Blue Liberty Sun Dress

The inspiration for this dress came from the theatre play Fairfly, from La Calorica, Barcelona. 

I used a previous pattern of mine, a hack from Named Sarasté Blouse pattern.

I added a faced keyhole shape in the short sleeves, tied with a tie. 

The final result is OK, but not up to my expectations, and can seem ordinary and plain. In this case, I am afraid the match between fabric and pattern has not been great.

Black Coton Rib Lng Short Sleeved Dress

 

When I travel by plane, a long, jersey dress is the better solution, and a very versatile piece for taking on my small carry-on suitcase. I already have a long-sleeved and a sleeveless one, but for this specific trip, I needed a short-sleeved one. 
I found this organic cotton rib is Ray Stitch, and it has proved perfect for this project. 

I used an old pattern, my Coco Copicat, hacked from  the Universal T-shirt pattern. I only elongated the bodice and created a couple of knee-deep side cuts to walk comfortably. 

It has ended up awesome, very useful, and perfect to wear with the small denim waistcoat I bought in Kensington Market, in Toronto. 

Black Cotton Twill Concert Shorts

This project began in Birmingham, when in a bookshop, I saw this book and was immediately intrigued by a trousers pattern. They have small darts, big oblique pockets and several versions, slim or wider. I'd been looking for a pattern like this and it proved to be up to my expectations. 

I bought this twill in Guthrie and Ghani's shop in Birmingham too, so this is a Brummie project through and through!

I made a big mistake during the construction, I forgot to take the seam allowance off. Then, at the first fitting, I saw they were too big and I had to take some fabric from here and there... Also, the construction of the fly was problematic, because the mark was not in the right place... and it was only afterwards I realized my mistake. 

Later, I made them shorter and they were SO perfect, I know I will make them again and again. 

The short trousers are fantastic for concerts, because I can put numerous things in my big side pocket (which was an addition of mine). They look great with a t-shirt and Vans. 

I can't wait to make the narrower long version and I have the fabric for it. 

I made them almost one year ago, but I did not have the time to post them until now. 

Cotton Double Gauze Gingham Daphne Dress

 I bought this double gauze gingham in dust pink and white in Helsinki. I liked the typical Marimekko big flower fabric, but it was too expensive, at 50 € /m, so thank you, but no, thank you. 

Well, so I took this gauze gingham home, and I got inspired by the Daphne Dress in The Fold Line. I loved that neck cut, low and wide. I am watching The Great, and Catherine's wonderful silk dresses have this neck cut, and it is lovely. I read that the author, Masin, was inspired by The Bridgetons to design it, so there we are.

It is a stunning, clever pattern. It has an elastic panel in the back, which keeps the front bodice tight around the breasts in a comfy way. I made a C size in a D cup, but then I added 3 mm at the breasts and side seams, cause it looked pretty tight on my dress form. And thanks to that small alteration, the sizing is perfect. 

My fabric was tight, since I only got 1,5 m, but I am proud to have squeezed a midi dress, which looks lovely as well. 

I dream with a silk taffeta maxi version of this pattern, but I need a pretty posh excuse to wear that! 

In typical fashion, I started it in warm October and finished it in cold November, so it will have to wait for the summer to be worn, and published. 

Update: this was my wedding dress!!!! Autumn and winter passed and in the spring, May 16th, 2024, me and my beloved Karlos got married. It was the most minimalist wedding possible, only us two, the councillor and friend who married us and two relatives as witnesses. It was only a legal step in our long (25 years living together + 3 dating) wonderful love story. But it was meaningful for me at the end, and it was the start of a long honeymoon holiday that took us to Desert Fest in London and to Canada, a great, great trip. The dress was perfect and I felt gorgeous. 

I wore it again with a denim vest I bought in Kensington Market in Toronto (<3!) for my students' graduation, and it felt fantastic too. 

Robertson Dress

 Some time ago, I saw this dress in a Barcelona shop window:

I love me a nice tartan, so this was an inspiration for a good old tartan wool dress. That, and the English Day at my school, dedicated to Scottish inheritance.  

I discovered Lochcarron, and after asking for some advice (they were very helpful) I decided to buy this wonderful lightweight tartan representative of the Robertson clan. 

First, I thought to make semi-princess seams, but then I thought that this dress pattern would be better for the bodice, since it does not have any seams (wool is difficult to iron, specially in curved seams), but only a couple of under bust seams. 

For the skirt, I made a half circle midi, although I had to add some piece at the bottom, matching the checks as well as I could. 

I decided to make long short sleeves, stopping them at the elbow, with a small cut at the end to see the gorgeous silk lining. I had to wear this dress on April 22nd, and longer sleeves were also not possible in the 2 m of fabric I bought. 

Finally, I had to buy some nice red silk to line it. I found it in France, in Bennytex tissues, at a good price.

The dress has ended up being just lovely. A masterpiece for life. 

Blue Tencel Wrap Dress

 This is another of the fabrics I bought in our summer trip to Birmingham (Gurthrie and Ghani). I bought it without any project in mind for it, because it has such a soft touch and perfect thickness and shade of blue... After some time, it became evident I had to make another wrap dress. 

This is my third rendition of this pattern. I decided to use the evasée skirt but in a longer version, as it is nowadays more fashionable. 

Apart from that, everything was straight forward, no alterations, perfect at first fit. It is very comfortable to wear, it's classy and feminine. In this April warm weather, it goes perfect with my Sweadish Hasbeens. 

Blue Wool Trench Coat

 Well, I'm proud of this one, specially because it is my own pattern, and it has turned out sooo nice!

I've been needing a short blue coat for some time, specially to go with jeans or blue trousers. This coat worn by Christina Heindrichs was an inspiration. I found this wool for €15 in the fabric market in Uttrecht, in May last year. 

I searched and searched for a pattern and curiously, I could not find anything similar anywhere. Finally, I decided to draw it myself following Aldrich's directions for the "Fitted Coat (slightly high waist)", which used the tailored jacket block from the same book. 

It was a total success, as it usually is with Aldrich. I changed the neck and rever, though, making them in two pieces: the classic reefer collar for double- breasted coats and a lapel that went from under the collar to a point slightly beyond the end of the button stand. It sounds complicated, but once I traced the jacket block, I just went on drawing all the particularities, like pockets, flare, back belt, etc.

The first fitting was just perfect, it feels like a glove, when you draw a pattern for your own peculiar measures. The only wrong part was the top of the armscye, 2,5 cm too wide, and I could see it right in the drawing of the pattern. Once I removed this, defining it from the middle of the armscye to the top, front and back, the sleeve hanged with the utmost perfection, it was uncanny.

To solve some construction doubts, I went online and I discovered that Claire Shaeffer, expert in haute couture methods, had just published a new book on tailored jackets. I bought the digital version and read it all as I worked on the jacket. It is a wonderful book, instructions and drawings are very well done. I did not follow the complete haute-couture method for this jacket. 

For example, I machine stitched the lining and I sewed it later by hand around the jacket, instead of sewing it to every piece separately. I used fusible interlining instead of horsehair canvas, but I followed other directions precisely, like sewing buttonholes or making the back vent.

Once it is finished and after I've worn it a couple of times, I have decided to topstitch it around the border, specially around the collar and lapel, to keep the layers of wool pressed together. I've seen this kind of thick woo coats with topstitched lapels and collars everywhere, and although I was afraid it was going to spoil the simple and smooth look it had, it has resulted an improvement.