Top 5 Hits – 2014 (or perhaps 4)

Posted on December 14, 2014 by sewbusylizzy

Before we even start this Top 5 blogging journey, I’d just like to say that I might not always blog ‘five’ things. It’s not that I can’t count, it’s just that I’d rather pick one thing, four things or maybe eight things or more… it’s just what feels right.

I enjoy these posts – for me. So skip over it or read on if you like. I find it interesting to sit back and think about the year just gone. Whether it’s sewing or life in general, it’s good to think about what worked, what didn’t and ‘where to next’.

TOP 5 HITS

Today I’m blogging my Top 5 Hits. The makes I’ve worn the most and feel most ‘like me’. It’s easy to get caught up in a trend but more and more I simply sew the things that appeal to me and my sense of style (or perhaps lack thereof!).

Drape Drape

My mother-in-law gave me Drape Drape book last Christmas – and I immediately ordered Drape Drape 2 & 3. These books really changed my sewing approach and ricocheted me off into a completely different style zone – where I’ve never felt more comfortable. They finally provided me with some options that were really what I wanted to create and wear. Some of the makes were perhaps a little crazy but I’ve found these patterns fascinating. Drape Drape posts are here…

As recently blogged, the draped singlet dress from Drape Drape 2 has been the runaway winner in this year’s sewing. This little make is simply a misshapen singlet/tank dress. It’s incredibly easy to make and takes just 1.1m of fabric. When I’ve worn them people want to know ‘who the designer is’ – that gives me particular delight with my red/white/blue one which cost me just $6 in fabric.

Excuse the stupid pose. blowing a gale and the camera went flat. No 2. from Drape Drape 2. Without the drapes in view, it is a very simple singlet dress. This is perhaps my favourite. I love the lyocell DKNY fabric and the vibrant colours.

Side view – with the drapes.

Vogue 8780 – the Ugly Duckling

Despite the incredibly uninspiring pattern artwork or even more ‘blah’ Vogue photography, this cardigan is one of my most loved & versatile pieces. It’s made from a very fine merino knit from The Fabric Store in Sydney – plucked from the remanent bin for just $19.

It’s lovely with dresses & jeans. I wear it at work as much as I wear it casually. It’s got lovely drape at the front, a flared hem and it’s fitted across the back. I will make a size smaller next time (this is a small) as the sleeves are quite roomy – but I don’t mind, I love wearing it as it is. To me, this is the perfect cardigan (or whatever you call this!).

All I can say is, you need this in your pattern stash, buy it before it becomes OOP.

Sorry can’t see much of the ‘make’ but I love all the natural tones in this shot.

Vogue 8780 – so versatile. That’s in the work lift… it has rather a lot of mirrors. Helpful for selfies! I didn’t make the pink dress, it’s an old Metallicus which I had bagged for the op shop – then I thought would lovely it would look with this cardigan. So glad I saved it!

Vogue 1250 & Maria Denmark Day-Night Dress

I’ve made five of these dresses, my most beloved is the Sew Dolly Clackett dress which I’ve worn to work many times. It’s a versatile, comfortable, fun & flattering dress. I’ve been surprised by how much people admire this given the somewhat ‘unusual’ print – it’s not for the faint-hearted! I love the quirkiness and the fact it’s a different colour palette to what I would usually wear.

I love this picture – not because it’s a great one of me – but that ‘window’ in the print looks like a peephole into my soul… or belly button LOL

Grainline Alder Shirtdress

A very recent sewing hit. I’ve worn this a lot!. It’s easy to wear & I’m quite proud of my collar, placket & overall finish. I think I’m also emotionally attached to it as it was sewn on a happy, stress-free day – something I relished after some long, tough months.

I’ve got another Alder to share in the next few days!

Alder, view A – back view. I sense this will be worn A LOT this summer.

CONCLUSION

There you have it. One indie (Grainline). One Vogue. One Vogue & indie (Maria Denmark) hybrid. One Japanese pattern book.

I love slightly fitted, draped clothes. I adore casual wear and love nothing more than an outfit that I can wear barefoot or with heels. It suits my lifestyle. I work fulltime (so corporate office wear five days a week) and when I’m not at work I like to relax – mentally and physically. We really do go to a quiet beach almost every weekend with the dog and spend plenty of time outside the house.

I’ve loved plenty of other things I’ve made, including my By Hand London Hollys or the dress Holly hack which were fun to make & joyous to wear (and I love that bodice). However for my everyday wear, these four makes/patterns are the ones I reach for the most often – clothes that feel most like ‘me’.

I often sew simply to experiment and challenge myself. I’ve always said I’m not always a practical blogger. I make things that are buzzing around in my head or make me happy (or I try to). My sewing room has many resident squirrels to distract me and one drunk monkey who wrecks havoc on my hems, buttonholes and topstitching when I’m too tired to fight him off. However on my favourite sewing days, I’m making something I have envisaged and desperately want to wear – and it comes off the sewing machine like magic. Those are the great days.

Top 5 of 2014

The Grainline Alder Shirtdress, it’s more ‘me’

Posted on November 23, 2014 by sewbusylizzy

I like the fit across my back and shoulders. Grainlien Alder Dress

The latest shirtdress…

This year I’ve suffered from bouts of obsessional sewing. I’ve made three Hollys, three drop-waist dress (one still to be blogged), three draped singlet dresses and now three shirtdresses (sewing buttons on the third). I’ve really enjoyed taking a pattern, idea or something/anything and exploring it. That’s my favourite part of sewing, blogging and reading blogs – exploring variations. I also love sewing some patterns more than once if it triggers a burst of inspiration together – perhaps there is a miser hiding somewhere inside me (just not when it comes to fabric LOL).

While I love the idea of McCalls 6696 and I do like the shape on me… it just doesn’t feel like ‘me’. However I couldn’t give up the idea of a shirtdress.

I’m the first to confess I didn’t leap out of my skin when the Grainline Alder came out. However I just kept coming back to it after I finished the McCalls dress. Then I saw Cut Cut Sew’s version which I loved and I decided to take the plunge.

I had considered McCalls 6885 as made by Lori of Girls in the Garden, however there were no pattern sales locally, making the McCalls option quite expensive. I got out my Archer, tried it on and that sold me.

Why not just amend the Archer pattern if I had it? Excellent question and I wondered that myself when Alder was released. However the Archer has been drafted differently, as a sleeved shirt with the shoulders slightly oversized – there is a variation in the Alder sewalong if that’s what you want to do.

Anyway enough navel gazing and onto my make…

I spent last Friday sewing, at home by myself. It was heaven – decadent but work has been so overwhelming I needed a mental break. I sewed from about 9 to 4 – with a button-buying break around 2pm – thanks Lizzie for putting up with all my texted photos during the ‘audition process’ – and totally enabling the Alder sewing process!

Grainline Alder Dress – I made View A – the plain version on the right-hand side

The gathered skirt version appears to have been quite popular but the simplicity of the plainer version appealed to me.

Most of these pictures were taken by my husband while we were at the beach on Sunday morning with the kids, surfboards and Banjo. I didn’t even know he had taken most of them. The surf was rough, our favourite beach is unpatrolled (but it’s one of only two the dog can go to) meaning intense supervision is required when the kids go into the water.

Alder, view A – back view. I sense this will be worn A LOT this summer. A very windy morning and rough surf – I was watching the kids like a hawk.

I confess I am not a massive fan of polka dots… I know I am not a very cool blogger. However they seemed just right for this dress and it’s such a gorgeous shade of blue.

Front view, this is very ‘my lifestyle’, simple, loosely fitted and casual.

Ok, my McCalls 6696 has a great shape… but I really do love the Alder. I like the fit across my shoulders and upper chest. There are also bust darts to add some shape. I like the curved hem that gives it that ‘boyfriend’ shirt look and that it’s not oversized. I like the back – without any gathers, pleats or added fullness. I love that it’s so simple and waist-less. It’s really very ‘me’ and my lifestyle.

CONSTRUCTION NOTES

After my contrast disaster shirtdress I opted for streamlined simplicity with this make, white top-stitching & white buttons.

Yoke: sewn using the Burrito method – not outlined in the instructions but you can watch the online video from the Archer sewalong.

I like the fit across my back and shoulders.

Collar: attached using the Four Square Walls method, read about it here. I’m really starting to enjoy sewing shirts and want to prove my skills.

I did have trouble with my top stitching with this fabric, I ended up using my heavy duty Singer for most of the collar band – it’s a plodder of a machine but great for some jobs.

Armholes: I folded my binding in half (wrong sides together), placed the raw edges to the raw edges of the armhole, stitched and understitched, then turned it over to the inside, then top stitched it in place. I really hate folding the second raw edge of self-made bias binding under after I’ve sewn one edge to the armhole, it’s so fiddly and I have little patience – especially when it comes to ironing on a hot day! This fabric is rayon so this technique worked for me, perhaps on a heavier fabric it would add too much bulk.
Pockets: I’d move them up about 1/4 inch or so on my next version
Buttons: I am so glad I went with something that just ‘disappears’, it gives me the freedom to wear this dress plain or dress it up with whatever accessories and shoes I like. I wish I hadn’t added the last button near the hem. Oh well, I know for next time. Is there a next time? Oh yes… I’ve nearly finished it!
Length: I’m 5 foot 4, I did not alter the length at all.

Verdict? I do like this pattern and I’d recommend it. I found that it went together beautifully (not seamlessly – as there is a lot of seams LOL). I like it on me – it’s not as ‘shapely’ as the McCalls but that doesn’t mean it’s shapeless. I’ve really enjoyed wearing this.

Pattern: Grainline Alder Shirtdress, purchased by me. There is an Alder Sewalong on the Grainline blog with lots of tips and variations if you are interested.
Fabric: Printed Rayon from Spotlight, Australia (sold out in my local store). Purchased by me at a 30% fabric sale, usually about $12 a metre. I used about 2m. I’m tossing up whether to make a self-fabric belt for this as I like Cut Cut Sew’s one… but it’s so tempting to squeeze a little summer top out of the scraps instead. This is lovely fabric to wear and doesnlt seem to crush as badly as other rayons.

The ‘not Birthday Dress’ 2014, Drape Drape 2, No 2 (again)

Posted on November 23, 2014 by sewbusylizzy

So I had birthday earlier this week. I’m not a huge fan of birthdays but I was very spoilt this year by my family, friends and workmates which was rather fun I confess.

I had planned to make a birthday dress but my sewing time in 2014 has been much less than previous years for a whole bunch of reasons. So that didn’t happen this year… alas maybe next.

However I did wear a made-by-me dress to all my birthday dinner events (there was somehow three!) so I figure that kinda counts as a birthday dress. It took me all of about 90 minutes from cutting to hemming.

No 2. from Drape Drape 2. Side view – with the drapes.

No 2. from Drape Drape 2. Without the drapes in view, it is a very simple singlet dress. Necklace is a resin by a company called Polka Luca. I fused the hem up as I didn’t want to interrupt the fabric design with a stitch line.

No 2. from Drape Drape 2. Chevron side – sorry my arm is in the way and then the camera battery went flat and then I went out to dinner!

If you were at Frocktails recently you would have seen this – probably the most simply dressed person there, wearing what is basically a draped singlet. I struggled with fancy and fuss so I guess this little make personifies my style, something simple with a little bit of a twist.

This is actually my third version of this dress. I made one earlier this year that went unblogged, there didn’t seem much to say. This red/white/blue version is one of my favourite makes. I love the strong contrasts, if I’m wearing it out I wear it with my blue heels and a chunky white silicone Jellystones necklace. When I’m just banging about the house on a weekend, I wear it without jewellery and my flip-flops (aka ‘thongs’ if you are an Aussie). The fabric came from the bargain table at Spotlight and the fabric cost me about $6 all up.

No 2. from Drape Drape 2. front view. Excuse the face – it was a late, hot, windy summer evening last February. I wore this to work on casual Friday once and was stopped by an elderly gentlemen in the foyer who wanted to tell me I looked ‘spectacular’.

No 2. from Drape Drape 2. Side front view – chevron side. I’ve sorted out that seam puckering… and congratulations if you have spotted that my shoes are exactly the same as above just in a different colour!

No 2. from Drape Drape 2. Back view – with the drapes…. and now I’m wondering why I cut all my hair off… oh well it grows.

It’s interesting making the same pattern several times. It goes without saying that the drapier your knit for this design, the better. This final version is perhaps the best in terms of fabric. It’s a DKNY lyocell – which is essentially a rayon knit. It’s extremely lightweight and divine to wear.

This is one of my ‘tried and true’ patterns – in fact I’ve worn all three this weekend. Considering I wasn’t sure about this look on me at all when I made my first one, it’s proven to be a summer wardrobe staple.

Pattern: No 2 from Drape Drape 2, also blogged here.
Fabric: DKNY lyocell knit from The Fabric Store, Sydney. It was $25 a metre, I used 1.1m for this make, you do need fabric that is 150cm wide for this design.
All fabric, patterns, jewellery and shoes purchased by me.

And yes, I got lots of sewing related presents… here are the most ‘sew busy Lizzy’ presents.

Japanese sewing books, ‘cotton reel’ earrings, t-shirt (enough said) and a very cute silver spoon!

An artwork for my sewing room - a gift form my parents-in-law. Yes, that's Japanese vintage fabric integrated into the work.

An artwork for my sewing room – a gift form my parents-in-law. That’s Japanese vintage fabric integrated into the work. A hasty iPhone photo while on the way to the dinner!

What birthday is complete without…

Bollinger….

The ‘Why did I do that?’ Shirtdress, McCalls 6696

Posted on November 14, 2014 by sewbusylizzy

Ever make something, finish and think… now why did I do that???

This is one of those makes… alas…

McCalls 6696 – no amount of naval gazing will save this one with me.

This is the infamous McCalls 6696 shirtdress.

McCalls 6696 – the pattern

I finished this early September. Life has been overwhelming and I’m struggling to keep up with the laundry – not to mention blog posts. I’ve got another two things to blog… actually three…

I absolutely loved making this. Loved it. Yes, being a shirtdress it’s quite a detailed make. Yoke, collar, button band, waist band, belt keepers, pockets and more. The cutting seemed to take forever. I imagine trying to sew it up in a few sessions would be exhausting.

I sewed this in a gorgeous fabric – a Lisette lawn, silky soft and such a pretty print. Not too colourful and flowery for me.

I sewed it up over a week or so. Cutting, pinning, basting, sewing, overlocking, ironing, hand stitching when I had an opportunity. I purchased this pattern as soon as it was released, and traced it. Then put it on the back burner and watched everyone else sew it up. I just had not felt I had enough time to make it up.

McCalls 6696 – the only side shot we took, I was rather distracted that day as it was the puppy’s first day at the beach.

I made most of this while my husband was away for a few weeks and I was doing the typical ‘working mother’ juggle of work-school-meals-activities-appointments etc. When the girls were in bed, I would do the quiet tasks… cutting, pinning and hand sewing. I would sew some seams when I woke up and so on. It always surprises me how much I enjoy making garments in this manner. I find I make less mistakes, my sewing is more considered.

THE YOKE

I attached the yoke using the burrito method ala Grainline Archer shirt. It’s genius.

THE COLLAR

After my silk Grainline Archer collar battle, I decided to try Four Square Walls method of attaching the collar. I personally found this SO much easier.

CONTRASTS

This was my massive blooper of the make. It’s not that I hate contrasts and quirkiness. I just hate it on me. I think if I had sewn it up plain with no contrast, I would be much happier. Oh well, you live and learn!

McCalls 6696 – inside front view

McCalls 6696 – inside back view. I am not a huge fan of the gathers in the back. They felt puffy so I ironed them flat before I wore the dress.

McCalls 6696 – close up of the contrast horror on me…

I cut the inner waistband, inner collar stand and inner button plackets a from small pink gingham. I made bias strips of the blue fabric to finish the armholes. I know! Attention to detail plus!

BUTTON BANDS

I’m not sure if it is of any interest to anyone whatsoever and it’s certainly not ‘new’, however I used some of the quick-piecing techniques I used when I used to make quilts, it’s not rock science but it does speed up your sewing – quilting or dressmaking. I’ve found that being skilled in a wide variety of crafts has been enormously helpful with my dressmaking. I won’t bore you with all the details here as it’s not relevant but I did use one of those techniques to quickly create my contrast buttonbands – if it is of no interest or you have seen this before, skip over the next section.

I don’t blog every detail of my makes, there is a lot of knowledge out there, I’m including this as it’s a variation on the pattern and thought it might be useful to someone.

You could easily add seam allowances, cut four bands and sew them together. Or you could do this…

I added seam allowance to the button band and cut one button band from the blue fabric and one from the pink. I interfaced the pink strip. I then placed the two button bands right sides together (pink and blue) and sewed down the outer two lines.

You will need add seam allowances to the pattern buttonbands. The centre line is what you will cut down to create two bands. The outer lines are your stitching lines.

McCalls 6696 – Once you have sewn along the two outer lines, cut down the centre line – or use your rotary cutter to create two button bands.

McCalls 6696 – ta da. We now have two button bands

Then iron the seam allowances (trim if required) towards the pink contrast side.

McCalls 6696 – understitching the button band

Iron the bands wrong sides together and…

McCalls 6696 – the finished button band

I’m not one of those super-organised bloggers with a fancy camera on a tripod. I make no apology for that – I use the family point-and-shoot camera. I often think half way through a make “oh that might be interesting to someone” and absent-mindedly use my iPhone to document my work.

I did contact Heather of Handmade By Heather B via twitter before I attached the button bands as the instructions said to turn the unnotched band edge over 3/8in and then sew the band to the dress (this will make sense if you make the dress). It just struck me as odd when the band is folded in half and then the band is sewn to the dress with a 5/8in seam allowance it didn’t feel logical that the 3/8in turned under edge out meet/cover the stitching line. Heather confirmed that she probably hadn’t even read the instructions as she constructed her shirtdress. I often don’t but shirts with collars make me nervous. Heather said she had probably sewn her bands on with a 5/8in seam allowance and turned the raw edge under 5/8in as well. So I did too.

FINISHING

I hand sewed the inner waistband, collar stand and hem. I overlocked the raw edges.

I’m not pleased with the top stitching around the collar & buttonbands, I should unpick this stitching and re-do it closer to the edge. It looks heavy-handed to me as it is.

I took a lot of care with this make… and I love every minute of it. It just goes to prove, there can be as much joy in the making as the wearing. I sew because I love the process. That’s here I find my magic.

McCalls 6696 – note to self – standing wonky never does wonders for the butt view.

VERDICT

I might not like my interpretation on me, however I loved making it and think it is a great pattern. A real classic.

NEXT TIME?

I’d definitely have no contrast fabrics. I’d add some length to the bodice and taper out the skirt more over my hips. Or maybe I’m just not a shirtdress kinda gal.

PATTERN: McCalls 6696, view C.
FABRIC: Lisette lawn from Spotlight.

ALSO SEE: Handmade by Heather B | Idle Fancy | Sewmanju | Sew Dixie Lou | Sew Amy Sew

McCalls 6696 – view C. It is pretty, I don’t know why I can’t make myself fall in love… alas.

Drop Waist: Take 2, Papercut Saiph inspired Burda 7056

Posted on October 19, 2014 by sewbusylizzy

So while the jury is out on SBL vs the drop-waist look. I decided to try another ‘Saiph inspired’ make. Yes, another drop waist and a circle skirt.

I wanted to try out another drop-waisted look, this time with a more fitted bodice.

So I turned to my bulging pattern & fabric stash to see what might be a contender.

Burda 7056

I chose Burda 7056, described as “No-frill dresses for the confident woman, being the focus. All slightly flared, fitted at the back waist, shoulders left exposed“. I liked the more fitted but slightly a-line shape, with fitting provided by bust darts and back fish-eye darts. I added this pattern to the stash quite some time ago, I love the maxi version, and I also love the combination of high neckline and cut-away shoulders. There are not too many blogged versions out there – except for the lovely new-to-me blog bernie and i who has made it several times!

The fabric is a cotton sateen from a Spotlight bargain table for a princely $3 a metre. I adore the vivid blue & white. The large regular pattern is fun but not easy to sew with as you will see later!

Here’s what happened…

Burda 7056 with Saiph-inspired drop-waist and skirt modification. It was blowing a gale on this day we had to find a headland out of the wind (almost impossible to get out of the wind anywhere some days – so the dress looks slightly distorted in this picture and my bra strap has popped out – that’s life. And yes, it’s TOO SHORT! My waist is at the ‘ellipses’ travelling horizontally around the dress.

I cut the dress pattern off at about ‘Saiph’ bodice length. I sewed the bodice together, attaching the facings, which are great and don’t flip out at all due to the style of the dress, and put in the zip. The zip is a long centre back invisible zip.

To draft the circle skirt piece, I measured the finished bodice circumference. I then simply googled ‘circle calculator circumference, find radius’. Low and behold a little box popped up and I was away. This provided the radius & I used my daughter’s school compass to draft the dropped waistline of the circle skirt piece.

I simply pulled out the Saiph skirt pattern piece and used that as my guide for the outer hemline. I know, string, fishing line, makeshift compass, la la la – the pattern piece was there and a circle is a circle is a circle.

Burda 7056 with Saiph-inspired drop-waist and skirt modification. Not sure if it’s looking ‘hippy’ possibly yes. or if the cut-away shoulders help balance it out.

Now clearly it’s a little short. Actually no. It’s a lot too short! Despite the ‘frisky’ length I’m pleased with the make. It was an interesting process… and that’s why I sew, to experiment and have fun. I could have not blogged it due to it’s length – but it’s part of my current obsession with shifts, shapes and more – I’ll just run the risk of you thinking me a ‘tart’. At some point I’ll reach the caboose of this sewing journey so forgive any hints of SBL caboose in the meantime. It’s part of the success/disaster of sewing.

Burda 7056 with Saiph-inspired drop-waist and skirt modification.

Apart from the length, I’m not in love with the only front bodice shaping being the bust darts. Probably because this is a slightly heavier cotton sateen, I don’t like how the dress lies between my bust and the skirt – which you can also see in the white feather hem version on the pattern envelope. I don’t want this to be super fitted all through the length of my body but I think some waist shaping at the front of the bodice around the waist would be nice. That said, I think it’s great as is if it made up as just a shift dress, in fact I think it’s rather a terrific pattern for a shift.

Burda 7056 with Saiph-inspired drop-waist and skirt modification.

If you are wondering about pattern placement… with a pattern this big it was always going to be challenging… and probably why this fabric sat in my stash so long. I love the vivid blue of this fabric but those ‘flowers’ and ‘leaves’ were challenging. I actually attached the skirt, removed it and reattached it… and I think you will agree the second try was much better!

Pattern placement = hilarious.

so pleased to have provided a moment of mirth for you…

Like the Saiph, ELH rather likes this dress . He said “I think you should wear that dress… a lot”.

I’m now planning SBL & the Drop Waist No.3… why not… I’m having fun!

Oh and I forgot to mention last post… we have a new addition to the family… meet Midge…

Midge – the new bubba. Yes that’s a Chihuahua. Yes he is the same colour and has the same markings as Banjo – he’s twice as feisty though!

I’m betting you have now forgotten I made a dress. LOL. This post came so fast after the last post because I was pinned to the lounge by the sleeping puppy (he’s a genuine lap dog this one) so typed it up on my iPhone and read Japanese sewing books!

And here is a beach…

Photos taken at the northern headland of this gorgeous beach – Shelly. One of my favourite places and views in Port Macquarie. Many of our beaches are ‘in town’ yet you don’t see a house – I love that.

Pattern: Burda 7056 with Papercut Saiph inspired modifications.
Fabric: Cotton Sateen from Spotlight (about $5 worth of fabric here!)

Sew Busy Lizzy

she sews by the seashore…

Category Archives: Dresses