Bicolored Viscose Françoise Dress

 This is my second rendition of Tilly's pattern Françoise dress, which is awesome and very becoming in wool or winter fabrics. In this case, it is a viscose that combines black and white threads in an ear pattern that appears mottled grey. I used black silk to make the collar and the lining of the dress, as I did with the previous version. The feeling of silk touching the skin is wonderful. 

I like this pattern because it is becoming to my figure, being fitted around the bust and underbust area and with a flare beginning in the waist to the bottom of the dress. 

I followed the traditional method of marking the pattern pieces with tailor tucks, basting it, trying it on to fit it (no changes had to be made) and machine-stitching it. 

 

Then I constructed the collar in silk and thermofusible interlining and basted it to the right side of the dress. 
In the next stage, I marked the black silk lining with a tailor's chalk and directly stitched it with the machine, leaving one extra cm all around. I put then the lining over the dress on my dummy, right side over right side, and pin it around the neck. I stitched with the machine all the neckline, turn it towards the inside of the dress, and secured it in place with invisible hand stitches under the collar. 
 

I hand-sewed it along the invisible zip and around the sleeves' bottoms. I finished the lining's bottom hem with machine top-stitch along a self-encased turn. 

It is a wonderful dress and I plan to wear it in all my family reunions these holidays. 

I took these pictures after a whole morning working with kids in the winter festival, running up and down and sitting around. It felt as I wore nothing, comfortable and light, and I felt elegant and modern. I love it! I am afraid it is not going to be my last Françoise!

The Anuual Corduroy Trousers for My Love

This is one of those not-so-flashy-but necessary projects. My mate wear these corduroy trousers in his job and one pair lasts for two or three seasons, depending on how good the corduroy is. 
Finding good quality corduroy is not an easy task these days. I have learnt to appreciate a good corduroy fabric looking at its wrong side: the threads have to appear tightly woven there. 
I found this corduroy in my trip to Sweden last summer: Stof & Still. It appears to be premium quality, but only time will confirm or deny it. 
Meanwhile, Karlos is really happy with his new pair of winter trousers. 

Black Cotton Knitted Pullover

Well, well, well... another pullover finished!
I am really really happy with this jumper, I could wear it every day. 

After knitting three wool pullovers and realizing I do not live in Sweden, neither I work in the open, I decided to use thick cotton for my next winter knitted pullover. Cotton is not so warm as wool, but not so delicate neither. You can wash it in the washing machine with the rest of your clothes (only you better dry it flat), you can wear it directly over your skin, because it is not itchy at all, as we all know. All the wool I have tried is itchy to wear it directly on your skin. Cotton is not very warm, but when it is as thick as this, it is enough for a day indoors in my whereabouts. 

 

To find a thick enough cotton was not an easy task. I wanted it thick for the extra warmth and also because I wanted it to be black, and my knitting advisor told me that knitting black yarn is not easy for one's eyes. So I got myself a pair of silver metallic 5.5 circular needles, and went on to it. 

As it turned out, it was a very nice and pleasant project to make. The only cotton matching my criteria was Happy Shiny Cotton by Wool and the Gang. I was patient to wait for a good sale on their site, and BOOM!, it was mine for 56 Euros, hahaha!!!

Another advantage of this cotton is that it is very fast to knit, but it still looks delicate and drapes well.
I like to learn a new trick in every knitting project, and this time I decided to give Ann Budd's Top-Down Sweaters Book a try. As with the previous one, it was perfect. I could follow the charts painlessly, and the final fit, as you can see, is spot on.

So, very happy with my knew black thick cotton pullover. I will use again Ann Budd's book, and WATG's cotton again, I hope!

Here My Ravelry project.

Viscose Cobra Corsage Wrap Dress

When I saw Lady McElroy's Cobra Corsage fabric I decided it had to be mine. It is a wonderful design, and viscose crepe is a good combination. 

I decided also immediately, it had to be a wrap dress, and the Liza dress pattern from O'Shea's book is the perfect wrap dress for knit fabrics. 

Again, I made the sleeved variation with a flared skirt. I already explained in my previous rendition of this pattern, the I had to correct armholes, but maybe it was a matter of seam allowances not being included there. I must repeat I hate this method for lazy people of including seam allowances in patterns. It just adds confusion and makes it inaccurate.

Anyways, I have now my tissue pattern with all the modifications made and without seam allowances, for future use. 

It is a wonderful pattern and I will probably cut it again in the future.

It was a wonderful combination, and it has proved right. I love wearing this dress. 


 

 

Black Organic Cotton Long Hooded Dress

This is another of my practical makes. I like to travel abroad in long dresses and I needed a winter version. This is also a dress to quickly put on to go outside for some short errand. I expect to wear it a lot.

 














The fabric is simply gorgeous: organic black intelock. Soft, great drape, heavy, great colour and a very good price, I totally recommend it.

I used my "Universal T-shirt" pattern, very similar to the Frankie pattern in Tilly's book. I wanted to try that one out, but why change things if they are perfect? And this pattern IS perfect for me. So, here we go for the hundredth time.
Since the fabric is Dutch, my recent trip to Amsterdam was a perfect excuse to model it.

I only spent two half days in Amsterdam, but I was able to go fabric-shopping. First, we went to Alber Cuyp market. There are 4 or 5 fabric stores there. I specailly liked Nannuci Tessuti, they had a lovely Liberty tara lawn cotton selection at good price. I bought some silk lining at a shop specialized in silk only.

Next morning we went to Nieuwe Hoogstraat, where there are a bunch of wonderful fabric and yarn shops. 

I bought a future wool/cashmere jacket for only 63 Euros. A bargain. I could have bought lots and lots, but I am saving money to buy a new car and I am being a good girl sewing from my little stash. :-)

 

Denim Midi Skirt + Black Top

This is a mistake into a project. 
I ordered some stretch denim at Stone Fabrics to make a pair of jeans, and when I received it, I saw it had no stretch at all. They were very kind, as usual, and let me have some other fabric in exchange, and they told me I could keep the non-stretch denim. I thought I better did something with it, and I decided a midi skirt would be best. 

I used my own pattern, which is perfect, cut it in the middle front to put some snap fasteners. I love putting snap fasteners with my hammer: bam-bam-BAM!

The result is just perfect. It is a lovely skirt for winter and spring, specially when the weather is warm and my legs are not tanned. I don't like to flash my white legs around...
Here I am wearing it with a black top I recently made, using the part I removed from some pregnancy pants I repaired for my not-pregnant-anymore friend. 
And with my new Swedish Hasbeens.

Seersucker Myostosis Dress Copy

What an adventure this project has been!
It started with the accidental buy of the fabric, via Stone Fabrics, as a replacement for a mistake: the denim fabric I ordered did not have stretch at all and they let me choose any replacement. So I choose this seersucker with no particular idea in mind, only because it is a lovely fabric.
I was pondering the different possibilities for months, looking at pinterest for seersucker blouses and dresses... and the first idea was something like this:

I used a previous bodice pattern and used a rectangle to gather the skirt. The result was a total disapointment. It did not flatter my figure at all and I could not see the solution.

 Before cutting the skirt into a bottom ruffle and to hell with the idea of a dress I saw Karen's Myostosis dress, a beautiful design I had seen before. Karen's figure is similar to mine, so if it was becoming to her, I could maybe go with it!

I started to alter the bodice, giving it more ease in the lateral seams and in the four darts.

 I cut the centre front and added a button placket in both sides and cut a V neckline. I stitched the centre back together. 

I made a bottom frill, but that was a gonner. Since the skirt was too short, I finally left the flounce at the bottom with no gathering.

 It looks kind of weird, I would have preferred it with horizontal lines, but my fabric was completelly finished.

 The result is quite nice. Problem is, autumn has arrived during all this trial and error, so I have not worn it yet in the real world to know how it really feels. Time to sew for autumn now!

Skull Minidress

Another "Coco" for my collection! I think this is the 4th short sleeved mini dress I've made with this pattern and it is not going to be the last. It is comfortable, becoming to my figure and very practical. 

I bought this fabric in Goteborg, and I thought it would be done in an afternoon. Then at the first fitting I realized I had cut it with the skulls upside down! It took a whole week to take the fabric off the wrong skirt part and sew them together to the new skirt, matching the lines included.

 I had to make four triangles and assemble them at the sides of the new skirt. I had no more fabric to do it otherwise. My fabric was so sparse I had to leave the sleeves upside down.

But it is lovely at the end, so all the work was worth it.