Kate's Suit

I'm going to harp on again about the lack of actual, real life fabric shops where I live..... but for some strange reason we have tonnes and tonnes of curtain fabric shops - I mean hundreds of them! My focus on sewing must be somewhat different from the general population of Northern Ireland who regard what hangs over their windows more important than what they hang on their backs. Anyway, I decided if that was my only choice of fabric shopping then I was going to use it..... the following outfit is made entirely from curtain fabric.

I've no idea of fabric content, as curtains wouldn't be washed as often as clothes and there is an assumption that they are dry-cleaned, there are rarely any care labels, but it looks like a linen: quite a coarse weave, slight sheen and in an light golden sand, lineny-type of colour. I stood in the shop and scrunched this fabric up as much as possible until a sales assistant came over to ask if she "Could help?". I explained that I was doing a wrinkle test. Her face told me I shouldn't ask for a flame test......

So I bought 2m at £9.99 - not the cheapest garment cloth but is actually, surprisingly, wrinkle resistant, and takes a good crease for a pair of trousers for Kate in SWAP '13.

The pattern is TNT Vogue 8751. Really, I can't believe this myself - I cut out a 14 and sew it! No messing about, no alterations, no muslin - and they're great trousers too.

Side pockets, wide legged, high waisted, deep waist-band - I think this might be my fifth pair. I love them. Isn't it great when you find a pattern that just works? As an added insurance against excess wrinkling I also lined this pair to calf length (that's all the lining fabric I had).

Here's another post I've made about this pattern - white linen.

But in this case it wasn't just the pattern that worked but the fabric too. It frays quite a lot - a hazard of using furnishing fabrics - but a few zig-zag stitches along the seams soon sorts that out. I was so enamoured with this cloth that I returned to buy more for a matching shirt - guess who was serving that day too?

I bought another few metres  to make Vogue 1246.

This is a shirt / jacket thing. 

The shirt has interesting details on the sleeve hems; a V held in place with a working button. 

The front can be worn open or closed over, and there is a little bit of interest at the back with a string tie - your choice to wear loose or fitted, even tied in front. The single fastening on the front is secure enough to hold the shirt closed and decent.

Single button closure

 The sleeve heads are bias bound with a bit of left over patterned silk which really helps as this is the queen of fraying fabrics. All the inside seams were finished too by pressing over the seam allowance and sewing flat - then, of course, another pressing.

So here's everything together......

 Just in case you thought spring had sprung and there was heat in the sunshine - we still have snow on the ground!

So back inside, 'cause it's freezing.......

I also like the outfit with a white shirt underneath - to break up the single head to toe colour and to add another layer in these freezing temperatures.

I had my reservations about this shirt - while I love the Laganlook style and I love wearing loose baggy shirts and jumpers, I am gradually realising that I look better (wee bit slimmer) in fitted (not tight) clothes. Opinions please... is this shirt a keeper?

So Katherine has now three items to wear in SWAP '13 - starting to catch up with Audrey but only one month to complete the rest!!!!

What's Better than....?

A white shirt......

With statement buttons....

Made in pristine Oxford cotton from Vogue Very (very) Easy 8708 - OOP and only minor modifications.

And dark blue tailor tacks sewn into the collar!!!!!!!

But is part of SWAP '13 and the first for Kate.

Long enough to hid the behind but shirt-tailed to look tailored when worn loose.

Trousers are also sewn for Kate and will be publicised soon when I have another shirt to match completed. 

It's a Man's Shirt World

I need shirts, especially white ones. I checked the contents of the wardrobe recently and my old white shirts are distinctly grey. While I should be putting my head down and working on SWAP 13, there are more immediate dressing needs. Anyway, I included a few white shirts in the SWAP collection so I can kill two birds with one stone. One's already completed in broiderie anglaise for Audrey, the next one will be for Katherine.

In my Annie Hall moments I love to wear DH's shirts - loose, baggy, gorgeously soft cotton and why can't I have shirts like his?

So, talking of white shirts I made a striped one.....yeah yeah I know, and I'm supposed to be sewing with a plan - LOL

Great with jeans at weekends and would probably be OK with smart navy trousers too; I'd even try this with my white linen wide legged pants when the season is right - very resort!

The pattern is the same as the broiderie anglaise version except this time I sort of stuck to the original design and didn't add any shaping darts or alteration to the sleeves. I did however add a flowery quilting cotton at the cuffs, collar stand and inside centre front for interest and colour, and I think, to feminise the shirt a bit.

 This is a straightforward shirt: it has two piece sleeves that makes for an easy placket-free vent at the cuff. The centre fronts are folded back on themselves so need for interfacing, however, in this case I cut my button fronts separately, cutting one on the bias for the stripes and the underneath one in the quilting cotton. Then just sewed these to the fronts and made up as per the original pattern instructions.



 I did tinker about with the cuffs - the pattern has straight forward single cuffs with one button - I doubled the length of the cuffs and made them into fold back ones secured with button cufflinks. On one side is the stripy shirt fabric and on the other the quilting cotton. The button cufflinks would work just as well with single cuffs too.

Here's how to make button cufflinks to add that little bit of personality to your shirts.

I raised the shoulder/arm hole too as the shirt was looking a bit too much like one of Dh's. This makes it just a bit more fitted and looks like it belongs to me rather than if I'd borrowed it. although I am buttoning to the right - that's men's isn't it?

I think this might just be the first shirt I've ever worn that doesn't need a safety pin at the bust - know what I mean?






















So, it's not white and not part of SWAP 13 but to quote Syndi from Stitchers' Guild - "There's no sewing police!"

Mosch, Me and Aud

Having reviewed a lot of photos of Moschino trousers I am strongly of the opinion that they are designed to fit badly in and around the crotch area.

So I didn't feel too bad when I made my alterations to the £310's worth of recently purchased Moschino pants.

The waist was too big by about 1 1/2", and the bum was saggy along with wrinkles around the crotch. I promptly took ripper and scissors to the trousers in an attempt to get a better fit.











Mrs Mole would be proud of me. The back seam was ripped out to crotch and the waistband cut in two. I re-sewed the centre back seam taking in almost 1" on either side, cut this off the waistband and made a centre back seam. Stitched the belt carrier over this seam, re-stitched the waistband down, sewed the label back on and Bob's your uncle - a pair of relatively well fitting Moschino pants.

I managed to keep a few wrinkles (in keeping with the Moschino fit) but overall, a much better pair of trousers with no gaping at the waist. There are a few extra wrinkles that, to be honest, if I was making these myself from scratch, I would not be happy with. Another reminder of why we make and don't buy.

The shirt is my take on Audrey Hepburn's from Roman Holiday for SWAP 13. I had to ditch the Chanel jacket from the collection as it is a jacket and not allowed as a top and I had to find a replacement. I need white shirts/blouses, so this seemed a good option.

 I started with McCalls 6068 (OOP) but as you can see is it unfitted. It's a great little basic shirt pattern with easy collar, cuffs and the two-piece sleeves make for an easy vent too.




With the shirt pieces pinned onto Doris I set about adding darts - two in the back, one in each front and bust darts for shaping. I removed the cuffs and shortened the sleeves to elbow length. The fabric is a white cotton broiderie anglaise that I rediscovered in the attic recently. I bought this in London almost 25 years ago!


With the little bits of leftovers I made a little necktie - mostly to cover up my poor sewing at the collar.

It wasn't all plain sailing however. It was difficult to tell right side from wrong side with the fabric and I ended up making two left sleeves. Nice little reminder to not be so cocky.

 The shirt is long enough to cover the backside when worn loose or tie at the waist for a 1950s look and still be fitted enough to tuck in without acres of shirt tails bunching up inside the trousers.

Me and Audrey are becoming really good mates - here's us playing cards and shooting the breeze in our pristine white shirts.