Zierstoff ANIKA Dress

August 3, 2016.Reading time 3 minutes.

Zierstoff Anika Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Hello there!

These pictures make me feels like autumn is already around the corner! But it’s actually really hot and summery here at the moment. I took these pics two weeks ago when the weather was quite cool and windy after we had a week of rainy days. Right now there’s nothing that could make me wear anything long-sleeved!

Let’s talk about the pattern!

The pattern is the ANIKA DRESS by ZIERSTOFF. Zierstoff is a German indie pattern company who recently started offering some of their favourite patterns in English. They have some really awesome women and kids wear patterns, you should really check them out if you don’t know them yet. Zierstoff Anika Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com The Anika dress is a really easy and quick to sew pattern that comes in two versions: you can either make it with a collar or a hood. Both collar and hood cross over at the front which looks really cool if you ask me.

I decided to make the hooded version, because, you know, if you can make it with a hood, make it with a hood!

In terms of sizing, the pattern runs slightly on the larger side. I cut the pattern without making prior changes and the fit was pretty much ok. As I said, it’s slightly large at the sleeves and waist, but that’s how it looks on the envelope as well. Obviously if you wanted it to be more fitted, you could simply take it in a bit.

I love that it’s not too tight. I have a lot of tight knit dresses and I’ve found that I prefer baggier, comfy clothes during the colder seasons.

This will definitely become a wardrobe staple for my autumn sewing! Zierstoff Anika Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com The fabric is a gorgeous teal one-way stretch knit fabric, courtesy of Zierstoff. The lovely ladies over at Zierstoff headquarters offered to send me some of their fabric so I was able to make the exact same dress as the one in the sample pictures.

This is by far one of the more comfy dresses I’ve made and I love wearing it. It’s the perfect dress to wear at home. The version with the wide collar would also make a really nice comfy dress for the office. Zierstoff Anika Dress by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Are you already planning your autumn wardrobe or are you still caught up sewing summer clothes?

Charlie

Happy sewing!
♥

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My first pair of (Ultimate) Trousers

May 3, 2015.Reading time 5 minutes.

sew over it - ultimate trousers by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Hallo, meine Lieben! You won’t believe it! After so many years of sewing, I’ve finally made my first (wearable) pair of trousers! (Not counting any shorts I’ve made.) Traumatised by hundreds of very unhappy experiences shopping for well-fitting trousers I decided at some point that sewing trousers was very difficult and frustrating and certainly nothing I wanted to try.

After testing one of their patterns, Lisa from Sew Over It kindly send me her Ultimate Trousers pattern which promised to be a super easy sew, so it went on my to-sew list. About a year later, I’ve finally given it a try and even went as far as making a muslin (a step which I happily skip more often than not). The muslin was a bit meh and I made a couple of very simple changes here and there and suddenly I ended up with some lovely trousers that actually fit me. Who would have known. sew over it - ultimate trousers by thisblogisnotforyou.com

The Pattern:

As mentioned, I used the Ultimate Trousers pattern by Sew Over It, which is available as PDF(£8.50) or paper pattern (£14). I think it’s well worth the money, as it’s a simple, classic cut that it very easy to fit and which could be used as a base if you want to draft something more complicated. I’ve got a feeling that this will be my TNT trousers pattern for many more projects to come.

The pattern comes with detailed and illustrated instructions and it only took me a couple of hours from start to finish. There are no complicated front fly or pocket techniques to tackle, just a very simple invisible zip that’s inserted in one of the side seams. There’s no waist band, but facing instead.

I didn’t make any major changes to the pattern, just some tweaks here and there to adjust the fit.
sew over it - ultimate trousers by thisblogisnotforyou.com

The Fit:

The fit was almost spot on, I just had to grade my size up a bit at the hip as I couldn’t close the zip on my muslin. This was quite a simple and quick fix and I didn’t even bother to make another muslin. With all the grading this pair of trousers is probably something between size 12 and 14, I guess. At first the trousers were a tad tight, but I knew that they would widen a bit after a couple of wears (which they did, yay!), so I didn’t make any further changes.

Would I make any more changes next time? Hm, maybe, maybe not. I’m pretty happy with the result. I think depending on the fabric, I might give a bit more wearing ease next time. And should I be super motivated, I might try a sway back adjustment. But that’s not very likely to happen.

sew over it - ultimate trousers by thisblogisnotforyou.com

I wonder why I ended up with a puckering zip? Maybe I should try clipping the seam allowance at the hip curve. Could also be my inability of accurately inserting a zip when having had too much coffee. sew over it - ultimate trousers by thisblogisnotforyou.com

sew over it - ultimate trousers by thisblogisnotforyou.com

The Fabric:

I actually bought the fabric at Lisa’s new Sew Over It sewing cafe in Islington. I found it in the remnants box and it turned out that it was some fabric that Lisa had used for her own pair of Ultimate Trousers. There was just enough left to make another pair. To be honest, I have no idea what kind of fabric this is, almost looks like linen, but I’m pretty sure there’s polyester involved here. It’s lovely to wear and was easy to sew. It frayed quite a bit, but nothing that my little overlord couldn’t fix.

Sooo. Let’s talk about pattern placement. Or, what happens if you completely ignore it. I thought the pattern was random enough but now I ended up having awkward crotch stripes that could even be interpreted as scratches or hair, if you’re adventurous enough. What can I do about that now? I try to ignore it and hope others do, too.

sew over it - ultimate trousers by thisblogisnotforyou.com

blouse: Lottie Blouse, handmade
shoes: S.oliver

Will I make it again?

I’m pretty positive that I will. I’m just too happy about finally having a go-to trouser pattern, so I’ll better make use of it.

So, what are your thoughts on trouser-making, trouser-making phobia and crotch stripes?

Happy sewing!
♥

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A Nascha Skirt

April 13, 2015.Reading time 6 minutes.

nascha skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Hey folks! Hope you had some awesome Easter Holidays! I was back home in Germany, choking on chocolates, which also explains why it’s been a bit quiet in my sewing corner. In my defense, I have made a couple of things, but haven’t photographed any yet. Which is also partly due to my current obsession with book binding. Yeah, you’ve read right. I’ve discovered a new hobby (I am a hobby collector!) and, as always, am obsessively spending every free minute with it. No worries, my heart still belongs to my sewing machine.

My aunt is a bookbinder and I hope I can learn a bit here and there from here this summer. Anyway, I’ll share some projects with you soon! But first things first: my Nascha Skirt! nascha skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com The Pattern:

I’ve made this Nascha Skirt a while ago, but was too lazy to sort out and edit the pics. The Nascha Skirt has always been on my to-sew list since I came across Named patterns and I bought the pattern a little while ago.

The pattern was a bit tricky to work with. I downloaded the PDF pattern and thought it wouldn’t take too long to assemble a skirt pattern. For some reasons the different sizes are not nestled, which means you won’t find all sizes on one pattern sheet. The sizes are grouped (EUR 36 & 38, 40 & 42 and so on). Unfortunately I had to grade between 36 waist and 38/40 at the hip, which made it really difficult to work with this pattern. I had to print off and assemble both sheets (36/38 and 40/42), cutting out the patterns pieces and layering them for grading. Annoying and time-consuming. The rest of the pattern was fine, but I was quite disappointed that the pattern wasn’t very pear-shaped-lady friendly.

nascha skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com

The Fabric:

I bought the blue & white aztec print fabric in Birmingham at last years blogger meet-up. I only bought 0.5 metres of it as I wanted to use it for a very simple mini skirt. The Nascha Skirt pattern recommends using more fabric, but I was determined to make it work. With a little bit of squeezing it would have been enough, but I had the idea of adding a contrasting panel. I had leather left over from my last skirt refashion. The leather pieces weren’t large enough so I had to work with what I had and had to integrate one of the seams.

The aztec print is a stretch-cotton sateen and worked really well with the leather. It was easy to sew with. The only tricky bit was hiding the facing as I couldn’t press the leather. It still shows a bit, but I don’t mind it that much. nascha skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com

nascha skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com I used a golden exposed zip in the back. For some reason I have never really used exposed zips. I am quite an expert now on inserting invisible ones, but I was a bit nervous about the exposed zip. It did work out better than I expected and I quite like the golden contrast. The fabric bits of the zipper are navy and match the fabric, so you can only really see the metal bits, which I really like. nascha skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com Here’s a close-up of the front detail of the skirt. I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t be able to hide my modesty, but it was fine in the end. The skirt is still really, really short though!The skirt had both facing and lining and I how it looks on the inside. Almost pretty enough to wear it inside-out, non? I lined it with navy blue polyester fabric, from my vintage stash. nascha skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com Guess what happened the first time I wore it? The top-stitching at the front detail ripped. I kind of expected this to happen and was very careful, but apparently not careful enough. When I crouched down to pick something up, the seam tore. The topstitching is only decorative, but it annoys me anyway! nascha skirt by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Will I make it again?

I love mini-skirts, but this one is so short that I can’t wear it at work for example. I normally don’t dress up a lot at home, so this one won’t see the daylight too often. I love the design of the skirt, but for now one is enough!

Have you ever used a Named pattern?

Happy sewing!
♥

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A Cosy Lola Dress

January 29, 2015.Reading time 7 minutes.

Lola Dress Victory Patterns by thisblogisnotforyou.com Heeelloo lovelies!

I’m in a pretty good mood today not only because the sun’s shining and it’s my day off (hooray!) but I think I finally have my sewing mojo back. Phew. I was getting worried!
Since before Christmas I haven’t really sewn much and that wasn’t because I was lacking ideas (there will always be way too many in my head) but, to be honest, pretty much due to the fact that I just didn’t feel like sewing. Instead I read a lot and started sketching again. I haven’t done either in a while and normally I only read during break times at work or on the train. Curling up on the couch with a good book and a cup of coffee on a rainy day is awesome!

I used to do that all the time, but since I took up sewing I always feel I need to be productive, which sometimes can be quite annoying. I can imagine that many sewists feel that way. After a really busy time at work I just needed to do nothing, which I did. I even put the sewing machine AWAY which never ever really happens.

Usually I would feel really bad about not sewing or blogging or at least photographing my makes, but this time I finally realised that I don’t have to. I sew because I love to sew, so why should I force myself to keep going if I don’t feel like it. And I also stopped worrying that I wouldn’t get my mojo back a long time ago. Making my own clothes has become a major part in my life which won’t go away just from taking a little break.

Lola Dress Victory Patterns by thisblogisnotforyou.com Sooo anyway, the sewing machine is sitting on our living room table again, there are threads and fabric scraps scattered all across the floor and sewing magazines are taking over the couch. Everything is back to normal!

Ok, ok, I will stop rambling now and start talking about the dress.

The Pattern:

The pattern is the Lola Dress by Victory Patterns. I bought it last summer during a little festival in our local park from the lovely ladies of the Village Haberdashery who had a little stall there. I just really liked how comfy and casual this dress looked – not the typical ‘fit-and-flare’ sewing pattern. It’s modern, it’s quite sporty and it looks like something you could buy on the high street.

The pattern suggested using 1.5 metres of fabric for making the dress, which I have to say is way more than you will need. My fabric was 60in wide and I used just about a metre to make this dress without any alterations to the pattern. FYI, I made up a size 6 (this must be US sizing?) and graded up to a size 8/10 around the hips. I had enough fabric left to make a longsleeved sweater, which I blogged a few weeks ago.

The only tiny alterations I made to the original pattern was omitting the ‘V’ detail in the front and the top-stitching on the pockets. I don’t normally wear sporty clothes, so the ‘V’ was definitely too much for my taste! I feel like leaving it out makes the dress a little bit more classy.

Lola Dress Victory Patterns by thisblogisnotforyou.com The Fabric:

I already wrote about the fabric when I blogged the cropped sweater, you can read about it here. It’s a really lovely navy sweatshirt fabric, fleece-backed and all. I used matching ribbing for the hem, sleeves and neckband. It didn’t press too well and is quite bulky, which is why the seams where I attached the ribbing are not as flat as I would like them to be, I have to figure that out somehow. Any ideas? Lola Dress Victory Patterns by thisblogisnotforyou.com The Fit:

I generally like the fit of the dress – it’s insanely warm and comfy and the best thing to wear at work on a really cold day. I’m in love with these massive pockets. I’m not quite happy with the sizing of the pattern; I normally wouldn’t be a size 6 ( I guess it’s US sizing), but the sizing chart suggested that I was. The finished dress fits alright around the bust area but the sleeves and shoulders are a tad too tight. So the bodice fits me like a normal UK 8 or 10 but the sleeves are definitely much much smaller than that. I normally don’t have an issue with sleeves, so I guess it really just is the pattern. Something that I can easily adjust next time I make it, but this also means I have to trace it again, meh. Lola Dress Victory Patterns by thisblogisnotforyou.com

Will I make it again?

Probably. Maybe not exactly the same version but a variation of some sort. I have to trace it again to adjust the sleeve sizing, which is a little annoying so I might wait a little before I give it another go. I really liked the princess seams and the high waistline that drops in the back, so maybe I will copy this detail and change the rest a bit.

Happy sewing!
♥

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The Ultimate Pencil Skirt #1 – New Sew Over It Pattern Kit!

January 24, 2015.Reading time 5 minutes.

Ultimate Pencil Skirt by Thisblogisnotforyou.com I have a new favourite pattern! No, seriously – I love it to pieces!
I was lucky to be asked by Lisa & Alex to test the new Sew Over It skirt pattern last autumn. Right now I’m totally into making skirts, is it’s easy, quick and the perfect piece to wear at work. Skirt are much more versatile than trousers (I think) and you can never have enough in your wardrobe!

Also, I am a big fan of the series Suits (Team Donna, anyone?) and I simply love the outfits of all the Suits-ladies. Rachel, a character from the show, wears the most gorgeous office clothes which usually consist of a pencil skirt and a blouse. I was thinking about recreating one of her skirts when Lisa asked me to test her pattern.

The Fabric:

Initially I picked a gorgeous cream-white Karen Millen fabric from her shop, but then came across this beautiful navy Ponte Jersey at her shop/sewing cafe opening in Islington. You seriously have to go and check out their new shop, it’s a sewist’s dream come true!

The cream-white fabric is still on my pencil skirt sewing list, but I am looking for a fabric to match it with as a completely white skirt might not be very practical.

Anyway, I decided to go for the Ponte instead, which made picking a size a bit more difficult. In the end I decided to trace the size I’d normally pick (so I wouldn’t have to trace it again when using wovens) and then fit the skirt once the pieces were cut out and basted together.

Ultimate Pencil Skirt by Thisblogisnotforyou.com The Pattern:

The pattern comes with really helpful illustrations and I really didn’t need to read the instructions at all. A glance at the illustrations was enough to make this skirt up in less than a few hours (incl. the hand-sewn bits at the hem!)

There are four pattern pieces – skirt front and back, and two pieces for the facing at the waist. All you need is an invisible zip and some interfacing. The pattern was traced in a couple of minutes; cutting out the fabric didn’t take much time either. I overlocked all pieces before sewing everything together on my regular sewing machine using a narrow zigzag stitch and a stretch/jersey needle.

The facing is under-stitched and then sewn onto the side seams and darts to keep it in place. The hem requires some hand-sewing, but that didn’t take too long. Ultimate Pencil Skirt by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

Ultimate Pencil Skirt by Thisblogisnotforyou.com The Fit:

The fit of the pattern is fabulous, I only had to take in the waist a bit as the fabric is quite stretchy. I could have taken it in a bit more; now after wearing it all the time the waist has stretched out a bit and could be a tad tighter. I keep it in place with a belt anyway.

The skirt is high-waisted and ends just below the knee. The way it is cut makes you look so much taller and your legs appear longer – it’s really flattering! I do have to say I wouldn’t wear when going out for a big meal though 🙂

Source: http://sewoverit.co.uk/pencil-skirt-kit/

All in all, I’m a big fan of Sew Over It’s newest pattern. It’s perfect for beginners as well as more experienced sewers. It’s sold in a kit – so it comes with zip, thread, interfacing, gorgeous tartan fabric and instructions.

Ultimate Pencil Skirt by Thisblogisnotforyou.com

Will I make it again? I already have! I made another one last week, this time using a striped woven wool. Lisa was so generous to send me one of the Skirt Kits last week, so you will definitely see another one in tartan soon!

Happy sewing!
♥

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