Tammy Handmade Leona dress

 This has been a vision for maybe just a year or two (new in sewing list terms...)

I bought the stretch velvet from The Fabric Box when I first thought of doing this, it's really an easy project and I expected to just make it without delay, but of course, delays happened.  

I've never used Tammy Handmade patterns before. 

Griping: the pages are not well labelled so it took visually laying everything out to get it to tetris together.  I printed the A4s. 

The pattern does not have any information for the height it's drafted for, but clearly at least 5'6" as the front pattern piece touches the floor when I hold it up. 

I went from size 8 chest to 10 at the hips, melding halfway between for the waist. 

Removed 1" above the hips, 1cm above the waist, and 1" below the hips at the version B level. I raised the side slit 1" accordingly. 

I also lengthened the facing with the plan to make a shelf bra.  What else to do with a facing on a knit dress?  On one hand I appreciated the reasoning behind the facing for a very neat, clean finish.  But I do so dislike them...  I was going to cut the back facing on the fold but realised there is a curve so I went ahead and made it per the pattern, but lengthened it about 2".  Once I did all this and tried the dress on I realised a surprising thing - the dress is so tight that the facing can't flip.  And I can wear a bra underneath it!  No benefit from trying to add shelf bra elastic.  I did decide to overlock the facing shorter again, removing about 1.5" and in retrospect wish I had not done that, as the double grippy effect was both warm and held things in place extra well.  It's still fine and a bit longer than the pattern piece, but not by much. 

 

Next set of bodycon dress dramas: I did NOT need to size up at the hips.  I had a pair of wide hips dangling away from my body, and a huge amount of fabric pooling weirdly at the centre back.  I saw the weird poof mid back when I was sewing the seam up, and wondered if it's the drafting or if my fabric shifted funny while cutting.  Anyway, all these seams are a fitter's friend!  I just pinned out the weirdness midback until I was happy and overlocked it away.  Then I went at the side hips and just shaved them flatter until they were snug.  Choosing a size 8 would probably have been fine, but this way I did get to actually choose how I shaved fabric off to fit, which might have gotten me a more precise result, who knows. 

It fits well under...some bras.  Not this one, oops.  This is a super warm and stretchy dress, it will be fantastic for events in winter but in summer I couldn't get it off fast enough, it's hot! I'm really pleased overall with my dress.  There is still a tiny irregularity at the centre back seam, but it's not bad.  It's a fun, fast sew.  I don't think I would use it for a fancy, dream fabric but for a fun easy wearing dress I am happy. 

another Greenstyle repeat: the Lumia hoodie, take two.

The Lumia hoodie, version 1 (see it here), was an ok fit but still very long on me. 

It also seemed like it could handle pretty heavyweight sweatshirting. 

I hated my mixed fabrics (a friend loved it, so it went to her!)

So I got this nice heavy sweatshirting from The Fabric Box and matching rib as well. I remembered to shorten my rib!

Still size C. This time I shortened it further in the front by just cutting the bottom upwards a bit, and lengthened the back hem, since it seemed to sit relatively high on me compared to the front. So that was functionally a hi-low hem alteration. I didn't shorten it further through the middle, since I didn't want to shorten the design feature too much.  I think I could shorten it above the pockets if I still wanted it shorter next time.

It was an easy sew. I still didn't use twill tape on the back of the zip, but I'm happy with this hoody. It's heavier than current Lululemon ones since the hood is lined and my fabric is quite heavy (and of course because the current Lululemon quality has become super shit!)

Linen knit Seaforth lounge pants: for maximal lounging

 I have two pairs of my favourite drop-crotch linen knit loungepants.  The pattern was made using the Anima pants and a drop-crotch online tutorial.  One pair is from 2020 and the other was made a few months ago...and they both already have holes.  (Linen knit is not the most durable, or possibly due to my crappy clothespins.) Clearly I need *more* linen loungepants!  I was envisioning a double layer of coziness, and mentally riffled through my patterns trying to figure out which would be loungy enough (the Hudsons are too snug and low waisted.)  I thought this pattern would be perfect and since it's meant for wovens I was guaranteed a good oversized fit - I used the same size (4) and pattern pieces as for my previous go at the Seaforth.  The pockets though, don't come with a non-zip option.  Also, the double layer business had to go, as this pattern takes...a meter of fabric...so I didn't have any to spare.  

 

For a quick pocket fix I used the pattern piece from the Linen Loungers. I overlapped the two pockets and created a pocket opening to replace the zip, and added a binding.  Otherwise, no changes to the original pattern.  I did all the darts and back pockets as per the woven instructions.  Very easy to make!  So pleased to wear!  And they match my new cropped linen Blomma top!  (This Blomma top has been the summer win, so perfectly cropped and very fashionable.) 

 

Criswood Parasol dress, again.

 Made two of these last year.  Reckoned the long one was a bit too long but then after I sent it to my friend I looked harder at the pictures and thought it actually had felt pretty lovely on.  Yes, oversized, but in a subtle way, as long as the fabric choice is very drapey and light. So out of the blue I decided I wanted another one and I wanted it in this fabric I had earmarked for something else.  I wanted a kind of grown up (not pink, not highly patterned...) dress.

I think the fabric is from The Fabric Box.  It is a crepey textured rayon.  It's heavier than the bird print rayon of my first version and that led to some pocket dramas.  Up to the pockets things were going ok. My sewing machine was serviced last year and the results of that service...are that I wouldn't recommend those guys to anyone.  It doesn't seem to be any different than before the service (still barfing furballs, still hesitating and mis-stitching all the time like it got lost along the way, arg!)  I noticed that led to some missed stitches and very obvious stitching, but I don't really mind the look, it creates a kind of obvious facing look at the bodice which is ok.  Possibly my thread wasn't a perfect match but I did use a new needle.  

 

I put the pockets on and they sagged down to the bottom of the universe.  I went ahead and made the whole dress, even let it sit while I debated whether to cut the hem straight.  Decided not to.  I think the hem having a high-low look adds to the dress.  The huge pockets cutting up the flow of the dress, not so much.  With a sad sigh I went forth to remove them and retrofit in side seam pockets.  It's painful mainly because you can't get the insides as pretty, but perfectly serviceable anyway.  Wore dress the next day.  Happy with it!  It is heavier than the pink one was which should have been foreseeable, but that doesn't pull the front or the back down in a bad way, the back tie keeps the dress from falling forward to show too much (nonexistent) cleavage.  I really like the feel of this dress. 

Mile End hoody in both views, by Closet Core patterns

When this came out I wanted it right away but I was in the middle of a winter hoody binge and it really seemed like I should keep using the patterns I already had.  Eye roll.  I should have bought this right away. The papercut patterns undercover hood will always live in my heart but I think I've hacked it to its limit now and need to move on.

This is an amazing pattern.  The back seam wraps around to the front.  The sleeves are in two pieces and have an elbow dart.  The hem is also pieced.  

So add to that story: beautiful rainbow striped terry cloth from Blended Thread, and me post night shift.  

What could possibly go wrong?  ...with pattern matching across 6 pieces on no sleep?  OOPS

I made size 4 and I ran a commentary to my best friend as I tried to pattern match and that kept me awake and in good spirits through the drama.  It was pretty dramatic!  Because as much as you want it all to line up overthinking in my case always wins and everything is always off by 1 mm.  Just that little bit.  And then it all goes to hell with those elbow darts.  BUT at the top of the sleeves my matching is perfect, and it ends up that's the only spot that matters. 

 

I love this. It is a classic oversized, cropped hoody.  It's not super long.  I do however feel the draft up the sides, and in this fabric it's not warm at all.

The blended threads terry cloth is a bit stiff and not very stretchy, making it hard to get the bands on.  There's some white that shows through when it's stretched.  I love some of their designs but I have so far not been impressed with the fabrics and I don't think I would pay the shipping again. 

I obtained white terry cloth fabric from The Fabric Box to make the next one in the other view and ice dye it.  I have determined it's best to make an item and then ice dye it rather than the other way round, however the distressing problem is if the dye job comes out ugly you have wasted some time.  Making the hoody was slow because I was deep in moving, but it was fun as projects go and forced me to get friendly with my coverstitch machine, which is not a bad thing.  The ice dyeing was literally one of the last sunny days I was in Gisborne and was a bit stressful (ie late to work) but I love the result (and the other things I dyed are also amazing.)  In this case as well I had band problems - I absolutely could NOT use self fabric bands the length of the pattern piece.  I had to remove one half sewn on.  I think I added 3-4 cm and that was still barely enough.  So if you are not using rib, considering extra length on the sleeve bands.  The hem doesn't require as much stretching so it's not relevant there. 

 

Sadly I have to say - these are both beautiful, nicely made, based on good inspiration, I have no complaints...and I can't really find any place to wear them.  They are roomy so they aren't warm.  They are quite short so anything under them hangs out and looks sloppy - and I'm short.  The sleeves are really spacious.  The hood on the hoody version is gratuitous, it's the kind of hood you never wear up. 

I have been inspired by the many hacks on Insta - it's definitely roomy enough you can make it in a woven then just add stretchy bands.  It's tempting to try something like that.  Also I get now that the front tie pulls it in, and though I didn't like the look of that in the pictures, it's possible I would love it in real life and that it would make the hoody feel more cozy. 

So now that I have made both of them (sorry my new photo spot is not getting me very crisp pictures and my hair really needs more attention...) I think I'm done with this pattern for now while I mull over whether I have any use for it.  Unlike a lot of my projects I love both of these and I'm keeping them despite not knowing how I'll wear them.