Oceans Collection: Item One - Navy Pinstripe Palazzo Pants

Here's the first item from the Ocean's collection, it is a pair of pinstripe navy trousers using the GBSB From Stitch to Style Palazzo Pant pattern.

Following my measurements I cut a size 18, telling myself its only a number. I think given how loose they are a 16 would have been plenty.
I staystitched but still the top of the trousers would not fit onto the waistband. I added 6 additional 1/2" darts to get them to fit to the waistband.
I used a navy blue pinstripe suiting fabric with a little stretch.
The waistband is really narrow. I added a button and buttonhole as I did not have a trouser bar.
They are very long. I have used a 4" hem on these which feels luxurious but is overkill.
I did include the pocket from the culotte version. I stitched up the opening except for just enough to be able to get a hand in, this stopped it gaping.
I used 4 different feet on the ordinary sewing machine plus the overlocker on these. It was a lot of fun. The feet used were - standard foot, invisible zipper foot, buttonhole foot and blind hem foot.
I modified the instructions slightly so I could do almost everything by machine. I only sewed the button on by hand. The waistband is stitched in the ditch and the hem is done with the blind hemmer.
I might scoop the back crotch slightly, but I will test wear them tomorrow first.

GBSB From Stitch to Style: Japanese STyle Top Hemmed

I've now hemmed the Japanese Style Top with the coverhem.

It has a lot of volume and does not look good with wide leg trousers, so I will try it with jeans or slimmer leg trousers for a photo.
Its a cool top, I'm just not sure its cool on me.

Ocean's Eleven Collection

I've been away but started thinking about something I've named 'Oceans Eleven' which is a sea themed collection of navy, teal and sand.

It could have things in it like

Navy pinstripe palazzo pants (left)
Light navy linen maxi skirt (2nd from right)
Light navy linen blouse. (2nd from right)
Teal linen maxi skirt. (centre)
Teal linen T-shirt blouse (centre)
Teal sweater knit cardigan jacket (across top)
Sand and white striped tee (not shown)
Dark sand palazzo pants (not shown)
Dark green leggings/skirt/tee which have been cut out for ages. (not shown)

I think I will keep broadly in the the Oceans theme and stop after eleven pieces.

I could do with those pinstripe trousers for work so will work on them some more this evening, perhaps something to show tomorrow.

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There seems to be quite a lot of the navy pinstripe fabric so maybe I could also manage a simple jacket and perhaps also a skirt, some more suits for work would definitely be helpful as I have lost my way a little with work wear since I donated all my black suits after my colour draping session.

I still have 2.3 metres of the full width of the navy pinstripe plus some scraps so a simple cardigan jacket and straight skirt would seem possible.

GBSB From Stitch to Style: Japanese Style Top laid flat

Here's the top laid out flat

I think I might take in that bat wing sleeve to be a shape more like the other side.

GBSB From Stitch to Style: Japanese Style Top made up

So here it is as yet unhemmed.
I made the size 16, I did a little fiddling to get the stripes to match where they could and then trimmed the excess. I thought the cuffs would not fit but they did. I used the coverhem machine for the back neck and sleeve hems, you could zigzag or use a twin needle if you don't have a coverhem.
The sleeve on the left is like a normal sleeve. The sleeve on the right is like a very loose bat wing sleeve. I'm not sure I like the bat wing being that extreme and I might shape it more like the other side. I still need to do the hem.
If you normally need an FBA then I would not bother as there is loads of room from the cowl and asymmetry.
I think this style would be really good for an apple shape or large bust. It would also be good if you are naturally unsymmetrical as it would work with your body rather than against it.
I will do a lying flat photo tomorrow so you can see the shape of the garment more clearly.

GBSB From Stitch to Style: Japanese Style Top

This is the book which accompanies the latest series of the Great British Sewing Bee which recently finished.

I decided to sew the 'Japanese Style Top' which I don't recall being featured on the series.
(This is different to another similar style which was a challenge on an earlier series).

I really wanted to showcase the angles and drapes so decided to use the 1/2" red and white stripe jersey.
So far I have traced off the pattern pieces and glued them together with a glue stick and cut them out as per the layout diagram, with the exception of the cuffs which I cut with the stripe going round not up and down.
I have to say it is looking fairly crazy and I can't quite imagine what it is going to look like sewn up. We shall see (maybe as early as tomorrow) or if not I am then out, away and out again so it'll be next week.

Spot Print PJ Top

This is the last item in the PJ collection. Although I have enjoyed making these I am glad I am done and ready for something different now.

This uses the rest of the spotty print from the reverse of the Panda duvet cover. I used the pattern from July 2016 Prima Magazine again but raised the neckline slightly and added a simple shawl collar I traced from a purchased PJ top.

As before I added purple buttons sewn on with purple thread to echo the purple spots on the fabric (and because I had quite a few purple buttons the right size in the button stash).

And here it is with the macthing trousers, which is probably how I will normally wear them.

But should I want to change it up a bit all the tops and bottoms can be mixed together like this.

They are so much fun.

Spot Print PJ Pants

So this time I used the spotted side from the duvet cover.

Again I used Burda December 2007 #127 Pyjama Trousers, did have side seams but did not bother with pockets or hem splits.

The waist is a piece of 1" elastic attached to half a purple shoelace each end for the tie. I like the way the shoelace has a finished end which doesn't come unravelled like ribbon. I use a triple zip zag stitch sewn back and forth several times to secure the shoelace to the elastic inside the waistband. Its a waist treatment I like a lot for PJs. I went with purple to echo the purple buttons I used on the Panda top in case I decided to mix and match.

I am planning to make a spotty top as well and then I shall have a break from PJs.

Stripe PJ Cami

I only had smallish long skinny scraps left after making the stripe PJ pants but wanted a matching top. So after a trawl through the pattern stash I made the very simplest version of Simplicty 4958 (6 fluttery tops made easy).

I'm not really a ruffles person and was short of fabric so mine is the plain cami without the ruffles. As this is to wear to sleep in and has no side closures I've kept it loose for now. Though I have some turquoise lingerie elastic and may decide to add that later to snug the top edge in a little.

There are some tiny scraps left over which i will use for drawstring bags for the next craft stall.

Stripe PJ pants

Using Burda December 2007 #127 Pyjama Trousers with added pockets and hem splits.

The top of the pocket is caught into the waist casing (involved some careful measuring) so they don't droop.

 I used a scrap of white fabric which would be less bulky and less visible than using the seersucker stripe.

The elastic waist has half of a white shoelace swen to each end to make them adjustable. The shoelaces come out of some buttonsholes. These have a scrap of interfacing on the back for reinforcement. I added little side hem slits at the ankle as a slightly different look.

These will be a nice addition to my summer PJs.

Panda Print PJ Top

I used the pattern from July 2016 Prima Magazine* to make this matching top for the PJ pants.

 The Prima patterns are often quite simple, and as a subscriber I get the pattern every month autmatically. This one is for a V neck top or dress with several variations. Mine is slightly shorter than the one with ties.

Again due to fabric limitations I have had to ignore any attempt at pattern matching or pleasing pattern placement so have various half pandas which is a slight shame. However it will not stop me enjoying wearing them one bit.

I used purple buttons from the stash which toned quite well with the purple spots between the pandas. I hand sewed them on using matching purple thread so that they have a solid purple circle appearance.

*Prima magazine is a UK general women's magazine which includes a simple free pattern every month. Subscribers get it included with the pattern, but I think if you buy it from the paper shop you have to send off for the pattern and pay postage.