Sew Darn Tired

I made a t-shirt for my son. It's from Burdastyle 3/2013. I meant to photograph the pattern line drawing but I forgot. I am testing out the pattern for some merino ones I want to make for when my son goes to the U.K. for Christmas holidays. I wanted to check the size. The sleeve with the label on it. This went together in about 30 min and I'd say it's a 1 hour job to trace, cut and sew. Easier than shopping. My son has a favourite t-shirt that is raglan sleeved (white with black sleeves) that he loves so I promised I'd copy it. He only likes plain t-shirts with no prints on them and really they are quite hard to find. The fabrics are from East Coast Fabrics. I've just finished the edges with a three thread overlock and if my son wants me to hem it I will but I like the look of just the overlock and I like the curved hemline too. I also made a lumpy pillow out of one of his t-shirts that he loves (ha, one with  a print) but got too small. He loves ...

The new Ottobre is out. It's a really great issue. I haven't made too many things (a few not yet blogged) from my magazines but I will from this one I think. I really like a lot of the patterns this time. (I think that darker red on the cover is from shadows as it isn't on the actual cover). The pattern sheet at a glance. Love the dress on the right with those great pockets - looks much better than the solid colour one. I see this in scuba knit (but will Spotlight have any left?). I really like the zip up sweat shirt and perfect for some wool stuff I have in two colours, one just a remnant and not enough for anything even simple (believe me I have tried so many different  styles and I just don't have enough fabric so mixing the two colours will be perfect). I like this top (above) too. Hope if I make it, I don't look quite so frumpy though. I like the shape of the blue dress (above) but don't know if I can pull this off.. Also like the ...

Well this boy above will model it and the other boy will wear it. How fantastic that I don't have to beg  ask for Alex to put it on and let me take a photo. I got out my "Singer Sewing with an Overlocker" book that I got with my 4 thread Singer overlocker about 25 years ago (I also got a great travel carry bag for it too but I couldn't afford the differential feed which was a brand new feature then). (I also note that the book is "Sewing with an Overlocker"  and not serger). I was going to scan the book about how to flat lock but basically you start with a three thread (one needle and the two loopers) overlock stitch that is balanced. Then you loosen needle thread tension 'generously' (mine was under 1 - the lowest or most loose setting), then tighten generously the lower looper thread and loosen the upper looper thread slightly. Then overlock with the knife and when you are done, just pull at the seams just sewn. I have used the 'inside...

Yesterday I alluded to something I bought at the 2nd hand shop ... here he is! I found this boy black plastic mannequin on a stainless steel stand. He was only $10 so how could I resist. He's a good boy, doesn't say much (well he has no head just a neck so I guess I shouldn't be surprised), never argues and will always display clothes I make for his fleshier brother with no grumbling. He's about the same size as my 10 year old so I guess I have twins! I like that the stand goes up one leg so I will be able to put the shorts on him to really show them off! What do you think? Could you have left him behind?

This is how the jeans are at the moment. They just need to be hemmed, the belt loops sewn on and a button or stud on the waistband.  They look really good; a lovely shape. I used a lovely polka dot waistband lining that was once part of a dress I bought 2nd hand (a Laura Ashley - the cotton is lovely and soft - I changed the dress from a dirndl style skirt with a point in the front to a boxed pleated skirt a couple of years ago but kept the scraps a it was so lovely). All the photos are shocking... sorry, I couldn't get them any better. I took lots more... believe it or not these are the better ones! The zip isn't perfect but not as bad as it looks on the above photo. You can see on two photos that I snipped some inside threads and but it unravelled the sewing so I have to fix that up too. Pockets don't look too bad (but the thread is definitely not grey as it looks above). Topstitching is OK but not perfect, good practice though. Big question is why isn...

Well I've started some jeans. Vogue 8774 of which there are a lot made up in blog land. I'm making them up in some vintage maroon corduroy that I found at a church thrift shop a few weeks ago. I have some nice summer weight denim I bought at Lincraft last year (or the year before?) but I just want to check the sizing with this wearable (hopefully) muslin. (Summer weight denim is probably heavy enough for most winter days here and probably ok for spring too but too hot in summer... I don't wear jeans in summer). I checked the sizing against some new Esprit jeans I found at the secondhand shop for $10 a few months ago. Seems like they are straight size 14 - pretty close by tissue check anyway. I feel so '70's sewing these up. I remember making a skirt out of the very same fabric in the early '80's. Someone had made pants of some sort from this as this is made from the remnants  - long pieces along the selvage with obvious crotch seams. I had just enough to ...

Saw this on  http://oddsendsevens.blogspot.com.au  a few weeks ago.