Some refashioning

I don't know if you've heard of the One year one outfit challenge being hosted by Nicki of 'This is Moonlight blog, but it's got me to thinking how I can be a bit more sustainable with my sewing! I'm not going to take part in the challenge officially because I do not feel in a place where I can apply myself completely to the idea, but I think that it's a brilliant way to get people thinking about how and why they do things. With this in mind the following garments in this post are all made up of refashioned, vintage or scrap material.

This first item was previously this Maya dress. I think I only wore it once, maybe twice as a dress, but the sleeves were just too tight as they were and needed to be shortened to the point where they were wide enough to be comfortable. I did this alteration, but then whilst I was cutting away I also considered how much more wearable it would be if were a top, so chopped off the bottom too and re-hemmed it. I have been wearing it for two days straight now, so I would say that this was an alteration definitely worth doing. In fact the pictures are of me today in my 'actual' outfit!

I think I'll apply some of these changes to future Maya tops as I really like the slightly longer sleeve (it is approximately 2" longer than the pattern). The neckline is also slightly higher because I bias bound it without chopping off the seam allowance, which just gives it a slightly more masculine edge. I can't for the life of me work out why I hadn't made myself a chambray version already!!!

This is  dodgy Instagram picture of it layed out flat. I neglected to photograph it properly and now it's all wrinkly. I really like the plain bottom too and can see myself doing this again, as I sometimes feel annoyed with button downs and the way they peek open at the bottom. I think it's because I'm scared of revealing wobbly bits!

This next one is a special one, because it was made with some vintage fabric sent to me all the way from Australia. I've made friends with some lovely people recently and Jen is just the sweetest. The bib, sleeves and back yoke are also pretty special, because they're refashioned from a denim shirt that I used to wear a lot when I was breast feeding my son. Silly to get attached, but I am and the fit was never quite right on the hips. I felt sad to cut it up, because it seems so wearable, but it was too snug and I have been avoiding wearing it lately.

Here I am with the dribbling little man in our old flat! I seriously used to wear this aaaaallll the time.

Anyway, so this is my second incarnation of the Merchant and Mills dress shirt. The first one is here, but I ignored my advice on the first go and put in the back yoke gathers and I just don't like them! I removed the front pleat, which I do like (although had to sew a deeper seam on the bottom of the bib to make it sit flat) and narrowed the sleeves a touch, because they looked too gapey on this version

I really like the denim details and the re-using of the button placket (doing that again), so a success!

Last, but not least are some undies. I used the free pattern from SoZo. These are great and I'd already made a test pair from scraps to make sure they are comfortable to wear. I cut up an old nighty (stripes), a t-shirt and used scraps to make six pairs. I've currently only sewn three as they take a lot longer than I imagined, but the other three are sat by my machine and I plan to just make a pair every now and then. I am so proud of these even though they are so simple. Re-using old t-shirts feels fab, as there are few other uses that I can think of other than for use as rags! Maybe my imagination is not as developed as I hoped!!!

Overall I am not sure that sewing is a particularly sustainable past-time unless you are committed to using only vintage fabrics, but I am going to try and be less wasteful. I guess opening up the discussion and getting people thinking is a good start isn't it? Well done Nicki for coming up with the challenge!

Two Maya shirt dresses for the new year!

Here are a couple of Maya dresses that I made as part of the Autumn of 1000 shirtdresses challenge hosted by Idle Fancy. I was in two minds whether or not to blog them as a) I make a lot of Maya dresses and maybe you don't want to see them all and b) I didn't get very good pictures the first time around and only re-photographed one of them. In reading this you'll guess that I decided to go with the post!!!!

I have not been sewing quite so much lately, as knitting is on my mind and I think I am in the grip of a January sewing block. Whenever I approach my sewing area all I can think of is how much stuff I have and how much I want a clear out. It's that start of a new year, out with the old and useless type of thing and is making me veeery un-productive. I have been clearing out unwanted fabric that I will never use and plan to go through sewing and knitting patterns and at least halve my collections if not more.

These dresses are part of that feeling I suppose, as they are both made up of precious fabrics that I did not want languishing in my fabric stash a moment longer. Sometimes a sense of importance gets attached to certain fabrics and the pressure becomes too great when it comes to assigning them a project, so the Maya dress is my fail safe.

This dress is made from a Robert Kaufman chambray I ordered from The Village Haberdashery. They don't seem to have it anymore  but they do have some other lovely ones. It is quite expensive (for me), so I ordered 1.5 metres and squeezed this dress out of it with only minimal waste. I even had to exaggerate the curved hem in order to fit the front and back on, as well as obtain a pattern match. I was willing to sacrifice the dress for a blouse if I couldn't pattern match, as it seems a shame not to make the most of fabric that was an investment of sorts.

Anyway, I couldn't be more pleased with it and it's definitely a good all year round dress! It's perhaps a bit stiffer than what this pattern requires, but hopefully it'll soften with washing. I am wearing it with my grey jersey Alice tights and taupe suede boots and I love the neutral vibe of it all together.

I did mention two dresses didn't I??? Here's a picture of the second. I bought this Liberty cotton twill from Shaukat last summer when I went there with Jenna. I was dithering about it because I'd already seen that Katie had bought some (in a different colourway) and was blatantly copying, but when something's this good you can't leave it behind. This fabric is such good quality however that it is definitely too stiff for this dress. It's still a winner and definitely a new go to dress, but hopefully the wearing will do it good! You can't see the buttons very well, but these were reclaimed from an old shirt dress of my mums, so it feels great to re-use them. I placed the pocket just below my hips on this one for convenient tissue carrying.

Here's a close up of the print which was also used to line the bib of my Merchant and Mills dress.

I guess the benefit of paying a bit more is that I am much more economical with my fabrics and the scraps are minimal to say the least, but I can't afford to shop like this normally. Two very special dresses to start the year with though, so I am pretty chuffed!

By the look of this lot I am going for a very washed out colour palette this year!!!

Maya pattern update!

Hello there! I just wanted to write this quick post to inform you that I have re-formatted the Maya pattern, but also updated the sizing, so that it is consistent with any recent/upcoming patterns.

What this means is that the pattern is now available 1 size smaller and 1 size larger than it was before! I have had to re-grade it slightly to be in line with the size guide that I will be using going forward, but this was necessary and means that if you find this style too boxy and wide then there is somewhere to go in terms of sizing down!

The new files were uploaded at the weekend, but if you think you have an old copy and would like this replaced then get in touch through my Etsy shop and I'll trace back to the original sale!

I really hope that this has not inconvenienced anyone at all, as this has been playing on my mind a bit! I really hate having to make changes to something that is already in my shop and just want you to know that I work very hard to make sure that my products are as good as they can be from the beginning. The changes made are to ensure consistency throughout my ever growing collection (a bit pretentious?) and because I am a complete perfectionist, but unfortunately in this case I wasn't perfect!

Silk velvet Maya!

Christmas is coming and this silk velvet has been burning a whole in my stash lately. This is one of my favourite types of fabrics actually and I especially love it in yellow gold, petrol blue, grey or burnt orange. I guess being a grungy teenager of the nineties means that velvet holds a special place in my heart! I didn't have any of those aforementioned colours, but I have been carting this green piece around for the last 10 years. I just love how soft and drapey it is and how it catches the light!

When I originally started putting together the Maya pattern I wanted to make up a version like this and had in mind all sorts of drapey silky versions, but for some reason or another have only just gotten around to trying it out. In truth, I have too many ideas and it's not possible to execute them all, with there only being 24 hours in the day and two little people depending on me for laughs, food and general servitude. I have just come to a bit of a standstill with other things however and felt like now was as good a time as ever!

It has pretty much turned out as I imagined, so no surprises. I made the top with the shortest hem option on the front dipping down to the curved hem on the back. I did originally sew on a pocket, which I later removed as positioning seemed impossible. The pile is too squishy, so it never stayed wherever I put it. Once the pins and hand basting were done I found it had moved to a completely different place. I even machined it on, but then unpicked it and had to soak and dry the finished top to remove the bruising to the pile. This fabric marks badly if you make an unwanted stitch line, so beware!

If you have never sewn with velvet at all before then I would say that this could be a challenge to say the least. This pattern is perfect for experimenting with challenging fabrics though, as there are few seams to contend with. Silk velvet is quite different to cotton velvet, but if you take your time then it should be ok! I found that pinning my pattern pieces to the fabric was much easier as long as I put the pins in a certain direction and always tried to work with the pile. Going against the pile causes the pattern to shift. Also, pin every seam or hem to within an inch of it's life and hand baste just to be sure that it will sew ok. I didn't baste the seams BTW, I only pinned, but handled it very carefully.

Other aspects to consider are pressing seams. You can give it a go if you have a velvet pressing pad (a mat with pins for the pile to sit in), but the likelyhood is that it will mark. If unsure test a scrap first and not your actual garment. I french seamed as per my instructions, but then topstitched the seam (like a false fell seam) towards the back of the garment to make it neat. Rather than use my facings I turned the armhole edges in, doubled them over, pinned and topstitched. For the neckline I faced it with some bias binding and topstitched it down.

I didn't really know how to style this to show off it's potential, as I will wear this with scruffy big cardigans and denim skirts. If I still worked in an office then I would definitely wear it with a pencil skirt and heels. Ok, so I worked in design establishments where it is fairly impossible to be overdressed, but I really think you could get away with this anywhere.

Maybe it's time to go through your stash and try sewing with that fabric that you've been avoiding! FYI - I shall never be tempted to try tricky silk chiffon!!!

Turning your Maya into a coat!

So, this post is back tracking slightly to my recent Maya coat and explaining a few things that are going on with my pattern development right now!

The sleeves on this coat modification are far from perfect as there are drag lines on the top sleeve seams and the more I looked at it, the more I wanted to correct it and turn this into an actual coat pattern. I have had such great feedback on this garment, so it seems like a natural progression to take, but at the same time I am also mindful of the fact that some of you may own the Maya pattern and want to make these same modifications still. Sooo, it is only fair that I run through how I got from a dress pattern to a coat!

Here's a few things you should know!

• Additional to the main fabric, I also used iron on interfacing (medium weight) and bias binding
• From the original pattern I used the dress front piece at the longest length with button placket, the dress back piece (same length), the button front neck facing and I made a front facing from the dress front. To do this I marked a line approx 15cm away from the centre front all the way down and cut it away from the pattern. I did this after cutting my coat fronts from the fabric, so I wouldn't be needing this pattern piece again (I sellotaped it back afterwards)
• The centre front of the front pattern piece is still going to be the centre front of the coat, so snip into the edge of the fabric to mark where this should be. The overlap will be large enough to accomodate coat buttons.
• Construction wise I sewed together all the pieces with plain seam 

I adapted the pattern to have sleeves using this guide I put together for the jacket. Mark a straight line from the shoulder down to create your desired top sleeve length. Square this line off and draw down for desired sleeve width (remember to include your seam allowance on both sides). Square this line off again and return back to the bodice blending into the side seam and creating a new underarm. Make sure to mirror the sleeve on both front and back pattern piece. Include enough of an allowance at the end of the sleeve to create a hem. I generally aim for a 3cm hem. The measurements on the below diagram were what I used for the jacket, so don't follow these exactly unless you want really short sleeves!

Once you've cut out your fabric from all of the pattern pieces listed above, iron on approx 5cm deep strips of interfacing to your bottom hems and sleeve hems. Interface the front facings and neck facing also at this stage. Do this before you sew (unlike me...). Do as I say not as I do!!!!

Machine stitch your top sleeve seams and press.
Machine stitch your side seams and underarm seams and press, but make sure to snip the underarm curve. You need to do this to release the taughtness. For pressing tips go back to the original post here.

You will want to bind your seams at this point. I do this after joining everything together so that I can catch those snipped bits between the binding. It is probably easier to use shop bought binding, but I used self-made binding in the exact same way as I am about to show you for the facings.

I bound everything with self-made binding, which is relatively simple to do. For the neckline facing I cut strips of fabric on the bias grain approx 4cm wide and sewed it to the outer edge of my piece right sides together.

I then pressed the seam flat and  turned it towards the back of the facing piece.

I then secured it all down by topstitching from the front for a really neat stitch.

This is how it looked front and back...

 I repeated this process for the long inside edge of the new coat front facing and then started attaching them to the coat. All seams were sewn with a 1.5cm seam allowance.

Lay the front facing on first, right sides together, and pin down the length of the coat followed by the neck facing on top. Line up the centre front notches (as per the original instructions) and machine stitch in place from the bottom hem, up, around the neck and back down the other side.

 Snip off corners and into curves on the neck edge.

 Bind the sleeve hem edges in a similar way to the facings, but start with a folded edge.

When you come back round to the folded edge overlap this with the binding and when you turn it back round the folded edge will be the join.

Like this...

Continue to press the seam, fold over and topstich in place as done previously on the neck facing.

I machined a few key areas down like the join of the front facing and neck facing. I have made use of existing pattern pieces as much as possible rather than create a traditional type of facing that would have combined the neck and front facing in all one piece, so I have machined the joints for added structure. I lay the coat flat, pinned where they overlapped and machined it down (only stitching through these pieces and not through to the front of the coat).

I also did this for the hem/front facing overlap.

I machine stitched the back neckline facing down too from shoulder seam to shoulder seam. I didn't continue to machine stitch the facing down on the front, but instead opted to hand stitch it down for a nicer finish. I wanted the strength on the back to support the hanging loop I had sewn on.

The only thing left is to press and hand sew the front facings/hem down and add buttons and buttonholes. Button placement and quantity is obviously down to personal preference, but just make sure that the buttons are sewn on the centre front line.

Finished!

As previously mentioned, I am also working on this as a pattern. It's not far from being finished and although born from this idea is alot more refined and features a drafted lining, seperate sleeves, pockets and an optional collar, so if you don't want to make these mods and would like a proper pattern to follow then you won't have to wait too long!

Anyway, the rules I have applied to my pattern mods can be used for any dress pattern really if it has enough ease to be worn over clothes, so go and have a look at your pattern stash and see if they can become coats too!

My uh...Maya coat!

One word...Coat!

Warning, this a coat of extreme awsomeness! Not only does it create yet another use for my Maya pattern, but it is also the most 'actually' wearable coat I have ever made and the cheapest. Oh, and it's 99.9% completely sustainable too.

Past coats include this black, hooded number and my Albion, both of which are completely wearable, but the black thick wool coat is just a bit too chunky and warm for actually wearing sometimes, so often gets passed up. I walk everywhere as I don't drive and find it a faff to carry this and push a buggy if I get too hot! The Albion is another perfectly servicable coat, which I have worn, but it is not quite me. I've got a really nice Navy Petit Bateau jacket of a similar shape, so that one wins every time I'm afraid! Here's some more pictures of coat, before I start going on!

Could have pressed the back a bit first!

Although I had planned this coat in my head before starting, alot of things kind of fell into place along the way.

I used a vintage bedspread for my main fabric, which was picked up at a car boot sale for £1. It's one of two (£2 for the pair), so I've still got the other in the airing cupboard. I was planning on lining it (and did line it) with some of my market stall haul, but close to the point of finishing decided it looked too cheap and cut the whole thing out. The problem with this kind of bold design, I've found, is that it can start to look a bit 'dressing up box' if you add too much colour into the mix. Taking out the lining did affect how I was going to finish the inside of the coat though (obviously). Originally the seams were unfinished, but I ended up binding them all whilst the coat was assembled with some self made binding. A bit of a nuisance doing it this way, but not impossible!

Ooh, look at my hanging loop! It's made of leather and is from Merchant and Mills (my current favourite sewing shop). I ordered two, so still have another one to use, but feel I need a whole lot more!

Finding buttons was a big decision. I didn't want to use anything that wasn't already in my stash, but alot of my vintage buttons that were in the green/blue colour group seemed a bit too vintage looking. The ones I went for seem quite subtle to me and have a nice worn, scratchy surface. Also, there were 4 of them and that's what I wanted, so realistically that's what swung it! I contemplated bound buttonholes and handsewn buttonholes, but decided to use my machine. I'm more than happy with them, as the stitches really sink into the fabric. I was worried they make look a bit naff, but they are nice and stable, which I like. Can you see how I positioned the buttons with a motif? Nice!

 Another after thought was to add inseam pockets. I literally did this just before taking photos, as the thought of a coat without pockets just didn't seem right. The fabric was too chunky for patch pockets (I did try) or welt pockets, so I opted for inseam, made from the same brown voile I used for the binding. By using this thinner fabric I hoped to reduce the bulk on my hips and I only use them to put my hands in anyway. I rarely carry more than a tissue in my pockets.

Yes, I did sneak a little label onto the facing!

I love the vintage shape to this coat, which is formed by the loose a-line shape and the wide neck. This neckline may not be for everyone, but I always wear scarves in the winter, so won't let the chill in.

Sorry if I sound like I'm patting myself on the back a bit too much, but this is the most exciting thing I've made for ages (or since last week).

Now, I haven't done a tutorial as such for this, as I wasn't sure if there was much point, but if you have the pattern and would like instructions/pattern add-ons for turning it into a coat, then let me know and I'll pull together some seperate (free) instructions. I have several tips from this process I would like to share with you though.

First of all is the pressing of the seams. Thicker fabrics can bounce back on the seams when you press them, which is what a clapper is for. Basically you pump steam over the seam and then press the clapper straight onto it to force the steam out quickly leaving a really nice, flat seam. I don't have a clapper, but recently learnt that you can do this just as simply with a piece of card. Do exactly the same and blast the seam with steam and quickly cover the area with the card to push the steam out. Honestly, this is such a neat trick and you'll have amazingly well pressed seams.

 Next tip is to snip the underarm curve if you're adding kimono sleeves. It will pull awkwardly and not look right if you don't do this. I just made snips and pressed it and look how much they've stretched out!

Next up is how I added my self made binding. I don't know if this is what other people do, but this is how I did it for the facing.

I placed my 4cm wide strip edge to edge with the outer edge of the facing piece and stitched a 1cm seam allowance.

Next I pressed the seam flat from the top...

 and folded it back under the facing piece. I didn't press it again after this!

I just took it over to the machine and topstitched it down from the front. So stitched in the ditch???

So, it's nice and neat from the top and the raw edge on the back will eventually be hidden.

Ta dah!

I did handstitch the neckline facing, the front facings, hem and sleeve hems down so they wouldn't flap about, but decided to machine stitch the neckline facing down on the back of the coat only. I was just concerned that if I hung it up with the coat loop that it would pull on the fabric too much.

So there you have it! If you do want more information about turning a dress pattern into a coat then let me know in the comments and I'll rethink things!