Sew Darn Tired

You may wonder why,  after making a set of pjs recently (at the end of the post)  I am making another set so quickly. I usually only have one set on the go... we have sunshine year round and it can sometimes take only minutes for them to dry and with so many things I want to sew, I usually make them out of need.  Anyway, if you notice on the other set, I had made them out of a remnant of a dress I had made years ago. I had enough fabric because I cut the top on the cross grain. Now I learned at TAFE for Fashion Design and Apparel Production that I did vocationally in the '90's that natural fibres possibly only woven, will shrink up... meaning in the length, not the width. I had pre-washed this fabric years ago, but when I made these last pjs, after a few washed, the fabric shrunk but being cut on the cross, they shrunk width wise. They still fit well, but being SO hot at night, they are just too close to my body. Plus they were a  shirting cotton weight and I u...

So, here's part 2 of the catch up of what I've made. Before I go on though, I just want to say I can't post any comments on most blogs! I don't know why so even though I want to most blogs are not showing my user name or whatever it is. Just so you know. If anyone knows why please let me know. Now I made another of this Vena Cava dress, Vogue 1228 with polyester crepe like chiffon that I got from one of the Brisbane Spoolette meet ups a couple of years ago. It's got that great print and the big circles are flocked.  I really love the square neckline. I use the same slip that I wear with  the other one I made. This is the front. I took a deeper pleat at the front and back than I did on the last one and the fit is a little better. It's a bit shorter. As with both dresses I didn't add the sleeve extensions. My arms are way shorter than the model's and this is long enough for me.  And side view. Sorry work bathroom pics.. it seems like it ...

I made this Vena Cava Vogue 1228 (sorry I don't have a photo of the pattern) out of some fabric I got at The Spoolette High Tea - maybe the second one.... anyone recognise it? I'm not often drawn to but but I like the pattern and it's mostly navy. It's a polyester chiffon but it's quite nice and it was easy to work with. I cut it out last year and had it in a bag... it's such an easy pattern I'm not really sure why it took me so long but probably by the time I got to it, it was out of season and then forgotten and shuffled around in the sewing room. After the coat I really wanted something quick and I really didn't want to cut anything out. I had a Lekala cut and half done too, but couldn't bring myself to finish it (it's done now.. that'll be the next post). I do remember  Up Sew Late  had made a couple and so I read up and garnered that the top was very low. I am about 15cm shorter than Gabrielle (I think she is about 175cm and I...

I've used Burda 2711 again for some pjs for my Mum's birthday this Friday. She doesn't do computers so there is no chance she'll see these before she gets her gift. The fabric is some more of the Japanese cotton lawn (is lawn anything other than cotton? I'm pretty sure it's not - please correct me if I am mistaken) bought from Spotlight a couple of months ago for just $4 per metre, although not quite  Sarah Liz's recent bargains , a bargain just the same. As soon as I saw it I knew it would be pjs for my Mum. She has always kept chickens (although these are  roosters I know); since as far back as I can remember, although she gave them up a couple of years ago as she's getting on. She'd also use them for food - oh I remember her chopping their heads off with an axe and them running around the back yard  when I was about 4 years old ...... that's enough, you get the picture.  TMI? I remember a time when at the dinner table, my older s...

Finally I made some pjs. I made some about 18 months ago (with Butterick 6883) and I still wear the aqua ones (the others were a gift for my sister). The top on the Butterick was a bit wide in the front and the strap kept falling down... I say was, because I also fixed that up today and took  cm out of the width of the top edge (1.5cm each side) and resewed the binding straps and now they fit perfectly. However, we are here to see the new Burda pyjamas. They don't look so good on the mannequin as she is much wider in the shoulders than me. I made my bias binding for the arm holes/straps and the back, but I wanted a contrast for the front. I have a tiny piece of lace that was in my Mum's stash but I couldn't find it (of course) as I was going to put it under the matching bias but when I couldn't find it I decided to use the purchased (eons ago) bias as the colour was right, and then I found the ribbon so put that on too. I like that the ribbon and the contrast...