View B McCalls M7261 sportswear pattern - Winter Capsule Wardrobe

 This is view B of McCalls M7261 sportswear pattern,

 I wore this red top when we went to Blackpool for my partners birthday. We went to see the lights because its years since either of us last went. Well I was 13 years old last time!

Its a nice warm top and I am intending to make a few more.  The collar is actually meant to be centre front overlapped but I pinned it on at the side by accident and liked it so left it.

 The top is the reverse of the same cheapo polyester crepe that most of my Winter Capsule Wardrobe is made from and this is the last bit of that project. Its a very warm fabric and using the reverse makes an otherwise unacceptable fabric look like a scuba or performance fabric.

I used the Melissa Feyr Trade method of making the mitts from the "Sew Your Own Activewear" book which I bought back in July when I was given some money for my birthday, rather than the method gven in the instructions because I hate having to constantly re-handsew the mitts from the sports top I made here:

https://brackencrafts.blogspot.com/2017/04/98-and-99-sports-top-and-flared.html

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 This method is do-able on a sewing machine and much better. I did have difficulty getting the mitts to fit under the machine and actually made three of one of them. The first one worked fine but then the next one got eaten by the foot. The third got snagged by the foot and although it worked fine I wanted the top to start life looking as perfect as possible so I made a thrid and then finally I made a good one. To do this method I need to sew from each direction else it just will not fit under my machine foot.  

 


 I am really very pleased with how wearable this top has turned out and am keen to make a few more. Maybe with colour blocking next time and use up some of my smaller bits of fabric because this is one of the best tops I have so far made.

Thanks for visiting 

Bracken

Black Asymetric neck dress - Winter Capsule Wardrobe

I finally got round to buying sensible wearable (as in black)  fabric back at the start of this year. Having invested in loads of black bodycon type fabric I decided then I have too big a fabric stash but I do not want to throw anything away so here is the first sensible dress for my winter wardrobe made from a kind of wrinkly stretch fabric which was very popular in bodycon dresses in the 80s and 90s. I love my red dress made from Burda Style 12/2014 #121, and decided this would be a good fabric for a new version of this dress.

This asymetric cowl neck is a very wearable design because it is not actually off the shoulders so its easy to wear this at work. 

 The one problem is I decided to give this dress "sweatshirt" type wide hems. I think this was a mistake so I have cut a second identical dress which is going to have normal narrow Tshirt type hems instead.

It will not be a problem having two of these dresses because I really love the design and the fabric so its a bonus. I have yet to wear this out anywhere but am looking forward to wearing it for work. It is quite a warm fabric as well so ideal for winter in the office.

Have you tried this design? If yes what fabric did you use to make this?

Bracken

My winter capsule wardrobe so far - 2 tops and a three-way skirt

So far for my winter capsule wardrobe I have two new tops which I wrote about in my last post here
:
https://brackencrafts.blogspot.com/2018/09/two-tops-for-my-winter-capsule.html

I had not photos of me wearing them yet then so here are the pictures:

New Look 6230

Both are made from synthetic polyester crepe but I used the reverse of the fabric to make it more "modern" since I have cometo the conclusion I hate polyester crepe. These should be nice and warm though by the feel of them and the reverse is more of a heavy mesh/ body con type of fabric which is very similar to lots of stuff you see clothing made from in outdoors shops so I am very happy with the end result and will use the rest of this fabric up in this way.

The wide lace on the front of this top is stretch lace off ebay. I was not very happy when I bought this since it was sold as 5m but came in two lengths which the description never said. Still I found a use in the end.

The narrow lace is also from ebay but I bought it about 3 years ago now and have used in on various other items. I could do with finding a job lot of this in fact since am finally running out of it.

Burda Style Lydia

 

The purple top is the Lydia T shirt from Burda Style.

But my best item so far for this is my three way skirt made from the same Burda Style pattern as this lilac gingham frill skirt:

I had to hand baste most of this and the waistband is a bit hit and miss and fastens with snaps but I am pretty much pleased with the end result. Not sure how long it will last or how it is going to wear being as I used the reverse of the fabric for all panels but I love it.

 Its got front and back zips.

To stop the zips from puckering I interfaced along each zip on one side of the fabric only since I am hoping the lining side will stay unpuckered as well.It seems to have worked.

 Then repeated basting for the second side to give a lining. So lots of hand basting. Lots of checking everything lines up etc.

The end results I have three looks in one skirt as well as slightly unzipped:

 

Look one: Black and red

Look two: Purple and red


 And Look 3 a purlpe zippy skirt:

So I really feel like I am getting somewhere now and still have a pile to sew up.

 Winter is looking fun

Bracken