Coming soon… sneaky peek!

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend.  I don’t have a proper post today, but I do have a sneak peek of a very exciting collaboration due on Wednesday. Pop back to see what it is all about later in the week.

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Making basics with the Molly Top

In the last year I have been working hard to make the things I wear every day, and that means basics.  perhaps not the most exciting sewing, but these Sew Over It Molly Tops  from the My Capsule Wardrobe E-book get so much wear.

This magenta and grey is my first attempt and it did go together very smoothly.  I decided to use the neckband on the cross-grain, but this was a mistake because there wasn’t enough stretch in that direction.  It ended up hanging away from the body quite a bit at the neckline so I have fudged a fix by turning the neckband down again and stitching it in place.

This pattern is one of 5 PDF patterns in the e-book. It is a loose-fitting, kimono sleeved top with a dipped hem. The sizing is spot on. It is loose and flowing without ending up oversized.

I now have two short-sleeved versions, and a long-sleeved top (all striped which did create some extra work matching).  It does help that you don’t need to stripe match at the sleeve seam, because the stripe direction changes.

All three of my tops are made with jersey from Girl Charlee who really should be your go-to place for jersey.  These are all quite lightweight, so don’t have loads of stretch and do need to be handled a little carefully to stop them from stretching out.  The two short-sleeved tops are 1/2 inch stripe, cotton jersey blends available here in teal and magenta.  There are lots of other colour options too.  The long-sleeve is similar, but unfortunately now out of stock.

On my long-sleeved version I have found the sleeves a little short and they got stretched out hemming so I have since added a cuff.  Not really sure that it helped, so I may remove the sleeves and keep it as another short-sleeved version.

I would definitely make more of these.  If you didn’t have stripe matching to deal with they would be such a fast make. The short-sleeved version only has 3 pieces- front, back and neckband.  Not so sure about the sleeved version, perhaps I should try again in a more stable jersey, but at the moment I think I prefer the Tilly and the Buttons Agnes Top which I will be reviewing here shortly!

Saunio Cardigan, spring jacket

The Saunio Cardigan from Named Clothing  is pattern two from project sew my style, and is one of the patterns that I was less sure about, so didn’t want to invest too much time or money into something I wasn’t sure I would wear. It has turned out ok though, and while it isn’t quite my usual style I an see myself wearing this during spring as a lightweight jacket.

The size range of each size is quite big. I made up the smallest size and found it a bit bulky so I pinched out 1.5 inches at each side seam and re-sewed them.  I do tend to prefer close fitting to oversized clothing though. An alternative would be to add a belt and belt loops like Jess at Little Miss Lorraine.

The fabric that I used was from eBay. It does feel pretty synthetic and polyester, but it seemed like a good option for something I wasn’t sure how much I would wear. It is a slightly quilted jersey and it is both warm and stretchy.

The sewing of this pattern was generally pretty simple. Like the Toaster Sweater it is very quick to put together.  The only point I got a little confused was attaching the facing to the jacket, but the illustrations were good and it is a very clever, neat finish.

I did have a couple of problems with my fabric. Because it was quilted it was made up of several layers and they did shift and stretch a little when topstitching.  When added to not grading my seams enough at the bottom of the facing I have ended up with quite a bit of bulk here.

I did a second row of topstitching to try to flatten it down a little which has partially worked, but I think I should have just used my walking foot to avoid the problem completely! I have made the executive decision to have the jacket cross over the wrong way too conceal the bulk!

The instructions for the Saunio Cardigan don’t include fastenings. My quilted fabric is a little bulky to drape properly at the front, and I like to be able to do up my cardigans, so I have added a couple of snaps and a hook and eye to give me some options for wearing it closed.

All in all, it is not a pattern that I would have chosen for myself, but I did enjoy using a pattern from a new designer. The instructions from Named Clothing were really good and well thought through, and I think I will enjoy wearing this as the weather begins to warm up instead of a proper coat.

Do we value handmade?

When you receive a handmade gift do you cringe? How about if you are the crafter? Do you keep your making to yourself?  Christmas is past now, but if you are a crafter, did you make any presents? Were you more concerned about the time commitment or how they would be received?

I think people often fall into two camps when it comes to handmade. Either they think you were being cheap, or they value the time, effort and cost involved in choosing fabric, pattern and actually crafting. Machine made products may be cheaper, but they aren’t made with love.

When it comes to crafting for friends and family what is your approach?  I tend to do most of my making for me- it is my hobby as well as my way of personalising my wardrobe, but I do sew for my family too from time to time.  I know that they understand how much work goes into making something special and personal.  A pair of personalised PJ’s, a shirt, a cycling jersey- I have created all these recently and they have been well received with love.

via Daily Prompt: Craft

Back to the beginning- Delphine Skirt

Today I thought I would go back to the beginning of my journey sewing clothes to the first item of clothing I made- a Tilly and the Buttons Delphine Skirt.  I made this skirt about 2 years ago and it is amazing to think of all the things I have learned since then!

This skirt is so many firsts for me- a first concealed zip, first use of a paper pattern, first following of pattern instructions, and I’m so glad that this is the project I chose to try these things out on!  Tilly gives such clear instructions, and Love at First Stitch is an amazing book for a new dressmaker- it explains why you should do something, not just how.

So then, back to the pattern.  Delphine is a simple A-line skirt, with a waistband and centre back zip.  I added belt loops though I never use them, and the fabric is a corduroy from Trago.

This is such a beginner friendly pattern.  There are not too many pattern pieces, and the fit is very forgiving.  Provided your waist fits, the rest should be fine. As you can tell from these pictures, it is a lovely skirt for being active in- not too restrictive!

I have made another Delphine since and that one I lined, but even that did not really add too much complexity because Tilly has a lovely tutorial on how to do it on her blog too.

It was just so lovely to be out in the springlike sunshine to take these pictures!

So, if you have been reading, please let me know what sorts of posts you would like to see in the future.  I have some more recent makes that I am planning to finish up and photograph soon, and also have a few thoughts on non-finished garment posts that I might share.  There are also lots of things in my wardrobe already that could be written up.  What would you like to see?  Pretty spring dresses? Some of my early makes (some more successful than others). Comment below, and I will look forward to seeing what you think.