On The Fence

I'm finding it more and more difficult to choose suitable, flattering clothing styles. In the past, this wasn't a difficulty, but with a changing body shape .... well it's plain hard. I don't want to look like my daughter, nor do I want to look like my mother (or grandmother, if you'd believe some department stores!!)

Anyway, I wanted to enter Patternreviews Think Pink contest http://sewing.patternreview.com/cgi-bin/contestreport.pl?ContestID=146ContestID=146 so I trawled the pages of Ottobre Woman magazine and decided on this tunic top



This is such a change from my usual style of top. It's meant to fill a gap while losing weight as it's drawn in with a self fabric belt/sash, and can easily be altered later if need be.

The fabric is also somewhat of a disappointment. I've had this fabric since 1991 - a fabric purchase made in Hong Kong and originally purchased as silk. I have my doubts as to the whether it is actually silk, however, it did sew up nicely and it does look good on the mannequin, or the actual body ....... blah!

I'll give it a couple of wearings and see. There's always Vinnies.

Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells! Jingle all the way!

We'll soon be hearing this Christmas favourite wherever we go. With Christmas fast approaching, I've made an early start to my gift sewing.

Woo! Hoo! The first two gifts are done.

For the past several years (since DD and DS have had their own homes) I've embroidered Christmas towels to decorate their bathrooms during the festive season. Usually, I'm frantically trying to get them done in the days leading up to Christmas, but this year, thanks to minggiddylooloo for suggesting a 2011 Holiday sew along http://sewing.patternreview.com/SewingDiscussions/topic/62809 , the towels are done, 31/2 months early ... gotta love that.

Now to get stuck into the next lot of gifts.

Ta! Dah!

What a month!

All good intentions of sewing up a storm went flying out the window - I'd forgotten how exhausting 10 hour workdays can be.

I had cut 3 tops at the beginning of the month to enter the "One Pattern Many Looks" on Patternreview. The idea of the contest is to come up with different looks by using different fabrics, trims or combinations of fabric, while using the same pattern. Last post I mentioned I was using one of Ottobre's pattern (1/5/2010),

Here are my finished tops.

The first top is made from an Oriental inspired print in a rayon/lycra knit with a contrast yoke in an off-white contton/lycra rib knit. To finish the look, a removable, simple fabric rose made from a scrap of leftover main fabric. The neckline is bound in the main fabric.

The second top is made from cotton/lycra in a plain blue marle. To accentuate the yoke, a purchased trim featuring small metallic coins, was attached along the seam line.

To complete the top, the same trim was used along the hemline.

Since this top is a little longer than a normal T, this finish gives it more of a tunic look.

Finally, top 3. This top utilizes two fabrics, one a poly/rayon lycra in plain hot pink, and the second a hot pink printed mesh. The plain fabric is used for the front, back, sleeves and yoke and the mesh for the front and back only.

The mesh was cut several cm shorter than the plain fabric to give an overlay effect.

The hem of the plain fabric is finished by simply turning up the allowance and stitching two rows of straight stitching (my coverpro should be getting a whirl here, I know, but I find I can do the two rows in half the time it takes to set up for the coverpro).

The overlay was finished using a lettuce leaf finish. Lettuce leaf, you ask? That's right, fold up the hem allowance, stretch the fabric like crazy and zig-zag over the folded edge and voila'! A crinkly finished hem.


Three tops, finished and in time for the contest finish date ....PHEW!

I've got to be C-R-A-Z-Y!!!

I'm about to do a month's stint of full time work ... after 17 years! On top of this, I'm looking after DD/DSIL's house and dog along with DF's house and 2 dogs, while all are on holidays.

How will I cope? Simple, I'll enter the One Pattern Many Looks competition on Patternreview . I figure I'll need a way to relax and what better way than with some sewing.

I plan to use this top pattern from Ottobre magazine.

The photo looks a little drab, but the line drawings shows it has great potential. The fabrics have been chosen - all knits. Firstly, a marled blue cotton lycra, next a poly/lycra in hot pink with a printed mesh over lay and finally an asian inspired print in a rayon/lycra. I have some embellishments in mind, but think I will see how the finished items "speak"to me.

Oranges and Sunshine

An unusual and flippant movie title, but incredilbly this is based on a story.

Have to say I hardly ever go to the movies, and when I do, as the houselights go down so do my eyelids!! It's gotten to the point where DH doesn't even ask anymore if I'd like to see anything. So when I say I stayed awake all movie, you'll get the idea this movie rates highly in my eyes.

See for yourself.



What did you think?

I do actually sew quite a bit, just hopeless at blogging, even though I love reading everyone else's blog.



I'd spied a friend's draped front vest a couple of weeks ago and when she offered it up to copy, I jumped at the chance. Using a Kwik Sew pattern (2759 cardigan) front and back as a base for the vest then tracing and measuring the original collar, I was quite pleased to come up with this creation ...


The fabric is a gorgeous rayon lycra with a lovely soft hand. This was all that was left over from a t-shirt which I made in April. I really wish I'd bought more ... ah! hindsight, it's a wonderful thing.



Given the success of this foray into copying RTW, I took a dive into the vast stash to see what other suitable fabric might be hiding in the back (I'm sure you know what I mean). Would you believe I found this black burnout velvateen - who knows how long thats been lurking, unloved and unused. This time there was a little more fabric, so rather than just make the vest, I decided to add sleeves. This was a good move as there was absolutely nothing but minute scraps left after cutting the pattern. I can see this being a very useful item this winter.





Ignoring the crappy picture, this next top was another top finished over the weekend. I was given this lovely fabric from a wonderful sewing friend. I'm not sure of the content, but certainly has some lycra, and is absolutely a dream to wear. This is KS 3658 which I have made several times before, but this is the first with long sleeves (note to self to make more of these for winter as the neck finish is nice and cosy).








Last on the sewing list was to finish this jacket that I had cut out two weeks ago. It is such a very simple jacket to make, I don't know why I took so long to get it finished. It's another Kwik Sew pattern - 3334.









I have to say, I really do find Kwik Sew patterns live up to their name.



Looking back, last weekend was quite productive sewingwise.

Baby Sewing ...

... is soooo much fun.

These DESIGNS BY SICK are just perfect for a new born. This set was made for DDIL's brother who's become a dad for the first time.