December 2014 – THORNBERRY

adult's clothing, sewing

New Look 6216 – sort of

I really did want to get all my 2014 makes up on my blog during 2014, but you know what? That’s just not going to happen. There are still 18 items on my to-be-blogged list. Jeepers. Good intentions and all of that.

This dress was made during my November Sewjourn trip. I took along a number of boxes of knit scraps that I’d saved because “they might be useful” but which in reality were clogging up my sewing room and therefore also clogging up my peace of mind. I threw out the challenge to the rest of the group to take or use up as many of the scraps as they could, because any left over were going in the bin. Wendy in particular rose to the challenge, sewing a number of garments from New Look 6216.

Since I’d asked the others to use up some scraps, I thought that I should follow suit. I traced off a dress length of the top from New Look 6216 and sorted through my scraps to find a few that were a decent size and that sort of went together. Others may disagree with the “went together” part, but I’m very pleased with the combination! I pieced the fabrics, then cut the dress front and back. The cut on cap sleeves and neckline were finished with simple bands. I used the twin needle – with orange threads – to secure the bands and the hemline. Not much more to say about this one really!

I love that I can look at this dress and remember the original garments that the fabric was used for. The leopard print was a top (still in my wardrobe), the black and white stripe a dress (just given away), the orange bamboo knit another dress (still in the wardrobe) and the geometric print is a pair of pants (still in the wardrobe but about to be given away). I also think that all the fabrics except the solid orange came from Darn Cheap Fabrics.

I really don’t quite know what to say about 2014. It has been a FULL ON year for my family. My husband was retrenched in May and is still looking for work; I went back to full-time work but across three different employers; we had a brilliant family trip to Thailand; Clare finished primary school; there were school related challenges for Stella and for me; my husband spent almost all of first term travelling for his work and I solo parented a lot; Buzz joined the family; my husband turned fifty; I had three trips to Sewjourn and one weekend away with the school mums; oh my now my head is swimming even more than usual because this list has barely scratched the surface. I haven’t managed to do lots of the things that I normally like to do, because I simply haven’t had the time. I have tried hard to get balance within the constraints placed upon me. Things are good, most of the time. But they’re not always easy. And as always, sewing – and the feedback, encouragement and support of other sewers and the blogging community – has helped to keep me sane. And my family and my friends have been fantastic.

Thanks everyone, and all the best for 2015.

Tuesday, 30 December, 2014 by thornberry

miscellaneous

2014 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The Louvre Museum has 8.5 million visitors per year. This blog was viewed about 320,000 times in 2014. If it were an exhibit at the Louvre Museum, it would take about 14 days for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Tuesday, 30 December, 2014 by thornberry

family, miscellaneous

Merry Christmas

Peace and goodwill to all people.

Saturday, 27 December, 2014 by thornberry

adult's clothing, Lekala, sewing

Lekala 4399

Oh Lekala! Such a great way to experiment with different styles – after all, when your patterns can be bought on sale for around $2, how I can possibly resist giving something new a try!

Lekala describe pattern 4399 as “Dress with pleats”. And that’s pretty much what it is! A relatively fitted princess seamed dress, with pleats in the centre front panel. Four pleats on one side at bust level, and another four on the other side at stomach/hip level.

For those of you not familiar with Lekala, you order the pattern according to your own measurements and a pdf pattern is then emailed to you shortly after. There are six key measurements – height, bust, underbust, waist, hip and full hip – then you can also tweak the pattern by inputting some of own figure “peculiarities” and by putting in neck and upper arm measurements. I have tried a few of these tweaks, and think that altering my waist height to “high” and sometimes shoulder width to “reduced” but leaving the rest alone might work best for me.

When I first sewed this up at Sewjourn the front pleats definitely looked all “poofy” and rather weird. This may have been a function of using a stretch woven (the recommended fabrics for this pattern are “natural or mixed woven dress fabric”) and not having pressed the pleats. I took in the dress along the front princess seams only, as the back fitted nicely as it was, then pressed the pleats flat with the iron and everything was then much improved.

The overall verdict? I rather like it! It’s not at all my regular style, but will be a terrific dress for work. It’s comfortable and easy to wear, and I think that the Lekala pattern has produced a really good fit for me. Even side on – my least favourite angle – it’s rather good!

The dress closes with a centre back invisible zip, and the armholes and neckline are finished with bias tape. I made my own from the dress fabric, but a narrower bias would have been better. Learn from me! Construction was straightforward, and it was actually quite quick to make. I wish I could remember where the fabric came from, but all that I can remember about it is that it was a remnant, and I had barely enough to squeeze this dress from it. I did cut the little cap sleeves double and self-faced them rather than doing a narrow hem. I just prefer that for cap sleeves. I do see myself getting quite a bit of wear from this dress, and am now very tempted to give some of the other more fitted styles (which are styles I normally avoid) a try. Lekala have some great workwear designs.

Tuesday, 23 December, 2014 by thornberry

children's clothing, kids clothing, sewing

Simplicity 1625 for Clare

This is the dress that I made for Clare when I was at Sewjourn. Super simple – it wasn’t even cut out before we arrived and still probably took less than two hours to make – and very much in fashion at the moment.

It is a dress with an overlay flounce for the top. A front and a back piece for the dress, a front and back piece for the top, with the top overlaid then stitched to the dress around the armholes and neckline. After that the edges are treated as one. I used gorgeous spotted bias binding from Leith‘s stash to finish the armholes and neckline, but of course you can’t see that lovely detail when Clare is wearing it!

There is a bias binding casing on the inside for elastic to be threaded through at the waistline. And that’s it! I used the overlocker for side seam construction and to finish the hems before turning them to the inside once and stitching by machine for a narrow hem.

The fabric is viscose/rayon from Darn Cheap Fabrics. So soft and drapey, and I actually have plenty of it since it was on the $2 table when I bought it! Sarah has used it to make a gorgeous Kimono jacket. I’ve got a dress cut out for me, and there is still plenty! I used size 8 width and size 10 length for this dress. At first I thought it was possibly a bit too short, but Clare is happy with it and when I see the length of her friends’ skirts I realise that short is clearly “in” at the moment.

I’ll definitely use this pattern again – it’s Simplicity 1625, and also includes a sleeveless layered top with V back, a V back top with gathered cap sleeves, and a shorts and capri pants pattern. I wouldn’t be surprised if every item gets made at some stage before the summer is over. Clare has worn this quite a lot already.

Monday, 22 December, 2014 by thornberry

adult's clothing, sewing

Style Arc Celine dress

From the first garment that I made at Sewjourn to the last – I finished the Style Arc Celine dress just before heading home last Sunday!

I have had this pattern in my stash for quite some time – and now I’m wondering why I didn’t make it up sooner! The description and line drawing from the Style Arc website are as follows:

CELINE DRESS: This is the dress of the moment, slip it on and tie the extended ends in a knot at the front or leave hang loosely for fashion statement. This dress can be made with a short sleeve or bind the armholes for a sleeveless version

FABRIC SUGGESTION & DESCRIPTION: Soft flowing fabric such as Silk or Rayon

I used viscose twill from Darn Cheap Fabrics – they still have it in stock, and I’m fairly certain that I spotted the same fabric when I dropped in to Addicted To Fabric in October. It was lovely to work with and has that softness and drape that comes along with viscose/rayon. And the colours – absolutely me!

I made size 12, but took a big tuck through all the pattern pieces at waist level to petite it. This required a little reshaping of the extended sides that form the ties. There are no zips or fastenings in this dress – it slips on easily over the head, then ties at the front for fit. It was beautifully comfortable at work on Monday.

Not much more to say – I love this style, and now I rather fancy a sleeveless version….

Friday, 19 December, 2014 by thornberry

adult's clothing, Pattern Fantastique, sewing

Aeolian Tee

Firstly, thanks so much to all those who left such lovely messages about Clare’s graduation. School is now finished for the year, and for Clare primary school is finished forever! Of course we still have many years of connection to the school ahead of us – Stella is going into Grade 2 next year, and I am still school council president! Primary school is far from finished for us as a family. There were many tears at assembly this afternoon (a bit of group hysteria from many of them – and I am not very sympathetic to that sort of reaction) but most are looking forward to what is coming next. Everyone is well and truly in need of a rest!

The first thing I made at Sewjourn last weekend was a Pattern Fantastique Aeolian Tee. I always like to start off my Sewjourn visits with a relatively easy sew – a bit of a palate cleanser, if you like, to really get me into the sewing groove!

I was so pleased with the drafting of the Celestial dress that I was very keen to give the Aeolian Tee a go. The pattern description from the website is as follows:

DESIGN
The Aeolian is the perfect boxy cotton tee, as tall as it is wide. It has a box-shaped sleeve, strategically inserted to the armhole for maximum 3D body.
Sized down, it makes a perfect sheath. Neat, but not tight. Excellent in a glamour knit for a super clean, mini, cocktail dress. Sized up it responds with mega drapes and kaftan-esque volume.
SKILL LEVEL
Easy to Intermediate. Comes with illustrated, step by step instructions.
SIZES
6-18 multi-sized pattern
View size charts
FABRIC
Knits
FORMAT
32 page pattern
11 page instruction booklet
All downloads are A4 PDF documents

The fabric I used was a remnant from Darn Cheap Fabrics. It is a coated knit, and I think that it is still available. I only had enough to make a tee. The pattern comes in a variety of lengths however, from tee to mini to dress and maxi. It was surprisingly easy to sew. I constructed the tee on the overlocker, and topstitched with a twin needle on the sewing machine. I think that my twin needle threads are slightly different colours – I just used what I had available. I particularly like the deep hems included in this pattern. They add nice weight to the edges and help to ensure that the fabric hangs nicely.

I made size Medium, for an easy fit. This pattern is simple in that there are only four pieces – front, back, sleeve and neckband – but because of this the drafting becomes super important. In my opinion the simplest patterns are the ones that actually require the best drafting; otherwise they are very ordinary. This tee is beautifully drafted. It popped up on Instagram recently made to the dress length in woven linen with a bias bound neckline. I am ABSOLUTELY going to make one!

I have styled this with my Style Arc Lola pants and a necklace and earring set bought at a local craft market. My sandals were purchased during our trip to Thailand. I’d really like a pair of these pants in linen or viscose or silk in the same shade as the yellow in the necklace. Something to keep in mind the next time I’m in a fabric shop! I highly recommend this pattern – simple styling, easy to sew, but beautifully drafted and a current shape.

Thursday, 18 December, 2014Saturday, 11 February, 2023 by thornberry

children's clothing, family, kids clothing, sewing

Grade 6 Graduation Dress

Tomorrow is Clare’s last day of Primary School. Seven years – where did that go! Last night was their Graduation Ceremony. The kids met at school at 5pm then walked to the local Italian Club (where they have spent many cultural and sports days over their time at primary school) and had dinner with the teachers and support staff. By 7pm they were back at school, as were many of their families and friends, for the formal part of the evening.

The children all looked wonderful – almost all of them dressed up, including the boys. They each gave a speech about their time at school, sharing memories and thankyous. Each received a certificate and their school report, then they all sang a song together and presented five short plays before the principal spoke to conclude the evening. Clare received a special certificate that especially commemorated her “Love of Learning” – she was thrilled.

It was a special celebration – but I didn’t cry! The kids are so ready for high school, and it was very touching to hear their appreciation of their time at primary school but also their anticipation as they stride into the future.

And unsurprisingly, there was a fair bit of focus on the graduation dress leading up to the event! Clare and I decided on the Figgy’s Scirocco dress some time ago, and when I spotted this floral Alannah Hill silk at Clear It one day I knew it was a perfect match.

Choosing appropriate styles for Clare can be a real challenge. She is almost twelve years old now, but is still very tiny as compared to her peers and hasn’t yet hit puberty. Some of us are late starters! She wants to look pretty and age-appropriate despite her stature, and I really think that this dress hit that sweet spot exactly. The pattern was size 8/9. After trying it on we added an extra flounce to the bottom. It is still above the knee, but not absurdly short. This was easy to do – I just cut another of the lower flounce and attachment pieces. The back twist was a bigger problem.

I had noticed in images online that the fit around the back can be difficult. We drew up the back elastic quite a lot to make the skirt fit at the waist, and then I unpicked the already sewn centre twist, folded the narrow ends of the triangle in another inch each, retwisted, then hand-stitched them together again. This made the back about two inches narrower than drafted, and it then sat nicely. The bodice is fully self lined, and I didn’t make a muslin first, but the alterations were just as easy to do after the fact. It also eliminated the bagging of the back where it joins the skirt waistline that I had seen in lots of photos.

We found the narrow lace for the front trim in my stash. Clare spent many hours on YouTube learning how to do her hair, and did the fancy braid herself. Impressive! I suspect that there may have even been a light application of eyeshadow and lip gloss. Stella found the china rose earrings in a drawer on the weekend and they matched the outfit perfectly. I think that I bought them at Royal Doulton when I was in England 25 years ago.

Congratulations to my special big girl as you move on to the next exciting chapter in the book of your life. We are incredibly proud of you, and love you more than we could possibly say. It is such a pleasure to watch you growing up into such a wonderful young woman.

(And now that I type this, the tears are flowing after all!)

Wednesday, 17 December, 2014 by thornberry

children's clothing, kids clothing, sewing

Soleil for Stella

Before I start detailing garments I made at Sewjourn in December, I’d better finish blogging the ones I made at Sewjourn in November!

The pattern is the Soleil dress by Selvage Designs. It is designed for knits, utilising rib knit trim around the edges of the pocket, armholes, and neck and back openings. I really love the back opening detail (although it’s not terribly sun smart – but the pattern does include a full back option).

I think that I made this as size 6T – which falls between size 5T and size 6. Weird sizing descriptions! It fits her rather well, actually. The instructions were quite good, and the overall style is very pretty. I shared the construction between the overlocker and the sewing machine.

I bought the fabric at Super Cheap Fabrics in Sydney Road, Brunswick. It’s a jacquard – the colours and pattern are knitted into the fabric, and the cream lines are all raised. I also bought the neutral beige colourway. Now I wish that I’d bought more of both. It was great to use and has washed really well.

I haven’t used rib knit for edges for a long time. It’s SO easy to use! You do need to remember to stretch it much more than if you were using self-fabric bindings, but the nature of the knit allows for that. It was fortunate that this cream rib knit was already in my stash. I’d looked for other matching (or even dramatically contrasting) rib knit trim without success before returning to the depths of stash to find this one.

Stella calls this her “happy dress” – what more could I ask for!

Tuesday, 16 December, 2014 by thornberry

sewing

Back from Sewjourn

Three trips to Sewjourn in one year – I do feel rather blessed.

And this time, I managed to pace myself a little better than usual! There were still plenty of finished projects, but I was in bed before midnight both nights.

I sewed some repeat patterns and experimented with others. We enjoyed champagne and prosecco, and dinner at the pub.

Although I mainly sewed for myself, there were some items sewn for the girls. Sadly Stella’s dress is way too big and will need some serious alteration. Not looking forward to all that unpicking – it’s a fully lined dress!

There was a small sewing injury when I snagged my foot around a machine cord and somehow managed to create a very sore bruise – and it was my pedal foot! I bravely soldiered on.

So over the course of the weekend I sewed ten items. And feel rather positive about most of them! There were some wonderful garments produced by the group, many of which I rather wanted to steal. It’s lovely to share ideas.

Proper blog posts on all the items that I made, with details of the patterns and fabrics used (and hopefully decent photos) should appear over the next few weeks. Thanks again to my wonderful sewing companions. I had a blast!

EDITED TO ADD: A few people have asked about how you go about having a “Sewjourn” type of weekend. It’s easy really – grab a few like-minded friends, find a place that you can rent for the weekend – preferably one that is set up for craft retreats (such as Sewjourn or The Retreat or Millhouse Retreat, all of which are near Melbourne but if you do some googling and research I bet there would be plenty of other appropriate places), load up the car with your sewing projects and equipment – and some chocolate and champagne – and off you go! It’s about diarising the weekends, choosing somewhere not too far from home in order to maximise sewing time instead of travelling time, and the rest is up to you.

Monday, 15 December, 2014 by thornberry

Month: December 2014