Best and worst of 2013

Best and worst of 2013 lists seem to be popping up all over the place, I love a good list, so I thought I'd better jump on the bandwagon pretty sharpish. Let's start with the successes shall we? Here are my top five handmade hits of 2013:

Polka Dot Bow Blouse

When I made this blouse I declared that I'd like to wear it for the rest of my life, and I still stand by those words. Red, with polka dots, sleeveless for maximum cardi-wearing action and a perfect Mrs Slocombe bow - I don't think it can get much better than this.

Anna Dress

Don't let the simplicity of the lines and the plainness of the fabric deceive you. The cut of this kimono-sleeved pattern is just lovely and the fabric - Brussels Washer yarn dyed chambray - is a delight to wear. There will definitely be more Anna dresses in 2014 and that's a promise.

Gertie Capri Pants

A surprise hit as they have a very high waist, so are not the most forgiving of trousers. I still found myself wearing them again and again all summer long. Maybe because they're a thinly disguised retro version of jeans?!

Blue Rose Shirt Dress

I loved making this and was so proud of the finished dress. It's fully underlined with silk cotton and the blue rose Liberty Tana Lawn is sooo soft and buttery to work with. I've worn it quite a lot too which I'm happy about as I spent so long getting it just right.

1950's Sleeveless Tops

Bit of a cheat here as there are actually two tops, a polka dot version and a floral version. But in my defence, they were both made from the same pattern (vintage Simplicity 4238). Again, their sleeveless status is massively in their favour and the twelve darts in each top makes them a very flattering wear. Along with the original gingham top made from the same pattern, these were on regular rotation throughout the year. Expect a couple in plain colours to make an appearance next year….

One of my aims when making my own clothes has always been to try and make things I'll actually wear. This sometimes means going for the boring option when it comes to patterns or fabric, but this doesn't bother me as my major concern is that the garment must actually get worn. I'm happy to report that out of all the handmade garments in 2013. only one has never been worn and only one has been declared a downright failure. Everything else has been well and truly worn and worn again, which I'm very happy about. So my fails list only consists of two items:

Never worn: Colette Juniper Trousers

Even though they've never been worn, I don't want to declare these trousers a total fail for a number of reasons:

• They're very well made and I'm stupidly proud of this
• They incorporate my Sewlution of 2013 which was to sew trousers with a fly front
• They actually fit me like a glove

They're also very wide and very red… I know I just need to find the right occasion and the right amount of confidence to be able to sashay down the street in them. That day will come, I'm sure of it.

Downright failure - Tofino PJ bottoms

A bit annoying this as I actually really needed some PJ bottoms when I made them. They looked nice, but their failure was all down to the thick piping I used, which went against my better judgement. Not only did I look like Sporty Spice when wearing them, but they were also impractical. If you must know, I sleep face down on my front and would wake up each morning with piping-shaped ridges right down my legs. The piping actually woke me up a couple of times during the night they were so uncomfortable and as a famously heavy sleeper, this was the deal breaker. Out they went I'm afraid.

Apart from that, I'm very happy with my 2013 handmade wardrobe and have big plans for making another year's worth of wearable clothes in 2014 (more on that in a future post).

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all so much for your incredible support, advice and friendship in 2013, it really has been invaluable. I'm so grateful for the friends I've met through sewing and blogging, here's to another happy year in 2014! Merry Christmas everybody! x

Sewlution Juniper trousers

I did it, I did it!! I completed my Sewlution for 2013 - to make a pair of trousers with a zip fly. Hoorah. I rule.

Ahh the relief!

I used the Colette Juniper pattern and even though they didn't actually take that long to make, the pattern instructions for the fly front had me completely flummoxed. How on earth they managed it on last week's Great British Sewing Bee with a rubbishy set of instructions I do not know!! The insertion of a fly front is a relatively quick and simple job, it's just getting your head around how it all fits together that's the difficult part (well it is for me anyway). Luckily, there's a photo tutorial on the Coletterie website which is a godsend if, like me, you need to see things visually in order for them to click in your head. There wasn't anything else tricky about the construction and the only change I made to the pattern was to shorten the leg length by three inches. 

I made a size 8, which initially seemed a bit on the tight side, until I realised that they're actually supposed to be extremely fitted around the waist and hips. My big worry was that they might be too wide in the leg, but on comparing them to my Simplicity 3688 1940's trousers and my sailor trousers, they're actually narrower in the leg than both pairs. Would you credit it?!

Very fitted around the derriere 

I think it's the design that made me think they're about fifty inches wide - the legs drop straight down vertically to the floor from a very fitted waist and hip. In the end I didn't narrow the leg width, having decided that they might look a bit odd if I tried to taper them in.

Side view

Fabric-wise, I used a lovely red gabardine from Calico Laine which was a delight to work with - hardly any fraying at all. As I'm short I only needed two metres, so at £5.99 a metre it was a cheapish make. I used scraps of leftover Lauren Childs Liberty fabric for the pockets which was last seen on my second Violet blouse. This worked well as Liberty Tana Lawn is a perfect weight for pocket lining. 

One final change I made was to add two buttons to the waistband instead of sewing on hooks and eyes. It may seem like madness to some of you, but it was actually a lot quicker and more beneficial to my mental health to make two buttonholes and sew on the buttons than it would have been to sew on some evil hooks and eyes (uurrgh). I like the way they look too - I think they add a bit of a nautical touch.  

Oh yes I nearly forgot - look at the interfacing on my waistband pieces... 

"What interfacing', I hear you cry, "I can't see any." Well that's because it's RED!! Yes, red interfacing from Walthamstow market - how cool is that?!

I'm pleased I've finally made these trousers and I'm ecstatic to have ticked off my Sewlution at the same time (there's nothing like somebody putting your name in a jar to make you stick to a task!) 

On reflection, I think they're quite a difficult shape of trouser to wear, which is probably why there aren't that many versions out there. They kind of remind me of Oxford Bags - I feel like I should be doing backflips down at the Wigan Casino when I wear them. So they may take a bit of getting used to...

Oxford bags in action

Also, because the waist is so fitted, you can't really tuck a top into them or you end up with an unsightly bulge. They look good with navy though, which is always a crowd pleaser in my book. Happy Monday. x

Trouser department dilemma

Ooh crikey, Karen's been dipping her hand into the Sewlutions Jar and pulling out names at random. I thought I'd better at least start thinking about my Sewlution, just in case she does it again and catches me unawares (a bit like an Ofsted Inspector swooping down on a school with an hour's notice…)  My Sewlution is to make a pair of trousers with a fly front in 2013. That's still going to happen - it has to by the law of the jar - but I can't for the life of me decide which pattern to use. There are two contenders: the Thurlow trousers by Sewaholic or the Juniper trousers by Colette Patterns, both of which I own and both of which have a fly front. 

My fabric of choice will be red gabardine (mmm red gabardine…) and the image I have in my head is decidedly nautical, maybe helped along by these inspiration pictures?

By Burda member Fletcher and Fenn. Love the nautical detailing.

From Elle. They're a tad long but I love the fit at the waist

Vintage look Swing Trousers from Vivien of Holloway

I thought I'd lay out the pros and cons of each pattern in the hope that it will help me decide. Here goes…  

THURLOW

PROS:

1. Tons of fabulous inspiration is out there in the blogosphere: Lauren's fitted denim pair, Andrea's chic grey pair sans pockets, Scruffy Badger's gorgeous dogtooth pair, I could go on...

2. A fabulous, extremely helpful, step-by-step sewalong by none other than Lauren Lladybird already exists.

CONS:

1. I already own a pair of black Banana Republic trousers that could be a Thurlow twin separated at birth.

2. I never wear them, even though they fit me like a glove, maybe there's a reason for this?

3. I'm not that keen on boot cut trousers (see above).

JUNIPER

PROS:

1. The instructions look comprehensive, plus all the steps seem to be covered on various Coletterie tutorials if I get stuck.

2. Dixie DIY has made an awesome denim pair which look great, she gave the pattern a positive review too, which is encouraging. 

3. Fab high fitted waist and vintage cut.

4. Would be a great match for lots of my vintage style blouses and wedge shoes.

CONS:

1. Hardly anybody has made them so there are very few versions out there to drool over (apart from Dixie's!)

2. The ginormous width of the legs….can leg width be reduced?

3. If the leg width can't be reduced, then they may just be too wide for my small frame and lack of height (although that's what wedges were invented for surely?)

Actually, having just put this all down in writing, I think I'm swaying slightly more in favour of one pattern rather than the other, can you guess which one?! I'd love to know if you have an opinion on this important trouser issue. Don't be shy, if you think one style is a total non-starter, I need to know!  I'll let you know what I decide next week. In the meantime, have a great weekend. x