Crescent Skirt

I’ve been following Tasia’s Crescent sewalong and have finished my skirt and I think it looks great, like everyone else I really like the pockets but I also like the yoke round the waist.

Unfortunately there are a couple of issues (all of my making) , I made size 16 but it seems to be a bit too big, the waist is falling down onto a low waist (which is a problem I seem to have with lots of skirts, even when I measure the waist the real thing seems to be too big, must make more muslins and check out FFRP!) so next time it would have to be a 14 as the hip measurement is obviously not as critical.    Having measured the finished skirt waist measurement its coming up bigger than the patterns finished measurement, maybe I’ve not been as accurate with my seam allowances as I should have been….

The other imperfection is the zip… I’ve only put invisible zips in before (with hit or miss success)  and Tasia had a new technique to put the zip in.  I think part of the problem was that somehow I managed to miss the step where I sew the centre back seam below the zip!  Maybe being used to invisible zips I was working on the principle it would be done after the zip was inserted but obviously that doesn’t work with a regular zip.  Anyway I had the zip in there looking lovely and realised what I had done so I had to unpick the lower part of the zip to sew the seam down.  This bodge caused most of my zip problems I think.  Its not too bad but the bottom of the zip is not as neat as I would have liked, the topstitching around the zip is also not as neat as possible and I had to unpick and redo a section of this as the stitches were fouling the zip.  Anyhoo, I got the zip in, I decided not to topstitch or stitch-in-the-ditch around the facing as I couldn’t get a straight line well enough to pass muster (the fabric I used was a thickish black and white weave so its tricky to work out the edge) and I didn’t want to spoil it!  I have stitched this by hand. 

So that's the negatives, now for the positives, as I said I like the waistband, I love the pockets and the overall shape.

I also liked the zip/facing method of putting the zip in, had I done it properly it would have been a dream.  Like the Pendrell the pattern is brilliant with innovative design features and techniques.  Having the sewalong to follow is also a great boom as although the pattern directions are comprehensive Tasia covers alternative methods plus the posts are  so picture heavy there should be no excuse to get it wrong!!!!    I was able to use my overlocker a lot to finish the seams.  Next time I think I would be tempted to use a contrast on the pocket and a trim on the waistband (although I never tuck tops in so it might never get seen!)  and generally be a bit braver!   When I was shopping for fabric for this project I wanted a colourful linen but couldn’t find it so I might try it again.  

I’ll add some pictures to the Flickr group as well. 

Caught up!

So I’m supposed to be doing the Crescent skirt sew along but what with Easter weekends away, Royal Weddings and day trips to London to visit the British Museum (seriously what a brilliant place, I loved it, it was amazing all the beautiful things to see there as long as you put aside the imperial idea that we could go anywhere in the world and take it back to Britain!  Now all this stuff is displayed for us to see and learn from and they have some great kids trails to do, we did Egyptians and Dragons yesterday.) I haven’t been a very good sew alonger! I got as far as tracing out the pattern in the size I thought I wanted and that was it, and that happened back on on 18 April when Tasia posted her Lets get started post.  It sat there staring indignantly at me thinking ‘I’ve been dumped, I’m destined to become a UFO!’ so this morning I guiltily gathered all my bits together and kicked my butt into gear.  Choosing to ignore my family (come on its been the school holidays, 2 long weekends, I’m sure they have seen more than enough of me to tolerate one morning of independent play and their father can refer any arguments as well as I can!) and got myself caught up. 

I decided not to make a full muslin as I felt it was only the yoke that needed checking. After sewing the curved seam wrong a grand total of 8 times (I know, I don’t understand it either, I think it was because there is no right and wrong side of the fabric I was using, either that or I’m a worse seamstress than I thought I was!) I finally got a decent yoke.  I sewed it in Frost Fleece so I’m not going to show you as its too transparent to broadcast my ample tummy region on t’internet.  Anyway I think the fit is good, sitting slightly below my waist on a low waist line.  I think the length is good but I reserve the right to reduce the hem allowance to eke out as much length as I need. 

I’ve now completed my least favourite part of sewing, the cutting out, I have all the pieces cut out and the interfacing so I’m ready to go.  Caught up!  Right better go and spend some time with the family, as I haven’t got any pictures to show you I thought you could have some pictures of the British Museum!

 

Where’s the bandwagon?

Yes I am still here, never being the most regular blogger I seem to have turned into an occasional blogger these days.  I still read everyone else’s blogs avidly and in doing so have seen all the wonderful Pendrell Blouses around blogland.  I stumbled across Tasia of Sewholic Patterns just as she was finishing her Pendrell Blouse Sewalong and then loads of versions popped up on various blogs each one looking as lovely as the last and making me itch to make one myself especially as I’m her target audience being very pear shaped!  So when she released her latest pattern (Crescent Skirt) and was offering free shipping (from Canada fgs, I can’t get free delivery from Tesco round the corner never mind Canada!) on both patterns I thought it sounded a great deal (ever the MSEer!). 

Tasia is starting a Sewalong on Monday for the Crescent Skirt which I intend to join in with BUT I’m away for the Easter weekend so I might dip in and out of it.  But in the meantime I HAD to make a Pendrell and as part of my on-going attempt to transform from Slummy to Yummy I thought it would be perfect.  I knew I wanted a white top, to be able to wear with a multitude of patterned skirts I’ve previously made so I found a white cotton lawn (I think) with dobby dots and little squares.  Its a little sheer but not too immodest!  I didn’t want my first (I’m sure there will be more of them….) version to be slippery fabric so I went for the cotton and it was really easy to make.  The only problems I encountered were of my own making

• I need to use a finer needle for fine fabrics as I had a problem with skipped stitches especially sewing through the various layers when sewing on bias binding trim.  I used a new needle and I re-threaded many times but I kept having the same problem therefore I deduce the problem must be the wrong size needle.  I don’t usually sew with finer dressmaking fabrics so I need to invest in better needles.  I found this a problem in the past having used cheaper Hemline needles, and then swopping for better quality John James needles.  I should have used a size 9/70 I guess..
• The pattern is a little too long for my tastes, I don’t wear tops tucked in so the natural length is too long for me.  I was too unsure about cutting the pattern before hand (I have enough trauma cutting the paper pattern as it is, what if I’ve got the wrong size?  What if I cut the wrong line?! Can’t get a refund on a cut pattern!) so I ended up cutting off about 4 inches after construction.  I shall go back now and amend the paper patterns to take this into consideration as I can’t every see myself wanting to wear it longer. 
• I measured myself and 3 out of  4 measurements ended up in the size 14 columns so I traced that size off on Frost Fleece.  Using the Fit For Real People method I tissue fitted the pattern but felt that it wasn’t quite generous enough across the bust and hip even though they were the measurements that hit that size!  I went for the Size 16 (and cut the paper pattern!) but I still have the Frost Fleece if I decide to go a little smaller.  I think the 16 is a good fit but maybe a smidgeon big around the neck.  I might try a 14 in a Frost Fleece muslin to double check the size. 
• Maybe because I used the 16 I found the armholes a little gappy so I sewed the side seam about 1/2 inch smaller and tapered back to the side seam, this seemed to work well. 
• I had to sew first and then overlock later as I’m always afraid to commit to doing it in one pass on my overlocker which made the process a little longer.  Having done one version I think next time I’ll do it in one go, that might reduce the amount of skipped stiches as well as the overlocker doesn’t stop for anyone!

Anyway so late last night I finished it!  As it was such a lovely day today I decided to wear it on our family visit to Fishbourne Roman Place near Chichester along with my previous latest creation which I never got round to blogging!  Back in February I bought some Echino Bonbon in brown which I think made a lovely skirt but none of my family seem to agree!!! What do you think?!

I was wearing jeans when I tried it on yesterday but when I put it on this morning I had a bit of a crisis of confidence as I looked different and the ruffles looked waaay too OTT for me but looking at this picture I think it looks ok.  I would like to make a turquoise version to match the turquoise circles in this skirt but then I would only be able to wear it with this skirt or jean?  I would also like to try a shiny fabric but defiantly need good needles for that one!

I’ve got all my supplies for the Crescent, even though it took ages to find a fabric I liked so that's the next bandwagon to jump onto, at this rate I’ll be on to the Colette Patterns next as they are other company that everyone in blogland raves about atm.  Crepe maybe? Or probably Beignet?!

So anyway after irregular blogging I’ve made up for it in this post a very wordy one which can be summarised thus

1. I made a Pendrell because everyone else was
2. I will most likely make another one or two
3. I’m going to make a Crescent Skirt in the Sewalong
4. I’m easily swayed to follow a sewing blogging meme!
5. I’m a crap Blogger!

Advent Calender Sew Along #1 - I must be crazy!

So last weekend I was going through my bogs and I came to Homemade by Jill and saw that she has started an Advent Calender Sew Along so of course I decided in the middle of November that I NEEDED to make a new advent calender!  You know how it is, we see something on a blog and our life will never be satisfied if we don't make it as well!  So off I went to the fabric shop to get some nice white felt, I already had coloured felt and embroidery silks so I've been off and away.   So a week later, this is where I am, 

• I've got 2 squares left to make
• a tree to cut out
• all the squares and tree to be sewn onto the background
• some sort of hanging mechanism to be organised
• Ornaments to be designed and made

Add to this the usual Christmas shopping, cooking & preparation for 10 guests for the Christmas period (staying!) and both my kids birthdays in Dec (including a really exciting intricate Harry Potter party) and you can see that I'm beginning to think I've bitten off more than I can chew!!!!  I'm not going to be able to make all the ornaments before Dec starts but as long as I can finish them the night before I should be ok.......

Check out the Flickr group for more lovely calenders but don't blame me if you fall in love and feel you have to make one, its a bit too late now!