Sewing Update

I have had a busy few days but I thought I’d share what I have been up to sewing-wise:

RNHS: Rugby Jersey

Not much progress to report. Everything is cut out, white drill has been acquired for the collar and button placket. I also found a tutorial for how to make the button placket since my photocopied Burda instructions tell  me to refer to another items instructions for how to make it…I did not photocopy that items instructions, not that it would have done me much good, we all know about Burda’s reputation for instructions… 😉

I need to finish it asap because even thought Nerdy Hubby hasn’t mentioned it for a while I will feel guilty if he pops into my room to see what I am up to and finds me cutting out a dress instead!

Look! I found it!

Simplicity 2364 – DO NOT ASK ME WHERE IT WAS – because the answer is that it was in the exact place where I looked for it 10 times. I took it with me to Sunday’s Fabric Hoarders meet and cut it out twice in NZ Merino, one grey, one almost-black.

Birthday dress progress

My birthday was in June, like almost 6 months ago…so I should probably stop stubbornly calling it that, but I won’t. I have been asked about the birthday dress twice now, once in person, so I though I better update. I have narrowed it down to two dresses but I will be making both anyway 😉

I think I will make Simplicity 1802 first which I found fabric for on Sunday from the Fabric Warehouse.

The only reason why I hadn’t started this dress was due to lack of fabric. It needs 3.0 meters and I usually only buy between 2 and 2.5 meters when I am stashing for future dresses so that meant I had to buy something. Fabric shopping for a particular garment is actually quite difficult. I looked in all my favourite stores and was originally going to buy that zig-zag cotton sateen I saw in Arthur Toye but I just couldn’t get my head around the pattern matching.

Next I fell in love with an expensive print in the online Tessuti store, I even loaded up the required 3 meters into my cart but then baulked at the total, even with free shipping, eeek!

As I was umming and ahhing the online shop suggested another fabric I might like, the same print but in a blue/green (I had chosen pink/lilac) but it was sold out (seriously, why bother showing me if I can’t have it?!)…still I really liked it, a bit more than the pink, so I emailed to see if they were going to get any more into stock.

It took them 3 days to email me back with a “no” and by then both fabrics were sold out.

So it’s a good thing I snuck by the fabric shop on my way back from the sewing meet.

I really like the 100% cotton I have chosen, it has a sort of woven stripe running through it, is nice and floaty and, at $12/meter, a much better price than some of the other fabrics I was only so-so for. Only the top of the dress is lined in the pattern but I will also need to line the skirt and I just need to choose which solid colour to use for the piping, maybe the dark purply blue? What do you think?

Vogue 1161 on the other-hand, I have had fabric in hand for about 2 weeks.

I did intend to make this dress from the stash but when I saw this silk/linen in Global Fabrics I had to have it – DO NOT ASK ME HOW MUCH IT COST – the answer is too much, but I LOVE it. It is grey with shots of white through it and pinky/white/yellowy-tulipy-leafy-blurry-floral thingees on it.

Good description huh? 😉

It was a bit stiff off the bolt but it did relax a little after the first wash so I think it will be ok.

I have had a quick little play in Photoshop (or you can do it with Gimp too) and now I am really excited about both these dresses! What do you think? 

A finished project

I did finish one project, actually a little while a go and despite wearing it really often I haven’t managed to get a photo of it yet so here is Scarlett doing an excellent job of modelling my new top.

It is from Burda 02/2009, top #108 and I made one about 2 years ago, as a copy of a rtw top (never blogged), in a grey merino that I wore to death. So now I have a new and very fun version to replace it.

I also have enough of the grey and almost-black merino from the Simplicity top to cut two more. It’s such a versatile top, I may as well sew them all up at the same time.

My only change this time was to add sleeve bands and a band to the hem just to finish it a bit nicer. Next time I will add a facing to the neck, instead of just folding it over, for more stability. I also used two short strips of twill tape on each shoulder seam to control any stretching there.

This is an interlock from Spotlight, the colour is called “flame” and it probably came from the children’s section 😉 but how cute are those little guys all over it?! Check out my three favourites: