Pattern Runway Kimono Sleeved Dress

This is the Easy Short Sleeved Kimono Dress from Pattern Runway - a relaxed fit dress with an elastic waist, short kimono sleeves and keyhole opening at the centre back. I hadn't heard of Pattern Runway before I bought this pattern and I think their designs are lovely - contemporary and chic with some great detailing. I actually bought my pattern as a PDF from Craftsy but the company also has a website with a pattern shop here.  

The instructions are well explained with clear diagrams and, where appropriate, industrial sewing methods are used in order to complete the garment quicker e.g. all seams apart from the centre back are pressed flat together and to the back. It's also worth noting that seam allowances for this pattern are 1cm rather than the standard 1.5cm (5/8").

There are no finished measurements provided (apart from the length), so I took a punt and sewed a size M based on the size chart. The fit was pretty much spot on and I only made two small changes to the pattern. The dress is supposed to have a deep (8cms) topstitched hem which I wasn't keen on, so I shortened my skirt piece by 8cms, plus a further 3cms once it was sewn up. The finished length is just above my knee. The other change was to the sleeve openings which were drafted too low for my liking. I raised the underarm seam by 3.5cm, then curved it round to meet up with the side seam. The armholes still have a lot of room but are now more modest, ensuring I don't flash my entire bra every time I lift my arms. 

Construction-wise, the dress was very straight forward and easy to sew. The skirt is just a rectangle with elastic sewn to the waistline seam to cinch it in. This does the job but I'd be tempted to create a waist casing for the elastic next time for a neater finish inside. The neckline and arm openings are both finished with facings but I only used the neckline facing. I find armhole facings a pain to stay in place at the best of times, even more so when working with the world's drapiest fabric. I finished mine with a narrow double hem and they look fine. 

Fabric recommendations are for light to medium weight fabrics that drape - the key word here is drape. I used a very drapey rayon from Fabric Rehab (now sadly closed down) and it was the perfect fabric for the pattern. The biscuit coloured background colour probably isn't the most flattering shade for my skin tone, but who cares when your fabric is printed with sailing boats and polka dots?! 

The relaxed fit makes this a cool and airy dress for summer. Perfect for slinging in a suitcase to take on holiday or for wearing out and about on baking hot days. The pattern is described on the website as 'super easy, super quick to sew and lovely to wear' and I don't think I'd argue with that! Have a good day. x

Bamboo Skirt

This skirt started life in a very different manner to what you see before you. I've had the fabric (a  drapey bamboo print viscose from Fabric Godmother, now sold out) squirrelled away for ages. If it looks familiar it's because I used the same fabric in red for my Sew Over It Pussybow Blouse. It worked perfectly for that project so I thought I'd use it to try out a shirtdress from Butterick (B6333). 

It turned out to be a very poor fabric choice for that particular pattern - the viscose was too drapey. Despite measuring all the pattern pieces carefully, the resulting dress was far too big and hung on me like a rag. Even after pinning it for a closer fit it felt like I was wearing some kind of glamorous dinner ladies overall! The dress was stuffed in a bag and forgotten about for most of the summer until I re-discovered it last week. I immediately knew I couldn't bear to waste such lovely fabric, so decided to see if I could hack it into something else instead.

The version of the shirtdress I originally intended to make was view C which has a narrow skirt with darts to the back, pleats to the front and inseam pockets. I really wanted to keep those skirt features so decided to turn the dress into a slim, drapey skirt instead. After removing the bodice and pinning the centre front together, I realised that I could actually get the skirt on and off without any openings. Aha! All I did then was to sew the front plackets closed and attach a wide elastic waistband to the top (I used my own Easy Elastic Waist Skirt tutorial for this). One finished skirt!

The only problem with the skirt is that you can't see any of the pleating details (or even the placket for that matter) amongst the bamboo print. I know it's there though! Because the print is so busy I can only really wear it with a plain top. Unless I'm feeling particularly brave of course, in which case I could pair it with my Pussy Bow Blouse and swan around in double bamboo! Needless to say I haven't tried this yet...

I think this skirt will be a great transitional garment for autumn: light and drapey for warm days yet smart enough to wear with tights and autumnal knitwear once the weather turns cooler. It's a shame the original pattern didn't work for me but sometimes it's easier to accept that and move on. I'm just pleased I managed to salvage such a chic little skirt out of the wreckage. Happy Sunday! x

Sew Over It Pussy Bow Blouse

It's no secret that I have a bit of a thing for pussy bow blouses. I've made three from a Simplicity pattern (here, here and here) and one from a vintage pattern. I love them all and they never disappoint. They do all sport quite large, floppy bows though (with the exception of this one which was toned down for the beach), so I was keen to add one with a long, thin tie to my repertoire. 

Enter the Sew Over It Pussy Bow Blouse pattern - I can't believe this pattern has escaped my clutches for so long! It has all the features I've been looking for: long, thin ties, long sleeves and easy to wear tucked in or out, hoorah! The first thing I did was to follow the advice of Karen from Did You Make That in this post and measure the sleeve length carefully. The sleeves are designed to pool around the wrist and gather in with a buttoned cuff. The trick is not to have the sleeves too long or you run the risk of looking like a Disney Prince. Being slightly challenged in the arm length department, I obediently measured my arm against the sleeve and shortened it by two inches.

There are no closures on this pattern, so construction of the basic blouse shape was a breeze. It did take me a bit more time to get the two sides of the ties lined up perfectly at the centre front. The sleeves were also quite time consuming as they involved making cuffs and rouleau loops for the button closures.

Size wise I cut a size 10 for the blouse and size 8 sleeves to make them a little more streamlined. Apart from shortening the sleeves I made no other changes to the pattern. I like the fit - it's fitted enough to wear either loose or tucked in with slim trousers or jeans.

Of the two I think I prefer it tucked in

It also looks good with a skirt if you fancy going for a Miss Moneypenny look.

Fabric-wise, the pattern recommends a lightweight fabric with lots of drape, and the one I used - Bamba Viscose in red from Fabric Godmother - was perfectly suited to the job. The viscose (or rayon) has a nice drape without being too slippery. I found it easy to pin and cut out and it sewed up beautifully.

The nice thing about this pattern is that it's relatively easy to make, yet the finished blouse looks very accomplished. Maybe it's the bow?! There's nothing complicated about sewing bows or neck ties - they're just tubes of fabric sewn to the neck seam - but for some reason they always give the impression of being super fancy! My non-sewing friends always compliment me when I'm wearing a bow blouse. A fully lined coat barely registers on their radar, but a bow at the neck? Very impressive! So if you like impressing your friends and strutting around like Dog Toby, this could be the pattern for you! My mum's coming to visit next weekend, so I'll see if the blouse passes the Dog Toby test (explanation found in this post)…

Have a good day! x

Autumn sewing list: semi-posh tops and cocktail dresses

The weather in the UK is pretty chilly at the moment and it definitely feels like autumn is on its way. All the lightweight tops and sundresses will be packed away in the not too distant future, which means a new season of sewing can begin. I don't have any concrete plans for autumnal sewing, but there are a few gaps in my wardrobe that I'm keen to fill. One of them is for semi-posh going out clothes. I don't need many as I'm not constantly out on the lash, but it would be good to have a nice choice for the few occasions I do get to escape!

Top of my list are evening tops that can be worn with slim trousers (or a pencil skirt) and heels. A current favourite in this category is my Sew Over It Anita Tie Top, which is dressy, comfortable and absolutely perfect for glamming up a pair of skinny jeans. 

I can see at least one more version in the making, perhaps using another Liberty print as it worked so well last time. I've also just bought Sew Over It's Anderson Blouse pattern. 

I'm optimistically hoping that sewing it will magically transform me into its classy and sexy namesake - Gillian Anderson. Highly unlikely, but I'll give it a whirl. I think rayon would be perfect for this kind of drapey top and I've seen several lovely ones recently….

I think this navy viscose print is so elegant. It also comes in a red or black colourway. 

I love the colours in this bright floral rayon challis print.

Or maybe I should go for a big, blousey floral print instead? Like this Joel Dewberry rayon challis.

On the cocktail dress front, I'd still like to use the skirt and bodice blocks I made on last year's pattern cutting weekend to make myself a little black dress. I don't actually own such a thing, and although black isn't the greatest colour on me, I think I need one in my life. I have in mind a princess seamed dress with slight cap sleeves that I'm planning to make with Prada crepe-backed satin. The fabric is self lined which means I can really concentrate on getting the fit right.

I'd also like to make the lace cocktail dress which has been dancing around in my brain ever since I first clapped eyes on Karen's red lace dress. Sadly, the lace dress class that she took isn't held at a time that suits me, so I'll be teaching myself as I go along. This could turn out well or it could be a total disaster, there's only one way of finding out isn't there?!

I'll probably use a combination of my bodice and skirt blocks and this Amazing Fit pattern which I picked up in a Weaver Dee sale last month. 

I really like the style lines of View B, with the lace overlay shown in View C (but not the long, flouncy bit). I'm also going to treat myself to a Craftsy online course - The Essential Guide to Sewing with Lace, which just received a good review by Fabrikate. I think it could be the ideal stepping stone between attending a course in person and trying to work things out for myself!

Of course, I'll need to keep warm alongside swanning around in drapey tops and cocktail dresses, so I'll still be sewing myself a few basics. But that's another blog post! Have a good week. x