Autumn arrived this weekend with a wild wind storm. We had to move our vehicles away from the house after FL's car was hit by a falling branch. On the scale of world wind events, this is a mere whistle, but it certainly signals a change of season. I was determined to do some sewing from my autumn palette. This fabric has been languishing in the stash for a year, if not two. It is a Liberty Tana lawn, which I bought for a song on eebaay. The pattern is of course Colette's Sencha. I made my first version over a year ago and it has become the top I reach for on days when I have an important meeting. It is comfortable and yet smart - a good combination!
Stats:Pattern: Colette Sencha No. 1007, made in size 6
Fabric: About 1.3 metres of Liberty Tana Lawn, bought for about £10 from Little Shop of Treasures on eebaay.
Buttons: 8 vintage 1940's dark green plastic cat's eye buttons for about £1.20 from Clover Crafts and Curios on eebaay.
How was the sewing?:
You would have thought I would know what I was doing, considering I made this pattern successfully once before. However, I found myself puzzling over the instructions for the neck pleats. I am quite convinced that the reason many sewists find the neck of this blouse coming up too high is because they have misunderstood how to bring the dots together and then stitch through said dots. I have made a note on my pattern to say: "pinch fabric together to form a pleat on the wrong side, aligning the dots on the right side". That's better!
I made a pig's ear of the back buttonholes, because the back facing is not interfaced. On their own, two layers of tana lawn make an insubstantial ground for a buttonhole, and I found my needle wasn't sharp enough to pierce the fabric cleanly and move forward evenly with the increased presser-foot tension that a buttonhole requires. So I made myself another note to change the needle and consider adding a square of interfacing between the layers of lawn, behind each buttonhole.However, you can probably tell that the reason I made all these notes was that I love love love the outcome! I will certainly make another Sencha! And it will probably be in Liberty lawn again, because it is the ideal fabric for this pattern: plenty of drape, soft and fine - ah bliss!
Verdict?:
A work wardrobe staple! It has such a wonderful vintage vibe and sets off my grandma's glass flapper beads perfectly. At the moment, my caramel Eva Dress trousers are the best bottom-half match, but I intend to make a chocolate brown skirt to give myself another, more seasonally appropriate, option. It is an exact colour-match with my Audrey-in-Unst cardigan... which is just as well because it is flipping freezing today! When I finished taking these photos I had to run to FL for a hug to get warm again! ; )
12 comments:
Ooh, pretty! I love the fabric, it has beautiful drape. Also perfect for a Pendrell I think.
Haha, I use my OH for warmth too! :) Though he thinks its ok to warm his feet up on my back when its cold at night. He gets a slap for that ;)
Ashley x
This is such a classic look. I hate it when something comes together well and then the buttonholes look bad! (And that had happened all to often in my sewing career.) I was recently sewing some really high quality lawn (with difficulty) and found that a Microtex needle I had around for coated fabrics worked very well.
It looks great, and looks fab with your beads too. I'm impressed that it matches with other self-made items too - that matching is something I realy need to learn to do!
That's lovely! What great tips about the darts and the buttonholes. The fabric is gorgeous, and I love the beads. :)
Lovely, lovely photos! You look like Virginia Woolfe, or how I imagine she looked - a graceful literary lady. The stats - you didn't add what book you were reading! I love having a book in the photos. You could combine sewing and book reviews. Here's how making the top was and here's what I thought to the book!
Karen - how funny! I was just thinking it was all a bit Bloomsbury-looking! The book is "The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox" by Maggie O'Farrell. So far... very good!
Sigrid - I didn't know there were special Microtex needles - I will have to look out for them - thanks for that tip!
Why has this excited me so much! Is it the first sighting of an autumnal make that is super covetable? Is it getting me excited about autumn sewing planning? No, I think it's when I read that it goes so well with Audrey ... I am experiencing a vicarious pleasure! By the way, I'm just about to start a Maggie o farrel ( the hand....etc) and no idea if I'll like it, but you and dolly clackett both raved, and there it was in the library....
Lovely sencha. It looks very elegant with the trousers. I can imagineit being an autumnal wardrobe staple.
Sumptuous! What a perfect staple, work wardrobe and otherwise. Now you have me thinking that I Needs Must make me some of these!
Thanks for all the lovely comments!
:)
So chic and elegant and perfect with the beads, you've really made the Sencha your own (it doesn't like me!) I've read the Maggie O Farrell book too, it broke my heart. x
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