Simplicity 1783: Denim Skirt

My last version of this skirt stretched out over time and I donated it in the last big wardrobe cleanout. For a skirt I didn't wear that often I've really  missed having it.

This pattern needs bugger all fabric, I squeezed this out of just over 1m of denim leftover from a pair of jeans. This denim is thicker than my first version and sits a bit stiffer but it wears well and I know it will soften up with a few more washes.

I made the skirt a pull-on, not just because I'm obsessed with pull on bottoms at the moment, but the first waistband stretched out at least a couple of sizes and at least with an elastic waistband I don't have to worry about that happening again!

Pattern details;
Size 18
Tilted waist adjustment - removed 2" from front rise
Changed the vent from the front to the back

I really love the vent on this pattern, very easy to sew and sits really nicely while wearing.

Colette Macaron 1001: Macaron dress

 

This poor pattern has been totally hacked and changed from the original this time. I sit a lot in my job and I found the original skirt was quite poofy when I was sitting but I also hated the full circle skirt version I made (I never even wore it after the photos, gave it to the salvos instead). This is maybe a 1/4 circle skirt and it seems to work really well.

I had trouble fitting this dress, it seems the combination of a changing shape and using a knit that has 4 way stretch made it too long. I'd basted it together for a try on and I'm glad I did because I ended up unpicking it more times than I'd like to admit to get it to fit better!
I changed construction order too - so the side seams were the last to be sewn up. This is my new favourite technique, makes it so easy to adjust at a later date.

Pattern details;
Size 12 knit yoke (got the idea from Patty the Snug Bug)
Size 18 bodice with the darts converted into princess seams
Skirt is from Newlook 6390

Fabric details; Sateen is from Spotlight and the knit is from GJ Discount fabrics. I'm slowly sewing through my stash!

Rainbow quilt

My Mum lives on a few acres outside of a small country town and a few years ago she painted her front fence in rainbow colours. People either love it or hate it, but it certainly suits my Mum and her extroverted personality!
I've been wanting to make her a quilt for ages and it had to be a rainbow one. I started to make her the Wavelength quilt out of Modern Quilting but after I started it, I just didn't like it so did some panic googling to find another idea to use the fabric for.
I found this awesome quilt by buttontree lane. I had enough different shades of fabric and already had the dark charcoal for the background.

I wanted it to end up nice and big so used fairly big hst (6.5"). The quilt is 96" x 96" (240cmx240cm) finished. I didn't get any photos but the backing is the left over grey and the binding is a black and white stripe.

I had help basting it from our new kitten!

Its kind of huge, I free motion quilting the grey sections but left the colours unquilted. I found it tends to dull out the colours a bit when they are quilted and I wanted it as bright as possible, plus the effect it has looks cool, lol.





All in all, I'm really happy how it truned out and Mum loves it!

2015 Year in review

I've left it too late this year to do the top 5 makes or top 5 fails so thought I'd do a bit of a mixed review post.

This year has been full of ups and downs in both sewing and life.

I lost my beautiful little boy cat in January.

I made this in February and still wear it all the time to work. McCalls 6754

Around March/April I got diagnosed with depression and social anxiety, its under control now but I had a few months where I didn't even touch my sewing machine.

I finally started to feel like me again and started sewing regularly in the last part of the year. In September I made the Cascade duffle for the second time.
I'm pretty proud of this jacket, its one where I feel I nailed it on matching a fabric to a pattern perfectly.

October saw our daughter turn 16 and get her Learners

October also saw my worse quilting disaster. I got a homespun from Lincraft, made 2 cot quilts and when I washed them the dye ran so bad I don't think it was ever set. I used a total of 10 colour catchers which it saturated and tried 2 dylon colour run savers which didn't do anything.....I complained and made sure they removed that bolt from the store but at the end of the day I doubt I will ever buy fabric from Lincraft again.



This is a scrap of the same fabric sitting on top of the washed quilt, shows how much colour had washed out

In November the daughter went on a school camp to the Grampians. Now this is a kid who has competed in Karate for 4 years and had just returned from a student exchange overseas without a scratch. Well she managed to fall over and broke her cheekbone. Luckily it didn't need surgery and healed up really quickly.

I've been pretty busy with karate, attended 3 seminars and 2 gradings this year. Started coaching a lot more too. I had a seminar in December in Melbourne where I got to meet Jesse Enkamp (it was so hot I am barely functioning in this photo! It reached about 45 degrees celcius in the dojo...)

I also finally listened to my doctor and lost some weight this year (I have osteoarthritis in my knees and for the first time in a couple of years am not in pain). I had to do a big clean out of the wardrobe and will be madly sewing in the new year to replace a lot of basics.

We got a new rescue kitten just before Christmas, she's called Neko (Japanese for cat). She's currently sleeping on my chest as I type this!

So onwards to 2016! I have an overflowing stash I want to sew through. We have booked tickets to Tokyo in August so all available money will be going towards that instead of new fabric anyway. I'm finally starting to get a better feel for what I need and wear, it's not exciting or glamorous clothing but it gets used a lot.

Happy New Year to everyone!

Closet Case Files: Distressed Ginger Jean shorts

I love sewing my own jeans and I love how much better they fit than rtw, but geez I wish there were more denim options than plain dark denim. So what do you do when you want a pair of light denim or distressed jeans? You play with bleach/sandpaper/scissors!

I made a couple of samples;

Bleach;

Sandblasting (which made no real difference, I used my husbands sandblaster but he has a very fine sand in it so I imagine a coarser sand would work better?);

Sandpaper and bleach;

The pattern is my TNT Ginger Jeans, shortened into above knee shorts. Same adjustments as usual (sz 18, added to inner leg 1", wedge taken from outer leg and extended calf adjustment plus I added a pull on waistband like my last pair)

To get the distressing I did some sandpapering before topstitching, then put the shorts on and marked with chalk the common wear areas. I made a half and half solution of bleach and water in a spray bottle, which I sprayed onto a rag and scrubbed into the fabric (gives a lot more control than just spraying straight onto the fabric). I did it about 5 times, giving it 10-15mins between each application, only dampening the fabric with the bleach solution not saturating it. When I was happy with it I washed them with some vinegar (meant to help stabilise the bleach?) and dried them.

My daughter tells me I did the distressing too low and I agree with her - the fade should have started further up.

I did the cuts with a pair of scissors and tweezers. I wasn't too sure about it to begin with but I'm liking it the more I wear them.

It was a fun project, I wouldn't use the sandpaper again, I don't like the damage it does to the fabric and I doubt I'd do the cuts again either. But I really like how the bleaching went and I'd definitely use that again.

SBCC: 301 Moto Chic Jacket

 

I loved Heather Lou's version of this jacket and when I realised I have a similar fabric decided to make a version (imitation is the best form of flattery, right...right?)

Fabric is a mystery herringbone from Lincraft. It pressed as if it had some wool content but I imagine it's mostly polyester.
Lining is a sunsilky from the stash. I made the binding for the hem out of it too.
Because my fabric has a fairly soft hand, I interfaced the entire jacket outer with a medium weft interfacing. I also added a back neck facing.

Adjustments;
I made an XL, graded in at the waist to a L.
1" FBA 
1" wide back adjustment
1.5" to the arm width
added 2" to the arm length.
Doubled the back peplum width - when I made it up it just looked too flat and I wanted more gathers!

Its meant to be a cropped jacket, I'm fairly short through the waist so made the length as is and it hits my waistline perfectly. I would prefer to add a couple of inches to the peplum though if I made it again.

The instructions are, well, horrible....they are written as if you were making it out of leather which is fine but if you try to insert the zipper that way its inside out for a fabric jacket....There is a sewalong up now which helps a bit but is also mostly written for leather. I did make a muslin and its fairly obvious how to construct once you've made it. I'll put up with no instructions though if its an interesting pattern and I really do love the shape.

I added some press-studs so I could wear it open - I don't tend to wear any jackets or tops that go up to my neck. I also added the studs to the inner facing as I found mine sagged down. My fabric is fairly thin though, even with it interfaced.

It's an interesting pattern, I like the fit and how the peplum is unlined. Its a pretty version of a moto jacket and would look really nice with a dress too. Even though I look grumpy as hell in these photos I am really happy with it!