Top 5 favourite (clothing) makes of 2012

Many of you already know that Gillian from Crafting a Rainbow is organsing a great end of year sewing reflection..I've joined up as I thought it would be interrsting to reflect on my sewing.I was going to wait until after Christmas to start on these posts, but like Gillian, have started a bit earlier so I can fit them in amongst all the other Christmas things going on.  First category is my Top 5 favourite makes of 2012.  I'm limiting this to my clothing makes as I might want to bring out a best of the rest later on.. !?

Number 5:  

Salme pussy bow dress

This dress is worn to work just about every week.  I love it because it's Liberty of London print, it's my first lined dress and it has a pussy bow.  Say no more.  Yes, yes, the fit isn't exactly right ... the waist could be shorter but at the end of the day, this is a winner.  The pattern is by Salme patterns which unlike some of the other independent pattern makers haven't quite got their style thing going on yet, but have some really fun things amongst their range including the playsuit, which I know I'm going to get a lot of wear out of in the Summer months. The playsuit I made is down in my honourable mentions.

Number 4:

The Brocade Skirt

I made this skirt back in July.  I blogged about here.  This is the first, would you believe, pattern I ever made from one of the big companies.  It is McCalls 5591 and I do plan to make many more if I could just stop finding other patterns I want to make.  I love wearing this skirst with the stripey top as in the picture, but also love wearing it with my ornithology top.  Again, this is on high rotation for work and with different shoes can transform itself into an edgy skirt for going out in.

Number 3

Drape Drape Cardigan

Against all the odds, this is one of my favourites from 2012.  I made it in August when I was trying to focus on making clothes with buttons.  And there are many buttons! It is from the very cool Japanese pattern book "She has a Mannish Style" and I must say that it was one of the 'funnest' things I've made.  I just love those patterns that are the strangest shapes that seem to com together.  I had a lot of 'comments' about the fabric I used for this cardi - none of them good.. but I like the end result, have had lots of positive comments about it and found it a great Winter piece. 

Number 2

Paper Cut Patterns Pleated Pants

I made these pants way too big, took them in and although they are still a bit big I LOVE THEM.  I'm so proud of them as they have a zipper and are also far more complicated than anything I had done previously.  The pattern is great, the material is great. I wear them at least once a week - they go with heaps of tops.  Winner!  I will definitely make another pair - a size smaller (unless I over indulge at Christmas).

Number 1

Deer and Doe, 

la Veste Pavot in Pink Linen

Best make of the year, worst hair in a photo!

Great pattern, fabulous colour, buttons and an uncharacteristic slow and steady sewing pace, all go to make this coat my favourite make of 2012.  I am usually such a speedy and impatient sewer, but I really took my time with this coat. I wear it quite alot and every time it makes me feel great.  Unfortunately I haven't found loads of different ways to wear it yet, but I probably haven't put my mind to it enough.  Also, I wish now that I had known about bound button holes before I made it, as I think the button holes is the only thing that is letting the coat down. Having said that, overall, I'm extremely proud of this one!  Whenever my mum sees me in this coat she always says "You've come ahead in leaps and bounds"!

Honorable Mentions:

• The Liberty Salme PlaySuit - I am praying for a hot summer so that this gets a lot of wears.
• Megan Nielson Banksia Top 
• All my Liberty of London blouses, but especially this one.  It was the first time I had put a collar on this shirt and I think it turned out so great.

Next up - top 5 SEWING FAILS of 2012!

FINISHED! Pretty Pink Pavot

Et voila! A very pink veste pavot in pink linen. The second of my selfish sews for November.

I think it looks super cute and I am really proud of it (except the button holes which I blame my machine for..).  The pattern came together really nicely, even in French and I love how the collar is attached.  In fact, I found this a nice calming sewing project...   except for last night where I stayed up very late last night to sew on the buttons so I could wear today, I mean why wait until Sunday to wear it!  

I made a size 38 because I didn't want it to be too tight.  I like how it is  a looser fit, although I had to take about an inch off where the sleeve slips in as originally the sleeves were really puffy and sitting completely off my shoulders.  I'm not at all sure this was the right way to do it but it achieved the desired result.

The only problem with the coat is that because it isn't lined I feel as if I should carry around a little pair of scissors to snip off lose threads. I did try to catch them all as I sewed but they seem to be breeding.  If I ever make this again I think it would be nice lined... but for now it is a perfect weight for spring/summer coat.

Progress of the PINK Pavot

The dodgey shoulder in this photo is a result of the way in which this coat is stuck to the wall.  Promise!

I am making some good progress on the pink (it is very very pink - pinker than the photo can convey!) PAVOT.  Some late night cutting on Sunday, late night sewing Monday night and a little bit of day time sewing in between things today on my day off has meant that the coat is starting to take shape.  It isn't lined, so the babylock got a big workout on all the seams (sometime unnecessarily so - thanks to mis reading the French instructions).

A gratuitous photo to show my matching nail polish !

Originally I was going to make this in a chambray but, I had this pink linen* in the stash and it is summer after all.  So why not a bright pink statement piece! A super bright bright pink pavot!
This Sunday, with another family, we are catching the steam train to Bungendore and then having lunch at the French restaurant there, Le Tres Bon.   So, now I'm thinking I need to finish it in time to wear this Sunday.  Perhaps teamed with my playsuit...... There is quite a bit of sewing time between now and then afterall

* Is it just me or do other people have trouble knowing which is the right side on linen!??

In the mail..

Look what arrived in the mail yesterday!  

How quick was that to come all the way from France. 

I bought it less than a week ago!

Through some good fortune, we have two long weekends in a row here in Canberra (which correspond to school holidays) AND I have my zipper course at Addicted to Fabric tomorrow so I will be able to linger around the fabric to see if anything calls out to be made into the pavot.

Deer and Doe Veste Pavot

Like a lot of other sewers, I too am excited about the debut release of patterns by Deer & Doe. You can see the collection here. I've just bought the Veste Pavot  which according to google translate is a  "Mid-season jacket unlined, fitted at the waist with gathered sleeves and a subtly retro-inspired round neck. Pockets made at the seams."  It was the pockets at the seams that did it!

This pattern will take a while to arrive all the way from France, but I have to go to the fabric shop this weekend so will be keeping my eyes out for the perfect material.  At the moment I am leaning towards a chambray colour as we move into Spring...mais on verra!  Oh and the fact that the pattern is in French is good homework for me....!?