Stitchy Notions: A Liberty Banksia and Me-Made-May Week 3

Tuesday, 27 May 2014

A Liberty Banksia and Me-Made-May Week 3

So May hasn't been quite the productive month I had hoped sewing wise, due to my lovely dad taking ill and lots of travelling to hospitals. Life has a way of putting things in perspective and that's ok. After all, one of my New Year Resolutions (for sewing) was to slow things down, make less and make well, so there you go.

So in spite of the change of routine I have managed to make another blouse, vvvery slowly, maybe 15 minute sessions at a time, but it is now finished.

This blouse is the Megan Nielsen Banksia top which I had made before, but hadn't quite got the placket right. (pre-blog) This really bugged me and I wanted to give it another go as I really liked the pattern. For this one I had a rather special Liberty fabric - Travelling Threads which I had purchased last summer, so the pressure was on to get it right.

I hope you can see the detail - there are bikes, jeeps, boats - all sorts of vehicles and dapplings of little red, mauve, yellow and teal flowers. This is my first time using Liberty Tana Lawn so I was a bit in trepidation. After I washed it and hung it on the line and went to iron it I found there was actually a tear in it. It was a particularly breezy day but still I didn't think it would be quite so delicate. It is also extremely light weight so I can totally see the attraction with sewists who reside in hotter climates than Northern Ireland. It was, however, a dream to cut and sew with.

To be honest I don't know where I went wrong with my first Banksia, maybe I've just got a bit more experience now, but this one went together very easily and I love the way the placket came together - I did the totally enclosed, slightly more tricky placket and it turned out great. I also used Liberty buttons that I had in a button box so even managed to surpass my phobia of button- holing. yea!

I think on me it is ever so slightly long and I might take it up an inch or two - I suppose it depends on the way I will wear it.

As regard Liberty Tana Lawn, the proof is definitely in the wearing - it is just lovely to wear, so soft, comfortable, light and gorgeous. If we get a heat wave in County Antrim, I will definitely be buying more!