Rainy day//Sunny sews

finished project
I've spent a lot of time inside anticipating Spring/Summer lately... so here are a couple of sunnier sews to try and lift the clouds.

I sorted my fabric stash and unearthed this lovely floral from my haul at last October's Hebden Bridge WI Rag Market, perfect for making a long, drapey, skirt.



I used the skirt pattern pieces from the Emery dress (by Christine Haynes) as a starting point, and then sort of made it up as I went along. I mixed the Emery skirt with a self drafted bodice a while back, and it worked a treat, so I thought it would look fab as a simple gathered skirt with a waistband that sits on the smallest part of the waist. As I was going for simplicity and speed, I omitted the pockets and just added a fair bit of length to the pattern pieces (I like my skirts prudishly long).



I did three rows of machine basting to get the gathers nice and even and then pinned and stitched the whole thing to an interfaced waistband. Luckily the fabric is light weight so the gathers didn't create too much bulk.



An invisible zip fastening at the centre back and it was ready to wear. The whole thing took me an afternoon to put together. I think it has a bit of a granny-dressed-in-a-duvet-cover look, but I think that's a look I can go with. I'm going to Barcelona on my hols in (*me-made*) May so I should probably throw together a few more! I might have to make a couple of plain blouses too to off-set all the pattern - probably some sheer, sleeveless Lotties.



In other exciting sewing news, I'm branching out into the world of sewing smalls. with thanks to The Secrets of Sewing Lingerie by Katherine Sheers and Laura Stanford. I'd never really considered sewing underwear before, but there seems to be quite a buzz around it - particularly bra making - in the blog world. I'm steering clear of the bras for now as I wear a silly size (small back band, large cup) but I'm all for the knicker making!



The authors have experience of designing for both M&S and Agent Provocateur, so the patterns are varied and really quite exciting - definitely the sort of things I'd want to buy if I saw them displayed in a shop! I made a pair of the Cotton Minis - the starter project in the book - to get into the swing of things, using fabric from this vintage, cotton, shirt-dress that was ready for throwing out...





...and I think it's a pretty good transformation! They've had the wear-test and they were really comfortable, and I'm glad to say they survived the wash too! I think with a bit more practice, I'll get neater at sewing some of the tiny seams, and getting the elastic just right.



The Cotton Mini pattern is available for free in the latest Love Sewing Magazine for anyone who would like to try it out, but I would really recommend buying the book. It offers great advice on sewing with lingerie-appropriate fabrics, places to buy some of the unusual fastenings and trimmings, and instructions that are easy to follow. I'm particularly looking forward to making the Head over Heels waisted brief.

If I can't afford the luxury of Agent Provocateur underwear, then what better way than to make my own using patterns designed by the designers!



Slinging Sixties

Famous Frocks
I received the lovely gift of a new sewing book for Christmas - Famous Frocks: The Little Black Dress by Dolin Bliss O'Shea. It has the patterns and instructions to make 20 garments (including variations),  all based on LBDs worn by fashion icons over the years, including Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn, and Mary Quant. I couldn't help but go with the Mary variation for my first sew from the book, hence the 'Sixties' part of this post title... and excuse the terrible pun, but the 'Slinging' part refers to a little accident I had...


I suffered a rather dramatic collision with the pavement in the icy conditions last week. Thankfully I didn't break anything, but what better way to accessorize my new dress in the meantime than with a coordinating silk-scarf sling?! Back to the dress anyway...

I used a lovely black wool with 2% stretch as my main fabric. I always find it a struggle to get plain black fabric that looks really good in quality, but this was a decent find from Leeds Kirkgate Market. The contrast bands were cut on the bias from some remnants of John Lewis sale fabric. I love the simplicity of the dress, and I think using slightly more expensive/better quality fabrics than usual really adds to the finish of the garment.


I didn't escape a few fit issues. Because the patterns span such a wide range of sizes, there are quite big jumps from one size to the next (the introductory section does advise that your measurements might fall between sizes). As the Mary shift is designed to be fairly loose, I went for the size that would fit my bust - and it really did, I'm so pleased! This meant that I did have to take in the side seams a little at the waist and hips to get a better fit for me. Obviously I could have just graded the pattern when cutting, but I always like to cut that little extra, just in case.


The bit I stumbled on a little was the fit at the back, and I'd say this is mainly due to my inexperience of working with bias-cut fabric. I interfaced the front contrast band, but for some reason, I decided not to do the back pieces. This meant that the shape of the back pieces got a bit distorted when I was working with them, and particularly when the zip was inserted - it went all wiggly at the centre back, nooooo! Not exactly how you're meant to do it, but in a salvage attempt, I interfaced the back contrast pieces AFTER construction, just so they would keep some sort of shape and have the same weight/stiffness as the front. This was a vast improvement, but you can see a bit of gaping at the arms and a bump in the centre back on the picture above.


Despite the issues in the back, I really like the dress, and plan to wear it lots (most likely with a cardigan in the office). I thoroughly recommend Famous Frocks too. The garments all have a vintage feel to them, whilst still being incredibly wearable. The introductory part of the book, dedicated to sewing techniques and tutorials, is fab. It's a bit less visual than some, but the explanations are more than enough - I did my first all in one facing with ease by following the instructions offered.



There are a few really good opportunities to work with stretch fabric in the book too, and I need a bit of practice, so I have my eye on the Liza Minnelli inspired wrap dress next!

Has anyone else sewn anything from Famous Frocks?


I would go out tonight... But I haven't got an occasion to wear this dress to

finished project
Sooo I finished my first make of the year, and this one really has been a long time in the making, with the process spanning the last few months of 2014... it's my (almost) final self drafted dress! If this is starting the sewing year as I mean to go on, then I think I'm onto good things!



This is a wearable muslin of sorts, made from fabric that I wasn't at all scared to chop into and ruin - it's some sort of viscose/synthetic, drapey stuff that was £4 for 3.5yds from the Hebden Bridge WI Rag market, very late 80s/early 90s no? My retro fabric is sort of at odds with the perhaps more vintage design of the dress - it's based on a picture of a Viven of Holloway dress I collected for a mood board - but I'm going to claim that it's all the name of added interest.

Although I've made and tweaked many a muslin during the pattern drafting stages, this is the very first time I've put the whole pattern, bodice, skirt and lining, together as a finished garment. I've already spoken about the most challenging part to fit (the bodice) in an earlier post, where I made it up as a dress with a simple gathered skirt. It was mainly an excuse to use this lovely patterned brushed cotton, and break up what felt like weeks of staring into calico-white-space.  



The bodice and sleeves have only had a couple of tweaks since then. The tulip sleeves pulled a bit at the back during wear, so I lengthened the back-sleeve pattern piece just a bit. This piece then gets gathered in ever so slightly, so it has a bit more 'give' or movement. I also moved the shoulder seams so they sat a bit further forward too.

The skirt had to be drafted from a basic pattern block before I could make the draped and gathered tulip skirt that I dreamed of. This is great though, as now I have an overall basic dress pattern that I could make up or play around with - one pattern, many looks!



I did some draping and pinning on the model and a little bit of cutting too - I have to say that I was a bit reluctant with the cutting, it took a bit of encouragement of the tutor at the evening classes I went to at college! It helped to give a rough idea of how the finished garment might look, and I could work backwards from the pinned version to understand the pattern pieces I needed.



By the time I got to making I just wanted to get on with it, so I hardly took any pictures, sorry! I sort of worked out the skirt and skirt lining pieces as I went along. The skirt lining seems to want to peak out just a little where it's draped at the front, but I can live with that, and I think I'm prepared for what to do when it comes to the final final version.



The only bit I struggled with - and it was entirely my fault - was the lining for the bodice. I drafted it against the facing which I'd already added a seam allowance to, and then added a seam allowance to the lining  as well - CONFUSED?! Basically there was too much bodice lining to fit into the garment. I only realised what I'd done wrong when it was pretty much sewn up, so took the lazy 'oh well, it's on the inside, no one can see it anyway' route and left it as it was. But I need to shame myself and show it publicly to make sure I don't do it again. Here you go...



So there is a bit of gape and excess in the middle. But if you ignore that, the rest of the lining doesn't actually look too shabby...



Other than that one one blip, I'm so so pleased with how the dress has turned out. Even though I'd drafted it to fit me perfectly (and tested it) I still had 'the fear' when I was inserting the zip, that it might not do up - it has just been Christmas after all... but it fits, and I feel absolutely fab in it :) Now if only I had somewhere to wear it to!



So to round up, pattern drafting takes time, effort and patience, lots of it. But I don't think I've ever been more proud of something I've made and I can't wait to wear it! 



I've already got my fabric ready to make the final final version. I've chosen a rich teal crepe with a bit more weight to it, and a contrast mustard/gold fabric for the lining (for when you get the tiniest flashes of it). The only thing I'm struggling with is finding a perfectly matched concealed zipper - does anyone have any internet shopping suggestions to help me track down one in the perfect hue?

An almost year in sewing...

Dressmmaking
Happy New Sewing Year everyone! I hope everyone has had a wonderful festive season - I'm writing this one from my bed rather than the sewing station.

It's been just under a year since I started channeling my crafting and general need to be creative into it's best possible use - dressmaking! Making a serious commitment to sewing and starting up this blog was probably my best decision of 2014, so I thought I would do a bit of a round up of some of my favourite sews from the past year.


Most Worn Garment of 2014
My first Megan dress from Tilly Walne's Love at First Stitch is BY FAR my most worn me-made garment. Anyone who has read my blog will know how much I love Tilly's first book, and I encourage anyone who hasn't already got a copy to snap one up!



This dress is also pretty special because it was the first thing I made on my brand new sewing machine - a grown up Janome! - which was a massive upgrade from the tiny half-size one I was making with previously. I used the jazzy John Lewis 'Modern Animal' fabric and drafted a collar for the Megan dress to make it a bit more 'me', and now it's my go-to dress. Day/work/night out, it get's thrown on whenever!
Read the blog post here.


Most Made Pattern of 2014
When I was writing this post I was looking over my blog and couldn't quite believe how much I'd made, but my most made pattern was easily the Simple Sew Lottie blouse. Since I got the pattern free in an early issue of Love Sewing magazine, I've made it up 5 times.



My first version was this sleeveless poppy print one. I found the instructions a bit on the sparse side, but really liked the finished blouse. With a bit of tweaking to the making process - and a lot of practice - I've just about mastered the Lottie and can put the whole thing together in an evening now!
Here are the other versions - a couple for me and a couple were made as gifts for friends.









And my favourite so far is the newest one (above), made especially for the festive period (though I imagine it will get a lot more wear in the future if I can pass it off as my groovy 70s disco blouse). The fabric was £3 a metre from the brand new B&M Fabrics shop on the edge of Leeds Kirkgate market and I LOVE IT!


Biggest Sewing Achievement of 2014
I think I'm going to go with my self-drafted dress. It's been my biggest project so far - so big that I'm still tackling the final version, but it's well on it's way now! I drafted the pattern whilst taking evening classes at the local College of Art, and it's definitely taken more work, patience and brain power than anything I've ever made before. 





This version is the finished bodice and tulip sleeves with a simple gathered skirt. I'm just putting together a wearable muslin of the final pattern, with a fancy skirt and everything. I'll no doubt be posting about it in 2015, but here's a sneaky peak of it (jazzy fabric as ever)...



And finally, a few sewing resolutions
  • Keep sewing and keep blogging!
  • Make things that I'll actually wear - no un-finished or un-worn garments in 2015
  • Take part in Me Made May
  • Make my own pants
  • ...and maybe get an overlocker

Here's to a great New Year full of sewing!

Seasonal Stitching

finished project
I've been so absorbed in the self-drafted sewing that it feels like I haven't finished anything in forever! So having come to the end of my 10 week pattern drafting course, my pattern is just about ready to make, well, at least in wearable muslin form before I commit to cutting into the good stuff - some glorious teal green crepe I picked up from the new Sew Over It shop in Islington. I thought it would be nice to have a bit of a breather before I launch into the final thing, so mull all the wine and get the tinsel out - I whizzed up a dress for December!



I used the Simple Sew skater dress pattern that came free with issue 8 of Love Sewing magazine (my mum picks me up a copy if she likes the free pattern ha, thanks mum!) I really liked the Lottie blouse pattern that came free with a past issue and made a few versions of it. , They are, by definition, simple patterns, so I thought I'd give it a go.





I bought a medium-weight (Santa) red viscose jersey from my favourite B&M Fabrics in Leeds Kirkgate Market. I've worked in lightweight fabrics with a tiny bit of stretch before, but this was my first big leap into the world of proper stretch fabric, and I loved it! It took me a bit of faffing with my sewing machine manual and some needle changes, but it was otherwise completely pain free. Plus the fabric is so easy to work with - the seams barely needed finishing *cough* lazy sewist *cough*.



Now I don't know if it's just me, but my completed dress isn't quite what I was expecting from the magazine cover image and the illustration on the pattern. I realised pretty early on - but too late to do anything about it - that the dress might be a bit on the short side of knee length, but oh, it's short. I also found that the pattern could do with a bit more length in the bodice too - at least for me. I ended up using a smaller seam allowance at the waist and doing the narrowest hem possible, just to lengthen it in any way I could.



So I was a bit disappointed as I was really looking forward to a voluminous, flowing, knee-length, jersey skirt. The felt blanket-stitched holly brooch was actually my dramatic last ditch attempt to 'salvage' what I had originally branded a 'festive fail' ha. Anyway, I wore the dress in the house and swished the skirt around for a little while and came round to it in the end. 



Despite a few gripes here, there are actually things I really like about this dress and I'll probably make it again with a few adjustments.

The fab bits:
  • I love the V-back! I've never considered ermm getting my back out, but it sort of works!
  • I think it would look fab as a day or evening dress depending on the fabric used (but I'm now a jersey convert so sticking to that)
  • It has offers plenty of room to get creative - pockets, trims, a fancy lining maybe?
Changes for next time:
  • Add at least 1 inch to the bodice and taper the pattern down from a size 12 to a 10 at the waist.
  • Add a good 4 inches (maybe more!) to the hem - I'm such a prude!
  • Finish the neckline better. My mind was in simple sew mode and I completely forgot to interface my facings, massive oops!


Here's a selfie of me, full of Christmas joy and ready to eat my advent calendar Santa.
Is #SeasonalSew already a hashtag or sewist initiative? If it is, then GREAT. If not... then lets get the ball rolling, it's nearly Christmas!

I'm hoping to use the next couple of weeks to make my self-drafted dress and catch up on a bit of knitting in between the Christmas shopping and parties - hopefully a bit of blogging in there somewhere too.

Merry festive season!

Thanks for visiting!

Thanks for visiting!