Wanted!

Have you seen this beret?

Looks like a mug shot, no?

Yup. Made a grey one.

Same as the black one, went up a needle size so it's a bit slouchier. Cleckheaton country 12 ply, my Denise Interchangeable needles size 9 for the ribbing, size 10 for the stockinette and magic loop to finish.

Look, I knit a beret

Free pattern available from Knit and Tonic. It's called Le slouch, although mine didn't slouch very much. I'm not going to gauge swatch for a beret; I'm rebellious that way. I like it like this, and maybe I'll make a grey one and go up a needle size so it is more slouchy.

It's only a matter of time...

...before I start posting photos of myself in my smalls on the internet. I nearly did with this slip I made today, because it has given me faith that I can sew a flattering silk slip.
I looked through all my slip patterns (ie 4) and they were all cut on the straight grain. What the...?
This pattern sternly warns it is for "Knit Fabrics Only!" , but cutting view 1 on the bias did the trick. The magic of bias wins the day.
It's mauve 100% silk from Rathdowne Remnants in Melbourne, again. I think I'll make a green one too.

Wool jersey disco frock

So I had some time off this afternoon, and I have been thinking about a long sleeved wool jersey frock. So I made one.
I used this pattern again, view B, and added the blouse sleeves from this pattern, which I took in a little as they were a bit, well, blousy.
It looks a bit plain without the belt, and a bit studio 54 with it!
Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Slip up

I made this slip from some gorgeous silk I bought in Melbourne, at Rathdowne Remnants. I used Simplicity 4352, a 1940s pattern, view 1.
It's not cut on the bias, but the instructions said a side opening was 'optional'. I was happy to find I could get it on without an opening. Unfortunately I had to unpick the side to get out of it, so I ended up having to put an invisible zip in. I can live with that.
The problem is, it's extremely unflattering on me. Perhaps due to not being cut on the bias, it clings rather than skims and is quite a horrible shape on. I persevered thinking that some stretch lace might make it prettier.
Ugh, all the lace did was make the sides gape horribly under the arms.
Sigh. It didn't take long to make, thankfully, and I have about 2.5 metres of the pretty green silk left, so if I can find a better slip pattern I will try again. Anybody have any tried and true bias cut slip patterns to recommend?

Schoolmarm sassy

I made the blouse yesterday, from Butterick 4985, in cotton with little apples on it from Spotlight. I changed the sleeves, as I always seem to do. I didn't want the fluttery sleeves or the big puff sleeves. Today I made another pull on knit skirt, this time in lovely schoolmarm grey. Is 'marm' a word on its own? Or does it only go with 'school'? Hmm, might have to look that one up.

LBD

When I was in Melbourne last week, my friend S showed me an adorable little black dress she has. We hatched a plot to copy it. This is what I came up with, and - yay for the first project for my new sewing machine.

I used this pattern, view A, using a french thierry, which is like a very thick cotton jersey, almost trakky daks material. I left the zip out as it is stretch fabric and didn't need it. I left the back darts in by accident, but it turned out I needed them to give the 60s shift a little shape. I had to take the dress in quite a lot to get the fit I wanted. I also added little sleeves from another pattern. I changed the neckline gathers to four pleats, as per the inspiration dress.

I made the collar as the pattern dictated, but the close up shows it pinned to make an approximation of the bow thingy which is on the inspiration frock. I'm still deciding whether to tack it down like that permanently.

Sewist!

Someone got a new sewing machine for Christmas!
It was delivered today yay!
Here is a little photo essay of her arrival and, first one-step buttonhole! (and look! I made a styrofoam stonehenge!)

Frockus interuptus - furnishingks

The furniture came out of storage today, hoorah! I am still waiting for the new sofa, and will have to make a decision on which rug - I've decided the pattern, but will it be the black or the grey, and how big? Luckily the nice man in the rug shop said I can take a couple home and see how they look.


















And, finally, the gargoyles are happily outside where they are meant to be - can't wait to get some foliage around them...

Housedress of Representatives

Here is is, my interpretation of the new gubbermint in the form of a frock (I wore it today for the fifth time, then realised it was time to blog her).

1. She is green, as this is the colour of the House of Representatives, the winning of which determines who governs (at least as far as I understand it).
2. She is bound in red, the colour representing Labor on election night.
3. Bunches of flowers represent the ecological / green vote, which helped Labor to power (Go, Go, Kyoto!)
4. The midriff band represents the Middle Classes, who apparently came to their senses at last.
5. 100% cotton and sleeveless, just in case global warming happens despite action taken by the New Gubbermint.

I was going to trim her with all manner of red rickrack. But like many a pre-election promise, it isn't going to happen.

Made from New Look 6699.

So nice I made it twice

I had a great Christmas in Melbourne. Lots of shopping; 4 pairs of shoes, many patterns, much fabric and some tracing fun in Moggy's new fab sewing stoodio! Woo hoo.





Moggy whipped up a potential tripfit skirt in about half an hour on Saturday, in the blasting heat, so I stole, I mean traced the pattern and have made two of these eeeeasy pull on knit skirts since I returned home.

I've been all about the saucy secretary wiggle skirt lately, so I thought I'd give the shorter skirt a bit of a go again. It's more 'jump straight on the boss's knee' than the longer 'I'm not that sort of girl, Mr Jones' one, but you've got to let your hair down sometimes.

And, new suede wedges!

My new sewing room, let me show you it

Sigh. I've sewn 3/4 of a dress and one small curtain so far, and it is ace! Now contemplating options for storage, and amazing myself at just how much fabric I have (it's been hiding in the front room for years, naughty fabric!).