Star Wars T-shirt

 

This t-shirt was literally YEARS in the making!

Following the success of our first trip to Disneyland in 2017, we planned a follow up for 2020. Oops.

I didn't need new clothes, but my husband did, and I also knew that we would be able to visit Star Wars Land, which opened since our last visit. He is a big Star Wars fan, so I got him a Star Wars t-shirt, which happened to come with some pyjama pants.

I figured that the pants would have enough fabric for a t-shirt for me, if I pieced a seam through the centre. I used the Kirsten T-shirt pattern from Maria Denmark. I got this through a newsletter signup many years ago, and I've made it twice before. Here, and here. I chose this one because I could fit it on the tapered trouser legs, and it has integrated sleeves, so less fabric needed.

Here it is, laid out on the pants legs. The print runs both ways up, so I didn't have to worry too much about pattern matching. 

After I got everything made up, I had a few errors to sort out. I don't know what on earth I did with the neckline. (This was three years, and an international move ago.) Did I turn it around and add this panel to the original front neckline? Probably. All I know is that now, that pieced section is at the back. 

I had a dreadful time with the neckline trim. This is the point where I put it away, and thought I would never resurrect it. The movers shipped it for me, and we re-booked our trip for November 2022, so I thought I might have another go. Even better, my overlocker and sewing machine worked in our new country, with a power converter!

I thought about doing three different colour trims, for the neckline and two sleeves. There are flashes of red, blue and yellow in the black and white. I thought it might add a nice pop of colour. But in the end, I went for the easiest option and trimmed the neck in the same fabric. I had to unpick this once because it was gaping too much. 

For the sleeves and hem, I just overlocked the edge and zig zag stitched them down. I shortened the hem a lot, which helps it skim my tummy better. Things always ride up on my hips and create fabric folds in my middle section. Above the hip, but below the waist, is the right length top for me. 

I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. I like how it is not obvious Star Wars at first glance, but not hiding either, and I always love taking something unwanted and turning it into something wearable!

Sorbet Stripe Maxi Dress

I snapped up this striped knit from Fabricana in July. I remember admiring it a 2-3 years ago, so I was  delighted when I saw it on the markdown table for 30% off. At just over £5 per meter, I got 2m.

I had my wish list to make a cardigan with this pink stripe, but when I got it home, I decided that a maxi dress would be just the thing. It must be all that hot weather we were having, Londoners wearing their holiday wardrobes. It's not always pretty, but it's fun!

Being the wrong side of 40 (or 30 for that matter), I didn't want my maxi dress to be figure hugging. I used an existing dress I have for the width, and the Karen Drape Dress for the shoulders and high bust. I laid out the Karen Dress pattern flat, and laid my maxi dress over the top. I didn't worry too much about exact cutting, or seam allowances because my overlocker seams are pretty small.

I kept the neckline of the Karen Dress, it could have gone lower by a stripe or two, but this creates height and I didn't want to fiddle about with drafting a new curve. I finished the neckline and armholes with bands of self fabric.

My RTW maxi dress has side splits to above the knee, which I really like, and is also not floor length, so I copied these features in my dress. I hand stitched the edges of the splits and the hem, giving them a tiny hem in whip stitch. I didn't need to bother with a stretch stitch because the hem does not need to stretch.

I'm really happy with the fit. It honestly seems to skim and not hug, which is exactly what I wanted. The fabric is a little on the sheer side but, whatever, I'm on holiday. Unfortunately, the weight of the dress has pulled the hem down in the first washing. I'll have to figure out a fix for this. Maybe some clear elastic through the armholes.

Costs: 
 Fabric: 2m, Fabricana, £10.20 
 Pattern: Maria Denmark, used previously, £0 
 Notions: 
   Thread, started one new spool: £1.89
Total: £12.09

Wool Jersey Karen Dress

 

I am so pleased with this dress! Squeeze!

However, this is a cautionary tale about how it almost didn't get made. I queued this project in November 2015. 2015! More than a year ago. 

Fabric

I bought the fabric as an impulse purchase, when I was actually shopping for boiled wool for a cape - still not made. The colours caught my eye first. The navy, taupe and magenta are very "me" and the bold geometric pattern was interesting. I wasn't quite prepared for how large the scale of the pattern is. The chevrons are massive, as you can see. The risks of shopping on the internets. 

But the benefits of shopping on the internets is that anything can be returned for any reason (at least in the EU, of which we are a member for another two years). The boiled wool order got returned but I kept this: 1.5m of wool jersey.

I have never seen a wool jersey in a fabric piece before. It was so mysterious to me. And quite daunting. It is, without doubt, the bounciest fabric I have ever encountered. Bouncy. There is no better description for it. The fabric composition is 78% viscose, 14% wool and 8% spandex. I don't know if that is a high spandex content or not. Despite the majority viscose, the feel is unmistakably wool, so that is what I am calling it. It is lovely and soft too, and the bounciness is not apparent once it is made up into a garment. The weight of the fabric and the high stretch combined made it seem so bouncy.

I admit, the pattern is loud, and the horizontal stripes are a challenge to wear. But I was determined that this was going to be a dress.

Pattern

Due to the sheer drape (bounciness) of this fabric, the pattern was always going to have to be something with a drape element to the design. I also wanted sleeves, because having a wool dress without full length sleeves seems a little silly. I deliberated over the pattern for some time. I considered using my Burda Cowl Neck pattern, and adding sleeves, maybe with Tilly's Coco sleeve as a template. But the fabric was too precious to hack about with. Sew Over It's Cowl Neck Dress was a serious contender, but I worried it wasn't forgiving enough over the tummy. This fabric shows every single lump and bump, even with a lining.

But once I made the Karen Drape Dress from Maria Denmark, I knew that I would be able to get my winter wool jersey dress.

And yet still I dithered.

The project moved down my queue. From Autumn... through Winter... finally into Spring. My thanks go to Heather Lou of Closet Case. Her words ring in my head: "Just cut it! No fabric is too precious to cut!" She is so right! I could hang on to My Precious and never make a dress that, yes, might have gone straight in the bin; but might also go out and about with me and make me happy. Easy! Being wool particularly, I probably only have a year or two before the moths get to it. Imagine coming to find the piece and it's fallen to bits? Better to cut.

So I did.

I just went and cut it out. 

Pattern Placement

I think the bounciness helped to keep the fabric on grain when I cut out. I roughly used the horizontal stripes for grain matching. Only roughly, and they are irregular, but broadly horizontal.

I did concern myself with pattern placement. To a point. I had only 1.5m so I didn't have much scope for rearranging. I also had a really hard time figuring out how the pattern might look cut, draped and on. So I just cut. Just like that!

I knew I wanted the stripes around the hem of the skirt, and not like a sash across the body. The drape of the pattern means that the skirt is on grain (horizontal stripes), but the front bodice fans up through 45 degrees. By keeping the diamond pattern through the centre front of the bodice, I kept the patterns looking quite similar. I don't love the stripes through the lower edge of the draped section, but I didn't have a lot of alternatives. I love the pattern placement on the back. And I did stripe match through the skirt. Perfectly on the one side, and the irregular pattern means a complete stripe jog on the other side.

I also kept the sleeve stripes at the height of a cap sleeve and a wrist band. Plus nice downward pointing chevrons in the centre front. And... check out that brilliant stripe matching through the shoulder seams and upper back!!!

This is my happy face. Note the stripe matching? Good.

Making up

I was so, so careful to not handle the fabric more than I had to. I used tailors tacks to pin the pleats in place, and hand basted the seam through the pleats.  I worked as though I was sewing rose petals together. That said, I found that I got a better seam from my overlocker if I pulled slightly to create stretch on the way through, and relaxed it on the way out. My overlocker tension isn't right. I need to adjust the presser foot pressure. 

I made up the complete dress before trying to attach a lining. If it was going to be a wadder, I wanted to find out before I put any more time or resources into it.

Lining

I knew that this fabric was going to need lining. Every lump and bump is on show, plus the fabric has a slight sheerness and the winter style of dress = lining required.

I bought one meter of beige cotton jersey from Girl Charlee for the lining. I could have chosen a whiter colour but prefer that beige brings down the tone of the cream stripes while ivory or white would have made them pop more. I think it makes the dress just a little bit more neutral. Because, obviously, I am trying to blend in with this dress...

1m was enough fabric for the lining, because I used the back pattern piece for cutting both front and back of the lining, with no draping or sleeves included. I attached the lining by overlocking at the neckline and under stitched with the sewing machine. I secured the sleeves to the lining by hand with fagoting stitches.

Adjustments

I have found it to be impossible to stop the back neckline from flaring outward slightly. The pattern calls for clear elastic around the neckline and I successfully used ordinary elastic in my Black Karen. I tried attaching some along the inside of the back neckline, between the outer fabric and the lining, but the waviness just got worse. I pulled it out and trimmed lower (chilly!), but still no luck. I adjusted the shoulder seams in, but it really needs some back neck darts. If I hunch forward it's fine.  I have had to leave a slight amount of lining on show at the back. It's not terribly noticeable. I didn't get a picture of it in the end.

Finishing

Rather than be dissapointed with the sleeve edges, I made cuffs for them and attached with my overlocker. They are not as polished as I would like, but better than lettuce fluting, and I got a bit of length that I was lacking.

The skirt hem is hand stitched, again with fagoting stitch. The lining hem is machine zig zagged. The hem length is the same as the pattern. My Black one is slightly longer, but this one didn't work out nicely with the pattern placement, so the hem on the banded stripes worked best.

I've decided that the Karen not really suited to horizontal stripes, nor such a draped fabric. I don't really like the poochy look around the tummy that the draped stripes create. They draw attention to an area that the design does a good job of hiding. The fabric choice for my black version are a better match, both in style and fabric weight.

That said, I still do love the dress. It is so comfortable, warm and fun to wear. The second I finished, it went out for lunch, a meeting, a gallery and drinks. Fun times!

Costs:
  Fabric: 1.5m, £12.15
  Lining: 1m, £5.95
  Pattern: £0.00 (used previously)
  Thread: £0.00 (used previously)
  Other: none
Total: £18.10

Karen Drape Dress by Maria Denmark

I made a new dress today!

I was only going to pin and baste the pleats. Truly! But I went with the flow and by the end of the day, I had a new dress.

How about a wide eyed round of applause for how organised I am for Autumn sewing. I am not known for my well planned seasonal wardrobe, as my yet-to-be-posted Spring Coat will prove.

But back to Karen. I made an annual pilgrimage to Fabricana in Vancouver, despite having not sewn everything I bought last July. (OK, one out of four was sewn.) I went a bit crazy and bought lots of stuff. I was looking for apparel fabrics and I even left a quilting border print behind, saying to the sales assistant, from behind a tower of bolts of fabric, "I have to tell my husband I didn't buy everything I wanted."

This black textured knit literally fell off the bolt into my arms. I already had another knit picked out but asked if there was a discount for the bolt end and they gave me the remainder for the price of 1m. There was almost 1.5m on the bolt so that was good enough for me to go ahead and add it to the pile.

It must be pure polyester, but it washes easily and has good stretch and recovery. The textured surface means it is forgiving to wear, giving it some weight and not showing every lump and bump underneath. 

I wasn't planning to make it up first from my Vancouver haul, but I already knew it would be a great Karen Drape Dress from Maria Denmark. Then Maria went and had a birthday sale so I snapped up the pattern. Now I had the fabric, the pattern and the overlocker, plus thread.

Maria helpfully included an A3 print version of the pattern, which I really appreciated. So much quicker to print out and tape together. What I got seriously wrong was that I didn't read the instructions first, nor look at all the pieces of the pattern sheets before I got cutting. When I got to the big red caps saying SEAM ALLOWANCES NOT INCLUDED, I was a bit put out. I hate having to add my own seam allowances to patterns. I worry about getting them wrong and not matching up properly. I am not a pattern drafter, that is why I buy patterns. Please Maria, could you add seam allowances to the Karen? 

Since I had already decided on my size (S) and cut out to that size at the same time, I could only add seam allowances to part of the front piece. And hems, what about hems??

So I didn't make the dress from scratch today. I spent one evening assembling and cutting out the pattern pieces, all three of them, and one evening cutting out the fabric. To make the pleats through the front, the pattern piece is curved with the skirt on the straight grain and the front bodice on the diagonal. This fabric's texture gives it the appearance of vertical lines and I wondered if it would look odd on the diagonal. But you can barely see it - black is very forgiving, so I went with it. Mine is also quite thick and stable.

I shortened the waist by 1 inch, including the diagonal waist line on the front. I didn't bother to change the pleat placement accordingly, and they have worked out looking even. I also lengthened the hem slightly. I added length to the sleeves, but decided at the end that a bit of wrist looked better than a severe black dress, so I chopped them off again. I stabilised the shoulder seams with ribbons, going for it with hot pink!

After I had re-threaded my new overlocker, and figuring out how to stop the fabric edges from flaring out, I had to summon all my courage to get on and attach the sleeves using the overlocker. I have been using it, but only for seam finishes. I have a bad habit of cutting the fabric any time I use it on a curve, so I was really nervous that I would cut my lovely dress. But I didn't. I went ahead and sewed the whole thing. 

The neckline gave me a bit of trouble. I used clear elastic, but I didn't realise how hard I had to stretch it going in, so the back was very loose and wavy. I tried again, twice, but it wasn't working well and I was starting to stretch the fabric too. I used ordinary elastic in the end, and it worked well too. I didn't attach and then fold over. My machine couldn't manage that with the clear elastic. I just folded the elastic inside and then zig zagged the whole thing down. The white elastic is peeking out in places, but unpicking black thread from black textured fabric is not good for my eyes, even in full sun, so I am calling it done. With something like a thin jersey, stay stitching the neckline would be a good idea.

I zig zagged the hems on the sleeves and the hem too. The sleeves worked great, but the hem is waving out slightly.

I wanted to pull the under bust section in by 4cm. But I didn't. Maybe leave out the top pleat? Maybe it's just the fabric. It looks a bit baggy under my left boob, but I'll leave it. The boob, and the baggy.

Photographing the details of a black dress is utterly impossible. Making the most of the bright sunshine, I grabbed these pics. I had to blow out the detail shot and the full shots have my shadow in the background, messing up the outline. But it is the best I can do. Who knows if we will have another sunny day in 2016. There is no point photographing it on the hangar, it just looks like a saggy nothing. It is much better on.

And I do love wearing it. It's dressy, it's comfortable, it's smart and it is totally "me". I have never made anything like it before, but I have about 5 similar in my wardrobe already, so I know it is going to be a new favourite.

Costs:
 Fabric: £6.87
 Pattern: £6
 Thread: £7.50
 Notions: Elastic 17p
Total: £20.54

Mustard T-shirt

This is my second T-shirt from this pattern and my second make with this fabric, so it should have all come together like a dream…

Hmm... not quite, but not a fail.

I do like the fabric, I am aware that the colour doesn’t really suit my skin tone, but hey ho, I like it. I’ll have to see how it washes over time. I fear it might start to look old pretty fast, but for now it feels good: soft yet sturdy.

I like the pattern, the Kirsten Kimono Tee, but I don’t think it worked as well for the heavier weight of this interlock. I used jersey last time and it handled the kimono sleeves better. These are quite puckered under the arm where it curves into the sleeve.

My machine still didn’t behave for the twin needle hem so I hemmed the bottom by hand and hemmed the sleeves with a binding.

Can you spot the "design feature"?

I made loads of mistakes with the neck and the sleeve binding this time. Practice made me lazy, not perfect. First, I cut the neck binding on the bias. Should have read the pattern. Then I attached it wrong side out! I’m so lazy that I decided that the exposed seam at the back neck could be a design feature and so I left it like that. Shock, horror! The bias explains the slight ripple along the neckline. I think. Then, (there’s more!) I cut the sleeve bindings with the stretch running vertically, not horizontally. Again, did I rip out and re-do? Gosh no! That’s why they are a bit ripply too.

Anyway, there’s not that much to say about this top, it’s a pretty boring make. I might not have posted about it, except for the mistakes, but I’m pleased to have an early Autumn piece that goes with a lot of things and layers up nicely with my favourite cardigan.

Cost: £5.13 for the second yard of interlock fabric.

Silver pin-dot T-shirt

My self made wardrobe is becoming so diversified that I'm beginning to think quite a lot of myself! My first T-shirt. Maybe I could try a self-made challenge, of some sort. Me Made May? I'm on my way!

I purchased this fabric from Girl Charlee, shipped to Canada last summer. (Trying to save on shipping.) At first, I was not delighted with these knits and found them difficult to work with, but this tee has converted me. It took a while, I've sewn three of the five knits I bought in the shipment. I guess practice makes perfect, plus the right pattern, because this one was the most pleasant to sew and it is lovely to wear. To truly sew garments that don't look home made, knits are the fabric to master. How often do we buy a RTW garment made of printed cotton? Never over the age of 7, I'll bet.

Along the way to becoming this tee, the fabric had a few other ideas of what it wanted to be. When I was originally browsing online, I imagined it as a great pencil skirt. When I saw it in person, and how fine it was, I realised that it would be a bit rude as a skirt. Next I admired Tilly's Mathilde top. I got pretty close to copying a favourite top to make something similar. But finally, I saw Lauren's t-shirt  and knew that this was the right choice for this fabric. The jersey really comes into its own in a simple t-shirt like this.

The pattern is Maria Denmark's, Kirsten Kimono Tee. At the time, it was free to subscribers of her newsletter. It was definitely worth signing up to get it (no spam so far) and I will be making this again, for sure.

My pattern notes

Changed:
*Sleeves: I sewed additional strips of binding as sleeve hems to keep the length (and because I didn't have very well matched thread).
*Sides: added 2cm to width from under-bust down rest of side seams. I wanted the extra ease, especially in such a fine fabric.
*Made a sway back adjustment (woo-hoo!): 2cm. Just by spinning the back of the pattern on the axis of the top of the armscye.
*The sleeve binding is the same width as sleeve measurement, no stretch. 3cm wide.

Next time:
*Sleeves: add 2cm to sleeve length.
*Neckline: scoop out the front neckline to lower it by 1.5cm. I think a little lower would be more flattering on me. Of course, this pattern could easily be adapted to any neckline shape you like.
*Neckline: make the neck binding with 10% stretch, not 15%. I have some terrible gathers at the back when I ran out of space to stretch the binding any more.
*Sides: add 2cm to waist and hips at side seams, front and back.
*Waist: make a short waist adjustment: raise 2cm at waistline.
*Hem: lower hemline by 2cm to compensate for short waist adjustment.

Final verdict:
I am so pleased with how well this pattern and the fabric work together that I am seriously considering ordering some more knits. What am I thinking?!

Costs: £5.13
All fabric, inc shipping.
The pattern, thread and tools (twin needle - didn't use) were free, stash or gift.

Credit must go to the gardeners at Regent's Park who provided the beautiful flowers for this photo shoot.