That new chestnut!
23 July 2008, 15:51My unofficial knit month continues, this time with an incredibly comfortable “frankendress”! The top half is KnipMode April 2008 #13 (still available to buy from Naaipatronen, fyi), which you should remember from when I made it before in blue for myself and then again for my mom:
I absolutely love my top, and I often find myself in my wardrobe late at night picking out clothes for the next day, holding that shirt and asking myself “wait – did I already wear it this week?”. I just knew I had to turn this pattern into a dress to get even more wear out of it, so I searched my back issues of Burda WOF magazines and found a great knit dress to use for the bottom half: Burda WOF 05/05 #125.
I sat down with the two patterns and sketched out a combined technical drawing and then started thinking about my plan of attack to serge this all together, keeping in mind that it’s a lot easier to construct flat seams than in the round… I didn’t follow my plan exactly, but I did stick to the basic idea, and I’d definitely do it this way again.
(Let’s hear it for James, eh? He’s really outdone himself with this photoshoot in my opinion…)
It’s a little hard to see the print in the dappled sunshine above, but the fabric is a fabulous green and white chestnut print lycra jersey from Crybaby’s Boutique (you can see a swatch of the fabric in my summer sewing plans). They also stocked a brown and slate blue colourway of this print back when I bought this, and now I’m really kicking myself for not grabbing that, too. Then I could’ve had summer and winter versions of this dress!
It took a few bouts of pinning and basting to get the waist seam placed at the most flattering point for me, but I think I tackled it in the end, especially getting the “V” shaped seam in the front to lie nicely. I’ve since worn this dress to work (and then to an impromptu launch party at swanky Shoreditch House, where I got a “you look summery!” compliment), and then to a family barbecue where the sun even managed to come out for the occasion.
The lycra jersey is just so comfortable and the cut feels so flattering on that I’m really finding this version just as irresistible as the top. Now I only wish we were going on holiday this year so I could unfurl this, wrinkle-free, from my case in some foreign land! This dress just screams to be taken out and picnicked in…
I’m still clearing my backlog of posts this week, so there’s plenty more in store. And big thanks to Stacy for naming me an “Excellent Blog”! I’m not really into the meme stuff, but I still blush at compliments…
Tags: bwof, dress, knipmode, knit, s08Comment [4]
Splish Splash
22 July 2008, 10:17Looking at this week’s London weather forecast, it seems for once, rather than being really late to the summer swimsuit party, I’ve actually timed this all rather well. We may actually get some nice summer temperatures in the high 70s/low 80s F (upper 20s C), which will actually feel really hot after the summer we’ve had again!
So I’ve finally been given some impetus from the weather on top of my recent confidence-boosting forway into sports gear to finally tackle one of sewing’s ultimate challenges – swimwear! I’ve been wearing two piece suits since I lost so much weight a few years ago, but I was so smitten with the one piece suit in KnipMode 06/2008 that I just had to try this as my first bathing suit:
When I went to cut out the pieces for a muslin, though, I realised that I’ve actually been a bit too good at using up my knit stash, and had to place a quick order to Chawla’s for some cheap muslin lycra. So forgive the shiny, neon blue – it really is just a practice suit!
I learned a lot in making this suit, though – like how to apply lycra edging (serge onto the wrong side, then flip inside again and zigzag from the right side) and how much you can stretch it before the lycra starts to pucker (take a look at those shoulder straps, argh)! The Threads swimsuit issue from last summer (June/July 2007) was especially helpful at applying the leg elastic, as it said to apply the elastic 1:1 at the front, but then stretch it to create fullness in the back. I only ended up edging one leg on this muslin since I have no need for a practice suit, though if I still lived in Pennsylvania, I’m sure I’d find this especially useful for muddy creek swimming!
All in all, I was really pleased with this muslin and in terms of fit, I only needed to add an extra inch to the torso length to get it perfect.
So it was without fear that I cut into my beautiful Lineazzurra swimsuit lycra from eLingeria, taking a huge amount of care to get the butterflies and stylished arcs running the right way up and in flattering ways in my pieces.
As you can tell by the amount of fabric left, the print is only placed sporadically along the edges and in alternating directions, so I’ll have to take equal amounts of care when I go to make my two piece suit from this fabric! I was able to sew up most of my final suit yesterday so there should hopefully be some (artfully photoshopped!) photos for you later this week if all goes well.
Though I’m not about to take a dip in the Thames any time soon. Ewwww.
Tags: knipmode, knitComment [4]
Blue kimono teeshirt
21 July 2008, 12:25I’m still working through my backlog of posts to show you everything I’ve made over the past fortnight, but the good news is, I’ve taken a lot of photos this weekend and should have enough for at least five delectable nuggets of sewing glee to share over the next few days.
Last weekend I revisited an old friend, the kimono sleeved-top of Simplicity 4020 which you may remember from when I made it in chocolate brown way back in October 2006.
This time I sewed it up in one metre of gorgeously soft cotton interlock from Pennine Outdoor (in “sapphyr” colour) and yet again, it’s a wonderfully comfortable yet slightly offbeat teeshirt. Extremely easy to sew and extremely easy to wear, this is one of the best beginner patterns around! I’ve got no issues with this pattern at all, and it’s quick and easy enough to make in an afternoon with a spare metre of knit fabric. What’s not to love?
Tags: knit, simplicity, topComment [4]
Run Like the Wind
15 July 2008, 12:32On Sunday I decided to step up my “July is Knit Month!” activities and finally break into the world of high-performance sports gear. I started running to lose weight a few years ago and, along with sewing, it’s now become my favourite way to both unwind and start the day. I really do get cranky and irritable if I don’t get my regular runs in!! Over the years I’ve amassed a good collection of wicking tops and trousers I wear in rotation until they fall apart, but recently I’ve been having a hard time finding good wicking sports gear under £30 a pop, and especially in the trouser style I prefer – long length and slightly boot cut. Everywhere I look it’s always either skin-tight leggings, capri length, or both! UGH!
So I was very happy to discover that Pennine Outdoor stock wicking sports fabrics, both polyester teeshirting AND Meryl cycling lycra! So in one shop I got supplies for both my tops and my trousers! Now, you may be excused for cringing at the mention of polyester, but in running circles it is well known that polyester is the preferred fabric as it doesn’t hold sweat or chafe like cotton does. If you ever get blisters from a run or long hike, switch to 100% polyester socks and you’ll never get them again. So while I shun polyester in regular sewing, I positively seek it out in running gear, especially when I find the exact same two-sided, slightly waffled weave that is used in all the official race shirts! Bamboo is even better than polyester, though, as it doesn’t hold the stink or microbial nasties either and is softer by a factor of ten, but that’s another discussion entirely…
Anyway, on to the sewing! Since I know my running habits I also know what I definitely do and don’t like in running gear – I need my tops to be close fitting and sleeveless, for starters. Shelf bras never offer enough support for me so I always wear a sports bra underneath even if there’s one built in, so I didn’t bother picking a pattern with an integrated bra. I liked the look of this running top from the February 2007 edition of KnipMode magazine, and for the running trousers I went back to the yoga trousers in Burda WOF 11/2007 (#122) that I’d made in fleece last winter.
I made some stylistic changes to both to suit my running penchants, however. I have a RTW Nike top that has all the seams serged in contrast woolly nylon thread on the outside, and I thought I’d give this a try instead of the piped contrast seams that KnipMode suggest. I also was itching to try out my black lycra FOE (also from Pennine) so I used this to edge the neckline and armscyes. On the trousers, I slimmed down the legs so they weren’t so boot cut, and halved the width of the waistband so I didn’t have to fold it over (and fiddle with it while I’m running!).
I wore both of these out on my favourite 10k river circuit on Monday morning (I really am spoiled – I run past the Mayor’s office, HMS Belfast, Tate Modern, the South Bank, the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, the Victoria Embankment, London Bridge, the Tower of London, and finally cross over Tower Bridge on my usual jaunt out) and I’m really pleased how they held up! I was concerned in the first kilometer that I hadn’t made the waistband tight enough (though I’d stretched it as far as I could) but the “oh god they’re slipping down!” feeling passed after a bit as I got used to the fact that they’re just naturally less constrictive than my RTW pairs and there’s actually no danger of exposure!
The top I’m really happy with, too, though I think my next version will be more scooped under my arm and maybe just clear elastic serged onto instead of the FOE. Neither chafed enough to be a problem, but they just felt slightly close to me. Luckily, the running tops take up so little fabric that I can easily get another one out of the one metre I bought, so I really will be able to make another, though I think I fancy buying more woolly nylon to get a different contrast…
Next up are a dress and top I also made this past weekend (and I still need to photoshoot!), and I’m going to gingerly dip my toes into the swimwear waters, too…
Tags: bwof, knipmode, knit, top, trousersComment [9]
The quickest pirate coat ever
14 July 2008, 11:29SCENE: Last Sunday night on the boat…
James: So for Simon’s stag night on Saturday we’re going to dress him up like Dick Whittington. I thought he could wear my pirate coat and we’ll get him a tricorn hat and he can carry Bagpuss as his cat…
Me: If anything happens to that coat, I will murder you. I would sooner make a whole new coat than see anything happen to it after I slaved for two years making it.
James: Oh really? You’d make another coat? Would you?
And so begins the tale of how I made a pirate coat in less than a week. Luckily I still had all the pattern pieces traced out from when I made Simplicity 4923 before so I rummaged through my sewing room and unearthed those to reuse, saving myself a substantial amount of time. Monday morning I quickly went online and ordered 7 metres of black cotton drill from Chawla’s, who were absolutely brilliant and delivered said cotton drill the very next day at no extra charge. They really, really came through for me here!
So I spent Tuesday evening cutting everything out and sewing everything up to the godets in the construction steps, and then Wednesday evening and Thursday morning sewing up everything until the sleeve insertion. And then in a marathon session I finished the sleeves and the enormous hem on Thursday night, just in time to tag-team the embellishments with James on Friday night.
There were definitely shortcuts taken here in the interest of time – nothing was interfaced or understitched, the fabric wasn’t prewashed, and the buttons and braid were all (whisper it!) glued on. But seeing as how it’s a costume to be worn on the groom’s very, very drunken night of freedom, no one’s going to notice anyway…
Apparently Simon loved the coat so much that instead of feeling a bit embarrassed, he embraced it and wouldn’t take it off all night – he was even threatening to wear it into the office today! Now I’m starting to wish we’d actually had enough time to attach all the embellishments properly if people are going to see it up close and in the daylight…
And in “July is Knit Month” news, I’ve had an incredibly prolific weekend! I ended up making five garments in total (including this coat) and I’ve already worn three of them today (and it’s only 11am!). Anyone want to venture any guesses? I’ll have photos of them all throughout the week!
Tags: costume, jacket, menswear, simplicityComment [2]
Pattern magazine bonanza
10 July 2008, 12:23I’ve suddenly become inundated with pattern magazines, which is an excellent position to be in, especially since the Big 4’s recent offerings have been dull, dull, dull (really, how many times can they restyle the exact same sack dress?).
First up is the Italian pattern magazine La Mia Boutique, given to me by the lovely Anwen, who’s soon going to guide me around a few London fabric shops I haven’t been to yet! She’s clearly a very good lady to know!
This is the May 2008 issue, and there are dresses galore in it. I really like the navy blue dress with the extra cowl layer on the bodice, and the spotted dress with the interesting scoop bust detail (click on the big photos to see the technical drawing). The last dress is a Plus, but I just love the bust detail and the curved skirt seams. I know La Mia Boutique patterns run way smaller than the other magazines, but I’d still have to grade that down quite a bit to make this worth my while (don’t get any ideas, Mom!).
Next up is a Spanish Burda magazine, bought by James’s parents for me while they were holidaying in Spain a few weeks ago. I sent them away with instructions to buy as many Patroneses (Patronii?) as possible, but they felt bad since they could only find two and so bought me this as well. I’ve seen German and Dutch editions of BWOF before and found them to be identical to the English version apart from the text and an odd page here and there, but the Spanish version is like a different magazine entirely! Luckily I can show you how it compares to the regular English edition of Burda World of Fashion (BWOF) magazine, since I already have the June 2008 issue to directly compare it against.
The first dead giveaway is that they’ve chosen a different pattern for the cover photo!
Here’s an example of the Spanish (top) vs English (bottom) layouts. They use the same photoshoots, but the layout of the magazine is completely different, and like La Mia Boutique and KnipMode, they show the technical drawing right alongside the photos! Argh, I’ve been wishing the English version did this for years!!
They’ve also retained the special “focus on fabric” feature that English BWOF used to have, this time focusing on how to sew with nylon.
And here’s a comparison of the instructions for #109, which I made earlier. They seem to have roughly the same wordcount between the two, so it’s not like we’re missing out of full instructions or anything!
The big addition in the Spanish version (and, I believe, the German version) is the designer premium download pattern, which I got very excited about until I realised it was a pay-for download pattern. So they get an extra pattern, but there’s no interviews with the exclusive design or childrenswear designers like I really enjoy in the English version.
I was happy to see the pesto recipes appear in the English June BWOF, but now I feel shortchanged to see our Spanish sisters get a ton of chocolate recipes!! Oh, and “Burda sudoku”, hahah!
Luckily, James’s parents were able to grab me one issue of Patrones magazine, which is really difficult to get ahold of outside Spain, but contains an amazing array of designer patterns. I’ve very excited to say I’ve just made a new online friend in Spain so I may be getting a steady supply to show you all through a harmonious “Patrones for penguins“ exchange! Heehee!
This is issue #269, a special vacation issue with loads of summery holiday clothes!
These are a few of the ones that really jumped out at me from this issue (in the third photo it’s the small Mango dress I prefer over the cover issue dress), but for me, the real star here is the formal Prada dress!
I’m not a big label slave or anything, but I do absolutely adore Prada and this dress is just stunning. I’ve included the technical drawing and layout here so you can see how the pieces fit together and just how much is on the bias! Sooo lovely! I shall now be on a mission to buy reams of crepe gorgette and throw that dress a party…
In “July is Knit Month!” news, my frankenpattern dress is neeeeeearly done but I’ve had to stall it this week to do a big rush project in time for Saturday. Which actually doesn’t involve any knits. And isn’t for me, or for James. All will be revealed in due course, and hopefully along with the frankendress (not nearly as scary as it sounds!)
Tags: bwof, la-mia-boutique, magazine, patronesComment [6]
Got my mojo workin'
7 July 2008, 12:28Ooh, I’m back baby! After my last two duds I was in need of some seriously quick fun to start off Knit Month, so I selected Burda WOF 06/08 #109 sewn in a lilac cotton interlock from Pennine Outdoor as my first bit of fun!
I love wearing this so much – it’s like if a sweatshirt and a teeshirt really hit it off and made sweet, sweet love and produced this little lovechild. It’s only 5 pieces (front, back, pockets, sleeve band, and hem band) and it sewed up on my beautiful overlocker in under two hours. Have I mentioned yet how much I adore my Bernina 800DL? Honestly, it’s made sewing knits SO quick, I can tell I’m going to have a very fun month already!
The kangaroo pockets really make this into something more than just the average teeshirt, and the separating zipper turns this into the perfect coverup for a bikini or little vest top (tank top). It’s perfect for the schitzophrenic British summer because it means I can wear a little vest to work and throw this over top when I get chilly without having to go the entire long-sleeves route. And I can see it’d be perfect for covering up shoulders on the beach if you burn a easily as I do!
This was part of my Summer Sewing Plans, and I’ve already started on my next project – the frankendress using the KnipMode gathered top and a BWOF skirt. It’s got a lot of seams, though, and the construction is anything but conventional, so I made my own technical drawing sketch to get the order of construction straight in my head before starting this morning.
I often do this mentally when I start a pattern, even if there’s instructions already included (like with magazine patterns in languages I don’t speak). I like to sit down and go over the order I’m going to sew everything in before I start so I don’t run into a wall further down the line. So there’s a little insight into my head (and handwriting!) for you. It’s a little bit different than constructing with just a sewing machine, as it’s all about trying to sew everything in flat with the overlocker, but it’s a little mental challenge, which I’m really liking…
Tags: bwof, knit, s08, topComment [9]
London haberdashery shopping
5 July 2008, 11:19Since we can’t really afford to take a proper holiday this year, what with the boat renovations and wedding to save for, I’ve opted to take a few days off here and there to just spend at home or around town. My first “holiday at home” day I took on Thursday, starting with a decadent breakfast at The Chop House (which I walk past every single day and drool over) and then moving on to pick up a bunch of haberdashery supplies at the stores around town that are normally best visited (or only open) during the work week.
I did really well, starting at McCulloch & Wallis around 10, and finishing up at Borovick around 1, with a quick jaunt around Uni Qlo‘s sales (navy chinos and a white cotton/cashmere jumper for less than a tenner total!) and a pit stop at the Japan Centre thrown in there, too. The shops were nearly empty and at some points, there were more staff than customers. It was a revelation that shopping can actually be fun if you go on a midweek morning, as it’s usually the 9th circle of hell in that area on the weekends…
Here’s most of my habby haul, starting in the upper left corner, when I stocked up on overlocker thread at Kleins and got 10 rolls for a fiver in various neutral blending colours. There’s also some miscellaneous rolls of Gutermann thread from MacCulolch & Wallis and a bottle of fray check in there (to keep those overlocker tails from running amok) which I picked up at John Lewis. Their haberdashery department grows more and more pathetic each time I go there, and it just makes me depressed to go in there these days when McCulloch & Wallis are 100 feet away and ten thousand shades of fabulous. I was delighted to see that McCulloch & Wallis are stocking Gutermann thread again, with Coats Duo shoved in a tiny corner, ha! I can only imagine the protests we customers put up after the Coats Duo cartel worked its way through town a few months ago..
I also picked up a few tailoring bits for my winter coat, starting with shoulder pads at MacCulloch & Wallis, who had a huge basket full of about ten different kinds, all priced at £2-5 per pair. Compare those to the bog standard foam ones you find at at John Lewis and elsewhere for the same price and it’s just no competition!
I also bought some sleevehead from Kleins which they sell by the metre, with four shades of white, black, and grey. I had thought at one point I’d need to import some or just improvise somehow, so this was a very happy discovery.
Kleins also had a huge range of elastic by the metre, including plushback (lingerie) elastic, swimwear stuff, and corded, but I restrained myself and just got some clear plastic elastic to use in knitwear shoulders. I also managed to rummage around and find some foldover elastic (FOE)! It was the only roll, in in teal only, but just finding any in UK shops is like golddust!
Continuing on through Soho, past all the uber-expensive silk shops (£50 a meter for silk charmeuse? gag!) and it was needle wonderland at Borovick Fabrics on Berwick Street, my personal favourite shop for fabric around there due to their super friendly staff and substantially less astronomical prices. The left and the right packs shown above were £2.85 each and Borovick had the widest range of machine needles I’d seen all day. The centre pack of needles were the only twin ones in stock at Kleins and were similarly priced (but no variety of standard vs ballpoint vs stretch).
This should hopefully leave me well stocked for the foreseeable future (bar an odd zipper here and there), leaving future holiday days left to sewing in my pajamas… Bliss!
As inspired by Lindsay T’s map of the NYC garment district, I’ve placed all these stores in their own map so you can plan your day out in London. I’ll be adding to it as I discover more shops (and get the approximate locations of my favourite Walthamstow market stalls!) and striving to improve it in at least some of the ways she has!
Tags: coat, shoppingComment [5]
Two duds in a row
4 July 2008, 16:04It’s been a long, long time since I’ve had a pattern that just did not work for me at all, but strangely, I’ve just had two in a row that I’m giving up on entirely.
I fell in love with the chic styling of the Hot Patterns Monaco Top – the slit opening, the slim lines, the angular bib, the pieced bottom, and all sweetened by the cute gathered sleeves. At least, that’s what I thought the pattern was for…
I should have really listened to the earlier reviewer of this pattern (who also didn’t make it past the muslin stage) and just cut my $18.50 losses and run far, far away.
I’d sewn up Hot Patterns’ Nairobi bag loads (it’s my go-to handbag pattern!) but I’d never sewn one of their envelope patterns before, so I wisely opted to sew a muslin for this to check the fit. So please excuse the busy print on the bedsheet and my Sharpie marker points, as this is the muslin in the photos.
oh my.
Things wrong with this pattern:
- The 3 bust points (two darts and a corner of the bib) form an AWFUL bust space that’s both floppy, pointy, and flat all at once. It’s deeply unflattering, and completely different than the technical line drawing suggests. I cannot stress how enough awful this bust shape is! If you can image a step pyramid or mesa mountain made of tissue paper on a windy day, then you’re halfway there.
- The hems at the side seams are different lengths. I double checked this, and for size 12, they’re off by about an inch. I couldn’t see anything in the instructions about easing the side seam, either (which would be strange in itself…).
- The sleeves are only long enough to stretch the whole way around the armscye and still meet the shoulder point if the back of the sleeve isn’t gathered at all. Even if you make it a cap sleeve and leave the underarm open, the gathering is really uneven between the front and back to get the marks to align properly.
- The overall fit is really baggy in order to make it fit over your head without a zipper, but this styling really needs a closer fit and a zipper to make it flattering (everything else nonwithstanding)
End conclusion: I’d be better off drafting this from scratch than to correct all these problems, which is a shame, because I love the style in the drawing. The drawing just has very little to do with the pattern, as it turns out. I’ll be using the earmarked blue stretch poplin in the Summer 08 sewing plan for another pattern since it’s already prewashed and ready to go.
Next up was the BWOF tulip skirt (05/08 #108) made from the rest of the white coating fabric I used to make this Simplicity jacket. The pleats went in nicely (though mine are mirrored to the magazine due to one-sided fabric and the constraints of using scraps), the fit was spot on – I even added a lining and introduced a centre back seam in order to add a walking pleat. It was all going really well right up until the point I removed the pleats’ basting stitches and put on the finished skirt and actually tried to walk in it.
And then I realised that this skirt only looks good if you don’t move. Or breathe. Or let the wind blow. Frankly, blinking your eyes is a bit much for this skirt, and the pleats go funny and bulbous and the hem flips out and it all goes very wrong indeed.
We actually took more photos of me looking unhappy and doing some “I’m holding my breath and not moving and possibly also a little teapot, short and stout” poses but frankly, I’m not sure this skirt deserves more than one photo. This is a skirt designed only for a model’s photoshoot. No action shots possible here, I’m just trying desperately not to upset the pleats and fixing it between nearly every shot. Which is 100% incompatible with my life, and so to the ash pile of history this tulip skirt goes!
I’ve just had two dismal pattern failures, both in wovens, and so I’m declaring the rest of July to be a knit-only zone (with the exception of any work on the the winter coat, which I’ve just finished a second muslin for). I shall be putting my new overlocker through its paces, sewing up tons of teeshirts, dresses, and activewear, in an attempt to rid myself of this terrible sewing bugbear….
Tags: bwof, hot-patterns, skirt, topComment [8]
Like mother like daughter
4 July 2008, 15:52You may remember that a few weeks ago I gave in to my mother’s pleas and made her a her-sized version of my blue KnipMode shirt, in the same fabric as mine, but with shorter sleeves for the hotter Pennsylvania weather…
Well, it arrived and she did me proud with a photoshoot!
I only added an inch or two to a few seams here and there, hoping the stretchy knit would take care of the rest, and it looks great on her, so phew! If anyone’s interested in my exact Plus alterations (which I’m sure aren’t anywhere near textbook perfect), leave a comment and I’ll dig out my pattern pieces on which I scrawled my notes. She said she’s already worn it out and that it’s now destined to become her “lucky shirt”. Mom, I’m not sure I want to know! :)
In other sewing news, I’ve somehow got a backlog of 4-5 posts to come in the next few days, all photographed and ready to go. The rest of the internet may be taking the day off for that American holiday that isn’t celebrated or even acknowledged anywhere else, but you’ve got plenty to read over here!
Oh, and I was contacted by a nice man in Hawaii who found (and bought!) my same Joann Sonata sewing machine in a thrift shop but sadly didn’t come with the manual. I got a bit giddy to have a sewing machine buddy, and I ended up scanning the entire manual for him. If anyone else is interested in seeing what a mid-1980s sewing machine manual looks like, you can download the manual here in pdf format! As far as I know this is out of print and not available anywhere and the company isn’t around any more…. Copyright lawyers, please don’t hurt me.
Tags: knipmode, knit, magazine, top