My Honetone coat!

Hello! I thought I would just pop by to show you my Honetone coat which I personally wear. Although not brand newly made it is keeping me very warm at the moment and I made a few changes to suit my own personal preferences.

I just love the colour of this coat first of all, but I can't link to the fabric as it was low in stock when I bought it and has since sold out. It is a double twill weave from Fabworks mill shop and is similar to this pink one which I used for a version here. The difference is that this has a very slight hairy texture.

This is 10cm longer than drafted and because the addition was nothing to do with my proportions I just added the length to the bottom of the pattern.

The button band is also narrower than that of version A. I used the narrower band as I thought the poppers I was planning on using would look better. I actually rarely wear it done up to be honest as it is very warm! This is probably because I interfaced the entire front and back as well as used a pre-quilted lining.

Considering how much I have worn this coat it is still looking pretty fresh. I have sat on it, used it as a blanket and generally thrown it around as I do all my coats and the only creasing is in the non-interfaced arms. Definitely don't skimp on the quality of interfacing. I use this one from English couture and it's beautifully soft and yet stabilising. There is also a horsehair canvas back stay and front armhole reinforcement which really stabilises the top half of the coat.

Here is what it looks like without the scarf even though this sweater is not the best neckline with the coat...

Quick shot of the beautiful pre-quilted silk lining. I bought this from a silk shop in Berwick street, London a million years ago. I hadn't been to London very many times at this point and was so over excited to be in these posh silk shops that I completely splurged on this fabric. I have then been bitten by 'the fear' for over 10 or more years unable to cut into it. So happy I finally used it and it's so nice to see it every day. Because it is quilted I hemmed the main coat and the coat lining separately and then did some chain links to keep the two layers together.

I really love wearing this and it is making my other coats pretty redundant at the moment. I haven't even reached for my feather down coat yet as this is so toasty so that's excellent, although it's always nice having that in the cupboard. I somehow feel a bit smarter in this though and yet still casual. Basically I love wearing it!

isca shirtdress in denim tencel

I really, really want to share this version of my new Isca pattern with you as it's the one I wear most of the time, but I am finding my desire to have be picture taken is lower than ever. I decided to just go and do it this morning in my one day worn and creased dress before we go out for the day in this same outfit. So this is me being me and trying not to look too uncomfortable in the process. I hope you likely!

There is not much to say about said dress other than the super drapey slubby denim tencel is from Blackbird fabrics. I bought it about a year ago, but I think its the same one as this one here.

So here are some pictures of how I'm wearing it today! xxx

New pattern releases!!!

Hello, hello!

It is a long time since I released any new patterns (over a year), but I have been working slowly on things behind the scenes and this week saw the release of a new coat pattern and a new dress pattern. So just like the saying goes, no patterns for ages and then two come along at once...

First up is the Isca shirtdress. This is a design that is probably the most badly timed in terms of aaaall the shirtdress patterns that have been released this year, ha, but one that has been on my mind for the longest time. When I set up my pattern company I really wanted to reproduce a dress I drafted from a mens shirt block. It had a draped front so the button placket was skewed and flopped to the side. I wore it until it fell apart so was a dream dress, but as time has gone by some of the elements felt a bit dated. Below is my more up to date interpretation of that design and it has two very different views of the same bodice.

View A is a loose fitting dress with bust shaping and a close fit at the shoulders. There is a diagonal princess seam detail which is a bit lost in the sample print, but hopefully more visible in my blue version below. It has some really nice features in the roomy pockets and shoulder reinforcements.

View B is a draped front dress which gets tied to one side to create a wrap effect. The princess seam lines are still present as is the shoulder detail, but the silhouette is much sleeker. It's a great dress to wear if you favour a closer look, but still has the ease from the front wrap to make it incredibly comfortable. The back is fitted with back darts and the curved hem and patch pockets reference traditional shirt details. I shall share a version of this dress next week I made in a drapey tencel denim fabric from Blackbird fabrics. It is so gloriously soft and I wear it probably 3 out 7 days a week!

Note: All fabrics for the dresses (the grey was hand painted by me) are no longer available! :-(

This dress pattern speaks to me so much I can't even tell you. I have forgotten that I have any other clothes in my wardrobe I wear my versions so much! This is exactly how I felt when I released the Roberts collection, so I'm hoping you all feel the same way about it too!

Next up is the Honetone coat. This is just a very simple shape coat with a kimono sleeve. I went through loads of different ideas, but ended with this. I just wanted something clean and really well made. View A is a fully lined wool coat with some simple tailoring. I feel with coats that everyone has a preferred method. Mine is to hand sew the main fabric and lining hems. If you prefer to bag out the lining then you can totally do that, but the instructions are written with hand sewing in mind (just to let you know). View B is a great unlined denim jacket with loads of detail packed in via the topstitching. You can skip all the topstitching if it's not something you enjoy and still have a great jacket!

Mint coat fabric from Fabworks here.
Denim jacket fabric from Merchant and Mills here.

The wool coat (view A) can have both pocket options if you wish. It's probably better to select a fabric which is not too bulky if this is your plan as the inserted top pockets can be challenging on bulkier fabrics. Do not stress though, just test on some fabric scraps first if you have some spare. Here is a pink version I made from this gorgeous double faced twill weave wool from Fabworks. Such a good quality fabric!

I have had to chop my head off because as you can see below I look grumpy as anything! I don't know why. I'm happy, I promise. I just released some patterns...

There are printed versions of both patterns available in the shop for now. I have started printing A4 booklets that are really easy to read and follow and I really love how they turned out. You can also find FBA instructions for the shirtdress in the booklet.

Anyway, there's quite a lot for you to digest and I hope you like my new designs. Can't wait to see versions popping up. x

Slow fashion October

I have just come to the end of one Instagram challenge and have fallen straight into another. Last month I participated in House of Pinheiro's #sewphotohop which I usually take part in because it's light hearted and fun and this month I plan to dip in and out of slow fashion October, the brain child of Karen Templer. I enjoy this challenge and the discussions that arise from it. I am always considering how I can be more mindful in how I live and create and consume, but it's great sometimes to just air some of those views and opinions and get some feedback on how others feel and whether or not I can adjust my thinking to further my understanding of the topic.

I have taken to wearing a sort of uniform lately. Not a uniform in the sense of a boiler suit or a plain top and jeans, but a uniform of shapes or silhouettes I like to wear that is unintentionally formed of a limited colour palette. I tend to always stick with denim blues, orange, red, yellow, khaki green and anything with navy and white stripes or polka dots. There are other things in the mix, but I would say that this is fairly representative of what you would find inside my wardrobe.

I am kind of losing my train of thought a bit, but I guess what I'm getting to is that I have a well defined sense of style at this point and am able to easily identify if there is something lacking within the selection of garments I already have. This differs from past me as I used to like to have a lot of choice. Getting dressed for work or a night out was a fun experience and I never knew what I would be in the mood for. To accommodate this way of dressing I used to have shoes, bags, jewellery and clothes galore. Of course the clothes no longer fit since kids so most of that has been donated and the shoes (mostly heels) were never going to have the life they deserved as I tend not to enjoy teetering around after small people, so with an empty space I have been able to rebuild my wardrobe with what is relevant to my lifestyle now. I don't need to pack away seasonal clothes as I have room for it all to live together all year round and a lot of my things are fairly transitional anyway!

I am losing my train of thought again...

Sometimes when I hear the words "slow fashion" I think that this can be interpreted as something which has been sewn slowly or carefully. Of course it can be that, but this alone does not a successful garment make. Much more consideration is needed as to the proportions of the garment and how it will combine with everything else. Even details like topstitching or button selection can determine a garments success or failure. Our individual style is based on so many different elements and I really enjoy working my way through them all and stepping back to think about what works and what doesn't. On a whim I sewed up a back pack and a dressy dress last week to take away for the weekend. I picked patterns, fabrics, trims and finishes based on what I already know about myself and which are good quality, durable textiles. I don't mind confessing that I could have done with taking more time on both things to make them look spectacularly well finished, but they will still last as long as if I'd done that and I shall still enjoy them just as much (I shall blog these at a later date). It is slow fashion in the sense that they are timeless pieces in the context of my wardrobe space, but they did not take very long to make.

If I haven't worn something for a while, but still like whatever it is, I take the garment out and look at it to try and work out why I don't reach for it or what I can do to modify and make it more appealing. My Rose jacket that I made from a gorgeous ink denim from Merchant and Mills was screaming out to be worn. I didn't pre-wash the fabric as I didn't want to destroy the finish, but it was stiff as a board and felt too crunchy to wear. I bunged it in the wash last week and now I want to wear it all the time! It's gone lovely and soft and the colour is richer with more variation where it has worn on the edges.

Link to jacket pattern here!

Changes can be small. My aversion to wearing the jacket was very much led by my senses and how a fabric feels, which is definitely an important factor. I tend to sew mainly (not exclusively) with natural fibres as they are the ones I feel a warmth from and a happy connection to. I am trying to think about what the impact of the materials we are consuming and what we will be leaving behind, but we have so much responsibility regarding this in all areas of our lives that it certainly feels more than a tad overwhelming! To an extent I feel like rolling over and saying we are where we are and unless the whole world changes then there is no point in caring, but it does make me feel happier to be at least considering how we as a family can live better even though we are always going to leave a mark on this planet.

My fabric stash is fairly sizeable. The fact is that I have too much and there are definitely pieces I am no longer fond of. I am finding that sewing for others is a good way of working my way through it (school fundraisers and sewing for the family). I am not in a hurry to get rid, but it does bother me a little that I have pieces I don't love and I do buy fabric on top of what I already have. Funnily enough, the fabric I buy on top of what I already own tends to get used fairly rapidly as I buy for specific projects rather than in the past when I was always in a panic as if all the fabric would run out! I am finding it less of a burden than I used to, but although I have reduced the capacity of my wardrobe I am still failing dismally when it comes to my fabric. It is moving though and I can see the old and unloved pieces shifting slowly but surely.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the month ahead and listening to other peoples thoughts and figuring out ways I myself can improve my approach to life as a sewist, a designer and a consumer. Nobody's perfect, but at least we are trying to make a difference!

I have no idea if what I'm saying is at all cohesive, but ramble over. Follow the hashtag #slowfashionoctober on Instagram to follow the discussion!

pin-up harriett bra

I have had an idea for so long to make this bra (or something along these lines). In fact this vision has probably been the driving force behind wanting to learn how to make bras in the first place! Maybe not for this exact article, but for the pure reason to be able to make lingerie in the fabrics and colours I love with the detailing I find most appealing whilst knowing the shape is going to fit. My biggest gripe about shopping for such items is that feeling when you see all the pretty things and realise that only the one you liked the least actually suits your shape. Jeans and bras. They are the garments that never fail to disappoint!

I have long been influenced by vintage/retro lingerie and have been storing up ideas of how I can incorporate it into my own wardrobe. The styles I'm talking about are not "me" per se, but elements of them really are (if that makes any sense). I am a bit of a romantic I guess and I love the shiny salmon pink fabric and the topstitching that is synonymous with these styles, but wouldn't have a clue about how to wear or indeed feel confident enough to wear the quite accentuated bullet shapes. Of course, as well as actual vintage examples I also refer back to modern representations or re-issues.

Here are some of the pieces that have guided me.

A very crumpled original longline bra definitely steered my fabric choice. Being up close and personal I realised this is made of a much sturdier fabric than you'd imagine. I got a spot on match with some cotton backed corsetry satin. I believe this is the one I ordered!

You can see how the inside is finished with loads of twill tape. I love the inside as much as the outside!

The Jean Paul Gaultier corset/bodysuit famously worn by Madonna. This piece was actually my introduction to lingerie making. Whilst at university over 10 years ago I set about drafting a pattern and making a toile to match the original as closely as possible. It is obviously not an exact replica, but I look at it now and am pretty proud of it having had no previous experience of this type of construction. It has stood me in good stead and the research I did to get to that point has been something I have referred back to in my more recent lingerie endeavours.

This next one is a modern repro of a vintage style by Playtex. I just keep it for reference as, although pretty, is not me. I love all the details and the construction, but I find it too strappy and actually uncomfortable for a soft style.

So back to my make. I see this as a kind of graduation in a way. I have done a lot of work over the past year (starting here) getting to know my way around bra construction and pattern drafting as well as trying out different bought patterns. It has been rewarding in many ways and now I am in a place where I can pick and choose my construction method as well as pattern adaptions. I feel very at ease with the process. This bra definitely represents that. I just confidently cut into my fabric and set about constructing the whole thing carefully and considerately knowing that the end product would be fit for purpose. Of course there are elements I would like to refine (isn't there always?), but I wasn't rushing through it, desperate to find out if it had worked or not which can be the case when you are new to bra sewing. I am feeling very Zen... ;-)

I used a silk strip to encase the seams of the lower cups and lined the upper cup. I really wish I had covered the wire casing with silk or something (just being picky).

The prettiest bra straps and findings. I think the shop I got these from is now closed. Sorry!

Sorry if I've been a bit gushy, but I'm really pleased with this one! Learning the skills to make a good bra is not actually that hard and fitting is not as painful as you'd think. You can push yourself further if you want to, but you don't have to and it means you no longer have to endure the drudgery of bra shopping! FYI, this was made using the fabulous Harriet bra pattern by Cloth Habit. I suggest you read her blog from start to finish for her inspiring bra making journey! xxx