Autumn Ruminations.

A very wet weekend prompted several musings on what suitable attire I have for the change in temperature - and when I will get round to consigning a wardrobe of Summer skirts and dresses in to storage!

With a tempting selection of wools and wool jerseys appearing in my favourite sewing haunts, it is time to settle on a new project and it brought to mind a fabulous skirt that I made last year. Said skirt was a rather lovely Marcy Tilton pattern (V8499) and fashioned in honour of a special friend's wedding, just a few days after Christmas. It is the kind of pattern you come across and think 'why haven't I seen this before?!' I promptly set about the joyful task of choosing a wedding worthy fabric - ultimately a silvery grey taffeta.

It was fabulous fun to wear on the day, but alas has not been worn since! I think in part due to the rather 'occasion wear' nature of the fabric. Even making it at the time, I had it in mind that it would be a fabulous skirt in a winter wool and it has come to the fore again now that we have reached October ! I have since seen it made in tweed, as well as summer cotton and with inspired, contrast pockets. It shines just as brightly in all of the above and is a wonderfully versatile design.

Not only do I love the unique style of this skirt, but it was a pleasure to make and went together much quicker than anticipated. The bellows pockets give it an extra designer touch - and a nifty place for lipstick and tissues at a wedding !

I realise this post is a bit of an homage to Marcy Tilton's skirt designing prowess...however, just one of many musings that had to be shared, as I flick through my stash of Winter patterns and fabrics! Oh and finally, but not least (and with permission of Mrs L), a photo of the day itself ;o)

Finished and Ready for Wear!

It is now October and the leaves on the Sewing Tree are changing, but her work will evolve for Winter, rather than slow down - starting with the completion of a certain mustard yellow dress (in gorgeous sycamore seed fabric!) Yep, that one! Took a little longer than planned to complete the sleeves, put in the zip etc, (been working and playing hard !), but it can now be unveiled !

         

                   

Having prepared myself for some winter-styled accessories for its first outing, (I even extricated a mustard cardie from the winter clothes box!),the gorgeous weather this weekend meant I got to wear it in 'Summer style' for a bit too ! As you can see, it was also fully 'fit for purpose' with a pair of wellies and a quick stroll in the fields. And for smarter occasions...my clever sewing friend, Vicky has offered to make me a bespoke clutch bag using the leftovers from my fabric, (nothing wasted) and with a complimentary navy boiled wool. I can feel it in my hand already ! Quite the special, finishing touch to a dress that has me smiling already. Certainly it has helped me on a path to finding ways of making changes to patterns to get exactly what I want.

On which note, as with the decision to use small pleats instead of gathers in my extra panel in the back of the skirt this time, I also chose folds where the pattern had asked for gathers on the top of the sleeve and on the yoke. This seemed to make the sleeves less 'sticky outy' (official dressmaking terminology) than on the previous purple floral version, and were more controllable. What you create with folds is closer to what you get, whereas the gathers always seem to be a bit of a 'moveable feast' !

And check out those cheeky pleats!

Looking forward to 'bringing the yellow' into some Autumnal days ~ in honour of the gorgeous golds and oranges that are starting to appear on the trees.

'Stylish Dress Book : Clothing For Everyday Wear', Yoshiko Tsukiori.

It was with excitement this week, that a review copy of 'Stylish Dress Book: Clothing For Everyday Wear' dropped through my door from the lovely people at Laurence King Publishing. 

Already completely sold on Yoshiko Tsukiori's 'Stylish Dress Book: Simple Smocks, Dresses and Tops', published in May this year, 'Clothing For Everyday Wear', published next month, is more of the same delights : simple, effortlessly gorgeous, feminine garments for easy day to day wear and full size patterns included for each in the back! 

This book is a delight. It is beautifully put together and the designs are cleanly presented with simply styled photographs of each of the 26 dresses, tops, jackets and trousers. There is something of the Noa Noa in the understated elegance of the designs, all of which are ultra feminine and wearable day to day staples, but each with an added, signature embellishment giving that extra magic touch - everything from a sleeveless top with pretty ruffled front and sleeves, a back-wrap dress with additional lace trim, an Empire line sun dress with gathering on the bodice and a wrap-over blouse with ruffled shoulders. Other attractive details that give each design their own 'calling card', are the inclusion of

 bell sleeves, a funnel neck, super deep pockets, a bow collar and hem tucks - 

something for everyone ! 

All of the designs have an appealing and reassuringly uncomplicated feel, (reminiscent of other Japanese sewing books) and all 26 carry the essential elements of 'wearability', style and of course, once made by your own fair hand in the fabric of your choice, that prized uniqueness that escapes the raft of 'identikit' clothes that can appear on the rails each year. Indeed this is part of the book's premise - to use these patterns in creating your own stylish, personalised garments, to your taste. If you hanker for something a little different that you can put your own stamp on, then this is the pattern book for you.

You'll of course be wondering at this point how easy it is to translate these designs into their ready-to-wear, end product and this is where the book scores another big 'tick' from me. The instructions are step by step, seamstress friendly and include clear, easy to follow construction sequence diagrams.

My only word of caution is that the necessary overlaying of cutting lines / sizes to include all 26 fabulous patterns in the back, requires a concentrated eye on the right lines, before you start tracing and cutting. However, still preferable to the mammoth 'print-off' and jigsaw-like assembly involved with on-line pdf patterns. There is also a helpful key on each sheet directing you to the right patterns sheets (and side) for each of your chosen pattern pieces.

It occurs to me at this point that this book is also fabulous value for money when you consider that a single pattern can be purchased for about the same price as the book (from the leading pattern manufacturers/designers).

Frankly, there are so many tempting creations in this book that I don't know where to start! My review copy has been sabotaged with yellow post-its and 'notes to self' already. Currently I am torn between the Bell-sleeve jacket with ruffle trim and the sequinned drop-waist dress, (cute ruffled waist detail at that) AND matching clutch bag - perfect for Christmas, (did I just say that?) Certainly a very cute and stylish dress for occasion wear. In fact, the lovely decorative design elements carried by each of the garments - ruffles, gathering, empire lines, drop waists, or the inclusion of a sumptuous element in the fabric - eg. lace or taffeta make them each fabulously versatile. I challenge you not to fall in love with at least one item in this book and want to make it your own!

And in anticipation of a new found passion for Japanese sewing books, you may like to check out Yoshiko Tsukiori's 'Stylish Dress Book - Simple Smocks, Dresses and Tops' for more indulgence! (Totally in love with the dropped-waist coat dress). Enjoy!

Vintage in Vogue.

Vogue 2903
It has been an exciting Summer for lovers of all things vintage fashion. With the sixtieth anniversary of the Queen's coronation, has come a celebratory revival of the Fifties, from John Lewis' Summer window display of four prom style dresses revived from 1953 sketches in their archives, to Hampton Court Flower Show's celebration of the Fifties floral and nods a' plenty to an enduring style that continues to epitomise sophisticated charm and elegance. 

Over the last few days, the catwalks of London Fashion Week have also buzzed the Fifties vibe, channelled through the designs of Jasper Conran, Alice Temperly, Emilia Wickstead and others, with elegant Fifties silhouettes and modern twists on vintage style themes. Whether it's a flirty Monroe look or a Stepford Wife (though perhaps less of the 'stay at home'), a mid length dress that you can twirl in, or a pencil skirt to put a wiggle in your walk, the Fifties vibe and modern homages to it, seem to be contagious. Something in its magic makes it timeless, enduringly popular and evidently adaptable to 2013/2014. Perhaps it is simply on account of its uncomplicated, effortlessly feminine shapes. Either way, the catwalks suggest it will be carrying its charm onwards into the heart of Spring/Summer 2014.

Vogue 1019

And to carry us through the Winter in Vintage style?...Perhaps the return of Downton Abbey (and the cinematic revival of 'The Great Gatsby') will see us reaching for our long beads, feather boas and drop waist dresses! And for the avid dressmaker there is a host of exciting patterns out there waiting to bring the Roaring Twenties back to life. My favourite..?...McCalls 4990. (Lady Mary on the left ?)

September Sewing Tea

I am currently sitting at my laptop, watching an aerodynamic display of swallows in the fields through my windows and musing over the lovely morning I've had. My mind should really be engaged back in work and sewing up, (entirely unintended pun!) those 'end of week' emails and work calls. However, I decided this post couldn't wait!

Friday 13th has its own connotations, but it was Lucky for the Whitstable coast this morning when a group of uber-talented, gorgeous ladies convened in the splendid Marine Hotel, each enrobed in their own hand crafted attire, for a morning of seamstressing chatter. The inspired idea of the lovely Vicky - and what better antidote to the passing of  the Summer!

Not only was it inspirational to see everyone together wearing their own creations, but it reminded me also of one of the reasons I took up dressmaking in the first place. Everyone around the table had created clothes that reflected their own unique styles and personalities and wore them with panache and confidence. It struck me that even if you only make one, simple signature skirt or dress in a fabric/style that expresses 'You' individually, then one is almost entirely constricted by what is available on the High Street, or even what the catwalks, celebrities or fashion magazines are 'telling' us we should be wearing.

I have no problem with this per say - (and I buy clothes on the high street as well !), but I reached a stage where after the initial excitement of finding something in a shop I liked and that seemed to fit my 'style', I would then lament the fact that I did not like the feel of the material, or else the colour was not right for me, or worse, it did not fit as well as it should - or curiously did in some places and not in others!

Today reminded me that ultimately, there is nothing more personal than being able to choose and fall in love with your own fabric, seek out a pattern that does what you want it to (and that you can make changes or additions to where it doesn't) and create something tailor-made to fit You. (Not to mention the inimitable thrill of wearing something you have made yourself !) Several people amongst my circle of seamstressing pals have patterns that they have made over and over again, in different fabrics, for Winter and for Summer, simply because they 'fit the bill' and tick all of the right boxes for them.

Everyone sipping tea today, including our very own Tutor, (the best in Christendom), exhibited this 'thought for the day' in their own unique way....everything from a gorgeous burnt orange, fitted skirt and jacket, exquisitely crafted linen shirt, bellows pocket skirt, a fabulous array of Summer dresses and skirts in gorgeous jersey and cotton prints and not least, the Fifties vibe in a full skirted dress complete with short socks and ribboned pony tail, (made my heart sing - and we got a twirl!)

So, it's been a good morning and now, somehow I've to get back into work mode and stay away from the fabric and pattern websites! Though, in my defence, dressmaking was always intended to stretch me a bit and motivate me in another direction away from the laptop! Being part of such an inspiring and lovely group of ladies has been an added bonus. I've said it before and don't mind saying it again....sewing and friends....good for the soul!

Gathering Thoughts.

After the excitement of a new fabric purchase (and a few days spent showing and describing it to anyone who'd listen), the time came at the weekend to assign it a purpose! It is currently taking a similar shape to the vintage floral of my previous project. Having made several additions and adjustments to that New Look pattern to indulge a few personal whims and fancies (eg adding pleats in the back of the skirt), it seemed a shame to consign it back to the pattern box until 'next time'. So, in a bit of a variation on a theme, here it is again !

             

This time, as well as cutting the front bodice piece on the fold, I changed the neckline a little so it is more rounded and less 'V'. I may or may not include the covered buttons this time, but they were such fun last time we'll see ! I also added a contrast fabric for the yokes at the shoulders as well this time, courtesy of some leftover navy stretch velvet bought last Winter, also from my friendly, local The Sewing Shop.

The back of the skirt is where things got exciting. With the extra panel inserted into my pattern the first time round, instead of two inverted box pleats, I decided to try some gathers or smaller pleats this time. Handmade gathers can be a bit of an organic and fiddly art I find - certainly not the exact science they can be when undertaken in industry. In this attempt, mine looked pretty gathered and pinned in place, but once under

the machine, the effect was not as neat and 'defined' as I had hoped.

Whilst still creating a feature of interest at the back, I decided to unpick them in favour of a further twenty minutes spent creating some mini pleats. These achieved the neater, more 'structured' gathering I had in mind. I also moved these to the centre of the back skirt panel, rather than two lots on each side as previously. So...a compare and contrast! .....both pretty variations on a theme and an effective flourish to what would otherwise have been a straight A line skirt at the back. (One day I am just going to indulge my secret hankering for a full-on Victorian bustle! Watch this space!) In the mean time, a more subdued take on things :

          

I must have used nearly all of my pins securing the tucks in place in a paranoid vision of them breaking free of their constraints. I felt happier when I had them all tucked, pinned and had shown them the iron! - (I should say, given them the press of their life!) The result is a pretty profile at the back that adds a bit of extra interest.

                  

Onwards with the sleeves, zip and binding - and in time for Autumn wear!

Bring on the yellows!

If there is one magical aspect of Summer, (aside from ice cream, sand in your toes and freckles you didn't know you had), it is the kaleidoscope of colour joyfully adorned in skirts, dresses and other summer attire and worn with a confidence that says 'it's Summer!' Only yesterday, this very subject came up with a friend and whether the onset of Autumn would mean a return to the 'safe' browns, navy and blacks that seem to spell Winter. I include myself in this category and used always to admire people with the confidence to wear a splash of strong pink or a vibrant red on a day when the sky is a flat grey. It seems true that it can lift the mood of both the wearer and the beholder. So, last year I decided it was time that my Winter wardrobe received an injection of colour and perhaps go some way to simulating the same sunny vibes of Summer.

In the last couple of years, I have found myself drawn to the fantastic array of yellows out there in 'fabric world'. Not so much acid yellows as the stronger, more earthy yellows of cumin, saffron yellow, the colour of courgette flowers and of that quintessentially English mustard. I managed to find a fabric last year with just the right splash of colour amongst the vintage yellows of Joel Dewberry's Winter 2011 collection that I wore consistently throughout the Summer and which then continued to sing the joys of yellow throughout the Winter, (teamed with thick grey tights and boots!)

For a colour with such uplifting qualities and happy associations, not least it's reminiscence of Summer and sunshine, it seems a shame it is not celebrated more. I developped a bit of passion for medieval clothes and colour when studying for my Masters (Medieval & Tudor) in Canterbury and how one still might understandably associate the Medieval era with earthy browns and darker tones. In fact, one could argue that there was a braver and more prolific use of colour then than now, with a host of colour dyed fabrics. Amongst these and one of the most popular was, (you guessed it), yellow. In fact, one of the most commercially utitilised dyes in Europe was 'Weld' (grown specifically as a dye plant) and which achieved a bright lemon yellow. Saffron (from the crocus flower) was used to achieve the more earthy, mustard yellows.

Yellow is a colour I would gladly see more of come the darker evenings and shorter days that everyone dreads. With that in mind, I have indulged another fabric crush in the shape of a gorgeous yellow with sycamore seed pod design. I have two dress patterns in mind, but either way, I will be flying the flag for some cheery yellow this Winter and if I come to need a navy or black dress day I may even bring out the mustard yellow tights (too much ?!) So look out for me, I'll be easy to spot!