Mrs. Hughes

Retro Inspired Sewing

You are here: Home / Retro Garments / A Nautical Bronte + a Denim Peggy

A Nautical Bronte + a Denim Peggy

Hello friends!

I’m on board with a bit of nautical inspiration with this top and skirt!

nautical bronte peggy 1

This is the Bronte knit top by Jennifer Lauren Vintage and the Peggy skirt by BlueGingerDoll.

Jennifer Lauren Vintage Bronte [source: Jennifer Lauren Vintage]

BlueGingerDoll Peggy [source: BlueGingerDoll]

For the Bronte, I used a navy/white stripe knit that was in a mystery bundle from Fabric Mart.  I am not well versed on knits, but to me, it seems like a cotton blend double knit.  When I got this some time last year, I wasn’t real happy with it, but put it in my stash thinking it may come to good use sometime and it sure did!  I used some vintage anchor buttons that I found on etsy to make it feel more nautical.

As with my first Bronte, this one is graded up one size to a size 22.  The only thing that I did not like about this Bronte was that I think I pulled the neckline binding a bit to much and it shows.  I also must have sewn my previous Bronte in a 5/8″ seam instead of the recommended 3/8″ which I did for this one, as this one doesn’t seem to fit as snugly.  Or perhaps it’s because the ponte was heavier than this knit?  Not quite sure, but I still like it.  This one is also a little shorter than the pattern as I didn’t have enough fabric to cut the entire length.  I am still a bit of knit newbie, but I’m pretty certain that the other knit I bought to make a Bronte (a striped jersey) is too light for this pattern.  Does anyone have any recommendations for another knit top pattern that they love???

nautical bronte

My Peggy skirt is View A with the button tabs and graded up to about a size 22.  I made it out of a lightweight denim that I found at Joann’s.  I was out of lightweight fusible interfacing as the pattern suggests and used a sew-in heavier interfacing on the waistband and tabs.  It seems to have worked alright, although it’s a bit bulkier than it would have been with the other interfacing.

Honestly… I have not put in a lapped zipper for many years.  I generally just avoid them when I see them in a pattern and sew something else.  I decided to sew it into this skirt and don’t think that I did half bad, although it should overlap a little bit more.  I used a jean zip as that is what I had.  I live 30 miles from the nearest sewing store, so I don’t exactly jump in my car to get every little thing and either stock up or make do.  The jean zip worked fine for this skirt, although I am a little worried that without fabric between me and the zip that it might hurt my skin, so I may have to add something back there to cover it.  It was fine though when I wore it with this shirt, although I have the shirt tucked in.

For the back button, I found this vintage anchor button in my grandma’s button stash.  It’s a bit worse for the wear as it was obviously used on some long gone garment, but I think it adds character!  The metal buttons on the tabs are just ones I found at Joann’s.

denim peggy

As you can tell, the waistband is a bit big, so I’m going to have to adjust that.  I made another Peggy right before this (soon to be blogged!) and it fitted just fine, so I figured this one would be okay.  I did not try this on until these photos…. and it looked a bit big hanging on my dressform, but as my dressform doesn’t have wobbly bits, I wasn’t worried about it, especially as I made a previous Peggy in the same manner right before this one.  So I will need to fix that, which may be remedied just by moving the back button.

nautical bronte peggy 2

The Peggy is on my list of go-to skirt patterns now.  I love the a-line and the button tabs.  They are fab!!!!  The pockets are awesome as well!  It’s also so nice to make some separates as I’m primarily a dress sewer.   It’s nice to have a little change!

nautical bronte peggy 3

I’m posing in this garden as I’ve been working on it.  It was mostly just dirt and a few struggling flowers.  Now it’s flowers and weeds! lol 🙂  I put in a whole new drip system and am going wild with flower planting.  We are currently in a desperate drought here in California. so this is pretty much the only place where I’m tending to flowers and other ornamentals.  My grandma had many flower beds on our ranch, but we are turning the other ones to seasonal and/or drought resistant plantings, so this is my place to play.  I also gave up my veggie garden this year due to the water situation, so it’s nice to have something to tend.

nautical bronte peggy back

I am definitely a nautical fan now, even if I live 3 hours from the ocean!

nautical bronte peggy 5

Happy Sewing!

signature 2

  • Top:  Jennifer Lauren Vintage Bronte knit top in navy/white striped knit, made by me
  • Skirt:  Blue Ginger Doll Peggy skirt in blue denim, made by me
  • Shoes:  Swedish Hasbeens “Haga”
  • Sunglasses:  D&G

Comments

  1. Love them both!I’ve always lived really close to the sea (nowhere in NZ is more than 120km from the sea) and I don’t think I’ve ever made/worn something nautical, though I love the style. I should try and fix that!

  2. Really nice combination Tanya!
    I have not come across this skirt pattern before, but having seen it on you, I think I might go take a look.

  3. Isn’t it funny how different fabrics behave differently with the same pattern?! I recently made a handful of skirts using the same pattern, and each of the fabrics has a slightly different fit! These separates are really adorable! I love the nautical theme you put into this outfit and its really special you were able to use a button from your grandma’s collection.

  6. Adorable outfit! For lightweight knits, I like to make drapey-er items. My current go-to pattern is the dixie diy summer concert tee (you can see a few examples on my blog- but I’ve made more!). I cut the XL, which is essentially a size smaller than I need so that it is more fitted through the bust and shoulders, then lengthen it quite a bit if I want to wear it with jeans. I’m not sure if its your style, but I think you would look cute in it!

  7. Just had a thought. Why don’t you use the Moneta pattern and make a peplum shirt? Or you could lengthen the bodice for a classic t-shirt.

  8. Cute outfit! I think you need to make a red striped shirt with blue buttons next time ;).

    I’ve been admiring several of the patterns at Skinny Bitch/Curvy Chick. They have a free t-shirt pattern that I’ve downloaded and read through, but not made yet. It’s intended for a knit with 75% stretch and I’m unsure if I should just make it with whatever I’ve got and see how it works or make the next size up to compensate.

  9. Cute outfit! For your “too light for a Bronte” knit, you can either underline the knit with another lightweight knit and still use it for your Bronte, or go for a top pattern that has a lot of drape or that can take advantage of your fabric being lightweight by having details like gathers or tucks.

  10. Perfect, as always! I’m pretty new to knits too, and have been amazed at the variation in fit that happens due to different fabrics. It’s a bit wild!

    • Thank you, Robin! I think that’s pretty much why I started sewing my everyday wardrobe — so I don’t look the same as everyone else! 🙂

  12. Love this! I am in love with nautical themes. All these Bronte and Peggy posts across blogs make me want to get the patterns. 🙂

  13. What a cute outfit. Those buttons are perfect! The cut of the Bronte across the shoulders is so vintage – I love it. Your skirt is fabulous too. The detail on the waistband and the pockets are brilliant. I can hear rain pouring on the roof here, but we know about droughts here in NZ too. Wildflowers should cope with a bit of drought and I think you are not a real gardener if you don’t have plenty of weeds!

Copyright 2012-2021. Tanya Maile Hughes. All rights reserved. Please do not copy or reproduce any content from this site without approval and credit. Sewing graphics by katieshoestring and California poppy graphics by DigitalDesignsAndArt

Mrs. Hughes: A retro inspired, vintage garment sewing and plus-size dressmaking blog by Tanya Maile Hughes.