Snap!

 When Kitty visited the other week, one thing we did was go fabric shopping - here you see some faux silk twill (the red with bit fat grey roses - $2.99/m marked as silk but it wasn't - no problem at that price, will be fabulous lining), self stripe bengaline (yay stretch - I see a pinafore) both from Brunswick Fabrics, and some faaabulous silver leopard from Clegs (for an eveningy frock of some description):


From GJ Fabrics in Lygon St, from left to right is green wool jersey (actually like a light doubleknit), emerald-y ponti, and lovely teal wool blend.

While she was here, Kitty also helped me to make Jane more... Moggy. Her proportions were never quite mine, so while she was fine for hanging hems and taking (inaccurate) photos, she wasn't doing what a dressmaker's dummy should do.

Now she does, as you can see on the left.

First we put a suitable sized bra on her, then used wadding to pad her out. Once her proportions resembled mine, I used New Look 6968 to make a tight fitting cover out of some stretch purple denim.

 

To celebrate, I used the new Jane to make a scoop necked version of good ol' Butterick 6522. I finally made a proper right-sized version of the bodice out of interfacing so I can make another thousand versions of it. 

If the fabric looks familiar to those who follow bloggers, it's the same as Livebird's lovely drapey dress.

Hands up all who share the stretch cotton sateen love.

Another reason to appreciate said fabric is that with a frock like this - no need for a zip. Yay!

Not AGAIN!

As Kitty and I were having our usual online-chatting-while-sewing-or-otherwise-craftifying, we discussed how despite both having a metric heap of patterns, we do often sew the same ones over (and sometimes over and over) again.

That's exactly what I did this weekend.

Saturday was a leopard ponti version of the red buckle dress from way back last November - the vintage Simplicity Slenderette S.183 . I dug out a silver buckle from the haberstash and off she went!

Unfortunately I think the coverstitch on my Elna was going a bit weird so will have to wear it and see if it maintains Hem Stability. 

I'll see if I can get a better picture tomorrow where it's not looking quite so brick like.

Next is old favourite Butterick 6522, made Sunday afternoon after a lovely lunch at my sister's house to celebrate a couple of family birthdays. . 

 

I've now made this one from lace, halloween cats, lurid stretch cotton sateen, black knit with embroidery, tiki print (hmm, where is that frock?) and now goldfish:

As mentioned before, it's a pattern I've had for ages so was cut to a 14 - I now sew an 18 most of the time. So I added 2cm to each seam (side and back) and the centre front, and sewed the back dart 1cm smaller at the waist, tapering up to the existing dart at the top. I used the usual a line skirt from New Look 6557. This is such a quick sew, what with the cut on sleeves, dartless a-line skirt, faced sweetheart neckline and french dart. It's a great style for showing off the pattern of a fabric.

Note to self: trace a version with these additions onto interfacing so I don't have to mark it up every time and adjust the facing. Because we all know I'll make this one again.

Makeup blogging

Oops, looks like I haven't made anything for the last month! I have really...

The weekend before last I made a frock for our work Christmas party held at the sumptuous Plaza Ballroom underneath the Regent Theatre.

I used some vintage-looking red brocade I've had sitting in the stash for some years. I used good ol' Vogue 9668 - unfortunately I made it a bit tight so had to take out the back midriff section, unpick the darts, and add a new slightly bigger one in... what a pain! But it all turned out nicely in the end
.

I also made a version of Made By Rae's free Buttercup Bag to go with the frock. I reduced it to 70% on the photocopier so it came out tiny - just right for my phone and keys.

A fine night was had by all!

This weekend I had the laziest Saturday - as in I did nothing bar read a book or two. I decided that Sunday should make up for it so I made a frock.

Last week I got a delivery from equilter of yards of fabric - so I preshrank some yesterday (OK, so I did one thing yesterday!). I got a couple of the Germania quilting fabrics - this one is a sort of petri dish arrangements of germlike things (the other looks like cell structures - haven't decided on what to make with that one yet).

I used New Look 6867 - it's rather like 6557, but with wider straps. I made view B, then decided to try the 'knots' - little bands that cinch the straps. I like the look so I'll keep them.


Then I decided I was on a roll so I should make another. Plus it rained and hailed today and 17c - it's meant to be Summer! No complaints here though, I hate hot weather.

So I got out this fab Tiki Totem quilting fabric and used another old reliable pattern - Butterick Retro 6522 - with New Look 6557 skirt. Such a quick sew this one!


One thing about all this rain - the garden sure is looking lush!

Frock catch-up

*Updated with proper picture of red dress*

I've made a few things lately but been rather slack with the posting, so here are my last two weekends' efforts:

First up, a Halloween frock. We don't really celebrate Halloween here in Australia, but I love the imagery. I wanted to wear this to work, so I didn't use any of my myriad skull fabric. This is one of the quilting prints I got this time last year from Beaver Creek Quilts. Good old Butterick 6522 again. I wore her on Friday and got some unsolicited compliments on public transport!


This picture of one of my kitties will give you an idea why I had to have that fabric!

The other frock was today's sewing. Kitty got some lovely red ponti at Spotlight during the week, so I nipped out and bought some too (I also bought some snakeskin knit fabric, which I started to cut out but it is a bit slippery so it is sitting half cut on my table).

It was screaming out for a Joan Holloway dress (don't you love how that's become code for a fab fitted retro frock?)
I dug this pattern out of my stash:

It's a 36, which is a size or two too small. So I did my lazy lady's grading and added 2cm to both the front and back centre seam/fold, did a bit of reshaping of the neckline so it wasn't too wide... and voila!

The instructions for that middle bit were a bit of a pain but it has worked out just fine.

Here it is on me. Do you think I need to dust my mirror?


And here she is on me!

Fifties fair frock and a leopard

This weekend I made my fifties fair frock. It's next weekend, so I decided to go for a pattern I'd made before - I think this might be the fourth time I've made this.

And I just realised I made this one for last year's fair too!


This time I made it with the collar

It's a nice cotton sateen with lycra - this means no need for a zip, which made it a super quick sew. As this was a woven rather than a knit, I added 2cm to each seam (including the CF and CB folds) which seems just right. I used the a-line skirt from New Look 6557.

I do like it with that collar.

I also made a wrap dress with some monochrome leopard knit I bought last weekend, at the same time as the sateen above.

I used Butterick 5101 - I've made this as a top before, which I didn't post because it was black and therefore hard to see. It has a nice slight raised collar at the back. I was a little worried that it might gape, but I road tested it today and it seems fine - I usually wear a slip anyway so that should be fine.

Hearty sweetheart sweetness

I realised this week that I hadn't made a frock for the fifties fair (next weekend) and I don't have any in reserve. So I spent today making this:

It's a Butterick Retro '50 - Butterick 6522 which I made before in lace (and in something else, but I can't remember what). It must have been some time ago, because the pattern was a size or two too small, but I just placed the centre back and centre front 2cm in from the fold and voila - fits perfectly.

I made it from a crepe-y black knit - turned out to be a good choice as it is nice and drapey and also I didn't need to put a zip in (yay!). I'm letting it hang for a while before I hem it. I may need to put in thread chain belt loops, or maybe stabilise the waist with some elastic.

The extra heart-ness is thanks to my trusty embroidery machine. I got the heart from Urban Threads (this one, minus the wings).

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.