Land Rover Owner International Show

小春日和な週末に、ランドローバーのカーショーに行ってきました。
日本車と言ったらトヨタ、英国車と言ったらランドローバー。

でもトヨタ車に乗ってる人と違って、ランドローバーオーナーのランドローバーにかける忠誠心はすいごいです。運転中にすれ違ったら見知らぬ人でも手を振りあうぐらい。

オットはスポーツカーも大好きだけど、実は結構ランドローバーファンで、アメリカでは1970年代に作られたシリーズというモデルも持ってたし、2000年代に作られたディスカバリーというモデルも持ってたし、イギリスに来てすぐにディフェンダーというモデルも買ったぐらい。そしてもちろんディフェンダーはアメリカに持って帰ると言い切ってるぐらい。（アメリカに持って帰っても輸入規制にひっかからないように、25年以上前のモデルを選んで買ってるし）

駐車場の入り口には「ランドローバー駐車場はこちら」な矢印があって、もちろんランドローバーに乗って行った私たちが着いた駐車場は、もう何千っていうランドローバーが並んでて、駐車場にいるだけでもうランドローバーショーなんじゃないか、っていう感じでした。駐車場だけじゃなくて、駐車場の回り一帯がキャンプ場になっていて、何百っていうランドローバーキャンパーでにぎわっていました。

本当に、どこ見てもランドローバーなんだけど、そのうちの大部分がディフェンダーか、もしくはその前のシリーズというモデル。私から見たら、見かけはいいけど、エアコンも、パワステも、パワーウィンドウもオートロックもないようなトラクターみたいな車にお金かける気持ちがわかりません。ちなみに私はオットのディフェンダーの運転ができません。近所を回って練習したけど、公道に出たら車の流れに乗れないし、円形交差点つらいし、あきらめました。

このショーは犬を連れてきてもいいイベントでした。（うちは置いていきました）ランドローバーに乗る人は、かなりの確率で犬を飼っています。そういうライフスタイルなのです、ランドローバーを持つということは。ランドローバーと同じ数だけ犬がいました。

オットはクラッチを、私はランドローバーTシャツをお土産に買って帰りました。

We went to Land Rover Owner International Show in Peterborough.
Though it is a "Land Rover" event, it's mostly the 2 particular models of Land Rovers that support the love of Land Rover: Defender and its predecessor, Series. The loyalty of the Defender owners are pretty big. I mean, Defender drivers waive at each other on the road even when they are total strangers.

The event was huge. Thousands (?) of Defenders and Serieses lined up in the parking lot. The parking lot alone could be a show of itself. There were also hundreds of Land Rovers camping around the parking lot. And hundreds of dogs (it was a dog friendly event). Yes, Land Rover, camping, and dogs: they are all part of the lifestyle package.

The Man of the House, while he would buy a Lamborghini in a heart beat if he could afford one,  is a Land Rover fan. He had 2 Series back in the day as old as I was:

Unfortunately, he was unable to complete this project because of the cross-country move.

And he had a Discovery, with a tent on top (and a Z car, of course):

I like the look of the Defender, but to be honest, I don't know why he would spend so much money on a tractor like truck that doesn't come with an A/C, power steering, power window, or auto lock.

Buy anyway. He bought a new clutch and I bought Land Rover T-shirts for souvenir.

Fall Sewing: Itch to Stitch Bellavista Top

イギリスは、もう結構涼しいです。砂漠暮らしが長すぎてあまり秋冬に適した服がないので、暖かめの服作ってみました。
ざっくりしたカウルネックのトップです。
型紙はItch to StitchというとこのBellavista Top。
Tシャツ系は型紙の数も少ないし、縫うのも早いので好きです。
布はポリエステルとレーヨンの混紡ニット。

It is getting noticeably cooler here in England and talking about weather all the time I feel like I'm a proper resident.

I have said this before, but having lived in the desert Southwest for 10 years, I really don't have much fall/winter clothes. In the desert, you only need a cardi over a cami. So I made one: a cozy cowl neck top.

The pattern is Bellavista Top from Itch to Stitch. I actually wanted to make more Renfrew top from Sewaholic, which also has a nice cowl, but my paper pattern is in the storage and did not want to pay for another hefty indie pattern price for a pattern I already own so I bought this pattern instead.

The pattern features a loose-fitting swingy shape bodice and a slightly bell-shaped sleeve, so it was different enough to justify my purchase, though not that I needed a justification.

The fabric is a poly/rayon jersey. This top, with the swingy shape, definitely needs a drapey fabric and rayon helped. One thing about fabric shopping in England is that for some reason the range of sweater knit is very limited, and sweater knit in general is just hard to find. It could be just the online shops that I browse, but I'm just having a hard time finding sweater knit...

I cut a size 2 based on my body measurements.

 The hem of my front bodice does rise up so I might have to do something there. FBA?

I bought 2 meters of fabric and I knew I had plenty to match pattern. So instead of checking the pattern placement for all the pieces, I started cutting the fabric, and I started with the back bodice... I don't know why I started with back bodice but it made it slightly complicating to decide the pattern placement for the front bodice. Front is made up of 3 panels so I had to check the horizontal pattern match at the side seam for the side front panel, then match the side panel to the center front panel.

I was lazy and cut the fabric on fold, and I had to pay the price of my laziness. The pattern matches pretty well on one side but not the other... Oh well.

I wasn't too sure about the swingy shape, but after wearing it all day, I really like it. Big-dinner friendly, and definitely very comfy. If I can find more sweater knit, I want to make more of these.

Late Summer Party in Simplicity 1916

隣に住んでる大家さんちで行われるパーティにお呼ばれしたので、ワンピースを作りました。ホームパーティとかいうものではなく、ガーデンパーティなんだけど、ウェイターがシャンペンをトレーにのせてまわるような、結婚式ですか、みたいなテントでケータリングのお料理が出て、生バンドがついてくるようなパーティなのです。去年もお呼ばれしたんだけど、毎年恒例のサマーパーティなんだって。
型紙は去年カットソーを作るのに使ったシンプリシティの1916番。裾の丈を伸ばしてワンピースにしました。
布はストレッチレース。1メートル350円という激安布です。透けるので肌色のメッシュを裏につけています。
パーティでは庭の花がとてもきれいに咲いていました。

We were invited to our landlord's garden party next door and I made a dress for this occasion. Our landlord's party is not quite a home party, but rather a party with wait staff walking around with a champagne trey and tables with white table cloth under a giant tent (imagine an outside wedding) with catered food kind of party. The weather was gorgeous and so were his garden flowers.

The pattern is Simplicity 1916. I used this pattern last year and made a View D. This time, I lengthened the hem to make it a dress.

The fabric is nylon stretch lace. The fabric had 2-way stretch along the grain line so I cut the pattern pieces on cross-grain.

Because it is lace, though it's dense, there are "holes" in the design, so I underlined the bodice with nude color mesh. The right half of the below photo has the nude mesh underneath the fabric and the left half doesn't.

I wanted to use the mesh as lining with free-floating hem, but I could not wrap my head around to line the front bodice overlap. So the neck line seam, shoulder seam, and the front bodice waist seam are hidden inside the mesh and the stretch lace, but from then on, I treated the two fabric as one to attach sleeve and sewed side seams together.

I cut a size 12, narrowed shoulder by 1/2", shortened above waist by 3/4", and shortened sleeves by 2".

The dress hack was pretty simple. I just extended the side seam straight down until I got the length I wanted.

All the sewing was done with my serger and the coverstitch machine. My work space is pretty tight when I have my coverstitch machine out.

The only regret I have with this dress is the flower pattern on the front bodice. There are two identical flowers right next to each other at the cross-over. It really bugs me.

But other than that, I'm really happy with the dress. With empire waist and loose fitting around the waist, it's definitely a big dinner friendly dress.

McCall's M7094 Notched Collar Pull-Over Ver. 2

がくっと寒くなって今日はもう最高気温が20度以下。半そで・短パンで寝てたら寒くて夜中に長袖・長ズボンパジャマに着替えなおしたよ。

この前作ったノースリーブと同じ型紙で、今度は長袖ロールアップバージョンを作りました。

After the wearable muslin, this is the "real" version I made.
The pattern is McCall's M7094.

This time, I made View B, rolled-up sleeve with a tab and accent color neck pieces, and straight hem.

The main fabric is floral print rayon from Sew Over It.

The accent fabric is dusty rose color rayon from eBay. Not the exact color match but I'm pretty happy with the color combo. The accent fabric was used for the collar, front placket, sleeve tabs, and back yoke facing.

My alterations are:
-Cut size XS
-Shorten bodice 1"
-Took in 1" at center back on fold (2" total)
-Took in 1" at center front
-Added a button at front to keep it front gaping open

Because I took 2" from the center back, the gathering detail is very minimal here. I think I might as well just eliminate the gathering altogether next time.

 Sleeve tabs. I wish the end of the tab was arrow shaped. The square shape tab looks a bit lacking.
 

Collar piece.

I did not have a matching dusty rose color thread. Purple was too purple and pink was too light, so I ended up using a light brown thread (the middle line between purple and pink).

I originally attempted to alter the pattern to eliminate the pleats at center front. My brain did not work correctly at all, and my alteration ended up like this: (the plackets were supposed to overlap)

So I overlapped the plackets and made tiny pleats under the placket.

I french-seamed the side seams. I like french seams, but the most difficult part of the french seams is to remember to sew right side out first. I totally forgot that and sewed the sleeves in right side together... I had already picked the basting stitches from the sleeve cap so I just serged the sleeve seams to finish.

I do like the fit but I think I need to add the bodice and sleeve length back to original next time. Other than that, I really like how it turned out. Still struggling with the notched collar corner, though. I hope the fabric does not start fraying after a wash...

221B Baker Street

オットが、「週末はおいしいピザを食べにロンドンに行こう」と言うので、ピザを食べにロンドンにお出かけ。
せっかくロンドンまで行くんだから観光もしたくて、国会議事堂を見にこうと提案したら、面白くないとすっぱり却下されました。
かわりにマダムタッソー蝋人形館に行くことに決定。私はいままでマダムタッソーがある街にロンドンも含めて7つ行ったことがあるんだけど、どの街でも結局行かずじまいで終わっていて、一度は行ってみたかったのよね。
そして、マダムタッソーがあるところは、ベーカー街221B番地のすぐ近く。
ベーカー街221B番地が何かすぐに分かったあなたは通ですね。シャーロックホームズの家があるところ～～～（笑）

もちろんシャーロックはフィクションだから実際にシャーロックが住んでたとこじゃないけどさ。現在はシャーロックホームズ博物館となっています。ものすごい観光客の列ができてました。（多分建物が小さいので一度に入場できる人数が制限されてる）私たちは外側を見ただけで満足です。

近くにはシャーロックの彫像も。
マダムタッソーは、シャーロックホームズ博物館の30倍ぐらい観光客の列ができていたので、行くのあきらめました。夏のロンドンは、どこも観光客すごい。

オットが行きたがっていたピザ屋さんのあるコベントガーデンまでぶらぶら歩いたらお腹がすいて、ピザ屋にたどり着く前に結局韓国料理屋さんでご飯食べてしまいました。お向かいのラーメン屋さん（とても小さい）に行列ができているのを見ながらオットは焼肉、私はビビンバ。

焼肉食べたくせにやっぱりここまで来たからには、とオットはその後目的地のピザ屋さんでおやつにピザを食べました。私はチャイナタウンでアンパン買って帰りました。

The Man of the House wanted to eat some good pizza so we went out to London on Saturday. Of course I wanted to do some toursity stuff, so I suggested we go to the House of Parliament. MOTH totally rejected it, unfortunately. So we agreed upon going to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. MOTH has been to one in Las Vegas but I have never been to one despite visiting 7 of the cities Madame Tussauds located (Tokyo, Amsterdam, New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and London).

You know what's near by Madame Tussauds? It's only a couple of minute walk to 221B Baker Street. Yes, the home of Sherlock Holmes. So I had to go there first.

The building is now a Sherlock Holmes Museum and there was a LOOOOONG line forming from the museum. (The place is pretty small, so I suspect they restrict the number of people who can get in at one time) I wasn't interested in the museum so I was just happy to be there and see the famous 221B Baker Street.

We ended up skipping Madame Tussauds. If the line to the Sherlock Holmes Museum was long, well, the line to Madame Tussauds was 30 times long. London in summer time is filled with tourists everywhere.

So we walked over to the Regent's Park for a bit of a garden view and then headed to Covent Garden for the pizza place MOTH wanted to go. Unfortunately, before we got to the pizza place, I got really hungry (well, I was getting hangry) so we ended up eating at a Korean BBQ place. We don't follow plans, do we?

MOTH did have a slice of pizza afterwards, and I got to get some red bean paste pastry from China town. It was a nice day out. I wonder if I ever get to go to Madame Tussauds.

McCall's M7094 Notched Collar Pull-Over

熱波が通り過ぎたら、もう夏は終わりました。イギリスの夏は短い。
涼しくなったので、袖の長めのシャツを作ろうと計画中。
使う予定の型紙はマッコールの7094番。かなりフィットがゆるめなので、試作・練習用にノースリーブバージョンを作ってみました。（袖まで縫ってサイズが合わないとショックだからさ）
夏っぽく真っ白で。
やっぱり練習用に一つ縫ってよかった。近くに寄っては見せられません（爆）
いつものことだけど、スリッパ姿で失礼。

When the heat wave left, it took summer away with it. Summer in England is short. Now that the weather has cooled down considerably, I am planning on making a longer sleeve top using McCall's M7094. I like View B, the rolled-up sleeves with contrast fabric.

However, I wasn't sure about the sizing and fit (many reviewers on Pattern Reviews mentioned it runs big), so as a practice round, I made a sleeveless version, View A, with a leveled hem instead of a curved back hem.

I cut a size XS and shortened the bodice by 1". The pattern definitely runs large and this is a very loose-fitting top. (As always, please excuse my slippers.)

The fabric is a very soft and drapey rayon. It was 58" wide and I was able to cut all the pieces in 1 meter of fabric.

I did add a button for the front placket. Without the button, it does gape open with movement and you will have to wear a cami under it. I will probably wear a cami regardless because it is a bit too loose  for my liking to wear without a cami (I don't like draft going through my belly).

I messed up the notched collar a bit so if you come close to me, you will see some terrible sewing job. (And a tiny hole on the collar where I accidentally cut and left it as is)

Though it looks like a simple top, the sewing was a bit fiddly. Mainly because of the drapey fabric, but also because it has pleats and yoke and partially bound armhole and placket and notched collar.

I do really like the overall design and detail like the notched collar and pleats at the yoke. I am very pleased with this one as a wearable muslin. Now onto the "real" version. Unfortunately it's another drapey rayon so fiddly sewing continues.