Perfect Coco

Sometimes you have one of those wonderful sewing days where everything just works. All the techniques come together, the fabric behaves itself, and you are left with a beautiful, classic garment that has a permanent home in your wardrobe. Welcome to the club stripy Coco dress, you are one of us now.

I’ll be honest, I was a little nervous. I was sewing away from home (visiting my parents for the weekend), on an unfamiliar sewing machine (my Mum’s) and trying out a new technique for the first time (twin needle hem finishing).

Perhaps I was simply being extra cautious. Perhaps my Mummy’s sewing machine is just superior to mine (it is, it moves the fabric like smooth magic). Either way, this latest Coco came out perfect. And I thought they couldn’t get much better than my stripy top. I may not wear very many bright patterns, but it seems that me and stripes were just made to get along!

Simple and straightforward, just how I like my fashion. I’m on a bit of a Coco mission at the moment because they will be the perfect garments to take travelling next year. Jersey can be squidged into the tiniest available suitecase space and still come out smiling, and it’s a lovely, light, breathable fabric for hot climates. My Coco dresses are also absurdly simple to wash, and I’ll feel happy trusting them to strange out of the way Malaysian laundromats (something I have had to learn the hard way in the past). I have already tested out my red Coco in Croatia, where it kept me cool and shaded from the sun whether I was sight-seeing in Dubrovnik or cycling beside a salt lake. I’ve promised a run down of everything I plan to sew for my travels next year (coming soon – the pile of patterns on my sewing table is growing daily), and Cocos in various shapes and sizes are likely to feature prominently!

Actually on the subject of construction, this is my most professionally finished Coco to date. I used my overlocker to sew up the seams, as I’ve done several times before now, but instead of a zig zag stitch to finish the sleeves, neckline and hem I used a double needle instead. The result is a deliciously sleek, professional-looking finish. The fabric is a medium weight ponte di roma from Fabric Godmother – something like this, although sadly it is now out of stock – that, as I mentioned in an earlier post, I had spent many hours trawling the internet for. At £14 per metre this is the most expensive Coco I have made to date, but it is entirely worth it!

I think this jumper deserves an honourable mention today, as I have been wearing it pretty much non stop since it arrived. It’s from a Swedish brand called Stylein, who are just redonkulous at making really cool knitwear, like this open back jumper. Sadly it is not available online anymore, and I found mine second hand on Depop. For any knit buffs out there, this jumper is worked all over in garter stitch, but the pattern has been rotated by 90 degrees so that the rows run vertically rather than horizontally. There is some shaping around the armholes, but otherwise the construction is absurdly simple. If I ever finish my other two jumpers I might try to replicate this one!