Ready to Sew Julien Jacket

finished project
It's been a while, but I always love the opportunity to pattern test for Ready to Sew, and the Julien might be one of my favourites yet! The weather is just making a change for the better over here and the Julien Chore Jacket is the perfect spring layer to throw on with just about anything, apart from animal print in my case, as let's just say I went a bit... wild with my fabric choice!

The Ready to Sew Julien
Julien is a simple boxy jacket, inspired by vintage French workwear, with a few neat bits of detailing to keep things interesting, along with French seams and (my favourite) plenty of topstitching! It's not too dissimilar from the RTW styles you might see at Everlane, Toast or even Topshop at the minute. The sizing runs from 32-52 (it's the second Ready to Sew pattern available in an extended size range) and the pattern offers half sizes, along with links to extra tutorials on grading between sizes, lengthening or shortening, enlarging the sleeves and doing an FBA. 

Julien line drawings
My finished Julien!
My measurements set me between a 38 at the hips, 39 at the waist and a 40 at the bust, so not a huge difference on the sizing scale. I always love that Ready to Sew PDFs are layered, allowing you to just print the pattern lines for the size(s) you want to make. This would've made it really easy to grade if I wanted to, but I decided to go with a straight size 39, which has turned out to be a great fit.




There's a whole range of fabrics that would be suitable for Julien - everything from linen for a lighter more shirt-like look, to quite heavy denims for a more durable finish - but I think this might just be my defining moment in fabric selection. I'd planned to go for an on-trend khaki, until I came across this incredible snakeskin print cotton drill from Fabric Godmother and the make turned fully 'on safari'. (It's still available here and I can't tell you how tempted I am by the matching cotton and silk mix too)!
Yes - you may notice that I did change my tights halfway through picture taking!
I used just under 1.6m for the size 39 with a bit of shuffling to the cutting layout (the recommended fabric requirements are 1.85m for sizes 32-44 and 2.4m for sizes 45-52). I bought a 2m length of my fabric so I should have some enough left for some excellent #sewingleftovers - I think it's finally time to make that Fennel Fanny Pack!


The pattern is intermediate level, but I'd definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a challenge too. I found it really easy and enjoyable to make, particularly as it employs a simple approach to the construction of some ordinarily quite challenging elements of a jacket/shirt.

Back view
The back vent is constructed using a clever bit of folding, rather than being made up of multiple pattern pieces. The button placket and sleeve openings are also really simple to construct, and nowhere near as challenging as a regular shirt, yet still have every bit a professional finish, inside and out. The sleeve opening equally saves on pattern pieces, as you just use the seam allowances to create it, and it looks great!

Sleeve/cuff detailing
Pocket detail!
The jacket is unlined, but the inside finish is well considered too, with French seams employed for most edges. A lot of the seams are also topstitched, partly as a design feature, but also for extra durability. The only thing that's a shame about this particular fabric is that it's glowing white on the underside - I wish it was snakeskin print all the way through!

Neat inside and out!


The only thing I changed with mine was to interface the upper collar piece and the cuffs. The instructions don't suggest doing so (the interfacing is just for the button placket), and with a lot of heavier fabrics it's probably not needed, but I thought it would improve the structure of my jacket. Other than that, its spot on and I'd make it exactly the same next time.

Lovely Julien!
I can't recommend the Julien enough, and whilst it might take me a while to get round to it (I've had the Ready to Sew Joe Blazer queued up for about a year!) I'd definitely like to make another, probably in a plain block colour. Thanks to Raph for letting me test yet another fantastic pattern :)

For more inspiration check out #julienreadytosew
The Julien pattern is available now from here


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Ready to Sew Juliette Skirt

faux leather
Hello all! I'm excited to show and tell you about the fab experience I had sewing up the new Juliette Skirt ahead of it's launch as a part of Ready to Sew's latest collection of patterns! I've pattern-tested for Raphaëlle on a number of occasions and her patterns never disappoint. It's up against some stiff competition, but I think that Juliette, a high waisted, A-line mini skirt, perfectly suited to leather or faux leather/suede, might just be my favourite Ready to Sew make yet!
My finished Ready to Sew Juliette!
As with the previous Ready to Sew patterns I've made, the PDF pattern is layered, so you can select only your size or sizes before printing, and the instructions offer a playlist and click through tutorials to provide extra help for some of the trickier techniques. This pattern is marked as intermediate level, but if you're confident enough to try out a fair bit of topstitching then I'm sure it would be really manageable for an advanced beginner, particularly in a 'friendlier' fabric such as denim or cotton drill. 

Juliette line drawings
Snow/sew day-ing
A new and exciting option for Juliette is that the pattern offers half sizes! The half sizes go up in 2cm increments, making it so much easier to get the right fit. My waist measurement perfectly matched the size 39 (ordinarily I would've just sized up rather than have the confidence to make alterations) so I went with this.

Side shot
Check that pleather/boot match!
The pattern offers two suggested lay plans - one using only one fabric, and the other for a colour blocked version. I found this amazing deep red faux leather (that couldn't be a better match for my new ankle boots) in Samuel Taylors in Leeds. It's medium-heavy weight and has a really interesting texture and mottled finish that's quite hard to capture in anything but the close up photos. Best of all, the plain version of the skirt uses only 1 metre of fabric, making mine a total bargain (this was £9.50 p/m).
Close up of the pocket and topstitched detailing
I chose, and often choose faux leather or suede rather than the real deal for a few reasons:
  • Cost and ease: It's a lot cheaper than buying the perfect piece of leather for your project, and often easier to source.
  • Limiting consumption: Whilst I'm not veggie/vegan, I do err on the side of caution with when it comes to using real leather. I would feel much guiltier about a sewing fail or unworn garment if it was made using animal products.  
  • Best for the tests: Pleather is perfect for giving a pattern a first go to check that you're happy with the fit and style and confident in the pattern if you're up for progressing to the real deal.

Pleather hacks - sellotape seams!
I'm really pleased to report that the Juliette Skirt was a breeze to put together, despite a few difficulties with stubborn, bulky pleather. I used a walking foot and increased my stitch length as recommended for the topstitching. The crossing intersections of the skirt were a the hardest bits to stitch over, so I stuck a bit of tape over the seam allowances, which helped to reduce sticking. The topstitching is great for creating really crisp seams as pleather is so hard to press. I hand stitched the inside of my waistband as the bulk was too much for my machine - I really wanted to topstitch this seam too but unfortunately had to skip it. Overall though, I'm so pleased with the level of detail in the finish.

Back view
More back detail from an earlier snow storm-blighted picture taking attempt
I particularly like how the back has turned out. I'd never inserted a zip using this method before - grateful for the click-through tutorial in the pattern! - so it was cool to learn a new technique. It worked particularly well for creating a neat finish with a tricky fabric. I finished the top of my waistband with a Prym anorak fastening, rather than the recommended button and buttonhole - no way would that buttonhole/bulk be compatible with my machine! Also on the finish: the pattern is fully lined so no risk of sweaty pleather thighs (erghh) - I used a nice quality black crepe from my stash.

Thanks to my boyfriend for his patience in the 3 attempts it took to get these pictures!
The finished fit of the garment is perfect, especially the waistband thanks to those half sizes! I found that the pockets gaped when I tried it on before joining the waistband (I have a narrow waist and quite curvy hips which probably explains this) but they were really easy to adjust and baste back in place. This is something that I fed back to Raphaëlle who has included a point in the instructions to check that the pockets lay flat at this point. Raph has also gone above and beyond to offer an extra option of the Juliette Skirt without pockets too - helpful if you know they might be tricky to fit for you!

:)
I soooo can't wait to make another Juliette Skirt and can fast see it becoming a wardrobe staple (overtaking the much loved New Look 6418). In fact, I love my finished Juliette so much that I'm actually considering committing to a real leather or suede version, probably from any scraps that I can source. A totally patchwork version could look really great, don't you think? I would definitely recommend the pattern, and if you need any more convincing, just check out some of the other fab tester versions at #juliettereadytosew

The new Ready to Sew Collection: Jeanne, Jim, Jamie & Juliette
Thanks again to Ready to Sew for allowing me to test it!
Juliette is available now alongside the new Jeanne T-Shirt, Jamie Cardigan and Jim Dungarees.
See here to pick up a copy!

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Just Patterns Linda Wrap Dress (turned jacket)!

finished project
I went to the wedding of one of my oldest friends this weekend and naturally, I cut it fine finishing my handmade outfit. With just a week to go, I set my heart on wearing the beautiful Linda Wrap Dress by Just Patterns, which I was testing for their Pattern Development Group. I turned it into one of those 'all or nothing' situations, so when the dress didn't quite turn out as I'd planned, I performed the ultimate sewing salvage and transformed it from wrap dress to dress-coat!
Just Patterns Linda Wrap Dress worn as a jacket
I've had my eye on Just Patterns for a while and the Linda Wrap Dress was the main reason I put myself forward to be in the Pattern Development Group. I particularly loved the angled collar and wrap-style/belt fastening and was really keen to make it. It's worth noting that whilst I was sent a copy for free to test, the feedback I provided and this blog post are both pretty honest about some of the difficulties I had!
Linda Wrap Dress line drawings
I used a mid-weight khaki peachskin-type which was only £4p/m from Lucky Fashions in Dewsbury. It has a really nice drape but is still weighty enough for the quite 'tailored' details of the dress. I cut a size 42 based on my bust and waist measurements in the size chart. The dress is intended to be fairly loose fitting and as it has a wrap fastening, I thought I'd have a bit of flexibility with sizing, but in hindsight, I should've probably worked more from the finished garment measurements.

My Linda Wrap COAT
When it came to making, I was initially intimidated by how minimal the instructions are - there are no illustrations, just an order of construction - but this turned out to be good in a way and really pushed me to think for myself and put my skills into practice. Luckily there's a resource page on the Just Patterns website, which signposts useful tutorials for parts of the construction. I relied heavily on some of these tutorials, particularly for instructions like 'construct the sleeve plackets' (which I would've found absolutely terrifying otherwise)! It was actually a really good way to learn new techniques and discover new blogs and tutorials in the process!

Super proud of these sleeve plackets!
I loved adding the little details to my Linda Dress. There is A LOT of topstitching to do and I used some bright buttons from Textile Garden (the same as the ones on my Ready to Sew Jane) to add a pop of colour and draw the eye to the sleeve detailing too - I'm so unbelievably proud of those sleeve plackets! The overall finish is really professional, particularly if you follow the instructions to French seam pretty much any visible seam - I skipped this as an overlocked edge is fine by me.

A flash of the bias bound inside bodice edge
Attaching the skirt and bodice to the belt requires a little bit of concentration to make sure you match the right notches, but everything else was fairly straight forward. By the time it came to adding the belt fastening I'd tried it on and realised that it wouldn't be wearable as a dress (I had planned to add a D ring fastening). Unfortunately the dress turned out pretty huge all over, but particularly in the bodice and I could pinch a good 4-5" out of the waist. It's worth noting that a few of the testers had problems with sizing and this is something that Just Patterns are addressing.

Worn as a dress...
It's a little hard to tell from pictures alone (sorry for the clutter!) but the shoulders are off and the front gapes with any movement. There's a limit to how far over you can tie the belt because of the gathered detail around the waistband and the pocket on the side, so the fit wasn't as flexible as I had first thought. It was just starting to look like a real shame to waste all the hard work I'd put into the make, when my boyfriend commented that he thought it was meant to be a coat all along.

Ready to Sew Jazz Jumpsuit
When worn open it totally worked in an over-sized, COS-like, over-coat fashion. With 2 more days until the wedding, I didn't have many options other than to run with it anyway! So what to wear it with?! I made this Ready to Sew Jazz Jumpsuit in black crepe straight after making my first version and it has yet to appear on the blog. I have nothing but praise for this pattern and it works so perfectly in a slightly heavier, drapey fabric. I probably wouldn't have worn either garment without the other as they're both quite plain, but paired together I totally felt like it was leaning towards the minimal/cool look. I also wore my go-to snakeskin heels from M&S with a Whistles clutch for a bit of colour.

Jazz Jumpsuit
I didn't have to make any changes to the dress-turned-jacket other than omitting the fastening. I kept the belt tie, though I'm wondering whether I should cut it off and stitch the edge up so it's level or add another sort of fastening. I'm still undecided so suggestions are very much welcome!

Back view
Behind the scenes assistance from my friend Alex!
So all in all everything turned out great! And the whole thing (jacket and jumpsuit) cost no more than £25. I have to say that I'm soooo so pleased with the Linda Wrap Dress (jacket), even if my testing did go slightly off piste. I'll absolutely be making up another version in the future, but will be sure to double check the finished garment measurements and down size first. If you're feeling like a fun challenge and maybe learning some new techniques along the way then I'd definitely recommend giving it a go! You can get a copy of the pattern here.

Thank you Chris for taking pictures xx
A lot of the testers made some perfect Linda Wrap Dresses (that they actually wore as dresses) so be sure to check out #lindawrapdress for the real deal!

Wedding gang!
I still can't quite believe I pulled it off (well I think I just about did...). It really does feel like the ultimate sewing save. Has anyone else got a great sewing salvage story?

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Afternoon Fern Shorts

Afternoon
Have you come across Afternoon yet? They're an indie pattern label based in Cape Town, offering patterns in both PDF and printed formats. I had the lovely task of testing their latest release, the Fern Shorts, and I'm pretty pleased with the finished garment:

My Afternoon Fern Shorts
The PDF version of the pattern is only 18 pages long when printing in A4, so there's really not much cutting and sticking to do - though if PDFs really aren't your bag, you can order a printed version. The instruction booklet is beautifully designed which is great if, like me, you're the sort of person who likes to display your favourite printed patterns! The fab level of design extends beyond the cover too - the instructions are well laid out and the illustrations are some of the clearest I've seen.

Afternoon Fern Shorts
I cut a size D from the A-F size chart (UK 6 - 16/US 2 - 12 equivilent) which was an exact match for my waist measurement. I could have sized down by 2 sizes on the hips, but chose not to as I wanted them to be loose and retain a bit of volume in the legs to balance out from my waist measurement. I used a mid-weight cotton - the closest thing I can liken it to is a sort of brushed cotton - as I had plenty left over from making these B6178 culottes. The culottes would probably work better in something lighter with more movement, but it holds the shape of the Fern Shorts really well.

Directing take a picture from 'here to here', not doing a 'taa-daah'
It was a really straightforward sew that would suit anyone from an advanced/adventurous beginner to someone who has been sewing for years. I personally found the pockets the hardest to set in, but this might just be because it was my first sew for a month and I was feeling a little rusty. It would have been nice to have a few more pattern markings to help with this step and this is something that I fed back (*note: as a tester, the pattern I worked from wasn't the final version, so it will be the new and improved version that's released for sale). I topstitched my pocket opening for a neater finish - a bit like the pocket openings on the Joanne Culottes - just because I really love topstitching.

Pocket and side zip details
The shorts fasten with a concealed zip at the right side. I'm the sort of person who would usually avoid garments with a side zip for fear of it being more difficult, when the method is actually exactly the same as normal - does anyone else make up unnecessary sewing fears? It makes for a much neater finish to have the zip tucked away and concealed by a side seam and it was actually really easy to do!


As a note, I needed to use a loop turner for the belt loops and the tie. The tie is really long and I'm not sure I would've had the patience for the safety pin method. It's actually a bit skinnier than I thought it would be, so in future, I'll probably take a smaller seam allowance to make it a bit wider.

Back view
One big thing I learnt from making the Fern Shorts is how to do proper turn ups - finally! I can't tell you how long I laboured away on unsuccessful turn ups for these vintage pattern trousers before giving up. The only thing I need to do with my Fern turn ups is to pop a couple of stitches in the centre back to hold them in place, as you might be able to see from the back image.

Finished Ferns!
I'm not a usual shorts wearer an I haven't worn them since my 'vintage kilo sale' phase at uni - ill fitting cut-off Wranglers and tights anyone? - but the style of the Fern Shorts has totally changed my mind. There's something about the wide legs and turn ups that make them seem cooler and a bit more 'grown up'. I love Fern's shaping, particularly around the waistband through to the pockets, and I'll definitely be using them as the base for a culotte/wide leg trouser hack in the near future. 


Thanks Jen for letting me test the Fern Shorts. I can definitely recommend the pattern and I wore mine all bank holiday weekend as we actually got some sun! I'd love to say that I'll be making many more pairs straight away, but unfortunately the UK weather probably won't be up to it - next summer though! 

One of the outtakes - thanks Chris for taking pictures and making me laugh
The Fern Shorts are available to buy now here. Also keep your eye on the Afternoon blog for the Fern sew-along - previous sew-alongs have been super thorough, so it's definitely something to look out for if you need a bit of help along the way or are learning new sewing skills!

Now what fabric should I choose for my Fern-culotte hack?

Stay in touch!


Jazz Ready to Sew

finished project
I've had the pleasure of testing another wonderful pattern recently. Please welcome the newest member of the Ready to Sew family and the follow up to the equally fab Joanne Culottes/Shorts pattern: the 6-in-1 Jazz Jumpsuit and Dress!

Ready to Sew Jazz!
Jazz is a relaxed and stylish pattern with 6 different bodice and bottom combinations. In truly predictable me-style, I of course went for view 1, a combination of the culotte bottom and sleeveless v neck bodice (see below for the other 5 variations). I had my quick-approaching summer holiday in mind - panic holiday sewing commence! - so picked an amazing lightweight printed cotton from my stash - a £2 treasure from the last Hebden Bridge WI Rag Market - to make it up in.
Jazz variations
Jazz is a pretty hefty PDF pattern, though if you're decisive about which version you want to make, you can be savvy with your printing and save on paper. Another great paper and time saving trick is to try printed option B. The pattern lines run right up to the edge of the paper, with just the slightest gap at the margins of the page, meaning no trimming before taping pages together. I've never used a PDF like this before but I'm sold! Note, the pattern is also layered meaning you can select your size, though in my haste to get making I forgot to take advantage of this function!

PDF option B with no trimming required!
I cut a size 42 based on my bust measurement. I could have graded down to a smaller size at the hips and waist, but I figured the style was fairly relaxed anyway. As with the other Ready to Sew patterns I've made - the Jane Shirt and Joanne Culottes - the prep includes overlocking all raw edges that need it prior to sewing. I really like this method of making, as I'm usually lifting my overlocker back and forth when needed mid-make (the woes of limited sewing space).

Loving my Jazz jumpsuit!
The construction is simple and the instructions are easy to follow, again with click through tutorials on the PDF for some of the trickier techniques. My only slight downfall with this version was not stay stitching or interfacing the neckline. I managed to warp the neckline out while making which is a bit of a shame, but with the relaxed fit and nice drape of the fabric, I can just about get away with it. This is something I mentioned in my tester feedback and the final version of the pattern does have a note to interface if your fabric needs it - useful for people like me who don't give it a second thought unless told to!

My relaxed neckline
I made the whole Jazz jumpsuit, including cutting and sticking the pattern together, in just one day! It really is a breeze to sew, with a few nice techniques such as making/topstitching the pockets and gathering the bottom of the garment into the waist, keeping it interesting to sew. The most time consuming and fiddly part for me was attaching the self made binding to finish the armholes - you could use ready made if you wanted to cut a corner here - but it's worth it for the lovely finish, inside and out!

Side view
Back view
In terms of styling the finished garment, I chose to make a simple tie and attach a couple of loops at the side seams so I could belt it in for a bit of definition a the waist. Jazz is super loose fitting around the waist, which I lots of people will love, but I know I'll get more wear from mine with the option to belt it.


I love love love the finished Jazz and just haven't been able to resist wearing it before my holidays. It also came with me on a recent work trip to Barcelona and doubled up as the perfect conference/sight-seeing wear! I've just finished version number two, in black crepe - the perfect replica of an amazing &otherstories jumpsuit I've wanted to copy for years - and will share it as soon as I've got some pictures!

Jazz on tour in Barcelona!
I can't recommend the Jazz pattern enough, particularly in terms of value with 6 different garments to make from just the 1 pattern. You can buy a copy of Jazz on the Ready to Sew website here and be sure to check out other versions for inspiration at #jazzreadytosew

Thanks Chris for taking pictures, particularly encouraging this 'fun' shot
Obviously I have my favourite, but which Jazz bodice/bottom combo would you go with?

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