Slow and steady wins the race

Despite my best efforts sewing hasn't featured highly on my radar this month.  My six piece wardrobe comprises just two pieces - my dress and my new jacket (Patrones 298).                        
 
But I've run my first marathon - not a great time but better than 49% of the competitors in my age bracket.  I've helped my DD get through HSC trials (Americans think SATs, Brits A levels) and visited some remote Aboriginal communities for my work.  All interesting, character building exercises.

I made a muslin of the jacket for last month's sewing guild workshop with the lovely and talented Anita McAdam at Studio Faro. She suggested reductions in the shoulder width that I hadn't really noticed.  Her workshop on altering commercial patterns was excellent and I can't wait for the two drafting workshops I've signed up for at her studio later in the year.

Now my new jacket is by no means perfect, but I love the fit and the easy feel of a stretchy ponte outer with an equally stretchy jersey lining.  The cut is very flattering and I like the angled seams from the arm towards the lapel.  I inserted a welt pocket just below the seam which isn't visible in this photo.

As for the rest of the planned wardrobe it goes like this:
1) the graphic print skirt in the same fabric as the dress will be underway shortly.  I've recently trialled a pencil skirt drafting instruction sheet for Anita. I've cut and half sewn a test garment in grey wool (a charity shop remnant) which  looks very promising. 
2) the Burda rouched cardigan.  I've gone off this idea as I think a plain long sleeved tshirt will work better as it can be worn alone or under the jacket.
3) the black tshirt - will definitely happen but it can wait.
4) no nobody noticed this, but my original 6 pack only included 5 items!

I'm also working on our "special events outfits''.   I've made a muslin of my daughter's Year 12 formal dress and her valedictory dinner is even closer - 4 weeks!!!  I need an outfit for the dinner too, but have options if I don't manage something new.   Extremely excited about the formal dress - 3mtrs of Tory Burch gun metal grey sequins side split floor length skirt with halter neck top (with sheer chiffon below the waistline so that it tucks into the skirt without bulk and looks cute worn over jeans for a party.  Still negotiating designs for the VD dress.

So happy sewing ladies...and the odd gent.

Easy business wear

Strictly entre nous I love my new dress.  It is part of a six piece business wardrobe I'm working on.  The key elements are trans-seasonal wearability, easy wear/easy care and colour.  I've blogged before about my loathing of grey and black business wear.  My six pieces are the dress Burda Sept 2012 121; a Patrones 298 jacket in Teal ponte (pictured below); a black Palmer Pletsch mock wrap t-shirt McCalls 6513 view C; a pencil skirt in the same graphic print as the dress and teal jersey rouched cardigan both from Burda March 2013.  These fabrics are still available from Tessutis.

 

When I look at Burda's batwoman interpretation of this dress I can see why it hasn't been a popular choice with sewers.  A few tips - cut the side panels as a detached piece and dispense with the extra layer in the Burda design.  If using ponte or a reasonable weight fabric you don't need to line it.  Use piping to highlight the centre panel and sleeve edge.

 

I'm not sure if I have the discipline to sew all six pieces in sequence - I need a party dress for an occasion in September, but I'm mad keen to start on the jacket.  I love the style and will wear it with pants, skirts and the dress.

 

Off to make a muslin.  Meanwhile happy sewing!

 

 



Curvy girls can colour block too!

Ok I'm smiling.  Is it because I'm thrilled with

my new Burda (February 2012 117b) colour block dress?  Well 98 per cent thrilled.  The colour combination gives me cheer on a winter's day and the use of a slightly heavier, firmer black ponti at the waist has a corseting effect that makes me happy.  I'm also happy with the 'trans-seasonal value' of this dress through adding a black spencer underneath.

Where does two per cent dissatisfaction come from I hear you ask.  Simple, I forgot to make my usual 1 cm sway back adjustment.  Big mistake on a garment that has a huge zip at centre back, creating a bump that too closely resembles a roll of fat!  So provided I stand with my back to the wall,  I just love this dress.

PS I'm not sure I could ride a bike in it.  It is well ...figure conscious.  Hoping that there will be less of me to cling to come summer. 

I'm working on a new skirt and blouse set which I hope to show you all soon. 

Meanwhile, happy sewing!

Frocking up for High Tea

Thanks to the fabulous organisation of Kristie at Lower Your Presser Foot the Sydney sewers braved the wet weather to attend high tea at the American Club. 

For those of us who don't have many friends or colleagues who sew, it was such a pleasure to meet with so many like minded talented and creative women.

I'm pictured with Maria wearing her very special Laura Nash design Fifth Avenue dress.  Maria is member of my Australian Sewing Guild Group.

My dress is a bit special too, made for the occasion from Butterick 5521.  Its a reversible polyester brocade, so I had the opportunity to play around with the design by using the pattern reverse on the side panels and the sleeves.  The dress is fully lined with a lightweight polyester lining.

I highly recommend the pattern and will definitely make a sleeveless version in summer.

Also enjoyed meeting Lizzy who wore an exquisite 1950s lace dress  and Christie who suggested an informal fabric and notions swap and ensured that I left with more fabric and patterns than I arrived with! 

There were many other lovely women present and I hope that I will see them again - making my sewing world less virtual. 

Next up I have a Burda colour blocked ponte dress under construction and need a blouse to wear with my new Burda pencil skirt, so that I can show it off.  Happy sewing to my real and virtual sewing friends!

Its a jungle out there

I look a little cross don't I?  Well I won't tell you what my husband said as he took this photo.

My annoyance has nothing to do with my new jacket - Burda February 2009 109 which I'm rather pleased with despite its awfully long gestation.  Firstly taking four years to trace off a pattern I loved, then taking four attempts to overcome some construction problems. 

Everything was going remarkably well until I attached the collar and neck facings.  Despite very carefully marking out my seam lines and joins with tailor's tacks I couldn't make it fit into place.  Four unpickings and some further adjustments later I finally tamed the beast into submission.

I've had the fabric for while, vintage heavy cotton that doesn't crush easily and performs well under the needle.  The lining also came from my favourite fabric charity.  It was also great to use my favourite buttons in stash which I bought on sale years ago with no particular purpose in mind. They are rather flash black with greyish mother of pearl centres and I had just the right number for this project.

I have some left over fabric and eventually will make a tie belt for the jacket so that I can also wear it open over a singlet for a more casual look.  Not sure when I'll get around to it.  Winter has arrived in Sydney and I need some warm weather gear.  I've made a short list of potential projects and will cut something out tomorrow.  I've been travelling a bit for work lately which takes me away from the sewing machine.  When I'm in country NSW I try to buy something from the local fabric store or haberdashery.  Never is  it more of a pleasure than in Armidale when I visit Fabric Fair.  The range and quality is stunning. I bought a beautiful piece of gold guipure lace and a lovely print jersey and if I wasn't running for plane would have bought more!

A quick win

At work we talk a lot about quick wins and I don't see we can't build them into sewing speak. 

My latest blouse Vogue 8747 was a quick win in that it was easy to fit and complete, but my credibility fails when I tell you that it sat is my old sewing room as a cut out pattern for nearly two years! I had forgotten about it and  found it at the bottom of a box when I moved into my daughter's old bedroom. 

The photo doesn't show up the details that well, so let me run you through them.  The fabric is a John Kaldor paisley print remnant bought from a charity store.  Australian sewers will know Kaldor as a homeware fabric maker but I don't think this high quality lightweight polyester was intended for curtains.

The pattern includes princess seams and light gathering at the bust.  It is from the Customfit range with A,B,C & D cup fittings included.  I made a 14 D straight out of the pack and the fit is good, but like my recent jacket I could do with an extra centimetre wearing ease.  This time not at the bust, but just above the waistline.

Thanks for all your comments on my last post.  It means a lot to me.  Next up, I just can't decide.  Off to think it through.

Tribal art

I've been missing in action a while.  Most of my sewing has involved unpicking and resewing skirts that were newly made but no longer fitted.  Thanks for your encouragement - your support helped me shed 7 kilos in 8 weeks.

I completed this jacket recently from a linen silk blend purchased in Lincraft last summer.  The pattern is a self draft cloned from an old Ignazia silk jacket that I bought second hand and wore to death...literally.  It is lined with white cotton batiste and has an interesting three quarter sleeve.  The original sleeve was masterfully drafted, pleated into a narrow band that attaches to the pleated lining sleeve.  Clever and very comfortable.

I love the side inseam pockets and I'm very pleased with my pattern matching, especially the centre back which is a seam finish.

The fit is somewhat aspirational at the bust.  I could do with an extra centimetre ease but I am still 6 kilos from my goal weight.  
 
I'm quite sure where my sewing is taking me next. I moved my sewing area into my eldest daughter's abandoned bedroom and in the process I found a blouse I started a few years ago which I'm now finishing.  Next up I think a tailored shirt is on the cards having just finished the excellent Craftsy.com course.

Meanwhile happy sewing!