TG 12 Days

Further to Dawn's request to see the '12 Days of Christmas' that was posted on Facebook - here you go!  I copied and pasted text from FB and I think the font etc is different to what I usually use, but I think this works:

Day 1: grey jersey cardi (Simplicity 2154), grey linen sleeveless top (Seamingly Smitten Draped Tank. This is a bit like the KL Pinwheel Slips), tartan undershirt (started with Kwik Sew 2766 and added a skirt) and jeans 'Tina Givens style' (Oprah).

Ok, I'm cheating a little here as I have been in my PJ's all day tracing patterns and cutting out! Here is a pic from October, and is one of my favourite combos - McCalls 6168 cardi (cotton/Lycra mix), TG Jacqueline slip (muddy linen/rayon mix. Due to complete laziness this has been cut out symmetrically with the two points at the sides being equal), and grey Peg Leg leggings (cotton/Lycra fabric). All worn with black ankle (ish) boots and a bright, cheery scarf.

So, its a bit windy outside - but here you go on Day 3: more TG Oprah jeans, another McCalls cardi (I have a few of these!), an undershirt I made last night with a printed plaid cotton skirt, scarf from Gap, gardening shoes. 

Day 4: This is what I wore to go fabric shopping today (picked up some lovely denim for 70% off - it is currently in the washing machine . . . . . ) Simplicity 2154 Cardigan in purple cotton jersey, black (sleeveless) Holly tunic (this may be my new favourite!), undershirt with silver/grey lace (and an organza ribbon trim to stop it fraying!), black TG Oprah jeans. Worn with black boots. Also grey/black scarf from GAP and a 'me-made' TG inspired necklace - leather strap with freshwater pearls. I had to overexpose the photos so you can see the details.

Another PJ day, so here is a favourite outfit. The cardi is off the same McCalls pattern used previously but a different view, TG Jacqueline slip in cream linen, TG Patricia skirt (with elasticated hem) in check fabric. black pull-on boots.

Day 6: Playing dress up as I will be at my sewing machine all day today! New TG Oprah jeans with a flower patch, undershirt with animal print stretch lace on the hem, draped top with black wool trim (fabric was only 45" wide!), scarf and glass pearls necklace. I'll wear this with a black or grey cardi.

Day 7: and it has just started snowing again. Black McCalls cotton jersey cardi, black/white top, cream & lace undershirt (made from a jersey bedsheet that doesn't fit the bed😉), TG Oprah jeans, gardening clogs (usually would wear black boots!)

Day 8: and still it snows . . . ! Who am I kidding? I love the snow! So for New Years Day I present to you TG Jeans (rolled up to show my hand knit socks), black linen Briare with a ruffle down the front, brick red cotton/Lycra McCalls cardi, rayon jersey Infiniti scarf. 

Day 9: brown linen Cara, Oprah jeans, Simplicity 2154 cardi, necklace made from some of my Mums beads.

Day 10: Back to work today, so bathroom selfie I'm afraid! Grey McCalls cardi, blue TG Jacqueline tunic (cut symmetrically with the longer sides), TG Oprah jeans, black boots, me made lapis lazuli necklace and cheery scarf!

Day 11: washroom selfie 😀 TG Oprah jeans (I know I sound like a one trick pony, but I do have a few pairs - and these ones have a cute patch on the back!), black linen Cara with ruffles down the front, purple cotton/jersey cardi (Simplicity 2154), black boots, me made necklace.

And day 12 is here.

Phew, that was a bit of work to get all of these photographed and posted on FB, but it was rather fun!

Tartan Daffodil

Now there is a great name for a band!  For me it is the latest Tina Given slip that I have made, so let me tell you about it. . . . .

Daffodil had previously passed me by, but when I saw the line drawings - a slip with a hankerchief hem - I thought that it would work for me.  Pair that with some lovely tartan rayon that I had to hand, and I knew that my next project was good to go!  The fabric is very soft and silky with a great drape.  It does not cling - either to me or other fabric/clothes, so will (hopefully) work really well.

Source

The original pattern has two pieces making up the front (and back) as well as having sleeves.  I thought that it would work well as a one piece front (and back) and without sleeves.

I prefer to to wear a cardi over my slip, so sleeves are really not necessary to me.  Having made my changes, this is what I ended up with:

And I love it!  I actually made it too long, so I folded it up 3" which was one check, and you can just about see that around the dropped waistline level - I like to think of this as a design feature!!

I also found that as my fabric was 45" wide, I had to add a band on each side of the hankerchief skirt to compensate for the lack of width.  In my head I devised lots of different ways to hide the seam - a bias binding strip, black ribbon trim, etc., but in the end, the seam was barely noticeable (I actually had forgotten about it), so I left it as it was.  I bound the arms, neckline and hem with single fold bias binding, and OMG - check out how centralised it was on the centre front.  Totally a fluke, but I'll take it!!

I added a single bias cut patch pocket with a bit of black lace as trim.  Oh boy.  Rayon fabric that has a lovely silky drape does not play nice on the bias.  Hence just the one pocket!!!!

Of course, I added a patch centre upper back (the inside one has my label on it) and I used a scrap of lace (leftover from when I made a bra, see the second one down, here)

And here it is all dolled up.  I took part in a '12 Days of Christmas' pledge wearing Tina Givens designs, and as I was at work on the day I wore this outfit, a bathroom selfie will have to suffice!  I am wearing it here with a pinstriped Patricia skirt (which it appears I haven't previously blogged about) and a black jersey/Lycra McCalls 6168 cardi.  I LOVE this look, and have some rayon in another tartan to make another.

Tartan Daffodils anyone?

Edit:  Further to Lisa's question about having to add side panels, this is what I meant:

The solid vertical black lines are the edges of the fabric with the fold being on the right.  The pattern piece extends outside of the fabric (the dotted line on the left) so I had to cut that piece separately (actually there were four additional pieces, front and back, left and right extension pieces) and then attach them to the main body of the slip.

And now you can see why I sew and I'm not an illustrator!!!  I hope that helps.

Restyling Patricia

Over the last few months I have made a few Patricia Skirts (Tina Givens - who else?!).  The pattern is for a dropped yoke with a gathered skirt attached and then the hem is pulled in and sewn to a band.  It has a very funky balloon or pegged (thank-you Lorie for the description!) look.

So far, so good.  Well, not really.  The skirts have been sitting in the back of my wardrobe - feeling a little unloved, so I set about determining what the issue is and fixing it.

It turns out that there are two issues - one is that I clearly walk like an Amazon with big ground-covering strides, and the hem band is rather restrictive.  I found this especially so when getting in and out of the car, stepping over lounging dogs - you get the picture!  Also, the skirt has no pockets.  Well, my version doesn't.  I changed the pattern a little to make the yoke one piece with an elasticated waist, so no side seams.  One of the joys of making my own clothes is to add pockets, usually inseam.  To everything. Well. Almost!

To fix the first issue, I made a couple of the skirts with an elasticated hemline - thereby keeping the shape of the skirt, and yet making it more 'walkable'.

This is a lovely Royal Stewart Tartan in brushed cotton and is lovely to wear.

In order for this to work - I need to have gathered the bottom skirt onto the yoke.  However, what about the skirts that I had pleated onto the yoke?  I find this a lot quicker and easier than gathering, so I needed another solution.  I noticed that another designer, Krista Larson has a similar RTW design with an unrestricted hemline - so that was the way to go. I cut off the original hem treatment and a simple single fold bias binding attached with a triple stitch zigzig was all that was needed:

This is the first skirt that I changed, and as I did not have any of the chocolate linen/rayon, I dug around and found some co-ordinating linen with a stripe pattern.  The hem looked a little strange being in a different colour, but when a scrap was added down the side over part of the ruffle, and a patch pocket was sewn to the yoke it looked much better - and solved my second issue!

Sorry about the colour variation, the middle of these three photos is closest to the correct colours.  I had to piece the pocket together, but I think it looks rather good.  It is 6" wide and this is about 6-7" in depth - enough for some lip salve, a tissue etc!  And it is double thickness with some interfacing ironed on near the top.

And then I did some other skirts . . . . 

This is a lovely 100% wool with browns/dusky pink/greys that I got for a steal from Fabric Mart or Fabric.com a few years ago before the Canadian Dollar tanked against the US Dollar.  Is is very soft and washes well.  I cut this pocket on the bias, and left the seam that made this double layered on the front so that it can gently fray.  My 'design feature'!  The other bonus with this skirt was that the hemline was quite bulky before and wasn't quite 'right'.  But now - it is lighter, and to my mind, more attractive!

I also updated a plain black 'Patricia' with a strip of lace along the ruffle and on the pocket - you will need to use your imagination for that one though as the photos came out terribly.  And finally, the Royal Stewart skirt has this pocket:

Again, cut on the bias with a scrap of lace 'just for fun'!

Due to the type of tops I wear with my skirts, the pockets will likely be covered, but just knowing that they are there makes me smile.

I am really pleased with this simple makeover.  My skirts are now a lot more wearable and still retain the boho/Lagenlook style that I love. 

Layering Up

As I have said many times before, I really enjoy layering up, and this time of year is the perfect time to do just that.  This is what I wore today:

The cardigan is McCalls 6168 from a few years ago and the jeans are Tina Givens Holly Pants, that I mentioned here.  The white top is a Seamingly Smitten Draped Top and I love it!  I've made three or four of these, they are perfect under a cardi.  And the lace peaking underneath? This is my 'new best thing'!  Let me tell you a little more.  

A few months ago I was told about a website called 'Farmhouse Frocks' - lovely Lagenlook styles made by Amish ladies in Ohio.  Very much my style.  Anyway, I filed this away and promptly forgot about it until a post popped up on Facebook and I took another look.  Oh boy, what a treat!  There are a number of styles that I like the look of, especially the 'Shirt Extender' and I thought how well it would go with my wardrobe.  

For the basic body of my version I used Kwik Sew 2766 an OOP nightgown pattern.  It is quite a simple sleeveless nightgown/petticoat and I cut it mid hip length.  The pattern is designed for wovens (on the bias) and knits, I used some very soft oatmeal coloured cotton jersey and some matching cream stretch lace for the trim at the bottom.  The jersey is actually a fitted sheet that never really fit our bed, so some great re-purposing!  After making up the top I pleated it and serged the lace on the botton edge, and done1  For the neckline and armhole edging I used lingerie lace trim at 80% of the measured edge of the openings and it is lovely!

I left the bottom edge of the lace raw after cutting it with my rotary cutter so that it is nice and straight.

I have already cut out a black version and a (OK, and a couple of) white ones too!  So not only will I be warm as the weather gets cooler, but I'll also have some pretty lace peeking through my layers as well!

Peg Legs - or 'the Day I Became a Pirate'

I have really been embracing my Lagenlook/Tina Givens style and have enjoyed wearing my me-made clothes this Spring and Summer.  Being able to wear sandals/summer shoes means that I do not need to worry about socks/tights (pantyhose to my American and Canadian buddies) - although to be fair, I really detest tights.  I'm a stockings kind of girl - but have you seen have you seen any on sale recently?  They are like gold dust.

So, with Autumn and now Winter fast approaching (oh, and we had our first fall of snow last week.  Really), what is a girl to do?

I know that a lot of people make their own leggings, and I thought that may be the way to go.  I can still wear my slips, a pair of winter boots, a cardi/jacket.  Perfect.  But what leggings? I have a few patterns (Espresso, Style Arc Laura), but for some reason I wasn't feeling the love.  And then I came across Peg Legs by Patterns for Pirates.  Oh my goodness, they are fabulous!  When you get the pattern they look really weird.  They have a a very low rise at the front, and are one piece - no side seam.  They are designed to have a wide band at the waist rather than an actual elasticated waistband, so I made some up.  It turns out that if you have a similar waist/hip measurement, then this sort of design doesn't work too well (think yoga pants), and they were soon heading south, taking my knickers with them!  Other than that, they fit like a dream.

I know the pictures aren't very clear, but really, this is all about the view!  This is outside Banff Springs Hotel before going in for Sunday brunch, we really are very lucky to have this on our doorstep.

So, I played around with the pattern, worked out I needed to add 3" to the rise front and back, serged some elastic on and voila - I am all Peg-Legged now!

Here I am wearing a Tina Givens Jacqueline Slip (linen), McCalls 6168 (I've made one or two of these.  Cotton/Lycra mix) and a spiffy poppy scarf.  I have dual British and Canadian citizenship and am proud to wear poppies.

Here is a close up of another pair of Peg Legs.  You can see the lowered front rise.  I really thought that they wouldn't be comfy and not cover my tummy, but they are fab!

So if you fancy being a Pirate - try out some Peg Legs.  if you join the Facebook group there is code to get the pattern for free.  Bargain!  They do have quite a following on FB, and this is how the cool kids photograph their 'Pegs:

For you own safety it is not necessary to see my feets, so here are some hand-knitted rainbow socks instead!

Incidentally, as far as sizing is concerned, I did the old 'wrap the fabric around your body to see how much it stretches' trick and that determined the size that I cut out.  By tightening and loosening the fabric, I could get the 'look' I wanted before cutting out.  Perfect!  If you have a small hip/waist ratio, you may wish to wrap the fabric around your waist, cinch it in, and then see if you can pull it down over your hips.  If I use fabric with a different stretch, then I would do this to see if I needed to change size.

Can't stay - need to make some more Pegs!

More TG Love!

I have been on a bit of a Tina Givens splurge recently - no surprise, right?!  And have some Violets and Holly Pants to share with you.

Firstly, I was really taken with this tunic from the TG Couture website:

I thought that it looked quite similar to the Violet, and as I have some similar coloured linen mix fabric, I made one up!

Mine is certainly different - I really can't get on board with the un-ironed look.  I really wish I could, maybe one day!

Some of the contrast linen and some printed cotton makes for a fun patch on the back!

I added a couple of ruffled strips to the back to breakup the expanse of fabric, as well as the fun patch on the back.

I've also made about three pairs of TG jeans, this time using the Oprah pattern, which is very similar to the Holly.  And I cut out the wrong size (the pants are cropped and they would have been a bit snug around my calves) etc, etc, no spare fabric.  Argh!  I had just enough leftover to cut a couple of 2" strips so I decided to make them into 'Holly's'!  As the strip was not long enough to run the full length of the pants, I pieced them together and highlighted the error with contrasting thread!

I do like my 'butt labels'!!

The legs finish just above ankle height and look great rolled up.  I serged the inside seams so the thread can be seen.  It's not really noticeable except for when you take a close-up!!

The fabric is a really lightweight denim, 97% cotton, 3% spandex and drapes nicely.  They have a dropped crotch - not too pronounced and are really comfy to wear!  The pockets are large patch pockets sewn on top of the fronts and caught in the side seams.  I lined them with 100% cotton fabric for strength and stability and they are rather lovely!

I do have some more goodies to share and make notes on - I just don't want to overload the photos.  I also noticed (or perhaps it just appears more obvious) that I have steadily been putting on weight.  Sigh.  I know that these designs are not conducive to 'flattering/slimming' and I really don't mind that at all.  What I don't like is my chubby face and arms so I will need to work on that . . . . .

How is your summer sewing coming along?