2018 Hits and Misses

I've been busy over the last couple of weeks making Christmas presents, so while they still need to be kept secret I thought I'd share a quick round-up of some of my favourite projects from this year, as well as a couple of things that weren't quite so successful. Let's start with the hits...

My Vogue 8577 dress is probably my favourite dress that I sewed this year. I think a major part of the reason it was so successful is the combination of the pattern and the fabric - the cotton sateen that I used has a good weight and drape to it, which makes the skirt hang really nicely and swish pleasingly as I walk in the dress. I'd definitely like to make another version of this dress in the future - I'm keeping my eye out for the right fabric!

The Sew Over It Carrie trousers that I made this summer were a bit of a surprise hit for someone who usually lives in dresses and skirts! I really enjoyed wearing them, and it was nice to try something a bit outside of my usual comfort zone. I'm planning on trying out some other trouser patterns in the future.

Time for some knitting now! With the amount of work that went into my "Lovely" cardigan (I always feel the need to emphasise the fact that "Lovely" is the name of the pattern and not just an adjective I'm using to describe the cardigan!), it definitely deserved to be included in my top projects of the year. I'm really happy with the fit of the cardigan, and it's proving to be delightfully cosy to wear now that the weather is colder.

Next up we have my Carolyn pyjamas. In some ways you might think that all pyjamas are fairly standard, but the trousers and shorts that I made from the Carolyn pattern are by far and away the nicest fitting pyjama bottoms that I can remember owning. They're the perfect combination of having just a touch of shape to them to make them fit nicely, whilst still being baggy enough to have the comfort that you want from PJs. I'm hoping to make some more soon.

And the last of my hits is a fairly recent addition to my collection - my Pippi pinafore. I love wearing pinafores at this time of year, so it was always a fairly safe bet that this was going to be a success. It's lovely to wear and the pink denim that I used is a great cheery colour for brightening up dull days. What more could you want?!

Now, let's turn to projects that weren't quite so successful. I'll preface this by saying that I didn't have any complete disasters this year (I've got a fairly good idea of what suits me, and I make toiles so I can spot any fitting issues early on) and all of the projects I'm about to share definitely have their plus points too. For one reason or another though, these haven't got as much love as some of this year's other creations.

First up is my foray into sewing lingerie. My Watson bra is perfectly fine and I do wear it occasionally, but the insides just look a bit messy (totally due to my lack of experience of working with all the different elastics rather than any fault of the pattern) and I stick by the assessment that I made at the time that this is one occasion where it might just be better to buy something than make it. As for the Acacia knickers - after wearing them a few times I was forced to admit that the elastic is just a bit too loose. I've been meaning to go back and try to fix it, but fixing things is always at the bottom of my list of things to do so I never get round to it! I do still want to try making more knickers to use up jersey scraps though.

My McCalls 7714 dress is a bit of a sad tale - I really liked the dress and happily wore it. Unfortunately, when I washed it some of the red from the background of the fabric bled onto some of the white flowers making them a wishy washy pink. I'm not sure why this happened to the finished dress when it didn't happen to the fabric when I prewashed it, but there we go! It's still wearable, but it does look a bit odd.

Lastly, we have my Sew Over It Clara blouse. There's absolutely nothing wrong with this project - I enjoyed sewing the pattern, I like the fabric, and it fits nicely. I struggle to know what to wear it with other than this red skirt though, so it just hasn't been worn that much. I'm including it in my list of "misses" at least partly to try to remind myself to try to find other ways to wear it!

So there we go, a fairly successful year of sewing/knitting all in all! I'm now starting to look forward to the new year and planning what projects I want to make in 2019. Have you come up with any plans yet? And what was your favourite thing that you made this year?

Closet Case Patterns Ebony Dress

The dress I have to share with you today is a bit of a different one for me. Generally I'm a fan of fitted bodices/tops, waist shaping and full skirts. The Closet Case Patterns Ebony dress doesn't exactly fit that description! It's a modern swingy dress (also with cropped top and raglan sleeved tunic options), with plenty of the fullness that I like in skirts but absolutely zero shaping other than the shoulders being nicely fitted.

Closet Case Patterns Ebony dress - I'm wearing it with RTW leggings and a roll neck top here

So what made me want to try making an Ebony when it's really not my usual silhouette? Basically, the fabric that I've used. I bought it around this time last year hoping to make a dress for my mum for Christmas. The shop that I bought this from didn't offer swatches so I'd gambled on it because from the description and pictures, it looked like just what I wanted.

It was described as a medium weight ponte roma, but when it turned up it definitely wasn't like any other ponte roma I've ever seen/used. It's lightweight and very drapey, and you can see straight through it if you hold it up to the light. Annoyingly, not long after it arrived, I saw what looked like exactly the same fabric on another site, where it was described as a lightweight jersey and was significantly cheaper. I'm not mentioning the name of the shop where I bought it because I can't 100% remember which one it was now, and I wouldn't like to be critical of the wrong place!

Anyway, in addition to not offering swatches, the shop also didn't offer refunds/returns on fabric so I put the jersey away knowing that I'd find a use for it sometime. Much though it's not what I wanted for the project I had in mind at the time, it's a lovely quality fabric in itself.

A slightly blurry photo, but it shows the volume well!

At various points during the year, I got it out to think of what to make, and the Ebony dress seemed like the right project. Yes, it's not exactly my normal style but it does have plenty of swish/twirl factor (which is always good in my book!), and I knew that it would definitely be very comfy if nothing else. And I thought I might as well give it a try given that I had perfect fabric already - I'm firmly of the opinion that it's better to use fabric than leave it sitting on a shelf.

Making the Ebony dress was a breeze. There were only four pattern pieces (front, back, sleeves and neckband), so it was a fairly speedy project to sew, and the instructions were very clear and thorough so there was no risk of getting things wrong.

I made a straight size 12 based on my bust measurement as instructed in the pattern, and that worked out nicely. The shoulders and sleeves fit me well, and they're the only part of the Ebony dress that really need to fit. I did lengthen the dress by 1.5 inches (fairy standard for me), and if I make it again I'd probably lengthen the sleeves just a touch as well but they're fine as they are for this version.

So what's the verdict on the finished dress? Pretty positive! In terms of the Ebony pattern itself, I've got no criticisms. It's definitely a good one if you're looking to make a dress/top/tunic of this style. As for the dress on me, I'm surprised by how much I like it, especially with a roll neck top underneath it like I'm wearing in these photos. It's fair to say that it's not the most conventionally "flattering" dress on me (i.e. it definitely isn't particularly slimming), and I probably wouldn't want a whole wardrobe of them. As expected though, it is extremely comfortable and quite cosy when layered up so I'll definitely be wearing it this winter. Plus the red colour and general roominess will make it perfect to wear at Christmas! All in all, a successful experiment - wouldn't you say?

Astoria & Toaster Sweaters

Recently I've made a couple of simple, speedy projects. They're both repeats of patterns I've made before, meaning I might not have as much to say about them as a completely new project, so I thought I'd combine the two into a quick post to share with you today.

The first is a Seamwork Astoria top. This project was really inspired by the fabric. It's a very colourful (as you can see!) French terry from Flamingo Fabrics, which sadly no longer seems to be in stock. I thought it would be good for brightening up the duller days of autumn and winter so I treated myself to a piece without knowing quite what pattern I was going to use it for.

When the fabric arrived, I decided it would be perfect for the Astoria. I made a few versions of the pattern not long after it was released (here and here) a couple of years ago, and they're all still in fairly regular wardrobe rotation. It's a style that works well with lots of my dresses and skirts/culottes so I knew that it would get a lot of wear.

The Astoria is a simple and quick pattern to make, so after a couple of hours of sewing I had a nice new top to wear - and it definitely brightens up my day when I put it on!

The second top I have to share today is a Sew House Seven Toaster sweater (version 1). This is another pattern that I first made not long after it was released, and thankfully it's another one that has been a success for me.

This time I bought the fabric specifically with the Toaster pattern in mind. It's a quilted cloqué jersey from The Textile Centre. It's also no longer in stock (sorry, I'm not being a very good fabric buying enabler today!) but they do have other similar fabrics available. I'm slightly in two minds about the fabric - I really like the textured pattern and I think it looks good as a Toaster, but it does get a bit bulky at some of the seams and it definitely feels fairly synthetic to me when I'm wearing it. I tend to lean more towards natural, more breathable fibres and this definitely doesn't feel very breathable, but on the plus side it does keep me warm.

In case anyone's wondering about the pin I'm wearing in these photos - it's a super sparkly glitter heart that I bought from Claireabellemakes not long ago. I'm wondering if I can justify gradually adding a whole rainbow of them to my brooch collection!

Overall, I'm calling both of the tops a success and I know I'll definitely be wearing them over the coming months. I've paired both of them with needlecord Winslow culottes in these photos (navy pair blogged here and teal pair here). I wear these culottes loads at this time of year - definitely more than I would have expected when I first made them. Hopefully my new Astoria and Toaster tops will be just as well loved!

Jennifer Lauren Pippi Pinafore

What's your opinion of pinafore/dunagree dresses? Personally, I love them! I wear both my denim Lilou dress (still going strong four years after I made it!) and last year's Freja dress loads, and for a long time now I've been meaning to add another pinafore or two to my collection. I was very tempted to make another Freja dress, but then decided that it would be good to try something a bit different so opted for a Jennifer Lauren Pippi pinafore instead.

The Pippi pinafore has a fitted bib, deep patch pockets and a side button fastening. The skirt has pleats in the front and darts in the back to give it a little bit of shaping. The straps cross over at the back, and the instructions include directions for using either buttons or traditional metal overall hardware for attaching them to the bib. 

The fabric I chose for my Pippi pinafore is a lovely magenta stretch denim from Sew Me Sunshine. As the fabric description says, it really is a perfect weight for a dunagree/pinafore dress and the small amount of spandex in the fabric makes it super comfortable to wear.

You're actually getting a double dose of Jennifer Lauren patterns and Sew Me Sunshine fabrics in this post, because the top I'm wearing under the Pippi is a Gable top that I made earlier this year using some Cotton & Steel jersey from Sew Me Sunshine (sadly no longer in stock, but it is available in a different colourway).

I really enjoyed sewing the Pippi pinafore. As with the other patterns of Jen's that I've sewn (my Raine dress, my Gable tops and dresses, Bronte top, and Enid sweaters), the instructions were really clear and detailed. I particularly liked the way that the skirt notches are labelled with letters that are referenced in the instructions so that you know exactly what notches you're meant to be using for each step. 

One thing to note so you don't make the same silly mistake I did - make sure you cut the button band and buttonhole facing the right way up! I'm a fan of pattern piece tetris and often flip pattern pieces over to cut them out if it means I can be more economical with my use of fabric, but you only cut out one of the button band/buttonhole facing so they do need to be cut the right way as indicated by the pattern piece. 

The Pippi pattern gives you a really nice finish on the pinafore. The lined bib and waistband give you neat insides (I used some lawn left over from my Susie blouse for the lining), and I really like the side button closure.

I chose to use buttons instead of hardware for securing the straps to the bib, mainly just because I like buttons better than hardware. While I was tempted to use some pretty buttons, I decided to be sensible and go for buttons that stood out whilst being neutral enough to allow me to wear the pinafore with as many tops as possible.

In terms of sizing, I made a size 14 and used the A cup bib (the pattern includes cup sizes A to D). That's the size recommended for my measurements, and it worked out nicely. The only adjustments I made were to lengthen both the bib and skirt by an inch, which is fairly standard for me. The finished pinafore has just enough ease to be comfortable whilst still being fitted enough to give it a bit of shape. 

All in all, I liked my finished Pippi pinafore as soon as I tried it on, and now that I've worn it properly I really love it. I'm already dreaming up more versions of the Pippi that I'd like to make in the future which is always a fairly good sign that a project has been a success, don't you think?

Pauline Alice Cami Dress

The project I have to share with you today is my third version of the Pauline Alice Cami dress. While I love my first two versions, the fabrics that I made them in mean that one feels quite wintery and the other one is very summery. I really enjoy wearing them both in the appropriate seasons, but felt like making another Cami that could be worn more throughout the year - and here it is...

To be honest, I'm quite surprised that I haven't made this dress before! Navy and white is one of my favourite colour combinations, and I do have a bit of a penchant for stars. Actually, the fact that there simply weren't enough star print dresses in the world for my liking was one of the things that first attracted me to the idea of trying to sew my own clothes. And yet in the five years or so since I started sewing, I've only actually made one star print dress before. I suppose that one of the great things about sewing is that you suddenly have a whole world of prints available to you, and all the novelty prints were just so tempting that I've neglected the stars until now.

Thankfully, I've put that right now thanks to this lovely poplin that I found in John Lewis a month or so ago. I actually bought this in a spare few minutes before I had to head to the station to get a train back home after a weekend away for a friend's hen do, so this also provides a nice little reminder of that weekend too.

Obviously being poplin, it was very easy to work with and pressed like a dream. I'm also pleased to report that it's nice to wear and doesn't seem to crease too easily either. I'd been wearing the dress all day (including crawling around on the floor constructing an Ikea filing cabinet) when we went out for a walk and took these photos, and while it's not completely pristine it looks better than some garments do when they've been ironed right before taking photos.

In terms of the dress itself, I used the same adjustments as I did for both of my previous Cami dresses (size 44 with 1.5 inches added to the bodice length, and 3 inches added to the skirt). I didn't have the same problems with the collar stand that I mentioned in my post about my summery Cami, so I can only conclude that I must have done something odd when I was making that one! The instructions are really thorough, and the only problems I had making this one were due to me not sewing the zip particularly well first time and so having to unpick it.

The colour lover inside me was very tempted to add some bright red or pink buttons to this dress to give a pop of colour. I did also contemplate adding a rainbow of different coloured buttons, but I'm thinking of doing that on another shirt dress that I'm planning to make soon, and there's probably only so many dresses with button rainbows that one person needs! In the end I decided to go with some neutral coloured buttons so that I can wear the dress with absolutely any of my cardigans or accessories.

The Cami dress was re-released recently with a different second view featuring a looser bodice, full length centre front button band and patch pocket. The looser fit probably isn't for me so I'm happy just to stick with my older version of the pattern, but if you'd previously dismissed the fitted bodice version of the Cami dress it might be worth taking a look to see if the new view is more to your taste.

Overall, I love this dress. It's one of those dresses that makes me feel good as soon as I put it on, and I know that it'll be worn a lot. And now I have a Cami dress for all seasons - hooray!

Knitting: Kim Hargreaves Lovely Cardigan

I've got some knitting to share with you today, namely my version of the Lovely cardigan from the pattern book North by Kim Hargreaves. I have to say that in my humble opinion it's a pattern that really lives up to its name!

The Lovely is a pretty cardigan worked in cables and bobbles, with moss stitch button/buttonhole bands and when I first saw this pattern, I really liked the look of it but I thought that it might be a bit of a challenge for me. It's a seamed construction, which I'm very familiar with, and I was fairly confident that there were no individual elements of the pattern that were too tricky for me, but I'd never knit anything with an all-over pattern (rather than a section of pattern accompanied by nice relaxing areas of stocking stitch). I was also slightly daunted by the look of the chart, as I haven't used charts that much before.

However, I was pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be far less taxing than I thought. What initially looked like a complex 16 row pattern repeat on closer inspection actually turned out to be far simpler. Once I'd got each piece properly started I could largely just knit away without having to check the pattern and the chart religiously. I also made things easier for myself by using stitch markers between each of the individual sections to keep me on track and make sure I didn't go onto autopilot and knit the wrong thing.

That said, I didn't always find this a relaxing project to work on, and it definitely wasn't quick. It's also safe to say that it'll be a while before I feel like tackling another project with quite this many bobbles! It's not that the bobbles were particularly complicated, but they were pretty time consuming and often seemed to initially look nicely bobble-like but then gradually deflate over time.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy knitting it though, and it is nice to challenge yourself with things that are a bit out of your comfort zone every now and then. I just made sure that I didn't knit on it when I was too tired or in need of something mindless.

I used to always be very monogamous with my knitting and just work on one project at a time, but this project really won me over to the joys of having a couple of projects on the go. While I've been working on this cardigan, I've also knit a few pairs of socks and my Spindrift shawl. It was really nice to have simpler projects to pick up when I wanted to knit, but didn't feel like knitting bobbles!

I made the size L, which is the size recommended for my bust measurement, and I'm happy with how it turned out. It's nicely fitted without being too snug, and is just the right length for me to wear with all my waisted dresses.

While I may have been complaining about the bobbles, I do really like how the pattern is written. There are moss stitch panels under the arms and either side of the sleeve seam, and all the increases are worked into those sections so there's no need to figure out adding in extra sections of the main pattern. I also like the fact that the moss stitch button/buttonhole bands are worked with the fronts so you only have to pick up stitches around the neckline at the end.

One point to note if you're knitting this pattern though is that the Tw2L and Tw2R stiches are labelled the wrong way round on the chart. Other than that, I had no problems with it at all!

The yarn that I used is Drops Flora in turquoise. I enjoyed knitting with it and, based on the cardigan's first outing at least, seems like it should be nice to wear. It's also a lovely colour which, as I've realised as I've been wearing various dresses whilst knitting it, should go with plenty of things in my wardrobe.

All in all, I'm really pleased with how my Lovely cardigan turned out. It may have taken me about eight months to knit it (I'm not a speedy knitter), but I'm glad I persevered with all those bobbles and got it finished in the end. And it's another project that I can tick off my Make Nine list! The next cardigan on my needles will be Wainthropp by Andi Satterlund, which is also one of my Make Nine projects but I'm not sure it'll be done this year. How are you getting on with your Make Nine list if you made one?

Butterick 6446 Dress

Butterick 6446 is a pattern that I've been wanting to make for a while. It was on my list of projects to make last summer, but fell victim to my (as usual!) overly ambitious plans and didn't make it onto my cutting table before the seasons changed. To try to ensure that didn't happen again, I included it on my Make Nine list for this year.

Admittedly I think it's fair to say that I've once again missed the best of the weather with this dress, but as I wear what a lot of people would consider to be summer dresses for most of the year (that's what cardigans and tights are for!) I don't think there's anything wrong with me making it in September.

Butterick 6446 attracted my attention because the pleated wrap bodice is slightly different to any of the dresses I've made before. In addition to the pretty bodice, the pattern features three different skirt options (a flared skirt in knee or maxi lengths, or a pleated midi length skirt), sleeveless options or a  flared sleeve, and the option of a sash. And pockets! I made view A - a sleeveless dress, with the knee length skirt.

I made the dress in a size 16 at the bust, blending out to an 18 at the waist. Usually I'd go down a size for a commercial pattern, but these are the sizes recommended for my measurements and it worked out nicely this time. There is a little bit of ease, but just enough to make the dress comfortable without it becoming sack like.

I made my usual adjustment of lengthening the bodice by an inch. At this point the pleats that form the wrap in the front bodice caused me a bit of a problem because they meant that it wasn't as easy as usual to add in a lengthen/shorten line (there isn't one marked on the pattern pieces). In the end, I drew my line perpendicular to the centre front line below the second pleat and that seems to have worked out fine.

I also lengthened the skirt by 2 inches, which has made it the perfect knee length on me (for reference, I'm somewhere around 5 ft 8").

The instructions, as usual for commercial patterns, were succinct but they were still perfectly clear and easy to follow. I did everything as I was told, other than the fact that I used an invisible zip instead of a regular one. That was partly because I prefer the look of an invisible zip, and partly because the fact that I prefer an invisible zip meant that I was on auto-pilot when buying my zip and got an invisible one instead of the regular zip called for in the pattern.

The only thing that I'm not entirely keen on is that bodice feels a bit bulky at times. Because you have the two pieces of the bodice overlapping each other at the side seams, and both bodice pieces are lined, the seams do feel noticeably chunkier than in most other dresses. This is pretty unavoidable in a lined dress of this style though, and I like the fact that the left front bodice (the lower part of the wrap) and the bodice lining pieces are shaped by a large waist dart instead of the pleats used on the right front bodice (the outer part of the wrap) - if all of them had used the pleats then the side seams would have been seriously bulky!

The fabric that I used is a sketched rose cotton print from The Textile Centre, which is a really nice quality especially considering the bargain price. Purple is a colour that's a bit under-represented in my wardrobe too, so it's nice to put that right. For my lining I used a white cotton lawn which I always have around to use for linings.

I'm happy that I finally got around to making Butterick 6446 and crossing another project off my Make Nine list. I'm pleased with how the dress turned out, and it'll definitely still be worn for a while this year (albeit with a cardigan over the top), and it'll also be great for the warmer weather next year. All in all, a successful project!

Sew Over It Carrie Trousers

I've got something a bit different to share with you today - I made trousers! Specifically, a pair of Sew Over It Carrie trousers.

Trousers aren't something I've contemplated sewing before because it's actually been getting on for 10 years since I wore trousers (other than pyjamas!). While this is largely because I love wearing dresses and skirts, it's also at least partly because I always used to hate shopping for trousers as it was so difficult to find any that fit. That doesn't necessarily need to be a problem now that I sew though, and since I moved to an often-windy coastal town last year, I've been thinking that it might be a good idea to try some trousers to help avoid 'Marilyn moments' on particularly blustery days!

The Carrie trousers are loose-fitting through the leg tapering slightly towards the ankle, with a flat-fronted elasticated-back waistband, front pleats and slanted pockets at the side seams. When Sew Over It released Carrie as a PDF pattern (it had previously been available as part of their Ultimate Guide to Sewing and Fitting Trousers online course), I thought that it would be a good place to start giving trousers a go.

The pattern is simple to sew (I'd say only slightly more complicated than an average pair of pyjama bottoms), and the elastic-back waistband made me fairly confident that even if I decided that they weren't very "me", they'd be a comfy option for lounging around the house so would still be worn somehow!

I made a size 14, which is the size recommended for my measurements, and made a toile just of the top of the trousers (essentially a pair of shorts) to check the fit. Even though the Carrie trousers are designed to be loose fitting, I wanted to make sure that there was enough space in the thighs because I have fairly "sturdy" legs. Thankfully the thighs were fine, and the fit was pretty much OK. The only slight change I made was to raise the waistband by about 2cm to make the rise more comfortable on me.

Sewing the trousers was no trouble at all, and fairly speedy - I sewed the toile and the trousers themselves over the course of a fairly leisurely day of sewing. The instructions were very detailed and easy to follow.

The only slight criticism I'd have is that some of the photos that accompany the instructions might have been a bit clearer if a less patterned fabric had been used for the sample. That's just nitpicking though, because it didn't really cause me any problems.

The only change I had to make during the sewing process was to cut the elastic 9cm shorter than recommended, but elastic length is always going to depend on how stretchy your elastic is, and my elastic is definitely stretchier than most.

The fabric I chose is some navy and white spot print viscose from Minerva Crafts. I thought it was a good fabric for me to use for this project because it will go with a lot of my tops (I'm not the only one who thinks that navy and white spots count as a neutral am I?!), whilst still being a bit more interesting (and therefore more likely to appeal to me) than a plain colour.

I'm actually turning into a bit of a Sew Over It fangirl in this outfit, because the top I'm wearing is an as-yet-unblogged Silk (or viscose in my case) Cami. I made it earlier this summer after the pattern was included with Simply Sewing magazine. It's another great pattern from Sew Over It, but this was just a wearable toile and I want to make a couple of tweaks before I make another version and I'll blog about it properly once I've done that.

So what's the verdict on the Carrie trousers? I'd say the pattern itself is a winner - the fit is good for me, and the trousers were easy to sew. As for me wearing trousers - the jury's still out! They're very comfy and it's nice not to have to worry about my dress/skirt blowing all over the place when wearing them, but I did feel slightly like I was wearing my pyjamas and I still think that dresses/skirts suit me better. I'm definitely going to keep on wearing them though, so hopefully I'll grow to love them more, and I might give some other trousers a try at some point. I'm also quite tempted by the idea of dungarees/overalls/whatever they're called in your part of the world. Have you got any good trouser/dungarees patterns to recommend that could convert a dress lover?!