Moneta Partaaaaaaaaay!!!!

Ok so this is going to be a photo heavy post!  Over on Instagram this weekend is the Moneta party - hosted by @rach_wain @sewpositivity and @sewabigail. Basically everyone uses the colette patterns Moneta dress, makes their own with as many additions/changes as they like (so long as the basic dress is still the same) and the best ones win prizes, the hashtag #monetaparty is used so that everyone can see all the entries. I love the pattern but the only one I ever made was unflatering as it was too long in the bodice and the skirt:

The party sounded fun and I wanted in! I thought I should make a toile first to see if I could get the bodice right. I cut the pattern out as intended, pinned the bodice together and tried it on (ouch!). I decided to lop 1.5" off the bottom of the bodice, I knew that this would make the skirt shorter - but hey! that meant I didn't need to shorten that as well!  I used a lovely cotton jersey from Girl Charlee (UK).

  I so loved the toile that it wasn't really a toile and I have worn it loads - the mustard colour brightens any dreary day and looks good with both tights and leggings. (I look a bit bedraggled in the photo as it was raining - plus Mr Sewingsu is not very patient where photo's are concerned - due to copious forced childhood photo posing apparently).

  So for the real deal I ordered this gorgeous organic jersey from Stoff and Stil - a Danish company who have just opened a UK web shop.

  I love all things nature inspired and as a vet I especially love animals - so I was really drawn to this fabric.

  I took the little people out to an ancient farm (round houses, mud huts etc) and got some sheep related photos (even though there weren't actual sheep on the fabric it was as near to a wild animal as I was going to get!) :

The sheep looked suitably impressed.......

  We than made an unexpected stop on the way home for a picnic lunch at the ruins of an old abbey - turns out this was a great place for photos! My 9 year old photographer did her best David Bailey impression and the boys ran through the ruins playing knights/soldiers etc - everyone had a great time (plus it wasn't busy so I didn't feel too self conscious!).

  I have never taken part in an Instagram party before - it was such fun! The build up has been great seeing sneak peeks of everyone's dresses and the finished dresses have been amazing - I have seen some fantastic hacks that I would never have even thought of!!!!

  Anyway half term is more or less over and it's back to work and school on Monday.

    Thanks for stopping by!

          Su xx

Sew me something Julia top

   The TNTB Zadie dress was next on my sewing list but we had a bit of a sad week and I didn't feel like starting anything that looked like it might be remotely difficult.

  This week Sew me something released their Julia pocket top It looked super comfie and a bit different - so I bought it and decided that it would be this weekends project! 

  I chose a lovely pink terry fabric I bought ages and ages ago at one of the Fabric Godmother open days (there is another one coming up soon if you live on the south coast).

  I love unusual pattern pieces:

The top came together really quickly and the instructions were great.

As you can see it is an over sized boxy top, I totally love the interesting pockets I think they are a great feature.

The photo's don't really do it justice (apologies for the wrinkles - I had actually ironed it - honest!) It is so snuggly and warm - perfect for winter weather. The only thing I am concerned about is the colour - I am very likely to spill something right down the front of it!!!!

I chose to use contrasting grey thread to topstitch around the neckline and hem with my twin needle.

The details: Now I know it supposed to be an over sized top but it does come up very large. I used the 1cm seam allowance for the sleeves and then a 1 inch allowance for each side seam. 

I really want to make one in a light jersey with a scoop neck as it would be a great layering piece and  really my style - I think I will go down a size or two and will have to make the neckline a bit smaller (I have small slopey shoulders and wide necklines just fall off me!!)

Anyway that's about it for this weekend. everyone seems to be on half term next week but we have to wait until the week afterwards - I am planning to sew my Moneta and Zadie dresses around occupying the small people during half term - it's going to be busy!!

Thanks for stopping by!

      Su xx

Tilly and the Buttons Cleo(s)

Hi!   It's been a loooooooong time since I wrote a blog post! Ages ago when Tilly and the Buttons released their Cleo dungaree pattern I instantly fell in love and snapped up the Aubergine needlecord kit. In the pattern photos on the website Tilly uses a larger size model as well as a smaller sized one, I really like this as it helps me to see how it would look on someone similar to my size, I wish more pattern houses did this. I decided to make it in the longer length as I thought this would be perfect for winter. I was so pleased with the result (I have a bit of wrinkling in the bib bit and I think it may be a little big - but I don't like things to be tight so I am happy with it). I Have had lots of good comments about it when I have been wearing it (which is almost constantly!) I usually wear it with bright tights and brown boots.

There are two versions of the pattern the long one above with the knee split and a shorter version. I knew that I would want to make the shorter version too and this will be great for spring (and winter!). I chose this mustard needlecord I had in my stash which I think was from My Fabrics. Now you would think that as I had made it before and given that the previous make was such a success that this one would have been a breeze - this was not to be. It all started off well and I used a lovely contrasting cotton lawn for the insides which I love.

 Then as the dress was nearly finished it all went horribly wrong. I am not sure how I managed it but I must have used a 1cm seam allowance rather than a 1.5cm one on the straps and by the time I had realized the dress was constructed so to correct it there would have been an awful lot of unpicking to do - I decided to leave it. I think it looks OK and only I will know. As if this wasn't bad enough can you imagine my upset when I had completed the entire dress including the hem, put it on for the first time and discovered I had put the front pocket on way too low AAARRRRRRGGGGGG! (to put it mildly!).

  I was determined to unpick it and move it to the correct position however I chicken'ed out at the last minute too worried that it would lead to an awful pocket outline right in the middle of the dress - had it been one of the back pockets or even the pockets lower down on the dress it would have been ok - but I decided I couldn't risk it with the center front pocket. 

The back is lovely too:

Despite the stupid mistakes I do still love the dress and will wear it lots, but will always have the knowledge that it is not perfect.

 I am going to try to blog a bit more often  and have decided to write down my plans using the free template from Sew DIY  here are some of my plans for February:

  I am hoping to take part in the Moneta party at the end of February, it is an instagram based concept where everyone makes a Moneta and post's a photo of their dress in the hope of winning some great prizes. I have completed my (very) wearable toile with adjustments and am just waiting for my fabric to arrive so that I can start on the 'real thing' (I am keeping my fingers crossed that things don't go the way my Cleo's went!). I also want to try and find time to make the new TNB pattern Zadie

  I have seen this gorgeous version by Cookin' and Craftin' that I am going to shamelessly copy!!!!

  Thanks for stopping by and I hope it won't be too long before my next post........

      Su xx