A little catch up

A little 'where I'm at post' is needed I reckon.

Firstly in very sad news Jo H. was right. Tania culottes use up a whole lot of fabric. My dress had enough fabric to make either the front or the back or potentially just one entire leg. None of those options were appealing. I still love the idea of eyelet/broderie anglaise culottes, I'm just going to have to source more fabric first.

As for the eyelet topshop dress? Well, I ripped it apart.  The picture below was the only one I could find of it, foolishly I didn't snap it before I snipped it. Good lord there was a lot of stitching. Topshop evidently believe that if it's going to have a seam you might as well do it 5 times. Anyhoo, it's not going back together now. 

This photo was taken in Moscow where it was about 40 degrees and I was not dealing well with the heat. I had tiny blisters and I was just getting over shingles. Nowhere had air conditioning. So a dress this insubstantial was appropriate. Looking at it now I miss it. But that's only because I know what it has become... (that sounds a bit unnecessarily over dramatic)

I decided to turn it into a sorbetto, which being both free and requiring little fabric seemed like an excellent idea. However, I didn't make a muslin, I have no idea why, I have perfectly sensible muslin fabric just sitting around. And it's a little off, the bust darts need to be fatter and the neckline is a bit weird, but that's because I tinkered about trying to get the shoulders to not be so crazily far apart. 
It's nearly finished, but I can't decide if I want to add sleeves, which isn't the point of a sleeveless top I know, but something is needed to improve it's looks. There's a sleeve pattern for the sorbetto over at sew-incidentally that I might have to have a little look at but adding sleeves seems to be fairly common.  

So all in all I feel a little disheartened. However, excitement lurks around the corner because I have a plan for something beautiful. Tania culottes will have to wait because my new and exciting plan needs to be finished before the first week in September and I am going to make a proper muslin!

My datura styled differently

I presented at a conference last month and I wore my datura wearable muslin. Styled differently I loved it. I've recreated the whole outfit (without the name tag or nervous sweatiness) just for the blog. My housemate might think I'm going a bit bonkers.

I'm even considering moving on and cutting into the liberty fabric to make the 'proper' version. Although looking at the view from the back, I will definitely cut the shoulders a little slimmer. 
I've even included an actual picture of me at the conference, not that you can really tell who it is up there. In my lovely photographers defence, it was taken on a camera phone in the semi darkness.

Tucked into a high waisted pencil skirt I think it works a lot better. Proof if needed that not everything looks best with jeans.

Tilly's picnic blanket skirt - The finished article

Ta Da!

It is finished and I like it a lot.

Climbing up was easy. Falling off not so much.

The pattern itself wasn't really a pattern, it was just maths and an excellent step by step guide. Which was fun. To start with I didn't have a metre ruler, but I've *acquired* one since (think skip diving).
I learnt how to apply interfacing, ruching, hand sewn buttonholes and applying snap fasteners / poppers.
I did not make a muslin, but I didn't need one for this project. I did however do everything properly, I tacked the skirt to the waistband before machine sewing, I practised button holes before cutting into my skirt and I did a lot of finishing by hand. So it took a while but I like it all the more.

One of the things I like best is that the skirt is nice and full, but because of the shape you don't have to worry about the breeze exposing anything. 

I compromised on my buttons versus poppers situation and added one button at the waistband and kept the rest of the placket button free. I'm not that sure about the styling, I felt a little bit like I should have been on my way to Sunday school, but I'll have a think about it.

Tania Culottes - they're here!

Look what arrived first thing Saturday morning!

Very impressive backstitch. Bravo. Bravo.
I was running out of the door Saturday when I picked up my post so I didn't get to open the envelope till I was sitting in the pub later with some friends. I don't want to name names, but there was open mocking of a grown lady wanting to make herself culottes. Not by everyone, but I definitely heard snorting.

Are culottes so bad?

I mean personally I haven't had the best experiences, I did have to wear a hideous poo coloured pair for brownies. And actually there was a red woollen embroidered culotte suit when I was about 6 that left some mental wounds, (I would say scars, but I've just been thinking about it and they haven't healed yet). But hey, that was the early 90's and bad things happened to good clothes back then. Also, six year olds are not known for their sartorial taste.

So these culottes will be just fine. However, just to make sure I googled them. And there are some really pretty versions out there, I like these and these and these. Consider me reassured. Now I just need to pick apart my old broderie anglaise dress and hope I have enough fabric.

One project at a time though. The picnic blanket skirt is merely a hem and a press from completion.

Pattern lust - Tania Culottes

Photos taken from megannielsen.com

I very much need these Megan Nielson culottes in my life. They are beautiful.

I think it was lladybird's version that swung me, that and a useless but lovely dress in my wardrobe. Its a navy broderie anglaise baby doll dress I bought from topshop an embarrassingly long time ago. Baby doll is not a winning shape on me and its a little short. However the skirt is nice and full and the fabric is lovely so I think I might try and turn it into these.

However, the pattern appears to be sold out everywhere, I found one stockist in the UK which didn't have a big sold out sticker plastered all over the page and I've placed an order. I'm not entirely sure if this company - backstitch, actually has them in stock or just doesn't believe in out of stock notices. Only time will tell eh?

Tilly's picnic blanket skirt - buttoning it up

Well, I have been busy. I feel a bit like I haven’t been home for ages. I’ve been all over England and a fair bit of Europe, but I’m back at my sewing table and I’m content.

So I’ve returned to the picnic blanket skirt and after it spent so long as huge squares of fabric it’s really taken shape. The side seams are finished with mock french seams, the waistband is painstakingly slip stitched on and the pockets are floral and awesome. In fact the fabric I used for the pockets has come from my Mum’s stash and used to be the curtain fabric for my room when I was tiny.

Many many button options. No ironing.

Next I have to work out how I want to fasten the front of the skirt together. The pattern stipulates buttons, but I'm not sure. With the pale blue/grey colour all the buttons I’ve looked at look too cutesy. Instead I’m envisioning giant snaps, so that nothing shows. However, having never sewn with them before I’m a bit unsure of how well they’ll work, do I use plastic or metal? How big is ridiculous? And will the waistband pop open too easily? I don’t want to be standing up and leaving the skirt behind on a bus seat.

A short sewing update

*Ah-hem*. So after turning my needle round my machine started sewing again. Perfectly normal mistake. Any other numpty could have done the same. 

But I haven't really had a chance to make use of it and finish my picnic blanket skirt. I've been really wanting to sew but work keeps getting in the way. However, as of Friday my crazy fortnight of work is over and sewing resumes in the evenings.

That doesn't mean I'm not creating anything though. Somewhere in-between presentations, posters and most importantly cooking dinner, I'm making fox costumes. Yup. Fox costumes. Bad week for it. I keep finding myself thinking about orange felt when I'm supposed to be thinking about cells.

Pictures to follow. Can't promise I won't look ridiculous.