The perfect denim skirt (probably)

Who doesn't love a denim skirt? I've made plenty over the years (here, here, here and here) and I'm still not bored of them. When I was at the Knitting & Stitching Show recently I fell for some lovely bright blue seventies style denim from Guthrie & Ghani and immediately knew I wanted to make another one with it. The question was, what style of denim skirt to make?

My current favourite pairing: plain jumper, big necklace and clogs

If you type 'denim skirt' into Pinterest, 99% of the resulting pins are either A-line button up styles, denim minis or a combination of the two. I already own a RTW denim mini which I hardly ever wear, and it seemed a bit pointless to make another one just for the sake of it. I wanted to use my denim to make a skirt that would be worn a lot, so I scrutinised my handmade wardrobe for inspiration. The two skirts that I wear the most are my barkcloth skirt made from a vintage pattern and my chambray Simplicity 2451. Both of them have just the right amount of ease to be comfortable, but are still a great shape. Having made the one seam skirt twice already, I decided to give the Simplicity pattern another go.

Casual with a striped T-shirt

Simplicity 2451 is quite an old pattern and tragically now appears to be out of print (oh no!) - I must get into the habit of sewing patterns when they're current rather than years later. If you can get your hands on a copy though I'd highly recommend it - it's relatively simple and very satisfying to sew. As per last time, I cut a size 12 of view C, with no changes and the fit is just right. The denim has a slight stretch, which always helps. Because I was using a thicker fabric this time, I used a precious fat quarter of vintage feedsack for the inside waist facing and the pocket linings.

I love the contrast and the fact that the blue in the feedsack design is almost an exact colour match for the denim. 

Paired with a pretty vintage blouse 

I'm so glad I went with a pattern that suits my style. Yes, it's not the most hip pattern on the block but as you can see from the photos it works for me and my wardrobe! In fact, I can't think of any of my tops that this skirt wouldn't work with - I have tons of styling ideas. I may have to try that out as an experiment: one skirt, styled seven different ways!  x

One Week, One Pattern 2016

The past week has seen me wearing different variations of New Look 6217 each day as part of OWOP (One Week, One Pattern) 2016. The challenge was run this year by Hannah at Cinderellis Sews and I had a lot of fun mixing and matching garments made from my current favourite pattern.

I cheated slightly as I've made both tops and skirts from the pattern, so it wasn't actually much of a stretch. But considering the pattern also includes trousers and a kimono jacket I think I was actually quite restrained! What I like about the top and skirt patterns is the fit: they have a fair amount of wearing ease but still skim the body to show off your curves. I already had three versions of the top and two of the skirt, but just managed to squeeze out another last minute top to give myself a bit more choice. Here's what I wore:

Day 1 - Red Swiss Dot NL6217 top and Gap jeans. I was visiting the Undressed exhibition at the V & A museum with Scruffy Badger. 

Day 2 - Denim NL6217 skirt and 1960's Shoulder Tie top (without shoulder ties!) I was at the allotment pretending to help, so this combo was actually really comfortable, although a white top probably wasn't the wisest choice for picking raspberries...

Day 3 - Liberty print NL6217 top and denim Arielle skirt. I hadn't tried this combo before now and was surprised how much I liked it.

Day 4 - Denim NL6217 skirt and Gingham Granville shirt. The Ginghamalong went live today so I wore my new gingham shirt with my New Look denim skirt. It's a bit of a polka dot/gingham clash but I think they look good together! This photo was taken outside my local boozer, complete with splendid old tiles.

Day 5 - Ivory Crepe NL6217 top and Liberty Carline Delphine skirt. This is a new, unblogged version of the top made from a 80cm remnant of prestige crepe from the Fabric Godmother sale. The drape is perfect for this pattern and I loved wearing it on its first outing. Being off white, it's also useful for pairing with garments that are difficult to match things to (like this skirt!) 

Day 6 - Black crepe NL6217 top and Bamboo skirt. Suitably smart attire for visiting the Buckingham Palace state rooms with my mother-in-law!

Day 7 - Black Crepe NL6217 top and Sew Over It Ultimate Trousers. Here I am meeting the lovely Mark from Girl Charlee UK at the Handmade Fair in Hampton Court (more on my visit in the next blog post).

A few reflections on the challenge:

• I'm sooooo pleased I chose this pattern, everything I've made from it feels like such a natural part of my everyday wardrobe. 
• The top is a simple shape and easy to make, but I think fabric choice and colour are key to wearing them often. The fact that I had three solid, neutral colours tops meant they could be paired with anything. Plus the lovely quality of the fabrics made them feel just a bit more special than a T shirt or cotton top in the same colours.
• I love the slim silhouette of the skirt and the quirky little side split - I'll definitely be making more of them.
• I'm still not very adventurous with accessories!

Thank you to Hannah for hosting the challenge and I'm looking forward to seeing what everybody else has been wearing for the past week! Have a great weekend. x

SaveSave

Another New Look 6217 skirt…and top

I told you I wasn't finished with New Look 6217 just yet! After helping my friend Emma to make her Budgie Skirt I had a sudden yearning to make another one for myself. The good thing about this pattern is that both front and back pieces are cut on the fold (the zip's in the side seam). So as long as you have a wideish piece of fabric where the selvedges can be folded into the centre, you only need a very small amount. Gratifyingly I managed to use up the last half metre of stretch polka dot denim from my Ultimate Trousers, yes!

I sewed a straight size 12 again, but could probably have done with sizing down at the waist as the fabric has so much stretch to it. I'm intending to wear this skirt a LOT over the coming months though, so it's nice to know I'll have a bit of a pie eating safety net built in!

To finish the waist I made self bias binding instead of the twill tape the pattern specifies. Because of the stretch in the fabric I cut the binding on the straight grain instead of the bias and it worked a treat. 

But wait, there's more….. I picked up two lovely Swiss Dot cottons (one red, one navy) at the Fabric Godmother Open Day on Saturday and the red one seems to have magically transformed itself into a New Look 6217 top! I've used Swiss Dot fabric once before when I made a sleeveless Granville shirt and it's perfect for summer dressmaking. I underlined the pattern pieces on that occasion as the fabric was very transparent, but didn't bother this time as the colour is much darker. The resulting top is beautifully light and airy for summer, I definitely think this pattern benefits from using a fabric with lots of drape.

As before (here and here) I sewed a size 12 at the bust, grading down to a 10 at the waist and hips. I lengthened the pattern by one inch this time and it's a nice length on me either tucked in or untucked. As the fabric is quite fine I used French seams throughout and finished the neckline with red bias tape from my stash. Easy peasy.

It's also a perfect match with my new skirt! Have a good day!

Anya Shoulder Bag

After a short sewing break over Christmas I decided to ease myself back into sewing by making a bag. I don't make bags very often, probably because I've made so many reversible shoppers to sell at craft fairs it's almost put me off for life! The type of bag I needed was a shoulder bag suitable for family walks or trips to the park, but with a bit more style than a basic tote or calico bag (of which I have many!)

The Anya Shoulder Bag from So, Zo... seemed to fit the bill perfectly - it has a stylish rounded shape and I particularly like the pleat detail.

So on New Year's Day I spent a pleasant couple of hours hunting through my stash looking for suitable fabrics. I wanted a solid colour for the main bag to minimise outfit clashes and decided on a classic go-with-everything denim. The fabric recommendation is for a sturdy, medium-heavy weight woven fabric with no stretch content, so I used a remnant of dark indigo denim left over from my McCalls 6696 shirt dress. The pattern advises you to interface the outer bag fabric, but I chose not to as my denim was so robust.

The good thing about denim is that it complements absolutely any fabric, so I was able to really go for it when it came to choosing a lining. I used a goy-jus mustard barkcloth that I bought from Misformake in the summer (now sold out sadly).

It's printed with little houses and the overall feel of the fabric is very mid-century - I love it! I only had half a metre, which isn't really enough for garment making, but plenty big enough for a spectacular bag lining! Because it's barkcloth, it's also a reasonable weight, making the whole bag pretty sturdy. 

This pattern was a delight to work with. The PDF is super speedy to tile together (only four A4 pages). and the instructions include colour photos and very comprehensive explanations for each step. Making this bag was such a stress-free experience: all the pieces fit together perfectly so you can't really go wrong. And I still got to flex my sewing muscles by inserting a lining, top stitching and making pleats, just on a very small, simple scale!

My version of the Anya bag doesn't include the button tab as I don't particularly like them. At some point I'll make myself sew on a large popper to keep the top closed for added security. I also shortened the straps by four inches as the bag sat too far down my body as originally drafted. I'm really happy with the finished bag and I know I'll be using it a lot this year.

The Anya bag doesn't require much fabric (just under a metre for the outer bag and about half a metre for the lining) and can easily be completed in an afternoon. I can see myself making lots more of them in the future as gifts! All in all, a very satisfying first project for the New Year! 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

Hello sailor!

As you'll know, if you've read this post, I've had plans to sew myself a pair of sailor shorts for a while. I have a LOT of striped tops in my wardrobe, all waiting patiently for some denim sailor shorts to turn up and be paired off with. Very patiently in fact - I haven't owned a pair of denim shorts since 1993…..

Obviously gigantic messenger bags were all the rage 20 years ago.

Sadly I'm no longer the stick-thin 24 year old in the photo, but I wasn't going to let that stop me,  I just used a pattern that was a bit more flattering to my shape. The pattern is Kwik Sew 3854 which comes with two options: mid-length sailor shorts (which I opted for) or a fancy looking shorts/culottes/skirt hybrid. This was my first time using a Kwik Sew pattern and I was mightily impressed with the well explained written instructions and clear diagrams. The pattern I used was kindly lent to me by Zoe, but Sewbox also stocks it here.

I cut a size medium, which, according to the envelope, should have fitted perfectly, but they turned out much too loose, especially around the derriere. The denim I used has some stretch to it, but I suspect this pattern is sized quite generously anyway, stretch fabric or not. As usual, I couldn't be arsed to sew a muslin, so had to make all the fit adjustments on the go. To get them to fit the way I wanted them to, I removed a 1½" wedge from the top of the back crotch curve and ⅝" from the top of the front crotch curve. This means my waistband now has a centre back seam in it, like gents trousers! I also brought in the inside leg by ⅝", but left the side seams as they were as I didn't want to mess with the shape.

I like the way sailor shorts or trousers are constructed: they have a central panel section/flap which folds open just above the pockets. When worn, the shorts are buttoned on each side of the waistband for a snug fit.  You can't really get a sense of the exact fit until they're all buttoned up, so do as I say and not as I do - make a muslin first if you're at all worried about sizing!

I faithfully followed all my own advice from my tips for sewing with denim post and they sewed up perfectly. I used a contrast cotton for the inside waistbands and pocket facings to reduce bulk - I like the fact that behind all that denim, lurks a tropical surprise

For buttons I used the same wooden anchor buttons from Textile Garden that Winnie used on her Nautical Coco. Aren't they amazing?! They come with little holes in them, so you can sew your own anchors in any colour of thread. My thanks to the reader who suggested they'd be a good match for my sailor shorts! It did take a little while to hand sew the anchors on six buttons, but I think the time invested was worth it. Sadly, my buttonholes are a bit of a mess, but that's the advantage of using gorgeous buttons - nobody will be looking at the buttonholes!

I love these shorts! The fit is exactly what I was hoping for: comfortable and flattering but with a bit of a retro flavour to stop them looking too mumsy (I hope!) And as expected, they're a perfect match with my striped Coco.

Untucked….

…or tucked in

Hoorah for sailor shorts! 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.

Finished: Denim Shirt Dress

After the endless denim talk on my blog recently, I thought I'd better show you my first (but definitely not my last!) denim make of the year - a denim shirt dress using McCall's 6696. I decided on this pattern after being completely bowled over by Sew Dixie Lou's summery sleeveless version. I didn't want to wait until summer to make it though - I needed a dress that I could wear during the day with boots and tights - and that's when the idea for a denim shirt dress was born.

For fabric I used a dark, dress weight denim from Minerva Crafts which I initially thought might be a bit too stiff, but it actually behaved itself perfectly whilst I was making the dress. The sturdiness of the fabric ensured everything matched up and the seams and darts were easy to press flat. The pattern was also a delight to use - I went for view D, which features a straight skirt with inset pockets and longer sleeves. I measured all the pattern pieces beforehand (as advised by Clare) and was satisfied that the size 14 would be the right fit. I also seem to have cunningly side stepped the whole issue of a FBA with this dress as the pattern allows for different cup sizes. Separate bodice pieces are given depending on the difference between your high bust measurement and your full bust measurement. Please note: the cup sizes on this pattern are NOT the same as bra cup sizes so you'll need to measure yourself carefully to see which bodice piece you need. I  cut a straight size 14 all over and a C cup. The only change I made to the pattern pieces was to shorten the skirt by 2.5 inches.

I really like most of the features on this dress but there are still a couple of things that the jury's out about. After sewing up the original pointy cuffs, I decided they looked way too pointy pointy and alien-like, so swapped them for straight ones. ("Pointy birds, pointy, pointy. anoint my head, anointy, nointy"- five gold stars to anyone who can tell me which film that line is from….) The gathered back also takes a bit of getting used to - I do like a yoke and a few gathers, but this is maybe a gather too far. Despite the good fit across the bust (hoorah), the lower bodice feels a bit baggy and is a looser fit than I'm used to. After a bit of pondering, I left the bodice as it was and it hasn't killed me, it's actually really comfortable to wear. This is supposed to be a dress version of a pair of jeans after all. If in doubt, I can always add a belt...

Taking my own advice from my Tips for Sewing with Denim post, I used contrasting cotton poplin (last seen on my blue rose drawstring top ) for the pockets and under collar.

Contrast pocket, you can just see the straight cuff too

If I'd had a bit more fabric to spare, I would have cut the inner yoke and waistband pieces from it too, which would have made the inside even prettier. It's slightly annoying that the under collar is actually visible when I wear the dress. For some reason I was thinking it would be buttoned up to the neck. Why? Why? It's a well known fact that I hate anything too tight around the neck. I'm such a dumbo sometimes!

The instructions call for the front band to be attached to the top and bottom of the dress with a few slip stitches, which wasn't going to satisfy me, The front bands and the waistband were all firmly topstitched into submission. One good thing about sewing with denim is that you can never have enough topstitching. The more you add, the better your garment looks!

Top stitched front bands and vintage buttons

I'm really happy with the end result, I now have a dress that fits well, is super comfortable and made of denim. What more could you ask for?! If you'd like to make a denim shirt dress of your own, you can buy a Minerva kit comprising two metres of medium weight, indigo denim (the fabric is wide so I was able to cut out the whole long sleeved dress from two metres), McCalls 6696 and matching denim thread. If you plan on top stitching the life out of your dress then you may wish to purchase additional denim thread as I ran out half way through.

Happy Friday everybody!  x

The kit was given to me free of charge as part of the Minerva Crafts Blogger Network. All views my own.

Railroad denim giveaway winner

Thank you so much to everybody who entered my denim giveaway. I was thrilled to discover that so many of you are big denim fans and I hope my tips for sewing with it prove useful.

So, without further ado, the randomly chosen winner of 2.5 metres of Robert Kaufman Railroad Denim is……Zoe from Hellozoeb!! Congratulations Zoe and happy sewing. Please email me your address and I'll make sure the precious denim is sent out to you ASAP. I'd like to say a big thank you to Annie from The Village Haberdashery for so generously donating such gorgeous fabric.

Right, there's lashing rain outside so I really must get on with the albatross around my neck, my vintage raincoat…  At least my denim shirtdress is finished and fabulous - I'll be back tomorrow waxing lyrical about it!  x