Chasing butterflies

My very first attempt at PJs as part of the Pyjama Party sewalong over at Did You Make That!

The fabric I found at the rag market in Brum priced at a bargain £1.50 a metre is a supersoft cotton jersey.

Mini loved the butterflies...

This was only my second time sewing with jersey. This time, instead of using the stretch stitch on my machine, I decided to just use normal straight stitching but with jersey needles. I played around with the tension and the stitch length and made sure I stretched the fabric as I was sewing and it turned out fine - much better than the stretch stitch on my first jersey top.

I didn't use the Tofino pattern recommended by Karen. It looks great but I didn't get my arse in gear in time so I opted to draft my own pattern for the bottoms using an old pair of PJs and following an online tutorial at noodlehead. I really wanted to do the shirring at the back but my machine and the jersey had a major fall out so in the end, I used normal 1.5" wide elastic and followed this tutorial. Oh and I French seamed the life out of the whole thing to make it look and feel nice on the inside.

For the top, I used the Burdastyle Lydia T shirt pattern again. I really like it, it's a good fit  and very easy to assemble. As before I didn't use facings but put a  binding around the neck. And French seamed the entire top as well - the jersey was definitely thin enough to accommodate it without being too bulky.

So there it is, my first PJ mission complete and, as my friend Katie pointed out, my first pair of trousers! I know they're not go-out-in-the-street trousers, but still!

I'm excited to see what others have made. Hop over to Karen's blog tomorrow morning to find out... Did you make any?!

I'm featured!

Wow, I can't believe my finished Robe Sureau got featured on the paunnet blog! Anna, who has a really amazing blog about her sewing escapades and reviews has chosen me as one of four non-French speaking participants of the Deer and Doe Robe Sureau sewalong whose dresses are showcased on her blog. (The four best French participants' Sureaus are featured on Eleonore's blog)

I love Anna's blog, her creations are so beautiful and always look impeccable and so chic. She is a "proper seamstress" in my eyes so for her to think my dress is even ok is something  I'd be over the moon about let alone good enough to put on her blog for hundreds of her readers to see.

Anyway, you can read the post here and see who else she picked to feature.

I've really enjoyed taking part in the sewalong; it's given me more confidence in dressmaking, I've learned new skills and techniques but you know the best part? It feels really nice to be part of a sewing community, even online. I don't really know anyone in real life who sews much and even the girls in my sewing class, although absolutely lovely, are not really what I would call friends (ie we don't socialise together outside of the class or discuss anything much other than what we're working on for the class...). But I really feel like I've made some new bloggy friends through the sewalong - there has been much encouragement and merriment along the way and I've discovered a whole load of new blogs to get addicted to! So thank you to Anna and Eleonore for this wonderful idea and thanks to one and all who participated - it's been emotional.

Butterbeer is RANK! ... But my Robe Sureau is not!

Really sickly sweet and not very nice!

So I got to go to the Harry Potter studio tour for my birthday - it was great fun and as it was a special day, I wore my Sureau for the first time. I love it! It's so comfy to wear and looks really good.

I'm holding Lord Voldemort's wand in that photo above! The dress certainly wasn't without its trials; I decided I wanted pockets and so set about using the instructions from another pattern I have (Simplicity 2215). Except that I've never used an invisible zip before. Or put in pockets. The right pocket was fine and has turned out lovely:

But the left pocket, which sits in front of the side zip, was a complete and utter nightmare to do. I don't know how many times I had to rip out the seams and start again, about five I think! It seemed to go ok when I made the toile but I suppose I wasn't being particularly neat then. When I eventually got the hang of it (well, sort of) I realised that the raw edges of the pocket were showing at the side, doh!

So, more seam ripping. I eventually got it so that I was reasonably happy with the look of the finished pocket. The different coloured pockets are on purpose, before you say anything. The invisible zip isn't entirely invisible by the way!

Bit of a blurry photo!

I love the dress and the pattern was so easy to follow despite being in French. Thanks to Eleonore and Anna, I got lots of tips from the sew-along and managed to make a lovely dress that I'm sure I'll wear time and time again. I may change a couple of things for next time though - perhaps putting the zip in the back rather than the front if I make pockets again and also I might make the skirt part not as full. Oh, and I found these really cute button to go on the bodice - apologies for the blurry photo again.

Here are a few highlights from the studio:

And I couldn't resist taking this next photo of Delores Umbridge's pink dresses, after all this is now a sewing blog...Future projects maybe??!

Sorbetto top

Yes, I realise I've jumped on the Sorbetto bandwagon about two years after everyone else but better late than never, right?

I made it about two weeks ago but despite wearing it  a couple of times already, I just haven't had the chance to get it photographed. It was a dream to sew up: really easy to follow, no size adjustments needed and really quick (well, it took me between 4 and 5 hours one afternoon, which for me as a beginner is brilliant). It's the most "finished" garment I've made to date - I took my time and made sure I finished every seam and worked as neatly as I possibly could. The exposed bias binding was really easy to put on too. I'm so, so pleased with myself!

This weekend, I've been working on my Robe Sureau. I've almost completed it but it still needs a bit of work so only work in progress photos for now I'm afraid.

Cutting out - note the use of my really high tech pattern weights

Constructing the bodice

There will be more photos (and horror stories) once the dress is finished. Hope you all had as lovely a weekend as me. A bientot...

Sureau sewalong: finished toile

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again...

So I took Eleonore's advice and cut a size smaller for the bodice. And I stuck to the 1.5cm seam allowance this time as I realised that for the first toile, I sewed with a seam allowance of probably 1cm which must have added to the gaping neckline, oops!

I really want to put pockets into the finished dress and thought I'd better practice on the toile. So I used the instructions for the Cynthia Rowley/Simplicity 2215 pattern which were actually pretty straightforward.

Except that I sewed the pocket shut. Twice. But I got there in the end. And I was very pleasantly surprised at how easily the invisible zip went in. I was dreading that bit after all the horror stories I've read on t'interweb while doing research. The only thing I need to do for the real Sureau is to make sure I sew nearer to the teeth (I was naughty and just used the normal foot for the toile instead of the zip foot as I was too lazy to change it).

The first fitting, sans zip and sleeves. But doesn't the fit look so much better? No gaping neckline, no massive chest area... Oh, you have to excuse my socks - it was cold today!

And here's a photo with sleeve and zip (if you look closely, you can see the bit under the zip where I didn't bother to sew the side up!) I need to cut the sleeve one size smaller too I think.

I'm so happy with this! I can't wait to start the real thing but I think I might wait just a little while longer just so I can get extra tips from both Anna and Eleonore about fitting and especially about lining. I'm thinking of lining the skirt part. Things that I need to make sure I do for the real Sureau are:

• Finish seams
• Make gathers as symmetrical as possible
• Make zip as invisible as possible
• Take my time so that I have a beautiful, unrushed, lasting dress at the end of it all

Sureau sewalong: toile top

The sewalong doesn't start till tomorrow but I just couldn't wait. I found an old cotton sheet to use as the toile so I cut out the pieces for the top last night before going out for dinner for a friend's birthday. Kolkata Lounge, the best curry in Stirchley, yum!

The top was surprisingly easy to put together. I hadn't really been looking forward to the gathers but it was fine. Not quite symmetrical but I think any irregularities will inevitably show up a lot more on a thin, cream cotton than (hopefully) on my dark brown fabric.

I quickly tried it on and realised that the neckline gapes. A lot. Excuse the fit on the photo below - I hastily pinned it together so it looks me look really huge!

If I pull the shoulders back, it sits a bit better...

But then the back gapes!

I am SO glad I took on board what Anna said about making a toile for the Sureau. I would have been gutted if I'd cut into my "fashion fabric" (picking up the lingo now!) and run into these problems. I'll just have to sit tight and wait till the sewalong kicks off so I can get Anna and Eleonore's advice about what to do. If anyone else out there has any suggestions, please do share! Even with the hiccoughs, I'm pretty pleased with my progress and am looking forward to carrying on.

WIP

This week, I've intermittently been working on my long sleeved T shirt based on the Lydia pattern from Burdastyle

Pieces laid out for sewing together. Mini wanted her feather in the photo.

Instead of facings at the neck like the pattern suggests, I put my quilting skills to use and did a binding - credit for the idea goes to the swingy summer tank top tutorial at Prudent Baby (yes I know it's a kiddie's top but the principle are the same!) There are some slight puckers but I'm hoping it won't be too noticeable when worn.

The finished product will be on here soon! This weekend, I'm planning on finishing this, laying out my pattern pieces for the Cynthia Rowley skirt that I'm making for my sewing class and maybe cutting out the pieces for my muslin (or toile as my sewing teacher says, which is what I'm going to call it from now on) for the Sureau sewalong. Yes, Anna, I did take your advice below - thank you!

Fabric shopping

So I finally went to Barry's Fabrics today to get something with which to make my Sureau. I loved it! So much fabric all under one roof. Although, I was a little bit baffled as I'm sure someone said to me that it was a three-storey shop when actually it's just one that's packed to the rafters. I must be going deaf(er) in my old age. I had to stop myself buying loads of material, especially when I saw some tartan brushed cotton - perfect for pyjamas. ("No, Sabs, don't start too many projects all at once, you'll never finish anything"). Oh, and how's this for coincidence? I bumped into Kelly from bakedo&mend who is also doing the sewalong!

Here's what I came away with:

Green jersey for perhaps a T-shirt and/or some knickers. I saw a lovely pair over on Roobedoo's blog and that made me think about attempting my own. Plus some navy something-or-other with an ever-so-slight stretch (it's slippery and drapey, feels lovely but is fairly heavy too) which I thought might be good for a Kelly skirt (the pattern is on my Xmas list - fingers crossed!)

Both of these were £1 a metre!!

Unfortunately the photograph above just doesn't do the colours justice. The green is a teal/dark turqoise and the blue is dark navy with an almost crossweavey pattern.

And here's what I chose for the Sureau:

 With a close up of the print itself:

It's a dark brown, printed cotton with a vintage feel. You can't see that well but the flowers are coral and dark yellow. I wanted more orangey tones but couldn't find anything that matched the picture in my head. This came the closest really. But it's autumn/wintery enough and I think (hope) it'll look good with woolly tights, brown boots and maybe a mustard or coral cardi.

All three fabrics have already been washed (as soon as I got in the door!) and are now drying.

I also splurged out a bit more and ordered some organic cotton dyed with natural herbs from Organic Cotton. There's a lot of thoughtful stuff there which makes choosing harder, but I finally chose kassam olive and pomegranite. I can't wait to see what they look like in real life.

So is it too early to cut out my pieces for the sew-along when the fabric's dry tomorrow...?

Mon patron est arrivé!

I promise I won't I'll try not to keep writing phrases in French throughout the sew-along, as tempting as it is.

I couldn't wait for the sew-along to start cutting. (And I was far too lazy to go and get tracing paper so I just cut out the pattern direct)

Must iron.

If you look really closely at piece number 7 (top right) you might be able to see claw holes, courtesy of Merky. Thanks for helping, mate!

I went for a run - it was the archetypal autumn day: sunny, crisp and COLD. I stopped in Highbury Park to get a couple of photos of the gorgeous colours and thought that I would like these sorts of colours for my Sureau. Maybe a bit more brown though.

Autumn is definitely my favourite season for colour. There will have to be a trip to Barry's fabrics this weekend to search for the perfect fabric that matches the perfect colour in my head. Hope I'm not disappointed...

Je suis fou, ma parole!

Um, I'm joining the Sureau dress sew along with Anna over at paunnet. I've just ordered the pattern...it's in French...I know basic French....and no French tailoring/sewing terms....

But I love the look of these dresses so much, I couldn't resist. Anna says on her blog that she'll talk through all the difficult bits in English so I'm hoping I'll be able to follow along. I'm a bit scared though!

I need to go fabric shopping once the pattern is here. I want an autumnal look, similar to Anna's dress I think, but with more orangey tones. I've definitely caught the bug now!