Colette Macaron

At last, here are the photos of my Colette Macaron.  I had seen so many versions of this in Blogland, I had to give in and make one of my own.  Most fabulously the fabric I used, a medium weight black cotton lawn and some (polycotton, I think) black and white gingham, had been in my stash for around three years.

I really enjoyed making this dress.  There was nothing tricky about it; it just all came together nicely.  I especially like that the sleeves are in a double layer, folded over so you don't have to hem them.  It gives them some extra body too.

Apart from taking a bit in at the shoulders and the front of the bodice when sewing the sleeve in, I didn't have to make any alterations.  I think I should have made the upper bodice (the black bit) in a size smaller than the lower bodice, then I wouldn't have had to do the alterations.

I finished all the vertical seams by folding and sewing each seam allowance back on itself (I don't know what it's called), and I just oversewed the waistband seams.  The hem, I stitched nicely by hand, to make it invisible.  My invisible zip went in perfectly - cool!

I was mindful of the fact that the gingham squares might not line up if I wasn't careful but, apart from one little bit where the skirt meets the waistband, they all did.  Of course, I unpicked the bit that didn't, and adjusted it.  Now, all the squares are balanced, even on the hem, which curves.  Yay!

I enjoy wearing this dress so much, I am already planning another, this time with some crazy print for the main fabric, but repeating the black on top.

McCalls M6436 View D in Liberty Lawn "Landis"

I've had this fabric for some time now. I had only 1.5m of it as I had planned to make a shortish shift dress. However, lately I've been realising that, though I like making my dresses, I do find shirts very versatile as they can be worn with skirts, trousers, shorts, jeans, whatever, and this had enticed me to ditch my dress plans and make another shirt.

So, again I made up version D of McCalls M6436, as it's quite a slouchy cut, and looks really great with almost anything. I wore it yesterday, and took photos before dashing out. I think it looks just about okay with this skirt but, in hindsight, I don't like the skirt much and probably wouldn't wear this combo again.

For this pattern I use a sew-in interfacing and it works well. It's no hassle. There is quite a bit of hand-sewing on this shirt, as the insides of the collar stand, the cuffs and the button bands all need slip stitching, but I really enjoy this. I also much prefer making buttonholes (by machine!) and sewing on buttons by hand, to inserting zips. I don't mind zips, but I actually enjoy buttons and buttonholes!

For this shirt I chose to sew the seams in white but to use bright pink for the topstitching and buttonholes, and pink buttons (obviously).

Gosh, I love this shirt! And Liberty Lawn!

I have made a Kwiksew shirt for Charlie, which he wore to a family christening, and I intend to blog it as soon as I can. Also, I am wearing my Macaron (I already have some brilliant fabric for another!) when we go out later today, so will try to get a photo of that in action!

The coral bodice hasn't progressed, as I'm feeling lacklustre about it now that it's a bit sunnier here (it's a cold-weather dress). Same with the crazy pleated trousers. I still want to make them but they will wait.

Colette Macaron, Vogue 8295 and Charlie's Fancy Stitches

This is a quick catch-up post. I will blog proper pics and the details for both projects individually, when I can.

I have been busy with lots of things these last couple of weeks: work (from home), sewing, and school-related things, too. Oh, and Rock Choir. I have my first concert tonight. Yikes!

First off, I made a silk skirt in a striped silk dupion. I was so happy with it. Was. I kept staring at it on the hanger, thinking I would make more of them, but when I wore it, something about it didn't feel right.

I think it's the length. I purposely kept it long but now I'm not sure it's right for this skirt in this fabric, so I'm going to shorten it to just above the knee. Thing is, I have quite a queue of things that must be done beforehand, sewing-wise.I have a shell of a Cambie dress that has been ready for weeks and weeks, but it needs the whole lining making up, and attaching. I have to make a Liberty lawn shirt for my little boy in the next week, as he wants to help me make it and wear it to a christening next weekend. He has become in awe of my sewing machine (he's eight), and spent about two hours on it last Saturday, doing fancy stitches (see above).

I have also made a Macaron dress. I LOVE it. Really, I wasn't sure it would suit me but I think right now it's my favourite dress out of all the ones I have made. Again, I will blog the details separately when I get more time.

I have so so so many things I want to make, and several things on the go. I feel it's reached fever pitch! I am obsessed and I don't have anywhere near enough time to give all these things my attention. I have a bodice for Vogue 8413:

I have cut out numerous patterns, which seems to have become a hobby in itself. One of them is Vogue 1307, which nobody else in the universe seems to have blogged about, and which I'm determined to make work for me. 

I have this brushed rayon/wool paisley with a great drape to it, which would be fab for winter. I'm not sure whether these trousers (if they actually fit, even) would look cool or clownish! We'll see.

Well, that is the update. I must go now, as I have to leave soon, for the theatre. Wish me luck. Though I am on stage with many other people, I'm feeling quite nervous, although I'm excited and very much looking forward to it.

 I will be back at some point with details on the Macaron and Vogue 8295 silk skirt.

Simplicity 2599 Times Two!

I made the green version of this top first (in a Liberty Lawn remnant left over from a dress I blogged earlier in the year).  I really did think it looked such a simple little pattern that I could run it up in no time at all.  So it had a few frilly bits.  That surely wouldn't make much difference.

Deary me.  Haven't I learnt anything from the last few years of sewing?  Things are almost never as simple as I think they will be.

Those five frilly bits were an absolute menace.  They took ages and ages and ages (I mean, when measured against my initial expectations).  Jeez, they're cut out as circular strips which, when pulled into a straight line, sort of frill up a bit.  But they have you make tiny little narrow hems, which is really quite time consuming on circles.  Anyway, I did manage it, and then sewed them on to the top itself in straight vertical lines.  But with the way the frills flip about this way and that, you can see the raw edges where they've been sewn on, if they sit just the wrong way at the wrong moment, and I don't like that.  No one else would notice, so it doesn't matter terribly, but I know it isn't ideal, so it peeves me a bit.

However, I like the top so much that I immediately wanted to make another one in black lawn.  Looking for comments on the way this pattern is made up, I came across some very helpful advice from Karen at Did You Make That.  What she did to get around both the narrow hems and the raw edges, was to cut out double the amount of frill pieces and sew them wrong sides together, turn them the right way, and then sew them on.  Genius, I tell you.  Making up the second top was so much more pleasant, thanks to Karen.  And I took the opportunity to cut up a very fluid silk top I had had for at least twenty-five years, and which was on its way to the charity shop, and use it in all its muted blueness for the underside of the frills.  Gosh, I love this top.

The pattern is very simple.  Even the frills are no trouble if you do it Karen's way.  There is no zip, and only one button, with a loop.  I used shop-bought bias binding for the arm holes, instead of making up the bias strips (I tried but couldn't get the little monkey things to lie flat).  All the seams are french seams, except for the centre back, as it made the opening a little tricky to finish, so I just folded them back on themselves and sewed them down.  They look neat and tidy still.  And the shape of the top is just fab.  I don't find it boxy, as others have; I find the fit just right on top, with a little flare towards the bottom.  There is a lot of ease in this pattern, so you can be fairly stingy with choosing your size.  I chose a straight size 8, which normally would be too small on the waist for me.  There is plenty of room still.

I think I will keep on making different versions of this top, I really do.  I love it.

I am in the process of making several things.  One is a silk skirt.  The yoke of it is lined but the skirt itself isn't.  I'm going to try out finishing the seams with some rayon binding (as prompted by Doortje).  Thank you Doortje!

Sewaholic Cambie Dress View B

Once again, I apologise for the truly awful photos.  This dress really deserves better, but the weather here in the UK (again) couldn't be greyer or murkier with rain, and it's here to stay for the whole weekend.  It's not even as if we desperately need it any more (we could hardly complain when it rained non-stop for seven weeks in April and May, when the water was so scarce the reservoirs were drying up).  But now the hosepipe ban has been lifted I can complain all I like!

Anyway, sorry about the photos being murky.  I lightened them but my ISO has made them grainy.  And I need to learn how to position photos horizontally instead of just plonking them somewhere.

Before starting on the full-skirted version of this dress, I had half made an A-line version.  "Half made" because I have made the outer shell and attached the zip, but have not yet started on the lining.  I have been procrastinating on this because the lining fabric is patterned and I've discovered the red hearts on it show through the white skulls on the shell.  I'm not sure whether to go ahead with it and am a bit heartbroken about it (well, as much as is acceptable when it comes to a dress, for goodness sake).  I want the dress to have the skulls on the outside and the red hearts on the inside, but my plans may be scuppered.  It's for a Christening (yep, it's the devil in me).

I haven't come to the point yet, have I?  Well, I really like the A-line version and, being 5ft 2 (there, I've mentioned my height yet again) and not having a very narrow waist in the first place, I have avoided dresses with gathers around the waist.  Hip is fine; waist, not.  But in this case I took a chance and made the full-skirted version.  Yay! I love it.  Now I'm worrying about when I will be "too old" to whoosh around in girly dresses, seeing as I've discovered I like them so much.  However, it hasn't stopped Vivienne Westwood, so it won't stop me!  Not that I am anywhere near her age yet, but I'm thinking ahead.

Right.  The details:  I made the dress in a size 4, with a size 6 for the waist.  Incredibly I did not have to alter the bodice length at all (often I shorten them) and really amazingly it fits me across the back (usually I have to take account of my narrow back)  So, apart from the waist size, I made no fit alterations.  I did lower very slightly the v-shape at the top centre-front of the bodice.

The pattern is a pleasure to put together.  You make the shell, you make an almost exact copy for the lining, sew them together, hem, and Bob's your uncle!

I used a Crantex Fabrics vintage floral cotton I got on e-bay.  It has a lot of body, more like a quilting cotton than a lawn.  I also used it for the bodice lining, and a beautiful silky red fabric for the skirt lining.  I almost always get my lining fabrics from Iana Fabrics on e-bay.  They are very good quality, in my opinion.  She has never let me down.  Oh dear, I just bought 2m of black lace whilst copying the link for this post.  Jeez, no wonder I am always poor as a church mouse.

I highly recommend this dress pattern.  Not only is it easy to put together, not only does it seem to suit everyone, but it's really comfortable to wear, too.  I will try to get better photos when the weather is not so gloomy.

Red Beignet & Butterick B5335 View B

Sorry about the lack of any effort at all for this photo.  I just chucked the skirt on whilst taking the Iris photos.

Anyway...a few weeks ago I made another Beignet skirt, but haven't got around to blogging about it until now.  I wear my grey one so often I thought I could do with another, in a brighter colour but, strangely, I prefer the non-descript grey one.  The grey one is stretch drill, and really soft, though it creases badly, but it feels really comfortable to wear, and it goes with lots of things.  The red one is a cotton (non-stretch) drill, which is very nice fabric, but I put pockets in this version and I think I prefer it without.  I don't like the way they break up the line of the side seams.  I could always take them out but I am too lazy and have moved on to other things.  The facings are a batik cotton,and the lining some sort of silver acetate.

I am planning yet another version in a non-stretch mid-blue denim but will leave it a while, so as not to bore you too much all in one go.

I also made up Butterick B5335, view B, which is a very simple raglan-sleeved top.  It took me hardly any time at all, as there are only back, front and sleeve pattern pieces, and after sewing it all together there are just a couple of narrow hems required to finish it off.  I made it up in a stretch (very) brocade of some sort.  It's an odd fabric, feeling slightly foamy/springy to the touch.  Goodness knows what it's made of.  Because I was having trouble with the hems on the bottom and sleeve edges, I used a very short and concentrated zig-zag stitch on the seam line and then just trimmed close to it.  I like the crinkle effect it's made.

I have also made a Cambie dress (the full-skirted version) in a vintage floral cotton - just need to take photos - and half finished another (A-line version) in a skulls and roses cotton.

Colette Iris Shorts

Gosh, I have been so busy with sewing and other things that I haven't found the time to make a blog post. 

Since my last post I have made two garments, with another half finished. One of the things I completed was a pair of Iris shorts from Colette Patterns, which I made in navy drill, with Liberty lawn pockets, polka dot facings and Liberty faced hems.

Colette patterns are drafted with a pear-shaped figure in mind and, having found the Beignet skirt pattern so wide on my hips, I wasn't sure whether I should bother even trying to make up my first proper pair of shorts/trousers from a pattern I knew would need a lot of alterations to make fit.

I was still on the fence when I had an "aha" moment. I was doing the Susan Khalje Craftsy course, The Couture Dress, and she has you make up a muslin first, but using the stitching lines as your point of reference instead of the cutting lines most of us are used to, and working with a generous seam allowance. I thought I would fit my muslin and then take it apart and use the muslin itself as the pattern pieces, just as she does.

I roughly cut out my paper pattern pieces. Then I decided which size was my starting point. Because it was trousers I went with the hip measurement, which was a size 2 (in this case, a bad move). Have I mentioned that I am NOT pear-shaped? There are only six inches difference between my waist and hip, and I think Colette Patterns have a ten inch difference. With Sewaholic it's a twelve-inch difference. You can imagine how HUGE everything is on my hips (or how small on the waist!) Anyhow, since I chose my size for the shorts by hip measurement it meant I would have to hugely alter the waist size on this muslin. However, it wasn't as simple as that, as it turned out everything was wrong for me, including the crotch depth. But it was surpisingly "possible" to get them to fit in the end because of the way I did it. But I haven't explained yet.

 As I said, I roughly cut out my pattern pieces. I marked the stitching lines for the size I chose, 1.5cm in from
what would usually be the cutting line.

I pinned the pattern pieces to the muslin fabric and traced the stitching lines, notches etc. onto the muslin.  Then I stitched along the stitching lines to make a permanent reference that wouldn't rub off, and it would stop the fabric stretching out, too.


I then stitched the pieces together along the stitching lines and when I tried on the shorts I realised that the whole fit was so wrong on me.  I mean, everything.  I won't go into details because it would bore the pants off you, but I took the muslin apart, remarked the stitching lines as a size 6 (nearer my waist size) and took in the hips a bit here and there, and tweaked various other bits, like the crotch depth etc.  What I ended up with was  totally personalised pattern which was nowhere near any of the standard sizes.  But instead of having to somehow transfer that to my paper pattern, which would have been too complicated for me to bother, all I had to do was take my muslin apart (having marked all the revised stitching lines carefully) and use it to cut out my main fabric. You can see my revised stitching lines marked in green (click the photos for larger sizes).

It worked really well and I am so happy with the result.  I am planning to make the Iris shorts again in red drill, and all I will have to do is use my muslin pieces, which are all nicely folded inside my pattern wallet.  How cool is that?  I really don't think I could have fitted these shorts if I had just cut out one size, with a 1.5 seam allowance, instead of about a 3cm allowance, in the usual way.  I would have ended up binning the whole attempt.  I tried the Clover trousers a few months ago and just couldn't get them to fit, having cut out a size 4.  Again, it was all wrong.  Next time I will cut a size 6 with huge seam allowances and tweak and tweak until they are right, and then use my muslin as the pattern again.  I think I can do it.  It's a time consuming process, though not too bad for a pair of shorts, and I will only use it for items that require a lot of fitting.

McCalls M5661 Version D

The first one of these I made up in a soft, textured silk. It was easy and quick to make up and I really enjoy wearing it, so I thought I would make another.

What fabric to make it up in...? I had some silk, which was "hand printed in England", so I thought I'd stick with the silk theme and use that. It would be simple: I had made the exact top before, and in silk.

This time it was an absolute pain.

For a start, the pleats along the top were difficult to get in place because the silk would not crease at all. It was kind of springily resistant. Which is odd, considering how dreadfully it had creased during the washing process. Once the pleats were in place, I pinned the neck facing on, only to find that it was much smaller than the neckline of the pleated bit. I wasn't sure whether the application of the interfacing to the facing had shrunk the silk, or what.

My interfacing was odd, anyway. It had seemed like a nice, flexible light weight, but once ironed on the whole facing became sort of crisp. Which leads me to the next problem: despite trimming the seams, making notches, you name it, the facing and the outer shell did not sit nicely together and seemed to pull against each other. For goodness sake. It's not bad enough to stop me wearing the top, but it pulls in places it shouldn't. 

In exasperation I checked the facings on my black silk version, only to find I hadn't bothered interfacing them at all, which meant the facings were all lovely and fluid, just like the main top. Goodness know why I didn't bother with the interfacing on the first version. I think I just forgot! It's taught me a lesson though: sometimes you don't need interfacing even though the pattern says you do. My black silk top has been washed and ironed many times, and has not suffered for having no interfacing.

After finally sewing the top together, the buttons and buttonholes went smoothly. The top is very...um...pretty. It actually looks okay with jeans, but unless dressed down, it looks a bit bridesmaid-y. I will make another one of these tops, but a different version, and I'll be careful about the fabric I choose, and about the interfacing I use.

Vogue 1248 - Throwing Shapes

Finally...the skirt with the HUGE pockets!

This skirt has such a dramatic silhouette, it makes me want to throw weird shapes!

I wasn't sure if I would like Vogue 1248 once it was made up, but I thought I might enjoy the creative process along the way, so it seemed worth the risk.  As it happens, I like it such a lot, and it feels so me, I think if my spirit were suddenly to manifest itself physically in an item of clothing, this could be it!

It's pretty tricky to photograph black inside on a dark and murky, rainy day.  I lightened the top photo a bit but it hasn't really helped.  It's hard to see the details but the skirt has a very deep waistband, which ends at the high hip, and the skirt itself is very gathered, with huge pockets, which are gathered on all four edges.

As you can tell, there was a lot of gathering involved.  I will never again complain about a few centimetres worth of gathering after doing this lot.

There is a long belt, which is sewn in at the side seams and you cross it over at the back and tie it at the front.  It's supposed to have "shirt-sleeve cuffs" at the ends but I was too lazy to do them, and I thought they may not show in black anyway.  Not enough to make it worth the extra effort.

This skirt is made in simple black lawn with a black muslin lining.  Both the shell and lining are finished with a narrow hem.

I know I will wear this skirt a lot.  I would love a black, taffeta version but that would have to be saved for best and then I would never wear it because I never go out, because I am always at home sewing or cooking  and stuff!  Helping with homework...you know.
Edited to add these photos (click to see them larger):

McCalls M6436 Sleeveless Version A

I am still working on the huge-pocketed black lawn skirt but haven't had much time to spend sewing.  Also, I had a couple of hiccups with it - will explain in another post - so it's been taking longer than expected.

In the meantime I thought I would make a post on my sleeveless version of M6436, which I made just before Easter.  It's in the same Liberty Pamela Judith lawn as the long-sleeved version I made, but in the blue colour way instead of the brown.  I really like this colour.

This is version A but without the shoulder tabs.  I made this in a size 8, even though my measurements should really put me in at least a size 10, maybe a 12, but I don't like too much ease.  By nature of the style, this shirt does have a lot of ease.  For a closer-fitting shirt Vogue 8772 would be a good shirt to go for.

The buttons are vintage 1940's turquoise ones, and the bias binding on the armhole edges is a lovely vibrant bright green.  This version has pleated pockets and flaps.