pretty Pavot

I've coveted a few Deer & Doe patterns for a while now - Sureau and Reglisse dresses are on my (lengthy) 'to make' list, but for some reason I'd never really given the Pavot jacket more than a passing glance. Until about two months ago, that is, when for some reason it became ALL I COULD THINK ABOUT. 

Naturally it zoomed right to the top of the list!

In case you're unfamiliar with this pattern, it's a very sweet mid-season, unlined coat/jacket with rounded collar. The pattern suggests using a twill, gabardine or coated linen, and luckily I found some lovely maroon baby gabardine in my local fabric shop that seemed like it would work nicely. Initially I wanted to avoid red or purple tones, as I was worried about hair-clashing, but after a fruitless internet search found nothing better, I decided to throw caution to the wind. It looks ok, right?

Uh-oh! Bright sun equals disappearing facial features.

The fit is pretty perfect. From the size chart on the envelope I went for a 38 in the bust, grading out to a 40 in the waist and a 42 at the hips. I also took about two inches off the length at the hem, and two inches off the sleeves, to make them more 'bracelet-length'.

As the coat is unlined, I decided to bind all the seams on the inside. This is quite an achievement for me! I'm a bit of a corner-cutter usually, and if I can do something simpler and quicker another way, most of the time I will. Not this time! I said no to my overlocker, pushed aside the pinking shears, and bought 12 metres of cream bias binding. And boy, was this an undertaking! Most of the seams are pressed open, which meant two lots of binding to stitch on each seam, and because I went with a contrasting colour for the binding, I was constantly changing the thread on my machine.

Totally worth it, though - I love how it looks. The only seams that aren't bound are the pockets, as I didn't fancy negotiating binding around those curves.

I love love LOVE the covered buttons on this coat! Although I was a numpty and put the buttons and buttonholes on the wrong sides. I swear, I studied numerous versions of this coat online to check how they should go (this isn't the sort of thing I know off the top of my head), but clearly something went wrong inbetween my brain registering the information and actually putting it into action. It's not a dealbreaker, though - it just surprises me every time I go to do the buttons up. 

 If I were to make this coat again (and I think I might - a lined version in a heavier fabric sounds tempting for winter!), I think I'd make two changes. Firstly, I'd make the skirt a little less flared. I don't mind how it currently is, but a little less floof (oh yes) wouldn't go amiss.

Secondly, I'd take the pockets out of the side seams, and instead add some patch pockets to the front. The positioning of the pockets in the seams feels a little awkward at the moment, like I have to stretch my arms further back than normal to get my hands in comfortably. It'd be fun to come up with a nice little design for patch pockets.

This was not a thrifty project at all, but that's ok - I'd usually spend a little more on a spring coat or jacket than I would on a dress, for example. Here are the sums:

Pattern = £14.16 (incl. delivery)
Fabric = £12
Buttons and binding = £6.38

Total = £32.54
  

Elena x

Summer in Simplicity

Ah, I love it when this happens - I think I've found a new favourite pattern!

At least the top 10, anyway.

This is view A of Simplicity 2177. This pattern has the worst cover art styling you've ever seen - I wouldn't have picked it up if it weren't for the various gorgeous versions I've seen all over Blogland. So glad I did, though! It's a really lovely, simple dress, with very unique bodice shaping thanks to the triangular bust inset. Unfortunately it's not really noticeable on my dress thanks to the pattern, but never mind!

Bloody hell, Simplicity. What were you thinking?

LOVE the stripes in view B!

The fabric is something I picked up in Walthamstow with Jen earlier this year. I was unsure as to what it was, but a friend suggested cotton viscose as the drape is just beautiful. It was a bargain at £2.75 a metre!

I made a size 10 in the bust and waist, grading out to a 12 in the hips. Mostly the fit was great, except the back neckline was gaping quite a bit, so I added a couple of darts as a fix. Something to remember for next time!

Yep, I really am that pale

I omitted the pockets, as I get frustred by the bulk that in-seam pockets add to my (already fairly generous) hips. I also hacked about 6 inches off the length, which in hindsight was a little hasty as I don't love the length. It's fine with tights for autumn, winter, and spring, but I'll feel too self-conscious to wear it without tights for the summer. Ah well, a reason to make another!

For my next version I'll also add about an inch to the length of the bodice, as the waistline currently sits a little too high for my liking.

Despite the fact that I'm listing things I'm not happy with, I LOVED making this dress. It was a nice easy-peasy one  - done over the course of a few evenings, one or two hours at a time, and totally stress-free thanks to the good fit and well thought-out instructions. Simplicity are quickly becoming my favourite of the Big 4!

So, here are the sums!

Pattern = £9 (incl. delivery)
Fabric = £4.13
Notions = £2

Total = £15.13


Must be off now - Game of Thrones is on in 2 minutes! Jen's on her honeymoon at the moment, so I'm holding the fort here at Tea For Two Towers, but I'll be back later this week to share my beautiful new Deer & Doe Pavot coat.

Speak soon!

Elena x

my first vintage dress!

Is it ok to refer to the 1980s as vintage?

The pattern I used for this dress is Style 3288, which dates back to 1981, making it three years older than me.

You might remember the muslin for this dress, which needed a bit of work getting the fit right as the pattern was a size 16. A few tweaks here and there and before long I felt ready to cut into my fabric.

The fabric is a soft and snuggly brushed cotton from my local fabric shop Masons. I didn't buy it with this dress in mind, just fell in love with the Monet-esque appearance of the floral print and the pops of bright red and blue that run through it, but actually I think the busyness of the print compliments the simplicity of the pattern really well.

I didn't need to refer to the pattern instructions during construction as it was so straightforward. There were just six pieces - front right and left, back right and left, and the two sleeves. I kept the inside neat with French seams, and got rid of those pesky facings and instead used bias tape around the neckline (also jazzed up with a little piping). I had originally intended to do a navy blue cotton band around the hem to match the piping, but as a last-minute decision swapped it for some lace. I can't resist a little lace!

French seams and neckline binding

By far my favourite feature of this dress is the French darts. I might be wrong, but you don't seem to see these much on modern patterns, and I can't understand why. They're so precious, and really help with getting a smooth fit along the body.

Overall I'm pretty pleased with this dress. I'm not sure the shape is the most flattering on me - I generally prefer something that cinches in more at the waist, and is less fitted in the hips and bust, but I've worn it three times in the two weeks since I finished it, so I can't dislike it that much! I also feel like I learned a lot about fitting a dress to my shape, so I'll be less apprehensive about trying another vintage pattern in the future. Perhaps something from the 40s or 50s - much more my style!

So, here are the sums:

Pattern = £2 (thanks, Oxfam!)
Fabric = £12
Notions = £3

Total = £17

Not one of my cheaper makes, but still not bad.

On other projects news, I'm *this* close to finishing my Deer & Doe Pavot coat. I'm sort of ashamed to say this, but in a way it's a pity the weather has turned so nice recently - the coat may turn out to be a bit redundant Still, this is the UK - the cold and wet hasn't gone away forever!


Elena x

  

summer-ready Miette skirt

Hey y'all

I finished my Tilly and the Buttons Miette skirt! Just in time for my hols - Josh and I are off on our honeymoon to Nevada and California a week tomorrow, and judging from the weather forecast this skirt is going to be perfect for over there!

I used a lovely soft Oxford blue cotton from John Lewis for £9 a metre. Pretty steep, but that's John Lewis for you, and I figured it was worth it! And it is. It's such a beautiful colour, and it drapes beautifully. In the end I only used about 2m of it, as the fabric was the same on the reverse as the front. Not sure if I've committed a sewing cardinal sin there but hey ho!

It was such a fun skirt to sew. Tilly's online tutorials for every step of the process are brilliant, even if you could easily put the skirt together using just the PDF instructions. None of the techniques were new to me except I did try slip-stitching for the first time to stitch the facing to the waistband. Tilly's tutorial links to the excellent hand-sewn hems tutorial from Megan Nielsen and it was so helpful - I'm glad I decided to try slip-stitching as it now looks really neat and I have another new skill under my belt.

For my facing I used a lovely blue and white polka dot cotton that I had in my stash. Pretty eh? It's nice to add a little detail like that, even if I'm the only one who will see it!

Polka dots!

Size-wise I cut a 3, which is perfect. But the beauty of the skirt is that if you have a big lunch you just loosen the waist ties a little to accommodate - brilliant! I love the waist ties that come together at the front in cute a little bow. Before assembling I shortened the pattern by 7cm as I'm short, and then when it came to hemming I took off another 3cm.

I can't wait to wear this skirt in California. Bring on the sunshine!

Jen x

a kind-of-tribal Darling Ranges

Hello all!

Greetings from rainy London on this Saturday afternoon. I'm having a lazy day today, sewing and watching episodes of Downton Abbey (my latest guilty pleasure). Looking forward to tomorrow though, as the weather promises to be both a few degrees warmer AND not raining! Well I never.

A couple of weeks ago I finished my first Darling Ranges dress. Inspired by Elena's version, I realised the pattern had masses of potential and would look cute and a bit unusual in this lovely kind-of-tribal-print fabric I bought in Walthamstow on our recent spree. I've no idea what it is I'm afraid - being a bit of a fabric dunce I find it hard to identify random fabrics - but I've been told maybe it's a polyester. Anyway, it's light and drapey, but also very very slippery and creases like crazy.

The fabric was a snip (aha ha ha) at just £2 a metre, and I bought 2m, and used pretty much all of that,  as expected. Just like Elena, I didn't want it to be loose-fitting, so I cut a S in the sleeve and bodice, and a XS in the skirt. I omitted the pockets and waist ties. I didn't do a toile because I found 'Lena's feedback on the pattern really helpful and thought that would be fine to go by, and so just decided to length the bodice by 3cm and pre-emptively adjust the bust darts a little. However once it was almost finished I found the neckline far too low (still not sure why!) and so took the whole thing in at the shoulder seams a little. This therefore meant I re-adjusted the bust darts at that stage too. It felt a little messy at the time but looks good now - the story of my sewing life!

For the most part it was a really fun and pleasurable make. The buttonholes were ridiculously painful though - the fabric seemed to HATE the buttonhole stitch on my machine, and so some of the finished buttonholes look awful. It didn't help that there were so many! It has kinda put me off tackling another project with so many buttons in the near future, but I'm not too upset about that. I like a zip!

Oh, and I found it REALLY hard to try and match the print up at the front and side seams! I started with all good intentions to really make it happen, but the fabric was so slippery I soon realised it was never going to happen! So I decided life's too short and I don't care that they don't quite match up! Do you think it matters?

Josh took these photos last weekend on a wander and a flat-hunt round East Dulwich. I like the way the dress works well with tights but the length will also be fine with bare legs on our upcoming holiday! And in summer when it finally gets here. And it looks fab with my beautiful new shoes. I've been wearing these bad boys non-stop since I bought them a couple of weeks ago - they're cute but so comfy! Topshop, if you're wondering. ;)

Right, I'm off to watch another episode, and to have a glass of vino. Dontcha just love lazy rainy days?!

Jen x

no puppies were harmed in the making of this Banksia

I think this might be a personal record for me, of time elapsed between making something and blogging about it. I actually finished this top in January, but between photographing opportunities (damn you, weather!), and other things to blog about, my poor little Banksia has fallen by the wayside. Time to rectify that!

I don't think this pattern needs much in the way of introduction - it is, of course, Megan Nielsen's Banksia top. My fabric started life as a bedsheet, and was discovered in my local Oxfam for £2. What a bargain! I couldn't pass it up. To add a little extra colour and variety to my design, I made the collar from some other fabric in my stash (left over from the pleated cushion I made for Jen). It's the softest fabric ever - so much so that a friend likened the collar to puppy dog ears :)

I made a size M, but brought the side seams in by quite a subtantial amount after construction, as the top was very baggy. It still is, but in the absence of a zip or other fastenings unfortunately that looseness is required in order to get it over my shoulders. After trying it on I also wasn't keen on the longer sleeves, so folded them over a couple of times to make shorter, cuffed ones.

I can find very little fault at all with the pattern - the instructions are a dream to follow, and the Banksia sewalong on Megan's blog makes the process even more pleasant. I did have a small problem with getting my the two ends of my collar to fully meet at the placket, despite stay-stitching the neckline, but maybe I just made an error somewhere, I don't know.

Despite this, though, I actually feel quite 'meh' about the garment itself, and I think those lacklustre feelings are all to do with the style and design of the top - I've worn it a few times, and every time I do it feels that little bit too twee on me. Maybe it's the the oversized collar, or the bagginess, or the fact that I often wear it tucked into skirts (my go-to look - I'm rather unimaginative, sometimes), but I just never LOVE it. Perhaps it'll get more wear in the spring/summer with skinny jeans and ballet pumps.

At least this was a cheap make! Here are the sums:

Pattern = £0 (birthday present from Jen!)
Fabric = £2
Notions = £2

Total = £4

I can live with that! And furthermore, I am not put off! I have plans for another Banksia, this time with a few changes:

a) a smaller collar - something more like the 'faux shawl' collar Megan has posted about here;
b) buttons up the back! Oh, how I love the look of a button-up back;
c) more fitted - the button-up back will help with this;
d) same fabric for the collar as for the main garment - to help the collar look less obtrusive.

And this will be done in the floral Liberty print I bought from Saeed's in Walthamstow.


Speak soon!


Elena x

a whole lotta love for Sewaholic Hollyburn

Ok, I'm just gonna come right out with it. I. LOVE. THIS. SKIRT. Wowee wowee wowee. As the title of this post suggests, it's Sewaholic's Hollyburn, released in December last year. I used the black suedette I bought at Walthamstow market a few weeks ago. I bought 1.75m at £2.50 a metre and used pretty much all of it; there are only a few scraps left. I'm sure they'll be useful for bits for other projects.

Wow, I look uncomfortable in this picture, don't I? Must have been some pavement gawkers watching me with suspicion. Don't you hate that?!

The suedette feels lovely. It's moderately heavy, but not too much that it drags me down. It hangs very well but keeps structure which I think works well with this skirt. Actually the beauty of this pattern seems to be that it also works well with light, very drapey fabrics too. The suedette also has a lovely satin-y feel to the reverse which gives it a high-quality feel that's very nice for the price!

Luvverly pockets.

I cut a size 10 (31in), in length B. The waist fit seems pretty much almost perfect, which is a relief not to have had to do much alteration post-cutting my pattern pieces! It didn't seem at all necessary to do a toile since as long as you get the waist measurement right then everything's a-ok. I ended up cutting 9cm off the length in the end as although I wanted the style of view B I am a short-ass and hate it when things drown me. I can definitely see myself making this skirt in views A and C too, and B again, and in a multitude of fabrics, prints and block colours. Yay!

This skirt is a dream to make, with lovely clear instructions, and has definitely been my most pleasurable make so far. I don't think I had any wobbles, and it all came together pretty quickly (for me, that is - I'm slow!).

It gave me so much confidence from the beginning that I even decided to attempt what is now my favourite part of this skirt - the mustard-yellow corduroy piping round the pockets! Isn't it cute? It matches the buttons too (John Lewis), which is cool. I really love mustard yellow at the moment, and happily it goes with a lot of tops that I have! Yay again. I bought the corduroy bias binding from MacCulloch & Wallis (they have an amazing selection!) and the piping cord from them too. It was my first time doing piping and it was actually so easy. I have to say I'm pretty proud of how awesome it looks. It was so nice to feel proud of something after some projects have really dented my self-confidence!

A close-up of that lovely piping. Dreamy.

I totally forgot to keep track of how much some of the trimmings and stuff cost for this project but all in all I think it must be pretty low, cost-wise! The pattern was borrowed from a friend (thanks Crafty Minx!), the fabric was around £4.50 and the zip, piping cord and bias binding can't have been more than £5 altogether. Gotta love an under-£10 make.

In other news, you may remember my Colette Peony post-completion pocket conundrum. Ha, that's a good sentence. Anyways, after a few wears I decided the pockets really were annoying the
bejeezus out of me, so I lopped them off. And I'm a lot happier! It gives a much smoother silhouette to my upper thigh area, where, let's face it, there's enough going on already.

And finally, check out the beautiful necklace Josh (partner-in-crime and patient and talented photographer of me for this blog) brought back for me from a recent trip to New York! Isn't it every sewist's dream?

I'm so happy it's Easter. Not because of the chocolate, no (although that helps), but because of several quiet days to get lots of sewing in! (For non-UK readers, Good Friday and Easter Monday are bank holidays so no work! Whoopee. Is that the case in any other countries?). I'm finishing up my Megan Nielsen Darling Ranges dress, and then I want to get on with a Grainline Scout tee which I recently bought the pattern for. It seems like a nice quick one and a good make.

What are you guys working on at the moment?

Happy Easter!

Jen x