Showing posts with label Closet Case Files. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Closet Case Files. Show all posts

Monday 22 May 2017

Sophie Swimsuit with custom-printed fabric


I am very excited to show you the second garment I have made using fabric printed with one of my Mum's own paintings. You may have seen the dress I made a few weeks ago with a Eucalyptus design.

Painting by Chris Oxberry

This painting depicts masses of everlastings (flowers) on a red-earthed, Australian outback landscape. I chose the lower part of the painting for the design with just a bit of the tree at the top.


I had the fabric printed by Contrado UK. This is the 'Slinky lycra matt 210gsm' and I absolutely recommend it for a swimsuit. The fabric is beautiful quality, soft but firm with good stretch recovery. The printing turned out really well on this fabric too as the colours are accurate and very vibrant. I have spoken about ordering from Contrado in this blog post.


I ordered a piece of fabric 100cm wide by 60cm long and just squeezed this swimsuit out (size 8 body, size 5 cup) with only tiny scraps left over - perfect! I had worked out my exact fabric requirements before ordering so I didn't have any waste. I cut the pieces from a single layer of fabric, which meant more cutting, but much less wastage, so totally worth it when working with special fabric.


The pattern is the Sophie Swimsuit by Closet Case Patterns. I have made this before and loved it, so the choice was easy. This time I added an inch to the torso length as my last one was just a bit short in the body causing a rather unfortunate chesty wardrobe malfunction on a very crowded beach! I think now this one might be a tad too long as there is some wrinkling at the back, but it's definitely to be better safe than sorry. The swimsuit is lined with orange lycra from my ridiculously extensive lycra stash. Other than that, everything was the same as for my previous Sophie Swimsuit.


This project took a lot of plotting and planning with my Mum, detailed measuring of fabric requirements, designing and ordering from the Contrado website, super careful cutting and slow sewing. 

I loved every minute!

I'm thrilled with my one-off swimsuit and can't wait until it's warm enough to actually swim in it. Maybe I need to plan a tropical holiday...





Sunday 5 February 2017

One-piece Sophie Swimsuit


Summer is in full swing and it was definitely time for some new bathers for me. I have seen so many lovely versions of the Closet Case Files Sophie Swimsuit, that it was the obvious choice. Although bikinis are far more practical than one-pieces, I like the er, smoothing effect a one-piece gives to the tummy region. I will probably make the bikini as well though.


I followed all the sizing instructions and came up with a size 8 body and size 5 cup. I love that only a few pages need printing once the size has been chosen and that you also get three size lines on either side of the chosen size. I used those to increase to size 10 at the hips. I am happy to report that the sizing is spot on, particularly for the all-important cup. The instructions suggested lengthening the body if you're taller than 5'6. I should have listened to that advice and will do it next time.


I had chosen a denim-look lycra from my (ridiculously large) lycra stash. Then, at the last minute, I changed my mind and used this coral reef print instead. I was very careful not to place a sea anemone at the lower, centre front but then, despite careful planning, I realised there were fish swimming out of my backside!


The whole time I was making this I marvelled at all the work Heather Lou has put into this pattern. I can't imagine how she worked out all that sizing and the instructions are fantastic. This was a very straightforward garment to make, despite it looking quite complicated.


I also love the design. There is enough coverage to feel comfortable and enough va va voom to still look the part amongst the beach fashionistas. Well, I felt like there was until I saw this photo. I should have given it a good hitch up beforehand. Damn not lengthening the body on my pattern!


I cannot find fault with this pattern. It's a winner and I'm super happy with my coral reef duds.


Thursday 2 June 2016

Brief thoughts on Me Made May 2016

StyleArc Toni dress made as a top with StyleArc Elle pants / Named Jamie Jeans with Burdastyle 06/2014#114 jumper / Vogue 1378 pants with Megan Nielsen Briar tee made as a jumper / StyleArc Lola pants with Deer and Doe Plantain tee and Paprika Patterns Opal cardi / StyleArc Mara Shirtdress / Pauline Alice Xeria dress with Megan Nielsen Virginia leggings / Vogue 1378 pants with Burdastyle 11/2012#128 top / Refashioned dress from jeans
Like me, you are probably ready to forget Me Made May for another year. However, I thought I'd just have a quick look through the handmade clothes I wore in May 2016 and see what was popular in my wardrobe.

May 2016 in Perth was, weatherwise, pretty similar throughout. Most days were in the low to mid 20s with a couple of rainy days. This meant that hardly any of my warm and cold weather gear was seen at all, which was a bit of a shame.

Patrones army jacket with StyleArc Elle pants and Named Wenona shirt / Patrones jacket in black with khaki StyleArc Lola pants / Deer and Doe Plantain tee with black StyleArc Lola pants / Named Jamie jeans with Paprika Patterns Jasper sweater / Named Jamie jeans with StyleArc Amber top / Vogue 1313 dress with Closet Case Files Nettie bodysuit / StyleArc Estelle jacket, Paprika Patterns Jade Skirt and SavageCoco Patterns Presto top / Named Inari Tee dress / StyleArc Estelle jacket, Patrones blouse and silk StyleArc Lola pants.

MY MOST POPULAR PATTERNS IN MAY 2016

Pants: StyleArc Elle and Lola pants (some of the Lola pants were altered to have an elasticated cuff and front and back patch pockets) and Named Jamie jeans.

Tops: Burdastyle jumpers and Deer and Doe Plantain tees.

Jackets: Patrones jackets in black and khaki, StyleArc Estelle jacket.

Dresses and skirts: my refashioned denim dress from jeans was the only dress or skirt I wore more than once. I always wore my Megan Nielsen leggings to stay warm. I love all the dresses and skirts I wore in May.

The pattern companies I wore most things from were StyleArc, Paprika Patterns and Named Clothing. I think I use mostly patterns from these companies year round actually.
StyleArc Estelle Jacket almost finished! / Named Wyome jeans, Paprika Patterns Zircon sweater / Named Wenona shirtdress / Victory Patterns Hannah dress, Closet Case Files Nettie bodysuit / Burdastyle jumper and StyleArc Elle pants / Refashioned dress from jeans / Patrones jacket, StyleArc Lola pants, indigo dyed Plantain tee / Vintage pattern jumper with Megan Nielsen Virginia leggings in ponte / Burdastyle jumper, Named Jamie jeans
So there we are. Thank you to all who followed my progress on Instagram and made lovely comments. I loved seeing what everyone else was wearing day to day too.

Tuesday 18 August 2015

Two remnant tops - a Nettie and a vintage raglan


For me, no visit to Potter's Textiles, in North Perth, is complete without a good rummage through the remnant bins and the scrap bags. I especially love the $5 scrap bags, which contain a lucky dip of fabrics, from small rectangles, to pieces big enough to cut one side of a t-shirt from. The array of colours, fabric types and patterns is very inspiring for piecing together and creating a unique look. There are some lovely knits in the bags and sometimes even a lucky piece of silk. You might remember the blouse I made with cotton scraps, mostly from Potter's, a while back.

My scrappy blouse (She has a Mannish Style)
Anyway, I had some fabric that needed using so I got cracking and made some winter tops. Side note: I was watching 'The Bletchley Circle' drama recently and they said "Let's get cracking". It made me wonder if that phrase originated with the codebreakers. I must look that up sometime.


The first item is not exactly a top, but a bodysuit. A Nettie bodysuit. I wasn't sure if this would be a useful item, but it turns out that it is. I like to wear it under winter dresses to keep extra cosy. This is made from a Potter's remnant, a very stretchy and slightly transparent wool blend. I went up a size after reading several reviews and made a size 12. I think this would have been wise with a less stretchy fabric, but unnecessary in this case. The crotch is a bit loose. Not my crotch, Nettie's crotch. No, I'm not going to show you. 


I had almost, but not quite, enough fabric for the Nettie. Undeterred, I rummaged in my Potter's scrap shoeboxes (perfectly sorted by fabric type, of course) and emerged with this small, striped bit of knit. I cut the lower ends of the sleeves from the striped piece and sewed them to the main sleeves before constructing them.


I quite like the stripy effect. It goes well with my Vogue 1313 dress. I have tried this Nettie with pants and my close-fitting Jade skirt, but the panty line shows, so I'm keeping it for wearing under dresses.


My second remnant top is this one, a raglan sleeved jumper from a vintage pattern. I was all ready to leap on to the Linden bandwagon when I decided to have a quick look in my pattern drawer. I found Style 3253 that I had bought in an op shop and forgotten about. Perfect!


The sleeves were a bit billowy so I just trimmed them down.


This was super easy to make. I used two matching pieces of stretch velvet from two different scrap bags for the front and back and cut the rest from some black ponte from the stash.


This has been such a useful top since I made it. It's not too heavy, so is comfortable under a jacket, or great on its own on warmer winter days.


I love those $5 scrap bags!


Monday 28 July 2014

Bombshell in Borneo



I was very keen to see what all the fuss was about with this pattern which is, of course, the Bombshell Swimsuit by Closet Case Files. I have made swimwear before and not only enjoyed it, but ended up with bathers that I love. It was time to do it again. I found this brown lycra with white and gold hearts in my stash from a lycra buying spree when a swimwear manufacturer had a moving sale some time ago. I went a bit crazy buying more lycra than I could ever possibly use - so unlike me!


I was all set to start making View B (which I love) with the triangular shaped bodice pieces, and was just checking the sewalong for instructions, when the ever helpful LJ, aged 11, wandered over. Not having learned from past experience, I casually asked him which style he preferred. "Definitely this one" was the emphatic response as he pointed to View A. The wind nudged slightly out of my sails. "Oh why?" I asked. "The other one is too...boobalicious" said LJ. "Oh ha ha" said I. "One day you will appreciate boobalicious". "I already do" came the reply. "Just not on you".

Sails completely deflated, I printed off View A.


Then, just to taunt him, I highlighted my cleavage with gold lycra.


And wore my Fabulous Hat.

I mostly used the sewalong instructions to make my Bombshell. The instructions were great, but I didn't enjoy making this much at all. All those gathers and layers made for a cumbersome sewing experience that looked as if it was going to be a massive fail almost until the end of the process.

One reason for this was that, as suggested by the sewalong, I added three inches to the length of the inner layer (which meant adding 4.75 inches to the gathered layer) to make this fit my height of around 5'10". I even did a muslin of the inner layer and it seemed ok. It was not ok. It was and still is far too long in the body and when held up looks more like a knee-length dress than a pair of bathers. You can see in the photos that I have tried to distribute this length evenly from below the bust to the hips, but the gathers just want to congregate at my waist, accentuating my tummy in an unflattering way and looking uneven and belt-like in the back. 


The fit otherwise is fine and I will use the unaltered bodice piece if I make this again. I made size 12, which was one size up from my measurements, after hearing that the bathers can be difficult to get into. I think this was the right size for me.


 So, in summary, aside from the trials and tribulations in sewing these bathers, the too-long bodice causing uneven ruching and the lack of boobaliciousness, I am quite pleased with my Bombshell. It isn't as sleek and comfortable in the water as my last pair of bathers, but I think it has potential in the looks department. Actually, after looking at these pictures again, I think I will make another...and next time it will be View B for Boobalicious. So there LJ!

Pictures taken on Pulau Gaya Island, Borneo. We had just seen a monkey in the surrounding forest and, taking heed of the 'Beware Monkeys' sign, hightailed it back to the beach before it could do anything dangerous!
 

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