Spring Sewing Plans Afoot

Well thanks so much for all the congratulations that were left in response to the news of my pregnancy! Each comment was thoroughly lovely to receive. It's made the fact that I'm going to be a mum again all the more 'real' now that I've shared the news with the sewing community!

So here's what I plan to make over the next couple of months. This list has ended up being a bit longer than I thought it'd be, but I'm pleased that most of the projects should be suitable for, or easily adapted to, post-pregnancy life as well. I want to keep specific maternity sewing to a minimum because, as I mentioned before, I still own all the garments I made for myself last time plus I don't plan to have another child after this one. I do want to make a few extra stretchy items and maybe one woven top for the final trimester, but I'll deal with those plans further down the line. Here's how I plan to get through the inbetweeny bit of pregnancy...

Maternity jeans refashion:

Just as I wear jeans 95% of the time (outside the house) when not pregnant, I have no doubt that I'll be relying on maternity jeans just as much throughout this pregnancy. So I'm going to need more than the one H&M pair I've been leant (that to be honest are rapidly becoming too small) so far. I bought the pair of thifted skinny jeans pictured above a couple of years ago when I was going through an a-typically tiny phase, and they've been too small for me pretty much since a week after their purchase. I'm going to have a whirl at refashioning them a bit like this, and if it doesn't work out, nothing has been lost. Plus, I've got a few peops out there hunting through their lofts for some size 12 maternity jeans, so I may just end up wearing borrowed maternity jeans for the next six-ish months.


Knit skirt:

Sadly, all my knit skirts (like this one, this one and these ones) are already way too tight round my tum. Something I learnt from my first pregnancy is that I prefer to have bottoms that sit under my belly, rather than over the top, so a skirt style like the Megan Nielsen Erin maternity skirt pattern, although lovely, isn't for me. I was thinking about either sacrificing one of my existing knit skirts by cutting down the waistline and adding a new, better positioned waistband, or altering Gertie's knit pencil skirt pattern to make one from scratch. Then I had an Aha! moment and decided to draft my own from scratch on the off-chance that it's a real success, and therefore something I could release as a sewing pattern of my own in the future.

Breton tunic:

The Fabric Godmother is (almost) literally my godmother! Josie the owner gave me some of this epic stripy Ponte de Roma type-stuff (on the left in the photo below) the last time I visited her studio because she could see how obsessed with it I'd become. I bought some other pieces of fabric that day and had gone way over what I had intended to spend (I'm blaming you, amazing wool blend check). I couldn't justify buying any of this as well but I was really struggling to walk away from it!

I seems to me that there is only one logical use for this stripy stuff: a tunic-length Breton garment based on this vintage pattern pictured above (again). I still maintain that my 1960's Breton top is the best garment I've ever sewn (I'm wearing it as I type, with a vest underneath and two cardigans on top because it's still too nippy for it really) so it is the logical step to make something very similar that will hopefully be loose enough to cover a second-trimester bump, and then worn heaps in the future. My only concern is that I won't be able to wear it again straight away post-pregnancy, as a tunic-length garment without some kind of inventive trap door is going to be useless for breast feeding. Oh well, I'll have to put it by for a year or so.

Turquoise Ponte de Roma cardigan:

Until about two minutes ago, I was going to use this post to request ideas on what to use this turquoise Ponte de Roma remnant (from Ditto Fabrics in Brighton) for. Annoyingly, it's one of those colours that I struggle to get an accurate photo of, it's actually a much clearer, vibrant shade than the image above would have you believe. As you may know, I rarely buy new fabric to sew with, but the early growth of my baby bump set me in a bit of a spin and bought this in a panic because most of my wardrobe was rapidly becoming too tight. I really like it, and don't regret the purchase, but figuring out what to do with it now that I have it has been a little tricky.

First of all, I thought maybe a MIY Collection Walkley dress was the way forward. I'm still head over heels in love with Handmade Jane's stripy top version, and it is a VERY popular project with the students who attend the the classes that I teach at the MIY Workshop. But then I realised that I have so many Dolores batwing dresses knocking about that my knit dress needs are pretty much covered. Then I thought about using it to make some yoga pants/comfy trousers (see above) but it only has a two-way rather than four-way stretch which would limit the comfort and practicality of trousers. I could use it to make the knit skirt I wrote about above, but that would only use about 70cm of the 1.5m I bought so it seemed a bit of a waste.

(image source: Skinny Bitch Curvy Chick Patterns)

Then I had a brain-wave. What do I wear 9 days out of 10? A freaking cardigan. The boxy, round-necked, 50's style cardigans that I have a number of, both self made (like this and this) and secondhand, don't look particularly great with a growing bump. I button up the first few buttons, but then my belly just pokes out the bottom, and until I look 'more pregnant' I think it's making me look tubby and like I can't dress myself properly! A looser, low V-necked style of cardigan that looks good unbuttoned seems to be working better at the moment. I have a beloved secondhand mustard one in this style that I have worn to death over the last five years is starting to look really ratty, so some kind of recreation of that would makes all sorts of sense. Pattern-wise, I was checking out the new Grainline Studio's Driftless cardigan pattern which is close to what I was thinking of, but ultimately I feel would work better in a knit that has a more drape-y quality to it than my Ponte. 'Right', I thought to myself, 'time to bust out my pattern-drafting skills'. Perhaps I would make a pattern from the secondhand mustard one but develop it a bit so it was a little larger and with proportions more suited to the Ponte. Then a bit of serendipitous online window shopping brought the SBCC Cabernet cardigan pattern (pictured above) to my attention. It's basically perfect, exactly what I was aiming for. All these awesome independent sewing pattern companies are making me really lazy! Still, I'm growing a human whilst trying to care of another one so I'm not allowing myself to feel guilty for buying a pattern rather than drafting it! Plus, supporting independent pattern companies is no bad thing, of course.

(image source: Skinny Bitch Curvy Chick Patterns)

Comfy trousers:

During my last pregnancy, I made two pairs of leggings/treggings type-thingys mainly to wear to pregnancy yoga and knocking about the house: one in a weird blue ribbed knit (which you can see in this post), the other in black double knit. After giving birth, I left the ribbed blue ones as they are for use in another pregnancy, but I took in the waist elastic on the black pair and have been wearing them around the house ever since. And my goodness it shows. The knees and bum area are shiny and baggy, and one knee is ripped to shreads. My criteria for comfy trousers is this: even though they are for wear around the house, I shouldn't be embarrassed if a mate pops by and sees me in them! My black leggings no longer comply with this criteria.

Both those pairs were made from a self-drafted pattern that I was never entirely happy with, so I think I'll either splash out and get the SBCC Pinot pants pattern (pictured above) or use a leggings pattern that I already own but have yet to use as a starting point, and once again adapt it for pregnancy by lowering the waistline at the front. I'll probably taper the lower leg a bit too. I've bought some navy Ponte de Roma with a great four-way stretch content from Ditto that should perform better than the black double knit, which was never very suitable for leggings in the first place.

(image source: MIY Collection/Wendy Ward)

I may also have a go at the wide leg trousers from Wendy Ward's 'The Beginner's Guide to Dressmaking' book (pictured above) as well if I can source some lovely drape-y knit. The waistband doesn't contain elastic, it's made from a wide band of knit that you can then fold over like on some yoga pants, so I reckon they'll be suitable for pregnancy and enormously comfortable.

Leggings refashion:

In much the same way I was considering reworking a knit skirt to accommodate a bigger belly, I'm going to hack up these thrifted leggings too. The waistband was always too tight and I rarely wore them anyway, so it's no loss if it doesn't work out. I'll make them into leggings for Dolores if that's the case. I'm seeing these as another comfy-trousers-round-the-house option, as well as for wearing to preggers yoga, as and when I get my arse to a class.

Rework the denim Tova top:

I still don't know how the upper sleeves of my denim Tova top are too tight, but my grey dress/tunic version is fine when I used exactly the same pattern pieces (and have yet to wash the denim one), but hey! I'm pretty sure I can just about squeeze another pair of sleeves out of the remaining scrap of denim, so I need to push myself to alter the sleeve pattern piece and bust out the seam ripper. I'm hoping I can layer the stripy Agnes top underneath this until it gets warmer. And as long as my boobs don't inflate too much more, it should be suitable for breast feeding wear too.

Me-Made-May '16: Sign-Up Here!

Can you believe it's time for to sign up for another Me-Made-May?! Maybe you've challenged yourself during a Me-Made-May before, maybe you haven't. Either way, if you would like to improve your relationship with your handmade wardrobe, please read on and consider signing up...

What is Me-Made-May'16?

Me-Made-May'16 (#MMMay16 for social media interaction) is a challenge designed to encourage people who sew/knit/crochet/refashion/upcycle garments for themselves to wear and love them more. The me-made and self-stitched challenges have been taking place for six years now and they work on both a personal and community level. The participants decide the specifics of their own challenge, so that the month is appropriate and challenging for them (more on this below). For example, a very common pledge is for a participant to aim to wear one self-stitched or refashioned garment each day for the duration of May 2016. The participants can also choose to document their challenge with daily photos (though this is in no way compulsory for taking part) and share them with other participants (more on this below as well).

What isn't Me-Made-May'16? 

• The Me-Made-May challenges are NOT all about taking daily outfit photographs. However, many participants do choose to document their challenge with daily/weekly/as-often-as-you-like photos and share them on their blog if they have one or on Flickr, Pinterest, Instagram or Twitter if they are a member. The challenge is about wearing your handmade clothing more often than you usually do, if you choose to take documentation photos, then that is fabulous and we'd love to see 'em, but taking photos isn't necessary or compulsory and really isn't the point of the challenge. 
• Me-Made-May also isn't reason to panic-sew/make anything. This challenge is about wearing the items that you have already created, not about stock-piling more makes. However, if you want to use taking part in the challenge as the kick in the butt you need to finally hem that half-finished skirt, or rework an ill-fitting garment, then great. Remember, this challenge is meant to be fun, and panic-anything isn't fun! 
• A competition. It doesn't matter how many self-stitched items you already have or haven't. You can take part even if you just have one solitary self-made item! You just need to set your pledge to make it challenging for YOU, no matter what criteria other participants have set themselves. 

I haven't taken part in any of these before, why should I take part?

Ohh, there are squillions of reasons why you might choose to take part! They may include:

• Help yourself get out of a wardrobe rut by focusing on your lesser-worn items and creating new outfits that include your makes. 
• To start integrating your self-made items into your regular wardrobe rotation. 
• Find out what the 'holes' in your wardrobe are so that you are able to use your garment-creating time more usefully in the future. 
• Begin wearing the clothes that you really want to be seen in, rather than the same old things you usually reach for most mornings.  
• Enjoy the excuse to finish off any lingering UFOs (unfinished objects), or to finally start a project that has been on your mind for ages. 
• Discover what the rest of this large community of makers has created and is wearing in their day-to-day lives, and enjoy the support, advice and inspiration that they will provide. 

I've taken part in these in the past, why should I take part this year?

Did you enjoy it last time/the previous times you took part?

• If the answer is 'Yes': Then you'll have lots of fun again this year, whilst challenging yourself in a different way and learning something new about yourself and your style/skills/preferences/wardrobe. You just need to think about how you can alter and/or amp up your pledge specifics to get the most out of this year's challenge.
• If the answer is 'No': Well if that's a 'no' because the challenge you set yourself was too hard, then that is easily rectified this time round; set your pledge so that it is tricky but do-able. If it's a 'no' because you didn't enjoy the pressure you felt to take photos each day, then simply don't worry about documenting your challenge with photos. You'll learn lots of lessons and get satisfaction from taking part in the challenge and completing your pledge, not from the documentation of it (although some participants have found that seeing the daily images of themselves has really helped them figure out what suits them and what doesn't work so well). If you'd like to do a little bit of documenting, then why not just photograph your favourite outfit/garment that you wore at the end of the week, or some other version that doesn't make you feel under pressure. But seriously, if you didn't like taking part in it and don't want to try again, fair enough! 

Ok, you've convinced me, how do I sign up?

All you have to do is copy the pledge below and paste it into the comments section of this post adapted to include your details and the personal specification of your challenge before 1st May:

 'I, (insert name here and blog address/instagram handle if you have one), sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '16. I endeavour to wear......................................................... each day for the duration of May 2016'

Points to consider when creating your pledge:

• This is YOUR challenge, write the pledge any way you want, just remember: IT IS A CHALLENGE and not meant to be easy or what you do usually. In the past I have received the odd comment saying 'Oh, I already do this so I may as well sign up', however those people had clearly missed the point which is to challenge yourself, and therefore they would be unlikely to learn very much or feel much satisfaction at the end of the month. 
• THIS IS NOT A COMPETITION. It is a personal attempt to achieve a better relationship with your handmade creations, which you may or may not choose to share with the creative online community. What I mean is, don't set a pledge that you've seen other people make that sounds good but in reality is unobtainable for you and your lifestyle. For example, if you have to wear a uniform for work each day, you may prefer to pledge to wear self-stitched items at the weekends or days off only. 
• There's no rush to sign up immediately, as long as you do so before 1st May. Have a think for a while about your current relationship with your self-made items, then think how you might want to improve that relationship.
• If you have taken part before, or already wear a fair amount of self-made clothing and/or accessories, think how you can up the ante from the standard 'one self-stitched garment a day' pledge. How about wearing two or more self-made garments each day? Or pledge to try making a new type of garment by the end of the month to wear on the final day? Or pledge to finish all your UFO's by 31st May? Pledge to focus on wearing your 'meh' garments to see if you can fall back in love with some of them? Pledge to only wear separates to force yourself to get creative with your mix-and-matching? Pledge to only wear each garment or garment-combo once? Pledge to wear an outfit including one sewn or knitted garment AND one refashion each day? There are near-infinite ways to amp things up for yourself. 

If you have a blog, why not re-post your pledge there so your readers and followers can see what you are up to and be inspired by your endeavour? Please include a link to this post so others can also sign-up if they are interested. If there's one thing I've learnt from these challenges, the more people involved, the better the party!

I've signed up, what do I do now then?

Nothing in particular until 1st May 2016, except let an underlying sense of excitement brew! You may decide to finish up that UFO, but please people, NO PANIC-SEWING/MAKING NECESSARY OR CONDONED!!

If you would like to advertise your participation on your blog if you have one, why not treat yourself to the addition of the #MMMay16 widget/gadget/button? The code can be found at the top of the right hand column of this blog. The widget/gadget/button not only looks cute, but it shows other participants/potential-participants at a glance that you are taking part this year. Plus when clicked on, it will ping you to this sign-up post so others can read what this whole damn thing is about without you needing to go into too much of an explanation yourself. If you aren't sure how to apply/insert a widget/gadget/button code, check this post for explanations for Blogspot/Blogger and Wordpress blogs.

How do I interact with other participants throughout the challenge?

If you would like to see what other participants are up to throughout the month and/or show others how you are getting on then there are several ways to do so. 

• Blogs. If you have a blog, then why not tell/show your readers what you are up to? Reading about others' experiences of these challenges is always so interesting and inspiring. If you'd like to discover some new-to-you blogs of other participants, you will be able to find lots by looking through the comments section of this sign-up post. Some participants like to post their outfit photos on their blogs, and remember if you want to do that but don't have the time or desire to post daily, you could post more manageable summaries once a week or even just at the end of the month.

• Flickr. If you wish to be a part of the Me-Made-May'16 Flickr group, head over there and request membership. I'll 'let you in' before 1st May so you can begin posting your outfits/garments from 1st May. If you wish to start a discussion over there before 1st May, please feel free to do so! If you choose not to sign up to the Flickr group, you will still be able to see all the photos added by other participants and read the discussions being had over there, however you will not be able to comment on the photos or add to the discussions. The Flickr groups are always heaps of fun and such a lovely way to see lots of participants all in one go participating in different countries and climates. Plus it can be a fabulous way to discover new inspirational bloggers and blogs to follow, and generally make some new e-friends!

• Pinterest. We also have a Me-Made-May'16 Pinterest board, set up and managed by the lovely Jennifer Lauren Vintage who is kindly helping me out with the organisation this year. To pin your garment/outfit pictures on there, you will need to 'follow' the board. It'll take up to two days for you to be allowed access, so don't panic if you can't pin on there immediately. Please add the #MMMay16 hashtag to your pins. 

•  Instagram and Twitter. No doubt due to its visual nature and how easy it is to use, Instagram is becoming a major venue for sharing and enjoying Me-Made-May documentation pics. Please use the #MMMay16 hashtag so we can see all your amazing handmade outfits. 

Anything else I should know?

HAVE FUN!!!! This challenge is meant to be explorative, illuminating and beneficial, but above that it's meant to be fun! Getting dressed can often be fun, and if you haven't felt any clothes-based fun for a while, why not see if this challenge can help inject some of that back? 'Hanging out' online with the other participants can be a big part of that fun by seeing what they are wearing (either by visiting their personal blogs or through the Flickr group, Pinterest board or via Twitter and Instagram) and by sharing your own unique take on this challenge.

If you are concerned or confused about any aspect of this challenge, please email me at sozoblog (at) g mail (dot) com.

Let the signing up commence!!!!!

Considering Spring Sewing Plans: Plus, Some News

(how good is this photo?! I was hoping to loosely recreate the dress on the right using the By Hand London Kim dress pattern and some Hawaiian print cotton)

As someone who general HATES to be told what to do, and has always tended to sew whatever I feel like at whim, I am amazed at how diligently I completed the nippy weather sewing plans that I set myself last Autumn. It definitely helped that during this time I kept my kiddie-sewing projects entirely whim-led, which I used to intersperse the adult projects.

(utterly amazing African wax fabric Megan dress made by Norse Otter, so inspirational!)

So having completed all those, I'm now thinking about what set of sewing plans would be great to move my wardrobe into spring and summer. To be honest, I actually started day dreaming about this back in November! However, I'm sadly going to have to put plans for two Tilly and the Buttons Megan dresses (one plain navy and one in African wax fabric), a couple of pairs of Deer and Doe Chataigne shorts, a bunch of cute little vintage-style blouses, a Hawaiian By Hand London Kim dress, and finally getting closer to great fitting trousers on hold for now, because (dramatic pause...) I'm pregnant!

(oh perfect stripy little blouse, my preliminary toiling has ceased. Let's hope  that next year I can remember what I was up to)  

As those of you who trawled through my many maternity wear blog posts last time round will no doubt be aware, I didn't really have a clue of what to expect, what I'd need and what I could or should make for my last pregnancy. This time should be quite a different experience. Not only do I still own the items that I made and wore for my previous pregnancy (when my sister-in-law gives them back!), but I know what I felt most comfortable in so should be able to focus my efforts much more usefully this time round. PLUS, seasonally I know what I'm in for as well because the current due date is only two days away from Dolores's. Touch wood, all being well, I will be busting out a healthy little peop around the end of September/beginning of October.

(one of the fabrics from Le Stash that I selected for the Chataigne shorts pattern, what fabric would you make this pattern in?)

All that being said, one key difference with this pregnancy compared to the last is that I started to show at an alarmingly (to me) early stage. I'm already feeling the pinch, literally, of not fitting into much of my clothing. On my bottom half I'm currently limited to one pair of slightly-too-small maternity jeans that have been leant to me by a friend, and my mustard mariniere trousers with the front folded down a little bit (strong look). I need to hatch a few clever sewing plans to expand the selection of items that I already own, and also make some things that will hopefully be useful after this pregnancy as well. I'll return with my conclusions after the sign-up post for this year's #mmmay16!

Five Genuinely Useful New Baby Makes #3: Drawstring Bag

(image source: The Village Haberdashery)

Hi everyone! I’m a little late in my monthly instalment of my 'Five Genuinely Useful New Baby Makes' series of posts (originally published on the Village Haberdashery's beautiful blog 'The Daily Stitch').  But fear not, I'm back to state my case for another genuinely useful new-baby sewing project. 

This one, at first glance, may not scream ‘new baby’ to you, but hear me out. When my daughter was almost brand new, a friend (blogger Handmade Jane, to be precise) gave us a drawstring bag similar to this that she had made. We have used it, in one way or another, almost every day since she gave it to us. Almost every day for two years! That’s a lot of days. Nothing we were given or bought for Dolores has been used so consistently, which is why I suggest you make one the next time someone you know reproduces.

‘Well, how is a drawstring bag useful for a baby then?’ you may be asking. Well, from my experience, the use of ours has changed a bit, as Dolores has got older. This next sentence requires a graphic description warning: when babies are tiny, they do lots of wees and runny poos, which oftentimes leak onto their clothes. A parent attempting to leave the house with their baby for more than an hour without at least one entire outfit change is, quite frankly, a fool. We used to keep our drawstring bag loaded with a change of clothing at all times. It was useful to keep the change of clothing in a separate bag, as the changing kit would sometimes get transferred between the main changing bag that lived on the pushchair and her dad’s backpack for when more outward bound type travels were being attempted.

Now that Dolores is a toddler, the drawstring bag is still useful for changes of clothes that are, thankfully, these days usually required due to mud or food-based mess. It is also really useful for chucking in just a nappy, pack of wipes, a drink and snack for mini trips out.

Convinced of their worth as a new-baby sewing project?! Good! Well, I guess the next question is how to make one. For this one, I decided on what the final dimensions should be and kind of made it up as I went along. I was pretty pleased with my efforts because all the seam allowances are enclosed which gives a nice neat finish. But there are heaps of tutorials and how-to’s out there each with their own variation. This tutorial by Quilting Bees looks like a good contender, IMO, but a simple Google search for ‘lined drawstring bag tutorial’ will bring up heaps of other options.

Perhaps even more so than the baby trousers or baby shoes, with this project you can really go to town with your fabric choices. We used some 100% organic Cloud9 cotton called Whimsical Wood  from the Sweet Autumn collection, which was complimented by some solid lilac cotton for the lining. And you needn’t hold back with the trims either, as the simple addition of a row of ribbon, ricrac or braid like this neon pom pom trim used here, are easy to apply and can really make your project pop. I’ve seen some fantastic garments and craft projects via Pinterest recently that combine delicate ditsy floral fabrics with a POW! of neon, which was the inspiration behind this bag. What fabric and trims would you pick?

New Maternity Sewing Pattern Reveal: Plus, A Shout Out for Testers

(**UPDATE: THANKS TO ALL THE AWESOME WOMEN WHO HAVE OFFERED TO TEST THIS PATTERN. I NOW HAVE ENOUGH TESTERS. THANKS AGAIN**)

I'm fully aware that the sewing pattern that I'm currently working on will not has mass appeal! But hopefully this one will help out a lot of women in years to come to make something useful to wear during a section of their lives that is very tricky to dress for.

This camisole pattern is designed to be made in jersey knit fabric, and has a gathered section at the front to accommodate a third-ish trimester bump. My model, Cordelia, was eight months pregnant when we took these photos. The upper edges are finished with fold-over-elastic, which also forms the straps, like my free vest/camisole/singlet pattern. The bottom edge is finished with a waistband so the camisole sits neatly and snugly underneath the bump and won't ride up. And arguably the best bit? An internal optional bust support panel, a bit like you get in some sports/yogawear tops, to give a little extra support if you want to wear this without a bra.

Obviously, the third trimester of a pregnancy covers just three months per baby of a woman's life, so even the keenest of seamsters may not wish to spend very much time making clothes for this period. However, this project is a relatively quick one, requiring less than 1m of fabric, and may really help out when nothing else fits! Wear this camisole as sleepwear, to go to pregnancy yoga classes, as an under layer in colder months, on its own in hotter months, or underneath a loose shirt or kimono style top to expand your clothing options at a time when you feel that you have none!

So the stage that I'm at now is that it is ready to test! This was SUCH a helpful step whilst I was developing my Dolores batwing and Anya shoulder bag patterns. And although I know there won't be as many volunteers in a position to test this pattern, I'm really hoping that there may be some pregnant ladies or friends/relatives-of-a-pregnant-lady out there who are up for testing this pattern and giving me your feedback?!

If you feel you may like to test this pattern, please drop me an email at sozoblog (at) gmail (dot) com. I will email you the pattern and instructions as PDF files. The pattern will require printing out at home or in a copy shop. The instructions PDF can be printed out, or better still, read directly from your computer/laptop/tablet. I will also send you some questions about the pattern, instructions and finished garment to help you review them, and you would be required to make the garment and send back your feedback within three weeks. I really hope to hear from some of you. If you know someone else who likes to sew and is pregnant or knows someone who is, please send them the link to this post. Much appreciated!

Scrap-busting Toddler Vests

I'm not sure all my recent scrap-busting projects are having much of an impact on the overall volume of scraps and small fabric pieces in my possession, but it must be helping a bit. Plus, I'm really enjoying the challenge of trying to make nice and genuinely useful things from what some might perceive as waste. Oh, and these projects are working out really cheap! Let's look at my latest obsession...

 

Pattern:

Whilst trawling through the contents of my Ottobre magazine stash for inspiration, this simple vest/camisole pattern from the 6/2013 edition seemed like the perfect candidate for useful scrap-busting projects. Dolores has almost grown out of the largest size you can get of those vests/onesies with the envelope neck holes that fasten with poppers under the bum. I've sourced her a few hand-me-down regular vests, but more are required as there's always a couple in the laundry at any one time. Enter, the Peppi camisole pattern...

 

I went for the less fancy version of the pattern which consists of just one front and one back pattern piece. Having compared her current vests to the graded pattern pieces, I decided to trace the size 92, which is ever-so-slightly bigger than she requires at the moment. Ottobre magazine patterns are like Burdastyle ones in that, having traced them off, you need to add your preferred seam allowances. I added some allowance to the neck edge and arm holes (as the magazine advises), to allow for the edges to be folded over and top-stitched when the picot elastic is applied in two steps. 

My first two versions (pictured above) have the elastic applied in the way. Can you tell which was my first attempt at applying the picot?! For my second two vests (which are the next size up, size 98), I ended up cutting away the neck and armhole allowances that I'd added to the pattern pieces so that I could use fold-over-elastic instead of picot. Fold-over-elastic (AKA FOE) is applied in one step, flush to and enclosing the raw edge, so does not require extra allowance added to where you intend to use it.

 

Fabric:

The fabrics I used for these vests come from all over the place. My first attempt used up a scrap of luxuriously soft organic cream interlock that was given to me by Offset Warehouse (also used here and here). The fine floral jersey was a small sample that I got from a previous job. The turquoise knit (which might be a fine rib) was from a second-hand men's Uniqlo t-shirt that I was donated. And the fish print knit with a heavy lycra content (which I previously used for toddler leggings and undies for me) was given to me by a friend who had bought it with the intension of sewing for her daughter, but could never quite find the energy. They all have fairly different properties, and it was fun to see how each behaved as I worked with it, and as a finished item.

The sparkly star iron-on detail on the cream vest came from a stash that I received whilst at university (in 2000!) and the cute bear iron-on transfer on the turquoise vest was given to me with a number of other woodland-themed transfers by the lovely and very awesome Kathryn from Kathryn's Busytown. I am now officially obsessed with applying iron-on transfers to things to make them more exciting. Dolores is obsessed with trying to pick the sparkles off the star one.

Thoughts:

So. Much. Fun. I've come to realise that a key element in what I consider a fun project these days, is speed. And these are quick, both to prepare and to sew up. If I ever end up with some knit that isn't big enough for adult vest and pants, toddler/child vests is probably what it will become. I also like that it works with both picot and FOE (now that I've figured out a successful picot application!), so that means I'll have more options for making good fabric and elastic combos. Although I didn't do a great job with the pink picot, it lies much flatter when actually worn and is still a perfectly functional garment, although it won't be winning any awards.

I was intending these to be worn layered underneath other garments, but now I think about it, I think the fish print one at least may work well in hot weather too. Although at the, what my husband refers to as 'the fag-end of winter', it's so hard to imagine a time when my family may require no-sleeved garments!

Cost:

Pattern: Ottobre magazine £9.99 (however, I have also used a leggings patterns from this edition twice and it has a little girl's knickers pattern which I also plan to use a thousand times once potty training is underway)
Fabric: £0 all donated and reclaimed
Elastic: about £3's worth (the pink picot was part of a secret santa present, the lilac picot was given to me by Textile Garden but sadly doesn't seem to be on their site anymore so I can't cost it, and the FOE probably came from Walthamstow market for less than £1 a metre)
Iron-on transfers: £0
Total: approx. £2.66 each, however I plan to use this pattern soooo many more times.

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)