Mrs Potts Costume

I have a slightly different project to share today, not the kind of thing I've ever made before! I tend to sew almost exclusively every day clothing but was recently asked to make a costume for a pantomime. The play in question is Beauty and the Beast and I was asked to make the outfit for Mrs Potts. I was given both the fabric and pattern and pattern view and set to work. The pattern is a simplicity pattern (I'm afraid I can't remember the exact one though) which was actually a design for princess costumes but it's quite a classic fairytale dress.

Because I wasn't able to fit the dress onto the person and because it's for a performance I omitted the closure down the centre back and simply turned the seam allowance under and stitched it. I've handed it over now but I expect that either velcro or ties will be attached so that it can easily be put on on and off. It also means that the dress can be used in the future too as it isn't a definitive size. 

I hadn't used a simplicity pattern for a couple of years before making this dress and I was more that just slightly confused by the instructions in places! Because I've grown accustomed to the wonderfully clear instructions of Indie patterns I did find the layout quite frustrating. In reality the dress isn't very complex though and I was able to pretty much make up the construction process as I went along. I don't anticipate using another simplicity pattern anytime soon though...

Because dresses don't tend to be the kind of thing I wear I rarely make them, so it was nice to have a project that wasn't another jumper/t-shirt! I particularly like the detail of the peter pan collar.

This was a really fun project to take part in, and not the kind that I've done before. As mentioned I've handed the dress over to someone else now, who I believe is going to add some more 'teapot-esque' features whatever those may be (presumably a spout!) as the dress doesn't currently even vaguely ressemble a teapot! I'm looking forward to seeing the finished outfit though, It's quite nice being part of a project where different people will be adding different things. I'm looking forward to seeing the play too and to being able to spot my dress on the stage.

Blue and White Freya Top

The Tilly and the Buttons Freya top from Stretch! was a pattern that I knew I'd be making a lot of as soon as I saw it. It's a style that I really like, especially the mock neck. I find that high neck tops are perfect for the winter and it's nice to have a pattern that I can go back to time and again. This was a top that I didn't necessarily need in my wardrobe, but when I saw the fabric I thought it would make a perfect Freya, and as I couldn't get that idea out of my head I decided to make the idea a reality! I found the fabric in a really small shop with fabric stacked from floor to ceiling (the kind of shop that you have to search through a lot of stuff before finding what you want!). The fabric is really a very lightweight jersey but the stretch is what makes it so perfect for this pattern - I think it might be one of the stretchiest fabrics I've ever sewn with. 

I love stripy tops and it's always nice to find a slight variation on a classic stripe. The variation is one of the reasons I like this fabric so much. I sewed this top entirely on my overlocker and as you can imagine it was finished in no time! I was slightly worried about how difficult the stripes would be to match, but in the end I think the stripe matching came out quite well. The fabric did move a lot while sewing it though so I would recommend sewing the side seam with a long machine stitch first and then overlocking once you've checked that the stripes are matching nicely. Other than that there really were no difficulties with sewing this top. The stretchiness of the fabric is probably the main reason that the neckband went in so smoothly and sits so nicely. In my first Freya top the fabric is thicker and much less stretchy meaning that the neckband was both harder to install and doesn't sit quite as nicely. 

Overall I'm really pleased to be able to add another simple but useful top to my winter wardrobe. I think that the Freya top is a really great pattern, and I expect I will be sewing even more in the future! For both this version and my first one I left the top quite long to be able to tuck it in and kept the sleeves long too, whereas with my mustard Freya the bodice and sleeves are both shorter. The versatility is one of the things I really like about this pattern, not to mention how easy it is to hack it into a different garment altogether.

Wide Legged Jeans

I used to be strangely scared at the idea of making jeans. Then I made a pair, and I realised that there really is nothing to fear. Now, I really enjoy making jeans! I have just finished making my second pair of jeans and I know that even more pairs will follow. I've wanted to make a pair of wide-legged jeans for a while, pretty much ever since the Megan Nielsen Ash Jeans pattern came out with that variation. However, I try to avoid buying a new pattern whenever I can, so I decided to try and hack the Closet Case Ginger Jeans pattern that I already own. This heavy weight denim from Minerva Crafts seemed like the perfect opportunity to give the jeans a go; I still can't believe that what I had in my mind actually succeeded!

Somehow, jeans have become one of my favourite things to sew. Although I still hate the fitting (and I did have several fitting issues with these that I will touch upon later!) I love longer more involved makes. There's something so satisfying in the way jeans come together. My favourite step has to be installing the fly, the Closet Case instructions are flawless and I love the method they use. For me, after the fly is installed the fabric transforms from nothing to an almost complete and wearable item of clothing. I love how professional jeans look when finished with topstitching and hardware too.

Onto the fitting issues... There were definitely several parts of the process where I began to wonder if I'd ever be able to actually wear these jeans. As you can probably see from the photos, the jeans are way too tight on the hips. This was absolutely my fault rather than the fault of the pattern for several reasons, the first being the fabric. I used a non-stretch denim, and while you can absolutely make non-stretch jeans, you absolutely have to size up if you do! The Ginger jeans are designed for stretch fabrics so it's no surprise that they don't fit. I just about got away with using the smallest seam allowance I possibly could, but it's still a struggle to wear them. However, I had a similar problem at the start with my other jeans and they have stretched a lot with wear and are now very comfy, so I'm really hoping that these will stretch over time and wear too. I am really annoyed that this happened again especially as I had the same problem initially with my other pair, but because those now fit I didn't think to make adjustments at the time of cutting the fabric. I have noted the problem in very big letters on my pattern pieces now though, so fingers crossed the mistake won't be happening a third time!

The main adjustment that I made is the same one I made on my previous pair, and one that I have to make on any non-elasticated bottoms. I find reading other peoples tips/reviews on patterns really helpful and one of the most helpful Ginger Jeans reviews that I found was this one by Guthrie and Ghani. Lauren mentioned that she took a wedge out of the back yoke and I guessed that I would need to do the same thing due to having a sway back. I actually still had quite a large gape at the waistband even after this adjustment, so I also took out a triangular wedge from the waistband and waistband facing. I did exactly the same thing on my first pair of jeans so I knew it was the right adjustment to make. To be honest I could have done with taking even more fabric out of the back yoke on this pair but I just wasn't able to with the limited room over my hips, so again that's something I'll bear in mind for next time.

Enough talk about the challenges and annoyances - let's talk topstitching! Every time I go into my local haberdashery to choose thread I always admire the silver topstitching thread and have joked about using it for several projects, on which it would have looked very over the top. Well, I finally topstitched something in silver and I think I found the perfect project! Topstitching is a classic feature on jeans but I wanted to add a bit of a twist to it. On my last pair of jeans I played it safe with colour-coordinating topstitching but I love topstitching and I really wanted to use that silver thread. Using such a contrasting colour was nerve-wracking but I just took my time and I love it SO MUCH! I really feel as though the topstitching as elevated these jeans into something really special. What I like about the design of the Gingers is that they're high waisted which means I can really show off the topstitching too (because what's the point of spending hours agonising over stitching if no-ones ever going to see it?!).

I still can't believe how well these jeans turned out. Despite a few fitting issues I think they're very wearable. The topstitching has to be my favourite aspect but I also really like the wide legs, I'm hoping to make another pair of wide legged jeans in the spring too. The rivets are a finishing touch that I think really add to these jeans too, I love the professional look that hardware gives.