Mind your eyes, I give you the stripy ensemble!

  

Oulàlà! My fabric just doesn't photograph well! Warning, this post might hurt your eyes!

So let's make it quick. Rapid reminder of the weather here: HOT!!! It's a bathing suit only kind of weather, but I managed to jump into a few of the things I have made lately and cornered my husband into taking pictures, the things that blog makes me do...

 As usual I bought the fabric at TOTO soldes, it was a coupon, 3 meters for 15 euros I think, I can never resist those. It's a light cotton, I think it's good for shirt making, so of course I made shorts with it.

 

The pattern of the shorts is the same as usual, except that I changed the shape of the pockets, can you see that they are not Italian for once?

I top stitched the pockets for a more casual look. 

 Patched pockets.

I had fun trying for the first time flat seams. I don't know why I didn't do that before. Maybe because it's not traditional to women's attire. But luckily we can wear almost anything that we want now, and men's wardrobe is a part of women's repertoire. So here we go for a quick explanation on how to realise flat seams. 

Start like you normally would: stitching right sides together. Then trim one of seam allowance. Fold the other side over, so that it will hide the trimmed one. And stitch on the edge of the fold. That's all! The finish is really clean. The picture on the left is the inside and on the right the outside. 

It's perfect for light, non transparent fabrics. Don't you find sometimes that even if your machine does a nice zigzag or other finishing stitches it doesn't look good, it's too bulky.

I'm happy I finally tried this technique. I am totally using my sabbatical years in the best way!

 The top has interesting sleeves. They are kimono like, minus the insert under the arm. I have to say that part didn't go as well as the flat seams.

It's a bit too narrow. The principal is simple: prolong the shoulder line, and lower the underarm 5 cm under it's normal place. 

I think I made a mistake by trying to have fabric under my arm. 

Let me explain, in the picture below the sleeve is short on the shoulder and nonexistent under the arm. This should have been my design.

Or I should have lowered more the beginning of the underarm seam.

The top is still wearable though, it's just not a good outfit if I plan on lifting things above my head!

 Waouh!! Those stripes hurt!!

I feel this ensemble goes in the the same category that of my crazy ensemble of last year. I really have no idea why I chose to make a top and short in the same fabric. It's feels a bit bold to me. And elegant as well, is it just in my head? Maybe. 

Anyway, I learnt two new things making it, so it's a win. 

I love so much making things for summer, and being able to wear them! 

Look at where I worked yesterday:

Isn't it the most beautiful office? The weather is so nice I just can't stay inside cutting an sewing. It even inspired me to make a new bikini. Pictures will come when I can wear it at the beach.

Cheers!

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

vive les couleurs !

 Bonjour tout le monde,

in the spirit of my new year's sewing resolution, I made yet again another top. But this one is not purple! 

The colour is a bit bold isn't it? Looking at it on picture, I realise I colour-blocked it! How did this not occurred to me while doing it?? My my, I don't know if I should ever go back to work with this empty head of mine.

Anyway, I think I took the idea of the colour back in November when I window shopped for ideas, but I really don't remember where. Any idea anyone?

What I know, is that I got inspired by a blouse worn by Shirley in Community:

It's beautiful no? At first I wanted to have some gold as well, but after trying it on the mannequin I decided it would look completely costumy, princess of space costumy even :-)

It's so awful it makes me laugh!
Side note, I really want to do something with this lamé but it seems to have a very vulgar vibe...

Here is my pattern, minus the collar who is just a very simple officer collar, do you say that in English? The correct term in French is: col officier.

I think it differs from a Mao collar just by the round form of the tip.

I decided to make the side and middle back seams with a French seam. Witch turned out nice, but caused a problem when I realised I had to give in a little space. 

See the line at the arm's seam? It's taring because I was trying to change the shape of my arm hole and removed to much cm in the back. 

On the good side, this top allowed me (trough my mistakes), to correct my basic pattern. I think that I finally have the perfect sleeve and arm hole!! This is a big deal for me, I have struggled with those problems for a long time.

The fabric is so soft, in France we call it "peau de pêche", literally peach skin, is it the same in English?

I have noticed on TV that the dart on this sort of top are usually placed more to the side, mine just go trough the bust point. It's how my book says to make them, I suppose it is a bit old fashioned. As is my book probably, it talks about sheath!

I made the pants two years ago with a nice stretch wool, I wish I could find the same fabric in other colours, it is so perfect for making and wearing warm slim pants.

I was really not in a smiling mood that day, my excuse is that it was only 7 degrees outside. But hey, I don't complain, it's warm enough that I can pose outside. Usually the weather is much colder in Germany at this time of the year, but with all the storms coming from the Atlantic, no need of my fur hat this year!

 

Oh, look! Is it Spring I see coming? 

Noooo, my dear husband reminded me that in Germany it can snow until April! April?? Are you crazy? I don't have enough fabric to keep on making winter outfits, and you know what? I don't want to!!

But I know I have to listen to reason, and make clothes according to the weather.

I think I might even make a coat, that idea really pleases me. And it might not even be purpule (or maybe just a bit:-))!

A bientôt !

DIY: a fake bow

Bonjour tout le monde !

Today I have decided to share with you a little tutorial on how to add a cute bow to your garment.

I have a trip planned ahead, and of course I need new clothes. I had a nice stretch wool in my stash and some viscose. Those fabrics are comfortable and make a nice ensemble for a diner out after a day visiting.

    

Actually the pants are a copy of an old favourite from ZARA. I was able to find almost the same fabric, but in another colour of course!

For the pictures I wore heels, but until I get back to work I will wear my pants with flats more probably, it's why the pants appear a bit too short in the pictures. Didn't realise that before...

Man, the weather was really crappy for taking pictures, sorry!

Let's get to the bow now:

This is a nice feature, romantic and most important: it's fun to make!

I also made bows on my sleeves, so cute!

See why I call them fake bows? It's technically a dart.

As usual you need to take your basic pattern.

For my top I decided to move the bust dart to the side. For that, trace on your pattern the new bust dart (in red). Close the "old" dart  by folding the line on top of one another and pin them in place.

Then slash the new dart.

Draw your bow, slash those darts open. Then the tricky part: you have to decide the depf of your darts, mine are 4 cm wide. It's just a question of taste, there is no way of knowing how many centimetres you need. You can play around with you fabric to estimate the final look of you bow.

When you have decided of the size of your darts take a piece of paper to tape under to maintain your darts in position, like below.

 

This is my final paper pattern. I used a ruler to  show you that your center front should be placed en the fold. Mark precisely your darts and then stitch the sort of V created buy the creation of your darts. Do you follow?

Then to create the illusion of a bow, take a small piece of fabric that you have prepared before ( fold it in 2, stitch the big side, turn it around). Then place it in the crease of one of the darts (above). Fold your dart, stitch it (blue line). Repeat on your second dart.

 

 Then you should stitch buy and on three centimetres your darts so that you bust dart isn’t too low. It happened to me, I was quite surprised because I thought my pattern was perfect.

 

There you go, you should have a nice and fake bow!!

Picture of the inside because I know you love it, I know I do.

 I used self made bias to finish the collar and sleeves. Stitched the first side with my machine and the second by hand so that it would be invisible.

The rest of the seams are French seams because the fabric is rather light, and I find it give a nice finish.

Oh and look, it even goes with my Chanel jacket that I made a few months ago, isn't it perfect? what you don't see my top, well yeah! It's the point, it goes perfectly with it's neck line.

This is what is really cool when you are drawn to certain colour, you find yourself having a real wardrobe with pieces that go well together (or a least I hope they go well together :-)).

That's all for today. See you in few weeks, when I get back from my trip.

Cheers!

Flower madness

What is wrong with the weather? Seriously?

Let me explain. For weeks I complained that the sun wouldn't show, hence I couldn't wear my beautiful dresses or trot around in shorts. Then the sun came and it was so warm outside that it was impossible to walk in the street because of the heat, let alone wear a dress.

And now it's cold again... I will complain to Germany's tourism office!

You can easily understand that if it's difficult to know what to wear, it's even more difficult to know what to sew. Gives me a headache. So, last week, while I was liquefying myself in the hot weather coming from the Sahara. Yes, you read right and during winter we have winds coming from Siberia :-), I made a crazy ensemble.

Inspiration came from Giorgio Armani:

And Tara Jarmon:

I wanted to have a super fashionable ensemble, that I could wear as well in the city as at the beach. Shorts are a basic in my summer wardrobe, I wear them more than dresses because I have very long holidays and walk and ride a lot during those, so I need something comfortable and breezy.

Here is what I came up with:

Look, flowers!

Pretty bold no? It's made with a light cotton print I bought before leaving France, 6 Euros for 1,50 cl, not bad hey? Pattern self drafted of course. I complained in this post that I had difficulties making simple shorts that fit well with the perfect length. Well this is it, I finally managed to make them!! I am so happy, love shorts! A round of applause for me!!

 

I made some fancy velted pockets. Two real at the front, and two fake at the back:

front

back

I had to scramble a little to find how to make the front pocket's "bag". This is how I made it, basically just by playing with my lining. It turned out fine, and it didn't take too much time to make.

 See, on the first picture, I placed my lining above the opening, pined it and cut the fabric around. Just living enough to stitch them together. Then I put my second piece of lining and a piece of my flower fabric just where to pocket opens, stitched and voilà:

 

I didn't bother to make real pockets for the back, it's just for show:

From Giorgio Armani, I took the idea of the "goutte d'eau" opening. It's a nice detail, and it was not hard to do, it just needs a good press to lay flat on the torso. Maybe I could have made it bigger. But I don't like to touch the shape of a garment when it's already stitched, if it fits right, I just follow my pattern, point.

Made some self bias for the neck line, love it, It's clean and very practical. I could have used it for the opening but I don't like to put too much stuff on my pieces so instead I used facings:

 

And I stitched by hand around the opening, basting the facings inside only.

The top is closed by a lovely vintage button that I used in this previous garment.

 

And the shorts are closed with buttons because although I bought a bunch of zippers last time I went to the city, I didn't have one with the right color or length, and because I'm crazy lazy, I just did with what I had, which is buttons...

 

I would have never wear such a crazy ensemble a few years ago, but prints are growing on me, clearly. I think it's super fashionable and totally appropriate for my way of live now. Just not for the weather, on the pictures it's already more than 25°c (77°f) and it's not ten o'clock yet.

My only concern now is the weather. Maybe I should make myself a rain coat and some long sleeved T-shirts. It seems more appropriate for the kind of weather we are currently experiencing. Sad, I just want to make bathing suits and dresses and more shorts and cute tops. This is why a women's got a have an extensive wardrobe! Because you never know what kind of weather you're going to have and clearly, I am not going to wear plaid in June, even if it's cold!!

I also made a pair of white ones, just because. I am now making a super bright top to go with the shorts, and I plan on making bikinis! BIKINIS!!! Give me some sun!! Lots of it !!

Cheers everyone.