Sewing for a changing body shape

During the past few months I've noticed a definite increase in my waist size when fitting garments. Yes, some of it is probably due to over enthusiastic pie eating, but some of it is also down to a new, middle-aged body shape that has slowly been creeping up on me (oh joy!) I've always found it relatively easy to get rid of a few pounds here and there, but it's become increasingly difficult recently and I think it may be something to do with my age (I'll be 47 in a couple of weeks).

It doesn't bother me - I make my own clothes for goodness sake, so I can adapt them to fit! - but I may have to reconsider some of the patterns I choose to sew. I just need to concentrate on patterns that skim rather than cling! Or those that offer a bit of respite, such as wrap tops. A few patterns immediately spring to mind:

Simplicity 2154 - it looks more fitted than it actually is. It's loose fitting enough to get over my head and has contour darts at the back and front for shape. Previously made here, here and here.

New Look 6217 - my latest pattern crush, previously made here and here. The pattern has no darts just a semi-fitted comfortable design.

Sew Over It Pussy Bow Blouse - previously made here. It looks good tucked in or worn loose and the neck bow and elegant sleeves really give this pattern a polished feel.

Simplicity 2451 - previously made here. This skirt has pleats at the front and sits slightly below your natural waistline, what's not to like?

I've also always found shirt dresses very easy to wear and fit.

Another obvious answer is to sew with knits, which can skilfully nip you in without a dart in sight. I do sew with knits a fair bit, especially during the winter, but stretchy and forgiving as they are, I don't want an entire wardrobe of jersey garments. I love being able to work with a diverse range of fabrics and stretching my skills with different techniques. So yes, I do want some knit garments in my wardrobe, just not all of them.  

The suggestions above are all patterns that work for me personally, but I know from reading the comments on this post that I'm not the only one having to rethink what suits me. What are your go-to patterns for a changing body shape that don't compromise on style? Any recommendations or advice? If there's enough interest in this topic then I'll compile any suggestions into a further blog post of tips. Jump in! x

Sew Over It Pussy Bow Blouse

It's no secret that I have a bit of a thing for pussy bow blouses. I've made three from a Simplicity pattern (here, here and here) and one from a vintage pattern. I love them all and they never disappoint. They do all sport quite large, floppy bows though (with the exception of this one which was toned down for the beach), so I was keen to add one with a long, thin tie to my repertoire. 

Enter the Sew Over It Pussy Bow Blouse pattern - I can't believe this pattern has escaped my clutches for so long! It has all the features I've been looking for: long, thin ties, long sleeves and easy to wear tucked in or out, hoorah! The first thing I did was to follow the advice of Karen from Did You Make That in this post and measure the sleeve length carefully. The sleeves are designed to pool around the wrist and gather in with a buttoned cuff. The trick is not to have the sleeves too long or you run the risk of looking like a Disney Prince. Being slightly challenged in the arm length department, I obediently measured my arm against the sleeve and shortened it by two inches.

There are no closures on this pattern, so construction of the basic blouse shape was a breeze. It did take me a bit more time to get the two sides of the ties lined up perfectly at the centre front. The sleeves were also quite time consuming as they involved making cuffs and rouleau loops for the button closures.

Size wise I cut a size 10 for the blouse and size 8 sleeves to make them a little more streamlined. Apart from shortening the sleeves I made no other changes to the pattern. I like the fit - it's fitted enough to wear either loose or tucked in with slim trousers or jeans.

Of the two I think I prefer it tucked in

It also looks good with a skirt if you fancy going for a Miss Moneypenny look.

Fabric-wise, the pattern recommends a lightweight fabric with lots of drape, and the one I used - Bamba Viscose in red from Fabric Godmother - was perfectly suited to the job. The viscose (or rayon) has a nice drape without being too slippery. I found it easy to pin and cut out and it sewed up beautifully.

The nice thing about this pattern is that it's relatively easy to make, yet the finished blouse looks very accomplished. Maybe it's the bow?! There's nothing complicated about sewing bows or neck ties - they're just tubes of fabric sewn to the neck seam - but for some reason they always give the impression of being super fancy! My non-sewing friends always compliment me when I'm wearing a bow blouse. A fully lined coat barely registers on their radar, but a bow at the neck? Very impressive! So if you like impressing your friends and strutting around like Dog Toby, this could be the pattern for you! My mum's coming to visit next weekend, so I'll see if the blouse passes the Dog Toby test (explanation found in this post)…

Have a good day! x

Liberty T shirt

When I say T shirt. I mean something that's very wearable and classic in style, with the added bonus that you can just pull it on over your head. I didn't want to make it from traditional T shirt fabric either, I wanted to step it up a notch, so this little number is made from Liberty Tana lawn. 

After a great deal of head scratching and pretending I knew what I was doing (I really didn't), I came up with a basic tee shape that I was happy with. Sadly, I can't give you the magical formula of how it was drafted as it's mostly a mash-up of my bodice block and the Colette Laurel top, with a bit of Simplicity 2154 thrown in for good measure. There are no zips or buttons (hoorah) so it does indeed slip on over your head like a T shirt, but there are also six darts added to give it a bit of shape. Once I'd stopped fiddling about with the pattern pieces, this was a very quick make. The hem and sleeves are simply overlocked and hemmed and the neckline is finished with bias binding (as per the Laurel top instructions).

I bought the fabric during a Liberty shopping trip with Scruffy Badger (Winnie), last summer. We both decided to make Laurel tops from our Liberty lawn (you can see Winnie's here), but she was a bit quicker off the mark than me - nearly a year quicker as it happens! Anyway, after my recent Liberty giveaway I had a mad urge to make something from a Liberty print so out it came. It's only a one metre remnant, but I was still able to get a top with sleeves out of it by folding the selvedges into the centre before cutting. The fabric design shows circles of black and cream flowers with some sort of polka dot action going on in the background. It's a very busy design which comes in handy for hiding all those darts, even I have to look carefully to find them!

I can see it becoming a real all-rounder in my wardrobe as it's such a classic style. It looks good tucked into a denim skirt, or worn loose with slim trousers and wedges.  Ah, a Liberty T shirt, the best of both worlds in my opinion!  x

Dotted Chambray Bow Blouse

You should all know by now that I have a bit of thing for a nice bow blouse. Whenever I fancy channelling my inner Mrs Slocombe, my go-to pattern is Simplicity 2154. I love this pattern, LOVE IT! I made my first bow blouse about a year ago and vowed I'd like to wear it for the rest of my life. Since then I've made a modified version for the beach and have just completed a third version complete with giant bow. I'll have to eat my words because THIS is the bow blouse I want to wear for the rest of my life! 

The fabric I used is Robert Kaufman Dotted Chambray in Indigo, which was kindly gifted to me by Annie at The Village Haberdashery. I knew I'd like this fabric after seeing it on various websites, but it wasn't until I actually made something with it that I realised how awesome it was. It's oh so soft to the touch, and feels even softer once its been pre-washed. It also has a great drape but is easy to cut out and press, two things that don't always come hand in hand. Lots of other sewing bloggers have used it for projects and I can totally see why. Check out Mary's beautiful shirt dress, Tilly's Bruyere blouse, and, as of today, Lauren's button down shirt.

Here it is tucked in...

…and with a cardigan

I sewed the same size as my other versions (size 14), with no adjustments and no side zip (hoorah). As per my first version, I didn't interface the bow, which I think results in a perfect level of floppiness! The pattern instructs you to turn and hem the top section of the centre seams around the keyhole openings. I decided to turn and hem both seams all the way down and really like the neat effect it gives. 

Inside back view: lovely neat seams!

I've said it before but I'll say it again, just for good measure, I love this top. I've worn it to within an inch of its life since I made it and received lots of compliments. For some reason, people are very impressed by the bow and can't believe I actually made it! It's really not that difficult, but I'll bask in the glory anyway! Happy Tuesday. x

Fabric was given to me free of charge for review. All views my own.

A toned down bow blouse

I recently had a couple of precious mornings all to myself i.e. no children to entertain. This was my last chance for garment sewing until September, so I chose what I was going to make carefully. I wanted an easy top for my holiday, it had to have minimal fastenings (ideally no zips or buttons), a fitted shape and be made in a lightweight fabric for wearing at the beach.

I trawled through my pattern collection looking for inspiration, before finally settling for Simplicity 2154 - a sixties style bow blouse which I first made here.  Now, you may think something Miss Moneypenny would have in her wardrobe would be highly unsuitable for holiday wear, but stay with me. As a casual holiday top, there's a lot to be said against using this pattern: it's quite high necked, it looks formal, it has a ginormous bow and if you're not careful, you could end up looking a bit too 'Dog Toby'. Looking like 'Dog Toby' is an expression my mum and I use if something looks a bit too frilly and ridiculous around the neck, named after the fine, ruff-wearing dog from Punch and Judy. Moving on… you'll be relieved to know that I never intended to keep the original bow on the front. I might have a thing for bow blouses, but even I realised that a giant one would be just too Dog Toby for the beach!

Let's talk about what was right about the pattern instead. What drew me to it was the fact that I managed to get away with not inserting a side zip the first time I made it. It has bust darts and contour darts to the front and back, so although it's roomy, there's enough shaping there to still make it look fitted. It also has cute keyhole details at the front and back neckline which I thought would be a nice feature for holiday wear.  I wanted it to be a quick make, so as well as the bow, I also decided against including the collar - it would just be a simple shell top with added keyhole details. 

It sewed together like a dream but when I tried it on, the neck was too high. It wasn't unnaturally high, just not as casual as I'd hoped. I decided to lower the front neckline and have the front fasten with a thin bias binding bow - I'd still get a bit of bow blouse action, just not of the Mrs Slocombe variety. I lowered the front neckline edge by about an inch and drew a curve to join it up with the rest of the neckline. Because the neckline is finished with self bias binding, I simply cut out double the amount of neck binding and let the remainder hang loose from the centre front edges. This extra neck binding became my bow. Simple!

Back detail: fastened at the neck with a  button and handworked thread loop

The fabric is a Japanese cotton lawn from the same selection at Abakhan that my lemon lawn came from. I was delighted to receive a gift voucher from Mr Will Abakhan himself as a thank you for inadvertently helping to shift copious amounts of lemon lawn fabric! The voucher burnt a hole in my pocket for all of five minutes before I blew the whole lot on….more cotton lawn! I couldn't resist, it's so soft and lightweight, absolutely perfect for hot weather clothing. I chose two metres of a gorgeous red and turquoise rose print, and as the blouse only requires a front piece, a back piece and a few strips of bias binding, I still have nearly 1.5 metres left to make a dress with next year. Woohoo! I didn't bother underlining it this time as I deliberately wanted it to be as light as possible.

It took me one morning to cut out and sew the blouse together, and another to fiddle with the neckline, so it was still a quick, easy make. It teams up really well with my vast collection of red and denim skirts, shorts and capri trousers too, hoorah! Thank you for the generous gift voucher Abakhan - last minute holiday top sorted!  

I'd quite like to plan ahead next year and make a few more holiday tops or camisoles. I've got my eye on the new Silk Cami pattern from Sew Over It, which looks promising, plus there's some great inspiration in Katie's recent Camisole Crazy post, but if you know of any other suitable top patterns (preferably without zips or buttons) please share them in the comments. Happy Monday! x

Simplicity 2154 bow blouse

Way back at the beginning of the summer, Simplicity asked if I'd like to try out one of their patterns. Er, yes please! After days of umming and ahhhing, I finally chose Simplicity 2154, a 1960's retro pattern which includes a pencil skirt, fitted jacket, cardigan and bow necked blouse. 

The skirt and jacket would make an adorable 1960's air hostess outfit, and the cardigan looks like a useful pattern, but let's be honest here, the sole reason I chose the pattern was for the bow blouse. I've got a bit of a weakness for bow blouses - my Pinterest boards are littered with the things. I've admired Winnie's chiffon polka dot version from afar and was lucky enough to see it in person last year (it's gorgeous!). I also really like Amanda from Bimble and Pimble's version she made for the Mad Men challenge. Anywaaaay, summer and school holidays seemed to get in the way, but I did eventually get round to making up the pattern and we're only a few days into October... 

For fabric I chose the fabric that has no name. I haven't got a clue what it is, it's almost certainly synthetic and comes from Classic Textiles on the Goldhawk Road. It's the same fabric Karen used for her lovely Anna dress and in her words, "It's red with white polka dots, barely creases, has a lovely drape", which is everything you need to know about it.

Let me tell you that this is the PERFECT fabric for this particular pattern, drapey, slinky and easy to cut out and handle. It's also quite fine which comes in mighty handy when you're working with all those layers around the collar area. I don't think there was anything I didn't like about this pattern while I was making it. The instructions were comprehensive and the sizing was spot on - I made a 14 and didn't make any changes at all. 

The only thing that was nagging away at me before I started sewing this top was the thought of putting in a side zip - you all know how much I hate them (yawn). Then I remembered I'd actually made my second Alma blouse without a side zip and still managed to get it over my head. So as an experiment I decided to sew up the side seams zip-free, just to see if I could get it on. And it worked!!  Relief and joy flowed throughout the land. I think it helped having miracle fabric that does whatever you ask it to and generous openings at the front and back neck. I could probably have brought in the side seams a bit for a closer fit, but I didn't want to sacrifice the zip-free status. If I want a tighter, sexy secretary look, I'll just tuck it in. And as it's sleeveless it's perfect to wear under a cardi.

Tuck it in next time please Jane...

My favourite details are the collar and bow. If I was designing my perfect collar, this is exactly what it would look like, I just love the size and shape of it.

Back view

It also has two darling little peephole details at the front and back. The button fastens with a handworked thread loop which isn't as difficult as it sounds, I used this excellent tutorial, and it was a cinch!

Now, onto the bow. The big, floppy Mrs Slocombe-esque BOW.

I carefully read all the construction details on Winnie's and Amanda's posts and came to the conclusion that I wouldn't interface it as the pattern advises. The bow definitely looks much floppier without interfacing, but I think I prefer it that way - I was scared it would turn out too starched. It also allows me to channel my inner Mrs Slocombe, which can only be a good thing. 

So what's my final verdict on this pattern? Well I like it....a LOT! In the few days since I finished it, I've worn it every day, pausing only to wash it when it threatens to walk to the washing machine by itself. If I was allowed, I think I'd probably wear this blouse for the rest of my life!  Happy Sunday! x

This pattern was given to me free of charge for review. All views my own.