Summer Clothes

Summer always brings out dress making thoughts. Floaty tunics, strappy dresses, bare legs in the sun.  All wonderful apart from the wettest June in the UK for 100 years.  I am trying to stay optimistic.  Make 1 was a vintage 1970s pattern that I have had stashed away for years, Mccalls 4473, tunic/dress in a size 12- vintage 12 is just right for me- in todays sizes I am a small 10 or sometimes an 8, shows howbody shapes have changed over the years.

 The fabric is Liberty lawn from their seasonal Art range.  This print is desgined by Grayson Perry and called Phillipa after his wife.  I am a big Grayson Perry fan, his pots combine subversion  and tradition and his recent tapestries on class ( i beg you to click and look at the imagery) have been stunning to see develop.

These photos are slightly low resolution, I was playing with self timer apps on my ipad and this was a free one- until I realised it was worth spending £0.69 to get a better quality pic- I opted for Self Timer which was a big improvement on these pics.  The tunic is similar to the Tova  top but the shaping is created with pleats which are sewn down like tucks.

See that glimpse of blue sky?  That was on Monday, hasn't been seen since!

 I added a couple of rouleau loops and vintage buttons otherwise my ribby chest would be out for all to see!  I found the next dress in a box of fabric at the car boot sale last weekend. It is a homemade delight and its generous seam allowances gave me a chance to make it a comfortable fit rather than a snug non eating one!

It gathers under the bust with a tantalising but unnecessary slit feature which is quite fun.  It reminds me of a lot of pics from my childhood and makes me very happy.  A great find.

And lastly the Theresa dress from Burda patterns.  A great pattern with a twirly pocketed skirt.  I wore this at the Fat Quarterly retreat and it was comfortable to stay in all day long

Liberty Grayson Perry again, a design called Cissy, a mix of dollies, hand grenades, prams and guns- love it!  Come back summer, I want to wear my dresses!

Ginger

My wardrobe is looking a little sad, things that don't fit, I don't like or just tend to hide me when I wear them so I have been making skirts.  The Cynthia Rowley skirt is great to wear- it's all about the pockets and the fullness.  Next I fancied a Colette pattern. 

I have been intrigued by Colette.  I love the details and the styling.  The new book has been requested for Christmas.  The patterns are more expensive than a Simplcity or McCalls- although they aren't cheap in the UK.  But you do get a bit more for your buck.  The pattern instructions are in booklet form with stitches down the spine- nice touch- and the pattern pieces at the back.

The pages are thick with very clear diagrams and online links for tricky bits- very good invisible zip tutorial here.   The pages are a pleasure to touch- unlike the usual oversized folded crappy instruction leaflet.   The pattern pieces are still on the tissue stuff that everyone hates but I traced them onto thicker paper so I can reuse them.  Ultimately this pattern excels on fit.

It looks like a simple A line but there are a few shaping details that made it hug all round.  The back and front seams are not straight, they tilt inwards at all the right places to give a snug, smooth fit.

I used some light stretch denim, cheapo stuff from local fabric shop and a bit of Liberty bias binding for the flat waist binding trim- instructions for adding this are on the Colette site.

I adapted the waist band shaping to a smoother curve than the pattern.  I like the way it looks but when I am sitting I realise my trunk is not that long and it cuts into my diaphragm- next time a shorter waistband.  I lengthened the skirt considerably too- I am very cautious on length.  Looking at that pic, it would look better shorter and perhaps if I'd spent a bit more time ironing it too.   You can't see the hem- blind hem on my new machine, worked like a dream.  That is the first time I have had a machine where the blind hem was successful!

I won't pretend the sipper was plain sailing.  I put it perfectly first time on one side and then the wrong way round on the other side.  It needed another go and then there is a tendency to stick around the facing and binding area.   A bit of gentle stretching (read pulling and close to tears)  some silicon on the zipper and some hand stitching to get the facing out of the way on the inside- now it works.  It is a beautiful pattern for a beginner.  I made a test waist band before I embarked on the whole thing to check the sizing.  I always get in a state about sizing... even after making my test band I can't trust myself or the tape measure, first too big, then too small.  This is a fit with no room for cake, even with 

the stretch.

I would've liked pockets but this fabric isn't up to it.  It is probably a work skirt rather than an everyday sling it on and let the dog and kitties sleep on me,  but a very pleasurable project non the less.  

And now I return to Christmas sewing...