Vintage Poppies Blouse

I know I was meant to post pictures on Tuesday, but I was mistakenly over-scheduled at work and ended up having to go in (grrrr)..and needless to say that didn't give much blogging time this week! So FINALLY here is my vintage blouse!

It is view A from this vintage Economy Design pattern:

The tie on the front is actually similar to a man's bow tie because it is simply tied around the neck, and the pieces that make up the "tails" are top-stitched on to the front opening. The pattern of this fabric makes it hard to see so here are some close-ups:

Overall this is a really simple blouse to make and could be done in a day or two. Although construction itself was simple, the directions were pretty basic and there were very few illustrations..I'm guessing this is why it's called an "economy" design. As shown in a previous post I altered the pattern from a 32, but it was still a bit snug so next time I will be a bit more generous with the fit. The pattern calls for armhole facings, but because this fabric is cream with dark flowers I decided to do a pin hem on the sleeve edges to avoid them showing though (and I think I like it better to be honest).

I really like this design but I'm not fond of how the bow detailing gets a little lost with patterned fabric. Next time I think I may use a contrasting color to make it stand out.

I've got an extra long weekend ahead so I'm hoping to get a few more patterns done..hope everyone has a great weekend, I'm off to get started!

The Perfect Knit Dress?

Well so much for my "week of sewing and stash-bustin"..I took 3 days off work to finish some projects and start new ones, but ended up going in on Thursday and Tuesday was spent running errands and cleaning..so not much got done. Unfortunately my party dress for Anna's birthday was not done in time (due to some fitting issues which I will blog about later), but I did finish McCall's 5752 - "The Perfect Knit Dress" on Monday (it was horrible weather all last week so I couldn't get a picture until today!)

I'm not going to post a full review, but I do think it is noteworthy. This is a really simple dress to make, and it is soo comfortable! The A-line skirt is also great for showing off prints (the placement of mine was unintentional I swear!)

One thing I would like to point out:

I made a size 10 toile in a 100% cotton knit, and it fit me perfectly. However, my dress fabric is 92% modal and 8% spandex. I decided to stay with the 10 instead of relying on the stretch of the spandex to fit into a size 8..it probably would have looked alright but I think spandex helps with the drape of the garment more than the fit, and I also didn't want the print to appear distorted from stretching.

I didn't have to make any alterations or changes, except I pressed open all of the side seams and used a stretch stitch for the whole garment instead of just on the skirt like the instructions say. Would I make it again? I'm not sure yet because I'm not a fan of the midriff section.. it is composed of 3 layers: the rouching pannel set on top of a backing pannel, and a self-lined pannel on the inside (see below).

Although the inside lining pannel is aesthetically pleasing, it helps make for bulky seams along the midsection (which is the WORST place to have them!) because you have 3 layers in front and 3 in back. I think if I made this again, I would leave off the rouching pannels because I don't think they are flattering to my figure. If you are paranoid about bulkyness or don't care how the inside looks you could leave off the lining pannel, or even the lining and rouching.

Overall I'm really pleased with it and know it will get a lot of use. I have some other jersey dress patterns that I want to try next, but I'm sure this is one I will come back to!

Finally, some much needed stitching!

After a long week of working overtime and a relaxing weekend filled with warm weather and barbeques, I finally had some time to sew today! Here is the first item in my stash-bustin' series:

This bag is actually a free download from Butterick called "Retro Tie Bag." I made it from some fabric scraps that were left over from a dress I made (pics of the dress will come later, I'm waiting for the warm weather to return so I can shoot it in the garden). This was so easy to make, and it is bigger than the pattern photo looks..I can fit my purse, phone, and diary in there! I do suggest that you make the ties longer because in my opinion they are a bit short for the size of the bag. The pattern doesn't specify what type of zip you need, so make sure you purchase a regular zip. I'm really chuffed because this is going to look so cute with my dress!

Taking on the stash

As you can see by the nifty little button on the left, I have joined Zoe's stash-bustin' challenge! (If you click on the button it will take you to her post). This was actually the reason I went through my fabric stash on Tuesday..I was kicking around the idea and wanted to see how much/what fabric I actually had to work with. Due to lack of storage space (which seems to be a common characteristic of English houses) all my fabric is kept in a large basket, and since I can't fit another metre in I figured this challenge is in order!

If you don't feel like clicking the link, I'll sum it up here (this is the pledge Zoe made):

I am pledging to bust my stash, using as much of my fabric collection as I can, over the next few months. I will only be stepping into a fabric store when absolutely necessary to pick up items like linings and interlinings to complete projects when I don't already possess an alternative.

Sounds a bit daunting, doesn't it? I'm going to abide the best I can, but sometimes, I just can't resist a nice print! Therefore I am adding the caveat that I am allowed to buy new fabric only if it is an absolute must have, and I cannot buy more than I have used up.

So, what to make? When I get done looking through the 60+ patterns my mum sent me from the Hancock's 99¢ sale I'll let you know!

(This isn't even the half of it!!)