The last six months, part 2

Ok, lets bump off the rest of my show and tell backlog! First, tutus!

happy tutu face, haha

I actually made this while still at the old house, so almost a year ago, but it needed re-hemming for most of that time, and didn't get worn much. It's a full circle of nasty shiny black stuff for lining, and quarter circles of alternating black and purple tulle over the top. Eight of each, I believe, but I'm too lazy to get up and check :P. Tulle doesn't need to hang, but the lining did, and wasn't, so it stuck out from under the netting in places and looked icky. I wanted to wear it to my birthday picnic last year, so I ended up putting it on Lenore, trimming the lining (but not the tulle), and then making shiny purple bias tape to encase the edge. So much easier than hemming a circle! And added bonus purple, you can't loose :).   (yet another free Zo pattern top, this time blue check with black fold-over elastic and more bows)

And then I needed another one! For this one, the lining is done the same way, only with nice rayon bemberg (it feels so silky and yummy). Instead of one layer of tulle gethered at the waist, this one is three layers of net circles, each slightly shorter than the one below. In my head, this looked really cool, but in real life you can't really tell, and it just makes the lining look too long, even though it is indeed covered by the lower layer of tulle. Next time I might try making it several layers of double circles gathered at the top, and all the same length. Eventually I will have the perfect tutu! Oh yeah, both have super wide coloured elastic as the waist, the one part I wouldn't change.  

(this top I made from two rectangles of scrap lace, folded in the middle for the shoulders, and sewn together half way up all the sides. The front is the same as the back, but I didn't get any good front pictures. It is very see-through, haha.)

I made a Hollyburn, and it rocks. (As soon as this pattern was released, I knew it had to be made from this fabric, with button tabs and pink buttons. In my head they were hot pink, but I had two big pink heart buttons in my stash, and didn't want to go to the store, haha. The fabric is eyelet, so I underlined it with lime green cotton, also from my stash. This is officially the only thing I own with functional pockets! I have yet to use them, having no idea what to put in a pocket, but the idea is nice, haha. Can I go on the record saying this pattern is lovely to work with, well constructed, and full enough to go over my massive hips without grading, woo! I have at least one more planned already, and probably many more in the future.

I actually love the alternating green and pink buttons on the top, even if they are only there to keep it from being unwearable.

The shirt is part of an ongoing project to perfect the fit of this pattern. I love the neckline, and sleeveless tops in general, and the pin tucks are a great detail. It is giving me some grief, but this one is better than my first attempt, so I haven't lost hope yet! This version ended up rather too tight (so much that I added a second set of buttons in between the first batch, to keep it from gaping terribly), but that can be fixed with smaller SA and narrower pin tucks next time. And I think I need to lower the armhole to compensate for the adjusted shoulder seams. Luckily the pattern uses less than a meter of fabric, so I can make a bunch from odds and ends until it is perfect!

I made the pleated trim myself, because I'm awesome like that.

Fun fact: the shirt fabric was originally white, but I pre-washed it with something red (face-palm), and dying it properly pink was easier than trying to bleach it properly white again. I had so much fun, I've been dying everything!

And that's it! All caught up, hell yeah! I have a (hopefully) awesome dress on the go right now, and a four day weekend *happy dance*, but I feel like finally making an apron today instead, so the dress will have to wait at least a few hours. Here's a preview/tease: