Fi Fi summer set

I treated myself to this pattern a while back in a winter sale. I have to say I absolutely loved making this PJ set by Tilly and Buttons

All of the neat and beautiful techniques are so well explained in the little booklet enclosed. It is fiddly but in an intimate close way that makes sewing really joyful and accurate.

The cotton poplin fabric is from White Tree Fabrics and I was delighted when it arrived. It was very reasonably priced at £6.50m and I expected it to feel cheaper than it was. It is a beautifully soft lightweight cotton. Unfortunately this pattern is sold out but there are many other pretty prints.

I am not modelling it because it is a birthday gift for my friend's 17 year old daughter who is size 8! so on the washing line it goes.

If you are making this yourself make sure you don't choose a fabric with a stripe as the back and front bottom pieces are cut on the bias so you will end up with a bit of a messy optical illusion. Small and ditsy is the way forward but I can already see the potential for a stash busting mash up set to have another go.

I only pinned the back straps on, that is for her to measure up and sew herself. I made a little card to accompany it with sewing and washing instructions. Very happy sewing indeed.

I have been away this last week so I will catch up with everyone's fabulous makes next week.

Thanks for looking. Jo x

Making

I don't make many clothes for the children, I have never needed to. My friend has three girls older than mine and we have a constant stream of lovely clothes arriving season by season but sometimes I make them something using smaller pieces of fabric left from my dressmaking projects, especially if they love the fabric like Big Sis did with this one.

Both patterns are from an old copy of Ottobre magazine. The skirt has a deep ribbing cuff which my girls love because they are slim and are not so keen on the pull-button-elastic on bought skirts because they have to pull them in so much it becomes uncomfortable. This is a breeze to make.

I have made this combo before but I had the wavy hem problem three years ago when I first started sewing with Jersey - not anymore.

She really likes it and there will be some years in the skirt but the leggings are for this year only probably as they are a bit of a  tighter fit. I made them while she was at school hence I miscalculated my growing girl.

I would be happy if I had bought that little set home from the shops. Wouldn't you?

Thanks for calling in as ever. Have a great weekend.
Jo xxx

Birch Trees and Birdies

I received this contemporary Art Jersey from White tree fabrics last month to make an item of clothing. The large print called for a dress with not too many pattern slashes so I went for my first Coco dress or Tunic to keep the tree trunks in tact. I would say that the actual fabric is a brighter blue than on the internet pictures in which it appears a bit more 'duck-egg-grey-blue'

A coco comes together really quickly so they are a joy to make.I pre-washed the fabric at 40 degrees and it came out as good as new. The problem I have had in the past sewing jersey is that the hem wobbles as it stretches and goes under the machine so I tried a stabilising technique. 

Pin up your hem and then with the wrong side of the dress showing, sew under the machine with a layer of grease proof paper between the foot and the fabric. It stops the fabric stretching and leaves you with a beautifully flat hem to press. See...

I did the same on the cuffs. You peel off the paper and pick any little bits off which is small fry compared to wavy cuffs and hems. Try it, it really works.

Then we went out to find some birch trees and some fresh air so my footwear is slightly dubious. I have long grey boots which look great with it but a three mile wet walk in the woods was not the day to be wearing them. Here are a lot of photos just because we took them, laughed a great deal and tried to look normal at a National Trust Property last Sunday.

My petticoat is hanging down with the icy breeze blowing the skirt front up in the air.

At one point some people were looking so we made it look like we were having a normal family photo.

Then because we were being silly, Bloke said, 'show us your bum mum!' - so I showed my legging covered bottom.

My children are too young to be embarrassed by me yet so they were in fits of giggles begging me to put my layers back on because it was so cold not because people might see me. 

Well folks, that was us looking normal.

I hope the sewing tip helps someone grappling with Jersey out there. Thank you White Tree for the sponsorship of fabric, it was a joy to work with.

See you soon.

Jo x

Fat Quarters

I have posted previously about my little fore into making knickers. I made a pair in Liberty fabric for a friend for her birthday and I wish I could play you the squealing answer phone message she sent me after she had tried them on. "OMG they fit, they actually fit and they are beautiful...etc.etc." I made her size 14 out of the rest of my Liberty Wiltshire fabric from White Tree Fabrics. 

I had heard it said that you could make lots of pairs of knickers from fat quarters. Not my fat quarters I can tell you! I made a size 8 pair for my best friend's daughter for her 16th Birthday out of one but you can't cut the bigger sizes on the bias. Then I saw these on White Tree fabric's website.
A mini bolt. Never heard of them but they are considerably bigger than a fat quarter. They are 1.5 x 45 cm. White Tree kindly sent me some to try with some knicker elastic.

Oh joy! I can get two pairs out of one bolt and I needed 2.3m of elastic for one pair. I am keeping these ones for myself. The pattern is from Flo Jo. I have worn and washed one pair (the ones at the back) and they turned out fine.

These bolts are so pretty and would be great for making any patchwork, aprons, pump bags, make up cases, cushions or even knickers!!

Strawberry news: I made this cake for my mum's 60th Birthday last week called the "I can't believe you made that, cake" from a book by Lorraine Pascal. It was divine.

Happy crafting. Jo xxx

White tree, black lace!

I have made a guipure lace Christmas party top. How and why? read on...

It started with some inspiration from a vintage pattern find:

I liked the lace affair in the centre and read the back of the packet to find I needed guipure lace... what on earth is that? I thought... I visited White tree fabrics for some ideas.

I was sent this beautiful guipure lace. It has a cotton/crochet feel about it but in all honesty, I had no idea how to actually work with it. I sort of ran shy from the original vintage pattern. I started to think the less raw edges and cuts I made, the less amount of things could go wrong. 

Image from Gertie's book.

So I fell back on a modern vintage pattern and went for another portrait blouse from Gerties Book for Better Sewing. She had made a lace version that I thought would fit the bill. 

The lining acted as a kind of muslin. I made it slightly bigger in

the waist and hips to eliminate the need for a side zip. I was still going with the less is more theme. Inserting a zip in this lace? absolutely no idea!

The colour inspiration for the lining comes from my personal pledge to myself to only make things that go with other things that I already have and I love these shoes.

In the end I lost some of the body shaping which I knew would happen with the tweeks I made but it is the most comfortable top ever. The vintage element eventually turned out to be a bit 1920's flapper girl don't you think?

I read a few tutorials on this lace and they all said to use bias binding (which is what had been done on the original pattern I looked at) to finish the edges which was the perfect.

I am feeling pretty on trend with lace - it is everywhere in the shops and it is not that scary to sew with. I would like to thank White Tree Fabrics for letting me try out their fabric. Do pop over to their website if you feel inspired. I am going to wear it on Christmas day and to any festive get-togethers I happen to get invited to - hint hint!

This is also my final piece for the 2014 Vintage sewing pattern pledge hosted by Stitching Odyssey. I have used five vintage patterns this year.

Thanks for stopping by. Jo xxxx

One for the boys?

Here is one for the boys. We have been invited to a wedding with a dress code called 'a touch of country tweed'. Bloke has been asked to read a poem for his very good friend and also has to wear a tweed style waistcoat of his choosing. This is where I stepped in.

I have recently joined the blogging team at White Tree Fabrics so I ordered a pattern and some sumptuous satin lining. The main fabric I already had, it is some welsh wool from years and years ago, the 1980's I think, which someone gave me. Ta dah!

 

The colours in the wool are perfect for matching any colour trousers or shirt - grey, navy, brown, white.

The quality of the lining from White Tree really made the back though. I looks so luxurious.

The pattern construction was not for the beginner. It did have little pockets on the front with welts but the fabric was too thick to get the welts to sit flat (and I was a bit rubbish at it if the truth be told!!) so I binned that side and cut out another one. He was happy with a smooth fitting flat front. "What would I have put in a tiny pocket like that anyway?" he quizzed. 

I popped in a little label from me to him.

This is the pattern from White Tree Fabrics. You can be a real master and try the one with the collar - it has 13 pieces in it, or just make a plain one like I did. 

So I know you will be wondering what does it actually look like.

We went to the wedding in our homemade outfits and lapped up the compliments.

Thanks for looking at my project, I love it when you visit.

Thanks to all at White Tree Fabrics.

Jo xxxx