Purl and Seam

Fabric : Fibre : Family

Now, here’s a little story about some pants named Jed!

March 13, 2014

This is a tale of three parts.

One good…one less so…one really fun.

Let’s start with the good.  The Jedediah toile.

I rustled that up earlier in the week from an old sheet.  Obviously not comparable in weight to the denim I was planning to make these up in, but I really just wanted to check whether the Mr could get his rugby thighs into them.  We have so much trouble with RTW it seemed prudent.

I swore black and blue that I wouldn't put this up on the interwebs.  Ooops!

I swore black and blue that I wouldn’t put this up on the interwebs. Ooops!

As you can see apart from a little bit of saddlebagging at the hips there is plenty of room in the thighs. Which is all good.

I’d show you the front and side views but:

  • I forgot to put the yoke piece on the back before trying them on so they hang all sorts of peculiar at the front and I’m sparing both our blushes.
  • Mr decided to test the fit by throwing a very deep squat.  Neither the fabric nor the stitching held.  Again, blushes being spared.

But, I’m happy to go ahead with cutting these in the fashion fabric and making fitting tweaks as I go along.  I think that bubble on his tush will even out in a weightier fabric and once the side seams are fitting better.

I’m delighted with this pattern so far.  How often do you get to throw a pattern on to your fashion fabric straight out of the envelope?

So today I did just that.  The denim had already been prewashed and dried 3 times so was good to go.

I laid it out on the table.

I laid the pattern on top.

Crappity!

Crappity!

I thought the fabric was wider than it is.  There is no way on earth I can get both front and back legs cut out of this length for jeans for either The Husband or myself.  If I were a size 12 or 14 then this would work fine.  But I’m not. And there’s way too much cake in the world for me ever to be so again I think!

Pattern overhanging the fabric is not a good thing.  At All!

Pattern overhanging the fabric is not a good thing. At All!

At first I was more than a little frustrated.  This is a beautiful weighty denim with just a hint of stretch bought last year from The Cloth House in London. It’s the good stuff.  But there’s just not enough.  That’s what you get for buying fabric on spec.

It seems a waste to cut it up for jeans for the kids. There’s way too much of it for that. Soooooooo, I’ve got an idea about what I’m going to do. But I’m going to save that for another post.  All I’ll say now is that it ties in nicely with my Wardrobe Architect project.

The fun part is that I’ve promised to make these so make them I shall.  We shall just have to go fabric shopping.

Oh…the horror! 😉

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Work in progress

March 3, 2014

The problem with making progress on projects is that there is nothing really to show for it.

Larry is becoming known as the Sweater of Doom in these parts. I am Beyond Bored with knitting this simply because I’ve already knit this yarn before. Knitting it again is Tedious (yes…with a capital T!).

The Sweater of Doom...it really just looks like a pile of knitted fabric at the moment.

The Sweater of Doom…it really just looks like a pile of knitted fabric at the moment.

Thankfully, I finished the first sleeve last night, and the second sleeve will seem less Tedious because I’ve got the row count written down, so I just need to crack on and tick off those rows as quickly as possible.  I’m waiting in today for a courier so I’m planning to make use of the time by watching Marple box sets and picking up that second sleeve.

marple 1

I do have an added incentive at the moment.  Not only does The Husband sit next to me on the sofa each evening making sad eyes and muttering about wanting to wear the damned thing before the good weather finally arrives; but I also didn’t have enough yarn.

*grits teeth to refrain from uttering stream of invective and expletives*

As this yarn is now discontinued (of course) tracking it down could have been tricky, but the lovely folks at McA have some in stock and sent me 3 balls, aaaaannnnd are holding another 3 for a few weeks, just in case.  I suspect I may need one more of them for the neck.  We shall see.

We are also making progress in a project I’m calling “Shabby to Chic”.  Our house hasn’t been decorated since before the kids came home.  With 2 adults, 2 kids and a large dog, the place is starting to look more than a little bit worn around the edges.  And the middle.  And all points in-between.

The need for a complete rewire has created the impetus to do a complete top down spruce up.  The sewing loft is to be ripped out, remodelled and turned into our bedroom.  Our bedroom will become The Boy’s.  His bedroom will become my new sewing room…eventually.  Just as blasted Ikea are withdrawing their fabulous Expedit range.  What possessed them?

This is a huge project that will take a good couple of years to finish, I think, but at the end of it we will have replaced all windows and external doors, rewired the place with many more socket outlets and more usefully placed light switches, and will be using all the space in the house more efficiently.  Oh and the hideous porch at the front of the house that has plagued me for years WILL  finally be replaced.

Most importantly (far more important than the risk of the electrics frying us all in our beds) I will have a new sewing room.  With storage!  And good daylight!

Until then though I’m sewing on the kitchen table.  I do not like this at all.  I realise I’ve been completely spoiled with the Sewing Loft (however shabby and disorganised), but I’ve got my eye on the prize and a sewing project on the go (in between meals, homework and painting projects that the kids insist on).

Thread Theory Jedediah Pants

Yep…I’m making the Mr the pair of trousers I promised him a couple of years ago. Or maybe 6 years ago.

I’m not counting.

I’m sure he is.

These are the Thread Theory Jedediah Pants and so far I’m really impressed. Printing and taping the PDF was a breeze.  Great tiling.  It bodes well, I hope, for the sewing.

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Johnny B Good shirt

February 18, 2014

Despite my own best efforts not to finish this shirt, I did, and in good time for Boy’s birthday party on Saturday.  Phew!

johnny be good shirtBefore I get into the review of this shirt, let me just remind you that this shirt was upcycled from a shirt gifted to us by our friend, Martin.  The fabric is a thick and temperamental cotton, that acts like a very brattish polyester.

But…it’s wonderfully soft and cosy and Boy, who normally throws a fit of the screaming ab-dabs when you ask him to wear a shirt, couldn’t wait to get it on, and didn’t want to take it off. So it’s a win, as far as I’m concerned.

I did change the buttons.  On the original shirt they were a yellowy cream button and really looked a bit odd against the lilac/pink/blue fabric.

shirt buttons

The new buttons are a variegated lilac that I found on our local market stall.  I like them much more.

shirt buttons

Oops…a bit blurry, but you get the idea, no?

And, in one final change, I “drafted” a mandarin/grandad collar by simply folding the collar part of the pattern up and using just the stand to cut my fabric.  I did, of course, remember to add a seam allowance to the top of the collar!

johnny b good

The pattern is Shwinn Designs Johnny B Good shirt, and, I’ll admit I have mixed feelings about this pattern.

johnnybgoodLet’s start with the good:

  • The tiling on the pdf is really good and the pattern tapes together quickly and cleanly.
  • The drafting of the pattern is excellent.  I found all the separate pieces stitched up perfectly.
  • The sizing is good too.  Boy is a small 5 and this shirt fits him now but has room to grow into.  In my book this is perfect.  If I’m sewing something for the kids I’d like it to last more than a couple of weeks!

However, this pattern does have some challenges:

  • I found the instructions to be a little less than straightforward and clear.
  • I thought the sleeve placket is a little long.  It reaches right up to the elbow. This is, of course, just a matter of personal taste.
  • I also thought the sleeve placket to be placed just a little too far towards the front of the sleeve.
  • There are no placement marks for the buttonholes on the sleeves.  The idea is that you place them where you’d like them to go, but, personally, I would have preferred them to be added on the pattern.
johnny b good

I think this shows how far forwards the sleeve placket sits on the sleeve and also how high up the sleeve it goes. Please ignore the shoddy buttonholes. 

Despite the things I’m not fond of with this pattern, I will be using it again.  I think I’ll adjust the sleeve placket to move it more to the back of the arm, and shorten the placket a little bit.  

I plan to measure this shirt to get a really good idea for button placement and mark them on the pattern.

And lastly, I  think I’ll redraft the hem of this shirt to give it tails rather than a straight edge.  I think it will look really cute.

Once the pattern has been tweaked there’s one other thing I’ll change. I’ll use better thread so the topstitching isn’t quite so shocking.  I’m eternally grateful that this fabric hides a multitude of sins!

However, all my gripes are moot.  Boy loves his shirt, which is nothing short of a birthday miracle.

IMG_0155

And yes, that is a bus cake.  As his party was held on the play bus (officially making him the coolest boy in the class…who knew?) I really had no say in the matter.

bus cakeHe loved it 😉

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Kids Clothes Week – Day 1

January 28, 2014

Having taped the pattern together last week it dawned on me that this week is Kids Clothes Week.

button-jan14

I am a bear of very little brain at the moment and it had completely failed to sink in until yesterday morning.

At which point I decided that, yes, I could manage an hour a day of sewing, and yes, this would be the perfect opportunity to make a shirt for Boy in time for his birthday celebrations in a couple of weeks.

johnnybgood

So Day 1 saw the pattern pieces being cut out and a shirt kindly gifted to us by our friend Martin for just such a purpose being hacked into small pieces.

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Oh artificial light…you are so gloomy!

Note to the wise.  Cut your collar before you cut your yokes.  Yokes can be finangled.  Collars not so much.

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This is a better representation of the colours.

Boy’s shirt will now have a grandad collar! 

I can live with that!

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Simplicity 1886 – FO 18/2013 – review and a splendid Simplicity pattern giveaway

August 28, 2013

Ye Gods!

I’m so glad to finally be able to post this review. I’ve been exceptionally tardy with it. Although we’ve had a lovely time, the summer holidays really got in the way of my creative time. On Sunday The Husband whisked the kids away to the park  and for ice cream.  He’s my hero!

Of course, I’d have been posting this much sooner if I hadn’t had that pesky ironing escapade!

Anyway…back to the patterns.  As you know I was approached by Simplicity who very kindly offered me some free patterns in exchange for me making up and reviewing them.  I was delighted to accept, but all opinions are my own.

I chose:

2406

and

1606 (1)

My third pattern is the one I’ll be reviewing first, although I will get to the other two over the coming months.

1886

As the weather is cooling down a little as we head towards autumn, I decided to shop the stash and make this up in some pretty John Kaldor print that’s been waiting far too long to make it to the sewing table.

John Kaldor floral

John Kaldor floral

Yes it’s poly, but I thought it would be a great little basic to wear with my denim skirt and a little cardigan for slightly cooler days.

I chose this pattern as I’ve been looking for a replacement for Sorbetto.  I love Colette’s aesthetic but really had trouble getting the darts right because of the FBA I needed.  I’m still a bit hit and miss with FBA’s.  I’ll crack them eventually.

With that in mind, this pattern seemed a great option as it’s already drafted for different cup sizes…although I’m a DD/E dependent on who you speak to, so even with the extra cup size options, I knew I’d have some finangling of the fit to do.

So…how did I get on?

It’s a mix of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

The Good

Well, despite the discrepancy between my bosom and that of the pattern, it took me a surprisingly small amount of time and effort to to fit this top.

I cut the pattern in the D cup option in the size that fits my high bust measurement at the shoulders and armholes.  I cut the side seams at the next size up.

This is the muslin straight off the pattern:

03 08 13_edited-1-1_edited-1

I was really surprised that this worked.  Yes, I still had gapping at the armhole and front and back necks…but I always have that gapping.  It’s down to the shape I am.

You can see that I’ve already pinned out a dart on one of the armholes.  I just replicated that at the front neck and back neck, transferred those darts to the pattern and cut out the fashion fabric.

Voila!

Alterations made and transferred to the pattern within about half an hour. Which is without doubt the quickest turnaround of a muslin in my whole sewing career! It was so easy and I am a very happy camper!

The multi cup size pattern options really do work.

So I was ready to sew, which is when we came to…

The Bad

Perhaps calling them ‘Bad’ is a little harsh.  Perhaps ‘Pesky’ would be a better word.  Or just a little bit ‘Naughty’.

Semantics aside, the first hiccup came when I was making the ruffle for the front. Let’s just say the instructions for inserting the ruffles are less than clear.

IMG_8947_edited-2

The neck band was a complete and total bear.  I’ve lost count of how many times I unpicked the wretched thing.

However, I think it’s most likely that the problems I encountered were created by the fabric being very slippery and fidgety.  Because it was very slippery and fidgety indeed.  But! I suspect that it would have been easier to draft a simple stand collar than the band and facings used here.  It was all a little bit fussy to apply and turned the air in the sewing loft blue on more than one occasion.

Despite it being a slippery customer, once done, it looks really cute, and if I did it again it would be a whole lot easier.  That said, I’m grateful for the printed fabric. It hides a multiple of sins! 😉

The Ugly

This is where I’m going to take the opportunity to speak to Simplicity (and the other major pattern houses, to be fair.  They’re just as bad) about the styling of their pattern envelopes.

People…you really need to up your game on the envelope styling!

You don’t make it at all easy for us to choose your patterns.  I’ve lost count of the times I’ve seen a really cute dress/top/trousers/whatever on a blog only to realise that it’s a pattern that I’d previously totally discounted due to the styling on the envelope.

I can understand that back in the day, before the independent pattern companies flourished, that you could get away with it.  But now…not so much. The Cynthia Rowley envelope isn’t all bad but 1606 and 1886…I feel that they really need some work.

I recognise that the big 4 are aiming at a much wider audience than the indie companies, but I’m not sure that’s a strong enough argument.  How hard can it be to pitch at multiple markets with the same envelope? Especially as most of the design is sketched. Even Knip Mode magazine, which isn’t always the most fashion forward of the sewing mags, manages to do this on a regular basis.

Yep...same pattern...different fabric and styling! Although the camel ones could do with a better fit...more whiskers that O'Malley the Alley Cat!

Yep…same pattern…different fabric and styling!
Although the camel ones could do with a better fit…more whiskers that O’Malley the Alley Cat!

As the sewing market grows, both in the number of customers (due to the resurgence of interest in the craft), and of the range of patterns available (because of the growth of independent houses), I feel that the Big 4 are missing a real opportunity to reach out to sewists and provide them with a well drafted product in a packaging that appeals to a wide range of tastes and styles.

Conclusion

I hope you don’t think this is a negative review because, despite the niggles I had with the neckline on this top, I’m really, really pleased with the result and feel that it really fills a gap in my wardrobe. I know it’s going to get quite a bit of wear over the next few months.  It goes with my denim skirt and a pair of cropped RTW trousers.

IMG_8961_edited-2

Please ignore the creases…this was the end of a very busy day of last minute school uniform shopping!

I also think the ruffle, which I’d normally avoid, works very well and is surprisingly flattering thanks to the lovely drape of the fabric.

For me, this pattern works in a way that I couldn’t get Sorbetto to.  The darts are great and as a result it’s not too boxy.  Lord knows, I need no help in looking boxy!

IMG_8950_edited-2

Happy dart and a lovely snug armhole.
Ignore the wrinkles…they’re just there because I’m pulling my arm back to show the dart.

I can see myself playing with the neckline and hemline to make variations so that I can get some much needed quick and easy tops into my wardrobe. Although, rest assured, next time I’ll be binding the neck and armholes and not faffing with the wretched neckline and facing pieces given in the pattern.

And the scorch…

IMG_8953_edited-1

I just slapped a teeny tiny patch on it…and a matching one on the other side seam. I promise they are much less obtrusive and inelegant in real life. You can hardly see them. And they mean I can happily wear this top.  As most of the time I’ll be wearing this with a cardigan, this is a solution I can easily live with.

But most of all I am totally sold on the idea of multiple bust size options, and salute Simplicity for introducing them.  Being able to remove/reduce the FBA/SBA makes fitting so much faster and easier. I think we’ll all agree that this is a Very Good Thing.  For sure, I’ve never fitted a pattern so quickly and with such a good result.

I can only encourage more/all pattern companies to embrace this feature going forwards.  It’s a feature that will definitely influence my pattern purchasing decisions in the future.  I suspect I’m not alone in this view.

So I’m patting myself on the back for selecting this pattern, and am patting Simplicity on the back for giving me the opportunity to try it.  I’m also looking forward to making up the other two patterns and am hopeful for an equally happy outcome.

But now, if you not asleep at this point, here’s the bit of this post you’ve really been waiting for. It’s time for you to get your hands on a Simplicity pattern of your own!

Actually, it’s time for 3 (yep…three) of you to get a Simplicity pattern of your choice!

Here’s how you can win:

  1. Go to www.simplicitynewlook.com and choose which pattern you’d like to add to your collection.
  2. Leave a comment below telling me which pattern you’ve chosen.
  3. For an extra chance to win, just follow Simplicity on Twitter – @SewSimplicity – and leave me another comment to confirm you’ve done so.
  4. Get a third chance to win by posting this giveaway on your blog and pop a link to the post in your comment.

Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy!

I’ll close this giveaway on Friday 6th September at midnight GMT and choose 3 lucky winners to receive the pattern of their choice.

This giveaway is open to international readers as well as those in the UK.

Good luck!

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Simplicity 1886…almost

August 26, 2013

The Simplicity top is finished and the review is written.  I just needed pictures to add to the post and I was good to go.

Today we have had glorious sunshine which seemed to present a perfect opportunity to test drive my lovely new top at a local food festival.

IMG_8936_edited-1Or not!

Blasted iron was too hot (obviously nothing to do with me having it on the wrong setting)!

My immediate reaction was “thank goodness I have enough of this fabric to make another”.

Well, actually, that was my second reaction.  My first involved my expletives of choice.

Then I realised that a strategically placed design feature could probably save this top…and several hours work for me too!  So I’ve got it all pinned and ready to sew and will get back to you soon with the finished article.

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Dance relief

July 31, 2013

Wow these holidays are flying by.

2013-07-23 12.33.11_edited-1We are managing not to completely murder each other, although my two are full of beans and yummy treats!

2013-07-19 16.11.23_edited-1Yesterday they spent the day at their dance class summer school.  2 whole days of activities and dancing. Yay! I think they were as relived as I was for the break!  They certainly came home very tired and, after a bit of grumping, they zonked out in bed nice and early.

So, after catching up with necessary chores (apparently they insist on me having food in the house) I got some time in the sewing loft and set to finishing the quilting of Gardener’s Journal.

GJ quilt_edited-1Of course, as is the way, with only 4 lines of quilting and the binding to sew, I ran out of thread. So I took the time to cut out a toile for a top I’m making as part of the current wave of Simplicity pattern reviews.

2013-07-30 19.04.41_edited-1Which means that soon I’ll have a new top to share with you and a lovely giveaway too!

And, if I get some thread today, I’ll also have a quilt finished.

Finally!

 

 

 

 

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Green Bee Amelia – FO 16/2013

July 25, 2013

After the success of Button’s dress and the coming together of the quilts, its time to share a big fat fail with you.

Before I get to the photos in all their hideous splendour, I’ll share my review of the pattern with you.  I think that’s fair.  I’ve waited a while to post this because I didn’t want my review to be coloured by the results, so I’m happy that this is now a considered opinion, rather than a rant over yet another fail.

First up the pattern is printed on lovely study paper that makes tracing it a dream, and it’s well drafted with all the pieces going nicely together.

I did, however have some issue with the sizing. Namely, it turns out not to be designed with us bigger girls in mind, and I think this was half the cause of my problems.  As well as the usual adjustments to accommodate my height and bosom, I also needed to grade the pattern up all over.

In Green Bee’s defence, they do publish the sizes, I just got all swept up in the excitement of the loveliness of this dress and didn’t bother checking.

My bad!  Not the pattern’s.

Lesson well learned.

I also had an issue with the pockets.  I sewed them as drafted and they are teeny tiny.  I can’t get my hands in them properly, never mind a phone.  So if you do decide to sew this dress, please do yourself a favour and add some size to the pockets.

And finally, I found the instructions to be so densely crammed onto the page as to be more hindrance than help.  I think I’ve been spoiled by the likes of Elegance and Elephants and Cake Patterns, who produce clear well spaced instructions with photos or diagrams to illustrate the point.  Amelia’s instructions are effectively just a typed list.  Thankfully I’m at the point in my sewing career where I can toss the instructions and still get a garment to work, but I think a beginner would find these directions lacking.  It’s a shame.

For all that, and for the resulting catastrophe of a dress, I still think Amelia is a pretty dress.  It didn’t work for me for 3 major reasons:

  1. I foolishly didn’t check the sizing before ordering the pattern.  Shiny squirrel syndrome kicked in.  A rookie mistake.  I should know better.
  2. Like the Washi dress, I don’t think this works on my figure.  And that’s not the fault of the dress, the pattern, or my figure.  It just is what it is.
  3. I was rushing to get this finished because, as always, I needed something for an event and was doing this at the 11th hour.  Hence, I ran out of time to keep tweaking the fit.  Though, to be fair, I don’t think I would love it even if the fit was better.  It just would be a better fitting shambles!

Do you want to see it?  Those of a nervous disposition may want to look away now.

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Ok…you still here?

Don’t need smelling salts?

Let’s look at what’s going on.

  • A shows the problem at the bust. I added a 3 inch FBA.  In the muslin it looked OK. In the dress fabric, not so much. Because the darts are French Darts, I had a problems actually working out the FBA as I’d never attempted one before…and it shows.  I need more room to accommodate The Ladies.
  • B shows the problem around the sleeves, which are little cap sleeves all in one with the bodice.  Again these are dragging…I think linked to the lack of room in the bosom.
  • C shows what happens when you fit to your natural waist knowing you have a longer torso and really need to fit the waist a little higher to create a better waistline illusion.
  • D is the one that caught me completely unawares.  The dress is cut on the bias.  The fabric is a chambray…red threads one way, white the other.  When you cut it on the bias as a double with the fabric laid on the table right sides together, you end up with a harlequin effect dress.

I can’t even show you the back.  I have waaaaaay to much pride for that.  I know it’s a sin, but lets just say the back is even worse.

And I’ve lost 5lbs in weight since I made this dress…

It doesn’t bear thinking about.

But, there is hope in this.

I was talking to one of the other mums at dance class at the weekend.  She is learning to crochet and was saying that in time she’ll look back on her first attempts and laugh that she could be so thrilled with such a small accomplishment.

I reminded her that even if she crochets for 50 years, she’ll still be learning something new and increasing her skills.  It’s the nature of the crafty beast.

This dress is a timely reminder of some basic rules of sewing that, in my haste to get a garment into my wardrobe as quickly as possible, I conveniently forgot. Namely:

  1. Always, always, ALWAYS check the pattern size.  If you are competent at grading patterns, or have the time to do it slowly, learn the new skills and make it work, then of course you can ignore this.  If you’re in a rush…don’t.  Buy a size that only needs minimal alterations.
  2. Don’t rush the prep.  This would have been a much better garment if I’d taken the time to work out the fitting kinks and make more than one hasty toile before cutting the fashion fabric.
  3. Don’t rush the sewing.  If I’d have allowed myself more time, I could have double and triple checked the fit as I sewed.
  4. Work with the fabric. I’ve got to admit that I never even considered that this lovely fabric would trip me up with this shading.  It’s tantamount to the fabric having a nap, such as velvet.  This would have been much more suitable for a garment cut on the straight grain.
  5. Work with your figure.  I know I don’t have a waist and need to create the illusion of one.  I should have raised that waistline.

This dress is a cautionary tale to all of us.

But it’s not all bad news.  Apart from the kick up the backside to remember the basics of dressmaking, I’ve also discovered another silhouette that doesn’t work for me.  This is A Very Good Thing.  Years and years ago I used to work in sales and sales training and our mantra was if a prospective client genuinely has no requirement for you product or service, then it’s a good “no”.  It’s one more out of the way to a “yes” and a sale.  It’s the same when you’re working out your personal style, as I am.  Every time I make something that has the Fashion Police banging on my door, I’m one step closer to establishing my own Look.

And, of course, I can always chop it up, destroy the evidence, and make pretty things for Button out of it.

Cut on the straight grain, of course! 😉

PS…if you’d like this pattern, do shout.  

I’ll be happy to stick it in the post for you. It’s a pretty dress, just not for me.

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Dotty New Look 6881 – FO 15/2013

July 21, 2013

NL_6881LNew Look 6881 is my go to pattern for party dresses for Button.  The lovely purple satin version I made her last year was not only unsuitable for the warm and sunny weather we’ve been having of late, but also it didn’t fit her any more.  So when a birthday party invitation arrived recently, we high-tailed it off to our local fabric shop, The Buttonhole in Chorley, and I turned her loose.

She skipped around the shop pulling bolts of fabric off the shelves, finally settling on some gorgeous red and white dotty Michael Miller cotton.

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It was, of course, some of the most expensive fabric in the shop.

What can I say??? Our girl has taste!

IMG_8655_edited-1I made the age 4 size, but added an inch to the bodice and an inch and a half to the hem, which means there is plenty of growing room in this one!

IMG_8629_edited-2The dress is lined in cotton lawn (I know!  But it’s so beautiful it seemed a shame not too!).  There is 4 metres of broderie anglais trim gathered around the hem, and 4 metres of net gathered onto the petticoat to give the skirt some twirlability. Which surely is the raison d’etre of any party dress!

IMG_8630_edited-1This is, without a doubt, one of my favourite makes, ever!

Strike a pose...

Strike a pose…

And, more importantly, Button loves it too!

 

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Pavlova out-of-the-envelope – FO 14/2013

July 18, 2013

It is many, many years since I made anything except children’s clothes from a pattern pulled right out of the envelope.  But as I explained in my earlier post, I ran with Pavlova without any alterations.

Pavlova-Envelope-Front-Pavlova-Circus-Hi-Res-782x1024

I don’t regret it one little bit.  And this is going to be possibly the shortest pattern review in the world ever.

IMG_8427_edited-2I cannot rave enough about this pattern.  It’s brilliantly drafted.  The instructions are clear and very easy to follow. Did I mention I didn’t need to make a single alteration to the pattern?

The resulting top is just lovely. And it’s sooooo comfortable to wear. I’ve already worn it twice, on both occasions to full day meetings where it’s stood up to long train rides, stiflingly hot meeting rooms, and me bending and stretching, without the faintest hint of a paparazzi moment with my bosom.

I’m wearing it with the ties at the back, simply because I don’t need any more bulk at the front.  I like the way I can arrange the ties to create a cummerbund effect. I also love the way the pattern on this fabric flows around the garment.

IMG_8442_edited-1Now if you’re wondering why I’m standing like some demented wannabe superhero, it’s because I’m desperately trying to draw your attention to the sleeves.

They are a little loose, no?

I stand by my original assertion of Steph’s genius.  This isn’t a problem with the pattern…nope, the reason that the sleeves are loose on me is my shape.  I hold my weight around my middle but have proportionally slimmer arms.  The pattern is drafted for someone whose limbs are as slender or plumptious as the rest of their body, not like twigs on a snowman! 😉

So I am going to take them in a little.  Just because I prefer a slimmer fitting sleeve.

Other than that…this is pretty darned perfect and I’m a very, very happy girl.  I cannot wait to make another version of this and highly recommend you make it too!  I don’t think you’ll regret it.

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Image of a woman in her fifties taken from the shoulders up. She has grey shoulder length hair, brown eyes and a soft smile.

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I'm Evie and I knit, stitch, spin and sew.
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