Closet Case Patterns Morgan Boyfriend Jeans

Last month was 'No Fear New Jeans' month from Closet Case Patterns which meant that there were some great discounts to be had. I happened to have my pattern ready and waiting, but it did spur me on to getting on with these jeans, and getting over my fear of contrasting topstitching. You can see I've been wearing them a lot already from the photographs - they are so handy for casual wear!

Closet Case Patterns Kalle Shirt

March's #sewmystyle2018 pattern is the Kalle shirt and shirt dress from Closet Case Patterns. I have to say I was really looking forward to this because I love their designs and know that there is always a lot of help and tutorials to match in case I get stuck. Although it was freezing at the start of March, I made a warm weather version, thinking of having something cool and casual for the summer. I'll also put it out there at the start that I'm really proud of how far my topstitching skills have come on - it's one of my favourite features on this make!

Style Arc Estelle Ponte Jacket

Okay, so I didn't quite get this up in time for February's #sewmystyle2018 reveal, but I don't think it matters if we aren't all 100% on schedule. I started the month with firm Rumana plans, and after seeing all of your Estelles, realised that there was an option for this pattern for me that would fit into my wardrobe needs. It seems both of my projects were about shortening significantly from the original, but that's what suits me!

Fabric

This is an easy one...the clue's in the title of the pattern!  I love how simple that makes it to pick a fabric for the Estelle. That said, there is a huge variety of ponte available! I went with a straightforward ivory from Minerva Crafts for £13.99 a metre. I only ordered one metre, knowing that I was going to shorten it considerably and I just got the pattern out of it. It's soft and comfortable to wear, and is easy enough to sew with. I used my regular sewing machine on this because I knew that the back neck needed it and getting out two machines would slow me down. This pattern has raw edges at the front and bottom, so a rotary cutter and ruler is essential to getting a good finish here.

Pattern and Instructions

The pattern is a simple waterfall jacket with a shawl collar. There are only three pattern pieces to work with and it really is a quick sew. When you order Style Arc patterns you don't get a pdf with lots of sizes on it - you have to look up their measurements and order the size you require. You get sent this size and one either side, but not the whole range. Personally, I like to have the whole range - it's nice to be able to make things for other people, and though it isn't an issue with this pattern, some makers need to grade across a few sizes when making dresses so I'm not sure how easily they would be able to do this.

The instructions are brief. They are quite simply a list of steps, and there are some accompanying illustrations, but these aren't matched to the instructions so there's a bit of detective work if you aren't an experienced sewer. I had a look on Style Arc's site for some extra help, and there is a bit more there, but I still found the shoulder pivot tricky. I also wasn't clear which side of the back neck would end up on show once the jacket was being worn so am not entirely happy with how this looks now.

This pattern took about three hours to make in total - the seams don't need to be finished and it features raw edges, all due to the handy non-fraying nature of ponte. This does mean that accurate and neat cutting is crucial, but it really is a speedy make.

Alterations

I altered the length of mine quite a lot. I measured from the back neck to where I wanted it to finish on me and used that as a guide to establish how much I needed to remove from the back, then compared this with a measurement from the front shoulder. I used pretty much the same technique as for the Rumana coat to keep the shape of the bottom, but this was a lot easier because there is no hem to factor into the calculations. I will admit that there was a fair bit of estimation in this one, but I wasn't too fussed about if there was a one inch deviation either way on the finished length from what I intended. As it was it turned out exactly as I wanted it. Shortening to this length does mean that the pockets are a no go though.

I also went with a turned up sleeve (just folded up and secured with a small stitch at each side). The sleeves on the pattern as made are a little too gapey for my style. I could taper them from the elbow to the wrist, but liked the turned up look better in the end.

Thoughts

What I like about this pattern - is how quick it is to make. If you need a little cover up or blazer to go with an outfit, you could easily put this together in a matching material with little hassle.
What I'm not sure about with this pattern - is the instructions. A beginner might struggle, and there were some parts that could have been clearer. I'd also prefer to get all the sizes in one download too.
Would I make it again? I really think I will. It's very flattering, and can be paired easily with lots of outfits.

What I learned at the Knitting and Stitching Show

Last weekend the Spring Knitting and Stitching Show took place at Olympia in London. This was the first time I had been, and many of you would have seen a discount for tickets here on the blog (as well as giveaways on social media too!). Instead of a 'review' I thought it might be more helpful for you to have my thoughts on what I learned there instead!

Apps to help you with your sewing

Something slightly different this week with a guest post all about apps you can use for sewing. I admit I didn't know there was much out there for this so pleasantly surprised to see what Isaac has for us! *spoiler...I'm an avid user of number 5*

Lunch on the Orient Express

Have you ever wondered what it is like on the Orient Express? Why people make a fuss about it? or have you considered booking but wanted to know a bit more detail before committing? I tried looking for detailed information before I booked for a lunch experience, and couldn't find what I needed. Hopefully if you are in the same position this might be of use to you (niche market I know, but someone has to put it out there!)
This is definitely one that should be added to the bucket list..........