Sew, I've Been Thinking ...

I've had a fairly productive weekend. I made a dress using Vogue 1020 . It's not part of my SWAP, but I really wanted to use the fabric. I bought the winter before last and every once in a while it works its way to the top of my pile. This time I listened to it and made this dress. I didn't put a zipper in because the fabric is very stretchy and I can get it over my head easily. Although I love this fabric, the design means that the ruching can't be seen very well. I'm looking forward to winter and wearing this with a pair of ridiculously high brown boots I have and a vintage brown leather coat I bought last year. I will probably make this again. Because I had some fabric left over I made Kwik Sew 3497. I've made this before in orange, as my first SWAP garment. I don't particularly like it, but the pattern was there, the machine was threaded and I was able to quickly add a garment to my wardrobe. The garment I am most happy with is this new top. It...

Which is a funny thing to say when I'm actually flooded in. All five creek crossings between my house and the entrance to the valley are underwater. They'll be cleared by morning as the rain seems to have slowed. At least I hope so. I've had some work done in my sewing room and as a result (and my totally scrambled state of mind recently) the room is a mess. With being flooded in, I've been slowly sorting it out and putting things away in my nice new cupboards. To help with this I've been finishing off SOME of those pesky unfinished objects. The first of them is a skirt for my SWAP made from the same spring tweed as the jacket I've started (and still not finished). It's probably my first real TNT pattern. I bought this probably long OOP New Look pattern at an op shop in Murwillumbah about 8 years ago. It cost me 20c. I've made it with and without the box pleats so many times now I've lost count. This time I decided to lose the waistband and face it...

I don't have any pictures of my dress or current sewing to show today. Two close deaths this past week have rendered me incapable of much at all. My mother passed away just before Christmas and my oldest and dearest friend, who was closer than any family member, died this past Monday. I do have pictures of the finished dress and the therapeutic sewing I've been doing, but right now I can't be arsed plugging the camera in and uploading. It's hot and humid and I'm too weary, so you'll have to wait until next year. Happy New Year to anyone who might read this. I look forward to a bright and happy 2009 and wish you all the same.

The progress on Vera's Vogue dress has been slow this week. I've changed my mind about several things many times, but now have a simple result that I'm happy with. Special thanks to Carolyn , whose suggestion of using organza ribbon under the diamantes helped me figure out what to do with the straps. In the end I made self fabric binding and handstitched the stones to it. It doesn't photograph well, but here it is. It fits me better than it fits Vera. To go with the dress, I've almost finished a bag. I used the teardrop kit from Nicole Mallieu . I've made one of her bags before and will make them again because they are cute, easy to make and I get a real kick out it. This one is made from the same fabric as the dress and is finished with clear glass beads, which also don't photgraph well. I haven't decided what to make the strap out of yet, but I think I'll keep it simple, either self fabric or black cord. I might make a cape/shrug sort of thing to...

With a 50th birthday party looming and a dress not even cut out, I've put the SWAP on hold for the weekend to start on this ... It's Vogue 7365. This is the shell so far, no pressing, no seam finishing, no lining and no straps. I've been investigating diamantes on a string for the straps and now I've got the dress this far, I'll take it with me to the store and see what I think. I particularly like the back view of this dress. Here's a shot of the ass ruching. That 40kg I damn near broke my back squatting has all been worth it now I've tried this on. It will have a vintage marquisite leaf clipped onto the back. I'm making a matching bag, which I'll show in my next post but right now my mind is fixed on finding the right shoes. I happen to have a blingy pair that I love to death. Jock, what do you think???? They're not too much, are they??? I have about six other options (in black) in my wardrobe, but I like the silver and if these don't work...

I've had a fairly productive weekend, sewing wise. I've traced off a load of patterns, I've cut out several garments, I've muslined a special event dress, I've made the shell of a jacket and I've finished a blouse. The blouse is BWOF 1-2008-108 and is the second top from my SWAP. I've made this before in short and long sleeved versions and its safe to say this is probably now my TNT blouse pattern. It comes together fairly quickly and it fits me straight, if you don't count the extra centimetre I added in to the bicep band. I eased up on the weight I was lifting with my biceps so I didn't get too big, but my trainer tells me it's not my biceps getting bigger, it's my triceps! At least they won't be waving in the breeze! I've been inspired by Cidell's wonderful tuxedo front blouse. She mentioned that she found it hard to do an all white blouse. Although my blouse is cream (yes, I know you can't tell from my crappy photo), like...

I've completed my first garment for my SWAP. It's orange. It's Kwik Sew 3497 . I like it but don't love it. I'm not sure I'd make the mock wrap front again. Quite frankly, that much fabric over my stomach in this climate is way too hot. I'll make the plain front though. I'll also use clear elastic on the armholes as well as the neck. It gapes a little. It fits me better than Vera, but it still gapes. Cidell and I had a discussion this week about making separates that languish in the closet because we have nothing to pair with it. For this reason alone, I have undertaken the SWAP and as Cidell said, we will have a workable wardrobe if it kills us. This top sat on my coffee table still pinned to the pattern for a week. I have never left a garment pinned to a pattern before and I don't want to make a habit of it. Part of the reason for that was that I'm not terribly confident with knits. I can do loads of things that others find difficult, but knits...