Trend Patterns Frilled Hem Top

I bought the Frilled Hem Top and Asymetric Hem Dress patterns in a Trend Patterns sale quite a while ago, and ordered the Trench Jacket in the most recent bank holiday sale. I'm not in the habit of collecting patterns in such a way, but the packaging is so aesthetically pleasing that they've been doubling up as sewing space decoration while they sit in the queue. They're pricier than the brands I usually go for, but the styles are (what I'd consider to be) super fashionable and the drafting is adventurous and unusual - I'd liken them most closely to DP Studio after making their Knit Asymmetric Dress.

Just look at the beautiful packaging!

I've been waiting for the perfect fabric to inspire me to make the Frilled Hem Top and was thrilled to finally come across these contrasting checks on a recent trip to Fabworks. I'm not really sure what sort of fabric is is - probably polyester - but they're really light and drapey and very nearly a little see-through.

Worn with this pleather Sew DIY Nita Wrap Skirt

The pattern requires 1.9m of fabric (140cm wide) in total. I bought 1.5m of my main fabric and 1m of the white contrast check for the frill. The frill panel was much longer than I realised, so I had to cut it on the cross grain (my fabric was 150cm wide), but if you want a contrasting frill and don't mind doing this, then you could actually get away with buying just 0.5m. I traced a size 12 and started the semi-painful process of trying to keep the checked fabric straight while pinning and cutting.

Monochrome on monochrome (on monochrome)

The making process was hugely enjoyable and just the right amount of challenging,  I love interesting construction methods and piecing together unusual pattern pieces, and the Frilled Hem Top had plenty of this. I particularly liked adding the frill to the bottom panel. It's absolutely huge and must have took me about an hour alone to gather and pin it in place.

After joining the front to the lower back panel and frill

The instructions are good and the photographs are especially helpful, but it's not your typical top with a front, back and side seams, so naturally there were a few points where I got a little confused. All I can say is that the notches/pattern markings are absolutely essential, so if you're confused about which pieces you're joining where, use these as a guide because they're spot on.

Back view - slightly squiffy zip/checks

Update: full back view of top

I completed the Frilled Hem Top in one intense day of sewing, though future versions would probably be quicker now I'm familiar with the pattern. My only disappointment is with the zip insertion, or more accurately, my slightly dodgy fabric cutting which has made my zip look a bit off. Apart from this, I'm really happy with how professional the finish is.

Side view!

I'm so pleased that this pattern turned out well and I couldn't recommend it more! It's well drafted, unusual in style (without being too 'out-there') and interesting to wear. I've been wearing mine both loose and tucked in at the back to emphasize the diagonal fall of the frill from back to front. I'm still on the hunt for the perfect bottoms to wear it with - I'm thinking a shorter skirt or maybe it's time to make the leap into jeans sewing...?

Snaps taken by my mum outside the ExCeL @ GBSB Live!

I'm sure I'll be making another version, but again it will be a case of waiting for the perfect fabric to come along - I think anything heavier would result in too much bulk, so I'll be on the look out for lightweight drapey fabrics. I'd like to try one with short sleeves as I've been wearing mine rolled up anyway. In the meantime, the pattern will be decorating my sewing space in pride of place.

Now sticking with Trend Patterns, should I make the TPC8 Trench Jacket or TPC2 Asymmetric Hem Dress next?

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?

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!

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?

In textile town!

Tomato haul!

Browsing the Nani Iro

I'm sure many of you would have loved the fabulous selection of Nani Iro fabrics that you can see me browsing here. And I'm sure many of you will think I'm absolutely crazy for bypassing the lot! It was hard to not be inspired by the soft and breathable cottons used for many of the chicest Japanese summer garments. In fact, I loved making this Ralph Pink Sahara Shirt in Atelier Brunette double gauze just before going on holiday, but we don't get much 30 degree+ heat at home, which for me, is what it seems most suited to.

Browsing but not buying!

Cost

It's probably worth noting that none of the fabric on offer was particularly cheap. Each of the fabrics I bought cost on average around 1,500 Yen p/m which worked out at about £10 p/m with the exchange rate at the time I was there. On the plus side, the choice and quality well exceeded anything I've ever seen at home, plus I'd budgeted a huge chunk of holiday money for fabric, so I'd say it was entirely worth it! It's also worth noting that the Nani Iro did work out much cheaper to buy in Japan than it would at home!

What did I buy?

My selection!

I have absolutely no idea what to make with this swirly print poly. I'd expected to see more geometric-style prints, but this one was shelved with the more traditional oriental prints and seemed to bridge a bit of a gap between the two for me. It's mid weight with an amazing drape - suggestions welcome!



And in other textile highlights...

As I've mentioned a couple of times, the fashions over in Japan were so inspiring. Nearly everyone is impeccably dressed and looks chic at all times, in all weathers. I caught a few candid snaps in the Instagram post below, but the level of style really has to be seen to be believed.

Hi all! Here's the second in a series of posts about my handmade holiday wardrobe and fabric finds in Tokyo. My first Ralph Pink Sahara Shirt is one of the best and most professional looking garments I've ever sewn up and it still gets nice comments from people when I wear it - how did it take me this long to make another? This second version is definitely more geared towards summer, and made up in a soft double gauze, it feels particularly luxe.

Ralph Pink Sahara Shirt in Kamakura, Japan. Shoes: Kin by John Lewis; Hat: H&M

Like my ruffle hem Nita Wrap Skirt, this one was another last minute warm-weather-friendly make that I only finished the day before we headed off to Japan. The inspiration came from the Kin by John Lewis range. I'm rarely tempted by shop bought clothes anymore, but I find myself drawn the the brand every time I pass it on the way up to the haberdashery section in the Leeds store (I couldn't help myself with the silver Kin sandals). It took me a surprisingly long time to realise that the styles I liked the best were pretty much the same silhouette as the Sahara Shirt.

Kin by John Lewis shirts - particularly love the Laura Slater print one on the left!

My fabric choice was a beautiful Atelier Brunette double gauze from Cotton Reel Studio - purchased with a voucher I won on the Sew Up North raffle. The sewing community's love for Atelier Brunette is evident by just scrolling Instagram. I'm not usually one to jump on the designer fabric bandwagon, but I just couldn't resist this abstract brush stroke print - very Kin, no? I wish it were easier to find abstract prints like this - tips most welcome!

My finished Sahara Shirt, in Atelier Brunette

I've never sewn in double gauze before. In fact I usually avoid cottons altogether, so it just shows how much I loved the print. I'd originally hoped to make another Jazz Jumpsuit using it, but when the fabric arrived I realised it was a little too lightweight and see-through for that.

On the beach in Kamakura

After rethinking things, the Sahara Shirt seemed like a natural pattern to choose for such a special fabric. It's a pattern I'm familiar with and I've been missing wearing my first version as it's a bit too heavy for summer. The double gauze really did feel as luxurious as it's designer price tag suggested it might - so soft, it's lovely to both wear and work with.

Details in Atelier Brunette Graphic Blue Fabric

The only thing that differed in my construction of this version was including the collar (last time's was collarless). It felt necessary in this fabric and I also wanted the option to wear it open as a kimono-like cover up.
With just a day to go before my holiday, I managed to find the perfect buttons - I couldn't believe my luck! Textile Garden my usual go-to place for buttons, but with such limited time, I had to do a bit of a dash round town. I picked up these little matching blue ones from the bargain box at John Lewis - just 60p for a card of 5 and exactly the right colour.

Perfect match buttons!