Jersey Named Inari Tee

Hello from France! Today I have quite a simple make to share with you. This is the top version of the Named Inari tee dress pattern.  

 I made it up in a really comfy khaki cotton jersey knit for part of my holiday wardrobe. The cutting out and sewing processes were both quite speedy and the top only took an hour or two from start to finish. I didn't make any adjustments to the fit which always speeds the process along.

The hem has just the right amount of swing in it to make it perfect for warmer weather, allowing a gentle breeze through. I think a fitted bottom helps keep it flattering. In retrospect, I'm not quite sure about the fit of the armhole and sleeve. Next time I'd like to superimpose an armhole from a different pattern and see how that works out.

 I used a fusible tape to stabilize the hem before sewing it down. I usually zigzag everything on knits but this time, I top-stitched the hem with a straight stitch, which I think looks a tad more professional. Next time I would probably add another row of stitching to give the coverstitch effect.

 I really do like the silhouette of this top and I've already made another one, with another on the to do list. It's a winner!

 Thanks very much for reading, and to Edward for taking photos,
Lauren xx

White halterneck tank

Hello all! Today I have a very simple white tank to share with you. This is one of the instances where a garment I make is directly inspired by clothes on the high street. There are lots of these cropped halterneck tanks floating around, but I knew I could make one from scraps of jersey I already owned and one that fit better to boot.

I used the same raglan tee pattern from 'Sew U Home Stretch' that I used for my Frieda Kahlo blouse which just goes to show how versatile a pattern can be. This time I just omitted the sleeves, keeping the cropped length.

It took no time at all to put together. The only alterations I made were to take the side seams in a couple of inches either side for a closer fit, although I could have tapered it in a bit more at the waist.

The front and back neckline are joined together by foldover elastic which was perfect for this purpose. Using foldover elastic in the past has been touch and go for me, but in this instance it worked well.

This top is a fantastic staple for my summer wardrobe because it goes with everything, and as a result I think it will get a lot of wear.

There are already a lot of memories attached to this top as shortly after this pictures were taken I got buried in a sand hole. In fact the very same top is still covered in sand sitting in a bag waiting for me to dust it off a bit. I really should get on that.

Thanks for reading and to Paul Salmon for the majority of photos and to Amy K for the last two,
Lauren xx

Sewing dare 2016: Frieda Kahlo inspired top

Hello all! I've just come home from a week of gallivanting around England, visiting uni friends at various destinations. This photos were taken on a gorgeous beach in Wales.

I signed up to Gillian of Crafting a Rainbow's sewing dares again this year, as there's nothing like a challenge to give you a bit of sewing inspiration. Last year I made a quilt which is one of my most used things ever.

This year my challenge was to make something inspired by an artist. I took this to mean something worn by an artist and as Frieda Kahlo's style is fantastic I thought I'd take a leaf out of her book. After having a bit of a Frieda browse on Pinterest I chose to make an off the shoulder top inspired by this picture.  I love love love the off the shoulder trend that's happening at the moment. I said I wasn't done when I made my jumpsuit and I'm still not done after making this top.

I started off with the raglan tee pattern from 'Sew U Home Stretch' which is made for knits, but was a good base. I folded down the neckline on the front, back and sleeve pieces to make it off the shoulder and I added a great deal of width to all 3 pieces, so the top would be nice and full. I added more width to the front than the back so I'd have a bit more coverage.

The fabric I used I think is a georgette, which is a bit heavier than chiffon. It was a caftan that I inherited from my Grandma. I had originally cut a Zeena dress out with it but never sewed it together. When I looked for fabric for my top it was perfect so I cut the front and back out of the skirt pieces and the sleeves out of scraps. 

The fabric is a bit sheer but is decent enough with nipple covers to hide the important bits. I looked at white and clear elastic to thread through the channels at the sleeves, neckline and hem and in the end went for the clear elastic because the white could be seen through the fabric. Clear elastic is invisible through the channels but it isn't the best. I think a navy elastic would be stronger and have better give than the clear elastic I used.

The insides are all finished with french seams because my overlocker was broken but also because it makes me happy to look at. I love this top a lot and it wouldn't have existed without Gillian's sewing dares so thank you Gillian and thank you to Regan Louise for coming up with a fab dare for me.

Thanks for reading, to Paul for being my photographer this holiday and to MK for her fab beach.

Lauren xx

Funky Trousers

Hello all! This months Minerva make is these funky trousers. I've worn my black ones almost non stop and I thought it would be great to have another pair to travel in on our trip to France later this summer. This was one of those makes that I thought would be quick and easy. Obviously the sewing gods sussed this and decided to spite me by making it quite a challenge. It was my fault really. I was very particular about how I wanted the border print, which caused quite a few problems.

You can read the full post at Minerva here

Thanks for reading, to Minerva Crafts for providing the kit for this make and to my brother taking photos twice because in the first set I had a very annoying piece of dangly hair that was ruining the whole aesthetic.

Lauren xx

Begin again trousers!

 Hello all! I'm very excited to be taking part of the Vintage Pledge July Extravaganza, as I have of late fallen out of practice with using vintage patterns and I have missed them. The making of these trousers was a bit of an extravaganza in itself, but I got there at the end.

I have decided that 'Begin Again', starring Keira Knightly, is one of my favourite films. Her characters wardrobe is to die for. So simply chic, so elegantly nonchalant. I wanted some of her elegant nonchalance for myself so I set about making a version of her navy pleated high waisted trousers for myself. The pattern I used was New Look 6871, which I heavily suspect is from the 80s, although I can't find any solid proof to confirm that. It features a high waisted trouser, pleated at the waist with a slightly tapered leg. Bingo.

I sewed them up in some gorgeous navy blue linen, found at Goldhawk Road for around £12 per metre. I was running out of money at this point so I had to stop at 1 metre which wasn't quite enough for full length trousers. It's alright, I was going for the cropped look anyway. I do wish that I had enough for pockets and cuffs. They would have been the icing on the cake.

The sewing up went super smoothly until I got to the fly front. This was a nightmare. I attempted to understand the patterns instructions and then looked at Heathers Ginger Jeans fly insertion post and then got thoroughly confused and went back to the pattern instructions again. I think I ended up sewing some sort of fancy lapped zip by accident.

Next time I would add the fly onto the pattern pieces instead of cutting them separately like the pattern dictates. This way I could follow Heathers instructions properly. I'm still not happy with how it looks, as the metal part of the zip is really obvious so I think I'll rip it out, sew that seam up and insert an invisible zip down the side seam instead.

 I am really pleased with the fit though. I was expecting to have to pinch out masses of ease but they are perfect. The first time I tried them on I practically cried, because they are so out of my comfort zone, style wise and I felt horrible in them. They are just a totally different style, and I must admit, they are growing on me!

Thanks very much to Kerry and Marie for having me, and to Mum for taking these pictures! This post was originally published here.
Lauren xx