Saturday 27 January 2018

A faux leather T shirt with mesh sleeves and lots of lace

After my post for The Monthly Stitch Stash Smash challenge I was so inspired. I had already cut out this top but had not had time to do the twin needle stitching round the hem and neck so I never got round to posting this one. So I suppose really this is a UFO which I hve finally finished.

Incidentally, because the sleeves are so narrow I twin needle stitch the sleeve hems BEFORE I sew up the side seams and it has become the norm now for me to do this in this order since some of my early makes still have no hem on the sleeves and just an overlocked edge because it is impossible to hem them once they are sewn up.  Only I know though and they look OK because I turn them under when wearing!

I really love this T-shirt pattern. I have always had a thing for boat neck Ts but I prefer the late 70s/early 80s version to the 50s version. The 50s version is more tailored and usually has facings on neck and sleeves whereas the 80s is more "punk" and has a top stitched neck edge usually with no facings and just a turned under hem although I have occassionally seen bias strips used on the 80s styles.

I do not unfortunately live in a world where I can afford to buy expensive clothes ( or fabric) so I tend to only buy or  make things that are practical and every day wear and for work.
It has started to become obvious though that now I am in full swing making stuff I can actually afford to waste a bit of fabric and make something a bit more WOW.


As a teen I would have saved for ages to buy something just like this but as an adult it is just not "sensible". I mean even buying fabric is something I need to plan for so I tend to buy job lots if I can find them and just supplement with extra more interesting bits.




Like the previous two tops this one has power mesh sleeves which are slightly transparent but not completely see-through.

The body is faux leather - woven but very stretchy and goes along with this years theme to use this stuff because I do not know if the coating will decay over time if kept. Also I love this fabric so should use every last centimeter.

I now have a dress: http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/teach-me-fashion-layer-dress.html
two skirts: http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/birthday-skirt.html 
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/first-project-of-2018-drak-green-faux.html

as well as various pairs of leggings:
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/20-green-leather-look-leggings.html
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/red-and-black-faux-leather-leggings.htm

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/24-red-lace-hoody-burdastyle-012016.html

and now this new top! And I am today hopefully also going to finish my peplum jacket: http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/burda-easy-peplum-jacket-in-faux-leather.html

Oh, and I am wearing the new top with these trousers made using scraps of black faux leather from one pair of the leggings: http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/98-and-99-sports-top-and-flared.html

Well my winter wardrobe is looking very trendy although there is a predominance of T shirts with mesh sleeves.




This T shirt though did not quite go as planned. Everything was ok until the very final bit. When I sewed the hem on the bottom using my twin needle I could not get it to lie right. So I did not want to unpick because it was going to leave a mark on the faux leather. I folded it over again and resewed. Even worse.  No amount of pressing made any difference. Usually I do not press this fabric for fear of losing the coating. Well this top was pressed! It seems to still be intact as well so maybe I have been worrying too much about this. I have several times settled for slight imperfections due to worrying about this. I may have to be less scared with the rest of this fabric ( yes I still have quite a bit!) and press as normal.
What to do now?
I left it a few days and was really not too sure. I wore it once and decided thats it. No matter how much I like the idea of this top if it does not look right - and this looked downright home made and amateurish in the worst possible way, - so time to unpick the hem(s).

Very carefully I unpicked it over two evenings. Then I pressed it flat. I overlocked the edge and tried wearing it complete with damaged hemline. Still not good enough so what next?

Then I made remembered my black stretch lace which I bought loads of a couple of years ago in an Ebay auction. I could do with coming accross some more in fact because my lace stash is now very low. Anyway I added a couple of rows and yes looked better but because I had hemmed this then rehemmed by just folding over again I have lots of damage so I kept going and in the end 4 rows of lace later I think its covered up the damage and you know I like it better than just the plain T shirt I originally was aiming for. It has something.

Well it has lots of lace, mesh sleeves and is faux leather. Yes my teen self which still lives inside my rapidly forming hag-like-ness loves this so much.
Ha!





Thanks for visiting me. If you want to leave me a comment feel free
Have a lovely weekend
Bracken










Saturday 20 January 2018

Burda Easy Peplum jacket in faux leather

To go with last weeks skirt here:
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/first-project-of-2018-drak-green-faux.html
Screen Shot 2017-08-18 at 10.56.01 AM
https://doctortdesigns.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/screen-shot-2017-08-18-at-10-55-55-am.png?w=410&h=&zoom=2 I decided to use my faux leather for this peplum jacket from Burda Easy autumn/winter 2017. I decided to buy this magazine despite it being unavailable in English or even in the UK other than off ebay.

I bought it from a German seller so I am trying to fathom out the instructions which lucky for me are the feature in the magazine so lots of useful pictures to help me.

I read about Burda Easy autumn/winter 2017 on DrT;s blog. I tend to read DrT because she gives great reviews of patterns and especially of Burda magazines. You can read about this magazine here:
https://doctortdesigns.com/2017/08/21/burda-easy-fallwinter-2017/


I tend to disagree with everything DrT likes and like everything she hates, but either way DrT gives a really good review of the next Burda magazine as well as reasonably regular udates on new patterns from the big 4.

I had some serious issues with this pattern. I think probably most of them were down to me trying to cheat with adding seam allowances so instead of using the Tools by Hollie tool which I won via the lovely The Monthly Stitch folk with this outfit here:
https://themonthlystitch.wordpress.com/2017/04/27/brights/

I decided to try and take a short cut and just estimate all around the pattern. Bad idea! Never do this.

I have had to recut half of this ( luckily still have loads of this faux leather) and then adjust and resew half of the seams and even then the sleeve seams and in fact most of the seams do not quite line up despite my fiddling with this for ages. Its pretty much a disaster in fact tho will be wearable but not as good as I think it could have been. Also if I make a second one of these I want to use a larger size back piece but keep the front as it is. I am finding it somewhat "snug" to say the least. That is partly down to my bodging to try ad get it to work. The moral here: never cut out anything when you are tired at the end of the day and take the time to use the right tools for the job instead of trying the "gestimate" because it simply does not work and I should by now know better!

I had serious issues with the sleeves:
This is the right sleeve:


But the left sleeve is OK! 
This is the good left shoulder/ sleeve

So I decided to measure both and see what I had done differently. The right shoulder was slighly longer so I unpicked and restitched then redid the sleeve which was not easy having sewed this by overlocker so there was nothing left to cut off and I had to be very careful to not make it too much smaller. Well its a tight fit but it wll hopefully wear in. Its been a learning curve this one.

This is after I fixed it.



So I have yet to put the zip into this because I have spent so long adjusting things to try to
correct my bad cutting out. Hopefully it will eventually work and if possible this jacket will not becme yet another UFO. Incidentally ALL my UFOs seem to be jackets or coats!

I have no help today since my other half has gone out so I cannot take photos of this on me so I hope you can see on Harriet how its coming together.














The peplum lining looks a bit like a puffball skirt here because it needs to be hand sewed to the waistline
So to finish this all I need to do really is to attach the inside peplum to the waistband where as you can see when its on Harriet that it is hanging down and to hand stitch in the wrist linings as well as add a zip and do the facings but its coming together.


 

Hopefully once finished it will look ok and I will post the finished article later. I am just hoping it will fit since I thought it a bit tight when I tried it on as I already said!
Thanks for reading
Bracken





Sunday 14 January 2018

First project of 2018- dark green faux leather skirt with godet effect


In the end I decided to start off my winter /spring working wardrobe project with this skirt that I wrote about last week.Screen Shot 2017-08-18 at 10.56.01 AM
https://doctortdesigns.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/screen-shot-2017-08-18-at-10-55-55-am.png?w=410&h=&zoom=2 I had already decided to use my faux leather for this and have also cut out a peplum jacket from Burda Easy winter 2017. I decided to buy this magazine despite it being in German and unavailable in English or even in the UK other than off ebay.

I bought it froma German seller. I read about it on DrT;s blog. I tend to read DrT because she gives great reviews of patterns and especially of Burda magazines. You can read about this magazine here:
https://doctortdesigns.com/2017/08/21/burda-easy-fallwinter-2017/

I tend to hate everything DrT likes and like everything she hates, but it does not matter because either way the reviews are very good. DrT gives a really good review of the next Burda magazine as well as udates on new patterns from the big 4. Its also as always nice to see what other people are making.

This Simplicity skirt ( left) from 8020 comes in two lengths but being as it is the middle of winter here I made the longer length.I  am not so sure about wearing this skirt though for work now I have made it despite that originally being my intention. I am trying to "cool it" at work at least until I get a permanent job and this may not tick the right boxes with my boss. Maybe green leather is not really very correct for work. I have yet to decide.




 Its got a high low hemline which I love. I always have liked this look.


My other half hates it! He says it looks too middleaged and frumpy.

I think the faux leather hopefully stops it being too frumpy. And I do want to wera this for work.

I will probably make a second version with the shorter skirt length. Personally I have always liked the wiggle-skirt look. But thenmen do not usually like the same looks as women so I am not too worried about his view.

Again this fabric is coated so like my previous projects with this faux leather I have not pressed out the creases but am going to wait for them to drop out which experience has shown me they will do. I really like this faux leather.
My fabric is a stretch woven but its very stretch and despite this pattern being for a knit skirt it does work well as I thought it would. Its previously worked for me with leggings as well as tops, a dress and a skirt.

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/12/teach-me-fashion-layer-dress.html

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/red-and-black-faux-leather-leggings.html

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/07/birthday-skirt.html 

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/24-red-lace-hoody-burdastyle-012016.html

Its cut out as one very weird shaped skirt pattern with one front, and two back / side pieces, but the godets are built in making it a bit wierd to look at and I have never made anything this shape before. It takes a lot of fabric really for what you get, but I so far at least quite like it. Its different to everything else in my wardrobe and once I finish the peplum jacket it could make a lovely suit. I also found it easy to sew and easy to adjust. I cut a size 12 but took both side seams in by about 1.5cm each but did not touch the back seam since by this point it fits and I do not want it any tighter having made it for a work skirt even if this des not get worn for work just now.
The adjustment did not seem to alter the overall shape so thats good because some patterns do not adjust well after you have sewed them up do they? You end up with wonky looking seams or panels out of balance. Well this was very easy to make.

In case you were wondering I am wearing the top made here:
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/25-comparing-free-raglan-sleeved-t.html

Its all overlocked except for the hem and waistband which are twin needle stiched and the waistband is elastic so very easy fit. I made a new (for me) type of waistband as well for this which I like very much. I overlocked the edge of the fabric first. Then twin needle sticthed the circle of elastic ( I already sewed into a circle before fixing to the top of the skirt) to the outside of the skirt edge then turned the whole thing over. Have to say it gives a very neat and profeccional finish which beats all my previous elastic waistbands. Very happy with this!


The hem stitching did not go so well! I started off great but ran out of the top second cotton ( hopefully you understand me) half way round so the front right hand side ( left when you look at me) I had to resew.

Not so good although I actually managed to oversew where I had already got one row of stitches whcih I am very proud of cos could not have done this a year ago with such accuracy so you cannot tell I have done it twice ( on the front) but then the cotton got all loopy on the back which I have cut off so it may have to redo if it all comes unstitched.

I redid the threading of the machine 3 times before I got it to work but in the end you cannot see it because its to the side of the front and not on the "low" bit so at least most people will never see it.

Anyway my verdict? I like it!


Thanks for popping over,
Bracken

Saturday 6 January 2018

Project planning for 2018 sewing

Happy New Year!

I have not done any sewing at all so far this week. I have instead been trying to plan my 2018 winter to spring wardrobe makes. I desperately need things I can wear for work since my old work clothes are nearly all from around 2007 and show not only dated-ness but wear.

So far I have cut this shirt (below left) out from Burda Style 10/2017#116:

I bought the spider fabric as a halloween print but reckon it will work well as a work shirt since insect prints are still popular and really I am more a bug than a butterfly person. I have several different spider prints in my stash so best to get round to making something from them.I think this will be lovely with the zip neck but I am intending to miss out the neck frills but still do the sleeve frills.












I also want to make this top #111 from the same magazine ( right and above right) but its a petit so I need to check proportions etc. I quite often manage to wear petit anyway since I am short in body, although taller than meant for petits, but I am all legs so can usually get away with these clothes. Not sure what fabric to make this top in and Burda had two versions shown here in tartan and in leopard print and I like both but would prefer to use a fabric from my stash than buy new so its still open as yet to what fabric to make this in.

I want to make these trousers which I bought the pattern for when it was first out and so far have not had time to make.  The Monthly Stitch member made these a few weeks ago now and I was very inspired.
 https://themonthlystitch.wordpress.com/2017/11/13/a-dream-come-true/
I have a very nice navy canvas /heavy twill for this - unknown fibre but probably a synthetic or synthetic mix since it seems not to crease so ideal for a working wardrobe.


I also am condidering this skirt pattern though not too sure which view to make but think this would be very good for work. I bought the pattern years ago and so far it is uncut so about time I made this as well:



 and maybe also this Simplicity skirt (left) but this in the longer length in stretch leather of which I still have loads. I have been intending to make this top and skirt for absolutely ages and it could be good in my new work wardrobe in the right fabric choices. I do fancy this in leather. My fabric is a stretch woven but its very stretch and I have preciously made leggings from it so I think it will work despite this pattern being for a knit skirt. Maybe better for after I actually GET the job but I will take a few weeks to make all this stuff anyway so I will cut this one out today as well and maybe also the top in this pattern, though not sure yet of fabric choice for this and this one is a "maybe" rather than a definite. It could be a nice work shirt though.

I want to make a pirate shirt from this mens pattern in a navy and white striped polycotton - (very 1980s!) but I reckon wearable with the right bottom for work. I reckon I can play with the stripes for this shirt and it will be far more interesting than a basic shirt pattern. Also no buttons and its BIG! Unfortunately, this pattern was bought for the jacket pattern for my partner (which is also on todays cutting out list but more of that in a different post) so is somewhat large for me so I will need to reduce the size I expect. I intend to measure the pattern pieces against some right sized patterns and then decide if this will be needed because as I said, I do want this to be very big and baggy and 1980s style.

And this elf shirt in a green cotton type fabric:

I bought this cosplay pattern as soon as possible in the UK but have yet to make it. The shirt, despite being Cosplay, has some very interesting and wearable features for a normal office top so I am intending to have a go at making this in green woven fabric - just like the pictures.

I also want to make some kind of peplum jacket. I have several patterns and have yet to decide which to use for this. I think a peplum jacket would look good though with my existing dresses and skirts and maybe even my trousers for work where I often need to attend meetings with senior staff.

So not a very productive weekend this for sewing so far, although my main task is to cut all these out for the next month's or so sewing sessions. And I had some good news - I finally got my PhD corrections OK'd so once the thesis gets printed its all done and I will be so very happy to get rid of the thing because it has been driving me potty. I cannot think of a better New Year present.

I also already made this dress, but would like a less Goth version for work because its lovely, comfortable and I really do like it but its too long for work and every day life - it has a train at the back - so I am thinking of somehow "sports-wearing it up" with stretch performance fabric and maybe some fluourescence. Not sure how yet but its on the list to do another of these. You can see the original dress I made here:
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/85-simplicity-1772-dress.html
Come to think of it sports-wearish may not be best for work but I just want to make this anyway!

Hopefully, if I can have a better wardrobe, this will help with my latest ambition - to get a permanent job.

I know it does not officially come down to clothing when you get a job but I am currently temping in a job I would like to do long term and I will get the chance to apply for the permanent job soon so if I can get a bit newer, I would say smarter, but actually I am not scruffy at work its just all my work clothing looks very out of date and old. I will probably do a few quick T shirts first as well to smarten up the existing trousers I own and then get going on things that take longer which is most of what is on this list. Its lovely to have time to take to do intricate garments but I landed this job quite unexpectedly and had only 2 days notice I was starting and having been working in a lab for the past 4 years I own mostly jeans and casual clothing or else fun stuff for weekends so I need to get down to sewing some serious work clothing asap. Appearances do matter I think so I need to look professional as well as be brilliant at the new job if I want to get the perm job.
 So this is my plan for the next few weeks of sewing. I will show you how it all turns out once I finish these items.
Thanks for reading
Bracken