Tag Archives: Daily Outfit

White trees and buttons

23/10/2013 8:51 am \ 40 Comments \

I’ve sewn up my white trees fabric… into a top! I drafted it myself but it is a pretty simple silhouette; basically a big oversized T-shape, with something interesting in the form of the completely open top edge.  The top edges of front and back have a full length button and buttonhole placket respectively, stretching from sleeve hem to sleeve hem along the whole neckline, and it’s partially buttoned up to close the top of the sleeves.  Technically, you could button the top edge up all the way, except that the neckline is curved as an anti-strangulation measure.  It’s funny though, when you’re wearing it you can’t really tell the neckline is curved, it reads as an almost straight edge.

It is based on several different sources of inspiration: years ago I had a Metalicus Tshirt that had an open top with snaps, that could open like this from sleeve right the way along the neckline; and also a few months ago Kirsty posted plans for her gorgeous top from the Japanese pattern book She has a Mannish Style, a top with a wide buttoned neckline although with separate closed sleeves.  I sorta combined those concepts in the design of my own top.

Most time consuming bit: I fiddled for aaaages with the spacing of the buttons/buttonhole, so it would both look “right” and also that I could have a button placed just at the point on my shoulders where I wanted it to go.

the back view is unexciting, but I know those of us who sew like to see this bit too….  

Since the front neckline has a lower dip than the back, the buttons are spaced a little more wide apart along the front curve than the corresponding buttonholes at the back.  I sewed up the rest of the top completely, before doing the button/buttonhole plackets along the top edge, this was the last step.  The top edges were interfaced with similarly shaped strips of iron-on interfacing and then I sewed the plackets on.
What else.  Oh, and it’s got pockets, too  (blush)
I fear I have some sort of weird pocket obsession…  is pocket-aholic a “thing”?   Guess I should sign myself up  ;D

Details:
Top; my own design, coffee cotton broadcloth, screen-printed by me with little white trees here
Skirt; Vogue 1247, blue damask, details here and my review of this pattern here
Sandals; c/o Misano

LATER EDIT:
this tee has received a bit of a makeover! Basically I hadn’t worn it in over a year, so I gave it a rejuvenating dunk in a pink dye bath… voila!!!  I love it all over again and it’s back in rotation…. yay!!!
wearing it with:
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Audrey in Unst, in Blue

18/10/2013 4:23 am \ 53 Comments \

I am finishing all of my winter knitting projects just in the nick of time for them all to be packed away.  Woot!  This is pretty typical for me.  I think  I really should plan my wardrobe far more efficiently and be more seasonally aware and prepared!
I was struck by something Roobeedoo wrote recently; that since a knitting project takes so much longer than a sewing project and, as well, lasts for so much longer in your wardrobe, the sensible self-tailored individual plans future sewing projects around a current knitting project; not concurrently.  So sensible!  An edict; the singular wisdom of which I had not appreciated before then…   
Thy knitting projects are the key to planning thy wardrobe, y’all!
I bought this lovely wool during my afternoon out in Paris with Donna of Nid de Tissus, so it brings back happy memories to me of our fun chatty lunch and fabric/wool shopping excursion together.  A wearable souvenir!  It is from Renaissance Dyeing;  4-ply poll dorset wool hand-dyed with natural plant dyes in France, colour Canigou.  Terrified of not getting enough I bought four skeins so obviously Murphy’s Law decreed that I had overestimated how much I would need… doh!  I can never get that bit right!  The cardigan used just over two skeins, so at some point I am going to order some more and make something else using my almost two whole leftover skeins.  I do already have ideas, hehehe  🙂  The full range can be viewed and ordered here.

The pattern is Audrey in Unst, designed by Gudrun Johnston; available here.  I’ve long admired Roobeedoo’s leaf green version that she has worn during me-made May and had decided that at some point I would have to make my own.  The shape is nearly identical to my recently finished Miette! but the chunkiness is the difference between the two.  The Miette is in a thick aran weight yarn, whilst the Audrey in Unst is in a light, fingering weight yarn.  So this is a light little cardigan with much finer stitching tension, and subsequently took a lot longer to knit!  I started this at the beginning of the year  (blush) and only just bought the shell buttons and stitched them on a few days ago.

 The neckline is finished off with an i-cord stitch.  This is the first time I have tried this technique and I think it’s quite a nice, neat and tidy finish and a refreshing change from the usual rib.

 The cardigan is knitted bottom up, and is, like the Miette, designed to be knitted in one piece with no stitching pieces together.  WIN!  Well, you are supposed to stitch the shoulder seams together but I elected to graft the stitches together, like I do with the toes of my socks.  This gives a very nice seam; neat and flat and quite unobtrusive.  I can do a step-by-step if anyone hasn’t heard of and is interested in this technique?

The pattern has a built-in faux side seam, which is an interesting feature.  Essentially it is just a purl stitch every knit row, and vice versa.  The shaping is discreetly alongside the faux side seam.

 The sleeves are knitted by picking up the stitches and knitting short rows with wrapping and turning to form the sleeve cap.  LOVE this feature and I think it makes for a really nice attractive finish; far smoother and sits flatter than a stitched in sleeve would be.

Are there any negatives?  Well you get started; and 36 long long rows of ribbing later, all that blasted purling through the back of the loop had just about killed me.  Seriously HATED this bit. And I’m curious, does purling/knitting through the back of the loop really make a significant difference to the rib?  and if it does then is it really an improvement on the regular sort?  That’s not a rhetorical question btw, I would like to know.

Details:
Cardigan; Audrey-in-Unst in Renaissance Dyeing;  4-ply poll dorset, colour Canigou
Skirt; Vogue 1170 lined, blue corduroy later dyed brown, details here and my review of this pattern here
Tshirt (under); self-drafted, white cotton jersey, details here
Sandals; c/o Misano

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Chequered Elisalex

13/10/2013 4:15 pm \ 98 Comments \

Hello!
A little while ago Liz contacted me to generously send her copy of the By Hand London Elisalex pattern to me.  Thank you so much Liz!  Obviously I leapt at the chance to try out this deservedly popular pattern  🙂
One of the most wonderful things about being part of this online sewing community is how we all openly and honestly share our love of sewing and our sewing experiences.  I’ve believe the sewing community to be such a friendly group of generous, upbeat and helpful women: so I really want to spread the love and pay it forward and all that, and in turn offer this pattern up to another… a giveaway!  Maybe this is a sorta blogging anniversary giveaway, since I have been blogging for four years as of last Friday, but really all the thanks and credit is due to Liz  🙂
As recommended in the pattern instructions, I traced my size onto white plastic table-clothing, which means that the original pattern is still in immaculate condition.  I refolded it carefully back into its factory folds;  I’m pretty expert at that, if I say so myself.  Years of pattern control-freak practice  😀  Anyway, it is all nicely and perfectly intact.  And the pattern packaging is exquisite, truly a thing of great beauty, with two nesting envelopes of high quality blue cardboard bearing elegant drawings of the three variations.  Seriously, this is a gorgeous thing!  So, if you would like this copy of the very popular Elisalex pattern  then please leave a comment saying so.  I will randomly pick a recipient this Thursday, 17th October.  
(Later edit: a commenter has pointed out that my giving away this pattern is morally “iffy” … obviously this is the very last thing I want! so I have decided to withdraw the offer.  My sincerest apologies to all, and my thanks for your kind comments and I will rustling up something different for a blogging anniversary giveaway very soon… please stay tuned  🙂  )

I bought this piece of black-and-ivory patchworked silk taffeta from Homecraft Textiles a while back, thinking about those Louis Vuitton shift dresses, and then had second thoughts since the silk is very thin and slightly floaty and so was really too light to work well in a structured shift dress design.  Shift dresses need a fabric with a bit of oomph.  

Louis Vuitton S/S 2013 RTW, source

I put the idea of a shift dress on ice, but as soon as I saw the big pouffy skirt on the Elisalex the silk leapt to my mind again.  The piece was wide but I only had 1.5m so pattern matching was the biggest challenge.  Also a lot of the squares were not exactly square but are slightly bigger and smaller here and there, and the corners don’t always match up perfectly.  I’m pretty pleased with how I managed to get the dress out of my small piece and got my squares, princess seams, corners and box pleats matching up not too badly.  The only area I am disappointed with is the junction between the skirt and bodice at the centre back, where the two ivory squares and two black squares are adjacent with each other and so there is one ivory and one black rectangle instead of squares and the chessboard effect falls into a heap! … but I think I can live with that little quirk.  Well, I have to because I wasn’t going to go out and buy more fabric just for that.  Although I will admit that I considered it  😉  I have the smallest mere scraps leftover, so I did make very good use of my piece.

My dress is fully lined with cream-coloured polyacetate lining fabric.  The pattern does not mention lining the skirt, so I cut the skirt pieces out as narrower versions of the skirt pattern pieces without the extra “pouffe” at the side edges.  I also chose to add huge inseam side pockets, because well duh!  Sorry to sound like a broken record on the subject, but in my view this design was just screaming out for pockets!! For the pockets I used a lightweight ivory swiss dotted cotton voile.

Details:
Dress: By Hand London Elisalex dress, patchwork silk
Tights; self-drafted, black wool, details here
Shoes; Misano, from Labels boutique

Pattern
Description:

An elegant dress with a princess seamed, fully lined bodice, box pleated tulip skirt and exposed zip at centre back.  There are three sleeve variations and the bodice is designed with very little ease to enhance a cinched waist.
Pattern
Sizing:
UK 2-16; US 6-20,  Based on my bust and waist measurements I made the size 6/10 and it fits perfectly
Did
it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you had finished
sewing it?
Yes.
Were
the instructions easy to follow?
The instructions are warm, encouraging and friendly and would put the beginner seamstress immediately at ease.  There is some idle chit-chat; I’m not criticising, just observing… for example; “Find a quiet room and a big table.  A girl’s gotta concentrate, especially when getting ready to cut out”  (this particular girl cut out on the living room floor while watching the telly, but then I’ve always been a rebel) … But at the same time some key little sewing steps are missing; tips that I believe are really necessary to get a good finish in your garment and that a beginner wouldn’t “just know”.  For example; to fit the bodice curve in the princess seam, you really should ease stitch the side bodice pieces.  And under-stitching the seam allowances of the armholes and neckline is always a good idea too.
Step 8; very wordy with no pictures, opening with “this is a little fiddly and unfortunately impossible to clarify with a drawing …” really? Vogue manages to illustrate this step with a drawing in their instructions for this very same technique.  Vogue also mentions and illustrates ease stitching and under-stitching in their instructions too.  Just saying.
The “what you need” section is a little baffling, commencing somewhat hilariously with “your fabric” and then going on to list such things like pins, zipper foot and tape measure.  The actual fabric quantities you need are printed elsewhere; down at the bottom left in an inconspicuous little table.
What
did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
Likes: The whole design is absolutely lovely.  The size of the skirt pattern pieces gave me pause at first, but when I had basted them together and tried it on I was enchanted with the gorgeous feminine silhouette it gave.  The bodice is a beautiful fit and looks really elegant both front and back views, too.
The pattern itself is beautifully packaged; this is an exceptionally high quality product.
Dislikes: There are NO metric measurements, whatsoever.  This is just about inexcusable in a modern pattern.
I was
surprised that the pattern didn’t have pockets considering that the big pouffy skirt could so easily accommodate them.  Fortunately it is super easy to put them in yourself.
Considering that the skirt has a tulip silhouette curving in towards the hemline, one would normally measure the desired length of the skirt before cutting out, in order to plan and accordingly cut the side edges so the hem allowance juts out; so that it can be turned under to sit flat against those angled side seams.  The pattern piece doesn’t allow for this and it isn’t mentioned in the instructions, so I sure hope a novice seamster wouldn’t think it is their mistake when they end up with a hem allowance too narrow to turn under smooth and flat…
Fabric
Used:
Patch-worked silk taffeta
Pattern
alterations or any design changes you made:
Pockets  🙂  
My dress is fully lined; I cut the skirt lining as a narrower version of the pattern pieces removing some of the pouffe and folding narrower box pleats in the same spots.
I chose to insert an invisible zip rather than use an exposed zip, as it suited the style of dress I had in mind.
Would
you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes, I will definitely sew this again!  A really beautiful and classic design.  For winter I would sew this in a rich tapestry or an upholstery type of fabric, with the sleeves.  This is a sure thing in my future.
And
yes  🙂
Conclusion:
Technically, the absence of metric measurements is quite annoying, and the instructions could do with more finishing tips and details to help beginners.  
Design-wise; it is an absolutely beautiful and classic design, and I am very pleased with how mine turned out.  
Packaging: exquisitely packed, and of very high quality and eco-friendly materials.   For the connoisseur of really beautiful patterns.
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Gunmetal linen trousers to jacket-y thing

10/10/2013 3:02 am \ 36 Comments \

So new top…  well, new? not really, this funky little jacket was until recently a pair of menswear-inspired, wide-legged, linen trousers, that have been sitting in my re-fashioning bag for a coupla years now.  True!  I took them out to wear as fancy dress last year, but they went straight back into the bag afterwards!
I originally made these trousers back in 2009 using Burda 7944, and they have been good trousers.  I wore them a lot and even featured them in a 6 different ways post forever ago. 

 But eventually they got to the stage where they looked like a dishrag practically as soon as they went on and got “knees” in them instantly.  That’s linen for ya; I love it to bits but if it’s not a quality weave it does tend to lose its integrity quickly.  This linen was not particularly fine-grade in the first place.  Some linen trousers can get away with the dish-raggy look but not a tailored design like this one. 
I’ve re-made them into a loose-sleeved jacket thingy.  I’ve done this very same re-fashion once before, making a boxy little jacket out of a pair of Mum’s old cast-off three-quarter pants, but these trousers started out with quite a different shape to those pants so have ended up as quite a different shaped jacket.  The waistband is close-fitted, not loose, and those long wide legs with a satisfyingly deep cuff have resulted in long wide sleeves, still with that satisfyingly deep cuff on the ends.  You put it on with unzipped fly, and then zip it up down! and do up the buttons, just like when it was trousers but upside down.  Cool huh?  I really like it in it’s new identity.  Making something like this is deeply satisfying to me.  Taking something old, unwanted and un-chic and making it into something different; and I use the term different as in the kind of thing you rarely see a pattern for.  It’s hardly mainstream, is it?  This is why I sew; to make things for myself that are individual and unusual.

A quick run-down on the procedure…
Firstly, you cut off the legs to give a “body” section, and cut open the inner leg seam from one inner leg to the other.

as my son says; ironing is for the weak!!!

Re-stitch both the front and back crotch seams to be straight lines from the waistband(back)/bottom of zip(front) to the old-crotch/new-neckline opening,  Cut off excess fabric (the old-crotch curves).

My trousers had pockets; stitch the opening closed and trim off the pocket bags inside.  I know I know, it’s slightly painful to remove pockets, even useless ones, but they just do not work in this design.  I also switched the old plastic, colour-matched buttons I had used previously for nacre buttons sewn on upside down with the mottley-brown underneath showing, just because.

Stitch up the shoulder seams and cut armhole curve on the body section, and a sleevecap curve at the top of the cut-off legs, now sleeves.  If you have a great fitting shirt pattern then use this as a guide.  I just tried it on a few times, pinned it and winged it, being sure to keep both sides symmetrical.
Set the sleeves into the body section.

Fold in a hem around the neckline and stitch it down however you choose, I used a short bias cut strip of silk, leftovers from this top, invisibly fell-stitched.

Don’t know if it’s obvious or not, but it was crazy windy while I was taking these photos.  My tripod actually blew over once!  Goodness knows why I pick the absolute blasting-est days to get out and photograph my makes.  I must be some kind of freaking masochist.  Hair; styled by gale-force winds.  Lovely, not.  But, seize the moment, and all that.  After all, this is what I actually look like here.  Keeping it real.  Man, I’m a loon.
This one gave me a laugh when I saw it!

Details:
Jacket; refashioned from a pair of Burda 7944 trousers, gunmetal linen
Shorts; Burda 7723, themselves refashioned from an old skirt, details here, and see my review of this shorts pattern here
Tshirt (underneath); self-drafted, white cotton jersey, details here
Sandals; c/o Misano

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Sandy top with gold bits

04/10/2013 11:09 pm \ 43 Comments \

OK, so I’ve made a top.  Simple, fairly plain, unexciting even? but I’m totally happy with it anyway.  Hard to see in the photo above, but the front and back neckbands have little golden swirls, twirling and tumbling sinuously around it.  Screen-printed by me!
The neckbands are of pale grey silk/linen from Fabulous Fabrics, and the remainder of the top is made using a pale sand-coloured cotton-linen from Spotlight,  the leftovers from after I cut out the pieces for my giant polka-dot dress.
I used the pattern for top 136B from Burdastyle magazine 07/12.  Sam gave this mag to me for Christmas last year, but this is the very first thing I’ve made from it  (oops!)  No matter, I reckon Burdastyle patterns never really go outta style  🙂  When planning my top I knew exactly what I wanted; a pull-over loose top with a big wide neckband for screen-printing, and either a wrap-front or something to define the waist.  I searched through, only like every single one of my patterns, the lines of this one leapt out as pretty close to the vision I had in my head.

Technical blah-dy blah: I have to confess that while stylistically the design was perfect, technically it was far from a perfect fabric/pattern match: the pattern was designed to be tight for stretch knits and came graded for Plus sizes 44-52 only; and I wanted “loose” in a woven and I generally go with a 38.  But I reckoned it could work; those factors have the opposite effect to each other so it’s like they cancel each other out right?  It was worth a try, anyway.  I’ve never let fabric inappropriateness get in the way of my creative vision! and was pretty sure it would be OK.  
I traced a size 44 and just cut my pieces with quite big seams allowances, plus a touch extra at three areas just in case: the underarm points on the front and back, around the widest part of the sleeves, and with extra width at the hips; essentially, the places where you might expect extra ease would be required.  Basted the pieces together and tried it on, ensuring the raglan seams matched the notches on the neckband pieces as a set-in-stone point of reference and just made a few little adjustments in and out and here and there to some seams.  I reckon it turned out OK!
The waist ties are meant to be attached inside the centre neckband seam, from the top to the bottom of the seam, which means that not only would it have covered up part of my print, but when you wrap it around your waist it would have dragged the V-neck right down, thus rendering it a very cleavage-tastic top indeed.  How it is, is quite cleavage-y enough for me already, thanks!  Burdastyle’s coy description is “Impossible to ignore!”   Ahem, so I sewed mine on further down, only just covering the very lowest tip of the neckband.

The neckline is a flatteringly wide portrait neckline, which means that my bra straps are showing.  But I’m cool with that, since I just happen to have a bra with straps that just about perfectly colour-match this top.  Now is that good wardrobe planning, or what?!  I reckon they just look like little camisole straps.

And; I have a pair of new flat sandals for summer!  these gorgeous cheerful bright coral sandals are going to pep up my wardrobe so nicely!  They are practically neon!

Details:
Top; Burdastyle magazine 07/2012, 136B modified, with neckband screen-printed by me here
Skirt; Vogue 1247 modified, ivory curtaining fabric, details here and my review of this pattern here
Sandals; c/o Misano

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A Hunter Miette

02/10/2013 7:16 am \ 52 Comments \

Hello!  I’ve knitted the Miette cardigan.  This is a free downloadable pattern by Andi Satterlund
This design first caught my eye when I saw Carmela Biscuit‘s utterly perfect LBC (little black cardigan) during me-made May.  So perfect!  Everyone needs a cardi like this one, I thought.  I mentally filed the name away to check it out sometime… and when the Handmakers Factory announced a Miette knit-along, I discovered it was not only cute, but a fabulously free! pattern!

This is a gorgeous little design, subtle lacework around all borders but with plenty of stocking stitch so you can knit happily in front of the telly and not miss anything.  I really like how it is knitted top-down and all-in-one so that you can try it on as you go to check for fit.  Plus you can keep knitting to add length, using up excess wool should you so desire.   I did so desire, and added an extra two pattern repeats  ‘cos the original is a tad on the tiny side. As in cropped-tiny, not tight-tiny.  More like a bolero than a cardigan really.
Knitting all-in-one-piece also means that once you’ve finished knitting there is not even one single seam to be sewn up.  This is Smart knitting; a new-ish concept for me knitting-pattern-wise but one that I am absolutely head-over-heels in love with already.  Let’s face it; sewing up the pieces is a bit of a pain and everyone hates that bit, right?  Really, a clever designer can easily dispense with all the seams in any knitting pattern, since your garment ends up as a one piece thing then logically there’s no reason why most designs cannot be knitted as one piece as you’re going along.
This should have been a super quick and easy knit, but I still managed to take forever.  It was just one of those projects where nothing seemed to go right.  Following is the truncated saga of my Miette…
Did tension square.  Tension just slightly off but hyper-enthusiastically got going anyway.  Three entire balls later had to admit it was going to be too small.  Unravelled in entirety.  Started again in larger size.  Ran out of wool.  Wool shop sold out.  Wool shop not ever getting it in again.  Searched a coupla real life shops.  Searched online.  Ordered from the UK.  Waiting on extra ball.  Missed end-date for knit-along.  Waiting.  Waiting.  More waiting.   Ball finally shows up, cardigan finished mere hours later, worn and photographed same day, bam!  
Phew, mission accomplished!!!  (air fist pump)

Note to self: SIX balls of the yarn are needed!!

Details:
Cardigan; Miette in Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran, in col.Hunter (360026) … SIX balls!
Skirt; my own design, stretchy layered lace, details here
Tshirt (under); self-drafted, white cotton jersey, details here

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Snowy-white Nougat

27/09/2013 11:35 am \ 42 Comments \

The clever AnaJan of Stepalica is designing patterns now!  and I was honoured when she very kindly sent to me her debut design, the Nougat dress to try out.  Thank you so much Ana!
The Nougat is a classic, waisted, sleeveless A-line dress with a pretty swirly-skirted silhouette and closure by invisible zip in the left side seam.  Where the pattern is extremely clever however, is that it includes three variations of various degrees of difficulty, meaning there is a something for all skill levels.  If you want a challenge then version A with its multiple curved seams will give you a good one; if you want a pretty, A-line dress then version C delivers this too.  I went for the trickiest version A for my first go, but the one pattern includes all pattern pieces and instructions for the two progressively more simplified versions B and C, and there are comprehensive instructions to walk you through constructing the more fiddly bits of the more advanced version A.  I was a bit late for the Nougat sewalong, but I consulted Ana’s posts when I did get around to making my own version, and I found all her sewalong instructions to be detailed, thorough and very helpful.

Ana suggested for the bodice and skirt yoke pieces to be cut from different colours of fabric, to enhance and showcase the swirl effect of the piecing.  The seaming can be seen far better on Ana’s very impressive blue version of the dress here with absolutely perfect seam joining!  However, I really just wanted a lovely fresh plain white dress to ring in summer, so used a small portion of an embarrassingly ginormous quantity of white fabric that I have stuffed in bags in the cupboard under the stairs  (mwahaha)  This fabric originally spent a few years as pictured below.  Until I decided that big white swags of fabric decoratively framing a bedhead were a haven for spiders as well as pretty passe.  I took it down many years ago, but obviously I kept all that wonderful fabric!  It is actually very nice fabric; a mixture of synthetic organza and chiffon which means of course that the dress can be just tossed in the washing machine, will drip dry, and will never ever need ironing.  Yeesssss!

before…

 The bodice and skirt yokes are made of double layered organza, with the inner/lining layer a plainer version of the pattern, relatively un-pieced apart from a few basic shaping seams and darts.  Because all my fabrics are pretty fray-tastic plus see-through, I put quite lot of thought into how I could stabilise all those raw edges.  There are so many of them in this multi-pieced design!  I didn’t want to overlock because the stitching would show through and be super obvious on the outside of the dress.  So for the organza bodice and skirt yokes I sewed the seams, pressed open, trimmed the seam allowances quite narrow with my cutting wheel, and then double top-stitched each side of each seamline.  I posted a close-up picture of the seam detail on photo maisonette last week. 
The skirt is actually three separate identical chiffon skirts, layered.  One is attached to the shell of the dress, the other two sandwich the lower edge of the lining.  Each side seam is sewn in French seams, and I finished the lower edges of each skirt using the rolled hem stitch on my overlocker.  I do really love the romantic ripply look of the layered skirts.  The design is a very lovely shape.  Very twirl-tastic, yes?  I did a twirl photo, just because.  Hehe, one of my pictures revealed that I am a fairly grim-faced twirler.  I am so impressed by people that can twirl and have a happy, carefree facial expression at the same time.  Me, I need to concentrate on not falling over!

I am wearing my new ivory summer sandals too.  Aren’t they lovely? Obviously ivory is one of my favourite colours anyway, no matter what the season, and I really like the woven wedge heel too.  These will be appearing in lots more summer piccies to come!
Making my dress was not all plain sailing.  There are boo-boos.  I didn’t notice at first that the two halves of the back bodice were different to each other and so mistakenly constructed it as a mirror image of one side; therefore three of my seam lines on the right side of the dress do not join up.  One on the shoulder, one on the bodice and one on the skirt/bodice seam.  Rats.  But since I did use just one colour you can’t really tell without super up-close inspection, hehe.  My other seams all mostly join up  😉

Details:
Dress; the Nougat dress by Stepalica patterns, white organza and chiffon
Sandals; c/o Misano shoes
it’s hard to know what to do with your arms when taking side view piccies… 

Pattern
Description:
The Nougat is a classic, waisted, sleeveless A-line dress with a pretty swirly-skirted silhouette and closure by invisible zip in the left side seam.  The pattern includes three variations of various degrees of difficulty, the most advanced option has a complex swirled twisted diamond motif in the front bodice, with sunburst seamlines radiating out and then back in again to join together at the left hip. 
Pattern
Sizing:
European size
32-44. I cut a size 34 in the bodice, grading out from the waist to a size 38 at the hip level.  Because of these personal sizing changes I also cut the skirt pieces to be a bit more flared going down to the hemline than the pattern to give a better look proportionally.
Did
it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you had finished
sewing it?
Yes.
Were
the instructions easy to follow?
The instructions are very clear and well written, and very helpful.  I definitely needed them for that complex diamond motif! but I did use some of my own preferred sewing construction techniques for some of the basics.
What
did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
The silhouette is not one I would normally go for, and I quite thrilled with how much I like it.  I really love the line of the skirt.
I really enjoyed the challenge of sewing the diamond motif and in spite of a few boo-boos I am pleased with how it all came together.
Fabric
Used:
Synthetic organza for the bodice and skirt yoke and chiffon for the skirt 
Pattern
alterations or any design changes you made:
I stuck pretty closely with the original design, and just cut the skirt a bit more flared for my version.  I sewed double rows of topstitching flanking each seamline on the bodice and skirt yokes, both to visually define them better and to anchor and stabilise the seam allowances and guard against fraying.
Would
you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I think I only need one of version A in my wardrobe since it is quite a distinctive design, but I would definitely sew either of versions B or C again.  I recommend version A to the advanced seamster looking for a challenge.
Conclusion:
I am very pleased with it!  I really wanted a white dress for summer which is why I went for a solid colour version of the pattern, and now it reminds me of an old-fashioned tennis dress.  There is something quaint and ladylike and yet still sporty about the silhouette that I really like.  The seaming is really interesting, and I am in love with the swishiness of the skirt.
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Libra

23/09/2013 4:12 pm \ 89 Comments \
… the sign of the scales.
So at first sight there may appear to be absolutely nothing scales-y or balanced or anything at all even vaguely Libran about my ensemble.  So what on earth is the Libran element here… ?  Well ME!  Yes, it is my birthday today.  And I have made for myself a birthday dress, especially for socialising like the flirty sociable little butterfly that Librans are supposed to be.  Hehe, I can’t help but laugh at that description since I am the complete opposite of a social butterfly, seriously!  It’s a miracle that I’m not still tucked in the corner of the laboratory hunched over the HPLC, but actually do have friends, and a husband!  Although maybe I just swapped the HPLC for the sewing machine?  Yeah.  I think I totally did.  You just can’t escape your true nature…
However, socialising has been had.  Monday I had a delightful morning tea with friends, who gave me a Fabulous Fabrics voucher…. aah they know me so well!  And I intend to make a nice dinner and cake to have with my fambly tonight.
But, enough blahdy-blah… my new dress.  Florals, for spring.  I know right?  soooo innovative!  😀  But everyone loves to have a pretty new dress for the new season, yes?
This is Vogue 1194, a pattern I bought not long after it first came out and have just never got around to it.  I made it pretty much to the pattern except with just a few minor variations… I folded the excess fabric at both shoulders and also at the centre of the skirt back into pleats, pictured below, rather than have gathers as per the pattern.  I’m afraid I just do not like gathers very much, poor things.  And I have shortened the sleeves to elbow length, more suitable for our warm weather.
The fabric is a gorgeous watercolour-y printed stretch knit from Fabulous Fabrics.  So, actually I originally wanted to make this fabric into a lingerie set, and the day I bought it I was meeting my friend J for lunch and showed it to her.  She seemed slightly horrified that its loveliness was never going to see the light of day and urged me to make a dress instead.  I went away a little thoughtful, a little dampened, but still fairly determined to make lingerie.  I showed the fabric to my mother, and to Cassie next, both of whom vehemently agreed with J that to make it into lingerie was the silliest idea they had every heard.  Well, they put it more tactfully than that but that was the gist of it.
I felt even less certain about my lingerie plan.
The final kicker though was when I laid down my fabric and pattern pieces and discovered that the Vogue 1194 skirt pieces plus a few others pretty much fitted perfectly and I only needed to buy a bit more to get out the remainder of the pieces.
The universe was telling me something and I was finally getting it.
So I cut out the dress instead natch… and ended up making my lingerie set from my poppies print instead, so all’s well that ends well, no?
After all my talk about slips and linings the other day, maybe I should mention that the dress is unlined, but that I am wearing my beige satin petticoat underneath.  Hope that’s not tmi.  Or course the petticoat cannot be seen, which is just the way things should be, yes?

Details:
Dress; Vogue 1194, floral stretch fabric
Petticoat (not seen): Burda 8071, beige satin, details here
Tights; self-drafted, of black merino wool, details here
Shoes; Django and Juliette, from Zomp shoes

Pattern Description:
Pullover, mid-knee length dress has loose-fitting front pleated and gathered bodice, bands (twisted front), raised waist, A-line, front pleated and back gathered skirt, side pockets, stitched hems and long sleeves.
Pattern Sizing:
Size 8-14. Other reviewers noted that the pattern runs a little big so I went down a size from my usual and cut a size 8.  This was a good decision.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you had finished sewing it?
In essence, although I wanted a springy dress so cut my sleeves to three quarter length.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Very! and also it is rated an Easy pattern by Vogue
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I have always liked the simple softly draping pleats on this one, and the flattering V-neckline.  The skirt is full enough to allow deep side pockets and yet still appears slimline and not pouffy or bulky.
The look of the gathering on the skirt back on the pattern envelope caught my eye in a not-good way, fortunately it is easy to instead fold the excess fabric into a sleeker-looking box pleat.
For my size the pattern stipulates that 1.9m of fabric is needed.  Cutting the sleeves to elbow length, I found 1.3m of fabric to be sufficient.
Fabric Used:
Printed stretchy fabric 
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I pleated the excess fabric in the front shoulders, and also I folded a symmetrical box pleat centred on the skirt back joining seam, thus eliminating all gathering in my version of this pattern.
I hand-stitched the sleeve and lower hems.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
OK, so I always say yes I will sew it again and then only occasionally do I follow through, but this is such a basic and classic silhouette and so easy to run up very quickly, so I am absolutely certain that I will, soon  🙂 
And yes, highly  🙂
Conclusion:
Easy, stylish and flattering, this basic yet prettily feminine design is very lovely in my opinion.   I’m very happy with my new dress!
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