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...

Toot Toot it's a Little Tutu

This is Andy and he's modelling one of the no-sew tutus I have been making (his waist is just the perfect size). Yes that lavender and purple netting was in my stash too. I really don't know why I bought it I had no plans for it...It was on special at Spotlight years ago and like the 'moth to a flame' I  bought it!

There are lots of tutorials on the Internet for no sew tutus. Pinterest is a good place to look too...The tutorial I chose and really liked was on the Paige and Brooke blog. The tutu blog post can be found here. My knots are not as good as they have done on their tutu (they look so dainty). I think my netting is too stiff.  On the second tutu my knots where a lot better...

Do you want to know about Andy?...poor thing he has felt pen on his head, and his embroidery cotton is all thready, and there is a water mark on his head. Someones stolen his hat!  He's been dragged about that 'Andy Pandy'. He's a 90's boy rag a muffin man. We won't talk about 'Raggedy Anne' she's stuffed in the linen cupboard with half her hair pulled out. She was never as popular as Andy.

The Sewing Pattern I used to make Andy was McCall's 5567. If you ever find one it makes a good sized 36"Andy Pandy and Raggedy Anne.

The two tutus...one on Andy and the other
on the bush in the right of the photo

 Andy Pandy in his rather crumpled hat.
Raggedy Anne  with her  8ply wool hair.
What a big mistake that was it fell out
when she was played with...

McCall's Crafts 5567

Easy Beach Skirt.

I'm slowly working through my stash and mostly I've sewn skirts for my for my daughter. This turquoise fabric was originally destined to be made into this long sleeve blouse pattern (McCall's 6286).

I might make this shirt in the winter.
Maybe in a type of Linen...

But in the end I sewed it up into another skirt. I decided on a flowing and summery style skirt, great for walking barefoot on the beach. Too bad if the wearer had other ideas...the joy of being the sewer! 

Pattern used: New Look 6942
Size: 14
Fabric: (Cotton Broderie Anglaise type)
Notions: Thread, Chord, Elastic

Was an easy pattern? Yes

I didn't have to add much length as the
pattern pieces were long enough

This time I marked my fabric well. Not like my
first attempt at this type of skirt

This fabric was a popular choice for the cat...

Just given it a wash to soften
the fabric

The flowery white pattern is printed on
which made ironing hard. I had to lower
the temperature to a silk setting

Sideways view...I'll make this again
 but perhaps a bit smaller 

Old Rag Doll McCall's 5514

This is a easy to make 24" vintage rag doll.
She's pretty old now, made by my daughter.
It has to be my most favourite rag doll....

I really love her ripped calico hair and her
black snap fastener eyes

This is how the hair is sewn at the back...She's
rather messy because she's been played with...

Her soft legs bend so she can sit.
Her babies missing, probably
in a toy box somewhere

A vintage pattern well worth making...if
you see one snap it up! 

Sewing a Deer Costume

Was this sewing experience an easy task? No it wasn't, everything that was going to go wrong did! My sewing was wonky and untidy, nothing fitted and when I altered the costume it became a bit tight in length  (I didn't measure anything I just guessed).

I added a contrast stretch fabric for the tummy and then the sewing machine hated sewing this fabric too....The applique not the best around the contrast tummy as the machine tension wasn't right. In hindsight I think I should have stuffed the round tummy with Dacron. It would have looked kinda cute!

I used Easy McCall's Costumes M5956 pattern as the base for making my deer costume. I even tried to put the 18" zip in because the pattern instructions said insert a zip in the front. I really must have had brain fog because the fabric was just super stretchy fabric and I wouldn't normally sew a zip in.  So I had to unrip and take out the zip because my sewing was just so messy it was an embarrassment. In the end I added a Velcro opening in the back. Hmmmm...I'm so out of sewing practice no wonder I made so many mistakes.

Would I recommend this pattern?
Yes I would, but I'd make sure I had the sizing and length right before I cut out the fabric. Next time if there ever is one, I won't use very stretchy stretch fabric. But the pattern has lots of potential for making other animal dress-ups.

Sewing pattern was a bit big....

All finished and looking cute!

I'm Sewing...

I cut out this dress in June and sewed a couple of seams and left it in a heap....Which is really not like me, I usually finish what I start...It's really not a good idea to leave a sewing project, then try to sew it later on. I forgot what design I had cut out and all my notches had frayed into the fabric. Then I wasn't sure which markings were which...I assumed I was making size 2, but I think I cut it out too short. Never mind...

I've now made the dress up in style A from Mccalls 6154 sewing pattern. But I added the pockets from style C to the dress. I couldn't fine my iron-on stiffening I cut out for the front yolk. So instead I used a much stiffer one...That wasn't a good choice because it was like cardboard in the front and the back yolk was nice and soft.... This pattern is pretty much an easy sew, though slightly fiddly as smaller garments are. The finished dress looked a bit wide I thought, and I would have liked more gathers...

I was pleased with my fabric choice of baby pincord. Though I did have a bit of trouble with the front yolk, I had an excess of fabric when top stitching (but that was probably due to the cardboard stiffening causing problems). Overall I'd make sew this style again.

Yes it's too big but then I thought it would
 be as it's a size 2. Her mum pinned her
up at the back... luckily she has a
big sister, she can wear it!

McCalls 6154 Size 2-5

Wacky Wednesday

Yesterday was my 'sewing disaster day', I wasted a whole day trying to sew a Teddy Bear.....My worst nightmare happened......The fabric gave way as I was stuffing the bear (all frayed and shredded it was).  But that should have been no surprise to me because the fabric was so old. I should have known better than to use material from an old Hugh Hefner like smoking jacket......It was probably as old as Hugh too.....I've put away my disaster I can't bare to look at the half stuffed shredded satin Teddy Bear...

Today is a new sewing start and I've decided to simplfy my sewing experience.....McCalls Pattern M5826 (Wacky Creatures) was the answer. One high energy kitten made my sewing day a bit frazzled.... But kittens have got to sleep sometime so all was good from then on.

A very easy pattern to use, I didn't really look at the instructions. One problem I did have was with the the legs for B they didn't seem to fit, so I cut the sewing allowance off them...Then they looked odd and too small so I put some of  the seam allowance  back on again...I don't like how McCalls print out their pattern pieces in this craft pattern. You don't know what the number is on any particular piece. I solved this by writing my own numbers on them.

This project is a present so I wanted to sew a heart made out of my fathers old tie to put on the front. Since I inherited all of his ties no one has any of them and I thought it would be nice to give a piece back (I've hoarded them for 30 years). Overall it was fun making this 'Wacky Creature' I'd do it again.

You need to tape the legs, arms to the body You can mix and match).
I always use white tape it's easier to remove when finished...

All taped ready to do but I added the sewing allowance back again...

Ready to cut out and the finished heart (60 year old tie)

All finished and ready to go....
Fabric is an open weaved tartan cotton