I used to be a bit of a speed sewer. I loved a quick make and would churn things out like nobody’s business. The last few years though, I’ve managed to take things a bit more slowly. Don’t get me wrong, I love the feeling of a quick and satisfying sew. It’s the best! Sometimes it’s exactly what you need. I tend to be impatient and want everything to happen right now, especially if it’s something that I’m excited about. If you’re familiar with the Enneagram, I’m a type 7, the Enthusiast, which probably explains a lot. So, I don’t think I’ll ever become a couture sewist or spend months on a single project. It would be very challenging for me to stay focused and enthusiastic on one thing for that long. Even sewing a pair of jeans is a bit of stretch for me and I have no desire to sew a tailored coat.
CHECK OUT THE TASI ROBE PATTERN IN THE SHOP
UPDATE 2021: If you’re interested in learning how to use your fabric scraps to make improvisational quilts or garments like this, my e-course Improvisational Quilting for Garment Sewists is now live and available for purchase in the shop. This is a self paced and comprehensive course that teaches you everything you need to know to learn how to turn your fabric scraps into useful and unique improvisational quilts. You can learn more about it here.
But, I’ve managed to build a little bit of appreciation for the slow sew. I learned to love sewing French seams and recently, I got all into the Hong Kong finish when sewing my Tasi jacket. And those things take patience. The results look super beautiful but boy do they take three times as long to sew. Phew!
Back in the day, I would make almost one new thing a week. I would muslin, but they would be wearable muslins. Keepin’ that count high! (Plus, an excellent way to practice a pattern.) I definitely didn’t do all of the fit adjustments that I needed to do because I just couldn’t be bothered. And, trust me, there are still days where I just can’t bring myself to pull out the tracing paper and do them. Plus, after years of sewing, I now know just how many fit adjustments would benefit me and it is tedious.
When I can get into the flow of sewing, it doesn’t feel tedious. I can get swept into the process and just keep going for hours. For me, I can most easily get in the flow, when piecing scraps to make a quilt or bigger piece of fabric. There’s just something about the process of finding scraps that fit together, then stitching and repeating that puts me in the flow state. It’s repetitive in a soothing way with just a touch of problem solving to keep my brain engaged.
I’ve been using this method of piecing scraps for quilts for a number of years now but this is the first garment I applied the technique to. To make this robe, I gathered my largest, rectangular gray scraps and pieced them together using French seams. When I started, I seriously questioned how long I’d be able to stick with it but I quickly got into the flow and couldn’t stop.
After I assembled panels that were big enough for a garment, I cut them to make this robe. The pattern is essentially my new Tasi Robe/Jacket draft-it-yourself pattern, although it was made a year before the pattern officially existed.
These are scraps that I saved from all those sewing projects over the years. There are fabrics from tops and pants and skirts all stitched together to create something new. I love that this robe holds the memories from all those other garments too. By the way, there were enough scraps leftover to make a quilt. Yes! I do love my grey fabric.
Not only is this robe sewn with French seams, it also features a lot of hand finishing. For the Tasi pattern, I also recommend finishing the cuffs and front band with a slip stitch. It creates such a beautiful finish and is a lovely way to celebrate the making process and honor your fabric. If you’ve never sewn a slip stitch before, check out this video tutorial.
If you haven’t already, you can get your own copy of the Tasi Robe and Jacket right here. Earlier this week on the blog, I shared a post about how to add piping to create a classic robe look, including a free workbook for those who’ve purchased the pattern.
UPDATE 2021: If you are interested in learning more about quilting and using your scrap fabric in the process, then check out my new online class, Improvisational Quilting for Garment Sewists. This course will teach you how to use your fabric scraps to create fun, useful and beautiful improvisational quilts or garments, like this robe. Happy sewing!
