Colette Moneta Dresses

Hello guys, today I'm bringing you some double Moneta action in the form of blue Moneta and blue zigzag Moneta (I might start naming the clothes I make - the names are not as inventive as Roisin AKA Dolly Clackett's makes, granted, but it's better to have names for them right?) Do you name your makes? 

Blue Zigzag Moneta

I sewed up my first Colette Moneta dress (pictured below) so long ago I can hardly remember making it. I think it was in January?! Anyway, it was a test one in this lightweight blue jersey (I can't remember where I bought it from or for how much, but it was either Hinckley or Leicester market). I cut out a medium size and graded to large at the waist. It mostly fit, gaping a bit around the shoulders and at the bodice side seams. I 'fixed' this somewhat by turning the dress inside out, putting it on and pinning out the excess around the shoulders and sides. I then sewed the adjustments straight away. It was fiddly, but at least the dress gets a bit more wear now!

Blue Moneta

The gathering with the see-through elastic took me a few attempts to get right. Even then it's a bit more gathered in some places than in others. The twin needle also created a bit of tunnelling, as you can see from the picture. I've had a suggestion from Anne from BelleMegan and Vintage Belle about how to deal with this; by changing the bobbin tension. I never even knew that you could adjust bobbin tension (these's no mention of it in my machine handbook and I'd not come across it before in my searches for a fix to the problem; but then I googled 'bobbin tension' and realised that there is a lot of information about it and it's just a tiny screw on the bobbin case itself that holds the key to this magic here! I've not yet tried it out, but will give it a go on my next knit project. Thank you for the tip Anne. 

I wanted to make the second version of this dress quite quickly after the first. This time without sleeves and with some flat pattern adjustments to improve the fit.

I followed Devon from Miss Make's tutorial on how to fix armhole gape. I think that the adjustment worked well. I could take a little more off the side seams maybe on my next version.

I forgot to amend the pattern piece with a forward shoulder adjustment...it was only after making the dress and trying it on that I realised - doh! Never mind, the next one will be better.

It took some time for me to cut this dress out, as I did try to pattern match where I could, but it was hard for me to work out where the collar would sit exactly in relation to the bodice pieces, so that's a little off. It doesn't bother me though. The bodice into the skirt is matched quite well in the centre & I like how the zigzag runs the length of the dress.

One thing I dislike about this particular dress is that I lined it with the same main fabric (it says lightweight on the pattern). I'd not got a suitable lining fabric in my stash & didn't want to wait two whole days for the shop to open! It's far too thick! The blue zigzag fabric, a ponte, was from my local shop in Hinckley - The Sewing Cafe. I have a few knit items in the planning for Autumn, which it most definitely feels like now (these photo's were taken in the middle of August, it wasn't especially warm, but it was a lovely sunny day). 

I do really like this dress and it's been worn a lot during the springtime usually with a thin cardigan. I have some fabric picked out for another sleeveless version. And I have bought some fabric to line it with this time too! It will also be collarless - I get annoyed by the collar at the back. With the lower neckline it just becomes very bulky under a cardi (although, again that might be the choice of lining fabric...!). I may also lower the neckline on the front bodice as I think that this will be a bit more flattering on me.

If you haven't tried this pattern yet and are thinking about sewing a knit, I thoroughly recommend it. The instructions, as you'd expect from Colette, are clear and there is a sewalong to help too. There are plenty of inspirational Moneta's out there too. I particularly like Naomi's. You can find her dresses on her IG feed this one she has swapped out the gathered skirt for a circle skirt instead - lovely. 

Happy sewing x

Maria Denmark Stripy Kirsten Kimono Tee

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Hola people! It feels like it has been a busy month, but really I have been on holiday, which was lovely and then catching up with housework, washing and the like, ill children too. I started making a full circle skirt (if I was naming clothes it would be called One of the Seven Circle's of Hell skirt). I still love the fabric, but I'm not enjoying the process of levelling the hem! We're also planning a major redecoration our living room, including a new fireplace, new lighting, re-plastering... so lots to think about there. If you follow me on pinterest you can see some of our ideas on there. 

My prize of 2m of fabric from Sew Over It arrived too. I had to change the fabric I picked orignally as they didn't have enough left and couldn't source any more. Instead I picked this lovely Chambray. I have no idea what to make, but just really love the fabric! 

Little Petals Chambray from Sewoverit.com

Here's today's offering a Kirsten Kimono Tee. I love this top so much! I've had lots of wear out of it. It's so comfy, very casual and pairs very nicely with jeans. I've also worn it to my pilates class a few times.

Having an overlocker meant that this was a quick sew for me. I made it in a couple of short sittings at the end of May. It's the second garment I made on my overlocker. Which I bought from The Sewing Cafe in Hinckley (Leicestershire), along with the fabric for this top. The fabric is a stripy grey and white jersey. I love the feel of it, it's very soft and obviously, like all other fabric I've bought recently, it has got a good drape!  

So to the pattern. It's by Maria Denmark and is free when you sign up to her newsletter, which I did! I took advantage of a 10% discount and bought the Edith blouse/dress, which I have had my eye on for a while, but still have not yet made (perhaps the Chambray fabric?). The pdf pattern for the tee was quick to print and stick together. I remembered to add seam allowances to my tracing. I used the medium size. I have plans to make a pyjama top with this pattern and maybe copy some of my existing pyjama bottoms to make a cute set.  

Sewing the front and back was straight forward. And I managed to get all matchy matchy with the stripes. The neckband was the first I have ever attempted and I have to say I did mess up a little and had to unpick some of the overlocked edge (how annoying!) and realign the raw edges of the neckband and front. But it worked out fine really, it looks a little stretched if you're looking hard at it, but a successful first attempt at a neckband I think!

Then came the hemming on my standard sewing machine using a twin needle. This was a huge pain. Skipped stitches and tunnelling!! I managed to correct the skipped stitches by re-threading with Gutermann instead of Ikea thread (which in my defence I bought to make curtains with and bought WAY to much, so was just trying to use it up). I wouldn't have thought it mattered that much, but it does. You can visually see the difference between the types of thread (or you would be able to if these photo's weren't taken on my phone). 

Thread - top left photo the Gutermann thread is above the Ikea

The Ikea is very wispy with a lot of lint, the Gutermann isn't! It looks thicker and is stronger when I pull it. The skipped stitching stopped once I switched threads. Then I fiddled round with the tension on my machine to try to get it to produce flat twin rows of stitching, but alas my machine just couldn't handle it! It can cope with twin stitching, but I fear it will be only ever manage it in thicker fabrics (it did so with my second Moneta in a ponte, yet to be blogged). 

In the end I decided to try out using fusible interfacing on the hem to see it this would help to stabilise this thin and very stretchy fabric. It worked enough to get the hemming completed and it's wearable too. Colette have a helpful tutorial on this. Next time I use this fabric (and I might just have enough to get a Moneta dress out of it), I will try overlocking the raw edge too. 

If anyone has any other tips for sewing with a twin needle, they would be much appreciated;-)