Portfolio Dress in Nani Iro Muji

A big, big thanks to the lovely Justine of Just Me Jay who was kind enough to lend me her copy of this Lisette/Simplicity Portfolio Dress pattern. Given that it's out of print, we both felt that we were not ripping anyone off by sharing. And oh, I've wanted to make this for so long!

I made the size 14, which is the largest size in the first of the oddly-split two-size-range way they published the pattern. Or is that just how all Simplicity patterns go?

I made a muslin and it was a wee bit firm around the hips, so added about a 1/2 inch on either side there. Otherwise, completely as per pattern. Oh, except I bound the hem to maintain length.

This Nani Iro 'Muji' double gauze is a slightly heavier weight than the usual double gauze; a touch looser in weave and heavier in thread. The print has the potential to look like you've spilt something nasty on yourself. However I thought with the interesting panelling of this pattern, it would obviously be a fabric print rather than an unfortunate accident.

I think it worked, I super-love it and think it should layer up well for colder weather, too.

Next time I make this pattern I would probably skip the interfacing in the sleeve bands, since they fold back on themselves and end up with heaps of fabric layers that probably don't need interfacing to add to the bulk.

This pattern been out of print for some time now, and one might think the folks at Simplicity would have considered a reprint by now due to this pattern's immense popularity. But sadly, it appears that's not the way Simplicity works. The good news is that I believe Liesl Gibson, the pattern's designer (of Oliver + S fame), is working on a pattern tweak that will get around copyright issues and allow the world access to this style once again! Although it may only be in pdf format, if it's in the Liesl & Co line, but I guess that's better than nothing.

In the meantime, I am very lucky to be in touch with lovely bloggy friends like Justine (you can see a beautiful Portfolio she's made here) who love to share the sewing love. (And Justine, I promise your pattern will be on its way back to you veryverysoon!)

- Jane x

A Nani Iro top for spring

There's a warmth just beginning in the air and I believe we are emerging from what seemed to me like the dreariest, rainiest winter since eleven years ago when I was stuck at home with two little boys ages zero and 14 months in a dark unrenovated cramped house but-let's-not-dwell-on-that!

I've just emailed off the first full draft of the last major piece of work I have to complete for my 'regular job' before I finish up. Yay!

Last Saturday there was a marked turn in business at the shop, with people buying summery fabrics. Yay!

The daylight is lasting longer. Yay!

I know that soon enough I will be moaning about the heat and having to water the garden and all that but for now... yay! I'm feeling all springy! And not in the least because I made myself a new top from some Nani Iro double gauze I've been eyeing off for a while.

It's such a statement fabric, I wanted to make something simple. So after lots of consideration, I settled on a pattern I'd made before, from a Japanese sewing magazine, Pochee Spring 2010. It's basically a wide raglan sleeve top with the neckline gathered up and the gathers sewn down with a long strip that also becomes the front tie. I love my first version of this shirt and still wear it often. The double gauze has held up very well to wash'n'wear.

The pattern calls for the neckline strip to be cut on the bias, and the layout shows an outrageous amount of fabric allowed simply for cutting this. There's really no need for it to be on the bias and I pieced it together from a couple of pieces cut on the grain.

However my fabric-miser tendencies bit back at me when I didn't have enough room to add seam allowances at the bottom hem. The top turned out a bit short so I headed back to my pile of scraps and eked out a little addition to the bottom, which was kind of on the bias so it kicks out a bit. Actually I quite like the effect! One of those 'happy accidents'. I would allow a bit more fabric next time though. Er, if I could remember how much I cut for this one, ha.

I also shortened the neck slit/placket thingy considerably because it was waaay too low last time - maybe a little too short now but no matter.

Thank you Jasper for the kooky-angle photos!

- Jane x

stuff we've been up to

Busy, busy. Getting the hang of running a shop. Usual family wrangling. Still holding down a part time office job. Husband bouncing from one time-consuming work project to the next. Something might have to give soon but we're all holding up for now!

It's important to me to keep adding to this space as a personal archive of our family's day-to-day and my sewing, and to keep in touch with lovely bloggy friends :) I do so love reading the same kinds of things on the blogs of others so it's up to me to contribute too! And so, on with a bunch of photos - 'random' as Jasper is so fond of calling everything.

That Charlie - not only does he cut his own fingernails, he can now make my lemon poppyseed cake recipe better than I can, and put together Ikea furniture all by himself. Practically a fully-formed human being! 

What else do we have up there... Clem has some new lights on his bedhead thanks to the theatre show Andy has just finished working on. 

Clem built his first real improvised Lego thing, which I was excited about because none of my kids have ever been huge Lego fans, which I admit I find a little disappointing. 

I made a small whole cloth quilt/throw from some gorgeous Nani Iro double gauze, pure wool batting, linen/cotton on the back and perle cotton hand quilting, as a sample for the shop. The cat, and Clem, really rather wanted it to stay at home.

The dress above was made as a sort of shop sample, and also to wear to the opening of Andy's show. I was really pleased with it. My first fully lined dress! Pattern from Ottobre 5/2012, and if you look carefully at the muslin version you can see how I made sure I avoided awkward placement of the dots on the 'proper' fabric (Anna Maria Horner Field Study velveteen). Texta drawn on 'danger spots' while wearing muslin! The only fitting adjustment I made to the pattern was to make the back darts a little deeper and longer. Oh and I omitted the back zip since the muslin went on and off just fine while all sewn up. Win! 

No photo of me wearing the dress... but this post may never happen if I wait for that. Maybe later. I wore it with a skinny black belt on which I attached an old sparkly buckle of my Granny's. Very swish.

Alright, nuff for now. (Crap, with this sort of photos and shorthand commentary seems like I should take up Instagram instead doesn't it! Fortunately I do not possess the technology. I really don't need another internet time vortex in my life. Do you Instagram? Do you like it?)

- Jane x

Miz Mozelle in Nani Iro knit

I'm going to need serious restraint to stop myself creating a vast wardrobe just from this one pattern.

It's the Jamie Christina Miz Mozelle again (my previous version here and here).

This dress is just so comfy and easy to wear. In knit fabric, it barely needs ironing (big points in my book!). The construction is quite simple, with just enough detail and embellishment to make it 'a bit spesh' and a satisfying sew. What's more, it calls for a single button, which is a great chance to go mad selecting the perfect one from the stash.

For my second go I lashed out on some lovely Nani Iro cotton knit, which is so soft and cosy, yet pretty and drapey enough for a dress.

really styling' it up for the camera, in bare feet next to the half-dead mint,
oh and now I see the spray bottle of pest oil in the background, noice

This time I cut the front skirt and bodice, and back skirt and bodice, as single pieces because I wanted to try a bit of shirring at the waist, instead of elastic in casing. I was thinking of going without a waist tie/belt. In fact I miscalculated fabric requirements a wee bit and didn't have enough to cut one as per the pattern piece. (This fabric is only 80cm wide and I ordered 3 metres.) However I needed to cut some fabric off the skirt length in the end and used that to make a thin belt. I did eight rows of shirring. It looks okay without the belt but I think it's probably better with it.

 I looked at all sorts of options for the bias binding but in the end just went with the same cream coloured store-bought I'd used on my first version. Sometimes simple is best.

photographic assistant

 I felt like this dress needed a little embellishment at the bottom. I opened out some more of the bias tape, ironed it flat and overlocked/serged it to the hem, facing up, on the right side. Then I turned the hem under and let the bias stick out at the bottom, and hemmed it up using a plain straight stitch. It didn't need a stretch stitch because of the stabilising effect of the bias tape. In fact one of the great things about this pattern is that even though it uses stretch fabric, most exposed stitching can be done with ordinary straight stitch because it is stabilised with bias tape, and the collar with interfacing.

I'm hoping this will just gently fray a little with washing, and look pretty rather than shabby. We shall see!
This fabric is called a 'double knit' and it literally is two thin layers which are somehow joined by those little diamond shaped bits. Is this what 'double knit' usually is? In any case as promised in the fabric description, it didn't do that annoying curling thing that can make knits frustrating. Fabric... so many mysteries.

- Jane x

Japanese pattern + Japanese fabric = love

A friend and I have been swapping Japanese pattern books. I had this Nani Iro double gauze fabric I'd bought as a remnant. I just can't resist 'rescuing' those poor, unloved roll ends at bargain prices.

There was just enough to make up this shirt from Pochee Spring 2010, and I think the texture of the double gauze works beautifully. Plus, the floral helps stop it from looking too clown-like. I hope.

I suppose I should have ironed it.

The sleeves were meant to be longer and gathered into a bias strip finish, but I ran out of fabric and liked the open ends. Ooh look, here it is actually on my body. Not game enough to show face yet ;)

The Nani Iro double gauze prints go right up to the edge. This is great in that you can use the selvedge on sleeve ends etc. However, you can end up with a bit of unintentional branding.

It's kind of loose and vaguely maternity-like, so I'll be recommending the pattern to my friend whose book this comes from, since she actually is currently gestating.

If I made it again I'd definitely shorten the front (what do you call it?) slit part. I did shorten it a bit but it's still too peek-a-boobie to wear without a singlet underneath. Those waif-like Japanese models in the books make layering look so chic but I could do without the extra pouff-factor.

Sorry the photos are still so dark. Will work on that.