The Surly Seamstress

Babies were big in the old days

2012-02-15T21:53:00.004+11:00

Remember this romper from way back when?

We have finally had a couple of hot days so E has been able to wear hers.

The pattern was sized for a 6 month old, and even though the twins are now just over 7 months, there is plenty of room for E, who is shall we say generously proportioned for her age, and it swims all over S who may have to wait til next summer to wear hers.

While it is very roomy around the armholes, the advantage of using vintage patterns for babies clothes is that they are generously cut around the bottom, which means they actually fit over a cloth nappy.

Modern clothes are fitted to be very snug (mainly to comply with fire safety standards) and just don’t account for a nicely padded cloth bot.
We use cloth about 90% of the time, saving the disposables for nights and when we are out, so I think I will need to hunt down some more vintage patterns for winter which isn’t too far away now.

I do have two more of these rompers in the works, but they have been bumped down the list in order to get some superhero sewing done!

Guess what's happening at our house!

2012-02-07T20:36:00.004+11:00

Miss C is turning 5! Woo hoo!

And we are having a supergirl party to celebrate.
We were supposed to have a party for her 4th birthday last year but we all came down with a nasty bout of gastro, which saw me visit 3 hospitals in 3 different towns in the space of 2 days. Not something I ever care to repeat!
So this year I figured I had better make up for it.
She chose the theme, the invites have been sent, fabric has been purchased, and the menu drawn up and I have 2 weeks up my sleeve!
Tomorrow I start the superhero cape production line!

Christmas loot

2012-01-14T21:11:00.005+11:00

Well Christmas has come and gone. And so has the New Year. And so has half of January. Sheesh. And I am still unpacking boxes of Christmas presents and toys!

We were fortunate enough this year to housesit for a lovely family in Orange, where we got to play with horses, dogs, cats and guinea pigs and generally sat around doing very little except helping ourselves to generous servings of Christmas fare.

Good old fashioned fun on the farm

And I didn’t end up taking the sewing machine. But I did take some Burda issues and did get some pattern tracing done which is something I haven’t had the brain capacity to do for a very long time.

And this year Santa very generously gave me everything on my list!
And while I haven’t had much sewing time of late, I have been diligently stash building (with the help of Santa and online shopping heh heh!).

Vintage Japanese kimono silks, vintage cottons, a walking foot for the trusty Bernina and Japanese pattern book 'She has a mannish style'.

And because we are getting close to School starting I have an insane list of sewing that has to get done no matter what.

Namely school uniforms, a couple of christening gowns for the twins and some party attire that the nearly 5 year old approves of.

And after that is done, and the nearly 5 year old is in school, I am going to sew some completely inappropriate garments for my new life as a School Mum. Probably something using one of those silks. That you have to wear heels with!

Do you take your sewing machine on holidays?

2011-12-16T10:11:00.002+11:00

Cos, you know I am seriously considering it!

Looky what I got!

2011-12-05T21:31:00.006+11:00

I received my Op Shop Swap package from my partner Margaret today and boy does she know how to op shop!

Mine mine all mine!

I got a gorgeous fabric bag, mannequin with pins, 2 great kids patterns, some cute teddy bear lace, 2 reels of lace, a christmas book mark and some white cotton lace and a very cool Singer Sewing book that is in absolutely mint condition.

I have just had time for a flick through it all but I will share some of the gems in the sewing book next time I post.

Thanks Margaret, I love all of it! And thank you to Jody for hosting the swap. This is the first time I have participated in any kind of swap thingy in blogland and it was really great fun (I did of course pick up a number of things for myself while shopping for Margaret!).

And I did learn Rule of Life #173 the hard way: do not let 5 year old girls open your mail. Ever. They will claim all the loot for themselves! And they are very good at hiding things in secret places.

Op shop swap-join the fun!

2011-10-22T10:54:00.003+11:00

The lovely Jody Pearl is hosting a Christmas themed Op Shop Swap.
So if browsing op shops (Aussie slang for thrift or charity store) is your thing pop on over to her blog for a goosey gander!
Fortunately for me I can just squeeze the Hummer-esque size double pram through the door of our local op shop.
Unfortunately for me I can't get into the bank.
I might just have to raid Miss C's piggy bank!

That reminds me

2011-09-13T14:35:00.002+10:00

The first sentence of my last post reminded me of this sketch from The Fast Show.

And this one. Because it has Johnny Depp in it.

Hilarious.

Baggy trousers

2011-09-06T15:16:00.001+10:00

Is what I will most likely be wearing this summer. Apparently the cavernous gap between my tummy muscles is unlikely to ever revert back to normal without surgery. Which according to my Doc can’t be done for at least 12 months to give my body time to recover from the c-section.

So while I can brag about having Angelina’s boobs and bum, unfortunately I am stuck with Mr Greedy’s tummy for the next year or so.

And so to avoid having all and sundry commenting on why I am pregnant again SO SOON, I need to get cracking on making some loose tops and baggy pants to hide the non-baby bump.

And because I have been a bit out of the loop re new patterns and such, I need some help in getting started.

Do you have any favourite ‘go to’ patterns for loose, casual living?

Or what are the latest patterns that have taken your fancy?

So what is it like having twins?

2011-08-04T16:05:00.003+10:00

Is the question that everyone seems to be asking me.
So here is a snapshot of my day.
Wake up. Feed. Chuck. Poo. Feed. Poo. Sleep (maybe). Feed. Poo. Poo. Feed. Chuck. Cry (that’s me, not the babies). Repeat every 3-4 hours.
And then by about 4pm I look something like this.

Tim Minchin. Very funny Australian comedian/musician.

On the plus though, thanks to the round the clock breastfeeding, for the first and only time in my life I actually come close to resembling Angelina Jolie. From the neck down anyway. Super skinny with 2 huge bazoombas on my chest!

Which is going to make my summer sewing plans a little problematic. As I know the celebrity body is not going to last forever. Perhaps some empire line dresses might be on the cards?

Who ate all the pie?

2011-07-30T18:54:00.004+10:00

Is what our pediatrician said when he saw our two girls in their bassinette for their hospital check up.

Which isn’t surprising considering E weighed in at 3.75kg (yikes!) and S was only 2.45kg at birth.

The girls were born on the 5th July and have two very distinct personalities as well as looks. E is kinda boisterous where S is placid and calm which for me is quite a bonus as handling the feeding/sleeping merry go round with 2 bubbas is a challenge!
Miss C is beside herself and a great helper, although I am wondering if babies can actually handle being kissed and cuddled during every waking moment!

Needless to say there has been no sewing action happening of late but fingers crossed I may actually get some mending done next week. Not very exciting but at least I would be sewing again!

Giving the game away

2011-06-16T16:10:00.004+10:00

I know that I will be revealing the bubs gender by posting this before delivery day (and no, I am not having triplets! One of these rompers is for my sister who is expecting her first baby a couple of weeks after I am due), but I figured that my computer time will be severely limited shortly and I was quite proud of myself for getting at least one cute baby thing made up!

The pattern

The pattern is a vintage Simplicity, dated 1971 and sized for a 6 month old, which times in perfectly with our next summer.

The sewing
I made up the romper suit with the shoulder fastening in 3 different cotton prints.
All the fabric and trims came from the stash, 2 of the fabrics were op shop finds and the yellow was a newish piece that I think I picked up from a remnant table about a year ago.

The pattern sewed up really nicely, and this is the first commercial pattern that I have used that actually outlines a commercial/industrial construction order which was a pleasant surprise.

The only changes I made were to move the elastic casing to the lower edge of the pant in order to do away with the frill and I inserted snap tape along the crotch seam instead of sewing it closed to allow for quick nappy changes.

The verdict
I love this pattern! I have already cut out another 2 versions. Whether they get sewn up though is another matter, as I am now at 37 weeks and moving very slowly!

Although when I was taking the pics, I did not notice that the sizing seems rather large for a 6 month bub. Miss C is quite petite for her age, but these rompers would actually fit her quite nicely!

Vintage kids dress.........done!

2011-06-07T13:41:00.006+10:00

Thank you everyone who weighed in on my topstitching dilemma from the last post.

In the end I decided to go with the majority who voted for a darker colour because a) you are all very smart and b) I had an almost full reel of dark purple thread and spending $3 on a new reel of a lighter colour thread seemed frivolous considering the pattern cost 20c and the fabric was from the stash and I can’t even remember how much I paid for it.

Although, next time I topstitch corduroy I think that I will take Sharon’s advice and use 2 threads instead of one. A single thread doesn’t seem to have enough ‘weight’ on top of the cord and disappears a bit into the pile. I have tried using proper topstitching thread before but my machine never seems to handle it properly and I have heard of the 2 thread technique but never gotten around to trying it out.

Anyhoo here are some pics of Miss C’s one and probably only made by me garment for this winter. At some point I will try to get the wriggler to actually wear it and stand still long enough for a pic. In the meantime some detail shots will have to do!

Project details

The pattern
Vintage Butterick kids pattern from the op shop. No date stamp but my guess is maybe late ‘70’s or early ‘80’s.
Sized Small (ages 3-4), Medium (5-6) and Large (6-7)
I made the dress in the medium size but really should have made the small. It will probably fit her for the next um 3 years or so!

The sewing
The whole thing went together pretty easily. Internal seams are overlocked and I used a cotton print for the yoke facings to reduce the bulk a bit.
Otherwise I followed the pattern directions pretty much to the letter.
I adapted Sherry’s very excellent tutorial on attaching sleeve cuffs to sew the dress to the yoke and was really happy with the result. Much quicker than how I usually do it and resulted in very neat corners, thanks Sherry!

The gripes
The cut of the underarm is very, very low and is a V shape with no side seam.
The pattern calls for a bias binding finish but the shape of the underarm doesn’t really allow a bias bind to work properly here. If I make it again I will reshape the underarm to be more of a curve so that the bias works better.

And you can see that Miss C insisted on 2 different coloured buttons. I figured she is the one wearing it, so she could choose, but I am finding this very hard to come to terms with!

Topstitching dilemma...help me out!

2011-05-26T14:20:00.002+10:00

I am finally getting around to making up a cute vintage pinafore dress for Miss C but have hit a snag.
I have a purplish pinkish pinwale cord fabric but cannot match the colour to a thread for the topstitching.
So when faced with the same problem do you go a shade darker or lighter when choosing the thread?
I could of course just run up a sample using 2 different colours and see what looks best, that would be kinda smart, but I thought polling the sewing/blogging populace might be fun!
So, opinions please!

Technically challenged note: poll is located on sidebar to the right of this post. I could not for the life of me figure out how to put it into the actual post!

Electrical appliances have lousy timing

2011-05-20T15:31:00.003+10:00

Today our freezer decided to give up the ghost. Ordinarily this would not have been terribly much to worry about. But aside from having the usual frozen items, like erm 4 different varieties of ice cream, I had managed to build up a stash of about a months worth of frozen meals and was planning on doing more this weekend.

And cooking is not my area of expertise, so getting all those meals together took a considerable summonsing of effort in the kitchen on my part.

And while The Bloke is generally a bit of a genius at resurrecting non compliant appliances (he has managed to bring our washing machine back from the brink on more than one occasion), apparently the freezer has a problem That Cannot Be Fixed.

So tomorrow we head off on a trip to our closest Big Town to haggle with the electrical appliances salesman to spend money that we don’t have.

Oh well. It could have been worse. It could have been the hot water system. And being on the cusp of winter that would have been a Very Bad Thing Indeed!

Sweater love

2011-05-16T14:58:00.005+10:00

I can’t believe it has taken me a whole month to get 2 sweaters done!

And to only have Miss C announce ‘But you know I don’t wear GREY Mum!”

Sigh. And both the sweaters are more like a size 6 or 7 so they won’t be getting any wear this winter. Maybe in a few years pink will be off the list and grey will be back on.

But I am happy with how they turned out. Using op shop knits and refashioning them, while a bit fiddly, is a good way of getting some nice warm sweaters that I know I can bung in the washing machine without fear of shrinkage. And they don’t really need to be ironed either which is a bonus.

And now with 7 weeks to go I am well and truly on the baby countdown, and most of my childfree time is going to be taken up with doctors and hospital visits, so those visions of lovely piles of handmade infant clothing are slowly fading I am afraid!

Winter sewing

2011-04-14T15:23:00.004+10:00

We have definately turned the corner from summer toward winter here, and while we are still getting lovely mild sunny days, our nights and mornings are distinctly chilly.

So I really really need to get some winter sewing done. And firewood collecting. And freezer meals stockpiled.

And I only have 12 weeks now to D (delivery) Day. Eeep.

I find that I don’t really sew a lot in winter. I think because it is getting much harder to source good quality winter weight fabrics; the proliferation of polar fleece and awful polyester and acrylic fabrics seemed to have edged out wool these days, and so I tend to buy most of my winter wardrobe from op shops. I don’t knit either so making hand knits myself is out of the picture.

I could of course learn to knit but then that just opens up a whole new avenue of stash collecting and obsessing over patterns so I think I might just save that for retirement!

I don’t really need clothes for me, but Miss C has grown out of all of last years gear so a new wardrobe is definitely in order for her. And being at preschool means lots of warm sweaters and outdoor clothes are needed.

To get around the lack of winter stash fabrics and my current complete lack of desire to actually shop for new fabrics, I came up with the bright idea of sourcing second hand wool jumpers and refashioning them to fit Miss C. I had the following criteria; the knits had to be pure wool, they had to be machine washable and in nice enough colours that I didn’t have to muck around with dyeing them. I managed to find 2. Oh well. It is a good start.

I have made some progress on sweater number one. It is a grey knit from around about the 1960’s judging by the label design and the zipper in the centre back, and too small for me so Miss C was in luck.

First up I unpicked the side seams and then cut off the ribbed cuffs and waistband. That took about 20 minutes. Chasing Miss C around to get a photo and actually fit the darn thing on took about 3 days.

Help! Save me from the oversized sweater tickle monster!

Then I just sewed the cuffs and band back on to the jumper using the overlocker and sewed up the side seams, sewing through the bands. Easy peasy. It does need some kind of embellishment though to stop it looking like a regulation school jumper so it’s not finished just yet.

Inside construction of sweater

But that of course could take another 3 weeks going by my current motivation to do nothing besides sit around and eat!

What are you planning on sewing for the new season?

Featured!

2011-03-31T10:48:00.004+11:00

I was very pleasantly surprised to be included in an Etsy Treasury the other day.

'Smokin hot' by cynmb

Olivia, Fine Art Print annmarshallart $27.00	Glisten ACEO -- Japanes... MagMoment $4.60	White Cat on Red Pillow... wishbone77 $10.00
Scallopini tank sandramary $24.00	Sakura polymer clay foc... craftsbychris $29.50	Arnold the retro red fo... OneLittleRedFo... $56.00
Vintage Garden Plant St... VintageEmbelli... $15.00	SMOKIN HOT - Long Dangl... rhondajewelry $45.00	Little Winter Pure Wool... LucysPlace $110.00
Oriental Red Enamel Cop... rmdjewellery $18.00	Two Red Birds and Heart... lindybythesea $35.00	Adjustable Dog Collar -... BigDoggyBling $20.00
RED BIRD MINI NOTE CARD... DawgDayCraftin... $2.50	Chick-A-Dee Play Set in... MamaMayI $19.00	Lily Wrap Ring with win... noracatherine $99.00
Smeared lipstick - Baby... Dyeforwool $

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

I don’t have a lot of things in the shop at the moment, and since discovering we are getting a two for one baby deal the whole Etsy shop business has taken a back seat, so it was nice to see that some of my things are still getting a guernsey!

I had good intentions of making some new stock for our winter, even to the point of having designs worked out and fabric sourced, but my energy levels just can’t cope with making patterns, grading and sewing on top of everything else going on at the moment.

Miss C will hopefully get a few new things made for winter but other than that it is mostly going to be baby sewing (and a lot of sitting around on the lounge when I get the chance!) for the next month or so.

I have given up on any kind of sewing for me until I find out what my body ends up looking like post birth, even to the point of not renewing my BurdaStyle subscription. I have barely looked at the last couple of issues and my subscription is due next month. So I am still debating whether to keep it going or not. And buying single issues is not an option in my area so, can I do without it for a year or not? But it is the only ‘luxury’ thing that I buy for myself so maybe I am going to need that bit of joy in my letterbox once a month?

Dobbed in

2011-03-10T10:54:00.003+11:00

Beangirl, in her infinite wisdom and taste, has deemed fit to tag me for a Stylish Blogger Award, and considering that I can no longer see my toes and when I turn sideways I resemble Mr Greedy more than Coco Chanel it is mighty generous of her.

So in the spirit of reciprocal blog back slapping, I shall gladly accept the said award and play along, but as I am a) incredibly lazy and b) not that interesting I am going to steal Beangirl’s answers to the seven required questions and just apply them to myself!

1) I do not have any tattoos and am not likely to get any. I do not have anything against tattoos and often think they look very nice on other people. It has just never occurred to me to get one.

2) I have never lived in a haunted house, and despite spending large chunks of my childhood calling ‘here ghosty ghosty!’ have never had a ghostly experience.

3) I am not afraid of any animals. In theory. I do not go camping, swim in the ocean or spend any unnecessary time in the wilds of Africa, so I have not in fact tested out this theory. I am quite happy to coexist with spiders, snakes and other creepy crawlies as long as they remember their place and stay outside and I can stay inside sewing, where it is nice and safe and animal free.

4) I can wriggle my little toe independently of all the other toes. I do not know if this is unique to myself as I have never asked anyone else if they can do it too.

5) I am not afraid of heights. I love heights. To the point that I will scream blue murder if anyone dares tries to take the top bunk when on holidays.

6) I don't believe in reincarnation either.

7) One of my favorite sandwiches is ham and cheese. Preferably toasted. I am happy to eat this every single day for lunch. I don’t really need variety in my lunches. If someone else prepares and serves it up even better.

The final part of the award is to nominate other bloggers to participate, but I have done this a few times before and I am running out of friends, so instead here is a shortlist of some the sites that I lurk around when I should be sewing or parenting.
Childhood 101
Milk
Tessuti
The Artful Parent

Dang and blast!

2011-03-03T11:49:00.005+11:00

That’s the kind of title you get when you have been reading Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox every day for the last two weeks!

I could have called this post The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men, but seeing as I am not a mouse or a man quoting Dahl will have to suffice.

Despite being at preschool now for almost a month, Miss C has probably only been to three or four sessions. First up was a bout of gastro that went through the whole household and saw me being laid up in hospital overnight, which was no fun at all.
Then we at least managed to have one healthy week to squeeze in a birthday (Miss C is 4!) and the local Show (fair, fete or whatever you may like to call them) and then we all get the flu! Boo hoo!

And it is only this week that Miss C can get back to school and I can get back on my feet.

I did get to my local op shop though, and lucked on to picking up a total of 46 Burda mags dating from 1971 through to 1981! At first I saw a small pile of them and thought ‘You Beauty” and then turned around to find this ginormous pile, and all for the paltry sum of $5!!!!!!

I even had to call The Bloke to come and help me carry them to the car!

The chances of me actually making any of the patterns up for myself though are pretty small. I don’t really suit shirt dresses or zip front polyester pantsuits (although I did have a strong urge to dress like the Bionic Woman sometime in the late 70’s) but some of the kidswear is really cute and by golly just look at those recipes!!!!

I had completely forgotten how effective tinned pineapple and a glace cherry can be as a garnish!!!

And every single issue is complete with pattern sheets and English supplement! And seeing as how I live in a very small town that is three hours drive from the nearest city, I am still completely flabbergasted that something like this turns up in my local neighbourhood.

I am thinking that the original owner must have been pretty switched on to be a Burda subscriber (in German no less) in a country town in Australia in the 1970’s.

Now I just have to trawl through them to pick out the gems.
This could take some time.

The battle plan

2011-02-17T14:11:00.001+11:00

Judging by the comments from my last post, readers of this blog are uncommonly smart or my quizzes just aren’t hard enough!

Thank you for all of your nice comments; I am coming up to 20 weeks this week, so pretty much at the half way point. Early pregnancy is pretty dicey for me, we have had a few scares and hospital visits but so far all is looking good.

I have come to realise though that this is not going to be a ‘normal’ pregnancy. With Miss C I worked up until a week before she was born and pretty much ignored the whole pregnancy business except for vital doctor visits.

This time round though my ankles have already disappeared, the doctor has ordered me on light duties only (lucky that includes sewing) and I am the size of a small mini van, so I think some planning is in order.

And going by other people’s twin pregnancy experiences, I can probably expect to be unable to fit behind the wheel of a car or manage anything other than a walk around the block after 30 weeks or so.

Which means I have a scant 10 weeks to get things in order.

This is what I have on The Plan so far:
1. Make some more cloth nappies......like 20 or so. And covers.
2. Make 2 cot quilts.
3. Sew Miss C’s winter wardrobe.
4. Sew some things for the shop.
5. Sew some things for me.
6. Spend some quality time with Miss C.
7. Buy another freezer and cook 6 months worth of provisions.

I already feel like I am preparing for battle rather than babies!

Pop Quiz #1

2011-02-15T14:04:00.001+11:00

What do I have in common with the following women?

A. I am married
B. I get mobbed by the paparazzi when I pop down to the shops in my trackie dacks**
C. I am having twins (yikes!!)

*for those of you living outside Australia, Princess Mary is a former Tasmanian who met Prince Frederick of Denmark in a bar in Paddington during the Sydney Olympics, married him and is now officially known as Australia’s own claim to actual royalty.

**Australian slang for tracksuit pants.

Surviving the slump

2011-02-01T09:55:00.003+11:00

January always seems to be a difficult month for me. As much as I love all the lead up to, and the fun and games of Christmas and New Year, January seems to be a vacuum of not much to do.

In Australia it is school holidays for the month, and living in a small country town, a lot of the services and activities that are usually available shut up shop, so we are pretty much left to make up our own fun. And while we have had swimming lessons and visitors and a bit of travelling scattered through the month, I have had zero motivation to do anything except the most essential chores.

But today is a new month, and Miss C’s first full day at preschool. Which means, as of today I have a whole 12 hours a week to MYSELF!!!!!!!! For the first time in 4 years. And as I am all too aware of the countless weekends and evenings I wasted doing nothing BC (before children), I am determined to make the most of this time.
So to get the unslumping started I treated myself to some brand new Vogue patterns courtesy of sewingpatterns.com recent sale.

They are all dresses and while some of these probably won’t factor into my immediate wardrobe, they will be nice for when I get back to work, and it will be satisfying to work on some more difficult projects now that I have the time.

So now I just have to wait for the postie to arrive, sort through the stash, put my feet up and have a cuppa!

Gosh it’s quiet here today! Might go see what the cat is doing!

Cheap as chips Christmas wreath

2010-12-13T20:12:00.005+11:00

This project may or may not be cheap depending on how you go about it, but for me it cost me nix as I had all the materials on hand (thank you ever increasing stash!).

The criteria for our Christmas craft projects this year is that it has to makeable with the materials I have on hand, and suitable for Miss C to pitch in.

And this scrappy Christmas wreath fit the bill. I found the original idea here and thought this would be perfect for us, no gluing or stapling or fiddly bits and as Miss C has just mastered knots it was a great opportunity for her to practice!
Here is how we did it.

1. Make a wire circle. I used millinery wire (the stuff that is covered in paper) as I had some lying around but any wire would be fine. Mine measured roughly 11 inches in diameter.
2. Cut strips of polyester wadding or any other thickish material and wind it around the wire circle to pad it out.
3. You could of course skip the above and buy a ready made foam wreath or something similar but I am not brave enough to enter the Christmas craft den of our local store at this time of year.
4. Cut strips of fabric (mine were about 12 inches x 1 ½ inches). No need to be too perfect about it. Some can be a bit longer or thinner depending on what scraps you have on hand.

5. Start tying the strips onto the wire circle. I started with all my red fabrics as I wanted mostly red in the design, then neutrals and then a small amount of greens.

6. Keep tying strips until the wadding is completely covered. I just did this pretty randomly, making sure the knots were placed at different points on the circle.
7. Trim any long stray bits if you need to.
8. Add a bow and a ribbon for hanging and you’re done!

So now the tree is up, the wreath is done and I have a whole two weeks to squeeze in some other projects!

Brief respite

2010-12-10T09:52:00.002+11:00

We have actually had a few moments of sunshine in amongst the rain over the last few days, so at least we have been able to get out of the house which has lifted my mood considerably!

And I even had a chance to sort through the stash, and despite having never actually bought any Christmassy themed fabric, managed to come up with quite a nice little coordinating bunch of red and green prints.

So this blog will probably lean toward Christmas crafts over the next few weeks, and while I am not usually a craft kind of person there may even be a tutorial or two!

Well that depends on whether anything I make in the next few weeks actually resembles anything worth bragging about!

Tis the season to be an old cranky pants

2010-12-02T20:23:00.002+11:00

It is supposedly the second day of summer here and we have had nothing but rain – as in 4 inches in the last two days, which has put me in a decidedly grinch like mood.

Plus the whole household has come down with a nasty cold. So we have been stuck inside, filling the house with used tissues and half hearted craft projects and basically mooching around feeling sorry for ourselves.

The house is a mess, it’s starting to smell from being closed up and there doesn’t look like there is any end in sight.

What is usually great about having Christmas in summer; late afternoon barbeques, street festivals and lazing around on the verandah drinking beer and talking about the cricket doesn’t look like it will happen this year.

Bah humbug I think the phrase is.

And I have to make a whole load of Christmas presents. And decorations. And we don’t even know where we will be come Christmas day.

And I know lots of people have it far worse than us. Which makes me feel even worse about feeling so grumpy.

So if you happen to have any spare Christmas cheer at your place feel free to send some my way!

Muu muu averted

2010-11-25T20:44:00.006+11:00

Thanks to Beangirl’s suggestion to take in the side seams, I think that I have managed to sidestep a muu muu disaster!

Here is the finished dress from last weeks post.

New Look 6698

I cut a size 14, and ended up taking in the side seams by about ½” .
The pattern is super easy with no shoulder seams, a centre back seam, skirt gathered onto the bodice, and machine stitched hems.

This is actually the first New Look pattern that I have ever made and it went together pretty well.

The main thing for me though is the *ahem* bust point. There is a big difference between a 20 year olds bust point and a nearly 40 year olds. As in mine is closer to my waist than my shoulder!

Evidence of 20 odd years of gravity on the human body.

So the empire line isn’t technically an empire line on me, and the seam actually sits over my bust rather than under.

So I chose not to put elastic all around the empire seam as the pattern does, and just stitched elastic on the back. Which makes the back fit quite nicely.

Proof that everything looks better with a denim jacket.

Makes me think now that I need to keep sewing dresses to find out what suits me.

And Alisa, I think that you will probably be seeing this little number quite a bit at the Kandos Pool over summer!

Muu muu anyone?

2010-11-18T15:40:00.003+11:00

In my hasty desperation to sew something for myself after months of sewing kids clothes, I am afraid that I have made The Wrong Dress.

This is New Look 6698 in a cotton muslin with an embroidered border.

I think I was seduced by the *easy tag on the envelope, and the fact that we are starting to get hot days and the idea of jeans is no longer appealing.

But there are some things I know about clothing that should never be overlooked!

1. I am not blonde, tall or waif like.
2. Empire line styles make me look like a cartoon character from Ancient Greece (and not one of the pretty ones).
3. Dresses are not in my vocabulary. I have not worn a dress since I was pregnant with Miss C (like 4 years ago) and that was only because I couldn’t turn up to work in my pyjamas.

I only have the side seams and hem to do, so I may as well finish it and see if it can be saved with some suave styling.....like maybe wearing a full length trench coat over the top!

Or if all else fails it might just suffice as a nightie. Which is something I haven’t worn since I was 7.

The bees knees

2010-11-14T20:16:00.004+11:00

I was going to call these the Prison Break leggings, but considering the target market thought better of it!

These were a lot of fun to make and it was a great project for Miss C to get involved with.

The leggings are a basic elastic waist legging made up in a nice soft cotton elastane and we made the stripe using my favourite art material, masking tape!
We just placed strips of tape across the fabric (it helps if you stretch the fabric slightly before taping so that the print will stretch with the fabric on the body) and then used a cheap foam roller to roll the paint onto the fabric. No need to be precise as the tape acts as a mask, so when you rip it off you have nice clear stripes.

I like how the paint took to the fabric in a slightly random way, giving a textured effect.

These are in the shop now!

If you are interested, I used Permaset fabric paint for the stripe. I used to use this stuff all the time when I did a lot of screen printing and the formula now is fantastic, kid friendly, non toxic and once it has been heat set you can bung it in the wash without fear of it running or fading.

I know that you can get textile mediums that claim to make any paint suitable for fabric, but personally I don’t trust them. Permaset is definitely the best that I have tried. It is quite thick but you can water it down to create wash like effects which can be quite nice.

I am really keen to do more pieces like this, we had a great time!

And the winner......

2010-11-10T20:42:00.004+11:00

.... of a brand new handmade garment by moi is.......Melinda!

Congratulations Melinda! Just email me your details and which garment you would like to receive and it will be winging its way over to you in no time!

Thank you everyone who commented. It was so great to get some feedback on the things I have been making. I have already made a few sales so am feeling very chipper about the whole endeavour at the moment.

And here is a sneaky peek at our next project. Just don’t mention child labour laws.

The big reveal.....and a giveaway!

2010-11-03T21:23:00.007+11:00

I am finally in business!!!!

Here are (most) of the pieces from my Spring/Summer 2010 range for girls.

The fabrics are all cotton; voiles and chambray, with some vintage trims thrown into the mix.

I still have some styles to update my Etsy shop but should have them all up in the next couple of days.

And to celebrate I am having a true blue giveaway!

The winner of the giveaway will be able to select their choice of any garment from the range in the size of their choice. And I am willing to post anywhere in the world! For nix!

So pop on over to my shop, have a goosey gander, come back and leave a comment to be in the running.

Followers will also get a bonus entry, but comments must be posted by midnight Sunday 7th November (my time, as in Eastern Standard Daylight Savings time in Australia, whatever that may be in your neck of the woods!).

And just for fun, here are some outtakes from the photo shoots (where Miss C had horror head colds both times!!!).

Knock Knock! Its Goldilocks, let me in! Darn those bears locking the door!

Tissue please!

Luckily Auntie Gail was on hand to be chief hand holder and nose wiper!

I thought I made myself clear last time, no cake = no posing!

Now I am going to make something for MYSELF!
For some strange reason I have a hankering for jersey pants.
Which may or may not be a good idea!

The surly guide to french seams

2010-10-24T20:26:00.005+11:00

I’ve never really liked doing french seams. I know that they look nice but the idea of having to sew a seam more than once annoys me (I know that yes that is what you are technically doing when you overlock the seam but there isn’t all that messing around with pressing and turning in between).

But some of the cotton voiles that I am using for my range simply had to be french seamed. They are too lightweight for overlocking, they are also slightly sheer so the overlocking could be seen through the fabric and I want all the garments to be machine washable so french seams were my only option.

The thing that has always bugged me the most about french seams are the little whiskers that sometimes stick out on the right side. You know when the fabric has frayed a bit before sewing.

Well today I had a light bulb moment about how to avoid the pesky whiskers without laboriously trimming them back when sewing.
The trick is to manipulate the needle position when sewing.

So on the first run, with wrong sides of the fabric together, I lined up the seam to half the final seam allowance (I am using ½ inch s.a so my first s.a guide is ¼ inch) and then move the needle position one click toward the cut edge.

Sew the seam, press flat and turn garment so that right sides are now facing.
Line up the seam at ¼ inch s.a again and then move needle position one click toward the garment (ie the opposite to what you did in the first run) and sew the seam.

Ta da! Perfect french seams with no whiskers!

So essentially you are sewing the first run with a slightly smaller s.a and the second run with a slightly larger s.a which makes sure all the fabric is neatly enclosed. And because you move the needle and use the same s.a guide it is pretty accurate.

Now of course lots of people have probably been doing this for ages but I was pretty chuffed with myself after sewing up 8 tops today and not having one whisker poking through!

Reliving a misspent youth

2010-10-16T20:11:00.004+11:00

I think that I can vaguely recall about a fortnight in 1994 when I can actually lay claim to having lived a misspent youth – I am generally a well behaved, play by the rules kind of girl, but for one summer I had the (mis)fortune of living across the road from a 24 hour pub and well you don’t need to be a genius to figure out what went on that summer.

So what has triggered memories of my dim, dark, distant past you may ask?

Well today it SNOWED. In Australia. In October.

Sheesh.

This time last year we were enacting our fire evacuation plan because of bushfire threats.

So today we battened down the hatches and had a bit of a boogie.

And a quick search through YouTube brought up these clips from my glory days of the Summer of 1994.

Probably not entirely appropriate for a three and bit year old but a nice change from the Wiggles.

What was the soundtrack to your misspent youth?

Excitement!

2010-10-13T20:32:00.003+11:00

The samples are done, patterns tweaked and the production line has begun!

I have ended up with 4 styles, a skirt, tank top, smock and dress.
I wasn’t really looking forward to the production line sewing but am actually really enjoying it.
It has made me up my quality control, especially in the cutting and prep stage, and doing one technique (like applying binding to a neckline) repeatedly is great for perfecting my skills.
All to do now is set up shop online and reveal all!
I am setting up an Etsy shop but have to confess that I am a bit daunted by the enormity of it all – don’t suppose any experienced Etsians can offer some advice?!

Ya gotta start somewhere

2010-10-08T18:45:00.002+11:00

This weeks op shop trawl threw up this little gem......I actually bought it for the pattern, cute retro Chloe boxy style jacket that could be interesting for this season, and it wasn’t until I got it home that I recognised the model.....

Linda Evangelista....... “I don’t get out of bed for less than $100 a day”

I’m going to stick it above my sewing machine.

Boing!

2010-09-27T21:27:00.002+10:00

Spring has well and truly sprung here, and while this is good in so many ways (as in no more lugging firewood through the house and a bountiful vegie patch), the constant sunshine is seriously cramping my sewing time.

I haven’t even had time to work through some of the fantastic suggestions that were made for fixing my doily top! Thank you to everyone who commented, I am leaning toward appliqué, but since I haven’t done anything like this since high school, the results may be a little wonky.

But then again wonky can be charming. Sometimes. Usually by other people.

So to avoid any applique disasters today, Miss C and I went shopping and discovered that the very last general store in our town is closing down. In two weeks.
This store is the only place in town to get notions and fabric, and the next closest is 100 km away, so I figured that I had better stock up while the doors were still open.

The great thing about this store was the stock. I am sure most of it was purchased in 1967.

I got the last 3 metres of a cotton spotted seersucker, some hot pink ric rac trim, assorted coloured thread and Miss C was let loose in the button department.

Check out the small print....Made in Japan!

We are going back tomorrow.
After I hit up The Bloke for more cash.
Now I really have to sell some garments!

Reject #1

2010-09-21T20:38:00.002+10:00

After a lot of chasing Miss C around in the futile hope of getting her to stand still long enough for fittings, I have managed to produce one garment.

A nice little tank top in a woven chambray.

The fit is great.

It is nice and loose with plenty of room for movement and I am happy with the construction standard so far.

But the doily is a bit how’s your father.

This top needs a trim but I am just not a doily kind of girl.

Funnily enough I am more interested in the inside of the top. The stitching line has created a nice shape that I think has more potential than a bit of nanna’s crochet.

So the pattern is a keeper but this one still needs some work I am afraid.
May try it in one of my printed voiles and see what happens.
At this rate my garments will be selling for Summer 2011 instead of 2010!

Busy

2010-09-16T18:55:00.005+10:00

I have been forging ahead on the sew for money plan this week.

Lots of designing and playing around with fabrics and trims.

I have narrowed the range down to 5 items. I reckon that will be manageable. I have also aimed for the garments to be very simple pieces with minimal notions and trims, that way the only money I will have to spend will be on the odd reel of thread.

So I have
1. Woven tank top
2. Woven smock top
3. Dress
4. Skirt
5. Shorts

Now I just have to refine the details and draft a bodice block to get started.

I also spent some time reading the very excellent How to start a homebased handmade sewing business series at Fashion Incubator as well.

I am putting off doing the business stuff, costing sheets and the like until I have the prototypes sewn. No point in doing the boring work if the designs are a flop!

Our first Christmas fair is on the 4th November. I’ve booked a stall. That’s less than 2 months. I can sew one top a day. And I don’t sew on weekends.

I may have to call in reinforcements!

I’ve got 12 months.....

2010-09-12T20:15:00.002+10:00

Erm.......I hope I haven’t misled you with that title!

What I mean is that I have just over 12 months before I have to go back to a day job.

Unless I can figure out a way to earn money at home that is.

Before I had kids I had never imagined that I would be a stay at home mum. I expected that I would be back at full time work after a year and life would be as it was. That’s not how it panned out though. And darn it I have gotten used to sewing and mucking around with the kid every day.

So.

I have a plan.

And while I always swore that I would never sew for money (and despite being employed in the fashion industry for 12 years, I never actually had to design or patternmake on a regular basis, I just used to tell others how to do it!) that seems to be my only option.

And while I know all the pitfalls about trying to sell homemade garments and am hopelessly out of sync with the industry buying timeframes I am going to forge ahead regardless.

This is my fabric palette for a second summer range for girls aged 2-5years or thereabouts.

I figure that I have enough fabric to quickly make up some simple styles in time for all of our Christmas fairs and markets in November. Then, if I get a good reaction develop a first winter range for the shops.

The plus: it’s all from the stash so technically I don’t have to actually spend any cash to start production, just my time.

The minus: no more sewing for me.

I will need to draft some basic blocks from scratch to make the patterns but I do have a (sometimes) willing fit model so that shouldn’t take too long.

What could go wrong?

I might not sell anything. In which case Miss C will have a larger than average summer wardrobe.

Or, I sell everything and I have a real business on my hands.

Perhaps that is what I am really afraid of.

I promise....

2010-09-01T18:38:00.006+10:00

...that this will be the last post re Miss C’s wardrobe.

Here is a pic with all the pieces together.

I haven’t posted info about 2 of the pieces on this blog, but to save some time and my sanity, if you are interested, the Review of the navy animal print tunic is here, and the Review of the harem pant is here.

Phew!

And of course Miss C had to ‘help’ with the photo shoot!

Time for some ballet practice Mum!

Run run as fast as you can......

Oh, and if you are a Pattern Review member you can go ahead and vote for me. Go on, I know you want to!

I'm done!

2010-08-19T20:11:00.009+10:00

I have just managed to complete the last of the 10 garments for the Wardrobe Contest, and managed to squeeze in a photo shoot in between downpours this morning hooray!

Here is the Burda peacoat, which is the topper for the wardrobe (worn over the flounce dress which I blogged about here).

The pattern
I traced a size 98, and only changed the pockets from welt pockets to patch pockets. The great thing about this pattern is the lining pieces are included as well so I didn’t need to do anything except trace. I added ½ inch seam allowance to all seams. I usually add ¼ inch to things like collars and facings but as I wasn’t going to muck around with a toile I thought the extra s.a might be handy. And added 1 inch to hems.

The fabric
Black cotton chambray, with a cotton print lining. Luckily I realised the print was in one direction and managed to cut it out properly. The buttons were reclaimed fromm a cardi that was on the way to the scrap bin. I underlined the lining with a very lightweight vintage wool for extra warmth.

The verdict
I am really glad that I made this coat instead of the trench that I was planning. It has a great shape and the best thing is that the raglan sleeves are quite roomy. I have bought a few RTW jackets that Miss C has hardly worn as the sleeves are too narrow to fit over chunky woollen knits.
It is not a quick project though, essentially it is a fully lined, bagged jacket so quite time consuming to make, especially with all that topstitching, but it will be great for the last months of winter and hopefully next year as well.

Weird fact: Burda kids patterns have freakishly long sleeves, every pattern I have had to chop quite a bit of the sleeve but not the length,maybe they think kids arms grow before the rest of them?

Some more pics....just because

Hey Mum....it was this big!

Actually....it was this big!

Wonder what time the bus gets here?

Roar!

That's it....I'm walking home. Put my cheque in the mail.

Button plackets won't kill you......

2010-08-11T19:48:00.004+10:00

Sewing is underway on the peacoat...but in the meantime I am playing catch up with posting the other garments that are finished.

This is outfit number 3 for Miss C’s wardrobe.....a cotton voile top from Burda WOF March 2009 and a chambray version of the vintage skirt.

I'm a mod I'm a mod...yeah, yeah yeah!

I don’t know why I have put off doing button plackets; I had forgotten how easy they are to do. But Burda’s instructions are a bit bamboozling, for one thing they very rarely say vital info like put right sides of fabric together, or place wrong side of fabric to right side of garment, and I haven’t felt like trawling the net or going through all my old sewing notes to find out how to do it.

But then I discovered Burda had more detailed instructions (with pictures!) in the January 2009 issue (for a grown ups top but the theory is the same). So that made it easier.

The pattern
I cut a size 98 and didn’t do any alterations to the design or pattern. The top fits Miss C perfectly, which means tomorrow it won’t, so if I make it again I will go up a size.

The fabric
Cotton voile print (which I used for this top, just have to remember not to wear them at the same time!), with a watermelon cotton print for the placket and bias binding. Plus buttons from the stash.

The sewing
Once the button placket is done there is nothing tricky here. I did french seams as the voile is quite fine, and I used a bias binding for the sleeve hem rather than a topstitched hem.

I also changed the button placement as Burda had a button and buttonhole placed on the bias band and my buttons were too large for the width of the band. I have a feeling that sewing a button and buttonhole on that skinny band would be nigh on impossible anyhoo.

The verdict
I love this top! It is easy to sew and a great fit. There is way too much ease in the shoulder though so I will get rid of some of that when I sew it again. I like the idea of long sleeve cotton tops for summer, less chance of sunburn and a lot cooler to wear than singlet tops or t-shirts.

Drum roll.........

2010-08-08T21:34:00.005+10:00

I have made a decision! Thank you to everyone who posted a comment on my trench coat dilemma. I have managed to merge everyone’s suggestions into a solution (I think).

I am going to hold off on the trench coat and save it for when she is a bit bigger and will, fingers crossed, get a couple of years wear out of it. And I have replaced it with this peacoat from Burda’s January 2009 issue.

I like the slightly flared shape, which I think will sit nicely over the fuller, flared tops in the wardrobe and I think that this style is probably a bit more appropriate for a little’un!

So the plan is to use the last bit of my black chambray, line with the animal print and use my wool fabric to underline the lining (the Burda instructions suggest a quilted lining but I figure underlining the lining will do the trick).

And by the by, I just discovered the 3.1 Phillip Lim collection for kids via Bloesem Kids.
I would even like to wear some of those outfits myself!

Need some help here.....

2010-08-03T20:43:00.005+10:00

So I have managed to complete 9 out of the 10 garments required for the Wardrobe Contest, yay for me! And as soon as The Wriggler decides to cooperate I will photograph and review the last couple of ones. But all in good time.

This now leaves me a whole month for The Big Project.

The Contest requires 1 garment to be a topper, that is, it can be worn over the other garments.

I pinned the whole theme of the wardrobe around the fact that I was going to do this trench coat from Burda.

But now I’m having second thoughts.

For one thing, it is freezing cold at the moment and Miss C actually needs a warm coat, for another the smallest size is 104, which means it won’t fit her until at least next year, and I am so used to doing quick projects that the idea of having to concentrate on a detailed project is a bit daunting. And the final thing niggling away at me is the question of whether a trench coat for a 3 year old is just too much! Sure they look great on cool kids on the streets of Tokyo or New York, but we live in the Town That Worships at the Alter of Polar Fleece.

I could line the jacket with a lightweight cream wool to up the warmth factor, but I was wanting to use this cotton print for the lining (the outer fabric will be black chambray with white topstitching).

Or I could just ditch the whole project and make a sensible warm winter coat out of some wool scraps I have hanging around.

What do you reckon, discerning blogland souls that you are?! Should I stick with the plan and spend a month making something that may not even get worn, or should I jump ship now and move onto a different project?

Woops a daisy......

2010-07-30T20:29:00.003+10:00

I forgot to include the details of the shorts from yesterdays post!
And because I don't believe in saying things twice (Miss C are you listening to me, I'm not going to say it again, are you listening to me!) I'll just do a copy and paste from the review at Pattern Review.

Pattern Description: Burda magazine called these shorts bloomers but if I said that to my daughter no way would she wear them! I'm calling them the puffy shorts instead.

Pattern Sizing:
I cut a size 98 for my 3.5 year old and there is plenty of room, if anything they are a little on the big side.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, except for a few minor alterations.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
I don't usually bother with trying to follow Burda's instructions, but there are a lot of tricky details in this pattern so I think it is best suited to sewers with some experience. I hadn't sewn bluff pockets before so I documented the steps here for reference.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I liked the interesting details, oversized gathered pockets and the ties at the cuff.
I didn't like the fly front detail. The shorts have an elastic back waistband so I didn't see the point in putting in a fly front as well. The front pockets are quite large and there isn't much room to squish another detail on the front so I just left it out. I also didn't like the curved waistband. This also seemed unnecessary, a three year old doesn't have much shaping around the waist and hip, a flat waistband would have been better, this would have reduced the number of pattern pieces and the elastic at the back would work better in a flat band.

Fabric Used:
Black cotton chambray.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
The only changes to the pattern were to leave off the fly front, no other design changes.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes I will sew it again, they are very comfy and my daughter loves them. I may have a go at changing the curved waistband to a flat band, but then again I may not!

Conclusion:
Very cute shorts that have some challenging features. These are not a quick project though, they took longer to sew than a pair of grown up pants! Also not recommended for the playground, those ties could cause some trouble!

It's raining, it's pouring.....

2010-07-29T20:35:00.008+10:00

.....and we are outta cake.

So Miss C was allowed to stand on a chair for these pics and that is something she is Not Allowed To Do. As a result I have some nice pics but have set a precedent for mucking about on chairs which is not a good thing.

Hmmm...Mum really should pay more attention to dusting these windowsills

Here is the next garment for Miss C’s wardrobe.

It’s another vintage pattern, this time courtesy of my sister whose pattern and fabric stash puts mine to shame.

I made the short version with pockets and didn’t change anything except for the back fastening.

The pattern
The pattern called for a zip down the centre back and there is no way I am putting a zip into a garment that will get worn for 6-12 months, so I just put in a button and loop (it has to be a pink button Mum, not cream!) at CB neck and cut the back skirt on the fold.

Wonder if this curtain can support 13 kilos....hang on that ric rac trim is matched perfectly at the side seam!

The fabric
A bit of cream corduroy left over from the vintage skirt and some cream and black brushed cotton, both from the opshop at some point. Plus some vintage black ric rac trim.
At a grand total of about $2.50.

There's gotta be a door in here somewhere!

The verdict
Miss C loves this top. It is a great shape and fit, and reminds me a little of the lovely Oliver and S ice cream dress so I am very happy that this one worked out. It has only one size (size 4) so I think I will make a dozen or so versions for summer in some nice breezy prints.

Trouble is Miss C thinks that ALL the drawings on the pattern envelope can be made up. She has requested/demanded that I make a pair of the orange shoes next. Not sure how I am going to tackle that one. I have got a bit of orange leather hanging around somewhere though! But maybe I shouldn’t tell her that.

Progress report

2010-07-22T20:52:00.003+10:00

I am going great guns at the moment, three (countem!) garments finished this week and another cut and ready to sew.

Sewing for little people is so much easier than sewing for me; no fitting issues, no problems if garment is too big as she will grow into it eventually. Only problem I can foresee is that the clothes I have made so far apparently don’t pass the Snow White test. So whether Miss C actually wears them remains to be seen.

Here is what I have completed this week. Another vintage skirt, this time in black chambray, Burda WOF tunic top and Burda WOF shorts with the bluff pocket.

Now I just have to come up with another brilliant scheme to get Miss C to wear them all to get some pics. If she wasn’t such a light sleeper I would dress her in her sleep! But then I would have to iron them on her body. And I don’t think that parents are supposed to do that. Are we?

Have you ever sewn.....

2010-07-18T20:44:00.010+10:00

...a bluff pocket? I had no idea that that was that they were called but when I did a search on invisible pocket, found this post at the always excellent Fashion Incubator site. I have always liked the look of them ie no visible topstitching, but have never had the need to sew one until now.

I am working on these shorts for Miss C’s wardrobe....

Burda WOF 03-2008

... and I *think* what the Burda instructions describe is basically a bluff pocket, so I put together a very basic tutorial on how to sew one! Please bear with me, my camera is acting the fool so these were taken on my mobile.

Step 1
Mark the stitching line for the pocket on the right side of garment piece (shorts/pants/skirt/jacket etc). Mark the stitching line on the pocket piece. This is very important. I didn’t realise this at cutting stage so had to mark a very bodgy chalk line which you can see in the next pic. A couple of notches won’t go astray either.

Step 2
Finish the raw edge of the pocket. This isn’t entirely necessary, depends on your type of fabric really. I left mine raw then decided I wanted a neater inside edge and actually had no trouble overlocking the edge after the pocket was sewn on.

Step 3
Place right side of pocket on right side of garment.

Step 4
Sew pocket to garment, following marked stitching lines and gradually bringing pocket piece around to match up notches and stitching lines.

Note the absence of pins. This is why the marked stitching line and notches are essential. You cannot actually pin the pocket in place, it needs to be brought around to meet the stitching line as you sew.

Inside the pocket.

Finished pocket. No topstitching, noice!

The Burda pocket was gathered onto the shorts so in reality this makes the technique quite easy as a few extra tucks here and there aren’t a problem. This was also a very wide curve, I expect a smaller, tighter curve would be trickier to attach so more notches would be helpful.

I was surprised at how easy this was to actually sew. I will definitely do more of these. I especially like the look in tailored wool garments where topstitching can tend to look cheap.

I wonder if anyone knows of a different method?

Burda 144-06-2009

2010-07-12T20:51:00.004+10:00

A very quick post re the jersey top from Miss C’s cake eating ensemble (I was under the innocent impression that uni started next week but found out it is today aaaargh!).

The pattern

BurdaWOF June 2009 issue.

The fabric

Grey marle rayon/elastane. I bought this fabric specifically (shock horror!) to make this top and I am glad I did. It is super soft and it has just the right amount of stretch for this pattern. It wasn’t cheap though and I would really love to stock up on some more.

I cut a size 98 and it is a very snug fit. Miss C is a bit small for her age so if I make this again I will go up a size. The fit overall is great and the pattern is very well drafted.

I couldn’t be bothered trying to decipher Burda’s method of inserting the button placket and my sewing notes from college are buried deep in Siberia somewhere, so I took the easy option and just sewed on a decorative tab with a ric rac trim and some cute buttons.

I am yet to find a suitable way to finish edges on stretch garments and I think this is the reason I don’t sew them very often. My Bernina overlocker does have a coverstitch function but converting it from overlock to coverstitch is like reengineering the Tardis so I never bother.

I have a twin needle but have never used it (I probably should!) and I haven’t been able to find a supplier for a good fusible knit interfacing, so for the neck binding I did a little experiment.

I cut a strip of regular but very lightweight interfacing on the bias and applied this to the binding, then sewed binding to neck edge. This made attaching the binding to the edge extremely easy but did effectively negate nearly all the stretch in the neck, and even though it is cut quite low for a T-shirt, Miss C has a larger head than normal so there was a bit of squealing involved in getting it on.

I think that I will either have to swallow my pride and actually follow Burda’s advice to use Vilene bias tape (if I can get my hands on the stuff) or get used to converting the overlocker to coverstitch. What I would really like to do though is buy a good secondhand overlocker and just leave it set up for coverstitch all the time.

Overall though I am really happy with this top.
It looks great and Miss C loves it (just don’t tell her it’s a BOYS pattern!)

OOP Simplicity 8040

2010-07-09T21:05:00.003+10:00

Here is the nitty gritty on Miss C’s groovy new corduroy skirt from yesterdays post.

The pattern
An OOP Simplicity pattern dated 1977 which means it qualifies as vintage (and so do I for that matter!).

This is my first effort at actually sewing using a vintage pattern. Yes I have a stash of them, mostly in the wrong size which means I’ll never use them, but I can’t resist the potential contained in those pretty little envelopes.
I haven’t ventured into vintage for myself because a. I’m lazy and can’t be bothered messing around with toiles and getting the fit right and b. I actually prefer modern styles on me. Vintage tends to make me look a bit too much like Minnie Mouse for my liking.

The pattern is size 5 ( I love love love single size patterns. I wish they would bring them back and ditch the painful multisize ones) so I had to grade it down (who am I kidding, I just chopped 3cm off the side seams and resized the pockets) to fit.

It has a front waistband and elasticized waist so I am hoping to get at least 2 seasons out of it.

The fabric
Cream cotton corduroy from the op shop for $1
White ric rac trim for the pockets that came from my grandmother’s stash

I was a bit iffy about combining the white trim on a cream skirt but decided that getting too pernickity about the trim on a girls skirt that will only get covered in chocolate cake and worn for 2 seasons really isn't worth any design angst.

The verdict
I love this skirt. The pattern was really well drafted, great shape and the pockets really add a great detail to an otherwise plain skirt. I like the fact that it is girly but not prissy or frilly and doesn’t scream “I wanna be a rock star and flash my bits to everyone even though I am only 3” like most chain store clothes do these days.

I can see myself making a gazillion of these over the next year or so. And I might even have a go at the shorts. Flared shorty culottes, now that was a trend that I remember all too well!

How to do a photo shoot with a small child

2010-07-08T20:19:00.010+10:00

1. Make a chocolate cake. If child is older than 3, make 2. Ice it and put jam in the centre. It doesn’t have to look pretty. Child won’t care.
2. Have washing machine break down so the only clean, available clothes to wear are the ones you want to photograph. You will have to spend the next month badgering The Bloke to fix it or spend every Sunday at the laundromat. Your choice.
3. Make up an incredibly interesting story about how much fun it is to have a ballet lesson (substitute monster demolition derby or whatever is child’s favourite activity at time of photo shoot) with chocolate cake on the verandah. Try not to mention the word ‘camera’.
4. Set up cake and music. Press play and shoot like a crazy person. Three year olds can eat cake VERY quickly. It helps if you have fresh batteries in the camera so child doesn’t demolish cake and take clothes off while you are rummaging around in the string drawer for some new batteries. This is where cake number 2 comes in handy. I learnt the hard way.
5. Post pretty pics on blog and sit back with smug smile on face. Eat cake number 2 if child hasn’t done so already.

Disclaimer: Skip step number 2 if it is summer. Child will probably prefer to go nude than wear clean clothes or any kind of clothing. Give up now.

Mmmmm...cake

Better get the last piece

Lazy mummy details

Looks like there is no more cake. Better hit her up for some ice cream.

Stay tuned for serious pattern review and garment details tomorrow. I’m going to have a Bex and lie down.

Giveaways galore!

2010-07-03T21:02:00.003+10:00

It must be the season for giveaways, Toni at Make It Perfect has a super cool pajama pant pattern giveaway and Alisa at Mon Alisa Design has one of her beautiful collages up for grabs. Go check them out!.

Boy that was a fast post, must do that more often!

First cab

2010-07-01T20:44:00.009+10:00

Here is the first cab off the rank for the Wardrobe Contest. It is a Burda WOF (I know I know I should be using the new Burda Style title instead of WOF) kids dress from the April 2010 issue.

C’mon Miss C. Let’s put the pretty dress on. Please. Pretty please. No? What do you mean you’re busy, you’re 3.5 for chrissakes! Oh well at least we have a nice pic of the dress on the wall.

Technical drawing courtesy Burda

It is made up in a grey marle cotton knit. Grey marle is one of my perfect fabrics (along with denim), as you can make it up in pretty much any design and it looks good. Have no idea why but I am not going to mess around trying to analyse it!

The dress is super easy to make up, it literally only took me a morning on the overlocker and it was done. I did ignore Burda’s instructions entirely though and changed the neck and armhole finishes.
Disclaimer: the neck and armhole bands are in a cotton ribbing. I like to apply the bands first and then sew seams, sewing through dress and band all in one go. This makes the job quick but you do have to be accurate to get a neat finish.

Pattern
I traced a size 98 and mad no changes to the pattern. Miss C is currently 95cm tall and the dress is a little on the long side but I wanted to get at least 2 seasons wear out of it.
I added ½ inch seam allowances to shoulder, side seams and flounce seams.
I did not add any seam allowance to neck, armhole or flounce hems (the hems are left as a raw cut edge, but there are lots of possible hem finishes that you could do here).
I made pattern pieces for the neck and armhole bands which was the neck/armhole length x 2/3 and 2 inches wide.

Construction
1. Sew one shoulder seam.
2. Fold neck binding in half and press.
3. Sew neck binding to neck, right sides together.
4. Press the heck out of the binding, pressing seam toward dress. This is your last chance while the edge is flat to get a really neat finish so make the most out of it! Once the neck binding is in the round it is much harder to press. If you are wanting to topstitch now is the time.
5. Sew other shoulder seam.
6. Fold armhole bindings in half and press.
7. Sew armhole binding to armhole and press (see above).
8. Sew side seams and press. Sew side seams of flounces and press.
9. Sew lower flounce to hem and press.
10. Sew middle flounce to dress and press.
11. Sew top flounce to dress and press.

A closer view of the dress. Miss C promises to put it on tomorrow for a proper photo shoot. But only if she can wear her knee high gumboots and pink pom pom beanie. We'll see.

Summary
I really like this pattern. It’s frilly without being girlie and is easy to make. Miss C is pretty skinny and this is quite a good fit, the pattern doesn’t have much ease or growing room so it’s worth checking body measurements against the pattern before you pick a size. There’s a bit of fiddling around to get the flounces in place but other than that it’s a great dress. I will also use this pattern to make some variations like singlet tops for summer as the fit is so good.

I figure if I can get two garments done a week I can make the end of August deadline for the Contest.

But this may mean some Bad Mummy behaviour, as in ‘sure Miss C, of course you can watch TV all day, just help yourself to the fridge when you get hungry’.

So I may end up with a very well dressed three year old TV zombie by the end of August!!!

I wonder if that’s a bad thing?

Here's the plan Stan......

2010-06-28T21:23:00.004+10:00

The Wardrobe Contest over at Pattern Review is on again and seeing that I had some good results with last years Contest I thought that this might be a good way to get back in the swing of things.

I don’t really sew much for myself in the way of winter clothes so it looks like Miss C will be getting a new wardrobe instead.

And considering the ‘bad mummy’ looks I get when we go out in her pants that are easily 2 inches too short it’s about time!

I have actually done very little in the way of sewing for her, and when I read all the other lovely blogs out there and see what other Mums come up with I hang my head in shame!
So here is the plan....

The bonus: all the fabrics are from the stash and so are the patterns (they are all BWOF though so the tracing could get a bit tedious). I have also chosen patterns and fabrics that can be worn now and for when the weather gets warmer.

The spanner: the Bloke has asked (requested, ordered, demanded and pleaded and not necessarily in that order) that I whip up a leather apron for him for the workshop and Miss C needs a library bag for her first day at preschool next month.Oh and the contest started on the 1st of June so I have already lost a month sewing time! And Uni starts in about 3 weeks time.
Why do I do this to myself?!!!!!!!

Sorted!

2010-06-24T20:56:00.005+10:00

The fabrics are sorted, the patterns are sorted, even the nightmare notions box from hell has been sorted and now my sewing space is free of beer kegs and stuffed animals, so I should be able to get some sewing projects started hooray!

What I neglected to mention in my last post though was that I actually have three creative spaces; my sewing table, the kitchen table where I do all my patternmaking and cutting, and I also have a separate studio for messy work like painting and glueing. While I am very fortunate to have a dedicated space for doing creative stuff, it’s kinda high maintenance. It’s an old building, so it gets dusty and cobwebby quickly and I have the rest of my stash stored there in plastic tubs which I desperately need to sort, but I will have to wait for a fairy godmother or an underpaid babysitter to help out with that project.

For now though I am content to have at least one area that is freed up of stuff and thanks to the lovely Clare at Lucky Mia I have some homework to do as well! Here are my answers to the following questions:

Which pattern/vintage style have you been thinking about lately?
I have this vintage Simplicity pattern that I think would be great for Miss C. It’s a couple of sizes too big but nothing a bit of pattern tweaking won’t fix. I really like 70’s patterns for kids, they tend to be quite unfussy and a bit tomboyish, which is what I prefer for girls.

I don’t tend to sew vintage for myself. My proportions just don’t quite work for vintage: broad shoulders and low boobs, so I generally stick with current patterns. This doesn't stop me buying vintage patterns though.

What is one place that you really want to visit that you haven’t been to before?
New York New York! Don’t think I need to explain that one!

What are your favourite / least favourite words? These can be connected to sewing or not!
Favourite word: gormless (as in gormless twit, I tend to use that one a lot! And often aimed at myself!)
Least favourite word: panties (ugh!!!)

If you had to spend 3 consecutive days on the same train, who would you want with you and why?
A French chef. I love French food, pastries, soups, sauces, mains etc. Then I could happily eat my way to wherever I was going!

What’s your sewing threshold? As in, what will you let go, what must you absolutely fix?
I don’t tend to let much go. I really hate having UFO’s hanging around so I tend to see something through even if it doesn’t work for me. Then I either give it to someone who it does suit, give it to charity or chuck it in the rag bag. If it’s expensive fabric I will usually make sure I get the fit right by doing a couple of toiles first but if it’s just a quick cheap project and it’s a flop then it goes straight to scrap. Sometimes I will salvage notions like zips or buttons before it gets the toss though!

What’s your “desert island” book/movie and why could you read/watch it over and over?
Movie: Withnail and I. I can still watch this over and over and never get bored with it. Brilliant writing and brilliant acting. Actually maybe I should kick the French chef off the train and get Richard E. Grant to pop along instead?!

What garment/accessory do you wear the most?
It’s boring but its jeans. Denim is the perfect fabric that goes with everything.

What wouldn’t you be caught dead in?
Flesh coloured pantyhose (yeurk I just unwittingly used the word panty. Change that to flesh coloured tights.)

Now to keep the love going I nominate the following blogsters to confess their sins:
Alisa at Mon Alisa Design
Tina at Among Angels
Alicia at From the Pink House
Princess Martha

Just answer the above questions and if any of those don’t take your fancy then here are some more:
1.What would be in your perfect picnic basket?
2.What is your favorite holiday?
3.How do you relax?
4. Have you ever had a sewing-related injury? Give gory details! If not, any irrational fears?!

Life got in the way....

2010-06-08T20:30:00.005+10:00

In a big, big way.

Needless to say my complete desertion of blogland over the last month or so was due to May being a Very Bad Month and one I am glad to see the back of.

I originally started this blog to write about sewing so I won’t go into any of the gory details but thanks for sticking around if you are still out there.

I almost gave up on the whole sewing/blogging shenanigans, I felt like I had been trying to do too many things somewhat halfheartedly and nothing was really getting my full attention, but when it came to the crunch I realised that this is the only thing that I do that is just for me and I need it!

But now some of the pressure is off, uni has finished for the semester (well there is that one assignment that is late but it will get finished ...eventually) so I can get back to some creative stuff.

But the big but is that my creative space has been a dumping ground recently. And just to prove it....

Why does this woman have what appears to be a beer keg in her living room?????

So I need to get my space in order before I can get my head around new projects.It’s going to be slow going but I am going to dedicate a small window of time everyday to see if I can get on top of it.
Wish me luck!

Spots and stripes

2010-04-19T20:37:00.005+10:00

The curtains are up and I managed to knock out a quick stripey top as well!

I probably shouldn’t be patting myself on the back quite so hard though; the curtain hems are still pinned AND I miscalculated the pleating at the top so there is some unpicking to do but at least they are mostly done.

The stripey top is Vogue 8597 and it really is a very quick and easy top to put together.

The fabric is a find from a local market, have no idea as to it's provenance or fibre content but my guess is it is mostly cotton and not particularly old (I wouldn’t put it into the vintage category).

I had a go at matching the stripes, but the stripes and the grainline didn’t see quite eye to eye so I stuck to the grainline when cutting out so that the stretch would fit the body properly. It means one shoulder seam matches and the other doesn’t but because this top will be mostly for hanging around at home or worn under jackets and things I am not too fussed about it.

The top is View C, I made no alterations to the pattern at all, just cut a size 14 and the fit overall is pretty good. I lost a bit of width in the collar as I ran out of fabric, but only about 1 ½ inches so I don’t think that it makes a lot of difference to the look.

I am going to have a go at View A with the proper cowl neckline this week and see how that goes. And hem those darn curtains!

Tis the season......

2010-04-06T20:24:00.004+10:00

...for new patterns Ho! Ho! Ho!

Finally Vogue have released some new styles that I find appealing. For what it’s worth here is my pick:

Even though the Donna Karan dress is an evening style, I think that this could work in a lightweight linen or even a cotton print. I love love love the Anna Sui dress, but I would probably wear this slightly shorter over jeans than as a dress. And the saggy baggy dress is just my cup of tea! I have a feeling that this won’t be popular, the print they have made it up in is some kind of weird Little House on the Prairie combo but in the right fabric this might pass for Marni (still I could be being slightly optimistic there!).

The jumpsuit though is on my hmmmmm list. I like the idea of jumpsuits, I like seeing other people wearing jumpsuits, but me in a jumpsuit in the town where I live could be very very wrong.

I was all geared up to buy these when Vogue had their $3.99 sale but then discovered that their international shipping rates have jumped from $12 for 3 patterns to $20!!! Which means it’s cheaper for me to wait and buy them locally, not happy!!!!

Back in the saddle

2010-03-25T16:29:00.006+11:00

Warning: this post title is merely a shameless excuse to put up a pic of Paul Newman in Hud!

Pic from Alt Film Guide

Now back to regular programming.

The sewing drought seems to be broken.......it has been a long slow process though.
The curtains are coming together, one seam a day and as they are a 3 metre drop it means a lot of long boring straight sewing, and as the fabric is a bit slippery, every hem needs to be ironed and pinned (gasp pins!!!!) before sitting down to the machine.

I had exhausted every toy/game/puzzle in the house to keep Miss C occupied while I sew and then one day she asked if she could help. Finally my own sewing assistant hurrah! She is now very adept in pinning in a straight line but she does insist on picking out a different colour pin each time so she is not exactly helping make the job faster.

All going to plan the curtains should be up and hemmed by the end of next week (that’s relying on The Bloke getting the drill out however!).

Once that’s done I might just be able to get around to sewing some clothes!

Great expectations

2010-03-07T20:06:00.003+11:00

I’ve got the fabric. I’ve got the thread. I’ve even got the backing fabric, curtain tape and hooks.

No more excuses...get thee to thy Bernina!

It's official.....

2010-03-01T20:03:00.004+11:00

...my sewing mojo has left the building. I don’t know where it’s gone or who it’s shacked up with but there has been nary a straight stitch or zig zag in sight for the past week and a half.

And I am not quite sure how to lure it back. I had a go at cleaning up the sewing space but that didn’t work. Maybe I should go out and buy some fancy new notions and see if that will entice it out of the shadows.

Perhaps it got a bit miffed because there has been a lot of things happening that doesn’t include sewing.

Miss C turned three last weekend, so that week was taken up with baking, gift wrapping and such (and no hand sewn presents in sight!) and then this weekend just gone was our Annual Show, so again no time for sewing.

And it was at the Show that I realised how much I missed sewing; for a small township of 1800 people it is quite surprising that we even have a show (granted, Sideshow Alley looks it has been transported directly from 1957 when the rides had their last safety check) but the pavilions were chock full of exhibits in quilting, crochet, cake decorating, supersize fruit and veg, photography and all the other arts and crafts and it got me thinking as to how important it is to have something useful to do.

Miss C has her first ride at the show....on a scary looking seal, not impressed!

Scary clowns....funny how there wasn't a single child anywhere near this attraction!

So back to the problem at hand.

I might start small. First a visit to the fabric shop, see if that gets a reaction. Then the op shops, maybe a piece of vintage lace or fabric might get the juices going.

Or I could just get to work on that big pile of alterations that need doing!

I've got the no sewing to do blues

2010-02-17T20:14:00.003+11:00

Well that’s not entirely true, I’ve got plenty to do, but I think that I used up all of this years sewing mojo getting those three tops done from my last post!

I have spent the last two weeks taking out patterns, putting them back, ferreting through the fabric stash, scouring the internet for some inspiration and basically coming up with a big fat sewing block.

Admittedly the latest batch of patterns from the Big Four ( and Burda WOF ) have been less than earth shattering, and even though we are coming in to autumn it is still quite warm, so the idea of handling winter fabrics doesn’t appeal.

And Miss C no longer has a day sleep, so the afternoons are getting a bit long and frazzled and I need to sew just to maintain my sanity.

So I need to get over the hump.

While I am not ready to jump into winter sewing, I thought that I could get some practise in sewing knits.

I don’t sew stretch garments that often. I tend to buy my basics, T-shirts and such from op shops and I can’t see the point in spending a week sewing something that I can get for a couple of bucks and will only wear around the house anyway.

But I do need some transeasonal garments, and I happen to have a spare roll of white cotton lycra handy.

The first raid on the pattern stash threw up these options.

I thought that I might just do a run on the jersey, use it to make as many garments as I can and then dye them different colours when I decide on the rest of my winter fabrics.

I think the Marci Tilton one might be my first job.

Come back mojo I need you!

If you don’t turn up soon I am going to take up knitting instead so there!

One week...three tops

2010-02-03T19:52:00.007+11:00

I reckon that this has to be my most productive week ever!

Here are the three completed versions of Simplicity 2593 from my last post.

Why so glum chum? Cos I can't figure out how to take a decent photo!

Hmmm...perhaps I should spend less time sewing and more time on home renovations...this is my lounge room wall!!!!

Here's the third top, in an African style print.

The neck frill starts at one shoulder and goes around the back and finishes at other shoulder.

I really like how they all turned out, and this has to be the first time that I have actually used a commercial pattern more than once (I am a Gemini after all and can be very fickle when it comes to patterns!).

So even though we are starting to cool down now for Autumn it will be lovely to pull these out next summer and having something cool and fresh to wear.

I am having an affair.....

2010-01-30T20:43:00.009+11:00

...with Simplicity 2593!

How do I love thee, let me count the ways.....you have varied seam allowances. Yes that’s right, ¼ inch for the neck and armholes and 3/8 inch for the seams, so no clipping or trimming! You have no fusing to iron on, zips to insert or buttonholes to sew, Hallelujah! And you take only an afternoon to whip up **sigh**.

But you have one failing my love.... you insist on me handsewing that lovely twist detail to your neckline gasp! So, in order to maintain an everlasting relationship that handsewing has to go!

I originally made up this pattern in a stripe for the Wardrobe Contest last year and pretty much went by the book.
But this week, I really craved some cool tops ( I was thinking of dresses but I really am a separates kind of gal) and had a few rolls of some printed voile so thought I might have a fiddle around with the pattern.

Straight off the bat, binding edges is not my favourite way to finish an edge, they can be fiddly and have to be perfect to look good. I had some trouble with the neck sizing in the first top so thought I would try a new technique for the binds.
Here is my version of How to Sew Simplicity 2593 and Make Your Life Easier (word of warning: some people may not like this as it is a production technique rather than a hand constructed couture type of finish!).

1. Sew ONE shoulder seam. I did french seams as the voile is quite lightweight and to be truthful I think this technique works best with french seams.
2. Pin other shoulder seam.
3. Sew gathering stitch to front neck.
4. Fit garment (on a dummy or yourself if you have a willing assistant) and gather neck edge to fit.

5. Sew right side of neck binding to wrong side of neck edge, stretching binding slightly as you go (this helps the bind sit flat when finished). I did not use pins, or match symbols of dots or do any other fiddling around. You may find you have a bit of extra binding left over the edge, but if you gathered the neck to fit this is not an issue.

6. Press seam toward binding, fold over edge, pin and machine stitch bind on right side of neckline.
7. Sew other shoulder seam.
8. Attach armhole binding as per neckline.
9. Sew side seams.
10. Sew hem.

This technique is so quick that I literally whipped up two finished tops in three days, and this included having a play around with the neckline detail.

This version I sewed the neckline pieces into a long tube and then handpleated them onto the neck, topstitched from the front, folded the pleats down and pressed.

This version I did the same, but halved the width of the tube (basically cut 2 neck pieces instead of four) and handpleated them onto the front only.

I liked them both so much I am in the process of making another!

The toughest chambray in the world

2010-01-27T21:50:00.006+11:00

It got the better of me with this top, but I have now managed to conquer the Toughest Chambray in the World. Hurrah!

I picked up this piece of chambray, about 3m, from a local op shop for a couple of bucks last year, and while initially, I totally underestimated its surly nature with regards to drape, I have now managed to beat it into submission using this Burda WOF tulip skirt.

BWOF 123-10-2009

If you saw this post, you will remember the lovely light blue denim skirt that Lisa from Tessuti put together as being my reference point.

That skirt however looks quite full, and appears to have a straight waistband, which I have an undying horror of, ever since having to make them at high school using that cheap unwieldy sew in interfacing ( I will NEVER use that stuff again!), so I looked for a pattern that would suit both me and the Toughest Chambray in the World.

The BWOF pattern has a curved waistband (yay!) and a straighter shape, with pleats at the front and darts at the back. I did have to adjust the pattern to get rid of the zip and add a button extension, but this pattern is so quick to run up and easy peasy to sew.

I even tackled using proper topstitching thread which has always given me problems on domestic machines before ( I discovered that if you use regular thread on the bobbin you don’t need to muck around with the tension).

Tostitching in all it's glory

So here is the rundown.
Pattern
I traced the size 38 and didn’t make any changes to the shape or fit of the pattern.
To change fly front to a button extension
1. Trace front skirt to CF line, ignoring fly front extension.
2. Measure button, in my case they were 1.5cm
3. Add button measurement (1.5cm) to CF and square down. This is now the fold line.
4. Add twice the button measurement (3cm) to the fold line and square down. This is the underlap.
5. Add seam allowance if needed. I added ¼ inch to allow a bit extra even though I overlocked the edge.
6. From front waistband CF, add button measurement (1.5cm) and then ¼ inch s.a.

Front skirt pattern showing new extension

I left out the hip pockets as I didn’t want any extra padding there thank you very much!
Back skirt and waistband pattern were unchanged.
I added ½ inch s.a to side seams and ¼ inch s.a for the waistband and facings.
(Apologies for skipping between imperial and metric. I tend to favour imperial but will switch to metric when it suits me!)

Construction
1. Apply iron on fusing to extension (making sure fusing extends past foldline) and waistband ( I didn’t fuse the waistband facings on account of the weight of the fabric).

Front extension and fusing

2. Finish front extension edge, fold under on fold line and press and topstitch.
3. Fold pleats on front skirt and sew darts on back skirt and press.
4. Sew side seams, finish and press.
5. Sew waistband and waistband facings at side seams and press.
6. Sew waistband to skirt, clip and press.
7. Finish waistband facing edge and sew to waistband. Clip seam and turn through.
8. Topstitch waistband.
9. Topstitch hem.
10. Sew buttonholes and buttons.

Sash
As the skirt has a curved waistband and sits slightly on the hip, I just used the waistband pattern to make the sash, extending past CF to create extra length for the ties.

Well at least the skirt is in focus

The fit is a little on the big side, I could have taken it in a smidgen, but I still have to run the skirt through a couple of hot wash cycles just to make sure the fabric is well and truly under my thumb, and hopefully it might shrink a bit (bit worried about the thread though, its a reel of scarlet vintage topstitching thread and the colour looks like it can’t wait to bleed all over the place!).

So take that Toughest Chambray in the World.
Now to take on the Trickiest Voile in the World!

Sweet relief

2010-01-18T20:50:00.006+11:00

Today I am sitting here in my cardigan thanking the weather gods for some sweet relief from the heat. We had a lovely cool change come through last night, which meant a blue lipped swimming lesson this morning but lots of sewing time this arvo. Hurrah!

And to top it off I scored a bonanza at the op shop , a small stash of Top Kids magazines, chock full of patterns for bubs, toddlers and teenagers.

I had never heard of this mag before, these issues were all published around the early 90’s, but it is very much like Burda WOF , with about 30 patterns that you trace from the large pattern sheet.

If you can get past the scary 80s styling (most of the photo spreads look like ad campaigns for Esprit kids!) and fabrics the actual patterns are quite good.

So now Miss C is all set for clothes until well into high school (whether she still lets me dress her after the age of 3 is still to be seen!).

And just for a giggle, here is the back cover of one of the mags. Mum bought me this very same overlocker when I was in high school (and she still has it and uses it) but I never knew you could hook up with a guy and dance around with it! No wonder they called it a funlock!

AND I was able to trace off my pattern and cut out my chambray skirt, and cook dinner and get the washing in, all in one day!

Too hot to sew

2010-01-15T22:00:00.005+11:00

It has been so hot here since New Year, and not just your regular summer heat, but I mean wall melting heat, so there has been no sewing action whatsoever, hence my online absence.

I haven’t even been able to think about sewing it’s been so dreadful.

Our house is an old sandstone number, so even though its been insulated to the hilt we don’t have air con, which means closing everything up and keeping it dark inside from pretty much 9am every day. That, and staying as still as possible is the only way I can maintain any kind of good cheer toward my fellow inhabitants.

So instead of sewing, Miss C and I have been learning to swim, which has been great fun but I am still sorely in need of some lightweight summer clothes.

It has got me to thinking that our clothes are miserably unsuitable to our living conditions (how the heck the early settlers managed to survive in heavy woollen garments and corsets I don’t know).

We should be wearing big, billowy kaftans in cotton and linen with nothing underneath (and I mean nothing) to trap cool air and allow body heat to escape. Instead I see people walking around in tight T shirts and jeans, or little strappy singlets and shorts. A lot of people don’t even wear sunglasses or hats in the middle of the day which amazes me. The aim should be to cover as much skin as possible in natural fibres and loose shapes.

But I get odd looks when I wear a shirt over my swimmers at the pool, so I can’t imagine what people would think if I started swanning about in a long sleeve linen caftan ( it does have a bit of a Liz Taylor in the 70’s vibe though which makes the idea seem quite appealing)!

Hmmmm...might try this look next time I need to pop down to the post office for some stamps!
Image:Flickr

But I digress. What has caught my eye is this post from the Tessuti blog. A great denim skirt which I just happen to have all the bits and bobs for!
I just have to find a suitable pattern.

Chambray, buttons and thread from the stash.....all up about $5 worth!!!Thank you opshop Gods!

Since discovering that skirts do actually suit me, especially the tulip shape, I am thinking that this Burda trouser pattern from the Nov 2009 issue, converted to a skirt could do the trick.

If we get a cool change tonight I might just get the tracing paper out!

Aaaah......

2010-01-04T22:05:00.008+11:00

...its nice to be home!
Despite being totally spoilt for three weeks over Christmas and New Year, it’s kinda nice to be back in my own space.

This year was Miss C’s first holiday with the inlaws in New Zealand, so lots of firsts; including first flight, first time at the beach and first visit to the zoo which was exciting and exhausting and lots of fun all at the same time. Actually travelling with a nearly three year old was surprisingly easy, no meltdowns or other horror behaviours that you read about with toddlers, she pretty much charmed the pants off everyone we met!

A pair of birds chatting to a pair of birds

We were fortunate to be staying right on the water, so daily trips to the beach were the order of the day and while the temps were sometimes a bit chilly for swimming we did make many ridiculously feeble attempts at building sandcastles and explored rock pools and collected shells.

Feet oysters

Just to prove that I do wear my garments in public; the Burda ruffle top on the Devonport ferry!

And lucky for us we had bucketfuls of rain while we were away so everything looks lush and green for a change!

So now that I have had time to unpack and get back into our daily groove its time to start thinking about sewing. I have a few pressing jobs; like making curtains for the lounge room and some mending but I really want to start planning for the interesting stuff. Namely sewing for me and Miss C!

What I really need is some light summery dresses.
We have finally finished breastfeeding, and I have generally avoided wearing dresses as hoiking up a frock in public is not really a good look, especially when wearing nanna undies as is my general choice of smalls, so I have got through the summer heat in mostly shorts and tees.

So to celebrate nearly three years of feeding I think I might reward myself with some frocks.

Off to hunt through the stash now.
I am pretty sure I have some nice cotton voiles waiting to be found!

All posted out

2009-12-08T21:51:00.004+11:00

Well I am afraid that I have reached burnout stage from writing and photographing the wardrobe garments. Time to move on methinks!

Plus I still have flu brain fog at the moment so am not thinking terribly clearly.
If you are wondering about the last top from the wardrobe though, here is a quick peek.

It is Simplicity 2594 and I highly recommend it.

You can read my review at Pattern Review if you want the nuts and bolts but right now I need to PACK!.

I hope you have a lovely Christmas and New Year.
I am back home on New Years Day and probably won't have much time to blog or read other blogs before then.
So for now my New Years Resolution is to be more diligent at posting pics and info during the sewing stage rather than just post pics of the end result and
to t-a-k-e my t-i-m-e!

Merry Christmas!

Burda Ruffle top

2009-12-08T21:26:00.006+11:00

Posting the last two tops from the wardrobe now before I whizz off to New Zealand for Christmas. I still have way too much cleaning and packing to do so unfortunately there won’t be much in the way of Christmas posts from me this year.

Here is the Burda ruffle top (issue 08/2009)from the Wardrobe Contest.

Burda model

This is a great top, I plan on making many more versions of this. It is quick to trace, cut and sew and is quite girly without being sickly sweet.

I bet you're getting sick of that looking at that wall by now!

I did make a few changes to the pattern and the sewing as I didn’t bother to look too closely at the Burda instructions.

Pattern
Traced a size 38, but really could have gotten away with a 36 as I ended up taking 2cm off at each side seams from the hem and tapering to nothing under the arm.

Shortened length by 5cm.

Added 2 side back darts between side seams and CB, taking in another 4cm in total from the waist.

Curved the facing edge instead of tracing Burda’s corner. You can see the original edge on this pattern piece, it is the dotted black line. A curved edge is much easier to finish than a corner, especially if you are overlocking it.

Sewing
I attached my button to the front of the top, Burda has you attach it to the inside.
I did a self fabric loop rather than a hand sewn chainstitch loop.

I think that this will be a great transeasonal top, good for under cardis and jackets and even over a turtleneck.

I am even thinking it could be good to extend it into a dress and run some elastic around the waist. So a big yay for Burda patterns from me on this one!

Tiptoe through the tulips

2009-12-07T22:10:00.008+11:00

I was going to call this post ‘more bottoms’ but thought that might be problematic in ending up in searches where it doesn’t belong ahem!

These are the rest of the ‘bottoms’ from the wardrobe. BWOF tulip skirt from the 05/09 issue and an OOP Vogue pant pattern.

Here is Burda’s version of the skirt.

I very rarely wear my tops tucked in so figured I could do without the waist bow detail (I seem to spend most of my time taking things OFF patterns rather than adding to them. I wonder if this is just subconscious laziness at work?).

Basically I LOVE this skirt pattern. It has only 4 pieces and gives a really great shape and peps up what is basically a straight skirt.

Here’s my version in a printed cotton elastane and a rundown of how I put it together.

Pattern
Traced a size 38. Took in the waist by 1/2” on front and back and tapered to nothing at hip.
Added 1/2” s.a to side seams and hem.
Added 1/4” s.a to facing and waist edge.
Added 3/4” s.a to CB (Burda has the zip in the side but I prefer it in the CB seam as it is MUCH easier to insert a zip in a straight seam rather than a curved one. Plus I don’t need any extra bulk over the hips thankyouverymuch!).

Burda has an odd way of finishing the hem, instructing you to trace a hem facing for the front only (?!!!!). I am not a big fan of facings on hems and as my fabric had some stretch, I figured I could get away without it (the hem of the front is quite curved due to the pleats at the top).

The construction is very simple, basically a straight skirt with facing, so Burda’s sewing instructions are quite straightforward for a change.

I made a second version in a black linen/rayon blend and it also made up very nicely. I also left off the hem facing for this version and just did a narrow hem by hand and didn’t have any problems with it. So the facing is probably superfluous for this skirt in my opinion.

This skirt has really sold me on wearing skirts again. I think I will make a lot more of these. Now I just need to find a supplier of bulk self tanning lotion.

The other ‘bottom’ was a skinny pant in stretch denim.

This is an OOP Vogue 7481 pattern that has been in the stash for ages. It is an extremely simple pant and luckily for me the fit is perfect. I didn’t need to do any alterations, which is good because it was the last piece that I made for the Contest and I didn’t have time for a toile!

So not much to say on this one, except I made a size 12 (I went down a size due to the stretch factor in the denim) and it is a very snug fit. The pant has a fly front, curved waistband and straight leg (I tapered the leg from the knee to the ankle by about 2” on front and back) but that was the only change I made.

I like the fact that it has minimal detail. I am thinking of taking the time to trace this one off onto a heavyweight card so that I can use it as a pant block as the fit is so good.

But I can’t actually bear to even look at a pattern at the moment so I will see if I am still in love with them after the Christmas frenzy (and hopefully the Christmas kilos) is over.

Burda Vest

2009-12-05T20:16:00.007+11:00

Well that title isn’t exactly going to knock your socks off is it!
Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I didn’t end becoming a journo!

This is the next item from the wardrobe, from Burda World of Fashion, issue 05/2009.
I have been wanting some kind of a vest or waistcoat for a while. I had a denim one that I wore to death and they are really handy for dressing up a simple outfit. I liked that this one had a collar but fairly minimal details (who has time to sew welt pockets after all!).

Pic from Burda Fashion

The only things that I was bit iffy about were the sleeves; if you look closely the shoulder is cut quite high above where the natural shoulder is, so setting in a sleeve would be a bit odd. I wondered how well the sleeve would actually fit and be comfortable to wear on such a high shoulder line so just left them out.

Pic from Burda Fashion

I also rounded the front edges of the vest, you can see this in this pic, as I thought that a rounded shape would work better design wise with the curved collar.

The only other change was to ditch the lining; I didn’t really have anything in my stash to use for lining, so instead I drafted an all in one facing and chose to finish the inside seams with a commercial bias binding.

I like the facing but I don’t think that I will do that seam finish again in a hurry. While it looks very show offy, it’s fiddly to do and just adds extra thickness to all the enclosed bits. Overlocking the edges would have been fine. It’s not like I go around flashing the inside of my clothes to strangers on the street (except online of course!).

And just to show BWOF that you don’t need weird long winded instructions this is how I put it together.

Pattern
Traced a size 38. No alterations to pattern sizing at all.
Added 1/4" s.a to all faced edges including neckline, centre front, armholes and collar.
Added 1/2” s.a to all other seams.
Traced front and back facings from front and back vest, making sure that facing was clear of dart points.
Curved CF and hem edges.

Construction
Fused collar and facing pieces.
Sew darts in front and back, press.
Sew shoulder seams on vest and facing, press.
Sew collar, leaving neckline edge open. Clip seam, edgestitch on underside, turn through and press.
Finish facing edge.
Stitch collar to vest neckline.
Stitch facing to vest, neckline and armhole seams. Clip seams, edgestitch on facing side, turn through and press.
Sew side seams, press.
Finsh hem edge, turn up hem and sew.
Finish buttonhole and button.

Overall, a very well drafted vest that fits according to Burdas measurement chart.
My fabric (a cotton drill) was just verging on being too thick, so any lightweight fabric like linen, cotton, satin or a lightweight wool would be fine. Although if you go with a lining instead of a facing you could probably get away with a thicker fabric.

Disclaimer: you will note that mine doesn’t have a buttonhole. I am planning on getting this done professionally as my button is quite large and I think professional buttonholes always look better in this instance.

Frankenskirt (or how to turn a pant into a skirt)

2009-12-04T14:41:00.006+11:00

Our household has come down with the dreaded lurgy so things have been moving in slow motion for the last few days, but I promised more info on the individual pieces from the wardrobe so here is the first.

In my original plan I had trousers and shorts for all of the bottoms but when we started to get temps of 40 degrees in November (!) it occurred to me that skirts might be a better option.

But as I haven’t worn as skirt in say, at least 15 years, and even then it would have been with thick black tights, I wasn’t quite sure what shape to go for.
I played a lot of sport as a kid and as a result have quite muscular legs, so anything above the knee is out, and full, girly styles don’t work on me. I realised that it is quite difficult finding a skirt that isn’t corporate or a bit nanna or a bit bohemian in style.

Because I like the McCalls harem pant so much, I thought I might be able to bastardise the pattern and make it into a skirt, and whaddayknow it worked!

All I did was find the CF and CB on the pattern at the waistline (which was quite conveniently marked, thank you very much McCalls) and rule a line straight down, parallel to the grainline. Then measured the length I wanted and squared across from CF and CB to the side seam.

I also needed to reshape the side seam as it was tapered in on the pant. Then cut the front on the fold, added seam allowance to CB for the zip and voila a new skirt pattern! All the pieces for the pockets and facings remained unchanged.
I also shortened the waist by 1.5cm as it was a little too high waisted in the pant for my taste.

Here’s the finished result. It’s made up in a dark denim chambray.

Frankenskirt on me

I am sorry that I don’t have any pics of the pattern pieces, as in the whirlwind of getting everything done I just made the adjustments in pencil on the original pattern and hoped for the best!

If you would like more specific instructions on how to turn a pant into a skirt just send me an email.

I am still debating whether to do any topstitching though.

Frankenskirt on the other dummy

I usually avoid topstitching, as if it isn’t perfect it can look very home made, but then again without topstitching it also looks a bit unfinished (denim always seems to need topstitching for some reason). Any thoughts?

Overall I am pretty happy with this one, although it doesn’t quite fit what I was aiming for in a casual denim skirt, as I think the high waist makes it look quite dressy. But I think with a T-shirt and flats I can get around that.

I'm done!

2009-12-02T21:48:00.008+11:00

Well I did finally manage to complete the 10 required garments for the Wardrobe Contest yay!

Some details were sacrificed in the name of meeting the deadline, like topstitching and buttonholes, but who needs fastenings anyhoo! I am happy that I got to use up some of my pattern and fabric stash and now have some nice new things for the Christmas holidays.

Here’s the composite pic of all the pieces together. I plan on posting info on the individual pieces over the next few days but if you want more info check out the review at Pattern Review.

And just for a laugh, here are some outtakes from the photoshoot, where I am sporting a lovely big cut on my lip and a freshly sprouted pimple on my chin!

Miss C demonstrating this seasons must have accessory...the leg scarf!

Hands on hips Mum, good girl!

Don't forget to show them the back Mum!

Where did my model go?

C'mon Mum, lets see what's on the refreshments trolley!

And what did I do today with all my spare time? Bought more patterns of course!

In a muddle

2009-11-26T14:51:00.005+11:00

I just can’t seem to get any sense of order in my life right now – granted the weather has been against me somewhat.

We have had over a week of temperatures hovering around the 40 degrees (Celsius) mark, and on Sunday were hit with the worst bushfires that our area has seen for some time.

Fortunately no lives, property or stock were lost, but when the fire got to within 2 km of town we decided to hightail it out of there. The Bloke stayed behind to defend the property and Miss C and I stocked the car with first aid supplies, thick woollen blankets, 20 litres of water and a fire extinguisher!

Funnily enough, when we made the decision to go, there wasn’t anything that I was desperate to save; people talk of saving photo albums, family heirlooms and the like but when it came to the crunch I was just happy to have a tank full of gas and get to somewhere safe.

I must admit I did feel a bit of a twinge thinking about the pattern and fabric stash, but in the end if it went then so be it.

So after a brief sojourn at Hotel Granma’s we are now back home with lots of cleaning up to do.

I think that this will put a spanner in my plans to enter the Wardrobe Contest; I have completed 5 tops and 1 skirt with one in the works, but that leaves 2 bottoms and the vest to complete in about 6 days.

On paper there is no reason why it can’t be done, I am a pretty fast sewer, but while it will be nice to have these clothes I don’t really NEED them, not like the lounge room NEEDS new curtains and Miss C NEEDS to be toilet trained, so a decision NEEDS to be made I suppose.

Plus on top of this I NEED to turn this

into some kind of suitable room for Miss C, who is still in a cot in our room and has really outgrown this arrangement.

I have managed to complete a quilt for the room but still don’t have the room to put it in! Sigh!

At least I have finished my exams for the year, but as we are heading off for Christmas with the inlaws on the 10th Dec, I am seriously running out of time to get things done. And I have to make/wrap/send Christmas pressies as well. And I don’t think that this post makes any sense at all. Aaaaaargh!

I think a nice glass of Scotch is in order. Maybe a double!

The big blue blouse revisited

2009-11-06T21:30:00.006+11:00

I did manage to finish the McCalls top from this post, but after many hot washes and much hand wringing it is still too big! And the chambray is as stiff as a board.

But despite the fact that my fabric choice is completely wrong it is actually a great pattern so here goes with a review.

Here’s McCalls version.

And here’s mine, in the stubborn chambray, kindly modeled by my sis.

I cut a size 14 and really should have gone with a 12 but I have an overriding fear of clothes that are too tight.

It’s just my opinion (and isn’t that what blogs are for) but the majority of folks I see get around in clothing that is just simply too small, its either too tight or too short and considering that most of us are not string beans you would think that we would prefer to hide our flaws rather than flaunt them.
So I tend to err on the side of volume when making my clothes, and I am too lazy to pre shrink my fabric!

I bought the pattern because I was quite taken with the frill detail, and they have to be the easiest frills I have ever done!

I simply rolled hemmed the cut edges (the instructions say to pinstitch, trim, press and pin stitch again but that seemed like way too much work) and the two frills are then placed on top of the front and all gathered as one piece.
My only criticism of the frill is that I think that the proportion is too long in comparison to the top – they tend to give the impression that my boobs are talking to my belly button!

The instructions are super easy and very straightforward, I did use a different method to finish the facing however.
Commercial patterns always say to fold the raw edge under and handstitch which I never do – it makes for too much bulk and machine stitching is always preferable to hand stitching in my book.

Instead I sewed front to back facing at the shoulder seams, then overlocked the lower edge, trimming off about 0.5cm, then once the facing was sewn to the yoke, turned it through, pressed and ditch stitched in the seamline from the front.

I really should try to take more photos of the construction stages – feel free to email me if you are making this pattern and this all sounds like gobbledy gook!

There is a little bit of ease in the sleeve head, which is a bit baffling for a raglan sleeve but I’ll save that rant for another day. I don’t like using gathering stitches to ease in sleeves, so used the pin method instead.

If you haven’t done this before, give it a go because I nearly always find that I end up with little tucks using gathering but never using pins.

The method is to first pin the sleeve to the armhole at any markings such as shoulder seam, underarm seam and notches. Then proceed to pin halfway between the pins, then halfway again and continuing until you have lots of pins about a couple of millimetres apart.

The trick is to make sure that the pins are underneath the fabric at the seam allowance and the pin heads are neatly lined up. Then just sew as usual.
Some people are happy to sew over the pins and then remove at the end but I get nervous doing this, I don’t know why as I have never broken a needle, so I just take them out as I go.

If you do this, make sure that the foot is on top of the pin, don’t lift the foot and just slide out the pin before the needle hits it. If you lift the foot then the ease will be released and you will get a fold.

It’s a bit time consuming making sure the pinning is perfect but then so is sewing and removing gathering threads. This method always works for me and is great for set in sleeves.

I probably won’t ever wear this top, but if I sew it again I promise to
1. Try the size 12
2. Reduce the width of the frills
3. Take out the back gathering – it’s not really needed and just adds to the puffiness
4. Use a very floppy fabric

I am going to make one last effort at saving this top – I am going to try bleaching the heck out of and see if that softens it up!

Self imposed exile.....

2009-11-04T20:19:00.007+11:00

I have just returned home after 2 weeks in the wilderness, well not exactly, technology wilderness maybe as there was no internet access, but my parents farm is more Aussie bush than wilderness and seeing that it is only a 10 minute drive to town its hardly remote.

But I did have 3 babysitters (Granma, Granpa and my sis) so I managed to get plenty of uninterrupted sewing time and quite a few projects completed.

So first cab off the rank is Simplicity 2596, a ridiculously easy top that is so simple to put together I almost didn’t bother posting a review as I didn’t think that there was anything that I could add to the pattern instructions.

But seeing as sis kindly volunteered to take some photos here it is.

The fabric is a cotton printed eyelet that has a slight diagonal direction, so I cut the pattern following the nap.

I cut View E with View A length, in a size 12 and made absolutely no changes to the pattern.

The only change I made to the construction was finishing the neckline; instead of a facing I used a ready made (I know I know how lazy can you get!) bias binding as the fabric is very lightweight and I didn’t want to see the facing through the eyelet holes.

I also added a skinny frill in self fabric to the front yoke seam (simply cut a bias strip, roll hem the edges on the overlock, gather and sew on top of seam) as it was looking a bit hospital scrubs like!

Easy peasy, a great summer top that I think I will get loads of wear out of.
It’s not exactly going to set the fashion world on fire but the lady at the library thinks it’s lovely!

Look...up in the sky.....

2009-10-14T21:20:00.005+11:00

....it’s a bird, it’s a plane.....it’s a big blue blouse!

Well actually it’s McCalls 5885, just in the wrong fabric and the wrong size.

I have been wanting to make up this pattern ever since I got it a couple of months ago, and was inspired by this pic from The Satorialist to try for a chambray style.

Trouble is my chambray is much too heavy (which I knew even before I cut it but ploughed on ahead anyway) and I cut a size 14 when I should have cut a 12 *sigh*.

Trying to master the mirror shot. Miss C aka The Shadow is of no help whatsoever.

This was going to be for the Wardrobe Contest but it doesn’t really go with my other pieces and I need to do some work to beat it into shape.

The sleeve hem is supposed to be gathered onto a band but I think that this will accentuate the balloon effect so I might give that a miss and go for a straight hem.
And a couple of rounds in a hot wash cycle in the machine might help soften it up.

On the plus side the fabric only cost me $2 and I still have enough left for a pair of summer shorts.

The pattern itself is actually super easy and deserves a proper review so I will post up the details when I can bear to try it on again.

Kreativ Blogger Award

2009-10-09T21:19:00.003+11:00

A big thank you to Eugenia and Josie who both very kindly sent the Kreativ Blogger Award my way recently, and considering my sewing mojo has decided to take a holiday without advising me in advance, it couldn’t have come at a better time!

In keeping with the rules of the award I have to tell you 7 things about me that you don’t already know – be warned!

1. I cut my own hair
2. I have a one eyed dog called Happy. In hindsight he should have been called Homer as he tends to eat too much and bumps into the furniture, hence the one eye.
3. I make most of my own cleaning products including shampoo. I have excema so this is a bit of a forced situation. If I touch soap or detergent things get very painful very quickly.
4. I have an aversion to sliced tomato. No idea why. I am happy to consume tomato in any other form, tinned, diced, quartered etc but sliced tomato makes me queasy.
5. I don’t like cooking but I love eating. This is something I struggle with on a daily basis.
6. I don’t know any party tricks. Sorry.
7. I hate having my photo taken – which is pretty silly considering the nature of this blog!
8. Woops got carried away there!

And in order to pass on the joy here are some other creative type blogs that keep me going - check them out!

Make it perfect
Every Spare Minute
Sweet Emmelie
Jorth
Pink Lizzy Sews
Lucy and I
Lorelle Sews

Plugging Away

2009-10-01T20:22:00.010+10:00

Trying to sew has been a bit like swimming through quicksand recently.

I have finally managed to finish and submit a 3000 word Uni assignment (albeit a week late) which means I can now spend some of my evening tracing patterns and cutting fabric instead of trying to figure out how to reference my essay to the proper academic standard.

But I did manage to get a top completed but have only just gotten around to photograph it.

It’s Simplicity 2593, the Cynthia Rowley twist top which I know oodles of other sewers have tried and had great success with.

The fabric is more of the stripe seersucker that I used for the harem pant (but they definitely won’t get worn together unless I go to a pajama party!) and it worked really nicely for this design.

I didn’t bother with a toile, and cut a size 12 (even though I should be a 14 going by the envelope measurements) as quite a few reviewers at Pattern Review mentioned that there was plenty of ease.

The top was a pretty good fit except for the extra 6 cm along the front neckline – seen here pinned in to fit.

This could have been due to the pattern or the bias strip may have stretched quite a bit during handling. It was easy to fix though, I just unpicked (shudder) the front neck, gathered the extra in and put a seam in the bias strip at CF and then reattached the bias. Having the seam there doesn’t bother me as the twisty bit covered it up. I also gave the twist band an extra twist to allow for the shorter neckline.

The directions are straightforward, my only bugbear with this pattern is the handsewing required to attach the twist band – I racked my brain trying to think of a way to attach it by machine but gave up – I figured that if I spend my money on a commercial pattern I shouldn’t also have to spend my time redrafting the pattern.

In the end I settled for ditchstitching the shoulder seams and a few key places around the neck as well as handsewing, as I don’t trust that my handsewing will stand up to the rigours of my washing machine!

I just flipped up the twist, machine stitched and then folded the twist back down to cover the stitching.

Sorry about the pics – The Bloke took off with the camera at the crucial moment and these are from my mobile.

The finished result (without the hem - woops!)

Front detail

Back detail (no kidding!)

Overall this is a lovely pattern, very easy to put together, although the bias is a bit fiddly.

If I make it again though I am debating whether to adjust the pattern for the extra 6cm or use a stretch fusing for the bias to prevent any stretching. I have never done this before so not quite sure if it would work.

Oh, and I only JUST got away with the size 12!
Will probably have to resist an extra serve of pav at Christmas time!

Edited to add: artwork in background courtesy Miss C

The (not so) simple top

2009-09-11T20:26:00.013+10:00

I thought that this Burda top would be a nice quick garment to knock together, but appearances can be deceiving!

While it is a very basic pattern, with only a CB seam, arm and neck binding and a cute back panel detail, it is essentially a tube and therein lies the problem, because I am not!

I cut a size 40 which generally speaking was a good fit, except for some serious underarm gaping. And as there is no side seam, this presents a bit of a dilemma in terms of how to adjust the pattern.

Here is the original pattern.

What I needed to do was take in the underarm, but without altering the hip too much, so how to go about it?
There were a couple of options:

1. Slash through the pattern where the side seam would be ( Burda very kindly included a notch to indicate this, thank you!) and close out the extra under the arm (in my case I needed to take it in by 4cm under each arm), and widen the hip slightly.

2. As above but pivot the dart into the gathered section of the back so as not to alter the hip width.

The trouble with these 2 options is that the CB is thrown off grain, which in a plain fabric is not too much of a problem, but would look seriously whacky in a stripe or print.

3. Overlap the side seam evenly from underarm to hip and add extra length to the CB back panel to maintain the hip width.

4. Or just whack in a side seam to create some shape from underarm to hip.

After mucking around for far too long with the pattern (and taking dodgy photos of the pattern pieces on my unwashed floor) I came to the conclusion that such a simple pattern shouldn’t need so much major surgery. So I decided to just sew an underarm dart.

It’s not pretty, and it kind of defeats the purpose of the original pattern but it fits, and I will most likely wear this style of top under layers, as the world doesn’t need to see my underarms jiggling around these days (still photography is allowed, it’s amazing what a bit of teeth clenching and arm flexing can achieve!).

So what about the construction?

The instructions seemed way to complex for a simple tank top, so I ignored them and just whizzed it up on the overlocker, substituting self fabric arm and neck bands for the facings.

The Burda instructions advised to sew the hem first, and then apply the back panel, but I didn’t want any visible topstitching in this fabric, so instead I gathered and pinned the back to the panel, keeping the hem allowance free, then turning the allowance up behind the panel and then sewing the top to the panel.

The hem allowance can then be flipped over and you have a nice neat finish.
Because this method secured the hem, and I had a fairly generous allowance (1.5 inches) and the hip fit quite snugly, the hem naturally sits in place without needing any stitching.

I also fused the back panel and this helps it to keep its shape (word of warning, it helps to use stretch fusing, I didn’t as I was being stingy, oops frugal, and as a result the hip fits a little more snugly then it probably should!).

Look Mum, the back panel matches perfectly with my jean pockets (on purpose of course)!!

Another gratutious shot of me pretending to have taut underarms.

All in all I am pretty happy with the result. So much so that I made another in my black and white spotty fabric AND it took less than 2 hours AND that’s with Miss C ‘helping’.

Phew, I think that this has been my longest post ever! Now I had better get back to my real job and pay some attention to that Uni assignment that has been lurking in the background.

One garment down.......

2009-09-05T21:10:00.006+10:00

....another nine to go!

I managed to whip up my first wardrobe contest garment today, a BWOF stretch top from the April 2009 issue. Despite having a subscription for the past 10 months or so, this is the first BWOF pattern that I have actually made up and I was curious to see how they would go.

Here is a mini storyboard of fabric, original photo of the design from the mag and technical drawing.

Here it is on me.

Not bad. Bit slouchy, but then so am I!

Back View.

The nuts and bolts.

Need a bit of a sit down after all that posing.

What do I like about BWOF?
The fact that as you trace off the size that you need from the master sheet there is no wrestling with a multi size pattern that has lots of tricky cutting out bits. I also like the fact that you add your own seam allowances. Why Burda insist on telling you to add 1.5cm seam allowance to EVERY seam is a bit of a mystery to me though. Especially on patterns designed for stretch.

So I ignored Burda’s instructions and added my usual 3/8” (or 1cm if you work in metric) and 1” for the hem. I didn’t add s.a to the neck though as I cut a self band instead.

I also assembled the whole thing on the four thread overlocker.

What don’t I like about BWOF?
Well not much really. The instructions are a little hazy and I think that some things may go amiss in the translation from German, but this top was pretty straightforward to assemble. I generally ignore pattern instructions anyway, so I only really looked at the instructions to check for anything unusual.

The fit was a little on the large side, and if I make it again I will go down a size, but for this print I think the slouch factor works.

The length of the top was too short for me (I have a weirdly long torso) and as I didn’t check the length on the pattern, I added a hip band to the hem (cut approx 2” narrower than the hem circumference to sit firmly on the hip) to compensate. Otherwise I didn’t veer off the beaten track at all for this design.

It will be interesting to see what their more complex designs like jackets will be like to make up.

And on top of that I even managed to clean the bathroom!

Getting organised

2009-09-04T20:03:00.002+10:00

The clever folks over at PatternReview currently have a wardrobe contest running – sew 10 garments in 12 weeks! Just the motivation I need to get serious about making a proper summer wardrobe.

In addition to making the target number of garments my own personal goal is to only use patterns and fabrics from the stash. Not that I have a choice as I have ZERO discretionary fabric funds at the moment.

I am allowed to buy notions, but given that my local op shop sells zips for 20c this shouldn’t be a problem!

So here's the plan Stan:

I have picked out a mostly black and white theme, based around a black chambray and the stripe cotton seersucker that I used for the harem pants. I do have a tan cotton drill that will be a jacket of some sort, and I thought that as it is summer, instead of lining, I might bind the seams with a watermelon cotton print that will be my token nod to colour!

First cab off the rank will be the stretch tops.

Nice and quick and will give me a chance to test out some Burda WOF patterns.

A garment a week from here on in, I promise!

Looky what I found!

2009-09-02T20:20:00.004+10:00

A copy of Winifred Aldrich’s Metric Pattern Cutting! For one dollar!
Actually it was less than a dollar because I got a few other things as well.

But boy am I chuffed. I have been on the lookout for a copy for ages but even used ones go for at least US$50 and all my patternmaking notes from College are long buried in the store room and as I don’t make patterns all the time I often forget details, especially grading and stuff, so I really needed a proper reference book.
We used the Aldrich books as a reference in College, as they are industry standard as opposed to home dressmaking, and they are brilliant; easy to follow, lots of pics and very clear instructions.

The best bit is the chapter on how to draft your own set of blocks based on your personal measurements, which will come in very handy when Miss C leaves home and I can spend more time sewing!

Now all I need is the childrenswear one.

Better go and donate some stuff to charity now to balance up the karma.

The new trousers

2009-08-24T21:29:00.002+10:00

It’s taken me a while but I have finally cottoned on to the idea that there is a new shape in pants happening. I have been so used to wearing bootleg cut hipster type of pants that it didn’t occur to me to think about trying a different kind of trouser for summer.

Until I was browsing around on the web and came across this pic of Diane Kruger in harem style trousers.

Pic from whowhatwear.com

What I love about this is a. they look comfy, b. they look very cool (can’t ever go wrong with a black skivvy either) and they are NEW! Hooray!

Well not really new. I remember learning how to draft this kind of pattern at college (we called them poo catchers back then) and thinking that they were so daggy!
But now, despite being a bit late on the uptake, I have managed to find a similar commercial pattern and have had a go at making some for myself.

The pattern

The result.

The fabric is a cotton/nylon stripe that has a slight seersucker type of texture.
I have about another 10 metres of this so I am sure it will crop up again for this season.

I made View A which has a high waist which I am not too fussed about, but the shape and fit is great. I originally made a toile in size 14 but after fitting realised I needed to make the 12 instead. It's a great pattern, very easy and quick to make and doesn't really need any tweaking which is a nice change.

Closeup with belt.

I was a bit dubious about the fact that there are inverted box pleats on the BACK of the pant but beacuse the fabric is so light and floaty this is actually fine.

They may just end up being a one season wonder but they are so quick to make who cares! Now I just need a whole new wardrobe to go with them!

Long time between drinks

2009-08-21T20:22:00.007+10:00

Things have been pretty quiet on the sewing front of late.
Miss C seems to think that day sleeps are for LITTLE girls, not BIG girls Mummy, and so come 4pm which is usually my sewing time, she switches into whirling dervish mode and doesn’t stop until The Simpsons comes on at 6pm.

(Is it wrong that a 2.5 year olds favourite show is The Simpsons? Hmmmm. Must consult the parenting manual again).

If I can get her outside for a nice long walk then the evening is manageable but that means no sewing for me. Oh well. Time to rethink the game plan I guess.

Still, amidst the mayhem I did manage to do a quick knit top during the week.
I have about half a bolt of some lovely hailspot viscose knit which, despite being a cheapie, has a really nice drape and is perfect for inbetween seasons. The only problem is it tends to look a bit pyjamery so the trick has been finding the right pattern. It is too sheer for a dress or skirt so I tried this Vogue pattern, mainly to test it out and see how tricky or not it would be to handle.

As it was a knit, I didn’t bother with doing a toile to check the fit and cut a straight size 12, no alterations to the pattern.

The pattern is designed to leave the neck edge as a raw cut edge, which in my fabric I don’t think works. I am not averse to raw edges and think that in the right fabric and right garment then they can look great. But not this one. To me it just looks unfinished.

Edgy edges? Or sloppy sewing? I know what my grandmother would have had to say!

Instead I used a grey marle rib fabric to trim the neck and sleeves. I think that the fabric needed a strong edge, and I didn’t want to ‘match’ the fabric by using black or white and I liked the casual feel of the grey marle.

Ahhh! That's better! Nice and neat. Good job Mum!

The ribbing is cut as 2/3 the length of the neckline and sleeve circumference and 6cm wide, folded in half and then sewn to the edge with a 1.5cm seam allowance on the overlocker.

Doing the model thing. Why is my child licking the floor?

So all in all its not bad. I am not in love with it but I don’t hate it either.

Ask and ye shall receive

2009-08-09T21:48:00.003+10:00

Isn’t it funny how sometimes when you talk about (or write about) a problem that the universe gives you an answer. The day after posting about my current design funk, Miss C and I moseyed on down to our local op shop and lo and behold some wonderful person had donated a whole bag of vintage patterns. And they were in my size. And they were nearly all uncut. And they were only 20c each. You beauty!!

I have come to realise that the only ‘vintage’ stuff that suits me are things that don’t look vintage if that makes sense. I have quite an athletic shape, broad shoulders and muscular legs so anything from the 1950s just makes me look like a bloke in drag and while I love all the mod ‘60s stuff I aint Twiggy! And all that boho, floaty hippie business makes me look like I am dressing up as a bag lady for Halloween.

So I tend to stick to the 70’s and 80’s and look for things that reflect the current runway looks.

The pick of the bunch

And this stash of patterns really fits the bill. I was tempted to take the lot but didn’t want to look greedy! But if I go back tomorrow they will probably still be there.........................

An awkward age

2009-08-06T21:07:00.002+10:00

Remember being 11 or 12 years old and just starting high school?

I can remember feeling like I was caught between 2 worlds; no longer a kid but not yet a full blown teenager. Kids stuff was no longer interesting and the world of rampaging hormones was still a shadowy mystery to me.

Well I kind of feel like that again. This time though I am in my late 30’s, no longer a ‘young’ person but not quite eligible for my seniors card.
So what kind of clothes am I supposed to wear?

It is only now that I am beginning to see just how much the fashion market is geared toward the spring chickens. I am still interested in fashion but now I want good quality fabric, clothes that will last and not be a carbon copy chain store one season only thing. And I most definitely do not want to look like mutton!

I need clothes that ‘work’. I need to be able to shop, garden, socialise (and occasionally go to work!) and so my garments need to be able to multi task. I don’t want clothes with tricky bits that have to tie a certain way which means you can’t raise your arms above your head and I don’t want some obscure fibre that has to be wrapped in tissue paper and shipped off to the dry cleaners every time it gets splattered with finger paint.

So I guess that is why I have started making my own clothes again. But I still have the dilemma of WHAT to make.

Thanks to the ageing process I do have some new rules that helps narrow down the field; nothing above the knee (heck who am I kidding, nothing above the ankle!), straps must be wide enough to mask monster nursing bra straps, no puffy sleeves EVER and definitely no hipster and midriff top combos.

If I had unlimited funds this is how I would like to dress, but achieving this kind of pared back simplicity is actually incredibly difficult. It takes both exceptionally high quality fabric and expert patternmaking skills and I don’t really have either at my disposal at the moment.

Which is why I have hit a bit of a brick wall with designing my summer wardrobe. I have a few patterns and fabrics picked out but nothing has quite hit the mark.

Oh well, I could always try a visit to Fletcher Jones!

Gah!

2009-08-04T20:34:00.003+10:00

Why is it that whenever I start a project thinking; this will be easy, just a couple of seams, some elastic and bob’s your uncle, that it all goes pear shaped?
I thought that I would get started on the summer wardrobe with an ‘easy’ (ie no zip, waistband or buttonholes) top but instead of looking at the instructions to see if it could be done an easier way (which is often the case) I just ploughed on in and ended up having to unpick FOUR seams, with overlocking as well dammit!

And having had a proper look at the instructions for this McCalls dress, I can now see a way to put it together that is much quicker than the original pattern, plus it will mean no hand sewing which I have a life threatening allergy to.
So it’s back to the start. Will post pics of the alternative method and (hopefully) finished project in the next couple of days.

Patternmail!

2009-07-31T13:52:00.006+10:00

Online shopping is a lifesaver for me – the closest fabric store is just over 100km away so it is far cheaper to buy online than fill the 6 cylinder with a tank of gas to make the 3 hour round trip just to buy a pattern.
Plus Miss C has an undying hatred for the car seat so trips have to be carefully orchestrated around her sleep times.
As Sewingpatterns.com recently had all McCalls patterns for US$2.99, I picked out a mid season top and winter dress pattern to add to the stash.

So even when you account for the exchange rate and international shipping costs it’s still cheaper for me to buy this way. And they get delivered straight to my door in about a week yippee! In fact I do most of my fabric/pattern/notions purchases online these days.

So next step is to do some actual sewing. I am pretty skint at the moment so I have raided the fabric stash and come up with a fabric palette for summer.

What do you think?

As Miss C would say....

2009-07-27T21:34:00.002+10:00

Yuckety yuck!

I have a very uninspiring pile of mending slash alterations staring me in my face, right on my sewing table. Sometimes it’s a little bigger, sometimes smaller but it NEVER disappears! Although sometimes I do try to hide it in a box or under the bed but it invariably finds its way back to the table. And I just cannot get my head around starting a new project when this is taunting me every day.

Today The Pile consists of
1. Couple of The Blokes workshirts, one needs a button replaced, the other who knows?
2. 2 pairs of jeans that need knee patches
3. A very nice vintage paisley skirt that needs to be resized
4. A wool nappy cover that needs the elastic replaced
5. A dress that needs a hook and eye
6. A top that needs a hook and eye (ooh think there’s a theme happening here)
7. A pair of leggings that need new waist elastic

Ho hum indeed as Pooh would say!

The jury's out.....

2009-07-24T21:01:00.007+10:00

That lovely vintage rayon fabric that I posted about earlier has been transformed into a lovely floaty top courtesy McCalls 5808 – here’s a pic.

Oooh – lovely 70’s styling, nice yoke shape and floaty sleeves. Good choice!

And here’s the top on the dummy.

Nice job Sandra! Looks just like the pattern envelope. And I do like that natty black bias trim around the yokeline.

Now let’s see what it looks like on.

Oh dear

Well I am not exactly sure what it is about my body that can transform a perfectly acceptable top into a travesty of a puffy pirate shirt, am I too old for this style (note the jowls), are my shoulders too broad or is the print just too pretty? Whatever the reason I should never have forgotten that vow I made in 1987 to NEVER wear puffy sleeves again!

But I think I can salvage the pattern – maybe lengthen into a dress and take out the gathering in the sleeve head and try for a breezy summer dress. Maybe.
If you are interested in more of the nuts and bolts of the pattern mosey on over to Pattern Review and read my full review there.
Otherwise feel free to let fly with your opinion. I can take it.

The carnage

2009-07-18T19:15:00.003+10:00

This is what happens when I try to get fifteen minutes to sew and I DON’T have an organised activity for Miss C to do. Usually I will try to set up a game or bring out some toys she hasn’t had for a while or often she is just happy to stand beside me and ‘sew’ as well.

Anyway, today was a busy outside day. Lots of activity; feeding chooks, walking the dog etc and silly me, I thought I could steal some sewing time in the afternoon and she would be content just pottering around me.

Never again. She turned into Miss Destructo, pulling out everything in sight, harrasing the cat and causing general mayhem. I managed two seams before I had to rescue the cat from being kissed to death and save the lounge from being turned into a purple castle. With indelible marker (where the heck does she find these things?).

Sigh. There’s always tomorrow.
Edited to add: I'm afraid the frog didn't make it.

Decisions decisions

2009-07-15T21:31:00.003+10:00

I reckon that I have just enough time for one last winter project before I start planning for summer.

I have a piece of vintage printed rayon fabric in my stash that I picked up from an op shop that would have only cost me a few dollars so I am willing to sacrifice it for the sake up trying out a new pattern.

So I have a couple of options. A Vogue Woman pattern, an Anna Sui Vogue dress, a floaty McCalls top and a vintage dress pattern from the ‘70s. My main criteria is that it has to be quick, with no need for a toile to check fit and I am a bit restricted by the fact that the fabric is 2.5m long but only 90cm wide.

Think I might sleep on it.

But first more about me

2009-07-14T21:16:00.005+10:00

So.... I studied fashion design at The Whitehouse Institute of Design in Sydney (and who now have a Melbourne campus – check it out here)so I am perfectly capable of drafting my own patterns but with a nearly two and a half year old I no longer have time to draft from scratch, test out the pattern with a couple of toiles and then sew up the actual garment, so I have resorted to using commercial patterns and tweaking them to suit what I want. I usually look for very simple shapes (preferably without zips, tricky fastenings or overwrought detailing) that are fashion current and quick to sew.

I am now officially a SAHM with said toddler and sewing for the two of us keeps me from running screaming from the house (on most days) and I also do a bit of paid sewing as well.

But why am I surly? Partly because that’s my personality... here’s proof.

And partly because the way commercial patterns are put together is often plain ridiculous (big pattern companies, here’s a tip: maybe if patterns were easy to follow, had limited handsewing and fitted well, more people might actually sew and in turn *golly gosh* buy more patterns).

So I try to apply my industry skills to what I make, generally ignore the sewing instructions and alter what I have to. My biggest bugbear with going back to commercial patterns is the enormous seam allowances; 1.5cm on a faced neckline is just plain silly, not to mention difficult to sew, especially if you are attempting a toddlers size 2 dress!

Well enough ranting for now, the next posts will be some of my sewing projects.

As soon as Miss C gives me back the pins.

Why does the world need another sewing blog?

2009-07-14T21:07:00.003+10:00

Hmmm...good question. I’m not sure that the world needs this sewing blog but I figure that on the days that I don’t get to actually do any sewing then I might as well be able to write about it.

You see I have a bit of a love/hate relationship to sewing. I think about it all the time, it keeps me awake at night and I get cranky when visitors pop round and I can’t sew. But when I actually get to sit down at the machine then I am continually frustrated that I’m not sewing fast enough or I am thinking about the floors that need washing and nappies that need changing. So all in all sewing is NOT some wonderful mystical experience that elevates the soul – well not mine anyhow.

So what you won’t get at this blog is me waxing lyrical about the joys of creating or the sublime feeling of whiling away a day handsewing (who the heck handsews these days anyhow, there are clothes to be made dang it!) and looking at the sunset while cherubic infants play merrily in the background.

What you might get is a few tips on how to navigate the quagmire of commercial sewing pattern instructions, as well as some ways to fast track putting a garment together and how to handle tricky fitting problems. But be warned, there will be no handbasting, tacking, prewashing fabric or 2cm seam allowances so if these are things that rock your boat then you might want to leave now but if not.......on with the sewing!