First was the grey gabardine, next the brown wool, finally green wool/poly blend. The Lucille Trousers by Charm Patterns are a wardrobe staple. Not just for retro and vintage folk, but for all who want a bit of decadent trouser elegance in their lives. When this pattern says it's a wide leg they are not having a laugh. The back of this pattern through the crotch line is so wide. SO WIDE. However, the bum sits nice and flat without extra pooling at the upper thigh. Due to the relaxed fit they are pretty quick to put together and can easily be sewn in a day. Not to mention the cutaway pockets. So sleek and stylish, and they fit an iPhone! The green trousers are actually part of a suit that I have yet to finish. It's slow going on the jacket, but it's already shaping up to a seriously overdressed statement suit. From these images, it appears as I love to pair them with a hand knit jumper! Peach jumper is Beauty School by Poison Grrls, mustard jumper is Tesselate by Untangling Knots, cream jumper is from a vintage 1970s pattern. If I lived in the Lucille Trousers I would be a happy woman. Maybe I should make a pair for house lounging... Construction notes are at the bottom of this post.
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Two jumpers from the same pattern with slightly different sleeve ease, but both are superb. The pattern is the Homefront jumper available on Sidney's delightful Squid's School of Vintage Knitting Patreon page. This pattern is a schematic for you to plug in your own measurements and gauge, and then knit something perfect. And let me confirm, it is perfect. The Patreon is totally worth it! There is a new pattern every month, monthly zoom knit-nights, and general knitting greatness (on the USD $8.50 tier). The green version came first and is made from leftover yarns. The green is from the Land Girl jumper and the cream is from the 40s fair isle vest. The stripes idea was heavily inspired by Sidney's red version of the same jumper. The stripes on the sleeves stop before the CO and dec because who wants to set in striped puff sleeves? Not I. The light buttons at the back next were from my stash. They're a recently added "stock item" of small mother-of-pearl buttons which seems to suit everything I make. A happy coincidence. One brilliant thing about this pattern is that you take separate measurements for front shoulders and back shoulders. Finally my broad upper back is catered for! As long as you dec down to the same top shoulder measurement then everything lines up nicely. The forest berry version is knit in a superwash yarn from Morris & Sons bought especially for this project. I used the forest berry pattern by Fabel Knitwear up the centre, and keen eyed friends will notice that there is one little forest berry repeat in the centre of each sleeve. Somehow, this is the most romantic and feminine jumper I have ever made. Not sure if it is down to the yarn colour, the sweet little berries, or the delicate puff sleeves? Probably a combination of all three. Feminine magic. The buttons are little purple shanks from my stash. No idea what they were for originally. Eh, they have a home now on this precious jumper. Honestly, I could probably get my head through without needing the buttons but they are a cute detail on the back. Speaking of squeezing my head through I of course used the super stretchy, double-worked cast off method for the neckband. I will never use a regular rib cast off again for a neck. Not after that time I cast off a vest so small that I got a bit stuck... Both Homefront jumpers are styled with me made skirts from vintage patterns. Maroon-ish corduroy skirt paired with the green jumper is a vintage 1940s mail order pattern. Grey upholstery skirt worn with the forest berry jumper is vintage 1960s Simplicity 3744. More knitting details on my Ravelry page. Basically, these are the 3 colours in my wardrobe: green, maroon / wine red, grey. Throw in some mustard and burnt orange shades for good measure and you're ready to go. And finally, I can't help but have visions of more of these jumpers. So I started sketching them and writing notes... Do you have a preference for the next Homefront design? How great are vests? This pattern is available on Squidney Knits Patreon and it's brilliant. Her whole method is to use your own measurements and spi (sts per inch) to create a personalised pattern. My version is knit with leftover Bendigo yarn from a jumper finished earlier this year so I was being yardage conservative at best. The ribbed band should be a bit longer but it's nothing between friends. The stitch pattern is a mix of knit and purls that is easy to 'read' what row you are up to. I much prefer to read my rows rather than make tally marks of where I'm up to. Makes me feel like even more of a knitting wizard. One interesting thing about this pattern is that the upper back and upper front are different widths. As you take your own measurements and work that in line with your gauge (5spi for me), it can be a different width for the front and the back. I have never knitted a garment where the front is not an exact repeat of the back but with neckline shaping. What a revelation! This did require wet blocking as the armholes and neckline are only 4 rows of ribbing deep. They kept wanting to flip upwards. They soon discovered my patience is not infinite. (Just a little Black Jack Randall quote there.) The wet block took an age because just after the vest had soaked, it rained for 3 days. Oh, and I used the double-worked super-stretchy bind off for the neck. I don't think "bind off loosely" is enough stretch. Aside: How much mileage can I get out of this 18th C shirt? Honestly, not enough. I love it so much. It can do Poldark, Outlander, any Jane Austen / Regency period, might even be able to shove it into early Victorian! Drama. Linen. Comfort. Historical. Vest: Knitted from Squidney Knit's Patreon Pattern - Scarecrow Vest Shirt: 18th C mens shirt Skirt: Squared out pencil skirt from the Blue Suit Shoes: American Duchess Claire I've been sewing since 2004, and properly sewing for myself from circa 2011. This blouse almost broke me. Every seam I stitched for the shoulders and back neck facing had to be unpicked and redone. Hot tip: do not French the shoulder seams. It cannot be done. They need to be regular 15mm seams to do the origami-fold-back-neck-facing-madness. I struggled and toiled and swore. I even watched the sew along video to no avail! Almost defeated, I pinned the facings the way it should work when finished, and then reverse engineered where to sew. The poly crepe fabric is from Spotlight, purchased many many moons ago. I remember being drawn to the warm mustard and dusty pink tones. It was a delicate floral beacon, bewitching me from the shelves. There is a lot of hate on poly fabrics at the moment in the sewing sphere but they can be really great for travelling. Don't need ironing, quick dry crepe, scrunchable in a suitcase. It's such a practical win. The Anderson Blouse pattern is absolutely designed for a fabric that naturally drapes in a gorgeous way. Essentially, I am Gillian Anderson now. Well, Gillian Anderson as Stella Gibson in The Fall. I wonder if I will make another. Maybe a cream brushed satin... Notes:
Blouse: Sew Over It - Anderson Blouse Fabric: Poly crepe from Spotlight Skirt: By Hand London - Charlotte Skirt (squared from the hip line, part of my Blue Suit) Sunnies: Local Supply You have redeemed me. I am your humble servant. And I love you. With dialogue like that, how can you say no? Usually I'm not into historical telly / film. My style interests are anchored firmly in the mid 20thC. But Poldark just got to me. Specifically the menswear. Sweeping linen shirts, braces in the early seasons, drop front trousers, riding boots rather than breeches and stockings, well placed greatcoats. Oh, and Aidan Turner. The women's costumes were gorgeous too - I'm all about Demelza's rich colour palette of maroon, green, and earthy browns. Sign me up! Early season Elizabeth wore beautiful pink and blue silk gowns with her cascading romantic hair. Ah, so much to look at. Poldark is set in the late 1700s and the final season spills into the new century. I'm not fond of the Regency period in the later seasons with the empire lines for ladies. But again - the menswear! Anyway, after watching the show I decided I could definitely make room for one of these wonderfully clever mens shirts. They are a collection of rectangles, gathered and cuffed. You need some key measurements like upper back shoulder to shoulder, base of neck, wrist circumference, preferred length. But really, the "standard" measurements would have fit me fine. I also tried styling the shirt with a more retro vibe. Enter a classic grey textured pencil skirt from Vivien of Holloway! Sure, there was some noodling about trying to get all that fullness sitting nicely while tucked in. Time well spent I say. To sum up, I love this shirt. There is something wonderful about garment design that is sensitive to the fabric. I never felt like I was wrestling with the linen to try and make it behave in a way it didn't want. The soft gathering suits the drape of the fabric and honestly, it was a dream to sew. I used the drawing thread method to cut all my rectangles perfectly on grain. It took a lot of time, but the finished garment hangs so beautifully. There is no need for me to make another shirt like this. My sweeping romance dreams are entirely fulfilled! Details:
Shirt: Made my me with white linen from Spotlight. Used these instructions. A well placed Google search will get you to the pattern measurements. Trousers: Made by me Boots: Roc Skirt: Vivien of Holloway If you made it this far, well done. Here is your reward of inspiration pics. From my quick pre-project research, the same shirt design was used for all males (both high and low status), and older, worn shirts became work shirts. You can see the drop shoulder seam, the tight cuff to control the sleeve fullness, and the way the collar can be flipped up for a neck cloth. The sleeves / back neck could be gathered OR tightly pleated for the upper classes. I think George actually has pleated sleeves and ruffled neck openings as he gains more power and wealth through the show. |
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