Monday 13 January 2014

kirsten kimono on safari

happy new year!

having made my kirsten kimono dress, i always knew i wanted to make several of the tees.  when girl charlee had a sale in november i snapped up a bunch of yard cuts with a plan to make several kimono tees for summer.

i cut out 4 tees in early december and worked on them when i could in among christmas parties and festivities.  i finished them late on 27 dec in preparation for a trip the following day.  mr flagg does a lot of travel for work and sometimes i am lucky enough to go with him.  i hadn't been on a trip for several years though and 28 dec saw us flying to south africa - kimono tees would be perfect!

cotton jersery $3.85 yard
slub cotton jersey blend $4.20 yard
cotton jersey $3.84 yard
cotton jersey slub $3.50 yard
before i started sewing the tees i glanced over the instructions again and noticed that while the pattern has you add your own seam allowance you are not supposed to do this for the neckline - no wonder my neckline for my dress version didn't look like the photo on the front page of the instructions!

i rectified this issue for these versions, constructed them on my sewing machine and used a twin needle for the neck binding, arms (which I again added a binding to) and hem.  i also used a knit stay tape on the hems.




this is me in our accommodation on a game reserve just before going on an afternoon safari.  i also made the shorts.  i made them around oct/nov last year, i had great plans of trying a new shorts pattern like here, here or here, but in the end to get a quick outcome i used now OOP lisette 2245 which i used the year before to make up a pair of shorts, using the pants pattern.  next summer's sewing will definitely involve trying a new shorts pattern!


the fabric is a red sateen from spotlight. i didn't consider it when i purchased it, but it has no stretch - i do prefer to have a bit of stretch when making shorts/pants.  but these shorts are comfortable enough and i like the colour.  the construction is pretty straightforward - darts at the back, waistband and side zip.  i used a black conventional zip from my stash. i bought 80cm of the sateen on sale, i think it was about $8.00, but i did need to cut the back pieces on the cross grain. 


here's kirsten on safari checking out some rhinos - wow safari is amazing.  we saw heaps of animals including giraffes, zebras and hippos as well as this elephant below who wasn't too happy about letting us past.


this is me at lunch on the second day in the game park.  its another kirsten i made prior to the colourful ones and prior to sorting out the neckline issue.  cheesy i know but i wanted to take this version on safari, the fabric came from rathdowne fabrics from a trip to melbourne in the middle of last year.  again a cheap but cheerful make at something like $8.95 - i can't quite remember.


at the entry gate to the game reserve there were some craft markets, i picked up some fabric for $15 AUD which is probably outrageous, but i wanted something to remind me of the trip.  am not sure what i will make from it, perhaps an a-line dress or boxy top as it is quite stiff.  i really like the colours and pattern.


one more pic kind of related to sewing and fabric - a lasting impression of driving through the country side to the game reserve was the colourful clothes lines, they were everywhere - this was snapped out the car window.




emma



13 comments :

  1. I really need to get the Kirsten Kimono - all your versions are great. How exciting to visit South Africa! Looking forward to our fabric shopping on Saturday.

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  2. That pattern looks like a winner and you scored a great deal with the fabric. South Africa looks amazing, the only business trips I go on with my husband are to the local hardware store!

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    1. Hah your hardware store comment made me laugh! Hope your foot is doing OK.

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  3. I just discovered your blog via Maria's - and I think I saw you in Tessuti's on Saturday with Kirsty (I was doing the class that was on). Your kirsten kimonos look terrific, and I love the way you finished the sleeves. I will have to resurrect my pattern now! The wax print fabric you picked up on your trip reminds me of some of the amazing print dresses on the vlisco website - have a look and see if anything there inspires you!

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  4. Hi Gabrielle,

    Yes that was me - you are observant, i am only new to blogging! I have made a couple of kk's with turned under sleeves, but i do prefer the binding finish. Wow vlisco is amazing! I hadn't heard of it before, but there are some great fabrics on there. I have one particularly favourite, just not sure about getting 5 yards!

    Thanks for stopping by to stay hi!

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  5. These are all so great! I love the way you've done the binding on the arms, I've never thought of that but it looks so good. When I made mine I used a size small with no seam allowance & while the fit is great the neck doesn't look quite right. After reading this I'm thinking I should retrace the pattern smaller & add the seam allowance so the neck sits right. Or did you fix it another way?

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    1. Hi there, thanks so much for stopping by my blog! I often do a narrow binding to finish short sleeves on knits, I think it gives a nice finish.

      Originally I added seam allowance to all areas of the kirsten pattern and i ended up with a high neckline that didn't have the shape shown on the pattern picture. Then when I reread the instructions they seem to say not to add seam allowance to the neckline, so i took it off the pattern for the colourful ones in this post. They are such a better fit for the neckline. Hope this helps! I do love this pattern they are such a quick and easy make with a good fit.

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    2. Thanks for replying! I'll give it a try when I get a chance and hopefully it will make the neckline look better. I'd also love to try out the way you've done the binding on your sleeves and neckline.

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    3. Good luck! Hope to see them on your blog down the track!

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  6. All your tops are great! I love the Kirsten Kimono tee pattern -It's so nice for layering, or showing off bold prints... or just for squeaking a tee out of not much fabric! I've been making a lot of loose drapy tops lately (a la Plantain) but I can feel my love to Kirsten coming back! I like the fit from the band at the bottom.

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  7. Hi Gillian, thanks for your comment, am glad you like the Kirstens - they have had heaps of wear over summer. I love how little fabric they take too and am also more of a fan of them in prints rather than than plain knits. I definitely want to give the Plantain a go to... oh and the new Maria Denmark dress and tee pattern - the list goes on! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment.

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  8. Love these tees! My husband travels to South Africa frequently for work. He went to Stellenbosch a few weeks ago and didn't even have a glass of wine!! I'd love to travel with him one day. Did you take the kids with you? We are hoping to take them on a safari one day soon. Looks fabulous!

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    1. Thanks! Wow, you definitely have to get to SA with him - go on safari and have some wines! We didn't take the kids as it was actually a very quick trip, just 3 nights in SA - two in jo'berg and the other at the game park. Jo'berg was a big eye opener, but safari was absolutely amazing - totally brilliant to see the animals up close in their natural environment. The kids would LOVE it!

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