Summer Breeze - In February

 Just FYI I'm aware it's March...just when I made the dress!

Sharing a Minerva Make today because the fabric is so bloomin' cute. Look at those little snails!

(Don't forget to use code STARSCLYDE for 10% off any and all orders with Minerva - doesn't expire and you can combine with other discounts!) 

I was gifted this fabric but would have happily bought it as it is just gorgeous. I also have to start by saying, how wonderful the name of this fabric is – Escargot Garden!

 

This lovely print looks like stitched embroidered plants and flowers with lovely snailey roaming amongst the vegetation. This particular base is the EcoVero Viscose Twill – a breathable fabric with great drape and a diagonal twill weave.

For this fabric I fancied a go at making something that could be worn in all seasons. Especially as the print lends itself to being summer or winter with the colours and images. Mission accomplished! (Picture is not AI, just your classic clipart and faffing.) 

Pattern Emporium are fantastic for quality patterns that I know will fit well, so I selected the Summer Breeze dress. A really easy and beginner friendly pattern if anyone was looking for a simple sew.

As with all Pattern Emporium patterns, there are lots of versions to choose from. I opted for the drawstring shoulders as I wanted to get that gathered fabric effect over the bust.  

The size chart put me at a 16/18 so I cut that out. I think the fit is pretty spot on really. I made a couple of changes to the dress but nothing too extreme. The first was that I raised the hem to a midi length. This was because I didn’t want a maxi version trailing about in mud and water if I did wear this as a winter option. 

The other change I made was to use elastic at the waist rather than a drawstring. I thread 1cm elastic into the waist casing – nice and comfy and it pulls the dress in at the waist where needed.  

I added a back neck- tie aswell just to stop the sleeves from falling off my shoulders. Although not on the pattern pictures, it is something they mention in the instruction book as an option for anyone having that issue. 

The armholes came down quite low on me so I just stitched them together 2 inches higher than the pattern markings indicated. Still plenty of room for movement but less skin flashy. 

The skirt shape is lovely – it is a gentle A-line shape which gathers a little at the waist elastic but doesn’t have any bulk to it. The maxi version has side slits which look lovely and give good beach vibes.

It’s hard to tell which is the back and front for this dress (I think it makes little difference if you don’t add the back ties) and so I popped a label in the back seam to remind myself. 

I’m really pleased with how this turned out and can see it getting a fair bit of wear as intended! I will definitely use the pattern again in summer for a brighter version as it is very comfortable.

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The Faithful Fifis

 The Traitors season may have ended but there is still time to share my Claudia inspired clothes!

 One pair of trouser that 'are and have always been Faithful' are the Style Arc Fifi woven pants. 

I have made these many times over to the point wheer they barely resemble the original pattern anymore. The original has a very convoluted waistband construction which I personally felt was a bit pointless. Mine just get a long rectangle waistband with elastic threaded around it. 

If I want a flat front, then I smooth it and stitch at the side seams. If I want it drawstring, add some eyelets. Simples. 

If mismatched tartan offends you, avert your eyes now. 

There was an attempt to pattern match however my fabric allowance was not sufficient to make that successful. Plus, I also tapered the shape of the legs which distorted the pattern aswell. I frankly, do not care, but I appreciate someone somewhere is having palpitations about the misalignment. 

 

 

The Fifi trousers are wide leg in style but I wanted a bit more of a tapered look and so took them in about 2 inches from the ankle, grading upwards to the hip. I also created a cuffed hem to go with 'the look'. 

I like to add belt loops and wear a belt with them, which hides the gathers and makes them look like fixed waist trousers when indeed, they are comfy, elastic and pull-on...mwhahahaha. Having recently make the Closet Core Rika Pants I nabbed the criss-cross belt loops idea for a bit of added interest.  

I had a bit of purple sweater knit leftover from a previous project and turned it into a little popover top. Great for some added warmth. This was the Closet Core Tee (free pattern here) - with arms omitted. Did the job nicely.  

Winter wardrobe addition complete - more purple than I ever thought I'd be wearing! 

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Eu-Rika!

For a second I thought I had found some new great trousers! They fit, they were great to sew, they are comfy!

Thennnnnnn I took some photos and now I'm not sure that they don't look bloody awful. I wasn't feeling too wonderful at the time the (first) pictures were taken so minimal effort went into styling, perhaps that is where it started to go downhill.  

I am talking about the Closet Core Rika Pants  - 'timeless tailored trousers'. Can't argue with that description. They are a fixed waist, fly front, darted classic trouser pattern with some beautiful little details. 

I adore Closet Core as you probably know so when I had the opportunity to test out some Beyond The Pink Door baby cord fabric for the Think Pink Subscription Box, what better time than to try this pattern! Hello if you have already opened your box and read the articles :)

(Full disclosure, the pine green baby cord fabric was gifted to me, however I have paid for the postage and pattern, plus I also bought some in black for my own benefit as it is fantastic fabric.)  

To clarify, the pattern is wonderful - I just think its me in them that's not great. I can immediately see they are too short so I shall let the cuff hem down a bit. Maybe trainers would look better...

 Edit: I had a good sleep, let the hem down and restyled them - much better! 

 I cut a 16/18 which was a tiny bit risky as I am now edging to the 20 zone however in terms of size they were spot on and I didn't initially make any changes which is just unbelievable for trousers really. I wore them around the house a little and decided I did need to scoop the back curve out a bit and that helped them sit better on my shapely derriere. (See pattern change below).

One of the coolest things about these trousers is that I got to make tortoise pockets! The side pockets are faced with cord but the interior is just cotton. I don't usually wear green (which may be another reason I'm unsure) but what a marvellous excuse to get some green tortoises going on in there. I love hidden details - isn't that the best thing about sewing your own clothes?!

Talking of hidden details, I tried to embroider the back pocket with another little tortoise motif however you can't see it at all which is quite amusing.  

The pic on the left is giving 'just walked off the farm' and the proportions feel really off.  The longer hem definitely made a big difference to how I actually feel in them. Less heavy and weighed down. 

Maybe the moral of this story is don't assess your sewing when feeling mardy. Because bizarrely I do still like them for the effort that went in and definitely more so with just a tiny hem change! Perhaps I'll try again in a different colour instead...

Wishing you all well - to the next time x

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Charlie Genoa and the Purple Plans

 Coming in today with a full outfit!

I seem to be having a purple era at the moment as all my recent fabrics have been a variation of violet. 

It started with some amazing Fabric Godmother satin which I couldn't pass up in the sale simply because...snakes.

Wondering what I could actually wear with this I treated my self at Christmas to some seriously gorgeous sweater knit from Beyond the Pink Door.  

This is beautiful knit with a great weight and drape. A lovely lighter jumper to have in the arsenal. 

The two garments I made were entirely new to me. Firstly we have the Atelier Jupe Charlie Sweater.  Never having tried Atelier Jupe before I was a little nervous of cutting straight in - but I did regardless. 

Edit - apparently I have used this pattern company - Atelier Jupe Alex Coat! 

The pattern was really true to size - I went for 42/44 and made no changes. It has that classic sweater shape with just the right amount of 'oversize' without being too big. It also has slightly billowy sleeves at the cuff which is quite nice. There are several neck and sleeve options to this pattern so a great wardrobe builder. 

For the skirt I went for the Style Arc Genoa Cut Bias Skirt - satin, skirts and bias are not typically things I make so this was really a wild card! I really like it though - although I do feel I will wear it more in spring with a graphic tee and trainers or sandals - I just couldn't style it with tights/boots etc without looking daft. Tips welcome!

The skirt pattern was really funny - it's one piece. Cut twice. I did go rogue on the construction as I did french seams to stop any fray on the satin, and I also made a channel for the elastic (as opposed to stitching it directly onto the top of the skirt. I used 1.5 inch elastic and thread it through (I prefer this so it can be changed at a later date if needed). 

I thought the bias skirt was going to cling to every lump and bump (which of course it sort of does) but the satin is such amazing quality and weight it feels luxurious to wear!

There we have it - a few good basics which can hopefully be mixed and matched this Spring. Which is hopefully coming...after the 9 years of winter so far...

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In Bed with Fran

 Dear Points of View, 

 Why oh why have I waited so long to make the Close Core Fran Pjs?

 It's a good question! With a fairly basic answer....

I couldn't see that they were that different to the Carolyn PJs on first reflection. They just looked bigger.  

Having made the Carolyn PJs a few times - they are beautiful but quite labour intensive, which is what has prevented me from whizzing up lots of beautiful bed wear.  Here are some from 2023. I love them but I find you have to be in the mood for piping and a revere collar. 

This year I have been trying to clear a bit of my stash fabric and I had about 3 meters of cotton rayon from Cloud 9 called ' Celestial Transit'. This had been set aside for a dress but I just went off the idea, and fabric. As the length was quite voluminous I figured it would make lovely pajamas. The print definitely lends itself to the 'night' vibe. 

After chatting with fellow sewing group ladies on Sew Virtual, the Fran PJs were getting absolutely rave reviews. It being January, pajamas seemed the perfect project for this month of hibernation and living that 'indoor life'. 

Sizing - I cut a 16/18. This was what the pattern suggested and I went with it. I had been told that most people size down 1 or 2 sizes however I am always a little reluctant to do that as I'm a broad beast and sizing down alters the back measurement for me. The top as a 16 worked fantastically and I think fits as it is supposed to. The bottoms at a 16/18 were a little too big around the waist and so I did take some fullness out of the waistband. They are probably more like a 14 waist and 16 hip. Whilst still a bit fabric gathered at the waist, they are PJs so I don't think it really matters too much. 

The Fran PJs are like the Carolyn's slightly cooler cousin. Being a fan of Closet Core I should have realized there would be some excellent but subtle details that elevated the pattern from basic to beautiful. 

 Exhibit A: this little additional button under the collar! Designed to wrap the top right around you when you are cold!

 Exhibit B: lovely side vents giving movement and a gentle shape to the front and back.

Exhibit C: The massive pleat at the back, perfect for movement and comfort. An exaggerated version of a shirt, with purpose. (The yoke should be 1 piece however I had to play pattern Tetris to fit it all in). 

The pattern comes with a multitude of pockets for the bottoms, which I completely omitted as I didn't feel it necessary to have my keys and wallet on me at all times. The pockets are vast and therefore very fabric hungry, taking the full requirements to over 4 meters. The bottoms are therefore just basic (in the best sense) elasticated waist pajama pants. Nothing wrong with that!

For my own dabbling about and pleasure I added some contrast binding to the cuffs of both the top and bottoms. The stash provided as I had this bias binding left over from another project and the colour went together so well it almost looks like part of the fabric.

The fact that there is a top and bottom to this make was fabulous as it meant I could use both sides of my Cosy Club Handmade labels. 

 

How cute are they!? This was a really enjoyable sew to start the year as I put time and effort into making them without trying to rush myself to finish. I think that paid off in the end as they feel quite well made.

I think both the Fran and Carolyn PJs have their place. These definitely feel more wintery and have that Scandi vibe for some reason. The Carolyn look great in lighter brighter prints perhaps? Certainly both a pattern I would remake again!

More Closet Core is on the horizon at the moment if I can get myself psyched up for a more complicated make.  I have my eyes on the Rika Pants and Blanca Flightsuit!

Wishing you all well - to the next time x

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Copy those Clothes! (and Discount Codes!)

 Happy New Year 🎉

As usual running a bit late, but I'm here - still alive and still sewing! I hope you are all well.

Sliding into this year I wanted to share a little project that was made with Norwich Sewcials. Plus some discount codes for you!! 

We recently had a Clone Your Clothes weekend workshop in Norfolk, and I took the opportunity to use the techniques to draft myself a copy of a great dress I have from Finery. 

I love the fit and flare style, the top pockets and it is really comfortable so I thought it would be a great place to start.

This is the original denim dress:

Throughout the weekend we learnt how to copy and draft from the grain line outwards, including darts, pleats and loads of other details! (If you fancy a retreat or sewing weekend please do check out our pages).

I had a couple of fabrics with me that I used to make a 'test' to see if I had done the copying correctly - and voila - 2 copies of a great dress!!

First up is this Lady McElroy cotton lawn in print 'Sacred Symbol'. It's very autumnal and not my usual colours but I loved the print. 

I was hoping I could put a roll neck and tights under to wear in winter however the cotton sticks to EVERYTHING! It was even clinging pretty badly to the undies so not sure how to resolve this one. Suggestions gratefully received as I don't want this going unworn. 

The buttons for this shirt dress were a little gem of a find on Etsy - little bronze bees!

The second version I made is less autumnal and more wearable but I didn't have enough fabric for the full length. Excuse the fuzzy indoor pic but I was freezing and it was pouring with rain outside.

The fabric is Eglantine et Zoe viscose crepe and so beautiful to work with! I've hoarded this for years but it needed to get cut. 

I don't recall where the original came from but Minerva now sell it here. Which leads me to some great news - use code STARSCLYDE and get 10% off any purchase you make with them! (This is now a permanent code so there should be no issues with expiry etc).  

 The second discount code I can now offer you is 10% off at Sapphire Frills with code CRAFTYCLYDE

Sapphire (yes that's her name) is a local maker to me who I've supported since she set up over Covid. Now a full scale business its great to see her succeed - go and treat yourself she had some really fun designs!

Thanks so much for being here :)

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