FASHION PROJECT - BLUE DRESS USING McCALL'S 2401.

A SAPHIRE BLUE DRESS

When it's cold,
and you want to feel warm and cosy
 and you don't want anything cutting into your waist,
and you don't want to wear dull colours,
and you want to brighten your day,
set to work and create
a new dress!

Take one old but cherished pattern
a meter of fabric
and add a little love and attention,
time and creativity.
 

 



 

 

I like the current trend for #tunic style dresses.  They are very forgiving for the winter months when we may have put on a bit of extra weight and also want something comfortable for wearing to work.

 

 

 

 

My dress was made by adapting an existing pattern  (#Mc Calls 2401).  I really love this pattern because it has different neckline options, and can be made up in all sorts of fabric.  When I returned to dressmaking a few years ago, this was the pattern I used to make my first little dress.

 

 

For this project, I widened the dress very slightly on the top half, and then graded it out towards the bottom half.  I left out the darts at the front and back, apart from at the bust.   The shoulder seems and neckline were stabilised by applying a narrow strip of iron on lightweight interfacing.

 

 

 The fabric is a good quality wool jersey in a beautiful sapphire blue, which I bought at a local charity shop for a bargain price of only £2.50!  Of course, the finished dress cost me more, after adding the zipper, lace, thread, and lining.

 

Being a plain fabric,  I decided to jazz it up and apply some blue flowers from a length of guipure lace. 

 

 

 

I cut out the little flowers and pinned them on individually...

 

...and I arranged them into a pleasing shape.

 

 

 

I stitched the flowers on by hand which seems to preserve the flexability of the fabric.  The addition of the flowers also adds strength to the upper front bodice, so there was no need to apply any facings.

 

 

 

 

 

I then lined the dress which made it feel nice to wear (I don't like prickly clothes!)

 

The result - a very wearable dress that does not crease, and washes well.  Roomy enough to add some extra layers underneath for extra chilly days.  It looks good with my favourite pair of boots.

 

 

 

 For less experienced sewers, there are several patterns available for tunic dresses.  I will shortly be trying out another similar pattern soon, and writing a review for the Simplicity's bloggers challenge!

 

 

 



PONCHO - PART 2

PONCHO  PART  2

 

2 Giraffe's grazing on the new spring growth in Kruger Park

 

 

So I have now returned from my holiday in sunny South Africa and feel blessed in having an extended summer this year.  Not only that, but Autumn here in England has been un seasonally warm as well.

 

If you have not read my previous post, then I urge you to do so if you are planning on making a poncho or other Autumn garment in a wool fabric, as there are some important considerations.  Now, I have one more to add - take good care of wool fabrics in your stash - yesterday I discovered that one of my fabrics has a sprinkle of moth holes in it!  You have been warned!

 

Would I make another poncho?  Probably not.  Although it was a useful experience in getting me to face some anxiety about using different fabrics - namely stretchy ones.  If you have the benefit of an overlocker (or serger), then the process is probably less daunting for you.  So why wouldn't I make another?  Firstly, I have since seen some really lovely ones in the shops which are better and nicer than mine., and...secondly, it was impossible for me to neaten the edges using my sewing machine.  So I ended up with what I consider a rather amateur looking edge, in spite of my best attempt at neat hand sewing.

 

My research on the internet led me to a blog post by Mollytov for a cowl neck poncho - so I am indebted to Mollytov for her tutorial and diagram of what to do.  Thank you, Mollytov.

 

Basically, you need a large rectangle of fabric, and cut a hole in the middle for your head!  Mollytov added a cowl neck to hers which was a nice touch.  I refrained from adding a cowl neck to mine because I am sensitive to wool and know that it would bring me out in a rash all over my neck.  I had some grand ideas about using faux fur instead, but as I was a little disappointed with my end product I did not want the additional expense.

 

I changed the dimensions to suit my height etc.  I also wanted to make use of the double sided two tone colours, and decided to make mine lop sided - or should I say, asymmetrical.  

 

I now have a cosy poncho, for wearing on chilly days, and I reckon that I may wear it indoors sometimes as well.

 

I have kept the off cuts of fabric, because my poncho is essentially a large rectangle.  So, when it is no longer very fashionable, I hope to be able to craft it into something else....if I get the hang of handling bulky fabrics that fray!

 

Here is me modelling it.  Not a good picture is it?  I put my camera on a self timer, and I wasn't looking my best. 

 




Modelling my new Poncho (it's November and I still have sweet peas!)

 

 



FASHION PROJECT - DIY PONCHO - WORK IN PROGRESS

D.I.Y. PONCHO

WORK IN PROGRESS PREVIEW

 

 

 

 

 

What a lovely month September has been.    Gorgeous warm sunny days.  Now that it is turning cooler and darker, my attention is being drawn to thoughts of warmer clothing. I like the trend for casual and comfy wear, especially all the lovely cosy baggy cardies, shawls, and poncho's.

 

For a while now, I have fancied having a go at making a poncho.  The last time I had one  I was about 9 years old - it was multi coloured crochet, complete with tassels and pom poms.

 

This is my "work in progress" report, because I am going on holiday tomorrow, and haven't had time to finish my poncho before I go away.

 

After trawling through the internet for idea's, I made my own pattern.  I will explain the process in more detail in my next post.  It was not complicated and  I am not a pattern drafter! ..but I can figure out something basic, with the help of some flip chart paper, ruler, tape measure, and eye balling it.

 

Just a quick tip though - if, like me, you pre-wash your fabric.  I bought a wool jersey, and washed it on a cool wool wash.  The result was that my 2m of fabric became 1.6m, shrinking a whopping 40cm.  So, either don't wash it first, or buy more fabric than you need.  The fabric was much thicker than I expected (it was before I washed it too), and did not look good when sewn on my machine.  So I decided that I had no choice but to neaten the edges by hand using blanket stitch - hence it looks a bit wobbly, or dare I say, home made?  No, no, no,  couture!...have you ever looked up close at some of the gowns on display at exhibitions - the hand stitching is not always that good either.

 

When I've finished, I will post more details of how it was made.  I may even model it when I've given it a lick with the clothes brush.



CRAFT PROJECT - LAVENDER CREATURE COMFORTS

 

THIS IS WHAT I'VE MADE

 

Anyone driving around North Hampshire in July could imagine themselves in Provence!  For some of the fields will be swathed with row upon row of purple lavender.

Personally I love lavender, as the scent takes me back to my childhood, buying lavender bags at summer fetes, and finding them hidden among your clothes.  Last year, I made some lavender bags to hang in my wardrobe using flowers harvested from my garden.  I used organza so that I could see the lavender flowers through the fabric.

This year, being also a lover of anything that is tactile and gives comfort, I wanted to make a few treats for myself.

I found some pretty liberty fabric in the remnant section of my local fabric shop 0.4m for just over £4.00.  The print reflects the colours of the lavender fields, making it the perfect choice.

 

I bought a large bag of dried lavender from a local producer (Long Barn near Winchester).

 

 Long Barn provided Lavender to Jane Packer for her Olympic bouquets in 2012.  I love the calico sack - I may use this to make a little rustic cushion for the conservatory.  The little sack of flowers smelt divine (although when I wafted it for my husband to sniff, anyone would think I had dangled a dead rat in his face, judging by his reaction!).

My plan was to make a lavender neck pillow that I could heat up and drape around my shoulders,

a hot water bottle cover with a pocket for a lavender bag (mini hot water bottle),

 

 and a lavender eye mask.



I researched the internet because I wanted to be able to heat up the neck pillow (like the wheat products you can get).  I discovered that using Linseed is better that wheat because the seeds are smoother and softer, and the high oil content warms up with your body heat.  The recommended ratio of Linseed to Lavender is either 3/4 Linseed and 1/4 Lavender', or 2/3 Linseed and 1/3 Lavender.  The seeds and flowers should not be packed too tight, as you will need to be able to drape the pillow.  Apparently, you can warm them in the oven, but they can catch on fire!  I will warm mine up by draping it over a radiator instead (as I don't trust myself not to forget about it until it's too late).

The neck pillow was first made using some white cotton fabric, and then covered with the liberty print fabric.

The hot water bottle cover was quilted to add extra softness and prevent scalding. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As with anything like this, I can always think of ways I would make something different next time.  For example, I would make the neck pillow slightly longer, and remember to turn the inner pillow inside out before stitching the dividing seam sections!

My next plan is to make some little hand warmers for chilly days ahead.

Feeling cozy......

FABRIC TREASURE HUNT

FABRIC TREASURE HUNT

If you enjoy looking out for nice fabrics to add to your stash, a holiday abroad is a great opportunity to go exploring for textile treasures. 

*****

 



I have recently been to Madeira and visited a wonderful fabric shop in Funchal.  As I knew that I would want to linger, my husband graciously departed to a local bar for a beer and to watch one of the World Cup matches! There was a large selection of fabrics suitable for home sewing, whether you like making clothes or home furnishings. 

The shop is called Feira Dos Tecidos - web address www.feiradostecidos.com.  I have taken a look at their website which is based in Portugal - unfortunately it is not very inspiring and does not do justice to their shop.



I could have really gone to town and bought loads of fabric because it was so much cheaper than here in the U.K., but  I am finding that I am buying fabric faster than I can sew it, so I limited myself to three gorgeous lots as follows:-

 

 

This was a remnant of 1.3m medium weight silk satin, priced at 4,95e (£3.97).  This would be just enough fabric to make a short sleeved blouse or top.

 

This is my favourite.  It is a lightweight Italian silk, with a paisley type of design and bordered with blue stripes.  I think that it will make a lovely floaty summer tunic.  I bought 2 meters at 7,95 ((£6.37 per meter).

 

 

 

 

T

 

This fabric is a Italian crepe de chine, with a cream background and all over black spot design.  I  plan to make a long sleeved Alma Blouse with this.  I again bought 2 meters at 7,95e. 

Believe me, choosing only 3 fabrics was very hard to do because they had a fantastic selection of new season Italian silk all priced at only 7.95e!

I also bought 3 invisible zips for 0,35e each (about 28p).

 

 

 

I  found another little shop which specialised in trimmings, and couldn't resist buying a couple of types of insert style embroidery anglaise lace.  I think these would be lovely on a lightweight cotton lawn blouse for summer, and any left overs will be useful for small craft projects.

 

My version of the Belcarra blouse by Sewaholic

 

 

 

THE BECLARRA

 

 

 

 

 

Anyone familiar with Sewaholic will be aware of their latest pattern - The Belcarra blouse.  One of the advantages of these patterns is that beginners can follow a sewalong - with step by step instructions, and then showcase their efforts on flickr.  I love seeing other peoples interpretations of a pattern, and they give me ideas of what I want to make.

 

 *****

 

I am wanting to increase my wardrobe of pretty blouses because they are so adaptable, being suitable for work and smart functions, or simply to dress up a pair of jeans.

Before I got to work to make mine, I copied the pattern onto Kwik Trace, and made it up as the blouse.  This enables me to see where I need to make any alterations.  For me, I made my usual sway back  and narrow chest adjustment, and also decided that I wanted it less fitted (more flattering on a middle aged figure!).


As this was my first attempt, I chose a modestly priced polyester satin which I purchased some time ago from Craftswoman fabrics.  Although drapey, it was easy to cut out and sew.  I bought the lace specifically to embellish the blouse - a guipure lace from my local fabric shop C & H Fabrics, using my £5.00 voucher for entering their sewing bee competition. 

You can see from the photographs that I applied the lace using two matching rows as a front panel and as a panel on the sleeves. 

 

Before applying the lace to the actual garment, I made a test piece.  First I tried applying it by machine, but it was too stiff - consequently my original plan to cut away the satin behind the lace had to be abandoned.  I found that by sewing the lace carefully on by hand, enabled the garment to maintain the movement and flexibility of the satin.

 

 

 I am delighted with the results.  The blouse is easy to make with clear instructions, and there are no fiddly bits such as zips or button holes. I chose not to turn up the sleeves because I did not want to cover up the lace.  It is a good project for someone new to dressmaking. 

The blouse looks pretty tucked in as seen in my photographs, or loose over a pair of trousers or jeans.  The blouse is very comfortable to wear, and nice and airy so no risk of underarm stains.  I can't wait to make some more.

Here I am modelling my blouse while on holiday in Madeira.  I wore it to have afternoon tea at Reid's Palace Hotel.

TIP: As you have to pull the blouse over your head, apply your lipstick afterwards.

 

 

A SPOTTY BLOUSE (New Look 6107)

I am going through a blouse phase.  I have intended to make some pretty blouses for myself once I became more competent in my sewing skills, inspired by the many lovely patterns out there.

Blouses seem to be going through a bit of a renaissance at the moment, with plenty of them in the shops from the traditional shirt  to more feminine chiffon styles. 

I have had a lovely spotty fabric in my "stash" for a while now, which I bought to team up with my red crepe skirt (see previous post).  I decided to use the fabric to make a blouse for a local sewing bee competition at C&H Fabrics , using the New Look pattern 6107, view B.

 

 

 

 The pattern was easy to follow with clear instructions.  The only thing that I would say is that it is quite low cut at the bust and being loose fitting could be revealing if you bend over!  I also found that my button loops were initially too big (I followed the instructions to the letter, honest), so I  decided to make them smaller, to fit over the fabric covered buttons. 



 





I was slightly concerned that it would look dated as it reminded me of some blouses that I wore in the late 90's.

 

 It's probably not a pattern you would choose if you like to follow current fashion trends. However, it does look pretty, and fits like a dream.







One of the things that I like to do is check out other people's versions of a pattern, and I found several versions of this blouse on google images.  It looks surprisingly good is a bold print too.

The competition was a great opportunity to up my game, take time over my project, and not cut corners!  The blouse did take me a long time to make, as I basted all the seams before sewing, and added French seams, as well as cover the buttons .  It was worth it (no I didn't win) for the sheer pleasure of taking my time and having a professional looking garment that I am proud to wear.

 

I also had some left over fabric so decided to make a matching padded hanger as well!



Although I didn't win the competition, my blouse did make it into the shop window for a week.

I am currently making the sewaholic Belcarra blouse, and will post a review soon.