Finished! The Everyday skirt from Liesl+Co

It feels so good when a plan falls out the way you planned, because here are the photos of my new skirt that I've been talking about in the last to posts.

I made it up in some wool fabric which I think is tweed. I actually used the wrong side as the right side, because it was too brown and I prefer the wrong side which is more grey/brown.

I'm very happy with the outcome. I've worn the skirt to work today and it was both warm and comfortable. This is size L/14 and it's kind of big at the waist. Either I have to tighten the elastic in the waist or make a smaller size next time. I made a muslin in size XL/16 but it was just too big. I recommend to go down a size.

I love that the pockets are attached to the waistband and don't flop around on the inside. And also that they aren't exactly at the sides but a little bit in from the sides.

The skirt turned out pretty long before hemming. The instructions say the hem should be 2 inches, but I made it 3 inches. But then I had cut size XL for the length...

Anyway, I'm superhappy with the skirt and absolutely recommend the pattern for others!

Bye for now,

Johanna

In progress - Everyday skirt

Photo from oliverands.com

I'm working away on my Everyday skirt, sewing pattern from Liesl+Co. I decided to make a muslin before cutting into my wool tweed and it was good I did, because size XL/16 was too large.

I hope to be back tomorrow (maybe) to show you both the muslin (not hemmed) and the tweed skirt complete with lining! I just have to hem the lining first and take photos.

See you soon,

Johanna

Skirt hope

Hello! I just found this skirt pattern that seems fabulous. I have even bought it, after thinking about it for two minutes.

What am I talking about then? Well it's the Everyday skirt from the maker of the Oliver +S patterns. She has a pattern line called Liesl +Co and all of the patterns are so pretty and seem really comfortable. Just the way I like it! :)

I like that it has panels on the side that are smooth, no gathers to make my hips look bigger, that it has pockets and, best of all, it has a elasticated back waistband!! Do you see now why I'm so excited?! :)

I also have a piece of wool tweed (that's what I think it is anyway) that I washed a little too hot and is now a little bit felted. And I think it will make a perfect winter skirt. So tomorrow I will go to the fabric store to pick up some lining fabric and I will make my first ever lined skirt! Excited!

xx,

Johanna

PTB - what happened?

Remember this?

What happened to it?

Well this...

I used a batwing top from House of Lola as a template and just cut out the front and the back pieces. The neckline isn't finished (yet) since I'm not 100% happy with it. What do you think? OK or a dud?

xx

Johanna

Dreamy dress - Simplicity 1699

During the summer I made a lot of Giraffe dresses, the original blue one, the one in black and white, the striped one I made for my sister and one more I haven't posted about, yet. BUT I didn't make only Giraffe dresses, I did make another Simplicity 1699. My first version was a dress I made for my grandmother. That one turned out very pretty and I wanted to make one for myself.

I had the above fabric in my stash and wanted to use it for a dress. I thought of Simplicity 1652, as seen above, but it's made up of something like 15 pattern pieces and I got the advice to make something simpler to show off the pretty fabric. And that's how I decided on Simplicity 1699.

I had already traced the pattern in size EU44 which is a little small for me around the waist (especially after the summer...), but I used it anyway and added about 4 centimetres to the seam allowances around the waist. And that did the trick. The fit is good and during construction, I left the side seams to last so they can be modified if needed in the future (like if I lose my extra "summer weight").

Since I had a pink zipper, and I love pink, I decided to let the zipper show to give the dress a little extra something.

The length is perfect if I only overlock the edge and turn over a centimetre, which means if I should make a nice-looking hem I have to cut the dress longer. Maybe I'll do that if I make the dress again.

The fabric is 100% cotton from the brand Tilda which can be found at Panduro here in Sweden. I love the fabrics from Tilda, the quality is fantastic and the prints are unbelievably pretty.

I'm onto other projects, like autumn/winter sewing plans. :)

Bye for now,

Johanna (and Siri the Cat)

Sweatpants in disguise

As I wrote in an earlier post I purchased some patterns from Stoff och stil. Among those was a pattern for skinny trousers.

I had some black sweatshirt fabric that I found at a sale this summer and I thought why not use it for a pair of trousers?! So I did. I could even cut out a dress from the same piece of fabric (1.6*2 metres!).

I am very inspired by the clothes from House of Lola and they're all so soft and comfortable and that's where I got the idea to use sweatshirt fabric for the trousers, because all their clothes are loungewear in disguise! I love when clothes are fashionable and beautiful but also comfortable.

It was so easy to sew up the trousers. I mostly used my overlocker and the sewing machine for the topstitching. I didn't cut the waistband out of the sweatshirt fabric, because it would have been too bulky, so instead I cut it from some ribbed jersey fabric. Speaking of the waistband, that's where I have my only problem with these trousers. I don't have a big rear, but somehow I always find trousers that are too low in the back waist, same with these. They fit OK as long as I don't move, but as soon as I do, they creep downwards in the back and I keep having to hoist them up. Quite annoying! Maube I'll make a yoke piece to put between the trouser and the waistband in the back. Any thoughts out there?

See? Lower in the back then the front. Very uncomfortable...

Detail of the topstitiching on the leg.

Anyway, the trousers will be warm and cosy for autumn and winter and they will go as trousers with sweaters and as leggings under dresses. Win-win, right?!

Bye for now,

Johanna

Update

So... I've been out of the blogging loop for a while and that's due to a few things but mainly that I'm having another burn-out episode ("a dip") so I'm exhausted most of the time and I haven't had much energy left for sewing, and none for taking photos and blogging. The other big thing is that my dad is terminally ill and I've spent a lot of my free time driving to see him in the hospital (he lives three hours away by car).

So two major bummers (don't think I take my dad's condotion lightly just because I call it a bummer)... but I have a good thing going on as well and that's my family's first vacation together abroad! I, my husband and my kids are going to Tenerife for a week next Friday!!! Yay!

Anyway, now my head is in packing mode and trying to figure out what to bring for a beach vacation...

I have done some sewing this last month and today I finally scraped together some energy to take photos, so now you can expect some posts and FOs! Finally.... :)

Our hotel in Tenerife! Looks grand, doesn't it?!

Bye for now,

Johanna