No moaning about Moana...

I feel in love with Papercut Patterns Moana dress as soon as it was released. I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to get around to making it...but I'm very pleased that I finally did!

The pattern can be a top or dress and I must admit that I loved the top instantly but it took me a while to warm to it as a dress. It sat on my dress form as a dress for few weeks before I finally asked Instagram followers what they thought. Upon their advice I decided to keep it as a dress and see how it went. Since finishing it, it's had more than a few outings and I am so pleased I kept it as a dress!

I made the dress from a drapey rayon I bought on a trip to Walthamstow. It took just under 2m of fabric as a dress but I wasn't being especially economical with the cutting out so it could be possible to squeeze it out of less.

I made the dress in xxs sizing out to xs at the waist. The top was rather baggy at the bust to I took this in either side by about 2cm.

I love the peplum detail with the dropped waist. I was fearful of hemming the peplum and decided to use my rolled hem foot for the first time. After a few practises (and more than a few YouTube clips) I jumped in. The full circle made it more tricky but considering it was my first time using it I'm rather pleased with how it turned out.

Moana has an exposed zip detail at the back. The instructions recommend a metal one but I used a plastic one instead (I couldn't find a nice coloured metal one). Because of this I didn't feel the need to interface the facings which I'm pleased about as it keeps the dress relaxed and floaty. I always find exposed zips tricky and ended up having to do a little bit of hand sewing a the end.

Definitely pleased with this dress. I'm already dreaming of Liberty silk version...

Happy stitching x

As high as a lark

I LOVE this t-shirt! After me made may, I decided that I needed more me made tops so I purchased the Grainline Lark tee. It has been a faboulous addition already and comes with so many different variations.

The t-shirt sewed up exceptionally quickly. Taking only about an hour. Perfect for when sewing time is a bit squeezed!

I made the t-shirt using a metre of fabric. There's a bit left over which I'm hoping to squeeze some underwear from. This gorgeously colourful fabric is from girl charlee. It has a lovely drape to it which is perfect for this pattern.

I cut the top out separately rather than on the fold to make it easier to pattern match. I always find pattern matching tricky so I am pretty please with how the stripes matched.

The t-shirt pattern is very long. I shortened the pattern by about 4 inches and it's still this long! As I usually tuck my t-shirts in, it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Because I loved the t-shirt so much, I made another one straight away! This time using a striped jersey from Walthamstow Market.

I really liked the effect of cutting the neckline with the striped vertical on my first version so I did this again for my monochrome version.

I'm already planning a few plain versions which will make it easier to wear some of my patterned skirts!

Happy stitching x

Another Camber...I think I'm addicted...

It's yet another Merchant and Mills Camber. I know, I know I already have two but they're just so gorgeously easy to wear (and make)!

I was seduced by this fabric while at Walthamstow market. It reminds me of a fabric used by Kate Spade in her summer collection this year. However, as you can see, it creases really easily! The fabric is beautifully drapey and has lots of movement for such a straight shaped dress. I squeezed the dress out of a mere metre. I have passed the remaining metre onto my friend who's planning a grainline lark in it.

Because I have made the dress before, I made the same alteration to the darts (elongagting them by about 5cm) and shortened the dress quite substantially. I'm pleased with the fit of the dress, I affectionately call these dresses 'beautiful sacks'! Baggy but still with style.

I finished the sleeves and hem with bias binding. Purely because I find this method both pretty and easy.

I hate to think how many times this dress has been worn already. Perhaps I need another drapey Camber...

Happy stitching x

Tilly and the Buttons Picnic Skirt

I haven't been sewing very much recently. I felt like I had lost my sew-jo. When this happens, I generally need a super quick, easy project to fire me up again. I decided to make the Tilly and the Buttons picnic skirt in a Makower siamese cat print and thankfully it's done the trick!

Tilly's instructions for drafting are perfectly straight forward (as always!). Because I had made the gathered skirt in Love at First Stitch I decided to adjust the pattern I already had to include the placket which worked out well and saved me a job!

Originally I wanted pink buttons to match the butterflies but I couldn't find the correct colour anywhere. After some fabulous advice on Instagram (got to love the sewing community). I went for black in the end. The buttons I used were actually saved from an old RTW French connection jumper. I love how the black accentuates the Siamese cats' faces and tails.

I followed Tilly's instructions and the construction of the skirt itself was straightforward. I had a little trouble with some gaping between the first and second button so I added a popper between them which seems to have stopped the problem. I'm not sure if this is because the fabric is medium weight. All in all, I'm definitely happy with it...and Susie seems to approve too!

Happy stitching x

Fabric shoppin in Brighton

Brighton has to be one of my favourite places in England. So when I heard that Sewmance was on I thought that it would be great to time it with a trip to see some family.

We started out at Sewmance which was held in a bar on the seafront. This was the first year it was held so it was small but there was some nice fabric there. It was great to see Village Haberdashery (who are based in Hove) because I wouldn't have seen them otherwise.

I only bought one fabric from Sewmance, this rather pretty cotton voile.

After Sewmance we headed into the city to Fabricland which was absolutely amazing! So many pretty prints at brilliant prices! I wish there was one closer to where I live. My fabric stash is lacking cottons so I bought quite a few! Perhaps it was being at the seaside but I seem to have been drawn to birds...

A cotton stretch sateen which I'm imagining will be a pencil skirt.

A viscose print which I'm thinking will be a Tilly and the Buttons Marigold.

Another two cotton prints. I'm not sure what to do with these yet!

Next we headed to Brighton Sewing Centre where there were lots of pretty prints on quilting weight cotton.

Then it was straight to Ditto which is such a pretty shop! Everywhere we looked there were gorgeous roles of fabric.

I was very restrained and only bought one fabric a pretty sweatshirt fleece which I'm sure will become yet another Grainline Linden...

Fabric shopping in Brighton certainly was not a disappointment and I have no doubt that I will be going back to fabric shop again.

Happy stitching x

Another Deer and Doe datura...

There are very few patterns I make more than once. So far the only patterns I have bestowed this approval onto is the camber and the datura! I have made two daturas a liberty one and a white boarder version.

This time I decided to make the cut out version which meant I had to make my own bias binding (fiddly, but totally worth it!).

I made it using a metre of Liberty fabric which I bought about a year ago. I always thought it would be a datura it just took me a while to get round to making it! I absolutely love this print...how could you not love a fabric covered in dodos!

I constructed it following the instructions and I didn't make any alterations to the pattern. The only tricky part was the bias binding. The pattern said to pull it tightly across the cut out triangles. I wasn't sure how tight I could pull it without distorting the cut out design so I didn't pull it too much. I definitely could have pulled it a bit tighter though.

I finished the top using clear plastic flower buttons which I really like the effect of.

Are there any patterns which you make over and over again?

Happy stitching x

Malvorosa take two...

I loved by original Malvorosa but I bought it with a hack in mind. I wanted to use it to recreate a dress similar to the one below...

I wasn't able to get my hands a green fabric but I did find a similar black drapey fabric at Walthamstow Market. Whilst it's not as close as I would like it to be, I'm pleased with the dress.

I played around with the skirt pattern, using a pattern master to draw a new curve. I started the curve from the side seams but I should have definitely started it from the front and graduated it in more. I think that this would have showed the back detail off more. The skirt is lined in a bright pink drapey fabric.

The new curve of the skirt creates a pretty shape for the side and back of the dress.

I decided to keep the sleeve the same as the Malvorosa as it's one of my favoutite features of the pattern.

Overall I'm pleased with the hack but if I decide to make another, I would definitely continue to play around with the shape of the skirt.

Happy stitching x