Monday 27 April 2015

An Emmeline Tee problem

I tried to be clever with (what seems like) my zillionth Emmeline...this pretty cartoony blossom fabric is a lovely fine crepe de chine and I thought that french seams would be the way to go. I also altered the neckline to make it higher. Somewhere along the way I seem to have made the top ever-so-slightly smaller - I'm sure I was careful with the seams to stay within the total allowance, but whatever has happened, I'm sad to say that this won't become a 'most-worn'. That'll teach me to attempt cleverness...

Tuesday 21 April 2015

Me-Made-May 2015

I started sewing last year and couldn't imagine at the time I'd ever have enough wearable clothing to do the challenge! But, now, a little over a year on, I'm proud to say that I can do this!! So...

I, JessB, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '15. I endeavour to wear at least one hand-made garment a day each day for the duration of May 2015.

For more info on Me-Made-May '15, see: http://sozowhatdoyouknow.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/me-made-may15-sign-up-here.html 

Colette Laurel

April 2015: This was intended as a wearable muslin - to see if the shape/sizing worked. I actually sort of like it! I've ended up putting two small tucks in the front to give a bit of wait-line definition...otherwise because of the boob 'cliff', a shift dress can look a bit like a maternity gown on me. And no one needs that. 

I decided to try my first ever collar by self-drafting one. I also decided to edge it in lace because i thought it would look cute. It does, but I forgot to factor the need for a smaller seam allowance as a result of the lace and so the stupid collar is too big and overlaps. Oops! Ah well, still cuteish. Plus I think this is super cheapo polyester fabric anyways, so I don't imagine it'll have a long wear-life. In the meantime, with a cream cardy, it'll be a cute enough summer dress

Sort-a Lottie Blouse

April 2015: I had enough of this gorgeous crepe de chine fabric to sneak two wee tops - the Emmeline Tee, and this one. This is meant to be a pussy-bow blouse, but I had a feeling it would look cute as a key-hole sleeveless blouse instead. And I reckon it does! Sadly, this looks cuter on the mannequin - once again real bodies and real boobs are causing issues here - the keyhole is like a sneak peak of serious cleavage and it's a tad indecent. I'm sure some people would wear it but I feel uncomfy (like, 'hey, here's my boobs') so I will probably try to wear a cami underneath, or perhaps think about stitching in a wee bit of black behind the keyhole. Won't look as cute, but I'll at least be able to wear it!

Postscript: My Mum has been visiting from NZ and wanted to go shopping for some summer tops, but neither of us could be bothered with the hideousness of shopping. So I suggested she try this on - and it looks SO much nicer on her than me! How fun to be able to give someone a handmade top to wear that looks really good on her! 

Oh, another Emmeline Tee you say? Well ok...

April 2015 - this gorgeous fabric was out of stock when I tried to buy it. Thankfully after tweeting with the wonderful Josie of the Fabric Godmother, I found she had 1.5m left she would sell me. Hurrah! It's a crepe de chine and is so pretty

Another Francoise

April 2015: Bought this gorgeous light denim in a tartan print months ago in Glasgow (like, August 2014), intending to make another Tilly Delphine skirt. But it turns out I had just enough (praise my short legs!) for another Francoise instead. I haven't been to work since making this, but I can't wait. Love love love it.  

Grrrrr Wrap Dress

April 2015: New Look 6674 Wrap Dress. This was meant to be a wearable muslin (i have the most gorgeous navy patterned crepe that will make a fantastic wrap dress if I can only find a pattern). It took several frustrated days of yelling at the terrible pattern instructions to make - this is what comes of someone who is used to the wonders of Indy-designed patterns attempting to use a Big 4 pattern. Couldn't have been made harder if they'd tried. In the end it looks ok...except...it only looks ok on the mannequin. On a real human with actual boobs and a body that moves, there is a serious gap-age situation that renders the dress pretty unwearable. I suspect I can strategically apply some poppers to keep things tucked away, but at the moment this has been resigned to the UFO pile 

More Emmeline Tees

March 2015

March 2015

Tilly Francoise Dress

February 2015: I knew I wanted to make Tilly's latest design when it was released late 2014 - it's a shift dress with raglan sleeves and a pronounced A-line - super versatile and great shaping. This gorgeous fabric is quite heavy - almost a brocade - and I just love the dress. I wear it to work at the moment with opaque tights and often a black long-sleeve merino tee underneath, but I reckon in summer it'll be a winner too. I do need the belt for a bit of waist-line definition, but that's a personal 'look' preference. This is easily one of my most-complimented and most-loved sews!


A second Emmeline Tee

February 2015: This is the sleeveless tee (which does actually have sort-of sleeves) in a knit fabric and you can see how different slight pattern and fabric alterations are. I love this v much - the fabric is again doing all the work, but it's a great top with jeans and a blazer

Emmeline Tee Mk1

February 2015: My first version of the Emmeline Tee by the Little Tailoress. There are 3 styles in this tee pattern (one with raglan sleeves as seen here - another with regular sleeves and a sleeveless version. It can also be made in knit or woven). I messed up the neckline and I'm pretty sure the sleeves should be shorter, but I still wear it and like it. So much so that there are many many Emmeline Tees still to come...

A trio of Delphine Skirts (another Tilly pattern)

Summer 2014: All made with Ikea curtain fabric. Sadly (happily?) I've lost weight since making these and they have since been donated to a charity shop. I'll have to get making some new ones for this summer

Self drafted drapey top
(and my gorgeous new sewing machine in the background. A new Janome - fully digital with loads of bells and whistles)
Summer 2014

Quattro Cocos

One pattern, 4 dresses
Summer 2014

Tilly Megan Dress

October 2014: First dress with a bodice and skirt and I really love this one. It's quite shoddily made in terms of the zip, and I used a crepe instead of the cotton the pattern calls for, but it's a dress I wear a lot to work. I wear crazy teal tights to match and a navy cardigan - it's super comfy and fun and no one has one like it! 

Tilly Coco Dress

July 2014: One of my fave makes. The fabric is doing all the work, but I'll still take the win.
Can't wait for summer so I can wear this again! 

Bow Belt

May 2014: Accessorising a store-bought dress with a home-made bow-belt

Cat's Pajamas

July 2014: Another Tilly pattern, from Love at First Stitch. I love everything about these cutesy summer pjs!

Sorbetto Revisted


May 2014: A vast improvement on my original Sorbetto efforts. I inverted the pleat, lengthened the top, added a tie back to give me better shaping and added some cute buttons. I still wear this top a year later and still get complements about it. #FTW

Tilly Mathilde Blouse

March 2014: I was oh-so proud of this top. It has two sets of pleats at the front, button back, in-set sleeves, cuffs and french seams. Not bad for someone who had been sewing about a month! 

I removed the pleats and shortened the sleeves in V.2 which I liked much better

Tilly's patterns are just a wonderful learning resource for a newbie sewists. These blouses were the garments that made me realise how vastly superior many indy-designers were for new sewists compared to the Big 4. 

Burda Young


February 2014: Burda Young Tops. My first garments with zips. These were made before I realised that Burda patterns don't include seam allowances....which went quite a ways to explaining why they were so tight! Also pre-realisation that I have a long torso and need to add length to every top I make. 

Sorbetto No No

Feb 2014: First Sorbetto. Hideous fabric, far too big, far too short (this was before I discovered that despite being only 5'2", I have an oddly long torso and need to add 2inches to every top I make). 
Made matching shorts. Not certain why. 

PJs

Feb 2014: First ever garment. #photobombingcat

My First Janome

The machine that started my crafting adventure