Frustrations and lucky finds...

Hello,

I could quite get used to not having to work Fridays! I played truant again today (flexi-time, honest!) to catch up on a bit of housework (excuse) and cut out a toile for my planned jacket - frustration! Here's a couple of pictures so far:

Can you see the massive gaping armholes? The front seems to pull across the bust, but there is a ton of spare fabric across the back!  After much mulling, fiddling and plain old head scratching, I finally decided I actually don't like the pattern - I was looking for something with more shape, princess seams etc and I came round to thinking that no matter how many alterations I made, this wasn't going to be the jacket for me - and I like my fabric too much to risk that!

So, only thing for it was to go shopping and acquire the Built by Wendy Coats and Jackets - I've seen Handmade Jane start a jacket from this book so hopefully I may even be able to pick some tips up!  Whilst out shopping I had to pass our local Barnardo's (charity shop - or thrift shop!) and snapped up this little bargain!

This looks and feels like pure wool - 60 inches wide and there is 3.5 metres of it! I've never heard of Semler of London, but it feels lovely quality wool houndstooth with tones of green grey and taupe! Not sure what it will make yet - any ideas?

See you soon :)

Thank you

Thanks Rosy, you have been more than helpful.  I will omit the front facing and take the lining to the band edge and just interface the band edge.  I'll post progress soon :)

Help!

After a bit of a break where hockey matches and other things have occupied the weekends, I've finally got a day off from work and immediately set to starting a jacket out of a lovely boucle wool with purple satin lining that I have wanted to make for ages.  However, I've not found a pattern I really like, so finally settled for trying to use this basic Prima pattern and try and modify it (hence the Help!):

Having consulted Betty Foster's book "Creating Fashion" page 98 shows how to add a strap front band as so:

The instructions say to cut a band 8cm wide and as long as the centre front (done!), then fold in half and stitch to centre front edge - my question is the jacket pattern has a front facing, do I still need this or does it need any alteration? Do I interface the strap front band?

And I've not started the collar yet!

Any help would be very gratefully received!

it's been a while...

It's been a little while since I last visited my blog, life just seems to slip by...but I have been keeping at it and practising the stitching.  Here are some of the latest additions!

This was taken at my 50th birthday celebration, a great party was had at a gorgeous place called Watermillock which is near Ullswater in the Lake District.  We hired the village hall for a weekend which has a camping field attached - as usual the rain fell and all became rather muddy, which goes some way to explaining the wellington boots on the photo.  The dress was made by me, following a Simplicity retro pattern for a 60' s dress

I had an attempt at making matching shoes, covering a pair of Primark specials with the same fabric as the dress was made out of - a bit harder than I thought! but everyone thought they were fun (looked better on the night with purple tights but don't have a photo :(

Onto the next, this week I have made the olive velvet skit (Simplicity Lisette Market Skirt) which I thought went great until I came to topstich the waistband (not photo'd on purpose as I made a mess!).  I don't know if it was my fabric choice (the velvet is 97% cotton and 3% spandex) which had stretch in it, but when stitching to the twill tape it kept pleating!  After four attempts (any more and I would have had to buy more twill tape!) I left it at a less than perfect stitching as it is covered by a belt in any event!  I do love it though!!! I have put flat brown boots at the top of my shopping list which I think will make a great winter outfit!

And finally, a few more e-bay purchases - would you believe these were a job lot which I got for £4 !!! A great bargain as when the patterns arrived they were all in perfect condition and there were a few that I really, really like and have added to the growing list of things I'd like to make (if only I didn't have to go to work every day....)

These are going to be my first attempt at a pair of trousers, but not for a little while yet as I have a list by daughters want me to make!

See you soon :)

Today was THE day!

...that the other half took me to collect the duplicate me! aka the Lady Valet dressform - simply beautiful! I couldn't wait to get started and use her, so set out to make this lovely blouse:

The pattern is from Simplicity Lisette - didn't look too promising on the envelope, but when I saw this lovely lightweight cotton at £2 per metre (and the blouse only takes 1 metre!) with cream, olive and green colourways, I couldn't resist.  Here is the pattern:

Seeing as the colours in my blouse are definately heading towards an autumn palette, I decided I also liked the look of the skirt at View B (the shorter length) and have purchased this lovely olive coloured stretch cotton for my next project:

PS this is just draped around the beautiful Lady Valet as the skirt will have to wait another day whilst I catch up with the housework tomorrow!

Happy sewing :)

joy oh joy

Been really rushed this last week, so not too much to report in the sewing department - have had a lovely long weekend in the Yorkshire Dales ducking the showers! Still, have managed to get a bit of knitting done and progress on the Twenties wrap cardigan has been made!

Why joy oh joy?  Well,  there is a milestone birthday fast approaching which in itself is not too much to celebrate except that the alpha male in my life is on his laptop ordering my adjustable dressform!!! Cannot wait!

Good sewing day!

Today was a successful day spent at the sewing machine.  I had some colourful cotton with stretch in my stash from a trip to Leeds Market a couple of months ago and which was purchases for a bargain price of just £3 per metre!  This is what I produced:

The pattern was from Prima Magazine:

I did take in the neck and a small amount across the back shoulders, but it could probably do with a bit more! I am a typical english pear, small shoulders but definately curvy bottomed!

Overall I'm really pleased with this and am planning to make a plain navy version for work.

In between the sewing, I'm having a go at knitting a cardigan which is a reprint of a 1920's style from Woman's Weekly magazine:

The picture above includes the start of the back (the cardigan is knit all in one piece), the wool is a cotton 4 ply, colour 'Acorn' - this project may take some time to complete!  I'll post progress as and when.