Been a while, what have I been up to?!

So its been a while since I last blogged, I am going to blame work, because it has been so demanding mentally, so that is my excuse.

I sew when I can. I have noticed a bit a of a pattern with my sewing habits too. I tend to to do everything up until the last 10%, it seems to just get hard. I know its something I need to work on! Ill add that to the "to do" list.


So far I have been working on a Peplum top that is in the Burda Book, it has been pretty good, I was quite surprised with myself, I use calico first to make sure everything was correct with the fitting,

I was extremely happy once I got an arm on! 

That message went to Google + and Facebook!

A few issues, fitting something to your body shape is not easy, a had to make a lot of alterations and that was tricky.Once I got one arm on my calico, I was ready to put it to pattern to the real deal material, so I brought some nice light non see through material, I purple colour which seems to suit me well (and I just like it too).

This so far has been okay it looks nice below, the photo looks like anyway, but once I put it on, oh my gosh, I just want to throw it away! Its just doesn't feel right! I need help with this one soooo badly. I put a quick video up on Youtube but no one really helped, so Im not sure if you guys can help me? The video is on my posts, would love any constructive feedback.

Issues with my first proper project!

Okay so I had some big issues once I started sewing the dress. I found it WAY WAY to big for me and then had no idea where to alter the dress from, with the help of +Renée Boyd and +Claire Cooper  I think I have it sorted out.

Here are images to show you what happened:

Just way to big. What i will do is take it in slight at each panel and then
I will take it in the most at the princess seams as shown here:

Lesson for today, measure the patterns first!

So today I am here with the dress and just the
alterations of the princess seams to go!

First proper project

Okay, so the reason I am calling this a proper project is because I am actually following instructions this time, lol, which I don't usually do. Usually I just "wing it" I like that saying "winging it"

Here is the pattern that I am attempting, yes it says its .70 cents! Mum brought a suitcase of patterns from www.trademe.co.nz and this came inside the suitcase long with a whole lot of other patterns. So the blue Butterick 5084.

I have sized myself to be a 12 and will alter it in height and where needs be.

I have a tiny bit more cutting and them time to piece it together, will blog later with an update!!

The pattern had never been used, so there was a lot of cutting involved!

I am very lucky to have a nice big table to cut material on, before this I was using the floor and that was not so nice or easy! I use the spare room too, so this table is easy to collapse when we have people over.

Its great to have a manikin.

I can pin up all the pieces once I have cut and it just makes

 the dress easy for me to visualise.

More presents....

I think I might be getting some expectations of creating garments now... Got another sewing book for Christmas and I also picked up my mums "Fashion design class 92" sewing book.

I remember when I use to quietly take it from mums bedroom into mine and be so intrigued by it. So maybe now I can implement some of what it contains. Ill post images of the pages as I go.

The sewing book I got is called "Illustrated guide to sewing couture techniques" so ill read a bit first before posting comments on the book.

Looking forward to going home and getting into sewing something. 

Christmas Present

YAY, I am so lucky, I got a sewing manikin today for Christmas, one that I can shape to me, this is great. No more walking to the bedroom to look at myself in the mirror and try to pin myself without pricking myself.

I have since set it to my pear shaped measurements and am looking forward to get something made!

Its not working!!!!! Why is it not working!

SO SO SO MUCH FRUSTRATION. All I wanted was to make a simple elastic skirt and I screwed it one after the other after the other. I did make the skirt, well I made a few.

I thought I was doing something wrong in my sewing to make it go puffy at the back and the front, it should go straight down but it puffs out instead.

So annoying.

After a lot of Googling I came to realise that the blue pretty flowery material that I brought was not right for the skirt I envisioned, it was too light. What I should have done was figure out what type of material I needed beforehand. 

Or maybe I should have read the really good Burda book the mum gave me!

The BurdaStyle Sewing Handbook by +Nora Abousteit and Alison Dahl Kelly

After feeling stupid I took a few days off!

It started with a birthday present

So after lots of whinging and taking clothes to mums to hem, my darling hubby brought me my own machine. Determined I was to use it!

The machine that I have is a Brother N530, i like it! 
Click here for info 

So far I have played with quite a few settings, it is very easy to use, has 3 different speeds. Nice and easy to change the bobbin. For me its great. I have had a play with the different sewing patterns, but I don't think I will be using those much.

I will admit that I have made one skirt which turned out pretty good after about 3 attempts. That was a pencil skirt. I made it with the wrong material so it kinda bunches and creases at the front when I sit down, but I can live with that.