It’s been almost three months since my last post.  Most of my spare time has been spent enjoying the great outdoors or working in the garden.  I’ve been sewing a little, but not getting around to editing photos for a write-up. So its high time for a quick catch-up.

Sudoku wardrobe – last of the summer sewing

Back in March, I entered the Sudoku Contest on PR – a bit of a twist on the normal wardrobe contest.  My entry was a beachy kind of wardrobe.  Usually, when I plan a wardrobe, I’m trying to mix the function of the clothes up  and being able to dress them up or down eg something to wear to work, casual, dinner out.  With the sudoko format, I found it really hard to do this and opted for a sporty kind of theme.  But it was fun to play with and I got some new togs out of it. Link to entry

Jeans & Denim Jacket

During May, I started off on the Me Made May challenge, trying to wear a different outfit each day.  It was a good challenge and I used a lot of tops that I hadn’t worn for quite a while.  It did show up that I do prefer to wear jeans most days.  The last couple of years, I have not made new jeans because I’ve wanted to change my habits.  But I can’t fight it!   My favourite jeans are now only suitable for yard-work, and the other pair are heading that way too.

These jeans are a fairly heavy weight and in a fabric I picked up on sale at Spotlight.  It is wool blend that had a little stretch.  Sadly after washing, the stretch is gone, but the wool makes them wonderfully warm.   I wore these to an outdoor party when it was 3^oC and they were so toasty!

The jacket is Lekala 5312 – kind a cross between a blazer and a jean jacket.  The pattern goes together and fits well but the sleeves could be improved.  The are just a normal one-piece sleeve, where I would have preferred the seam offset so it is visible from the back.  Apologies for the “scary face” on the second photo.  I was being a bit silly, but I do like the look of the shorter length when I raise my arms.  Having the jacket finish above my hip-line is a bit more flattering when the jacket is done up.

 

Lekala boiled wool jacket

Absolutely loved the look of this pattern when it came up on the Lekala website ( Lekala 4650).  The inspiration garment is made from boiled wool, but I’ve used a wool melton.  I also added some bling to the closure and changed it a little to keep the fold in place.  Full review is on PR

Lekala faux lambswool coat

This coat is a bit of fun (Lekala 4584).  I’d seen the faux sheepskin fabric at Spotlight and had been tempted a few times to get it for this pattern.  On sale at 40% off plus a coupon.  Sold!

The fit was pretty much perfect straight up.  The only thing I’ve changed was to add pockets into the princess seams and shorten the coat a little.  I’ve left off the trim on the bottom of the coat as I didn’t sit nicely, with the back hem wanting to stick out.  I think the trim would be better if it had a couple of darts to follow a curve rather than being a straight piece.

Lekala Dragonfly top

Another new Lekala  pattern (Lekala 4651), this time a top, made in a rayon print.  It is very loose-fitting and the neckline is a little low for my liking, so I’ll make some adjustment on my next version.   The day after I finished it,  winter finally kicked with the temperature dropping by 10^o 😦 So it will be spring before I get to wear it.

 

Bean bag cover

Last but not least, is a new cover for the dog’s bean bag. Just a plain rectangle, with a zipper sewn in to make a tube, then the ends sewn together. I think she likes it. When I went to take a photo of the finished back, she decided it was time for a tummy-tickle 🙂