment sewing.
In the spirit of Twig and Tale, I used cotton and linen scraps from a lot of garment projects. I also used this project as a chance to finish up a bunch of spools of thread and bobbins in various colours. Low investment and low waste and getting small bits out of the sewing room and into action. All of these fabrics happen to come from .

I have been so sick 😷🤧. But I did slowly work on my Cashmerette Carlyle and have almost completed it! I am really happy with the corners I made on the square neckline. ❤

I'm hoping to post some of the pants I've made so far this February but we will see if I feel any better tomorrow to take pictures. 📷

I hope your sewing is going well!

Here are the photos of my in duck canvas from .

I loved the construction of these, especially the fly and the waistband. This pattern definitely upped my jeans sewing game.

You can read more about these Open Studio Shop Pants on my blog by clicking the link in my bio.

JEANS! They have tons of details and one of my favourites are the back pockets for sure.

Find out how to perfect sewing back pockets on your jeans in my new blog post by clicking the link in my bio.

If you're making pants this month, send me a picture and use the ! I'd love to see them and share them, from PJ pants to tailored trousers!

I'm hoping to post my Cashmerette Ames Jeans later this weekend the blog but no guarantees. 😆

I was going to sew this evening, but this little friend would like some extra love. I started back at work this week and I think he took it hard even though his grandparents came over to care for him, Rocco and the toddler.
I sat on the couch to do one thing and he really snuggled in. He's a teeny little super guy and deserves the attention. 🥰🐈 love you, Gino!

continues with a very cute (small) roundup of some pants fitting ressources. Next week I'll have another roundup of new ones I want to try.

Click on the link in my bio to get you bum 🍑 looking nice in your next me-made pants 👖 😉.

These Megan Nielsen Dawn Jeans were the first ever jeans that I made. I learned so many things; things to do and things NOT to do. 😆

Hint: the button fly was not for me!

But, I'm not as upset as I look, the sun is just in my face. I'm actually happy with what I've learned making these and 2 other pairs of jeans.

You can read all about what I learned in my newest blog post on www.gatherandease.com or by clicking the link in my bio.

Do you have any pants you want to sew? Tell me about your sewing dreams in the comments 👇

Don't forget to tag your pants makes all month with 👖 👖

Pattern:
Fabric and hardware:

All month I'm sharing everything I've learned about making pants and today's blog post is about what I learned from making from the Megan Nielsen Flint Pants and Dawn Jeans, as well as the Open Studio Shop Pants.

Find out what these makes had to teach me about non-stretch jeans sewing by clicking the link in my bio.

What pants project are you dreaming about making?
Let me know in the comments below. 👇
You always inspire me!💖

All month, I’ll be writing about my experiences sewing pants, sharing tips and showing off a few new ones, too! I’ve decided February is “For the Love of Pants” Month! Tag your pants makes using  so I can learn from you, too!

Okay, maybe I'm a few shy of a million but I have a lot to share! In fact, all moth I'll be posting about pants and I'd love to see yours, too!

You can read the new blog post by using the link in my bio, sending me a DM or going to www.gatherandease.com.

If you'd like to show me your pants, use the hashtag . I'll talk more about that tonight! ❤

I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with what to sew next. I go back to work in a week or so and I need some tops more than anything but I was getting distracted by all the things.
In my wardrobe overhaul adventure, I've been learning that stopping to take time to think and visualize has meant I am already starting to build a more wearable wardrobe.
Tonight, I cleaned up my sewing room and then drew all the ideas whirling around in my head. As I went, my ideas became more and more nebulous. I know that I should start with the things I drew first after the and that I already made.

I think tomorrow I will start working on some t-shirts and maybe the .

Here's a list of the garments I drew:

Closet Core:
- Onyx Pants
- Mitchell Trousers
- Marigold Sweater
- Marine Breton -Top

Cashmerette:
- Ames Jeans
- Carlyle T-Shirt
- Concord Tee Shirt
- Rivermont Dress

Just Patterns:
- Iman Skirt

Sew Over It:
- Ruby Skirt
- Giselle Dress
- Nicole Dress

Love Notions:
- Metra Blazer
- Classic Tee

As a pattern insider, I got to make the Margot Dress for release and here it is. 🥰

I made the size 20 in viscose crepe from Atelier Brunette.

I added 2" to the shorter version of the skirt. I did my usual high round back, low round back and sway back adjustments but ended up having to take up the waist seam quite a bit at center front and center back anyways.

If you're using a fabric that grows, like me, I would suggest leaving your skirt a bit longer to compensate for possible adjustments.

In fact, I think making a muslin for this style of dress makes a lot of sense because FULL of darts for gorgeous shaping. You have a lot of opportunity to get the fit just right!

I can't wait to make the loger version with the full sleeves for the springtime in a floral print.

I was given a free copy of the dress to sew up for release.

It's been a minute since I've made a post but I'm finally getting my sewjo back.

After many sewing failures and a lot of time spent figuring out what I want to make for ny wardrobe, I decided to make a muslin of the Sew Over It Miriam skirt.

This is such a quick and fun sew with lots of hacking possibilities. I love all good pencil skirt and this one is just right in te fit department. I would like to make a navy one for my spring capsule wardrobe.

This is a size 20, shortened 3 inches, and taken in 1 inch on each side seam. I use a cotton sateen from my deep dark stash.

This skirt can actually be a full dress and has a matching jacket. It's found in the Sew Over It Vintage Dreaming E-Book.

I was given a free copy of this pattern as a Pattern Insider for Sew Over It.

The sun has set and this is what deserves to be back in the closet. I have 22 items here.

To that, I have to add my outerwear: 1 winter coat, 1 pair of mittens, 1 pair of snow pants, 2 pairs of boots and 1 pair of running shoes. In total, that makes 28 pieces. I'm actually quite the minimalist when it comes to outerwear stuff.

Underwear, loungewear, Activewear and socks do not count in the 33 pieces I'm aiming for with the as log as you only wear them as intended. I am however going through those categories and getting rid of the yucky pieces.

Some reflections looking at this wardrobe:

-not enough colour or print. No wonder I feel blah about my clothes. Some of these colours are not even my favourite to wear.
-some pieces need to be replaced soon with similar or different items because they are quite worn out: jeans, light jean skirt, denim jacket, black and white cardigan.
-Also, the jeans are too short for winter, but sometimes I wear them and feel uncomfortable because I can't find anything better.
-it was not as difficult to pull things from rotation as I thought it might be.
- I have 2 jumper style dresses here, but no real dresses!? I'm a dress person and I want to wear dresses! Need dresses!
-Lots of denim here!
-there are only two Ready-to-wear store-bought items here: the jean jacket and the jeans so more of my wardrobe is me made than I thought!

-i think the hardest part will be deciding if I should refashion some of the clothes I don't want or donate them. Holding on feels like a burden but fabric is expensive and I can make clothes for my daughter out of them. This would be easier if I didn't sew. I have donated things in the past and regretted it.

I was so excited when, a few weeks ago, I was invited to be part of the tester team for Love Notions.  To top that off, the Encore skirt was in testing! When I say I love a holiday skirt, I mean it!  The only difficult part was choosing between all the views: pencil, a-line (pictured here), full and pleated. The pencil comes in above-knee length, while the other three views come in above the knee or midi lengths.  

I made the midi length in a poly brocade and I just love how it turned out. 

I also loved seeing all the different tester photos for this pattern because it managed to give off everything from serious vintage vibes to 90s nostalgia depending on the view and fabric used.  I was given a frew copy of this pattern for testing.

I wish I had time to write a blogbost about the huge part Love Notions has played in my sewing journey right now but I have a bit too much going on.  I hope to do that in the new year! Suffice it to say, I am honoured and super excited to be testing for them. ❤