Deeply dippy, part 2

Still obsessed with dramatically dipped hems, this jersey dress - a long sleeved variation of this self-drafted dress, later re-made here - very nearly made it into our first collection of sewing patterns at By Hand London. We had wanted to offer a super easy beginner knits pattern and I tell you, they don't come much easier than this dress! 

I've said this before, but this dress is such a breeze to make. No zips, no buttons, no closures, no shaping, no nothing. Just a simple bodice back and front, sleeves with wristband finish (or just an armhole band for short sleeves), circle skirt basted to bodice then elasticated at the waistline. The only reason this pattern didn't make it into the collection was that it would've used too much tissue paper to print an entire whole-cut circle skirt pattern without breaking it up into multiple segments... and therefore defeating the point of a dress that should be make-able in under an hour.

Like my silk dipped hem skirt, this jersey dress has the same wonderfully swishy, billowy feel that just makes me want to swan about, spinning and skipping every other step. While the silk skirt saw plenty of action over Summer, I think this dress, with its burnt orange and fried egg-like florals, might just be my go-to party dress this Autumn.

Deeply dippy, part 1

It feels like forever since I posted anything I've made here. And that's not to say I haven't been stitching up the usual storm in my studio. I just haven't had the time to photograph everything. Missed the sun -- bad hair day -- no one to help me take the pictures -- excuses, excuses. So it was on this sunny, but distinctly chilly Saturday morning that I finally got around to photographing the backlog.

I'm not usually a sucker for faddish trends, and fancy my look as more classic with a twist, but I can't deny that I fell pretty hard for all the dipped hems out and about this Summer. So hard that I made two quite serious garments with dramatically dipped hems... 

For this half circle skirt, I used a delicious paisley Liberty print silk, using the more faded, alleged wrong-side of the fabric as my right-side. I preferred the softer pastel effect for the main body of the skirt, and having the bolder print come flashing through from the inside only adds to the interest of this skirt. For a piece such as this where the inside of the garment is as much on display as the outside, it was vital to me to finish everything impeccably.

French seams at centre front and centre back - I obviously would have preferred to have the seams at the sides but it was quite an awkward length of fabric I had left and it was one hell of a lot easier getting the dipped hem symmetrical this way. I actually further reinforced the French seams by pressing and stitching them down, I guess like a flat-felled seam... French-felled seams, then?

I finished the hemline with a simple broderie Anglaise trim which as well as giving it the neatest of finishes, also adds a little extra weight, making this the flowiest, most billow-iest skirt I've ever had the pleasure of wearing. Oh, how it billows...

(apologies for the creasiness of the skirt... I've worn it a fair few times this Summer and I'm afraid I had to dig it out of the laundry basket in order to take these photos. Probably should've given it a little press, but hey. I don't like ironing on a Saturday morning.)

In fact, pictures simply don't do the billow any justice...

I think I just died and went to Fabric Heaven

Could it be that I'm the last sewist in the world to have only just discovered Spoonflower? Never before have I seen such a frenzy-inducing selection of prints... For those of you not yet in the know, Spoonflower is basically a textile designers' Etsy equivalent. They offer a selection of fabrics (cottons/silks/twill etc) and anyone can submit their own designs to be printed onto the fabric of their choice (no minimum order!), either for your own private use or you can create your own shop within Spoonflower where other people can buy fabric printed with your designs, earning you 10% of the sales.

I daren't even begin to count how many hours of my life I've lost over the past week salivating over my computer screen. And I haven't even scratched the surface of all there is on offer, but here is part 1 of my Spoonflower wishlist...

 

This peachy aztec design is begging to be transformed into a drapey maxi dress... half circle skirt... gently cowled neckline possibly...

It's no secret I'm mega into the galactic - I've even tried creating my own galaxy print - but this is just on another dimension of spectacular.

I'm not a huge fan of matchy-matchy, except when my clothes match my furnishings. To me, sewing doesn't get much more satisfying than that. I would use this coral ikat to make a pretty gathered skirt and some cushion covers to match.

 

It could be Springtime every day with this peach blossom printed onto sheer cotton voile curtains... Or just a really, really pretty dress. Maybe too pretty. Maybe better for a little girl... Did I mention that the friend who's wedding dress I made back in April got pregnant on her honeymoon?? They're having a girl and I now feel compelled to sew/knit vast quantities of miniature pink things.

 

This watery handpainted check print reminds me of something my Mum had when I was little. It slightly pains me to say it, but I'm getting a distinct Carrie Season 2 feeling about this... A slinky, silky high waisted quarter circle skirt in this fabric worn with a cropped kiddy t-shirt with some kind of nostalgic Care-bears logo on it. You know it would look hot.

 

Can you tell that I'm still only on the "coral" colourway selection?? I'm quite digging dia de los muertos imagery at the moment, something so strangely pretty and morbid at the same time about those decorated skulls.

 

Another dia de los muertos print, and a whole new colourway! Possibly my second favourite colour combination, blue and red reminds me of the Circus, Dumbo and outdoor Summer parties.

I've been wanting to make a more casual, day dress from one of our debut sewing patterns - the Elisalex dress - and I reckon this military stars & chevrons print is just the thing for a mini-bubble skirted, short sleeved variation, complete with vintage military badges sewn on at the shoulders!

 

Maybe a little too twee or reminiscent of tacky velvet wallpaper for some, I'm actually quite smitten with this delicate pink damask. The pale colours make for a more subtle effect I think, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I'd like to have a skirt and matching curtains in this fabric...

 

I love the bold bright colours and geometric patterns of Art Deco design and this sun deco print is probably my favourite of the lot right now. I won't even start listing what I'd make with this - in short: everything and anything.

Over the last couple of years I've successfully managed to quash my impulse to buy clothes... but it seems that that innate desire to consume has only been relocated to the impulse to shop for fabric, patterns and notions. Ugh. Somebody please grant me access to a hefty Spoonflower voucher! I would use it so well!

Did I mention it's my birthday next month??

The Marie Skirt, or, the kindness of others

"Pssst...what's your address please? I have a present for you ;o)"

That was the email I woke up to a couple of weeks ago from none other than Marie of A Sewing Odyssey... Fast forward one week later and I found myself sitting at the bottom of the stairs holding my breath as I unwrapped a squishy, cushion-like parcel to reveal almost 3 metres of this to-die-for Aztec print cotton jersey!

Look familiar? You may remember when Marie (aka expert of knits and Queen of fabulously printed fabrics) scored a mouth watering stash of printed jerseys from a local market, including the Aztec print shown above. As I read her post I fell more and more in love, my mind ticking with thoughts of all the skirts, tops and dresses I wanted to make with it... I left her a comment gushing over the gorgeous sweetheart tee she had just made, mentioning also how wonderous  I had found that Aztec jersey. To my amazement, thereafter followed a series of emails between us with Marie so kindly offering to see if she could find some more for me the next time she happened to be at the market. 

Marie: I am blown away by your generosity and thoughtfulness. Pretty much speechless, in fact. It really goes to show what a wonderful community we have going on here - connecting virtually over a common passion, sharing inspiration and resources, supporting and encouraging one another, all the challenges, giveaways and meet-ups, actual friendships being forged, sending each other presents for goodness sake!! Amazing. I can't thank you enough. And you totally had the vision when you saw this being made up into a maxi dress - for that's pretty much what I did! I still have a little leftover so I'll be sure to keep you posted as to what that becomes... But in the meantime, I give you: the Marie Skirt!

I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing this skirt all Summer long. A super simple 1/4 circle construction with a wide elastic waistband, it can be worn high on the waist or lower on the hip for a slouchier, Autumnal vibe - I'm thinking it's going to be amazing with my grey cabled jumper, when I finally get around to knitting the last sleeve! For now I'm loving it with a cropped kiddy t-shirt (the one I'm wearing is straight from the one and only Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee!) and my Swedish clogs. Perfect for the warm windy weather we've been having here in London.

[I've been getting kind of irked by having to constantly photograph myself in things I've made... having to think about how I look... feeling borderline narcissistic... so much more fun to take the piss!]

Thank you again, Marie, for making this my dream come true skirt! I'll be in touch shortly for your address so I can send a little thank you gift your way...! 

Forgive me, if mine own horn I doth toot...

...but totally smitten am I with my new skirt!

Yet another variation of my trusty McCall's 5081 pencil skirt pattern, this baby was whipped up in just a couple of hours after I was practically smacked in the face by a flash of inspiration and an uncontrollable desire to own a fishtail frill wiggle skirt made from this sickeningly fabulous printed nylon I picked up in Walthamstow.

Construction wise, I shaved a couple of inches off each side to create a more closely fitted, wigglier silhouette and omitted the tail pleat (??) so that adding the gathered frill would be neater.  The frill itself is simply a long length (almost 2m) folded over and gathered at the top where the raw edges meet.  With hindsight, I probably should have gathered the frill using elastic then sewed it to the hem with a zigzag stitch so as to allow for a bit of stretch... As it is now, there is no give whatsoever in the hem and one does have to significantly reduce ones stride almost to a pigeon step, resulting in a slightly exaggerated bottom wiggle of a walk.  I guess that's why they call it a wiggle skirt.

For some reason, the print and texture of this fabric reminds me of Carl Douglas' Kung Fu Fighting... Which I've now had stuck in my head for three days.

But I've Never Won Anything In My Life!

Being the sort of person that never won anything, these days I rarely waste any time or money over lotteries and competitions.  I'm even reluctant when it comes to entering Giveaway's (when a blogger hosts a competition giving their followers a chance to win something of theirs eg. a sewing pattern or some fabric, or a product from one their sponsors) and I only ever do if I really, really want to win.

source

So you can imagine my surprise and delight when I actually won the only two Giveaway's I entered since I don't even know when!!  First up was the print shown above from Little Light Prints.  When I saw this on Life Made Lovely I knew instantly that it had to be mine; either I would win it, if not I would buy it, and when I saw they didn't ship to UK I was preparing to re-create it!  Where The Wild Things Are is easily one of my favourite books... I know the whole thing off by heart; I played Max's Mum in a school play when I was 5; and "we'll eat you up we love you so" is just the best Love-quote ever written I reckon.  I regularly feel the urge to consume those I love, don't you?

I'm now thinking that maybe the reason I won the print was because I had so completely believed and manifested that it would be mine, by whatever means possible.  The same can be said for my next prize, Butterick 8509, given away so generously by Cation Designs, along with some vintage seam tape, a little collection of buttons and an adorable kitty pin cushion (which my son promptly claimed as his own).  The pattern happened to be just the something I had been looking for, was my exact size, and I already had the fabric set aside for a dress just like this!  Since receiving the pattern, however, I have slightly elaborated my plans for this dress... 

...and I want to make the main bodice strapless with a princess neckline, then overlay the whole thing (according to View A) in a sheer nude dotted swiss voile (with black dots) which I think would contrast beautifully with the pinky lotus fabric I've been saving (see below).  Plus, I just love the idea of the double neckline, and the way the sheer voile will modestly cover up the shoulders and bust-line only slightly and actually quite suggestively, but definitely very elegantly...

The fabric I will be using is this 1960's 'Lotus Pond' cotton I found on eBay.  Heavier than quilting cotton so I'm confident about the strapless bodice variation (which will of course be stitched in place to the voile overlay), but not quite upholstery-heavy that the skirt will be too fat when gathered.  It's a dreamy, hazy sort of scene with pinky mauve hues and darker accents which will only be made dreamier I think by the sheer, floaty voile slightly obscuring the print.

So far, not so great though, as I'm finding it near impossible to find this elusive nude and black dotted swiss cotton voile... Nothing on eBay, it was hard enough to even find an image online, no luck on Goldhawk Road... I have yet to try Joel & Son, so fingers crossed I find it there.  And if anyone out there has any other suggestions, I would be most obliged.  

Well, that's all from me for now, in the meantime thank you thank you thank you to Little Light Prints, Life Made Lovely and Cation Designs for my wonderful winnings!!! I'm off to watch the snow fall in my garden.  Goodnight.

SSS'11: Day 3 (and a new pair of trousers...)

The main thing lacking from my homemade wardrobe is trousers.  In fact, I've never made a pair of trousers for myself.  And the ones I've made for other people have been basic PJ style pants.  When it comes to trousers, I usually just have a favourite pair of jeans that get worn until threadbare and then get replaced with something pretty much identical.  Booooring.  So, having stumbled upon over 4 metres of deep purple corduroy on ebay which I won for little more than £3, I figured now would be the perfect time to have a little experimentation...

I started off very cautiously, terrified of screwing them up and wasting so much great fabric.  This was one of those projects that, as I looked at all the pieces cut and skim read the instructions, really filled me with fear and self-doubt.  I wasn't sure if my sewing skills were up to the challenge.  I even got that slightly deflated feeling as I began to think that maybe I'd been a bit too ambitious.

the original waistband before it got unpicked

But au contraire, my friend!  I am now feeling very smug and suitably grooooovy in my new, purple, corduroy, high-waisted, wide-legged, smokin' hot trousers.  

sept 3rd

And the best part?  The common problem associated with high-waisted pants such as these...?  No camel toe...!

amended waistband

Self-Stitched: Swing Top, High-Waisted Pants 

I'd just like to add that I felt very Self-Stitched this morning too, as I made a start on my Herringbone Cowl, wearing my Sorbetto nightie and a cardi hand knit by my Great-Grandmother...

sept 3rd am

SSS'11: Days 1 and 2

Over the course of September, I will be participating in Zoe's sewing challenge: to wear at least one item of my homemade clothing for each day of September and documenting this with daily outfit updates.  So far...

sept 1st

Self-Stitched: Sorbetto Top

sept 2nd

Self-Stitched: Pleated Maxi Skirt

With a significant lack in casual/everyday items in my self-stitched wardrobe, yesterday I made this pleated maxi skirt, something I've been wanting for a while.  It was beyond easy to make, just 2 metres of pleated jersey seamed up the back and gathered around an elastic hipster waistline.  Super comfortable and easy to wear, I think this will be a new wardrobe staple.  And with an early birthday present on it's way, I'll soon have the perfect jumper too...

                          

The Swing Series

...or, Putting The Sorbetto Series Slightly To Shame

In the interest of bulking up my self-stitched wardrobe as SSS'11 approaches, I have been wasting a significant amount of my precious me-time traipsing the internet for more sewing patterns, trying to focus on tops, trousers and jackets.  As always, my first ports of call being Lanetz Living and Etsy (for vintage patterns), and BurdaStyle (for free downloadable PDF patterns).  I am now impatiently awaiting the postman for a couple of delicious Etsy finds, and meanwhile getting a teensy bit carried away with a free pattern I found on BurdaStyle which can be found here.  

off-white viscose jersey with off-cuts of floral cotton

Similar to the Sorbetto Top in its clean simplicity, but, in my opinion, Dixie DIY's "Loose Fit Knit Top with Cuffed Sleeves" is eminently more wearable with its flattering swing shape, capped sleevelets and infinite possibilities of colour and fabric.

grey marl viscose jersey with off-cuts of paisley rayon

The only alterations I made to the pattern were to slightly reduce the volume of the swing and I found I had to lengthen the hem by a good inch.

the first one I made - a little too swingy and a little too short

This top was so lovely to make, immediately satisfying and at only half an hour (after cutting) they were super quick to make.  They look just as great tucked in to a high-waisted bottom as they do loose; I've been wearing them already and I know this will be my go-to pattern when I need a quick top fix.

blue striped cotton shirting always seems to feel quite nurse-y...

The Sorbetto Series

For anyone who hasn't yet made it, or -God forbid- hasn't heard of it, you need to click here to start planning your Sorbetto Series.  The Sorbetto Top, a free downloadable pattern from Colette, is perfect in its sixties summery simplicity, and is such a breeze to make that it's hard to stop at just one.  Intending to make one or two, I have ended up with four.  And it's not only me; just Google "sorbetto top" and you'll find pages and pages of blog posts and flickr pools of all the many millions of variations people have come up with (so much for having something unique by making your clothes by hand, ha!). In fact, it was thanks to Marie at A Sewing Odyssey where I first saw the Sorbetto, and Miss P for inspiring me to make one more, and then another...

Short Sorbetto No.1 - made using some leftover Liberty cotton that has been sitting in my stash for a while, and done following the pattern precisely.  It came out a little short due to lack of fabric, so this will be a tucked-in-top only.  Looks hot with a weighty red circle skirt I made a few years ago.

Silk Sorbetto No.2 - getting excited now and seeing all the variations possible with this pattern... Nude silk crepe, top-stitched box pleat sandwiching a vintage trim given to me by a late friend who shared my love of lingerie.  I can't wait to wear this one.

Swing Sorbetto No.3 - completely fell in love with the print.  I let the pleat go free on this one and added another at centre back to give it more of a swing shape which came out beautifully.  This is the one I will wear the most, already wore it today and felt very happy in it.  I'm still debating whether or not to add an off-white flower button at the top of the pleat.

an ingenious method to make bias tape without any fancy devices

Sleepy Sorbetto No.4 - a longer version of No.3.  Nightdress or beach dress.  This came out a little too Maternity-esque for my taste, so I might have a little fiddle with it tomorrow to adjust the volume.

Time to move on now.