Simplicity 1463: Lace back top

 

Spotlight had a really good sale on patterns this week so I ducked in yesterday and got a few. I've been eyeing this top off for awhile so grabbed it (along with a pile of Vogues and another Simplicity jacket pattern).

It was a very quick sew, I didn't bother with a muslin but did double check the flat pattern measurements and did a 1"FBA that I eased into the side seam.

It has a lot of ease, I should have made a XL or a XXl according to my measurements but this is a SzL with no other fit adjustments other than the FBA. I did change a couple of design things - I did a scoop neck instead of the V-neck and I cut the hem off rounder.

The fabric is a rayon knit from the Alannah Hill outlet in Melbourne and the lace was a remnant out of my scrap drawer.

I'm happy with it, the rayon is drapy enough that the top hangs nicely, I've normally struggle making tops and I think I've just been using the wrong type of knit fabric. I'm not quite sure about the drape at the front of the top, it is designed to be a bit swingy but I have taken a wedge out of the centre front for next time I make it so it sits more like a basic tshirt.

I really like the lace at the back, it does show off my bra straps but I'm bogan enough it doesn't worry me, lol.

Sewaholic 1403: Yaletown dress

I was lucky enough to pattern test this and I've been wanting to show it off since!

Its the new Sewaholic Yaletown dress and blouse. I made the dress mainly because I had enough fabric but I do want to make the blouse at a later date.

Fabric is a rayon from Darn Cheap Fabrics in Melbourne.

I made a sz16 with a couple of adjustments;

• Graded out to a sz 18 at the bust/waist 
• 1" FBA rotated down into gathers 
• 1" wide back adjustment 
• Took out 3cm of bodice length 
• Shaped the bottom of the bodice (Once I had the bodice sewn I put it on, pinned out the gathers then marked a straight line around)
• For once I didn't have to enlarge the sleeves so they are quite generous in size. 

I love this dress, it has pockets and an elastic waist that's hidden by the belt. I like that the facings are topstitched down so cant flip out and I like the added button at centre front to stop the wrap gaping. It such a pretty spring dress, just need some nice weather to wear it in!

Vogue 8774: Jeans

I've seen some great jeans pop up in the blogging world lately and it reminded me I need another pair! The last pair I made have shrunk in length (even after prewashing the denim twice) and are now in my refashion pile to be cut down into shorts.

The pattern is my TNT -  Sewaholic Thurlow legs onto the waist/hips of Vogue 8774 adjusted with my pants block. I added 1.5cm to the front inner leg with this pair as the last version had some pulling at the front.

This denim is from Spotlight tagged as Bradmill denim. Surprisingly nice, firm but still with some stretch. I bought a craftsy class back at Christmas called Sewing Designer Jeans. I highly recommend it, Angela Wolf is great in the videos and I found it really interesting about how to distress denim. I'm not sure how successful I was at it, the denim went a different colour blue instead of fading it out but I'm hoping the look will soften after a few washes. I don't think I took it quite far enough sanding it but I was worried about wearing the denim too thin.

Top stitching is with gutterman upholstery thread and the same colour in a plain polyester thread for all of the bar tacks.

The waistband has elastic in it again.

I used a great tip from Lasewist about using tape to as a template for the front fly stitching. Worked an absolute treat and will be doing it everytime I sew jeans from now on.

I made these extra long, I've always loved jeans that are a little bit too long. Comes from years of buying rtw that was too short that too long feels like a luxury.

 



 



Sewaholic 1201: Kitty cat version

 

This jumper makes me so happy! I found this fleece fabric in Spotlight on a day trip to Warrnambool, its been sitting on my sewing desk for a few weeks now while I've been thinking about it. I had ideas of a hoodie or a peacoat but seeing Bobbin and Baste's top helped me simplify and make a basic jumper.

I've made the Renfrew top before but I wanted a lot more ease in this top so its a sz16 at the shoulders and graded out to approximately a 22-24 from the armholes down, plus added an extra 1" to upper arm width and did a 1" FBA which I eased into the side seam.
I made a muslin out of stash fleece and wore it around yesterday and then also added 2" to the length, forward shoulder of 1", lowered the neckline by 1" and dropped the armhole down by 1".

The pocket is a patch pocket traced from a hoodie I have.

I twin-needled the neck band and wristbands.

Insides are all overlocked.

The hem band could be a little tighter, I haven't worked with ribbing before and didn't realise how tight it needs to be sewn on.
I need more jumpers like this, its the perfect weekend top especially with the weather we've been having, plus it has cats on it!

Colette 1010: Lady Grey coat

 

 

Every time I sew a Colette pattern I wonder why I don't sew more of them, their block fits me perfectly. Case in point - I made a sz18, petited the bodice and added 2" to upper back width (I went a little overboard actually and could have gotten away with about half that I think). I also played with the armholes a bit. I've found a lot of coats I've made have been very binding in the armholes, I used to think it was the arm and back needing more width but I don't think it is. I reckon its to do with having forward shoulders, I need the armholes shifted around a bit, more at the back and less at the front. After I had constructed the bodice muslin I put the coat on and marked where I wanted the armhole to be, and trimmed off about 3/4" at the front. It worked a treat and I have a lot of movement in this coat so it will be something I do to every jacket I make now and its stopped the bunching I normally get at the front armhole.

Fabric is a wool blend suiting from Lincraft. Its a herringbone weave with a dark brown and a light blue that almost looks green in the light. It was really tight to fit it out of the material amount I had, I only had a bit over 2m and the recommended amount is 4m. I did have to piece the back and the belt is a real mish-mash, all the left over scraps I pieced together then fused. It worked out surprisingly well and if you don't look too close its not even noticeably that not all the piece run in the same direction.

Its all fusibly tailored, I used armoweft and fused the front, side front, facings and upper back plus all the hemlines. The lining is sunsilky and a left over scraps for the arms. I haven't done a jacket with a free hanging lining before, came up surprisingly pretty.

I used bias binding and piping for the edges (it was from the Alannah Hill outlet in Melbourne).
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I was disappointed with the pockets, they are quite small and mine hung down under the lining (I had to tack them up). If I made it again I would change the pockets, maybe make them square and secure them into the front seamlines, or do single welt pockets.


I've had a bit of a blogging break, unintentional and it stretched longer than I thought. I tend to get a bit wrapped up in my hobbies and with blogging its easy for me to fall into the trap of sewing because I blog instead of blogging because I sew. So it was nice to remind myself that's not what blogging is about and to have some unpressured sewing. I do think I will start blogging more of my wadders and muslins that didn't work out, just as a reminder to myself of what works and what doesn't.
I'm glad to be back again though!