Bess wearing her pussycat sweatshirt made using red brushed back cotton sweatshirting and appliqued glow in the dark cotton eyes with remnants of jersey for the whiskers and nose.
Bess might have a bit of a pussycat (particularly with glowey eyes) obsession at the moment. (Inspired by a sleeveless top bought from Uniqlo earlier in the year designed by Lulu Guiness).
Get your glow in the dark fabric HERE
Carole from our Cloth Club wearing her flock print jersey top using Butterick B5826 and basic trouser pattern she uses again and again, Butterick B3826 using a navy washable trousering #4343
Pink and Red double-sided wool and cotton jumper with heart elbow patches. Made by Bess.
This jersey is 50:50 wool and cotton with one side (red) being wool and the other side (pink) being cotton which means you can not only choose what colour to show but also what fibre to have against your skin. It’s fab.
Long cardigan made with Italian Designer chevron cotton viscose and silk knit, made by Bess.
This was supposed to be a uber-simple cardigan with no darts or back seam or anything, but as is the way with Italian Designer knits it was cut way too big so ended up needing a centre back seam and princess seams.
It looks nicer with those seams. That’s her story and she’s sticking to it.
Find Italian Designer knits Here
Bess on top of the world wearing linen jersey camisole and red and white spotty linen skirt. The camisole pattern was made by drawing round an existing vest. The front and the back are the same which makes it super easy to construct (no markings!), Soft elastic binding was used for the straps, Bess made a few of these for her holiday and got the making time down to 20 minutes. The skirt was made a few years ago (fabric long since sold out 🙁 ), due to the linen being so fine Bess lined it with white ‘Riviera’ lawn. Double belt loops were attached to hold a decorative saddle stitch grosgrain belt. She’s had a lot of use out of this skirt.
You can find lots of Linens HERE
Inspired by scruffybadgertime’s sew-along Denise decided to join in and make up this fab spotty navy and white jersey dress. It doesn’t have a lot of stretch (as jerseys go) but I think this was an ideal choice for the pattern. You can read all about it on her blog
Fabrics and Notions:
Navy and White heavy Jersey (nearly as heavy as a Ponte Roma Jersey, but not quite)
Iron on interfacing (neck)
Bias Binding (armholes)
Zip
Pattern: New Look 6000
Digitally printed viscose and elastane jersey short sleeved dress made by Tracy.
Fabrics and Notions:
2mts digital print viscose elastane jersey #3407
Pattern: Taken from the book ‘Drape Drape’ by Hisako Sato.
Pam wearing her printed Ponte Roma Jersey dress with cowl neck.
Fabrics and Notions:
Designer Printed Ponte Roma
Pattern: Butterick 5778
Bess wearing her cloud printed cotton elastane jersey mini skirt, with cobalt blue double jersey raglan sleeve top. Both the top and the skirt took less than half an hour to make (each) – more time was spent waiting for the iron to heat up, or choosing which side to do the top (the reverse of that fabric is a lovely teal colour.
Bess loves things that take less than half an hour to make 🙂
Fabrics and Notions:
Cotton Elastane cloud printed jersey #2846.
Cobalt Blue/Teal double sided jersey #3193. See more jersey here
Elastic
Patterns:
Skirt: DKNY for Vogue (adapted from long skirt, pattern now discontinued)
Top: Marcy Tilton for Vogue. #8636 (collar, cuffs and hem adapted from pattern)
Turquoise and white cloud print cotton and elastane jersey hat made by Jo for teens with cancer. Have a look at her website: http://www.jashcroft.co.uk
Abi sporting her ace retro print poly jersey 3/4 sleeve top
Fabrics and Notions:
Black and White swirly printed poly jersey
Lightweight knitted interfacing
Pattern: Vogue V8371
Stephanie sporting her spotty printed cotton and poly crinkle jersey top.
Fabrics and Notions:
Red and white polka dot printed cotton and poly crinkle jersey
Elastic (for neckline)
Lulu wearing turquoise cloud print cotton and elastane jersey t-shirt with stand up collar made by Bess.
Fabrics and Notions:
Turquoise cloud print cotton with 7% elastane (v.stretchy) jersey.
Stay tape
Pattern: Adapted from an ancient Vogue Elements hooded top pattern.
To add a stand collar like this to a round neckline is easy as the pattern is cut straight, just cut a rectangle twice the height of the collar (plus seam allowances), and as wide as the circumference of the neckline (do not add seam allowances). Sew the collar into a tube, fold in half and then overlock or stitch the raw edges together at the neck.
Sheila (from classes) wearing her white polka-dot jersey cross-over top with piping detailing and ribbon flowers.
Fabrics and Notions:
Designer white viscose elastane jersey with black polka-dot print
Piping cord
Satin Ribbons and buttons (for flowers)
Pattern: Vogue 8649
Abstract floral print viscose elastane jersey twist front dress made by Pam.
Fabrics and Notions:
Viscose elastane jersey
Stay tape
Lycra stretch binding
Acylic polyamide and elastane funky flower printed jersey dress made by Lucinda for her twin carrying sister.
Fabrics and Notions:
Acylic polyamide and elastane printed jersey
Stay tape
Elastic (neckline and armholes)
Jessie wearing her red viscose and elastane polka dot t-shirt made by Bess, and Bess wearing her wool and silk tweed pinafore dress with Birdy pockets and circle jersey inserts.
(They were trying to move faster than the camera flash- clearly not fast enough)
Fabrics and Notions:
Jessie wears:
Red polka dot printed viscose elastane jersey
Lightweight knitted iron-on interfacing
Stay tape
Reinforced iron-on stay tape
Bess wears:
Wool and silk tweed pinafore dress
Red polka dot viscose and elastane jersey (pockets and inserts)
Medium weight knitted iron-on interfacing
That T-shirt again, in slight slower motion:
Dress made for Bess’s graduation made out of charcoal silk and wool lightweight English tweed with charcoal jersey back and red spotty jersey circle inserts and pockets.
Miaow at a festival wearing her whit rabbit costume (ears in hands) made with organic cotton, pale pink tulle, pink viscose satin and microfleece (ears)
Kyra modelling the felted jersey cardigan designed by Bess with integral glove puppets.
Fabrics and Notions:
Turquoise wool and polyamide felted jersey
Red viscose elastane jersey (binding and waist yoke lining)
Cover buttons
Wool wadding (collar interlining)
Viscose iron-on interfacing
Megan (spinning) and Bronte (triptych) modelling angora and wool mix jumper with red viscose jersey circle insert and monster gloves, and charcoal grey dogtooth worsted wool with zipped panels revealing printed silk habotai inserts.
Fabrics and Notions:
Jumper:
Wool and angora stripe rib jersey
Red viscose and elastane jersey (circle insert, covered buttons and glove linings)
Wool wadding (Inside circle insert)
Covered buttons
Bias binding cut from jersey
Stay tape
Viscose iron-on interfacing
Skirt:
Charcoal 80% Wool 20% Poly dogtooth check brushed worsted wool
Digitally printed silk habotai
Red continuous zipping
Black grosgrain fold-over binding
Invisible zip
Backing button
Bias binding
Iron-on stabilising tape
Maddison modelling reversible black and white polka dot dress (red on reverse) that Bess designed for her final degree collection.
Fabrics and Notions:
Red viscose elastane jersey
Black and white polka dot print viscose elastane jersey
Lightweight knitted iron-on interfacing
Stay tape
Pattern: Bess’s own
Sarah wearing her pink backless dress made for a Drama awards ceremony and embellished with beaded trim
Fabrics and Notions:
Pink wool double jersey
Beaded trim
Bias binding
Clair wearing heavy jersey sailor top and pleated wool and silk skirt.
Fabrics and notions:
Heavy wool jersey
White ribbon
Stay tape
Black silk/wool worsted (permanently pleated)
Medium weight knitted interfacing
Venezia lining
Gingham ribbon
Invisible zip
Becky modelling Lucinda’s quilted cotton hooded jacket with laser cut leaf embellishments, and worsted wool shaped yoke with jersey draped skirt (made using the Julian Roberts sub-cutting method)
Fabrics and Notions:
Skirt:
Marble print viscose and elastane jersey
Chocolate brown English worsted wool
Red viscose and elastane jersey
Invisible zip
Jacket:
Dyed calico
Laser cut leaves from ultrasuade, jersey and calico
Blue viscose (lining)
Wadding
Cotton bias binding
T-shirt:
Viscose elastane jersey
Bess made this hoody with ears for her father (modelled here by her husband, Rob) out of white cotton sweat shirting which she dyed blue with Dylon machine dye.
Fabrics and Notions:
White cotton sweatshirting
Navy Dylon dye
Stay tape
Wool wadding (for ears)
Bess believed that EVERYONE should have a hoody with ears in the Christmas of 2010
Bess made this sleeveless hoody with ears for Lulu using the lightest, softest jersey and interlined with wool wadding (sold in bed sized sheets).
Fabrics and Notions:
Stripe viscose elastane jersey
Charcoal Marl Viscose Elastane Jersey
Wool wadding
Binding
Kitcat with her horse print fleece ensemble made by Jane and Clair.
Fabrics and Notions
Horse print fleece
Daisy buttons
Elastic
Grey cotton jersey
Bess made this reversible jersey dress as a dummy run for her final collection. The plain side in a linen viscose jersey, and the spotty side is viscose elastane. The pattern was designed on the stand.
Fabrics and Notions:
Linen Viscose jersey
Viscose elastane polka dot print jersey
Lightweight knitted iron-on interfacing
Stay tape
Fenton wearing his red cotton jersey squid costume made by his clever granny, Anna
Every child should have a squid costume!
Judith wearing wool mix double jersey skirt with a clever flower detail
Fabrics and Notions:
Wool mix double jersey
Knitted medium weight interfacing
Invisible zip
Carole from our Cloth Club trying out stretch fabrics on her new overlocker machine
Fabrics and Notions:
Poly Viscose Brushed Jersey
Stay tape
Pattern: Vogue 8575
Overlockers are a worthwhile investment for the keen sewer, they are not essential for sewing jersey fabrics but they make life much easier, and quicker!
Kit relaxing in her poly spandex slinky jersey dress
Fabric and Notions:
Printed Polyester Spandex printed single jersey
Stay tape
Pattern: Vogue 8358
This was the first time Kit had sewn jersey, and the first outing for the Vogue pattern, she was pleasantly surprised at how simple it was. (I keep telling people this but they never believe me)
Alice’s jersey and sequinned bodysuit made for her degree collection.
Fabrics and Notions:
Viscose elastane single jersey
Ombre printed sequinned tulle
Elastic
Alice’s jersey and faux fur midi tube dress made for her degree collection.
Fabrics and Notions:
Viscose elastane single jersey
Black long pile faux fur
Stretch iron-on interfacing
Alice’s jersey and sequinned mini dress made for her degree collection.
Fabrics and Notions:
Viscose elastane single jersey
Ombre printed sequinned tulle
Stretch Iron-on Interfacing
Bess dancing at her cousin, Gemma’s wedding, in her super-comfortable red linen cap sleeve jersey dress.
Fabrics and Notions:
Red linen single jersey
Stay tape (shoulder seams)
Pattern: Custom made
Bess in her black and white polka dot viscose jersey dress (So good she made it twice)
Fabrics and Notions:
Polka dot Viscose jersey
Stay tape (shoulder seams)
Polka dots are a great flattering print which withstand the fashion cycles. Bess wore this versatile dress to death and so made another one, it is so easy it can be made in less than an hour on the overlocker.
Bess (the day after her wedding) wearing cartoon print jersey dress.
Fabrics and Notions:
Cartoon print cotton and elastane jersey
Elastic
Bess thought the jersey a bit lightweight for her taste so made it double (rather than lining it in a tricot which she didn’t feel was heavy enough).
Also worn at Womad for her hen party. The neckline was cut the same as her wedding dress so she wouldn’t get tan lines.
