When one bomber is just not enough!

Kia ora! I know it's April but I want to take you back six months to October last year. The weather was beginning to get warmer, daylight savings was about to start and I felt that I needed more casual clothes in my wardrobe.  Or was it I was just looking for a quick fix, instant gratification kinda project?!? This is when I decided that I needed another bomber jacket in my life.

I had previously made the Rigel Bomber by Papercut Patterns but at that time I forgot to check the sleeve length, and every time I wear it, it annoys the sh*t out of me. This time I made exactly the same size as my previous jacket, adding 3" to the sleeve length. I made just one other adjustment this time, removing 1/2" from the centre back of the collar piece.


I also wanted to try this pattern using the insets at the top of the raglan sleeve, for that extra effect.  I had purchased this aztec cotton lycra online a little while ago and when it arrived I was really surprised at how bright it was - I probably would never have bought it if I had been shopping in a bricks and mortar shop. At the time I had no idea what on earth I would ever use it for, but it turned out perfect for this jacket. I also some faux leather in the stash that I'd bought for something else and used that for the sleeve insets.

This version is fully lined with silk crepe de chine.

When my daughter found out what I was making, she also decided she wanted one - a cream one of all colours!  I was in the zone, it was her birthday, so I didn't put up any objections to making another. Although I was getting rather jealous while making her one, that it was so much better than mine. I selected this honey comb cotton fabric with a gold foil, both from The Fabric Store.

The gold foil was very light weight so I had to interface all of the pieces to get it to a similar weight as the main fabric, well stable enough to hold its own.

For the ribbing, I settled for a merino knit to get the colour match as close as possible. I just have one regret - that I didn't double the layers in the collar. For the sleeve cuffs and the hem band, I cut two so when it's folded on itself it is four layers thick. It works perfectly with really good recovery. The collar on the other hand feels a bit flimsy.

I fully liked this version as well, this time with a cream satin - it feels amazing to wear. Unfortunately this is one size too big for me and the sleeves are short, so wearing it isn't that great. Darn!!!

It is so luxurious! It was definitely not cheap - I added up all the fabric and lining and it came out at $110.00!  So you can image my reaction when I see it lying on the floor of her room....

Anyway, I had total fun making both these jackets. I wouldn't hesitate to put more of them in my wardrobe. Although next time I might try raising the collar and go for the traditional round neck rather than this V-neck version.

More photos on my Flickr --->

Pink Floral Sweetheart

This dress was fun but challenging at the same time. First the fun ... I found this fabric by accident while on holiday in Rarotonga earlier this year, and immediately knew it would make a lovely summer dress while still keeping within my wardrobe comfort zone ... because it was black? probably!

The challenge ... to mash together two separate patterns into one dress that looked like it was meant to be. The top is the Sewaholic Cambie pattern and the bottom is the Billy Jean pattern by Bluegingerdoll.  Both dresses I've made before quite a while ago, and well, the body has changed a little since then.


Then came the cheating ... in theory, the side seams and dart legs of the top are meant to be in the same vertical line as the skirt, right?! Hmm, did I really need to fluff with getting that right if the skirt and top are separated by a waist band and the floral print would act as a camouflage ... NO! Can you tell? NO!  #winning

With this dress I experimented a bit with the underlining. I took my silk organsa and underlined all the front pieces and the top half of all the skirt pieces.

A couple of reasons really.  I didn't want the dress to be too heavy but I did want the front to have some structure. The top half of the skirt needed to fall over my hips without showing every curve but the bottom half really didn't need it. Unfortunately I can't find any of my 'work in progress' photos to share with you :(

The dress is also fully lined, but with separate fabrics for the top and bottom.  The top half is lined with some silk crepe de chine from The Fabric Store. Something I bought a wee while ago at a good price because of colour inconsistency. No one gets to see the lining, so not a problem. The skirt is lined with some 'new to me' lining from Hawes and Freer Ltd, from their Superwash range. It is heavier than the crepe de chine which helps give another layer of fabric over the hips and butt and helps the skirt fall really nicely. It skims over the body and moves so nicely, but doesn't look bulky, and so far no static! I think I'm sold on this as a lining for skirts!

To finish the look I picked up some baby pink merino from Levana and whiped up this cute little bolero.

More photos in my Flickr album -->

Shirt Dress with Butterick Retro

B5920 was calling my name again ... it appears that I hadn't finished with it, despite having made it twice before.

My first make was exactly to pattern version A. I never wore this dress! The second involved a few alterations to convert it to a maxi with a full length placket, which I wear regularly.

For this latest make I kept the skirt back alteration I made for the maxi version - I much prefer how this falls and is in keeping with the front gathers.

 

I changed up the pockets this time, and made them square at the bottom rather than rounded, for a more modern shirt look.  I am so in love with the neckline and notches I had to keep the notches on the pocket.

This skirt pattern length I cut at 25" and turned up a hem of 1.5". It sits perfectly just above my knee.

The fabric is 100% cotton, 'flocked' is what was on the label, from The Fabric Store during their recent VIP 40% sale. And yes, I bought and sewed this fabric all in the same month!  The dress is unlined and will require a slip to be worn underneath.

Not a lot more to say so will just leave you with some photos.

 

 

Go on, you know you wanna make one now .... :-)

Floral, Beach, Summer, Holiday ...

Happy New Year!  Hope you all ate yummy food 'til your heart was content. I know I did.

I'm looking forward to what 2017 brings, which must be much better than 2016.  I started last year sick and missed the wedding of my very good friend and I ended the year sick, for three weeks if you please!  In between that it was just a big pile of life stuff that I didn't enjoy at all.  By default the blog went into hibernation.

Life is settled again and I begun this year in Rarotonga celebrating my eldest 21st birthday on new year's eve.  Being on holiday called for drink lots of tropical cocktails

 

I had hoped to get a full holiday wardrobe sewn, but work demands and being sick meant that those plans fell apart.  I did get to finish two pieces, so all wasn't lost.  If you follow me on Instagram you would have already seen these plans.  You will also know that both these fabrics a quite different, really bold, compared to my usual choice of fabric.  But hey, it's a tropical holiday!

The Holly Jumpsuit I had made before with a short leg. I really wasn't sure about the wide leg pants in this floral, but Sewbusylizzy said that I should image that it's the same as a maxi dress, which instantly removed any doubts I had.

I really wanted to have pockets, so I drafted some pockets using the Moss Mini pattern as a guideline for the angle and where they should sit in relation to the waist and side seams.   They are perfect!

Although I've worn this jumpsuit a few times (including Christmas Day), I haven't taken the opportunity to get some good photos:-(  For now it's this mirror selfie, but you get the picture - great fit, pockets and I love the full length pants.

My feelings about the holiday dress are a little different.  This is the Mid Summer Nights Dream wrap dress by Papercut Patterns.  I am a Papercut fangirl, and I've had this pattern in the stash for a few years now.  When I finished the dress and hung it on the dress form I was in love.

But then when I tried it on, the side fronts forward of the armpit were gaping, like really gaping! You can get a glimpse of this in the above picture.  This meant I had to unpick the binding and insert a downward dart. Luck the fabric is so busy and the gathers whether the bodice meets the ties disguises everything. I also find that the shoulder straps are too close of the neck.  Otherwise it fits and is really comfy to wear.  I am totally in love with the fabric now it is wearable.

How was your Christmas/New Year holiday?

Fluttering Around

Kia ora!  Oh my gosh how did it get to be March already! Best I get a wiggle on then and tell you about my first make for 2016.  Introducing my flutter dress....

To be honest I had to see a few of these on the blogisphere before I went ahead and purchased the pattern. I am a Papercut fan girl and this pattern did not disappoint.

I knew I wanted to make a dress version rather than the tunic (oh but I have made one of those as well - more on that later). This required a few adjustments - here's what I did:

• Lengthen the front and back pattern pieces by 3", where the pattern recommends
• Below the armpit I lengthen the front and back pieces by a further 1/2", to lower the dart point
• I lowered the dart point by a further 1" and redrew the dart legs - so the apex was lowered by a total of 1 1/2"

• I removed 1/8" from the top of the shoulder - I have more of a square shoulder

• I inserted darts into the back to provide some shaping
  

I love a lined dress so much that I couldn't not insert a lining into this one.  The fabric is a poly crepe and could even have some nylon in it, which would lead to the dress sticking to my body all over - arrrrgh!  I used some light-weight acetate from the stash and used the delightful Hug Snug to finish all the seam allowances and the hem - man I love that stuff :-)

The fabric falls so beautifully with the full lining, and the sleeves ... what can I say, they just add that special touch to what is a pretty simple dress.

I am totally in love with this dress and have worn it constantly this summer.

More photos on my Flickr -->

The unpublished 11 plus two

Happy New Year!  The last three months of 2015 were hectic, although my world is always hectic, but I did manage to get some sewing done - just no time for photos or blogging!  It's now January and I'm on holiday, so a bit of time to do some catch-ups :-)

I have a total of 11 projects that were completed between August and December as well as the two dresses I've been working on over the last couple of days (peek previews on Instagram). Oh as well as the two Butterick dresses that need a Part 2 post completing. Then there was the one remake because I lost my black merino circle top somewhere - I think I left it in a hotel room or a rental car!?! I wear that baby ALL THE TIME and was feeling really lost without it.

Some of the projects really do need a post of their own, like my first formal dress, but others I thought I would quickly summarise and move on.

MARFY TOP 1913
I love my first top so much I needed to make another. This time a simple black embossed silk. OMG this fabric was the worst to work with, resulting in an uneven hem line. It works fine if I tuck it in.

Keeping with the black theme, coz I was feeling that black tops worked with my jeans, is the GILLIAN WRAP TOP. I had previously made the Gillian Wrap Dress as a tester, and I absolutely love it. I picked up this cotton knit from The Fabric Store January 2015 and had originally thought I would make some t-shirts. Well this is just a fancy t-shirt right!

Knowing that the skirt of the dress doesn't have a lot of flare I needed to add some flare to the skirt back so it would 'poof' over my jeans rather than cling!  I set to with the slash and spread method in three places adding 3/4" each time. I also lengthen the sleeves by 1-1/2" and put a wee 1/2" hem on them with the cover stitch machine.

In September I tested the TAHI SHRUG for Muse Patterns using some knit remnants. I made a size 36 in the long sleeve version.  I didn't quite have enough of the purple for the entire sleeve so added some black merino to make it look like a cuff. I also stitched it up with black thread to give a contrast look, but you can't really notice it. I don't really wear this - I'm not sure whether it's the colour or the pattern ... I think I've a bit more of a bolero, cardi kinda girl if it's not a jacket.

MESA by Seamwork
I've already made Mesa twice before and both dresses I've worn constantly this winter just gone. So of course I needed a summer version! I picked up this poly knit, that feels like neoprene, from Spotlight specifically for this dress. I did however, make a few changes to the pattern.

1. Raised the back neckline by 1/2"
2. Lowered the front neckline by 1"
3. Shortened the sleeves by 3"

I wore it to work a couple of times, but come to the conclusion (through my own modesty) that it is probably too short to wear with bear legs to the office - I was feeling too self conscious! I wore it on Christmas Day and it was perfect, so maybe it's more of a BBQ kinda dress, or I could wear it with 3/4 leggings with some heals .... hmmm things to try.

The last on the remake list is this STRIPE MISSION MAXI.
I love the Mission Maxi pattern and have made it a couple of times before. I've been looking for the ideal stripe knit, with the right amount of body and stability. I was passing by The Fabric Warehouse in November (passing by means the car detoured off the motorway!) and found just what I was looking for.  This is a cotton, lycra, poly knit which I'm gonna say is a light-medium weight.

I feel like I have a tone of maxi dresses in the wardrobe, and while I love them, my legs never get to see the light of day. So for this version I shortened the back to be a middi length and added a curve to the front piece for a bit of interest. I am in love with the dress, the colours, the comfort, the length - it just screams summer to me and I've been living in it constantly.

The Adventures of B5882 (Part 1)

A wee interweb search of B5882 will quickly reveal the challenges that this pattern has provided - but who doesn't like a challenge right!  However, I didn't realise this until after I had committed to making two of them for daughter #1.

As always I started with a muslin anyway, so no biggie, I would just work out all the fit issues at that stage and then enjoy the construction.

I started by cutting out a size 12, but reduced seam allowances down to 3/8" rather than the recommend 5/8".  It all went together pretty well, except for where the cup hit the top of the side front. The pattern says "turn down upper end of bra along fold line, as shown, baste."  The picture below mimics what the pattern illustration shows - but how bloody weird is that!

So I pretty much ignored that part of the instructions - although in truth I only used the instructions as a general guide rather than following them step by step.  So rather than turning the bra/cup under I extended the side front up to the top of the bra/cup - as you can see in the photo below, the red line was the original stitch line.

Actually the lifting of the side front to meet the top of the bra/cup side gives a much better look, and snugs up under the arm for a better fit as well.

I had to make a bunch of adjustments to the front pieces to get better portions and have the princess seams hit the apex, as they should.

Please note that I always work with the stitching line rather than the cutting line of a pattern - for all these adjustments I've identified the stitch line by working from the cut line. So the blue dotted line is the cutting line of the original pattern (size 12) and the pencil/pink pen indicate the stitching line that I will be sewing along (sorry if this is a bit confusing - it all made perfect sense at the time!)

Let's start with the centre front ...

• The stitch line for the top and bottom are 5/8" in from the cut line.
• Only came in 1/4" from the cut line at the bottom and curved it up to the existing cut line at the top - meaning that I had to add a full 5/8" to the top. This resulted in moving the princess seam out towards the armhole, to be more in line with the apex.

Next the side front ...

• Added the 1/2" to the top side of the bra/cup, from the previous stitch line.
• Reworked the side seam by adjusting where the stitch line would be from the original cut line - at the top of the side seam I allowed for a 5/8" seam allowance and at the bottom is moved the stitch line in by 7/8".
• Reworked the princess seam to also have a 3/8" seam allowance at the apex end and a 5/8" seam allowance at the bottom.

The side back also needed quite a bit of adjusting at the side seam ...

• reworked the side seam so the stitch line would be in 5/8" from the cut line at the top and 7/8" at the bottom.  
• The back princess seam stitch line would also be 5/8" in from the cut line.
• The bottom would be same as the front with 5/8" seam allowance and 3/8" at top.

The centre back pattern piece also had to have the seam allowances adjusted.

• The princess seam stitch line would come in 5/8" form the cut line
• The centre back would only come in 3/8" from the cut line

Once all the stitch lines for each piece were identified I was away!

After the adjustments the back was a much better fit and the straps that would be attached at the princess seam mark pretty much fell in line with bra straps. Yay!

All adjustments done and muslin fitting nicely it was time to start with the real fabric :-)  I started with the red and white version first.  The outer shell fabric was a cotton voile that required an interfacing as well as the lining.  The interlining and the lining would be the same fabric - a cotton lycra in an off-white.  This is the same fabric that we'd planned to the be contrast colour for the second dress.

I pinned each pattern piece to the interlining and traced off the STITCH LINE, and the grainline plus all notches.  All these trace marks would end up on the inside, hidden by the lining, so it didn't matter that I did this with red tracing paper.

I cut the outer shell fabric in a single layer, as the outer layer and the interfacing would all be hand basted together.

With the construction - the basted line on each pattern piece is where the two pieces will be sewn together. For me this provides a much more accurate fit in the end and is well worth all the additional work.  As you can see the seam allowances are big and random, they really no longer matter.

Well I think that's enough reading for one post - I'll continue on in my next with the construction, where it will start to look like a dress :-)  Hopefully this is helpful if you are considering making this dress.

More soon -->