Activewear – VNA Top

On By Sharon7 Comments

Now for the 2nd piece of my Activewear – Mini Wardrobe.

This is Fehr Trade’s VNA top, and what I liked about this top is that it has some shoulder coverage.

It is a downloadable pattern which is instant gratification and a very small pattern to put together.  The pieces also let you use small scraps of fabric if you want to do the colour blocking.

I have used again the brown Stella Cotton Elastomeric 10% Spandex from Standard Knits that I made the Yoga Pants out of and then some grass green and navy Supplex purchased from Metro Fabrics.  For the neck and armhole bindings I have used the  leftover fabric from this top.

This is the first time I have used a pattern from Fehr Trade and Melissa has done an excellent job in stetting out all the steps, including some common adjustments that people will need.

I traced off an XXS from my measurements and then did the following adjustments:

*  1cm FBA as per Melissa’s instructions in the pattern sheets as well as my standard 1cm gaposis tuck to the front neckline

*  My standard 1.5cm sway back adjustment but this time I used a new technique that Sandra has been using that also squares the back shoulder.

Melissa has an interesting way to do the neck and armhole bindings, I found that you need to be very accurate with your markings and stitching, but the finished product is very smart.

Now here is the VNA top with my Yoga Pants

Now it is finished, I can see that I need to look at a few things:

*  the shoulder width as the shoulders keep folding in
*  how I can change the back armholes so that it will cover my standard bra (I am wearing a cross back bra) without changing the design line that I quite like.
*  remember to remove the 2cm (1cm gaposis tuck) from the neck band and hopefully this will solve the issue at the back neck or I will need to do a small gaposis tuck there as well.

I will be back tomorrow with another piece.

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2014 Stash Out: 19.8 m
2014 Stash In: 45.75 m

Activewear – Jalie 3022

On By Sharon16 Comments

I am in the process of trying to make 5 pieces of active wear this month using some of the fabric that I purchased back in January.

Why?

Well over at Pattern Review they are holding their annual Mini Wardrobe competition and the rules state that it must contain 5 pieces to achieve 6 looks.   Now I don’t wear too many dresses and my wardrobe at present has far too many skirts and jeans in it to make any more.

The one area of my life that is very neglected is active wear.  Now I am not a gym junkie, however 3 times a week, I work out at home and my current work out gear is looking a bit sad and sorry for itself.

The patterns I have chosen are:

Jalie 3022 Yoga pants
Fehr Trade Duathlon Shorts
Lekala Sports Vest
Fehr Trade VNA top
Seamster Patterns Advocado Hoodie

I took me a while to work out what colour combination I would like to use and have ended up using brown, navy, grass green and leftover pieces from this top

To start it all rolling, I decided to make up the Yoga Pants from Jalie

I traced the Size R and then scooped the crotch curve lower like I did for my Jeans and thought I would try a horizontal tuck of 1cm at the back upper thigh to see if this would remove the excess fabric in that area.

The yoga pants have a seam at the back of the leg, so I purchased some variegated embroidery thread that blended well with the top fabric to add some interest on the back leg and side seams as well as around the waistband.

To get this look, I threaded the embroidery thread in the looper of my Coverstitch machine and then set up the needles on the widest width and sewed the seam allowances down on the wrong side which gave me this very RTW look on the right side.

I didn’t do the contrast waistband as I tend to wear my tops longer.

I used plain brown thread for the other seams using the same technique.

Here they are!

All the other pieces are in various stages of construction so I will be back soon.

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2014 Stash Out: 18.8 m
2014 Stash In: 45.75 m

Wineberry Cowl

On By Sharon13 Comments

So what does a girl do when she has to spend 3 days away from her sewing machine, break out the knitting needles again.

Ravelry is a great site for inspiration and free patterns, and this one is by Jen Geigley and is called the GAP-tastic Cowl.

I did take this pattern with me on our trip and managed to find a few knitting shops but I didn’t manage to find any wool that really appealed to me or that I couldn’t purchase at home.  One of the things I was really after was a soft snuggly yarn as this would be worn around my neck.

It wasn’t until I got back home and saw Heidi’s post from Sewing Daisies about her Honey Cable Cowl and the gorgeous Morris & Sons Maya 14ply 100% Baby Alpaca that I knew this was the wool that I was looking for.

Inspiration from Heidi

This is a very simple cowl to knit, it is 130 stitches on a circular needle, joined in the round and then you knit 1, purl 1 until you reach your desired width.

The pattern does suggest a width of 15″ but I thought this would be far too wide for my frame, so my cowl is 9″ wide and this sits comfortably around my neck.

I purchased 7 balls of wool and have 3 and a bit left over, now to work out if I want a matching beret!

I cast on the stitches on Friday afternoon and cast off on Monday on the way home in the car!

This is the full length and I don’t think I will wear it like this.

This is how I  will wear it the most, looped over my head twice and I can’t wait to mix it with my print tops!

And for those cold days have it looped over my head 3 times.  Perfect for when you need your coat and something to keep your neck warm this is definitely the way to go!

Flannelette Tofino’s – Make a Garment a Month – June completed

On By Sharon12 Comments

I did it, the Tofino’s are completed, yes there are two pairs.

This is the fun part of the Tofino’s you can play with the panels.  I also had in my stash some pale lilac flannelette which was close enough to the pale pink in the flowers for it to work.

I didn’t do any further changes to those I made originally, but realised after I had put them on that I had meant to raise the back rise for a bit more length as I find this a bit short in my owl Tofino’s when sitting.

Above I have used the floral for the front and back with the plain for the side panels and tie.

This pair is the opposite, the plain for the front and back with the floral for the side panels and tie.

Now I need to get organised like Carolyn and get some tops made, I get too hot for flannelette tops however at present my older t-shirts are doing a great job until I find some knits fabrics that will work with the floral.

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2014 Stash Out: 17.5 m
2014 Stash In: 45.75 m

Make a Garment a Month – June Plans

On By Sharon7 Comments

It is rather late in the month to be making plans, however I really do need this month’s garment, it has turned cold all of a sudden and my spotty pj’s acquired some additional ventilation last week due to fabric failure!

Now this fabric has been in my stash for a while and I did earmark it for pj bottoms during the Pyjama party last year when I made my owl Tofino’s.

I have just under a week left and I did cut them out last week, so with my ASG Sewing meeting on Saturday I think this is doable!

Cream Boat Neck t-shirt – May Garment a Month – Completed

On By Sharon7 Comments

So much for my commitment of finishing this top in May, it has been sitting on my ironing board waiting for the hems to be done for quite a few weeks.

I have previously made this top a couple of times and found that I needed a plain cream top (or two) in my wardrobe.

One thing Burda tells you do with this top is to turn and hem both necklines, then join the shoulders. Now trying to get the topstitching to line up this way has really given me a lot of grief.

This time I sewed the shoulders seams, pressed under the hem around the neck edge, hand basted it in place and then used my coverstitch to do the topstitching.

To turn the corner, you hand raise the needles, so that one of them is free and the other is just in the fabric, this lets you turn the neckline around that sharp corner (sorry I forget to take photos).

Roscoe has managed to be in all the photos, he would not leave my side as I had said the magic word to him “work” which means he comes with me to the office for the day and just loves it!!  I need to remember to tell him after my photo session!

This photos does show that I need to a FBA on this pattern and stop denying it, but it isn’t as noticeable in the patterned fabrics.

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2014 Stash Out: 14.7 m
2014 Stash In: 45.75 m

Navy Marfy 0757 skirt

On By Sharon10 Comments

This skirt has been finished for a few weeks now as some of you may have seen it during Me Made May 2014.

I cut this skirt out back in February and then soon realised after reading the wonderful notes by Leisa for the Sew-Along that this would take quite a bit of work to complete.

The skirt is underlined with cotton voile which was cut out the same as the skirt pattern and basted to the wool fabric and treated as one for the construction.  This let me catchstitch the seam allowances to the underling.

I have inserted by first pick stitched zip

For the waist I used my usual technique and then pick stitched the final seam.

Catch-stitched the hem and mitred the corners on the side vents

Handstitched the lace to the lining, finally adding lining thread bars

And here it is being worn,

This skirt has a lot more detail in it than any of my other skirts, I really enjoyed the handsewing and surprised myself by attaching the lace to the lining hem by hand, it just felt like the right thing to do.

I am planning to make the jacket later this year using the same navy wool and the final post has just been posted by Leisa for the Sew-Along. This gives me access to so much detailed information that will help me use some new and refresh some techniques with the jacket.

First I need to finish up the garments I took away for my sewing weekend!

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2014 Stash Out: 13.35m
2014 Stash In: 45.75m

Burgundy Track pants

On By Sharon16 Comments

These are the track pants that I took away with me in April.

Now track pants aren’t part of our normal holiday attire, however when DH packed his I asked why and he said to be comfortable whilst visiting his Mum.  Well my track pants are not fit to be seen outside at the moment so this is where I really appreciate my stash.

I had purchased 5 metres of this tracksuit fleece from Standard Knits in April 2012 for the sole purpose of some track suits for dog walking and to wear of an evening when I get home from work when it gets colder.

It was also lucky that I had used Simplicity 3640 (OOP) track suit pattern before for my cargo pants so I knew they fitted as the pattern had already been adjusted.

3 hours later they were finished and packed in our bag.

I am really happy with the fit of these,they are a slim fit which I prefer.

They are high waisted but that suits me fine so no cold air can creep in when I am sitting down.I also put a piece of fabric in the back waistband for easy identification.

This is not the true colour, the pictures above are.

Now they aren’t perfect for dog walking as there are no pockets so Roscoe now has to carry his own bags, but I plan on making another pair and they will have pockets.

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2014 Stash Out: 11.75 m
2014 Stash In:  43.75 m

MMM’14 – Days 29 to 31

On By Sharon8 Comments

The last few days of May, where has the month gone and Sydney has had its warmest Autumn in 150 years or since records began.

Thursday – 29 May


Top: Kwik.Sew 3740 in brown/coffee/cream knit, previously worn on days 7 and 19
Skirt: McCall’s 7244 in grey wool flannel, previously worn on day 5
Accessory: Purchased necklace and earrings
Hosiery:  Voodoo Nightshade
Shoes: Circa Joan & David Black Calalilly pumps

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Friday – 30 May

The final photo theme this year is “Your Stash of Fabric” so here I am in front of my main fabric stash hehe!


Dress: McCall’s 5433 in orange linen, previously worn on day 2
Cardigan: Simplicity 2603 in brown mercury jersey, previously worn on day 8
Accessory: Purchased necklace and earrings
Hosiery: Voodoo Celestial 
Shoes: Circa Joan & David Brown Calalilly pumps

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Saturday – 31 May

Today I am attending a Regional Day sewing with the Australian Sewing Guild making Quillows.

Photo by Deborah

Top: Kwik.Sew 3740 in chartreuse/grey/navy, previously worn on days 5 and 20
Jeans:  Jalie 2908 blue denim jeans, previously worn on days 9 and 17
Vest: Shona knitted vest in chartreuse, previously worn on day 17
Accessory: Purchased necklace and earrings
Hosiery: Voodoo Nightshade 
Shoes: Black loafers

Here are the two quillows I made, I don’t think my crazy patchwork skills are quite up to scratch.

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Wrap-up

This year threw some new challenges, unusually warm weather for the majority of the month and it highlighted my need for cardigans as the mornings and evenings were cool, but during the middle of the day short sleeves were quite possible. I did cut out a cardigan for our sewing weekend, but first I need to finish the skirt and dress that I started on the weekend which are pretty close to being finished.

It did get very hard this week not to repeat an outfit and I keep saying I need more tops, so why do I sew so many skirts!

MMM’14 – Days 22 to 28

On By Sharon6 Comments

The tights are still in the drawer as the warm Autumn weather has continued again this week.

Thursday 22 May


Top: Sewaholic Alma blouse in tangerine polyester (blogged here)
Skirt: Self Drafted TNT skirt in brown wool, previously own on day 12
Cardigan: Jalie 2566 in a mixture of knits, previously worn on days 1, 14 and 18
Accessory: Me made crocheted necklace and earrings.
Hosiery: Voodoo Celestial 
Shoes: Tahari Melanie

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Friday 23 May

Woohoo I’ve got another day off work, this one was planned all along and I was thrilled that the boss gave me Monday off.  I am all packed up ready to head off for a sewing weekend with 29 other ladies from the Australian Sewing Guild.

These are the garments that are cut out, fused, and pinned ready for their first steps of sewing:

McCall’s 5433 Shirt which I lengthen for a shirtmaker dress in navy linen.
Vogue 1247 Rachel Comey Skirt in the same navy linen.
Jalie 2566 Cardigan in a multi coloured sweater knit that I purchased during an ASG Convention in 2012

Today’s photo them is “Polka Dot Parade” and I am thankful for Sydney’s run of unusually warm Autumn weather.

Top: Vogue 1247 top in navy with off white spot chiffon (blogged here)
Skirt:  BWOF 04-2009-101 skirt in brown cord, previously worn on day 11.
Accessory: Me made necklace and earrings
Hosiery: Voodoo Celestial
Shoes: Taupe flats

and my PJ’s – BWOF 11-2009-131 in spotted flannelette (blogged here)
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Saturday 24 May

Photo taken by Kristy

Top: Kwik.Sew 3740 in white, red, toffee, brown knit previously worn on days 3 and 15.
Skirt:  BWOF 04-2009-101 in burgundy cord (not blogged)
Accessory: Me made necklace and earrings
Hosiery: Voodoo celestial
Shoes: Taupe flats

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Sunday 25 May

Photo taken by Sandra

Top: BWOF 02-2009-108 boat neck in blue/brown/green knit, previously worn on days 6 and 17.
Skirt: Self Drafted TNT skirt changed to a denim style in green twill, previously worn on day 16.
Accessory: Purchased necklace and earrings.
Hosiery: Voodoo Celestial 
Shoes:  Taupe flats

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Monday 26 May

Top: Kwik.Sew 3740 blue/gold swirls, previously worn on day 12.
Skirt:  Marfy 0757 skirt in navy wool (to be blogged)
Accessory: Me made necklace and earrings (blogged here)
Hosiery: Voodoo Celestial
Shoes: Circa Joan & David Lux navy slingbacks

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Tuesday 27 May

Top: Vogue 8572 (OOP) in off-white damask, previously worn on day 1.
Skirt: Vogue 1247 Rachel Comey skirt in burnt orange (blogged here)
Cardigan:  Jalie 2566 in animal print, previously worn on day 11.
Accessory: Me made necklace and purchased earrings
Hosiery:  Voodoo Celestial
Shoes: Circa Joan & David Callalily brown pumps

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Wednesday 28 May

Top: Vogue 1822 in brown spotty Japanese cotton (blogged here)
Skirt: Self drafted TNT skirt in brown linen, previously worn on days 1 and 15.
Accessory: Purchased necklace and earrings
Hosiery: Voodoo Celestial
Shoes: Tahari Melanie

Not many more days left in May and it looks like the warm weather is here for a few days more!