Helen Made

Blue Skys Rosie Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 07:00:00 +0000

Hello again,

As I said in my previous post, here is my strappy, boned, full version of the Sew Over It Rosie Dress. Made out of some blue and white flowery cotton from Barry's Fabric Warehouse in Birmingham - or as I like to call it - Fabric Heaven!

So, you can probably tell from the pictures, that I have the same problem with this dress as I did with my previous Rosie dress - it's now too big for me, having lost more of the baby weight since making it towards the end of the summer. Annoyingly, because this has the boning inside it, it's going to take more time to re-size than the first version!

This time round, I had enough fabric to make the skirt from the pattern as well. This skirt takes A LOT of fabric, so if you're thinking about making it, make sure you buy plenty of fabric. I also lengthened the skirt by about 2.5 inches to make sure it fell below my knees - which is my preferred skirt length.

I found the method of attaching the boning outlined in the pattern instructions really fiddly, so it really doesn't look neat on the inside of my dress. Next time round I'd be tempted to just put it in boning casing even though it doesn't need it as its the plastic boning that's used for this pattern not the metal boning. At least that way I can sew straight down the edges of the casing and it'll be less fiddly.

I also messed up the collar on this dress so it doesn't sit evenly (you can see it in the first picture). It's kind of annoying but I really can't be bothered to go back and change it so it'll have to stay that way.

Other than that though, Lisa Comfort's instructions were, as always, easy to follow and straightforward. I love the style of this dress so I definitely have plans to make at least one more version. I have some lovely summery yellow gingham in my stash which I think would look great as a sun dress with this pattern. I just need the time to sew! There won't be any sewing in these parts for the next few weeks though, as were moving from the UK to Austria at the start of April, so everything is having to be packed away ready for shipping. But once were set up over there, I'll hopefully finally find time to sew again. I've already scoped out fabric stores in the city we're moving to. It looks like there's a store much akin to Barry's in Birmingham (possibly even better) so I may have found my new fabric mecca!

The Half Rosie Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 07:00:00 +0000

Hello, Hello!

Another finished make today. This time it's a Sew Over It Rosie bodice with a basic gathered skirt.

I bought this fabric a while ago, although I can't remember where from! But it's gorgeous. I really love it!

I knew I wanted to make a dress out of it, but kept uhm'ing and ah'ing over what pattern to use. Then Sew Over It released the Rosie pattern and I instantly fell in love with the style of dress. It's completely my aesthetic - being a lover of all things 50's inspired! I loved the fact that it was what I would call a 'proper' sun-dress, with little straps.

Anyway, I loved the idea of using this pattern with this fabric, but the fabric was narrow and I didn't have enough, so in the end I decided to make the bodice of the Rosie dress and just do a simple gathered skirt.

I made this dress towards the end of the summer, but still managed to get a bit of wear out of it. Unfortunately, since making it, I've lost more of the remaining baby weight so its now too loose on me - boo! Which means I'm going to have to do a re-fit job on it at some point before I can wear it again and feel comfortable. It just feels a bit like a sack on my now, which is a little upsetting.

Anyway, I made up the version with the wider straps and no boning, as I wanted a simple dress I could wear when the weather was warm.

I cut a size 14 at the bust, tapering to a 12 at the waist, but had to take the pattern in slightly at the upper bust as my bust is quite flat at the top. In all honesty, and in hindsight, I could probably have got away with just cutting a straight size 12, because I ended up having to taper in the back seam line towards the top of the zip as it was a little loose there as well.

I then went on to make the strappy, boned version (next post). I'll definitely make up more versions of this dress, probably without the boning, but I'm going to need to re-size my pattern pieces again before I do that to make sure they fit properly.

That's all for now. Next up - my strappy, boned version of the Rosie Dress.

The Not-so-Silk Cami

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 13:14:00 +0000

Hello my lovelies,

I've finally got round to photographing all my finished makes from the last 6 months or so. So expect some regular posts for the next few weeks (makes a change).

Today, it's another Sew Over It Silk Cami top but in a lovely white embroidered cotton lawn that I bought from Croft Mill over the summer.

The pattern is quite large and wide spread, and doesn't show up well in photos, but it's very pretty.

Not much to report in terms of fit and sewing up as this is the third version of this pattern that I've now made. All I would say, is that the embroidered parts were somewhat annoying to sew over and you had to be super careful about keeping your stitching line straight as the embroidery always wanted to knock you off course.

I wore this top SOO much over the summer, along with the other silk camis I made as well. they were such an easy go-to top to wear, whether it was with skirts, trousers or shorts, so I'm sure I'll make up more of them in the future!

If you haven't made this top already, I highly recommend you do, as it has become such a staple of my wardrobe. It looks great tucked in or worn loose too, so would be great for work as well as more casual wear. And as with all Lisa Comfort's patterns, the instructions are always super clear to follow.

Ultimate Trousers #2 and #3

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 09:16:00 +0000

Hi all, long time no speak.

So I've finally got round to writing about my second and third attempt at the Sew Over It Ultimate Trousers. Both of these have been made in 100% cotton so there was no stretch to worry about, unlike my first pair. However, this also means they're not quite as comfy to wear as the other pair for that reason.

Anyway, I didn't change anything size wise as I'd made a muslin using non-stretch calico so it was just a case of sewing them up. As with all trousers, the sewing up part is super simple (it's just the fitting that can be a pain in the behind). I sewed them both up in the same weekend because they're so quick.

However, I'm still not 100% happy with the fit, so I bought the Sew Over It Ultimate guide to sewing and fitting trousers (partly to get the fit right, but also because I really like the Carrie trouser pattern). The plan is to start from scratch with the pattern again and go through all the fitting help on the course to see if I can get a better fit. Ultimately (ha, see what I did there), I'd like to make a higher waisted version using Lisa's pattern hack, but I don't want to do that till I'm totally happy with the fit of the basic pattern.

Version 2 was made from some ditsy cotton I had in my stash. I bought it for a summer dress years ago, but never got round to making it. I'm not totally convinced the colour / pattern works on these trousers as the fabric sort of makes me think pyjamas for some reason. Hey-ho, I've still worn them quite a lot this summer as they're nice and cool.

Version 3 was made from some navy floral fabric from Hobbycraft - and what a palava that was! I went in with the little one in the buggy, which is awkward since the fabric is upstairs. Anyway, I found the fabric and a lovely shop assistant said she'd cut off what I wanted whilst I made my way down in the lift again to save me waiting. Perfect I thought. I got straight home and - without really checking the fabric, which is totally my fault - I shoved it straight in the wash as I wanted to make the trousers ASAP. It wasn't until I hung it up to dry that I realised there was a massive, almost string like, sewing line through the middle of the fabric length where they'd sewn two bolts of fabric together! It was completely useless. Why the shop assistant thought that selling 2.5m of fabric, which was basically in two lengths, and not thinking to check if that was okay, was a good idea, is totally beyond me. Fortunately though, when I took it back, another lovely shop assistant totally understood and replaced the fabric without question - she even checked it was one continuous piece for me just to be sure! So it worked out okay in the end.

I much prefer the colour of these trousers. I think because they are darker, they look less like pyjamas.

So, all in all, two wearable summer trousers that I'm relatively happy with. Anyway, I've printed off the Carrie and Ultimate trousers for the course so I just need to tape them together and get going on improving the fit even more. So watch this space!

Me Made May '16: Week 3

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Tue, 24 May 2016 14:01:00 +0000

Week 3 already? How has that happened?

Here's my round-up of outfits for the week.

Day 15: Broderie anglais Grainline top (never blogged) for a sport or gardening.
Day 16: Ultimate trousers in blue with white flowers (still to blog).
Day 17: Grainline T-shirt in mint.
Day 18: Ultimate trousers again - this time with a white top.
Day 19: Silk Cami and multicoloured spots
Day 20: Coco dress (not this actual outfit as I forgot to take a photo - this off the original blog post - but with leggings.
Day 21: Sense and Sensibility Swing Dress.

Spotty Viscose Sew Over it Silk Cami

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Thu, 19 May 2016 09:12:00 +0000

Morning lovely people.

Another finished make today - and another Sew Over It Silk Cami. This time in a spotty Viscose I got from the Birmingham Rag Market for £1m (bargain).

Not much more to add in terms of making it up as I didn't change anything from the last grey version. Although this one was much more difficult to sew up, as it was just so slippery, so I don't think the finish is quite as good as on the grey version. But hey-ho, as I keep reminding myself, no one else will notice the imperfections but me!

Given that most of my skirts / trousers (bar jeans) are patterned, this won't necessarily go with quite as much in my wardrobe but I love the pattern nonetheless. Plus, I'm planning to rectify that with some plain fabric makes:
A navy Sew Over It Tulip Skirt;
a black TATB Delphine skirt; and
some pink Ultimate Trousers - As I'm all about the trousers at the moment.

I have to say I am loving this simple silk cami top at the moment as they're perfect for the (hopefully) warmer weather, but they can also be layered up with a cardi in cooler weather (like today).

I've even bought some pretty white embroidered cotton lawn from Croft Mill to make another version.

Me Made May '16: Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Tue, 17 May 2016 08:29:00 +0000

Morning all.

I'm a bit late posting a round up of my MMM '16 outfits, but better late than never right?

Day 8: An 80's dress I resized
Day 9: Sew Over It Silk Cami (yet to blog about it).
Day 10: Grainline T-shirt
Day 11: Embellished Coco top (yet to blog about it).
Day 12: Sunflowers top.
Day 13: Sew Over It Ultimate Trousers (Yet to blog about them)
Day 14: Tilly and the Buttons Delphine Skirt.

Sew Over It: Ultimate Trousers

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Thu, 12 May 2016 14:00:00 +0000

Afternoon everyone.

Today's make - the Sew Over It Ultimate Trousers in a stretch cotton. I bought this fabric from John Lewis the other week, when I met up with friends for a fabric shopping session in Birmingham.

Like I said in my last post, I made the Ultimate trousers just over a year ago for the first time, in a lovely grey floral cotton. After making 2 or 3 muslins and adjusting the fit, I got it just right, only for me to find out I was pregnant, never get round to taking photos whilst they fit, and then be unable to fit into them after another month! Boo.

So I took my modified pattern pieces from last year and widened them out slightly to make them big enough for me. I made another muslin to check the fit and they seemed fine so I cut the main fabric out.

Remember when I said I made these out of stretch cotton. Well, I made them up - all bar the facing, checked for fit and they were way to big at the back and front centre seams. the stretch cotton had obviously stretched out as I cut. So I ended up taking in a good 1.5" off the back, tapered round to about 0.5" at the front. That seemed fine, so I added the waistband facings.

I tried them on again to decide on the length I wanted them and they still felt too big! Agh.

So I'm not overly sure what to do now. They're wearable, but they just feel a little loose. Amy over at Almond Rock and Roisin of Dolly Clackett suggested spray starching the waistband to see if it stops the stretch so I might try that. If not, I may have to remove the facing, take the seams in a little bit more again and make a new facing to fit.

However, can I just say that the invisible zip I added is probably one of the best I've done for a while so at least something worked properly!

I have since tried on my muslin again and the fit is right so it's just because this fabric has stretch in it. I've got some hounds tooth fabric without any stretch so I'm going to make up a pair in that fabric as well - but with a waistband and higher waist using the instructions from Sew Over It on how to do that. Hopefully they'll work out all right, so stay tuned for updates!

Sew Over It Silk Cami

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Mon, 09 May 2016 06:30:00 +0000

Morning lovely people,

Another finished make for you (I've been on a roll these last couple of weeks)!

So, I bought the Sew Over It Silk Cami pattern in pdf over a year ago now and never got round to sticking it together and making it up. But last week I got the tape and scissors out and went to work. I bought some grey faux silk from Sew Over It at the same time as buying the pattern specifically to make the top with so I dug that out as well.

The top is super simple to make with only 4 pieces in total and has a really nice way of sewing together the straps which means there is no seam allowance on show underneath. The main bodice and facing side seams are also all sewn together using French Seams which makes it lovely and neat looking inside.

This fabric was a lot easier to sew with that I thought it would be as it's not too slippery, however, it marks really easily. Drips of water from my iron whilst pressing left lovely looking water marks on the fabric! Oh well, I guess I'll just have to make the other half do the washing up if I'm wearing this top (shame).

I like the relaxed loose fit of this top - it works well both hanging out over jeans and tucked into a waistline for a smarter work look, although I'm more likely to wear it hanging out these days as I spend them looking after a little one and kneeling on the floor rather than in an office environment.

I definitely have plans to make at least one more version of this top (as I already have the fabric for it), but will probably make more of them in the future too as they're so versatile.

This is the second Sew Over It pattern I've sewn up (I made a pair of Ultimate Trousers last year but never got round to photographing / blogging about them and they currently don't fit my post baby figure annoyingly as I love them). Lisa's instructions are really clear and easy to follow - she used clear images in her booklets to support the written instructions - which makes the whole sewing process nice and enjoyable. I'd definitely recommend her patterns, she has so many lovely ones. I'd probably make them all if I had the budget!

Me Made May '16: Week 1.

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Sun, 08 May 2016 07:49:00 +0000

So the first week of MMMay '16 is over. I thought I'd just do a quick round up of what I wore.

Day 1: Jersey Grainline tee
Day 2: Pendrell blouse in cotton lawn
Day 3: Sew Over It Silk Cami
Day 4: Sewaholic Cambie Dress
Day 5: Self drafted gather jersey skirt.
Day 6: Sew Over It Ultimate Trousers
Day 7: Tilly and The Buttons Bettine Dress.

Finished Project: Rayon Flowers Bettine Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Fri, 06 May 2016 07:00:00 +0000

Hello again.

So this is my second version of the Bettine Dress having added 2" to the bodice as well as the skirt. This time I used a rayon fabric I've had in my stash for a couple of years, not knowing what to do with it.

It's interesting to see how differently this hangs than the chambray version as this fabric is much more drapey. Having added the 2" to the bodice, I think I prefer it with less drape actually (you live and learn) so if I make it again, I'll remove the additional bodice length again. I don't think the extra drape round my waist is particularly flattering on my figure.

This time I went for a simple, basic version of the dress. No cuffs, tabs or pockets, as the fabric pattern is quite large and I thought pockets would break the pattern up too much.

Other than that, there's very little extra to say about this make. I used a contrasting fabric for the facings again, this time because I thought the light drapey nature of the rayon might make the neck line hand badly, so I used some cotton as it has more structure.

Safe to say, both my Bettine's will get some wear this summer, although this version is slightly less suitable for spring as I don't think it works quite as well with tights as the other one.

Finished Project: Sage Chambray Bettine Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Tue, 03 May 2016 09:14:00 +0000

Morning all!

I'm finally getting a chance to blog about this Bettine Dress I made a couple of weeks ago. When I saw this Tilly and the Buttons pattern I thought it would be perfect for a couple of spring / summer dresses, even though it's not my usual go-to dress style. I normally like fitted bodices and full skirts as I think they flatter my figure better but this dress looked like it would be lovely and comfortable to wear so I decided to make it anyway.

I used a sage green chambray type fabric from croft mill as I really liked the colour. I also bought a pale blue chambray at the same time which I'm thinking I might use for a TATB Megan dress from Love at First Stitch.

I added 2" to the skirt as I have quite long legs and am not the biggest fan of showing off too much of them! This dress is about as short as I would go with or without tights being more of a knee length skirt kind of gal!

Other than that I didn't make any other moderations to the dress pattern. I decided to go with the full 'bells and whistles' version with pockets and a cuff and a button tab on the sleeves. I also used a grey cotton polkadot for the facings rather than the sage green fabric for some added interest (not that anyone else will see the facings but hey-ho).

As usual, Tilly's instructions were easy to follow - I really like the photos she includes in her instruction books - they make everything so clear to understand. Not that this was a particularly difficult make as it's aimed at beginner dress makers but there are some really lovely details in this dress that just finishes it off nicely.

Having made the dress, I decided I should have added length to the bodice as well as there isn't as much drape in it as I think there should be. I've added 2" onto the pattern pieces now so will try it out with my next version.

Other than that though, this is lovely and comfortable to wear, as I thought it would be. It works just as well with tights and a cardie as it does with bear legs so will definitely carry me through spring and into summer. I've got some lovely red flowered rayon I've had in my stash for ages to use for another version, so it will be interesting to see how the lengthened bodice and different fabric change the drape of the dress on me.

Me MAde May 16 pledge

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 15:48:00 +0000

So, I've been deliberating over whether to sign up for Me Made May (MMM) this year as my me made wardrobe is vastly smaller than it was due to the additional pounds I'm still carrying after having the Little boy at the end of last year. However, I've had a bit of a sewing streak recently and feel like I could make a good go of it now (I'm also slowly starting to fit back into some of my things), so I've decided to bite the bullet and do it.

So here's my pledge.

I Helen of Helen Made, sign up as a participant of Me Made May '16. I will wear at least one handmade or refashioned item a day for the whole of May.

A simple pledge but that should be tricky enough at the moment.

So here's to another great MMM!

FINALLY!!! Another finished project. Tilly and the Buttons Delphine Skirt.

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 10:52:00 +0000

Hola Chicas! I hope I find yo all well on this sunny Wednesday!

I've finally been able to start and finish a sewing project. Technically this isn't the first sewing project completed since the little boy was born but the other project (A Gertie Pencil Skirt in animal print) turned out to be far too big for me after my post baby sizing adjustments, and I have yet to sort it out. Which is a shame because not only do I love a good pencil skirt (as seen here and here), but I also love the fabric.

Anyway, enough of the failed pencil skirt for now and on to the first finished (and wearable) sewn item post bubba. A Delphine Skirt from Tilly's book Love at First Stitch.

I made a trial version of this way back last year (never blogged) and found that I needed a sway back adjustment before it fit properly, because of the high waist. So it got put in the to be finished pile and forgotten about until a couple of weeks back when I decided I needed to make a few things that would actually fit me now as I was bored of jeans and t-shirt combos.

I took out about 1" from the back skirt piece at the centre back, tapering to nothing at the hips, by marking then slicing the pattern piece about 2 1/2 " down from the top.

Then I overlapped the pieces at the centre back by 1" and taped it down.

I also added 2" to the length because I don't like my skirts too short and I always need to add length because of my height. Other than that there were no other adjustments to the pattern. Tilly's instructions were, as always, really clear.

And because I can, so why not, I used some lovely yellow chevron fabric, left over from the boys quilt, for the facing.

The skirt fabric is some navy brushed cotton polka dot which I found at a charity shop a couple of years ago.

All in all a satisfying and simple make and one I'm sure I'll get loads of wear out of.

Up next (once the fabric arrives) is TATB's Bettine Dress, using some sage green chambray fabric from Croft Mill. I also bought this blue chambray to potentially make another version, or some other summery dress.

Finished project: baby cardigan

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 12:20:00 +0000

Hello all. Hope you're well. I have a finished knitted make for you today. I've finally got round to finishing the Baba's cardigan from this Patons booklet.

I started it back over half term at the end of October and only had the button band and hood band to finish when he came along, so it got sidelined whilst I coped with being sleep deprived and keeping a little person alive. Finally finished it last night. Yay!

I picked out this green wool as I didn't know whether buba was going to be a boy or girl so it seemed to work for both. The pattern is called Corey.

I really love the ridged stripy effect the pattern creates. The make was quite straightforward once you got used to the pattern repeat and I was able to do a lot of it without constantly needing to check back to the pattern, which was a refreshing change for my knitting as I normally need to check constantly to remind myself.

I only did one button and button hole in the end as a rarely actually button up the cardigans I have already so figured I wouldn't button this one up either really.

Next up a crochet hat for him using this pattern. I'm going with a petrol blue colour and I'm going to add on a purple pom-pom for good measure, because, why the hell not!

Finished project: Christmas cake

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 15:53:00 +0000

A little Christmas make for you today. My first ever home made Christmas cake. In the past I've made Christmas puddings but never bothered with Christmas cake until this year.

It's a traditional fruitcake but since I'm not the biggest fan of normal marzipan I made an orange flavoured marzipan instead.

It's the first time I've decorated a full sized cake too - having only decorated cupcakes in the past.
overall, I'm very happy with this make.

Merry Christmas too you all.

Finished Objects: An advent calendar and a 2 week early surprise!

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 17:04:00 +0000

Hello hello!

Hope everyone is well. So I managed to finish the advent calendar I was working on for Mr HM and I before advent began (very chuffed).

Not much to report in terms of the manufacture. Its a pre-prepared fabric panel from Cotton Patch which you cut out and sew together. Probably only took me about an hour in total from start to finish.

I've been meaning to make a reusable advent panel for years and finally got round to it so I'm very happy with myself!

In other news... this happened ... 2 weeks earlier than expected! Baby Felix.

One of the reasons I'm so chuffed with making the advent calendar is because I made it up after he was born - and he slept through the noise of the machine beautifully (yay for more sewing time when he's sleeping - that is when he's sleeping better at night and therefore I don't need to join him in a nap when he sleeps in the day!) :-)

Finished Project: Christmas Stockings

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Thu, 12 Nov 2015 19:57:00 +0000

Hello all! Hope you're well.

Another finished project for you today - something Christmasy (I know it's a bit early, but with Baby HM on the way I need to get stuff out of the way as I'm pretty certain I'll only have eyes for the baby once it finally makes an appearance!)

Anyhoo - it's three Christmas stockings, one for each of us.

I drew the stocking template by freehand till it looked right then pieced together loads of Christmas coloured fabric scraps to make the front stocking piece. The back is made of plain calico for ease and a little more strength. All pretty straightforward and uncomplicated really.

I'm planning on embroidering name labels for each of them so father Christmas knows who's is who's but I haven't got round to it yet.

I've also finished an advent calendar wall hanging for my nieces which I forgot to photograph (oops) and have one for our house to sew up too so that's next on the list.

Finished Project: Baby Blanket

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Fri, 30 Oct 2015 12:40:00 +0000

Hello all! How are you all doing?

Another finished project for you today. I finished for maternity leave last Friday so I've got time to start doing some crafting again before Bean arrives in just a few short weeks! Eeek!

Having made a baby blanket for both my nieces, I thought it only fitting that I make a blanket for my soon to be addition to the family too. Since we don't know whether Bean is a boy or a girl, I wanted something relatively neutral in terms of fabric choices. I decided to go for greys, blues and yellows.

The chevron fabric came from Ditto Fabric, the polka-dots from Cotton Patch and the cloud fabric came from an Etsy seller in Australia sine I wanted cloud fabric and couldn't find anyone in this country selling any I liked.

It's not a complicated design - I'm no expert patchwork sewer - plus I really just wanted the fabrics to stand out and speak for themselves. I've backed it in a plain yellow brushed cotton for a softer touch underneath. Other than that, not much to add really.

Next up - 3x Christmas stockings for me, Mr HM and Bean - 1 1/2 of them have already been made and then 2x hanging fabric advent calendars - once for the nieces and one for our house. I've been meaning to make these advent calendars for the last couple of years and never got round to it.

I'm also currently finishing off a baby cardigan for Bean - just the hood and button band to finish.

Finished Project: Grainline Hack

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 11:15:00 +0000

Hello hello, how are we all?

Unfortunately, the summer holidays are now over and I've been back at work since Tuesday - RUBBISH! But at least there's only 7 weeks to go till I finish for maternity leave! (Not that I'm counting or anything!) However, I do have a finished make for you again today. A Grainline t-shirt hack.

I made this at the start of the summer holidays (despite having other things I'd planned to make - like an actual, proper Grainline t-shirt, with the insect material I bought I while back). I had this idea in my head of a cross over front t-shirt and thought the Grainline pattern would work a treat.

And it pretty much did. Although there are a few tweaks I need to make to the hacked pattern still. Like increasing the size across the bust as it pulls a bit and I want it to be a little more relaxed and roomy.

Despite it not being perfect, I've worn this loads since making it and it's become a summer staple this year. I used some left over yellow broderie anglais I had in my stash.

I decided to get rid of the sleeves and widen the arm hole slightly then bind it all off with bias binding. All in all, a nice, straightforward, quick, make. The longest part was drafting out the new front pattern piece! :-) I've currently got a second version cut out with about 1 - 2" added to the bodice pieces so maybe that will make the fit better.

Finished Project: Kwik Sew 3486

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Wed, 02 Sep 2015 07:30:00 +0000

Another finished dress for you. This time a Kwik Sew pattern. I've never used their patterns before but I was pleasantly surprised with the ease of the make.

I made this a few months back, based on my pre-maternity size at it was still too large for me. I was at that awkward stage of no longer fitting in to my previous clothes (unless they were stretchy) but still not really 'showing a bump' so not fitting into maternity clothes properly either. However, I have worn this recently and although still a little roomy around my waist area it fits much better.

I made this out of some cotton I had in my stash which was intended for a summer dress that I never got round to making. It was really simple and straightforward to sew up so not much to report there really. The only thing I'm not happy with is the length - it's to long and what with the extra material over the bump area it looks a little frumpy so I want to shorten it by an inch or two and get it just above the knee I think.

I'm not sure how much wear I'll get out of this as I'm not overly fond of the pattern but it's there for me to wear should I need to.

The whole thing was machine sewn - including the hem. I've been so short on sewing time recently that when I do make something I've been quite lazy with finishing it off - usually I would catch stitch the hem of my makes as I think it looks better, but I just haven't had the inclination with these last few makes. I did finish the edges off with a zig-zag hem to prevent fraying though so I wasn't totally lazy!

I still need to get round to making the Megan Nielsen top version of the last dress I posted with the insect jersey.

Although I may make a Grainline T-shirt out of it instead. Not sure yet. I think I'll get more wear out of it post pregnancy if it's a Grainline T-shirt rather than a maternity top so I'm veering down that route. Plus, I'm still wearing the two Granline T-shirts I made a few years ago (here and here) at the moment and they're really comfy so I don't think I'll have to re-size the pattern to accommodate the bump at all which is a bonus.

Made Up: Sewing for good causes and a finished project

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Tue, 25 Aug 2015 09:46:00 +0000

Hello all,

As a primary teacher, reading and literacy are two things I believe are incredibly important - I'm also a book lover myself so it's doubly important to me! Which is why, when I saw Love Sewing Magazine and Karen over at Did You Make That? were launching the Made Up initiative to raise money for the National Literacy Trust, I just knew I had to take part - although having been away, it's taken a while to blog about it!

If you want more convincing, head over to Karen's site and read her blog entries about the cause.

Anyway, I donated and pledged to make something by the 8th September. And here it is! I pledged to make a Grainline t-shirt - nothing particularly fancy or challenging, but what with having a house in total chaos because of decorating (and therefore limited access to my fabric stash) and being 7 months pregnant so wanting something practical, it seemed like a good option to me.

I bought the insect fabric a few months back with the intention of making a Megan Nielson maternity top out of it, but decided I'd prefer it as a t-shirt instead.

Not much to add in terms of making it as I haven't made any alterations since the last proper Grainline t-shirts I made here and here. The only difference is that this is a stable knit fabric rather than a woven fabric, which means there's enough stretch to fit over my ever expanding mid section! I made this in a morning and I have no doubt it'll be a well worn piece of my wardrobe!

So, that's me done with my pledge! If you haven't joined yet, please consider it - it's such a good cause! And well done Karen for setting up such a great fund raising activity!

Finished Project: Megan Nielsen for Simplicity 1469

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 07:30:00 +0000

Hello again!

Another finished project again! And another that was made back in the summer half term break. Somehow, despite wearing the purple version of this dress loads I haven't actually got round to photographing either version. This time a Simplicity pattern - by Megan Nielsen. It's her maternity top / dress.

I used this jersey for the first version. I bought it from the Birmingham at the rag market, knowing that it would be good to make something stretchy and accommodating out of!

This dress has a lot of different pieces but it was really straightforward to make and put together. I managed to make it all in a morning and still had time to put together a quick self drafted, elasticated, gathered skirt as well. Not bad for a day's work!

This pattern is however, really loose on me (even with the increased bump size since making it). As with all maternity patterns, you have to base your size choice on pre-pregnancy measurements, which I did, but it's way too loose still. Maybe it will fit better towards the end of the pregnancy? As a result, I haven't actually worn this version at all. Although putting it on to finally take pictures showed that it fits better than it did so it might be brought out of the closet for the last few months. It'ss see me into the winter with some leggings / tights and a cardie so I can't complain.

I machine sewed everything on this dress including the hem as I find catch-stitching jersey to be a bit of a bugger sometimes. This made the whole process very quick and easy!

Because the original blue version was so large, I decided to make the next size down in a purple ponte knit I had. This second version fit so much better and has been in constant rotation since making it. Plus, it still fits well even now and will no doubt fit up until the end. The bonus with this pattern is that it's also a nursing dress as the cross over top allows easy boob access so it will get lots of wear even after Bean arrives.

The second version was even quicker to make than the first since it was familiar so I managed to make it in a couple of hours. The great thing about jersey too is that you don't actually have to finish off the raw edges so it's great when you just want a quick make with no hassle.

I've ordered this fabric:

To make the top version of this pattern too and I've got some nice red and white stripe jersey which I plan on making some comfortable t-shirts and vest tops out off as well. Although, as mentioned in the previous post, I have no sewing space at the moment, so who knows when this will happen!

Vintage pledge #3: 1970's maternity top: Style 1107

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Fri, 14 Aug 2015 10:29:00 +0000

Hello hello!

Another finished project for you today and another item to add to my vintage pledge. This is the third of the 5 vintage patterns I pledged to make this year. When I signed up for the pledge, the plan was to use the patterns I already have in my stash. However, my plans were thwarted by me becoming pregnant 5 1/2 months ago so I decided to buy a couple of vintage maternity patterns to see me through the next few months and also hit my pledge too.

So, this pattern is from the 70's and, although I will probably never make the dress or trousers, I really liked the swingyness of the top. the pattern was a bust size 34" which means I should have sized up to 36" but it looked quite a loose pattern so I decided to leave it as was. And I'm glad I did! It's massive on me even at this size! :-) I actually made this top way back in summer half term when the bump was virtually non-existent, but even now with a much larger bump it's still pretty spacious!

This was such a quick make plus it's made with swapped cotton I scored from my first ever Birmingham sewing meetup so that's an added bonus - no new purchases necessary.

The original pattern calls for a zip up the back. No idea why given the looseness of the fit, so I decided to ignore the zip, sew up the back seam and just leave the back yoke open to add a button. This is more than enough for getting the top on and off so I'm glad I didn't waste a zip on this pattern.

So that's pattern #3 finished. The next vintage pattern on the list is this one: Simplicity 7363. I love the dress in this pattern and I may make the top as well. No idea when I'll get round to making it. Our house is currently in complete upheaval mode while we decorate so I have no sewing space to speak of! :-(

Finished Project: Megan Nielsen Cara maternity t-shirt

noreply@blogger.com (Helen Made) — Thu, 28 May 2015 10:01:00 +0000

Hello all,

Sorry for the radio silence recently - my sewing has been a bit in limbo over the last few months because there's been no point sewing my usual stuff - having a wee one growing inside means that I'm fast growing out of all my old stuff and also don't fit into my usual size (and won't for a while). But at the same time, I'm still not big enough to fit into 'proper' maternity patterns (I'm 14 weeks so the bump will start to show pretty soon no doubt). Despite that, I've been sewing up a couple of maternity items anyway.

This t-shirt is a classic example - there is still no visible bump (although in the picture it kind of looks like there is) to fill this t-shirt but I'm generally wider and larger than I was (pregnancy is so flattering is it not) so non-maternity clothes I've made no longer fit comfortably.

On to the make though! Not much to say about this pattern really. It was super quick to make - probably an hour in total (after printing, sticking and cutting the pdf pattern, which always takes a while). One of the great things about jersey is that yo don't have to finish the raw edges as they don't fray, so one less thing to do.

I lengthened the pattern pieces by about 1 1/2 inches as I made a mock up in cheap jersey and it was way shorter than I'd like, but other than that no alterations. I've got a stack of jersey waiting to be sewn so no doubt I'll be making more of these over the next 6 months!