Cherry Half Circle Skirt

Miss C loves looking through my stash and found some cherry patterned fabric that she loved. She asked if I could make a 'vintage looking skirt' with it. I decided to make her a circle skirt but only had one metre so it became a half circle skirt. I drafted the pattern myself using this tutorial.

I ended up having to cut the waist circle bigger to pull on which shortened the length but I don't think it ruined the result.

I used plain white elastic sewn straight onto the waist. Miss C doesn't like how that looks. Perhaps next time I'll dye some elastic to match.

I learnt a new skill as well -- using my rolled hem foot. It was really ingenious! When I saw it working I made little nerdy squeaks of excitement! It made hemming a curve very simple and I only had to fold under the one fold then the foot did the rest!

Rolled hem foot in action!

I'm going to call this a wearable muslin as I had to fiddle with the pattern, the elastic isn't ideal and the rolled hem was my first attempt ever and has a couple of flaws. I'll definitely make more!

Summer Sailors by Brownie Goose

My eldest daughter has just turned 8 and she is wearing a size 10 in clothes. This means she has outgrown most of the children's ranges of ready-made clothes and is into the teen clothes. I have had an awful time finding shorts that cover her butt. Most sewing patterns for children end at size 8 as well. Miss C also has my bodyshape and as she gets older it is kicking well into gear. She has a rounded bum, curvy thighs and legs, and a sway back. Unless pants are adjustable, they just don't fit her. I had the same problem as a kid and still do!! I wanted to get her some shorts that were dressy and after having no luck I found this pattern for Summer Sailors shorts from Brownie Goose.

I'm not very good at 'shopping' from my stash but this time EVERYTHING came from my supplies including the elastic.
Fabric: navy and white spotted poplin from my stash (bought a couple of years ago on sale at Spotlight)
Buttons: 6 white buttons from my mum's button jar (probably buttons from my dad's PJs years ago!!)
Bias binding: White single fold bias binding from my stash for the faux pocket detail and navy bias binding from my stash to bind the waist seam.

Bound waist seam

I am insanely happy with these shorts. The pattern was very simple but the instructions for the little details including making a flat front elasticised waistband, making the cuff loops etc were described very clearly in the instructions. And the pattern was a pdf so it was instant gratification!

I'm definitely going to make more of these. I saw a tutorial for using the same pattern to make a different look.

The pattern is sized from 3 months to 12 years which is brilliant!

Best of all, my daughter loves them :)

The sewing algorithm

Perfect pattern + perfect fabric + careful cutting & sewing = FABULOUS finished garment.

I'm improving on the last one but the first two I am not so good at. I've now developed a block at matching up fabric and a pattern which has brought me to a stand-still.

Case in point. Beautiful Liberty of London fabric procured by my darling husband on a buying trip to London. I agonised over the pattern to use for it. And I FAILED. The lawn was way too crisp and the pattern needed better drape. I used this pattern and got very sad results due to my fabric choice.

 I was bitten and now I am freaked out.

Sad dress :(

$5 Patterns at Spotlight Australia

If there is something I'm really good at it's adding to my pattern and fabric stash. Not so good at the finishing projects bit...

Paper patterns are $5 until Oct 30 2013 at Spotlight Australia, so I went in...twice. The second time I went I took Miss Eight who has never perused pattern books before. You also need to select the pattern yourself from the drawer these days. She thought it was all particularly awesome. Her quote: 'I never knew looking at patterns could be so EXCITING!' Sweet little nerd.

Crikey! More than a year since I last blogged. What on earth happened?

Firstly, I have done no sewing (making a dirndl skirt for my daughter's bookweek outfit doesn't really count). Secondly we have moved house twice and I didn't unpack my machine in the house-sit we had for 5 months. Thirdly, I was pregnant and suffered from hyperemesis gravidarum -- severe morning sickness; I threw up until literally the day I delivered. And, as I've seen other pregnant women comment, my creative juices dry up when I'm pregnant. I have no motivation to sew.

So, now I have 3 girls and my baby is nearly 6 months. We're slowly unpacking boxes and trying to find storage solutions to reduce our clutter. 

My sewing table is set up and my machine and overlocker are headed off for a grease and oil change. I hope this is a fresh start for me and sewing.

Very exciting news: Gertie's book is available for pre-order. I discovered Gertie's blog Blogforbettersewing a while back and she has just avalanched as every sewing girl's muse, girl crush, teacher, confidante...Go order it!! Go on!

It's actually pretty funny that my last post was about my grand plans for sewing and then the wheels completely fell off of my life and rolled down the hill!

The other funny thing about my lack of sewing productivity is that despite not completing any projects recently, I have still added to my fabric stash and lined up future projects at the rate I would if I was prolific!

Currently nearing completion though is a dress made from some Liberty Lawn my husband procured for me while in London in January. I asked him to pick me up so Liberty fabric, thinking he might pop into a fabric store and buy some but he went all out and went to the main store, took photos and brought me home two 2 yard pieces.

Source: liberty.co.uk via Jane on Pinterest

Source: liberty.co.uk via Jane on Pinterest

He does very well picking fabric for me although he tends to choose colours in the purple, blue, brown, gold colourways whereas I would gravitate towards greens, reds, pinks...But I don't complain!!

Do you have 'cutting-into-nice-fabric-phobia'? I do -- badly. I sweat over the choosing just the right pattern and preparing the fabric and cutting into it...Often I end up sewing with my crappy sale fabrics and leaving the good fabrics languishing in the stash! I decided I needed to bite the bullet and get stuck into sewing with some Liberty Lawn straightaway.

I chose this pattern to use the Strawberry Thief fabric:

Source: simplicity.com via Jane on Pinterest

I am just sewing in the sleeves and you know...I don't think it was the best pattern to use the Liberty Lawn for. FRACK IT. The lawn is too crisp and the sleeves kind of stick out. I think this dress needed a fabric with a softer drape. But it's ok I guess. I just knew this would happen if I used some of my good fabric!!