Yours Truly 1 - Pants 0

...Well, of course, this doesn't mean that the pants, and, most of all, the pattern I used to make them, are rubbish. Definitely not. Quite the contrary. Au contraire.
I only mean this : I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My first pair of pants!

Here's the proof :

Crappy photo, blurry, my arms look like an old man's, there's all our mess in the background, and what kind of a face am I pulling??? But I thought, better a bad picture than no picture at all, and it's my only picture of these pants for the moment. I will update as soon as I manage to take a better one, I promise.

And here are the details :

Pattern : Pants from Wearing History Smooth Sailing 1930s Sport Togs - size pack B

Fabric : dark green 100% wool gabardine.

Notions : thread, 7 inch zipper, one button.

Any difficulties? No construction difficulties whatsoever, but of course I had to fiddle a bit to get the fit right, and for this I say a huge thank you to Lauren, the boss at Wearing History Patterns. My fabric was also a bit hard to press, but I used Tasha's recipe and it made the whole pressing business much easier. Also, I couldn't figure out how to insert the waisband in my 2 muslins - the waistband seemed shorter than my waist meaurement - but that was because I was doing it all wrong (RTFM!!!). I chose to cut the waistband one size bigger for my final version (32 in., a little bit big when you know my actual waist measurement is 28.5 in.)...as I was tired, I put the interfacing on the wrong side of the fabric (or should I say, on the right side, when it was actually supposed to be on the wrong side), sewed the underlap somewhat upside down...but after some cursing and wild seam ripper action, I finally got there, and I'm quite happy I did! My waistband is actually a bit too large and saggy, but oh well...live and learn! 

Wear again? I've already worn these pants 3 days in a row, and I will wear them again for sure. I was in need for some cake in my wardrobe, and this is just what they are : vintage-looking, office-friendly, comfy, easy to dress up or down...they tick every box!
Now I just have to find the best and cheapest way to care for it. Although there is enough room in these pants for me to breathe comfortably, and although I think it would still be OK even if they shrank a little bit, they shouldn't shrink too much either...I still want to be able to wear them!So I'm afraid I'll have to take a trip to the dry cleaners everytime I want to wash them. Well...I'll try not to put too much dirt on them!

Make again? Actually, I'm quite eager to be in March, which is when my fabric store is re-stocked with linen. I'd love to make a few more of these pants, probably in mustard yellow, peacock blue and terracotta orange/red.

1st 2013 finished project - The Caribbean Seas Violet

Watch out : this post is going to contain some rather heavy self-congratulations.

Here it is, then, my first make for 2013! Just finished on January 2nd!

(apologies for this picture - on top of me being a bad photographer, the light in my appartment is terrible and the fabric doesn't come out as pretty as it really is. It actually looks more like what you can see on this pic.)

 Now, why a "Caribbean Seas Violet", do you ask? Well first because my fabric is Madras cotton, hence the "Caribbean"...and if you want the explanation for "Seas", why don't you look at the buttons?

Fishes!!!

Without further ado, here are the details of this project :

Pattern : Colette Patterns Violet.

Fabric :100% Madras cotton, from my local fabric store.

Notions : tropical fish-shaped buttons and piping.

Any difficulties ? The Violet pattern is actually marked for beginners, and if you follow the directions, it is indeed very easy and quick to make. However this project did not go without a few challenges : some that I set for myself - a fabric with a directionnal weave,  piping (which I'd never used before), and a little addition to the pattern in the form of cuffed sleeves - and one that was unexpected - having to do a SBA. I also decided to cut the back yoke on the bias and make handworked buttonholes. Furthermore, I tried to pay more attention to the finishings : although the main seams are simply finished with a zigzag stitch, my facing is bias-bound!
I did not rush myself through this project - although I think it all came together pretty quickly - and I'm really glad I did not, because for the first time I can look at something I've made and be really proud of myself. No clumsy seam finishing, perfectly inserted sleeves (if I do say so myself...), correct hems...Yes. I'm happy about it.

Here's a cuffed sleeve. I drafted the cuff pattern myself and I'm pretty happy of how the cuff matches the fabric below it!

And here's my bias-cut back yoke.

Wear again ? Certainly...once the appropriate weather for light blouses is back! I wore it once already, but because of the cold it remained hidden under my sweater. Duh.

Make again ? I can't say it yet...I still consider myself a beginner seamstress, and as such I'm most attracted to making new things, vs taking back an "old" pattern and making another version of a garment I already own. But this blouse was definitely fun and easy to make, and on top of it it made me more confident about some things - inserting sleeves for instance - and it enabled me to try new skills. So I'd say yes, I'll probably make another violet, even if it's not in a near future.
Oh, and if I make it again, maybe I'll try to make the collar slightly more narrow.

And you, what was your first 2013 sewing project?

Happy New Year!

Well, that's not very original, but why not start 2013 by wishing anybody who'd stumble upon this humble blog a year 2013 as happy as possible?
I know it is also usual on sewing blogs to go back over the sewing projects of the year gone by...I had started doing this when I celebrated my 1st "sewversary" and will continue shortly.
As for goals to reach on this new year...I won't be giving myself too many goals to get to. Become more organized at work and at home would be a good thing to start with. And then...wait and see.

And I say it again, Happy New Year everybody!

Sewing confessions : here are mine...

I just read Tasia's post about UFOs and thought : "Lucky me, I don't have any UFO yet!"...but then I thought twice and remembered Iactually had some UFOS, and even several projects which I had not yet even begun. Here's a list :


First of these projects was a 3/4 circle skirt which I wanted to make in a heavy sort of wool fabric. I started doing the maths for the pattern (self-drafted), bought the fabric (first time I ever regretted buying fabric, it was quite expensive (for me at least) and I took a hell of a lot of it, like 4m)...and then thought showing up to work in a huge skirt would be far too dramatic. So I did not even cut my fabric and left it at that.
Now, I don't hate 3/4 circle skirts. Nor do I hate the fabric I chose, a thick black fabric (have to check the components though)with a textured pattern that reminds me of the "wave" patterns in some Japanese designs.
However, on a scale of 1-10, the likelihood it's ever going to be made one day is 0. But nevermind, I'll find out someday how to use this fabric. A coat, maybe. When I'm not scared of attempting to make a coat anymore.

Second on my list, is Butterick's infamous Walkaway Dress. I had fallen in love with the pattern illustrations at my fabric store, and bought some fabric to make it - tiny cherries on an off-white background, but then I read the critics, on how the modernized version of the pattern didn't look like the illustration at all...so, another project that stopped even before it started.
I actually quite like this pattern and think it would be great if I could make it look as good as it does on the pattern envelope - and I even found a tutorial to reach that goal!
So, will it get finished someday? On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 5. I 'll probably make a Walkaway dress...but not in a near future.

Third : Colette Pattern's Madeleine bloomers. I wanted to use remnants from some old flannel PJs which started to fall apart, and make some sort of wearable muslin to begin with. Hacking off my pyjamas took ages...and when I lay the pattern on them, I found out I didn't even have enough fabric. Disappointment ensued.
I don't have any fabric suitable for this project right at that moment, but I really like the pattern and will most certainly make it someday. So I'll give it a 7.

4th and last : Sewaholic's Lonsdale dress, blogged about here! I planned to make it in a navy polkadot cotton fabric, and I dropped it as I had just made my 2nd bodice muslin. My holidays were coming to an end, I went back to work, the weather for summer dresses passed...and I put the Lonsdale on the UFO pile, to work on projects that were more suitable for winter.
But not for long - I definitely hope to finish it and wear it next summer as I love both the pattern and the fabric I chose. So it's going to be a 10 for the Lonsdale!

So, here's for my UFOs...what about yours?

From "blah" skirt to cool top

Remember this skirt I was talking about a while ago...?
This one :

Well, here's what it looks like now:

Although it probably does not qualify for the name 'crop top', it is still quite high waisted and looks better worn with accordingly high waisted bottoms.
I wore it to a jive dancing session last weekend, was perfectly comfortable and got lots of compliments about it. Needless to say I'm quite happy with it!

A birthday present in the making...mission complete!

Well, my boyfriend's birthday was almost a month ago...but fear not, he got his present on time! (well, almost : hardly a week late!)

the front...

...and the back...

The pattern, as previously mentioned, is Kwik Sew 3484, which, I repeat it, is true to its name. 
The buttons are wooden ones and I made handworked button holes (my man said he liked them better than machine-made ones!) following Charlotte's tutorial, which I highly recommend.
All in all it went quite smoothly, apart from the fact that I was quite puzzled by the tiny seam allowances : 6mm...hope this shirt is not going to rip apart all of a sudden!

Looking back on one year of sewing...Part 1

So, I can say now that I've been sewing for a year (a little bit more actually, since I actually started in August 2011). In order to - sort of - celebrate my "sewversary", I've decided to take a look at what I've made ever since. Now watch out, this is going to be a long, photo-heavy post (and the pictures are not really good, they were taken in haste, early in the morning, before going to work...sorry for that!) .

First, are these 2 circle skirts, which I made in Alexander Henry cotton, ordered without taking my measurements first...

 The waistband on the first (the pink tattoo one) is a bit saggy, which led me to do a very tight waistband for the second (with the Day of the Dead print), and the finishings are really rough - if you put aside the fact that I finished the hem with bias, as both skirts wouldn't have been long enough for my taste il I had made a proper hem. However, these skirts are nice and fun to wear, they have been on heavy rotation this summer and will be worn again.

My very first zipper...sigh...

A close-up on the tattoo print...

...and isn't this Day of the Deads print great?

After the skirts, was this top that I refashioned - originally a cowl/shawl neck top (I don't know the exact word to describe it), but as I have rather broad shoulders, it kept riding up in a way that annoyed me. 

So I cut up the "shawl" part at the back and prettied it up with some black lace. I quite like how it turned out and it looks great paired with the aforementioned Day of the Dead circle skirt, enhancing its Mexican vibe.








Then come this dress - made from Simplicity 7275. 

It took me 4 MONTHS to complete. Yup, that's it. From September to December 2011. Maybe not the best pattern choice for someone who has only sewn a couple of circle skirts before that. I mean, gathers, a zipper (my circle skirts both have zippers, but not that long!) and a lining? As if all that wasn't enough, I chose to make my life more complicated by making it in a plaid fabric.
I have to say, I had a hard time understanding how to insert the lining...and if I had to do it again I would choose another fabric (although the right accessories can minimize the somewhat dowdy look of this dress - I often wear it with a red bolero, pearls and skull cameo necklace, "zombie pin-up leg" brooch, red tights and fun shoes like my Miss LFire Land girl).
However, I like it and value it in spite of its flaws, so I'll keep wearing it until I get tired of it.)

Now on to the flaws...a gaping neckline...

...unwanted puckers here and there... 

...plaids that don't match, busted seams at the back slit which I will have to fix...And yet, this garment has taught me how to use a pattern and how to face some issues, and I think I will come back to this pattern sooner or later (I'll probably make a more summery version with a flared skirt). No need to say that the Crepe Dress, which I tackled after this one, seemed easy as pie to me.

Well now, I did think this post would be long, but it's actually longer than I thought. So I'll leave it there for the moment, stay tuned if you want to read about what I did after that!

XX