Buffalo Check Coat: The Last Coat I'll Ever Make?

Well, let's be honest, it's probably not the last coat I will ever make, but right now that's how I feel. As I was starting this project, Pat (Mr SoZo) questioned, 'Didn't you say you were never going to make another coat again?', and he was right because I said exactly that during the construction of each of the five-ish fully lined coats and jackets I'd made before this one. Dreaming and planning them is fun, but I find the actually making process such a slog. However, I am relieved to be able to say that I LOVE this finished garment! Let me tell you about this coat and shower your screen with many photos of it....

Fabric:

This project was one of my #makenine2019 sewing plans, having had this lovely, soft, buffalo check coat fabric hanging out in my stash for far too long. I started this coat project towards the end of last year, but I knew it was going to be a beast of a project, so I allowed myself to take my time. It probably took close to six weeks in total. 

The fabric was originally from Fabric Godmother, bought about three years ago. It's long since out of stock, so I can't check, but I'm pretty sure it's polyester or some such synthetic fibre. I try to avoid synthetic fibres where possible these days, but because I already had it, plus a coat is less likely to get washed and therefore less likely to release micro plastics into the water system, I went ahead. This fabric is super soft, slightly fuzzy, and the perfect, bold, buffalo check. 

As you can imagine, cutting out the pieces for this project took an age. Not least because I only had about 2m of it, originally intending it for a jacket. But I was determined to make something that covered my bum because I just want to feel warm at this point. I googled 'Buffalo check coat' for advise on check placement, and found the awesome Comme des Garcons coat that is pictured below. Pattern matching at the side seams and top seams on the sleeves was pretty tricky because the fabric's fuzziness made the edges of the checks unclear, however I think the final look is pretty much spot on. I managed to get the hem and sleeve hems to finish on a check too. Oh, and there was one really hairy moment when I realised that I was missing one of my back sleeve pieces! I still don't know if I lost it, or failed to cut it out in the first place (I was cutting this out on the flat, not the fold because of the check and tight lay plan), but I managed to *just* squeeze another from the remainder of my fabric. Phew!

(image source: Comme des Garcons)

My intention for this coat was to make it warm enough to withstand the worst an English winter can throw at you at best, and warmer than my grey cocoon coat at the least. My first step to achieving this was to get the same fusible coat interfacing from the English Couture Company that I used for the cocoon coat. I've been so impressed by this stuff: the extra thickness and smoothness that it gives a coat fabric, and I recommend it to all my sewing students who are thinking of working on a coat project. I feel I should definitely mention that fusing this interfacing to this particular coat fabric did make my pieces shrink a bit. It didn't cause me any problems because the pattern was a little large for me anyway, but to avoid the risk of that happening, I'd advise block fusing the interfacing on BEFORE you cut your coat pieces out if you choose to use this stuff yourself. 

Having started construction, I swiftly found that this fabric didn't press very well. So I ended up slip-stitching every damn seam allowance down inside so that all my seams would lie nice and flat. Having used the fusible interfacing really helped with this, because I was able to slip stitch the seam allowances to the fusing rather than to the outer fabric so I didn't disturb the smoothness of the fabric from the right side. 

My second step on the path to snuggliness was to quilt the lining. I considered buying pre-quilted fabric to line it, but I already had this gorgeous, deep rust, viscose twill lining in my stash (also from Fabric Godmother, also out of stock, soz) so I decided to have a go at quilting it myself. I bought some fairly lightweight cotton batting from Little Miss Sew N Sew in Eastbourne, borrowed some spray adhesive stuff that quilters apparently use, and drew on some diagonal lines the width of a metre ruler. I was only quilting two layers, the lining and the batting, so I used a walking foot in my machine, with the batting side up. I quilted the full 1.5m before cutting out my pieces this time, and quilting that big section took what felt like most of my life. Also, note to self: do NOT use a sharpie pen to draw lines on fabric, because it's liable to bleed and will not wash off. Glad I learned that lesson on the lining! 

Pattern:

This amazing vintage pattern has been in my stash for at least seven years (most likely from eBay) and it was published in 1959! It was for a 37" bust, although I never know if vintage dress patterns refer to your full or high bust. Either way, 37" is a bit bigger than I am, but I thought I could bring it in at the side seams if necessary. As I mentioned above, the fusing shrunk the pieces slightly and the result was just the kind of fit I would look for in a coat of this type. 

As with many mid-century sewing patterns, this assumed a greater base level of sewing knowledge than patterns created today tend to. Which seems so unfair considering this was published way before YouTube. I don't know if it was me, the scant instructions or the combination of bulky outer fabric with lightweight pocket linings, but the welt pockets construction in particular was a real headache. It annoys me that there are some raw edges inside at the bottom of the welt, but from the outside they look fine. 

With a flash of maverick flair, I ended up ignoring the instructions on how to insert the lining. The pattern had you basically finish the whole outer coat (buttons, button holes, hemming and all) and then attach the lining. This seemed pretty bonkers to me, so I used the same method as my cocoon coat and the finish looks fine. 

I ummed and ahhed about using this project as an opportunity to finally get to grips with bound buttonholes. But ultimately, I felt that, with the pattern matching considerations and my bulky, fused outer fabric, I'd wimp out about go for the chunky press-stud option instead. The chunky press studs have worked so well with my cocoon coat. They make the coat so easy to put on and take off, plus after a year of heavy use, I have yet to have to restitch them (unlike the buttons of every other coat or jacket I've made), so I went on eBay and found the exact same type that I used before. 

Thoughts:

I really do love this coat. I think the fabric makes such a fantastic impact. The colours mean it goes with everything I'm likely to wear it with, however it's a bit more lively and fun than a solid black, white or grey coat would be IMO. I'm also really happy with how the buffalo check and the giant press studs give the vintage pattern a modern twist, so that it doesn't really look like a vintage garment at all. The interfacing and quilted lining have done the trick, and it is definitely warmer than my cocoon coat. I have clear 'winter' and 'spring/autumn' options now, which I'm grateful for. 

What I don't like, is that the under collar peeks out a bit, especially at the back. Oh, and that raw edge inside the pocket, but I'm trying to redefine those in my mind as the 'quirks' of a handmade garment over something made in a factory. So, on balance, I am thrilled with this garment, not least because it's finished!  

Breton Sweatshirt

Ok, so I've figured out another way to insert some Breton vibes into my wardrobe: as a kind of sweatshirt. I've used up my official photographer's goodwill, so whilst that replenishes, you'll have to see this garment on the stand. Goodness, I hope the goodwill is sufficiently restored before #mmmay16!  

Fabric:

I want to talk about the fabric before the pattern in this post because that is where this project started. Back in August, I helped out at the Fabric Godmother's first open day. Josie was incredibly generous and let me pick a couple of lovely pieces of fabric as a 'thank you' for my time. When I got home I kept thinking about this awesome paint-effect stripy french terry knit and was kicking myself for not having picked it at the time. I mentioned it whilst chatting with someone on twitter, and a short while later, two metres arrived in the post!!! Josie is the sweetest lady, let it be said! 

I haven't owned any french terry fabric before and was interested to inspect it at close quarters. From the right side, it looks like sweatshirt fabric, but the wrong side is loopy rather than fleecy and overall this stuff is a fair bit thinner than sweatshirt fabric tends to be. It's actually quite drapey, which is why I picked some sturdy woven fabric to face the neckline and hem line, as I doubt a self-facing would hold it's shape at all well.

The facing fabric was a scrap of curtaining left over from my nautical knot dress. I also used the same stuff to make a sample of the Sew Over It Tulip skirt when I used to work for them, which can be seen here. That skirt appeared in one of the sewing magazines a while back in case this nautical fabric is looking familiar and you can't figure out why!

Pattern:

This garment is my third that has been based in some way on the vintage pattern pictured below. I'm still firmly in love with my 1960's Breton top so I imagine this won't be the last time I try and recreate a little of that magic by turning to this pattern. This time I decided to monkey around with the hem, probably inspired by something I'd seen via Pinterest. I eye-balled the curved hem shape and made the corresponding facing pattern piece. 

Because the french terry is so drapey, I probably should have omitted the bust darts (which I promise is more inline with my bust on my actual body; my stand is unrealistically pert!) but I wanted to get cracking so blazed ahead without doing so. I added a little patch pocket to break up the stripes a bit from the same fabric as the facings. The jury is still out on whether the fabrics go together, but I like that they both have a hand-painted effect to them. 

Thoughts:

Until you see this modelled during #mmmay16, you'll have to trust me when I tell you that this is a pretty good looking garment when worn. It is definitely more casual than the 1960's Breton version, which holds its shape very well, but that's fine as playgroup/ground-suitable wardrobe fodder is always welcome round these parts. Currently I have no cardigans that are suitable for layering over the top of this, so I'll have to wait until it is a lot warmer to bust it out properly. 

I'm not, however, entirely convinced yet that the hem facing is a win. It feels slightly more constricting round my hips than it would if I'd just hemmed it, and I'm a little concerned that the drapey french terry might sag a little around the topstitching that secures the hem facing in place. If that ends up happening, I'll probably rethink the curved hem and re-hem it straight after unpicking the facing. 

Cost:

Fabric: £0 (it was a gift from Fabric Godmother and sadly, although unsurprisingly, it's no longer on their website so I can't even tell you how much it would cost. The last time I was there though, there was a tiny bit left on a roll, so if you're interested it might be worth contacting them)

Lining fabric: £0 (a scrap of a charity-shopped curtain that my mum gave me)

Pattern: £0 (well, I probably bought it on eBay yonks ago but I've long since forgotten about its source so am considering it free!) 

Total: £0 (arguably)

Vintage Cord Bunny Applique Dress

Well, its quality rather quantity that you're seeing right now! I was super excited to be taking part in the KCW sewalong/challenge last week, but a couple of days in and I was struck down with the lurgy, so I only got to complete one garment. Sad times. Anyways, let me tell you about what I was able to achieve...

Fabric:

As I mentioned in my last post, I wanted to take the opportunity to make something slightly more time consuming than the quick scrap-busters I've recently been knocking out. I've got some lovely pieces of fabric that have been patiently waiting in my stash for years that aren't ear marked for any specific usage. I thought last week would be a great chance to explore the potential in a few of them. 

I'm guessing that this piece of floral printed corduroy is vintage, it really reminds me of pinafores and dungarees from the late 70's. At one point I had vague plans to make some shorts for my tiny friend Kirstin (there wasn't much of this fabric!) after she mentioned that it reminded her of her childhood, but I think I used something else in the end. It's quite thick and pretty stiff, so a pinafore dress was probably always going to be the best use for it anyhow. 

I considered making patch pockets from the leather to bring a slightly contemporary vibe to this garment, possibly using the original pattern's pocket piece as a guide. However, I know that Dolores will engage far more with a garment if it features an animal, character or shape that she recognises, so the leather pockets became leather bunny appliques. I had a lot of fun with my walking foot stitching down these bunnies, which I first secured with some blobs of copydex. I really like how the bunnies are now sitting in a field of flowers. 

Pattern:

I almost used the same pattern as the fawn pinafore dress, but I then unearthed this vintage pattern that's been in my stash for years. I bought it pretty cheaply from Snoopers Paradise in Brighton about four or five years ago, and it was originally published in 1978. I cut the size 3, and because I find some little girl dress patterns from the 50's, 60's and 70's disturbingly short, I added about 10cm to the length. Dolores is coming up to 2 and a half, and I think this dress may fit her this time next year, and maybe will continue to do so until she's nearly five! 

It was a super simple make. Aside from the length, the only other change I made was the addition of a centre back seam to make it fit on the limited quantity of fabric. The one element I'm not wild about is that I think, in hindsight, that the buttonholes on the shoulders don't sit close enough to the edge, which is making the overlaps stick out a little bit. 

Thoughts:

The combination of vintage pattern and (probably) vintage fabric along with a dash of leather detailing is making me pretty happy here. Dolores seems to love it too, but whether she still feels that way about it in a year's time remains to be seen!

Cost:

Fabric: £0 (I'm pretty sure I was given this fabric)
Lining fabric: £0 (left overs from some sampling work I did last year)
Pattern: £1.50 (I may use it once again)
Leather: £0 (from a number of little samples given to me by Claire)
Butons: £0 (from my stash but were donated to me)
Total: £1.50

I'm pleased with that. Now I just need to make sure I don't forget about it so it actually sees lots of wear to make its creation worth while. How about you? If you participated in KCW, how did you get on? I hope the lurgy didn't get you too!

Breton Fleece

So I made a fleece garment, for myself. Quite frankly, I can't believe we're having this conversation. I've always associated fleece with hiking or children's wear only, and I am NOT generally a fan of it in any other guise. But I got fed up of feeling cold, and now I'm wearing fleece too, outside the house even. I've adopted such a mum style, I'm even wearing wellies.

Pattern:

This garment is the last of my nippy weather sewing plans. My aim was to make another version of my 1960's Breton top, as I wear that thing sooooo often. When I took out the fabric that I had lined up for my second version, I realised that it was way too thin to keep me very warm in nippy weather. I'll still make that version, but when the fleece came into my life, the project took on a different angle and the fabric and pattern kind of informed each other. 

I decided that full length sleeves would be required, and that the drop shoulders of the original 1960's Breton top pattern (based on the pattern pictured above) probably wouldn't sit very well in the stiffer fleece fabric. It became clear that a mashup was being called for so I used the Tilly and the Buttons Coco pattern (pictured below) for the armholes and sleeve in a size larger than I would usually require, and I decided to incorporate the funnel neck option as well for maximum snugness. I basically used my original Breton pattern from the armpits down, omitting the bust darts. 

Fabric:

I found approx. 1m of this stripy fleece in a reduced bin in a fabric shop/haberdashery called Thimbalinas in Bexhill. I was in there with Dolores and my mum a few weeks back (the latter was buying yarn to knit a cardi for the former). When I saw it I joked to myself 'I could make a fleece Breton!" Then I thought, 'Umm, actually I could make a fleece Breton...'. So I spent about £5.60 on the metre and took it home to ponder. I decided that a contrast shoulder panel in a solid cream would hopefully make it more evident that a Breton top was what I was trying to emulate. The solid cream fleece also came from the Hastings branch of Thimbalinas. Initially I had intended to cut the sleeves entirely from the stripy fleece only, but there wasn't enough to I had to use the cream fleece for the tops of the arms as well. I kind of dislike the slight difference of fleece textures that comprise the sleeves, but there wasn't really any other option. The garment seams where stitched using my (long-suffering) overlocker, and I used my regular sewing machine for hemming. 

Thoughts:

I'm in two minds about this garment. On the one hand I love it because it is now the cosiest garment I own, and it means that my only other two cold-weather tops can get a tiny break! On the other hand, I look at these pictures and I see a someone who belongs on an allotment. Which is a ridiculous thing to think because actually I would LOVE an allotment! Although I've been a mum for a couple of years now, and my barfly days have been largely left behind (two drink limit these days, amirite?), and I've long been committed to comfort in any clothing I make, I think this garment is a significant leap in that direction that I didn't quite see coming. 

Cost:

Stripy fleece: approx. £5.60
Cream fleece: approx. £8
Pattern: £0 (the vintage one has been in my stash forever, and I got the Coco one for free because I teach the Coco workshop, but it can be bought here for £12.50)
Total: approx. £13.60

I imagine I'll be using this fleece top for years and years. If it gets covered in paint or something, maybe it'll be relegated to the allotment!

1960's Breton Top: The Best Thing I Have Ever Sewn, Maybe

A bold title, non?! This top may not look super-exciting, but by making it, I have managed to make EXACTLY the garment I wanted in my wardrobe. So, some back story... 

You know me, I usually prefer to make/wear vaguely retro style clothing, and I've been thinking about moving in a slightly different direction from my usual inspiration points. For a couple of years now I've been inspired by looser, boxier fitting tops from the 1960's, like the garment on the right of the pattern illustration pictured below, but haven't done anything about it. Until now, that is. 

This style top looks excellent with skinny jeans and capri pants, and seeing as I already live in the former and would like to wear more of the latter, I knew this type of top would fit in with what I've already got going on. 

Pattern:

I've had Simplicity 7023 (pictured below) lurking in my stash for yonks. In fact, I can't remember when or where I bought it, but I wouldn't be surprised if eBay was involved. The overblouse design has got the right silhouette for my needs: boxy but not baggy. Plus I love the bateau neckline and extended/dropped armhole seam.  

I toyed with the idea of making a roll collar to create more of a look like this or this. But to make a garment with maximum usefulness, I knew it needed to fit easily under a cardigan, jacket or a coat so I went with the pattern's original neckline. 

I made a few modifications to the original pattern. The major change I made was to eliminate the centre back seam and fastening. I measured the neck hole on the pattern first to make sure I wouldn't have any trouble in getting it on and off, then cut the back piece on the fold instead. I also made the hem a bit wider to accommodate my hippage, plus added side splits because I really like that detail on these kinds of tops. I altered the sleeves too, but I can't remember exactly in what way, perhaps making them a bit narrower and shorter at the hem? And of course I drafted some simple patch pockets that would allow me to alter the direction of the fabric for a bit of interest. One more thing I did that turned out to be completely pointless was to drop the bust darts by about 2 cm to reflect my shoulder-to-bust point measurement.

Fabric:

This navy and white stripy, synthetic double-knit-type-stuff has been burning a hole in my stash for a few years. I've had so many ideas for it that I was kind of paralysed by indecision and it languished in there unused. When I first acquired it (I got it second hand, it could well be from around the same time as the pattern!) I was erring towards making a dress, perhaps something fit and flare like this, or more of a shift dress shape like this. Then, I started imagining spring coats and jackets, perhaps along the lines of this. Eventually reality kicked in and I figured out that I probably didn't have sufficient quantity for any of those plans, and a top would be far more practical and useful for me anyhow. 

The navy stripes in the fabric have a raised texture which made pattern-matching at the side seams a nightmare/impossible, so I brushed my shoulders off and moved on. The fabric doesn't fray so I stitched it using my regular sewing machine and left the edges raw. Not much else to report I don't think.

Thoughts:

Umm, I've not exactly been subtle so far about my thoughts and feelings towards this top! I freaking love it and that's all I can say. As soon as it comes out of the wash it gets put on again. I'm not sure quite what I'm going to do during Me-Made-May, because I keep wearing it with the charity-shopped skinny jeans as seen in these pictures, and I'm not sure I'm going to get a chance to make some myself before then. Hmm... just one of the many challenges to figure out during May I guess!   

So, what's the best garment you've made to date? 

A Mother Lode of Sewing Stuff

And who knew 'mother lode' was spelt 'mother lode' and not 'mother load'?! Not me until I did a spot of googling just then. Anyways... I am one lucky baby-mama because I have recently received not one, not two but THREE packages of baby/toddler sewing stuff from super lovely sewing bloggers. Up until now, I have mainly dressed her in secondhand and hand-me-down things because she's been growing too damn fast. But I plan to make more of her clothing myself as she gets bigger, with a dose charity shop scores and hand-me-downs for the difficult or boring to make things, and nana-knits for her knitwear. Which is just how I approach my own wardrobe I guess, save for the nana-knits.  

So let me show you the awesomeness that I now have to work with! The top image is a whole of beautiful vintage sewing patterns that were sent to me by lovely Adey from The Sew Convert. Can you see that two of them have a nautical theme?! Amazing! She also sent me the four patterns in the bottom row of the image above (one of which I have just finished using, blog post on it's way...). 

The top row of pattern in the image above were sent to me by fabulous Jenna from Just Sew Jenna. As you know, I have already used the romper pattern, and I can't wait to get stuck in to the others. She also sent me the fabric on the top row of the image below to incorporate into my makes. 

The middle row of patterns were sent to me by wonderful Catherine from Clothes and Sewing, including a super cute dolly sewing pattern that I eyed up on the front of a sewing magazine but couldn't justify shelling out for. Catherine has kindly sent me several packages and parcels of sewing-related items since my baby was born, as well as getting me hooked on the Ottobre design children's sewing magazines.  

All three women sent me these patterns because their own children have grown out of the largest size. I aim to honour their kindness by using each pattern at least once and then to pass these on to other worthy sewing-mamas when I am done.

The wonderful printed fabric pieces in the bottom row of the image above are all big enough for whole garments. They were given to me by a newly made IRL friend who bought them to make stuff for her own baby girl but can't really be bothered. The deal is, I get to make them into lovely clothes for Dolores, and then pass on the garments to her daughter (who is five months younger) when she's grown out of them. DEAL!

So with the awesome sewing patterns pictured above, along with my own modest stash of baby/toddler patterns scored from charity shops and flea markets AND my five copies of Ottobre design AND a couple of Burda magazines AND the patterns from the Perfect Pattern Parcel #2, I think I'm set for Dolores-sewing for some time. Thanks again to those lovely, generous ladies, I'm so grateful.

So tell me, what garments have you enjoyed making for your children/other people's children? Which patterns have you used again and again? 

MMMay'14 Vintage Pattern Giveaway with The Polished Button

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR ENTERING***

The weekly #MMMay14 celebration giveaway continue.... Like last week's giveaway, this one is open to everyone, not just participants of the challenge.

So we are half way through MMMay'14 now, have you discovered some holes in your self-stitched wardrobe that could be filled with the help of a lovely vintage sewing pattern? Even if you're not taking part in the challenge this year, which pattern would help you make something special that perhaps you'd like to show off during MMMay'15? ;-)

The Prize:

Your choice of vintage sewing pattern from the amazing inventory at The Polished Button. What's not to like about that?!

How to Enter:

Go to the Patterns section of The Polished Button's website and find a pattern you'd like to own. Leave a comment on this post including the link to the pattern you've chosen, why you've chosen it (because I'm nosey!) plus your email address if I can't find it within a couple of mouse clicks. Email addresses will only be used to contact you if you are the lucky winner of this giveaway. Leave your comment before midnight GMT on Thursday 22nd May. The following day I'll pick a winner by random number generator and contact the lucky individual who will receive their pattern completely free of charge.

Big Spring Contest: Last Few Days to Enter...

**THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS SO MUCH TO THOSE WHO ENTERED**

This is a reminder that there is less a week left to enter the Big Spring Contest to come up with something to sew using Offset Warehouse fabric for the chance to win that fabric and much, much more. The closing date is 16th March, AKA this Sunday, so you still have time to concoct an 'Everyday Awesome' garment, and/or something that fits with the other three themes that have been conjured up by the other blogger judges. You can enter once for each of the themes, so that's four chances to win the fabric of your choice and have a chance to go on to win a whole heap of amazing prizes. 

Earlier today I was having a think about what my entry would consist of, if I were allowed to enter (which as one of the judges, I'm pretty sure I'm not!). I decided on using some of this lush looking Indigo organic chambray (pictured above) to make an Everyday Awesome dress. I'm a bit late to the Chambray Party, I've only just begun to realise just how casually versatile it is. With the Indigo chambray, I'd use a vintage pattern that has been lurking in my stash for a couple of years, Simplicity 6795 (pictured below) that was published in 1974. I'd probably use a contrast red binding and red buttons to make the whole thing pop. 

I always feel really put-together and special in a dress but I so rarely wear them, particularly during the day. They look like you've made lots of effort, even though to create an outfit with a dress involves much less mix-and-matching than with separates. I'd spend quite a bit of time toiling and fitting the bodice to get a really comfortable and flattering fit so I'd never be put off from wearing it. Plus, I think this dress would span quite a range of temperatures and weather conditions depending how you wore it: just with flip flops and sunglasses in the Summer, or layered with a vest, cardigan, opaque tights and boots for colder months. That's a whole load of potential Awesome I'd be injecting into my Everyday wear.....

So if you haven't already entered, what would your Everyday Awesomeness garment/outfit consist of? Why not email me your entry before Sunday to sozoblog (at) gmail (dot) com?

Maternity Sewing: Successes and Failures!

Ok, so I'll start with the failure because it's the funniest! A couple of weeks ago I published a post with all my maternity sewing patterns that I've collated and I asked my lovely readers' opinions about which they thought would be worth sewing up. Thanks to all for adding their tupp'ny worth! Many favoured the Vogue 7382, as did I, and when I discovered some amazing eyeball-print African Wax fabric in my stash of a sufficient quantity needed for View C, that is what I went ahead and made. The result:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA!!!!!! 

I laughed my arse off for literally 10 minutes. Then Pat came in to see what the hysteria was all about and then we laughed our combined arse off for a further 10 minutes. Would it shock you to learn that I didn't bother to do any kind of mid-way fitting?! Unlikely. To be honest, I felt something was going awry as I was attaching the skirt section to the bodice. There wasn't anything like the amount of fullness in the gathering that the illustration lead me to believe there would be. It was more like a few little tucks rather than a baby-doll gathered empire-line effect. But I couldn't be arsed to get Pat to pin me in to see what was going on, so I carried on and even hand-picked the zip in (my machine is massively playing up at the moment and wouldn't let me machine-stitch the zip in place). 

So with the zip in I finally tried it on! To be honest, I'm not particularly bothered that this is an epic fail. I'd already eliminated the neck-hole and armhole facings in favour of a simpler overlock, turn and stitch method. I certainly cannot be arsed to unpick the dress and re-fit the bodice and finish it off. It didn't take me long to get to this point and I had a good laugh over it, so I think I'm going to throw it back on my fabric shelves and use the fabric for something else one day. Oh, and in case you hadn't noticed, further humour can be derived from the fact that somehow I'd managed to place one of the most prominent eyeballs right over my belly button!:

So, have we all calmed down a bit now?! I just about have. Looking at the pictures just made me crack up all over again. That incident would have been a bit depressing if I hadn't already finished another, infinitely more successful, maternity dress creation a couple of days before!

Just as I threatened to do in my last post, I whipped up another version of my nautical batwing dress. This solid black dress is the same in shape albeit for two small changes: it's longer and therefore hopefully a bit more ladylike (seeing as I am no longer meant to be sitting with my legs crossed!) and the neckline is the same in the front and back. I wanted a more slash-neck style for this one so didn't lower it at the front like I usually do when making my batwing creations. This has had the unexpected benefit of making the dress reversible! Being black, I've found since making it that it gets marks on it easily. Being reversible means I can get a bit more wear from it before chucking it in the wash. Call me a skank if you will, but when you have a very limited selection of clothes that currently fit you, benefits like that go a long way! 

Deep-Maternity Sewing: Thoughts please..

Well my lovelies, the on-going adventure of 'what the hell is happening to my body?' (AKA pregnancy) continues... I must admit to being a bit frightened as next week I head blindly into the third trimester. Just how damn big and uncomfortable is there left for me to get?! Only one way to find out. 

So to calm myself I have decided to turn my thoughts to my guaranteed relaxant: sewing. Planning how  I'm going to approach any new phase of my life through what I may or may not sew always lends me some sense of control. For a while now I've been collecting maternity sewing patterns, which all seem to be for the last trimester, plus recently I've been donated some more (thanks lovely ladies!). When I went to get them out to consider and photograph I was surprised just how many I've collated! Now, my life doesn't require me to dress up very much these days (read: hardly ever), but I'd like to make at least one garment from my maternity pattern collection, otherwise collecting them would have been somewhat pointless I fear. Hopefully I can make something that'll be day-wear appropriate also if the sun shines, I can prevent myself from automatically heading for the jersey top/tracky-bottoms combo. I was hoping you'd be able to help me decide which to go for... Patterns are roughly organised in chronological order, from oldest to newest. 

Vogue 9876: This is a beaut, is it not? I snapped it up on eBay a couple of months ago. It's very 'dressy', fabric-hungry and potentially 'night-gowny' however...

Butterick 594: I'm totally NOT going to make this outfit. Who has time to make an entire lined jacket for only two/three months worth of potent wear (weather-permitting)? Not I. It's lovely though. The skirt has a really weird panelled flap contraption that I can't even be arsed to figure out. Ah, the advent of jersey really couldn't have come soon enough for preggers ladies, could it?!

Vogue 6497: Potentially a bit 'tenty', but with really lovely design details. Lots of options for customisation and embellishment as well me-thinks. What if those buttons were little gold ones on navy? Some anchor trim on the pockets?

Butterick 4722: Another interesting 1960's option. Those side tabs make me think of a children's painting tunic!

Butterick 2368: This one would require a bit of grading, but I might actually find the motivation for that considering the style is just a small spit away from being full-on nautical! I'm pretty sure I have some chunky silver anchor buttons that would look killer on this. It could also be a good layering item, with my mid-maternity stripes T-shirt underneath. 

Vogue 7382: Oh this is a cutey, isn't it?! I think the plainer version is white is the most appealing. How on earth has the illustrator avoided drawing buttons on those front plackets? Hmm, maybe they had to avoid giving the impression that there was a functioning button closure. I'd faux-button placket mine to the hilt!

Style 1503: Another potentially tent-y option, but I really like the options for contrast yoke/straps and for choosing a couple of awesome buttons for the front detail. I'd be more tempted to make a dress version if I could find a fabric from my stash that would work well. I think a dress would be more useful at this stage, unless I made the tunic length with sleeves. 

Style 4718: Hmm, you could do something super-cute with this sweetheart seamed design. Some piping? Inserted lace? Lace overlay over the yoke? Anyways, not sure I'll make this as it's way too small for me now. When I snaffled this pattern up at a vintage shop early on in my pregnancy I didn't have an inkling of kind of life of there own that my boobs were about to take on!

Simplicity 9427: Umm, with the belt tho isn't a million away silhouette-wise from my recent men's-shirt-to-maternity top refashion, IMO. Not that that refashion fits me anymore, damn you once again expanding bust and rib cage!!! I'm not sure I can be bothered to make something that looks like a shirt refashion from scratch.

Simplicity 3799: Yes I have shown you this pattern before. No I haven't used it yet. I'm going on a short break to Southern Spain in August which will probably feel about as hot as the surface of the sun, so thinking this might be worth making in the lightest flowiest stash fabric I can locate.  

Megan Nielsen Ruched Maternity Skirt: This pattern has been leant to me by the awesome Emily of The Botterman Empire. It could be awesome, but I'm must admit I haven't missed wearing skirts at all since I've been pregnant so may not make this. But I may. AGH!! Thoughts please!!!