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

Fish tail skirt or high low skirt - Stash Smashing

I found this blog post a while ago now:
http://www.deliacreates.com/easy-diy-fishtail-circle-skirt-tutorial/

Its an adult version of skirts from other blogs. Well it is not really something I would normally wear but I have the fabric and why not. I will wear it if I own it because that's life but as with the multi-media T shirts

I would not shell out hard earned cash to buy one.

But as I am realising more and more when you make your own clothing YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL!

Yay!

So following the directions from Delia Creates I made this skirt using black powermesh. I originally followed the exact pattern but in the end I decided to chop a further 7 inches or about 18cm off the length because once made it was trailing on the floor. When I went back to the original blogpost yes it is there as well so it is not just me being too short.

Much as I like a skirt with a train it does not fit into my world. I already have two makes with trains here:
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/95-and-96-skirt-and-top-for-tms-bright.html

and here: http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/85-simplicity-1772-dress.html

and I do not wear either of them often because of this.

Delia lives somewhere summery and hot and gets to take photos on the beach with her feet bare on the sand. I live in the UK where it is usually damp and often downright pouring with rain. Also you think its a nice day when you get dressed at 06:00 but by the time you get to work by 08:30 it can be the most horrible weather imaginable so no, skirts with trains do not work well in my world!

 

I am still undecided whether to do a rolled edge with the overlocker around the hem of this, but so far have resisted because actually I quite like the raw edge and it looks fine and very dancerish.

So for this as directed I used 2m of fabric. Mine was wider than Delia Creates used so there was more wasteage but I really could not make it any longer than the original and in the end as already explained I chopped the edge off after finishing. By the way best to do this before you make it really because the elastic gathers it in a bit and means you have to be extra careful if you do it at the end as I did.

The only difficult bit with this skirt is keeping the slippy fabric from moving when you are measuring for the waist and the skirt edge and of course you then must fold it to make it high-low but its still a very easy skirt pattern and I would say well worth making.

This skirt will also look good with the two tops made using this powermesh which you can see here:
http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/74-quick-party-top.html

and here:

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/95-and-96-skirt-and-top-for-tms-bright.html

Thanks for reading and if this is your kind of skirt I would encourage you to make one. I am very impressed!

Bracken

Multi Media T shirts - TMS October 2017 Stash Mash

I am a bit late blogging this week since am enjoying this months challenge. Smashing my Stash is a brilliant way to update my wardrobe for winter - fast!

I seem to have fabric and patterns everywhere in little piles with patterns on top while I work out what to do with what. Sooooo exciting!

So what to use from my stash next? I was at the hospital the other day and noticed there were several people wearing long sleeved T shirts with mesh sleeves. Well I like!

So I cut out 4 different tops - all from my stash. I have not had time to make them all as yet but these are the first two. So challengwise, first heres my pink scuba and big mesh sleeved top.

Stashwise heres the pink top:

	Stash Smash Project Points
Pink scuba	Meters Used	0-1 m	5 points	Yardage magician
	Stash Time	2-3 years	25  points	like fine wine
	Preciousness		10 points	I like it but won’t cry if it’s a fail
Black wide mesh	Meters Used	0-1 m	5 points	Yardage magician
	Stash Time	2 months	10  points	Buried under new pretties
	Preciousness		10 points	I like it but won’t cry if it’s a fail
	POINTS TOTAL:		65 points

 
Then I made this black version using some 4 way stretch black silky fabric which I have made a nice top from previously so I know I like wearing this as a top and in this version I used black powermesh for the sleeves. It is hard to see in the photos but the sleeves are slightly transparent.

 These are both made from Butterick 5562 View D which I have owned for ages but never used. I really bought this pattern for the different sleeves variations but have ended up using the ordinary non- gathered, non-puffed sleeve and missed off the wide cowl neck as well. Its got a very nice boat shaped neckline which I love and is more wintery somehow than my more used T shirt patterns.

 For the black T shirt stashwise:

	Stash Smash Project Points
Black silky fabric	Meters Used	0-1 m	5 points	Yardage magician
	Stash Time	2-3 years	25  points	like fine wine
	Preciousness		10 points	I like it but won’t cry if it’s a fail
Black powermesh	Meters Used	0-1 m	5 points	Yardage magician
	Stash Time	2-3 years	25  points	like fine wine
	Preciousness		10 points	I like it but won’t cry if it’s a fail
	POINTS TOTAL:		80 points

I have previously made other projects from most of this fabric which will make for nice "outfits" though to be honest I very rarely wear outfits really. In reality, I find things work best mix and matching rather than wearing as "suits".

In case you want to see though the pink scuba type fabric leggings are here:

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/05/38-side-panel-leggings.html

I used the black reverse of this fabric on the side stripes for this look which I have not bothered with in my new top.

and the black silky fabric has previously made some yoga pants here:

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/22-plain-black-yoga-pants-made-in-rush.html

and a top here:

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/74-quick-party-top.html

Oh and I nearly forgot this top here made from the powermesh:

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/95-and-96-skirt-and-top-for-tms-bright.html

I suppose this is the good / or bad side to bulk buying fabric. You end up with lots of items made from the same materials and although they do "go" together often you do not want to wear them that way.
Well I am very much enjoying this months challenge. What to make next?

Thanks for visiting my blog,

Bracken

Bright Red Cropped Hoody - YSR, TMS October Stash Smash challenge

   

I saw Dr T's post a while ago now with this Mimi G pattern (below right). 

I quite like this pattern but what struck me most was the similarity to this free pattern from Your Style Rocks (YSR) ( below left).

 

There is a definite similarity though don't you think?

The YSR pattern has been around for ages now but the New Season Simplicity  pattern from Mimi G is new. The Mimi G pattern is Simplicity 8392.

So I recognised this pattern. Of course I have no idea who the original designer was. Maybe it was Mimi G herself.  Or maybe she was inspired by the YSR pattern. Who Knows but this YSR pattern is free, is definitely old, 2012 I think, even if this design is New Season to Simplicity.

AND I have owned it for ages. So I decided its time I made it.

As I understand it YSR were a collective who had competitions. The contestants designed an outfit to fit whatever the challenge was that season.

Then the people who used to run YSR would make and grade the patterns which you could then, and can now, at time of me writing this still  DOWNLOAD FOR FREE.
I used to visit and admire but never entered the competitios. Until now despite having downloads of most of the YSR patterns I still have not made one.


No idea why but I think there were two people behind YSR but from memory thats how it was. They did state they were not a pattern company, they just ran the site and competitions for fun. There are lots of competition entries well worth a look although the patterns were mostly never made but they are still quite a few free patterns here and going by my results with this one I shall finally get round to making the rest of them.

I really liked the Mimi G version because I currently need a sweatshirt or cardigan but am after something a bit different but that I can wear for everyday life as well as dressing up. The only sweatshirt fabric in my stash is some bright red brushed back fabric of unknown fibre.  It wears well though because I have worn these trousers regularly and they are still going:

http://brackencrafts.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/3-lekala-free-pattern-for-sport-trousers.html

So this is a nice pattern.

This also fits in with the current October Monthly Stitch Challenge and I have been a bit quiet and missed lots of challenges recently. Since I have had the fabric for two and a half years and the pattern since 2012 its kind of a double stash buster.

So using the TMS Stash smash table: 

Stash Smash Project Points
Meters Used	1 -3 m	10 points	Chipping away
Stash Time	2-3 years	25  points	like fine wine
Preciousness		10 points	I like it but won't cry if it’s a fail
POINTS TOTAL:		45 points

The YSR version seems more elf-like than sportswear although both are really the same thing.The clasp was an inspiration. Mimi G uses a zip which could also work here although would alter the construction. The YSR version uses hook and eyes. I was thinking originally of the kind of hooks and eyes you use on fur coats because I know I have some but then I found this old belt buckle and some red velvet ribbon. Ideally it should have been sewn into the front seam but I never though about using this and did not want to risk recking this lovely top by undoing overlocked seams so I folded it over on itself to give a neat edge and used a zipper foot to sew to the inside. Not perfect by any means but I think its fine for a first attempt at this.

 I used an overlocker for most of the sewing but did the fiddly bits on the bottom from using a normal sewing machine. I stitched in the ditch along the outside shoulder seams to keep the inside facing lying down.

This is the messy inside where I used three bits of red velvet ribbon to secure my belt buckle to the front neck. It looks good and is unusual but does keep dropping open if I lean forwards. Means to wear this I must stay standing upright! 😊

In case you were wondering this magnificent creature is Emily who is a very long lived chicken. She has not laid eggs in years but who cares. She a part of the family:

She hates cameras and was about to attack here.

Thanks for visiting my blog

Bracken