Tuesday, March 11, 2014

sewn and to sew

These and many other goodies have been sewn…and lots more are cut out ready for stitching.  Lots of market preparation going on too – super-excited to be part of the Mummy Made It Market in Ulverstone on Friday 21 March!

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Saturday, March 1, 2014

I think I missed a month…

How is it already March?!  February just flew past in a busy blur of school books, swimming carnivals, new shoes, lost jumpers, tennis lessons, meeting teachers, hot sticky days, ice cream, piano lessons, lunchboxes…and so much more excitement!

Good news: I finally have photos of the dresses I’ve made.  Bad news: they’re not modelled by me (or maybe that’s good news!?  Either way, this means I get to introduce you to Minnie, my super mannequin!  I love Minnie.  She means I don’t have to run through the whole house and up the stairs to try on the clothes I’m making, then down the stairs and back through the house with pins flying everywhere to make adjustments).  Anyway…dresses!

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I seem to have had a blue and yellow thing happening, because both frocks are blue and yellow.  The first dress has wide straps which cross at the back, and invisible zipper (first one ever!) and a Peter Pan collar.  The bodice is lined.  Quite happy with this one, but the neckline sits a little low for my liking.

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Secondly, spots!  Lots of firsts with this one…piping, sheer fabrics, collars…but I’m basically happy with how it turned out.  I followed the Partly Sunny dress tutorial at Grosgrain, which was helpful but with my limited skills I did find parts of it tricky.  But it was a challenge I’m glad I undertook!  I’ve worn both dresses out of the house several times now, so overall – success!

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It feels somehow very triumphant having these two frocks complete.  A satisfying, project-finished, kind of way.  I generally get things to sell finished quickly, but I feel so indulgent sewing for myself that things often get left for very long periods of time.  I also finished two skirts recently – one that I bought 15 years ago (in the form of a horrible, scarily synthetic shirt dress.  But it was in gorgeous bright colours and, most importantly, it had pockets!  It is now a cute skirt, still with pockets!), and this wrap-around skirt that I started mid-last year with a friend and never got finished…

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It’s blue linen-type fabric, with a vintage floral waist-band.  Really full at the hemline– gorgeous to wear with a full petticoat!

Next I’ll be back with some other bits and pieces that I’ve been sewing…everything from teeny embroideries to car wallets and memory sets.  Hope you’ve had a splendid start to March!