Another New Look 6216 and its floral!

I'm pretty sure a few posts ago when I did some baby sewing I talked about how I NEVER sew in florals for myself because I just never ever wear them. What happened?

The print is very 'twee' and feels a bit Cath Kidson to me, what with the colour and the flowers and I honestly can't tell you whats drawn me to this fabric. Maybe its my inner 'mummy' but whatever it is I actually really like it.

There isn't really much to say about this sew, it is another New Look 6216 in size 10. The last two I made just seemed to feel really nice when I tried them on over my bump so I figured I could fit another one into my wardrobe for after baby arrives. This pattern is just so easy to sew and the results look stunning, it could definitely be store bought. I really liked the additional sleeve option out of the two I made last time so I used it again on this version.

Both fabrics are from a local fabric shop in Derby called 'Elegance'. I don't tend to go in very often but I definitely should more, they have some lovely bits in there and the staff are so nice.

This jersey is a little thicker than the stuff I used to make the other versions in my previous post but the top still hangs really well and this jersey handled perfectly.

I'll tell you what though, I'm bored of blogging about things which I can't actually show you being modeled, everything looks so flat. It's also hard to write about the fit etc of a pattern when you can't actually wear it. That being said I can't wait to start sharing them later on. Watch this space.

Do you ever sew with fabrics out of your comfort zone in terms of colour/print? How did you find it, were they worn or did they just end up in the back of the drawer never to see the light of day again? Hopefully this won't be the case here as I do really like this fabric but only time will tell whether I actually managed to add a floral print to my wardrobe.

Some roomy Rumi tanks

Continuing on my baggy jersey basics campaign This week I stitched myself up 3 (yes 3!) new tank tops which are again aimed at my post baby, breastfeeding body. Being as summer is pretty much on our doorstep I thought I best make sure I have thought about those hot sweaty days with a hot sweaty baby and have some functional vest tops.

The pattern is the Rumi tank by Christine Haynes, its a racer back vest top which is quiet fitted at the top, but has lots of room at the bottom so will hopefully skim those curves rather than cling to them. It was the loose fit at the bottom of this tank which really made me want to give this pattern a go.

The sew itself could not have been easier, as a pattern these things are a cinch and so quick to make. The instructions were perfectly adequate, they are brief, but then there is not actually much to be doing to make these. I made all of these, including cutting, in about 6 hours, but given my mobility at the moment that's pretty good going. I definitely recommend this pattern and I can see it becoming one of my staple go to patterns in the future. What I really like about this pattern is the way the binding is attached, it makes for a really professional clean finish.

None of these are 'perfect' makes, but they are certainly all wearable. The biggest issue I had was keeping the width of the neckband even as I overlocked it on. I am hopeful this is just something that would get better with practice as I was certainly better by the third version here.

I used three very different fabrics to make these tanks. My favourite (in looks) is definitely this pineapple one, however the fabric itself is horrible! Its really fine, it has barely any stretch for a jersey and it just feels a bit cheap really. I bought it from a local fabric shop a year ago because of the print but the last project I tried just didn't work as there was not enough give. Hopefully this tank will be baggy enough that this won't matter. This version kept its shape the best, but that's because you would struggle to stretch it out of shape. This is the reason why I edged it in the black, as I needed a fabric with more recovery for the binding. I do like the way it looks though, lets hope it wears ok.

Next up is the black one made from some very fine polyester jersey which I bought from the market years ago. This is a really nice fabric for this pattern as its so fine it has a beautiful drape. That being said this one has the most stretched out hem as the twin needle sewing was not so easy on something so delicate. Who doesn't need more black basic vests though? Exactly, we all do, they go with anything and if the hem is too stretched out when worn I can always wear it tucked into a waist high skirt. 

Lastly is this pinky/red marl version. This fabric I bought very recently in Elegance in derby (a local fabric shop) as I quiet liked the colour and texture and it wasn't very expensive. This fabric is a lot thicker jersey than the other two and so its drape is not as good. I do really like this version but I have a feeling the weight of the fabric isn't going to suit the pattern anywhere near as well as the others. This version has stretched out in the hem a little but its not bad, this fabric was also the hardest to attach the edging on and has the most obvious difference in width.

So all in all this pattern gets a big thumbs up form me, lets hope its the same verdict once I actually get to wear them! Again I will try and share some pictures on instagram once I finally get them worn

Have you ever made up the same pattern in numerous types of fabric? How did you find the differences? It really has amazed me, even in the same 'type' of fabric how much of a difference one can make to the other.

New Look 6216 - Striped baggy tshirts

Its ok that all my clothes for the next 6 months are stripey isn't it, or do I maybe need to start branching out a bit? :)

Following on from my earlier post where I talked about my personal sewing being all about the breastfeeding at the moment these are no exception to that. What with summer approaching and everything I thought I better sew a couple of short sleeved tops to see me through the warmer weather. I kept with the same theme of nice and baggy so there is room to lift up for feeding and also plenty of room to hide my post baby belly.

These tops are both made using the New Look 6216 sewing pattern which I bought form Sew Essential again. The grey stripe and pink version is made in view B which includes these extra sleeve bands and the black and white version is in view C which has slightly shorter sleeves. I actually haven't made a decision on which version I prefer as yet, they both look and feel great, but as I haven't managed to get the wear out of them you will have to watch this space for my final verdict.

These tops were ridiculously easy to sew. I have always shyed away from making any jersey basics, for a couple of reasons really; firstly they are usually so cheap to buy, why go to the effort of making them and secondly it always seemed really fiddly and not the easiest fabric to sew with. I was really wrong! I knocked both these up in about 4 hours total (including tracing and cutting the pieces) which is really fast and they look great. I have to say I am really pleased with the way I have been managing knit neckbands lately which makes me happy.

Again I have mostly just been experimenting by using up some of my stash jersey which was getting a bit out of hand. These were both made out of polyester jersey which I bought from local markets. I have a nice mix of poly and cotton jerseys in my stash but the reason I picked the polys for this project was because they have a much more flowing drape. They are a bit more lightweight that cotton jerseys tend to be so they lend themselves much better to this sort of baggy top. A definite consideration if you are thinking of making a top like this.

The fit seems to be pretty ok (as much as you can tell with a massive baby in your tummy!). I made this version in a more true to size size than the last top I made which I think was a much better idea, its less like a tent and seems to fit a lot better. I like the neckline on this top, its wide enough but not too massive to fall off your shoulders and the length seems pretty good.

All in all i'm really happy with how these have come out, a couple of quick satisfying makes. Again, its a shame I can't model them for you but I will make sure to pop some pics on instagram once they are in action.

For my next selfish sew I have been looking at tank top patterns, I think I like the look of the Rumi tank, though I worry it might be a bit short length wise. I will have another look around to see if I can see anything else that fits the bill, but if you know of any patterns please shout up.

Lastly, as a rather random final word; I have had my eye on this sewing pattern for a while now, the reason being that I have been hankering after making a top which Veronica Mars wears in the Veronica Mars movie. Ever since seeing this movie in 2014 I have had this make in the back of my mind but just haven't ever got around to it, mostly because of my fear of tackling a jersey basic I think. The top is this black burnout stripe one (I can't find a better picture on the internets). From my recollection it has a sort of faux leather binding which I would love to pull off. Watch this space, I now have the means!

Kwik Sew 4041 - Coral striped slouched raglan top

Isn't this fabric beautiful :) I love the huge coral stripes and I think it lends itself really well to this lovely draped top.

I have switched my focus of personal sewing now from maternity on to postpartum so the next few posts from me will 100% have breastfeeding in mind. From my experience last time, and from talking to fellow breastfeeding mums I have been advised that using the one up one down method of clothing is by far the best for feeding. This basically means wearing a  vest top to cover your tummy with a baggier top over the top which you can lift up to feed. I love this idea for so many reasons: 1. You can wear regular clothes (with the exception of nursing bras) 2. Nursing clothing can be really overpriced for what it is and 3. I always really hated putting a cloth over Master Fox's head, it felt so rude, and this method is discreet enough to not need to do this.

So anyway, on to the make itself. The fabric is a gorgeous lightweight polyester jersey from Guthrie and Ghani. I am a little annoyed at myself because whilst I followed the pattern guidelines for the amount of fabric (which I only just pulled off) I didn't have anywhere near enough to match the stripes across the raglan sleeves. It looks ok thankfully but it would have been nice to have them running across the top properly.

The pattern is Kwik Sew 4041 which I bought from Sew Essential (the lovely ladies that helped me choose my sewing machine). This pattern is so ridiculously easy! The whole thing was made in one evening and the results are brilliant. Its a lovely loose fitting top with a very wide neckline.

The pattern actually has a regular sleeve which is just turned under and stitched with a twin needle like the hem but sadly as mentioned above I was struggling to get the whole top cut out of the amount of fabric I had. I decided the best thing to get around this would be to cut the sleeves short and then add a folded cuff to the bottom cut from some of the leftover smaller sections of fabric. This worked brilliantly and I love the finish of it. It makes it feel a bit more sweat top like which I don't mind one bit.

I made the top up in a size medium (I am usually a small) without doing any measurements because I wanted to make sure it would go over my postpartum tummy and still be nice and drapey. I think in hindsight, given as the pattern is supposed to be baggy, I could probably have got away with a small. It is a bit like a tent but it is wearable and will fit the desired purpose, even if I just end up slobbing at home in it.

Its a real shame I can't 'model' this for you, but it just looks a bit silly over my rather large growing bump. The hang of the top really doesn't work with that obstruction! I'll be sure to stick a picture up on instagram once I get around to wearing it.