Girl Can Sew

Introduction: Honestly, I have been wanting to make a white linen shirt since I lost a beloved Hollister one I wore to death and this project has been in my stash for over a year now because other projects kept coming up. Anyway, I’ve finally made it ( Olya Shirt, Paper Theory ) and I couldn’t be happier with the result! If only I made it sooner! Fabric: I bought this linen from The Cloth Shop on Berwick Street, it was a little pricey but for a simple shirt which I’m going to wear all the time I wanted to make sure it would stand the test of time. It’s quite a medium weight with a rough texture that holds its shape easily so I knew it would be a good match for this style of shirt. If you’re looking for high-quality natural fibres then The Cloth Shop is the place to go, they also stock vintage trims which are beautiful! I picked up the buttons from here too, they’re coconut. Pattern: This pattern has very interesting cutting lines which are a bit confusing at first but it does c...

Worn here with my TATBs Tabitha T-Shirt Introduction I recently resubscribed to Fibremood magazine as I was impressed with the selection on the most recent edition, number 13 which this pattern is from. I’m usually exclusively wearing skinny jeans but I loved the shape of the Babette trousers and thought they’d look wonderful in the summer worn with Birkenstocks, as I have them styled here. Fabric & Notions The fabric is Robert Kaufman Bleached Indigo Washed Denim 10oz from Sister Mintaka . I didn’t own any light wash denim and often found myself wishing I had some so this was the perfect opportunity to fill a hole in my wardrobe. This fabric is a beautiful quality, opaque, zero-stretch classic denim. It feels quite hard-wearing which is exactly the texture I wanted for this project. When making jeans I would recommend spending a little bit more to get high-quality fabric as it’s a hard-working garment and you want them to last. I also bought the Kylie and the Machine jea...

Top is old from Oliver Bonas, Birkenstock sandals For a while now I’ve been meaning to make some white jeans as I’ve never owned a pair before and I could think of many different spring/summer outfits which they’d be great for! Pattern I chose to make the Dawn jeans as I love the classic style high-waisted cut and I’d heard good things about this pattern and the instructions which came with them. When making a staple, technical piece of clothing like jeans it’s important that the instructions are clear because I’m going to be wearing them all the time and I wanted to make sure the fit was correct. I graded up a size on the hips which is a common adjustment I make on pretty much everything I make. I am really happy with the fit over the hips and bum and through the legs but unfortunately, the waist was a little small. I’ve realised that I may have a higher waist than the pattern allowed for so the waist of the jeans sits a bit lower, where my waist is wider. I had to place my but...

Now I wasn’t really planning on making another winter coat since I made one last year which I’m very happy with, but this fabric presented itself on Sew Me Sunshine ’s newsletter and I couldn’t resist! The bright colours and abstract shapes are so eye-catching and unusual in a woolen fabric. I had already earmarked the I am Merlin coat on my Pinterest board because I have never owned a cocoon style coat and just really loved the shape. I opted to purchase the PDF pattern and send for it to be printed all in one go from The Fold Line because then I wouldn’t have to piece together a million sheets of paper which would probably wind up being inaccurate and I wouldn’t have to trace it off the original pattern sheets either. This way I can cut out my size without tracing but still have the digital files so if I want to make another size or make adjustments, I can reprint it. I decided not to interface all of the outer shell of the coat as I have done in previous coats I’ve made becau...

  This week I’m breezing in in my latest make, it’s the Pauline Alice – Coeli Blouse made in a light cotton voile from Minerva Crafts . Perhaps a little early in the year to be wearing such a billowy top but I’ve been waiting to make this since it came out and perhaps by wearing it I will beckon in more spring-like weather? If anyone could see the contents of my wardrobe they’d see that I am quite the sucker for a white shirt. They’re just so easy to wear, it can be smart, it can be casual, but either way, it’s effortlessly cool. There are some very pretty details to this specific blouse which I am particularly fond of such as the oversized sleeves, mandarin collar, and the cute little ties to close the back, not to mention the pleats! The fit is perfect but that’s not difficult to achieve as it’s not a fitted silhouette. It took a little longer to make than other shirts I’ve made due to the extra details: pleats, gathering, French seams, and button loops as opposed to buttonhol...

  Have you ever had a fabric in your stash with no idea what to make with it and then, as if by magic, a new pattern is released which matches perfectly? Well, that’s what happened to me! I picked up this Chambray remnant from Ditto Fabrics in Brighton over a year ago, washed it, and lovingly placed it in my stash and there it sat until now. This fabric has a soft feel and good drape in a classic indigo shade so I knew I’d find something to make with it eventually. When I saw the Bakerloo Dress (by Nina Lee) made up in chambray I didn't have to reach too far for my own, it was meant to be! The pattern has really clear instructions and is beginner-friendly. The hardest part is attaching the frill to the collar because it can get caught in the corners. I tried the top part on once I had stitched the side seams and I have to say it was a bit of a struggle to pull down over my bust. I double-checked the size chart and I’d definitely chosen the correct size but because generally, th...

The Gemma sweater/dress pattern by Named has been sitting in my stash for at least year and I had every intention of using it to recreate the dress on the envelope but the velvet I bought was defected with the pile going every which way so those plans went out the window. It wasn’t until I was watching an interior design show on Netflix (as we all are some point during Lockdown) that I saw one of the contestants wearing a blue and red sweater dress that it got me thinking! ‘I have a pattern that would work for that!’ This pattern is perfect for colour blocking because it already consists of different blocks you have to piece together. The pattern came together really quickly, I whipped this up in an afternoon. The only thing you need to watch out for, especially when colour blocking, is to align the seams accurately. I think it was actually easier having it made up in different colours so I could see what was what but the instructions and diagrams are really clear anyway. The fit i...

Yet another New Craft House fabric drop and another statement look. I’m a sucker for unique fabrics and textures and this orange pvc is definitely that! It has a cream open weave backing with this orange plastic adhered to it which reminds me of the high vis jackets workmen wear when they’re repairing pipes in the road – always an aspirational look ha! Now while this could make a fantastic jacket (and I do have quite a bit left so I might well do that) I thought it would be a cute 1960s style mini skirt and I had envisioned a contrasting chunky black zip. I already had a pattern which would fit the bill, the Sister Mini from Vanessa Pouzet which I had previously made in corduroy. The pattern calls for a lining which gives it a very neat finish hiding all the raw edges so I just used some black cotton I had left from a previous project. One of the great thing about this pattern is it only uses a meter of fabric, if that! There’s two pattern pieces, a front and a back and that’s i...