Catching up on a few projects - pride comes before a fall.

School holidays are nearly over - I am so pleased I found my sewjo again! I went away to Melbourne to see Les Miserables (amazing BTW) and when I got back  I was keen to sew. I was sewn most days since then and rediscovered how much I just love to sew. When my life is busy, I don't dream of sewing. I am lazy and dream of sleep or vegging out. If I do sew, I make something really quick to get that wonderful feeling that I have accomplished something (a garment) rather than just collected something (more fabric).

First up is a denim pinafore for my daughter. I used Ottobre 6/2009 #32. It has princess seams, a curved waistband and the skirt is pleated.

For like the first time ever, Jalisa's measurements are pretty much spot on with her height measurements! So easy to trace one sized pattern for one.

Everything came together nicely. I used my "new" Singer 99 (with added hand crank) to get perfect topstitching. I love how older machines got through anything.

I used some Japanese cotton for the facing and some sunsilky for the lining.

I actually made this skirt a while back. I took some more pictures but I must have deleted them from the memory card. My old computer used to save stuff from my memory card automatically, but apparently not my new one. I bought this wool blend fabric as a remnant in a designer sale last year. It is a fabulous piece of fabric, nice and  hefty but it has a large pattern woven into it. I thought a simple A-line skirt would work with the pattern, so chose Burdastyle magazine 03-2010-105.

It has two darts front and back, a facing and invisible zipper in the side. The type of pattern I would normally overlook/avoid. Perfect for this fabric though. I added lining as well. I used the same sunsilky lining as in my daughter's dress. When it was finished and I tried it on, I was quite distressed. This was the first time that I had tried sunsilky lining (a polyester which is apparently anti-static) but it rustled. The skirt was loud! I ended up wearing it the next day and with tights, it is not so bad. I have actually worn this skirt a surprising amount.

I have also sewn this skirt. I had some stretch denim left over from jeans that I made last year. I had a flip through all my Burda magazines but the only skirt that seemed suitable for a denim skirt was a pattern I had made before, Burda 03-2005-126. I could have purchased another pattern (like the Grainline Moss skirt) but I have more than enough patterns and besides, my printer needs ink.

I changed the Burda pattern slightly. There is an inverted pleat at the centre front that I eliminated. I changed the invisible zipper to a fly front and I ended up leaving the patch pockets off. They looked weird because they were close to the topstitching for the zipper and it looked really uneven.

There is plenty of walking ease in the back pieces, so I don't have to worry that I can only shuffle along.

As I was sewing this, I was having smug, gloating thoughts about how amazing my Singer 99 is with topstitching - how it sews through anything. Yes, it really does sew through anything. Fingernails included. Have no idea how this really happened. I was using a hand crank for goodness sakes. I have never, ever sewn through my finger and I have sewn since I was a teenager.

Next up is some wool pants for me.

Two simple tops

I was able to cut out this Sorbetto tank top (sans the front pleat) when I was cutting out this skirt. It sat around for weeks because I did not have any fabric suitable for using as bias binding. The sateen is very lightweight and I did not have any black voile or similar lying around. The fabric that I found I also used to make the next top.

I made my first  (unblogged) version of Burdastyle magazine #103 from 5/2011 last year. I am always on the look out for pull on woven tops as I seem to wear these a lot for work. It has raglan sleeves and 4 small pleats at the centre front.

When I made it last year, I actually made it in a length between #102 and #103 (which are essentially the same pattern, as well as #104 the dress - no idea why these are deemed three separate patterns). Version 1 had the split sleeves but for this version I just sewed the seam shut.

The top can be worn belted or not. You can see how it blouses over the belt in the photo above. It does look a little maternity when not belted but I like how cool and comfortable it is this way.

These were very quick makes. I made both of them in a couple of hours. I found the world's easiest way of getting the perfect length of bias tape - I just sewed on most of the way around and then followed the directions here - just without the glue. No idea how I was doing it previously - just bumbling along until it looked right

A dress without an occasion

 

 

 

 

At the start of each school holidays, I write a list of things I want to do, what I want to clean and what I want to sew. I had found this black embroidered fabric just before the holidays started and thought it would make a good sheath dress so I added it to my list. Now normally, I wouldn't make a dress like this without a reason, but this time I just felt like making it. I am sure I am not alone with doing this, am I?

 

 

The fabric is a rayon polyester blend, probably with a touch of elastane. It is lightly embroidered and has a few sequins here and there (which my camera picks up as white). I used a pattern which I have used before - Burda magazine # 112 from 5/05 with the neckline from #110 from 12/01. Basically a princess lined sheath dress with a boat neck. I actually bought the fabric for both dresses at the same time. I did not imagine they would be made into the same pattern.

The dress is fully lined with a polyester lining fabric. I pinked all the shears after my last experience working with lining fabric.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a few projects to blog about, and seeing as this is only a knit top, I am tacking it on to the end of my dress post. This is  the gathered raglan sleeve from Burdastyle 2/13 (# 127). I vaguely remembered I had to shorten the hem based on the review by Fehr Trade but only did 5cm when it could have been triple that. I actually did not have enough fabric for full length sleeves though, so attempted a clumpsy 3/4 sleeve.

I  used the binding pattern provided by BS, but in my really stretchy fabric, it ended up being a touch too long and so my neckline is wider than intended or it doesn't sit flat. I love the colour though, it is a nice deep blue green cotton elastane fabric from The Fabric Store in Brisbane. I dithered and only got 1.5m but it would have been perfect for a dress had I have purchased more.