MMM'14 Week 5

The last week! Sorry that it's a bit of an anti-climax...

Day 28: Colette Jasmine blouse in vintage cotton voile
Deer & Doe Anemone skirt in navy linen (again)

This blouse is the second new make for May 2014. It's been a long time coming... I think it's been languishing since January 2013. The voile is a lovely floral print that Mum picked up for me in a second hand shop in Glasgow, we think it must be vintage because it was quite narrow. The tie is silk chiffon.

I wasn't super happy with this pattern... It came out looking huge and sack-like and I had to take a lot out of the front and back seams, then the sleeves ended up sitting oddly because I should have taken it in more evenly. I suspect Mum may not have believed me about which size to trace though, so I should check that before I attempt it again. The fact that I took the front in a lot really changed the shape of the neckline as well. It looks quite nice but feels like it might slip off my shoulders at times.

And my new Anenome skirt again... It's lovely.

Day 30: Self-drafted dirndl skirt in cotton poplin

As I discussed with a colleague, on Friday I decided to go with the Austrian milkmaid look and run with it (I love that I have a colleague who thinks this is a valid choice). The skirt is self-drafted, it's just lots of rectangles - gathered front and back in to a narrow waistband, zip in one side and pocket in another, then the hem bound with strips cut the other way. The fabric is cotton poplin printed with flowers and stripes which Mum bought for me at Mandors in Glasgow.

I also wore it with my lazy petticoat, which I've worn with other outfits (teal circle skirt, balloon skirt) but so far neglected to mention. It's made from polyester lining fabric, with a yoke gently gathered in to an elastic waistband, then a wide rectangle more heavily gathered in to that and the hem backed with horsehair braid. Does that make sense? I really should have taken a photo. Anyway, it was pretty quick to make and didn't have netting (which is never fun to sew). It doesn't give me the full vintage bell shape but makes sure my skirts don't stick to my legs and gives them a bit of swing. 

Also, check out my hair! I was so proud of learning to do milkmaid braids, except that obviously after practising successfully at home, as soon as I had to leave the house it didn't work properly and kept falling out. But I'm going to keep at this self-improvement thing and learn more fancy hair things (and do them better).

Day 31: Beignet skirt (again again)

So the final day was such an anti-climax... I knew I'd be busy so planned to be lazy and wear a new scarf, but it just didn't cooperate with me so I didn't finish it and I had to fall back on my trusty Beignet. This scarf is kind of a me-made, in that I bought some beautiful merino wool jersey from The Fabric Store and then I... neatened the edges so that I could wrap a square of fabric around my neck. Meh, it's warm.

Also, since I didn't show off any impressive me-made clothing on the final weekend I'm going to take credit for another me-made... new flooring laid in our lounge room! So tired.

MMM'14 Week 4

Day 21: Circle skirt in teal/black check cotton

I self-drafted this full-circle skirt but these days you don't have to! By Hand London now have a calculator. This skirt is probably my most vintage-y make and always makes me feel elegant.

Day 22: Deer & Doe Datura blouse in cotton voile

I bought the fabric for the yoke of this blouse in Tokyo last year. It's a beautiful soft cotton voile with a paisley print. I was only able to get a remnant so it was perfect for the yoke of the Datura. For the body of the blouse, I used cotton voile which is a bit crisper than the yoke and as you can see gets a bit crinkled by the end of the day. I think something softer would have been better, but at least it was easy to sew.

Day 23: Deer & Doe Anemone skirt in navy linen
Deer & Doe Airelle blouse in white hailspot voile

I look long-suffering here after taking lots of photos, but this one shows the skirt best! This is my first new make for MMM and I'm super happy with it. I didn't have to adjust the fit at all, the only alteration I did was to cut 1.5 inches off the length of the longer version so it sits just above the knee (more work appropriate than the mini version).  

The fabric is navy linen lined with rayon.  I'm not sure how ironing will go after washing it, I guess I'll find out! The navy has quite a rough texture with lots of colour in it, which is a nice change from the smooth cotton sateen I used for my Beignet skirt.

The only problem with this skirt is that the hem doesn't sit smoothly which I think is a result of my hand-stitching on the hem catching the top layer of the linen. I'll have to see if I can iron it smoother or I might need to re-do some hand-stitching.

Nothing to say about the Airelle since I wrote about it a couple of weeks ago. Oh, except I think I forgot to mention that I took a inch or so off the length of the sleeve. Also I'm happy that I now have a skirt that's as dark as the collar and cuffs on this blouse!

MMM'14 Week 2

Here's week 2:

Day 6: Self-drafted pleated skirt in red cotton sateen

The pattern for this skirt is basically the same as last week's balloon skirt (though I made this one first). The colour blocking is based on a skirt I found in a shop, though when I went back to the shop after I'd finished this one I realised it turned out quite different... Never mind, it's bright and cheerful.

Day 9:  Colette Ceylon dress in navy pin-spot cotton

I got this fabric for free after it got used by being stapled to a table. It came pretty good in the wash, but I really need to make another Ceylon in nicer fabric. For a pattern with quite a lot of pieces it came together really nicely.

Day 11: Colette Beignet skirt in navy cotton sateen (again)
Sashiko-style circle scarf

 I spent most of the weekend wearing jeans with holes and a hoodie with a broken zip while we painted our ceiling so on Sunday night I fell back on my comfy option of Beignet with ugg boots (and new octopus leggings!). Then I added a scarf which was based on this tutorial to make up for the other me-made I wore this week and forgot to photograph. Oh well, I'll save that for another week! The scarf fabric is a silk/cotton blend with a sashiko style print that I loved but couldn't figure out what to do with. Sorry about the terrible lighting in this photo but I had limited time/energy before the very important task of WATCHING EUROVISION!

Still sad Sweden didn't win. Or Switzerland.

MMM'14 Week 1

It's the end of my first week of Me Made May! Here's what I wore...

Day 1: Deer & Doe Belladone dress in navy taslon

Shirt: Uniqlo, Cardigan: Portmans, Belt: Alannah Hill, Shoes: Jigsaw

Not much to say about this dress, it's pretty much as it comes from the packet. I love it!

Day 2: Deer & Doe Airelle blouse in white hailspot voile with navy voile collar & cuffs

Colette Beignet skirt in navy cotton stretch sateen

Cardigan: Nunie, Belt: Topshop, Shoes: Hush Puppies

This is the first Deer & Doe pattern I made. It fits perfectly with no adjustment, the darts are beautifully drafted. I have to iron it though, so it's not on high rotation.

And the Beignet skirt. This is probably my favourite piece of clothing. It took me ages to make because I cut it out at size 10 then took in every single seam to make it size 8 then pinned the waist seam about 5 times before realising I was actually pinning the front seam and then the lining ended up longer than the skirt... I don't think there were any problems with the pattern, just my brain. So it sat in a basket while I worked up the energy to finish it. And once I finished it I started wearing almost every week! It's so comfy and flattering and goes with everything. For more photos of my beloved Beignet check out my Japan album on Flickr.

Day 4: Self-drafted Hot Air Balloon skirt

Merino top & cardigan: Portmans, Ugg boots because I'm classy

I self-drafted this skirt, I'd like to say I was clever but it's really just 1 rectangle for the front, 2 for the back and 1 for the waistband.  Oh and some little ones for belt loops! It's very similar to the Deer & Doe Chardon pattern (which is probably a little more sophisticated than my pattern!). I found the hot air balloon fabric at Spotlight, I think it's a 50s reproduction made in Japan. Somehow my mum didn't agree that it was the most amazing fabric ever, but luckily the rest of the world agrees with me and I get nice comments every time I wear it. There are better photos on Flickr.

Sorry about the terrible photos, I kept taking them late at night and on a phone. A new camera is on my shopping list and I think it might be a more urgent than I thought.

New Patterns!

 Me: Look! My parcel is all pretty and French-looking!
Jon: It's a brown paper packet.
Me: Exactly!

I am actually pretty excited about the contents of my parcel too - my first patterns from Deer & Doe.  Now I just have to stop my hands from hurting, finish my half-made Colette patterns and then I can get started...

Craft Fair Goodies

This post was originally published on 9 September 2012

The craft fair was in Canberra a few weeks ago and, obviously, I went. It's good fun because there's so many different things so even though I could probably get most of the stuff online it's fun to browse. Much more variety than the few shops in Canberra.  So this year's goodies included:

Packet of various types of linen and evenweave to try out (don't know the shop name), novelty zips, sashiko printed panel, sashiko thread and lovely japanese fabrics to edge the panel with and turn it into a table runner (from bebebold.com) and a book! 18th Century Embroidery Techniques, which I thought would be handy for working out how to do my pockets - I ordered a pattern from Nehelenia Patterns, which is nice but doesn't have much explanation of stitches or anything like that.  The books looks really nice, I saw a review of it on American Duchess a while ago, and I agree with everything she said, if you're interested.

These are make-your-own plastic coasters.  I have a plan for making some super cute cross stitch coasters. I don't know how pretty these will look, but it's probably a better option than sitting a mug directly on the cross stitch.  Anyway, I'll see how it goes.

This is last year's craft fair purchase! I hadn't heard of sashiko before (Japanese embroidery) but I've always loved those geometric Japanese patterns (apparently originally derived from sashiko) so I decided to have a go.  It's even easier than cross stitch (the kits come with pre-printed fabric) so it's a nice relaxing thing to do.  My mum was pretty sceptical, Japanese isn't really her thing, but she came to the craft fair with me this year and now she's got her own sashiko project : )

Adventures in Patterns

This post was originally published on 24 May 2012.

I've only just started venturing into independent modern pattern companies.  I'd seen the Colette patterns at the local fabric shop but wasn't sure how good they'd look from looking at the illustrations.  Then I saw some pictures online and decided to give them a go.  I even found some perfect fabric (on sale!) to do a Rooibos, but I when went to to the shop the only dress pattern they had was Ceylon.  I decided to try it anyway, which was possibly not the best idea, given how many pieces it has - it probably wasn't going to be that quick to whip up just to see how I like the pattern company.

Ceylon by Colette Patterns

However! All went well.  I love the cute booklet and the clear instructions. The slightly unusual construction of the yoke went together beautifully and the finished product is comfortable and flattering.  I now know which sizes fit me and that I can probably get away with less fabric than the pattern says.

So now I want more! But where to start?

• I already have the fabric for Rooibos

• I have fabric which could be cute for a Chantilly or Parfait

• Macaron looks really  sweet, though it seems like finding a perfect mix of fabrics is hard

• The Beignet skirt looks really versatile and a good change from dresses

• I want some high-waisted shorts like Iris (though I don't need them, having bought 3 pairs of shorts last summer...)

I wasn't that inspired by the Sewaholic patterns - Lonsdale is a bit angular for me, and I'm not that enthused by sewing tops.  But the other day I saw the Cambie dress and I LOVE it, so I'm very willing to be converted.

And on top of those...

I want some lightweight pants for our trip to Turkey, so I should start that.

I also have some Liberty fabric to do a skirt, plus a couple more pieces I haven't decided what to do with.

Plus I love this patttern.

And this dress, which could work with the Burda pattern I've used a few times.

Oh, and this dress.

Not enough time! So many patterns to buy, and make!

Making it Work: Fabric

I was taught to sew by my mother and grandmother, who, to varying degrees, belong to a generation for whom sewing your own clothes was cheaper than buying them.  That has certainly never been the case for me, though the two are becoming more comparable thanks to the advent of internet shopping.  Still, their thrifty habits taught me a couple of things:

1. You never need as much fabric as the pattern says
2. If you don't have quite as much fabric as you need, or it's not quite right, you can always make it work.

Working in a fabric shop, I always find it hilarious when people say "The patterns says I need 1.5m.  I'll get 2.5m just in case".  I guess it's good if you're not confident - I'm so paranoid cutting things out I rarely get it wrong.

This attitude has certainly saved me money, but it's also got me into some tricky situations. Usually I'd get 0.1 or 0.2m less than the pattern says.  But on one occasion a couple of years ago, I went a bit overboard with a Regency day dress. The pattern said something like 4.5m, I decided 4 was OK (having used the pattern before), then they unrolled the fabric I chose... and there was only 3m left.  So I said "we can make it work!".  And, eventually, we did, after a lot of fiddling.  Of course, I'd also managed to chose a fabric with stripes.

But the fabric was so pretty...

When I decided to try out Colette's Ceylon pattern, I couldn't find any fabric I was happy with in the shop and I couldn't quite believe I needed 3.5m.  Although, not having used Colette before, I didn't know how much leeway I had.  In the end, I dug out a piece of cotton poplin I'd got from work which had come out OK after a turn in the washing machine.  So it turned out I had 2.6m of 115cm wide fabric and it had some holes along one side where it had been stapled to a table, just to make things more interesting.

In the end, it worked.  I avoided the holes and the only pieces I had to put across- rather than length-wise were the front facings.  The moral of the story is: you can make a Ceylon from 2.6m of fabric, but only if you want to muck around for hours and cut it out piece by piece.  I think I'll be getting at least 3m for my next Ceylon!

Blue Poplin Burda Dress

Fabric: printed poplin from Lincraft

Pattern:  BurdaStyle 02/2011 #104

This was my first attempt at this pattern (later used in the London-Delft dress) which I made last year.  I cut a size 40 but I think I should've cut a 38 - I took it in at the sides and kept having to cut the armholes deeper as they cut in at the front every time I tried to move my arms.  I added a waistband because I thought the bodice looked rather short, then realised it looked terrible with the extra length.  So I kept the waistband, but this time I just laid it on top of the existing bodice.  So it may look like it has an extra piece, but it isn't really functional.  It adds some extra definition to the waist though, which is nice.  I think the skirt might have more fabric in it than it's meant to - I just used the whole width.  Anyway, I'm very happy with this dress : )

Babushka Sewing Bag

This post was originally published on 18 April 2012.

Here's another project I did in the last few months: a sewing bag made from adorable babushka fabric.

I found the gorgeous babushka fabric at the craft fair and knew I needed some.  It's actually printed cotton drill, so it's a good weight for a bag.  Then I came across this pattern and went looking for some matching fabrics.  I love the turquoise, I wasn't super happy with the spots but I like them now. They look like smarties : )

After I'd bought the fabric I looked at the finished dimensions: 8 x 10 x 4 inches.  That seemed a bit small, so I decided to multiply all the measurements by 1.5 so it would be a bit bigger.  Then, of course, I didn't have quite enough fabric so I lined the bag with calico, which actually turned out well because now the interior is bright and unfussy, so it's easy to find things.  Then I spent the whole process worried that it would turn out absurdly huge, but once I did the mitred corners (is that the word I'm looking for?) I decided it was exactly the right size.  I put in a pocket in the side which fits A4 paper perfectly.

I also added a small pocket on the other side for small bits and pieces, like a needlebook, thread scissors, unpicker and tape measure.

I'm really happy with this bag! I use it to keep current projects in, so they're easy to transport if I'm moving around to sew. There are lots of different pockets for all my tools and if I'm organised and remember to put them back when I'm finished I can always find them! I also made a little matching case for my scissors, so the sharp point is protected and won't damage the bag.

'Babushka' is a funny word, isn't it? I find Australians usually say 'Babushka' but other people say 'Matryoshka'. I've heard that 'Babushka' is inappropriate, but wikipedia doesn't think that's true.  It's just... different to everyone else.  Anyway, I usually stick with 'Babushka' because, well, it's what I've always said.

The London-Delft Dress

This post was originally published on 17 April 2012. 

I've been following The Sew Weekly closely for the last few months.  I haven't joined it (I can't sew something every week and I'm not sure how it all works anyway) but I really like the idea of the weekly themes.  They've been making me think more creatively about my projects and their back stories, but not enough for me to actually finish anything coordinated with the themes... But this week I finally finished something that does fit in with a theme! And it's only a day late!

Fabric: Lillian's Berries Tana Lawn from Liberty of London, bodice and skirt lined with white cotton voile.

Pattern: BurdaStyle 02/2011 #104

I remember when I was growing up hearing 'Liberty' fabric mentioned, and my Mum had a few pieces in the cupboard which I knew I wasn't allowed to use, but I don't think I really understood what made it special.  Then when I was studying in Denmark we finally managed to make it to London for a few days and I saw the Liberty shop marked on the map and decided to check it out.  I think during the 5 day trip I managed to drag us back another 2 times, and I've basically been obsessed since then.  The fabric was all so beautiful but rather pricey, so I decided I could get enough for one dress as a special London souvenir.  Given how much it costs elsewhere, as I've since discovered, I wish I'd bought more!

I was really torn on which fabric to choose and I didn't have a particular project in mind.  Eventually I settled on this one because the simple blue and white colour scheme reminded me of Delft tiles.  I'd spent a very pleasant afternoon in Delft a few years before and had been a Vermeer/Girl with a Pearl Earring fan for a few years before that.  I also bought a Delft tile cross stitch pattern at Liberty the same day.  I don't know why my mind was making the connection that day but anyway, it was.  Once I finished the dress I felt it just needed a little something to accent it a bit so I got some matching blue grosgrain ribbon, which I think turned out beautifully.

As for the pattern: I've made this pattern twice before (more on that later) and each time I've got the fit a little better, so hopefully it's pretty good on this one! As in the last version I didn't cut the bodice on the cross as recommended because it takes more fabric.  I think it's fine like this.  I added a lining to the skirt, just a rectangle but less gathered than the main skirt.  The skirt itself uses more fabric than the pattern recommends - Liberty fabric comes about 135cm wide so I used the whole width. The ribbon sash sits just above the waist seam and I added a little double bow for some subtle girliness (in case this dress needed to be more girly).

I decided to use this pattern because it's fairly classic -  it can be casual or dressy and hopefully I won't hate it in 10 years time.  Also the skirt pieces are just big rectangles, so if I do I can always pull it apart!

Then last night I thought of a really good way to do a dress representing Canberra, my home city.  But I'll have to order the fabric.  Oh well, that's another project...