Lottie Blouse for Grandma

Lottie Blouse by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse by thisblogisnotforyou.com

I’ve done it again! I thought I wouldn’t but then it happened. I made another Lottie Blouse. Gosh, you must think I’m super boring. To my defense, it’s just such a simple and quick sewing project. And, this time it wasn’t for me. I made this blouse for my grandmother.

I never made her anything before (makes for family and friends happen, but very rarely) and I think she likes it! I made another version of the button up, which is the hack I created for Love Sewing Magazine. Lottie Blouse by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Because the pattern is so simple and easy to fit, I really enjoy taking time to get the details right. The construction involves a tiny bit of handsewing and also the button placket needs a bit of attention if you want it to look flawless.

The fabric is a gorgeous cotton lawn, gifted to me by Daniela. I really love it, although I usually don’t wear a lot of yellow. I also would’ve loved to keep this fabric to myself for an Anderson Blouse, but this was the fabric most fitting for my grandma, as she likes flowers and a warm yellow. I’m happy I sacrificed it, the blouse looks fab and I can’t wait to see her wear it. Although I don’t sew a lot for others, it’s always super satisfying to see someone else wear something you made, right?

The buttons are vintage, funnily enough I got them from my grandma a little while ago. So I’ve given them back to her with a blouse attached. Payback time!Lottie Blouse by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse by thisblogisnotforyou.com

I won’t answer the “Will I make it again?” question, because I can’t promise I won’t. I have plenty of Lotties for now, but who knows. I think this might be the 8th Lottie I made. Wow.

Do you have a sewing pattern which you use all the time?

xx

Charlie


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Lottie Blouse Hack and Mini Pencil skirt

Lottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Lottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com

A PERFECT MATCH

Guess what? I’ve done it again (sorry, if you’re getting really bored by now)! I made YET ANOTHER Lottie Blouse version and my third Sew Over It classic pencil skirt so far. If you’re already screaming in your head, you should probably unfollow me, because one thing I can promise you: There will probably be more.

For this Lottie Blouse I didn’t alter the pattern much, but added a button placket. (If you want to learn how to do this, you can read the full tutorial in Love Sewing Magazine, Issue 18, pages 46-48, which is in stores now.)

Lottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com

The Fabric:

The fabric is Verona Peachskin in emerald (£10pm, www.fabricgodmother.co.uk) and was gifted to me for this particular project by Love Sewing Mag (all opinions are my own!). It’s got a lovely feel and drape to it, although it wasn’t as drapey as I thought it would be in the end. I’ve made all my other Lottie blouses from fabrics with very similar qualities, so I knew what to expect.

I won’t say much about the fit, you’ll find this information in the other Lottie posts (find them in the project gallery). In my last Lottie post, I noticed how the blouse was a bit too tight in the bust area after omitting the keyhole. Last time, I added a few extra cm at the centre front. This time I simply cut out the blouse one size larger than my usual size.

It fits much better around the bust and I have no problem with a gaping button placket or anything, but it’s a bit too wide at the shoulders (for my taste). The looser fit was great to wear during the really hot weeks this summer, though. Lottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com

I ‘ve matched the blouse with a me-made skirt. I used my go-to pencil skirt pattern (Sew Over It) which is my all-time favourite. I just cannot stop mentioning how flattering it is. I’m not a super confident person, but I always feel great when I wear my pencil skirts. That’s just a fact.

This time I made a mini version which hits above the knee. I simply shortened the pattern and omitted the kick-pleat.

The Fabric:

I bought the fabric during our Sew Brum meet-up in Birmingham last year. I can’t remember the name of the warehouse-like shop we went to (Barry something something? It’s called Barry’s Fabrics – Thanks, Charlotte!). It’s a jaquard jersey, a very stable knit, that I got for £5pm. I only got half a metre (no risk no fun!) and it was just enough to make this skirt.

It fits like a glove and is really comfy. It’s a bit short when I sit down, so I won’t be wearing it at work. I love that it’s black and white, because it goes really well with all my plain coloured tops.

Lottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Blouse Hack and Pencil Skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.comPhoto-bombing dog!IMG_4826

The combination pussy bow blouse & pencil skirt is my absolute favourite outfit at the moment. The mini skirt is great for going out and the knee-length one is perfect for work.

Oh, and for the very observant readers: Yes, I cut my hair! It was quite long before but really damaged from all the dyeing, so I decided to get a LOB (I just very recently learned that this is what you call a long bob). So far I’m really happy with it.

I’m moving to Munich next week and hope to set up my new sewing corner soon!

xx

Charlie


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Lottie Blouse hacked into a Dress with a Doggie Print

Lottie Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com

A DRESS & A DOG

Apparently, it was National Dog Day yesterday. Perfect timing to show off the Scottie Dog Dress I made a little while ago. Our little doggie was kind enough to star as my fashionable accessory. He actually looks a bit like the dogs on the fabric’s print. A cute dress paired with a cute dog – could I wish for more?

The Fabric:

I bought the fabric ages ago in Walthamstow, London. For those of you who know the area, it’s the last fabric shop on the left side of the road, when you walk down the market coming from Walthamstow Station. I don’t remember the name of the shop, but it’s near Saeed’s Fabrics. It’s a tiny shop with loads of cheap polyester, chiffon and jersey fabrics. It’s perfect if you’re looking for fun prints but don’t want to spend a lot of money.

I usually use these kinds of fabric for wearable muslins and experimental projects, where everything can go wrong (but it doesn’t have to!) and you want to use fabric you won’t cry for later. And it’s acutally cheaper than proper cotton muslin fabric!

The doggie print is a £1/m polyester fabric. It’s easy to cut and sew, but you have to be careful when pressing it. It melts (and darkens) easily. Press on a low temperature using a pressing cloth! It has quite a bit of stand and doesn’t drape too well as you can see around the waist line. It adds quite a bit of volume! I also bought the same fabric in black with tiny elephants, which I used for my first Lottie Blouse.

The white, slightly sheer fabric is also a polyester which I bought on Goldhawk Road, London. I used this fabric before, for my first Lottie hack.

Lottie Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Lottie Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.comThe Pattern:

The pattern is – what a surprise – the Lottie Blouse pattern from Love Sewing Magazine which I have hacked into a dress with a contrasting yoke. I’ve made the blouse loads of times using different hacks and fabrics each time (here, here, here & here). I won’t say much about the pattern, as I have reviewed it before. Check out the other posts if you want to know more about it!

Lottie Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Construction & Alterations:

I more or less kept the blouse except for slashing the front and back bodice pattern to add a seamline for the contrasting yoke. This is pretty simple: you slash the pattern where you want the new seamline to be and add seam allowance to the new edges. I pressed the seam allowance downwards so you can’t see it throught the sheer white fabric. It’s topstitched into place with white contrasting thread.

I lengthened the blouse to knee-length, keeping the waist fairly straight and curving out and in a bit at the hips and knees. Again, I slashed the pattern to add the contrast panel at the hem.

To add some shape and get the cinched waist look I wanted, I added some elastic which I sewed directly onto the fabric (no casing!) using a large zigzag stitch. The elastic was sewn on slightly below the natural waist so that it pulls the skirt up and adds some more volume to the bodice. This look is super comfortable and perfect if you’re having a large meal out! 🙂

I’ve kept the bodice and skirt slightly larger than my usual size. The polyester fabric is very lightweight and nice for warmer days, but it’s not as comfy as cotton on hot summer days, so it’s better to leave a lot of ease.

Lottie Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Lottie Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com
Lottie Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Lottie Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com

I’m not sure why I keep using this pattern again and again. It’s quite versatile and comes together super quickly (which is probably why). Who doesn’t love quick projects for when you have too little time to sew?

What’s the pattern you have used most often?

xx

Charlie


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Another Lottie Blouse Hack – A simple 3/4 sleeve top!

Lottie Top by Thisblogisnotforyou.comHello dear sewing-lovers! Today I’m sharing another Lottie Blouse hack. The original Lottie Blouse pattern comes with puff sleeves and a pussy bow & keyhole neckline.

I wanted to make a simple 3/4-sleeve top to show off the busy print of this very girly bag fabric. I like the Lottie Blouse pattern (Simple Sews) and have made 3 variations already. The pattern was included in Love Sewing magazine last year.

Pattern alterations:

– slimming down the sleeves by removing the gathering at the top
– removing the keyhole and bow
– raising the neckline and adding a facing
– adding 15cm slits at the lower side seam (inspired by a Boden top)

source: www.lovesewingmag.co.uk

Lottie Top by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

I didn’t follow the original instructions. The Lottie Blouse doesn’t use the set-in-sleeve technique and the sleeves are sewn in flat. This makes the gathering at the puff sleeves quite easy and generally I like using this technique for knit fabrics. As I changed the sleeves, I used the standard set-in-sleeve method to get the ease right at the sleeve cap.

The neckline facing is understitched and attached to the shoulder seam allowance with a couple of hand stitches.Lottie Top by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

I finished all seams with my overlocker. The sleeves and hem edges are all machine stitched – overlocked and turned in once and kept in place with topstitching approx. 5mm from the edge. This gives a nice neat finish and the machine stitching is barely visible.

Lottie Top by Thisblogisnotforyou.comI stitched the side seams up to  approx. 15cm from the hem. I then pressed the seams open. The seam allowance is kept in place by topstitching 5mm from the edge, starting at the hem. I stitched up to the point where the side seam stitching starts, then stitching at an 45° angle, first up, then down again, forming a little triangle shape at the top of the slit. Lottie Top by Thisblogisnotforyou.comLottie Top by Thisblogisnotforyou.comTo be honest, I’m not quite as happy with this make as I hoped to be. First, the fabric. I have 3m of this polyester blend, which I got for almost nothing at a charity shop. The quality is really nice and I saved it up for ages. I finally decided that I had enough to make a top and still have enough left for a dress. Looking at the top now, the fabric choice wasn’t the best. I just really don’t like the print on it. It would’ve looked better on a dress I guess. I might use the rest of this fabric for the Sew Over It Vintage Shirt Dress.

Second, the fit isn’t the best. The Lottie Blouse fits me quite well, but I never realised that it is quite tight across the bust. It now makes sense, because the keyhole always gaped a bit, but this wasn’t much of a problem as it is covered by the pussy bow.

Now that I removed the keyhole and raised the neckline, the top is a bit tight. Furthermore, removing the fullness of the sleeves doesn’t help either. As you can see in the picture below, the top rides up and distorts the neckline when I lift my arms a bit. Meh!

Lottie Top by Thisblogisnotforyou.comWell, it’s good enough to wear at home in the garden and I have learned my lesson!

I recently made yet another Lottie hack and hacked the blouse into a dress (pictures coming soon!). Again I removed the keyhole (but kept the bow), but this time I added an extra 3cms across the bust. The fit is so much better now!
Lottie Top by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

What’s your favourite pattern hack? Have you ever been really disappointed after trying something new?


Happy sewing!

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