Sew Style, Fashion and Home

Im not really sure how to start this post? So I'll just come out with it...... I'M IN A MAGAZINE!

Basically they got in touch and asked if I'd like to do a bit of pattern hacking for them!

And well we all know how much I love a good pattern hack!

Anyway the magazine is called sew style , fashion and home and the piece features me and meg from pigeon wishes . We both used different Burda patterns that come free with the magazine. My pattern was 6773 which was a basic shift dress. This was quite a challenge for me because I'm not a huge fan of a dress in that style! 

Anyway I just thought I'd share this with you because it feels like such a huge achievement for me. And its pretty nice to see my name in print with my picture next to it! FYI my little niece cannot get over the fact that aunty frank is in a real magazine that you can buy from the shop!!!   

Anyway I'm feeling pretty proud of myself! And I'm feeling extra proud because I've also been put on the Feedspot list of top 100 sewing bloggers and because I've got over 100 subscribers on my youtube channel! So not get to soppy or anything but thank you to all you guys who have been reading, watching and following me, I love interacting with you all and you guys make this blogging thing pretty awesome.

Anyway thats enough before I start crying and stuff, but here's where you can get your hands on a copy of the magazine : http://www.craftstoreuk.com/buy/sew-style-fashion-home/

Or from WHSmiths 

Its £9.99 which is pretty pricey but it comes with three burda patterns, a pattern for a liberty print blouse and loads of other projects like a Missoni style top, a Boatneck top [making this] Capes, Bags, Home accessories and loads more!

Plus if you buy it you can steal my pattern hack and then we can be twins

Much Love

Frankie 

x

Top Tips For Sewing with the Big Four Pattern Companies!

There's something about the big four pattern companies that strikes fear in the hearts of many sewers! I'm not incredibly sure why? I think maybe because so much of the old style of learning to sew has been lost now that people find the lack of instructions and sizing to be a huge problem with the patterns. The internet says that the big four are Simplicity, Vogue, Butterrick and McCalls, but I think you can also include Burda and Newlook in there!

Anyway I quite like them, Yes they put stupid amounts of ease in and the instructions are crappy to say the least but! They have pretty much every style known to man , they don't need tracing and they are pretty cheap compared to most indie patterns!

So here's my top tips for having a pain free sewing experience with the BIG FOUR sewing pattern companies! 

1. Measure yourself, Be accurate, be honest! Wear the pants your planning to wear and don't breathe in!!!!

2. Find your pattern size on the chart, check whether that's a finished garment measurement or not. 

3. Now measure the pattern pieces that correspond to your size [before you've cut them out] does that correspond with other patterns you've made that fit you well? 

4. Google it. We live in an era of having information at our finger tips, and there are so many sewing bloggers out there that if you google your pattern name and number there's a huge chance that someone out there has already made it and encountered any issues the pattern might have. Seriously technology is AWESOME!!!!!  

5. Toile the pattern, Yes I know its basically a boring waste of precious sewing time but its worth it!!!!!

6. Apply your own sewing knowledge! Repeat after me "I am a strong independent sewing bad ass!!! I know what I am doing" The blunt truth is indie patterns do a lot of hand holding! But trust me you can do this! Stay stitch your necklines, apply interfacing even if the pattern doesn't ask you to, BASTE!!!! You know this stuff!!!!

7. Read the instructions, read the envelope, read the paper that the instructions come one, read the tissue pattern. You've read it? Read it again, then once more with feeling. Whilst Indie pattern companies hold your hand , the big four assume you don't have hands. The information is their but its all mashed up and all over the place!

8. Ask for help! There is a huge sewing community on Facebook, Instagram and twitter! Ask your question, hashtag to your hearts content and watch the lovely sewing folks come to your rescue!

9. Keep everything together, yes the envelope is the size of a postage stamp and the tissue pattern feels like trying to fit a double duvet into a teabag but do your best, or alternatively stick it all in a bigger envelope! Just make sure you keep the instructions!!!!

10. Finish your make bask in your own glory and get searing for your next pattern! Seriously guys, the big four have covered every single shape, style and silhouette you can imagine! If you want to make it they have a pattern for it!!!

So what are your top tips for sewing with the big for?

Frankie

xxx 

  

Colour Block Shirt

I'm still not sure about this shirt, as I cut it out I loved it, then I started sewing and I hated it, then it started coming together and I loved it, then I did the buttonholes and I hated it , then I put it on my mannequin finished and I loved it again! And this morning when I put it on I hated it again! And then I saw these pictures and maybe I like it? I'm not sure.

After looking on line I'd seen a few colour blocked shirts that I liked, and then I found some off white cotton [its slightly thicker than cotton but its super snuggley so I'm not sure what it is] and some wine coloured cotton that looked pretty cool together.

I used the same burda pattern that I used for my I shot Bambi shirt, but I think I prefer my bambi shirt, maybe because the crazy print hides a lot of flaws. Speaking of flaws I'll just list them here:

- The button holes are jacked up especially the top one which I ended up finishing by hand.

- The button band is off and the stitching is fairly crappy.

- The cuffs are not brilliant. 

- There's irregular stitching all over the place, apparently my machine did not like going through more than two layers of the thicker white stuff.

I'm not apologising for these issues though because a) its still better than my first one and b) I made a fricking shirt, so yeah. 

Things I like:

- The stripe of red at the back in the pleat looks awesome! I'm super pleased with how that turned out.

- I love the contrast yoke and the pockets, It took a lot of measuring to get those pockets even but it was worth the effort.

- The top stitching on the collar. I worked really hard to make sure it was even and looked neat.

- The hem, just in general its neat and looks bad-ass, I shortened it slightly as my Bambi shirt is a touch too long and I think my hem curve was really successful. I used bias tape to do the hem because I just think its the neatest way of doing curved hems.

- I think my button choice is pretty cool, I like all the colours together.

So yeah I think I like it ? It looks pretty modern and I think it will fit in quite nicely with the wardrobe, I like that its got a smart and casual vibe at the same time and I can see it being good for the school run.

BUT! I still don't love it as much as my Bambi shirt, but that could have just been because it had ya know deer on it!

I like it open too, I think the biggest issue is that its not ground breaking but its a good wardrobe staple. Also guess who cut her fringe back it! This is what happens when I catch sight of myself in a mirror and realise I hate my hair! I also hate going to the hairdressers so its pretty cool that I managed to do it at home! 

Much Love

Frankie

xxx

The Shirt Dress That Wasn't

Okay so the idea of this project was to make a shirt dress, no your not mistaken that's not a shirt dress, that's just a sleeveless shirt. Here's what happened, I accidentally forgot to extend my pattern pieces and didn't realise until I'd cut the pieces out.

The pattern incidentally is the same Burda one I used for my I shot bambi shirt. I didn't add seam allowances again, but this time is was an actual decision and not just because I forgot. I was pleased with the fit last time so I just added a seam allowance to the collar and stand so I'd have a bit more room to work with.

I also added waist ties to make more of a drawn in shape. The ties are just tubes of fabric top stitched and inserted into the side seam. [which I did twice because I put them too low the first time]

To be honest I think its a good job I didn't extend the pattern pieces because I wouldn't have had enough fabric, as it is the button placket and the underside of the collar and collar stand are in a contrast fabric. The main fabric is a ditsy print cotton and was given to me by my lovely pen friend.

Here's the back, I love the high low hem detail, I like wearing it with leggings as I don't feel like my bum is on display [oddly enough I never worry about the front just my bum?] and I think it might look cute with shorts in the summer.

The sleeves and hem are finished with bias binding which I also made from the contrast fabric. And the front button placket is pieced due to me not transferring my original alterations to the pattern piece for the placket [yes I have written it on now so I won't be caught out again!] 

I like that the ties give it a more ladylike feel however when I first tied them, the shoulder and bust area looked very square, so I added a small tuck at the bust on each side, and that cleared up the problem. I think if I had sleeves I wouldn't have needed it but because of the width of the shoulder it looked square.  

I will say though, that this is some of my best top stitching. I came up with an ingenious was of making sure I take my time with stitching, quite simply I turned down the speed on my sewing machine. I know right, how has it taken me this long to realise that slowing down my machine would give me a neater top stitch. I also interfaced the collar properly this time and made sure to give everything a good press at each stage. I think it all helps to create a clean finish.

The buttons don't all match, they are all the same size but some have a matt finish and some have a glossier finish, you can't tell when its done up though. In fact I didn't even realise they were different until after I'd sewn them all on. 

All in all I think it looks pretty cool, it's not my usual style but I think it looks pretty cute and I'm looking forward to wearing it more when it warms up. I wasn't sure also the colour of the fabric at first seen as I have an aversion to all things pale but I think it looks okay and it looks even better now Iv'e accidentally dyed in in my washer. Note to self always check the white wash for stray socks! Its  now a slightly pink colour which is nice.

In fact now I'm completely convinced by the pattern I think I might give a shirt dress a go!!!

Much Love 

Frankie

xxx

I shot Bambi's mother shirt

Creepy title right! Yes this is what i did with the fabric that i won from Karen from didyoumakethats facebook page.

My original plan was to make a dress, but to be honest the idea of making something that i had made 100 times bored me to tears. Instead i wanted to stretch myself.

So instead i decided to really test myself and make a shirt, like a proper shirt with a collar and a collar stand and everything.

I used a shirt pattern from a burda style magazine i was given and after i got over the initial shock of seeing the pattern sheet and composed myself long enough to read the instructions five times i got to work and it was much easier to trace than i thought! HOWEVER! i forgot to add seam allowances like a complete moron! I couldn't believe it and better than that i had already cut out my pieces before i realised! So to combat this i used the smallest seam allowance i could manage!

I did however manage to get all of my Bambi's the right way which I'm feeling pretty good about, and the Bambi's on the chest pockets are very nearly pattern matched!

I actually ran two machines for this project my regular janome for all the construction stitching and my other janome hooked up with a double needle for all the top stitching. I love the top stitching on this project it makes me really happy and i think it looks super modern and cool.

Its a little wide at the sides but i prefer it tucked in so it doesn't really bother me. The Bambi fabric was pretty drapey so i think it looks okay tucked in or out. it did mean though that i ended up using two fabrics , basically my interfacing just wasn't going on [note to self; don't buy cheap interfacing] so i backed the collar stand and collar with a quilting cotton, i also put it inside the pockets for a cleaner facing.

Little knitwit likes the shirt anyway.

and we had kisses and stuff!

I did extend the back but I'm think i did it a bit too much, although i do like that if i wear leggings my bum will be covered.

all in all i think i like it, I wasn't sure at first but after living with it i think i kinda like it. I feel like it's one of those things really hip girls in topshop wear, you know the scary ones who have resting bitch face and not one ounce of body fat?

Due to the forgetting the seam allowance thing i had to add some lace on the inside of the neck stand to hide some not great stitching. I also did what i usually do with shirts and added a spare button to the middle of the collar.

i think this is the first time every single one of my button holes went in perfectly each time, which makes me so happy its unreal.

Look at that top stitching! Its almost like its ready to wear!!

Heres the fabric i used to stabilise my collar, because life is better with polka dots and stuff!

and here's my very nearly pattern matched pockets, I actually think I'm glad they are not completely matched though because otherwise i think id lose them and i do think they add a lot to the style of the shirt.

I really do think i love this shirt, its not my usual style but it was nice to step outside of the box and try something new and I'm also really proud of myself because i think this is some of my best stitching, Ive really enjoyed seeing how far Ive come since i decided to start sewing properly.

Much Love

Frankie

xxx