Gemma’s Floral Co-Ord
I am very much ready for spring, and am hoping that by planning and wearing my spring-like clothes it will convince the weather to follow suit!
For this month’s box I knew that the luxury fabric is just what we need for spring sewing, and I decided to make a statement!
Looking at fashion trends for the year, co-ords were popular again (although when are they never?!) but in particular the waistcoat and tailored trousers combo. Wearing the waistcoat as a stand alone piece with the trousers, I love the look of this trend, as it gives a casual yet smart vibe, and I feel would work for so many different occasions. It also means great versatility in your wardrobe, as you would be able to wear each piece separately with other items of clothing. I definitely wanted in on this trend, and on receiving the fabric I knew it would be perfect to create my statement pieces!
The luxury fabric is great for this kind of project, as the meterage you get is substantial enough to make almost anything. A viscose linen, it is the ideal fabric for an impactful spring vibe, the print is so beautiful and in my favourite colours too! I love working with this fabric, as it has the best qualities when sewing – it has a little drape but still a good weight, making it easy to sew with and perfect for most garments.
Deciding on my patterns was the first step, as I had a specific look in mind. For the trousers, they needed to have a slightly tailored look to them, wide leg and of course I needed pockets! There are so many options and I went with the Friday Pattern Company Saguaro trousers, a tried and tested pattern that fits great and ticks all the boxes, as well as being a relatively simple make.
I knew the waistcoat was likely to be the trickier of the two items to make, and finding a pattern that didn’t seem too complicated and ticked the boxes for the look I had in mind needed a bit more investigation. I found one by Just Patterns called the Veronica Vest and it seemed near enough perfect. I had more than enough fabric to cut both patterns out and decided to use a different fabric for the lining of the waistcoat to add a little detail – I used a cotton voile in a duck egg blue, which I thought was a great contrasting colour to the main fabric. I decided to omit a couple of features from the pattern – I left off the back ties as I wanted a more relaxed fit, and I also didn’t add the welt pockets to the front, as to be honest I don’t think I need them, and why make it more complicated than i need??
As I predicted the trousers were a breeze to sew, and I did find the waistcoat more tricky. There were some instructions that were not very clear and did leave me a little frustrated trying to work out what to do. Also, as you have to pull the lining through itself at the end, you do need to pay attention to which sides you are sewing to make sure it is right! But I made it through, and as we say, now I’ve done it once I’d have no problem making another one. I also added a label to the inside and used buttons from Ethel and Joan, which I think adds to the personalisation of my garment.
I’m so happy with how this outfit looks, it was just what I was envisioning for my statement spring vibe – lets hope the weather now gets the memo!