Super Scalloped Lilou

DIY
My shiny new copy of Love at First Stitch and the bargain fabric I wrote about it my last post have been keeping me super busy this week!


Pins and scissors ready, I jumped straight into making the lovely Lilou dress so I could have it ready to take on my holiday. The stripe fabric I used is a lightweight cotton - pretty good for what is officially my first me-made summer dress!

I love scalloped edges. I seem to spot lovely scalloped-detailed garments in shops like Hobbs all the time, but then I always have the 'Ohhh can I justify spending this much..?' debate. So I was thrilled to see that one of Tilly's suggested variations for the Lilou dress was to make a scalloped neckline.


Tilly provides step-by-step instructions on how to add the scallops to your pattern. I knew that tin of Savers kidney beans would come in handy at some point! (Product placement at its best - other tins are available). I traced around the tin so mine would be bold and deep. The construction part is SO simple - I think my wardrobe will be full of scalloped edges and trims soon!


Love at First Stitch is great because it gives you the confidence to try out these tricks and techniques that you've long-admired, but not quite plucked up the guts to actually do. Sometimes - especially for the not so confident sewist - it's easy to get caught up in sticking to the pattern and following the 'rules'. The book encourages you the reader/maker to 'make it your own' throughout, and that's something I love - even more of that 'I did it myself!' feeling when you've done.


I cut a straight size 3, and like A Stitching Odyssey, I reduced my seam allowance to 1cm near the bust to avoid the dreaded FBA. In hindsight, I probably should have re-positioned the bust dart as everything's looking a bit pointy around there - but hey, maybe I wanted everyone to think that I'm wearing Madonna-style Gaultier underwear...

One thing I did do was take in the shoulder seams a little to stop a bit of gaping in the back. I'd probably take a centimetre off the shoulders on the pattern next time, just to get the right fit for me.



And it's done! I'm not sure I'd win any prizes if you inspected the finish up close, but that's my fault for making a few mistakes and being too lazy to fix them. The waist seam at the back doesn't quite match at either side of the zip - it's just a few millimetres out - and not all of my skirt pleats meet the darts on the bodice where they should. But I think you'd only notice these things if you were told (whoops, there I go giving away my secrets!) By placing the horizontal stripes on the bodice and vertical stripes on the skirt, I will hopefully confuse the onlooker's eyes so they don't see them anyway - definitely the intention.


The whole dress has cost me less than £5 to make, and I'd say that the quality is a fair bit better than a cheap dress from the high street. The lined bodice gives it a particularly nice, neat finish - hiding away all the raw edges and dodgy bits! I haven't lined a garment since I did my A Levels, so it was a really useful reminder/practice.


The Lilou dress might well become my new wardrobe staple. It's so simple, but at the same time, the results are really pretty - it proves that you don't need to put a bow of distraction on top of everything *cough cough*. You only need 2 metres of your main fabric for the dress itself, (0.5 of your lining fabric) so I definitely plan on having a snoop in the fabric shop and investing in something a bit fancier.
Some ideas:

  1. A chintzy floral Lilou, maybe with a longer length skirt and regular neckline
  2. A medium-weight quality black fabric LBL (Little Black Lilou)
  3. A bold, block-coloured Lilou -  I'm thinking green or red
Here is a quick view of the back of the dress too. Eagle-eyed readers may spot some slightly out stitching, but oh well!


So it looks like me and the Lilou pattern are going to become very well acquainted. I'm also keen to try out the Mimi blouse. But for now, I'm signing off and putting down the needle and thread. It's mere HOURS until I leave to go on holiday, and as I'm heading to a music festival, I just had to see if the Lilou has the moves...


...OH YES IT DOES. Adiós!

Double Denim

box pleats
Well, not quite double denim - though I'm definitely not opposed to it - but I made a second skirt from the MASSIVE amount of denim that I accidentally purchased. Unfortunately I've used it all up now, so I won't be recruiting members for a B*Witched tribute act.

I decided to make a second version of the box pleat skirt from the Sewing Bee book. And I did something that I know I shouldn't have done really... I cut against the grain. Rather than matching the selvedges when folding like you're usually meant to, I had to fold the fabric the other way to make the pattern fit. In fact, there was enough to lengthen the skirt a bit, and in my defence, it was more economical - waste not want not etc. NOTE: I wouldn't normally do this, but as it as I already have a skirt made from the same denim, (which you can find here) I thought why not? If it goes wrong it goes wrong, and then I'll have learnt my lesson.

Final  fitting, pins and all
I added 3" to the length - I'm going for the demure look clearly - and after causing my sewing machine some serious stress with a few too many layers of denim, I had a finished skirt, pretty much all in an evening's work! I just had to slipstitch the inside of the waistband rather than machine sew due to the thickness of the denim. The pattern didn't have a lengthen/shorten line, which probably suggests that I wasn't supposed to go altering it, but oh well, I gave it a go anyway! I actually quite like the length, I think it makes the skirt look completely different to my first version.


In hindsight, denim really wasn't the most suitable fabric to use. I can't decide whether to say it sticks out, or just holds its shape very well...

The waistband however, is much sturdier and less likely to crease and bunch up when sitting. I'd definitely recommend using a thicker interfacing (or a couple of layers of lightweight) if making the skirt with a thinner fabric.

The box pleats hold well, but I wasn't really sure where they should stop. In the poly cotton, they fell much more naturally, so in a fairly robust denim, it was quite difficult to make them look like they naturally fade out.


It's not my biggest success, but then it's not a disaster either. It might not be holiday wear, but that's because it's quite heavy and I'm only taking hand luggage (ha!), but I imagine it will get a bit of wear over the summer.

Next up is the Simplicity 2154 blouse version 2. I can see me being the type of sewist (sewer?) who tends to stick with patterns I like once I've found them...


A bloody big bow (and the Simplicity 2154 blouse behind it)

bow
If you walk past me in the street, you'll probably see the bow before you notice me, because I finished the Simplicity 2154 blouse. I had great fun with the pattern and love pretty much everything about the finished garment - I'd wear it every day if I could!


It was frantically finished on the morning that I wanted to wear it. I spent my train journey picking out all the tacking and basted stitches and did a bit of a rush job with the zip. I was in such a rush to get leave the house that I didn't get chance to take a picture of it. So the first picture of me in my dream blouse ended up being a badly-lit, slightly tipsy toilet selfie (sorry!). I cropped the toilets out for everyone's sake, but my elbow does seem to be resting in one, that's just my natural stance...


And sshhhhhh it's a secret, but it wasn't actually finished - I didn't have time to hem the blouse, very bad of me I know, but it was tucked in so who was going to notice?

After it's first wear, I finished the hem, did a few adjustments and took some proper photos:


THE BOW: It's big, so big it overshadows the blouse, and probably me, but I don't care because I LOVE IT! I can totally understand why both Bimble and Pimble and Handmade Jane chose not to interface their versions, but I really do love the structure it's given mine, and it also sits really nicely when worn with a cardigan. I used medium weight interfacing rather than light weight, and the bow sits a bit differently to how the pattern intends it to, but that's fine by me. I'd suggest skipping the interfacing altogether though if you wanted more of a drape on it, particularly if you're using a 100% cotton that already holds its shape quite well like this one.



There's no underestimating the amount of satisfaction you can get from a tiny button. I managed to find the perfect little retro match for the blouse. The back had a bit of a tweak after the first wear - it didn't quite sit right at first, so I got my flatmate to do a temporary safety pin fix. I ended up just moving the button over so there was a slight overlap at the top of the back opening. I was also meant to make a thread loop for the button, but I was being lazy and opted for an elastic loop instead. The thread loop is one to try in the future though - I'll be following this tutorial when I get around to making one.


And here it is worn with my denim Sewing Bee pencil skirt, and my pale and holiday-ready limbs. I made a straight size 14 with no adjustments, and although it fits perfectly on the bust, there's a bit of excess fabric around the waist. Luckily, I tuck most things in anyway, and the high waist of the pencil skirt works great. I had been a bit uncertain about having a zip in the side, but it's lapped and barely noticeable. I might consider putting one in the back instead to give a bit more flexibility with adjusting the side seams, but I should probably just pluck up the courage to take in the darts instead.


I've been planning the next version(s) already. I'm thinking of making a couple of simple collared versions without the bow, to have as throw-on wardrobe staples. When I'm a bit more confident with different fabrics (and hopefully have a better sewing machine) I'd like to try it in a thin, body-skimming fabric with a better drape too! 

 But for now, goodbye from a very happy me and my bow!

'The emergency exits are located here, here and here...'

collar
Arghhh, I've done it, I've started the DREAM BLOUSE!

I spent soooo long trying to pick a fabric that was just right. I went to the shops with red-spots-on-white in mind, a bit like an inverted version of Handmade Jane's lovely version which can be found here... but no success. So I just went all out and bought this incredibly retro 100% cotton - scroll down for a closer look. I'm probably going to end up looking all retro air hostess like the model on the cover of the pattern, but oh well, I think that's a look I can handle.


I behaved like a very studious little dressmaker and read all of the instructions before beginning. It's a good job as well, because you had to fold RIGHT sides together when cutting out the fabric - that's not something I've come across before, it might not have made too much difference anyway, but I followed it word for word.


Then came the boring, time-consuming bit - transferring all of the pattern markings. Lots and lots of dots, a fair few darts, and notches galore.


Then the sewing... which so far, has been pretty straight forward. Me/my machine struggled a bit with the more complex front and back darts. Part of this is because my machine is a mini Janome for beginners. It really struggles with taking up fabric/gripping it properly, making it much harder to sew in straight lines, hummppphhh. The other part is down to me - I pinned my darts but didn't tack them into place and now they're a bit wonky. Lesson learnt, tacking is imperative and I'd better not get too big for my boots now.


All being said with the darts, it doesn't actually look too bad at all! I've just pinned the collar into place on this picture to give an idea of what it will look like. There's a neat little opening in the centre front seam just above the bust, and one at the back, which will fasten with a button and loop. It also has a side zip, something I completely didn't realise at first (didn't read the instructions that well did I?!) so I had to make a return visit to shops to pick one up.

But now for the BOW! Ohhh the bow <3

Fitting and finishing

denim
I'm well on my way to a denim wardrobe - I did used to know someone who was partial to wearing triple denim, so I may have to take some tips!

Constructing the skirt was really simple, especially as I've made it before. It's just the fitting that takes a while. A lot of trying it on inside out and pinning to get the shape just right.



*Note - If I was making something fancier I would've probably asked for some assistance with the fitting. It's pretty awkward to fit a garment properly whilst twisting, turning and pinning!*

After I'd got the fit down - and made sure I could sit down in it this time! - it just needed a few finishing touches.


Since using bias binding for the hem of a full skirted dress, I'm a complete convert. Neat and speedy to do, and I even managed to accidentally match it to my nail polish. I chose a nice contrasting colour for any little flashes of it that you might catch through the kick pleat. 



A bit of slip stitch to secure the waist facing in place and it's all done. 

Despite being one of the simplest garments I've made, I'd say it's probably the best in fit and finish. 


Almost holiday ready now! Just need to have a go at making a blouse to go with it too - well I do have enough denim...

C'est La Vie!

denim
I'm soon to be visiting a place with a much warmer climate, but as a light-jacket weather sort of person, I face the small problem of having NO summer clothes. So with a holiday wardrobe in mind, I have a little bit of 'the fear' and need to get sewing!

My Sewing Bee pencil skirt has had quite a few wears, so I thought I'd make another, but one more suited to the season. At the time of making, I thought it would be great in a medium-light coloured denim, and it was quite an easy one to whip up, so I thought I'd give it a go.


I went to the local market with the right amounts in mind, but somehow managed to return home with enough denim to clothe B*Witched circa 1998...


I clearly have great ambitions to join B*Witched - hope there's enough denim to make a cowboy hat too!
I'd recommend this pattern for all levels of skill. It has real minimal pattern markings/tailor tacks and that's always the bit that I get most impatient with.


Just a bit of prep with basting the darts (4 in the front and 2 on each of the back pieces) and then you're ready to get sewing. I'm making it up in the size 12 measurements this time as I had to adjust the fit quite a lot last time.


Ready to get sewing... so C'est La Vie!

Work In (polka) Progress

DIY
I've been spending my evenings slaving over my sewing machine and a hot iron- and I've watched LOADS of the Sex and the City box set while doing so. I have an event in mind that I'd like to wear my (currently unfinished) polka dot dress to... and it's SOON.



Notes on making so far:
  1. The basic shell of the bodice was quite simple to put together, though I thought I'd cut the side bodice in the wrong size at first. It turns out, there has to be a bit of extra fabric to allow a bit of give in the shaping of the bust. After taking care to match all the pattern markings properly, my panic was over. 
  2. I attached my skirt before taking in the side seams and doing a bit of grading to make the waist a better fit. This is probably cheating... or cutting corners at least. In future, I know it would be best to have a bit of patience and work these adjustments out on the pattern before jumping into the making. Although I have a nice smooth side seam now, it would save all the excess fabric at the seams and the unpicking/re-stitching game.
  3. The bust was pretty tricky to shape, but not unmanageable. I must have tried it on about 10 times already, as well as accidentally pinning it to my bra/me (ouch!) You can still see some pins at the top of the bust on the picture above. Just a few final tweaks now the skirt is attached and I've got the zip in place. *I will make this fit!*


It took a bit of work, but it feels so good to have got the fit of the bodice pretty much spot on. I was a bit unsure about adding the sleeves, but once I had the fit down, I thought why not?! Apologies for the badly lit mirror selfies and my pasty legs - must work out a better way to take pictures.

All that's left now is a bit of sewing to finish off the arms and hem, both with bias binding. So nearly WIP no longer!



Polka party!

DIY
I'm a couple of skirts in to my serious effort to sew, and I think it's about time I made a dress. I've made a dress before actually, but it was about 6 years ago - an *ahem* interesting, shiny, corseted creation for my for my A Level textiles coursework...

Making my own dresses might be the only way that I'm going to get a good fit. I have quite a small waist and hips, but a completely out of proportion bust measurement. If I go with the size that fits my boobs it looks like you could pitch me up on a festival camp site. If I choose the size that suits my waist, my breasts will embark upon an angry protest to escape the constraints of size 10 seams - I probably wouldn't be able to breath either. 


I'm going for this dress anyway - yes it's another from the Sewing Bee book, I'm getting predictable now. There are loads of online tutorials for traditional Full Bust Adjustments, but I'm going to save that for another time, as I happened to pick a dress without darts. The bodice however, has a front bodice and two side bodice pieces, so hopefully it should be fairly adjustable in fit - as long as I cut enough fabric!

I'm using a medium weight, polka-dot printed cotton. Hopefully it will be just right in thickness - withstand the fullness of my bust while still having plenty of movement in the full skirt. I managed to get the PERFECT match on my zip/thread/bias binding too.


It's a good job the living room is a decent size. This is more fabric and pattern pieces than I'm used to working with! I haven't decided whether to add the sleeves or not so I've put that pattern piece to one side for now.


I'm feeling a bit nervous about the making, but that's because I really want it to work. Fingers crossed I can wear it with me-made pride! And who knows, it could revolutionise my wardrobe. Here's hoping.

Thanks for visiting!

Thanks for visiting!