Portia Lawrie

finished garments, marilla walker, Sewing, Uncategorized

FO: Split Hem Maya Woven Tee

Finally got around to photographing this baby! I DO have a tutorial lined up for this little hack on the Maya Pattern by Marilla Walker but am running out of time before the launch of The Refashioners 2015 on Monday! So for now…here’s a little show and tell… (Do you like my new stool  btw? One of those with the up down lever! You have to play on those don’t you!)SPLIT HEM MAYA (2)

I was in the process of bulk cutting 3 of these out in time for a holiday to Greece last month. In my haste I ended up cutting them slightly too short! (Time to fess up. I eyeballed them. No…I will never learn!) BUT, as is often the case, it turned out to be a happy accident because it forced me to come up with a solution…

And guess what! I love this little split hem band detail! Not only does it solve the length problem, but it adds a really nice design detail too…SPLIT HEM MAYA (8) 900

 

It’s a tricky fabric to show detail on, but hopefully you can make this out! (And as I said, there will be a step by step that will go into more detail. I’ve just got to edit the photos). I opted to add a wider band at the back than the front. For modesty reasons (ahem…nobody needs to see my muffins ya know?) but also because I’m a bit of a fan of high low hem shenanigans 🙂

JORD WOOD WATCH

In case you were wondering about my swanky new wristwear….it’s a watch…made from wood!! Now this was sent to me by the sweet people at Jord. I get approached to review stuff like this from time to time. I normally decline, but I was so intrigued by this. I mean…it’s a watch…made from wood! I usually have a problem with watches as my skin reacts to the metal unless it’s a precious metal. So perhaps this is the solution? There’s still the metal on the clasp I guess, but fingers crossed! I hope so because I am rather taken with it actually. The wood makes it super lightweight, tactile, breathable and pretty unique. Cute right?

Anyway…back to the top. Something about sewing blogging makes it ok to publish pictures of ones bust, ha ha! But it’s the sleeve detail I wanted to mention and also have a little question about…SPLIT HEM MAYA (15)

It’s a simple enough thing. A folded over strip of fabric, the same circumference as the sleeve opening. Sewn to the sleeve RS facing then SA turned under and understitched to create a teeny/narrow cuff. No shaping on the sleeve. So here’s the question…WHY does the cuff kink out like that at the top of my arm?? What am I missing here sewing ninjas??

It’s a small thing…but it’s buggin’ me! And I know that one of you out there has the answer. Because you’re awesome.

Dressmaking, finished garments, marilla walker, pdf patterns, Sewing, sewing patterns, tops

FO: Maya Top by Marilla Walker

Marilla Walker Maya Top at www.portialawrie.co.uk

This top has been sat unfinished for about 3 months. Seriously. I am a serial UFO’er.  All it needed was the neckline facing and the sleeves hemming. I love the fabric and the style is right up my strata so why oh why have I taken this long to finish it? Simple answer is, there is no answer. Apart from I need to give myself a slap! I LOVE this top.  The curved hem, the boat neck the kimono sleeve. I mean if ever a pattern was made for me this is it…

 

The fabric is an ebay purchase at £4.95 a metre. (You may recognise it from my banded tee) It has a veeeeery subtle metallic element to the lighter part of the weave. Nothing flashy. Like you could hardly notice if I hadn’t told you and you were standing right next to me. That kinda subtle. The overall effect is like a luxe tie dye if that makes any sense whatsoever?? I have no idea what the fabric content is and sadly the seller has run out, but hey ho, I like!

Marilla Walker Maya Top at www.portialawrie.co.uk

It’s not complex. But it is versatile. The pattern comes in two lengths (a dress and a top) with button through and hem variations and I’m already planning some customisations as this is the perfect basic to have a play with.

 

In terms of sizing it’s pretty spot on. What I would add is there is not a great deal of play with the size of the armhole. It’s snug. So if you’re cutting a smaller size than you normally would for some reason, blend it back up to your usual size at the sleeves.

PicMonkey Collage

You can introduce yourself to Marilla here (she’s lovely. Say Hi) if you haven’t discovered her yet, be sure to check out her blog!

boiled wool, dragonfly fabrics, finished garments, freemantle coat, marilla walker

FO: Freemantle Coat by Marilla Walker

Look peops! I made a coat!

I’d been devouring little sneak peeks of this pattern on instagram and marvelling at the striking resemblance it had to some of the coat styles I’d been pinning on Pinterest. So when Marilla put out a call asking for pattern testers…well….I was straight in there like a rat up a drainpipe!

Enter the Freemantle Coat by Marilla Walker!  The cocoon shape is wide across the body and torso and tapers to a narrower shape at the hem, which on the view I opted for, stops just above the knee. There are three views to choose from, two sleeve options, and button/giant popper or zip closure options too as well as welt pockets (which I ommitted on my sample due to time constraints)  So in my book, this pattern is great value for money.  Here it is…Just check out the giant houndstooth version Marilla made!

Particularly cool is the construction of the sleeve with its integral gusset extension.  A bit of a head scratcher on first inspection, but actually really simple, clever , and strangely satisfying! Just folow the instructions step by step, and have faith, all becomes clear! Talking of construction….SUPER straightforward. The style is so simple, with such clean lines and subtle details that it’s a breeze to sew. No troublesome fitting issues due to the ease built into the design. In short, this was a cinch to sew. The only possible stumbling block I can see for a beginner would be the welt pockets. In terms of the the quality of the drafting I was also super impressed. Everything lined up perfectly including the intersecting seams of the underarm gusset (I love that word).

What made things even simpler for me was the fabric I chose. This beautiful boiled wool from Dragonfly Fabrics. I didn’t need to underline or finish seams which cut down my construction time considerably. I just adore this fabric, A dream to cut, sew and wear, I had a hard time choosing which colour to go for when browsing the range, but I’m so glad I opted for this teal. I’ve had so many compliments.

There are literally no negatives for me with this make. And I am totally going to be making more. I fancy trying this out in sweatshirt material for instance. The only thing I may change next time is the button placement which I may move marginally closer to the the edge of the opening, as on mine it doesn’t quite hold it flat. Although I also fancy having a play with the proportions and mixing the sleeve options from view B (omitting the ribbing) with view A. Maybe playing with an asymmetric opening or adding a shawl collar.

In any case, this pattern has me excited as it’s ripe for some creative play, and I can definitely see another Freemantle in my future!