Olive green trousers and burgundy cardigan

 I made some other new pieces to add to my travel capsule

Olive wide leg trousers in viscose/rayon, these are the same pattern as the mid blue trousers but with an added invisible zip pocket in one side.

And a burgundy 3 button cardigan adapted from the Kinder Cardigan from a Wendy Ward book. I cut this one shorter than my RTW coat which proved to be very versatile.

Pink top

 

I made the V neck version of the top in a size L. I had limited fabric so the ties are slightly narrower and the facing is from a cream coloured fabric. I moved the ties up slightly so they tie just below the bust.

It's great to be able to make something wearable from 0.7m fabric.

This is this month's pattern from the Weekend Sewing Club.

Navy Pieces

 Here's another co-ord set!  This time in a textured cotton modal fabric in dark navy

The blouse is Simplicity 9200 View C, without the frill. I found 6 buttons in my stash with navy translucent centres and silver surrounds which work really well and lift the darkness of the navy a little 

For the culottes and shorts I again used the trousers from NewLook 6438, though altered for my crotch curve, and elastic waistband and slash pockets. The pockets on the shorts are slightly smaller due to fabric limitations.

These plain coloured pieces will mostly be worn with existing printed garments with navy content to extend wardrobe options, with the shirt also being able to be worn as a light layering piece.

Tips on working with the fabric.

I overlocked the cut edges and washed the fabric on my normal cycle, and draped it over a rack indoors to dry. I found the edges crinkled more than the centre of the yardage so I did lightly press the whole yardage (I had 4 metres). 

I used a lightweight interfacing in the collar and front band.

I was gentle in my handling, and only pressed where needed. I guess I'll find out how much ironing the pieces will need after they've all been worn and washed.

Co-ord sets

I remember back in the early SWAP (Sewing With A Plan) they advised sewing a matching skirt and top from a print fabric as a core to the 11 piece collection. Now many years later there's something called a co-ord which is a matching top and bottom from the same fabric!

I got a lot of wear from the Blue Culottes and Blouse Co-ord Set I made in June, particularly when it was hot. So I decided to have a go at making some more. The best thing about a co-ord is that it's like a dress, wear the two pieces together and you have an instant outfit! But even better you can (theoretically) split the items and wear them separately.

 

In both sets I used the same patterns.

The blouses use the body and collar of Simplicity 9200 View C, and then a sleeve adapted from NewLook 6669 with a self drafted band.

This was in order to use the fabric in the most economical way.

For the culottes I again used the trousers from NewLook 6438, though altered for my crotch curve, and elastic waistband and slash pockets. The pink floral are self fabric, though a modified pocket shape to suit the fabric scraps.

I had slightly less of the navy print, so the waistband and pockets are from scraps of a plain navy viscose I'd kept for such a scenario.

Once completed I noticed that the puffed sleeves pulled on the shoulder seams causing the sleeves to fall off the shoulder - not a good look. However viscose can shrink unpredictably, so I've added stitched tucks - 1 in each shoulder for the navy, and 2 in each shoulder for the pink. If the fabric shrinks widthways I may remove these later. If not the tucks are a nice detail.

Really neither of these co-ord sets would make a good base for a SWAP for me. 

The navy and white is only 2 colours, so doesn't meet the SWAP guidelines of  2 neutrals and a colour, but will be easy to mix and match with plain navy, plain white or any bright colour. 

The pink print was a charity shop purchase. A dark grey background with ochre, white and 3 shades of pink. I could wear the culottes with a plain white top and the blouse with some grey linen pinstripe trousers, but that's about it. I'll have to see if I have any suitable plain pinks......

Strawberry shirt

Originally intended for the Sew Fruity 25 challenge (#sewfruity25) but didn't get sewn up in time.

I decided to go ahead and sew it for this year anyway as I didn't want a UFO.

It's adapted from the same Prima shirt dress again.

The fabric is a polycotton I purchased in May 2024 from the Singer Sewing Shop in Whitley Bay

Bright burgundy tiered skirt from pesky crinkle rayon.

One final project in the bright burgundy/dark red thread is a tiered skirt.

When I was looking for fabric which would use this thread I found a length of crinkle rayon/viscose. I've tried to use this type of fabric a few times in the past but had all kinds of difficulties with it. The one successful project was a midi length tiered skirt so I thought I'd make another one with this fabric.

This is it after sewing it up

And this is after washing in cold water and hanging to dry.

I didn't use a pattern, but here are the measurements of the pieces.

1. Waistband - 3 1/2 inches wide and long enough to go around my hips.

2. Main skirt - 18" of full width of fabric cut in half

3. First tier - 2 x 9" of full width of fabric.

4. Second tier - 3 x 9" of full width of fabric.

5. Inseam pockets - 4 approx 10" x 8 1/2" (self drafted)

Constructions order:

1. Sew pockets to front and back skirt pieces. Finish seams. Sew round the pockets and down the side seam. Finish seams. Fold the pockets to the front and stitch in place along the waistline.

2. Sew ends of waistband. Gather skirt onto waistband, insert elastic, stitch closed and finish seams.

3. Sew the two pieces of the first tier together. Gather. Distribute fullness. Stitch tier onto skirt.

4. Sew the three pieces of the second tier together. Gather. Distribute fullness. Stitch second tier onto first tier.

5. Hem.

Burgundy Frill Neck Blouse.

If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you know I like to sew multiple things with the same thread colour where possible. I really like to have the overlocking (serger) threads inside my garments all matching and to this end have 5 drawers of thread, much of it Coats Moon sorted by colour.

So whilst I had bright burgundy (Moon M0055) on the machines I hunted in the fabric boxes for other fabrics I could sew up.

I found a remnant of a lovely bright burgundy viscose (rayon) with a very slight crinkle texture and beautiful sheen. I had cut other things from it previously, so it was an odd shape and not much yardage. It looked like it would like to be a blouse.

I ironed the fabric and laid it on my cutting board, and decided to try Simplicity 9200 again only to find I couldn't quite get the front shoulder out of the fabric (big funny shaped thing had been cut out). I then decided to move the shoulder seam forwards. So took 1.5" off the front shoulder and added it onto the back shoulder (and left myself a note in the project tray*, so I didn't get confused putting the sleeve in).

Once I'd cut out the front and back, I was able to cut the sleeves single layer, but then realised I didn't have any sections large enough for 2 collars..... After a bit of pondering I cut two collar stands and then cut lots of pieces 2 1/2" wide and varying lengths, which I pieced together to get a strip about 3 times the length of the collar stand. I then seamed the ends, pressed in half, and gathered onto the collar stand as a frill.

Here's the blouse paired with the floral trousers

(* I have two shallow plastic baskets, slightly larger than A4/letter paper. As I cut out I put the pieces into the basket along with any zips/buttons etc I might need. It stops me losing pieces in the jumble of the sewing room)

Burgundy and cream Roses blouse

 

I used some weighty viscose (rayon) from my stash (just a remnant) to make this burgundy and cream blouse with stylised roses from my TNT shirt pattern.

I put all the buttons on but will likely wear it open at the neckline.

It's not really a summer blouse, but could be great for the 'wear red' dress code for choir at Christmas.

Pattern Information.

This is my current favourite shirt pattern. It is adapted from a shirtdress pattern which was in the March 2020 Prima magazine (UK women's magazine).

Burgundy floral wide leg trousers

 Yes a change from blue!

Another pair of the full length wide leg trousers, this time in a burgundy floral. Although I originally bought the fabric for a blouse the colour was a bit too dark up round my face so decided it would be good as trousers instead.

Again these are adapted from New Look 6438 D with an altered crotch curve, slash pockets and an elastic waist.

The fabric came from Economy Fabrics in June 2023.

Blue Jersey Dress for a friend

 

This is anther Simplicity 9473 dress for my friend C, this time in a knit, so back cut n the fold and zip ommitted

Mid blue trousers

I made these wide leg mid blue trousers (the colour was called "smoky blue" when I bought it last summer).

As before they are adapted from New Look 6438 View D. I altered the waistband to elastic and omitted the side zip. I added side slash pockets. These are the full length version.

They make a nice outfit with the print top from last month

Always good to have outfits, as I've found these blue things don't really go with each other!

Blue Co-ord set

I had bought a piece of purply blue rayon/viscose with tiny navy stars from another sewist's de-stash and decided it would make a great co-ord set which could also be split up and worn with plain navy already in my wardrobe/closet.

I revisited the patterns I used for the dark burgundy border print set.

Burgundy border print shirt

Burgundy border print trousers

Shirt is Simplicity 9200 View C without the ruffles.

I did cut out and add the ruffle, but felt it didn't work so removed it and just hemmed the sleeves.

In future if I wanted the ruffle I would either cut it deeper, but still not very gathered or keep it narrow but make it twice as gathered.

Culottes are adapted from New Look 6438 View D. I altered the waistband to elastic and omitted the side zip. I added side slash pockets.

Here's the two pieces together

I suppose I could piece the rejected ruffles into some sort of tie belt.....

Blue Floral Dress

 

This dress is made from a lovely viscose (rayon) fabric in a rich blue which I bought in a charity shop 2 years ago.

The community chorus I sing with have a summer engagement and asked us to wear blue for it. So that prompted me to get the fabric out and work with it. The large scale print seemed best spread out over a dress.

The main dress is from a Prima magazine April 1998, with sleeves from a different dress in the May 2010 magazine, and front ties I drafted myself.

NOTE: Prima is a UK monthly magazine. For subscribers it includes a free sewing pattern. If bought in the newsagent then there is info on how to get the pattern. I have been a subscriber for many years.

It works quite well under the jacket.