Vogue 8750 and my Contest Mini Wardrobe Final Entry

For anyone that has not been following me I have entered a competition on pattern review to sew 4 items in 1 month and create at least 4 looks.  
So here is my entry picture.

 My little grey skirt my final piece, which I havent really had chance to post about is included.
I like this skirt, despite sewing the curves and constant unpicking. It proved to be the most difficult piece to do out of all the 4 due to the fabric.  The colour goes wonderfully with the top and it has a silver metallic finish, it reacted terribly to heat resulting in me having to press with a warm iron and a very damp cloth. The fabric was a bane it shrivelled, puckered and I am now unpicking my triple top stitching in an effort to make the skirt look less puckered.  Its too late in the day to redo the photos. But I will continue with my unpicking. 

In honesty looking at the pics some outfits work more than others. The shirt, though the fabric is soft it is somehow rigid which effects its overall appearance, for a start it makes me look bigger than I am.  The whole process was stash busting and using existing patterns, but I had to make a few purchases in the end. Yes I am my own worst critic with my handiwork, there is always improvement.  But  I have so enjoyed this contest its been fun and made me think more about what I was making and how it works with other items, instead of just matching available fabric to a pattern, its also been a great motivator for me.

Vogue.7903 Shirt

This is my third piece of the mini wardrobe competition finished.  Its a shirt, and I haven't done collars for a  very long time , so it was a challenge.  I really like this blouse, especially the yoke.  Originally I was going to add a pleated yoke, but my friend thought it may be too rigid, Im so glad I took her advice as the fabric is quite thick, its a cotton sheet that was in my stash originally purchased to back a quilt.  I still wanted to have a go at cutting into my front shirt piece and recreating something different

I had an old top with inserts that had seen its day, so I carefully unpicked them   and worked out how I could use these short pieces on the yoke.  The effort paid off and I like the result. 

 The only thing I dislike are  the cuffs they are very long and loose (and I have thick wrists)  It makes the shirt feel big , in fact I have turned them back on the second picture. I shall have to review that next time I make one.   I even managed to find some vintage buttons with square inserts to match the ladder effect in the yoke.  Overall I think I have made a nice, crisp classic shirt.

A quick catch up

A quick hello, I am still here ploughing through my September sewing tasks and clearing and rearranging the garden ready for the forthcoming winter.


 My mini wardrobe is coming along and I am on my last piece.  The blouse is finished, washed and in need of a press. It look like nice and fresh on the hanger I am pleased with it especially the yoke insert.  I will show you a proper photo when I do my review for it.
Im now ploughing on with piece 4 a grey skirt, change of colour and fabric, so much for my detailed plan. 

 
I had a great weekend, on Saturday my friend had a stall at a craft market in our local town.  She had decided to de-stash, and I offered to help her, and on Sunday I was in my garden, my sons partner came around and we got so much done. 



 Saturday was a lovely day, (I so love September, my favourite month).  The sun was out and there was a jazz band playing, the market had a lovely vibe.   My friend did well considering it was aimed at a certain few, it amazed me that some people told me they had never used a sewing needle.

Of course I bought something, 2 pieces of fabric, the grey that I am using for my skirt and some patchwork cotton with swimmers on, I like the colours and its fun,  but Im not too sure how I will use it I have 2metres 20 any ideas?

 

Rethinking about patterns

Ive been doing alot of thinking about patterns of late especially with the change of seasons.  Im slowly coming to the conclusion that there isnt much choice out there in new patterns. 
Dont get me wrong there are few fantastic patterns that I have my eye on.  Just waiting for the offers to come up here in the UK.  For example some of the Vogue designer patterns are very clever, I always seem to be drawn to the ones that look like they would be tricky to sew.  Something different and challenging.

Vogue 3161

        

Vogue 1362

Vogue 1360 very similar to a pattern I made.  tricky but rewarding.

 But when you get looking at the other pattern they are very deja vu  The photos are good, here is a good example.  This shirt looks intricate but its all in the fabric choice.  Take another look at the illustration.  You will see that it its just a simple straight shirt pattern. Now surely we all have one of those in our patterns.

Here we have a basic long sleeved top that is made from 2 pieces of fabrics that makes it appear different.

A  jacket  cut across the waist, puts a different twist on this style

I look at the illustrations and think "Well thats like this pattern I already have but with........"  With a little skill and imagination we do not have to buy lots of patterns but just think different. Unless of course you like doing that.

Here in the UK patterns are not cheap especially  the Vogue, which are  ridiculously expensive, but for me its not just about saving a few £££ its more about being creative.

Mini wardrobe 2nd Piece New Look 6699 modified

Wow I cannot believe I am now half way through my mini wardrobe contest pieces.  I still have to make my shirt and a button through skirt, before tackling Scary September challenge "my first bra" (I sound like a young teenager again!)

My skirt, was made from an old New Look pattern 6699.  I took the skirt pieces from this pattern and used them.  When my fabric was delivered I laid it next to the top and added the bias tape as I envisaged it looking complete.
 I  then decided it didnt look right the bias was too broad, so I redrafted the skirt, using my 2 skirt pieces as blocks and referring to my metric pattern cutting book by Winifred Aldrich, I managed to make a new skirt pattern from it, I havent done pattern cutting for a long while and I only know basic.
I really like it and I like the piped effect with my new bias binding, I think I shall do more of this. Im not too sure if that horizontal band, if is in the right place, and I have tapered the skirt more this time.  Excuse quality of photo, the light it poor.

Ive only just discovered floral bias binding, Im aware its been around a while be we have only just started having it stocked nearby. I think its lovely and I am getting quite a collection.

Isnt this a great match for colours

For the lining I used a piece of fabric from my stash it was a bit short so I add a ribbon on the bottom.  The fabric is vintage for a car boot sale and I didnt realise that it was faulty until I got it home.  But Im fine with this as the whole exercise of the mini wardrobe was using up my fabrics and only I will see this.

Ive now cut  No. 3 my white shirt pattern long sleeve version Vogue 7903 its ages since I made a shirt and it should be fun.

 I was going to add a pleated yoke, copying a design I had seen

 On asking my sewing buddy her advice, I decided against it. I still liked the idea of a yoke front though.  So it got me thinking, lace? ribbon?  I had unpicked a top that had seen its day, it had lovely inserts on the lower part of the blouse. (I'm a sucker for dismantling clothing for the trims, zips, buttons, only if they are special.)  So I thought I would try them out on a yoke before I cut the rest of the fabric out. Its was very time consuming, and as the pieces were previously cut I was having to place them just so on my yoke template.  But I think it will be work and the efforts worthwhile, and it wont look as ridged as the pleating. Do you like it?

Mini Wardrobe 1st Piece Butterick 5890

Well I have finished my first top of the mini wardrobe.  





I like the pattern B5890  and I like this top.

I will make it again, but I think I chose the wrong fabric for the pattern, however I was stash busting for the mini wardrobe.  It isnt crisp enough, but more importantly it just wants to waft about, not giving me that smooth clean line, I will constantly be adjusting it.  .


A little different from the illustrations a) as previously mentioned the collar is  now fixed and not white as it just wouldnt  have worked, my fabric is alot darker than my illustration.

Its made of one of my least favourite fabrics (polyester) and its very floaty, I dont make floaty dresses or blouses. I love the pattern  and the colours of the fabric and more than likely bought it because of that.  


I had to make a slip  to wear as my friend pointed out she could see absolutely everything underneath. "What Absolutely Everything!"  Luckily I had enough of the material so I used that.   I should have self lined it like  the sleeves had been, but hadnt thought of that at the time.  The sheerness didnt bother me while making it up, but maybe when out with joe public it could have proved embarrassing.


Okay, How you all produce these magnificent pictures with a self-timer is beyond me.

Obviously not enough time there!

       

A little better if not blurry.

Stash busting Part II

Well I have gone and done itand entered myself for a competition, not only the mini wardrobe, but also over at Beverley's blog  I have entered scary September where I will endeavour to make a bra and conquer my sewing fear.  So few pieces of fabric but I cannot seem to get my head around it.  

Well I have jiggled with fabric and patterns, selected then de-selected and this is my mini wardrobe.  but I will have to spend my pennies, so much for de-stashing.  I will use two pieces of fabrics from my stash and I have had  to order two pieces of fabric. I have since decided that I would like a crisp white shirt, so the cotton I was hoping to use was just too soft.  I  came across a shirt on the Boden website that I really like, so my drawings will have to be changed again
So here it is, I wanted an everyday mini wardrobe. 

4 garments and 4 outfits.
1. top with collar.  I have started this and have decided that a white collar wouldnt look right, my illustration is too pale and there is alot more black in it  so I am just going to make a collar with the same fabric
2. straight skirt,  with contrast edgings
3. button through skirt,this will be made from a pink linen mix,
4. button through blouse, this is the shirt I like (below) and  I really would like to make, hope I can use my pattern and add the yoke (it has tucks on) also if I have enough time.

I know they havent got the WOW factor, in fact the illustrations look abit basic, and I am finding, no matter how much you plan, your decision making becomes flexible once you starting making these garments. 

I am finding entering a  contest is motivating me ( yes its early days) I am determined to finish these outfits, just to see if they all work as hoped.  I have already started the patterned blouse and it is 3/4 finished, though I will have to make a camisole to go under it. I shall hopefully be able to show you in the next few days

My artwork

Someone commented to me that they thought I must be artistic.  Admittedly art was one of my best subjects at school, and I have dabbled with paper and paint since.  It must run in the family.  My nephew paints and has had several  exhibitions, my daughter is also very artistic, she amazed me with her sketches and the ability to"think out of the box" and produce something different.

After reading the comment it made think, so I got my sketch book and art work and looked through my pictures. I thought I would bravely share with you some of my work (the better pieces) that I have done over the years, some recently, and some along time ago I hope you like, BEWARE they are very amateurish.   

My daughter at the computer, at my little sewing desk

Im pleased with  this one  especially the glass. Though I think the neck  of the bottle isnt quite straight, and leaning to the left slightly.
  Somehow this bottle never got filled with pennies

These I did years ago when I went to an art class.  The tutor liked the ducks, if I remember rightly we had to paint clear reflections, just copying pictures from art magazines.   My Christmas picture on the right, the colours are muddy and not clear enough,  something I struggle with when using water colours, I believe the art is not to play with them too much.As with most hobbies and skills we have, the more we practice the better we become, and I prefer to sew.