The Maker's Atelier Pleated Skirt in Linen

I've had some beautiful linen bought a few years ago from fabrics-store.com and when I saw the pleated skirt in The Maker's Atelier magazine Autumn/Winter 18 I thought a linen version would make a good seasonal transition skirt.

One of the best features of the magazine is this layout which features The Maker's Atelier patterns old and new, all in Autumnal evening/occasion fabrics, including the pleated skirt shown in velvet.  There's another double spread in more everyday fabrics, they are both beautiful pattern showcase, very tempting!

Back to the skirt... it's a simple construction inspired by France Tobin's visit to the recent Frida Kahlo exhibition at the V&A.  There are three pieces: the front and back are identical and include the pockets, plus a waistband.

I lengthened my version as midi is not a length I wear and I added an hem panel which is one of the pattern variations.  I think I lengthened it a little too much for practical walking as it's a little restrictive so I may remove this.

The most interesting feature is how the pocket is formed as the waistband fastens.  I opted for some press studs but you can use a clip or button/buttonhole depending on fabric thickness.  This fastening repeats on each side.  My waistband is sitting relatively low - I have a recent scar on my high waist from a recent operation.  The waistband is very easy to fit and adjust.

You can find the pattern in the Autumn/Winter 18 magazine.  Note there was a printing error on the waistband and amendments are on the website (minor, the original waistband was too long and needs shortening). 

Two Tops: Yes and No

 A tale of two t-shirts, one worked, the other did not.  I used a drapey narrow striped viscose (used here on a Sew Over It Molly top) for both.  On the surface their line drawings didn't look so different, but it was a lesson in which style lines and silhouettes that suit me, something that I'm still learning and I know it's the same for many of you who sew your own clothes.

On the left is The Oversized T-Shirt from Frances Tobin's The Maker's Atelier: Essential Collection Book, reviewed here.  On the right is the top 4, the Epaulette top from She Wears the Pants by Yuko Takada, reviewed here.  I've made the second top twice and I know it is a silhouette that works for me: wide boat neck, flared sleeves and an A-line gently flared body.  I've worn both my previous versions of this top many times, especially in the sort of dull summer weather that we can get a lot of in the UK!  I started with the Oversized Tee, I wanted something slouchy and relaxed.  It sewed up quickly as there are only four pieces and the neck line is turned over rather than a band, the instructions are very straightforward.  But it did nothing for me...

It just looked oversized, rather than drapey. There's a lot of volume on the upper part of this top, across the shoulders and upper bust which is probably the smallest part of me.  When I looked again at the line drawing, I could see the slight carrot shape as the side seams narrow towards the hem.  For someone with wider shoulders and maybe a bigger bust, I can imagine it working well but I knew it didn't suit me so I got my scissors out and cut the front and back for the sleeves of the second top and the arms for the neckline facing and got sewing on top two.

Ahh, that's better.  I've already worn this top several times.  I love the floaty hems and the more fitted top.  A lesson in knowing what suits you.  

Jerseyprene Raw Edge Coat: The Maker's Atelier

 I recently reviewed Frances Tobin's Essential Collection book which is packed full of classic wardrobe staples with a modern twist and I've been itching to make something from it so I temporarily abandoned my #2017makenine as it's been progressing nicely and chose the raw edge coat as I though it would be a handy garment for Spring weather. Very different to what I usually sew and a quick project too.  Here it is on its first outing in a local park last weekend.

As with all the patterns in the book, there are fabric different options sewn up and photographed in The Essential Collection.  This is not my usual shape so I wanted to try it out with something relatively inexpensive so I chose a cotton feel neoprene which is a soft, double sided fabric with contrasting greys on each side and a spongy, springy feel.  It's comparable to a thick scuba or a very soft neoprene. The Textile Centre has a few options for this- colours, textures- and the quality is v good at a low price. I haven't sewn with fabric like this before- here are a few steps I took:

• Cut out flat, chalk outline around pattern on reverse of fabric
• Used rotary cutter to cut out as clean edges are important- raw edge seams are a feature and the edges of the coat are unhemmed
• Sz 90 Ballpoint or Universal needle.  I used both and both worked
• Walking foot.  This is bulky fabric, I used my Janome and the Acufeed foot.
• Low foot pressure.  I used 3 out of 7 (7 is highest pressure)
• Long stitch length. 2.7mm for seams, 2.8 for top stitching
• No pressing needed
• Consider the reverse of your fabric as with this style option there reverse side is a feature e.g. the lapel, and will show.  There are instructions for a lined coat with a more conventional double layer lapel
• Many edges are raw. I changed this for the top of the pocket as I thought this might get a little bashed about so I used a jersey binding using this viscose binding from Eternal Maker.  although the light grey is sold out I think. 

Pattern details:

• The coat sizing is one of the mixed-size patterns in the book that span two sizes. I used size 1/2 which is size 32-34" bust.  I am 33" Bust, 27 1/2" waist, 36" hip.
• The pattern pieces are for a jacket and there are easy instructions to lengthen those pieces for a coat 

Alterations

These are relatively easy to do if you are sizing down as the construction is simple.  As the seams are visible on the outside and are trimmed down to 3mm, plus seams are hard to unpick as the stitches sink into fabric increasing size would be tricky.   I found the sizing generous and although it is an oversized garment. These are the reductions I made:  

•  From the side seams, underarms to waist- tapered in by ¾" at waist
• From hips to hem- tapered in bt 1 ½" at the hem
• Armscye- this seam is on the inside.  removed ⅜" around the seam tapering to join original seam line at underarm.
• Sleeve- it's a two part sleeve and I found it especially big at the back so I reduced that seam by ⅜" tapering into the armscye
• The sleeves were long so I folded them back- the contrast of the reverse fabric ties in with the lapels 

Frances recommends using sewn-in large press studs as fasteners on neoprene rather than buttons/buttonholes as they tend to stretch out of shape.  They need careful sewing as the stitching is visible and the press studs are a feature as well as a practicality.  I follow @sewbrooke on Instagram  She is a freelance seamstress and costumer so a highly skilled maker and she's chatty and helpful too.  One of her top tips on a post a while ago was a clever way to secure your thread on fabrics when you want to avoid a knot:

  Use a double thread but instead of threading the loop through the eye, instead thread the ends through the needle eye and have the loop at the end of the doubled thread - do not tie a knot! Push your needle through the fabric to create a small stitch but do not pull the end loop through; instead pass the needle through the loop and gently pull.  Your thread is now attached.  You can then sew your snap or button. Once sewn on you will cut the thread so you cannot repeat the same technique with the same thread so I used 18" length of thread to sew on each part of the snap.

 A nice effect of this fabric was the dimples the fabric makes under the tension of the hand stitches. 

It's a soft and easy wear.  I did feel a little self conscious going out in what seems like quite a grown up style but it's so comfortable and easy to wear I've found myself putting it on for all my dog walking this week as the weather is dry but a little breezy.  Hmm, sounds like a great transitional piece for Spring as the fashionistas say.  I did add a new wooden badge pin,  Maker from Grace's beautiful Beyond Measure shop.  I've been destashing lots of things recently so this was a little treat.  Made by Arrow Mountain, See the full range of motifs here.   I've more planned from France's book...

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The Maker's Atelier Book: The Essential Collection by Frances Tobin, Review

Frances Tobin from The Maker's Atelier has written a dressmaking book and she kindly offered me a copy to review.  I'd seen the sneaky glimpses inside on her Instagram feed, I like how she's developed her luxe, sportswear style within the busy indie sewing pattern market and so I jumped at the chance. 

I like to approach dressmaking books primarily as a sewist so first and foremost, I want to know the practicalities of a pattern based book.  Is it easy to use?  What patterns are inside?  What sort of detail does the author go into?

Format
The book has a soft cover and is held together with a firm folding magnetic strip which also acts as the book spine: the whole thing opens out like a folder with the book on one side and the patternson the other.  The pattern section  is about ½" in depth and the string-tied closure/card envelope matches Frances' Maker's Atelier dressmaking patterns.  The best thing is that both sides, the text and the patterns, open out.  For the book section in particular, I love this feature, any page will lie completely flat, I wish every sewing book did this!

When I first saw this feature, I thought Frances might have self published the book.  It looked like the sort of styling and practical layout that an experienced dress designer would want, but also something that a publishing house would shy away from as too costly or difficult to manufacture.  All credit to Quadrille, this book clearly follows Frances' vision and The Maker's Atelier Aesthetic throughout.

Patterns

There are eight designs in total: a stretch pencil skirt, drape-front top, cigarette pants, tie-neck blouse, a book bag, raw edge coat, wrap skirt and an over-sized T-shirt.   It's a capsule wardrobe concept with interchangeable separates (three tops, three bottoms), an accessory and an outerwear garment.  You can see a version of each pattern in the picture below and more variations are included in the book, including lengthening/shortening,  new construction elements, different finishes and alternative fabric choices.  The tops tend to have a relaxed fit and the bottoms are closer fitting.  There's also a mix of woven and knits.  Some garments are designed specifically for knits - the stretch pencil skirt for example, whereas others can be made from either, like the drape-front top.  There's a lot of information about more unusual fabrics you may not have used before including thicker, less pliable fabrics like leather, suede, felted fabrics; unusual fabrics like neoprene, stretch PVC, sparkling sequins and coated technical jersey, and luxurious fabrics like scarf silk and satin crepe.  The shapes are simple and there are some notable details from France's experience and knowledge working in the fashion industry.  Above all, she likes to let the fabrics do the work.

There are six, double-sided printed pattern sheets.  Some are for a single garment, like the over-sized t -shirt, others have two garments spread across the two sides. They are clearly labelled and the separate size lines are easy to see so although you need to trace, the task is not too onerous.  

Details

There's lots of information in this book.  There are two sizing systems- one for the more fitted garments (eight sizes) and another for the looser styles (four sizes which straddle the eight sizes) and finished garment measurements for all styles.  For each pattern, the same format repeats: how the style came about, a technical description of the garment, sizing, fabric quantities, layout/cutting, step-by-step instructions with diagrams, how it can be worn and then suggestions for hacks/variations with more instructions and diagrams.  There's no skimping, with lots of detail and information, especially in the variations, and the diagrams and photos are well spaced so it never feels busy.  The size range is from 32" - 46" bust.

The book's colour palette is a warm mix of caramel tones, neutrals and metallics that are a familiar feature of The Maker's Atelier brand.  Frances is based in Brighton and sources many fabrics from Dïtto fabrics, well-known for it's designer, quality fabrics.   She lists many of her other favourite shops in the back of the book.   It's a stylish, classy, clean-cut aesthetic.  

 Here's a close up of some of the garment styles:

The bag is a simple accessory and although the construction is very basic (no pattern needed, measurements given for various sizes) there are handy tips for using leather, adding a lining and making a fold-away shopper. 

It's a beautiful book, easy to use and a pleasure to look through.  I especially like France's use of metallics - as I go into my later 40s, I appreciate metallics more and more!  It's a grown-up book, the styles could form part of a work wardrobe, day or evening wear depending on your  personal style.  I favour the more casual garments as they suit my lifestyle.  The skirt silhouettes aren't my usual shape - I like more swish - although I do like the asymmetry of the wrap style.  I'll be making the oversized T-shirt first with some draped striped jersey.  Do note that seam allowances are usually  ⅜"/1cm.  Only one pattern is an existing Maker's Atelier pattern (the stretch pencil skirt) so the book offers good value, especially compared to individual patterns.  There's plenty of guidance: the fabric details and advice in particular make it much easier to recreate a garment as it appears in the book.  The shapes are simple enough to appeal to beginners, and the more advanced fabric options appeal to the more experienced dressmaker.   Frances is a straight talker and writes well, there's lots of advice and tips throughout and she keep styles and construction as simple as possible- less is more!   The photography deserves a special mention, credits to Amelia Shepherd and Katya De Grunwald. 

You can find The Essential Collection via Quadrille and The Maker's Atelier as well as the usual online and bricks and as ever my own.
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The Maker's Atelier Drawstring Dress and a nifty jersey hemming technique

Following my Maker's Atelier Drawstring top which was a bit of an experiment in style and aesthetic , I went on to make the dress version.  I had a rare invitation for an evening out, the sort of thing which involves a small bar and dance floor.   My usual vintage style cotton dresses don't really cut the mustard for this sort of sartorial occasion and mild panic usual sets in when I realise that I should really get my legs out and stick a pair of kitten heels on.

 I had some  gorgeous slinky bamboo jersey bought locally which had amazing drape qualities plus a suitable belt bought from a charity shop so I thought this dress option would be the ticket.  As with the top,  stylewise it is outside of my comfort zone.  I usually wear A line skirts and avoid belts but sometimes you need to push your soft edges and try something different and I am happy with how this turned out.  It has a grown up elegance which is a hard look for me to achieve- I'm usually more free flowing and bohemian.

The dress pattern is an extended version of the drawstring top but as this fabric was a little thicker than the viscose jersey I used before, I wanted to reduce some of the fullness at the front (the back piece is flat.  Frances includes hacks and adaptation posts on the Journal section of the website so I  used this post, traced the top section only and took a wedge out of the centre front and then joined it onto the traced lower section of the dress, squaring off the bottom edge on the top whilst I did so.  Another change I made was to omit the buttonhole for the drawstring and just have a casing for the neck elastic.

I sewed this on my vintage Bernina 830 record using a walking foot.  The fabric has a little lycra content and is bouncy and resistant to sew with a  standard foot.  The manual comes with an excellent section on stretch stitches and although the machine dates back to 1974, it would be hard to improve upon it today.   Frances suggests a deep hem  for this dress and my first attempt at this was a little puckered: the width of the hem being turned up is narrower than the dress above so it needs to be eased in which lead to bit of a mess that did not improve with pressing.  I consulted my Bernina manual and found a solution...

  

I left the original hem stitching in place and hand basted the lower edge about ½" from the edge.  I then stitched with a slightly longer stitch and with a top thread (green in the picture below) which is held in gentle tension whilst the zig-zag sews over the top of it.  I had to be careful to lift the fabric so it didn't stretch whilst holding the thread.  When the zig-zag is complete, the hem is pressed with a damp cloth and the top thread is pulled out.  It was a great technique!  I then carefully unpicked the original hem, trimmed the excess fabric on the wrong side and pressed again with a damp cloth.

I cut a size 8 with front modification (as detailed above) and used 2.5m of 150cm wide fabric.  Raystitch sell a similar Bamboo/lycra mix.

I think this will get most wear in the summer with flat Saltwater sandals and a hint of a tan (wishful thinking).  It also looks good for holidays, easy roll-up packing!

The Maker's Atelier Drawstring Top: Review

I came across Frances Tobin's online shop, The Maker's Atelier early last year and I found out more about her designs and aesthetic for my column in Sewing World about 'kits'- she sells high quality, luxury making kits as an option for her patterns.  She kindly offered me a pattern of my choice to review and I opted for the Drawstring Top/Dress.  Her modern aesthetic is quite different from mine, and I was curious if it would suit me.  Her patterns are about simple shapes and the best quality fabrics.  

   

There is a luxe, sophisticated feel to Frances' designs.  Her background is impeccable: she's worked as a design and colour consultant for companies like Gucci, Acardia and French Connection.  I was intrigued to see how she brought that experience to her pattern range.  Each pattern comes as a package in a card envelope with string tie; a small drawstring bag with a tape measure is included too.  

The pattern  pieces are on strong transparent paper and measuring guidelines, a hints and tips card and a woven label is included with each pattern.  

It is a clever design.   There are only two pattern pieces, the fullness is concentrated in the front piece with the back neck lying flat and the front holding the gathers from the drawstring.  Finding the right fabric is essential.  I had some thin and very draped viscose jersey which was perfect for a tester version.  I followed the bust measurement and cut a size 8 with no alterations.    The drawstring was some waxed cotton cord that I had in my sewing box.

The instructions are detailed but the sewing is easy.  This was sewn on my Bernina using a very small zig-zag stitch.  The seams are unserged (knit fabrics won't unravel) and are pressed open.  The top is designed for either knit or woven fabrics and there is a separate instruction for  woven fabrics to finish the neck line with bias binding. 

You can see in the pictures why there is a need for great drape in the fabric choice.  Frances has shows versions of the same top sewn in woven cotton, linen and crinkly silk as well as a design variations that that change the sleeves, add a drawstring at the waist and another which reduces fullness and sleeves for an even simpler top.  

Although construction is straightforward there are some nice tips for a neat finish including finishing the sleeves and neck where the elastic channels are so that it feeds through cleanly.

You can see the flatter line across the back and the shoulders.  This pic reminds me of my mother's adage about elbows showing your true age!

Notes and tips

• Fabric quantity details are accurate.
• Measurements are in metric.  I used my metal slider seam gauge.
• Seam allowances are 1cm (⅜") unless stated.  This isn't written on the pattern or the instructions but instead on the 'Hints and Tips' sheet
• A pressing ham and/or a sleeve roll make pressing seams open a lot easier than using an ironing board.
• There's a note about pockets on the fabric guidelines which I think must be a typo- there's no pockets in this pattern!

I found this top a bit of a surprise make for me.  It has an elegance and simplicity that I usually find hard to achieve with clothes.   It's a more classic, grown-up style than my usual vintage inspired 70s silhouette but I think I can get it to work with my extensive selection of A line skirts.   This top is worn with my Fumeterre charcoal chambray skirt.   I am currently sewing up the dress version in a bamboo lycra so although there's no denying it is an expensive pattern, I've already used it twice and I imagine I will continue to make variations on the top and the dress.   The dress has great potential for the summer- I'll show more once finished and photographed.   My next thought is the wide leg trousers...