July Indie Pattern Update!

It's that time again already! Another month packed with exciting independent sewing pattern releases has passed and I've been sewing up a storm. I can't blog quick enough to keep up with all my sewing and I can't sew quick enough to keep up with all the new releases I want to make! Despite feeling like I must have a pattern to cover every whim and eventuality by now I've added a couple of patterns to my collection this month; I just couldn't resist!

New Patterns

• Sew Over It released two new patterns this month. The Poppy Playsuit is available as a PDF download; it looks like a really versatile style and Lisa looks super chic in hers. The second is the Rosie Dress; a fifties style with a full skirt and princess seamed bodice. I had the pleasure of testing this gem and will hopefully get some pictures of mine up later in the week!
• Amongst this month's Style Arc releases we have the Coral Cardi, Serena Knit Dress and Blair Shirt/Shirtdress. I'm actually really tempted by all three of these; I've got some merino which would be perfect for the cardigan, I want to be wearing Blair and Serena being a fitted knit dress is an interesting twist on the tie front trend.
• Style Arc also released their collaboration with the lovely Rachel from House of Pinheiro. The Eliane Jumpsuit has a relaxed fit and wrap front with the stand out feature being a gorgeous notched collar. The PDF version can be bought on Etsy but paper patterns are available on request from Style Arc.
• The two new downloadable patterns released with Seamwork Magazine are for men this month! Eugene is a classic henley style tee and Harrington is swimming trunks which can also be made up in a cotton or linen for everyday summer wear.
• If any one is a as obsessed as I am with the off the shoulder trend right now you'll be delighted by this release. The Hippie Blouse and Dress is the latest pattern from Vanessa Pouzet. I love the combination of slim shift and off shoulder ruffle.
• Kennis from Itch To Stitch has given us a free add on for her Marbella Dress. The pattern pieces for a half circle skirt are available to download in PDF format. I really enjoyed trying out this pattern a couple of years back and was really pleased with the fit of the bodice so might be inclined to give it another whirl with this new skirt option.
• Anne Durrieu released the Marceau Top. I love an interesting back so this has shot to the top of my pattern wish list! I really like the simple cut from the front and surprise when you turn around.
• The latest release from Wear Lemonade is the Dita Wrap Dress. There's something wonderfully glamorous in a mid 20th century way about the cut of this. I'm looking forward to seeing some made up!
• Salme Patterns released the Hagen Skirt. It's a chic, simple a-line shape with two pocket variations. Currently available as a PDF download only.
• New from DiNuvoleDiCuori is the Greta Top and Dress. Both variations feature a high neck with a keyhole back neckline. I've been keen on this shoulder exposing style of armhole this summer so may take a closer look at this one.
• The Leralynn Dress is the latest release from Blank Slate Patterns. It's an a-line shift dress with a slit neckline and options for a faced finish or hood.
• Designer Stitch launched two new patterns this month; the Georgia Dress with a contrast yoke and cuffs and Kerry Capelet. A cape is something I've never really considered making but perhaps I should try rocking a cape this winter!
• The main hole I identified in my holiday/summer wardrobe is neutral camisoles and right on queue Kelli from True Bias releases a pattern for a gorgeous one in the shape of the Ogden Cami. I hit buy straight away. Alongside the cami are the Emerson Cropped Pant & Shorts. Bang on trend these wide legged pants look great with the simple top.
• Hot Patterns released the 1026 Fast & Fabulous Layering Tanks. The three variations have a v-neck, a-line shape and can be made up in either knits or wovens. There are options for a straight hem, shirttail hem or peplum.
• The most recent release from Jenny at Cashmerette is the Springfield Top. Yet another well thought out pattern that would be a great staple in anyone's wardrobe the style is designed to flatter a curvier figure and to fit closely around the armhole which can be a problem for the bustier ladies among us.
• Zoe from So Zo... is continuing to fill a niche in the market with her new Cordelia Maternity Top. It's a camisole style designed for the third trimester with a comfortable hem band and optional bust support panel.
• New from By Hand London this month is the Charlie Dress pattern. Man do those ladies know how to design a dress. Originally released as a freebie with Simply Sewing magazine the updated PDF pattern includes two new skirt variations instead of instructions to draft your own. 
• Measure Twice Cut Once released the Active Beanie pattern. It's a close fitting jersey hat designed to fit under a bike helmet or in your pocket and even has a small interior pocket in t to hold a key or some cash while you exercise.
• The latest pattern from Kommatia is for a Classic Pencil Skirt. It's fully lined and the perfect pattern for a beginner to get stuck into.
• Boost from Make My Pattern has released a design for ladies. The Tokyo Top doesn't have a printable pattern but instead is a zero waste style for which you can download instructions for how to mark your pattern directly onto the fabric. I've been exploring this concept a little recently and am really excited by it!
• SBCC (Skinny Bitch, Curvy Chic) has released the Paloma Blouse. A top designed for nice stable woven fabrics which are straightforward to sew. The two variations are packed full of interesting design features and the pattern is the first run of a new site range.

Sew-Alongs

• There ha been a sew-along running over on Helen's Closet for the Winslow Culottes pattern which was released last month. I love Helen's most recent post on ways to hack this pattern.
• Rachel will be hosting a sew-along on her blog in September for the Eliane Jumpsuit which she released this month in collaboration with Style Arc.
• Elisa from Salme Patterns is part way through a sew-along for her recently released Hagen Skirt. I've also been really enjoying Elisa's new blog Thread Diary about her personal sewing and design process.
• Christine Haynes is posting hacks for her most recent pattern, the Lottie Dress, over on her blog.
• A sew-along for the new Charlie Dress from By Hand London will be starting over on their blog mid August.
• Jenny will be running a sew-along for her new Cashmerette pattern, the Springfield Top, over on her blog soon.
• A thorough sew-along is up over on the SBCC blog for both variations of the new Paloma Blouse pattern.

Upcoming!

• SBCC (Skinny Bitch, Curvy Chic) has a new pattern coming soon in the form of the Paloma Blouse
• Itch to Stitch are currently in the process of testing the Belize Shorts and Skort. I'm really drawn to the angular wrap style overlay of the skort and love that that continues round to the back on the final view.
• Jennifer Lauren Vintage has a new pattern coming our way very soon. The Gable Top has a 1950s feel about it and is designed for knit fabrics with three variations.
• Eyes peeled on Wednesday 3rd August as Megan Nielsen has a new summer shorts pattern all set for release. The sneaky peak of an illustration I saw on Instagram in the week looked to have some fab pockets!
• Maven Patterns has the Kitty Dress coming soon
• Aime Comme Marie will be releasing the Mi Amore dress at some point in September. There are some advance photos of the sample dresses up over on the ACM blog now!

Other Exciting News

• Wendy from MIY Collection has recently released a PDF version of her Wisewood Top and Dress pattern.
• Schnittchen are running as competition to design one of their future releases. You can submit your ideas for the Maker's Wish competition and be in with a chance of your design being chosen as one of four patterns to be released over the next two season collections.
• Handmade Jane announced that she has been busy writing a sewing book for children! Named 'Get Into: Sewing' the book is due for release in September.
• Waffle Patterns have updated their Brownie Mini Dress and Snowball High Neck Dress patterns to include more sizes.
• Rosie from DIY Couture released her second book this month. 'No Patterns Needed' teaches you to be creative with fabric and shapes to create clothes in a more freestyle manner. I've been enjoying playing around with my copy and will have a review for you a little later in the week.

I think that's it for the time being but as always do check in the comments for any gems of information I might have missed and feel free to add anything you know of. There have been so many lovely things made and blogged about over the last few weeks I've really struggled to pick just a handful to show you on here as inspiration this month! You guys have got me running to my sewing machine every time I open Instagram.

• I've gone a little bit Sophie Swimsuit crazy. Where are you guys finding all these amazing printed swimwear fabrics?! Sophie and Sallie's in particular blew me away.
• I adore how Helena used the Moss Mini Skirt pattern to make up a little denim dungaree dress. Great choices all round.
• The Hannah Dress really piqued my interest when it was released a while back and Heather Lou's amazing use of print and solid on hers has sold me on it all over again.
• Amy's Anna Dress is supremely beautiful and wearable. It's the same Whistles fabric I used for my Midsummer Night's Dream Dress so I can imagine how lovely it must be to wear!
• Carolyn's Tosti Utility Jacket is a work of absolute sewing beauty. All those little details so perfectly sewn. I was looking at the Waver or Minoru to make myself a casual jacket along these lines but might now give this pattern a closer look.

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Anna Sui Floral Kielo Wrap Dress

Next up in my run of projects from Named Clothing is the Kielo Wrap Dress. This pattern was released alongside the Ailakki Jumpsuit (which I posted about last week) as part of the company's second collection and the combination of these two pretty much knocked me off my feet. I was hooked from then on. This simple but unusual design had instant appeal for me. I love a maxi and the wrap style slightly echoed the lines of my favourite RTW maxi dress which I have worn almost every week of the last five summers and still am despite it being on its last legs.

I'd ordered 2 yards of this stunning rayon crepe from Mood Fabrics a few months ago with the intentions of turning it into a simple summer dress. I'm not usually one for wearing a particularly vivid/bold print but for some reason I saw this online and it was in my basket in a flash. When it arrived I congratulated myself on the impulse order; the colours are vibrant and the crepe spongy yet fine. It's listed as 'Famous NYC Designer' but clearly printed in the selvedge was Anna Sui; how exciting! I was pondering which patterns to pair with the fabrics in my stash one morning when I was suddenly possessed by the idea that this print HAD to be turned into a Kielo, the pattern for which I'd been hoarding for at least a year. It's unusual for me to buy a fabric without a specific pattern in mind and this project is exactly the reason why; my mere two yards were nowhere near enough for the Kielo's maxi lengths. I did love the slim cut and back vent of that maxi skirt but had seen a couple of shorter versions around the blogopshere so opted to hack length off the pattern until my pieces fit! It was still a tight squeeze as despite being 49" wide there's a good couple of inches of unprinted white border by each selvedge and these winged pattern pieces are pretty wide. I didn't have enough fabric to even think about pattern matching that centre back seam which irks me a little.

As with the jumpsuit I cut the size 38 and made no alterations other than to remove some length. I cut 40cm off the hem at the cutting stage as this is the longest my lack of fabric would allow. Then when it came to hemming the dress I took off an extra 9cm, using 2.5cm for the hem. I wasn't happy with how it looked on me just above the knee so decided to go fairly mini and now I love it! I really like it with my new sandals as pictured but have also been wearing it quite a bit with ankle boots on those typical muggy but wet days of a London summer.

I'm really pleased with the snug fit across the shoulders, chest and armhole when the dress is tied. I usually have some problems in this area and I was concerned that this fabric would end up really misshapen around those curved edges but there's no unsightly gaping anywhere. The instructions don't suggest stay stitching but I added this in to both the neckline and armhole edges as this crepe is so delicate and prone to stretching on the bias. While I'm on the subject the sewing instructions are brief to say the least at just one side of A4 including illustrations but I can't say that they were lacking any information. There's a thorough glossary included which covers all the basics and this dress is an absolute breeze to sew; 5 pieces of fabric and lots of long seams! I would say that one point that needs careful attention is positioning the ties when sandwiching them into the side seams. You want them to sit right up against that corner when you turn the dress right side out.

Although it may look like a super simple style and you can't see them in amongst this print there are some clever darts giving just the right amount of flattering shaping to what otherwise might look like a bit of a sack. There are double ended darts in the back which help the dress when tied to skim the curve of your back and the diagonal bust darts are in bang on the right spot for me and I reckon are the main reason behind the lovely upper body fit.

If I have one complaint about Named patterns it's that the time before you really get started seems so long! I've been using their PDF patterns and although there are only two sizes nested together in each file the pattern pieces are overlapped so once you've taped all the sheets together you've got a fair bit of tracing to do (but seam allowances are included and clearly marked). There is a clear lay plan of the printed sheets included with the instructions so if you really hate tracing you could figure out which sheets are needed for each pattern piece and print each sheet multiple times but I didn't think far enough ahead with this one. Plus I would have had to print each of the twelve sheets at least four times! Couple this tracing time with the length of time it took me to cut this shifty viscose (I pinned the selvedges together in the end to keep things on grain) and it felt like it was about three days before I put needle to fabric! Having said all that, I love the Named designs and drafting so much I'm more than happy to deal with this extra bit of faff.

UPDATE! It appears that some of this faff has been to do with the fact that I am using a very old pattern. Named have since made changes to their layout and their last collection was released with layered PDF files so you only print the size you need and the pieces don't overlap as much.

Once I had my pattern pieces ready I made this dress from start to finish including cutting in just one afternoon. I started it around midday and wore it out to the ballet that evening! That was almost two months ago and it's seen a fair few washes and wears since. However, my delight with this dress turned into dismay during my little photoshoot for this post. Captured by my camera on timer here is the moment I discovered the disaster...

Along the edge of one of the ties the fabric has frayed away and the seam has come apart. I'm pretty sure this is not to do with the quality of the fabric but more me not appreciating just how delicate it is. I'm pretty tough on my clothes and always wash my viscose/rayon on a 30 cycle in the machine. I've not had a problem so far and this survived the pre wash just fine but it seems this particular fabric is quite a loosely woven crepe and needed more specific care. I think my aggressive trimming of the seam allowances inside the ties has exacerbated the problem. Perhaps leaving a wider seam allowance would have prevented the issue. At least it's in an easily fixable area. I'll either make the ties shorter or skinnier.

All in all this is a cracking pattern if you are after a comfortable yet unusual summer frock. It's perhaps not the best solution to really high heat as you've got quite a bit of fabric wrapped around your waist there but for British summer temperatures it's spot on. I think the key to keeping this design from looking too bulky around the waist and therefore perhaps a little unflattering is to use a nice lightweight fabric. I'm thinking about a breezy lawn or voile maxi version now. I love the sheer sample version which is worn over a shorter slip dress. I'm so inspired to sew up some more Named designs now I've have success with a few. Perhaps one day I'll make it onto a garment from the third collection or beyond...I've got Beverley Bikinis to share with you next!
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Big Vintage Sew-Along Reveal! - Vintage Vogue 9082

I'm really excited to share this finished project with you today. I'm sure most of you have spotted some of the gorgeous projects that have been made by other bloggers as part of the McCalls Big Vintage Sew-Along. Today it's my turn! To get us inspired McCalls have selected a number of designs from the 1930s through to the 1960s. The proceeds from the sales of these patterns will be donated to The Eve Appeal, a charity who raise awareness of and fund research into gynaecological cancers. I was keen to join in as, whilst not really a vintage dresser, I love all the unique details in vintage designs. The market today is awash with a lot of 'clean lines' and simple designs that after a while all seem quite similar so it's been lovely to get stuck into a project with some interesting design features and different construction techniques.

It was tough to choose between such a plethora of gorgeous styles but I eventually settled on Vogue 9082 from the 1960s. I chose this design because whilst the idea of sewing vintage really appeals to me it's not a look I generally wear a lot of and I felt this pattern had the potential to be given a slightly more contemporary vibe. Especially that little view B crop top! I made the dress and top as I thought the jacket had too much of a distinctly mid century look to it for me personally. The only change I made to the design to better suit 5ft3" me in the early 21st century was to take a whopping 6" off the length (then using 2" for the hem) and make it above the knee. Everything else was sewn up exactly as intended.

I was really unsure about what fabric to buy as I wanted something that would work with the vintage design yet still look contemporary enough for me to get some wear out of. I wanted it to keep a classic feel but still be interesting. I was at the Knitting and Stitching Show at Olympia at the end of last year with my Mum and this bolt practically leapt off a stall at me. It's a really unusual cotton fabric which has the feel of a barkcloth about it. It's made up of a variety of monochrome yarns which give it that lovely mottled look and it has a springy, crinkled texture. It was everything I had been looking for and now I've sewn it up I could not be more delighted with my choice.

I found it on the Fabrics Galore stall and although I'm yet to make it to their shop in Battersea I really need to make the trip at some point as every time I see their stall at a show like this I am impressed by the quality and end up buying something. I'm normally tempted by their Paul Smith shirtings and chambrays. Their online shop is pretty great but tends to focus on prints (this fabric isn't on there) and nothing sells a fabric like touching it does it? I probably would have overlooked this particular fabric online as a picture wouldn't have conveyed the unusual texture.

Being cotton it was really straightforward to work with, the only thing I had to be careful of when sewing was the mechanical stretch in the fabric provided by the shrunken, crinkled texture. I think this is actually a positive to this fabric though as the spring in it gives it body and the dress in turn some shape. I really like how it doesn't cling to the figure but produces smooth, soft curves. The structure of the fabric works particularly well for the crop top as it holds it's boxy shape away from the body.

Possibly my favourite thing about the fabric is how stitches sink into it almost invisibly. Although in a way you do loose some of the beautiful design features in it like the angle of the darts on the front of the crop top and the topstitching around the hem which would be lovely on a plain linen. There's a fair bit of hand sewing involved but the texture of this fabric means that it doesn't show through to the right side (I was still careful to only catch a couple of tiny threads on the right side anyway) and this meant I could hand stitch down all those facings without a care in the world. I've decided I'm a big fan of more traditional finishing techniques and one thing that really pleased me about this outfit was that almost all the edges are finished with a facing. The facing along the top of the dress is part of bodice pattern piece and just folds down which I found really interesting. A hem facing is the best way to hem that crop top for sure as it avoids any complications with that lovely v shaped cut out at the front and also give a bit of weight to it.

I do usually just scan instructions nowadays as I'm pretty confident in the techniques I like and what will work best for particular fabrics but I really stuck to them with this one, mainly out of intrigue for how sewing techniques differed decades ago and also as the fabric felt quite authentic too. The only modern methods I veered off into were to use a fusible interfacing (although the instructions to lap and hand stitch your interfacing intrigued me) and to get my overlocker involved. As beautiful as this barkcloth is it does fray like crazy and I knew just pinking the seams probably wasn't going to hold up all that well.

There are a lot of different techniques involved in sewing this pattern, the first of which is definitely the ability to sew a nice dart! There are approximately a million and one involved in this pattern. I'm not a big fan of sewing a dart, I find them a painfully slow process when you just want to get going so had to knuckle down at the start of this one and get on with it. I remember when I first started sewing my Nan taught me how to do tailors tacks (posting me some examples!) and it's now my go to method of marking pattern pieces because it is so accurate. It sure came in handy for this. I like how on vintage patterns darts are marked with a few little circles along the sewing line. I tailors tack at each circle which means more accuracy when drawing on the dart leg. When you're just going the notches and the point there's a lot of potential for fabric to shift and give you a wonky line.

One thing which delighted me when I first read the instructions for the dress was the inclusion of a waist stay. I've only put one of these in before (to my chiffon Oscar de la Renta dress) but they are so simple to do, make such a difference to the way a garment sits on you and just give your dress that little extra something that makes it special. I used a piece of black petersham ribbon from my stash for mine and this pattern comes with a pattern piece for it so you can get the length right and where it should hit the seams with not effort at all.

Based on my measurements I cut the size 12 and there's probably just about the right amount of ease all over, it's very comfortable. If you're after a more Christina Hendricks wiggle dress look you'd need to size down though. I'm really pleased with the fit through the back, which I think is partly due to the zip being on the side and partly down to vintage pattern drafting suiting my petite frame. I really love the wide position of the shoulder straps combined with the height of the straight neckline, something about it feels very Brigitte Bardot to me! Construction wise I wasn't sure about the the straps being sewn on top of the facing. As the facing is part of the bodice rather than being attached separately you can't sandwich the ends of the straps between the facing and main fabric when you sew the neckline as I usually would. It does mean that you can get the length of your straps absolutely spot on later on and this fabric is so forgiving that you can hardly tell the ends are there but I'm still on the fence.

A real personal challenge (appropriately for the Big Vintage Sew-Along) were my first lapped zips! I put the zip into the bodice first which being only 4.5" long turned out pretty well for a first go! It's actually a much more straightforward technique than I had envisaged but I was lucky that this fabric is so forgiving. I'm sure it would have looked a total mess in something plain coloured and crisp! I initially somehow managed to get mixed up with the dress zip and had the back edge overlapping the front. This looks terrible as from the front you could see inside the lap to the zip so out came the quick unpick. My stitching was pretty wobbly on that first try so it actually worked out for the best because even having just one practice attempt made my second one so much better! I understood what I was trying to achieve the second time and it's much tidier. I'm looking forward to trying to improve on this technique now and will be busy today flipping through my sewing books and googling tutorials for tips!

One last thing that I liked about the instructions is that they very clearly tell you which type of hand stitch to use and where and that there is a lot of hand basting involved. They are so thorough with a mind to achieving beautiful and long lasting results. It was really nice to invest some time in sewing a pattern which involved some different construction techniques and therefore required me to really concentrate, slow down and follow the instructions. It felt like 'proper' sewing and has made me really proud of the final garment as I know just what went into making it. Slow sewing often makes the best sewing don't you think?

Many thanks to McCalls Pattern Company UK for providing me with the pattern and fabric for this project and for the girls over at The Foldline for inviting me to challenge myself and take part. I hope the blogger tour has been getting you inspired to join in with the fun and sew up one of these beautiful designs!