VFT London aka the twirly summer dress!

Hi! I made something for my daughter for a change so thought I’d pop on and show you! I made it with the intention to sell the style, so I was allowed. 😉

It’s the Violette Field Threads new pattern – the London dress. I made the most of the couple of days of sunshine we had!!

I made it in a gorgeous Liberty of London cotton lawn that’s adorned with sweeties! So cute! I realised how apt it was to be making a London dress out of Liberty fabric afterwards. 😀

The dress features a ruffly hem but I left that out (who’s got time for all that ruffling haha… I’m really not a ruffles and frills person) and just added 3″ to the length of the skirt.

It’s got the teeniest bodice, a really full skirt, and tie-up straps. A quick and simple sew, with just a few techniques required – gathering, bias binding, and the usual seams and hem!

In true matchy matchy Pink Bobbins style, I made a matching bow hairband, and it’s safe to say little A loves the outfit and wants to wear it ALL THE TIME!! 🙂

Can you blame her? Just look at the spin effect!

I totally recommend this pattern, it’s brilliantly written and the outcome is just so gorgeous.

Of course if you don’t want to make your own you can always by mine at Pink Bobbins. 😛

Beth x

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Simplicity 1363 took me 6 months to make

Hey-hey! On Saturday I made two things for myself! One was from scratch whilst the other was a very longstanding UFO that I started in 2015, probably around August time.
Today I’m sharing what was the UFO because it links to The Monthly Stitch’s February theme of UFOs!
So I started this top last year, when the weather was good. It’s view D of Simplicity 1363:

The fabric I used is gorgeous; it’s called peachskin – silky smooth to touch and pretty fluid-like. It actually wasn’t as challenging to sew as I thought it might be. But I remember the reason I stopped making it last year was because I reached a step saying I needed bias binding. And I couldn’t be bothered to make some.

But I picked it up on Saturday just gone, looked at it, and discovered I only needed some 1/4″ single fold binding, to use just round the armholes and it wouldn’t be seen. And I had just about enough ready-made 1/4″ white polyester binding! So that would do! Had I just read the pattern properly and thought about it a little, I may not have left it unfinished for so long. Ah well!

So anyway here’s the finished top!

I have to say, I really really love it. I’ve worn it twice so far and it’s so comfortable. The fit is pretty damn perfect, straight out the packet. Impressive seeing as I often have issues with armscyes being too tight. And of course I loooovvveee the blue/white polka design!

As you can see it features a high-low hem; there’s an added panel at the back hem. I forgot to take a photo but I rolled the hem by machine. Super quick when you don’t have to press it first! I have a love/hate relationship with my rolled hem foot but it’s 80% neat on the inside!!

It has a little slit in the back, and fastens with two little buttons – I used some cute hearts! I can actually pull it over my head easily without faffing with the buttons, but I like them as a decorative detail regardless.

Yeah I need to cut and tidy the thread in one place… I have obviously been wearing a cardi over the top this week so it’s OK! And I wore it before taking photos, hence it’s creased in the photos haha!

Selfie of me wearing it paired with my Morris Blazer. Handmade double whammy 🙂

I do recommend this pattern. I’m going to do the view with cap sleeves too (one day!!)

It’s always annoying to read this but I got the lovely fabric from my local-ish shop (Masons in Abingdon, Oxfordshire)! But if you come across some floaty peachskin, get it! For this kind of top it’s lush. In fact I bought it for making a jumpsuit in June ’15 but didn’t get round to that did I… So I bought 3m I think! You’ll probably see it on the blog again!

Beth x

GBSB Pleated Skirt – the tartan one!

So yesterday I showed you my “practice run” on the GBSB box pleat skirt.

Today’s the day for you all to see the “real deal” which is my sister’s tartan version. This post will mostly let the pictures do the talking!

Ta-dah!

My practice run was actually useful because after coming to the conclusion that I’d rather it was a size smaller, I made this one a size smaller than my sister’s measurements would have indicated. And it fits lovely (which was a huge relief!)

This skirt took me three evenings as opposed to the two my own one took me. Any guesses as to why? Oh, the fact that I caused myself such a massive job with all the pattern matching!?!

Of course first I cut the fabric out in order for it to match, which takes longer. And then I spent two evenings matching those goddamn stripes! But, yeah, it was worth it! This is the side seam with no zip in:

I actually recut the waistband because with the first one I cut, I totally didn’t think about how it’d match. Second go, I cut it extra long so that I could shift it along until it matched. That saved a bit of time!

And then I spent hours in front of the telly, tacking and untacking, tacking and untacking… until the patterns matched as perfectly as they were going to!

The skirt has a lapped zip. I’m pretty impressed with my pattern matching across the zip!

And it’s on a curve, too!

And finally this is the back. I have to say I think the pattern lends itself well to the tartan. Pleats and tartan – just meant to be, isn’t it?

How’s my pattern matching at the back? 😛

I hope my sister treasures it, because I won’t be making one again! At least that’s what I thought just after I finished it. Now time’s passed and the pain is wearing, I’m changing my mind; I might make another one day. A bit like having babies, haha!

Beth x