This might be interesting for all the London-based peeps!
I popped into the Anthropologie store on King’s Road (SW3) today and what did I find in the sale section? My heart skipped a beat as I found myself standing in front of a pile of By Hand London patterns. I didn’t even know they were selling these at Anthropologie. Anyway, you can get them there for 50% off at the moment (Ā£Ā 5.95)!
I’m probably the last person on earth that did not yet have any of their amazing patterns. (I love independent patterns, but sadly, they’re beyond my budget.) Well, now I’m the proud owner of an Elisalex and Victoria pattern. In case you’re missing one of the By Hand London patterns and want to save some money, go there – they had loads of Elisalex, Victoria and Anna left.
By the way, -tadalalam!- I made a little happy dance yesterday seeing that I got featured on Burdastyle.com. Do you recognise my make? Check it out here!
I got a pile of 80s & 90s knitting magazines from Mr Thisblogisnotforyou’s grandma last year and thought I might share some of the gems I found in there with you guys.Ā That time when magazines were named after woman’s names… “Diana”, “Ingrid”, “Constanze” and “Anna”, hehe!
I was actually surprised to find quite a few sweaters that would still (or rather, again) be considered as ‘pretty cool’ today. I would love to wear these:
This little number is also quite cute. Love the white sweater dress and the blazer. Not quite so sure about the shoulder pads and matching hat, though.
Well, and then I found these….
Black is sexy. Yes. But a knitted top with contrasting bow for the little black dress look? Very sexy, indeed!
Send in the clowns! Are they wearing hoodies in the front? Are these bibs? Can someone please explain this to me?
Hot!
… 2 in 1 rouge and lipstick? Ā Matching the sweater, of course! šĀ (Why is she wearing it on her forehead?)
Hair glitter! I had hair mascara in different colours (eg. green!) when I was little. But what is this? Glitter hair tattoos?
Yes. I can’t believe it myself. Seems that I’m quite successfull with ticking off things from my resolutions list (so far). The sewing machine cover wasn’t officially on the list, but on one of the projects lists I have had in my head for months.
I had last Friday off (yay!) and was looking for a project that a) was neccessary, b) would be done in less than a day (no tracing of Burda patterns!), c) I could make from fabric scraps and fabric from my stash. After the cape, this is now my second project in the new year using fabric from my way too big stash.
It’s a super easy and fun project, perfect for beginners, I think. I will upload a full tutorial on how to make your own sewing machine cover in the next days! So keep your eyes peeled!
Ooops. How did that happen? Does she know this looks a bit…a lot...like a fairytale costume?
Yes, she does!
Sewing a hooded cape using a bright red knit fabric, I was aware of that. And I love it. Not only do I love fairytales, I also think that the cape looks chic enough to be actually worn, not only on costume parties. (I hate these by the way. Except for when they’re Star Wars or Burlesque themed.)
How did it happen?
Well, I’ve been wanting to sew a cape for ages (A proper cape, though. One you wear instead of a coat). But I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish it this season. And I’m Stash Dieting, as you know.
I bought this red knit fabric about a year ago (Yes, I’m a hoarder). I wanted to make a cardigan originally, but when draping the fabric over my dressform the other day, the drape looked like a hood and I immediately wanted to make a hooded cape. I started looking for inspiration and then made these sketches:
Pretty close, eh?
No, no magic happened between making these sketches and the finished garment.
What actually happend was hours of research and drafting.
If there was some magic involved, then it came from this book, which is awesome btw.
Patternmaking for Fashion Design – Helen Josph Armstrong
Following the step-by-step instructions, I drafted a cape pattern and a pattern for a loose hood. (This book is wonderful, but veery expensive. It’s worth it though. It also helped me immensely when drafting the bridesmaid dress.)
Drafting the cape, based on a standard Burda bodice pattern.
Drafted hood pattern – really no magic involved. Just a lot of measuring, drawing and patience.
I was afraid that my 2m of knit fabric wouldn’t be enough, but in the end I even had some left. Whoop, whoop!
After cutting out, I sewed all the darts. Then sewed the hood and cape together. Then I cut out a 13cm wide rectangle of the leftover fabric and sewed it on the right center front (right sides together) like so:
Patience, young padawan. It will (hopefully) make sense in a minute.
Folding this strip over, I sewed it onto the left center front of the cape (left sides together!!) like so:
I ended up having this:Ā
I folded it over, so both center front parts overlap and the corners of the hood meet at the center.
I decided to skip making real buttonholes (after making sure I could fit the cape over my head) and sewed on 10 buttons which also secure the flap and help it stay in place.
I spent most of my sewing-time hemming the cape and hood by hand. Yes, it’s masochistic, but it looks so much better!
And garment #18 of my challenge was done! (Less than 10 left – happy dance!)
As I said, there was no magic involved but there was a unicorn. A grumpy unicorn:
I’m really happy with this make, especially since I’m quite proud that the final result looks so much like what I had in mind.
Although the drafting process was quite tricky and took most of the time, the sewing was super quick. A handful of straight seams and a few darts. Super easy! Should I ever be bored and have loads of time left (haha!), I might even manage to upload the pattern for you guys. Let me know what you think!
In the meantime, may the unicorn be with you! Peace out.
In case you’re looking for a cute DIY idea for your loved one – here’s one! I enjoyed making this one last year and Mr Thisblogisnotforyou loved it!
However, if you’re not a big fan of Valentine’s Day, this article might be for you.
Last but not least – for all of you waiting for some more sewing-related posts, be reassured they’re on the way. I had quite a few days off lately and did A LOT of sewing. However, nothing is finished yet since I started several projects instead of finishing the first one. Ooops.
Soo…there will be a cape, one or more dresses, maybe a finished project I started over a year ago and …. yes? MENSWEAR! Yes. Menswear. If I finish to fit that %&$$Ā§%/$ pattern properly. Something is wrong with Mr Thisblogisnotforyou’s arms. That much I can tell you.
This might be interesting for all the London-based peeps!
This little number is also quite cute. Love the white sweater dress and the blazer. Not quite so sure about the shoulder pads and matching hat, though.
And garment 
Hi everyone!
