Milly culottes

It has been already about a month since my last post, I made a lot. I just have not had the time te make photos. You can expect a lot of spring clothes coming up on the blog in the next few weeks. One of them I even started during winter break. 

But the first one to show you all are these cullotes.

I know culottes are supposed to be trendy, but I still had my doubts. I used to wear them as a child when they where just called pant-skirts or skirt-trousers, and I wasn't sure how flattering they would be. The Milly trousers are rather long, a not very flattering length on most people.

But I made them anyway! They just look great in the magazine and I wanted to sew something else, not a dress for once. I wanted to learn how to sew trousers and thought these would be great to begin with. They are trousers but because the fit is so lose getting them to fit properly is not as difficult as 'proper' trousers. I made a size 38 based on my measurements but they ended up way to big. I took them in by 8 cm in total at the waist! The reason for this was probably a combination of a slight stretch in my fabric and the pattern calls for elastic in the back waist band. I didn't feel like elastic, I mean, If I'm going to make my own clothes I can just as well make them fit nicely without. I interfaced the waistband pieces and attached it in the same way as instructed but without the elastic.

With the length as it was designed they cut my calves in half and it was not flattering at all. I got my mum to pin them at different lengths while I stood on the table. The best length for me was just below the knee. It was long enough to make them look like a skirt but short enough to be flattering. 

I have no idea what kind of fabric it is, it is heavy, flowy and doesn't crease at all. It is a woven fabric but it has a bit of give to it. That also means that it doesn't press well. It wasn't a problem with the construction of the pants, the pleats and so. But It was horrible for the waistband. The end result looks nice but not as crisp as they could have been. 

The weather has been way to cold to wear them yet. But I look forward to wearing them. I just don't know which shoes to wear with them. I like the high heels but they are not very practical. What do you think? 

Bea dress in black and white wool

Because I like to wear my harlequin dress so much I realised that I needed more casual dresses. I didn't want to use the same pattern again. For once I did buy enough fabric so I needed to take advantage of that. The fabric comes form the fabric sales in Rotselaar. You still can buy it online here. The fabric is absolutely gorgeous, so soft and warm and not itchy at all. I find most wool fabrics much to itchy to wear on my skin but this one is just fine. 

I made the bea dress form La maison victor, it is a casual fit designed to be made up in wool. For once I did as I was told. Only I was supposed to line the dress and I didn't. The wool was just so soft that I didn't feel like doing that. It is supposed to be a casual dress anyway. It was described as casual and oversized. I'm always a bit weary when I see the word oversized, I like the style but I often feel that they are way to big form my figure. I started by making the size 34 instead of my usual size 36. I also lengthened the dress with 8 cm. I had the feeling that the dress would be rather short on me, I'm 1m70. Those 8cm are just right for me. 

I love that the side seam of the dress is not at the side but slightly more to the front of the dress. And it has pockets, also a bonus in a casual dress. They are set in the side seams but because they are more to the front of the dress, they are very practical. I also like the wide sleeves. It does make the dress look a bit more shapeless. The look of the dress really relies on your posture, just look at the difference between the first and second foto. 

But because I didn't line the dress it does stick to my tights, and doesn't slide over my bum. Lesson learned I guess the lining must have been there for a reason. I'm going to solve this problem by making a slip dress to wear underneath. I have seen so many lovely vintage slips on pinterest. I guess they are just one of those things that we don't wear any more these days. 

The third version of the Lora dress

My third version of the Lora dress after the little black dress and the party dress here comes the cosy and warm wool version. It is the third one so I don't have a lot to say about the construction. I didn't add pockets because the fabric is rather stiff and because the dress is so fitted I never put anything in them anyway. 

The fabric is from the fabric sales in Rotselaar I went with my aunt, cousin and grandmother. I had never been before, but it was definitely worth it, al lot of gorgeous designer fabrics, mostly wool. Perfect because I need a lot more warm clothes, it is so cold at work. I loved the grey in to blue fadeout. My cousin and I both liked it so we bought 3.5 meters. For the two dresses. 

My cousin and I liked a lot of the same fabric. And we also like the same patterns... so we are going to have identical dresses! My grandmother and aunt used to sew identical clothes for my cousin, sister and me when we where little.  She tried on my Christmas party dress, and we concluded that we are the same size but because she is shorter then I am the bodice and skirt needed to be shortened. No need to trace the pattern in a different size for her! My aunt bribed me in to cutting out her dress as well. Who can say no to free fabric? 

What I learned by making this dress is how much of a difference fabric can make. I used the exact same pattern in the exact same size. But somehow  this dress is a lot smaller than my other dresses. I can get it on... but hardly move in it. It is just to constructing in the shoulder area ( you can see how tight it is in the last photograph). So that is to bad because I really love how it looks. I wore it once to the new years reception at work but I know that I will probably not wear it again. 

Harlequin dress

Okay today I have got for you the easiest dress that I have ever made. It all started with too little fabric... sounds familiar doesn't it. I bought a coupon of a meter of a very nice wool blend, in dark purple and navy, my two favourite colours. I again had the intention to make a skirt, again. But my grandmother told me that the fabric was woven to loosely to be suitable for a skirt. 

So I used the Harlequin pattern from La Maison Victor, the only dress that you can make with just one meter of fabric. It is the ideal dress pattern for beginners. You have to stitch the sides, the shoulders , add facing to the neckline and sleeves and hem it. They also have an explanation of how to attach bais binding, you have the option depending on your fabric choice. I finished it in a few hours, so it was brilliant. 

To be honest I didn't tink I was going to wear this dress at all, let alone blog about it. It just looks so shapeless on the hanger. But I have worn it a lot, whenever I don't know what to wear I just pick this dress. And that is always a pleasant surprise! The colours go well with nearly all of my clothes and it looks and fits so easy and relaxed. I love the  kimono sleeves, it makes the silhouette a bit more interesting. 

dress for the festive season: not black but more glitter

This is going to be the last post of 2015. 

This month I finally had the time and materials to participate in the sew it up monthly competition. The theme of this month was less black, more glitter. I had the perfect fabric for that, a dark blue wool and and polyester blend with a wide glittering border weave. I bought it as a coupon and it was only a 1 meter 20 centimeter long. When I bought it I had the intention of making a skirt. But then I decided it had to be a dress. I prefer dresses anyway and special for special occasions a dress feels more festive. 

So then I had to find a pattern dat I could make with only 1.2 meters of fabric. At first I thought it was going to be impossible. I didn't just want a straight tube/ A-line dress. But then I realised that if I altered the pattern for the Lora dress (my first version) a bit it could work. I also needed to be sure that the pattern would have the right length, shortening it would make the glittering border smaller. So I shortened the sleeves and didn't make any pockets. By doing this I just managed to squize the dress out of it. I made one big mistake, I cut the back bodice piece on the fold . But because I needed the zip in the back I had to cut it open. So I was left without a seam allowance for the zip. Fortunately the fabric had a bit of stretch to it so I just used a minimum seam allowance for the zip. The fabric is also really itchy, I lined the bodice and the skirt with a dark grey venezia lining. I was planning to line the entire dress including the sleeves. I tried but because the lining doesn't have stretch it was to restricting. So I just put up with the scratchy bits. It is worth it!!

I wore the dress for Christmas and my entire family loved it and I'm going to wear it again on new years eve. I just don't have the time to make more than one dress so I just wear the same one for the entire festive period. 

Best wishes for 2016! 

Little Black dress, the Lora

Remember that I liked the last La Maison Victor that much? Well here is my second make from the September/October issue, the Lora dress.

It is what they call the ultimate modern dress, with a perfect fit and nice details. And for me it is exactly that. It even has pockets!!! 

I made the dress in a size 36 graded out to a 38 in the hips. And again it fits perfectly without any major adjustments. I don't get their sizing, tops in a size 36 are always to big and dresses are spot on. I think I'm going to make a 34 in tops from now on. Even if that means that I have to retrace all my favourite patterns.

During summer I go all out with bright colours an prints. but during winter to be honest I mostly wear black. With a bit of navy, gray and a red jumper every once in a while. So most of my winter makes are going to be a lot darker and more neutral colours.

Starting with this little black dress. The version in the magazine is made up of a black textured fabric with a bit of stretch (polyester, viscose and lycra blend) . I however never buy the suggested fabrics so I used a gorgeous black cotton and wool blend. It has a similar texture as the dress on the model but no stretch. I prefer the natural fabrics and even through that it is a wool blend it is super soft. No scratchy or itchy feeling at all.

The only downside is that because they count on the stretch of there fabric that they have not included a kick pleat in the back hem and I could have used one. It is still al right if I walk at a normal pace but if I want to run to catch the metro I notice that the skirt is to narrow. That is the only thing I would change if I will make the dress again, to add a kick pleat to the back seam. And as you can see in the previous photo the the pleats at the waist make it look like I have a bit of a tummy even through I I don't. probably because the fabric is a bit ticker.

I have a feeling that this lora dress is going to become my go to pattern for winter dresses, just like my june dress for the summer. It is not as perfect as that dress but I have a feeling that it might be with a few adjustments in the next version. 

Dusty top in a glittering fabric

So this is the Dusty top from the September - October issue of La Maison Victor magazine. That makes it fall appropriate not? The issue is great, one of the best so far in my opinion, lots of nice patterns that I would love to make, three lovely dresses, a nice top, a fun jacket and a coat. I want to make them all but I don't have the time. I was scrolling through my blog a few weeks ago and I noticed that I hardly ever make winter clothes and if I do they are party dresses... So I went shopping for nice winter fabrics, I went with my mom and my grandmother. It was a super nice trip and I bought some really lovely pieces with the intent of making this top and some dresses.

This top can be made in jersey and woven fabrics. The example that they made is made out of a jersey with some glitter in it. I liked it a lot! So when I saw this beige / gray thin sweater fabric with gold glitter thread running through I immediately knew I was going to use is for this blouse. The fabric would be rather thin for a sweater but it is actually rather tick for this blouse. 

you can't really see the glitter

The pleats on the shoulder would be nicer if the fabric was a thinner and more flowy fabric. Now it is rather thick. The pattern has facings to finish the neckline and armholes. There is one piece for the front and one for the back. But because my fabric was a bit to thick it added to much bulk. I altered this by cutting the facing in three pieces. One for the neckline and two for the armholes. I sewed the facing flat by hand. 

So the result, it's nice, definitely wearable but next time I will make some alterations. First of all I will use a different fabric, thinner and probably a woven. The neckline is to low. And the top is on the large side. so if I'm going to make it in a thinner fabric I will have to size down. The other patterns that I have made from La Maison Victor always fitted in a size 36, my size according to my measurements. but these last two are to big.