Bimble and Pimble

sewing with sass!

Amanda vs Plantain T-shirt

For this rad lady, winter is all about the comfort options. We’re talking comfort podcast (The Adventure Zone), comfort beverage (cocoa with at least 5 marshmallows) and comfort clothes (flannel PJs with elastic waist). Using the theorem that comfort = winter win I have been gently coaxing my sewing mojo out of hibernation with a comfy pattern and fabric combo. Sadly, no elastic waists included…

This pattern is an oldie but a goodie – the Deer and Doe Plaintain T-Shirt. The Plantain is a scoop necked tee with a flared hem and as with all D+D patterns seems to treat my FBA-needing lady cargo pretty well. The size range of the Plantain has increased and now runs from a 34 to a 52. And did I mention this sucker is a freebie? That is my kind of price tag!

The fabric is a lightweight merino jersey in the ivory colourway from The Fabric Store. I snaffled this in Melbourne but you can find it in any of their stores and online. I’ve used this before for making a tee and it lasted really well. I was always hesitant to wear a merino t-shirt because for some reason I thought I’d overheat but the rad Rachel changed my mind on this a few years back and I’m glad I listened. I wore this top repeatedly on holiday in Vanuatu and it lasted well in the warmth and humidity. This lady stayed as fresh as a sassy daisy!

The construction of this sucker was super easy. There is only a few pieces and the instructions are clear and easy to follow. The exciting news is that I played around on my coverstitch with this one and had fun with a fancy hem. Do I need that extra line of stitching? Heck no! But it makes me feel fancy and isn’t that what creating your own clothes is all about?

Alterations wise, I slimmed down the sides of the tee. The flared shape is great for wearing a tee out but I wanted something for tucking into my chambray shorts and my jeans. No fancy technique here but thought it was worth mentioning as there are draglines round the back over my hips when the shirt is out. Here is a picture I prepared earlier to illustrate this (gosh I’m good like that!) 😉

What I liked about this pattern:

  • That sweet scoop neck. This is the main reason I keep making this tee – the scoop is just perfect.
  • It is a quick win. With my sewing mojo completely shot something like that practical and quick to make is a good confidence booster.

What I would change for next time:

  • Find out what the go is with those drag lines near the armholes. It’s time to don my deerstalker hat!
  • Potentially shorten the hem by a couple of centimetres if I want to wear it untucked. I like my shirts to hit my hip bones and no longer. Geez I’m fussy!

The Deets

Pattern: Plantain Tee from Dee & Doe

Fabric: 1m of ivory merino jersey from The Fabric Store in Melbourne.

Notions: thread

Size: 44

Adjustments: straightened side seam from below bust to hem

See also: shameless plug for Past-Amanda

Overall, I love the Plantain t-shirt and I have been wearing the heck out of this one. I even made another one up in a tissue weight jersey I got from Mood a ways back. While I love that top it is waaaaay too transparent to wear out of the house so just imagine a super rad and floaty eggplant coloured version of the above… Nice work! You imagined it perfectly! Now to see if I can coax my sewing mojo to make something else that is not a t-shirt… I believe there is some Liberty silk calling my name!

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Amanda vs Simplicity 2648

For a lady who has been sewing for five years I really don’t have much in the way of party dresses. In fact, in the lead up to Frocktails the only party options I had was my Tiki dress or my tulle skirt. Pretty rad stuff but those wardrobe stats aren’t great. So I did what any rad sewasaurus would do: rifled through my pattern stash, got some fancy fabric and sewed it like it’s hot. Boom! Say hello to my (very belated) Frocktails party frock!

This is Simplicity 2648 and is a classic sheath dress in the Amazing Fit line. It has three different sleeve options, three different neckline options, four different cup size options and individual pattern pieces for slim, average and curvy fit. Basically, it is the Goldilocks of princess seam bodice frocks. And, as I discovered today, sadly out of print. Though in saying that, I snaffled this bad boy from Spotlight at the end of last year in a pattern sale so there are still a bunch floating around.

The fabric is an acrylic/polyester/silk/nylon/wool blend from the fine folks at The Fabric Store as part of my February fabric allowance. The black pattern is rather eye catching as it has a wet look effect and catches the light. If you were feeling sassy you could even use the reverse – it was tempting but I wanted the black to be feature colour not the base. But real talk: it was a jerk to sew with. As to be expected with the different materials this sucker liked to fray. And not just a little. If I looked at it funny there were threads all over my floor. Ugh. So note to future self: overlock edges.

Construction wise, this was pretty fun. I should have read the instructions but was totally rushing to get this dress made for Sydney Frocktails and just jumped into the project – oops! As a result, I ended up messing with the bodice a fair bit. I decided the V neck was a bit too office wear so extended this by 2cm. And because I was on a roll I also redrew the armscye, added height under the bust to even the waist, scooped out the back neckline to make the back a bit more party and took the side seams significantly in. Boom! It has been far too long since I played around with a princess seam bodice and this one was a great place to work from!

For the skirt, I decided I wanted something a little sassy. I initially tried a gathered skirt and the effect was HIDEOUS. It may have resembled Marie Antoinette. Except with less cake. And pastel colours.

Image from Marie Antoinette (2006)

Seriously, when I walked out of the sewing room to check out the basted skirt in the mirror my husband did a double take with his mouth open in disbelief. And it truly was that horrid. And with two days to go to the event I did what every desperate sewing wizard would do and set my alarm for crazy o’clock the next morning to rip out the seams and try again. And can I say that before-work sewing is freaking awesome?! My brain was totally switched on and everything came together easily. I cut down my fabric to a better width (1:1.5 ratio) and then box pleated like it’s hot. My initial idea was to make one of those super cool midi length frocks but then time decided to get sassy. I’ve never worn a short cocktail dress before and this was the time to give it a go. And I have to say, even though I was a bit freaked out about all my leg on display, it was kind of fun. And cool. Because at Frocktails it was hot – I don’t mean from just all the rad sewasauruses being there… Summer in Sydney is full on!

What I loved about this pattern:

  • An awesome bodice to work from. Being able to trace a cup size that works from the start is such a relief. I love all the options that are available with this. It’s sewing for lazy rad people with limited time.
  • The possibility for change. When I have finished tweaking the fit of this bodice, I’m looking forward to using it as a base for future frocks. Less time messing with bodices = more time to eat chips and dip. Win!
  • How freaking rad it turned out. I am super proud of this one with all my changes 😀

What I would change for next time:

  • Read the instructions. Past Amanda was in too much of a rush and she could have saved some time and effort by finding out about the various seam allowances that are on these pieces. Epic. Fail.
  • Finalise the bodice fit. The fit under the bust still needs a little work and once that is done I’ll have a great base to work from!
  • Make a work version. I seriously think the actual sheath dress version of this in a funky corporate fabric would be pretty rad. This lady is all about the work wear at the moment…

The Deets

Pattern:          Simplicity 2648

Fabric:           1.5m of crazy blend of wonder from The Fabric Store, 0.5m black lawn for lining from stash

Notions:         50cm invisible zip cut to size, thread, all the overlocking

Size:                18

Alterations:  scooped out front neckline by 2cm, removed 1.5cm from under bust apex on princess seams, lengthened front pieces by 1.5cm grading to nothing at sides, removed 1cm from armscye on side front pieces, removed 3cm on side seams, scooped out back neckline

See also:        A Challenging Sew, Idle Fancy, Red Knits

Overall, I really dig this frock. It was super comfy to wear and I felt just the right level of dressed up for Frocktails. And what a weekend away it was! I got to hang with some of my CBR Sewing Crew peeps as we road tripped down and stayed at a youth hostel (cheap, cheerful and close to the venue = win!). Then it was time to catch up with lots of Sydney sewing peeps, meet a bunch of awesome new friends and chat all the sewing. Sadly I didn’t get to break out my sweet dance moves… Maybe next time!

Amanda vs Josie Dress

1980s Amanda has no idea she had it so good. She was living it up on a hobby farm with a pet goat and a pet goose, rocked some epic 80s sundresses and had access to the occasional piece of Mum-made Cherry Ripe slice. So pretty much living the dream. Now 2010s Amanda has things pretty sweet but one thing she was missing was the perfect 80s sundress. Oh and the pet goat. But that isn’t the focus here. We’re talking 80s. We’re talking sundresses. And we are talking the return of the 80s sundress – check out its majesty!

This pattern is the Josie Dress (aka Robe Josie) from Republique du Chiffon. It is the total epitome of what I want in a sundress this year – a little bit 80s but with a whole lot of fun. It has a fitted bodice featuring princess seams and angled waistband, a button up front, slash pockets, tulip skirt and crossed shoulder straps. So… pretty much perfect. When I stumbled across this late one night while doing some very important research (read: style stalking awesome sewists’ blogs) it was love (and purchase) at first sight!

The fabric is a simply lovely Liberty lawn called Tiers of Light. The lovely folks at The Fabric Store very kindly provided this one to me gratis (thank you guys!) and I grabbed a piece of the teal colourway. Just like the other Liberty I have worked with this was a dream – like sewing together pretty pieces of cloud. The only complaint I have about this fabric is that it is so dang hard to photo. Yup. Lamest. Complaint. Ever.

Construction wise, this went together pretty easily. This was my second version of the Josie (the first made in bits and pieces when I was sick and on painkillers. I’ll share that one in the future!) so I had an idea of how I wanted it to go together. I added fusing to the button bands, fully lined the bodice and lengthened the pattern by 8cm. Yup. You read that right. When I first measured off the pattern pieces this frock was set to mini level. I mean, I’m a little above average height (5’8”) but this design made me feel like Godzilla. FEAR MY MIGHTY SEWASAURUS POWERS!

Image that accurately reflects me as Godzilla dealing with fitting issues. Courtesy of The Simpsons.

Fit wise, there is some work still to be done. I made a rookie busty lady mistake with this one. I did all my fitting whilst wearing a regular comfy bra and when I went to wear it with my strapless bra things were not sitting quite right. There are some pull lines around the bust but they haven’t stopped me wearing it out. I might unpick the lining and go release the side seams. But then again, I’m lazy. It’s cute and I already wear it out so we’ll see how that goes. (Translation: unless the frock starts gaping this lady is going to spend that time playing Machi Koro and having a cheeky gin!)

What I liked about this pattern:

  • Feel the 80s power! Seriously. I think it is the bodice design paired with the gathering that makes this all kinds of rad.
  • The bodice details. The princess seams and the angled waistband are so much fun to put together. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle for ladies who sew. And like their jigsaws to have only six pieces. Bwah ha ha!
  • The Liberty. This is just as awesome to sew with as I remember. I mean, sure there are no pirate ships on this frock but it is still all kinds of fierce!

What I would change for next time:

  • Wear the right underpinning when fitting. Such a rookie mistake. Hopefully this does not mean Hufflepuff will lose five points in the Sewing House Cup!
  • Straight straps. While I love the crossover look it makes me feel like I should be training for some hard core gym event. And may make me pose like the worst body builder ever. You’re welcome in advance for the next high calibre photo 😉
  • I really can’t think of anything else. I am seriously in love with this pattern. Like crazy heart eye emoji love!

The Deets

Pattern: Robe Josie by Republique du Chiffon and yes you can get an English language version. I scored mine from Stitch 56 because instant gratification is sometimes a thing I do. Bwah ha ha!

Fabric: 1.5m Liberty lawn Tiers of Light in Teal provided by the rad folks at The Fabric Store, 0.5m white lawn from my stash, 0.5m blouseweight interfacing from my stash.

Notions: Thread, 9 clear buttons from my stash (there may have been some horrendous teal buttons purchased for this frock while under the effects of hard core painkillers pre-surgery. Ugh. Thank goodness for a notions stash)

Size: 44

Adjustments: Bodice fully lined, skirt lengthened by 8cm, extra button added and button holes moved.

See also: Lepetitmondedeflora, Momita’s Blog, Self Assembly Required

Overall, this is a freaking cute sundress. It is so lovely and cool to wear and has been perfect in the bananas 39 degree days we have been experiencing in Canberra this week. Which would be fine if our house had more than one ceiling fan. Which it does not. And I may be spending a lot of my spare time sitting in a wading pool with the dogs (but sans cat as she was not impressed when I tried to cool her down). Hopefully the temperature drops again soon so I can get back in my sewing room because I want to sew a blazer. In the middle of summer. Because apparently I have gone crazy with the heat… Wish me luck!

 

Amanda vs Ginger Jeans

You know in movies how the protagonist has that one moment where something happens and it is a catalyst for them to become extra awesome and take on a superhero mantle and fight crime? Well, I totally had that in July last year. Except there was no rousing soundtrack. And sadly my life remains secret identity free. Instead, my absolute favourite old pair of Levis were so well worn that when I bobbed down to pick something off the kitchen floor they tore right up the back seam. Ugh. But like all good super heroes in training this got the ball rolling for my exciting new life as a lady who makes jeans. BOOM!

You may have heard of the Ginger Skinny Jeans from Closet Case Patterns before? Bwah ha ha! It seems that every lady and her cat have sewn this up in the last couple of years. If you somehow have missed this phenomenon Ginger comes with two different options. View A is low rise with stove pipe legs and View B is high-waisted with skinny legs. Being Amanda I of course went for View C – which is an option I just made up. I used the mid-rise hack to get the waist to where I wanted it and used the skinny legs from View B. Huzzah for doing your own thing!

The denim is from The Fabric Store and I picked it up early last year. It has the perfect indigo colour (which of course rubs off on everything including poor Bimble’s fur) but the amount of stretch was unclear. In hindsight I don’t think it had quite the right amount of give for this pattern but you live and learn. I did end up with enough leftovers to make a pair of rad Deer and Doe shorts which I’ll share soon. It is the denim that kept on giving!

I’m going to be frank here and say whilst I loved the construction aspect of the jeans (so many awesome new skills to learn!) the fitting component was the absolute blurst. Whilst the full seat adjustment was easy to diagnose and implement, the Mysterious Case of the Twisted Leg of Doom was much harder to get sorted. Ohhh, that sounds like a Nancy Drew book! My ten year old self is totally geeking out with that name right now.

These are my third attempt at the pattern and with each version I have had one or both of the legs twisting significantly outwards from various points. (Also, as an FYI I totally cut all these suckers on grain and followed the layout suggestions so that isn’t the issue). My first pair had both legs twisted from the knees down, the second pair twisted on my right leg from the front of my hip bone down and my third pair are twisting from the right side of my butt down. I joined forces 1ith some of my CBR Sewing Crew buddies we tried to diagnose the fit but nothing was quite right. After a call for help on Instagram the epic seamstress of wonder Brooke was able to provide me with a full side thigh adjustment that was a total help. I knew my derby years had left one side of me stronger than the other but it was quite interesting to see how this has affected the fit. This is how this fitting problem makes me feel:

Image courtesy of D-Eye Photography

BWAH HA HA!

After defeating my side thigh adjustment I made the call that perfection is the enemy of fun and it was time to finish these up. Sure, I can see other fit tweaks that I need but I made a pair of jeans, peeps! How freaking cool is that?! Sewing is a total super power!

What I loved about this pattern:

  • The ability to customize your fit. It is like the Three Bears version of sewing: this rise is too high, this rise is too low but this rise is just right. Except instead of “nomnomnom” you get “hot dang my butt looks ace!”
  • The pocket stay. I need this in all the pants I make. It is like a magical fabric hug for your stomach.
  • The instructions. I found these super clear and the zip insertion method was so well laid out that I will be using it for all fly fronts in the future.

What I would change for next time:

  • Get the correct denim. I want to be clear on the level of stretch I get rather than being sucked into majestic indigo with no concept of lycra/spandex percentage.
  • Tweak the fit further. I can see drag lines on the front and wrinkling around the back of the thigh so it’s back to the fit books!
  • Stick that full side thigh adjustment in straight away. Because my thighs are mighty and they deserve to be adjusted for!

THE DEETS

Pattern:         Ginger Skinny Jeans by Closet Case Patterns

Fabric:           2m mystery stretch denim from The Fabric Store, lining and interfacing from my stash.

Notions:        Thread, topstitching thread, button and zip from Addicted to Fabric

Size:                14

Alterations: Full side thigh adjustment, 1 cm full seat adjustment, pinned side seams as required.

See also:        Try Curious, Cut Cut Sew, Cashmerette and loads more peeps!

Overall, I am happy with the rad new skills and techniques I’ve learned! The jeans are comfy enough to wear around the house but I won’t be rocking them out in public any time soon (mostly because I was doing some thread tidy ups and accidentally snipped a hole into back and the repair job is bad). Will I give this pattern another go? For sure. Though I have the Safran jeans traced out and ready to go first so the Gingers will be on the back burner for a bit. Also, it’s nine billion degrees here at the moment and the idea of wearing jeans makes me want to cry. But then I would dehydrate further so no crying. I’ll just make that Dawson crying face.

So I’m going to focus on the fact it is the start of a rad new year, my health is finally much better and this lady made herself a pair of jeans. WINNING AT LIFE!

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