Summery kimono's and blue suede shoes.. baby.

This piece was made for the sole purpose of wearing with my amazing blue suede boots I got made in Vietnam. For anyone travelling to Vietnam, more specifically Hoi An, I can recommend 09 Shoes and leather at 65 Tran Hung Dao Street, Hoi An 0510, Vietnam... I got four pairs made and they all looked fairly lovely - two for my sister and two for myself... As long as you are prepared to get them resoled when you return home after about a season or so of wear (it just keeps them looking lovely, and they stay well shaped)...

Anyway... Enough about amazing blue leather boots... More about this kimono. There isn't much to say that isn't covered in the tutorial I used to make it from - which can be found here. It was a really quick sew up - probably about an hour. Mainly due to me whipping the seams through the over locker instead of taking the time to french seam the thing. Being able to wear it the same afternoon was totally worth it though :)

The fabric is a spectacular silk crepe de chine remnant I picked up in 2013 in Malaysia - in the KL fabric markets. I have another 5 or six of these in different colourways floating around. This was the biggest piece, and also my favourite print, and I was able to eeek out the Kimono by adjusting my rectangle sizes to fit.

I won't cover the construction details, as it is quite easily laid out in the tutorial that I have linked too. But It was really simple. Next time I make this I think I will add a hem band around the neckline and sides so the finish a little bit more professional. Currently I have just completed a rolled hem, which looks OK, but is a little on the wonky side around the curved front.

 

I am fully aware that pretty floral prints like this belong in spring and summary makes - but it makes me very happy to don something this bright and pretty in the depths of winter! All in all.. a simple a fun make, which has been in high rotation, despite the chilly weather, since it has been made!

The Specs:

Pattern: Tutorial by Elle Aparrel - adjusted to fit my measurements.

Fabric: Silk Crepe De Chine remnant from Malaysia.

Time: from cutting to finished - an hour.

Cost: The remnant was $4- AUD and a free tutorial. So this number was a cheapy!

See also: Julia Bobbin

A Wintry Chardon - a sad tale of some terrible fabric...

Many months ago, I stumbled across Anna's gorgeous version of the Chardon skirt by Deer and Doe. Of course, after spying this perfect little number I had to have myself one! It is a high waisted skirt featuring inverted box pleats, and has the option of a contrast hem and bow belt. I am boring and a copycat, so I made up view A.

I was hoping to find some mustard coloured twill or drill for the project, alas, no luck, until I stumbled across this fabric on Ebay for a ridiculous next to nothing amount, for five whopping meters. Aaaannnddd impulse purchase. Without knowing fibre content, weight, drape..... There wasn't a lot of detail there. Anyway... mystery fabric of unknown quality arrives, and is the perfect colour. But is a horrible fabric. Poly something or other that won't press, melting under even the slightest heat and looks all bubbly at the seams.... So I cut the skirt out, and let it sit there. Shaming myself for impulse purchasing five meters of horrendous fabric. This week I had my yellow thread in my overlocker, so pulled it out and figured I may as well sew her up! And treat it like a wearable toile process...

This is the finished result! Not quite what I was after, but still good to see the fit, and it will get a few rounds in the wardrobe this winter before it gets replaced. I have just purchased a heavy navy cotton to make another, perhaps slightly longer, version, with the hope that it will hold the pleats better.

Because the fabric was so tricky to press, it didn't hold the shape of the pleats at all. So it has warped into some kind of weird tulip skirt. It still looks ok - and obviously I just pretend that I meant for that to happen.... #cowboysewing. Some of the versions I have linked to at the bottom look fabulous with the pleats looking very schmick and well pressed and tight seams... The aversion to heat and ironing also meant my seams are kind of concave-y. (Yes. It's a word. Google it).

The pattern is very basic sew up - and ticks all the boxes being a skirt with pockets! I was really happy it was my first venture into deer and doe patterns... Halfway through the construction process I lost my english patterns, so the last few steps I used the images in the french instructions to fudge my way through... It's a skirt... It didn't seam too tricky!

I purchased the Belladone, the Reglisse, the Anemone skirt patterns with this order, and now also want to add the Bruyere shirt to the stash.... The packaging is pretty (hello pink!) and the pattern itself is printed on sturdy paper - much better for tracing... although I still cut straight into this one... (that shows how long ago I cut this out... before my tracing skills evolved!)

I used some pretty blue gingham for the bias binding hem, and using a contrasting thread (white) and bobbin colour (the mustard), a tip I picked up in the finlayson sweater sewalong, I was able to skip any hand stitching. This kept the sewing time to a minimum... It would have been even quicker if I didn't have to recut the front skirt panel. An iron burn print on your vajayjay isn't a good look...

I also used some leftover chambray for the facing. Contrasting facings are always a win! I did end up needing to topstitch it into place. I am unsure if this is because of the poly again, or the differing weight of the chambray.. either way, the top stitch sorted it out! It feels like secret sewing when you have pretty insides... Although it wasn't until after I finished those little touches that I felt it was a bit of a waste because the cheap poly hasn't been what I hoped!

The deets:

Pattern: Deer and Doe - Chardon Skirt

Size: 42

Fabric: HORRENDOUS mustard poly/twill blend sourced on Ebay... The remainder since passed on to a friend to use for her own toile making.

Cost: Fabric $15 for 5m (enough said), I used about 2 (more once I had to recut the front piece), so $7.50. Pattern $25. Threads and Notions: $ 5-

= $37.50

Alterations: I left off the belt loops because the fabric wouldn't press nicely, so they looked pretty average. Otherwise, sewed straight up out of the packet! I think I may use a slighter smaller seam allowance next time to give me a just a touch more room through the waist.

Otherbits: RTW boring bits. A sweet as circus brooch (from Modcloth) which I wear EVERDAY and with EVERYTHING. Because I can. And ankle boots from Merchant.

See also: Anna of Paunett, Winnie from Scruffy Badger, Amy from Sew Amy Sew & Sally from the quirky peach.

I have taken a barrage of blog photo's for the last few makes (moneta's, astorias, kimono's....) 

Consider yourself warned for the spam alert for the next few days/weeks...

Getting photo's of my makes is always the tricky part for me... any tips fellow sewing bloggers!?

Sihanoukville palms and a Lonsdale..

So, being in such a lovely place, having a friend to play photographer (thanks Tara) and having some unblogged me mades in my suitcase means I had the chance to nab some photo's of some older makes that never made the blog...

This tropical number is the Lonsdale Dress - by Sewaholic. I originally made it as a party dress to wear to a friends engagement party last year, and have continued to wear it to any event remotely summery and even out for dinner on a few occassions.

The bodice is self lined, and requires some serious fabric meterage to cover those LONG bodice/neck/back/bow ties... They are fabric eaters, but they are definitely worth it with it being the statement detail of the dress. I used the largest size length for the ties, as I wanted to be able to have a nice big bow! Turning the fabric through for the ties was a completely boring task, and took quite a long time! So I recommend doing this in front of the telly.

The fabric is a printed cotton from spotlight. It has a bit of body to it, and pressed and sewed easily. I would love to try this make in a more drapey fabric, I think the skirt would look fabulous all swishy. The instructions for the pattern were really good - and I can't remember having any issues sewing it up. I did have to take the bodice in quite a bit after trying it on, perhaps 4-5cm? 

I originally made the maxi length of this dress, but lopped it off just below the knee. In the maxi length, with the slight structure and body from the fabric, the dress looked a little bit 90's prom/debutant ball... So the shorter length was a must!

This dress has pockets. Which I love. I think the skirt for the lonsdale dress is very similar to the hollyburn skirt pattern. I have the hollyburn pattern, which I love and have made up a few times now, but if I had of made this up before the hollyburn I probably wouldn't have purchased it and just drafted a waistband! 

Just a little peek for you to see the fabric..

The details:

Pattern: the Lonsdale Dress - by Sewaholic Patterns.

Size: 12 and graded to a 16 at the hips.

Fabric: 3.5m Printed cotton from spotlight.

Alterations: removing 4-5cm from the CB line. I took a wild stab at how to do this. I recommend others google it and don't trust any of my suggestions #cowboysewing.

Cost: I can't remember - it was too long ago!

See also: Rachel, Winnie,  Angela.

happy sewing team.

xx

Bombshell*

* refers to both the swimsuit, and the wearer. FACT.

EDIT: I have had this post sitting here for a while awaiting publishing, the whole let's get semi nude on the internet thing was the nerve racking part. And then I saw SallieOh's post. She has made not only a fabulous teeny tiny bikini, but also dropped some little pearls of wisdom about the whole body/beach/confidence/everyone kills it on the beach mentality. So thank you Sallie! "They simply cover what needs to be covered and leave your body to do it's thing.  And bodies are beautiful. So there."

So this week it is back to reality after almost four weeks of travelling through Vietnam and Cambodia - and what an amazing trip it was! I did manage to nab some amazing fabrics while I was away, and will write a brief little fabric post of where I managed to find some lovely pieces soon.

But in the mean time, being away in a foreign tropical location gave me the perfect opportunity to photograph one of my summer makes, which I had bee dreading photographing, and blogging - but in the end I was so happy with this make that I kind of wanted to brag about it (sorrynotsorry).

Of course I mean the BOMBSHELL - by Heather Lou at Closet Case Files. This thing is a an absolute pleasure to sew, and wear - channeling all the glam from the 40's and 50's and creating a super lush and flattering silhouette.

My ass features in this post. I am kind of sorry and I am also not. This swimsuit does amazing things for the way you feel in swimmers - what kind of magic did you draft in Heather Lou!? 

Having some pretty substantial lady lumps, I was fairly nervous about support for the girls, and after reading the sewalong, I followed the tutorial by Kadiddlehopper to add some bra cups and elastic for some extra support. It worked a treat for fun frolicks and swimming- I wouldn't wear it for a triathlon or anything too extensive though, but there isn't really much fear of that anyway...

The cups were just plain foam cups by birch which were indicated to be swimwear OK. Pause for a moment to appreciate the forty minutes spent in spotlight holding bra cups to my babs trying to guess which size....

The fabric is a gorgeous striped white and black with a gold sheen. It ended up giving me a bit of a headache to sew, and has been a nightmare to photograph!! I picked the fabric up at the fabric store in Melbourne, heading in for one of their sales.. but when I found this piece, it wasn't on sale... But then it was in my head. And I wanted it. BAD. So it came home, full priced and all...

Things got nervy after I had finished sewing it up and it felt heavy. This was mainly down to fabric choice, it is quite a sturdy nylon/lycra blend. I thought it might sag a bit once it was wet... FYI. I was wrong. 

I wish I had played around with the gathers a bit more, taking the time to even them out over the stomach area. It still looks fine, but just judging from some of the other versions I have seen, it could be better! 

Initially I had a contrast white strap for the halter, as well as the bust gather, but the white fabric isn't as substantial as the striped, and it didn't feel supportive enough, so a swapped in a new strap from the main fabric - choosing to keep the contrast bust gather point in white.

I am also a bit sad I picked our last day to take these snaps - the only day of my entire trip it wasn't perfectly sunny!! 

The directions for the swimsuit in the sew along are great, so great that I simply had my laptop open on the sewalong posts, and didn't bother with the printed instructions. Heather also references some other posts for more information. I found it the perfect amount of hand holding for a swimwear novice!

That's my ass. On the internet. Sorry parentals. But I do like the butt coverage. A substantial butt coverage is a must in a pair of togs- especially when jumping from great heights into the pool is considered an appropriate past time like it is for me.... 

proof I didn't just wade around the shallows in it...

Ok - time for the stats:

Pattern: Bombshell swimsuit by Heather Lou at Closet Case Files. AKA - drafting Jesus. Thank you lady.

Fabric: 2m of striped black and white with a disco gold sheen lycra/nylon blend from the fabric store, 1m of swimsuit lining also from the fabric store. Foam cups - birch. Elastic - birch.

Cost: about $80- including the pattern, two fabrics and notions - not a cheap sew, but cheaper than most swimmers...

Size: 12 at the bust and waist and graded to a 16 at the hips.

Accessories: hoping you all noticed my sweet kitty glasses - thanks Renay! Madeline Hat - C/O Vietnam.

See also: Amanda, Lieth, Lauren and Anna

I also made a Nettie Hack pair of togs with my scraps following this tutorial - and the bottoms got a huge work out while I was away! The elastic on the armholes is a bit tight, which i will need to fix, but other than that - it is sound! I slipped some bra cups into this one as well, they are quite structured in this style, but when it is on, it holds the girls in well, almost like a sports crop top.... given I already had the pattern, elastic, and fabric - the only expense was bra cups at $7 - ... So this really evens out the swimwear costs!

So tell me....

Would you put your ass on the internet?

Ikat Tate

I am smugly clapping myself for my forward planning in writing this post before I left for my trip. Well played 'super organised in all the wrong area's' self...

But anyway! - here is the tate top! It is a brilliantly easy and flattering sew up from workroom social.

The pattern comes with no instructions, but is fairly simple - after reading Elizabeth's review, I was happy to plough along and make the same alterations as she did with omitting the zipper in favor of a hook and eye closure. Much more summery!

The fabric is a beautiful soft cotton I picked up in Bali in 2013. So soft. And so cheap! I wanted some light summery tops for my trip away, without breaking the bank! So I turned to the stash, and flicked through sewn by Elizabeth's so cheap challenge looking for a free summery pattern! Such a great idea, and a fabulous reference when looking for a quick and free project! Thanks Elizabeth... :)

I made my own bias binding, and bound the neckline and armholes, choosing to turn the binding to the inside. My binding turned out a bit big, so for my next version I will use smaller binding for a neater finish.

It was fairly straightforward to match the seams, simply lining up the bottom pieces on the bottom of the Ikat print, allowing the scoop hem to dip below the Ikat line. Not perfect, but it did the trick for a quick project.

Very happy with this quick little top. To keep it simple, I popped it through my overlocker and quickly serged all my seams. SO QUICK.

I also used the length size from the size 20, while using a sz 12 - 14, as I like my tops a bit longer.

Specs:

Pattern: the Tate Top - Workroom social (free download!).

Fabric: Cotton Ikat - Bali.

Size: 12 and graded to a 14 at the hips.

Mods: omitted the zip in place of a hook and eye closure, and lengthened the tunic to the size 20.

Cost: pattern - free! so a grand total of about $5- for the fabric :)

See also:

Elizabeth 1 and Elizabeth 2.

Happy Sewing Team!

Emery - nautical linen love.

Ahoy! This past month has been some serious out of season sewing in preparation for my upcoming adventures in Vietnam and Cambodia... This means that all my me-made-may shenanigans will occur from my backpack.. Brace yourselves for loads of wrinkly linens!

The first item I wanted to sew up, was a Christina Haynes sleeveless linen Emery. The emery is not new to me, in fact this is my fourth! I have feaured my earlier ventures here.

The linen is an el cheapo' painted version from my dear friend Eliza around the corner from my work. It is still quite stiff, despite a wash and run through the dryer before sewing. As I had planned this dress to be a midi and made specifically for travel, I couldn't face paying a bomb for the linen and then having is not last some hard wearing while backpacking...

I love my little necklace - navy, blues, reds and whites - my kind of neutrals! Made by a friend from my home town. Modestbeads. I was hoping to channel the gorman fit and gathered midi dresses. I have been perving on them ferociously for about 12 months. They have a gorgeous moth print dresses and tops at the moment. Must find moth fabric.

I took the time to match my stripes, which turned out beautifully. But they are quite big, so I can't pat myself on the back to much about that... The back skirt stripes are a little off. So just make sure you squint while looking at that...

Sewers confession: I forgot to staystitch my neckline... BOOO!!! So it did stretch out a little. It will be fine for my holiday, but I will go back and nip the front neckline in at the shoulder seam when I get back, I like this dress more than I thought I would and want to keep it in the wardrobe!

My favorite closure of a lapped zipper. I really love the finish of these and they have become my go-to closure. Hurrah for lapped zippers!

Emery spam....

Lotta's from stockholm.

The specs:

Pattern: Christina Haynes Emery

Fabric: Printed linen - Eliza's fabric.

Mods: Added about 4" (another fabric stripe) to lengthen it to mid calf and embrace the midi rage. Also - sleeveless.

Shoes: Lotta's from stockholm

Beads: Modestbeads

See also: Miss make, any from Sarah over at a million dresses.

Anywhoooo.... looking forward to seeing all your creations for me-made-may-15!

Thank you 'pre-holiday semi-organised about the wrong things Rachel' for nabbing some snaps of my holiday sews before going away.. and writing some posts! So they will be up over the next few weeks!

See you all soon! xx

gettin' skirty - BHL inspired pleated skirt.

This little number was a simple sew - done in about 1.5hours, from cutting to completion.. buttons and all.

It is loosely inspired by the back panels of the BHL - flora dress. I have made her before, see here.

I used the back panel piece to make the skirt, slimming the original pleats to fit into my 145cm wide fabric. I have said it before, but this skirt is huge. And I lengthened it by 5cm.

I can't say I am full happy with this hacked effort. I like the skirt, and will wear it, I think i need to nip it in at the waist a little bit. But I regret slimming down the pleat size, as in my mind I was imagining huge box pleats.... Ahhhh... sewing regrets.

Wide skirt shot -  I love a wide swishy skirt.

The wide skirt makes it a great for twirling. This is obviously an every day MUST for skirts.

And... SWISHY....

The fabric is a really nice cotton sateen I picked up on a recent trip to Tasmania, however I have seen whispers on instgram that it is also available at the Cloth Shop, in Ivanhoe Melbourne.

 Because I wanted to keep this as a fast 'n' dirty sew up, I just ran the edges through the overlocker and used my previously drafted waistband with overlap for button holes, then easing the skirt into the waistband piece.

The SPECS:

Pattern: Flora franken-pattern-hack with self drafted waist band.

Fabric: Cotton Sateen, sourced in Tasmania.

Size: 14

Time: 1.5 hours.

Satisfaction: Meh.

Shoes: Lotta from Stockholm, Glasses - Oscar Wylee, Cropped Tee - Zoe Mac.

The BHL obsession continues with these ladies calling my name in the night... Who else has met Anna, Kim and Sophia? Are you guys BFF's as well.!?