I’m very happy announce the upcoming wedding between me and the Renfrew Pattern. (I just wish my BF would propose so I had a real wedding announcement)
Pattern:
Fabric:
A sturdy grass green knit I had in my stash. I only had 1.4m and the pattern needed 2m but after (re-)arranging my pattern pieces 6 times I finally managed to find a lay-out that would allow me to cut all the pieces out of 1.4m of fabric. Yay for me!
Size and alterations:
I followed Lizzie‘s advice and picked my size based on the finished measurements. The size I should have picked had a bit to much ease, so I opted for a size 10. I didn’t alter anything apart from that. The size turned out to be perfect.
Level and special skills:
This is my favorite kind of pattern. No zippers, no buttons, no pleats, no darts, not even hemming! No special skills are needed and even if knit fabric scared me a bit before (I’m following the Sewing with Knits class on Craftsy), Harriet went through that knit like a knife through butter!
I only made one little mistake. I sewed my waistband on backwards. Oops, thank goodness it was serged on so I just cut the serged seam off and serged it again (right way around this time)
Time to complete:
About 2 hours (not including the time it took to trace the patterns) I think it will go faster next time as I’ll know what to do and I won’t sew my waistband on backwards again.
Will I make it again:
Well, that’s a stupid question if I’m planning to marry it! I love absolutely everything about this pattern! From the clear explanation to the cut, to the style, to the arm- and waistband that keep it from needing a hem! (I hate doing hems in knits)
What do you think of the appliqué I added. Something to break down the solid a bit.
Overall conclusion:
There is one thing I do have to say about this pattern. I freaking hate that tissue paper. Imagine this. I needed to iron it because there were to0 many creases. Afterwards it was so statically charged that it even stuck to my heating. When I finally managed to peel it off and put it on my table it shocked me so hard the charge went into my iPod and my iPod shocked me IN MY EAR! That HURT. A LOT. I still hurts when I think of it!
Love.Teach.Sew 
oh my god the static! I would NEVER have imagined that! Very lovely Renfrew 🙂
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LOL! I have been getting shocked ALL winter! Never in the ear though… 🙂 Sometimes I will turn on my steamer and just let it run for awhile so my sewing room won’t be so dry. Also, very cute Renfrew – great idea with the applique!
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I have these water bowls hanging down my radiator and the water is supposed to vaporise but it’s so cold in my apartment that it doesn’t work. But I might try the iron trick 🙂
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Ha ha! Maybe you’ve now got some super power transmitted into you… What will your super power be?! Well done on the Renfrew, it looks great and the colour is fab!
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I hope my super power could be something like ‘blink and no more household chores’. Which leaves a lot more free time for sewing 🙂
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That is my absolute favorite clothing color – grass green! I actually just bought some yarn in that color to have a friend make me another beret (I don’t knit). I love your little applique!
Try getting some Static Guard spray or using a dryer sheet to help reduce some of that static. Ouch! I’ve shocked myself pretty good too – not in the ear but it’s weird how it will travel to other parts of your body!
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I don’t think they sell something like Static Guard spray over here and I hzd to look up what dryer sheets were 🙂 Now that I know, I think they can be found around here. But how do I use them. Should I put them in between the iron and the pattern?
I love the colour as well, I have the same colour in a cotton as well, so I might use that to make an Alma blouse or something 🙂
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Here’s a link to Static Guard on the U.S. amazon site – maybe they have it on your country’s amazon?
You can just rub a dryer sheet over the surface of whatever is staticy to kill static. I would try rubbing the surface of your ironing board and the pattern itself. They are also good to carry in your purse if you are wearing something that tends to get clingy (like a skirt as you walk). And if you don’t like the scents that are common, they come in unscented.
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I’ll see if I can find something similar on the UK site. My country doesn’t have one 🙂 And you just spray the stuff over your pattern.
I have these cleaning sheets that might work. They attracked dust and stuff. It just gets sucked onto the sheet 🙂
Thanks for all the help btw!
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Mooi geworden! Renfrew en ik zijn helaas nooit echt vriendjes geworden, ik ben blij dat ‘ie nu een betere partner heeft gevonden 😉 De kleur is super, staat je heel mooi!
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Patronen passen nu eenmaal niet bij iedereen 🙂 Gelukkig maar of we zouden er allemaal hetzelfde bijlopen en dan is het leuke van zelf kleren maken een beetje weg 😉 Ik kom vast ook nog wel een patroon tegen waar iedereen kei-enthousiast over is en ik helemaal niets aan vind 🙂
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I match the seam on the bottom band with one of the sideseams of the the main top pieces so it isn’t in the front or the back. Am I doing it wrong?
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I had been thinking about that as well 🙂 I don’t think it’s wrong but that didn’t correspond with my notches.
I like things to be symmetrical, so I would probably have added a seam on the other side as well 🙂 And that looked like to much work as I wanted it finished 😉
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Maybe that is why my notches never lined up! I would rather have just one seam and have it on the side than have one random seam in the back, but not having two seams did kind of baffle me a bit.
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I made sure my seam was centered at the back and it does match with the backseam on the cowl.
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That is true, there is a seam on the cowl. My hair covers that, so I didn’t even think about that one! Maybe I’ll try putting the seam in the back on my next one. See how I like it…
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Lots of store bought clothes have just one seam on these types of bands and it is usually lined up with the side-seam simply because it is faster & easier when mass producing. Most people will never notice or think about where you have it on your shirt either way. My rule of thumb is as long as you line it up with something (either another seam or centered) it will look intentional to the few who see it. =)
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As long as it’s not in the front 🙂
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I’m so pleased the finished measurements trick worked! The Renfrew looks lovely on you 🙂
I made the size 0 and managed the squeeze the cowl version & the t-shirt out of 2m of fabric. I find the Sewaholic fabric requirements for the tops are very generous. I think I got my Alma’s out 1m or so each.
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They are generous indeed, but I find this in most patterns. I can usually fold my fabric so that I have two foldlines (I line up both selvages on the original fold line) and that usually does the trick of using less fabric.
I was lucky that this was a sturdy knit that stretched the same amount horizontally and vertically as I had to cut the waistband in the other direction. But it worked, you can’t see the difference and it’s just as stretchy as the rest.
I’m very happy with the result and I’m very tempted to go back to the store where I got this knit and buy all the other colours as well 🙂 Good quality and quite cheap! Perfect combo!
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Gorgeous! Everybody is in love with the Renfrew pattern and yours looks terrific. I’m going to have to get my hands on a pattern.
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Love this top. No hemming!!! Where do I sign?!? Wish I could get through my projects and quick as you! X
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They’re all very small projects though. My Moss skirt pattern pieces have been pinned to my fabric for 3 weeks now. Sounds like something I could do tomorrow 🙂
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I LOVE the Renfrew 🙂 I have a whole pile of fabric just for that pattern! Lol.
Also, I just wanted to let you know that I nominated you for the Liebster Award! You can read more about it on my latest post. I just really like your blog and think it deserves some more attention! YAY! Can’t wait to see your next renfrew 🙂
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