Thursday 4 September 2014

Autumn-ready Lilou & OWOP

It may not be quite autumn yet, but I thought it was time to get thinking about sewing some clothes that can be worn at the moment, but will also still work once summer has definitely come to an end, instead of disappearing for a few days and then returning again as it seems to be at the moment. My Love At First Stitch Lilou dresses have been definite favourites this summer, so I decided to make another version that I could layer up and wear as the weather gets colder. Here's what I came up with...


Denim might not be an instantly obvious choice for a dress, but this is soft-washed denim (from Fabric Godmother) and it feels lovely and hangs really nicely. It also holds the pleats in the Lilou skirt well - you can see those pleats much better in this plain fabric than you can in my other Lilous where the pleats get a bit lost in the prints. The other advantage of denim is that it'll go with pretty much anything in my wardrobe. Also, as I don't really wear trousers, denim skirts play the same role for me as jeans do for many people, and I think this Lilou will get worn just as much as my denim skirts do.


A sleeveless dress might also seem like a bit of an odd choice for autumn, but one of the good things about the shape of the Lilou bodice is that it can easily be worn pinafore-style over a top or a blouse as I've worn it here, and there are also no sleeves to get caught up under cardigans or jumpers so that'll make it good once autumn hits as well. This dress is a little warm to wear on the nicer days we're having still at the moment, and it does look a bit odd if I try to wear it on its own without any layers, but I have worn it a couple of times already and it's super comfy, and is casual whilst still looking nice if that makes any sense?!


I used a regular centred zip for this version of Lilou instead of an invisible zip - partly because I wasn't sure if the denim, being a slightly heavier weight fabric, would work that well with an invisible zip, but mainly because when I went to buy the zip my local haberdashery only had white invisible zips, which I knew definitely wouldn't work and I was being impatient and didn't want to wait to find a different zip. It's a pretty good haberdashery, and they have a decent range of colours and sizes in normal zips, but only ever seem to have white or black invisible zips for some reason. I suppose they must find that's what sells but it seems a bit odd to me that they don't have more colours.

Other than that, I used the same size and length changes that I've used for my other Lilous (size 6 at the bust and hips, and a 5 at the waist, 1.5 inches added to the bodice and 2.5 added to the skirt) but didn't make any other changes. Part of me thinks maybe I should have tried adding pockets to this version, because I do love pockets and they are useful sometimes, but that part of me isn't arguing too strongly with the part of me that likes it how it is, so I think this one will stay pocket-less and I'll maybe try adding them next time I make the pattern.


Oooh, look - another contrast lining! I particularly love the pretty print compared with the plain outer fabric on this Lilou, and as I've probably mentioned before it's a good way of using up off cuts from other projects. This time I used the remains of the fabric that I used for my Mortmain dress, and it reminded me that I really should make another Mortmain soon - another project to add to the list!



As this is now my third Lilou (fourth if you count the one I made for my Mum!), there's not much else new to say about this one - but I'm really happy with it. It came out exactly as I imagined it in my head and I know it will get worn a LOT! I've also decided that I'm going to use my Lilou dresses for OWOP, which is being organised by Handmade Jane and is kicking off this Saturday. Is anyone else joining in? What pattern have you picked?

7 comments:

  1. lovely I have some denim to add to an emery bodice and I'm hoping to get it finished for OWOP as I have 5 already!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I like the sound of your Emery - it was a close contest between the Emery and Lilou for OWOP for me, the Lilou just won because I thought it might give me more styling options!

      Delete
  2. Yay this is gorgeous. I would never have thought to use denim for such a girl dress and yet it totally works. I think the pretty lining makes it extra special too. you are all set to go for OWOP fabulous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Louise! I was a little bit unsure about whether denim would work or not - I don't think all denim would but this one is nice and soft which definitely helps. I'm glad I trusted my instincts and went for it!

      Delete
  3. I love that dress and like the idea of wearing a pinafore style dress in autumn. Very impressed with your sewing skills - I am really into jewellery making and crochet with a bit of papercrafting but sewing is a whole new area. I would like to try though - any advice? Would this pattern be too difficult for a beginner? What pattern for a pinafore might I try out? Found you on twitter by the way - I'm @crafterstreats and my blog is www.crafternootreats.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi! Thanks for your comment! The pattern's from the book Love At First Stitch, which is aimed at beginners and I'd definitely recommend. It's the last pattern in the book and is probably the most tricky, so you might want to give one of two of the others a go first. The instructions are really good though, and you can easily refer back to the techniques from earlier in the book so if you're feeling ambitious it might be worth a try. Another option you could look at would be a sleeveless version of the Colette Laurel dress, which is definitely easier. I made one last autumn which I wear as a pinafore (http://nightingaleanddolittle.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/sleeveless-colette-laurel-dress.html) and it's really comfy! Hope that helps, and good luck!

      Delete

Please leave a comment - it's always great to hear from you!