Girl Crush... Kirstie Allsopp

I know I've already devoted at least 2 posts to her but I can't help it! (Here and Here)

I pretty much idolise Kirstie Allsopp!

I'm so glad her new series is on at the moment and I get to ooooh at the lovely dresses she wears. Her style is so feminine and relaxed! With pretty shirt dresses and wrap dresses, often with a vintage slip underneath. Perfect for any busy lady!

I think the more I contemplate my goal weight the more I want to emulate her. (She's a UK 14 bottom and 12 top. So I'm not too far off.) I don't think its sustainable for me to get down to an 8 or 10 and feel miserable at trying to maintain it. I just want to feel happy and healthy.

Kirstie also has similar opinions about family and homemaking (Crafting) as I do and I find that really refreshing!

Her manners are always spot on and she knows what she wants. She gets things done without being rude and always seems to be having a great deal of fun.

So if you were going to sew a wardrobe with her as your inspiration where would you go?

Heres a few patterns I am going to get my mitts on for that elegant casual style!

First starting with the forever useful shirt dress

I have this McCalls and I am itching to use it! A plain shirtdress is something I imagine in definitely in Kirstie's wardrobe!

This Vogue one is also on my to do list! I haven't seen more than a couple of people make it but Its such a fabulous style!

Shifts are also so easy to make, comfy to wear and if you make them in a luxe fabric look amazing!

This pattern is one I used for my Every Cloud dress and I adore it! So fast to sew up and so effective!

Now to the quintessential Kirstie outfit. The wrap dress! I am definitely intending to make a few of these!

I adore the pleating on this and have seen some lovely versions!

With this Maggie London one, I'm not sure about the hip gathers but its such a cute dress I have to try it out. Maybe in a lined chiffon?

I have this on order! Butterick 5030 is so versatile you could make one every season and it would still find a gap to fill!

Finally this Rebecca Taylor Vogue 1189. Isn't it fabulous? I really like the relaxed look of this dress. Even with leggings this would look stylish! I also think its the most similar to that first dress of Kirstie's at the top of this post.

Lets put it this way. Kirstie Allsopp, you are one stylish lady!

Stashaholism... New Patterns and Fabric!

I really am not to be trusted to wander around shops or the interweb alone. I have bought 9 new patterns ( On a deal,) and have new fabrics too. I've been sewing a lot lately but I'm not sure I stash busted enough to validate these...

So to the patterns first. I've been thinking about how I'm graduating this year, I will do a post on it in the near future but I realised I have absolutely no "work like" attire.

Not that I'm going to turn into Mary Portas the minute I finish Uni in March, but I will need some. So here goes.... The skirt pattern Above is McCalls 6439. Then obviously shirts are invaluable. I have my pussybow blouse from Simplicity but I thought I'd add McCalls 5522. I've always wanted a shirt with bust gathers and was thrilled when I found this one!

Next up is Trousers. I have a serious lack of trousers at the moment and as were going into Autumn I really think the more pairs the better.

The patterns I bought exclusively for trousers are...

Vogue 8604, (Although I love the jacket cape thing,) Vogue 8751, and Vogue 1264. I saw Erica make a fab pair of hot pink tailored trousers from this and I couldn't resist. I seriously doubt I will EVER make the jacket.

I only bought one pattern for a dress as I really don't need too many more dresses. But this reminded me of an Erwin Olaf Image I've put up before. This would look yummy in a minky ponte knit!

Last come the Suit sets and Jackets. I've been crushing hard on little jackets recently and I couldn't not have these.

Talk about value! You get a dress, a skirt, a jacket and trousers in this 8701! Then there is Rebecca Taylors lush jacket and skirt suit!

Lastly, As I said in my wardrobe planning post. I have been needing a lovely plain blazer and came across this McCalls pattern. I think it would be perfect and is lovely and relaxed!

Thats the patterns out the way. Now for the stupidly expensive fabric trip I went on today!

This 100% cotton is almost like a super soft moleskin. Think needlecord without the lines.

I thought it would make a good comfy blazer in a neutral shade. Then there is a lovely white Georgette for a shirt. I've never owned a silky soft delicate shirt before!

Imagine that blouse with a wicked purple wool pencil skirt! Yummy no?

Finally the Piece de resistance! This fine wool elastane mix is machine washable but sooo light! (Not cheap at £10 pm but I bought enough to make a super sexy jacket and trouser set. Plus it was only £40 for a suit if you look at it that way!)

So what do you think? How do you feel about workwear?

The Dress That Started it All...

While looking on some old photo hosting sites I used to be on, I came across this! The dress that sparked my interest in sewing! Its a Suzie Creamcheese dress from the 70's.

Ironically looking at it now most of the colours are reminiscent of those that inspire me!

This is everything that was good and theatrically dramatic about the 70's. I love it so much!

Maybe one day I'll make a replica... Anyway in other news,

I started to assemble my bombshell dress pattern for Gertie's thing. I'm not sure how large the sizing was so I measured the widest part of my hips and checked the measurements on the pattern. To be safe I'm adding half an inch to each sized seam as I can always take in what I don't need but it would be gutting to put in all the work on something that was too small!

Here we have my silk dress, my green beignet with the same silk as lining, I did finish off the lining today but don't want to change thread until i've finished the dress. Not to mention I have no interfacing for the shell of the skirt. So that is my mission tomorrow.

This combination made me smile, knowing how awesome my Liberty Beignet will be eventually...

I also have this mustard jersey which has been cut ready to sew up version B of this Mccalls top plus a Mccalls cardigan in a matching twinset style. I intend to make a few of these so I can mix and match them in the colder months.

Progress List...

Morning all. I am blogging early so I can drag my sorry self to the library. Something tells me I won't be getting much sewing done this week which is making me a bit tense.

So I figured a progress report will help so I know where I am with each project.

First up is my duck egg cotton. This has been cut for Simplicity 2601 in the end. I have some duck egg swiss dot I got at Goldhawk Rd. I could use for the Violet if I wanted a blue one.

This hasn't got past the cutting stage. But as I've made this before it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to construct.

My Violet shirt is started. I'm getting on really well with it. I'm into the collar stage so it shouldn't take much to finish.

I didn't really talk much about this one. Partly because its fast becoming a UFO. The fabric is beautiful and expensive but I rushed it for the Sew Weekly meetup and the sleeves are appalling. It needs the sleeves taken off and a few bits straightening out, the collar put on and the belt made. I have to get this done as it is a lovely cardigan that I would get a lot of wear out of!

My original plan for this fabric was a different pattern, but since i bought the minty green colourway I reserved it for that pattern instead and went for this in pink with a white collar. This is virtually finished but someone started to sew the collar the wrong way round (DOH)

I did all the finishings first though so no more fiddly bits left on this one.

My Jeans are cut and marked but I had a bit of a freakout about how complex they looked. I have had a look at Peter's Jeans Sewalong posts and a few other bits and bobs but I think I have to be 100% focused to be able to get around to these.

My Lisette Traveller is cut and ready. I'm doing the tunic version with the small collar but making it longer so that I can wear it with leggings.

I know I was trying to resist cutting the Beignet but I couldn't I did it yesterday whilst waiting for an email from my tutor. I just need the interfacing piece cut and this is ready to sew. I was surprised at how difficult the needlecord was to cut. I ironed beforehand but it just kept wrinkling, hopefully this won't affect the pieces too much.

I've prewashed my fabric ready for the Market Sewalong. Just a plain dark purple. I have some cute buttons lined up for the placket too! I personally will be doing Version E but if you want to do a different version be my guest! I might squeeze in the tunic version but I am already pretty swamped!

This is the Jersey for the simple 6874. This is pre washed and drying before its cut out but I think this could be done in an afternoon no problem.

It doesn't look like that much on my rail. Gosh. Here's hoping I get some free time soon!

Contemplation: Re-evaluating the sewing queue...

I have been thinking... (whats new?) About where I am in my list of garments.

I have also been trying to find a way to collate all my images and stuff and have been trying out ways of creating a theme that fits with the rest of the blog. So here is a few of the garments I've made recently including the Macaron, Lyra, Pearl and Elie dresses, my Mona skirt and Market top!

I thought it would be nice to put together the line drawings of my most recent plan! I have finished 3 of the five.

Here is the group of patterns I intend to make in the next few weeks. But of course most of them are multi view so you lot can't see exactly which garments I want. So I decided to put some together with the fabric and any inspiration I have so here goes...

This is the Lisette dress that I intend to make for the blogger meetup after my disaster with the patterned fabric. I'm making version A with the floral red as the bodice and the royal blue as the skirt.

Next I have Simplicity 2936 Which I have already cut in a lavender poplin as a wearable muslin but it is in preparation for this yummy cotton and silk mix that I bought on the Brighton meetup. All I could say when I bought it was, "I can see full/bell sleeves, I don't know why..." Turns out I had this in my head!

One of my goals I've decided on for pushing myself is making myself a pair of straight legged jeans that fit! Tall order as most ready to wear jeans don't fit! I'm trying McCalls 5142 because they sit above the waist. I'm using this pink ish twill but this is definitely a wearable muslin!

I'm trying so hard to stay on the seperates wagon here. So I also got some purple needlecord in Brighton and thought of the Colette Beignet skirt... The problem? I haven't got the pattern yet because of my aversion to buttonholes! But in the words of Zoe "You just got to get over it" She is right. Once I've practised I'm sure I'll wonder why the hell I worried.

Finally this is one of my little treat dresses! I have loved this hot pink dress and of course everything from the costume dept of Pushing Daisies, and I saw this Lisette Traveller dress in my stash and thought it would really suit the style and colour. I haven't yet got the fabric but this is one I will be on the lookout for in the next blogger meetup in london.

So what do we think? Are the mood boards helping you visualise like me?

I still have my Art Deco skirt to do as well as my Lavender Simplicity 2936, I also have to put the loops and buttons onto Simplicity 2601, (Viola Shirt) But then who doesn't have UFO's?

A change of heart. A change of mind... Of Pants

Here is a few of the inspirational coloured straight legged trousers even Michelle Obama is doing it!

Does anyone have any advice on good straight leg trouser patterns for the curvy among us.

I have a craving to test my sewing skills with trousers soon. Here is a few different fabrics I liked that are trouser weight.

I have bought McCalls 5142 but it is one of those ones patterns that just looks uncool in most of the versions on the packet.

I bought this coral pale pinky twill. Not quite the colour I wanted but I thought it would be fine to practise on.

How has everyone elses handmade trousers gone?