All posts filed under: Summer wear

Getting busy with Belize from Itch-To-Stitch

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Itch To Stitch has just released their latest pattern – the Belize skort and shorts.  She was asking for pattern testers not so long ago and I would have loved to help up but unfortunately the timescale didn’t match up with any free time I had.   I’ve never made a skort before, but have bought quite a few pairs over the years for golf, and they’re usually quite expensive.  In the last couple of years I’ve cheated and I’ve made skirts for golf and worn gym shorts underneath. This week I’ve been on annual leave and has loooooads of free time.  So armed with my new pattern (which I managed to work out how to use layers and just print my size) I set about making the Belize Skort.  This was Monday, and I wanted to wear them on Tuesday for golf! There are 5 views for the skort and shorts: View A: Pleated-front shorts with front pockets View B: Flat-front shorts with front pockets View C: Flat-front shorts with no pocket View D: Skort with …

Save all your kisses for me…. Simplicity 1783

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Back in October one of my besties went to Fabworks and with the help of the ladies there bought me these 3 pieces of fabric for my birthday.  I made the Woodland Cape with grey/red and lined it in the red but still had all these lips blowing kisses at me every time I went in my sewing room. The lips fabric is a soft drapy crepe with a hint of stretch across the width.  Perfect for this pattern, and not the end of the world if it doesn’t work as I wasn’t sure at this point if it was really my cup of tea.   Before I get down to the nitty gritty and share lots of photos of the ups and down in this new relationship why not have a listen to The Brotherhood of Man?! This song just takes me back!  How come I still know all the words when I’ve not heard it for years!  Check out the outfit on the far right – could that possibly be a jumpsuit!!??     Swiftly …

Taking a breather from my Holly Jump suit – Newlook 6217

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This week I’ve muslinned (? a proper word?) the Holly Jumpsuit twice.  And I went shopping for fabric (and bought 2 extra pieces)!  Then I needed a quick fix before I dived into my Jolly Hump Suit,  mmm…, or should it be Holly Jump Suit?! (i’m laughing here, that was initially a typo but it’s stopping! lol….still lolling……!  (I’m Jumping Into June in case you didn’t know! If you want to read more about it and see who else taking part head over to Chris’s blog here…….) Anyway, moving swiftly on.  Whilst looking for something else I found this pattern which came free with the Love Sewing Mag (I think!!) Without delving in my stash I knew I had the perfect fabric for the top – B.  The fabric I’d just bought to make my Holly Jumpsuit!   I did buy an extra 1/2 metre so it’d be ok.  It was really quick to make, except I used bias binding nearly everywhere.  It was ready to go out and meet the girls at 3pm for a late …

The Hudson Pants #PatternParcel6

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Back in October I bought Parcel 6 from the Perfect Pattern Parcel.  This is the 3rd parcel I’ve bought but I’ve not gotten round to making anything until now. The Hudson Pants, although for a lady, looked a great style for my 12 year old son. I initially made the 3/4 length style but he felt they were a bit too tight so i chopped them to above the knee and just overlocked the hem. I’m pleased with my button holes.  My one step button hole on my machine is a bit iffy so I just did it by twiddling a few dials as I went! They were really easy to put together. I made each pocket a different colour. Not because I was feeling particularly creative, it was because I didn’t have enough fabric! I can’t persuade him to wear them inside out. He doesn’t quite get how good they look on the inside – all his clothes look like this!! On one leg front piece I had to use the fabric vertically as …

Prima Playsuit

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I’d been ‘toying’ with the idea of making a playsuit.  However, are they age appropriate for someone who is 40 something? Three things made me think “sod it! I’m making one anyway” 1 We have been having the most amazing weather and I need one. 2 I found an old pattern from Prima August 2002 in my stash. 3 Scooter Phoenix is having a Jump Suit Challenge.  I like to call mine a play suit! So here’s the pattern I used: It was an absolute doddle to put together.  I’d never made anything with an elasticated waist before and it was really easy. It turned out much better than I thought and have even been seen out and about  in public wearing it.  I made it with 1.5 m of sequinned jersey I bought from Dewsbury.  It was 150cm wide and £2/m.  The sequins are stuck on, and there’s other patterns too in bronze colours.  I thought initially it would just be good for: PEGGING THE WASHING OUT WEEDING THE GARDEN WATERING THE GARDEN But its …

Golf…… Burda Style

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Last month I bought my first ever burda style magazine and bravely set about tracing these shorts It hasn’t taken me almost a month to trace and sew the, it’s taken that long to update my blog! The tracing wasn’t too bad and I’m getting the hang of adding seam allowances.  I have one of these which really helps.  The shorts came together in no time and I love the contrasting spotty fabric. My only disappointment was that the fabric didn’t have enough body to hold the shape and they were a bit flappy when I was playing golf. They also seemed to get bunched up between my legs as I walked, but my playing partners said they still looked ok from the back and no one could tell. I think they’d look good in light weight denim or a stretch cotton sateen. I cheated a little with the waist band as I wanted to finish them quickly so I could wear them for golf. I inserted the zip but instead of adding a proper …