Returning to Bettine

I've written before about my Bettine disappointment; I love pretty much every version I've ever seen apart from my own attempts. When I mentioned this to one of the lovely ladies at Tilly's stand in March, she asked if I'd perhaps made it in too large a size. I didn't think I had, but it stuck in my mind and I wondered if perhaps there was still a way that Bettine and I could be friends.

When we booked a last-minute trip to Tenerife in April I decided that it was now or never. I'd had this cotton lawn in my stash for months and decided that it was time to make a smaller version. This time I made a Tilly size 2 - the last having been a 4 because I decided I wanted it to be REALLY comfy, and really comfy means 2 sizes up, right?

Sigh.

Still need to buy a belt!!!

Needless to say, it's a lot better than my previous attempts. I actually like the fabric, it doesn't look like hospital scrubs, and it's about the right size. I'm obsessed with the pockets, though I'm still not overly keen on the neckline, particularly with this fabric which is way too busy for a necklace. I think I'll be making a chambray version in the near future, but any patterned versions will probably have a boat neck.

I'm going to replace the neck binding with a facing as some point, as it doesn't quite sit flat. Although loads of people seem to dislike the tulip shape of the skirt, I think it's pretty cute. That said, I do have the legs of a rugby player, so I will probably widen it around the hem next time, as I feel like it should be the ultimate comfy dress, and it's a little restrictive when I'm walking at the moment.

Anyway, I'm pleased to finally have a Bettine I can wear! I think this one will be good for barbecues once the sun comes back out.

Molly, Molly, Molly...

We've probably established by now that I'm kind of averse to buying any more patterns. I quite like hacking things I already have, and although I've only been sewing for a few months I've already lost patience with the whole PDF process, especially now that I'm back in work and sewing time is at a premium.

I had to make an exception, though, when I bought the Crafternoon edition of Mollie Makes and discovered that they'd included a free PDF of the Sew Over It Molly top. This is again quite a popular pattern that I'd resisted buying mainly because it's only available as part of a £20 ebook (My City Break), and I wasn't hugely keen on any of the other patterns. As I now had a free copy, it'd just be rude not to make one, right?

I've noted from a few people's Mollies that I only really like the top in stripes. I already have Tilly's Coco and Agnes patterns, which seem to be a better fit, however the way the stripes join around the shoulders is COOL. I decided to buy SOI's peaches and cream fabric to make the Molly. I also decided I could make it out of 1m...

Alas, sometimes my laziness and penny-pinching come back to bite me. First off the sleeves are too short (and I already have pretty short arms), because in spite of my wasted youth as a Tetris addict, there really wasn't any way that I was going to get this out of a metre. Secondly, I obviously didn't pre-wash the fabric, so while the sleeves were the only thing not-quite-right when I first wore this, it's now just too small. I've got away without pre-washing so many times now that I'd gotten really complacent, but I've really paid for it this time :( Looking at the photos it doesn't actually look that bad, so it might just be that I'm used to sleeves being really long on me. I did try stretching it out after its last wash, so maybe that helped a little - it's still not ideal, though.


I was actually a bit disappointed with the fabric when it first arrived, as I'd just been expecting something a bit softer, and it had a strange sort of sheen to it. The colour's not what I expected either, and changes a lot depending on the light - my partner actually referred to it as yellow at one point. It actually turned out to be really comfortable to wear, but then it really did shrink a lot in the wash. I know that's my fault, but I think my expectations of SOI might have been a bit high just because they come so highly recommended.

I'll make this again, just as soon as I find some striped fabric that I'm head-over-heels with. Aside from ordering more fabric and pre-washing it, I'll also top-stitch the shoulder and armhole-sleeve seams before I sew the side seams, as they're really conspicuous, and having them flop around under there really annoyed me on the couple of occasions that I did wear it.

I do really like the pattern, and it was quite a speedy make, so in spite of this make being a bit of a disaster, the Molly top probably be my go-to stripy top pattern in the future.

Hacking the Ultimate Shift Top

I don't know about you, but I always struggle to find comfortable things to wear in the heat. I'm from Scotland, and it was pretty rare to need anything lighter than my default breton top when I lived there.

In Dorset, on the other hand, there are a good few weeks of the year where that's too warm. I'd go for a t-shirt which could still feel a bit heavy, but was at least more hard-wearing and comfortable than the nasty polyester tops I'd bought before I started paying attention to fabrics.

As this is my first summer of sewing, I've spent a lot of time looking at suitable patterns and admiring everyone's makes on Instagram. I finally decided that the ultimate summer top for me would be something along the lines of a Grainline Scout tee. It might just be my familial frugality, but I'm already a little ashamed by how many patterns I have (around 15-20, mostly from charity shops and magazines), so despite the Scout tee being a well-loved pattern, I decided to draft one based on a pattern I already own.

I don't think Sew Over It's Ultimate Shift Dress/Top needs any real introduction - it's a lovely simple make (which I've nonetheless managed to make a pig's ear out of more than once) with a few different sleeve length options.

I cut around the neck and armholes, but continued the armholes out beyond the pattern by about an extra 10mm each side for a looser fit. At this point I shifted the pattern up the fabric so I could skip the dart, then continued cutting. I did the same on the back, adding 10mm to each side, and on the sleeves, too, so everything would match up.

One of the things I really dislike about my original Ultimate shift top is the hook and eye fastening, so I decided to widen the neck. To do this I removed the pattern piece and measured an inch along the shoulder seams on the front and back pieces, then I just cut the fabric freehand from there to the fold. At this point I also cut the neck facings using my pieces as a template.

From there the construction was the same as the shift top itself, minus the darts. I added french seams along the shoulders and user an overlocker-like stitch down the side seams. I finished the cuffs by folding and pressing twice before sewing the side seams. I kept it long until try-on stage and then took up the hem by a few inches. Loose-fitting tops normally make me feel quite frumpy and scruffy, but I think the length of this makes it a bit more interesting.

I promise I don't feel quite as smug as I look.

And here it is! The fabric is viscose from Fabric Land that I think cost £3.99/m a few months back. It's quite shifty but lovely and light, and I think it even appeared on the cover of the first ever issue of Suzy magazine!

I put this top on as soon as it was finished and wore it round the house for the rest of the day with a pair of old Gap shorts. This is a good few inches shorter than any of my other tops, so I'm not used to my waistband being seen - I love the length, but definitely need to make or buy a nice belt now!

Bell's Palsy Survival Guide

This page will detail all the practical stuff that's got me through the days (and nights) over the few months that I've had Bell's Palsy. I hope you find it useful!

Look after your eyes
First off, if and when you go to the doctor* they are likely to give you some eye drops. I believe carbomer eye drops are used as they're more of a gel than regular eye drops, so they keep your eyes moist for longer. I have used both single- and multi-use/tube packages of eye drops, and I personally found the multi-use ones more comfortable, while the single-use ones seemed to irritate my eyes. Don't be afraid to ask for another type of eye drop if yours don't agree with you.

Tape your eyes shut at night
I've used both microporous and surgical tape on my eyes; microporous tape feels a lot like masking tape, while surgical tape is more plastic-y. You can buy varying widths of microporous tape in Boots, but the clear, perforated surgical tape will rip neatly to whatever width you like. Whichever one you use...

• TAKE SOME OF THE TACK OFF THE TAPE by sticking it to the back of your hand and peeling it off a few times. Pulling your eyelashes out in the morning, or at any other time, is really not fun.
• These days I use every bit of functional muscle in my cheek to squeeze my eye closed as far as it will go, then I use a finger to close the inner part that still doesn't work. In the other hand I take a (de-tacked) wide piece of microporous tape, and place this over my eye. Early on, I used to use a few thin strips of tape and criss cross them over the eye - this was a bit of a faff, but more successful than my attempts to get everything in place at once when I had less movement.
• With both my eyes closed I fold a cotton wool pad in half and quickly tape it in place to apply some pressure to the upper eyelid. I find this to be a really comfortable way of keeping my eye closed, as the sensation of just the tape pulling on the skin can be a bit unpleasant.
• Finally, I put on an eye mask. This applies a tiny bit of extra pressure, which is nice, but is mainly useful to cover the tape and to stop it sticking to the pillow.

Fake specs
If you are not already a wearer of glasses then you may find, as I did, that it's really painful to walk outside because that blinking thing, that you used to be SO good at, just isn't happening any more. My local optician was unable to supply me any glasses without a prescription, £50 and a long wait, whereas Claire's accessories sell these bad boys over the counter for £5. Funky, no? In all seriousness, I feel a bit silly in them, but they've made my life a lot easier over the last few months. They do come without flowers on, if you like that sort of thing.

Drinking straws
I'm a coffee addict, and it was distressing to find more of it running down my chin than my throat. I did not take up people on their offers of "sippy cups", and instead opted to carry around my own personal supply of drinking straws at all times.

I hope this has provided one or two ideas if you're struggling with the practicalities of BP; this is the post I'd have liked to read in January.

If you'd like someone to talk to about the face situation, let me know. Otherwise, I wish you a speedy recovery!

* You really should go to the doctor when half your face is paralysed, even if you're worried, as I was, about being a time-waster.

ALL THE FABRIC

The Knitting and Stitching Show
The biggest sewing-related news we need to catch up on is that I visited the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show at London Olympia. I had a lovely time, and actually managed to be fairly restrained with my purchases!

Cottons from Montreux and Simply Fabrics

I'm not sure how long you need to have been sewing before you can start talking about habits or traditions, but the two fabrics above sum up what happens when I let myself buy whatever I fancy, without really engaging my brain - I am drawn to busy, floral prints, and I suppose I have it in my head that I'm more suited to muted colours. They were pretty cheap, but as soon as I got home they stopped looking like adorable summer top materials and started looking like old-fashioned duvet covers. The second one in particular is just set in my mind as being a pillowcase, so as yet I have no idea what I'm doing with either of them. I came back and bought the blue one after spotting it in the morning, though, so I would have regretted leaving it behind. Any ideas, folks???

      

From left to right these are from Sew Over It (not on their online store - 

I paid £12 for 1m of this but it's here for £9.50), and Sewbox

The next two are equally busy, but more practical, if that's a word you can use for crepe de chine. The first was from Sew Over It, and as I was paying Lisa I noticed she was wearing a top she'd made from it, and looked lovely in it, which was reassuring! The second is my long awaited first piece of Liberty fabric - this is the lightest needlecord, and I'm planning a skirt with it, but I need to do a toile first.

While I was there I went along to Gabby from Gabberdashery's first ever meet up, which was really lovely. We sat and knitted and ate Gabby's brownies, and I recognised so many vloggers but didn't have a clue what to say to all of them, since I knew who they were, which made me feel a bit creepy! So, belated hellos to Pigeon Wishes and Kittenish Behaviour: *waves*

My final purchase was some embroidery thread, which I hadn't intended on buying, but they looked lovely and seemed like really good value. Unfortunately sewing with it was another matter altogether, and I was really disappointed when I found the thread splitting and knotting worse than anything I've ever used before. Thankfully I didn't spend too much on it, and I've been doing just find with some old threads in my stash, mixed up with some 40p ones from lovely So 'n' sews. I've been using this embroidery cheatsheet from Mollie Makes website to learn stitches and I'd recommend it if you're looking for a place to start. I wrote out this little sheet to practise, as I haven't tried embroidery since I was about 8 and my mum taught me a french knot. I'd like to add some details to my Anna dress (yet another post on its way) once I'm a bit better at it.


Finally, I carried it all home in this excellent, free, cat toy!

I was a little bit disappointed not to find the fabrics that I was really looking for, in particular I really wanted to see some Atelier Brunette French Terry, because it's just the sort of price where I wouldn't feel comfortable buying it without seeing it. I also didn't manage to see any double gauze, either, but all things in good time.

While we're here, I have a few other fabrics that I haven't posted, so let's continue! First up is a red floral fabric that I'm going to call a crepe de chine from Steve Bane in Dorchester. This was a remnant hung up all on its own that I'm going to make into a blouse, once I find the right pattern. In the middle is a lovely jersey from Fabric Land that I ordered online for £3.99/m, and the one on the right is a cotton that also came from Fabric Land, but I bought it in store about a month ago. I've already made garments from the last two - which I promise I'll post about eventually - but still have quite a bit of each left.

 

Finally to my local fabric shop So 'n' sew's. The first one I want to call a ponte roma, but honestly I'm unsure of the composition - it's a pretty stable jersey and I think it was just under £12/m. It has very faint stripes, though I'm not sure I'd call it a marl either. I've already made a skirt from this but it's honestly so simple and plain that I'm not sure it deserves a post, even if I did wear it to the Knitting and Stitching Show!

The second is a gorgeous turquoise batik that also came from So 'n' sew's. I planned a blouse with it back when I had even less understanding of drape than I do now, but at the moment it's living as a skirt in my imagination. I have enough to make either a sleeveless top and short skirt (probably not to be worn together!), or a maxi, and I can't quite decide. I do like maxi skirts, but rarely wear them, and I guess I need to figure out whether this is just because I don't have a beautiful handmade turquoise one yet... Hmm!

Last up I can best describe as a compromise fabric, when I almost splashed out £22/m on a cotton lawn and went for this £12/m one instead. Naturally I now do not have a single clue what do do with it. I definitely want to make some camisoles (again I'm waiting to find the right pattern), so maybe this would be good for one of them. I think I bought 2 or 2.5m, so maybe I could get some sort of kimono, or summery cover up out of it too? Both are projects I'd like to try and draft myself, so by the time I've toiled they might just be ready for me to wear this summer.

Still on the hunt for...
I'm really feeling the need to invest in some decent, plain jersey material now, but my local shop doesn't have what I'm looking for (or at least it's too well hidden - it is a bit of an Aladdin's Cave!). I'm considering some lovely marls from Guthrie & Ghani, if only they had some slightly darker shades. The mauve and green ones below are pretty lush. I'd like to make a raglan top made up of a patterned and a plain fabric, but I've yet to find the perfect pairing. Likewise a stripy Coco top with a turquoise yoke - every time I come close to buying online I start to have crippling doubts and decide to save it for later.

Smokey green and mauve marl jerseys from Guthrie & Ghani

I have so many breton tops already, but they're mostly RTW, and I tend to wear the same 2 over and over again, so it is probably time for a clear out. I'd love some pink and white striped jersey, but I'm not sure if it's incredibly fussy of me to say that all the nice ones I've seen so far have much wider stripes than I would like? The best ones I've seen have high cotton content and are quite pricey, so I feel like it's reasonable to wait it out until I find something I really like. Then again, if I can't find "nice stripes" at the knitting and stitching show, then I may be waiting for something that doesn't exist...

Anyway, I'm also on the lookout for some heavier weight material for shorts and skirts over the summer. I'd like a heavy-ish navy cotton that will last as well as my Weird Fish shorts have (I've lived in them pretty much every weekend between April and October for a couple of years now!). I'd like to make a short-ish skirt from it, and my thinking is that I'll be able to switch out the shorts for the skirt and look a little bit smarter without changing the whole ensemble. One day I'll post a picture of me in said ensemble, and you can all tell me if that's an appropriate word for my summer look - I suspect it is a somewhat grandiose term for "shorts and t-shirt".

We've covered fabrics that I have, and fabrics that I need for projects, but have barely touched on all the fabrics that I'm lusting after, but can't justify without a project in mind. That list could go on some while, so I may have to compile a Pinterest board instead and lead you all over there instead.

If you have any suggestions of patterns or fabrics then do let me know - they would be very much appreciated!

xx

TL;DR (None of the sewing, all of the moaning)

Health matters have not improved a great deal, but I have returned to work and it is eating up the vast majority of my energy. I am on the mend, but it is a really slow process. I have only just noticed that it's been a full month since I actually published, which doesn't feel right as I've written at least five.

This has happened because I set myself a goal of taking some good photos to go along with all my posts, but this has become a reason not to post things, rather than the useful motivation to get my camera out that I hoped it would be. The truth is that while I enjoy writing, and I love making things, photography comes more naturally to me when I'm outside exploring, or with a cat, rather than in a poorly-lit room trying to make my handmade things look good laid out lain on a cheap laminate floor (which makes everything look heartbreakingly awful), because I just don't want to be in photos right now.

Please accept this picture of my cat looking faintly suspicious, in
the absence of sewing-related photos. 

In short, while I really want to make my posts look good - I know it's a lot nicer to read posts with pretty pictures than without - I'm going to give myself a break. If you decide to read along then accept my apologies and believe me that I am working on prettying up my corner of the Internet exactly as much as I can.

I promise the next post will be a lot more sewing heavy :)

My Anna Toile

I bought the By Hand London Anna pattern quite a while ago, after falling in love with so many versions that I'd seen on Pinterest. I think I've been putting off making it because I knew I should really do a toile first, and because I haven't really seen the perfect fabric for it. As I'm off to the Knitting and Stitching show next week, I figured I may as well have a shot at the toile before the trip, because if I can't find the right fabric there, then I never will.

I'm still ill at the moment, so just the toile-making took over a week. The PDF construction was predictably tedious, though no easier or harder than it was with any other patterns that I've tried. When it came to cutting out the fabric I had no end of fun with my Pilot Frixion pens, which make marking notches, pleats and darts an absolute dream, but I fell at the last hurdle, and I was just too tired to finish the cutting in one go.

Finally, on Sunday, I got round to constructing the bodice - please excuse the picture quality. To be honest it's a good job it wasn't too bright, as the fabric I'm using for toiles at the moment is from some £2.50 charity shop duvet covers, and it's not exactly opaque.

I was really pleased with the fit of the bodice - in that photo it's held together with safety pins at the back and on my right, so I could try it on easily, and I haven't finished the armholes or neckline. I really like the pleats at the front. The sleeves are quite generous on me as I have quite narrow shoulders, but I'm happy with this as I don't really like showing my upper arms. The neckline is simple and fairly straight - just how I like it!

Once I'd got past that first bit of construction, it was easy enough to make up the skirt and add it on. I thought the skirt would be a bit of a faff to put together as it's made up of 7 parts, but actually it's just a load of straight lines, and it's easy peasy if you have your pieces properly labelled. 

This time the back is done up with safety pins. 

I am super happy with the fit of this dress. I consulted the measurements before I started and I was closest to the 12, so I made that and sort of expected it to be a little large, but I think it's pretty perfect - I guess I have finally started to fatten up a bit after a few months off the bike, with 24/7 access to Nutella...

Anyway. the pattern's gorgeous, and I think it'll sew up quite quickly. The neckline and armholes are both finished quite early on in the pattern instructions which looks like it'll be easier than methods I've used in the past. Now that I know how lovely it is, I might make it from some of my stash fabric, because I don't want to wait until next week!