Dark Olive Raincoat

Dark olive raincoat made as the 5th piece for my PR mini wardrobe.

Sewing pattern included for subscribers in the UK women's monthly magazine Prima.
This pattern was included with the November 2016 magazine.
The pattern is printed on both sides of the paper and in this cased I traced the entire pattern, plus drafted some extra pieces for the front and back flaps and the lining.

I used Raincoat fabric. Which was quite a pain as it didn't press well and made inserting the sleeves a real challenge.

I'm pleased with the result, but found making this coat quite hard going.

Burgundy Self Stripe Dress & summer wardrobe summary

Here's my summer collection

I've been looking at some of my older unused patterns and seeing if they work with any of my fabric stash.
So here's OOP New Look 6181, a long dress with V or notch neck and optional flutter sleeves. I went for the V neck and the sleeves. I flared it out a little at the hip as its actually quite a straight dress and I sewed the split sleeve up a little more than the instructions so the sleeve doesn't ball up under the armpit!

Burgundy tee

I changed the thread colour after only one garment and the new colour is burgundy.

I've used NewLook 6217 for this top, adding a neckband and a sleeve piece to make in 3/4 sleeved

I obviously like burgundy a lot, as I found I have 16 spools of thread in the same colour. That's 4 for the overlocker, 1 for the sewing machine and 3 for the coverhem, only twice. Not quite sure how that happened.

I've had a rootle through the fabric boxes and found 6 more fabrics I can sew in this colour, so see how many burgundy garments I end up with.

Reworked top

I've reworked the rectangle and the gathers and its better, but maybe not quite there.

I've used the coverhem for the sleeve and hem and sewn up the side seams.

I'm done with the grey green and the machines are threaded in a new colour!

Soft Khaki Pieces

I had two lengths of this soft khaki cotton shirting so tried to cut out as many garments as I could.

1. Raglan Sleeve top, New Look 6225, view B but with the bound neckline.

2. Shorts, New Look 6216 with the slash pockets omitted, but off-white side seam pockets added. These have already been worn and washed.

3. Trousers, New Look 6216 with the normal slash pockets but a single zipped side seam pocket added.

4. Shirt, Prima Magazine March 2020 Shirtdress. Shortened to a shirt, one patch pocket added to the front and continuous laps used for the cuff openings (not the side seams)

Grey green trousers

These dark grey green trousers are sewn from a stretch woven suiting fabric.

I used New Look 6216 as the starting point but altered the pockets to be more jeans style (horizontal opening) and slightly larger, plus added side pockets as well (the one in the right side has an invisible zip).

I also covered some 1 inch wide elastic in fabric and made a belt.

I added bands at the hem as they seemed slightly short.

RTW top I'd like to copy

I love this RTW top, it is deceptively simple with the front gathered into a square of reinforced jersey which is embellished with beads and sequins.

I'd like to make my own version, but have never found a pattern that was quite the same.

In theory all I need to do is slash and spread where the gathers are, and work out how to sew the square (its actually a rectangle that folds over to the back).

I'm open to ideas for the patternwork and/or a pattern which would be like this - I wonder if Burda magazine ever did one?

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On The Sewing Place it was suggested that I adapt New Look 6217 which I have done with only partial success.

Here's how it looks so far.

I drafted up a piece 8cm x 4cm plus seam allowances and interfaced it.

It is still a bit soft so I think it'll need several layers and/or stiffer interfacing in future.

I've bound the neckline, doing it firmly on the back neck and more loosely on the front neck.

I gathered 10cm into the 4cm square, this doesn't seem to be enough (it was hard to measure the original).

Summer Colour Palette - Grey Green

 

These are the colours I'm channelling whilst I sew some of my summer wardrobe.

I've just threaded up in Grey Green thread and have a few bottoms planned. The Grey Green is my answer to Khaki which is too warm for me.

Its not a very exciting colour, but very good for basic pieces that go well with lots of other things.

I made these trousers in 2019, but they were a very snug fit, just about OK to wear standing, but not enough ease and no stretch (not even any mechanical give) in the fabric, to bend or sit.

So I am reworking them with a matching side strip and extra zipped pockets.

Hopefully then I can actually wear them!

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Updated now with side panels and extra (zipped) pockets.

Holiday Souvenirs

We've just got back from 2 weeks in Madeira, a bit hotter than I prefer tbh, but lovely as always (we've been several times).

I bought myself a few goodies on holiday, and of course stuck to my favourite area - sewing.

I didn't find much in the way of prints that were my colours and patterns, so went with plains with texture.

Cool dark brown crinkled fabric with about 25% stretch 120cm wide x 110cm. Will probably need to be combined with another fabric to make some slim legged trousers for the Autumn.

Navy blue viscose fabric, with a small woven design 112cm wide x 2.4m. Loose summer trousers.

Charcoal viscose twill, 132cm wide x 1.5m. Loose summer trousers.

The fabrics will be prewashed, so may become shorter and/or narrower.

Some notions and small tools. Jeans buttons, bradawls, leather hole punch, reflective tape, buttons, bar hooks and invisible zips.

And Burda Style in Portuguese.