Yay! I made a garment!
And I like it and will actually wear it!
Do you remember I was so inspired by all the lovely ladies wearing their beautifully constructed dresses at the Minerva Meet-up weekend?
I made a pledge to myself to jump on the handmade revolution and came away with this simple pattern and some cotton lawn. It was marked ‘easy’. Perfect.
I’d read my new Colette Sewing Handbook from cover to cover. I’d read soooooo many dressmaking blogs. I was ready.
Not wanting to dive into my fabric without having a test drive, I even made a toile.
I was so pleased I did. I had to let the seams on the shoulders out by 1cm due to the arm holes being tight and the neck feeling too high. I also curved the side seams to make it less boxy for my chosen fabric and took the neck line down at the back by half an inch. This was so worthwhile. I would have been so disappointed to have made up the whole garment and it not even fit. Reading all those blogs had not been a waste. They had given me the confidence to alter things, even on my first go. I also learnt a valuable lesson. However simple the garment, make a toile first. So now I just need to pull those old bed sheets out of the garage where they have been put aside for dust sheets.
I have a confession. I’m not one to take up something new half heartedly and I had been promising myself one of these post wedding. On Friday my new Beast, the Brother over-locker, was delivered.
It came ready threaded so I had the briefest watch of the first 10 minutes of the accompanying DVD and had a go.
I was quite giddy. Professional looking seams!
A few more details to show you.
Yes, it was fairly simple but I spent time over everything and even Mr Jones commented that it didn’t look like I’d made it.
I’m going to make it again, this time in something that drapes a little more and then onto the next challenge – sleeves!
Meanwhile, I am actually wearing this at work!!!!
Love, Lucie xx
I feel so proud! Such a lovely top – I’m so pleased you managed it ok. There’ll be no stopping you now 😉
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Thank you for helping me choose!!!!! Great for a first make. 🙂
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Well done Lucie!! 🙂
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Thanks!
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Congratulations! You’re on your way to a handmade wardrobe! Looks great, well done ☺
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Oh yes! So glad I’ve made a start! Thanks for the encouragement:)
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Such a pretty top! Wish my stitching was as near as yours! Xxx
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Thank you. Years of practice making curtains is finally paying off!
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Woohoo! Well done you. I love that fabric and you’ve done a good job on those little pleats. I see you dived in and bought an overlocker which will come in even more handy if you decide to move on to knit fabrics. I see the start of an addiction.
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I love a new challenge and there is so much to learn!
I’ve yearned for an over locker for years having taken up almost every single pair of trousers bought in this household for years.
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Wow your top looks wonderful. Many more to come I hope. Mr Jones made me laugh saying it didn’t look like you made it. I’ve spent years trying to convince my daughter that just because you’ve made it yourself doesn’t mean it won’t look better than shop bought. Enjoy your overlocker.
Ali xx
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Thank you so much! When I told Mr Jones I was going to start making a few garments, he looked at me aghast!
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I had noted the pleats, very on trend. That overlocker looks fantastic, so tempted, so much better than zigzags.
Next stop the Sewing Bee, well done you, I am nearly tempted to make something for me now.
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Thank you. I really enjoyed the process. I so enjoyed wearing it today.
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I love it. Great job.
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Thank you very much.
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This is fabulous Lucie. I wish my first few attempts at garment sewing had looked even half as good as this. It’s so satisfying to finish something that you’re really happy with! Well done.
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Well I have a lot of great sewing mentors to thank and a lot of years spent on home furnishings. I would never have considered altering the pattern to get the look I wanted without having read all your blogs first. The toile was really boxy and I would have been really disappointed if my top had felt like that.
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Congratulations! I’m well impressed – particularly as I know I how hard it is to work exactly/precisely enough for sewing. I prefer the ‘give’ of knitting 😉
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Thank you so much. I shall keep doing a little of everything but was really glad not to be disappointed in my first piece!
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Oooh, what a stunning top! Love the fabric too. But, erm, why are you looking so grumpy in the pictures?! You should be beaming with pride!
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I’ve been back to check, and yes you are right! I’m grimacing! That is what having my ‘I’d rather be watching Emerdale’ daughter does to me when she’s taking the photos. Note to self- smile more.
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Such neat stitching – and altering the pattern too. You’ll be designing your own soon.
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Ha, ha! So much to learn but thank you.
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It certainly doesn’t look handmade. It looks awesome. You just need a big. Badge saying I made this:)
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Thank you! Already started to cut up the fabric for a second!
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It looks really lovely, well done!
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Thank you! I’ve been trawling the net for my next pattern!
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Great top Lucie, you did a great job! Looks fab on you 🙂
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Thanks! Can’t wait to finish my second!
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Oh well done, it looks great. I have made clothes in the past…. a long time ago! But I am rather tempted to have another go now. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching “This old thing” on Ch4 too and am feeling a bit inspired. Whether I get round to it or not is another thing altogether!
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I enjoyed ‘This Old Thing’ although I’m not sure they could get a second season out of it. I’m also not sure I would be quite so lucky with the things that they found!
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Well done you! Glad you’ve “jumped on the handmade wagon”. Be careful, if you’re anything like me, you’ll soon find it addictive! So impressed you chose a Burda pattern. I find the instructions for these a bit scant, or perhaps that’s just what you get withe the PDF patterns, I’ve never bought a paper pattern from Burda.
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When I chose this pattern I had no idea how many PDF patterns existed! I was in the shop at the right frame of mind so I just bought what I needed right there and then. It was easy to follow but it was an easy pattern and Id watched and read enough to have a good idea of the process. Thanks for your lovely comment.
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