Dressing down with a dressing gown!

I have wanted an autumn dressing gown for a while. Not a summer one because it's just too hot to wear a dressing gown in summer here. It's still too hot at the moment but for once I'm ahead of the game!

I used some cotton I have had for a number of years from when I used to make kindy sheet sets for sale. I've always love the colours green and pink together and I just couldn't see this as anything other than a dressing gown. The contrast trim is what was sold as rayon from an online vendor for only $2 per metre but it's not a rayon as it melts with the burn test. I thought maybe it was a rayon/synthetic blend as the 'print' is kind of heat stamped on, but it's not, it is definitely synthetic. It has a nice drape though so you may see it again. (A note about the fabrics and online vendors: I also bought a slightly more purple with a different 'print' for the same money, but it too was sold as a rayon and it's not.... it's an Australian vendor so if you see it beware.. however I noticed it's not marked rayon any longer... I also bought a vivid voile with it marked as cotton and it's not... I've done the burn test and then later I saw it at Spotlight marked polyester. All these were $2 per metre so it's not a great investment but it is disappointing and has put me off buying online).

I don't think the pattern has pockets included and so I made some from scraps otherwise where would I put my tissues.. sniffle... sniffle? I pieced two bits together so put a little ruffle in the middle and bound the top edge. I like them.

I also put silver piping on the sleeves... they are long for me and bell shaped which is quite lovely if I'm going to swan about drinking my coffee but I normally have to do the dishes shortly after so I can see the dishwashing stains already. I did mean to put it around the contrast but from one day to the next I completely forgot.. doh! Never mind, it made it a quick make. My niece came over and tried it on and went to Trad's for some lilac rayon pineapple print for hers so there will be more in the future.

The bottom of the gown is quite wide and wouldn't fit on the width of the fabric I had and I had no extra length so I just pieced a long triangle piece on the side seams to make it up. No one will ever notice and I really wanted to use up this fabric. However it doesn't look so good on me being so short so I'll either make it narrower or I'll give it to Mum for Mother's day. I'll see. I could also have put the sleeves in the wrong armhole. It could just be that it's a size too big as I bought the 16+ size accidentally. Doesn't matter it's just a dressing gown. I think it would have been better with a rayon or something softer with more drape.

This is the pattern, McCalls 6659. I'm not sure I'd have that busy print with the pj pants as well .. it's a bit much. I may use the pj pattern one day for my niece. I don't like shirt styles for me, but the pants pattern will be useful.

I have also nearly finished the cloud shorts for my son, but had to make an emergency Star Wars shorts yesterday with elastic waist as no shorts fit him anymore... in the space of two weeks not one pair wasn't tight! He's wearing them today and he's off to go fossicking with his Dad for a week.
I'm going to try to finish all my unfinished things this week and make a dress or something for Brisbane Spoolette's High Tea next weekend.

Island night... PNG cruise

Well hello again. I've just come back from a cruise to Papua New Guinea and I made a dress for Island night. Island night or any theme night is just a suggestion... there is no organised event, meals, activities; just a dress code suggestion. As soon as I read that, I searched for this vintage surfie fabric I bought years ago at an op shop. I was thrilled to use it. I needed an easy pattern that I could make 2 days before the cruise departure and one that I would wear again. I used this Style 2911 pattern that I only bought online a few months ago. Style are my favourite patterns. I cut out a size 16 but had to reduce it to the 12. It's a great simple but elegant pattern and it went together perfectly. My machines liked it too... they cooperate when they like what I'm making and it was a breeze. I cannot believe that we didn't get one photo of it on. I was thrilled with it and even tho there is some ink staining you can't really see it as it's so busy. I had ...

Silk and undies, and old skirt, Korea

I found a photo of the silk I bought when I went to Seoul South Korea. It's so pretty. I can't remember how much it was but it was a good buy. Earlier that year, when I was at the fabric area in Paris, the silks although beautiful, were very expensive. The colour on my monitor is pretty accurate. I love it. There was huge markets with lots of crafty stuff and fabrics but it was overwhelming. The market we went to, Dongdaemun had lots of hand made jewellery too. I bought some capiz shells to make a mobile (I must find those). My friend bought some lovely big feathers. ** from here to the coffee is a repeat. For some reason I didn't remember already putting this up so apologies :) My friend gave me a big tub of really beautiful quality fabrics. These above were remnants pieces but I decided to make her something. I used the Kwik Sew 2028 pattern and made two sets. There is also a few metres of the brown top in a rayon twill which is such fantastic quality, unfortunately I d...

More things I've made - part 3.

Well part 3 is here. First up Style 1876. Did I ever say that Style are my favourite patterns? So this one was an op shop find a long time ago. It's a great pattern. I can't remember if the bodice is cut on the bias (but I think not) and the skirt is cut on the bias. I made it out of some synthetic crepe in the most fabulous colour. It has great pockets that you can see on the red dress.. The are sewn onto the back pieces, and then when you sew it up and leave the opening, you stitch the pocket onto the inside/front of the dress. That pocket isn't going anywhere. I used up all the fabric which was a gift from a friend's mother in law. It turned out to be a bit see though and I didn't wear it. It fits so nicely around the shoulders and arm holes. I decided I was going to wear it to Brisbane Spoolettes Frocktails this year as I didn't have time to make something else. I decided that it needed something else though as it was a little too see through for me. I had ...

Sew Darn Tired

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