FINISHED! Blouse Pierrot

I am quite smitten with the patterns of Delphine et Morissette and after my last make la brune, I quickly jumped on the release of their latest pattern, la blouse pierrot. Yes, as the name suggests this is blouse with a rufflle neck, or as has been coined by the Canberra Sewing Crew, the neck peplum. There aren't any line drawings available, so the picture from the Delphine et Morissette website provides you with the best view of the lines of this blouse.

I made up mine in  Liberty but as the fabric hasn't photographed so well, I have included a richer photo below. The print is Opie (thanks Michelle for recognising the print), which I bought at Addicted to Fabric during their December sales.  Opie is from the Fall/Winter 2014 collection.

I originally bought this fabric to make la blouse dahlia by Dessine Moi un Patron, but was too impatient to wait for the paper pattern to be sent from France (and the price in Australian dollars was a bit high) so settled instead on the fun pierrot. 

  

As I said yesterday on Instagram, I acknowledge that a ruffle neck isn't exactly for everyone, and as I was making it I was mentally thinking that I could just leave the neck off, but once it was done I couldn't resist it. I adore it.  And while I think that I partly look like I'm wearing a 60's maternity smock I can't wait to wear this to work!  It is quite an Autumnal look so will be better with a change in season. 

Despite having some basic French, and a French husband, I paid no attention to the instructions. They were a bit beyond my French and there is a lot of explanation so I just winged it. There is a 'pas de pas' on the blog, some photo instructions, but again I only referred briefly to these.   

Partly because I was winging the instructions, partly because I could hear Amanda calling 'pirate shirt' but mainly because I prefer the silhouette of less flared sleeves, instead of staying with the puffier sleeves with the button cuff, I simply slimmed to arms down to the wrist.  Certainly made for easier sewing!  The blouse is quite airy, with a gathered front. The back is not gathered.

I had a little bit of trouble getting the sleeves in but I think that might have been related to my tracing of the pattern onto paper as the pattern was partially layered.  I hand stitched the binding onto the neck and the back of the neck is closed with a self covered button. 

So there we have it. La Pierrot. I don't think I'll have a lot of these in my wardrobe but I'm very happy with this one.

FINISHED! A seersucker two piece setacular

For Christmas I received 2 metres of Japanese blue checked seersucker from Tessuti from my sister! Such a great present! I debated about what to make, I had seen so many gorgeous Annie dresses and other maxi dresses using this fabric on Instagram, but decided on the Esther shorts and then quickly after, a matching top to wear for NYE.  

Honourable mention firstly, to my first pair of Esther shorts made out of rayon (viscose) ottomon suiting from Spotlight. I initially saw the fabric as some amazing pants on Kat and then the fabric was kindly enabled by an instagram moment by Lizzy, who picked up some for Amanda and myself.

So these shorts are ok but they are too big. Easily at least a size too big in the waist and bagging in the butt. I still wear them because they are comfy and because the flowers are super - but they aren't the magic shorts that I had envisioned. A wearable muslin if you will. 

So newly armed with a better sense of sizing I cut into the seeksucker. This time I went down a half size in the waist and used the darts for a 6 in the butt.  I think I need to go down a tad more in the waist.

I added an inch to the original length of the shorts, but looking at these photos the shorts could probably be shorter. I have higher shoes which I had planned to wear with this outfit but I left them at work over the holidays (my drawer has a few pairs of shoes in it as I tend to race into work in sneakers some days!).

After finishing the shorts I realised I had just enough fabric left over to make a matching top. Thank goodness!  I turned to my trusty Kanerva which has served me well over and over. It wasn't the plainest sailing - those sleeves for some reason were a nightmare to get in and I wasted time putting the back and front darts in only to pull them out as the top didn't sit as well as I wanted it to with them in.. but I just adore the top and especially with the shorts.  I love the curved hem. 

I've left some blooper shots in as my oldest boy was sitting in the loungeroom pulling some blue steel faces as me as I took theses photos. 

So while technically this is a 2015 make, I'm calling it the first #woohoomake of 2016. I wore it NYE, then washed it and wore it yesterday. I'm years late to the setacular party but I'm here. May there be many more #woohoomakes this year.

 

Top 5 2015

For the last few years I have been following along with Gillian's Top 5 round up at the end of the year. This year I wasn't sure I'd do it, which is why I'm a bit late. I'm wrapping it all up into one post - better late than never. You can see my other year wrap ups here: 2014, 2013 and 2012.

The HITS

I feel like I had a good number of #woohoomakes in no particular order except the first one(!).

1. Abbey Pool Hero Vest by Make it Perfect

Coming in first place this year is a no brainer. I love this vest and am just so proud that I was able to bring a vision to life.

2. Tessuti Sydney Jacket

The style, the fabric, the colour, the pockets. The combination was a complete winner for me.

3. Jumpsuits and a pair of flamingo pants

This year I made two jumpsuits, a chambray and a liberty and I love them both.  The liberty one obviously gets less wear but both have firm places in my wardrobe. 

I'm sneaking in my flamingo pants here as they have been a surprising winner in the high wearability stakes and they were made from the pants pattern of the jumpsuit....

4. Peplums

Oh the love for peplums continues unabated this year. The peplum top from Clean and Simple was made up twice, here and here, both with fabric from our trip to France at the beginning of the year. 

5. La Brune

Perhaps we are always biased and our last make is always our favourite but this pattern and this fabric to me, are so brilliant together.

The MISSES

I suppose not that many really in the scheme of things. 

I managed to gift away a couple of items that I loved and were really proud of but that just didn't seem me including my Rosaria Skirt  (though I do plan to make another of these) and my Dolores top. 

Despite not loving it, I have worn this dress to work on really hot days and during the holidays it has become my 'going to the pool' dress, so it has worked out. 

I don't love these test pants on me and am thinking of recycling the fabric.. it's something about the front of them on me...

I used some bad quality fabric this year at times some was cheap and others which weren't cheap but were bad quality. URrrgh. I'm sure in past years I've reflected on bad fabric choices, so I'll try not to do that again next year!

I had a couple of UFO's sitting in the pile for MONTHS! One pair of culottes was started in April !! This is unheard of for me, so I finished them off yesterday (they needed the button and the hem only!!) The second is another of the raglan dress which I don't like so much on me and is in fabric in the above photo which is cool.... but I'm not that sure is me ... but it only needs hemming now so I just have to get on with it and I can always gift it. 

The HIGHLIGHTS

All the social aspects of course. CBR Frocktails, CBR Sewing Crew monthly sewing sessions, and meeting up with Christine in Strasbourg and Inna, Jo, Julie, Lisa and Ninie and Barbara in Paris were absolute highlights. 

Oh and getting a new room to sew in due to the renovations will definitely be a highlight for 2016..

Happy new year everyone. xx.