As the majority of my communication is through words on the internet, the pronounciation of words gets lost. Even the way we write sounds different than when we talk. (I make an effort to read what I’m writing out loud in my head, and change the wording so that it sounds more like the way I talk. It’s easy to edit and re-edit our writing so it looks fancier but in reality, we’d never talk that way.) So perhaps my writing sounds simpler and less formal but it’s more like I am speaking through my written words, if that makes sense!

I saw on Andrea’s blog that she wondered how to say Minoru and it was a lightbulb moment, of course people aren’t sure how to say these words that are so familiar to me! I grew up going to Minoru Pool, ice-skating at Minoru Arena, going to track meets at the Minoru track. But you didn’t!

So here’s a quick run-down of the pattern names, how to say them, and a photo visual of the area they’re named for!

Pendrell – PEN-drell.

The Pendrell Blouse is named for Pendrell Street in Vancouver’s West End. Here’s what I picture: beautiful older apartment buildings, tree-lined streets, people walking to see the fireworks in the summertime. It’s where my sister lived when I was starting my pattern line, so the name was in my mind frequently.

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Crescent – this one is easy, just like the word Crescent.

The Crescent Skirt is named for Crescent Beach in White Rock, I played on this beach when I was little. There’s a big fish & chips place that you can walk through in your sandy feet which is what I remember, that and washing your feet off in the little water spout outside the building. It looks just the same as when I was a kid.

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I moved back to the White Rock area in my mid-twenties and I’d go for long runs down to the beaches and along the water. We get older, but the landscape stays the same.

Lonsdale – LONS-dale.

The Lonsdale Dress is named after Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, that’s what the big ‘Q’ in the photo stands for. To get there you have to take a little boat called the SeaBus. (You can actually drive there I learned later, but when I was a kid we’d take the SeaBus so I thought that was the only way to get there.)

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On the seabus we would look for the ‘Q’ and point it out to my dad. The Q rotates, so he’d look at it a minute later and say, ‘It’s an I!’ and we’d wait for it to turn around and shout, ‘No Dad, it’s a Q, look now!’ and he’d wait and look at it again when it was sideways again and say ‘Ah yes, the I!’ This probably went on for the whole ride until we finally got to the Q. The Q building is a market and I don’t actually remember what happens inside the Q. I suppose it was more about the trip than the actual arrival, since that’s the part I remember!

That boat in the picture is not the SeaBus, this is:

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A perfect place for a pretty sundress, don’t you think?

Minoru – MINN-oh-rue.

The Minoru Jacket is named after Minoru Park in Richmond, BC, which is where I grew up. Minoru Park had all the good things: a skating rink, a track and field area, a pool, a park with a waterfall, the library, even a little white chapel. Oh and an actual theatre, not a movie theatre! I went to track meets at Minoru Arena, I took musical theatre classes at the theatre in my early teens, I went on dates at the movie theatre nearby and if they went well, the night might end with a walk through Minoru Park.

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Isn’t that pretty? Doesn’t it make sense to be wearing a practical jacket like the Minoru when you walk around the park, that’s also fitted and feminine in case you’re on a date?

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Renfrew – REN-froo.

The Renfrew Top is named for Renfrew Street. At the corner of Renfrew and Hastings is Playland (an amusement park) and in the summer, the PNE (Pacific National Exhibition). The PNE has all kinds of neat stuff – the demolition derby (my favourite!), the lumberjack show where they roll logs, concerts, dogs jumping through hoops, cotton candy, mini-donuts. The last time I was there I was 16 so it might have changed since then, but it’s a very popular summer attraction. Late summer I think, near the end of August. Go if you’re in the Vancouver area!

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That’s a pretty cool-looking photo! Totally the right place for a tee shirt like the Renfrew.

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Random fact, when you search for images of ‘Renfrew’ in Vancouver you get a ton of Victoria Beckham, apparently she made an appearance at a store called Holt Renfrew downtown.

Cambie – CAM-bee.

The Cambie Dress is named for Cambie Street in Vancouver. Cambie stretches the length of Vancouver going north to south, and goes even farther north into downtown.

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And out of downtown, Cambie Street touches Queen Elizabeth Park. It’s a popular park to have weddings in, in fact the last wedding I attended was at QE Park! There’s these metal statues there that people are constantly taking photos with. But what’s neat is that you can see right downtown from the park, because it’s high up.

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Doesn’t that look painted? It’s real! I am actually at Queen Elizabeth Park in this old photo here, not far from the metal people statues.

There’s also a Cambie Street Bridge. And whether you’re downtown on Cambie or at Queen Elizabeth Park on Cambie, a dress is always a great choice.

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Thurlow – THUR-low.

The Thurlow Trousers are named after Thurlow Street in downtown Vancouver. Thurlow was a name that stuck with me and I always knew it should be a trouser pattern. Thurlow Trousers has such a nice ring to it! I tried to find a nice photo of Thurlow Street for you but I was flooded with photos of condos for sale. Very expensive condos, too.

Here is one. Guess how much it costs to live here? You’ll fall off your chair, I nearly did and I should know how expensive it is to live in Vancouver.

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For only eight million dollars, that could be your view. “Only a privileged few will own this last waterfront masterpiece” says the sales page. Think of that when you’re wearing your Thurlow trousers!

Alma – ALL-ma or AL-ma.

The Alma Blouse is named after Alma Street in Vancouver. It’s out by the University of British Columbia and it’s where Caroline was living when we started working together, so I kept seeing the street sign for Alma and thought it would be a pretty name for a pattern. It’s also a girl’s name, Alma, so it made sense for a feminine, pretty blouse.

Not a lot of interesting photos available for Alma Street so here’s proof it exists:

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And here is a neat picture of UBC – the University of British Columbia. UBC takes up that whole section of the land there. There’s a bit of greenery on the right side that separates it from the rest of Vancouver. That’s the Pacific Ocean surrounding it so this is the west tip of Canada, more or less! I know that sounds overly simplified but it helps to explain where everything is. In relation to a map of Canada, this is the bottom left corner.

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The northernmost piece of land in the top left corner is North Vancouver, where the ‘Q’ at Lonsdale is. That’s lumber floating in the water on the right side, just waiting to be needed I suppose. Just south of those logs is the Vancouver Airport which is actually in Richmond, and just south of the airport in Richmond is Minoru Park. It’s all connected!

Cordova – cor-DO-va.

The Cordova Jacket is named for Cordova Street in downtown Vancouver. Cordova Street is where historic Gastown is located, home to restaurants and bars, lofts, nightclubs, shops, and the popular tourist destination, the steam clock.

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 There’s the steam clock!

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There is some typical Vancouver weather for you too, lots of rain! Doesn’t seem to bother these guys though, they’re anxiously awaiting the clock to go off.

One more Cordova St photo because it’s so pretty:

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Hollyburn – Holly-burn, just like the two words put together.

The Hollyburn Skirt is named after the Hollyburn area of North Vancouver, which is rather close to Lonsdale. And the Hollyburn skirt is based on the fit of the Lonsdale Dress. See what I did there?

The Hollyburn area is quite fancy, home to country clubs and golf clubs and pricey homes. Just check out this photo of the Hollyburn Country Club. That is one fancy workout room!

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And here’s the outside of the country club – gorgeous! Never been there of course, but it’s a popular choice for weddings.

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A classic flared skirt never goes out of style, and it made sense to me to tie that in to this beautiful, high-end area.

Robson – ROB-son.

The Robson Coat is named after Robson Street, downtown Vancouver’s most famous shopping street. I had this image of a woman striding down Robson in a glamorous trench coat and sunglasses, walking with purpose. Maybe she’s meeting someone for coffee and they’ll walk down the streets together. Just like I wanted Thurlow to be trousers, Robson had to be a coat in my mind.

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I was on a real downtown theme for the pattern names last year! There are so many good street names in Vancouver, I’ll never run out of name ideas.

Tofino – to-FEE-no.

The Tofino Pants are named after Tofino, a district on Vancouver Island that’s known for its beaches, surfing, whale watching, and beautiful resorts.

It’s so beautiful! I showed this photo in the Tofino announcement but why not show it again?

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Compared to the other names, this one is out of the Vancouver area. From Vancouver you take a two-hour ferry across the ocean, then drive across Vancouver Island for four hours or so. Vancouver Island is not actually part of Vancouver, it’s a completely separate and very large piece of land. Here, I’ll show you:

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That whole island to the left is Vancouver Island. Vancouver is that dot on the mainland. (And you can see how close the USA is from us. It’s about a two-hour drive to Seattle!)

There you go, a little tour around the Vancouver area! I wanted the names to mean something, rather than just picking random pretty-sounding words. It’s an insider secret if you live here and know where Pendrell Street is or if you live on Minoru Boulevard, and if not, then it’s a bunch of unique names that you may not have heard before. There are few sewing pattern designers in Canada and I wanted to show off our Canadian pride in a way, without being obvious about it.

Vancouverites, anything to add? Any stories to share about the places in this post? Anyone want to visit Vancouver now and check out all these beautiful places?

I hope you enjoyed seeing where the pattern names come from! This post was a lot of fun to put together.

PS. While we’re on the topic of how to pronounce words, my name is pronounced TAS-ee-ah. You’d never know that unless we spoke in real life!

PPS. And Caroline is Caro-line, not Caro-lynn. Now you know!

So what is the contrast fabric used for?

The contrast is for cutting the fabric tie belt, and for cutting the bias pieces to make the fabric-covered piping.

You can see in the photo above we’ve used turquoise fabric for the contrast (a lightweight cotton) and tan snowflake fabric for the main fabric (a cotton flannel.) Both fabrics are from Fabricana in Richmond BC, if you wanted to know!

So what does that mean? If you are skipping the piping and the fabric belt, you don’t need to buy any contrast fabric.

In this sample, there is no contrast fabric used at all. We’ve skipped the piping, and used a ribbon in the waistline along with the elastic. (The fabric is also a cotton flannel from Fabricana, with a cream satin ribbon at the waistline.)

Also, if you are replacing the piping with purchased piping or trim, and skipping the tie belt, you don’t need to buy contrast fabric either.

If you are replacing the piping with purchased piping or trim, but still want to sew the tie belt, you’ll need to buy contrast fabric but not the whole amount. (You’ll only need just over a yard, as opposed to the 1 3/4 yards required in the pattern. A yard and a quarter should cover it.)

Can you skip the ribbon and elastic altogether? Of course you can! Personally, I like to have the option to pull the waistline in tighter, and I like the extra detail of having a fabric tie or ribbon at the waistline. But you can skip the detail and just have elastic at the waist. You’ll want to skip the buttonholes on the waistband piece as they’re only there to thread the ribbon through.

Do you have any other questions about the Tofino Pants? Let me know and I’ll get them answered for you!

ps. Want to get your own copy of the Tofino Pattern? Click here to visit the store!

pps. Want to join the Pyjama Party at Didyoumakethat? Details here!

To get you even more pumped about sewing pyjama pants, Karen from Didyoumakethat is hosting a Pyjama Party! Karen’s blog is always a good read, she has a wonderful sense of humor and her energy is inspiring. If you follow her, you may remember the last Pyjama Party she hosted. It’s going to be even more exciting the second time around!

So if you’re wanting to sew these pants along with the group, join the party! Karen’s posted an introductory post here, take a look! It’s a great opportunity to work on a project along with a group, especially if you’re needing a little boost of motivation to get started. Besides, when else do you get to participate in a virtual pyjama party with a ton of cool women around the world?

Thank you, Karen, for putting this together. Happy sewing, everyone!

I’ve been dreaming of making comfortable yet pretty lounge pants to wear around the house, and they’re finally here!

(this is my favourite photo of all time! it looks so fresh)

Modern, medium-rise pants are cut loosely for comfort without being extremely saggy or oversized. Pants are cut slightly higher in the back, slightly lower in the front for a modern fit.

Piping elongates the leg, and adds an interesting contrast. You could add lace or other trim instead of piping, flat piping instead of corded piping. Both elastic and a fabric tie belt help to keep your pants up and the fit perfect around your waist.

If you prefer to lounge in shorts, you’re covered! The Tofino pattern includes shorts as well as long pants.

These shorts were originally intended to be short-shorts. Caroline sewed the samples, and I asked her to leave them knee length so I could figure out the best short length. Then I tried on the knee length versions and loved them! So cosy, and most importantly, not going to ride up like super-short shorts would. I had on knee socks and these knee length shorts and the Renfrew top and thought, now this is a comfy lounge outfit that’s still very cute! (And it’s still easy to shorten the pattern into short-shorts.)

Want a cosy outfit to sleep in? Wear the Tofino pants with a Renfrew Top! It’s easy to sew up the simple knit top for another loungewear outfit. That’s what the shorts and pants are modelled with and it was extremely comfortable to wear!

One thing to note, I have the pants tucked up by about four inches. I’m about 5 feet 4 inches and I have proportionally short legs compared to the rest of me. So if you’re tall, these pants should be plenty long enough for you! (But if not there are lengthen-and-shorten-here lines included.)

This pattern works well in lightweight cottons, rayons, or even knit fabrics. You could use a silk or silk-like fabric for a dressier set, cotton flannel for a cosy winter set. The key is to pick a fabric that feels soft enough to sleep in!

Where do the names come from? Tofino is a district on Vancouver Island that’s known for its beaches, surfing, whale watching, and beautiful resorts. I’ve never been there, but I certainly want to!

(source – it’s so beautiful!)

These pants are fairly straightforward to sew, perfect for a beginner ready to learn some new techniques. If you’re on the new side, skipping the piping will make these pants even easier to sew!

I hope you like the new pattern! Click here to visit the store and buy the Tofino Pants pattern. Thank you for your support!

This isn’t the most interesting thing (not like a love letter or something juicy!) but pinned in between the ‘lengthen and shorten here’ lines was a newspaper from 1964. So I imagine the original owner bought the pattern and sewed it up right away! And then it’s likely been stored since then, because the newspaper is pinned very unevenly and I can’t imagine a second person sewing it up without fixing it.

How cute are the illustrations?

And this ad, with a sketch of the building. I quite like the slogan in this ad “Real Quality is the Only True Economy” – still relevant today, I’d say! Choose quality over disposable cheap goods, and you’ll save money in the long run.

The rest of the ad:

A sofa for only $198! When you think about it, that’s not a whole lot different than a new sofa from IKEA. (Though that one in the link doesn’t look comfortable and barely qualifies as a sofa bed, so there’s that. I bet the 1964 one is a much better choice, solid wood instead of particle board.)

The most interesting old newspaper I ever found was when I renovated the bathroom of my old apartment. After taking out the sink, stuffed into the holes around the pipes was old newspaper from about 1985. The best part of the paper? The ad for a brand-new, 52 KB computer! Fifty-two kilobytes, that’s what, a one-page word document? Half an iTune? I have no idea. Want to know the price of a 52 KB computer? Only $3000! (And you could add a dot-matrix printer for only an additional $2000.) We’ve come a long way in the technology world. (I tried to find an example online and found this  funny ad: ‘What kind of man owns his own computer? Ha! It was closer to this kind of thing, prices starting at $2999.)

Interestingly, sewing patterns still remain the same, paper and tissue, the same as the last hundred years. We’ve invented PDF patterns but the printed pattern is relatively unchanged.

This is the pattern I found it in – Simplicity 4931. I haven’t done anything with it yet, but I wanted to look at the instructions and pattern pieces. (Do you do that too, when you get a new pattern? I enjoy reading the instructions to find out how it goes together before starting. With vintage patterns it’s an especially good idea to find out what shape the pieces are in and if they’re all there.)

Do you enjoy finding little snippets of the past like this when you least expect them? What’s the most interesting ‘bonus’ you’ve found in a vintage sewing pattern envelope?

Isn’t it gorgeous? Take a look at her blog post here to see more photos of the beautiful finished coat. She’s also detailed the process here and here so you can check at the construction process.

She’s shortened the coat, which is very easy to do if you feel like the original coat is a bit long, or if you’re on the petite side.

The fabric is amazing, and I really like the buckle on the belt just as much as tying a knot, if not a little more! It looks crisp and polished, perfect if you are using a dressier fabric, or just prefer a more tailored look. (If you do add a buckle, you could still tie the ends in a knot and have the best of both worlds.)

I love that so many people have taken this trench coat pattern, a garment that is usually seen in classic khaki or beige, and picked bright, exciting colours and elegant fabrics. It’s why I chose bright blue for my sample coat, I wanted to show how great a classic style can look in a surprising colour. You guys have taken it to a whole new level though, with lace overlays and covered buckles!

Want to see more versions of the Robson Coat? (Get the pattern here.)

• My original blue cotton-nylon Robson Trench Coat
• Three Robson Coats by pattern testers
• A Robson Coat with Underlining! (Melissa’s version)
• Sasha’s Robson Coat
• Molly’s Animal-Print Robson Trench Coat

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! I’ll be working but the weather is supposed to be sunny and beautiful, so my bike rides to and from the office will be enjoyable. (Any day I get to arrive at work without getting rained on is a good day in my books.) I’m working on a little sewing project that’s just for fun, so it isn’t all work, it’s a little bit of play too.

On that note, thanks for all the encouraging comments on my Behind the Scenes post about growing the business. It’s been an interesting ride ever since I started the company (only two short years ago!) and the challenges never stop. I’m constantly having to make decisions on what to do and how to solve issues that come up. Some I’ve handled well, some not as well, but I’ve learned from all of them. Anyways, what I am trying to say in a lot of extra words is thank you for reading here and being virtual cheerleaders of this little business!

(And also thanks for letting me know I don’t look alarming in red lipstick. I’ve been wearing this week and really enjoying it. It’s never too late to change up your look, if there’s something you’ve always wanted to try, give it a go!)

This beautiful dress was sewn and worn by Gemini for her wedding last year. Isn’t it striking? I love the bright purple colour, if you’re going to be non-traditional why not pick an amazing colour like purple?

Click here to see more photos on her blog and to read about how she decided on her wedding dress. I like this second photo, she looks so relaxed! That’s what a good dress can do for you. (Plus, imagine the practicality of having a wedding dress with pockets in it – brilliant!)

I’m so flattered that a pattern I designed was chosen to be part of her special day. I design patterns thinking that you guys might like them, I always design things that I would want to wear myself, but never in my wildest dreams did I think that people would choose my pattern for something as important as a wedding dress. The Cambie is more versatile than I ever dreamed it could be!

(I know there is at least one other wedding Cambie planned – hello Becky! You can see a bit of it here but the dress hasn’t had its final reveal yet.)

Thanks Gemini for letting me share your photos! Congratulations and best wishes for the start of your new married life!

Molly was a pattern tester for me again, and around the same time period she also sewed her wedding dress. (Check it out here!) Here’s her take on the Robson Coat:

(I always hesitate to call anything leopard print in case I get it wrong. So I switch to animal print to cover my bases.)

Molly’s animal print trench – she calls it a cheetah print, see I knew I was wrong – is so classic! You know they say animal print is a neutral in fashion magazines. It looks great with black pants and ballet flat as she’s styled it in these photos. Click here to read her notes and check out more photos!

It’s also underlined! I sometimes think that I don’t give enough time for pattern testing, but every round I am impressed with how quickly everyone finishes. To be able to add special details, like underlining or layering two fabrics together, is a whole new level of skill and challenge!

Want to see more versions of the Robson Coat? (Get the pattern here.)

• My original blue cotton-nylon Robson Trench Coat
• Three Robson Coats by pattern testers
• A Robson Coat with Underlining! (Melissa’s version)
• Sasha’s Robson Coat

Thanks, Molly, for being a pattern tester!

I quite like this blue colour, it’s not an in-your-face kind of blue at all and it would go with so many outfits! A great alternative to traditional khaki or black. Sasha, I can’t see your eyes but I imagine it would be an amazing colour on blue-eyed women!

My favourite part of her blog post is when she says it makes her feel like a spy! Check out her blog post here for project notes and more photos. Thanks, Sasha!

Want to see more versions of the Robson Coat? (Get the pattern here.)

• My original blue cotton-nylon Robson Trench Coat
• Three Robson Coats by pattern testers
• A Robson Coat with Underlining! (Melissa’s version)

Here’s the link to her blog post, detailing the construction and her tips for sewing this coat in thicker fabric. She was one of the pattern testers for this pattern, which means she was able to whip this coat up, underlining and all, in less than two weeks. Impressive!

Want to see more versions of the Robson Coat? (Get the pattern here.) Thank you Melissa and well done!

• My original blue cotton-nylon Robson Trench Coat
• Three Robson Coats by pattern testers

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!