Me Made May 2015 Roundup

Me made may has come to a close and annoyingly we just seem to be getting the warmer weather I kept hoping for all month! My handmade wardrobe was severely tested by the climatic conditions and I have made a mental note to sew more warm clothing!!

For those who have been living under a rock for the last few years Me Made May is an annual pledge made by many sewists and bloggers to try and wear handmade as much as possible for the month of May, lead by Zoe of 'So, Zo....what do you know?' It is a challenge you make to yourself to wear more handmade than usual, not about panic sewing and expanding the wardrobe by tenfold over the month, although it seems wearing handmade has this exact effect on me and I clocked up 8 new handmade clothing items!

The mosaic below shows almost all of my outfits from the month, I wore handmade every single day but there are a few days that went undocumented. On several says I even managed to wear multiple handmade items!

I thoroughly enjoy wearing handmade, it gives me a sense of pride that I have fashioned the clothing I am wearing, it is always considerably more comfortable than RTW given that it is sewn solely for my body shape and tailored to fit me.

Comfort is always important to me. I work from home and unless I am going out to teach I don't feel I need to dress up, I would much rather be warm and comfortable than smart!

This prompted me to add to my handmade wardrobe in May, finding I had plenty of dresses and skirts but not much leisure wear, I concentrated on knits and jersey, a relatively unexplored area for me. I love the speed I can whip up a raglan on my overlocker now! I now boast a new liberty raglan long sleeve tee and two new sweatshirts, thank you chilly May!

I also turned to the Love at First Stitch book from Tilly Walnes for another Delphine skirt, this time in chambray in anticipation of the warm summer weather (hurry up please sunshine!) and had a go at a new pattern, the Mimi blouse. 

I really love the Mimi, smart and grown up, yet comfortable and there are some great design details. I already have at least one more planned from stash, once I have recovered from the Me Made May whirlwind!!

Dressmaking was my first sewing love, and it will always hold a very special place in my heart. Me Made May is the perfect opportunity to remind myself of that, enjoy old and new items and remember the importance of ethical clothing and savour the simplicity of handmade garments.

I will be back next week to introduce you to a brand new book, that I have contributed too! There is a fantastic blog hop happening right now with all the authors.

Here is the full schedule:
Monday 1st June - Jo Avery -  myBearpaw 
Tuesday 2nd June - Liz Betts - BetsyBetts
Wednesday 3rd June - Ali Burdon - VeryBerryHandmade
Thursday 4th June - Jesse Fincham - MessyJesse
Friday 5th June - Louise Horler - SewScrumptious
Monday 8th June - Kevin Kosbab - Feeddog
Tuesday 9th June - Emily Levey - StrawberryPatchRamblings
Wednesday 10th June - Cynthia Shaffer
Thursday 11th June - Kaye Prince - MissPrint
Friday 12th June - Ame Verso - StitchCraftCreate

Both Ali and Jo are giving away copies of the book on their blogs, hurry over for your chance to win! And I am sure I can come up with a little giveaway for you next week too ;-)

You can buy 50 Fat Quarter Makes in all good bookshops, or here on the publishers website where you can also buy an e-book version for your tablet or iPad. They currently have 40% off all books and ebooks until this Sunday so if you hurry you can get a bargain! And of course you buy from Amazon!

Sunshine Stitchery Volume 2

Hot on the heels of my gauzy Tova is my 'pretend I'm on a tropical beach sipping cocktails from a coconut shell' skirt!

When I picked up this fabric I knew I had to have it, its difficult to say exactly what it is because there was no label at the shop but I would call it a digitally printed poly silk. It was a steal at £4.99 a metre, so two metres came home with me! 

I had already decided what to make the moment I spied it, Simplicity 2698. I have already made one of these, in precious Melody Miller arrows (that I must get around to sharing on the blog!) and loved the fit, although I did make quite a few alterations to the pattern!

I made a size 12 (eur 38) using yoke D and skirt H with the box pleats and pockets. I altered the shape of the pockets to give me a deeper curved finish, and omitted the box pleat on the middle of the back skirt section (no need to make my derrière appear any larger with fullness there!)

I also lengthened the skirt to almost floor length, and fully lined it.

The poly silk was like working with water! It was so fluid I knew my lining would have to be also or it would spoil that lovely billowing drape.

I also used twill tape to strengthen the waistline and underlined the waistband with lining fabric rather than interfacing.

Now all I need is a ticket for a hot destination to wear my skirt....and perhaps some cotton to sew with after all that slippery fabric!

Sunshine Stitchery!

I know many other dressmakers say this too but the warm weather really brings out the seamstress in me. Something about the sunshine makes me want to stitch up beautiful clothes.

The recent bout of warm weather we've been having in the UK has emboldened me and I have been working with some quite tricky fabrics, ones that I usually shy away from, but this time I had a vision of something in my head and the only way to get there was to deal with the difficult fabrics!

A while ago I brought some lovely gauzy handkerchief print cotton from Jessie at MessyJesse and knew it would make the perfect summer Tova dress. Ideal as a beach cover up or equally as good with a nude slip underneath as a dress.

This is my first Tova and certainly won't be my last, intact I have some essex linen in the washing machine right now ready for my next one. It stitches up really nicely and fairly quick too.

I love the fit, so comfortable without swamping you. I made a size medium with no alterations, other than doing french seams thoughout except for the placket and setting in the sleeves.

I used a lighter weight thread than normal for stitching the fine material, it had quite an open weave so a 40 weight was perfect. I also hand finished the cuffs and neckline for a neater finish, I didn't want a lot of visible topstitching on this lightweight garment.

I know I will be getting a lot of wear from this, I can even see it working over leggings as the weather cools. I can highly recommend the Tova pattern for anyone who hasn't made one yet, its the perfect addition to any handmade wardrobe!

This is NOT a Tesco Tabbard!

But a victorious Victoria Blazer!

I finally jumped on the Victoria bandwagon and stitched myself up a snazzy blazer. As the blog post title suggests I had a little wobble during the early construction stages when it strongly resembled an old Tesco uniform I had worn many moons ago.

Thankfully I think it is looking ever so slightly more trendy now it is finished!



Despite being a little hard to track down as it is awaiting a reprint, the pattern was purchased from Trixie Lixie online and came the next day. I love the packaging and everything about the pattern, well worth the money.




The main shell fabric is a deliciously soft pin dot cotton flannel with just the perfect amount of drape.



And it is lined in a very quilty inspired cotton lawn (how could I not!) both from Heathcoat Fabrics in Tiverton, Devon. A large fabric shop that is well worth a visit if you are local.




I managed to stitch this up in one 4 hour sewing session, luckily the clear instructions that accompany the pattern along with the fantastic sew along posts from the By Hand girls make for a very smooth process.

 

Much smoother than taking photos with the help of 9 and 4 year old children!

Making a Mortmain

Early last year I had the opportunity to pattern test for the Gather Kit gals and got my mits on their first dress pattern, the Mortmain.

The Mortmain pattern has now gone live and is popping up in instagram feeds and blog posts all over the land so I though I would share my dress with you.

Despite looking like a beautiful spring day these photos were actually taken on a bright but blisteringly cold February day! The bare trees are a dead giveaway.

I really love the fit of this dress, so flattering but still very comfortable, a must for me!

Because it was a pattern test you are never really sure whether you will have a wearable garment at the end, which is partially what influences my fabric choice. It is a vintage cotton sheet, but I did have a vision of a fun ice cream pastel coloured retro style dress and I was lucky that I got a wearable dress after the testing!

Because I was testing I did not deviate from the specified pattern, the only tweek I made was to add in seam pockets, I can't stand a dress without pockets! Next time I will line the bodice rather than using facings, as I much prefer this finish and find it more comfortable.

I just love the exposed zip in this pattern, its so me! If you are looking for a good selection of coloured zips then Jaycotts is a good source.

Here is a glimpse of me and my mini assistant at the end of the shoot, rushing back indoors to warm up! I am looking forward to stitching up my next Mortmain, this time with a few alternations, a gathered skirt and long sleeves I think in a lovely chambray I have had stashed away. If you want to make a mortmain you can get the pattern here or from many online fabric stores too. And if you are local you can see my dress in person in Social Fabric in Totnes, Devon where it is on display in the window, along with a nice supply of the pattern itself for sale.

a tale of two dresses

OK, so one is technically a tunic top but I'm not lying when I say that sometimes I am pretty jealous of my 3 year old daughter. This week she got 2 new dresses, I love them both and wish they were in my size. Of course I could sew clothes up for myself, but when they are little and cute like this they take practically no time and are a joy to sew!

Actually that's a lie, they take no time and are a joy to sew until you decide that you NEED to modify the pattern and make a long sleeve, which of course you need to draft yourself, which you have never done before. But you wouldn't let that stop you, after all this is how you have envisioned it and you cannot defer from the top you dreamt about. So I did draft a sleeve, from scratch using her measurements, and it didn't fit, so I cut another sleeve. Thank goodness this one was OK or I would have been out of fabric!

Speaking of fabric, the wonderfully sweet Trudi sent me this for Juliette, it couldn't be more perfect for her. I have never met  a  girl who is so mad on moving vehicles, in particular heavy plant and construction vehicles and trains!

The intended recipient was so pleased with her new top that she put it on and promptly went straight out to a party to show it off (again, this is why I am jealous of her, oh to have such a social life!)

Pattern, Geranium Dress from Made By Rae
Size 4T
Modifications, drafted peter pan collar & long sleeves
gifted fabric from Trudi, children at play by Sarah Jane Studios polka dot collar and vintage red buttons from stash

Earlier this week I refashioned an old skirt of mine into another dress for Juliette. Same pattern this time with no modifications. I just loved the colours in my skirt but it was a really bad style for me and I never wore it.

Pattern, Geranium dress from Made by Rae
size 4T
no modifications
Repurposed fabric from my old skirt and new glitter buttons chosen by Juliette

She choose the glitter buttons herself, it took a while! So happy to see the fabric on my daughter, if only I could stop her growing........

The Date Night Dress Debut

I was over.the.moon when the gorgeous April Rhodes asked me to test her latest pattern, The Date Night Dress.

I had really enjoyed the hype around the Staple Dress and I knew this too would be a wonderful pattern. I was not wrong.

In the purposes of being through, I have made two versions of the dress, with a third ready to be cut! And only because I am through you understand-not because I am addicted to this dress ;-)

Firstly I made a *very* sheer chiffon dress, which would have made for a rather revealing date night dress ;-)

Thankfully the clever April included a Simple Slip with the pattern (two dresses for the price of one!) So i whizzed up a little black slip in a slinky viscose to layer with my dress. And I mean literally, it was a very quick make.

The dress itself is a dream to sew. With clear and well written directions, easy pattern pieces and simple techniques that combine to make the most beautifully shaped dress.

I really, REALLY love the shirt tail hem, it makes me feel so swishy (is that even a word?!) I choose to shirr this dress to pull it in and give it some shape, infact after the photos I added a couple more rows which I think made it look more balanced.

I think this dress will also be a great beach cover-up!

My second version was made up from the same soft light viscose as my slip. It was a delight to wear today during the untypical British heat! I exaggerated the dipped hem on this one and brought the front up slightly too, rather hard to see in this photo whilst I am being cat attacked!

This one I left un-shirred, so I could belt it. I LOVE it! The dress is so quick to make up, the beauty is that it has french seams throughout so it is unbelievably comfortable to wear, whilst still looking glamorous - the dress, not me that is ;-)

For my third I am going to shorten it into a top, I cant wait to sew it up! If you need a new dress in your life, or if like me you really don't because you have about 30 already but can't resist a new addition, I wholly recommend you try The Date Night Dress, I believe it is set to release this week coming, yeay!!!!

Now all I need is my lovely husband to take me on some dates to wear my new dresses!

You say Ikea quilt backing, I say.....

.....new pyjamas!

I have had this top in my head for some time, yesterday I took the bull by the horns and got it sewn up. Trouble is the bull decided it needed matching pj trousers too!

r
(Spot the photo bombing toddler!)

So now I have lovely breezy new summer pj's in text print with neon pink trim, perfect!

The top is the Tiny Pocket Tank from Grainline studio and the trousers are the free Simplicity 9871 which Kerry will be teaching at FQ Retreat next month. Both are pretty simple to sew up, great for beginners, so what are you waiting for? I want to see matching jammie buddies at FQR!

Oh and if you see me wearing the top during the day, I am TOTALLY not wearing my pj top in public, it was always intended to be a daytime wear, its just those jammie bottoms crashed the party and made it into a set!

A new top and a shop!

I cant believe how much sewing I have been doing behind the scenes here, so many finishes and wip's that I just haven't had time to share with you.

But today I've swung by to share one of those makes that you are so glad you did, you know the one that will get used so much it will wear out (why can't every make be one of these?!)

I purchased the Grainline Scout Tee pattern a while back and remembered my lovely best friend had given me some beautiful tribal fabric brought on a trip to Africa about 15 years ago. A perfect match!

This top is so comfortable, lovely and loose and light, it will be perfect for those warm days that must surely be coming soon. In the meantime I have been wearing it with jeans and a cardigan. 

I made my own bias binding for the neckline from some Chicopee Heatwave Stripe. I do like a little contrast somewhere if I can get it in.

When I haven't been sewing I have been trying to get my Etsy Shop back up and running. I still have a long way to go with taking good photographs and writing winning descriptions that make people run for their purses but hopefully it will be a way of supplementing a little income. I have a few quilts and some little items that make great gifts and I am hoping to add more as I can. Let me know if there is anything you would love to see in there!

....more handmade wardrobe!

ready for more?!

Here is my favourite dress, I just LOVE it! Its my £1 dress :-)

I brought this lovely vintage cotton from a charity shop around 2 years ago now and I am so pleased I have finally used it (even if it does make the £1 fish song go around and around in my head!)

I used the washi dress pattern from Rae with a couple of my own little tweeks.

I added a little peter pan collar with some teeny ric rac trim and lined the bodice - I find this so much easier than doing facings or binding the armholes.

And I added a contrast print on the skirt pockets. I love this little detail even though I am the only one who really sees it.

Of course one washi dress isn't enough for a girls wardrobe so I made another.

This time I had a little help from the lovely Jennie. I couldn't source the fabric I wanted in the UK so I had some sent to her and she shipped it on from the USA, the first time ever I've brought yardage of a quilting cotton....the checkout felt a little painful but when it arrived I knew I had spent my Christmas money on the right thing!

I added long sleeves to this one, I only wish I'd ordered a tiny bit more so I could have had full length sleeves. I hate the cold and I also dislike the elasticated 3/4 length sleeves riding up inside my cardigan  I may yet alter these.

I also did a bodice lining on this dress and used the same pleated skirt method rather than the gathering. I like the flatter fit this gives over the front (a little hard to see on this fabric) and on both dresses I chose to do an elasticated back making a channel at the bottom on the bodice lining rather than the shirring.

And of course I just couldn't resist adding in contrast pockets again, these have to be my favourite with the little Scottie dogs.

So a nice new wardrobe ready for warmer weather. And that's not the last of it because I've been pattern testing this week and have a gorgeous new spring dress, but you'll have to wait until the pattern is released before I can show you!

My Handmade Wardrobe

I have always loved to make clothes but recently I seem to have become a little obsessed, I have almost doubled the handmade section of my wardrobe and my little girls since Christmas!

I blame Rae and her tempting Patterns!

I've rounded up as many as I can think of (yes embarrassingly there are more!) to show you, hopefully you are interested!!

Starting with Mini Me's new wardrobe, here is the boxing day Geranium Dress

I made this with a beautiful soft cotton that I got from Kerry last summer in her destash, I've been waiting for the right project and just love love love it, I don't want her to outgrow it!

I fully lined this dress and it didn't make the project much longer to complete, I managed to eek the fabric out despite having much less than the recommended yardage.

I was so delighted with this lovely dress that I decided to make her a tunic top using the Geranium pattern.

I ordered some precious Nani Iro from Miss Matatabi on Etsy, bit of a story behind that with a nasty customs charge but I managed to make myself a top from it too, so yay for fabric economy!

I had to compromise a little with the fabric placement on the back bodice pieces because I didn't have much left to play with, but I still love this cute little top with its quirky turquoise buttons from my Nannies button tin.

I had so little fabric left that I ended up using my selvedge as the hem! And here is my little top too!

 I'll be back tomorrow with my new dresses!