Coco's Garden and Other Stories

I'm beginning to think that life is just a series of coincidences - one event/decision/action leads to an apparently unrelated event/decision/action, which leads to another and so on, until all those little things add up to one big thing. Here's how my recent series is connected:



For nearly a year I have been reading Coco's Loft. A fabulous and talented lady who makes the most outstanding clothes and has really defined her style. Many of her photo shoots are in her garden. My fingers are definitely NOT green, I can kill weeds, but Coco's garden is tropical, lush and very, very green. Every time I see it I tend to look at the plants and not the dress (sorry Coco).









Then Elizabeth, from Sewn, was fixated for a while on a Burda batwing top and made some beautiful versions, each a little different from the last. I actually have this pattern too, being one of the few that I managed to trace off and know her addiction well. I also made 3 or 4. It's an easy pattern, front and back cut on the fold with a bit of bias or other finishing technique around the neck, sleeves and hem. Recently she also posted about hating to cut out, have I got a treat for her!










Next, I set a puzzle pattern piece for you to guess what it would morph into. I inadvertently posted a photo of the pattern and The Centre for Pattern Design told me off, in case some unscrupulous sewer copied the design from my blog. I promptly removed the image and for my efforts, CPD very, very kindly gifted another pattern. I also suspect that they received considerably more orders for patterns that week.

I've also been reading around the blog-o-sphere of Fearless February. A personal challenge to settle down and tackle those sewing related things that you 'need a bit more practice' at. While not officially signing up, the challenge did spark something in me. So things I'm really crap at - sewing in a straight line; applying bias binding without wrinkles; sewing an even distance from the edge; good top stitching, and stitch-in-the-ditch. Ironically, I used most of these techniques in the recently completed raincoat but I've seen it up close and believe me, there's lots of room for improvement.

Bear with me, we're getting there.........that's four stories so far.

While in town the other day, the one and only fabric shop had a table set up with a selection of cottons at half price. Most were end of rolls but generally 1 -2m in length. All sorts of colours and patterns but I was drawn to a grey/green leaf design.

My immediate thought was - Coco's garden!







Then the pattern arrived in the post (air mail no less), MV bias cut top. Wait for it.....one piece!


My immediate thought was - Elizabeth would love this: batwing style and easy to cut out!

And so, we are now at the point of culmination of all these coincidences to proudly present the Centre for Pattern Design's Madeleine Vinonnet's inspired bias cut top-

And so we come to then end (so far) of this series of fortunate events...or do you have any to add?

I've practiced my top stitching and stitching in the ditches, attaching bias binding in lots of different ways, and discovered a top that has one pattern piece that is cut on the bias with only 2 seams (count them, two!), drapes beautifully to the body without being clingy and can be made in almost any fabric.

The pattern comes in small, medium and large but without SAs. I started with the L but have added 1cm on every subsequent cut. The fit on Number 2 and 3 is much better than the Number 1 satin. Just check the width of the bottom of the sleeves - too tight and you'll end up with a T-shirt like me! You'll need about 1.5m of fabric and the wider the better, especially of you want longer sleeves. The excess fabric at the end can be used very productively for making the bias binding.

Most batwing tops are difficult to wear under a cardigan or jacket without the sleeves all bunching up but this top has narrower sleeves and easily fits comfortably underneath a cardi.

Do you have any strange coincidence stories,  or a train of events that led you to where you are now?

Back to Basics

After my foray into the wild and untamed world of animal print clothing (I suspect Prttynpnk has developed a worldwide sewing-manipulation ray gun and has stashed said weapon thereabouts in her sewing room) AND she managed to make me part with a loved but unused 2m of fabric, I happily returned to normal life and sewing without prints of any kind. Interestingly I noticed, when constructing a garment in a plain fabric - every mistake shows up a hundredfold, so precision and accuracy is crucial. Is this the attraction of wild prints? Hiding the flaws? No judgement - just an observation.....I've been there.

I focused attention and effort to sewing for my SWAP 13. Still on the Audrey side of my Hepburn collection I went for the simplest, but not the the easiest of makes: a good old draped neck blouse, reminiscent of the Givenchy blouse I used as inspiration. I'm on a pattern diet (fast) at the moment so dug out my TNT Paco draped top. 

What could go wrong? A perfectly drafted pattern, made so many times in so many fabrics. And fits my requirements for the SWAP perfectly.

See that point at the centre front? Curses upon you......perfect point!

I actually reverted to my own advice to make this point razor sharp: and to my amazement - it worked!

The inside is a bit messy, what with all the marker pen lines and having to use a white fusible interfacing as it was the only colour I had, but the end result on the outside is fine.

Separated at birth? (BTW Audrey's the one on the right, just in case you were wondering)

Dash for the Deadline

The end of January is fast approaching (hooray - pay day!) and the first Jungle January is drawing to a close. In a last ditch attempt to 'move' into animal prints I online purchased a rather cheap poly chiffon that incorporates, zebra, snake, cheetah, tiger, leopard, spots and a few fleur-de-ly for good measure.  I think the postage was more expensive than the fabric!

The pattern is a mis-mash of a very easy Vogue shirt and Rachel Comey V1247: there is a back yoke, back pleat, kimono sleeves, a few darts in the front for shaping, shirt tail hem with the back longer than the front, 3/4 sleeves and bias bound V neck. - There, a bit of everything to match the fabric.

Didn't take too long to make either as there is no fitting, no sleeve insertion and the hem is just rolled and machine sewn.

More importantly to me are the jeans.
They are Issey Miyake Vogue 1204, not quite skinny but straight legged with front slant pockets and all the usual jean accoutrement. An unusual departure in style for me but I thought I'd give them a go. I normally make boot cut style jeans to balance out the child-bearing hips and I was rather concerned about the front slant pockets bulging out when I sat down. I made them long enough to cover the tops of the snakeskin ankle boots - but short enough so that you can see the boots.

There are a staggering 12 pieces sewn together to make these jeans, including pocket linings and double of everything apart from the left and right fly - 22 bits plus 5 belt carriers. I think that's a lot of pieces for two legs and a waistband.

Fabric is a stretch denim that was brown until it was washed and then became olive green. That's OK, I've got lots of things that co-ordinate with them - not least the animal chiffon!

Most of the fears of the style were unfounded. However, these jeans are LOW, especially in comparison to my usual fit.

I did my own unique method of achieving the perfect fit in jeans - it goes like this in 10 easy steps:

1. Cut out a 14
2. Make the fronts and backs with all the pockets and fly
3. Sew up the inside legs as real
4. Stitch the outside legs and centre back with 5mm machine baste stitch
5. Try on inside out and pin out all the excess on the outside legs and centre, especially at the waist.
6. Rip out the basting and stitch on the pin lines.
7. Try on again and pin out any new wrinkles and bagginess
8. Rip and stitch.
9. Fit the waistband to the new size.
10. Attach a button and hem

Works every time!
But that's the problem... I never adjust the paper pattern to take account of these changes so every time I make a pair, I have to go through the whole rigmarole again. However, I have also found that even with a pattern I have adjusted and altered the fit still needs tweaking with every new fabric used. One stretch denim does not behave the same as another stretch denim.












Money shot coming up.......

There, I've tried animal print twice this month and I'll have to admit - it's not for me. I will be wearing my animal print lined dress at a very important meeting this week and if I can muster the courage I might just accessorise with the matching scarf.

Anne, it's been fun and you've made me go where no other sewer or designer has enticed me to go before. A big thank you for hosting and managing Jungle January; hunting down and displaying all those animal print inspired garments - Meow to you!

For me, it's time to go back to SWAP.

My New BFF - DK

The Montana-sized front piece was cut out....
























The Burdaesque markings were marked....all round the edge and up the middle... and a few on the sleeves..

A new sleeve was cut and made after the first one had a run in with a too-hot iron.....

Pleating and gathering and folding and matching and sewing and ripping and more sewing was completed and just like magic, out of acres of poly satin emerges a Donna Karan blouse.....

And after all that I didn't really like it much!

By sheer happenstance I came across the original Donna Karan satin blouse - which retails at £2,010. Yes, you read that correctly and I didn't make a typo! It is currently On Sale at a measly £750.  

Buy V1324 from Vogue patterns for $32 and purchase 2.5m of soft, shiny satin and you've still got a bargain.

So now I love my blouse

 Some little details to note: I didn't add the bottom band like the original because the iron also put a hole in it and there was no more fabric left!

I think my pleats on the sleeves are folded the wrong direction but hopefully no one will really notice.

My cowl neck is not as flat and pressed as the original due to the fabric qualities of my poly satin.

There's a keyhole hidden the centre back pleat which I though might gape - but it doesn't - see? And it sits above the bra strap line just in case there is a moment's gaping while bending over to tie my shoelaces and pull my socks up.

So after the argument and disappointment with Donna's batwing top, we're friends again. Isn't that nice? 

Party season or just wear it everyday?

Your valued opinions please.

I can't Stand Like That.....

I now know why the Vogue models have to perform such unusual poses............

I have been attempting to sew a Stitchers Guild 6-PAC over the last few weeks and all will be revealed soon and one of the 6 pieces was this Donna Karan Vogue top. The pattern's been hanging around the stash box since the last Vogue sale so I thought it was time to make it up.

The whole back of the top is open but not mine! I sewed it up like a centre back seam and left about 6" free at the neck so that I could get it over my head. the gathered high neck is secured with 9 snaps - though I got away with 5.

Anyway, look at the size of the single front piece! Thank goodness there's only one.

This is the front with the pleats pinned in place and it reaches to the floor! 

The really scary bit is having to cut this piece right up the middle.

Once this bit is done the rest of the construction is relatively straightforward until you come to the hip hugging wraps. Mine were far too loose and didn't quite look like the line drawing above. So ripped out and tightened the whole thing ignoring the notches and marks. It's a better fit with more gathers, so overall much more pleasing to the eye. This could be the reason the model is wearing a belt too - to hide the bagginess.

Having tried it on I am now in a position to advise and caution you - if you don't stand with your hands on your hips the entire time of wearing this top the voluminous front flops forwards and hides all the meticulous pleating that is wrapped around the hips. It is also nearly impossible to lift (even move) your arms and you lose the entire bottom half of the sleeve. It just looked like I had taken 3m of jersey and slung it round my neck - absolutely shapeless. 

So, unless you perpetually stand like this.....

 ...or this....

this top ain't gonna work!

Solution to this problem was two-fold. I lifted most of the batwingedness and made three pleats on either side of the shoulders. Tacked them firmly on the inside along the shoulder seam. This has a rather pleasant effect of creating a draped front while also revealing the hip wraps and letting me move my arms too. Winner!

 Second stage is to wear it tucked in....

I am also convinced that not only do you need instructions to make this top, you also need instructions on how to put it on and wear it!


And here is the rest of the 6-PAC. Tones of duck-egg blue and taupe. Though I did cheat and pulled the wool camel trousers out of the wardrobe (made last winter) to make up the six pieces. Sorry!

And if I didn't have enough to figure out with this DK top, I've got the blouse from V1324 cut out and ready to start and it comes with another front piece the size of Montana. 

3T

There comes a time when no more summer clothes are required (or needed due to lousy weather) and the wardrobe doors won't close, so to keep busy before starting autumn clothes I set my sights on replenishing my greying white T-shirts. I had this Vogue Katherine Tilton V8817 pattern and made the tunic many, many times. I ordered up some white T-shirt making fabric and went to work.

 From left: 1 cotton pointe knit, 2. cotton with a good helping of lycra, 3. the white leftovers on the body with brown crinkle mesh for sleeves and contrasts.

Note how the different fabrics give a slightly different fit and how it wrinkles over my swayback.

If I was a perfectionist I could have done a sway back alteration when cutting, but it's only a T-shirt!

The details: while they look the same there are subtle differences.
1. Added cuffs and no topstitching. 2. Topstitched with two threads, one white and one pale grey - it gives a sort of silver finish. 3. Fancy stitches and scraps of mesh used for neckband and sleeves.

 A really good pattern for a good basic top that has multiple variations limited only by your imagination and creativity. Easy to sew, though there are a lot of pieces to cut out first. It is my ideal T-shirt - 3/4 length sleeves; fitted but not tight; long enough to tuck in and short enough to leave out; scooped neckline that is low but not slutty; and interesting pattern pieces for a top that is more than two rectangles with sleeves.

 I had some brown knit wool fabric and made a draped cardi trimmed with brown mesh to match T number 3.

Wee bit of advice -

36A

I went to be bra measured the other day as I've been wearing a 36A or B for years now and noticed in one set of photos this - wrinkles and lines across my back where the strap is.

Needless to say I was reckoning on having to move up a size to eliminate the creases - mentally prepared to buy a 38A I was shocked to be told I was actually 34D!

34D

The result is quite a difference.
On the left - Wearing the new size bra - same top - no wrinkles!

Who'd have thought, a smaller size but the right size makes all the difference.

So treat yourself - get measured properly and buy new lingerie!








Which now leads onto the next issue - a drawer full of wrong sized bras. P'thrifty has been making bras (along with shirts, Chanel jackets and doing a million other things) and I was wondering could I. With the new machine that has a trillion stitches and pressure foot tension and adjustable thingys, I could maybe try at least one.

So the bra making kit has been ordered along with patterns from a super German site that Sigrid, via P'thrifty has listed.

Making bras! Whatever next? Matching knickers I suppose..........