Sew Darn Tired

Thanks for the size help for Style Arc patterns. I purchased my patterns today and I expect I'll get them next week. I have one for the special occasion of my friends wedding in May and I think it will be a lace dress (hint for one of the patterns) made from either a vintage guipure lace that my Mum bought many years ago, or some more modern lace with sequins I brought at last years fabric sale. I shall reveal all when I get the patterns. Thanks again for the help.

Source unknown - but it's cute isn't it! Help! I want to order some Style Arc patterns (they have a great deal for this month - basically 4 patterns for the price of 2 and I wanted one or two anyway...). Anyway, if I want a sheath dress pattern and I am a 10 up top and a 14 on the bottom, do I order the 10 and just grade it out at the hips? That's what I was taught at fashion school years ago but at the patterns don't have any other sizes how do others fix this problem? Any help would be appreciated - special ends at the end of the month!

See what I mean? Same; same but different. I knew of the Simplicity 8498 -  Carmen at Carmencitab  sent me a while ago and the Simplicity Retro 3833 has been out for a while, but I didn't know about the Vogue Couturier Design pattern. The different is the open back... is that how Simplicity can get away with a near exact copy? I saw the Vogue on an ebay site but it doesn't say when it was issued. Lauren of Rosie Wednesday  (a new to me blog) is doing a sew-along with either of the Simplicity patterns and I will make one up (probably not with the sew-along as I am making some other things at the moment but I will use the fitting posts to help fit mine. There is even a post on the comparison of the old and new issue of the Simplicity (I don't remember which Blogger did this but Lauren links to it). Oh and the price of the Vogue? Just over $51 US dollars! I also found some patterns that I have picked up recently that are priced from $60 to nearly $100 each... ...

Pork mince mix Wrappers brushed with water with press Dumplings pressed and ready for boiling Boiling those little suckers Served with snow peas and broccoli in garlic and oyster sauce and sesame seeds One of our favourite meals is dumplings. I first had these  was in Auckland; we'd buy 20 for about $7 and they were yummy! When I came back to Australia I noticed the dumpling wrappers in the supermarket (were they there before? I don't know but I never noticed). I then started making my own and they are so easy. I made them once with prawn mince (keep it quite chunky, and chicken - not such great flavour but still nice). Have a go! Pork Dumplings 1 pack dumpling wrappers  water and pastry brush dumpling press (get this from Asian shops) large pot of boiling water chilli oil (dried chilli flakes in jar topped with rice bran oil) Mince mix 200g heart smart pork mince 1 can bamboo shoots or water chestnuts, chopped finely (water chestnut...

I have been sewing. I finished off the Simplicity Amazing Fit Pants and they are very comfortable and fit well. So comfy they feel like pj pants! I think I may go down to the 12 around the waist and side seams when I use stretch fabric. I have another pair planned in  a heavier black cotton stretch.  I then started making a dress for a funeral I had to go to on Thursday. I am using Vogue 1100 (which is quite old if you check reviews but I only got a couple of years ago)because I thought it would be nice and quick as it is just a shift dress with some nice pleating in the neckline and simple darts front and back. However, I didn't notice it was a fully lined dress and I didn't have lining to suit here and I couldn't work out how the neck band/facing was going to fit - I lined them up and it was short about 2cm either side. I didn't rush ahead as I am prone to do sometimes and thought about it when I went to bed - of course I had tried to put the facings on as fa...

Well I have block fused the facings... Yes, I know I should have fused the front pieces but as these are a test run, I didn't worry. I have always done it this way...put the interfacing on the ironing board, place the facings on the interfacing, put a piece of newspaper over the whole lot and iron it on. I just make sure it's grabbed, then I peel the newspaper off and cut around the facings. This works best for me and gives a really accurate fit. Earlier in my sewing life when I cut the interfacing separately, I found it didn't always fit right (not that it makes much difference due to seam allowances, but it's messy). This is much quicker and easy. This is my fly zip. It's been a while since I've done one and I just used their instructions. They were ok but I haven't checked any of the tutorials that others rave about. Personally I don't find them that challenging... but getting clear instructions is the key. These were not perfectly clear but ...

This Vogue Basic Design is in the line up. I bought it from an Op Shop years ago for $1. I think it's View B with the little funnel neckline. It is supposed to be cut in two pieces (you can see the seam in the cow print top on the envelope). I didn't want to do that - I was just making a test garment to see if this simple pattern was a good basic for me. I cut it on the fold out of a dress my sister found at the Op Shop but it is very synthetic (kind of lycra like) so it is definitely just for winter (unless I use it as a swim rashie!) This was in the winter and despite it being just 2 pieces, it is still not done! Why? My overlocker was threaded in white. I fear the black overlocking thread - it always plays up (funnily the overlocker tune up guy told me black always poses a problem - anyone else been told that or have the same problem?)Actually today it chewed up a piece of the fly of the trousers I'm working on.  The black is the skirt part and the green was a ...