Tessuti Tuesday - Frankie love

I realised as I was writing this post that everything is from Tessuti - so Tessuti Tuesday it is!

I'd been on the lookout for a pattern just like the Frankie dress for over 12 months, I even had vague plans to create one myself using the Scout tee as a base.  I'm glad I never got that far because this pattern is perfection.  It's a really simple design with a couple of clever construction techniques that create a fitted, yet swingy, dress.

I've made this up in Tessuti's hashtag black.  It's a size M, knee length version with an additional 2 inches in length which I think I took off again when I hemmed it.  I feel like it looks much shorter in these photos than it does in real life!

The wind was wracking havoc when we took these photos so I've added an inside shot so you can see how nicely it hands.

I also think it works well paired with the Megan longline cardigan - the one below was made up in a merino jersey (yep, from Tessuti).

I think you'll be seeing Frankie again in the future.  

Tessuti Megan Longline Cardigan

I'm loving the Tessuti Megan Longline Cardigan at the moment.  It's such a simple and satisfying make.

This is my third version made up in a wide ribbed knit poly/rayon/spandex blend from Spotlight which has a beautiful hand.

This is a large with an additional two inches added through the body just above the waist.  The only other alteration I made was to remove the centre back seam.

I absolutely love the movement when you walk - it has a really nice swish to it!  My other two versions have been made up in merino wool and are lovely and warm.  I've been on a little bit of a Tessuti streak lately having made up the Sydney jacket, 3 Megan cardis and a Frankie dress.  I love them all and the Frankie dress will be coming to the blog soon.

McCalls 6886 T-shirt dress

My girls rarely ask me to sew for them, so when Georgia found this fabric in Spotlight and asked if I'd make her a t-shirt dress I was only too happy to oblige.

I was up against a deadline (we were flying to Fiji) so I decided to use a pattern rather than trace off a t-shirt and make my own.  In my opinion, when it comes to sewing Erica Bunker can do no wrong, so when she had great results with McCalls 6886 I was happy to go with it.

This is view A in a size 8 with the deeper neckline of view C.  I removed 4.5 inches from the length and added a neckband to finish the neckline.  I could easily have used the size 6 but Georgia requested a slim, but not tight, fit.  I think we got it just right.

This was a pleasure to sew, it was so simple and the shape is great.  I can see several more of these in the future both for the girls and for me.  Georgia's only request was for the skirt to be pegged next time.  

We only got back last night and we're already missing the sunshine, warmth and slower pace of the Islands!  On the bright side it's time to start planning and sewing my winter wardrobe - first cab off the rank will be some new jeans.

StyleArc Ricki top

The cross over back of the Style Arc Ricki top really appealed to me and I figured if I left off the sleeves it would make a great summer top.  

I actually had a long sleeve version cut out in a beautiful Tessuti ponti, so I basted that together to check the fit.  Turns out I wasted that lovey fabric because it needed quite a bit of work to fit me.

This is a size 12 and I found that the bust darts were too high for me, the weight of overlay at the back pulled the shoulder seams back too far, made the neck ride up very high and I had significant gaping at the front and back neck.

I dropped the bust darts by 1 inch (and they're still not quite right). I added 1 inch to the shoulder seams at the back and removed 1 inch from the front so that the seam sat correctly on my shoulders.  I also lowered the front neckline by 3.5 inches and lowered the armholes by 3/4 inch.

I also took 2cm (yes, I mix imperial and metric) from the front neckline and about 1 inch from the back neckline to stop the gaping.  The final alternation I made was to add some gentle shaping to the side seams as this is a very boxy style.

The photos show that I should have done an FBA and the cross over back doesn't sit as neatly as I would like, BUT I really like this top.  It's a great little summer top and has been worn more than I expected.  I have a big stack of Style Arc patterns and I'm really keen to start sewing them up.

Getting started in 2016

Happy New Year!

My first finished item of  2016 is the Grainline Studio Moss Mini and I'm pretty happy with the outcome.  I made view A using a coated twill from Joy's Fabric Warehouse which gives it a bit of a leather look (it also shows every wrinkle).  I cut this out over six months ago but I think I made a size 14 with several inches extra length.  I'm not sure of the exact amount because it was so long ago.  At a guess I'd say I added at least four inches and then removed two when I hemmed it.

I'm pretty excited to be back sewing.  I had a fantastic day in the city on Saturday with Mum and my sister - we hit up Darn Cheap Fabric, The Fabric Store and Tessuti, had lunch at Chin Chins and then saw Fiddler on the Roof.  Talk about kick starting the mojo!  I had such a great day and I can't wait to sew up the fabrics that I bought.

My only issue with this pattern is the instructions for the fly - they're just nuts. I'm tempted to make this again and if I do, I'll use the method from the Ginger Jeans.  It gives a much nicer finish.

I think I need to invest in a tripod and remote. When I asked Wade to take my photos he told me to spin slowly like a rotisserie chicken!  Ah well - at least I'm back sewing and blogging again.