sleeveless jacket

What are your thoughts on the sleeveless jacket trend? Sure it looks stylish, but if it’s freezing outside, wouldn’t your arms get cold? I’m not convinced that it’s a sensible option for the middle of winter, but I’m all for the sleeveless jacket in-between seasons!

My friend Nicole came over for dinner a few months ago, wearing her new sleeveless jacket. I (rather unceremoniously) stripped it off her, and got to copying the pattern. The original was made from 100% wool, but I wanted to try it out on something a little lighter.

I bought some really beautiful Ponti from Knitwit Australia and got to making. This Ponti is an absolute dream to work with! Cuts beautifully and sews up really well. I used a stretch needle and didn’t get any of those annoying skipped stitches.

I made my jacket using 2 colours, light grey on the front (which is no longer being stocked), and charcoal for the back.

This was actually in my line up of items to make during MMMay2016, but I’m pretty sure I finished it in June.

I really love my new sleeveless jacket! It’s perfect to throw on if it’s a little chilly outside. I also love the fact that I didn’t have to do any hemming, as the cut edge won’t fray!

And.. is it a jacket, or a vest? My husband calls it a Mu-Mu, which it 100% is not!

Mitty x

cult hit: white russian

Whoa. Where did the time go? Is it really June already? It’s safe to say that I failed MeMadeMay2016 in regards to blogging about it, and sewing a new item each week (what was I thinking?!), however, I did manage to wear 2 me-made items for the weeks of May. Let’s chalk MMMay2016 up as 45/100, so much room for improvement!

I did actually get one “make” finished during May, and have finally taken a few photos of it. I made the Capital Chic White Russian! The weather in May was actually too warm to wear it (Global warming, I’m telling you!), but now that it’s finally started to cool down, I’ve been able to throw it on a few times.

First, the fabric. I went to The Remnant Warehouse in Alexandria searching for a lovely fleece-backed fabric. They have a few styles of fleece, but I was really drawn to this beautiful navy. Another plus, is that it is 100% organic cotton! YES! I love fabric that can breath during the winter, but also keep you toasty warm! Be on notice, however, like all other fleece fabrics, navy blue fuzz was everywhere after cutting. I used a sticky roller to pick most of it up, but I’m still finding small pockets of fuzz in my sewing room…

The pattern is simple and easy to follow, however I did grade the seam allowances from 1.5cm down to 1cm. Everything else was put together as instructed. I spent a few hours sewing a subtle diamond pattern onto the front and back pieces. It doesn’t stand out as much as I thought it would, but I like the slight change in texture.

I’m very happy with my new jumper, it will certainly get a lot of wear over winter. The fabric washes really well (no extra shedding after it’s initial wash), but it does need a quick press with a warm iron before wearing.

Have you made the White Russian, or any other Capital Chic patterns? I’d love to hear your success stories!

Mitty x

boobytraps workshop

For all the time I’ve been sewing my own clothing, never did it cross my mind that I could make my own bra. When it finally did cross my mind, there were a few things holding me back.

1. Far too complicated, with under-wires etc
2. Too fiddly, it looks like so many different, small bits..
3. I don’t even know where to start with sewing elastic!

I did what any normal person would do, I started researching. What I found was much different to what I expected. There is an entire online bra-making community! Everyone is so lovely and informative! I’ll link some of my favourite blogs at the end of this post.

During my research, I started looking for suppliers of bra bits. There are heaps of online stores, but what I really wanted to find was somewhere I could go and actually look and touch the laces for myself. That’s when I found Boobytraps.

Boobytraps are primarily an online store, however they do open to the public on Thursdays and some Saturdays. They have an amazing range of laces, elastics, and patterns. I was so excited to see that they also hold bra-making workshops! I signed up straight away!

I chose to make an under-wired, soft cup bra. All of my RTW (ready to wear) bras are the padded, molded cup variety, I was really interested to see if I’d find a soft cup comfortable.

This is my finished bra! Was it difficult? Not really. Was it fiddly? Hm, a little bit, but not enough to turn me off making more! Is it comfortable? Absolutely!

Under the guidance of our teacher, Lynn, we learnt the importance of lining a bra (none of my RTW bra’s are lined..), how to fully encase the seams to eliminate the itch-factor, how to insert under-wire casing, how to sew elastic properly… the list goes on! The workshop was totally worth the cost for the tips I learnt alone, not to mention the fact I walked away with my very first me-made bra!

 I decided to go with a light coloured kit, so I could really see what I was doing. The kit came with everything I needed to make the bra, including these gorgeous detailed elastic straps! So pretty!

I highly recommend these classes, but you do need to have a bit of stretch-sewing experience. I also took along my own sewing machine, stretch needles, silk pins, scissors and measuring tape.

Now to my favourite bra & lingerie blogs!

• Visit Maddy at Madalynne for some truly ethereal, lovely lingerie inspiration/tutorials.
• Erin at The Emerald Studio is incredibly talented! She even delves into the finer details of bra making, which I can’t get enough of.
• Amy from Cloth Habit is the designer behind the Watson Bra pattern, which has a cult following. It’s a gorgeous little pattern, which you can purchase online.

I think I’m addicted to bra making. I’m OK with that!

Mitty x

the gift of fabric

I love thoughtful gifts, both giving and receiving them. My gorgeous friend, Nicole, gave me a very thoughtful Christmas gift, a lovely piece of fabric, and I instantly knew what I was going to make from it.

This is a fairly thick cotton, and I’m 100% certain that it was a curtain at some stage. Seeing as I wasn’t sure where it came from, or how colour-fast the print was, I popped it in the wash. It came out looking just as lovely as when it went in! I’m so glad the colours didn’t run.

The print is amazing, it’s so retro, and I just love it. I wanted to get one of those big flowers on the front of the dress, so that took priority while placing my pattern pieces.

I’m using a self-drafted pattern, which is a basic shift style dress, with short sleeves, and minimal shaping (being bust darts). I’m also using a facing for a clean neck line.

The dress came together very easily, finished in one afternoon! I don’t mind the slightly doubled-up pattern on the back, it was a necessity for getting that large flower on the front.

I’m very pleased with my new dress, and can guarantee that it will get a lot of wear. I’ll even be able to get away with it in cooler months, with tights and boots!

Thanks to Nicole, for such a thoughtful gift!

Mitty x