Gingham Circle Skirt

I feel like to be a proper British person I need to start this post off by mentioning the weather.... I mean haven't we just had it all?! The blazing sun followed by pouring rain! High humidity and then this morning it was actually chilly!

Anyways I made this skirt a lil while ago but I've gotten out of the habit of posting regularly, what can I say after a day of trying not to melt I'm pretty beat!

The fabric came from my Aunty Shelia and Uncle Gordons house, my mum and some other family members went to clear it out recently and they were kind enough to set aside a lot of their vintage linens for me. This was a table cloth, my mum said they must have found at least 15 whilst clearing out so as you can imagine they were all in pretty good condition, This had one small stain that came out during pre washing. The fabric appears to be some sort of cotton/linen type stuff?

Its a pretty cool gingham design and their was just enough to make a simple circle skirt. For  the waistband I used fabric from my stash and I decided to have a button front rather than a zip in the back. Mainly because I'm running out of skirt zips and couldn't be bother to go out. 

I reinforced the front placket with hemming tape, this just meant I had something a bit more stable to put the buttons onto! The waistband however was too thick to put a buttonhole into so that closes with a press stud instead. 

I am wondering if its bit short? Like I feel like I'm young enough to still be wearing short skirts but I;m also a mum so I bend down a lot???? 

But yeah all in all I love it! It does make me a bit sad to look at it though because it came from their house and its one of their things? I did feel a bit bad about cutting up one of her table cloths especially considering what good care she took of her things but I actually think she would have been quite tickled at the thought of me making a skirt from it.

In other news! 

This week ended up completely jacked up! We had a lovely visit from Rikkis Nan and Grandad on the Tuesday and then on the Wednesday lo and behold Rikki wakes up feeling rotten [we suspect tonsillitis] which put paid to our weekend plans! The idea was providing we had nice weather we would go camping and if we didn't I'd take the train to the new Abakhan store that was opening and have a day to myself and hopefully spend enough money to snag myself a goody bag! oh and try and get myself a signed copy of Jenny Taylors new book!! As it goes Rikki being ill meant we couldn't do either!!! Not a happy bunny! Actually that's an understatement, the combination of missing out on fun things, a ill husband and a miserable child left me in what I can only describe as a foul mood. I did apologise after all its not Rikkis fault he's ill [it is his fault hes a baby about it....].  

And the freezer broke! Rikki left it open one night and then It didn't work properly for 4 days so now we've had to throw away a metric tonne of food and restock! All whilst crossing our fingers that it doesn't break again! 

BUT all is currently well, I've just had a bath and a KFC and now I'm watching Clint Eastwood in escape from Alcatraz so all is well!

Much Love

Frankie

xxx

  

The £2.25 Dress

The titles a lie actually. I brought 3m of this fabric for £2.25 but I've only used a metre and a halfish so technically the dress cost even less!

The fabric came from abakhans just after Christmas, when I spent a blissful morning wandering around by myself spending my Christmas money and generally basking in the glory of having 5 minutes to myself! It was on the sale rail for a whopping 75p a metre so I brought 3 with the intention of making a maxi dress for an up and coming wedding in Spain [I actually wish I'd brought more but at the time I couldn't decide if it was really fricking hideous or absolutely fabulous!]Anyway lo and behold they changed the date of the wedding and Rikki's work wouldn't change his holidays which means we'll only be able to make the after party that's being held in England. 

To be honest I did still toy with the idea of making a maxi dress but I only really wear maxi dresses abroad so I figured a nice going out dress would be better and would get more wear. 

So then I thought about one of my favourite going out dresses and set about trying to make a better version!

The bodice is the same princess seam bodice from the second great British sewing bee book that I always use, but this time I added a waistband and some long ties so I could give myself a clinched in look. The skirt is just a very simple circle skirt cut to my measurements. I chose a circle skirt because nothing quite falls the same way, I have a theory that a circle skirt can make any bodice look instantly classy.

The biggest issue I had was placing the pattern. Its a very large and vivid jewelled print? It kind of reminds me of Elizabeth Taylor just because that girl liked her diamonds! I knew a princess seam bodice would be easiest for getting nice symmetry in the front so I just worked out where the pattern centre line was and folded on that line and then cut everything out VERY carefully. I'm really pleased with the front but the back is a little bit wonky.

With the fabric being a fairly thin Poly peachskin? I opted to line the bodice just to give a bit more body. I top stitched the neckline to keep everything in place. 

The circle skirt was a BRUTE! I have never had so many problems hemming a circle skirt in my life. In the end I cut some bias binding from a dashwood studios fat quarter and used that the bind the hem. In the end I actually think it worked out better because 1. It stopped me swearing at it and 2. It gives the hem a bit of body and makes it hang nicely.

I'm still considering this for the after party with purple shoes and I have some purple fabric that might make a nice Chanel style jacket? and then I'm toying with the idea of one of those rockabilly petticoats just to introduce more colour! Plus you know poofiness is life. 

Its actually one of three dresses I'm considering, all of which are homemade!

Eurgh my hair is a mess it is in dire need of a good cut but me and my hairdresser are having scheduling conflicts!

Here's me demonstrating how long the ties are. The idea being you can wear them at the front/back or wrap them around yourself Obi style. Although I'm not sure how much room that would leave for food/frolicking. 

So a grand success I actually really love it and I can't wait to find an occasion to wear it too!

The only thing I'd do differently is the position of that second green jewel on the skirt! I wish it was lined up with the one on the waistband. especially after I spent so long lining up the one on the waistband.

Much Love

Frankie 

xxx

Five Tips For Sewing Circle Skirts!

Whether its sewn to a bodice or just as a skirt on its own, you can't deny the awesomeness that is circle skirts! 

The draping! The swishyness!!!! 

But they can be a bit tricky to sew! so here's my top tips!

1. Choose your fabric - make sure its a medium or lightweight fabric as heavy fabrics don't drape well!

2. Be gentle - don't drag your fabric around like a caveman! Because you'll stretch it out!!!

3. Stay stitch your waist seam. because your waist will be cut both on the bias and on the straight grain it will stretch. So stay stitch unless you want it stretched out so you can gather it! 

4. Let it hang! Once its all sewn up place it on a dress form or coat hanger BEFORE you hem it! Circle skirts tend to stretch and end up with uneven hems so let it rest! I tend to go for about 48 hours if I have time! Then after its rested even it up!

5. Pick your even carefully, because its a circle they can be pretty tricky to hem but here are some easier options! Narrow hem! Using bias binding to hem [I love this method because its so quick] and hem by hand I tend to do this for fancy makes and do a 1cm hem and dainty stitches!!!

So do you have any tips for sewing circle skirts?

Much Love

Frankie

xxx

The hen party dress that wasn't.........

I'm having some serious flip flopping about this dress, at first when I tried it on I thought the bodice was too long and considered taking the waistband out, then I wore it whilst washing up [standard do I like this dress procedure!] and I decided maybe it was okay but not perfect.

and then I though well I only really want perfection, and then I showed it Rikki and he said he didn't think the bodice looked to long [and even remember that this is the fabric from my big haul that he liked best!] 

Okay so the fabric was a spandex jaquard from Abakhan fabrics and cost me £23.70 for 1.5 metres, I actually winced when I typed that because OMG that's a lot of money for fabric!!!!!

So anyway onto the techincal stuff, the bodice is from the third great British sewing book and is the hack from the corset! Its fully lined and I did some top stitching down each seam for a modern vibe. The halter neck is stitched to one side and clips with a button on the other side.

I thought the bodice might be too short which is why I added a waistband, and now I think it too long! sods law eh? 

The skirt is just a basic circle skirt that I cut directly from the fabric! FYI the bloody circle skirt is one of the reasons I didn't wear this to the hen party! The thing stretched and then it stretched some more and then just when I thought it was done I gained an extra centimetre! It took and hour to level it all of and an hour and a half to hem!

The picture above is why Ill be ripping out that waistband later! just look at that bunching!!!! I'm not sure if its my wonky stance or the waistband but either way I'm going to be getting up close and personal with my unpicker!

If I wasn't so darn fussy I think I'd leave it but it just doesn't look quite right?

Much Love

Frankie

xxx

Vintage Style Party Dress!

Okay So its not just a dress, but that's certainly a big part of it so lets break it down!

Shoes : Schuh AGES ago, one of my favourite pairs and still fabulous! £45 , but we are talking at least 6/7 years old.

Belt : Primark, like £4? Hardly worn or used, I just brought it cos its pwetty!

Underskirt: Handmade! My version of a 1950's style petticoat. I cut three full circle skirts {based on my measurements} from the organza and stitched them all together side by side, then added a waistband and threaded elastic through. Its very comfortable and gives a good amount of volume, Its not a traditional petticoat but its nice and the organza is a lot softer than some of the nettings that are used. And it falls really nicely! The organza is an awesome wine colour and was given to me by a lady from my mums belly dance class, I think there was about 3 maybe 4 metres? Instead of hemming it I finished the edge with a straight stitch and then pinked the edge.

The dress! Handmade! The bodice is from the second GBSB book and I have also used it here, here, here, here, here and here {I have got my moneys worth from that book!}. The bodice is a princess seam bodice so I skipped the pattern matching and the adjustments were easy, not that I did any because they were transferred to the paper copy ages ago!. The skirt is a full circle skirt based on my measurements, by accident the skirt for the dress is shorter than the petticoat which I think looks pretty cool. 

The fabric came from my lovely pen friend, I think she has the same fabric in the blue colour way! Its sort of a floaty type of fabric it presses nicely and it feels silky? I'm crap at this name the fabric game aren't I! I tend to just go by eye its why I don't shop on-line very often!

I just did a central zip and its a lil jacked up, its not so bad that it needs ripping out but its not good in any sense. At the time of doing the zip I'd just tried on the dress and was not a happy bunny. Basically I'd forgotten that the bodice is sat super high like almost an empire waist and that I usually add a waistband. Anyway an empire waist was not the look I wanted whatsoever. So I threw a wobbler and decided to settle for finished rather than perfect. As it goes I'm wearing it with a waspie style belt so it doesn't really matter!

Other than that I think the fit of the bodice is pretty bang on, well at least in my humble opinion.

I top stitched the arm holes and the neck line and I fully lined the bodice. The GBSB book doesn't call for lining so I just used my noggin and cut out some lining fabric [from stash] and used the same method as for the Lilou bodice from Love at First Stitch.

I did quite a lot of hand finishing as well, I made a loop and button closure at the top of the zip and I hemmed the skirt by hand. The hand sewing of the hem took ages, I mean ages! There's a lot of fabric in a circle skirt and those curves are tricky!! I got a nice finish in the end though because I managed to keep my stitches pretty small and a good iron hides a multitude of sins! 

Here's a few things I would have done differently:

- Lengthen the bodice by about two inches so its less of an empire line and more waisted.

- Finish the edge of the petticoat with a rolled hem, I really need to woman up and learn how to do this.

- Attach elastic to petticoat by stitching it on rather than using the channel method.

- Maybe make a belt from the same organza that I used for the petticoat so it matches, I did have one planned but I'm fairly lazy and remembered that I had the butterfly one.

- Lower the neckline by bout half an inch maybe an inch.

All in all I'm pretty pleased with this. Its VERY vintage looking though and I don't usually go for the whole looking completely vintage thing but I think for a party or special occasion it might be nice! I wore it for about and hour after taking these pictures, I'm sure the neighbours think I'm very classy eating soup in a party dress! That or they think I've finally lost it.

Naturally it also works without the petticoat and belt, I think this is where the issues with the waistline show themselves.  

From this angle I actually risk looking a bit preggers, Actually the high waistline might work if you are...ya know...up the spout. [I love all the different terms for pregnancy but that might be my favourite, closely followed by "harbouring a parasite"]

The length is good here though and I guess I can still wear it with the belt if I want, or I can go without if I'm going on public transport and want to guarantee myself a seat.

I still think the print is awesome whichever way the dress is styled, I think its because its a very loud print and with an awesome colour palette. It works nicely in a vintage context and as a little modern dress too. I guess what they say is true what goes around in fashion comes around.

All in all a grand success! Now I just need a fancy occasion the wear it too!

So if someone could throw a party that would be awesome!?

Much Love

Frankie

xxx

Self drafted blue velvet circle skirt

I made this after drooling over a few different velvet skirts on pinterest. I mean what's more perfect than a velvet skirt in winter?

Now originally I was going to use the Clemence skirt pattern from love at first stitch but after the success of drafting my first circle skirt for my gingham dress, I thought why not ill just crack on and go patternless again. so I drafted my circle skirt based on my measurements again and made a simple waistband by measuring my waist and adding a seam allowance.   

Due to either the stretch of the of the circle skirt or a miscalculation the top of my skirt piece was slightly too big so I had to gather it but it still looks awesome. Also in the spirit of trying new things [ I know I've been very adventurous recently I hope I'm not having a mid life crisis] I put in my first ever lapped zip........Yay? And I've got to say I'm not a lover of the lapped zip, its just not that great to be honest saying that I will be giving it another go but this time I'm going to use a cotton in case it was the thickness of the velvet that's putting me off.

Its a really full skirt but I think its really flattering and I feel kind of awesome in it, like one of those girls who looks all adorable and chic in the winter instead of like a walking poof ball of wool and padding. 

It's got great twirlability too! 

So as a quick project that took me about two hours to make from cutting out to sewing up I'm very pleased, and it was nice to be able to use some more of the velvet I was given.

Now what do we think if the length? I didn't want anything too short but I also didn't want to look like a nun? I think its pretty spot on.

Eurgh I've just realised how rough I look in these photographs, I woke up this morning with the most dreadful stomach cramps and I actually had to get out of bed to heat up my wheat bag, funnily enough it reminded me of before I had lil knitwit when I lived at my mums and I used to wake up with stomach cramps and run a bath a three in the morning and then watch Gavin and Stacey! and naturally my running the bath would wake up my mum so she'd make us hot tea with a dot of brandy [well a couple of dots]

Well now i can't have the brandy because I have a little boy to care for!

Much Love

Frankie

xxx