A Suit (of Sorts...)

Believe it or not, I'm a responsible person at work, in charge of 11 people and all of their training, payroll, issues, etc. For years, I've been able to get away with not dressing like a grown up. Skirts with a cardigan and the odd dress have been fine but recently I've been sifting through my work clothes and I think they need a bit of attention. So for this project I thought I'd break my own personal rules and make a (sorta) suit for work. 

It's a combination of patterns - for the top I used this bolero from Vogue 8721, which is fast becoming an old-standby:

I used the bolero on the bottom right

Then I used the skirt from this pattern, a 1970's does the 1940's Simplicity 6110:

I made the skirt with the pockets, but I love all the styling on this pattern - I might have to make everything!

I used some black twill that I picked up at Fabricland in Bristol. (Which by the way was great - check it out if you're ever in the Bristol area.) Not sure what it's made from, I think it's a wool and poly mix, but the weight and drape was perfect for this project.

We're currently experiencing cold but these photos were taken a few weeks ago when it was unusually warm:

It looks like a pretty simple project, and it should have been if I hadn't put my self-drafted bolero lining together wrong way round, and then stretched the right front facing out of shape. This made the jacket sit all wobbly on one side, but was fixed with a lot of unpicking and re-cutting of the lining and facing, and some sneaky piecing together.

Inside view of the bolero - you can just see a sneaky seam on the lower right of the photo where I had to piece a replacement facing together.

The curves at the front wouldn't stay 'sharp' when I ironed them; I was already hugely frustrated by this outfit, so I decided to use spray starch on them. The directions on the can says not to use it on dark fabrics, but I tested it and it seemed fine. Result - lovely front curves! (sounds a bit rude...)

What's so great about the skirt is the pockets, which are usually filled with scraps of scribbled on paper at the end of a days work:

I've been a bit slow at posting recently, so this outfit has already had a few outings at work. It's my new favourite work outfit! It sounds odd, but there's something about having a matching ensemble which makes me feel 'grown up'. Maybe suits aren't such a bad thing after all...

See you soon!

Minerva Bloggers Network - an End of Summer Ensemble

I sort of mis-timed this months Minerva project, now that the nights are drawing in and the temperatures are dropping. It's more suited to the balmy days we were experiencing here in London a few weeks ago. But weather's never stopped me from wearing what I want - if I'm in a sunshine state of mind, I'll wear the clothes to suit it, even if it's snowing outside!

So here's my End of Summer Ensemble-

The bolero is from Vogue 8721, which I used previously on this project. I love this pattern because you get 4 jackets, 2 of which I really like, 1 I'm so-so about, and the 4th I just don't get, but that's not bad going!

Version C (bottom left)

I used version C, shortening the body so it sits just above the waist. It was really quick and easy to make - no lining, just a facing on the collar and hems, and french seams to keep everything tidy:

Inside view of jacket

I especially like the sleeves and the way they puff out at the shoulder

As for the skirt, I used the By Hand London Flora, but just the skirt part with a waistband added. As seems to be the norm where Flora's are concerned, spontaneous outbreaks of twirling have been known and I'm no exception:

To keep the skirt extra flouncey, I used a deep hem of about 3"/7.5cm so that there's lots of weight at the hem. Then I added a lining with a ruffle to keep it all puffed out:

 I love the final effect of these two techniques, but they are a complete pain to complete, adding several hours to what should have been an easy project. Why am I surprised? I always seem to take the 'long way round' when I sew...

 So that's the outfit; but lets talk about this insanely brilliant fabric:

The camera doesn't do the colours justice - there are neons pink and green, vibrant blues and yellows, and everything tropical in every direction. I couldn't work out which way was up, so I went with the palm trees being upright as they seemed the most dominant motif. That meant the little surfer lost out to gravity, and he's permanently upside down. I'll just pretend he's 'wiping out' or something.

I love this fabric, not just the colours and pattern, but the weight which is just a touch heavier than quilting cotton. And even better - it's on sale! It's marked down to £4.99 on the Minerva website. Get over there and get some tropical in your life!

See you soon!

Minerva Bloggers Network - Vogue 8721 Shrug Jacket

Time for April's Minerva Project! This time inspiration comes from the shapes and techniques of Balenciaga and Givenchy in the 50's and 60's. They molded and draped fabric around the body in such a way as to completely transform the silhouette, commonly making the garment stand away from the body in round shapes. 

Givenchy coat

Balenciaga Egg coat, 1960

Balenciaga evening dress, 1960's

That's why Vogue 8721 caught my eye:

Here's my red version, made from a mid weight red twill, with a matching red lining:

This was a really interesting piece to make. It's just 2 large pieces with a seam at the centre back that then join with a horizontal seam at the front. Shaping is added with darts around the neck and at the waist.

 

Openings in the front seam work as armholes:

Arm openings with lining handstitched around edges

The whole piece has facings and a lining:

Can you see all of the understitching around the edges? What a pain!!!! Don't get me wrong - understitching is great, but this was difficult because you have to squeeze in through the arm openings. And then the lining gets caught underneath, and you have to un-pick it, and it gets REALLY frustrating. I ended up being unconventional and doing it from the wrong side.

But to counteract the annoying understitching, there are these lovely covered buttons!

Covered buttons - I'm gonna put them on everything!

This was a pretty quick and easy piece to make, so much so that I'm probably going to make a few versions for work and for summer as alternatives to the ubiquitous cardigan. Don't forget, you can get everything you need for this project at Minerva.

See you soon!