Did you know it's Winter in Australia? It's probably still warmer than here, but as the Aussies are used to a lot of heat, they'll be wanting to keep warm at the moment. Maria took a remnant from another project and managed to create a lovely, winter white top.

Now for something completely different. Maria brings us our very first historical period piece make, and it's wonderful! The work that has gone into the corset on this amazing outfit is just fantastic - take a look below at what inspired this make.

The dress

And it's a significant part of the Outlander story, hence I didn't attempt to make this as is. Terry's work on this dress is amazing. There's lots of detailing involved. You can read about it on her blog.  So I've taken elements of this dress as I've never made a corset. My version is not a replica. It couldn't be. But this is a reminder of the awesome work the show's costumers put into the original dress. White Tree Fabrics provided the fabrics and they were excited with this dress concept. 

Here are my starting fabrics from White Tree and I used Simplicity 3809.

 

 

 

It was the white bonded fabric that spurred on my idea to make something like the wedding dress. White Tree Fabrics has the 'right' fabrics to make the dress. Sometimes it's hard to get everything you need from one place but not this time. The bonded fabric is a knit so I interfaced so it morphed into a woven fabric. The silver fabric is much finer than the original dress so I lined the skirt as well as the bodice.

 

The cream fabric was perfect for the underblouse. I used two layers on the blouse sleeves and pulled the hem edges for a similar fringed edge. This fabric doesn't fray too much so it was easy to create a similar fringe.  The silver fabric is metallic so I cut it out using paper scissors. I used fabric scissors for the other fabrics.

Then came the fun part, adjusting the bodice for the corset.

What you see here is my test version using quilting cotton and the boning. This was good practice. You can also see a close up of the corset being prepped with boning. The boning is sewn onto the lining and not in the seams. There is the inside after I finished the seams. I hand stitched the lining onto the zipper seams. And internal layer of fabric could have been included for a firmer fit. The silver fabric is very light so I used white calico for more firmness but less bulk. 

 

 

 

Below is the finished corset.

 

The back of the corset is higher than the front neckline. I've also used an open ended zipper for the back centre seam.

 

So what does this outfit look like on me.....

 

This dress weighs much less than the original wedding dress in Outlander. There was plenty of work in creating the corset and I enjoyed this process.  It's very simple and uses the elements that work for me. Thank you White Tree Fabric for these fabrics. They've kept me busy while waiting for the next part of Outlander to hit our screens in April.

Every sewer knows that a good quality cotton fabric helps to make your project an easy sewing experience. Sewers who are familiar with these fabrics might be loathe to take on something as fiddly as lace, especially when it might mean extra sewing hours, tons of unpicking, trying to master special seams and trying to figure out how to sew with a fabic they're just not comfortable with. However, WhiteTree fabrics make it easy for any sewer at any experience level to sew with lace and achieve amazing results. We have 2 Bonded laces in our range, available in fantastic Autumn/Winter colours.

What is bonded lace?
Bonded lace features a pretty lace design fixed (bonded) to a complimentary coloured matt satin background. This has many benefits, not least of which is the fact that you won't need a separate lining so you won't have to cut twice! The backing fabric gives the lace stability which means it's easier to cut, and also a dream to sew with! This lace offers you the means to achieve that on trend lace look, but with all the ease that sewing with a cotton fabric gives you. These laces have been tried and tested by some of our bloggers. Here's what they had to say:
 

"Isn’t the fabric fabulous? It is a white bonded lace, courtesy of White Tree Fabrics. Basically it is a lace that is already bonded onto a satin back. So instead of you layering two fabrics together as I did for my wedding handbag it is done for you. This makes the fabric incredibly stable. As easy as sewing cotton." 
- Lucie of Love, Lucie.
 

"I used the black satin bonded lace that WhiteTree have on offer. Have you seen Lucie’s Honeymoon bag for which she used the white version of this fabric? Exquisite! That’s what I say! Sewing with this fabric is a dream."
- Simona of Sewing Adventures in the Attick. 

Here's the bag that Lucie made using product code 1329-03:

Bonded laces are the perfect 2-in-1 product, saving you both time and money. While product 1329 is available in lighter colours and is perfect for accessories and everyday casualwear, our other bonded lace 9729 offers a darker colour palette and is just the thing for evening wear, party fashion and Christmas dresses.

WhiteTree fabrics understand that our customers like to try before they buy so that they can get a feel for the fabric, perhaps match it against other fabrics they're using in a project....that's why we offer a sample service. Did you know that we will send you up to 10 samples at no charge - you'll only pay for P+P? See here for more information. So don't be afraid to give sewing with lace a try - this fabric will help you build your confidence so that you can move on to something more adventurous. Lace is set to be huge in the coming months, so why not give it a go and request your sample today?

We love this latest blogger make, which is perfect for Autumn. It's long sleeved, with a wrap front and it looks quite warm and cosy! Simona made this using our ingenious 2-in-1 bonded lace; a fantastic fabric that features lace fixed to a satin background so that there is no need for a separate lining. We'll let Simona do the talking about how easy the fabric was to work with.....

For my first WhiteTree Fabrics blog project  I chose to  make a top I have seen on the blogosphere some time ago and just fell in love with it.  It is Vogue 8926 and I used the black satin bonded lace that WhiteTree have on offer. Have you seen Lucie’s Honeymoon bag for which she used the white version of this fabric? Exquisite! That’s what I say!

WhiteTree Fabrics sent me everything from the fabric and pattern to the notions such as thread and bias tape.  I decided to make View C. I was hopping to use it as a jacket! The fabric was more difficult to cut than to actually sew it up! I think in the future, when I use this type of fabric I will cut each piece on single layer, to be more accurate when cutting rather than double layer. Think that using my new heavy tailor scissors did not help the issue either as I am not used to cutting with such a heavy pair!  And I think saving time will have to be sacrificed for accuracy!

It did not take me long to put it together think it was about 5 to 6 hours from tracing my size to finished garment!  In the end I had to make my own bias tape, because when I told Lisa about what bias tape I need, gave her the wrong dimension and it was way too thin for my project. Oops!  But it did not take me long to make it, especially since I have the Simplicity Bias Tape  Maker , which I love using all the time.  

This pattern is a perfect one for autumn!  Sewing with this fabric is a dream, especially after having a bit of difficulty cutting it in the first place.  I did not use the instructions, other than checking I am adding the bias tape correctly.  And I am thinking of making it again for an evening outfit, maybe silk or satin!  Not sure which one yet!

The project did not pose many problems and  I believe even a beginner will make this in no time! I decided to make two openings for the belt to go through, one on both sides , just so I can close it both ways and because I was to lazy to actually do one side and then check and do the other. Just wanted to save me the trouble of having to use the unpick! It would have been a nightmare unpicking stretch stitch – black tread on black fabric?! Don’t even want to think about it. 

Fancy having a go at something like this yourself? Here's what you'll need!

Find the sewing pattern ► here.
2-in-1 bonded lace is ►  here. 
Black thread available ► here.
Bias Binding link is ► here. 

You may recall that back in July, Lucie created some wonderful, bespoke clutch bags for her upcoming wedding....and they turned out beautifully.

For her next project, Lucie turned her attention to her upcoming honeymoon and decided to create another bag, but this time, one that was a bit larger and would hold more than a lippy and some tissues! The result is a gorgeous, versatile, really pretty but practical shoulder bag fit for any honeymooner! Over to Lucie.

Do you like my new bag? ‘It’s white!’ I hear you cry.

I would never buy a white bag but making one that I know I can wash is another matter. Anyway I needed a nice roomy packable bag to take me to lunch whilst on honeymoon. And if you can’t be flippant on honeymoon, when can you be?

Isn’t the fabric fabulous? It is a white bonded lace, courtesy of White Tree Fabrics. Basically it is a lace that is already bonded onto a satin back. So instead of you layering two fabrics together as I did for my wedding handbag it is done for you. This makes the fabric incredibly stable. As easy as sewing cotton. This fabric would make an incredibly cute 60’s shift dress. I might just have time to fit one in the 8 week count down to our trip. The pattern for the bag came from "Bags, the modern classics" by Sue Kim. Don’t be surprised if you see a few more makes from this book! I plan on making the front cover clutch bag next. This one was incredibly simple.

Details of above:

Simple pattern all laid out.
2 cut of the exterior fabric, 2 of the lining, 2 fusible medium weight interfacing, 2 heavy weight sewn in interfacing.
Magnetic clasp easily attached through a little square of medium weight interfacing.
A dear little pocket.

We really love this bag! If you do too, here are the details of what Lucie used to make it.

White bonded 2-in-1 lace ► here.

Additional satin lining ► here.