Bridie: My Sewaholic Gabriola Skirt

So a while ago I went a bit crazy buying PDF download patterns I think I bought 3 in one day, my excuse was it was Black Friday so got some good deals, but still a little excessive especially as I didn't have a project line up for them yet. I had a feeling I would get round to using them and I was right. Last months Sew It Yourself Meet Up Mini Challenge was to create a skirt and when I remembered I had the Sewaholic Gabriola Skirt I knew it would be perfect.

This skirt requires a lot of fabric about 3.5m for 60 inch width and about 5m for 45 inch width fabric. I wanted to make a wearable toile as that's quiet a lot of fabric to for a first attempt at a pattern. So I raided my stash and found this amazing fabric that was my Grandmas. I believe its a crepe de chine but I could be wrong. The important thing was it draped beautifully and there was meters and meters of it (I still have a good meter let)  

So after a lot of sticking, the only downside to PDF patterns is how long it takes to put them together, I was ready to go. The fabric I used required a lot of pinning while cutting as its very slippery on one side. Got there in the end though, well I thought I had turned out I'd missed out a full side panel. Luckily I had enough fabric left to go back and cut it out. Highly annoying though! 

It was defiantly one of the fiddlier garments I've made what with lining up all the panels in a fabric that didn't want to cooperate. I'm just glad I wasn't pattern matching that would of been a nightmare! Overall very pleased with it. I think the fabric was well worth the extra effort and the panels give the skirt a beautiful shape!

I do think next time I'm going make it a size smaller. I took it in a little at the waist which I think it needed and also requires a lot chopping off the hem for me and I'm about average height. They're easy issues to fix !

To get a real idea of how lovely this pattern is you have to see it in motion!

I hope you've enjoyed this post!

Happy Sewing x

Heather: The Big Vintage Sew Along

The Big Vintage Sew Along is an annual blogging event organised by McCall Pattern company. Each year they choose a selection of reproduction vintage patterns from their range and invite the sewing community to have a go at reproducing these vintage styles. You can find out more about the project here.

If you've read some of my older blogs over at Dresstoration you'll know I'm a vintage fan, so when I received details of the challenge I knew I wanted to get involved. I picked out this lovely 1930s coat-dress which I thought would suit my style. 

From the moment I started cutting the pattern out I knew this garment was going to be tricky. If you look closely at the pattern diagram you'll see there are curved darts of the hips and shoulders. This is not a feature I've ever attempted before, so I decided to make a toile of the bodice in some leftover muslin, to check I could get the curves right.

I started with my usual method of checking the garment fit against my pattern block. I shortened the bodice back by 2cm at the seam, and the front by 2cm at the shoulder. Having cut out the pieces from muslin and battled for about 30 minutes to get the curves to fit together nicely, I thought it might be a fun idea to read the instructions... (I have inherited this bad habit from one of my parents. Clue: It's not my Mum.) 

This dress has an unusual feature, in that almost all of the seams are joined together with a line of top stitching/edge stitching rather than the classic right-sides-together method. This means that those lovely curved darts are actually created by pressing under the curves and then lining them up with their corresponding partner before edge stitching in place. Not easy. (Big thanks to Amy from Almond Rock who set me on the right track here! See her version of this dress here.) 

Having figured out what I was supposed to be doing I stitched up my toile, with promising results.

Happy with the fit, I rooted through my stash and found some tan cheesecloth in a perfect 1940s brown, which I thought would make a lovely summer version of the outfit. I also opted to shorten the sleeves at this point for the same reason.

I started by making up the back of the garment. The curved edges were tricky but not impossible, and aided significantly by the purchase of an adjustable zipper foot which allowed me to align the edge of the foot which the edge of the fabric perfectly. The instructions suggested using a contrast thread for the visible stitching so I went for a soft coral pink, as I knew it would match a pair of vintage-looking shoe boots I picked up from Office a few years ago. 

The majority of the garment assembly was straightforward and before long I had 90% of a completed garment, just awaiting the attachment of the collar and front panels. This is where things started to get a little tricky. On the front of the garment there are two tiny pockets. See them? No, I didn't either. They are actually hidden behind the top two curves of the bodice and creating them involves a lot of pins and pressing and tacking (and swearing). Finally I got to this point: the front top stitching.

There are some learning points here: 

1. I should have tacked these beastly darts in place rather than sewing straight from pins.

2. I should have overlocked the edges of every piece before I even started this exercise.

3. You can't press cheesecloth enough times- it will always looked like you just screwed it into a ball.

4. Cheesecloth was not the right fabric for this dress.

The fabric moved around a lot whilst stitching. It pulled out of shape in some places, and there are some definite hidden holes under those seams from my stitch unpicker.

But I finished it. It was really tricky, and there was definitely a point that I was ready to consign this to the pile of never-to-be-finished UFOs. 

But I persevered, and I'm so pleased I did...

Check out those shoes!

You can just make out the contrast edge stitching here.

Hand stitched arrow heads on each dart.

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Why not have a go at your own vintage challenge?

http://www.vintagesewalong.co.uk/

Heather: #mmmay16 Roundup

Those of you who follow our Sew It Yourself Facebook page will be no stranger to "Me Made May"; an event in the sewcial calendar which encourages sewists to wear their handmade items throughout May, and post about them online. Every pledge is different- some people decide to post every day, some just once a week. I decided to try and post every day so here is my roundup!

 

 

 

Now, the keen-eyed amongst you will see there are only 27 photos... Well, Bank holidays don't count, right?! ;)

Did you take part in #mmmay16? How did you get on?

Heather: Perfect Peacocks and Disastrous Draping

Calling in to Fabric Corner a couple of weeks ago I was drawn to a beautiful petrol coloured crepe which I decided would make a perfect project for May. Looking around the store for something to complement it, this beautiful peacock feather Liberty lawn stood out and I began planning my project.

 

And then I planned some more. And some more. I was really struggling to decide what to make; a term I affectionately named "sewists's block" for about a week.The fabrics were so beautiful that I came up with at least 9 different project ideas before I finally made my decision.

In fact, the decision came a little easier with the arrival of the latest edition of Love Sewing Magazine and the accompanying Pussy Bow Dress. I had already made a version of the dress (see a later post) and really liked the shape of the bodice, so I decided to make a sleeveless version of the blouse. 

 

I started by tracing out a copy of the blouse pattern (minus the sleeves) and checking the fit against my pattern block. I then split the front bodice piece down the centre front and added a button stand, also altering the neck facing to match. 

Anyone who has ever worked with Liberty cotton lawn knows that it's an absolute dream to work with. It doesn't usually lose any size, body or colour in the wash and it drapes beautifully. Consequently the main garment pieces were cut out and ready to go within less than 20 minutes. The petrol coloured crepe, however, had its own ideas about how it should be used and I had a real battle on my hands to lay the fabric both flat and straight both at the same time. Finally, using my cutting mat, rotary cutter and all the pins I could find, I finally managed to cut the length for the bow.

Assembling this garment is pretty straightforward- centre darts front and back and bust darts, side seams, shoulder seams and that's 90% of the construction completed. Not contented with a straightforward make I spotted this plum scallop edged trim in the haberdashery (yes, it is meant for knickers, but I don't like to be pigeonholed 😉) and added it to the edge of the front panels where the buttons would meet. 

 

I then attached the facings to finish the neckline and added the neck tie. The armholes were finished by simply turning under 1cm- not my preferred option generally but it seemed to work for this garment. I dug some teal buttons out of the button stash, and voilá!

 

Buoyed by my blouse success I quickly searched my pattern stash for a suitable skirt pattern. Empty-handed, I then resorted to searching Pinterest (what would we do without it?) and discovered a fun draped skirt from Burda which was available as a pattern download to print at home. A general fan of Burda, I decided to give it a go.

 

Image reproduced from Burdastyle.com

First of all, this pattern was probably a bit ambitious for 8pm on a Sunday evening, and consequently my make was littered with mistakes. The first challenge was the pattern layout. The skirt is a wrap style and requires the back panel (there is 1 piece included in the PDF) to be used twice, attached to both the front right and front left panels at the pattern stage to eliminate the need for a side seam. Being a hater of waste, I found it really hard work to lay out the pattern on the (constantly moving) fabric, eventually resorting to marking the outlines on the crepe with pins and chalk. (I know the seasoned sewers amongst you are screaming "why didn't you just trace out a second back piece?" No idea. I'm screaming it too). Finally I got all of the pieces on to my fabric and began cutting out.

Now, I've made quite a lot of patterns from Burda, see my previous post for evidence, but in my slightly fatigued state I forgot that one golden rule... check the seam allowances. Burda are well known for not including seam allowances in their patterns but this had completely slipped my mind (and of course I hadn't bothered to read the instruction pages, which would be my ultimate downfall). Thankfully I had opted for a slightly generous fit on my measurements, so I persevered, constructing the pocket sections, adding darts and joining the centre back seams without issue. I hemmed the skirt at this point as the crepe was beginning to fray.

You'll notice from the pattern diagram that the front pleats sit over the waistband rather than joining underneath it. This technique involved partially attaching the waistband, then folding the pleats over the waistband, and finally sewing the bottom of the waistband by hand. The waistband pieces are not included in the PDF and need to be drawn out onto the (by this point, dreaded) fabric. Skimming the instructions (you can see where this is going, right?) I cut out my waistband strips and merrily attached them to my skirt. After much pressing and a few choice words I realised that I had, once again, forgotten the seam allowances.

 

At this point I went to bed.

The next evening I fixed my mistakes and finished off the skirt. I'm not sure whether it was the knowledge of the mistakes I had made, or just general frustration, but I was really unhappy with the finished skirt. Sadly I think this one is destined for the recycling pile.

 

I read so many blogs that talk about great makes and technical skills and design, but very few hold their hands up to a disastrous make. For anyone who had ever read similar articles and been disheartened when things don't go right, please know it happens to all of us.

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The fabric used in this post was kindly provided by Fabric Corner Lincoln, based at The Craftea Sewing Bee Shop, 22-24 Melville Street Lincoln, and at Lincoln's Historic Central Market.

Heather: Patti floral dress

Back in October 2015 I picked up a copy of the Burda Style Special magazine. (For those of you who have never heard of it, it's a sewing magazine containing 64 free 'trace-it-yourself' patterns each month.) The October special had a 60s theme and was where I first spied the gorgeous Patti empire line dress.

Patti Dress from www.burdastyle.com

With a contrast collar and cuffs this dress is a vintage-lover's dream, and since then I've made it in several colours and styles. (Sorry about the picture quality!)

Navy polyester with contrast in lighter blue viscose.

Stripe knitted fabric with collar and cuffs made from leftover pieces of jumper!

I even made a version for my Mum from this orange floral cotton mix fabric with corduroy collars and cuffs.

But by far the pièce de résistance is this version in black floral, 100% viscose from Fabric Corner. As soon as I saw the fabric I knew it would make a perfect 'Patti'. I decided against contrast collars and cuffs on this one. Despite finding a great spot-contrast in my stash I decided the matching collar was more suitable for this one. (Do you think I made the right decision?)

Instead the spot contrast is on the inside, for a fun detail. I added some vintage style buttons, picked up at a sewing show in Harrogate last year, for a true vintage feel.

I am totally thrilled with the results on this dress. It's goes perfectly with my peach shoe boots and I've worn it twice in a week!

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All fabrics featured in this post were sourced at Fabric Corner Lincoln, based in Lincoln's historic Central Market and at 22-24 Melville Street Lincoln.

Happy Sewing!

Heather: Simple Sew 'Kate' Jersey Dress

We've all been there. It's Midday on Saturday and your mind wanders to 'what to wear to the party tonight?' Well this is one such project. Having rooted through the wardrobe I discovered I had nothing* to wear!

*honest!

A quick root through my stash produced 2 metres of printed floral jersey viscose, and a brand new pattern from the March edition of Love Sewing; the "Kate' jersey dress. (I didn't have time to wash and dry the fabric before using, which is a big risk with jersey, but I didn't really have a choice!)

The pattern itself is quite simple- a single back panel (no darts), a front skirt, waist panel, and bodice panel, basic sleeve, tie panels and two facings. I opted for the size 8, as the finished pattern measurements were quite generous. 

Attaching the bust and waist panels was probably the most tricky part of the project. The deep v neck meets with the upwards v at the waist and extra attention is needed to ensure both points line up!

Here is the partially assembled garment: 

After trying on, I decided to take an inch out of both side seams, and shorten the sleeves to above the elbow for a more casual look. (This was looking too much like a work dress for my liking!) I also turned up a very generous 1.5 inch hem for more of a 'party' length. 

Here is the finished dress! I think I'll be making one of these in every colour.

Heather: Reversible Floral Skirt

At a recent visit to the Sewing and Craft shows at the NEC I spotted this beautiful viscose mix floral fabric from Montreux Fabrics.

I've never seen the stall there before, but it was piled high with gorgeous rolls, and even better, they had boxes and boxes of remnants and roll ends to root through. Now, I'm a sucker for a remnant. The challenge presented of having just too little fabric and having to cut creatively, or add panels, really makes me think about what I'm making. This piece was just 80x150cm so just enough for a very simple shift dress or a nice skirt. 

I pulled the fabric out of my stash the other day and, whilst laying it out on the table, realised that the fabric was fully reversible! I hadn't even noticed in the excitement of buying. 

I really wanted to make the most of both sides of the beautiful fabric, so I decided to attempt a fully reversible skirt. I googled for a simple pattern and found this really easy tutorial with a free printable pattern. Unfortunately I didn't have enough fabric to make the skirt as two layers so I was going to need to be creative!

The pattern calls for the skirt to be cut on the straight grain, but there was not enough fabric for this so I removed the centre back seam and cut both front and back pieces on the bias.

It wanted to ensure the skirt was fully reversible so I stitched the panels together with French seams and then top-stitched them flat to ensure the skirt could be worn both ways. 

I cut the front wrap panels into a curve at the edges, and turned up the hem 1cm all the way round, turning the hem under again to create a 0.5cm hem. On the "blue" side of the garment I pinned some black rikrak over the turned hem and top stitched through all the layers close to the edge to finish the hem. 

I used black satin bias binding for the waist and attached two pretty buttons from my stash to finish off. The result is a lovely flippy hem skirt that I can wear right through to summer!