Two spring outfits

I made these two cowl neck tops a few months ago, but felt compelled to create some cute skirts to wear with them as the weather warmed up.  Shazam!  Two new outfits for spring, which can be mixed and matched!

The cowls are both a mash up of Sewaholic's Renfrew top (view C) and an elongated waistband from Seamwork's Astoria top.  I sewed the teal version first and the neckline is a bit narrow, so I slashed and spread the cowl pattern to make it a bit wider for the pink one.   See, bigger!

As for the skirts, the first is a super simple knit dirndl with an elastic waist.  Nothing fancy, except the pretty fabric :)  I didn't even put in pockets (poor decision, as usual).

The second is a City Stroll wrap skirt from Liesl & Co.   I've made it once before (in cashmere!) and really like the simplicity of the pattern.  This version is in denim for a more casual look that coordinates well with lots of tops.

I topstitched the skirt with a light gray thread (sorry, no super close ups!), but it is not lined like the wool one I made previously.

The photos I have of this garment are not great, but I DO have some action shots!  While the skirt can be a bit indecent in certain situations, it does cover under most poses:

I typically wear a skirt pin my wool one for work, but I like to play fast and loose on my days off.  

Now the weather actually needs to warm up for real, so I don't freeze without tights!  

Renfrew top and a neckline conversion

I've made the Renfrew cowl neck top a couple times (here and here), and I love it.  The cowl is more like a floppy turtleneck, so for it to hang nicely, the fabric has to be pretty lightweight and drapey. After sewing up the Renfrew in this cute bicycle print (purchased at Harts, but it doesn't seem to be available at their online store), I realized that the cowl was just annoying.  It's kind of big and bulky, and doesn't lay quite right.

So after wearing it a couple of times, I realized that I could fix it!  I carefully cut off the cowl and used the fabric to cut the neckline binding.  In about 15 minutes, the neckline conversion was complete!

I love that--being able to make a garment into what you want from the start and/or making adjustments when you're done.  

And check out this completely unintentional awesome feat of matching (the arrow is pointing to the head of the rider from the binding matching the body on the shirt--crazy!)

I've made a few other garments lately, but I've been less good about documenting my work--I've got a Britex project (with mini-tutorial) coming up soon, and a Sewaholic pattern hack on the way!

2015 Resewlution, October garment #1 

Renfrew in dotted viscose/lycra knit

If you arriving here from Britex, welcome to Nicole at Home!

I managed my "Resewlution 2014" goal for March (at least a single garment for myself a month) on the very first day of the month!  As a Guest Blogger for Britex, I had the opportunity to use some of their beautiful knit fabrics and a well-loved Sewaholic pattern to make this lovely cowl-neck top (and give some basic tips for sewing with knits!). Since I've made this pattern before (thick wool version and silky wool version), sizing wasn't an issue--I just cut and sewed!

I worked to match up the stripes on the sides, but didn't want them to be completely continuous across the arms, so the stripes there are positioned slightly lower. For the sleeve and hem cuffs, the pattern is also uninterrupted (you can't even tell there are cuffs there!)

This knit fabric from Britex is really lovely.  It's light- to mid-weight (viscose/lycra) so it's slinky-drapey, but has enough body not be annoying while cutting or sewing.  It truly works wonderfully for this pattern, especially for the cowl version.  Check out the other colorway!  And, for my practical side, it washes and dries perfectly!

Here's a view from the back.  The placement of the stripes on the cowl create a large dark swath, but the look from the front makes up for it.

My little boy was working the remote shutter button.

I love this style because it can be dressed up or down, and is super comfy.  I'll probably wear this to work with khakis or a skirt (maybe even this one!)  Overall, another solid top that I'll be sure to wear like crazy.  Thank you to Britex for providing the fabric and thread, and Sewaholic for the pattern!  

Renfrew cowlneck in silky wool knit

With "winter" drawing to a close in Northern California, time is running short for sewing up the rest of the wool fabric I bought a few months ago.  At this point, I'm not sure I can pull off another pair of wool pants or a dress, and still get reasonable use out of them before they get moved into off-season storage.  But this fabric is lightweight enough to wear for a while, so it moved up to the top of the pile.

I'm not completely enamored with the print, but the fabric caught my eye immediately in a sale rack of vintage knits.  I was drawn to the sheen, and then was absolutely shocked that it wasn't silk.  Nope, wool.  Wool!  The most silky, lightweight, soft, flowy wool knit ever.  

I've made Sewaholic's Renfrew cowlneck before, but this fabric is better suited for the style of this top. I cut size 2 and I love the fit of this top: fitted, but not tight.  I need to try the other neckline versions!

After a few solid years of using my serger, I still don't love using the cutting blade while sewing. So since the Renfrew is designed with 5/8" seam allowance, I decided to trim 3/8" around all the pattern piece edges (except the cuffs and hems) so I could serge the seams without having to using the blade. Maybe sizing down to the 0 would achieve the same effect?

It's been a busy month, but this is my "February" garment (and I have another one to show you soon!).  

Renfrew in double knit wool

As one of the Community Match winners in the SOSM, I was awarded three Sewaholic patterns.  In my opinion, it was the best prize of all  (among many awesome awards, by the way!) and I was super duper thrilled!  Always the pragmatic, I chose the Renfrew top, Thurlow trousers and the Alma blouse, figuring I could get lots of use out of those, for both work and "play" clothes. Of course, work has been keeping me from my sewing room, so it wasn't until I overbought at a big wool sale at the local fabric store that I was pushed over the edge and I finally couldn't resist anymore.  (By the way, if you're in the South Bay in Nor Cal, Eddie's Quilting Bee has more gorgeous wools, silks, and other apparel fabric than one can take, and it's all 50% off until 11/11.  No I don't work there, just an honest plug for a great selection of fabric :).  

With several wool knits in hand, I chose to start with the Renfrew top and this rust colored double knit wool.  I was a little worried that the collar would be a bit much with this thick of fabric, but I actually kind of love it.  Definitely a statement!  With a fitted wool shirt, I was worried about the itchiness, but this fabric is surprisingly soft and not at all itchy!

I left the hem and sleeves unhemmed (at least for now) since the fabric doesn't fray at all and I was concerned that folding it under would make it look too bulky.  

(Ignore the clay on my pants and sleeves!  Ridiculously, I chose to wear this to help with the pottery class at my son's school, where I somehow fell into the role of assisting the kids on the wheel.  Not a bad way to spend the morning, but probably should have photographed the top beforehand!).  

Overall, I was incredibly pleased with this pattern.  I made a size 2 with a petite alteration in the waist, though usually I like my tops a bit more fitted, so I'll try a 0 next time.  With some major strategic planning and clipping about an inch off the length of the cowl, I even managed to cut the pattern from about 1 1/8 yard of fabric.  Next up: a wool dress?  We'll see if I can pull off two garments in a week!