Brr, it’s been a cold week! Snow last night falling on unmelted snow from last weekend has made for a pretty countryside. But, not good for going outside to take photos of finished work! On top of the cold, it has also been a different week. Our most beloved kitty cat passed away on Saturday after being quite unwell, and I cannot get used to the emptyness of the house now that he has gone. I am without his company as I sew, even if his idea of the best sleeping places wasn’t quite what I would have had in mind!
Anyway, life for the rest of us goes on, and we definitely plan to have another fluffy family member soon! In the meantime I have got on with another couple of projects. I had some fabulous double jersey from Ditto in Brighton – these guys have some fab fabric, and have very nearly been the cause of me breaking a New Year’s resolution. I had no idea what I was going to make with it when I bought it, I just had to get it while it was still available, and I figured inspiration would come later.
The fabric is great, but quite bulky, so many of the ideas were quashed. It doesn’t do multiple pleats or tucks, definitely no gathers either. So I thought something pared down with a detail in a contrast fabric would do quite nicely.
I ran up a toile for a two piece dress, and then coverted it for stretch fabric. This means taking out a lot of the ease, which is not needed in stretch garments. Toiling the stretch pattern was pretty simple, but as I didn’t have a fabric to toile in that was similar in weight to the jersey it was a bit of a flyer! There were a few adjustments to make, but on the whole I had figured the fitting would have to be done on the garment itself. So out came the fabric and on went the pattern pieces. Well – some of the pattern pieces.
I had purchased 1.5m – plenty, I thought. Nope! Although the pattern was pretty simple, the sleeve is a bell shape and needed some space, and the fabric wasn’t as wide as I was counting on so, not enough! AArgh!! Thank goodness Ditto are quick off the mark with their first class postage! And double thank goodness that there was still some of the jersey in stock! I ordered online and only had to wait one day for an extra 70cm to arrive so I could cut the back skirt. Thank you Ditto Fabric!! 😀
I used my overlocker on this project. It went together like a dream, the only issue I had was the ruffle contrast. I had started off with a black silk chiffon but it wouldn’t play ball. As the ruffle got narrower it stood up on end, not quite the look I was going for! So off it came and I rumaged around in my boxes for something else. I discovered some light-weight black jersey that has done the job much better. I used a rolled hem on all the edges, pulling slightly to get a more ruffled look, which disappeared the first time I ironed them. :s
For fitting I ended up taking in quite a bit more on the sides, and shaping the back seam much more than I had expected to. I do like the finished article, it is quite warm (needs a long-sleeved t-shirt in this cold though) and my favourite parts are the sleeves. Definitely doing them again! The only time I used my sewing machine was for the twin needle hems.
The flower is one I made using this tutorial from Wise Craft, it is such a fabulous little thing, I have made loads over the last few years. So, photos. I will get some done this weekend, and hopefully have the next project finished too! Here’s a sneak peek…
THE COMPULSIVE SEAMSTRESS 
Hi Anne,
too bad that my english is very poor (no writing without the online-dictionary 😉 ! I very much look forward to the outcome/photos of your projects. And thanks for the link to the flower-tutorial!
Immi
Ps: I understand your sadness over the loss of your cat!
That looks so cool. Your croquis are very, very professional.
Thanks! I cheat! I have a fabulous little book with very pale figures, I just draw in pencil over the top! Of fourse, that doesn’t scan very well, so I have to trace them again in pen, but they do the job. I can’t make a pattern unless I get the idea out of my head and onto paper. I have to have a reference point. Although I have been meaning to make some croquis that would be more representative of how I actually look.. :s
Follow the Colette way perhaps? I’m thinking of doing it but am too busy (procrastinating). Plus a lot of what other people have put up on their blogs is so unflattering that I’d rather use my imagination and pretend I look like the pattern envelope XD
haha, oh I agree, perhaps that’s why I still use the skinny figures from the book instead of not so skinny pictures of me! 😀
Thanks Immi, don’t worry about your English, you could write in German if you prefer. Anne x
Soll das heißen du verstehst Deutsch?
Aber Achtung… meine Kommentare könnten länger ausfallen wenn ich Deutsch schreiben darf! 😉
Liebe Grüße
Immi
You can make your comments as long as you like Immi! Thanks for reading my blog! A x
Your fashion drawings are amazing.
Thanks! I do cheat though, the figures are traced from a book, I just add the clothes!
http://www.morplan.com/Product_10053_10001_17288_-1_10914 That is the book I use. 🙂