Tropical Melilot Shirt

 

Today, we are talking shirts. how much I love wearing them, less so making them!

This is my Deer and Doe Melilot in just about the most eye watering print I think i've ever made anything in. 

Ever.

This was a wearable muslin from a Kauffmann Cotton Lawn I got back in the Minerva Craft Blogging Days.

The fabric I have earmarked for my proper version is my Atelier Brunette Bye Bye Birdie in Sky, but I wanted to check the fit. 

I've worn this shirt so much more than I had planned to, the print is almost tropical and on a lovely sunny day its great to chuck on and wear open.

I am ridiculously excited in these photos, mainly because I'm at Virginia Woolf's house in Rodmell.

Its not too far away from home but i'd never been before. The garden is stunning but sadly you can only see three rooms in the house. 

The flowers were perfect and I skipped happily through the orchard, past Virginia's writing hut investigating what fruit they had growing. 

(Piemaker had to put up with me squealing at him when I saw a Mulberry tree, cue epic eye rolls!)

This being a wearable muslin, I paid absolutely no attention whatsoever to the print matching on this shirt, but it turned out rather well. I cut a 42 and I could go down a size through the side seams but I wouldn't want to mess with the fit at the sleeve too much. This style sleeve works well for my narrow shoulders but the cuff detail takes some getting used to. Due to the sort of cantilever effect of the sleeve pulling downwards, it peaks the top of the cuff a little. 

It gives it nice shape, but it feels a bit odd to wear at first.

I'm loving the shaping or lack of, in this shirt and the print doesn't overwhelm as I thought it would.

Construction wise this was a pretty easy make. I opted for the short kimono style sleeve rather than faff with tower plackets on the long version.

The only thing fancy I went for was the invisible button placket.

Now i've made a couple before this but this one had me flummoxed! The diagram wasn't giving me any answers and in the end Piemaker's origami skills were drafted in. He would fold one bit and tell me to stitch. I'd run back to the machine and back to him for the next fold. 

Haphazard but hey, it worked!

I will be making this shirt again and I might even entertain the tower plackets, but I think I can live without the invisible placket.

It did come in handy towards the end though, did you spot I did horizontal buttonholes?

I'm calling it a design choice!

New Vlog Alert: August Fabric Haul from Guthrie and Ghani

Happy Friday!

Its a sad one for us today as our Cornish adventure is coming to a close and were on the way home. Never fear! I come bearing more fabric goodness from a recent trip to Guthrie Ghani in the form of another vlog!

I'm sure there will be a sew and tell up soon about my Cornwall wardrobe triumphs and pitfalls.
I'm also off to the Handmade fair this weekend and the Great British Sewing Bee next week. So if your there give us a wave! I'm sure there will be plenty more fabric hauls to come after that one.

Cornish Capsule Wardobe: Vlog Alert and Plans

(Image from here)

I'm back today with all my plans for my Cornish Capsule Wardrobe!

I love designing and sewing up capsules, I find that they integrate into my wardrobe better and don't leave me with those dreaded sewing orphans (garments that match nothing else in your wardrobe.)

As we are going away to St Ives, I've put together a plan to sew up some clothes that are inspired by the landscape and that ultimately things I really want to sew and wear!

I'm not sure if I will achieve all of it, but hey if you don't plan it you won't get anything done anyway right?

Ok, so here is the plan.

• Ginger Jeans in lightweight denim from Guthrie Ghani
• Sew Over it Kimono using Delft Blue Cotton Gauze from Ditto
• Tilly and The Buttons Cleo in Stanton Denim from The Village Habedashery
• T-shirt dress using Skopelous Art Gallery Knit From Maud's 
• Lark Tee in Skopelous Art Gallery Knit
• Kalle in Atelier Brunette Terrazzo Cotton Gauze from Fabric Godmother
• Julia Cardigan in Chunky white rib knit from Stash
• Tilly and the Buttons Agnes Tee in Royal blue silk Jersey 
• Butterick B6178 Wide leg trousers in Caramel Linen from Fabric Godmother

This gives me a good all round choice of clothing depending on the weather! I will be taking other clothes, but relying as much as I can on the capsule and I will report back when we come home on how I did.

I really hope you guys are enjoying my vlogs as much as I'm enjoying making them, i'm still growing on Youtube so don't forget to like, comment and subscribe if your interested in seeing more. 

I think I will still be blogging in the traditional sense, but I really love the immediacy and personable nature vlogging brings. I am in real life, quite an introvert so its a big new step putting myself out there! 

I'd better get cracking! Lots to sew up!

( This post was written a few weeks ago when my vlog went up. Unfortunately I forgot to hit publish so I am currently in Cornwall photographing all my lovely makes for you!)

New Vlog Alert! July Fabric Haul

Happy Sunday everyone! 

I have another Vlog for you today, full of fabric goodness from Fabric Godmother's Open Day in July.

Keep a eye out for fabrics you like as a lot of these are still available in the shop!

Happy Stashing!

Neon Stripe Lark

Holy Crabsticks! It seems like forever ago I made this Lark Tee! I've been terrible with keeping up with my makes lately. Great that I've been sewing more and giving vloggging a go (check out my channel here) but not so good for the blog. I have loads of stuff to get up on here! But without further gilding the lily,

I give you another Lark tee!

Ok. I know, another one. But I think i've got the fit just right now and I made it in this fabulous grey and neon pink knit I bought at Fabric Godmother eons ago. I have just enough of this left for one more thing, but its one of those fabrics I don't ever want to end!

For this one, I took it down to a 12 and a 10 in the shoulders, my normal shoulder adjustment just wasn't severe enough. I think its just right now.

I don't have an awful lot else to say other than I will still be sewing up a load more of these. I've been reading A Curated Closet and i've come to realise short sleeved t-shirts are in short supply in my wardrobe.

 I might give it a rest for a little while as I have TATB Agnes and a few other t-shirt patterns to try out. I'd like to get my Plantain Tee pattern adjusted to fit again too. 

This last photo made me giggle!

 Caption this competition? 

My entry: 

"Piemaker what do you mean I can't have any more fabric!?" 

He's probably right though..

New Vlog Alert! Sussex Sewing Meetup and Fabric Haul!

Hi Lovelies, 

Yet another Vlog up today, all about the goodies I purchased at the Sussex Sewing Meet!

I had such a fabulous time, sewing friends really are the best!

What have you stashed recently! I'd love to know! Also don't forget you can subscribe to my videos as well as my blog! 

Happy Sewing!

New Vlog Alert! Fabric Haul

Hi lovelies,

 Just popping in to let you know i've posted by second vlog. This is a fabric haul from a while ago at Ditto Fabrics.

I'm finding the video editing a little tricky to grapple with so if you have any hints or tips please feel free to comment. Even if you don't and you just want to chat about fabrics (my favourite subject!) please drop me a comment or like and subscribe.

Now on to the fabric goodness!