An Emery in Pencil Shavings

I was gifted this rather lovely Liberty print by my Dad for Christmas. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted it to be an Emery dress! It's the perfect print for a teacher to wear too, isn't it?

I have made the Emery before so no adjustments were needed which made it a pretty quick project. I decided to go for the collar this time instead of the bow. I had reservations about the collar which seems large on some Emery dresses but I think that the heavy pattern of the fabric helps it to blend in and alleviate this.

I was going through a 'sew the stash' phase which means that it is lined in a very boring grey lining fabric. I regret this decision as having my makes beautiful inside and out is really important to me.

As ever, the cheery on top of the Emery dress are the pockets! This dress is definitely going to become one of my favourites.

I hope you all have a great bank holiday weekend. Happy sewing x

Scrumptious Saiph

I have been ogling the Paper Cut Saiph pattern for a while so I decided that it was time to take the plunge and start sewing. I bought a spotty drapey fabric from Walthamstow market. On reflection the pattern of the fabric is a little too loud for me but I'm still pleased with the dress.

The pattern is actually a tunic, which I don't tend to wear so I decided to lengthen the bodice pattern piece to make it into a dress instead. I originally made the dress with long sleeves but the pattern of the fabric seemed over whelming on me so I shortened them into three quarter length before hemming.

The dress has a gorgeous peplum bottom which is made using a full circle. Because of this it has lots of movement which I love.

The pattern would be great for beginners (or zip haters) as is has a button back using a rouleau loop. I used a pretty heart button which I had in my stash.

As the peplum is made using a full circle I finished the hem using satin bias binding. I haven't used satin bias binding before but it was absolutely perfect for the drapey fabric as it doesn't restrict it at all. I will definitely be adding more satin bias binding to my stash!

Happy sewing!

Linden Sweatshirt Hack

I absolutely fell in love with a sweatshirt in Liberty about a year ago. It had a rather large price tag which I just couldn't justify so I sadly left it behind. This winter however, I decided to try and make my own using the Grainline Linden pattern and I couldn't be happier!

This was the original, I think that they're pretty closely matched!

The Linden pattern itself was a dream to work with and made up quickly and easily. I sewed it together using an overlocker but it could easily be made using a sewing machine. When topstitching my sewing machine initially struggled with feeding the fleecy back through so I attached my walking foot which worked much better.

I adapted the pattern by flaring it out at the sides to alter the shape. The peplum was made using a double layer of black organza which I cut from the width of the fabric, gathered then hand stitched onto the hem.

I'm really pleased with this make, there will definitely be a few more Linden sweatshirts appearing in my wardrobe!

Happy sewing!

Let the spring sewing commence...

It feels slightly ridiculous to be sharing this make with you today especially as it has been snowing only this morning! But I have decided to begin sewing some spring/summery wardrobe pieces whilst also still trying to wade my way through my wool stash (far too large for this time of year of course) before I have to put it away for a few months.

I have been busy sewing another Deer and Doe Datura. I love this pattern, it sews together beautifully and is constructed so that it is gorgeous both inside and out. Since I began sewing there has been a big influx of pattern into my wardrobe and I'm lacking plains to wear with them so this was a tactical make!

It's made using a cream cotton fabric which has an embellished edge. Datura originally has a curved hem which wouldn't have worked with this fabric so I extended the top to the lowest point the whole way around. I was concerned that it would look boxy but I think it actually looks less boxy than the original design.

Pattern matching is definitely not a strong point of mine so I'm pretty pleased with the match if the curves at the back and side. I used some heart buttons from my button stash to finish the back of the top.

I have no doubt that that this will become a wardrobe staple (when it stops snowing and raining!). Happy sewing x

A pretty in pink pencil skirt

Despite not having blogged about it, I have made this pencil skirt three times now and wear them regularly to work. They're a bit of a staple in my wardrobe. I traced the pattern from The Great British Sewing Bee: Sew Your Own Wardrobe. The instructions are clear but not extensive. I definitely did a little bit of google searching the first time I made it!

I made the skirt in a wool from Walthamstow Market. I'm not sure what kind of wool it is but it has an almost felted quality and feels gorgeous to the touch.

The fabric was very thick, which I didn't really account for. Luckily, the previous skirts were slightly too large so it does fit. If I hadn't had this ease though it definitely would not have fit! Because the fabric was so thick I used a scrap of Liberty lawn for the facings (it's actually a scrap left over from the top I'm wearing!)

The thick fabric supports the vent nicely at the back of the skirt but my darts could be better! I need to either invest or get sewing a tailors ham so that I can press out my darts neater. Has anyone made one before?

I decided to make a bow for the front of the skirt which runs from one dart to the other. I absolutely love the bow! Although it means that I will have to tuck tops into the skirt I think that it's worth it. This pencil skirt will definitely become another wardrobe staple like the others!

I've been dreaming of sewing all week so I'm happily off to sew a Liberty Print Emery dress. What are your sewing plans for the weekend?

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Simplicity cape 8017

This week I have been busy making my first piece of outerwear and I am in love! I'd go as far as to say that it's my favourite item of clothing I have ever made.

I made the cape using a wool merino mix fabric from the man outside Sainsbury's at Walthamstow Market. I made no alterations to the fit or construction and found that it all went together beautifully. The pattern has pockets on the front but I decided not to include these.

I decided to make a velvet bow to put onto the front of the cape, it is stitched one side then fastens using poppers on the other side. I have to admit this is not an original idea and was inspired by a Kate Spade cape I've had my eye on! The cape is fully lined which means no overlocking! Hooray! I originally decided to line it in a silk mix fabric but I just couldn't get it to behave itself so I decided to use the rest of a rather gorgeous piece of Liberty Tana Lawn I bought from Abakan.

This will definitely get lots of wear in the coming months!

Some very unseasonal sewing...

I bought the Merchant and Mills Workbook after visiting the Merchant and Mills stall at The Knit and Stitch show and falling in love with the simplicity of the Bantam top. I bought a metre of their tea rose wool which is beautifully drapey but also very sheer! Because it had such a loose weave the fabric was very difficult to work with and near on impossible to unpick.

The Bantam is a racer back vest with a dipped hem. You make your own bias binding, which was very tricky with such a loose weave. Merchant and Mills patterns are known for being generous on their sizing and I had to take the top in a lot at the bust but I definitely took it in slightly too much, which I feel has detracted from its drape.

I always use bias binding for any curved hems but sadly I didn't have enough fabric left to make any using the tea rose wool and I was concerned that shop bought binding would stop the drape of the top. I found it really difficult to do the curved hem neatly without bias binding and the result looks untidy. Any tips for curved hems without binding?

All in all, I like top but my struggles with the fabric have made it sloppy around the edges. I will definitely be making it again though and learning from my mistakes.