Cordova jacket.

After keeping this secret for almost two months I am so excited that I can finally show you my Cordova Jacket! To be honest I was a little nervous about sewing an intermediate jacket pattern, as I have never sewn a jacket before (though I do have one half completed). When I saw the pattern and read through the instructions the nerves completely settled. Tasia really does know how to write simple, easy to understand instructions without "dumbing down" the patten or techniques. This jacket had it all; lining, zipper, interfacing, princess seams, and a peplum.

I decided on navy for the colour and fortunately found the perfect Italian wool crepe in my local fabric store. I had promised Tasia a Liberty of London lining, but it just didn't seem to suit the drape of the crepe fabric. Instead, I opted for a soft lining fabric in a pinky/latte colour. I sewed a size 8 and did not have to make any changes. The jacket went together very easily thanks to the clear instructions. I am soooo happy with how it turned out. It looks dressy and casual at the same time, know what I mean? Also, my husbands comment was "you could buy that in a store".... always a nice compliment (do other people say that to you as a form of compliment when you make something?). And I did keep my promise to Tasia in a way, I made a Sorbetto top from a Liberty of London Tana Lawn to match the jacket!

So without further ado, here is my version of the Sewaholic's latest pattern, the Cordova jacket...

If you want to try making a Cordova jacket for yourself, visit the Sewaholic pattern store.

Sam xox

Pattern Tester: Cambie dress.

A while ago I was lucky enough to be selected to test Tasia's Cambie dress pattern for her Sewaholic patterns range. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to pattern test for her again, as the last time I did so was with her very first pattern the Pendrell blouse.

Weeks of back to back cold weather and rain delayed me taking photos of the finished dress. Then I underwent heart surgery to fix a problem with my heart. This delayed things even further!

My Cambie dress was made following View B. I omitted the pockets as these are not something I like to have in my dresses. I sewed up a size 8, but it turned out a little too big, so I had to take it in. The fabric is a light textured cotton that I have had in my stash for over a year. I had been saving it to sew up into a dress, and when I saw this pattern I knew it fit the bill perfectly. I lined the bodice with the same fabric, but left the skirt unlined. To prevent the skirt being see through I wear it with a petticoat, which also adds a bit of volume to the skirt. I really love how Tasia has included a separate waist band piece to join the bodice to the skirt (although with my belt on this can't be seen). The finished dress reminds me a lot of the dress I made for One Pattern Seven Bloggers.

It's so nice to be blogging again! I am still recovering from my operation and am still quite sore and bruised, but I am determined to get some sewing done tomorrow.

Sam xox

Pendrell blouse #2.

My third finished item during our Sewing Triathlon was another Pendrell Blouse. I had already made a Pendrell blouse (View A) in a Liberty cotton so this time I wanted to try a fabric a little trickier! I found this fabric for only $5 per meter at my local fabric store. It is a poly-something and is very lightweight.

Here is my latest Pendrell Blouse - View B.

And the inside...

Sorry there are no photos of the blouse actually on, Jamie is away and I just couldn't manage to get a good one with the camera on 'timer'.

Pluses:

- I was really pleased with how I managed sewing such light weight fabric. I do not usually sew with delicate fabric, so I was pleased with how this turned out.

- I modified the sleeves on this blouse. I only used the larger sleeve for View B and decided not to gather it but sew it on just folded over into the shoulder seam. I think that the ruffle would have been too busy for this fabric.

Minuses:

- I hate man made fibers, so wearing this is super itchy and not good to wear in hot weather.

- As much as I am happy with the end product, I am unsure I will ever actually wear this top. It is too itchy to wear in warm weather, and too sheer for the cold. Shame.

Sam xox

My Pendrell blouse was featured by Tasia.

I'm so excited! The Pendrell blouse I made last week was featured by Tasia on her blog Sewaholic (you can see it here)! It was such a nice surprise to see my photos on her blog. I am so thrilled Tasia likes it :-)

The Pendrell blouse pattern was honestly very easy to sew and fits beautifully. I can't wait to see what the next pattern is that Tasia publishes.

For anyone who has found me via Tasia's blog post, welcome! Feel free to have a look around my blog and if you want to say 'hi'. I'm very excited to meet new sewers/lovers of sewing.

Sam xox