For my birthday this year, my awesome sisters gave me a Colette Hawthorn pattern and some fabric to make it with. What do you think?
I’m one of the lucky people for whom this pattern is a perfect fit. When I first looked at the pattern pieces I thought “Just one giant waist dart? That’ll never work” – but somehow it does. And I love the little neck darts at the back that prevent back-neck gape.
Changes:
- I made the sleeves a wee bit longer, rather than the cap sleeves in the pattern.
- I lengthened the front of the collar by 4.5cm on each side, so it ends at the centre rather than halfway up the neck opening.
- I neatened the edge of the facing by sewing it and the interfacing right-side-together before turning it inside out and then pressing (Sophie-Lee explains this better than me).
- I hemmed it with bias tape and a blind hem.
- And I retraced the facings into two pieces, with a seam at the centre back. No particular reason, other than that it saved sewing a few seams.
However, if you change the pattern you’ve got to turn your brain on, and not cut two identical facing pieces! Can you see this? One of them is wrong-side-up (I didn’t have enough fabric to cut another one).
And make sure you sew the facing seams right-side-together! (Luckily this is at the back neck and no-one will see it but me – I might even cover it with a label).
So, minor errors aside, this is a total win. I love it. Best present ever.
sixty six stitches 
Gemma this is GORGEOUS on you! I love what you did with the collar, and laughed at the facing – I’ve definitely done the exact same thing, cutting two identical pieces rather than mirroring them 😀
Thanks, that makes me feel better. I often sew on autopilot – listening to podcasts and daydreaming – but this was a reminder to PAY ATTENTION next time! (Especially if I only have 1.5m of fabric)
This looks lovely. I really love the pattern (both the print and the cut) on you. I might just have to put this on my ever expanding list of things that might actually suit me. Though I still don’t know if peplums are a good idea on my figure or not!
One way to find out, I guess! It’s funny how you never know til you try it on. You can try mine on if you like!
I’d love to take you up on that! Are you at the next Fabric hoarders?
Oh I love this on you – the fabric is so pretty. Maybe I need to drop better hints to my family in the future in regard to presents as this present is pretty much PERFECT!
I’m not sure what happened at Christmas but they got me books instead. Dropping good hints is an art form. I hope you got good presents, even if they weren’t sewing-related.
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