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

Simplicity 4238 strikes again

This is the fifth version of my favourite vintage pattern (Simplicity 4238) from 1953. It was my chosen pattern for the One Week, One Pattern (OWOP) challenge last year and I'm still not bored of it! There isn't much to add to the construction of this blouse that hasn't been said before as I've got it down to a fine art now! It's a classic, notched collar style with a great 1950's shape, which is down to the cleverly positioned darts and tucks (12 in all). The only pattern change I made was to lower the bust darts by about an inch. 

Let's talk about the fabric instead. I bought this goy-jus double gauze from dangerous-on-the-purse Etsy shop Miss Matatabi last year. Tragically, it's now sold out so I can't give you the link, but what I can tell you is that it's a mid-green polka dot double gauze with a secret lurking on the inside….a gingham reverse side yee-ha! 

Double gauze is a very soft fabric to work with and because of this, the blouse has a more casual feel than some of the others I've made. It probably wasn't the most sensible choice for this pattern as I think a bit of crispness is needed around the collar area. It turned out fine though and it's very wearable so I'm happy. 

Happy!

I didn't use interfacing as double gauze already consists of two layers. This wasn't a problem with the collar, but it was a problem with the buttonhole area. My buttonhole foot was playing up badly (surprise, surprise), so I had the horror of unpicking three half finished buttonholes. Luckily the button band is double thickness and the buttonholes were quite small as I used twitchy buttons, but it still took its toll on the fabric. Therefore my only advice for working with double gauze would be to interface any areas that need a bit of support. Oh yes, and use a fine needle too.

I used self fabric binding on the armholes which is a nice contrast to the internal gingham. In fact I love all the contrasts on the inside! The lightness of the double gauze makes this a fab little addition to my summer wardrobe. I think it will also be good to take on holiday - I can see it pairing up well with my sailor shorts! 

Yet again I seem to have accidentally added another finished item to this year's Vintage Sewing Pattern Pledge. I promise I'll get round to sewing up my actual pledged pattern one of these days. Happy Friday. x

Sewing out of season

I don't know about you, but when the weather turns cold I tend to do two things on the wardrobe front. Firstly I sew a few functional, knit garments. Then I make a trip to Uniqlo and stock up on merino wool sweaters and cardigans. This fills any gaps that might have occurred after my ruthless autumn wardrobe culling, and I can finally feel warm again. Job done. As I've mentioned before though, I find blogging about functional clothing deeply boring and try not to do it too often. I only blogged about the White Russian sweatshirt because it was a new-to-me pattern. 

It gets to the point when you realise enough is enough. I've had my fill of cold weather sewing - I want to sew pretty tops and skirts, and work with lovely cottons and linens rather than knits. I want to make button up sleeveless tops and shirt dresses. So that's what I'm going to do. It may be a while before any of them actually get worn, but who cares?! Here's what's going to be on my sewing list over the next few weeks:

I've always wanted to try and draft my own version of the 1950's inspired shoulder tie dress that Casey made a few years ago.  I LOVE that particular shoulder detail and it will be a good opportunity to work with my bodice and skirt blocks. The shoulder ties are similar to the ones on this vintage pattern.

If you're interested in making a 1950's style sundress yourself, her excellent tutorials can be found here (part one) and here (part two).  I think I have just enough of the pretty Japanese lawn left over from my toned down bow blouse to make a dress.

Ever since pledging to make just the one pattern for the Vintage Sewing Pattern Pledge, I've suddenly got a burning desire to sew with vintage patterns. Talk about contrary! 

So as well as the vintage halter neck I pledged to make, I have plans to make another Simplicity 4238 using my double-sided double gauze (now there's a mouthful!) that I talked about here.

My navy gingham version is about to die on me and I need at least four versions in constant rotation through the summer or I start panicking! What can I say? I love that pattern so much!

And finally I'd like to get on with a spring shirtdress using my lovely Hemingway Designs fabric.

I have all these ideas racing around in my head and the fabric to make them with so I've decided to pull myself out of my sewing rut and just go for it. Can't wait, can't wait, can't WAIT! x

My OWOP Week

Hoorah for OWOP - what a fab week it was! I hope you all survived wearing multiple versions of the same pattern each day. Here's my week wearing vintage blouse pattern Simplicity 4238 - via the wonderful medium of photography...

Day 1 - gingham Hillbilly blouse and Kelly skirt with a Vivien of Holloway belt and cherry brooch. I added the belt as the top two buttons on this skirt are a real pain. The belt keeps them in check and I love how it looks.

Day 2 - 1950's polka dot blouse with Gertie Capri pants, Clarks clogs (from years ago) and Kate Spade bag during a family walk around Richmond Park.

Day 3 - Betty Draper blouse with red denim Delphine skirt. Everything had been very blue and denim up until this point, hence the injection of red!

Day 4 - 1950's white blouse with wide-legged trousers and Vivien of Holloway belt. This was a nice outfit but I felt a bit waitressy with the white and grey combo. The belt helps to break it up a little.

Day 5 - 1950's polka dot blouse and Miette skirt. I have to confess, I misjudged the weather on this day and had to perform a costume change mid-afternoon. As lovely as my Miette skirt is, it's floaty and linen and not very warm, so for the second half of the day I wore my Gertie capri pants…. and a cardi!

Day 6 - Betty Draper blouse and Orla Kiely cardigan. This blouse is made from Liberty Tana lawn, so it's highly appropriate that this (slightly bonkers looking) selfie, with my lovely friend Joe, was taken outside Liberty. We couldn't believe the extortionate prices on that flower stall!!

Day Seven - 1950's white blouse with green John Smedley cardigan, Anthropologie necklace and Gap jeans. I fancied a bit of unexpected colour for the last day of OWOP!

Woohoo, we did it! I'm absolutely staggered by the number of people who participated this year - over 250 at the last count!!! That's over twice the number of participants than when I compiled my ground breaking charts, so I may have to redo them (gulp!) I'm curious to know if the same pattern companies continue to crop up.  Anyway, enough about graphs, I want to share my reflections of the week with you:

• By choosing a blouse pattern, I felt that I had a lot more styling options. I could choose skirts or trousers each day - what a luxury! Fabric choice definitely plays a big part in the success of the garment. The two versions made with top quality fabrics (the 1950's polka dot blouse and the Betty Draper blouse) still look virtually brand new. Sadly the same can't be said for the gingham Hillbilly blouse, which may have to be retired soon as the shoddy fabric is struggling to look good. I love having a gingham version though, so I'll just have to make another one!

• My 1950's white blouse is not made from a practical fabric. It's almost impossible to get the creases out  so it was a bit of a pain to wear to be honest. Plain white blouses are infinitely practical however, so I'm quite tempted to make a second white one in a more everyday fabric.

• I'm never going to be that adventurous with accessories, but I did discover a really useful belt in my wardrobe this week and got to try out a new colour combination. This was the green/turquoise combo on the last day, slightly inspired by this picture on Pinterest.

• And finally…. I still like the pattern! As we all know, you can sometimes have too much of a good thing, which is what I was afraid might happen over the week. Luckily it didn't, I still love all the vintage details on this pattern and it's very flattering. I've already got plans for a few more versions of it.

But how did you get on? I'd love to read about your own reflections on OWOP, so if you've blogged about your week or have a photo set, please leave a link in the comments section of this post. If you leave a link to your photos or blog, I'll assume this means you consent to me borrowing a photo or two for the round-up post - or if you'd rather I didn't, just say so in the comments.

Thank you to everybody who participated in this challenge, I've had a blast! And don't be shy now - leave me your links so I can read ALL about it!! x

Yet another 1950's sleeveless blouse

If you like variety and change in your sewing blogs, then this post will probably have you banging your head against a wall. If you like predictability and things on repeat, then you've come to the right place. Yes, I've made yet another version of my go-to pattern for summer - vintage Simplicity 4238.

This version is plain white, which some may call boring, but I like to call perfect. Let me tell you, this top is so perfect I'm quite tempted to make another one exactly the same, just so I can rotate them in the wash! It's almost like a blouse version of a white T shirt, but with the lovely added fifties details that drew me to the pattern in the first place.

Construction-wise it was a cinch to sew - this is my fourth version (previous versions here, here and here), so I was able to whip through the instructions in no time.  The white fabric is cotton pique (Classic Textiles, Goldhawk Road) which has a very slight stretch and a crisp, waffle texture that I really like. It's a bit of a pain to launder, but worth it I think. It makes me think of tennis lessons and sailing - both imaginary of course, I've only had one tennis lesson in my life and I certainly wasn't wearing a crisp waffley white outfit…. The armholes are finished with white bias binding and I added some blue glass boat buttons that have been in my stash for ages. Sadly, the buttons must have been hand painted as they tragically lost their nautical mojo after one wash and you can barely see the boat details now. Never mind, I still like the navy contrast against the white.

Making this blouse has also made a little notch in my Vintage Pattern Sewing Pledge, hoorah. I'm now two vintage patterns down, one to go.  If you have your heart set on a sleeveless fifties blouse, then there seem to be lots of copies of this particular pattern on Etsy. Or this one looks pretty similar too.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, this blouse is the fourth version of Simplicity 4238 and my versions cover all bases:

Gingham...

Polka dots...

Floral...

Solid/plain…

This got me thinking - I have four versions of the same blouse, maybe I could rotate them day by day and wear variations of the same pattern for a whole week? Sound familiar?! Well, watch this space as I'm working out the finer details of a familiar challenge - all will be revealed in the next few weeks!!

In other news, the winner of the Love Sewing magazine giveaway is..... Lucy Howells!  Please email me your address Lucy and I'll get the magazine posted to you in the next few days. Thank you to everybody else who entered the giveaway.

Happy Thursday. x

Floral Betty top

Recently I saw this picture of Betty Draper wearing a floral print sleeveless blouse and knew immediately I had to make it. As well as being a ridiculously pretty blouse, I happened to have the perfect fabric AND the perfect pattern in my stash. And you don't have to be a rocket scientist to guess which pattern I had in mind - yup, vintage Simplicity 4238. This is my third version of this blouse (other versions here and here), but it's a great shape and a great fit - so why not?! 

Now those of you who know me well will testify to the fact that this next picture of me reading a map is laugh out loud funny. Why? Because despite being the proud owner of a geography O level, I'm absolutely hopeless at directions and spend my whole life getting lost. Poor Karen and Winnie have both been the hapless victims of my shocking sense of direction, politely biting their tongues whilst I lose myself and us in central London (where I've only lived for a mere 20 years...)

             

Back to the blouse....The fabric is a Liberty print cotton from one of the goody bags kindly supplied by Minerva Crafts at the epic blogger meet up in April. I'd initially received a set of crochet hooks in my goody bag and after bemoaning the fact that I don't crochet to Sally from Charity Shop Chic, she very kindly offered to swap bags. Just another instance of how awesome sewing bloggers are. If I'd received Liberty fabric in my goody bag, you'd have had to prise it from my fingers, but no, she happily handed it over without a murmur. Thank you SSOO much Sally! There was only a metre of fabric, but that's the great thing about his pattern - a metre is all that's required.  As soon as I saw the Betty picture, I knew immediately that I would use the goody bag fabric to recreate it. My fabric has a bit more red and blue in it and perhaps not as much green and yellow, but it's a pretty good match. 

The vintage pearly buttons were gifted to me by another blogger and I'm ashamed to say I can't remember who. If you recognise them as precious buttons you gave to an ungrateful wretch named Jane, then please let me know and I'll give you the credit you so rightfully deserve! I used vintage pink bias binding for the insides of the sleeves which gives the blouse a wonderfully girly finish. 

And talking of girly, look what was printed on the wrapper? You're invited to write in for trims and scraps to make dolls clothes with! Aw! 

Although I made exactly the same size, this blouse is a looser fit than my last version, as the stretch cotton I used last time really yanked you into position. It's still a good, fitted shape overall though, thanks to the trillions of darts. I haven't tried it tucked in but I suspect it passes the test, how can you go wrong with such lovely fabric? 

Not much more to say about it really, except that it has the potential to be a versatile little number this summer, especially with all those reds and blues in the fabric. And it looks good with shorts too, thanks for the outfit suggestion Betty! x

1950's sleeveless top revisited

I have a soft spot for sleeveless 1950's tops. Or to be specific, I have a soft spot for button fronted, notched collared, darted sleeveless tops made from vintage 1950's patterns. Tops like this one…

I made this first version almost exactly two years ago and I love it, even though it's far, far from perfect. I completely lost my way constructing the collar and ended up doing my own thing. It's made from cheap, shoddy gingham which I didn't even attempt to match up. Nothing is interfaced etc etc. I'm getting very critical here (sorry top) but the thing is, none of that matters because I love it to death, it's one of my most worn handmade items and is just so perfectly me it's ridiculous. So when I was going through the remains of my stash (which is reducing at an alarming rate I'm happy to report) and found just under a metre of navy stretch polka dot fabric, I knew exactly how it could be put to good use. I would make another sleeveless top from the same pattern (vintage Simplicity 4238). 

The fabric, which is left over from my Ruby dress, is awesome. It's got a slight stretch to it which is perfect for fitted garments as it yanks you in. And because it's medium weight and holds its shape pretty well, I didn't have to bother with interfacing. 

I was pretty inexperienced in sewing with vintage patterns when I made my first version so it was good to be able to come back to the pattern with a bit more experience under my belt.  Instructions that made no sense whatsoever two years ago, suddenly became crystal clear. I still really like the pattern details too, lots of strategically placed darts (12 in total) which give a great 1950's shape. 

I used pale blue vintage fish eye buttons. Normally I'd go for white or red buttons with navy but fancied a change. Plus, they're a perfect match with this cardigan….

On Brighton beach with my boy

Talking of buttons, buttonhole placements on patterns never quite manage to be in the right place for my shape. More often than not there's a bit of gaping, which is really frustrating when the rest of the make is perfect.  This time, I followed the brilliant advice Sunni from A Fashionable Stitch gave on buttonhole placement here and it worked a treat, no gaping whatsoever.

Verdict? Love it!

I've already cut out another gingham version and I'm now thinking I might need to make yet another version in white. A white sleeveless top is supremely handy to have in the wardrobe and would be a good match for my yellow Miette skirt (inspired by Marie's lovely styling here). Actually the navy polka dot version would go well with the Miette skirt too… it seems to go with everything else! Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts. x

1950's Hillbilly Blouse

With the unseasonably good weather we’ve been enjoying recently, I thought I’d better get cracking on a few more summer tops for Me-Made-June. 

I hadn’t got round to sewing this 1950’s Simplicity pattern before as it’s for a 34 inch bust and I thought it would be too small. I've been trying to work up the energy to try a full bust adjustment. Then I read this post by Gina on her blog Vintage Girl, in which she recommends choosing a pattern based on your high bust measurement rather than your full bust measurement for a more accurate fit.  Apparently, this is a good way to buy a pattern if you’re a C cup or above, which I am.  I usually cut a size 36 bust, as that’s what my bust measures, but I do have problems with back width and general bagginess.  My high bust is 34, so as an experiment, I thought I’d sew up the 34 inch pattern and see how I fared. 

As my test fabric I used some £2 a metre navy gingham from Shepherd’s Bush market. I LOVE gingham and always have.  Here I am on holiday in Italy aged five, rocking the gingham look!

And here’s one of my mum and her friends from the same holiday looking ridiculously 1970’s!  It’s nothing whatsoever to do with sewing, but I couldn’t resist, look at her outfit!

So, back to the blouse… I secretly hoped the test blouse would fit so I could prance around in something gingham.

And guess what?  It does!  It’s a really good fit across the bust ….

....and across the back.  

No back narrowing adjustment needed. Thank you Gina for a really useful post.

The pattern has some lovely details, dart tucks at the front and back plus neck darts. It’s also naturally longer than a lot of 1950’s patterns, which often tend to be on the short side. I’ll admit that attaching the collar and facing was an absolute bugger for me to get my head round.  I finally figured it out, but there was a fair bit of unpicking to do before it all made sense. Apart from that, it was a nice, easy pattern. I’ll almost certainly use it again to make a second version.

Looks nice with red too. 

I do feel a bit like Ellie May Clampett from the Beverley Hillbillies in it but that’s no bad thing.  Being navy based, it will match lots of my wardrobe, so I’m sure it will get lots of wear. Next up, something in polka dots I think….