McCalls 6988

Another work dress which has already seen a fair bit of wear because it is so cosy and easy to wear.  The fabric is ponte roma and the black, in particular, is thick and warm, in fact it is a little thicker than the teal, but it has worked out OK.   I have been really liking colour-blocked dresses and I picked this pattern with colour-blocking specifically in mind. 

 

 

This is a really versatile pattern with a choice of three sleeves and two skirt-styles, and I might well have a go at the ruffle skirt version as well.  You can also vary where you colour-block which could be useful for using up smaller pieces of fabric. 

 

I cut a size 14 grading a little at the waist and hips.  The dress is still a little roomy and a 12 overall might have been better (though I think a full-bust adjustment would be needed then).  However, I do have a little tummy bulge going on and if I made the dress tighter it might start to stretch the fabric over the stomach.   I made my usual changes; raised the waist by 1"; took 5/8" from the width of the shoulders (I should have narrowed the neckline slightly as it does just let my bra-strap peep out).  I also added 2 1/2" to the length, which I think works well.

I do think it is a bit of a shame that the back has no colour-blocking so it looks a little plain.  There are 2 long darts to give some shaping.

This is a described as an easy pattern and I would say that is the case.  I left the zip out because the dress easily slips over the head (and it is a much easier make without a zip).  I made the back facing into one piece.  The facing is quite substantial and I was a little worried about the thickness but it does seem to be lying ok.  So not the most exciting dress in the world, but a straightforward sew and a nice wardrobe staple.

On the non-sewing front it's been a lovely weekend.  On Friday we got the best possible news, Dan has received his offer from Warwick University for the postgraduate medical degree, he can finally fulfil his dream to be a doctor.  I am so chuffed and so proud, it has taken him years of trying and he finally got there!  Saturday was one of my sewing workshop days and I am making a tailored jacket which has masses of hand sewing (much more to come) and then Sunday was mothers' day.  I was lucky to spend it this year with Dan ..

.... and Gemma  ... and some sunshine as well.
 

 
 
We had a lovely lunch and then visited Sizergh Castle, built during the 16th Century (the Tudor part)

and the earlier 14th Century part.

Inside the oak panelling felt very Elizabethan and of course, this made it rather dark and cold.

We had a lovely day completed by watching Suffragette (excellent) whilst eating a curry!  Great day.  What did you do, hope it was great!

Grainline Cascade Duffle Coat

So the 61 steps are finally completed and here is my Grainline duffle coat.

 
It was a lot of work and quite a challenge, but I'm pretty pleased with the final result.

 

It's very comfortable to wear, though a spring rather than winter coat, as the fit is too snug to fit a very thick sweater, and I didn't add any extra lining for warmth.  I cut a size 12 and the only change I made was to take an extra 3/4" off the shoulders and sleeve length.

 
There were many challenges, and not least sewing around 8 layers when fitting the zip, it only just fitted under my walking foot, and there were times when I had to pull quite firmly to get the fabric through!  The was my first time in completing lots of techniques:

First time fitting a open-ended zip, following the steps this was fairly straightforward except for the multi-layers.

First time sewing leather with the toggles.  This was the hardest task for me, trying to sew in a neat circle and this is one of the better ones!  I don't think anyone will actually notice, but certainly I wasn't too successful in attaching the toggles.  You also need to space them out quite tightly as the leather ties stretch a lot.

 
Still, I really do like the toggles.  They were a bargain from Amazon, only £4.20 including postage and they came quickly even though I ordered them from America!

 
I love the fabric, even though it frayed like mad.  Its a wool with some synthetic content and good value at £13.00 a metre, the black yoke was some left-over melton wool.  I used a very slippy and quite substantial lining.  I have found the lining on the sleeves a little long.

 

This was the first time I have bagged a lining, with the help of the excellent sewalong it wasn't too difficult.  You fully sew the lining to the coat .....

 

 
You don't think it will ever work, but you pull everything through a gap in the sleeve lining.

 

 
Most of my pattern matching worked well, look at the continuation of the body stripe through the sleeves!  The collar worked well (though again the layers are challenging).

The only real  problem is the hem.  I ended up with a problem on the left size which you can see here, its been pulled up a bit (and this is wear a bagged lining makes it very difficult to sort out problems).  My attempt to sort it out made it worse, when I trimmed the wrong line, so there is nothing I can do now, I can just about live with it though, and I've worn the coat twice already.

 
I think this is a great pattern, though definitely not for the faint hearted.  It took me almost two days just to cut out the pieces.  The sewalong was a great help, though the pattern itself is pretty clear.

First time was mothering Sunday at Dalemain House near Penrith, where Dan and I went for lunch.

 
Lovely sunny day!

 
.... and lots of lovely flowers

 ... and a lovely basket of flowers from Dan and Gemma delivered.

 

 

It's been a really hard week at work, though successful and so I've just enjoyed a weekend of sewing, mostly my wool jacket, but I'm also slip-stitching 14 metres of bias-binding onto my walk-away dress, which is almost finished.

 

 

We have a new member of the family, Dan and Gemma have a westie puppy, called Monty, so cute.

 



 
 

 

 

 

Night, night!

I'm just mad about saffron

(in case any of you are of an age to remember Donovan!).

This is my latest knit from Rowan Winter Blooms book by  Kim Hargreaves, the saffron jumper.  I have finished this a little late as it is very warm and cosy and a bit warm for spring.   I love the peplum and it definitely has the vintage vibe I like.

Its a very simple knit.  If you can cast on and knit and purl you could certainly have a go at this one.  Because I like a fitted look and I knit a little on the loose side I went for negative ease and knit the size small, 34" bust  (while I measure a 37" bust).

The wool is Rowan Lima and really quite strange, it is very soft and fluffy but odd to knit with.  It can't be frogged (pulled back) as it completely looses its shape, and you block it by using the steam method.  I think if may pull or pill quite easily, but it is gorgous to wear. I love the colour, but the wool is variegated and you can just about see that it striped rather strangely in some spots and I broke the wool quite a lot to try and match the two sides of the front and at the seams.

... and a strange, eyes closed, pickie!

 

 

 

I had a lovely mothers' day.  Dan and I went to Dunham Massey which is a stately home.  The gardens were fabulous.

 

Especially this himalayan cherry, the bark was like copper.

 

The great hall had been transformed to a copy of the hospital which it housed in World War 1.  There were actors who walked around reliving lives which had been recorded and in an exhibition you got to find out more about the patients and staff, really interesting.

Our favourite room, the library.

I'd certainly recommend this for a day out (it was very busy and you need to be prepared to wait for a ticket on a similar day).  And a picture of the two of us ..... must remember not to wear such bright socks!

A few days off coming up and I have loads of making plans!  Sometimes I think I enjoy the planning more than the making.  I have two sweater from the lovely PomPom quarterly.  Love this little book which was beautifully wrapped in tissue.  First another warm sweater, which probably won't be worn until Autumn (if we are lucky).

Then a little tee - in the silkiest of yarns

This is my favourite fabric of the moment, Golden Garden by Alexander Henry which took a lot of finding (eventually it came from Vietnam), with a couple of the dresses I am considering.

A new retro pattern from Butterick, to make in Duck egg crepe

Then I found some real bargains at Standfast and Barracks in  Lancaster.  This is liberty Tana Lawn, ok it isn't the current collection but it was only £5 a metre!  So two blouses please.

More Tana Lawn, this time for a Vogue repro dress.

.. and I'm just taking part in Gertie's underwear sew-along.

... and fabric for 2 other dresses planned.  This is my project shelf all ready to get started.

 

So that all looks very tidy and under control, not!  I'm afraid this is the less organised other fabric sitting and waiting for me to do something with, much more messy!

 

So tune in for lots of makes to come.  Now I'm off to watch the final of the Great British Sewing Bee, I really wanted Linda to win.  By the way did you know you can download the patterns used for free at quadrille.co.uk, so maybe I could just make the 1930s blouse as well!!  What plans do you have?