2014 Round Up and 2015 Vintage Sewing Pattern Pledge

This year I will again be joining Marie from A Stitching Odyssey in her 2015 Vintage Sewing Pattern Pledge. 

 During 2015, I  Pledge to sew five of my vintage/vintage repro patterns, including at least one from the Lutterloh system and the Australian home journal dress making magazine.

Last year I used four patterns from my collection, which I will share again here as it also serves as a 2014 round up post. I feel a bit silly having a round up post with only four outfits, especially amongst other sewing blogs with sewn items in the double digits! However since in 2013 the amount of items I sewed for myself was a whopping zero, I'm pretty pleased with my self :) I'm also really happy, that three of the outfits where part of Sew Alongs.

Lucky Lucille Sew for Victory 2014

Sew Retro Rose Swirl Sew Along

Tiny Angry Crafter Vintage Pajama Party Sew Along

The fourth, was the most special thing I sewed last year. 

My brides maid dress for my friends wedding.

Above collages put together by Rebecca Hayes.

Last year I also finished my cardigan I started on a road trip across the States.

Lastly in 2014, on Boxing Day started my first Knit Along. The Selfish Sweater KAL  held by the talented Andi, from Untangling Knots. The deadline is February so there is still time to join too.

The beginning of my Chuck sweater by Andi Satterlund

Its also been good to make a dent, albeit a small dent in my fabric stash. I really want to spend this year working through what I have and stop buying new/more fabric and patterns.  So here's to more sewing and stash busting in 2015!

The Vintage Pajama Sew Along!

Merry Christmas!

 I thought this would be an appropriate time to post about my pajamas I made for Carla's Vintage Pajama party Sew Along as it will be what I'll wear all day Christmas Day. My family celebrate on Christmas Eve so Christmas Day has been reserved for lazing in pjs, eating leftovers and watching old movies.

When Carla announced her sew along, I knew instantly what fabric I wanted to use. I had bought this rose print fabric from Flashback Fabric few years ago, with the intention of making it into Pj's. Using a Butterick 6995 pattern from my stash I hoped to have enough fabric for a top and pants.

I tend to buy fabric first, then decide what pattern to use. Usually this tends to work out fine as I also tend to over buy fabric yardage. In this case though it was a vintage remnant piece, so I had just enough to make a short robe.

Fabric and pattern

I had thought it would be nice to make some pants to go with the robe but found it really difficult to find a colour I liked. None of the greens where the same shade and I didn't like the idea of making unforgiving slinky cream pants. In the end I found some cheap burgundy fabric that went with a pair of velvet slippers I had. The pants became quite expensive as I ended up lining them in silk cotton, as I thought the polyester blend would be to annoying to wear. I'm glad I did though as they are really comfy now.

To tie in the pants, slippers and robe I use red pipping on the robe and cuff of pants. Then with the extra pants fabric I made a turban using a pattern from  I Make It You Make It.

The turban pattern was meant for knit fabric so I cut the burgundy fabric on the bias, and it seemed to work fine.

Detail of pipping. I notice I seem to have a problem with pocket placement,
like my swirl dress I have sewn the bottom pocket to high  :(

All photos of me taken by Rebecca Hayes, which meant I had to take them in our studio.
Making it my inaugural wear your pyjamas to work day ;)

Not really sure what I am doing here...I think I was trying to strike a graceful pose
 but it looks like I'm checking my invisible watch ;P
Anyway its the best photo showing the colour of the pants.

 Back view.

Having a quick snooze........ 

Project Notes

Pattern: Butterick 6995

Fabric: Robe- from stash/ Pants- $20 from Jimmy Buttons/ 

Pants lining $50 from Clegs

Habby/ Trims: Pipping $5

Pattern Alterations: Shortened the robe and changed the collar to a shawl collar.

Total Cost: $75

My Finished Swirl Dress!

I finished my swirl dress as part of Beccie's Swirl Dress Sew Along the morning after the deadline...ha...when I said in the last post I like working towards a deadline, I didn't say I was good at working towards a deadline :)

All photos in dress taken by Lucie Sprague :)

I was actually in a good spot a week or two before the deadline. Then I unexpectedly but excitingly moved into a new flat and at the same time caught a nasty cough. Lucky the dress was pretty simple and I was able to finish it off on the last day, to be included in the round up. It was great sewing along with these ladies and look forward to the next one!

Back view of dress 

Pocket Detail:
 I didn't wait to have a trim around the neckline of the dress, however the fabric pattern
was so busy I used a trim on the pockets do you could actually see them!

Trying to look natural with my hands in my pocket. I actually think I placed them a bit to high,
 so will move then down next time I use this pattern.

The neckline on this dress gaped slightly, which seemed to be a common problem in the group. Also my whole neckline turned out a whole lot smaller then the others, not really sure what happened there? Anyway because the print was so busy I pinched out the excess of fabric with two small darts. This wouldn't look so good on a plain fabric so I looked up this great tutorial from bernie and i to alter the pattern.  

Project Notes

Pattern: McCall's 5144, $6 for pdf file

Fabric: From stash, about $5 from a studio fabric sale

Habby/ Trims: Button and Cotton Bias Binding from stash

Pattern Alterations: Extended the bodice by 1.5cm, lowered the 

arm hole to make a bigger opening and took in the neckline with two darts.

Total Cost: $11

Tomorrow was the original deadline for Carla's Vintage Pajama Party Sew Along.  Lucky for me the deadline has been extended for another week, as I've only managed to cut out the fabric for my robe so far!

Again its a pretty simple pattern so should be easy to finish up in the next week. I really hope I didn't just jinks myself ;)

Do you Sew Along?

The main reason I started this blog, was because I had so many ideas for sewing projects that I wanted to create but never did.

I was in a sewing funk.

I would come up with an idea purchase a pattern or fabric or both! Then I would do nothing.....except put it on shelf. This process I would repeat until the point it was making me, nothing but depressed and guilty. However I couldn't stop coming up with ideas of things I wanted to create. So many that it became over whelming, and again I did nothing. Over the last few years the only items I sewed for myself was for weddings.  Im pretty sure that was because there was always a fixed date!

Being a freelancer my work life is broken up into projects, each having a series of deadlines always with final deadline. Then on to the next project, client or company. I think that, is the reason I struggled sewing for myself. The idea of making just for the sake of making- without a fix deadline was unpractised by me.

That is why I have found 'Sew Alongs' helpful to ease myself back into sewing.

There is a project outline, a deadline and best of all- Others working along side you offering advice and encouragement along the way! I also do love having a sticky beak, seeing how others have interpreted an idea. And what pattern, fabrics and alterations they have chosen, to make it their own.

This month I have joined two Sew Alongs, which is pretty ambitious for someone trying to get back into the swing of sewing! I had a few rules for joining Sew Alongs which were:

I actually want to make/wear the piece of clothing in the Sew Along- seems like a no brainer but it's very easy to get tempted to join every Sew Along.....

AND

I already have the pattern OR the majority of the fabric needed (I can purchase trims etc). Bonus points if I have both!

Both of the following Sew Alongs qualified :)

The first is Swirl Dress Sew Along hosted by the lovely Beccie from Sew Retro Rose. I believe it is her first Sew Along, but I'm sure it wont be the last.

We are all working on a Swirl Dress using a McCall 5411. Beccie generously hand traced the pattern 

in sizes Small to X-Large. 

Fabric from stash...which means it's free!...Right?! 

All cut out and ready to go....

She also made a tutorial for each step, which has been great as even though it seems like a simple dress I have already made a few mistakes :/ 

Some sewing I did today that I just realised I will later have to unpick...face palm

Today I finished the bodice only to find the neckline abit gapey? Not sure if thats an actually word? Anyway I have to brain storm how to fix that- which I hopefully share in my next post! Then I just have to add the skirt and its complete. Easy peasy, and I can already see myself using this pattern again.

The second Sew Along I have joined is The Vintage Pajama Party Sew Along hosted by Carla form Tiny.Angry.Crafts.  I was excited to join this Sew Along as I had the pattern and a few years back bought this fabric especially to make up into PJ's. At this stage Im still working out how much fabric I have, possibly just enough for the Robe....

The deadline for The Vintage Pajama Party is December 6th, so there is still plenty of time to join!

So how about you?

Do you like Sew Alongs?