A cute sailor's outfit

Sock season is over!! Youhou!

You know that I come from Brittany, and there, stripes are a must, it's always in fashion and everybody wears them. It's why last year I bought a bunch of stripy jersey at the Stoffmarkt Holland market.

 

I wanted some stripy shorts for some time, it seemed a good idea: it's cute, comfortable, perfect for summer.

Stripy shorts

I made the pattern last summer during the only warm days we had here! It is now one of my basics, it's the third short I've made from that pattern. 

It seems that this year I spent all of my sewing time matching stripes or plaid!

The pattern has just two pieces: front and back, it is just folded at the waist, hiding an elastic and stitched with a zigzag stitch. 

I used to not want to use zigzag, because it's not a very clean stitch. You can see it, it's not hidden. But I have decided to stop being silly and I have used it and I like it ! Because it works! It's just like my obsession with no darts, come on Kate, be smart!

I added a cute bow at the front because I couldn't distinguish the front from the back! Now it just needs a small pocket, I might add it inside.

boxy top

I love the top, it has that clean elegant look that I like, plus it's white. I love white for summer. The shape is a little boxy, plenty of room for the tummy. It's a nice balance to the little shorts.

 I bought the fabric in Rennes at TOTO soldes last year I think. In French we call it "nid d'abeille". It's structured and olds itself very well.

I added a military detail at the shoulders, although after checking on the website of the French marine military it seems that this kind of detail does not exist in their actual wardrobe... Maybe it's just in my head.

Anyway I like it, I even congratulate myself for this good idea :-)

The buttons are from my stash, I chose them big so that they would make a statement. The statement being: "I like gold and shinny buttons".

Thumbs up for spring! I have so many ideas, but I try to stay focused and to make only clothes that I "need". Yeah, let's be real, I already have a lot of clothes. But what can I say, I love designing clothes, making them and wearing them, I just can't get enough of it! 

Sewing rocks!

cheers

one pattern, 3 pants

This month I attended a baptism in London. My idea was to make a pair of pants for the event, knowing that the weather could be cold, maybe too cold to wear a dress. I really don't like being cold!

This is what I made. The fabric is a wool bouclette. At first I thought I would make a coat out of it. But, hey, I can change my mind no? It is really soft, I mean it feels like I am in my pyjamas, elegant pyjamas!

Maybe I should have stuck to my first idea because the fabric is a bit heavy. I have worn it a few time already, but not an entire day's work. Will see if it holds itself  when I 'll go back to work.

Contrary to normal I reused a pattern. I almost never do that.

Excuse the poor quality of the pictures, I took them in a hurry for the blog. Those pants are my favourite. The colour is really bold, a very nice green, and the fabric doesn't winkle or poach at the knees. They are sailor's pants.

sailor's pants

Hum, sailor's pants, it could be the subject of another post. But today I am talking about my beige pants, stay focused Kate!

 

As you can see I changed the front of the pants. No more sailing stuff, just a plain front with no darts (I know I said I would stop this non sense, and I have! I just made the pants before this life changing decision).

Instead I opted for pockets.

In my mind, I was making Chanel pants. The fabric, the colour. I screamed Chanel to me.

There are four pockets. The ones on the front are bigger then those on the back. I had problems figuring out the size of the front pockets. And the placement was not easy either.

I fixed them by hand. I didn't want any top stitching.  These are not sportswear.

Ha, the buttons. Gold seamed to be a good idea. But what golden buttons? I made a first selection from my personal collection :-)

I finally picked some elegant black and gold buttons. I think they are maybe a tiny bit small. I might try and find them in a bigger size this summer. The shop where I buy them has really a huge stock, I might be lucky!

After trying them on, I decided I needed a lining. I know, bad idea to decide that after finishing the last details... But I think it is quite compulsory with this kind of fabric. The weaving is so loose, I am sure that after only one hour of wearing them, the pants would have looked terrible.

And the lining is so comfortable, I smile of pleasure each time I put on the pants, it's divine!!

I added some bias to fancy up the inside. The bias is hand sewed to the waist band on the side where you can see it. Same for the hem.

bias at the hem

This is what I really like about home sewing. I can make myself fancy outfits I would never be able to buy, or maybe just one every once in a while. But never enough to make an entire wardrobe.

And also, I don't know if you have this problem, but in Brittany the weather can be cold in Winter, and our Summers are not the most warm either. But it is really hard to find wool clothes, or pants with a lining at moderate prices. It is sometimes hard to find sweater with sleeves, I am not kidding !

Here in Germany you can buy all sorts of gear for winter. I have to say it's really nice, but I am not staying in Germany, so a round of applause for home sewing and the ability to make clothes that fits us and the weather we leave in!

The pants were fast to make, just long straight seams. But I didn't wear them to the baptism.

Why? They look so good!

Instead I chose to wear my purple dress. Just because.

I thought it would be better for the trip to have pants who resist a long day of walking and who can be worn with flat shoes. Witch is not the case of my beige pants. The hem is for high hells.

That's all there is to say I think. I might call them my Chanel pants. They may not be worn again before Autumn, it seems that spring is already here this year. No complaints from me.

I have two winter related outfits to show you and I am of to spring sewing! Glorious dresses! I can't wait for it !

Do I look like a minstrel?

Bonjour tout le monde !

I am finally back from my trips and back to the sewing machine. I have managed to make a few things during the few days I spent at home but some computer problems and my %&!§$ camera prevented me from posting earlier.

Hopefully the weather and the camera finally agreed to let me have a paparazzi session. Here is the result:

houndstooth cape (not easy to say for a french!)

A cape! I made a cape, I love it, it's so chic. The model is from Burda Style 08/2013 n°122. It's made of wool and lined with black polyester. It's really warm.

Of course I couldn't just follow the pattern as it was, and also I didn't have enough fabric... It's not my fault, you know that I buy fabric in bulk and sometimes I just don't have enough to make what I want because I changed my plans.

Anyway, this case the cape demanded for A LOT of fabric: more than 4 meters. I never buy that much, in fact, I usually buy less than two meters. So it was really a miracle that I purchased three meters of wool.

Ok , so, I had three meters :-), but at the same time the original design was a bit too long for my taste. I shortened  it and omitted the pleats at the back (because I thought they were vents hum hum).

And there you go: enough fabric!!

Fun fact: do you know that houndstooth is said "pied de coq" in French? It means rooster's feet !! What do you think, is it more chicken or dog? Or did the "fabric namers" had a bit too much to drink?

Look at all this light, isn't it better like that Germany? No more Grey skies!

I maybe shouldn't have shortened it that much, maybe a bit longer, at a miniskirt level would have been more chic. What do you think?

 

Here is a view from the back. Oh, I forget, I added a ribbon on the seams, the houndstooth made the cape look too, I don't know, my husband said it hurt his eyes... So I added some black ribbon from my stash with my machine (no hand stitching, no way), and I think is works really good.

I mean, what's the point of having weird rectangular seams if no one can see them, right?

And for your eyes only, the inside:

The construction is rather simple, no back stay, no tailoring technique. Just some interfacing for... the facings, to give some structure. And a rectangle of fabric to  close the "hand passage".

And the final touch: the buttons from Groix! Oddly enough I think they the cape look more modern, and rich. Rich is good no?

How beautiful are they? I am so pleased I have finally the opportunity to use them. I bought them thinking (no, no, no screaming in the shop) MY PRECIOUS!!!! It's gold, shinny, inexpensive, rare, what can I say, it was love at first sight.

But I don't think I can use them for something other than a coat. I don't even know if they would work for a jacket, maybe if I don't wear a coat above it, hum something to think about... And you know what the good news is? I still have some left!

That's all for today, I still have a lot of things to show, if my camera is up for it.

Au revoir.

buttons, buttons!

 

Hi everyone!

I said in my previous post that I would talk to you about making swimsuits, BUT IT'S FREAKING COLD OUT HERE!!!

I just cannot bring myself to making a new one or photographing the ones I made this summer. Winter is coming friends, and in Kaiserslautern it seems like it's already here...

So I decided that instead I would make a quick post about the new mission I am invested in: building my stash!!!

I am soooooo into this new occupation. But hey don't judge me, I am just copying what others do! And also, I need it.

After Caroline wrote about hers, I knew that I needed to create my own. I mean, if you don't leave next to your fabric shop like I did (sight...), it means you have to buy in bulks, fabric, notions, everything, if you don't want to waste your precious sewing time going out for a stupid zipper or buttons!

This is why I begun buying buttons, lots of them.

I am super lucky to spend my holidays in the small island of Groix, witch beside being beautiful has an haberdashery. And this is really super lucky because the Island is just 4km X 8!

It's called la petite fabrique, they sell clothes that they make, AND most important, they have an important collection of vintage buttons, zippers, elastics, and more that I am not even aware of, because there are things everywhere in this shop. I love it!

 This is what I bought last year.

 I also have them in navy!

 pearls I used is this project and in this one too.

Aren't those bicycles splendides?

 Soo beautiful no?

They are so beautiful and shiny! This is why I couldn't leave the island this summer without buying some new one. Because they are vintage, if I don't buy them and someone else does, then they are gone forever. See, I HAVE to buy them.

This year selection is more varied, I tried to pick out colours I like and use. It's not easy to select the buttons before the fabric. But I had no other choice.

I knew I would certainely want to make shirts or blouses. This is why I picked some small ones. And the big ones are for a coat I will try to make, and because, well, they're just soooo nice!!

More eye candy?

 Look at that! And did I tell you they are not expensive????

Cheers everybody, and buy button, lots of them, it's good for you!!