Bespoke Blazer Review / Pattern Test

Okay, so if you follow me on insta you know that my review of the Bespoke Blazer by Sew To Grow (released 25th Aug.  2017) can be summed up in two words...

LOVE IT!

I really do.  It's an easy make & such an amazing result for something that comes together so quickly. 

For those of us on team tall it was simple to make alterations.  I added 7cm to the sleeves and 5cm to all body pieces.  For reference, I made a size xs.

I love the burrito method for enclosing the side seam, it's an amazing sewing slight of hand trick!

I have already made 2 Bespoke Blazers and am about to make my 3rd!  I'll be starting a support/enabling group on insta using #bespokeblazer

As a Mama, jeans & a tee are my standard uniform for all seasons.  Adding a blazer elevates that look and makes me feel a little more put together.  It also gives me a chance to play with colour & pattern over my standard black on black or white on denim look.

I have tested most of the patterns by Lindsey at Sew To Grow and am going to go out on a limb and say it's her best pattern to date.  Can I say that without detracting from her other patterns?!  I hope so!

This is not a paid endorsement, I just really love this pattern!  It's beautiful and works for all of our diverse body types.

Hurry to buy your copy now, you can get a discount this weekend only!

Happy Sewing!

LOVE the curved hem!

Meeting the fab Lindsey from Sew To Grow,
both of us in our Bespoke Blazers!

The Fremantle Frock by Sew To Grow

Hello!

I wanted to share with you my version of The Fremantle Frock, a new pattern by Sew To Grow.  As you know, I'm a sucker for anything with pockets and this dress is no exception.

I love the placement of the pockets and the slimming seams of this dress.  It was simple to make and is one of those great dresses that can be dressed up or down.

To fit my body I made the following minor adjustments:
Raised & narrowed the neckline 1.5cm
Lowered the pockets and added 2.5cm to the torso length
Added hem length (sorry, I don't recall exactly how much but hem length is a personal preference so do what makes you happy!!)

All in all, very minor adjustments for a great straight forward dress.

I made this version in shirting material (which I've since discovered wrinkles A LOT!) and a non stretchy knit type fabric for the navy side panels.  I think this pattern would be amazing in a scuba knit!!

MaaiDesign Blog Tour - The Bondi Top Pattern Hack

Hello Everyone!

I'm thrilled to be part of the MaaiDesign blog tour again!  This time highlighting a gorgeous new range of rayon fabrics "See You At Six". 

This fabric is not only gorgeous, but was really lovely to sew.  It did not come out of the wash all wrinkly and held creases when ironed beautifully.  I didn't even need to pin the hem once I'd ironed up the hem allowance... yay!

Can we talk about how great the drape is??  So flattering and soft to wear.  I'm a big fan!

To make the most of this soft comfy fabric I made The Bondi Top by Sew To Grow into a dress.  I've made 3 of these tops and love them.  To turn it into a dress I simply made it longer, yep it was just that easy!  I also added patch pockets, because when aren't pockets a good idea?!   

I used French Seams because fabric as lovely as this deserved a nice seam finish! 

I am so happy with how the dress turned out!  I've styled it a couple of different ways but know I will also be wearing it with tights and a scarf for winter.  Don't you just love pieces that work for all seasons?!

Pockets!  They make everything better in my book!

I love how The Bondi Top is longer in the back,
I kept it that way for the dress too.

 

I love it belted, looks a little more dressy! 
Forgive the shifty side eye I'm giving the cat!

 

This is how I wore the dress the day
Hubs took the pics as it was still a bit chilly!

 

So you can enjoy the delicious drapey goodness MaaiDesign is offering you a 10% discount on the See You At Six collection from 12th – 30th September 2016.  Simply use the code: seeyouatsix.


Be sure to check out the other fabulous creations with the See You At Six rayon:

 

12th of September: Shelley from Bartacks and Singletrack
13th of September: Kate from Sewing With Kate
14th of September: Nicola from Create.nic
15th of September: Anna from Blogless Anna
16th of September: Caroline from Usefulbox
17th of September: Suz from Sewpony
18th of September: Allison from The Tall Mama
19th of September: Toni from Make It Perfect
20th of September: Suzanne from Dressed in Pretty Little Things
21st of September: Natalie from Sew Outnumbered
22nd of September: Jenya from While She Was Sleeping
23rd of September: Maaike from MaaiDesign

Pattern Review: Meridan Knit Dress, by Sew To Grow

The very lovely Lindsey of Sew To Grow asked me to pattern test one of her latest creations, the Meridan Knit Dress.

Now, I don't have the best history with knit fabric. It scares me and doesn't behave itself.  I have only made 2 successful pieces with knits (see here and here)... not a great track record!  However, I decided to face my fear and give this pattern a try.  This is the ONLY knit dress I have made that did not result in cold sweats and a volley of profanity, I consider that a huge win!

The dress has 2 neckline options, 3 sleeve options and 2 hem line options... oh happy days!

I made a round neck (I did raise it about 2 cm) with short sleeves and a straight hem.  I added 3 cm length to the bodice (will add a little less next time) and about 5 cm to the hem.

This dress came together easily and quickly.  The all in one facing means you get a beautiful neckline without having to stress yourself out over neck binding (I'm possibly the only one stressed out by neck binding).

This is a great dress for beginners, and for those more experienced it's one of those easy patterns you can make up quickly and know you're going to get a great result.

I love this dress, oh and it has pockets!!!  I will be making more.  I almost feel like I can sew with knits now... almost...I think I need to make a few more first!

 

Wrap Dress.

Hello!

Oh how I do love a wrap dress. 

When I saw this dress from Long Tall Sally I was inspired.

I had some knit fabric (gifted) in my stash that would be ideal.  Now knit fabric strikes fear into my heart; I'm not good at sewing with it and it makes me nervous and sweaty.  I know where I stand with woven fabric, but knits are an entirely different beast!  I'm trying to overcome my fear and improve my technique one garment at a time.

For this dress I used Kwik Sew pattern K3489 which is a knee length dress.  I extended it to be maxi length and added length to the sleeves (standard for me!).  I also added about 3 cm (just over an inch) to the bodice, however it was too long and I had to take it up.  This fabric seemed to grow as I sewed and after first wear I had to re-hem it as I was stepping on the bottom.  Knit fabric witch craft I tell you!

I am happy with the dress as it's very comfy, however I still may take it in a little in the body.

A windy day is less than ideal for wearing a wrap dress!

Oh so glamorous!  Trying to hold my dress closed and hair blowing in my face!

New Look 6262 Dress

Hello!

I have been itching to use more of the beautiful fabric generously gifted to me by Marge Clothing (read more here).  They are so gorgeous I wanted to use them for something special.  When a close friend of my Husband invited us to his 40th birthday luncheon I knew I needed a new dress!

I used New Look pattern 6262 with the following modifications:

I added length to the skirt (standard for me!)
I lowered the neckline by 1.5cm, which may have been a mistake because I then had to take it up at the shoulders by 2.5cm!  I am not amply blessed in the bust department so the front gaped by my shoulders.
I inserted a regular lapped zip, rather than invisible zip.  I use a vintage sewing machine which does not have an invisible zipper foot.

It's an easy to sew pattern and I know I will be using it again.  And again!

Now lets talk fabric!  A good pattern is important, but the fabric makes it truly special!  This dress is lined, or really more of a hack where I sewed 2 layers together and pretended it was one layer.  I have possibly made some experienced seamstresses cringe, however this was the easiest way for me to wrap my brain around making it work.  I don't have much (any!) experience sewing with sheer fabric.

The top layer is a beautiful red and purple sheer and the layer beneath is a lush purple satin.  It feels AMAZING against my skin.  Have you ever put something on and just wanted to roll around in it because it feels so nice?  No?  Just me??!  I suspect this is how I would feel in any of the gorgeous pieces from the Marge RTW line!  The fabrics are incredible and more importantly, ethically sourced!

This fabric would have been gorgeous for evening wear.  However I can't remember the last time I needed evening wear, it was long before I became a Mama!  This is a dress I know I will wear a lot!

If you have special fabric in your fabric stash I say use it, wear it, love it!

Dress New Look Pattern 6262 ; Fabric c/o MARGE Clothing

Necklaces: Tiffany & Co
On Mama duty - fixing Miss 4's hair!



After the party - girls wanted their balloons in the photo too!
Photos c/o my wonderful Husband

The 50 cent dress!

Happy New Year!

I wanted to make a new dress for New Years Eve.  Why, I don't know.  We didn't go anywhere and were asleep long before midnight! However, it was a good excuse for a new dress!

I had picked up a bunch of remnants from a local op shop for only 50 cents each - bargain!  I planned to use the fabric as muslins (when you roughly make a pattern from cheap fabric first to test fit etc).  This pretty navy and green (my favourite colour combo!) fabric really appealed to me.  It also has a bit of stretch, so was perfect for a fitted dress.

I am so happy with the result!

This pattern by Simple Sew came free with the Love Sewing magazine - the pattern was the reason I bought the magazine!  I loved everything about it!

I only made 2 small changes:

• I added 2cm length to the bodice, everything else was just fine. 
• The pattern had an open slit in the back; I made it a vented slit so the backs of my thighs aren't exposed.

It's rare that I get such a good fit without too many alterations!  The skirt is a little looser, which I love as it gives me more of an hourglass shape than I really have! 

This really is a 50 cent dress (the zipper was from Nona's stash!) so naturally I pair it with the most expensive shoes I own! Why not?!

I Made It Monday: My Christmas Dress.

For my Christmas dress I decided to brave knit fabric.  A fabric that has  previously struck terror into my heart due to many failed attempts sewing with it.

 

I had always used my trusty old 1960's Lemair machine, however it skipped stitches and looked a mess.  I was using the correct needle, but the results were terrible.  When my Mum gave me her 1976 Bernina 807 I decided to give knits another try.  And it worked!  No skipped stitches or breaking stitches, happy days!  I even used a double needle for the hem with no dramas!

I had this lovely red organic cotton jersey in my stash which was just asking to be a Christmas dress!  I found this free pattern online by So Sew Easy, which promised to be simple, and it was! 

I didn't make a muslin, so the fit is not perfect.  I would have liked the shoulders to be slightly wider, but other than that I am happy with it.  I didn't have to add length to the bodice, which is unusual for me.  If you're not tall or don't have a long body you may need to shorten it.  I did add length to the skirt (standard!).

To dress it up a little I added some vintage sequin trim from Nona's stash.  It's actually a dark brown, but looks black from a distance. 

Friends on Instagram had been telling me how easy sewing with knits was, and they were right.  I just needed a machine that could handle them! 

Photos c/o my wonderful Husband

I Made It Monday: MuMu to Marvelous!

I was gifted a pile of fabric recently and amongst it were some half made dresses.

This little (or not so little!) number was begging for a refashion.  It is such pretty fabric!

The Seamstress who gifted this fabric was obviously very talented; nothing but perfect French seams and pleating.  I wanted to honour her skill, so used French seams to finish the dress.

First up, those giant flutter sleeves had to go.  Does anyone else think of the sails of the Sydney Opera House when you look at them?  No, just me?!

I cut the dress off at the waist, took in the bodice and added a side zip.  I then simply gathered the skirt (as you can see, there was lots of fabric to work with!) and reattached it.

Ta da!  From MuMu to what is fast becoming one of my favourite dresses.



It's MuMu - tastic!

 

Modelled by Myrtle; apologies for no photos of me wearing it... yet...

 



A late addition - me wearing the dress!

Olive you!

I love olive year round, it works for the cooler months but also for summer.  Olive you, hehe!

This summer is predicted to be a scorcher here in Australia, so I wants a cool breezy lightweight dress that could also double as a beach cover up.  I made this dress using cotton cheesecloth (which is a light weight crinkly fabric, no ironing!).

 

I used a vintage McCall's pattern from 1979 (also embracing the 70's trend!).  I omitted the button packet in the front and gave my dress a curved hem with lace trim because:
A: any excuse to add lace
B: it felt more casual and a little less "mumu"

After looking at these pictures it is clear that more fitted dresses suit my body shape better, but this one will keep me cool!

I Made It Monday: Chambray Love

I love the versatility of separates, however I also love a dress (it's no brainer dressing!).  So to get the best of both worlds I made a top and skirt using the same soft black chambray. 

I made the top using Simplicity pattern 1364, a reproduction vintage pattern.  I made just a couple of slight modifications: added length (standard for me!), lowered the front neckline by 1cm and added some bias tape to the sleeves.  The bias tape is a pretty liberty print lovingly made by a dear friend 40+ years ago.  I had to use it!

The skirt is a self drafted half circle skirt.  Apparently I did not learn from my mistakes made with this circle skirt as I had to take this one in twice.  I'm starting to think I should just stick to my pleated midi skirts, circle skirts and I don't get along!  If only they weren't so pretty!

 

Photos c/o my wonderful Husband
Who can't help but take photos whilst I'm walking & talking.

Tall Girl Upgrade: Shirt Dress

I was given this pre-loved shirt dress many years ago.  I liked it, but it didn't fit well (story of my life!) so I'd wear it on occasions when I knew I wouldn't have to sit much because it became too short when I sat and the buttons would gape.  Not very practical! 

Of course, once I became a Mama I was unable to wear it all.  Motherhood involves constant bending, lifting and having tiny humans climb into your lap and at worst try to practice their button skills on your dress!  Not cool!

To make this dress work for my real life I gave it a simple tall girl upgrade.  Here's how I did it:

1. I sewed closed the buttons from the waist down.  This is simply done by working out how far you need the dress to open to get into it and then sew from that point to the hem.  Bye bye gaping! 

2.  I added length with a floral boarder; this fabric was left over from my favourite midi skirt and the blue in the floral matches the dress. To balance out the floral hem I made a matching sash.

3. I moved the belt loops down.  The original placing of the belt loops was above my waist, so I unpicked them and moved them to my actual waist.

Ta da!  Now I have a shirt dress that is both flattering and practical! 

One eyebrow raised in a scrupulous fashion; I knew this wasn't going well.

 

 

I apologize for the poor quality photos.  I almost didn't post them, but hoped you'd be forgiving! 

Here's my list of excuses:

1. It rained all week so I couldn't do outdoor photos.

2. Only my daughter was available as photographer and I thought she would be better than mirror selfies.

3. I was wrong, I should have gone with mirror selfies!  Since turning 4 her photography skills have seriously deteriorated.  I also have a 2.5yr old, so may give her a go as my photo minion. 

4. After wearing this dress to church I had a mystery stain on it (thanks girls!) so couldn't take more photos until the dress was washed... given that it's still rainy it would take ages to dry as I don't put my clothes in the dryer as I can't afford to loose any valuable length!

Oh excuses, excuses! 

I Made It Monday: Easy DIY Maxi Dress

Today I'm wearing a lightweight cotton maxi dress. 

It's really simple to make and is the sort of effortless styling a busy Mama (or busy anyone!) needs.

This fabric was from an Ikea doona (duvet) cover! 
It's very thin so drapes nicely.

Oh, and I added pockets but we'll talk about pockets another time!

 

Photos c/o my wonderful Husband

 

Here's how I did it:
1. Take a very loose fitting Dolman sleeve top and trace around the front and back, adding a bit extra for seam allowances and your desired length to make it a maxi dress.  Make sure it's a loose flowing fit; if you cut it too wide you can always take it in later.

2. With right sides together sew the shoulder seams. **

3. Finish the neck line by folding over 1cm twice to make a neat hem, sew. **

4. Sew underarms and down the side seam, stopping and backstitching where you want the side slits to start. **

5.  Finish sleeves by folding over 1cm twice to make a neat hem, sew. **

6. Make a tube of fabric, same width as the dress.  Sew into dress at your natural waistline, leaving an opening to thread elastic.  Cut a piece of elastic which is your waist measurement + 2cm.  Thread into casing (tube) and securely sew closed.

7.  Neatly finish the side slits and hem by folding over 0.5cm twice to make a neat hem. **

8.  Give it all a good press and you're ready to go!

**Press with the hottest iron temperature your fabric will allow.  Trust me, pressing between each step makes sewing so much easier and gives you the best finish.

NB: all seam allowances are 1.5cm unless otherwise stated.

Just on a side note: this "trace around existing garment" method only really works for loose fitting, shapeless clothes.  If you are new to sewing and try it for something more fitted you'll be frustrated and disappointed.  An experienced seamstress can draft a pattern, but again that requires far more expertise than this method. 
If you are new to sewing, and my shonky instructions make you scratch your head (I apologize because they make sense to me!) then buy a pattern.  A purchased pattern will give you exact measurements and precise instructions.  For a budding seamstress I think patterns are a good way to start, it will build confidence and technique.  Unless of course you're the "jump in and give it a go type", then this method will work just fine!! 

I Made It Monday: New Look Pattern 6824

I'm calling this my Picnic Dress. 

Probably because the fabric was called "picnic check seersucker" from The Remnant Warehouse.  I must admit, I don't think beige is a good colour on me, but I do love the blue and green gingham and the gorgeous seersucker texture means no ironing!

This is the second dress I've made using the ever versatile New Look 6824 pattern (see the other version here).  I made some slight modifications for this dress:

• Shortened the sleeves
• Added about 10cm to the length of the skirt
• Added pockets, because you always need pockets!

I know this won't be my last dress using this pattern.  It's easy to sew and to modify. 

Do you have a dress pattern that is your "go to"?

Because you always need pockets!

Photos c/o my wonderful Husband