Helmi I need more!

I've had my eye on Named Patterns Helmi for a while now. I added it to my Make 9 and as I was itching to sew it I decided pretty early on that it would be my first make. I have a real soft spot for Named patterns. They seem to suit my figure and I love the simple lines of the designs.

Helmi certainly did not disappoint! It has some gorgeous details including a dropped curved hem and a fly front which made it an interesting yet quick make. I used a drapey fabric from Fabicland in Brighton. I swooned as soon as I saw the swans in the shop!

The instructions were as ever concise and simple to follow. The fit was great and I made absolutely no alterations at all!

I used some small shell buttons from my button stash which I think finish it off perfectly.

I find myself wearing this dress incessantly and it has received lots of complements. I'm mulling over using a dark red fabric with a small cream spot for my next one but I'm worried I won't love it as much as this one! What do you think?

A Rescued Ralph Pink Marilyn

When I cut out this skirt, I took one look at the fabric and thought that's random enough for me not to pattern match and so dived straight in. Turns out...I was wrong. I posted it on Instagram and got so many lovely messages from other sewers who has made similar mistakes. After deliberating, I decided to leave it and learn to love it.

However it lingered in the back of my wardrobe totally abandoned and unloved. I finally made the decision to buy another metre of the fabric (not expensive and available online from Fabicland) and recut another front. Boy am I pleased that I took the time to do this! I absolutely love it now and it's pretty much in my weekly work wardrobe rotation.

Sewing wise, the pattern was pretty easy. There's a rather large amount of interfacing to cut at the start of the project for which you don't have actual pattern pieces which was annoying. Once I got over that though it was pretty much plain sailing. I decided not to top stitch the facing down to create a waist band and instead anchored it down with some hand stitching.

I finished it off with some outlandish blue buttons which I wasn't too sure of at the start but which it's a twist I really like on it now.

Perhaps I need to revisit some of my other failures after all there are more than a few to choose from! Have you managed to rescue any items?

Happy stitching x

Tulle Dream

I rather quietly began making this. The reason for my silence is that my previous attempts at sewing tulle have resulted in catastrophic failures. I had a niggling feeling that this may also be one but luckily for me I'd completely in love with it.

During Christmas shopping I noticed a few tulle dresses in the shops which I thought I'd have a go at recreating. I decided to use the Merchant and Mills Camber top for the bodice as I wanted a top without any fixtures to negotiate. The skirt was merely a rectangle which was gathered onto the bodice with the gather attached on the outside.

I love how iridescent it is...it kind of reminds me of a jellyfish! The neckline is finished with navy bias binding to give it a nice finish. The beauty of tulle is that it doesn't fray. So yay, no need to finish the seams or to create a hem (sigh, definitely my least favourite part of sewing).

Of course being rather see-through meant that I needed to make a slip dress to wear underneath. After some brain wreaking I remembered that I had a pattern in the Great British Sewing Bee book. I omitted the lace (I thought this would be too fussy for the dress) and instead finished the edges with bias binding which worked out fine.

Here she is altogether...

Although the dress may seem rather formal. I managed to get away with wearing it on Christmas eve with a large hand knitted jumper and a pair of boots. Thank goodness for the eclectic look!

Happy stitching x

Ralph Pink Bow Shirt

Happy new year everyone! May your 2017s be full of happiness and plenty of stitching.

I'm ashamed to say that I actually made this a fair few months ago but I just haven't managed to get any decent photos of it. As it has been the Christmas holidays I've managed to finally get some nice photos!

The Ralph Pink Bow Shirt had been on my 'to-sew' list for a while. I had always fancied using some organza and spotted this rather lovely silk organza at Goldhawk Road. At £8 a metre it's quite a steal as well.

It's worth noting that whilst Ralph creates gorgeous designs which are cut beautifully his instructions aren't always the clearest. The instructions for the Bow Shirt were quite clear with only one part which doesn't quite fit. The pattern pieces ask you to cut two yokes for the back of the shirt but his instructions tell you to only use one. If you want to use two pieces I'd suggest looking at the instructions for a pattern such as the Merchant and Mills Camber for further guidance.

Due to the nature of the organza this was a rather slow project as the insides are completely on show! I sewed all seams (apart from the armistice) using French seams. For the armistice I sewed a tiny seam and finished it with a line of stitching to prevent fraying. For the hem I used my rolled hem foot which I'm not a huge fan of but I don't think it looks too bad.

I absolutely love the finished top.

I was concerned about creating button holes on the delicate fabric and I also thought that buttons might interrupt the 'flow' of the bow so I decided to use poppers. Plastic poppers showed through the fabric the least so that's what I opted for in the end.

If I was to make it again I would release the seams slightly at the waist as the top pulls ever so slightly here.

I absolutely love this top but I'm not sure if I need another one in my wardrobe. If I was to make another, I think I would use a cotton lawn perhaps which I think would give the shirt a completely different vibe.

Happy stitching x

Fabric Shopping in Amsterdam

I was lucky to have a little weekend in Amsterdam last weekend. Although the weather was absolutely miserable it didn't detract from what a beautiful city it is. While I was there, I took the opportunity to do a just a little bit of fabric shopping of course!

I was only in Amsterdam for the weekend when the largest fabric market (Lapjesmarkt) turns into a farmers market so I visited Albert Cuyp Market instead. Lots of the fabric stalls were actually shops which had some fabric on a stall in front of them. There were some truly gorgeous fabrics for sale.

There was one particularly beautiful shop which sold catwalk fabric and had accompanying swatches of what it had been used for. The fabric was truly stunning (as is the organisation of the shop) but it was sadly too expensive for me. A gorgeous jersey by D&G was 162 euros! Definitely worth a visit though just to see such fabulous fabric.

I ended up buying just a few bits. I'm calling them souvenirs!

Two striped jerseys because who doesn't need striped tshirts...

A spotty taffeta which I'm imagining will become a gathered skirt (hopefully in time for Christmas).

I was also totally seduced by this flamingo sweatshirt which I cannot wait to sew into a Linden.

There's also two metres of silver velvet in there because you know it's December so we all need a bit of velvet in the stash!

With so many sewing plans in my head all I need is the Christmas holidays to begin so I can crack on. Happy stitching x

Falling in love with Cleo

If you have been reading many blogs or perusing through social media, I'm sure that you have seen the huge popularity of Tilly and the Buttons recent release; the Cleo dress. It's a gorgeously simple dungaree dress with a range of pockets...and who doesn't love a pattern with a range of pockets!

I have to admit that when Tilly began teasing us with glimpses of this pattern I bought the fabric for it before she released the pattern. I was that keen! I bought a mustard corduroy from the Knit and Stitch show. The buckles were easy enough to source and came from John Lewis.

The dress was exceptionally quick to make and as ever Tilly's instructions are very clear. The only alteration to the fit that I made was to lengthen the dress by about 8cm as I find that Tilly's patterns sometimes come up short on me.

I decided to use top stitch thread for my Cleo. I absolutely love how thick it made the stitches but sadly my machine didn't! I think that a combination of top stitch thread and thick corduroy was just too much for it and it ended up spending a week at the repairers.

Because of my thick fabric choice I decided to use a cotton fabric for the facings which I had left over from another project.

This dress has been worn pretty much incessantly since being made (as has the cat top which is another Lark tee). I'm already dreaming of a black and white wool version... if only there were more sewing hours in the weekend.

Happy stitching x

Pattern Testing- Megan Nielsen Karri Dress

I was lucky to be chosen to pattern test one of Megan Nielsen's new patterns the Karri dress. It feels like such a long time ago that I made it which is a true testament to all the hard work which goes into designing a new pattern.

The instructions have been tweaked since making this dress but they were beautifully easy to use even in their draft form. The pattern is so well thought out and includes a design page in which you can experiment with the beautiful lines of the dress and also ideas for tweaking the dress such as by including piping (an option I was seduced into using).

This dress has some gorgeous design details including pockets, a multi-panelled front with princess seams and is also fully lined so there's plenty to get your teeth into! Because of all these details it's certainly not a quick make but sometimes it's nice to take time over a longer project.

Alteration wise I needed to take 2cm out of the bodice which is an unusual one for me. I also needed to take it in slightly at the bust which is an alteration I frequently make.

I decided to add piping to some of the design lines. I haven't used piping before and it definitely made my life more difficult as I tried to navigate pattern matching the gingham!

The pockets are a lovely feature, after all who doesn't love pockets in a dress.

I lined the dress in a bright blue which is a nice contrast to the monochrome gingham.

I really like the pattern especially how versatile it is. You could have so much fun experimenting with the multi-panel body and I've no doubt I'm going to be impressed with the creativity it will inspire.

Happy stitching x