Jackets and coats

Think Pink Butterick 5926

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Happy weekend! I’m currently in my sewing room whipping up a quick coat. Aka no tailoring, minimal hand stitching, maybe even no buttons… but welt pockets might make an appearance. Let’s wait and see.

Almondrock blazer jacket scuba Butterick 5926

In other news I wanted to push my sewing with a garment that’s pretty different for me. I reviewed the Butterick 5926 jersey blazer pattern that comes free with Love Sewing 49 (out Thurs 25th Jan in the UK). You can also read my thoughts inside the issue but here are the essentials.

Almondrock blazer jacket scuba Butterick 5926

Every time I reach for my jeans I agonise what to pair them with. I feel like I’m constantly chasing the ideal outfit that makes me look effortlessly put together; modest and tasteful but comfortable and easy. Generally I opt for a bright blouse and cardigan but it felt like time for a change.

Almondrock blazer jacket scuba Butterick 5926

I don’t think I’ve worn a blazer for at least 10 years as I’m petite with slightly squeaky voice and always live in fear of resembling a schoolgirl. The thought of a casual knit blazer was appealing but I wanted to make sure it felt feminine. This pattern calls for stable knits like Ponte Roma but didn’t mention scuba, which seemed like a great fit in my mind. This gorgeous geometric pink was £4 per metre at The Knitting and Stitching Show Harrogate and I used 1.5m to make this jacket.

Almondrock blazer jacket scuba Butterick 5926

I chose to make view B, the hip-length version with shorter bracelet length sleeves that I rolled up for a relaxed feel and omitted the button fastenings. The blazer comes together really easily but you’re asked to reinforce a lot of areas of the collar and facings with stay stitching before clipping close to but not through the stitching line (always a tense part of the process for me). Shortening your stitch length can help here and a universal needle helped me avoid any skipped stitches.

Almondrock blazer jacket scuba Butterick 5926

The recommended hem finish, with stitching that finish along the front edges wasn’t to my taste so I decided to top-stitch everywhere, varying the distance from the edge as I worked my way around. With this approach I had to be careful that the collar still rolled neatly to the outside where the front facing turns out and used a few pins to get the turn point just right.

Almondrock blazer jacket scuba Butterick 5926

I also used my trusty blind hem machine foot with an adjusted needle position to attach the pockets which were very bulky to sew in place. I should be on commission for the amount of times I mention that foot! It was also the last outing for my singer overlocker before it committed suicide by firing the blade into the moving parts! Not pretty.

Almondrock blazer jacket scuba Butterick 5926

This is a versatile pattern that looks great in a big, bold prints as well as plain colours and feels as comfy as a cardigan. I really think notched collars are very flattering as they frame your face but more importantly they’re pretty fun to sew! Like I say the issue is out Thursday and actually comes with a second pattern, McCall’s 7357 and both are double stuffed with all the sizes inside e.g. 6-22. Winner winner quorn chicken dinner!!

Almondrock blazer jacket scuba Butterick 5926

For some other gorgeous takes on this pattern see Manju’s bold floral blazer, Allie’s comfortable cool version and cmtsews chartreuse wonder

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Tops, blouses. and shirts

Cheap as chips Sewaholic Pendrell

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Hello everyone. It’s a new year, hooray! It’s also the year I get married. Double hooray!! Project Wedding Dress is about to commence. I have £370 in my budget, I’ve ordered most of my fabrics, notions and extra bits and pieces. It’s time to get serious! First up is sewing my corselette. I’m winging it using a number of online tutorials and books on the subject. Wish me luck please. And let’s see if I can come in on budget! If you have any good links to bridal or occasion sewing, corselette or corset sewing or generally couture techniques please link them. I’ve got a good collection of books and found a few blog posts but am very eager to hear more. It isn’t possible to overwhelm me people.

PLEASE INNUNDATE ME. I’m going to collate everything I’ve found into a super online document so no future DIY bride will struggle to find resources.

Ahem, in other news I have a fun top to share. I hope you like it.

almond rock sewaholic pendrell polyester crepe birmingham rag market

So I’m in love. There I said it. I’m in love with this top. It makes me feel so wonderful everytime I wear it. The colours are just so epic. They’re the perfect shade and saturation to stand out from across the room. That’s obviously helped by the scale of the print and yes, those frilly little ruffles. It goes perfectly with my ochre cardigan and blue jeans.

almond rock sewaholic pendrell polyester crepe birmingham rag market

This is the Sewaholic Pendrell top which I can’t remember buying but must have because I have the PDF. (There’s a lot of PDFs like that on my computer). It’s got princess seams which mean a great fit and the option to add different styles of frills (or you can leave them off if you prefer). It’s easy to overlock the entire inside for a neat finish and it’s a SUPER QUICK sew.

I made view B with ruffles set into the princess seams and regular cap sleeves. You gather everything up to match the notches and then set the frill into the seams and encase the sleeve with bias tape. The length was a little crazy on me and even after chopping off 5cm I still might lose a little more. At 5ft5 I like to be able to see some hint of hips when I wear a top to establish my proportions. You can see my “human butternut squash” body type here in full glory. Why did Triny and Suzannah never include that one in their tv show!? I used bias tape made from excess fabric to finish the edges and it throws on over my head without a keyhole loop. A tiny needle made sure there were no pulls in my fabric.

almond rock sewaholic pendrell polyester crepe birmingham rag market

This polyester fabric was astoundingly cheap; If I remember rightly it was £1 per metre. I bought it on a shopping trip to Birmingham from one of the stalls outside the rag market and I’m happy to report Marie and Roisin bought some too. You can see more of Marie’s gorgeous kimono here.

There’s only one problem with this top and it’s my own fault. The ruffle on my left shoulder has one wonky area of gathering that makes the ruffle stand up. And no amount of pressing will keep it down! On the above picture it’s even peeking out from behind my hair for cripes sake. With the raw edges overlocked inside, I haven’t had the motivation since I made this to unpick and adjust the way the gather falls and don’t know if I ever will. It’s a problem, but one I’m happy to live with.

Now it’s time I shut up and do the I LOVE MY TOP DANCE! (Yep I’m that big of a nerd and it’s been captured on photo.) Bye for now.

 

Looking for more inspiration? See Fiona’s gorgeous sleeveless version here. And Shannon made a version in jersey! Here’s Sil’s version with step by step pics incase you’re curious how the ruffle comes together.

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Dresses

Dainty floral Mayberry Dress

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Well folks, it’s the end of 2017! And I’m sure like me you had some sewing successes and failures, learnt a few new tricks and made some friends along the way.

I managed to drag myself out of my sick bed and used the age old lie that if you dress yourself up a bit you’ll start feel better to get a few photos of my recent make.

I know these pictures aren’t as nice as my studio shots, so the details aren’t as crisp and I definitely don’t have the energy to Photoshop my germy face but hopefully they show how much I like my Mayberry Dress.

This is the second Jennifer Lauren Handmade pattern I’ve tried but the first on the blog. I love a multi cup size pattern and sewed up the A cup in a straight size 12. As you can see I omitted the button front which meant cutting the left bodice and facing on the fold of my fabric. It still fits over my head easily and I really like the finished result.

My fabric is a mostly opaque cheap polyester from Barry’s in Birmingham. It’s a gorgeous floral design and the pops of mustard and fuchsia convinced me to get it. But there are a few flaws in the print I couldn’t work around; tiny white marks that look like tippex but thankfully blur into the florals.

My waist tie is actually a shoelace from a giant bundle I was given years ago with the ends shortened and knotted. I used eyelets also from my stash in a soft taupe colour.

The dress goes together really easily, has a relaxed fit and POCKETS! But you’ll want go practice setting your eyelets a few times on excess bits of fabric. It can go horribly wrong if you don’t apply pressure properly. I found it helpful to mark the channel stitching line and use an invisible zipper foot to move past the eyelets easily as I sewed. The instructions are a breeze to follow otherwise.

I have the Laneway dress in my stash to make which I won a few months ago and have my version of Felicity to share in the new year! Have you had your eyes on any of the JLH patterns? I really like that none of the patterns feel like copies of other companies and they mix vintage touches with modern style.

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Jackets and coats

Orange is the new red Vogue 1537

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Not quite a tangerine dream but close to the perfect pumpkin, it’s all fruity over in my house with this newly finished orange coat. It’s the kind of orange that is easy to mistake for red… until you try and wear it with real red.

It’s of course the pattern of the moment Vogue 1537. This Kay Unger design was a firm favourite from the Vogue Cocktail Hour which raised money for The Eve Appeal. Check out my previous posts here and search the hashtag #sipandsew to see everyone’s makes.

I wanted a pass at this coat after seeing someone make a wool version on pattern review. You know I like to break the rules and was happy to find a like-minded rebel. It’s of course designed for lighter weight fabrics but who cares about that.

I lengthened the sleeves and skipped the tabs. You might notice extra buttons down the front though I prefer wearing it open. I actually hate wearing single breasted coats but like the way they look. This one is especially bad as there’s no hem vent. Shame on me for not adding one. It’s also lines up at the bottom, I’m just standing funny.

The wool was actually bought with a voucher won at Sew Up North. It was for my fave Leeds market shop BM stores too, how amazing. Thank you so much Sally and Beccs for bringing this coat to life with your awesome raffle. My lining is a stretch satin from Leeds market too. I’ve had terrible luck with coat linings lately where they rip at the seams after about a year’s wear. Maybe I get more aggressive in my coat wearing style after the 1 year mark. This is my fourth or fifth outerwear piece but first full length coat.

I’ve actually been singing the old nursery rhyme oranges and lemons for weeks as I have a mustard coat project lined up but keep changing my mind about what pattern. Maybe the new By Hand London release will be the winner?

BONUS OUT TAKE TIME!! Sexy right?

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Uncategorized

Would you try a sewing subscription box?

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There are a few different sewing subscription services you might have seen here and there. Like you I was curious what you actually received and Hayley of Sew Hayley Jane was convinced to let me in on the action by sending her November box out for a review!

Plus keep scrolling for a link to a free patchwork stocking project perfect for festive FQs.

Hayley sends you a box of beautifully curated fabric and haberdashery items, everything you need to create lovely homemade creations, from dresses and tops, to quilts, cushions and other homewares. Each month Hayley also shares a blog post of inspiration specific to your box and a youtube video of her stepping through an unboxing!

So what was inside my November Classic box? Well it was Festive Fever time!! My box included:

Choc coins which I’m going to have to hide from the sweet monster who lives in the house with me.

A magnetic doughnut pincushion from Oh Sew Quaint. It’s like a special Christmas doughnut with festive sprinkles!! My favourite thing from the box I have to say.

A range of high quality cotton FQs in nordic style with red and grey prints. Plus 2.5m of white on scandi red floral poplin cotton which is a great amount to get a garment out of or multiple smaller projects.

There was also 2m of white crocheted lace trim which would look lovely on a garment or a home project. And 6 x 15mm floral white buttons with a lovely sheen on them. Matching gutermann thread as well!

There’s lots to work with here and you could make bags, cushions, aprons, child’s clothes or something for yourself. As I have predominantly Christmas themed cottons I had a few ideas for projects.

This sweet tree is from the latest issue of Love Sewing mag and would really work in coordinating Christmas prints.

Similarly this stocking would work really well in mixed fat quarters! And Brucie Bonus, it’s a free download on the Love Sewing site with template and instructions all there for you to try.

Finally if you’re keen on making a Christmas dress how about this beauty from SillyOldSeaDog? Visit the shop for endless Christmas dress inspiration. I’d recommend a classic style like the Sew Over It Grace dress for a vintage look or the Colette Laurel for minimal seam lines.

I think that I’ll use the larger piece of fabric along with the FQs to make a table runner for my Mum as she loves these kinds of traditional prints.

It’s hard to think of negative things to say about the items in the box, they’re all great quality. The main fear may be that you won’t know what you’re going to get each month and if you’re a bit of a control freak about your sewing that will definitely stress you out. But if you generally like the style of the boxes and love surprise post this is really a dream come true!  There are lots of beautiful prints in the boxes that you can see on previous unboxing videos if this Christmas collection is making it difficult to judge what you’d get.

So let’s get into some knitty gritty! The boxes are then sent out around the 8th of each month to arrive within a few days for UK customers, international deliveries may take longer. When you sign up you will create a unique login which will give you greater access to content on the website. Some of the blog posts are available to subscribers only – you lucky ducks. I’ve put the prices below but there’s a super helpful FAQ page to help you decide.

  • The Mini Box costs £20
  • The Classic Box costs £35
  • The Luxury Box costs £65

THERE ARE TWO DAYS LEFT TO SUBSCRIBE FOR DECEMBER!!

So why not head over to Hayley’s site to read more, check out people’s boxes with the hashtag sewhayleyjane and check out finished garments with the hashtag sewhayleyjanemakes

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