We get married next June and one of the major draws to getting married (considering we own a house and have 2 children together) was making my own dress! When I last blogged about this I wasn’t entirely sure on what I wanted but after going dress shopping I’ve narrowed it down to this:
I’m still in 2 minds on the sleeves but the rest is perfect. I used McCall’s M7718 and made a muslin.
I lengthened the skirt 2” and this picture is with the bodice raised 2” which I’ll change on the final dress. Overall I’m really happy it fits with my inspo. And size wise I graded from an 8 to a 14 (bust 35” waist 29”) and I’m happy with the fit. Now to go fabric shopping!
We had such a beautiful sunny day today that it got me thinking ahead to my spring sewing plans. Last year I left it too late and had nothing to wear when we had a heat wave (also known as summer but for some reason we never expect it…). The last few years we’ve had nice weather around April time but I’ve always struggled with my summer wardrobe. When I was making my 2021 sewing plans I made a note to start in March so I could get the most out of my makes.
On my list for this year is;
Dawn Jean shorts – I’ve got a couple of pairs of lander shorts I wear a lot but they feel, frumpy?
Natural Persephone pants, I wear my Persephones a lot when it gets warmer and I’d love a pair like this
These shirred dresses were all over insta last year but I left it too late to make one. I’ve got McCalls something something to use to recreate something similar
Another McCall’s something something and a tie front dress plus some striped linen will make a nice summer dress.
And lastly, I’m always late to the trends so I’m thinking this Simplicity jumpsuit in a navy linen?
I’ve seen a couple of “shackets” around and Sister Mintaka dropped some dreamy Robert Kaufman plaid and an idea was formed. I originally was going to make another Thayer but I thought an unlined shirt might get more wear, as it’s plaid it won’t go with a lot of my wardrobe. I decided on the Ilford instead. When it arrived I showed Gary who shows a mild interest in my sewing, mainly astonishment when I come out of the kitchen with another new item and told him it was unisex. He loved and immediately asked for one for himself. He measures as a large and I went for a medium. To save tracing the pattern I could the large and just folded it down to the medium when cutting.
My first thoughts when cutting the Ilford out were that there’s no back yoke. One thing I’ve noticed with Friday Pattern Company is often there seem to be aesthetic choices made based on the ease of sewing. For example in the wilder gown the sleeves look unfinished as they just stop with no placket or sleeve band.
Personally I would prefer a back yoke to enable a burrito sewing method that leads to tidy insides. Something I’m not usually picky about but I love that about a shirt. There’s also no pocket markings of where to place the 653 versions of pocket included in the pattern. Speaking of which I agonised over which pockets to use for AGES.
Also have you noticed recently how expensive indie patterns have become?! When I started sewing in 2013 paper patterns were around £13/14 and the Ilford just cost me £18! That didn’t even include postage. This is not just FPC btw it’s common across them all now. I think partly this is why at the end of last year I started sewing less indies. For that price I would expect a much higher quality of pattern but there doesn’t seem to be much difference between the price of a simple t shirt and a more involved jacket.
I digress, anyway I laid out my 1.5m length and realised how narrow it is. I ended up ordering another metre just to be safe. The sleeves are really wide as the shoulder is so dropped and oversized. I cut one of the pockets, the collar, the placket and the sleeve band on the bias to add visual interest but also to save pattern matching. I matched the fronts and the sides. This is where I would have liked to have a back yoke to add some more bias.
Because there are no pocket markings I had to figure out where I wanted my top pocket first in order to pattern match it
It took me a lot longer to sew up the Ilford than I expected. I’ve been poorly since Alfie went back to nursery in January after people were allowed to mix over Christmas (we only mixed with our bubble) and haven’t had the energy to sew. It actually probably only took a few hours to sew up.
It’s fitted very nicely into my lockdown style (sweatpants and leggings) and I’ve worn it a lot since finally finishing it weeks after starting. Annoyingly when Gary tried it on there were numerous fit issues I didn’t know how to fix so instead I ordered him a simplicity shirt pattern instead. Although the Ilford is technically unisex it seems to be drafted towards women in mind (it only just fits my arm length for example). I love it though and can definitely see me making another if I find another style I like.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE my original pair of philippas. Out of the many pairs of pants/jeans I’ve made I’ve worn these the most. In fact they were my first make of 2020 (the only good thing to come out of 2020 let’s be real) and my first make of 2021.
I swear the crotch isn’t actually like this?! As you can see my buttons are on the far side of the underlap but I wish I’d put them actually next to it to prevent the fly gaping slightly
I decided to go for non contrasting topstitching thread as I’m not always keen on visible top stitching (plus then it doesn’t bother me if it’s not perfect). The hardware from Citron jeans and the labels from KATM. The denim is from Mind the Maker shade “light blue”. It hasn’t bagged out a lot although in the first photo you can see my knees have bagged out a little after wearing them all day but I’m happy with the quality. I’ve got my eye on some more as I just love making jeans. I’ve also got some black denim in my stash which will probably become another pair.
As I finished off my 2nd pair of Dawn jeans this morning it dawned on me I’ve made a lot of pairs; 3 gingers, 2 dawns, 2 Persephones, 1 pair of morgans and 2 pairs of philippa pants. So I thought I’d share with you what I’ve learned.
My second pair of gingers
For me, the hardest part of jeans making is getting the fit right and by that I mean not making them too tight. Every denim is different and weirdly I find non stretch denim stretches more than stretch but getting that balance of tight and they loosen up to be perfect is really tough. Think tight to your waist but not so much that you can’t fit a finger into the waistband.
Philippa pants
Cone mills denim is NOT the magical unicorn the sewing community makes out. It bags out. A lot. I made a pair of gingers and Philippa pants (above) out of cone mills, out of considerable expense (think the cost of a pair of Levi’s) and they both bagged out and I had to take them back in. For the Philippa pants it worked out well as they were far too tight and now they fit perfectly. Consequently I wear them a lot more than any of my other pairs. They’re also the only ones that I don’t get weird crotch issues with.
My latest pair of dawns
Research is everything; where do you like your jeans to sit? Rib cage – go for Anna Allen, belly button – dawn is ya gal and builders bum? You want ginger for that.
Persephone pants
Watch out for that Robert Kaufman twill it gives like crazy!
Dawn pt 1
Always, always baste them and try them on before adding the waistband and if you’re doing a button fly then make sure the buttons are right up on the far side of the underlap otherwise they’ll gape.
Second pair of philippas
For sizing go with the finished garment measurements BUT remember you need ease, if you overfit them then you won’t wear them (ask me how I know). Try taking your measurements whilst sitting down.
My first pair of gingers were a hot mess, the denim was cheap and bagged out and they were miles too big
My last tip is to enjoy! I love sewing jeans, they get so much wear they feel very satisfying to make but don’t be disheartened if your first pair aren’t perfect. Like bra sewing it’s a lot of trial and error.
After 10 years of being together, a house, 2 children and umpteen adventures we finally booked the wedding. We got engaged in 2016 but I didn’t get a ring until 2019 when we got engaged “properly”. Not that you need a ring to do it properly but the original proposal was with a haribo ring…..
We’re getting married at East Riddlesden Hall and it’s just perfect, it’s a national trust place and is exactly what I always pictured.
For as long as we’ve been planning on getting married I’ve planned on making my dress. I started pulling pictures from my Pinterest board and Instagram to explain that I don’t know what I want but then laughed and realised they’re all of a very similar dress.
This Teuta Matoshi dress is particularly 😍😍😍😍 and at the moment my favourite
I’m really drawn to the romantic tulle, the theme of the wedding is celestial/midsummer nights dream/magical. Don’t worry we’re not getting married until 2022 so hopefully COVID won’t be an issue. So I’m thinking tulle skirt (possibly blush), off the shoulder sleeves, maybe some kind of lace or embroidered bodice and an A line skirt. A friend very kindly sent me a pattern to use so it’s just a case of trying some on and decided exactly what I want. She posted this on her stories and I was immediately 😍😍😍. I’m going to go try some dresses on around April time which will give me over a year to start making and gathering materials.
I’m not gonna talk about the dumpster fire of 2020; instead I’ll talk about all the sewing I did. I finished off the last few months of my maternity leave and went back to work as a teacher full time. On no sleep. It’s been tough I’m not going to lie. It’s always hard to go back after maternity leave when your kid doesn’t sleep but doing in the middle of a pandemic is something else.
Here’s 2019 roundup and 2018. The big thing I’ve noticed is I made a lot less dresses and A LOT more pants/top combo. I also noticed how much my hair changes over the course of a year! I’m currently growing my fringe out for the 182625 time and growing it longer for the wedding.
In total I made 36 garments; 9 blouses/tops, 7 jersey tops, refashioned 2 garments, made 5 pairs of jeans, 4 pairs of trousers, 2 dresses, 4 sweaters, 1 pair of shorts, 1 jumpsuit, 1 hoody, 1 coat and 1 jacket. Pretty much everything I’ve made I’ve worn to death. I really feel like I’ve got the place where I know my style and what works for me/what I’ll wear.
Wins of 2020
Philippa pants. Absolute faves. Wear and wash them all the time and I LOVE them to death. I’m always sad when they’re in the wash.
Thayer jacket; unexpected win. Was not expecting to wear it as much as I did. Worn here with my Morgan jeans which I ripped at the knee in the hope they’ll get worn more. It didn’t work lol.
Tiger Kalle shirt – although the collar is already fraying I love to death. I might remake it as a willamette shirt. Worn here with my Dawn jeans which don’t really get worn much. I much prefer my Philippa as again there’s something funky going on with the crotch.
Speaking of which this jazzy willamette is another firm favourite. Worn here with my RDC Alphonse trouser. Another make which gets worn a lot.
Also another shout out to Nikko – I love love love this pattern. They’re perfect for work, we have to keep the windows open at school and they look smart but also keep me toasty warm. I’m up to 5 versions now. Also in the photo is my RDC jacket which I wear to death (everyday at school) but that was made in 2019.
Fails of 2020
Dawn jeans – they are far too small. In fact both my pairs rarely get worn. There’s something funky going on with the crotch and it bothers me massively.
Chalk and Notch hoody, it’s too short despite lengthening it and I feel like I’m always pulling it down. I’m not keen on the colour either. I was after more of a blush pink.
And of course my pink Burda jacket. The biggest fail of all.
I’ve talked before about how I enjoy the planning process of sewing almost as much as the actual sewing. Although I think my favourite part is having a garment in my wardrobe that just feels me. Above everything that’s what sewing has given me; self confidence and a nice wardrobe!
From left to right, top to bottom:
1. McCalls 7946 I found this pattern right at the end of this summer and it looks like the perfect summer dress; I plan on making a floral one with big sleeves and a broderie anglais strapped version
2. Tessuti Lois dress, I’ve got some lovely black floral fabric from Blackbird
3. Philippa pants!!! After the success of my first pair back in January I think these maybe my go to jeans pattern. I’m planning a light bleach pair abs possibly a natural bull denim (I’m debating this or some persephones)
4. I AM jacques rain coat to replace my kelly which is too small, the sleeves are too short and it’s navy which massively clashes with most of the jeans I wear. I’m planning a pink version with sherpa lining.
5. Plaid shacket. After the success of my Thayer I’ve just bought some mammoth flannel to make a shacket. I just bought the Ilford shirt which is perfect for what I have in mind.
After the fiasco of my pink coat earlier this year, I’ve been making do with my Rumana coat and Thayer jacket but I knew once it got colder I’d need a new coat. The only coat I have that’s warm enough for winter is my cascade duffle and it’s just not my style anymore.
I was still looking for the Pinterest coat. You know the one.
I trawled through the fold line and found the Mimi G simplicity pattern.
I couldn’t find much information on the sizing – we all know how big 4 come up but I compared the measurements with my duffle coat and cut the size 14 (which my measurements fit in too). I’d say it’s fairly true to size – size down if you’re going for a fitted blazer look and size up if you want a winter coat. I wanted a more oversized look but considering I didn’t make a muslin I’m happy with how it came out.
How I didn’t find this before I have no idea but I’m glad I found it as it’s the only coat that comes close to what I was looking for. I ordered some wool from merchant and mills and some quilted lining from the new craft house.
The instructions were really clear and I didn’t have any problems except sewing the welt pockets. The wool made it really bulky and I wish I’d sewn the welt in lining rather than the coating. It took a lot of manipulating and struggling to get it sewn. It’s not very neat but I’m not a perfectionist. Done is good enough for me.
I hadn’t done much sewing during the first term so I knew half term was my only chance to make the coat without it taking weeks. I managed to sew the bulk of it in half term by sewing most evenings and finished off the buttons and buttonholes the week after.
It would’ve been finished much earlier except when I first tried it on after pressing this is what it looked like:
I was gobsmacked, it looked AWFUL and I had no idea how to fix it. I reached out to a couple of Instagrammers who I thought might be able to help and I unbagged and rebagged it about 5 times trying to fix it. In the end I took the seam allowance in at the front (I hadn’t used all 5/8ths in a bid to try and increase the room in the coat) and I unpicked the facing hem and hand sewed it back together. I have no idea what was wrong but it seemed to fix it. I was determined to make it work considering how much the materials had cost.
Sometimes I think I enjoy thinking about/planning my wardrobe almost as much as sewing it. I use the notes app on my phone to plot ideas, match fabric to patterns and most importantly delete when I’ve finished it (I love that part!). Every fabric in my stash has a project attached to it, mostly that’s what gets sewn but sometimes when the fabric arrives I realise it’s not the right project. For example I bought some constellation art gallery rayon to imitate a rtw dress I’d seen but when it arrived it was much more teal than it looked online so I might use it for pyjamas instead.
I’m still obsessed with making jeans, after my dawn jeans (which have come up way too small) I’m constantly trying to perfect the fit. I love the “mom” jeans look and I’d like to make a light wash, dark wash and black pair using dawn and philippa. Philippa is great for jeans because there’s no front pockets and no yoke so they sew up super fast.
After last years pink coat debacle I finally found the coat style I’ve been looking for:
I don’t know why I couldn’t find it last year but I’ve got it now. I’m planning on a grey one instead of pink just for ease of wear. I hate it when something only goes with one or two pieces. I really love a cohesive wardrobe that mixes and matches. Mostly so I don’t need to plan what I’m wearing!
For that reason I’m planning another anorak – this time the Serra jacket by Pauline Alice and not in navy! I had a feeling when I was making it that navy wasn’t the best choice and I was right. I love to wear jeans (mostly blue jeans) and a lot of my tops are dark or navy. I haven’t decided on a colour, I’ve ordered some samples to try and decide. I’m thinking tan or maybe rust after the success of my Thayer jacket?
Lastly I’ve got some rust rib knit from blackbird fabrics for another nikko (which I live in come winter time) and some black floral for a Lois dress. We have an engagement shoot planned for around Christmas time so I’m thinking I might wear that.
Here in the UK COVID is still a problem but our government has ignored that and reopened most of the country anyway. As a teacher I’m more than a little stressed about going back to a classroom full of germs.
We decided to go on a socially distant holiday, please don’t @ me about whether travelling in a pandemic is a good idea. It’s not but like I said I’m going to be stood in a classroom full of COVID soon…. cheers bozza.
You can probably tell I’m a little salty about that … anyway long story short we booked a campervan and spent a week in Scotland. IT WAS AMAZING. Seriously. We’ve been on some incredible holidays and I’ve travelled a lot but this was up there with the best of them. Guys we saw freaking dolphins?! It was genuinely one of the best things I’ve ever seen.
Yes we are crazy doing this with 2 kids under 5 but honestly it was so so worth it. They were amazingly well behaved! We drove to Edinburgh, rented a campervan from McRent and did a loop through Glen Coe up to Fort William, across to Loch Ness and Inverness and then down through the Cairngorms to Aviemore. It. Was. Incredible. Scotland is just. Whoa. Of course the 20+C weather didn’t hurt! I totally misjudged the weather forecast and packed 3 pairs of jeans and massively missed out on the opportunity to make some summer clothes. Hey ho there’s always next year!
You know that tiktok video? The one where she’s like oh I’m not gonna do it, I’m just thinking about it. Oh I did it? Well that was me with the Persephones. For about 6mo I stalked the tag on Instagram convinced they weren’t my style and I wouldn’t wear them etc. I’ve got long arms and legs and wearing cropped trousers just made me feel like my trousers were too short.
Eventually I caved and I love them so much. Every time I see a pair that I don’t already have I want to make them.
I started with the rust pair. Rust is my colour of 2020 I am obsessed with it. These were a size 8-10 straight out of the packet no adjustments.
The fly gapes on these and so on my next pair I used Tessutis trick and stitched the facing to the fly. I also reduced the rise to just above my belly button instead of on my natural waist. It’s more comfortable for me.
The crotch is too tight on these so on my next pair I added a little length. God knows why the fly is so wrinkly on this pair?!
Third time lucky?! For this pair I went up a size to a 10 (despite fitting in the measurements for the 8) and took the waist/darts in slightly. I also extended the crotch and the fit is much better.
What Amy Made 