Jacket V8124 photos... finally!

OK I don't have much to say about this pattern. You can see in the photos I am pretty chuffed about how this jacket has turned out. In case you haven't been following this - I made this jacket in a class with Felicity of For Frock's Sake. This class gave me the confidence I needed to tackle a project like this. The only differences I made to the pattern was to do real double welt pockets with flaps and a bound buttonhole. We also learnt how to do the shoulders properly and how to bag the lining. The pattern itself was well drafted and came together well.

ETA - Review is finally done - here if you wish to read it.

I so enjoyed making this jacket that when Felicity was talking about making a Chanel style jacket I said I would love to do a course in making one. So lo and behold in July a series of classes will be run and I had to run out and get a pattern and some fabric as I was so excited...

Yummy, yummy fabric from Gardams - the most expensive I have ever bought!

I am not sewing heaps at the moment (you can probably tell by the lack of posts) but I am making another version of McCalls 5138.

Tomorrow my best bud and I are heading to the big smoke to go the Stitches & Craft Show, spend the night at a hotel and then another day of shopping - bliss!

Watch out Brisbane - Sue & Caity are hitting the town - Woo Hoo!

McCalls 5138 - shirt

I have finished my Vogue jacket but haven't got around to giving it a final press and take photos. I think I am just tired of looking a it, even though I love it! I will try and get my act together for you soon.

In the meantime I have made McCall's 5138.

This was a nice quick make and as I wore it today I have photos for you. Excuse the wrinkles. It is at the end of a day spent sitting in the office. I wasn't sure if I loved this shirt. I liked it but love...not so sure. However after consulting with my style guru bff and wearing it today I have changed my mind. I do love it. It is really comfortable and I felt smart looking. My concerns were the collar - home-ecky-miss-becky? and the floral fabric which I was concerned may look a bit 'Nana'. (no offences to Nanas - I look forward to having grandchildren one day but do not want to look the image, if you get my drift...)

I made this top straight from the pattern. I did tissue fit and it looked fine. Now that I see a photo of the back I wonder if I should do a sway back adjustment or is that just a bad wrinkle?


The trousers are the Vogue ones I made a while back. I like them, but being linen they do stretch out on wearing (and wrinkle, of course). The stretching out bothers me the most so I am not sure I would use linen again for a pair of trousers.

BTW, the jacket course was done with Felicity Bynge and Felicity's website is now live - For Frock's Sake. Classes are listed there for anyone in SE Qld and she also sells different items. I highly recommend the interfacing's - much better than any you can get in the local shops. There is also a true stretch interfacing. Felicity is lovely to deal with and I recommend you check out her web site, classes and interfacing's.

Burda wof 02-2009-115

I have been in the process of sewing two jackets lately, one through a sewing class - up to the lining & all going well - will post more on that one later. The other jacket I have been working on is Burda wof 02-2009-115.

I am using very similarly coloured fabrics. My fabric is a sage green linen pique purchased from Gorgeous fabrics.

Well - after my Easter visitors have left I have finally found enough time to finish and wear it ...Yay!

Lots of pictures as I don't have a lot to say. It is the sewing course for the month so the instructions were pretty good. I was scratching my head a bit on the collar but slept on it and it came together the next day...
Here are some of the details - turn-up...

pocket...


inside of jacket with hong-kong seam finishes...

Some of these photos were taken after wearing it out to the movies so excuse the creases (it is a linen after all).
Conclusion- I really like this little jacket. It is easy to wear, a good weight for what I need in our climate, goes well with jeans and a great substitute for the cardigan I seem to wear to much! The linen pique fabric is stiff but softening up over time so I think it's wearability will improve with a few more washes and wears!

Happy Easter!

No sewing but other happy things...

I haven't been able to blog (or sew) much lately as I have been quite busy with work and other things. One of the nice things that made our week-end busy was attending my Dad's 75th Birthday dinner. We had a lovely seafood dinner at Morgans Seafood Restaurant with family and friends. Here is a piccie of my parents enjoying themselves. Unfortunately, even though I remembered my camera, I forget to put a card in it so there wasn't many photos... *ahem*. Looking good for 75, Papa!

Not much time to sew but I have been re-learning my love of crochet. I recently bought this book recommended by my BFF and it is great!

It has lovely modern designs and I really like the visual aspect of the patterns - it is something I can really relate to... This book is available from Can Do books in Australia if anyone is interested in their own copy. NAYY but it is great to find a great Australian book service on the Internet (and usually at most craft shows too).

As a learning exercise I made a cuff first to learn the 'visual' aspect of reading the pattern. I am a visual person - I usually get a lot more from pictures and diagrams than I can get from words so I like this method. Here is the cuff I made. ... from the front (ignore my gnarly hand)...

From the inside wrist with button closure...

and the cuff laid out flat...

This is the next item I am going to try from this book.

It was really hard to pick which design I wanted to make next as I liked so many but I love this one, plus it is not a big project and does not require a lot of yarn, so that is why it came up next on the to-do list. My main problem with the book is working out which yarn to buy as the book is American and doesn't describe yarn like I am used to... worsted????.... so anyway I have taken a punt that the yarn I have chosen is correct (another good reason not to make something which takes a lot of yarn!). I chose a lovely 100% bamboo in a Stone colour (49). It feels divine and was well-priced so wish me luck!