Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Another Burda skirt love...

Burda 09-2008-120. A lovely simple skirt that I remember wondering when I first saw the pattern how it would go, but of course Burda had it made in some sooper-dooper fabric that made you wonder how it would work in translation to a 'regular' fabric. I saw Dawn's blog post on using this patten first and now there are more reviews up about it.

I have made it previously here. I love this skirt! It is narrow in the leg and you have to be very lady-like scooting into car's etc but I think the shorter length makes it more summery and 'fun'-looking. I have made it again in an over-the-top floral fabric purchased from Kerryn's Fabric world but I have seen it at Gardams as well since then.






A new favorite when I want to shout 'Summer!'

Endless Combinations 2010 - Final post

The photos for my composite entry into the Endless Combinations contest have been seen in the previous posts (for sure) but for completeness I have put this post to show the entry.

Composite photo...

If you wish to see the individual items (coordinated), then check this out.

Another post soon on a second burda pencil line skirt I made and love.


Sunday, December 12, 2010

Endless Combinations 2010 - Kwik Sew 3740


Again for the Endless Combinations Contest, the cowl neck top one more time...

Review can be found here.

Endless Combinations 2010 - Jalie 3024

Next for Endless Combinations - Jalie 3024 - the new dress. Love it! More detail on construction can be found in the review. Link to review.

Endless Combinations 2010 - Jalie 2919

Jalie 2919 - Cardigan made for the Endless Combinations Contest. No details are provided here but can found in the review. Back... Detail of shoulder pleats... Review can be found here.

Endless Combinations 2010 - Kwik Sew 3384

My next item in the Endless Combinations contest are the Kwik-sew pants 3384. Again, no detail here. Please see the review to find out more about these pants.

Front showing waistband/yoke...

Back...
Link to review - here.

Endless Combinations 2010 - McCalls 5802

I am posting photos of each of the items for my Endless Combinations entry for 2010. I will not be putting much detail about the items in these posts, but will provide a link to the review if you would like to know more about the sewing of any particular item.

First up McCalls 5802 - Hilary Duff halter neck top (think it is now OOP)






Review is here.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Still sewing....

Well it has been a while since I blogged last, but I have been sewing a little. The renovation has started and it is difficult to sew but I have managed to find a temporary spot for my machine and I have been cutting out patterns at work on the conference table (amazing the solutions you can find when sewing is involved!)

Some of the reason I got so keen to sew is that the Endless Combinations contest started on Pattern Review and I love the idea behind this contest, so thought I might sew along and see if I can manage to get an entry together.

The inspiration for my entry is clothes for cruising as we are going on a cruise next year and it is nice to daydream about it (anticipation is half the fun I think!).

Drum roll please ... well maybe not, I have three pieces done so far but have not had a chance to do a photo shoot as we are experiencing the worst weather here (one way to break a drought - start a home renovation!) We have a sea of mud outside so the 'proper' photos will be put off until it is possible to step outside without sinking up to your ankles in red mud.

The first article I made is Jalie 3024 - dress:


I am sooo happy with how this has turned out. The fabrics are from Knitwit (for any Australians reading this) and are beautiful.


I will review this pattern properly once the photos happen - my opinion on this pattern - fabulous as all the Jalies I have tried.

The second item is the long version of Kwik Sew 3384. Made in black fabric from Knitwit also - no piccie as yet.


And the third item is McCalls 5802 which may be OOP.


I was concerned it would be too young for me but I decided to try it in a cheaper fabric. I made the top in a polyester I picked up on the sale table at our local Gardams. I love this top also...


I did have to pull the top up around the neckline, so that it pulls it high enough to conceal my bra strap at the back, but haven't tried it on properly since I sewed the hooks to the neck piece and I am a bit concerned it may be a little too tight, so may still need to alter that. (Diana looks a bit lopsided in this shot, but be assured I don't think Diana or the top have any problems).

My last piece planned is the Cardigan Jalie 2919.


This will be in black also. I wish I had more of the Knitwit fabric I made the pants in, but have a dry knit from Spotlight which will have to do.

And if I have time I will make another Kwiksew 3740 also...
Sleeveless in a pretty blue print.

A girl can dream...

Monday, November 1, 2010

Sewing one last time.

Here is my latest sewing - a lovely simple skirt which I hope will become a TNT.

Burda 09-2008-120. Made in a brown cotton with a bit of stretch picked up in the remnant bin. Lined with a rayon (leftover from another project).

The only silly thing I did (gee, only one - I must be getting better at this sewing thing!) was to cut the back of the skirt on the fold, so I had to put the zip into the side seam. It worked fine but I will cut the next one with two back pieces and have a center back zip.

I will be making another one of these in a gorgeous over the top floral cotton I bought recently - an ideal fun summer skirt. This brown skirt is a great addition to my work wardrobe and this colour combo of teal and brown is my current absolute favorite.

Now this blog post is called sewing one last time as I have had to pack my machine away for awhile. This is good and bad. Bad because I have to live through a renovation and good because when it is finished I will have my own sewing room!

When the builder cuts a door into the back room I hope to start sewing again but in the meantime I have reverted to crochet to keep me sane!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

When two hobbies collide...

OK - I first saw the reference to hobbies colliding on Cidell's blog and it must have stuck in my head.

My two hobbies have now done that as I have successfully sewn a skort to wear to gym. In fact two!

It is Jalie 2796.

The first one I made in a fabric from Gorgeous Fabrics. It is the Swiss 4-way stretch and it is perfect for this skort. I made a brown one and wore it to the gym to trial it. The fabric is beefy enough, but so soft and stretchy and even though it is not a wicking fabric, the sweating/perspiring/glow was not a real issue. Perhaps as it is on the bottom half and not over a large area. I will have to buy more of this delicious fabric! I would love to make some yoga pants form it too.

Anyway I did not get a photo of my first effort, but was so excited I made a second one which is photographed for your viewing pleasure??


This time I used the brown 4-way Swiss stretch on the side panels and waistband and a lovely thick cotton/lycra blend for the skirt front & back and shorts underneath.

Piccie of the side panel to show the detail - it has pockets, which is a nice touch...


And a sneaky peek at the compression shorts underneath. I did,the same as a lot of pattern reviewers mentioned and shortened the leg by about 4 cm (1 1/4") as I felt they were longer than was necessary and this length is now very similar to a RTW skort I have.


So comfy to wear to the gym! I have tried it in BodyStep and BodyAttack and it suits these kinds of classes very well.

Love it!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Finished objects

I had a surprisingly good finishing/sewing week-end. First up I attended a day at Lake Perseverance to go to our local quilt club's retreat. I only went for a day and loved catching up with old friends. I took some crochet as it was so portable and suitable for chatting while working on my scarf. And with this extra time on it, I managed to get it finished this week-end. It is the bobble scarf made from wool purchased from the Spinners & Weavers group - home spun & dyed!

As well as finishing the scarf, I managed to finish a top made from Kwik-sew 3740. I have made a couple of these before. Now I have made my first sleeveless version.

Much adversity was hit making this top. First up the pattern pieces for the sleeveless top were missing (from my downloaded pattern) and I had lost the second page of instructions. Then on top of that I found a large gash in one of the collar pieces... What tha???... So I made the best of it and cut the collar smaller and made up the rest of the top construction. It worked out well enough, my DH commented on what a nice top this was... :)





The fabric is on of the mesh-type ones purchased the previous Tuesday from Kerryn's Fabric World. Had a great shopping day at the Coast with a couple of sewing budds and got this fabric then.

I had more success than this, which I will share with you next post...

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Burda 7580 Nahhh...


I had such high hopes for this pattern. It looked so simple to make (and it was) and cute and trendy - nahhh... not on me anyway!

I purchased the most beautiful soft rayon jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics. The fabric is rreversible to make the look similar to the photo on the pattern cover. However, I am not sure if it is the fabric but it is very soft and perhaps too soft for this ensemble. The colour is also not really working for me.

Here is the dress on it's own. The only alteration I made to the pattern was to take the side seams in a bit.


And now with the jacket...



Any ideas anyone???

Do I need to change the jacket somehow?

Can I style it to brighten it up a bit more?

Or should it just be relegated to the back of the wardrobe, not to be seen for a long time?


Thursday, October 7, 2010

McCalls 6069 - colourful dress success

I love McCalls 6069 as do a lot of others. I used a fabric I wasn't sure would work on me and (to me) it really works in this pattern.
I have been a little busy lately as evidenced by my lack of blogging, but I finally have managed photos of this dress as modelled by me. However I have decided not to review it on PatternReview.com as I am still too time poor to want to think about it, so I will try and remember any details here about the pattern.

I used a pucci-print jersey fabric and made no alterations to the pattern. The only difficulty I had was in sewing the back strap on. I didn't get the instructions fully, so ended up unpicking it a couple of times and even when I finally sewed it, I twisted the strap! I have not tried to fix it as it is so difficult to unpick this fabric and I am hoping I can live with the twist. Now my tip if you are sewing this pattern and don't understand this bit of the instruction is to follow them blindly but baste until you see how it works. After you have it sorted, then machine-sew.

I do highly recommend this pattern and would love to make another in a plain colour. I have a holiday cruise booked for next year and think this dress will be perfect for that.

Anyway onto the pictures. I will point out, I added a belt as I think it looked better, but the belt I am wearing is a little big on me now so it doesn't give me as much waist definition as I would like (note to self - buy a new belt). The next note to self - spray tan - my Toowoomba tan is glaringly white!!


Burda dress/cardi photos up next...

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Some bright, some not so bright!

I have been sewing but the weather has turned cold, wet and miserable, so I haven't managed a photo-shoot with my latest dress. McCalls 6069. This dress has been very popular in sewing blog land and I can see why. I used this Pucci-bright fabric I showed earlier when I asked if I could wear it and what to make of it.

I think it works in this dress and I lurve the back...


I will review this pattern fully when I manage to get a photo on me (I haven't even tried it on since I finished as it is too cold!)

Now you can take your sunglasses off for this next dress. It is the dress from Burda 7580. The fabric is the most gorgeous soft rayon jersey. I probably should have pressed it before taking this photo...


I am also wondering if I should have hand stitched the hem instead of using a twin needle. It seems to have tunneled more than I realised when I was sewing it.

I am using the other side of the fabric for the jacket and it has a graphic pattern on it so it will spice up the look of it. Again, once the jacket is finished and I can get photos I will review this fully.

Even though the weather has turned foul, we went to the local Flower festival yesterday and enjoyed the Food & Wine tent, sampling lots of delicious local produce. I meant to get a picture of the food, but forgot until the plates were empty. However I can show a photo of the roses my DH bought me there. Aren't they gorgeous?