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Thursday 30 May 2013

Another fisherman's smock


Yes, it's simple, and, perhaps doesn't possess the sweet appeal of a Collette blouse (which everyone seems to be currently making, possibly in an optimistic belief that Summer is just around the corner), but I love my fisherman's smock–and it keeps me warm. So much so, that I made another.

My navy version was much more satisfying to make than the tweedy one, and if you ever decide to have a go at this Merchant & Mills pattern, I suggest you avoid slubby fabrics and use something flat, that is easy to mark on to when you draw around the cardboard pattern. For my second smock, I used an extra heavy cotton which gave a crisper result that is particularly noticeable around the neckline, and where the sleeves are set in to the body. Apologies for the gloomy photo (scarf added to avoid complete and utter darkness), which really doesn't highlight the differences that well at all, but trust me, they are there!

It's amazing what a difference finding the right fabric can make to how much you love or hate a pattern. My slubby tweed and the cardboard blocks were not a match made in heaven, but when I teamed them with a heavy cotton, they were natural soulmates.

My only remaining quibble is with the neck facings. The instructions say to cut a pair on the fold then sew them together. I duly did this, but on both versions found the facings were far too big for the neckline. It was easily fixed by lopping off any excess and rejoining the ends, but I'd love to know if anyone else has encountered the same problem?

Elizabeth,
x.

1 comment:

  1. Finding the right fabric is the key to carefree sewing! Love your new garment.

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