So I have a new job!

I wasn’t looking but I was getting a bit stressed about my finances, especially since interest rates have gone up three times since I started working full time at the fabric shop! One day out of the blue I received a phone call from a friend of mine asking if I wanted to come and work with her. It’s with a Government Department doing market research (which is what I used to do before I went to study costume) and it’s a massive pay rise. Of course I said yes…

The issue is, I haven’t worked in an office for five years and fashion (not to mention my body sadly) have changed in that time. Therefore I have nothing to wear! I have this week off to relax and prepare and make a whole wardrobe of work clothes.

Obviously I am limited as to time so I can only focus on the barest minimum to start with, and it’s about now I wish I had a set of TNT (tried and tested) patterns to fall back on. Still I’ll give it my best shot. I have almost finished the jacket for the wedding and then I’ll be straight into it. Wish me luck!

The Jacket Part One - Interfacing and Underlining

The jacket is made from a very fine silk dupion. Like the dress, the silk is not of great quality and so is quite fragile. I decided to underline the whole thing in silk organza (which incidentally cost more than the dupion!). Normally I avoid this kind of process because, let’s be honest, I’m really lazy and underlining can be fraught with difficulties such as buckling, and pulling. Anyway, there was no option here so it had to be done.

I cut each jacket piece from silk organza and basted the layers together by machine (I’m on a schedule so no time for hand basting). On the larger pieces I left one edge un-basted to allow for any discrepancies to sort themselves out.

On the pieces with interfacing I basted a lightweight shapewell to the organza along the seamline and cut away the seam allowances before applying the organza to the fabric. I generally use fusible interfacings where possible as I like the look better but, again, there was no option but to use sew-in on this project. In addition to the interfacing pieces given in the pattern, I also cut the upper collar and a brace for the back which I applied after I sewed the centre back seam.

For the under collar I sewed the centre seam in the underlined fabric then overlapped the interfacing seam, trimming out the seam allowance and sewed it flat (I’m not sure that makes sense!). I hand basted the roll line then pad stitched by machine, up and down in the stand and across on the main section.

Next step is construction – the bit I like best!

M5466 A success!

Here is the finished dress I’ll be wearing to the wedding next Saturday. I am so happy with the result, most importantly it’s really comfortable so I won’t have any problems a) sitting through a Catholic mass and b) packing away my dinner later :). The pattern was really simple and only took me a few hours to run up (after all the time I spent making the toille, trying to lose weight, giving up on that, cutting the thing out then putting it off for as long as possible!). Anyway I have some news which means I am about to undertake a marathon sewing effort this week (more on that later) so I have to clear the decks first.

Alterations to the pattern:
I bought the pattern to fit my upper bust measurement as I always do but that ended up being the top size in the envelope (12). Now I always have to add for my hips (and more recently my waist) but I usually have larger guidelines to follow. This time I worked out the difference between me and the body measurements on the pattern, divided it by the number of vertical seams and added that amount at the appropriate places. On the bodice I was able to just swing out the side seam at the waist the required amount and join it back to the existing armhole. The skirt was a bit more complicated because of the pockets and pleats so I just slashed the pattern in a clear space (between the pleats and the pocket) and spread the pattern the required amount. It wasn’t that hard but as usual I put WAY too much thought into it! It fits the bottom half of my body and the pleats look to be in the right place so that is good enough for me.

After my toile I made the following additional alterations:

• Lengthened the dress by 8cm (it finished well above my knee – not a good look with high heels or sitting on a church pew with your thighs exposed, yuck!)


• Made a full bust alteration (fba) which allowed me to lift my arms, and I filled in the front armhole ‘scoop’ a little as it looked a bit funny to me and brought the sleeve too far onto the body. Now the sleeve hangs nice and straight from the shoulder line. I am always wary of sleeve alts as they can be a bit of a can of worms but this turned out well so yay!


• Removed the pleats in the back bodice and skirt. On the skirt I converted the pleats to darts, I think there was an article in Threads a while ago if you need instructions on that but really I just extended the pleat lines until they met at a point and then fine tuned them after the dress was together. On the bodice I started a really complex process of closing pleats and swinging fullness into the darts (there’s me over-thinking again!), in the end I figured there was plenty of room in the bodice with the pleats pinned out so I just pinned them out of the pattern place and kind of squished the piece flat. That could have been an absolute disaster but fortunately it wasn’t!

Construction:
As I fully lined the dress I didn’t cut the facings. I put in the pockets and sewed the skirt and skirt lining (without pockets of course). Then I sewed the darts in the bodice back and front and constructed the bodice. Next I sewed the dress and lining waist seams.

The next step was to insert the invisible zip and the lining. (I cut off the seam allowance from the lining cb seam in the zip area, tapering back to the original edge at the bottom, then I sew the lining to the zip tape before I do anything to the neckline. Having trimmed off the seam allowance makes the lining pull back into the neckline and you never get fabric stuck in the teeth. This is an industry method I picked up somewhere and I use it all the time on facings and linings now. I might do a tutorial on this one day if anyone’s interested, but I never remember to take photos as I go!

For the neck I laid the fabric and lining together before forming the pleats. I sewed the two layers together at 1.5cm then used this as a guideline for applying a bound edge. That is I laid the raw edge of the binding to the stitching line, sewed a 0.5cm seam and trimmed back to the first line of stitching (essentially removing the seam allowance). I then flipped the binding over, tucked in the raw edge and hand sewed it down.

I hope you can see the binding well enough here.

I made up the sleeves and lined them, then sewed them into the lined armholes. I bound the raw edges to neaten them.

This fabric is silk, but not great quality so the vertical seams frayed like a bitch. I didn’t want to risk a ridge from overlocking so I used a zig zag stitch to finished the seams, the lining is a tightly woven habutae so it didn’t need anything. On the hem I cut some bias lining to make a Hong Kong finish then hand sewed the hem. The lining had a machine sewn hem and finishes about an inch shorter than the dress.

In conclusion:
This dress came out really well, it’s flattering and was very easy to put together, I would probably make it again (in a day time fabric for work) but there are a couple of similar styles in recent Burda magazines that I am more likely to try!

Now I am on to the jacket, which I’ll post about very soon, and my news…well you’ll have to wait a couple of days for that too (Must. Finish. Jacket. First.)

New knitting project

Here is a picture of my new knitting project. It’s a lace cardigan from the Rowan knitting magazine number 35, design number 14 called ‘Alice’. I can't find a link to an image so here is a scan.

I’m using a bluish/greenish I suppose you’d call it spruce for the body, the yarn is Jaeger matchmaker 4ply. The frilled edges are in Rowan Cashsoft in a purple colour. I bought the yarn in 2005 when I was in London doing work experience at the costume department of the BBC (ah, good times...).

I really like lace knitting, if you haven’t tried it you should! Most patterns are intricate enough to keep you interested (especially since I like to knit with really fine yarn) and repetitive enough to be relaxing. Plus it has that retro style thing goin’ on that I really like. I can see myself wearing this to work with smart trousers and a white t-shirt, or even with a pencil skirt and slightly frilly blouse. I hope it will be this winter not next – lol!

An autumn work outfit

This is a t shirt and skirt I whipped up pretty quickly. The t shirt is from New Look 6731, view B but with the cap sleeves from Views E and F. The skirt is from a Vintage Vogue pattern which seems to be discontinued and I no longer have the envelope so I can’t give the number – sorry.

The t shirt is made from a knit burn-out called ‘Camden’ – I think it’s a poly viscose blend or something like that. It’s really light, easy to sew and I am very pleased with the result. The cowl collar gives it a bit of something different and when I wore it to work the other day I got several compliments. Can’t complain about that! I will definitely use this pattern again and it doesn’t need any alterations beyond cutting a 12 at the top, blending to the 14 at the hip.

The skirt is made from another poly viscose blend that we at the shop are calling ultra soft suiting, I love this fabric. In fact I bought enough of it in the brown colour to make a jacket, skirt and pants I love it that much. It has a really nice drape and a little bit of stretch so it’s comfortable and flattering. The pattern is as close as I have to a TNT (tried and tested) pattern as I’ve now made it twice, but I will make it again – my version is graded up from a size 10 (that’s how long ago I bought the pattern, It’s been a while since I was a 10!). It's a normal A-line at the front,but the backs are cut with the straight grain down the middle of the piece, rather than the centre back, giving a nice flare to the back without it sticking out. I have to take it in a tiny bit at the side seams and I may lift the front waist a bit higher. I’m also not quite convinced about the length so there is a little perfecting to do on this one yet.

These are versatile pieces that can be worn together or with other garments, I also like that I can wear the top tucked or un-tucked with a belt.

Finished denim jacket - a success!

Here is my finished denim jacket – I am VERY happy with it. To recap, I made this jacket as a trial run for the silk dupion jacket I’ll be wearing to the wedding (which is only three weeks away now so eek!).

The pattern is M5477, using the sleeves and back tab from view C and the collar from views A and B (a notched collar just suits me better). The fabric is an enzyme denim which is navy in one direction and dark olive in the other. It’s not a twill like a normal denim but is more like a close weave linen. Fortunately I pre-washed the fabric even though I’ll probably dry clean the jacket because it shed A LOT of dye and still turned my fingers black while I was sewing it! The lining is a black polyester lining that has become my favourite lining at the moment, all I know is it comes from Japan. It has a beautiful close weave and is not at all clammy to wear.

The things I love about the jacket are: the neat fit at the waist, which is achieved by the side front and side back pieces being cut on the bias; the overall shape is really flattering to my figure type and has a retro feel that really appeals to me; and it was really easy to put together – always a bonus. Note that the pattern states these sleeves are long - they are not. The finished length is about 5cm above my wristbone (given that I have quite short arms they could be even shorter on more willowy figures). I like this length, and they are illustrated this way, but if you want a full sleeve, you'll need to lengthen.

What I will do differently next time: I’ll interface the top collar as well as the under collar (I would normally do this but I wanted the follow the instructions to the letter to see what happened) and I’ll interface the full front piece as well as the side front and back panels just under the arms as I’d like it to look a little more stable in these areas. But that’s it, a size 12 fit me really well without major alterations (I took a slightly narrow seam allowance in the lower sides to accommodate my hips).

The next version will be made from gold silk dupion, underlined with silk organza and lined in silk habutae. I’ll use sew in rather than fusible interfacing. Better get started on the pad stitching now!

Endings and beginnings

So here is the finished shift dress. I put it on one of the dummies at work to photograph – isn’t she gorgeous? Sadly the shape and the colour do nothing for me so I probably won’t get a lot of wear out of this except possibly over a long sleeved black T in the winter. Anyway I have many more exciting (and successful) projects to post about in the near future…

I have also finished the mermaid scarf I was crocheting but haven’t had a chance to photograph it yet, stay tuned.

On to new projects. Here is the toile I made for the dress I intend to wear to the May wedding. To remind you the pattern is M5466, view B. I cut a size 12 to the armholes then graduated out to a 14 at the waist and hips. When I tried it on I could not move my arms! A nifty FBA (full bust alteration) sorted that out so now it fits nicely. As an aside, I’ve never needed to do this alteration before as I’m only a C cup so most patterns fit okay without it. I guess the newer, more fitted styles are going to require more toile making (awesome – not!).

No, my dress dummy does not have a lean, I am just a TERRIBLE photographer!

I will be making several design changes to the dress. The front is fine as is but I don’t like the pleats in the back. The ones in the back neck make me look like a hunchback and as for the skirt pleats, let’s just say my butt does not need any help in that way! I’ll simply fold out the pleats from the neck edge and convert the skirt pleats into darts. I may leave the sleeves as is or I might convert them to tulip sleeves to give me a bit more movement, haven’t decided on that one yet. I’ll also be fully lining the dress in silk habutae. I’ll have a belt made but I’m not sure if I’ll wear it on this occasion.

I’ve also made a trial version of the jacket I’ll be wearing and am really happy with it. As soon as I finish the buttons and buttonholes I’ll post on that one too.

That’s all for now.

Short notice costume parties!

First of all sincere apologies for my absence. I’m not sure if anyone other than me noticed I haven’t posted in ages but I feel I should acknowledge it anyway! I’ve had plumbing problems (the actual type NOT a euphemism lol), an embarrassing backlog of housework and several social engagements to contend with. Not that I’m complaining. It is beyond me how women all over the world manage to run households, raise children, sew kick-ass outfits for themselves and keep their blogs up to date.

Anyhow, last Wednesday night I received a party invitation in the post – for Friday night! Short notice at the best of times but this was fancy dress. Having studied costume for three years I take this topic, justifiably I think, very seriously. The theme – Degrassi Junior High.

Oh the horror! Anyone who lived through the fashion vacuum that was the 80’s would tell you IT WASN’T THAT GREAT! Seriously, my year 12 ball was in 1986 and it was hideous. Still with a positive attitude I considered my options:

1. Make something – no way, I have so many projects started, waiting to start or almost finished that it is ridiculous. I could not justify spending my entire Good Friday sewing something for just one night. The last fancy dress I went to I produced a medieval princess and a Viking in only 4 days – but it really put my Christmas present making behind schedule. So my only choice was:
2. Op-shopping. Usually I am a total failure at this so I was dubious, especially given the short notice. I finished work at 2.30 on Thursday and raced to the two op shops on the way to my fella’s house – nothing. So I picked him up and we screamed over to the next closest shop, about 15 minutes drive away. By this time it was 4.10 and the shop closed at 5. My blood pressure was extremely high by now. I grabbed a skirt, belt and handbag without trying anything on and my fella found some hideous pale blue high-pant jeans and a spotty shirt to coordinate with my skirt. Twenty eight dollars later we were done…
   
   The party was pretty good too. Here’s a pic.
   
   Doesn’t my fella look classy with his beer and ciggie?
   
   On a more serious note I do have many many more interesting projects to update on and I’ll try to get to them ASAP. Bye for now

Shift dress. Almost. Done...

The shift dress is hanging over my head like I don’t know what! It is so close to finished now that I just can’t wait to get it done. I originally posted that I was making the longer version of the dress (Simplicity 3744), but it seems my evil twin was in charge the day I bought the fabric and she only got enough for the short version. I duly cut out and made up the short version on the off chance it would be okay. It wasn’t. It was VERY short! After a quick debrief with my Mum when she came over to fit the toile of my wedding outfit we decided that I should get more fabric and make the band as in view C. I worried that it would look tacked on but Mum convinced me that if I top stitched it in the same way as the facing and placket it would look intentional. So that’s what I did.

Fortunately we still had some of the fabric left at work so I was able to buy another 40cms to cut the band. I had enough leftover lining to cut that too. So now it’s all done except the hand stitching and do you think I can find a nice fine hand sewing needle anywhere? Nope, not a one. I must own thousands (well at least a couple of dozen) and the gremlins have hidden them all! So the finishing has to wait until I go to work tomorrow and buy some needles.

On to the wedding outfit. I have fitted the dress toile and have had to make some interesting alterations to the pattern. I’ll do a detailed post on these later. I won’t be doing any extra work on the dress for a few weeks because the fella and I have just embarked on a serious weight loss/fitness plan. I’ll be working on the jacket instead as the fit in that is unlikely to be badly affected by my losing weight. I’ll be making a practice version in denim and then if that goes well I’ll make it in the gold silk dupion (not really comparable fabrics I know but I really hate making toiles, I’m fairly confident about the fit and I only really want to check if the style works on me and with the dress style!).

Finally a non-sewing project I’ve been working on – the mermaid scarf from knitting daily. I am using a periwinkle blue 4ply cotton from Rowan that I bought in England back in 2001. The evil twin must have been in charge then too as she picked up yarn from two different dyelots which was really noticeable in the stocking stitch top I was knitting. I couldn’t bear to part with it though and I knew that eventually I’d find a project that would disguise the colour difference. I started with the recommended 3.5mm hook but found it was coming out too small so I started again with a 4.5mm hook and it looks great. I’m about half way along the first layer so it shouldn’t take too long to finish – I hope.

Finished, and moving on

First of all here is the finished tulip skirt. As I said previously I like it but don't love it. Sadly it's a little 'snug', but I'm blaming that on rather too much Thai take-away lately! I'll probably wear it when the weather gets cooler with opaque tights and maybe long boots - I really don't think this length works for me. Never mind, moving on...

I've finally been working on the Threads shift dress. The outside layer is done aside from hand sewing so I just need to put together the lining, sew in the zip, join the two layers at the neck and set in the (unlined) sleeves. Oh, and the hems. It's actually not too much and since my fella is going away for work tomorrow night I'll have plenty of time to work on it. Here are a couple of pictures of my progress on it. You can see that it will really benefit from having a lining put in as it looks very flimsy as it is.

The close up show the top stitched front facing and button band. I just laid it on top and stitched around the outside edge rather than making it as a traditional facing but turned outside as per the instructions. This is because I'll be joining the lining and shell together at the neckline. I'm going to make some covered buttons for the front placket and pocket flaps, but if they don't look right I'll have some more made by the button and belt service that comes through my work.

Finally, I have cut out a toille for the wedding outfit. The dress pattern will be McCalls 5466 view B, probably with modifications, and there'll be a jacket too but I haven't finalised the idea for that yet.

I'm a Cello - who knew?

A while back I bought the new Trinny and Susannah book 'The Body Shape Bible'. I have most of their books and while I usually take the advice with a grain of salt I think they're generally pretty good. Anyhow, I was having problems deciding whether I was a pear except without the flat chest or a skittle with a big bum. I swung between the two and decided that they are not that different essentially so I'd look at and follow the advice for both. The other night I was surfing the web and came across a link to this body shape calculator. After doing the quiz it turns out I'm actually a cello (except without broad shoulders)! So what does this mean? Accentuate the top half, minimise lower half blah blah blah. It's just more of the same general advice. Not that I'm complaining, I like to see nice outfits photographed on real women - it's a much better source of inspiration than pencil thin models and celebrities.

I am really trying to branch out into new shapes and styles at the moment, I'm so bored of jeans, a-line skirts and fitted t-shirts. I accept that I will have a lot of failures along the way but I'm between sizes so trying on stuff in the shops can only give me the vaguest idea of what a style will look like. If I can find just one new shape or style to wear it will have been worth the effort for me. Plus it'll give me the chance to reduce my embarrassingly huge stash of fabric and I'll be able to donate some really nice garments to friends and the local charity shop.

On sewing news, I've finished the tulip skirt. It looks okay, not great (the style not the sewing's fault!) but it really doesn't work on my dummy so I'll post a picture when I can convince my ever-patient fella to take a photo of me wearing it. On to the Threads shift (finally), and making a toille for the wedding outfit. I'll close with a photo of the fabric I'll be using for it (two types of silk dupion).

McCall's Tulip Skirt Part One

I've started putting together the skirt I cut out this week. The pattern I'm using is McCall's M5473 view A. Here are some notes on my progress so far...

I didn't make any major alterations to the pattern, I cut a straight size 14. The only change I did make was to cut the centre back slightly off grain to make sure the split hangs straight and closed. I also added a kick pleat because I don't think the back of my knees are up to the scrutiny!

This photo shows my altered back piece. I added 2cm to the centre back line at the hem edge only tapering to nothing at the waist. I have since pinned the pieces together and I think this will be plenty.

I also added an extra vent piece to the split so I can create an underlap.

The only other change I made was to cut a lining using the altered back piece and the front piece (with the side front layed under to create a whole front instead of a front with pocket). I cut off the hem allowances on the lining. I hope this makes sense - it should become clearer as I go through.

I fused interfacing to the yoke pieces. To stabilise the pocket edges and zip opening edges I used fusible seam tape. I've never done this before, I've always stitched in tape to the pocket seam line and not bothered about the zip opening, but am really happy with the results. Since the skirt will be fully lined I decided not to overlock but to trim the edges with pinking shears.

So far I have put the pockets in and sewed the side seams. Next I'll put the yoke on, insert the invisible zip and construct and set in the lining. I'll post again when it's a bit further along.

PS. I've decided on my wedding outfit and bought material so stay tuned for reports on this project.

PPS Please forgive the formatting. I cannot for the life of me work out how to make the spaces between paragraphs even. Grrr!

Mostly planning, and some cutting

Finally the heat wave has broken! Apparently Perth has experienced the hottest summer in something like 40 years and, boy have we all felt it. But today is much cooler and I know my brain at least is functioning much better.

It has still been far too hot to even go into my sewing room (no airconditioning in there) but I have cut out a couple of things. First a tulip skirt that I will post on soon and finally I got around to cutting out the Threads shift. I feel all enthusiastic again so I hope this one will finally materialise (no pun intended).

The other project to consume my mind this week is a wedding invitation. I love weddings, I think it's great that in these days of a 50% divorce rate couples still have enough faith in their relationship to make a serious, formal commitment to each other. So now I have to come up with the outfit. The wedding is in May, Autumn for us here in Oz, so it will probably be cool but not cold - therefore either a skirt, top and jacket or dress and jacket will be the go. I personally don't wear trousers to weddings but that's mainly because I wear trousers a lot of the time and I like to wear something different when the occasion calls for it. By the same logic I don't wear black. I like the challenge of coming up with something new and not falling back on the same old combinations. I shouldn't even have to mention it but jeans are OUT, as is denim of any kind - but I have seen people wearing jeans to formal weddings and even funerals lately. Perhaps I'm just old fashioned but I do feel it's an honour to be invited to someone's wedding and out of respect I won't wear casual clothes. Elderly relatives also need to be considered, not to mention the service is in a church so the outfit should be elegant and modest but without being dowdy.

I have some options in mind and I'd like to make at least part of the outfit from my enormous stash. Stay tuned for updates on this one...

But for now I'm off to do some sewing in my lovely cool sewing room!

Goddess knit dress

I can't believe how long it is since I posted or, more to the point did anything sewing related. I have several good excuses though. Even though the east coast of Australia has had terrible storms and flooding the west coast has been having a heatwave. Everyone is exhausted and cranky and it is impossible to concentrate on anything! Also I have sciatica and it's been playing up pretty badly lately. I think things will improve now as I've left my sewing job at the bridal shop. I'm sad about it but my body can't handle such long hours in one position. I'll still be doing their pattern cutting on a freelance basis and that's the bit I like best anyway. Finally, I've been really busy with Australia Day, friends birthdays, the Big Day Out and assorted other social events...

Anyway, I haven't done anything sewing related for ages so I'll post about a recent project which turned out pretty well. This dress is made from the Threads pattern Simplicity 3678. I've never done much stretch sewing before but since I bought an overlocker with coverstitch I thought I should start. Well, after 3 hours on a Saturday night wrestling with my new toy, I gave up and sewed the seams on my ancient 3-thread overlocker and the hems with a twin needle. I'll work out the coverstitch eventually (I hope).

I didn't do much to the pattern although it did come out huge! I cut a size 10 graduating to a 12 at the hip but I definately didn't need to do that, I'll cut a straight 10 next time. I had to take a chunk out of the centre back, but I often have to as I have a very narrow back. I took it out as a dart down to the bottom of the middriff band and just gahered the skirt back a bit more on this dress but in future I'll take it out of the pattern. Like most people I omitted the facings and turned the neck edges in and twin stitched. I sandwiched in some clear elastic which rippled a bit so I need to experiment a bit more with this technique. I also put clear elastic into the shoulder seams. I'll probably take it in a bit at the skirt sides and shorten it a bit when I get around to it!

I'm really happy with this dress, it's cool and comfy for the summer and washes well. I love the print, it's called 'goddess' but I'm not sure who the supplier is.

Today I'm going shopping for proper pressing tools. I can't believe I've been sewing for 30 years without proper tools! I have a sleeve board but am in desperate need of a ham and a seam roll. I've been doing a bit of fabric shopping for autumn and winter fabrics this week so I should have some interesting things to post about soon, and I have a wedding to go to in May which will require a kick-ass outfit. No progress on the shift dress as yet but I hope this heatwave will end soon and everyone can go back to being normal functioning human beings.

My next project

Here are the fixings for my next project. I am planning to make Simplicity 3744, view b

but the longer length to disguise my chubby knees. The fabric is a silk cotton blend that I bought at the shop I work at. I'll be lining it in a plain polycotton.

My main concern is that the fabric is very fine and overlocked edges will probably show through to the right side when I press. I don't want to sew the lining to the dress with a jump hem (enclosing any raw edges) because it makes ironing tricky down the track, so what I think I'll do is underline the whole thing. I've pre-washed everything so there shouldn't be any shrinking - I'll just have to cut all the pieces really accurately (I'm normally fairly 'organic').

If all goes to plan I'll cut it out tomorrow or on the weekend, depending on social arrangements. I'll post again when I have some progress to report.