Family comes first

Although I am keen to continue with my MAGAM challenge I have some other sewing I have to finish before Australia Day. My grandson's primary school class went to the Perth Hills Wildlife Discovery Centre before Christmas and while they were there they all placed their handprints, in brown and yellow paint, on a large piece of calico.

Grandson won this piece of art in a draw and Grandma has been asked to make a keepsake of it.  It is a little over a metre square so I am adding a border of earthy coloured squares around it, with a shot of green here and there, then will back it and turn it into a sort of quilty thing. I'm hoping it will turn out ok.

I finished my December Make a Garment Challenge on Friday and wore it all day yesterday. The temperature was over 37c degrees and I am happy to announce it was very cool and comfortable.

Vogue 1236

Because I made it from a 1.6m remnant my challenge was to fit the pattern pieces onto the fabric. I checked the finished measurements on the pattern and realised that a size 10 would fit me and by folding the fabric sides to middle I was able to cut out the front, back and both facings. I folded one half slightly wider than the other to fit the front shoulder on. Even so I had to fold out one pleat and sort of sqwoosh it flat to make the shoulder fit. Fortunately the extra pleat was not needed to make the dress fit over my bust.

This left me with scraps to make two pockets. After pondering for a while I joined several scraps together, keeping the grain lines straight. That gave me enough for two pocket pieces.

The other two pieces were cut from a worn sheet, pieced with two strips of fabric.

I used one pieced pocket and one calico pocket each side. Finally I used a very narrow hem, only 1.5cm (5/8")

Needless to say there was no fabric left for the tie, just scraps of scraps, so I wore it with a plaited belt, which actually looked quite nice.

I apologize for the mirror shots but my photographer is usually outside digging something up or chopping something down.

I love this dress. The fabric was a very cheap remnant, about $3 for the 1.6m and I had a bit of fun making it fit, but all in all I love the finished dress and will probably make another one with the right yardage and a self fabric belt next time.

Plan for December

My Make a Garment Plan for December is another Vogue pattern.

This time it is #1236 a DKNY dress which I thought would be nice for Perth's hot summer months. Of course, not having an original thought in my head, I really wanted to make it in striped seersucker like the cover picture. Naturally I couldn't find any and as I am trying to use only stash material I finished up with a remnant of seersuckery type cotton I picked up at Spotlight a few months ago.

Only problem is pattern calls for 2.2 metres and I have 1.5 metres.

This will require some forward planning.

My November top.

I finished my November top for Make a Garment a Month more than a week ago but have had to wait to get a picture.

I thought the stripes might give me some trouble especially as the fabric is a very stretchy jersey, but a walking foot and lots of pins kept everything on track and I am very pleased with the finished result.

Back seam

Side seam

The pattern originally had long sleeves but I shortened them for summer and altered the neckline so it was more a scoop than a boat. The pattern also called for facings which I didn't want and this created a new problem as I had forgotten how to calculate the necessary length for the neckband. I wanted a neckband to fill in a bit more of the neckline as it was still a bit too wide and low. I checked out my Knitwit and Kwik Sew books but the length was still too long to sit nice and snug. Eventually I came across  http://www.craftstylish.com/item/8413/how-to-sew-a-classic-t-shirt-neckband a tutorial by Cal Patch. This was nearer to the sizing I was looking for but due to the stretchiness of my fabric I had to remove a bit more length. Eventually I got it almost right. There are a few puckers in the neckband but it sits ok so I'm happy.

While I was waiting to take the photos I drafted an A-line shirt from my straight skirt draft thanks to instructions from Kat of Couture Academic blog. http://coutureacademic.wordpress.com/2013/10/02/ss-collection-20132014/ 

The fabric I used as a test was some weird spotty stuff I have had for ages. It has been washed three times and is still stiff. This turned out to be just what was needed for an A-line skirt. I didn't have enough for a waistband so I just bound the waist with black bias binding.  It turned out remarkably well as a wearable muslin if a tad short..

Now, what to make in December? Hmmmm!

Plan for November Make a Garment a Month

My November project for the Make a Garment a Month Challenge is New Look 6779, a long sleeved knit I first made in 2004 as a short sleeved tee. I like the back seam and the side seam shaping of this pattern but the neckline has always been a bit wide.  I usually make View D which is bottom left

so I have modified View C which is at bottom right. It is a boat shaped neckline which doesn't suit me so it won't be missed and I have added tissue and redrawn the neckline as round. I'm hoping it works. Since our summer is on its way this top will have short sleeves.

I plan to use my walking foot to keep the stripes under control. 

Make a Garment a Month - The finished skirt (Vogue 1247)

I put the last stitches in my Rachel Comey skirt on Tuesday. I have never spent so much actual sewing time making a garment before. But I did all the things required of this pattern. I bound the seams and used an invisible zip, my first ever and without an invisible zip foot. That is something I am very proud of. You are never too old to learn something new.

The seam binding is fabric left over from my Sorbetto top. I also used it for the pocket lining.

I had a few problems of my own making along the way. Added a little extra to the side seams then had to take it out again. Because of my high round tummy I also put a couple of tiny darts extra in the front. Then I kept looking at that little bulge in the back seam mentioned in my previous post,  so I unpicked it yet again and made it a bit less obvious.

Finally when it came to hemming the skirt, it was very short, even though I had added 15cm to the length when I cut it out. If I did the recommended 5cm (2") hem it would have been above my knees by a bit too much. So I did the only thing I could and added a false hem. I was down to working with scraps by this time so the pieces have a few joins but it seems to hang ok and hits about mid-knee level..

 The fabric isn't purple as it appears in the top photos. The last photo is the true colour. It is Panama mechanical stretch, whatever that is and was purchased from Spotlight eons ago. An 80cm remnant it frayed like the devil and I'm lucky the binding stayed put. It was a close call in a few places.

All in all I am quite happy with this skirt. I haven't had much luck with A-line skirts before but I seem to have solved my usual fitting problems by using my straight skirt block to check the waist and hip sizing. I have no waist and very flat hips so finding an anchor isn't easy. The slightly high waistband sits above my tummy and is very comfortable for me.  It's a nice pattern and I will probably make it again but with a few shortcuts. Overlocking instead of binding  and making it a bit longer. The pattern is very short!!

This skirt also qualifies for my October Style the Stash.

For next month I will be making a simple short sleeved t-shirt from New Look 6779 which is probably OOP now. The lilac & white stripe knit I am using is only one or two  years old. Just a baby really.

Make a Garment a Month

Stitching is well under way for my October garment. I have made the front and the back of the Vogue 1247 Rachel Comey skirt and managed to find enough fabric leftover from the Sorbetto top to do the pocket lining and the yoke and pocket binding.

As the pattern calls for an invisible zip and I have never done one before my challenge was to install it successfully without an invisible zip foot. I followed the instructions in Threads Magazine #119 June/July 2005 and it worked. I'm so pleased. The seam below the zip has a very tiny bulge which I tried to remove multiple times, unpicking and restitching to no avail. Then I realized I will be sitting on it so I am ignoring it!

Only the side seams, waistband and hem left to do. I'm hoping there is enough yellow fabric left to do the waistband binding. The sides and hem will be bound in plain black bias binding