Olivia wrap dress

Hyvää päivää!

I had to start my blogpost about the Olivia wrapdress with a "hello" in finish. The Olivia wrapdress is from the cool finish pattern company Named Clothing. Named Clothing is owned by two sisters who release pattern collections a few times a year. I really like a lot of their patterns because of the modern and contempory vibe.

All right, enough fangirl raving and back to the dress!

This dress is as comfy as a pyjamas. Its made from a soft viscose knit from Stof og Stil. The dress is a fabric eater and requires 2,90m, but don't be tempted to buy cheaper stuff, because this dress is so comfy to wear, that you'll wear it again and again.

I have seen so many wrap dresses in the sewing community the last six month, but not in the shops? Sometimes the sewingworld creates it's own trends? I remember I had a wrap dress - maybe 10 years ago?. I also remember the skirt to be quite clingy and to show all the lumps and bumps I had back then. I still have the lumps and bumps - and these days I have even more than back then, but this dress is constructed with small pleats which make the sillouette on (curvy) women look more attrative. And the idea of sewing your own clothes is to get clothes that fit your body and not just the clothing companys idea of a body. Anyway, all this ranting was just to say, that I really like my wrap dress and I'm sure it will be an everyday dress I'll use a lot this winter.

The only alteration I did on this dress was to cut off 13 cm. The pattern will give you a calf length dress, but I'm not sure this is a very good dress lenght on me.

Pondering about making more wrap dresses....


Do you plan your sewing after what you see in the shops - or where do you get your inspiration?

Happy sewing


Mette

Blue silk shirtdress

Hello again sewing friends - and random family members:)

Nothing much is happening on this blog - because I've been sewing like a maniac the last few month. When it comes to choosing between sewing and blogging, sewing always win. This dress was finished at least a month ago and have had few outings.

The dress is from the Burdastyle Magazine from august 2015. I was immediately attracted to the kimonosleeves and loose tent like shirtdress appearance. Nothing beats a tent - it's easy to fit and wear - and I like the sillouette - at least with a belt..

Would you look at that fabric. I bought in a shop on Montmartre in Paris this summer. It's a 100% lightweight silk with a large paisley pattern.

Construction wise the dress was fun to sew. I like sewing the collar and all the nitty bits in a shirtdress. The hidden button placket took me a while to figure out - because Burda! No clear instructions. It came together in the end and I'm happy with the result.

This pattern is a plussize pattern size 44. Since I'm a 40-42 and I didn't size down it's a bit more oversized than the pattern suggests. I added an extra hidden button above the button placket to spare colleagues a boobflash at meetings - I'm nice that way:)

I didn't change the shoulders since this is a kimonoshape and since I wouldn't know how to alter the collar to a smaller size. Lengthwise I cut of my usual 10-12 cm. This is a common alteration for me, since I'm a shorty (and chubby).

Sorry about the blurry photo of my backside - my photographer needs a course, but he doesn't seem that interested in developing his skills...

Even though this lightweight silk isn't very suitable for the danish fall and winter, I think I'll use it anyway with tights, boots and a cardi.

I have a long backlog of unblogged garments so stay tuned for the next few weeks - esp. if you are into blurry photos:)

I hope your fall sewing is coming along as well. I'm still quite excited about my plans for fall sewing and have completed quite a few items from my list (- and quite a few not on my list too).

Happy sewing

Mette

Oh Coco! - classic jacket for fall

The Coco jacket from Schnittchen Patterns is the first item to get ticked off my fall sewing list. - I still feel all organized following my plan. Lets see how long it will last before I start a new sewing project on a whim...

From the Schnittchen Patterns website:
Coco convinces through its plain cut, rounded corners and 3⁄4 length sleeves. It is fully lined.


I can confirm that the Coco convinces me. I love this jacket. I rarely feel that about a new item, but this is one of those rare moments when colour, pattern and fabric choice just make everything so worth it.

I made a few changes to the pattern. First of all I added snaps - I even bought one of those tools to set them in. I think the snaps give a classic jacket a more modern edge. Then I added four selfdrafted pockets in two different sizes to keep a classic vibe.

This is my first time working with bouclé. It's a tricky fabric where the fraying was almost driving me nuts. I made sure to cut a 3 cm seamallowance and then I did a zig zag stich on all patternpiecec to prevent fraying. I used interfacing on the bouclé where I set in the snaps and on the facings. I also made a back stay on the top of the backpieces to prevent the jacket from stretching out. As a final touch I like to use piping in the seam between facings and lining. The pattern is well drafted and came together easily. I can really recommend this pattern as a go to pattern for a classic jacket.

I know my method of treating the bouclé is not the couture quilting method. I'm hoping this Coco jacket will give me the last bit of courage to finally tackling the black chanel fabric I bought to make "the real deal" with all the couture methods.

How is your fall sewing coming along? Next on my list is a silk shirt dress - have you got any tips for sewing with silk?


Happy sewing.

Mette


Pattern: Coco jacket from Schnittchen
Fabric: cotton bouclé from Paris - I can't remember the name of the fabric shop.

Faux wrap skirt with zipper

For a long time I have avoided using patterns from the traditional pattern companies. The frontpage of the patterns always putted me off - usually the fabric choice and colours were ugly. I don´t know if its due to my older age or because I'm getting more confident in my sewing, but I find myself buying a lot more patterns from traditional pattern companies now a days instead of pdf patterns from indie designers. I still love the more modern design from the indie designers - and some of them are very good - but the fit is not always as worked through as the traditional pattern companies. Well, my solution when buying patterns from the traditional pattern designers is to look strictly on the line drawings - this way I don't get distracted by the horrible fabric choice..

Jeg har i lang tid undgået at købe mønstre fra de traditionelle mønsterfirmaer. Jeg synes oftest, de havde kiksede forsider, hvor modellerne var syet op i virkelig grimt stof. Min manglende fantasi gjorde, at jeg ikke kunne se, at designet kunne være rigtig fint i andre typer stof. På det seneste har jeg dog købt flere mønstre fra især Simplicity og New Look, som jeg er virkelig glad for. Tit er mønstrene mere gennemarbejdede og jeg synes at rygtet om de dårlige syvejledninger er lidt overdrevne. Syvejledningerne fra Onion og Stof2000 er oftest værre end Simplicitys. Man skal dog være indstillet på at syvejledningerne er på engelsk eller spansk. Jeg elsker stadig pdf mønstrene fra indiedesignerne. Pga. den hurtigere produktionshastighed kan man ofte her finde de mere "trendy" mønstre - og mange er virkelig gode, men jeg er også stødt på en del, hvor tilpasninger kunne være bedre. For at gøre en lang historie kort, vil jeg bare opfordre til ikke at afvise et godt mønster pga. en kedelig forside - det kan være her guldet er gemt.

This skirt is made using Simplicity 1322. The pattern let you choose between 4 varieties of faux wrapskirts. Each featuring diffenrent skirtlength and details. I chose view B but with the length of view C. Maybe I should have made it a bit longer.. The pattern pieces come together easily - especially if you remember to mark all the notches.. The skirt has a zipper on the front, but you use the lapped zipper in the back to get in and out of the skirt. The pattern has an illustrated guide to make the lapped zipper. I don't know if it was luck or the good guide, but this lapped zipper is best I've made so far. You'll have to trust me on this one since I forgot to take pictures of the back.

Jeg har brugt Simplicity 1322 til denne nederdel og jeg kan ikke skjule min begejstring (jo måske nok på billederne, hvor jeg ser lidt sur ud..). Jeg synes modellen er superfin og ser ud af meget, selvom den ikke var svær at sy. Mønstret har 4 forskellige modeller at vælge imellem - alle med slå-om-effekt. Jeg valgte view B med en synlig lynlås som pynt, men valgte at bruge længden fra view C. Nu er nederdelen måske blevet en smule for kort, men det går nok. Nederdelen var nem og rimelig hurtig at sy. Den har en "lapped zipper" bagpå - er der nogen, der ved hvad det hedder på dansk? Mønstret har en tegning, der viser hvordan man gør og min blev faktisk overraskende god. Det ser ret professionelt ud, når man ikke kan se lynlåsen synes jeg.

The pictures above show a skirt with a lot of wrinkles, since I wore it to work before the pictures were taken. The fabric feels great to touch - the brushed cotton twill has a really soft surface. In retrospect I should have hunted down a cotton twill a bit more sturdy since this is a bit to thin to my liking. I know I will wear this skirt tons anyway since it goes with everything in my monochrome wardrobe. By the way - look at that t-shirt. I think it's so cool! It says "Do the robot!". The t-shirt is from the danish environmentally friendly designers from The Baand. Please go check them out - you can't sew prints like that anyway.

How is your fall sewing coming along? Have you planned anything exciting?

Jeg tog billederne efter jeg kom hjem fra arbejde, så nederdelen er lidt (meget) krøllet efter at have siddet ned en hel dag. Jeg har brugt børstet twill, som jeg har købt i Stoff og Stil til nederdelen. Stoffet har en rigtig blød overflade, men jeg kunne godt have ønsket, at det var i en lidt kraftigere kvalitet. Når jeg syer en ny udgave, vil jeg vælge en kraftigere kvalitet og måske prøve med en linning af læder - eller måske faux læder, så den kan gå i vaskemaskinen. Jeg vil også lige benytte lejligheden til at gøre lidt (usponsoreret) reklame for min T-shirt. Den er fra The Baand - den er lavet af miljøvenligt materiale og af mennesker, der får en ordentlig løn. Det kan jeg lide - og jeg kan heldigvis også lide designet.

Hvordan går det med din efterårssyning? Har du noget spændende planlagt?


Fabric: Brushed cotton twill from StoffogStil
Pattern: Simplicity 1322

Happy sewing

Mette

Skirt with multiple zippers

En ny favorit er syet - comfy nederdel i jersey og en overflod af lynlåse. Denne nye favorit fik virkelig trænet min lynlåsteknik, da der skulle indsættes hele 4 lynlåse. Det er min hidtidige rekord i ét stykke tøj!

I have made a new favorit skirt for fall. The skirt is made in comfy jersey and A LOT of zippers. This skirt really made me practice my skills in zippers. The skirt required 4 zippers - my new record in one piece of clothing!

Nederdelen er består af 4 dele til forstykket og 4 dele til bagstykket. Denne konstruktion gør det unødvendigt med indsnit. I sammensyningerne på forstykket er der indsat to lommelynlåse og en midterlynlås, som ikke er funktionel, der der også er foer i nederdelen. For at komme i nederdelen, er der derfor også syet en usynlig lynlås bagpå. En sand lynlåsfest!

Constructionwise the skirt is made of 4 patternpieces for the front AND the back. This Little trick makes darts unnecessary. If you are afraid of darts this skirt is a good choice. The front has to small zippers for the pockets and one in the center purely for decoration. To actually wear the skirt you use the invisible zipper in the back. It´s truly a zipper galore!

Nederdelen er en enkel hverdagsnederdel syet i quiltet jersey og med stræksatinfoer. Den er behagelig at have på og den neutrale farve passer til det meste.

The skirt is a simple wearable style made in quiltet jersey and has a stretchsatin lining. It´s really comfy and I like a neutral colour.

Har du en plan for din efterårssyning? Jeg tænker på at sy jakke og frakke - og måske en colourblocked kjole.. Planer er der nok af - så må jeg se hvor meget, der bliver tid til.

What are your sewing plans for fall? I'm still thinking about coats and jackets - and maybe a colourblocked dress..


Fabric: purchased locally at Citystoffer
Pattern: Burda 8/2014 # 139

Happy sewing

Mette

Raglan - sewing for fall

Jeg er godt igang med at sy efterårs- og vintertøjet. Disse to sweatshirts var hurtigt syede. Mønstret til begge er Onion 20047, som jeg har anvendt en del gange efterhånden. Min datters sweatshirt er jaquardvævet stjernestof fra Stofdepotet.

I'm making progress on my to-do list for fall. These two sweatshirts didn't take long to make. I used the pattern Onion 20047 for both of them. I have used this pattern several times and I think it has a good fit. My daugthers sweatshirt is made from jaquard jersey from Stofdepotet.

Min søns udgave er quiltet jersey fra restekassen i Stof og Stil. Jeg er ikke imponeret over kvaliteten efter vask, men man kan dårligt brokke sig når prisen er 30 kr.. Halskanten er ikke helt vellykket, men stoffet er så blødt, at min søn tilgiver alle fejl og glad tager den på. Hvis jeg skulle sy denne igen, ville jeg gøre halskanten lidt mindre. Det er virker ikke helt godt, at halskanten er så vid, når det er en varm trøje.

My sons sweatshirt is made from quilted jersey purchased locally from the remnants bin from Stof og Stil. However, I'm not impressed with the quality of this fabric after washing it. I'ts difficult to complain though when the fabric was this cheap. My son is happy enough as long as the sweatshirt is soft and cuddly. I'm not quite happy about my work with the neckline on this either. It's a bit too loose..

Er du gået igang med at sy efterårstøj?

Have you started sewing for fall?

Pattern: Onion 20047
Fabric: stars: Stofdepotet, Quilted jersey: Stof og Stil

Happy sewing

Mette

Dress for fall

Striber! Jeg bliver snart nødt til at finde et andet yndlingsprint - men det virker bare altid! Denne kjole er til den kølige tid, vi går i møde og passer glimrende ind i det tema, jeg snart har kørt længe. Jeg tror aldrig, jeg bliver træt af de klassiske blå-hvide striber. Disse striber er superbløde og købt hos Stofdepotet.

I love stripes! I am a repeating stripe-offender and I can't stop. I don't think I'll ever get sick of stripes. Especially this nautical blue and white version.

Mønstret er endnu en variation over Skater Dress mønstret til piger.. Ja, jeg ved det. Jeg bør snart forny mig lidt, men det virker! og man kan sy en kjole på 2 timer! Jeg vil ikke komme med flere undskyldninger, men vil istedet ønske, at jeg også havde en i min størrelse.

I used the Skater Dress pattern (again!) - I know - I really should use another pattern soon, but I know this one works and you can make a dress in 2 hours. I can't argue with that. Instead I would wish I had enough fabric to make one for myself..

Jeg har syet Skater mønstret utallige gange. Denne gang har jeg igen kun brugt overdelen og tilsat hjemmelavet underdel bestående af to rynkede rektangler. Nemmere bliver det ikke. Kjolen falder lidt tungere end de sommerudgaver, jeg har syet i let viscosejersey. Denne jersey er en tungere bomuldsjersey, som er lidt grovere at rynke, men jeg er sikker på, at den bliver fin til efteråret med strømpebukser og støvler til.

This fabric is from my favorite on-line store Stofdepotet. The fabric is a supersoft cotton jersey fabric. I think the dress looks quite different to the skaterdresses I made this summer from superthin viscose knit fabric. I'm sure this dress will get lots of wear in the fall with tights and boots.

Pattern: Skater Dress from Kitchy Coo
Fabric: Stofdepotet

Happy sewing

Mette