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.

 

FINISHED! A named duo

This outfit started out because my best work trousers had a zip that kept falling down (and if I was honest with myself, their best days were gone). Having an aversion to plain black pants, I struggled to find anything that remotely addressed the gaping hole in the wardrobe. The hole still exists... Naturally I still haven't gone anywhere near plain fabric but I decided to try out two new patterns. The Named Alexandria Peg pants and the Sew Over It Ultimate trousers in an attempt to make some pants for the wardrobe. 

I still haven't made up the Sew Over It Utlimate trousers but the pattern is printed and I have some test fabric.  My flamingo pants have been in high rotation now that the weather is warmer so thought I'd start with the Named peg pants.  The allure of the elastic waist band .... and I've had great success with Named patterns in the past. 

The fabric for these pants is a cheapy 'linen' from spotlight that I picked up for the sole purpose of testing these peg pants. The linen wears a bit during the day so by the end of a work day of sitting around, the bottom gets a bit baggy, but it doesn't worry me so much. 

 I can see why these pants have a popular following. The pleats, pocket detail and easy elastic waistband make them a straightforward make with a nice cut. I omitted the drawstring. These pants are comfy and I feel almost guilty wearing them to work as they really are like secret pj's.

To 'match' the pants, I made up a Named Kanerva in another Spotlight purchase of barely stretchy stripey jersey. Oh how I love the Kanerva. It is my favourite top to make up. Without a doubt. This was my first one in a knit so I removed the back buttons. I had also forgotten that I had played around with the peplum for a dress and forgot that I had shortened the bodice so it is sitting a bit high up under my bust - I'll fix this next time.

All in all this is very comfy work attire (is it too comfy ?) and feels a little bit more me than my previous make. Perhaps it's the pattern on pattern that I like. Next up will by another pair of Alexandria peg pants based on this inspirational image that I finished yesterday at CBR sewing crew.

FINISHED! My Frocktails 2014 trompe l'oeil dress

This weekend, Amanda, Jen, Myra and I got on a Murray's Bus and road tripped it to Sydney for Frocktails. A fantastic event organised by Kat, I'm sure there will be lots of links on various blogs as there was simultaneously one in Sydney and one in Melbourne. It was so wonderful to finally meet so many sewing friends in real life.  What did I wear? Well my frock was made out of more magical fabric bought from my recent trip to Spotlight where I picked up fabric for my sister's saunio.  I spent most of yesterday in a mild state of nerves that someone else might be in a dress in this fabric. Two ladies in this fabric would have been difficult to hide. 

Yes, this one is also a 'polycotton' with a dubious mix of 96% polyester 4% spandex. But just look at those colours.  This fabric is fantastic. The colours are vibrant and neon.  At first glance the fabric looks like it should be a tweed, the fabric fooling the eye that it is woven. But no, the fabric is a thick stretch with a lovely 'bobbly' plastic like texture that is hard to not want to stroke. The back of the fabric as you can see is a white/cream. These indoor photos show the colours the best.  Needless to say I couldn't get any good photo indoors at the actual event so these will have to do. 

The dress itself is a Named Kanerva hack.  I've always loved how that top fits me so I thought I'd try making it into a dress with an invisible zip at the back. 

It is a simple shape letting the fabric do all the talking. I would have liked the top to have been slightly snugger but the slightly loser fit in the bodice has it's comfort advantages.

I love the slight A shape to the skirt and the curved hem.  I hemmed it twice worrying the first time that the curve looked odd, but realised after unpicking it that a straight hem wouldn't have allowed the dress to hang right so redid it.

I am such a fan of the higher scoop neck and long sleeve look.  Because the fabric is stretchy and quite thick, the neck is simply turned over and stitched. In order to make sure the neck sit nice and flat I put in some clear elastic...I may have pulled that just a little tight, but hopefully it's not too noticeable.  I particularly like how well I matched the sides and the back zip. Oh of course it's not perfect, but the waistband matches up and the stripes are pretty good. 

All in all, I loved wearing this dress, it felt fun and different and can't wait to pull it out again for a wedding in a few weeks.  Big kisses to all the frocktails gals and to those who would have loved to have been there but couldn't. Til next time xx

FINISHED! A Kanerva for the Liberty Atrium

It feels good to have a new blouse for the wardrobe. I've had this on the go for a few weeks, interspersed with holidays and my machines being away, but I finally finished it on the weekend. Yes, its another Named pattern Kanerva. It isn't often that I sew the same pattern up more than once, but I am a big fan of this pattern. A big fan. I just love the fit and while a more simple fabric would show the design lines, I do love it in crazy Liberty prints. 

This time I made it up in Liberty Atrium C, which is from the Liberty Art Fabrics SS 14, Gallery of Prints collection.

Based on an illustrative design from 1972 with a 1920s feel, The Atrium fabric print represents Liberty’s iconic Central Atrium space on the Ground Floor.

The Street Level fabric story celebrates Liberty’s eclectic ground floor accessories. Each design pays homage to a different area or department, taking on the intrinsic mood of each individual space.

I love the 1920s feel of this design and bought this fabric in the blue colourway as well as I wasn't sure from the internet photos which one I would like.  I found the blue to be way too washed out for me but I love the autumn colours of this one.  

The only change I made from the last one, was to interface the button plackets with a heavier interfacing as I found the lighter weight one on my other Kanerva is a bit too light and there is a tendency for the plucket to go a bit out of shape during/after a wear. 

So, a new blouse to add to the Me Made May rotation! Sadly, I've fallen off the wagon a bit in terms of documentation as I spent last week at FashFest covering the fashions for The Canberran, but I have been wearing me mades every day and keen to catchup and dive into the flickr pool. 

FINSHED! A bejeweled Kanerva

I love this make.  I really really love it.  (So sorry for the many photos to follow). Do you have clothes that just make you feel great and seem to give you a whole new attitude or is this just me!? So much so, that as soon as I finished it I wore it to the supermarket on Sunday with my Iris shorts. Then I wore it to work on Monday tucked into a skirt (and my gold pour la victoire shoes - nothing like blinging it up for work!) and I'm planning on wearing it on Wednesday night with my jeans for dinner with some friends. Who'd have thought there'd be so much versatility from such an over the top print. And this is probably the most over the top print I own (and in a wardrobe of prints that is saying something!). 

So, first thing, the print. A couple of weeks ago I saw this liberty print on Lizzy House's instagram and I fell in love. I'm not sure how I missed it til now. I immediately bought 1.5 from Shaukat (not realising that it is available at Addicted to Fabric!). Check out the Elisalex Diana did in a different colourway!

The print is Alexandra C, from the Liberty Art Fabrics Collection SS 14,  Gallery of Prints collection by Liberty Art Fabrics.  

A photographic print – the Alexandra fabric design represents the glittering jewels of Liberty’s decadent Jewellery Room.  The Street Level fabric story celebrates Liberty’s eclectic ground floor accessories. Each design pays homage to a different area or department, taking on the intrinsic mood of each individual space. 

The next thing that happened was that I saw Rachel's blouse from week 2 of Project Sewn,  I fell in love with it and popped over to the Named Clothing website to check out the pattern, the Kanerva button back shirt. Et voila, the perfect pattern for the Alexandra fabric.

This was my first time sewing a Named Clothing pattern and it was really enjoyable.  I have read that they have made loads of changes since their first pattern range and it shows.  The pattern is pdf but still required tracing (a bit annoying) but it wasn't too onerous as there aren't many parts to this pattern.  The instructions were clear and well stepped out. I love the construction and the way that the peplum has a little fold. 

The neckline is finished with binding, I prefer a facing but no big deal. The instructions suggested the back placket is done and then the neck and hem although I switched this around. I cut a straight 36 but removed an inch from the length above the waist to ensure the peplum sat at a better spot for me.  Otherwise the fit is good. 

The pattern fabric suggestion is: "Prefer an elastic, light or medium weight fabric, so the shirt is easy to put on without opening the buttons". In hindsight I'm not sure whether this means that it should be only a knit fabric and not a woven, but I went with the Liberty tana lawn and despite thinking right up until the last minute that I would need a team of dressers to be able to get into it, it does slip over the head. Not so easily that I would consider forgoing the button up back, but easily enough. 

I had a really great time on Saturday meeting up with a great bunch of Canberra sewers: Jen, Myra, Siobhan, Kylie and Amanda. Jen suggested that wooden buttons might look good and she is right they would look great but I was carried away with the opulence of the print and went for some very bling, yellow buttons that almost look like they could have popped out of the print. 

I think this style is just so flattering and I love that it is so versatile that it can be easily tucked into a skirt or pants. There will definitely be more than one of these in my wardrobe. It really is a fantastic shirt pattern.