M’s new Summer outfit

Leave a comment June 6, 2022 apinchofsewing

Hello,

Hope you are all well.

Today I feel like going back in time, going back to my sewing roots. You see, my daughters were one of the reasons why I started sewing. I wanted to make them clothes that I could not easily find on the shops. Making their clothes was something that I really enjoyed! However, children grow (they do have that habit…), life changes and I started sewing for myself instead.

Nonetheless, every time (however rare it might be) that one of my daughters ask me to make something, I say yes and try to fulfil their wishes. I must add that they are quite precise with what and how they want it.

So, M after seeing a blouse in a shop asked me if I could make her a similar one. The fabric was broderie anglaise and she also wanted the same type of fabric, the big sleeves and the front knot.

I looked through the patterns I had and some that I could buy to achieve the desired look but I could not find anything that was exactly what we were looking for. There are some adult size patterns that would work however, M still is under the children size range. For that reason, I reached for an old favourite, the Maria Blouse by Suco by Susana and made some changes.

I used the bodice, in size 10, without modifications, no collar just finished with bias binding and adapted the puff sleeve option that is included in the pattern. I used the sleeve head as it was and for the rest of the sleeve used the sleeve from the Norma blouse by Fibre Mood as a reference.

The fabric used is a lightweight embroidered cotton from Lady McElroy bought from Minerva. It worked really well for this project!

To go with the blouse M also asked if I could make her a skirt. The requirements for the skirt were: 1. Have a ruffle at the bottom; 2. It has to be green, sage green to be precise. We searched for fabric and we found this lovely embroidered cotton, with a good weight, in a beautiful shade of green that ticked all the boxes. It really is a beautiful fabric and we got it from Lamazi Fabrics.

I didn’t really use a pattern however, the Sabina skirt that I made for myself was a good guide. The top part is not just a rectangle of fabric and does have shape. Again, we are both very pleased with how it turned out.

I must add that now I have a list of things to make for M and that really does make me happy! 😊

Have a lovely week.

Happy sewing!

Maria x

A new Summer Dress!

Leave a comment September 1, 2021 apinchofsewing

Hello,

Hope you are all well.

Here we are in September already! I am still holding on to these last Summer days… Today I have a new Summer dress to share with you and although the weather already looks a bit like Autumn, I still have a couple of Summer projects that I am working on.

About the dress I will be sharing today… it might be the perfect Summer dress, in my opinion of course. 🙂 But if you know me, you will know how much I like broderie anglaise.

I like everything about this dress. From the fabric to the lovely details!

You can read all about this dress here.

Hope you like it as much as I do 🙂

Happy sewing,

Maria x

Broderie Anglaise blouse

Leave a comment December 18, 2020 apinchofsewing

Hello,

Today I am sharing a blouse I made using one of my favourite fabrics, broderie anglaise.

The pattern itself is lovely however, using a fabric like broderie anglaise makes it even more special.

You can read about it here.

Happy sewing,

Maria x

A New Summer Dress

Leave a comment July 15, 2020 apinchofsewing

Hello,

We are one week away from starting our School Summer Holidays and even if this year we are not going anywhere, sadly, it will be nice to put an end to this very unusual school year and get some rest. A few days of dolce far niente will certainly be very appreciated by the girls.

Even if at the moment I am writing this post, it is raining and a bit cold, I do hope we will get a few lovely and warm summer days. With that in mind, I made a dress that says Summer when you look at it.

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I had this idea in mind but not quite the exact pattern for it. Usually I am not very adventurous with changing patterns however, this was such an easy modification that even I could make it.

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A few months ago, I made a dress (I will share more about it another time) using a Butterick pattern, B4443, and I really liked the fit. Now, that pattern offers different bodice options and one of those options was (almost) what I had in mind.

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So, I started with the bodice and added shoulder straps. I really like how it looks without straps however, I also know I will feel a lot more comfortable with the straps and lately comfort is a priority. In fact, the straps ended up being one of my favourite things about this dress as I added broderie anglaise to them. Don’t those straps look adorable and summery?

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The instructions say to interface the bodice but, I decided not to do it. If I was to make it strapless, I would have to add some structure to it but, having straps to help support I thought the interfacing would be pointless. I do not regret this decision. Also, the bodice is already lined.

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When I started making the dress, I was not sure about the skirt. So, I made the bodice first to see how it would look before deciding. An A-line skirt did not seem quite right, a circle skirt might have worked out well but, I believe the gathered skirt fitted better this style and that is what I choose in the end. I like it!

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The fabric is a poplin that I bought a couple of years ago, at Minerva, with another project in mind… Well, you all know how the story goes. I am glad I finally put this fabric to a good use.

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I am really happy with how this dress turned out and I can picture myself in a picnic, in the fields, wearing it.

Have a lovely weekend.

Maria x

Something a little bit different

Leave a comment May 6, 2020 apinchofsewing

Hello,

It has been a while since I last posted here and how much things have changed around here!

Hope you are managing well and that this situation is not having a significant impact in your life.

I have been sewing a little, not much as I am finding it a bit hard to focus and today, I am here to share something a little bit different from my usual projects but, adorable nonetheless.

I have made several of Jilly Atlanta patterns and some of them several times. Jilly Atlanta’s patterns are classic, lovely and my girls really like to wear the clothes I make them using the patterns. This time however, Jilly is releasing a hair bows pattern! The Clara Bows.

There are five different bows in different sizes and can be used as headband, with a hairclip or bobble, to suit all hair styles and ages.

I just couldn’t stop after making one and got a bit carried away. Here are a few bows I have made.

These are bow #3 using gingham cotton to match the pinafore 😊

I used hair bobbles for these.

Made the option #4 using different fabrics, like broderie anglaise and Liberty Tana Lawn. So sweet!

These are all with alligator hairclips except the broderie anglaise ones (I made two). For these I made one with hair bobble and other with hairclip.

For the bow option #5, used swiss cotton dot and adore the vintage look!

This one is also with hairclip.

For a more relaxed look, made the option #7 in chambray and hair bobble.

Finally, made the option #9 using a lightweight linen and used hairclip.

As usual, the pattern includes clear and detailed instructions and even if, like me, this is not your usual project, you can achieve lovely bows to match all those pretty dresses. Also, I think option #4 and 5 works well for grown-ups as well.

This is the perfect project to use scraps or for children to learn sewing. Plus, it is free if you join Jilly Atlanta Facebook Group. 😊 Yes, that is correct, it is free!

Go on, join the group if you haven’t yet and have fun.

Maria x

A new Recital Shirt

Leave a comment March 15, 2020 apinchofsewing

Hello,

Hope you are all managing well through these troubled times.

I confess I am starting to feel a bit overwhelmed with all this situation but I will keep this space dedicated to sewing as I also believe it takes our minds out of negative thoughts and it helps keeping us sane.

A few years ago, I received the most beautiful present from Constança. It might sound silly, but I liked it so much that I was afraid to use it and ruin it, or not use it wisely. Well, it took me years to finally make something out of it!

Constança kindly sent me some of the fabric she used for her son’s Christening gown, gorgeous broderie anglaise and entredeux. The responsibility, right?

Initially I thought about trying to recreate a lovely blouse my daughters had but then I thought it wouldn’t last long, as Children keep growing so fast and I wanted something to last. Finally, a few weeks ago I was looking for a white shirt and couldn’t quite find what I was looking for, so I thought it was about time to use the fabric and broderie anglaise. Boring as it might sound, I like white shirts/blouses and wear them all the time. After all, it goes well with everything.

So, about the fabric. It is a soft lawn, lovely to work with and to wear. It feels great against the skin. Also, as it is lightweight, the ruffled collar worked beautifully.

The broderie anglaise is supposed the be used differently. However, I thought it would work well for the sleeve and I honestly think it looks lovely this way. It is a darker shade than the fabric but it doesn’t really bother me.

Now, one important thing was to decide which pattern to use. I wanted a pattern I trusted and knew I would wear regularly, so I chose the Recital Shirt by Liesl + Co. I have used it previously and I wear that shirt all the time.

As previously, I made a size 0, without changes other than the sleeves. For the sleeves, I did not change much, in fact I only omitted the cuff and add the broderie anglaise instead. First, I thought about adding an inch or two to the sleeve but, in the end, decided not to as I did not want the sleeve too long so that I can easily wear with ¾ sleeved cardigans.

I attached the broderie to the sleeve and made the elastic casing with bias binding. Simple but effective and it is not itchy against my skin.

Summarizing, I absolutely adore this shirt. I am glad I took the time and I am pretty sure I will wear it quite a lot.

Thank you for this lovely gift Constança.

As for you reading this post, stay safe.

Maria x

Madrid Maxi Dress for Minerva

Leave a comment August 29, 2019 apinchofsewing

Before going on holidays, I made a Maxi Dress using a gorgeous embroidered cotton from Minerva and it turned out as pretty as I pictured it. I absolutely love it and have been using it so much.

You can read all about it in here 😊

Have a wonderful weekend

Party Dresses

2 Comments September 4, 2018 apinchofsewing

Before going on holidays, we attended a wedding and for the first time, I decided to make the dresses for both girls and myself. I was comfortable with the girls’ dresses, but not so much with making one for myself. Let’s be honest, I’ve made a few dresses for myself, but a dress to attend a wedding I was not so sure.

To start, I made M a dress I had made before and really like, the Atlanta dress by Nun Studio.

For this dress it is essential that it fits properly at the chest, so I made a size 6 for width, with size 8 for height and the fit is great.

My favourite part of the dress are the sleeves, so I wanted to accentuate that feature and used a different fabric for lining ang cotton lace. The main fabric is Broderie Anglaise from the Sweet Mercerie and the lining fabric is Liberty Felicité denim blue from Stragier. Two of my favourite fabrics 😉 and I just wish this dress could grow with her…

F asked me if I could make her a twirling dress with a sash and bow. That was an easy request, that I was pleased to fulfil.

Once more, I used a pattern I already knew, the Tinny Dress by Straight Grain, with circle skirt and regular bodice. To make it as per F’s request, I added a sash. Also, I thought a ruffled collar would look good and she agreed on adding it.

I made a straight size 8, using the same fabrics used for M’s dress. Installing an invisible zipper in this fabric was not the most enjoyable task and it’s not perfect but the sash helps disguise and it looks so pretty!

Although it was quite warm back in July, the truth is you can never trust the weather in the UK, so I decided to make both girls a cape, bearing in mind that the wedding was at the evening.

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The pattern I used is the Constance Cape by Jilly Atlanta in size 7 for both girls. To choose the size I considered the shoulder to shoulder measurement and opted for straight hem, gathered collar and ties. The girls did really enjoy this cape 😊

I used a linen from Stone Fabrics for the main fabric and some Liberty (the same as the one used for the dresses) for the collar and ties. Love how it looks!

Now, this post is getting a little longer than usual and I hope someone is still reading until this point.

For myself, I thought about using a pattern for a long dress, but I was afraid I would have to make changes and I didn’t had the time to make muslins and adjustments, so I decided to go with a pattern I already knew and loved and made one more Amalfi dress…

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The only change I made was to extend the skirt. I used the tea length version to start with and added 26cm.

The fabric is viscose crepe from Atelier Brunette bought at Maçãs d’Amor. I’ve used this fabric before and knew it drapes beautifully, just what I needed to achieve the look I had in mind.

Now I promise I will stop sharing summer projects and hope it won’t take too long to share my autumn make

Summer Dresses

2 Comments August 28, 2018 apinchofsewing

We just got back from our holidays in Portugal where it was sunny and warm, straight to Autumn in the UK. But, before I star sewing warmer clothes, I would like to share a couple of things I made before going on holidays.

One of the dresses I made was the Fringe Blouse and Dress by Chalk and Notch. As you already figured it out, I made the dress option, view A button up front with view B sleeve cuffs.

I made a size 0 as per my bust and waist measurements, without any major changes. In fact, the only change I made was taking 5cm from the skirt front and back curve, without changing the sides. Basically, just made the curve less pronounced as I believe it suits me better since I am not tall.

The fabric used is a lovely Broderie anglaise from The Sweet Mercerie. As a side note, I felt more comfortable using a under dress slip. I did use this dress quite a lot and love the fit.

Another dress I’ve made was the Amalfi Dress by Hey June Patterns (actually, I made two more Amalfi dresses but I will share the other one later). I tested this pattern and absolutely loved it, so I had to make another to wear in my birthday.

This time I made a view A, with flutter sleeves, in size 2. Just like the first one I’ve made, I omitted the pockets.

The fabric is Rayon, Amalfi by Rifle Paper Co. and Cotton + Steel from Crafty Mastermind. I really adore this fabric, the touch and drape are so good, not to mention how beautiful it looks, right?

Hope you had a wonderful summer break 😊

New Tees for the girls

2 Comments November 29, 2017 apinchofsewing

My girls were in need of some tees, as they have outgrown most of the ones they have, so I decided to make them a couple each, but this time adding a little personal touch. These tees were made over a month ago, but they haven’t made their way to the blog until now!

You might know that I have opened an Etsy shop recently, with girls’ clothes, and wanted to include some tees that I believe are age appropriate. Two of these tees were actually made as samples for the shop. If you would like to have a look at the shop, you’re very welcome. 😊

For all the tees, I used Hey June patterns in size 8. I made two City Park Tees and added a ruffle at the shoulder for an extra girly look.

I used a Nosh jersey as the main fabric, ribbing also from Nosh and for the ruffle I used mustard Capel Liberty Tana Lawn. I love the colour contrast and they will look great paired with dungarees.

The second City Park Tee was made using an Art Gallery jersey that I had for some time now and organic cotton ribbing from Maud’s Fabric Finds. This time also included a ruffle, but instead used broderie anglaise. I like how delicate and feminine it looks.

I made two more tees, but this time using the Morrison Tee, again in size 8. Since ruffles continue to be trendy I, once again added ruffles. I really like how it looks!

The fabrics used are the same as the City Park, but used Liberty Wiltshire instead.