Monday 29 August 2022

Two new tube skirts


After I rediscovered my lovely and work friendly comfortable tube skirt I decided it must be time to make a new version. I have been living in my check version the last few weeks. Except when I have had to wash it anyway!

Like the check one both of these two tube skirts are from scraps left over from my other projects
 

 You often get a couple of largish pieces and don't know how to use them bcause there is not enough fabric to do a lot with. Mostly they become pocket linings but I am not currently planning on any trousers or coats so these left overs will be my newest tube skirt.

The starscape skirt I had only enough to cut the front. I thought when measuring my pattern piece against it that there was enough for both front and back and it was not until I had cut it I realised I could not get two halves of my skirt from the weird shaped piece of fabric I had. 

Unfortunately, I ran out of one of my cottons when doing the hem!!! I should know better by now and check before I start sewing. And its on the front! Still I decided to leave this because it marks this fabric if you unpick sewing so I will just have to live with this minor error. I suspect most people will never notice.  You can just about see it in the photo above.


When I came to cut the second pattern piece just did not fit so I opted to use some stretch black cotton jersey instead. It works quite well and gives me a different look. I used the front skirt piece from the New Look 6230 for both front and back of these skirts.

  

I am thinking maybe to make a top out of the off-cuts of both the starscape and black to match at some point. There is enough black for a front and back of a top and I think enough of the starscape for some sleeves - maybe a raglan T shirt?

 

Its worn here with my grey glitter sweatshirt.

The second skirt is the last sizeable piece of my steampunk/ art deco fabric and I already have a short dress and a top made from this which I think will hopefully work well to keep me warm this winter. With thick tights or leggings.

 

Worn here with my navy glitter sweatshirt.

 

And both skirts should help me transition through to autumn/fall with some comfort and ease.  

Its a strange thing to go back to tube skirts after all these years. They were the look of my youth. Partly due to them being cheap to buy if I am honest. 

Now they are back on the high street though I have rediscovered the simplicity and ease with which this style can be worn - dressy, sports wear, and casual depending on the fabric they are made from. And what they are worn with of course.

And a brilliant way to use up scraps. 

I am now thinking this look should be my go-to holiday look since we pretty much always go camping - well except for a very occassional trip abroad but they seem to happen about once in 5 years so we will be in the UK for holidays for the next few years I would think and these skirts are small to pack, crease very little, dry fast, and work with most basic clothing like T shirts and sweatshirts and will be very easy to throw a pair of combat trousers over to keep warm if the weather changes. Also they can be dressy enough for a dinner out. 

Perfect camping holiday gear!

I am now considering a sweatshirt version for winter but that depends if I have enough sweatshirt scraps to do this. So far I have not had time to go through my stash. 

Next time, as well, I will take the extra time to make a couple of button holes in the waistband and add a pull cord like my check skirt,  because the extra detail of the check skirt is a nice feature. I missed it out on these and just added some elastic which works fine, but I think with hindsight its worth the extra effort. Still something for the next version and I do not necessarily really want every short skirt exactly the same. 

Thanks for popping by my blog and see you again soon

Bracken

Sunday 28 August 2022

Charcoal grey stripey trousers


These are really a slight variation on the Burda Magazine pattern 119, 06/201. I made them as track pants previously but this time I have slightly widened the legs by just straightening them up at the widest point. I also stuck the two front panels together and cut that as one piece. 

 


Yes, I am playing safe with patterns again but having made such a disaster of the Dotty Angel dress - well the dress was a distaster but I honestly blame the pattern not myself since a good friend found exactly the same issues when she made it- anyway I am being careful right now because I do not want to waste my good fabric on rubbish patterns so I admit to being somewhat unadventurous. 

The fabric is unknown fibre but probably some mix of poly cotton and is a shirting type of weight so hopefully will not crease too much because I want these for work over September and maybe if the weather keeps up into October as well.  For now they are good. Not too heavy for a hot day but not too summery for when it rains. The fabric has a white background with  narrow charcoal stripe on it, as found in many mens shirts, but in these photos you cannot tell.

The real change to the original pattern - other than widening the legs - is adding a wide elastic waistband that is constructed in what I always think of as 1980s style because back in the 1980s it seemed most eleastic waist RTW garments had multiple channels of narrow elastic not the wider elastic seen nowadays. 

The reason for this - well I have literally metres and metres of narrow elastic from when I made masks during covid and I want to clear it out. It also turns out ( its years since any of my clothes had this style of waistband) its actually very comfortable to wear this multi-channelled waistband but of course sewing row after row of narrow channels is a pain. Its much easier to sew just one or two wider channels like the modern elastic waists. However I am enjoying the softness of this style of waistband so I reckon I will make a second pair. Maybe in plain black cotton becuse I do like wearing these for work. They are smart but very casual. They are worn here with my black powermesh wrap top.

Tuesday 23 August 2022

Update on check short skirt

 

Except during Me Made May each year I never repost something I have already made but this skirt has suddenly become my special go to item. I must make a few similar versions in fact so these are updated photos of this skirt showing how good it has actually turned out to be which you cannot see from the original post of this. Its a kind of rubbish original post actually and this skirt is turning out to be a work worthy staple. The original photos were taken when I was doing the garden and not at all being very photogenic. I don't wipe my old blog posts and if you do scroll back through the years you can really see how my posting has improved. I was so unprofessional years ago and the photos were so rubbish. Still you get better at everything if you keep trying I suppose.

But the original post really does not show how good this skirt is. The comfy sweatshirt type of drawstring waist is probably the real reason I seem to be living in this right now. Its very hot and muggy and you just feel uncomfortable and sweaty by about 10am. And being black and white dogtooth check it just goes with everything - or nearly everything.

These photos were taken immediately after my dog walk this morning so I am wearing trainers, but this skirt looks just as good with more "respectable" work shoes that I later wore to go to the office.

 And being a very thin knit fabric its turning out great for the weather and being not very stretchy fabric it doesn't, so far anyway, go out of shape. So for a left over scrap of fabric with little shaping this is a really good skirt.

Just shows I suppose that some of the best items are not the hardest to make because this is one of the easiest ever skirts I have ever made. Its worn here with my black lace top which I made in the spring and is also turning out a great summer work top. I never made it to be a work top but its just perfect when its so hot and yet you have to look reasonably professional. I am actually wearing the same Noelle bralet under it as in the original post, but it all looks so much better with my black top. I really need someone to advise me on my clothing choices and this is the proof!

Thanks for popping to visit me and see you soon

Bracken

Saturday 20 August 2022

Skull gypsy style top

I am apparently into yellow right now. Or at least this is the second yellow item I have made in the last month.

I normally go for much less bright fabrics than this though every now and then seem drawn to bright yellow. Maybe cos its hot and its summer?

As you can see the land is dead which is not usual for rainy green England at all even in the height of summer. My garden is all dying. We are offically in drought due to lack of water so have a hose pipe ban. There is a shortage of electricity because we do not usually have temperatures this high so there is no water to cool the nuclear power stations ( I hate the things and am against nuclear power but they could at least have thought of the fact we were heading for global warming when they went and built them!), there is no hydro power due to low levels of water. So the UK is looking somewhat stuffed right now!

Back to this top. This is actually not a bad look despite not really being my usual look. Certainly its less bright than last couple of weeks fluoro yellow leggings - still not so sure about them to be honest though I have worn the shorts yesterday ad several times since making them. Today is just too hot for velvet.

This fabric passes as a summery "floral" and I even got away with wearing this for work which is really good. I do prefer to be me, even though usually for work thats not really possible.  Despite the skulls I would never have been seen dead in this in my extreme youth. Far too un-gothic. Still its fine for now.


So this top which is a really simple one and made to replace this chiffon top I made years ago because I seem to have lost or recycled or donated the original top. 

 

Of course it will probably now turn up. I kind of hope so, even though I have replaced it. The skull and floral chiffon was lovely. I cannot remember who I bought it off though, and a quick internet search did not give any results. I did buy it a long tme ago so probably it has sold out. 

The yellow skull fabric is Rose and Hubble cotton so should last a while and will fade less than my poly cotton version that I made at the same time as the chiffon one. 

I can find the poly cotton one but its just pilly and shabby now. 

 

You can probably see I did not realise the fabric had a directional design! I was still learning to sew then. Mind you I would not totally discount my accidentally doing something similar again. I had to recut some sleeves a few weeks ago due to cutting them with an upside down design!

This old top is now worthy of decorating or gardening but not much else. Mind you if I do make another of these, which I am cosidering,  then the ribbon edge was a good idea so I may repeat that. 

I do like these easy to wear tops in summer and of course they are also back on the high street but really its a safe but unadventurous make for me.

Still sometimes safe and definitely wearable is better. I have a had some issues with being ill recently and its meant I have done little sewing and virtually no knitting. Today I am feeling a bit better.

A few weeks ago now I also attempted a very easy Dotty Angel pattern. The Dotty Angel pattern range kind of reminds me of a modern Laura Ingals Wilder look and I just thought " why not". 

What a waste of fabric!

This was such a disaster I felt like chucking it out. 

A friend also made the exact same pattern in a different size. We both came out with these unflattering oversized frumpy dresses that fall off the shoulders, so its not down to the size I made either. Its very much an issue with the pattern so now I am not too sure if I should even keep the pattern. Its just so awful. 

 I even added sleeves to try to make the original pattern work. I tried it with and without the front pleats and with and without a waist tie as well. Never took photos before the sleeves but it doesn't matter the pattern is just horrible. The neck feels and looks too big - even bigger and more gapey with the front pleats than when I removed them!

 

When you really honestly believe a pattern is crap though should you even donate it?

I mean would it be right for someone to pay out money for a second hand pattern and then also waste the fabric to make this, ( which is what happened to both me and my friend) when they might actually be really badly off. The fact my mate had similar problems with this design suggests its not just us, its the pattern itself, so should I donate, which I would do usually when I decide I do not want a pattern or should I just bin this? 

It seems unfair to the unsuspecting person who will buy this rubbish.

On the other hand I believe Dotty Angel has quite a following so some people must get on with this.

Opinions welcome here.

Sleeves defo did not improve this dress though. But I do think removing those front pleats did help stop the neck gaping so badly. Its still a huge neck hole though.

It feels like I need to lift the shoulder line by about 6 cm - then maybe it might be better ??

The dog here is Roger. Being failthful and photobombing as usual.


I paid full price for that pattern too which is actually very unusual for me. I will not be buying any more Dotty Angel patterns after this bad experience. I really liked the fabric I used and so far  have not come up with anything I can do to try and save it. So I am very disapointed in Dotty Angel!

I suppose it might make a sleeveless top from the bodice, but really such a waste of a nice fabric that was pretty expensive - especially the hem and pocket/ sleeves bits though the main bodice was not cheap. I have been saving these fabrics for ages for a nice unusual project. What a complete disapointment. And I suspect most of the bits cannot be rescued!

For now this is sitting - in bits since I took it appart, on my sewing trolley waiting for me to get inspiration. I suppose I could use the bits as pocket linings but how sad to waste the 2m of the main bodice fabric I have had saved for years till I find a good project for it. I should have made something I had already tried but this seemed such a simple design I did not think it could go wrong. 

And to top it all I played around with this rubbish pattern, undoing the front tucks, adding sleeves etc and wasted nearly 3 weeks of precious sewing time and achieved absolutely nothing.

Anyway now you can see the reasoning behind my using a simple and TNT pattern that I used for the yellow skull top!

At least I knew it was highy unlikely I would waste my fabric! And right now after the rather suspect make of the fluorescent leggings and shorts and the wasted time and fabric of the Dotty Angel disaster I really need to just get my sewing confidence back and make something that works.

And as it happens I really do like my yellow skulls even if a bit bright for me. But then its summer!

 

Shorts were a bargain from my local charity/ thrift shop being only £2 and are actually Kate Moss for Top Shop shorts. And they fit nice. I rarely find bargain clothes in charity shops and tend to visit for bric-a-brac or for fabric remnants ( or things I can upcycle) rather than actual clothing this this is for me an unusual find. 

Have a great week and thanks for popping over

Bracken

Saturday 13 August 2022

Yoga waist band leggings

 


I wanted to make a pair of leggings with this yoga type waistband for a while. I saw some leggings in Sports Direct that have a yoga waistband ( so a piece of wide fabric that foldsover and no elastic) and thought they looked comfortable for summer when its hot. My only worry is if they fall down when walking. Well yes they do a bit but not too badly because I walked the dogs quite a distance today and they were fine.


Its still hot in the UK but has started to rain again so we have kind of wet, hot, sweaty weather. With walking boots and a light ( well worn) sweatshirt they were fine even when it was raining. I did need the hood on my hoody though because there was a constant fine drizzle. Still Britain!

Its wet!


Fabric is swimwear/ sports lycra fabric bought quite a few years ago so I actually used some of the stash for these. Thast currently a big bonus though I have not bought any fabriv since January so I am doing well right now. Though it has only made a small dent in what I own.

The sewing of these was really quite epic. I made these when my overlockers were both down about a month ago so I zigzagged them and then later overlocked the edges to neaten. 

But when I put them on I was not happy with the stitching. I did not feel confident they would stand up to my usual lifestyle. I do like to tramp over fields and climb hills etc and tend to get wet and muddy pretty regularly. 

I do not usually sew knits on a regular machine. Perhaps you should use a narrower stitch? I am not sure but the stitching seemed quite wide spaced and I just did not feel happy wearing them so yesterday I cut the waist band off and resewed using the overlocker and then put the waist band back on. Now I feel happy to wear them.

Since I think my waistband is a bit too wide really that was fine and lowering the waist a bit could work as well because the original waistband was a bit too high I think once I added the yoga band instead of a normal waistband. 

Also I made the longer version of these that have ruched ankles though mine just wrinkle cos I never bothered to ruche. They work well with boots because I have made these before and the extra length stops any gaps where leggings meet socks and the rain gets in.

This is an experiment though because its my first yoga band on a pair of leggings but yes I must say they are very comfy when lazing about on a sunday afternoon. I will make more of these I think. 

Pattern is McCalls M6173 which is my go to for leggings at the moment. One thing about these if you were to want to make some - yoga band is just a strip of fabric and mine was around 35cm wide and the width of my waist. Perhaps 20cm might work better?

The galaxy print fabric was off Ebay but many years ago and was about £10 a metre and I used most of 2m. There is enough left over to make something else but I have not yet decided what. 

Anyway I am happy enough with this as an experiment and I am enjoying wearing these leggings as I write. I will be making more but I think I will reduce the waistband width by about 1/3 since its definitely a bit too wide. I can nearly turn it over twice but that makes it slightly too narrow. Something to perfect in my next pair I suppose. 

I think if you wanted to run in these they would be a problem and fall down. For yoga or pilates though they will work great. And for lounging of course they are extremely comfy.

See you soon and thanks for popping over

Bracken

Saturday 6 August 2022

Green Mesh Bralet - Noelle

I used this pattern several times prevously when I made loads of undies. But I never had any white bra strap elastic so I left this in bits, unsewn in a bag in amongst my sewing things and ignored it until now. This I was clearing up the general mess my sewing area seems to end up in pretty regularly and found it. So this weekend I finally got the elastic for the straps so I decided its time to sew this up. Its a very thin summery and lightweight bralet.

Pattern is the Noelle free bralet pattern and its a lightweight mesh on the outside that I have previously use to make a dress.  That was a not quite perfect dress to be honest but I recently completed another version which I have yet to wear and I think is constructed better than that older version.

This bralet is lined with flesh coloured power mesh and it should be a nice little underwear top for the hot weather.  The edges are cheap white picot elastic which are zigzagged.

I actually made a new type of bra - new for me that is about a month ago. 


This pretty mesh bralet though is much less supportive, but  I think this will be perfect for the hot weather I expect is coming in August and September. Its usually very hot and muggy here.

Thanks for visiting my blog,  

Bracken