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Showing posts from November, 2012

Dumb and Dumber - or how not to make a Washi Dress...

[Note that I believe all the dumbness in this post is to do with my newbie status as pattern adjuster, some carelessness, some overconfidence and some just plain idiotic moves - not the Washi pattern!  I found the pattern itself really easy to follow and sew; and if you don't totally screw it up then it's quick to sew too!] So like everyone else that moves, I really liked the look of the Washi dress / tunic.  I bought the pattern and then ummed and ahhed about the FBA part. Dumbness #1: Clearly, I have to accept that I always require an FBA.  Why would I think otherwise?  I guess partly it was the measurements on the pattern; but the advice was clear and for my circumstances, an FBA was needed.  So here is attempt 1 - it was supposed to be a muslin and then I started loving the fabric was gutted when it didn't fit. Dumbness #2: Making a muslin out of a fabric I liked, then being crapped off when it didn't fit. Mmmmm squeezy! Happily my friend Danika selfl

FO - Go To Patterns Signature Dress sewalong

Sewing along with Amanda from Ellieboo again. I have to say - I love this pattern!  It was pretty easy to follow and really easy to sew. Looks good with a cardigan and is comfy and resilient enough for all sorts of play: The most fiddly bit was sewing the pleats at the front and that was mostly my fault as I couldn't be bothered to change my foot, which would have helped heaps. I used a zig zag stitch to hold the ribbing seam down. I would like to think of a different way to do this but think it looks fine this way too.  I think LLaydybird has a different way of sewing the Renfrew top neckline which is similar in construction, so I will revisit that before next time and see if that's applicable.  I am still so impressed that I found matching ribbing in my local Spotlight which is usually so terrible it beggars belief...The only thing I would change on this pattern is the arm construction.  I would usually have made a seam first, then sewn the elast

Go To Patterns Signature Dress sewalong - mucho progress :)

After the fun of the frothy sewalong with Amanda , we decided to do another.  This time I picked the Go To Patterns, Signature Dress. This pattern is great.  It's knits, which I love; it goes from 12 months to 12 years; and it has a heap of variations.  There are different sleeves, a hood, pockets, a tulle hem and waist elastic or shirring options. Yesterday I pinned the pleats: Then sewed them.  This was the most difficult bit of the dress I think - making sure these were even... And I attached the ribbing to the neckline. Then I got very cross with the overlocker, which wasn't playing nicely.  So I stopped. This evening - my overlocker was in a better mood...or maybe I was.  I added the sleeves and shirred the waist. I only did two lines at the waist, spanning either side of the blue band, because it looked good :) Then I sewed up the sides: And then I stopped.  I want to try this on the small person to check the fit before I f

Little Treasure Pocket Shorts

I cut these out during blogtoberfest (in fact during KCWC) but didn't quite finish them until the other day: To be honest I wasn't wholly sure about the Treasure Pocket Pants from Sewing for Boys .  I don't like the fabric they were made from in the book (I don't know specifically why) and perhaps that coloured me a bit. Instead of a contrasting fabric for the side panel I went for alternating the direction of the corduroy.  Then I added some bias trim leftover from a quilt for the hems, pocket inserts and waistband facing. I used trousers which no longer fit me for this pattern, as well as the leftover quilt binding.  That made me pleased about how little they cost me (whatever the cost of the thread and elastic was only!). I made two pairs: One for Noah out of black corduroy with green thread and the orange trim: And one for Marcus in beige corduroy.  For both, I alternated the waistband facing to the inside (on the original pattern it's on