Peter Pan Pendrell Replacement

My original Peter Pan Pendrell

Back in January, I was inspired by a peter pan collared Pendrell blouse made by Anna of Paunnet. I ended up making my own peter pan Pendrell, in teal rayon challis and loved it. I loved it so much, in fact, that I wore it and washed it a few too many times and it started to fall apart in any little place I'd not finished the seams 100% perfectly. I just recently parted ways with it (which felt weird, donating a me-made) and decided to make a replacement. I had just enough of the teal rayon left over to whip up a Laurel version, to fill the gap the Pendrell had left in my closet (and life).

I used the same collar as what I'd drafted for my pink Laurel top and simply rounded the pointed corners in the front to get the look I wanted. I used French seams throughout, and instead of completely foregoing interfacing in the collar (as I'd done and regretted in the Pendrell version), I used muslin to interface it, which worked pretty well. I also got to make bias tape and grinned the whole time -- for some reason I love this tedious task.

 

I'm so glad to have this blouse back in my closet and ready to wear! The soft collar for this version makes it easier to layer than my pink collared Laurel (which as been restricted to warm weather wear only).

In writing this post, I've just realized my next project, currently in the works, is also inspired by pieces Anna has made. As soon as I saw her recent post about her pinafore project, I started purchasing patterns and cutting fabric. More on that soon!

Resting on my Laurels

As most of you know, one of my favorite things to sew recently has been the Laurel pattern from Colette Patterns. It's fast, doesn't require a zipper, works great with and without sleeves, can be lined or unlined, made fancier or super casual, and it's easy to fit. I've sewn back to back tops and dress variations and I'm not quite done yet! Here's a look at my most recently finished Laurel in action.

As you can tell, the late afternoon sun was really beating down on our back patio -- it made the plants in our garden look neon green, and I (including the hair on my arms!) appear to be glowing. Magic!

This Laurel ended up being another mini skirt length version, similar to my linen one. It's just long enough for me to get away with wearing it to my (very casual) job without requiring tights, but I'm also looking forward to pairing it with tights in cooler weather. The sleeve length is another detail that works well for the all-weather style I was trying to achieve.  I do find this dress especially suited for fall, though, but maybe that's just because the navy and white speckled fabric makes me think of a composition notebook (back to school!).




I know, by now, some of you must be sick of seeing me make Laurel after Laurel, and I'm thinking I've finally got enough of my sewjo back to try out new things again. But not before finishing my last Laurel that's currently in the works! I recently donated a pile of things from my closet, including a sad little me-made that I loved to wear, but had just not held together. My Peter Pan Pendrell was just worn out and starting to fall apart, so I'm working on a collared Laurel as a replacement. I'd had just enough of the teal rayon challis left over for it, so I'm looking forward to finishing it up and being able to wear (and share a peek at) the replacement soon.



In the meantime, let's recap all of my completed Laurels, in hopes I'll really be ready to move on now!

 Grey linen version 1, 

Floral version 2,

Collared version 3,

Rayon print version 4 (one for me, one for Steph),

Anthro-inspired version 5,

and

Speckled navy version 6.

Dresses!

I told you all my next project would be yet another Laurel, and here it is! I've finished my 6th Laurel, this time it's a(nother mini) dress with sleeves. That's mini as in mini skirt. Since my success setting in the sleeves on my Anthropologie-inspired Laurel top, I feel like I've opened a whole new world of possiblities. I can sew things with sleeves, without going crazy! I don't need to feel forced to only tackle kimono and raglan sleeves! Yes, sleeveless tops and dresses are nice, but who doesn't like a good ol' sleeve?

Now, before I get too carried away, I'll go ahead and out myself. I did indeed attach two successfully set-in sleeves to this dress, but only one actually looks right. The other one is a little bit poufy... but I don't care! I mean I care enough to point it out to you, but not enough to try to fix it. To me, it is really ok that the sleeves are not perfect -- I'll just get there someday, no need to stress!

Inadvertently puffy sleeve -- more noticeable when worn

For this particular iteration of the Laurel pattern, I decided to go for a dress that could pretty much be worn any time of the year. I used a navy and white speckled cotton sateen (stretch) from Fabric.com. I'm pretty sure Andrea used the black version for one of her cute Moss Mini skirts. I lined the dress with a dark blueish-purple bemberg rayon lining from Joann. And I, once again, made a million miles of bias tape and used it as a facing for the neckline, sleeve openings, and hem.

bias tape faced sleeve opening

neckline with bias tape facing

hem facing & dress lining

When it came to finishing the raw edges of the lining, I decided to try something I'd recently noticed in a vintage skirt. Instead of turning under and stitching, or using lace seam finishing tape, the bottom of the skirt was simply pinked and left hanging free inside the skirt. I figured, if it's good enough for a vintage RTW garment, it's good enough for me to try, too. I promise the pinked edge is not quite so uneven as the ripply fabric makes it seem in the photo. :) I'll be sure to report back soon, with photos of me actually wearing the dress, as well as details on how washing it goes, with the pinked raw edges. I hope it holds up!
UPDATE: Upon washing this dress on gentle cycle in cold water, the pinked edge of the rayon bemberg lining has started to fray, annoyingly, so perhaps this finishing technique is not suitable for all lining fabrics. :-/

In other dress news, I'm recently obsessed with the Emery dress pattern by Christine Haynes. It's vintage inspired and totally adorable. Shanni has made a super cute floral version as a pattern tester, which you should really check out, if you haven't already. She's also hosting a giveaway where one lucky winner will get their own Emery dress pattern, once it's officially released. I can't wait to see more Emery dresses pop up on the internet. I know I'd love to make the longer sleeved (sleeves! me!) version with the adorable collar in a lightweight wool for colder months. Mmm!

Emery

Finished Project: Laurel v. 5

Hey, y'all. As promised, here's my photo shoot wearing my latest Laurel top. I've worn this top a few times already since making it and I'm loving it. The fabric is what really makes it for me. The cotton/silk blend feels super nice and I can't keep myself from giddily petting it and gazing lovingly down at it whenever I put it on.

 

Now I just need a bright pink necklace to wear with it. It's definitely a simple top, but I don't think it lacks interest... though it could benefit from some statement jewelry. (something to work on--accessorizing)

Love the little bow at the back

I know I discussed some of the construction details, along with my inspiration for the project, in my last post, but there's always room for more!  When sewing up this Laurel, I added about an inch and a half to the length, and then used bias tape to face the hem (rather than bind it--which I think would have been weird--or just doing a regular hem, which would have subtracted a little more of the extra length I'd added in).

I used French seams on the side and shoulder seams, which always makes things feel nice and fancy, to me. I'd accidentally zoned out when stitching the arm seams to create the tube part of the sleeve and was too lazy to un-do it, so those are just regular seams, finished with the pinking shears.  I know some people sew their shoulder/arm-hole seams as French seams, but I can't really wrap my mind around that. I'm lucky enough that I was able to physically set-in the sleeves (usually my downfall in projects), so I wasn't trying to get too crazy.

I think the next time I make the top version of this pattern (oh, there will be a next time), I'll lengthen it again like I did here, but I'll also try lengthening the sleeves to 3/4, instead of the current 1/2. My Anthropologie inspiration shirt had 3/4 sleeves, which I just kind of spaced on when it came to making my version.  I'm also dying to try the gathered sleeve ruffle/flounce variation, but that is something I'd definitely save for a dress, rather than the top -- but maybe that's just me.

 Up next? LAUREL V. 6! Dress with sleeves, coming to a blog near you.