Thursday 24 July 2014

A fast breezy skirt

I had avoided the maxi skirt for a long time.  But last summer started enviously noticing them on other people.  I have the skin type that should be covered up from the sun, freckly and fair and so the idea of a skirt that covers my legs but allows me to stay cool is very appealing in our current hot spell.  Other days I just slather on the children's factor fifty.  
I used a length of light cotton sent in Alessa's parcel.  I had been mulling over a maxi skirt but thought I had no fabric till it dawned on me last friday to use this fabric.    I simply seed up a rectangle adding a side pocket on one side and a casing at the waist for elastic.  Then I tried it on and decided it was too wide so I sliced about four inches off one side and resewed the seam.  I hemmed it and the whole process took about an hour.
Since completing it I have worn it three times in six days as it is so practical for hot days.  BUT I have to confess around the house I keep hitching it up and even hoisted it into my knicker elastic!  So maybe I am not a natural ong skirt wearer.  I am not 100% certain if the maxi looks good or bad on me, and as I am quite short I am not sure if I look  even shorter in a maxi.  But I think it is partly getting used to wearing a different silhouette and length.  My goto, default skirt is a low waisted A line hitting the knees and I must have made about 5 of these plus I have a couple of old RTW ones too.  Do you have a default style skirt? And have you stepped out of your skirt comfort zone with success?

Monday 21 July 2014

On my sewing table

Except I don't really have a sewing table.  More accurately, on my ironing board and on my dining table....
Burda 7018.  I decided to make a jacket using the remaining denim left over from my V1246 skirt.  
I browsed my patterns and hesitated for weeks over what jacket to make but finally opted for this one as I wanted to try a jeans jacket.  I bought it in the half price Burda sale last month at Jaycotts. For some reason Blogger keeps rotating the photo below, so please excuse this.  I am making view A, shortish with a waistband.

So far, sewing this jacket has been fun.  It is the kind of step by step construction that I like and making it has made me think about the construction of RTW jackets.  I have sewn the curved front seams, the fake pocket tabs, the side and shoulder seams and the waistband.  Plus I have added side pockets as I know I won't get much wear out of a pocketless jacket.  

And then there's the topstitching!  Twin needle time. (A new twin needle was among my birthday presents from my lovely friend Emma, **Hello Emma**) I spent about three weeks thinking about what colour to do my topstitching.  I kept checking out any denim jackets I saw.  Finally I decided last week to do the top stitching in red. 
The frustrating part is I have to sew the construction in blue threads, then changes needles and threads for topstitching.  To have two machines like Sonja would be brilliant for a project like this!  If you haven't tried twin needles for top stitching I recommend you do - it is fab.
I am expecting this project to take quite a while to finish as it is now school holidays.  But for the first time in ages I am really enjoying the sewing journey rather than rushing to the end product.  What is on your sewing table?  And is it really a dedicated sewing table?  Or does it share functions with other people, eating, other crafts....?

Monday 14 July 2014

Lovely things from lovely peeps

Oh, sweep away the cobwebs from this blog. I didn't intend to stay away from this place for so long.  Real life just got in the way, various minor illnesses and too many other events.  I kept wondering if I will lose all my readers by being so neglectful. Maybe?  I hope not.  This post has been languishing half written for at last a month.  So I pulled myself together, left the dirty dishes in the sink and got typing.



I was very lucky and won some great sewing goodies.  Firstly this pattern, Butterick 5612 from Philippa.  She didn't tell me in advance so it was a lovely surprise when it dropped through the letterbox.  I have already sewn up view A and still have to blog about it.  


Then I received a handknitted cardigan from Jessica that she had offered as part of
Spring Cleaning Swap Meet.  I still have to photograph the cardigan.  She was generous enough to include some fabrics.  There is a black knit fabric, some stripey jersey and this cute cotton.  Hmmmm......my mind is whirring with ideas.  There is enough of the black for a pair of jersey trousers - and I have several pattern choices.  I just have to choose either a drapey flowey (is that  a real word?) pair or a more fitted style.  The stripes I have earmarked for a top if I can figure out cutting and pattern placement.  I was thinking of using the japanese doll cotton for a skirt for Little I.


Next I won the "white bundle" in Alessa's giveaway.  There is a large piece of the grey/pink floral striped cotton.  It is a really nice light weight and I was thinking of a dress.
The other pieces are smaller and I am planning to use them for my little girls.
This black and white cotton was also in Alessa's bundle and I have used it already.  Do you want a peek of what I made?  Well, here it is...


...it is  the Butterick top from Philippa's pattern.  I will witter on write a constructive review soon about it.  I have doubts as to whether it suits me greatly but I have worn it lots anyway as it is so light and ideal for summer days when I don't want to have arms out.  Oh and please feel free to laugh at my unfortunate bad haircut. Happily it is now grown out a bit.  It was cheap and sometimes you gets what you pays for.  A lesson learnt. I have to say a big thank you to Jessica, Alessa and Philippa.  
So a big thank y