Simple Sew, Lottie Blouse

2014 feels like a very long time ago. It was a time of change, I'd started sewing in the summer and my first hospital job in the Autumn. 2015 arrived, my job was in full swing, I'd split up with my long-term boyfriend and I'd made my first ever Lottie Blouse. It was an exciting time in life, before I knew it I had a plethora of Lotties in my wardrobe.

Obviously new challenges took hold, in life and in sewing and Simple Sew's Lottie blouse slipped off my to-sew list. In November I was lucky (? jury's still out...) enough to bag myself a new role at the Hospital. When it came round to Simple Sew bloggers next pattern picks I knew that it was about time I made myself a new Lottie to go with my new job. I was excited to see how my skills had evolved since those early sewing days.

First up, I got my hands on the most up to date version of the pattern. I wasn't sure if there'd been any changes since it originally came free with Love Sewing Magazine (issue 2?). I cut a size 10 which was the same as my previous Lotties as they fit very well. The first thing I noticed about the pattern is that the pattern pieces say 1.5cm seam allowance, but the instructions say 1cm seam allowance for the blouse. I went for the 1.5cm as I assumed that was what I had done last time and the fit was fine. To be honest it's a pretty loose fit anyway so you shouldn't mess it up too bad with an extra cm or two.


The neck binding is a little bit fiddly. The patten piece doesn't actually tell you to cut it on the bias, so a few new to sewing peeps might want to look out for that. Inside the instructions there is a little section on binding where it reminds you to cut the neckband on the bias. It's quite a narrow one, I think for my earlier blouses I made myself a wider band just to make life a little easier. You gotta be careful around the corners and bends of the neckline, but patience pays dividends as it so often does. I love my little keyhole neckline.

She sleeves are designed to be gathered into the armhole, with cute little gathers on the sleeve head. I say cute, they are 100% cute on most people, but I've felt really really conscious of mine on my previous blouses. I decided to take out the gathers, which was going to be a bit of a gamble. I remember my drafting teacher telling me sleeves are usually about 2cm bigger than the arm hole. Well I think she said 2cm? I measured my armhole which was 44.5cm then the sleeve pattern piece. There was an additional 7 cm of fabric in the sleeve, so I needed to take out 5cm. I measured 2.5cm either way from the center then folded these points in to meet in the middle. I then gradually eased out the fold and smushed it down flat. I tentatively cut out one sleeve with my new pattern piece and pinned it to the arm hole. Sleeves generally need the most ease in the back, so I made sure my centre point of my sleeve was a little further back than my shoulder seam, I stitched in and it seemed to go well! No gathers!! I did the same with the second which was also successful. The blouse was a tiny tiny bit tight over my shoulders, but I put this down to choosing the 1.5cm seam allowance instead of 1cm. I could have lived with is but decided to re-sew the sleeve caps at 1cm grading out to my 1.5, then unpick the original stitching at the top. Loads better!

The necktie used to cause me all kinds of problems. The piece is quite long, I think in the past I've gone a little off grain which has resulted in a twisty tie. I was super careful cutting out this time. The chiffony fabric I used has a tendency to shift around a bit, but I did my best to keep it all flat and straight. The problem comes with the instructions telling us to sew from A-C, but there being no A or C marked on the pattern. I kind of guessed that the tie should join the blouse at the curvy bit of the keyhole (even though this would hide so much of my beautiful binding!!), so I measured how much neck I would need to leave open and then stitched my tie right sides together from here. Once you've done this, the pattern implies you just stick this onto your neckline and then hey-presto! You're going to have some raw edges on show though that could be avoided, so I opted to sew one side to the blouse then fold over and hand stitch the other, folding in 1cm to hide raw edges. What do you think? How did anyone else attach their Lottie neck tie?

I did a really lazy narrow hem on both the bottom and sleeves by overlocking then turning under once, but that's okay right?

x

Location: Lynwood Gardens Sheffield
Currently listening to: End Of The World With You, Calexico

New Look K6230, Raglan Jumper

It's a go-to pattern. I love this New Look 6230 Raglan jumper pattern. I've made a few variations now, but each time that wide neckline has got on my nerves a bit. I thought I would give it a miss this time, when it's this cold you don't need both yer shoulders out!

This lovely sparkly green fabric was yet more fabric from my leaving prezzie. I found it in Abakhan in their sparkly festive bins downstairs. It's soft to touch, quite thin but is fleecy on the underside.

I wanted to make something casual, and also warm. I know I've made a few New Look raglans before but this time I wanted it to be perfect. No more massive neckline!!


The first thing I did was work out just how much of the neck I wanted to take out. I tried on my first lovely orange raglan and pinched out about 5cms. I then transferred this to my pattern piece, making sure it was only the neckline that I was altering, not the rest of the fit. I took this out of the front piece, and I have always omitted the seam out of the centre back (just why would it need to be there?!).


From there on, it's a pretty easy top to make. I overlocked all seams without stitching on the normal machine first. The fiddliest bit was making a neckband to fit. I think it ended up being about 5cms shorter than the neckline to avoid it gaping or puckering. I kept pinning it on then trying it on until it stretched round perfectly.

I added cuffs. I've done this before, I definitely wanted them on here to avoid it looking too pyjama top-ish. They too were about 5cm shorter than the sleeve circumference. Dead happy with how all my seams lined up! It can be a bit fiddly because the cuff it so small and you have to really get in there and stretch it out to fit.

I had decided from the moment I touched this fabric that I didn't want a hem on it. I wanted it to be really casual to contrast the sparkles, so I wanted to let the bottom just naturally roll where I cut it. The jumper is a little cropped from the original pattern, but still quite modest for me! Hey!

This jumper is super comfy and still love how the pattern lends itself to little tweaks making it different each time. Love the fabric too, muted tone with sparkles. What more could you ask for?

x

Location: Brown Lane/Charles Street, Sheffield Hallam area
Currently listening to: Alone Together, Nabihah Iqbal

Self-Drafted Sports Top

I started boxing in May last year when I was sick to death of feeling so angry all the time. 8 months later I'm still at it having only missed a handful of sessions. I'm still angry, but I'm also a little tougher, so I guess that's something. #Sassy, #spooky and #sexy were last year's buzzwords, so maybe for 2018 I'll throw #Sporty and #Safe into the mix as I try and continue to learn how to look after myself.

Self-made gym gear is something I've been seeing a lot of on Insta recently. I didn't want to miss out so I tried my hand at my first gym top.


If self-drafted is code for rip off then we'll go with that. This top was an example of having a ready to wear garment that you love so much you just gotta have another. I found this light stretchy houndstooth fabric downstairs in Abakhan. To touch it reminded me very much of my Adidas vest that I wear boxing. Obviously as it was houndstooth I couldn't say no. The plan was to trace my Adidas top and make another.

Drawing round the top was easy. It's a very loose fit vest with no darts or shaping. In fact even the side seams are just straight lines. The back is longer than the front by a couple of cms and there are slits in the side, about 10cm up from the bottom. The head hole is close around the neck and the arm holes are just bound. After drawing round the top I added 1.5cm for any seam allowances and folded the shoulders of the pattern paper round to make sure the seams would match up.

The only real difference between the front and back pieces were the back being longer and the neckline being a little higher. I scooped a little more out of the back armholes too because it felt like a good idea.

Instead of turning in binding on the arm holes like the ready to wear version I cut some strips of fabric to add as bands. The hardest part was getting these the right length so then didn't either pucker or sag. After playing about for a bit I worked out they needed to be about 5cm shorter than the armhole. The fabric is very stretchy, if it had less stretch they would maybe only have needed to be a couple of cms shorter.


The neckband was put on in a similar fashion, then overlocked round, matching up the mid-points on neckline and neckband by stretching out the neckband a little to fit.

The hem was overlocked then turned up 1.5cm and stitched down with twin needle.

The top is exactly what I wanted, light and loose and perfect for sports. Hope Adidas don't come and sue!

x

Location: Mount Pleasant Ball Courts*, Sheffield
Currently listening to: Faces, The Wands


*Ps, Great paint job on the ballcourts by the Brick Gallery crew! ❤

Velvet Self-Drafted Gemma Skirt

Next from my Abakhan haul is this velvet version of my Gemma Skirt .

I was drawn to the sparkly box in Abakhan full of left-over festive bits. I dug out a few bits I had no idea what I was going to do with, but also this plain black velvet that I knew would make a sweet circle skirt without too much effort.

I made the skirt in a few hours. The four panels are all equal, and the waistband is one piece folded over some elastic of the same length.

This was my first project I'd used a walking foot on... Wow! I've been making life difficult for myself without one! No fabric stretching or anything. Love it.

Mmmm! Lovely velvet!

Knowing this skirt would be a quick make, I think I was guilty of rushing it a little. I initially cut the elastic a smidge too short and it just felt a little too tight around me. I made a little makeshift elastic panel to make it a tiny bit longer. It worked but could have done without the faff. If anything it could be a tiny bit too long now, though that's just preference, I don't think anyone would notice. I also couldn't remember if last time my elastic was exactly the same length as the waistband material. Turns out yes, it should be!! My elastic was a little shorter this time, which doesn't make a difference to fit or anything really as both are stretchy, but does leave a bit too much room for the elastic to do what it wants. When pulling the skirt on it does have a tendency to flip round inside the velvet. I think this is partly because the back of the velvet is so slippy and also my overlocking of band to skirt could have been a little closer to the elastic.

I cut about an inch off the bottom compared to my Autumn version... Spring will be on the way soon.

x

Location: Devonshire Quarter, Sheffield
Currently listening to: Feel Alright, L.A. Witch