Sew Darn Tired

Edit - I've taken photos with me wearing the blouse as requested some commenters. Sorry they aren't great - I've just used my 11 year old's selfie stick but you see what it's like on. It fits nicely around the bust and shoulders but is very loose and could be smaller by two sizes easily. My sister says it looks like I'm wearing Mum's pyjamas - huh, what does she know. It doesn't sit too low but low enough. So pjs or top, what do you think? I should have remembered to take off my glasses or cut my head off... when I cropped, that is. Yay! I finished something that went smoothly!! Not cutting errors, no machine problems... nada, nothing. Just smooth sailing and done in a couple of days. Plus, I love it. I made blouse 106 from Burda Style February 2015 - the cover blouse. (borrowed from the library too - love that). Here's my top on the dress form, just freshly finished (hmm... this looks unfocused now, rats).  No photos on m...

That above, is how much thread was on the bobbin - a few centimetres - when I finished this cape.  The only bit of ease with this project - just had some frustrations that wore me out (maybe because I was at the start of a run down feeling and it wouldn't have bothered me so much otherwise).  This is Butterick 5909, a See & Sew pattern that my friend from the U.S. sent me (top right in photo below) last Christmas. It's a really simple pattern - "Very loose-fitting, single layer wrap has collar, flat-fell seams, shaped hemline and unfinished edges." It recommends boiled wool but I didn't have any and not being sure of the wearability of this for me  I opted to make it out of a piece of wool mix that I had bought, many years ago,  as a very large remnant from the fabric sale I go to. It's a darker, more blue based red than appears in the photos where it looks a little raspberry red (which is quite nice though).  I made size XS in view B which ...

My son goes swimming training on Mondays after school. I do laps in the outdoor pool while he goes in the indoor pool to get changed and do his hour of swimming. Last Monday, just as I was ready to jump in (no feeling the water with my toes... it's heated but the first half lap can be refreshing in the winter), he runs out to me. I thought he forgot his goggles but no, he came to tell me that when he got changed and he threw his shirt up in the air onto the heating element  (huh?) which melted his school shirt. It was expensive and is very poor quality. (some background: The uniforms used to be made by a company just around the corner from me by local people in a local business that has been around a long time who give very good service, quite good quality and are reasonably priced. A large company  has started a business whereby they go into schools selling an idea that the schools sell the uniforms as a fund raising exercise - something I am totally opposed to - the...

I gathered my supplies.... I measured and cut, measured and cut.... I painted and splotched (hey that is a word!), this is just the test piece... I sewed and sewed and sewed (about 18 hours total).... .... and then they formed.... Introducing P1 and P2..... Four 'n Twenty pies!!! My sister {one of four - don't leave a message saying my sister called ;)} works as National something or other for Patties Foods who make the world famous in Australia Four 'n Twenty pies. They are major sponsors for the AFL (Australian Football League - different to rugby and league). They had a novelty event at the football and my sister thought wouldn't it be great if we could get some pie costumes so she checked on google..... plenty of costume of pizza, soft drinks, sausages etc etc, but no pies. Her boss said maybe we could get them made, but who could do that?? "I know just the person" my sister said! So pies were made. (as opposed to pot...

Yes.. who is P1 and P2?? I have been working on a project for my sister.... I can't tell you till Friday. Of course if you are Australian you will get the reference  - not sure how far the Bananas go. All will be revealed soon. Stay tuned!

I made one of the tops of Butterick B5203 (bottom right pattern).  This is a pattern that my friend sent  from the U.S. for me. I like this style when I see it on other people but wouldn't pick it myself, so it's great that a friend picks something a bit different. It's for a floaty woven so I used a stable knit that's about the weight of ponte. It is from my Mum's stash from the '70's. When she saw this top, she remembered the fabric immediately and said she had planned to make a long coat - think '70's long coat. It is excellent quality but when washed it creases as bad as linen (!) but after ironing it springs back good as new (or really old as the case may  is). That scarf I seem to be pulling at due to the timer setting, was made by my friend with finger knitting. I love it as it doubles as a 'necklace' but also is warm enough for a winter's day in Brisbane (mostly). I have three in different colours (two she made and one was...

I have been sewing and I finished a top yesterday from a pattern that my friend sent from the U.S.  - Butterick 5203 (bottom right with long sleeves). I used a fabric from my mother's stash and I wore it today for a friend's birthday celebration had at the park. Did I get a photo? No, of course not. So no photo today. I really like this pattern. It was easy and even though it is for woven, I made it out of some 1970's wool mix ponte type fabric.  Maybe in a few days.  It's a good pattern. I didn't think I'd like the points; I hated handkerchief hem skirts in the '70's or '80's or whenever they were popular. I have some woven fabrics I'd like to try for summer.  I also have some red wool out for that cape below too, but that's not till I finish the Ottobre jacket. Remember these tops below. I made them for Alex for Christmas in UK last year. I hadn't seen them since but Alex brought them from his Dad's for our little mi...