An oversized clutch

I'm one of those last minute sewers who is stitching right up until the moment a dress needs to be worn.  Then I realise that I don't have bag or shoes.  I decided to do something about this, with Vogue 8527 offering 3 oversized clutch designs.

The fabric is a silk duponi and a darker turquoise than the photograph suggests.  It is from my mother-in-law's linen press. It is one of the "good remnants".   I'm always hopeful when somebody offers me their fabric stash, even though they mostly turn out to be grandma polyester knit prints from the late seventies / early eighties. 

I didn't realise that the pattern was for an oversized clutch.  Even though Vogue provides dimensions on the pattern envelope, I never seem able to comprehend these figures before the pattern is purchased.  I prefer it when they photograph the designs on a life-sized model.  Actually, I can't put too much more in it than a regular sized clutch, otherwise it becomes too heavy to, um, well, clutch.  I do like it though, and I think that  I'll make it again in a more sedate fabric.

Tip for gathering tulle

I discovered a neat, little trick for gathering tulle the other day.  It starts with zig-zagging over dental floss.  I positioned the dental floss in the loop of my narrow-hemming foot to keep it centred as I was sewing.  I used a fairly wide zig-zag, so as not to get the dental floss caught.  Then, because I knew I was short of dental floss, I kept the floss under tension.  This had the added bonus of gathering the tulle evenly as I went, saving the tedious hand gathering step.  You can see it gathering behind the foot in the photo above.  Pull the floss tighter to increase the gathering.  The amount of gathering can still be adjusted after you have finished, as long as you have not cut the floss off too short.

Scrap Busting

We had a new babysitter last night.  At the end of the evening she reported that when she asked the children what their mother did, they replied that "she sews dresses".  The babysitter was surprised by this answer and wondered if I sewed for a shop.  No, she just likes to sew dresses.

Only lately, I have not had much chance to sew dresses.  I have had a skirt half sewn up for a couple of weeks now.  I should have got to it this weeked, but got distracted by a few stash-busting projects (can't get into the sewing room for all the remnants).

This little linen pouch is a gift for a friend. It can be folded to clutch size.  Unfolded, it is the right size for my Sudoku puzzle book.

I used some of my favourite scraps to make a little drawstring bag for my ballet shoes.  Not really necessary, but when I was sorting through the remants for gift ideas, I was thinking that everybody else ends up with my favourite craft items...perhaps I should make something lovely for me.  This one was quick to make and took very little fabric, so I have not really deprived my gift receivees.  It is much more lovely than the photograph suggests.

Now, I am going to nominate myself for a virtuous mother / virtuous aunt award for the next project.  10 pairs of childrens swimmers (not all photographed, as some are currently in the swimming pool).  This one started because I had a few lycra scraps left over from dance costumes.  Only big enough for a Size 3, but the lycra was such good quality that I didn't want to throw it away.  That got me started using up all the lycra scraps I had...it won't be much longer that I get to sew Sz 3 swimmers.  I don't need to sew bikini tops for the girls, because all the children up here when swimming shirts when they are swimming.  Whilst I was on a roll, I re-made some of last year's too short one-pieces into bikinis for me.

Lastly, an idea that won't use up much of the remnant pile, but needs scraps all the same.  I saw this gift wrapping idea in the lastest edition of Peppermint magazine.  Covered buttons.  I only had one button to cover, but I like this idea so much that I will go and get more.

Now, back to the skirt.

Twinkle Sews Flapper Camisole

A couple of weeks ago I came across the book "Twinkle Sews" when I was buying presents from the Book Depository.  Tell you what, I'm in looooove!  I can't stop looking at the pictures. I have not been this excited about patterns in a long time.  The patterns are designed by Wenlan Chia, who sends her collections down the runway at New York Fashion Week.  You can see some of the designs in the book over at Hazelnut's blog.

When the big pattern companies put out their collections, I always head for the tops and blouses, hoping for something special and mostly leaving disappointed.  I don't know what it is, but I just don't look good in T-shirts or in collared blouses, which eliminates a lot out there.  My favourite shirts are raglan sleeved, and Wenlan has a whole section devoted to these.  There is another section on dropped shoulder blouses.  I sewed up one of the patterns in the spaghetti strap section, because I had recently fitted and made a Vogue camisole, which I used as a comparison so that I would not get held up with fit issues (I was excited...had to dive straight in and even interrupted the sewing of 15 purple princess dresses for my daughter's dance concert).

Mine looks rather different to the one in the book because of the fabrics I chose.  I'll put all the details in a pattern review, so head on over there  if you want to find out more about it.

oops...I forgot to mention the beads.  At first I tried sewing on beads that I just collected up from around the house (surprising how many there were), but then a non-sewing friend suggested that after going to all the effort of making the shirt, surely I could go to the bead shop and select matching beads...and whilst I was at it, perhaps I could learn to sew them on straight!  Well, I did go and choose beads, which is not my special talent, but I never got them straight.  Oh well.  The beads are needed to hold the inner strips along the neckline and over the straps.

The top is gorgeous to wear and feels all floaty because it is made of silk...and I love that it is a truly one-of-a kind top.  A big thanks to Wenlan Chia and her team for making these patterns available to us.

A little piece of sunshine yellow

This little top started out as Style "m" in girly style wardrobe.  It was supposed to be a dress, but during a lapse in concentration, I cut it off at the wrong line.  I reduced the fullness and used pin-tucks instead of gathers.  I was taking in the armholes across the front chest, as I think many children's patterns are too wide there, and in another concentration lapse, kept cutting at the bottom of the armholes...so now they are cut a tad low  ("I think I'll just wear this one at home Mum, I don't want people to see my underarms"..."Yeah?  What about all those singlet tops you get about in?").  I swapped the patch pocket for one of my own design, and now that I'm looking at the photos, I realise that I've sewn it on the wrong side.  In spite of all that kerfuffle, it is still a pretty cute little top.

The yellow seersucker fabric is from Tessuti's Surry Hills store.  It is a medium weight seersucker, which would probably look good in those Burda WOF seersucker jackets that crop up at regular intervals!  The yoke fabric is an Amy Butler fat quarter.

Quick Cotton Camisole

I had some large triangular scraps left over from cutting the bias strips for this dress....just perfect for making a bias-cut camisole.  I like to try out camisole patterns as they come along.  One day I'll get around to drafting just what I want.  In the meantime, this is Vogue 2941, which is a DKNY pattern.  It is pretty straight forward with just one piece for the front and one for the back.  I like the wide placement of the straps, but would prefer seaming under the bust.  Although I am wearing it with a skirt today, mostly, I think it will be for sleepwear.  I wasn't going to show it to  you at all, but it is the precursor to a more exciting project that I have coming up...stay tuned!

Spring Florals

For many, the Melbourne Cup is a day to dress up in your finest frock and sip champagne whilst watching a televised horse race.  I had no plans for the Melbourne Cup this year, but it was my first "free" day in a while, so I thought I would spend it making a frock whilst everyone else wore theirs.  Then yesterday, I got a last minute invite to lunch.  I was kinda attached to the idea of sewing this dress, so I started it last night and finished it this morning (well, almost, the facings still need to be stitched down), and was only 20 minutes late for lunch.

The fabric:  A very fine, floaty cotton from Gardams, in Brisbane.

The pattern:  Originally I had planned to make this fabric into a tunic-style dress with long sleeves, but I decided that the print was a bit too bold for that much coverage.  Prints are always a bit tricky, so I flicked through some old Vogue magazines for inspiration and found a simple style by Dries Van Noten, in his SS2007 collection.  He uses the most gorgeous prints in his collections, to great effect.  I drafted the pattern myself, though I think that there are similar styles in the pattern books.  His model wears the dress below her knees.  Mine is not that long, but I have a very deep hem, so I could lengthen it easily.  Mostly I will wear this dress a summer every-day dress.

I have a close-up of the strap detail below.  It is actually a double strap, with the green strap cut on the bias, only because I patching together scraps to get enough fabric.