After a long absence from the blog and from my sewing room, I am back and it brings me a lot of joy! Here is my first make after a two-month break: a vintage lilac coat, perfectly warm and cozy for Spring in London.

A bit of context

While away, I received a few message kindly inquiring about how I was – and they really warmed my heart! The truth is that I have not been really well, slowly sinking into mild depression. Life has been too complicated recently and I am simply not managing very well: we got ourselves into two house construction/ renovation projects, had to move in a rush to a temporary rental house I hate, got our family home knocked down to leave place for the new… all this with four moody teenagers at home and the general world political situation around us…

The good news is that I am slowly working on my recovery with sports, yoga, low-dose antidepressants and… sewing of course. My sewing room was the last room I worked on in the new place (typical) but it is delightful: big, full of light and perfectly furnished, with a huge desk for my machines and even a cutting table!!! We had to buy all new but did not want to spend a fortune for a temporary solution, so IKEA was a saviour here.

But back to sewing! For an obscure reason, come Spring and I always feel the need for a new coat. This year is no exception and thankfully Vogue 4001 made my life very easy.

Pattern description

Vogue 4001 is an original (non re-edited) vintage pattern from 1959. It is described as “a straight coat with high, round collarless neckline (… ) and above or below elbow-length raglan sleeves“. There is a true 1950’s Dior feel to it and it was love at first sight when I saw MD Provost’s wonderful version. I was very lucky and immediately managed to find the pattern in my size and in very good condition from Etsy (already cut but perfectly folded and apparently never used).

Beware: there is no closure at the front and that’s how the coat is meant to be worn. So definitely not appropriate for high winter but perfect in my view for mid-season.

Pros: easy to make, easy to fit and incredibly stylish

This coat was a joy to sew, exactly what I needed! It is an extremely easy make, as there are only 10 pattern pieces and no front closure so no fiddly zip or buttonholes. The fit it quite accommodating as long as you get the shoulder size about right. And is it so stylish that I get compliments from random strangers each time I wear it – incredible given how streamlined the shape is.

Cons: too long, funny-positioned pockets and nightmarish lining

The easy-to-fix issue of this coat is that it is 15cm too long (for my 1.68m height). The envelope drawing is misleading here as if you follow the pattern, you will end-up with a mid-calf coat which looks like a bathrobe – I strongly advise to shorten it (as I did).

Another issue is that the pockets are sitting similarly too low but given how they are designed, once cut you can’t move them. I personally don’t feel the need for pockets but if you do just, move them at least 10cm up on the pattern pieces before cutting your fabric.

Lastly, the coat can be fully lined and the lining pieces are perfectly designed but the instructions on how to line the coat are very poor, advising to attach most of the lining to the coat by hand. My view is that attaching the lining with the sewing machine is much neater and I did that as much as I could – but I realised the problem a bit late so the finish is not as nice as I would have liked.

Sizing

The pattern I purchased was size 14 (bust 34, hip 36) and it fitted well my size 8 UK/ 36 FR/ 2 US. Maybe a little large at the shoulders but I am very narrow in this area. As I mentioned, the fit for this coat is quite accommodating due to its straight shape – which is lucky because I frankly had no clue of sizing with vintage patterns.

Fabric

If you have been reading this blog for a bit, you know my passion for all think lilac, violet and purple. So when I saw this lilac wool coating from The New Craft House advertised pre release on Instagram, I even messaged them to know whether I could get 3m immediately. The answer was no but I was super quick when it was released and got all I needed – the coat actually only required 2.5m.

This fabric is as gorgeous in real life as it looks in pictures: with a vivid lilac colour, thick but with drape, and super soft. I absolutely adore it.

Conclusion

This was definitely the right project to get my sewing mojo back! More coats soon… and maybe a few dresses of course!

Here is the third and last part of my Resort Collection. After the RED and the WHITE, here are the BLUE dresses.

Sewing a Lune dress by French Poetry in cotton chambray

• Pattern: this is the Lune dress by French Poetry. I had this pattern in my stash for ages but was really put off by the amount of fabric recommended – close the 4m even for the sleeveless version (while I usually buy 3m for my dresses). It is a huge pity because this recommendation is wrong, I used closer to 2m by cutting the bodice lining in plain cotton rather than the main fabric.
• Fabric: a light to medium cotton chambray, bought for £4/m (!!!) during the Fabrics Galore sale. I adore this shop for the high quality of the fabric they sell and this chambray is no exception, densely woven with good drape. I had already used a similar fabric for this shirt dress, one of my favorite makes.
• Size and fit: I cut a size 38 (I am a UK 8/ FR 36/ US 2) and made an FBA (for my E cup) following the designer’s recommendation here; and it worked wonders! I think I could have gone for a size 36 but I wanted enough ease for the heat of the tropics.
• Changes I made to the pattern: Nothing else than the FBA.
• What I like in this pattern: the shape if beautiful, with its very pretty deep-plunge but bra-compatible neckline; and its fitted waist. The fit is excellent. And this is a very easy make, with a limited number of pattern pieces and extremely clear instructions. After my very positive experience of the Libra bodysuit, I am becoming a big fan of the French Poetry patterns.
• Love factor: I really like this dress. I immediately had to make a second one the minute I finished this one; and I am now considering a winter version in red suiting wool.

Sewing a Lune dress by French Poetry in cotton lawn

• Pattern: this is my second version of the Lune dress by French Poetry, in all aspects similar to the first except for the choice of fabric.
• Fabric: a gorgeous cotton lawn fabric bought from Croftmill. This is proper lawn: wonderfully lightweight, with a lovely drape and hardly creasing. I had used another colour variation of this fabric for this dress.
• Size and fit: see above
• Changes I made to the pattern: see above
• What I like in this pattern: see above
• Love factor: I adore this dress too and was surprised how different it looks from its sister – clearly the final outcome of this pattern is utterly dependent on fabric choice!

Sewing a Kimono Sleeve Dress by Salme Patterns

• Pattern: this is a quite extensively hacked version of the Kimono Sleeves Dress by Salme Patterns. I thought it would be ideal for the tropics to protect my cleavage from the sun and actually made three versions of this dress for my Resort Collection; but I made the wrong choice of fabric (all silk) and hardly wore them because they were far too warm. Lesson learned!
• Fabric: a cheerful and high quality silk crepe from SewMeSunshine, which was a pleasure to sew but is far too warm for tropical weather.
• Size and fit: I blended a size 6 at the bust going to 10 at the hips and it works well for my hourglass figure. The last thing you want with this dress is not to have enough ease at the hips.
• Changes I made to the pattern: I joined the bodice and skirt pattern pieces, removed the elastic at the waist and added 5cm of height in this area, added a belt, lengthened the to maxi length and opened the sides to be able to walk. Quite a lot actually!
• What I like in this pattern: I like the simplicity of making this dress and the lovely shape when belted – but I would not wear it without a belt.
• Love factor: an OK dress but no more than that I’m afraid.

Conclusion

My holidays have now come to and end and so has my Resort Collection. I’ll be back to winter outfits in the next articles…

After the RED part of my Resort Collection, here come the WHITE dresses – never compatible with suncream but so pretty in the sun…

Sewing the V9327 dress in broderie anglaise

• Pattern: yet another version of V9357 – I have sewn this pattern so many times that I have lost count, see here, here, here for the Autumn and Spring versions; here and here for the summer versions.
• Fabric: a lightweight cotton with embroidered appliques all over, found on E-Bay (2m left here at the time of writting). This is a truly special cloth and I am thrilled to have got my hands on it!
• Size and fit: I used my previously cut pieces of pattern (size 10 with a FBA explained here) but I have lost a bit of weight due to acute food allergies… So I think the FBA is not really needed anymore sadly…. But the skirt fit is perfect.
• Changes I made to the pattern: along with the FBA, I lengthened the sleeves and cut my skirt so that the scalloped edge of the fabric would be visible.
• What I like in this pattern: I am not into 70’s style at all but for an obscure reason I absolutely adore this pattern. Easy to make, easy to wear, it works with a wide range of fabrics for a wide range of occasions. One of the best patterns ever!
• Love factor: enormous, but that’s the case of all the versions I have made of this pattern but one (wrong choice of fabric then).

Sewing the Semis dress by Delphine & Morrissette

• Pattern: this is Semis dress by Delphine and Morrissette. Although I showed you my rainbow Semis dress previously, this one is actually the first version of Semis I made. And the one that made me fall in love with this pattern!
• Fabric: a light weight cotton (with a tiny bit of polyester) from Croftmill, white with weave-in pale blue spots – 24.5m available here at the time of writting. Most people would use this fabric quality for shirts but I really like it for summer dresses, as it make them super light. I do really like this fabric
• Size and fit: I cut a size 38 based on my bust measurement and the fit was perfect. But I wanted a more adjusted silhouette than that of the pattern, which I find too large at the starting point of the skirt. So I took some fabric off from the front panels to make the dress more adjusted at the underbust point (if there is such a word) and it worked wonders. 
• Changes I made to the pattern: only a fit adjustment to the bodice, nothing else.
• What I like in this pattern:The pattern is very straightforward and perfectly designed, the fit is impressively good with so few pattern pieces, and I adore the frilly straps. No dislikes at all.
• Love factor: This dress is one of my favourites from my Resort Collection.

Sewing the Primerose dress by Citronille

• Pattern: I used the adult version of Primerose by Citronille. This is initially a tunic pattern but I lengthened it and added a bottom ruffle to turn it into a dress. I made Primerose dresses for my girls when they were little (see here) but this is the first one for me.
• Fabric: An eyelet cotton fabric bought too long ago for me to remember where it comes from. There was no border to the fabric so I cut it all by hand – quite a long process.
• Size and fit: I cut the smallest size (36) but I think the 14yo of the child pattern would have worked better, as there is a lot of extra fabric everywhere. I am frankly not convinced about the fit of this dress, it seems no allowance has been made at all for an adult woman chest.
• Changes I made to the pattern: making it into a dress, adding a bottom ruffle and lining the top part of the dress with cotton lawn.
• What I like in this pattern: I like this type of neckline and struggle to find it in patterns but I am quite disappointed by the overall fit. I also think I didn’t get the dress/ruffle length proportion right.
• Love factor: I am a bit disappointed to have used such a nice fabric for a disappointing dress shape, this is not a dress I like much.

Conclusion

I really adore the first two of the dresses of this article. Part III of the Resort Collection to follow soon…

This year, we were lucky enough to spend the February school break in the sun. But I was in a conundrum clothes-wise: I had left all my summer wardrobe in France, and in my London wardrobe I had absolutely nothing appropriate for tropical climates. I had no other choice but to sew an entire Resort Collection from scratch – here it is! And off course it is solely made of dresses!

Sewing M7952: my Valentines dress

• Pattern: my third version of McCall’s M7259 – my two previous versions can be found here and here.
• Fabric: a lightweight cotton poplin fabric from Croftmill (5.5m still available at the time of writing!!), specifically bought with Valentines in mind. This is actually my first ever Valentines dress!
• Size and fit: I used my previously cut pieces of pattern (size 10 with a FBA explained here) but I have lost a bit of weight due to acute food allergies… So while this pattern fitted like a glove previously, this time I ended up with quite a bit of bagging at the neckline – all from my own laziness, nothing to blame on the pattern! I removed 2cm on each side and it sorted the problem.
• Changes I made to the pattern: appart from the FBA and neckline adjustment explained above, I replaced the back buttons by a zip. Beware that if you do not add 2cm of fabric at the back to all pieces of pattern, you will be removing 4cm of ease in total – it worked for me but it means the pocket positioning is not right.
• What I like in this pattern: everything! The pretty neckline, the crossed straps at the back, the pockets, the less-voluminous-than-my-usual skirt. No dislikes whatsoever.
• Love factor: very high! This pattern is perfectly designed and works wonders for very hot weather.

Sewing another shirred dress: the funky tulips dress

• Pattern: seld-drafted using my own tutorials available here and here. I am addicted to shirred dresses and have made so many I have actually lost count.
• Fabric: a cotton lawn from SewMeSunshine, supposedly designer deadstock. I was drawn to the colour combination but the quality is a huge disappointment, it does not feel like cotton lawn at all, it has limited drape and creases like mad!
• Size and fit: the pattern is very size-inclusive so frankly not an issue.
• What I like in this pattern: I find strapless shirred dresses the best for summer, as they are very lightweight and prevent suntan marks. And shirring is utterly relaxing, a bit like enjoying a session of meditation while sewing!
• Love factor: sadly quite low… This fabric was really a waste of my time…

Sewing a Semis rainbow dress

• Pattern: this dress is based on the bodice of the Semis dress by Delphine and Morrissette; and with meters and meters of gathered fabric for the self-drafted skirt: 1.5m for the first panel, x1.5 for the next, x1.5 for the next etc… It initially started with a shirred bodice but the weight of the skirt was too much for it to bear.
• Fabric: a medium-weight cotton poplin from Amothreads. I would have preferred something more lightweight but finding a wide selection of colours at a reasonable price was a bit of a challenge – this one is only £3.75/m, perfect for an experimental dress.
• Size and fit: I cut a size 38 based on my bust measurement and the fit was perfect. But I wanted a more adjusted silhouette than that of the pattern, which I find too large at the starting point of the skirt. So I took some fabric off from the front panels to make the dress more adjusted at the underbust point (if there is such a word) and it worked wonders.
• Changes I made to the pattern: fit adjustment to the bodice; and different skirt.
• What I like in this pattern: I really enjoyed sewing the bodice of the Semis dress, so much so that there is another Semis dress in this Resort Collection (scroll down).The pattern is very straightforward and perfectly designed, the fit is impressively good with so few pattern pieces, and I adore the frilly straps. Not dislikes.
• Love factor: I am a bit disappointed by this dress, as the colours I chose are not bright enough to my liking. I also find there is still quite a lot of pulling on the bodice, maybe a boned bodice would be more appropriate for such a heavy skirt. And all these gathers are a nightmare to iron!! But it is quite original and I am sure I will wear it very happily.

To be continued…

This article is the first of a series, showing you my red dresses! White and blue will follow shortly so stay tuned.