Sunday, February 16, 2014

Make do and alter

I'd been wanting a short sleeved shirt to wear recently and thought I'd like to make a couple (plans are afoot), but of course that would take time. How many times have I wished I had some sort of sewing time machine and could conjure up the garment then and there! But then I guess I'd miss out on the fun of actually making it, which is meant to be the point, right?!! Arghh!. Anyway... I opened my wardrobe and there staring at me was my ikat print cap sleeved Tova.



When I made it I loved it, and still do, but for some reason it never gets chosen to wear, even when I'm craving that style! I always thought what put me off must be the bright colour and crazy pattern, that I'd need to be in the mood to wear it, and I guess that mood didn't take me often. I tried it on and was pondering this when it suddenly hit me that the length is all wrong. I'd originally extended the length from the pattern so that I could wear it with my Japanese Black Spinel trousers - the short top over leggings is not a look for me. But the truth is that it never really went with the black spinels anyway.



So out came the scissors, I chopped a few inches off the hem and re-sewed it... 15 minutes later I had a much more wearable garment. It's a subtle adjustment but one that I think makes a lot of difference to the feel of the shirt. Time will tell but I think this might even have turned into a favourite, when I'd almost given up on it.

I think the lesson this has taught me is that if something isn't working, especially when I've put lots of time and effort into making it, I need to try to work out what the problem is and fix it before starting something new (while dreaming of those new tops to come ;-)

Monday, February 3, 2014

Jacket love

I've been dreaming of jacket patterns lately... which may be due to thoughts of autumn, even though the weather is still pretty hot here. But more likely just that I love jackets and am almost dress and skirted out!! Here are some of the top contenders:

Love the shape and detailing of Burdastyle's Desert Moto Jacket 02/2014 #128
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Next, a classic jacket, exactly the sort of basic I need, Burdastyle cropped jacket 01/2011

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And now a pattern that I already own and is all cut out and ready to sew, if I could only get over my fear of the scant instructions, Burdastyle Assymetric Jacket 03/2012  Please disregard the bizarre pose/expression - why do they do that?!!
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And possibly this one, Burdastyle Crossover Blazer 06/2012... though not with this styling! Again, why?!! Best to go look at a real one like this.

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And, last but not least (the only non-Burdastyle, for some reason) Vogue V8601 riding jacket. I saw and tried on a beautiful version of this pattern at a lovely little sewing shop in my very own suburb (unusual!) that unfortunately didn't survive :-( The owner wouldn't sell me the pattern or the jacket unfortunately, and when I search for this pattern online it has the dreaded OOP (out of print) after it... I have looked high and low for a good while now for this lovely classic pattern with a twist, but alas have yet to find a copy... It looks a bit weird in this drawing (don't they always) but you can see one of the lovely versions here. If anyone knows where I can get a copy please put me out of my misery and let me know.

V8601
Do you have any jacket patterns on your 'to do' list? Of course I could always try another Minoru, it's still my all-time favourite make, but the opportunity for something different is urging me along :-)

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Another moss mini

Gee I love the Moss Mini pattern! Here's no. 2 and I'm aleady dreaming of 3 and 4 ... I'm thinking of one in a silver coated denim I've been drooling over (like the fabulous one from Funkbunny and also this beauty from Sallie Oh) with lots of top stitching to rough it up. And then one in a piece of hand screen printed heavy cotton by a fab local company. Anyway, back to number 2...



Made up in the original grey cotton drill I had in mind before getting waylayed with the horsey in number 1, number 2 is a basic wardrobe staple, already worn several times. I figured it would work well with patterned or detailed tops, like the Wiksten tank above.



I did a bit more top stitching on this one than the last just to bring up the texture a bit. And I considered adding back pockets for more texture but decided against it - maybe something for the future. I also think it would look good with rivets or some sort of simple hardware. I almost wanted to go a sort of cargo skirt look but then decided to keep it simple.



As with my first version I took a bit out of the back seam and side seams at the waist, tapering to the hips. And after my admission of not being a particularly neat finisher last time I think this one came up OK, and I'm not so embarrased to show you the inside this time :-) And those zip flies get easier with each one I do, which makes the whole process more enjoyable and quicker!



And here's the skirt with a plain top, which I still think works OK, though I do feel a bit elephant-like in all that grey, hee hee!

A huge bonus about this pattern is that it is very economical with fabric, which I think is why I keep thinking "that would make a good Moss Mini!" when I see an interesting piece of fabric, even if it isn't large.

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Pattern Grainline Studio Moss Mini
Size 6
Fabric Cotton drill (mid weight) from Spotlight

Top (top pic) Wiksten tank
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