Bodies

These pieces of clothing I just made are proving to be basic now, I wear them almost every day under my wool itchy, too-light or too low neklines for this cold shirts and dresses. The fact that they are buttoned under me assures my lumbars to be warm and cozy even with those low waist jeans. I happen to work in a not much warm room, so I have to make sure I am properly tucked in.

The black one is basically spandex, shiny and very soft to the touch. The grey one is cotton with some spandex in it. Since I got some extra fabric, I decided to make a confy top to wear under clothes, kind of supsenders.

Regarding the patterns, I just took them from a jersey body I have in my wardrobe. I put it over some patterning paper and draw it. We can do that if it is a very elastic fabric we are working on, without any darts, collars or other comlicated pieces. It needed several fittings to draw the lower hems, armscyes and leck line. The sleeves were a little bit complicated, and I had to remove the machine stitches and push the sleeves higher since they were too ruffled on top. Thankfully that solution proved perfect. It was also difficult to decide where to draw the neck seam, where the biassed piece joins the body. It is a little bit too open in the grey one, but perfect in the black one.

I am seriously convinced to learn some patternmaking, because more often than not, I am forced either to reshape, arrange the comercial patterns, which on the other hand tend to be less and less reliable, or to draw the pattern itself, copying or guessing it. So I think I need to know my trade better. I have decided to make a project out of it, maybe for the summer holidays. I have alredy made some research about the books I have out there and have a couple of options... but of course I need them to be in the metrical system.

Cowgirl Shirt

I made this shirt last winter, and I've been wearing it a lot since then.

I regret the fabric. Although it is beautiful, it is a contton/sinthetic blend, and the sinthetinc half is not confortable in my skin (call me picky), although the fact that it does not wrinkle makes it always good looking.

The pattern is from Patrones, I recall, but I modified it to meet my mental desgin.

Here I am wearing it with Mango jeans and UGG boots (my self Christmas present!)

Black Trench

This a project I'm proud of. I've recieved tons of compliments when I wear it, and people say they can't believe is homemade, amd tht it my have a label hidden somewhere. That's a nice compliment!

The patter is form a Patrones magazine, although I excluded the front mini-cape, and added the minibelts in the sleeves.

The fabric is a thick black cotton blend.

Worth to mention is my decision of put innerlining all through the up middle half, to give the coat stabilitiy and good shape.

Like it?

Grey Jersey Summer Dress

I've had this jersey in my shelves for years now! It was a beautiful print, but until recently didn't get the inspiration to make this dress. I saw it in Burda, proposed for a non elastic cotton, but also checked, and there... I saw the light. The result (modestly) is awsome.

Animal Print!!

I've always loved this print... it is punk and sophisticated at the same time, and becoming also! This is a light summer cotton. The pattern is Burda's, and perfect for me. This the second version of this blouse, and probably won't be the last one.

Pasley Gauze Skirt and Halter Blouse

I bought this gauze maybe a year ago, it was a cheap bargain and although I did not know then what to do with it, I decided to buy it and wait for inspiration. Some weeks ago I saw this skirt in a fashion magazine and I immediatly thought about my pasley gauze. I did not need a pattern, I simply cut the total lenght of the skirt with all the wide of the fabric. In the first try proved to be to big, so I cut it to fit me.

I really love this technique, sewing parallel stitches (1cm appart) with an elastic thread in the under reel of the machine. The result is similar somehow to the honeycomb pattern but elastic. I sew like 12 cm of this pattern, in the superior part of the skirt. I finished it with a zigzag and burned the remaining littler fringes. Finally, I had to sew an underlining of the same fabric because it was so transparent. I love the feel of the skirt moving sheerly about me when I walk, and the colous are wonderful. There was some material left, so I decided to make this halter blouse with a bow at the side of my neck. I can wear both together in an outstanding outfit. Please check the pants in this picture. It is one of the very scarse occasions where I managed to make perfect fitting, becoming and confortable pants (see Gertie's on the subject...). They are 2010's.

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Nude Embroidered Summer Skirt

I liked this fabric when I went shoppint in Barcelona last summer (see article ON THE HUNT). It was quite expensive, so I bought only 60 cm of it. I used a pattern for the superior part, and gathered the rest of the material to form the inferior part of the skirt. I had to sew a jersey lining under it because it was so transparent. With a carefully chosen black blouse, I was really happy with the final outcome.