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?

McCalls 5978 Cardigan

I finished the cardigan form McCalls 5978. I sewed it in an organic cotton knit and chose pretty buttons so this cardigan goes to show I don't sew to save money but I do think I have a nice cardi which I will (hopefully) get a lot of wear out of.

Finished cardi buttoned up...

Serious looking face plus cardi unbuttoned...

This is the cardi inside out, showing the facing. I have finished the edge of the facing off with rayon seam binding and I love the great finish it has made.

The back facing with my label sewn in...

And a greyed out shot trying to show the pretty buttons.

The buttons provided much angst and added expense (or should I say Lulu did). One of my buttons went missing halfway through making the buttonholes. Normally I buy a spare button but must have forgotten. I turned the house upside-down looking for that button! In the end I gave in and ordered some more to be posted from the store I bought them from (of course it wasn't local!)

However the minute the shop would have shut at five, I found Lulu playing with the button which she had stashed under the fridge! So now I have spare buttons (they turned up in the mail today!)

Pattern review is here.

Mary Nanna - did you notice my blinged up singlet under the cardi? I didn't take your advice and wear them with denim hot pants (Daisy Dukes?) but will keep it in mind for Summer.

Sewing for others... this time the dog...

As I have participated in a couple of contests on PatternReview.com, I decided it was time to return the favor and I volunteered to manage one. The one I scored was a fun one - Sewing for your pet!

I decided to sew along and join in the fun, so my dog Cosmo now has a new coat. This is good timing as I just had him clipped and it is not real warm yet.

The coat is based on one that I bought for him previously and the only real change I made was to lengthen the coat for his long body.

I asked the family what colour I should make for him and was told 'black leather with studs at the neckline'. Well if I sew leather it will be for me not the dog, so he had to settle for black cotton drill. I was going to embellish it with some studs but when I tried them on the jacket, the look was more gay dog (not that there is anything wrong with that) rather than the look I was going for which was tough biker dog, so I left them off.

This is the coat laid flat - you can see it is a very simple shape with a belt attached and velcro attached at the belt and neckline.

I put green fleecy inside the coat to make it snuggly and the velcro is attached so that the soft fuzzy side is the only one that will ever come into contact with the dog.

He had enough of posing for the camera and decided it was time for dogginess like watering the flowers.

Photoshoot of the cardi to come next...

McCall's 5978

Had to do a quick post to show that I am still alive and occasionally sewing. I have just finished McCalls 5978. I will post a full review and more pictures when my DH is home and able to take them for me. (He is visiting his Mum who had another strange turn and is on hospital again - she is getting better but the Doctors don't know what is going on, oh and it is a 2 1/2 hour drive away!)

I love this cardi - it is made from a beautiful organic black cotton knit (which was quite expensive) and I found really cute buttons (which were also expensive), so I obviously do not sew to save money! And to throw some more money away, I have lost a button (or two as I thought I bought one more than I needed). I suspect the cat has eaten them as I couldn't possible have absent-mindedly placed them somewhere I can't find them...

Here is a photo on Diana (sans one button - more buttons are in the mail!)

And this is the button thief (or the one blamed for it anyway), sitting in a Spotlight bag (our chain fabric/craft store).

Spotlight bag ... 60 cents, cat's happiness ... priceless!