What have I been sewing? : May 2016

Let me just say one thing before I start. I really, really do not like this hot weather. Being a natural ginger, I feel the heat quite easily and if I'm being honest, I struggle! Although it is nice to actually have a summer this year, it would also be nice if I could go a day without feeling like I'm melting. 

Okay, now I've had my little whinge, I'm finally getting round to reporting my makes for May 2016 - this month was relatively quiet in the sewing front as I just couldn't find the time to do it, however what I had made, I actually really like. I'm a bit miffed that I didn't join in with Me Made May but I just simply didn't have the time to get everything made so I could wear "me made" items throughout the whole month, but there's always next year, right!

First item was my McCalls 7200 Kimono jacket (view C), and yes, I made it in the bunny fabric. I've actually come to the end of this fabric now, but I'm super happy with how this turned out. 

I first laid eyes on this pattern when I was browsing through katemakesadress on instagram and thought, Philly, you need this in your life if it's that simple to make. This was a relatively simple item so put together, once I had figured out the instructions. For the life of me, I could not read these instructions and understand them. My Mum had also read them and looked at me like "what are you even on about..." but something just wasn't letting them sink in to my head!

The only alteration I had to make was that I had to readjust where the tie-belt straps were sewn in. Due to me being quite short, the location of the straps meant that they were sitting right on my bum and it really didn't look right, so I moved them up a few inches and now they're sitting perfectly on my waist. 

Would I make this again? Yes, I think I would. I'd probably make it a little shorter though, as this is quite long on me but I suppose it's quite good as it does cover my bum, so if I do end up having leggings on which are slightly...see through...at least my dignity is covered on my derrier! I'd also make it in a plain(er) fabric so that I could wear it with more of my clothes. I love how versatile this pattern is and how I actually like what it looks like both tied up at the front and also at the back. 

My second make for May was a Sew Over It Ultimate Shift dress top. Now, I don't have any decent photos of this top as of yet so bare with me - the photo I do have does not do this fabric any justice though! 

Apologies for this being horrendously creased in this photo, I'd taken this top to Cardiff with me and didn't realise how easily it'd crease! As much as I love viscose, this one really does crease easily. 

This top only took me around 2 hours to make, as I've really managed to master this pattern. I think this is probably the 5th time I've used this pattern now (3 dresses and 2 tops) however the first time I'd tried to make a top out of the pattern, I really didn't like how it looked. I don't know if it was because of the sleeves or whatever but it just really didn't look right. 

A few alterations were made to make this top fit me better. I increased the size of this by about an inch and a half each side, as I wanted the fit to be slightly baggier. I also missed off the facings and used a single turned over hem to finish off the arm holes, neckline and bottom hem and I actually like how it turned out. It's extremely comfy to wear and I've already got another 2 pre-cut and ready to start sewing this morning. 

The one thing I love about this pattern is that it just suits every body type. I'm not the smallest of girls by any means, but this dress pattern, and top pattern for that matter, really make me feel a little slimmer. 

 So those are my two makes for May 2016! As I said above, a relatively quiet month on the sewing front, however June is already under way and I've managed to make something already, so hopefully I'll have my other items finished and I'll actually get that post up on time by the end of June...

'til next time! 

♥

Singer Starlet 6660

I've spent so many hours of my life looking at all the fancy computerised sewing machines and thinking wow, I'd really love one of those...but what I didn't love was the price tag that came with the majority of them! 

If you've been around for a couple of months, you'll know that I recently moved out of my privately rented flat and back to my Parent's house, meaning I had a lovely sum of money coming back my way in the form of my deposit! I though that there was no better way of treating myself after such a stressful time than to buy a new sewing machine. Don't get me wrong, I loved my little Brother LS14 but I just wanted something a bit more...substantial now I've really gotten into the swing of dressmaking. 

On one of my many trips to Hobbycraft with my Sister when she's up from London, we headed straight to the sewing machine aisle, just so I could have a look at the ones they have on offer, as I like the fact I could physically see the machine and have a go, should I choose to. I fell in love with one, but was a bit iffy about spending over £200 on a machine! We had a bit of a walk about and I thought, Philly, do your research first, you can always come back. 

After about...an hour...of thinking do I need this, can you justify it, blah blah blah, I decided I wanted to go ahead and buy one. I went back to Hobbycraft the morning after, walked to the till with the sewing machine box for a Singer Starlet 6660 in my arms and before I knew it, I'd spent over £200 on a new sewing machine. What, I must be mad. 

Okay no, really, I am so happy I spent this much money on a computerised machine. The quality is just unreal, the whole thing just feels so damn sturdy and I love how easy the interface is to use. I like how I can see all of the stitch "library" on the front of the machine, rather than on a dial like on my Brother. Also, one thing I never thought I'd use is an automatic needle threader - but I can honestly say it's a must on any machine I have going forward! I also like the fact you get a little bag of goodies to get you started as well. 

So, here it is, my new baby!

The one thing that I've noticed myself doing a lot more is experimenting with stitch lengths and widths. I don't recall having this option on my previous sewing machine (Brother LS14), but I found this so easy to have a mess with using the push buttons. 

I'll admit, I haven't used all of the stitches as of yet as I need to find a scrap of fabric big enough to test them all out on, but again, it's super easy to change stitches using the two arrow buttons. One thing I have had a go at doing was using the buttonhole stitch and couldn't believe how easy this was...the foot that was supplied to create buttonholes is quite nifty as you place your button in a little crevice on the foot and it creates a perfectly sized buttonhole. Needless to say I was absolutely amazed. 

The one thing that I worried about was spending all this money on this machine and not actually noticing a difference in the quality of my creations - but I'm so wrong. The stitches just seem a lot more...robust and everything just seems to feel that little more professional. I don't know if that's psychological but I can definitely tell a difference. Another big change for me is the fact that this is a side loading bobbin, as opposed to a top loading bobbin. I think I might actually prefer it, as I seem to have less tension issues - or am I just having a bit more luck lately than usual?! 

I could ramble on for ages about this sewing machine but if you're looking for a "budget friendly" computerised machine, I honestly would have a look at this one. As I said above, I purchased mine from Hobbycraft for £219.00.

♥

What have I been sewing? : April 2016

Now the trees are turning a little bit greener and the flowers are in full bloom, I'm finally feeling a little bit better and more optimistic about everything. I had a week or so where I felt like I was at a dead end, but truth be told, I've had a bit of time to myself to think about everything and I feel much better for doing so! 

Jumping right in to what I've been sewing, I didn't make a lot last month with moving back home, settling back in etc. I only made two dresses from patterns I already have but made them sleeveless so that I can wear them in both the summer and winter! 

The first dress I made was a Merchant and Mills dress shirt in a navy and pink arrow print shirting cotton from Fabworks, which was £5.00 per meter.

This is a gorgeous fabric and it's really surprised me at just how durable it is. I've never used a "proper" shirting cotton before but you can definitely tell the difference! I opted to make this dress sleeveless as I'd already tried setting in the sleeves, but it just didn't look right! I've found that I've worn this more since taking the sleeves out and I suppose I could wear this with a long sleeved top underneath when it becomes winter again. This didn't take too long to make and set the sleeves in initially, but I had set it aside for quite a while whilst I moved house and settled in, but in total I'd say it probably took me around 3 hours. 

The second item I'd made was another Sew Over It ultimate shift dress in a rabbit print viscose from thetextilecentre on eBay. I've purchased fabric from this online shop a couple of times and I've been so impressed with the quality of the fabric so far. 

Not the best photos but I absolutely love this dress. I made it slightly bigger than I normally would have done and also sleeveless, I think I actually prefer this dress without the sleeves! Again, I've left the sleeves off so I can wear a long sleeved top underneath. 

Now, I've got a couple of new posts lined up and also a review of my new Singer sewing machine, which will hopefully be posted within the next week or so.

'til next time! 

♥

Blog re-design

Hello my lovelies! I hope you've had a lovely bank holiday weekend. I've had a lovely weekend as I finally had time to sit down and chill out. 

Some of you may notice that my blog has been pretty silent for the past few weeks as work has gotten super busy again, I'm in and out of the house and I just hadn't had time to do anything! That being said, I felt like I needed to change what this blog was really about. 

I decided to have a blog redesign, as I felt like I'd outgrown the flowery and somewhat childish design I had beforehand. I also wanted to change my blog name. Sweet Pea is a nickname my Dad has called me ever since I was little and for a while, it was nice associating it with something that I put a lot of thought into. However, I didn't feel like it suited this blog. 

So, I've had a bit of a mess around and actually quite like minimalistic layout I have at the moment, however no doubt I will be making a few tweaks here and there. 

So, goodbye SweetPea and hello to PuddingPop! 

♥

Pattern haul; March 2016

I love this time of year, as everything seems to get so much more colourful. Although I love the dark colours and patterns of winter fabrics, I can't help but fall in love with the bright and bold colours of spring/summer fabrics! 

I didn't really get chance to sew anything in March 2016, I did make another Merchant & Mills Dress Shirt, however I need to adapt the sleeves slightly before I'm 100% happy with it. 

I did, however, purchase a couple of patterns and I'm super excited to go shopping for fabric! 

First of all, I purchased another Sew Over It pattern. A couple of months ago I purchased the Ultimate Shift Dress pattern and absolutely loved it. I noticed this pattern on their website shortly after but held off on purchasing it until we had passed Winter and moved onto the warmer Spring months. 

I purchased the Pussy Bow Blouse pattern in a PDF format. Now before the Shift Dress pattern, I'd never downloaded a PDF pattern and printed it out, but I actually really like it! 

I love the style of the Pussy Bow Blouse and feel like I could make it in quite a few different fabrics to make this a casual top but also one that I could shove in my work wardrobe. The pattern looks relatively easy to sew together, I'll definitely be reviewing this one! 

The next pattern I purchased this month was a kimono style jacket from McCall's, which was the Easy Sewing 7200 Kimono Jacket. I purchased mine from the Minerva Crafts store via Ebay, as it worked out cheaper to purchase it from there than on their actual website. The delivery on this was so quick, it turned up the next day! 

Kimono style jackets have been in and out of my wardrobe for the last couple of years and I'm actually quite glad that this pattern has a few different variations. I first saw this on Instagram by katiemakesadress in a really quirky cactus print fabric and shortly after a geometric print and fell in love, I knew I had to have this pattern! Again, this will be one to review when I eventually get round to sewing it. 

I'll surely update this post when I manage to go fabric shopping for these patterns and will make a separate post for the finished products. 

'til next time! 

♥

Moving back home

For the last few weeks, my life has been completely chaotic. My blog has been relatively quiet and I apologise! I just haven't had chance to sit down and actually take the time to write a decent post or even so, actually sew anything. 

So, what's actually been happening? 

After much deliberation, my Boyfriend and I decided it would be best if we moved back in with our Parents for the time being. This way, we can actually save for a house of our own rather than privately renting. As much as I loved our little flat, it was slowly but surely getting the better of us because we just couldn't see a way out. All of our wages (well, mostly all of our wages) were going on forever increasing bills and we just couldn't justify it any more. 

Fast forward about 3 weeks and so much has changed. Bonnie is now an "outdoors" cat, me and Devon are living about 20 minutes apart from each other and to be honest, I feel really, really lonely. 

I don't know if it's because my bedroom is painted the same as when I moved out, I don't know. I feel like I'm about 18 years old again and this is not a place where I want to be, or how I want to feel. Don't get me wrong, my Mum and Dad have been so supportive of me moving back in, but I just don't feel like myself any more. I don't feel like an adult. I'm sure this feeling will pass, but for now, it's knocked me on my backside and I don't know how to get out of feeling like this. 

I can't wait to get back into sewing, I've had a good month long break and I really miss it! I've got a designated sewing corner in my bedroom where I have my table and machine set up and I'm itching to get going again. 

I apologise that this post is all over the place, but this is the first time in nearly 3 weeks I've had to just sit down and do nothing but just think. I plan on getting a lot more posted in the next coming weeks as the Tenancy on the flat ends on the 6th April, so I won't have to worry about that any more, and every other Saturday will be spent sewing. 

'til next time! 

♥

What have I been sewing? - January & February 2016

Can anyone else believe we're almost at the end of February already? Time just seems to be flying by! 

I've been a busy little bee when it comes to sewing, I've really come to love it. I think I've sewn 4 or 5 different things over the last two months, and here they are! 

New Look 6073 Cape Coat

It's a well known fact that I don't wear coats, I just HATE how restrictive they are! I've been eyeing up capes in shops for a while but refused to pay £30+ for a decent one. After searching the internet for what seemed about 10 minutes, I found this pattern and instantly loved it. I picked the pattern up for £2.50 off ebay and the fabric I had bought cost me £4.00 per meter (I bought 2.5m just to be certain) and the fastenings cost me about £1.00 each . I made this in an evening, so it only took me around 3 hours to make (if that!). The only part I found difficult was the hood, as I had never attempted a pleat before but after practicing on some scrap fabric, I think it turned out okay! 

I love the fit of this cape and I've had so many compliments on it already, although I think I may line it with a dark fabric just to make it look a bit more "finished". It's really warm and although it's a little bit on the heavy side, I can see me wearing this a lot when it's cold! 

Oh and one more thing, it totally makes me feel like I should be in Harry Potter, or at least take part in the Victorian Fare in Worcester when it's on... 

Sew Over It Ultimate Shift Dress

I've already made a post about my first shift dress, but I couldn't help but make another... I'm searching for more fabric to make this dress out of so I can bulk up my workwear wardrobe. 

The first shift dress I'd made was out of a polyviscose in a gorgeous black/white/grey floral print. The fabric was £8.00pm, I purchased 2m but I still have a LOT left over, so I think I might make a shift top from the remaining fabric. If you want to read more about the ins and outs of this pattern, head over to this post which will tell you more. 

The second dress I'd made was out of a mid weight denim fabric which I'd eyed up in Hobbycraft (£6pm). Now I never ever buy fabric from Hobbycraft, but I loved the deep blue colour of this denim, I think it's going to look really nice once it starts fading a bit! 

The denim fabric was lovely to work with, it didn't stretch/pucker anywhere unlike the polyviscose, but surprisingly has a lot of ease to it. Again, I had a lot of fabric left over so I've actually made a shift top from the remaining fabric, however this is yet to be finished! 

Merchant & Mills Dress Shirt

I just want to say one thing about this pattern. I. Love. It. I'd noticed Merchant & Mills in Liberty of London when I'd visited my Sister over new year but didn't even think to pick a pattern up (I later picked this up for £12.50 from FloJo online) but knew I'd be looking at pattern reviews online a little more! 

The fabric I'd bought was a a bit of a risk as it was from Ebay. Normally I wouldn't do this as I can't feel the fabric unless I order a swatch, but for £2.50pm, it wasn't the end of the world if it was a complete let down. However, I LOVE this fabric. It's such a nice lightweight denim and it has a lovely colour to it. 

I ended up making a size 18 as I wanted this to be quite a loose fitting dress, however I had to adapt it slightly. When I'd measured it up, the length of the dress was pretty much just above my ankles which would have looked ridiculous, if I remember I had to take about 7-8 inches off the length just so it sat at my knee! However, the instructions were easy to follow and I actually mastered the pleat at the front! 

Needless to say, I'm already searching for a lot more different fabrics to make this pattern out of. I love pairing this dress with a brown waist belt and a scarf to make it look like a complete outfit. 

There's my creations from January & February 2016! I already have a stash of 4 different fabrics which I plan on making shift tops from which I plan on starting this weekend, so expect another post relatively soon featuring those! 

'til next time!

♥