What's been on my sewing table...

I haven't been posting a lot here lately, but believe me (and you would know if you follow me on Instagram ;) ), that was not for lack of sewing!
It's not always fun to be unemployed, but I must say that having more spare time is a change for the best...all the more so when it allows me to be more productive in terms of sewing! However, what I've sewn lately is more suitable for cooler weather and I haven't had the opportunity to take photos of me wearing those garments, so proper posts about these will come later.
So here's what I've been up to lately : 
I've made this Sencha blouse ...

Embroidered neckline...

And fun vintage square buttons!

 And this Chataigne skirt, which I think will be a great match for the above top...

Admittedly, the right side may look a bit plain...

But look at this wrong side! Sacred hearts, polkadot bias, lace-trimmed lining, oh my!

I've also ordered fabric for a Bombshell Swimsuit, which I may (or may not) start this week or next week...

And I'm also planning to make a Negroni shirt for my man.

And also, in other words, this is post #100! Woohoo!

Finished for FESA : Châtaigne skirt

Well, this one took a long time coming too...but at last, it's here!

Sorry I can't be a fast blogger AND post awesome pics...at least you get to see the wonderful Christmas tree which the building's caretakers installed in the lobby!

So, this is Deer&Doe's Châtaigne shorts, turned into a skirt thanks to Estelle's tutorial.
I used a brown tweed-like wool mix as my main fabric, scraps of brown cotton for the inside of the pockets and the waistband facing and olive green Bemberg for the lining. And I added some pleather piping accents around the pockets and waistband yoke..
As you can see I went for the high waisted version and made it longer by 25 cm. I decided to put the zipper in the back, instead of the side seam, slightly tapered it at the side seams to get a that pencil skirt look, and added a back vent. And I also lined it.
I don't know if anybody else tried to make the high waisted skirt version, but once I had modified the leg parts of the short to turn them into skirt parts, the back parts were shorter than the waistband by 1.5 cm, so I had to add that much to my back skirt pattern pieces if I wanted my booty to fit in!
Apart from that, I had no problems making it - except for a bit of thinking about how to attach the lining.

Here's a look at the back vent...

Wait...would that be my first ACTUAL invisible zipper???

And here's my lining. At first I thought the lace was just beige but it's actually golden! Not what I chose first but I finally like it that way.

This skirt is not perfect - for instance, you don't want to look too close at my lining and facings, and I should have done something to reduce the bulk in some seams...but the actual fit is great, it's really comfortable and i love wearing it!
Even though it's not really historically accurate, the look of it is still reminiscent of the 40s/50s, while being at the same time modern and casual...that is to say, everything I'm looking for in a garment!
I'm very happy with this skirt and I'll probably make another - maybe a simpler, black one, in a stretchy fabric. Just wait and see!

Refashioned skirt with a Mexican twist!

Hi folks, here's what I did during the holidays!

I had to go back to work, but here I am, pretending it's still summer...

Alright, just a refashion is not much...except if you count that it's not just any ol' refashion. Actually, it was also my first try at embroidery!

My first inspiration was Mexican style embroidery, but I also looked at old school tattoo style drawings of roses to get them the way they look.

And of course, this project wouldn't be complete without a fail : I actually inserted the zipper the wrong way and the zipper pull is on the inside of the skirt. Bummer. Fortunately, it does not prevent me from pulling it on and taking it off, so I can wear it all the same!

Celebrating Victory!

Hi everyone,

My Sew For Victory project is now complete !

( Another building hall picture…I originally wanted to have a little photoshoot outside, but in the pouring rain ? No thanks !)

To celebrate Victory, what’s better than music ? Well, it just so happens that the fabric I chose for this is music-themed ! I found it on Spoonflower and it was designed for a « History of jazz » contest that took place a few months ago. Guitar, piano keys, double bass, drums, sax, trumpets, clarinets…there’s a whole big band on this fabric, perfect for a 1940s/mid-century soundtrack !
Well now, on to the patterns and the details.
I used Colette’s Ginger skirt pattern, and the size 6 fit me with almost no alterations. I just slashed-and-spreaded the skirt pieces to make the whole thing a bit more flared, and I also just lengthened it a little bit for a more (or so I hope !) period-appropriate length. I also made my left back waistband pieces longer, in order to have an overlap which allowed me to put a skirt hook-and-eye closure at the waistband.

I also tried to include more vintage-ish details, such as patch pockets …

Hey look, I can actually put my hand in the pockets now !

Another pocket detail. These buttons looked pretty cute to me, but on second thoughts I think they look more 70s than 40s…Could anyone confirm that ? If it is so, I guess I have to train my eyes at identifying vintage buttons…

…A hand picked lapped zipper, instead of the invisible zipper the pattern called for…

Please be kind, as it was only my second time inserting a lapped zipper ! I actually made a first go at it with my sewing machine, and I think I would have left it as it was if I had been sewing a solid fabric with a same colored thread. But the orange thread showed a little too much for my taste on this fabric, so I went for a hand picked lapped zipper. It’s not perfect – either I lack training, or handpicked is just better for non-lapped, centered zippers – but I think it still does the trick...

…and bound seams.

(picture coming later)

So there you have it – a jazzy Ginger ! I hope the weather gets better soon so I can actually wear it !


And for now, I’ll leave you with a picture of my faithful sewing help :

No, Kitty. Nothing is going to hatch from that pincushion, no matter how long you sit on it…

Sew For Victory : in progress!

Hi everybody, here's a little update on my Sew For Victory project! It wasn't easy to start (not due to the pattern itself but rather to my tight schedule...), but it looks like we'll finally get there on time!

Come on. Go ahead. HAVE A GOOD LAUGH at this awesome fabric I'm using for a muslin! I guess is was originally intended to make bed sheets or duvet covers for kids, but it also happened to be close enough in terms of drape/body, to my fashion fabric. And it was cheap.

Self-drafted patch pockets with flaps. I know, my pocket flaps are half disapearing under my waistband and in the side seam, and I could hardly put three fingers in my pockets. But don't worry, I made new pattern pieces and the final pockets should allow me to use them for realz.

And here's my first attempt at a lapped zipper! A bit wonky but I think I got the gist of it. Anyway, I'll probably end up making a hand-picked lapped zipper, as I always trust my hand-sewing more than my sewing machine when it comes to being precise. And hand-sewing is all the more vintage, don't you think?

I actually completed this muslin this weekend, and I'm pretty happy to say it seems to fit without any alterations apart from those I had already made - lengthening the skirt and slashing-and-spreading to make it more flared. I did'nt get much sewing done over this Easter weekend, between eating chocolate and attending a B-movie festival taking place in my city, but I still managed to trace my pattern and cut my fashion fabric...and as the Ginger skirt is a quick make, I hope I'll finish it before April 30th! Fingers crossed!

Lucky Lucille's Sew For Victory 2.0 : I'm in!

Look what I got in the mail last Thursday evening...

The pattern was not part of the parcel, I bought it a long time ago (2 years ago maybe) and haven't done anything with it yet. But will you look at that fabric...!

Well hello Spoonflower goodness! And right on time for me to join Sew For Victory 2.0!
You may not see it very well on the picture, but this design by Celia Forrester actually consists in a Picasso-esque mixture of music instruments parts - guitar, keyboard, drums, trumpet, saxophone,double bass...now that's what I call a loud print!
So, yes, I'm going to turn it into a Ginger. It's not a vintage pattern or even a reissue, but I plan to make a few alterations to give it that 1940s vibe :

• lengthen it a little (if necessary) so it hits just below the knee,
• maybe slash and spread the skirt pannels to make it a bit more flared,
• add patch pocket with flaps and buttons to match the fabric (have yet to find these...)
• make a lapped zipper. I'm feeling a bit anxious about this as it will be my first, and is the waistband not going to prevent me from installing such a kind of zipper? If anyone could give me some advice about it, that would be great!

Well...I'll keep you updated on how it goes!