MMM'16 week #3

It's time for our week #3 Me Made May 2016 round-up! 

Since I missed out on wearing any homemade outfits last week due to feeling poorly with a bug, I wanted to make the most of it this week. So here we are!

Tuesday (I worked at home on Monday in my PJs again!) -- first day back in the office, I needed a "feel good" dress. This TNT mash-up dress never fails to cheer me up :D

Wednesday daytime- in the office with my first version of Vintage Vogue 1137 

Wednesday evening - Back to Basics top

Thursday - attending an all-day conference in London in my new Bottle Green Liberty dress. I met a dear friend of mine afterwards in an amazing little Thai Cafe near Waterloo. Just about to sip my Thai ice tea here -- one of my favourite drinks of all times!

 Dress-down Friday - Cheap as Chips Alma Blouse

The weekend is going to be filled with decorating and other home improvements, so chances are, my home made wardrobe will be getting a little well-deserved break :) Whatever you will be up to this weekend (hopefully something a little more glamorous than what I've got planned), I hope you have a great one! 

MMM '16 week 1 round-up

It's time for the first round-up of MMM '16!

It's been a beautiful week here in the UK, finishing on a heat wave over the weekend reaching 26 degrees today! Unfortunately, I have been feeling rather poorly from Thursday night, with a super sore throat, a high fever, and an annoying cough, so couldn't quite enjoy the best weather to the full. 

My MMM wardrobe suffered slightly as a result -- I so wish I had me-made PJs for those unwell days! 

Tuesday -- the 1940s Sew for Victory blouse

Wednesday -- Alma Blouse with Peter Pan collar

I managed to get my bum out of bed this afternoon, as I was on the mend, and we drove with the roof down to the idyllic Sculpture Garden in a nearby village in Ockley. Isn't it just stunning? I dug out my summer wardrobe and put on My Little Lisette Traveler dress:

That's it for week 1! All things considering, I haven't done all that badly. Let's hope the sun keeps on shining for week 2!   

My Pattern Picks!

Remember my silk kimono? That was my first encounter with Love Sewing magazine. I was really impressed with how current and informative this magazine is, and you can probably imagine my excitement when the editor Helen asked me to write a feature on My Pattern Picks! 

This has just been published in the latest issue, issue 12, which has been on sale since 26th March. I'm sure regular readers of this blog will not be surprised by the patterns that I chose below, as I have never shied away from recommending them :)  

Here are the links to my versions of these 5 wonderful patterns:

McCalls 2401 (need I say more?) 
version 1 (blurry)  version 2 (spotty) version 3 (stretchy floral) version 4 (neon lace)

Simplicity 2311 
My wool coat

Simplicity 1368
My 30-minute maxi

Vogue 1137
My unlined version

Sewaholic Alma
View B
View A

Another piece of good news is that I am now a White Tree Fabrics blogger! Watch this space for my makes ;) 

Thank you for allowing me for some self-indulgence! 

Cheap as chips top

It's my second Alma top! (See my first version here). This time I made View A, with a small piece of broderie anglaise which I picked up from a remnant bin for a mere £1! The whole project including the invisible zip came to no more than £2, and hence the name. 

I love a good bargain -- look how pleased i am with myself!

Back view

Second time round, this pattern just keeps on giving! It's such a breeze to make -- as I've said before, the pattern is so well drafted and without needing any alterations for me, plus the instructions are incredibly clear to follow. What's not to like? Hats off to you again, Tasia, for creating such a great pattern! The sleeve construction is different for all views -- I particularly love how the armhole binding is created after the cap sleeves are sewn on. If you don't know what I'm talking about, perhaps it's time to see it for yourself by trying out this pattern ;)

The last step in the pattern called for thread belt loops, and I thought I would share that I used the wonderful tutorial here. It worked a treat!   

You might be able to tell in this photo just how delicate the fabric is -- it is super soft and with all the stitching and holes on it, I think I shall resort to hand washing this top as I really want this to last! I used a thin machine needle for this project, and have also reinforced the side seams with silk organza selvage before the zip is inserted. 

And finally with the belt. I actually think I like the top both with and without the belt. What do you think?

So here we are, my second Alma top, and I have a feeling that it isn't going to be my last! 

Alma blouse!

After drooling over the Alma blouse pattern since the day it was introduced to us all, I have finally taken the plunge to buy the pattern and make my first version. 

I must admit, I had really high expectations for this pattern, especially after seeing all the great versions on the blogsphere. But I was not a little bit disappointed! Thank you, Tasia, for such a wonderful pattern!

I made view B, cut a size 0, and needed no alteration what so ever! I know that Sewaholic patterns are great for pear shaped ladies, and although I am not exactly pear shaped, this was perfect for me as I would usually do a SBA.  

The pattern instructions were clear and concise, with all steps for all views fitted onto one single page. The pictures are really helpful, too. I liked the over and under collar pieces; in fact this is the first time that I have seen such distinction -- when I made the 1940s fitted blouse, the Peter Pan collar used the same pieces for the collar itself and facing.   

I used a floral stretch cotton for the top and polycotton for the collar. I was really pleased with how it's turned out. I love the way it fits -- the invisible side zipper really helps! 

Now I just can't wait to make another version - View A, here I come!