sewing | Sewchet

June 17, 2015
by sewchet 43 Comments

Bellville Sassoon Dress For Ascot

Well, I’ve had a wonderful two days virtually locked away in my studio, only surfacing for the occasional fuel break – No.1 Son has even been making sure my G&T levels didn’t drop below a critical level!

What have I been so immersed in?

This year’s dress for Ascot – Vogue 1108 by Bellville Sassoon.

It has been BRILLIANT getting my teeth into a proper Couture make again.

Don’t get me wrong though, I love quick and easy dressmaking projects but, once in a while it’s just fantastic to challenge myself with something a bit more meaty, so to speak.

Vogue classify this as an ‘Average’ make in terms of difficulty, and I agree – I have made much more complicated dresses than this.

I love the labels that come with each designer pattern for you to sew into the garment:)

This bundle of fabric arrived from Minerva Crafts – several different types of fabric in a glorious shade of Fuschia: –

There was Bengaline for the main body of the dress, organza for interfacing, lining and habotai for the foundation layer and, yes, that is boning you see sat on top of the lot!

Let me tell you now that there are over SIXTY pieces of fabric holding this dress together and only FIVE are visible from the outside!

That is a hell of a lot of construction hidden inside and I used up two entire 100m reels of thread in the process!

I love a good puzzle and this pattern had a few to solve, such as all those pleats on the left front:

I won’t take you through much of the process because that would take up more space that any blog post should do – I’ll just whizz through the main bits.

First, you make the pleats and darts in the front and back sections.

Next, you make the foundation which is the middle bit of the dress sandwiched between the outer dress and the lining.

It consists of a lining layer, fully interfaced, which has the boning sewn to it.

The instructions called for boning in its own casing but, as I couldn’t get any, I made my own using normal boning and some offcuts of habotai.

Voilà!

This is the inside showing the boning in place….

….and this is what it looks like from the right side.

Very nice.

It’s almost a shame that all this beautiful work will be completely hidden from view:)

The foundation sections are then sewn to the body of the dress….

….and the front is stitched to the back at the side seams, leaving an opening for the zip.

Now, I have never used a dedicated foot to insert invisible zips, I learned to sew them using a normal zipper foot and don’t find it an issue.

I don’t know if you can see, but I open the zip up and sew really close to the teeth in the same way a specialized foot would do.

There, pretty invisible, wouldn’t you agree?

The zip needed shortening which is just a case of sewing a new stopper from thread and cutting off the excess below.

Now, onto the lining.

Of course, all the way through we’re sewing princess seams – isn’t it a little bit of magic when you fit the fabric around the curve? Like fitting a square peg into a round hole, it doesn’t seem possible at first.

A few clips to the stay-stitching and job done!

Lining completed.

The lining is slipped over the dress and foundation and sewn right sides together around the neckline and armhole edges.

The bow, which is stiffened with organza, was made and secured in place amongst the pleats.

The hem was faced with organza and turned up with herringbone stitch.

The lining was slip stitched to the hem, leaving a folded pleat as ease.

Looking at the inside when finished, you’d have no idea of what it’s hiding underneath!

The quality of the fabrics is amazing – the bengaline handles beautifully and has a discreet watermark to it.

The polyester habotai was chosen as an alternative to china silk for the foundation and looks and feels superb – such a shame it’s hidden!

This dress does not photograph well on the hanger – all those pleats only sit properly on a real body.

Oops – better press the hemline before Ascot!

So, what will I accessorize with?

I made two jackets for Ascot last year – this is the other one (see last year’s post).

The boning means I shouldn’t have to wear a bra but, looking at this photo I definitely do. My bust is too heavy and is dragging the front down causing it to gape – a strapless bra will do the trick.

So this is me, all ready for Ladies Day on Thursday and there’s just one more thing left to do…..

…. get my French manicure redone – it’s all stained from handling all that pink fabric!!

June 10, 2015
by sewchet 49 Comments

Vogue Designer Linen Sun Dress

Forgive me, Bloggers, for I have sinned – it’s been a week since my last blog post….but with good reason.

My ‘phone died.

Kaput.

It is an ex-phone.

I had faithfully recorded images of my week for #sundaysevens (including some lovely Spanish sunsets) but could not share them with you…yet. It is in the gadget hospital as we speak so, hopefully, the techy bloke will work his magic and retrieve some of the lost photos for a later post.

As you know, we recently hopped over to Andalucia in Spain for a couple of weeks to stay with my Auntie and her partner.

This is Auntie, looking very glamorous and stylish. Not your average ex-pat, I think you’ll agree.

Boy, do I hope I’ve inherited her genes – hardly a grey hair in sight and she’s seventy-six this year!

Auntie wears a lot of linen.

With temperatures well into the high thirties in the height of Summer, it’s the coolest and most comfortable fabric to wear, after all, you can’t walk around naked all the time, can you?

Having long admired this style of clothing, I persuaded Auntie to take me to the Tuesday market in Albox (photo amongst the many lost in the depths of my iPhone) to buy something similar in an effort to keep cool in the blistering heat.

Apparently, it was a balmy 26°C and pleasantly cool for the locals.

I was sweating my t**ts off.

You’re talking to someone who gets the shorts and flip-flops out as soon as the thermometer reaches double figures for seven days in a row:)

The Boys stayed at home frolicking in the pool for the morning whilst we spent a blissful few hours wandering around the market, stopping occasionally for Tapas and the odd chilled beer.

I came back with a dress, one top, two tunics and two pairs of trousers, all Italian and made in 100% linen for €108, which is about £78!

The remainder of our holiday was enjoyed in cool, linen comfort and I vowed to make more things in this magical fabric on our return to England.

The wonders of online shopping resulted in this little lot being delivered within a few days of arriving home.

I chose this fabric from Calico Laine, a blend of 55% linen and 45% cotton, in three shades, ‘Leaf’, ‘Fuchsia’ and ‘Pool Blue’.

As I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to actually make yet, I bought three metres of each which would be plenty for any single garment.

At £8.99 per metre, it is much cheaper than pure linen with the added bonus that it shouldn’t crease quite as much.

Look at that lovely loose weave – fabulous texture!

After having a mooch around online, I settled on this pattern by Lynn Mizono for Vogue.

I love Vogue patterns, especially the ‘Designer’ range, as you’re always guaranteed to find something a bit different to the norm, which I like.

Whilst linen wasn’t on the list of suggested fabrics, silk dupioni was and, as they are similar in weight and characteristics, I knew it would be perfect for this design.

Described as a “very loose fitting pullover dress……with three adjustable lengths”, it seemed ideal for the look I was after – something cool and comfortable to move around easily in, yet still stylish enough to make it look as if I’ve made an effort when clearly I haven’t.

Then I realised I’d made a silly mistake – I’d ordered a size 14 forgetting that the US equivalent is a size 18!

I added a couple of inches to the bustline and lowered the shoulder seams by half an inch – problem solved.

Construction was simple – just two pattern pieces; a front and a back.

French seams were used throughout, making the seams nice and tidy with absolutely NO chance of fraying – a real problem with linen.

Narrow hems finished off the neck and armhole edges beautifully.

This finish can be tricky in other fabrics but, with linen, it’s very easy as the loose weave makes for a flexible fabric.

I didn’t even bother pressing under the seam allowance first, just folded and pushed under the raw edge with my fingernail as I went.

The instructions called for two buttonholes in the front pleats for the cord to pass through, but I replaced these with eyelets as I thought they would look neater and place less stress on the linen.

I only had a lime green cord stop left over from the pack purchased when making this crocheted back pack.

Hmmm…..I’m not sure whether to change if for a brown one.

There were a couple of things I wasn’t happy with – the armholes gaped a little so I added a dart each side for a better fit.

The back pleats are left ‘hanging’ according to the instructions.

I’m wondering if they would look better stitched flat against the body.

Overall, though, the finished dress is just as I pictured it.

An interesting shape, casual but quite stylish.

I bought these gorgeous clogs in another Spanish market a few years ago.

The perfect shade of turquoise that matches exactly!

Of course, I forgot to put them on for the obligatory selfie….

It’s pretty versatile, too – I reckon it could be dressed up for the evening with those clogs, a statement necklace and an up-do, or teamed with flip-flops, floppy hat and shades for a day at the beach (perish the thought – I hate sand!).

Right, now to catch up on all your blog posts that I’ve missed since the ‘phone died.

Better settle down and get comfy with a G&T – could be here a while….:)

May 27, 2015
by sewchet 41 Comments

Liberty Print Blouse

Hmm, it’s 8pm, we have to be up at 3am to travel to the airport, and I’ve just finished sewing my last top for holiday! (This post was scheduled to go live whilst we were away)

Does that sound familiar to anyone, or is it just me?

Back in April I went to Liberty’s London store and bought a metre of this lovely fabric.

I chose McCall’s 2818, view ‘D’ which is bottom left on the envelope front.

The pattern called for 1.5m of fabric and I had the last 1.10m on the roll, so I knew it was going to be tight, even at 150cm wide. Reading through the instructions first (as you always should!) I reckoned I could get away with it if I used plain white cotton of the same weight to make the back facings.

To ensure that the print matched at the hem, I lined all the pieces up so the bottom edges lay on the same line of flowers. I couldn’t match at the side seams as they were all Princess seams and curved.

The instructions required full interfacing on all the facings but, as the cotton is very thin, I thought it would be too stiff so I just used a strip around the neck edges and the buttonhole edge. This worked perfectly.

The white cotton was fine as the back facing.

Not as pleasing on the inside as the Liberty print would have been, but it would have cost £12.50 just to buy half a metre to make the back facings – so I figured the plain white cotton would do.

The inside front is better:)

The hem at the side backs and side fronts have a cute little split detail. (Just spotted some thread that needs trimming…)

The neckline with its sharp ‘V’ cutout makes a nice change.

Top made, now into my wardrobe to see what it might go with.

Rolled up jeggings and navy wedge-heeled flip-flops?

Yep, that’ll do nicely.

Right, I really MUST start the packing….

May 20, 2015
by sewchet 31 Comments

More Holiday Dressmaking

Ah, the wonders of technology – I’m probably sat around the pool in Andalucia, sunning myself with a cheeky G&T for company as you read this, as I planned ahead and scheduled this post in advance!

If you saw my post ‘Holiday Sewing’, you’ll know that I wanted to make a few new things to wear, so this is the second in the series, so to speak.

You may have noticed over the past year of my blogging journey, that colour is a recurring theme – and lots of it, preferably clashing.

The wackier the print, the more likely I am to want it and, as The High Street doesn’t often float my boat, I source fabrics online to conjure up my own creations.

As a member of the Minerva Crafts Blogging Network, I received this cheery package for this month’s make: –

“Where have I seen that wacky animal print before?” I hear you all cry.

Well, unbeknown to me at the time, Lucie of Love,Lucie had also fallen for its charms and has since used it to make a stunning Summer dress (click here to see the Wow! dress).

It’s a supremely soft textured Stretch Cotton Sateen which has proved so popular that Minerva are having to restock!

The pattern is New Look 6983 and includes cropped trousers as well as variations on a tunic.

Liking the look of a bold print tunic worn with a pair of Daz-white three-quarter lengths, I also ordered some of the same fabric in plain white.

So, onto the construction of the top which consisted of three basic pieces – a front, back (with facings) and sleeves. Shaping was in the form of two bust darts so, really, it couldn’t be simpler for even a beginner to do.

After putting together the basic shape, including the darts, I always try garments on inside out. This way you get a better idea of how well/badly it actually fits without being distracted by the pattern, and you can also pin any adjustments that need to be made.

Obviously a dressform would be ideal, but I outgrew my old one while I was pregnant ten years ago and have decided the two stone of baby weight is here to stay:)

Again, being a UK size 14, I cut out the US equivalent of size 18.

This time, it really was too big by quite a long way and I ended up taking it in all the way by a whole dress size.

The pattern is very straightforward but included nice details like understitching of the neck facing to create a neater, flatter finish.

I’m really pleased with the way it turned out – it has already attracted many comments:)

The cropped trousers (well, they weren’t until I shortened them by three inches at the “lengthen/shorthen here” mark!) were also too big initially, so I took them in by a whole dress size too.

There was no waistband for a change, just a facing of petersham ribbon-type tape which lends a clean, minimal look to the trousers and also makes them super comfortable to wear.

The lapped zip is always a neat addition when inserting into a side seam.

A tip is to reinforce at the bottom with several lines of stitching though, as I’ve done here.

They fit well and the stretch in the cotton means that they will be a pleasure to wear – and somewhat smarter than the white leggings that I usually favour!

So, how does the outfit look as a whole?

Just as I had hoped, actually and feels even better due to the stretch in both fabrics.

The New Look pattern was easy to understand and the instructions simple to follow.

The cotton sateen is heavy enough to add structure and the stretch makes for incredible comfort.

Sunnies on and I’m ready to go!

Why not pop over to Minerva Crafts to find your own piece of fabric heaven?

May 14, 2015
by sewchet 39 Comments

Holiday Sewing

🎶 “Oh, this year I’m off to sunny Spain, Y Viva España” 🎶

We’re talking HOLIDAYS – a whole two weeks!!!

My Auntie lives in Spain and we hop on a plane as often as possible to visit her in the beautiful mountainous region of Andalucia.

That time has come around again and not a moment too soon considering the pretty grim weather we’ve endured recently. I mean, The Boots have made a reappearance after having been enthusiastically relegated to the back of the wardrobe for the “Summer” after the glorious Easter we enjoyed.

I know, a tad optimistic, I’ll grant you, but flip-flops make you feel summery, don’t they, and I kind of assume the sun would be duty bound to follow.

Not so. So, Spain, here we come.

(Burglars please take note: we have House Sitters for the duration. And dogs. And a feisty Cockerel. You have been warned.)

Anyhoo….

I took a quick look through my wardrobe and decided that, although I have plenty of summery clothes, I fancied making a few things.

I have acquired several pieces of fabric lately (as you do) and this one in particular caught my eye, glaring garishly back at me from the ever-growing stash.

Not for the faint hearted, I’ll admit, but it’s so “me”.

A medium weight polyester jersey which is incredibly soft to the touch, I imagined it would drape perfectly on a cowl neck.

I chose Simplicity 1716 with view ‘D’ in mind, but with the pleating continuing to the hips as in view ‘F’.

I’m a size 14 in UK stores which equates to a US size 18, so I cut the pattern pieces out accordingly and the fit was spot on without any adjustments.

I didn’t have any black cotton tape for stabilising the shoulder seams so used white but, as the fabric is opaque, it doesn’t show through so all is well.

I like the neat method of attaching the facing to the back neck…..

…and the armholes.

The cowl neckline does indeed drape beautifully, falling into soft folds right down to the hips.

Excuse the scary expressions in the photos that follow – it’s a case of set up the self timer and run!

Hmmm, far too short to wear as a dress – note to self, allow another four inches for the hem if combining two pattern designs.

A quick root through my wardrobe resulted in some coordinating items.

That’s better, but what about the slightly saggy upper arms, after all, I can’t walk around with my hands on my hips all the time, can I?

Sorted!

Although, in Spain it’s currently 40°C so a pair of bikini bottoms is probably going to be the most I’ll wear. (It’s a private villa, otherwise it would be a maxi dress).

Right, onto some tops using that gorgeous Liberty fabric I bought in April:)

May 11, 2015
by sewchet 33 Comments

Men’s T-shirt Refashion

Father-in-law needed some larger T-shirts, which meant a pile of too-small ones were destined for the charity shop – until I saw several holes in them.

I don’t know about you, but anything which is slightly damaged goes in the clothes recycle bin rather than the charity shop as I know lots of people are unable to make small repairs.

As the holes could either be cut around or patched, I decided to have a go at refashioning them into T-shirts for The Boys.

They were all polo-style shirts and the piqué fabric was good quality with plenty of wear in it yet.

Using a well-fitting T-shirt from No.3 Son’s drawer, I cut around the basic outline from the body of the shirt, cutting the sleeves from the original sleeves.

After sewing the shoulder seams, the sleeves were set in and the raw edges overlocked, then I sewed the side seams (right sides together) in one continuous seam from the sleeve hem to the bottom edge.

The raw edges of the seams and the hems were overlocked, then the hems were top stitched in place.

The side seams were reinforced at the bottom with some decorative stitching.

For the collar, I cut off a strip from the original polo collar, sewed the short edges to make a circle…..

….and stitched it to the neckline right sides together, finishing with some more top stitching.

Then to deal with the hole in the middle of the back….

I cut a square of left over fabric (about an inch larger than the hole all around) and pinned it to the inside over the hole.

Working from the right side, I used this stitch on my sewing machine (combined with a stitch length of less than one) to completely fill in the hole.

The repair is virtually invisible on the outside.

The inside looks like this: –

Trim close to the stitching for a neat finish.

No.3 Son was excited with his ‘new’ T-shirt!

I was just pleased to be able to make another wearable item from something which would otherwise have been discarded.

Now, onto the other two….

April 24, 2015
by sewchet 38 Comments

Love Sewing Magazine – Matilda Everyday Tunic

Almost as soon as the latest issue of ‘Love Sewing’ magazine landed on my doorstep, I knew I was going to make the ‘Matilda’ Everyday Tunic with the free pattern (included).

It looks like just the thing to pull on in the morning without having to worry about whether I’m having a fat(ter) day:)

Of course, I chose something a bit more eye-catching than the ~~boring~~ neutral denim – well, I do like a bit of Lime Green and Orange!

Due to the busy fabric and the fact that many of the design features wouldn’t work, I actually made huge alterations to the pattern but kept the basic shape: –

Re-cut the pattern into one piece for both the front and back
Cut the front neck a little lower
Lost the pockets altogether
Shortened the sleeves
Moved the rouleau closure to the front neck
Bound the hem with matching orange bias binding

After this photo was taken I took the side seams in by another four inches as I realise my body looks quite ‘square’ – it was just too big at the waist.

Although it is a very simple shape, there is some shaping in the form of side bust darts.

Darts can be tricky so do them carefully to make sure they lie flat and don’t pucker at the point.

The design called for a single rouleau button loop at the back neck.

I rarely wear my hair up so this little detail would have been hidden under my hair, so I recreated it at the front neck instead.

I used my trusty overlocker to finish all the raw edges and side seams…

….and a flat fell seam for the shoulder seams.

I just love how neat this type of seam looks and feels!

I was about to turn up a plain hem when I remembered some bright orange bias binding left over from a previous project. It lends the perfect designer touch to lift the tunic out of the ordinary.

What do you think? It certainly shouts “Summer is coming” to me!

April 22, 2015
by sewchet 51 Comments

Accessorise Your Pooch!

We Brits are a nation of animal lovers, particularly cats and dogs and, generally, we look after them well and love to pamper them just a little.

There inevitably comes a time when we have to say farewell to our loyal companions and, whilst I have lost many a pet over the years, it doesn’t get any easier.

They say the best way to mend a broken heart is to find a new love and certainly the arrival of a new puppy in the family does wonders to heal the gaping hole left by the loss of an old dog.

They also say that a puppy breathes new life into an elderly dog so, when our Yorkshire Terrier reached eleven years, we thought it would be a good time to introduce a puppy.

Yorkies have a life expectancy of 12-15 years so Fifi, who is now 12 1/2, is enjoying her old age with a new spring in her step with the companionship of a younger dog. Tess, who is now an 18 month Yorkie x Chihuahua, has benefited enormously from her older, wiser, calmer and well behaved mentor. When Fifi goes, we will have the comfort of having a dog in the family still. It’s a win-win-win.

Tess has the boundless energy found in one so young and they both enjoy long walks in the country, but recently Fifi has started showing her age. She often turns around and walks back home if we are in the fields behind the house and, if we are doing a lane walk, she plods along slowly unable to keep pace after a couple of miles.

I now get to the point of this story; I wanted to make a dog carrier to take with me on our walks so that Fifi could climb in and rest her weary bones as and when she feels like it and, yes, she does tell us when she wants a carry!

Minerva Crafts had the perfect pattern (Kwik Sew 3517) and fabrics for both a dog carrier and a harness and lead, so I got cracking and decided to make a matching set!

This is the parcel that arrived: –

The carrier is lined and padded so is both comfortable for the dog and for you to wear across the body.

It incorporates a swivel clip to secure the dog to the inside of the carrier, but I chose not to include this as Fifi is an old dog and wouldn’t even consider jumping out – being restrained would make her nervous.

I saw the matching accessories and just had to make those too! The swivel clip could be used on the lead instead.

I chose a ready-quilted fabric in a raspberry coloured faux leather which incorporated a layer of wadding so would be the perfect choice, adding structure and warmth to the carrier and harness, yet is also wipeable for practicality.

It also meant that I didn’t need to add the layer of fleece that the pattern called for as the wadding was padding enough.

This Turquoise Blue crinkle textured cotton was the ideal fabric for the lining, adding a pop of bright colour.

There was just one single pattern piece for the carrier which made it very simple to cut out.

I have to mention that I was extremely impressed with the quality of the paper used for the pattern – can you get an idea of how sturdy it is from this photo before I ironed it? It’s not transparent or flimsy and therefore doesn’t tear accidentally, unlike the usual brown tissue paper type.

Always iron your pattern pieces!

The carrier made up like a dream – the instructions were simple and easy to follow. You’re required to press at every stage which I couldn’t do with the faux leather in case it melted. When top stitching, it wasn’t a problem just rolling the faux leather out slightly over the cotton to get a crisp edge so being unable to iron it didn’t matter.

Here is the finished carrier….

….and here’s Fifi trying it for size!

She may look a little reticent in this photo, but she actually curled up happily and let me snap away until I got the pics I needed.

Then onto the harness.

Again, just one main pattern piece (plus a piece for a strap for the D-ring) so the lining and main fabric were simply sewn right sides together before being turned through a gap in the stitching.

Simples:)

Sew the scratchy side of the velcro to the outside….

…and the soft side to the inside lining. We don’t want friction causing any nasty sores, do we?

I used the lining fabric as a contrast for the D-ring strap which was top stitched on securely.

Different coloured thread was used for the bobbin for a ‘blend in’ effect but opposite colours would work equally well if you prefer a contrast – turquoise on the magenta and vice versa.

How ‘Designer’ does that look, eh?

I almost plumped for the turquoise cotton to make the lead, but in the end thought the quilted fabric looked more luxurious.

It was a bit of a pig to fold and top stitch such a narrow, thick strip of fabric though, the cotton would have been a piece of cake to press and stitch but you can’t iron faux leather….

Just look at Fifi’s hang-dog expression! She was itching to come to me but I wanted a photo from the back to show off the harness to best effect, so this is her being patient with me.

I sewed the ‘Large’ size harness believe it or not (Fifi only weighs six pounds!), but there was one larger and three smaller sizes on this multi-sized pattern. I’m guessing the variation in sizes would probably fit from a Chihuahua to a Westie.

Here we all are, ready to go for a ‘walk’.

I think I’ll tie it up a bit higher as I usually carry her under my arm and this feels a little low.

Fifi loved it though – she was almost asleep by the time No.3 Son had finished taking photos!

Thanks go to Minerva Crafts for providing all the materials for these items – why not pop over to visit the others on the Blogger Network and see what they’ve been up to lately?

March 28, 2015
by sewchet 5 Comments

Refashion: Onesie To Slipper Boots

This the last in a three part series showing how I upcycled an old Onesie into three new garments.

First part: TRACKSUIT BOTTOMS

Second part: HOODIE

This third and final part shows how to make a pair of slipper boots!

These are the feet of the onesie that were remaining after the rest had been remade into other garments.

Some more leftover knit fabric was cut into a 5″ strip twice the width of the flat boot top, plus a seam allowance.

After sewing the short edges together to form a circle, pin to the boot top, right sides together and matching seams. Stitch in place.

Press seam up towards the cuff and overlock the raw edge.

Top stitch about 1cm up the cuff, catching the seam allowance as you go.

Turn cuff to the inside having the overlocked edge protrude over the seam by about 1cm. Pin in place.

Working from the right side, stitch in the ‘ditch’ of the seam, leaving a gap for threading the elastic.

Stitch again in the middle of the cuff, leaving a gap for the elastic as before.

Top stitch close to the top edge all the way around the cuff.

Cut four pieces of 1/2″ elastic to loosely fit the ankle…

…and thread them through each channel on both boots with a safety pin.

The ends of the elastic are hand sewn together.

Tadah!

A sweet pair of slipper boots.

These turned out to be the favourite part of the recycled outfit and are great for sliding across oak floors.

Hmmm, that reminds me of a ‘game’ we used to play when we were kids. Mum used to put wax polish on rags, tie them to our feet and ‘let’ us slide on the linoleum floor in the dining room.

Wonder if I could use that ruse on my boys?