S.E.W.N.

10/09/2013

Sewing Solids #1 and #2

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Hey hey! Presenting piece one and two of the sewing solids experiment. Which I will no longer be tagging as #solidsexperiment on Instagram. I really enjoyed the change from print to plain colors. It’s had me looking at the stash with new eyes and making good color choices, mostly. And I got to try out two patterns by new kid on the block Named Patterns. If you haven’t already fallen in love, check them out. Pretty much, you could make an entire wardrobe just from their patterns alone, mixing up prints and solids forever-ever and not get bored. They’re classic but on trend, feminine but not fluffy and are very very wearable. My particular favorites are the Lane slip and Blair Batwing you see here, the Laurie T-shirt, the Julian knit dress and I cannot wait to try my hand at the Jamie skinny jeans (finally a good looking pattern). Check out this version by Very Purple Person.

They’re also not especially cheap, more like mid-range which I suppose is why I had certain expectations of them. I can deal with print-out tape-together patterns. I can even deal with print-out, tape-together patterns that need to be traced but at between $13 and $25-$35 aud a pop, some diagrams among the instructions would have gone down real well (That’s what Burdastyle is for, right?). And not to undervalue that amount of time and energy that goes into the art of drafting and producing sewing patterns but anyone who sews them up, especially visual learners, knows that diagrams are your friends. So that’s my only gripe and not to be put off, they are beautiful patterns and I will definitely ‘invest’ in more…

Pattern: Blair Batwing by Named Patterns

Fabric: Merino Jersey from The Fabric Store (just opened up in LA)

In hindsight this was not the best color choice for me. I could be wrong, but to rock neon I think you need to have a solid tan. However, I was inspired by the khaki / yellow neon combination of this outfit and just decided to ignore the obvious difference in our skin hues. I love the shape of this top, have been wearing it every thrice-weekly and plan to give it several brothers and sisters in due time. It’s a higher neckline than I normally go for which works well with my new attempt to preserve the skin on my decolletage. I got badly burnt last summer so now I’m going to be a whitey and cover up. I also really like the fit of the top, it’s slouchy but not baggy, with cute batwing sleeves and looks great with pendants. I’d like to make anothery in a solid and also some stripes…post solids experiment.

I changed a little in the construction and added binding to the neckline and pinched the strips from the Mission Maxi pattern. Because this knit is flimsy I didn’t think it would look good folded under and top-stitched like the pattern suggests. But then afterwards I didn’t like the look of the binding so I folded it under again and top stitched, which took it back to the start except now it’s sturdier and the finish is really nice. I’d probably do the same thing again.

Pattern: Lane slip by Named patterns

Fabric: Wool lycra jersey from The Fabric Store

I nearly killed this dress. Not in a malicious act. Just an unwillingness to step away from the machine when tired. I’ve been feeling crapola lately, chest infections, bee stings, all those fun things and my sewing capacity has waned. Normally I’m a kids-are-in-bed-hit-the-sewing-machine sewer but some nights I’ve just had to crash. Anyway, long sob story short, I adjusted this dress to within an inch of it’s life when I should have walked away and now its royally toit. You can probably see my lunch being digested. The design of the dress is a very lovely slip with a very low back and I thought I would outsmart it with the bra thing. I decided to erect a built in bra with cups and all, using some cups from a sports top I own, painstakingly placing them evenly, sewing them into a separate facing and adding an elastic shelf underneath. It was a feat of sewing architecture and looked bloody amazing. And then when I tried it on, of course there was nothing to actually pull the elastic taut so the whole bra contraption bunched up out the front like some hideous growth.

Part two, I took the elastic out, which left a dress with cups in the front and not really anything to hold them up. In which case I would need to wear a bra, so I decided to change the back and make the scoop higher. So I just sewed a seam right up the back. Only I didn’t bother to pin because of the reckless downward spiral I was on by that stage. And I sewed it wonky. And so I sewed it again, straighter, which ate up a good portion of the back piece in the process and now it is okay for beach, not okay for school pick-up. I tried it on with a bra, realized the ridiculousness of wearing a dress with cups and a bra underneath, and abandoned the bra. And now I wear it sans bra, minimally supported. The end. So, not a complete disaster. I actually really love this dress and will definitely make another, maybe with a shallow scoop at the back and an extra inch on the length. Before the meddling, the fit was good and the shape of the neckline and knee-length are really flattering. I also added binding to the armholes and neckline following the instructions from the Mission maxi, folded it under and top-stitched again like the top.

Something interesting, in abandoning prints I’ve feel like I’ve been noticing more about the design and shape of clothes and appreciating nice details, like a batwing sleeve, which would normally get over-shadowed by prints. It’s also prompted me take a look at what’s in my wardrobe currently to see which solid colors could be introduced to go with all the prints. Neon yellow is not one of them. It goes with this dress and nothing else. But it was a whim, you know those ones where you throw everything you know about what suits you to the wind?! Out of my system now…

12/08/2013

Bombshell This

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If, like me, you’ve been drooling over the amazing Bombshell swimsuits debuting around the blogosphere right now, you’ll already be familiar with…’ERMYGAWWWWDDD…I made a…(insert profanity of choice) SWIMSUUUITTT!!!!’. This thing really is da bomb. And sewing it was actually ten times more fun and ten times less terrifying than I thought it would be. I mean, the intimidation factor was pretty high here. Swimsuits, lingerie and perfect-fitting jeans make up the tri-fector of those ‘final frontier’ garments I have mentally stowed away for later on, or at least about seven years. So, sewing an actual living breathing swimsuit is big. Sewing an actual swimsuit that fits, flatters, stays up and looks hot is bigger. And I now consider myself the proud mother of three; two boys and a Bombshell.

If you are reading this post, chances are you’re considering sewing yourself a Bombshell swimsuit, in which case you are probably wondering the same things I was before beginning this one. Things like…how will it look on me? Will there be enough support? I’ve never worn this style before, will I feel frumpy? The answers to which are BABE-ILICIOUS, MOST LIKELY and NO. Let’s start with the frump-factor. Or lack there of. This is probably the most coverage I’ve had on a beach since my full length sunsuit donning days (my parents tried). And I pranced about here, in the waves, in the middle of winter looking like a lunatic but feeling like an absolute mermaid-come-Marilyn Bombshell. I even shaved my legs for you guys! Feel special. But in all seriousness, I honestly believe this swimsuit is a friend to all women. Five years ago I wouldn’t have looked twice at a one-piece but a few things have shifted since then, including the location of my belly button (details details) after two massive boys. Along with my attitude to sun protection, save turning into a leather hand-bag or a giant melanoma before fifty. So, to whatever life-changing events have led to feeling amazing in a ruched, semi-modest one-piece, I say cheers.

Pattern: Bombshell Swimsuit by Heather of Closet Case Files

Fabric: A photographic beach scene printed lycra from Tessuti Fabrics, nylon swimwear lining from The Fabric Store

Notions: Cups and swimwear elastic from Sew Sassy as recommended.

Sizing: I cut a straight size 8 before reading the bit about the pattern being drafted for an average height of 5’6″. Being 5’9″ I freaked a little and then a little more when I saw that Lauren from Lladybird made her beautifully fitting Bombshell in an 8. It’s kind of hard to gauge height via a screen but I get the impression that her frame is on the petite side. And then compounding the fear further, while I was serging the sides of the swimsuit together I noticed the stitching had no lengthways stretch, which meant if it turned out to be a little short in the body, it couldn’t just be stretched over a buttock or something. I thought I’d used the wrong tension setting but maybe it’s more that an over-locking type stitch with stretch is probably the domain of a cover-stitch machine anyway. So I just had to make up my Bombshell, without adjustments and hope for the best. And I’m thanking genetics for the gift of a short torso!

If you can’t already tell, I’m a bit in love with my finished Bombshell. But you know what? I enjoyed the making too…it was relaxing. Did I really just say that? This was my first time following a Sewalong and I will shout my love for them from the mountain tops! I started about a week or two behind the actual Bombshell sewalong but that’s the beauty, you can come and go when you like. And being forced to break a complicated looking, seemingly impossible project down into steps is seriously good for morale! I set myself a section per night, sometimes over two nights and finishing each little part felt like the biggest accomplishment. I kept waiting for the bit where I got stuck on something mind-boggling but each step came and went and I almost forgot I was making a swimsuit. Some things took time, like gathering the fabric evenly for the ruched back and sides but even then it was nice just to plod along. And less than a week later there was a finished Bombshell sitting on my table!

Let’s talk about support. If you happened to stop by while I was touching on the phenomenon of the disappearing post-breast feeding boobs, you’ll know that I don’t have a whole lot left to hold up. But that said, what is left, had better stay where they get put. So now with less to support, I’m thinking about support more than ever and did wonder how the Bombshell would fare. In a bikini top, I’ll usually go for molding, not padding and rely on halter-neck to ‘lift’. Boning and underwire don’t go astray either. So, without boning or underwire or separated cups, I just kind of hoped that a combination of swim-cups, halter neck and an under-bust elastic band would be enough to hold the girls in place at the very least, since a boost-up might be asking a bit much. Even if I did put it off for a few days, adding the swim cups was fine, as was the under bust band (this tutorial by Dixie Diy was great). So, how did the Bombshell hold up? As predicted it did not come with magical boob-boosting powers but still lovingly supports enough to flail around in the surf.

I decided to change the straps because I just prefer thinner, elasticated swimsuit straps. Maybe you’ll agree, maybe not but I feel like when you’re petite up top, a thin strap looks more delicate and a more substantial strap looks better with substantial boobage. It’s possible I’ve spent too much time thinking about straps. I used a bandeau bikini top of mine with detachable straps for a guide and made these detachable with clasps and all, only realizing later that I’m not ever going to be wearing this suit strapless. I could have just sewn them on! Anyway it was a fun exercise figuring out how to make actual detachable elasticated swim-straps and I’ll happily put together a tutorial if you’re interested…

Did I mention the Bombshell is a bit cheeky?! Not scandalously so and probably in Byron Bay no-one would bat and eyelid. But still, you got to give the locals something to talk about…

04/08/2013

Sew Bossy

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I’m excited. More than normal. For a little over a month, myself and this sewing blogger you know and love have been ‘getting bossy’. We’ve been sewing behind the scenes, in our various hemispheres and today we get to reveal our Sew Bossy outfits! So just who da what is Sew Bossy? Only the funnest, coolest idea ever to grace the blogosphere, by these two crazy ladies, Closet Case Files and Oonaballoona. You can read about it here. But basically how it works is you team up with another blogger who sews, from anywhere in the world and then exchange, via mail, all the components of a complete outfit. Pattern, fabric, notions, words of encouragement etc. It’s a risk, I mean, you could absolutely love what your Sew Bossy pal sends you…or you could not. But either way you HAVE to make it. That’s the bossy part! So you just have to trust and know that if you adore the hand-made style of your Sew Bossy counterpart ( see here and here) then it’s highly likely you’re going to love what they choose for you. And that’s how I waged that whatever Andrea from Four Square Walls came up with would be awesome sauce!

Okay, so this was unimaginably fun. Getting the package in the mail; better than Christmas. Opening it up to find seriously one of the most beautiful fabrics I’ve ever laid eyes on; I may have squealed. Andrea, you did good girl, real good. I would have chosen this fabric for myself, except that I have never come across anything like a multi-colored, splotchy silk print anywhere. When we were setting up the Sew Bossy exchange Andrea asked if there was anything in particular I needed in my closet or wanted to make. And I really wasn’t very helpful in saying ‘hmm I love dresses, but mmm I do need separates’. So, she’s not just a pretty face and paired up the wonder-fabric with La Sylphide, by PaperCut patterns. It’s a cute on-the-waist, button down, tie-front dress which happens to come with blouse / skirt options.

I was majorly tempted by the skirt but in keeping with the spirit of Sew Bossy (which translates to me sending Andrea a complicated looking dress + a tape-together pattern) I went the dress. And though I like the few full sleeved versions I’ve seen around, I knew I’d get more milage out of a sleeveless version. Then it could be paired with tights, boots and cardis in winter and be cool and floaty in summer. Now, something shocking happened during the making. I had a change of heart re- muslins. Yes, it’s rocked my world too that I maybe enjoyed the process of making muslins for the bodice here, just a little. Three in total. Why so many? First I cut an XS and it was too tight everywhere. I pre-judged the pattern to have lots of ease. It didn’t. And because I cut not traced (bad girl) I had to estimate where the next size up would be, hence muslin no.2, which pleasingly did meet in the middle, unlike the first.

To get a really good fit some things still needed tweaking. For instance, from somewhere I picked up that to make something sleeveless its not just a matter of chopping off the sleeves, the actual shape of the armhole needs to be changed. I inspected muslin no.2 in front of the mirror and could see a wedge of fabric between the front bodice armhole and the bust point that if I pinched out would give a really nice shape to the armhole / bust section. I also took a little width out of the shoulder. On the back bodice there was also excess fabric, from top to bottom (which is more to do with the shape of my back than anything) so I pinched out a wedge 1″ wide at the neckline, petering out to nothing at the bottom. I made the new adjustments to the actual pattern, which is a first, and busted out muslin no.3; a superb fit and the reason why I now will make muslins, happily. On special occasions.

In honor of the dreamboat fabric, I had to make La Slyphide as pretty on the inside as the outside and line the bodice. Going mostly on what I remembered from this dress and a refresher from this tutorial, it was not so hard and the finish is lovely. Oh but dramas! Now after wearing it, I can see the silk I chose for lining is so fragile its starting to split at the darts! Since lining the bodice eliminated a whole bunch of seams to finish, I decided to french seam those that were left, the skirt sides and the waistline. Apart from looking pretty, french seaming meant I didn’t need to buy purple over-locker thread. I didn’t really want the buttons to be a feature of the dress so I used tiny self-cover buttons, which are pretty invisible. Apart from fiddling around with the bodice the only other mods were adding 1″ to the skirt length. It’s pretty short and I could have even added more but the quarter circle skirt ate the fabric up. La Slyphide was such a pleasure to sew. Even when I sewed late at night, the ratio of sewing to unpicking was still considerably better than normal, which I’m putting down to a very nicely put together pattern.

The most surprising thing to come out of Sew Bossy for me, was how fun and refreshing it was NOT to be in control of what was going to arrive in that package! Complete and utter trust feels pretty good and I think I actually like having someone else dictate what I make / wear…so long as it not my mum (hi mum!). Now this is only half the story, the rest is over here at Andrea’s place. And if you are even half tempted to do your own Sew Bossy exchange… don’t think, just do! All the details here.

15/07/2013

Lady Skater Pattern Tour

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Even if I was a little slow to cotton onto the fact that a ‘skater dress’ is an actual type of dress, here it is…the Lady Skater! When I first saw Kitschy Coo’s Lady Skater dress pattern doing the rounds, I’m sure it was like ‘Oh yeah, Skater hey, cute name’. But it was only when it came time to make my Lady Skater for the tour, that I did a Pinterest search for ‘skater dress’ (hoping to see some finished versions of the actual pattern) and discovered all of it’s long lost ‘Skater’ cousins from different department stores. It was a skater-fest of all sorts and I was tempted to take this pattern somewhere wild and dangerous but then I remembered it’s winter and time for mooching around being cosy and understated.

I knew I would probably like the Lady Skater, I just didn’t know I would love it this much! Let me explain, I feel like Lady Skater is the dress equivilent of the girl next door. Friendly, unassuming, says hello over the fence…that sort of kid. She’s no statement piece and that’s exactly why we love her. A simple knit dress with fitted bodice, flared skirt and options for cap, 3/4 or long sleeves. Being more in the pencil skirt camp and not having worn this style before, I wasn’t sure how I’d like it or if it would suit. So I made a safe winter version to go with boots and tights and scarves. That was a week ago and since then it’s been worn to work, out to dinner, on the plane, to school pick up and everything in between. There was not the usual fuss over whether to go a print or a solid because lately I’ve been noticing that the hand-made items I wear the most are the simplest, plainest basics. I love a good print, I won’t lie, but the print v solid ratio is getting out of hand and making for quite an ‘unwearable’ wardrobe. You’ve got to be in the mood for prints and some mornings they swarm at me!

Given the situation I decided the best bet for making a Lady Skater that would get a lot of wear was one in a solid color, something rich and yummy and a good base for accessories. I’m not usually drawn to brown but there I was fondling fabric at work and I noticed this fabric, I’ve never noticed before. A random organic cotton knit with the tiniest bit of lycra, beautiful and soft and exactly the sort of thing you’d like to be draped in winter…a blanket of hot cocoa without the burn. This time I was a good girl and obeyed the sizing charts. I made a size four with a couple of mods: 2-3″ added to skirt length, 1/2″ sheared from bodice length to sit on the waist and sides taken in at waist about 1″ each. I didn’t have any clear elastic in the stash and used regular elastic for the shoulder seams and waist band. Sleeve length is something I mull over probably more than is normal. I always go for 3/4 or just above elbow sleeves, it’s a comfy spot for a sleeve to sit and where cap sleeves cut you off at the widest point in your arm, 3/4 sleeves are universally flattering. These sleeves were meant to be 3/4 but fabric got eaten and now they’re elbow length.

Okay, something that’s making me a little cray cray…after all this time (well not that long) of sewing knits only now I’m having a hemming situation! Until I started sewing leggings and other things that require a neat looking hem but one that also has to stretch over a body part, I would just do two rows of straight stitch at 3.5 (like for kids tees). On the leggings I tried out a twin needle for the hems, which looked nice but now I’m finding the stitches are breaking when they get stretched over an ankle. Currently I am hemming parts that need to be stretched, like these sleeves, with one row of stretch stitch. Which apart from not looking that nice, keeps eating the fabric. So, given the amount of stretch sewing going on these days I’m seriously considering investing in some sort of cover stitch device…any thoughts?

The ultimate test: would I double dip the Skater chip? Why yes, yes I would. I love it and from all accounts a dress that loves your right back. I’d be temped to make another version in the exact same style. Or turn it into a maxi, a peplum top or some amazing peplum pencil dress. A perfect base with endless styling possibilities…I bashed out this infinity scarf in about half an hour to go with my skater, using this tutorial from True Bias. And on the way to this derelict house I accidentally bought this woollen hat…I blame the skater also!

18/06/2013

Cut-out tank + leggings

S.E.W.N.

Hey it’s two-for-one-Tuesday! And I’m sorry but I got no special deals on pizza for you, just two fresh additions to the handmade closet. Presenting my new favourite-ist leggings in the whole wide world and the new Megan Nielsen Crescent blouse. Both pieces were completed before the epic month of May and are conveniently slotting in while I muster the courage to start this Bombshell swimsuit business.

Pattern: Megan Nielsen Crescent blouse

Fabric: A semi sheer Silk cotton with a slightly bigger weave. I doubled the layers for the front and left the back sheer (didn’t get photo oops, just visualize yeah?).

Bits to love: Another beautifully put together pattern. I especially appreciated the finishes around the cut outs and button closures. There’s the option of a collar / collarless version and two variations for the hem length and shape, one is round (I’m assuming like a ‘crescent’?) and the other squared off and tunic length. I kind of surprised myself here by going for a solid color, especially given the scope for mixing prints or color-blocking in this pattern! But sometimes I can be a very Zen sewer and I was thinking along the lines of choosing a fabric that wouldn’t detract from the lines in the blouse. And I also used two self cover buttons in the same fabric to keep everything at one. Namaste.

Urks: The strapless bra situation. It seems it is my quest to unearth a strapless bra that does it’s freakin job! Holds things in place, stays put all day and comfy enough you forget its there. Not much to ask right? Back in the day, when I used to have a decent pair (it’s all relative), I was sure the issue was just that a strapless bra was never going to have the lift of a normal bra, end of story. HowEVER, after retiring from their post as milk factory last year, the boobs just went ‘right that’s us done, we’re out of here’ and shrunk down three whole cups sizes. No complaints, at least now I thought I’d be all over the strapless bra thing. Only, just like it’s predecessors, this one was great in the shop but crept south, was uncomfortable and made weird bra lines through the top. I couldn’t wait to fling it off after these pics (and replace it with a regular bra…straight away in case you were wondering), so a little sadly, until this get sorted, my crescent is not getting much of an airing.

Pattern: Burdastyle Leggings 01/2011

Fabric: Rayon and lycra jersey from here

So, guys, I went back for more leggings. And this pattern is ten times better than the last. Everything that was slightly off about this pair is now lovingly accommodated here. Where the McCalls pattern was a little short in the legs, too shallow from crotch to waist and so on, this one is longer, higher, faster, stronger! The leg length is really spot on. I have longish legs and I like a little bunching at the ankles. They also come up to my ribs and keep my organs warm. So, I love them and really recommend the Burdastyle pattern. But each body to their own. They also feel so much cosier in a soft fabric, as opposed to swim lycra. I was utterly gobsmacked to find this fabric, only the juiciest knit fabric I’ve ever laid eyes on, randomly on Etsy.

Initially I wasn’t going to try and match up the pattern but decided to give it a crack and the effect of the symmetry is kind of cool. I feel like a walking anatomical illustration. Lining up the print was not so hard, there is only one pattern piece for each leg so after I doubled my fabric over before cutting, I used pins to mark little land-marks on the print, making sure the points corresponded on top and bottom layer. Not sure if this is common practice but it worked so well! Right now, I’m wearing these, hmm maybe three times a week and they are starting to fade a little so I’m considering buying more of the fabric (if there even is some) to make a back-up pair. Is that weird? I just never want them to end.