Hawaiian Print Crop Top

If you've all finished laughing from my last post I'd like to give you an excuse for another giggle.

I made a stripper top. But I'll get to that in a minute.

So I eeked this crop top out of the left overs from my tie shoulder Hawaii dress. And its lined using an old pillow slip, because well I'm a classy girl who uses what she has! and the lace is thrifted off the bottom of an old dress? top? something?

The fabric by the way was by the craft cotton company!

Anyway the pattern is from the third great british sewing book, its one of the hacks. But I added a bit to the front so I could have a button band.

Which is why its a stripper top. Because as it turns out my button hole foot does not like sewing through six layers of fabric, so instead I used press studs. Which seamed like a great idea until I realised, as I was removing it by pulling apart the front to a rhythmic "pop, pop, pop" that this is how strippers remove their stage wear. To a rhythmic "pop pop pop" and of course the hoots of drunken men!

So yeah I'm classy and apparently I now have easy access to.....well....... stuff............ 

But yeah stripperness aside the fit is pretty good. Its a bit short for my liking but I'm told that exposing ones tummy [omg can you tell I love with a four year old? Tummy? TUMMY for gods sake!] anyway I hear its the new thing! 

Oh look at me being all fashionable and stuff!!!!! 

No idea why I look so miserable on these pictures? I'm actually very pleased so this face must be related to something else? Maybe I was thinking about the ironing?

Anyway In a slightly new feature I'm going to show you not only what I've made but two ways I've styled it! I know right! Aren't I the best! Which means if you have a burning desire to make a crop top we can dress the same and be twins! 

So look one! this one is actually what I wore a few days ago and now it might be my flying to Vegas outfit, mainly because I can wear this top bra-less and a long haul flight with no underwire seems pretty blissful to be honest.

Blue skinny jeans - mine are Newlook but similar here

white shirt - Pretty sure mine is a george at asda mens one? but similar here

crop top - handmade

This is the slightly more summery look and I'm thinking of packing it for Vegas. Now normally I wouldn't wear shorts this tight and well short on the internet or ya know in the real world, but someone on instagram said my legs looked "amazing" and its given me quite the confidence boost! [I swear I'm basically Heidi Klum now]

Anyway 

Slouch cardigan - Handmade , my own tutorial can be found here! 

Crop top- handmade

shorts - cut off levis! [pretty sure this pair was my sisters and that one summer my mum took all of my sisters jeans and cut the legs off, but I might have just imagined that! Either way these jeans are nearly as old as me!] Similar here

Shoes - Matalan, similar here 

Anyway so yeah I'm loving this as a tourist look, minus the heels! Actually I've seen a pair of red Hawaiian print trainers in the nike shop in free port and I'm pretty tempted, although to be honest I'll probably just pick up some low top converse wannabees from primark!

Let me know what you thought of the style ideas!

Much Love

Frankie

xxx 

Things I made a High School - Part 2

Please don't laugh, or at least don't judge.......

I mean seriously! Right so where to begin?

This was my second project for my GCSE textiles class. It was actually what I made directly after making these [I definitely went downhill]

Anyway the "theme" was geishas, and after about 2 lessons of the teacher trying to convince the other girls that "no geishas are not prostitutes" we finally got around to doing some designing and sewing.

Whilst other girls chose to make bags and tea cosies [yes tea cosies] I opted for this shapeless sack. 

No though in all seriousness I worked really hard on this project and just seemed to flounder. For example I chose to make a pattern by "rubbing off" a dress I already had, which is pretty awesome for a 14? year old. BUT! what I didn't realise and my teacher failed to mention to me was the dress I was rubbing off was a knit fabric and the fabric I had chosen was woven. What a mistake to make. So Problem 1!

My second problem came with seam allowances, I was told by my teacher to add seam allowances, but nob told me what kind or where or why or....... anyway I can only assume I decided to use 2 inch seam allowances.

The third problem was we had to add some form of embellishment, I chose to add a hand embroidered belt, that you know has no use as a belt because its too small! 

There's a nice little gaping keyhole at the back. Not as a design feature, oh no! That key hole is there because I measured my fabric wrong and ran out of fabric to sew on.

But the very best part might be the insides, In fact I desperately wish I thought to take a picture of the inside.

Anyway as it turns out 14 year old Frankie thought that to sew a garment you needed to hem every single edge of every single piece BEFORE! you even stitch them together...

STOP LAUGHING! I'm being completely serious, Its like the worst french seam in the world.

Its just wow.......... The sad thing is I actually got a B for this and felt like the best in the class which just goes to show what everything else looked like!

Right I'm off to hang my head in shame!

Much Love

Frankie

xxx

What I Plan on Making in August!

Just thought I'd share what I plan on making this month!

Hopefully I can get it all done! But lets not hold our breathe!

Much Love

Frankie

xxx

Purple Princess Seam Dress

Sometimes I look at what I make and I think oooh another lilou bodice/princess seam bodice with some skirt variation, aren't I the most exciting sewer ever [Insert copious amounts of sarcasm here]

 And then I'm like well that's my style I like that stuff and if it ain't broke don't fix it!

But even I was a bit bored by this dress, it sat waiting to be cut, then it sat waiting to be sewn, then it sat waiting to be hemmed and now its been waiting a good 2 weeks to be blogged.

So without further ado here's a princess seamed bodice with a gathered skirt made up in a poly silk of some form.

The back is pulling like a mother, I'm assuming this means my fit is off but this doesn't happen in my other versions?

Its the Princess seam bodice I always use, good old great British sewing bee book 2! Genuinely starting to think that this might be the only book I need ever!

The front fit on the other hand is pretty bang on. the skirt was hemmed by hand and the bodice is lined in the same fabric, and I did a pretty tidy invisible zip. Pretty much felt like a sewing superstar when that little swine when in! 

All in all I'm pretty pleased, I mean don't get me wrong its a cute dress, It's just a bit dull, I think if maybe the pattern was a bit more complicated it might work better? or of there was a print of some sort?

I dunno, its cute and if I go out to dinner I will definitely wear it. But its not real day wear is it? Its more night out sort of wear, or at least pub dinner!

So I think my next make might have to be a bit more fun?

or Ill bore myself to sleep and you guys as well!!!

In other news,

Lil Man is still on his summer holidays so I'm getting hardly anything done.

He's eating us out of house and home.

I'm getting there with the hexagon cushion I've been making and I'm hoping to have it finished within the next few days, Its EPP so its pretty hard going, especially on the old fingers [If you'd like to learn how to tack a hexagon there's a visual tutorial on my new you tube channel {shameless plug!} and you can now subscribe using the button on the right hand side of this page!]

Also let me now if there's anything you'd like me to make a video about and I'll do my best to oblige [disclaimer : no singing or hardcore nudity]

Much Love

Frankie

xxx

Things I made at High school - Part 1

So after the heaviness of my last post [thank you by the way for the lovely response I received both on the blog and privately] I thought it might be nice to do something a bit lighter!

This is a three part series featuring thing my mum found in storage at her house!

Okay so this is the Technicolor dream coat that I made for my high schools production of Joseph and his technicolor dream coat. I think I was about 17 at the time and very new clothes sewing!

I think I altered a new look pattern by extending the jacket pieces to make it longer and adding some pretty serious godets! I'm pretty sure it was a panelled jacket and that's why I could use so many crazy colours!

The front closes with a big hook and eye!

The fabric was from abakhans which my mum and dad kindly payed for [to this day I'm annoyed that they weren't thanked in the program, I mean after someones just paid £30 for a costume it seams a bit rude! Especially seen as other people were thanked who did far less]

But anyway! This was my last school production and as well as making this coat I helped sew trim to dancers costumes, helped with set changes, helped back stage and was third cactus.

This is me in my cactus costume, we had to do a dance and everything. To be honest I'm struggling to see how our performance didn't earn us a golden globe or something!

Anyway the costume was cut in a size eight and was made for the sweetest lil year 8 who had a face like butter wouldn't melt. the entire thing is just stitched together, no French seams no finishing. Well actually that's a lie I made sure the seams wouldn't fray by burning them all with a lighter [which made me feel rather squiffy]

I did however put a long strip of Velcro up the centre back seam so the coat could be "ripped" apart when Josephs brothers fight over it. Me and the teacher directing didn't tell the cast so when this thing ripped in their hands their reactions were priceless! 

It was one of the more fun productions I worked on, mainly I think because it didn't take itself to seriously! It was also the production I knitted a baby cardigan during, and the one I went to the pub after every night! Where I happened to spend a good deal of time flirting with a certain bartender [who totally fell for me and my awesome cactus ways]

It was also quite sad really because it was our last one! 

But the coat went down very well and still looks pretty awesome now! Although what on earth do I do with it now? Either I put it up the loft or I see if lil mans new school wants it for school productions ! 

Much Love

Frankie

P.s keep your eyes peeled for part 2 its a corker!!!!

xxx 

DIY Anxiety Bands

Its a change from my usual sweetness and light posts, but I figure if something as silly as this can help me then chances are it will help someone else.

I've had anxiety since I was about 13 years old [which I've just worked out means I've been dealing with feeling less than human for 10 years, seriously I can;t believe there's people who get through the day without feeling worried or anxious! In fact I can't believe that at one point I was one of those people]

I get anxious about lots of things, meeting people I don't know, Big crowds, Meeting people I do know, Getting sick, Being sick, What people think of me, The dentist, The doctors, The supermarket [I know even I'm embarrassed at myself], Travelling, Being a good mum, What people reading my blog think...... the list goes on.

Basically I'm a bit of a mess, I'm not sure why it started. But it hasn't stopped and it likes to team up on me with my IBS in the evil circle of, "am I going to have an IBS attack?" panicking about having a IBS attack and then the stress resulting in one. That coupled with severe acid reflux and I'm a walking perscription.

Now this isn't all doom and gloom, I've got a lot of coping mechanisms now and I'd say about 60% of the time I actually feel like a proper person [which is the highest its been in years!]. Anyway one of my coping mechanisms used to be writing motivational things on my wrists in biro. However I'm a grownup now, and nothing quite says stare at me like having "Be Brave" written on your wrists.

So I had to come up with a new solution just for me [actually I came up with this whilst having a panic attack about having to take lil man to the doctors and wondering if last nights takeaway was going to give me food poisoning]    

So I made some wrist bands out of some old fake leather I had knocking around, you know the stuff that doesn't fray and is quite soft?] 

The only sewing I did was putting on a button, I didn't even sew the button holes I just cut them. The bands are 3cm wide and I just kept trimming till they say snugly on my wrist.

I sounds weird but I just wanted something that made me feel a bit less like a scared little girl hiding in the corner and more like a gladiator/Xena/Khaleesi badass. 

But this is the best part, my motivation I'm going to be okay stuff is hidden on the inside, just for me to see. 

I feel a bit calmer and a bit more human. But that could be because I actually did something rather than sitting and wallowing in my own self pity. 

Anyway I thought if it helped me it might help someone else! and if its doesn't they still look pretty badass!

Much Love

Frankie  

Lilou Tie Shoulder Dress Hack

I like Pina Coladas and getting drunk in the rain. Actually I hate cocktails and well I live in England so I have been drunk in the rain, In fact its probably a statistical fact that I've been drunk in the rain more times than drunk in sun.

Anyway ! This dress! I mean THIS DRESS! Sometimes you can have an awesome pattern and awesome fabric and its still a bit lacking but not this time! I love this dress, Rikki likes this dress, I think I might want to be buried on this dress [well this one or my wax cotton one]

I mean its a Hawaiian print, so lets just start with that. I don't normally do colour but as soon as I saw this on the craft cotton company website I fell in love. Suddenly I had visions of myself strutting down a sunny street with the beach boys playing in the background.

Its like someone took the whole of summer and wove it into a print! Anyway its a 100% cotton, didn't shrink in the wash, ironed beautifully and no colours ran at all! And it was a dream to sew with and cut out, it doesn't shift and yo can finger press a lot of your seams! I didn't bother pattern matching but I did cut all my pieces the same way up.

In fact my only fault with this dress is that the zip is about 0.5cm out, but I've added a big button and it doesn't really bother me to be honest! At least it doesn't bother me enough to unpick everything and start again! 

So lets get to the nitty gritty! the top is the lilou bodice from love at first stitch by tilly and the buttons. But I hacked the bodice so I could keep with the 60's beach boys theme and have tie shoulders! 

It really was a simple hack and I think it looks awesome!

First I traced a copy of my front and back Lilou bodices.

Then using my ruler I just extended the strap by about 4/5 inches and rounded it off. I also curved in the edges where the original strap ended to reduce bulk. [sorry for the rubbish pictures they were taken on my phone]

Then cut of your new pattern piece!

Construction is pretty much the same as in the book, you stay stitch the neckline, but when it asks you to join the front bodice and the back bodices at the shoulders you just skip that part! Then you attach the front bodice to the front bodice lining right sides together and stitch all the way from one armscye up the strap around the round strap end through to the neckline and up the other strap and to the armscye again!

Then you do the same with the left back bodice and the right.

Then you just turn all the pieces through [after your clipped the edges] and then you can follow the instructions again for joining them all p at the side seams and adding the skirt and zip.

Here's me demonstrating the toe of the shoulders with the creepiest look on my face ever.

In hindsight next time I would only extend the straps by 3 inches instead of the 4/5 I used because I think mine are a touch long. But you live you learn! And it think it looks really cute and summery! Although you do have to line your bodice to have these straps so I'd recommend picking light fabrics.

The skirt is from the 2nd Great British Sewing Bee book. Its the box pleat skirt again, however I altered it to have a centre back seam and I omitted the waistband. The skirt was actually a touch too long for the bodice so I used a 2cm seam allowance on the skirt side seams instead of a 1.5cm one. Its definitely worth basting it in before you have to do lots of unpicking! or even worse MATHS! 

I think this might be my favourite Lilou dress hack so far! 

In other news! 

I've started a You tube channel!

So if you had a burning desire to see my actual face talking about sewing then all of your dreams have come true!

But in all seriousness its something I've wanted to do for a really long time and I'm glad I took the plunge! I do have to give a HUGE thank you to my lovely brother in law Keith though, because he has been patiently watching my failed video attempts and providing feedback since about March!

So yeah you pop over there and actually watch me talk about sewing! I can guarantee its far more awkward than any pictures I've ever posted on here!

And there's a cheeky video about this dress as well!

Much Love

Frankie

xxx