Denim Delphine

I've been sticking with the wardrobe staples this week and I made myself a little denim Delphine (from love at first stitch). This is my second delphine, my first was a chambray version which is more suited to spring/summer.

The denim version is that little bit warmer. When the temperature outside drops a little further I think it will be fun to wear this one with bright colours tights. So far the weather here as been playing tricks on us. It's jolly cold in the mornings but by lunch time it's take your cardi off, change to your sandals, wish I was wearing a skirt fantastic.

I don't have much to add with comments about the pattern, it is still simple and easy to whip up (took me less than an hour). The pattern is probably more suited to this thicker fabric than the chambray though. I will get loads of wear out of this item.

The one thing I did change was to use an exposed zip instead of an invisible one:

I felt like it made the skirt just a teensy bit more interesting, but it is very tricky to get it to stay all the way done up! Even when I take it off and do it up it keeps coming undone at the top. Since this was my first try at this sort of zip (apart from one that opens all the way in my Elisalex) I don't mind to much that it isn't 100% perfect. There is always next time.

I have been sewing up so many 'staples' recently that I am really enjoying my current project. It's a Holly Playsuit! Exciting stuff. I'll obviously show you that when it's done. Are you making one? If so can I see? Zoe x

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Delightful Delphine (From Love At First Stitch)

Time for another make from Love at First Stitch, this time its the Delightful Delphine. I had some fabric left over from my Chambray Elisalex Dress but there wasn't a huge amount so I wasn't sure what to do with it. When I saw that Delphine required only 1m of fabric I thought it would be perfect. I wore it on Sunday as part of OWOP with my Plantain tee. I really liked the combination and I love the shape and style of Delphine. I have my fabric lined up for my second version to make soon.

However, and this a a pretty big however, I am starting to get a little sick of my Chambray fabric. As you can see from these pictures it is VERY crinkly. This is after I ironed it and used LOADS of steam to flatten it as much as possible. Then I put it on and went straight to taking pictures so I didn't get any more creases and it still looks like I just pulled it out of the bottom of a suitcase.

My next Delphine is going to be thicker denim so I can still wear it with almost anything but it will hopefully press nice and flat and hold its shape a little better.

I think I will fold it up and keep it for next summer thought because it is nice and light and very easy to wear. I even used a fun floral for the waistband facing:

So I would call this version a half success, loved the pattern and the fabric looks good but only If I spend half a day pressing out the creases first.

On another note, I have decided to embrace the dorky pose and from now on show you all my makes like this. I call it 'Ta-Dah!'. Zoe x

Make a Circle Skirt // Cut Your Fabric and Sew Your Side Seams

Have you got your fabric? Good, It's time to make it into a skirt! So I hope you wrote down your waist radius from the Circle Skirt App and the length of your skirt? Well in case you didn't I have added the link again, it can be handy to have this open too while you cut so you can see what cutting layout they recommend. If you are making a half circle skirt or a quarter circle skirt you will only need to draw your circles once, but if you are making a full circle you will need to do it twice. Either way the idea is exactly the same.

So fold your fabric according to the apps instructions. To help you understand how to cut your fabric my waist radius is 12cm.

In the correct corner of your fabric (mine is folded at this corner but yours won't be if you're doing a quarter circle). Then take your tape measure and your dressmaking pen (or chalk if thats your thing) and measure your radius from the corner. You can see I have made a mark at the point that is 12cm away. I have then made other marks that also measure 12cm away in different directions. Do this to yours too.

When you have enough marks, join them up to make a curve:

Then repeat this step for the bottom of the skirt. This time the measurement will be your waist radius (i.e 12cm) PLUS the length you want your finished skirt to be (61cm) PLUS seam allowances (1.5cm) to give a total radius (64.5cm).

Use this measurement to draw the curve for the bottom of the skirt. Now cutting stretchy fabric is a little tricker than cutting wovens because it stretches as you cut. So if you have a rotary cutter then you can use that to avoid this problem. For those of you that don't have a rotary cutter (probably most of you) you can just use your normal dressmaking scissors. Since you have drawn the cut line on the fabric you don't need to worry too much about stretching it because you can just cut along the line. Just try to keep your scissors as close to the cutting surface as possible rather than lifting it up as your cut.

Now is a good time to remind yourself of what to do when sewing with stretchy fabrics.

If you're making a full circle skirt sew up one side seam, if you are making a quarter or half circle skirt you can skip this step because there is only one side seam. Once you only have one side seam left to sew, hold the skirt up around your waist. You'll find it stretches quite a bit and overlaps some. You will need to trim down one of the edges to allow for this overlap, other wise your skirt will fall down when you wear it! (Sadly photographing this step proved too tricky so I can't show you :( ) Make sure you account for your seam allowance to leave about 3cm of overlap.

Finally sew up the other side seam. And…. um….. wow! It's starting to look like an actual piece of clothing! I love that step, every clothing project has one, the moment that it changes from some random pieces of fabric to something that actually resembles an item you might wear.

All there is left to do is to sew a waistband and hem your skirt (come back next week for this). No need to finished your edges because they won't fray on stretchy fabrics! Winner. See you soon. Zoe xx

Full Midi Circle Skirt Love Affair

I am in love. When thinking up a project that would be easy for beginners to make but also really wearable I settled on a circle skirt (you can now see the instructions here). I love my half circle skirt and wanted to make myself another one but also they are SO FLIPPING EASY to make I couldn't think of anything easier. The tricky part of course for a skirt is the fastening, both zips and buttons tend to freak beginners out, so to make it the easiest project ever it doesn't even have a zip or buttons. That's right you heard me correctly, it's a stretchy skirt with no zip or buttons. This, I think, is why I am so madly in love. It is so comfortable and I love how it looks so I can't lose.

Also it's crazy fun to twirl in, I could do this all day when I wear it:

Well truthfully I tried spinning in it to make a gif of a spinning circle skirt for you guys but got so dizzy it left me unable to do anything for the rest of the evening. So when you have made one try to limit the spinning a little.

I have a few others things to share with you before I go through how to make one of these beauties so you'll have to sit tight for now. If you fancy making one though and haven't already, get to know your sewing machine a little by going through the first few session in Sewing School and then you will be all set to make one too.

Ciao for now, Zoe xx

Make A Circle Skirt // Buy Your Fabric

It's time to start the second of my 'step-by-step' beginner sewing projects. The first were these cushions but I know many would-be sewists would really prefer to make their own clothes than their own decor. This project is great for beginners because

1. It doesn't have a Zip or Buttons
2. It's very easy to wear
3. There are different options for what shape and length so you can adapt it to your own style
4. There is a handy 'circle skirt app' to work out how much fabric you need and how to cut it up

PLUS there are loads of stretchy fabrics out there that would work well for this skirt. This first step is instructions for which sort of fabrics will work well, and which will be easier to work with for beginners. Working with stretchy fabrics can be very easy but only if you buy the right kind of fabric. So without further ado let's see what you need to look for.

Knits
As I mentioned before when I wrote about fabrics there are two ways that a fabric can be stretchy. The first option is 'knitted' fabrics. These fabrics are formed with non-stretch threads that are then combined together in a way that makes the finished fabrics stretchy. This can be an excellent option for beginners because they tend not to be too stretchy. Look out for terms like 'double knit' if you want something thick and heavier or 'single knit' for something on the lighter side. They should be made from 100% cotton (or other non stretchy material). My skirt is made from a double knit. I have been able to wear it through the summer but it's warm enough for autumn and winter too when I wear it with tights.

Stretch
The other kind of stretch fabric is made from stretchy materials. They are usually made up from a combination of cotton and lycra (the brand name we commonly use for elastine or spandex). When starting out you will need to find something with a small percentage of lycra, 3-5%. This will give you enough stretch to pull the skirt up over your waist but small enough that it won't fall down again. Plus small stretch means its easier to sew with. Be careful though that you don't confuse the percentage of lycra with the 'stretch percentage'. The stretch percentage of a fabric is how much bigger it can be stretched to and then go back to its original size. Also try not to get something too thin as this also makes the sewing more difficult, not to mention you'd be able to see your knickers through your skirt, oo-la-la!

How Much
The only question left remaining is how much fabric to buy? You will need to decide on what kind of skirt you want to make, 1/4, half or full circle (my red one is a full circle) and what length you want it to be. Then when you have decided head over to the By Hand London Circle Skirt App and pop in your details. All you need to know is you waist measurement and then pick your options. They will tell you the radius of your waist (write this down for later) and the length of your skirt (write this down too). Then buy your fabric and when you have it home WASH IT!

I know there is no need to shout, but seriously wash it as soon as you get it. Stretch fabric is particularly prone to shrinking so you really must prewash it and the sooner you do it the sooner you'll be ready to start cutting and sewing.

Exciting stuff. Come back next week and we can sew it together (It's so quick you'll be done before yo know it). This is what you can expect:

1. Cut Your Fabric and Sew The Side Seams
2. Sew on a waistband and hem your skirt

Thats all there is too it. See you then. Zoe x

My First Ever Circle Skirt!

I am not exactly sure why I have never made one of these before. I love my new circle skirt. Well technically a half circle skirt. I just wanted another wardrobe staple and thought I would try out a new pattern with the plain blue fabric I had, it was a good choice. This was so easy to make and is equally easy to wear.

Even though I am pretty good at maths I was feeling lazy. I used this 'Circle Skirt App' to work out the dimensions for me and left all the thinking to someone else. Go have a look. The Lovely ladies at By Hand London have also included instruction for how to sew it together. There is little left for me to add except: what are you waiting for?

If you haven't started making your own clothes yet but you do know the basics of sewing then this is a pretty good project to start on. I am wearing mine today as part of my Me-Made-May challenge, its going well so far. It is so fun to spin in! Zoe xx

Self Drafted Spotty Pencil Skirt

After attempting to draft a pattern for a top I thought I would have a go at making myself a pencil skirt. This time I used a combination of a skirt I owned and my measurements to make sure it would be the right fit once I had finished. The results were much better. When I wore it out I was complemented on it and they didn't ask 'did you make it yourself?' which is a sure sign it looks good ;).

The skirt is already slightly crinkled because I had been wearing it all morning by the time I took the pictures. If I was a contestant on the Great British Sewing Bee I think the judges would be fairly happy though, the patterns line up really well at the side and back seems. At this stage my pattern drafting isn't quite up to writing a tutorial for it though so you will have to wait a little while before I share that. I would definitely make myself another pencil skirt though. Have you started making your own clothes yet? I love looking at what others have sewn together so please share if you have. Zoe xx

Spotty Picnic Blanket Skirt

I am totally hooked to making my own clothes already. I decided my second attempt should follow a real pattern so I went with Tilly and the Buttons (you may remember her from 'The Great British Sewing Bee') pattern for The Picnic Blanket Skirt. Her instructions are well thought out and make it really simple to put together.

The skirt is made up of 5 rectangles of material so it couldn't be more straight forward. I multiplied my measurements by 2.5 instead of Tilly's 2.1 to get a fuller skirt which makes it excellent for spinning around. If you have a look at Tilly's pattern, you'll know what I mean. I made mine out of a very lightweight cotton which means even the gathering was really easy on my skirt.

I was going to go with fabric covered buttons but I started the project with pink nail varnish on and it looked so cute with the grey I couldn't resist. I really recommend this as a first pattern to try out when making clothes, I think I will be making another one soon. Zoe xx