Simple Style

I think one of the most effective routes in dressmaking is to sew a simple design in a special fabric. I bought this gorgeous green cut-out cotton fabric for half price in the John Lewis sale last year, but had not got around to making something. With the prospect of going out for a special meal as an incentive, I finally wielded the scissors. I chose a very simple shift dress – McCalls 5875 (out of print but still available). This pattern has the bonus of coming in individual cup sizes, making the fitting that much easier. It was an easy make, but I’m delighted with the finished result. The uncluttered style allows the fabric to take centre stage. I will now be on the lookout for other interesting fabrics to use the pattern again. A lace or velvet version would be ideal for Christmas parties.

I Love Crochet

 

My grandma first taught me to crochet as a child, and I happily proceeded to make a few granny squares. Yet alongside many other childhood passions I soon lost interest, and never gave crochet another thought for about thirty years. Then about five years ago, I chanced upon the wonderful “The Happy Hooker” by Debbie Stoller. Under her clear guidance I made my first ever crochet garment. From that moment I was totally addicted. I now can’t bear not to have some kind of crochet project on the go. I do intersperse this with knitting, but crochet remains closest to my heart. It is so portable, there is no risk of dropped stitches, mistakes are easy to rectify, and you can stop in the middle of a row. It is also just about instant gratification, as you can make something lovely to wear within a couple of weeks. I like to crochet in front of the TV – it justifies my watching guilty pleasure programmes like X Factor, American Idol and The Apprentice. These kind of programmes don’t require 100% attention so I can happily crochet away, and have created something pretty at the end. I find crochet almost meditative, and after completing a couple of rows, any stress I feel will have magically dissolved away. Perhaps crochet classes should be provided on the national health.

Knit Picking

I was on the lookout for a red cropped cardi when I spotted this little number in one of my local charity shops. The shop label had been snipped off, but a quick check of the fibre content revealed a good quality cotton cashmere mix - very soft to the touch. Unfortunately it was a shade on the large side. I debated wearing it loose, but decided I'd never feel comfortable with the fit. I'd not normally risk cutting up knitwear, but as a cheap buy, there was not a lot to lose. I used a narrow zig zag stitch on the sleeves, then overlocked the raw edges. A much better fit and a cute cover up for my summer dresses.



Patience Pays Off

I was in the beautiful Spa town of Harrogate last weekend. It must be a wonderful place to live with its eclectic selection of restaurants and individual shops. From a more economical perspective, it also boasts a high number of charity shops. I must have visited about eight or nine in the course of an afternoon. It brought home to me how much time and patience you need to invest in second hand shopping. My expedition netted just one purchase – though one I love. I found this dress which originates from on-line clothing company Wrap. It’s a very easy to wear style in a timeless navy and ivory combination that will be my go-to everyday dress for the summer.

Turning Around A Mistake

I recently made a stripe jersey top with a handkerchief hemline – similar styles are very popular in the shops at the moment. It was a very easy pattern (Vogue 8651) but I wasn’t used to working with jersey fabrics. I hadn’t realised how much sewing can stretch them if they are not handled properly. I ended up with a badly gaping neckline. I considered using some elastic to rectify the problem, but spotted a more creative solution in the wonderful Sew Stylish magazine. The Spring 2011 edition features the how-to for creating pin tucks on a T.shirt. I used exactly the same process on my baggy neckline. And voila – it achieved the dual effect of solving my mistake, and adding a decorative detail.

Incidentally I love wearing the finished garment – jersey is so comfortable and drapes so beautifully. It’s definitely a fabric I’d like to use again so will be swotting up on how to sew it correctly in the future.

Making It My Own

In his book “Appetite” cookery writer Nigel Slater explains how he adapted a chocolate cake recipe to create something that had a connection to the original recipe but he truly felt was his. I’ve just had the same feeling with a crochet pattern. This pattern appeared as Esmee in the January edition of “Inside Crochet” magazine. It was extremely badly written and full of errors, so I was constantly adjusting and tweaking as I went along. I completely changed the sleeve shape to something more flattering. Despite the difficulties along the way I’m happy with the finished result. It is suitably inspired by the original pattern but feels completely my own. I’m now intending to make another version as a sweater using cotton wool so the metamorphosis will be even further removed from the starting point.

Henley: Checking Out The Charity Shops

Experts advise charity shopping in wealthy catchment areas where residents are hopefully motivated to generously donate their designer cast-offs to a good cause. I decided to test the theory out in Henley, the Oxfordshire town, beautifully situated on the Thames. I was lucky enough to be there on market day which added even more vitality to the already vibrant and stylish ambience.

There are four charity shops in the town (one is a books only Oxfam), and they didn’t disappoint. I spotted many top end high street names on the rails – Reiss, Jaeger, M & S Autograph and Jigsaw. I did learn one thing whilst I was shopping – do not go with a friend the same size as you. There are bound to find the good things first!

I didn’t find any designer bargains along the rails. I reckon the best stuff is probably creamed off by Henley’s de-luxe second hand shop “Revolution”. This has the feel of a luxury boutique with a great mix of labels. When I am next looking for a special dress, this will be my first stop. There is a four week window in which to buy an item, with the possibility of a further reduction in the final week. Prices are about three or four times higher than a charity shop, but it is well-edited stock, nothing older than two years.

Did I buy anything on my Henley jaunt? Yes, one thing - a slightly flared oatmeal cardigan by Part Two. I didn’t recognise the label but the fibre content was a wool/silk mix, so I guessed it was good quality. It’s probably a size too big, but as fit doesn’t need to be exact with knitwear, I can probably get away without making any alterations. As it’s an interesting shape, I will have to put some thought in what I can wear with it, though the neutral colour makes it very versatile.

So I reckon my Henley shopping experiment was a success and will definitely be returning before too long – though probably alone!

Review: "Making" Magazine

In the vanguard of the burgeoning craft movement comes “Making” magazine, a glossy take on the home made world. It follows in the footsteps of Martha Stewart Living, but manages to even out-Martha the ultimate Craft Queen herself.  “Making” is beautifully photographed and styled, matching the allure of a high quality fashion magazine.  Each issue has a theme – “light”, “vintage” and “custom made” are recent examples. The crafts themselves are divided into living, garden, kitchen, bathroom and wardrobe with normally around two to four projects in each category. There are also a couple features, perhaps interviewing a designer or meeting some craft enthusiasts. I have found the magazine very useful in providing me with details of courses, shows, suppliers, books and giving me pointers towards interesting blogs.

From a personal perspective the projects vary widely in their desirability, but as my number of copies builds up, I’m finding it a great resource library for ideas. I find I am spotting interesting things I discounted on my first browse through. I’m more of fashion oriented crafter so makes that have caught my eye are a fur wraparound stole, a bib necklace and summer tunic. Though I have to admit I’ve not made anything yet.

I think there is something of style triumphing over substance. Stunning pictures and a seductive layout vastly enhance what is often limited content. The kitchen section mainly consists of a few recipes. A keen cook would find more to choose from in most women’s monthly magazines. So I’m not entirely sure the magazine represents value for money at £4.99 an issue. I took out a subscription offer of 50% discount on the price, so feel my £2.50 an issue is a reasonable price.

So in short a gorgeous stylish magazine – but at a price.

Remake: Shortening A Wool Dress

 

A couple of years ago I bought a Uniqlo merino wool sweater dress/tunic off the internet. It was one of those garments where I should have gone up a size for a looser fit, but I never did get around to exchanging it. I did wear it from time to time, but never felt entirely comfortable with the snug fit. So last week, in a sudden impetuous moment, out came the scissors, and I cut it off to hip length.

I immediately began to regret my impulse as the wool quickly began to unravel . I ran to my sewing machine andI used the overlock stitch to stop any further fraying. The garment was now a little baggy around the bottom, so I took the side seams in slightly (very narrow zig zag stitch for the seam, again overlocked to prevent fraying). Rather than machine the hem, I decided to hand sew, using herringbone stitch. I turned the overlocked edge in which created a kind of mock band on the bottom.

So, voila, I now have a flattering slim fit sweater, far more versatile than a tight tunic.

Simply Making Style

Some of the simplest projects are the most successful. I’m in the process of making a stripy top in cotton jersey and happened to have enough spare fabric for a scarf. I simply cut out a rectangle, 2 metres x 0.5 metres and overlocked the edges. I’d spotted something very similar in Zara, though I think mine is a better quality fabric. It’s a great lightweight piece for Spring, and will add a bit of style to many of my outfits.

The Future Of Charity Shops?

A friend recently told me about a new kind of charity shop in Reading. “Reworked for Oxfam” sells a mix of revamped customer donations and professionally repaired vintage garments.

The shop is situated in Harris arcade, not far from the station. Despite numerous visits to Reading, I’m ashamed to say I’d never been to the arcade before, lured straight to the delights of the modern Oracle shopping centre. Besides Oxfam, I found several independent shops, well worth a look, including a milliner’s and a tobacconist’s.

The Oxfam shop itself is small, and has a quirky boutique vibe, rather than that of a traditional charity shop. It’s a brilliant place to browse, as you never know what you are going to find. Each item is reworked by volunteers; their range of different skills ensure intriguing results. For example, two different shirts may have been merged to create a mix and match version, or a T.shirt given a ruffle trim on the neck. It sounds wacky, but for the most part the creations are in good taste. Anyone wanting truly original style should unearth many treasures as each item of clothing is totally unique.

The price points are higher than normal charity shops – a special dress will set you back about £60. But this is a high quality item and you can be confident you will not see anyone else in the same outfit.

I didn’t buy anything on my first visit but came away with loads of ideas for looking at my own wardrobe with new eyes, and how I could rework my own charity shop buys. Some of the best ideas were:

-          Denim mixes with a variety of different fabrics – I spotted a denim skirt inset with a floral panel that worked well.

-          Fur coats with their sleeves cut off to make jerkins

-          Tops and skirts sewn together to make cute dresses

-          Necklines embellished with ruffle trims

-          Piped edges to add seam definition

-          Adding beading and appliqué to create interesting textured fabrics

Brit Chick Knits

I coveted this Union Jack cardigan the moment I saw it in “Designer Knitting”magazine (Vogue Knitting in the US) . It featured in a section titled “London Calling”. I loved the quirky, eclectic styling of the whole collection, but the standout piece for me was undoubtedly the cardigan. It had a subtle colourway achieved with tweed wool, and I desperately wanted to make it. Now this constituted a major challenge as my knitting skills are still a work in progress. I learnt to knit as a child, but have only recently returned to the craft. Could I manage such a large, multicoloured project? I decided to give it a go.

Rather than start with the back, I knitted the two fronts and sleeves first, slowly getting to grips with managing multiple colours. But the back was still filling me with dread, requiring 13 colours on the go at once, along a row of 168 stitches. I would have to keep this up for 170 rows. So I calculated if I could complete about 4 rows a day, I could finish it in around 6 weeks. Not exactly quick but with an end in sight, not an eternity.  So give or take a day or so, that’s exactly what happened.

The whole project was a real labour of love, taking me about four months from start to finish. But I’m extremely proud of myself for persevering and seeing it through to the end. In fact I felt I learnt a few valuable lessons that I will be carrying through to future projects:

-          - Do not be put off from making something that appears difficult and beyond your skill level. If you desperately want the finished piece, patience and passion will carry you through.

-          - It’s less daunting if you break a complicated project down into smaller sections, and set yourself targets to complete each part.

-          - Complete the simplest section of the garment first. The “easy win” will give you the momentum to complete the more challenging parts.

Charity Shop Revamp

 

 Charity shops are hit and miss affairs. For me, finding something desirable in the exact size is a rare event. I have often thought I should increase the odds by expanding my search into larger sizes with a view to altering them. So last week my rummaging unearthed a navy lace T.shirt, an attractive item but size 22, swamping my size 10-12 figure. It was time to put my revamping aspirations into practice.

For my first attempt I decided not to be too ambitious by keeping the same shape and simply cutting it down to size. But this wasn’t quite as easy as it looked as I had to reset the sleeves. It took a couple of attempts before I was happy with the result but I’m delighted with the finished top. It’s a versatile piece I can dress down with jeans or style up for smarter occasions. I am now encouraged to undertake more charity shop downsizing. Hopefully the previous owners will never recognise their donations.