We know you love to see samples of sewing patterns and fabrics stitched up as it really helps to bring a fabric to life or to view a style of garment in a different light.
In this post I wanted to share all the details of the garments featured in our 10th Birthday wiindow display, along with the garments that the super duper g&g team made to wear for our event celebration using the new Bee Happy Blooms Viscose fabric and the Chicacheetah Organic Cotton French Terry Fabric.
The garments featured in the window display
The Chalk and Notch Wren Blouse
This super cute Blouse pattern, also comes with a dress option as well as two statement sleeve options. For this version we opted for the shorter sleeve with a puff cap and elastic hem.
It has a really flattering curved neckline, finished off with a facing and is a lovely option for a pretty blouse.
The Assembly Line Cuff Top
This simple design is easy and satisfying to make yet very elegant, especially in a viscose fabric that has lots of drape, like this one. It has a roomy fit and cap sleeves with wide elastic cuffs. It does have a centre front seam, which you could easily omit but removing the seam allowance and cutting out on the fold.
The Closet Core Nicks Dress
The full, triple stack of gathered tiers in the maxi length version of this dress swish and sway perfectly in this fabric. With delicate button loops and covered buttons and long elegant sleeves with an elastic cuff, its the ideal way to inject a little bohemian glamour into your wardrobe.
With its elastic waist it cinches in for a bloused effect tin the bodice, giving waist definition and making it super comfortable to wear.
The Named Taika Dress
This timeless midi-length dress is lightly fitted dress features a V-neck and a button closure. The elbow length sleeves have an elastic channel part way up which gives a nice frill type detail to the hem of the sleeves. The curved waist seam runs below the bust at front, and the gathers at the bust and centre back give volume and shape to the bodice, while the vertical seams of the skirt flatter and contour the body.
Window display details
We had a window full of amazing dried flowers, all painstakingly hung to perfection by Jo, that framed the garments perfectly.
Also with blown up icons from the Bee Happy Blooms print that are featured in our woven sew in label packs.
The g&g Team makes
Laurens Closet Core Nicks Dress
I was spoiled for choice on what to wear for the event as the samples of the kits we made were to my size. It was a tough choice but I went for the full length Nicks dress with the shorter sleeves for a more summery look.
It's super comfy to wear with its elasticated waist. I also slip stitched the front opening closed to minimise any gaping at the front, as the neckline opening is big enough to be able to pull it over your head anyway.
I sized down two sizes for this version but stitched the sleeves on with a 1cm seam allowance instead of the 1.5cm included in the patter to give just a tad more easy over the back yoke section, which is more fitted.
Helens Friday Pattern Company Patina Blouse
For her version of the pretty Patina blouse, Helen chose the higher neckline option and opted to size down after looking at the finished garment measurements.
She was thinking the sleeves might be too full for her usual style but the way they are gathered into the cuffs works really well and it looks really lovely and just the right proportion of fullness for a floaty light weight fabric like this viscose. She looks lovely!
Hannahs True Bias Marlo Cardigan
Hannah loves the Marlo Cardigan and this is her 3rd version! This time she took an inch out of the centre back to make the fit more snug at the back. Other wise she made her usual size for this loose fitting style. The co-ordinating ribbing on the cuffs, hem band and neck-band frame the print perfectly. She looks great in it!
Lesleys Chalk and Notch Wren Blouse
For her version of the Wren blouse, the same pattern used for one of the outfits in the window display, she picked the recommended size for her body measurements but straightened off the shoulders to take a little fabric out of the front.
She also used the pattern piece for the long sleeve and put elastic in the hem instead of a cuff. It looks really amazing!
Jos Assembly Line Cuff Top
The cuff top is a favourite for Jo and she has made this pattern a few times. It's designed for a woven fabric but Jo has made some lovely simple amendements to the pattern that gives a totally different look to this pattern.
She cut the front and back bodice on the fold to take away the seam. She also made the bodice more fitted and left the elastic out of the cuffs for a looser fit.
It totally transforms the garment and she looks fantastic!
Charlies Megan Nielsen Olive Dress
For Charlies Olive dress she sized up for a looser fit and to make sure it would be nice and easy to pull on and off over her head, but next time she would make it to size as it does come up quite roomy.
She found inserting the V panel a little tricky in the viscose, but suggests that sewing it in two separate sections rather than trying to pivot at the V will make it a bit easier.
It looks great on her - so swishy!
Dees Simplicity K8637 Dress
For Dees version of this stunning wrap dress, she opted for View D with long sleeves and View C (longer skirt with a flounce). She fell between sizes but opted for the bigger size as a wrap dress can always be pulled in at the waist.
Instead of an elasticated sleeve hem, she did ten rows of shirring at the bottom of the sleeve. The sleeve pattern has a curved hem that she straightened out so that she could sew parallel lines of shirring.
Dee used stay tape at the centre front edge, but in hindsight thinks using the interfacing recommended in the pattern would have been a better option due to the softness of this viscose fabric.
She looks amazing! It's such a striking dress!
Beccas Tilly and the Buttons Pearl Cardigan
Becca sized down a size and a half for a more fitted look on this wrap around cardigan. She also added an inch to the length, as the pattern comes up quite cropped, so she could wear it on its own with high waisted jeans. She recommends checking the length of the neckband and lengthening it as well if you lengthen the bodice. She used the ribbing on the cuffs but kept the main fabric for the neckband, which gives the colourful print full impact. She looks great!
Hannahs True Bias Calvin Wrap
Hannah loved making her wrap dress and even made all the meters and meters of binding needed to finish off the armholes, neckline, straps and front edges.
It looks fantastic on her and is such a lovely summery make!
Alisons Chalk and Notch Evelyn Skirt
For Alisons version of the Evelyn skirt, she lowered the slit down a bit - a super easy adjustment to make as you sew the garment as you just need to sew those two panels down a bit further.
It's such a lovely style to pair with tops and tees - she looks fantastic in the combo with a version of the Helens Closet Gilbert shirt in a cotton double gauze fabric.
Rosies Chalk and Notch Max Tee
Rosie put her own spin on this boxy knit top with a muscle tee shoulder shape and a dropped armhole. She reduced the width of the bodice piece over the shoulder so that she could add on the co-ordinating ribbing, took in the side seams to make it more fitted and added her own hem band, again in the matching ribbing. It makes such a lovely layering piece for spring time and I think she looks lovely in it!
Naomis Friday Pattern Company Saguaro Top
The Saguaro Top, part of a set that comes with wide leg trousers, is a great pattern for really showing off a pretty print like this one.
Naomi has worn it back to front for a different look that works really well if you prefer a higher neckline at the front - so looks great!
Fionas Helens Closet Ashton Top
Fiona (my Mum) made a Helens Closett Ashton top with the sleeve expansion pack. She made her usual size and loves this simple style for a quick make that is super comfortable to wear. She looks lovely!
Sophias 'Mini Nicks' Top
Sophia (my now almost 7 year old!) wanted to join in the fun too and insisted that she have the same style as the Nicks tunic top that has the gathered peplum. I used the I AM patterns cassiopée dress (for kids) as a base. I had made it for her before so know what size fitted. I cut the back bodice out on the fold, changed the shape of the front neckline and then bound it in the same way you do for the Nicks Top - catching the little loops in to make the button closure.
She looked super cut in it and has been wanting to wear it almost every day since!
I also made little Solly a Poppies and Jazz Strawberry Sweatshirt, but Ayaz didn't quite make the cut for a new garment! Alas, I ran out of time!
Thank you once again to all our amazing customers from my family and g&g gang to you!
