Jersey Baby Trousers

Introducing... Master Fox. This handsome little man really has changed my whole world but he is totally worth it. So to celebrate his arrival my first make of 2015 is this dapper little pair of Jersey trousers which I made from an old tshirt.

Baby's end up with lots of legless body baby grows, which are great, but in winter you need to keep those chubby little legs warm. However you don't get multipacks of trousers like you do babygrows and as any parent knows you need a million pairs of everything due to the amount of washing a baby generates!

To get the pattern for these trousers I just drew round a folded pair he already owned and added a seem allowance. I then cut the pieces from an old tshirt and whipped them together on the overlocker. They really were incredibly easy to make. I mad these as a prototype before cutting up some nicer fabric so I will do a quick tutorial for you when I make up the next pair. 

I hope you like this quick little make, and the picture of our new little cutie. He was a little bit jaundice at birth so he looks super tanned in this piccie. He is all fine now though :) I can't wait to think up all the other little things to make for the monkey. Watch this space! 

A Quickie Striped Lady Skater

Happy Friday once again, it's also my sisters birthday today so HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I am looking forward to seeing her later and also to eating some of the spectacular food that she always puts on. My lovely car, Electra, is having her MOT today so here's hoping she does well. In other good news it looks like we have sorted the kitchen so we just need to confirm the quote and get it booked in... exciting stuff.

I have a quickie sew to show you this week. I made up a super speedy version of the Lady Skater dress last weekend. Honestly I whipped this up in a few hours that's how easy this pattern is. I went for a plain black jersey for the skirt and some white and black stripe for the top section because I really like the contrast.

About the Dress:
Pattern: Lady Skater by Kitschy Koo
Size: 3
Fabric: Black and a White and Black Stripe Jersey bought from Derby Marketplace
Alterations: Took 1.5 inches from the bottom of the skirt. Re-drafted the neck slightly so its slightly lower and a bit more square.

To make the neck adjustment I took a store bought jersey top which I like the neckline of, folded it in half and re-drafted around this on to the pattern piece. I didn't take much off so didn't adjust the length of the next band. It does gather a bit at the front so in hindsight it probably would have been a good idea to add half an inch or so just to accommodate this.

I had a much better go with the elastic this time. I used my walking foot which stopped the issue with the stretching that I had on the last version. I did still have a little bit of stretch on the front body but not too much to stress about. I have been wearing it all day today without the belt coverup. The overlocker really shines with this pattern its just so simple and quick, but would be just as easy using a zig zag stitch on a sewing machine. I also managed the twin needle hem in one easy motion and this is only the 3rd attempt at one so I am very happy at how that turned out.

I am very pleased with this little version, it feels very spring like, I just wish we would get more of the sunshine and less of the showers (though the garden likes it).

Do you have any plans for a version of this dress? I have a lace version going on in my head at the moment so it probably won't be long until you see that one as well.

Don't Fear the Twin Needle: My First Lady Skater

 

I went shopping this weekend and had such a huge attack of 'I could so make that myself, and it would fit better'. This can be quiet an irritating habit because not only do you need to find the time (who are you trying to kid you have time for this), but also getting all the fabric/notions required to actually make the thing that you probably could have purchased for less than £20! Never mind. I did at least come home and do some sketches as well as making a pinterest board to keep my ideas together before I forget.

 

But that wasn't what this post was supposed to be about was it, no! Its a post about my first ever Lady Skater. I did it, not only did I conqour a fear of knits, but I mastered both the overlocker and had my first ever attempt at using a twin needle. My conclusion: Don't fear the twin needle, its great and really easy to use (even if my threads did tangle on one occasion).

A bit about the Pattern:
Pattern: Lady Skater by Kitschy Coo
Fabric: Grey Leopard Jersey Knit
Size: 3
Alterations: I took the hem up by 2 inches.

Verdict: I LOVE this pattern and can foresee many more versions of this in the future. Its so easy to fit, I fit it on my waist size and you can see that the girls are sitting in there fine with no major issues at all. The skirt is flared so there is no need to worry about hip adjustments either. All in all this is the perfect pattern for trying your hand at some knit/jersey sewing. The instructions were really clear and it has a simple construction. I ditched the iPad half way through as the construction was so obvious. This makes me happy. When making this up again I will probably try and scoop the neck a bit more by tracing one of my favourite vest tops. I will also shorten the sleeve as I am a bit strange and don't like a 3/4, I sort of prefer a 1/2 coming just to the elbow (you can see its already bunched up and will stay that way!).

At this point I want to impart a bit of wisdom on to you all. If you only ever buy one additional foot for your sewing machine make it a walking foot. I bought mine because I was doing some quilting but my goodness this thing is so useful for EVERYTHING. It basically 'walks' both layers of fabric through the machine at the same speed. Perfect if you have fabrics of different construction, or are sewing knits to stop them from overstretching.

Those of you who have already made the Lady Skater might notice the issue I had with the elastic on this one. I am not going to lie to you, its a mess! This pattern wants you to sew some thin elastic into the seam allowance on the shoulders and the waist to stop the fabric stretching over time. Wearing it I can see why you would do this, however putting it in was a mare! The elastic I used is very plasticy and so it wouldn't feed under the machine foot. I ended up having to pull it through the machine to attach it and it just stretched the seams way out of proportion. Thankfully the lovely Amanda who designed this pattern gave me some top tips which I will certainly test out to find out which works best for me before sewing up the next version. These were: try a walking foot (literally D'OH, why did I not even try this!); make the feed tension lesser, i,e treat it like you are sewing something very think; stick some masking tape to the bottom of the presser foot to stop it sticking (I have also heard this is good for sewing oilcloth, so I need to try it on PVC) or stitch through some tracing paper and then remove after sewn in. Hopefully the walking foot will work but there are lots of options to try if not (Thank you Amanda).

How cute are these tights! Meow! They were from Primark in case you want to snap up a pair.

So if you haven't tried this pattern I really suggest you do, overlocker or no, its really great and so comfy to wear. Not to mention knits come in the most amazing array of prints. Despite this being a bit of a glorified muslin I think it will still get worn with the belt as it covers up the biggest sin.

And don't forget, don't fear the twin needle, honestly, try this for knits it gives a perfect finish. I will leave you with some of the sketches and the pinterest board that I made instead of just giving myself an easy life!

I got me an overlocker!

Last weeks edition of The Great British Sewing Bee was so timely as it came just 4 days after I put in my order for my very own overlocker. I am so excited to give this baby a go.

I have never used an overlocker in my life and have no idea where to even start. All I know is that looking at my wardrobe, and the type of clothes I like to wear, they are mostly all made of some sort of jersey or stretch fabric so this will make attempting to sew them so much easier. Now I know I don't NEED an overlocker by any stretch of the imagination, but I came it to a bit of bonus money recently and thought I might as well treat myself. Who doesn't love a new piece of machinery or tool!

I wanted to make sure I did a bit of research first as this was my first time buying one. Things which are looked out for are:

• 3 or 4 Threads: Having the option for either or means that you have a larger range of stitch type options.
• Rolled Hem: This will turn under and overstitch them edge of the fabric, perfect for hemming
• Differential Feed: This is an adjustment to alter the feed so that fabrics don't become too stretched or gathered giving you a beautiful flat seam (see example below).
• Retractable Cutting Knife: Allowing you to sew decorative stitches without cutting the seam
• Colour Coded Threading: Allowing you to see easily how to re-thread the machine
• Adjustable Cutting Width: Change the amount of the seam which is cut
• Variable Seam length and width: Some come with one or the other or neither. I wanted a good variation on this.

I opted for the Janome 9300DX in the end because it was within my price bracket and on comparison gave a good range in stitch adjustments for what I wanted. However if you are thinking about a cheaper version Tilly has been raving about her Brother 1034D.

The picture above shows you what differential feed really means (the clue is so not in the title). It is a dial that changes the amount of 'give', for want of a better word, in the seam stitches. If you look at the top one my differential feed is not set correctly and so the seam is stretched and out of shape (not good). If you turn the dial (up for jersey) then you change the differential feed and you can see this has made everything nice and straight and flat, magic. So that is what differential feed means, I know, I didn't have a monkeys either so don't worry. I will definitely be showing you what happens when I get to have a proper play with this.

Do any of you have an overlocker and have any tips or tricks for me? Alternatively, if you are thinking about one why do you want it? And I hope this post might have given you a bit of an insight in to what to look out for.