Some New Look lurve

Kitty and I were discussing today how lots of people feel the love for Burda. And we just can't seem to get on that Burda train. Apparently the fit is great; I don't know because I've never made one - the styles just don't appeal.

It's not you, Burda, it's me.

Luckily I don't need to do alterations on patterns (apart from sticking in a few cm in the midriff, which makes frocks fit better for long-waisted me), so as long as I check the finished pattern measurement before I choose my size I'm fine (We all do that, don't we? If you don't, you should, or else you risk too much ease, mateys! Nothing kills sass like too much ease!). So the whole fit thing isn't a big issue.

Of the modern patterns I do like New Look.

Hello, they say, I will be a dress for you! Let me be a coat! You'll love me and make me lots! Look at my midriff details and choices of styles! And I'm so cheap - quite frequently as little as $5! Isn't that worth a try?

here are some of my favourites:
Here's one I'm making at the moment (the coat, in black doubleknit with celadon satin lining)

And here is one on my to-make list (it gets rave reviews on PR).

Vogue 1679

Here's the other frock I made on the weekend. I made the version shown in green on the left of the pattern envelope, in a thick black double knit. The knit doesn't have much stretch, but I still made it without a zip, cutting the back piece on the fold. Thankfully the fabric has enough give so I can get it on fine.

The pockets took the most time, and I messed up the first attempt by cutting the welt too long so it looked like the pocket had some sort of wry grin coming out of the flap. Fortunately I had enough fabric to cut another front piece, and now I know to be much more careful with those snippers!

It's by no means perfect, but I'm the only one who can see that I have sewn the pocket flaps so one is a little wider than the other. And I'm not going to be silly and tell anyone, or put that classified information on the internet for all to see, am I?

New look 6726, and more

I made two frocks last weekend. Here is one of them:

and here is my photographer's assistant checking the lighting:
It's New Look 6726:
I made the version without front gathers, but with button tabs on the shoulders. I also added the button tabs at the empire waist, but didn't check the pattern before buying the buttons, so I didn't realise that the tabs went around the back of the dress too, requiring 6 buttons. I had four. I'd bought those four buttons in Melbourne, and I was back in Sydney. Hmm. I wanted this dress NOW. So I folded the tabs in half and topstitched to the side seam, only adding buttons at the front. I can't see the buttons on the back when I'm wearing it after all! Sorted!

I don't usually take in-progress photos when I'm sewing, mainly because I'm a 'I want a new frock to wear tonight!' type of girl, not a 'I'll stop and take a helpful photo' type.
I did pause during the making of this dress to take this photo of my beloved new invisible zip foot in action:
Afterwards, after feeling smugly helpful, I had to do this:


I had twisted the zip tape. I'm never being helpful again.
Today I put the dress on and the zip pull came off. I can't actually pull the zip down, so I shall have to have it surgically removed by Mr M this evening. Pliers may be necessary.

I went to the new location for Remnant Warehouse today, (fab, by the way. So spacious!) and bought some red, some white, and some navy bengaline. The 'Out of the Ashes' patterns arrived two days ago! So quick!
Guess which two frocks I'm making? Warning - Might be obvious:


I also bought some cute black and whites, a skull print and a rose print, in (gasp!) polyester! (hangs head in shame):

But how cute will they be in the sleeveless-with-tie blouse shown at the bottom of this post?
This post is long enough. I'll post the second frock later.

Hello Sailor!

I've been obsessing about a sailor frock for some time now. I see patterns about every so often, but I've had the old "can't find anything else from this seller so not worth the postage" or "I'm not paying x dollars for that!" as I can't imagine having more that one sailor frock.

This was the closest (went for $7.99 I see). I have a number of vintage sewing books with how to draft a sailor collar, and my nicely fitting sloper pattern, so I decided to run one up myself.


Here she blows!
(Being that it is on Jane, who as previously mentioned is smaller of hip and bigger of waist than I, it doesn't look as sassy as it does in real life. When I wear her I will take a pic.).

I'm pleased. A fifties fair contender along with Rekkid.

Patterns, purloined and otherwise

One of the perks, for me, of being invited into Moggy's sewing studio is raiding her stash of vintage patterns, and making off with some patterns in my size.
Here are the latest ones to find their way back to Sydney with me:


I am slightly obsessed with that green frock with pockets on the far left in the top pattern, and might muslin it in black this weekend.
Oh, and I found pictures of the other three patterns I bought from Out of the Ashes:


Loving the red and blue frocks in the first one, the collar tie on the middle frock, and the sleeveless blouse in the last pattern.

Patterns

I bought some patterns from Out of the Ashes, including these:



I'm on a 60s kick now. Moggy and I had a sewing evening last Friday in her swanky new sewing studio, making a 60s frock for our friend, S. A whole load of girly fun was had by all.

Pillow of society

While Kitty was here she encouraged me to take up the fine four-for-$30 cushions deal at Dog's Breakfast on Johnson St in Fitzroy (note: four cushions are not easy for one person to carry. Second note: even with two people carrying said cushions, it is not advised to go into narrow shops selling cones of overlocking thread - cushions have corners, y'know).

Anyway, this means that I can finally use the stash-o-barkcloth I bought at least a year ago in Cushion Anticipation:

Here is the first one - I like to call him Mr Plumpy (that is also the cat's winter name, but I'm sure he won't mind).

Note to self: take pictures of cushions the right way up. I tried to rotate the picture, but it just looks odd...

Edited to add: Here is the whole Plumpy family. I do like furnishings, so dashed quick to sew!

Stash Extension Machine

As one would expect when Moggy and Kitty are in the same city, we shopped for fabric...

On Friday I bought some $5 patterns from Clegs:






And one from Spotlight today (all patterns half price - Clegs don't have Kwik Sew). I am trusting that, in the usual way, Kwik Sew looks better made up than they do on the not-very-appealing pictures in the catalogue:



Bought some lovely 'ghostly cherry' fabric - this is a fine white fabric with translucent pink cherries with green leaves (thinking a full-skirted shirtdress from this one)
I also bought some navy blue stretch bengaline, which I hope to make a sailor frock from (don't have a pattern, I am hoping to fudge one somehow).

Some patterns arrived from the Out of The Ashes in the USA that I ordered the other week - some vintage and one just OOP:

As did some lovely fabric from Contemporary Cloth (which, oddly, is actually designed in Sydney but cheaper to buy from the USA):

Just for the record...

I'm off to see Wanda Jackson - The Queen Of Rockabilly! - in a couple of weeks so I thought I should make a frock for the occasion.

It so happens I had 4 or so yards of record print fabric (see first small pic on this previous stashpost) and a new Simplicity pattern (3774) to try out. It's one of those ones that you look at and think it is rather no-thank-you, but when you have a closer look realise it Has Potential:
Look at that sweet crossover bodice! Those little sleeves! Forget the aqua and pink abomination of a fabric...

So here is the bodice part - I frankensteined an almost full circle skirt on, but I am waiting for delivery of a couple of crinoline petticoats and shall wait to post the full thing until then.

EDITED TO ADD: I've stuck the with-petticoat pics on Sew Retro to encourage reluctant petticoat wearers out there.


The bodice is lined - inside there are darts rather than pleats, so it sits very nicely. I think the pleats might be lost a little in this rather *ahem* busy fabric, but they do make a nice shape.

Little frocker

I did a bit of a stash dive this morning, because it's littlest neice Gioia's birthday soon, and she has nearly grown out of last year's frock. I had a fabric in mind, but then I saw that I had enough apple print cotton left over from making my blouse. I thought it would be cuter than the plain fabric I had in mind. This is the third frock I've made for her, all from New Look 6578.

It's a handy little pinny, good for layering so it can be worn for most of the year.

OOL*

Mmmm, view B in a spotty silk.

*Object Of Lust

Stormy

I'm done with the shirtdresses, but not yet done with three quarter sleeves with cuffs it seems. I am on a mission to make winter dresses I can use for tripfits, as this is a big travel year for me. This is Vogue 8409, view A, in a dark grey viscose knit. It's not finished yet, there's still some basting showing, it's not hemmed and I haven't handstitched the cuff facings up, so they're just folded inside in this photo.
The pattern is for wovens, so I traced off a size smaller than I usually would, and pinned out the darts on the pattern. I left out the zip, so I cut the bodice back, band back and skirt back on the fold. I also didn't use the band facing, because this fabric is quite thick and it would have been too bulky. I also overlocked and turned the neckline and back neck edges, instead of using facings. Pfft, who needs facings?
I will overlock and turn the hem too, and I quite like this length, so it will be my usual teeny hem.
Edited to add finished photos, on my way out to dinner tonight.