Designin' December

My latest two garments are a linen skirt with an inverted pleat. The pattern is from So Sew Easy and is the Wear Everywhere Skirt.

My major make this month has been the shirt I entered into the Designin' December Challenge . The original was in a local shopping centre and I made my copy using fabric I have been saving/hoarding  for nearly 20 years and a Kwik Sew Pattern #3027. I modified the pattern slightly by leaving off the pockets and adding the sleeve tabs.

I'm very pleased with the results of my copy and although the original wasn't very expensive, I made this one for next to nothing.

Pants and more Tops

In June I made a pair of Style Arc Margaret Pants. These have a similar fit to the famous Barb pants and in August another pair Style Arc pants, Linda this time. I have made a few Linda pants but I narrowed the leg to match the Barb width on this pair.

Next off the sewing machine in September was Kwik Sew 2694 in black jersey. I made view B which is an empire style, but the seam under the bust seemed too loose so I stitched a length of narrow elastic into it which pulled it in closer to the body.

In October I finally tackled the Itch to Stitch Bonn Shirt again. I had been fiddling with the pattern on and off all year determined not to let it defeat me. I cut a size larger added a forward shoulder adjustment and a rounded back adjustment and cut it out. I used some black and white spotted cotton that was going begging because the black turned the white greyish when I prewashed it. Good enough for a muslin.

I sewed a 1cm back seam and removed 1/2 inch from the lower back and 1/4 inch from the side seams at hip level. A little dart either side of the back seam removed some back neck gaposis and I made the sleeves elbow length.

The finished result is amazing. So different from my first muslin and definitely wearable. Even the greyish white spots look OK. I'm very happy with it.

Next I made Kwik Sew 2694 again. View A this time. I used a printed Rayon knit with blue scribbles. It's a nice top and fits well but I'm not too sure how well it will wear as a top made in a similar fabric last year turned into a shapeless rag when it was washed. However I will wear it as long as it lasts and as I love wrap tops I will make it again in nicer fabric.

That's all for now.  I have another skirt and a shirt to come, so until next time - keep sewing.

It's been more than 12 months since my last post and well and truly time I wrote about the sewing I have done since then. I must confess, first, that I have spent more time reading other's sewing blogs and following Facebook groups than sewing myself but I have made some progress the last few months.

After the disaster that was my last effort (see previous post) I rather lost interest in sewing for a bit but in January 2018  I spotted the Sew So Easy On Safari Skirt pattern and knew I had to have it. It was just what I needed to boost my enthusiasm. I downloaded the PDF stuck it together (I hate PDF patterns) and made the skirt from a remnant of khaki stretch gabardine. It's a lovely skirt, fits well and is comfortable to wear. It was made for the January MAGAM but didn't get posted on the Facebook page.

Blouse tucked in for display only which makes it look lumpy

In May I made Vogue 8151 a pattern I have had for many years. This time I made view B, crew neck and 3/4 sleeves. The fabric was a 1 metre blue knit remnant from Knitwit that I have had for 13 years. The neckline is a bit high for me and needs to be lowered a little as it cuts across my throat which I don't like. It's a nice top which fits well but needs a forward shoulder adjustment as well. I really need to start doing that as a matter of course. I would also make it with long sleeves instead of 3/4 next time. No photo but it looks a lot like the pattern illustration

Next up was the Tessuti Monroe Top. A free PDF pattern. This time I paid for a hard copy to be posted to me. Did I mention I hate PDF patterns.

I'm not sure when I made this top but it was sometime in winter (June/July?). Another remnant this time, pink and grey striped knit that I have had for around 14 years. It was the first piece of knit fabric I ever bought and sewed and I have saved the remnant ever since. There was just enough to make the body and turtleneck of the Monroe and for the sleeves I chopped up a t-shirt belonging to my husband which he no longer wore.

Well I seem to have opened the floodgates but I still have more to show so I'll leave them for the next post. Excuse the photos on Myrtle but she models the things so much better than I and if I waited for pictures on me they would never get shown.