Another longtime project finished

Back in 2015 (apparently) I started to repurpose a faux suede jacket I'd made and didn't wear.  I decided to try to make it into a the Burda silk motorcycle jacket.  I often like the look of Burda patterns and then regret getting them as I hate tracing and adding seam allowances and then the directions tend not to be as clear as I would like. 

Anyway, 4 years later and I've finished it.  

F insisted that her pom pom pet, Freya, wanted to be in the photos too! 

It's not perfect, but I think I'm more likely to wear it than the boxy jacket it used to be.  The sleeves feel a little tight when I'm putting it on - maybe I should have made the next size up - but I doubt I would have had enough fabric for that looking at the meagre amounts I have left.

I seem to remember quite enjoying looking through my me made clothes and figuring out why I wasn't wearing a particular piece - this jacket slowed me down quite a bit - but I think I should go back to it.  I was wondering about doing Me Made May this year - we're away for about half of May, so I don't think I will, but maybe I could be doing this instead.  Just to note - in the pictures above - the jeans, top and jacket are all made by me.  😊

wear what I make - update

At the end of March I posted about a faux suede jacket I was planning on re purposing....  I thought I would give a bit of an update on progress.

It appears that I do have enough fabric to make the Burda silk motorcycle jacket I had hoped to...

Here are a couple of pictures of where I've got to so far:

I'm not rushing this project - it's quite tricky.  The zip had me stuck for a little while as it needed to be shortened and despite looking up how to do it on the Internet and being persuaded it was easy peasy I couldn't do it and had to get David's brute strength involved.  We did it in the end and it's half way installed.

The collar didn't go on quite right at first...well, the left side was fine, but the right side was too long - I'm not entirely sure what the problem was, but I ended up increasing the front dart that you can see on the picture above.  I'm hoping that was the mistake and occurred due to inaccuracy in my mark transfers or sewing and doesn't come back and bite me later on.

The welt pockets were a bit tricky too - I did a couple of dummy runs on some other fabric first - just as well as the first one didn't work at all.... the welts didn't cover the zip, but I wrote notes and got it figured out and managed to successfully make a pair of zipped welt pockets.

Proof that there's two!  And not too bad....

And a picture of the back - just to be thorough.

The sleeves still aren't cut out - I haven't figured out if I have enough fabric in the original huge boxy sleeves to do the two piece sleeve drafted in this pattern, or if I have to do some redrafted one piece sleeve to use the fabric I have available.  That's something that can wait till after the summer holidays.

wearing what I make - Vogue 2117

It's hot at the moment, so today I'm wearing a sundress I made back when I lived in Knoxville. It's made using Vogue 2117 and it looks like I cut a straight 10.  This dress is quite neat inside, with seams finished off, which is good for some of my previous sewing!

It doesn't often come out of my wardrobe, although I don't think it looks too bad... I'm just naturally a dress wearer.  So, why don't I wear it - apart from the not really wearing dress thing?

I'm not sure if you can tell from this photo, but the straps have ended up a bit wide on me and the armholes are a little high - the edges are all finished off using bias binding, so if I could find some that's similar to what I used originally I could at least sort out the armhole problem, which might make me wear it more.  I've pinned the straps to my bra so they don't slide down all the time. 

Today I've been mostly wearing it with a cardigan, which covers up all the problems and keeps the straps in place, I've felt pretty comfortable in it - so I think I should give it a few more outings out of the wardrobe than it's used to.

wearing what I make - self drafted skirt x3

Now that the weather's better I'm able to start carrying through a promise I made to myself of not just wearing jeans all the time - but making an effort to wear more skirts.  My jeans are pretty much all worn out, and although I have a pattern and some denim to have a go at making my own jeans... I had a go many years ago, but it's time to do it again and make a staple in my wardrobe me-made.  I haven't got to them yet.  Anyway, back to now and the skirts. 

I think it was back when we were living in Norway in 2006/7 part of our TV package included fashion TV, or something similar and I would sit and watch some fashion shows when I was having my lunch (I was working from home at the time).  I watched a Tom Ford for YSL Rive Gauche show and saw this skirt....

I liked how it is a pencil skirt but loved the movement in the hem. 

A little later I came across this in a magazine (Don't ask me which one as I have no idea :-)) and thought I should give some pattern drafting a go.  I'd already made some self drafted slopers and this was an opportunity to test them out....

I ended up having three goes (or wearable muslins) and or course, it's so long ago I can't remember which order they were made it... but from how they fit I suspect this one was my first:

It's a bit baggy around the stomach/hip area and looks more A-line than the original inspiration.

I think this one was second:

It fits a bit better around the waist and I think is a bit flared.

And, finally I think this one was third:

None of them really look like my inspiration but they're all wearable.  I've still got the pattern I made so maybe I should have another go at some point and try to make one that's even closer to the original.... I think it needs to nip in more a couple of inches above the knee and then flare out to give the more dynamic shape needed rather than the pleasant enough, safe, A-line shape.

And this is also proof that I wear one of the sorbettos that I made in March 2014.

The end of the New Year sewing resolution

My New Year's sewing resolution appears to be slowly but surely crumbling.... I was doing pretty well at using my sewing time to get on with my quilt and have managed to make quite a few squares.  But I don't think I can only work on the quilt any more.

I'm being tempted away by 3 projects....

The first one goes back to one of the things I was doing last year, which is going through things that I've made in the past and figuring out why I don't wear them and then what I'm going to do about them.

So, may I introduce a faux suede jacket I made:

Why don't I wear it?  Because I don't like the way it looks... it's too boxy and unflattering.

 The back and side views aren't much better.

In its defence it does look like the picture on the pattern (Butterick 5269).  I made view A, size 10 but with in-seam pockets rather than patch pockets.  I bought the pattern in Glasgow, so that must date this make as being when I was at University in the mid-90s.

So, what's my plan?  I'm going to (mostly) take it apart and try to make a motorcycle jacket instead.  I have the Burda Silk Motorcycle jacket pattern and am hoping I have enough fabric from taking the jacket apart and from the little bit of leftovers I've found to be able to make it.  The pattern's printed out and taped together, the size chosen and ease calculated, so next steps are adding the seam allowance and taking apart the horrible boxy jacket.

The second sewing project I'm being tempted away by is to make a phone belt pocket. I want a way to carry my phone without wearing out the pockets of my jeans and also when I wear something without pockets so I have somewhere to carry it without always needing to take a bag.

 

I've found this pattern which looks interesting, so I'd like to give it a whirl. 

And thirdly I'm planning on entering the Simplicity star sewist blogger challenge.  Looks like fun and you get a free pattern. 

Poor quilt will never get finished at this rate!

wearing what I make - vogue 1965

I haven't done a trawl through my me made wardrobe for a while, so here's another one:

 

I made this dress years ago (I won't tell you how many) and did have a phase of wearing it.  It's view A from this pattern:

Which is Vogue 1965 by Marc Jacobs.  The pattern calls for a knit two way stretch knit - but I used a woven cotton as I remember finding the fabric and loving the colours - celadon green is one of my favourite colours - especially to wear, as is the right shade of red and this fabric combined both.  I made a hidden bra inside using some green knit fabric I had.

So - why don't I wear it now... not really sure.  I don't think it looks too bad, although I think it makes me look very apple shaped in this photo - maybe if my fitness regime that I've started is successful I'll feel better about wearing it next summer. 

Wearing what I make - fancy dress

We've been away in Spain for most of the summer - I had hoped to be able to do some blogging while I was there, but after an unsuccessful attempt I decided to concentrate on having a great time enjoying the sun, pool, and just chilling out.  There wasn't much crafting going on either - just one pair of socks knitted. 

I do have a few more pictures of some clothes that I find when I dip into my wardrobe - since I've started doing this I do feel that I'm making some progress in my wardrobe, but need to keep the momentum going.  I'm also still having some problems with my sewing machine, so I doubt I'm going to be able to make any more clothes before that's sorted.  I sat down to sew some name tapes onto clothes for first day of school the other day and the bloody thing wouldn't even stitch a proper straight stitch :-(

Anyway, back to things I made when my sewing machine was behaving itself:  I made these two for a couple of fancy dress parties I went to quite a while ago:

The first is McCalls 8108 view B. 

I was dressed up as one of the power puff girls with a couple of friends for a fancy dress party.  My hair was a lot longer then and I found a huge red bow to put in my hair.

It still fits, although the sleeves are a bit tight.

The other dress is this one:

This is view H from Vogue 2429 in size 10, with the addition of some black net underneath.

I was meant to be dressed up as Cindi Lauper - but if I remember correctly I ran out of steam getting ready before I could put on enough make up.  I think I was aiming for this kind of look:

The dress doesn't fit any more - but I like the pattern, so maybe there's some scope for its use in the future

Why don't I wear them?...well, fancy dress is fancy dress and I don't go to a lot of fancy dress parties (although I do have one to go to in a couple of weekends time with a wild west theme! - I have no idea what I'm going to wear.) 

They've now been taken out of my wardrobe and put in a box - maybe they can be adapted to be something else at some point?

Wearing what I make: Vogue 1915

Another blouse from the archive of not wearing is this blouse:

It's made from this Vogue pattern:

Vogue 1915, view C and I made a size 10.  This is another Anne Klein design.

I tried it on and it's OK but maybe a bit short - it also rides up a lot if I lift my arms.  The fabric is some sort of crepe.  I haven't really worn it because of the riding up problem.  I'm not sure what to do about it - maybe adding a gusset at the armpit and I could wear it with something high waisted?  The inside is also appallingly finished, so if I do fix it I should do some behind the scenes work too.

I guess another dive into my fabric scraps to see if there's any of this fabric floating about anywhere - I'm such a scrap squirrel that there most likely is. 

Wearing what I make - Vogue 2152

I didn't even bother to try this one on - it's sat in a box since I made it back who knows when....

I did try it on Felicity Anne though - and she looked OK, it just not really my thing.  I'm not sure it ever was.  It's a wrap around dress made using Vogue 2152 - designer Anna Sui.  I made view B in a size 10.

I seem to remember it always feeling a bit too skimpy, especially around the boobs - I'm not huge in that area, but I do prefer to be covered and not feel like I'm about to fall out.  Even looking at the picture on the pattern envelope, she looks like she's about to fall out of view B, so what did I really expect?

The browny stripes in the fabric match the colour of the shirt I'm trying to redo - so maybe it has a future potential - it's a floatier fabric than the shirt, but maybe it will work?

Wearing what I make - redoing Vogue 2544

So, I've been having a play with the blouse I made using Vogue 2544 that was sitting around not being worn because it doesn't fit.

I opened up the side seams and sleeve seems and added a 9cm wide strip of a different fabric and also put a band around the bottom.

It's not right - it now fits across the bust OK but the hip/waist area isn't right.  I let out the seams around the hip area before I sewed on the bottom band and it just looks like a shambles and doesn't fit.

I'm quite enjoying the challenge of figuring this out though (at the moment anyway) and think I'm going to preserve the sleeves and collar area and do something different below approximately where the pin is in the photo above.

I've seen this blouse on the White Stuff website:

 And I'm thinking I could do something similar with my blouse - I think the pleat in the back and the more shaped sides will look better than the original boxiness.  Of course there won't be much of my original blouse left and I need to find a complementary fabric so this may take some time. 

Wish me luck!

Wearing what I make - swimsuit issue

No pictures of me wearing swimsuits (thankfully), but while I've been digging through what I have made but aren't wearing I found this:

I made this and wore it (quite a bit if I remember) when I was living in Knoxville. 

I believe it is a combination of these two patterns:

View C from 9352 and view D from 8234, both in size 10.  I remember especially liking the bottoms as they have a bikini liner.

Anyway, why don't I wear them?  because the elastic has gone on them and they're all faded out - they used to be a brighter green.  So, now they have become this:

I have plans to make some of my own knickers using the free knickers patterns from Sozowhatdoyouknow .  I've already cut out the pattern and altered it to have more of a leg shape closer to my RTW knickers I like - and I'm thinking this salvaged fabric might be good for making a trial pair.

While I was looking for the patterns I used to make these I found that I have quite a selection of swimwear patterns.  I have these three too:

 I have used the two McCall's ones at some point in the past, but the items I made have gone already.  But it looks like I'm all set for making more swimwear in the future.  

Wearing what I make - Vogue 1806

Next up on looking through my wardrobe is this dress:

 

I made it when I was at University - I think it was for my 1st or 2nd year ball - using Vogue 1806 by the designer Badgley Mischka.   I sewed view B, which is the longer version but no doubt made it shorter as I'm only 5'2".  Looking at the pieces I graded halfway between a 10 and a 12, which should be about right, even for now.  I remember liking it on the night I wore it, but feeling that it was a bit revealing and gaping at the front for my liking at the time. 

 I still like the design and think the green fabric is a really nice colour.

 So, why don't I wear it - apart from the obvious that I've got 2 small kids and nowhere to wear it?  Well, what the above photo doesn't show is that it doesn't actually do up at the side :-(  So I guess I'm a little different shape than I was at University (not ssurprising after 2 kids and nearly 20 years).  I think I'm going to hold onto it though - maybe at some point I will have an occasion to wear this to, and it shouldn't take too much to take it out a bit at the sides - I've also got the remnants of this in my stash so I could always do a major refit on the bodice if need be.