A Tale of Two Skirts

Better late than never, right?  These are two skirts I ran up after New Year for Daughter No1.  They both use up fabric from my stash, score!

Straight skirt

One very simply cut from the straight skirt block with a shaped waistband & invisible zip.

Gored Panel Skirt

Another developed from the straight skirt block, same shaped waistband as before, but this time a gored panelled skirt with piping in the seams.

Fitted straight skirt

The straight skirt first – the fabric was from my stash, the left overs from the trousers I made in the Autumn.  I usually over-buy fabric when I’m not 100% sure what I will make.  Anyone else have this problem?  Thus I am frequently left with pieces of about 50cm or so.  Thankfully daughter No1 was happy to have me use up this little bit for her skirt.  The lining also came out of the stash in the cupboard, (as did the lace & invisible zip) so I did well on this!

Dressed down with t-shirt & puffy jacket

I thought it would be nice to have a pretty hem detail, the hem was edged with some black lace and hand stitched in place.

Hem treatment

I used a skirt hook & bar for the waistband closure, rather than a button.

For skirt no2, I had some black & white heavyweight herringbone wool that I’d got from Harlequin Fabrics in Leamington Spa in September (£8 for 1.5m in the sale!).  I had originally thought to make a 60′s style skirt for Daughter No1, but she nixed the idea.  Instead she wanted a skirt with the same waistband as the straight skirt, and the same length.  I still wanted that a-line shape, and we compromised on a gored panelled skirt.  I had in my mind an idea to emphasise the panels, so went digging to see if I had any black bias binding in the stash boxes.  Instead, I found pre-made piping, perfect!

That piping has been hanging around a while, the lable is in Afrikaans, with a very cheap price tag in South African Rands.  I shudder.  It could be as much as 22 years old…  Nevermind, it has been used now!    As you can see from the shiny black stuff in the picture, I didn’t use the wool to face the waistband.  Daughter No1 is a sensitive little thing, so I used some black crepe backed satin, again from the stash.

Piping in the seams

I piped the seams in the panels, and along the lower edge of the waistband.

The result…  I also bound the hem with black cotton bias binding.  The idea was that as it is fairly stiff, it will add bulk to the hem, making it stand out.  This herringbone also frays like mad!  I had overlocked all the seams to make sure we had no mad unravelling, because this skirt has to survive being washed in a machine at Uni…

Art student??

Love the flared hemline

You will notice I didn’t pipe the side seams…  There is a good reason, I promise.  1 – the invisible zip is in the other side seam, and invisible zips do not play well with added bulk, or piping.  2 – I had run out…

The making of these two pieces allowed me to buy that fabulous giraffe print for Daughter No2′s Jungle January jacket, and another two pieces from my stash have been allocated to another two projects, which is why I was allowed to buy some spotty twill from Ditto for Daughter No2 to make her Polka Dot offering for February.  In addition, I have (almost) finished a project from February’s Burda, just the hems to do, also using a piece from my stash.  Phew, this is exhausting!  I have finally succombed to keeping a note book to keep track of everything!

Has anyone else signed up for the Sew for Victory sewalong with Lucky Lucille?  That’s another job for February!  I have started on the pattern cutting, and identified 4 pieces of fabric to use!  Daughter No2 and I will both benefit from this little challenge, we have chosen blouse patterns, because we can bring them up to date with jeans etc.  So I had better get some sleep, because I need to crack on with the toiles tomorrow!

Don’t forget the Swap your Stash party is continuing, if you’d like to join in the swap, leave a comment below or on Kat’s blog.  You can also just show us your fabric stash.  Maybe it’s madly chaotic and leaves you a little frazzled, maybe you are a queen of organisation and can share some secrets with the rest of us.  The “questions” are available, just copy them onto your blog, fill in some answers and post some photos of your fabulous fabrics for us all to drool over!

 

 

 

How can it be February already?

Where does the time go??  January has been a blast, so many new things!  Resolutions are still going strong, I wonder how long they will all last!  I decided 2013 would be the year of “Do something different“.   So what am I doing?

• Fabrics & sewing:  I have to use up my stash of fabrics and patterns!  I have decided that for every 2 pieces of fabric I use from my stash, I am allowed to buy 1 piece of fabric new.  IF I need it.  Of course, notions, linings and interfacings are completely absolved from this!
• Getting out & about:  Chantelle at Fat Mum Slim has a “A Photo A Day” challenge.  There are word prompts for each day, and you’re encouraged to interpret these for your photo.  I’ve had a great time so far.  I do not have a fancy camera, and sometimes have to rely on my phone, but I’ve discovered some really cool apps and editing software online.  My new header was made using PicMonkey‘s collage options!

A couple of my photos from the January prompts

• Burda challenge.  Melissa of Fehr Trade made something from each of her Burdas every month last year.  Now sometimes you get your new issue and think, “meh, there’s nothing really in there”.  Or there’s too much on & you don’t get round to making anything at all.  I have way too many Burda magazines that have folded down corners bookmarking the patterns I wanted to make, but never got round to it.  So this year I am going to make at least one pattern from each Burda of 2013.  Not necessarily in the month it comes out, but during the year, at least.  This one’s got off to a rocky start, because I haven’t even chosen one from January yet!
• Joining in.  Jungle January was just the start!  Daughter No2 and I will be partaking in Scruffy Badger’s Polka Dot Fest, but not with a dress.  Remember the spotty fabric sample we got from Ditto Fabrics at the beginning of January?  She fancies that for some capri trousers, so I have traced out an older Burda pattern for her and we’ll get that done this month.
• Karen from Did you make that? has the 2013 Sewlutions, and I’m in the jar!  I promised to pattern cut some (a) shirt for husband this year.  I must do this, I’ve had fabric form him hanging around so ling some of it has migrated to becoming shrits for the girls & myself!  Poor bloke!  I may even make him a whole suit, but let’s not push my luck too far, ok?
• Fancy a 1940′s sew-along?  Rochelle from Lucky Lucille hinted earlier in January that she may be hosting one in February, I’m looking forward to that!  I have the perfect fabric for a little summer dress for Daughter No2.  I bought it on impulse 2 years ago from Linda Harper’s in Kenilworth.

Vintage feel cotton fabrics from Linda Harper. I’m going to use the blue floral print on the right.  So far I’ve only managed to use the bright green one and the blue & green next to it!

• The biggest something different is going to be starting this weekend!  I’m not going to say any more about it just yet, suffice to say it will be fun!  Pop back tomorrow …

I have managed to make the pattern & toile of a biker-style jacket for Daughter no1, which Daughter No2 is kindly modelling here.

Biker-style jacket toile, & no, I haven’t ironed it yet..

Daughter No1 will be home this weekend, so I will get to make some fitting adjustments and get cracking with the grey herringbone twill.  I think it’s going to loook fab!

How are your resolutions doing??

 

 

 

A Giraffe’s Tail – The Long & the Short of it.

So suave in her new jacket

I need to warn you all, this is a photo heavy post!

Phew, I have had such a blast sewing this month!  Jungle January has been a real hit, with sewing bloggers all around the world taking part.  Thank you Anne @ Pretty Grievances, this was a fantastic idea!

So when last I posted, I had received the samples from Ditto, and was drooling quite nicely over my pretty bits of fabric, sewing up all sorts of plans in my head.  I had drafted the flat overgarment block from Winnie Aldrich, just needed to toile and get on with the playing.  The block toile was fine, baggy, but about what I had expected with the size and (non)shape of the pattern pieces.  Moving on to fiddling and playing with paper, and the toile of the working pattern…

The first toile, and the baggy, ugly sleeve & armhole

So, I used this block because I figured there was no point in going for a tailored jacket block and all it’s shaping etc.  The flat overgarment block is for fleeces.  Baggy, shapeless, ugly clothes.  I know that now…  The sleeve on the right in the photo above is the original.  I took out the left sleeve and reduced the ease in the head to try to get it to look better.  I also narrowed the sleeve, considerably. It didn’t work.  The back is too baggy, the armhole massive, and we hated it on sight.  So it went into the fabric recycling bin and I started with the tailored jacket block instead!

The sleeve in the 2nd toile, developed from the tailored jacket block

So how much better is that!  And the back…

Back of 2nd toile.

The relief was palpable!  Daughter no2 was happy with this one, the length, the width at the hem, and particularly, the sleeves!  Then I ran into the next hiccough.  I didn’t want to order the fabric until I had done the toiles and worked out how much I’d need.  Unfortunately for me, Ditto only had about 1m of the giraffe print left! Nooooo!  We did get the dot fabric though…  That’s another project, and one that daughter no2 is going to tackle herself.

After a quick hunt on tinternet I found the same print at ukfabricsonline, and for £1/m less than Ditto, and cheaper post too.  I ordered my 2m and set out to find a suitable lining and contrast fabric.  Lining was pretty easy actually.  I got a superb satin finish lining in raspberry from Fred Winter in Stratford on Avon, but had no luck with a contrast to do the binding on all the edges and to cover the buttons.  Running out of time, we decided to forgo the contrast this time.  Oh yes, I’m making this again!

I love the contrast of the lining when the sleeves are turned back!

I was hoping for an emerald or turquoise lining for the jacket, thinking fucshia may be, ahem, “slutty”, but this raspberry is the bomb!

I should say that these photos are all taken on my phone camera.  Husband is working on a new project at work, so has nicked my camera for “research” purposes.

Twins??

Can you tell how much daughter no2 likes her new jacket?

Not too keen on me calling the shots with all the photos though!

If there was ever a reason for doing another it is this:  Parent’s evening at her school was last night.  Her art teacher took one look and wanted to know where she’d got it, wanted to pat it, and warned that if it ever came into the art studio, she wasn’t to be suprised if she couldn’t find it at the end of the lesson.

Once again, thank you soooooooooooo much, Anne, for starting us all on this Jungle madness. It’s been fabulous to read the round-ups of all the projects, and I have found some new blogs to follow too!

Now, what’s on the cards for February??

 

 

 

“Distractions”, or “The best laid plans…”

So, Jungle January.  See how quickly the “plan” I had laid down last year in late November has derailed.  I was going to make the spotty silk, then the duck egg corduroy, then the grey herringbone for Daughter no1.   Plans!  HA!!  Then Anne at Pretty Grievances lured me away with jungly antics.  Focus..  “squirrel!”

I will make the grey herringbone – I have to!  Daughter No1 is only at home until Sunday, then she’s back off to uni, and apparently won’t be visiting half as much this term as she did in the Autumn.  So I have to do this.  But I’m getting distracted by animal prints, 60′s swing coats and thoughts of bright jewel-like sparkly linings.

While I wait for the giraffe print to arrive from Ditto I had a browse through my vintage patterns.  This make is going to have to be quick if it’s going to be made in January, as I only have next week to myself, then I have two weeks of jury duty looming.  TWO WEEKS!! 

None of these fit the bill,

A selection of 60′s patterns

Just my luck, I had no swing jackets.  So I will pattern cut it.  I used these to give me an idea for details for the giraffe jacket.  Maybe it won’t be done in January afterall…

Sketch for 60′s style swing jacket with contrast binding and bound buttonholes – maybe!

It has daughter No2′s approval, provided I don’t make the pleat in the back too big.  So now I have work to do!

I also gave myself a bit of a challenge.  Today Karen at Did you make that? threw down the New Year’s Resolution gauntlet.  She has challenged us to put our money where our mouths are by committing to one resolution.  No going back, no hiding, no getting away from it.  Like she says, she has a long memory, and a jar!  Head over to her blog to read more about it, and join in if you dare! (But make it quick, you have limited time left!)

My resolution is to actually get something done for husband.  Long suffering, much ignored (sewing wise) husband.  Last year I started to do some pattern cutting for him, but more interesting and pretty things distracted me.  Sound familiar?  So this year I am committing to pattern cut him some shirts – that he will be prepared to wear!  I will stick my neck out a bit (ok, quite far) and say that I’d really like to make him a tailored suit too, but that’s not going on my definite list!!

Will I do it??  Keep checking to see…  ;p

 

Sneak Pyjama Peek

I am on the finishing straight for the Pyjama Party!  Only 2 tops still to make….  I thought I’d let you in on a sneak peek to see how it’s going so far.  I have been able to resist popping into the shops so far on this project, all the fabric has come out of my stash, as has the elastic and all the trimmings.

Aren't friends great? This is a fab selection of vintage lace my best buddy sent me from the States for my birthday. Some of these will find their way onto the pyjamas.

This is what I had in mind for Daughters 1&2:

Pyjama Party sketches

Daughter no 2 is having these:

Blue and white print cotton shorts with lace trim

I’m keeping the top secret for now, but here is a peek of the shorts for Daughter no 1:

Red & black print cotton shorts with black lace trim

I haven’t put lace or anything on my pj’s, so they will wait for tomorrow’s reveal!  True to the ethos of this blog, I have pattern cut all the pyjama patterns, but as I am running out of time, I am going to cheat with the top for my pj’s and use a commercial pattern.  Today I need to finish the top for Daughter no 1 and for me, then I’m all done!  How is everyone else getting on?

ME-Made-May 2012

Looking for trouble again, I have barely started the Pyjama Party challenge, and here I am again, signing up for another!  It is time to get more of my own creations out of the cupboard and out in the open.  Also time to get more made, but that’s another story all together.

I, Anne W, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May ’12.  I will endeavour to wear as many handmade items (barring underwear and shoes!) each day as proves feasible on the day, for the duration of May 2012.

So, what exactly does that entail??  Well…  I cannot guarantee that everything I will wear will be made by me.  I do love my jeans, so there is no way I can remeve them from my wardrobe for a whole month, but apart from that, as long as the weather plays ball, I should have enough to last a month without substituting shop-bought stuff.  This challenge will hopefully make me think about how I wear things, what I combine and how I accessorise.  I might even figure out my “style”, something we all have problems with, as mentioned by Karen.

With only a week and a bit to go until May, who else has signed up?