Grey for a grey day

 

Mental note, smile in all future photos and never allow your daughter to take a photo with camera held at waist level. It makes you look twice your real size!  But guys it's cold, wet and misable here in Sydney.  Time to bring out my new skirt made with a remnant piece of grey and black leopard print ponte from my stash.  I made another skirt using this fabric that I have worn to death, blogged about here. I used Vogue 8603 again, this time including the gathers front and back.  It is lined with red synthetic lining however after a day in the city I've decided to remove it as is doesn't move with the garment.  The fabric is quite thick so doesn't really need a lining.  Think I'll take the opportunity to shorten it as well.  The coat is also self-made and well worn from last winter.  I blogged about it here.
I am making a very interesting jacket at the moment which I hope to finish on the weekend.

Nice outfit, bad photo

Husbie arrived just as I was about to leave so I asked for a photo.  Four shots later, this is the best of breed.  Next up another version of Vogue 8603 in grey and black leopard print ponte and a vintage style jacket in green and white crinoline.  No they are not a set! 

Simply stylish ...in my opinion

 

 In the absence of the household photographers I'm adding a quick shot of my lastest project Butterick 5472.  This a very easy pattern that hasn't received enough attention in blogland.  Firstly, it is great to have a cowl neck pull on dress that can be made in a woven fabric.  The front is cut on the bias.  I've used a satin faille from Tessuti.  The jacket is made from a beautiful soft jersey also from Tessuti.  My only suggestion is if you use a knit for the jacket, don't use woven lining (the back is lined with lining, the front pieces are self-lined making it a fabric hungry pattern). It hangs and moves differently.  My only other suggestion is that the pockets would benefit from interfacing - they droop a little too much in the knit fabric.

Wearing it with boots to the theatre tonight - Sydney Theatre Company's production de jour - The White Guard with Miranda Otto.  Also thoroughly recommend Terminus by Ireland's Abby Theatre Company to my fellow Sydney-siders.

More corporate wardrobe builders on the way.

Mission Accomplished!

 

The coat had its first outing tonight and I think it has just the right feel - casual rumpled intellectual.  We still need to work on the modelling and the shirt is looking a bit tired.  He likes the coat and conceded that I'd done a good job.  But he's not so keen on the khaki.  Can't get past the military thing and the fact that it is the same colour as my daughter's school blazer.   There are a few little things that I think could be improved, but overall I'm proud of it.

I have recently acquired some OOP men's patterns in my armoury, Burda 6111(parka), McCalls 8409 (shirts) Vogue 8043 (trousers) and McCalls 3363 (pullovers and zip jackets), so expect further forays into menswear. 

 

Next up I'm working on Butterick 5472 for me.  My mission - should I choose to accept it - Tessuti's sale is on after all - is to make up the dress, top, jacket and pants as a coordinated set using only fabrics from my stash.  Certainly worth a try.

Victory by stealth - Mission underway

The man jacket is coming along nicely, after a wet long weekend in Sydney.  So far, so good.  I did make one fundamental mistake, but not a fatal one.  When I adjusted for a large chest, I forgot to move the dart over by about 2 cms. Not that noticable, just annoying. 

The other minor annoyance is that the my pad stitching doesn't exactly match the turn of the collar.  I had to guess it as it is not marked on the pattern.  I'm sure it would be there on a classically tailored jacket pattern.  No matter. 

Making a man jacket is a great way to explore new sewing techniques.  I've been guided by a great book Tailoring: The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket.  The illustrations and explanations in the book are so clear.   I managed half-way decent bound buttonholes and a bound wallet pocket in the lining.

I also owe the pocket technique to my friend Diana in Canada who posted a great method for adding pockets without top-stitching.  So good I've added a few pictures to explain.  Step 1: attach the lining in the pocket placement position, leaving the top seam allowance open. Step 2: press the seam allowance upward into the pocket. Step 3: attach the right side of the fabric pocket to the lining.  Step 4: pin the pocket in place and hand-stitch in place. 

Overall, I'm happy with my progress. All that is left to be done is to piece together and insert the lining and sew on the buttons. Snappo!  I think my Mojo is back!



Venturing into menswear and mojo sapping projects

Sydney is having the coldest winter in forty years and my dear, daggy husband hasn't a warm coat that is fit for wearing in public.  After a quick perusal of the store offerings, he asked me if I could make him one.  Challenging, yes.  But the positive side is that it may be my chance to change his rag bag ways. A coat here, a shirt there - victory by stealth is my plan.

Fitting and pattern preparation was not as easy as I'd planned. Burda Style 08/2009 133 was cut as a muslin and we couldn't fit the sleeves.  Despite a number of adjustments they refused to hang correctly.  So we opted for Vogue 8719.  Fitting was again an issue - partly due to husbie's delusion that he was a size smaller than his measurement's suggested.  Tissue fitting showed that we needed the next size up and several centimetres more in the chest.  Is the male equivalent of a full bust adjustment a BCA (big chest adjustment)?  Fortunately my adjustment worked a treat and with a good fitting muslin, I cut into my khaki green pure wool, purchased from a deceased estate.  I'm using a combination of traditional, custom tailoring and fusible interfacings, as shown in this illustration.  This method is surprisingly quick and quite meditative.  The hand stitching on under collar makes shaping the collar quite easy.  The pattern isn't lined, so I've had to change the front facing piece and add a back facing.  It also has no collar stand or back vents.  Great for ease of sewing but not particularly tailored.

 The red jacket is almost finished.  I've used Simplicity 2313 version D .  This version has strange pintucks to hold the frill erect which I ignored. I'll probably add a few handstitches near the bust point to stop it from flopping down. I need to unpick and redo the button holes which were a bit of a disaster in terms of placement.  MOJO SAPPER NO. 1.

My Chanel style jacket wasn't finished last winter and I fear it may never see the light.  It needs one sleeve to be handsewn into place, the lining hand attached and the sleeves shorted with bands added.  My heart isn't in this project - MOJO SAPPER NO 2.

Rachel came home from Melbourne last weekend for my B'day and asked me to make some t-shirts for laying under sweaters etc.  I made one from Burda style 12/2009 121 using some cheap fabric in my stash which didn't behave under my needles.  The finished tee is fine but it made me cross - MOJO SAPPER NO 3.

But a nice piece of khaki wool and a mission - MOJO RETUNRED!

Its red white and blue, but its not a flag

Another new blouse and skirt set completed and I am very happy with the results. The blouse is made from very sheer silk chiffon using a combination of Simplicity 2732 and the sleeves from McCalls 5433

These are both terrific blouse patterns that I highly recommend. I should post a picture of the inside of the blouse - I've used French seams and binding around the sleeves and under the bust and it is very well made.

I made the skirt to match in navy blue Italian ponte from Tessutis. The pattern is Vogue 8603. I only used the gathers in the front and kept the back plain. The skirt is lined, with an invisible zip at the centre back seam. It was easy to fit and very quick to make. I will definitely made a few more of these.

Next up, a red ponte jacket to finish the outfit and I am planning a few more corporate sets that can be mixed and matched.