Pattern testing version 3 of the Pattern Lab Swimsuit

At the same time as cutting out my striped swimsuit
I cut a coral swimsuit, as well, from some fabric I have never before found a use for because to be perfectly honest its just not my colour.










Well I did make a top from this right at the start of my blogging adventure (or at least the sleeves were made from this fabric) and although it was a success - due to me actually making a garment, I never liked it and it felt very old ladyish.

I sent it to the charity shop years ago once I started to make clothing I liked. Mind you despite these tops being pretty rubbish, at that time I wore them with pride. I do actually still own one of these tops, from that period of my life, but most had to go. I love the khaki and white top with the orange edging round the neck. I still wear that one and really should make a new version.


Anyway, I think as swimsuit fabric this could be very good and also the fact its crepe could just keep me warm in the sea in Cornwall.

So this is version 3.

 

 I think from my original feelback the leg height is correct on this one. It does not pull down and its actually not see through in water because I tried it in the shower!

However, despite this I sort of feel its kind of leotardy rather than swimsuity.

I twin needle stitched this version so I could contrast it with the zigzag of the previous two. I am not sure which is better to be honest and will probably contiue to alternate as and when/if I make more swimwear. Its different edgewise but not really better.

I now finally also have some "proper" swimwear fabric so am going to have to make a final version just because of that. For that one though it will have a front lining.

Finally I promised Ralph to say that if you would like to help perfect this block and wish to test the blocks then please email Ralph at testing@patternlab.london  to get involved in this project.

Bracken

Velvet hoody

 

This is my long awaited velvet hoody. 

Long awaited because I bought the pattern and fabric for this over a year ago and only now managed to finaly get round to sewing this. I have already made a skirt and a pair of yoga/ PJ pants from this fabric but have kept making excuses not to make the top. Well here it is and I am very pleased with it.

 The neck is different to what I am used to because it has an extra bit in the front to make it higher than a plain hoody top. Its more like a proper sport top - if thats the right way to be thinking !

This is made from the same pattern as last years favourite top my red wear everywhere even the office top from McCalls M726. You can see the detail far better in the red top. I did the wrist warmers the same as last time using the pattern and directions from Melissa Feyer's "Sew Your Own Activewear" book. I thnk this time my sewing is not as good though. The velvet was really slippy and I ended up having to redo the thumb bits several times to get it right. Even then the wrist bits are a bit big and the red version works better. Still different fabrics etc..................



This is a close up of the neck with the "extender bit" that makes a high neck from a hood pattern. There is an extra bit at CF. Its actually very easy to make but did get me a bit confused and I had to actually read the instructions!

Its very difficult to get reasonable photos of this black velvet.

I cut the velvet with nap upwards to make it very dark the same as my recent velvet leggings but really this should work with several items I already made from this fabric even if the nap goes the opposite way which is does on the trousers and skirt. I have not linked back to the skirt because its a rubbish picture so I will need to take some more of that I think. I am intending to make a second shorter skirt from my offcuts - more later.

Its a very nice skirt made from this steampunk pattern and I have worn it for work loads so works very well for every day wear. Its a high low skirt but really very basic. I obviously need some better photos of that one!

Its interesting when you look back at your own blog posts because over time by simply repeating what you do things just become so much better.

My Mick takes my photos and has become a very good photographer it seems.

My photos are just taken with a mobile phone but they have become far better and more professional than at the start.

Winter dim gloomy lighting does not help these pictures either.

Even when the suns out they are a bit hard to see. I suppose its the nature of black velvet though!

Despite the camera problems this worked out to be a very wearable top. I have yet to discover it its really going to be the wardrobe staple the red one has become but time will tell.

Because its velvet I have already deided it needs to be the top layer. Under jackets it rucks up the jacket sleeves. I was walking round Aldi pulling my biker jacket sleeve down. The velvet was moving the lining up inside and it was causing my jacket sleeve to ruck up stranglely and uncomfortably. I expect people thought me very strange but has to be said its always a downside of velvet anything that you have to be careful what you wear over it. It can be very uncomfortable.

Mind you spring is hopefully on the way so this should be ideal on warmer days to wear on top of a Tshirt rather than under a jacket.
Thanks for reading.........
Bracken

Pattern testing - the body glove version 1

This is the bodyglove I have made to pattern test for Ralph Pink and Pattern Lab.

Its very tight which I suppose is the point. Its a polyester crepe which I do not at all like hence works for a pattern test. Its the left over fabric from the lining from my recent summer coat which hopefully it will be wram enough to wear soon.

I have to say I am quite impressed by this and waiting to find out if Ralph made any adjustments to my huge shoulder measurements because its unusual for anything to fit my shoulders without me making adjustments. Well this fits.

Shame I have got fat since Christmas which was when I gave Ralph my measurements. Hopefully this will not be quite so tight once I get back to normal. I reckon on a beach yes I could wear this when body boarding and I have to say the possibilities for super hero costumes just appeal to my sense of fun!

Not much else I can say about this really. Its constructed via overlocking and twin needle stitching of the hems. Polyester crepe/scuba knit so not very stretchy next to swimwear fabric. Its very, very tight. You can see my scar from my hip replacement even through the fabric. I am getting used to my scar now though and it bothers me far less than a few weeks ago. Maybe a result of pattern testing swimwear. I think thats a good thing though - to be comfortable with your scars.

This invisible back zip was a mistake because its very difficult to do up/undo but with a better or rather more practical zip and a ribbon pull would be great on the beach. I only had a white zip or a dark yellow so went with the white. I never considered the problem though with it being so difficult to find so need help to do it up. Its a great wetsuit pattern or rash guard pattern or even superhero pattern for comicon. I just cannot help thinking that all I need is a belt and cape😀

If you would like to help perfect this block and wish to test the blocks then please email Ralph at testing@patternlab.london  to get involved in this project.

See you soon,

Bracken

Tartan skirt

This skirt is Burda 09/2014 model 104.

Its huge. Even though I took the side seams in by a total of 4 inches so about 10cm. Its made from the most expensive fabric I ever bought so I delberately made large seam allowances but in the end I reckon I should actualy have traced a smaller size as well. Its wearable and will allow for me to expand as I get older which I expect will happen. It seems to happen to most people anyway.
 
I bought the hand made tartan form an Ebay seller two years ago now with some money I was given for my birthday. My birthday is in July so its not really summer fabric and I had only 1.5m of 36 inch wide fabric. The pattern needed 1.1m of 59" wide. It worked. I cut the circle skirt first then used the bits to try to pattern match. That worked too. Though on the back I had to choose whether to have virtually all red or the more neutral I went with. Some of the larger sizes would probably be able to continue the pattern properly but it did not work for my size.

The pattern actally has two side seams for the lower skirt circle bit, but I thought I could be clever and have none. Unfortunately, I cut my waist circle too wide so ended up adding a back seam to make everything fit. Then I also attached the circle off centre so its not really perfect and with hind sight I would also move the pattern around a bit but it does still look OK despite these small problems.

OK so here I also must make an admission. This is wool so not vegan fabric. I still love it. Its very warm and was hand woven by the seller. The seller has 3 colourways and two widths but I could only afford this amount. It was around £30 for my piece of tartan.


This skirt worked out considerably longer on me than on the model in the Burda mag.

I was tempted to chop the bottom off but considering the cost of the fabric decided not to. Its a good work skirt or will be. I prefer a bit longer at work though really rarely wear skirts but maybe this will encourage me to do so.

It will keep me very warm in cold offices. It should last me a while too. It lined in the top part as directed in the pattern.








 Because its far too big and I really do not think I can take it in any further without ruining the pattern matching I decided to steal the straps from this top I made which is nice but totally unwearable.

 I am going to add a front zip to this gingham along jacket instead and make it everyday wear rather than a costume and I reckon it will make for a nice ordinary top or jacket for work. More on that later when I get round to it.

The straps came off fine and were sewn back on fine so that worked anyway and they are kind of "kiltish". I did consider making this fabric into a conventional kilt but did not have enough length to achieve a good one. Maybe I should invest in more of this lovely fabric later.

 It is a nice swirly skirt and I suspect despite being a bit too big will get worn.

This skirt is from the first Burda Mag I ever bought ( new) and I have always wanted to make it.

I am now deciding what to use to make a second one that will hopefully fit better.

Yes I know.........should have done a tester first then the precious fabric would not have ended up in a  too-big garment but there you have it.

I am never very good at following rules. I am still learning after all. At least it has come out wearable and I did not competely ruin the expensive fabric.

Bracken

Velvet leggings

 One of my January 2020, New Year resolutions was to make more sportwear. Its no big deal because the past however-many-years sportwear was always on the New Years sewing list. This even applies to my shopping aspirations before I sewed. I think its probably pretty general for most people at the start of the year.





































Anyway here are my lovely and very comfy velvet leggings which are mainly made from offcuts from several previous sewing experiments. They are made using McCalls M7261.

The black is the crushed velvet stretch I used for the recent not very successful swimwear I made as a pattern test for Ralph Pink. I also made these flares which you can ead about here: https://brackencrafts.blogspot.com/2018/11/velvet-pj-or-loungewear-pants.html
and I have a couple of other items still to be sewn in this stuff. Its stash busting you see.


Then the green on the ankles is pretty hideous really as you can see in my flares made here. This time I used it just on the ankles and turned it the other way up - nap-wise that is - so its darker green. You can only see the hideous green when I hold my leg up. See below.

 
I still have tons of this green velvet but no idea yet how to use it. It was an Ebay bargain that has not proved to be as useful as expected. I have about another 3m of the stuff so need a way to use it up. It seems OK for wearing mixed with other colours though.

The grey is the same as I used for my lovely Burda trousers.


Every year I consider cutting these up and repurposing because in summer these are just too warm but I keep talking myself out of that and every winter I am glad I did. These are the perfect cold weather lounge pants being lined as well.  I still have a few small offcuts of this grey velvet left so may try a sportswear top of some kind. These do not look like much really but still, I love wearing them.








I used the same pattern last January to make these leggings which have proved to be very wearable so hopefully these velvet ones will likewise be just as good. I had some problems with matching seams and seem to remember that was the same last time. I unpicked and resewed several times for a couple of the pointy bits on the sides, but in the end I think they are acceptable if not quite perfect.

They are certainly very comfortable!

Like the pair last year there is no elastic. The waistband relys totally on the stretch fabric. It works because I have now worn last years leggings loads and they are still going.


I am now trying desperately to finish the huge pile I cut out of all types of sewn garments and I seem to be finding it very difficult to get motivated to finish them.

See you next week, hopefully with something I can show you rather than lots of excuses as to why I cannot get motivated!

Bracken