Another dress copy and another A-Frame!

Hello chums! It's getting cold in London, and my part of the building is heating-less for the next three weeks, boo! What better warming activity could there be than sewing, and standing next to a hot iron!

So here is another attempt at copying my old jersey dress. My first go has been a useful item and has already had quite a bit of wear, but there were some corrections I wanted to make.

My pattern turned out a little looser in the bodice than the original dress, so I took in the front and back sides by about 5/8". It fits better now, but resulted in a much baggier neckline... I wonder if the neckline was baggy before, but this didn't show as the whole feel was looser? So this time once I'd sewn the bodice, I took about 1.5" out of the shoulders - it was a bit of a bodge fit, but hopefully I can apply that to the paper pattern and get a better fit next time. I also narrowed the skirt so it's less A line this time round, which I think suits it better.

Uh oh, that back hem looks a bit uneven now I'm seeing the pic... It's hard to see from these photos, but I also made the sleeve heads wider and used Tilly's tutorial for making a pleated sleeve cap, which looks sweet and has the added bonus of letting me avoid dreaded gathering - a job that's in an ongoing contest with hemming as my most dreaded step!

The fabric was a bit thin for this dress I think, it's a weird slightly denim-looking jersey from A-One Fabrics on Goldhawk Road. The buttons are nice fabric covered ones, a pressie from a friend. I have some leopard print buttons I'd been thinking of for this, but combined with the cheap fabric, the overall effect was naff, and not in the good-naff, Married to the Mob way I was after.

I'm almost really happy with this dress! It's a better fit and a worse fit than last time - the neckline still bags a bit, and the thinness of the fabric makes it feel less resilient than I'd like... Let's hope for THIRD TIME LUCKY on this guy.

Next up is another A-Frame skirt from Blueprints for Sewing. I made this version up in a really pretty cotton from The Cloth House - but, another lesson, I think this fabric is too thin for a slightly fitted skirt... It just feels fragile as a garment - and thinking about it as I type, perhaps the answer would've been to line it - especially as it grabs onto my tights wherever it can! 

I like this pattern, but I rushed this project and didn't make good choices. I should've used a contrast fabric to show off the excellent pocket lines... the result is that I feel pretty indifferent towards this skirt. Poor old skirt!

My second lapped zipper, a decent effort I think! And a pop button at the top.

The reason for the rush was that this was the first project I could get under the needles of my new SERGER -  and I was keen to get cracking! I bought a Juki MO-645DE at the Knitting and Stitching Show, and I LOVE it - even managed to thread it myself and kept relatively calm during... I feel like it's already made a difference to the level of finish of the things I can make... O bring me some more edges to serge!

Grey rub off dress

Not long after I started sewing again, just over a year now, I did a course at Ray Stitch called Recreate Your Favourite Garment, with Alice Prier. I had a first success(ish) with the dress I'd taken along (I blogged about that here) although all subsequent attempts have been slightly demoralising failures - I think I didn't really have the experience to get good results with the fit. 

But I had a go this weekend with a favourite dress I have from Beyond Retro, and I'm pretty happy with the results. I used the technique Alice taught us to copy the bodice and facing (which were fairly simple shapes), and then my old trusted skirt pattern. The sleeves are from Tilly's Matilde Blouse, as I figured they'd do well to copy the original's bell sleeves.

All in all I'm happy with the result. I think because this is a jersey pattern, it was a lot more forgiving of drafting errors. 

The fabric, a nice slub cotton from Girl Charlee UK, has the slightly unfortunate effect of making this dress look a bit nightie-like. And next time I think I'll take a wedge out of the back, and perhaps the shoulders too - the neckline bags a little. Also I was a lazy so-and-so and just sewed the buttons straight on, sans buttonholes. NAUGHTY - I was rushing to make this a wearable toile!

But nothing too foul! In terms of what I'd imagined, this guy is pretty close. I think with a slightly thicker, maybe striped jersey, this could be a really fun dress!

I'm heading to the Knitting and Stitching Show this week, and I can't wait! It feels like a scant year since I was last there, and I'm looking forward to going back with a little more experience and knowledge under my (handsewn) belt.

Sunset Brumby

Hello! I hope you are having great weekends.

Today I have some pics of a new Brumby skirt, hurrah! 

I've had a lovely orange linen which I bought on sale at the Organic Textile Company a few months ago on the spur of the moment - not my usual colour, but I thought it could work on the bottom half! This is my third go at the Brumby Skirt by Megan Nielsen, and I think my favourite so far.

I haven't much to add to my notes from my last two - I did Version 1 this time, which has slightly less gathers, a good thing on my shape. I left off Megan's scallop pockets in favour of these black patch ones (with added red buttons, naturally!) and I did the centre topstitching in black to match.

Exposed zippers, still not my forte!

I made up a size Small like my last one, but this time using 4/8" seam allowances throughout, and the fit now is pretty much spot on I think.

I think this will be a jolly winter skirt with bright tights on gloomy London days. 

Culottes of fun and a BAD decision!

Hello! I hope you are having lovely weekends!

I fell for the culottes craze - so many beauties being made up - these three by What Katie Sews, these from the Tessuti blog, and Sallie's super Style Arc ones. I thought also that they'd be a good way into trousers on my own (I had a lot of super hand-holding for my Sew Over It pair). Annoyingly I can't remember whose blog I read who had made Butterick B6178 but they looked just the ticket for me, with four different options.

I sewed up a straight size 14, version D. I followed the instructions for the pockets, despite a nagging feeling that I always have problems with in-seam pocket gape on anything fitted round my hips. My hips are a size bigger than my waist, and they always seems to push pockets out and make quite a horrible shape. Sure enough, when I tried them on they did just that. So I took them out and sewed down the sides - I wish I did have pockets here but maybe I just can't on my shape? Is there a fix for this that anyone knows of?

They are not a bad fit out of the packet, and definitely work from my hips down which was the measurement I took, but the waist is baggy. As I fix, I added belt loops and a self tie belt, which gives it a paper bag style top - it works, but I'd like them to fit better round my waist the next time - and there will definitely be a next time with these bad boys! 

I had this beautiful lace zip in my stash which was given to me by my friend Sal years ago, before I'd started sewing again properly. I'd never thought of how one could use an exposed zip, until I saw this Emery Dress by Dolly Clackett. So pretty! 

My zip is a lovely burgundy, perfect with this fabric, and it was the right length - zip and fabric kismet, surely! But here's where I made an error - an exposed back zip has rather a different effect to one that follows your bum...

Uh-oh.

Let's zoom in and marvel at the heinousness! 

I was going to add a photo here of a baboon's bum but I just did a Google search and they are too upsetting, frankly.

Well, at least I didn't put it on the front! Silver linings...

Ahoy sailor!

Avast, me hearties! Here I am with my attempt at a sailor style jersey day dress! 

This is a dress I'd been thinking of for a bit - I had some thick cream mystery jersey which I'd been printing eyeballs on with an EYEBALL DRESS in mind (but which I'm now thinking will be too weird for useful wear). I really like the combination of white with black borders, and this looks pleasingly 60s sailoresque - I think!

I used the Nettie bodice for the top; it's now the pattern I've used by far the most. I just love the neckline and the fit of this super pattern! I widened the neckband by 1 inch to make more of a feature of it,  and then drafted a separate bow which is hand sewn onto the centre of the neckband. It's nice that they look like one tied piece - I couldn't figure out how to do it as just a long piece, though I'm sure there must be a way!

The skirt is self drafted - a longer, narrowed version of the Simplicity 1880 one. It's really just two big A-line shapes. I wish it had looked a bit drapier with this fabric, but the jersey is quite thick and I think the stiff, deep hem pulls it out more as well. I LOATHE hemming, I think it's my worst job. I had to be strict with myself to bother measuring this and making it straight... 

For the elasticated waist, I sewed the seam allowance of the waistband down and threaded elastic through - which took ages as it kept getting caught in the seams... but I got there in the end.

Knicker visibility horrors! I think this dress will be better with tights...!

I'm pretty happy with this dress overall, and think it'll be useful for day to day wear, despite being the amazingly un-useful colour of cream. Stretchy sailor goodness!

Bits and bobs sewing!

Hello! This is a quick round up of a couple of projects I've finished recently. I made a couple more appliquéd bags for my friend's twin niece and nephew. I interfaced the letters and then they were pretty simple to sew on.

Then last weekend I spent a day with my mum (thanks Mum!) block printing and sewing up cushion covers. We only completed two - we're seeing them more as prototypes! And I'm not sure, what with how labour intensive the whole business is, how much more I'll be doing! 

Either way, I'm going to have some for sale in my online shop, hurrah!

The cushion pads are duck feather, and the finished cushions measure 16" x 16". 

 Purrrrfect to jolly up any sofa or chair!

Jumpsuit!

Hello!

When I first saw pictures of Closet Case Files' new pattern, the Sallie Jumpsuit, I was KEEN. I love jumpsuits and the idea of wearing tip-to-toe cotton jersey. And I knew just the jersey I fancied - a beautiful slub black cotton one from my favourite Organic Textile Company.

Sadly for me spaghetti straps look heinous on me, but I was really excited about the kimono style top. When I'd downloaded the PDF pattern and stuck it together, I started wondering about the trousers. I'm not much for 70s style, and I very rarely wear heeled shoes, so I worried about the long wide trousers. I thought I'd get more use out of a tapered style, and one of my favourite things 

I've sewn are my Hudson Pants. 

So I had a go at putting them together. I followed the length of the rise from crotch to waist on the Sallie pattern, extending the Hudson pattern (about 4" I think) to match. From there they fitted together really well, being the same size at the waist. I left off the cuffs at the bottom, as I quite like them as they are, and don't want it too look too sporty.

Adjustments I would make next time would be to lower the armholes by 1/2" and lengthen the pants rise by 1" for a bit more space... I may have had a few wedgies wearing these guys - but nothing that has stopped me wearing this twice this week!

Thanks to the big v-neck back it's easy to get these on and off, phew! I see from these pics that the bum is bagging after two wears and I don't even care! I really really love this jumpsuit. I'd like to make it again with the adjustments, but I can't imagine doing it in any other colour or in a print - I feel like that might be too much... but maybe if I found some super 80s-style printed jersey, that could be the business!

And what's a jumpsuit good for??