Do You Keep a Sewing Diary?

This is my sewing book:

In it, I try to record all my sewing projects, noting the date when I started, any changes I made, any mistakes and any general notes about the pattern (in scrawly handwriting).

I also cut a piece of the fabric and staple it to the page.

Maybe one day I will look back at my projects and remember each item by looking at the swatch of fabric. Or maybe, in a really long time, someone else will look at the book and work out what I've made by looking at the fabric and researching the patterns. I know I'd love to find something like this, and work out what somebody has made in the past.

Do you keep a record of your sewing projects?

K x

Pattern Monday #25

1965's Yeti Conference was very poorly attended.

A good match of dress and fabric?

Last year I bought this dress pattern on eBay:

Style 2241 from 1978

I'm always a fan of dresses with pockets, and thought it was unlike any other pattern I'd seen. However I was concerned that it might look a little like maternity wear, so hesitated to make it.

Enter this fabric (put your sunglasses on)....

A special offer £1 per metre crepe from Mandors. Yes, it is printed with neon flowers and in my view, treads that fine line between fabulous and hideous. I have 3 metres of it, which would be enough to make my preferred view (number 2) from the pattern.

What do you think - neon nightmare or electric dream?

K x

Introducing: The Claire Blouse

 

Slam dunk! Another item ticked off my sewing plan from the start of April.

Peter Pan collar blouses and dresses have been in all the shops for months. I used to think the Peter Pan collar was really twee BUT THEN I realised I was completely wrong, and that actually I loved them (though this might have been enough to put me off for ever). Does that ever happen to you with any types of fashion?

My good friend and work colleague, Claire, who sits opposite me at work has several different blouses with cute collars. I think they worked into my consciousness and made me determined to make one for myself. Here's my review:

Pattern Used
It's McCalls 9458, a late 1960s pattern. I made view A (the central one)

Fabric and Notions
I used a lightweight printed cotton that I got from Kristen in the Crafters' Ceilidh swap back in January. I just love the print - it makes me think of Art Nouveau and moths' wings. The collar is made of scrap black cotton. I also found a perfectly matching lone button in my stash. Don't you love it when that happens?

Any changes made?
I had to grade the pattern down from a 38" bust plus add length to it. My grading on the arms went a little awry and they ended up very tight, and I couldn't raise my arms above my head. Luckily I had just enough fabric to cut more sleeves. I used the sleeves from this dress and the fit is much better plus I prefer the shorter sleeve length.

The pattern calls for a zip in the back but I went for a button with a rouleau loop and neatly turned over the edges of the fabric to make a clean edge. I also left a smaller seam allowance when sewing the top and bottom pieces of the collar together, so it would be a little larger than the pattern.

How did the project go?
Grading was ok, bit of a faff but not difficult. The top has French Darts, but though they are called this on the pattern envelope, the instructions do not ask you to treat them the way that my sewing books say you should treat French Darts i.e. cut along the fold. I was confused so I just treated them as normal darts. The sleeve bit was a hassle but I'm glad I decided to cut new sleeves as the fit is a lot better.

Cost
About £7 for the pattern only- the fabric was swapped or scrap and the button was from my stash.

Would I make it again?
Definitely, my plan was to make a few from this pattern once I had worked out the fitting kinks. There are a couple of changes to make - add width to the back so it's not so tight and shorten the darts primarily. Overall I'm really pleased and am planning to make another version to perfect it further before I break out the precious Liberty Tana Lawn.

K x

Reminder- Sign Up for the Summer Sewing Swap!

Just a reminder that sign up is still open for the Summer Sewing Swap. If you want to take part in sending and receiving a package of sewing-related goodies, click here for information on the swap. There are currently over 30 people taking part and I'm really excited to be hosting it.

Sign up is open until 5pm GMT on Sunday 3rd June.

Join in!

K x

Finished: Drunken Sailor Pyjama Bottoms

After making some PJs for myself as part of the recent Pyjama Party, I thought it was only fair to make some for my current husband*. Although I've knitted a couple of things for him I have never sewn anything for him and since I discovered how easy pyjamas were to make, I was happy to give it a whirl.

This is the pattern I used, Advance 5878:

It's a 1950s pattern, although I probably could have winged it without one, using measurements from a pair of his existing PJ bottoms and the instructions from the pattern I used for my own pair. Anyway, I love the quaint pattern illustration - those men have slippers with heels on! I might make a matching top using view 3, which is quite simple and modern looking.

Anyway, this is how they turned out:

My current husband* breaking out his best model poses. Yes, that is an empty box of Jaffa Cakes under the sofa.

 

The fabric used is a polycotton with a kind of embroidered stripe design with little sailing boats on. I had a hard time choosing fabric for mens' PJs as I didn't want an obvious stripe and all the novelty fabrics were a bit girly. 

The pattern originally had a fly front but I decided to omit this. I used flat felled seams all over to make them more robust. I found that the crotch seems to be quite low, as obviously 1950s men preferred to wear their PJs much higher up than modern men. I would try and adjust for this next time to avoid potential MC Hammer-esque results.

However I did make a pretty major error in this project. Here's a clue...

Yep, I cut the fabric with the pattern upside down. Damn. Still, it does not affect the functioning of the trousers, and is the reason for the name 'Drunken Sailor Pyjama Bottoms'. My current husband* kindly maintains that the upside down pattern means he can see it better from his point of view.

I think this is the first time I've made this particular mistake, and weirdly enough, I was thinking about not making just this error when cutting my Eiffel Tower fabric. That would be a more tragic and costly mistake so hopefully I will remember to double check the direction of the pattern before cutting.

As a first foray into sewing for men, this was really easy. I'm not sure what else I would sew for my current husband*, as he doesn't wear shirts, usually t-shirts, and I'm not up for sewing trousers or jeans. I have promised him a jumper, so I might make that one of my next knitting projects.

K x

[*'My current husband' is his nomenclature of choice - he decided that 'Mr Kestrel' was degrading.]

Pattern Monday #24

"Typical!" though Keith - "After posing all morning, they go with the picture of me on my tea break."

Workhorse Knitting

Here's what's been on my needles over the past few weeks:

  

It's the Manu cardigan by Kate Davies, for which I'm using a New Lanark DK wool with a bit of silk. I've knitted 12.5 inches so far and need to get up to about 18 inches for this main part of the body. The back and sides are knit in one, on a long circular needle, and apart from the garter stitch edging, it's stockinette all the way.

This might seem boring but I'm really loving it, as I can knit easily while watching TV since I don't need to keep looking at the knitting, and it's great for on the move as I don't need to refer to a pattern, only keep an eye on the length. I think the rest of the pattern will be an opportunity to try a few new techniques, but just now, I'm happy knitting back and forth, one row knit, one row purl, one row knit, one row purl....

Seconds after I put the knitting down, there was a cat on it.

K x

Me Made May and some Musings on Me Made

         Day 11                     Day 12                     Day 13                     Day 14                Day 15

So, I know it's supposedly a very British thing to talk and/or moan about the weather. But - I really wish it would be less wintery! I can't wait to get into some moderately more summery items. Anyway, this is what I've been wearing the past 5 days:

Day 11 - Re-styled Laura Ashley dress, worn with sad face due to the rain
Day 12 - Denim Crescent skirt
Day 13 - Saturday Afternoon Skirt, worn in a French Sailor style (Ahoy there, garcon!)
Day 14 - Nice Surprise blouse
Day 15 - Favourite jumper worn with vintage scarf. Not sure if I like the scarf worn this way - I'm experimenting as I have a few lovely scarves and I want to wear them more.

We're now half way through May and already I can see the inevitable wardrobe gaps. I definitely need more tops and a couple of plain work skirts, but I'm really noticing that my high street wardrobe is really starting to look tired and old.

As I haven't bought much new from the high street for about a year and a half, I wear the same things over and over, and now everything is looking a little worn. The patterned top from Day 12? I think it dates to 2005. The black skirt from Day 14 - I've had that since 1999. Seriously. That's OLD in high street terms isn't it? It's from Oasis and I've even dyed it black from its original grey colour after it picked up some weird discoloured marks. Even though I have a nicer black skirt I always wear this one more. It's such a great basic plus it has pockets.

I don't really want to replace things with new high street stuff, but there are some things (notably jersey t-shirts) that I don't know when I'll get round to replacing. Should I bite the bullet and buy a few new things? Try to prioritise some basic items in my sewing plan?

Have you been phasing out the high street in your wardrobe too or do you, like me, have some old favourites hanging on in there?

K x

Pattern Monday #23

The atmosphere on the photo shoot was distinctly frosty, after Susan accused David of pinching her bottom.

Announcing the Summer Sewing Swap!

****************SIGN UP NOW CLOSED! SWAP PARTNER INFORMATION COMING SOON......**************

It's nearly the summer! And what better way to celebrate than by participating in the Summer Sewing Swap. It's the first time I have hosted a swap so I am excited and a little nervous to see how this goes. If YOU would like to take part, and receive a parcel of sewing goodies hand-picked for you, here's how it's going to work:

• You need to be an active blogger to take part, and so that your swap partner can stalk your blog to see what you like. You should have updated your blog in the last month and be interested in sewing (of course!).
• You will spend up to a maximum of £15 (or local equivalent - that's US$24.11 according to xe.com) purchasing sewing-related items to send to your partner. These can be new/vintage/thrifted, whatever.
• The items may include fabric, patterns, trims, buttons or similar but use your imagination to  choose what you think your partner might like. Although the swap is centred around sewing, you can include other crafty items if your partner is into different crafts too.
• You should send a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 5 items (you don't have to count buttons or other notions individually though, just use your initiative here!)
• The maximum spend amount doesn't include postage. I think it would be nice to make the swap as international as possible so that participants are sending parcels internationally, but please state if you would prefer a partner from the same country and I will try to match that.
•  I thought it would be fun if one of your swap items is something that is from where you live, just to add a bit of local colour :-) Interpret that direction as you wish!

Leave a comment below to say if you want to participate and I will try my best to match you up with a partner after the sign-up date has passed. I will keep the sign-up open until 5pm GMT on Sunday 3rd June and will post shortly after that to let you know who your partner is, and what the dates are by which your partner should have received their parcel. I'll keep the timelines quite generous on this, so you have about 6 weeks from swap partner announcement to the receiving of parcels.

Once the partners are announced, it will be up to you to contact your partner to get their address. You can choose if you want to ask them questions about what they might like, or if you want to make it a surprise.

Is anyone in for a swap then?

K x

p.s Acknowledgement for the structure of the swap is due to Lakota of Faith, Hope & Charity Shopping who organised an excellent swap in which I participated last year. Cheers Lakota!

Me Made May Days 6 to 10

Just a quick round up of my outfits for the last 5 days of Me Made May....

Day 6 - Rooibos Dress worn with leggings and a handknit cardigan. I'm looking particularly rough and wrinkled, but let's call it 'casual.'
Day 7 - Denim Crescent skirt, worn for a day of full-on sewing. I'm really not doing this skirt justice, but don't I just look like I mean business here?
Day 8 - Recently finished Fairisle jumper of pain (only joking, I've been loving the compliments this sweater has received)
 

Day 9 - Sencha blouse from a couple of years ago, worn with an ancient Monsoon skirt and charity shopped cardigan.
Day 10 - Ikea One Seam Skirt. Accessorised with The Suspicious Hippo. He was a charity shop purchase from a few years ago. I'm not really sure what he's supposed to be, possibly a foot rest, but he lives in our Living Room now.

I've been updating more regularly in the Flickr group, and have been enjoying checking out other peoples' outfits. I'm realising that I don't have as many garments for this season as I thought - more tops are a must, and other things that don't look too summery and can easily be layered up for heat. Ah British weather!

K x

The One Seam Skirt Appears Again

Hi all

Thought I'd share a few pictures of my new skirt, which has already appeared twice in my Me Made May outfits. It's made from my new favourite pattern, Simplicity 3983 from 1952, from which I also made my cord skirt.

Suffice to say, I've already wittered on about how much I love the pattern, and written a full review here, so I will keep it brief. The only changes I made from last time were to make the pockets deeper, add piping to the pocket edge and do a proper waistband with Petersham ribbon. I say 'proper', but I'm not sure I did it as directed as I haven't done one before. Essentially I sewed the ribbon to the waistband piece and then enclosed the ribbon, like a Petersham sandwich. It does make for a waistband that sits perfectly however.

I used an Ikea upholstery fabric, which would be wrong for most dressmaking but seemed to suit the shape of this skirt very well. I tried to engineer the fabric's pattern so that it was concentrated at the bottom with the plainer part at the top. This meant that the piped edge pockets stand out better.

(I don't know why this photo has gone weird, but you can still see the slightly shaped pockets with the piped edging)

Simplicity 3983

I can see more versions of this skirt on the horizon, and am hoping that I have converted a few of you to the joys of the pattern too - judging by the comments on my last post, I think I have!

K x

The Dangers of Blogs and Internet Shopping

I think we can all agree that the world of sewing blogging is great. A fantastically supportive and inspiring community. Unfortunately, it has its dangers as well as its delights. I am often 'inspired' to spend money, after having seen someone's gorgeous creation, or heard them rave about a new gadget or particular sewing machine.

For example, I have started hankering after a Singer Featherweight, after reading about them on Peter's blog. If you've ever thought that vintage Singers were just pretty machines, have a read here (if you dare).

You might also have seen Roisin's gorgeous Colette Chantilly dress made with Michael Miller Eiffel Tower fabric:

Image from here

Isn't it fantastic? I loved the fabric but wouldn't have initially picked it for use in a dress as I assumed that it was more of a craft fabric and the wrong weight for dressmaking (I've made the mistake of using the wrong kind of fabric before so I'm fairly cautious now). But no! Roisin's dress was so lovely that I was reassured it would be perfect for a dress, so I had to buy some fabric for myself in this colourway:

I'm definitely envisioning some kind of dress, but I'm not sure yet what kind - don't worry I might throw the question out on my blog, with a few potential patterns!

K x

A Dress in a Day?

Today is a bank holiday in the UK, and as I had the day off, I decided to get stuck into making a dress for a wedding I'm attending in 2 weeks. The weather is dull and rainy and my husband had to work, so I had an uninterrupted day of sewing.

I don't usually time how long it takes me to to sew garments, but I thought that today would be a good chance to see how much I could achieve within a day. I had the fabric and lining washed, and knew what pattern I wanted to use - this:

 

 Woman W412 and Simplicity 3426

Well, I decided to make the bodice of the Simplicity pattern with the skirt of the Woman pattern. I made the Woman pattern for a wedding last year, and was really pleased with it. However I liked the bodice of the Simplicity dress and wanted to make something new, although I didn't have enough of my chosen fabric to make it, so I decided to 'franken-pattern' it.

Here's my fabric:

I bought it at the Crafters' Ceilidh in January this year. I had intended to use it for a Colette Patterns Jasmine blouse, but decided that was a stupid idea, plus I had over 2 metres of it. I think it was described as a 'cotton silk' and is a lovely silky smooth and light cotton.

Due to the fabric's weight, I wanted to line it with cotton, to give the fabric more body and ensure it wouldn't be too sheer. I ended up buying a crafting weight white cotton, as this was the most appropriate thing in the fabric store, though a cotton sheet would have worked just as well, and would probably have worked out cheaper.

Here's how my day of sewing worked out:

10 -11 am - I made a bodice muslin, which turned out to be too small and ill-fitting on the bust.

11-1pm - Tried adjusting the muslin then decided to trace the bodice pieces and do a proper Small Bust Adjustment - this was the first time I have done this, and it wasn't as tricky as I thought. I cut new bodice pieces from the lining fabric and cut my skirt pieces from both the lining and main fabric.

1 pm - Lunch!

1.35 - 3.30 pm - Sewed the bodice lining (a much better fit) and dress bodice. Attached skirt fabric and skirt lining pieces together - I wanted the bodice to be lined and the skirt to be underlined.

3.30 - 4.30 pm - Gathered the top of the skirt, adjusted and pinned it to the bodice fabric. Sewed together with a long stitch.

4.30 pm - Tea Break!

Dot getting involved with pattern cutting

5.10 pm - Tried on the dress, which consists of the outer bodice fabric attached to the skirt. It still requires the bodice lining to be attached to the outer bodice fabric, and the zip to be sewn in, then the skirt has to be hemmed. Verdict? I am very happy with the fit. The side seams could come in a little bit, but as the skirt is only tacked on, this can be easily adjusted.

 Living Room set up for sewing

I think I could probably have kept sewing if I was so inclined, and got the dress nearly finished. However I'm pretty tired and have a sore back from bad sewing posture. I'm really chuffed with how much I got achieved today with my super-focused day of sewing. I don't like to feel rushed, and don't think I am usually particularly quick at sewing, but it was nice to have a day devoted to sewing at my own pace, with lots of Radio 4 listening.

How about you - how quickly can you make a garment? Do you like to take your time or can you whip out a dress in no time?

K x

p.s No Pattern Monday today! I meant to put it together this morning then kind of forget about it. It will be back next week, as usual.

Sacrilege! (and Me Made May so far)

Day 1 - Familiar and beloved Oatmeal jumper

Day 2 - Unblogged skirt, made using my new favourite vintage one-seam skirt pattern and Ikea fabric leftover from covering a footstool for my friend - ha!

Day 3 - Simplicity 2599 blouse with ruffles 'n that

Day 4 - Me bouncing on 'Sacrilege', a huge bouncy castle in the shape of Stonehenge. It is an artwork by Jeremy Deller and ATTENTION LONDON DWELLERS, it will be travelling to London at Olympics time. from June onwards (see here) It's really fun. I want to see someone else getting photographed on this (Karen?)

(Oh yeah, and am wearing my favourite skirt again)

Day 5 - Crikey! It's that skirt again, worn with my cabled cardigan

Here's another couple of bouncy castle photos, for your enjoyment:

How's your Me Made May going?

K x

OMG! It's totally what I have always needed!

I feel that I have been neglecting to show you my 'finds' of late. A couple of weeks ago I did the rounds of the charity shops with my friend Tina, and also called into an antiques centre that I hadn't visited before. Here's my haul:

 

 It's a jar that looks like celery! For storing, erm, celery! I really shouldn't buy such novelty kitchen items but I couldn't resist as it was only £3. Plus, as my skilledly-enabling friend put it, "It might encourage you to eat more celery." (I do like celery)

This long cosy cardigan for £4.50. It was from M&S originally and is a mix including angora so is really soft and cosy. It' just exactly the kind of thing I've been looking for, so hurrah.

 

Coolest napkins ever, 80p each from the antiques centre. They all have different pub signs on them. I love them.

From a different charity shop trip this week - a set of cake slice and cheese knife, in their original 1960s box, including a leaflet all about how to care for stainless steel, in case you found this brave new material frightening in some way. A snip at £2.50, and again I don't own items like these so they will be used.

On the whole, all useful items. Apart from the celery jar, which is at least beautiful in its own way.

K x

Lucky Dip Winners!

There were 38 entries for the Pattern Lucky Dip, so I selected names at random.

Without further ado, two 34" bust patterns each will be winging their way to:

ReneeG & Annabelle!

(UPDATE: Annabelle, I can't find your email address on your profile or blog! Please email me at kestrelmail (at) gmail (dot) com with the address you want the patterns to be sent to)

And two 38" bust patterns will be going to:

Sara & ZoSews!

I will email all of you individually to get your mailing addresses. I hope you will want to make at least one of the patterns you receive, but if you want to pass on the sewing pattern karma by giving them to someone else - please do!

K x