Finished: Red Coat (McCall's 7058)

Get the flags out, I've finally finished my red coat! I first blogged about making a red coat back in November, having been gathering supplies to make one for a few weeks before that. As is often the case, it wasn't the main sewing of the coat that took so long, it was the final fiddly jobs (plus a break for Christmas.) It's been a frosty week in the UK so the timing couldn't be better for a warm, winter coat!

I didn't want to spam you with tons of photos and text, so for those of you who are interested there's a more in-depth post to follow, with links to all the tutorials and resources I used. I've also kept a record of how much the various materials cost me for this project, which I'll be including too. In the meantime, here's my coat in all its finished glory!

The pattern I used is McCall's 7058: a classic, princess seamed design with several different length and style options. I sewed a combination of versions B and C. Size-wise I cut a straight size 14, but shortened all the main body pieces (including sleeves) on the Petite lines throughout. This equated to two inches in total removed from each piece: one inch at bodice height and one inch at skirt height. Adjusting the pattern to the petite size also meant the pockets were in the correct position for my T-Rex arms!

Note: The fabric appears much redder than it actually is in these indoor photos because of the dreadful winter light.

I didn't make any further adjustments and the fit was more or less spot on. It's a tiny bit snug when fully buttoned up, as I didn't really allow for extra winter layers (duh), but I'm still really pleased with the fit. It has a lovely, nipped in silhouette.

The pattern instructions were clear and easy to follow and the main body of the coat came together very quickly. I only deviated from them at a couple of points: I chose not to include the back vents and I fully bagged the lining by machine rather than hand stitching the sleeve and coat hems. I'll include details of the lining tutorials I used in my next post. The lining pieces are separate and properly drafted with pleats to the centre back and hem. This makes a big difference when it comes to getting it on and off!

The main coat fabric is an Italian wool twill from Fabric Godmother (now sold out unfortunately). It was quite expensive (£26 per metre), but as it was reasonably wide and my pattern pieces were all shortened, I was able to cut out the whole coat from just two metres, yay! The quality of the wool is absolutely beautiful and I don't regret shelling out at all - it was worth every penny. I lined the coat in a contrast dusky blue lining fabric from Ditto Fabrics, (also sold out I'm afraid). All the main coat pieces apart from the under collar and sleeves were underlined with flannel for extra warmth.

I've only worn my coat a couple of times but I can already see it becoming a staple in my winter wardrobe. Despite the frumpy looking pattern, it feels really stylish to wear, it fits well and it's lovely and warm. It's also very me - I feel like I've owned it for years! I'm so pleased I went the extra mile when I was making it, I love it! x

Preparing for a red coat

Over the past few weeks I've been slowly gathering supplies for a winter coat, which I'm pretty excited about. I already have a gorgeous navy winter coat from Jaeger which I saved up for - I've worn it every winter for about five years and it's still going strong, but I fancy a change. I'd like a red coat, partly because I don't own one and I'd like to remedy that, but also because I need a coat to match my new red gloves. Only joking! (or am I?…)

When I was searching for inspiration I did spot a couple of very glamorous red coats pinned to my Red board on Pinterest, but they're both quite voluminous shapes, which tend to dwarf my petite frame. 

What I was after was a classic fitted coat with a collar, a bit like a longer version of this Modcloth jacket.

I found it in McCall's 7058. This pattern has a truly hideous front cover which does an excellent job of masking the classic, well drafted pattern within. 

There are plenty of options all based around the same princess-seamed shape: a short, Chanel-style collarless jacket, two hip length jackets (one belted, one hooded), two mid length coats and a long hooded coat (phew). I've decided to go for a mash up of views B and C.

Manju made a very stylish interlined wool version here and I've taken some great tips from her excellent review. My main coat fabric will be a wool twill coating from Fabric Godmother, which now seems to be sold out unfortunately.

It's a lovely bright red and feels very warm. I know Manju also interlined/underlined her version with pyjama flannel for extra warmth and I'm still debating whether to do this on mine. What do you think?

I'll be lining it with this Dusky Steel Blue lining fabric from Ditto which I think is a nice contrast to the red. 

I've also bought some good quality interfacing from English Couture and have invested in a tailors clapper for a professional finish on all those seams. I'm all set!

I did a tissue fitting and the size 14 seems to fit well. The good thing about this pattern is that there is a petite sizing option which I've taken full advantage of. Each pattern piece is shortened by a total of two inches: an inch at bodice height and an inch at skirt/knee height, which is a perfect proportion for my build. The sleeves are also shortened at two different points without affecting the shape of the elbow dart.

Now I just need to steam shrink my wool fabric and pre-wash my lining, then I can start cutting out (eek!) There's no immediate deadline to get this coat finished, so I intend to take my time over it and enjoy the process - I'll keep you posted on my progress! x

Budgie skirt

A week or two ago I promised you a budgie skirt on the blog, and today's the day! Isn't it lovely?! I helped my friend Emma make it using the-pattern-that-can-do-no-wrong (New Look 6217) and I think the statement fabric works perfectly with this simple pattern.

The fabric is from Ditto Fabrics and is a Japanese cotton/linen blend (80% cotton, 20% linen). It's a lovely combination as it has the texture and feel of linen, but the high cotton content means you don't get lots of tiresome creasing.

We spent a little while thinking about pattern placement as Emma wanted a couple of her favourite budgies to feature prominently.

If you look closely, you'll see some of them are wearing collar and ties! There's even a cockatoo thrown in for good measure.

Size-wise we cut a size 12 with a couple of minor adjustments - increased the width of the back darts to allow for Emma's slight sway back, shaved a tiny bit off the hips and lengthened the skirt by 1½". Emma cut out the fabric and sewed the basic shell of the skirt together and I stepped in to add the invisible zip and twill tape to the waist - a splendid joint effort!

The classic shape and oatmeal colour means she'll be able to pair it with lots of different coloured tops for summer. And there's no need to worry about pattern clashes - I'm reliably informed that budgies are a neutral...

I leave you with the lovely Geoff Capes - former strongman and budgie fancier. Guaranteed to cheer you up on a Monday morning! x

SaveSave

Finished: Arielle Skirt

As is often the case, not one but two of my favourite handmade skirts have had to be retired due to being thoroughly worn out. They were my beloved denim Ginger skirt and my navy-with-red-buttons Beignet. Both were made using Colette patterns during my first year of sewing and have been on constant rotation ever since, so they were well and truly worn to death. I needed to make replacements, and fast!

The shape and style of the Tilly and the Buttons Arielle Skirt seemed to be the perfect solution. And as there was now a denim-skirt-shaped hole in my wardrobe, I decided to make my version in denim. The fitted silhouette and cute button detail of the pattern also reminded me of my Beignet skirt, so I felt like I was channelling my two old skirts into one new one!

The instructions for the Arielle pattern are very clearIy written, with good, explanatory photos to guide you through the process. Unlike the Beignet pattern, it didn't take very long to sew at all (I made it over the course of two afternoons) and there are very few pattern pieces, especially if you make the unlined version. The side seams are contoured to fit around your waist and hips, making the skirt very close fitting - using a stretch denim was definitely a good move as it really does yank you into place! Size-wise, I made a size 3 and the only adjustment I made was to the length - I took about 10cms from the length of the longer version. I didn't adjust the waist and hips at all and the finished fit is great. I think it's an ideal pattern for a confident beginner to tackle, perhaps as a second skirt project.

The fabric I used is a stretch denim in a very dark blue from Ditto Fabrics. I pre-washed it, but it still feels quite stiff - hopefully it will soften up after a few washes. Because of this, the overlapped front edge doesn't lie completely flat, but that's just me nit picking. My version is unlined as that's what I've always done with denim skirts (I think of them a bit like jeans!) I would also normally use a lighter weight fabric for the facings to reduce bulk, especially when sewing with denim. In this case, however, I did actually use denim facings and I think the skirt benefits from the extra support. 

I'd planned to simply overlock the outer edge of the facings, but once I saw this post on finishing a facing with bias binding, I had to give my skirt a polka dot edge. I love how the inside of the skirt looks now, it has such a neat, professional finish.

Talking of polka dots, do you like my buttons?! They were given to me by Kerry a few years ago (I think!) and I couldn't resist adding them. Hopefully, the plain, functional denim stops them looking too twee. 

I have a feeling I'll be wearing the Arielle skirt a lot. It seems to be a good match with every single top half I throw at it (as evidenced by the unusual amount of costume changes in this post!), which I'm  taking as a good sign!  I'm so happy with it - I've ended up with a gorgeous, retro looking skirt that was born to live in my wardrobe.  x

Back to basics

One thing I noticed when I did my recent wardrobe changeover (from summer to autumn) was a lack of basic, functional items. By this, I mean everyday pieces in solid, neutral colours that match up with the rest of my wardrobe. To most people, a neutral colour is white, cream or black, but to me it's navy blue....or red. I addressed this a few weeks ago when I made my first Mabel skirt in red and Ultimate Trousers in navy, both of which have been on almost constant rotation from the moment they were born. Yesterday, after a particularly successful flurry of sewing, I ticked off two more items. They're both neutral (well, navy) basics so should really be classified under BORING. However, I'm pretty delighted at how well they've turned out, so I'm subjecting you to them today I'm afraid.

First up is another Bronte top (my first one's here). This one is made with a lovely cotton and lycra jersey from Ditto Fabrics. I bought the fabric intending to make the long sleeved version, but failed to take into consideration how much fabric is needed for long sleeves. I only bought a metre (duh), which isn't nearly enough for long sleeves, however adventurous a cutter you are. I do like the short sleeved version though and the fabric's light enough to wear under a cardigan. As per last time, I cut a size 12 at the bust, grading to a 10 at the waist and hips, which gives a nice tight fit.

Next up is a navy Mabel Skirt, this time cut to the same length as the pencil skirt version which is a much better length for me (just on the knee). I used a scrap of the Bronte fabric for the inside waistband and even managed to sew it on the right way round this time. The double knit fabric for both of my Mabel skirts came from Calico Laine and it's a perfect weight for the pattern. This version seems a bit roomier than the first one (in a good way), but I'm not quite sure why. I did sew the whole skirt on the overlocker and wasn't particularly vigilant about my seam allowances, so maybe that's it? 

Anyway, the total time to make both garments - from cutting out to sewing the last hem - was about four hours. It would have been even quicker, but I was distracted by a shoe delivery and had to take time off to play with them. The Mabel skirt only took about 30 minutes sewing time, I kid you not! The Bronte top takes a little while longer as there's all the shoulder binding to negotiate, but it's still easily sewn up in a morning or afternoon.

I've lightened this photo quite a bit to show the shoulder detail

They work well as separates as evidenced above, and even look cute worn together.

Look - a navy knit dress!  (sort of)

These quick and easy basics patterns have rather taken my fancy at the moment. Don't worry, I'll get back to the dresses and shiny stuff soon enough. But whilst my attention is wandering, I might as well ask, what are your favourite basics patterns to sew? Happy Thursday. x

Hemingway Design fabrics…and a chance encounter

Somebody recently tweeted a link to the new Hemingway Design fabrics and I was immediately smitten. If you're not familiar with the Hemingways, they're a UK husband and wife design team (Wayne and Gerardine) who started out with a stall on Camden market in the 1980's, before creating fashion label Red or Dead (from which I bought a wonderful pair of brogues, long, long ago). Since then they've designed more or less everything - wallpaper, furniture, haberdashery - organised many a Vintage Festival, and managed to pick up a couple of MBE's along the way too. They've now added a mid-century inspired textiles collection to the mix and I just LOVE it - here's a small selection of the designs:

Yellow Tulip

Emerald Texture

Brick Knotted Up

Duck Egg Grid

The first one is my favourite as it manages to combine tulips, crosshatch and yellow all in one go. The last one is probably the one I'll buy though…. I've already got visions of a shirtdress.  

Now to the chance encounter in the title of this post…. another event that Wayne Hemingway organises is the Classic Car Boot Sale which took place last weekend at the Olympic Park. My boys were keen to try out the Olympic pool and I like nothing better than mooching around a car boot sale, so off we set for virtually the entire length of the Central Line. Just as we approached central London, a man got on the tube with a dog. Charlie is a bit nervous around dogs, so whilst I was reassuring him of its friendliness, the man started chatting to us. "Is that Wayne Hemingway?" Jon murmured out of the side of his mouth. "YES!" I replied, just slightly over excited! The man (let's call him Wayne) asked where we were off to. We mentioned the Classic Car Boot Sale and then got chatting about lots of things: his new fabrics (naturally), 'Oh, You Pretty Things' on BBC4,  dressmaking in general, the importance of UK production (his fabrics are manufactured by British textiles company Makower), dogs, Northern Soul, and because we're all British - the weather. His dog - a Springer Spaniel/Labrador cross - was the loveliest, most gentle dog I've ever come across and Mr Hemingway himself as friendly and charming as I'd always imagined him.  He's also from Lancashire so I may be a bit biased!

You can see more of the Hemingway Design Fabrics here and here. And no, I'm nothing to do with his company, I just happen to like the fabrics.

You never know who you might meet on the tube eh?! x

Using up your leftovers...

If you’ve been riddled with curiosity wondering what became of my leftover fabric from my 1930’s blouse, I can now put you out of your misery. I bought two metres of fabric, and as I’m relatively petite, there was just enough left to cut out my mystery item …. a 1960’s A-line skirt from this pattern.

I took a chance and didn’t make a muslin, I figured if it all went horribly wrong then this could be the muslin. After I sewed it up, I tried it on and had that rare, beautiful dressmaking moment - it was an exact, perfect fit.  The only tiny adjustment I made was to take in half an inch at the widest part of the hips when I was sewing the side seams up and that’s it.  In my experience, skirts are a lot easier than bodices to fit, but this was nothing short of miraculous. 

A pretty good fit

I underlined it with very thin off-white cotton (also from Ditto for £1.50 a metre). There wasn’t enough fabric for a waistband, so I drafted a facing from a piece of co-ordinating cotton. This sounds technical but in fact it was super easy to do and I got the method from this book – Sew What! Skirts.  As well as showing you how to draft your own skirt patterns based on your own body measurements, it’s full of really useful advice on all things skirt-related.  This is where I learnt to draft my own waistband for my Japanese pattern book skirt and that was a doddle too.  I can’t recommend it highly enough.  I liked the look of the facing so much I made some bias binding for the inside hem. Yes, nobody will see it, but I know it’s there. 

McCall’s 7978 is one of those patterns I’m sure I’ll use again and again.  Reader Nathalie has a similar 1960’s skirt pattern and at the last count had made five versions! I'll definitely be following her example as it’s such an easy pattern to sew. There's more than enough time to embellish with secret hem bindings etc, without the whole project taking weeks on end. There’s also a fabulous, thrifty sense of satisfaction in using up leftover bits of fabric to create whole new garments.  I’m now planning to make a plain red version with my leftover Swing Dress fabric and a grey floral version with my leftover Crepe dress fabric.  If they’re as easy to sew as this little number, I can sew them up in time for Me-Made-June.  Hoorah. 

Another 1930's blouse

A few weeks ago, whilst on a wonderful blogger meet-up with Karen, Shivani, Zoe and Stevie, I had the pleasure of visiting Ditto Fabrics in Brighton.  I’ve bought a few things from Ditto online before, but the actual shop holds way more exciting and reasonably priced fabric than is decent.  Whilst I was in there, I found the perfect bluey/green cotton fabric for my second 1930's blouse, here's a reminder of the first one, the rabbit blouse.  

And here's the second one..

For some reason I’ve been desperate to make this blouse - I’ve been trying to sneak the odd hour in here and there but my children have been on school holidays, so I’ve had very little opportunity to sew. I finally finished it when I had my first free day yesterday.  

I used the same 1930’s pattern that I used for my rabbit blouse (Simplicity 2844) and it was as straightforward as I remember to sew together.  The big difference between this version and the rabbit version is the fabric.  There’s lots of catch stitching in this pattern.  This wasn’t a problem with the first blouse as I used a double gauze fabric, so there’s an entire extra layer to catch.  The bluey/green fabric was too tightly woven to catch stitch without it showing through on the outside, so I improvised and topstitched the facing to the front edges and collar.  

Because there’s already top stitching on the yoke and shoulders, I think it works pretty well.  To finish off, I used some of the vintage buttons I picked up in Bath – a perfect match.  I already like the shape and fit of this blouse, so didn’t bother messing about with the pattern.  This version does seem a little baggier than the first version, but I think that’s more to do with the lighter coloured, plain fabric making it seem bigger. I really love the colour though – it’s so 1930’s.  

Trying to look 1930's and blending in with the wall

I had to match it with these white sailor trousers for the photos as I needed a high waist - and I couldn’t subject you to yet another shot of my 1940’s navy strides!   On a final, gleeful note, I had enough fabric left to make something else, which isn’t quite finished yet.  More on that in the next post….

Happy Thursday. x