More photo shoot piccies

I had a good photo shoot the other day until my camera battery decided not to play anymore. Here is another photo of Vogue 7937 made at a class at Gardams.

The skirt looks a bit crumpled in this shot and sits straighter normally, but this was the last shot before the camera battery took a rest...zzzzzzzzz...

Detail of back vent, top stitching and lining...

Cherry Blossom fabric

The cherry blossom fabric I bought from BBbeads at the Brisbane Stitches & Craft Show recently has been calling to me.

I choose Butterick 4188 and made a muslin as described in an earlier post. Then cut the fabric and got total stage fright to finish it. Well I finally did it over the week-end. My review is here on patternreview.com and photos below...

Skirt finished

Photos of my skirt Simplicity 4138. I was going to do one that had a ruffle but had trouble hemming the ruffle on the overlocker . I tried a rolled hem but the overlocker was not going to play nice. I also tried a neat small sewing machine hem but the crepe fabric was not easy to handle so I gave up and made the straight forward version without any ruffles.

Hem detail of lining - I added some vintage lace I had bought off ebay to use in crazy quilting - lucky their was a piece long enough to use here.

I have done a review on patternreview - see my review.

While I was doing a photo session I got out my Burda WOF top 119 from 02-2008 and modelled it to get some piccies...

I'm still here...

It has been a while since I last posted and I have done a lot - mainly gone to work (grizzle!)

I have finished S4138 in View F as part of my Finland Holiday SWAP. I had intended to make a more ruffly version but had problems with my overlocker ...grrr! I drew View B in the SWAP plan and then decided to make View F with the View H ruffle but ended up with plain old View F. It will probably be more usable as a plain skirt as I am still building up my wardrobe.

My overlocker refused to do a rolled hem nicely on the edge of the ruffle and the fabric (crepe/microfibre) didn't hem nicely into a small hem on the sewing machine, so I gave up on the ruffle. I also had problems with my iron that day, so now I have a new iron! You don't want to hear all the details but the skirt I thought I would "whip" up took a couple of days to finish. I had trouble with the hemming as well - did it twice and then only fixed the worst bits - I think that was the fabric I chose though & perhaps some inexperience! I tried pressing the bejeevers out of it but being a poly it wasn't going to comply - anyway at least I know the fabric is tough! After the cockroaches are the only ones crawling around the planet after the holocaust then they will find my skirt, still intact!

I also was delayed as I had to line the skirt. That again is probably my inexperience - assuming I wouldn't need a lining on a cream fabric. The lining also didn't hem as neatly as I would have liked but I added a bit of frippery in the form of lace. Ages ago I bought some 'vinatge' lace on ebay to use in crazy quilting but had some long lengths so decided it would be cute to use it this way. I really like it - it adds some femininity.

I wore it the day I finished it and even though there are some issues - waist band, hem, etc it is the most comfortable skirt to wear. Because of the width at the bottom of the skirt you can walk freely and climb in and out of cars - the waistband is soooo comfortable. However it did crease when I wore it so I need to wash and iron it before I can photograph it and then I will post a review on patternreview.com.

It's official...

I hate my overlocker!

Fabrics

I went shopping at local chain store on Friday - the usual - had to queue for ages to get served. Also had to delve through dusty rolls to try and find a clean one of the fabric I wanted (lucky they had plenty of rolls of it). It was also covered in glitter as well as dust, but luckily (?) it had a dirty mark at the start of the roll so I scored extra fabric. It has washed up fine. I got a crepe/microfibre in ivory to make Simplicity 4138. It is polyester but I didn't want to spend too much on the fabric for my first go at this skirt. It was about $12/metre. I also scored some soft quilting cotton at $5 m on the clearance table that I am going to make pj pants from BWOF 12-2007-127.

Muslin update

I have altered the muslin I made for Butterick 4188 to try and eliminate the pull at the back shoulders. I have made an adjustment for sloping shoulders by dropping the shoulder seam 1 cm at the shoulder end. I also dropped the underarm seam by 1 cm. I think it has improved it. Maybe I could take more out but I am only new to this alteration thing so I think I will err on the side of caution. Also the fabric I am making the top out of is softer cotton than the calico/homespun I have made the muslin with, so I don't think it should be so noticeable.

Happy Mother's Day

I had a lovely Mother's Day and I hope everyone else did too! These are the gifts I received....

But best of all we had a lovely day with my Mum & Dad,Brian's Mum and my boys and sat in the garden and had a lovely lunch. We enjoyed the autumn sunshine, the blue wrens flitting about, each other's company and a bit too much bubbly! The boys helped serve the lunch and Brian took the brunt of washing up ... so all in all a lovely day!

My first muslin

I have made my first muslin today of B4188. It is of View A and I didn't do the collar but I am wondering if I should have. Anyway here my mug shots...

I think it is working well enough. If anyone can spot something I should be looking for let me know - I hope to start cutting the real fabric tomorrow. At the back near the arms appears to be a pull but I am not sure I will fiddle with it - mainly because I wouldn't know what to do! Even though I am not hugely knowledgeable on fitting - at least I can see it fits - shoulder seams are good and the neck looks fine but I also learnt some in the making of the muslin as I made a heap of mistakes! I sewed the front pieces to the wrong sides for starters - then I did have some un-sewing to do on the princess seams and then if you look closely you can see I have one panel inside out - thank goodness it is just the muslin for sizing!

Anyway any tips would be appreciated before I cut into the real stuff!

Too much work, not enough time for play...

I have worked everyday this week - not fun... my mind has fanciful images of all the things I want to sew dancing through it, but I have to keep drafting subdivision power conduits and details of how light fittings are attached to the roof of dongas.

I have ordered the patterns need for my SWAP, but today I was informed by Caity of a sale on McCall's patterns so I have purchased more patterns-

5464 - princess line dress/ jumper (smock I tell you!)

5039- empire line, simple looking dress with gathered top

5105 - daggy-looking T-shirt with many variations (with good reviews on patternreview.com)

I thought that would plug some of the holes in my pattern collection. I like a good frock but am also a T-shirt & jeans girls so I thought they would be alright - anyway it should keep me out of trouble for a while.

I went shopping at Gardams (in my lunch break) to get the notions & lining I need to get B4188 finished.

This is a photo of a swatch of the fabric I am using (the black print with cherry blossoms) and the stuff I bought today - black buttons with gold trim, braid to make the loops to hold the buttons and the pink cotton batiste is for the lining - I thought the pink would be cute as there is touches of pink in the flowers & I was hoping it would be easier to work with than black. I suppose it means I will have to change threads in my machine but that is really not a big hassle.

I also picked up an issue of the latest Vogue magazine (latest for us Aussies anyway!) as Gardams seems to be one of the few places in town which stocks it... now I am just waiting on tenterhooks for Burda WOF 03/2008 to arrive at the newsagent!

Anyway , time to get off the computer and start reading the magazine...

Poor cold Coco

My cat Coco has turned twenty this year and is doing well but she really feels the cold. She has a basket she sleeps in with a heated pad under the blanket but that is not enough with a very cold autumn upon us. So we have built her cat cave around the basket as we did last year. It is just a cut-out cardboard box with a quilt on it for insulation. She has been as happy as.... since we put it together for her.

Storyboard Mark II

Caity & I spent the day choosing patterns to order (in between work, meals, TQ, etc). Caity is ordering them today so that hopefully we will save on postage and definitely save on the exorbitant price these patterns are to buy here! I have, since I have been home, been reviewing my storyboard. I would have probably better spent my time, actually cutting out a pattern, but never mind - the planning seems to be a real fun part of this.

I found a jacket pattern I liked today so I have added a jacket and I am thinking of using the fabric I already have - a brown/black small houndstooth print. I will still have to consider if it will work. It matches colourways but probably would look silly with the dress - but maybe that doesn't matter. Anyway someone with a better eye for colour may be consulted before I start cutting it out.

The only other thing I have just realised is that I have more of this fabric than I need for this jacket so I may be better off saving it for the jacket I had originally planned (Vogue 8124). Anyway I do love the simple line of the planned jacket for this SWAP so I will still make it but will work out the exact fabric as I go along - all the more reason to start checking out the fabric stores!

The jacket is part of this pattern. I was excited to note that the 'jumper' (that's what they call it - I would call it a smock) has trim on the hem and pocket, so maybe I can use some of the trim I bought at the fair. ...it could be karma....

Sewing with the dolphins

I have finished the Burda WOF 2/2008 - 119 - hooray! It was quite easy with the photo tutorial - its great there are people out there willing to put their time into providing such a great resource - thanks Nancy!The photo is of the top on a hanger. I will get one on me later - hopefully with the other pieces I plan to make for my SWAP- Finland Holiday.

Working with the silk was an interesting challenge but worth it as it feels lovely to wear.

Storyboard

This is my storyboard so far - not finished yet as you can see. Also this is like an ideal ... I make no pretence that I will get it all done. I travel on 8 July, so I have about two months.

I don't have much of a stash (for clothes fabrics - let's not get into quilting fabric!). So I haven't got fabrics noted for some of these as I need to purchase it still. I also need to get some more patterns so that is why there are options listed for some of the items. The jacket - no idea - I want a dead simple cardigan style preferably without buttons! I have not managed to track down anything yet. I was considering this cape - Vogue 8122 in View C, but I have decided that a jacket/cardigan would sit better over the tops, particularly the Burda WOF 119 with the sash at the collar.

I have started on the Burda WOF 119 (it is from Burda WOF 2-2008 - the site is so slow I will never find the link for it!) and have found it interesting so far. I am working in a silk I bought at the Gardams opening night. I don't think I have ever sewn with silk before but I prewashed it and watched a video on sewing with it so, so far it hasn't been too bad of an experience. The only additional thing I am doing over the advice I have had is using my walking foot! I have noticed a difference in the pattern to the line drawing though - the line drawing shows two ties hanging but you only end up with one - thankfully I have used this photo tutorial I found via Pattern Review.com. It is a fabulous site! ( Fabulous is said as in ab fab - FFFaaaabbuulous) There are quite a few reviews of this pattern already but I am thinking of doing one as a learning exercise. I hope to finish the top tomorrow - a whole day off no planned activities.... except to sew...

Fashion canine...

Puppy's new haricut is lovely, but with Toowoomba's chilly evenings we tend to find him shivering, so he has had to start using his wardrobe of coats again - this is his aztec puppy outfit...

Day out at the show

Had another lovely day with Caity at the Stitches & Craft Show. We watched three separate fashion parades - see Caity's blog for more info on those. I wanted to show the lovely fabric I bought from the Japanese fabrics & beads stand.

The Japanese girls were lovely and when they told us to 'see the shiny man' to arrange payment for the fabric we just cracked up as they meant the bald'ish man who was sweating under the hot lights! They were really thrilled when Caity spoke in Japanese to them!

I also bought these trims. I have decided you buy trim first then match fabric to the trim as it is about impossible to do it the other way. Anyway some lovely use of trims in the fashion parade got me inspired to buy these.

When I got home I was overwhelmed with the epiphany that instead of randomly making items of clothes and then hoping I can wear them together that I should plan a SWAP - sewing with a porpoise (as Hubby puts it!) So I stayed up late researching the idea and started putting together a storyboard of ideas for a wardrobe to take on holiday to Finland this year. I will post it next when I finish getting my ideas together.

My puppy had a haircut on Thursday and is acting very strangely - maybe we brought home the wrong dog?