3 sewing machines and no iron*

After loving Andreas Renfrew dress…

(source)

…I decided I needed wanted to make one. So I bombarded Andrea with questions about how she made her and she was kind enough to give me great answers that actually made me change my mind.  Originally I was going to put a zip in the back and stabilize the waist with bias binding as I was a bit concerned about it stretching, she said she hadn’t stabilized the waist and made the point that I would need to stabilize the zip area with knit interfacing which I didn’t have.  I hadn’t thought about that so I decided to throw caution to the wind and go with the easier option and just sew it and see!  The fabric was stable thicker knit so I thought it would be ok,  it was from Ditto and on sale!

So what did I make?

…a great dress…

 

…with a great fit…

…front and back…

…with a half circle twirly skirt…

…and thread belt carriers…

What do you think? I love it!

For the record it was a Renfrew top which I took down quite a few sizes compared to the other Renfrews I’ve made, this was done in a completely unscientific way of making up the usual size and then hacking inches off the side seams of the top until it fitted!  I’ve now traced that final size onto the original pattern so I shouldn’t have the same problem next time (as I’m sure there will be a next time!). I decided on a circle skirt but wanted a half-circle, I looked at a few tutorials about making circle skirt and after getting husband to talk it through with me I kinda understood it (I got my GCSES maths but that was a lifetime and 2 children ago and it doesn’t make sense anymore!) so I cut the skirt and basted it on.  This was the point at which I realised the top needed taking in, Doh! I think the weight of the skirt made extra width look worse and it resembled a sack! So I took the skirt off (good job it was only machine basted and not knit stitched!) and did the aforementioned hack job.  Finally I had a fit I liked.   I topstitched the neckline using my lovely knit twin needle with one line of stitching either side of the seam line. 

and I didn’t use the original Renfrew sleeve bands, I added the length to the sleeve pattern and then turned the hem up and twin topstitched again.  I did this flat, before I sewed the sleeve to the bodice.

(Light is too bright, its not this blue!)

I also twin top stitched the hem after overlocking the edge and turning up just that small hem amount.  Making the thread belt carriers was a lot easier than I thought it would be.  I just ran some stitches off the overlocker and then threaded that through the side seams and back leaving enough width for the belt I was going to wear with it and tied the ends together inside.  All in all its a lovely comfortable dress and I can see myself making more if I find the right fabric.   This navy is a little plain and I wasn’t sure what accessories to wear with it as I’m usually a utilitarian-black-shoes kinds girl but I recently bought my-new-favourite-shoes lovely animal print ballet shoes from Clarks I thought they would add a little drama to the outfit without too much!  I don’t do too much drama!

So the title? Well I have 3 sewing machines, 2 regular sewing machines and an overlocker.  I’m not brave enough to just sew and trim the seams on the overlocker in one go so I sew on the regular machine first and then use the overlocker to trim and finish.  One sewing machine has a really good knit stitch (but a complete bugger to unpick) but the position and the way you put a needle in means you can’t use a twin needle as the needles end up one in front of each other rather than next to each other.  The other machine will allow me to put the twin needle in but no knit stitch so I I ended up using 3 machines to make one dress!  But I didn’t use the iron once (not something  to be proud of really but nice to experience once in a while) as the fabric was thick and easily manageable.  Since I’ve twin top stitched the hem that could do with a quick press as its a little bumpy but it didn’t stop me wearing it to a party last night!  It will also be perfect for school and that's why I can see more coming in my future even possibly for the Wedding I have later on in the year if I find suitable fabric.  At the moment, I’m fancying a Cambie in maybe a linen print (my favourite fabric) if I can find some great fabric. I’ve made the full skirted version but now I fancy the a-line version to have cleaner lines at my waist.  Will have to see what fabric I find and how long it takes me as I don’t have so much sewing time these days…

* http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109831/

Lazy lazy lazy

I’m a very lazy sewer and even worse blogger! 

• I make things and forget to blog them
• sometimes I just think about making things for ages before I get round to finishing them
• sometimes I pause half way through making things to think some more! 

This post covers all these possibilities. 

I made yet another Renfrew top, this time with a  lovely knitted wool I bought from Ditto in Brighton a while ago

source

as soon as I saw it I thought “Renfrew!!!” and it was on sale, bargainilious but as usual I sat and thought about it for a while.

So this is what I made!

I’ve also been doing some functional sewing like taking up trousers for Miss C (tracksuits, Brownies Uniform, School Trousers) even the arms on her Brownies T-Shirt! 

And thinking, well I’ve been blog-stalking Andrea at Four Square Walls after I saw her beautiful dress she made from Renfrew pattern and I thought, “I want one!”  I bought some Navy heavy jersey from Ditto and I’ve cut out the bodice, and now I’m doing some more thinking.  I’m thinking I want to do short sleeves but instead of the sleeve band I’m thinking hem and sew with twin needle.  The skirt I was originally going to do a full circle skirt but I think that's going to be too full so now I’m thinking half circle but tbh the maths is putting me off! I’ve found tutorials and calculators to do the maths for me but I not motivated enough to try it!  So now I have half a dress cut out on my sewing table!  To make things worse I’ve just got a new job in school starting after half term as well as going to college, as well as having 2 kids so I’m not going to have much time for sewing.  I might have to employ Tilly’s 15 a day strategy to get anything done.  I could do with finishing this dress as it would be great for school especially with some cool coloured tights!

Sarah Lund Renfrew

Ok, ok, so I might have been late to the party but now I’m here I’m going for it!  Renfrew No2…

Look at the camera Louise!

That's better!

I saw this fabric in the show about a month ago and straight away thought it looked perfect for a Renfrew.

Its a knit but it looks like a Fair Isle knitted pattern.  Very Scandinavian hence the Sarah Lund reference.  As I’m rubbish at knitting its the closest I’m ever going to get to one of these beauties!

I used at 14 on the top half including the sleeves and graded out to a 16 about the waist.  I think it looks much better than the Stripy Renfrew I first made which was 16 all over. 

I spent ages making sure the stripes matched up well, the side seams are great and I basted them first to check before sewing for good.  I only had to resew 1 seam which was even better.  The only thing I couldn’t work out was to match the stripe across my chest with the stripe on the sleeve.  I spent ages walking the seamlines together to try to work out where they intersected but it didn’t work out.  As least the two sleeves are the same so its not as bad as it could be but if anyone has any advice on how to get the shoulder stripes to match it will be great fully received!

I’m really pleased with this version, its lovely and cuddly and although I’m wearing casually with jeans and boots today I think it would look great for work paired with a black linen skirt and thick black tights, or even red/burgundy tights, what do you think?  My only problem is the school where I work is really hot, I always wear lots of layers there and end up stripping off through the day!

So that's 2 Renfrews, I’m not done yet though, I’ve got loads of the stripy fabric left  so I might try a round necked or v-necked version next time, maybe with short sleeves.  I know everyone has said it but it really is a great pattern, very versatile, quick, straightforward to sew and so adaptable.  I might even try a simpler version without stripes soon!  

2012

Review time!  Well I majorly failed in achieving what I set out to do at the beginning of the year!  I was going to make a dress every month of the year to increase my sewing skills and to increase my wardrobe! Well that didn’t work! For the first few months it went well I made 4 dresses and a cheating dress for Miss C all of which I’ve worn regularly over the year.

But then deadline was getting to me, I was making Simplicity 2588 in a lovely navy gingham and it just turned into a disaster when I got the the collar stage.  I’d even made a muslin of this dress which looked good and I had high hopes.  I spent ages making sure that the gingham squares would line up but I think I put the collar piece on the wrong way round and by the time I realised I’d trimmed the pieces and broken my heart!  Its all in a bag, maybe I’ll revisit next year…

So I decided to stop pressuring myself and take a break.  From then on the rest of the year was great, I sewed what and when I wanted, I even got into hand sewing and hand quilted a quilt.I found it relaxing and enjoyable to sit there in the evening sewing away.  This was why I at the end of the year I finally had some success with crocheting. 

My best successes this year were designing and drafting a costume for Miss M and making my Stripy Renfrew top although the kids LOVE the quilt!

I enjoyed the process of making a sloper/block for Miss M and the freedom to design whatever we wanted.  It made me go back to my long dreamed of ideal of having a basic block for me and adapting it.  I’m not going to set myself the challenge of doing this as from past experience I’ve found it doesn’t work, plus since last year I’ve now got 2 jobs and doing a Teaching Assistant course which tons of homework each week!  Hopefully I will be getting more work next year so I’m not going to put any more pressure on myself, but I would like to draft out a basic bodice and go from there instead of buying the same type of dress all the time and making similar adjustments all the time.  I’d also like to make more Renfrews as they are just great and perfect for work in school so I’m on the look out for lovely knits.  I’d like to try more crochet but not sure what yet, it was great to have a target and theme of Christmas for the bits I made but not sure what to do in 2013.  BTW this blog is now 3 years old!

Late to the party!

I bought Sewaholics Renfrew pattern back in the spring when it was first released, I bought some knit fabric in September but its taken me until now to actually make one!  All year I’ve been seeing great tops all over the blogssphere, my usual outfit at this time of year is knitted tops yet I still didn’t get round to making it.  I think I was a bit scared of the whole knit thing but now I’ve made it I don’t know why! 

I made the cowl neck version with 3/4 length sleeves and I love it!

I made a 16 which is perfect for the hips but I think a little wide on the top and sleeves.  I think I’ll use a 14 bust and grade out to a 16, it says something when I’m so hippy that I have to have a smaller bust to hip in Sewaholic patterns when Tasia specifically designs for us pear-shaped girls!!!!!!!!

I’m quite pleased with my stripe matching.  I bought some fairly cheap knit from Fabricland and traced the main pieces so I could cut it from a single layer rather than folded as there is no way I would be able to get the stripes lined up on the fold.  I’m glad I did that and will continue using them once I’ve graded the top. 

Of course I was bound to like the top everyone likes it and its a great cake top which with the right fabric can be quite frosting-like!  Now I need to find some better quality fabric, maybe a nice bamboo knit or sparkly knit!

Ditch the plan, get a new plan…

You might have been forgiven in thinking I’d dropped off the face of the world but I have seriously lost my sew-jo this summer.  I set myself a challenge at the beginning of the year to sew a dress a month (I know this is nothing compared to some other sewers but a lot for me) well that was an Epic Fail!  I’ve ground to a halt, the dresses I’ve made I like and have been wearing all summer but having a commitment made it too much of a chore.  Over the summer I started a quilt for myself and I really enjoyed the fact of having no deadline, no commitment (other than winter!) and no pressure!  I haven’t finished it yet (need to get some more fabric) but I don’t care!  I will finish it but I don’t feel obliged to finish it by any particular date.  I’ve also been on holiday and the change of routine of the school holidays has really put a dent in my enthusiasm. 

So now we’re in September and the kids are back to school and this year things are different, I’m back to school as well!  For the last half term before Summer I was working as as dinner lady at Miss M’s Middle School and I’ve returned to that, on top of that I’ve taken a job at Miss C’s First School as a Casual Teaching Assistant.  I’ve been volunteering at her school for a number of years since my kids started going there and came to the conclusion that it was the kind of job I could enjoy doing.  I don’t have any formal qualification in this area so I’m also starting a  course next week to get a qualification in Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools!  The Teaching Assistant role is covering sickness and absence for the Teaching Assistants at the school and I’ll be part of a team so I’m not sure how much I’ll get called on,  so I’ve come to an arrangement with the Middle School that if I get called into be a TA I don’t have to be a Dinner Lady that day as well!  Does that make sense? We’ll have to see how it goes…

So this is my first job after 5 years out of work and I suddenly realised that I don’t have any suitable clothes!  I need practical clothes that are smart but friendly given I’m dealing with children aged up to 8.  So I got some black trousers (that workplace standard) and a couple of blouses, I’ve also got some fabric to make my own!

Simplicity 2599

I’ve had this pattern for well over a year after seeing so many great tops made all over the blogosphere.  As I’ve been concentrating on dresses I’ve just never got the pattern out of the packet.  It looks like it can be a good basic top with plenty of options.   The fabric is a viscose with small flowers, my husband said ‘That looks like you work in a school!’ so I guess its the right fabric!

Sewaholic Renfrew

Again I’ve had this pattern since it was released but never got it out of the packet.  I’ve never found a jersey I liked as my local fabric store doesn’t have a great range of jerseys so today I went to Fabricland in Brighton where they have loads of jerseys.  I have photos of all my patterns stored on my phone so I can check the details when I’m in a shop to find out how much I need, I did that today and looked at the back for the largest size and saw 3, so I asked for 3 metres of each jersey.  What I didn’t appreciate is the width of the fabric, so I actually have loads of jersey!  We might end up being a family with matching t-shirts soon! 

 

So these are my plans, not too taxing, no deadline, but with a reason to make them rather than a nice to have.  How do you get your sew-jo back when its wandered off?  Change of plans, ditch the plans, or keep plugging on regardless?