Lekala skirt and New Look 6217 slightly altered lace and linen top

I made this outfit a wee while ago and took it on holiday to Spain in June. Boy was it hot weather and natural fibres were essential! I tried some Lekala patterns last year and this pencil skirt is one of those. Lekala entice you in by creating sewing patterns according to the measurements, fit and body shape details that you enter into their website. Wait for a few minutes and the personalised pattern appears in your inbox. And they're very reasonably priced too, just a few dollars, which seems a good buy to me!

My advice is to measure yourself and be honest when entering those numbers! Although I do wonder if the software adds a little extra ease to make up for stretching the truth, but not the measuring tape. This happened to me and the skirt is a bit generous. I tried it on during the making process but I should have taken it in a little bit.

Also, this skirt, and other styles I've made, are only just long enough. My height is all in my legs, that's for sure, so I should have measured the pattern and adjusted. These patterns are great starting points but you might need to make a few tiny tweaks to get the fit just right for you. Having said that, I've bought and sewn up three Lekala skirts of different styles (two are unblogged) and would thoroughly recommend them. Well, except for Lekala instructions which are very brief. Sometimes there aren't any instructions and sometimes they're in Russian, not English.

If this skirt looks very familiar, it is, because I used the same fabric to make into a shirt here. I won't be wearing them both at the same time! I lined the skirt with black bemberg rayon, oh how I love this lining! Can't go back to polyester now. It was an easy make with no problem.

The top was made from remnants of black linen from these trousers and black lace I'd bought in a sale. The bias binding around the neckline is made from the black linen and works well to stabilise the unstable lace.

I used the old favourite New Look 6217 pattern and drafted two new pattern pieces for the lace. It's worked out very well. I used the overlocker for most of the construction, overlocking the sleeve edge and turning it up, then machine stitching the hem. For the lower hem I think I overlocked the edge then turned up an inch before machining the hem.    

So there we have it, a complete outfit that I've even worn in summer-averse Scotland. Have you tried Lekala patterns? Tempted?

Lots of Named patterns Alpi Chinos

Well, it seems I've developed a bit of a habit for making a pattern....and then making lots more versions of it. I needed some new linen trousers for going on holiday at the end of June. We went to Prague and Vienna so I knew it could potentially be very warm at that time of year. And for the most part it was and we had temperatures of 36 degrees. After the success of Named Jamie jeans, I thought I'd have another look at the Named website and ended up buying the Alpi Chino pattern. Yes...Alpi Chino sounds like Al Pacino to me too!

The pattern is for non stretch light or mid-weight woven fabrics. Linen was one of the suggested fabrics. Great! I made a few alterations to the pattern before cutting out, I added 1.5" to the front rise and 1.25" to the back rise. I also increased the leg length by 4". These are the same adjustments I make to the Jamie jeans pattern. I also had to take in the centre back seam quite a bit but that's normal for me.

I love the front pockets and the back pockets. I wanted ALL the details on these trousers! The first pair I made was using some Essex Linen, I think it's a Robert Kaufman fabric, that I bought from John Lewis in Edinburgh. It's a 50% linen and 50% cotton blend which I pre-washed before cutting out. I used a jeans button from my stash, a metal jeans zip and added some rivets to the back pockets too. I like the coppery colour of the rivets and button compared with the fabric colour.

So, I was very pleased with how these turned out and decided to make some more! The next pairs were using a black linen that I bought from John Lewis and some kakhi linen I bought from Edinburgh Fabrics. I'm really pleased with both those pairs too! 

  

Can you see the four piece curved waistband? It's utterly brilliant and I love it! It fits so well. I used to hate waistbands so much because they didn't fit me at all and gaped. Now I know that curved waistbands are great and fit me so well and are the only way forward for me.

Em...confession time. Did you see the cream top I made throughout this post? Yep, it's yet another New Look 6217. I used cream polyester triple crepe but I thought I'd need to wear a camisole underneath so I lined it using cupro lining. This lining says do not wash/dry clean but I just wash it in a silk or wool wash in my washing machine, using an appropriate delicates liquid soap and it's always worked for me. The only thing is, if you let it fully dry out after washing, you will never iron all the creases out of it. That seems a small price to pay when you can just chuck it in the washing machine (either intentionally or unintentionally!).

More New Look 6217

Oh what a wonderful pattern New Look 6217 is! I've lost count of how may tops I've made with it...and look! here's two more that I made for my recent holiday to Prague and Vienna. Yes, we were in Europe (Vienna actually) when the Brexit vote was announced. What can I say? Stunned, shocked, gutted, angry, totally fascinated by UK politics (never thought I'd EVER say that!) and wondering how the hell all of this is going to pan out...especially as I live in Scotland which adds another 'interesting' dimension to the situation too! So, back to the halcyon days of pre-Brexit when I went a bit mad before our holiday and decided I HAD to sew some tops because I didn't have ANY! Not quite true but you know how it is...

I now always eliminate the back neck slit, button and button loop as they're just not needed. I used bias binding for both tops at the neck. For the magenta top I also used bias binding for the sleeves. For the patterned top I overlocked the edges, turned them back and sewed the hem up with a straight stitch. The hems for both tops I overlocked the raw edge then using my sewing machine sewed a line of stitching 2cm from the edge. Fold up the 2cm hem along the stitching, it's much easier to do and creates a smooth finish when you have a curved hem edge. Press along the folded edge all around, then using the sewing machine stitch around the hem. Press again. Yes, I'll admit it, I'm addicted and obsessional about pressing and...confession time...I even press stay stitching!

I bought the patterned fabric in the John Lewis sale a few months ago. It's quite light weight and is 100% viscose. The magenta crepe I also bought in John Lewis, not in the sale, and it's 100% polyester. I just love the colour though.

So I did take these tops on holiday (sometimes it doesn't quite work out that way, does it?) and wore them both. I just love this pattern and there will be more of them on this blog although I will try to blog multiple garments to save your boredom. It amazes me how different each of the finished tops look depending on the fabric and print used.

A refashion, a pair of Ultimate trousers and a pair of Jamie jeans

Well, I've been shamed into writing this post by my weekly Me Made may postings. Having to write 'unblogged' too many times! So lets get down to reporting on the backlog. I don't often sew refashions but here's something I have had in my wardrobe for years and haven't worn. The price tag is still attached to it, for heaven's sake! But I liked the fabric so I wanted to make a new top with it, something that would actually get worn...

The fabric is 100% polyester but it behaved itself very well. Here's the 'before' top accessorised with its price tag:

Perfectly nice top. So I used the legendary New Look 6217 . How I love that pattern! Pattern placement is the thing with this fabric. After unpicking the side seams and chopping off the shoulders, v-neck and sleeves there was enough to get the pattern pieces cut out. But there was not enough for the sleeves so I traced a front sleeve and back sleeve pattern piece. Here's a challenge for you, let's play 'spot the sleeve seam' in this photo (I did absolutely no pattern matching for these sleeves):

Nope? I'll point it out for you:

I liked the border print along the hem so I didn't cut the curved pattern hem. I also added side seam slits:

And here's the back, showing the centred pattern placement:

I had a think about how to finish the neck as the pattern uses bias binding. That would be too bulky for this fine fabric so I drafted back and front neck facings to give good support to the neck area. I used soft dark grey iron-on interfacing and the facings have worked a treat. I used the overlocker throughout, except where I couldn't avoid it - topstitching the side seam slits.

So, all in all, I'm really pleased with my new top and happy I've done something with an unworn top that's been hanging in my wardrobe for literally years! Now onto the trousers and here's my play on words for you! I've actually sewn a pair of Ultimate trousers in stretch black suiting and another pair in stretch grey suiting:

I used fabric bought from John lewis and used the overlocker to run them up. Honestly they didn't take much time and they've been washed and worn a lot! Don't you just need some good solid basics? There's not much more to say about these, pretty unremarkable but I really like them.

Now onto the Named Jamie jeans. Again, I've made two pairs, one in stretch black denim and another from stretch black fine needlecord, both fabrics bought from John Lewis. These are also pretty unremarkable too as I've got my adjustments fairly well sorted out. I do have to confess though, that the black needlecord ones will be heading to the charity shop as I mucked up the waistband and made it too small. They've also shrunk slightly in the wash and are now (in my mind) just slightly too short in the legs. I pre-washed my fabrics before cutting out so this was more shrinking going on. Some you win, some you lose! 

A lacy top and a print top

Hi everyone and I hope your weekends are going well and full of sewing loveliness! As I said in my last post, I've been sewing up a storm but I've built up a bit of a backlog of unblogged items. Here are two tops made from the same pattern, New Look 6217 that I've used before here. Interestingly, Hand Made Jane recently blogged about this pattern being a right corker. The secret's out folks, buy yourself a copy of this pattern now!

I love this top pattern! It takes very little fabric to make a lovely grown-on sleeve top. Here's the first of the two tops and it's made from a John Lewis remnant of John Kaldor fabric, about 80 cms long by 150cm wide costing just over £4. Bargain! When I cut it out  I didn't bother with the centre back seam or the button loop closure, and cut both back and front on folds.

I did simple turn up twice hems for the sleeves and the body hem. For the neck edge I used some black satin bias binding I already had in my sewing heap of haberdashery. I think it's 25mm wide bias binding I wanted the contrast of dark colour at the neckline. I thought about using green bias binding but I'm not so sure I'd be able to find the exact colour match so just stuck with the black.

I really like this top and it's something quite different from me, a bit more out of my comfort zone in the cream and green colours that aren't my first choice colours. It's good to get out of a rut sometimes, isn't it? I finished this top on a Saturday late afternoon and wore it out to dinner that night. That's a good sign!

The second top was a bit more of an experiment. I bought the black lace last year in a John Lewis sale and bought a metre. I think it was about £7 for the metre. I hadn't a clue what I was going to make with it but thought I'd buy it for bit of a 'fun challenge'.

I bought a metre of cream cupro lining and pre-washed it so it felt silky. I used the cupro as an underlining for the black lace and treated the two layers a one layer. I overlocked inside seams and used some black satin bias binding to hem all the edges - neck, body hem and sleeve hems. I machined the bias binding and then hand-stitched the edge on the inside f the garment.

So far I haven't worn this top yet, but I've got a feeling I'll probably wear it next weekend. I love how this has turned out and would like to make another lace/cupro lined version but in a different colour of lace. Must keep on the lookout for some coloured lace...!

This is a great pattern and if you like the style, it's very fast to cut and sew up unless you add variations to it like bias binding around hems etc. but it's a great basic style to work with. Expect to see more of these in the coming few months! Have you got a great basic pattern that you love to add variations to?

A simple top

Well, how is everyone today? If you're anywhere in Scotland I expect you'll be rusting by now as it's rained all day and been quite chilly. But....I've just started two weeks of annual leave so you know what that means....yes! expect lots more sewing posts. Here's a quick make I cut out last Monday. I also have another unclogged finished piece I need to blog. This week, I promise!

So, this is the third top I've made from a free pattern I got when I bought an issue of Sew magazine. It's New Look 6217 I've made here and here. It's probably worked better in a woven fabric than the jersey of the plain cream top! You never stop learning!

So, this fabric is one I bought on holiday in Portugal. There was about 1 metre and there's still a bit left. There would have been more if I hadn't made bias binding for the neckline but the finish is on the neckline is worth it. I think I'll need to wear a camisole underneath as the fabric is quite thin but that's fine. With the sun behind it, it would be too see through for my comfort and probably that of onlookers too!

So here's a close up of the neck. There's really not much to this top, front and back cut on the fold, self made binding on the neckline, sleeve and body hems turned up twice and machined. Nothing fancy here! But I like the colours and I'm sure it'll be a good wardrobe staple....if summer comes back at all *stares wistfully across the Firth of Forth*....

And now for something plain

Hi everyone and how's your day going? I thought I'd show you a top I made the weekend before going on holiday. Packed it and took it away...and brought it back home unworn. It travels well!

This is another fabric I bought in Mandors when we had our weekend in Glasgow in April. It's a reasonable weight cream jersey, and probably a viscose or cotton with a little bit of lycra thrown in for good measure too! It's a lovely fabric to work with.

I decided to use New Look 6217 that I've used before here because I like the curved hem, kimono sleeves and wanted a more slouchy top rather than a close-fitting jersey top. And I got what I wanted! The only changes I made were to cut the back on the fold and eliminate the back neck slit, button and loop closure. The hem doesn't look great in this photo but it's fine in real life.

But...and you can't tell from the photo as my hand is conveniently in the way...I guess-timated the neck band and it's rubbish on the finished top. I also used my twin needle which doesn't cover up the fact the neck band isn't right!

I took a close-up so you can see in all its glory, no hiding from my mistakes here! But then again, I only ever wear cream as a base and wear a scarf with it, I'm too pale otherwise, or at least that's what I feel.

So here it is with a scarf and a much happier Joyce, see, I'm smiling in this photo!

I think this is a good lesson though. Do we take for granted how easy it is sewing up essential wardrobe basics in patterns we've used before? Get a little bit 'yawn' about it all and forget that the slightly different characteristics of each fabric we choose influence the finished garment, sometimes in surprising ways? Make a few changes to a pattern we've used before and yikes! Oh well, I live and learn!