Gah! This week = too hot to handle. And yes it seems there are more prints, again. But you know my feels! So first up 1// Trine churns out hand-made lovelies of this calibre all the time but this floral number is something else altogether. What can I say, the woman has rockin style, which just so happens to be hand-made too. 2// Just Sallie, mega babe’n in an amaaaazing Soma Bikini that I would totally buy from like, a real shop. She also has some great tips on adding support to the bikini top which I will definitely be referring to. 3// Julie, back again, with another beautiful Monique dress in a print I wish was sitting in my stash right now. 4// I just discovered Sara’s sewing blog and will definitely be back. Loving the shape of this pretty printed Cynthia Rowley Top!
Now, I’ll try not to be offended if no-one remembers at the start of the year I declared 2014 year of The Perfect Pair. No, not a boob job! That’s next year (jokes). Just the year to sew up as many pairs of shorts as possible from this list, in the hopes of unearthing the perfect go-to pattern. All part of the larger plan to sew more ‘fiercely attractive, mum-friendly clothes’. As it happens to be July and this is my second pair, you can see it’s obviously going swimmingly lol. But good ground has been made! I now know that Burdastyle 7195 is NOT my perfect pair of shorts. Okay, so it’s not all bad. It’s just not all good. I’m not 100% convinced they are flattering and this has everything to do with where they hit on the waist and the rear view. My backside has sufficient volume, thank you, why add more? Sure, an elasticated back eliminates the need for a zipper which makes them ‘easy’. But there was just so much potential here: pleats, cuffs, cute waistband details…they even looked great on the pattern cover! But the back, ohhh the back. I’m having a poofy-puffy-pants-party and you’re invited.
The fabric is a nice plain-jane bottom weight cotton twill (with stretch) in an interesting (SOLID!) color. I bought it with plans to sew something or other to go with the rest of my print-heavy closet. And I really thought that they would be the PERFECT PAIR! But alas, we are in love-hate. I love the pleats, the cuffs and the high waist… in theory. However, and this is going to sound weird, the band hits at this awkward point above my waist, where instead of supporting my post-10lb-baby tummy (which can actually look three months pregnant when I relax..amazing huh?!) like a good waistband should, it makes my tummy just want to chillax and hang out under its little ledge. What’s a little stomach muscle separation between friends, ey? Combine it with front pleats and a tendency to carry any extra weight through the middle (where I store my acorns for the winter) and I feel it’s all a little too ‘bulbous’, borderline uncomfortable, for my liking.
Guys! Do you believe in sewers intuition?! You know, that feeling in your gut when yes you measure size A but you’re going to cut size B anyway. Maybe there’s nothing woo woo about it and its something you get better as judging as you go along and begin to notice differences in sizing between pattern companies. In Vogue patterns I never size down and this has served well so far. Out of the other big ‘four’ I often size down and end up getting closer to the fit I want, first go. Which means I’ve never really had to hone my tweaking and fitting skills. Instead I play the size gambling game. Much more fun! And with good returns mostly, except for when I run into crotch depth issues and its resulting camel toe. Times when I actually probably needed the length of that larger size. Anyway, for this pair I took one look at the pattern pieces, correctly gauged them as being gargantuan and sized down from a 12 to a 10.
There quite a few neat little features of the pattern worth noting. So, there’s the pleats, which extend up into more pleats in the waist-band. And then there’s actually a waist tie, which is supposed to be tied at the front, where it hides all the best details of the pattern. I’ve been tying it at the back where it makes the perfect ‘paper bag’ for the gathered waistband in all its glory, coming up…
In spite of all, they’ve been getting some wear. And I do love the big cuffs! Which probably saved them from the naughty corner. The color also goes with a lot of things I’ve already made. Funny, now that there’s more sewing than buying going on, its totally changed my approach to shopping. I feel like I now shop more for pieces that will compliment things already in the hand-made closet. Pieces that go with everything but I’m not necessarily interested in making, at least for now. Like a navy blazer!
Well, all that extra fabric at the back had to go somewhere. And looks like my bottom has eaten it for lunch! Hmm, there’s not really much else to say here so let’s move onto the insides. Last week I admitted a new found love for binding seams, as a fun, ok, rewarding, way to finish edges and pretty up the insides. So I couldn’t resist adding some contrasting ( store bought this time) binding to this pair. It’s a simple process but takes time.
What are your feels? Have you had similar unflattering fit issues with gathered waists? Or post-partum bellies?!
Putting together these little collections of pretty hand-makes from across the seas is fast becoming one of my favourite parts of the week! No shock either that my printy love extends to everyone else’s hand-made closet’s too. But hey, I can appreciate a good solid, solid project, especially a 1// pretty mustard cardigan by What Katie Sews. 2// Oh hey, its Sanae again, I couldn’t not give this ikat and cross-over back awesomeness a mention. 3// I was mucho excited to see someone else has been bitten by the two-piece set bug too, aka, Madalynne in her cropped print on print combo. Brace yourselves for some more two piece set action in the coming weeks! 4// I seriously love everything by Jolies Bobines, like this printed Michelle blazer, which also happens to be her fourth (!) version of the pattern. Adding this one to the queue…
Not surprisingly, after the big re-launch last week, I relaxed, got sick and have been drifting about in a lemon and ginger infused stupor ever since. In other news, we are having spectacularly beautiful, no-filter-necessary, typical Brisbane winter right now. And its cold. Now I know there is cold and there’s cold and I’ve already lost that one because there’s sunshine and no white stuff on the ground, but STILL, we tend to get a little bit excited here at the thought of bracing against the elements. Yesterday, I finally got jack of looking like a fly fisherman in my one extra toasty, fleece lined, tartan jacket and went out and bought a much better looking cosy, knitted jumper. Which means I can no longer deny winter is here and also how hopelessly inadequate my cool weather clothes are. Luckily, I have a big juicy list of Winter ‘to sew’s. But first, there’s a backlog of un-blogged garments to share from my time out. Sewn during the ‘endless summer’ that was autumn this year and are now of course completely inappropriate and being hidden under said oversized jumper. Out-of-sync is my middle name! First up, this happy duo: the Tessuti Tokyo Jacket and polka dot Vogue 1247…
So I’ve had my peepers on the Tessuti Tokyo Jacket pattern since this pretty version by Lisa of Tessuti, then Sallioeh’s hand-painted silk beauty and not forgetting the color-blocked goodness of Sew Amy Sew’s Tokyo. Kimono style jackets are pretty big right now, there’s a whole bunch of DIY’s around the web. It’s a silhouette that I think looks great on everyone and goes kind of awesome with everyTHING! Jeans, slouchy pants, pencil skirts, knit dresses, jumpsuits, maxi dresses etc etc. And, like my new-found sack dress love, now I’ve made one, I want another and another. A closet of sack-dresses and kimono jackets please and thank you.
The fabric! The FABRIC! Last week I raved about Nani Iro fabric, well, this here is one such lovely that I stashed away for something special. It’s called Kokka Fuccra- Rakuen Japanese Fabric and quite simply it is f*%king delicious. Being a double gauze it is super soft and being a cotton it sewed like a dream. What more can I say except that I lovingly pre-washed it, cut out the Tokyo jacket, got freaked out over something in the instructions and didn’t touch it for two months. Which is something I NEVER EVER do. Either you like having a couple of projects on the go at a time or you’re a start-it-finish-it kind of sewer. Me, I cannot deal with having several sews in progress, especially not one taunting me from under the sewing table. All laughable now, after I just pulled it out again on another ordinary day, flicked through the instructions (which were totally great) and sewed it up in half a day. You got to be in the right head space for sewing, amirite?
Sizing? I made a small, with a medium in length. Mods? Omitted the centre back seam on the main back piece and the neck-band because my print was non-directional which allowed me to lay my pieces along the length of the fabric. I French seamed, because I like French things and opted for a double fold hem in preference to a single fold with the over-locking showing. Pretty innards make me happy. Loved? Sewing the whole thing! It has become one of my favourite pieces in the hand-made closet to date and I’m putting this down to all the love and care I bestowed on the little details like pockets, the cuffs, the neck band, being rewarded with a beautifully finished garment. Lil’ bit proud. Loathed? Nada. Ok, well, maybe that my french seaming the side seams meant I couldn’t snip the curve and it doesn’t sit totally flat. Make again? Fo Shizzle.
If you recall this make here, also included with pattern Vogue 1247 is a really meh looking skirt, from the cover at least. It wasn’t until after this hot brocade version of Heather’s that I gave it a second look and actually what looks like a plain little a-line skirt from the outer is quite a neat piece of patterning architecture on the inside. Check it: secret kangaroo joey pouch pockets! So, Vogue 1247 is a great value deal folks. I had a little remnant of this light weight silk with woven dots. Read: fragile, do not pre-wash. After which, it went all seer-sucked and I wept, moved on and came to love it’s wrinkles. Can’t even remember what it was like flat. I decided the fabric needed some extra support and backed each piece of the pattern, all 8 pieces, not including the waist band, in a navy cotton voile. What I didn’t anticipate was that the polka dots are not random at all. They are in lines. Neat little lines. Like stripes actually. Dammit! Matching them around the pockets wasn’t easy and they’re not totally straight in parts but what choo gonna do.
One thing to note is it’s very very short. I meant to add an extra bit to the hem when I was cutting it out but got distracted and ended up adding binding to the hem to squeeze out an extra bit of thigh-coverage. I was saddened by this addition but the binding is such a phenomenal color match to the fabric and you do have to look quite close. And speaking of binding, ahem, the pattern calls for the inside seams to be totally utterly bound. Which might sounds like a whole lot of extra work when you could just over-lock. Which it was, but totally worth it. I think you’ll agree, these are some good looking insides down there. And I may have got a taste for it and gone on a binding rampage with the next project.
Sizing? I made a size 12, which is my normal Vogue pattern size but at the time was carrying a little extra (blog construction stress) weight around the middle. Proportionally my waist measurement is always wide compare to my hips and bust but normally the amount of ease means I get a nice little snug fit on the waist without having to size up. Apparently too snug this time: the waist-band wouldn’t meet at all. So, we rolled with it and two self cover buttons and a couple of loops later I actually kind of love the new ‘design feature’. Mods? Only a small wedge taken in at the bottom sides seams for more pencil, less A-line. Loved? Another satisfying sew, good instructions, pretty innards and pouch pockets! Loathed? Slaving over 5 meters of bias binding. Make again? Done and incoming!
SO much greatness this week: 1// Heather’s breathtaking Ikat Anna dress, re-reminding me that I need to make this pattern up and why haven’t I made one already. 2// A totally cute and wearable, modified Archer & Mini Moss combo by Oh, She Dabbles. P.S Did you see Andrea’s tutorial for a sleeveless Archer? 3// I love checking out Sanae’s hand-makes; here’s a woman who knows what she likes and what suits. This tunic is no exception! 4// And lastly, phwoa, a lottle bit in love with this knock-out sweetheart dress by Pimsy Coud Des Trucs. That neckline is a friend to broad shouldered girls…I speak for myself here. Stowing this one away as a birthday frock contender!
I'm Sophie. Seeker of Sewing Highs. Join me, as I whoop-whoop zipper flys and cry over shrunk fabric. Our destination: the ultimate hand-made wardrobe.
Gah! This week = too hot to handle. And yes it seems there are more prints, again. But you know my feels! So first up 1// Trine churns out hand-made lovelies of this calibre all the time but this floral number is something else altogether. What can I say, the woman has rockin style, which just so happens to be hand-made too. 2// Just Sallie, mega babe’n in an amaaaazing Soma Bikini that I would totally buy from like, a real shop. She also has some great tips on adding support to the bikini top which I will definitely be referring to. 3// Julie, back again, with another beautiful Monique dress in a print I wish was sitting in my stash right now. 4// I just discovered Sara’s sewing blog and will definitely be back. Loving the shape of this pretty printed Cynthia Rowley Top!
Now, I’ll try not to be offended if no-one remembers at the start of the year I declared 2014 year of 
The fabric is a nice plain-jane bottom weight cotton twill (with stretch) in an interesting (SOLID!) color. I bought it with plans to sew something or other to go with the rest of my print-heavy closet. And I really thought that they would be the PERFECT PAIR! But alas, we are in love-hate. I love the pleats, the cuffs and the high waist… in theory. However, and this is going to sound weird, the band hits at this awkward point above my waist, where instead of supporting my post-10lb-baby tummy (which can actually look three months pregnant when I relax..amazing huh?!) like a good waistband should, it makes my tummy just want to chillax and hang out under its little ledge. What’s a little stomach muscle separation between friends, ey? Combine it with front pleats and a tendency to carry any extra weight through the middle (where I store my acorns for the winter) and I feel it’s all a little too ‘bulbous’, borderline uncomfortable, for my liking.
Not surprisingly, after the big re-launch last week, I relaxed, got sick and have been drifting about in a lemon and ginger infused stupor ever since. In other news, we are having spectacularly beautiful, no-filter-necessary, typical Brisbane winter right now. And its cold. Now I know there is cold and there’s cold and I’ve already lost that one because there’s sunshine and no white stuff on the ground, but STILL, we tend to get a little bit excited here at the thought of bracing against the elements. Yesterday, I finally got jack of looking like a fly fisherman in my one extra toasty, fleece lined, tartan jacket and went out and bought a much better looking cosy, knitted jumper. Which means I can no longer deny winter is here and also how hopelessly inadequate my cool weather clothes are. Luckily, I have a big juicy list of Winter ‘to sew’s. But first, there’s a backlog of un-blogged garments to share from my time out. Sewn during the ‘endless summer’ that was autumn this year and are now of course completely inappropriate and being hidden under said oversized jumper. Out-of-sync is my middle name! First up, this happy duo: the Tessuti Tokyo Jacket and polka dot Vogue 1247…
SO much greatness this week: 1// 
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