Tie me cardigan down, sport

Here is my wrap cardigan in progress

- the question is, should I just hem the neckline and bottom or put a narrow lace band on (a narrow version of the sleeve ends)

Here she is, finished with hem as suggested. She is comfy!

Hmm, is 'arms akimbo' my only stance?

It's, it's, the licorice twist

Ah, I love me a quick dress. The cutting out took the longest, and that wasn't that long.... I left out the back darts, they really weren't needed (darts in a knit frock, straaaange!)
Hellooo another tripfit methinks!


Black doesn't come out so well in photos - I knew I should've used camel! Here is the detail of the twist. There is a bit of drapey stuff just under the bust, but I don't mind it. I wonder how this knit will wash?

Flamingos 'r' us

New Look 6557, view E. E for eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeasy.
now with capelet!

Palm Puff

I think I shall call her Lola.

Skullpuff

I haven't done the buttons yet (turkey basting is so intrusive) but here she is. The lady at the vietmknees shop sold me some nice unobtrusive black buttons for 5c a pop, bless her.



Oh, I love these sleebes. So darn cute and as easy as pie. Probably easier, as I make more sleebes than pie.

Spinout

I see your cherry and raise you a sweet pink brocade

Yeah, yeah, I'll try to get a pic of me in it next time i wear it.

ch-ch-ch-ch-cherrybomb

It's the weekend, and I know that you're free...so put on your cherry dress and come on out with me...

OOLs big time

Brainwave alert

I have been mulling over the black spot cherry since I bought it, and apart from a cherrypuff shirt, which is a definite, I just wasn't sure what frock to make. I thought about making an A-line skirt so I could wear the shirt and skirt as a pseudo frock and separates, which would be nice, or a wrap dress, but I have a few of those and I wasn't really sure about this fabric in a wrap. I just had a brainwave which I think will be coooool... sweetie with a slim skirt and red bias binding trim!
I love the fit of posey's sweetheart bodice and sleeves, and I will wear a slim skirt much more often than posey's big skirt. Maybe even a slight A-line skirt could be attached rather than the fuller skirt.

Clapotis

Hot off the needles, as you can tell from the ends which have yet to be woven in....

Worn three ways! Versatility!

Wrap!

Scarf!

Um, another wrap!

(I know, not a frock...but can be worn with one)

'56 Chevy

as she was originaly on the left... and as I made her below




last pic is the zip problem - much worse on me than Jane - any ideas?

Lights, camera, action frock

Frock in action!

When I was young

...I dreamt of having enough fabric, patterns, and haberdashery (I prefer that to 'notions') lying about the house so that I could make something that took my fancy at any given time, even on a Sunday!

(OK, so now they have Sunday trading, but still...)

Here is my quick 'n' dirty cummerbund - doesn't every girl have hook 'n' eye tape and featherweight boning lying about the house?
Luckily I am sure that the blackness of Cappy will hide the flaws and stray threads. I am sure the ends of the boning will make me sit straight all night!

PS this eBay seller is a good source of silk - and the stretch means you don't have to cut it on the bias - yay! I got some black stretch satin before and it is lovely - must make slippage from it forthwith.

I know, I know, it's not a frock

but it was a lot more work than most frocks I make.
I used this McCall's shirt pattern, view D, but had to make a lot of modifications for Mr Matty:

1. Cut out a large, but tapered to a medium sleeve cap and armcye
2. Made the hem straight instead of tuck in tails
3. Made epaulettes and then forgot to put them in. Matty says he likes it better without
4. The cuff was WAY too big for the sleeve, so I took out most of one sleeve end pleat
5. Redrafted the front yoke to a pointy one

and yes, I used the snap setter. Didn't break any snaps, but must have been hitting too hard because I had to discard a few that went all squashy and wouldn't close over the other bit. No, I don't know what I mean either.
Oh dear, this is after a good pressing. Hopefully a wash will settle it a bit.

Slippage

Here is the muslin of the slip.
Ick sewing bias and silk satin.
Yay wearing bias and silk satin.
Thus nature balances itself.
And of course, the inspiration.

Sometimes you're in the mood for a quick frock

...and this one sure is quick! I love the fact that no zip was needed - although i might make an inside belt from elastic, because this corded knit lace is heavy... drapes nicely. I will wear it with a belt anyway. I was going to be all dedicated and finish the neck and sleeves with foldover elastic (my new best friend) but i just overlocked, turned and zigzagged - very very forgiving fabric this one, you can't see a thing on the right side.

I hope you appreciate how I have hidden Jane's internal organs this time (with some pink netting). The frock is actually quite see through - I am imagining her with pale pink slip, or a bold red satin one. I will get a proper picture of it on me instead of Jane, I promise. It isn't really as shapeless as it looks.

This is the corded knitted lace on a white table.

It will be fiiiine with some dress clips!

Today I bought some thickish black cotton/lycra for t-shirts - apparently good quality shaped set-in sleeve t-shirts that come down below one's waist don't exist. I hope I have a decent pattern somewhere for such a thing. I also got some great thick cotton twill with heaps of stretch for travel pants - the knowledgeable lady at GJ has used the yoga pant pattern and recommends it (but i might use some other stuff to muslin them, this material was cheap but not replaceable...) Or I could just make the Vogue bootlegs without the zip.

Wrap up the week

Another day, another frock

Go, go, Lutterloh!

Guess what arrived in the post today?

It's teeny! About the size of a DVD case. But so full of delights! I've photocopied the ruler from Stitches, so i will have to have a play with it this weekend after I have made my lace dress (I'm thinking of making a red satin slip for underneath it: I bought some red feathers today and will try and make a little feather headband).

Here are another couple of pages from it:Looking at the eBay auctions, I think they repeat the patterns in a few books - I've seen one of 'my' patterns in a book marked 1954, and another in a 1956 one - which might mean that I can rest in my lutterloh pursuit!

Obsession...rising...

I have lots of lovely frocks I haven't even worn yet, but I get invited to a barbecue this weekend, and all I can think is....
can I make a wrap dress out of this in time?

Advise me, should I do:
a) sleeveless/collarless;
b) long sleeved/collared;
c) long sleeved/collarless?

In the flesh

Here she is on me instead of Jane. I might debut her tomorrow if it isn't too warm. I think i'll wear her over a dress in case four buttons aren't enough..
And while in Clegs what did I see? "Seconds" dusty pink silk crepe de chine for $9.95/m.
I think it would make a good 'nude' slip, however I am tempted to put black lace on a la Trashy Diva which will un-nudify it.

Help me...!

It's only $50 US at trashydiva. And there is a matching bolero for $25. And they have the ever so cute cowboy shirts for $50 on sale too. Dare I? I do love the buckle jacket...

Not particularly exciting...

...but practical! A very quick and easy sew, although I did have to take the back in a bit. I do like the foldover elastic, although I didn't do the neatest job on it...



I also cut out the top half of the Vogue Jacket (after smallifying the collar) - I figured I would do the top half first, see how I like it, then work out how to do the skirt portion if I liked it. This is the material, a sort of stretch - but the flash makes it look much lighter than it is, it's really rather burgundy.

I like her

...because she's nice.

Here's the length I decided on. I'm happy with it. Definitely a candidate as a picnic frock.

I recommend putting bias binding on after two glasses of red wine. Went on like a dream.

She fits like a glove (although looking at that pic, the gels at PR would be having coniptions about the wrinkle from the right shoulder) Just my scoliosis. Not doing scoliosis alterations!

Pattern notes for future reference.

1. Vogue size 8 is too small for me. I shoulda cut out the 10. I had to do 1 cm seams and take half the width out of the back bodice darts. (so much for 3 inches of bust ease. There's no ease. None!)
2. I cut the midriff and the skirt on the straight grain.
3. I took 2.5cm off the width of the midriff back and fronts. Fits gooooooo.
4. I pinned out about about 10cm total of flare in the skirt pieces...good thing too, I wouldn't want her any flarier.
5. Cut the skirt pieces about 5 cm longer than the pattern piece because of the shortening of the midriff bit. Then took her up 4.5cm. Almost balanced itself out there.

Also honolulu arrived today. Uber black velvet!