The Vintage shorts

These are my first attempt at shorts, and they turned out exactly as I wanted them to – I think I’m beginning to realise that concentration is key to success with this sewing lark!

I made them last night when I got home and used the pattern from my jumpsuit and playsuit and as the basis of the design and then just added some pleats in front and darts at back, pretty much making it up as I went along…..

They have a side zip and a tallish waistband because I wanted them to be high-waisted, and to flare out a bit.
The cuffs are folded to added a bit of volume and then stitched down at the side seams and then I have added a placket at the waistband fastening and finished it off with a vintage french button that I found in a charity shop which is a beautiful deep blue.

The fabric I used to make them was a metre of a rejected print development that I rescued from the destruction pile at work and is a medium weight cotton twill with a small woven lattice design – which from far away looks like little dots!

I love that they are so 40’s/ 50’s looking, and give me the illusion of a waist (something I do not naturally possess), they are also just long enough to be appropriate for work and are super comfortable too!

My Alice dress

This is probably the easiest dress I have ever made - it is quite simply just a vest and a large rectangle of cotton shirting that I had in my stash sewn together with a waist length piece of elastic to give it shape and gather it together.

The idea was not my own however - it was devised by the lovely Hattie of the Little Red Roost blog, although mine differs slightly from hers because I didn't apply a frill around the neckline and straps as she did.

Here is the link to the tutorial :

http://littleredroost.blogspot.com/2010/05/alice-dress.html

AND - because you can pick up vests like mine for around £3 in H&M, this dress will cost you next to nothing and can be used with any light to medium weight fabric!

My Vintage Hued Summer's Evening

and some geese!

Jumpsuit!

This jumpsuit is the fruit of my Sunday labours, and I'm pretty happy with the outcome..... :-)

Photography by the lovely Anwen Jenkins!

Weekend sewing - Burda 7552

I had a very productive sewing session this weekend, and made a playsuit and a jumpsuit out of some lovely fabrics I had in my stash (bonus!) this made me feel slightly better about spending so much money at Fabrics Galore on Friday afternoon......

Both are ridiculously comfortable and the playsuit was a definite winner this weekend because it was BOILING in the UK for a change, and so it was perfect to keep me cool in the heat.

Here is a picture of the playsuit - sadly it is not the nicest picture because I had to ask someone else to take it for me and this was the best of an unflattering bunch....


I used Burda pattern 7552 to make both (pictures to follow of the jumpsuit in a later post) and I would definitely recommend it, the fit was fairly true to size and its very easy to make and alter the design if you want to.

New Sewing Book Wishlist

I just noticed that these two lovely books are due to be published very soon - and they both look fantastic, I cant wait to get my grubby little hands on them!


Little green dresses by Tina Sparkles (real name?! I think not) available to pre-order HERE.

PS - I made this by Erica Domesek, available to pre-order HERE.

My weekend in pictures

Dad's Radishes

Sleepy mice

Rumple

Home Sweet Home

One of my Mum's paintings exhibited

Chickens at her exhibition