Oh it’s been wild here.  We drove to Basingstoke on Thursday to visit our beloved friends Jani and Ian (of whom we don’t see enough) and could only manage about 50 mph, if we were lucky, due to the high winds sweeping across the motorway.

Today is very chilly and I’m thankful that I recently finished another iteration of Heidi and Finn’s delicious cowl neck dress for Button.

She’s on a bit of a growth spurt at the moment so she’d grown out of the navy striped one I made, but the next size up is a little big…although I don’t think it will be for very long.

The fabric was a dress of Ma SIL’s which I cut into with gay abandon, but explains why the sleeves are 3/4 and the cowl a little shorter that the pattern…I simply didn’t have enough fabric so made these little modifications with surprisingly pleasing results.

I think she likes this dress…and wasn’t in the mood for standing for photos this morning!

Thank you to Nana for the makings of a lovely and cosy new dress.

Following the exam fiasco and the operation-that-wasn’t, this week has been decidedly quiet.  And I’ve spent much of it doing not very much except taking a breath and relaxing.

I did however find the energy to finish the hems and binding on my first Washi top.

I love it!

I know it makes the girls look ridiculously humongous…but, what can I say, I’ve got boobs…nothing’s going to change that!

Anyway…moving on…this is a great pattern. The downloaded pattern pages match up really well, making taping them together remarkably painless.  Rae has written such clear and comprehensive instructions that you’ll have no trouble putting this together.

My only alterations were to add a bit to the length and a FBA.  I was glad of the additional length when I carried out an impromptu burn test with my iron that confirmed that this fabric is, indeed, polyester!

The fabric is from Ma’s stash.  It’s one of those that comes under the category of “what was I thinking” as this isn’t the best colour for either of us.  But it just about works and it’s a very wearable muslin.

The Husband thinks its a lovely top…I can’t imagine why.  I’m planning to make the dress version with another piece in my stash, but the next one will have the sleeves variation that Rae is teasing us with at the moment.

And then there’s the black cotton that would make a fabulous maxi…

I may have Washi fever!

The small print:

Pattern:         Washi from Made by Rae.  $16

Fabric:           Polyester print from Ma’s stash. £0

Notions:         Thread, interfacing and shirring elastic from stash. £0.

Total cost:      $16

Finally I’ve finished the jeans and I wore them out today with a new top.  Both of these garments still need some tweaking.

Let’s start with the jeans.  I wore these all day today and they are just so comfortable its ridiculous.  I’m not used to comfortable jeans so this was a revelation.

I’ve also never had a pair of jeans before that I could wear without a belt.  I didn’t wear a belt with these.  They stayed put.  This is also pretty flipping amazing.

Most amazingly is that I made these jeans.  They are not perfect but they are wearable and I know what I need to do for the next time:

• I need to add some length to the legs. These are wearable but I’d like a bit more length for sure.
• I need to bring the pockets in more towards the middle.  They aren’t necessarily placed in the most flattering position at the moment, but some of that is down to the fact that I needed to size them down after I’d top-stitched the pockets so I couldn’t move them.
• I also need to take a bit more out under the butt.  This is because I’ve lost weight from the original alterations. I’m not complaining!
• The next pair will be slightly less skinny.  This is just a matter of evolving taste. I’ve always worn skinny jeans but I think I’d like them a bit less so. More like classic Gap jeans.
• I need to redraft the pattern because the grain line sure ain’t straight on these. I have twisty side seams.  But then Levi do that and call it a design feature. So that’s what I’m calling it!
• I need to use heavier denim.  These are too lightweight for my taste and have too much stretch.

But… I. Made. Jeans.

And even with all these flaws they are still more comfortable and better fitting than any pair of jeans I’ve ever bought.  I was freaking about the creasing in the legs until I realised that every pair of skinny jeans I saw had the same creases.  Nature of the beast, I suppose.

Now to the top. This is made from Vogue 9771

Again, there are flaws.

I know there are drag lines across the bust…I did do an FBA on this pattern, I just need to make it a larger one.  And, when I tried the toile there weren’t these lines, but the toile fabric was heavier.

And I know the bust darts are waaaaaaaaay too high…goodness knows how this happened because they surely weren’t doing that on the toile.

And the neckline is higher in real life than on the illustration…but in every version of this I’ve seen made up by someone else, this has been commented on.  And for me it works.  It keeps the top modest when I’m picking up children or bending down to them.   Which is essential for me and something I struggle with in RTW.

But, despite these flaws…this top is really comfortable and I have had several compliments on it today.  Which just goes to show that us seamstresses are overly critical of our work.

This doesn’t mean that I won’t be making the necessary alterations to both these patterns before I make them again, but is just a little reminder to us all to be a little kinder to ourselves and our abilities.

 

 

 

As these trousers are as black as coal, and Lancashire is historically a mining community as well as a textile one, it’s appropriate that these trousers are named for a local pit.  As I once worked at Heskin Hall…it’s the obvious choice.

So, here are the Heskin trousers:

They are the same pattern as the Almost Perfect Trousers but I narrowed the leg a smidge and like them even more for that.

In fact…I think I’ve now nailed this pattern!  I don’t think I’m going to get a better fit than this.  Having looked at some of the high end RTW out there, I’d go so far as to say that mine hold their own.

These are stretch lightweight wool and just so comfortable.

And although they are just the simplest pair of black trousers ever made, I love them.  They are a really great wardrobe basic.  And they make me happy!

The small print:

Pattern:         McCalls 5239 – £0 as pattern previously used.

Fabric:           Wool/lycra mix from Washable Fabric on Preston market.

Notions:         Thread, zip and hook fastener from stash. £0.

Total cost:      £10

PS – The top is last years Monsoon.  I had to take it in by 4″ because I’ve lost weight since I bought it.  

I’m not complaining! 🙂