The Map Top as seen on GBSB

Hey hey,

There's been a short break in scheduling recently, due to epic work times. Last week we had a lot of work-related visitors, and above all the organisation, we also took them out for dinners two nights in a row so by the end of last week I was pretty wiped out.

Thank you so much for all of your lovely comments regarding my PGP. It is much better now, I just have to remember not to overdo it and ya know... make a shelf or anything. Which I may have done on Sunday... 'cause I'm a fool. Totally worth it for happy flowers in the yard though. With regards the PGP, I would highly recommend getting to a physio as soon as possible, it has really helped me.

So in sewing news! I've been promising for ages a blog post about the top that I wore for the first episode of GBSB. I actually got these pictures in Whitby when me and Mr T went over at Easter but again... life is hectic blah blah boring boring. Pretty pictures!

I actually made this top the night before my GBSB audition, I wanted something exciting to wear for it, and to try and prove to myself I could sew something quickly. I was still sewing well into the wee hours so I don't think the speedy sewing thing really paid off, but otherwise this was a total success!

The top is made from the Sorbetto free pattern from Colette patterns. This is a simple tank top shape, with bias bound hems and an outward facing pleat design down the front. However, as you can see on my version I messed with this pleat a little. I like to have lots of room around my hip/ belly area, so instead of stitching down the entire pleat I inverted it, and left the lower half unstitched and pleated. This has become very useful during the expanding belly bump phase as I still have room for me!

So how did I actually do this? Basically I pinned the two sides together according to the design lines, up to where I thought the pleat should finish. However, I folded the excess material to the inside rather than on the outside. 

I then tried it on (trying not to jab myself in the boob with a pin), and adjusted the pleat so that it finished just under my bust. 

I then stitched to this line, making sure to double back over my stitches so that they wouldn't come undone at the bottom of the pleat. Et voila! One open pleated Sorbetto, the rest of the construction is very simple, just adding the bias binding to edges. 

It' a great top for comfy weekend wear, and I will be taking it away to Croatia next week for my holidays! I'm so excited, I'm going to lie down, fall asleep, bake myself and Spud in the sun (and occasional rain) read masses of books and plan things I probably won't ever have time to do. It's gonna be flipping brill. Have a great week guys X

Victory Juniper Trousers

Hello! Wow that was quite a long blogging break I had, wasn't it? Apologies, life got a bit mental around these parts, and other things had to take priority.

But I'm back in business, and the first thing I have to show you is my first pair of trousers! Those of you who know me can confirm, I haven't worn trousers since my first year of university (a surprisingly long time ago now). After eating too much dominoes and ben & jerrys ice cream, I put on some weight and the trousers I had looked like they were going to pop. Sure I could have bought new trousers, but this was the year the skinny jean arrived, and I've basically stayed away from trousers ever since. I don't suit skinny jeans, this may not come as a shock, but I feel like shops haven't worked out that they don't suit everyone so I'm putting it out there on the internet so maybe they'll notice... skinny jeans suit 1% of the countries females..!

So anyway, rant over. Ive decided to challenge myself more! How will I know if I can achieve a fly zip/ rain coat/ hot air balloon unless I try? So this is challenge number one, a pair of Colette Juniper's with a fly front zipper.

Look how grumpy I look! Ha ha, must have had the sun in my eyes, but this was a good picture of the trousers so whatever.

They're so gloriously wide! Like a pair of quiksilver jeans I had as a teenager. I brought them in at the knee a little to give an indication that there really are legs under there. But otherwise I stuck to the pattern, which I found pretty straight forward. I know that some in the blogosphere have had problems with Colette patterns but I seem to be of the size/ shape they are making the patterns for so these trousers fit really well. 

I am also wearing a Colette Sorbetto. I inverted the pleat on this and then let it kick out at the bottom, very comfy weekend wear all round.

I made these for sew for victory, hence the dig for victory theme of the shoot! The top has little spitfires on it, I got it from a swap at last years Birmingham meet up, which the lovely almond rock donated. See what she made with this material here. I did make these in time of the deadline! So proud...but didn't post in time. Ah well, deadlines were never my strong suit. 

Hope you've enjoyed some of the sunshine, (in between the massive downpours).