knitting neels

It has turned decidedly autumnal here this week; I become a little bit more nostalgic for summer with every one of these outfits I post. This one’s a good’un though.

Patterns: Another Lisette Market skirt (Simplicity 2211) and the Sewaholic Pendrell blouse.

The skirt I made in the next smaller size and it fits perfectly. As you’ll notice, I left off the tabs and buttons and I didn’t even hem it. I just zig-zagged it. The pattern has the option to not put in the pleats and I think that if you wanted a simple pencil skirt with a little weekend feel to it, this is your one. About the Lisette patterns for Simplicity: I’m in the process of making up my fourth pattern from the line and they’re really great. Apart from the Market skirt and blouse, I have made a muslin of the Portfolio pants (I’ll write more about that in a separate post) and am currently making up the Passport jacket. See all the patterns here. They hit the right level for me right now with little challenges that are manageable. However, I’ll say this – the fitting across the shoulders is quite narrow. As someone who constantly has to adjust this aspect in patterns, it’s brilliant, but not for the more normal-shouldered amongst us. In the Market blouse, the Passport dress and now in the Passport jacket, I haven’t had to adjust the fit across the shoulders at all.

I’m sorry! I digress! The blouse is the most basic view of the Pendrell. I think I made the size 2 and it fit almost perfectly. I took in the princess seams above the bust by… half an inch each, I think, to accommodate my narrow shoulders. I made a muslin first and worked out the adjustment. Then when I made it up, I was able to french seam the whole thing and take into account my adjustment. It was pretty easy.

The fabric is the souvenir cotton I picked up in Edinburgh, I used about 1.25m of it with enough leftovers to make some pretty hankies. I didn’t realise at the time I bought it but the print has a most useful, delicate palette – blues, greens, reds and pinks. It will match pretty much anything.

I have nearly all of my autumn/winter sewing and knitting planned out but am still figuring out the best way to show it here! Trousers are up tomorrow. Stay tuned.