We’re one week into the summer school holidays and revelling in the complete lack of commitments to anyone but ourselves.  Leisurely mornings give way to afternoons in the park or playing in the garden or visiting with grandparents.

Obviously crafty pursuits aren’t my priority, but even so, I managed to whip up this little playsuit for Button, which is the perfect outfit for the hot weather we’ve been having here of late.

The pattern is Elegance & Elephant’s Pleated Playsuit…a free pattern that you’d happily pay good money for.

I love Heidi’s patterns, as you know, and this one is no exception. There are some adorable details:

:: elastic waist for comfort and faux piped pockets

:: cute leg cuffs

:: shoulder ties

:: inverted pleat on the front bodiceThis is one of those fabulously satisfying makes that is super simple to sew, but looks very expensive when you’ve finished.

The fabric is Lizzie House’s Cattitude which Button had loved so much when I made the Geranium dress, but this time in an almost acid chartreuse bought on sale from John Lewis.  I’d been browsing there a couple of weeks ago with no intention of purchasing fabric, but as soon as I saw this I snaffled the last metre or so with glee.

I’m so glad I did.  I just adore this little playsuit and have at least two more planned. It’s comfy, cute and modest.

What more could you ask for?

 

When Marte announced a secret summer blog action over at Compagnie M. I didn’t have to think twice before adding my name to the list.

When I found out that the subject of our secret mission was to be the Mara Blouse, I was thrilled.

You can see my Paris inspired Mara blouse, head on over to the Mara blog now and check it out…then head on back to find out how you can win some super prizes.

Discount code:

If you’d like to make your own version of the Mara blouse, Marte is generously offering a 10% discount on the pattern from now until 17th August 2014.  Just pop over to her shop and use the code MARA-ACTION.

Sewalong:

Once you’ve bought your pattern, why not enter your Mara in the sewalong.  There are some great prizes to be won…check them out here!  The closing date for the sewalong is 17th August 2014.

A note about the fabric:

Whilst we are now right at the beginning of the summer holidays, when very little in the way of sewing will take place, I wanted to be prepared for the raft of family events and parties that will take place in the autumn.  With that in mind I created a season appropriate party outfit for Button that will be equally at home at a family lunch or a school friends bash at a play centre.

My fabric choice was a complete antidote the the raft of Pepto Bismol and Acid Barbie Pink that my little miss has been choosing at every opportunity recently.  I completely pulled rank on this…I’m sewing it…I get to choose the fabric.  Total Mummy Brat moment and I’m not sorry! 😉

The Eiffel Tower fabric is from Oh Sew Crafty on eBay, and the spot from Dunelm.

Disclaimer:  

I received a complimentary copy of the Mara pattern in return for my participation in the Blog Tour.  As always, all opinions are entirely my own.

 

When I first met The Husband I was living in Surrey and working in London. At the weekends (or during the week if he could swing a meeting locally) he would drive the 280-ish miles to visit (and the same home again on a Sunday night).

On the Saturday we’d do fun things…oftentimes involving taking the 25 minute train journey into London and ‘doing’ a museum or some shopping, or a long and boozy lunch.

And, now and again, quelle surprise, we’d find ourselves on Berwick Street and he would happily traipse in and out of fabric shops and treat me to a metre or many of lovely fabric.

One such purchase was some incredibly soft and drapey pale spearmint coloured linen.  It’s buttery texture is divine and it’s just opaque enough to maintain your modesty whilst you stay cool.  It was £20 a metre 8 years ago.  Not cheap.

And it’s sat in my stash for 8 years because I couldn’t decide what to sew with it.

Which is, quite frankly, a crazy waste of beautiful fabric.

With the new found (Wardrobe Architect motivated) spirit of sewing up or shipping out my stash fabric, it was time to bit the bullet on this an actually make something from this lovely linen, and I wanted something that I would get a great deal of wear out of over the summer months.  A dress would be lovely, but wouldn’t get the wear, so I decided on a simple tank top.

I knew I wanted a breezy and long line silhouette, a curvy hemline and some tiny tucks across the front, but couldn’t find a pattern that cut the mustard.

For as long as I can remember I’ve been banging on about making my own patterns, so, I did.

I used Simplicity 1886 as a block, traced a copy so I could scribble, cut and tape to my hearts content, and in very little time, had a pattern that I absolutely love.

I made the following alterations:

:: added 1/2″ to each side seam allowance to give me a loose silhouette

:: dropped the neckline by about 1″ (ish) and scooped the neckline front and back to make it wider

:: added 2″ to the front of the blouse and 3″ to the back

:: shaped the sides to give a shirt tail effect

:: replaced the neckline facing with a self made bias binding facing

:: armholes also have a bias bound facing

:: added 6 x 1/4″ pintucks to the front of the bodice

It sounds like a lot when you write it down, but it didn’t take very long at all to do, and now I have a top that as soon as I’ve worn it, goes into the wash so I can wear it again as soon as possible.

I adore this top and only want to make a couple of teeny tiny changes for the next one.

:: raise the front neckline by about 1/2″.  Because the top is so breezy, the neckline can be a bit precarious when I lean forwards…not cool at the school gate!

:: the darts are a bit hinky.  The fabric hides a multitude of sins, but I need to bring the bust point back a little, possibly only 1/4″, just to avoid them hitting at the wrong point and ending up, well, pointy!

:: The side seams sit slightly towards the back of centre…again you can’t really see it but I’m aware of it.  Moving them forwards just 1/2″ will solve that problem.

Very minor changes that will make the next top pretty much perfect.  Now I just need to decide what I’ll put in place of the pintucks for a different look! 😉

PS…yes…those are my red Lotta’s.  They get as much, if not more, wear than this top.

PPS…and yes, my blue one’s are here too.  😀

A couple of weeks ago we had a family gathering for Chinese food and I was determined to finish this blouse to wear for it.  Armed with lots of tea, plenty of episodes of The Archers on download, and the spirit of the Great British Sewing Bee, I set to.

I made it and despite my reservations about the pattern, I’m really delighted with the finished blouse.

We’ll ignore the fact that I’m larger than the average bear at the moment, and the hedge is in dire need of a trim, shall we?!

Oh, and the creases…I’ve been wearing this all day, including a couple of hours in the car driving to and fro!

The Fabric

This fabric was a lucky find in one of the offcuts bins at Abakhan.  It’s polyester but if you don’t look to closely it could just about pass for silk. It’s got a great drape and because they sold it by weight, it cost me about £3.  So the whole blouse, including the pattern, came in at under a fiver.

On the subject of polyester…I know it gets a bad rap, but some of my favourite RTW blouse are lightweight poly, and I have to say they suit my lifestyle perfectly. So whilst I’m still always going to love a good quality cotton, I’m not going to turn my nose up at a cute poly, especially when the result is this good.

So, what do I think of the pattern?

Well, I covered this in some detail in my previous post, but, despite the issues I had with the actual pattern, I’m really rather pleased with the results.

The instructions are hilarious.  They’ve obviously been run through an online translation and as such make Burda instructions look like War & Peace.  I had no idea what they intended me to do with the sleeves and initially sewed both marked pleats in place, only to find that I couldn’t move my arm.

10 minutes with a stitch-unpick and that issue was solved!

I should also point out that I straightened the seam-line of the sleeve to reduce some of the fullness at the cuff.

These patterns have the direct opposite of the clear and lovely instructions of such independents as Cake, Colette or Oliver + S.  So I pretty much made it up as I went along.

Bias binding for the neck opening and neckline. A bit rough and ready but I was up against the clock and not completely convinced this blouse was going to be wearable.  You only notice when you get really, really up close and personal, and The Husband is never going to criticise my stitching 😉

And a quick bias cuff with the bottom of the sleeve gathered slightly to fit.

Would I make this again?

It might surprise you, but absolutely yes!  I got many compliments on our night out, most along the line of “wow…love your blouse…where did you buy it”.  I’ll take those, thank you very much!

I’ve some beautiful lightweight cotton with a divine polka dot that I’ve been hoarding since November last year (6 metres of it…an anniversary gift from The Husband.  Reason to love him #762!)

I’m planning to add some shirring to the centre back to add a little more shaping, and to the bottom of the sleeve instead of a cuff.  I’ll probably just gather the sleeve next time although I do like the pleat, but I’m contemplating adding some pintucks to the front and moving the opening to the back with a wee button.

It’ll have to wait a little bit though.  A certain young lady has commandeered some red denim in my stash and dragged me to the sewing shop today to buy lining and notions for her own version of the Spring Showers Jacket.  Hey…it’s cheaper than a bike!

I had the good fortune this week to be asked to test again for Elegance & Elephants.

You already know how much I love Heidi’s patterns.  You’ve seen them often enough here.

This time it was Boy’s turn to be my muse for Heidi’s latest delightful offering, the Spring Showers Jacket.

The Pattern

This is a really cute unisex jacket in sizes 2 – 12. I made the size 4/5.  The PDF comes together really quickly and easily and each size is nicely nested to enable you to cut or trace your required size without having to squint! The instructions are well written with clear photos holding your hand every step of the way. The pattern has some sweet touches like the patch pockets with flaps:

and a cute visor on the hood!

The Fabric

I chose this fabulous navy camo cotton drill  from Minerva Fabrics for the outer shell and a plain cotton, also from Minerva for the lining.  I lined the sleeves in a matching poly to make the jacket easier to slip on and off.

What do I think?

No surprises… I love this pattern.  Heidi has done it again.  This is going to be a firm favourite Chez Stitches.

I’m thrilled with this jacket.  This is the sort of garment I’d happily spend good money on, but am even happier to have made myself.

My little man is 5 but small for his age.

This means he’s got lots of room to put a sweater underneath on cooler days, and will also get lots of wear out of this.

He loves it too.

Bonus!

The pattern is available now.  If you’ve got small people I can really recommend this pattern.  I’ve got a feeling it won’t be too long before I’m making a pink or red version for a certain little lady.  She’s dropping huge hints to that effect. And who am I to argue?

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this pattern in return for my testing of the pattern and subsequent feedback.  All opinions are, however, entirely my own.  

New 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.

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

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

I 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!

The 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!

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

And, more importantly, Button loves it too!

 

Thank you all for you lovely comments on my last post.  Apologies for not responding to each one but it’s been a very busy few days.  I know I’m a terrible tease…so I today I managed to get photos of the new skirt to share with you.

I LOVE this skirt.

It’s so comfortable.  I doubled the width of the waistband and it sits so much better on me.  Waistbands are the bane of my life.  I usually find them hideously fidgety and uncomfortable, but this one is a joy!

Also the stretch denim contributes to the comfort and wearability of the skirt. This is from the Cloth House on Berwick Street in London.  I scored it on my last visit and at £12 a metre I really couldn’t leave it behind.  It’s wonderful. It’s quite a heavy weight but has great stretch and recovery, meaning I can bend and stretch without restriction.  As any mum knows this is a critical factor of any garment!

The back has a walking vent which means that even though the skirt is slightly pegged, you can still chase around should you need to!

The pockets were cut on the cross grain.  Mainly because I didn’t have enough fabric left to cut them lengthwise.  But lets call them a design feature, shall we?

Even with the topstitching this is a really, really quick make.

I know from the comments that some of you have reservations about sewing with denim, but I have to tell you that I find it an absolute joy to work with.  It’s a very well mannered fabric.  It behaves on the machine, presses beautifully, and holds a very crisp topstitch. Even with the stretch this was a pleasure to sew. I heartily recommend it.

My only caveat would be to use a jeans machine needle.

It’s a thicker needle with a sharper point designed specifically to punch cleanly through all the layers of fabric.  It makes life so much easier and they are readily available…not remotely exotic.

I also think it needs to be said that there is no mystery or witchcraft around topstitching.  I lengthen my stitch to at least 4.0 and work out what I’m going to use as my guide for the line of stitching.  Sometimes its the edge of the foot, sometimes I use a specialist foot such as an edge-stitching or 1/4 inch foot.  It all depends on what effect I’m looking for.  I always make a note of what I’m doing because I can never remember which stitch length or guide I’ve used, and the note ensures all seams get the same treatment.

Then I simply take it slowly.  I’m very lucky as my machine has a slider on it which slows down the speed of the machine no matter how heavy footed you are.  But I was doing some topstitching for a friend the other day and her machine doesn’t have this function so I just kept a light touch on the pedal and got a great result.

The moral of this is that if I can do it, so can you.

But back to the skirt.  I have just a couple of reservations…

1. should I raise the hem a bit?  I don’t want to be flashing my underwears* to the world, nor am I thinking as short as the Washi dress of doom, but I am wondering if it wouldn’t look a bit better a hem width shorter than it is.
2. Should I peg the side seams a little more?  It’s a very comfy fit around the waist, but I’m suspecting it could stand just a little more tapering to the knee. I’m a classic apple shape, so I’m thicker around the waist with slender legs…perhaps a little more tapering would offset that imbalance somewhat.

I’d be interested to hear what you think…you guys always give the best advice. And, as I’ve ordered a sample of some red stretch denim from Ditto fabrics…

…I could always whip up another version with the alterations and compare and contrast. 😉 As this only takes a metre of fabric, it’s a pretty inexpensive experiment.

I think with a little tweaking this could become my TNT skirt pattern.  Its quick and easy to make, and economical with fabric. I could easily draft some diagonal pockets for the front.  Or a fly front to give it a more classic jeans skirt styling. And, of course, there are the front welt pockets already on the pattern.  Endless opportunities to experiment…all resulting in a very useful wardrobe staple that will get lots and lots of wear.

* underwears = under garments.  This word was coined by Button and has stuck.  Generally used in the phrase “Mummy, I can see your underwears” when I’m getting dressed in the morning and accompanied by much chortling .  I’m running with the explanation that it’s the fact that I’m only in my underwears that causes the chortling, not how I look in them! 😉  You never know with a 5 year old!