New tops.. McCalls 6078

 McCalls 6078 - a best pattern of 2011 is a great pattern and I can see why it found it's way into the top ten.  I made two views - View A which is described as "has front and back stitched pleats, front drape, lapped back and extended shoulder seams".  

These are reasonably quick tops to make, but please take my tip - when comparing your pattern pieces to the pattern instructions, make sure you have the fabric the same way up as the diagram... I ended up sewing the pleats twice and couldn't work out the first time why it didn't make any sense to me *head-smack*.  Anyway I must remember that sewing a pleat is like sewing a dart but with one end open - I really didn't get it the first time I tried it and had them sewn very strangely.  Luckily it unpicked better than I thought it would.  

The fabric is a lovely bamboo jersey from Gorgeous Fabrics - you can see how well it drapes for this top.

 

 The back also drapes beautifully...

This is how you hope the back view looks...

 But sadly, this is how it really looks...

The bra strap is green and I could nearly get away with it, but I am thinking I need to find a bra with a lower back strap.  If I can get hold of one, then I will make this top again in a fabric with a bit more spangle for a going-out-to-dinner top.  I lurve it, except for that issue.

I also made view C - "has front drape and contrast loops".  This top is a cinch to make.  I used a rayon jersey again from Gorgeous fabrics and then made the loops from some leather left over from making my Obi belt.  It is a Nappa leather - soft sheep's leather.  I have seen this idea in blogland - I wasn't original. 

I cut the loops half the width of the pattern piece (as I wasn't going to fold them over) and hand-stitched them as per the instructions.  However I realised later that they are probably 1 cm too long as I didn't leave off the seam allowance.  Not sure it matters - if you think they would look better shorter let me know - I am still undecided on that one.  The main thing making me want to leave them, is that I don't want to hand-stitch them back on again if I shorten them!

Regular tee-shirt from the back.

I love this pattern and I am sure I will be making more versions yet.

Next up I have finished but not photographed another Ottobre ruffle sleeve top and am in the process of cutting out the Maggie jacket from Style Arc... until next post... Ciao!

The orange skirt... Burda 09-2008-120

Burdastyle 09-2008-120 - a lovely basic skirt and now made for a third time.  I use the two skirts I have already a lot, particularly the brown one as it goes so well with so many things.  The floral one I love but you need to be in the mood to wear it! 

So just to show you - plain orange on the outside, party on the inside...

I lined it with a remnant of stretch satin.  I have also made pj shorts for myself from this fabric, so now the whole piece is out of my stash!  I think it is going to work really well as a lining in this skirt.  The orange fabric is very heavy and has a stretch and I think this satin will suit the weight of the fabric.  It is also lovely and silky and with a bit of stretch I think will survive life as a lining in this skirt.

I lined the skirt as per the Burda instructions which have you sew the facing to the lining.  I added my usual tab closure inside.  I made the tab from orange on one side and lining on the other.

To hem the lining, I simply did a rolled hem on my overlocker.  This seems to be working well on my other skirts and means there is less bulk in the hem.

Another post will follow shortly showing you the new tops I have made - one is shown above... Ciao!

Wrap top... Burda 02-2009-123

I am thinking this looked better on Diana than it does on me?  Maybe the neckline for the under top is too high??

Anyway this is my more detailed post on Burda 02-2009-123.

The main difference I made in mine to the pattern is that I changed the cuff finish to be a simple elastic one.  I left off the slit and bow - too fussy for my liking.  I did however have the foresight to double the fabric when I turned it to make a casing for the elastic, so the elastic can't be seen through the silk chiffon.

 The skirt is Burda 09-2008-120 which I have made twice before in brown and a floral print.

I think I made up some seam finishes as I went along.  If you follow the instructions carefully in the Burda magazine they actually tell you how to finish the shoulder seam tidily.  I needed all the other seams enclosed and tidy to suit the silk chiffon.  On the armhole I trimmed the seam allowance closet to the sleeve, turned the other seam allowance over it and then did a fine zigzag stitch over it.  I trimmed off any remaining seam allowance to make it tidy.  I hope this photo shows it well enough.

This is the hem from the inside, finished as detailed in the pattern.  Turned up, fine zig-zag and trimmed.

I wanted to use french seams on the side seams, but as you need to leave a gap to pass the tie through, I couldn't work out how to do it with a french seam.  So I very simply turned under each seam allowance, pressed and stitched it down.  You can see the stitching from the right side, but you don't notice it.  I am not sure if this is a 'real' way of seam finishing.

I made the orange skirt to coordinate with this top as it has orange in the diamonds, but tried it on with my little brown skirt and think I may prefer that.  I can see me wearing this with jeans too and will try my black trousers with it.

This top is a little different to what I usually wear, but I love it.   I think I just need to find the right pieces to go with it ... perhaps a new cami???...  I will be posting another blog post real soon as I have more photos to show you of the orange skirt and another two tops!   Ciao for now...

Still sewing... a new outfit...

A short post to let you know I am still sewing, albeit slowly :)

If you remember I made a brown silk sorbetto top.  I decided it would make a nice layering piece and remembered a piece of silk Georgette? I purchased from Tessuti's years ago.  I think I had been holding up making the top I had planned from this fabric as it needed a cami or some type of undershirt.  Viola! the sewing stash is starting to make sense.  So the ancient piece of Tessuti silk was pulled out and the planned top made - Burda 02-2009-123.  This took a little time and I was a little deterred by the instructions in Burda but with perseverance they made sense and the top evolved.  I think I made up some seam finishes as french seams weren't always working but will detail them in a later post about this top.

After that I wondered, what I would pair these tops with.  I have a brown skirt and a pair of black pants which may work but decided it was a good time to add a pop of colour with an orange skirt, as some of the little diamonds in the pattern in the silk top are orange.  So a piece of fabric was purchased and the TNT Burda 09-2008-120 was pulled out again (iteration # 3).

I will detail the sewing of these items in later posts (hopefully) when I get some better photos... Ciao!

Strippy quilt - finally

Started March 2008... Finished January 2012.

This quilt was started at a fun day (called a strip party) at Toowoomba Quilters in March 2008.  The intention of the day is that everyone contributed strips of  fabrics and we were to assemble them into blocks, not taking colour or fabric into account.  So there are a lot of fabrics I would not normally favour in this quilt, but once it is made, it all works!

The blocks are assembled as quilt as you go and the sewing of the strips acts as the quilting.  Once the quilt blocks are finished and trimmed to size, then they are butted together, zig-zagged and cover strips applied.  This shows the cover strips on the back.

I used narrow strips in a contrasting fabric to the backing fabric, mainly as I didn't have enough backing fabric.  As some of the intersections were a bit 'off' I put yo-yos to cover them ... I mean as a design feature!

22 years ago I gave birth to my first child.  This is him at his first Christmas wearing an outfit I had made for him.  I have sewn for quite a while!!