Vintage Shirtdress Workshop – week one

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with Liberty Tana Lawn, Sew Over It, sewing workshops, Vintage, Vintage shirtdress 10/06/2015

Hello all, I hope you’re having a good week?

Yesterday I went to the first of three workshops at Sew Over It to make their Vintage Shirtdress. It’s my fourth workshop there and I really can’t recommend them enough. My favourite make EVER is the 1960s coat I made – blogged here. The studio is gorgeous – tea and (homemade) cake permanently available and best of all, a brilliant teacher to take you through the pattern and help with all the fiddly bits.

Took both fabrics to the workshop but eventually decided on the charcoal one – a Liberty Tana Lawn called Winter Dreams of Spring

I was really pleased that the teacher was Julie who is super patient and highly experienced. There were six of us. A lovely generational divide: three young women in their twenties and another three who I would estimate were at least twenty years older (I hope I haven’t offended anyone by writing that!). That is one of the lovely things about sewing – it unites people who might otherwise not appear to have much in common. There was a little bit of chatter but everyone was really busy measuring and cutting out – we didn’t actually get to do any sewing at all.

Only roughly laid out here to check I had enough fabric.

It does seem that most patterns over-estimate fabric requirements. I had bought three metres and was worried that I would have to eek it out but I had a considerable chunk left over. I wonder if you can guess what I plan to make with that?! Sew Over It have toiles made up in all sizes so that you can check your fit first. The last few things I have made at home have been too big – I do always measure myself but perhaps I just don’t hold the tape measure tightly enough? Anyway, I decided to try on the 10 toile instead of my usual 12 and that was to big so I ended up with the 8 …. which I am surprised about because I am definitely not an 8!

It is going to be an expensive couple of weeks – I am incapable of going into a fabric shop without buying something and last night was no different.

Cornflower blue linen and my very own ham!

I was really excited to see that Sew Over It have expanded their fabric range and put more shelves in to accommodate the additional choice. This weekend just gone I made a dress (yet to be blogged) which I was really disappointed with. However, I resolved to call it a wearable muslin and have another go. I have a little bit of blue Queue for the Zoo Liberty leftover from my Belcarra (blogged here) so I thought I would use that for the yoke and make the dress with this contrasting linen. What do you think old hands – will a bodice of tana lawn (one thickness – it has interfacing rather than being fully lined) hold up a dress of linen?

I bought my goodies before the class but then at the end Julie gave us our homework and to be honest, I am not sure I will get anything else done. I jotted down what I thought were the couple of tasks on the top of my instruction sheet but the list just kept on growing!

My homework

I said to Julie, “I’ll be bringing in a complete dress next week at this rate” and she replied that it was just basic sewing and then we could concentrate on the fiddly bits such as fitting and doing the collar: good point, well made!

I’ll let you know how the homework goes – as a teacher myself I am very diligent about such things!

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

When Frida met Kim …

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with BHL Kim, Frida Kahlo, Indie pattern month 2015, parham, Sew Over It, The monthly Stitch 07/06/2015

Hi all, welcome to my June post for The Monthly Stitch which is also a contest entry for the dress competition. The focus for this month is Indie Patterns but as I have only ever sewn Indie patterns I am on familiar territory!

During the first week of Me Made May when I was managing to keep up with all the IG posts, I spotted one garment made with a fabric I found so fabulous I immediately set about tracking it down – thank you Fondant Fabrics.

Isn’t is fabulous? Just in case you too want to buy it, here are the details:

I wish I had made a note of whose IG I saw the fabric on so that I could say a huge thanks. My plan was to make a BHL Kim with it to wear on the last day of MMMay15 as a sort of grand finale – also coinciding with my husband’s birthday. I made it by the skin of my teeth – sewing the bodice lining in whilst sat in bed having my early morning cup of tea on the 31st.

Regular readers of my blog Clarinda Kaleidoscope will know I have a bit of a love affair with Colette Patterns Sorbetto and usually manage to squeeze one out of my scraps. I did things a little bit back to front this time. After I cut out my Kim, I eeked out my Sorbetto – no pleat and made that up first. It very quickly became a favourite.

Anyway, back to Kim. I spent ages cutting out. I wanted a centralised Frida on the bodice – tick.

I also wanted to do the same on the back – sadly I made a right ole booboo. Can you spot the obvious mistake?

Retrospectively, I think it may have been too much having two centralised Fridas.

This is my third Kim; my first was for a wedding (a Flamingo Border) and the second was a fun, nautical version. I am not known for my muslins (naughty girl) but I have made adjustments. I chopped off about an inch from the shoulders to save them slipping down and I sewed a wider, sweeping arc for the seam allowance at the Princess seams because my boobiloobies don’t fill the bodice. I think this is the most I have altered a garment in terms of fit.

Anyway, if I say so myself I think it is an absolute glory. I am SO chuffed with it. The Kim is a great pattern – the instructions are really clear and if you need extra help with fiddly bits, the details on the Kim Sewalong give all the detailed advice you need.

It is such a glorious day we decided to visit Parham – an enormous country house with massive parklands, formal gardens and today, a craft fair. I thought it was a fitting location for my new, favourite dress and was delighted when one of the “crafty” ladies told me that she thought my dress was the best one she’d seen this year!

Anyway, let’s hope the sun continues to shine on us. I think I might even have a mid week post this week, as on Tuesday I am starting a three week workshop at Sew Over it to learn how to make their new Vintage Shirtdress – can’t wait. Will close with a couple more pics from Parham but please feel free to skip if you have Frida/Kim/Clarinda fatigue!

Toodle pip,

Clarinda

Magnificent Mortmain

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with badger and earl, exposed zips, handmade jane, Mortmain dress, Sew Over It, sewing workshops, swedishhasbeens 27/03/2015

Well hello there, I have broken up for Easter today and I can’t tell you how happy I am about that.

Look … I made something which actually fits me and doesn’t have too many boo boos – thanks to the girls at Gather for their amazing pattern and to Handmade Jane who led the workshop at Badger and Earl where I made this dress over two consecutive Sundays. For ten hours in total we worked on our frocks and not one of us managed to completely finish so our fashion parade at the end was somewhat hurried. Had we been on the Great British Sewing Bee we would probably have had ninety minutes and had to throw in a bolero jacket as well!

I had a specific event in mind for this dress which influenced my fabric choice – a gorgeous ….. actually, I’ve no idea what it is! A cotton sateen maybe? There was a bit of stretch which I hadn’t realised initially and the white background is embossed; the lilac/purple splodges look like watercolours. My school colours are lilac/purple and this year a new event was introduced: The Lilac Dinner. The idea was to have an evening where the students, parents and teachers all have supper together just before the students go off to take their GCSEs. I do like to throw myself into things so decided I was going to make a lilac dress – of course I was! I originally bought a purple gingham but when I was at Sew Over It making my coat the fabric kept calling my name and whispering “Lilac Dinner, Lilac Dinner”.

I LOVED the workshop. There were four of us and we all had gone for floral prints. The dress was a great fit on all of us without any real alterations – it seemed to be a magic pattern. Everything seemed to fit together perfectly. The only really tricky thing was the exposed zip – I thought invisible zips were supposed to be hard but they are a doddle compared to the exposed zip. Thank goodness Jane was there to expertly guide us through every step of the way.

Here is the back view – I have to admit I was a little sceptical of the exposed zip but it does make a statement and a lot of the girls had similar zips in their outfits so it must be very “in”!

It was really great to meet Jane – she was very perceptive at gauging exactly where we were at any one point and who was fine and who needed help. The only thing I messed up, and I am so cross with myself about this, was that I managed to put my armhole facings in upside down. Jane was so kind in offering to re-set them for me as she knew I needed the dress for Thursday but I just pressed the life out of them and they stayed in place.

And obviously we have to mention the shoes! Aren’t they gorgeous? I saw them on Dolly Clackett’s blog and knew they would go perfectly with my dress so I literally ordered them just before the workshop on Sunday; they arrived from Sweden yesterday at 1pm – cutting in fine! I find I am being influenced more and more my reading sewing blogs – it’s the second time I’ve “borrowed” style from Dolly and have also blatantly copied Justsewtherapeutic. Is that wrong – I’m not sure? Do you say copy or inspired by?

Anyway, I have had a hideous half term and I am really pleased to have broken up today. I was thinking about going away but actually I just want to rest at home, read and sew so hopefully I will have a few things to show you over the next couple of weeks. I will definitely make the Mortmain again (arm facings the right way up) and have already bought the zip.

Hope you have lovely things planned for Easter,

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

Finally ….. I am proud to present: The 1960s Coat

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with arundel, DM buttons, Guthrie and Ghani, Sew Over It, Sewing, sewing workshops 22/02/2015

Greetings all on this last day of the half term,

I am SO pleased to say that I have FINALLY finished my coat and here it is!

It has taken four weeks of a weekly workshop at Sew Over It, Clapham with the super talented, super patient Julie and four weekends of homework (which has been substantial). I have blogged each week charting my different feelings towards the project which have veered from extreme frustration and desperation through to pleasure and wonderment. If you are new to my blog and are interested in its journey (someone might be – certainly no-one in my household is) then you can read about it here: week one; week two; week three; week four.

I think it is only fair I give huge credit to Julie who held my hand throughout the process. I found the number of pattern pieces overwhelming: lining, interlining and shell. The lined pockets incorporated into the seam took me one whole workshop of three hours. I don’t drive; I don’t have any spatial awareness. Similar deficiencies became apparent during sewing – I find construction really quite baffling and when some particular aspect finally comes together, it seems to me to be as if by magic.

I was also lucky enough to meet David Miller of DM Buttons in Soho who expertly made my buttonholes and the funky buttons came from Ditto Fabrics in Brighton – I was really lucky to get some which managed to perfectly match the flower design of the coat.

The fabric came from Guthrie and Ghani who also supplied the lining. I would highly recommend Lauren’s store for online purchases. She was extremely helpful, sending swatches and confirming that the fabric would be suitable for the coat I was going to make. Items purchased always arrive swiftly and are beautifully packaged. Ooh dear – this could be beginning to sound like an Oscar Acceptance speech – so after, Julie, David and Lauren there was me! Regular readers will know how I frequently feel deflated and am quick to point out errors but I really am chuffed to bits with my coat – it is certainly my most ambitious make to date – and probably a feat never to be attempted again!In order to consolidate my learning (SUCH a teacher), I really should go straight into another one – perhaps in a cotton twill or canvas for summer. I know this would be the best way to ensure I do not forget all of the techniques I learned but I am not sure I have the motivation to keep going by myself. Knowing I had to face Julie and my fellow workshop chums each week meant I tried hard to do all of my homework and keep more or less on track.

So there you go, the journey of my 1960s coat has finally reached its destination. The photos were taken in Arundel this morning on a cold but bright sunny day and the coat kept me warm.

One final comment – a question actually: I have three weddings to go to this year. I am toying with the idea of making a little dress in the same fabric as the coat to wear together as a set – perhaps a sleeveless shift or a Megan – a la Jackie Onassis. What do you think? Would it be too much?

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

The Button Man

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with Buttonholes, buttons, coat making, DM buttons, Sew Over It, sewing studio, shoulders, soho 18/02/2015

Hello fellow sewistas, are you having a good week?

Last night was the final night of my coat making workshop at Sew Over It – do I have a finished coat? Of course, I don’t! However, it should be completed by the end of the week. I did have an interesting day though – I met the Button Man of Soho.

Our tutor had recommended that we have our buttonholes done at DM Buttons in Soho. As the establishment’s opening hours are 7.30 – 3pm, I knew I would only be able to get there in school holidays so although I think it is more usual to do your buttonholes as part of the finishing touches, I decided to visit yesterday before my final class as I didn’t want to be in the position of having a finished coat and then having to wait until Easter before I could get them done.

I am a Londoner, born and bred, and one of the lovely things about London is that you can find things off the beaten track that you never knew existed before and DM Buttons was one such experience. In Soho I went down a side street, then down an alley (Mews to use the correct term) and then right at the very end was a white doorway that opened onto a steep staircase down which I descended to the basement to find the Button Man busily working away on a gorgeous gold corset style bodice.

I was fascinated at the number of industrial machines and how quickly the buttonholes were done. I had marked them up in advance but I had to re-do with tailor’s chalk and then whoosh – four keyhole buttons holes in a flash. Honestly, it was the most amazing service – super efficient and super cheap: £4 I could not recommend this service enough. When Julie first suggested we get our buttonholes done I thought that was a bit of a cheat but of course, I see now it makes perfect sense to have something so prominent as buttonholes on a major garment finished professionally.

See – perfect? If you remember my button hole fiasco on the yoke top you will agree that I made a wise decision!

The other interesting thing I discovered yesterday on my sewing journey is that I have big shoulders – even more unfair as I have non-existent boobs. At class we spent ages learning how to place, sew-in (handsewing) and then secure the lining to shoulder pads – I guess that took about an hour an a half – I am such a slow coach at everything. Anyway, once I tried my coat on it looked really odd – I didn’t get any photos as I was too busy weeping at that point. Instead of a nice line falling straight down the sleeve from the shoulder pad, there was a bulge outwards where my big shoulders were wider than the pads (which I originally thought were rather chunky). It completely spoilt the line so there was nothing to do but to unpick all of my hand sewing and remove them. By complete coincidence I read a blog post from Crab and Bee this morning about fitting clothes based on your shoulder size – who knew we had a shoulder size?

Half term is going well; lots of family stuff intermingled with sewing, marking, reading and walking on the beach. Hope to do an update on my half term projects at the end of the week.

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

The continuing saga of my coat; Class 3 of 4

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with belcarra, coat making, Colette patterns, Great British Sewing Bee, Moneta, Sew Over It, Sewing, sewing studio 12/02/2015

Hello!

I hope you are having a good week? It’s the day before we break up for half term and as per every penultimate day of a half term I am super stressed. There is a big sign on the wall at the Sew Over It studios which says SEWING SOOTHES THE SOUL … OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. It does but my coat making has caused a lot of stress too. There are four classes and homework each week – the tasks for which are detailed and numbered on really helpful A4 sheets. I have just finished class three of four. The lesson has seven tasks and there are a further three for homework. I have managed to do task one … of the classwork!

I think the stress-inducing issue for me has been the homework – which is not something quick but a chunky four to six hours worth of work. This amount of time needs to be carefully scheduled in but with consecutive weeks it can cause a build up in other activities which you normally do at the weekend e.g. marking (I am choosing to forget that I spent a glorious afternoon on the beach – wasn’t Sunday gorgeous?)

I had not finished the classwork/homework for week two so decided to skip off early from work and get to the studio two hours before my class. I sat companiably with one the of the Sew Over It girls, listening to classical music and as I caught up, I did find that, yes, my soul was indeed soothed. Next week is half term so goodness knows what time I’ll have to arrive in order to make up the deficit after this week!

I did learn an interesting new technique this week – pressing. When I attached the front facings, Julie (brilliantly patient tutor) told me that I had to “press and pat” to get the facings to lie completely flat. This involved steaming and pressing and then, so that the fibres don’t spring back into place you have to “pat” them back until the steam has been pushed out and the fabric has gone cold – it then lies much flatter. The patting was accomplished by whacking the fabric with the ham – you can see how the end has mounded itself to my hand with all the pressure. Anyway, it gives a nice clean finish. We also marked on the buttonholes and I am going to take them to a man in Soho who apparently has a buttonhole machine and makes keyhole buttonholes for professional tailors – and amateur seamstresses apparently. I am looking forward to sharing my button hole experience with you next week – are you excited?

Finally, it is very difficult not to buy anything when you are in a fabric shop/haberdashery for five hours. This is what I bought this week. Some lovely broderie anglaise – isn’t that a lovely thing to say – BRODERIE ANGLAISE and a blue/black chevron jersey. I’m thinking Moneta for the knit – I have been impressed with recent versions from Sew South London and Navy Blue Threads. For the cotton, another Belcarra maybe? It would make a lovely shirt but I have button hole fear at the moment – to sit alongside my overlocker fear – what IS the matter with me?!

I hope you’ve got a nice glass of wine lined up for GBSB tonight – wonder what I’ll spot that I recognise this week?

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

Claudia the Calf? Where’s Gogglebox when you need it? Welcome back Great British Sewing Bee!

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with By Hand London Kim, Claudia Winkleman, GBSB, Great British Sewing Bee, Liberty lawn, Sew Over It, Sewing, Trixie Lixie knickers, Ultimate trousers 06/02/2015

There was a real sense of excitement and anticipation at home last night – for me at least. My menfolk were quietly resigned but they watched The Great British Sewing Bee and the endless comments proved that they were clearly engaged. As our roast chicken supper was cooking, I snatched an hour or so to make another couple of Trixie Lixie knickers in some lovely Liberty Lawn I had ordered from Guthrie and Ghani. I was SO impatient AND determined to have a sewing filled extravaganza of an evening that I sewed them up without matching thread – Shocking behaviour.

I credit GBSB 100% for getting me into sewing and how funny a year on to see how much more I know about it all. Was it a BHL Kim bodice I saw (two possibly?) in the summer frock category? The trousers for the first challenge – surely Sew Over It’s Ultimate Trouser with a tweak at the waist to swap facing for bias. Both currently in my stash!

The Kim pattern is because I am taking part in the Kim sewalong – not that I am up to date with that of course. The Ultimate trousers I made at a workshop a couple of months ago and immediately rushed out to buy some Black twill (?) to make super boring work trousers. It is because of the super boring bit that the fabric has sat in my stash but I think I will make them up this weekend. If the Sewing Bees managed it in three hours then I’m going to try and match that. Regular readers will know that we have had a Sewing Bee at my work. One of the Bees asked on Wednesday if we were going to follow along with the series – we all looked at her as if she were bonkers. But here I am, actually considering doing one of the challenges for this week.

Was one of the dresses made of this fabric? I thought so but we didn’t get a close up. It is a gorgeous Liberty lawn with lots of little seaside related illustrations on it. It’s waiting to be made up into a blouse/summer top of some description – hopefully with enough left over to make another pair of pants – they are VERY addcitive!

Finally, onto the contestants and the challenges. Why oh Why is Gogglebox not on tonight? I LOVE Gogglebox – a glorious celebration of family and what it is to be British in our wonderful,l multi-cultural society. I would love to know what Steve and Chris, Steph and Dom and Sandy and Sandra think of the garments, characters, challenges. It is sad when someone has to leave – especially when you have barely been introduced but what a travesty to lose Annie so soon. Did you catch that glorious retort to Claudia when she told she had to leave: Don’t worry – I’ll still name a calf after you!

Have a great weekend sewing,

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

Week two of my coat making plus a dollop of naval gazing

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with Alice in Wonderland, coat making, Great British Sewing Bee, Guthrie and Ghani, Liberty, Liberty lawn, Sew Over It, Sewing, sewing workshop 04/02/2015

At my coat making workshop last week, I became acutely aware that I was a nightmare student – as a teacher myself this is particularly embarrassing. There were only three of us which is an excellent ratio but even so I ended up with far more than my fair share of the tutor’s time because I was continually fussing. I really don’t know what happened but I became completely flustered and got myself into quite a state. At the end even the tutor said she was surprised that I was so insecure – she actually said that – as I could clearly do the work. SO ….. I have spent a long time pondering about why I had been so needy and I finally came up with a theory: I am a control freak. We were given all of the pattern pieces (three huge sheets) plus separate A4 packs for each week with associated diagrams of what was to be covered. I think I was so overwhelmed at seeing the sheer volume of what had to be done, I just kept asking and double checking. Retrospectively, I think had I taken ten minutes to just sit down and read what needed to be done so that I least I knew where I was going, I would have been fine.

Having felt so needy during the workshop I was determined to get ahead for the next week so I diligently threw myself into my homework on Saturday – it was extensive! It took me five hours to finish cutting out the pieces and iron on all of the interfacing/lining, some of which you had to “draft” yourself. The instructions said you needed to iron over a fine cloth but after pressing and pressing and getting nowhere, I abandoned my liberty lawn scrap and applied my iron directly to the interfacing and hey presto, it worked a treat.

Last night we had the second workshop and I was much calmer which I think was a relief to everyone! Three hours rushed by and all I really did was attach the pockets/linings – a really interesting technique and then, after a fitting, adjust the back.

Needless to say there is a LOT of homework again this week: attaching the collar to the front facings and the coat back and constructing the lining including little dart pleats which I haven’t done before. All of which means I won’t get to do all of the other sewing I had planned!

Along with many others – Justsewtherapeutic and Lazy Daisy Jones – I am having a bit of a knicker phase at the moment; I bought these gorgeous fat quarters from Guthrie and Ghani in the new Liberty Lawn Alice in Wonderland designs. Seriously, aren’t they gorgeous? Having made a pair already I should only need an hour but I have to prioritise my coat so we’ll see.

Whilst as Sew Over It, I took the opportunity to buy some little goodies from the haberdashery (How I LOVE that word!); zips and threads for the Mortmain dress I plan to make in March and a funky little magnetic pin tray. All of that lovliness AND The Great British Sewing Bee is on tomorrow night – Life is Good!

Hope you are all having a fun week, enjoying the snow etc.

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

Outerwear, Underwear – it’s all happening here!

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with coat making, Guthrie and Ghani, Sew Over It, Sewing, Trixie Lixie knickers 28/01/2015

Yesterday was the first of my four coat making workshops at Sew Over It Clapham with super patient Julie who has already guided me through a lace dress and a pair of trousers. The workshops were a Christmas present (obviously lots of careful hints) to my other half.

This is my fabric – a beautiful (reversible) daisy wool and the polka dot is for the lining; both from Guthrie and Ghani. I got the gorgeous buttons from Ditto fabrics.

There are just three of us in the class – just as well as the class is labelled as Advanced and at the very best I would describe myself as Intermediate Beginner. The others have chosen wonderful fabric/lining combinations so I am hopeful we will have a trio of quite dramatic coats to show off mid February.

The style is 1960s. Here is a rather unflattering photo of me wearing the sample. It will be quite interesting to compare my final version with this beauty!

There is a lot to do. The session lasted for three hours and in that time all I managed to do was cut out the wool and pin the interfacing. The construction process is carefully broken down into four weeks and there are detailed instructions for what needs to be covered each week during the lesson and separate instructions for what needs to be done for homework. The homework is substantial – I would say at least a further three hours but I will let you know in my next progress report. Most of the pieces need to be cut out three times: fabric, lining, interfacing. New things I learned: there is a different type of interfacing (not the Vilene type stuff I have used previously) which is used for coats – it is actually woven and you have to cut it on the grain. This I have to cut and iron on for my homework so I cannot comment on if it is easier/trickier etc. The other interesting thing is that a man in Soho is recommended to do our button holes. I had commented that they looked great on the sample and despaired of ever being able to do anything like that and then we were given the recommendation. I did wonder if it was sort of cheating to get someone else to do the final finishing touches but it would be a total bummer to have made your coat, invested hours and hours and then bugger up the buttonholes – which I would almost certainly do. If you read my blog about the silk top you will know that button holes are my nemesis.

I DO love the studio. It is such a calming (although I was anything but calm and that is going to be the subject of a future, navel-gazing style post), twee, girly space – all shocking pink staircases, pretty jars of notions and tea cup pin cushions. Always there is lovely cake and tea on tap. That was something else I learned – when you are sewing, your bladder ceases to function! I have a lovely little routine – established when I did the lace dress workshops – I leave work and arrive an hour or so before the class starts (I am always a super punctual person and would rather arrive an hour early than with just two minutes to spare) and then sit in a little independent coffee house and use the wifi to catch up on blogs whilst having a couple of lattes. Then, at the studios, there were further mugs of tea and it was only when I got home I realised I hadn’t been to the loo once! Anyone else get so engrossed they forget such things?!

So, I have made a start – there is much to do this weekend but I hope you found my first progress report interesting.

Just a quick thing to finish with – a pair of pants!

I saw on IG that JustSewtherapeutic had had a snow day (no sign of any here) and had productively made three pairs of Trixie Lixie pants. I am a shameless copycat and immediately bought a kit (bargain as it includes the pattern, elastic, fabric etc). It really is the first time I can say “it came together easily”. I knocked them out Sunday night – we were watching a box set of Spiral series one (on a colleague’s recommendation) but I found it too distressing so gave up and took refuge in my Janome. I wore them on Monday and they were comfy too – hoorah! I plan to make many more in Liberty lawn – specifically the new Alice in Wonderland designs.

Hope you are having a good week!,

Toodle pip,

Clarinda x

Dotty Delectable Delphine

Posted by Clarinda Kaleidoscope in sewing and tagged with delphine, Love at First Stitch, polkadotjanuary, Sew Over It, sewcialists, Sewing, skirt, Tilly and the Buttons 25/01/2015

This is my first skirt and I know already that I will be making lots more. It is SO practical – I can see this becoming a real staple for work but there is also scope to dress it up/down too. In fact, I did try to dress it up and tried it on with these cute shoes I bought for a wedding three years ago and haven’t worn since. Needless to say, they are not going to be worn with my Delphine because it was just too polka-dotastic and I looked ridiculous! Back to the skirt (although it is always nice to look at shoes). This is the Delphine from Love at First Stitch by super-talented Tilly. This is my third Tilly make now and I am really impressed with her clear instructions, lots of photos and simplicity of design. I am also a straight size 4 and for someone who is still not confident with fitting this suits me fine. Although I am really pleased with it – there are a number of things I would do differently next time – to be honest there are a number of things I should do to this skirt to improve it but I am eager to get onto the next thing – as per usual. I am looking forward to achieving the wisdom and patience that the more experienced sewistas have. OK – here is my list of boo boos – it never occurred to me to try and wriggle the fabric around a bit so that my seams didn’t slice off half a dot making it look like this. I thought with a pattern it wouldn’t notice but it does (and at the waistband too), I also, and it’s the second time I have done this, not bought an invisible zip when I thought I had. I stupidly decided to insert it just as if it were an invisible zip but got into a right mess with the end which was exposed so there is another bodge job involving a bit of hand sewing. You will recall from my Denim Sureau that I am now an expert at top-stitching (!) so I decided to add it to my Delphine even though there is no requirement. You can see the fabric a little clearer. It is a lovely cotton which has a look of linen and I bought it on my first fabric shop of the year at Ditto Fabrics. The big excitement for me this week is that I begin my four week course at Sew Over It to make a 1960’s coat. I am already thinking this is too ambitious but it was my Christmas present and I am looking forward to learning some new techniques and meeting some fellow sewing enthusiasts. I am planning to blog my weekly progress so do drop by again to see how I am getting on. Toodle pip, Clarinda x