Catchin' up

Hello sewers!  I'm dusting off the blog today to share a few more photos of some of my makes over the past few months.  I'm usually on Instagram these days but will still be updating my blog -- and I vow to be better in the future!

This pink coat has easily been my most worn piece.  I found the lovely ex-Hobbs wool a couple of years ago and finally took my scissors to it this spring.  It feels as much like a soft blanket as a coat and I'm constantly picturing it in different fabrics.

I wore this coat when staying at a B&B in Ireland, and found out over breakfast there that the owner is a well known fashion designer in Ireland from the 80s and 90s, designing high end mother of the bride outfits and selling them in Arnotts department store.  I got his blessing on my coat (thankfully) but his hawk eye spotted my dropped hemline immediately - not enough fusible webbing, he said.  

By that time my face was the colour of the coat - point taken!

Now for the first in a long queue of one-time wears - Hello Dolce and Gabbana fabric!  I scored this from Croft Mill last winter and I believe a version was used in this beauty.  Mine was a fraction of the price of course thanks to labour being included ... not counting the chiropractor bill from all that hunched-over hand stitching. I finished it the night before we headed to this wedding and my shoulder is actually in serious pain in this photo!   What we do for the love of our craft...

All the side seams of this dress ended up being hand stitched.  The only machine stitches were the shoulder seams and the nude slip underneath.  

Skirt side seam 

Bodice side seam with snaps

 I had a few pieces left over to embellish the modified flamenco skirt that I wore to Seville for Feria a week later.  Em, this one is definitely staying in the closet for costume occasions only...

To say I still felt slightly underdressed though is an understatement...

It was a summer of weddings, and I made this top for another fun affair.  I bought the silver 

sequin fabric in a remnant bin in Berwick Street.  

I drafted two bodice patterns, one quite tight with darts and thicker nude fabric to act as a bodice, and the shell using the same pattern but with the darts released.

I didn't need a chiropractor this time around but it WAS a lesson in fabric glue and pliers.  This one was more of a construction / craft project!

I was cautious of not wanting to create too much bulk and weight, so I used fabric glue to finish the seams of the bodice (which would be hidden under the glittery fabric).

Removing the sequins in the seam allowance

Inside of the bodice                                                                 Outside of the bodice, and closure 

For all of my sewing challenges over the past few months, nothing was as heart-thumping as a coat for the newest member of our family (my lovely tiny niece) out of here mother's wedding gown!

I used a vintage pattern found on Ebay for a little baptismal coat.

Happy to report there was a wearable coat at the end, and not just a chopped up wedding dress.  This one was made with equal amounts of fear and love...

Thanks for bearing with me everyone, and happy sewing! x