Plotting and Planning But Not a Lot of Sewing… Yet…

I’m not even keeping up with my ‘one post a month’ target at the moment am I?!  But hey, tell you something you don’t know – right?  I promise I’ve had my reasons though, the main one being this:

Meet Fidget, mostly known as ‘our baby’ if you ask Boy.  It’s earned the moniker as during the dating scan earlier this week they did not want to stay still and have their measurements taken, or give the sonographer an easy first appointment of the day!  Hence the face down, slightly blurry image!  Everything looked good though and the blood tests have come back as all being well.  We’ve also made it out of the first Trimester so are starting to feel a little less worried and able to share the news.  We’re hoping to meet Fidget in mid to late February.

I’ve been too tired to sew and the be quite honest, not even sure WHAT to sew!  Bed time has been 9pm for weeks, which basically means no sewing.  Sleep was the priority!  Instead I’ve been hoping, dreaming and making some vague plans – what to wear being one element.

I’ve had fun sketching in my Fashionary and come up with a few ideas that I hope will work in the coming 6 months or so as well as afterwards, and some may even have a longer ‘shelf life’.

Here’s what I’ve come up with:

Butterick 5860, which is a wrap dress.  I’ve got some fabric earmarked to make at least two of these as I suspect they’ll become my uniform at work.  I have a colleague who had the most chic and pulled together maternity wardrobe during her recent second pregnancy and is the inspiration for a couple of pieces in my planned wardrobe…

Staple Dress by April Rhodes but with the shirring falling just under the bust and with a bump accommodating adjustment.  This is currently in progress.  I’ve just got to get brave to make the bias binding from a very silky rayon.  I’m gonna have to face that soon as I need it for a wedding in just under two weeks!

Papercut Patterns Circle Top as this will work now and well into the future!  So far I’ve got a navy and a purple version planned.  These will be in solids to give maximum wearing potential and are in two of my basic colours.

Maria Denmark Day to Night tops (why do I always want to type Knight when writing about this top?!).  I’m going to use Zo’s maternity alteration on these as I need some tops to go with the maternity jeans I had when pregnant with Boy.

I’ve also found a gorgeous French company called Deuxieme Arrondissement which make some gorgeous maternity patterns.  I’ve bought two:  The Duo 13H and Robe Minuit.  I think the Duo 13H will be perfect for a wedding we’re going to in December.  They’re completely different to any other maternity patterns out there, and whilst they’re entirely in French, I have faith in my language skills…  They’re printed on lovely thick paper and I’m looking forward to using them!

I’ve also hacked Jamie Christina’s Mission Maxi and am wearing a maxi skirt from a slightly failed experiment as I type.  I basically used a double knit and whilst I compensated for the lack of stretch everywhere else, with my changing chest size, it was a tad snug up top!  So I lopped the top portion off to turn it into a skirt.  I will probably revisit though, armed with a more suitable knit and again use Zo’s tutorial.

Finally, I’ve bought Burda 7239 with the express intention of recreating a top I wore when pregnant with Boy.  It was basically a cropped wrap cardigan with a false top underneath it made of a very light weight cotton.  It was fabulous to wear and my only splurge on maternity clothing with Boy.  It came from Mamas and Papas and cost me close to £40.  I wore it to death.

What I also need to do (and this is going to have to be interspersed by other projects) is crack on with my Papercut Patterns Milano Cape.  This was also inspired by my colleague, but it seemed wrong and tempting fate to do too much work on it whilst trying and then in the early stages of pregnancy.  Call me superstitious or plain daft, but after previous experiences I didn’t want to be presumptuous.

As for Fidget – well not a lot planned there at the moment as we’re not going to find out whether they’re a he or a she until they make an entrance into the world.  We’ve also got the vast majority of what we need for the early months from when we had Boy.  He was also an unknown so all our early baby stuff is neutral!  I think I may have a go at adapting Dog Under My Desk’s Day Tripper bag to be a more fun changing bag as the one from the days of Boy is a very man friendly grey!  Oh, and I’d love to make Boy and Fidget matching quilts…

So, some ‘quick’ projects (I hope) and some more involved…  Time will tell if I manage to get even half of them done!

Wendy’s Travelling Pattern Stash

I’ve got to apologise to both Wendy and Zoe for not saying thank you earlier (although I did via email!).  Back in early January Zoe wrote a post about Wendy’s collection of patterns;

‘Today I’ve been rethinking my future sewing plans and have cleared out my small pattern stash.  I have thirteen patterns (most used, some not) that I know I will never use, they are all women’s clothing.  Sadly here in Luxembourg we have no charity shops to which I can donate them and I have no sewing community either.’

So Wendy and Zoe decided to hold a give away and guess which lucky girl won?!

I’ve decided to keep three patterns I know I’ll use in the near future:

I promised in my entry that I’d pass on any patterns I wouldn’t use, so yep I have some patterns to pass on!

These descriptions are the same as provided in Zoe’s post and I haven’t checked the envelopes – I’ve taken Wendy at her word:

Burda 8361 size 6-18; cut to 18
Burda 7293 size 10-20; cut to 18
McCalls 4769 size 12-18; uncut
New Look 6945 size 8-18; uncut
New Look 6104 size 10-22; cut to 16/18
New Look 6669 size 8-18; skirt cut to 18
New Look 6937 size 10-22; view E cut 16/18
Style Arc Samantha Top; cut to 16
Vogue 7837 size L/XL; uncut
Vogue 8634 size L/XL; cut

I’ll post anywhere in the world and I all I ask is that if there are any patterns you don’t think you’ll use that you do the same and pass them on to somebody who will use them.

This give away is open until midnight GMT on Monday 25 February 2013 and then I’ll use the random number generator to pick a winner!  Just let me know in the comments below if you’d like to put your name in the hat.

Burda Style 8/2012

The August issue of Burda Style dropped through the letter box this morning, and I have to say there are some patterns in this issue that I love!

Look at the cover!  I looked at this and just went WOW! The yellow outfit, that I thought was a dress, is actually a skirt and top!  It’s separate potential is beautifully illustrated by this image:

I love the addition of a lace collar, paired with the dark floral straight skirt.  I love this classic style with a twist/edge.

There’s lots of work suitable items too!  I love this skirt with the godet in the front

And this blouse with the tie at the back is a lovely twist on a shell top

And this flowing top from the plus size section is a lovely classic piece

And isn’t this top and trouser combo just fabulous?!  I love the graphic orange print with the nautical twist on the wide legged trousers.

Even the kids section has (finally!) got some decent patterns for boys in it!  Two good solid shirt patterns and a nice slim fitting style trouser.  There’s even a jacket/cardigan thing.  For once it’s about a 50/50 split between the boys and girls!  And the boy’s pieces are classics, so whilst patterns for the boys may not come along too often, at least these can be used for a few years!

So, that’s at least 6 patterns I like just for me, with the bonus of three that I can see myself making for boy!

And I’m also featured on Elena’s Seamless Blog today!  Happy Happy!

Adapt or Buy?

Have you ever got to the point when you’re looking at patterns and thought that you could get the same dress by tweaking a pattern you already own?

I bet quite a few people have, but do you actually do it?  What would you prefer to do – spend the time tweaking a pattern you already own or shell out for a new one?

I’ve been looking around on Etsy and eBay for scooter skirts, or skorts – shorts with an overskirt.  In this very narrow field there is little in the way of variation; your choices are basically this:

this:

or this:

Do a search for ‘vintage shirt dress pattern’ though and the variations are amazing!  Pleats on the bodice, vertical and horizontal, collar styles and sizes, sleeves and their million and one forms, skirts…

I am increasingly ‘franken-patterning’ to make the garment I want.  My dress for Harry’s Christening and my current shirt dress project are the two that have really shown me the possibilities that open up when combing patterns.  I can take the elements that I love / want and combine them into one garment.

The next logical step up, I guess, from mashing two patterns together is to redraft part of the pattern, or draft new pieces.  I’ve started adding Etsy items to my favourites based on a design detail rather than because I want to buy them – they’re there as future inspiration.  My intention is to take an element I like such as a sleeve or collar and add it to another pattern that I own to make whatever is floating around in my head into a reality.

The vintage patterns that have mini drawings of the pattern pieces on the back are particularly useful in this regard.  They’re great should a piece go missing as you know what you’re aiming at, but they’re also fabulous as a starting point for that perfect bloused sleeve with a deep cuff…

Click on the Simplicity 8698 pattern above.  This pattern’s been sold now but you can see the technical drawings of the pattern pieces used to make the garment up.  I find this really interesting and useful.

I’m not sure whether using the images shared by someone, with the intent to sell the item, in this way is really fair though.  Could I get the same information else where?  Should I or is it OK to use the images even though I’m unlikely to buy the pattern?

However, if it looks like there’s an unusual or interesting construction technique, I will shell out for the pattern.  I’ve just bought a scooter skirt pattern (Simplicity 9332 for £2 inc P&P) on eBay; it’s the wrong size and would need grading but my motivation for purchase was actually to see how the overskirt is attached to the shorts.

I want to learn about the mechanics of it all so that I can apply it myself to create my own version of the garment, with my ideal elements (short design, length, etc etc).

What’s your take on all this?  Do you like mashing patterns together or would you rather just sew the garment as designed with your fit alterations?  Have you tried drafting – your own original designs or using a technical drawing as a starting point?  I’m curious!

A Rather Revealing Post!

Sorry, I couldn’t help myself there – you’ve got to love Carry on double entendre humour!

First, up apologies for the absence around these parts lately.  I’m quite relieved though that it’s not just me (lladybird, Ginger, Farbenfreude…)

Anyway, you may remember that I mentioned that I’d actually managed to complete a few garments before I dropped off the face of the earth.  All I had to do was take some photographs and then it rained.  For three days.  Then it was freezing – I had to defrost the car to get to work!  Day five was Friday but it was the end of the working week and I couldn’t face organising (read as making myself look vaguely presentable) photos that evening.  Yesterday was a lovely day but involved another Husband drama – now it’s too much work and not enough hours in the day!  (Yep, I know…)

So, today is one of those perfect spring days, warm and sunny.  So whilst Boy and Husband played with duplo downstairs, the camera and I reacquainted ourselves to photograph 4, yes FOUR! finished items.  Wanna see?

All three are new additions to my wardrobe and the Meringue of Wisdom is something you didn’t even know I’d finished!  I’ve got some more in-depth posts already written on each item as when I wrote it all out it was one loooooong post and I didn’t want to bore you all to tears…

Here’s a quick summary though:  Shall we start from the outside?

The jacket is, of course, The Minoru Jacket by Sewaholic Patterns.  The jacket I have been planning and withering on about since the pattern was released last year.

The top is The Jasmine Blouse by Colette Patterns.  Lets just say for now that I love it, wear it to death and the futzing with the fit was seriously worth it.

The skirt is The Meringue Skirt from The Colette Sewing Handbook.  This is the quick make I wanted after completing my Minoru.  Due to my own stupidity it wasn’t quite so quick and easy as I had to complicate it…

Finally there’s my yet to be modelled Taffy Jasmine (inspired by Alessa’s post here) which is a mash up of the above Jasmine pattern and the Taffy Blouse from The Colette Sewing Handbook.  I need a cami to go under this and all my vest tops didn’t work with the neck line or were the wrong colour (white does NOT work under this!).

So, it looks like I’ll be going from a week of near silence to a week of back to back posts! Next up on my sewing table will be a Renfrew and I’ll photograph the dartless FBA that I’ve worked out for it, just in case its useful for anyone else…

PS – don’t forget to enter my give away for an Adele P Margolis book here…

Colette’s New Patterns!

Ooh, have a look at these beauties!

Colette's New Pattern - Jasmine

Notched sleeved Jasmine and Cigarette Pants Clover

This shirt is called Jasmine and has gathered or notched sleeves with such a cute tie detail around the neck.  To my eye a sort-of peter pan with a twist collar.  Either way I love this…  Would navy with a white collar be a bit too much, or classic?  I’m loving the turquoise on white print of the first view.

Clover is a trouser (OK, pants for my trans-atlantic friends) pattern.  Cigarette pants to be precise. Cigarette pants however do me no favours, but if they look amazing on you then get yourself the pattern!

Colette's New Peony Dress

Peony with short sleeves

And this is the Peony dress.  It’s the boat neck, or slash neck that I’m loving the most.  And the 3/4 length sleeves.  Perfect for showing off bracelets and bangles, and not getting dragged on grubby desks!  I’m thinking about grey with the waist band in teal (it’s removable dontcha know!).  I love the black and white with neon tights ensemble though too.  Although I would never get away with this where I work.  Sigh.

They’re available to pre-order now, but I am trying to be good and not click on checkout just yet…  Hmm, more contenders for my birthday wish list maybe?

And as a random thought, I love the model’s hair in the shoots.  Whilst I have no fringe, anyone have any thoughts on how to recreate that look?

Ginger Sew-a-Long by A Fashionable Stitch

Squeeeeeee!

I’m so excited!  I’m joining Sunni’s sewalong for the Colette pattern Ginger!  This is a gorgeous skirt and I really can’t wait to make a start on May 16.

I’ve ordered the pattern from Colette (and the Violet pattern) which will be on their way soon,  Sunni had even organised a 20% discount on the Ginger pattern which is extra brilliant.

I think I’ll be doing the pointy waist band as in this version here – there’s also a heart shaped one which is a bit too girly for me?

Ginger Skirt by Colette Patterns

The model is wearing the Violet shirt and whilst I love the peter pan collar, I’m not going a bomb on the gathered sleeves at the elbow.  I much prefer this short sleeve version…

Violet by Colette Patterns with short sleeves

I’m not sure what I’ll be making the skirt from yet.  The pattern details suggest “Medium weight fabrics such as poplin, twill, silk, dupioni, wool challis, gabardine, suiting, crepe.”  So, first off I need to find out some more about these fabrics!

I’d like to make this primarily for work so I don’t think I’ll be going too colourful?  It involves an invisible zipper so I may need to investigate an invisible zipper foot for my machine too.

I am really, really looking forward to this!