Christmas Girl Friday Culottes and a pussybow blouse

So, a year late, but I finally got the red Girl Friday Culottes finished.  I had started them last November but couldn't understand why the waistband wouldn't fit the culottes.  Turned out there was a small error in the pattern and I kinda abandoned them.  I probably should have twigged on myself, anyway I couldn't face ripping it out at that stage, so I left them.  So coming up towards Christmas this year, with culottes still very much en vogue, I decided to return to them.  In the end they were very straightforward.

As you can see, they are pretty full in style, with front and back inverted box pleats, also front pleats and back darts, so not short on detailing.  They also have hidden in-seam pockets and a side zipper.

The fabric I used was a red heavy weight, but drapey crepe fabric from Clothspot.  The red seems to have gone but there are other colours.  It's ideal for these culottes and quite cosy too.  I'm pretty pleased with them, I toyed with the idea of going knee length, but I'm glad I didn't, they are meant to be calf length and definitely need to be worn with heels.

So the other bit of my 'Christmas outfit' this year is the Sewoverit Pussybow blouse, which has been out for a while now.  It's quite a simple version of a Pussy Bow blouse in that it's an over-the-head job, no closures to do, other than the loops at the cuff.  Mine turned out extremely tiny (even though it warns you in the pattern - doh!) so I just rolled them up slightly.  I used Atelier brunette fabric, halo from misformake.  This link is the blue, mine is a darker version and it is a viscose fabric, more on the heavier side, which is great for this time of the year.

Just to prove they are culottes.

So there you go, my 2015 Christmas ensemble, already worn a few times and hope to get a lot more wear.

Sew Over It Pussybow blouse.

Next up - the 2015 summary and aims for next year.

Liesl & Co Gallery dress

So this is the Liesl and co Gallery dress, I bought the pattern when it first came out but have been deliberating over it since then, but now that autumn is well and truly in full swing I thought it would be a good transition dress to see me into winter.

The fabric I have used is from Clothspot, it is a damson suiting fabric, a mixture of viscose and polyester and is light to medium weight, which has a black thread running through it too.  I think I can layer up with a fine polo or crew neck top when the weather gets colder.

The dress has an inset front placket, I used some Liberty for the facings (some leftovers from my hubbies shirt, which is a paisley tana lawn called Bourton), the burgundy in it is a great match.

At the back there is an inverted box pleat, which gives a little detail, and the curved shirttail hem is slightly longer at the back than at the front.

There are also in-seam pockets, I also used the Liberty for them so they aren't too heavy.  you can just about see a little peak of it in the photo.

For the dress version, there are full length sleeves with a button cuff.  The method of attaching the cuff is nice and neat and worked very well.  I have a bit of a phobia of making buttonholes, the pressure of getting them nice and neat.  The horror of getting to the end of a project and then for your machine to chew it up at the buttonhole stage!! But, thankfully this did not happen, phew!

And how is it that no matter how many buttons we have in our stash, you still never have the right ones and have to take a mad race to your local haberdashery to buy some.  They didn't come out that well in the photo, but they are a wine and pink mixture, quite pleased, it's all in the details, isn't it?

So after all my deliberation about making it, do I like it?  Honestly, I'm not sure,  I think it's the sizing, I made a straight size 14, but I think I should have blended it to a 12 from the waist down, there just seems to be an awful lot of fabric down there.  The pattern itself has some lovely details and finishes and as it is Slow fashion October I took my time with it and generally I'm pleased with it.  I guess time will tell as to how much wear I get out of it.

Last summer makes - the Merchant and Mills 101 Trousers and the Bettine dress.

So thought I'd better share a few makes as I haven't had the chance to blog in quite some time.  I made these Merchant and Mills 101 trousers just before we left for our late summer holiday in Cornwall (Sadly two very wet and misty weeks, boo hoo!)

They are drawstring trousers and the pattern has 3 options, tapered trousers, shorts and wide leg trousers.  They also have side pockets and a false fly.  After much deliberation I chose to make the size 14 and these are the tapered version.  They have turned out pretty baggy and way too big in the waist, but the one thing about them that just doesn't work for me is the depth of the crotch seam ... it is REALLY long.  Now I have never been aware of being short in that region in particular so not sure what's going on there.

The fabric is a stripe linen from Merchant and Mills and it is really lovely, just the right weight for a reasonable British summer.  They seem to be out of it now, I wish I had purchased some more.

Merchant and Mills 101 trousers with Liesl & Co Maritime tee.

Presently they are not the most flattering trousers I have worn, but I may give them another chance as if I get the fitting corrected I think they could be a comfy easy going pair of trousers which is what they are meant to be.  If I make them again I will go for the size 12 and  reduce the crotch seam substantially, maybe by a couple of inches.  They could work well in a more wintery suiting fabric with some drape.



The other thing I made was the Tilly and the buttons Bettine dress, I really liked the look of it when it was released, an easy throw-it-over-your-head, a scoop neckline, elasticated waist, optional sleeve tabs and, of course, the all important pockets.

I made mine in a teal coloured polyester/viscose suiting fabric from Clothspot, they describe it as a "softly draping cyan blue twill fabric" which funnily enough is exactly what it is.

I used a Liberty fabric, which matched the cyan perfectly, for my neckline facing, the pocket linings and the sleeve tabs

The Bettine is said to be perfect for beginners and with the excellent insructions that certainly is the case, but it's not necessarily the quick make that you might think, especially if you decide to do the extras.  It's amazing how much time it takes to make tabs (neatly and well, I hope)

I would say it is a neat-fitting style especially with the tulip skirt, I feel mine is a tad on the neat side especially in the shoulders, but it is a very easy to wear dress and I guess could look quite different depending on your fabric choice.

I think that's me more or less caught up, I think there were a couple of short sleeved Maritime tees in there too, but now I'm concentrating on some autumn makes and really want to get back to knitting.  I think my physio has done his best on my impinged shoulder so I might be able to manage it, as long as I do my exercises!