Patch Pocket Megan Nielsen Patterns Dawn Jeans

I have long been a fan of the True Bias Lander Pants pattern. I made my first pair of Landers at the start of 2020, and continue to wear them regularly. Whilst I love the style of the Landers, I've found the fit of the Megan Nielsen Dawn Jean to be better for me. The perfect solution was to combine the two patterns and make a pair of jeans that match the style of the Landers, but using the fit of the Dawn Jeans.

I've spotted quite a few patch pocket jeans recently and thought they were a perfect style to try and recreate. Using the Dawn Jeans pattern, I omitted the pockets when I cut the front legs. I then sewed the jeans as normal, and pinned on the pockets once I could try the jeans on in order to get an idea of where I wanted to place them.

It took me a while to get the shape of the patch pockets right, but I'm pleased with the outcome. The only thing I regret is not sewing the topstitching further down the top of the pocket, although I do like the look of the double line of stitches. I also decided to add double belt loops at the front which adds a subtle bit of extra interest. 

To mimic the pockets on the front, I changed the shape of the back pockets slightly too. I used the original Dawn jeans pattern piece in order to get the size right, and then folded over one of the edges by different amounts until I liked the shape.

I also sewed a Kylie and the Machine 'Not for sale' label to the back pockets - a perfect addition! This label came from the 2021 advent calendar, although they have lots of other good ones. 'You can't buy this' is a particular favourite of mine.

The patch pockets definitely make these look a bit less like jeans and more like trousers. I was keen to use the style of the True Bias Lander Pants, but wanted to keep the fit of the Dawn Jeans for the waist. To do this, I cut out the widest view of the Dawn Jeans before placing the Lander Pants pattern pieces on top of the fabric I had just cut out. It meant I was able to recut the leg pattern pieces in the shape of the Lander Pants, but kept the fit at the waist of the Dawn Jeans. I really like the width of these trousers, which fall somewhere in between the wide and narrow leg views of the Dawn Jeans. 

It's taken me a while to get the fit of jeans right, but I think I'm about there now. I think the darts of the Lander Pants might have looked better for these trousers, but I knew that without a yoke I would struggle to get the fit right. The Dawn Jeans also have a curved waistband which definitely helps when it comes to getting the right fit at the waist.

The heavy denim fabric that I used was perfect for this project. I wanted a mid-blue colour, which is what I've seen in RTW versions of these trousers, so I'm very happy with how these look. I did consider using contrast topstitching thread, and I think a bronze colour would have looked good. In the end I went for matching topstitching - there aren't that many colours of topstitching thread available and the gold that I found would have been to big a contrast with the blue fabric.

I'm very happy with how these turned out. They fit well and are comfy, and I especially like the leg shape. I hemmed these with a wide-hem and they're almost-but-not-quite full length, which I really like. To me, these are great summer trousers that provide a nice alternative to jeans.  

My Handmade Holiday Wardrobe 2022

The weather is undeniably autumnal, and I'm aware that the first day of school has come and gone. But I'm going to ignore that for the next 500 words, and instead write about the handmade clothes I brought with me for my summer holiday this year. It already seems hard to believe, but a month ago I was wearing viscose skirts and short-sleeved tops. I've already written about some of the handmade clothes I wore at home this summer, but I think that holiday wardrobes are always more fun. This is what I wore on holiday in 2021, and in 2017!

Slip Skirt

This viscose midi skirt is probably the biggest winner of all the things I've made this year. It was entirely unplanned but was worn constantly throughout the summer and much loved. As a bonus, it's made from the leftover fabric of this dress.

Green Midi Skirt

I made this skirt two years ago and it quickly became one of my most worn items during the summer. I like to think of it as the skirt that introduced me to the midi length. We had a few really hot days this year and this skirt is perfect for keeping cool. It was a great one for cycling in too.

Nola Top

Another make from this year that has proven very successful, I really like this jersey top. For me it's the perfect balance of a pretty top with interesting details that can be worn everyday. I especially like how it looks with denim, and wore it with my black Landers too.

Nola Dress

If I'm honest I'm still not entirely sold on this dress, and might make a few tweaks to it next summer. I love the blue dress I made using this pattern so much, and I thought that a below-the-knee length would work well but I don't think it quite hangs right. Nevertheless, it was still lovely to wear on holiday.

Gingham Lander Pants

These featured in last year's summer makes and are likely to do so again next summer (although I am working on another gingham pair!). I recently decided to lengthen these trousers and like them even more now than before. Fortunately the Lander pattern is designed with a 4" wide hem, which I unpicked to let down before resewing the hem at 1/4".

Black Lander Pants

The second week we were away was a bit cooler, and I brought my black Landers to wear. Like the gingham ones above I decided to lengthen these - and I can't believe the difference it's made. I wore them a lot before, but they now feel like an entirely different pair of trousers. Because these are denim and were made almost three years ago, you can see the line where the hem used to lie. I decided to embrace this as well as going for a raw hem, and I love the overall look. I've worn them constantly since changing them up.

Also worn on my holiday but not photographed were my Sicily slip dress, this white t-shirt, and my blue Nola dress.

Vikisews Patterns Nola Dress

 

I knew as soon as I made the Vikisews Nola dress last year that it was a pattern that I would be returning too. My blue floral version has become one of my favourite makes, mainly because I don't think it looks at all 'homemade'! I also really love the details of this pattern, from the puff sleeves to the shirred back.  

This pattern was definitely quicker to make the second time round. The instructions are all in Russian, and whilst I struggled a bit with google translate when I first made the dress, this time I was able to construct it using just the photos to guide me. There are a lot of different techniques in sewing this dress which is something I always enjoy spending time over, but it also requires a high level of concentration and focus - not one to make late at night!

I'm definitely pleased with how my shirring has turned out. When I made my blue dress last year it was the first time I've incorporated shirring into a garment, and I have also made a top version since then. It's definitely an addictive technique! The only thing I'm a bit frustrated about is that since making this dress, the shirring has started to gape slightly on my blue one. I think the best way to fix it will be to insert 1/4" elastic into the top row, but I'm annoyed not to have realised it sooner as I'll probably need to unpick this one too now.

I loved the viscose that I used last time, and had no hesitation in buying more from Felicity Fabrics. They have a lovely range of viscose fabrics that I’m especially drawn to in the summer. I really like the black background of this one as it adds a bit of contrast to the floral print, especially when using a pattern which has quite feminine details.

I've really enjoyed wearing midi-skirts this summer, and love the longer length of my handmade slip dress. Because of this, I decided to lengthen the Nola dress so that it ends just below the knee. I was certain that I wanted it to be longer, but I'm not sure about it now. It might be because there isn't as much waist definition so it feels a bit too volumous? I need to wear it a few more times before deciding what to do - I want to love it as much as the other dress, which might involve shortening it.

Handmade Viscose Midi Skirt

A few months ago, I purchased 2m of this pretty viscose fabric which I made into a cowl neck dress. I'm so pleased with how that dress turned out, and I think a large part of its success can be attributed to the fabric. Like with most sewing projects, I had an small amount of fabric leftover that didn't look like it could be used for much, but I didn't want to waste it. Spurred on by the UK's recent heatwave, I decided to try and use whatever I could to make a skirt. One of the nice things about sewing with leftover fabric is that it doesn't matter whether or not the project works out - if would have become nothing had I not tried to make something from it. 

Whilst I didn't need all of the fabric to make this dress, the Sicily Slip Dress pattern is cut on the bais so the pattern pieces can't be manoevered in a way that would economise on fabric use. I had two akwardly shaped pieces of fabric to work with, which was just enough to cut a skirt back and front from. The seam allowances are pretty miniscule in places (fortunately hidden by the french seams) and I had to include the selfrage, but it worked! I would have liked to have cut the fabric on the bias to make the skirt hang as well as the dress, but I had so little fabric that I had to ignore the pattern grain altogether. However, because this is a viscose fabric the skirt still has a nice drape to it.

I've made two midi skirts before, a green one and an orange one, both of which I've been wearing a lot this summer. For this skirt, I wanted to try a slightly different style - lower waist, no split, just below the knee length. To achieve this, I decided to use the bottom half of the Sicily Slip Dress pattern. The pattern has notches to indicate the waist, making it easy to know where to fold the pattern in order to turn it into a skirt. Because there are literally two pattern pieces, it was ridiculously quick to sew - it took me a morning to sew the whole thing, including cutting the fabric.

Having looked at this style of ready to wear skirt, I decided to use a narrow elastic to finish it at the waist. I attached the elastic using a zig-zag stitch, folded it over twice to hide any raw edges, and then used a zig-zag stitch again to secure it. I usually obsesss over a neat finish without visible stitches but I actually think that this was the right way to sew the waist of this particular style of skirt.

I'm so thrilled with how this skirt looks - from leftover fabric and a few hours of sewing. It's definitely the kind of style that I want to wear at the moment, and having made it I know I'll be able to use this pattern again. Whilst I love the dress too it's definitlely smarter, and I know that this skirt will be a great everyday item of clothing to wear throughout the summer.

A Week of Handmade Outfits - Summer 2022

Creating round-ups of how I wear my handmade clothes is always one of my favourite things to do. I think it's nice to see how things actually get worn, and for me it's also a way of assessing which items of clothing get a lot of wear. I tend to write blog posts soon after finishing a project, before I've had time to actually wear it, so this is a more accurate reflection. I made a similar roundup last summer, and those clothes are very much still being worn (especially this beloved skirt). You can also see my handmade holiday wardrobe from 2020, and way back in 2017! 

Wide-legged Dawn Jeans

I made these jeans at the start of 2021, back when I was unsure about the width. I ended up wearing them constantly last summer and they've been on repeat again this year. Whilst I generally like to wear them with t-shirts, a hoodie is a more realistic pairing for the UK summer weather! In the photo, I'm wearing the jeans when my sister came to visit me at Uni which is a lovely memory - this particular moment was on an evening walk.

Black jeans and white t-shirt

Living away from home means I can't ask my mum to take photos of my handmade clothes every five minutes, so I've had to settle for some student accommodation mirror selfies! In addition to the pale blue jeans above, I wear the black wide-legged Dawn Jeans that I made at the end of last year all the time. These are ones that I wear all year round, not just in the summer. I'm wearing them here with the square necked t-shirt that I made last year, which as predicted became a wardrobe staple. It's kind of replaced this white top which I love but is falling apart.

Cream Lander Pants

These trousers are the unexpected winner of this summer. I finally tried them on over Easter having left them in my wardrobe unworn since I made them - I didn't love the length, and they were too big round the waist. I have an unnecessary aversion to wearing belts with handmade trousers, I think because it feels like I've failed with the fit, but I'm trying to let that go. It turns out all I needed was to give them a bit of time, because I now love them! It might be something to do with changing fashions, but I think the length is so perfect with my converse and I'm delighted to have a pair of cream trousers. I've worn these so much over the past two months, and despite one incident involving tomato sauce they've stayed remarkably clean. 

Balloon jeans and turtleneck top

I definitely want to continue making even more pairs of trousers, including more jeans variations. These balloon jeans were a bit of a risk when I made them, as I hacked a different pattern and kind of made them up as I went along. I've really enjoyed wearing them over the past year, and in the summer I think they pair really well with my sleeveless turtleneck tops.

Nola Dress

We got a mini heatwave this June! My Vikisews Nola Dress was the first thing I pulled out to wear when it got warm. I just love this dress, I love wearing it and I'm so proud of all the intricate sewing details. It's also one that I often receive compliments on, so I get to tell people that I made it!

Shelby Dress

The other dress that I brought with me to wear on warm days was my True Bias Shelby Dress. I really like the fabric and style of this dress, although I would now like to make a midi length version. This photo was taken during a much needed revision break walk, determined to catch the last of the day's sunshine after hours spent in the library.

Dawn Jeans and turtleneck top

Finally, a repeat of two of my all-time favourite makes, and proof of just how much I wear them! This is one of my favourite summer outfits, I really do love these jeans. Because of how much I liked both patterns, I have also made this exact outfit in an alternative colour way - black jeans and a white top!

Sewing Masin Sicily Slip Dress

Amongst the hours of revision that defined my Easter break, in addition to making the most of family and friends, I decided that the time I spent sewing should be dedicated to something that was fun to make. Not something that I necessarily needed, but something that I wanted to sew just because. I have really liked the Sicily Slip Dress pattern for a while, but put off making it as I never thought I'd have an occasion to wear it. However, I'm determined to start wearing dresses more frequently during the summer. I also thought it would be a good addition to my collection of formal wear, other recent additions to which include this jumpsuit and this black dress.

The cowl neck is obviously the main feature of this pattern, and one which I've seen more and more of in RTW recently. It's one of those designs that I had no interest in ever wearing a few years ago but have started to really like - probably a subconscious reaction to seeing more of it! I wasn't sure how the cowl neck would come together before I made this dress, and just assumed that the the fabric would be hemmed across the top. This pattern is much more clever than that! The fabric is doubled over to form the cowl neck, meaning that it hangs perfectly and the wrong side doesn't show at all.

This is the first garment that I've made which has been cut on the bias, and it's definitely a feature of the dress that I love. The drape is so pretty, especially in the skirt which isn't actually that wide but has a satisfying 'swish' all the same. I did leave the dress to hang for a few days on my mannequin before hemming it, but didn't actually find that the hem was uneven after that time.

This dress has so many pretty and delicate features, and I really took my time over the finish. I used this trick to turn the straps the right way, which worked perfectly in such a fine fabric. The armhole is also edgestiched at the side seams are sewn with a French seam, so there are lots of careful touches that make the dress feel professionally made.

With such a simple shape, the fabric has a large role to play in this dress and I'm very happy with the one I chose. As mentioned, I wanted to make something just for the fun of sewing, and that included purchasing both new fabric and a new pattern for this project. I am really not a fan of PDFs but like this pattern so much that I chose to make it anyway, and once again used this printing service to avoid sticking together pieces of paper. The fabric that I chose is a floral rayon, very lightweight which is a must for the drape and the neckline. 

Considering how put together this dress feels, I was quite surprised at how quick it was to make. It only actually has three pattern pieces - the front and back bodices, and the back facing. This was definitely the kind of sewing project that I needed, and I'm so happy with how it turned out. I'll definitely be making this pattern again, and might hack it into a top version too. The only thing I'll possibly change is to make it ever so slightly longer - I'm not particularly tall but the dress finishes just below the knee on me, rather than the midi length I was expecting.

Vikisews Nola Dress - Top Hack

It has taken me forever to get round to writing about this top, but I think it's one that's worth the wait! This top was a very spontaneous make using fabric from my stash. I made the Vikisews Nola Dress at the end of last summer, and after finishing decided to try hacking the pattern into a top. 

Ages ago, back in 2019, back in pre-COVID times, I went to a fabric market in Bordeaux where I purchased several pieces of fabric that ranged from 0.5-2 euros per metre - in other words, very cheap! Such cheap fabric obviously isn't great quality, and this white jersey that I bought even came with multiple holes in and odd pieces of fabric sewn together to make one continuous length. But it has proven to be perfect for the kind of fabric for experimental projects where I'm not sure if the result will come together and don't want to waste more expensive fabric.

Considering how cheap it was, the white jersey that I used for this top actually feels quite nice to wear. It's lightweight and drapey, so I thought it would work well for a pattern that is intended to be made out of viscose. The last time I used this white fabric was to make this twist top, which somehow ended up being one my most worn makes ever! It's kind of falling apart now, the fabric wasn't really cut out to be worn and washed that often, but I'm very pleased about how long it did last for.

One thing I didn't consider when making this top is that adding shirring to jersey fabric would make it very stretchy. The shirring is very necessary in order to take the dress on and off, but jersey fabric is stretchy anyway and I definitely could have taken this top off without the shirring panel. I do really like the look of the shirring, so I'm not displeased to have it there. The only annoying thing is that the top ended up quite a bit too big at the back, so I did have to take the shirring panel in quite a bit in order for it to fit.

I'm very pleased to have managed to grasp the skill of shirring though, particularly on jersey fabric which is trickier to sew with. One of the main points to consider when making this top was that the back panel needed to be hemmed before the shirring was added. The pattern is designed to have a skirt added, so I extended the back panels and shortened the front skirt to turn it into a top.

My favourite features of the dress I made are the gathers on the sleeves and at the front, and I'm so pleased that they look good in the jersey fabric too. I don't think it would have worked with a heavier weight jersey or a less drapey cotton jersey, particularly the sleeves which require a light weight fabric for the top gathers. 

Despite making this top fairly soon after the dress, I forgot that I had to take the shoulders in on the dress. When I tried it on unadjusted, the top was much too low and the shoulders needed to be brought up. It's a fairly simple adjustment, solved by sewing the shoulder seam with a wider seam allowance, but I'd already sewing the sleeves in and overlocked them which was very frustrating! I had to unpick the sleeve at the shoulder, re-sew the shoulder seam and then re-attach the sleeve. It means that the sleeve actually has more gathers than it would normally because I had more fabric to gather into a smaller armhole after adjusting the shoulders. I'll try to hack the pattern before sewing it next time to adjust the shoulders without changing the shape, but I do quite like the additional puffiness of the sleeve. The only thing that irritates me is that the shoulder is now slightly less wide than it's intended to be and the sleeve slips down slightly. Again, I'll try and change this next time by shortening the shoulder pattern piece before cutting out the fabric.

I'm very pleased with this top, it was a spur of the moment make and a pattern hack that I hadn't tried before but I think it turned out well. I prefer to save the prettiness for a summer dress, but I think that the plain white works well and I like how it pairs with my black Dawn Jeans to counter the femininity a bit. It's always nice to have slightly more interesting tops for the summer, and because this one is made of jersey it's comfortable to wear and should be easier to wash than a cotton blouse.