tops – Page 8 – eternal magpie

Seventies Style, and Size Charts.

I think this one might even be my favourite tunic so far.

It’s made from a brand spanking new thirty-five year old bed sheet. Check out the fabulous 1970s print!

In the interests of encouraging you all to buy a lovely tunic dress or top… I’ve now put together a size chart. It runs from UK size 2 (bust 29½”) to UK size 30 (bust 54″). If you fall outside of that range, fear not! I can still make a dress or top for you. All I need to know are your bust and hip measurements, and I can draw up a pattern in your size.

It Has Begun.

The first tunic dress is now up for sale on Etsy.

All I need to do now is make more. Lots more.

Taking over with Tunics.

It occurred to me that it would probably help me in my plan to take over the world, if I told you how I was hoping to get there.

This is how:

I’ve been working on various incarnations of this pretty little tunic dress and top over the past couple of years, and I have great plans for their future. But that can only happen if I tell you how you can buy them – so that’s what I’m doing now.

I can make these in just about any fabric you can think of. Pictured above are knits and wovens, patterns and plain, recycled curtains and bed linen, brand new fabrics and an old t-shirt.

Because I sew each tunic by hand, I can make them in any size you need. Just send me a couple of simple measurements, and I’ll send you a dress which will fit.

All the information you need is here.

Know somebody who you think might like one of these?
Please feel free to pass on the details.

Thank you!

Chloe’s psychedelic jacket – finished.

From a huge roll of fabric, via a PhotoShop drawing, to a finished jacket!

The most difficult part was sourcing a truly enormous orange button. I bought this one on Etsy, from TheKitschEnd.

The jacket’s now in the post – hopefully Chloe will send some photos of the jacket in action, when it arrives!

Skulls & Roses waistcoat.

This is what I’ve been up to today – making a skulls & roses waistcoat.

The fabric is by Alexander Henry, the print is “The Rose Tattoo”.
The waistcoat itself is from an old “Style” (now Simplicity/New Look) pattern, from 1995. I think it’s one of the first patterns I bought when I started sewing.

I particularly like the sweetheart neckline, and I think this would look equally good worn on its own as it would over a smart shirt.

I used the fabric that was left over from a skirt that I made last year. That’s why there’s a seam down the centre back – I didn’t have a large enough piece of fabric to cut the panel on a fold.

The lacing at the back gives the waistcoat a nice fit and makes it very comfortable to wear.

The only thing that’s missing now is the buttons. Despite my enormous button collection, I couldn’t find a set of ten that matched. Typical!

Dennis the Menace dress…

I made this for Dott, the proud owner of a matching corset!

It’s made from a vintage duvet cover, except for the stripy bits which are new.

I have a moderately-sized stash of vintage children’s duvet covers and curtains, so I’ll be making a few more of these.

Drafting a new blouse.

Yesterday I drafted a pattern for a blouse, and made the toile on the left. The dressform is wearing my necklace so I can check that I’m putting the top button in the right place to show it off.

Today I worked out the pattern pieces for the facings, and made the blouse on the right. Apparently I was having a little difficulty with spatial awareness when I cut the pieces out, because I’ve ended up with the buttons on the wrong side. Oops…

I’m not entirely sure about the buttons on the collar, but in this case they serve a practical purpose. The interfacing I had available was a bit on the heavy side, so the collar sticks up more than I’d like. The buttons will serve to fix it in place, whilst looking decorative at the same time.

My next step is to draft a skirt pattern, and then it’ll be a dress!

My Little Pony dress…

No, not a dress for a My Little Pony, a dress with My Little Ponies on it!

I’ve made various incarnations of a simple raglan tunic over the past couple of years. I’ve added a matching belt to this one, and a pleating detail at the shoulders and centre front.

Look out for more of the same coming soon…

Sugar and Spice

I made this little dress from a pair of curtains that Lisa (Off With Her Head) found in a charity shop!

The fabric is 100% cotton from John Lewis, and the print is called “Sugar and Spice”.
The background is a trellis with flowers weaving all over it, and there are little girls in aprons and caps.

Adorable!

This is what I’ve been up to:

I hope this doesn’t spoil a surprise for anybody whose gift hasn’t arrived in the post yet, but this is why I’ve been a little bit busy and stressed out over the past few weeks.

There’s only one item missing from the photo call, and that’s a hat that I knitted for Paul, mostly in the middle of the night. I ended up resorting to knitting it inside a carrier bag, when he arrived home earlier than I’d expected from his work leaving do! (Thankfully he was slightly drunk and far too tired to wonder what on earth I was doing.)

Most of these are gifts that I gave, but a few were things that I made to be given as gifts by other people.

Oh, and I did finish Bryan’s second sock, but I forgot to take a picture of the pair before I wrapped them up!