The Retro Rucksack!

accessories
I'm so sooo excited to share this make - my Radiant Home Studio Retro Rucksack! It was a bit of an adventure into the unknown for me because, to be honest, I'm just not a natural bag constructor/maker - I find it really hard to envisage how all the layers and linings fit together with things like this. So it was SO great to find a pattern I loved with instructions that are so amazingly thorough and detailed. I think it might just be one of the most professional looking things I've ever sewn up!

The materials
I came across the Retro Rucksack pattern after seeing a couple of beautiful versions sewn up on Try Curious Blog and Cut Cut Sew - I just had to buy the pattern for myself! I loved the roll/fold down top, and the clever design that allows you to switch between carrying it as a shoulder bag or back pack. I only hope that my post and pictures can do the bag as much justice, as I think it's such a fab pattern.

A peak inside - it's a shame that lining is hidden from view!
I enjoyed the challenge of trying to find the perfect fabrics. I knew I wanted to use wax cotton for the bottom of the bag, similar to the ones I'd already seen made up online. I was quite close to buying some Nani Iro fabric for the main bag pieces, but I'm always reluctant to order online as you can't check the weight of the fabric. In the end, I took myself to Fabworks in Dewsbury (to compensate for not being able to make the Yorkshire Spoolettes 2nd meet up *sad face*) and managed to get everything all in one go! My eventual colour-scheme/choices were inspired by the palette of lovely Leeds independent shop Colours May Vary, along with all those minimal Swedish-designed back packs that are everywhere at the minute:

- Greeny/yellow taffeta for the main bag
- Grey wax cotton for the contrast bottom and straps
- Black and white graphic print nylon for the lining

The hardware is probably the the hardest to track down. The pattern provides some handy pointers for buying in the US, but I'm across the pond in the UK and too impatient to wait for international postage. I got my clip fastenings, strap sliders and D rings for a really good price from Green Grizzly - would definitely recommend! Le Prevo is also good for bits like this too.

Zip pocket in the lining
First up, you construct the lining. This includes a zip closure pocket which I must say, I found quite difficult to get right - I've never inserted a zip with a facing placket before, so it was quite fun learning a new technique. I imagine I found it a bit harder than I should have, because I shrank some of my lining fabric slightly with the heat of the iron (eek!). Anyway, with a very cool iron and some maneuvering of mismatching pieces, I just about got away with it. There's also a handy section-pocket in the lining that's designed to be around the size of a tablet.

Close up detail!
I decided to make my own straps as the webbing I bought was just too flimsy for the job. I used the instructions provided to make super strong straps - 4 layers of wax cotton and interfacing to be precise! My sewing machine was not happy. I had a few hairy moments with the fabric thickness, but I managed it with some careful turning of the hand-wheel and a heavy duty needle. I think the bag looks much better for having matching straps, and they should hopefully withstand a lot of use!

Front view
Back view
It all came together at an exciting pace then. There's just some very careful top stitching to be done along the v-shaped panel, and it was really cool to do the XX 'crosses' to add strength where the fastening straps are attached to the bag.

More detail - to show the XX stitching over the straps
I still had my unpicker handy for the few things I did wrong... It took me 3 attempts at inserting the main zip before I got it the right way round - entirely my fault for being a sleepy sewist and skipping through the instructions. When I finally got it right, I did feel pretty good about it! After that, you fold the top in on itself by 4 inches, and stitch in the ditch of the side seams to make it look something like this:

Inside zip view
And the finished Retro Rucksack on the model
I was meant to be saving it for festival-season, but I just couldn't wait that long - it was made to be used after all! It carries a decent amount of contents - my days of carrying impractical amounts of stuff on one shoulder are over. If I make it again (which I definitely will as I promised a friend one for her birthday) I'd make the straps just a little bit longer. As a back pack, it sits just right on me, but it would be nice to have a bit of flexibility to make them longer/wear the bag a bit lower down.

Retro rucksack!
A quick change and it's a shoulder bag!
In case I've not stressed it enough already, I just need to say that I love this pattern! I'm feeling really proud and positive about my first venture into sewing accessories! I think I have the bug now - does anyone else have recommendations for some interestingly designed bag patterns?


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10 tips on sewing at low cost

Savvy sewing
Here's a very brief look at a simple skirt, made on a shoe-string at the end of a very tight-on-money January. I find that sewing my own clothes is generally cost effective, until I get tempted by all the nice patterns and fabrics. So this got me thinking that I should probably write down some tips on low cost sewing - mainly for my own reference - and see if anyone else had any too!

The under £5 skirt
  • 1. Best for basics: Most of my craft-related expenditure is spent in Leeds Kirkgate Market, where I can usually pick up all the basics - and some extra indulgent bits -  at a really good price.
  • 2. Think about your thread: There are occasions where you really should sew with high quality thread - and yes it is nicer to work with - but most of the time, I'm happy to work with cut-price bobbins. I pick up bigger-than-average bobbins of cotton at 3 for £1.20 in the market.
  • 3. Cut corners with colour matching: Again on the topic of thread; I usually keep a well stocked collection of black, white, and a neutral grey/beige and get away with sewing in these colours wherever I can! Of course, you will need a nice matching thread if topstitching - unless you're brave enough for a neat row of contrast stitches - but I try and use what I have in stock where possible.
  • 4. Reusing and recycling: It can be pretty painstaking, but try disassembling old clothes and harvest their zips, buttons and other and hardware for your new projects.
Some excellent but entirely accidental pattern and nail matching with my zip insertion
  • 5. Review your stash: A totally obvious one, but it's always worth having a look over what you already have, and maybe even making an inventory. I've lost count of the times that I've bought a zip/some elastic/new needles and then found the ones that I already had.
  • 6. Hack your patterns: As tempting as it is to buy new patterns (or the whole of the new Named collection) sometimes it's worth seeing what you can do with a pattern you already have.. It could just be widening or narrowing a trouser leg, or shortening a sleeve and adding a cuff. My recent experiments include this skirt, which was made from an TNT pencil skirt pattern that I altered the side seems of, and see my last post for a detailed look at doing just the same but with added faux wrap panels.
A hack of a TNT pencil skirt pattern that I knew had a good fit on my waist
  • 7. Savvy fabric shopping: I'm a huge fan of rag markets and craft fairs (like the Hebden Bridge WI Rag Market) where you can unearth treasures at a snip of the regular cost. I made this skirt from fabric that I picked up for just £4 at a recent Craft De-stash in Leeds - check out my other spoils below! I love trawling the bins in Abakhans too - it's no end of fun and so satisfying when you find something you love!
My super haul from the craft destash - fabric, leather, stamps and more
  • 8. Feel your fabric: I have to touch everything, and it can definitely be a deterrent from buying. This doesn't sound like a good thing, but I've seen some of the best prints that I would have bought at sight value, but after touching them and seeing how they drape, found that they're not exactly what I'm looking to work with. *Technically* saving money here by never buying them in the first place.
  • 9. Work with what you've got: I love a long length skirt, but where fabric doesn't permit, I'll raise my hemlines. In this case, the fabric really did determine the length and shape of the skirt as it was a really narrow piece. I had just enough to squeeze it out.
  • 10. Skip lining: To be honest, its a very rare occasion that I line anything anyway. I find it more economical to have a slip or underskirt in my wardrobe to wear with any garments that need the extra layer.
Adding a bit of sparkle to my day wear - worn with my Papercut Patterns Rise Turtleneck
I think this skirt's worked out as a smart little number, and it just shows that you don't have to have a huge fabric budget or masses of fabric to make something worth wearing. I definitely have some other odd metres that could be used up in a similar way.

How does everyone else manage their sewing budget?

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See it and Sew it: The faux wrap skirt

pattern hack
I try to pin sewing inspiration on Pinterest, but often forget what's saved on there till I have a look. I'm glad I looked this week, because I rediscovered a wonderful street style image that inspired me to make a new favourite: the faux wrap skirt.

The original inspiration
My version! Sans hat and belt (not really my style), but it feels very 'me'
After a bit of consideration and a few sketches, I decided I could make my own version of the skirt with a few simple hacks to a TNT skirt pattern - the pencil skirt from GBSB (made wayyyy back here and here). The back pattern piece just needed lengthening, and I just needed to draft the panels that overlay the front skirt, creating a faux wrap look. This drawing might explain things a bit better:

Plan on alterations to original pattern skirt pieces
First up I altered the side seams of the front and back skirt pieces, taking them out slightly from the hip down, so that it would be more A-line in shape, rather than pencil. I cut the length of the back skirt pieces as long as I could under the constraints my limited amount of fabric - they ended up being about 16cm longer than the front.
Extra panel I had to draft for the 'faux wrap'
The starting point to make the faux wrap pieces was to trace the altered side seam edge of the existing front and back pattern pieces - the wrap pieces would eventually be sandwiched between the front and back skirt during construction. They only needed to be deep enough to meet at the CF top of the skirt, with a little bit extra added to allow room for hemming. It was almost an exact copy of the back skirt pieces, (without darts) but I trimmed around 3cm from the bottom corner, diagonally to the top CF corner, to give that diagonal line where the pieces don't completely meet in the middle.

Back view
And then it was pretty much a case of sewing it up as normal, with the addition of the faux wrap pieces sandwiched between the front and back skirt when sewing the side seams. I used a black, wool-mix that I had left over from making the Mary Dress (from Famous Frocks: The Little Black Dress). I had to carefully consider my hemming - the front skirt needed hemming before attaching to the longer back skirt/wrap pieces - and finish the wrap panels as neatly as possible in case you get a flash of the wrong side during wear..

Skirt centre front
I wasn't so sure about how to join the wrap panels in the middle - you can't really work it out from the inspiration image. I was thinking of a tie or bow at first, but the fabric is a little too thick for that. So for now, I've just tacked them in place. Does this look ok or does anyone have a better suggestion? Ideas welcome!

The finished skirt - it's really hard to photograph black garments!
I'm so pleased that it sewed up just as I imagined in my head and on paper. It's always a nice confidence boost as a sewist when you can work things out! And I really feel like this is just the sort of garment I'd want to buy from somewhere like COS, Whistles, or Toast if funds permitted, so being able to make it myself is a real 'go me!' moment. Hacking patterns isn't so scary at all and I'd encourage anyone who's not sure sure to give it a try!

Finished and getting a wear!
I'm going to try the skirt again but in a lightweight fabric with a good drape for summer - just booked my holidays :) - and I would consider adding a tie front to join the two panels. I'm going to keep trawling for inspiration as I really like the idea of making 'See it and Sew it' a regular thing/habit - both to blog about and to really challenge myself as a maker!

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Make it Easy: A newly made top and a long lost sewing magazine

vintage patterns
I recently bought an issue of Make it Easy: Mix and Match Pattern Wardrobe & Sewing Guide from an antique shop in Sheffield (though I'm not sure I'd quite class it as an antique yet - it was published in 1984). I first remember being drawn to the attractive, bright, retro designs of the Make it Easy series when I was in my teens, and I came across a bunch of them in a junk shop. I bought a few at the time, just because I liked to collect old catalogues and 'vintage' imagery. These were a bit wasted on the non-sewist teen me, so now I actually sew, it was a pleasure to come across a few issues.
The cardboard sleeve and it's contents
A preview of what's inside issue 7
Make it Easy is a 26 piece series, originally published by Marshall and Cavendish in 1984. Each issue offers instructions to make a number of garments, as well as a pattern hack and 'styling' suggestions. The patterns are all printed and enclosed with the magazine in a cardboard sleeve, and each issue comes with 'technique cards' - though mine were missing unfortunately. I decided to buy issue 7 for the top/trousers/dungarees combination of patterns.

Jam packed contents!
I've really struggled to find out much more about the series. It seems that the magazines are aimed at the beginner sewist, who was trying to build their very own 'mix and match' wardrobe - and as some of you may know, I'm already a big fan of the capsule/mix and match wardrobe (see here)! Marshall and Cavendish also published a similarly beginner-targeted magazine series called 'Get Knitting' the following year - each pack containing a colour knitting and stitch guide, plus patterns for men, women and children. You probably get the idea, but I did come across this wonderful video ad for Make it Easy (via Kristina at Arts, Thoughts, Fashion, Tech) that is well worth a watch:



Anyway, over to the make! I still had some (suitably retro print) cotton hanging around from the last Hebden Bridge WI Rag Market, so I decided to use it for the very basic top in the magazine. No darts, no shaping, just a straightforward sew to kick start 2016. The blouse/top has a wide, almost boat-style neckline and a neat little tie to the right shoulder.

Make it Easy top worn with Topshop trousers

The instructions would be super easy to follow for an absolute beginner - though I took more time finishing my seams, rather than just using pinking sheers as per the instructions. The only bit that was a pain was turning the narrow ties out - totally manageable, but just takes patience! I've rolled my sleeves up a couple of turns and stitched them in place like the design on the front cover - see I'm paying attention to the styling tips! Here are some more:

Mix and match styling tips for the patterns in issue 7
Simple pattern hacks and accessory suggestions for the top
I'd like to try making the trousers from this issue (when you consider the picture below, how can I not?!) and I'd collect more of the Make it Easy series if I ever come across them again! If anyone else spots a copy then I'd recommend snapping it up - even if just for the fun styling :)

Snazzy trousers and dungarees here!

Can anyone else shed more light on the Make it Easy series? Have you come across or made anything from it?


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Goodbye 2015, hello to another year of sewing!

Year review
Happy New Year! I'm not going to dwell too much on 2015, but all I can say is that it was a pretty good year for sewing. I think I'm really finding my feet with some trickier sewing techniques and (particularly in the second half of the year) I've been doing a lot of thinking outside of the box (or sewing outside of a pattern) and making things that feel truly 'me' in style.
So here's a brief look at some favourites:

L-R: Vogue 1395; Mix and match culottes with overall bib; Kielo Wrap Dress with sleeves; GBSB Casual Trousers - overall bib hack; Self-drafted dress; Self drafted Liberty fabric dress.
I have to say though, it's definitely been the year of the Kielo Wrap Dress by Named Clothing - my most made and loved pattern of 2015. I imagine there'll be a fair few more of these in 2016...

L-R: First and favourite in blue crepe; An unblogged Kielo in Celia Birtwell-style fabric; Black sheer Kielo with sleeves.

So onto 2016, and some things I plan to work on!

I've already made an early sewing resolution (in this post about Sewing and Sustainability): to make sure I have no unworn garments in 2016.
Me Made May will be on the cards again for 2016. I did really well for the first 3 weeks last year, but didn't manage the last week as I went on holiday, so this year (holiday or not) I'm making it happen!
I'll also be trying to work my way through my fabric stash. I have a few 'treasured' fabrics that I need to brave the scissors and needle with, particularly these two that I acquired in 2015:

Best in stash: a vintage orange Paisley from Hebden Bridge WI Rag Market and black and white spotted crepe from Minerva.



I already have invites to a couple of weddings in 2016, so another aim is to attend in something me-made. I have a nearly finished wedding-worthy dress that I really need to push myself to get done, so maybe that will make an appearance at one of them!
A lovely save the date
And something a little bit different that I haven't spoken about much on my blog... I've been slowly acquiring all the tools and equipment to try my hand at leather work - much to everyone's amusement, my lovely boyfriend bought me a hammer and tool box for Christmas (exactly what I needed!) I bought a huge bundle of leatherette from Fabworks before braving the real stuff, and I made musician Louisa a leatherette harness as a part of a stage outfit (still in progress) that I posted about here. So here's some inspiration for making my own accessories in leather and leatherette:

L-R: Leatherwork inspiration from Yan Man Leather; A leatherette harness made for Louisa from Actor; A Fleet Ilya harness bag that I want to make my own version of.
And here's my first leather harness that I made towards the end of 2015! All tools, leather and notions were from Le Prevo Leathers and I'm really pleased with it! Worn here with a jersey turtleneck top to jazz up a daytime outfit.

My own leather harness
Finally, my current reading material, top inspiration and favourite Christmas present is the Vivienne Westwood biography/memoir. I'm quickly making my way through the pages!

My favourite Christmas present!
I hope the New Year brings continued creativity, lots of sewing and wonderful times for you all. Looking forward to another year of sharing my sewing and seeing everyone else's wonderful makes :)


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