Tag Archives: Carolyn & Cassie Pattern Co

the Pinjarra twinset

At last!  Cassie and I are thrilled to release our latest pattern in the Carolyn & Cassie Pattern Co oeuvre… please welcome the Pinjarra twinset!

 

A twinset?  What on earth…?! you may be thinking/asking!  Well, the Pinjarra twinset is specifically, a cardigan with a long necktie/collarline, and a long sleeved T-shirt/tee/skivvy with two collar options, one a higher loose turtleneck and the other a more scooped neckline with a skinny band to finish.  A little wardrobe concept that once upon a time was called a twinset!  This particular set of designs is a pattern I’ve used for myself over and over and over again and wear it very frequently; so I can confidently attest to its usefulness and versatility as a really good basic.

And as a special introductory offer we are offering the new pdf pattern with a 20% discount for the first week of its debut; that is until Monday 7th August!  It is currently available in our Carolyn and Cassie Pattern Co Etsy store, here.

Although I have quite a few already I made a new Pinjarra cardigan to celebrate the pattern being finished and ready to release… I bought this very beautiful pink double merino jersey from the Fabric Store in Melbourne when we went there for Harry Potter.  It’s so beautiful!  Incidentally I’m wearing a new skirt with it too; this is once of my favourite patterns the Paprika Patterns Jade mini skirt.  I’ve made this stacks of times too.  This is a cotton jersey from Le Stash, of course…  🙂  The ivory tee underneath is another early Pinjarra, made a couple of years ago.

This turtleneck neckline is one I have been making the longest and I absolutely love it for winter.

I made a set for Mum too!  using a black cotton jersey and some of the blue/grey cotton jersey for the neck tie… I think the contrasting necktie is very chic!  A variation that gives it a slightly different look, even a little more formal looking, perhaps?

Cassie made a striped Pinjarra cardigan, with shorter sleeves, thanks to not quite enough fabric!  This looks so cool, in my opinion!  She is wearing it with the grey maternity skirt I made for her recently, using Burda 7023…

And here she is wearing my yellow Pinjarra cardigan, the pink Pinjarra tee I made for her last year, and the navy blue Burda 7023 maternity skirt that I made recently too.  How lovely is this combination for work?  I think she looks elegant and professional  🙂

The following is a little history of the Pinjarra evolution, which may or may not be interesting at all.  But this is my blog which I think has all this documented over the years anyway, so why not summarise?

As I’ve long documented here; my original go-to T-shirt pattern was a Burda pattern that didn’t fit so I fine-tuned it to better fit me (blogged about here).  Then I switched to the Closet Core Nettie pattern, that was pretty good but I eventually started improving the fit of that one too, until it ended up completely different from the pattern, with absolutely zero of the original seamlines left.  At some point I rediscovered my modified Burda pattern and overlaid it with my modified Nettie and it was pretty interesting to me that my modifications were nearly identical!  Anyway, long and short was that I now started to think of and use this as my personal custom fit T-shirt block and it became my basis for all stretch fit bodices.

the earliest iteration of the cardigan design, 2015

My first cardigan prototype appeared back here in 2015, although that one is of course quite different from this final, far more polished design.  Every time I’ve made it I’ve twiddled with the design and I now feel like it’s a really nice robust cardigan with a good construction procedure.

I got the idea to make the two of them a twinset pattern back when I made the above marigold yellow, matching two piece set, blogged here.  The tee’s final neckline is a little lower that this one as I thought this one a little high.  Yes; I have thought long and hard about these little things!  At this point I started working on the two necklines, grading the pattern, and writing instructions.  And Cassie of course did her essential digital part.  Et voila!  the Pinjarra twinset is now here!

The name?  Well, “twinset” has always sort of suggested to me, rightly or wrongly, the kind of thing a grandmother would have worn regularly once upon a time; since actually both of my own grandmothers did. And Cassie’s grandmother lives in Pinjarra.  So it felt like a good fit.  And having a pattern named Pinjarra seems fair since my mother, Cassie’s other grandmother, lives in Bridgetown and we’ve already used the name Bridgetown in our Fridgetown handwarmers pattern.

But I honestly think the Pinjarra is a pretty cool design and not particularly grandmother-ly one way or the other either.  More like a really a good basic that absolutely anyone could wear!

another early iteration of the cardigan….

The pattern is currently available in our etsy  shop, here.  Remember that 20% discount for the next week!  We hope you enjoy making and wearing either or all parts of the Pinjarra twinset as much as we have!

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white top… ghost horses jumper… patchwork underthingies

Perth dress/blouse

Hello!  I have been so remiss in not posting this top, made months ago now… I wanted a new white shirt and if you’re feeling like a quick and easy shirt project then what better pattern to get out other than my own Perth pattern?!  #shamelessplug

The back pleat goes “out”; I really prefer pleats to go “in, the fact that this one does not was not intentional but a boo boo.  It’s, ok, I can live with it!  I used some white linen/cotton from my stash; leftover from my Charlie caftan that I made *checks blog stats* goodness me, about six years ago now!  And obviously made a few minor mods.

The length is about halfway between the top and the skirt cutting lines, and I lengthened the sleeves as much as I could to about three quarter length.  I really love this sleeve length on a shirt! and for visual interest I added buttoned cuffs.  I also added a little pointy-bottomed breast pocket, for almost the sole purpose of sporting a “circa 2023” label.

I also made the little black flecked white skirt.

Item 2; this (to my mind) absolutely beautiful jumper is also something I finished months ago, and have only just got around to wearing and photographing it for my blog here.

The pattern is Ghost Horses by Boyland knit works… I bought it through her blog site here but you can also get it through Ravelry…

The yarns are:

dark blue: Rowan felted tweed, col 170 Seafarer

variegated pink: Manos del Uruguay silk blend, col SB3317 Kilim

plain pink: Manos del Uruguay silk blend, col SB3236 Clafoutis

Le inside/backside

I bought the yarn from Morris and Sons in Melbourne, during our Harry Potter excursion over there, last March.  Actually, March 2022, hehe; so embarrassed to admit that.  I actually started knitting it straight away and got it to final ribbing stage within a few months.  Then took like forever to decide on the finishing bands.  I didn’t really like the slightly tight look of the finishing bands on the pattern envelope sample and tried multiple variations ie various k/P ribbing combos, stocking stitch, double yarn etc before finally settling on … well, these ones.  Mine is same needle size as body, single yarn, 2K 2P rib, very loosely finished.

And at least it finally is finished!

yea haw!  btw, I made my shirt, skirt and tights too…

Item 3:

I made a new underwear set… all from scraps and leftovers!  this kind of project is super fun for me, mostly because it is so crazy and silly.

The pattern is my favourite, the Cloth Habit Watson, and the fabric is all from projects in my previous post; the T-shirt for Arthur, itself an old T-shirt of Tim’s; and the red and navy stripe from the skirt I made for Cassie.  I had only small pieces, so it was fun to cut and join bits together to get enough for my set!  I know I know, silly and crazy.  But fun!

  

I’m belatedly a little annoyed that the white-fronted knickers are asymmetrically pieced so it looks a little lopsided, but at the time I was just happy to have enough to even cut a front! so I guess I can’t complain…

 

The strap elastic was also salvaged from an old, also me-made bra, the straps though were still in really good nick …  the knicker elastic I had in the stash already too.  In the last couple of years since we moved and I vowed to use entirely from the stash, I’m constantly amazed at HOW MUCH is in there…!

So that’s all for now.. until next time!

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dressing like a tomato

Hello!

So, I’ve alluded to this ongoing project previously; the mission to “use up a rather large length of tomato-red jersey”  I am pleased and just a little lot relieved to report a successful completion of the mission, ahem…

I originally bought this “remnant” from a Morrison seconds sale… it was very cheap… when I had the chance to check it out properly I realised it was at least 6m in length, possibly more if I’m honest.  Phew!  Just a few weeks ago I dedicated myself to remove this from Le Stash.

Item 1; a dress for Cassie… this is the Ebony pattern by Closet Core patterns.  I don’t have any pictures of her wearing it, but it skims her knees and the sleeves are elbow length.  This will be a great little dress for winter for her; worn with tights and boots, over a turtleneck, and with her denim jacket, it looks super cute!

Item 2; a little T-shirt for Theo (previously posted)

yes, he looks cute

Items 3,4 and 5; a little T-shirt for Arthur, plus the sleeves for two more (previously posted)

here he is on Mothers Day.  Cassie is wearing this dress I made last year, and Tim is wearing a hoodie I made for him yeeeeears ago.  I’m thrilled he still loves it so much!  Also, yes, the dress is still mine but I’ve lent it to Cassie for a little while because she wanted some more work-appropriate dresses and I don’t have the time to make new ones for her just yet!

 

Item 6;

a cardigan for myself… I’m in the midst of planning to make a pattern for this design this year.  I’ve made multiples for myself and it’s such a useful little thing to have!

wearing it during me-made May

Item 7:

a little top for myself.  This is our most recent pattern the Booragoon top, available in our etsy store here  #shamelessplug

Item 8;

a little winter skirt for myself.  This is the Paprika patterns Jade pattern; one I make up usually once a year.  Well, I really like it!  Again, pictured during me-made May…


there’s even a failed Item 9!  I cut out a skirt for Cassie too, but as I was pinning it together for its first seam I noticed a fault, a few holes right across a line of the grain.  By this time I was well and truly over the tomato fabric so it was with some joy that it got tossed into the bin.  No regrets!

So wow, yes that’s still a lot of tomato!!

I may or may not wear all three of my own tomato items together like this; on the one hand I really love this colour.  On the other hand…. well actually there is no other hand really.  I love the colour, so I most like will!  btw, not pictured; but the three items I made for myself each has a “circa 2023” label on it.

Now; to be honest, there is a problem with all of these new makes, well more accurately there is a problem with the fabric… I realised that it was cheap and plentiful for a reason.  The fabric is super stretchy, as in it’s stretching out quite fast and it’s clearly not going to last very long.   Like, probably not longer than this year.  Beware a bargain!  You can see in my miniskirt how the folds do not look super stable and a little stretched out already.  Oh well, just gong to enjoy it while I can  🙂

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featuring a top and a skirt and some other miscellaneous wearable things

I’ve made a new little top and skirt, as well as a few other odds and sods …  so here’s the thing.

I bought a batch of 20x “circa 2022” labels at the beginning of the year, used these up in 6 months, and so bought a second batch of 20.  These are neeeeeeearly finished! and now I’m basically on a mission to use them all by the end of the year.  I have four or five to go… let’s see if I can make it! aieeee, it’s going to be tight!

First up! a little brown top…

this is our own Booragoon top pattern…  and like Cassie with the ones I’ve made for her, I’ve found it to be such a wonderfully comfortable and useful little top to make and wear.  I used the leftovers from this little tee I made for myself at the beginning of the year; scrummy merino from The Fabric Store, in colour Nutmeg, bought last year.

I’m wearing it above with my BamBam Pietra shorts, first blogged here.  The fabric is cotton drill from Spotlight, the shorts are made using Closet Core Pietra pattern, adapted to have no elastic waistband and a centre back zip.

next up! I made a little white skirt…

Yes, it’s kinda of mini-length, thus the tights and boots.  I think it will be a winter skirt!  This is another of my own patterns that I’m hoping to release next year some time.  The fabric is again cotton drill from Spotlight, obviously the same fabric as my BamBam shorts just in the white colour way.   Yes, I really liked it!  It also came in a dark green colour way but I figured I had bought enough already…

The skirt is fully lined and closes with a button and a hook and eye over one of the side pockets.

Here are some other little basics I’ve made recently too, to which I did not attach any labels.  Necessary things, but not really label-worthy things, unfortunately!

A simple double-layered neck warmer using the very last Nutmeg merino as my top, above.

I’ve also made a five more pairs of little sockettes, using the now sadly unobtainable syttochprytt ballerina sock pattern, adjusted as outlined here.

All the fabrics are either leftovers from other things or old T-shirts that I’ve kept for this very purpose.

A brief update: I’m going so well on my not buy any new fabric pledge!  I have to confess to feeling the desire for new fabric every now and then, but have quickly managed to overcome it.  Mostly by forcing myself to go to my stash and sort it out.  Always a great cure!  Anyway, I have plans, lots of lovely plans for the fabric I do have… aaah, so many plans, so little time!

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a suedette skirt

I made another Booragoon skirt for myself; partly so I could film it and make a kinda helpful – I hope! – youtube video to illustrate some of the more difficult parts of the construction process.  I appreciate this is an advanced pattern with some tricky aspects to getting a nice sharp and clean edge to the front panel, and the way the zip is inserted is quite unique, in my experience.  SO I hope this helps some!  I will be linking to this video in the instructions too…

As the video contains quite a lot of detail shots already, this post is another short and sweet one… you’re welcome!

Please note that this skirt is a cut little longer than the pattern; and I love the more midi length of it!  And it’s deliciously swirly!

I used a very deep chocolate brown suedette that is actually beautiful quality; Mum bought it for herself from the Fabric Store in Melbourne during one of our jaunts over there and upon cleaning out her stash has now passed it onto me.

I know, I’m so lucky, am I not?  I don’t know how long it’s going to take me to work through my augmented stash now, but am excited to find out.  Cassie, with a raised eyebrow opined that it’s (quote) extremely disciplined (unquote) of me to attempt to use up my entire stash before allowing myself to buy any more, but I’m determined to see it through.  I may have to allow myself to buy something for Sam and Lainey’s wedding, but I’ll see how I go.  I do have some nice fabric already … but mother-of-the-groom worthy?  Hmmm.

just saying… pocket

Well, that’s all for now!  Until next time!

 

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the Booragoon skirt and Booragoon top

 

phew… I’m beyond exhausted, but also absolutely thrilled to announce the release of our latest two patterns… the Booragoon skirt and the Booragoon top!

So; here’s the story -yes, there’s always a story.  That’s what a blog is for, right?!

For our niece’s 21st last year, for which I made this bumblebee cake; Cassie made a self-designed skirt for herself.  It was a seriously cool skirt and brought forth many oohs and aahs and the inability to keep oneself from checking it out.  Fortunately, not only did Cassie welcome the checking out part, but also excitedly declared on the spot that we should most definitely make it a pattern.  So the horses were out of the gate and we were off!  Of course, it did not proceed as swiftly as hoped; not only did work get in the way like a great big ol’ nuisance (not like it pays the bills or anything) but Cassie also returned to work after maternity leave was over, which slowed things down a little too.

And while Cassie’s skirt was beautifully made; she had done a massive amount of hand stitching to make the zip insertion and design lines work; which I knew would have be worked on before we could even think of releasing it.

See; the top tier of the skirt has a sharp edged, right-angle panel encircling the waist; very architectural in its genesis; that incorporates the waistband and a front panel.  The front panel folds down to hide a zip closure; and the waistband has an attached, very long and skinny tie to further pull it all together.  Sounds interesting?  It is!

It took a bit of experimentation and fiddling, but I eventually worked out the zip insertion; so you could do it all by machine.

The top is one I’ve made for Cassie many times before; and we both decided the top really complemented the skirt very well; so we decided to release the patterns as a set.  But of course you can always buy them separately as well.  Actually; while I would rate the little jersey top as an Advanced Beginner level of pattern, the skirt really veers into Intermediate-Advanced level, thanks to the difficulty in mastering those nice sharp angles..  I would never tell anyone not to give it a go, however,  Honestly; if I’d been scared off by Advanced ratings in my early sewing days I reckon I never would have got anywhere!  I’m a big believer that’s it’s a good thing to push yourself.  At the same time, the skill level thing is there for a reason!

We are offering a special, release day sale on the new patterns; the Booragoon Top, the Booragoon Skirt, and the Booragoon Top & Skirt are all 20 % off for the first 5 days, starting today.  You even get a little special, and permanent discount for buying the set of patterns, as opposed to separately.

All three options re listed for sale in our Etsy store; here.

Is this a good time to mention that the skirt has a pocket?  It’s just big enough for a phone and some small things, and it’s surprisingly unobtrusive.  I’ve got my phonon my pocket for all my photos and it can’t be seen at all!

My lovely daughter-in-law Lainey agreed to model for us again; and the set I made for her is an all-in-one colour set; so it gives more of a dress vibe: for this one; I bought cotton from Spotlight for the skirt, and the cotton jersey for the top was a lucky match from Mum’s stash.

This next set is one of my earlier attempts; it was not particularly well made because I was still working out the zip at this point; but I really liked the skirt-over-a-dress look of it so saved the idea for my “real” one, above!  Cream cotton jersey inherited from Mum’s stash, brown gabardine leftover from a long-gone pair of jeans/trousers I made for myself years ago.

And this set is playing with a dress-over-a-skirt look, just for fun.  Both fabrics inherited from Mum’s stash.

All these different looks are achieved simply by different combinations of self and contrasting fabrics, and I really love this kind of versatility in a pattern!

Working on this pattern also contributed substantially to my #use30 challenge, for which I am quite grateful too, hehe.  Thanks for that, Booragoon skirt and top!

Oh, the name?  Booragoon is a local suburb here in Perth, and the location for a very popular shopping mall, which was actually both mine and Cassie’s introduction to department store shopping, for me dating back to my childhood years.  Well, for Cassie too; but I mention for me in particular just to illustrate how long the mall has been there.  It is also where my Dad had his practise for many many years; so when we went shopping we were always popping in to visit him while he was there.  So “Booragoon” just has sentimental memories for us both; being a place “to shop” if you like.  And we thought the Booragoon skirt and top was that kind of outfit that you might put on in order to sally forth for a day of genteel shopping and maybe a cup of tea and piece of cake to fortify yourself during the ordeal.  Aaah, memories!

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regarding lingerie and shopping totes

I made some pretty new underwear… I bought this super cute Snugglepot and Cuddlepie cotton jersey from Spotlight at the very end of last year.  Such a beautiful print, yes?  Slice of my childhood, right there,  I just could not resist!

I am in need of padded underwired bras during winter, because I tend to favour merino T-shirts at this time… thus I made another one.  This brings my bra numbers back up to a respectable number so that I don’t have to hunt around looking for enough things to go into a wash every few days!  Honestly, when the kids leave home, that’s something you don’t take into account!

I used my old favourite, MakeBra DL 03 again.  Although I lately bought the Emerald Erin Black Beauty pattern and am aiming to run up a trial run of it sometime soon, when I get the time for that sort of thing again.  Right now, I only have the time for a tried and true.

The two set of matching knickers are once again the cloth habit Watson briefs.  Sorry to be so predictable!

The neon yellow picot elastic was also surprisingly from Spotlight; i say surprising because it’s pretty unusual for them to stock something so…. not-basic.  Ribbon, also from Spotlight.  The pale green strap elastic was from Homecraft Textiles, of course.  I would have LOVED to find neon yellow strap elastic too, but beggars cannot be choosers around these parts!

While I had the yellow raincoat leftovers from Theo’s raincoat (previous post) I also cut out a Claremont shopping tote for myself, thus using up the very last scraps, which felt awesome.  I’ve been needing a new shopping tote for quite a while, since my older one is pretty shabby now.  I did have to piece the bottom bit due to lack of fabric but that’s ok, I double flat-felled all seams for extra strength so I’m confident it will all hold up well.  I also didn’t have enough fabric for the facing, so just finished the edge with some mustard poplin from my stash, and the yellow zip is an inherited oldie from stash.

in situ in Coles, awaiting the grocery haul

mission accomplished… 

Hurray! I’m really ripping through the stash lately!  Feels so good!

obligatory pocket photos…

  

In my #use30 challenge update, the lingerie used 0.5m, and the bag also used about 0.5m… bringing my total up to 24m used, and just 6m to go.  I’m so stoked at that number, it feels truly reachable at last!

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a yellow Perth top and some teal clogs (shoes)

Hello!  I’ve made a couple more items for my #use12 mini capsule wardrobe that I proposed for myself at the beginning of the year, in fact the last two items! So I’m essentially finished!  Apart from a big mix-y/match-y dress up session that I’m planning… quite excited about that, actually! I’ve purposely held off up until now!

So the second to last item is a mustard-yellow Perth blouse… this pattern was our first offering from our own little Carolyn & Cassie Pattern Co.  My new blouse is actually kind of a blow-in, sort-of/not-really but yeah, sort of.  Let me explain.  See, I had a small piece of mustard yellow jersey in the original #use12 lineup, with which I thought I’d be able to make a simple little top.  However I just didn’t have enough of that fabric, no matter which way I looked at it.  So, if you remember I made a set of yellow underwear with the scrap instead.  Yes, it was a scrap, originally leftover from my yellow Jade skirt, which I’ve worn a tonne, btw.  Anyway, I used the scrap, yay! but I didn’t have my little top.  Fast forward to when I made myself a dress for my niece’s yellow themed 21st, and I actually had enough scraps leftover from that, that I thought I might be able to do a little top after all.  And I did!  I managed to cut out a Perth top, with shortened sleeves.  And I now have zero left of that yellow fabric too.  So; I kinda used up both the scraps, and got my yellow top for the capsule in the end too.  Clear as mud?  I thought so.  Never mind,  Just me rambling.

Not much else to say really!  I double topstitched all the seams throughout, which gives a sort of casual utilitarian look; and used a small, natural wooden button for closure.  I already had the yellow thread in my stash too, from when I made the dress!

The last item for my #use12 is my new pair of clogs!

I’m so so happy with these! although I have to confess that these were quite a departure from my original intentions too… see I’d originally proposed to use a piece of the precious fish leather that I’d bought in Iceland to make a pair of oxfords.  I still want to do that.  However, just at this stage I don’t think I’m quite ready enough for that project….  I had this bottle green leather in my stash though, that I’d bought in the Fabric Store in Melbourne during one of our girly trips over there.  I ordered a refill clog kit from leather needle thread, without leather, and bammo! bob’s your uncle.

Actually, I said I’m happy with these, and I am! but truth be told I think my leather was just a shade on the flimsy side? and the ankle strappy bit flops in when I’m not wearing them, whereas the ones I’ve made using leather supplied with the kit – obviously superior! – does not.  So I’m thinking of going in retrospectively and applying a lining to the straps to stiffen them up.  I think this will be quite easy actually, and I have some very thin pig leather that is supposed to be used to line shoes that I can use for the purpose.  I bought this from Skindhuset in Copenhagen during one of our trips there.

I might not though, because I’m not sure if my worries are just me being nit-picky… which is quite probable.  We’ll see ….

Anyway… next up! the capsule wardrobe in total!

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