Will work for Fabric

The Bridal Shower

2013-11-11T07:27:00.001+11:00

A few weeks ago, I help put together a Bridal Shower for my friend. Because her wedding theme was Dusty Pink & Black, I wanted to tie in the Bridal Shower by using the Dusty Pink color.

I DIY'd the Cake Stands, Spoons, Paper Pom Poms and the cake was made with some help of the Bride to Be's daughter. The DIY elements help to provide that little personal touch.

Loving: Alias Mae shoes

2013-10-05T10:30:00.000+10:00

Thanks to Erin at Love Shop Share for introducing me to Alias Mae Shoes. I love to support Australian brands and these guys have some beautiful shoes. Here are my favorites

Agnes in Orange/Natural $99.95

Cicily in Aqua/Tomato $139.95

Yeva in White $119.95

Get in my stash!

2013-10-02T16:20:00.000+10:00

Brisbane girls, if you have not visited The Fabric Store recently, you need to get yourself there tout suite! They have got some lovely summer silks in plains & prints in all colors of the rainbow. I also spotted some beautiful linens and they even have leather, I don't know how I restrained myself from not buying any of that.

This is what I did buy and also some inspiration for their final destination.

A lovely black silk twill, very lightweight and super drapey. Inspiration is this skirt from Country Road, basically a straight skirt with a fluted hem.

Green silk, this reminds me of cheesecloth texture. Inspiration is from this draped shirt from Topshop, I have a pattern drafted and ready to go.

A lovely sandwashed silk in stone, a little thicker weight so would be great for something with a little more structure. Inspiration is this tank from Country Road which has panelling detail on the side seam and shoulders.

Silk twill print (yes more silk!) this has a lovely sheen and beautiful drape. Inspiration is Tessuti's Suzy Pants Pattern.

It's funny how quick my mind changes though, I will probably look back at this in a months time and wonder what the hell I was thinking. Women's prerogative I guess.

Sewn: Tan Silk Top

2013-09-29T15:34:00.000+10:00

Meet my new wardrobe favourite.

This top is based off Simplicity 5092 which is courtesy of the Op-Shop. I used the pattern for a shirt previously and it's proving to be a versatile pattern.

I shortened the sleeves considerably to make it suitable for Spring/Summer, I also did a slash and spread on the back to add some fullness and swing so it's a nice fluid shape. In the process of doing this, I decided to make it a hi-lo hem shape which I quite like.

The pattern has forward shoulder seams with gathering. Once I did this and tried it on, I decided the gathering was a little too formal looking so my "design feature" came along in the form of epaulettes.

The fabric is some kind of silk mix that I cant recall, it has a small amount of stretch to it but I've treated it as a woven. It has a lovely fluid drape to it so has lots of movement when it's on. Another great buy from the Fabric Store in Brisbane.

Because the hem has both convex and concave curves to it, I had to be careful with hemming. I used this tutorial from Grainline for the hem and went super slow and it turned out a treat.

I used the same technique on the neckline so I didn't have to worry about any fiddly bias facing.

Welcome to my wardrobe, I'm sure we'll have a great time together!

Leatherwork

2013-09-10T16:00:00.000+10:00

I love working with leather. As unforgiving as it can be, I adore watching a transformation from a flat piece to something gorgeous with character and texture. Here is a collection of images from my Pinterest page

1. Commes des Garcons

2. Keecie Mini Me

3. Wooten I-Phone Pouch (via I Am The Lab)

4. Lorayn Leather Card Holder

5. Unknown (via Silver Blonde tumblr)

In Progress - Leather Panel Top

2013-09-08T09:27:00.000+10:00

Here's a little sneaky peak of a top I'm working on.

The material is devine, it was purchased from the Fabric Store in Brisbane last year. I wish I could remember the mix of it, it does have a silk content to it which gives it lovely drape.

I am trying to sneak in at least 10 minutes of sewing every day, this goes a long way to keeping me sane during a hectic working week. Do you have a plan for your sewing time?

Inspiration for Spring/Summer

2013-09-07T08:00:00.000+10:00

Have you seen any of the new season pieces from Country Road? They are one of my favourite go-to brands, something of theirs always catches my eye either through a gorgeous print or a modern take on a classic silhouette. Another one of my favourite shops is Seed Heritage, their design aesthetic seems to be evolving into something a little sporty but classic all at the same time.

I am using them as some inspiration to kick off my Spring/Summer sewing and I think Brisbane is going to have a long hot summer so there is no better time to start planning.

1. Country Road Kimono Sleeve Tee

2. Country Road Silk Splice Shirt

3. Top Shop Casual Drape Top

4. Seed Heritage Minimal Pleat Soft Pant

5. Top Shop Drape Sleeveless Top

The tops from Country Road are fairly similar.It should be a fairly easy style to execute, I am thinking of a basic loose fitting tee pattern with wider sleeves.

The drape tops have me a bit stumped. I have the Drape Drape books (available at Tessuti)which I am going to use as a basis for drafting my own pattern.

The pants are a challenge, I have sewn the one pair and they need some more fit adjusting before they become something that I could work off. There just might be something in the op-shop pattern stash, knew they would come in handy one day.

I'd love to see what you have planned for the upcoming season!

A Good Read - Sewing & Body Confidence

2013-09-03T20:15:00.000+10:00

I read an awesome article today on Brisbane Times website, it is all about how sewing your own clothes can improve your body confidence (go read it here).

I think this is the first time I've seen an article about sewing on a newspaper website! It is an interesting read, and great to hear some opinions from some fellow sewing bloggers.

I for one am pretty happy with my body shape, we've been together for a while now and it serves me well. Sure I do have my moments of "oh my god how did that end up there" but when you sew for yourself you do learn to know these things and embrace them because you sure cant change them.

Sewing has also made me appreciate what exactly goes into making garments. I can identify cheap fabric, poor construction or a bad silhouette now so I am alot more picky about what I buy or what I make. I now analyse every little thing about a garment if I am buying something, I have developed a set of guidelines for myself about the standards I expect. It can be so deflating so spend your hard earned cash on some beautiful fabric, then use it on an untried tricky pattern only to have turn out to be ill-fitting, not the right color or just not the right style.

I love the quote in the article from "Get My Stitch On" "The more I sew, the more I realise that size is just a line to cut out on a pattern. Without fit and flattery, size is meaningly." We sewing folk sure do share a wonderful tool in being able to create something that is personalised just the way you want it, no matter what shape or size you are.

Sewn: Grey Pants

2013-06-16T12:16:00.001+10:00

Finally I was able to get some photos to show off the item that I have been most proud of so far on my sewing journey.

The pattern is Burda Magazine 11/2012 no. 107C. After making 2 muslins, I was pretty sure that the fit on these would be ok. I've read so much about how trouser fitting and sewing can be scary, I honestly didnt have too much of a hard time with these. I could probably still make some adjustment to them, the back waistband is a little too low and I guess that's an easy fix by adding in a wedge to the pattern at centre back seam.

Looking at the pictures now, I would probably also like to take some width out of the legs so they are more slim fitting. I think a combo of losing a little weight and the fabric has made them stretch out a bit. The fabric is a lovely cotton sateen which was courtesy of Spotlight. It comes in a lovely range of colors, I spied a lovely green in there but I would love to do these in a printed version.

I added a few more sewing skills in construction of these. I tackled faux welt pockets and zip fly, I think next time I would also like to add some belt loops.

This was supposed to be for the Burda Sew Along which ran for the month of May, better late than never I guess. Here's a sneaky close up of the scarf I wore, it's got little butterflies all over it.

Wearing: Neutrals for the weekend

2013-06-12T07:30:00.000+10:00

On the weekend we went to the Rocklea Markets to stock up on the essentials, also just happened on the Bagel Boys.

Pic courtesy of Bagel Boys website

I had a B.R.A.T. (Bacon, Rocket, Avacado & Tomato), I ate it so fast I didn't have time to take a picture. Suffice to say it was delicious! Go visit them if you're in the area, you wont be disappointed.

If you havent already guessed, I do love my neutrals. I wore my new Black Country Road Coated Jeggings, Grey Mix Apparel Jumper, Witchery Black Studded Flats with a leopard print scarf.

The jumper was a lucky find hidden in the mens wear department at Mix Apparel, 100% wool as well so it is nice and snuggly.

Love these flats, they remind me of a starry night.

Sewing: Burda Sew Along Pants and Blouse

2013-06-10T17:13:00.000+10:00

I would love to tell you that I have sewed up a storm for the Sew Along, truth is that I have had the last 3 weekends in May away from home so I have done almost nothing.

I did start a pair of pants in April which were from Burda Magazine 11/2012 107C. Thankfully these are now finished but the weather has been crappy this weekend so I have no good photos to show just yet. Anyway here is a sneak peak of my faux welt pocket which I am super proud for conquering.

I did also manage to start cutting out Burda 7188 which is a paper pattern, this one was on my planned list which you can see here. One of my wardrobe holes are tunics or shirts (who knows what the correct name is!), something that is of a nice enough fabric that can be worn during the day or dressed up for something more fancy.

The fabric I am using is some poly rayon mystery fabric which came from Spotlight ages ago. It is sort of a zebra stripe with a border print on it, I am hoping it will be a wearable muslin. Here's hoping!

My sewing these days is all about getting maximum wear out of everything, it may not be as flashy or challenging as a cute little cocktail frock but the reality is that I don't have the occasion to wear these things. I want to be able to show things off that I have made and if that's by making the everyday kind of knit tops, shirts and casual pants then that's the way it has to be.

Burda Sew Along - Planning

2013-05-06T08:00:00.000+10:00

It sometimes seems like an eternity that I have been learning to sew, the good part is that I am learning all the time by challenging myself which helps advance my skills. But there's nothing like a bit of group support to spur you along and to learn even more techniques, so I've joined up for my first ever Sew Along which is being hosted over here.

Lucky for me my local libraries have a fairly good stash of Burda Magazines. Some of them have never even been touched so I have the lucky honor of removing the lovely pattern sheets at the back and trying to re-fold them to fit back into their little envelope, oh the joys.

I haven't really settled on what I want to make yet, being a typical Gemini I change my mind every 5 minutes so maybe having too much to choose from isn't such a great idea. Burda patterns seem to have either pretty basic to more flamboyant and difficult pattern with little in between. I want to be able to make items that I am going to wear. These are some ideas that I have come up with so far

Cascade Jacket from 08/2011 No. 117

Simple Blouse from 12/2012 No. 119

Two Tone Tunic from 12/2012 No. 150

Collarless Jacket from 04/2012 No. 121

Paper Pattern 7188

I can see all of them taking a hard earned place in my wardrobe, it's so hard to decide! Watch this space for updates (or additions!)

The Black Zara Top

2013-05-04T13:21:00.002+10:00

Lets face it, there is nothing more comfy than a knit top. I like comfy things and I like leather so why not combine the two.

This is one of the items I had on my Wardrobe Planning post back here. I love it, but it was not without it's troubles. I did use Burda 09/2012 Top No. 123, which has been quite popular around the traps. Fabric was a Japanese rayon knit blend from Spotlight, really nice fabric which I would use again. I didn't make up a muslin, I figured something made out of knit is pretty forgiving and shouldn't be too hard to get the right fit.

I made the pattern up based on the bust size, but those sides were super fitted so I re-drew to be a little wider. I also had a super amount of trouble with getting the neckline to fit properly. After inserting the leather shoulder panels the front neckline had quite a bit of drooping going on. I unpicked the panels and brought the front up some, re-sewed the neckline after hacking some off, re-attached the facing and it was still droopy. So I did what my impatient sewing brain told me to do, I cheated and put a pleat in the centre front to bring it all together. It worked, wasn't really what I wanted but it's quite a nice "design feature".

I used some left over pleather for the shoulder inserts, and followed my inspiration picture and ran some quilting lines on the panels. I think the weight of the pleather had something to do with the neckline drooping.

Then I was a smarty pants and thought all tops are made too long and proceeded to cut a few cm's off the hem and then realised it was too short. Lucky I kept it so the top has another design feature of a double hem with an added seam.

Even though with all the troubles, I still really like it. It ticks alot of boxes for me and something that can be zhooshed up or dressed down.

Lovely Links

2013-04-30T09:30:00.000+10:00

I treated myself to a day off last Friday to make an extra long weekend following on from Anzac Day. That alone has led to more sewing, more planning and more browsing.

How amazing is this, a Craftsy Course on how to Make Leather Bags. Like I need to obsess any more over all things leather.

The lovely ladies from Curious Kiwi and Modern Vintage Cupcakes are holding a Burda Sew Along for May. I have already signed up for my first sew along. All you need is a pattern from either the Burda Style magazines or one of their paper patterns, come and join in the fun and sign up here.

A new pattern find, the Staple Dress by April Rhodes. This could be a good one for summer.

Another new pattern and this one is free! It is the Odette Top by Fine Motor Skills. Found this one Burda Style website, looks like a great multi functional pattern.

I have almost finished my pants from my earlier muslin, only waiting for the hem and closure and then they're done. Very excited about this one!

The Creativity Gap

2013-04-28T20:21:00.001+10:00

Found this somewhere, I don't even remember where but when I read it I was nodding along. It's all so true!

Pants

2013-04-22T09:30:00.000+10:00

So I have finally started on my pants making journey. Borrowed some Burda magazines from my local library and decided on this pattern. Lucky for me one of the other Burda mag's I borrowed had one of their Sewing Courses in it for pants that are very similar.

Get ready with your sunglasses.....

So I did a muslin first as all good girls should but the major mistake I made was to make it out of not stretch fabric. I was pretty smug with myself and thought the fit was pretty excellent so dove straight into the stretch muslin version. What I did not even consider was the difference between the two fabrics so this version is about 2 sizes too big.

Luckily the fabric was super cheap (almost free thanks to a gift card from from Spotty) so I was happy just to go through the process of putting it all together. Plus (cue drumroll) I inserted a fly front zipper.

Standback and admire the awesomeness. All in all I didnt find the process too painful and these came together well. I have now traced off 2 sizes smaller and have that ready to go to be hopefully my final version which is going to be in a dark grey.

By the by, Spotlight has some lovely quality cotton sateen at the moment in some really cool colors and I also managed to some some lovely Japanese stretch jersey from there too. Slowly there are getting better choices, who would have thought!

Lovely Links

2013-04-20T12:44:00.001+10:00

I have found some lovely inspiration this week, here are some things that have caught my eye

A newly discovered Aussie blogger Sew Amy Sew and her wonderful version of the Grainline Archer Shirt. I love the contrast green buttons with the fuschia background.

Found these cute Polymer Clay earrings on Made It by Just Dot. So simple yet so beautiful.

One of my go to blogs for fashion advice is Elisha Casagrande. Her post about Principles & Elements of design is not only great advice for stylish dressing but also useful for making my handmade wardrobe a little more flattering and functional.

Take a look at this video on You Tube about how women perceive themselves compared to how others see us.

Wardrobe Planning

2013-04-05T00:00:00.000+11:00

I am fully determined to get some hand made items churned out for the cooler weather, since last year was a bit of a flop. As usual, I have lots of wants running through my head. I'm starting to be hard on myself in what I would practically wear and what fits in with the rest of my wardrobe, so it takes alot more thought and planning. I had a short affair with prints over Summer but my heart really belongs to solids and neutrals, with a healthy dose of stripes to make my heart happy.

This is what I have in mind at the moment (notice I say at the moment because it will probably change tomorrow)

Credit from here

Well that's the plan but the truth is that I only have limited time that I can actually sew things. The priority would be on the Pants, Peplum Top & Leather Shoulder top. I am constantly saving things onto my Sewing Inspiration list on Pinterest, it's safe to say that Pinterest is a massive time suck for me. Maybe if I spent less time Pinning and more time sewing I might end up with more things I can wear rather than just dreaming about them. A girl's gotta have her vices.

Pretty things

2013-04-02T02:30:00.000+11:00

Brought this lovely little open weave jumper from Witchery in their last sale for the bargain price of $24.85

Last worn with black shorts, white tank and zebra print sandals.

Never thought I would be a pink girly girl but it's really taking my fancy lately.

Around Here......

2013-03-31T13:13:00.001+11:00

Just a taste of what has been filling up my time over the last few months.

Coral Skirt - Made at my Sewing Class. Too lazy to put the button on yet.

Black & White Dress - self drafted, in love!

Shirred waistline, zip front, pockets. 10 points on the comfort factor scale.

Pink Top - Cotton & Silk blend from Tessuti pattern by Burda. Needs to be lined and hemmed which probably wont happen until next Summer.

Leather Purse - Exploring my newfound passion for all things Leather.

Lovely little scallops

Leather Organizer - Don't look too closely at the stiches on this, my sewing machine is not too keen on sewing multiple leather layers. Time for a new machine!

Places for all my bits that I carry around in my handbag.

Love the look and feel of this leather.

Take a look at my Pinterest Board for all things leather. It's a new obsession!

Shock horror, I worked from a pattern!

2012-11-04T14:13:00.001+11:00

I'm not one for working from a pattern, as you might have guessed from previous posts. But I was cruising the op-shop in the hope of finding a white shirt to add into my wardrobe because they are such versatile little creatures. Instead I ventured into the sewing patterns basket, and found this treasure.

Ooh pretty 80's hair do! Not deterred by the dodgy front cover, I though this would be a perfect candidate for filling the wardrobe gap. A trip to Sir Spotlight and I came home with some lovely flowy Ivory rayon, is it just me or is Spotters getting just a touch groovier?

I am totally happy with the way this turned out! The fabric is light enough to wear in the steamy weather, and ticks all my boxes for what I want in a shirt.

Say hi to Sasha the Photo Bomber

It is a perfect match with my coral jeans, these babies are from Big W and I love them to death. Would wear them every day if I could get away with it.

I altered the pattern slightly after making a muslin. Took a little bit of width out of the sleeve cap as it was a tad too poofy, shortened the length by heaps, added roll sleeve tabs and a button fastening and also lowered the neckline.

I managed to tick a few more things off my "scaredy cat sewing" list. Buttonholes, Collars, french seaming on curves. Some things seem alot scarier just thinking about it, I just dive in and do it and it's hardly ever as bad as I thought it would be.

This one I have a feeling will be getting a repeat performance.

In other news, I have signed myself up for a sewing class because I think I need a little help in some of the finer technical details of garment construction. I start next Saturday and I have a Burda skirt pattern to make up, also in material from the op-shop. I cant wait!

Till next time

Some Lovely Links

2012-10-21T11:52:00.002+11:00

Whew it's so freakin hot in Brissy this weekend! Makes me realise how many more light summer tops I need, lucky I have one on the go at the moment cant wait to get it finished.

In the meantime, here are some Lovely Links that have kept me occupied on Pinterest this week.

I love this Tutorial on Cotton & Curls about tailoring a thrifted blazer. They are always too boxy on me.

I am so in love with these pink sandals from Seed Heritage, such a great way to add some color to a otherwise neutral outfit.

I have my eye on this lovely Silk Twill fabric from Tessuti, I think it would look fantastic as a Tiny Pocket Tank and I have a gift voucher to spend with them. Bonus!

I usually get totally stumped about what to wear in this heat. I found this cute outfit on Pinterest, I am hoping to put my own version of this together real soon.

Untitled #6 by erinelizabeth1493 featuring a collar necklace

I've found a fabulous Aussie Blog called Slow Your Home. This post on Pursuing Your Passion really struck a chord with me as I'm contemplating a change in direction for my career. Such a great blog.

Hope you're not melting away like I am, nothing like the hot weather to get my sewing creativity firing!

Till next time.

I'm going dotty!

2012-10-15T20:24:00.002+11:00

I finished this top a few weeks ago, been so busy I haven't had the chance of taking photos of it earlier.

It's pretty safe to say that I really love this top. It is made from a silk (maybe a blend cant remember) which I brought from the Fabric Store last summer. The fabric was surprisingly easy to sew up, apart from the hem which gave me so much grief due to my insistence on having a curved hem.

This is a self drafted top, based loosely on an item that I already had in my cupboard. The back is slightly longer than the front so has some decent butt coverage.

I intend to make many more of these, probably in a cotton so the hems don't drive me so crazy!

Till next time!

What's on the sewing table!

2012-10-05T02:00:00.000+10:00

Here's a little sneaky peak on what I'm working on at the moment.

I took advantage of the long weekend and started sewing up this baby. I'm in love already!

Some Lovely Links

2012-10-03T13:17:00.000+10:00

Here are some of my favourite links from Pinterest this week.

An awesome free tee pattern, all the way from Denmark!

I love this Peplum Top Tutorial by Scared Stitchless, I am planning a green version I just need to find the right fabric.

I found this awesome wall art via Pinterest, just a matter of taking some cool nature shots and compile them onto some canvas.

I love this combo of Red Pants and Navy Polka Dots. I think the top would be fairly easy to make, this one is going on my to do list.