The 80 Year Old Burda Skirt .

Headless shot today - just out of the shower and early in the morning - you know what I mean.

Finally complete - this skirt seems to have taken so long . I started this in mid-October and finally finished two days ago. I wore it all day yesterday at work and can say it was a success.
Why am I calling this the 80 year old skirt?
Well,the  fabric is at least 40 years old, the buttons are 30 years old , the pattern is 6 years old and the lining I `ve had for a few years as well. Only the zip and thread were new.
I was given this linen ( along with various other dress and craft and home dec fabrics )  from my (ex) neighbour Steph when she moved. Steph tells me this came from  mother`s stash and she can remember it from when she was quite young ( Steph is in her mid 60`s) so I feel really honoured to be given this . This heavy weight linen is really lovely and was very easy to work with. I can see how people become very fastidious about fabric after working with this stuff.

Burda skirt 107 from April 2005.

I used an old Burda WOF pattern -Issue April 2005 which includes the infamous twist top ( yes I have made it !) . I needed a simple skirt as the fabric is heavy weight but did not want the skirt to be completely plain . Burda is great for providing patterns which are bit different to the Big 4.
 This is a straight skirt with forward placed side seams and includes a belt which is sewn into the back darts. I eliminated the fly front and inserted a lapped zipper in the back seam. I also did not add in the pockets and walking vent but top stitched the front seams .Despite eliminating the walking vent I did not have any restrictions in walking , bending over etc at work.

 This time I remembered to add a lining to ( hopefully) reduce the linen wrinkling but forgot to insert the lining inside out ! Oh well what`s a sewing project without some kind of mistake hey . Anyway I love my new skirt - it is very summery and fruity and I can`t ever remember having a pink skirt before ( unless I was six years old or thereabouts ). I would recommend this pattern to anyone ( oh and the chance to sew with linen too ).

Close up hanger shot of skirt front.

back view showing belt insertion.

Next up are some quick and easy PJ shorts for my two older daughters while I ponder on a pattern to use with another special fabric - Liberty of London cotton given to me by another friend !
Have a nice day. Cheers Janine.

DIY Top Stitching Thread and a Sneak Peak.

Sewing time has been severely  restricted in my little sewing world leading to symptoms of withdrawal - buying fabric when one already has more than enough , thinking and dreaming sewing and sometimes getting a little crabby . I have however been sewing a skirt in small increments over the last couple of weeks and today being a `real` day off I have made quite a bit more progress.

Now about top stitching thread - I am aware that this stuff exists but either the shops I frequent do not sell it or I am doing a `man` look ( a thinly veiled reference to my husband who can not find things even if they are right under his nose ) . A few years ago a sewed a Kwik Sew jeans jacket and it had this great little easy tip for top stitching . You simply thread your machine with two spools of thread.

This provides a subtle but definite difference to the top stitching. It also means that there are more choices with the colours you can use.I have obviously used a very closely coloured matched thread which is more forgiving of any wonky stitches.

 I have been really enjoying sewing my skirt because the fabric is such a pretty summery peachy pink colour and a divine heavy weight vintage linen with all its slight variations in texture and colour.It is also very easy to sew . I hope to finish this soon because our weather is warming up now and I am looking forward to enjoying my new skirt. Until then, Cheers Janine.

October 2011 - The Good and The Bad and a Retrospective - Simplicity 2724.

Unfortunately most of October involved work and little play - meaning not much sewing. I finished my Simplicity `Fabric from Hell` Dress and one other simple top which I will blog about later. I am not complaining though because the tragic and terrible health circumstances of my co-workers loved ones meant they could not work and I had to fill in whenever possible.

On a bright note though at the end of October my husband and I had a long weekend in Hobart , Tasmania. This was our first weekend away without children in 18 years ( and previously we have only had 2 other single nights away ) made even better because the trip was free - I was very lucky and won a competition.

The trip included 2 nights accomodation at the Islington Hotel - a small boutique hotel in Hobart and by far the most beautiful , luxurious place we have stayed at , meals and a boat  trip to Bruny Island. We also went to Mona , an amazing art gallery and took a self -guided trip around Battery Point and the city looking at the historical buildings . To make you feel better the weather on the day of the boat trip was appalling and I was very sea-sick although managed not to be sick. At one stage we were surrounded by a ` superpod` of 100 dolphins and I didn`t even care - the view of the horizon was absolutely enchanting !

Anyway the relevance to sewing is that I finally had a chance to wear a dress I sewed last December - Simplicity 2724.
The top part is made of some scrap cream fabric and skirt from a chartreuse silk/linen blend - the latter is absolutely luscious.

My only regret with this dress is that I did not line the skirt portion . I am not completely sure about the pleated  sleeves and  may  remove them later ( however looking at this photo, the sleeves look OK ) . I love this pattern because the various top / skirt variations that can create entirely different looking garments.The top takes very little material so is a good way to use up scraps that are too small for anything else and too good to discard. I would highly recommend this pattern and definitely want to sew it again .   Unfortunately it is OOP. I am now off to see what horse won the Melbourne Cup this year. Cheers until next time, Janine .

Simplicity 2369 - The Fabric from Hell into the Dress from Heaven.



Siimplicity pattern 2369 with fabric .

Simplicity 2369 showing sleeve, pleat and buckles details.

I finally completed this dress last week and I am VERY happy with the result. It almost ended up a wadder and in the rubbish because initially the fabric was from hell and trying to sew the seams and pleats etc ended up with LOTS of skipped stitches. However, persistence and internet help prevailed and the finished dress is  a SUCCESS.
Last school holidays I bought a British magazine called Sew which came with this `free` pattern.  . Simplicity 2369 is a wardrobe pattern for tops, pants and dresses -there are three sleeve options included . Obviously I sewed the dress, using View C sleeves and cut the dress length in the middle between Views A and B . Apart from fabric and thread, the only other notion was a belt buckle and I found a black buckle that was exactly the right size for only 50cents from the op shop ! A very lucky find.
The instructions were really good - so I think even a fairly new sewist could tackle this. I love the front pleated wrap along with the attached band which pulls the front inwards and provides coverage and prevents  gaping. I think the front wrap is also flattering and help to conceal less than flat tummies
Overall I would highly recommend this pattern .
Cheers until next time Janine.

Difficult to Sew Knit Fabric - and how I tamed the wild beast.

I am currently sewing Simplicity 2369 - a knit dress with a wrap front with tie and buckle details. I bought the fabric from Ebay using a store I have previously purchased from. I have been generally happy with these buys and hence why I have gone back for more. The fabric is a wild and loud royal blue, grey, black and white abstract knit and I really like the design .

However when I went to sew with this , it was the fabric from hell- stitch repellant material. I was trying to sew using a slight zig-zag stitch as I have done previously and has been recommended innumerable times. But the stitches would not take. I changed the ( new ) ballpoint needle to a ( new ) stretch needle and still no luck.I also used some tear away stabilizer but not all the stitches worked and when I tore away the stabilizer it really pulled at the stitches ( besides you really can not use this on all those seams ) . I ended up sewing the initial seams with 2-3 rows until enough stitches were staying. I then came to sew the pleats in the front wrap detail and it was just a mess and looked horrible. I had ( evil ) thoughts of chucking this project away but I was determined to succeed.
The internet really can be wonderful and I came across a simple tip from Threads and gave this a try. It worked and the previously stitch repellant fabric from hell became putty in my hands.

Set the sewing machine stitch length to 3 and stitch width to zero. As you sew the seams,  gently stretch the fabric and it worked - ALL the stitches took , no skipped stitches.

The above photo shows what the stitching looks like - zig-zaggy and springy. On the other side the stitches look more `normal`. When you stretch the fabric, the stitches  straighten up . Having stitches that can stretch and move with knit fabric is of course important to prevent broken stitches. So thankyou to  the sewist who wrote this article and thankyou to Threads for publishing this on the internet. You have saved this dress from the rubbish. Cheers Janine .

P.S - We saw the Australian movie Red Dog and we highly recommend it- lovely and quirky but gosh at the end I had to use all my willpower not to sob out loud. ( I am a sook though - I cried at Walt Disney`s A Little Mermaid when she married her handsome Prince Eric ! ) . I was surprised to see at the end credits it was based on a book written by Louis deBernieres  who also wrote Captain Corelli`s Mandolin and Birds Without Wings.

Butterick Dress 5523 - Miaow .

Presenting Butterick 5523 - a knit dress pattern .I used an animal print knit -jaguar I believe, purchased from an Australian Ebayer. This is my attempt to try different clothing choices from my  usual fare - it seems to have passed the family fashion police test which is always a good start - I really do need all the help I can get .
This pattern is very very easy - I could have finished this in one day . The  busy print covers the features of this pattern which are an above waist closely fitted  bodice with pleats in both back and front skirt portions and small pleats in the sleeves where they meet the shoulder seams. It also has a large rolled collar .  The only reason I didn`t finish this in one day was to change my overlocker threads - not really hard when you get down to it but always seems a good reason to procrastinate !

I made two changes to the pattern - I lengthened the skirt portions by a good 12cm or a few inches - my legs are not up to above knee styles anymore . I also lengthened the sleeves but since this was such a quick tissue fit I didn`t allow enough for seams here - this actually ended up being fortuituous because I was forced to use fold over elastic to finish the sleeves and I like this look. One really good aspect of this dress is that it seems to conceal a bit of a tummy ( I may well be deluding myself here though )and is figure flattering .  Overall I love this pattern and am glad that I am experimenting a little - this will not be my last animal print outfit ( only because there is enough fabric left over to make a top ) .
Cheers Janine
PS- Very excited - my next project is to assist my eldest DD to make a skirt during the holidays  - the Vogue Issey Mikaye maxi skirt I muslined earlier this year. Fabric has been chosen and cut out with some small design changes she thought of herself.

Simplicity 3786- Third Time Lucky .

simplicity 3786 and cotton voile fabric 

close up of pintucks

inside seams of simplicity tunic 

Not really third time lucky , just the third time I have made this pattern but the first time it has ended up in my wardrobe having previously sewn a muslin and a version for my Mum.
I have been wanting to sew this for 2 years now - but you know how it is - too much to sew and too little time.
I am glad I finally did though. I love the little pintucks and the gently gathered  lower sleeves. The material is a cotton voile that just called out to me - I think it is the yellow colour and the smaller flowers outlined in taupe look vaguely native.
The pattern was easy once the pintucks were made - I just carefully mark and pin them - I do not have a pintuck foot.
THe only change I made was to shorten the tunic a few centimetres as I found it too long for my personal taste and I added some lace between the upper and lower sleeves.
I will definitely sew this pattern again - in a solid colour and want to try the other view as well.
Cheers for now , Janine.

New Fabric and Patterns and Sewing Plans

I love reading and drooling and getting jealous about others fabrics and patterns.
I have been very virtuous this year and last bought fabric in April but could contain myself no longer.
The top picture shows a royal blue, black. grey and white print knit - I love it and there is enough for a dress.
The middle picture is an animal print knit - I am trying to be more adventurous or try different styles. Previously I have only had one animal print anything - a pair of snow leopard print ballet shoes .When I bought them my eldest DD said to me ` Mum that is the only trendy thing you have in your wardrobe !`. Guess where those shoes are now.
The third photo and my favourite is a soft burnt orange jumper ( sweater ) type knit - I may make the above Burda pattern - a wrap style cardigan - but since this will not be made this year this plan could alter.
I am now off to cut out the animal print knit Butterick dress. Cheers Janine.

A New Pincushion and SSS Day 10.

Here is a little pincushion that I just whipped up - no  , of course it is an echidna. This little fellow ( or girl - who would know) hangs around our house about once a year for a few days before snuffling off somewhere else. This is such perfect timing because at the moment we have a Japanese exchange student staying with us for a few days.

Now SSS stands for Silly Sheep Saga. Last week we bought two whizz bang self shearing sheep ( SSS! ) - dorpers. A certain someone reassured me the paddock was sheep proof. The next day my youngest DD tell me the new sheep are in the next door neighbours  paddock. I checked this out and found a 10 metre gap in the barbed wire fence big enough for well sheep !The next day we spent 3 hours chasing sheep trying to get them back.Have I  mentioned I live on the side of a mountain , that the next door neighbours paddock is about 50acres with NO fences. We finally got them back to our property only to discover that a certain someone had fixed the fence and the sheep although they tried could not get back in !!Oh the irony .  They then ran off into some bush and haven`t been seen since. ( Don`t worry there are lots of waterholes and lots of green grass - they will be very happy ) . The only relevance to sewing here it that after 3 hours of running up and down hills etc I declared the next day to be a sewing day and neglected my motherly and housewifely duties . I made very good progress on my pintucked simplicity tunic and hopefully will have another finished garment to blog and wear. Cheers until then Janine.

Simplicity 2418 - Again !

 I actually finished sewing this last week but honestly getting someone to take a photo of this took longer than the sewing ! I think perhaps learning to use the self timer will be on my list of things to do.
I recently reviewed Simplicity 2418 view A and now I have sewn View B . The majority of my patterns are repeat performers  .Sewing the same pattern in close succession usually makes the construction easier and quicker.
I used a vintage cotton - pale grey with small white 3 leaved clovers . I only had 1.3 metres of this 90cm wide fabric so I was very pleased to be able to cut out this top. Fabric constraints meant one yoke was cut on the cross grain and I could not cut out the belt but this did not matter in the end. My small metreage also meant that I made  absolutely no attempt to pattern match but everything in the end did align up , even the fronts and yokes ! I suppose the closely placed print had alot to do with this but honestly had I tried I am sure I would have mucked this up. 
I really like this top - I like the yokes and the way they are constructed , I like the little pleats at the shoulders and the V neck is not too low but makes putting on the top easy. The top is nicely shaped and not boxy and too baggy. Also sewing with cotton is always a pleasure and this another op shop find was a treasure ( oh I am writing poetry now !)Overall  I would highly recommend this pattern.
I have made good progress with my next top today on account of a nasty sheep incident yesterday - I will explain all with my next post .Cheers Janine .

PS . DON` T WORRY . NO SHEEP WERE HARMED - IN FACT I AM SURE THEY ARE LAUGHING AT US RIGHT NOW.

A Retrospective - Burda dress 103 02/08.

While I actually do have a new top completed to blog about I do not have a photo with the garment worn so I decided to blog about a previously made dress which I do have a photo of .Last Friday my middle teenage DD and I attended a book signing with her most favourite author Maggie Stiefvater in Melbourne City - this photo is on a tram on the way there.  This dress is out of the box for me - I am a conservative person in a conservative job BUT I am extremely pleased with the result and this shows that I should challenge my style sometimes. I reserve this dress for wearing at more fancy occasions not  for work as this dress is close fitting and sometimes there is a propensity for the front wrap to open up revealing a bit of leg.
I made this dress some 18 months ago and it was very popular on Pattern review. I have made a comment on the envelope housing my pattern that I have referred to Pattern Review and the blog Couture et Tricot in the makings as there was some mild confusion about markings on the dress patterns. I do recall though that once this issue was sorted out that the directions from Burda did make sense ( if you read them long and hard enough ) and the dress was not incredibly hard.
I have used a very fine stretch jersey as recommended and this is good for the drapey parts - however I am not sure how long wearing this dress will be . The material was a great find in an op shop - 4 1/2 metres for only $5.00 ( sometimes I think I should rename this blog the Super cheapo sewing blog ! )
Anyway I would highly recommend this dress pattern to anyone.
By the way the book signing was alot of fun - Maggie was a very funny young woman and my daughter was in heaven and all starry eyed - so much so she managed to leave my handbag lying around unattended in a shop for a few minutes until I said where is my handbag ( middle DD had asked for my handbag to get her camera out and look at all the photos of the book signing ) !
Cheers until I can bribe my 12 year old photographer to take some shots of my new top.

Kwik Sew 3474 - The Spring has Sprung Top

I finally finished my Kwik Sew blouse - I have learnt how to add a Pattern Review Widget so I have done a fairly complete review if anyone is interested. This top was super thrifty to sew - I found the pattern for only 20cents and the fabric was only a couple of dollars - the most expensive part of this project was the thread which I had to buy new  . So really there was nothing to lose with this top - especially as I broke the Kwik Sew rules and cut different sizes at different lines - small at the shoulders and sleeves and side seams and large at the front .
I love the wrap front of this and the side shaping and front ties and cuffs with slits . I dislike that there is nothing keeping the upper part of the blouse together so I added press studs This is completely necessary as any movements will cause major gaping at the top and a significant case of `Hello boys` or being charged by the police with exposure. I  also understitched the facings which Kwik Sew surprisingly didn`t include in their instructions - having said that, this pattern confirms that I do love Kwik Sew patterns .
I wasn`t completely happy with my upper press stud - it is tending to show so I will wear this with a brooch. Next time I make this I think I will add a button .
I have some lovely soft gold paisley embossed silk look fabric and I am debating making an evening version of this above pattern but I am just not sure yet.
Anyway spring has definitely sprung here - we have a new born lamb with hopefully a couple more to come and our chooks are laying 10 eggs a day and the wattles and native jasmine are blooming ( and I am sneezing !) . It is lovely here at the moment. Until next time ( another top on the way!) cheers Janine.

A Nifty Dart Trick ( PHoto Heavy )

Just this week I learnt a really good little dart trick - I haven`t seen it elsewhere so I decided to show it here . Probably everyone else knows about this but you know the saying ` If it just helps one other person then it will be worthwhile. `.
I have always just left the threads at the narrow end part of the dart loose or before I knew better just  backstitched -gasp horror! I have seen a technique where you get a needle and insert the loose threads into the dart or just cut the threads really short. The technique I found is quicker than this . I wish I could lay claim to inventing this technique but I am strictly a follower not a leader. The below technique is from Singers The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing if my instructions and photos are as clear as mud. You can click on the photos to make them larger if this helps.

Photo 1 above shows the dart marked and starting to sew.

Photo 2 above shows the dart sewn - Continue until you just stitch off the edge of the fabric

PHoto 3 above  - Lift up the presser foot and pull the fabric towards you about one inch or 2 cms. This creates the length of thread above.

PHoto 4 - Set your stitch length at zero. Insert your material under the foot , lower your presser foot , insert your needle in the fabric inside the dart and stitch several times to secure the thread.

PHoto 5 above . Remove from your sewing machine and clip the threads close. As you can see the threads at the end are neat .

PHoto 6 - the outside of my ( unironed ) dart - see no puckers !

This is so quick. saves having loose threads inside and saves threading up your needle. I hope this is of some use.
Cheers Janine.

A Name Change

IMG_0880[1], a photo by JanineMcK on Flickr.
I have wanted to have a sewing blog for a long time but lack of computer skills and a touch of shyness stopped  me. Then my younger daughters showed me how to transfer images from the camera to the computer - I thought this was going to be hard !- and off I went. However I could only come up with the rather boring name Sew Janine. Today I created a new name which I think is rather appropriate.
Sutures is the medical term for stitches and interrupted sutures is a style of medical stitching.
I also wanted to add a photo of my next project. I had wished to sew the above Kwik Sew top with some light weight black silver brocade but did not have enough fabric to match the pattern which would have wrecked the whole thing so I am using some left over fabric from a skirt/top combination I made my Mum some time ago. I am now procastinating on marking the 6 darts involved ( my least favourite part of sewing after cutting out possibly ) . I hope this post works as I have had a heck of a time trying to get photo inserted and now I see after each m there is a funny gap. Cheers Janine.

Simplicity 2418 and my sewing mate.

This is my little dog Toby and he loves being with me all the time including sewing. I wanted to show this photo as he has FINALLY learnt not to just plonk himself down on my fabric and pattern pieces  -hooray . Ask him how he learnt this ! He still needs to learn though to give me space while enjoying my cups of tea and chocolate. He comes and sits right next to you and just stares the whole time .

I completed Simplicity 2418 - a pattern that is still in the current pattern catalogues ! It is the cowl neck version. Although rated easy I had to think carefully about the yoke attachment which has you sew the wrong side of the back and front pieces to the right side of the yoke - also there wasn`t much difference between the wrong and right sides of my fabric so I had to be careful.
I took the advice of pattern reviews of this and sewed size 10 instead of my usual size 12 and also took the side seams in by 2 cms instead of  1.5. In the end I didn`t really need the self fabric belt as doing these adjustments meant the top was not too baggy. I also used some `satin` bias binding around the `sleeves` which I did enlarge to accomodate my size 12 arms . I will definitely be making view B - sooner rather than later. I am going to do a more complete review over at Pattern Review ( love that site - I always check it out before sewing any patterns these days ) Cheers Janine.

Style 3949 complete and going public.

Today I decided to be brave and show my face ( although after seeing the one photo my DH took perhaps I shouldn`t have ) . I have wondered if anyone doing these blogs have had any problems ( apart from those negative anonymous comments ) with going public. Lets face it having a sewing blog is something only a sewer ( that term cracks me up ) can really understand and others may find um different. Just as I can not always understand various peoples interests ( one example my husband really wants to make a methane digester) . Meanwhile I  completed the Style jumper a little while ago and it was just was the doctor ordered - quick, easy and no problems- after the angst of my Simplicity jacket. The only issue was one of juggling fabric and pattern to fit. This top has the sleeve and side front and back all in one piece making it fabric hungry .It also has a ginormous collar piece.  This fabric was given to me by my Mum who got it from her neighbour who got it from someone else who sews nightwear etc for some boutique in Melbourne ( I`ll say yes to just about any fabric !) . So this fabric was not in one piece but did have very large scraps. In the end I had to cut the collar in 2 pieces and cut the sleeve part in 2 pieces - I don`t think this is too noticeable.
This old Style pattern suggested light weight wovens but I used this plush reddish maroon knit. If  I make it again I would make it longer in the torso but otherwise it passed the fashion police ( my 3 DDs ) and I wore it today while doing the early morning Saturday netball run . For an old pattern I think it is OK as several new release patterns have similar features of the large rolled collar and gathers at the front. It was definitely warm and comfortable. Anyway Cheers for now. Janine

Punding - not a dirty word ( and the relationship to sewing )

eI was reading an article recently and came across the word punding. I didn`t know the meaning and so looked this up and found the definition to be repetitive useless actions. This led me to thinking about sewing and why I love it. You see I think that probably alot of what I do is punding - gardening. dishes, ironing  , paperwork - all incredibly repetitive but I suppose not totally useless. You do all these things and then not 5 minutes later there are more dishes in the sink and you turn around and all those weeds have snuck back up.

However, it doesn`t matter how long I leave a garment on my sewing table for it doesnt change. I don`t have to keep on sewing seams that have come mysteriously undone or recutting the same pattern over and over  etc so eventually you end up with something hopefully beautiful and /or useful. Hmm not sure this makes sense. Anyway , it has been incredibly cold here even by Victorian standards and after all the hassles of my blue jacket ( that did end well ) I have picked out an easy pattern next.

This is another older style pattern since I enjoyed sewing my recent style jacket so much.The material is a thick plush reddish/maroon knit and I am making the top above -it has a gathered front and rolled draped collar .I had really wanted to make a butterick dress 5523 with a similar collar but Spotlight did not have my size available so until then this is my substitute pattern. I am looking forward to this since this week has a been a case of living to work rather than working to live. I most definitely think if you are able work/life balance is VERY important.
Cheers Janine.

Simplicity 4698- Finally done!

I am sooo happy to be finished. I started sewing this jacket in early June and I have had a feeling it just wasn`t meant to be. First of all I did a big oops on the collar but rectified this. Then after coming back from a one weeks holiday ( On a houseboat on the Murray River - highly recommended -very relaxing ) and having sewing withdrawals I launched into sewing the 2 piece arms but made 2 left arms - umm I only have one left arm - after hongkong finishing all those seams . ( With this material there are  no wrong and right sides - it looks exactly same ) . Argghhh - I did a quick unpick which means one arm now has the ugly side of the hongkong finishing `showing`.
Then as I was binding the armholes I broke a needle - at that point when my middle DD came into my sewing room I blurted out `Do you want a blue jacket ?` and she said Yes ! Perhaps I can borrow it sometimes.

I do love this jacket - it is a darling and I will sew it again but with the retrospectoscope it would be much quicker to line this jacket fully or use fabric which doesn`t fray so much.It is a very close fitting jacket as well but otherwise I would recommend this to anyone who has this in their stash unmade. It is a pity it is OOP because  it is so classic  I am very glad that I finally tried out this pattern. 
Anyway looking forward to my next ( much quicker ) project. Cheers Janine.

Simplicity 4698= A wadder saved .

I was really enjoying sewing this jacket . The shell came together nicely and fitted well. So I progressed to the semi-lining and collar. I thought this is a really weird collar and then it hit ! I had really oopsed . I was almost ready to throw this away  and then was inspired by LisaLaree of SewRandom who goes to all lengths to avoid wadders. After one hour of unpicking and sewing I saved this jacket . I was so pleased that I have proceeded to HongKong finish all the exposed seams . All I have left now are the sleeves, hems , buttons and buttonholes. I may even do bound button holes as this jacket only has 3 buttons ( no promises though ! )

Style Jacket styled.

Here is a promised photo of my Style Jacket worn with my only yellow top although I do really love certain variations of this colour. It does match the colour of our mudbricks though !See you later. Janine

Simplicity 4349-a different kind of evening wear.

When the designers of simplicity created this pattern what they had in mind was glamorous evening wear - fur, satin, brocade capes, scarves and bags. When I saw this pattern I thought of my large scrap of polar fleece and a different kind of evening wear ! I have certainly downgraded  Simplicity 4349. This is the dirtiest and quickest piece of sewing ever. I did not finish any seams . The only trouble I took was to tear off a small piece of stabilizer and use this making the button hole. However if success can be measured by the wearings then this is a hit. I have worn it  every night since sewing it . It is warm, soft, lightweight and not restricting. Perfect for reading in bed at night  . I said to my husband is this the daggiest thing I have ever sewn and he nodded yes bravely . So there you go I have reached the pit of daggidom. My sewing and this blog can only go upwards now. Cheers Janine

An interruption to the scheduled programme.

We have been having a real winter here for the first time in ages. We only have one wood heater for the living areas so it gets pretty cold in the bedrooms. I had  sizeable leftover pieces of soft fluffy polar fleeces from dressing gowns for 2 of my DDs back from 2008. Simplicity  4349 has a pattern for various capes and I thought this will make a good `bed jacket`. So I am taking a break from my blue simplicity jacket and going to make this instead . Now off to vacuum the floor - boy does this fleece  make a mess. Cheers Janine.

The Everlasting Fabric.

I managed to cut out the Simplicity Jacket which was a marathon ( which is why cutting out is my least favourite sewing job ) .
This royal blue crepe just keeps on going and going ! So far I have sewn a dress - Simplicity 2896 a sleeveless . yoked A line dress and also Kwik Sew 3287  a skirt with little flippy sides and now cut out the above jacket. And still I have a large chunk left !
This jacket patterns calls for 70cm of fabric for this kind of strange incomplete lining - I do not think I have seen a back lining like this . I managed to get all the  2 lining pieces out of a small scrap of polyester satin left over from some PJs ! Which just goes to show that those scraps which sometimes cause angst really are  very useful ( even if  it is many many years later ) .

I also completed my vogue Issey Miyake skirt but yet again there will not be a photo . I did not finish the waist , seams and hems as it really was only a quick and dirty muslin ( and boy was it a quick skirt pattern ) . I am happy to report that you definitely do not need to add a zipper to this knit skirt. I didnt really think this was the case but I did not want to question Vogue who undeniably have much more knowledge and experience in these matters. Also this skirt definitely reaches my ankles. I was questioning whether this look might be dated however while waiting for my daughter to have her braces removed ( yay !) I read a WHO magazine that had a fashion spread on long skirts ! It seemed like fate to read this magazine so soon after whipping up this skirt so I think I will try source some `real` fabric.
Cheers Janine