Salwar tunic into summer dress (part 2)

Ta-dahhh!

Not quite the final ta-dah but nearly there! The shot above is the neckline once I'd turned it out - not too shabby for a first attempt at a) altering a pattern, b) pattern matching (of sorts) and c) making a shaped neckline!

The dress has progressed quickly this weekend. The steps I've done are understitching last week's work, joining the side seams, joining the back seam, inserting a zip and overstitching the neck. And of course, checking after all this time that it fits.

Joining the side seams... hmmm. I said in the last post that this fabric was printed wonky, and you can seriously see it when the side seams were joined. I have decided to not worry, and remember that many retailers out there would find this perfectly acceptable. Next time I'm going to be more alert about the quality of my bargains. Anyway, let's move on.

I decided to embrace a different way of inserting the zip than the instructions advised. I used a method in my grey skirt with pockets which made so much more sense to me than the New Look instructions. I found my new method less stressful and I prefer the finished look. I stitched up to the notch on the bottom of the skirt, and backstitched as instructed. Then, I changed my thread and bobbin to something very noticeable, and changed my stitch length to the longest possible straight stitch. I zoomed up the back of the dress from the notch to the neckline; effectively tacking the back together. Then I pressed my seams open with the iron, and laid my zip over the tacked line, making sure the zip opening lined up with the "seam" I'd created After pinning this in place (by inserting my board between the front and back of the fabric, so I only caught the back in my pins), I sewed round the zip as neatly as possible.

Then came time to unpick the tacking stitch. This is quite laborious on a long zip but it's worth it.

Here's my overstitched neckline. I'm really pleased with the outcome, and when I tried on my dress it looked neat and crisp.

The dress isn't finished yet. I need to hem it (after I've decided how long I want it to be) and then it'll be ready for its final photo and its first outing. Right now I'm putting the sewing machine away for a little rest, and going to sample the brownie I made first thing this morning... (recipe to come as soon as I've perfected it!).

Salwar tunic into summer dress (part 1)

About a year ago my Mum introduced me to a really great way to buy fabric. She took me to some shops in the Normanton area of Derby and introduced me to Salwar fabric sets. In a Salwar set you get 3 large rectangles of fabric - one for a tunic, one for trousers and one as a scarf (often the scarf is already finished for you). They're a really great way of getting hold of fabric at a low cost, and because they're designed to be a set they co-ordinate beautifully - so you could make a skirt and a top and know they'll go well together without being the same head to toe. Some of the tunic pieces come with a printed neckline design (some are very fancy, some more plain), so it becomes an incredibly simple way of making something pretty unique.

Last time I went shopping with Mum I bought this set; it set me back a mere £14! I'm turning the tunic piece into a dress; the New Look 6095, version B. I'm using the neckline printed on the Salwar fabric and adapting the pattern a little to enable me to do that (eek!).

The print on this fabric is really wonky! I'm trying to make the best of it, but have never pattern-matched before, or adapted a pattern's shape... so it's a great challenge!

I started by washing and pressing the fabric to eliminate any additional warping or shrinking. Then I folded the fabric along the central line of the printed neckline, and lay my pattern pieces over the top. Though the pattern neckline and the printed neckline are quite different to each other, I cut out the fabric as per the pattern and planned to deal with adaptations later. I did the same for the back of the dress, although it was much easier; all I had to worry about here was lining up the print at the bottom of the dress to the front, so that I have the same amount of print showing at the hem. This is where the wonky comes in - there's no way it's going to match up because of how it's been printed! The middles match up but the sides sure as heck don't!

Facings came out of the same piece of fabric. With the front facing I cut it straight across at the bottom so that it comes down further than the V-point I'll be sewing in/cutting out.



I followed the New Look pattern entirely for the first part; darts, shoulders, attaching facings to each other and then to the main dress fabric around the arms. When it came to attaching the facings to the neckline, I hand-stitched along the fabric's neckline in a contrasting thread to hold it in place and make it really visible. It gave me opportunity to mark out how I was going to blend the two necklines to create my finished garment.

When I got to machine-sewing I started from the back right (as it will be when I'm wearing the dress) and stitched along as normal until I got to the shoulders, and then I followed my hand stitched line and the print. Once I'd done the stitching I cut down the front of the V to take out some of the bulk and make sure my corners would pop out nice and crisp. Then came the big reveal as I turned the fabric through (bringing the sides through the facings) to see what the outcome was.

And that's the topic of next week's post!

And my dog photo-bombed this last picture... 

Stung by the Great British Sewing Bee

Alright, more like bitten by the GBSB bug, rather than stung by the poor little bee!

The lovely people at Minerva Crafts - www.minervacrafts.com - tweet along with the Sewing Bee (which is on Tuesday nights on BBC2 at the moment) telling you, amongst other things, which patterns the sewers are using. It makes it really, really hard for me to not buy the patters they're referring to. So this week I gave in and placed an order. I went for New Look 6189 (which was one of the patterns being used in the GBSB) and Simplicity 1696 because this looks very similar to a pair of trousers I currently wear very frequently to the office.

Until they arrive I've no idea what sort of fabric I'm going to use, how much I'll need or what other bits and bobs I need to get my hands on, but that doesn't stop me being very, very excited! I've a feeling these will need some effort to fit, so I may well get hold of a load of cheap fabric from somewhere that I can make some mistakes on, and then make them for real once I've worked out how to get the pattern to cover my bottom properly.

Skirt with pockets - success!

I have finished Simplicity 2226 - the skirt with pockets!

I didn't really mean to do it that fast, but once I got started it was hard to stop. The pattern was incredibly easy, and each time I put my sewing down I read the next step and thought "I could just do that bit" and so on until I'm sitting at 5.30pm on Sunday with a finished skirt waiting to be worn on Monday morning, having started cutting bits and bobs out on Friday night.

   

The Simplicity 2226 pattern was a simple one to follow, the zip part had me scratching my head because it was very different to any instructions I've seen before, but you know what? It may be my best ever visible zip! Impressive, Simplicity, you stood by your word!


The wool turned out to be very easy to work with. It's a fairly loose weave so it's not all that bulky to sew through - I didn't have to change any settings or the needle on my machine to get through it. The only thing that worried me was its potential to fray, but on any loose edges I used pinking shears.

There are some bits that I could improve on, but that just lays down the challenge for the next one I make - and I am definitely making more. I also went a little rogue when I did the belt loops - I wasn't overly keen on the method they suggested (hand stitching them to the outside of the top of the waistband), so I just incorporated them into a seam for ease and neatness. I don't think it detracts from the final piece.

I love the fit, the simple style is very much the kind of thing I like to wear, and I can see it working in lots of fabrics for all seasons.

Rather proud of myself, can you tell?!



And here's me in it!

Nothing beats a skirt with pockets

I have finally bitten the bullet and got round to buying a skirt pattern and some fabric. Two pieces of fabric, actually.

I love a skirt with a pocket. Skirts can be a bit scary "ooh look at me I'm a lady", but add pockets et voila! A casual "I'm a lady and I don't care" attitude sweeps into my mind!

The pattern I've bought is Simplicity 2226. Don't judge me because it looks simple - sometimes the best things are simple!

The skills involved may be "basic" but I learned early on with sewing that you don't win prizes for running before you can walk. One day I'll tell you about the dress I made to wear to my friend's wedding. 

The fabric I went for was a grey tweed suiting with black tulle detail (fancy), and some black jersey with polka dots. Now you see why I went for a simple pattern. I've never sewn anything with a pattern (a matchable pattern - I've done plenty of prints that don't matter) and I've never sewn anything with stretch. Stretch, good grief, slight palpitations are hitting me again. It'll be fine, breathe deep.

I'm impressed with the fabric quality - I ordered it from Miverva Crafts, taking advantage of their winter sale. Both fabrics were 50% discounted to around the £5.99 a metre mark and I swear I've been sent far more than I ordered (love it when that happens). I also bought the pattern from the same place, as delivery is free if you spend over £30.

The Minerva Crafts website recommended pre-shrinking the fabric - stealing their actual words:

Allow 10% shrinkage for all your washable natural fibres (including viscose). For all fabrics wash before making up in the same manner as you would with subsequent washes (including drying methods). Jerseys and fabrics liable to mis-shape should be dried flat, or in a cool tumble dryer. Most fabrics should be pressed before cutting

This isn't something I've done before; I've worked in very stable polycotton and just plain risked it with some cheap but glorious fabric from an Indian co-ordinates shop.

I took the advice to mean "be careful, but wash it however you plan to wash the finished garment", so that's what I've done.

For the wool, I've dunked this in the bathroom sink in tepid water, given it a jiggle and then hung it over the shower curtain rail over the bath (and gave it a good gentle squeeze). A little dye came out, but nothing major, and it's sitting up there dripping to its heart's content right now.


The jersey, I've treated it to a quick spin on the delicates cycle of my washing machine, and am about to apply it swiftly to the tumble drier on a cool setting. Fingers crossed it doesn't end up the size of a postage stamp.

They're both going to need a good press when they're dry - which I'll tackle in the week when my dining table is clear of laptops and fruit bowls and I can finally go to town with my scissors.

Passion is...

... going to bed beaten and waking up refusing to let 150cm of printed fabric get the better of you.

Yesterday I looked up from the kitchen table (also known as Sewing Central) in frustration, and realised that the time was 6.41pm, and I'd been "ruining" some fabric long past my dog's dinner time, and long into the time I was supposed to be spending relaxing, watching catch up tv and drinking a lovely pink pinot.

I actually burst into tears. Earlier in the day I'd amended a dress pattern to incorporate a zip in a much more sophisticated way than recommended, and I was flying on adrenalin and pride. Pride comes before a fall, so you can almost guess what happened... I messed up! The hissy fit resulting from my upset led to the house being scrubbed, vaccuumed and rinsed to a spotless state, the grass being cut, despite the neighbours attempting to have a calm evening in their garden with friends, no dinner and then a binge on a MacDonalds cheesburger and fries at 11pm.

I've made the dress in question before (Simplicity pattern 2406, a Cynthia Rowley dress). The first time I did it in navy cotton, and made dress B - the one with the interesting short sleeves and pockets. It's really beautiful and I made it backless, just because I loved the way the main picture on the pattern looked (looks like Emma Watson, doesn't she??). I love my backless dress, but it's not so practical to wear (exposed skin, bralessness... all that sort of thing).

This time I decided to make the same thing, but dress C, in red cotton with a white heart print. This time it's not got pockets. Why? Because I cannot get my head around them, despite doing them once before, so this time I ended up ripping them off and simply doing without. However, my tears were all due to the shoulder straps and armholes. The straps wouldn't sit right, and the bias binding didn't sit flat, exposing its innards through a gaping armhole. Adding the shoulder straps and binding managed to make the front neckline look gash, and because of the way the straps sat the back was all puffy and unpleasant.

So this morning, after my night of fury, I refuse to let it drag me down. I have a gingerbread infused coffee, Desert Island Discs, my seam ripper and I'm fixing it. Calmly and slowly. And adding the sleeves I did last time, because I know they work.