The Dress That Started it All...

While looking on some old photo hosting sites I used to be on, I came across this! The dress that sparked my interest in sewing! Its a Suzie Creamcheese dress from the 70's.

Ironically looking at it now most of the colours are reminiscent of those that inspire me!

This is everything that was good and theatrically dramatic about the 70's. I love it so much!

Maybe one day I'll make a replica... Anyway in other news,

I started to assemble my bombshell dress pattern for Gertie's thing. I'm not sure how large the sizing was so I measured the widest part of my hips and checked the measurements on the pattern. To be safe I'm adding half an inch to each sized seam as I can always take in what I don't need but it would be gutting to put in all the work on something that was too small!

Here we have my silk dress, my green beignet with the same silk as lining, I did finish off the lining today but don't want to change thread until i've finished the dress. Not to mention I have no interfacing for the shell of the skirt. So that is my mission tomorrow.

This combination made me smile, knowing how awesome my Liberty Beignet will be eventually...

I also have this mustard jersey which has been cut ready to sew up version B of this Mccalls top plus a Mccalls cardigan in a matching twinset style. I intend to make a few of these so I can mix and match them in the colder months.

Today has Been a Good Day...

Today I've been sewing all blissful day and its been lovely. I was feeling a little stale this morning and my plans were thrown aside as I searched for something new and fast to make to get my SewJo going again.

I came across Butterick 5211 and a beautiful silk that I won in a giveaway from Liz at Zilredloh.

There was 2.30 odd there and I didn't want to waste any! But I knew this would be a perfect pairing of a simple pattern done in exquisite fabric. Something I am rarely good at doing.

This time I feel I have pulled it off. Its not quite finished as I need to get the mental strength up to thread my overlocker.

I think it looks like something I would certainly swoon over in a store and it was about £2 to make! I was very concious of waste on this project and so have decided to do yet another Beignet.

So before I cut the precious bunting liberty, I'm going to use this silk as the lining to the apple green sateen I had planned for a different project.

I was going to use this on the Marie skirt but thats another story for another day!

Heres what I wasted in total after cutting the dress and lining.

Not bad huh? I'm feeling good about the progress and I think that I should get my green beignet cut and sewn up in a couple of days or so as I've done it once before. I just want to check the sizing as I went down two sizes as my needlecord one is pretty huge on me. But if its not right I don't want to waste my Liberty on something that is going to be too small.

I'm starting to wind down into Autumn/Fall sewing at the moment I'm finding that my choices are starting to go towards browns and greens and more autumnal colours. I am going to make myself work through my list of cardigans and tops in jersey too though as layering is always a good thing. But sadly the topsiturviness of the great British weather has put me into a state of wanting my tights and big scarves with boots again!

Now i'm off the sew the buttons on my Colette Violet shirt!

Life Can Get In The Way...

This is going to be one of those months I fear...

We are moving out of our house by the 11th of July a few days earlier than we had anticipated so we are in a mad rush trying to pack and clean our house from top to bottom, as well as find another place to live.

Not to mention I have an essay and exhibition review due in by Friday Argh!!!!

This week might be a bit quiet on the blogging front. I'm going to be posting my Me Made Junes on the Flikr as well as on here in 3 day stints hopefully.

Here is Day 5 for now though!

This is my Etta Cardigan with a Skirt from White Stuff, the top is from Kaliko and the shoes are Moshulu. (This was taken in a rush to get to lunch with Piemaker's family.)

Don't forget the sewalong for the Market Blouse is starting on the 20th! It should only last a week as it is a super quick top to sew up.

I will set up the Flikr group and stuff next week, So we can see how everyones prep is getting on! It would be great to see everyones fabrics before they are made up too dontcha think?

Progress List...

Morning all. I am blogging early so I can drag my sorry self to the library. Something tells me I won't be getting much sewing done this week which is making me a bit tense.

So I figured a progress report will help so I know where I am with each project.

First up is my duck egg cotton. This has been cut for Simplicity 2601 in the end. I have some duck egg swiss dot I got at Goldhawk Rd. I could use for the Violet if I wanted a blue one.

This hasn't got past the cutting stage. But as I've made this before it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours to construct.

My Violet shirt is started. I'm getting on really well with it. I'm into the collar stage so it shouldn't take much to finish.

I didn't really talk much about this one. Partly because its fast becoming a UFO. The fabric is beautiful and expensive but I rushed it for the Sew Weekly meetup and the sleeves are appalling. It needs the sleeves taken off and a few bits straightening out, the collar put on and the belt made. I have to get this done as it is a lovely cardigan that I would get a lot of wear out of!

My original plan for this fabric was a different pattern, but since i bought the minty green colourway I reserved it for that pattern instead and went for this in pink with a white collar. This is virtually finished but someone started to sew the collar the wrong way round (DOH)

I did all the finishings first though so no more fiddly bits left on this one.

My Jeans are cut and marked but I had a bit of a freakout about how complex they looked. I have had a look at Peter's Jeans Sewalong posts and a few other bits and bobs but I think I have to be 100% focused to be able to get around to these.

My Lisette Traveller is cut and ready. I'm doing the tunic version with the small collar but making it longer so that I can wear it with leggings.

I know I was trying to resist cutting the Beignet but I couldn't I did it yesterday whilst waiting for an email from my tutor. I just need the interfacing piece cut and this is ready to sew. I was surprised at how difficult the needlecord was to cut. I ironed beforehand but it just kept wrinkling, hopefully this won't affect the pieces too much.

I've prewashed my fabric ready for the Market Sewalong. Just a plain dark purple. I have some cute buttons lined up for the placket too! I personally will be doing Version E but if you want to do a different version be my guest! I might squeeze in the tunic version but I am already pretty swamped!

This is the Jersey for the simple 6874. This is pre washed and drying before its cut out but I think this could be done in an afternoon no problem.

It doesn't look like that much on my rail. Gosh. Here's hoping I get some free time soon!

Etta Cardigan: Simplicity 2374

Don't you find it weird when the last thing you cut up is the first thing to be done? I can't sing this patterns praises high enough. This was the most simple project I have Ever done. It suppasses the Pearl dress. This cardi has 2 pieces to be cut out of the fabric twice. But to be honest if you cut the back on the fold it makes only 3 pieces to put together. This took me half hour from cutting to wearing. Granted I haven't finished the seams except the sleeve but hey I'm impatient and I had to go to lunch with my friend today! This Jersey doesn't fray so other than serging and folding over there isn't much else to do.
I would 100% recommend this to beginners! Even impatient, disgruntled teenagers. It is a great project to introduce someone to knit fabric or even to sewing all together! The customisation on this could be endless! Overall I think this pattern could be (with a few tiny adjustments) one of my favorites.

The sleeves are 3/4 but are a tad too long. I tend to roll sleeves up anyway however I think lengthening them to full sleeves could be more useful in the winter. I would also cut on the fold for the back. This was a cheap fuchsia jersey from ebay for literally pennies. (Sorry the colour isn't very clear in the photos.) So this was also very cheap to make.

Hope everyone is enjoying their day in the sun!

I think we can call this progress...

Good (stupidly early) morning!

I have been AWOL recuperating from all that giveaway madness... (Problem is you all keep finding me and following me and now its nearly time to do another one! hehe)
I hope everyone is having a nice week. This is the first week of my easter holiday and I have been wielding my scissors cutting up some of the projects I hope to whizz through in the next few weeks. I have wrangled and tied down exactly what pattern is going with what fabric. Most of them are patterned fabric (Naughty I know) but most are cheap cottons so to stashbust and hopefully create some wearable muslins.

So here is the shakedown... (I've always wanted to say that.)

My disaster cotton is going to make this frilled skirt anyway. Hopefully i'll chuck it back in the wash and it will even out.

Simplicity 2601, This I have a feeling might be a wearable muslin. I looked over the pattern and by god it looks far easier that I had anticipated. I think this is going to be "The Lilac Shirt"

This IS a muslin I'm doing version E. As I don't have any high expectations for this cheap cotton I bought on ebay.(or for my buttonholing skills) If it works, great! if not. I won't lose any sleep.

My Lisette Market top was paired with a purply cotton but I was short of material so I have cut it out of some of my Barcelona fabric. Which was risky! But if it works this could be a really comfy top!

This is my hot pink jersey for my cardigan, which I haven't got around to yet! The colour is better in the second picture.

And finally I have added another element. Lisette portfolio tunic with 3/4 sleeves. As I am going on a meetup with a red white and blue theme.

I'm hoping I have enough of this in my stash for the main body but I need to find some blue for the contrasts. I'm not sure what kind of blue or if I should go for another pattern like they have in the picture?

Right. Enough of my blabbering I am 3 projects ready to make and 3 more left. Hurrah for half way! Excuse me I have more cutting to do...

“Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on Simplicity.”- Plato

NO I haven't had an accident whereby I squeezed too many patterns together and they exploded! (Although it kinda looks like it doesn't it?)

Today has been one of those boring 'get stuff done' days. I have decided that the jobs I don't like are best done in batches. So today the tasks were, pre wash fabric (Which was a success by the way! Thankyou for everyones advice!) and to cut out pattern pieces from all the patterns I plan to use in the Easter Holidays. My back is now killing but they are organised honest!

See! I have picked out all the pattern pieces I need for each garment and pinned them together with a little label and a child like drawing of what it is so I don't forget. I also pinned the remaining pieces into a group too! See? Organised!

What I plan to do is Iron the patterns and the newly washed fabric tomorrow and get my second least favorite sewing job done. Cutting.

So here is what is on the make list... I'm not sure how but I have ended up with lots and lots of Simplicity patterns this time around, hence the title. My Lisette patterns came through today and they are fabulous! So one of them has been slipped in. I kinda wanted to do a palette moodboard thing with the fabrics but I don't have a programme to do it so anyone that can suggest one that would be great. I will try and match the tech drawings with fabric tomorrow, Ok. The skirt above is Simplicity 2343 Version B

This adorable little pattern is one that Patty from The Snug Bug has made a few times and it just looks seriously cute! I've cut the flowy sleeved D but I am torn between that and E.

Here is the crazy Jumpsuit pattern Simplicity 2374. I have to admit I haven't cut the pattern for this cardi or jumpsuit yet. But I do intend to make the cardigan soon! When my cutting hands have recovered.

Ahhhh Lisette Market pattern Simplicity 2211. Super awesome no? I am hoping to make the top.

and finally in this post of separates we have Simplicity 2936 peter pan collared top (buttonholes! EEEK!) Its so lovely though! This is view B but there is also a short tie sleeve thats really sweet!

So what do we think? Am I a bit crazy putting down a promise of 3 tops 1 skirt and 1 cardigan in the space of 3 weeks?

Post 100!

I wish I had an exiting garment to show you all for my 100th post. But Alas due to uni I do not.

I hope to get some sewing done when I finish this presentation. Hopefully by this afternoon.
But my procrastinating skills have been at work yet again and I am blogging not working!

I decided on a look but not touch policy on patterns until after I have been to Barcelona. So I thought I would give you a few pics of what I have been looking at
Today they are relating to New Look Patterns.
I've never been that much of a New Look fan. My first pattern was New Look and although it turned out ok. It wasn't the most stylish thing I have ever made. They seemed to have turned a corner since then and I love looking at their grouped seperates patterns.

As we all know I have a problem in that I love dresses and pattern and what my wardrobe needs is separates and plain ones! Their little tops are lovely for spring and summer.

And look! Cardigans! I think this could help me hone in my non existent skills with jersey knits... What do you think?