Up Sew Late

Reddy, Steady, Go!

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 14:38:00 +0000

Is there anyone out there who really has pants fitting sussed?*

* If so please, please, please chip in and tell me how to fix these pants!

These red pants were made in time for Me Made May, but by the end of May the pants were feeling a little less than awesome (sorry pants, not your fault. If I need to eat more chips to fill you out I will, promise).

Although the pants looked OK to me from the front, my photos showed me there was some excess fabric in the back. And now that I've noticed, it's really bugging me :(

I have made three pairs of pants that fit well (here, here and here)... but all three were all made from the same pattern. And now that I'm using a new pattern, I'm thinking those pants fitting 'skills' were pure luck :).

My new-ish red pants, made just in time for Me Made May, use Vogue 1293, an Anne Klein pattern for "Semi-fitted, tapered pants ...[with] contour waistband, carriers, side front pockets, fly front zipper, hem slit, and narrow hem." The suggested fabrics are Linen, Crepe, and Dupioni, but I used a lovely stretch cotton from Tessuti fabrics (bought last year). Oops!

I muslined the pants in a vile pale blue shiny stretch fabric (no, there are no appalling photos). There was a truckload of excess fabric in the front (perhaps necessary for non-stretch fabric) so I removed a triangular wedge, widest at CF and tapering to nothing at the sides. I adjusted the pocket pieces to take out this wedge too. I removed a smidgen of length from the waist at the centre back to make the waistband stay level all the way around, and removed some width from the side seams to make them taper.

Then I sewed them up in my lovely red fabric, with organza strips stabilising the pocket openings. The pocket bags are cute polka dot rayon, but I've misplaced the photos. I love how neat the fly looks, even if I do say so myself...

When I wore these new pants in early May I thought they fitted me really well, and I was really pleased to be part of the red pants trend. The photos make it very clear there's still work to be done, but interestingly (and GOOD news) the fit is a million times better than that of my two favourite pairs of RTW pants:

Exhibit A - look at those folds of fabric!!

and Exhibit B - look at the unintentional harem effect!

With all this room for extra luggage, do I even need a handbag?

Hmm, but seriously, I would like to improve my pants fitting skills - I want to make this pattern again in an even louder fabric, but I'm holding off till I know how to correct the problems. If you have some advice - nothing nasty, mind - I would really appreciate hearing from you!

Thank you!

- Gabrielle x

Poppies & Tulips Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 14:15:00 +0000

Lately I am bored with black and craving colour - can you tell?

I finished this dress late on the night of the 30th May - in time to wear as the sewing version of "thank you" flowers to Zoe and all the MMMers on the last day of May - with an artificial sunflower as a little extra je ne sais quoi:

Thank you for all the photos, Marylene): I still can't quite believe we found such a colour and camera coordinated backdrop (I know that's completely off topic, and I'm getting straight back to it now).

The amazing and rather loud fabric is "Poppy Filled Dreams", a stretch digital printed jersey from Tessuti fabrics; I'd bought just 1.5 metres of the delicious stuff. Since the poppies and tulips grow along both selvedges of the fabric - you can see this if you click on the above link and look through the pics of the fabric - I wanted to use a pattern that could work with a border print. I obviously also wanted something that wouldn't compete with the attention seeking fabric.

Enter Vogue 8511... an oldie and now very much OOP...

I'd previously sewn this as an unlined blue merino wool dress that I wear heaps in winter, especially with the cashmere jacket pictured below (photos from MMM12, taken down at Barangaroo).

It turns out 1.5 metres is not quite enough, and that's why my sleeves have wide bands on them. I spent a long time on pattern placement for the sleeves to get a tulip just above each elbow, but those specially placed tulips aren't particuarly noticeable against a flower jungle backdrop.

Don't worry, I'm not taking up the pigeon toed stance; I'm just mid-clumsy twirl

Adjustments:

The pattern is an easy one, but I've come to think the "easy" Vogues are a lot less well drafted than the Vogue designer patterns (d'oh - that should have been a no brainer, shouldn't it!). I do find the Vogue sizing pretty consistent (and is it just me, or is Vogue sizing reasonably similar to Australian RTW sizing?) so I'm now making a couple of simple adjustments for my shape on all Vogue patterns: shoulders "in" a size, and waist "out" a size.

I knew from experience that the sleeves were unnecessaerily wide and floppy so I folded out two 1+cm sections from the full length of the sleeve pattern piece (ie taking a little width out of sleeve front and also a little width out of sleeve back), smoothed out the resulting sleeve head shape, and also went down a size in the shoulders. Narrowing the sleeves this way rather than taking all that width out of the middle of the sleeve, where the sleeve head is tallest, meant that (1) I didn't need to gather the sleeve to fit it into the arm scye, as you do with the pattern as is and (2) I didn't need to alter the shape of the sleeve head as it still had the original height. The sleeves still feel loose.

Because the dress is stretchy I left off the centre back zip (as before), which means cutting the centre back piece on the fold. I added a wide band to the sleeves (to make up for length I'd had to lose due to buying too little fabric )and a narrow band around the neckline too. If I make this again I'll add a smidge of length to the bodice and more length to the skirt, play with the fit around the shoulders and upper bust, and narrow the sleeves and arm scye. Obviously only if I remember to buy enough fabric though.

And the skirt was shaped; not right for a border print. Easy fix. I laid the skirt front pattern piece on the fold and pivoted it so as to have the bottom hem along the selvedge. The shaping at the waist had to also pivot down from a curved shape to a straight line, keeping the pleats aligned with their original spots. In retrospect I should have taken a photo - I am not explaining this very well! Anyway, whatever it was I did for the front skirt I also did for the back :).

Here's a view of the insides of the bodice; I thought you might like to see that my lining is just as loud as my outer fabric. My lining is rather stretchy and a bit heavier than the outer so I treated it like an underlining and held it taut as I sewed it to the outer fabric pieces.

And that's it!

See you anon,
Gabrielle

To the End (of May), and Beyond!

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Sun, 02 Jun 2013 14:19:00 +0000

Made it, phew!

To recap, I pledged

to wear a handmade garment each day in May with no repeats (oops, I mis-remembered and thought I'd said no repeat outfits! I ended up repeat wearing my new red pants, my new grey wool coat, my green merino dress and my blue cashmere jacket)
to sew at least 2 more garments in May (yessssss! I made two merino tops and a dress)
to wear outfits I like and that I'll wear again after May (I think so.... I'm not looking back with regret at my MMM13 outfits the way I did with MMM12)

PS the "beyond" part of the title is about my long term pledge - and wearing those (loud?) outfits through the year.

I thought I'd save time by not doing many MMM posts, and that I'd use that time to blog my new red pants and new grey wool coat BUT the Flickr pool was HUGE (412 members... 5,952 photos...) and I was spending a lot of time most evenings checking out everyone's outfits and photos. Which means more for you to look forward to from this blog ;-).

Here's my me made evidence from the second part of the month (first part is here) - and my Flickr stream is here if you want to see the daily comments and chatter:

Day 15

Wearing my Elisalex dress (blogged here), looking at a flower stand in Martin Place, Sydney. My team had had a shocker of a morning, so Marylene and I went for a walk to clear our heads, buy a treat (I got some nougat) and take the daily photos. This is the first time I've worn this dress for an extended period... and the bad news is that the bodice is overfitted. Truth in advertising and all that: I ended up wearing the zipper half undone under my cardi! This doesn't seem a sustainable practice so the dress may have to change.
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Day 16

A lunch time walk yesterday took us to the area of the Sydney CBD near the Botanic Gardens. This photo is taken on a corner of Bligh St I think. Beyond the cafe and sculture is an imposing modern building.

Wearing my teal blue merino wool dress (Vogue 8511, a great basic that doesn't seem to be available anymore). I didn't make the red trench, but I'm trying it out as an alternative to my matching teal blue Vogue 1098 cashmere/wool jacket (perhaps too matchy matchy). This is quite a loud outfit but the sculpture in the background would win any shouting match.

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Day 17

Yes, I could have worn a hat to work (I own a few) but I wanted an excuse to come here, to the Strand Hatters in the Strand Arcade, Sydney :) This is a really friendly place to buy a hat, and they seem to have a great range of sizes in normal hats. As well as some lovely eccentric hats like a Pith helmet, an OTT Peruvian beanie and a Davy Crockett style hat.

Wearing Vogue 1194, a DKNY pattern, in a thick and cosy black wool jersey.

Thank you Marylene for the photos again !

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Day 18

Yay for the weekend! It's been such a beautiful autumn day here in Sydney - "sunny and mild" is probably the way the weather man would describe it. I wore this self-drafted long sleeve t-shirt with jeans for most of the day (I changed into the top from day 6 for about an hour when I popped out in the afternoon and was feeling chilly).

My daughter and I looked through a book on the history of fashion - she thought some of the photos from the 60s were hilarious.

And this photo reflects my own mediocre camera skills with the remote - why can't my colleagues come over on the weekend to help with photos???? lol

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Day 19

Glorious Autumn - a Sunday in Sydney suburbia. Wearing the "pieced" merino top that I wore back I think on 6th May; the basis for this top is a Burda magazine pattern from a few years ago. I'm making another similar merino top at the moment - which will be mostly orange with a single vertical band of cream - but I'm put off by how chilly the evenings are in my sewing room / study.
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Day 20

My camera had a meltdown over the weekend and I'm still trying to remember my usual settings... and my usual weekday photographers are off work sick. So today... thank you Stu!

Wearing a brocade skirt with a bagged lining, which I made last year using V1174. I think my original blog post (here) has nicer photos; hopefully I'll have my camera working nicely again tomorrow.

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Day 21

Wearing [my] Vogue cashmere jacket (as worn before) and a new-ish Vogue Sandra Betzina ponte skirt. My photographers were still all ill today so I took myself on a photographic adventure at lunchtime, stopping firstly at Hyde Park (where I took photos of tourists by the fountain and then they took photos of me - isn't this an absolute brainwave? I'm going to have to remember this idea of using tourists for selfies in future!) and then ducking into the Hyde Park Barracks for this photo (camera on a bench with the timer set...) when a strange man started following me.
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Day 22

My photographer colleague Marylene was back at work today, so after lunch (handmade soup dumplings, hot & sour soup, prawn & pork dumplings at Din Tai Fung) we popped into the Strand Arcade for some "old Sydney buildings" photos. And we did zero shopping, in case you were wondering.

I'm wearing this dress I made a few years ago (when I was just starting blogging - it's included in my inaugural post) using Vogue 1013. I do wear this dress a lot because it's so easy to throw on, and I can fit a camisole underneath, but I don't really like wearing black that much... unfortunately I'm getting to the point where the choices are very few unless I either repeat myself or FREEZE by wearing something summery :).

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Day 23

A rainy old day in Sydney - I had to remove a very cosy coat for this photo! This photo is taken on Margaret St, Sydney, outside a chocolate cafe and next to a popular food court (anyone interested in hearing about food? I had some divine freshly grilled chicken in a Portuguese marinade on warm baguette with mayonnaise, lettuce and rocket, then a hot chocolate).

Wearing my Vogue 1220 dress made from a stretch cotton, plus boring looking neoprene shoes (waterproof) and a freebie scarf. I find this dress a bit dull - I don't really enjoy wearing grey - but I think the blues in the scarf make it a bit more interesting.

Thanks Marylene for the photo!

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Day 24

Sharon (Petite and Sewing) and I met up today at the Sydney Opera House for the Friday theme.

In this photo (thank you, passing tourists for the crazy photo that makes me look a giant and Sharon look tiny) you can see Sharon and I in front of the Opera House. The road behind us was busy with workmen coming and going and deliveries being made, but in the evenings you might see performers being dropped off at the door to the Green Room (in that dark area under the steps if I recall correctly - as a teenager I was in an orchestra that performed here several times).

Sharon is wearing pretty much all me made, and I'm wearing a merino top I finished in a rush last night, made from the 2 coordinating colours in my blue "Giro d'Italia" merino top (Day 6?). The basic pattern for the top is a simple Burda magazine pattern with the neckline dropped. Top stitching is best completed before midnight :(.

Sharon (Petite and Sewing) and I met up today at the Sydney Opera House for the Friday theme. This photo (thank you Sharon!) shows the tiles of the Opera House up close - such lovely geometic details, and the tiles are not all the same colour OR shape, as you might assume!
...

The view back to the city from the Sydney Opera House.

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Day 25

The rain is stopping and we are back to lovely weather.

I had a typical Saturday - taking my daughter to her dance class, doing some errands and pottering around the house. I wore this very loud striped t-shirt (no pattern) which gets few wears these days simply because it's too loose. But I realised I could tuck it into jeans just in one spot... and suddenly it's less ugly (what a simple MMM lesson to learn).

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Day 26

Top made from a lovely blue and white striped Japanese cotton and a 70s sewing pattern (I forget the details but if I remember them I'll edit them in here later).

I was going through my wardrobe this morning and had this one in the "send to second hand shop" pile, but I decided to try it one first. It was uncomfortably tight when I made it a few years ago, but hey presto, it fits me now! I even quite like it...

Sorry about the poor details in the photo - the top seems to have suffered severe washout. It's actually NOT so muted irl.

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Day 27

The selfies are getting a bit boring... so today I'm hamming it up, pretending to be shocked by something I've seen in the window of the Portico (Christian) bookshop in the old Scots Presbyterian church building on York St, Sydney. It's actually a lovely, unshocking and welcoming little bookshop but I try not to go there too often unless I really intend to buy books :). Or stationery. In fact I am trying to avoid most kinds of shops lately - know your weaknesses!

I'm wearing a blouse made from pattern #125 of Burda magazine issue 2/2009. The fabric is a beautiful Japanese cotton I bought at Tessuti fabrics a few years back (from their old York St shop, in fact!) but its soft edged flowers are hard to photograph. I consider this an autumn / winter shirt even though it's short sleeved (does that seem mad???) but the puffed sleeves don't help with layering.

Now sitting down calmly on the edge of the old Scots Presbyterian church building on York St, Sydney. Why don't people sit here more often??

...

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Day 28

This stairwell is part of the Ivy complex (George St, Sydney) and comes off Ash Lane, leading up to a bar I think. I haven't been there but the stripes appealed to me. It was late afternoon and raining outside - the light from the laneway was really dim.

Today was really chilly with an amazing thick fog in the morning, so I layered up. The dress is my Vogue 1257 DKNY dress ( worn before), which I thought I'd try with a cardi. The cardi helps with the fact that the dress design would better suit someone with a real bust ;). And the coat is my new unblogged V1263 coat which I wore earlier in MMM and complained was too itchy. Yes, too itchy over a t-shirt but fine on top of a cardi and a dress (phew, I didn't really want to add a lining).

Thanks again to my colleague Marylene for photos!

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Day 29

Another glorious Autumn day in Sydney, as you can see! Down at King Street Wharf at lunchtime today (after scrummy a vegetarian Thai meal at Peace Harmony restaurant on Erskine St).

Wearing my new Vogue 1293 red pants with a blue jumper (and my red trench, not shown), totally inspired by crab & bee's red and blue top :). This is a MMM repeat wear of these pants... not a repeat outfit though!

I love wearing colours, and only realised when I went to a meeting in head office how very UNcorporate I was looking. We don't have any restrictions on colours in our corporate dress code, but most people in head office dress in dark or muted colours.

Thank you Marylene again!

My very lovely MMM weekday photographer, Marylene!
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Day 30

I'm running behind - didn't get to post this yesterday because I swapped my MMM Flickr time for sewing time so as to finish today's dress :) which I'll try to post soon.

Anyway, yesterday (30th May) I wore this summery looking dress, made from a stretch cotton/something else? from The Fabric Shop. The dress has an interesting neckline shape (which I like!) because I found I needed darts front and back to get a better fit... so I turned it into a "feature". You can see the details - such as they are - in the original blog post here.

This photo was taken by the wall of a carpark on Kent St, Sydney, en route to meetings and lunch. Thanks Marylene!

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Day 31

I know, I know - I've ignored the red theme - but I thought a cheery sunflower and a me made jungle of flowers would be a nice way of saying thank you :). So thank you Zoe, thank you SO much for organising another fabulous me made month, and a ginormous thank you to new and old sewing friends and contacts and fellow MMM-ers for your supportive comments, banter, your inspiring sewing, your interesting outfits, the glimpses into your lives, your lovely photos... It's been a terrific month and so wonderfully social, but I have to admit I'm looking forward to an evening away from the computer and a couple of days of wearing absolutely whatever. And a HUGE thank you finally to my amazing colleague Marylene who traipsed around the city with me most days taking photos, and who truly can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear :).

This year I committed to try to wear at least 1 me made item a day, not to repeat my outfits, but also (and this part is harder) to wear outfits I like and that I'll be happy to keep wearing later in the year.

I managed to wear at least 1 me made item a day, and I managed to avoid exactly repeating outfits, but I did repeat a few items (my new red pants, new grey wool coat, turquoise cashmere jacket, green merino dress).

Onto the harder part of the challenge. Probably in the last year I've realised that a bit of colour suits me better than greys and blacks, so even though pops of colour doesn't feel very corporate - and even though I'm normally just a jeans & jumper person on the weekend - I know I wore outfits I liked on most days and I hope I'll keep wearing those outfits through the year. By comparison there were a heap of sombre outfits I wore last year in MMM12 which I haven't worn since seeing myself in them back then :(.

This particular dress, finished last night, is a Vogue 8511 dress with a couple of small modifications as it's just not the world's most perfect pattern. I'll try to post details really soon on my blog. I'm standing in front of a Head On photo festival van that's parked at the top of Martin Place, Sydney.

Thank you again, good night, and hope to see you next year!
- Gabrielle xxx

Half May There: Featuring Birdcages, a Goldfish, and lots of Concrete

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:09:00 +0000

This year's is my third me made event, and I have to admit to having lots of me made choice in my wardrobe. Sounds easy, but part of my me made pledge this year was about wearing outfits I like and that I'll be happy to keep wearing later in the year. This is harder!

Me mades every day means planned clothes washing and ironing and a tonne of cajoling of potential photographers. But it's FUN :). The Flickr group is brilliant and supportive, and it's absolutely fascinating - and inspirational - to see and interact with other sewists around Australia and the world from day to day. I don't have much free time at the best of times (working mum, etc etc) and the downside of all this fun is less time for other types of fun - such as commenting on blogs and sewing. I'm sorry!

Below you'll find my MMM13 Flickr uploads up to Day 14:

Day 1

Day 1: Vogue 1308 DKNY jumpsuit made into a (Liberty) top, + Vogue 1282 Donna Karan skirt. Photo by my colleague Marylene. Sorry, I know you can't see the horizontal pleat details in the skirt but I thought these hanging birdcages were so cool that I wanted to include them in the picture!

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Day 2

Day 2: I was FREEZING! I thought it would be just a little bit cooller than yesterday but I was wrong...

Today I wore my Vogue 8815 "troubadour" top, made from a combination of upholstery fabric (the stripes) and raw silk (the sleeves). The peplum edge is made from a strip of selvedge from the upholstery fabric. I love, love, love this top to bits - it feels really "me" and fits pretty well too, but BOY do I feel self-conscious wearing it! My daughter had a good laugh about it this morning - many jokes about running away to the circus :(.

Thank you again to Marylene for a terrific photo - and if you're wondering where this is, it's Martin Place, Sydney.

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Day 3

Day 3: Just me and my goldfish... doing the WATER theme.

Wearing Vogue 1293 Anne Klein stretch pants, finished yesterday and unblogged, and an old white t-shirt made using the bodice pattern of Vogue 1013 (a DKNY dress pattern) and sleeves from another Vogue pattern from around the same time. Also carrying a Liberty hankie in my pocket - a few years ago I neatly hemmed a bunch of squares of different pieces of pretty Liberty tana lawn and these became my hankie staples.

Day 3

Taken at the fountain in Martin Place; thanks again to my colleague Marylene for applying her skill and creativity to my photos.

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Day 4

Day 4: Happy International Star Wars Day - May the 4th be with you!

Today I wore my Kristen Kimono t-shirt - the one that I wear soooo often with these jeans like it's a uniform, so often that I was able to find a photo from a few weeks ago showing today's outfit. It saved me taking a snotty photo, as I woke up with a really annoying cold!

I started off the day also wearing a newly made (unblogged) wool jacket, but it proved to be incredibly itchy... I don't know the fabric type as I got the fabric from a charity shop, but I'm thinking about whether I need to go back and line it now! I'll post a separate photo (also from a week or so ago?) of the jacket I wore when the day was still a bit chilly.

Day 4

Here's a photo of the Vogue 1263 jacket I started off the day wearing over my Kristen Kimono t-shirt. I didn't wear this pink top or black pants today though.

Sorry about using these not-today photos but I have been feeling miserable with a cold today and I just didn't have the energy for photos... these photos were taken within the last few weeks though and are a pretty good representation of today's weather and location (at home) as well as what I wore.

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Day 5

Day 5: What a sartorial disaster!

This THING was made from "Wearing a Square" in one of the Pattern Magic books. There are very few seams so it's a really easy make. Very comfortable when you're lounging around feeling ill and doing a bit of sewing, but embarrassing to be seen in. Unless playing Neptune in a very amateur play in the backyard I guess.

How embarrassing!

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Day 6

Day 6: Merino wool top I made yesterday (obv not yet blogged - I really am getting behind!). The pattern is Burda 02/2011, pattern #106, in a more fitted size than I usually wear. Very pleased with how my stripes worked out!

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Day 7

Day 7: The aftermath of a breakfast meeting in a cafe...

I'm wearing a fully lined silk satin dress (Vogue 8486) and a cashmere/wool jacket (Vogue 1098 Anne Klein, collar left off). A bit dressed up, but not for any reason - I just felt like it! The dress is pretty much straight up and down apart from pleats at the neckline and feels a bit shapeless round my middle - but I had wanted a really straightforward design to showcase the gorgeous fabric. The jacket is one I was also wearing in MMM last year and is one of my favourite makes.

Day 7

Close up - what I was wearing today (photos taken after a breakfast meeting in a cafe...)

Thank you again to my colleague Marylene for the lovely photos!

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Day 8

Day 8: Wearing my red Vogue 1193 DKNY dress and my Vogue 8718 stretch linen jacket. I wear this dress heas and this jacket even more ... the jacket comes from one of those "wardrobe builder" patterns but was apparently based on a rather lovely Akris design from a few years back. I made the rather plain skirt that goes with the jacket but the skirt keeps stretching out and looks ridiculously sloppy now despite a couple of take-ins - obv stretchy linen doesn't work for pencil skirts?

Thanks again to my colleague Marylene for the photos!

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Day 9

Day 9: Today we took photos near the GPO at Martin Place, Sydney. The columns always look grand and there was a lovely dappled light, but I was looking scruffy, wearing a second hand silk chiffon shirt and my now quite tired looking Vogue 1098 summer wool trousers (they look like they need a proper ironing too). Oh well, sometimes you don't know what you looked like till you see the photos, right?

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Day 10

Day 10: My sewing space... but only in my dreams!

Here I am in the Marimekko shop on King St in Sydney. One of the shop assistants very kindly let me make myself at home and take some photos. I would so LOVE to have a big cutting table, high ceilings and lots of light, and all of this visual stimulation in my sewing room. And come to think of it a helpful person in the room would also be great (can you just see if you can locate that collar pattern piece? It's probably in the wrong envelope... and then if you could rethread the serger for me that would be great... Thanks!)

Oh and I'm wearing a summer dress while the weather is still warm enough; it's McCalls 6553 (a Fashion Star pattern). I always end up wearing it without the sash so it doesn't get too short... originally blogged here.

Day 10

My sewing space... the honest truth; it's this corner of the study. There's a window to my right (outside of the photo) but the room is still very dark and needs a skylight or something. When I'm using the serger (at the back of the table) I move my sewing machine to the floor, which is also where I cut anything out. The table is a fold up camping table but sturdy and a good size. Vintage wooden boxes on the table hold buttons and the shoe boxes on the table store different notions - one is elastics and swimwear related, one is threads, one is trim, another is bias binding, and I think the last is zips and belt making equipment. I store most of my fabric in plastic boxes under the table, with a couple of rolls behind the door and some overflow that I should really get rid of living in a hallway cupboard at the other end of the house. My patterns have taken over a filing cabinet at the other end of the study (the study end) as well as some shelf space, and sewing books are in a discrete space on the bookshelves behind me. I also have bags of scraps on the floor that I need to get rid of or so something with - funnily enough I didn't want to show you them! The pile of stuff on the dummy is "fixing" jobs that I can't seem to get to.

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Day 11

Day 11: After a busy day of kids sport x 2, swimming x 2, hairdresser, food shopping and cooking and cleaning up for what was quite a late-ending dinner party... I am feeling very weary.

Wearing my Vogue 1257 DKNY merino wool dress (heavily modified to fit in the bust and sleeve areas!) with a singlet, as you do! The dress is originally blogged here, and in case you're curious about what we made for dinner (7 kids/teens + 6 adults), here's our menu (excl drinks):

bouef bourgignon (this time we used Stephanie Alexander's, but Julia Child's recipe* - which you can see here - is the BEST)
steamed rice
green salad with vinaigrette
heritage (purple) carrots and baby orange carrots cooked in stock, sugar and butter - recipe* as described here
steamed broccoli
raw vegetable platter
beef sausages (really for the younger kids)
crusty bread rolls
Nigella's old fashioned chocolate cake - recipe here
vanilla ice cream

* I shouldn't say Julia Child's recipe, it's the recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which of course had three authoresses... two of whom were French... And the carrot recipe is from this book too.

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Day 12

Day 12: Mother's Day! A relaxing day with lots of cuddles from the kids :). In the afternoon we went to my mum's for afternoon tea - and this is where the photo is taken. I'm wearing my 1989 Vogue Ralph Lauren pattern trousers (which are extremely wide legged; think beach PJs). I haven't worn these for ages because they look dreadful with the short or fitted tops I usually think to pair them with, but I do like this look...

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Day 13

Day 13: Back to work again cos it's Monday, oh joy. Wearing my Vogue 8815 peplum top, <a href="http://upsewlate.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/the-blinder-v8815-2.html" rel="nofollow">originally blogged here </a>, and Veronika Maine pants which I took in last night by 4cm on the hips and upper thighs on each side. Obviously their target market shape is curvy - another good reason to sew!

My usual photographer was at home sick, so today the photo is thanks to my colleague Helga (a big thank you Helga!)

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Day 14

Day 14

A cool day in Sydney - maybe Autumn has arrived after all. Today I wore my "Cityscape" skirt, a lined silk skirt made from Vogue 1174 (a dress pattern). I made this skirt back in June last year (blogged here), when I was running late with my sewing plans for One Week One Pattern :). Oh well. This skirt goes with a few different tops and gets quite a bit of wear in winter - but it's hard to photograph!

Photo by my colleague Helga - thank you!

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My colourful and dramatic section of the wardrobe is diminishing... I'm going to try to avoid all-black outfits for the rest of May, but I may need to get creative with what's available!

MMM'13 - Signing Up

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:30:00 +0000

I, Gabrielle of UpSewLate sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May ´13. I will endeavour to wear one handmade garment each day for the duration of May 2013, with no repeats. I wil also try to sew at least two more garments during the course of the month.

This will be my third MMM... I'm sticking with one handmade garment per day as in previous years , but this year I'll try to come up with outfits that I like and that I'll wear again after MMM. So although it sounds the same, it'll be just a little harder for me, especially come week 4 :-). I'm not planning to blog about my daily outfits though - perhaps just a summary at the end of the month? I found it really time consuming last year and I'd prefer to share a couple of recent makes with you instead (a dramatic winter jacket!! red pants!!!). That's OK innit?

I do hate a post without pictures, so here are some of my better efforts from MMM'12:

Unfortunately my team recently moved from our beautiful light-filled offices by Barangaroo to a poky little space in the central CBD. I don't know that it's going to be a particularly photogenic area! You'll know I'm struggling with my MMM photos if I start posting this sort of thing:

Junior Sewing: Striped Skirt, Rollerskate Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:54:00 +0000

My daughter made an elastic waisted skirt - with help to finish it - using some old fabric that was left over from a dress my mum made me as a child. I love this fabric, and am chuffed to see it made into something for another person to love.

And I made her an Oliver + S dress (the roller skate dress) which she initially claimed to hate but which became acceptable enough to wear today. Apparently dresses for big girls should have a fitted bodice and this shape is too young! Anyway, I think it's a good fit, and I really liked the pattern (my first Oliver + S) - the fabric (quilting fabric) is not doing anything for me though and is hard to photograph.

One fabric for the bodice, another for the skirt, and a hot pink cotton full lining that you can barely spy at the top. And just one button; a perfect use for an orphan.

I finished some grownup sewing on the weekend too; a cosy yet elegant Donna Karan jacket! I am loving it to bits, but as usual struggling to get decent photos - and getting really bored with pics against the brickwork on the side balcony. I'll post as soon as I can get my act together!

Love My 'Lisalex!

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:02:00 +0000

Ta daaaa - my Elisalex dress!

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No?? What then?

I'm sure you've already heard / seen for yourself the gorgeous By Hand London patterns - such a delectation compared to the Big 4! The Elisalex dress pattern comes in a pretty blue box, and includes a By Hand London label to stitch into your dress, the pattern tissue and an instruction booklet. The instructions were a bit sparser than I'd expected, but were really nicely illustrated - and it's not a complex construction so most of us wouldn't need more details. The pattern tissue is very lightweight and includes all sizes, but I found the print lines for the different sizes hard to distinguish.

I think you can tell... I like this one!

Finished about 2 weeks ago, then waited for ideal weather, and procrastinated on ideal locations. And after all that you're getting the same late afternoon balcony shots as usual and an unimpressive skyline - sorry!

I like the front view of the dress. I was aiming for very fitted in the bodice, but went a bit far with fitting in the bust - too tight! It's good to see how the other half lives occasionally isn't it? The waist looks but doesn't feel too tight.

oops - pulling it

Side view - and yes, you can walk in a tulip skirt!

There IS TOO room for striding

I don't know what my fabric is apart from an interesting Tessuti remnant, but it's definitely man made and unforgiving. Lots of mean puckering when I tried to speed up the seams, and any unpicked stitches left permanent scars. Plus I don't think it likes being ironed... On the plus side it's quite a glam fabric and quite a strong one, and the dress can pretty much stand up on its own if I run out of coat hangers or something. And I love that it holds the exaggerated skirt shape so well! On the negative side the back view of the dress is not great - I inserted a hand picked zip but the fabric was really tough on my hand sewing needle and I must have been pulling the threads too tight. I may go back and redo this...what a mess!

I'm a bit shocked to tell you this was my first ever purchased independent pattern. Accordingly I was pretty cautious: I meaured the paper pattern (as well as myself) and made a muslin before attacking the real fabric. But the fit of my calico muslin was so different to the fit in my fashion fabric though that I had to make lots of new adjustments in the fashion fabric. \ ^..^ /

Starting with the paper pattern, I used the sizes recommended based on my measurements. The skirt pattern pieces looked terrifically long so I measured them against myself before removing 10cm (I'm about 173cm tall, with most of my length below the waist, so I guess the pattern is designed for very, very leggy ladies...). To keep the exciting tulip shape I took this length out about 2/3 of the way down the skirt, in the section where the tulip was starting to narrow. Interestingly the hem turn up doesn't get factored into the side seam shaping - so I took in / reshaped the side seams from hem level to about 15cm above the hems to avoid having to create hemline pleats.

In muslining the bodice I only made a very minor reshaping of the princess seams to fit my (smaller) bust. However in the very unyielding fashion fabric I had excess fabric above my bust and at the sides of my bust. To correct these issues I shifted the centre bodice piece upwards slightly against the side bodice pieces, and to made deep side darts which I then rotated into the princess seam going into the arm scye. These cunning moves worked reasonably well (although the bodice now looks too tight), but affected the front bodice shape of the arm holes. Luckily I didn't have to do any post muslin adjustments in the back.

Overall I'm really happy with this dress pattern and I am definitely thinking to make it again - with sleeves and a bit more ease. Love my 'Lisalex!

Top Trio and a Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 13:35:00 +0000

Of course you wouldn't know it from my silence, but I've been participating in Faye's 2013 "Essential Top Sew-a-long". And I've made a trio of simple tops, two of which are keepers:

The cute little striped top is a Kirsten Kimono Tee, a success here but a fail for me when I first made it (in the same red fabric as shown above - I'm trying really hard to sew from my stash!). My striped fabric is a loose-weave linen jersey; it's a drapey two-way stretch fabric and makes for a completely different and much more relaxed fit to my earlier effort. The shoulder seams and neckline are stabilised with thin, transparent elastic - I forget what it's called but I use it a lot with lightweight knits. Everything else was sewn with a twin needle - side seams and all hem finishes. I learnt the hard way that this sort of fabric stretches out a lot if you subject it to overlocking, so the seams are raw :-).

Late Edit: here's what the stripey top looks like on - already getting loads of wear:

The blue top looks crumpled because it's been sitting in a bag of stuff dedicated to be passed on to the local second hand shop. I did intend for this to be a wardrobe staple as I love the colour and have heaps of this fabric in my stash, but unfortunately I misread the fabric list for the long sleeved pattern (Vogue 8879, view A) and used a two-way rather than a four-way stretch for the blue top. This top fits but feels constricting, and I don't like the waist band on it so it's being passed on to the second-hand shop. With any luck it'll become a wardrobe staple for someone smaller than me.

Lesson learnt, second time around with Vogue 8879 I used a fabric (the red stuff) with four-way stretch. This time around I left off the stitching at the bottom of the V-neck binding because I suspected the V-neck would turn into a scoop neck if left to its own devices. It does - the strain from the cut-in-one sleeves is enough to pull what looks like a steep V shape into something much rounder when worn. I lengthened the sleeves by about 9cm, omitted the waist band, and sewed my seams a smidgen narrower. This top looks good on, and even feels loose through the body and shoulders (what a difference the fabric makes!), but I'm not 100% convinced by fitted cut-on sleeves... I think I would have preferred an extra seam for the sake of having my sleeves on the grain.

So that's the trio, now for the WINNER of my dresses pattern pyramid:

it's Dal!

Congratulations Dal - I'll be in touch soon to get your mail details and send those patterns off to you!

Cosy Dress: Vogue 1338

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 12:44:00 +0000

Here's my latest completed project - a new Anne Klein for Vogue jersey dress. I like it very much, and I think it makes a great dress for winter.

Winter? In March? Of course not! Blue skies and an uncovered BBQ; believe me, winter feels a long way off. It's not winter, but it IS autumn - a Ridiculously Hot Autumn, aka Feels Like Summer is Supposed to Feel. Unlike the summer just past, which was much more ridiculously hot than autumn.

It's been 30C+ (that's 86F+) for days and days and days now. Perfect for the beach. Absolutely sweltering if you're fool enough to stand under the sun dressed in swathes of dark coloured jersey, doubled over on your chest and bunched for extra warmth on your arms.

Grin and bear it, ye foolish sewist of cosy clothes in hot weather.
Hence the foolish smile and proud bearing ;->.

Pretty odd to make such a cosy dress in such warm weather, but the logic got lost when I followed my whim ("I want to make a flattering but simple little jersey dress I can pop on in this warm weather") over to the pattern stash and focussed on jersey + dress. Be warned; these are the perils of a lack of planning.

Look yonder, it's a plane carrying patterns to Australia!

I didn't change this pattern much - simple changes to accommodate my slight pear-ish-ness and a slight lack of fabric, and then a couple of minor "personal taste" changes.

The pattern envelope back says "NOTE: No provisions provided [sic] for above waist adjustment. Purchased belt." Although above waist adjustments are possible if you need to widen the dress at the waist (grade up to the next size, as I did), unless you're prepared to lose the interesting cut-in-one, foldover drape design, I don't think you could lengthen the bodice without scaling up the width of the rest of the bodice. So if you're a longer in the torso than the standard Vogue sizing this is probably not the best pattern for you... I don't think a purchased belt has anything to do with the above waist adjustments you can't make but (note) my belt is also purchased. Silly!

This pattern demands fabric 150cm wide (60"), but if you have enough yardage you can get away with a slightly lesser width by giving your sleeves an additional seam. I have a seam below my elbow on both sleeves at the point where the elastic for the ruched part of the sleeve is supposed to start - but I decided to leave the elastic off and instead sewed the lower sleeves a little narrower. You don't need to do this on the back bodice / sleeve pattern piece, but I wanted the back of the sleeves to match the front.

And the other little change I made was to use a shiny black bias binding on the back neckline instead of a self-fabric back neck facing - in past stretch dresses I've found the back neckline can grow over time, and I wanted to curtail this tendency.

Cold weather, I'm ready!

A big thank you to my patient camera holder, who never complains and rarely drops the camera:

And I hope to be reporting back here soon - my Elisalex is taking shape, but I'm running late for Faye's Essential Tops Sew-a-long...

See you!
Gabrielle

Dresses Pattern Pyramid

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 08:47:00 +0000

I have too, too many patterns. The filing cabinet is full, the bag on top of the filing cabinet is full, the bags under the sewing table are overflowing, the "special patterns" shoe box is full, and there's another whole big bag of patterns besides all that. And yet I am still always tempted in the second hand stores...

The friendly blogger solution? A pattern pyramid giveaway!

My first* selection is of dresses only. Let's call this the Dresses Pyramid!

I've tried to select a mix of summer and winter patterns as well as a range of decades. The sizes are not such a big range because I don't tend to buy patterns more than a few sizes away from my own; sorry if this means there's nothing in your size!

* Yes, I am implying that I'll have other pattern pyramids to follow, but my free time is too disorganised for me to commit to particular timings. If you fancy shirts / jackets, or skirts / trousers you'll just have to keep in touch!

Top to bottom, left to right, here are the descriptions and envelope backs:

Vogue 1049, bust 30.5"- 31.5"- 32.5": Badgely Mischka designer pattern. Fitted, lined, tapered sleeveless dress + loose-fitting, below hip jacket with notched collar, princess seams, welt pockets, two-piece sleeves with mock vent and button trim.

Simplicity7255, bust 34": For stretch knits only. Top-stitched dress with low round neckline and set-in sleeves, plus optional self-fabric tie belt. Long or short sleeves.

Simplicity 8466, bust 38": Dress or jumper with back zipper, bands, shoulder straps and pockets concealed in side seams. Version 1 has a button trimmed pocket in bodice centre. Pattern includes special instructions for fitting.

Style 1234, bust 36": Panelled dress has back zipper. View 1 and 2 have set-in sleeves. View 1 has round neckline and long sleeves. View 2 and 3 have lowered neckline. View 2 has short sleeves and purchased belt. View 3 is sleeveless. Fit-to-figure basic pattern.

Butterick 5673, bust 32.5": Fitted V-neck "flip" dress in above knee or mini length, with high bodice gathering under bust. Full length sleeve with button and loop closing or cut-away armhole. With or without shoulder button trim.

Style 2303, bust 34": For woven fabrics. Raglan sleeve panelled dress has front pleats and button fastening, collar and revers and top stitching. Short sleeves with cuffs or long sleeves. Optional patch pockets.

I'm pretty much sticking to the rules set out by Karen when she originally distributed Catherine's excess patterns around the world.

With minor updates, here are the rules:

THE RULES

1. Anyone, anywhere can enter the giveaway by posting a comment below by midnight Eastern Standard Time Sunday 30 March BUT you must have an active blog so as to be able to host the next iteration of the Dresses Pattern Pyramid if you win.

2. I will randomly select one winner.

3. I will post the patterns to the winner.

4. The winner will pick one pattern to keep for themselves, then host their own giveaway. They will randomly select a winner, post the remaining patterns to that Person C. Person C will pick a pattern for themselves, host their own giveaway and post the remaining patterns to the winner, Person D. Person D will…

DETAILS

I haven't checked whether these patterns are complete.

If you win, please launch your own giveaway soon after receiving your parcel - and please be happy to post patterns worldwide.

That's it!

If you'd like to be considered in the draw, just leave a comment below :-). You've got 2 weeks!

Work(ing) the Skirt

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:37:00 +0000

Here's my newest skirt, unwinding on the deck with the red shoes after a day at work...

Turns out even a basic ponte skirt feels a bit rumpled after being subjected to the cold, then warmth, then humitity and rain, and (the final straw) unexpected exercise including a near nobbling by an allied umbrella.

This little skirt is an incarnation of Vogue 7333, a "Today's Fit by Sandra Betzina" pattern. Though the pattern is new to me it dates back to the year 2000, when hemlines were apparently down to mid or lower calf - I had to hack a fair length off to meet this year's corporate dress guidelines.

I always find the Sandra Betzina patterns to look a bit daggy (does that mean I'm not their target market?) so I was a tad worried I'd end up with a daggy skirt. Count me pleasantly surprised!

V7333 is a straightforward pattern with optional diagonal seams on the front skirt ("opportunity for embellishments") and the choice of a waistband or none. I'm not really big on embellishments where there's no duress (that's why my daughter gets them), and I'm short waisted, so I chose the most minimal version.

The skirt has double darts front and back (4 in the front, 4 in the back), which is all about sharing the load (otherwise known as the tummy). Somehow this works without being too obvious. And what this means is that the skirt feels really comfortable on and doesn't re-enact a whirlpool as you walk.

My fabric is a thick black ponte di roma, bought last year at Tessuti Fabrics. It's stretchy but hasn't sagged after being sat on at work. It's a good weight of fabric for the skirt, and my overlocker loved it. Oh, and it seems to have amazing light-absorbing skills.

Conclusion: Don't judge a ~~book~~ pattern by its cover! I'm really pleased to have found a basic skirt pattern that fits my post-childbirth proportions, so you may be seeing this pattern again in more adventurous fabrics.

Apologia:
Sorry it's so hard to see the details in the above photos. I took lots of close-ups when the skirt was resting with the shoes, but then my camera card died in the middle of uploading to the computer and all photos not already uploaded have gone. I did consider taking new late night photos - but the details aren't all that scintillating really.

Sorry for the long gap between posts! I've got another finished garment, a dress - much more exciting than a black work skirt - but I haven't yet taken photos! Maybe this weekend?

Sorry Hazel for taking so long in passing on the award and answering your questions... sorry, sorry, sorry; I don't have a good excuse.

Excitementia:
Got my Elisalex pattern in the mail today - and the packaging is just so gorgeous that I am now convinced this pattern will give me the most gorgeous dress in the world!

My Yellow Dress is Just All Wrong

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 00:32:00 +0000

This week I finished a dress. Frankly, it's a disappointment!

This is a fake smile.

I made so many mistakes that I nearly made this post a "how not to" tutorial... but then I figured no, everyone makes mistakes. But I made so many mistakes... OK, I accept I have puckering in my curved hem, but why do I even have puckering on the straight side seams - how did I do that????

Yes, that look expresses how I really feel about it. That's not a fake smile.

There are a few details I'm happy with - like the nicely coordinated vintage metal invisible zip:

and the alignment of the side seams at the waist:

The top stitching isn't messy either.

But the mistakes!!!!!

Like fabric choice... oops. The stuff I bought is lovely but too heavy for a summery dress.

And considering the directional print, I didn't really buy enough for a dress! Which leads to cutting out... oops again. What's grainline mean again?

I also mixed together two patterns without confirming their fit (my size has changed lately) or whether they would fit together. Double oops! Come ON, d'oh!

this skirt

this top, sleeves OFF, zip shifted to the side, peplum OFF

Vintage Vogue 8811 (a 1950s reissue, in vintage sizing) for the skirt + Vogue 8815 for the bodice (a current pattern, in modern-but-running-smaller-than-Vogue-designer-pattern sizing) - funnily enough they don't line up at the waist seam. So (oooooops) I added width to the bodice with narrow strips of fabric (have you ever heard of such a stupid idea?). And then the bodice was too big so I extended the front waist darts into princess seams to the shoulder - but it still doesn't fit nicely (can you believe it? after two clever ideas like that?).

***

So in the end it's a dress, but it's a let down. A dress that nearly became a skirt, then went back to being a dress - and that may yet become cushions.

Next up I'm working on a Sandra Betzina pencil skirt and one of the new Vogue pattern dresses. It's early days but I haven't done anything crazy with them yet :-).

Summer Liberty: Vogue 1308

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:16:00 +0000

We're still in summertime down here - and February gets really sticky, so it's not too late for a new sleeveless top in a light and gorgeous Liberty cotton.

I think it works with this black skirt, but I imagine it'd work with a something flared too.

Posing at the side of my house is so embarrassing. My nextdoor neighbours haven't said anything to me yet; I cringe to guess what they must think - perhaps:

such a waste of the battery on that camera!

but more likely:

what revolting narcissicm!

Oh dear. Let's move right along.

*** Note to self: Fix mop!

The pattern is Vogue 1308, a summery little neck to ankle jump suit. Although the idea of a silk jumpsuit seems strangely compelling to me, I have to admit it would be completely impractical for my harried (you know, just the working mother stuff) life. I guess I may still make the jumpsuit one day - perhaps for a retirement disco party? :-)

Obviously I've only made the loose-fitting (absolutely no darts!) top from the jumpsuit, and I've left off the back ruffle. To turn the bodice into a top I compared the pattern pieces to a RTW top that I like to wear to work. I added about 10cm in length and widened a little from the waist down to account for hips. Very easy.

This fabric is one from my Sydney Sewing Social splurge; a grab for colour from Tessuti's remnant table. 0.85 metres at half the usual takes it to $19.10, minus a 15% discount for the Social means a total of about $16.25. The pattern was on sale at Vogue patterns in the US, and including shipping I guess it cost me around $7... everything else used (thread, bias binding) was a leftover.

The colours look more 'true' below, and you get some of our February sky, in-between downpours:

Sorry for the terrible ironing effort - it looked OK on the hanger in a darkened room, honest!

I've only used Liberty Tana Lawn once before (another Tessuti remnant used in this really imperfect '40s top), so I'm not an addict, but I do know the patterns and colours are spectacular, and I do know the fabric feels beautiful, fine and light, and it seems to work really well in hot weather.

Below you can see the lightness of the fabric - and sewing details on the front ruffle:

Neckline and armholes are finished with (green) bias binding, and since the top is loose enough I skipped the recommended centre back zip and have an opening that will end in a small press stud at the top.

Pre- press stud - not following the pattern instructions.

Next up I need to answer some tricky questions from Hazel (thank you Hazel, I'm getting there but I'm a bit stumped on a couple of them), and share The Skirt From The Dress That Didn't Want To Work.

See you anon, Gabrielle x

Colourful Sarong Dress

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 13:24:00 +0000

Earlier this week I put off all my WIPs and sewed a dress from a sarong - such an easy project, but I'm in two minds about the outcome. As it didn't take long to make I guess I now have the luxury of some spare time to angst about whether or not I like it (HA).

Cutting the sarong - edges will make the bodice, middle will make the skirt

With the colour turned down you can see the shape of the eventual dress (well, what shape there is!):

and then (colour back on) here I am in the afternoon sun, wearing what is clearly a loud sack-dress:

On the positive side:

finally using a gorgeous handwoven sarong bought a few years back in Lombok (and bought with the intention of making a dress!)
cheap (less than $5...)
quick to make, and it was fun to experiment with an idea for sewing something out of rectangles rather than using a pattern
the colours, and the cute unravelling fringe
comfort - this dress is soft, loose, breezy and super comfortable on a hot day. Or night.
sun coverage

while on the negative side:

the fabric's loose weave meant it just kept shifting as I sewed, and the less than pristine look of my seams and seam finishes bug me
the fit isn't how I envisaged: it looks like a muu-muu rather than an arty sort of akira dress :-(. Basically I cut the bodice too wide because I didn't want to insert a zip.
I think the fabric is going to grow...
the colours are probably unstable and the fringe is going to keep unravelling
my 5 year old wardrobe consultant wants one and it has to be exactly the same (not possible!)

wiggly fabric and messy sewing

Navel gazing means looking down... and I do like the stripes and the fringe

Does comfort trump style? I'm not sure it does for me - but I guess clothes for super hot days aren't usually particularly stylish. Let's call this step 1 in a series of sarong sewing experiments...

See you!
Gabrielle x

Sydney Sewing Social ...

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 12:33:00 +0000

On Saturday I went to my first Sewing Social... oh, the anticipation; I was so excited!

Here are a group of us in Tessuti's (and I forget our photographer's name, but thank you for the photos and sorry I'm so useless with names!) - quite a few people to meet, and this is not even everyone there:

Do you recognise everyone? Names and links are listed on Christy's post. And Renee I have to apologise to you too as I thought your name was Annie - sorry for calling you the wrong name. I'm really terrible with names!

I was initially kind of overwhelmed to meet all these interesting sewing voices in the flesh, so I didn't buy much at Tessuti's: just an irrestistible Liberty Tana Lawn remnant and some gorgeous embroidered blue cotton that happened to be lingering on the counter while I was being served.

I was originally thinking to make a Sorbetto with the Liberty cotton, but there's 0.85 metres of decent width which means I have the option of something more frivolous. So I'm thinking instead of the top part of V1308, lengthened, with the front ruffle only. That's the tech drawing to the right, and I am unlikely to be able to wear a jumpsuit to work in the near future.

The blue cotton may end up becoing a pleated summery skirt :-). There's 1.5 metres - what do you think? I don't have a specific pattern in mind.

We then walked down to the Fabric Shop, where I went slightly nuts lugging heavy bolts around the shop (but it was the last day of their 50% off sale, so it wasn't an expensive kind of nuts). I bought some DKNY denim, stripey stretch cotton,silk for a dress, and some t-shirt fabric. I also bought upholstery fabric for an overdue chair fix and black jersey for an equally overdue Ninja mask. Everything except the Ninja fabric has been photographed:

That's a t-shirt and jeans, right? Probably a simple kimono sleeve t-shirt and trousers rather than jeans as it's a thin denim with no stretch. I'd like to try some interesting pockets but I don't have a pattern in mind - might have to spend some time going through my BurdaStyle magazine "collection".

These colours have come up looking more muted than they really are. The upper fabric is silk - dark blue with a gold-brown brocade-like pattern on it - for which I'm thinking along the lines of either V1122 (tech drawing on the right) or something from the 60s.

The lower fabric is a charcoal / blackcotton upholstery fabric, intended for a small chair repair job at home. Maria thought it looked good for a jacket and I agree (wish I'd bought more than 1 metre!).

And finally a nice sturdy stretch cotton, intended for some mid-length shorts. Jillian also has some of this fabric for shorts; I think she had a pattern in mind so I expect she'll get to it before I do!

When everyone had what they wanted - and had gone back for anything they'd forgotten - we ambled up to The Clock Hotel for drinks, sewing goss and wedges. Yum!

Christy got us all wedges!

I had a smile plastered on my face all the way home :-).

Thank you Christy, I'm so looking forward to the next meetup!

Vogue 1098 -> Green Shorts

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 13:43:00 +0000

Alas, the boiling hot weather has disappeared too soon - when my shorts are finally done!

-

I used V1098 yet again, because as I now know, not all Vogue trouser patterns are shaped the same - and I think these are a a pretty good fit. This is my fifth time using this pattern: I've used it to make pinstripe linen trousers; grey wool trousers; black mystery fabric trousers; and a turquoise cashmere jacket. I have so got my money's worth from this pattern.

With these shorts so similar except in length to all those earlier trousers I don't have much to say!

The fit is quite snug in the rear, but I intentionally made these up a little smaller than usual this time around because the pinstripe linen trousers have gotten significantly looser after wearing.

My vintage button stash included some buttons that coordinated really well. The button holes aren't perfect but they're what my machine does. Oh and that curve in the waistband is from my pulling the button up for the photo; in real life the waistbands are straight and aligned.

This time around I added side pockets using the Vogue Basics pattern that I had originally planned to use. You can see one of them bulging open in the photo above :-0

The pocket openings are reinforced with tacking stitches, which you probably can't see even in the side view... nice deep (5cm) hems in case I decide they need to be longer. And the photos moved inside because the nextdoor neighbours came out onto their very nearby balcony :-(. Oh no - caught in the act, looking like such a poser!

I took some time over the fly to try to make it look neat and flat, but by the time I got to finishing the waistband I just wanted to get the shorts finished. So both the waistband and hems are machine rather than hand stitched.

Fabric from The Fabric Shop - a medium weight linen. Speaking of which, if you're in Sydney this weekend, are you coming to the meetup?

Fitted Sheath Dress V1137 (1950) V2

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:46:00 +0000

Phew - what a relief to produce something that fits OK and that I know I'll wear!

I made this dress using Vogue 1137, a reissue of an original design from 1950. I also used this pattern to make a dress last year in a stripey dark blue fabric, but last year's version was according to the pattern and this year's includes some changes.

The original is a mid-calf length dress with side vent openings and a demure v-neckline. Since I only had 2 metres of a narrow fabric, this one is above knee length, which means no need for side vents. And the neckline on this one is completely different looking now...

I tried to make this as a quick (ie no muslin, minimal adjustments) dress, but when I tried it on and showed Mr UpSewLate he said something like "what's wrong with the neckline?". The neckline was loose, front and back and the shoulder seams were too wide for my shoulders. I took inspiration from the pleated necklines I've seen at Veronika Maine and pinned away at myself until the fit seemed good enough. Below you can see an inside out view of the bodice against the light - pleats in front and back necklines, angled towards the fullest part of the bodice (well, that's what I tried to do).

I also took the opportunity to add in a bit of a swayback adjustment but looks like I could have taken out more! The upper back is not super tight but sits better than this when I'm not trying to hold my shoulders back for the photo. I quite like the effect of those new pleats...

Do you want a side view too? The bodice was lengthened in this version by about 1.5cm, and the bust darts lowered by about the same amount.

And because the thought of machine stitching hems now makes me feel guilty (Sherry!), there ended up being hand stitching involved:

Although I'm really slow at hand stitching, the slowest part of the dress ended up being this little feature... which does such a fine job of drawing attention to my lack of waist (maybe a sheath dress wasn't a clever idea!):

The belt strap was fun - made with the buckram from a second hand belt kit - as was choosing the buckle from my small vintage collection. I got stuck on the belt holes though! Mr UpSewLate and I experimented with hammer and nails, the thing that you use to bang nailheads into the floor, and even a hole punch - he even pulled out a rivet gun (que? well he was going to repair rivets on the lawn mower), but it looked a bit too dangerous. In the end I sewed eyelets on the sewing machine, hacked out the little centres with a quik-unpik, then sewed over them by hand with embroidery floss.

Ah, a gratuitous "kicking up the legs to celebrate small sewing successes and the sunshine that comes after heavy rain" photo...

Wishing you good luck with your weather and sewing over the next days!

-Gabrielle x

Denim + Stripes

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 14:12:00 +0000

Sorry, that's not a compelling post title is it... but all I have to show tonight are basics, a basic denim skirt and a basic stripey t-shirt.

Very nice fabrics, but both garments are kind of loose and boring. And practical. Comfortable...

Straight skirt in a dark denim, from a modified Vogue 1093 by Donna Karan:

That yellow top stitching is THE skirt detail.

Loose fitting t-shirt in stripey double knit, from Vogue 1387 by John Anthony (very much OOP):

The neckband is the t-shirt's best feature.

Put them together and what do you get?

Something boring! Even the shoes are boring, but that's because I broke a toe.

The most interesting question is whether or not there was superglue on my hand... answer 1 below.

Answer 1: no, 10 points; yes, 0 points.

I do realise this skirt makes me look like I'm ensconced in a denim-covered refrigerator, but it is very comfortable and cool (wait, that's nothing to do with refrigeration) and it did look nice on the pattern envelope (how did they get the skirt to taper inwards? There's a vent in the back of the skirt that stops only centimetres away from the zipper! Answer 2 below.)

This skirt was a UFO from last year which I put aside when I grew outwards and didn't have enough seam allowance to cater for myself. Lately I seem to have shrunk back a bit past where I was back then, so now I have a sack skirt to wear. I suppose if I keep it for a while at some point it'll fit just right... but for now it's so comfortable it was worn all day Sunday and all evening today.

I made a few changes but am not sure why my skirt doesn't look right - I removed the waistband, replaced by a waist stay on the inside and hook and eye at the top of the zip, used a heavy duty metal zip instead of invisible zip, left off the side pockets to get rid of extra hip width, OH and used regular denim instead of stretch canvas or stretch denim. Now I understand! This skirt would be a lot better with a bit of stretch.

Answer 2: stretch, 10 points; clothes pegs, 0 points.

OK, moving on then. T-shirt time.

Although no one is holding me to account I was going to try not to make t-shirts this year... oops. Doesn't matter, right? I'm happy with this one. Quite voluminous (again), but this time it's supposed to be - it's an 80s pattern! Anyway voluminous is comfortable and works when you're too tired to check what size you are this week (as for something more fitted).

Stripe matching up the sides.

The very nice fabric from The Fabric Store, plus neckband.

Gratuitious blue sky and palm tree shot...

On this pattern I sewed a straight size 14 but enlarged the neckline and used a straight line of fabric rather than a bias strip for the edge - I didn't want lots of angled lines encircling my neck.

So - next up hopefully some frosting. I have some beautiful fabric that I am absolutely itching to sew into dresses...

See you!
Gabrielle x

Week 1

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 14:09:00 +0000

Week 1 of 2013! Wow! I have one more week of leave before going back to work; it doesn't feel like there's been much time for sewing lately but perhaps there has been. [WARNING: Picture heavy post!]

This week I've:

1. Worked on a muslin for the jacket from V2823, to be made from this sea-green silk velvet and perhaps with this wild pink fabric as lining:

Is it too OTT? the green velvet is more vibrant than it appears in this photo...

I'm currently removing some excess from the front bodice. SBA I guess.

2. Had a trip out with Miss UpSewLate for a zipper and threads that ended in fabric purchases at Tessuti, including the above lining and these couple of scrummy fabrics drying in the sun after their baptisms in the washing machine:


plain turquoise colour is hanging over the edge

a 2.3m stretch remnant!

as well as 0.5m of this stretch fabric

3. that I turned into a KwikSew 3169 top for Miss UpSewLate:

Size 6, arm elastic omitted. Coordinating skirt for Barbie highly recommended.

4. Whipped up a quick sewing room cushion with a centre back zip. I used my new cutting mat (thank you Mr UpSewLate) to get lovely straight lines and proper right angles.

Obviously this photo was not taken in my sewing room. It is Sydney, but it's not hot all year round!

5. Got through the initial stages of a pair of shorts...

... starting with a comparison of pattern shapes (would that be your first step too?). My Vogue 1098 Anne Klein trousers fit me really well in the critical areas, but I was interested in the Vogue Basic Design shorts pattern. I thought they'd be a similar shape in those critical areas and that the leg shape might be different - perhaps a bit flared below the hips?

I was honestly really surprised at how different the pattern shapes were! The photos below show these two patterns line up - both have been cut as size 12 except on the inner thigh where the Vogue Basic pattern is cut as a 16 (and please note I am not responsible for this hacking - it's a second hand pattern).

FRONT comparison. What a difference in crotch shape, crotch length, and hip width!

BACK comparison. Same differences!

I'd be interested to hear if you think I'm aligning these pattern pieces incorrectly. But for the record, I then made the same comparison with the pattern pieces for three different Anne Klein trouser patterns - and found they all had the same crotch shape and length but slight (much, much smaller than those pictured above) differences in hip width and crotch length. I don't know if each designer has their own standard shape, but I'm planning to make some more comparisons with other trouser patterns.

Anyway, I decided to stick with the pattern that fits me...

... and this afternoon I cut the Vogue 1098 Anne Klein ~~trousers~~ shorts out of an emerald green linen and serged them, using the shorts pattern just for shorts length and some side pockets. I hope to get these sewn up soon!

6. Ignored a half-made top - double gauze Nani Iro fabric lined in silk but all looking really wrong. I just don't get the drape on double gauze fabric!
7. Made vintage pattern purchases on Etsy, including these:

and these:

Now by the way, have you ever wondered why old McCalls pattern envelopes came in colour and in black and white? Like this one:

Patterns for sale in Australia and New Zealand were printed in Sydney in black and white while the American versions were printed in colour. I've seen Australian black and white prints of patterns for all the major brands, and single colour envelopes for the smaller Australian brands (Pauline patterns, for example).

and

8. Supervised Miss UpSewLate in a craft project. She wanted to make herself a top to match her own special design from a tiny scrap of green linen. Instead we made a simple paper pattern for her, then a muslin, which she decorated.

the proud artist

The front picture is trees on either side of a rocket house (NOT a hammock), with a flower in the foreground and small grey fluffy clouds in the sky. The painting on the back is of a bride throwing petals, with a flower girl walking behind her.

I now need to find out how to make crayons and water colours stay :-), and later we'll have a go at turning her fabric scraps into a top using her pattern.

Phew, it sounds like I've been busy!

Back soon with a normal sewing project, Gabrielle x

Vintage Outfit for the New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Back so soon! And I've actually done what I said I would (congratulates self on improving time management skills) and completed a little outfit for my daughter. It took longer than expected (nothing new there) but I think it's pretty cute!

It's a button back dress with matching reversible kimono sleeve box jacket.

The buttonholes on the dress back are horizontal at neck and waist but vertical in between, reflecting the different amounts of stress I expect at these places. I've used pale pink vintage hemispherical buttons which proved hard to photograph...

The dress and one side of the bolero are made from a light cotton voile which I figured would work well in our hot summer weather, and the coordinating fabric for the jacket is a midweight linen.

I pretty much used the pattern (Simplicity 4968 from the late 50s or early 60s) as is, with only a couple of small changes. After sewing the bodice up I got Miss UpSewLate to try it on and she advised me that it was too short. In her view, her waistline is below her belly (let's hope she grows out of this opinion and never gets too keen on beers), and she gets annoyed with all the dresses that put a waistline at her ... uh... waist. It was a bit short but not as short as she thought so I added a waistband - just a band of double layer, interfaced fabric to extend the bodice. In the end this was acceptable. She also didn't want the cute patch pockets shown on the pattern picture and in fact wanted NO pockets, because pockets always seem to get sand in them. And this is of course true for all those who like playing in a sandpit...

I think the result is really nice. Not my style, but very sweet for a young girl and quite dressy with the little summery jacket. I prefer the jacket linen side out, but Miss UpSewLate's preference is flowers on the outside - more, more, and more flowers, mum!, as you can see from her photos with flowers. Perhaps the floristry trade is calling?

Now if you've been reading this blog a while you'll know I haven't sewn much since around late October last year, and I've hardly blogged since then. It felt like there were too many "fails" amongst my last few projects, so I was hoping this project would help me regain my sewing skills so I could take on another adult project with a bit of hope for a decent result. Although I'm sure this pattern could not be regarded as complex, it did let me practice a few sewing skills that I have definitely not yet mastered - namely using the serger (I need to work out the correct way to serge corners; maybe I need to watch the boring educational DVD!) and hand sewing (for some of the edges of the reversible bolero and for the inside facings at the shoulder seams). For these personal challenge areas I took it very slowly; the results are not perfect but are decent enough for me. For a Simplicity pattern, the instructions weren't as detailed as I would have expected (eg no mention of interfacing - surely it was used in the 50s / 60s?), but the illustrations in the instructions were very clear. And I do like pre-cut pattern piece patterns; I traced around them to cut the fabric on my new (Christmas!) cutting mat and the cutting activity was a pleasure :-).

So, what do you think? Can I move on up to selfish sewing now?

PS Because I managed to make this within December and it's for a child, it's eligible for the current "Sewing for Children" competition on Pattern Review. So I'm entering :-). The entry gallery is here, and there are some fabulous entries but if you particularly liked my outfit I wouldn't mind at all if you voted for it. Really!

Merry Christmas, + Up Sew Late Hits and Misses in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 14:04:00 +0000

Merry merry Christmas everyone! I hope you've had a relaxing time with family or friends, and that Santa remembered you...

I know I've been away for ages (and yes, I did go away - Bali for 2 1/2 weeks after a decadent long weekend doing wineries and degustation meals in the Yarra Valley), but I think I'm back now :-). You might recall that my sewing skills were looking dire anyway (irritating swimsuit, I'm thinking of you - and you too, constricting dress), but while on holidays I fell into the habit of just relaxing in the evenings. Sigh... G&T? Thanks... Who wants to play cards? Otherwise there's a Downton Abbey DVD we could watch... or you could read one of these interesting holiday novels... So who could blame me? Habits such as this are hard to break, and it's taken weeks of sewing inspiration in the form of blogs (probably yours), pattern inspiration (the siren call of Etsy, mostly), and sewing-related Christmas gifts to get me off the couch. The evening before yesterday - whenever that was - was it Boxing Day? I started making a little 50s outfit for my daughter, and it's going well so hopefully I'll be able to herd myself back to selfish sewing shortly.

Now I have no particularly interesting thoughts on 2012 or sewing right now (maybe some other time, hey?) so without further ado, here are my* hits and misses for the year.

* including selfish sewing only

The Hits

Breezy Linen Dress with Contrast Sash

This dress went away to Bali with me and proved absolutely perfect for hot, muggy weather, for dinner somewhere fancy, for shopping in Seminyak, for the beach... generally without the contrast sash though. Back home it also did really well at Christmas parties. I love the colour and even though it's so loose it still seems to look kind of dressy.

Classic Linen...

These trousers were a tad tight when I made them but now fit really well after lots of exercise at the gym. I love the fit - the crotch shape on this pattern is just right, the legline is flattering, and because I made them myself I got a waistband that actually fits, unlike all my RTW trousers. I love the sturdy zipper and the stripe matching, and these trousers are super comfortable. What's more they don't seem to be doing much (any? am I deluding myself?) sagging in the bum area.

The Blinder

I love this white top. So clinical and sharp looking - I feel all designer-y when I wear it (was it Celine that had those very crisp, plain and very covetable clothes this year?) I think this top is made by the fabric - a great medium weight, enough to carry a peplum, but with a little stretch that makes it very comfortable to wear - and the pattern, which fit beautifully with very little modification.

Troubadour Top

And I love this stripey top even more than the white version! Stripes may be my weakness - I seem to buy them whenever I see them (that's another story though), but stripes or not, it's rare for me to be able to make something that matches my vision. In this case the top ended up absolutely as I'd hoped - woohoo! I haven't worn it much but I am nonetheless getting a lot of enjoyment from just looking at it. Good enough!

Merino Hoodie

My fave hoodie, which gets a regular wearing for smart casual Fridays and evenings out when there's a little chill in the air. This was a bit of an experiment - I mixed an untried Betsey Jackson pattern from the 80s (interesting hood and neckline) with a modified Burda basic, and it came out as well as I could have hoped. Neat top stitching and my first flat felled seams!

Donna Karan Fitted Skirt

A very fitted skirt really, but with a stable stretch fabric that's fine! This skirt is comfortable, with the slightly elasticated waistband kindly accommodating my fluctuating diameter, and it goes with everything. The tucks and pleats are fabulous Donna Karan details, and I was really pleased with the finish on the inside - Hong Kong seams even!

1950s Long Tall Sheath

I am not one of those people that knows what suits them - I still get plenty of sewing surprises - but I wouldn't have thought I had the right shape for the 50s. This one was a pleasant surprise; something that seems to look smart and feel good, and I wear it to work regularly - with a cardigan or the jacket below.

Colour Shock! New Jacket

Making this jacket was a trip down memory lane. I had a (smaller sized) copy of this skirt + jacket pattern in the 80s, and while I made the skirt back then I didn't get around to the matching jacket. Maybe my standards are low (I can see on my original post that I found the jacket too loose) but I now wear this jacket to work and am really enjoying the colour and style, which seems much more "vintage" than the 80s.

Broderie Anglaise + Linen: V1175 Donna Karan

Another dress that was taken on holidays to Bali - this one proved less suited to the humidity due to its lined bodice - but it's perfect for the less steamy summer days in Sydney, and boy do I love it! I love the shape of it, how it's fitted in the bodice and loose around the hips without looking like maternity wear, and all the triangles and trapezoids in its construction. I love the mix of broderie anglaise and linen and daisy chains, I love the in-seam pockets, and I love the interesting hemline.

Enough of the lovelovelove, let's look at the problems.

The Misses

Unwearable Swimmers

Sooo disappointing. I didn't add the length in the right place, and these ended up way too low in the bust; even lower cut than the RTW swimmers I was hoping to replace. The crotch was also way too wide, and I accidentally placed the stripes in a weird pattern at the seam line on the lower bum :-(.

Not So Classic Linen

This top started off pretty uninspiring, and got worse (bigger, baggier) in the wash. It had one trial at work - FAIL - was then demoted to the sleepwear drawer - FAIL - and will soon be moving to the charity bag. Lovely fabric but evidently I don't know how to sew with it. And evidently (see an earlier make here) this pattern is not for me.

Rustling Dress

Oh it hurts me to class this one as a "miss", but it feels way too tight even after the gym (and my ribcage will never get smaller). I don't want to refashion it because I sew for enjoyment and refashioning drives me insane, so I'll try it again in a month or so, and if it still doesn't fit this one is going to have to be parked in a box just in case my daughter (1) grows up the same shape as me but slimmer in the waist/ ribcage, (2) likes this sort of dress, and (3) has occasion to wear this sort of dress. It might be a 10 year wait...

Drape Drape Dress

I hate it on me now. I don't understand why I was pleased with it when I made it. It's not being worn AT ALL.

Kirsten Kimono Tee

Entirely user error, but this top is really unflattering on me and the white overlocked seams look terrible. Look how grumpy I am in those pics! I must try making it again in the right size with the right colour thread...

A Heavily Modified Koos (V2971) Top

One of those makes that I liked at first... but the top has become saggy as it's washed, and I don't appreciate that it has a tendency to flash bits of my belly. This pattern was never really the right shape for me, and my poor choice of fabric just made it worse!

V1368 (OOP) - Ugly Bias Linen Dress

This one takes the cake! What was I thinking???? I haven't worn it and didn't take it to Bali (even though it's loose and linen). Enough said!

That's 9 hits and 7 misses, and here's the rest of what I sewed in 2012:

October 2012:

September 2012:

August 2012:

July 2012:

June 2012:

May 2012:

April 2012:

March 2012:

girl's dress, not blogged

February 2012:

January 2012:

That's all!

Back soon with a 50s girl's outfit... see you soon!

Gabrielle x

Lovely Award + Unwearable Swimmers

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 02:29:00 +0000

A few weeks ago the very lovely Karin gave me the Premio Primavera award for commenting on her blog. I'm sure you know already know Karin - she sews and knits lovely things for herself and her family, and she's such an active and supportive commenter that the award seems made for her!

I feel like a bit of a dud for taking this award as I'm really conscious of having been absent from blogging and commenting for a few weeks now, and I know the next few weeks will be similar. There has been an awful lot of life interrupting my sewing plans lately :-). Mostly the better sort of life interruptions like travel, parties and birthdays - though if you know me IRL you'll realise I'm trying to forget the weekends of minding up to 6 young kids on top of my own 2... and the scary evening where I lost 3 while looking after another 3!

I'm not sure of the exact rules or provenance of this award (I did look but couldn't find them), but basically it's a heartfelt thank you to the lovely people who support blogs with their comments. So it's with great pleasure that I pass this award on to the last commenters (yes, I know it's more than 9, but I really want to thank them all) on this blog:

Audrey of SewTawdry
kbenco of kbenco's projects

DeniseAngela of Sew Coco

Selective Fine Fabrics

MAD14kt
Fabric Epiphanies

HoffiCoffi
Karin (herself!) of Sew Here We Go Again!

Catherine Daze of cyberdaze

Robyn of Sew Love Red

Carolyn of Handmade by Carolyn
Kat of All the whimsical things
thecuriouskiwi

Thank you all, I appreciate your comments and support so much!

And for the unwearable swimmers of the post title let me show you my most recent fail (screams in frustration). I was in love with the idea of this one - lovely wide aqua and while stripes on a simple swimming costume. I read up on loads of swimming construction reviews and posts, took careful measurements, etc etc etc. Sometimes winging it works better (it sure doesn't take as long).

Front view (in progress)

Back view (in progress)

It kind of looked OK in the flat... but it was too short. Well, let me correct that - it's not that it was too short, it's that the length was in the wrong places. There was too much length in the straps and not enough in the waist-bust section - ie too, too low cut (think that Baywatch look). I shortened the straps by 3 (!!) cm but then the body was really stretched. Maybe that sounds wearable in desperate circumstances, if I hadn't then also stuffed up the leg elastic. Oops. And with the swimmers stretching out lengthwise combined with narrow seam allowances, there wasn't any extra fabric around the legs for a fix. No picture of that, sorry.

Bust darts (did I need those???) are way too low on me

The pattern I used was KwikSew 3064, which I modified in a few ways. I changed the main view from a two-piece to a one-piece sans belt, and I fully lined it with extra lining at the bust - with all the effort I was going to I thought a thorough lining would make it last longer (ha!).

View of full lining PLUS bust lining, no cups as yet

Although I do think this a good basic pattern with quite a bit of detail in the instructions, I think it needs a few more changes next time around:

I'll remove the bust darts (it's lycra innit!).
I'll measure my body length in sections and add the length in the areas where it's needed rather than in the standard "lengthen here" place.
I'll do lots of practise in sewing in elastic first.
I'll try to work out the KwikSew formula of elastic length vs opening length for those areas where I need to use multiple sizes or where I've adjusted the shape of the opening. If I crack it I'll share.
I'll narrow the crotch to match my RTW swimmers (that's def. a measurement to check in private...).
I'll watch out for sneaky stripe tricks. Although this rear view looks OK in the flat it looks highly attention seeking when worn - NOT good!

That's a wide crotch!

Inappropriate

The good news is that I have heaps more of this fabric, so I'll be able to have another crack at it. Not for a few weeks though as there's a busy few weeks coming up...

Breezy Linen Dress with Contrast Sash (M6553)

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 02:25:00 +0000

Close-up of Dinosaur Designs resin fish necklace by Miss Upsewlate

Close up of sash by Miss Upsewlate

Here's a dress I finished not last weekend but the one before - can't believe it's taken me this many days to post it! At this time of year the days just seem to fly past - one minute it's October, the next it's Christmas! Well that's a slight exaggeration, but last weekend was a sewing write-off since we were living it up in the Yarra Valley sans kids, doing degustation meals and wine tastings left, right and centre with 14 other friends.

Anyway, food and wine are off topic, and I would hate to make anyone really, really jealous.

Big loose pleats in the back

So to the M6553 dress... to which Mr Upsewlate seems rather partial, despite its lack of body-skimming properties... and whose colour and twirling potential Miss Upsewlate covets:

The sash goes through some side seam holes to leave the back billowing

Back view on the dummy. The sash is what's sitting around the neck.

Side view - here you can see in an inseam pocekt and one of the sash openings.

Apparently this is what I look like mid-conversation! Note the pocket :-)

Too big. Maybe even 2 sizes too big (I made a 14, thinking of Vogue sizing) - it's extremely loose on the upper bodice and bust. I did eyeball the pattern pieces before cutting out and I probably didn't realise where the various pieces started and ended, because once sewn up it looked much bigger than my normal size. Luckily the sizing is quite forgiving :-). Interestingly I would say that the dress on the pattern cover is also too big for the model!

Too short too. Oops. I know the up-down hemline is fashionable but I didn't really mean to show this much above-knee - I do not love that above-knee section. Please avert your eyes from that area so I don't get embarrassed. Not so bad though when I wear it without the belt (like today - incidentally a real scorcher of a spring day, expected to get to 35C). If you're wondering how long it would be on you, I'm just under 5'9".

Photo by Miss Upsewlate, who made me change shoes

If you're thinking of making this pattern, I'd suggest you measure the widths carefully - what with the wide neckline, separate facings, top stitching (ahh - I decided not to do that) and varying hem lengths it'd be a pain to size down later on. The pattern uses a lot of fabric, far more than your average knee-length no-sleeve dress, so check the fabric requirements rather than just guessing (like I did - hence the contrast sash). Although it's recommended for double knits, cotton knits, gabardines and suiting, mine's made from a heavy linen which I think will be perfect on sticky summer days. Fingers crossed the linen will shrink some more, though only in the width (please washing gods).

Next up I am going to try to force myself to make an adult swimsuit. Scary! I know another dress would be more fun but I've only got one (old) pair of swimmers at the moment and the weather is heating up! Wish me luck...

see you
G x

Classic Linen...

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 13:13:00 +0000

Linen is a classic look, isn't it, and so is navy with cream... perhaps a bit boring for some tastes, but definiteley useful in the me-made wardrobe. So here is a new maybe combination but more likely separation of linen pants and linen-cotton mix jersey top:

Quite hard to photograph together with the top so white bright and the pants so inky dark!

The top is made from V1310, the relatively recent Chado Ralph Rucci pattern (the one with the photo of a severe looking model in a column-like burgandy skirt and loose white top). After my recent ooh-this-feels-too-tight issues in a "semi-fitted" Vogue size 12-graded-to-14 dress, the ultra loose fit of this (also "semi-fitted") size 14 Vogue top was unexpected, although I guess part of that may be down to my fabrics.

tucked up hem

free hem

The top is cut on the bias, and the pattern calls for a bias-cut self-lining, but that would have been too hot - besides, I only had a single metre of this fabric, and it had turned itself from a neat rectangle of fabric to a wonky trapezium in the wash. So facings is all I could do.

Being cut on the bias, my neckline was very keen to stretch out. I tamed it with narrow transparent elastic, the sort I usually sew into the shoulder seams of knit tops, and made it very slightly gathered. I topstitched the facings in place with a sliver of facing showing all the way around to give the neckline a decorative edge, but I don't think you can really see it...

spot the serger tension error!

Time: About 2-3 hours

Cost: $12 all up: fabric about $12 on sale at Lincraft; sewing and serger thread $0 (already used in other projects); pattern $0 (second use); and elastic $0 (leftovers).

*****************

The pants have been lying around as an UFO in my sewing area for ages... I'm sure they were originally ironed and carefully draped somewhere for attention "soon", but by the time I got back to them they were a scrunched up mess. A happy surprise amongst the crumples - the fly was finished, top stitched, and even nicely basted together to wait for the waistband to get sewn on. When I tried them on I remembered why they had become a UFO - they got too tight midway through the sewing! They should hopefully get a bit looser in the near future... if I get myself out of this chair and do some exercise :-)

No, but seriously, that's the best looking view of the pants! And the colour is about right.

With my camera sitting on a chair on the coffee table in the middle of this room, I am getting some leg foreshortening happening and I do not like it:

Anyway, you can see that they nearly fit me already (and I only did the getting out of the chair part so far!) and that the stripe matching is OK. I had to change tops because my camera wasn't coping.

I've made these pants before (here in grey wool and here in black stretchy stuff) because the pattern (V1098, an Anne Klein pants and jacket pattern - ooh and I made the jacket in yummy turquoise cashmere a while back) seems to generally fit, and is one that's easily taken out or run in along the side seams. And I've got to the point now where I just grade the waistband up or down to fit the width I've sewn the pants :-).

Here you can see the details: belt carriers, a neat fly, waistband drafted to fit and cut to match the stripes as well as possible on the curve:

And the sign apparently means Beware of the Dog!

Time: I don't know - too long!
Cost: About $30: fabric a lovely big remnant from Tessuti - call it $25; sewing thread $3; pattern $0 (fourth use); 2 buttons $0 (part of a vintage buttons gift); and zip $2 from a little local haberdashery.

*****************

Has anyone else been having troubles with Blogger lately? I've been struggling to sign in for about a month (this is a known problem in the Blogger forums but the solutions haven't worked for me to date, so I'm using a strange workaround) - but worse still, over the past week I've found I can't reply to comments! Please accept my sincere apologies for what certainly may look like rudeness. On the subject of replies though I read in a Blogger forum that many people reply to comments by emailing the commenter directly - is that right? Is that what works?

Anyway, thank you very much for reading my ramblings, and if you do comment I will TRY to reply.. .

A Swimming Costume!

noreply@blogger.com (Gabrielle) — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 14:09:00 +0000

This last week I've been slowly, carefully, finishing a UFO - a pair of linen pants - but this blog post is not about them.

This blog post is about an exciting pair of swimmers I whipped up this weekend! WOOHOO:

front

back

I am really pleased with them, and relieved that my daughter wasn't disappointed (she selected the fabric, but given her response to recent home made clothes I thought we were in for another round of rejection):

The pattern I used was view B of KwikSew 3785, in a size XS with extra length added to the bodice. View B has a racer back, whereas view A is a tank style back.

This pattern gives very clear and articulate instructions, great for newbies to swimwear sewing (like me - I have made a child's swimsuit before, but it was a mess). I like that the finished swimsuit using this pattern compares well to commercial ones in terms of fit and finish. My only changes were to use a slightly narrower elastic than instructed (0.6mm, which seemed consistent with my daughter's other swimsuits), and to use a twin needle to finish the hems instead of a triple step zig zag.

If you want to know all the ins and outs of designing and sewing swimwear, this specialist swimwear / dancewear site is an amazing site to visit. I also found really useful tips and photographic tutorials on Katherine's #2 blog (and I look forward to making her grown up bikini, which is downloaded and waiting!)

A couple of the things I learned in all my swimwear blog reading and in sewing up this pattern were that you really need to use flat rubber elastic for swimwear, and that you really don't need to stretch out your elastic to varying degrees on the leghole, armhole or neckhole - you can sew it in with an evenly distributed amount of stretch, as more of the stretch just gets used wherever it's needed.

racer back detail

front detail

When I was at the stage before elastic was sewn in I got my daughter to try the nearly-made swimmers on, and the fit didn't look right - the neckline was loose, and it looked like the design wasn't going to give enough bottom coverage. Both these issues were corrected once the elastic was sewn in. With the curves a lot more accentuated in adults, I'll be really interested to see if this also elastic redistribution works well on an adult swimming costume :-).

I really have to recommend this pattern. I don't think I've saved money by sewing a child's swimsuit, but if I can master swimsuit sewing skills I know I'll save myself a world of swimsuit changing room pain, and that is SUCH an attractive prospect!

See you anon,
Gabrielle x