Velvet and stars faux wrap

The thing I really love about sewing is that you can turn your ideas into a reality, whether that be a design that pops into your head or an outfit you have seen else ware and want to recreate. Not only can you create the look you aspired to yourself, but also it is truly made to measure and to suit your own style.

A plethora of jersey basics

Hi there, its been almost a month since I blogged but the truth of it is I have been on a bit of a slow sew of late. Life has been getting increasingly hectic and the pressures of keeping up with everything have been getting on top of me a bit. Sewing I often find is a pleasant release from all this, its a great way to clear my head of all the clutter, but sometimes it can feel like its just another thing stressing me out. Because of this I have been forcing myself to take a bit of time out when my head feels like it needs it rather than trying to force through that ever growing to sew list.

Halloween LBD - A Ghoulish Georgia dress

Happy Halloween! and hello on my most favourite of all the holidays. I absolutely love how year on year the UK seems to get more and more into Halloween and we are seeing so much more participation. We have a long way to go to complete with the likes of the US but I like the way this is heading. I'm even happier to be bringing you a halloween themed post.

I have been a bit slack this year and haven't managed to make the kids costumes, mostly because he wanted to be batman, and sadly I had to work on the day we could have gone to a toddler party. I also haven't managed to get out anywhere in fancy dress myself because, well, its a Wednesday BOO! 

Metallic Rainbow Glitter Shorts!

Hi there, today I am so happy to share with you my latest make because I finally dared to cut into this amazing spangly fabric and I think I found the perfect pattern for it. Those that have been following me either here or on instagram will know that I have been testing skirt patterns over the last month or so in an effort to find the perfect pattern for this fabric. Well, as I was sewing my last piece, I had a crazy lightbulb moment and realised I already had the perfect pattern, tried and tested, and a perfect match; the Chataigne shorts from Deer and Doe.

Black denim mini skirt

My quest for the perfect little black mini skirt pattern continues with this lovely little number and what a good contender it is. Its got a very cute shape and fit and is very versatile. I like it! 

Crushed velvet knit sweetheart top

I've made so many fitted skirts lately I really wanted to get a bit of quick and dirty sewing out the way for a bit of instant gratification... well that didn't go to plan!

Little black skirt and exposed zip

I'm on a bit of a quest to find a really good little skirt pattern so that I can brave cutting up some really special fabric I have, you will have to watch this space to see if I ever actually do it but for now here is my latest mock up. The great bonus of mocking up a load of black skirts is I am filling my wardrobe with some lovely basics.

Simply Sewing Polka Dot Headband

 

I finally got round to stitching up the headband from the first issue of the new simply sewing magazine using the free polka dot fabric which came with the magazine. The mag did provide patterns and instructions for three things which could all be created from the one piece of fabric provided. First was this headband, second a gathered fabric flower and third a fabric covered book. I have done both the gathered flowers and a covered book on the blog already so I have gone for the headband (and I used the rest of the fabric to make the pockets of my new dress!) 

Lil Space Critter

Following on from the adorable fox dress I made Miss Fox last week (if you missed it go check it out here) here is the second of the two dresses I made. I know the fox dress is super cute and all that but I actually think this one is my favourite, I mean that colour is just adorable and so perfect for this more autumnal weather that's finally coming our way.

Lil Foxy Critter

One of the things that seems to come as part of the territory with being a Fox is being tagged for every item of baby fox clothing imaginable! Now if you've read my blog before, or looked at my instagram you will have seen there has been no shortage of fox related crafts, however it seemed it was time to recreate that ever popular Fox dress we see popping in up in all sorts of guises all over the internet.

I've always been very defensive about people interpreting fox dresses because I have been a huge fan of the work of Wild Things Dresses on Etsy for a long time (honestly, these are the most amazing kids clothes ever!). However it seems that sadly all the high brand kids retailers have cottoned on and copied her designs in one form or another, which as a creative makes me very sad. So if you want an amazing dress like this one, and are not a sewer, please pay her a visit and purchase one of her amazing creations.

 

Here is an image of one of their amazing fox dresses along with the book which so thankfully tells you how to make your own, perfect for the likes of me who get enjoyment out of the process of making as well as the clothes.

I do have a copy of the book, as you can see in my first image, but sadly the patterns don't run as small as Miss Fox, so in this instance I have had to improvise a bit until she grows up and I can use the patterns in this book.

I used a tried and tested pattern the Lil Critters dress from Puperita. This pattern is so easy to follow and is the perfect dungaree bib dress, with slightly flared skirt it really is adorable. As with all her patterns the instructions are really clear and are a doddle to follow so I managed to make 2 of these on my day off today. Go me!

In order to make the fox face I just drew the shapes onto the original bib piece and then traced the individual shapes onto separate paper adding a 1cm seam allowance where I needed to join the pieces together. I am really happy with how it all came out, its a very cute little foxy face and this pattern lent itself really well to this adaptation.

For the fabric I used some babycord or needle cord which is very fine corduroy fabric. I love making dresses for kids in cord for Autumn/winter, its such a nice thick fabric and is relatively easy to sew and comes in a huge array of wonderful colours. It can be a little stiff but that's why it lends itself so well to this type of dungaree pattern.

I'm really chuffed with how this turned out and its a lovely fit on her so should serve her well this winter. I will definitely make more of this pattern and there will definitely be more Fox dresses in Miss Fox's future.

Have you ever made any cute adaptations to a regular pattern like this? I'd love to see them, the more cute critters the better!

Sew Over It: Ultimate Pencil Skirt

Hi there, you know I've been putting off making a pencil skirt for such a long time, but I have no idea why. I think its got a lot to do with a skirt I tried to make when I first started sewing from a free pattern which just didn't really turn out that well. Thankfully though I have finally gotten over that hump and I bought the Sew Over It Ultimate Pencil Skirt pattern. I've bought a few fabrics from SOI before, but never sewn one of their patterns.

There are a huge number of pencil skirt patterns in the market but I have heard good reviews about this one in terms of fit from social media and a quick hunt of instagram showed up some really lovely examples. It seemed like a good fit to try out SOI with this pattern. The style and fit of this skirt are just spot on for the way I like to dress at the minute, especially for work.

Lately I have been reaching to my wardrobe for a black skirt in this morning, but the truth of the matter is I actually only have 1 which fits me. So to rectify this I am on a promise to myself to make myself some more black skirts. I have some gorgeous metallic fabric earmarked for this project but I wanted to toile it first so I ordered some plain black cotton sateen from Sew Essential. This fabric is perfect for this skirt because it has a good amount of stretch in it. It meant that even if I cut the pattern ever so slightly on the small side I knew there would be some give in it. Its a lovely quality fabric and I'm glad I bought a few meters. I can definitely see me using the rest for some other projects.

I had absolutely no problem with sewing this up. The fabric was so easy to work with and the pattern was perfectly straightforward. I really don't know why I put this off for so long, and the results speak for themselves, I mean look at how sleek it is. I had no issues with fit and it fit me straight from the packet, which barely ever happens, though I think the stretch sateen might have something to do with that. All in all it only took me a few hours to complete this the first time so I will definitely be making more. I don't know if its just me but I did find the instructions a little simplistic, I had to google the SOI blog for the kick pleat instructions, but that might just be the nature of the drawing inside rather than the instructions themselves.

To Sum it up:
Pattern: Sew Over it Ultimate Pencil Skirt
Fabric: Stretch cotton sateen in black purchased from Sew Essential
Extras: a 12" invisible zipper
Modifications: I took about 6" off the total length in the end as I prefer my skirts to sit just over the knee than below but I am quiet short.
Fit: Like a glove!
Difficulty: Pretty easy

So I love this skirt, I mean its sexy no?! I will definitely make another, and I want to have a go at lining it next time as this one doesn't do to well with tights. I mentioned earlier about it being a toile, I actually don't think this skirt is right for the fabric I had in mind but I have made a couple of alternations to the pattern to change it up a bit and will do another toile shortly to see how that goes on... watch this space.

Have you sewn up this pattern, or are you putting off a project because of something that went wrong in the past? Let me know about it, I would love even more to hear about your post drama successes x

My first Bruyere shirt and how it nearly went in the bin

Hello there and welcome to my first pattern show off in quiet some time. I've been really keen to start sewing properly for myself again, and by properly I mean making something fitted not just more jersey.

This is the Bruyere shirt by Deer and Doe made up in some cotton shirting fabric which I bought online from Croft Mill.

I actually bought the fabric and pattern for this make in May last year when I was heavily pregnant with Fox cub #2 with the intention of it being a staple part of my breastfeeding wardrobe. Fast forward a year and the reality of the situation was that I couldn't face making all the adjustments to the pattern whilst my body was still ever changing shape.

I'm really pleased to have picked it up now though and got my head around all the adjustments because I just love it and I think one of the main reasons for that is the thought I put into embellishing it, more on that shortly.

Fitting: I had to do a number of adjustments to this pattern; my usual full bust adjustment which is to add a whole inch into the front section and remove an inch from the back because for some reason I have a very small back. I found this a bit daunting at first for this pattern as there are so many adjoining pieces: the waistband and the collar and these would all need adjusting as well as the pleats in the skirt. I'm pleased to say though it wasn't nearly as bad as I had imagined, my toile of the bodice turned out perfectly. 

Well then it all went wrong didn't it! Somehow when I retraced my new bodice piece to make a proper pattern piece I didn't cut it properly and the bodice was far too big. I was gutted. I spent so much time on the fit and then had planned and bought all the notions I really didn't want it to end up in the bin. Thankfully my very talented sister came to my rescue and suggested I added a neck dart which we then turned into a fake princess seam to remove the bulk. Its not as great as my toile but thanks to her its now completely wearable so thank you Rachel x

Bling: Well i'm sure your keen eyes have already spotted them but yes, I added a studded collar, its frikkin awesome I love it. 

After I started Me Made May this year I realised I had a lot of clothes that I liked but that I didn't love. I decided after that to try and think a lot more about what I was making and how to make sure it really stood out and felt a lot more special. 

I had a number of ideas for this shirt: Holograph star applique, metal collar cuffs, rainbow buttons, glitter but in the end these simple studs won out. I think they really make this shirt and the buttons are such a perfect match for them. Its functional but still a bit edgy. I could easily wear this chilling in the park like today, smart for the office or glammed up for a night out.

Will I make it again: Definitely! I need to test my pattern adjustments properly. I still want to try those rainbow buttons so might try a black dobby fabric or similar. I also have some fabric which I might use to try a dress hack version.

Would I recommend: Yes, its not nearly as difficult to make as I expected it to be and its such a flattering fit ,especially if you are lucky enough to have an hourglass figure like me.


Do you ever embellish your makes? I'd love to see them or hear your ideas.

Thanks for reading and hopefully this will be the start of me blogging on a more regular basis again.

Me Made May 2018 - Why I loved it, and why I didn't

Wow,  as if you weren't sick enough of my face I had to go blog about it too!

Those that have seen my instagram will be acutely aware I took part in Me Made May this year. This is something that has been going on for a number of years on instagram but this year was the first year I felt I probably had enough clothes to get me through the month - which I thankfully did. The base concept is to wear handmade clothes through the whole of May, this can take on various guises but I took it in its literal form. 

I just wanted to document how it went for me; my thoughts, why I found it really useful and why I actually hated parts of it. I'm going to cover what I learnt about my style and my sewing, my favourite outfits and also your favourite outfits. Its more of a record for myself than anything but I am pleased its given me enough drive to return to my blog.

Selfies - all the selfies

This was the reason I hated this concept. Honestly, I got bored of my own face so I can bet my bottom dollar you did too (so you know i'll just write a blog and fill it with me again!). Then there was the orchestration of it all. Do I have someone to take the picture for me, or do I have to prop my camera/phone up somewhere precarious, how many pictures do I actually need to take to get a decent one, loading them on to my phone, sorting through them, making a post etc etc. It was honestly exhausting so I'm very happy to be back to posting on my own schedule. 

My style 

Over the past month I have discovered for the most part I have 3 distinct styles which I am going to call;

Rockabilly

Goth as fuck 

or 15 year old

I'm not sure they gel perfectly well together in terms of having a 'capsule wardrobe' or whatever that is because a lot of it depends on my mood and what I am doing on that day. Obviously rockabilly works best for formal and work, Goth as works best on a night out and the 15 year old is just me trying to chill in something a bit more quirky. It does feel a little bit like I lack direction sometimes and I should just pick one but I don't want to do that, this is me and that's how I like it. Does anyone else find they don't really conform to one style? what influences what you wear?

I also noted that I have a definite preferences for paler colours up by my face and darker on my lower half. I think a lot of that is down to my hair being paler now so wearing black higher up washes it out a bit. This lead me on to have a good think about the types of colours I think work with my skin tone and the kinds of patterns I liked (note a distinct lack of floral!). Making sure I keep this in mind for my future sewing I'm hopefully more likely to make clothes that I LOVE rather than just being a little meh. 

My favourite outfits:

You can see a selection of my favourite outfits below. The reason for picking these was largely based on 2 factors: How they made me feel and how easy they were to wear. 

From left to right: 

Bettine by Tilly and the buttons in Atelier Brunette 'like a dandy', Another Bettine in some emerald viscose (this creases so bad but its soooooo comfy), A very altered Megan Nielsen maternity skirt in gold spot ponte roma (top is from collectif clothing).

Simplicity 8342 in some old lightning cotton jersey, Colette Zinnia skirt in flamingo cotton lawn, Lilou dress from Tilly first book in some houndstooth viscose

Your favourite outfits:

These were the outfits that got the most likes during the month. Sorry the third picture is not the one from instagram but I can't find the original (I've gone through 3 phones this month, my photos are all over). 

I can definitely see why they are some of your favourites they are all very striking outfits. especially the fabric in the middle one its so pretty. 

From left to right:

Kim dress from By Hand London in some llama print Robert Kaufman cotton, Another Bettine in some stunning crepe from Sew Over It, Wren dress by Colette patterns in some blue lightning jersey from Stof & Stil

So where does that leave me?

The one thing I did realise is that I don't have many great clothes for super hot days. I HATE not wearing tights and having bare legs. Even in a knee length skirt, if its a flared skirt and there is a slight breeze i'd still rather have tights on. I need to address that in my handmade wardrobe and i'm thinking some maxi skirt/dresses might be a nice way to go.

I also realised that a lot of my outfits just felt really uninspiring. Some clothes, whilst plain, can just make you feel great but I found a lot of my clothes just lacked lustre. With this in mind I am going to try and pay more attention to what I make and give it some consideration before I jump in. This starts with fabric and pattern choices but also what can I wear with it, can I bling it up a bit, does it need accessorising etc. Generally I need more sparkles in my life!

Overall it was a very helpful experience. I don't think I will do it so publicly again but it certainly came at the perfect time when I'm just getting back into personal sewing and it has motivated and invigorated me. Hopefully I can use this drive to take my sewing and style to the next level.

As a final side note the blog is very broken. I accidentally let me domain name lapse just after having little Miss Fox and now they want to charge me extortionate rates to have it back so it has changed to a .co.uk domain. This means all my internal links are broken, not the mention all my pinterest ones which just makes me want to cry. So I will be quietly trying to work on that and get this thing going with a bit of gusto again.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my makes, I really enjoyed everyone elses and got some great inspiration so thank you to everyone that took part and took the time to like my posts.