Miss Bossy finally speaks

Way back in March, the lovely girls at The Monthly Stitch came up with the Miss Bossy challenge. What a great idea. Post three patterns with accompanying fabric up on your blog and get readers to vote on which you should make. Here's the results of my poll.

Vogue 8728	17 (27%)
By Hand London Elisalex	17 (27%)
Gather The Mortmain	27 (44%)

Mm, something makes me think Gather The Mortmain won! Miss Bossy has spoken...

I muslined the bodice first. Good job I did.

The darts on the right of this pic are the darts as per the pattern, those
on the left are approximately where I decided to stitch the darts. As usual, the pattern had them far too high and also slightly to the outside. The bodice was also short, so that was lengthened by half an inch.

I went with the sleeved version. Very few of the sleeved version have been made, most of those out there are the sleeveless version. It's coming up to winter here in NZ and I wanted something bright and cheerful to wear for winter.

The great thing about this dress is the waistband, not that you can really see it with this fabric; but the waistband adds great definition to this dress. The skirt is pleated onto the waistband, which is always a big win with me, I much prefer pleated skirts to gathers.

The sleeves have a cute little opening, but either I transferred the position incorrectly or they are just placed slightly in a strange place. They ended up practically on the inside of my arm.

They are a really nice touch though, corded elastic is used as a button loop and this works well, giving the sleeve the stretch it needs when moving your arm about. The slight gripe is that they don't lay particularly flat, this could be the placing of the opening or my placing of the elastic/buttons.

I had fabric spare and so inserted an inseam pocket in each side seam. Well a girl needs pockets, even in a dress :-)

Oh and I nearly forgot la piece de la resistance...

Oh yes, we have an exposed zip! This is the first time I've inserted an exposed zip and the instructions from the ladies at Gather were fantastic. They were so clear and easy to follow. The zip is stitched close to the teeth first, then again down the edge of the tape once the seam allowance has been trimmed.

I used a new double-sided zipper foot from one of my good friends in the WSBN, me like, thanks Sandra. As you can probably see in the image above, I took in more than 5/8" on the back. Although the front fitted, as soon as I put the zip in the back, it seemed enormous. I think I ended up taking 1.25"!

I am happy though and the fit is now great.

The inside seams are all finished using pinking shears. One thing I did in addition was to stitch a duplicate waistband to the inside. I felt the seams top and bottom of the waistband weren't tidy and needed to finish them more neatly. It certainly looks better on the inside.

The sleeve armholes aren't perfect on the back. They seem to be cut in too far on the armscye on the back bodice. I've definitely cut this to the pattern, so this is possibly something which needs looking at.

And so the details...

Fabric: Stretch cotton sateen from the Arthur Toye sale in Wellington, December 2012 (can't remember the cost) Stashbusting!

Notions:   Thread, an exposed zip, two buttons, interfacing for the neck facing and a wee bit of corded elastic for the button loops.

Pattern:  Gather Kits The Mortmain - the one with the cute drawings on the envelope :-)

This pattern has beautiful packaging. Caroline and Sandra at Gather Kits have really taken their time over this. The line drawing on the front is so cute. The tissue is a really nice thick tissue which doesn't tear easily. The instructions are really clear and easy to follow in a booklet. I love it.
First worn:  To frocktails with the WSBN at the beginning of May. These photos taken last Sunday by the lovely Kat up by the National War Memorial in Wellington before going to high tea at Logan Brown with Kat and Mel (well it's hungry work taking photos don't you know)! Worn with some shoes I bought from Marks and Spencer in the UK, not long before we left the country.
Changes made:  Shifted the darts slightly, lengthened the bodice by half inch and lined the waistband.
Another one?  This is a great pattern and I love the shape and fit, so I'm tempted, sorely tempted to make up a sleeveless version. It may happen yet...

At least when someone else takes the photos, you get lots, even outtakes :-)

Autumnal Butterick

Well it's a while since my last post. I've actually been sewing up a storm, the problem is that now autumn is here and we're into daylight savings, I can't seem to find time to get photos. I also seem to have lost my blog-jo. The sew-jo is quite happily going along, but the blogging isn't. I've even got hundreds of unread blog posts in my Feedly roll. So apologies for all those who've missed my comments on their posts.

But here is one make and it's made in time for another TMS challenge - woot, woot! This month the TMS challenge is for knits and yes, that sewer who a year ago shied away from knit fabrics is now happily pushing out knitwear with so much more confidence. I never realised how much quicker knit garments went together. This dress was no different.

 

This is Butterick 5523 and it's a great pattern, perfect for something which you want to throw together quickly.

The fabric is a rust coloured merino bought from what used to be Global Fabrics in Wellington back in 2012, not long after we arrived in NZ.

This pattern is perfect for newbies to knits. The cowl neck means there's no facing to worry about for the neck, just a rectangle folded in half and stitched to the neck of the bodice. The pleated skirt makes the whole dress so much more elegant. These pleats worked like a dream. I had no problem attaching the skirt to the bodice.

I like the way the sleeves are attached at the shoulder with a tiny pleat. It's a really nice finish. I haven't got a photo unfortunately, but it's a nice touch. The sleeve hems are just finished with a double row of stitching using a double needle. I also used this to hem to skirt too.

The waist is stabilised by creating a tube with the seam allowance and threading elastic through. The pattern suggests clear elastic for some reason, I didn't use that, I just used standard elastic. It certainly helps the waist keep it's shape and not sag.

The tab on the back is attached to the dress when you sew the buttons on. This tab was probably the worst part, the fabric stretched a wee bit while I was sewing the layers together. I managed to recover it, but I had visions of it not working at all.

The buttons I got from a sewing shop in Kerikeri when we were away at Easter. Kerikeri is in the far north of NZ and is one of the main centres up there. I managed to convince Mr N to let me have a ten minute look inside :-) Anyway, the buttons are black with a grey pattern on which reminds me of the patterns I used to draw with my Spirograph when I was little!

The details...

Fabric:  Rust coloured merino knit from Global that was (Fabric Store), Wellington, June 2012

Notions:   Thread, elastic, interfacing for the tab and buttons from The Sewing Shop, Kerikeri, Northland.

Pattern:  Butterick 5523, view A
First worn:  To work at the beginning of May, worn here at a WSBN trip up to Levin on 3 May, with boots from Overland. These photos were taken by the lovely Sadie von Scrumptious who wielded my big girls' camera in Mama Gypsy's garden between the showers!
Another one?  This is so easy to make and so easy to wear. It is very tempting to make another version. It's so good when something looks exactly like it does on the pattern envelope! :-)

Loud golf - Mark II

The first pair of loud golf trousers were loved so much at a second pair was soon commissioned!

These were actually made in time for The Monthly Stitch Smarty Pants month of February, but I've been a bit delayed a) photographing them and b) writing up the post.

There isn't really that much to say about these. I used the same pattern as before, Vogue 8719

 

I did however make a change to the "front" pockets. The Vogue pattern has these as in seam pockets. These weren't that successful as golf trousers. A man needs to put golf balls, tees, pitchmark repairers, ball markers, not to mention a handkerchief in his pockets when he's playing golf, consequently the pockets needed a rethink.

Even though I can't get my own trouser muslin to fit...

Oh my god, does my bum really look like that?

... the front slash pockets on the Thurlow pattern are really good. And so I used the same idea for Mr N's second pair.

I cut a triangle from the top side seam of the front pieces

And used this as a template for the remainder of the pocket. The pattern pockets start at waist level, so I made pouch larger and cut this twice, one without the triangle template, and one with.

So the slash pockets were born. These are a complete success. I am really pleased how these have worked. I also made the back pockets slightly deeper with no flap over the top. They needed to be deeper, Mr N's wallet kept falling out... :-)

The topstitching was all done with a green thread, the same colour as the green in the pattern, however, this isn't visible with so much loud pattern!

The details...

Fabric: Stretch cotton sateen from Spotlight, October 2013 (can't remember the cost)

Notions:   Thread, a standard dress zip, one button and interfacing for the waistband (yes I actually used a button and buttonhole on the waistband!)

Pattern:  Vogue 8719
First worn:  For the Holland Cup trials at Karori Golf Club February 2014
Changes made:   Altered the inseam side pockets to be slash pockets and also enlarged the back pockets.
Another one?  Mm, I have a feeling this customer will never be satisfied! More, more! I would like to make some more in sturdier fabric, more as everyday trousers. The slash pockets were a complete success, as were the larger back pockets.

Not many photos on this one and Mr N doesn't look that happy in this photo! I promise you he is happy. I think he was itching to get to the club and having photos taken was delaying him! :-)

Twirly Tanias

These are so twirly, in Wellington I don't need to twirl, I just need to stand on our deck on a normal day and the twirl happens!

The February theme for The Monthly Stitch was smarty pants. Originally I'd thought to make some trousers for me, but after I made the muslin and started trying to get them to fit, I gave up on them as a bad job. Yep, no patience and now really knowing what I was doing, and the enthusiasm kinda waned. So after a little encouragement, the Twirly Tanias were born.

I had the pattern, all I needed to do was find some fabric from the stash. Thanks to Mel and Kat, the problem was so solved! ;-) And then it all started. A triplets photo shoot with Mel and Kat, which quickly morphed into a Tania's trip to the Newtown Fair last Sunday as a meet-up. So in my last post there were four wearing the same. In this post we become five!

Thanks Mel for the photo, taken by the lovely Sandra

Me, Emma, Kat, Mel and Jenna

Initially I thought I might be too old for this pattern, but it was way too cute to ignore! [I know I'm not really that old, but... you know...] I'm glad I didn't. The pattern is so easy to make up, just four pieces which make up in two shakes of a lamb's tail. The centre front and back have a pleat on each leg which completely cover up the seams and ensure the torso section of the culottes fits perfectly. For once my invisible zip went in without a hitch.

Photo from Mel

However, be warned, these are short... I was working with fabric from stash, so could only lengthen these by about 2 inches on top of the XL. I'm glad I did, honestly you don't really need to see much more of my bare legs than this! :-)

The pattern instructions were so easy to follow, but I was surprised it didn't mention anything about letting the hem drop before hemming them. I think these hung for about five days all told, then hemmed them with a narrow hem on the machine. Not that you can really tell if they are straight or not in the Wellington wind!

The wind certainly blew down at the fair, but it didn't stop us eating roti, fudge, candy floss and spending far too much on fripperies - like my collection of earrings?

And having fun taking photos of each other (these three pics all from Mel)...

Mel and I

Emma and Kat - with youngsters peaking

 Kat and Jenna

And in the distance Mel's Fashionable Younger sister joined in having been cajoled into making culottes as well. Just check out these!

Those are short, but she looks great.

And if you're wondering about the necklace, here's a link to her website, Fortune and Blame, with other amazing jewellery which she makes.

The details...

Fabric:  Purple cotton with a linen look from Arthur Toye in Wellington. Not sure when or how much it cost, but it's been in the stash at least a year.

Notions:  Thread, invisible zip and a button from stash.

Pattern:  Megan Nielson Tania Culottes

Changes:  Lengthened the culottes by about 2 inches.
First worn: To the Newtown Fair with the WSBN. I think these will be good in the winter. The fabric although quite light is a perfect colour to go with opaque tights for the winter (as long as the wind doesn't blow too much :-) )

Worn with:  New Look 6598 top (finished at the same time, yet to blog about), sandals from Overland. Like them (and my nail polish?)

Another one?  I'm quite tempted by making a long black pair which I can wear for concerts, but I think I'd have to lose some of the fullness, otherwise they would be very full!

I took some photos when I got home from the fair, unsure of what had been taken there. It was definitely windy on our deck and Mr N had great fun laughing at me...

 Note to self - circle skirts and Wellington winds don't match :-)

Blue Bleuet for Blue February

Yes, I know it's March, but this was made, worn and photographed in February.

A blue Bleuet from Deer and Doe, made for Blue February. How's that for a bit of alliteration? Not bad I thought :-)

Now I love this dress, yes I know I said that about my Daisy Anna and it possibly seems fickle, but I do, I love this dress.

I didn't have masses of fabric for this pattern, the fabric was originally bought for a blouse! I did however manage to be careful how I placed the pieces and actually the pattern does line up all the way round. I was even careful over the collar and bow. The sleeves were not quite so successful, I initally cut them both the same way! I ended up using what was left to cut out the sleeve again - the right way! The under collar is in two pieces! You can't see it!

This is called creative cutting - the sleeves aren't even in this image!

The remains of my cutting out!

As you can see there was very little left! I have to say, there's not really much to say which hasn't already been said by other numerous bloggers. I lengthened the waist length by about half an inch (a regular adjustment of mine), I also added a couple of inches to the hem. The cuffs on the sleeves are the right size for once. Often I find they are too tight for my arms. I didn't make these cuffs/bands any bigger and they fit perfectly.

I did find that the princess seam was not perfectly placed so had to adjust it so the main bust was slightly lower. This is a regular adjustment for me too.

One thing I didn't do was all the top stitching. I decided my fabric spoke for itself and so left off top stitching on the collar and cuffs. I actually did the cuffs differently. I attached the cuff on the flat, then stitched up the side seam on the sleeve before folding over and hand stitching the cuff in place on the underside.

I'd read in a couple of places that the placket wasn't the widest, so I also changed the way the placket was created. Since my fabric is quite bulky I just turned under about a quarter of an inch, then folded another inch and quarter. This actually gave me a winder placket to deal with and sew the buttonholes.

Parp, parp!

The details...

Fabric:  A stretch cotton from Arthur Toye in Palmerston North, bought July 2013 for about $40. There was 2m of 1.4m wide. It's navy blue with a kind of pale blue embossed pattern.

Notions:  Thread and buttons which came from Made on Marion here in Wellington.

Pattern:  Deer and Doe Bleuet
First worn:  At Staglands in the middle of February. I've worn it for work plenty of times since and get so many compliments!

Changes:  Lengthened the waist length by about half an inch, lengthened the dress length by about 2 inches. Slightly lowered the full bust in the princess seams. Stitched the sleeve cuffs and placket differently to the pattern.

Another one?  Mm, not sure really why I ask myself this question. I love this first bleuet I've made, but another one just may not work out as well.

Oh, you want to know where the photos were taken? Well with a pattern company called Deer and Doe, where else should we go, but Staglands! This wildlife park is in the north of the region and has birds, pigs, fish and of course deer. :-) The plan was for the WSBN to wear a Deer and Doe pattern. In the end only four of us turned up in a Deer and Doe pattern and all of us...

...made the same pattern. Yep, Jen, Kat, me and Mel, all turned up in the bleuet! We had a good day, there were five WSBN members with husbands and children in tow. We had a picnic and then toured the park. It was great fun, as well as being a hot sunny day!

We actually had one lady ask us about the pattern, she'd noticed that the dresses were all the same.

This photo taken by Mel's husband

It gave us a great place for group shots and it's always fun having photos with others, even giving us the chance to bomb individual pics...