OWOP is back!

Hands up who remembers OWOP (One Week, One Pattern)? Of course you do, it's the group sewing challenge where participants wear variations of the same pattern, every day for a week! The original challenge was created by Tilly in 2012, I resurrected it in 2014 and now Hannah from Cinderellis Sews is hosting a new challenge for 2016. Hoorah! 

My favourite part of both challenges was working out all the different mix and match combinations with my chosen pattern. In 2012 I chose the Colette Ginger skirt, a high waisted A-line skirt that proved to be endlessly versatile. For the last challenge I went for a vintage pattern - Simplicity 4238 - a 1950's button up blouse that's become a real wardrobe staple.

The big question is, what to choose this time round? You may have noticed I've been more than a little obsessed with New Look 6217 of late (I have three versions of the top and two versions of the skirt), so that's currently the strongest contender. However, I also absolutely LOVE my Sewaholic Granville shirts and although I only have two versions (here and here) they're both solid colours, so they match absolutely everything. The Granville shirt would certainly be a greater challenge, but may be a bit too similar to the last pattern, what do you think?

If you'd like to join in, One Week, One Pattern 2016 will run from Saturday 10th September until Friday 16th September. You can sign up and find out further details about OWOP on Cinderellis Sews. There will also be a series of exciting guest posts on her blog over the next few weeks (including ME on August 6th!) and fabulous giveaways for every day of the challenge. Wahay! x

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

Delphine Skirt

Remember the cute little A-line skirt from the front cover of Love at First Stitch? Well, its real name is the Delphine Skirt and I was lucky enough to pattern test it, way back in October last year. It's become a familiar sight in my wardrobe and has been worn, worn and worn again, so it feels a bit odd writing a review all these months later! Here's what I thought...

For fabric, I used a red denim from the Goldhawk Road. I was only planning on buying a metre to send to Evie from Pendle Stitches as I knew she wanted some. At the counter however, I discovered it was the end of the roll and the shop keeper offered me the last three metres at a discount (you've gotta love those Goldhawk Road gents.) It would have been rude to refuse, so after dividing the remnant and sending half to Evie, I ended up with just under 1.5 metres. That's more than enough for this skirt and it's the perfect weight as the pattern requires a fabric with some structure to it, to keep its shape.

Apologies for the 'spoiling for a fight' face...

The Delphine skirt has a neat, fitted waistband and an exaggerated A-line shape. I stupidly cut out a size larger than my measurements as I was worried it might be too tight around the waist. Duh - not only was it too big, but the contrast between the fitted waist and the A-line was a bit lost. The skirt needs to be a good nipped-in fit around the waist i.e. not too big and baggy, otherwise you're liable to lose the exaggerated A-line of the skirt section. This contrast is (for me anyway) the main appeal of the skirt, so my advice is to choose the size that's nearest to your waist size and don't be tempted to make a larger size just "to be on the safe side".  The pattern sizes are accurate - trust them!

You can see the exaggerated A-line better in this picture

Delphine is a very simple skirt to make - even after cutting out the wrong size, I was able to adjust the waistband and skirt side seams to the correct measurements really easily. The instructions are clear and logical and the pattern is perfectly drafted. There was only one thing I changed about the construction and that was to use a standard dressmaking zip rather than an invisible one. This is based on my own personal experience with denim skirts and zips - my denim Ginger skirt has an invisible zip and you can really see the toll taken on it. In fact, it could do with being re-sewn as parts of it are hanging off (ahem!) Anyway, the denim I used is quite a heavyweight one, so I decided a standard zip would be more hard wearing.

The facings are neatly machine finished at the zip edges, which is a nice touch. I used a red polka dot cotton as my facing, partly to reduce bulk, but mostly because denim skirts HAVE to have polka dot facings don't they? I think I read somewhere that it's against the law to have any other kind!!

You can't go wrong with this skirt - the neat A-line shape goes with everything and because it's red and denim, it's already become a real wardrobe stable. The fact that it's denim also means you don't have to wash it very often (not in my house anyway!)

I now have a second Delphine in the correct size all cut out and ready to go. Expect to see it gracing the pages of this blog before too long. x

The Delphine pattern was given to me free of charge for pattern testing. All views my own.

Another Ginger skirt (but not for me!)

It's been a bit quiet on the garment sewing front recently - we've had half term holidays and I now have a sick child at home (oh joy!), so there's not much to show off that I've made for myself. I have however, managed to squeeze in a rare bit of unselfish sewing. Yes, don't adjust your sets, you read that correctly! Sewing for others doesn't come naturally to me I'm afraid, it works out at about one item a year, so today's make is my contribution to 2013! It's a skirt for my mother-in-law Audrey. 

The skirt is my birthday present to her from August, which delivery-wise isn't too bad by my standards. Audrey had previously admired my Apple Print Ginger skirt, so this was the pattern we went with. Because she's an elegant, mature lady, the cutesy knee length and exaggerated high waist of the original pattern didn't really appeal to her, so I had to make the following changes:

- Increase the overall length of the skirt by eight inches

- Lower the upper edge of the skirt so that the top of the waistband finished at the natural waist

- Eliminate the deep, faced waistband and add a separate, smaller one instead

- Add a button and buttonhole fastening, as the zip now finished below the waistband

- Insert a regular, centred zip instead of an invisible one

Please don't ask me how I made these changes because I really can't remember, I just made it up as I went along. But I DID actually go to the trouble of making a muslin. This was mainly to check that the changes actually corresponded with Audrey's measurements, but also because I was nervous of hacking into the beautiful fabric she'd chosen - a very stylish Liberty print fine cord. It has very muted background colours (a dark plum colour and olive green) coupled with bright fruits of some sort (mulberries maybe or rose hips?) to liven it up. Anyway, the fabric - Isla Rose - came from Sewbox, who stock a great range of Liberty lawns, cords and jersey prints at knock down prices. I also fully lined the skirt with an olive green dress lining to prevent the cord being too clingy.

I'm happy with the final look of the skirt, although it seems to have lost an inch in length during the construction process! I'm truly flummoxed by this as I measured everything VERY carefully, but maybe my abysmal maths skills had something to do with it…. The skirt is well below the knee as it is though, so fingers crossed this won't be too much of an issue.  Mystery lost inch aside, it has the classic, smart look I was hoping for which I'm relieved about.

I'm also relieved I've finished this project, partly so that I can actually give my mother-in-law her belated birthday present, but also because I find sewing for others much more stressful than sewing for myself. Does anybody else find that? For some reason, the stakes seem higher and there's more of a self imposed pressure to get everything exactly right. I think she'll like it though, it's very much her style.

My next project is a raincoat and I'll be updating you on my progress with that in the next post. I hope my son gets better pretty sharpish though - it's teeming with rain outside and I could really do with making it soon!  x

Gingham tie-front blouse

Behold, my second make from Butterick B5895, (my first being the stretch denim Capris). This is a fifties-style tie front blouse with kimono sleeves and some lovely details such as French darts and a cross over collar at the back. Extra shape is given to the bodice by the tie front which clinches in the waist and immediately gives you a more fitted appearance. It's also a lovely, cool style to wear in hot weather.

The one hiccup I had with this pattern was attaching the collar and facing. I won't lie, it was an absolute bugger of a job, not helped by the brevity of the instructions. The underside of the collar still doesn't sit perfectly smoothly but hey, Elvis style collars are just the best for hiding all kinds of puckered seams and other unspeakable horrors. Despite this, I still think this is a pattern I'll be returning to again - next time I'll come prepared for full on combat with the collar!

I sewed a size 12 and the only change I made to the pattern was to lengthen the section above the tie front by an inch. This was because I'd read a few reviews lamenting the fact that the blouse ended up very short. There's a strange note on the pattern saying "No provisions provided for above waist adjustment" (why?), so I had to take a stab at where to add my lengthening line on the front, back and facing pieces. I decided on below the sleeve curve, just above the last buttonhole, which meant I had to re-draw the French darts as well. It's still pretty short, but with a high waisted bottom half, this shouldn't really present a problem. And if, like me, you veer towards vintage styles in your handmade wardrobe, you'll probably find quite a lot of high waisted bottom halves lurking inside. Go and have a look, you may be pleasantly surprised! Here's what I can team it with:

Sailor trousers, 1940's style wide legged trousers (I have two pairs)...

Stretch denim Capris...

Beignet skirts (I have two, both in plain colours), Kelly skirt and Ginger skirts (one denim, one red).

Teaming this blouse with my red Ginger skirt was the surprise hit of the day. I don't actually wear it that much (the crepe fabric's a bit weird to the touch) but after trying it on for my mammoth blouse-matching session, I wore it all day. 

High glamour down at the allotment wearing flip flops...

...and picking cherries!

A tie front blouse and a high waist are a great pairing: all the trimness you'd expect from being tucked in, but without any of the hassle.

My only regret with this make is my choice of buttons. I'd set my heart on some in-your-face ginormous buttons, but I actually think these may be a bit too big. In order to accommodate them, the buttonholes ended up about a foot wide (I really didn't think that buttonhole foot was ever going to turn the corner!) And because they're so big, they're closer together than I would have liked. They look nice and vintage-y though and they certainly won't put me off wearing it. 

The fabric I used was some of the turquoise gingham from my gingham bounty. It's quite thin, so I had to use a good quality interfacing to give the collar and tie some structure. I just love this shade of turquoise though, so don't be surprised if you see me sporting at least two turquoise gingham dresses next summer. I'm leaning towards Simplicity 2444, mainly because of this outstanding gingham version made by Roisin. It's even called the Oh Jane! dress after me! 

Any other pattern suggestions for Jane-friendly gingham dresses would be very gratefully received. Enjoy your day. x

OWOP - my week!

One week, one pattern, three skirts and many costume changes.  The week of wearing variations on the same tried and trusted pattern is now up and the pattern (Colette Ginger) has been well and truly worn to death.  Here's how I got on:

Day One

Denim Ginger worn with refashioned blue rose top and a green cardigan.

Spring officially sprung today, so the whole family hopped on a train and headed to Brighton.  Whilst the boys frolicked on the beach, I sloped off to Zoe's Craftaganza for an hour.  It was wonderful - by far the best craft fair I've ever been to, with a really cool mix of sellers.  I bought loads, caught up with Zoe, bumped into Kathryn and had the pleasure of meeting Rehanon and Laura for the first time.  What a fab day! 

Day Two

Apple print Ginger worn with 1930's tennis blouse.

A nice combo if you're feeling a bit old fashioned, which I was that day, lounging around reading vintage magazines and playing with my old buttons....

Day Three

Red crepe Ginger worn with an L K Bennett polka dot blouse

There's something about top-to-toe red that really puts a smile on your face. I loved wearing this outfit, hooray.

Day Four

Denim Ginger worn with rabbit blouse

The high waistbands were beginning to be a bit tiresome by this point so out came my rabbit blouse.  It's short enough to wear untucked but still fitted enough to give you some shape.  

Day Five

Red crepe Ginger worn with Peter Pan collar Pendrell

I was pleased that these two pieces went together so well as I love red and aqua.  You may notice I've added the sleeves to this blouse.  I wore it once in its sleeveless state and felt dreadful, just really frumpy.  Every time I caught sight of my reflection I felt about 100 years old.  I don't know what it is but it looks way more youthful with sleeves (they are frilly after all). 

Day Six

Apple print Ginger with a white T-shirt

The apple print came in quite handy here for jazzing up a boring top half.

Day Seven

Denim Ginger with stripe top and cherry brooch.

A nice nautical end to OWOP. It was so sunny too, I got to wear my fab new Clarks shoes, God how I love them!

Some random thoughts....

• Although it's the most casual of the three, my denim Ginger is also the most versatile.  There's virtually no top that doesn't match this madam.  
• The red crepe Ginger felt the most dressy of the three. I don't know if this was the fabric - it certainly feels a bit floatier than the other two.
• The apple print Ginger was the trickiest of the three to style.  Yes, it's a print, but the colours are also quite unusual to match (aqua and dark brown).  It was the most comfortable skirt of the three to wear though - it's the only one with a proper slippery lining.  Maybe I should keep this in mind for future skirt making?

Overall it was a really interesting exercise and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  BUT, quite early on, I did feel that I'd restricted myself by choosing a skirt pattern, doh! Versatile as it is, next time I'll go for a top pattern so I can style it with skirts AND trousers.  Funnily enough, I went straight for the trousers when getting dressed this morning!

Thanks Tilly for organising such a great initiative, I'm now looking forward to spending the day reading through everybody's thoughts on OWOP. Oh yes, and going to see a street dance 'crew' with my son of course....!  x

Ginger Mark Three

If you've been reading Tilly's blog recently, you'll know she's planning a One Week, One Pattern project from 26th March to 1st April.  The idea is simple: to celebrate those special sewing patterns that get made up again and again. How? By spending an entire week just wearing garments made from that favourite pattern.  As Tilly says, "the (mini) challenge comes in really pushing the boundaries of the pattern's versatility, finding new and creative ways of restyling similar-looking garments so it doesn't look like you're basically wearing the same outfit all week."

I love this idea and shall be jumping in whole heartedly.  It's also given me a boot up the arse to make another version of my favourite skirt pattern which I've been threatening to make for months on end.  In case you weren't paying attention to the title of this post (there's a big clue there!), I'll be wearing my Colette Patterns Ginger skirt for One Week, One Pattern.  As of today, I've now made three different versions of the skirt, which should be more than enough to get me through a whole week. Here's my latest version.

Thrillingly (for me anyway), this third version was made entirely from stash materials, yay!  For the outer skirt I used leftover wool crepe from my Swing Dress, and underlined it with a scant metre of red cotton muslin that was lurking in my linings box.   

I used a fat quarter of a 1930's style red flower print for the inside waistband and a zip that was part of my lovely bag of goodies from the Brighton sewists.  All stuff that was just lying around - I love it when that happens.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: this is a very easy skirt to make.  It took me barely a morning from deciding I was going to make it to pressing the final seam. The wool crepe is quite drapey and consequently, this third Ginger skirt has a completely different feel to my first two, which were made from much stiffer denim and cord (find them here and here). That's all good though as it means I can style it slightly differently. Talking of styling, do you like my lovely detachable collar?  

I made it using a scrap of white cotton and a vintage glass button and it took me barely half an hour.  I used Casey's excellent tutorial, which includes a printable pattern for the collar pieces.

So I'm now all set for the mini challenge - I'm really quite looking forward to wearing skirts every day for a week! x

Apple Print Ginger

Let's talk about the Colette patterns Ginger skirt.  I love the shape of this skirt: it's simple but so flattering, definitely a cut above your usual A-line.  I made my first one back in the summer and it was an instant winner - a good fit, ridiculously easy to make and denim.  What's not to like about a denim skirt?  I've worn it to death, and when it finally falls to pieces, I'll have to make an exact replica.  To avoid this sad occurrence, I thought I'd better make a second one, as contingency.

I made my second one from an apple print needle cord which I managed to nab when Kitschy Coo was selling off some of her stash.  Kitschy Coo makes children's clothes and I think the fabric was originally used for that purpose.  Now, the thought of a 42 year old woman dressed in children's clothes does conjure up images of horror, but the muted colours and Orla Kiely-esque print made me think I could just about get away with making it into a skirt.

Spot the deliberate mistake...

The only slight problem with the fabric was the lack of it: I had barely a yard.  By this point though, I'd absolutely set my heart on an apple print Ginger so there was no going back.  Thanks to some extremely cunning pattern placement, I just about managed to cut out all the pieces, but some apples are (ahem) facing the wrong direction....

The needle cord is quite thin and I was concerned about it riding up when wearing tights, so a lining was required.  I just happened to have some left over from my jacket that was the perfect colour - yay.

Lining it was pretty simple, thanks to Scruffy Badger who gave me the idea.  I made an exact copy of the skirt with lining fabric, but didn't sew up the centre back seam.

I then followed the directions in the pattern for attaching the inside facing, simply continuing to sew down to the end of the invisible zip on both sides.

I then sewed up the centre back seam.  Because there was a full lining rather than just a facing, I omitted the step which attached the back facing to the front.  I'm glad I made the effort: it's much slinkier to wear with a lining and I managed to stash bust at the same time - hooray.

The light is shocking at the moment for photographing garments, but the background of the fabric is actually a dark chocolatey brown.  So I can wear it with brown tights and boots.  And a big, mad necklace….

...and if I want to show off the high waistband, I can wear it with my 1930's blouse.

Another thumbs up for the Ginger, it's a great addition to my autumn wardrobe.  Next up I'm going to tackle the Jasmine blouse.  Happy Sunday. x

The Sorbetto/Ginger Dress

I had one final holiday sewing project to complete before getting carried away with autumn sewing and my requirements were pretty clear:

• a light dress/cover up to wear over my swimsuit
• simple and quick to make
• an inexpensive make as I’d only be wearing it for one week this year

Hhhmm, what could I make?  In my head I’d been thinking of my red gingham cover up dress from 1974.  

My bikini wearing days are well and truly over, but I wanted to make something that would remind me of that happy holiday.  What pattern(s) could possibly fulfil this tough list of requirements?  Enter the Sorbetto/Ginger dress.  Or should that be the Sorbinger?  Or the Gingetto?…..

Anyway, I’d seen versions of the Colette Patterns Sorbetto as a dress before, and was quite taken with the idea.  Sarah’s shift version was a great inspiration, but I wanted mine to have more shape to the skirt section, so I simply used my Ginger skirt pattern for the skirt part.  It’s basically a Sorbetto top and Ginger skirt merged together.  It was a very satisfying make: all the top edges are neatly bias bound and the sides and shoulders have French seams so everything is super neat.  

The fabric was two metres of a textured, very lightweight gingham which I managed to buy on a recent clandestine visit to the Goldhawk Road (I was supposed to be sorting out a day trip for my children).  At £2.50 a metre I was happy to muck around with two different patterns and not be gutted if it all went horribly wrong.

Like my Sorbetto top before it, this dress looks more flattering on me when it’s nipped in at the waist, as the boxiness of the design simply doesn’t suit my shape.  Hence the belt…

Once I’d cut out the pattern pieces, I managed to whip it together in the time it took my husband to bath the kids.  I had to sew on the bias binding at a later date, but I'd estimate the total time to complete the project, including drafting and cutting out, to be about two hours. I'm not kidding myself - I know it's a very plain, simple make - but that's exactly what I wanted.  Now, all I need is a co-ordinating polka dot bucket and I’m ready for my hols…. x

The Ginger Super Skirt

If you fancy a bit of stash busting and about two hour’s sewing, here's what you do - make yourself a Colette Patterns Ginger skirt.  I’ve been meaning to make one for ages but couldn’t quite decide which fabric to use.  Then I saw Lauren's fab denim version full of attitude, and my mind was made up.  I absolutely love Lauren's Lladybird blog, the clothes she makes are right up my street (lots of gingham and polka dots) and her attention to detail is second to none.  She’s also made the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen....  Now that I’ve embarrassed the poor girl to death, I’ll move on to the Ginger skirt.

This is a great pattern for a beginner: very few pattern pieces, simple, clear instructions and, for me, anyhow, a good fit.  If you’re thinking of sewing your first garment then I’d highly recommend it.  There is an invisible zip but don’t let that put you off, just read on!

On my bottom half at least, Colette patterns are a very good fit – I cut a straight size 8 and it fitted perfectly with no adjustments.  The Ginger is a high waisted A-line skirt with a retro look about it.  For those of you who are interested, it also has a very flattering midriff as it tends to pull you in around the stomach area (always a good thing in my case).

I used a dark denim from my stash that was left over after I made my boys a beanbag. Because the denim is quite thick, I used a thinner cotton for the inner waistband facing.  Unusually for me, I went for a print type that doesn’t usually interest me.  

That was a joke, I had a light blue polka dot in my stash and couldn’t resist!

The only bit that might put a beginner off is the invisible zip.  On my dressmaking course, my tutor taught us how to insert an invisible zip using just a standard zipper foot.  The garments I’ve made using this method have all been OK, but it’s always a bit trial and error with lots of swearing.  For this make, I decided to splash out and buy myself an invisible zipper foot. Wow, what a difference, it makes things SO much easier and neater.  I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to buy one but I’m now a true convert.  The only slight nagging feeling I have is the combination of slightly wussy, weakling child invisible zip coupled with sturdy workman’s denim.  I should probably have used a more robust zip – I’ll let you know how it fares…

Sorry vintage McCall’s 7978 your reign as queen of the A-line skirt patterns is officially over.  You’ve just been usurped by the Ginger.  I’m finding it difficult to imagine a day when I WON’T be wearing this one! x