Elegance & Elephants Spring Showers Jacket – Pattern Review

I had the good fortune this week to be asked to test again for Elegance & Elephants.

You already know how much I love Heidi’s patterns.  You’ve seen them often enough here.

This time it was Boy’s turn to be my muse for Heidi’s latest delightful offering, the Spring Showers Jacket.

The Pattern

This is a really cute unisex jacket in sizes 2 – 12. I made the size 4/5.  The PDF comes together really quickly and easily and each size is nicely nested to enable you to cut or trace your required size without having to squint! The instructions are well written with clear photos holding your hand every step of the way. The pattern has some sweet touches like the patch pockets with flaps:

and a cute visor on the hood!

The Fabric

I chose this fabulous navy camo cotton drill  from Minerva Fabrics for the outer shell and a plain cotton, also from Minerva for the lining.  I lined the sleeves in a matching poly to make the jacket easier to slip on and off.

What do I think?

No surprises… I love this pattern.  Heidi has done it again.  This is going to be a firm favourite Chez Stitches.

I’m thrilled with this jacket.  This is the sort of garment I’d happily spend good money on, but am even happier to have made myself.

My little man is 5 but small for his age.

This means he’s got lots of room to put a sweater underneath on cooler days, and will also get lots of wear out of this.

He loves it too.

Bonus!

The pattern is available now.  If you’ve got small people I can really recommend this pattern.  I’ve got a feeling it won’t be too long before I’m making a pink or red version for a certain little lady.  She’s dropping huge hints to that effect. And who am I to argue?

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this pattern in return for my testing of the pattern and subsequent feedback.  All opinions are, however, entirely my own.  

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Lekela blouse – pattern review and toile

Have you heard of Lekela patterns?

I’ve been aware of them for quite some time but I’ve never taken the plunge and tried them out. Originally their website was more than a little messy and their ordering system the same, and although I liked the look of some of their patterns, I really couldn’t be bothered faffing around with it all.

However they’ve recently upped their game and the site it much cleaner, more easily navigable, and the prices are super low.

I paid $2.69 for pattern 5098, which is this blouse pattern:

I chose this pattern because it’s very similar in style to a RTW blouse I’m wearing to death, that I’d like to replicate, and that I’d like to become part of my planned suite of Wardrobe Architect inspired TNT patterns.

And, frankly, at $2.69 I can afford to take a punt on this…other than a bit of time and some muslin fabric, I’ve nothing to lose.

Buying the pattern

Obviously it’s really easy to buy a PDF pattern.  5 minutes and the thing is in your inbox and waiting to be printed.

Lekela is that simple but you also get the opportunity to choose whether you’d like your pattern with or without seam allowances, which is pretty cool.  Also you get to input your own measurements so that the pattern can be adjusted accordingly.

In theory this is just bloody marvellous.  But don’t get all excited just yet…you’ll see why in a moment.

The PDF

As I’ve mentioned before, I really don’t mind the whole process of print/stick/trace that is your lot if you order a PDF pattern.  Even adult patterns.  I pour a glass of wine, arm myself with scissors, magic tape and a bit of space at the table and crack on. It’s especially fun if I’ve got episodes of The Archers to listen too.

So that’s what I did.

And I wished I’d had more wine.

I’ve had experience of poorly tiled PDFs before but nothing on this scale. Firstly there are only guidelines at the side margins to show where you need to trim the paper to fit together….nothing at the top or bottom margins.

Secondly there are no guide marks to show where the tiled pages should connect to the one next to it.  So you’re trying to match the actual cutting/sewing lines of the pattern piece.

That wouldn’t be so bad if they actually line up…but I had to do some serious jiggery pokery to make that happen.

I know you get what you pay for but, seriously, this was ridiculous.  If you were a newbie sewer, or new to the whole PDF malarky, this could really be problematic for you.

The instructions

Think Burda.  ‘Nuff said.

The Toile

Having thrown the pattern in the corner to teach it some manners, I came back to it refreshed the next day to cut and fit the toile.

This pattern should be used as a teaching tool in every sewing class to show the reason why you make a toile.

Here’s a spectacularly hideous photo of me wearing the toile cut straight from the pattern with no alterations.  Bear in mind that I input my measurements for this:

It’s just awful.  It’s waaaaaaaaay to big,  I know I’m starting to lose weight but I’ve not lost that much overnight! (Oh, I wish!)  Also, the neckline doesn’t reflect the illustration, and overall it’s too long.

This is the second toile after some adjustments:

Toiles are so flattering…but this is so much better…and I’ve tweaked the pattern a little more after looking at this picture.

My alterations:

• Removed 2″ from the centre front and centre back.  I crossed checked this against the inspiration blouse and it was clear that all the excess fabric was in that area.
• Widened the neckline, again using my RTW blouse to check the sizes.
• Dropped the neckline by about an inch.
• Lowered the bust dart by about 1/2 inch.
• 1/2 inch forward shoulder adjustment.
• Hollow chest adjustment
• Rounded back adjustment
• 1″ removed from the hem

The forward shoulder/rounded back/hollow chest adjustments are standard fare for me, but I’ll admit to being disappointed that, having given specific measurements, the overall size of this blouse was so far off the mark.

I didn’t fit the sleeve for this muslin as there is a lot of volume to allow for mobility and I’m really pleased with the fit of the armhole.  However I will ‘walk’ the armscye and sleeve head before I cut any fabric…just to be sure one will fit the other!

So…what do I think of Lekela patterns?

I think in principle this is a great idea.  The model for this website is obviously low price/high volume.  $2.69 is a ridiculously low price to pay for a sewing pattern, but they’ve cut right back on the instructions and everything is obviously generated by the software.  Once you’ve done the basic pattern in one size, and an illustration, I’m making a fairly educated guess that everything else is automated.

However, and it’s a big however, there are still a lot of kinks to iron out.  The fit is way off and the PDF tiling is atrocious…the worst I’ve ever experienced.

I wouldn’t recommend these for novice sewists, but if you’re comfortable hacking a pattern around to get the fit, then go for it.  These patterns cost less that a small takeaway coffee so it’s a tiny investment.

I’m hoping to get a sewing day tomorrow and start actually cutting out the fashion fabric.  I’ll be using a super cheap, but really pretty poly from Abakhan for this pattern’s first proper outing.  I’ll let you know how I get on.

Wish me luck!

ps…please ignore the absolute tip that is the sewing loft at the moment.  We keep saying “let’s go and finish packing the loft up” and then settling down with a glass of wine and a movie.  It’s just such a miserable job that The Husband would rather lift tiled floors than do it, and I need him to dismantle the heavy stuff before I can do any more.  So it sits, like an albatross atop the house. And we drink wine and ignore it!

Larry

The Sweater of Doom is finished.

Hurrah!

I sewed the final seam on Saturday afternoon so it was ready just in time for the Mr’s birthday on Sunday.  This was a result…but more good luck than good judgement 😉

He is delighted with the sweater and promptly pronounced it to be cosy and warm, which is a blessing here at the moment because although Spring has sprung, it’s still cold and wet (though nothing like our Canadian and North American cousins have been experiencing, so I’ll shut up). He also declared that it’s his favourite knitted-by-me sweater, which makes all my cursing worth while.

But enough of my waffling…here’s what Larry looks like on him:

Pattern:

Larry by Berrocco Design Team – available free on Ravelry

Yarn:

Twilleys of Stamford Freedom Spirit Chunky in colourway Dignity.

Pattern review:

This is a super, simple pattern that could be knitted by any adventurous beginner. If you can cast on and off, knit, purl, do simple decreases and pick up stitches, you can knit this sweater.

It’s also the perfect thing to knit in front of the TV because of it’s simplicity.

The end result is a rugged, casual sweater that is a great wardrobe basic.

Things I’d do differently next time:

• Make sure I had enough yarn!  Having to alternate between old and new yarns because they were different dye lots really slowed me down.
• Not sit on one of my lovely wooden needles halfway through, snapping it and ending up having to dig an old pair of metal needles out of the needle jar so I could crack on and get this finished.
• Realise sooner that this needle change would affect the tension and that was why, even though I’d counted the rows on the sleeves, the second sleeve was shorter than the first.  Doh!
• Not use recycled yarn.  As this is a loosely spun yarn it was quite keen to stick to itself which made the knitting process less fun.

Would I recommend this pattern:

Absolutely.  I can definitely see another one of these being knitted next winter simply because he loves it so much.

Topsy Turvey

Well, it’s been a mad old week or two here.  The Husband arrived home from work about 10 days ago with wine and no job.  His company had imploded and made him redundant.

Thankfully he’s very skilled at what he does and his market sector is buoyant so we are not remotely phased by this.  We spent the first night drinking the wine and toasting all the reasons this was a great thing to happen and the opportunities it opens up for us.

Obviously, I’m making the most of having him home and ‘we’ have made a start on the renovations.  The first thing ‘we’ have to do is lift all the floors.

I cannot tell you how much mess tiled floors make when they come up.  There is dust EVERYWHERE. But, the tiles were cracked and ready to be replaced so this rewire is a blessing in disguise.  I hasten to add that I had nothing to do with any of this.  It’s all The Husband and Pa SIL.  I’ve just been supplying tea, sandwiches and cake!

The hallway floor was lifted last week

They have been working like Trojan’s to get this done.  The kitchen will be completely cleared this week and then there’s only the living room to do.  I say ‘only’ as it’s laminate not tile BUT there are 7 floor-to-ceiling bookcases to pack up and remove before we can get to the floor.

I let him have the weekend off!  It was his birthday yesterday, after all.  We had a wonderful day with family and cake, but I was a little shabby from far too much red wine on Saturday night, so forgot to take photos.  I did, however, finish the Sweater of Doom just in time, and he absolutely loves it.  So, I’ll get photos of it this week and share.

Right, I’m off to toile a Lekela pattern for myself.

My wardrobe is decidedly bare and I need some tops.  I’m hoping to get the first one done this week.  Fingers crossed!

Now, here’s a little story about some pants named Jed!

This is a tale of three parts.

One good…one less so…one really fun.

Let’s start with the good.  The Jedediah toile.

I rustled that up earlier in the week from an old sheet.  Obviously not comparable in weight to the denim I was planning to make these up in, but I really just wanted to check whether the Mr could get his rugby thighs into them.  We have so much trouble with RTW it seemed prudent.

I swore black and blue that I wouldn’t put this up on the interwebs. Ooops!

As you can see apart from a little bit of saddlebagging at the hips there is plenty of room in the thighs. Which is all good.

I’d show you the front and side views but:

• I forgot to put the yoke piece on the back before trying them on so they hang all sorts of peculiar at the front and I’m sparing both our blushes.
• Mr decided to test the fit by throwing a very deep squat.  Neither the fabric nor the stitching held.  Again, blushes being spared.

But, I’m happy to go ahead with cutting these in the fashion fabric and making fitting tweaks as I go along.  I think that bubble on his tush will even out in a weightier fabric and once the side seams are fitting better.

I’m delighted with this pattern so far.  How often do you get to throw a pattern on to your fashion fabric straight out of the envelope?

So today I did just that.  The denim had already been prewashed and dried 3 times so was good to go.

I laid it out on the table.

I laid the pattern on top.

Crappity!

I thought the fabric was wider than it is.  There is no way on earth I can get both front and back legs cut out of this length for jeans for either The Husband or myself.  If I were a size 12 or 14 then this would work fine.  But I’m not. And there’s way too much cake in the world for me ever to be so again I think!

Pattern overhanging the fabric is not a good thing. At All!

At first I was more than a little frustrated.  This is a beautiful weighty denim with just a hint of stretch bought last year from The Cloth House in London. It’s the good stuff.  But there’s just not enough.  That’s what you get for buying fabric on spec.

It seems a waste to cut it up for jeans for the kids. There’s way too much of it for that. Soooooooo, I’ve got an idea about what I’m going to do. But I’m going to save that for another post.  All I’ll say now is that it ties in nicely with my Wardrobe Architect project.

The fun part is that I’ve promised to make these so make them I shall.  We shall just have to go fabric shopping.

Oh…the horror! 😉

Vintage sewing pattern giveaway at The Vintage Home Sewist

Do you feel like snagging yourself a whole bundle of vintage sewing patterns?

I thought that might get your attention! 😉

Well, Bessie from The Vintage Home Sewist has a giveaway running at the moment with a prize of not one, not two, but three $50 credits to her vintage pattern store.

I know…it’s a fabulous giveaway, right?

Why not hop right over there, right now, and throw your hat in the ring.

All images are shamelessly pilfered from The Vintage Home Sewist.  I cannot tell you how much I love that bottom pattern, even if I would have to grade the bejeezus out of it!

Johnny B Good shirt

Despite my own best efforts not to finish this shirt, I did, and in good time for Boy’s birthday party on Saturday.  Phew!

Before I get into the review of this shirt, let me just remind you that this shirt was upcycled from a shirt gifted to us by our friend, Martin.  The fabric is a thick and temperamental cotton, that acts like a very brattish polyester.

But…it’s wonderfully soft and cosy and Boy, who normally throws a fit of the screaming ab-dabs when you ask him to wear a shirt, couldn’t wait to get it on, and didn’t want to take it off. So it’s a win, as far as I’m concerned.

I did change the buttons.  On the original shirt they were a yellowy cream button and really looked a bit odd against the lilac/pink/blue fabric.

The new buttons are a variegated lilac that I found on our local market stall.  I like them much more.

Oops…a bit blurry, but you get the idea, no?

And, in one final change, I “drafted” a mandarin/grandad collar by simply folding the collar part of the pattern up and using just the stand to cut my fabric.  I did, of course, remember to add a seam allowance to the top of the collar!

The pattern is Shwinn Designs Johnny B Good shirt, and, I’ll admit I have mixed feelings about this pattern.

Let’s start with the good:

• The tiling on the pdf is really good and the pattern tapes together quickly and cleanly.
• The drafting of the pattern is excellent.  I found all the separate pieces stitched up perfectly.
• The sizing is good too.  Boy is a small 5 and this shirt fits him now but has room to grow into.  In my book this is perfect.  If I’m sewing something for the kids I’d like it to last more than a couple of weeks!

However, this pattern does have some challenges:

• I found the instructions to be a little less than straightforward and clear.
• I thought the sleeve placket is a little long.  It reaches right up to the elbow. This is, of course, just a matter of personal taste.
• I also thought the sleeve placket to be placed just a little too far towards the front of the sleeve.
• There are no placement marks for the buttonholes on the sleeves.  The idea is that you place them where you’d like them to go, but, personally, I would have preferred them to be added on the pattern.

I think this shows how far forwards the sleeve placket sits on the sleeve and also how high up the sleeve it goes. Please ignore the shoddy buttonholes. 

Despite the things I’m not fond of with this pattern, I will be using it again.  I think I’ll adjust the sleeve placket to move it more to the back of the arm, and shorten the placket a little bit.  

I plan to measure this shirt to get a really good idea for button placement and mark them on the pattern.

And lastly, I  think I’ll redraft the hem of this shirt to give it tails rather than a straight edge.  I think it will look really cute.

Once the pattern has been tweaked there’s one other thing I’ll change. I’ll use better thread so the topstitching isn’t quite so shocking.  I’m eternally grateful that this fabric hides a multitude of sins!

However, all my gripes are moot.  Boy loves his shirt, which is nothing short of a birthday miracle.

And yes, that is a bus cake.  As his party was held on the play bus (officially making him the coolest boy in the class…who knew?) I really had no say in the matter.

He loved it 😉

Guest La Mia Boutique reviewer

I am really happy to say that I was recently asked by Silvia, the Sewing Princess, to be her first Guest Reviewer for her monthly La Mia Boutique magazine review.

I’ve loved the reviews that she had done up till now with Anna of La Paunnet. Sadly, Anna’s schedule precludes her from continuing with the joint reviews with Silvia.

I, obviously, jumped at the chance.  I adore Silvia’s blog…she’s got amazing skills and exquisite taste, and having met her IRL, I can tell you she’s just a delightful person.

You can read our review here.

Let’s just say, I’d love a copy of this magazine for myself.  Thankfully Silvia has 2 copies to giveaway.

What are you waiting for?  Off you go… 😉

Wet work

It’s cold here.  Damp.  Grey. Windy. Gloomy.

Weather for socks and sweaters and quilts.  For hunkering down and knitting. For hot tea and soup.

The back of Larry is finished.

With the sewing loft in complete disarray as we slowly pack it up (we now have a deadline…it must be done in 4 weeks as the rewire starts then), actual sewing is the last thing on my mind.

But the dreary days lend themselves to mindless tasks such as taping together PDF patterns.

It’s a task I don’t mind and is perfect for days like this when you want to be productive, but not have to work too hard at it.

And so we have the Shwin Designs Johnny Be Good Hoodie

and Apple Loungewear patterns all taped up and ready to go.

I’m saving the 40-odd page See & Sew pattern for another day.  But, could it be true? Could the sewing mojo be waking up from hibernation?  I sincerely hope so! I’m ready for it when it does.

PS:

The title of this post is just to make me smile.  I’m referring to the weather, not some new career path of knife wielding assassin.  

Honestly! 😉

Kids Clothes Week – I’m on the fence

Sigh!

I have a serious case of missing mojo!  The only thing I’m remotely keen on doing at the moment is sewing hexies.  And a little knitting.  But I’ve not been in the sewing room since Red, except to pack up boxes.

So when I realised this week was Kids Clothes Week…I had absolutely no enthusiasm for it whatsoever.

I have to admit that I’d got my timing wrong.  I’d originally thought it coincided with half-term, but that doesn’t start until Friday, so technically I have 4 days when I could sew for the kids.

Lord knows they need some winter clothes.  And I have a crate of shirts and jeans and fabric offcuts all ready to upcycle into lovely things for them.

But I just feel so “meh!” about sewing.  I know it’s because I’m still harbouring the tail end of this wretched cough, but even I’m bored of that now.

I really wouldn’t mind making Button another couple of those lovely Heidi and Finn Cowl Neck Dresses:

It’s such a great pattern.  It’s a perfectly quick sew yet cosy and stylish, and with tights and boots would see her through the season. I have some red ponte left and some blue jersey, both of which would be cute on her.

I also have four shirts to cut up for Boy…I’m loving the Ethan shirt by SisBoom:

He’s always been resistent to shirts but I’m hoping that as 3 of the shirts are pink (which he loves) I might be able to win him over.

I could make him some Oliver + S Field Trip Cargo Pants to go with the shirts:

And I think he’d love a Greenpoint Cardigan as a lightweight jacket alternative. I’ve enough of the blue jersey to make both a dress for Button and a cardigan for Boy:

Obviously I’m not going to get 2 dresses, 4 shirts, a pair of jeans and a cardigan cut and sewn in 4 days, but, at the very least, I’d get them all printed, taped and cut out. Which would be a start, and might just give my mojo the kick in the butt is so richly deserves.

I don’t know.

I’m almost talking myself into it.

Are you ‘doing’ KWC?