Giveaway winners!

Well, seing as I went back and got more of the silk thread this week I decidedx to give a couple more reels away so here are the 5 winners! (Do you like my high tech method of picking out the winners, lol!)



If you see your name and I haven't contacted you (Lyndle and Joyce in NC), just email me at suzybeesews (at) hotmail (dot) com with your address and I'll send them out :)

Happy sewing!

Simplicity 2224: Linen pants

So pink linen pants, doesn't everyone have a pair? Lol, I picked this linen/rayon blend from Spotlight, its a gorgeous fabric, I think it must be the rayon in it that makes it feel so soft. I used my pants block on a sz XL and made a couple of changes to this pattern, it has an elastic waist and no waistband which isnt a really flattering look on me so I changed it to have a waistband and only put elastic in the back and graded it in at the top a bit.


I flat felled the seams in the front and back and just serged the side and inner seams.


I'm still getting used to woven pants, they feel quite baggy and I'm not sure about the back of them, they look well, baggy. I'm not sure if thats normal for woven pants because I've never owned a pair before! But they are seriously comfortable and should be nice in spring/summer.

1year Blogversary!

A huge thankyou to everyone who reads my blog, seriously when I started I thought it would just be a way to record my sewing projects for myself and that my Mum would be the only follower, lol, I never thought I would reach a few followers let alone 60plus! I am still stunned at the lovely comments and the support that the sewing community has given me.

I've really enjoyed having a blog, its nice to feel a sense of community and being around other people who actually care what a bound buttonhole is! It's helped me a lot with my finishing and I tend to unpick and redo if I need to, I always think I can't post with it looking like that!! And I'm also a lot more confident in photos now and am actually smiling these days (compared to my early posts when all I did was scowl!)

I thought I'd have a little giveaway to say thanks! I managed to score a heap of Guttermann silk thread on sale the other day (I won't say how many came home with me, other than it was lots!) So I have 4 lots of 2 to give away - its great for any hand basting and really nice to make machine buttonholes with!


So leave a comment for me (make sure I can contact you through it). I'm happy to post international and I'll pick some random winners next week.
Good luck!

Jalie 2908: Blue denim

This is the second time I've made this pattern (first is here).
So, I used my pants block and cut pretty much a sz DD, grading in at the waist. I changed the waistband, making it double the height and curved and used a stretch denim I had in my stash.
They've already stretched out a lot from wearing them for these photos, they went from nearly too tight to falling off me! They really need to be taken in a lot now and they have a lot of bunching/excess fabric on the back of the legs. I haven't had that happen before and I'm not really sure how to fix it, or honestly if I can be bothered to. I know nearly everyone loves this pattern but for whatever reason I've not had a great run with it - I've never worn the first pair I made and I don't know that I'll wear these either unless I get excited and unpick them.....

On the positive side, I really like the construction method especially the waistband and zipper method and I like how they look like a real pair of jeans with the yoke and pocket style.



I used a polkadot stretch poplin for the facings.


The pants block doesn't seem to translate as easily into tight pants, I think if I was going to sew them a lot I'd make another seperate block but I do prefer my wider leg pants which work well with it. A lot of pants sewing seems to come down to the type of material you use and how much stretch is in it which is something I'm still learning how to allow for.

Simplicty 1783: Pants

Second pair of pants using my pants block! These are the 3/4 length pants from S1783, same pattern I used to make my denim skirt.

Since I was using stretch fabric this time (bengalene from Lincraft), I took 2cm off the inner leg seam and 2.5cm off the outside leg seam. It meant I cut about a sz 24. One thing to note about the pants block - I have found it so much easier to grade patterns up while using it which is fantastic if you don't always fit in the standard sizes.
The side seams are pulling backwards at the top again so I've adjusted my pants block to hopefully correct this on future pants.

I really like the square front pockets, the pattern has the opening to the side which I think is kind of strange, the first time I'd sit down in them my phone would fall out! So these open to the top.

Red sateen facings again (I've got a heap of it to use up so get used to seeing it!!)


The pants length was a little odd, I'm just over 5'6" and these hit just at my ankle, not long enough to be pants but not short enough to be capri's! I cut 6" off them and did a 3" hem to get them to this length. Next pair I make I'm going to add some length to make them into proper pants

I've been on the hunt for pants just like this for summer, they're surprisingly hard to find in RTW down here!

Sewaholic 1203: Twill Thurlows

Welcome to my month of pants! I finished up my pants block with StephC this week and I can't say how happy I am with the finished result so now its time to work on transferring the block into patterns.
It was easier to trace/transfer over than I thought but I did make a bit of a newbie error on these pants - I didn't pin out the front dart so the added width of the dart has skewed the side seams at the top, add that to the fact that this material is a crappy polyester twill that gave me all kinds of hell sewing it means the side seams embarressing enough I nearly didn't put up the side photo!
But it was a good learning experience and if I make the Thurlow's again I'll be changing the pockets a bit (turning them into classic pockets with a pocket stay) and making the waistband wider. Having said all that though I am very proud of how smooth these pants sit at the front without any extra adjustment other than using my block.

I added a bright red sateen facing and red buttonholes (I've become rather obsessed with Sherlock and I love the red buttonhole on his coat!).



So stay tuned for more pants! I have plain, bright, long, capri's and jeans planned!

So a huge thanks to Steph who gracefully dealt with looking at more pictures of my crotch than anyone ever should have to!

Vogue 8648: Skater dress

Another copycat dress from RTW! I've liked this one at citychic and a friend of mine said she wished the black was on the outside to help create a taller/slimmer shape.

Source

Since I had already muslined up this pattern for the Couture dress plus the pattern was very close to the same design lines of the skater dress I decided to use it. I know I had originally done a FBA to the muslin but for some reason it wasn't on my pattern pieces so I didn't do one to this dress...I think the only reason I got away without it was using the ponte knit, but the bust doesn't fit as well as I'd like so next dress I make from this pattern will definitely have one! The underbust seam is about an inch too high and its stopping the waist from sitting properly.



This was a sz22 with about an inch taken out of each side to help it fit. I constructed this a little different than usual, doing the side seams last. I've found with this cheap ponte from Lincraft that it stretches out over time so this way its an easy fix to tighten up the side seams if I need to.


I added pockets!


I like the way the skirt hangs on this dress, I'd like to make it out of a cotton sateen to make the circle skirt stand out a bit more!