FINISHED! Undercover Marthe

I have been working on some more culottes but I needed a break from them so decided to sew up the other piece of Liberty of London Linford Fleece I had in my stash.  It takes up quite a bit of room and I thought I might be able to make up another garment to take overseas.  I'm also off to Melbourne on Wednesday for the day and I have every intention of adding to my stash there!  This Rachel de Thame fleece came from Tessuti. I bought it off an instagram photo and was so over joyed when it arrived because, to be honest I wasn't exactly sure what fabric I was buying at the time and I have been really wanting this one.

Fabric story: Liberty of London's AW13 Five Senses collection contains a capsule pertaining to Taste. Rachel de Thame was designed by Central Saint Martins’ student Morgan Levy. The leaves are taken from blackberries, which can be used to create natural dyes. Rachel de Thame, a judge of the 2011 Central St. Martin collaboration, selected this design. 

When I made up the Republic du Chiffon Marthe blouse recently I always had in mind that I might use this pattern to sew up the fleece.  This year I have been obsessed with this silhouette and while I like the Marthe as you know I was a bit disappointed with the size of the neck. That, I should say hasn't stopped me wearing it constantly on the weekends. It really is a great weekend blouse. Anyway, I also had in mind that I wanted to add a hood to the pattern to make it a really snuggly make. 

Well, snuggly it is. Instead of the Marthe pattern, I returned to the Papercut Patterns undercover hood pattern, which I've made up here and here.  I raised the neck ever so slightly on the pattern and used the hood piece. The hood piece is heavy as it is two pieces of fleece, but I really like it.  I cut a piece the width of the fabric for the peplum and gathered to fit.   The Marthe curves this seam a bit but I cut just it straight, similar to my wildflowers make. 

Where I could, I top stitched the seams, including at the raglan sleeves, the neck and the gathered 'skirt'. I had a bit of a brain lapse and didn't overlock the sleeves, but hopefully they won't fray.  The wrists and hem are turned under then stitched with a twin needle. I keep reaching for a kangaroo pocket in this top, but I think that might have been just a bit too much.  

 

While it is probably a predictable make for me, I love it and can't wait for the temperature to drop!