Happy New Year!

I very much neglected this blog last year. But I feel I am not the only one, many of the blogs I follow are rarely updated. It is a shame because I enjoy reading them and I am grateful for the ones that  are regularly updated. My favourite  Handmade by Carolyn.

Anyways moving on to my latest make. Its the Erin Skirt by Lisa Comfort (instructions and pattern from issue 22 and 23 of Simply Sewing). I started the skirt in November and its been sitting on my sewing table for a while waiting for buttons. This morning with the children back at school. I put on some music (Savage Garden) and got to work.

The fabric is a stretch navy blue corduroy (98% cotton). The buttons are spectrum cool size 1 1/8 in (28mm).

Its the third time making this pattern. I have enjoyed wearing my first skirt very much but I feel that its a little short in length. (it may have shrunk) so this time I added an extra 2 inches in length. This is the only adjustment I made to the pattern.

Disappointed

The making of a new dress is always a journey. This journey began with an online fabric search and purchase of 2 1/2 yards of Cotton + Steel Mesa Lawn, titled sunrise in navy. It's 100% cotton and absolutely lovely.
The Pattern is 'The Adele Dress" from Simply Sewing issue 34 ( dress B, short version). It has kimono sleeves, a pleated skirt with pockets, a centred back invisible zipper and V neckline.
The pattern is well drafted with clearly marked sleeve and pocket notches, that are helpful in aligning each piece correctly, however I found it very odd that the instructions make no mention of these marks. Also the instructions do not mention that after sewing the side /underarm seam the underarm curve needs to be clipped so the sleeve will sit flat without tugging, maybe this is an obvious step but good instruction should not leave you guessing.
I have one regret from this dress journey and that's not making a toile first.  From the finished garment measurements I was expecting the bodice to be big on me but it turned out small.
So, I am disappointed with the final outcome and so its time to quietly move on to my next project.

Tulip Skirt

Pattern- The Tulip Skirt by Sew Over It. It's a  Simply Sewing sew along  from issues 5 to 7. The sew along offers optional steps such as belt loops, piping at the waist, lining the skirt and adding a lace trim at the hem. The skirt features front pleats and back darts , a waistband with invisible zip and inseam pockets.
Fabric - 100% corduroy cotton an off white tribal medallion on black background. It cost me $8.98 per yard

I made a size 12 and  added  black piping to the waist of my skirt. The inseam pockets are reinforced with a small zigzag bar at the lower opening. If I was to make this skirt again I would draft deeper pockets so my phone would fit inside the pocket, and I would use 1cm seam allowance for just a little more breathing space at the waist.

The Erin Skirt

Pattern- The Erin Skirt (short version) from Sew Over It. A button up high waisted skirt. I followed the sew along from issue 22 and 23 of Simply Sewing.
Fabric - Essex Yarn Dyed Linen in black. Its a 55% linen/ 45% cotton blend.

I made the skirt in a size 12 and it fits perfectly without any alterations. My favourite feature are the pockets. I can carry  my phone and keys without the need of  a bag. This skirt is a zero additional cost make, in that the fabric, interfacing and thread are all leftovers  from a previous make. The buttons recycled from an old jacket.

The instructions are easy to follow, my only hiccup in making the skirt is the waistband was  1cm short for my skirt. The instructions state that the waistband should extend by 1.5cm on each end for the seam allowance. On my skirt one end was only 1/2 cm. However this turned out to be no problem at all since the seam allowance needs to be trimmed down to 1/2 cm anyway.
I also spent some time fiddling with the buttons especially the waistband button. I have lost count how many times I stitched and unstitched that button, I think I have the placement right now.
The Erin is super easy to make and I love wearing it.

The Joni Dress

The Pattern- The Joni Dress from issue 22 of Simply Sewing is a long sleeve shift dress with front placket, contrast collar and cuffs, pleats and inseam pockets.

Fabric- Cotton twill in burgundy for the dress and a quilting cotton for the collar, cuffs and placket.

Struggles and Triumphs- I struggled to match the bodice and skirt side seams and bust darts. They are slightly off.
When sewing the sleeve seam at the cuff I used a zipper foot and the needle all the way to the left to get a perfect 1.5cm seam allowance.
I hand stitched the under collar in place using a ladder stitch for a neat finish.
I finished the hem using a blind hem stitch.

Final thoughts- I enjoyed making the dress. It gave me the opportunity to learn new skills like sewing cuffs but it also taught me the importance of choosing fabric. In future I will not be using cotton twill to make a dress. It creases. Also the solid colour is a mistake. Originally I was not going to include the placket but without it  the dress looks frumpy. One of the difficulties of making your own clothes is not knowing how the finished dress will look until after you have invested a lot of time sewing. This dress looked so much better in my mind.

2017 Challenge- The Nina Dress

 The Pattern- The Nina Dress by Cotton + Chalk, pattern number 6. Skill level 4 out of 5. I chose to make version B. It is a sleeveless dress with front button closures. I added the hem ruffle to my dress as I really liked that feature of version A. My measurements correspond with a medium size and made the toile in that size, but it was so loose fitting that I went down a size and made a small. It fits perfectly without any adjustments.

The Fabric- Its a black and white polka dot, cotton stretch poplin from Fabric.com.

The Seams- There are four princess seams to stitch in this dress. A little tricky, however by the fourth seam I was able to match my armhole edges evenly. (practice makes perfect). The front facing edges and ruffle hem are overcast as per pattern instructions. All other raw edges are pinked finish.

The Buttons- There are 9 buttons on this dress. I found the red buttons at Jo-ann in the clearance section, 4 for 50cents. For the first time I used my machine to sew the buttons on. It was so easy and a time saver. Why did I not try this feature sooner? The buttonholes are also machine stitched, I used my seam ripper to carefully cut them open.


So much learnt making The Nina Dress.

Fold Away Tote

I have made a new bag, the practical shopping bag project from issue 29 of Simply Sewing.
This bag is an unlined tote that fold away into the corner pocket.
I already had every item on the materials list (bonus) and was able to start and finish the bag in under two hours.
The instructions are easy to follow. I only deviated from them once while making the handles, instead of the bagged out method I used the four fold method (fold strap in half lengthwise, press to crease, open and fold outer edges towards the centre crease, press, fold again along centre crease and topstitch down both lengthwise edges.) I prefer this method.
I rate this a great beginner project.

Pyjama Shorts

This week I made 2 very comfy pyjama shorts. The shorts are super easy to make. I have made them once before, this time I replaced  the drawstring waist with an elastic waist and stitched a small ribbon bow on the front. The fabric is a soft chambray with a whale print. It was a end of bolt I picked up at Joann, only 1.7yds of fabric. Not enough to make two pairs of shorts without a little creativity. After cutting out the first pair I pieced the left over fabric to make a  piece large enough to cut the second shorts  from. The pieced section I positioned on the back.
Incidentally, there was an excellent article on piecing recently in Threads magazine. The pyjama pattern is from Simply Sewing issue 7.
Happy sewing!