This and that, zig and zag.

It's been so long since I have sewn. I did get to make a few things for work but not as many as I made in my head. Sewing takes so much longer than you think, as do most things. I often say, if I thought doing this or that took so long I wouldn't have started, but once you start you kind of commit (stop looking at me UFO's).

So, I did make a little red peasant style blouse out of a lovely cotton remnant I bought  years ago. It's much more red like in the skirt. It's a pattern I've used before for years, I forgot to take a photo of some open ended pleats (like a box pleat)I put in the back to make it a bit more fitted at my sway back. I had such little fabric I had to piece one of the sleeves with scraps but with the gathering no one notices. The skirt is my graduation dress with the bodice cut off. It never fit very well but I did like the skirt, so I cut it off about 6cm above the waist, opened up the side seam and put in a lapped zip, and turned over the top part and made a waistband out of it. I enclosed some elastic in the waistband and it's a useful piece of clothing now. I wear these together.

I also wear the top with a zig zag skirt I made. This was a scrap from the fabric sale I go to and it was $1. I have another scrap bit left too. It is a tube with a centre back seam, I hemmed it with the appliqué stitch which I really like. For the waist treatment, I put a tube of elastic at 4 points and then attached it with the overlocker and then just zig zagged down. Pretty basic but it makes a bit of a statement with the zig zag. The fabric is a knit and only three way stetch, it's a spongy knit and I really like it.

I wasn't sure about the zig and zag going up and down but then I saw this skirt in a magazine and thought ok, if they can do it for ***$620*** (WHAT????) then I can... saving $619! ok lets say $618 'cause the elastic and thread costs something. Really! Even if I didn't sew, I would never think "oh I need a skirt, I'll budget about $600!" I mean in some things I can see that it has some great fabric, great and time consuming techniques but have a look at that skirt, I can't see that it would be such a complex make that it would justify $100 let alone $600.

The next thing I finally finished was the Burda dress. It's a raglan sleeve with some open pleats at the front coming from the princess seams. It's a lovely and very easy dress (sorry just looked but can't find it just now). I thought first it may be a bit nothing and a bit out of date but I saw someone (a trendy young thing) in town wearing exactly the same style a few days before I finished so I ploughed on. I cut the smallest size in the shoulders and took it in about 4cm but it's still too big - needs about 4 cm out of the mid back. I keep underestimating how tiny my back is.. it's hard to fit yourself too. When I think it's taken in enough, when I finish sewing up it's not. So, see the pins along one side... it's getting refitted for my niece who loves it it fits her beautifully in the shoulders but it needs some slimming on the sides (which it did for me too but I probably wouldn't have bothered for myself). I will make this again as I really like it and it's very quick and easy.

I put in an exposed red metal (thrifted) zip which brightens up and adds interest to a pretty boring back. The fabric was from the (now no more I think) $2 table from East Coast fabrics last year. It's not a very stretch knit but it's very nice and I wish I had bought more. It's a dark navy with a light blue dot woven through it. They had it in a red too but that wasn't $2.  Don't be fooled.. the zip is in straight.. I just had it hanging on a hanger for the photo and it's heavy so it twists a bit. The zip is a big reason why I didn't keep this dress for myself... it's heavy and as the dress is too big in the mid back there, the weight of the zip makes the dress really pull away from the back. I'm happy for my niece to have it though and she loves it.

So a couple of things half done. I have been so busy with friends from overseas they left last week  and in 10 days I have other friends coming too. Not much time for indulgences (is it an indulgence?) I'm enjoying reading all the blogs around though and catching up on the Sewing Bee for Pattern Review. Thanks also for the comments on the Miss Fisher's costume exhibition.