More Lockdown Sewing

 

I'm almost 10 weeks into our lockdown, vaccination numbers are getting higher, but there is still away to go before we get back to a somewhat new normal type of life.

Along with walking, hiking and gardening, sewing is my other sanity saver, and I have been doing continuing to work on some projects.

I decided I did need another six hearts to make my  Heart Groove is in the Heart Quilt look more balanced. It was also a chance for me to add a few more colours that I felt was lacking in it.  I'm really pleased with it now.

After the success of my scrappy chair and sewing machine cover,  I decided to make a giant version, which I am going to use as the backing for my heart quilt.  This way I get a reversible quilt and use up a lot of my stash.  The fabrics were all cut into various lengths and are six inches wide.  I'm quite delighted with how it looks, though the only downside was all the seams I had to press.  Ironing is not my favourite activity connected with sewing, nore of a necessary evil.

Now, if you're wondering why you're seeeing two pictures of me wearing the same shirt, it's because I made myself another one.  When I made the shirt on the right last year, it was a little tight around the armscyes, so ended up being given to my Mum.  When I found some more of the same fabric, I had to get some so I could make a Bonn Shirt for me out of this wonderful dandelion print.  This version is a size 6 and has tiny little mother of pearl buttons.

Should our lockdown continue, I have another couple of garments planned, and I probably should look at finishing some smaller handsewing projects that have been in my WIP pile too.

Fingers crossed, I'll actually get to go back to work soon though.

Bonn Shirt #3

 

My last lockdown  sewing finish is another Bonn shirt.  This time made in a lovely silky rust coloured rayon.  I chose the 3/4 sleeve version, and it is size 6C.  I was worried about sewing the collar being a rayon, but out of the three I have now made, this shirt actually was the easiest to make, the collar and sleeves went on perfectly on their first attempts.  However I had major problems with the button holes, for some reason my machine wanted to start finishing them half way through it's cycle, needless to say say there was a lot of swearing that went on with the multiple unpicking I had to do.  Eventually they all worked out.  Fortuitously I had buttons in my button jar that worked with the pale orange in the flowers.  

I love how it looks and feels to wear, and am looking forward to warmer spring days when I can indulge my inner bohemian with shirts like this.

Stay safe, stay home, wear a mask.  Kia kaha!

Bonn Shirt - the one with long sleeves

Over the past couple of weeks I have been doing some slow sewing on another Bonn Shirt.   I made one a couple of months ago, see here in a size 4, and while I loved the look and fit of most of it, I felt it was a little tight across my back and around the armscye,  This time I made a size 6 and used a lovely soft lilac cotton shirting.

I had a few dramas with the collar, until I realised that I had cut the wrong size (lesson to self - always print patterns in colour or highlight where you need to cut).  Once I re-cut that piece correctly, everything else went really smoothly, including my first time making a continuous lap on the cuffs.  I love all the detailed instructions and diagrams that patterns from Itch to Stitch have.

Overall the shirt fits well, I think I prefer it in a print rather than a solid colour (or maybe it's just this colour) and am contemplating making a third one, perhaps in a slightly softer drapier fabric to get the perfect shirt.

PS:  I did iron it before we took the photos of me in it.

Bonn Shirt

 

I  have rediscovered a love of wearing shirts with jeans, whether it be loose boho styled shirts or the classic white shirt, so decided I needed to find some good patterns and make my own,

First up is the Bonn Shirt from Itch to Stitch Patterns. This shirt has three different sleeve variations and can also be made a a shirt dress. I have made a few different Itch to Stitch patterns and have found that the sizing is good for me and the instructions are very detailed.  This pattern was no exception.

The fabric I used was a printed vile from Spotlight, I made a size 4 and the 3/4 sleeve option.  While I think the fit is very good I am going to size up for my next one for a little more room around the back of my arms and shoulder blades.  The only area of making this I had difficulty with was fitting the mandarin collar on, however there is a tutorial on the Itch to Stitch blog which showed and explained what I wasn't doing properly.

I made this shirt during the first week of our lockdown, but didn't have enough thread to make the button holes.  This was remedied this week once our stores were opened again.  Last night I sewed the buttonholes and buttons on.

Unfortunately it is a little too lightweight to wear now, so will need to be put away till slightly warmer weather next spring.