Lekala #5999

Another sew for Liddy, another Witchery knock off.

Same story as before, Lidia found a tunic she loved on Witchery.

Tunic available from Witchery

I had some divine, soft, brushed cotton in my stash and after perusing Lekala we found this shirt 

Lekala #5999

Liddy loved it!
The only problem was that it was designed for a stretch not a rigid cloth.
We looked at all the other shirt patterns I had but Liddy kept coming back to this one.
After grumbling to Jed about it he asked if I could just size up?
Lekala make personalised patterns to your measurements. I added 2 cm to each of Liddy's and crossed my fingers.

It worked!

The fit is perfect.
Just enough ease and growth for a 13 year old.
I added a back yoke facing as it was only a single layer.

The neckline is pretty and grown up but not too low.

The sleeve placket was new to me.

Lekala directions are very much on the light side. There was a link to a youtube tutorial but my internet was down when I was sewing this, so I muddled through.

I did end up with an 1 cm raw edge so I ironed a wee bit of interfacing over it before top stitching.

That neck ruffle is perfection!
I definitely need some practice with attaching ruffles, I should have given more ease over the curved edges of the collar.

Again, the instruction were not that clear on how to attach the front facing so I sewed my collar stand, then the front facing and then pressed, clipped and turned, pressed again and edge stitched the bottom of the collar stand catching the top raw edge of the facing underneath. 

I carefully pressed and pinned the under facing and then topstitched from the right side.

~Lidia's Verdict~
This shirt fits me so perfectly with a little bit of ease at the back and under the arms. I love the frills and the cuffs with the slits of skin, see below. I love how it is a normal shirt with a couple of special additions to add a bit of character in it. 

~My Verdict~

Lekala patterns are a good challenge for me. Although very well cut and excellent value for money the instructions are minimal (I do believe they offer prompt email support).

I quite like the 'Euro' feel to the clothes and Liddy loves them.

This shirt was such a fun sew (but a solid 6 hour sew).

Thanks for reading xx N

PS Yes, I noticed the uneven hem, I will go back and fix it ;)

Jedediah Shorts

With the leftover fabricfrom the Loveralls, Trixie's vintage popover, Zara's Lekala skirt and Hugo's Kwiksew jeans ...
(Not bad for a $20 end of roll from eBay)

I made Hugo another pair of Jedediah shorts.

To go with his navy shorts, navy trousers and brown chinos

I sewed Hugo the smallest size, with out fitting them.

Next time I will fit them as he prefers a firmer fit in the waist.

These are my go-to shorts, trouser and jeans pattern for Hugo and Jed.

The pocket construction is brilliant with a lovely facing over the pocket bag.

Make sure you use a heaving shirting for the pocket bags. I used Liberty in the earlier pairs and have had to replace them as they wore thin.

The rise is perfect on Hugo (and Jed) and has a decent fly with a good size guard.

I really like the groovy stitching on the back pockets too.

~Hugo's Verdict~
I was very excited when mum made me a pair of these shorts as I already have a pair of jeans from the same denim and they are really comfortable and make me look quite smart. The same can be said for these shorts and they work really well as part of a casual summer look.

~My Verdict~
I am a big fan of Thread Theory patterns.
I will admit, the first pair I made I got slightly confused with the pockets and the facings but once I read the instructions carefully it all became clear.
Like their other patterns, I feel I am getting 'trade secrets' as there are tips such as stretching the legs in places to give wearing ease that I have never heard of before.
I don't even look at mens trouser patterns anymore, I just reach for this one.
I have bought the Jutland, for Jed as work trousers but have not sewn them as yet.

Thanks for reading...
xx N

Vintage Simplicity 7948

Sometimes a sew is just glorious.
This one was one of those.

~Back Story~
We holiday in Winter, that is the quietest time, on farm, for us.
As a family we love Victoria.
It is so green and pretty and seems so glamorous after dusty, country South Australia.
On our trip last year we traveled to Daylesford to met up with a dear friend and her children.
Whilst there, we popped into Alpaca Passion , a beautiful boutique that had a large basket of Alpaca blanket lengths for sale (amongst other stunning clothing items)
Jed, Liddy and Tildy spent quite some time 'playing' with them and the lightness and warmth convinced Jed to buy some pieces.
They were jolly expensive, $150/m but 2m wide and the quality is divine.
Evidently, Alpaca fibre is hollow and that is why it is light but so warm.
Belive me, if my Merino loving husband was convinced this stuff is the bomb.

For such a special cloth I wanted a special pattern.
Lidia requested a detachable hood and a secret pocket for her i-pod. 
I found this pattern on eBay.

I took my time with this one.
Before I started sewing I interfaced the facings, the pocket edges, the sleeve caps, the front and back yokes, the front edges and both sides of the collar and collar stands.
This meant some areas were doubly interfaced and this was a perfect finish.
I overlocked all the edges of every piece, except the collar, pockets and hood, before sewing. This took some time but was well worth it to stabilise and neaten every thing.

I ended up using three different pieces of satin for the lining.
A thick, vintage satin for the hood which ironed with a very hot iron so I think it may have had some natural fibre content. I chose this for the luxurious look and drape of the fabric.
A soft but weighty satin for the sleeves and a very stretchy satin spandex for the body.
They were all remnants, thus having to use three pieces, with not quite enough for a full lining in the body but the wool is so soft it is not an issue. 

There are so many lovely details.
The deep tucks are stitched in place.
I resisted stitching them with pink thread as I can swop out the pink buttons if Tilly doesn't fancy them.
The pockets are fully lined with the pink satin.
I have noticed on high end clothing that the buttons holes are always sewn and cut, even if they are not functional, so I did that on the sleeve tabs.
The buttons are enamelled, coconut shell and are very lush!

The jacket has a neat A-line with good walking ease but is not bulky.
The back yoke has a beautiful cut and lots of room for Liddy's wide shoulders.
It actually fits me!

The hood is lined and removable.

The buttons are hidden neatly under the collar when not in use.

Lidia loves the hood.

I hand-sewed the hems with a deep hem, during the construction but the coat is edge stitched, as advised in the instructions.

I wasn't sure about this but is does finish it nicely and stop the thick fabric rolling.

 I noticed I didn't get the buttons stitched in quite the right position and the hem is slightly uneven so I must go back and fix that #latenightsewingmistakes 
The instructions were very good. They are to the point but everything I needed was there.

~Lidia's Verdict~
This coat is just so warm, it really feels like a blanket I am enveloped in.
It is extremely comfortable and there has only been one day that I haven't worn it. I think the removable hood is just lovely and very clever.
I still can't decide whether I like this coat or my brown coat that mum made me last time.(I think this one just wins)
Mum's so clever I feel as though I am forever in her debt.
Thank you Mummy I love it.

Thank you for reading.
xx N
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After School Pants

Another piece for Liddy's capsule.

Oliver+S After School pants

Liddy found these on Witchery and requested something similar.

We used the size 12, no mods to the pattern except adding a ribbing cuff to the hem.

The cloth is a linen look poly/cotton and I top stitched all the seams.
The faux tie is a shoe lace, I picked up a bundle from a $2 shop.

They fit well.
Liddy is very slight, too slim for women's trousers patterns yet, I am so glad these work.
I have a pair planned in navy blue rugby knit, for school. 
Mental note, shop for navy shoes laces.

~Lidia's Verdict~
These trousers are so perfectly fitting and I love the draw string on the waistband and I think it looks perfect with my pink frilly top. 
I love the colour and they will work perfectly with my wardrobe.
I originally found these trousers on Witchery and mum was so clever to make something just like them.
 I love them.

Lidia's blouse is McCalls 7334 , her trousers are After School pants and her boots from Emu (wait for the sales)

xx N
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Vintage Simplicity 7739

How cute is this little pinny?

Sewn up in scraps of stretch denim with white jeans thread topstitching this dress is in heavy rotation.

The pattern, Simplicity 7739, pops up fairly regular on Ebay.

I was working with limited fabric so I had to make it very short.

I will definitely make her another, longer but this looks cute worn over trousers too so it will get a lot more wear yet.

The pinny has separated neck and arm facings, nicer then binding and I edge stitched them.

The centre back zipper makes for quicker dressing and looks snappy too.

I hope I can find a larger size.

Thanks for reading.

xx N

Burda 6849

I really wanted to sew another Burda shirt but this time in a stretch denim.
I did all the work, making my muslin last time so it was a pretty quick sew.

I shortened the body and added pleats to the sleeve but apart form that, just sewed up my previous muslin.

It is a very nice shirt but very long in the body and I am very short in the body.

I am really happy with the back, the fit is spot on and it is very comfortable and allows me good arm movement.

I love  the tummy ease.
It is firm enough through the bust but I usually drop a bra size when I stop feeding and it doesn't feel too tight.

I sewed it up in a medium weight, stretch denim, from Spotlight.

I topstitched it with white jeans weight thread and used river stone buttons.

Now that I have made my muslin, I have a go to pattern for a stretch fabric.
I really don't mind re-reading a book, re-watching a favourite movie or re-sewing a good pattern.

Now to find the perfect non-stretch woven shirt pattern.

Thanks for reading, Happy Mother's Day!