FINISHED ! Holly Hobbie Tania Culottes

I feel like I'm taking all my styling cues from Holly Hobbie today. It's all about corduroy culottes!

  I really love culottes and knickerbockers and am always looking out for a pattern, so when Megan Nielson released her Tania Culottes as part of the Breakwater collection I couldn’t move fast enough to buy them.  Despite all the styling and pattern notes talking about lightweight materials, it is Autumn and I love corduroy so I immediately saw this pattern in corduroy.

I had just enough corduroy left over from my Laurel dress to make it up exactly as per the pattern in size S.  I’m really happy with the fit, it is perfect and I didn’t need to make any alterations.

Let’s talk first about the pattern.  The way the front folds come together with the hidden crotch is ingenious. Massive congratulations to Megan.   The pattern has only a few pieces and is super straightforward to make up.  Even hemming the legs on the curve was pretty good and I hand stitched the waistband in place.  I’ve seen lots of very stylish girls in circle skirts in the MMMay13 flickr group and I’d recommend to anyone who wears this type of skirt to rush out and buy this pattern! It definitely allows you to sit in a very unlady like manner!

Sadly I had a shocker with the invisible zip.  Both times I didn’t place it correctly so the teeth curve around a bit over the waistband. The first time I actually managed to break the invisible zip by removing the pully thing, so I had to unpick the zip and put a new one in.  I still put it in the wrong place??! I’ve made a big note in my pattern booklet now about that, so I think I’ve learned that lesson now.  I hope so anyway.

Despite really loving the pattern, and I enjoy wearing them ... I’m not exactly sure they suit me.  Originally I made them thinking they would look great with my Bensimon jumper that I bought in France, but the silhouette didn't look great on me; the proportions a bit wrong when I then tried them on together.  Could be the colour of the corduroy as well?  I then proceeded to try them on with lots of my tops and nothing was quite right. I like them with this vest as the silhouette works better, though it is corduroy on corduroy and a bit cutesy.

I still think a longer pair might be very stylish, to the calf in a dark navy light wool for work.  Mmm maybe I’ll add that to the list of things to make.

FINISHED! Briar in Bosley + Banksia = Brilliant

Here is my first Briar from Megan Nielsen.  What a great pattern! I had been really turned off sewing with stretchy fabrics at the end of last year, but decided to give this one a go because all the versions I'd seen just looked too cute and there is a sewalong! with great tutorials by Megan.

I'm glad I did.  I really love it.
It is the first time I have done a circular pocket (it did take me a few attempts) and the first time I have used twin needles.Twin needles!! Where have you been all my life!!?

The pattern fits perfectly with no adjustments although I did make a bit of a hybrid between the crop and full length version.  I added about 2 inches onto the cropped version.  This week Megan is showing a whole lot of variations on the Briar... I think next one for me will have to have a pocket on the arm.

The Briar looks great with (one of my many) stripey tops and spotty jeans but I have teamed it up here with my Megan Nielsen Bankia top.  Unfortunately the fabric doesn't photograph well but you get the idea.  They really were made for each other!!
This Briar is made from a fabric called Bosley that I bought from Addicted to Fabric.  The tag says that it is 95% cotton 5% spandex and the colour is denim.  I think I'll go back for more in another colourway to make another one!

FINISHED! Banskia top

Finally.  I have finished this top.  Unnaturally I took my time with it. It is a bit dodgey in places, but as I said in my last post, if you stand a little way away from it the sewing looks pretty good.  I really liked the pattern (placket aside) and the fit is great - no  adjustments needed.

I'm really glad I did it but there are a few things I would do differently:

1. I will line up the buttonholes properly - although the spacing on this one IS a design feature!!
2. I like the material, but it is a bit pale and because of the material makes me a bit washed out (and it's hard to photo)
3. I used the facing for the whole placket which meant that it was doubled over which I think was too much. It made it hard for my button holdes. Next time around (if there is one) I would only do half. Luckily I will never have to undo the buttons!
4. I love my machine, but it is pretty low end, so if I were to ever buy a new one I think checking out the button holes would be number one on my list.  I've now decided that my machine doesn't do great button holes!  It's not me!

The fabric I used is Liberty of London "Kara's Trees" and is from the 2011 Summer collection.  It is a design inspired by Quentin Blakes 'L is for Legs' illustration for his 'ABC'. 

I have 11 days left of August is Buttons so I might have enough time to squeeze in another button outfit.  I liked making the drape cardigan and I have worn it HEAPS of times, so I might make another one.... However.... yesterday in the post arrived  my new Pleated Pant pattern from Papercut Patterns.  I know others have talked about their packaging and how great it is, but it is really beautiful.  I think the Banksia top will go great with a finished pleated pant as the ones I'm wearing here are getting a bit old... but I should wait until Zipper month!

Placket

I'm still working on the Banksia top.  Yes, still.  Today Oliver invited a friend over after soccer so I have managed to have about 3 continuous hours of sewing while he and his friend play and Elliot tries constantly to get in on the action.  3 hours.  That's how long it has taken me to put the damn placket onto this blouse.  Ok, slight exageration, I also put the sleeves in, but I can guarantee that the majority of today's sewing was on the placket and the button holes.

The first mistake I did was to cut the plackets in half. It wasn't until I'd sewn them on (don't worry it was only one seam per side) that I realised (or at least suspected my mistake. So I recut the material and facing. For anyone who has sewn this top there are two methods in the pattern.  I used method 2, which is supposed to be the more traditional, though harder option. It's bit unclear to me how to line everything up at the top but it's done now.  It looks ok if I make sure I'm a metre or so away from people at all times when I wear it they won't know any different.  And the pattern makes the material very forgiving.

Banksia blouse so far

The other mistake I did was with the placing of the button holes.  I can't tell you how many times I measured the spacing out but still got it wrong.  So much for someone who did some maths at University!!  Anyway, I'm going to call that a design feature when the buttons go on. But that won't be today.  I've put this blouse away and I'l hem the bottom and the sleeves and add the buttons another day.  The placket has taken it out of me!

gratuitous photo of liberty binding  

banksia - wip

The other garment I committed to make during my self imposed 'August is Buttons' is the Banksia top by Megan Nielsen.  Well, I've made a start.  The next step is the placket and the buttons, so I'm taking a bit of a  break from it now to return to my knitting. I'm using Liberty of London fabric I bought back in April .  It feels good to go into the stash.  I hope to finish this top next weekend, although we are planning another trip to the snow.  This time just for the day (Sunday) and to Mt Selwyn, which we haven't been to before but it is 'family' oriented and heaps cheaper than where we usually go, so it's worth checking out.