Vest tops

 

As explained in my post a last week what I discovered after this years # Me Made May was my need -  like really urgent need - for small vest type summer tops / winter underwear.

I spent last weekend putting several printed patterns together and tracing others. 

This is the Durango tank from Hey June Patterns. Its a free pattern and its about time I actually made this since I downloaded and printed it several years ago and never got round to it. I missed out the CB seam on this and removed the seam allowance so I could cut on a fold as one piece.

This is a size 2, so I thought around a UK 8, but it turned out a bit bigger than I want, so next time I will make a smaller size. Its not quite a racer back despite it being described like that, though is cut in at the shoulders.

I never bound the edges on this one just overlocked, then twin needle hemmed and turned them under. The pattern does come with pieces for the bindings though if you want to make this and I think its a really nice top so worth having especially since its a free pattern. The neck and armholes are pretty good but the hem went a bit wavy. I am not so worried as I used to be about this, having recently visited a sports wear shop selling RTW (addidas) tops with wavy hems!

 

Next I tried a burda pattern. this I traced from Burda Style 06/2014 and style 125. Now normally I am a perfect Burda size 36. This top is huge. I checked the fit on the model before writing this post in case its meant to be a baggy fit, and its supposed to fit tighter and more how I wanted it to. Stupidly I never checked before binding the edges so its my own fault. I should have checked and I could have taken it in a bit. I am going to try remaking this as well but smaller. I am wondering did I trace the wrong size? Or add too much seam allowance? 

Its especially annoying since I used a double layer of black fabric on the front - meaning besides the wasteage it much harder to sew it up though the walking foot was well worth having for this - because I decided its was a bit transparent so I would not feel uncomfortable wearing it with a double layer,  and I used a shiny swimwear very stretch fabric for the back so I have a nice shiny/ matt contrast going on here with the edges bound in contrasts too  - the neck edge is matt, front is matt and back is shiny and arm holes are shiny. 

 

Though I suppose at least the black top does not have wavy hems!

The burda top will either work as a PJ top or I can wear over a small top like I am in the the photos here for a layered look, but its not really what I was after. The top underneath is my self drafted camo top tho this link will take you to all the undies I made a few weeks ago.

So now instead of moving forward to better quality fabrics I am still in the muslin stage for vests. I will wear both of these and will make more so all is not lost but I have not managed to make what I thought would be simple and pretty boring to sew tops. 

I am actually considering using the burda back with the Durango front - both in smaller sizes- because I prefer the higher front neck of the Durango since want to wear these for work tops as well as play. And I also prefer the proper racer back of the burda top. Maybe? I will let you know what happens and if this works. Alternatively the blocks from "Make your own Activewear" at least make tops that fit me so maybe I should make my own pattern and trace the racer back part? Not sure yet but this venture into boring basic tops is now it seems going to become a project. Still that will at least end with a few tops that fit and I usually enjoy this kind of challenge.

You can see here how it gapes at the armholes!

At least these were both made in relatively cheap fabric so I did not waste anything very good. Proves a muslin's a good idea - as is trying it on before you actually bind edges and while its still easy to make adjustments.

Ah well you can't win em all!

Bracken

Check skirt

  

I made this last summer and took the photo then. Then it got far too cold for this look. I got the skirt out of storage though now its getting warmer again and that made me decide to blog about it. Its nice to wear at this time of year. This was really quick and made from left over fabric from my coat. Its really not very warm so has been in storage for the spring since last winter. The skirt is made from New Look 6230 -  the front skirt pattern piece only - cut twice. 

I made several similar skirts back in the spring of 2020 during the first Lockdown and love them all so this will be worn, but it does need the weather to change a bit because even with thick tights this lightweight fabric will be too cold. These photos were taken back in August 2020 and it was very hot then.

 It will make a very good summer skirt though and was possibly the best way to use the last decent sized scraps of this fabric before I throw the rest away - I am being ruthless now in my clearance because I have bags and bags of very small scraps which yes they could make a pair of knickers or something but I really do not have space to keep all of it and I generate similar sized pieces pretty much whenever I sew. I also bought some new pieces of fabric from Minerva and I want to make that into things so my scrap bags really must go.

  The waistband is just a scrap left over from something I made at some time - I am not sure what! Its ribbed stretch fabric

I added a buttonhole at the front to thread a pull cord through and put a toggle on this and voila! Sporty short skirt thats actually wearable in the office. Its shown here with my camo Noelle which I wear as underwear all the time and wore loads last summer with lightweight tops over it. Probably this get-up is not really very age appropriate but then I was just in the garden when the photo was taken and not going out anywhere in public. I reckon over the next few weeks I shall enjoy wearing this now the weather is getting a bit warmer.

 Stay safe now.

Bracken

Planning my sewing

 

So as usual Me Made May really was useful for showing me the big gaps in my wardrobe. I think really I already knew what these were but forcing yourself to wear as much me made as possible and if possible wear ALL me made, means you really notice what you do NOT have. What I need to make is not particularly interesting which is why it does not get done. I need vests.

Running vests, racer back vests, ordinary boring vests and maybe some halter necks and strappy vests as well. I have tons of patterns and spent yesterday and much of my evenings this week, finding, printing them and tracing them and then putting the printouts together, and my back hurts because of this from bending over the table for hours, and despite this I did a couple of tests where I had drawn round another halter neck from my youth and made two testers from two old dresses.

Its has to be done else I must waste money and good fabric if they don't work, and making my own patterns is not something I have done that much of, though it does seem to be a direction I am starting to move towards. Also one thing about this is, besides its boring to make these small tops, its also very easy and to buy new ones will cost me at least £4 for each top, and probably more unless I buy from supermarkets and lets face it what they make is fine and functional but does not last very long. Also I know if I go clothes shopping I will end up with 2 or 3 very expensive lovely new small tops which will probably really not be better than the ones I intend to make.  I also, do get real favourites which I tend to kee for years even when I buy new ones and the new ones end up thrown away and I go back to the old ones, especially in small tops so thats why I am trying to remake tops from the 90s which I am still wearing all this time later. I prefer to wear something I realy like thats a bit old and worn rather than buy a new ill-fitting top. Hence the lack of good summer, small tops in my wardrobe!

Even more boring I need mostly black vests. They go with everything and can work with summer and wnter work clothing so they are a definite must for me to make. Though I am going to make some others as well just because - like the underwear projects its just as easy to sew an extra 5 or 6 while you do the one item. To make this easy I intend to cut lots and sew them all at once so for example all the overlocked bits at once on several tops and then all the twin needle bits. However the two I made as testers are both bright and fluorscent - and summery! But then it is upcycling so never mind and I actually wore both this week.

OK so thats what I have been up to. 

The dresses these are made from were both quite nice fabric but just not very wearable - too much brightness maybe?? 

These are the original dresses made back in 2019.

I virtually never wore the yellow one after the summer I wore it but I did wear the pink dress last winter, but underneath things like tracksuits so it got all caught up being too long but I like the colours of both so decided to reuse. In fact the fabric is perfect for this kind of summer halter neck top.

 Both of these photos were taken when I needed a hip replacement - you can tell by the poses. Weird how you see it after, but not at the time. The bent leg is bent because it hurts to straighten it. Still all fixed and sorted now! 

Aren't doctors amazing! In a different world I would be an old lady unable to walk by now using a walking stick to even move around my own home. My ancesters lives would have pretty much have been over, but because I live in this time, I am sorted and back to being " young" again. We all have these romantic notions of olden days - of Napolean or of vikings and things like that, but when you think about it really, the reality is we are very lucky to live in this world now. I remember several films where an old warrior wants to die as a warror. Now I can understamd why a 50 something would choose to die defending their people, and die a hero, rather than stagnate and be stuck unable to do anything because they wore their body out. Because of the doctors I am able to cycle and walk miles! And I do!

Anyway back to my world! I also want to make some short summer skirts and shorts in something like stretch scuba so when next I am camping its easy to get everything washed and dry. Holiday clothes! It was a real problem when I was camping the other week. I took far too many clothes for one,  and then I just wore the same stuff over and over because it worked for camping, but that meant having to wash it. Two weeks is a long time to have dirty clothes and althouth washing turned out to be relatively easy, with most sites having washing machines, I did not want to tumble dry my good me made clothing and trash it, so dried it in the air, and this takes ages with things like cotton sweatshirts - I never notice at home, but when you want to travel about its a real pain having lots of wet washing with you!

So after this weekend, I have the fabrics and the patterns so here I go.

These are my self drafted halter necks then - pattern made by drawing round my old one !

Excuse the closed eyes it was seriously bright and sunny that day!

These shorts are not me made and are very low waisted making the top looked cropped. It isn't. I think the shorts are circa 2007-8. The look does not suit me these days but I only wore them like this for the photos to show the top. The tops are constructed different to each other because I wanted to know if sewing the neck edge first or second - so having the neck tie as part of the front or back was the best way to go. My old tops do both depending on where bought from. It seems not to matter anyway. Both tops work.

I did do a high low hem on the pink top to see how it looked - rubbish and probably I should do it with the low bit at the front to hide my belly! Still you learn by these kind of experiments. It does not show with higher waisted trousers like the bugs ones I wored with the yellow top.

The end result though despite sewing up differently is both tops do work and I am glad I recycled / upcycled my old dresses rather than send them to charity. I actually do still have some left over bits of this fabric n both colours, which has never been made up, but might make some matching knickers in the future or another top. Both of these could also be worn as tankini tops of I had matching knickers. 

I will show you my next smalltops once I actually make them,

Have a lovely week and thanks for popping by,

Bracken

Orange tiger velvet track pants

 

These are my latest pair of TNT Lekala sports trousers. They are in real life orange not red as they seem to look on here. They are worn here on a very hot day with my ancient 1996 camo halter neck. I made a similar one recently by just drawing round the old tops and making a pattern - which worked as well ! and I intend to make several more because on a weekend when I do not have to work or represent the organisation I work for publicly I prefer to wear just these or similar cropped tops instead of bras and have done so since the early 80s. I never actually owned a proper bra until I decided at about age 46 I really ought to do so and I have to say life has never been so comfortable since. Tho I am respectable and toe the lie when I go to work. These old halter neks are really very pilly and old now tho and its time to make new ones. I have not found a good enough pattern anywhere so making my own is the best option. Tho I am making them a bit longer than the 90s ones. My body is not so toned as in my 20s and 30s and its best to cover me up these days.

I have to say they are wrong for the weather now its become hot. I made these to take to Scotland with me but never actually wore them. They are very warm being stretch lycra velvet ( from Minerva). I love this fabric so much I have bought some more to make a pair of leggings and I am hoping to be able to make some kind of top from the offcuts of the two items.

Below with my self dafted navy top - I need more of these as well. These are based on another 90s favourite top - the original OMEN tops. They were mesh - fishnet and a finer mesh and I loved them. I make these longer than the origial version too. Well maybe now the 90s are back in I can make both long and short versions. That will use more bits of fabric and ensure I can fit into the future fashions regardless of which way the world moves.

They are loud though!

No doubt about it.

The waist band is just elastic and the pockets have a black sports wear type of lycra polyester inside as lining. Nothing particularly outrageous about the making of  these other the the bright orange tiger print itself in fact. I have now made I think 6 pairs of these so I pretty much know what I am doing. Tho again I made them without the side splits. I have only ever made one pair like that. Its a bit too 90s, tho now the 90s are back it could be a look to make up. Not for this fabric tho!

The seams have a kind of white sheen on the pictures which does not show in real life. The backing is white and this is a print on velvet so I assume thats what causes that effect.

I am expecting these to become a very favourite pair of trousers though they may be slightly too bright for me when I am not feeling that confident. I had just 1.2m for these and they worked out fine. I think it was £6.99m which is reduced in their sale stuff if you want some of this fabric. Also with Minerva you can buy eg 1.2m or 1.6m whereas most online compaies you are stuck with a dead metre or half metre and that often means lots of wasteage if you cannot think of anything to make with the offcuts. Being the kind of person with a large stash I obviously keep all my offcuts and eventually I find a use but at a differnt time in my life that would not have been a posibility and I would have ended up chucking out the extra which would be a waste. I am sure thats what happens to lots of people.

Looks like we will not get to Step 3 in the UK - as in no more restrictions  and not wearing masks - for possibly another month by the sounds of it. We find out later this week I think. 

I have no idea about the rest of the world now we are sadly not European anymore and we seem to just not hear about other countries as much now in general - not just EU but everyone so stay safe everyone and take care of yourselves.

Bracken

#MMM21 : Black and White mesh T shirt dress

 When I posted for #MMM21 yesterday, I forgot these photos, and I really should post about this dress / top because its turned out very wearable. 

Its the same idea as the rainbow dress and same pattern(s) so I pinned the skirt and sweatshirt patterns together to make a dress and then cut out - see previous post for more on this - but this time its a dress without the hood because I did not have enough fabric. As it happens I ended up adding some elastic to the enckline because it turned out rather wide. It does make for a nice relaxed T shirt dress though with leggings and trainers.

Pattern is Burda Young 7148

Fabric is from Minerva fabrics in the sale bought after my bad experience with Poundametre and I only bought 1.5m of it so its good for the price which I think was under £3:50 if I remember rightly. 

See you soon

Bracken

#MMM21, 22nd May to 31st May and a holiday in Scotland doing NC500

 

I am afraid Me Made May 21 had to wait till today to get uploaded. I did do #MMM every day though forgot to take photos a couple of days because life was good. My partner has spent the last couple of months converting a Renault Trafic van into a camper and we got the opportunity to visit the Highlands of Scotland so off we went at 4pm on 22nd May when he got the sink plumbed in and the rock and roll bed attached to the floor in our half finished campervan. 

We stayed overnight at Carlisle services and then arrived in pouring freezing rain in Scotland and headed for the first campsite we found online which is in Arisaig and I will not reccomend. No services and no bins and full of cow muck and £23 a night. Besides being a really rubbish site that overcharges with not even any toilets ( luckily we have a portapotty but you really don't want to use them if theres a real one!) It was also not really anywhere near the NC500 but we just needed to stop somewhere.

This is a new blue waterproof made specificaly for this trip - fast and badly made but does keep me dry and warm. Its rip stop blue nylon ( I think!) with mesh lining ( red) and has no zip because there was not time and also I just closed using long strips of velcro and now understand why people don't do that. Its hard to undo and do up tho having got it done up does stay done up really well. The entire front has one long strip and I cut some extra so I can leave it half open as well without it grabbing hold of everything else I am wearing. The collar has velcro and the pockets. Pockets were not finished inside so are starting to fray but otherwise this is a good waterproof that I will wear for work for a while. I intend to make a new one in black cotton for summer if I can get myself up and sewing again. Its meant to be cotton with button closure and I also added the waist cord holder on the outside to avoid adding the rivets. The pattern for this is Burda Style 129/ 09/2012. It has self-made ties.

Worn here with my camo track pants:

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The dogs actually slept in their coats as well it was that cold.

Then we moved up to Inverness - and showers - at Lock Ness Shores - lovely site - for one night then started the NC500 route going first up the east coast. 

Same waterproof worn here with black holey jumper and black track pants.

The hat is upcycled ( loosely speaking) because I added the pompom. It originally belonged to my other half.

 

And a me made face mask round my neck! There are probably a few of them throughout this post!

Lock Ness - we didn't see the monster but do know how to say "Lock Ness Monster" in Gaelic! Thanks to the "Speak Gaelic" website. 

It was beautiful:

Thats mist between the water and mountains:

Micks camo top and the half finished van - doors are missing on our cupboards but will be on for our next trip. Ignore the carpet. Its not staying. We nicked the lounge rug so we could go that day rather than source some new. We had to cut it so it will not be returning to the house.

My white fleece top - completely impractical for a camping holiday I have to say! I ended up washing it twice!

We did a slight detour to a pet shop in Inverness having found I have lost a dog lead when opening the camper, but other than that minor mishap this was one of the best adventures I have ever had. We kept meeting the same people all around the NC500 and it felt a little like doing the Cannon Ball run but without any prize at the end. Very enjoyable and we saw all the highland coast as well as Skye, the Hill of many Stanes - wonderful if you like standing stones - its a pictish graveyard! and a Brock. All very interesting and there was much walking and sight seeing as you can imagine. We are going back!

It was awesome!

We both  wore quite a bit of Me Made and I wore little else.

Below is Mick in his camo top:

I found I wore my new undies daily though mostly underneath my other clothing. This day was right at the end when the weather finally became summer rather than the winter weather we had at the start. Unusualy I actually look presentable on this selfie which is very unusual.

To be honest I have no idea of places or dates but here are my #MMM21 outfits from 22nd May to 31st May:

Self drafted Black glitter mesh top, upcycled skull Tshirt, Green trousers made from the RP Cerena

Below is a new top which is made from a self made pattern. I drew around my 1996 halter neck top which is now quite old and tatty and made a new one which I have now worn 3 times and love a lot. Works well on holiday because you can ignore the underwear and wear this instead and being lycra scuba it gives reasonable support or at least control. I intend to make a short skirt to go with it. Its the first holiday since July 1996 when I have not taken that original halter neck with me. I took this one instead. Now I am really getting to the point where my wardrobe is Me Made when I am replacing those old much loved holiday tops.

Just had to add a quick photo of Roger asleep in the awning!

My glitter track pants with black raggy top which I had to take off because we were packing up and the velcro on the awning doorway kept catching it and making long pulls in the fabric so my raggy top is really too delicate for a camping holiday I have decided.

Micks new wicking fabric hoody ( I have one too!) - with Hugh the dog.  I need better photos of Micks version.

My new blue wicking fabric top is below. This is the same pattern as several previous tops but I have not done a post on these tops but they are his NewLook 6142 :

hers McCalls 7261: -both in wicking fabric. Mine has mitts built in. There was only 3m so not enough for him to also have them. 

These two wicking tops took some serious working out to get everything out of the fabric (and in right direction) and to do so I had to change his top to a 3 piece hood which meant making a new pattern since the original is a 2 piece hood. Still I now have an extra option for this mens top. Mine was already a 3 piece hood.

Black mohair jumper with army surplus camo trousers and below the black "scraps" T shirt

Same jumper and camo joggers. 

At this point the downside to going away during Me Made May becomes apparent in that my wardrobe is by necessity somewhat limited!

 

My dogs and their toys inside the awning!

Left : Roger

Right: Hugh

Lovely Lochs:

Micks camo top again and my grey wool hoody with black joggers

Grey wool hoody with purple and red leggings 

Red top with same leggings :

V neck striped T shirt and below with face mask

Navy self drafted top and green velvet leggings:

The Hill of Many Stanes: thought to be a Pictish graveyard and yes it does look like thats probable.

Dunbeath:

My grey glitter hoody and camo leggings

  

RTW shorts with my mesh tops to keep the sunburn at bay when it got hot. I wore mesh tops in layers under my sweatshirt or jumper when cold and alone when hot. Very versatile!

Grey glitter tracksuit - again. I washed that twice as well - another impractical colour!

Mesh tops and (warm) faux leather leggings:

Interesting wild flowers - have yet to identify what they are!

 

My grey wool top- I really lived in this which is good because until this holiday I wore it just twice.It went over jumper and sweatshirt when very cold and just a Tshirt when warmer. I intend to make another of these.

Green Cerenas again and a hardly seen green velvet hair band using RP pattern so similar to this rainbow one but wider:

Me made face masks:

My dogs!

Skull jacket - white hoody and black trousers:

Finally a couple more Scotland photos:

A Castle on Skye:

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This of the scene from the Northern Lights campsite:

Have a happy weekend

Bracken