Embellished t-shirts

20th Sep 2023 yorkiemouse1 Comment

You could be forgiven for thinking you can start to expect a regular blog post from me, but fear not, the planned ones end now!

Screen-printing Mr Mouse’s t-shirts, combined with a lack of plain t-shirts in my wardrobe gave me the idea of making myself some tees to embellish. This blog is about two crafty ways in which I achieved this.

I used the free Stellan Tee, which is my go-to t-shirt pattern, as a base. I already had three colour-blocked t-shirts that I made with a jersey bundle from Lamazi – I mainly wear these in bed, though they occasionally make it out into the world. The bundles are a great idea and I can easily make a t-shirt with each length of fabric. The complimentary colours mean that they’re perfect for colour-blocking too.

Embroidering an Orca

Whilst coming out of a Lemsip haze and recovering from Covid in the Spring, I tentatively started to pick up crafting again. I knew that anything I did would have to use a small amount of brain power and be achievable from the sofa.

I had spotted the Whale embroidery pack from Twig and Tale and immediately wanted to incorporate them into my life. The patterns come in a few different sizes and the smallest Orca felt like a perfect way to get back into crafting post-illness. I dug out one of my t-shirts and started preparing.

It’s a testament to how foggy by brain was that I used a heat-sensitive Frixion pen to trace the design, stuck it to the t-shirt, then pressed it with my iron to get a few wrinkles out. Cue the penned whale vanishing in front of my eyes and me genuinely wondering why. Once I remembered that the heat-sensitive pen was designed to disappear under heat, I re-traced the Orca and turned the iron off.

After that blip, the embroidering was a smooth process and the perfect gentle project to ease me back into reality. I definitely want to use the other whale designs somehow…maybe on a rucksack?

Screen-printing

I had a fun day off screen-printing three t-shirts with the aid of my Bobbinhood kit, which is sadly no longer available.

I wanted to create some more complicated designs having tackled single colour ones before. The book has a section about colour theory and gives clear instructions on how to print layered motifs.

I used the same technique as previously, screen-printing onto the pattern pieces before sewing the t-shirts together.

I chose an abstract design for the maroon top, layering pinks and blues on top of each other. The flower at the end bled slightly because the screen wasn’t completely dry. Despite being an innate perfectionist, I am learning to accept imperfections with screen printing and quite like the blurry edged flower.

One thing I learned from my husband’s t-shirts was that some colour combinations need more than one coat…a bit like when painting a wall! I went over the pink pentagon and blue circle a few times to get a solid colour – both of which seem to be laundering well.

For the other two t-shirts, I chose designs with just two shapes each. I love the wonky Aloe leaves because they’re so true to life. Our Aloe plant always has at least one wonky leaf.

One thing I will take into account with any future screen-printing is to mark the placement on the pattern piece as all of these are slightly too close to my armpit!

I’m so pleased with these experiments. It was fun to take simple t-shirts and jazz them up using other crafts.

Thanks for reading :o)

Sewing

Co-ord mix and match

11th Sep 2023 yorkiemouse2 Comments

Returning from holiday can be truly miserable! Thankfully, I have a few blogs lined up, and some crafty ideas to spark joy as we start Autumn in the UK. First up is a co-ord trio set that uses three patterns that go really well as a mix-and-match set, as well as pairing with other things in my wardrobe.

Co-ords seem to have had a resurgence of late but it wasn’t really a trend I was keen to embrace. That was until the Saguaro Set arrived on the sewing scene.

I knew the midriff-baring top wouldn’t be something that I would be comfortable wearing, even with high-waisted trousers, but then I saw a hack that lengthened the bodice. I knew from the fitting guide that the plunging neckline could be adjusted to be more modest and began to wonder whether I could combine both adjustments.

Adjusting the Saguaro top

I’m proudly on “Team Toile” with a pattern that I think might need some fitting, and anything with a wrap top immediately goes into that category. It’s worth the effort to make something that feels nice to wear and ‘secure’ in that I’m confident I’m not going to flash!

For toile 1, I traced my size and lengthened by about 2″, based on holding the pattern piece against myself. I was prepared for it to be quite immodest because I knew that, in lengthening the bodice I had lengthened the ‘plunge’. However, like fixing databases and maths problems, work on one problem at a time! This first toile gave me an idea of fit and what to do next.

For my second toile, I decided it needed even more length, and estimated how much it needed crossing over to remove some of the plunge. Please enjoy my incredibly technical illustration of how I did this…eye-balling and using coasters to mark the extension line!

Toile 2 was much closer to what I wanted, but the sleeves were very voluminous. As the bodice pieces have grown-on sleeves, the sleeves had been widened with the bodice length. I rectified this on my final pattern pieces by tracing the original sleeve width and blending into the side seam.

My second toile also convinced me that a concealed press stud would make the bodice sit better than it did with the ties. I think the ties are designed to help the two pieces meet, but having created an overlap, the ties don’t sit correctly.

Completing the set

I thought that the trousers would be a breeze after all the top adjustments, but alas no. The Saguaro trousers that I made look fine when I’m standing up, but there isn’t enough room in the seat to move or sit. I was also a bit concerned that I had made a toile of some fancy hospital scrubs…essentially my fear about co-ords came true.

My enthusiasm for toiling the trousers was limited so I looked at my existing patterns. I wear my Ninni culottes so much that I thought they would make a great pairing whilst removing the hassle of fitting.

Bonus make

I also managed to squeeze a pair of Emerson shorts out of the fabric – 3.3m of this Confetti viscose linen from Minerva went a long way. My Emersons have seen me through two summers but I had identified a slight fitting adjustment that would make them more comfortable – the “IBS adjustment” (aka full tummy adjustment). Adding an inch or so to the tummy area has made them sit much better on bloated days. As there is elastic in the back, they still fit well on less-bloated days too.

What is disappointing is the fabric has already bobbled at the pressure point of the inner thigh. The shorts are still wearable but I fear they may wear thin if worn too much.

Final thoughts

Having three coordinating items has made for an array of options. The Saguaro top goes well with plain bottoms, and plain tops are great with both pairs of bottoms. All in all, a successful set!

Thanks for reading :o)

Sewing

Lyra Love

14th Jun 202314th Jun 2023 yorkiemouse1 Comment

Hello! It’s been a while since I blogged. I have been crafting, but getting photographs has been tricky. Me Made May helped me to identifyhttps://yorkiemousehouse.home.blog/2022/04/12/theyre-two-different-hobbies/ things that I would like to sew to fill a few wardrobe gaps. I also made some more clothes for our youngest Nibling because last summer’s don’t fit any more.

Today, I’m writing about three dresses that I’ve made from one pattern. The Tilly and the Buttons Lyra pattern is such a comfortable dress that can be dressed up or down. The two sleeve options make it an all-year-round winner for me!

Wearable Toile

I made a polka dot crepe wearable toile back in February 2022, and wore it so much during autumn and winter. I like to wear a pattern a few times before making another version in case there are any fitting improvements I can make.

I made a size 5 for my first version, but the style of the dress means the bodice is quite generous. This dress is certainly wearable, but feels big on the shoulders and almost has a dropped shoulder look.

Before making another version, I sized down to a 4 in the shoulders and bust, which gives a better fit for my body.

Despite wearing this dress a LOT, I don’t have any decent pictures, so here’s a terrible mirror picture of it, with some nice close-ups of the belt loop and buttons.

Watermelon inspired

Whilst watching The Big Bang Theory for the 100th time in January 2023, a loose-fitting watermelon shirt worn by Penny caught my eye. I was so taken with it that I looked online and took a screenshot to save as inspiration.

That very weekend, Rainbow Fabrics announced a drop that included an almost perfect match to the fabric! Believing that fate was on my side, I treated myself to 3m.

I wanted to maximise the fabric, so my idea morphed into a shirt-style dress with a similar feel to Penny’s shirt. Whilst not a classic shirt dress, the Lyra felt like a great match.

Having recently fell in love with the Davenport sleeves (more on that one day, hopefully), I adapted the Lyra sleeve to include a little ruffle at the end. I also had the perfect buttons from Pigeon Wishes to match.

I love my watermelon version and feel great when wearing thick tights and boots in the winter. The watermelons give a pop of colour and warmth to the black base.

A long time coming…

My final Lyra is the one I actually planned first! This Chicacheetah fabric collaboration between Guthrie Ghani and Rachel Parker is fast becoming a cult classic in the sewing world. Currently, there isn’t any viscose available, but there is some French Terry in three colour ways.

I knew I wanted a Lyra in this fabric, and thought the bright blue lent itself to a summer dress. I cut the sleeves to a “generous” elbow length because I didn’t want the t-shirt length in the pattern. I also made some cuffs by eye-balling the width of the sleeve and desired depth.

I ended up shortening the sleeves by quite a bit more, because they were actually bracelet length. Just when I think I know how short my limbs are, I realise they’re 4 inches shorter again(!).

This fabric is a dream to wear, so light and floaty. It’s opaque, so I don’t need to wear a slip underneath either. In short, perfect summer dress/fabric combo.

Thanks for reading :o)

Sewing

Actively filling a wardrobe gap

12th Nov 2022 yorkiemouse3 Comments

During me-made May, I realised that a big gap in my me-made wardrobe was active wear. I wanted to rectify this through a combination of new makes and modifying existing makes. These ‘makes and mods’ are proving to be excellent additions to my fitness wardrobe.

Leggings

I’ve been totally converted to leggings. After years of avoiding them because they’re too tight, cling to the wrong bits etc etc, I’ve embraced them. They are so good for freedom of movement and stay in place at the ankle if you have to put waterproof trousers on. That might feel like quite a niche reason to like leggings, but the last thing I want when I’m up a mountain in the rain is to hold walking trousers at my ankle whilst also trying to stand on one leg and get a boot through a waterproof leg!

I whipped up another pair of Avery Leggings, cropped and with the crucial elastic waistband that I foolishly omitted in previous pairs. They’re much better for cardio with the elastic in (it’s almost as though Helen’s Closet thought it through!).

This is the only photo I have of them, but it’s a corker. If you zoom in, you’ll get the full effect of Cornish wind on my face!

I also modified my existing pairs of Avery leggings. I shortened one pair to shin length as I prefer that length in summer, as well as botch-fixing all to add waist elastic. Rather than unpicking everything, I put a measured circle of elastic on the inside of the waistband, then flipped it over and re-stitched in place. Fortunately, all of my Averys are the “tummy warmer” version so there was length for this fix.

Chests

My Starry power sports bra is in regular rotation in my wardrobe for exercise. Whilst it dries quickly, I was in need of a few more to ease the pressure on laundry.

With an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality, I set out to make two more bras with the strappy cross back. I love this style because the straps stay in place and don’t slip off my shoulders like most ‘regular’ bras.

I recently bought some hot pink econyl from Sew Me Sunshine which is a similar stretch % to my starry bra. This meant minimal fuss with fitting. I also used the remnants from my Avery Leggings to make another. As is often the case with remnants, I didn’t quite have enough, but a pink band works really well with the other fabric!

My top tip when making the straps for this pattern (or probably any that use active wear) is to actually sew one end of the strap up within the seam allowance, then use a loop turner. The straps are really fiddly to do without a loop-turner and when I got one, it was a game-changed.

Another tip, specifically for econyl is not to put an iron near it – if you use your ironing board to press, leave the iron in the cupboard so you’re not tempted! I started to press some creases out after pre-washing and made a massive iron mark in the corner. I cut the piece out and kept it near me at all times as a reminder not to iron it! In reality, it doesn’t even need ironing as any creases stretch out with the negative ease, but I was on autopilot.

In short, my tips for this make are: use wonder clips, go slowly, make a note of strap measurements for next time and don’t even think about pressing!

A new tank

I’ve had the Pneuma Tank pattern in my stash for years. It has been discontinued by Papercut Patterns, and I couldn’t find many reviews online but if you can source a copy, it’s a great one.

The integrated bra and loose jersey overlay first attracted me to the pattern, but I put off making the pattern because I couldn’t face fitting another sports bra. When wearing my Power Sports Bra one day, I had the idea of combining the two patterns.

The Power Sports Bra is a very similar style to the bra in the Pneuma pattern, which meant I was fairly confident they would work well together. I also thought that if they didn’t, I could keep the bra part, and tackle the full Pneuma pattern at a later date.

For the bra, I used remnants from my Avery leggings. Annoyingly, I didn’t have enough for the straps so used a different colour of the same fabric. For the overlay, I used a very soft bamboo jersey (from a fabric shop that no longer operates).

I made a few adjustments to make the patterns fit together:

Shortened the overlay of the tank by about 2″
I had to change the construction slightly because I made the bra completely before attaching the overlay. The Pneuma instructions are to sandwich the overlay inside the bra pieces
If I made this again (which is likely), I would narrow the tank ‘straps’ where it meets the bra as it’s quite bulky

The finished result feels really good when I’m working out. The bamboo overlap skims my body nicely and the bra sits perfectly under the tank. Aside from the minor tweak that I would do with the straps, I would say these patterns are a match made in heaven.

Thanks for reading :o) If you’re considering sewing active wear, I would definitely recommend!

Sewing

Shorts weather

30th Jul 202230th Jul 2022 yorkiemouse3 Comments

For anybody who missed it, the UK had some rather warm weather recently. As a nation obsessed with weather at the best of times, I dread to think what the traffic on the Met Office website was like during mid-July.

A few weeks before the heatwave, I was researching shorts patterns for an upcoming holiday, having realised that I only had one pair of shorts. I had pretty much decided on the True Bias Emerson pants when Guthrie & Ghani released a “sneak peak” of their July Sewing Society kit. From the zoomed-in photo of the waistband, I was almost certain it was the Emersons. I decided to wait until the release date because a ready-made kit would be easier to buy than sourcing everything separately.

I wasn’t disappointed and snapped up an Emerson kit within about 3mins of it being released!

The kit

The kits come with everything you need to make a garment – fabric, pattern, notions and a label. The instructions aren’t printed which I find a little frustrating as I like a print out to scribble notes on. I printed the instructions from the file whilst waiting for the kit to arrive.

The kit fabric is a navy ramie, which is derived from nettles. It’s like a textured linen and is quite thick to work with, but feels lovely on. The Guthrie Ghani website explains that ramie is breathable, durable and anti-bacterial.

As always, I pre-washed my fabric (I’m a good girl) and set upon making a toile whilst it was drying. I added 2″ to the length of the shorts after reading a few reviews online that these were “short shorts”. I’m 5’2″ and the additional few inches make the shorts land just above the knee, which is perfect for me.

My wearable toile is from viscose linen (the obsession continues) from Lamazi, and proved to be perfect fabric. I was happy with the fit so cut out the ramie quickly.

Going rogue

I changed the waistband construction on my second pair of shorts for a neater finish. The instructions advise finishing all the seams together, which looks quite messy. My green pair look even messier because I went over twice with the overlocker due to a mishap with some topstitching!

For my navy pair, I pressed the seam allowance towards the wrong side and caught everything inside with some topstitching. This means there’s no visible hems on display, or scratching my back.

These shorts have seen Austria and been my “holiday uniform”. I’ve realised that I’m wearing a Sagebrush top in all of these photos. Other tops are available and can be worn with Emersons!

Thanks for reading. Stay cool :o)

Sewing

Gingham dreams

11th Jul 202211th Jul 2022 yorkiemouse3 Comments

Following my last post, I’m back with a more seasonally-appropriate garment today. Continuing with the 90s theme (see my Ninni culottes), I fell in love with this reversible gingham double gauze. Memories of pink and blue gingham school summer dresses, and the joy of not having to wear a tie* for a few short months were conjured up when I opened this fabric parcel.

* Lots of people I speak to are surprised we had to wear a tie at a state-run primary school. To make things slightly easier, we were allowed to wear one with an elastic neckband when it was a PE day!

The fabric is an Atelier Brunette double gauze of the non-crinkly variety. It has small gingham squares on one side and slightly larger squares on the other. I picked up 2m in Sew Me Sunshine’s remnant sale, and added a full price metre to my basket. As soon as I saw the fabric, I wanted to use the ‘reversibility’ to create a tiered dress, alternating small and large gingham.

After some internal debate, I opted to use the Deer and Doe Myosotis dress as the base. Having made a full-length version last year, I get a lot of wear out of it and it received a lot of compliments during Me Made May, so I knew I would make use of one in this smokey gingham.

As well as the fit adjustments I made to previous versions, I also hacked the following elements:

Collar-less hack by StitchOdyssey
Maxi-length with three tiers
Waist ties

Gingham is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to cutting. The slightest nudge of the fabric meant it could be knocked out of line and need realigning. Whilst I’m usually quite careful about cutting on the grain, gingham made me realise there’s definite leeway with other fabrics. However, being able to count squares made things very easy when it came to eye-balling the tiers. I also have a new measurement – forget inches and centimetres, this hem was 4 “ginghams”!

As ever, the devil is in the detail and I chose some of my many tiny glass buttons from Swagman’s Daughter. The label is a testament to how long it took to cut this dress out!

As with my other maxi Myositis, this is so comfortable to wear. I did compare myself to a gingham road-sweeper but I’m fine with that! Thanks for reading :o)

Sewing

They’re two different hobbies

12th Apr 202212th Apr 2022 yorkiemouse1 Comment

At least once a month, possibly more often, I see a meme that declares sewing and buying fabric are two different hobbies. It’s so true and that fact inspired today’s musings.

Whilst I have been busy sewing for myself and others, I haven’t felt in the mood to write about my makes. One reason for this is that the weather in the UK has been fairly damp and dismal, which doesn’t make for great photos. Another reason is that I’ve been making quite a few “tnts” (tried and tested patterns) which I’ve previously blogged about so, although I love the new makes, I don’t really have anything new to say about them.

This blog post is mainly about showing off a gorgeous and unusual fabric that I recently added to my stash. When the lovely Sam (aka Purple Sewing Cloud) shared the treasure cave that is Razzberry Bazzar on her Instagram stories, I knew I had to have some of their fabric. Sam bought some pre-quilted fabric but they also had this cotton which had strips of floral fabric ‘ribbons’ stitched in rows on a white background. It was crying out to be made into a summer top.

The fabric is quite narrow at just over 1m wide so I bought 3m to ensure I had enough for a top. This was a wise decision as I ended up with voluminous sleeves and ruffles so needed the length. I have some left over which will either be used for children’s clothes or another top for myself.

The fabric handled really well but I did have to tame the ribbons in a few strategic places. The strips are in place with a running stitch through the middle of each ribbon. Where the ruffle meets the yoke, the top of the ribbon was curling down. I knew that as soon as I washed the top, this would never iron back into place so I ran a line of top-stitching (#topstitchingappreciationsociety) along the top of the ribbon to make it behave.

It had to be the Sagebrush

I had a few pattern options and took quite a while to decide. I definitely wanted something that showed off the fabric in all its glory. Something that was quite simple and could take a cotton, and something suitable for summer.

The Sagebrush ticked all of these boxes for me, as well as being something that I wear a lot all year round and have several versions of.

I kept previous sizing and adjustment details and made this top over a few weekends.

Can we all please take a moment to appreciate how crisp and pristine a “fresh off the machine” Sagebrush ruffle is? Once it’s been washed and worn once, it never goes back to looking like this.

I cut all pieces on the flat and made sure I matched the back yoke pieces. The process reminded me for the umpteenth time why I rarely sew with stripes! I’m glad that I made the effort though, particularly with the back yoke (even though I don’t even see it, I know it’s there).

I completely forgot to put a label in the binding of the neckline, so I included one on the bodice hem. One of the many benefits of making my own clothes is that I can choose to put a label in if I like, and I can put it/them where I want.

I chose to do a button closure, which is a hack I have done on another Sagebrush. Having long hair means the ties can get caught in my hair and it’s a little annoying. I also thought that cutting the full length of bias binding would ‘eat into’ the remaining fabric and create some unusual triangles. Plus, I love buttons. As is often the case, the button choice was a ponderous affair with four different options. I’m very happy with my choice which is this caramel glass button from The Swagman’s Daughter. I stitched some narrow elastic on one side to loop around the button.

Thanks for reading this fabric appreciation post :o)

Sewing

How much is “too much”?

18th Aug 202118th Aug 2021 yorkiemouse1 Comment

Hello all! This blog post started as a Lotta blog, then I realised I had two other double-gauze items either cut out or queued up. Musing on my queue, I began to wonder…

How much double-gauze is “too much”?

A lot of sewists say that they struggle with double-gauze – some can’t get the tension and/or needles right, some say that it generally misbehaves for them. Personally, I’ve never had any problems and love sewing with, and wearing, double-gauze. In particularly, crinkly double-gauze – the joy of not having to press a length of fabric after its pre-wash, or iron the eventual garment every time it comes out of the washer is enough to keep me happy!

As well as low maintenance, I find double-gauze lovely to wear in both hot and cooler weather. In short, I’m a fan.

How it all began

The two types of ‘DG’ that I’ve used are “crinkly” and “non-crinkly” which probably aren’t the technical terms! For proper explanations, I recommend this Tilly and the Buttons blog post.

In preparation for my blog, I cast my mind back and thought I’d identified my first double-gauze garment. In actual fact but, I identified my fifth then kept thinking of earlier makes!

My first make in ‘DG’ turned out to be a “non crinkly” Nina Lee Fleet top in Nani Iro fabric, and I subsequently made another with an added sleeve ruffle.

Nani Iro is fantastic for simple tops as the designs are so beautiful that they can shine. I’ve worn these Fleet tops so many times with shorts and skirts since I made them and they’re wearing and washing really well.

On the crinkly side of things, I was introduced to this type by a Sew Hayley Jane subscription box. I received a light blue crinkly ‘DG’ with dandelions on it, which I made into my first Myosotis dress and wear all the time in the summer. A bright teal with gold dots Myosotis quickly followed as it’s a great fabric to pair with this pattern.

The beginning of full appreciation

On reflection, I think my coral Sagebrush top was probably the beginning of my full appreciation for the crinkly stuff. The statement sleeve looks very different in double gauze to a drapey viscose. My shadow looks like an American footballer in full kit because of the way the fabric holds its own weight! My only complaint about a ‘DG’ Sagebrush is that it’s a bit of a nightmare to get a cardigan over the sleeves – it’s a top for guaranteed sunny days, or to pair with the I Am Lion jumper.

Continuing my love affair with the crinkly stuff

Now we (finally) come to the original reason for this blog – a Tilly and the Buttons Lotta dress. During MeMadeMay2021, I realised that I was lacking in summer dresses that are comfortable to sit in all day whilst working. The versatile Lotta, which I’ve previously made in jersey, can also be made in woven fabric.

With the loose bodice and A-line skirt, this is the perfect dress for sitting in all day.

This mauve fabric was from Bugweeds, which is a relatively new ‘bricks and mortar’ shop in York. I found this a refreshingly quick sew. Simple pattern pieces, plain fabric, no notions (except for a bit of elastic) and TATB’s great instructions meant I whipped this dress up in a few leisurely evenings. A “palate cleanser” after a few more involved makes.

As my previous dress was in jersey, I checked the final garment measurements to make sure I hadn’t sized down to account for the stretch. In the end, I used the same pattern pieces.

Double ruffle on double gauze

And finally, I bought this dark teal from The Sewist Fabric Shop with a voucher that I received as payment for a blog post.

I added a double ruffle with a remnant of one of my favourite fabrics and also put an elastic channel a few inches up from the bottom of the sleeve to create a different silhouette.

I’m really pleased with the hacks which have added a bit of personalisation to a favourite pattern of mine.

Thanks for reading. Full disclosure, there’s another ‘DG’ garment in my queue! :o)

Sewing

Neapolitan Linden

6th Jun 20216th Jun 2021 yorkiemouse3 Comments

Greetings! It’s been a while but I’m back to write about a fun make that I recently whipped up over a weekend.

Colour-blocking fun

Grainline’s Linden sweatshirt is one that I’ve made several times and is a great wardrobe staple.

I had the idea of making a colour-blocked version when I spotted these organic brushed back French terry fabrics on The Sewist Fabric Shop website.

I chose complimentary colours – dusky mauve, rose pink and seafoam – which, in hindsight look a bit like a pastel Neapolitan ice cream! Then came the bit where I was able to get the colouring pencils out.

Like a lot of “grown ups”, I embraced colouring-in becoming more popular in recent years and have a healthy collection of pencils at my disposal. A bit like with my button tin, it was pleasing to tip all the pencils out onto my desk and sift through to find the closest match to my fabrics.

I traced the line drawing a few times, got my ruler out and spent a happy hour playing with colour blocking variations. In the end I chose my second design – I can’t really say why, it was just my favourite.

The scientific bit

The next step in the process is where my scientific, super organised brain really came into its own.

I already had a traced set of pattern pieces to my measurements
I traced those existing pieces to replicate each one
For the bodice pieces, I traced full pieces by flipping over at the fold
For the sleeves, I traced a mirrored pair as I wanted to do different blocking on each sleeve
Then I drew lines where the colour blocking would be, approximately aligning with my design
I re-drew a grainline on each section using the parallel lines on my sewing ruler
I also marked a notch across adjoining pieces along the slash lines
I marked what each piece was – e.g. Sleeve 1/bottom/pink, Front bodice/Top/Mauve
Then I cut each piece along the slash lines
Next I had to add the seam allowance (1/4″) onto each piece where they would be joined – so grateful for my sewing ruler!
Finally, I moved the notches to the seam allowance lines

Whilst this sounds quite involved, I really enjoyed thinking it through. I also had a vague memory of a tutorial by Stitch Sisters that I watched a while ago in the back of my mind.

Putting the jigsaw back together

When cutting out, I made sure that I kept each pattern piece with its corresponding fabric piece so I knew what belonged where. To put the jumper jigsaw together, the sleeves were fairly easy. For the bodice pieces, I sewed the bottom pieces together – effectively creating bottom halves – before attaching to the top pieces.

I overlocked each seam and top-stitched the seam allowance down to make the insides neater (and more fun with jazzy thread!). I also added the obligatory label so I know which way around the jumper is on early mornings.

I’m so pleased with how this came together. I loved taking a simple “tnt” pattern into something different, yet still a jumper that I’ll wear a lot.

Thanks for reading :o)

Sewing

Maximum Swish

17th May 202120th May 2021 yorkiemouse2 Comments

Hello! Summer is within touching distance in the UK which means my mind has turned to floaty dresses that swish in the breeze when I walk. This time, I’ve gone for maximum swish with three tiers of gathers!

Considering I wasn’t that keen on the Myositis dress pattern, I’m definitely getting my money’s worth now that I’ve found what works for me (i.e. added waist ties). I think this is my fourth but I know I’ll get wear out of it because I wear the others lots, particularly in the summer.

What’s different about this version?

As with my other Myosotis dresses, I started with version B as the base of my dress. I really love my ‘Imogen’ midi-length dress that I didn’t have enough fabric to make floor length and I wanted to create a maxi version.

Readers of my adventures in sewing might remember that I’m not a fan of the collar sewing process because it’s so tricky. I spotted a tutorial by StitchOdyssey for a collar-less Myositis which sparked my interest and inspired me to get the tracing paper out. Marie has saved the tutorial on her Instagram stories for anybody wanting to replicate this hack.

Below is a photo gallery of my process of creating the facing pattern pieces.

Apart from removing the collar, my other main hack was adding two gathered ruffles to the bottom to create the tiers. I ordered 3m of fabric to make sure I had enough and got everything cut out with some “emergency” remnants to spare. I also cut some waist ties to attach to my bodice pieces as I prefer my silhouette when the waist is pulled in.

Fabric appreciation moment

Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten to give the fabric a moment in the spotlight! I bought this floral viscose from Rainbow Fabrics and it was really reasonably priced – important as I needed 3m. It’s dreamily light to wear and has “great movement” (I feel like Patrick says that on Great British Sewing Bee a lot) when I walk. It was also 150cm wide which was useful for the gathered tiers – you really need width for anything gathered.

Not wanting to blow my own trumpet too much but the length is perfect – long enough to be full length, but just hovering off the floor so that I’m not operating as some sort of floral road-sweeper. As a petite person, I don’t think I’ve ever had a maxi-dress that didn’t need inches taking off it so it was refreshing to not have to worry about that.

Thanks for reading. I hope this has inspired you to get out your maxi dresses and swish around in the sun. Here’s a bonus photo of me in front of our local windmill because everybody needs a local mill(!)

** Updated to credit StitchOdyssey for her brilliant tutorial