Kwik Sew 3740

I have had the worst sewing week-end, but did have a success in the end.

I am in the throes of simple sewing as, since the mini wardrobe sewing I cannot get excited by sewing more complex items. So I have stuck to simple sewing and have sort of been enjoying it, except I think I must have done something to upset the sewing gods (who is the god/goddess of sewing I wonder?). Case in point, this week-end I decided that what I really need to make the most right now is some long pyjama pants as it has got quite cool here at night already and I only have one other pair. I found a burda wof pattern and traced it, then full of excitement got my fabric out and realised it wasn't washed. While I was washing it I decided I may be best to make the first pair out of some cheaper fabric (than the silk I was washing) so that project was put aside as no Sunday trading here.

Then I found a lovely piece of knit fabric in my stash and decided to make a top - and came across Kwik Sew 3740. I had downloaded this pattern from SewingPatterns.com a while back. So I started sticky taping my downloaded pattern sheets together and ran out of tape. I had to go to two corner shops before I found some (like I said, no Sunday trading here!).

I layed out the fabric - dOH! not enough! OK determined, I found a piece of Bamboo jersey that I had no real plans for - cut it all, started assembling - dOH! the shoulder seams are not matching! I had traced the front pattern piece incorrectly! I did not have enough of the fabric left to cut another front, so that lovely fabric got binned! Found another piece of bamboo jersey (one that I had dyed previously). This time I had success - it was a pain to sew as the fabric is so fine but it really suits the drape of the cowl neckline.



You can see from the pattern picture how much drapier this fabric is to the one they used.

The shot of the back...

And another of the front. You can see the sleeves are a bit long as I did not tissue fit at all but just straight sewed the pattern. This fabric will likely shrink still so the extra sleeve length is probably good to have. If I make another in a more stable knit I might shorten the sleeve length by about 1" - 2".

You can read the review here.

I hope to blog soon about some other simple sewing I have done - Tee's for the boys.

When you are on a good thing...

Well, you probably knew I liked this top (and I got a lot of comments on Pattern Review for this top too, so I guess others liked it also). It is Vogue 2980.

Yesterday I wandered into Gardams (very innocently I was just going to say hello!) and discovered they had a remnant bin sale. So I picked up this gorgeous gold ribbed polyester knit for a bargain price and I knew straight away I needed to make another V2980 top.
It was fate, as today was a Show Holiday locally it was my chance... and I love it!

Mini wardrobe completed!

Well this post is going to be all pictures as I am all chatted out about these pieces after doing all the reviews. Links to the reviews at the end of this post.








Vogue 2907 pants - review.
McCalls 5522 - shirt - review.
Vogue 2980 - top - review.
Hot Patterns Deco vibe Flippy skirt - review.

Mini Wardrobe - McCall's Made-for-you ruffled blouse

Almost finished! I have arranged to get buttons covered professionally so buttons & buttonholes are all that is left to do! I should get them back at the end of next week, so I will review this blouse properly then when I can get 'proper' photographs. In the meantime you can see it sans buttons...

I love this top and can see more variations in my future.

The main changes made were to make the collar and collar band slightly smaller. I have a short neck and feel that collars swallow me up so decided to try this with this shirt. I also trimmed the armhole from nothing at the notches to just under an inch at the top of the shoulder. This showed up as a necessary alteration on the muslin I made and on this top. I think I trimmed a little too much off at the top of the shoulder but I sewed it with a small seam there and I think I can get away with it with these voluminous sleeves.

One more matching up stripes picture of the back collar.

Now onto the pants. I am having a slight mental block with the pants as I am currently doing a challenge at the gym to lose body fat (I am mainly doing it to get myself back into good eating and exercise routines) but I am a little concerned that the pants may be loose by the time I finish. I am not sure if my body shape will change much, but I really want to finish this wardrobe challenge as well.

The options are to make a skirt which may be more easily alterable (if necessary) but I think the pants make for the better mini-wardrobe option. I am thinking of just making them very fitting and see how I go.

I am not that overly convinced my body shape will change much but it is hard to know. The McCall's top was firm over my hips when I made the muslin but already felt loose enough that I didn't need to add to the seams as I first thought I would.

These two challenges are both fun and good for me but are really at odds with each other!!

Close .. but no banana!

I am continuing on McCalls 5522 and have finally cut into the real fabric. I love this fabric which is called Instantly Heirloom cotton (teal) from Gorgeous fabrics. However I probably should have considered more how the stripes of embroidery were going to work in this pattern.

I cut it today and really tried hard to pattern match and this is the result ..(the photos are not true to colour - it is a teal colour, not grey!)

This is the centre back - full marks...


The front - not perfect but good enough, considering this is mostly hidden by the ruffle...



The shoulder...oops, didn't consider the match at the shoulder! So considering the stripes are matching (but to the wrong ones) this is probably not too bad. They matched as well as this as I cut the stripes evenly around the centre lines so it could have been worse...


Major oops the side back - I am sure I checked these lined up... however I reckon I must have laid that piece upside down (that is, what I thought was the top of the piece was actually the bottom)!

I don't have enough fabric to cut another of these (plus it is all sewn in and top stitched) so it will have to be! Hopefully with it being the side back the sleeves should distract from this area...

Mini Wardrobe - Hot Patterns Deco Vibe Flippy Skirt

Item two of the four needed for the mini wardrobe. The review is here if you are interested in reading it (it has the same photos as here, so don't bother clicking on all the links).

In summary, I think this is a lovely little skirt and I think I will wear it a lot and I really think I will be making more of these! As well as being cute, it is comfortable and easy to wear.

The front - I do think it fits me better than Diana (I still really need to spend some time making Diana resemble me a little closer!)


The side showing the nice lines of this skirt.

The back - the top stitching was done with regular thread using a triple stitch.

The zipper - as the fabric is so thick the top of the zip is isn't finished as crisply as I would normally like, but I think that is just part of using the double knit fabric. However saying that I really liked working with the double knit and will use it much more now. Making the seams match through the zip was tricky. I basted, marked it and sewed it many times with no luck, so remembered that I had recently received some Wonder tape from an American friend, so used that. It worked! It does seem a bit gummy on the needle though so I am not a huge fan and will probably only use it as a last resort.

I used Bemberg rayon lining which I interfaced to make the inner yoke piece. I also added my usual tab instead of a hook and eye. However I didn't think it through and should have put it the other way as I naturally reach to undo it the other way. Next time...

I also covered the end of the zip with a piece of the lining fabric.

I twin-needled the hem using Steam a Seam lite 2 and the tips form Sandra Betzina's Vogue 2980. Basically apply the Steam a seam, use woolly nylon in the bobbin (hand wound) and loosen the top tension by 2. I was very happy with the hem finish.

As before the modeled by me photo shoot is to come...

Mini Wardrobe - Vogue 2980 top

I have finished two items out of the four for the mini wardrobe contest. One is reviewed and photographed. The camera battery died before I could get the photos of the second item.

So my review of the Sandra Betzina top is here. I won't repeat all the details here but the summary is that I love the top and SB's tips on using Steam a Seam lite 2 really help to make great twin-needled hems!



Without any further chat - the top modelled by Diana...

Here the arm is pinned out of the way so you can see the pleats in the 'bolero'.

And a sneak peek of the skirt with the Hot patterns skirt which will be photographed and reviewed next.

I will be putting up photos of the outfits on me when I get all the items made.

And now onto gratuitous photos of my pets - my two animals found the sleeping bag I had washed and left on the futon so it would be out of the way until I got the bag washed (I didn't think anyone used this area at the moment)...