Amy Butler Mini top, mini mini top and the problem with summer......

  I had to pop into my local haberdashary recently to buy some cotton tape for the waist of my Merchant and Mills linen skirt (still unmade!!) and just happened to accidently on purpose look at all of the other beautiful things in the shop! Most of the indie patterns were By hand London (not my style) or Collette (I just don't have much luck with) I saw some amazing Amy Butler bag patterns (I have millions of bags which I never use so thought best not buy a bag pattern - even though they were fab). Then I Stumbled across the Mini dress/tunic/top pattern

  For the bargin price of £9.99 this pattern includes dress, tunic, long top, short top for not just women but girls (age 7+) too!!!! - to be fair you could argue that it would be fairly easy to adjust one pattern for top/tunic/dress if you wanted to. Now I am not at all into me-mini-me matching outfits (if you were this pattern would be a dream come true!) but I could see the potential for lots of different outfits for me and my daughter.

    For my first try I didn't want to cut into uncut fabric so I had to make the short top for both me and my daughter, She chose the rest of the floral fabric that I had used to make her PJ's and as I knew this fabric pressed well I chose to make it as the pattern suggests with the pleat. For my self I just about managed to eek out enough blue and white stripped seersucker that I had used to make disastrous  shorts for my boys (pre-blogging days). I am not into the formal look of pleats but knew it would be easy enough to gather the 'skirt bit' of the top to make a less formal garment.

  Well the pattern was simple to cut out and the instructions were lovely, really suited to a complete beginner until I reached step 9. Maybe I am just particularly stupid but I could not at all understand what it was asking me to do - can you?

  I fudged my way through my daughters top but was not at all happy with the result so I ended up making a very bulky french seam on mine. I would love to make dress versions of this but won't be able to until I sort this shoulder seam issue out!!

  I also tried and failed to get my overlocker working (it's going to the overlocker hospital next week for an 'assessment' - to see if it is worth fixing - I really hope it is as I can't afford a new one and can't live without one!) so the insides are a bit of a mess. 

  Other than the shoulders I am really pleased with the results. 

  I made up a size 7 for my skinny 8 year old, she seemed to be pleased with it....

'A sailor went to sea, sea, sea......'

She is honestly wearing shorts but you can't quite see them as the top is longish - I tried to convince her to wear leggings but it seems that once a tween has made up her mind there is no changing it!!

I made mine in a size large, it does have a bit of a maternity look about it but I often don't like tops/dresses that are tight around my middle. I just wish I had enough fabric for some patch pockets.

It should be nice and cool for the hot spell we are supposed to be heading into!

I am getting better with invisible zips!!

  I love being out doors - any excuse and I am outside -with the kids - with the dog - on my own. Unfortunately you can't really sew outside which does present a particular problem in the summer - I wan't to make a cool summer dress for the heat wave we are about to have but I love being outside too much to stay indoors to sew!!!! - Does anyone else have this issue??

  I hope everyone has been enjoying the sunshine (but finding time to sew)

      Thanks for popping by!

            Su xx

  

Burda success!!

    The past couple of weeks have been crazy busy for me and other than sewing my daughter a Roman outfit and turning a pair of school trousers into some emergency shorts for my youngest I haven't even had time to think about what I might like to sew let alone actually do any sewing!! I haven't even had time to read all of the many sewing blogs I follow. I was away on a course last weekend and was supposed to be on another course today - I was so tired last night that the thought of getting up at 6 am to drive two hours and sit inside all day to then drive two hours home again was just too much and I decided that in the interests of my health I would have to miss today's teachings.
  I was desparate to get sewing again but I was still feeling rather frazzled so I knew it would have to be something nice and simple. Issue 6 of the Burda style mag had this cute teen summer vest top:

   My little lady is obsessed with a TV programme called 'The next step' it is about a dance troupe and involves all of the friendship drama's you would expect to see in a teen soap. It is probably a little old for her but like I said she is obsessed. Anyway this little top is just like some of the tops they wear in the TV show so I was sure she would like it - plus it looked like it would be a very easy sew!

 I dug out a scrap of jersey big enough for the top and got going. It was nice and simple - I foolishly decided to twin needle the hem at the armholes and neckline not thinking that twin needles don't do corners! So close up the top stitching is not the best, but it is still a cute little top that I think will get lot's of wear over the summer!!

She decided that gymnastics would be the best way to show the top off!!

A near perfect cartwheel!

I managed to get her to stay still enough for some poses!

I wanted to get these photos taken before the light faded so the shoulder straps aren't quite attached properly but you get the general idea!

  

I think it must be every sewist mummy's dream to have their little person exclaim 'wow - awesome mummy' upon receiving a garment made for them - it certainly made my day!

Thanks for popping by!

Su xx

Burda - Meh! and a Merchant and Mills inspired refashion!

I occasionally buy Burda magazine if I see a copy of it in a newsagent, some of the garments I find too flouncy but some of the clean edged ones I like. However the thought of attempting to find all of the correct pattern pieces within the maze that is the pattern sheets and then having to add the seam allowances really put's me off. In a recent edition I loved quite a few of the patterns but thought I should attempt something simple first - hence this blouse:

 There was also was a cute dress which used some of the same pieces, if the blouse went well I thought I would attempt the dress too.

  As expected tracing the pieces and adding the seam allowances was a pain. The pattern pieces didn't match up well with a seam allowance added for the keyhole so I chopped it off, but I think this was a mistake as the keyhole on mine is massive! - I certainly couldn't wear it without a vest underneath!

I like the side curves and the relaxed fit but the back is slightly shorter than the front - weird!

Needless to say I didn't make the dress and am really not sure I can be bothered to attempt anything else.

  On a slightly more positive note I have had this Linen dress in my wardrobe for ages. I love the top half but the weird bubble hem ends mid calf which is a strange length and it basically looks like a huge nightie! - So I have never worn it. 

Inspired by my recent purchase of the Merchant and Mills Workbook I decided a refashion was in order. Off came the weird hem, a deep curve was added to both the front and the back and - Ta Da!! a new linen top!

  The evening sun was gorgeous on the villiage green as I walked my daughter home from her friends house so we took a couple of photos - It was a bit windy for photos really but you get the general idea.

  I really love this and can't believe I have left altering it for so long! 

    Looking at my me made wardrobe throughout May has made me realize my lack of plain basics so I have decided to attempt to create a plain capsule wardrobe using some of the patterns from the workbook I am planning 2 vests, one saltmarsh skirt (maxi skirt) and one pair of stride shorts - I think this should see me through the summer!

 Has anyone else realized that their me made wardrobes are lacking in any areas?

  Thanks for stopping by!

      Su xx