Silk Cami - Kate Bias Top by Just Patterns

There has come a point in my life where I have realised that my dress sense is akin to that of a magpie. If it's bright and shiny, I want it on my body.

I'm ok with this.

The Pattern

Introducing my latest bright and shiny, the Kate Bias Top by Just Patterns
This is so beautifully cut and for some crazy reason, the pattern is only $3AUD. So actually, what are you waiting for.

This is my second time making this pattern and it's as good as I remember.

The Fabric

Luscious silk satin in a beautiful purple hue and 19mm weight, which I purchased from Home Craft Textiles.

I will never get over the feel and look of silk satin cut on the bias. It's just everything that is beautiful and wonderful about fabric and it soaks up colour like nothing else.

The Details

This bias top is free of darts, is cut on the bias and fully lined.

It is held at the shoulders with bias cut spaghetti straps and hemmed with a narrow hem.

It has a lovely soft V shaped neckline and is figure flattering but not form fitting.

Wearing with

And hey! My whole outfit is me-made! That's happening more and more these days and I find that so encouraging and exciting!

I've paired my silk cami with this self drafted sequinned skirt:

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A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin) on Jan 29, 2019 at 8:33pm PST

And my silk organza trench coat that I made using Simplicity 8554

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A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin) on Nov 29, 2018 at 7:17pm PST

Final Thoughts

A quick easy make, that looks and feels fancy and chic. This is my third silk cami and it will not be my last!

DIY Copy Cat - BALMAIN Sequinned JACKET and Faux Wrap SKIRT

I don't know when, I don't know how, but somehow I've become obsessed with making jackets. And what could bring home that realisation more, than a SEQUINNED jacket. I ask you.

Introducing my latest make, a Balmain inspired, Versace buttoned sequinned blazer dress:

The Pattern

JACKET:

To make this look I used Burda 6380, View B in a size 12.

This double-breasted vest pattern comes in two length variations, with the option to add a welt pocket and contrasting lapel.

This pattern doesn't come with sleeves, so I used the sleeve pattern from Burda 6845, which I recently used to make my long suit style winter coat.

The sleeve pattern pieces paired perfectly and had matching notches and markings.

SKIRT:

Self drafted, with a waistband, faux button closure and pocket flaps.

The Fabric

JACKET:

I found a beautiful sequinned fabric from an Etsy store called Lots of Fabrics . This is the second time I have purchased from this store and the quality is excellent.
The fabric has a slight stretch to it and the sequins are all sewn on, rather than glued.

I using a black sateen on the lapel for a contrast, and lined the jacket in a black poly satin.

SKIRT:

A beautiful, soft Japanese cotton sateen from Tessuti Fabrics.

Copy Cat Challenge

Together with the talented superstar Faith and wedding dress extraordinaire Kelly , we decided to do a celebrity copy cat look.

For this inspiration we decided to choose one of our favourite Olivia Palermo looks. Olivia has a great personal style, so choosing one was hard!

I decided on her Balmain jacket and skirt that she wore in January 2019 to the Balmain Haute Couture show in Paris during Haute Couture Fashion Week.

You can see the full look in my instagram post below:

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A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin) on Jul 12, 2019 at 6:08pm PDT

The Details + Changes

THE JACKET:

I love THIN LAPELS on this pattern, which I made in a cotton sateen to contrast, as I thought the doubled up sequin lapel could end up looking lumpy, and would likely get lost.

I also eliminated the WELT for the same reasons.

I added SLEEVES from Burda 6845 and fitted the sleeve heads with SHOULDER PADS

To avoid drag lines around my hips and butt, I added a SEPARATING ZIPPER to close the jacket.

I was nervous about adding buttonholes on a sequinned fabric (could get messy real quick) but more importantly, the zipper balanced the stress of a fitted skirt evenly over my curvy lower body, where buttons would have gaped and caused drag lines.

The black zipper blends with the sequins, and it makes wearing the blazer as a dress more comfortable. The buttons were then sewn on top, with a SNAP BUTTON added just underneath the top closing button to hold in place.

I also REMOVED THE BACK WALKING VENT as I planned to wear this as a blazer dress.

THE SKIRT:

I made a MOCK WRAP at the front to mimic the original Balmain skirt, which I held in place with vintage versace buttons.
The skirt is closed with an INVISIBLE ZIPPER down the centre back seam.

I added POCKET FLAPS on the skirt front and lined them with a contrasting silk fabric.

Notions + Tools

NOTIONS:

6 x 22mm Versace Medusa Head Buttons in matte gold and matte silver from Vintage Buttons N Beads
1 x Separating zipper
1 x Invisible zipper (skirt)
1 x Snap button
1 pair of shoulder pads

TOOLS:

Janome DC2101
Walking Foot/Even Feed Foot
Stretch Needle
Clapper

Final Thoughts

Well that was fun!
I'm a sucker for all things shiny and fancy, and this outfit ticked all those boxes!
The original Balmain jacket retailed for $4500USD and the skirt for $785USD. Just another reminder of how wonderful it is to be able to sew your own clothes!

I'm also pleased to report that I have already worn this outfit out and it was an instant mood booster. I love how a good outfit can do that!

Thanks to Faith and Kelly for a fun challenge!

The Sequinned Mini Skirt

Ok, so if you've come across my blog or my instagram you'll know that I have a penchant for all things bright and shiny.

So I couldn't resist this quick easy make; a sequinned mini from just over half a metre of fabric that I had left over in my stash.

This fabric from Tessuti is a woven textile which I lined below the waistband and closed with a centre back zipper.

The waistband is made out of a wide piece of black elastic which I zig-zag stitched sequin fabric onto.

I used a stretch needle which penetrated the spangles without snapping once.

It's self-drafted, it's comfy and it satisfies my shiny needs. WIN!

FABRIC GIVE-AWAY!!!! COUTURE SEQUINNED FABRIC

Who likes sparkles?
Who likes give aways?

a) Everyone
b) All humans, or
c) All of us

Remember THIS dress I made for Melbourne Frocktails last year?

Well I've got TWO METRES left of this STUNNING stretch fabric.
I realised that as beautiful as it is, I'm not about to make another sequinned evening gown and it would be a TRAVESTY for this knockout fabric to just collect dust in my fabric collection

WANT IT?!!??

Head over to my instagram give-away post (see below) and leave a comment.

OPEN TO all my instagram followers around the WORLD.

I will be randomly selecting one person from the comments on Monday, January 21.

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❌❌ FABRIC GIVEAWAY❌❌ . I know what you’re thinking - this must be a trick. Julia Bobbin doesn’t smile in photos. . Fair. . What IS REAL however, is that I have TWO METRES leftover of this STUNNING stretch-sequin fabric, just sitting in a corner. AND NO BODY PUTS SEQUINS IN A CORNER #popculturereference . 🖤And I thought, seeing as I’ve already made my sequinned dreams come true with this #eveninggown for #Frocktails why not share the love and let someone else have the opportunity to destroy their carpet with this beautiful, beautiful sequinned fabric?!!#worthit . 🖤 This sewing community is so generous with their knowledge and support, and I love the idea that someone else can use this fabric and feel a little JOY. . 🖤 SO ALL YOU HAVE TO DO is comment on this post and one person in the comments will be randomly chosen on Monday, January 21. . 🖤 Open to all my followers ANYWHERE the mailman can go . 🖤 Can we also just take a moment to acknowledge that I managed to go this far into a giveaway post without making reference to Oprah? Thank you. #yougetacar . SHINE ON sequinned friends. . . . 📸 by @samaracliffordphoto #juliabobbin #sew #sewing #giveaway #sewinggiveaway #fabric #fabricgiveaway #sequindress #sequin #dress #couture #melbournefrocktails #sewfrosting #sewersofinstagram #eveningdress

A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin) on Jan 14, 2019 at 2:47am PST

You can see the fabric IN ACTION below:

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A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin) on Nov 10, 2018 at 11:10pm PST

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Me - “This year I’m going to sew more casual clothes” Also me:

A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin) on Nov 8, 2018 at 11:50pm PST

It thrills me to think that someone else can use this fabric to create something that brings them joy, just like it did me.

SHINE ON, SEQUINNED FRIENDS!

Melbourne Frocktails 2018 - The Black Sequinned Gown

MELBOURNE FROCKTAILS is an annual event that I excitedly anticipate like a kid waiting for Christmas.
Not only is it a great opportunity to get dressed up in a new me-made, but it enables me to mix with a small part of this wonderful sewing community that I love so much.

This years wonderful event, flawlessly put together by Shelley and Lisa, saw a bunch of fabulous women gather in self-made clothing, sharing stories like we've all known each other for years.

This year, I decided to put aside my recent practical sewing, and get stuck into some of my all time favourite, sew-jo boosting type of sewing; FROSTING.

Have you heard about the recent 'Cake Vs Frosting' challenge, hosted by Closet Case Patterns and True Bias? You can read all about it here.

My wonderful, talented friend Leisl and I had our photos taken by the amazing Samara Clifford in the middle of our beautiful city. The photos was such a great way to give justice to gowns that we had spent so many hours working on!

The Fabric

A stunning sequinned lace, of the most beautiful quality from Lots Of Fabrics.  It's a stretch fabric with small, densely sewn sequins that did not shed or break after an evening of sitting and mingling.

I underlined the lace in a neutral toned, soft merino wool from The Fabric Store.

In addition the bodice is lined with the same merino wool, and the skirt lined with a stretch jersey from Spotlight.

The Pattern

This dress is one of those fabric-before-pattern scenarios, where I had purchased the yardage and was not yet sure what I was going to make.
Eventually I settled on an evening dress with a classic silhouette, so as to let the fabric do most of the talking.

Bodice
I ended up using an old faithful pattern that is meant for woven fabrics. I'm normally a size 12-14 in the bodice, so to accommodate for the extra room that stretch fabric would give, I cut the bodice in a size 6 and the negative ease was perfect.

Skirt
I drafted my own skirt with one seam down the centre back, so as to not interrupt the pattern of the fabric with side seams.

Effectively,  it was a big rectangle cut on the fold of the fabric, with a slight mermaid tail at the hem.
The width of the rectangle was half the circumference of my waist, and the length of the rectangle was my measurement from waist to floor. I then tapered the skirt in at the centre-back from the waist to just above the fullest part of my bottom/hips.

The Details

I spent a LOT of time working out exactly where I wanted the detail of the sequin fabric to be positioned on the dress. I cut out each individual pattern separately, making sure that each piece perfectly mirrored its twin.

I HAND APPLIQUÉD sections of the fabric around the midriff to create a smooth transition of the pattern from the bodice to the skirt.

I took great care in PATTERN MATCHING the lace down the centre back seam of the skirt.

HORSEHAIR BRAID was hand stitched into the hem for a bit of extra fullness.

The sequin fabric is both UNDERLINED AND LINED for the entire dress.

Button loops and 18 BUTTONS SEWN BY HAND, close the dress down the centre back.

The underlining and the lining of the SKIRT are sewn together at the hems, which sits just above the knees. This stops the skirts from riding up or shifting away from each other.

WATCH this dress in action below:

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A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin) on Nov 8, 2018 at 11:50pm PST

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A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin) on Nov 10, 2018 at 11:10pm PST

Sewing With Sequins

Guess how many sewing needles I broke. You might need to sit down for this one. NONE!

I know, right?!!

I changed my sewing machine needle to a stretch needle (I used a SCHMETZ 'Stretch' 130/705 H-S 90/14) and I don't know what sort of wizardry was placed on it, but it just. did. not. break.

If you're thinking of trying sequined fabric, it is advised you removed the sequins from the seam allowance to eliminate bulk, and to stop your needle from snapping on all of those little bits of plastic.

 

      

You probably can't tell from my excessive smiling in these photos, but this dress almost didn't happen!

After a week of being unwell, and not being convinced by my pattern drafting, my sister Angeline gave me a good 'Tim Gunn' talking to and told me not to give up on it. I'm so glad I took her advice!