Rachel (who is most definitely a dog person) wearing this fabulous cat print cotton & elastane french terry jersey mock wrap top. The pattern is Burda 6848 and is a tried and very much tested pattern.
Cats Print Wrap Jersey Top
Tag: Rachel
Strawberry Print T-Shirts (a pair of strawberry tarts)
When we received the email entitled ‘a pair of strawberry tarts’ we weren’t quite sure what we were opening. 🙀
This is Rachel and Rachel wearing their matching strawberry print cotton and elastane jersey t-shirts along with wolfy the dog (whippet the whippet was locked outside after rolling in fox excrement).
This is possibly our favourite catwalk photo EVER ❤️❤️❤️
Sugar Plum Fairy Print Dress for a “Grown Up”
Rachel doesn’t believe that kids prints should be solely for kids. Here she is in her self drafted quilting cotton dress printed in sugar plum fairies.. and frogs… and things. 😊
Space Travel T-Shirt
Rachel in her brilliant space travel print t-shirt using a self drafted pattern. The neck is bound with the same jersey cut binding. 😍😍😍
Cars and Landscape Print Cotton Shirt
Another superb shirt made by Rachel and modelled here by Luke. Again the fabric is a quilting weight cotton which is great for casual shirts. There is a light knit interfacing in the collar, cuffs and front placket.
Navy Harlequin Man’s Cotton Shirt
Rachel made Luke this beautiful harlequin jacquard cotton shirt. I think we can tell he likes it 😉
Black Pleather Bootleg Trousers
Did you know you can sew yourself sassy? Rachel couldn’t help but wiggle and saunter about in these leather look trousers she made using a viscose stretch trousering with a PVC coating. They make her happy therefor we are happy 🙂
Vinyl Records Print Shirt
Rachel made this fabulous vinyl records print shirt for Luke, perfectly matching everything, of course. Shirtmaking is an art Rachel has mastered to a tee. The fabric is a quilting weight cotton which is on the heavy side for a shirt but great for casual (and fun!) projects. There is a light knit interfacing in the collar, cuffs and front placket.
Here is a close up of Rachel’s matching: (in her previous life she was a chameleon)
Sugar Plum Fairy Tale Cotton Shirt
Rachel made this fabulous cotton shirt for her son Luke. Rachel is applying for title ‘Queen of shirt making’. This fabric is quilting weight which is great for a slightly heavier warmer shirt (and also happens to have the wackiest prints).
Thank you Luke for modelling for us, much appreciated!
Leopard Print Jersey Wrap Skirt
Rachel channeling her inner Bette Lynch in this leopard print scuba jersey wrap skirt. The pattern is Simplicity 1322, large lacquered coconut buttons were added for fun and modesty -the skirt makes her feel quite saucy with the open wrap front (which is a good thing). The skirt is lined in Red Venezia.
Red Liberty Wrap T-Shirt
Woodland Animal Print Swirly Skirt
Rachel wearing her Tula Pink for Free Spirit woodland animals print cotton skirt using Vogue 8588 pattern, the hem is bound in satin bias binding. She was worried she was going to feel like mutton dressed as lamb (as if), but actually feels fabulous wearing it. There were debates about adding lace to the hem to extend it (there is no more of the fabric) but we think she’s right to have left it be.
Dyed Cotton Sweatshirting Trousers
Bryan looking terribly dapper wearing his machine dyed cotton sweatshirting trousers made by Rachel. They have extra deep pockets for stashing various things that a man needs whilst still having hands free for the zimmer. Genius!
Dyed using Dylon machine dye (denim blue), the waist has elastic with a drawstring at the front.
Digital Bird Print Cotton Drill Skirt
Rachel surrounded by toiles and all things dressmaking at the sewing retreat weekend in Bromsgrove, wearing her bird digital print stretch cotton drill skirt and purple fleece with roll neck.
Leather look Ponte Jersey Jeans and Leopard Print T-Shirt
Rachel (with her whippet who knows she’s not really allowed in the shop) wearing black leather look ponte jeans (beautifully made) but not fitting brilliantly*… prototype #2 coming soon, and slinky dink leopard print poly jersey mock wrap t-shirt.
She does love a bit of Kitsch, does our Rach, and this is definitely in the kitsch camp!
The Jeans are butterick 5682 (not designed for jersey hence the fitting issues) and the top is Burda 6848.
*Actually we think they fit pretty well but Rachel likes perfection.
Kitsch Cats T-Shirt
Rachel with her kitsch cats print cotton and elastane jersey mock wrap t-shirt made using Burda 6848 pattern (with minor alterations to enable a good fit) and black leather look ponte jersey skirt.
Blue Digital Print Cotton Drill Fluted Hem Skirt
Rachel wearing her blue digital print skirt with a fluted lowered hem at the back, this skirt works in both soft drapey fabrics as well as this stiffer cotton drill. The pattern is a Bellville Sassoon for Vogue, now discontinued but you might find it on the world wide interweb, V1296.
Use the heavy cotton or stretch cotton tag to find more fabrics like this
Graffiti Printed Wrap T-Shirt
Rachel wearing her fabulous digitally printed graffiti cotton and elastane jersey wrap t-shirt. Rachel had made up this t-shirt before in a Liberty pure cotton jersey but there’s a lot of elastane in this jersey (6% -double what you usually get), which makes it super stretchy and caused a few alterations to be made, she got there in the end! Jersey used to be Rachel’s nemesis but she’s learning how to kick it into shape.
Jerseys, just like wovens are not all made from the same mould, the weight, the fibres, the density of knit and percentage of elastane all effect the way it behaves, so even when you think you’ve got the perfect pattern along comes a new fabric that needs alterations. Such is the joy of dressmaking!
Anyway, it’s fab, and you learn much more from our trials than the easy projects (just keep telling yourself that).
Liberty Print Cotton Jersey Wrap Top
Rachel terribly pleased with herself after making this t-shirt in Liberty pure cotton jersey.
She used Burda 6848 mock wrap t-shirt pattern with minor alterations to enable a good fit. Other than a bit of seam tape in the shoulders and ballpoint machine needles no special equipment or extras were required.
Winter White Faux Fur Swing Coat
Rachel wearing her super soft faux fur coat. It is a travesty of modern technology that you cannot feel the softness but trust me, it’s soft.
Made in a jiffy and lined in elephant print stetch poly satin, this coat is equally happy walking the mental worm dog as it is keeping the chills off your posh frock at a flash soireé.
Stretch Cotton Jacket and Elephant Print Viscose Skirt
Rachel wearing stretch cotton jacket with embossed squares, eyelet tape and various trims, and elephant printed floppy viscose panelled skirt.
Fabrics and Notions:
Jacket:
Black embossed stretch cotton
Black hatch print Linen (border/collar)
Velvet ribbon
Suedette eyelet tape
Haematite beads
Machine embroidery
Pattern: Marcy Tilton (discontinued)
Skirt:
Elephant print viscose
Medium weight knitted iron-on interfacing
Invisible zip
Boiled Wool Waterfall Unlined Jacket and Cotton Waffle Trousers
Rachel (from classes) wearing her turquoise boiled wool waterfall jacket with red wool binding, and Paddy Campbell off-white cotton waffle wide leg trousers.
Fabrics and Notions:
Jacket:
Turquoise boiled wool
Red wool fold-over binding
Trousers:
Paddy Campbell off-white cotton waffle
Zip
Knitted iron-on interfacing
Patterns:
Jacket, McCall’s 5937
Trousers, Vogue 8717
French Writing Embroidered Cotton Shirt
Luke wearing his embroidered cotton shirt made by Rachel (from classes).
Fabrics and Notions:
Embroidered and printed cotton
Buttons
Cotton lawn iron-on interfacing
