Category Clothing

New make: Luna pants

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I’ll be honest – this style of trousers/pants are not really my thing and I had kind of disregarded the Luna pants pattern when it came out. That was until I made the Beatrix top, also by Made by Rae and very much enjoyed it; and then saw this pair, which made me pause a little. There’s also no denying that these kinds of trousers are very practical, particularly when you’re running around after small children. I saw Rae was doing a sewalong, so I thought, well, why not? I did skip ahead of the sewalong since after I got to the sewing part I just decided to finish up. I’m sure that’s pretty normal.

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New make: Sorbetto top in plaid

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Hello hello! I almost didn’t post this make since it seems that everyone in the whole wide world has made a Sorbetto top at some point. But obviously not everyone has, and maybe there are even some people yet to discover that its a free pattern from Colette Patterns that you can download any time you like! Plus, of course, this ended up with its own little complications. Bias binding: I’m talking about you.

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New make: Fen Dress

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Pulling a “Jeez, it’s damp” face

Happy Thursday good people! Today I’m posting a few pictures of the Fancy Tiger Crafts’ Fen dress that I finished last week. Please excuse the light on the fabric- you can get a better idea of the fabric close-up in pics further down. I’m afraid there aren’t really any construction pictures, and that’s because I made most of the dress as part of a class, at Drygoods Design, here in Seattle. I did the class as one of three in the “Learn to Sew Apparel Trilogy” series they do, in which you choose between a couple of options for three different projects. This is the 2nd class I chose (I am posting out of order) and the others were the Linden sweatshirt and Sailor Top. As a general note, I thought the classes were fantastic – the small class size means plenty of individual help and attention – and the teacher, Julienne, couldn’t have been nicer, funnier or more encouraging. Nice one, Drygoods! 🙂 PS. They give you wine. Win. Continue reading “New make: Fen Dress” →

6 months in sewing – what have I done?

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I don’t mean that in a “Lawks, what have I done to him??” kind of a way, more in a “What have I actually done“, as in sewn, way. I wrote my first blog post 6 months ago and time has gone FAST. I thought it might be a good idea to take stock of what I’ve achieved so far in the world of sewing as it will no doubt point me in a few specific directions going forwards. Therefore, this post will probably be of interest mainly to… well, ME, but hey, feel free to peruse my summing uppery. Continue reading “6 months in sewing – what have I done?” →

New make: Butterick B6207

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When I was younger, I had this two piece outfit from French Connection that my Mum persuaded me to buy (being 13 or so, I had other ideas). It was a lemon and mint striped cotton top and skirt/culottes outfit that was a lot nicer than it sounds in writing. I still rather like the look of matching tops and bottom outfits and I’ve been thinking about making one for a while. As well as the whole outfit for a more put-together occasion, you’ve also got the option to wear them separately – three outfits in one really! I had been, and am still planning, some sort of cotton circle skirt and vest top affair, but in the meantime, I’ve made up this outfit in a knit. And can I just say…. DRUM ROLL… this is my first Big Four pattern!! Woohoo!

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Discoveries of a novice: Woven fabrics

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One of the things that is taking me a while is getting to grips with fabric choice. Both which fabric to use and where to buy it. It can be something of a conundrum. You don’t want to spend a ton of money when you’re starting off as you’re fairly sure you’re going to make a mess of at least a couple of pieces. On the other hand, there’s just no point in making something if you don’t really like the fabric. And then there’s the whole “Is it the right fabric?” “How thick is lightweight cotton??” “How stretchy is this knit really?” “Would I need to line this one?” etc. etc. ad infinitum.

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Cotton lawns and poplins

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New make: Thread Theory Comox trunks

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I made man pants! Man underwear! Man trunks! Whichever your linguistic preference (and I’m sorry American friends, but I will no doubt use “pants” a lot), that’s pretty fun. I asked my husband what he would like me to make him, thinking of a shirt, or jumper (sweater) and he replied that pants might be a good idea. I have been trying to hunt down menswear companies already (not a lot out there huh?) and had come across, and signed up to, Thread Theory’s lovely blog before. A local fabric shop was having a sale a few weeks ago and I spotted the Comox trunks printed pattern for sale and snapped it up. Done deal!

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New crochet: Kimono cardigan + Blocking! It Works!

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Kimono cardigan
Kimono cardiagn

As I think I’ve mentioned before, I’m not overly keen on crocheted apparel. It’s just my personal taste, but then I’ve never really been into boho or beach chic, which a lot of it falls under. Well, I was in Joann Fabric a few months ago, in the queue to pay and this little booklet caught my eye:  Continue reading “New crochet: Kimono cardigan + Blocking! It Works!” →

New make: Beatrix Nani Iro top

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20160213_142544I bought a few pieces of Nani Iro fabric from Miss Matatabi a few months ago and have been looking at them every now and again since then. I said I’d make a bag for my mother-in-law after she admired the Noodlehead Cross Gatherer bag I made a few weeks ago, and her favourite colours are red and yellow, so I thought I’d use this gorgeous red flowered brushed cotton I have from the Nani Iro pile. However, that’s going to use very little fabric, so I looked for a pattern that I might be able to squeeze out of the remaining 1.75m. I’ve been admiring the Beatrix top for a while – it was the View A + placket version I saw on the Made by Rae website that finally sold it to me – and it seemed the perfect project to show off this vibrant design. Continue reading “New make: Beatrix Nani Iro top” →