Dizzy like a Daisy

Remember this top I made? Well, before I made it in the broderie anglaise fabric I did a muslin. Since I semi-drafted the pattern myself, I wanted to check that it would fit alright.

I used some flower printed cotton leftover from this dress. The fit was okay so I decided to finish it off and call it a wearable muslin. I bound the seams with bias tape and used some buttons from my stash. When I made the final version I did make some changes. I took in the neckline a bit and cut some excess fabric off the armholes. 

 I also bought some Freddies of Pinewood jeans. I was going to sew some more jeans because I wear the ones that I made quite a bit. I have the fabric and everything. I was going to make them with proper pockets and topstitching, but then I realised that it was so much easier just to buy a pair. I hate doing topstitching and jeans require an awful lot of it. I'm happy with my Freddies. They fit well and I like the way they look.
 

Top: I made it
Jeans: Freddies of Pinewood
Belt: Op shopped
Bangles: Etsy and ebay
Shoes: The Warehouse

Mash-up

I bought this blossom patterned quilting cotton on sale a couple of weeks ago. I'm trying to stop buying new fabric, but I couldn't resist the print. I knew I wanted to make a slim skirted dress that I could wear to work but also just wear generally.
 

I've made both these patterns before so I knew they fitted reasonably well. I used the bodice from the pattern on the right and the skirt from the pattern on the left. 

I cut the bodice out on Thursday and then didn't do anything else until about 3 in the afternoon yesterday. It was quick and easy to sew up and I finished it in time to wear it to work today. 

This was my attempt to take a picture of the zip. I used an op shopped vintage metal zipper. I have a huge stash of op shopped zips. They're mostly still in their original packaging. I hardly ever use them though because I never have the right colour or size. I was excited to finally use one.  

This is what happens when I take pictures after work/around sunset

Dress: Butterick 8459 skirt and Vogue 4260 bodice

 Belt: Op shopped

Tights: Kmart

Shoes: Tony Bianco

Beware of the Leopard

I started a full time job this week and the dress code requires 'corporate' wear. I've been at uni for the last five years where I could wear whatever weird and wonderful things I liked. Somehow I don't think full skirted 50's dresses in novelty and floral prints would be considered appropriately corporate at my new job. This pretty much cuts out my whole wardrobe. I thought I better make some work clothes, still vintage style, of course. 

For my first piece of corporate attire, I used Simplicity 4987 from the early 60s. I made a full skirted version of this pattern pretty recently in a lemon print. I wanted to use a black stretch cotton that's been in my stash for ages but it seemed a bit boring by itself.  

Leopard print makes everything more exciting (in my opinion, at least) so I used it for the neckline trim. The leopard print fabric is the tiny scraps left over from this jacket. There wasn't much there but I'd always planned to make some cuffs or something out of it so I kept it.

I added a couple of patch pockets with leopard print trim to the front of the skirt too. 

I've seen vintage dresses with angled pocket welt pocket flaps and wanted to create a similar effect with the patch pockets by placing them on at an angle. 

I'm pleased with the way it turned out. It's appropriate for work but still fits in with my usual vintage style.

Dress: Simplicity 4987
Belt: Op shopped
Shoes (which you can't see): Mischief Shoes

Back in black, button back blouse

It's not really a blouse, but it sounded better than top. 

I've had this pattern for quite a while but had procrastinated about making it because it was a couple of inches too big for me. I don't mind grading patterns up, but grading them down is always painful.  In the end I cheated and didn't really use the pattern. I wanted to make the button back top on the right at the back. Rather than bothering to grade the pattern, I just redrafted one that already fitted me. I added the square neckline by laying the pattern pieces from this pattern over my other pattern and redrawing it. This is definitely not the mathematically correct way of doing things, but whatever, I'm lazy. Adding the button closure at the back was simple. I just added a few of inches to the pattern pieces for the placket and a self-facing.   

I'm not a massive fan of the heart print, but it was the only black 100% cotton broderie anglaise I could find. Weirdly, cut on the straight grain the hearts are sideways which is better for me I guess because they look less heart-like. 

 I used some vintage buttons I bought from a market for the back. They are really pretty and faceted, but it was hard to get a good picture. I got them on the original piece of card. Half the fun of buying old notions is the funny packaging.  Apparently, the buttons were plant-tested and approved by the Research Institute of Launderers, Dry Cleaners and Dyers of NZ. I wonder how they tested them. Put them through the wash loads of times, maybe? Hopefully this means they will withstand the spin cycle.  

I could probably do with making a couple more of these tops in different colours. I'm a bit lacking in plain(ish) tops to go with my patterned skirts. 

Yeah, the colours are weird in this one. I tried to edit it but probably just made it worse.

Skirt: Op shopped
Belt: Op shopped
Scarf: Op shopped by my mum
Top: Simplicity 3937
Shoes: The Warehouse
Sunglasses: The Yellow Brick Road

Grey Days

When I bought this fabric from Arthur Toye over a year ago I imagined making a shirtdress (I was obsessed with them at the time). I don't know what I was thinking. It's a thin, sheer cotton. Luckily, I came to my senses.    

Instead of a shirtdress, I decided to make Eva Dress D 40 5087. I've made it before so it was pretty easy to construct. 

I really like all the gathers this pattern has. They are perfect for the weight of the fabric.

Sorry it's blurry. It was dark. 

I didn't have a grey zip in my stash (I always buy zips from op shops but never seem to have the right colour/length when I need it), so I did a combination of hooks and eyes and snaps. I regret it. They require me to perform acrobatic contortions to get them done up. I don't think I can be bothered taking them out and putting a zip in though.  

Apart from the closure problem, I'm happy with the way it turned out.

Scarf: Op shopped
Belt: Op shopped
Tights: A shop in the mall, I think
Shoes: Golden Ponies
Dress: Eva Dress D 40 5087

I started a facebook page for the blog. I'll probably post stuff that doesn't warrant a blog post like what I'm going to be sewing next.  

Leftovers

When I've sewn something I usually have scraps of fabric left. I tend to throw all the little scraps out but chucking away bigger pieces seems like a waste. These pieces just sit in my fabric stash because I have no idea what to do with them. I don't want to make little purses or rag rugs or any of the other cutesy things all the lists I've seen online suggest. When one of the pairs of pajama shorts my mum had made me for Christmas (not to wear for Christmas, but as a Christmas present) years ago started to fall apart I realised what I could use all those fabric leftovers for. I used an old pair of pajamas as a pattern and then whipped up three pairs in a couple of hours. They were really easy and quick to sew.  

 I managed to get two pleated skirts (I sold one) and a pair of pjs out of this vege print fabric. I used french seams because, as previously discussed, I am lazy and they look good. The elastic was all stuff I had in my stash. I'm not quite sure why I have a stash of elastic given I hardly ever make anything with that type of elastic. Forethought, maybe?

I used this sheer cotton to make a dress (which I will do a post on shortly), and made these with the leftovers. This is a view of the back. As you can see, it's very similar to the shape of the front.

My mum used this fabric to make a dress and I stole the leftovers to make these. I wish I had a dress made out of it because the print is awesome, but pajamas will have to do. I didn't make any tops to go with these because I usually just sleep in singlets.

Is she pretty on the inside?

I bought this pattern with a bunch of other early 60's ones. I liked the bow-type thing on the neckline, but didn't find either of the skirt styles very appealing. I decided to do a box pleated skirt instead of the a-line or straight skirts from the pattern.   

Most of the seams are french ones because I'm lazy. You see, the overlocker is in a different room to my sewing machine. This means I have to go all the way to the other room if I want to overlock anything. It just seems easier to stay at my machine and sew an extra seam. As an added bonus, the finish you get with french seams makes the inside pretty.

This is the detail on the neckline.The background colour is weird. It looks white next to cream things and cream next to white things. I topstitched it in white which looks alright, but doesn't match perfectly.

There was a picture of me smiling in this pose, but the dress didn't look good so bored face it is

I love this dress. Yellow and cream/white are not normally colours I would go for, but I love lemons, both real ones and prints.

Sunglasses: Vintage shop in England
Dress: Simplicity 4987
Belt: Op shopped
Shoes: The Warehouse

Circles in my skirt, circles in my hair

Another week, another skirt that I finished ages ago and never posted. This time it's a circle skirt. I used a self-drafted pattern that I've made at least a dozen times already. What can I say? Circle skirts are so easy to sew, and I love the way they look.

It's made of waxed cotton. It's the same fabric I used for this dress. I have a bunch of it because it drapes really well (and it was cheap).  

My hair looks kind of weird in the photos above because it has victory rolls in it. This is only the third time I've managed to do them (semi) successfully after an embarrassing amount of time spent trying.  

I look evil but you can see the victory rolls

Shoes: Op shopped
Cardigan: Op shopped
Top: K-mart

Skirt: I made it

Veggie wearing veggies

I have a quite a few skirts that I've made and never posted about. I wear them pretty frequently but never seem to get a picture when I am. Here's one I made ages ago.  

It's just a simple pleated skirt on a waistband. I didn't use a pattern. I just did one inch pleats until I got the right width to fit around my waist. 

The fabric is a quilting cotton. It was printed off-grain which always infuriates me. What is the point of printing fabric that isn't on grain? Because of this I cut it so the vegetables were lined up. If I'd cut it on the grain all the rows of vegetables would have been wonky. I didn't know if this would have an effect on the way the skirt sat, but it seems fine.
 

Cardigan: Op shopped
Top: Op shopped
Skirt: I made it
Bangles: Etsy and Ebay
Shoes: The Warehouse

Lost and Found

While looking through my fabric stash recently, I found a project that I started almost two years ago. I'd given up on it because one side of the front bodice would not fit properly. The other side fitted fine, and I had done a muslin so I couldn't understand why it wouldn't work. I spent weeks pinning, sewing and unpicking. When I finally got the fit looking better I was so sick of the whole thing, I just put it away and forgot about it. Two years later, I've finally finished it.   

It didn't take long. All I needed to do was attach the skirt to the bodice, put in a zip, do the hem and sew on the buttons. I didn't line it because I'm lazy, and I wear slips all the time. 

The left side bulges where the zip is which really annoys me. I've tried steaming it but that makes no difference. An invisible zip would probably solve the problem, but I hate them with a passion. They break so easily. Maybe I'll take the zip out and put in some snaps instead. 

The button closure makes it look like a space uniform. The pattern is from 1963, so I'm guessing this was meant to be the 'tame' version of the space age fashion trend that was around at the time.

Hat: Op shopped

Belt: Op shopped

Dress: I made it

Shoes: Tony Bianco

  

McCall's 8813 Suit: Finished

My suit is finally done. I was waiting for some good weather to take pictures outside but it doesn't look like that's going to happen any time soon (it's meant to snow tomorrow), so inside photos will have to do.

I've written a bit about the construction of the jacket in the previous posts, so I'll spare you any more about that. The skirt was pretty easy to sew. I tapered the bottom in a few inches because I don't like straight skirts.

I really should make some sort of effort to change my facial expression between photos

I lined the skirt in a black satin from my stash that someone had given me, because I didn't have enough of the fabric I used to line the jacket. In fact, almost everything I used for this suit was from my stash and/or second hand. 

I look surprised, probably because I managed to make a suit. 

Hat: Saltaire Vintage Fair
Hatpin: I made it
Suit: I made it
Vanity case: Sumner Street Fair
Shoes: Op shopped
Tights: Columbine (still made in NZ)
Gloves: From the dressing up box we had as kids. They probably belonged to my grandma.

I took this photo with the flash on. It gives a better idea of the actual colour. It's not as dark green as it looks in the pictures above.

My hair is always messy at the back...and at the front, but more so at the back. 

Here's one of the hatpins I made in action on the hat I was wearing.

McCall's 8813 Progress

I've almost finished the jacket part of the suit I'm making. It's taken me quite a while because of all the hand sewing. I hand sewed the whole lining in place. This is an experience I'm not that keen to repeat because it took forever.  

The lining is the leftovers from some fabric I used before to line a jacket. I love fancy printed linings. It's not actually lining fabric so it's really nice and soft. It originally cost me just over $1 a metre, but I'm going to call it free since it was leftover from another project.

The flaps look like they be pockets but they're just decorative. I stitched them down with a few hand stitches because they were flapping all over the place. 

Just ignore the fact that it doesn't fit the mannequin. It's smaller than me. I have a few little things left to do on the jacket, like pressing and stitching down the collar, and then I'm done.

After that, I have the skirt to do. I'm using Simplicity 3581, view 3. It should go together much quicker than the jacket.