Sew Over It Eve Dress

Well I've definitely been slow to blog over the last few weeks, I was enjoying my time with Dan too much, and I do have plenty to blog!  First up the Sew Over It Eve dress. 

This is a pdf pattern (still hate those) but I think worth all the printing and sticking.  I cut a size 12 (sized as bust 37, waist 30 and hips 40), I'm bust 37.5, waist 28 and hips 37.5, so this gave plenty of room, but more about that later.  Please ignore the hanging thread here!  I really must get my act together and work on my photos!  I think the fit is really flattering.

I used a black and white viscose which has a crepey feel to it from Croft Mill.  I do love the fabric, the feel and the drape .... but ...... it seemed to stretch a lot e,g, when sewing seams.  When I did a final fitting I found that  I couldn't wrap the underside through the gap and get a good fit, and so I had to take 2 inches from the left-hand edge.  I don't know whether that was because the dress was just to big or the fabric had stretched.  (Here's that thread again!)

I think the fit is really flattering for all sizes.  I love the dipped hem and flutter sleeves (which are really easy to insert).  This wasn't  too difficult to sew.  You are told to put stay tape at the neckline and this is crucial, I also stay-stitched my neckline as it is some time before you add the tape and you could already have stretching.  I did not like the rather scratchy stay-tape I used something softer would have been nicer, perhaps a thin ribbon.

I love the pattern, it went together fine (except for the issue above).   It isn't too difficult, turning the ties is a little time consuming but with  turning tool it is much easier.


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I've also made a couple of dresses for Gemma.  This is a copy of a Lana Del Ray dress she wore to a concert (sorry about the headless version).  And I made another I hoping to get a photo of.

We've also celebrated Dan's 26th birthday with a lovely local walk

Going up!

At the top  .... we have great views in Cumbria.

Lovely walk, but suffice to say my knees had turned to jelly by the time I got down.



Tilly and the Buttons Rosa dress and McCalls 7100

Happy New year to you all and I hope that 2017 is a better year all round.  New Year and new page design , not quite finished because I don't know how to widen the header!!! I   have had a great Christmas, but gosh that 2 weeks has zoomed past.  I'm actually blogging a couple of November makes which got missed earlier.




I rarely join a pattern rush, but did make an exception for Tilly and the Buttons Rosa dress, just because I love it.



I really enjoyed making this dress.  I love the easy shirt dress style, but with so many features.  The combination of Tilly's excellent instructions (her illustrated booklets are probably the best instructions in any patterns I have tried) with lots of interesting details makes this a perfect improver pattern to stretch your skills.

 

 
I pretty much copied the pattern version and made mine in a light-weight denim, unfortunately that means it  is  bit cold for now, so I haven't got much wear from it yet!  The princess seams in the front and back give a really nice fit.  I could possibly have fitted a little bit more, but I'm not sure you want to be too tight on this style of dress and I am happy with the finished dress.

 I love the back yoke detail, and it went together more easily than I expected.  I chose to do a single row of top stitching in a mustard colour.

I often duck out of patch pockets because it is difficult to get them looking good, but I felt this dress needed them and they did work out pretty well.

 
I used a little bit of liberty fabric in the undercollar for a flash of colour.  I used a metallic style buttons and I think snaps would also look good.

I made one huge mistake.  I didn't like the effect of a turned back cuff showing the seams so decided to add a false cuff, and somehow I managed to catch the sleeve in my overlocker and make a cut!  This meant that I had to move the tabs to the back of the sleeve to cover the repaired rip. They look a bit odd here, but wearable.

I also made a McCalls  7100 as part of their sewalong.  This wasn't sewalong as I know it.  It was a facebook page with some tips and hints.  This was actually a pretty tricky pattern and I could have done with more support!

The pattern is nice.  A raglan style with opportunities for colour blocking.  I rather weirdly decided I wanted a Chinese silk effect so bought this Satin Brocade from Minerva crafts at £7.99 (still in and available in other colours).  Lovely fabric but boy does it fray!  I used satin back crepe (dull side) for the sleeves.  I spent a lot of time trying to match the dragon in the centre on either side of the zip.

The collar is made from some black ribbing and this was fairly straightforward.  I've only done one other open-ended zip like this and I was quite pleased with the end result.

The bit which was really tricky was the front waist panels attached to more ribbing.

The pattern doesn't come with a lining, so I drafted my own, which I also think gives a bit more body.  Not sure if I would recommend this one.are really in and there are lots of patterns to choose from and some may both fit better and be less fiddly!  However, I think I will enjoy wearing this in the warmer weather perhaps with jeans.

I had a lovely uiet Christmas, Dan and Gemma have been here for 2 weeks and I am so enjoying that.  The dogs joined in the fun!

It was also my birthday on the 29th of December and I had a lovely day.  Lunch at Carnforth Station which is where Brief Encounter was filmed and which celebrates the 40s; one of our favourite cafes.

















































This is Dan and me by the Station clock as seen in the film (wearing McCalls 7257)

Then we went to the cinema to see  Fantastic Beasts and Wear to Find them and being the Harry Potter fans that we are we loved it.  So a lovely break and now back to work.  I'll be covering some of my future sewing plans in my next blog, so until then  ..... Happy New Year.

The Melilot shirt and Pattern Runway scalloped shorts

A pair of summer separates as the end of summer sewing draws regretfully nigh.  The shirt is Deer and Doe Melilot, a casual shirt with dropped shoulders. 

 

I like Deer and Doe patterns, I believe that they design for a C cup which means no fba!  This is a roomy top so I cut a size 40 (36 1/4" bust, 28 1/2" waist and 38 1/2" hip) and as you can see it there is plenty of room.  I think you need a really drapey fabric to get the best out of this pattern.  This is a fine silk crepe and if I could remember where I got it from I would get some more.  It feels great and was easier to sew than silk.

 

 I made view B with a collar, and the hidden placket.    I left off the pocket and also the sleeve cuffs because I thought the unstructured sleeve would look better without.

I struggled to follow the instructions for the hidden placket and ended up facing and folding the wrong bit which meant the inside isn't quite as smart as it should be.  The instructions would have been clearer with photos or more illustrations.  I also still can't work out how you are supposed to do the top button hole if you leave it until the placket is finished, another time I would do the button holes before adding the collar.  I ended up with the lower placket peaking out and you can just see this below.  I loved the deep curved hems, but try as I might I could not get this to lie nicely and I ended up having to take out at least 1 1/2" from the depth of curve and making a really tiny hem.

So here is the shirt with a pair of shorts.  If you are of a nervous disposition look away now to avoid my (still) white legs!

These are Pattern Runway scalloped hem shorts. 

Now I haven't bought shorts for over 15 years, as I can never get them to fit, so I'm reasonably pleased with these as they are definitely wearable.  They are a size Medium, but overall a little large (and definitely less pert than the pattern photos!), so another time I would probably reduce to a Small.

For a pair of shorts there was plenty of challenge.  For a start there are the scallops at the front and a faced hem curving down a little at the back;

There are welt pockets at the back.  Even with the Pattern Runway tutorial as well as the instructions I find their instructions pretty undecipherable and pretty much ended up winging it!

 

I cut the stripe on the vertical here which I really like, and I wish that I had done the waist facing with the stripes going in the same direction.  Although the welts worked quite well you might just be able to see that the back dart went longer than the pocket opening and I have ended up cutting through it.  Another time I would make sure the dart stops before the pocket starts.

 

 
The front pockets are nice, but it did make the zip harder to fit.  Can you see that a zip would go lower than the bottom of the pocket making it difficult and bulky.  I cut some off my zip and found that actually a 6" zip (with this size) would be long enough.

 
The insides are quite neat and I used bremsilk for the pocket linings.   The fabric is a fine denim (Chambray?), slate grey stripe from Unique Image in Ulverstone; a metre was plenty.   I like the pattern.  I would say it is at least an intermediate and if you were a beginner I would probably advise leaving all the pockets out.

Just to prove I do wear my clothes.  Here is the shirt worn on Dan's 25th birthday at Go Ape in Grizedale forest.  High up in the trees selfies (love my boy)

 
Gemma wasn't always this relaxed.

 
Yes, the shirt is coping with the harness (not so much my legs on this tortuous crossing which involved almost an ariel split.

For Dan its all easy!

... but we did it and had a great time.

McCall's 7257: the Birthday Coat

Happy New Year to you all, even though we are already on the 7th!    The post Christmas holiday wasn't the best as I had a pretty miserable cold (and you can see this in the photos!).  The 29th was my birthday and I had planned to make a faux fur coat to wear.    I splashed out on some very good quality faux fur.  Just to be absolutely clear I am very opposed to real fur, so hopefully this is faux enough not to be mistaken.

The pattern is McCall's 7257

 

I cut my usual size 14, but because I have a C cup I did a 1" full bust adjustment, which made the bottom hem wider as well.  I then cut down the width at the bottom later on by 1" from each seam (4" in total).   I also added an extra 1" to the width of the sleeves and then later took 5/8" back out.   Looking at the photos I think it still looks a little big, so I think actually I would have been better not making the adjustments.  I didn't think it would be helpful making a muslin because the fabric would behave so differently.  I also took 5/8" from the shoulder width as usual.   The sleeves look a little long and you can just see that because the lining sleeve is exactly the same pattern as the coat sleeve it is pulling a little at the sleeve.  I've just  unpicked the sleeve lining and taken the sleeve length up 1 1/2" and it has done the trick and taken the pulling out as well as looking much better. 

 

The lining is my current favourite a Bemberg cupro from the  Lining Company, which comes in over 100 colours.  Mine is a lovely Saxony blue and it feels really luxurious.  I added a pleat in the lining which wasn't in the pattern of approximately 1", just to ensure comfort and no pulling across the back.

 
The coat is fastened by 5 large fuzzy hooks and eyes  (this was a bit of a nightmare when I wore a jumper underneath which kept getting caught).  The colour here is very inaccurate.

The coat itself is quite easy to make, no darts, just three pieces and a lining, however, preparing the faux fur is a bit of a nightmare.  You have to trim all the fur from the seam allowances (this took about 2 days - and when I took the sides in a bit I had to trim them all again).  Also the fur gets everywhere.

I would recommend a little couture technique.  I used a catch stitch on all the seams to keep them nice and flat.  You can see below the sleeve on the left has been catch stitched, the one on the right hasn't.

So there we are a little bit of luxury!

Worn on my birthday to go out with Dan and Gemma for a pizza and film.  We saw Carol with Cate Blanchett which I really enjoyed (especially the great 1950 clothes - think hers is a real fur though!).

I've gone into another decade now, but have decided it is just a number and nothing to do with how you feel, look or are perceived by others.  I'm not doing a proper round up of last years sewing, just to say I made

17 dresses

9 tops and blouses

3 skirts

4 jackets

2 coats and 1 pair of jeans

and knitted 2 sweaters and 2 cardigans

Not a bad total!

I made 6 McCall's patterns 4 Butterick, 1 Vogue, 2 Simplicity and 14 independent patterns.

My favourites were Deer and Doe Bruyere

and Butterick 5880

So here to another decade of sewing.