A Winter Top

I loved this fabric when I bought it and it's been in my stash for ages. It's a jersey knit, with plenty of stretch. I liked the feel of it so I bought it...It was really enjoyable sewing this fabric, I was really careful pressing it as I didn't want the fabric to stretch any further.

The one and only problem I had, and it was my own fault. I overlocked the hem, then used a twin needle to top stitch the hem (too lazy to change the thread on my Janome cover-pro). This was a big mistake...Firstly I should not have tried to twin needle stitch over an overlocked edge...The whole hem had major tunnelling. Actually I didn't know why I did this because usually I just sew without overlocking the edge if I'm using a twin needle.

Lesson learnt...I re-did the hem with the cover-stitch machine and it turned out perfect.

Unpicking started off well, I use cheap snips to do this...Though in
the end I cut the hem off and started again.

The cover stitching was perfect, no missed stitches. I used my 'Humper
Jumper' to go over the seams.

Vogue 8634 Size: M. Easy sew a little big fitting wise, but I would definitely sew
this top again.

Long top made to be worn with tights...not over this A frame skirt. I had
a reluctant model who didn't want to change into tights for the pic.

It looks lovely and warm for winter but I think I could have made it
slightly more fitted...

Side view...

The fitting of this top is a bit big  because my model had 2 layers
of clothing underneath when I did the fitting so now it looks slightly loose!

McCalls 7130 Skirt

A Sewing Disaster

I've just tried out McCall's 7130 skirt pattern,  Size  L. All went very well until I pinned it together, then it started to stretch bigger, and bigger. I think it had ended up more like a XL. Otherwise it's a great pattern and I'd use it again definitely.

What a surprise for me  I made most of the skirt on my Elna 745 overlocker with no problems at all..In fact it was a dream to sew with.

Finished skirt hanging on the line looks more like a coffee sack and not really
true to colour...it's much brighter.

Unfortunately though I had a bad Janome cover-pro day. I fixed up the stitch tension the other day so everything was set up ready to go, and I was sewing happily away until the stitches broke...Then the Janome Cover-pro didn't make any stitches and then it did. In fact this is the worst cover hem I have ever done...

So much for my three thread cover-pro. By the way I have never ever had success with using 3-thread stitch on the Janome the thread always breaks. What a mess my hem became, it was it was just plain ugly and chewed up... Don't you hate that?

What a mess! No I'm not unpicking it, much too hard to do...I'll have
to cut it off!

The finished skirt is wearable, but the photo doesn't do it justice as it's not so sack like when wearing it. The hem is not good though and I've left the hem for now.  I'm going to decide whether to chop it off and start again using the 2-thread stitch.

The finished hem...and a plain stretch stitch hem using the Juki on another
skirt. The other skirt look much better. I knew I should have just used a 
plain stretch stitch and not bothered with the Janome Cover-pro.

In the midst of it all the fat cat sat and the brown dog watched...

Behaving themselves for once...they love to be where I am, just watching.

After all this trouble I'm now playing around with the Janome. I  have now changed the Janome Cover-pro back to a narrow two thread. The stitches below look perfect. So I will see how It all goes on the next knit garment I sew.

Perfect! Do you find that when you set your machine up to sew in a couple of
 days/ Then when you use it, it seems like Gremlins have been at it and all the
tensions are changed. The numbers no longer work...

Sewing my First Jaile Pattern

Finally I have found myself behind the machine sewing....

This adult sized circular skirt was sewn up in an evening and I was very happy with the pattern. It fitted well. I did lengthen a couple of inches onto the waist/hip band and left the pants out...Perhaps I could have gone a size smaller for fit around the waist band though.

I had a few scraps  left so I made little skirts for the girls in a size 4, that's the only pattern size fitted onto my left over scraps of fabric. A size 5 would have been better....The sparkly Lycra was a hit. I must say I enjoyed sewing the Lycra fabric it was a nice weight to sew. Sometimes Lycra can be tricky (well for me anyway).

Details:

Pattern: Jaile 3025, Download from the Jaile website.

Fabric: 4 way Sparkly wet look stretch Lycra

Cost: Around $30.00 per metre

Size: AA (14) for adult skirt

Size: H (4) for child's skirt

Style: D-Circular skirt

Fabric covered in small glittery dots...giving a wet look to it.

Christmas Elf Stockings

The Elves are visiting us this year (only because I gave away the Christmas stockings I sewed last year). I had fun making these curly toed stockings, but soon realized my days of making little stockings are just about over. You have to have good eyes for a project like this. Mine are fading slowly for doing the intricate stuff, like applique.

It might have helped if my old Bernina 801 had a light bulb that actually went, and I cleaned my glasses properly so I could see. The pattern I chose to use for the Christmas stockings this year is from Sew-4-Home. You can find the tutorial and  pattern here.

I chose to use the Bernina 801 for this project. It looks rather jaded with
it's paint starting to peel at the bottom.

I stuffed the end of the stocking with a bit of fluff (Dacron). The bells
are off the 'Lindt Easter Bunny'. Just the perfect size... I saved
them from last Easter for the cat's collar. But the cat wears a
bigger bell now.

I didn't use the letter template that the pattern linked you too. I found another
because I couldn't re-size it on my printer...

Long Yoga Style Skirt

This skirt is made out of a fine stretch crinkly knit fabric which actually needed lining. I chose not to line it because I had nothing to line the skirt with...So I have settled for an under-skirt to stop it being so see through. The pattern I used was the Ladies Yoga A-Line-Skirt and I made a shorter version earlier and it can be found here.

This skirts mine looks rather shapeless on the dummy....but easy to
wash just twist it and it stays all nice and crinkly.

Putting my smells on everything...

He has a big bell so he can't catch rather big birds...

Off to explore the neighbourhood.

Simple Yoga Skirt

Put your sunglasses on this is so bright....eek! The pattern I used for this  yoga skirt is from Jocole....I didn't have much fabric (it's a 4 way stretch) and it was a bit of a squeeze to cut out and keep the pattern matching. I finished off the hemming with a cover stitch.

Front of skirt

 The fabric clings a bit it almost needs an underskirt...

I opted for the smaller band...

Reversible Slippers Ready For Winter

I'm using up scraps of Polar Fleece. I had a computer crash awhile back and lost all my sock patterns except for this one which I printed out. You can buy the Reversible Slipper Pattern on Craftsy.

Fleece Pants

Children's pants pattern from Fleece Fun it's free...I used the Child's Basic Fleece Pants and the Children's Boutique Style Fleece pattern.

A little big..pics don't do the fabric justice. It was very
hard to catch these two for the photo...

Kimono Jacket

This fabric used to be a sarong/wrap many years ago...As no one wears the wrap anymore I just kept it. I never had the heart to throw it out.

Today it has been cut up and now been totally refashioned into a Kimono Jacket. The pattern I used can be found over at  Sew Caroline. You just need to download the PDF and instructions. It's a very easy pattern to follow with good instructions. It's so easy to make, you should try it too...Caroline has other interesting patterns to buy too check them out here.

My Kimono Jacket is longer than the pattern
slightly...The patten allows for trim for the
sleeves and hem...

I cut the Kimono Jacket out to include the
tassels already on the wrap...

Also I didn't put trim on the arms I left
them  just hemmed.

I didn't make the top. It's just on to make
dummy look descent for the pic.

Little Legs

There are a couple of free patterns online for leggings that I have been using. One is the Flounced Ruffle Capri Leggings and the other the Girl's Capri Length Leggings Pattern No.8.

Both patterns were very easy to use, and the instructions are clear. So a big thank you to those clever ladies for developing these two patterns. They are perfect...

The size I decided to use was Size 4 and Size 5. It was a bit of guess work for sizing as I had no idea if they would fit the girls or not. They keep growing and I haven't seen them for awhile.

The fabric I chose was a green spotty, winter weight, stretch cotton from my stash. The other striped fabric I bought was a stretch polyester fabric. It hooks up really easily, plus it is not very serviceable. This fabric is going to run, it reminds me of thick nylon stockings, it really is a bad choice. Also it was such a pain to sew, where as the green fabric was bliss...
     

Here are the first two pairs I made. I sent them over to the girls for a
fitting. According to their mother they are okay. I hope so because
I have sewn the rest all the same...

Here are the rest of the tights, the girls each got 3 pairs.

While taking the photo's I annoyed a Bumble Bee. Funny how they seem 
to buzz louder when you're nearby. The Leggings are ready to go plus
I'm giving the girls eggs to eat as well.

I used a narrow cover-stitch to hem up the straight leg tights. This worked out very well.

Janome Cover-Pro narrow hem stitch.

I haven't used the Janome Cover-Pro for awhile....So here is an update on
finishing the seam and removing the fabric away from the needles.

So pleased they fitted, thank you girls for the perfect pose....

Whew It's Here!

I have been waiting patiently for this Japanese pattern book so I can join in the sew-a-long over at you & mie.......Finally it has arrived, and didn't take too long really. It's just that I'm down at the bottom of the world so it was ordered from the supplier.

Where did I buy it In New Zealand? Mighty Ape, they were most helpful in sending it straight away once it got into the country, and today now it is here! Plus it's in English too...

But I'm 2 days behind in the sew-along so not sure if I will meet the deadline, but I'm going to join in anyway,....I need  a project to push me to start sewing!

Happy Homemade Sew Chic Kids

Oh Dear, Happy Chibi is Still not Finished...

She needs bows in her hair, and shoes, but I set myself up another sewing space and lost them....Never mind I'll do it sometime. In the meantime she is being played with...

Half Finished Happy Chibi

Where have I been? Well I haven't been blogging, I've been living...Gosh I can't believe I've said that, does that mean when I'm blogging I'm not living?

That's a good question I'll ponder on it and maybe you would like to ponder on it too...Does spending so much time on a computer stop you from living your life?

I've really had to push myself to sew, I have totally lost my sewing mojo!! I think I've lost my blogging mojo as well. Please could you both come back or I'll have nothing to write about!

Today is rather a nice day and I'm making a real effort to show you all what I've been doing sewing wise. Actually I think the real reason I'm blogging is I'm avoiding housework, I hate it.

I had to force myself to sew Miss Chibi here. She's still not finished but at least my stash is a few scraps down.

Not only do we have Happy Chibi standing there in the pic, we have Happy Catti too who is almost too fat to sit on the windowsill...

Happy Chibi doll pattern @ oneredrobin.com

Kimono Craziness

I am sewing a Kimono Bathrobe. I have used this pattern before, way back in the 70's. I sewed myself a pink cotton one, and then a brown satin one in the 80's. I still have the brown one....So I thought it must time for a new robe, yes I'm sewing for me for a change.

I'm afraid though this fabric became my nemesis... it was SO slippery, I simply hated sewing it. Seven days later I emerged with the finished robe saying to myself I will never do this again...

The uneven turn up for the hem on the left....How did this happen?
What I did love was the clear markings of the 70's pattern...

The fabric is Polyester, did I say I hate polyester? With it's smooth matted satin finish on the right side, this fabric looked impressive in the fabric shop, and at only $10.00 per metre I was sold. I bought 4.5 metres but didn't use it all...I needed a ball point needle for sewing this fabric other wise the fabric kept snagging badly.

Bow, Front, Back views....

For the finished Kimono Bathrobe below I sewed a patch pocket onto it. But you can't see it in the pic as I have crossed it over the other way...

Front view...

Back view...

I French seamed the robe because it frayed so much and also because it looks much neater inside. Personally although the robe looks okay I think I prefer cotton, (I have some blue in mind). I can just see me walking around in this floaty, slippery thing and everything will fall out...not a robe for dashing about in..

Pattern and full length pic of Kimono Bathrobe...
Simplicity Pattern 5685  jiffy easy cut easy-sew

The worst part of this project was the cutting out the fabric...It moved so much that all the cut out pieces were not straight. In the end I just used my eye to measure everything up. I gave up on using the tape measure...

The Sewing Lesson

Sewing lessons am I good at this? No, not really I was too impatient for the skirt to be finished. Watching my daughter doing all that gathering sent my head into a spin....Here is her effort, the Simplicity pattern we used is one I have used before and you can find it here.

Looks more becoming on than just hanging....

Knight Costume

This is what I've been sewing, a Knight costume for Arthur. I drafted the Tabard, but used a Simplicity pattern for top and helmet. I lengthened the grey top as it was rather short, my Tabard was open at the sides...

 I'll put the number of the pattern up at some stage.  My sewing has all been packed away (for Christmas day). How sad is that? Now because it's all been packed away I have the urge to sew...But you know when it's out I do hardly any. However I have big plans for next year I'm going to make the more difficult sewing projects I have been avoiding all year...

The Tabard fabric is crushed velvet, it was a rather
slippery sew...but I got there in the end

The grey top is a winter weight stretch fabric