FO: Grainline Scout woven tee

I present my Scout woven tee - ah, how I love it!

(Forgive the not-great photos in this post. This was a five-minutes-before-running-out-the-door photoshoot!)

This is a great basic pattern: no darts, no closures. I was a little worried that the lack of darts would result in a shapeless pillowcase of a top, but instead it fits really well around the shoulders, arms and neckline, and drapes beautifully. I didn't have any fitting problems around the shoulders or back  - my usual "problem" areas (hooray!). The only adjustments I made were:

• length - I added 1.5" at the lengthen line, and 0.5" at the hem.
• sizing - merged from size 0 at the bust to a 2 at the hips.  

If anything it's the tiniest bit snug at the bust, but the 2 was too roomy.

I used 1m of Liberty lawn, and had some left over for my one-day-I'll-get-around-to-making-it Liberty scrap quilt (but I was pretty inventive with the layout). The print is called Sleeping Rose (C):

Pretty, no? It's lots of light honey-coloured roses laid out in rows. I'm by no means a neat freak, but the order and slightly hypnotic symmetry of this pattern really appeals to me. Plus roses - yay!

The sums:
1m Liberty lawn - £12 (from Fabrics Galore)
Scout woven tee pattern - £2.89 ($4.50 when I bought it - it's now $6.50)
Thread from stash

Total: £14.89

I see more of these in my future. I'd like one with 3/4 length sleeves. And maybe one with a collar.

But up next, a skirt. I really really like the look of Grainline's new Moss mini skirt. But I've got some serious skirt-thinking to do - I've got plenty of patterns, so I should'nt really buy another yet.

Speak soon!
x

In which I show my knickers

A while back, Scruffy Badger invited me along to a blogger meet up in Bath, for a nice catch up and a knicker-making class. I love Bath, I love blog friend meet-ups and I love knickers, so it took no time for me to sign up.

It was a wonderful day - I was lucky enough to bump into Handmade Jane at Paddington station, so we travelled together and had a lovely catch-up. The 90 minute train journey was over in a flash! Have you seen Jane's gorgeous new Abbey coat? So beautiful, so professional, so perfect.

Winnie met us at the station (looking sensational in her 1940s dress), along with Roisin (also looking sensational in her Cambie). Let me just say that everyone looked sensational in their handmade wardrobe. If I didn't already read their blogs, I wouldn't have guessed any of the outfits were handmade - these are some seriously talented seamstresses. Here's who came along:

photo by Scruffy Badger

Top - bottom, L-R:
Rachel (House of Pinheiro), Roisin (Dolly Clackett), Kerry (Kestrel Find and Makes), Jane (Handmade Jane)
Melizza (Pincushion Treats), Me!, Amy (Magpie Mimi)
Tamsin (Pimp my Curtains), Laura (Laura in a Tangle), Dibs (Dibs and the Machine)
Photographer: Winnie (Scruffy Badger Time)

Winnie took us on a lovely walking tour of Bath:

photo by Scruffy Badger

And then we stopped off for a delicious lunch, where we met up with Sheena (Tottieweeminiatures), ate, talked a lot, and got down to the business of swaps. I love a good swap, and any intentions I had of coming away with less than I was bringing, quickly flew out of the window.

I was lucky enough to come away with this loot:

About a metre of the lovely teal wool that Jane used for her Abbey coat (will become a winter skirt), a metre of soft African wax cotton that Kerry made for her maxi dress (will become a Scout Tee), and two vintage skirt patterns (one from Dibs, the other from Amy), both which are right up my street!, and some insane-bright blue buttons, also from Amy.

And then (as if that wasn't enough fun for one day), on to The Makery, for three hours of knicker making. And it was tremendous fun. I learned that making knickers is quick, easy and very satisfying. And that 12 ladies can have a lot of fun saying "gusset".

Look! I made knickers!

Yep - big grey knickers.

Thanks to Winnie for organising such a wonderful, fun-filled day. I was totally zonked by the time I got home, but full of lots of ideas about my next sewing plans (it always helps talking through sewing plans - and on Saturday, I did much of that!).

I've an FO coming up this later week!

Speak soon!
x

FO: the Alma blouse

Ooh, I finally finished something! yay!

Here's my first Alma blouse! I say first because, I'll definitely make it again - with the neckline and sleeve variations, it would rude not to! For my first attempt, I went for the round-neck, half-sleeved version, no belt. I know, round-neck, so adventurous.

As you can tell from the photo, it's a smidge too big. I cut a size 6, merging to 8 at the hips. I made a muslin, and that seemed to fit just right, but this doesn't ... what gives?!

It isn't a disaster by any means - in cooler weather I tend to layer up with camisoles and sometimes even a thermal vest (yes, I'm quite a glamorous lady), which this blouse can easily accommodate. It isn't as fitted as I'd planned, but that's fine. And I didn't need a zip (which should have suggested it was on the big side).

You can see in this photo that it's a teensy bit big around the neck. I'll try to tweak that in my second attempt: I'll probably try a 4, merging to 8. Or should I do an SBA? I'm never quite sure what the correct approach is.

I used some fabric from my stash: Liberty lawn, the print is called "Goldman". I can't tell whether the print is peacock feathers, or some kind of flower. (It's probably peacock feathers, the more I look at it.) The orange is much less radiant than it appears in the photos.

The sums
1.5m Liberty lawn from Fabrics Galore: £18 (I used less than the full 1.5)
Alma pattern: £15 (incl p&p)
Interfacing/thread from stash

Total: £33
~

It's a lovely sunny weekend up ahead - too too exciting! I hope you all have fun things planned for your weekends!

speak soon
x