I've made loads of stuff in the last while, but haven't managed to get pictures of most of it yet. Here is what I whipped off in the last couple of days though, a selection of tops using Zoe's free camisole pattern:

can you tell I like pink and black?

There's pink with black/white polka dot elastic, pink/black check with black elastic and (lots of) bows, blue/black check with black elastic and slightly fewer bows, and black lace w/ black lace straps.

excuse the crappy night time pics on my bedspread

I just got two bags of bows in the post a few days ago, and apparently they are going to be on everything now. Zoe's pattern is perfect, and I can see that I might very well end up with more of this top than is entirely necessary, especially since it takes about half an hour to make! The only thing I would change about it is the size chart: instead of being in bust size, it's in dress size, so I had to do a little research (ie. googled it) to see how that translated. Although if you actually buy clothing, this probably isn't an issue! I ended up using a size 12, and it fits like a glove. The only change I made was chopping 4 or 5 inches off the bottom, since I like shorter tops. I'll try to get some action shots of these when I photograph all my other new makes, but until then, enjoy a preview of my entirely me-made halloween costume :)

with co-workers cropped out for discretion

knits!

I was inspired by all the pictures around the internet of people's Renfrews, so I got a copy of the pattern, got a bunch of jersey, and got over my inherent fear of knits!

My  first try had my usual adjustments (lengthen above the waist, swayback), and it was great for figuring out what settings my machine needed for knits and getting confidence with construction. However, there was way way too much ease for my liking in the size 10 the envelope said I should be using. Enter another round of tracing and altering and generally fiddling with the pattern, and I have this:

This time it is a size 6, 1" added above the waist, 6" (!)  hacked off the bottom (I like my shirts to end near the waist, apparently), 1 1/2" swayback adjustment, and a shortened waist band to account for the new seamline width.

I used the leftover pink bamboo rayon from the first (semi-failed) version for the waist and sleeve bands, as it was conveniently an exact colour match (at least I'm consistent in my colour lust, haha).

It didn't occur to make a pattern matching attempt until it was already all cut out, der. Maybe I'll remember when I'm working with the blue/black version of this fabric that's in my stash.

So there you go, knits aren't half as tricky as I had feared, and I have a new pattern obsession. This one got whipped off yesterday in between going to buy more hair dye and lazzing about with my man, and I've already finished another one in purple!

Doesn't exactly match my hair, haha, but similar!

I plan on trying out all of the neckline options, and possibly patterning some new ones if I get gutsy, but the sleeves will probably stay short; I always seem to overheat wearing long sleeves, and am actually contemplating how I might make this sleeveless.

Anyway, there's already a pretty blue version with the scoop neck option, sitting cut out and ready to go on my table, but that may have to wait until after some gaming. Wouldn't want to be TOO productive :P.

Time to play catch up, part 1

I finally remembered to get new batteries for my camera, so I'm back, and with four months of sewing projects to photograph and post. I couldn't resist getting some of it out of the way right now, forgive the poorly lit nightime shots in my kitchen :P. I did the tops now, and I'll do dresses tomorrow when there's some daylight to work with :).

blue sorbetto front

I think I already posted a picture of this, come to think of it, but well, here's another one, haha. My first sorbetto, no pleat, blue drapey fabric with a black and white pattern of flowers or leaves or something like that.

...and back

In retrospect, I wish I had made self binding instead of what I had on hand, because the weight is different and it sits funny at the neck and arms because of it. It was still very nice to have around in the hot summer days though.

red sorbetto front

This was more of a refashion in a way, I had used this fabric for a skirt last year, only I cut it with the slight stretch going up and down (facepalm), and it ended up sitting really weirdly because of it, so I never wore the damn thing. It makes a lovely sorbetto though, also with no pleat, and I even got the stretch right this time :P.

...and back

And with this one I learned from my mistakes and made a self binding. While the blue one had inside binding, I did this one on the outside to show off the fun bias  check pattern. It's a bit of visual interest, and this one sits much more nicely.

pink lingerie top front

Somehow I ended up obsessed with Japanese pattern books, and had to buy one. And then it came, became a good excuse for me to finally start learning Japanese (I'm half way through the first alphabet/syllabary :)), and was so cool I had to buy another one. This is the first thing I made from that second one, a bias cut camisole in some weird pale pink slinky fabric that my boyfriend says looks like lingerie because it is so shiny.

...and back

It has narrow straps that cross in the back, and I added a casing with elastic between them because the whole thing ended up way to loose across the back. I mostly like this top because it goes well with the thing I made right before it...

plaid bolero front

This super adorable little half jacket. I've had a few of Wearing History's patterns for over a year now, but this is the first one I got up the nerve to trace off and use, and I have to say it was a quite pleasurable experience. The instructions where brief but sufficient, and the fit is lovely. I find it funny, a lot of people seem to have problems with vintage patterns in regards to modern body types, but I always find that they fit me much better with less alterations that modern patterns do.

...and back

These were my first inset sleeves that didn't have pleats or gathers in the pattern, and I was rather nervous about the whole idea, but in the end they went in like a dream. Not a wrinkle or pucker in sight, and now I'm itching to try more sleeves, haha. Be prepared to see a lot more of this fabric, a co-worker gave me 6m of it, and it's extra wide so I'm squeezing loads of things out of it. I already have this, a dress, and a half circle skirt cut out, and there's still 2 1/2m left! I'm debating how silly plaid trousers would be. And making a dress for me Dad's super cute two year old god-daughter.

polka dot cami front

And finally, this afternoon I felt like I should get something done other than read on this lovely long weekend, so I started a second shirt from pattern book number two. And then it went together so easily that I finished it too! I hadn't thought there was enough of this fabric to make a whole shirt, and had been planning to use it as a big contrasting collar or something, but I just managed to squeeze this out of it. Giant polka dots! And the binding/straps are black with small white polka dots too. This pattern used the same midriff pieces as the pink one, but cut on the straight grain, so I knew to take about four inches out along the centre back this time. It's a little harder to wriggle into, but the fit is much nicer.

...and back

I think I'm going to have to make a whole bunch of cami tops, and a selection of cute boleros to go with them for at work (no bare shoulders allowed). And skirts to match the boleros! And maybe trousers too, all Marlene Dietrich chic. Oooh, I'm getting excited, haha.

Tomorrow, an ode to my new love of dresses: When you just can't be bothered to find two clean pieces of clothing ;)

sometimes i'm nice to people :)

I realised that there aren't any pictures up here yet of the things I have made for other people, and it's high time that was rectified.

Mostly I stick with garment sewing, but for x-mass last year I ventured out of my comfort zone and made a quilt for my mom. I think it turned out pretty well for a first attempt, although of course it wasn't particularly complicated.

She lovely gardening, so I appliquéd veggies, flowers, and insects onto half of the squares. (this sounds fancier than it was, I just stuck them in place with chunks of steam-a-seam tape, and then zig-zaged around the edges with contrasting thread). The background is all green/brown toned for the dirt, and the backing is sky blue flannelette so that it's nice and cozy to use for curling up on the couch is she wants. I used the thickest batting my local big fabric shop had, which was a pain to work with, but ended up nice and fluffy. The layers are quilted together around the edges of the squares. It was quite the learning process, and there are things I would do differently next time, but my mom loves it, and that is the important thing :). (I kind of want to make myself one of the same style, but made to look like a chess board, mid game).

I do a fair bit of sewing with/for one of my friends, usually in lovely up-half-the-night marathon sewing sessions full of girly-ness, bad tv, and junk food, haha. Unfortunately, I didn't think to take pictures of the two sun-dresses I made for her last summer, but I do have some of the corset/bustier we made from the leftover dress fabric. It was loosely based on simplicity 9769, and altered for fit and length.

While I'm looking for dramatic waist reduction in a corset, she wanted one that was snug and supportive, but not too tight (slender thing she is there isn't much "squish" to her waist anyway). It's boned with rigilene, and has a lining/strength layer of cotton twill. We bound it with black satin bias tape I had lying around, and closes with black satin ribbon laced through a printed black lacing tape.

When I finally get around to making some for myself, they will be constructed rather differently, but as this doesn't have to stand up to tight-lacing, we went with looks over industrial strength durability :).

And finally, not exactly for someone specific, are these cuties.

I mostly made them to avoid working on a Chantilly in the same fabric (damn procrastination). I saw scraps, an early seventies bikini pattern I had lying around, and couldn't resist. However, they do not even remotely fit me, so I will either by seeing if one of my skinny friends wants them, or throwing together the matching bikini top and saving them up for when I get around to getting a credit card and opening an etsy shop, haha.

Oh right, I guess this counts too. Using the same pattern as the purple one, but with no alterations except for lacing up the front as well as the back, I made myself a little white eyelet corset with pink binding and pink ribbon laces.

It was mostly a test piece, and did not fit me very well (too big in the bust, too small in the hip, an awkward mid-bust height, etc). So instead of letting it languish unworn in my closet, it went to join it's purple companion in my dear friend's wardrobe. This one has spiral steel boning and proper grommets, but is otherwise the same construction as the other one.

Sometimes it's nice to share :).

progress, finally

With Betty-the-Janome happily back in her place on my coffee table, I'm finally making progress on the pink and grey plaid shirt. I catch: I can't seem to care about it. I know I need more shirts, and that it will be very cute, etc, but all I can think about are pretty dresses with matching half jackets, fourties trousers, sweet little tops in brightly coloured silks. Spring is popping up all over, and it's whispering to me to make gingham dresses, not flannel shirts. Unfortunately, all of the projects I'm excited about have either the pattern or the fabric (or both) still in the post, so I'll just have to bide my time.

shapeless box of a shirt

So far, I have the darts, side, and shoulder seams sewn and edged in bias tape, with the sleeves about to be put in. I'm a little nervous about those; not only have I not set in sleeves since grade nine home ec, but after unthinkingly taking in the side seam on the blouse body, my sleeve hole is two inches smaller than it started out being. Pinning that much out of the arm seam made for awkwardly snug sleeves, so I'm going to try either gathers or tucks in the sleeve cap to take up the extra slack. With some luck it will look like an interesting design feature instead of a slapdash fix, ha ha. My first attempt at pattern matching didn't work very well, I will have to read up on it in my lovely new sewing books before trying it again.

side seam pattern matching = fail

After that I guess I'm done for the night, as I realised when I went to cut it out that I'm right out of interfacing for the collar and button strips. Oh dear, that means it's off to the fabric store for me tomorrow morning, with all their pretty spring fabrics... and a fifty percent off everything sale... Somehow I think I'll be coming home with more than interfacing ;).

As far as me-made-march goes, I've been good about remembering to do it, but not so much about the photographing. Days 6, 7, and 11 somehow got missed, but here's the rest of the week:

day 8/12

Me made pink peasant skirt, with black/white striped shirt on day 8, black/pink striped shirt on day 12.

day 9

Me made pink ruffle shirt, with a lovely pink skirt from the now closed In The Starlight website.

day 10

Me made red peasant top with me made grey corduroy jumper skirt.

And next week I'll try to remember pictures every day, and hopefully some new wardrobe additions to show off :).

challenge outfits

As I have yet to get up and do something productive with my next project, here are days 3 to 6 of the me-made-march challenge.

day 3

Full length, self drafted, ruffled peasant skirt, made from my christmas present fabric, and a matching blouse (new look 6599) with ruffled lace trim and heart buttons. I still have some extra fabric left over to make a matching corset and shrug, one of these days. 

day 4

And this is when I ran out of self made shirts, ha ha. Self drafted corduroy and satin kilt with black eyelet trim.

day 5

 One of my first sewing projects, two layer ruffled skirt with ribbons sewn into the waistband on top and between the layers, which can be tied together to gather the top skirt layer at each side seam. I rarely use it, but it's nice to have in case I feel like dressing like a bar wench, ha ha.

Day 6 (today) is just day 3s skirt and a rtw top. 

Bonus Jewellery shot from day 2, self made dangley earrings and super cute octopus pendant from etsy.