Tag: butterick

Sew Beautiful magazine

I bought my first copy of Sew Beautiful magazine today. It’s an American magazine, but you can order it in the UK from Magazine Café. I just happened to stumble across a copy in a newsagent that I don’t usually venture into, so that was a very lucky find!

I picked it up because the July/August issue has suffolk puffs (yo-yos) on the front, and they have instructions for making pretty embellishments with them, similar to my flower tutorial.

The magazine is primarily to do with heirloom sewing, so it places a lot of emphasis on hand sewing techniques. I was very pleasantly surprised to discover that it’s full of smocking! There was a beautiful traditional Christening gown, as well as some women’s blouses which were adapted from current commercial sewing patterns.

The majority of the designs are for babies and children, but that certainly doesn’t stop me from being inspired by them. When I was looking for pictures of little smocked dresses, I came across Moxie Fab World. I’d happily wear any of the dresses featured in Cath’s Easter Parade post, despite being at least thirty years “too old”.

I’m definitely feeling inclined to make a few more incarnations of Butterick 5317, perhaps starting with a spotty one…

Butterick B5317

Butterick B5317

I started making this dress last weekend, but I’ve been so busy at the Museum this week that I didn’t have time to finish it until today. It’s Butterick B5317, made in black organic cotton from Bishopston Trading.

The pattern is marked as “Fast & Easy”, and for the most part it was, but inserting a zipper into a side seam which also has a pocket seemed a little bit tricky! I’ve never done that before, so perhaps it’ll come out a bit more neatly next time.

I shortened the shoulder straps by about 2″ to make the empire seam sit in the right place, but the neckline was still a little bit too revealing for my personal liking. I’ve added a gathered broderie anglais trim to the inside of the neckline, which I really like the look of. I might need to run a little row of stitches through it though, to keep it from folding itself over.

I chose this pattern for the empire line and the pockets, and it’s definitely one that I’m going to make again in different fabrics. My only disappointment is that because of the width of the pleated skirt panels, it can’t be made using 44″ fabric. That’s a real shame, as I have some quilting cottons that would look lovely in this style! I might have to fiddle around with the pleats, and see whether I can take out a little bit of the fullness. Then it would be absolutely perfect!

A new summer dress?

I can’t even begin to count how many patterns I’ve bought in search of the Perfect Dress. Some of them I’ve made and then hardly worn; others are in the process of being cleared out on Ebay, completely unused.

Having recently discovered that an empire line dress is apparently the most flattering style for me to wear, I’ve been looking at this pattern – Butterick 5317. I was thinking that it looked like a nice smart, grown-up dress that I could wear to work with a little jacket. Maybe I could make it in a fine linen, or a swingy crepe.

And then I looked at my fabric stash, and wondered how it would look with a pretty cupcake print, or a selection of sugar skulls. Not so smart and grown-up, but much more fun!

Frantic Displacement Activity.

I’m almost there with the Christmas gift sewing! Just a few pieces to finish off by hand in front of the television, and then I’ll be done.

Oh, and one complete garment to make from scratch.

I’m not sure why, instead of making that garment, I decided to make a little something for myself. Call it frantic displacement activity.

Reindeer cowl jersey top

This draped top is half of Butterick 4920, another from my collection of patterns I’ve been hoarding for so long that they’ve been discontinued!

The pattern is actually for a tunic or dress, with an elasticated dropped waist. I didn’t have enough fabric to make the whole thing, so I simply left off the skirt part and just made the top.

The front and back are grey cotton lycra, which I’d previously coloured using Dylon Antique Grey washing machine dye. It was white, but there was a dirty mark which wouldn’t come out. Thankfully the dye has covered that nicely.

The sleeves and inside front are made from a very lightweight cotton jersey. I bought this cute little reindeer print several years ago, but couldn’t find just the right pattern for it. I was shuffling some fabrics around this afternoon, and just happened to drop these two in a pile together. Aha!

Grey jersey, grey reindeer, red overlocked hems to match their little noses. Perfect.

I’ll be wearing this on Christmas day, with a pair of floppy white trousers. Very festive!