Suki Robe Trio

Hello! It's been a while since I last blogged - I got married!

How coincidental that this post is about what I made for me and my bridesmaids... I really wanted to make them a little gift box with something special inside as a thanks for being great gals and what better way to spend the morning getting ready together, than in Suki Robes!


This would have been far better executed had I not found this pattern only two weeks before the event, but hey, I like a challenge. By far the most difficult part was finding bright tropical fabric!! Perhaps I was just a tad too early in the season for viscose with palm print but I couldn't find it anywhere.

I finally found some fabrics on Minerva Crafts which I thought my ladies would like. One is a Derbyshire/Spanish lovely with a plant obsession so I chose the leafy print viscose for her. Sadly when it arrived it was not as brightly coloured as expected but I had to press ahead. I think she like it regardless :)

My other bridesmaid is a lovely English Rose who has just had the cutest baby, so floral viscose seemed to call out.

I also had some bird print cotton lawn in my stash from Fabric Godmother, so I used that because....birds.



This pattern from Helen's Closet is a robe with alllllll the bells and whistles. All of them. Possibly too many of them?! We have side belt loops, hanging loops, inner ties, inseam pockets, fixed tie belts. THE LOT. (I would omit the side belt loops next time - as the belt is already attached I didn't find them necessary)

I made 3 different sizes and from what I gather they all fit everyone so the sizing is great. Mine was a Large and I can say it was fine although even an XL would work a treat. It is a robe after all so quite forgiving!

I went for the option of having the contrast band all around the front rather than doing the original design. It's a simple hack to just extend the front contrast band and there's a tutorial here.


The inner ties are a brilliant feature, bit of extra security preventing exposure always a winner.


Not going to lie, I struggled with the position of the side belt loops, and the position of the back belt and pockets generally. I found the pattern had the pockets too high and belt and loops too low. The only way I could do this was to actually put the robe on and pin in place. Sorry guys - I've worn your robe in the name of creativity. 

 By the second robe I ignored the instructions and made it my own way. The instructions are so labour intensive, having you over lock all pieces first, then doing seams and pockets separately.No mate. Not for me. Whizz it up the sides on the over locker. I haven't got all day.


This robe is an absolute dream for the hot humid weather at the moment. So light and breezy to waft about the house in.

My favourite features are the sleeves which fall at just the most beautiful length and don't get in the way of anything, and the fact the belt is attached so you don't lose it!


I would definitely like to make more of these and think they would make excellent gifts for people you care about as you can pretty much guess the sizing and the end result is lovely. It's Suki Love.

Massive shout out to Winston Sanders for capturing our day beautifully, and getting this little guy in shot!


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May Make Do and Mend

So here we are at the beginning of June already! HOW?!?!

As Me Made May is now over I thought I'd just do a very quick round up of how it went.

Not well.

Told you it was a quick round up.

Actually that's not entirely true, but about half way through the month I stopped actively picking me-mades to wear as pledged and just grabbed what I usually would have done. Which by pure chance included me-mades without me actually realizing, which was nice when half way through the day I'd suddenly remember I'd made my trousers or something.



So what I actually learnt is that I'm a lazy dresser who does not make a great deal of effort on a daily basis! But I'm ok with that, and so the whole point of Me Made May was to establish that fact and make things accordingly.

Things I did learn however were:
  • I do not wear skirts. Ever it seems. 
  • I do not like feeling too 'dolled up' or uncomfortable 
  • I live in comfortable trousers and a tee for working at home - I find it pointless to dress up if I'm home alone all day
  • I wear very few clothes! I don't mean I roam about naked all the time - I just repeat outfits a lot
  • Lounge wear is my friend and I have lots of it (it seems daft to make more for the sake of it when I already have sufficient RTW)
  • Gym tops are a necessity I don't have which is highly frustrating
  • I love texture - that was new to me. My blue trousers above are textured and I've fallen hard for double gauze of late. I suppose it makes the basics more interesting 
  • Casual dresses such as the shirt dress are my God for feeling relaxed but a bit 'done up'
What should I be sewing?
  • Gym wear
  • Ponte trousers
  •  ALL the shirt dresses
What should I be doing?
  • Getting out more by the sounds of it
What have I been doing?
  • Making these Derwent bad boys from Wendy Ward 'Sewing with knitted Fabrics' book. Trousers you can work/lounge AND pop to the shops in. Win!
  
  •  Having a clear out and fixing stuff!
 So May was that time of year when you get your sunny day gear out and nothing fits. A lot got donated and recycled however not being defeated this year I went on a Make Do and Mend rampage.


 Old tops got cut up and widened, long sleeves got chopped to short sleeves and the best thing of all I discovered you can widen tight sleeves and alleviate bicep restraint on RTW by making an 'arm gusset'. That word again. Sigh. But yay it meant I saved a few dresses from the recycle pile.

I still have a pair of jeggings to widen by popping a stripe down the side seams. Fingers crossed it works.

How was your May?

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