Safari Midi Skirt and Black Ribbed Top

After making two pants and reserving fabric for a third pair, I still got some cotton left to make a midi skirt. A priori, it seemed like a perfect match.

I looked through all my magazines for the perfect pattern, and finally I found one in an old Patrones. I hacked the pockets, changing them from jeans to smart pants pockets. 

The fabric was sparse, and I had to use another cotton shirting to make even the pockets facing. There was enough to make the side cargo-style pocket, with some snaps included.

It came up as awesome as I had envisioned, and the fabric was indeed the perfect match for this pattern, I love this skirt, and I am wearing it often. 

The only thing that I do not like is the back yoke. I tried to improve it, but I did not manage to make it gracious. 

Also from some remnant left from another project, I draped this top directly over my dress form, cutting the fabric on it, and sewing it directly after. I added some strips to finish the neck line in front and back, and also for under the arms, where it continued to create the straps. It is absolutely perfect, comfortable and becoming, my size spot on.

My top goes perfect with the safari skirt, and the Guess stilettos I bought in Prague, second hand. 

Workingman Pants x 2

Not all in life is party and glamour! We also have to work, and if we can do it in comfort and style, much better. My husband is a postman, and the company gives them their corporate clothes, but everything is polyester and besides that, he is tall and thin, and therefore, standard size pants do not fit him well. 

For those reasons, I have been making his working pants for some years now, in corduroy for winter, and in cotton for summer. I found this thin cotton twill, with a bit of elastane in it, online, in the UK, and I bought 5 m of it. I have made two in a row now, because he did not have any left (he breaks them all with wear in two or three seasons, so the rotation is high). 

I made the pattern using Aldrich's book, specially for my love's measures, but after 10 years of using it, I lost 1 side and I had to make it again. For the second pair, I decided to use some worn down Dockers which fit him well to make the pattern.

Of the two patterns, my own is nice, but maybe the legs are too wide, and I do not like how the zip turned out. Of the second pair, the Dockers copycat, I think the bottom is too baggy. 

When I make the next pair in winter, I think I'll use my pattern but with slimmer legs. 

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.