Black Lace Ava

It would seem that I am in love with Victory Patterns at the moment ... first it was Lola, then Chloe 1 and Chloe 2 and now Ava.

My daughter loves wearing dresses (yay!) and had worn the death out of a dress we had bought for Christmas last year.   Ava is a very similar style and suits her hourglass figure like a glove.  However, teenagers are so fickle that choosing the right fabric was real marathon but after a trip to The Fabric Warehouse we walked out with a medium weight polytester which had a really nice drape to it.  The lace we had left over from a top I'd made for her back in May and that had already got the tick of approval.

I made up a muslin first to check fit, cutting out a size 12.  A small list of adjustments were required, but nothing major:

• Lengthened bodice by 1.5". 
• Moved shoulder seam back by 6/8" at neckline and 3/8" at shoulder seam. 
• Removed 1/2" from each side seam under the arm and tapered to the existing side seam at waist.

It was important for her that the dress bodice be body hugging.  Once the fashion fabric was cut and sewn I double checked fit before closing side seams and putting in the zipper.  Just as well because the fashion fabric had more ease than the muslin which required another 1/2" to be removed from the side seams.

The dress is not lined, which is okay by her.  The sweetheart neckline where the base fabric meets the lace is bound, as recommended by the pattern - that shit was fiddly, but I got there!

 

I underlined the sleeve caps with black chiffon from the stash, to provide them with a bit of stability.  I basted the sleeve caps in before binding the sleeve opening.  I bought some black cotton poplin and made my own bias binding for neck/sleeve openings and bound seems.  The polyester was just too heavy for that purpose.

The side zipper was inserted by hand using a pick stitch. Oh how I love it!

Overall the dress is her all time new fav and got her first official outing to the Beyonce concert recently.

A few more photos on my Flickr -->

Cotton Chloe

Cotton Chloe comes very hot on the heals of my first make

I wasn't intending to make another Chloe so quickly but .... I was in the Fabric Warehouse getting some cotton lining for my super cool geek fabric and spotted this cotton black/purple/cream fabric and just couldn't put it down.  I had very good intentions of only walking out with what I had come for - but my will power just wasn't that great.

Before I even got out of the shop I knew that this fabric would be sewn up into another Chloe.  I didn't make any changes to the dress itself.  The sleeves on the other hand I thought I would remove the excess fabric from the underarm seam.  On the first dress I took out 5/8" from the front side panel and back side panel but didn't remove the equivalent from the sleeve seam.

But that was a complete fail and the sleeves were too tight.  This was a real shit because I had already hand sewn the lining to the dress around the sleeve seam.  On the bright side I hadn't overlocked the raw edge of the sleeve seam, because I had tucked it into the dress before attaching the lining.  Just as well I had plenty of the black cotton fabric in my stash, although I hate having to redo things!  I should so have learnt my lesson with sleeves by now - obviously Not!

Oh I just about forgot, I also lengthen the hem of the dress 2" more than the pattern.   Two reasons:
1.  I wanted a deeper hem on this dress than my first which was only 1"
2.  I wanted the dress to be about 1" longer than my first.

Yay for a deeper hem but I'm not sure that I really like the length, perhaps just a bit too long for the style?  OR maybe it just seem like a lot of print?

Too finish I put wee studs on the pocket tabs.  I didn't put any up near the neckline as the pattern suggests as I think they are too small and will get lost against the pattern and I think a nice necklace will be better.

I'm sure this won't be the last Chloe I make either.  With summer coming on I think a sleeveless version in a nice light fabric might be in order!

More photos on my Flickr -->

Geektastic marries Vogue

I have been hanging out to make this dress for what seems like ages.  I purchased the pattern early this year but put it away thinking that when summer arrives I will get it out again.  Then I discovered Spoonflower!

I can't remember what month but this fabric was the winner of the geek contest on Spoonflower.  The colour was amazing and it just spoke to me.  Now ...  I don't usually go for novelty prints but this, well I just had to have it.

At the first sign of Spring this dress just had to jump the que and be first onto the sewing table for Frocktober.

I put together a muslin first and just as well cause the waist was just too small, so a bit of math later and I'd worked out that each pleat, and there are 10 of them, had to loose 0.7cm which would give me the extra 7cm in circumference that I needed.  I also had a hell of a time with the princess seams in the bodice - they weren't true princess seams because the pattern also has a bust dart.  Anyway after much faffing it all came together.

I got some cotton batiste (well that's what I think it is anyway) from The Fabric Warehouse to line the dress, so it would feel wonderful against my skin in the summer heat, without sticking to me.

The dress provided for a hem facing.  This is the first time I've done one of these - very easy I must say.  I couldn't really workout why a facing and not just a hem, but as soon as I put the dress on I immediately knew why - it helps give the skirt some fooff and helps maintain the overall shape of the dress when worn - very cleaver if you ask me!

Look at the shape of the dress - isn't that so pretty?

My invisible zipper went in like a dream.   No pattern matching here, as you can tell!

More Photo on my Flickr -->

My Little Black Jacket

I am super excited about my next sew-along.  This is being hosted by A Sewing Challenge and thewallinna with mentor Susan Khalje.  The Chanel inspired little french jacket!


This wee 2 minute video was produced by Chanel in 2012 and shows an overview of the making a "Little Black Jacket".  It is so inspiring.

Susan Khalje's Couture Dress Class was the first Craftsy class I ever signed up for and it remains my most watched.  I refer back to it all the time - there are an enormous amount of techniques and valuable information in every lesson.  That class was like a revolution for my sewing. So when Inna announced she had done Susan's Chanel Jacket class (in person with Susan!) and would be hosting this sew-along - it was like all my dreams came true.

I had already purchased some wool boucle from The Fabric Store and had a pattern all lined up.  But first there were a few other projects I just had to get out of my system (appearing on the blog soon) before I felt that I could immerse myself in making a jacket.

I have since decided that this fabric won't be my first jacket but probably my second once I've got the couture jacket sew-along done.  So I've been and purchased a new pattern V7975, because of it's simple lines and classic style and black cotton boucle from The Fabric Store.

The lining is a black and white silk (blend I think) that I picked up at The Fabric Warehouse sale earlier this week.  I just have to decide on the trim and buttons.

Anyway - super excited about this sew-along which starts 7 October.

Taller than average

I can't described how super stoked I am to know how to make jeans.  I no longer have to put up with RTW that aren't quite long enough!

Back in June I made my first pair of jeans with the much loved Jalie pattern.  After wearing those jeans for a wee while I was keen to make small adjustments and try different styles.

Here's the list of adjustments for this pair

• lengthen the pattern by 5"
• narrowed the bootleg - not straight but not as flared as the pattern
• added depth to the waistband
• cut 1/4" off the CB yoke at the wasit only and tapered down
• drafted a flap for the back pocket and lowered the pocket placement
• lowered the curve of the front pockets
• added a coin pocket to the right front pocket - which didn't work that well!

This is only the second time I have sewn a fly front!  It was much better than my first, but still has some improvement to do.  I might need to make a skirt with a fly front!

For the back pockets I drafted pocket flaps using the shape of the bottom of the pocket and then lined them with some cotton (received in the Winter Swap), ideal match if you ask me.  I also used the same fabric for the front pocket lining.  haha have you spotted that I am missing a button!

I'm calling these my high heel jeans, as I can only wear them with high heals, or a boot as in these photos.  Something I've never been able to do before - RTW can only be worn with flats because of the lack of length!!!

My next is a pair of skinnies :)  I made further adjustments (more like tweaks) to the pattern immediately that I finished this pair, while it was still fresh in my mind.  I got the fabric at the last Fabric Store sale ... so I'm good to go, just need a splash of time!

More photos on my Flickr -->

Sewing Retro

Taking a step right outside my comfort zone and for that matter my style zone!  I have completed my very first vintage sewing project - which I would never have attempted if it wasn't for the online sewing community.  Earlier in the month I revealed the pattern and fabric (read here) as my Fall for Cotton project.

I am really smitten by the bodice of this dress and in particular the neckline, which was really easy to sew BTW, just had to make a triangle when sewing the facing on to the dress and cut it out!

Don't you just love the stand-up collar!

I am SUPER happy with the dress and it's construction.  It feels fabulous to wear - fit and fabric.  Whilst the front and back sit directly on my waist I could have hitched up the sides a little more which would have  taken away the downward pulls you see.  My muslin was perfect, but I think my seams might have been out on the dress 'cause I used a french seam instead of the overlocker and I was a little afraid to overdo the seam as there wasn't much wiggle room in my muslin.

Soooo pretty!

The pattern didn't provide for a lining - it was a dress and a separate slip.  That didn't make sense to me because the dress was very fitting through to the waist but the slip was just straight up and down???  So I went about making my own lining (as ya do!).  The bodice has a sweetheart neckline in the front and straight across, just above the bra line in the back.

I love the purple lining :)

I inserted the lining before attaching the pockets so it is stabilised well in the front, caught by the armhole binding under the arm pit and tacked at the top of the darts in the back.  I didn't want any obvious stitch lines around the top of the lining to be visible from the outer shell of the dress.

can you faintly see the bottom of the lining?

The skirt lining, well that is just a duplicate of the skirt, but shorter!  I shortened the skirt pattern by a good 5".  I really like the finished length - both skirt hems are hand sewn with a catch-stitch.  Actually there is quite a bit of hand stitching: I hand basted the lining to the dress and continued as one; I hand stitched the sleeve bindings on the inside - I think machine stitching would have been too heavy; the bottom of the button placard is hand stitched down; I understitched the facing by hand, it would have been too fiddly with the machine, and I think it looks better by hand anyway.

Well, this isn't a dress that I see myself wearing, mainly because the fabric just isn't me, and I'm not sold on the skirt on me either.  I'll finish setting up my Esty store and sell it, so at least someone will appreciate and wear it.

More photos on my Flickr -->

Side Tracked by underwear

This month I'm sewing along with The Monthly Stitch and Fall for Cotton, and if this wasn't enough to keep me busy I've been easily side tracked into what is worn under these lovely dresses!

Gosh, I don't event know how I got side-tracked but next thing I know I've ordered two bra patterns on Esty, and purchased a panties pattern from a local store so I can have a matching set!  (That's my obsessive compulsive behaviour at it's best!!!)

I realise I can't go from pattern to pretty lingerie over night - well in my head I can but in reality ummm NO!  A girl has to start somewhere, so I started with nickers - more specific nickers for my daughter, who I know isn't fussy and will wear my trial attempts.  So I got this really funky knit from Spotlight and away I went.

Pattern - easy.  Gusset - easy.  Elastic - no so!

Well not that the elastic is hard to measure or sew or anything, it is actually where you place the stitch that makes all the difference.  So what I have learnt?

Always sew to the very far left of the elastic, both when you attach the elastic and when you turn it to finish.  Sorry not showing you my first attempt, other than to say it was a curly mess!

tricot stitch

narrow zig zag stitch

I started with a 12mm elastic (as in these photos), which was good for learning, in that it's not that fiddly under the machine foot.  But I think that a 6-8mm elastic will give a better finish and feel.

Anyway four pairs later and I think I've got it sussed! 

Next, taking on the bra pattern - which all seams relatively straight forward but the key will be acquiring all the right fabric.  That will be another story another day :-)