A BELT AND MUST SEW #6

I have been so very uninspired to do some sewing lately, but I got a bit of a prod from someone the other day......which made me get off my bot-bot and finish a long awaited project - actually two projects!

I made this self covered belt to go with my Easter Dress that I sewed over a month ago (I know, I know, way too long between drinks!)

I hadn't made a belt like this before but am now thinking I'd like a few more - they really finish an outfit off nicely. I probably could have put in a couple more eyelets, but I thought 'Hey, I'll quit while I'm ahead before I muck it up!'

Rather pleased with myself!!

Then there's the matching jacket. I think it took me so long to finish because half way through it I wasn't sure that I actually liked the darn thing and it just sat there staring at me from my sewing table for about 4 weeks, but having finished it and worn it to work,

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!

And don't you just adore the nifty back view of the collar?

I was a bit puzzled how to put it all together at first, but it kinda fell together quite nicely in the end.

And it won't be so long for the next post.....promise!!!!

MUST SEW #6 AND A VINTAGE DRESS

My next project is this circa 1954 Simplicity 4651 which I bought from this lovely Etsy Seller

Bec and I spent some Mummy Daughter Time together on Saturday fabric shopping, and I found this lovely (craft) fabric in Textile Traders .

I'm thinking that the dress pattern would look really nice made up in the Polka Dots....

Love Polka Dots!

It's 100% cotton, and now I'm busy making chocolate coloured bias binding for the pockets and neckline. I bought enough chocolate fabric to make the matching jacket for my Must Sew #6!

Bec found some groovy fabric to make some pj's....she thinks I'm making them...

Muahahahah!

MUST SEW #2

As my New Year's Resolution was to finish off last year's Must Sew List, this is my current project awaiting completion (and starting for that matter!)

Glen doesn't know I'm making this so Shhhhhh!

I am making view "B" with the guitar contrast fabric down one side, but instead of adding the pocket to the plain side, I am going to hide it in the contrast panel.

So will post this project in the next few days......hope he likes it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Wishing you a fabulous 2010...

Keep it safe and keep it gorgeous!

Well I was "blog naughty" these last few months and kind of lost my sewing mojo (whilst getting into the new work regime of mine!) Because of that, I didn't finish my "2009 Must Sew List".

So my New Year's Resolution is to complete the list BEFORE I sew anything else.

Here's what I did achieve...

1. Vintage Butterick 4699 DONE

2. A funky shirt for Glen STILL TO DO (bought the pattern)

3. Animal print shift dress STILL TO DO (still looking for nice print)

4. A funky shirt for Tom (or anything else

he desires!) DONE

5. An apron DONE

6. A jacket or coat STILL TO DO (no excuses here)

7. A few tops/blouses DONE

8. An outfit for Bec (or help her make one) STILL TO DO (no excuses here either)

9. A skirt (or two) DONE

10. A pair of pants/jeans DONE

I'd better get 'crackin' as there is sewing to be done!

MUST SEW #10

For my Must Sew list, I made these pants up last night. A very easy pattern which took me about 2 hours to do...which was just as well as I didn't start until about 10.30pm!!

No zip (woo hoo) just a really wide band with 5cm wide elastic threaded through it. It's New Look 6354 View A without the splits at the hem...or bow. If you make these up, just watch out for the amount of ease. I made a size smaller than I should have according to the pattern envelope, and I reckon I could have gone an extra size smaller still! I bought the fabric (suiting) last year some time from Spotlight to make a dress with - I guess I'll have to buy some more now.

I do like the style, but I'm still searching for that perfect pants pattern. And the colour also reminds me of my Tom's school trousers (note to self: don't wear these pants to school!)

Anyhoo, I wore these today to a lunch that Linda hosted, and I finally got to meet the very lovely Susan from 'Stitch Scrap Sew' (who is a total expert on hand embroidery!) and also Janelle from 'Threads of Friendship' (who makes the nicest bags...and lots of them!). It was an enjoyable day - so thank you, Linda, and also for my lovely birthday presents. The clever thing made me some "artwork" for my sewing room and I got the nicest retro themed mugs. I will post photos later as it is pm, and not good light to take photos.

Bec made some delicious cupcakes to take to lunch today - I was a bad, bad mother and didn't take a photo of them......next time.

Have a great week!

MUST SEW #9...CHERRY RED

Just a quick post to show another of the New Look 6594 in a cherry red corduroy.

I thought I'd make a nice bright colour just so these stormy days we've been having lately don't seem so glum. Wore it this morning out to coffee with a friend and I felt really girly in it.

I can just about make this skirt with my eyes shut now! Once again I didn't have to make any alterations, instead of a lapped zipper, I put in an invisible zipper (I'm getting quite good at doing these now!) I've now made 3 of these, time to move on.

And Susan... NO BOOTS!

MUST SEW #9.....again

Here is another skirt I made from New Look 6594. I was going to make this up in a corduroy, but I couldn't find a nice chocolate colour, and I wanted another skirt in a hurry, so instead I bought this fabric from Textile Traders . It has a teeny bit of stretch to it (I don't think it matters in this skirt that the fabric is stretch as it's not a firm fit anyway). No alterations again, which is way cool!

Oh, and I had to buy some chocolate coloured boots to match......just don't tell my husband (shhhhhhh)

I can see myself making a whole pile of these skirts. They are so easy to make and comfortable to wear.

I do think I'm starting to have a bit of a boot fetish though......

MUST SEW #9

Here's my latest project that I made this week. It's New Look 6594 View E. I like border prints, but never really liked one enough to make a dress or skirt out of. Last week I spotted this cotton fabric at Textile Traders and had to buy it! I then had to get a cute little skirt pattern to make it up in (and don't even go near that horrid skirt on on the left! I didn't like those puff skirts in the 80's and can't believe they made a come-back!). The only alteration I did to the pattern was to insert an invisible zipper instead of a lapped one. Everything else was as per the pattern, and it was quite easy to put together. It looks super cute with my favourite boots! I'd like to make another one out of corduroy...nice for the cooler weather that's upon us.

A close-up of the fabric.

Anyway, so I can tick off number 9 on my Must Sew list (See side-bar..I think I've neglected this list for a while and must get right back on track with it).

PS. Have a look-see at Linda's blog and wish her a Happy birthday for Saturday!

Have a great week!

MUST SEW #4

I have been AWOL again the last few days. We decided to take another trip down to Busselton for the second time these school holidays! Lots of Sea, Sun, Sand, Surf and Swimming! I am now catching up on a few things that I needed to post that I didn't get a chance to do before I went.

My Must Sew #4 was to make something for my gorgeous Thomas. I must have been a bit slow on completing this for him...He said to me last week "Mummy, why don't you sew for me?" Which was like a dagger through my heart! I hope I have redeemed myself. His face lit up when he saw the finished product. He loves sharks (or any animal that kills for that matter!) and I saw this cotton fabric at Spotlight a while ago and had to buy it on the spot! I used Simplicity 4381 View A with which I used a navy piping. A really easy pattern - but I have to admit, the piping must add on about an hour extra to make. I will definitely make this again in a fleece for winter (WITHOUT PIPING OK TOM?)

Here's a close-up of the fabric pattern and piping.

Also, I was a very lucky girl indeed the other day when my friend Linda surprised me with this lovely pencil tidy that she made. It's in the shape of a handbag...(she knows how much I love handbags!) How cute! You will find more about how she did this on her Blog. Thank You Linda.

I Love, Love, Love it!

MUST SEW #7

I PROMISED myself that this will be the last time I sew this blouse (OK, until next summer!). So I could tick off number 7 from my Must Sew list, but I still have to make some tops/blouses up for autumn and winter, so not-just-yet!

Once again, no alterations and whipped it up in an hour. I bought the fabric, cotton voile, from Spotlight the other day. I was going to do the sleeves on View C with the tie, but it was 10 o'clock at night and I couldn't be bothered tracing it off the pattern. I just wanted it done... like...yesterday!

MUST SEW #7

Have I told you that I really LOVE making up this pattern? It is so easy (can be thrown together in an hour!) and it is really comfortable to wear. Once again, I didn't put elastic around the sleeves. The broderie anglaise (and yes, Linda I checked the spelling!) was bought from Spotlight a couple of months ago - just click on image and you should be able to see the detail of the fabric. The dress version is really great to wear as well.


I just want to make one for each day of the week! I may do one more with the longer sleeve version....and then I shall move on...OK!

MUST SEW #7

So here's the blouse I made from the Simplicity 3835 I referred to in the last post. It was so easy to follow. I made it from a cotton voile I had spotted in Textile Traders the other week. It was supposed to have elastic around the sleeves, but I didn't want that (it makes my arms look fat!), so I just hemmed as normal. I would certainly make this again. A much better option to the Tshirts I wear on a daily basis. I felt a little more dressed up without going over the top! After all, it was just made to pop into school to drop the kids off!

There is some lovely black broderie anglaise I have in my stash that would look really nice with this pattern....I'll get to it! I reckon that's a big tick on number 7 for my Must Sew list.

A NEW LIFE....

Remember this?...

Well, my Must Sew #1 disaster now looks like this...

I had that darn 3 armhole dress hanging up in my sewing room begging for forgiveness, so I thought I'd give it a new life.... I loved the fabric - and still love that vintage pattern (Butterick 4699), but the 2 together just didn't work, and I still need to make the vintage pattern smaller. I had this Simplicity pattern already, and thought that it may just save the day! And I think it did. I unpicked the original dress, and used the fabric from what I had....it's a little shorter than I prefer because I didn't have enough fabric, but Oh so Summery! This pattern went together so easily, and I really like the fit. I also lined it because I think garments just hang a whole lot nicer when thery're lined.

I actually used the shorter length sleeve in View C (without elastic gathering) because I really didn't like the longer sleeves on the pattern.

I am still wanting to sew the original vintage pattern (3 armhole dress)....I'll have to give that one some extra thought.

I am going to make up the blouse pattern from the Simplicity 3835 because it looks SO easy! I have just the fabric to make it up in. I may just do this tonight or tomorrow. I'll show you when it's done...

MUST SEW #5

Ok, I can now tick off another item from my Must Sew list. YAY.

Here is the cupcake apron I made for Linda from http://texmorg.blogspot.com/ - It's the adult version I made for Bec's birthday (Butterick 5823).......and below is the version I made for me. Once again, it's reversable (I just like reversable "stuff" as it looks like you own more than you actually have). Both sides are animal print - which I really dig!

Hmmmmm I can feel some matching pot holders coming on...

MUST SEW #1

Well, I can certainly tick off #1 from my Must Sew List.

Do I like it? No, not on me anyway.

Will I ever wear it? Not likely.

Why don't I like it? It just looks like a sack on me! I really think that if I was a stick insect, this dress would look fabulous, but because my frame is on the curvy side (ie: I have boobies and a bottom), it did nothing for me. I didn't even put it on for the photo. It made me look and feel like I'd gained a couple of kilos! The lack of bust darts and basic shaping really should have rung a few alarm bells with me. Although I did use the correct size according to my bust measurements, the dress felt too big around my top half, I may resize it and make it smaller because I really do like the style.

First I have to say that this was such an easy pattern to sew. It took less than 2 hours to complete. Instead of using bias around the edges, I just lined the whole thing and "bagged it out" and sealed it up,so if I wanted to, it could be reversible. I love the fabric I found at Spotlight, and will probably restyle it somehow or cut it up and make something completely different. I will show you when that gets done.

I think I'm more disappointed in the fact that I didn't get to wear a new dress to the bbq, than losing 2 hours out of my life that I will never get back! So, I will put that disaster behind me, and move forward!

WE'RE BAAAACK...

We're back and refreshed from our beautiful holiday at Busselton. This was the view from the beach one evening. Lots of fishing and fun was had that night! It was so hot down there, but it only took us a minute to walk to the beach......bliss!




Anyhoo, an exciting package was waiting for me when we arrived home. It was this vintage pattern I ordered from http://www.oldpatterns.com/.

I'm thinking that I might sew this up in either a white or black broderie anglaise or linen, or even a Pucci print. I feel the need to go fabric shopping real soon! We have a bbq to go to on Saturday, and I would love to wear this. Oh dear, so many outings and not enough frocks!

I've made a list of 10 Must Sew items. If I publish them, then I have to sew them or I'll look like a right git! So here they are....

1. Abovementioned dress.


2. A Funky shirt for Glen.


3. Animal print shift dress (to go with the fabulous bag I bought in Busselton. It was on special.....really it was).


4. A funky shirt for Tom (or anything else he desires!).


5. An apron for myself (I'm sick of wearing my daggy old one!) Oh, I have to make one for Linda at http://texmorg.blogspot.com/ (she liked the cup cake one).


6. A jacket or coat.


7. A couple of tops to replace the many Tshirts I get around in.


8. An outfit for Bec (although she could probably make it herself! maybe I'll just help her make one instead)


9. A skirt.


10. A pair of pants or jeans.

11. Make God Daughter a ball gown

Yeah, I know there's only supposed to be 10, but I forgot the Ball Gown and was swiftly reminded by my God Daughter's mother, so I added this a couple of days later!

There! I said it and now I have to do it!