New favourite jacket is an old favourite

 

 I need a new camera.  This rather grainy image doesn't do justice to my new favourite Autumn jacket - an old favourite for some of you.  I've used Burda 04/09 jacket 116 and can only conclude that this is a great pattern.  My fabric, a khaki/brown/black ponte is so comfortable to wear and holds up well after a long day at work.  It is rather late and I need to head off for bed, but wanted to post a wearing photo before I changed into the jamies.  The inside of the jacket is pretty impressive, so will post a more detailed review tomorrow.

Blouse factory

Just a short post to let you all know I'm still on planet earth. While I haven't been doing much blogging due to regular interstate commutes to see my mother who has been in poor health, I've been churning out blouses from my TNT blouse pattern McCalls 5433.  This one is in navy blue silk with gorgeous filagree silver vintage buttons.  I've also made a crisp white one. 

Now I know that they say that a crisp white blouse is a wardrobe must have.  But frankly mine leaves me a little cold.  It is beautifully made, the fabric first quality, I just look frumpy in it.

Not so my DD, who looks gorgeous in just about anything.  I copied this blouse from her favourite Zara shirt.  The skirt is also self drafted.  You have no idea the joy that 40 cms of ice blue corduroy can give a young girl.  She looks pretty cool don't you think?

I started work on a new Burda jacket today and am very impressed with the results so far.  Pics shortly. 

Happy sewing ladies...and gents!

Finally a finished item and some nice awards

I feel a little larger than life in this blouse - a signal that my weight gain is getting out of control - start walking home from work.  The fabric was bought in London and I had something else in mind, so only purchased a metre.  I compromised and cut the Collette Jasmine on the straight rather than bias grain.  It works well enough, but if you are doing this be sure to add an extral centimetre of ease.  I didn't do this and feel that it is a little clingy over the bust.  The pants are from Burda, blogged about here.

I'll let you in on a secret. I'm not a big fan of Collette patterns.  The designs are nice but they are not that well drafted and not true to size.  This blouse is a case in point.  I had to nip about four centimetres from the neckline and the should have taken a little more out from the armhole.  My other issue is the unnecessary facing around the neck.  A far better result is achieved by using biased binding.  Join the binding in a vee shape at the centre front, understitch then sew inplace.  It sits very neatly under the collar and you have no concerns about ironing the facing down or having it pop out.  I've used French seams, bound arm hole seams and attached the cuff with a seam and a hand finish on the inside of  turning so the overall finish of the garment is very neat.

Now the awards which I confess to being tardy about recognising and sharing.  Apparently I'm a Versatile Blogger, according to Diana from Canada and Judith from Australia.  I have another award from Becky which I'll tell you about next posting.

To accept you follow these rules:
1.  add the award to your blog
2.  thank the blogger who gave it to you
3.  mention 7 random things about yourself
4. list the rules
5.  share the award with 15 other bloggers.
6.  inform them.

So 7 random things about myfabrication.
1.  While I love Australia, it is an island I have to get off.  I love to travel.
2.  I have an unrealised ambition to speak French
3.  I love receiving comments on my blog
4.  I see sewing and revival of domestic arts as a feminist pursuit
5.  Both my parents are still alive, but only just
6.  I have two brilliant and ambitious daughters
7.  Apart from sewing, my passion is theatre .

I'm meant to choose 15 bloggers, but despite following hundreds I find this hard. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so instead I single out five of my favourites from around the world.  There are a few others I'd add, including Sherry from New Zealand, but I know that they have already been given the gong.
1.  Alison in Hong Kong - a talented seamstress with a great sense of style
2.  Marie-Noelle my gracious host in Paris who makes beautiful clothes for herself and others
3.  Handmade Jane who showed me the wonders of Goldhawk Road in London
4.  Paco, an absolutely charming gent from Barcelona who designs clothes that everyone should be making
5.  J.Kaori designs from the US who isn't sewing as much as she used to but when she does, you notice her work.  Check out her snakeskin parka.

I cut four other blouses when I cut the Collettee. Right now I'm working on a plain white cotton blouse from my TNT McCalls 5433.  I have a navy blouse silk from the same pattern.

Happy sewing ladies! 

Simply perfect faux and Pantene projects

 I've finally sewn the 1 metre piece of high quality faux leather I bought from the Dondaemun fabric markets in Korea in 2010.  Ok the skirt is plain, but it is a really versatile little number and I love it.  I made it from a self drafted basic skirt pattern - two darts front and back with a centre back seam, invisible zip on the side.  I've lined with yellow polyester lining fabric.

I'm wearing it with a t-shirt I made long before I started blogging, a Veronica Maine jacket circa 2006 and shoes from the late 1980s that I recently recovered from a bag in my garage.  They are Italian, in three shades of brown and tan suede with a comfortable square toe and chunky heels.  Oh and I'm also quite keen on the my $3 necklace in faux gold from Vinnies.

 What's happening with my Beignet skirt? Well the picture speaks for itself. How do you complicate the Beignet project? You insist on doing bound buttonholes... all twelve of them!  Black on black sewing at night isn't great for me at present.  I have five done and I can't face the other seven.  I even looked in the stash to see if I had enough leftover fabric to replace the panel, but alas I did not. So the Beignet languishes and I have cut out another blouse.  I justify my actions by telling myself that I need blouses much more than skirts.  I've renamed the project the Pantene skirt...you know the one...it won't happen overnight but it will happen.

Happy sewing ladies!

Spice of life

A while back, before my steely determine to focus on only essential wardrobe sewing, I signed up for a bag sewing workshop with my sewing guild.  A group of us got together today with Monica Poole working from a single pattern Spice of Life Moon Shine bag.  It was amazing to see the variety of styles that we came up with - from traditional cotton quilted bags to leopard print faux fur to my own woven upholstery carpet bag.

I'm really quite proud of my foray into bag making, although confess to leaving off the inner pockets in order to complete the magnetic closure by the end of the workshop.  The fabric and even stiff wadding made for hard going and I broke four needles in the making.  Not sure how many bags I will make into the future, but this is definitely not my last.

Meanwhile back at real sewing ranch, my faux leather skirt is nearly finished and looks great with the gold blouse and these funky vintage 80s three toned brown suede court shoes I found in a bag of junk in my garage.  My Beignet has just been unpicked and re-pinned as it was way too big.  Frankly I am worried about the Beignet as the high waist may not be the easiest look for me to pull off.  We shall see.

Happy sewing ladies!

From boho to the boardroom

From boho to the boardroom just about sums up my wardrobe requirements.  2012 sewing wise will be a year of practical sewing, not making garments for 'fantasy me' - who by the way is terribly glamorous,  slim and wears lots of slinky knit frocks - and not following every trend in blogland.  Nope.  In 2012 I intend make at least 30 separates that coordinate with existing garments or with other pieces I'm making.  A SWAP of sorts, but not a published list to check off.

Had a bit of the slow start to the year due to a horrible bronchial infection courtesy of Singapore Airlines, but I'm very happy with my productivity to date. 

First up my second 'this is me' kaftan, made from silk voile purchased on the Goldhawk Road in London.  Sometimes you know exactly what a piece of fabric will become right away. I had actually finished my purchases at the store when I saw this fabric out of the corner of my eye.  One touch and I was handing over the plastic fantastic again.  It is not as see through as the flash photography suggests.  I'm wearing it to a friend's 50th birthday party.

My gold silk blouse McCalls 6436 was almost still born.  My original version included pockets that were so droopy they had to be removed and the slippery, stretchiness of this fabric frustrated me.  Then I ran out of matching cotton, so left it to work on the more satisfying kaftan project.  I do love the finished product.  I am planning to use buttoned down soft drapey blouses with more rigid structured skirts a key part of my 'boardroom' wardrobe.

Next up, I have two skirts cut. A brown faux leather and a black ponte Beignet.

Happy sewing!

European odyssey

Hard to know where to start with this post. I've just returned from 20 days in Paris, London and various parts of Spain with my 16 year old daughter who had just finished 6 weeks at school in Paris.
I had planned a travel wardrobe, but in the end I ran out of time and inclination. The only completed item is my striped t-shirt from Simplicity 3688 which I wore on the plane. Highly recommend this pattern and will definitely make again in a silk.  I also added a fur collar and made some length alterations to a second-hand overcoat.  I would love to have seen the original owner, maxi length legs and very short arms!
The main focus of the trip was art and culture. But would it been any fun without meeting up with blogging friends and fabric purchases? Of course not!  I was delighted to meet with Marie Noelle in Paris.  Marie Noelle lives in Normandy and we spent a lovely day together visiting fabric stores in Montematre and sharing lunch.  In Paris I bought two lovely pieces of silk (one habitae, one sheer chiffon) and 3 metres of very fine Italian linen.  I also bought some buttons, sans photograph.  I love that "Je suis la!" look I have in this photo.

London was also exciting from a sewing point of view.  First up I met with Jane at Goldhawk Road who bought along her pals, Alana and Suzy. Goldhawk Road is fantastic with many small fabric shops, including one Alladin's cave of last season Libery silks, voiles and cottons and some top quality, low price wool.
My loot included a fabulous piece of wool boucle, grey cashmere for trousers, some liberty silk, voile and cotton pieces.

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 I was also excited to meet Eugenia a blogger who I have amired for a long time.  We met up outsite Libertys looking at the current lines, then went to a few of her favourite stores nearby. I bought just one more piece of very fine cotton spotted blousing and some trim for a planned kaftan.

Last up I met with Paco in Barcelona. Paco is a very talented designer who has recently branched into pattern making.  While Paco's English isn't great, we spoke a common language of fabric. He took me to Roger de Luria Street, which has three large caverns of fabric at great prices. I had to be fairly judicious about my purchases as my suitcase was already bulging with cloth.  In the end I choose a really interesting piece of patterned ponte to make up Paco's 'unique' jacket and two pieces of black wool with a flower pattern in the weave.

Off to unpack, and plan some sewing. Happy 2012!