Self Drafted Pencil Skirt

Well i was up at 6:30 this morning so i could go to the opticians in Telford, my plan was to cycle up there, about 10 miles. Then spend the rest of the day shopping or sunbathing in the town park, maybe go and watch the Hunger Games. About 45 minutes before the appointment i thought that i was pushing it with time so i would just take the bus. Apparently there is no bus running in the morning on Saturdays. By the time i had found that out it was way to late to cycle up there. So i went back home to sulk, getting optician, doctor or dentist appointments around here is so hard. Then i thought i could catch the bus to Shrewsbury, hurried back out of the house, just in time to miss that bus too. So i am sulking now and posting about the skirt i made instead. I am still going to go to Shrewsbury, it is just i wont get there now until 1pm, what a waste of a morning!

I really have no curves, do i?

This material came from Oxfam for £1, it is a double layered knit polyester, i loved the geometric pattern on it. But it is taking up loads of room in the fabric draw, which is need for the more summery fabrics that i bought last weekend. 

I decided that now would be a really great time to make a skirt sloper to fit me, instead on relying on paper patterns. I trawled the Internet and did loads of reading on how to do this and settled on following the instructions given by a Burdastyle member: teresadouglas called making a skirt. This gives simple instructions on making a sloper. I then used my sloper pattern to make a pencil skirt. My original idea for this skirt was that it was supposed to be a A line skirt, but when laying out the fabric i realised that there would be enough for a pencil skirt as well. So i made the pencil skirt first as this is the simplest skirt that you can make from a sloper.

This skirt looks best side on, don't you agree?

It was so easy to do and fits perfectly. Though i found with my 32" waist and 37" hips, that i have no curves and really struggled to make the darts. In the end i made them by halving curves at the side seams.

To make a muslin i used some dark stripy wool in my stash, again in the attempt to make some more room in my fabric draw. The first muslin was too big, so i remeasured myself and cut the excess fabric from the first muslin. 

Second muslin.

Original Sloper.

My favorite part of the skirt is the vent at the back. I followed another tutorial for creating the vent, from another Burdastyle member: sunnilj9 called Adding a Back vent to the Jenny Skirt.

Vent in the back.

The hem is hand sewn. Usually when it come to the hem i in a hurry to get finished so just sew it up with the sewing machine, but this time i decided NO I am going to do it properly, and sat watching Mad Med last night while i hand stitched it. It looks so much better, defiantly going to keep doing this.

Next up an A line skirt in the same fabric. Then it can be worn whilst riding my bike.

1960's Toy Pattern - Simplicity 3701

1960's Toy Pattern - Simplicity 3701

I can not get over how cute this pattern is. I saw it in a charity shop, and thought how cute, but i can't wear it. So left it there, it then nagged at me for about 20 minutes until i ran downstairs to go buy it (i live on the High Street, by the way). I spent £1.50 on it, its not a lot, but its more than i would usually spend on a sewing pattern. Its is undated, but from a bit of research on the Internet i think it is about 1960's. Its uncut and looks as though is still factory folded, so i am going to be a bit hesitant to use it.

I also bought a load of 1970's vintage patterns today as well, unfortunately they are all in size 18, but the patterns are so lovely i bought them anyway. At £1 for 9 sewing patterns and 1 knitting pattern, i was not going to argue. Who ever owned them last had really good taste.No pics yet.

Little Black Dress - Style 3201 take 2

This is the Little Black Dress i made last week. I made it using the Style 3201 pattern i used for my 70's bell sleeved dress. The main body pieces were originally supposed to be lining for the original dress, but i did not used them; so i made this instead. This dress is lined and so much better for it. 

I made quite a lot of changes to the pattern. The sleeves are shorter  3/4 lengthen sleeves with tie ends. They are more flattering and modern looking than the sleeves that came with the pattern. The sleeves are my favorite part of the dress, i am doing these sleeve over and over again on other projects.

I also tried to raise the neck line, by adding a bit to the bodice pieces. This was a complete disaster (see below for pics). The two sides did not meet and left me very exposed. I think this happened because i had just got a new sewing machine and i made the seem allowances too big (bad excuse i know), i therefore could not cross over the front of the dress by as much as i needed to. So to remedy this i added a tie band to the neck and tied a big bow in front to cover it up. 

I really want to make this dress again, but with a few more changes. First i made this dress way too short for me. I still want it above the knee, but it need to be lower than what it is. Secondly i want to make the skirt part of the dress wider and more flowy. Thirdly i think that if i made it again it need to be in a slightly bigger size and the neck line raised more. Fourthly, it would look great in colorful patterned fabric. This black makes it look as though i am heading to a funeral.

New Sewing Machine!!!!

Well after finally giving up on my way too cheap sewing machine, i have bought a new one. Its only a very basic one, but that is all i need. Its a Singer Symphonie, ITS BRILL :). I got it at Aldi for £90, which i think is a good price as i have seen it else where for £115.  Everything works!! on my last machine nothing worked, not the tension wheel, bobbin winder, or the peddle. I am loving it. Now looking forward to may hours of sewing on my Symphonie, even the name sounds good.

Well the Symphonies first task was to finish my dress, which it did. Its not perfect, there are still loads of improvements i want to make. So i suppose that it is just a practice muslin. Though i did make some really good decisions like adding a lining which worked out really well. Here are a few pictures. I shall blog about it some more at the weekend, when i shall take some proper pictures in the daylight. It is still too dark when i get in from work for taking photos.

Gutted - RIP Sewing Machine

My sewing machine has broken. Its refusing to wind on a bobbin for me. So i can't finish my dress! 

The bobbin winder has always been very dodgy at best, but now it does not move at all. I suppose that this is what happens when you buy really cheap sewing machines. Anyway the bobbin winder is not all that is wrong with it, the push peddle is also not sensitive enough. In all it was very, very cheap machine.

I cant even tell you what make it is other than Argos Value because there are no marking on the actual machine. I only bought it to do a small bag making project and did not think that i would ever be this involved in making clothes, i just thought that making clothes would be just too complicated. 

So now i am after a new machine. I should be getting a lift  into town shortly, so what ever machine i end up with will not have too much research behind it. I saw a Singer Symphonie in ALDI a few weeks/months ago which looked aright, but I'll be lucky if they have got any left. If not i think the only place to buy one in town is Argos, though this time i shall spend a bit more than the £50 i did last time. 

Crocheted in the round

Crocheted in the round

My Sunday crocheting day produced these three small wheels crochet in the round. I have a plan for them or at least two of them, but i will share that in a latter post. Once i start crocheting i cant stop so i went slightly mad with a fourth wheel and made this colourful doily (below). It is nice to go straight around instead of making my usual granny squares.

Crocheted in the round

Also since i last posted i have started on a new dress. Actually it another version of the Style 3201 dress i made last. This one though is having 3/4 length sleeves and is going to be slightly shorter as i think the last one looked a bit frumpy. 

My new black dress is on its way