Is it finished?

No, not yet.

Shorty is in the midst of a big dress phase, and has few to choose from (relatively speaking; she’s 2, so I’m lucky if an outfit lasts the day without needing to be changed).

So in an effort to Sew All The Things, you know now, 2 days before Christmas, today I almost made her another Crafterhours Racerback dress.

I say almost, because she HAD to wear it before it was hemmed or had the binding attached to the arm holes. Hell, I think one side seam is even unfinished. But she could try it on, and that’s (apparently) the important thing.

It’s the pinkest thing I’ve ever made in my life, and to counter it, the next frock will be black. Bubble wanted a dress with pink lace, so I used it on the back yoke, underlining it with the pink knit. You can get away with a bit less stretch in the fabric on this section, but you do need to be mindful of the neck; it’s a bit of a squeeze getting a toddler noggin through the hole, even if you don’t get all fancy with lace. Which I learnt the first time I made this dress. And promptly forgot.

I have a big pile of $2/m jersey and tshirts to upcycle, but today’s session was aborted prematurely due to my back being irritatingly painful. I wasted a whole lot of time today trying to salvage stupid mistakes, so maybe after a rest tonight I’ll get a few more easy dresses finished tomorrow.

I may also attempt to blog some things, since Sonja has sent all this traffic my way. 😄

Draped T(heatre) Dress

Last night we went to see the MTC production of Noel Coward’s Private Lives. Which was awesome. The acting, staging and company were all excellent. We rarely make time for date nights, so it was a lovely night out.

In the last 6 months, I’ve reduced my wardrobe by about half. Seriously. I’ve donated half of my clothes. Which feels great, because now I have a cupboard full of things I will wear, plus they actually fit post-Bubble me.

Recently though, I’ve been feeling like I’m wearing the same sweatshop crap over and over, because I don’t want to buy new clothes and, since I am now back at school, have little time and motivation to sew any.

This came to a head at 5:30pm last night when I had the ‘oh my god, it’s the THEATRE, I’ve nothing to wear’ panic. With a 7pm deadline (we had to leave at 7:30, and I wanted to leave some time to shower and cry, should my crazy attempt at a last minute frock fail), I cut out You Sew Girl’s Draped T Dress.

I had traced the pattern ages ago, and decided one pattern piece might just be doable in the available 90 minute time frame.

Never mind the fact I am a total knit novice (you can count my knit FOs on two fingers, and they were both for Bubble), I used a very heavy, drapey viscose/elastane jersey from Darn Cheap Fabrics and had no instructions…

Stand by for Actual Styled And Modeled photos, where the camera is not a phone pointed at a mirror.

In the meantime, this was taken at 5:30pm last night:

Jen’s Weekend Getaway

It was Mum’s birthday last week. Happy Birthday, Mum.

The weekend getaway came the week before when Mum, Sister, Bubble and I flew to Canberra to visit Brother #1.

When it came to a present, I decided to go the Makery* route, and make something useful, rather than gifting her a thing that would just end up in a drawer somewhere.

I bought Liesl + Co’s Weekend Getaway blouse pattern a while ago, intending to make it for myself in something light and drapey. For Mum, I used a blue stretch woven cotton (sateen?) from the $2 table at Darn Cheap Fabrics. I rather suspect it’s the same as Thornberry used to make her Late Lunch tunic.

The pattern was simple to follow for the most part; the shoulder seam/ facing stumped me a bit, so I just French seamed it, which seemed to work fine. I discovered the overcasting stitches (and foot) on my machine, and that made finishing the facing a lovely, easy and NEAT experience. I used an overcasting stitch on the hem too, and only folded it once, as mum likes her clothes with quite a bit of ease and coverage.

I used an off-white thread, so the top stitching would be a bit decorative instead of hidden, but I meant to top stitch the collar/facing too, but forgot. I think it would have added something, but I was running out of time (the blouse was finished the morning of Mum’s birthday lunch). I also added the sleeves.

Mum and I have virtually the same measurements, (I am in possession of a somewhat fuller bust), so I was able to try it on for her to preserve the surprise. The blouse is very comfy, the fabric lovely to wear… and I felt like I was dressed to perform surgery. I think it was a combination of the colour, slightly structured fabric, and shirt-like pattern – all completely not my style. I didn’t hate it, but it was definitely not something I’d wear.

Which is fine, because Mum loves it!

And I’ll tackle that FBA kindly supplied in the instructions, and make myself a short sleeved version with off-white silk/cotton and black voile facings. I’m trying to stop being scared of many things using fabric I really like. That sounds quite dumb, doesn’t it?!

*Growing up, Dad had a collection of what we called Makery books, phone book sized tomes, usually published by Readers’ Digest or something of that ilk. They were like bibles for DIY, an Instructables for the 70s. Some of the amazing projects Dad completed were a treated pine a-frame swing set and climbing frame, a cubby house complete with Winnie the Pooh Sanders sign and a 2+ metre high pirate fort, with a rope ladder.

P.S. Hope all the Sewjourners have a happy and productive weekend away. I’m going to try to make a start on Bubble’s Christmas dresses (yes, plural. I’m crazy.). Xx

Debbie

I made a thing.

Bubble has a fluorescent yellow trilby. I had some fluorescent yellow crepe type fabric intended for piping on another project, some ancient black crepe that has been in the stash for eons (with substantially less polyester than I assumed, judging from the heat I was able to apply to it), and the remnants of some black-with-coloured-birds poplin (bought from Spotlight for yet another cut but as yet unsewn Scout). A summer top had to happen.

Pattern is Debbie’s Birthday Dress, shortened to a top. Lots of fun, a few new things tried and messed up.

I’ve plans for a couple more variations. Hopefully at some point Bubble will allow me to style her, so I can post some action shots. In the meantime, please use your imagination on this highly boring phone snap.

Updated to add photo of highly reluctant model:

And slightly less reluctant:

Spots and pompoms and bunnies (oh my)

Hat from Cotton On. Scarf from yet another binge session at Spotlight. Idea stolen from somebody, can’t for the life of me remember who. Pipe up if you do.

Sally in the wild

As promised, Sally in action:

I did say the photos were conditional on Bubble liking the dress, and the first reaction I got when I asked her to put it on was a resounding NO. But we got there eventually.

It’s a lovely, floaty frock for Bubble to frolic about in on a (rare) beautiful Melbourne afternoon. We were at a party for the first birthday of Miss Tilly, and a fantastic time was had, even if it involved dribbly watermelon, black iced chocolate cake and Bubble’s first skinned knee.

Like Anna, I had a bit of a problem printing the bodice pattern (the fold line didn’t print). At the time I just carried on, but in hindsight, maybe this had something to do with the slightly off-the-shoulder look Bubble was sporting. But she is quite petite, and I’m not convinced I’d be able to get it over her head if the bodice was any narrower. Some of the pattern photos seem to have wider shoulder straps than I ended up with; perhaps user error is the answer?

[pic source here]

Regardless, I’m really pleased how this turned out, and am looking forward to making it again, with sleeves and pockets this time.

I was also quite chuffed that my handiwork was recognised as a handmade Sally ‘in the wild’ by Lightning McStitch. We had a lovely (if brief!) chat about sewing and patterns, and discovered that our respective partners had much the same reaction to our enthusiasm for sewing and blogging.

So lovely to chat, it totally made my weekend!

Learning to use a hemming foot…

…the good:

…the bad:

…and the ugly:

Plenty voluminous scarf to practise on, but by the time I get the hang of it, it might be a bandanna.

Meanwhile, it’s a great dust cover for the machine.

(Finally a) WIP

So, life has been happening, and stuff. And I finally found my machine under all the fabric I’ve been binge-buying.

Pattern is the Sally Dress.

Fabric is ‘Airplanes’ from Dear Stella’s Piper range, bought here in a fit of nostalgia (many childhood afternoons spent playing with what we called ‘helicopters’).

Nearly done, and pretty happy with it. A few rookie errors, like sewing with incorrect tension, thinking I knew better than the instructions, etc. etc. I also sewed the skirt on to the wrong side of the lining, at which point I packed it in for the night.

Should finish tomorrow and hopefully have pics of Bubble swanning about in it at a birthday party next weekend.

Unless she hates it.

Next up, I’m shamelessly copying this loud scarf from Sew Brunswick. Chance to learn how to use the cheap-arse hemming foot I bought as part of a kit on Saturday. It also came with a walking foot, so perhaps the conquering of my knit fear is in sight.

Of course, it could all just go horribly wrong and eat the fabric. I’ll let you know.

Hello!

I’m still busy working away on my latest Scout, as well as lots of little projects for the Bubble and her friends.

Hell, I’ve even been eyeing off some patterns for the bloke and considering joining a couple of sew-alongs! (Yep, I’m crazy)

I am kind of in shock that anyone has actually read my blog, but it seems like a few people find it vaguely interesting. I’d love to know who you are so I can follow back and see what you’re up to (I use Bloglovin), so please say hi in the comments!

I’m blown away that people from the US and Germany have been visiting, as well as any Australians who aren’t people who actually know me! (I do still appreciate friends reading, though :-))

Hope you’re having a great week doing what you do.

Scout Mk III

Mark III, I hear you say?

In the interest of adding to my repertoire of sewing skills (you know, learning how to do more stuff), I am trying to do something a little different with each Scout I have in mind.

Mk II was/is to be a colour blocked (pattern blocked? Is that even a thing?) version, with plain black voile for the sleeves and back, black yoke and very strong geometric pattern on the front.

[Someone needs a dress form…]

But when I put it together, 1) the voile feels too flimsy compared to the patterned duck (I was hoping a super light fabric would counteract the heaviness of the duck and help with the drape. Wrong). I think I need to remake it with something with a teeny bit more body, like lawn.

And 2) I wasn’t happy where the pattern started on my chest. I think it needs to come up about an inch, maybe a bit less. I was aiming for a modest level above boobs, but it ended up being more or less straight across the centre of my bust. Looks a bit weird. I’m going to try and unpick it and use the back and sleeves for Mk IV, so stand by…

I ended up making one from a red patterned sateen I got from Spotlight (learning that my taste in patterns is not very subtle). It’s a bit heavier than the blue fabric I used on the first one, but it still works. I lengthened it by 1 1/2″, but I think that’s too long. Might try for 1/2″ next time, the original length is just a wee bit short for me (Also, I now own a gauge to measure my hems. Is slightly more effective/accurate than my previous ‘eyeball it and hope for the best’ approach).

I took another couple of leaps, drafted my own tulip sleeves with the help of this tutorial, and then gave them roll hems (thank you again, Grainline).

[The bruise on my arm is a Bubble bite and the parallel scars are from a me vs birthday-cake-in-the-oven incident]

Pretty happy with the final product. My sewing is getting neater (please don’t look too closely at the roll hems, though. Partially through laziness, partially inexperience, I didn’t change the foot on my machine to one which would actually allow me to see what I was doing), I’m understanding the whys and hows a bit more and learning heaps.

I like the original blue Scout better, mainly because of the drape of the fabric, but also because of the fancy sleeves, I feel a bit like the shirt is wearing me, more than I it. For someone used to wearing pretty plain stuff, the sleeves feel a bit Mma Ramotswe. Which is a bit awesome, but also a bit out of my comfort zone.

Please (again) excuse the dodgy bathroom mirror selfies. One day, I’ll get it together, style myself (!) and use a REAL camera.

Some quick, easy and fun toddler clothes next, I think, followed by a few more Scouts and a bash at Laurel.

Scout mk IV involves (pretendy) smocking…