Sew: Simplicity 1366 top in Japanese Cotton

I'm back with another project that has sat 95% done for a few months, waiting for me to hem it. I accidentally scorched the fabric on the back while doing the neckline so it was sent to the naughty corner for a while. 

I made the same neckline alteration to this top as my stripey version. I lengthened the body by 10cm and left the sleeves as per the pattern. I prefer the sleeves slightly shorter like the stripe top so will shorten the sleeves in future makes. They sit right at the elbow which is a bit awkward.

The fabric was from Tessuti Melbourne way back in February. It is a beautiful soft waffle cotton that I couldn't go past.

Project Details
Pattern: Simplicity 1366, size 18
Fabric: Japanese waffle cotton from Tessuti Melbourne
Alterations: Removed 3 cm from both the front and back neckline, lengthened body by 10cm.
See Also: Sew Brunswick #1 | Ada Spragg | Lily Sage & Co | Bedlam + Bird

There's one more S1366 top hanging somewhere around waiting for a neckline binding.

L x

Sew: Vogue 1250 in Mood Jersey

I'm a bit of a pattern repeat offender lately. First with the McCalls 6559 and now with the Vogue 1250. Seriously, if it works why go against it?! 

Now this would be my sixth version of Vogue 1250. You can see my previous versions here, here, here, here and here. What can I say? I love Vogue 1250. 

I made my standard adjustments. A 4cm sway back adjustment, a double cowl and an extra 5cm length. This fabric isn't as drapey as my previous versions so the dress has a slightly firmer fit.

This is my beloved animal print jersey from my adventures at Mood Fabrics LA. I have about 1.5m left which I'm going to make a shortened Mission Maxi dress with.

There is not much else to say about this dress. I love it, it's super comfortable and that's all there is to it.  

Project Details

Pattern: Vogue 1250, size 18

Fabric: Animal print jersey from Mood Fabrics

Alterations: 4cm sway back adjustment, lengthened 5cm and doubled the cowl. 

I'm yet to make this in a solid colour. A black one would be a versatile addition to my wardrobe. At the moment, I think it is time to step away from the Vogue 1250!

In other news, I recently went a little crazy with my blog template and did a big spring clean. The template is the Lady Luck Blogger template by Blog Boat on Etsy. It was a little tricky to install but once I got the hang of it, it was quite fun. I do love a bit of a challenge. 

I've gone all social and started Sew Brunswick Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest accounts. If you want to follow along, just click on the buttons on the sidebar. More importantly, if you have a blog Instagram account, let me know and I'll start stalking you! 

I've also been cutting out and sewing up a storm lately but am seriously lacking the blogging energy. I just don't feel like blogging my makes at the moment. Anyone else ever feel like that? 

And last but not least, I am making a little black jacket using Vogue 7975. I actually started it before all this talk about French jackets that has been taking the online sewing community by storm. I'm just very slow. Have you seen Melanie's amazing jacket?! Mine is ridiculously boring in comparison but will be extremely handy and versatile for work. I am up to hand stitching the lining hems but am torn about the shoulders. I feel they might be a little wide but it would be very difficult to unpick the sleeves without ruining the fabric and I don't want to over fit it. My Cordova jacket is a little too tight across the shoulders for comfort. I still wear it and love it though. 

I've included a picture (a very bad picture from late on a Saturday night - don't we all sew on a Saturday night in our pyjamas??) so you can weigh in on the debate. The shoulders in the picture look perfect to me. They just feel a tad wide. I'm going to put an extra layer of fabric in my right shoulder (non-phone shoulder) as it is always slightly lower. What do you think? Do they look too wide? Am I being too picky? Probably. The more I sew, the pickier I get. No wonder I can't buy clothes anymore... 

Thanks in advance for all your words of wisdom! 

L x

Sew: Lady Skater Dress FIXED

Hello! We got home yesterday from the States after an amazing 3 week holiday. I'll post some photos soon. Before we left I sewed quite a few garments that I haven't blogged. I'll post them slowly over the next few weeks. You may remember my failed Lady Skater Dress that I was hoping to take with me. I was about to hack it apart but decided to attempt to fix it instead. I'm so glad I did because it is a fabulous travel dress! I took it in another 5cm on each side seam all the way from the sleeve hem all the way to the skirt hem. This fixed it beautifully. It still dips a bit at the back waist hem but it is so comfortable to wear. The fabric is delicious!

Project Details
Pattern: Lady Skater Dress
Fabric: Black bamboo knit from Clegs
Alterations: Shortened bodice by 5cm, shortened shoulder seam by 2.5cm, took an extra 5cm from each side seam

It is certainly not perfect but it is fine for long car trips and hanging around the house. The fabric is very lightweight and drapey making every seam very noticeable. I didn't bother hemming it.

The first photo is of me in the middle of Nevada. We drove from Yellowstone to Yosemite in two days. The second day was supposed to be more leisurely but we had to circumnavigate the massive fire in Yosemite instead of drive through the park from the eastern side. This added an extra half a day and about 400 extra miles. When we finally got to Yosemite we couldn't see anything for all the smoke! Thankfully it cleared up after a day or so. It is such an amazing place.

This next photo was taken looking out towards the Grand Tetons from our cabin at Flagg Ranch near Yellowstone. We spent a few days here exploring and catching up with Mr Sew Brunswick's brother and his family. They're based in Salt Lake City so it was lovely to spend some time with them. This was our view for our evening drinks. We even sat in wooden rocking chairs! It was perfect.




L x

Sew: Zebra Coasters

I got sick of covering the stains with my coffee cup on our old set of coasters, so I made a snazzy new set out of the remaining bit of zebra print linen left over from my Vogue 8552 dress.

I use a 12 x 12cm cardboard template to cut two squares of fabric and one square of stiff interfacing and use a 1cm seam allowance. Once turned and pressed, I topstitch around the edges.

Simple. They go perfectly with my black, white and red kitchen. Plus they match my dress!

L x

Sew: Liberty Scout Woven Tee

 

 

It is safe to say that I love the Scout Woven Tee pattern. It is just so comfortable yet stylish making it a very valuable addition to my "Mum" wardrobe. I also think it is great to showcase beautiful cotton fabric in the same way that the Tiny Pocket Tank does.

 



Project Details
Pattern: Grainline Scout Woven Tee
Fabric: Liberty Wiltshire in Peach from Shaukat

That is all.

L x

Sew: Summer Dress for Miss O

 

As I don't have any girls of my own (probably a good thing!), I take great pleasure in sewing dresses for Christmas and Birthdays for my niece, Miss O.

I have a large collection of skirts made in Amy Butler fabrics that I made soon after having my boys and now don't fit me. So I've stashed them away to make in to skirts and dresses for Miss O. I simply ripped out the zip, sewed up the centre back again and laid the pattern onto the skirt. I even used the existing hem to simplify things further.

I downloaded this free pattern from the internet months ago and can't for the life of me remember where it is from. It is a simple A-line with cut outs for the armholes. Mr N picked the ribbon. He is good like that.

So, Merry Christmas Miss O and all my family in Queensland!! We will miss you all this year but look forward to another great Christmas together next year.

L x

Sew: Vogue 8805

 

Introducing my own variation of Vogue 8805, the colour blocked dress. Originally I was planning a dark navy top with fuschia pink band at the bottom but I couldn't get the perfect pink. The ever helpful Lisa from Tessuti Melbourne kindly talked me through the options on the phone one day and mentioned the Ocean Zin linen. She then said excitedly that the Giganta Orange was a perfect match! So my decision was made.

Obviously, I went with two colours instead of three. I shortened the sleeves by 2cm as they were sticking out due to the thickness of the linen being double folded. So I cut them off, overlocked and turned them once before topstitching. I also opted for an orange button and thread loop as the closure instead of the instructed hook and eye.

Vogue 8805

Project Details
Pattern: Vogue 8805 View A
Fabric: Ocean Zin Linen &  Giganta Orange Linen from Tessuti Melbourne
Alterations: Shortened sleeves by 2cm.

I cut a straight size 18 and only added an extra 3cm to the length. It is a very loose fitting dress (aka sack-like) but will be perfect for those hot summer days. I really like the weight of the zin linen although it does crush as you can see, but that doesn't bother me too much.

Behind me is one of my climbing rose bushes, Pierre de Ronsard. I have finally worked out how to prune them properly to optimise flowering. It only took 3 years...

Have you made Vogue 8805? If so, tell me about it and post a link. I'd love to see!

L x

Sew: Butterick 3597 Pencil Skirt

The completion of Butterick 3597 in the remaining blueberry ponti creates the "Peplum Dress" that I was after. The top is Vogue 8815 that I made a few weeks ago. I thought that separates would be more versatile as I can wear the individual items separately. I plan on making a black top to go with the blue skirt and I wear the blue peplum with a black pair of capri pants with wedge heels.

This ponti is a dream to sew with. It is beautiful and soft. Plus I adore the colour. I'd love some orange ponti.

Project Details
Pattern: Butterick 3597
Fabric: Blueberry Ponti from Tessuti Fabrics
Alterations: tapered skirt in for a more pencil skirt effect, added a lining

 

I am slowly pulling my work wardrobe together.

L x

Sew: New Look 6000

 

 

 

Not much to report about this dress. Except for the fact that black is really, really hard to photograph yourself...

I used the same black ponti knit from Rathdowne Fabrics as my Simplicity 2250 jacket and Vogue 8787 dress. I bought 4 metres for the two original projects but managed to squeeze an extra dress out of it as well.

Due to my fabric restriction, I used New Look 6000 without the pleats and opted for half length sleeves. I was going for a casual "t-shirt" shift dress, like the ponti knit dresses in Country Road, so chose a casual sleeve length and top stitched the hem and sleeves using a wide twin needle. I also lined the body of the dress for comfort and style.

Project Details
Pattern: New Look 6000
Fabric: Black ponti knit from Rathdowne Fabrics
Alterations: 4cm total sway back adjustment, graded pattern up to size 18, lengthened by 10cm, added lining (used smaller seams on lining fabric)

This is my second time using New Look 6000. It is a great basic pattern that I am sure I will use many more times. I do, however, need to move on from ponti knit for the time being. I have made 4 garments from ponti in the last 2 months and I have one more sitting on my sewing table...

Kids Clothes Week Challenge, here I come!!

L x

Sew: Vogue 8815 Peplum Top

Well, you certainly didn't see it here first! This is the pattern of the week! Vogue 8815, aka the Peplum Top pattern. Jorth has made it. Colette from Sew Tessuti has made it. Twice!  Erica B has styled it to the max. Mimi G totally rocked it. Anyone else?

I originally purchased this ponti for a dress but wasn't quite sure which one to go for. Then I saw this pattern on Voguepatterns.com and quickly made my decision. I am in the process of making a pencil skirt to go with this top for a peplum "dress" look, but I couldn't wait to wear this top! I love the colour and the style is fun and a bit flirty.

I switched the sleeves for the cap sleeves from Vogue 8787 and lined the sleeves and bodice. I cut a size 18 (yay!) and graded the sides in by an extra inch at the armhole. I could possibly drop the bust dart by an inch in my next version. Yes, there will be another one (or two, or three!).




Vogue 8815

Project Details
Pattern: Vogue 8815 (sleeves from Vogue 8787)
Fabric: Blueberry Ponti from Tessuti Fabrics plus matching lining
Alterations: Lined sleeves and bodice, substituted sleeves from Vogue 8787 for a capped sleeve,

Have you jumped on the Peplum Top bandwagon yet?

L x

Sew: Breastfeeding Cover

On my first public outing with Mr N, I attempted breastfeeding him (all 4.1kg of him) under a wrap whilst sitting inconspicuously in the corner of a cafe. It was an absolute disaster!! The wrap kept falling off, I couldn't see my breast or where his mouth was, he couldn't see me and to top it all off I dropped the breastfeeding shield on dirty Degraves Lane. In full public view...


As soon as I got home, I googled breastfeeding covers and found they were simply a rectangle of fabric with a strap. A few hours later I had a cover that served me well for my two short breastfeeding careers. I made some modifications to the simple fabric rectangle to improve the usability. I included boning and some stiff interfacing to keep the cover open at the top so I could see what I was doing. I also included two towelling pockets to hold the shields while feeding and to wipe up spills.

Multiple friends saw me feeding in all sorts of places with the cover and when it came to their time to have a baby, it became my go-to baby present.

A friend of mine is due in a month and had her baby shower this afternoon. I made her a neutral cover in a Victoria & Albert Museum craft cotton from Spotlight. Mr N picked it. I think he's got a very good eye for fabric!

Project Details
Fabric: 1m Victoria & Albert Museum craft cotton from Spotlight - cut to 90cm x 70cm &  7cm x 90cm
Notions: 0.5m boning, 2 x D-rings, thread, cotton towelling

It has been a very sad week for Brunswick, so it was nice to spend some time with a group of lovely ladies celebrating the impending birth of a beautiful baby. Boy or girl, it does not matter.


L x

Sew: Under Fire Vogue 1027

I love this pattern. I love this fabric. Match made in heaven!

 

This dress has been made for a week. Patiently hanging while the bias in the skirt stabilised enough for hemming. Then hanging some more, waiting for me to actually wear it. Our house has been full of the lurgy. My youngest then got croup and now he has a raging fever. Bring on spring, I say!! So please excuse the pink eyes, dark circles and uncontrollable hair.

 

This is my third version of this dress. From previous experience, I shortened the skirt by 20cm and shortened the tie by a total of approximately 50cm, to prevent me from continuously standing on them whilst bending down to pick things up or playing with the boys. I also overlapped the front bodice pieces by an extra 2.5cm to prevent further wardrobe malfunctions.

As the weight of the fabric is quite significant in this dress, I stabilised the shoulder seams with a cotton drill tape. I avoided the armscye and simply turned the edge in by 1cm and used a twin needle. This is what I've done on all versions with great success. And for this version, I used some techniques from my swimsuit sewing by inserting elastic around the waist seam at the back only and topstitching it down with a triple zig-zag stitch.

 

 

 

Project Details
Pattern: Vogue 1027
Fabric: Under Fire viscose/elastane jersey from Tessuti Melbourne
Alterations:

• Shortened skirt by 20cm (possibly a little too much)
• Shortened tie by 1/3 (50cm)
• Overlapped bodice by an extra 2.5cm
• Stabilised shoulder seams with cotton tape
• Went down 2 sizes - usually a size 18 in Vogue (cut a 14)

 

 

 

 I really like this dress but am not feeling the love looking at these photos of me actually in it. What do you think?

 

On my sewing table today is a Colette Negroni shirt for Mr Sew Brunswick as a Father's Day present. It is coming along surprisingly well. It will compliment the many paintings and presents made at childcare perfectly.

 

What's on your sewing table this weekend?

 

L x