Lekala Silk Blouse #4452, True Bias Ogden Cami and Lekala Short Skirt #5430 for Lida

 Have you ever had a piece of fabric that you love but are just too nervous to cut into? This piece was it. A silk crepe that is as soft as cobwebs.

I needed a simple pattern with plenty of ease to accommodate this delicate material. 

I thought Lekala #4452 would be just the job. The blouse has a classic cut front and back with a large, side positioned collar. It does have a bow (Lidia is not allowed bows or ties on clinical clothing as they can be grabbed in a high stress situation) but I had a plan for that. 

The silk was so shifty I had no chance of cutting it out true. I had heard of soaking sheer fabrics in gelatine and then rinsing it out once the garment is finished so I thought I would give that a go.

To do this, I 'bloomed'  (mixed and left for 30 minutes) 2 tsp of gelatine in in 2 cups of cold water, I then added this to 6 cups of warm water, mixed well and then soaked my silk for 5 minutes. The fabric is then wrapped in a towel and the excess liquid gently squeezed out. I dried it on a clothes horse. 

I was making a camisole to wear under the blouse so I treated the satin at the same time. 

I was rather pleased with this method. The fabric softened up quite quickly once I was handling it, I would consider using a stronger bloom next time but I will definitely use gelatine to stabilise again. 

I decided to sew the blouse with French seams as I was worried about fraying. I even did the sleeves which worked surprisingly well, I just had to be mindful when trimming the first pass. My small sleeve ironing board was very helpful with this. 

The camisole pattern I used is my tried and true Ogden cami. I do love the deep (but not revealing) front and back V of this lovely top. It also has a lovely facing that is almost a partial lining. 

A very pretty blouse.

As soft and light as cobwebs, perfect for high Summer days.

I noticed that the sleeve cap was pulling a wee bit and was concerned it was my French seams, however, I re-measured Liddy and discovered I should have done this before ordering this pattern as her Summer of activity and laid down some muscle. She assures me it is quite wearable as silk has a natural 'give'. 

I finished all the hems by hand. I felt it added to the luxurious nature of the material. The collar is self faced so there is nary a raw seam!

After sewing the blouse I made a denim skirt with an equally luxurious trim.

Lidia sent me a Pinterest image of a pretty denim skirt with a lace trim. I had this piece of vintage cotton lace in my stash that I thought would work.

The skirt is another Lekala pattern, Short skirt #5430 

A skirt I had previously sewed for Elsa

I used rigid denim and top stitched with a silky, thicker jeans thread.

At Lidia's request I added extra large belt loops for a special belt she had found thrifting.

This pattern is a bit of a head scratch when it comes to inserting the zipper. Lekala can be a little 'serving suggestion' when it comes to their instructions. It's a bit ugly but it works.

I used Lid's new measurements to make this skirt and it was perfect.

I especially like the way the back is longer to accommodate her full derrière. 

She liked the blouse, she was thrilled with the skirt.

PS I don't have a photo but I attached the bow with a wee clear plastic sew in press stud. It means the bow can be removed in a Clinical setting and you really don't see the stud.  

Thank you for reading, stay safe and well... xx Nicole 

 

Sewist #17179887 Dress for Matilda

 Pinterest strikes again!

Tilly saw this cute little dress and loved it.

So she popped on Sewist and made herself a dress pattern

Tildy has a great eye for a line drawing and I often delegate pattern making to her. 
My favourite feature on Sewist is the custom sizing. I usually still make a muslin but it save soooo much fitting time.

The fabric is from my stash. I purchased it from a Bullrush clothing sale ten years ago. Kerry, the Bullrush founder is a lovely person and very generous with her fabric sales. It is a quality cotton with a hint of stretch. It has a slight 'ottoman' effect one side.

The pattern was a great fit. I did end up taking in the side seam, above the waist, but I didn't permanently alter the pattern. I figured that ease could be desirable in another fabric.

The fabric was lovely to sew, handled well and took a hot iron.

Being a medium to heavier weight fabric the shoulder facings were a little fiddly.

I needed to to quite a bit of trimming, pressing and hand basting before hand sewing securely but I achieved a nice finish in the end.

I went with a regular zipper rather than invisible as I find them sturdier and this fabric had some 'grunt'.

I tossed around the idea of thread chains for the ties loops but much like the zipper, I decided to go with a sturdier option and made belt loops. The tie is self fabric.

Tilly decide to take a leaf of out Liddy's book and have the short-shorts made to feel a bit more comfortable in a mini dress.

We made a basic shorts pattern on Sewist.com but it had too much ease (to be worn as undershorts) so I fitted them.

The shorts have a waist facing, which I like to leave a large seam allowance on, so I can alter the waist later, if necessary.

I added a deep hem and finished it with the blind hem stitch (as I need to practice it) and it looks nice.

To keep the waist facing in place I like the stitch-in-the-ditch from the top, at each seam.

I think she looks adorable.

A neat fit that she can adjust as the mood takes her.

Age appropriate...

But very trendy.

Very comfortable to wear.

With an extra long zip to make dressing easier.

And cute little under shorts to stop her flashing her knickers.

Which we are all very grateful for.

Thank you for reading and stay safe and well xx Nicole 

Rosys Patterns Tie Front Shirt+ Shorts for Matilda

 Another fun sew from Rosys Patterns

Tilly asked me to sew her this lovely two piece set for Summer

The Tie Front Shirt+ Shorts

Matilda purchased this pretty fine cotton with a hail spot dot, on a shopping trip with her Dad.

Very pretty but almost a little light weight for this project. I seem to be nailing the poor fabric weight choice at present. 

It does work nicely with the neck flounce. Which is a single layer of fabric finished with a narrow, tight zigzag.

And the elastic wrist casing gathers beautifully.

But the sleeves are a bit floppy. They just don't have the 'poof' of the pattern cover.

It's a bit difficult to see but the top was a bit wide across the back neck so I just did a wee tuck (which disappears in the pattern of the fabric) and that sort of 'hoked' everything up.

The back neck was very 'square' and I did end up re-shaping that pattern piece.

I think this will sit nicer next time.

The neckties are sewn in one pass, finishing the neck and making the ties in one pass. I do wonder if cutting this on the bias would give you a neater and more pulled in back neck finish.

The wee shorts are a simple pull on style with an elastic waist.

I finished both pieces with a 1 cm double hem.

I know I am biased but how gorgeous does this look on Tilly?

It is so pretty and floaty.

It suits her so well.

I think it could look equally cute worn with jeans and boots, maybe with a singlet underneath?

A fun little 'fit' for warm, Summer days.

I think we will be making a few more of these sets. I would love to try a white version, like the photo on the pattern packet.

Thank you for reading, stay safe and well... xx Nicole