Catching up

Here are a few things I’ve been making since the New year. I work part-time / freelance so work can be quite erratic. I finished the last reports I had to do on New Years eve and had no work until mid march but while I was idle I made use of my free time.

 

I decided to try to make a shirt for my husband. He has really broad shoulders/long arms and a narrow waist so he finds it difficult to find rtw shirts that fit well. Luckily for him his job means that he can live in tshirts under his overalls.But I like a challenge and had lots of time to figure it out. I used a pattern from an old Burda magazine and made the largest size – 46? This was too tight across the shoulders etc. So I took a few more measurements from an old shirt that fits ok and did a wide back adjustment, a wide chest adjustment (is there such a thing as a fba for men??). I used a light cotton I picked up at Utrecht fabric market last summer, it was the end of a roll and got it for €2 for the lot – plenty to make this shirt.

So I got the body of the shirt fitting well, then came the collar and sleeve plackets…. Oh good lord! Burda instructions – after I threw them out the window, I looked online, in my sewing books and ploughed through, but the collar ended up totally wonky, and the sleeve placket – well, I told him if he ever wears it to keep the sleeves rolled up!

 

It still needs buttons and buttonholes.  Once its finished he said he’d leave it in his van as an emergency clothing if he gets dirty at work (he has a dirty unmentionable but noble job).

I’ve gotten some more fabric to try again but will need to practise sleeve plackets a few times before I chance ruining another shirt.

 

Another find in Holland last year was this birdie cotton jersey I got for €2.50 / m at my in laws local market. I got 4 m as I loved the hummingbirds. Then didnt know what to do with it when I got it home.  I wanted some new nightwear recently and was not going to buy it cos, well you know – sewing!! I thought this would be a good use of the fabric, I still get to wear it and dont have to feel a bit self conscious if I made it into real clothes.

First I made a Maria Denmark Pernille Pencil dress- I also wanted to try out the fit of the pattern – killed two birds with the one stone -Ha Ha!

Then I made The Laura Lounge Trousers

 

Wasnt paying attention when cutting out – birds are upside down.

And then a Pattern Hack!! I made a long sleeved PJ top from the pernille princess dress and used the  Birgette basic tshirt to figure out the length.

 

Just to finish off Kirsten Kimono tee in another dutch jersey:

 

Also I won a Maria Denmark competition on Pattern Review for my Sew Blue February skirt. I really like her patterns as might be becoming apparent in this blog as time goes by. I’ll write another post about my prizes etc later on. Okay back to work so I can earn some money to stock up the stash…….

 

And Sew Dolly Clackett:

 

It’s a shed door!

 

At last, I finished my Sew Dolly Clackett dress. Its By Hand Londons Anna dress made in a cotton butterfly print I picked up last summer in Utrecht fabric market.

 

Sorry about the knees!

Would you believe that it was a bright day when I took these shots – still looks dull!!

I made this dress before christmas for my 40th Birthday in a turquoise crepe from Minerva crafts so I had figured out all my fitting issues which are a small fba and a wide back adjustment. I’ve discovered these are my two main issues when making fitted wovens and is probably why previously when I made tops and dresses with sleeves I couldn’t raise my arms. The more you live the more you learn!I also lowered the front neckline a bit as I found it high but I think that is another of my fit issues. I lined the bodice with some silk/cotton I got on ebay a while back, so no facings.

More pictures so you can see the details:

 

 

and butterflies because!! Just looking at the photos I’ve realised that the butterflies are in all my favorite colours – purples, dark pinks, blues, turquoises etc. I don’t normally wear black (pale & pasty) but I don’t think its too overpowering with this print.

I decided to use this fabric as it was in my stash and I really wanted to make a dress from it and this was the perfect motivation to just do it. Its probably going to hang in my wardrobe with the rest of my woven dresses but the first sunny summerish day we get I will wear it. If I had to go and buy fabric specially for this occasion I think I would still be looking and the dress would never get made.

Now must go and add this to the flickr group and check out all the other creations.