Townmouse

One block, many variations

When I studied fashion, a large focus in patternmaking was on the development of blocks based on our individual measurements.  These would serve as templates for our various garment designs.

I've had little shirt blocks since Max was a baby that I use for all the top variations I have designed for Townmouse over the years.  Once you have a block you are confident fits well, the basic dimensions like armhole depth or shoulder width don't change.

You can then chop and change the design details - change a front button wrap to a back button wrap; add a cap sleeve; remove a collar; insert a bodice with gathered front body.  All the design variations above are derived from the one simple block.  It's a handy thing to have.

Here's one I prepared earlier

This little smocked top has been floating around the house for about 6 months.

I wasn't happy with it, so it never got put away into a wardrobe with Adelaide's other clothes.  In fact, it was sitting around on the sofa in the living room most of the time - a lost item that never had a home.

This morning I made a small adjustment.  I ran a line of shirring elastic around the sleeve hem. 

It went from looking like a cape one might wear at the hairdresser, to a cuter gathered sleeve top. 

Adelaide is happily wearing it now with a white pair of the favourite pants.

I've got a few other smocking panels that are half finished that I might now be inspired to make into a similar style.

Favourite pants

There has been much garment development going on in Adelaide's size ranges.  Babies grow so quickly in the first year so I'm madly pattern drafting, making and refining while I still have a fit model in the smaller sizes.

One item that has been a favourite of mine is a pair of cuffed pants.  They come to the ankle but also look cute when Adelaide is sitting in the pram with her knees bent.  I've made her quite a few pairs.  The red and blue ones she has grown out of.  Now it's time for a hot pink pair.

I like these pants enough to include them in the Townmouse range.  So I'm pretty sure you'll be seeing them in fine corduroy for winter, and then cotton for summer.

I'm just deciding what style of top to make for Adelaide out of the pictured fabric.  I do like flutter sleeves at the moment, so maybe it will be a little swing top with said sleeves.

When the cat's away, Townmouse does play

Will is overseas for work at the moment.  When he travels I tend to spend a lot more time playing in my studio late at night.

I didn't make a start on the aforementioned shirt, as I got distracted by the sudden urge to draft a bloomer pattern - as you do.

The pattern is very simple.  No centre seam, which I think is so cute.  It has an elastic waistband at the back, and shirring at the front.

This is a very versatile garment.  Ideally the bloomers are underwear (and this pair will be perfect to cover a nappy under this dress), but look sweet with a simple tee and cardi for more casual days.  They would also be very comfortable to sleep in and make gorgeous pyjama bottoms for little girls.

A little bit of frill

There is something so sweet about a frilled Peter Pan collar.

I enjoyed making this shirt for Adelaide the other night (yes, the pleat maker came in handy again).  The white fabric has been in my stash for many years.  It is a slightly waxed linen.  But best of all, the selvedge down one side of the fabric had a very pretty picot edge to it.  I used this for the frill around the collar.

In the early days of Townmouse I had a lot of these more traditional garments in the range.  Sadly, there is a very small market for this style of clothing in Australia.  My customers want easier styles, no collars, no ironing.  I do love a collar though.  And a little bit of frill every now and then doesn't go astray either.

An indispensable tool

One tool I can't live without in my studio is a tracing wheel.

When you are working with a large sheet of patterns from, say, a Japanese craft book, this tool is brilliant.  You simply place your patterncard or paper under the sheet of patterns and trace around your chosen pattern with the tracing wheel.

It's also very handy if you want to create fold lines in cardboard (for example, if you want to fold your patterns along the centre front or back of a pattern piece).  You can pick these up for a few dollars at haberdashery stores.

Holidays here we come

The boys have just had their last day at school for the term.  We now have a two week holiday.  Yay.

Spring weather is here and the days are getting longer.

Sewing summer clothes is so much more fun than sewing winter clothes.

A quick fiddle with my Frill Jeans pattern, and I made this pair of cotton pants for Adelaide for summer.

They are a size 0 (6 months), so will fit her over the summer - perfect for sitting in the sand and wiggling those little toes.

Liberty top

A mere 30 cms of Liberty fabric was all that was required for this little top.  (I actually layed Adelaide on the cutting bench in the fabric store alongside the ruler to see how much I would need.)

Adelaide has a growing number of these tops to wear now.  This one has more rows of smocking than the previous pink version and I like the way it sits across her shoulders.

I have put a new category on my blog, "Adelaide's wardrobe" as there will no doubt be many more posts about her clothes, as I continue sewing for her.

These tops are perfect to make as the smocking gives me a couple of hours of hand sewing that I can do when relaxing in the evenings.

Hello funny face

Here is the pink version of the little smocked top.

This has a smaller neck circumference than the blue one, so looks a little neater on.

Adelaide is at the age where she makes lots of little, sweet bird noises.  Here she is mid chirrup.

The sleeve detail is quick and easy.  I love a rolled hem too.

A hit among misses

This smocking business is proving trickier than I thought.  Like any new endeavour, its taking me a while to get the hang of it, and to create pieces I actually like.  The green version from a few posts ago was made into a shirt that ended up in the bin.

Part of the process, referred to as blocking, is where you predetermine the degree of gathering.  This is a step that I didn't really worry about initially.  Now I realise it makes all the difference.

I feel like I'm getting the hang of it now.  I've drafted a sweet pattern for this little bishop's neck top in a 3 to 6 month size.

A later pink version I like even more.  Adelaide will wear that tomorrow.

All time fave

I have an all time favourite fabric.  I've loved it for years.  It's a shirt weight swiss cotton in the most wonderful red that can also read as a pink, depending on what you put it with.

I've used it in quilts, and in Townmouse ranges past.  It's frightfully expensive so most of the time I've used it sparingly - to trim a neckline, for example.

Sadly the fabric is no longer available from the wholesaler. 

I've even tried to have it replicated by a shirting fabric mill in Turkey.  But they couldn't match the perfect colour.

Now I'm left with only the smallest remnants in my stash.  No piece is too small to keep for a future applique, quilt block or trim.

I had just enough to make this dress for Adelaide.  It's a size 0, so will fit her this coming summer.  I have a little ruffled bikini bottom in the same fabric that she can wear under it to cover her nappy.

Local giveaway

For months now I've been stepping over a big pile of lovely brown paper in my studio.  Will brought it home from his office for me  - they used it for wrapping wool samples.  Each sheet is 115 x 75 cms.  It's lighter weight than traditional  patterncard, but still heavy enough to hang from a patternhook.

I use it when I'm developing patterns.  But I have too much of it to store.  If any local Melbourne readers would like a roll of sheets, please leave a comment.  You could come and pick it up, as it's too hard to post.

If you have a favourite store bought pattern that you use often, you may want to transfer it to patterncard.  It makes such a difference to your dressmaking for several reasons.  Firstly, it's much quicker to mark a pattern onto fabric when you simply trace around the card; and secondly, your patternpieces will be more accurate. 

Then again, there are probably many other uses for this card...

Update: Thank you, all given away.  The six local commenters will each get a roll of about 15 sheets.