Floaty Flower Power Banksia

I think this is my fifth Banksia top!!  Previous versions here, here, here and here. So sorry for another of the same pattern, but on the plus side you all get to see how easy it is to change this pattern up for different looks!

Can you just tell I love this pattern?  It is such a great basic for making those wardrobe staples that we all need.  Just to let you in on a bit of a secret, I have about three more currently planned so look out for those in the coming weeks.

This time I had an inspiration to draw from, this lovely top from Ruche. If you haven't seen their site, go check it out, they have some gorgeous stuff, but I think the postage to Australia would be a killer, besides I can copy/mimic right??

So as I said, I used the Megan Nielsen Banksia pattern as my base and made the following alterations:
- placed five pintucks around the neckline.  I didn't compensate by adding any extra width to the neckline as I find the top to be roomy in that area on me anyway and I normally pinch some of this out of the pattern
- sewed mini ric rack over the pintucks and around the collar
- omitted the placket (obviously)
- raised the shoulders by ½"
- reduced width of collar (I have always found this collar to be too large and flappy)
- I didn't need to alter the collar length to make it meet in the middle as the pintucks already took out enough fabric out of the neck opening

The fabric is a viscose from my favourite clothing store, Alannah Hill who make fabulous (but expensive) pretty, girly clothes, but also have a clearance store in Melbourne that sell the fabrics.  Whenever I am in Melbourne I make sure I go there.  This fabric is from last year's haul purchases.

I love getting good value out of a pattern - sort of makes up for the duds doesn't it?

PS - the offer is still there if anyone wants V1247 - free going to a good home?? Let me know in the comments.

MMM - Days 6-10

So far Me Made May is going well but I am definitely learning my wardrobe shortcomings and where I need to focus going forward.

MMM is also really good for getting me to blog some of the items I haven't previously blogged as I didn't feel they deserved their own posts.

So, onto what I wore and some things I have learnt so far:

Day 6

Skirt - Kelly skirt 

Top - Coppelia Cardi by Papercut, to be blogged soon 

From prolonged wear, I have realised this skirt is still too big around the waist and I really should have used a stiffer interfacing to stop the waistband stretching further. I have already altered this once and am not super keen to pick it apart again...hmmm hot wash perhaps?? BTW - the picture is taken at our gorgeous B&B we stayed at in Kentucky, a historical mansion. 

Day 7

 

My Lorna Suzanne cardi blogged here.
I love this cardi, although the collar means I can't wear it with any of my Banksia tops as collar on collar looks weird. The three quarter sleeve also limits wearability. I still love the pattern though.
Psst...check out the brekky, yum-o, this is what we got served in the morning at the B&B!
Day 8

Top - Colette pattern Sorbetto Skirt - BurdaStyle Denim skirt
I love this skirt and wear it loads, it seems to go with everything and makes a nice change from jeans.
Day 9
 

Skirt - Kelly skirt again from above Top - Hole-y moly Banksia
Day 10
Ok, so this day I kinda cheated! We went to Mammoth Cave on this day and the caves are really cold, so I wore long cargo pants and a thick jumper, not made by me at all, but practical and warm. I didn't pack for super cold weather and so didn't really have any much warm with me, besides what if I got my nice me-made things dirty? So we walked a lot and exhausted when I got to the hotel I changed into my Pjs which I remembered I did make! Not previously blogged as I didn't fancy posing on the internets in my jammies, but you get the idea!

Beige, bland...never!

My latest outfit is a vision of beige! This is not a bad thing I feel as it makes for two super versatile pieces.  I'm not too sure about wearing them together all the time, but for a classic summer look I think it works.

For the top I used the Megan Nielsen Banksia pattern, my TNT top pattern of late.  I really like the fit and it is easily modified.  As usual (for me) the armholes and neck are faced with bias binding.  I also modified the collar to reduce the depth, I ended up taking about 1.5" off the total depth, which with my narrow shoulders I feel works better, it's not so overwhelming on me.



The skirt is the Kelly skirt also by Megan Nielsen but with the button placket omitted. To do this I simply used the buttonhole markings as my centre seam and cut on the fold. I did not cut the back on the fold as instructed, instead I cut it with an extra seam allowance on the "fold" side so I would have room to put in a lapped zipper.  I am pleased with the end result although my fabric is stiffer than I expected and it creases like a mofo!  I will eventually make this in a gabardine or something that doesn't mind being sat on. 

I have noticed the weather starting to change so I have to start thinking about my autumn/winter wardrobe.  What are you working on for the new season? Do share, I am super nosy!!

Kelly Skirt AKA the Shorts that Weren't...and a Sorbetto

Originally I had planned to make some capris next as per my Spring/Summer Plan however for some crazy reason when I bought the fabric thought I could get long shorts out of one and a quarter yards. What was I thinking? The fabric is only 44" wide....unless I was going to make hotpants.... nah, never going to happen.

No matter which way I tried to manipulate the shorts pattern it just wasn't going to work. So onto plan B - a skirt, the Kelly Skirt to be precise.  It seems I was very slow catching onto the Megan Nielsen patterns, but I am now converted having recently completed two Banksias blogged here and here.

The pattern was a dream to sew up and miraculously I made no adjustments.

Ok, well I didn't cut the waistband in one piece as prescribed, I didn't have enough fabric for that, so I cut in in three pieces, one back piece and two fronts, as the seam allowances all line up it looks like it was supposed to be that way.

The side seams and waistband are all topstitched which I think has given a more professional finish.



To remove bulk and add some fun, I lined the pockets with fabric left over from a previous Banksia. 

 

 

Not being able to find buttons that I was happy with I went with covered buttons.

 

Initially I wasn't sure I would like the pleats and thought they might stick out weirdly, but they don't and I think the silhouette is actually quite flattering - look, I have a waist!

 

 

For the observant Colette fans you may recognise the top pattern, it is the ubiquitous Sorbetto not previously blogged.  This is my only Sorbetto so far as I found it a bit boxy but it works really well tucked into this skirt.

Interestingly I was on Twitter tonight and saw the link to a news article where some researchers have worked out mathematically the perfect skirt length to make your legs look fantastic.  Now I never considered there would be an equation for this, surely it depends on the occasion and one length is not for all styles or events?  However, curiosity got the better of me and coincidentally this skirt turns out to be my perfect length!  (84cm from my shoulders if you are interested)

 

In reality it is actually this length because it is the length of the original pattern piece and I didn't have enough fabric to make it longer!! But I am pretty happy that I didn't make it longer.

 

 

I expect I may be making more of these - when I bought this fabric, I also bought two other pieces in different colouts with the intetion to make several shorts, but of course that fabric is too short too - DUH!  Guess my summer wardrobe will be skirt based, not shorts!

 

Does anyone else make stupid mistakes like me, buying the wrong amount of fabric for a specific project and then having to revert to a plan B??

Springtime Banksia

Still on the Spring/Summer wardrobe and I am making good progress so far with this addition.

This is my first top for the Banksia Sewalong, I have another two planned but have no idea when I might finish them as my head and sewing table are overflowing with sewing idea and plans right now!

This is my first dip into the Megan Nielsen pool and I loved it! Okay I know I am a bit slow as everyone seems to have made this top as well as many other Megan Nielsen patterns, but I am a relative newbie to the independent designers.

I loved the cute packaging the pattern came in, from the little Velcro dot to the sturdy paper the pattern is printed on.  This is one well thought out pattern company!

 

The pattern was so easy to use and the instructions were super clear. I am not normally so good with reading and following instructions, I tend to just sew things together the way I know things normally go together.

 

 

I had one small issue with the placket, but suspect this may have been a "user issue". When I first sewed it up and folded it in half, it was too wide for the opening. Easy fix, I just folded the seam allowance in a little more to take up the difference! I used Method 2 from the instructions for the placket as I wanted that perfect clean look.  (this method involves fully enclosing all the raw seams so results in a super tidy finish)

Sorry, this is my only picture of the back, it was such a windy day I had a job getting any good pics at all!

I used a light cotton which was a dream to work with. I didn't have to make any adjustments to the pattern, not even an FBA! This is very unusual for me. I cut an 8 at the shoulders and graded to a 12 at the hips and I am very happy with the fit. I shortened the sleeves and the length.

 

It is already a billion degrees here so I think a sleeveless version will be next!

 

 

I love how versatile the pattern is and have plans for lots of other versions, I can see this becoming my "go to" pattern for tops as I can just sew it without loads of alterations.