Simplicity Star Sewist Contest - Flamingo dress

So way back in March I signed up for Simplicity's Star Sewist challenge.  I decided to enter the dress making category and was kindly given a copy of  the NewLook shift dress 6145 to get creative with.

I would like to say that I got really creative and made lots of fantastic alterations and adaptations to the dress....... Yeah well what can I say, life has been getting in the way of all things crafty over the last few months and I only got started yesterday.  Oops!

Never the less, while it is unlikely to win any prizes (the standard and creativity out there is amazing, just check out #simplicitybloggerchallenge on twitter), I am really pleased with my finished dress.

I wanted something to get me in the mood for summer and this turquoise flamingo print cotton fabric, which I picked up from my local Remnant Kings, fitted the bill perfectly.  It was lovely to sew with as well.

My only alteration I made to the pattern was to add in a set of in seam pockets -  I do love a dress with pockets! (Note to self: don't shove your hands right in pockets when taking photos - it distorts the dress!!).  I also used bias binding on the hem to keep as much of the length as possible.

In terms of sizing, the pattern has quite a bit of ease in it so I cut a 14 for the bust and graded to an 18 at the hips.  Think I may go back and take it in slightly at the waist but for the moment I am really pleased with my flamingo dress.

Good luck to everyone who entered and thanks to Simplicity for hosting this challenge.

See you soon x

P.S. I love to chat so feel free to leave a comment!

A t-shirt and a lesson in patience!

Ok so this post has been half written all week! A dose of the cold and the inability to look at a screen for longer than 5 minutes without my eyes streaming like crazy, meant I didn't want to look at a PC once I got home from work. Anyway.......

Last weekend we escaped the mess of the flat back to my parents house.  I had bought the March issue of Sew Magazine through the week and decided that I wanted to make the t-shirt and kimono from the free New Look pattern 6217.  

Keen to do some machine sewing at the weekend I toddled off to Remnant Kings during my Friday lunch wander for some fabric.  I decided to just go for fabrics I liked rather than trying to get fabrics that matched as the likelihood of me wearing the two together is slim.  They were only £2.99 per meter, 100% viscous and the tropical flower print can be found here . 

I didn't get to the kimono due to an error with pattern placement when cutting (story for another day) but really pleased with how the t-shirt turned out.  Excuse the lighting in the photos, it was getting late on Sunday and it was blooming freezing so I didn't want to venture far from the front door!!!



I was really keen to get back to sewing clothes and have something completed in one go. Unfortunately I ended up losing my patience with this top!

I had cut out a straight 16 as that corresponded best to my bust measurement and I figured that 4" ease would mean I would not have to grade the pattern.   However, once I got the shoulder seams done I started to panic that I had made a mistake and that it would not fit round the tum!

This resulted in me getting frustrated and instead of trusting myself I rushed the seaming of the sides and one of the arm holes figuring 'what does it matter its going to be too tight anyway'.  You don't notice it but I have a feeling it will unravel in the wash..... I tried tidying the seams after the fact but that just resulted in me putting a hole in one of the side seams (ahhhhh).  Quickly sorted but highlights how frustrated I was.

When trying it on it also looked like it was going to be way too big at the neck line.  It turned out ok when I put the button loop and button on but it is still wider than I normally wear.

My first ever hand made button loop - quite chuffed with that!

Overall I am actually really pleased with how it has turned out.  Slightly disappointed in myself for getting frustrated and not finishing the seams properly,  It is unlikely that it will hold up very well in the wash but we will see.  It is a nice quick easy top and I can see myself making another one.  Maybe take a bit more care and attention next time!

See you soon x

P.S. I love to chat so feel free to leave a comment!

The week that was OWOP 2014

Well that is it over, One Week One Pattern (OWOP) is done for 2014. This is the first one of these types of events I have participated in and I am so pleased I managed it.  A big thanks must go to Handmade Jane for organising it as well.

For OWOP I decided to wear the Delphine skirt from Love at First Stitch by Tilly from Tilly and the Buttons.

Day 1 - OWOP did not start off too great as I was unexpectedly in the wrong city to my skirt!  However, as soon as I got back to Glasgow it was off with the jeans and on with my botanical Ikea print Delphine with black top and cardie which I wore to go out for a meal with my OH.

Day 2 - Sunday morning was supposed to be a morning for making a second Delphine.  However it didn't quite work out like that and it was back on with the Botanical Ikea print Delphine with white top and pink cardie to go shopping with my mum.  (Please excuse the headless shot - the OH took it quickly when we were rushing out the door as we were late - and I was also insisting he got the new pink shoes in!)

Now at this point I still only had one skirt and was thinking that OWOP was not going to happen for me this year.  I had managed to start my denim version of Delphine but decided to add in some pockets, which I had never done before so this had slowed down the process. However, as we ended up being out most of the day, by 11pm I still had a bit to go and was very frustrated after seam ripping the waist band off the skirt twice and remaking both waist sections from scratch.  I was ready to give up and not bother, even though by this point I only had the waistband to sew down and to hem it.   However,  after some encouragement from people on Instagram and Twitter I got up early on Monday morning and finished it off.

Looking back I think the problem was I was tired and as there was no pattern I think I had been putting it on upside down!

Day 3 -  I made it and wore the newly completed denim Delphine  to work.  It was a slightly odd top combo but I was running late by this point and just needed to get out the door!

I do love the pockets that I added in to this skirt.  However, the fabric doesn't hold a crease very well as it has a wee bit of a stretch so I think the pockets sit a bit funny and could have done with being top stitched.  No idea how to do that now without sewing them shut so if anyone has any suggestions please let me know!

Day 4 - Denim Delphine with orange top.  I love how versatile this skirt is and I can see myself wearing it lots.

Day 5 - It was off to a work away day in my botanical Delphine with white lottie blouse and blue cardie.  This was my best 'me made' day of the week and one of my favorite outfits which I know you have seen before. When I first made this Delphine I was really not sure of the pattern but it has really grown on me over the week and this week has helped me get over the fact that the pattern is a bit more bold than I am used to.

Day 6 -  Wednesday night was spent making my red Delphine and I finished the hem on Thursday morning before going to work (recurring theme here!).  For this one I decided to add in some belt loops.  I do love the colour of the fabric, again from Ikea, but it creases like crazy.  I am also not sure what I did during construction but it is also the tightest of the three.  Never mind I still really like it and it got a lot of nice comments at work.

Day 7 - For the last day of OWOP I was torn between wearing the denim version again and my red one.  The red one won in the end, figured given all the fuss I had making three this week that I should at least wear it twice!  This time i teamed with with a white top, grey cardie and my hot air balloon scarf - which matched the red perfectly!

And that was my OWOP - featuring the three Delphines! 

Reflecting back, starting OWOP with only one skirt was not the smartest move and I did get my self into a bit of a tizz trying to get the other two complete.  However, the support out there on Instagram and Twitter was amazing - thank you ladies for all the encouragement.  It was nice to feel part of the wider sewing community and I loved seeing all your makes.  It has also added a few more patterns to my ever growing sewing to do list!

From reading other blogs I was slightly worried about my choice of a skirt for OWOP and while I didn't find it difficult wearing a skirt all week I did have a wee bit of trouble finding tops to go with it.  I normally wear dresses to work and jeans at home so a lot of my tops just did not sit right with the Delphine skirt.  I did however, like the change and it has encouraged me to make some more tops so that can only be a positive!

Would I do it again?  Absolutely - roll on OWOP 2015!!

See you all soon x

P.S. I love to chat so feel free to leave a comment!

Delphine and Lottie take a trip to the seaside

Its been a busy couple of weeks but in between a trip to the theater, catching up with friends and being bridesmaid at a wedding I managed to make a skirt! I used the Delphine pattern from Love at First Stitch, and some Blavinge fabric from Ikea.

We went to Maidens in Ayrshire today as it was a lovely and sunny and I thought it was perfect opportunity to wear my new skirt and actually take some photos.  Not bad since its has been over a week since I made the skirt!  I was not too sure about the fabric at first but when paired with my Lottie blouse I think it looks quite good.

I thought it fitted really well - and was perfect for paddling!

Even quite far out!

Anyway, back to the skirt! I cut a straight size 6 from the pattern - using my normal method of baking parchment and random objects from the living room to help trace it out! 

The skirt panels went together really quickly and then it was onto the concealed zip.  Now when I purchased my new machine a couple of months ago I decided to also invest in an invisible zipper foot.  This project was ideal to give it a test run.

Here we go.......

It was really easy to use and I was very happy with how the skirt came together.  I was even more pleased when I zipped it up and realised that I had managed to match the waistband seam first go!

I did, however, end up with a bit of a bump at the top of the zip once I had sewn in the waistband lining. I don't think I had trimmed the seam allowance back enough - hopefully I will manage to sort that for my next Delphine skirt.  

I wanted to make this version of Delphine to see if the style suited me before I made some for OWOP. Given that it is only a couple of weeks away I had better get sewing and stop paddling in the sea!

A lot of love for Lottie.......

Hello again

As I mentioned in my previous post I have recently made the Lottie Blouse from Sew Simple Sews which came free with the second issue of Love Sewing Magazine.   I decided that I wanted to make a version of the sleeveless blouse which i could wear over the summer.  I usually go for crazy fabric which means when I finish a garment it just doesn't fit in with the rest of my wardrobe and I don't ever manage to wear it.  This time I decided to play it safe and go with a white cotton lawn fabric with small dots from Favorite Fabrics on E-bay

I found the pattern really quite easy to follow and the only modification I made was to grade between the size 12 and 14 at the hips. 

I have started tracing my patterns rather than just cutting away.  I normally have to grade between the waist and hips so it gives me the reassurance that if I make a mistake I can always go back.  I don't use anything fancy for the tracing paper just good old baking parchment from the kitchen!!

I decided to use french seams for  this project as you can see through the fabric a wee bit.  This all worked well and the top came together very quickly.  That was until I tried to attach the collar...... big mistake.  I just couldn't get it to work!  Out came the seam ripper and then the top sat on the back of the chair for a couple of weeks until I managed to get the time to finish it off.

After getting the curtains finished I decided that I really should just get it done.  It only took about an hour to finish and was ready for me to wear to work on Friday. 

Here are a couple of photos of the finished article...... a late at night just finished photo....

...trying to be arty with the mirror at my Gran's house......

....outside in the sun.

If I made this project again (which is very likely)  I think I would like to try it in a chiffon rather than a lawn to get a bit more drape.  You could also have it as just a sleeveless top without the bow and put the bias binding all round the neck.  I really liked the cut out section at the front so may have to make up a version like that.

Oh and just to prove I will show you when things go wrong.  Looks like my stitching never quite caught on part of the bias round the neck.  A wee fix required I think.

Quick project info

• Fabric used: white cotton lawn with small white dots from favorite fabrics
• Pattern: Lottie Blouse from Sew Simple Sews
• Size: