New Look K6230, Lace raglan

I spend a lot of time on Instagram. Probably too much, but that doesn't have to be a bad thing. It's not just about checking out hot girls, I have found Instagram to be a great platform for sharing ideas and picking up creative tips, finding inspiration and celebrating successes. Sometimes just flicking though suggested posts can spark an idea.

I'd love to be able to give credit to who it was that inspired me to make a lacy raglan but I foolishly didn't hit the save button. Someone on Instagram though has a top with a lace back and it looked cool! I thought 'I could make that!', then I thought why stop at a lace back, could I get away with lace front as well?


I have quite a supply to stretchy lace fabric which I've been stashing for underwear makes, and also some plain black t-shirt jersey left over from my last baseball top.

Perfect! This meant no trip to the shops. I had the inspiration, I had the fabric and I had the pattern. No time to waste!!

After drafting my second dress last month a project like this was just what I needed. Something I already knew how to make and knew what adjustments I wanted to make to the pattern.

I took 2cm off of each edge where sleeve and front/back meet. This time I committed it to the paper pattern! I took out the centre back seam from the pattern. I have made 5 now and not once included this! And I also took out about ?2/3cm from the centre front. This time I wanted the neckline to be a bit less off the shoulder! I wear my black and grey one a lot but the wide neck does always make it look a little bit slobby!

I cropped the sleeve to 3/4 length again and took some length off of the bottom of the top so it was cropped. I'll crop owt at the moment me!! Spring's on the way though so that is fine!

Pretty plain sailing from there. I found it pulled a little at the shoulders/chest so lucky I didn't take any more out!! I did pinch in a little at the underarm seams so the sleeves weren't so loose though. I had a good fiddle with my overlocker settings to get it perfect for the jersey and lace combo. Instead of doing a dodgy hem on the bottom I turned it over really narrow and overlocked around so the overlocking is visible. It makes for quite a nice finish. Is that a rolled hem? Or is that something else?

Pretty see-through, but not going to lie, that was what I was going for. Not sure if me nan will like it but oh well.

#Spooky17

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Location: Attercliffe Tram Sheds, Sheffield
Currently listening to: 6 Foot 5, Lars Frederiksen and The Bastards

Self Drafted Olivia Dress

When you know how, the changes to my Rosalie pattern to make Olivia were pretty simple. This time last year I would have had no idea how though, and I would have been pretty mind blown to hear I'd just drafted and realised my second dress.

I used the same block as a starting point, and decided on armscye/bust panels as I loved them so much on Rosie. I SORT OF wish I'd done princess seams from the shoulder down, just to learn a little more about moving darts and try something different, but in visual terms I am definitely pleased with my panelling again.

Where Rosalie is a bit spooky, Olivia is a bit classy. I've opted for sleeveless this time, as Rosalie is quite possibly all the sleeve a girl will ever need! This also gave me chance to practice lining arm holes, which (shhhh!) I'd never done before! There are many different methods, but the one that worked for me was learned from Lisa Comfort's Sew Over It How to Line a Dress vid. The trick here is to make the shell and lining up as normal but WITHOUT sewing up shoulder seams. The two are then attached around neck and arm holes, understitched, the lining then turned in. You do something a bit funky with the shoulders, pulling one inside the other then sewing, making sure you match everything up perfectly before pulling back through to the right side. I could give you an in depth tutorial but just watch the vid ;) For my first attempt it worked pretty well!

The other major change is the skirt is now A-line instead of straight/pencil style. To do this I used a slash and spread technique on my paper pattern. Basically I closed up the waist darts which added kick to the skirt. I made a toile and ended up taking some of that kick out!! It looked good, but just not entirely 'me'.

Really happy with the amount of flare in the skirt now though! Love that shape over my hips and managed to avoid a billowing skirt affair!

The only problem is the back skirt. I hate to point these things out, but I guess it's how we learn! There is some unnecessary bagging in my lower back. Used slash and spread to take the darts out of the back too, but in doing this I have created bagginess! I thought in toiling stages that this wouldn't matter as it would somehow just add to the flare??? I don't know. The waist is pretty snug on me though, so I don't know how I could really add any shaping in to the lower back. Does that make sense? Can anyone help? It's a real shame as I absolutely love the hang and shape at the front. I'm sure it's possible to fix but it's really really hard working behind yourself!


Olivia's neckline is a little different too, the curve looking a little more square? I think? Either way, I think it's great. I took a little out of the back neck too so the zipper didn't sit so high.

Fabric choice is a stable velvet affair, with little diamonds embossed? etched? What's the sewing term?? Sort of quilted but not? Don't stroke it the wrong way or it will make you feel sick. Actually you know what, don't stroke me at all unless you want a fat lip.

#Sassy17

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Location: Wicker Arches, Sheffield
Currently listening to: Black Saint, Witch

Simple Sew Patterns Blogger Meet Up

https://www.simplesewpatterns.com/

Flash back to mid November and I got the chance to meet these lovely ladies for the first time in a secret location in Manchester.

I'd made quite a selection of Simple Sew patterns before I was invited to become a member of the team so bought along a few outfit changes on the day (more than I had time to change into ha!)

First up,Skater Dress

One of my most frequently worn Simple Sews. The Skater Dress bodice is similar to that of the Charlotte but features a full skirt, perfect for parties! For my velvet skater dress I cut my skirt in quarters so that the nap of the fabric all went in the right direction. I chose a stretch fabric, but a nice woven could add some real good body to that skirt.

My velvet Skater Dress can be found HERE

Charlotte Dress

The Charlotte Dress pattern is a semi-fitted, straight skirt, multi-choice sleeve affair, with a lovely scoop neck. I made the pattern for mine a little smaller and used a jersey fabric, but I've seen some great ones in wovens. I've found the classic style makes the dress great for work events.

You can read about the making of HERE

Ruby Dress

Cheated a bit on this one! Technically I used the Skater Dress bodice with the Ruby Dress skirt (they are pretty much the same!). I swapped sleeves or armhole facing for bias binding at the arm holes. Again I cut the skirt in panels, this time so my fabric design wasn't cut diagonally.

Read more about my Ruby/Skater HERE

The English Tea Dress

Love the little cap sleeves on the English Tea Dress! I chose a light viscose with a cosmic swirly design for a summery, hippieish vibe. The bodice comes to a V at the centre front mimicking the Vneck.

HERE I am sporting cosmic vibes in my English Tea Dress last summer.


Becoming part of a blog team alongside my own blogging adventures has not only given me the chance to create some sweet makes, but also the opportunity to meet and mingle with other girls partaking in a similar journey to myself.
All patterns can be found on the Simple Sew Website (you can click through the links in my post).

Here's to the next Blogger Meet Up!

📷 Photo Credits @domjcrolla

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Currently Listening to: Warsaw, The Black Halos

Hacked Pin Up Sweater

Whenever a new month or a new season rolls round, I always find myself thinking 'what was I doing this time last year'. I've come to find it's painful if it was something good and it's painful if it was something bad, so it's probably a habit I should shake. This time last year in sewing world though, I was doing quite nicely. I'd taken a sewing holiday and among the makes was a kick ass orange jumper that is still one of my faves, and soon my first Gertie Shirtwaist Dress would arrive.

After finishing my big Rosalie project this Jaunuary, I was a little scared about what would come next. Finishing Rosalie was like getting out of a long term relationship and not knowing what to do with yourself! The commitment it took into getting her ship shape was more than I've ever dedicated to any man! Oh and the return she gave me was too! Haha! But when she was done I needed something quick and easy and instantly satisfying to get back into the swing of things before I lost my mind entirely.

It's been on my mind all year round that I had an awkward amount of orange fabric left from my jumper that I was certain I could make something out of. The fabric itself is a fluffy jersey, not so fluffy as it all gets stuck to your lipgloss or owt, but a comfortable warm affair that makes me feel special when I touch it.

The colour is perfect, any colour aficionados know what shade we'd call it? It's orange, but somehow not bright. But definitely not brown. I don't often feel comfortable in things that aren't mainly black, so this blows my mind!


For the basis of the pattern I used Gertie's Vintage Casual Pin Up Sweater with a few alterations. First up, due to fabric restrictions I cropped a load off the bottom. Was happy with this though as I'm loving crop tops at the mo (knew all them gym crunches weren't a waste of time). Then I made sure I lowered the arm holes. My first sweater which followed the pattern, pulls a little at the underarms and it took me ages to figure out it was because I needed a little extra room cutting into the bottom of the arm hole. I wanted my new sweater top to be a little less fitted and a little more casual anyway, so made sure I scooped out a couple of centimeters. Not really sure how, but I knew I needed to make up for this on the sleeve, so added a couple of centimeters to the bit at the bottom of the sleeve that joins at the side seam.


Overall sleeve length was determined simply by how much fabric I had. It was looking a bit close at one point, but I just halved what was available and drew as much sleeve on as I could. Miraculously I am more than happy with the length!

The sleeves are set in before you sew up the side seams, so much easier to get that shoulder curve. Nice.

To begin with, the front and back were cut exactly the same. I knew I would want to play around with that neckline a little. I expected that I would want to scoop the front down a bit (fine, quite a bit), but when I tried on before altering it I found I really liked the high neck. I just took a tiny bit out of the front so it didn't look like I had it on back to front!

I wavered quite a bit from the pattern at the side seams. Instead of shaping into the waist and back out for the hips with a curve, I initially just cut a straight line from the bottom of the arm hole. I stitched up at this and liked it a lot, but as I planned on putting a waistband on I wanted to taper the bottom in a bit so there wasn't loads of fabric in the jumper to stretch the band around. I took about 2.5cms in from each side seam at the bottom and then drew a straight line that tapered from the bottom of the arm hole to my new point.

This fabric is awesome! It's got lots of stretch but somehow doesn't stretch out as you sew it! Magic.


Again, different to the Gertie jumper and more similar to the raglan jumper I made from this fabric, I decided to add a stretchy waistband to the bottom. I cut it about 6cm wide by about 90cm, then pinned it on, stretching as I went. I didn't need the full 90cm (not sure how long it was in the end but significantly less), so was glad I'd pinned to check. Then I stitched up at the side of the band and overlocked it straight onto the bottom of the jumper. Holding my breath all the way. Turned out pretty good though!

A similar process for the neckband, only I cut this about half the width of the waist. It's always so risky as to whether you've got too much or not enough or just the right amount of stretch in your band around the neck. Too much and your jumper might pucker, too little and it will stick out on the shoulders. It's tricky to pin on and try on (prickly on the neck, I've now got a few dodgy looking scratches), and even then can't really be certain if it's right until you've stitched. After pinning though, it was obvious to me that the band bought the neck a little too close to my throat again, so I trimmed off 7mm right the way round the head hole then overlocked the band on.

Success! Phew!! So so so happy with it! Perfectly round and (so very ALMOST) even!! Just don't look too close alright? I think I'm just being nit-picky, I definitely wouldn't notice if I'd just picked it up in Top Shop.

Decided against bands on the sleeves incase they made the jumper look a bit puffy? Instead I did a cute little narrow hem. Pretty perfect.

Love this jumper! Thanks to Gertie for the original pattern, but also go me for making it into what I really wanted! The colour, the shape, the texture, the constriction, what it does for my boobs and what it does for my confidence... Very happy, super sassy!

#Sassy17

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Locations: Wellington Street Carpark
Vulgar, Devonshire Street
Devonshire Lane
Sheffield
Currently listening to:To Be Without You, Ryan Adams