Tutorials Tested: Simplicity 1158

More sewing for me this month. I've been thinking about my holiday and have decided short jumpsuits are what I need for the beach. There are lots of these playsuits in the shops but most are a little too skimpy for me!

After a rummage through the pattern books in my local shop I found the Simplicity 1158 pattern - perfect with it's cap sleeves and flattering cross body option. I also found the perfect remnant piece for just £4.

I made a quick trial version to test the sizes and from this I decided to make the shorts a little longer - at 5'8" I'm a taller than most.

I'm really pleased with the final version. The little details, like the gathering at the collar on the front and the tie back give the whole outfit a sense of complexity that you would expect from something more difficult to sew together.

The most fiddly bit was making sure I had the correct facing sections sewn together and added onto the right front pieces - this took a couple of goes, I shall be marking future versions more clearly

The inserted pockets and long sash belt are the perfect finishing touches.

Roll on beach-time!

Tutorial Tested: Purl Bee's Boxy Tee

The patterns and tutorials on the Purl Bee site are fabulous! There is something for everyone, or if you're like me - you'll want to do all of them!

This is the latest of theirs I've tried - their 'Boxy Tee'. They have three different versions, I went for B - mid length arms with the contrast fabric along the bottom.

 I use a mid-weight navy jersey and a piece of silky fabric I had in my stash.

I made a couple of changes to the pattern:

• I used the front neckline template on the back so that it was more scooped. 
• I also made the sleeves a little wider after reading the comments but Purl Bee have since made this change to the pattern.
• Finally I took further advice from the comments by adding the bias binding to the neckline before I sewed the sleeves in - this made the fabric more maneuverable.

The silky fabric was difficult to use - it frayed and so the finished hem was shorter than planned and the french seams at the armholes were a little bulky - next time I will only do this on finer fabric.

Overall it was really straightforward, the directions were easy to follow and the final top is great. I've had complements when I've worn it, so I shall be making more!