Christmas sewing - all for me!!!

I need want a new party dress for Christmas.  I've been a very good girl this year and deserve it - honestly I have.....

I'm thinking of keeping it simple.  The last few years I have dressed up and felt overdressed, and out of place.  So this year, "simple" is my way forward.

So, this is what I will be making:  McCalls M6460.  Simple and elegant!

I will make view D.  I like the fact it will cover my knees, and cover the top of my arms.  I'm thinking black, I'm thinking satin, I'm thinking lace - I'm thinking it will be what ever bloomin' colour I find for the lace will be a starting point.  It's just so difficult to get nice fabrics locally.

I particularly like the fact that this pattern comes in  a multi-cup size too.  I have just made two shirts (yes, two!) which I will blog about later.  It was a McCalls pattern I used and I went for a D cup and then I tried a C cup.  Both fit well, one just a tad closer than the other.

Anyone else tried this pattern yet?  What are your party wear plans?

McCalls M5913

Due to the lack of sewing around here sewing lately, I thought I would share something I made last year, which kept me beautifully warm during the very cold winter we had.

McCalls 5913

I think it's the first time I've ever been "fashion forward", no one really passed comment on it last year, but this year everyone wants to know where I bought it. (Honestly, when will people get it - I SEW!)

I made the red one pictured above, with the belt holes and belt.  I got the fabric from Fabulous Fabrics in Ashby de la Zouch around 18 months ago, including the lining, which is a Paul Smith cotton.  To make it really warm and cosy I added a flannel interlining.

The pattern isn't lined, but I didn't like the thought of that so cut lining and interlining to the same pattern pieces and omitted the facings.  I put the interlining to the main fabric and treated as one.  As that made the fabric heavy and quite thick, I didn't want to worry about turn of cloth so so rather than sew everything together and turn through (like bagging the lining) I hemmed the bottom with self made bias binding.

I love this pattern so much I made view A for my sister 2 Christmases ago, and because she loves it so much made her another longer one last Christmas - no she won't be getting another one this year!

This is one pattern that I will be keeping - I  L O V E  capes and have just bought another pattern from the 1970's on Etsy - watch this space (but don't hold your breath because I have SO much I want to do first...)

Feeling better, and feeling inspired

I'm feeling so much better this week and having spent some time looking around blogland, and looking at the new Autumn / Winter patterns, I came across this dress from McCalls

McCalls 6395

Although my first love isn't knit fabric, I do enjoy working with double knit which this pattern will be perfect for.

So I've hunted down some double knit in Chocolate Brown, Navy, Red and Cerise.  I'm thinking of making the Muse Dress http://reveleigh.blogspot.com/2011/01/butterick-5522-done.html again in red with cerise inserts (colour blocking?!) and would like to make view B above in Navy with red zips and trim, although I will need to lengthen it - 40+ knees and all that!

I'm will work on the coat this weekend as its turned very chilly and had me reaching for the de-icer and scraper yesterday morning!

Have a lovely weekend all

How to get your mojo back...

It's simple.  2 hours, 1.3meters of printed cotton lawn and McCall's 5977.

Phew, I think I'm back.  This week I have made a navy pencil skirt (own self drafted pattern) and another McCalls easy-peasy-lemon squeezy top.  They don't go together at all, but in times of sewing crisis you just have to go with what you need to do....

Navy skirt is way too boring to blog about, so here's the top

This top reminds me of liquorice allsorts.  I'm thinking about the brown and black one (I actually don't like that one at all!) and the yellow and black one!

Nothing exciting to report about it.  I used french seams at the sides and shoulders and turned a narrow double hem on the frill.  Because the frill is so curved I stitched 1cm from the edge with a long stitch and pulled up the bobbin threads to draw it into the curve to make hemming easier.

That's it for now.  Except to mention that I went fabric shopping earlier this week and found a couple of bargains which are hanging on the line drying as I type.  More on those later.

Have a lovely weekend all.  I hope those of you in Central and Eastern America are managing in the heat - we are hearing snippets of news of it being incredibly hot right now.  Our summer's disappeared again - I'm wearing joggers and long-sleeved top again today (sigh....)

McCalls M2600

Also entitled:  "I don't do knit"

What can I say?  I did NOT enjoy the sewing process on this pattern.  Nothing wrong with the pattern at all, a lovely simple dress, no great shaping just a little gathering at the neckline and wonderfully quick and easy to make up.

I cut a 10 and garded to a 14 at the hip "just in case".  I could have left the side seams as a 12 as there is plenty of room in this tent dress.  IF I make it again I will add a couple of inches to the hem too.

I used a ballpoint needle and stretch stitch on my machine.  Yes, the overlocker still has black thread in it - how lazy am I?!  

Everything came from my stash, the fabric being a recent purchase from Ann at Gorgeous Fabrics.

Here it is during construction.  Neck and sleeve bands are not finished and I won't be wearing it with a black belt - I need to purchase a cream one:

Note to self:  MUST wear correct bra as it's a bit "hello boys" with the gathering at the neckline



enough room for two in that skirt!

 And here are the shoes I purchased to go with, including new nail varnish on my troll feet:

To be honest I don't think I will make this dress again.  The gathering around the neckline doesn't suit my bust at all and makes it look even bigger.  I'm having a love/hate relationship with this dress.  I didn't enjoy sewing the fabric and it's a bit short; however it is so light and comfortable... perhaps it will get shortened to a tunic or top at a later stage?

Oh, want to know Ian's reaction to the "in progress" dress?  "Very nice darling.  You need some false tan" No Ian, I need a holiday, ha, ha!!

Because I had purchased the shoes I wanted to be able to wear them with other things and had just purchased this fabric (honestly, before "shopping from the stash" was announced!)

another stetch - I need the practice!



Coral stretch Demin.  I may make another Susan Skirt


On another note.  I'm sorry if you have left a comment recently and now can't see it.  As most of you know Blogger was down for around 24 hours and since it's back  I have noticed comments have been removed (not by me, and not because of any dodgy content!).

Have a good week all!

McCalls 5977 - I jumped on the bandwagon!

I've seen this little top dotted around blogland over the past year, and as I already own the pattern and had some lovely black cotton voile in the stash I thought "why not?"

I made view B.  Because the fabric is fine I decided to use my overlocker to finish the bottom and side hems of the frill.  I have never used fraycheck before and tried it on the corners not realising it would dry so very hard!  I'm hoping it may soften a little with the first wash.  No biggie but I don't think I will be in a hurry to use that product again.

Side and shoulder seams are finished with french seams and the hem is turned up double.  My only gripe with the finished garment is the pattern piece for the sleeve bindings. IMO they are too wide and when I make it again I will reduce them quite considerably.  Fortunately they look better on me than modelled by Vivienne below.****Oopsadaisy!  Updated comment below....

Without further ado, here it is

The light is making the  fraychecked corners look worse than they are....



See, those bindings are too wide.

Nothing more to say about the construction of this top other than "Easypeasy, Lemonsqueezy"!

So, next up is the green, black and white print I purchased from Gorgeous Fabrics.... I'm hoping the two will go well together!

Enjoy the rest of your day and if you have 5 mins take a look at Hand Made by Carolyn's Vblog.  It's interesting to hear each over over the web!

****  Oh dear,oh dear.  This is the first garment I have made without reading any of the instructions - and the last.  Those sleeve bindings are fine, it's me that's wrong.  They are folded in half and hand stitched to the machine sewn line, not completely folded over and hand stitched.  I'm just about to re-do them properly!