Stripy T-shirt dress

Well hello there strangers, long time no see... Isn't it scary how quickly the last couple of months have gone by? Or is that just me? I actually have quite a few finished makes to blog about, but I've not really been enjoying having my photo taken lately, and blog posts without photos aren't that exciting. However, I did get a few pictures of me in a very recent make during our Sunday afternoon stroll last weekend, so I'll start with that one!

Pattern description

T-shirt dress with cut-on cap sleeves and A-line skirt.

Fabric used

Rayon-spandex knit from Fabric.com. This stuff is sooooo soft and not too lightweight, so this very much falls in the category of secret pyjamas!

Did it look like the sketch/idea when you were done?

I've been in need of a few basic-ish jersey dresses as my favourites are starting to wear out a bit. This turned out pretty much exactly how I hoped.

Drafting details

This is based on a cap-sleeve T-shirt I made a while back. I refined the fit by raising the front neckline and lowering the back neckline, taking in the back at the waist, and curving the shoulder/sleeve seam down after the shoulder point to narrow the sleeves. To make it into a dress, I simply extended the front and back pieces downwards and outwards from just above the waist line.

Construction details

I stabilised the shoulders with fusible tape (for some reason straight grain not bias, so they're a little weird and stiff), and all the seams are sewn by serger. (I only had two cones of navy, so I used these in the left needle and lower looper so that any visible thread from the right side would blend in, using an off-white for the other two threads.)

The neckline is my usual T-shirt type binding with topstitching, and the sleeve and skirt hems are finished with a twin needle. I've finally worked out how to stop tunnelling with the twin needle (at least on knits that aren't super lightweight) - take the tension reeeeeeaaaaaaally low. Like the other end of the tension dial low. The only problem with this is that the back doesn't look so neat, but I think this is a trade-off that I'll have to make, at least until I get my pressie of a coverstitch machine (hint, hint, Mr Dibulous...). The belt is simply a long thin rectangle with two sides sewn up, turned right side out, and the remaining short end slipstitched shut.

I did attempt to match the stripes at the side seams, although as I couldn't be faffed with basting the seams before sewing them on the serger, the matching isn't perfect, but is plenty good enough for this sort of quick make.

Would you sew it again?

Yep, I'm definitely going to be sewing up a couple more versions of this dress. I might add a bit more at the front waist and hip as it does cling a little to my belly (no, I'm not pregnant, that's just a food baby...), but other than that I'm pretty pleased with it.

Conclusion

This is a good "transitional" piece (ooh, get me, I sound like Anna Wintour) with the cap sleeves, and can be layered with tights or leggings now it's getting a bit cooler (not that it got particularly warm this summer...). A very handy dress that has already been worn many times since finishing it.

As a bit of an aside about the photos, the ones on the bridge show where the Rhône and the Arve rivers meet, and you can see the difference in colour (the Rhône is clear after travelling through Lac Léman, whereas the Arve is very silty). On a day when the rivers are a bit higher, you get cool swirling patterns as they mix. The stroll took us through the "zoo" near ours, hence the ibex in the other photos. Ibex!

Back in the UK

So my husband and I made our pre-Christmas trip back to the mothership motherland at the end of November, and I have to say the highlight of the trip wasn't seeing my parents and their cat, nor visiting my sister and playing with my nephew, nor shopping in London, nor eating many curries and drinking many pints of bitter, nor meeting up with friends I haven't seen for ages, nor an early Christmas dinner with the in-laws on the Wirral, complete with flaming pudding and crackers. Nope, it was meeting up with the awesome Melissa. On her boat!

I can confirm that she is just as lovely in person as she comes across on her blog, and her clothes are just as beautiful. (For completeness, she was wearing her chic sweatshirt and her contrast pocket classic jeans, and I was wearing a sweaterknit batwing top that I'll post about soon, and my jeans skirt). Her suspicion was right, after seeing her boat, I do want to live on one! (although I think in reality my dodgy ears would mean I'd end up being constantly dizzy). Hearing about the history of their boat and learning about the realities of living on one was super interesting, and it was brilliant how much of a community there is in the moorings; you don't really get that in many places in London.

I think what amazed me most was how tiny Melissa's current sewing room is (literally the size of a desk, plus space for a chair), yet she still makes such beautiful garments. I also met her very cute kittycat Nishi (so adorable!) and got a sneak peek at her latest project (to be launched in January, I believe...). I brought a gift of some silk twill (the same that I made my peplum top from), and can't wait to see what she makes with it.

Apart from that, the trip didn't involve much sewing-related activity (apart from buying some interfacing...), so I will leave you with a few pretty photos from around London and Liverpool.

The amazing view from the shore above Melissa's boat:

Kensington Palace across the Round Pond:

Queen Victoria by her daughter, Princess Louise:

Trying to fit in with the in-laws:

That pudding on fire:

And finally, the fabric that was waiting in the post box when I got home:

Mostly photos

Hello! A brief post with some pictures of me wearing my August Burda Challenge scarfy top.

Having worn it for a full day, there's a few tweaks I'd make if I sew this again (lowering the front neckline a little more and moving the shoulder seams forward more), but it's comfortable to wear and makes me happy, and the poly content of the fabric means it washes pretty well too.

I wore it to see the Miró exhibition at Fondation de l'Hermitage in Lausanne - which was absolutely wonderful. There were more works than I thought there would be (it's a deceptively large exhibition space), and a fascinating short film of Miró in his studio in the later years of his life (although I found it really hard to understand his French as he spoke with a strong Spanish accent!). It was really interesting to see his working process - I always get the impression of speed and energetic brushstrokes with his paintings, but in reality everything is slow and careful and considered. I loved that after working on a painting, he'd prop it up against a trestle table and sit in his rocking chair to contemplate it.

I finished my September Burda Challenge this evening! I plan to wear it either tomorrow night or Saturday night, so hopefully I can get some photos and I'll post about it soon. In the meantime, here's a sneak peek...

Walking top(s)

My parents came to visit over the summer, and I went with them to central Switzerland to go hiking. I have been meaning for ages to make some suitable tops for exercise, so this seemed like a good opportunity.

Gathered raglan sleeve top

You may recognise this from my February Burda Challenge... I made the short sleeved version here to give my shoulders a bit of coverage in the sun, using a wicking fabric (from Fabric.com) for the front and back sections, and a slinky knit for the sleeves and neck band.

I wanted the neck band a little wider, to make the most of the contrast fabric, but this has made the band gape a bit at the front. This doesn't really bother me for a walking top, but if I wanted this effect again I guess the solution would be to make a separate piece for the neckline, rather than using a band. The hem and sleeve hems are turned up and stitched with a three-step zig-zag. Whilst not as RTW look as a coverstitch would be, it looks much better on this sort of fabric and style than a plain zig-zag or a twin needle.

This turned out really well. The contrast raglan sleeves look sporty, but the gathering keeps it "pretty" looking. The fabric is also much nicer to walk in than cotton, it dries really fast and doesn't show the sweat too much (yum). It has pilled a bit on the front from the chest strap of my rucksack, but other than that it has stood up well to a fair amount of use this summer.

Cowl neck sleeveless top

Whilst this isn't a wicking fabric, this rayon jersey is lovely to wear in warm weather (you may remember the dress I made from it last year), and doesn't get hot or sweaty. This top was originally intended as another walking top for the same holiday as the one above, but wasn't finished in time. When I did finish it, I found I liked it so much that it's been a regular wear instead!

It is self-drafted, with the cowl kept quite high to keep the sun off my chest. The back neckline and armscyes are finished with my usual method of serging on folded strips. I surprisingly don't have many photos of me wearing this, given how often I do wear it! In this photo I'm also wearing my new jeans skirt.

Me-Made-May '13 round-up: days 1-12

Right, I'm finally back at home and looking forward to catching up with my sewing, gardening and housework (well, maybe not looking forward so much to that last one...). Sewing-wise, the first thing is to catch up on documenting Me-Made-May '13, and the next thing will be to do my April (and May) Burda challenge.

Day 1

Pyjama shorts: me-made

Worn: to go to bed. I was spending the day packing and tidying the house before 10 days in the UK, and ended up not wearing anything me-made during the day. Then I remembered I still had these pyjama shorts hanging around, so I was able to sleep in a me-made style!

Day 2

Necklace: me-made (and rather wonky in the photo!) | Top, cardie and jeans (!): Uniqlo | Bag: Kipling

Worn: to fly to Liverpool. I still love this necklace, it goes with a surprising range of outfits, and I'm pleased that it didn't end up looking too "craftsy" or homemade. I'm wondering here if I remembered to pay for my parking. Then remembering that I arrived by aeroplane.

Day 3

Top: me-made (self-drafted) | Jeans and jacket: H&M | Necklace: local shop in Hammersmith, London | Bag: Kipling | Shoes: Pesaro

Worn: for an afternoon out in Liverpool, then to see friends in Birkenhead. Today was Theme Friday: water! Here I am by the Albert Docks in Liverpool, with the Three Graces (the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building) and the Museum of Liverpool in the background.

Day 4

Top: me-made (modified Sorbetto) | Cardie: Uniqlo | Jeans: H&M | Shoes: Pesaro

Worn: for a day out in Chester with a friend and her children. These are her new chickens - they are adorable, and have fluffy tails that look like beehive hairdos. I've finally got around to redoing the yoke and sleeves of this top, and it's now completely wearable. I am sure to be wearing this again soon, so when I do I will take a picture to show the alterations.

Days 5 & 6

I didn't wear anything me-made on 5 or 6 May unfortunately. 5 May I was at a wedding, where I had intended to wear my birthday dress. Sadly I ran out of time after coming back from holiday to have it dry-cleaned and do the alterations needed, so wore RTW instead. 6 May was a day of travelling from the Wirral to Sussex (via an ice cream in the sunshine by the Dee in Chester), and I ended up not wearing me-made again.

Day 7

Top: me-made, never blogged (self-drafted) | Skirt: me-made (self-drafted) | Shoes: Pesaro | Sunglasses: prescription from Alan Afflelou | Book: Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen

Worn: to chill in the garden during the day, then out for a pub dinner with my parents in the evening (although I changed into jeans for the evening as it was a little chilly). This top is rather on its last legs: there is a small hole and weird stain at the front of the neckline, the grain has gone twisty, and it's generally sagged a bit all over. However it's still very comfortable to wear when I don't need to be too smart. The skirt is also rather worn now and the stretch denim has gone a little odd at stress points. However, this has probably been my most worn item ever, and I'm thinking about making a replacement soon - I just need to decide on the style.

Day 8

Top: me-made (self-drafted), never blogged properly, but seen here | Cardie: Uniqlo | Trousers: C&A | Shoes: Pesaro

Worn: to harass the cat during the day, then to travel back to London and eat curry in the evening. This is one of the cats I grew up with. He's now 17, but fortunately still in pretty good health.

Day 9

Top: me-made (BurdaStyle magazine) 02/2013/127 | Jacket: H&M | Necklace: local shop in Hammersmith, London | Bag: Kipling

Worn: to a lunchtime cello recital at LSO St Luke's.

Day 10

Top (just seen): me-made (modified Sorbetto) | Jacket and scarf: H&M | Jeans: Uniqlo | Shoes: Bata | Bag: Kipling

Worn: to do a little bit of shopping, and to snooze in St James's Park. The second Theme Friday: sewing spaces. I was away from home, but was going to the wonderful MacCulloch and Wallis to stock up on some notions whilst in London, so thought this was an appropriate interpretation! I will do a photo in my own sewing space at some point soon now I'm back home...

Day 11

Necklace: me-made (only just seen, you'll have to take my word for it that it's there!) | Jacket and scarf: H&M

Worn: to travel back home to Switzerland. I used to come and watch planes at Gatwick with my uncle, and I still find the monorail just as exciting as when I was seven (I once spent over an hour riding back and forth on it with my nan). Although, nowadays, it also makes me think of this.

Day 12

As it's the first day in weeks where I don't have to get up and dressed and go out and do things, I am spending the day in my me-made pyjama shorts, a vest top and my dressing gown. And no, you're not getting a photo of that!

London twice in a fortnight

Well, it's that pre-Christmas rush of seeing family (and some friends too), so last week was spent in London, and I will be back again this weekend. Sadly no time last week for fabric or notions shopping (although I did buy some bayonet lightbulbs for the anglepoise in my sewing room...), maybe this time?

Incidentally, does anyone have any news on Goldhawk Road/Shepherd's Bush Market? I'm hoping to have a moment or two to pop into Classic Textiles and buy some coating.

I have actually been doing a fair amount of sewing between travelling, some things more successful than others. I'm currently working on (yet another!) Sorbetto in silk crêpe de chine - here's the fabric I am using:

I've got a little more finishing to do, but this will be worn this weekend in London - and I will be showing you something other than Sorbettos soon!

London bits and pieces

Most of this is only vaguely related to sewing at best, but I wanted to share a few photos - if you do read it all through, there are a few clothes pics, honest...

This was the first time we've been to London in a year where the entire time was our own - every visit last year included a wedding... The main reason for visiting this time was much better (sorry, lovely married friends...) - shopping! Despite being very productive lately, I wanted to stock up on a few things so I didn't have to make things in a panic. Specifically bikinis and summer clothes - because I'm going to St Lucia! Oh yeah. I would quite like to make a bikini - I've stocked up on fabric, elastics, books etc - but I was worried I would end up with my usual last-minute stress if that was my only option (particularly as I also need(ed) to do an enormous amount of tidying and gardening). And considering that we're going in a week and a half and I haven't thought about starting a bikini, I think that was a good plan. I'm definitely going to try making swimwear though - I was definitely inspired by Carolyn's tankini (woah, was that really back in November?), and I've also discovered a fabulous website for drafting and sewing swimwear etc. Anyway, that's for the future, for now, hooray for Bravissimo. And Monsoon. And Schuh. And Uniqlo...

...where we went to the launch of the Laura Ashley line in their Oxford Street flagship store. There was live music and cocktails in teacups.

Other fun stuff - randomly saw the Queen (and Camilla, and Kate, and Boris Johnson):

They were visiting Fortnum and Mason and unveiling a plaque to commemorate the refurbishment of Piccadilly. There's an article on the BBC website about the visit, where the Queen is quoted as saying "How marvellous". Perfect. And I brought back these souvenirs:

The next day we were on our way through the V&A and had a look at the spider silk cape. Bloody hell it's amazing. The beauty of the natural colour of the silk and the embroidery, coupled with the amount of time and effort that went into its construction makes it really quite amazing. I just wish I could have felt it.

That evening we went to see the David Hockney exhibition at the Royal Academy. It really loved it. I have a passion for David Hockney throughout all the many incarnations of his art, and his new pieces are just gorgeous. For me they were also rather nostalgic as the landscapes reminded me so much of home. And, I wore my new yellow skirt, paired with my floral Sorbetto, bright pink tights, and blue suede shoes - uh-huh-huh (apologies for the terrible photos, I forgot to take them whilst I wast out, and for some reason decided to take them myself rather than get my husband to take them. Also very creased from sitting down.)

The next day saw a trip to the cinema to see the Muppets. Oh my goodness it is such a good film - we were actually crying with laughter pretty much constantly. We also saw Tomorrow's Warriors at the Queen Elizabeth Hall - I really miss all the cool free stuff in London...

And finally, here's the translation of "Heidi" into Chinese, from the inflight magazine (it's the bit in angled brackets):