It is getting cold here! I know those of you who live in the deep south or the far north will be laughing at me, but if it gets below 10 degrees celcius I think its cold. So I am making some warm clothes to get me through the next few months. To kick things off, I’ve made a Closet Case Files Nettie Bodysuit in a merino/polyprop blend to wear as a base layer. I really hate it when my top comes untucked from my jeans or skirts, so the idea of something which will stay put is appealing!
I made a few stupid mistakes with my choice of materials here, the biggest one being that the merino has virtually no vertical stretch. I’m really short through my torso, so its actually ok, but it does mean I have some excess fabric hanging around when my arms are down by my sides (or in my pockets). I also used seriously sub-standard press studs for the crotch fastenings, and they have a tendancy to ping apart at random moments. It can be somewhat alarming! I’m going to replace them with some industrial strength ones for added security.
Next time I’ll make a few changes, including shortening the waist and using stretchier fabric. I’m also going to raise the neckline by about an inch, because I do find this quite low cut! I think I’ll also use either the high neckline or high back, rather than the scoop neck and back, as I find it falls off my shoulders. I’ve added bra strap loops to this one, but if I’m going to be wearing them predominantly as a base layer under other things then a high back neckline makes sense. I’ll also shorten the 3/4 length sleeves by a couple of inches, as I keep pushing these ones up.
This is a rather unflattering shot of my back, but you get the idea! I do really like the scoop back, its quite glamourous!
I wore this outfit out for high tea with the Wellington Sewing Bloggers Network yesterday, and felt rather swish. The skirt is a wool Hollyburn skirt which I made last winter, but hardly wore because I was so horrified by my zipper insertion technique. I had so much trouble getting the zip to go it neatly with the piping that I ended up hand picking it, but it always looked really shitty and I just couldn’t bring myslef to wear it. Last week I found a pink invisible zip in my box of findings (I have no idea when or why I bought it, but it was somewhat serendipitous), and decided to have a crack at putting it in with my invisible zipper foot. I also trimmed down the piping cord inside the bias tape to make things a bit flatter. And it worked really well! Look at how much better it looks…
See? So much better! Doesn’t look like I’ve chewed on it anymore š
So thats my Nettie. Bit of a boring post I’m afraid, but there we go. Look out for several more, its a pattern which is perfect for hacking! I’m looking forward to making some short sleeved ones for summer too, andmaybe a swimsuit…
Fifty Two Fancies 
In one of Suzy Furrer’s Craftsy classes she mentions that you should only have a low front OR back, never both, for the exact reason you said – you need the tension of a high neckline on one side to keep the shoulders on.
This reminds me that I need to make more of BOTH of these patterns – I lovelovelove the skirt and wonder if I have any wool I can use for it (I’m horrible with the cold too). And I hate how singlet tops show through my skirts so another Nettie is a good idea – although I’ll make sure I use good quality ones, phew!
Yeah, I realised as soon as I put it on that I’d need something to keep it on my shoulders! I’ll put some bra strap loops in this one. I hate it when my singlet tops wrinkle up and show through my skirts too, so yay Nettie š
That’s a really lovely Nettie! I like the scoop back very much but it’s definitely better to look ar than to wear. š¦ But it’s very elegant and I do love this two patterns in combination too.
Thanks Friederike, it made me think of you when I put the two together!
Your new haircut is looking cuter and cuter every day! Great job on your project!
Thank you š
Never considered making a bodysuit before but it does creat a really smooth finish on this outfit. Your skirt looks great with this too š
I never really thought about it either, but I love that it doesn’t wrinkle up or come untucked!
Looks fab, I’ve not worn a ‘body’ since the 80s! Well done for being bothered to change the zip, it makes such a difference to your whole outfit š
Thanks š I’m glad I finally sat down and did it, it was only a 10 minute job but now I’ll actually wear the skirt!
Nettie is a perfect layering piece, and I love it with your skirt! I’m glad you were able to replace the zipper and get more wear out of it – it’s a great colour!
Thanks Heather, I love the colour too š I’ve got plans for a bunch more Netties!
These two look great together! I must get to the Hollyburn skirt this summer. It’s such a flattering fit.
Its a great pattern, the pockets are perfect! I’d like to make another one, maybe a midi length one š
I found quite to my surprise that I own a Nettie pattern, deep in my computer’s guts – thats the problem with pdf patterns don’t you think? There’s nothing quite like thumbing through the physical pattern archives.
Out of interest did you perhaps use plastic snaps? They were a massive fail on my daughter’s bra keeper on her Georgia dress – grrrr!
I too have been redoing substandard workmanship! Not sure why I just can’t redo at the time I make the garment but for some reason, fixing something toward the end of making a garment seems to be the straw that bears the camel’s back!
Lovely combo.
I used metal snaps, but I think they’re probably too small! They don’t pop together as well as I expected either, so maybe they’re just a bit cheap and crap. I’ve got some beefy hammer in ones for my next one!
Not boring at all! Merino and polypropylene sounds like a pretty good pairing. The random unpopping of your Nettie snaps must really be quite alarming! Keeps life interesting I guess?
I’m going to keep an eye out for more merino/polyprop, because it is lovely and warm! Good stretch recovery too. The first time my press studs failed was very alarming, I could tell there had been a wardrobe malfunction but I wasn’t sure what had happened! I was relived it wasn’t the crotch seam of my jeans going…
10 degrees C is cold! Especially when you factor in the wind chill, of which there is quite a lot living on an island at the edge of an ocean. I live in the UK (Northern Ireland), so I have a bit of experience with this!! Your outfit is fab. I LOVE the skirt, and confess to a shudder at the photo of the first zip. I once had a bad experience with piping and an invisible zip on a dress. You did a brilliant job on fixing it.
Thats true, we’ve had a savage southerly wind blowing over the Southern Alps and straight into Wellington! I shuddered at that zip every time I pulled the skirt out of my wardrobe, so I’m glad its fixed š
Oh my nettie crotch was a disaster too, because I didn’t read the instructions. I narrowed mine in the shoulders, by very technically drawing a highlighters width inside the smallest size and cutting out on the edge, stays put! Nice work on the zip transplant, a successful operation indeed!
Narrowing it through the shoulders is a good idea, I might do that next time! What happened to the crotch on your nettie?
I just made a cowl neck top and the back was cut low. I certainly didn’t make mine low. I can’t imagine what would have happened with a low cowl neck front and a low back! Nice save on the zipper!
Ooh yeah, I wouldn’t be brave enough to try a cowl neck with a scooped back! Not even if it was attached to my bra straps!