Grainline Hadley top

This is my second Grainline Hadley top and I'm afraid it is a complete copy.  When I visited Guthrie and Ghani during the SewBrum meet up, one of the staff was wearing this exact top and I loved it so much I just copied it.

This is a really full, swingy top, which is much better made in a really drapey fabric ... and this fabric is very drapey and soft.  I'm sure you will recognize it as the Atelier Brunette moonstone viscose.  I love it, even though it is expensive.  I got mine from one of my favourite internet shops, SewMeSunshine, Harriet offers an fantastic service and great fabric.    It may seem a bit  strange but I used the wrong side of the fabric, because I liked the more subtle coloured shapes.

It has an uneven hem and loose sleeves and the back has a pleat at the backneckline.

Another thing I love about this pattern is how neat you can make it on the inside, look how beautiful.  I French seamed all the seams including the setting of the sleeves.  The pattern has a neck facing, but Guthrie and Ghani have been selling Atelier Brunette bias binding and it is absolutely gorgeous.  I used this to face the neck and the hem and it looks fantastic, bet you can hardly see it below.

So this one is a hit for me, even though its not my usual fitted style.  It's a great pattern as usual from Grainline Studio, with clear instructions, and this is a beginner friendly patter.

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!

A lacy Linden

I've been deep into making a Grainline duffle coat which will hopefully be finished this weekend (there are 61 steps!) and making a tailored jacket at my sewing class, so I felt like a quick make, enter the Grainline Linden sweatshirt as I could definitely do with something warm and cuddly in the Cumbrian weather we are having.
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 I cut a size 12, but a pin fitting showed it was too big, so I sewed all the seams at 5/8" rather than the 1/4" as set.   I think this makes it easier to handle than the 1/4" which would make it impossible to overlock the seams.   I still think it's too big.  You can see a lot of room in the sleeves, the back ....

and particularly at the tummy area.  I think next time I might even go down to a size 8.

I made the view B with view A sleeves (though just folder over the sleeve hem rather than using the rib).  I would prefer the neckline to be a little higher.

I added 2" to the length, I might even add an extra inch next time (I'm only 5'4" so it would be very short without the added inches on a tall person).  I wanted to make it a little different so just added some scraps of stretch lace to the shoulder seams.  I just topstitched around the scallops and basted to the shoulder seam then sewed as normal, I think it adds a little individuality.  I decided to use some black rib to match the lace.  I think the rib could be a little wider.  Just as an aside I ordered 1/4 yard of ribbing and I only used a tiny bit, I think it would last for lots of projects.  The ribbing and fabric came from My Fabrics.

 The fabric turned out to be a bit disappointing.  It's lovely a warm with a fleecy inside, and a really nice shade of teal, but when I washed it it ended up patchy and half of it had a strange self-stripe which made it look like seconds.  I should have returned it really as it wasn't cheap for sweatshirt fabric.  My Fabrics have a great range of fabrics, but perhaps the attention to quality isn't as good.

The final sweatshirt is very wearable and warm.   I want to make another from Liberty Fleece as  have been really inspired  by Karyn's 3 liberty sweatshirts.  Rather extravagant, I know, but what a treat!  Karyn's blog is great she uses such lovely fabrics, have a look!

I can't believe we are at the final stage of the Great British Sewing Bee already (wonder why this series is 2 episodes shorter).  I've really enjoyed it and I've taken some inspiration.  My walkaway dress should be finished next weekend, I've used up some more of my lace oddments on a silk T which has just been cut out, and I really am fancying trying a leather jacket!  I liked Lorna's jacket with Neil's collar.  I've managed to track down Lorna' pattern, so who knows maybe I will be brave if I can get hold of some leather, or better still some really high quality faux leather.

Have you made a Linden or have any recommendations for some quick makes?