My first Sew Over It Betty Dress - a review...

After another blogging drought, i'm back with a little review about my Sew Over It Betty Dress. If you haven't seen or used this pattern before, i'll give you some information on it first of all. It's a lovely 50's style dress with a boat neck, a v-shaped neckline at the back and a circular skirt. It has been on sale for quite a while now and is much loved in the world of blogging. 

I have had this pattern in my stash since Christmas as I got it as a gift. Because this pattern uses lots of fabric, I have never had enough in my stash to make it. In order to try this pattern out, I decided to make it up with a gathered skirt instead of a circular one as this is the part that eats up fabric. 

I decided to toile the bodice only and had to make some adjustments to the back seam to get it to fit - it needed to be taken in a bit to get a good fit. Other than that, the rest looked pretty good, so I decided to go for it. 

The fabric I chose is a Liberty Tana Lawn that I bought whilst in London on my holidays. I thought it would be a lovely lightweight summer dress (I know we're in late October now, but I did make this back in August! - Hong Kong summer lasts until November). 

The manufacture is easy. Just like any other sleeveless dress with invisible zip. I used a facing to finish the neckline, which was the provided finishing technique. I used my overlocker throughout for finishing seams. 

Now onto my final verdict; I was feeling confident about this make, however the finished product is not quite right. I think my laziness in not doing a Full Bust Adjustment (FBA) for my E cup chest is really obvious in this dress. The visual for this means that the bust fits, but the darts do not allow the waist to be take in enough and this results in a loose waistline. I've not yet worn this dress, which is a great disappointment as the fabric is so nice! I think i need to take the bodice and skirt apart and try to take the waist in at the sides and darts in order to make it wearable. 

I have now learnt that I must do FBA's! This is the reason that dresses and blouses don't fit perfectly, so from now on I'm going to have a go at this. Hopefully no more disappointments for me!  

Planning my summer makes...

With the summery weather starting in Hong Kong, I've been thinking a lot about the garments I would like to add to my wardrobe. I have already added some summer garments in anticipation of my Bangkok and Singapore holidays. My most recent Lilou (here) will be perfect and both of my Alders were made for this purpose too. In addition to those, I have made a 4th and much improved Sorbetto.

 You can see the neckline of it here and a little view of the fabric (sorry, no time for modelled shots). On my recent trip to Tokyo for a school trip, I decided to sneak to a fabric store in Shinjuku (Called Okadaya and it's amazing!) I picked up this stunning little Liberty print lawn fabric that is actually made in Japan. It was approximately $160 HKD for a metre and a half (what a bargain!) I added more than an inch to the length of the Sorbetto as my previous ones weren't quite long enough to look good with shorts. The making of this top is so simple, although attaching that much binding does get tedious. 

What to make next is the big question. I certainly need some knitted dresses. I've had the Colette Moneta pattern taped together for a while, but never quite settled on a fabric. I'm still on the look out. I've been looking online, but with some steep delivery charges to Hong Kong, I'm a bit reluctant to order. So if anyone knows a good website for knits, I would appreciate the knowledge! 

In addition to my 'kinda' planned Moneta, I hope to add a further Lilou (I also bought fabric for this in Japan) and another Anna dress from the rose print fabric I picked up in Sham Shui Po over Easter. I've also got another Sorbetto planned with my new improved pattern (You're going to love the fabric for this little number!) 

The last addition that I definitely want to make to my wardrobe is some sleeveless shirts. I love making my Alder's so much that I can't wait to make more shirts. However, my desire to only wear skirts/dresses with leggings underneath means that more Alder's does not make for totally comfortable summer attire. I've seen some stunning ones in Gap (super thin cottons) that would be great, so i'm now on the look out for suitable fabric. I've downloaded the Grainline Studios Archer (simple choice) as my pattern, so i'm ready to make! 

Photographs of my makes to follow soon - time for sewing and modelling needed!   

Two Alders for the price of one...

After a few busy weeks at work, which included a 9 day school trip to Japan; I have finally found time to blog! I've managed to do some selfish sewing during this time and these are the outcomes! 

After making my husband a shirt for Christmas day, i've been looking for another opportunity to make a shirt. The process and and the amount of different steps makes them really enjoyable to make. I started to shop around for a pattern I liked way back in February. I eventually settled on the Grainline Studios Alder. This shirtdress is much blogged about, so I sought lots of advice and opinions before setting off on my Alder journey. 

whilst doing my frequent browsing on fabric websites, I stumbled upon these beauties from modes4u.com. I loved the japanese origami pattern of the fabric above and the birds below really stood out. Both are lovely and summery prints on a lightweight quilting cotton, so I just had to order them! 

Tracing the pattern off and sticking together the 51 pages of this pattern were very long processes and meant that the manufacturing of my Alder's was very drawn out and done in many different sessions. I've only ever made one Grainline Studios pattern before, which was the Linden sweatshirt, so I had to check sizes carefully. I pretty much fit into the measurements provided, so I just cut a straight '12'. 

The sewing of my first Alder (the origami one) was very satisfying and mostly done in one session. I left the buttonholes, armholes and hem for another occasion. I stuck to all the details of the pattern and was pleased with the outcome. I made some small fitting adjustments to the waist as it was quite baggy, but other than that the fit is pretty good. The loose style means that it's going to be lovely to wear in the sticky Hong Kong summer. 

No sooner had I finished my first Alder, I knew I wanted to make a second. I just love doing all the different stages and I absolutely love doing topstitching (strange maybe?!) I made some changes to the pattern, including the shape of the collar stand (more rounded to allow for larger buttons) and the collar (rounded shape instead of the original points). I took approximately 2cm off the waist seam in order to match up with the fitting that I did on the original. 

As you can see, the birds really are stunning! The exaggerated grain of the fabric is also a nice addition. 

As with the original, this Alder went together like a dream. I'm so pleased that I decided to make this pattern up, because it's awesome! The outcomes will certainly be a staple of my summer wardrobe and will probably be in my suitcase for my upcoming trip to Singapore. 

I wonder how long I need to wait before making a third one? 

My Fancy Tiger Crafts Sailor Top!

Whilst planning my Sureau (something i'm not rushing), I decided that I needed to quench my sewing thirst with a quick project. I chose to make the Fancy Tiger Crafts Sailor Top. I have seen it being made quite a lot on the blogs that I read and thought it would be nice addition to my wardrobe. Because my prize haul of fabric has been staring at me, I opted to use one of them. I decided to use the paint printed viscose I bought from The Village Haberdashery. Not only has this fabric got nice drape, it's opaque. This makes it great for a spring top (no layering required!). 

The pattern is only made up of 5 pieces as the front and back pieces are exactly the same. There is a front and back yoke as well as  the sleeve and sleeve facing. I hadn't used a sleeve facing before, but the finish looks nice and it allows the sleeve to sit really flat. There is a deep hem also, which provides weight to the whole top. My only issue with the making process was the lack of notches - this caused a problem when gathering the front, back and sleeves to attach to the yokes. I stuck with it and ended up with even gathers. 

I had one issue with my completed top, the front yoke was gaping. After fiddling with it whilst wearing it, I decided to make a small fold at the centre front. I used two buttons to secure the fold and add a little bit of a styling detail. I'm really pleased with the finished product. The buttons are really cute and totally solve the gaping. 

My second Sorbetto!

After the success of my first Colette Sorbetto, I decided to make the pattern up in a different type of fabric. This time I went for a cotton/silk mix in a lovely ditsy print. Although the fabric was more difficult to cut, the top came together quite well. 

I made the decision not to use bias binding made from the floral fabric as it would have moved all over the place when cutting and folding. I had a lovely roll of red gingham bias binding from a previous project that I chose to use. I love the effect! I went for a hidden binding, so you shouldn't see it when wearing it, I just get the pleasure of seeing it on the hanger! 

Because the fabric is more fluid it lends itself better to being tucked in, so looks great with a gathered skirt. I think if I were to make the top again in a similar fabric, I would decrease the size of the armholes and neck hole because I think that they stretched slightly during manufacture. 

I think i'm going to pause my Sorbetto making and try something different. I have decided to try a Tilly and the Buttons picnic blanket skirt, so watch out for that! 

My first Sorbetto...

After my sewing table disaster, I have been sewing like a demon to complete my WIP's. With the Mathilde already finished, I set about sewing my Sorbetto by Colette. This make is so simple, I totally recommend it as a stress-free dressmaking experience. With 1 pleat, 2 darts, 2 side seams (french seams), 2 shoulder seams (french seams also) and neck and armhole binding it took shape very quickly. 

The fabric was really easy to sew and I used my new bias binding maker so that everything matched. I'm now waiting for the perfect opportunity to show off my Sorbetto - it is certainly a great summer top. I'm already planning what other fabric to use to make another one of these lovely tops. 

My Mathilde is finished!

Ok, so I decided to buy the tiny table from Japan Home Centre... I was so excited to complete my two WIP's it seemed like a good idea. Plus, I can use it to put my Christmas tree on when my desk arrives. 

With my temporary sewing area set up, I began the task of completing my WIP's and namely my Mathilde. The written instructions included in the PDF download are absolutely fine for most stages of manufacture, although if I was a beginner I might have struggled. Thankfully when things got tough (the button stand and facing) I had Tilly's helpful photographic instructions on her website to assist. All in all, this was a thoroughly enjoyable make, I loved the variety of different stages and putting the buttonholes in was really fun! My new Bernina was super reliable and did a great job on the manual buttonhole setting. 

I had decided to do my Mathilde with short sleeves as the full sleeves that feature in the official pattern wouldn't be great in Hong Kong. I thought I would get more wear out of short sleeves. I think that the sleeves look great! They're very full, but that will help with HK weather and makes a really feminine shape. 

I recommend this pattern to anyone that wants something interesting to make. The instructions are very good, especially the photographic tutorials online. I'm certainly considering a second Mathilde to add to my rapidly increasing handmade wardrobe. 

Colette Sorbetto - Part 1 - Toile and Alterations

Ok, so last night I started the process of making a Colette Sorbetto (click to take you to their page). It's a very simple downloadable pattern. It was a lot quicker to stick together than The Mathilde, but that's not surprising as there are only 2 pattern pieces! After a quick stick, I took some measurements and decided on the size I was going to make. I went for a 12 (american size) as it seemed like it would make a spacious summer top, which is very necessary in Hong Kong. 

Because the top is so easy to make and doesn't require much fabric, I decided to make a toile. This seemed sensible because I don't have enough of my new fabrics in case anything goes wrong. I decided to use some lovely red poly-cotton that I had left over from a Red Riding Hood fancy dress outfit (i'll leave it at that...). After sewing the centre pleat, darts, side seams and shoulder seams, voila, I had a toile of my Sorbetto. I tried it on straight away as I was very excited that I had just made a top in about 30 minutes! 

There were a few simple alterations I noted straight away - The dart was sitting exactly on the bust point, which isn't the most flattering, so I decided to make it 1cm shorter on my paper pattern. In addition to this, there was a slight amount of bagging under the arm and although this should be a fairly baggy top, it just wasn't right. I knew that adding bias binding to finish the top would enhance this. I decided to measure in 0.5cm from the armhole and remove a small triangle from the pattern. Hopefully this will solve the problem. Lastly, the whole thing was just too short. I have this whole long body thing going on, so I wasn't surprised. I decided to add 6cm to the length. I went for this much just in case. I can after all just cut some off if it is too long. 

I altered my pattern and am now ready to make my first real Sorbetto. I've decided on another nautical print, but before I can get started I need to do some shopping today. 

On my list I have...

• Red, white and matching machine thread to my fabrics. 
• White and navy bias binding (if possible). 
• 7 x 15mm buttons for my Mathilde.
• Some white invisible zips.
• A new pot of pins.
• A Bias binding maker. 

I am going to try Pottinger Street in Central for most of these goodies, I now that I can get most of what I need there. I will then go to Tailoring and Alteration in Causeway Bay to check out their bias binding makers. 

Fingers crossed that this is a quick process and I can get home to sew!

Fabric delivery - Modes4u

I picked up this little lot from the Post Office last night. My lovely fabric delivery from www.modes4u.com It was very exciting picking it up because the package was so large! I ordered 2.5m of both the Jug or not? by Michael Miller and Red Balloon by Cloud 9 fabrics and just 2m of the Maritime Sailing by Michael Miller fabric. Ok, so this was a little bit of a fabric splurge, but with my plan to make lots of new additions to my wardrobe, it was a necessity. 

My thoughts on www.modes4u.com are that it is a brilliant website! Love their choice of designer fabrics and because they are based in Hong Kong I can get the fabrics delivered quickly. They even throw in a free gift - I received a square of pink fabric and although at the minute it has no use, i'm sure I will find something to make with it. Each of my new fabrics has a planned outcome already - watch this space for my new makes!

Getting Christmas ready...

What else to do on a T8 day off, but make Christmas stockings! Ok, so I had already started two stockings for the newcomers in my life, but I finally got round to finishing them. 

I chose this beautiful Red Norwegian Winter Essentials fabric by StudioE Fabrics. I bought this fabric from www.fabricrehab.co.uk, but it's available from Hong Kong based online fabric retailer www.modes4u.com. I went for wool felt for the lettering/heart shape and jumbo ric rac to bring it all together. I'm pretty pleased with the outcome. These will be winging their way across the world to the UK in time for Santa to fill them up! 

The Mortmain by Gather - The finished article!

After about 4 hours work, i've completed my stripes and spots combo dress! I really love the combination of fabrics and the waistband in the same fabric as the skirt looks great! This dress is customisable because I chose to do my box pleats this way, although the pattern suggests the opposite way. 

This pattern is so simple to make and is suitable to use with so many fabrics. I bought it from www.fabricrehab.co.uk, which is a great website if you're happy to pay international shipping. I found the price ok and it arrived quite quickly after it had been dispatched. 

I'm looking forward to showing this outfit off in Shenzhen this weekend - Bring on the karaoke!

I've styled my outfit with the Tatty Devine lollypop necklace - the perfect accompaniment! 

The Mortmain by Gather - A Review...

After spending a long time browsing the internet for a suitable dress making pattern, i happened upon this lovely specimen. On first viewing, this Gather pattern is beautifully presented. It comes with a stitch bound instruction book, that has an easy to follow step-by-step for how to make two variations of The Mortmain dress.

I've already made this pattern up in a fine checked wool fabric that will be great for work. I'm now in the process of combining red spotted cotton and blue and white striped cotton to make a new summer dress. 

Updates to follow...

Back to blogging...

After dabbling in writing a blog a couple of years ago, i'm back! This time with a new, more personal approach. I guess i'd better introduce myself... My name is Sophie and I'm a sewing addict (sounds a bit like AA, but it's that level of obsession!) . I live in Hong Kong and I love sewing! My sewing addiction is not limited to one area, I love pattern cutting, dress making, hand embroidery, machine embroidery and I adore felt making. I guess I'm what you would call an all-rounder. I have found that i'm sewing more frequently and thinking about it constantly (not ideal when you have a job!). I thought, why not try blogging again, so here I am.

Welcome! I hope I can help, inspire and fuel other sewer's love...