I am working on something...

..., but the progress with this garment is sloooow. Due to the lack of time I am experiencing recently (looks like "recently" is "all the time") I only sew about three hours a week and that's just not enough to complete a Spring trench coat in a "normal" amount of time.

Right, I am working on a trench coat. The pattern I've chosen is McCall's 5525, the fabric is cotton purchased about two years ago with an intention to turn it into a coat one day. I had a vision of a floral white-black-pink coat appropriate for warmer weather conditions and this is the fabric that came closest to my idea. 

This is what I've got so far. I am not trying to match the print (obviously). I don't have enough fabric for that. I know this is a big boo-hoo for some sewers out there :-), but I just don't have enough of the fabric to do that :-). I had ordered 4 yards of the cotton the two years ago and it's turned out to be just on the edge of what I need. 

The idea behind this trench-to-be is a little bit extravagant piece of clothing with contrasting lining and piping (in fuchsia color). This is the second time I am working with piping (the first time being a piped fabric belt, which means pretty straight lines in comparison with the curves of this coat). What's missing from the pics is a piped collar, which has been completed so far as well. 

The piping is a piece of work (especially for a novice), but I am doing my best and it is not as bad as I was first worried.

This is also the first time that I made a muslin before actually cutting into the fashion fabric. I have to say, an idea of making a muslin doesn't really fit my impatient personality - it seems like investing a lot of time into something that won't be needed afterwards (in a case of a non-wearable muslin). But I am learning to be more patient and I am learning to make me feel good about all the time and patience invested into everything, that perfects the end result of my sewing. 

So I made a muslin, made some fitting changes (with  help of my sewing course teacher), ripped the muslin apart, made it into a new and improved (for my body) pattern and cut the fashion fabric with help of the muslin pattern. Pheeew.

I have no idea, how it will turn out, but to be honest, even if it doesn't fit me afterwards, I'll be happy if the coat turns out to be wearable for anybody :-). But I hope it won't be completely ill-fitted :-).  

Hopefully I'll be able to complete the other half of the trench's front tonight. It means I have to sacrifice a couple of hours of pre-midnight sleep, but if I want to have this done before the next  Spring's arrival :-), some serious measures have to be undertaken ;-). 

Wish me luck

and have a nice day :-)!!

     

Spring/Summer Fabric Shopping

I know that the winter is not gone yet and I am still in the mood for some winter sewing, but the couple of warmer days which came (and are already gone for now) made me attracted to Spring/Summer-reminding fabrics. I also blame some of the new Spring sewing patterns that were already released by some of the pattern companies. I also blame these companies (of course not myself!! :-)) for my recent fabric shopping ;-).

Looking at the (let's call it) small stash of fabric I have accumulated during the last two to three weeks, I am once more reminded of the fact, that my sewing is far from any plan and that I rarely sew any coordinates. But I have to admit, that I don't like to sew for the lower part of my body, since I am bottom-heavy and there are literally no pants in the whole world that would look good on me at this point. Trust me - because I tried them all on at some point before buying the one pair I wear all the time :-D.  But this year I want to change a couple of things and finally plan to sew a couple of pants (and skirts) for myself. 

Looks like I am starting to write a bit off-topic. So, back to the fabric :-).

I have some plans with these, but I reserve myself the right to change my mind :-). 

This is a polyester satin and the color is much more vivid and fuchsia-like than in the picture. I bought this piece with M5977 on my mind. I know this is a pattern for knits, but I might be able to make it work in this poly satin - with a zipper maybe. I like the yellow or fuchsia pattern pics.

This is a 70% polyester/30% viscose blend which I love - I love the colors and the fabric abilty do drape nicely. I'd like to use it for V1220, but I am a bit hesitant, since the fabic's pattern might be a bit busy for this dress. But maybe if I used a one-color sash... Hmm, I'll see.

I was also looking for some fabric for V1233 and since I think that this dress looks so great on the pattern envelope because of the beautiful fabric used for it, I was looking for something similar. And I came around this 50% linen blend, which looks quite similar. It's not exactly the same, but I hope it will work. I am not quite sure, because the fabric is a bit heavy, but I am wiling to try it out :-).

  

This next fabric is a 50% cotton blend and I can't say much about it yet, only that I think it's beautiful and I'd like to turn it into a Spring/Summer jacket.

I dread sewing with sheer fabrics - and that has to be the reason why I've bought this sheer Missoni-like poly, ehm, right? But it was so vivid and happy-looking lying around in the shop, that I had to have a piece for a summer blouse/top.

I've bought the next fabric, because I thought it looked interesting and would be great for a skirt or a dress. Since I am partial to dresses, I've bought enought for a dress. It consists of 65% oly and I have no idea about the rest, because I couldn't decode it on the fabric's label. I've chosen this Vogue 1190 for it so far, but I think it might be just too heavy for this pattern. Maybe only the color palette of the fabric made me think of the pattern and it'll become something else.

I also prewashed the fabric and since it's all somehow embroidered, a piece of it ended up like this, so I'll have to fix it or avoid it when placing a pattern on the fabric. 

Here's the last fabric from the stash above and it's a 100% poly again. I think it would make a nice boho Summer blouse, maybe this BWOF 6/2009-108.

Sooo, the only thing I need now is some spare time to sew - hopefully and maybe this weekend?

Happy sewing to everyone :-)!

Butterick 5495 Top

I don't sew much lately and it doesn't make me happy. But I am not surprised, that I don't sew much, because after my much loved 3-week Christmas break I somehow knew that my job won't let me. Not that I wouldn't have some spare time, but I am often so mentally tired that I can't force myself into doing anything after getting home from work. 

But the weekend before the last one I finally had the time and desire to sew and grabbed this pattern and a piece of fabric bought the day before and made myself a top. It's Butterick 5495 and I made the view C with semi-long(?) sleeves (neither long, nor short), in the size 8.

 

This post would have been written about a week ago, but I just wasn't able to get some decent photos of me, the top or me in the top. My camera made some bad photos, so this is probably the third attempt and I know this time the pics are all somehow grainy, but well, I am giving up this time.

Anyhow, to the pattern. It's an easy one to sew up. I had it done in a couple of hours - tracing the pattern (I trace them, don't cut them), cutting the fabric and having it all sewn up. 

I made it in the size 6 and it is more fitted than in the picture, but otherwise it looks very much like the pattern picture.

The pattern has got only 4 pieces, one of them looking rather odd, but it all comes together nicely and easily. There is a gathering  in the middle - under the bust area where a stripe of the fabric holds the gathers together. Although the cleavage is not one of the narrow ones, I don't need to wear a camisole under the top, because it doesn't gape.

It really is an easy top to sew up and it is very versatile - in my opinion - suitable under a cardi, a jacket or left alone for a more casual look. I would recommend it ;-).

Have a great week :-) !

Spring 2011 Vogue Patterns

I am not sure when was the time that I first saw the new Spring Vogue Patterns collection - (somebody, and I am sorry, but I don't know who, published on her blog some scans of the to-be-released collection), but as soon as I did, I fell in love with quite many of the patterns. It might be because I - for some unidentified reason - love dresses, or because the styles are so pretty, feminine and cute, but according to my opinion, this is the prettiest Vogue collection since I began to participate in the sewing world. 

Sooo, I was impatiently waiting for a SewingPatterns.com sale and placed my order like 5 minutes after I spotted the announcement of the sale in my e-mail box :-D. 

I know that I am not the only blogging sewist who likes these, but I can't not show them here once more :-):

Vogue 1233. This pattren might not be overly spectacular or innovative, but I really like the interestingly used collar, and the fabric and buttons used in this particular picture make the dress (and pattern) an object of my desire :-).   

Vogue 1219 and 1221. These two patterns attract me mainly for one same reason -  the wrap bodice style. The first one is - in my eyes - a picture of daily elegance with the stand-up collar and shirt-like look. The second one looks very feminine and romantic. The soft color of the dress looks very pretty against the model's skin tone - I really like the styling. 

Vogue 1220. I LOVE this dress - it was love at first sight. The only concern I have in relation to this pattern is, that the smallest size offered is 8 and while my lower body might need even a number 10, if not 12, size 8 is usually too loose for my upper body, so I hope some size adjustments won't ruin the dress's cut. 

Vogue 1232. I don't know what is not to love about this dress. Feminine, pretty and flattering.

 

Vogue 1223. The actual pattern (the bodice) is in this case a little bit hidden in the fabric's colors, so although I love the fabric, it's worth to have a look on the pattern's lines. Again - very feminine and romantic.

Vogue 1230. I like the sleeves and neckline.

Vogue 1231.  The big bow on the back makes this pattern very cute. I think I would look much older in this choice of fabric than I actually am, but the model can definitely pull it off. I think that this dress has some potential even if the peplum would be removed.

These are definitely not the only new Vogue patterns I like, but if I talked about all of them, this post would be too long to to keep anybody's attention :-). Even mine :-D. 

Have a great week and happy sewing:-)!

Simplicity 2754 Dress

The Simplicity 2754 dress, that I kept mentioning in a couple of my recent posts, is finally finished. I am glad I finished it, because if I don't finish a garment, that I am working on right away, I have a problem with its completion. Obviously, I am one of the persons, who are enthusiastic about each and every new project, but comleting it might be a problem for me. If I get stuck with one of the used sewing techniques, if I miss some needed notions and begin with another project before finishing the previous one, I am very bad at coming back to the original garment and finishing it.  I've got something to work on :-)...

This is the pattern I used for the dress...

 ... and this is my interpretation of the dress:

I made the dress with a round neckline and long sleeves with cuffs. I made it in the size 6, but I could have got away with the size 4, especially in the upper part of the dress. I also eliminated the back zipper, since the fabric I used is stretchy and the dress has a neckline big enough to get into it witout a zipper. According to me, this pattern is drafted pretty loosely - I had to take in about 3 inches on both sides of the torso - around my ribcage and waist area. The size 6 was way too big in this area for me.

The picture below shows some details.

I made the loop for the neckline button as written in the instructions - from the fabric used for the dress, but for the loops on the cuffs I used a black cord. I thought the fabric loop would be too thick for the cuff. Well, the cord is not thinner at all, probably the opposite is the truth, but, thankfully, it works :-).

The one thing I have to fix is the neckline facing. Since the fabric is so thick and the finised dress is quite heavy, it keeps pulling the dress down  and the facing keeps peeking out from the inside. I fixed it in the back by topstitching the back part of the neckline, but I don't want to topstitch the front, so I'll have to think about something else.

The buttons I've sewn on are the same style, only that the button on the neckline is bigger than those on the cuffs.

The fabric I chose was quite thick for this project. I can imagine, that working with a lighter fabric would have been much easier, since this one adds a lot of bulk to some areas - like the cuffs  - and they were  a nightmare to sew. They are very tiny in comparison to all the gathered fabric of the sleeves that you have to attach to them and this bulky fabric made it close to impossible.

So, this is my dress - I think the first winter dress I've ever made. I like the sewing pattern I chose for it, but next time around I'll look for a lighter fabric to work with this pattern.

The next item on my sewing plan - a Burda shirt / blouse.

Happy sewing to everone :-)!

Butterick 5562 Top

This is how I originally imagined my Christmas holidays / vacation - no real obligations, staying at home whenever I feel like that and sew as much as desired. And I am sticking to my plan :-)! That 's why I spent another (not entire) day with sewing.

This has been my probably quickest project so far. I traced the pattern the evening before yesterday (I don't cut patterns, I always trace them) and have it made yesterday in a couple of hours.

This is the pattern and I made the view B - the third in the row in this picture.

It's a long sleeved top with gathered sleeves - they are gathered in the sleeve cap area as well as in the part under the elbows. The top itself is quite long, as well as the sleeves - but I like this prolonged silhouette.

The colors in the pics are not accurate - the fabric's colors are much more accurate in one of my previous posts, when I photographed it after brining it just home. I'll have to buy a better camera, since this one  -  not even mine - doesn't deal with interior lighting etc...  very well.

The sleeves are gathered with help of an elastic - this one is the most decent one I was able to get my hands on. I wanted to buy a clear one (Victoria of Ten Thousand Hours of Sewing inspirated me in this case), but I don't think they ever heard of such an elastic in the shop I went to, although it's a pretty big shop with otherwise a lot to choose from... So I ended up with this black one and I am satisfied with it. This was my first time of sewing an elastic right into the garment and I am quite happy with my work. I love it, when I get to try out a new sewing technique (well, new for mee :-)) and it goes well.

There is also another first time I experienced with this project. Before I discovered the american sewing patterns producers, I had no idea there were patterns which included seam allowances in the pattern drawings. So, after I came to purchasing these patterns, I used to trace the patterns and then eliminate the SAs from them. With time I learnt to leave them there in cases where I only had to sew close-to-straight seams, like the side seams. But this time, I left the SAs in the whole pattern and I quite enjoyed sewing the entire top this way. I only had to help myself with a marker at the neckline. Maybe it was so easy this time, because this pattern doesn't have any tricky seamlines. 

Yesterday I also managed to finish the Simplicity dress - with buttons and everything, so they will be a subject of my next post.

See you soon :-)!

Burda Blouse 9/2007 - 101

I've been quite productive - sewingwise - during the last three days and completed two new garments. Having a couple of weeks off from the job is great - it's only now that I can see how much my job is standing my life in its way :-D.

I've completed the Simplicity 2754 dress I was blogging about a couple of weeks ago. There are only buttons missing, which I intend to buy tomorrow, hopefully.

The other piece of clothes I have finished is a Burda blouse. I had a piece of a flowery fabric which I purchased quite recently and I felt it would be perfect for a blouse. I looked trhough my stash of Burda magazines and came up with this pattern from BWOF 9/2007 - 101. I wanted something with simpler lines, since the fabric pattern is already quite busy.

The fabric I used was very flimsy - the type I hate to work with. Since I am still a beginner, I still have to learn how to tame such type of fabric properly. I used (for the first time) french seams on the side seams, the sleeves are finished with an elastic and I used my coverlocker (coverstitch machine) for the hem. The pattern was not very difficult to sew with, the only challenge was the fabric - from cutting, through fusing some parts for a reinforcement to actual sewing with it.

And here is the end result. 

sorry for the deer-caught-in-the-headlights expression :D

I like the finished blouse, although I think there are things I could have done better, nicer, neater. On the other hand, I would have done them better, nicer or neater, had I known how :-). At this point of my sewing skills I just don't. The good news - it can only get better from now on ;-).

Tomorrow I plan to finish the mentioned Simplicity dress and start with another knit top. Since it is another simple pattern, it shouldn't take me too long to sew it up.

Happy sewing to everyone :-)!